The House On The Mountain

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"I'm perfectly fine," monotonously responded Cameron who had physically cringed at the tight hug - though that was nothing strange. He had never been one for hugs, with the only people he had been willing to show that affection to being his mother, until he'd murdered her, and Louise. Besides, receiving the hug from his older sister was now a much more awkward situation. When he was fourteen, he was at least able to rest his head on her shoulder and participate in the hug. Now? It was a tad more difficult given the exaggerated height difference between them.

Once realising his tone was slightly wooden -and remembering his girlfriend's insistence he 'act natural'-, he gave a far more typical smile down to his sister. "I mean, as... fine as I can be, I suppose. It's a little overwhelming, being back around you all after so long, so... y-yeah, it's okay."

For all his talk of being a bad actor, Cameron easily seemed to pull off the facade, shifting uncomfortably -as he always had- for good measure. "Anyway," he tiredly smiled, his hand subtly reaching to take Louise's tightly. "You, uh... look good, Lucy. Having a baby is a huge deal, and... you're still with Matty, so... things have been good for you then, huh?"​
 
"As good as it can be for our family," she teased, though her smile proved otherwise to her lighthearted mood. After all, Lucy could typically tell when something wasn't... right. It's how she had managed to keep Matty honest and monogamous, her sense of emotional vibe being her best friend. So, when noticing Cameron's stiff body language and all around more-than-awkward vibe, she took a step back and peered over at the smile Louise, who was more than happy to be smiling in return.

"I'm glad you two are still together. You two are practically perfect for one another- I see that you changed her? Has... Anything else changed? I mean, about your eyesight..." Offered Milli curiously, his fingers entwining around his assistance's cord.

"O-Oh, I mean... No, I'm sorry. That's pretty permanent, I suppose, sort of like your condition. It's okay, though, I'm pretty used to it.'
 
"I don't see it as a major issue, either. I don't entirely think I'm that handsome, so she's not missing out on anything," responded Cameron with an obvious tone of playfulness - Louise always had succeeded in bringing that out of him, and he wasn't so awkward anymore that public displays of affection no longer embarrassed him. Granted, he wasn't going to grab her into a passionate, heated kiss... but he wasn't a stranger to pecking her lips and holding her close to his side.

Though, he had also noticed Lucy's sudden contemplative expression, causing him to have to hide a scowl. All her emotional chatter didn't make him well up and grow just as emotional. If anything, it just made him want to punch her and make her shut up... though knowing she was growing dubious was a worrying prospect. Which was why he was thankful for Matty's interjection.

"You kids have to stick around for a while," the demon beamed as he eyed the two from the side, as happy (and naive) as he normally always was. "I mean, you haven't met everyone, and I know Lucy's stoked you're here-- Milli is too, clearly, and Axel has often moaned about missing you~ It's definitely great you came, Cam. It's pretty fucking impressive, too. You were, like, such a weird hermit--"

"Yes, well, seeing my parents burn to death and my home getting destroyed didn't fill me with a desire to stay in that town, Matthew," the youngest sibling mumbled, his fists absently curling into fists and uncurling in an effort to keep himself composed... though Matty's insult, however unconscious of it he was, resonated furiously in Cameron's head. He had spent eight years absolutely detesting his family for the constant put-downs and patronising he had endured, and yet even now, he arrived and was still receiving comments of 'weirdness'. Of course he wasn't going to be completely calm about it.​
 
"Cam..." warned Louise, her hand grabbing her boyfriend'a comfortingly. Yeah, she was blind, but she wasn't dead. She could tell when Cameron was on edge far better than even Lucy could, because of the lack of one of her senses. "Sorry, guys, b-but... hey, do any of you have clothes we could borrow? We sort of rushed to find you after the fire..."

"Oh, of course!" Beamed Milli, his cheeks a surprising color of red as he smiled at them both. "I'm sure Maxx wouldn't mind lending you clothes, and I know Rose is a little bigger than you, Louise, but I think they'd fit well enough."
 
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Exhaling hard through his nose, the man, despite Louise's soft warning, was hardly the picture of calm at the moment. Matty's patronising and insulting had gone a long way to solidify all of Cameron's hesitations about the family. After all, he felt that all they had done to him was put him down or look at him with pitying expressions - even Milli and Axel, who had had only met for a day or two at the most, hadn't treated him entirely normally.

"I don't really want to wear the clothes of this 'Maxx' character, I don't wanna be a burden. I'll go and buy some-- not that I have any money," responded the youngest, deciding to use the situation to make the suggestion of limited finances. Of course, he and Louise were pretty well-off after raiding his parents' home of all the riches and jewels that had been horded for centuries, but he wanted more. Why wouldn't he? He felt that, after the emotional trauma he had been put through by his siblings, he pretty much deserved some monetary compensation. Besides, he hated them vehemently. Tricking them out of cash would personally appeal to him.

