So it begins... on At Home

Liesl Brockert

July 21, 2024 4:29 PM

So it begins... by Liesl Brockert

After a prolonged goodbye with Hans at the wagon drop off-after all, it might be only temporary, of course, but Hans had still graduated and would not be returning to Sonora and also was now her boyfriend, both of which were things that justified an even longer goodbye, she was sure her uncle and his family would understand- Liesl went to go find her uncle,as she was assuming that she was going to his house. Her parents didn’t want her around, only Krisalyn did, and she was much happier with her uncle, aunt and cousins anyway. They loved her and accepted her for who she was. Her parents (and brother) did not.

However, it did surprise her quite a bit that her parents and siblings were talking with Uncle Cory and his family. Well, to be completely accurate Krisalyn was talking to Jason and the adults were standing around looking awkward. Which did not surprise her at all as her parents did not get along with her aunt and uncle. That they were there at all was shocking at all though. First of all, they could have just taken their Golden Boy home and left her to her aunt and uncle. Of course, they were probably trying to put on a show of being good parents who loved all their children instead of making it look like Uncle Cory and Aunt Amy were her parents and that only the children they liked were theirs.

Still, her parents did not get along with her aunt and uncle. Liesl really did blame herself for that-and she was pretty sure her parents and Desmond blamed her too. However, it was more important that Uncle Cory did not and neither did his family. She had it impressed upon her many times that she was a particular burden that others were not and that it was only because of the kindness of her uncle’s family that she was allowed to be there. Same with Hans. Taking care of her and having her around was clearly difficult for others in a way that wasn’t the case for Krisalyn and Desmond and therefore Liesl had to be Good and Grateful when she had gotten the message that she was inherently very much not the former and never seemed to be the right level of the latter for Mother either.

Even though she was more than grateful to Uncle Cory and Aunt Amy and also especially to Karl who really was being kind to host her since he was opening up his home to her as a guest of his nephew’s. Of course, Liesl did her best to help around the snake ranch though that was also out of a genuine love of snakes. Plus, as Hans loved them too, it was something they could do together-and this summer they could do it as a couple! Honestly, Liesl couldn’t wait. She was sure her uncle would understand the importance of her going to be with Hans now that he was her boyfriend although of course, she didn’t want to impose on Karl any more than necessary and would understand if he did not want her showing up earlier than usually planned. That was reasonable regardless of whether or not Liesl was somehow a greater burden to put up with than her siblings. Despite the fact that neither her aunt and uncle nor Karl ever made her feel that way and if anything Uncle Cory and Aunt Amy and their children far preferred her to Desmond. Honestly, if Liesl thought about it, she’d rather be around herself than her brother too, he was not very nice and it was not pleasant to be around people who were not nice. She knew she sure didn’t want to be around him. In fact, Liesl hadn’t even told him that Hans was her boyfriend but not for any other reason than because she just didn’t talk to her brother. He had only found out because he had cornered Jason about it at the Fair.

And she had not told her parents that Hans was her boyfriend either, because she also didn’t really talk to them. So unless Krisalyn said something or Uncle Cory had, they didn’t know either. Although if they had been paying attention at all-which they weren’t as they were not interested in Liesl beyond her mother’s desire to change her-they would have witnessed some definitely not platonic behavior between the two. Fortunately for Liesl, her mother was not paying attention or she would probably have been in really big trouble.

Of course, Desmond had probably mentioned it to them after he asked Jason about it, so she was probably in for it anyway. Liesl was unsure if she was allowed to have a boyfriend but she was pretty sure if she was, it had to be someone Mother approved of and that…was not Hans. Despite the newly graduated Teppenpaw to be the exact guy a parent should want their child with because he genuinely cared for Liesl and treated her well and made her happy.Uncle Cory wholeheartedly approved of him.

Anyway, now was the time to go and put on a show. Even though her parents never greeted her warmly. They barely greeted Desmond as such and he was the Favorite. They were just not warm and effusive people. It was against their nature and Mother even thought emotions were bad, especially in public. Which actually, come to think of it, made her parents’ marriage make a lot more sense as Father did not seem to have emotions at all.

Liesl approached her family, hugging her sister, followed by her aunt, uncle, Sam and Lorelei, while Mother sneered-and she could sneer with the best of them, like Uncle Mortimer. Unfortunately, the upcoming seventh year was all too often the target of Mother’s sneering-at the warm and friendly gestures and displays of affection. Mother was not going to be happy with Krisalyn for them either, especially directed at her older sister.

After formally greeting her parents, Liesl turned to her uncle. “Are we ready to go?” She asked.

“Oh, you aren’t going with them.” A cold voice stated. A chill ran down the Teppenpaw’s spine as she turned her head to face her mother.

“Excuse me?” Uncle Cory replied, sounding genuinely confused….and a little bit worried.

“She’s coming home with us.” Mother replied.

A pit formed in Liesl’s stomach. It did not sound like Mother had a desire to spend time with her and bond. It sounded more like she was being punished….

OOC: Actions of Hans and Karl approved by their author.

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