Hedgehawk

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"Yep. Plus Lola is a full on hydromage, which some argue is actually better than being a aeromancer. Heck, with enough training, and a little experimentation there was no reason why you couldn't actually be a stormmage." Aloysius unravelled his arms and looked over to Lola encouragingly. He did want his sister to be strong. Not for the sake of the family, but more for herself. She deserved to feel like she was something, rather than not being something.

"This really is getting stupid if you ask me. Yes Lola, you scored higher than me. But neither of you came close to Salem, so I don't know why either of you feel any kind of smugness." Esme retorted, mostly aimed at Aloysius. Niether of the pair looked impressed with the other.

"Maybe I didn't want to be? Maybe I am content on not being the strongest. I know to you, the world is a zero sum game. I just wanted to be happy. Protect my family... what little family I have left." At the end of his comment Aloysius looked down at the wooden floor.

"Oh don't you start the feel sorry for yourself charade again..." Esme hissed towards Aloysius.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Esme finally glared daggers at Aloysius trying to get him not to speak by simply scaring him, but with a small smirk, Aloysius continued talking. "Oh yeah. You scored 9,924 on the test. As mother keeps comparing you to, Salem scored 11,478. Mother scored 8912. And what she really doesn't want you to know... I just scraped 10,021" Aloysius crossed his arms and watched the pair of them. He knew that he let the cat out of the bag, but he was secretly enjoying watching his mother be flustered. It was reminding him of when the will had been read out after his fathers death. Esme herself had fell entirely quiet. Not saying a word.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"You know dear, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" Esme responded, not even looking towards her and looking towards Aloysius instead. "Ddfending the weak might seem noble Aloysius, but ultimately they are leeches on your own power. Cast them aside and look after yourself"

"Now come on. That isn't fair and you know it." Aloysius retorted. He wasn't about to let his mother carry on when Lola was clearly hurting. "Lola is a strong woman. She is stronger than nearly everyone else in the Guild. Last I checked she scored higher than you did she not?" Aloysius glared at his mother who simply lowered her stare to the floor. "Or did you not tell her that?"

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"I don't mean it like that" Aloysius said as he raised his arms up defensively and got up out of his own chair. "I know what I suggested is most certainly not the perfect solution. But I am happy to do my part and help. I don't have any ill feelings against you. Even if for some reason you think I might do" Aloysius was about to walk over to her when he was interrupted by the sudden sound of heels on wood. At the other end of the table stood their mother: Esme Leighton.

"Oh what is going on in here? Is my daughter being a nusicnance again" She folded her arms under her chest, not even looking at either Lola or Aloysius.

"Now come on, that is hardly fair now"

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Listening to Lolas words, Al's face furrowed in annoyance. He was legitimately trying here. He knew that he couldn't protect his sister from everything, but come on now, it was a better offer.

"Yeah, I had Dad. And he loved you too. You were just being so smothered by mother that he put his time into me instead. Didn't mean he didn't care. He left you the trust fund that mother can't touch. In theroy you could be out of here and be on your own. Part of me thinks you actually like being tortured this way" Was it a bit of a dick way to end the sentence? Yes. But did Lola deserve it? Of course. Snickering his offer away like it was nothing was just proof of how childish Lola could be, and that might be reason while she was always being treated like a child.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

”Well it isn't your fault and she has no reason to blame you. She was like it with me when you were younger. She just projects her own insecurities onto those around her. You didn't ask for the power you have, it was just given to you. Just like me." Al say back in his chair as glanced over at Lola. He did feel sorry for her. He had first hand experience of his mother's scorn, and it was never a nice thing to be under.

" You know. If you don't like living here with mother, you can always come back to my place. It's not as big or as luxurious, but it would be your own space" It was certainly a casual request, but it was the best Al could think of given the circumstances. Given how busy Al was, the place was abandoned most of the time anyway, so it would be nice to see the place used a bit.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

”I am sure she isn't always like that.” Aloysius mused to try and comfort Lola. Though in all honesty he knew she was. He remembered the fallout of his father's death when Lola was still the favoured one. Finding out that she had to split the inheritance with the children was one thing she was not pleased about.

"Besides, I am sure she will spend her entire night telling me about how I am so destined to do great things. And how perhaps I should try applying myself and try to take power for myself." Aloysius let out a soft sigh. He hated the attention his mother was giving him over this. He knew she was desperate to return the Leighton legacy back to its former glory. But he was unsure why it had to be him.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

”Hey, Just because it involves sitting at a desk, doesn’t mean it isn’t an important job!” Aloysius would grab the pen that was thrown at him before throwing it back towards her. It was a bit of a sore spot for him being stuck behind the desk. It was all he seemed to be good for at the Guild. Even when there were issues in his hometown, they sent Salem to deal with it, not him. He was stuck behind the desk being the handler. Aloysius kept telling himself it was just because they were scared to see him in action and how awesome he would be. His test scores in the Guild exams were only two behind Salem. He deserved to have his own missions.

”Have you seen mother today? What kind of mood is she in? I don’t want another lecture about work, or responsibility or family values…”

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Realising that he wasn't exactly alone, Aloysius looked up from up from his slump to see Lola there working away at something. At least it wasn't his mother sitting there. He leaned back and pulled at his tie, loosening it slightly as he tried to give himself some room to breathe. Things between him and his sister were tense to say the least. Even putting aside the fact that they lost their father and their mother was something else, the duo always seemed to have some kind of unresolved tension. Aloysius just found that Lola always seemed to have something against him. He was sick of it.

”Just lots of work, In Between Guild work and running the business, I don’t seem to get anytime for myself” It was true that he had been working way too hard recently. He had been assigned on fixers desk, trying to help deal with teens who had just discovered their powers and couldn’t control them.

”Not that you would understand, just sitting there with homework” He had to get a dig in. It wouldn’t be an Al and Lola interaction without some digging.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Aloysius was exhausted. In between doing work at both the Guild and the family arms business, he seemed to have very little time to himself. It had gotten so manic that he was actually looking forward to Friday night dinner with the family. Admittedly it wasn’t the same without his father around. He was still getting used to the idea of not having him around. While he wasn’t exactly close to either of his parents, he did at times enjoy his fathers company. More than his mother for sure. His mother and him had always had a tense relationship. The first issue she had with Aloysius was that he wasn’t born a girl. She had been desperate for a girl to help ‘carry the lineage on’. That subsided with the birth of Lola, but at that point, his mother was far too focused on Lola to worry about him.

That all changed when Lola started displaying her powers properly a few years ago and she was graded. At that point, it was revealed that Aloysius was for some reason stronger than his sister. That caused his mother to do a full 180 and suddenly take an interest in him once more. Funny that. Now all she would do is talk about how he was destined for greatness and how he would one day rule the Magi. Not that Aloysius really cared for it. He was more salty at the fact that his relationship with Salem wasn’t allowed to go anywhere. It ruined his senior year when the Guild council essentially forbade the duo to be together out of concerns about what mixing two pools of potent blood together would mean for the future of Magi-kind.

Entering the family home in New York, he tossed his coat and suitcase onto a chair in the reception lounge and sauntered across the home. through the living room, and into the dining room where he then preceded to over to slump down one one of the may ornate wooden chairs around the large twelve person table. Not even caring for or at least acknowledging anyone else who may be there. He then let out an exhausted, almost attention seeking sigh.