“So is it weird in the family because both our Aunt Cassandra and Uncle Danill and Dad and Akim are married?” asked Sevvie.
“I’m sorry, what?” asked Serafina. “Our Aunt Cass isn’t married to anyone, and neither is Uncle Danill.”
“I don’t think they were married yet at this point in time in the original universe either, Sevvie.” said Jiro. “Remember that Aunt Cass said she was pregnant with Bara at the wedding?”
“Oh, yeah.” said Sevvie. “But how old is Bara?”
“She’s like, twenty two, I think?” asked Jiro.
“I guess she’s not that old. She kinda looks like you, Serafina. She’s your cousin on both sides. Your double cousin, I guess. Do you like geese?”
“I like falcons.” said Serafina. “I have a gyrkin named Mikhail. He’s named after one of my grandfather’s old friends. He’s a very nice man. He taught me how to ride a horse.”
“Do you have a lot of horses?” asked Jiro.
Serafina shook her head. “Only one. Our papa is frightened of horses.”
“Yeah, sounds like him.” said Sevvie. “You should get someone to get your more horses. Like what about poppop? That’s what Jiro and I call grandpa Sebastian.”
“Once again, I don’t-”
Serafina frowned. “I doubt that he’ll ever get me another pet again after what happened to Gamil.”
“What happened to G-” started Jiro before being interrupted by a young boy coming from the shadows.
“Serafina. Who are these two?” asked the boy.
“Oh, Illarion, this is Sevvie or Seva, and Jiro. They’re my friends.”
Illarion raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating.” Illarion looked to be about ten, with perfectly straight, long blonde hair. Delicate violet eyes were framed by long blonde lashes. He was wearing a grey poncho of sorts over long black robes.
With a soft sigh he looked to the door. “What do you think we’ll be learning today, Serafina?”
“Who knows.” said Serafina.
/If this was a book... / thought Jiro to Sevvie, /It would probably be something plot-relevant that will help us figure out how this universe differs from our own./
/Let’s hope that’s gonna be the case./ replied Sevvie.
“I’m sorry, what?” asked Serafina. “Our Aunt Cass isn’t married to anyone, and neither is Uncle Danill.”
“I don’t think they were married yet at this point in time in the original universe either, Sevvie.” said Jiro. “Remember that Aunt Cass said she was pregnant with Bara at the wedding?”
“Oh, yeah.” said Sevvie. “But how old is Bara?”
“She’s like, twenty two, I think?” asked Jiro.
“I guess she’s not that old. She kinda looks like you, Serafina. She’s your cousin on both sides. Your double cousin, I guess. Do you like geese?”
“I like falcons.” said Serafina. “I have a gyrkin named Mikhail. He’s named after one of my grandfather’s old friends. He’s a very nice man. He taught me how to ride a horse.”
“Do you have a lot of horses?” asked Jiro.
Serafina shook her head. “Only one. Our papa is frightened of horses.”
“Yeah, sounds like him.” said Sevvie. “You should get someone to get your more horses. Like what about poppop? That’s what Jiro and I call grandpa Sebastian.”
“Once again, I don’t-”
Serafina frowned. “I doubt that he’ll ever get me another pet again after what happened to Gamil.”
“What happened to G-” started Jiro before being interrupted by a young boy coming from the shadows.
“Serafina. Who are these two?” asked the boy.
“Oh, Illarion, this is Sevvie or Seva, and Jiro. They’re my friends.”
Illarion raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating.” Illarion looked to be about ten, with perfectly straight, long blonde hair. Delicate violet eyes were framed by long blonde lashes. He was wearing a grey poncho of sorts over long black robes.
With a soft sigh he looked to the door. “What do you think we’ll be learning today, Serafina?”
“Who knows.” said Serafina.
/If this was a book... / thought Jiro to Sevvie, /It would probably be something plot-relevant that will help us figure out how this universe differs from our own./
/Let’s hope that’s gonna be the case./ replied Sevvie.
