Parents

November 12, 2023

Still in Luna's and Cole's house, Lochlan scrambles into the kitchen and sits at the table. Luna has put some chicken nuggets onto a plate for her. Lochlan doesn't start eating yet as she watches Luna.

Luna smiles at Lochlan, "Oh right, the food's all yours. And you can sit there."

Lochlan quickly begins eating. Luna sets a cup of water near the plate as well.

Luna asks, "Is it good?"

Lochlan nods while eating.

Luna sits at the table, "That's good, glad to hear it. Though I don't get what happened. You went to someone to get your arm fixed, which I'm happy that it works again. But then..." She trails off, not believing it.

Lochlan shrugs, "I was cold so we killed a guy."

Luna tilts her head, "And you didn't know this guy before? Cole ate his soul apparently, which... I don't understand."

Lochlan asks, "What's a soul?"

Luna snaps her fingers as a laptop appears from thin air on the kitchen table. Scrolling through her notes a bit, she responds, "A soul is a small orb of light that's hidden in all of us. It's our very life force. Some people, like Cole, can see them. Otherwise, they're invisible."

Lochlan asks, "Why can he see them?"

Luna continues to scroll down her notes, "It's a really long story that I barely understand myself, but basically Cole has some innate abilities that lets him see and work with souls. Being Death's son has its perks sometimes."

Lochlan squints at Luna. Her curiosity seems a bit more genuine this time, "...Death is a person?"

Luna replies, "Have you ever heard of the Grim Reaper before? His other name is Death."

Lochlan raises an eyebrow at her and resumes eating the food. Cole walks in with a sigh, "I'm not even gonna ask how we got on the topic of my father, what are you confused about?"

Lochlan states, "All of it."

Luna abruptly comments, "Can you blame her? I barely understand souls myself despite having my dead girlfriend and an AI made of souls in my mind."

Lochlan blinks at the sudden information, not processing a word of it, "What?"

Cole sighs, "Not really" He leans against the counter, "Imagine that your soul is a light bulb that is constantly on, now I can see the light bulb because i handle these light bulbs all the time."

Lochlan ignores the metaphor, "Ok but why do you handle souls?"

Cole continues to explain, "That requires some minor explanation, when someone dies the light bulb is still on so someone needs to go to that person and unscrew the light bulb and take it somewhere else to be stored and that used to be my job"

Luna sighs, "And now Cole eats light bulbs..."

Lochlan grumbles at being underestimated, "You do know I don't need some boring lightbulb analogy right? I'm 22, I'm not a child."

Luna looks shocked, "...You're... What? What the fuck???" She starts typing something into her notes on her laptop.

Cole shrugs, "That age sounds about right honestly. I was using a lightbulb because it's easier for people to understand than a glowing orb that's somewhere in their chest."

Lochlan asks, "And what about your father? What is that?"

Cole blinks, "Wait, you don't know what a father is?"

Luna instantly explains, "A father is a male parental figure that raises you from birth until you are an adult"

Lochlan squints in thought "Like picks you up?"

Luna tries again, "Do you know what a mom is? The father is the same but male."

Lochlan's head tilts slightly with genuine confusion, "What's a mom? Do they have souls too?"

Luna starts to look confused as well, "A mother is the woman who birthed the child who then teaches them what they need to become an adult. I'm surprised that at 22 we're having to teach you that. They have souls."

Cole adds, "Everyone has souls."

Luna mutters, "Some more than one..."

Lochlan thinks for a moment, "Are people supposed to remember who taught them to be an adult? And is that all they do?"

Cole raises an eyebrow, "...Yes?"

Luna tilts her head, "Usually yeah."

Lochlan looks up while scratching through memories, "Are they invisible???"

Luna finally asks, "No? Lochlan, do you not have a mother?"

Cole looks concerned.

Lochlan looks at both of their expressions, judging how big of a reaction she would get for her answer, "Uhm... yeah sure, I have one."

Luna squints in thought, "It's okay if you don't. I don't have one either." She shrugs.

Lochlan playfully swats at the air, "Pff No I totally have a mom. I was just messing with you guys."

An eyebrow raises, it's clear Luna doesn't buy it for a second, "If you say so Lochlan, but there's no shame in saying you don't have one. You can still learn everything you need for adulthood in other ways." Her tone is rather firm and decisive.

Cole shrugs, "Never really had a mom, not a big deal to me. So is that all of the questions about my father?"

Lochlan's eyes light up as she tries to fool them again, but more convincingly, "Oh wait! Yeah I do have a mom. I forgot."

Luna's ears perk up, "That's great to hear," she gives a bright smile.

Cole starts to space out entirely.

Luna gets up and grabs her laptop, "Anyway, glad you had that revelation. I'm gonna head back with Hinata for a bit." Luna walks out of the kitchen.

Lochlan looks over at Cole for a bit. Cole has completely zoned out while staring forward, completely unaware of anything in the room. Lochlan looks down at the table in thought. She stares at the backdoor near her. Lochlan casually gets up and slips outside the door.