Ifrit pulled out a bag of potatoes and did some mental math, working out how many were needed for dinner. Satisfied she had enough to counter the appetites of
her family, she placed some in the sink before turning back to check on the meat. A moment later, the front door being flung open and Gamma Emission yelling
out her name in a rather panicked tone pulled all her attention away from the meal. Closing the oven, she darted into the living room, before coming to a halt
as she looked at the new arrivals.
Gamma Emission and Emerald Blast both looked up at her, both women clearly worried and upset... and between them was a miserable looking catgirl, tear tracks
stained into the fur on her face. In her arms, Alice was holding Neko in a near death grip. Normally, Neko would be annoyed at nearly being crushed, but right
now, she was merely pressing against the girls chest and purring loudly, trying to reassure her. "What happened?" the fey asked softly, concern on
her face.
Before either Gamma or Emerald could answer, Alice pulled out of their arms, dropped Neko, and nearly tackled Ifrit as she started crying again. Ifrit
instantly abandoned any questions for the moment, wrapping her arms around her daughter and holding her close. "Sshh," she said, stroking the
catgirls ear gently. "I'm here... it's okay..."
"No it's n-n-not," Alice managed, before wailing even harder. Slowly, Ifrit guided her to the couch and sat down, working to try and calm the
girl down. Back near the door, the female elements of Hero Sandwich looked at each other, wondering if they should stay and explain, or leave and allow Ifrit
to try and get Alice back to some form of stability without people watching. The fey woman looked up at them for a moment, before nodding in the direction of
the kitchen. They nodded and moved in that direction, as Neko joined Ifrit in simply providing a comforting presence to Alice.
Ifrit didn't really know how long she sat there, simply holding her daughter and letting her vent her emotions. As Alice did that, slowly beginning to calm
down, the fey tried to work out what the hell could do this to the girl. She'd had her emotional moments in the past, a girl couldn't live the life
Alice had and not pick up a few issues, but right now, she was in a worse state then Ifrit had ever seen. When Alice finally calmed somewhat, Ifrit took note
of the crippling exhaustion running through the girl, most likely from the high emotions, and helped her up, guiding the catgirl to her bedroom.
"She never told me," Alice managed, her voice somewhat harsh from the effects of her sobbing and wailing. "Trusted her and she didn't tell
me..."
"We'll sort it out," Ifrit said, guiding her daughter to her bed before getting her out of her Vanguard costume and laying her down. "I know
it probably doesn't look like that now, but we'll sort it out."
She got a weak nod in reply as Alice started to slip into much needed sleep. "You'll be here?" she whispered. "You won't leave?"
"I'll be in the kitchen," Ifrit said, brushing Alices hair out of her face and trying not to start crying herself at the sound of raw need in the
girls voice. "I was making dinner, and I can't let it be ruined... Sammy'd be so sad."
Alice smiled weakly, and for a moment, Ifrit thought she was going to say something... but then her eyes slid closed and sleep claimed her. Her mother knelt
next to the bed for a long moment, then glanced at the clock on the bed stand. It'd been nearly half an hour since the atomic girls brought her kitten
home. She wiped at her eyes, then looked down at Neko. "I'd ask you," she whispered, "But I doubt you'd leave this room."
The small brown cat shook her head firmly. "Not now," she agreed. "I'm sorry, but... she needs me, and if I told you, you'd wake her up
by accident."
"That bad?" the fey replied.
"Worse," Neko replied honestly, sounding nearly as miserable as Alice had earlier. Ifrit nodded, then stood up and moved to the door. She stopped for
a moment, watching as Neko jumped onto the bed and snuggled into Alices arms, the catgirl cuddling her automatically, even now, then sighed and stepped out,
closing the door.
