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JULES
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The perimeter’s been breached. About time they should be returning. They seem safe.
Jules hurried to the stern. Through a telescope, he scanned the hills of the area that tripped. Finally, he relaxed. Katarina and Whiskers’ heads bounced just behind a hill until their entire bodies came into full view. Jules lingered on Katarina for a while longer before he surveyed the shore they’d anchored on last night. Everything’s going according to plan.
They’d landed about a mile west of Jules’ home late last night, on the western edge of Coralhaven so that they could remain hidden. He woke up Cyrus in the ship's sleeping quarters. When he came back up, Jules found her shimmying up the anchor’s chain line. Whiskers strutted on top of it.
"Finally sobered up, I see," Jules said to the cat. Whiskers licked a paw indignantly.
“Everything looks good,” Katarina said. “Your home, the town, the port. Nothing unusual as far as I’m concerned. I’m actually surprised with how little military presence there is here, especially after Aquilantis.”
“Great. Thanks for sacrificing your morning for me,” Jules said.
“You three better have been busy.” Grumpy mood.
“Yeah, we laid out Inked Arts of hair-line perimeter triggers all around us, and Cy managed to hide the ship in a type of mirage, though it took a lot of Ryoku and he had to sleep."
“Well it was a shit job, because I could see it a mile away.”
“Yeah, you were supposed to.” Jules shook his head.
“Anyway, your dad wasn’t at home but…”
“But what?” Jules asked. Katarina blushed and looked away. “OK, you’re acting strange.”
“It’s nothing. I just saw your mom, is all.” Great.
Cyrus climbed out of the cabin. He blinked his eyes in the harsh sun. “Did you check the orphanage?”
“Look who’s finally awake,” Jules said.
“I thought you were hard at work while we were out?” Katarina asked.
Cyrus yawned. Probably to piss her off. “Oh, man. Well, I worked all last night. Had to catch up on some sleep. So?”
“Ugh. Yes, kids were playing in the yard. No one around looked like they shouldn’t have been there.”
“Except for us,” Whiskers said. “We certainly stood out.”
“Relax Jules, don’t give me that look. Whiskers exaggerates. No one suspected us of anything. And no one followed me anywhere, most of all back here.”
“Well, thanks for that,” Cyrus said. Jules and Cyrus embraced in a bear hug. Could be the last time I see any of you all, but best not to think about that.
Jules messed up the fur on Whiskers’ head, then he left the docked ship with the girls. They trekked through the woods and into the deep forest for about an hour, or, as Rukia preferred to put it, stalked their prey relentlessly for the better part of a day. Jules and Katarina didn’t speak much the entire time, even though they walked side-by-side. Rukia, on the other hand, sure tried to chat everyone up.
“Halt,” Rukia raised a makeshift fist. They were a far way out from town, and an even further distance from the inland Shrine. They were on the outskirts, completely isolated, which gave Jules a pit in his stomach. Rukia scanned around. “We have a confirmed visual on the target. Just down there. I can smell him.” So no visual.
Jules knelt down and embraced Rukia, too. “Thanks, girl. I’ll see you again, real soon.”
She licked his face in one big, wet fox kiss, then scurried off down the hill. Katarina cleared her throat. What, you want a kiss, too? Jules smiled at his own joke.
“Doesn’t seem like a good time to smile,” she said.
“And yet I can’t help it.”
“You are an idiot. Don’t die.” She walked away to hide behind a tree so she wouldn’t be spotted.
Rukia sprinted past Jules, gave him a thumbs up, and joined Katarina in hiding, though half of her body hung out in the open. Jules motioned for her to get back. She just waved back at him.
“See you soon, Little One,” he whispered. A man approached, his head rising just over a hill, bow drawn, hunting and stalking prey.
He froze when he spotted his son. Jules tensed up, too. You look so old. Time hasn’t been good to you, has it? Jules noticed a few new scars on his father’s face and exposed forearms. He knew they were only the tip of the iceberg. Tears filled Liam’s eyes as he approached.
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“Jules,” he said. “Is that really you?”
“Hey, Dad. I’ve missed you.”
Liam dropped his hunting bow and ax and ran to embrace his son in a warm hug. Jules caught him look off in the distance, toward the other two.
“Yeah, I had Rukia fetch you for me. I figured you’d hesitate to attack game, to make a plan of action—”
“But what?” Liam playfully shoved his son away, his hands on the boy’s shoulders still. “I’d kill someone sneaking up on me on sight?”
“Yeah, absolutely.” They both laughed.
“Well, is she coming over or what?” Liam glanced over at Rukia's exposed ass.
“Sorry, Dad. But no. She has another mission.” His father's smile faded away.
“A mission, huh?” He grunted. Liam looked at his son’s face, touched a cheek. “My, how you’ve grown up. You look so much older now. My boy…”
“I could say the same for you.” Jules gave a fleeting smile.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing." Liam dropped his arms and looked down the hill. "Just natural aging, Jules. Time comes for all of us, eventually.” We’ll see about that, for me.
Liam aged at least a decade for each year that had passed. His hair receded and shifted from gray to white. Wrinkles surrounded the bags under his eyes. His clothes were in disrepair, something Jules had never before witnessed when it came to his father. The man who stood before him was a far cry from whom Jules had left.
“You’ve grown, Jules. Though I’m still taller than you.”
