Septima's mouth drew into a slight scowl.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Completely unhurt. Just trying to see what I can do to help here, but then again, it looks like it's mostly taken care of now," she replied, only mostly lying.
Because really, it was her fault that Aurelius was hurt as badly as he was. She should have, and very well could have stopped him from acting so rashly, but she didn't. Maybe she should've offered to come on the job when he'd first mentioned it, and they wouldn't be here now.
Felix sat down near Ren and Azel, still trying to catch his breath a bit. He felt like his ribcage was having trouble expanding all the way. Again, not enough to get medical attention, especially since he knew what was going on, but it was uncomfortable.
"Glad we were able to get you two out of there," he said softly.
Cyrus also approached them and gave out a couple of business cards.
"Hey, I'm about done here. The team and I are going down into the lab to investigate more thoroughly. But if you guys remember anything new, or learn something new about what happened, please let me know."
Caelum nodded a bit, but didn't seem entirely convinced. "I don't mean physically. I mean how are you feeling. It's hard, right? To watch a friend get hurt? They're taking Eli away for a while too. Hopefully those kids are going to be alright… we'll have to check up on them in the hospital. I don't know about the girl since she's been unconscious, but Theo for sure doesn't have anywhere to go. It's going to be rough trying to find somewhere for them to stay. They're too young to be running around on their own…" He sighed softly, closing his eyes. He looked up when Cyrus approached with the cards and accepted one, thanking him quietly.
Ren and Azel looked up at Felix when he joined them. Ren waved, and Azel simply nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, thanks. I guess I probably would've frozen to death after not much longer." Ren laughed, not seeming to understand the weight of the situation.
"And I probably would've been killed by ghouls, so… thanks." Azel said quietly. "You guys helped even though we don't really know each other at all. I guess I'll have to find somewhere to stay."
"I'll probably just go back to Pick. I'm kinda sick of living out on the streets, though, and he'll just assume I'm dead if I don't come back, so…"
Septima shook her head. "Sure it is. I'm not that worried, though. They'll be fine."
She took a card from Cyrus, despite knowing a lot less than anyone else here. She hadn't been involved besides coming to the rescue. Septima really felt like she was always the one coming to the rescue for Aurelius.
"I do wish the best for those kids, though. It looks like they're the only ones coming out of this. A damn shame. They all deserved better, that's for sure."
"Oh, I mean… helping was the least we could do. I'd never leave someone to die, knowing I could help," Felix replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
He thought for a few moments.
"Well, Aurelius and I… we share an apartment, and we don't really have a lot of space, but if you guys need a place to crash for a night or two, we'd be more than happy to let you stay with us. But our lease is up soon, so we might be moving. And if either of you would like to hop in on that, that may be on the table, too. I'm not sure about money, but we'd figure something out."
"Yeah. I'm sure something will work out for them. Honestly, I would take them in myself if we can't find any other accommodations for them. They deserve a better life than the ones they've had." Caelum sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, still pretty out of it if he was being honest.
Azel glanced up, listening closely to Felix. "Mm… I might have to take you up on that. I don't think Ren's old enough to lease an apartment himself, but I'd let him stay." He ruffled Ren's hair a bit. "I'm sure we'll all figure something out eventually, though."
"While I can't take them in myself, I'm willing to do everything to find someone who can," Septima agreed, "Foster care just won't do. After all that trauma, they need stability."
"Yeah, we can talk about a new place later once Aurelius is out of the hospital and all that, but you can stay at our place in the meantime," Felix said, "It's definitely better than being stuck on the streets or something."
"Right. I'm not sure if Elio and I have a stable enough life to support a kid. We don't make a lot of money, and we barely have a set home." Caelum shrugged a bit and sighed, looking around the forest.
"Cool, thanks." Azel stretched and yawned, exposing his sharp teeth. "I'm sure I'll end up more stable soonish. I'll need a steady job with enough income to support an actual home, like my own apartment or something."
"Yeah… I can offer financial support," Septima said, "So if you need help with that bit, I can do it. It's just… I don't think I can offer the emotional support a child needs. And that's fine. I should just. Never have kids. I'm sure Auri and Felix would love to help as well, but seeing as they can hardly take care of themselves, taking care of a child full time would probably lead them both to collapse."
"Yeah, I know how all that is," Felix sighed, "I left my father's house before I was financially ready, but I- I had to leave, you know? I was miserable there. And my older brother wasn't really any help. We could've rented out a place together, but honestly he was almost as shitty as my dad."
He gave a smile and a soft laugh.
"But things are fine now. Haven't talked to the guy in like two years, and I couldn't be happier."
"Well, money isn't necessarily the problem… we're just busy and on the go a lot, and he and I bicker a ton, which is fine, but it would stress out a kid. Especially those kids, since they've been through a lot. He and I aren't in a relationship or anything either, and it probably wouldn't be easy to get paperwork approved. Neither of us is really a good fit for a kid at the moment."
