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It’s a little before three o’clock when Dualscar gets a call from the school. He debated not picking it up at all; he already knew what he was going to hear when he picked it up. His eldest “son” Cronus would have gotten himself in trouble again for doing something stupid and he would have to go to the school the meet with the principal (again) to try and smooth things over and keep him from getting expelled.
Nonetheless, he picked up the phone before it had a chance to be picked up by the answering machine. As he had expected, it was the principal calling him in for another meeting about Cronus’ behavior. Dualscar exchanged a few short words with the man before getting up to drive off to the school.
When he arrived at the school about 20 minutes later, he didn’t bother wasting anytime trying to speak with Cronus’ teachers to try and see what had gone wrong. Rather, he just went straight to the principal’s office where he found Cronus sitting in the little hallway just outside. He strolled over to him quickly, grabbing him roughly by the collar of his shirt. “We’re gonna have some words when you get home,” Dualscar hissed, lips pulled back into a menacing sneer.
“I didn’t do it dad, I swear!” Cronus protested, trying not to flinch under his father’s unforgiving glare.
“Don’t you fucking lie to me, you little shit. I swear you’re gonna be grounded for sweeps after this.”
Dualscar is about to say more but is cut off when he’s asked to come speak with the principal. He gives a polite nod before entering the room. It’s a little stifling in the small office, but he makes do. “What did he do this time?” he asked, leaning back in the seat.
The principal sighed and pushed a report with a photograph clipped to it across his desk. “He spray painted this on the wall of the gym.” It was a rather impressively well-done caricature of the school’s only troll special ed student, Mituna. “He’s our main suspect since he’s the only one who left the assembly we called to flush out the perpetrator.”
Dualscar frowned and reached across the desk to pick up the photo. “Of course he was the only one who would do that.” He clicked his tongue in disapproval and shook his head, sliding the photo back over. “How long is he suspended this time?”
“It’s his third strike, so he’s suspended for two weeks. If he breaks the rules like this another time I’m afraid we have to expel him.” The principal sighed and shook his head. “He’s a good kid at heart, I think. He’s a little lost and he shows a lot of signs of depression. Maybe consider getting him a psychiatrist.”
Dualscar swore under his breath, frowning to himself. “Right, of course…I’ll talk to him about it. Is there a particular psychiatrist you would recommend?” he asked, leaning back in his seat some.
“There’s a wonderful woman, a troll, as a matter of fact, that has a lot of experience with boys his age experiencing problems like these.” He wrote down a number on a pad and the name ‘Arina Descel’ on it before handing it to the seadwelling troll. “Nice woman.”
Dualscar gave a curt nod and took the slip of paper, tucking it into one of his pockets. “Thank you…is that all or should do you need me to stay a bit longer? I have to pick up my other son in a bit.”
“That’s all.” The principal heaved a sigh, looking a bit upset. “I suppose I should warn you that the Captor family might press charges. Cronus could go to jail. He’s eighteen human years, correct?”
” Yes…just about. I suppose I’ll have to speak with Psi about this, try to convince him not to press charges…” Dualscar frowned and got up, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you for telling me about this.” He walked out of the room quickly, grabbing Cronus roughly by the arm and dragging him out. “I’m gonna fucking gut you, you little shit.”
Cronus squeaked a little as his father dragged him out. “Oh fuck, fuck, dad I swear I didn’t-” He shut himself up quickly when he saw the look on his dad’s face.
Dualscar remained dead silent until they were outside before shoving him roughly against their car. “Don’t you dare fucking lie to me! You’re next screw up is gonna get you expelled AND the Captors might press charges! Fuck- don’t you think about anything you do?!”
Cronus’ eyes went wide, his fins went flat and he practically hung limply in his father’s grasp. “O-okay!! I did it, I did, I didn’t think, I…” He stopped and bit hard on his lip, cutting the skin with sharp teeth. “I don’t know. I didn’t know they would get so pissed or nothin’.” He shook slightly.
“You made a fucking mockery of Psi’s kid! Of course he’d be fucking mad! The kid’s got enough problems as it is! He doesn’t need you making things worse!” Dualscar shut his eyes and took a slow breath, trying to calm himself down. “Just- get in the car. We’ll talk about this more later.”
Cronus nodded hurriedly and fumbled his way into the car. Dualscar remained quiet the whole way to Eridan’s elementary school. “Go get your brother,” he said quietly, keeping a tight grip of the steering wheel.”And don’t breathe a word of this to him.”
“Yes sir.” Cronus nodded quickly and darted from the car to pick Eridan up, looking around at the crowd of small children. “Eri!”
