Posted using PostyBirb",
"writing": "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[b]Kansas City, KS, February 25th[/b]\n\n\n\nThomas stepped away from the door as it opened the moment he reached for the handle, worried someone had found out he intended to go outside even if they’d been ordered to stay in. He needed a break from the others, from everyone, and he’d figured that no one could complain if he stayed inside the yard where no one could see him over the high privacy fence.\n\nThe rat in the blazer looked as surprised to see Thomas at the door, but it was the boy in the man’s arm who had all of his attention.\n\n“Hello,” the man greeted him, “I’m Trevor. You must be Thomas. This is—”\n\n“Pryce,” Thomas answered. “We’ve met.” He looked forward and smiled at the boy. “Hello buddy, are you here to see your daddy?”\n\n“Daddy!” the boy replied, extending his arm toward Thomas.\n\n“No,” Thomas said, and before his imagination could go down the hole of Pryce being his, Madoc spoke.\n\n“What’s going on?” The muscular rat stood behind Thomas, just to the side, and Pryce would have seen him from Trevor’s arms, Thomas realized, and started breathing again.\n\n“Hey Madoc,” Trevor said. “Heard you were in town but never dropped by to see your son. When I found out about the house arrest, I figured I’d bring him to you.” He stepped toward Madoc and Thomas closed the door.\n\nMadoc simply stared, looking lost, as Trevor offered him Pryce.\n\nLimbani walked in and squealed in delight at seeing the young rat, then he was next to him, making faces. “Who’s the cutie?” he asked. Unbothered that Pryce was ignoring him, arms still outstretched toward Madoc.\n\n“Aren’t you going to take him?” Trevor asked.\n\nMadoc hesitated, then took him, holding him like he was some oddity, searching Pryce’s for… Thomas wasn’t sure what.\n\nPryce, for his part, giggled, grabbed onto Madoc’s whiskers and started chewing on them. Then Madoc looked up and started handing the boy back to Trevor, only to wince as Pryce didn’t let go of his whiskers.\n\nThe knock at the door stopped Madoc from saying anything.\n\n“Are we expecting anyone else?” Thomas asked, pausing his hand nearly at the handle.\n\n“Yes,” Trevor answered, then looked uncomfortable. “Also, sorry about this.”\n\nWondering what that might be about, Thomas opened the door. On the other side, a badger looked at him; looked him over.\n\n“I’m Samuel Mercier. Yes, that’s exactly who I am,” he added as Thomas stared, still processing the name, the family and that a telepath would eventually— “mind moving? You can move and think, right? And yes, I can hear that you’re working out I’m the mind reader from my last name.”\n\nShaking himself, Thomas stepped out of the way, the last chain of thoughts coming together as the badger said them, and the implication.\n\n“Yes, I answered before you said anything.” Samuel stepped inside. “I find that it saves time.” He turned to Madoc and looked the naked rat over, too. “Don’t blame Trevor, I’m the one who engineered this encounter. No, that is really Pryce, and he is your son. My job isn’t to tell if you’re faking it. This is so I can get a sense of how deep the mental alterations go. Of everyone in this house, you’re the only one with an emotional trigger I could get my hand— that I could bring without having to also explain what was going to on his father.” He raised a hand to stop Madoc from speaking. “No, you’re not the only one with altered memories. Yes, all of you have been affected. No, I can’t tell how extensive it is, except for Madoc. Yes, Thomas, you too,” he added without looking back and sounding slightly exasperated.\n\nThomas closed his mouth. This was—\n\n“Yes, I know how annoying this gets,” Samuel said, grinning at him. “That’s half the fun and—” a car door closed. “—that’s going to be Ettore. We’re going to need an office. One of the unused bedroom will do fine.”\n\nEttore stopped in the open doorway, and Thomas nearly closed it in his face at the reminder he was still holding it open.\n\nSamuel snickered.\n\nEttore looked from Thomas, to Samuel and Trevor, then to the naked guys gathering in the living room before returning to Thomas. “Going somewhere?”\n\n“I was going out for some fresh air,” Thomas said, “but Trevor was there with Pryce, then there was Samuel, who put on something of a mind reading show.”\n\n“I got in early,” Samuel said as Ettore frowned. “I called your elder and arrange for Trevor to pick me up with Pryce.”\n\n“He likes doing that,” Thomas said as his quizzicalness turning into annoyance.\n\n“I’m not going to stop,” Samuel said. “No, I’m not going to be your mouthpiece. Can you imagine? Me bothering to say all the things you’re thinking right now?” he tilted and ear, looked at Thomas. “You really want me to say that?”