"...If it's alright, I guess I'll borrow clothes. I don't want to be in the way, I know it must be busy here," he shrugged in a more composed manner, mostly thanks to his girlfriend's presence at his side. "...Rose is my niece, right? I guess I ought to meet her at some point. She knows who I am, I'm guessing?"​
 
"Of course she does, I talk to her about you all the time!" Milli easily replied, despite his coughs in between his words. "She's always wanted to meet you, so I don't see why now wouldn't be the perfect opportunity. You can meet your nephews too, you know? Just- I'm glad you're here, is what I'm trying to say." He babbled, before shimmying out of the right doorframe.
 
"I'm so looking forward to meeting them all," responded Cameron with a faked smile, trying to maintain the facade (if only because Louise had insisted it of him) though the constant reminder that he was supposed to meet the other members of his family was hardly going to make him grin in delight. It was his nightmare, after all, and the only thing he really wanted to do was lock himself away with his girlfriend and block everyone else out.

Waiting until the others had gone on ahead, he let out an unsubtle groan while he could, before -reluctantly- trailing after them. "...After this, I think I'm going to hammer nails into my hands. It'll be far more enjoyable than meeting my family, Lou."​
 
"You don't know that, Cam. Hell, for all we know, they could be the picture of a proper family." Louise replied sternly, while clinging to her boyfriend for assistance down the stairs. "All I want right now is some food and clothes, and if your family is offering it, I'm not going to complain. Besides, it's not like we go to my family for help..." she continued on quietly, though stopped once realizing she was most likely babbling and offered an apologetic smile.

"That's right, we need to get you into some clothes," Lucy confirmed, as she herself took time down the stairs. "I've got plenty of clothes I haven't been able to wear since the baby, and you're such a small thing... it'll be perfect. I hope you like dresses, though."
 
"I wouldn't wear a damn thing Lucy gives you, unless you want to look like a whore." Cameron murmured subtly into Louise's ear, voicing his obvious concern to only her. Hell, he would have happily told Lucy just what he thought of her, now he was an adult and had time to reflect on his childhood, but he also knew the importance of continuing his facade... and he didn't really have the energy to start an argument with her, anyway. Besides, having any conversation whilst he was still only wearing a towel was beyond awkward, let alone a potential screaming-match.

Which was why he let out a relieved breath when the others didn't catch what he had said, tiredly rolling his eyes to himself at the brief panic he felt - something he associated now as being utterly ridiculous and unneeded. "So, we don't plan on staying long, really. Just... a week, at the most. I sort of want to go travelling. I've never had the chance to before, so... don't get used to us being here, aha..."​
 
"Only a week? I was expecting you to at least stay the month..." Milli replied warily, before moving to sit down on the couch kitty-corner to the stairs, to regain his breath. "I mean, I want to hear about everything! If that's okay... I mean, there's not much to say about my life. It's been pretty boring, to be honest. Hey, I know that you probably don't want to talk to me or vent to me, it's okay..."
 
"There's nothing to say, Milli. I mean, I spent eight years dating Louise, that's pretty much it. Mom and Dad died, we left the town, travelled all the way here, and that's... pretty much it. I didn't do anything noteworthy, really. I just... stayed inside a lot, occasionally went to Louise's, though her Dad hates me so I didn't go often," he admitted with a tired smile, at least capable of faking it more than he had earlier, mostly because he spoke with some truth - Louise's father hadn't been his biggest fan, and over eight years, Cameron hadn't really done anything more than he said. He had remained a recluse a lot of the time, and he definitely hadn't ventured further than Louise's house.

"I mean... really, we have to get going. I want to be able to see the world, experience new stuff with Lou," he shrugged as best he could, anxiously shifting from foot to foot. "Can I get some clothes now? I don't... want to meet everyone in just a towel, it's not the best impression."​
 
"Listen, everything would be fine if you just showed up naked... but that's fine, really. I'm sure Maxx would offer, or Matty- right?" Cooed Lucy, as she moved to offer the demon a gentle kiss. "You two fit pretty much the same way. We can make the pull out for you, or you could stay at Rose's apartment..."

"I'll try to cook tonight!" Insisted Milli, despite his obviously poor condition. "You'll love my meatloaf, really!"
 
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"I don't think we're the same fit, Lucy. I... look, can we all stop fussing? Sure, it's been eight years, but given we're all sort of immortal, I think eight years is probably too soon. I could have come over in eighty years, you know? S-So just relax, 'cause I'm here for a week or so. I don't want you all fussing over Lou and I," he awkwardly interjected, the attention causing him both to feel uncomfortable and angry, and he wanted to at least be able to stay composed and controlled. Feeling like he was about to angrily outburst at any moment wasn't great.

