Blessed by Night

Camille was sitting on the edge of her bed with her head hanging just about as low as it could get.

Above her, Malachi was impatiently tapping his foot while waiting for her to give an explanation for how and why she had suddenly teleported across the country.

"How many times have we told you, young lady- you can't just run off without telling us! And especially not right before a literal earthquake!"

Cami sank even lower as she heard her father take an unfamiliar tone with her. "I'm sorry..."

Malachi was also terrible at being a bad cop parent. But he tried not to just let Camille run over him either.

She understood boundaries. Her parents had told her many times before about the dangers of teleporting away from them.

Camille watched her father as he paced about the room. Malachi needed a moment to cool his head before he tried to say anything to his daughter.

Something about today had made him just that rattled...

"Alright..."

Malachi got down on both knees so that he and Cami could be at eye level.

"Camille..."

Cami's heart sank again.

"I need you to tell me why you left." Malachi said. "I know you know better."

Camille wiped her eyes which were already watering. "I...*sniff*"

"Yes..?" Malachi helped her wipe her eyes.

Camille faltered for a moment before she lifted her hand. She pointed towards the fish tank in her room.

"I came back for Luffy... I didn't want him to be lonely."

Malachi glanced at the tank in the room, where Cami's pet axolotl was watching this entire conversation take place.

"Alright, but... Why couldn't you have just told me or your moms before you went, Cami?" Mal sighed.

"I thought I would be right... I wasn't thinking."

Camille didn't know why she was lying. It may have been that she just couldn't help herself.

She didn't want her dad to know that she'd run away from the barbecue because the kids talked about her.

Not just because she was worried that he might be even more disappointed. But also because she was embarrassed.

But lying to her dad didn't exactly make her feel good. Not at all in fact.

Camille leaned forward slightly so that she could hug his neck.

Malachi didn't know if this was some kind of tactic of hers to sweeten her apology, but it wasn't.... wholly ineffective.

'Maybe I'm just extra paranoid because of the quake...'

Malachi lifted Camille up without saying a word.

He walked over to Luffy's tank and opened the lid while sticking his hand out.

The black, awkward-looking creature crawled up the length of his arm and found solid positioning on top of Cami's head.

At least her mood seemed to show a little bit of improvement. Maybe she did just want her lowbreed after all.

"You're still not off the hook yet, so don't think-"

Suddenly, a swirling portal that Malachi had never seen before opened up in the room.

Before he could go on the defensive, Serana walked in carrying a very long golden sword. Malachi remembered that it was called a khopesh from a class he took in high school.

What he didn't know, was why Serana had shown up brandishing the thing like she was heading off to war.

"Nice trinket." Malachi whistled. "Don't suppose that's a housewarmin' gift?"

Serana scoffed. "You've got enough fancy shit. This here is my weapon of mass destruction for worthy foes!"

"...Tell me somethin' - how come ever since you got married, you can't show up without saying some blatantly odd shit?"

Serana put one hand on her hip. "Why are you acting like you don't enjoy my idiosyncrasies and cute hijinks?"

"I look like Idris Elba to you?"

Serana just rolled her eyes. "Whatever, man. I'm just here because..."

Serana's words trailed off when she noticed the look that Camille was giving her.

Her large purple eyes seemed to be pleading with her to keep her mouth closed.

Luckily, Serana had also been a child who gave plenty of other adults that look. (Though they never heeded it.)

"...Oh, you know me. Just wanted to show off another shiny gift from my loving husband."

Malachi raised a brow. "Your loving husband... gave you a sword? And one that's almost bigger than your body, no less?"

"It's not the only big thing he's been giving me recently!"

"Alright, gross." Malachi hissed as he covered Camille's ears. "And what we tell you about saying filthy shit in front of your sisters?"

"They're too young to know what I mean anyway." Serana waved her hand dismissively.

Oddly enough, in this particular instance, Camille did not know what Serana was alluding to. However, if Shiro had've been here, she would have known instantly.

Luna had let her watch far more HBO before she'd learned to take human form...

"How come the house feels so empty?" Serana looked around.

"We had the barbecue today, remember?" Malachi sighed. "I thought you paid attention when your mom called you."

"Right, right..." Serana pretended to have only just now realized. "So what are you guys doing here then?"

Mal shook his head. "Little Miss Runaway here came back for Luffy. We're heading back now."

"Let me come with you!" Serana suddenly suggested.

Malachi was genuinely surprised. "I wouldn't have thought you'd want to come for real. Don't you have a whole bunch of wedding nuptials and stuff to get back to?"

Serana tossed her sword on top of Shiro's bed. "I'm not a total deviant like you and my mom, Mal. Gloria needs a break sometimes."

"Please tell me 'Gloria' isn't the name for your-"

"You're goddamn right it is!"

"You're disgusting."

"And hungry!"

Serana liberated Camille from the confines of Malchi's arms and opened up a new portal. "Come along! To the barbecue we go!"

For some reason, Malachi couldn't help but feel like Serana was oddly excited by the idea of going to a simple barbecue.

Maybe it was just the earthquake from earlier still messing with his nerves. He was being a bit too hyper-vigilant.

Serana skipped through the portal opening with Camille and Luffy the axolotl in tow.

After telling himself that nothing else out of the ordinary would go wrong, he followed closely behind them…