First Demonic Dragon

Chapter 1147: Toaster Waffles & Swords

Courtney’s first night at home went more or less like she thought it would.

There was a lot of crying. Lots of drinking too. More than a bit of name-calling, and enough stories to fill up all the shelves of a Barnes & Noble.

Courtney was just like her parents. Her heart was so stuffed with emotion that she thought it was going to burst.

She could have stayed there all night. Laughing. Drinking. Eating.

She had gone so very long without these things that she had never noticed just how much her body and soul ached for them.

Courtney had been consumed with fighting. Now, she could get back to living.

As much as Courtney would have liked to stay at the dinner table all night chatting, it wasn’t meant to be.

Her baby sister had school in the morning. And even if she didn’t, the family was primarily made up of couples now.

Couples that, understandably, wanted to be alone together after not sharing a tender moment for several thousand years.

One by one, the family started to retire for the night, with Ayaana directing them to each of their rooms.

Courtney was staring in the doorframe of a space that was familiar and foreign at the same time.

Black wallpaper, posters of macabre characters wielding bloody knives, and more vinyl records than any 20-year-old girl could have possibly known what to do with.

“Wow… I was such a little edgelord.” She whistled.

Behind her, there was a soft and genuine laughter. “Oh, honey. Are you just realizing that now?”

“You know what they say, Ma. You can’t see a thing while you’re in it.” Courtney waved her hand over the room, and it underwent a small metamorphosis.

Like her, the room received an upgrade in maturity.

Wider spaces, black, gold, and red velvet furniture, in addition to a few more tasteful pieces of art.

“You’re…”

Courtney slowly turned around and found her mother staring at her with water in her eyes.

“…Exceptional. My girl is so exceptional.”

Courtney’s face turned as red as her new drapes. “…Just a little party trick. I don’t think I can make the really eye-opening stuff like you and Straga can.”

“Never undersell yourself.” Ayaana stepped forward and placed her hand on Courtney’s cheek. “You have grown into a more amazing woman than your father, your mother, or I ever could have anticipated.”

Courtney’s brow crinkled. “But aren’t you kind of..”

“I loved you before I knew you. You and your siblings are my pride and joy, and I am never going to let any of you out of my sight for as long as I live.”

There was nothing like the love of a mother. Courtney knew that Ayaana was technically a new soul, but every single thing about her was so comforting and familiar that she couldn’t tell much of a difference.

“…I missed you, Mom.”

Ayaana smiled and hugged her. For a moment, both of them became misty-eyed.

“Hey… you’re not too big for sleepovers, right?”

Courtney pulled away. “What do you-”

At some point, Ayaana had changed into a pair of pajama pants and a crop top. She held a pillow under one arm while smiling angelically.

“…You’ve got about twelve years of Scooby-Doo cartoons to catch up on.”

Courtney didn’t look convinced.

“…A television show was also released that featured that murderous clown you have on your wall.”

“Yeah, that one.” Courtney nodded so hard her head nearly flew off.

That night, Courtney and Ayaana stayed up watching horror until they literally could not keep their eyes open.

Courtney fell asleep with her mother cradling her head against her chest as if she were a newborn babe.

Or at least, she pretended to.

“Trouble sleeping?”

Courtney’s eyes fluttered open. Their red color was deeply contemplative.

“I think… I made a mistake.”

Ayaana began running her fingers through her daughter’s hair as she listened. “Go on.”

“…I didn’t know how hard it was going to be. Or how scary. And now that it’s all over, I just wonder if it was all worth it to not see my baby brother and sister get big. Odie’s in high school now. Last time I saw her, she was gumming down bananas. I felt like a stranger to her. To them.”

Ayaana smiled softly.

“Whether or not it was worth it is something only you’ll get to decide, and the answer will come to you when you least expect it. But as for your siblings… I assure you that there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know them, and they have plenty more growing up to do.”

Ayaana looked over her shoulder and checked the corners of the room as if she were making sure no one was peeping on her.

She leaned towards Courtney’s ear and whispered with the utmost secrecy.

“Don’t tell them I told you this, but Odie still sleeps with a stuffed animal, and K’ael doesn’t know how to work the laundry machine.”

Courtney giggled quietly.

The two of them had been awake for so long that dawn had begun to sneak up on them.

