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2022-07-25
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2024-02-16
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23/?
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Still Shots of Poly Love

Chapter 3: New Friends and Teenage Drama

Summary:

Running into Kenji was the last thing Salacia expected, but it’s a good surprise.

As everyone is getting to know each other there is teen drama brewing with Persephone that only her Auntie Sal can help.

Notes:

I’m really enjoying this one. It’s making me so happy. I hope you all are enjoying it too.

Chapter Text

“You two know each other?” Tomura asked, he was the first to speak of the other four in the room.

“She’s the awesome chick that I met at that lame house party I told you about.” Kenji said with a laugh walking over and when Salacia stood to greet her giving her a bone crushing hug making her laugh.

When they parted Salacia introduced herself to the two guys, one, a dirty blond named Jin, the other with dusty brown hair named Atsuhiro, the one Tomura had mentioned had a collection of board games, and the girl, named Himeko with her honey blonde hair tied up in two messy buns.

“She’s the chick you met?” Himeko, exclaimed in an overly chipper voice that reminded Salacia of her niece in the best of ways, “You didn’t mention what she looked like!”

Salacia held her breath, that was usually the predecessor to a backhanded compliment or a straight up insult.

“You definitely did not say she was this cute!” Himeko squealed, “What are you doing here?”

“Tomura said earlier he was meeting with someone about rooming with us.” Kenji laughed, “This was one of the considerations you mentioned on Friday I’m guessing.” Kenji laughed.

“Yeah, I’m not stalking you, promise.” Salacia joked, “I’ve already talked to five other places...and let’s say...I am...so tired.”

“Bad?” Jin asked.

“Sharing a room, no issue. With four people...getting a little extreme...add on the fact that they each have a bed, bunk beds technically, but still, and there isn’t even an air mattress or room for one...and instead of splitting bills, like I’ve been told is the thing here, because I would be the new roommate, for like three months...or however long I would be responsible for three bills fully. What three bills...majority rules decides.” She rolled her eyes, “I’ll share a room. I will pay my share...but…”

“That’s just unreasonable.” Atsuhiro said with a frown and a shake of his head.

“Let’s go sit down and we can chat, see if we all get along well enough.” Kenji suggested.

Tomura agreed and they headed back into the living room. She sat down and smiled.

“Where are Dabi and Spinner?” Jin asked.

“Dabi is passed out in our room and Spinner is at the bookstore.” Tomura said, “He had to pick up a few more of those second hand law books...they’re having a sale.”

“You think they’ll like her too?” Himeko asked, having already decided she liked Salacia enough to live with, if her ‘big sis’ Kenji liked her, she liked her.

Salacia looked at Tomura, curious as well. He shrugged.

“Dabi said that he didn’t really care either way, hence why he decided to take a nap.” He rolled his eyes, “He trusts our judgment more than he lets on anyway.”

Himeko nodded and grinned at Salacia, picked up her hand and asked about the nail colors she was wearing, noticing it was a very bright combination of neon teal and hot pink, the middle finger on each hand glittery. Salacia laughed.

“I took my niece to the nail salon for her birthday last Wednesday.” She said, “Seph insisted on us getting matching manicures, each picking one color, but not showing the other until after we had made the choice.” She shook her head laughing, “I chose the teal, she chose the pink. It’s different, but it made her so happy. Her ring fingers are glittery...but I was being a bit silly when I got the middle fingers done that way.”

“How’d your sister take that?” Kenji asked, chuckling.

“Better than most mothers of a twelve year old girl.” Salacia laughed, “Taylor knows she has no room to talk. She’s why I turned out this way.”

That statement left a question lingering in the air and Salacia realized that it was quite odd. Her life was hers so sometimes she had moments like this where she forgot that it was not the norm for everyone else.

“My sister pretty much raised me since I turned thirteen.” Was all she said to explain, now was not the time to trauma dump and give them the full story on why that was.

After all, they had just met.

The conversation seemed to flow back to normal until her phone began to blow up with text messages, she checked. It was Persephone. She checked them, begging her to call. She bit her lip.

“Everything okay?” Atsuhiro asked, noting the worry crossing over her face.

“It’s my niece, she never blows my phone up like this...she wants me to call her...I’m worried, Taylor, her mom, my sister, is like four months pregnant…” she said.

“You can go up to the patio to call her if you want to, privacy and all that.” Tomura offered.

“Thank you.” Salacia said and stood up grabbing her bag and pulling her phone out of it.

She didn’t even have time to appreciate the decor in the room or the amazing view from the patio as she quickly called her niece. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she called. So many scenarios played out in her mind. So many terrifying scenarios involving her niece, her twin nephew and niece, her sister, the babies in her belly...all of them...wouldn’t that family ever get a break?