Three hours later, the tutor had not finished lecturing about the conflicts that had led to the beginning of the God-Witch War. Serafina was taking careful notes in perfect handwritting. Illarion was taking less perfect notes and doodling birds in the corners of his notebook. Sevvie and Jiro were incredibly bored. Finally, nearly four hours after it had started, the lecture finally ended.
Illarion and Serafina nearly collapsed from exaustion as the tutor left the room. ‘Wow, that’s real boring.” said Sevvie. “Well, I’m glad it’s over.”
“Over?” asked Ilarion. “We have lunch next, but after that, it’s back to work.”
Sevvie wanted to cry.
Luckily, lunch was brought out for all four children. “You must be very close friends to Serafina if you were willing to sit through that to spend time with her.” said Illarion.
“Actually, we just met.” said Sevvie. “But we really have nowhere else to go.”
/Should we tell him?/ asked Jiro mentally, and Sevvie nodded. “Also, she’s our half-sister.”
Illarion nearly spat out his duck blood soup. “Excuse me?”
“And so are you.” said Sevvie. “We come from an alternate universe where our parents, Xander and Illiam, are married and have kids.”
“Excuse me?” asked Illarion.
“It’s true.” said Jiro. “We’re from another world.”
Illarion stared at both Sevvie and Jiro for a moment before bursting out laughing. “Oh! Wow! It was a joke! What an unusual joke. Serafina, imagine it. Our parents! Married!”
“I think they’re telling the truth, Illarion.” said Serafina. “They seem very honest to me.”
Illarion looked both Sevvie and Jiro over. “Now that I think of it, you do look a little like my father, Jiro. People always think I look more like my other father, Kir. But you’re probably just one of my cousins on uncle Elian’s side. I’ve never met any of them, because they hate uncle Elian, but that’s who you are.”
“Illarion, why would we lie to you and Serafina?” asked Jiro. “We are stuck in this world and we can’t get back to our own.”
“If you’re Uncle Xander and my father’s child, prove it.” said Illarion. “Say things only someone who knew him really well would know.”
“Well, he’s a big ol dork. Dad, the Xander dad, the Xandad, I mean.” started Sevvie. “He’s real afraid of horses. He’s got at least twelve fingers, I think. Once he said he had 15 piercings on his body. His favorite food is raw meat. His favorite fruit is pomegranates. His least favorite food is probably pumpernickel’s bread, and he used to have a little familiar and he fed it little twigs. He’s very strong and easily startled.”
“Those aren’t very convincing facts.” said Illarion.
“What do I have to say to prove it to you?” asked Sevvie. “Look, I dunno! He loves our other dad, Illiam, a lot, and he loves him back, and they’re the best! I dunno how much of this is real and how much of this is fake in this wacky new world…”
Sevvie began to cry.
Illarion and Serafina nearly collapsed from exaustion as the tutor left the room. ‘Wow, that’s real boring.” said Sevvie. “Well, I’m glad it’s over.”
“Over?” asked Ilarion. “We have lunch next, but after that, it’s back to work.”
Sevvie wanted to cry.
Luckily, lunch was brought out for all four children. “You must be very close friends to Serafina if you were willing to sit through that to spend time with her.” said Illarion.
“Actually, we just met.” said Sevvie. “But we really have nowhere else to go.”
/Should we tell him?/ asked Jiro mentally, and Sevvie nodded. “Also, she’s our half-sister.”
Illarion nearly spat out his duck blood soup. “Excuse me?”
“And so are you.” said Sevvie. “We come from an alternate universe where our parents, Xander and Illiam, are married and have kids.”
“Excuse me?” asked Illarion.
“It’s true.” said Jiro. “We’re from another world.”
Illarion stared at both Sevvie and Jiro for a moment before bursting out laughing. “Oh! Wow! It was a joke! What an unusual joke. Serafina, imagine it. Our parents! Married!”