Eridan’s fins perked up at the sound of his brother’s voice, a smiles coming to his face. He ran over to Cronus and beamed up at him, tugging his sleeve. “Cro, I’m here!”
He grinned at Eridan and scooped him up. “Heya chief!! How was school?”
Eridan let out a little chuckle and held onto his brother tightly. “Good! I drew a shark during art!” he replied, a proud smile on his face.
“No way, lemme see!” He grinned. “Or is it in your grubpack?”
He nodded and squirmed around, trying to get his grubpack open to show off his drawing. “I can’t reach!”
“Nah, it’s okay chief. Put it on the fridge at home, okay?” He began walking to the car. “Dad’s not in a good mood today, so be good.”
Eridan nodded quickly, holding on tight to his brother. Even though he was young, he knew better than to ask what had happened to make his father upset. Cronus quickly got Eridan strapped into his seat. He slid into the front and swallowed nervously, trying not to look as his father. Eridan kicked his feet a bit once he was strapped in, smiling to his dad in the rearview mirror. Dualscar returned it with a small smile of his own before driving the three of them home. As soon as they arrived, he unstrapped Eridan and let him run inside. “Cronus. Get your things and come see me in a few minutes,” he said sternly before heading to his bedroom.
Cronus nodded and slowly grabbed his backpack from the car. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to be suspended, not that he’d do much beside sneak cigarettes and play guitar. Okay maybe he’d watch some porn when his dad was out. Maybe. He sighed as he dropped his bag inside the house in his room before going to his dad’s room.
Dualscar was seated on his bed when his eldest son entered the room. He gave a quiet sigh and patted the spot beside him. “Come sit down, Cro…” he said. Most of the edge was gone from his voice now, leaving what sounded like disappointment in its wake. Cronus’ fins drooped when he heard the disappointment in his fathers voice. He let out a quiet sigh before sitting down next to his father and looked down, idly scratching his palm with a nail.
If Dualscar was honest with himself, he really wasn’t the best at this fathering thing. He did try, but when it came to his boys having trouble, he treated them similarly to how he had treated his old crew back on Alternia. He was trying to get better about it, though and perhaps this issue with Cronus would be what he needed. “Why’d you do it?”
“Why’d I do it?” Cronus sighed and looked down. “I hate him is why.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I know he doesn’t seem to have the capacity for it, but I do.”
Dualscar frowned, knowing that Cronus was still hiding something from him. “Cro, c’mon. I know there’s more to it than that. Is somethin’ going on at school, or what?”
Cronus looked down at his toes. “No.” It was a lie and they both knew it.
His father frowned deeply and gave Cronus a small nudge. “C’mon. You can tell me. Even your principal knows something’s up, kid.”
Cronus’s already grey skin went ashen. “I- I ain’t- fuck, I wish I wasnt a troll. A lot. The humans are so..normal. I still get rude comments on my horns an’ skin an’ my fins. People ask me if I ‘actually have a tentacle dick’.”
Dualscar frowned and went silent at Cronus’ confession. He had been prepared for a number of things, but this was hardly one of them. For Cronus to just throw his own lineage and heritage aside like that was almost heartbreaking. “How long have you felt that…?”
“…since I started high school. When people started picking on me when the anatomy class revealed that I was the only kid in class with a nook and a bulge.” He bites his lip. “A lot of people still treat me different.”
Dualscar went silent as he thought for a few moments. “We could transfer you to an all troll school. I know of a feww if that would make you more comfortable.”
Cronus shook his head. “And what, move away? The only thing I’m staying for is Mituna, dad. If I wasn’t there the humans would pick on him…!”
“I thought you hated the kid. Why would you wanna defend him?” Dualscar frowned a bit, crossing his arms loosely. “But either way, there is one nearby. We wouldn’t have to move.”
“Because dad, I hate him in the quadrant way.” Cronus let out a heavy sigh. “I dunno I just…fuck, I don’t know. Isn’t it natural to defend even black quadrants?”
“Yeah, ain’t nothin’ wrong with wanting to protect him. A broken kismesis ain’t worth shit if they can’t challenge you.” Dualscar smiled a bit and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.
Cronus relaxed a little. “I wish he’d see it. An if I leave he never gets the chance.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t still see him or something. I’m just tryin to make feel more comfortable at school and if it takes switching schools, that’s what I’ll do.” Dualscar nodded firmly, crossing his arms.
Cronus sighed again. “I’m suspended already. We only have a few weeks left of the term after that. It would just be trouble, dad.”
“Well then I don’t know what to tell you. Your principal recommended seein’ a psychiatrist, but I ain’t gonna force that on you unless you’re willin” Dualscar frowned in thought, trying to figure out any other options for Cronus. It wasn’t as if he could just turn the kid human.