forum Monsters? These are my children -Ben (o/o with lisapickle)

Started November 05, 2019 by @chickenfrogman group

tune

Cage shrieks. “The house is INFESTED! IM CALLING THE POLICE!” He runs down the stairs to get as far away as possible, and Violet sets down the bowl, walking up the stairs.
“What is going on up here??”

Miki stumbled after him, snatching her phone off the counter. "ME TOO. TELL THEM TO SEND LIKE TEN PEOPLE."

Silver stood in the hallway beside the ladder, trying to sense what was in the attic. "Violet… I think…" she glanced down at Violet on the floor below. "There's something in the attic. I'm gonna find out what it is. Maybe stop those two–" she pointed toward Cage and Miki frantically dialing their phones. "From bringing all the law enforcement in Leon down on us." She turned back to the ladder, taking a deep breath to brace herself.

Violet bats a hand at Cage and Miki. “Stop, Stop. What is it? What’s up there?”

"CREATURES." Miki yelled. "LIVE. CREATURES. WITH EYES."

Silver rolled her eyes and slowly climbed the ladder, crouching on the floor at the top and looking around.
Slowly her sight adjusted and she saw the blankets. Briefly her mind flashed back to the conversation she had with Gabriel in the park, but then two little points of light blinked at her from a far corner and something scuttled along the rafters overhead.
Silver couldn't see them all but she could feel at least nine different living animals up there in the attic with her.

Violets eyes widen. “What? Are you sure? How’s they get in??” She climbs up the ladder behind Silver, peering into the attic. “Goodness, there are animals up here.”
Cage huffs. “I TOLD YOU! Also, why the blankets?”

A dawning realization slowly came over Silver's mind and she let out a little laugh. "Gabriel said… he took all the extra blankets…" She walked over to the wall and flipped on the light. One solitary light bulb shown from the ceiling but it was enough for them to see a pair of raccoons nesting in a pile of blankets, three squirrels perched on the rafters, and a family of robins hopping around the shelves.
"Oh Gabriel," Silver whispered, sinking down to sit on the floor.

Violet stares at the animals. “Did… did he let them in?” She heads back down the ladder, walking to the window and opening it, seeing Ben and Gabriel in the front yard. “Ben! I hate to interrupt, but we have a problem.”
He stares up at her, visibly confused. “Okay okay. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
She nods and closes the window. “Well. This is odd.”

Silver propped her head in her hands and watched as the animals watched her. "Hey guys." She said cooingly. "Are y'all Gabriel's friends?"

Miki stood at the bottom of the stairs, not daring to go any closer to the attic. "How did they get in???" She cried. "Why are there so many of them???"

Ben opens the door, Gabriel following silently behind him, and heads up the stairs. "I swear, if this is Kiss again I'm-" He stares at the attic ladder. "what is this?"
Violet bites her lip, holding in a laugh. "Actually, umh, we found a few critters in the, uhm, attic."
Gabriel's eyes widen, while Ben looks visibly confused, and he (gabe) heads up the ladder quickly. Without noticing Silver, her sits cross-legged and clicks his tongue at them, offering some of the food, and most of them come, sitting on him and eating from his hands. He pets a few of them, calmly speaking in Latin though they pay no attention to his words.

Ben stares at Violet. "Animals. In my attic. But it's secure, there's not a way they could get in. How'd they get in??"
She covers her mouth, trying not to laugh, then answers. "I think Gabriel- I think Gabriel brought them in, Ben."
"What? why? Why would he want wild animals???" He runs his hands through his hair. "They're going back out."

Silver covered her mouth with her hands, trying to not move or make a sound, and watched Gabe talk to his animals. She didn't know how to let him know she was there without scaring him.

"PLEASE put them back out!" Miki called. "I can't sleep in a house with creatures in it. I might not even be able to sleep in here again even after we get them out." She shivered.

A squirrel perched on his leg and he bends down, whispering to it a little, and giving it a small kiss on the nose when it turns to sniff his face. He gives it a smile as it wipes its face and skitters away with a handful of food.

Ben looks up to the attic. “How am I gonna do this.” He sighs.
Violet walks up beside him and takes his arm. “Be gentle, Benjamin. He likes them.”
Ben runs a hand through his hair. “But why??”

Silver choked, involuntarily squeaking. She couldn't recall ever seeing Gabriel smile before, or looking so content or peaceful. She vaguely heard Ben and Violet speaking and mentally shouted, No, no, no, Ben, don't come up. Please no, you'll scare them all.

Miki crossed her arms, watching Ben and Vi upstairs. To Cage she said thoughtfully, "We could just burn the house down."

Cage nods. “That has my vote.”

Ben rubs his temples. “I don’t want to go up there, he’s talking to them. I’ll just. I’ll wait.” He turns around and paces. “What is that guy? A Disney Princess?”
Violet smiles. “I’ve never seen a Disney Princess with pointy teeth and black nails.”

Gabriel snaps his attention to Silver, focusing on her with wide eyes.
I didn’t know you were here.

She wiggled her fingers at him in a little wave and mouthed "Hi".

"Ben!" Miki called. "Can we just burn the house down??"

He goes to speak, but closes his mouth.
Why are you here. When did you come in??
His cheeks turn a rosy red and he looks down to the robins hopping and eating in his lap.

Ben looks over the balcony. “Oh trust me, I would if I could.”

Slowly Silver inched her way over to sit beside him and watched the birds, slipping her arm around his. "How long have you had these little beans up here?" She asked, keeping her voice low and gentle, for the animals sake and Gabe's.

Miki snort-laughed and darted into the kitchen. "I don't even care how they get them out I just–CAGE"

Cage jumps. “AH BEN DO YOU HAVE AN ICE CREAM MACHINE!!?”
Ben looks over the balcony again. “?? Yes??”

Gabriel swallows and stays completely still, his heart racing.
“A… a month…”

"WHAT. YOU DO?" Miki cried, racing back to the stairs. She almost started climbing them but then stumbled backward as if they burned her. "Um. Please tell me it's not… up there."

Silver tried to hide her smile but failed. "Oh. Okay. How… How many are up here? I saw some racoons and squirrels and birds."

“T- twelve.” He quietly stutters.
This isn’t ok.
I didn’t even think about asking.
Whats a Disney Princess?
I should’ve talked to Ben about them.

Ben rolls his eyes, “no no. Did you idiots even look in the kitchen? Under the sink.”

Silver reached up and smoothed his hair. "Oh wow. That's more than I thought. How did you find them?"

Miki froze, blinking at Ben, and then slowly turned and trudged back into the kitchen. "Cage." She said. "It's been under the sink this whole time."

Cage sighs, staring at the machine. “We cursed our minds with the knowledge of our own kind betraying us and harboring rodents in the attic… just to find out we did it all for nothing… I’m not sleeping tonight.”

Gabriel wipes his face and a squirrel skitters away.
“I’m sorry.” He quietly squeaks.

Miki rubbed her face. "My whole life is a lie."

"Heyhey," she crooned. "It's okay. They didn't hurt anything. You didn't hurt anything. I am surprised you got them to stay here for so long though."

Gabriel pets a robin and it chirps under his hand.
“I like them.”

Cage sits in the ground. “I don’t have the will to live anymore. Kill me now.”

A full grin spread across Silver's face. "They're super cute. Can I…?" She leaned into him and reached toward the bird, but paused, unsure.

Miki giggled and poked him with her foot. "Nooo Cage, we still have to taste the ice cream and see how nasty it is!"

Cage looks in disgust on the ice cream. “If you don’t kill me, that definitely will.”

Gabriel nods. “He doesn’t care. Go ahead.”