\n\nThe glare Ettore gave the badger had him grinning. “Second floor, first door on the left.”\n\nEttore sighed. “Madoc, Thomas, if you’ll come with us. I was hoping to have the time to explain how things were going to proceed, but it seems we’re going to have to jump right in.\n\n* * * * * \n\n[b]Kansas City, KS, February 25th[/b]\n\n\n\nThomas rubbed his head as he exited the bedroom. That had been the longest three hours of his life. He’d had to go over the entirety of Thanksgiving Dinner, along with Madoc and Ettore, with the older rat as a reference point since his memories hadn’t been altered. Then Thomas, or Ettore, must have thought about Christmas, because Samuel demanded Thomas recount that, with Ettore against acting as a reference. Then he’d sat through Madoc recounting events he and Ettore had shared.\n\nThat had included a lot more about his new uncle’s sex life than Thomas felt comfortable knowing. How either of the men could have talked about some of what they’d done together so casually, and in the presence of Pryce, Thomas had no idea.\n\nThomas froze as he turned to the stair. Limbani stood there, looking down warily. The monkey noticed him and whispered. “There’s a woman down there.”\n\nThomas strained to listen, but didn’t hear anything. The door to the bedroom opened, Samuel leading the others out, and Thomas went downstairs.\n\nIn the center of the living room stood the woman that had Limbani cowering upstairs. She was a full figure red panda, which made her related to Yating, who sat in a chair looking beaten.\n\n“Finally,” Felix said to Ettore, standing. “Tell that woman to leave. She has no business being here, let alone telling us what to do.”\n\n“Which one of you is Thomas?” She asked, her accent on the thick side.\n\n“Mother,” Yating whispered, “we are guest.”\n\n“And poorly treated ones at that,” she replied in the kind of tone his grandmother used when she didn’t like how she was being treated.\n\n“Miss Guan?” Samuel asked.\n\n“Oh, now you won’t read minds?” Ettore muttered.\n\nThe badger smirked. “I’m Samuel Mercier. I’m the one who asked for you to come.”\n\n“I was told my son was in trouble,” she replied, eyebrow raised, “so I came to see him. No one asked that I come, young man.”\n\nThe smirk vanished from Samuel and appeared on Ettore.\n\n“Now,” she said, “which one of you is Thomas?”\n\n“I’m Thomas,” he answered, unsure where this was going.\n\n“I am told you know how to cook.”\n\n“Well…” his objection trailed off as he remembered who was in the room and what even their best attempt at cooking looked like. “Yes, I can cook.”\n\n“That is good. I will need you to—”\n\n“Actually, I’ll take care of the food,” Ettore said. “Thomas should stay here.”\n\nShe looked the man over, and Thomas was amazed that someone actually looked another person over without mentally undressing them. Well, imagining what they could get up to, since his frat brothers were still naked.\n\n“That is acceptable,” she finally said. “Thank you.”\n\n“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Felix complained, storming up the stairs. “Tell me when she’s gone and you can start thinking for yourselves!” he yelled as he vanished.\n\n“Ignore him,” Thomas said, offering his hand to her. “I’m Thomas, you’re Yating’s mother?”\n\nShe shook it. “Ru Guan.”\n\nThe tension had lowered with the otter leaving, but it wasn’t gone, and Thomas didn’t think it was Felix’s behavior that had rendered Yating shell-shocked. “So, it looks like I miss a bombshell.”\n\n“I have a twin brother,” the red panda whispered, then fell silent. He came back to himself after a few seconds. “According to my mother, he’s in America, too. We came to study together rather than be separated.” He looked at Thomas. “Do you remember me having a brother?” There was a mix of hope and fear in Yating’s voice.\n\n“No,” Thomas replied, shocked. “You never talked about your family.”\n\n“What about me?” Gilbert asked. “Do I have any relatives I don’t remember?”\n\nThomas searched his memory. “You have a brother who’s going to be in the NFL.”\n\n“I remember him,” Gilbert snapped. “I mean anyone else.”\n\n“How would I know?” Thomas asked in exasperation. “It’s not like you guys told me every little detail of your lives. We’re frat brothers and fuck buddies.” He realized Yating’s mother was next to him and his ears burned, but she didn’t comment or even look at him sideways. “When I asked Yating why he wasn’t going home for winter break, he said he had ‘family issues’ and I didn’t push, just like I didn’t for Firmin when he told me basically the same thing.\n\nSamuel frowned. “Okay, Thomas, I need you to—”\n\nTrevor’s phone rang at the same time as one in the kitchen, and all eyes went to the rat in their presence.