“I think they’re telling the truth, Illarion.” said Serafina. “They seem very honest to me.”
Illarion looked both Sevvie and Jiro over. “Now that I think of it, you do look a little like my father, Jiro. People always think I look more like my other father, Kir. But you’re probably just one of my cousins on uncle Elian’s side. I’ve never met any of them, because they hate uncle Elian, but that’s who you are.”
“Illarion, why would we lie to you and Serafina?” asked Jiro. “We are stuck in this world and we can’t get back to our own.”
“If you’re Uncle Xander and my father’s child, prove it.” said Illarion. “Say things only someone who knew him really well would know.”
“Well, he’s a big ol dork. Dad, the Xander dad, the Xandad, I mean.” started Sevvie. “He’s real afraid of horses. He’s got at least twelve fingers, I think. Once he said he had 15 piercings on his body. His favorite food is raw meat. His favorite fruit is pomegranates. His least favorite food is probably pumpernickel’s bread, and he used to have a little familiar and he fed it little twigs. He’s very strong and easily startled.”
“Those aren’t very convincing facts.” said Illarion.
“What do I have to say to prove it to you?” asked Sevvie. “Look, I dunno! He loves our other dad, Illiam, a lot, and he loves him back, and they’re the best! I dunno how much of this is real and how much of this is fake in this wacky new world…”
Sevvie began to cry.
“Look, here’s my father.” said Illarion. Sevvie had been crying for several minutes, and showed no signs of stopping. Jiro, too, was visibly upset, but keeping it in. “Father, I have a question. What’s a question that only someone who knew you really well would know the answer to?”
“Hm, that’s a tough question.” He bit his lip strongly, trying to think. “A question about me that only someone who knew me really well would know the answer to. Oh, I have a good one. What’s your Uncle Elian’s least favorite animal?”
“DOGS!” said Sevvie loudly. “He’s terrified of dogs! Even real cute dogs.”
“Um, how in the world do you know that?”
Sevvie examined the man standing in front of her. “Wait a second. Illarion, this isn’t real dad! This is Uncle Elian.”
“What?!” said Elian. “It’s- okay, it’s me. I was just playing a trick on you.”
“How did you know that?” asked Illarion.
“He just had that look in his eye.” said Sevvie.
“Wait, uncle Elian, I have an idea.” said Jiro. “Use your psychic powers to tell Serafina and Illarion who we are.”
“Um, uncle Elian?” asked Elian. “Who are you kids again!”
“Use your psychic powers, uncle Elian!” said Sevvie, slamming her fists against the table.
Elian, shaking his head, put his hands to it. After a few moments of concentration, he blinked. “This can’t be right… the result I’m getting is.”
“What is it?” asked Jiro.
“It’s claiming that you’re my brother and the Tsar’s children!” said Elian. “But Illiam wouldn’t… is he… I can’t…”
“We’re from an alternate world where instead of Daniys killing Karik, our dad killed Zeark or somethin.” explained Sevvie. “And he went to Naven and he made his empire there and then he married dad and then he had us and then he stopped being bad and he became a good egg. Er, or a lawful neutral dad.”
“Which dad?” asked Elian worriedly. “My brother or the Tsar?”
“The Tsar, Xander.” replied Sevvie. “Wow, is it weird to call him that.”
“What did Illiam do in that world?” asked Elian. “Or me?”
Sevvie shrugged. “Well, you died at one point, but then you came back a while later, but before we were born. So you’ve never been real dead all the time we were alive. Oh, and then you got married to uncle Ulmer, who’s a big old computer, and then there’s our cousin Desta, who’s a cool robot computer.”
“I’m sorry, Ulmer’s a what?”
“A computer.” said Sevvie.
“A what?”
“Beep beep boop, boop beep boop!”
Elian nodded, pretending to know what Sevvie was talking about. “So Ulmer and I are finally together? What happened to Monica?”
“To who?”
“Monica, his wife.”
