victory_road | Backdated to Feb 14th

Who: Shark House Residents

Where: Goldenrod/the house

When: Valentine's Day

Summary: Magic candy has been brought into the house

Rating: Possibly PG-13 for language

Log:

It shouldn't be any surprise that, like the years before, Lust makes sure the house has plenty of holiday candy. Including some of that new holiday-themed candy imported all the way from wherever the hell it was. How could she not pick up plenty? Half the point of the holiday, as far as she's concerned, is the sweets. And near everyone in the house loved their sweets.

This isn't even the big candy haul, that comes tomorrow, when she and Henry descend upon the grocers and department stores in a tactical pattern, covering the whole city's post-holiday sales. But she's set out truffles and cookies and things such as that in little red and pink bowls, because it is the holiday proper. Of course, as always, everyone in the house is welcome to help themselves.

Lust already has been, as she makes an effort to tidy up the kitchen for the day, dipping into whatever is closest at hand.

Including the seemingly innocent candy shipped in from the Cerulean Cape.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Harry is getting slightly more used to the strangeness levels in this house now that he's settling in. So Envy being in a tree shouldn't be that weird. Harry hasn't even had any candy.

However he stops and looks up, still a bit curious.

"Find something interesting in the tree?"

Honestly, Envy being up a tree or on the roof really...isn't that weird, as things go. Both he and Heather have always used buildings like giant jungle gyms. But not usually THIS much.

And Envy has had entirely too much of that candy. Maybe not as much as Henry, but plenty.

Honestly, he's been behaving pretty well around Harry so far. Keeping the PDA with his daughter to a minimum, not making a lot of jokes about murder, keeping his delinquent tendencies on the downlow...but most importantly, not letting on how weird it feels to have any kind of father figure around the house. And definitely not letting on about the pangs of jealousy that have roiled up in his stomach a few times when he sees just how good of a father he is, how he and Heather can share affection and interact in a way that...well. That was never an option for him. But that maybe he could have had, if his bastard of a father had been more like Harry was.

Dante gave him his name for a reason.

But today, looking down out of the tree, those feelings are harder to push down than ever, all of that awkwardness and jealousy flaring right up at once.

"It's just a nice tree, that's all. I like being up here."

But at the same time, he wants to go down, to interact more with Harry, because there's curiosity too. So down he comes, climbing down the tree with ease...and behaving almost like a cat who's interested in attention but also is deeply unsure about whether to go get it or not.

Harry hasn't had any reason to think badly of him so far. So when Envy climbs down the tree, Harry just nods.

"I understand."

He knows Heather does that a lot as well. Harry meanwhile tended to hole himself up in his room.

"If you want to be alone, I can leave. I didn't mean to disturb you."

And Envy really doesn't think badly of Harry, or this might have gone much worse--the man is clearly a good father, is so important to Heather, and Envy's grown enough by now to know it's not Harry's fault that he's carting several centuries of daddy issues.

That doesn't make his feelings on the matter less of a complicated mess, though.

"No, you don't have to leave. I'm just..."

He gestures vaguely with his hands, the overwhelming strength of the feelings bubbling up and over.

"You're such a good dad. What do I even say?"

That startles him a bit but he stays put. He only knows bits and pieces of Envy's past but parental figures were not high up on the list of good things. So he stays put.

"Thank you...? I just....do my best." Despite a lot of people thinking this, Harry himself often has his own doubts on how good of a father he was/is. He lost Cheryl, was tricked by Dahlia, he failed to keep them hidden from the cult and even though Heather has done her best to firmly kick those thoughts of out his head, they still remain on the edges.

Still this seems to be something Envy is struggling with, so he wants to help.

"Envy, we don't know each other well but you can talk to me if you want to. About anything."

Of course, now that the admission has actually come out...Envy seems to pull back again. Almost literally--for a second he looks like he'd either like to sink into the ground forever or just straight up BOLT.

"Oh hell, there's something wrong with me today, I don't even know what I'm saying. I don't know why I said that."

But at the same time...getting that kind of offer just seems to mean so much right now, and the want for a figure like that...well, it's hard to resist. He drags a hand down his face as he talks, not looking directly at Harry at any point.

"It's a really long story, just...my dad was--" for once in his life he actually cuts himself off from calling Hohenheim "that bastard", because in spite of everything there are still impressions to uphold around Heather's father, "--awful. I've always hated him more than anything, he left...and I don't know how to act around someone who didn't."

Harry listens, because sometimes that's all you can do. He's not sure why Envy is telling him this but he's not upset either.

He nods, arms folded as he tries to think of what to say to that.

"That's understandable. You can tell me if you want, but only if you want to. But I do want you to know, I don't blame you for anything you feel or the confusion. Heather's probably told you I've met at least one parent that didn't deserve that title. In fact I refuse to give it to her, or call her by it. So I...am familiar with the subject.

As to why I didn't leave....I don't know what to tell you. I just ....couldn't. And I'm sorry that it wasn't the same for you. Whoever left you was wrong."

At that, Envy finally shakes his head--not even whatever is going on today is going to get him to spill the entire story. He's already said FAR more than he would have normally--or should have, as far as he's concerned. Part of him is sure he'll regret having said anything as soon as this all wears off...but right now, he can't really regret it.

It's always so good to hear that his father had been wrong, no matter how many people say it to him, and it feels even moreso now. He can even feel a slight burning sensation in the corners of his eyes, and he blinks quickly to try and get ahold of himself.

"No, I'll...maybe I'll tell you more some other time."

Some other time when he can actually handle all these feelings and also control the words coming out of his mouth.

"But...thanks. And thanks for taking care of Heather like you did. She could have wound up like me if it wasn't for you. You got her away."

A scowl twists at his mouth, "I know who you're talking about. I hate her."

He nods.

"That's fine. I'll be around."

He doesn't want to pressure anyone to talk about things, he just wants to let them know he's here if they want to talk. At the praise Harry just smiles sadly.

"The first time was luck. The second time...well she'll always be my daughter, no matter what happens."

No matter if it's Heather, or Cheryl or even Alessa who he's come to love despite fearing and hating her as the thing that took his daughter away at first.

However when Envy scowls and mentions her, Harry's face tenses. He's normally pretty easy going but there's something dark in his eyes at the moment that hint to the fact that this is indeed a man who went through silent hill and once killed a god.

"Good. She's....I'm a writer and I still struggle to come up with words to describe how ...horrifically terrible that ...woman was. I don't think I've ever hated anyone more in my life and that includes the woman who had me murdered."

Because that woman had once been a child that Dahlia had warped. Just as she had warped Walter. Just like she and the order tried to ruin and destroy everything they touched.

Backdated to Feb 14th - Shark House V-Day Log

let us see how this goes

WE'LL SEE

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