#familial

Tribesfolk

Children of past sinners that are forced to survive in the slums. A place where hardships are evident—where resilience is a must to ensure that you live to see the other day on this side.

These are the ones looked down upon by the people who are lucky enough to be born with privilege.

That is what they are, and yet—somehow, a boy feels less than that. That is the pain of Rudo Surebrec. The pain of having people who are supposed to understand him and his situation, ostracize and hate him instead. Hated for something he didn't even do.

"Rudo, my dearest! How was your day?"

If Rudo were to describe his day, he would say it was alright if he wanted to lie. But this boy could never lie to the person in front of him.

"Is something the matter, bud?" His mother asked, crouching down to his height. The slight bend of their head with that worried expression, Rudo knew they wouldn't let him go unless he told them what really happened.

No words could describe the emptiness he's feeling inside of him, so rather than talking—he just hugged the person in front of him.

For a moment, it shocked them. The young boy was never keen on initiating physical affection, but in rare moments like that, all his mother could do was savor the moment and wrap their warm arms around Rudo, pouring as much love as they could.

When Rudo tightened his grip, so did his mother. It's quite a sight—like seeing which one could give the better hug. But deep down, that hug is rooted in one emotion.

Fear

Both individuals fear that the moment one lets go, the other will drift away without them knowing. One is scared that they will be discarded the moment they do something wrong, while the other wishes that the cursed world they live in would not harm their heart and soul.

Those are the moments Rudo wished would last forever. He wished he could live in a bubble where he could just be loved and feel like he belongs and deserves every ounce of tender loving care he receives.

The hug lasted for a couple more seconds before Rudo broke it off. "Thank you, Ma." he whispered as he scratched his neck, feeling flustered from the interaction that occurred moments ago.

His Ma stifled a laugh, reaching up their hand to gently pat his head. "If you need anything—or just simply want some snuggles—don't be afraid to come to Mama, okay?" They assured as they stood up, patting away imaginary dust from their outfit.

"Okay..." It was but a whisper—soft and restrained, but they still heard it. Letting out a soft smile, the mother couldn't resist the urge.

*pinch*

Rudo whined as he felt his cheek stretch out when his mother pinched and pulled his left cheek. The adult could only laugh at that, loving the way his face looked so silly yet precious at the same time.

"What's this? Having fun without me, I see?"

A voice boomed through the living space they were in. Both heads turned towards the entrance to see the member who pieces their family together.

"Regto/Rhegtow!"

Distracted by the arrival of the man, Rudo took the chance to scrambble away from the grasp of his mother—rubbing his left cheek to soothe the slight pain he felt.

The person responsible for the pinching fixed their stance to properly face the new arrival.

Regto's smirk turned into a full smile. One look is all it takes to see the glint of mischief in his eyes.

Rudo noticed his father figure approach him, but he didn't take into account that Regto himself would trap him in a secure headlock and rub his knuckles on Rudo's head—messing up his hair even more in the process.

The other adult in the room bursted out laughing at the scene in front of them.

"Hey Regto let go!" Rudo yelled as he tried to pull away the said man's arms away from his neck and head. This prompted his mother to laugh louder combined with them clapping their hands rapidly. Seeing that Rudo's getting more aggrivated, Regto finally let go.

"What the hell was that for?"

Regto huffed at that. The moment he walked in on the two, he knew the kid was feeling blue.

"Well... For starters, your face looked like someone slapped you with a wet towel. So—" Kneeling down on one foot, Regto stared at Rudo directly at the eyes.

"What's got so down in the dumps, buddy? Were those kids bullying you again?"

Hearing those come out from Regto, the young boy could only look down. His shoulders were slumped yet his fists were clenched as tight as it could be, emphasized by the apparent creases on the gloves.

"They said I was worthless... That trash like me shouldn't even have been given a chance to live..." The tremble in his voice could not be missed. Yet before any of his parental figures could speak, he continued.

"They even told me that I was a monster, and only other monsters could love me. They called me names but it's not even those that pissed me off, what really pushed me is when they decided to insult the two of you. They called Mama and you—Regto worthless trash that deserves to be thrown down the pit for taking care of a beast like me."

"Rudo..." Was what all his mother could muster up. What else could someone say after hearing their own son reveal that he's been insulted in such a harsh manner.

As the words of the people go...

"No mother could ever ignore their child."

This is the very same case for Rudo's mother. The moment he finished speaking, he once again felt those warm arms wrap around his body—and not a second later, he heard it.

The gentle humming of his mother. He felt the slight vibrations as his head was gently pressed against his mother's chest, while their chin rested on the crown of his head.

That lullaby...

He remembered that melody—he wouldn't even dare forget. He doesn't know the title or whatever it's called, but he knows it to heart.

