#cardinalhope

‘   TITAN ---   alright ,  alright !   i hear you all ,  i get it .   lemme run it back ;            a large fry for hunter ,  kid’s meal for amity  &  a salad for the other --  ( dunno what kinda  WHACKJOB  orders salad from a fast food joint )  -- a  ‘too big’  burger  &  a happy meal for the king ‘a demons ,  a deluxe with a side of stop talking in abbreviations for parker ,  a mcrib for luz .  .  .   ’

. . .   she’s gonna regret asking this .

the face is instantly familiar, as if it hasn't been over 300 years since they were all on the advena avis. the name, too, comes back to maiza instantly. "caleb..." it's been eighty-five years since melvi dormentaire walked into the martillo family's casino, && he'd been hit with deja vu then as the face of his younger brother walked by him impassively. but melvi hadn't been gretto at all, && maiza knows, logically, that this boy is not caleb, even if he looks to be the spitting image, albeit younger.

still, it unsettles him, && he exchanges a look with ronny, whose tight expression confirms that he's at least not imagining things.

this all happens in the blink of an eye, && then the frown on maiza's face turns upward into his usual easygoing smile, the crease in his brow relaxing. he crosses the room to meet the boy by the door, lest he come any further into the basement meeting hall.

"sorry about that," he says breezily. "if you're looking for the alveare, the entrance to the restaurant is actually upstairs." he glances back, shooting ronny a look as if to say don't worry, i'll handle this, && rests a hand on the boy's shoulder. if it's just a coincidence — && i don't think it is — i'll know quickly. likewise, if it's not... well, i need to figure that out quickly too.

Relieve overfilled Morty as the teen lead him into the alleyway. It was a lot to process at once; losing Rick in the crowd of people, stumbling into someone who looked to be around his age, and now this. Well, he'd dealt with a lot more unpredictable mishaps and this wouldn't be any different.

Behind a stone wall, away from eyes, he took in several deep breaths. "I-I -- uh -- I'm sort of lost a-and I need to figure out how to find my grandpa, so, I-I don't know," He looked down. "I-I thought you were a guard or something because of the, uh, mask, so I-I was trying to bribe you with something."

each imperfectly flawed / but none are your brother / none will ever be him / from before / evelyn / && you have begun to wonder if that betrayal / is engrained in them / a prophetic symbol of clairvoyance / so you no longer plan to keep them around / born to serve / born to die.

but this one / bearing your brother’s face / far more than his predecessors / is different / you think / loyalty does not a good soldier make / it is fear / fear of failure / fear of dying / fear of obscurity / show the child to the light / but hold it from his grasp / && he will spend his life wanting / wishing / but never / knowing.

you have called him to the throne room / your presence suffocating / you are everywhere / though you stand before him / a god in man’s shoes / a man-made god. / && he looks back at you, subservient / a fresh, clean slate / 

Staring at him unblinking .. dead panned .     ( @cardinalhope​ )

how could you NOT be a god / when you have created life ?

“hunter.” you utter his name / breathe being into this boy / made to serve / made to kneel / made to do what you cannot / with a namesake he need never understand / your name is your duty is your purpose / go forth && continue our work / dear brother / && this child shall atone for your sins / until the day he too / dares leave his perch / && fly away / the day i shutter the light / of the torch he bears / like all the others.

“you will do great things / my NEPHEW. / make our family proud.”

" The world is cruel. the world is ugly. But there are times and there are people when the world is not." ( @cardinalhope )

his words expose a mind wise beyond his years. as if someone else speaks through him, or else he's speaking with the souls of others who have come before him.

or maybe he's taken after you, when you weren't paying attention.

"..."

it's still hard to talk to him. you feel the tension, thick in the air. but this feels almost normal — you, sorting books. him, on the floor.

it's easier when you don't look at each other. then you can't see him in the hollowness of the other's eyes.

i'm proud of you, you want to say. i hope you know how truly proud of you i am.

instead, you ask, "where will you go now?" stay. please stay.