\n\n“They’re sure?” Trevor said after listening. “Okay. Let me wrap up here and we’ll be on our way. Have everything ready so we can take off as soon as we arrive.” He put the phone away. “Me and Ettore have to leave. Sam—”\n\n“I’ll Share-Ride my way,” the badger replied. “You go and rescue everyone in Minneapolis.”\n\n“You’re going home?” Thomas asked, hopeful. “Can I come?”\n\nTrevor glared at the badger, who just smiled. “No, Thomas, you can’t come. This is a mission. The prelim team just sent in their report and there enough there to warrant action.” He rounded on the badger, who already had his hands up.\n\n“Not one word,” Samuel said, “not why I’m here. Got it.”\n\n“But I can help,” Thomas said. “I know the area and I can teleport.”\n\n“It takes more than a good power to be useful in the field, Thomas,” Ettore said as he exited the kitchen and Trevor looked at the young rat in disbelief. “A lot of mistakes were made that way when we were scrambling to refill our frontline ranks in the wake of the slaughter.”\n\nTrevor looked at Samuel, ear tilted and nodding to Thomas. The badger nodded.\n\nEttore stopped before Trevor and saluted. “Ready to move out, sir.”\n\nThomas stared in surprise. Trevor looked to be no more than thirty, at least ten years younger than Ettore, and he outranked him? He stared at his new uncle. What was he doing going on that mission? All he did was troubleshoot hotel problems.\n\nDid his aunt know her fiancée was a secret agent?\n\nTrevor motioned for Ettore to head out and faced Thomas. “I know this isn’t going to help since you want to act now, and not later, but you can be sure that Raphael will see to it you are field ready as soon as possible.”\n\n“Trevor?” Madoc called as the other rat turned to leave. He held up Pryce. “What am I supposed to do with… him?”\n\n“You take care of him,” Ru said authoritatively, before Trevor could reply. “That is what a father does.”\n\n“With all due respect,” Olavo began, only to snap his muzzle shut as she fixed her gaze on him.\n\n“She’s your mother,” Gilbert whispered to Yating. “Do something.”\n\n“I am,” the panda replied, sounding more like himself. “I do what my mother tells me.”\n\n“As a good boy does,” she said, clasping her hands before her.\n\nTrevor gave Madoc a comforting smile, then left the younger rat holding the boy, looking utterly lost as to what to do with him.",
"writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Kansas City, KS, February 25th
Thomas stepped away from the door as it opened the moment he reached for the handle, worried someone had found out he intended to go outside even if they’d been ordered to stay in. He needed a break from the others, from everyone, and he’d figured that no one could complain if he stayed inside the yard where no one could see him over the high privacy fence.
The rat in the blazer looked as surprised to see Thomas at the door, but it was the boy in the man’s arm who had all of his attention.
“Hello,” the man greeted him, “I’m Trevor. You must be Thomas. This is—”
“Pryce,” Thomas answered. “We’ve met.” He looked forward and smiled at the boy. “Hello buddy, are you here to see your daddy?”
“Daddy!” the boy replied, extending his arm toward Thomas.
“No,” Thomas said, and before his imagination could go down the hole of Pryce being his, Madoc spoke.
“What’s going on?” The muscular rat stood behind Thomas, just to the side, and Pryce would have seen him from Trevor’s arms, Thomas realized, and started breathing again.
“Hey Madoc,” Trevor said. “Heard you were in town but never dropped by to see your son. When I found out about the house arrest, I figured I’d bring him to you.” He stepped toward Madoc and Thomas closed the door.
Madoc simply stared, looking lost, as Trevor offered him Pryce.
Limbani walked in and squealed in delight at seeing the young rat, then he was next to him, making faces. “Who’s the cutie?” he asked. Unbothered that Pryce was ignoring him, arms still outstretched toward Madoc.
“Aren’t you going to take him?” Trevor asked.
Madoc hesitated, then took him, holding him like he was some oddity, searching Pryce’s for… Thomas wasn’t sure what.
Pryce, for his part, giggled, grabbed onto Madoc’s whiskers and started chewing on them. Then Madoc looked up and started handing the boy back to Trevor, only to wince as Pryce didn’t let go of his whiskers.
The knock at the door stopped Madoc from saying anything.
“Are we expecting anyone else?” Thomas asked, pausing his hand nearly at the handle.
“Yes,” Trevor answered, then looked uncomfortable. “Also, sorry about this.”
Wondering what that might be about, Thomas opened the door. On the other side, a badger looked at him; looked him over.