How could he not, when his mother would always hum it to him every time he felt scared or when he felt that indescribable pain in his arms when he was way younger.

No matter the context or situation, hearing that familiar tune would always bring him comfort. Not even the worst of the worst could ruin this lullaby for him.

Rudo's chest felt fuzzy. His throat was clogged, and his gloved hands were tightly grasping his mother's clothing, fearing that one wrong movement and slip of a word would open up another dam of unshed tears. But Regto wouldn't allow him to bottle up his emotions for longer. So the man kneeled down and started patting the kid's back.

"Come on now, bud. No need to hold back."

That did it.

Instead of opening up, the dam broke down. Pent-up frustrations manifested into wails and a stream of tears. Rudo further buried his face into his mother's body, his grip even tighter than before.

Regto looked at his companion's face and saw the gentle and acknowledging smile sent his way. Returning a relieved smile, he continued rubbing Rudo's back as the boy continued his cries.

No other words were said then. That was it—that was all Rudo could ask for at that moment, and he wished it would never end.

The gentle cradles of his mother and the strong reassurances of his father.

"So, I've been wondering. What's with the sea themed pins?"

Valentino pointed to the pins in display situated inside one of the desk's drawer. Vox moved his attention from the view of Hell from his window to Valentino. He glanced at the pins and his gaze softened for a moment.

"It's.. It's gifts from my daughter. Somehow, they made their way down here with me."

"Oh, that's cute. I guess."

Valentino uttered as he looked at the pins once more before leaving once he had put his clothes on. Vox on the other hand, grabbed the display to him, and rummage through them, and picked the fish.

"Dad, here! Happy Birthday!"

"Oh, thank you sweetie."

Vincent accepted your gift, looking at the shiny pin with certain fondness. He looked back at you, seeing how you looked shy, looking down at the floor.

"It's just.. I thought it looked cute, and since you like everything related to the sea, I thought you'd like it."

"Well, I love it sweetie. Thank you."

Your father hugged you before giving you the honour's of putting the pin on his clothes. You clapped as you see how it matches perfectly with his blazer and eyes.

"Soooo, how do I look?"

"Pretty cool."

He wore it to work the next day, clearly making sure that the pin could be seen to the camera. And you were ecstatic to see it as you watched the news.

Over the years that he ranked up through the industry, he received a different type of pin from you, from a boat to a anchor even a shark. He accepted them, awaiting what you'll give him for his next birthday.

Vox hummed as he remembered each time you gifted him a pin, each pin wasn't just about him moving up the rank or being a year older. It was a reminder of you getting older as well, another year to note how much you too have been there for one another.

And he wishes to add another one to the collection, yet under holy circumstances, the two of you were separated with no guarantee to be reunited to eachother for good.

- They somewhat adopted you as their older sibling after you had humored their games during a Match, quickly running up to you, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to 7n7, who was beyond confused.

- "LOOK DAD LOOK! WE HAVE A BIG BROTHER/SISTER NOW!" C00lkidd would yell happily, hugging your side as Bluudud puts a hand on your shoulder, "Yup! They're the only one who can actually 1v1 me and NOT take the L immediately." He would add, with Pr3tty Princ3ss nodding in agreement, "And they agreed to join in my tea parties!" She would clap excitedly, giggling at your warm smile towards the three.

- Are you still technically a Survivor? Yes. Does that mean you won't still love and protect your siblings in Matches? FUCK no.

- You have, on several accounts, beat another Survivor's shit in for insulting any three of them.

- Chance tried to shoot one of them, and you dive-bomb tackled Bluudud out of the way of the shot, glaring daggers at Chance in return.

- Chance didn't try to shoot them again after that.

- You're the only one besides 7n7 and 8o8 who can keep those gremlins on leashes, always reminding them not to play too rough and not to bicker with each other.

- Shockingly, they haven't killed anyone else since.

- They love you as their sibling just as you love them the same, and they always go to you for help, advice, and to hang out.

- C00lkidd loves drawing with you. He's always talking about some random cool OC he made and it's usually an OP Mary Sue but even still, he likes to make them. Even if you're not much of an artist yourself he loves showing you his art.

- Bluudud likes gaming with you, a LOT. Almost every time you chill with him he's inviting you to play some kind of video game with him, or you'll both scroll YouTube and find something on there.

- Pr3tty Princ3ss is usually inviting you for Tea Parties, and not the fake ones either, with 7n7's help on the stove, she makes real tea for you! With sugar, honey, etc. all laid out for you, 8o8 even makes scones, cookies, and small cakes for you to share. She also loves talking about gossip with you, and if you don't have any, trust me SHE HAS PLENTY.

- Nobody fucks with your siblings, and you don't fuck with the other Survivors. Simple policy.

((EEEE this was so cute to write! I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!))