“I don’t think he’s got a wife.” said Sevvie. “He lives on the moon of kenisal, but I don’t know if polygamy is legal there.”
“I think polygamy is legal in space in general?” offered Jiro. “But I think Ulmer’s wife died hundreds of years ago.”
Elian blinked. “Um. Are you from a different universe and the future?”
“Yeah.” said Sevvie.
“And I’m still around? And so is Ulmer?”
“Yeah.” said Sevvie again. “
Elian looked both sad and happy about this. “So even if we go get together… it’s so far in the future that… it would just be impossible.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle Elian.” said Sevvie, patting her uncle. “This is a different world and you can do different things. Follow your dreams.”
“Hm, that’s a tough question.” He bit his lip strongly, trying to think. “A question about me that only someone who knew me really well would know the answer to. Oh, I have a good one. What’s your Uncle Elian’s least favorite animal?”
“DOGS!” said Sevvie loudly. “He’s terrified of dogs! Even real cute dogs.”
“Um, how in the world do you know that?”
Sevvie examined the man standing in front of her. “Wait a second. Illarion, this isn’t real dad! This is Uncle Elian.”
“What?!” said Elian. “It’s- okay, it’s me. I was just playing a trick on you.”
“How did you know that?” asked Illarion.
“He just had that look in his eye.” said Sevvie.
“Wait, uncle Elian, I have an idea.” said Jiro. “Use your psychic powers to tell Serafina and Illarion who we are.”
“Um, uncle Elian?” asked Elian. “Who are you kids again!”
“Use your psychic powers, uncle Elian!” said Sevvie, slamming her fists against the table.
Elian, shaking his head, put his hands to it. After a few moments of concentration, he blinked. “This can’t be right… the result I’m getting is.”
“What is it?” asked Jiro.
“It’s claiming that you’re my brother and the Tsar’s children!” said Elian. “But Illiam wouldn’t… is he… I can’t…”
“We’re from an alternate world where instead of Daniys killing Karik, our dad killed Zeark or somethin.” explained Sevvie. “And he went to Naven and he made his empire there and then he married dad and then he had us and then he stopped being bad and he became a good egg. Er, or a lawful neutral dad.”
“Which dad?” asked Elian worriedly. “My brother or the Tsar?”
“The Tsar, Xander.” replied Sevvie. “Wow, is it weird to call him that.”
“What did Illiam do in that world?” asked Elian. “Or me?”
Sevvie shrugged. “Well, you died at one point, but then you came back a while later, but before we were born. So you’ve never been real dead all the time we were alive. Oh, and then you got married to uncle Ulmer, who’s a big old computer, and then there’s our cousin Desta, who’s a cool robot computer.”
“I’m sorry, Ulmer’s a what?”
“A computer.” said Sevvie.
“A what?”
“Beep beep boop, boop beep boop!”
Elian nodded, pretending to know what Sevvie was talking about. “So Ulmer and I are finally together? What happened to Monica?”
“To who?”
“Monica, his wife.”
“I don’t think he’s got a wife.” said Sevvie. “He lives on the moon of kenisal, but I don’t know if polygamy is legal there.”
“I think polygamy is legal in space in general?” offered Jiro. “But I think Ulmer’s wife died hundreds of years ago.”
Elian blinked. “Um. Are you from a different universe and the future?”
“Yeah.” said Sevvie.
“And I’m still around? And so is Ulmer?”
“Yeah.” said Sevvie again. “
Elian looked both sad and happy about this. “So even if we go get together… it’s so far in the future that… it would just be impossible.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle Elian.” said Sevvie, patting her uncle. “This is a different world and you can do different things. Follow your dreams.”
Author's Note: I love how everyone takes these children seriously. Also Illarion is a precious boy. Maybe I'll name one of Jiro and Fedor's kids Illarion and he will look similar to Illarion so I can reuse that character design.
Word Count: 1,438 words
Date: February 10th, 2016
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