To clare_dragonfly‘s prompt.

First day of school, Year 21 of the Addergoole School

“Bye, Mom.” Dom and Carey kissed their mom-dad’s cheeks, patted its shoulders, and fled into the school before they could be burdened with any more excessive advise. “We’ll be fine!”

It was Carey who called it over a shoulder, because Carey was in charge of reassuring that parent; Dom got to reassure their other biological parent, when Ty visited.

“Free at last.” Dom’s quip fell a little weakly as they stared at the door – a thick steel door in short cement wall that seemed to come out of the ground.

“Do you think Mom-dad…?”

“Worries too much? Yeah. Loads.” Dom made its voice sound firm, no matter how shaky it was feeling. “Look, we’re gonna be fine.”

“Of course you are!” A lush girl patted them both on the back. “Aren’t you two pretty? And you’re going to do just fine; I’ll watch after you. I’m Adorlee, by the by.”

“Dominique sh’Tya.” Dom held out a hand, which conveniently meant turning around and moving out of the new arrival’s grasp. “This is my twin, Cary sh’Jaya.”

“Your twin… by a different mother?” Her pretty brow furrowed. Dom sighed. They’d figured, maybe, here in Addergoole, it wouldn’t confuse people so much.

“Both our parents are…”

“Wait, did you say Tya? Oh, darnit all! That makes you my nephews.”

“Nieces.” Carey had opinions about gender. They were different from Dom’s opinions.

“Nephew-nieces. Are you one of Mi – Professor VanderLinden’s?”

“Oh, now don’t make it sound like such a thing… but yes.” The pretty girl – Adorlee? – Adorlee pouted at them. “Well, at least let me show you around.”

“Or me.” The voice was different. Angrier. Colder. The face was different – older, since it had been over a decade. But Dom recognized a brother.

“Eryk!” Carey and Dom left the overbearing Adorlee in the dust to surround their half-brother in hugs. “You can show us around.”

Carey had opinions on a lot of things. Incestuous family tree or not, Dom hoped Eryk-is-an-acceptable-boyfriend wasn’t one of them.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/434674.html. You can comment here or there.