The Lovely, the Dark, and the Deep [Cheesi]

[Cheesigator]

Hearing Theo's voice suddenly was a bit jarring, as prior she'd almost entirely forgotten he existed. She glanced over at him, narrowing her eyes at his straw, before bringing her attention back to Amitra as she clarified.

"Music, huh..?" She murmured.

She dropped her gaze, pursing her lips in thought for a moment as she looked at her hands; they had a few battle scars, but she wondered briefly if she could still play the piano as well as she used to.

"The kids chose to do music or you decided it for them?" She asked curiously.

Not that it really mattered. It sounded like Amitra's thing was optional and extracurricular. The circumstances were far different from hers--she had been forced to learn the piano because it was a traditional "womanly" thing to do that would make her that much more appealing to potential buyers to marry off to their sons.

"I used to play the piano, I hated it with a passion." She said it with a snort as she took another drink. "I didn't really have a choice though, maybe that's why it's hard for me to understand why any kid would willingly learn music."

[Lion]

Amitra almost couldn’t believe her ears and nearly choked on her drink when Andromeda openly admitted being forced to learn piano. That said, she could understand where she was coming from. Even Theo stopped his foolish antics and was looking at Andy.

“They decide, of course,” Amitra said daintily and examined her fingernails, one of which needed a touch up. “If not that, we offer other activities they can pursue, from athletics to arts and many others. It’s genuinely up to them whether they want to show up, but most do once they find something they enjoy doing.”

Theo had forgotten about the conversation a moment. He sat up straighter now and stood up, looking over at Andy and Amitra. “Why don’t we get going now, huh? We can talk more on the way to your house, mom.”

Amitra lit up with exuberance and she nodded. “Yes of course! Andromeda, darling, please come along and I can share a cup of tea with you and we can laugh at Theo’s baby pictures! Theo, honey, please get the tab. Thank you, you’re so sweet.”

They up and left before Theo could even protest them and he watched them go. He sighed and paid the tab and tipped before taking another swig of a hard drink the bartender was getting for himself. “That’s what I get for being such a wonderful son.”

He downed it and scurried off after them.


Amitra had plenty of money to live on after the divorce and then some. But she was content to make the most of her townhouse that she had purchased once she was free of Theo’s father. Government money was nice, that was for sure. Her son being a Pilot too had its bonuses, but she never asked anything of him that she couldn’t put forth herself.

In the end, the white palatial two story building had all the comfort one person could ever want. Taking care of it all on her own was a bit much, but having Mani as her housekeeper helped her keep the place tidy when she was away.

Mani was a middle aged woman, little more than a few years Amitra’s younger, and had stayed with her while she was trying to find her own way after a rocky marriage.

Theo took up the rear once they were at the door, and Mani answered it, and stood there in slippers, a robe, and a headwrap to catch her wet hair. “You left by yourself, and brought a party, Ami,” Mani murmured, hands on her hips.

Amitra laughed. “Well, my son has such wonderful friends. I couldn’t help but take us all back here for some comforts of home.”

“I won’t keep you -”  Mani paused and caught a glimps of Andromeda, finally recognizing her.  She paled and straightened. “Please, come in.”

[Cheesigator]

Baby pictures? Andy arched a brow at the thought--pictures of his children was one thing her father would never have been caught dead with. None of them were really his pride or his joy, rather they were merely tools for climbing the metaphorical ladder of respect from his peers. The more prestige his children earned, the higher his own value was driven up, and that was all he had ever cared about. What could they do for him, rather than the other way around.

She wondered what it was about children that Amitra seemed to be so enamoured with; enough so at least to care for more of them even after her own son had grown and flown from the nest--or perhaps, swam, was more accurate. What did she gain from helping those kids?

Andy didn't protest as the conversation decided to move them onwards to new places--as long as she didn't have to be in the spotlight any more today, and was given a chance to take off her heels, then she would be moderately content.


The townhouse they rolled on up to felt so small in comparison to what Andy was expecting, though perhaps she was used to mansions and lavish penthouses because of her own upbringing and now, her own paychecks, but even with Theo being a Pilot she'd been expecting… More. That wasn't to say it was a bad place, not at all. It was just so small and… Casual? It gave her very traditional vibes, like this was the house someone would live in with their spouse as ordinary civilians with little cares in the world, and maybe a dog.

