Angel Grove Net

This position of authority thing is going...strangely well, actually. Not QUITE a surprise considering I DID have the Rooks and spent years coordinating my people in London but, I still never imagined I'd be here, like this, doing this, particularly when my sister and the most responsible, most boring man in the brotherhood both gave it up freely. Felt a little like a prank, and sure, it's early days but...I think I'm doing it.

...So, Roman called me Dad. It's been that way for me since almost the time I met him, so I'm glad he's settled on the fact. He's been mine for most of the time we've been here, after all, so, stands to reason, right?


Two votes of confidence and trust from people who, well, seem to think that I inspire it. Let's hope they never figure out I've no clue what I'm doing, right?

So. We are having a bit of a problem I never imagined I would be dealing with.

My Emmett's failed to turn up for a few practise sessions that I wrote off, as unlike him as it was, there's always a first time for everything. BUT today he failed to turn up for a private training session that was due to take place over the course of an entire day, eventually waltzed in on his way to dinner at the HQ and failed to mention it at all.

It's as though the whole thing's slipped his mind. I've not said anything yet, hoping he would remember, but...clearly I need to do something more confrontational about it. He's never been a difficult kid, but right now...

Eurgh. I HATE playing the role of the hard arse, you know?

Bad morning. My Emmett's suddenly having seizures again. Full scale bad grand mal ones too. Thankfully, he was over here from the night before so we could deal with sorting a situation I'd just learned about that, frankly, my sister is going to kill both Em and I for when she's back from her mission, and I swung by his set of apartments to see if the pair of them were ready to try to start coming up with some sort of way to make it make sense, only we didn't quite get that far.

...How DO vampires deal with medical needs? Shay's mentioned Charlie's boyfriend's trying to be a creature doctor? Should we get this looked at since it's been so long?

And ah...new mate of Em's? The hell were you drinking last night? It's his choice, mind, and he had no reason to think it'd be a problem, but maybe what you had brought some of this? It's been four so far, in about as many hours, and I'm at a bit of a loss myself....

On the bright side for Em, I guess, no discussion of turning his sixteen year old cousin into a vampire until he's stable, which is...something.

Do the undead still do birthdays? Em's twen...er...nineteen again Tuesday, I suppose.

There's also the fact he's nearly ready to end his apprenticeship, but every time I hint at that idea, it just goes wrong, so I'm not bringing it up again yet.

BUT. Birthdays how DO those work when you're a vampire?

Why do I get the feeling my Emmett is on some kind of performance enhancing drugs? Don’t get me wrong, the lad has been on fire for months, but this is a whole new level of performance from him. Damn.

In other news, any other singles have valentines plans? Want to make some?

NO!

A Fryeday Fight Night breakdown. In a few simple questions.

WHO was this week's new masked fighter?

WHAT possessed my apprentice to do this?

WHEN did he make time to practice?

WHERE did he learn to fight so well?

WHY did getting punched in the face seem like a good idea to him?

HOW do you suggest I punish him?

It's not that he isn't capable but I'd really rather not...Perhaps I'm over protective but head trauma can cause any number of things to happen. Thankfully, my Emmett seems to have skipped those and yet...

I'm allowed to be incredibly pissed off, aren't I? There's some reason I can't remember that he's not supposed to do this, after all...

So tonight was...surreal.

...So, when's it worth betraying someone's trust because it's in their better interest, then?

And I'm NOT asking for a friend.

Seems like keeping it's the least thing I can do around here, considering how WEAK I've gotten, suddenly. And it WAS his birthday, and...cult code, you know?

I've now been vampire chow...

But, on a MORE serious note, does muscle tone just vanish overnight? Or skills?

...Did I actually STAY in Starling, face the fire and NOT come out stronger for that?

Looks like Real Daddy made me better after all. The fucker.

Do you ever think you have the storm under control, only to realize you've just been living in the eye of it for a long time?

Its like the fucking saying goes: A gypsy is a gypsy is a gypsy.

They'll steal the rings from your fingers.

And the love from your heart

Sherr was probably right. Well, about the way we’re doing training. Or, not entirely but...

It might not be the worst idea to double up on apprentice training in some cases. Doesn’t mean we have to assign everyone more than one but..:what if we broke into cohorts for their training, some?

Say Damien, Evie and me take a few times a week to stick Roman, Jenny, and Em into a training group? Or pairs or bigger groups, or one of us takes them for specific group lessons and practices at a time, while leaving plenty of room for the one on one bits of training we evolved into here and wanted to preserve? We likely would want to reorganize the groups every so often, maybe not everyone’s got time to devote to coming up with a lesson or exercise, and being trapped with a classmate you can’t be rid of for long periods is frustrating, but mixing things up could prevent that and lead to some interesting developments.

Barring that, Damien, I want to borrow your apprentice for En a bit more. I think they could be what Evie and I were and more effective as a pair. Thoughts?

...Can you ground your eighteen year old? Can you do it if they don't actually live with you?

Cause mine is grounded til he's thirty.

Convinced my son is actually my sister’s child yet again. We got round to the ongoing conversation about my romantic decisions today, because what other conversation is appropriate to have with your adult kid, right? Anyway, Em sounds like Evie. In a gentler way, but...Evie all the same. And had some actual good points about the reason he dislikes the on-again-off-again-currently-off-again so very much.

I don’t say that he’s seeing the entire picture, but his reasoning is...sound. I don’t know that I will be inclined to stay away based on it, but Em makes me see some things that did us all disservices, and has a way of making clear what I’ve got to do better in any case.

The more you know, or whatever the meem is?

shit. shit. He's here. He's-

I can't.

Anyone else have weirdo fucking dreams lately?

I DO NOT HAVE A HAT FOR THIS!

I’ve fucked up many times, especially here, but seeing the results of something good that happened here in spite of me, it’s given me some new resolve.

No more fuck ups.

NEVER again. Not with my Emmett or the kid who saved him from me and from himself and from this incredibly flawed machine that we’ve created for ourselves.

Sherr is right, I’ve always thought so, but was too preoccupied to do much when he said it, Evie is right, as she always is. Aedan is right, and I see where my actions went a long way toward creating his situation.

I’ve got to be better. Maybe all of us have got to be better.

Think we could help each other?

"Cute! twins! Are they identical?"

"Well, No, they're a boy and girl (far as we know, I don't think they've decided they're anything else yet, they're still mastering sleep, but I digress)."

"Yeah, but are they identical?"



...

...

...

Is this a conversation we'll be having often over the rest of our lives?

So far I'm enjoying this fair land, despite no 'mon around. Which is strange, but Osbtagoon is enjoying all the weird little animals and attention.

What do you hooligans do for fun though since battling doesn't seem like the cool thing?

It's settled.

We've got a LONG way to go, and a lot of feelings I didn't know he even thought about, much less HAD, and trust me, we went through THOSE so fast it made my head spin, but it's settled.

Time to think about the initiation process.


But...

...Em thinks I never loved him. That I only wanted Jack to be my son, and that I never cared about him one way or the other and I don't...

Can't help but think how Catherine and George would pop out of their graves to haunt me for not knowing how he felt this whole time. And how Freddie would have punched me for it, well deserved at that.

I...never meant to be MY father...