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“Rina and myself are having a child.”
6 words and Corin’s world came crashing down on her head. They were having a child. that was it. the day where she would be replaced had finally come. Her adoptive parents were finally done with her.
She was gonna be abandoned again. She tries to keep herself composed but she’s unable to. It's just too much.
Meanwhile Ellen shows an unreadable face. she can’t tell what she’s thinking, but maybe they’re on the same page?
Ellen never let her down, no matter how much of dead weight she was to the shark girl. she said multiple times she would have her back, when they were alone.
She could at least count on her.. right??
“That’s… That’s great, I guess….” Ellen says, looking to the side noticing her tremble in fear.
She places a hand on hers. She looks into the shark girl's eyes for answers. But she can’t get what’s on her mind.
This was how it ended for them, replaced by Lycaon and Rina’s actual child.
“I have to go fetch some things for Rina, after that there’s something I need you two for.” Lycaon tells them. “Ellen, can you look after Rina for me?”
“Uhhh sure, dad. I will.” Ellen tells him.
She’s still calling him “dad” even though they’re gonna be abandoned soon? Oh, right! she has to enjoy every minute she has left of this.
Lycaon hums to himself, leaving the two girls alone.
Corin can’t bear it, she starts to blow in a paper bag very rapidly. taking Ellen by surprise.
“Corin, it’s okay. we knew this would happen eventually…”
“You knew this was gonna happen?!” she exclaims in worry.
She knew this was gonna happen? had there been signs?! Did she miss them all?!
Ellen realized her mistake. “Okay, poor choice of words on my part, I meant to say that you’re overreacting and that it’s not like he’s gonna abandon us… I hope.”
“You hope he’s gonna abandon us?!” Corin clearly misunderstands
“Okay, I am clearly making this worse for you…”
“
What do you mean it’s worse for me??!”
Corin exclaims in a panic
“...I should not have that… I should not have said that.”
“Ellen? Can you come upstairs, please?” She hears Rina call
“I’ll be right there, Mom.” She answers.”Corin, just wait here okay? I’ll be back.”
“O-Okay…”
“Just stay here, I’ll figure something out.”
Ellen leaves her behind getting up from the couch, but not before placing a small kiss in her hair to try and comfort her.
it didn’t do much though.
Ellen slowly walked up the stairs, her mind racing as she began to think the day she dreaded had come, in the event of such a case, she had made a plan with Corin. it changed over the years, but they regularly pdated it. just in case. the more she approached the door the more she dreaded the conversation, she had nightmares, and scenarios in her head for times such as this, but part of her hopes that’s all they would stay in her mind.
“Mom?” Ellen asked through the door
“Come in, sweetheart.”
Ellen stepped into the dimly lit room.
“You look sad Ellen, what’s the matter?”
“Well…”
“It’s about what Lycaon told you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah..” Ellen looks away rubbing the side of her arm.
Rina pats a space on the bed, and Ellen takes a seat, before snuggling right next to her foster mother.
“I think I know what’s on your mind… but I want you to tell me first.” Rina looks at her gently, the same she does all the time.
“I.. Well… I thought that since you and Dad have an actual biological kid I just thought maybe… It’s time for me to move on… maybe go somewhere else, where I'm needed…”
“Why would we want you to go somewhere else?” Rina asked
“Well… I’m not your real daughter, i know that-”
Rina pulled her into a hug immediately. taking the shark girl by surprise.
“Ellen Sebastine Joe never think or say that ever again. Just because you aren’t my biological daughter doesn’t mean i don’t love you or corin any less. You are my daughter, whether you believe it or not.”
“So I can still call you Mom?”
“Always, and I know Lycaon would say the same if he was with us.”
Ellen closed her eyes and took a breath. guess she wasn’t going anywhere, after all.