“I’m Samuel Mercier. Yes, that’s exactly who I am,” he added as Thomas stared, still processing the name, the family and that a telepath would eventually— “mind moving? You can move and think, right? And yes, I can hear that you’re working out I’m the mind reader from my last name.”
Shaking himself, Thomas stepped out of the way, the last chain of thoughts coming together as the badger said them, and the implication.
“Yes, I answered before you said anything.” Samuel stepped inside. “I find that it saves time.” He turned to Madoc and looked the naked rat over, too. “Don’t blame Trevor, I’m the one who engineered this encounter. No, that is really Pryce, and he is your son. My job isn’t to tell if you’re faking it. This is so I can get a sense of how deep the mental alterations go. Of everyone in this house, you’re the only one with an emotional trigger I could get my hand— that I could bring without having to also explain what was going to on his father.” He raised a hand to stop Madoc from speaking. “No, you’re not the only one with altered memories. Yes, all of you have been affected. No, I can’t tell how extensive it is, except for Madoc. Yes, Thomas, you too,” he added without looking back and sounding slightly exasperated.
Thomas closed his mouth. This was—
“Yes, I know how annoying this gets,” Samuel said, grinning at him. “That’s half the fun and—” a car door closed. “—that’s going to be Ettore. We’re going to need an office. One of the unused bedroom will do fine.”
Ettore stopped in the open doorway, and Thomas nearly closed it in his face at the reminder he was still holding it open.
Samuel snickered.
Ettore looked from Thomas, to Samuel and Trevor, then to the naked guys gathering in the living room before returning to Thomas. “Going somewhere?”
“I was going out for some fresh air,” Thomas said, “but Trevor was there with Pryce, then there was Samuel, who put on something of a mind reading show.”
“I got in early,” Samuel said as Ettore frowned. “I called your elder and arrange for Trevor to pick me up with Pryce.”
“He likes doing that,” Thomas said as his quizzicalness turning into annoyance.
“I’m not going to stop,” Samuel said. “No, I’m not going to be your mouthpiece. Can you imagine? Me bothering to say all the things you’re thinking right now?” he tilted and ear, looked at Thomas. “You really want me to say that?”
The glare Ettore gave the badger had him grinning. “Second floor, first door on the left.”
Ettore sighed. “Madoc, Thomas, if you’ll come with us. I was hoping to have the time to explain how things were going to proceed, but it seems we’re going to have to jump right in.
* * * * *
Kansas City, KS, February 25th
Thomas rubbed his head as he exited the bedroom. That had been the longest three hours of his life. He’d had to go over the entirety of Thanksgiving Dinner, along with Madoc and Ettore, with the older rat as a reference point since his memories hadn’t been altered. Then Thomas, or Ettore, must have thought about Christmas, because Samuel demanded Thomas recount that, with Ettore against acting as a reference. Then he’d sat through Madoc recounting events he and Ettore had shared.
That had included a lot more about his new uncle’s sex life than Thomas felt comfortable knowing. How either of the men could have talked about some of what they’d done together so casually, and in the presence of Pryce, Thomas had no idea.
Thomas froze as he turned to the stair. Limbani stood there, looking down warily. The monkey noticed him and whispered. “There’s a woman down there.”
Thomas strained to listen, but didn’t hear anything. The door to the bedroom opened, Samuel leading the others out, and Thomas went downstairs.
In the center of the living room stood the woman that had Limbani cowering upstairs. She was a full figure red panda, which made her related to Yating, who sat in a chair looking beaten.
“Finally,” Felix said to Ettore, standing. “Tell that woman to leave. She has no business being here, let alone telling us what to do.”
“Which one of you is Thomas?” She asked, her accent on the thick side.
“Mother,” Yating whispered, “we are guest.”
“And poorly treated ones at that,” she replied in the kind of tone his grandmother used when she didn’t like how she was being treated.
“Miss Guan?” Samuel asked.
“Oh, now you won’t read minds?” Ettore muttered.
The badger smirked. “I’m Samuel Mercier. I’m the one who asked for you to come.”
“I was told my son was in trouble,” she replied, eyebrow raised, “so I came to see him. No one asked that I come, young man.”
The smirk vanished from Samuel and appeared on Ettore.
“Now,” she said, “which one of you is Thomas?”
“I’m Thomas,” he answered, unsure where this was going.
“I am told you know how to cook.”
“Well…” his objection trailed off as he remembered who was in the room and what even their best attempt at cooking looked like. “Yes, I can cook.”
“That is good. I will need you to—”
“Actually, I’ll take care of the food,” Ettore said. “Thomas should stay here.”
