Maaya separated some clothes and tossed them into piles. She collected color pile before going to the washer and opening it, putting the detergent pod in then throwing the clothes in shortly after. The washer was turned on and she quietly walked to the kitchen and made some tea. The sun peeked through the living room window of the apartment and she sat on the couch, sipping her tea while reading a book.
It was quiet for a while before a bedroom door opened and Cyrus shuffled out, peeking over the armrest of the couch and staring at her. She smiled gently at him and he smiled back, quietly grunting as he climbed up on the couch and sat next to her. His little onesie had built up some static and momentarily shocked her when he curled up against her. He was usually up before anyone else and would either greet her or Six first.
She lied down and he lied down on top of her before turning his head to the TV when she turned it on. The volume was turned down low, but he didn't seem to care because he was glued to the cartoon. She dragged the blanket over them and just watched the cartoon with him for the next half an hour. His eyelids started to become a bit heavy as they watched a few more episodes and he slowly went limp.
Another pair of feet was heard across the ground and she looked to see Prushka walk into the living room. Her white hair bounced a bit and she yawned before smacking her lips a few times and blinking tiredly at them. She walked up to them and stared at Maaya before climbing on top of her and falling asleep shortly after. All the older woman just did was sigh before adjusting herself a bit for the two children to be more comfortable. She closed her eyes and listened to the faint chirping of the birds outside while the low volume of the cartoon played.
She had to maneuver herself a bit and lie them down on the couch when she heard a cry from the other room. Her footsteps were quiet, but quick, as she made her way to the room and opened the door.
Nana sat up and let out small hiccups while looking around anxiously. Tears fell down her small cheeks and her eyes were a little red from crying for the last few minutes. She spotted Maaya and made a small grabbing motion while quietly calling out for her. A pair of arms gently scooped her up and she was brought forward into Maaya's chest. The older woman just bounced up and down gently while rubbing her back soothingly, patting it every so often.
"Shh... I'm here, baby. Mama's here..." Maaya whispered softly. She swayed side to side gently and hummed a soft tune, brushing a lock of Nana's hair from her face and wiping away a tear or two. It wasn't uncommon for her to have nightmares, but it was rare for her to be so upset about most of them. If she woke up crying like this then it must have been one of the worse ones.
"Where..." Nana looked around the room.
"You're home, sweetheart." Maaya whispered as she continued to sway side to side. The grip on her shirt had loosened some, but Nana's tail still was rigid and puffed out a bit which indicated she was still stressed.
"Home?" Nana asked.
"Mhm... you're home." Maaya hummed. She brought her hand to the back of Nana's head and just let her cling onto her, calming down at her own pace. Nana's speech was limited for a four year old, which stemmed from her time at Merlot's island. None of them were stupid, considering how clever they could be on their own. If they didn't like something, they found a way to make it go away.
"..." Nana just rubbed her face into her shoulder to wipe away some of the tears.
"Are you hungry?" Maaya asked.
"No." Nana shook her head, much to her surprise. It was rare for her to deny food, considering how voracious her appetite was. She had seen her devour three plates of food before being full. It took her a while to learn how to use silverware after using her hands for so long.
"No? What do you want then?" Maaya asked gently.
"Cuddle." Nana answered and curled into her embrace some more.
"Okay, sweetheart... we'll do that." Maaya laughed softly and carried her out the room. She hummed a soft tune and carried her to the couch, where the other two snoozed quietly and peacefully. They sunk into the cushion and Nana clung to her torso while looking at the cartoon from over her shoulder. She pointed at the other show and felt her mood improve a bit when the intro to her favorite show came on.
Maaya just raked her fingers through her hair soothingly, making her more relaxed until the effects from her nightmare were no more. She was back to her usual, energetic self but was more relaxed now. Around everyone else, she was a little ball of chaotic, feral energy but around Maaya and Six, she was more reserved and more obedient. She matched Nora's energetic attitude and even surpassed it in certain cases.
Isaac entered the living room carrying a blanket. He climbed up onto the couch and leaned against Maaya; his paper bag crinkled a bit and he watched the cartoon. His body was wrapped in the blanket and he drifted off back to sleep, basking in the warmth from the blanket and his mother. If he had a nightmare, he usually went to Six or Maaya because he knew they'd make him feel better.
Nana pulled Maaya's cheeks a bit before giggling when she had her right cheek tugged at gently. There was that smile that Maaya had loved to see; that innocent smile that would melt anyone's heart. She giggled when Maaya tickled her stomach and feet, making her curl her body up into a little ball. She slowly calmed down when Maaya stopped and carried her to the fridge, opening it and picking up two applesauce pouches.
She beamed in delight and bounced up and down when one of the pouches was twisted open and handed to her. The pouch was squeezed and Nana quickly ate it before she made a grabbing motion for the other one. She pouted a bit when Maaya told her to wait a moment while she did the laundry and nodded obediently when she was sat down on the couch.
Myne walked into the living room and yawned. She hugged Nana when she squeaked in delight and wiggled her way off the couch to hug her older sister. There was a clear height difference between an eight year old and a four year old. The two walked to the door when some mail slid through the slot and landed on the ground. Making Myne pick it up and read it. In her tired state, she opened it and saw there was lien from her dad.
