Monsters in the Attic [Ari/open-ish]

[Arianna Blackthorn]

This was not working. Arianna's attempt to alleviate the young Kameren of his fears backfired. Instead, she made it worse. Ari bit her lip as she watched Max sink lower on his stool. What did one say to a ten year old? It hadn't been this difficult to talk to Max when she only knew him as Peter's step son. Then again, Max hadn't a father plagued with insanity at that moment in time.

Sweets always makes me feel better when I'm drained, maybe just the smell of cookies will cheer him up a bit. So will you help me? I'm rubbish when it comes to adding the sweet things. I just want to eat them...but you can prevent that from happening right?"

her attempt to get Max's mind off his father failed. One thud from upstairs and all thoughts of making cookies was blown out the window. Max was staring at the ceiling, a worried look on his face. Was Curse alright? Did Alex need help? What was going on? Then a little blond girl walked into the kitchen as if she lived there. Arianna stared at the girl climbed up on a stood and assured Max that Everything was fine. It was as if the girl knew it for a fact. But how could she?

"No he won't be. He's going to be like this forever and he'll just get sicker and sicker, and then he'll die."

Uh oh. Even unexperienced Ari knew that tone of voice. Tempers were slipping and really Ari couldn't blame the child. It was a trying time for anyone. Ari had nothing to say. Anything would be a lie. It was true. Curse was going to eventually become sicker and die.

"That doesn't mean he'll always be sick like to day," ari said gently, unsure if she should say anything more in front of the strange girl, who was now eating Max's food. Ari frowned as the strange kid goaded max. Who then exploded. The little girl dropped the half eaten sandwich and just stared at Max as he screamed at them. The cookie ingredients landed on the floor with a crash. The bag of flour burst open and covered the room in a fine powder. Ari glanced at the little girl.

"I think you should go home," She said softly before attempting to clean up the mess. All the time she wondered if she should go to Max...but the boy was already upset. This was more difficult than Ari first had thought.

[Alex Kameren]

"Why does it bloody matter? None of it was real, it was all shit my sick mind invented to keep me stuck in here

The wood beneath Alex’s shoulder’s vibrated as Curse pounded against it. Alex stayed silent, only leaning forward slightly until Curse stopped venting on the defenseless door. He sat quietly as Curse talked. In some ways the brothers were so alike, and yet they were so different in others. He understood Curse’s frustrations, but he could only view them from an outsider’s perspective.

They didn’t have a shared childhood, or a point of reference where one could say something, and the other nod in simple understanding. They had a shared heritage, but Curse’s experiences with it were vastly different than Alex’s own. Alex was viewed as the last of a proud bloodline. Curse was reviled for his role in breaking it. Alex was harsh and bitter, but Curse, who life had been Fate’s battleground, had a son and Ari who loved him.

It was why Alex wanted better than this for his brother.

"Alex? I think I'm going to come out. You're not carting me off to Mungo's right away though, and if Elle's out there ready to ambush me as soon as I open the door I'll be pissed."

Alex said some benign acknowledgement and stood, stepping away from the door. He cleared away the smoke as Curse headed towards the small bathroom. He turned, leaning on the doorframe now as Curse cleaned himself up.

"Alex, there are two potions in the fridge downstairs, one is clear and the other is a silvery-green. Could you grab them for me please? Be careful with the green one, it could kill you.”

“I know.” He said simply and headed downstairs. He was passed on the stairs by Max, who stormed up the stairs and into the safety of his bedroom. Alex descended the last steps and raised an eyebrow demanding explanation at Arianna as he crossed to the fridge and opened it.

[Curse Kameren]

A sudden commotion started in the hallway as Alex walked out and Max stormed in. Curse only caught a glimpse of his son as he moved past so quickly, but he could sense the boy was upset. Guilt weighed on Curse's conscience; he had heard Max's mood fall through the door, when he told him he wasn't coming out. All Max wanted was for Curse to be healthy, and he worried about him constantly for it. Curse's weakness was hurting his son. He sighed, rinsing the remainder of the blood off his neck and band-aiding the scrape for a quick fix so he could talk to Max.

Curse swung out of the bathroom to Max's room next door. He tried the doorknob, but the boy had locked it. "Go away..." He heard Max warn. His voice was breathy and strained; Curse could tell he was crying.

"Max?" Curse's voice was soft as he knocked on the door sheepishly, not wanting to upset the boy with loud noises. "Max, it's me. Can you open the door please?"

"Dad?" The sobbing stopped. Curse waited a long moment outside the door for his son. "Are... are you outside for good now?"

There was a falter in Curse's voice, as he wasn't sure. His delusions had died down enough that he could join the outside world, but he wasn't sure if he could make it downstairs quite yet. He needed to do equations for an hour or so possibly, then maybe he could get down. "I'll do my best, Max. No more locked doors, though. I promise."