She looked the man over, and Thomas was amazed that someone actually looked another person over without mentally undressing them. Well, imagining what they could get up to, since his frat brothers were still naked.
“That is acceptable,” she finally said. “Thank you.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Felix complained, storming up the stairs. “Tell me when she’s gone and you can start thinking for yourselves!” he yelled as he vanished.
“Ignore him,” Thomas said, offering his hand to her. “I’m Thomas, you’re Yating’s mother?”
She shook it. “Ru Guan.”
The tension had lowered with the otter leaving, but it wasn’t gone, and Thomas didn’t think it was Felix’s behavior that had rendered Yating shell-shocked. “So, it looks like I miss a bombshell.”
“I have a twin brother,” the red panda whispered, then fell silent. He came back to himself after a few seconds. “According to my mother, he’s in America, too. We came to study together rather than be separated.” He looked at Thomas. “Do you remember me having a brother?” There was a mix of hope and fear in Yating’s voice.
“No,” Thomas replied, shocked. “You never talked about your family.”
“What about me?” Gilbert asked. “Do I have any relatives I don’t remember?”
Thomas searched his memory. “You have a brother who’s going to be in the NFL.”
“I remember him,” Gilbert snapped. “I mean anyone else.”
“How would I know?” Thomas asked in exasperation. “It’s not like you guys told me every little detail of your lives. We’re frat brothers and fuck buddies.” He realized Yating’s mother was next to him and his ears burned, but she didn’t comment or even look at him sideways. “When I asked Yating why he wasn’t going home for winter break, he said he had ‘family issues’ and I didn’t push, just like I didn’t for Firmin when he told me basically the same thing.
Samuel frowned. “Okay, Thomas, I need you to—”
Trevor’s phone rang at the same time as one in the kitchen, and all eyes went to the rat in their presence.
“They’re sure?” Trevor said after listening. “Okay. Let me wrap up here and we’ll be on our way. Have everything ready so we can take off as soon as we arrive.” He put the phone away. “Me and Ettore have to leave. Sam—”
“I’ll Share-Ride my way,” the badger replied. “You go and rescue everyone in Minneapolis.”
“You’re going home?” Thomas asked, hopeful. “Can I come?”
Trevor glared at the badger, who just smiled. “No, Thomas, you can’t come. This is a mission. The prelim team just sent in their report and there enough there to warrant action.” He rounded on the badger, who already had his hands up.
“Not one word,” Samuel said, “not why I’m here. Got it.”
“But I can help,” Thomas said. “I know the area and I can teleport.”
“It takes more than a good power to be useful in the field, Thomas,” Ettore said as he exited the kitchen and Trevor looked at the young rat in disbelief. “A lot of mistakes were made that way when we were scrambling to refill our frontline ranks in the wake of the slaughter.”
Trevor looked at Samuel, ear tilted and nodding to Thomas. The badger nodded.
Ettore stopped before Trevor and saluted. “Ready to move out, sir.”
Thomas stared in surprise. Trevor looked to be no more than thirty, at least ten years younger than Ettore, and he outranked him? He stared at his new uncle. What was he doing going on that mission? All he did was troubleshoot hotel problems.
Did his aunt know her fiancée was a secret agent?
Trevor motioned for Ettore to head out and faced Thomas. “I know this isn’t going to help since you want to act now, and not later, but you can be sure that Raphael will see to it you are field ready as soon as possible.”
“Trevor?” Madoc called as the other rat turned to leave. He held up Pryce. “What am I supposed to do with… him?”
“You take care of him,” Ru said authoritatively, before Trevor could reply. “That is what a father does.”
“With all due respect,” Olavo began, only to snap his muzzle shut as she fixed her gaze on him.
“She’s your mother,” Gilbert whispered to Yating. “Do something.”
“I am,” the panda replied, sounding more like himself. “I do what my mother tells me.”
“As a good boy does,” she said, clasping her hands before her.
Trevor gave Madoc a comforting smile, then left the younger rat holding the boy, looking utterly lost as to what to do with him.",
"pools_count": 0,
"title": "Faith in the Family, CH 35",
"deleted": "f",
"public": "t",
"mimetype": "text/plain",
"pagecount": "1",
"rating_id": "2",
"rating_name": "Adult",
"ratings": [
{
"content_tag_id": "4",
"name": "Sexual Themes",
"description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal",
"rating_id": "2"
}
],
"submission_type_id": "12",
"type_name": "Writing - Document",
"guest_block": "f",
"friends_only": "f",
"comments_count": "0",
"views": "17"
}
\n\t\t\t\t\tbenjaminmahir and