Damien and Osslindi look to each other. This is the first time Messel has been out of the water, ever, and the first time he's ever going to meet his relatives, besides them. Messel is wearing a tiny blue sweater, and still trying to get used to the texture of the clothes. "Alright, Messel, darling, are you ready?" asks Osslindi.
Messel nods. "Yes I am, mama. Are my relatives going to be friendly?"
"I'm sure they will love you, honey." Osslindi finally casts the spell, and before them are the great golden gates of the Infernal palace (or Sebastian's, at least). They are embrossed with pictures of mortals falling, becoming devils, then becoming redeemed by their Prince and praising him and Kalev, who appears at the top of the door, the central figure. Osslindi knocks at the gate, and it opens. They're inside.
A room full of people awaits them. Sebastian sits on his throne, looking bored. He is in his angelic form today- multicolored wings spread out, dark halo around him, but he gets off his throne as he sees the three approach. "Damien, darling, it's been so long! Osslindi, you too! And Messel! Oh, you must be little Messel!" Messel hides behind his mother as Sebastian hugs Damien. She strokes him on the head soothingly.
"He's just being a little shy." says Osslindi, emphasizing he. Sebastian looks confused for a moment, then suddenly he looks as if he understands. "Messel, you want to say hi to your great-grandfather?"
Messel finally pokes his head out from behind Osslindi.
"Hi. I'm Messel."
"Hello, Messel, I'm your great grandfather, Prince Sebastian. But you can just call me Sebastian, or great grandpa, or Sebbie, or whatever you like!"
"Okay." says Messel, not really sure what to do. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too! Georg, darling, come over here, this is our great-grandson, Messel."
"Messel, huh? Wow, look at you, how tiny you are, that you're my great-grandson. I feel as old as hell with you around."
Sebastian laughs. "You're certainly older than both hells, you know." he says, kissing the side of Georg's head.
"You're never allowed to make that joke ever again." complains Georg. "Like, ever. Where's Lukas? He should meet his grandkid."
"Grandson." says Sebastian.
"Don't sons count as kids? I'm not trying to say he's a goat, it's a figure of speech."
"I don't think kid is a figure of speech." says Osslindi. "It's-"
Osslindi is unfortunately interrupted by the arrival of a very awful man. "Well, look who it is, my brother. And his wife. And their daughter. The whole family is here!" says Markus. Nadia is standing next to him, attempting not to look extremely bored. "Hello, small assel child, I am your Uncle, Markus!"
"I'm my mama and papa's son, Mister Markus." says Messel.
"No you aren't, Damien, what sort of Uldoki have you been teaching this child? You're a girl, so you're their daughter."
Messel shakes his tiny head. "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy."
"No, you're a girl! Don't you even know the most basic things?"
Messel slaps a tiny tentacle on the ground. "I'm a boy! Don't you think I know better than you!?"
"Markus, Messel is transgender." says Damien. "Also, you're being very rude."
"What?" screeches Markus. He looks furitively to his grandfather. "I can't believe you condone this. That's child abuse, allowing this poor child to think it's the wrong gender!"
Sebastian rolls his eyes. "Yes, that would be child abuse, wouldn't it? But Messel says he's a boy, and I believe him, and-"
Markus sighs loudly. "You are an old, wise, and educated man, I can't believe you believe in transgenderism!"
"I-" Sebastian is interupted by Nadia, who is pointing to her father and Scula talking to Maelys.
"Look, it is my parents. Oh, no wait, it is still a secret that Scula is my mother, oh, look, it is my father and Scula, a totally random woman who I am not related to in any way shape or form but yet admire greatly. Markus, I am going to go speak to them, for the love of all that is pure, do not follow me."
"Okay, see you later, honey!" Markus waves goodbye to Nadia as she makes a mad dash towards her parents and Maelys. "Anyway, back on topic-"
"Markus, you are being very rude and disrespectful, and if you are going to continue on this line of questioning, I am going to ask you to go somewhere else." says Sebastian. "But not towards your wife and the others, for the love of Scula herself, no. Maybe go talk to Kir."
"Kir isn't at this party." says Georg. "Was I supposed to invite him?"
"No. But it would still be fine if Markus went to go talk to him. In fact, that would be ideal."
"Fine, but when Messel's all screwed up and confused, you remember who tried to save her from this horrible path. IT WAS ME!"
Messel nods. "Yes I am, mama. Are my relatives going to be friendly?"
"I'm sure they will love you, honey." Osslindi finally casts the spell, and before them are the great golden gates of the Infernal palace (or Sebastian's, at least). They are embrossed with pictures of mortals falling, becoming devils, then becoming redeemed by their Prince and praising him and Kalev, who appears at the top of the door, the central figure. Osslindi knocks at the gate, and it opens. They're inside.
