reunion [castlevania, promptbingo challenge]
Title: Reunion
Fandom: Castlevania
Rating: PG (Because of some naughty language on Mr. Emo's part, again. Go figure.)
Prompt: Childhood
Word Count: 867
Summary: (Genya/Alyssa) Raising a child is the greatest privilege any man could ask for. The joy it brings is reward enough.
Alyssa heaved another sigh and flopped onto the carpet, pressing her sweat face against the metal grate of the boxed fan Genya had retrieved from the closet. The inner city was under a heat advisory, and to top it off, their condo’s air conditioning unit decided to break down.
While the heat had little effect on Genya, he knew how much it bothered his adopted daughter. It was depressing to see her so lethargic and unhappy; he was determined to remedy the situation.
“Why does it have to be so hot?” Alyssa groaned and rolled over. This sticky, clammy feeling was the reason she hated summer. The excessive heat and exhaustion was bad enough, but the after-effects were even worse.
As Genya frowned and continued to read his newspaper, an idea struck him like a bullet to the brain. Peeking over the rim of his paper, he murmured, “Soma called this morning. He said something about the recreation center’s pool opening today.”
Alyssa lay motionless on the floor with her eyes closed. Her thoughts had abandoned her for a much cooler climate in her imagination, so she didn’t pick up on Genya’s subliminal message.
“Alyssa, “Genya barked suddenly, startling the poor girl. She tilted her head towards him and slanted her mouth, obviously annoyed. The dhampir continued in a quieter voice, “Would you like to go to the pool?”
“What pool?” The child queried and sat upright.
Genya palmed his forehead and repeated, “The one at the recreation center…”
“Really? You’d take me?” Grabbing her stuffed rabbit, Alyssa wobbled to her feet and staggered over to Genya’s chair. Usually, she was the one asking to go somewhere public or crowded. He always put up some type of resistance or made excuses as to why he couldn’t go. Now, he was the one asking.
“I suggested it, so yes; I would be happy to take you.” Her guardian added with a tiny smile. If anything, he wanted to share in her enthusiasm.
Most of Genya’s new-found enthusiasm ebbed away once he saw just how many people were at the pool, most of them being women. And if he knew Alyssa, she would beg him to come into the water with her. That meant he would have to be half-naked for the duration of the afternoon, and in front of a multitude of hormonal females.
What the hell was he thinking when he mentioned this idea to her?
Leaning over the sink in the men’s bathroom, he attempted to reason with himself. Even with an old, white undershirt covering most of his back, his torso was exposed. And if he buttoned his shirt completely, it would look odd. Either way, he was out of options and forced to mingle with the public.
“What took you so long?” Alyssa met him at the door dressed in her frilly, blue bathing suit. She simply shook her head and took Genya by the hand, leading him through the crowded rest area.
The disgruntled dhampir settled into a vinyl chair and pushed his sunglasses over his luminous eyes. It was almost impossible to ignore the people staring a hole through him. He squirmed in his chair and grumbled, “Well, aren’t you going to swim or something?”
“It won’t be any fun without you…” Alyssa whimpered purposely, her little fingers twirling through a stray curl. She had a talent for coercing him into uncomfortable situations.
And he didn’t put up any resistance. He rose from his chair and silently followed Alyssa to the pool’s edge. Words weren’t necessary; his sulky expression told her enough.
But after he got into the water, his feelings slowly changed. Alyssa’s energy and laughter was like a rampant plague; it latched onto the nerves of anyone nearby and loosed all inhibitions. This was what his mother meant when she told him, ‘Raising a child is the greatest privilege any woman could ask for. The joy it brings is reward enough.’
After hours in the pool, Genya carried Alyssa back to their lonely chair for a break. He wrapped her in a fuzzy towel and sighed, “I must admit that was somewhat enjoyable.”
“Uh-huh…” The girl mumbled in reply, pulling part of his shirt over her eyes to block out the sunlight. Gripping her stuffed animal, she quickly succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep slumber.
Genya carried her out of the pool area and into the parking lot. He recalled how many times he fell asleep in the Grand Library of his ancestral home, and of how his father would carry him off to bed. Unfortunately, when his mother passed away, he also lost his father to a monster named Dracula. It was his mother’s lifelong wish to see him become the man his father once was, kind and strong of heart.
Safely tucking Alyssa into the backseat of his car, he felt a familiar presence sweep over his shoulder. He glanced behind and saw nothing but thin air. Then, a tingling sensation crawled along his arm as his hand involuntarily moved to touch Alyssa’s face. A similar feeling also alighted upon his shoulder as a soothing voice whispered into his ears, ‘I’m so proud of you, Adrian.’
