The Prank

It was one of those rare days that Lewis was home in a foyer, just lounging about. He was resting on one of the couches, his eyes closed. The last job he had been on had been a success. If anything, he was exceptionally proud of his work. The thought of the job brought a smile to his face. He could feel a smile from Simone as she read to him from the library. She was spending some quality time with Lucas, who was doing his own research in search of his own kind.

“Always the supportive mother, aren’t you?” It didn’t need a response. It was true.

There was a knock at the door, and Xeik came into the foyer, seemingly breathless. “Lewis!? Simone!?” he called out. “There seems to be a problem. Rhenakos was attacked last night!”

Lewis sat up, and stretched, letting out a yawn. This was one of the few places he could let his guard down completely, and he took advantage of it whenever he could. “What happened?” the assassin asked nonchalantly.

“Rhenakos was hit with a strong spell last night. We’re not sure of the full effects yet but one of the side effects turned his hair a bright pink. Nothing can get it out. Leilah is doing her best to see if anything else is wrong with him. But in the meantime, we’re looking for the culprit.”

The assassin looked at Xeik and clasped his hands together, just staring at the Divine Mender for a moment. “And what makes you think I have any desire to help?” Of course, Simone could hear and see all of this. “I was on an important job last night…and I would rather just relax.”

Simone had climbed a ladder in the main library to grab one of the older poetry books up top. She was contently listening to Lucas talk about his race. She wanted to help him find out what and who he was. As his mother, it was her job. “Isn’t that what being a mother is?” Simone answered even if she didn’t need to. She loved all of her children and even all of their quirks.

She held onto the ladder as she opened the book, “Oh my heart it swoons~” She chuckled as she yelled it through to resonance. “My soulmate! My heart!” She carried her voice and how she presented it with much feeling. That was how you read poetry after all.

She wondered if she was being too loud for her husband but she smirked down at Lucas. It wouldn’t help what was going to come next as she burst out laughing at what a panicked Xeik said. She was hoping it wasn’t going to happen so soon but… the fact she was on the ladder.

“Whoa. WHOA!” Even as she panicked she was laughing as she fell off the high ladder and crashed into one of the tables below. “Ow,” she tried to breathe but she couldn’t stop laughing. Her leg looked pretty bad as she kept the laughter up.

Lucas was panicked but he had already run for his father to tell him. Her laughter was carrying through the whole house. She could feel that she busted the table beneath her but for right now she was so filled with unrivaled joy that it didn’t matter… Lewis on the other hand… Might have felt it a lot more.

There was a massive crash from the other room, and Lucas came out running, worried for his adoptive mother. Lewis looked at Xeik, still deadpan. The ex-thief stared back at Lewis, and his eyes narrowed as Simone’s laughter filled the air. They stayed like this for a goof minute, with Lucas feeling the tension in the air rising.

It was Xeik who broke the silence first. “But…why though?”

Lewis shrugged. “I was bored.” He stood up. “Do you mind helping me with Simone? She seems to have hurt herself, and our magic isn’t quite as strong as it should be at the moment because of the twins.”

“Okay…” Xeik sighed. “Wait…does that mean it was you with all of those notes last year?” His eyes widened. “And then the year before….” There was a renewed laughter from the library as Simone started to crack up again. “What the hell Lewis!?”

Again, the assassin merely shrugged, and more or less dragged Xeik to tend to Simone.

“I just…I don’t get it,” Xeik said again. “Simone…what the hell has gotten into Lewis?”

Simone was laughing through the pain as Lewis and Xeik showed up. Xeik was tending to her leg and the moment Xeik brought it up Simone was a barrel full of laughter again. She finally got calm enough to wipe the tears from her eyes, “He tells jokes. He likes hearing me laugh.”

The mother sat there and she smiled up at Xeik, “We have to be able to relax, both of us. Lewis likes to pull off pranks but he doesn’t like to do it often. The year before last, when Raile tried to grow a beard it was Lewis who shaved it off,” Simone laughed more. “It was hysterical. Leilah wouldn’t quit going on another how the beard was going to make her as happy as Everett getting with the twins… So I came up with the scheme and Lewis liked it. We’ve been doing it ever since. It’s practically tradition.”

Simone seemed more light-hearted than normal. She normally didn’t relax like this in front of Xeik. “I helped Lewis write all the notes by the way! It was easy to get into your room. I don’t even think Raine realized why we needed to know which one was your room, she just thought I needed a check-up. Even we need to relax Xeik and don’t you think we’re doing a lot better than we were a few years ago? We can’t be psychopaths all the time.”