"Right, yeah… my siblings and I were rejects, pretty much. Odd little fox children. Mistakes." Azel shrugged a bit. "No one really wanted us, and I ran off at fifteen years old to take care of myself. I pretty much just live in the forest. I'm in my fox form a lot of the time." He sighed softly, and Ren glanced up.
"I was born in the streets, and my mother abandoned me there. I never knew my dad, and I don't remember my mom. Pick ended up picking me up and I've been living with him ever since. He makes me do a lot of things I don't really like, though…"
"I see," Septima replied, "Well, if that's the case, I'm sure we will find somewhere stable for them to live that's not any of us, and if not, then we can work out something with shared custody and responsibility. So even if you guys alone aren't enough, there's other people in the agreement that can help. I don't mind the occasional babysitting, but I know I couldn't raise a kid myself."
Felix shifted uncomfortably. God, that was so much worse. He felt petty for complaining about his father, especially when he felt like their strained relationship was his own fault.
"Oh… jeez… I'm so sorry," Felix replied, "My deal is nothing like that. I probably brought it all on myself anyway."
"Right. We can at least follow the process and help them find a good home to stay in, right? I want to make sure that have a better life from here on out." Caelum sighed and toyed with his hair a bit, still looking very tired.
"No, no, don't be sorry… it's fine." Azel smiled wryly. "I don't mind. I'm glad to be on my own now. I never really thought much of it. My situation isn't all that uncommon for people like me." He shrugged, and Ren nodded.
"Yeah, it's pretty normal. And Pick takes good care of me most of the time. He helps me find food and shelter and stuff, so that's good."
"Yeah, exactly," Septima said with a nod and a half-smile, "Hey, wanna head out? The cops said we could clear out. Besides, you look damn exhausted. I was probably going to swing by the hospital in a while, but I don't know if they're taking visitors at the moment."
Felix's gaze shifted downward. It wasn't exactly making him feel better. Their lives were definitely far worse, and here, he had the nerve to bring up his own little petty problems.
"Sure, but you two had a pretty rough start there. I can't say the same. Elves definitely have it easier, that's for sure…" he sighed, "I was couch surfing at one point in my life, sure, but I've always had a roof over my head and something to eat."
"Yeah, I should probably go… using my powers so much drains me a lot, and I should probably take a break. There's not much I can do at the moment with everyone in the hospital, either. Maybe I could take a quick nap…" Caelum dragged himself to his feet, looking very unsteady.
"That doesn't mean your problems are insignificant, you know. We grew up different— who the hell cares? You're allowed to talk about your life and your issues too." Azel insisted.
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Septima agreed, "I've got a car, I should be able to take everyone home if they need a ride. And I'll probably go check in at work. I was headed there when- well… I sorted out everything with my boss before I came out here, so it's fine, but still. There were a couple of things I wanted to get done today."
Felix shrugged a bit. "Perhaps. Guess it doesn't really matter, as long as I use what I have to help others when I can."
He tugged a bit at his shirt, clearly uncomfortable still.
"I'm probably gonna head home soon, take a shower. You two can come and do the same."
"Sounds good. Elio and I don't live all that far from here, so I should be alright to walk. We should meet up again at some point. Do you have a phone number?" Caelum asked, leaning against a tree to help himself keep his balance.
"Alright. That's fine with me." Azel got to his feet and stretched, yawning. Ren did the same, keeping close to Azel as he glanced around. They seemed to trust each other well enough even though they hadn't known each other for very long.
"Okay, well, that sounds good to me," Septima said, before giving Caelum her number. "See you later, then?"
Felix smiled a bit and started walking back out to the edge of the park.
"Alright, let's go, then?"
Caelum nodded a bit and accepted the number.
"See you later." He waved and headed off through the trees, limping. Azel and Ren got to their feet to follow Felix out of the forest.
(Time skip?)
(Uhhh probably to when the babies are relevant again aha. What's a good excuse for everyone to meet back up?)
(Visiting the hospital? Maybe Cyrus calls them there for some reason? I will uhhhh create a character sheet for the werewolf kiddo)
Bee
12
Female, she/her
Biromantic, currently very confused about it all lol
Changeling child, lured into the trap in the park. But also a werewolf. Forcibly infected in the experiments to see how lycanthropy would manifest in a changeling. The answer? Badly. She has the monthly transformations like any other werewolf, but the infection has seeped into her usual changeling transformation forms as well, and while not in her original form, she has heightened aggression among other things. Transformations take more energy than they used to.
She was already in the foster care system prior to this. Her dad left, her mom (the changeling in the couple) was murdered a few years ago. Foster parents are not going to take her back in, as they find her new trauma to be more than they can handle (they were already having issues with her that were not her fault)
An absolute sweetie. Bookish. Very quiet, but always listening.
Could commit a murder, but would she?
Very very smart, god-tier trickster
(Alright, I will open for the next scene ig?)
Cyrus sat in one of the waiting rooms, scribbling in his notebook. He was exhausted, but determined to find out every last detail he could about what happened. He was about to fall asleep sitting up, when Galen walked into the room, in his full scrubs. He pulled down his face mask to reveal shining white fangs.
"Why don't you go home, darling? I've already told you the kids are alright."