A room full of people awaits them. Sebastian sits on his throne, looking bored. He is in his angelic form today- multicolored wings spread out, dark halo around him, but he gets off his throne as he sees the three approach. "Damien, darling, it's been so long! Osslindi, you too! And Messel! Oh, you must be little Messel!" Messel hides behind his mother as Sebastian hugs Damien. She strokes him on the head soothingly.
"He's just being a little shy." says Osslindi, emphasizing he. Sebastian looks confused for a moment, then suddenly he looks as if he understands. "Messel, you want to say hi to your great-grandfather?"
Messel finally pokes his head out from behind Osslindi.
"Hi. I'm Messel."
"Hello, Messel, I'm your great grandfather, Prince Sebastian. But you can just call me Sebastian, or great grandpa, or Sebbie, or whatever you like!"
"Okay." says Messel, not really sure what to do. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too! Georg, darling, come over here, this is our great-grandson, Messel."
"Messel, huh? Wow, look at you, how tiny you are, that you're my great-grandson. I feel as old as hell with you around."
Sebastian laughs. "You're certainly older than both hells, you know." he says, kissing the side of Georg's head.
"You're never allowed to make that joke ever again." complains Georg. "Like, ever. Where's Lukas? He should meet his grandkid."
"Grandson." says Sebastian.
"Don't sons count as kids? I'm not trying to say he's a goat, it's a figure of speech."
"I don't think kid is a figure of speech." says Osslindi. "It's-"
Osslindi is unfortunately interrupted by the arrival of a very awful man. "Well, look who it is, my brother. And his wife. And their daughter. The whole family is here!" says Markus. Nadia is standing next to him, attempting not to look extremely bored. "Hello, small assel child, I am your Uncle, Markus!"
"I'm my mama and papa's son, Mister Markus." says Messel.
"No you aren't, Damien, what sort of Uldoki have you been teaching this child? You're a girl, so you're their daughter."
Messel shakes his tiny head. "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy."
"No, you're a girl! Don't you even know the most basic things?"
Messel slaps a tiny tentacle on the ground. "I'm a boy! Don't you think I know better than you!?"
"Markus, Messel is transgender." says Damien. "Also, you're being very rude."
"What?" screeches Markus. He looks furitively to his grandfather. "I can't believe you condone this. That's child abuse, allowing this poor child to think it's the wrong gender!"
Sebastian rolls his eyes. "Yes, that would be child abuse, wouldn't it? But Messel says he's a boy, and I believe him, and-"
Markus sighs loudly. "You are an old, wise, and educated man, I can't believe you believe in transgenderism!"
"I-" Sebastian is interupted by Nadia, who is pointing to her father and Scula talking to Maelys.
"Look, it is my parents. Oh, no wait, it is still a secret that Scula is my mother, oh, look, it is my father and Scula, a totally random woman who I am not related to in any way shape or form but yet admire greatly. Markus, I am going to go speak to them, for the love of all that is pure, do not follow me."
"Okay, see you later, honey!" Markus waves goodbye to Nadia as she makes a mad dash towards her parents and Maelys. "Anyway, back on topic-"
"Markus, you are being very rude and disrespectful, and if you are going to continue on this line of questioning, I am going to ask you to go somewhere else." says Sebastian. "But not towards your wife and the others, for the love of Scula herself, no. Maybe go talk to Kir."
"Kir isn't at this party." says Georg. "Was I supposed to invite him?"
"No. But it would still be fine if Markus went to go talk to him. In fact, that would be ideal."
"Fine, but when Messel's all screwed up and confused, you remember who tried to save her from this horrible path. IT WAS ME!"
Later that night, when Osslindi is attempting to feed Messel shrimp puffs, Messel asks, "Mama, why was Uncle Markus so mean? And what does transgender mean?"
"Well honey, remember when your father and I thought you were a girl at first, but you knew better than us? Because you being a boy didn't match up with what people thought you were, a girl, that's called transgender. And even though we know you're a boy, and so will all nice people, when you tell them, some mean people like your Uncle Markus are still going to think you're a girl, no matter what you tell them. But don't worry, I think there are a lot more nice people than mean people."
"Okay. Can I have another cheese stick?"
"Eat a shrimp puff first."
"Okay."
"Well honey, remember when your father and I thought you were a girl at first, but you knew better than us? Because you being a boy didn't match up with what people thought you were, a girl, that's called transgender. And even though we know you're a boy, and so will all nice people, when you tell them, some mean people like your Uncle Markus are still going to think you're a girl, no matter what you tell them. But don't worry, I think there are a lot more nice people than mean people."
"Okay. Can I have another cheese stick?"
"Eat a shrimp puff first."
"Okay."
Author's Notes:
There are certain parenting decisions in this story you may not agree with. Some of these will be covered in Quartet part 3. Yet another story written for Trans Day Of Visibility. Have a shrimp puff.
Length: 968 words
Date: March 31st, 2015
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