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Ben was sitting on the bleachers, talking to the rest of the team about their mother's day plans when the youngest of the vks he'd brought over a few months ago approached him.
That vk being the twelve year old daughter of Captain Hook, Captain Hannah Artemis Hook.
And for once, she looked nervous.
“Hey Ben, can I ask you something?"
The brunette gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he used a rag to wipe the sweat off his face. All while wondering what the wince from Chad and frantic hand swipe motion he was doing from behind Hannah was about. “Shoot for it.”
The pirate needed no further prompting. Quickly blurting out her question. “What the hell is a mother’s day?”
Ben quickly reeled back in shock—and promptly fell off the side of the bleachers as the rest of the team (minus Carlos and Jay, who looked just as lost as Hannah did, and Chad who quietly fled before the twelve year old could notice him) all sputtered.
“Hey Audrey!” Hannah called out, jogging after the older girl.
Who quickly crossed the hallway, picking up the pace: looking just as uncomfortable as Chad had been after she asked him about Mother’s Day that morning at breakfast. Which was weird since Audrey was usually far more comfortable around her than she was around the other vks.
“Audrey, wait up!”
“Hey Jane—”
Jane squeaked, hiding behind her clipboard as she did the first time they had met. “Can’t talk right now, I’m, uh, busy with something.”
Hannah deflated. “Oh, okay…”
“Hey Lonnie—” Hannah started, only to get cut off by Lonnie. Who somehow looked even more uncomfortable than Jane had been earlier.
“Hey, sorry, I can’t talk right now. I’m going to visit my mom but Doug said that he’d explain what mother’s day is if you go to him.”
The pirate huffed. “Okay, have fun with your mom.”
“Doug, you have to be the 100th person that I’ve asked today, so please. For the love of Aphrodite, can you please tell me what the bloody hell a mother’s day is–” Hannah said exasperated, bursting into Evie and Mal’s room. Guessing correctly that Doug was in there, still crunching the numbers on whatever he and Evie were working on.
The dwarf, like the others, looked uncomfortable with the question. Not meeting her eye as he fidgeted with his lime green pencil at the messy table where Evie, Mal, Ben, and Doug’s stuff was scattered. But unlike the others, he didn’t blow her off or try to avoid answering. “It’s uh.. A holiday made to celebrate mothers. People usually spend it with their mother or mother figure: There’s also a holiday called Father’s day that’s pretty much the same, but for fathers and father figures.”
Hannah stared at him for a long moment.
But eventually, she stopped and her shoulders slumped. Her voice going uncharastically small as she mumbled a single word that sounded as loud as thunder in the silent room. “Oh.”