#abevyofbirbs

{♧} Breanna's parents had planned to have a date night tonight, though it seemed like they were unlucky enough to make this plan on a day where Breanna's trusted family members were all unable to pick her up from school and watch her until her parents came back. Walter and Dedrick were the last people he would want to leave his precious daughter with, but he couldn't cancel the reservations and Walter took it upon himself to offer to watch her. Though he couldn't help but find this suspicious, he felt as though he had run out of options...so it's Walter and Dedrick's duty to supervise his little girl.

Things have been relatively calm so far. Breanna has been undisruptive, quietly working on assignments and stringing the beads she happened to pack with her. She soon grew quite peckish and upon discovering that she didn't pack a single thing to eat, the made her way to the kitchen. Her uncles seem to be in the middle of a conversation that she just so happens to catch at the wrong moment.

"Is Delilah even my sister? How could such a beautiful, intelligent woman have a grotesquely poor taste in men? That hideous oaf isn't even worthy of being in her presence, better yet, taking her hand in marriage and producing offspring with her. His godawful genes have tainted the Abberquack bloodline. Giving him the time of day is possibly the worst decision she's ever made."

Breanna's heart crumbles in her chest upon hearing Walter's bitter words, each thing he says pounding it to smithereens. She had a feeling Walter resented her, but he had just shown her undeniable evidence to prove her right.

"Y-You hate me, don't you?"

Walter pauses, his pupils shrinking with raw fear as he desperately tries to do some damage control.

"No no, sweetheart...I just despise your father! If you had a different father, you'd have everything you've ever wanted! You wouldn't have to feel broken anymore!"

These words only add salt to the wound, Breanna's emotions intensifying with every second until she feels like she's going to explode.

"If my mother didn't have a child with my father, I wouldn't exist because that's how children work! It's clear that you don't love me for the person I am. You think I'm broken...that I have to change a significant part of my identity in order to be happy. Being who I am isn't what brings me misery—it's people like you, who seem to be offended by my very existence. I just...I f--king hate you."

Walter gasps in utter shock, frozen for a brief moment until he remembers that he's an authority figure. His arms cross while he gives his niece a disapproving glare, silently demanding her to give him an apology.

"Breanna Astrid! You ought to respect your elders!"

Walter's tactics don't work on Breanna...she knows that her actual authority figures would believe that her behavior is justified.

"Why should I respect someone who couldn't give less of a f--k about showing any to me?"

He's flabbergasted once again, floundering to defend himself and arms falling to his sides.

"Well, I...I...you're just a child!"

Now it's Breanna's turn to cross her arms and shoot a disapproving glare at Walter. Her mismatched eyes, unencumbered with her feathers clipped out of her face, now burn with pure disappointment and disgust.

"So because I'm a child, you have the God-given right to insult my beloved father right in front of me and openly show disgust for traits I happen to share with him without considering how much it might hurt me?"

"Bre-"

"It's too late to apologize. The damage has been done. You'll never be my uncle."

Walter storms out of the room, leaving Breanna and Dedrick alone...together. Her fury melts into self-consciousness, fully expecting Dedrick to take Walter's side and completely disown her. After all, Walter is the only reason Dedrick even puts up with her...right?

Unwanted tears run down her face, further tarnishing her uncle's view of her (or so she believes). She's a jerk and an idiot, the two worst things she could be. It's inevitable that Dedrick will toss her out like the hot garbage she is, despite being there for her since the day she hatched.

Dedrick isn't sentimental like that.

He probably pretended to tolerate her for all of her life.

She means nothing to him now.

To Teagan's dismay, this part of town has a drought of interesting subjects. Despite the tons of people passing by, none of them were inspiring enough to immortalize in video. Business men going to work, old people sitting on benches, dog-tired parents trying to control their unruly children...they are all run-of-the-mill stock people that populate just about every place the dove has gone to.

Just when Teagan is about to give up on their search, a vast array of colors immediately catch their eye. The mural gracing the walls almost have a gravitational pull, compelling them to move toward the awe-inspiring artwork. They take a moment to just take in the sight, their eyes twinkling with a sense of wonder that they rarely express. In a trance, Teagan nearly forgets what they'd originally set out to do. It's only until they spot the (equally striking) artist responsible for the creation of the simply dazzling display.

Teagan can feel their heart start to race and loses their ability to speak, but why? There's no reason to be this nervous. What is the woodpecker going to do, beat them down with his spray cans? How bad could things possibly go?

Finally gathering the nerve to approach him, Teagan's eyes unwittingly shine with admiration. Respect for a fellow creative, nothing more.

"Your artwork is incredible! I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

Teagan brings their video camera- a well loved yet reliable find from the thrift store- closer to their chest for comfort, hoping that it would help them regain their confidence.

((Me: let me draw something cute or sweet! something really fluffy and feelsy!

Me instead: *draws a meme I've been meaning to draw forever but never got around to it*

{ ☆ } Brows lower further at the words his comment is met with, Theo’s disgust only growing at the sickening politeness. Of course, he apologizes... It’s not like he can drop the golden-boy act and just admit that he’s a conniving, egotistical, show-off who refuses to let Theo win for once in his God-forsaken life. Would it kill him to give Theo one moment, just one moment where he can actually make his father pro- No. He can’t think like that. If When he proves himself, it’ll be because of hard work and perseverance. Not because Johnathan Abberquack took pity on him. Still, it’s infuriating to watch the boy who had been mercilessly pummeling him into the ground only mere moments ago, acting so civil to him now.

“You really are perfect, aren’t you?” Theo mutters under his breath, tone bitter as he watches the water bottle materialize through the use of wandless magic. Gaze flickers to his father Professor Daskalakis, standing a fair distance away as he watches two kids duel each other. Or rather, takes a moment to study the interaction between his son and the acclaimed Johnathan Abberquack. Body tensing as he meets his eyes for a split-second, Theo feels himself grow numb with fear. As if he was pushed into an icy ocean, harsh waves overwhelming him and dragging him into the dark depths. Drowning in water as cold as the gaze of his father... The look only lasts a moment, the man leisurely resuming to watch his students, but Theo knows that look (and what it entails) will haunt him for hours.

“I don’t need your pity...” Theo snaps, gaze darting back to rest on Johnny, although the anger is now tainted with a terror that Theo is desperately trying to hide. He roughly snatches the water bottle out of the other’s hand (apparently, that is something that he does need) and continues in a purposely biting tone, “There’s nothing to be proud of in losing. I failed and you patronizing me isn’t going to change that. No matter what feel-good drivel you spew at me or my father, I still lost...” Wincing as his voice cracks (his bravado faltering) Theo quickly takes a gulp of the water to try and steady it. Besides, he has a feeling he won’t be able to drink for a while once he gets home. So, he should drink as much as he can now... 

He doesn’t want to risk passing out from dehydration again.