In the kitchen, Lisa and Rhea looked up as she entered. The winged woman closed the door behind her, then took in their own miserable expressions before moving
to the table and sitting down. "You both look like it hit you hard as well," she said softly, watching Rhea squeeze Mister Whiskers. "And
I'm sorry to make you talk about it, but I have to know... What the hell happened?"
her family, she placed some in the sink before turning back to check on the meat. A moment later, the front door being flung open and Gamma Emission yelling
out her name in a rather panicked tone pulled all her attention away from the meal. Closing the oven, she darted into the living room, before coming to a halt
as she looked at the new arrivals.
Gamma Emission and Emerald Blast both looked up at her, both women clearly worried and upset... and between them was a miserable looking catgirl, tear tracks
stained into the fur on her face. In her arms, Alice was holding Neko in a near death grip. Normally, Neko would be annoyed at nearly being crushed, but right
now, she was merely pressing against the girls chest and purring loudly, trying to reassure her. "What happened?" the fey asked softly, concern on
her face.
Before either Gamma or Emerald could answer, Alice pulled out of their arms, dropped Neko, and nearly tackled Ifrit as she started crying again. Ifrit
instantly abandoned any questions for the moment, wrapping her arms around her daughter and holding her close. "Sshh," she said, stroking the
catgirls ear gently. "I'm here... it's okay..."
"No it's n-n-not," Alice managed, before wailing even harder. Slowly, Ifrit guided her to the couch and sat down, working to try and calm the
girl down. Back near the door, the female elements of Hero Sandwich looked at each other, wondering if they should stay and explain, or leave and allow Ifrit
to try and get Alice back to some form of stability without people watching. The fey woman looked up at them for a moment, before nodding in the direction of
the kitchen. They nodded and moved in that direction, as Neko joined Ifrit in simply providing a comforting presence to Alice.
Ifrit didn't really know how long she sat there, simply holding her daughter and letting her vent her emotions. As Alice did that, slowly beginning to calm
down, the fey tried to work out what the hell could do this to the girl. She'd had her emotional moments in the past, a girl couldn't live the life
Alice had and not pick up a few issues, but right now, she was in a worse state then Ifrit had ever seen. When Alice finally calmed somewhat, Ifrit took note
of the crippling exhaustion running through the girl, most likely from the high emotions, and helped her up, guiding the catgirl to her bedroom.
"She never told me," Alice managed, her voice somewhat harsh from the effects of her sobbing and wailing. "Trusted her and she didn't tell
me..."
"We'll sort it out," Ifrit said, guiding her daughter to her bed before getting her out of her Vanguard costume and laying her down. "I know
it probably doesn't look like that now, but we'll sort it out."
She got a weak nod in reply as Alice started to slip into much needed sleep. "You'll be here?" she whispered. "You won't leave?"
"I'll be in the kitchen," Ifrit said, brushing Alices hair out of her face and trying not to start crying herself at the sound of raw need in the
girls voice. "I was making dinner, and I can't let it be ruined... Sammy'd be so sad."
Alice smiled weakly, and for a moment, Ifrit thought she was going to say something... but then her eyes slid closed and sleep claimed her. Her mother knelt
next to the bed for a long moment, then glanced at the clock on the bed stand. It'd been nearly half an hour since the atomic girls brought her kitten
home. She wiped at her eyes, then looked down at Neko. "I'd ask you," she whispered, "But I doubt you'd leave this room."
The small brown cat shook her head firmly. "Not now," she agreed. "I'm sorry, but... she needs me, and if I told you, you'd wake her up
by accident."
"That bad?" the fey replied.
"Worse," Neko replied honestly, sounding nearly as miserable as Alice had earlier. Ifrit nodded, then stood up and moved to the door. She stopped for
a moment, watching as Neko jumped onto the bed and snuggled into Alices arms, the catgirl cuddling her automatically, even now, then sighed and stepped out,
closing the door.
In the kitchen, Lisa and Rhea looked up as she entered. The winged woman closed the door behind her, then took in their own miserable expressions before moving
to the table and sitting down. "You both look like it hit you hard as well," she said softly, watching Rhea squeeze Mister Whiskers. "And
I'm sorry to make you talk about it, but I have to know... What the hell happened?"