"Honestly, I... don't like fussing, never have, so let's calm down, okay? I can sleep on the couch, Milli, it's... really fine. Mom made me sleep in the shed for, like, two years when she found out about me and Louise. A couch is going to feel like luxury," he promised with a faint smile, wishing that it had been said just for sympathy - in truth, it was completely true, and it was that that had initially started his bitter resentment for the woman.​
 
Putting his hands up in defense, Milli simply offered a half hearted smile as he physically stepped back. After all, he wanted his brother to be as comfortable with him as possible. If that meant backing off, even if he really didn't want to, then he'd do it. So, with an awkward laugh, he wandered to the kitchen with a nervous grimace towards Maxx.

"Seriously, someone get them clothes?"
 
Sighing heavily, a disgruntled Maxx tiredly head on out to obediently fetch some clothes, deciding that he could volunteer some of his own for Cameron and something of Lucy's for Louise. When he had gone, the youngest sibling nervously smiled and stood hesitatingly in the corner of the kitchen, albeit with a strong hold of Louise's hand. "...You know, you didn't miss out on anything. We didn't have a funeral for Mom and Dad, not really. It wasn't... anything you needed to be there for, Milli, so don't... reflect on it, think you could have done something. I felt guilty for a while, but it... wasn't my fault, I couldn't have changed anything. I mean, I lost the house as well. I am essentially homeless, and Lou's family hate me, but we can come stay here if we're in trouble, right? Financially, we have nothing, so... staying here now and then would help a lot..."​
 
"Well, technically the house is Axel's. You can ask him- but you've got my vote. I mean, this'll be a good bonding experience, especially since mom and dad... passed... It's really tragic. You know, our grandpa and grandma were killed the same way. Our dad was the only one who escaped... You weren't around back then, though. Humans weren't as accepting of us, you know? So they took any opportunity to burn us alive whilst we slept."
 
"I had no idea about our grandparents-- Dad obviously didn't speak to me about it. He hardly spoke to me, actually. I was a huge disappointment to him. Mom used that to get me on her side. I suppose it explains how I was so close to her in comparison," he admitted tiredly, forcing a smile as he gingerly took a seat and pushed his hair back from his forehead. What he said had been true, in parts. His father had never shown him the attention he had his other children (though, even then, it hadn't been entirely brilliant)... though he had loved Cameron enough to tell him what had happened to his grandparents. It was the reason Cameron had decided to set the home on fire - a little dramatic poignancy didn't go amiss. Besides, burning the house down simultaneously created a clean slate in his head.

"I could easily have died in there, I... tried to save them, you know? But I had to get out and they said I couldn't go back in, that it was too dangerous," he murmured slowly, an obvious lie, albeit covered up expertly with a tearful sniffle and braved smiles. "A-Anyway, it's not the nicest topic to talk about for me, to be honest-- Hey, Lou's Dad held a gun to my head once, I almost died then too. I escape death quite a lot, on reflection. Remember that, Lou? That was such a fun night, huh? Your Dad screaming at me and putting a gun to my temple. Lovely man, great fella..."​
 
"I know you wouldn't have died. Be really injured? Have brain damage? Sure, but you'd be fine..." Reassured Lucy, before moving to heavily sigh and ease back. She watched as Milli had made his way to the kitchen to start the kettle and coffee maker alike. After all. he knew some tea would help Lucy, and he definitely wanted to treat the two new visitors to something warm to drink.

"A-Anyway, thank you..." Came Louise, as she was handed over a dress. Clutching it tight, she turned towards Cameron with a wide smile, the texture alone felt nice. "This is really nice. After what we've been through, some clean clothes are lovely."
 
"I didn't want to be left with fucking brain damage, Lucy, because Louise's father was an irritating asshole who hated me without any fucking reason, okay? It's nice to see my big sister is so blasé about some human happily willing to shoot me in the head," he spat angrily, clutching at the clothes Maxx handed over and shoving the werewolf out of his way with relative ease. It was only when he was out of the room that he figured his mistakes - uncharacteristically acting and sounding so violent, and losing his composure which his girlfriend had tried to get him to keep.

And, unsurprisingly, it did provoke some confusion, with Matty the first to open up. "...Is he alright, Louise? I mean, is he overtired, or...?"​
 
Once feeling her boyfriend storm off, the woman stood awkwardly with a nervous laugh, all the while clutching her towel. Left without any assistance to follow, she immediately froze and, out of anxiety, began to tear up in fear.

"O-Oh, um... w-we're just really stressed, yeah. I mean, we'be travelled pretty far, and I've had to leave my family behind- I'm sorry, really."
 
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