Fandom: Castlevania
Rating: PG (Because of some naughty language on Mr. Emo's part, again. Go figure.)
Prompt: Childhood
Word Count: 867
Summary: (Genya/Alyssa) Raising a child is the greatest privilege any man could ask for. The joy it brings is reward enough.
Alyssa heaved another sigh and flopped onto the carpet, pressing her sweat face against the metal grate of the boxed fan Genya had retrieved from the closet. The inner city was under a heat advisory, and to top it off, their condo’s air conditioning unit decided to break down.
While the heat had little effect on Genya, he knew how much it bothered his adopted daughter. It was depressing to see her so lethargic and unhappy; he was determined to remedy the situation.
“Why does it have to be so hot?” Alyssa groaned and rolled over. This sticky, clammy feeling was the reason she hated summer. The excessive heat and exhaustion was bad enough, but the after-effects were even worse.
As Genya frowned and continued to read his newspaper, an idea struck him like a bullet to the brain. Peeking over the rim of his paper, he murmured, “Soma called this morning. He said something about the recreation center’s pool opening today.”
Alyssa lay motionless on the floor with her eyes closed. Her thoughts had abandoned her for a much cooler climate in her imagination, so she didn’t pick up on Genya’s subliminal message.
“Alyssa, “Genya barked suddenly, startling the poor girl. She tilted her head towards him and slanted her mouth, obviously annoyed. The dhampir continued in a quieter voice, “Would you like to go to the pool?”
“What pool?” The child queried and sat upright.
Genya palmed his forehead and repeated, “The one at the recreation center…”
“Really? You’d take me?” Grabbing her stuffed rabbit, Alyssa wobbled to her feet and staggered over to Genya’s chair. Usually, she was the one asking to go somewhere public or crowded. He always put up some type of resistance or made excuses as to why he couldn’t go. Now, he was the one asking.
“I suggested it, so yes; I would be happy to take you.” Her guardian added with a tiny smile. If anything, he wanted to share in her enthusiasm.
Most of Genya’s new-found enthusiasm ebbed away once he saw just how many people were at the pool, most of them being women. And if he knew Alyssa, she would beg him to come into the water with her. That meant he would have to be half-naked for the duration of the afternoon, and in front of a multitude of hormonal females.
What the hell was he thinking when he mentioned this idea to her?
Leaning over the sink in the men’s bathroom, he attempted to reason with himself. Even with an old, white undershirt covering most of his back, his torso was exposed. And if he buttoned his shirt completely, it would look odd. Either way, he was out of options and forced to mingle with the public.
“What took you so long?” Alyssa met him at the door dressed in her frilly, blue bathing suit. She simply shook her head and took Genya by the hand, leading him through the crowded rest area.
The disgruntled dhampir settled into a vinyl chair and pushed his sunglasses over his luminous eyes. It was almost impossible to ignore the people staring a hole through him. He squirmed in his chair and grumbled, “Well, aren’t you going to swim or something?”
“It won’t be any fun without you…” Alyssa whimpered purposely, her little fingers twirling through a stray curl. She had a talent for coercing him into uncomfortable situations.
And he didn’t put up any resistance. He rose from his chair and silently followed Alyssa to the pool’s edge. Words weren’t necessary; his sulky expression told her enough.
But after he got into the water, his feelings slowly changed. Alyssa’s energy and laughter was like a rampant plague; it latched onto the nerves of anyone nearby and loosed all inhibitions. This was what his mother meant when she told him, ‘Raising a child is the greatest privilege any woman could ask for. The joy it brings is reward enough.’
After hours in the pool, Genya carried Alyssa back to their lonely chair for a break. He wrapped her in a fuzzy towel and sighed, “I must admit that was somewhat enjoyable.”
“Uh-huh…” The girl mumbled in reply, pulling part of his shirt over her eyes to block out the sunlight. Gripping her stuffed animal, she quickly succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep slumber.
Genya carried her out of the pool area and into the parking lot. He recalled how many times he fell asleep in the Grand Library of his ancestral home, and of how his father would carry him off to bed. Unfortunately, when his mother passed away, he also lost his father to a monster named Dracula. It was his mother’s lifelong wish to see him become the man his father once was, kind and strong of heart.
Safely tucking Alyssa into the backseat of his car, he felt a familiar presence sweep over his shoulder. He glanced behind and saw nothing but thin air. Then, a tingling sensation crawled along his arm as his hand involuntarily moved to touch Alyssa’s face. A similar feeling also alighted upon his shoulder as a soothing voice whispered into his ears, ‘I’m so proud of you, Adrian.’