"Mommy... daddy sent money." Myne quietly said as she walked up to Maaya and handed her a wad of lien, making her do a doubletake.
"Myne. You know you're not supposed to dig through the mail." Maaya lightly scolded. Six sent money from his bounties, which was usually a lot, but it relieved some of the financial burden. It's where a majority of his funds went; he didn't buy anything other than supplies and usually he made his own half the time anyways.
"Sorry." She apologized and leaned against her right leg.
"It's alright, make sure you let me do it though, alright?" Maaya rubbed the top of her head.
"Mhm" Myne nodded. She helped Maaya with some of the laundry, taking the wet clothes and throwing them in the dryer. It was just the two of them right now and time seemed to slip by before all the children were awake. She was glad it was the weekend, because that meant she could relax a bit.
Caring for seven children was a hassle on its own, but it was more rewarding than anything in the end. She loved each one of them dearly and they felt the same. It took a while to get all the legal documents handled, but they were officially her children and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
She lifted Isaac out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel, drying his hair a bit before handing him some pajamas. When he turned around, she couldn't help but stare at the scars on his back. A somewhat dark look appeared on her face when she looked at each one carefully; some were large and some were small. Each one hurt him though, and she knew he was subconscious about his appearance, which is why he covered himself a lot.
Bath time was always a hassle with him because he always felt that she would laugh at him. She never did, not even when he attempted to make a joke how they didn't hurt as much anymore. They hurt her baby and she was glad Six killed all of them. By no means was she a violent person, but everyone had a line and the scientists and guards at that hellhole had crossed it by miles.
He turned around and smiled, making her give one back before he stepped up to the stool in front of the sink. His small toothbrush was plucked from its place in the rack and he turned the faucet on, getting the brush wet before putting some toothpaste on it. He brushed his small teeth carefully for the next few minutes before rinsing his mouth and staring at his teeth for a second.
Hopping off the stool, he took her hand as she walked with him to the kitchen and fished inside for an applesauce pouch. She handed it to him and he twisted the cap off before throwing it in the trash. He stuck the pouch in his mouth and squeezed, taking his time to enjoy the small snack before bed.
"Mom... where'd dad go?" He looked up at her.
"He's hunting." She answered.
"Will he be back soon?" He asked.
"I'm sure he will." She smiled down at him. She couldn't tell him that Six was essentially hunting a group of psychopaths. They were a group that had been plaguing the wild recently, attacking the outer settlements and usually kidnapping and consuming some of their victims. She knew he was hunting them because she's heard how seven of the fifteen were found dead, hung up by their ankles in the branches.
It was a sick way of intimidating others, but it worked.
"I want to go outside with him." He bounced on his feet a bit.
"When you're older." She knelt down to his level.
"I don't want to hunt anything. I just want to see the mountains and rivers and other stuff." He clarified.
"Oh. I'm sure your father will bring you out there one day." She promised.
"Mmm." He beamed a bit and took her hand. Her hand engulfed his and she couldn't help but think how tiny it was compared to hers. They stepped into the bedroom where the rest of the children were at. Numerous toys were put away neatly and countless paper drawings littered the walls; some of her and Six while others were of their odd family, and some were just random things such as the outside.
The others were already lying down on the large floor futon. They slept in a bundle and Isaac had no trouble worming his way into the small sleeping pile. She didn't know why they slept together like that, maybe it offered a sense of security or perhaps warmth... she didn't know. There were times Myne would sleep in the pile with them, telling her that it felt cozy and safe.
Calliope's feline ears flicked when Arthur's hand brushed over it in his sleep. She leaned up and crawled to a more open part of the futon and plopped down. Prushka's foot kicked her in the back and she quickly sat up and tiredly glared at the sleeping girl.
"Mama... make them stop." Calliope whined tiredly.
"I can't, I'm sorry." Maaya apologized gently.
"Ugh..." Calliope whined some more. She stood up and looked up at her, making a tired grabbing gesture. When she was picked up, her ears flicked in relief when Maaya carried her to her bedroom and tucked her into her bed. It was cooler than the sleeping pile in the other room, but there was so much room for her to stretch out a bit. Her golden eyes shimmered in the dark a bit as Maaya closed the door and climbed in the bed herself.
"Better?" Maaya asked.
"Yeah." Calliope nodded tiredly.
"Good." Maaya whispered and brought her close to her. Both started to drift off and eventually fell asleep. It was quiet in the apartment and the only sound was the faint ticking of the clock in the kitchen. Not a single one of them woke up for the rest of the night; no nightmares to rip them from their slumber. Only peaceful dreams.
Six would later enter the apartment in the middle of the night, checking up on them before going to the living room and lying down on the ground. His body was like a rock, not moving once as he slipped off into sleep. He had been gone for the last two weeks and finally finished eradicating the violent cannibalistic group. That was one less threat to worry about and he got to see the little lights in his life.
So I figured I'd make this little short mini-series out of boredom. I don't know if it will take off or not, but it doesn't really matter either way. You all can consider it canon with the original or not, doesn't matter. Point it, it's just a little side story of these little ones, nothing more and nothing less.