Cyrus shook his head. "I'm meeting some of the witnesses here. They were coming to visit anyway, as a couple of their friends were injured in this whole shitshow."
"Alright, well… At this rate, you might as well just leave with me when my shift is over. But I'm ordering us takeout tonight. You're not cooking like this."
Cyrus smiled. "God, I could kiss you right now."
Septima was the first to arrive at the hospital. She came straight from her workplace and sat in one of the waiting rooms, waiting to be let back. Soon after her, Felix arrived. Wet hair. Baggy hoodie even though it was hot out. He looked exhausted too, and it took everything Septima had to not tell him to go back home.
Azel and Ren arrived alongside Felix, both looking curious and a bit sleepy. Ren wandered around the waiting room, messing with things that he probably shouldn't have been messing with. A few minutes later, Caelum arrived as well. He looked tired, and he was still limping slightly. He wasn't nearly as put together as usual, presumably due to stress about this whole situation. He came over to the group and dipped his head politely as a greeting.
Meanwhile, Theo was very nervous in his hospital room. He didn't like all of the doctors around, and he flinched whenever he was touched. They reminded him just a little too much of the experimenters. He whimpered softly and pulled the sheets over his head to hide.
Eventually, Galen came to Theo's room. He was pretty distinct compared to most of the other hospital employees. Tattoos, piercings, his relaxed attitude… he really just seemed like a normal guy.
"How are you doing?" He asked, standing at the foot of the other's bed, "I trust the doctors have been treating you well?"
Septima stood up once she saw everyone had arrived.
"Oh, good. Let's see if they'll let us back now."
Cyrus then noticed the others had finally made it.
"They should. Your friends are open for visiting. It's just the kids- I don't know if they actually want anyone yet or not. I came to see them, and I haven't been let back yet."
Theo seemed a little less uneasy around Galen, but he was still visibly nervous. This man had a very different style than his experimenters did, but even so, this place was unfamiliar and scary. He held tightly to the sheets on his cot, still cowering as he looked up at the man. "They're scary…" He said quietly.
Caelum nodded a bit. "Right. We want to make sure they're alright, of course, but if they don't want to see us, we shouldn't force them. Do we know anything about their current conditions?" He asked, glancing around to see if anyone had an answer.
"Yeah, hospitals are kinda scary," Galen agreed, "I spent more time in and out of them than I'd have liked as a kid. I know just as well as anyone. And after what you've gone through, it's understandable."
Galen gave a slight smile, his white fangs showing.
"But all things considered, you're doing very, very well, and you'll be out of here before you know it."
"Yeah," Cyrus replied, "They're both projected to recover alright. The werewolf girl is awake now. Changeling werewolf actually… seems infecting her with lycanthropy was part of the experiment."
"That's… fucked up," Felix sighed under his breath, "Is she doing okay, like… emotionally?"
Cyrus shrugged a bit. "She seems to be holding up, but it's going to be very hard to come to terms with. I… I very much sympathize with her, since my situation wasn't so different. I was forcibly infected as well. But at least I can try to be there for her, as someone who has had a similar experience."
"And the other kid?" Septima asked.
"Understandably scared still, but doing fine. He'll probably be out of here first."
Felix shifted a bit. "And… um… have you heard anything about Aurelius or Elio?"
Cyrus shook his head. "No, go talk to someone at the desk. If you guys want to try to visit the kids after that, I'll see if I can arrange something."
Theo nodded weakly, looking away from Galen. "Y-Yeah… everything still kinda hurts… I haven't been talking to the doctors very much, s-so I guess that's my fault…" He fidgeted nervously with the sheets, his heart racing. "They were scary, so I didn't tell them much…"
Caelum looked pale and concerned as Cyrus spoke. "That's so horrible… I'm glad they're stable, at least, but it'll take them a long time to emotionally recover from this, if they ever do. Have we made any plans to find housing for them?" He asked. "I wish I could be a good home, but my life is so unstable and unpredictable… and Elio and I aren't exactly wealthy, or in a relationship, so everything would be really complicated and not well suited to a child, especially not one with trauma like this. I hope I can still keep in contact with them…"
"That's not your fault," Galen replied, "But if you let us know what you need going forward, that'll help everyone. You'll be able to leave faster, too. I promise the people here are good people. They've all taken oath after oath to cause no harm and do what they can to help all patients, no matter who they are. Don't let your fear fool you this time. That said, you seem to be talking to me alright. If you need me for any reason, just let one of the nurses know. For now, well… is there anything you needed?"
"For sure," Cyrus agreed sadly, "My husband and I have talked about housing the children, actually. I just need to make sure it's not a conflict of interest with my work. But we can definitely provide if they'll let us. We'd actually been discussing adoption for a while, so really, it seems like the logical thing to do. And you would all be more than welcome to come visit the kids, take them out, babysit, or whatever it is that needs to be done. The bigger the support system the better."
While Cyrus talked to the group who'd remained, Septima went up to the counter to get the others in to visit.
She came back with a little sheet with the room numbers written on it.
"Hey, so we can go visit Auri and Elio now," she said.
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