“Ri- I mean…Mom? I got something I need to say…”
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“I’ve been thinking and… I don’t think I'm gonna keep working at Victoria Housekeeping…”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“It’s just… I’ve been thinking and I’m just… Well, I’m a Shark Thiren, so I constantly need to move, if i don’t, well, i just fall asleep and Victoria Housekeeping… doesn’t help with that.”
Rina silently nodded.
“I’ve been looking for other options and i… i just don’t know… I mean, my whole plan was to leave and maybe work at random play, but what if
that
work out. But now i feel i need to stay because you’re pregnant and…. damn it, why am i tearing up..?” Ellen can feel the bile in her throat
“What if I leave Victoria housekeeping and I never find something that works for me” Ellen asks, confused and tearing up.
Rina smiles and pulls her into another hug. “Ellen you’ll find something, don’t worry… you’re a smart and very brave girl. Do you want me to tell you something about Lycaon?”
Ellen nods. “Sure.”
“Your father… wasn’t always a butler for Victoria. he’s acquired a variety of different skills, skills acquired over a long period of time. Skills that would be unfit of a butler.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that your father wasn’t always a butler but the skills he gained before becoming one only served him to become a better butler. If Victoria doesn’t work out for you, that’s okay. If one job doesn’t work for you, that’s okay too. Just remember one thing, Ellen.
Even if you don’t work here, Victoria will always be your Home. If you want to move out, that’s okay, But just know me and your father would never abandon you and leave you to fend for yourself. I wouldn’t think any less of you if you did, and I'd still be proud of you if you found something that meant something to you.”
Ellen returns the hug, quietly sobbing in her foster mother’s arms.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Sharkbait.” Rina whispers to her, giving the side of her head a kiss
She parted from the hug. feeling a bit more comfortable about the whole situation. Guess she didn’t need to move out after all. She smiled to her Mom.
“You’re leaving?” she hears a whisper from behind her.
Oh no.
She closes her eyes, not looking at Rina and not even daring to look back to confirm the origin of the voice of who she knows for a fact belongs to.
she turns to face it, and lo and Behold… It was Corin.
A Corin who looked ready to cry.
“You’re… you’re gonna abandon me too..?”
“Corin, that’s not what I-” Ellen tries to get up but Rina holds her back.
But Corin doesn’t listen, she runs away before Ellen can even explain. Poor Corin, if she doesn't explain to her this is gonna make everything worse. corin is gonna feel like she lost her only support in the world.
“Mom, I-”
“It’s okay sweetie, let your father handle this.”
“But-”
“Do you remember what I told you?” Rina asks. “Trust me, your father knows what to say.”
“Is everything alright? I just saw Corin running away in tears, she even wailed louder when she saw me she then proceeded to dash into her room.”
“It’s my fault… I…” Ellen takes a breath. She begins to explain what Ellen and Corin had been feeling up to this point, trying to leave out the part of her quitting as best she can.
Lycaon merely responds with a “I see.” and leaves the room without saying much. But not before Kissing Rina and affectionately rubbing Ellen’s head.
Lycaon made his way to Corin’s room. knocking on the door before entering.
“Corin? are you there?”
He only heard sniffles.
“I’m coming in, is that alright?”
Something moved in her room and he heard a door close. opening the door, he found her room empty. but he could hear her sobbing in the closet.
“Corin? are you okay?”
“No…”
“What’s wrong? can you come out and tell me? I’m not mad at all, i just want to know.”
“I’m scared… that i’m gonna be abandoned again…”
“Why would you be abandoned?”
“Y-y-you have a real child now, so why would you keep me around…I’m just a good for nothing maid… I’m a deadweight to all of you…”
Lycaon opens the closet door, and he sees his daughter curled up with her legs pressed against her chest, holding her teddy bear close. pale and frightened and teary-eyed.”
It’s not an unfamiliar sight to Lycaon, not in the slightest.
“Corin, do you remember the day we first met?” Lycaon asks gently.
Corin slightly nods.
“Do you remember the promise I made to you that day? I told you six specific words.”
“You will never be abandoned again..” They repeat in unisson.