It didn’t take too long to heal Simone, but he warned her that the fracture would take about a week to fully heal due to their slowed magic. He helped her up, though, and with his Divine Sands, made a walking stick for her. Lewis helped Simone to the couch, where she laid into him, a wide smile across her face.

“You two do seem to be doing a lot better,” Xeik said as he sat across from them. “I heard that you were taking it easier with the work, too.”

“Things are slowing down a bit,” Lewis responded as he leaned back, enjoying Simone’s warmth. “I’m worried about missing things. The twins are growing so fast…” Despite his lack of emotion, Xeik could almost feel the sadness in his voice. “But, that’s neither here nor there.”

“So…” Xeik said with a sigh. “Pranks.”

“What about them?” Lewis asked. “Are you going to tell everyone?”

Xeik took a moment, and let out a long sigh. “No…I guess not. They’re relatively harmless, so I guess as long as they stay that way, it’ll be fine.”

The Ploppening

Simone was relaxing in the bathtub with a glass of wine. Her resonance was low they could feel emotions but her bath time was her relaxation time. Her hair was swept back and she had a book up. She was reading one of her newest novels, not her own but she had found it at the bookstore.

She drained some of the wine and with a flick of her wrist, the candles were all light around the room. The water was filled with a bunch of dried flowers and oils. It was absolutely the best. She leaned her head back and smirked with a light hum. This was exactly what she needed.

It was a rather dull night, and ever since retiring from his life of high thrill assassinations, he had found himself…well, bored. It was a miracle within itself that the children were already down for the night, which meant Simone was doing her usual and relaxing in the bath. He could feel that relaxation, and for a moment he wondered what it would be like.

Of course, that was a rather ridiculous thing to wonder. He was free of the once brutal life of constant work! He was allowed to relax as well now, without fear of having to work. But what to do? Reading wasn’t really his thing. He could make use of the indoor pool that was installed, but…that really wasn’t his thing either.

That was when he had the idea. A brilliant one. Of course! It made perfect sense. With a smile, he got up from bed, and stretched.

It wasn’t long before he was ready. This was a test of skill that he hadn’t done in quite some time. There was a minor thrill to it. It was a hunt, of sorts, much like his assassinations. This time, though, it was a unique prey. He had to be quiet, and furthermore, he had to suppress all of his emotions. The prey’s senses were finely tuned, and that meant that he had to be extra careful. A step forward. No motion. The prey was still unaware.

Another step. And another.

The prey twitched, and Lewis froze. There was a moment where Lewis thought that he had been caught. But, the prey seemed not to notice.

“Surprise,” Lewis said as he plopped into the bath, practically on top of Simone. The warm water rushed over him as he fell into her lap, a smirk on his face.

Simone twitched at a simple noise. She could feel how excited Lewis was. She smiled, at least he was enjoying himself. That was something she had been worried about. She relaxed her head again and before she knew it she was panicking. She went under the water in the huge tub. There was a weight on her. She threw her book and glass of wine. There was flying. “What. The Fuck.” She couldn’t see the culprit.

She came up for air and looked at the white-haired man she had married. “Lewis?” She spat water out of her mouth. She was shocked for a moment. “Did… DID YOU JUST PLOP ON ME?!”

She looked at her ruined book and before long just stared at him. “You. Little. Shit.” She started to wrestle him in the tub and pinned him under her. “That’s what you were so excited about? Pranking your own wife?”

Lewis stared up at his beautiful wife. His soaked, rather pissed, but still beautiful wife. She had him pinned down, but he was smiling. Not one of his fake smiles, and not one of his signature half smiles. No, this was a full on, almost unnatural full grins that only Simone ever saw.

“Come now, we can get you another book,” Lewis said, almost giddy. “You have to admit, this is fun…” His hands went to her sides, and started to tickle her, trying to break free of her grasp. “Give in, Simone! You know you want to laugh!”

Her smile grew as she watched his own smile. The one only she could claim to know. “You are lucky you are cute.” She said as she tried to resist his tickling. She squirmed a bit before Lewis got the edge on her as he flipped her and kept tickling her. She was laughing so hard as she tried to keep herself up. Water was going everywhere.

“Is this what you wanted? Or did you want to relax with me?” She wrapped her arms around him after she calmed down. “Hunting me? Was that the thrill you got out of it? Should I hunt you now?” She pulled him close and kissed him.