A soft, subtle blue light had begun to creep through Courtney’s curtains. Giving them both something to stare at.

“…Since it’s morning, does that mean we can eat again?”

Ayaana laughed heartily. “You are my child after all. What do you want? I’ll make you anything you want.”

Courtney thought about an answer long and hard before speaking.

“…Toaster waffles.”

Ayaana looked immensely offended. “…Toaster waffles?”

“They’re nostalgic.” Courtney shrugged.

Ayaana got out of bed, shaking her head. “Fucking toaster waffles… You have Gordon Ramsey over here with horns, breasts, and melanin, yet all you want is goddamn Egg-o’s.”

“It’s just something about that yellow box.” Courtney sighed dreamily.

“I got your damn yellow box…” Ayaana grumbled as she manifested a houserobe and slippers.

She walked towards the door and paused to look back at her adult daughter.

“Come on, toaster waffle. Let’s get you your frozen garbage.”

“Thank you, mommy-dearest.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

–

As it happened, Courtney and Ayaana were not the morning’s only early risers.

Kirina was standing beside a massive window adjacent to the kitchen.

She stared out into the front lawn and admired the grass, the animals, and even the lake. The beauty of it all entranced her. It was different from Tehom, but it’s simplicity was something to marvel at.

“You’re up early, ma.”

Kirina looked over her shoulder at Courtney and Ayaana, who had just arrived.

“I would have thought Dad would’ve tuckered you out.” Ayaana yawned. “By the way, Seras and I both feel we’re too old for siblings.”

Courtney made a gagging noise.

“Very funny, dear.” Kirina rolled her eyes. “Actually, your father and I didn’t get to enjoy much of each other since he allowed Darius to lull him into a drinking competition. He’s currently sleeping off his foolishness on the bathroom floor.”

“How cold.”

“Would you have me any other way?” Kirina smiled coquettishly.

Ayaana could honestly say that she wouldn’t.

She locked arms with both her mother and her daughter and began leading them towards the kitchen.

“It’s a good thing you’re awake. You can explain to your daughter the error of her ways in choosing toaster waffles for breakfast.”

Kirina was baffled. “Courtney… you’re hungry again?”

“We haven’t eaten in over ten thousand years! Can you honestly say you blame me?!”

“And I thought Bekka was our family’s biggest glutton…”

“Alright, alright, no need to hunger shame. I’ll get started making Courtney her drivel-”

“You mean childhood staple.” Courtney corrected.

“No, she doesn’t.” Kirina snickered.

“-And then I’ll start on some mimosas, and something a little more adult like.” Ayaana finished.

Courtney wrinkled her brow. “I’m plenty adult.”

“Only in chest size, my little baby.”

“…” Courtney pulled back the collar of her t-shirt and stared at her chest.

As the three of them walked into the kitchen together, they were surprised to see the light of the refrigerator illuminating the darkness.

The door suddenly closed and revealed young K’ael standing there with two cheeks full of juice.

“You better not have been drinking out of the carton again, boy, you know what I told you about that.”

K’ael shook his head so hard that he nearly flung all of the color off his hair.

“Do you wake up this early a lot?” Courtney asked, hoping she didn’t sound too much like an awkward older sister.

K’ael nodded as he swallowed audibly.

“It is one of the few times the house is quiet. I enjoy it.”

“Are you calling your family loud?” Ayaana pinched his cheek.

“Only when you are awake.”

“Funny.”

Ayaana weakly bumped her son out of the way. “Want some toaster waffles?”

“Not at all.”

“Good.”

While his mother started cooking out of spite, K’ael’s eyes slowly drifted to his grandmother.

Since last night, Kirina had noticed that her grandson tended to stare at her a lot when he thought she wasn’t looking.

His gaze was inquisitive, yet there didn’t appear to be any negative ulterior motive.

“Is there something you want to ask me, my grandson?”

After realizing that he had inadvertently been caught, K’ael became visibly flustered. “I’m sorry, I…”

“Oh, you’re far too timid and formal for family… Are you sure you’re really your mother’s?”

Ayaana flipped her mother off as she rummaged through the fridge.

K’ael swallowed as he summoned a bit of courage.

“My parents, they say… that you are the best swordsman they have ever known. And I just so happen to have begun my own training in the way of the sword, so I was hoping… that you might be so kind as to enlighten me as to what I am still lacking?”