“Have I ever failed in that mission in the 10 long years I raised you?”
Corin shook her head. Lycaon smiled, he was getting through to her.
“B-but you have a real child now… W-Why would you still need me?”
“Familial bonds aren’t only Biological, Corin. You may not be me or Rina’s child, but it changes nothing about the fact that you are my daughter. The love I have for my soon-to-be child is just as strong as the love I have for you, Ellen, and Rina. for all intents and purposes, you
are
my daughter, Corin. let nothing make you doubt that.”
Corin raises her head to look at her foster dad.
“Y-You won’t abandon me?”
“I promised you that, and the heavens above forbid I break this promise.”
Lycaon kneels in front of the small opening of the closet door, arms extended outward. Corin opens the doors to give the tall wolf thiren a big hug.
The dam finally breaks, and Corin begins to sob.
“I love you dad…” She says in between her sobbing.
“I love you as well, Corin. Never think that just because you are not related to me I would love you less.” Lycaon tells her
He effortlessly picks her up, bringing his daughter upstairs back to where Rina and Ellen were. easing the fears the girls had on being abandoned, which RIna and Lycaon confirmed was untrue and unfounded much to the varying degrees of relief Corin and Ellen showed.
But there was still one thing that was left unsettled.
Lycaon sets them down on a table. a set of two papers. both corin and Ellen look over to them in shock when they see what it is.
Adoption Papers.
“All you need to do is sign your names, and you will officially be considered Sisters, and our daughters Officially.” Lycaon states.
Corin looks in awe at Ellen who smiles at her, a
very rare
occasion.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Corin Wickes and Ellen Joe became Corin von Lycaon and Ellen Von Lycaon.
Any leftover fear in thier hearts vanished the minute they finished signing the papers.
While Rina and Lycaon got ready for bed. Ellen took the time to check up on Corin. knocking on the door of her room.
“Hey Corin? you got a minute?”
“O-Oh! E-Ellen!” Corin shyly waves.
“Look… Ummm I'm not good at this… can we talk in my room for a sec?”
Corin follows her to her room, cluttered as it is, there’s a scent of popcorn lingering in the hair.
“I figured i’d clear up what happened… earlier today… so asked mom and dad if we could have a movie night so i got some popcorn and your favorite movie….”
Ellen placed the videotape in the reader. settling on the bed. Although she was shy, Corin obliged. The little maid settled next to the shark girl who wrapped her up in a blanket with her.
“Are you… really leaving Victoria Housekeeping?” Corin asks with worry.
Guess they were having this conversation early, then.
“Well… it’s not concrete but… i was thinking about it. but for now i’m putting that plan on hold.”
“Why?”
“Well, If Mom’s gonna have a kid, I might as well be there for our new sibling, right?”
“O-oh.. i see…”
“But even if I do switch jobs, I'm still gonna live here. Besides, what kind of sister would i be if I left my baby sister behind?”
“You.. You think we’re sisters?..! Are- are you sure?” Corin asks once more on the edge of tears.
“Oh come on, Corin you’ve been crying all day… you really don’t think i don’t see you as my sister?” Ellen asks, smiling while rolling her eyes.
“I-I mean.. I always did see you as my o-older sister… but I never wanted to say it outloud. I didn’t want you to think I was weird..”
“Corin, we’re sisters now. we signed the papers, you don’t need to fuzz over this now. You always were my little sister, I'll always see you as my little sister, and now the whole of Eridu will know we’re sisters.”
Ellen placed an arm around her little sister. both of them are content about their new situation.
“I love you, Sis.” Ellen tells her, beginning to fall asleep.
“I..I Love you too.” Corin sleepy replied. Sleeping soundly knowing that she truly would never be abandoned, ever again.
When the two of them had fallen asleep, Rina and Lycaon peeked into the room to find them sound asleep. with out as much as making a sound, Lycaon and rina kissed their two adoptive daughters on the forehead. letting them sleep peacefully with a smile.