Hi dad, we're hungry [D5, MA]

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"She wasn't? Huh. I always kind of assumed she was since dad, well, he *definitely* isn't." She looked thoughtful at that for a moment, before continuing.

"Well, I'm not inclined to give him even a copper piece to be honest. But I don't know, I'm in good with a faction now, which I guess gives me at least a bit of sway in his mind. Not that I can imagine him needing anything from the Godsmen, but still. And could be he might also figure he can use you to open up trade with Mount Celestia or something like that. And I always remember feeling like he thought he had some kind of big asset in having celestial blood in the family, like it'd open doors for him that otherwise'd stay closed, you know?"

[Flession]

She shakes her head. "Well, I'm not entirely sure. From what we've found out, sometimes it's latent, sometimes it's more direct. Maybe our grandparents or our great-parents slept with a deva or something. Gives me a headache thinking about it. Whatever the case is, mom didn't like talking about it when we were young, and we never got a chance to really ask her as an adult, either. So..." There's a large shrugging motion with his hands. "Regardless of the how, we're Aasimar. Finding mom's family could give us more details about that, but that brings us back to why we're here. Dad's the one with the answers. Just gotta get it out of him."

Malady nods. "So, if he wants the celestial blood...does that mean he would want to marry us off or something?"

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"Oh hells, I never even thought it was something like that!" She buried her face in her hand for a moment, then sighed and got up from her seat.

"But... I guess we'll find out. Come on, let's get this over with. The longer I wait the more jittery I'll get and I'd hate to get so jittery I'll back out at the last minute. The mansion ain't far from here. It's one of the big ones. Good as it gets outside the Lady's ward and a noble title in your pocket. There's uh... well, don't know if the servants and guards are all still the same, but I'm guessing they'll let us in once they realize who I am. Prodigal daughter returns, and all that."

[Flession]

"Yeah, no need to overthink this." The two siblings grab their drinks and down it quickly before slamming it down on the table and sighing. "OKAY. Lead the way, sis." Malady says, getting up while throwing a few copper for a tip.

[Sings-With-Purpose]

She would lead them to the mansion she grew up in; a no doubt impressive abode that wouldn't look out of place in the Lady's Ward. The kind of place that took *real* money to acquire and maintain. The kind of place that plebs stared up at in jealous awe before being subject to some militia brutality for bothering the rich folk with their mere existence.

She hadn't been back here in years, but it looked just like she remembered it. Now, all she needed to do was let the guards out by the gate or door know she needed to see her dad and... well, that was probably all there was to it, really.

[Flession]

The old building hadn't aged a day, it feels like, since you've last came here, and no doubt the old feelings of leaving this place come springing back. As you inform the guards of who you were and who you were with, a guard going in the back to confirm it with the head of the house. In the meantime, your sister grabs your hand as to stabilize you, and likely herself in the process, while your brother just simply stares at the building.

The guard returns and motions for you three to follow them.

You stepped through the arched entrance of the grand mansion that had once been your gilded cage. Your footsteps echo against marble floors polished to a reflective sheen, as if the very mansion yearned to mirror the opulence it once held. Dust motes danced in the sunlight that filtered through elaborately crafted windows, casting intricate patterns upon the walls. The air was laden with the scent of nostalgia and memories long dormant. Your fingers trail along the ornate banister of the sweeping staircase, a tactile connection to a past you had once yearned to escape. Portraits of stern-faced ancestors gazed down at you from gilded frames, a lineage of the Fated's power and privilege. Your fingers hovering over the fabric, memories of melodies and songs played in secret flooding your mind. Here, beneath the watchful eyes of ancestral portraits, you had found solace in music, a realm untouched by her father's ambitions.

Finally, you three reach the heart of the mansion, a grand chamber where a portrait of her father, stern-faced and imposing, presided over an intricately carved desk. The air here was heavy with the weight of her history, of the expectations that had pushed you away. The room felt more like a courtroom than a sanctuary. Malady takes a deep breath, her resolve firm. The years away had granted you the clarity to see through the façade, to understand your own desires and aspirations.



"That's him?" Zelos says, looking up at the old man.

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"That's him," she said with a heavy nod before she took a step forward.

"Hi dad," came the almost comically irreverent greeting, "Been a bit, hasn't it?"

[Flession]

"To say the least." The old man says, coming down from the pedestal with a deep sigh. "But here you are again, no less as young looking as when you left." He turns to the other children. "...With friends too. You've avoided. Tell me, has life turned out the way you thought it would?"

Malady and Zelos look at him. "We're actually your children." He turns. "Oh, yes. From Carola. Decided to leave me too as well. So, my prodigal children have returned, I am a happy man once more." His tone did not express that emotion, naturally. "So, what do I owe the honor of you all gracing my presence yet again after so long? Money, a favor? Or, has Waukeen finally graced you with some wisdom and you've come back to apologize."

[Sings-With-Purpose]

"Apologize?" She knew what he was like, but in the years that had passes she'd had occasional doubts. Maybe it had all been her imagination; maybe it hadn't been as bad as she remembered things. Maybe teenage rebellion had clouded her judgements. It would've been nice, if she could've come back to find out everything had just been a misunderstanding, and they could all be a big happy family.

But no. He squashed that idle hope right quick.

"And *what* would I be apologizing for? You literally tried to have me... to have me brainwashed! Couldn't accept I wanted something different out of life than to... to what... what did you even want for me? Be another hells cursed jinktender? Give people a radiant celestial smile so they'll sign on the dotted line quicker?"

She sighed, then took another deep breath.

"No, we're here... because of my siblings. Who you *could've* at least told me about, you know. But... well... they have some questions for you. And I think you owe them some answers."

At that she looked toward Malady.

[Flession]

"Still a stubborn child, no matter how young you still look." He shakes his head. "You've already decided to paint me the villain in this tale, so explaining my reasoning for my actions would be wasted of breath." There's a moment's break within his voice, but he clears his throat. "Fine, if you wish for me to play the red dragon for this diluted tale of yours you tell yourself so that your songs sell a few more drinks at a dive Tavern in the Hive, rather than living up your true potential, then I take the role happily. It is the price I must pay for having tried to save you from yourself, so I just stand here and twirl my moustache in front of you while I tell you of my evil schemes in a pointlessly long monologue."

There is a long moment of awkward silence between the lot of you before he sighs deeply and looks at your sister. "What is you wish to know, Amalthea."

She looks at Sings and her brother before looking at her father. "You remember my name?"

"I will never forget my children."

"Yes, well...mom's no longer with us...and she never got a chance to explain some things about our heritage or her family. We wanted to know more about her. Is that something you can help us with?"

He nods his head. "I may be able to. It is something I, myself, have looked into some time ago. The question is the cost; Takers do nothing for free, after all, not even for their children, ungrateful as some of them are. What are you willing to give in exchange for this information?"