Essentially, this house seemed to Andy like it was from a completely different world, and therefore it was just as amazing to her as any castle would be.

The woman they were greeted with caused Andromeda's eyes to widen; what kind of person would ever answer the door like that? If she had ever tried to wear her own pajamas past 9 AM, she'd have almost certainly received a beating, and that was the rule for everyone in the house--in fact, she couldn't remember ever seeing even her own maids in their nightgowns. Who was this person?

When the woman looked at her, Andromeda realized she'd been staring and blinked, not quite sure how to react other than to give a polite and automatic smile, drilled into her by PR from day one out of Candyland.

As they stepped inside, she realized it would be rude of her not to compliment her host (as taught to her yet again by PR) and so after a few brief moments of observation, she offered Amitra a warm smile.

"What a lovely place you have here, Amitra. Did you decorate it yourself?"

[Lion]

Theo became a third wheel to his own weekly outing with his mother. If he'd known finding Andy and inviting her along would have resulted in this, he never would have absolutely not changed his mind. Because, if there was anyone he was happy showing Andy off to, it was his mother. Theo wasn't going to excuse himself from Amitra not a second too soon. Even if Andy was tagging along.

Now they were back at Mom's and drinks were going to be had and lots of merry fun times. He was genuinely excited, even if he was hard-pressed to show it.

He knew exactly where the drinks were too. So he slinked passed the pair once inside to get started on that.

Amitra looked up and around the townhouse at Andy's comment. "Of course not. You think I'd pick these ivory drapes? No, dear. I had a decorator come in and wreck the place. I'm going to have Mani supervise her next time because holy shit, this is what happens when I tell them to surprise me.  I'm at fault, I know. But if I'd known the first one had questionable taste, I never would have gone through with it."

The high ceilings were vaulted with sculpted pillars marking the sections between entry hall, dining room, kitchen and living room. A curved staircase swooped up at their immediate right to lead to the bedrooms, a grand piano sat underneath it, old mahogany that had been recently dusted.

Lights shaped like candles ignited the hallway as Amitra led them to where Theo was rummaging through the liquor, fixing drinks at the bar behind the couch. It was a full counter too.

"The living room is the one room she spared. Mani caught her just in time, bless her." The couch was a wide, plush monster. A sectional with a lounging end, and fold out recliners for the other two if needed. "It seconds as a guest bed as well."

"It's super comfy," Theo remarked as he brought out glasses filled to the brim with more alcohol. And plopped down on the lounge, expertly laying the tray drinks on the round center table.

[Cheesigator]

"Ah.... Uh-huh..." She bit back the urge to say 'Yeah that was on you.' like she'd normally say to anyone else. But... Because it was Theo's mom, she wanted to at least seem somewhat likeable.

She wasn't really sure why, it wasn't like she really owed anything to Theo did she? But so far he was one of the few other Pilots she'd met who treated her like a normal person despite her personality and didn't scorn her very existence.

And that was totally on her for having such an abhorrent personality. But she didn't owe anyone jack shit, and the world had never given her a reason to be nice.

As they settled in to Amitra's living room, Andy took quite nicely to the lounge section of the couch, elegantly draping one leg over the other as she reclined with a glass in hand and they chatted on and on about whatever came to their minds. Amitra was interesting in that she seemed warm and proved to be easy to talk to, and having Theo there to help the conversation along just made it even more effortless, and even... Kind of enjoyable?

Andy told herself it was probably because she was just happy to get off her feet after a day spent in those high heels and that the drinks made her ease up a bit, but truth be told it was so rare she had a conversation like this that wasn't forced for the sake of an interview or awkward dealing with a fan. Was this what it was like to be normal?

She glanced at Theo out of the corner of her eyes as she took a sip from her drink, wondering if he got to experience this kind of thing all the time and feeling a small pang of jealousy for it.

Now jealousy, that she knew like the back of her own hand.

[Lion]

On the rare occasion that he got to spend time with his mother, this was the first time he got to share her with someone that wasn't one of her friends. He wasn't exactly upset, but at least that person was Andy, and despite the fact that he felt like he was walking on glass around her, this was all around a good time.  And like any good mother, Amitra was making good on her duty to embarrass him.

Theo was lounging beside his mother in the chair opposite Andy, and occasionally he spied her looking over to him. He was flushed from alcohol already, but still had some awareness too him. Enough to turn beet red even under his tan when Amitra showed Andy photos of him as a baby escaping from the bathtub.

