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The call from his sister family colleague completely strips Hugo of his usual attitude. Because she's shrieking, and there's the sound of children screaming and crying in the background, the call ends abruptly and all he has left is a location pin: Phaeton's video rental shop.
So, embarrassingly, he ends up running through half of new Eridu and nearly breaks down the door in his haste to get inside.
"I got here as quickly as I could!," brandishing his suitcase, Hugo bursts into the room with the grace of a bulldozer, "what happened, who do I need to tear to ribbons?"
Then he actually takes in the sight before himself and feels his individual braincells stop working.
"What is this."
Vivian is taking pictures at multiple angles of two babies and a pup laying on the floor of the Video Rental shop. She's squealing like the tires of the sibling's old ass car trying to get anywhere. In the corner, Corin is passed out on Belle's couch. She looks dead.
Another flash of camera snaps, uncaring that it looks like there's a corpse in the background of the baby pictures. Good gods.
"Vivian. My dear. Is now really the best time for this?"
"There are no existing pictures of them at this age! Of course it's the perfect time! Isn't that right, Lord Phaetons?"
Hugo sees her leaning over the three, smiling with - most likely - her fangs out and twinkling red eyes. He knows what's going to happen immediately before it does.
Belle bursts into tears.
By proxy, Vivian also bursts into tears.
Upset by his sister's fright, Wise also begins tearing up. Oh boy.
A whine that can only come from the pup sets the vampire into motion, gently grabbing Vivian's shoulders and nudging her to the couch, "it's okay little ones! There's nothing to be afraid of, Vivian was just being friendly."
Wolf ears flop to one side as Lycaon tilts his head in curiosity. Ohhhhh stars, he hasn't done that in decades. It's enough to make even Hugo's withered heart clench.
And speaking for things Lycaon would no longer be caught dead doing as an adult, the pup turns to the crying girl and-
"Awooooo"
Howls.
Little Belle stops bawling at the sound, looking at the small wolf thiren by her side still sniffling. Little Lycaon repeats his howling once more, seeing her cast his attention on him.
She responds in kind with a howl of her own, "auooo!"
The two start howling back and forth at each other under Hugo's baffled gaze.
"Oh my fucking God," Vivian slaps him but how can he be blamed? How? What is his life?
At that moment, the two turn to little Wise. The boy, drying his tears, flushes under the scrutiny for a few seconds before also following suit. Far more shakily than them it leaves his mouth, "a-auuuuu..."
Hugo is lucky Vivian is back to recording, because he's too starstruck to gather blackmail material himself.
He promptly finds the part of the couch Corbin's legs aren't occupying and plops down, catatonic.
~
After all is said and done, the rental shop is nearly burnt down in the attempt to get rid of the evidence, Ellen contemplates firing herself from this job, and Wise books a flight to the other end of the globe.