Left Behind

It's not nice being the only ones to not go on a trip to the Living World.

"Why not, dad?!"

"Yer still too ripe, boy."

"I'm seven years old!"

Striker crossed his arms. "Exactly."

He didn't like having this kind of arguments at work, especially not in front of his co-workers.

Jake, however, wasn't aware of this and began an argument with his father afte being denied passage to the living world again.

The impling crossed his arms. "It's not fair!"

"Jake, the livin' world aint' no playground. It's a serious matter. Ye can't even wield a gun yet, many things could happen-"

"But Blitz says the livin' world is cool!"

Striker sighed. "Jake, I'm yer father. My duty is to protect ya and won't stop doin' it." The impling slapped his father's hand away.

"I don't need ya to be watchin' over me all the time!"

Tail rattling. "Watch how yer talkin' to me, boy." Striker warned sternly.

"How come Bombproof gets to go upstairs?!"

"Bombproof ain't an impling."

Someone knocked on the office door. "Strikes, hate to interrupt your family therapy session, but we really should get going. That stinky pedophile won't die by himself."

Jake was—thankfully—too upset to ask what pedophile meant'. Sighing, Striker picked up his hat.

"We'll finish this conversation when I get back. Stay out of trouble till then, okay?"

"Whatever."

Striker stopped himself from patting his son's head, knowing it probably wouldn't be well-received. His fingers twitched for the slightest moment, but in the end his arm fell back down as he walked out the door.

Jake just stood there, arms crossed with a matching angry pout, until he heard the portal closing. When he walked out of Blitzo's office, it was just him and Loona.

"I guess it didn't end well." the Hellhound deduced without looking up from her phone.

"It's not fair! Daddy keeps treatin' me like a baby!" Jake whined. He climbed into the touch with some difficulty. "I'm not a baby! I can put on my boots by myself now!"

"I understand your pain, kiddo. Parents suck sometimes." Loona murmured with an oddly sincere feeling of sympathy. Blitzo too insists on treating her like a baby when she's practically—and legally—an adult.

"Daddy doesn't smell bad."

"I mean that they're a bit too controlling and overprotective sometimes. Good thing we got time only for ourselves till they get back."

Jake dropped back into te couch. "But being stuck in here is booring!"

The Hellhound grinned and held up the Grimoire. "Then maybe we should spice things up a bit."