"Do you promise?" Max's voice was still a little disbelieving, a little afraid of his father's condition. He loved and adored Curse regularly, but the man who lived there on bad days wasn't Curse. It was some other man, who didn't show the admirable traits of Curse Kameren. It was frustrating to Max, never knowing if he was going to wake up to his father in the room next door.

Curse's voice was level with him as he spoke to his son like an equal. He was, on days like this. "I promise, but that includes you too. No locked doors today."

It took Max a long moment of deliberation, wondering if this Curse was able to be trusted, or if it was worth it if this Curse turned out to be worse than he sounded. Seconds felt like years when Curse had to wait for Max like this. He had done something he never intended to do; he made Max grow up much faster than he should have to. Curse had had to do the same thing himself at his age, and he ended up resenting his mother for it. He didn't want to become that, not for his son. Max was his light. Curse grew anxious, pressing his ear against the door to hear his son's actions. "Max?"

Clk.

Curse took a step back as Max unlocked the door and opened it. The tall Kameren was practically knocked over as Max hugged him around the waist. The boy didn't say anything, just held him. His lip quivered dangerously, and Curse was afraid the tears would start again. "Hey," Curse's voice warmed as he bent down, embracing Max back and picking him up off the ground. Max's worried round eyes stared up at his dad, his head resting on his chest. "Come on, now. We'll go eat with Uncle Al and Aunt Ari, then we can get the chalk boards out. Okay?" Max's head bumped against Curse's chest as the boy nodded meekly.

"I just want you to get better."

"I do too. We just have to take little steps for now. Eventually we'll get there." Curse kissed Max on the top of the head as he carried him down the hall, but he stopped at the top of the stairs. There was still something holding him back, that voice telling him Hell will break loose if he goes downstairs. Someone will be down to intercept him, someone will attack him. He'll be punished for it, like his Mistress's curse. Someone will take Max from him. He took a deep breath, trying to work up the nerve.

"You can do it." Max smiled reassuringly up at his father.

"I... I know." Curse took another deep breath, trying to calm himself. He needed control, or he wouldn't be able to do it. He needed to have some control over himself. "How about this: You tell me the names of the people you see when you see them, and I'll play the silent game with the rest."

"We can do it." Max nodded, his eyes looking outwards for his father as he slowly took the stairs.

Curse stopped when he hit the bottom stair and stepped into his office. His breath caught in his throat for a moment. No. Oh, Merlin, no. How twisted was his own mind, that it would torture him this way? And with Arianna here...

"Max, what do you see?"

"Tabby. She's napping on your desk."

Curse nodded. "Right, exactly where she isn't supposed to be. That sounds about right." He smiled slightly as he got a chuckle out of his son, not quite being able to peel his eyes from what he was seeing.

"Dad. Silent game."

"Right. Ignore it." Curse rounded the corner. He let out a breath of relief. There wasn't anyone in the living room, and he would guess no one in the kitchen, besides those who he invited. "Max?"

"Lucy's in her tank, and Alex is by the fridge in the kitchen. Aunt Ari is behind the countertop."

"Right, just as I see it." Curse leaned in and kissed his son on the forehead before letting him down. Max grabbed his father by the hand, pulling him into the kitchen behind him. He let go and scrambled up onto his stool, taking the half of the sandwich Eden left behind and finally tucking in. Curse smiled faintly as his eyes lingered on the boy. He nodded at Alex, taking the potions from him with a bit of Thanks. He pulled two glasses down from on top of the fridge; one was a juice glass, marked at halfway. The other was a shot glass. He filled the shot glass with the clear potion, downing it in a quick gulp. The green once he poured into the larger glass, furrowing his brow as he determinedly drank it. When he finished it, he shot an Incendio spell into the cup, burning out any traces of contents left over.

Realizing he was a bit of an elephant in the room, Curse replaced his potions in the refrigerator, keeping his head down as he sat on a stool next to Max. He didn't dare look up at Arianna, lest she see the fog still in his eyes.

[Arianna Blackthorn]

Eden had just slipped out of the house, looking dejected and a bit shocked. The little girl had been sure that everything would be fine and she kept reassuring Arianna as she walked her out. Strange child. Ari had just stepped back into the kitchen to clean everything up when Alex strode in a dark, demanding looking on his face. One look and she knew he had seen or maybe even just heard Max. she wasn't going to explain herself to him. If Alex had a question he could open his bloody mouth and ask her. She was not a mind reader and she did not need to answer to him. This was an emotional time for everyone and if he thought he could do better then he could go and try.

Ari had managed to capture the last bit of flour, who knew it was so tricky, when Max reentered the kitchen Curse was clutching onto his son's hand as if it was the only thing keeping him anchored in the room. It might very well be...

Arianna couldn't help but watch Curse drink his potion. Was he alright? Would he lose it and start attacking him? Wait, he was better. He wouldn't do that. He was different. Ari glanced away ashamed at her thoughts. She felt a bit better though when she noticed Max eating...

"Anyone else hungry? I could make more food..." She said feeling a bit awkward. Now that both Curse and Alex were here, Ari wasn't sure if she belonged. Where was her place in all of this?