“Ha, for now. I’ve just started a growth spurt.”
Liam withdrew into a boxing stance. “Oh, that’s how it is? Then show me what ya got. Come on now, don’t be shy.” Liam shadowboxed around his son. Jules rolled his eyes and laughed. Still the same old man, though.
“Trust me. You don’t want to tangle with me.” Liam rubbed Jules’ hair and messed it up, much to his annoyance. Still asserting dominance, I see.
“Hey, you have a birthday coming up some time soon, don’t you? When was it again… Let’s see, next week?”
“Very funny. I owe you a few happy belated birthdays as well.”
“Ohhhh, that’s right, it’s tomorrow. I almost forgot!” Another fleeting smile passed as Jules held back his emotions. Quick operation. In, then out. “Must have had a good reason to come back home, Jules.”
“I do. I’m on a mission of sorts. A solo mission this time. We can talk about it at home. I heard Evelyn is home, so I, uh…”
“What do you mean, you heard?”
“Oh, I have another scout, like Rukia was for you. She checked the whole town to make sure everything was…safe for me to visit.”
Oh Salvos, stupid slip. I know that foolish grin. Liam wrapped an arm around Jules and brought them in closer, almost nose-to-nose, his eyes primal, focused, and wild.
“She…?”
“Ah, not you, too, Dad.” Jules shoved away his old man, who cackled maniacally. “Give me a break.”
“Well… I have something to tell you, too.”
“What?” Liam leaned in and whispered into Jules’ ear. “Are you fucking kidding me!?”
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Wow. Evelyn seems so happy.
Not to see me, of course, but she doesn’t look depressed anymore. Though that could change by tonight. She’s gained some weight, healthy weight, and is actually wearing clothes with colors again. She seems like…she's glowing.
Evelyn gave her husband one hell of a dirty look and left them sitting around the iron wrought table in the garden. Jules looked around nervously.
“I see you’ve added an ivy trellis to—”
“WAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Jules froze and looked down, terrified. He was completely unsure of what to do, how to handle it. He'd never had training in this and was completely caught off guard. Should I give it back to Evelyn? Dad? Do I keep it?
“AAAHHH AAAHHH AAAAHAHAHAHAHAH!”
Jules bounced her on his knee, cooed her, and eventually she stopped crying and opened her eyes. She grabbed Jules’ finger and giggled.
> [Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 2.]
>
> [Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 3.]
Jules felt bonded to his baby sister immediately in that moment, but the joy was quickly overtaken by sadness and guilt.
“One week old, imagine that,” Liam said.
“Is she…” Jules' voice faltered. "Normal?"
“Oh no, she’s just like you,” Liam said. Jules' heart dropped. “She's a premie! Tiny little early baby, just like you were. So we have to be extra gentle with our wittle bay-bee—”
“OK, enough of that,” Jules said.
“She’s nothing like you.” Evelyn returned to the garden from their house.
“Evelyn.”
Dad’s tone. So stern. There’s no more give-or-take in his, his defense of me anymore.
“What? That’s what he was asking, so I answered his question. No point in hiding it. I'm not babying two children.” The comments stung, but relieved Jules at the same time.
“How…?” The hell did you two have another kid!?
“We’ve been trying for a while before… Everything,” Liam said. “That medicine I had you fetch all those years ago, well, I didn’t know what it was, but eventually it worked.”
How could they still have a relationship after how things ended with me? Jules felt betrayed. Evelyn pulled down a sleeve to hide a scar. Then again, I’m sure they endured some hard times together.
“We had you at nineteen and twenty, so we ain't no spring chickens anymore. It was tough for Evelyn. For us, several times. Anyway, it finally worked. A miracle baby. Just like you.”
Evelyn must have bitten her tongue. Jules was confused. Don’t know what I should ask her. I’ve never been around a baby before.
“How are you doing, Evelyn? With it being so recent and all.” Jules felt like that was the right question to ask.
“Happy and needed.”
Azura cried again in Jules’ arms.
> [Pang! Babysitting increased to Level 4.]
He thought Evelyn’s icy gaze might cause collateral damage, so he handed his sister back to Evelyn. She wrapped Azura underneath her clothes to nurse her. Jules felt more pain, and more jealousy, that she had refused to nurse him, that she didn’t care for him as a baby.
That’s an awkward thought. Anyway, I’m happy Azura's life will be different.
“So, Jules. Before we get to your mission, I’ve gotta ask. Are you staying for your System Unlock Day?”
“Liam,” Evelyn said. Figured she’d have forgotten about tomorrow.
“Lemme guess,” Jules said. “You promised you’d be nice the next time I came, and you promised that I wouldn’t stay.”
Evelyn’s righteous, indignant expression and Liam’s face, flush with guilt, answered his question. Jules laughed. He really didn’t expect much, but was surprised when the baby laughed with him. Man, you are advancing quickly, aren't you, little one?
“Don’t worry, because no, I’m not staying. I’ll leave within the hour.”
“A quick mission, is it?” Liam asked. You already know, don't you?
“In and out. Gone by sundown tomorrow.” He felt Evelyn’s relief. Why did I come here again? “So, you two. One thing I wanted to ask you about was…” What happened? Were you tortured? How did you come back? You clearly didn’t say anything, so I appreciate that. “What, uh—How are you?”
Liam smiled, Evelyn frowned.
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