Then there was the Yule Festival where he was dressed up as a slice of sweet potato pie. He was grinning like an idiot and the little dollop of whipped cream beside him, holding his head, was his little sister, Olivia.

"Gosh, Theo and Olive just before he went off to candidacy. You were how old?"

"Fifteen, I think. Shit, that's a long time," Theo muttered as he leaned across to examine the picture. "Wow, Olive must be five years old then."

It was a precious photo, each of them with small hats and chinstraps around them. Theo felt his eyes grow hot, looking at the picture of the little sister he hadn't seen in years.

"That makes her eighteen this year," Amitra sighed. "They grow up so fast. I told your father that she ought to have a chance to experience the world, but you know how your father is. Wants her to grow up, get married. He's already got a suitor lined up and everything."

Theo grit his teeth. "That's some bullshit! She's too young to get married! He knows that."

"Like your father gives a damn what anyone else wants. All that matters to him is family prestige, keeping the line strong and all that."

Theo set the glass down and stood up. "Why didn't you take her with you?"  It was a pointed question and he was already angry. He didn't want to blame his mother, but he already felt like crying.

"I tried to, Theo. I did everything I could! Like I wanted to leave my daughter with that horrible excuse for a man. Hell no! But your father had the case rigged from the start. He hated you, and he was more than happy to see me leave. But he'd be damned if he was going to lose all his pawns." Amitra fell quiet and closed the picture book gently.

She peered up at Andy and frowned, contrite. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Theo was quiet

[Cheesigator]

[TW: sexual abuse, child abuse, r*pe]


When the baby pictures came out Andy was utterly fascinated by them. People did that? Took photos of their kids? How peculiar.

She studied each one curiously and listened intently as the conversation shifted to embarrassing stories of Theo's childhood, and she smirked whenever she peered over and caught him flushing a deep red. Cute.

She didn't usually find things or people cute but... He was cute. As an adult, not a child--children were not at all her cup of tea.

As Olive turned up though Andy found herself blinking owlishly between the two of them as the conversation suddenly turned heated; first of all she'd had no idea that Theo had a younger sibling (not that she'd ever cared to ask really) but second it seemed as if something wasn't quite right.

"... Wants her to grow up, get married. He's already got a suitor lined up and everything."

There was a sudden pain around her wrist and when she glanced down for a second she saw her father's hand clutching her little arm so hard it was turning red. She'd been younger than 18, she was still just a kid.

The room felt like it had dropped several degrees as her body broke out into a cold sweat. It was hard to repress the memories and the raising voices around her didn't help; she remembered being pressed painfully down into the sheets, she remembered the tears in her eyes and her choked up screams and pleas to make it stop. She hadn't even noticed that she had accidentally dropped the photo she'd been holding, her brows knotted and her face pale like she'd seen a ghost.

Gods, this country was the worst. Abysmal. She felt the burning hatred coiling up inside of her right next to the residual fear and pain; the cold sweat made her shiver but deep down inside she was flaming hot.

"... you had to hear that."

It took Andy a few moments to realize that she was clenching her fists, and she quickly took in a breath and released them, tiny crescent moons dug into her palms and fresh blood under the tips of her finger nails.

"Oh, no, it's okay. It happens, families are like that." She passed off a fake chuckle as she stood up, tucking some strands of hair behind her pointed ears and smoothing her dress, hoping they wouldn't notice her hands. "I actually should get going though, I've already taken up too much of your time--my PR agent will kill me if I'm late for the next photoshoot. It was lovely to meet you, Amitra, thanks for inviting me."



She made her exit quick and called a cab, biting on one of her nails as she sat with her legs crossed at the knee in the back seat, the flames in her burning as she scrolled viciously through her comm set for something to distract her, but nothing could.

All she could think about was the sweet little girl smiling up at her from the photo she'd held, and the pain she'd felt when her own betrothed had forced her into bed.

She started to dig, searching and searching online to find whatever information she could. Turns out Theo's dad was a bit of a rich hotshot, he popped up in a few articles and the name looked familiar. She was pretty sure her own father had done business with him before. That made her nearly break her fingernail.

She smirked when she found a particular article, and let out a dark chuckle as the car went speeding off towards her apartment.