On the second ring Persephone picked up, “Antie Sally?” She sniffed.

“Sephie, have you been crying? What’s wrong? Are you okay? What happened” Salacia rushed out.

“I...am I broken, auntie Sal?” She sniffled.

“Now why would you ask me that? Why would you be broken?” Salacia asked, thousands of horrifying Images playing in her mind.

“Because I don’t like this boy that asked me out at the mall with my friends today.” Her niece hiccuped into the phone.

“Well they can’t tell you who you have to like…”

“But the thing is...they asked me which boy I liked if I didn’t like him…”

Salacia held her breath.

“And I said that I didn’t like any of the boys at school...so Kiyo asked me if I liked girls like her older sister did…”

Salacia took a breath, “What did you tell her, you know you can tell me anything, Sephie, and if you like girls instead of boys...there isn’t anything wrong with that.” Her voice was soft and comforting.

“That’s just it...I don’t...I don’t like girls instead of boys...I don’t like girls or boys!” Persephone softly wailed, “So Kiyo, Uma, and Iris told me I was so weird and probably broken or defective...Uma even said it’s probably cause I don’t have my dad anymore...she doesn’t understand! I don’t even understand!”

Salacia froze at her niece's words. As what she said sunk in, what she must be struggling with right now.

“First of all, we’ll talk about the whole thing Uma said in a moment, but first...babydoll, you aren’t broken. There is nothing wrong with that. With feeling that way. Not being attracted to boys or girls is valid, real.”

“It is?”

“Yes, it is. You remember my pen pal that I met in drama camp when I was sixteen?”

“Uh-huh?”

“He doesn’t like men, and he doesn’t like women.”

“He doesn’t?”

Salacia smiled softly at the hope in her voice.

“Yes, it’s a different sexuality. When you don’t feel sexual attraction to any sex or gender it’s called being Asexual.” Salacia explained.

“Like when something in biology can reproduce asexually?” Persophone asked, confused.

“Not exactly, but you’re on the right track. You just don’t like boys or girls, there’s nothing wrong with that.” She did her best to assure her niece.

“You mean it’s okay? I’m not broken?” She could hear the relief mixed with hope and wonder in the twelve year old’s voice, “You promise?”

“Yes Babydoll, I promise. Do I ever lie to you?” Salacia asked.

“You lied about why there were stars in the sky when I was seven. You told me it was the angels smoking cigarettes and tossing the butts away. And that thunder was the angels bowling and that rain was from them doing cannonballs in their pools...and that…” Persephone started to list all of the silly things Salacia used to tell her when she was a kid.

Salacia began to chuckle and cut her off, “Sephie, do I ever lie about important things? Things like this?”

Persephone actually giggled from catching her aunt for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “No. You don’t. You always tell me the truth.”

“That’s right. Sephie, who knows if you are just a so-called late bloomer...honestly I think twelve is far too young to be thinking about actually dating anyway. Crushes are one thing but a boyfriend or girlfriend...it’s another thing entirely.” She shook her head, “Even if you one day figure out if you like boys, girls, both...or if you never like boys or girls...if you are Asexual...there is nothing wrong with that, or you. I promise you. I love you. And your mom loves you. Babydoll, you are perfect just how you are. And you can live a happy and full life with or without an eventual sexual aspect to it.”

“I can?” She sniffled.

“Yes, you can. All you need in life is to be happy. So find what makes you happy right now and go for it. You’re twelve, you’ve got a lot of years to find more and more happiness.” Salacia assured her, “And one more bit of advice.”

“Yes Auntie Sal?”

“Find new friends. If they said that to you, they don’t respect you, and it will only get worse from here, trust me. I learned the hard way. I don’t want you to have to as well.” She pleaded.

“I think I’ll call Yuma...we were friends before Kiyo scared her away...she was always nice...hopefully she can forgive me for being stupid and ignoring her for like six months…” Persephone murmured.

“All you can do is try and apologize. I love you Sephie, try talking to your mom, too, best to get another tigress on your side, right?” Salacia said, making Persephone laugh before hanging up.

Salacia breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against one of the posts holding the awning up on the patio. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them and looked out at the amazing view of the city, she would bet that the sunset and sunrise on the patio was amazing. She knew she needed to calm down. She knew that her niece’s friends were just foolish kids...but that didn’t mean that they had any right to talk to Seph that way. She would advise her sister to maybe have a sit down with their parents. Because they all needed to learn not to say such cruel and insensitive and downright bigoted things about someone they claimed to be a friend to.

She looked over when she felt someone step onto the patio. She looked over and saw a young man she didn’t recognize from downstairs. He was shorter than her with purple hair and pinkish red eyes. The red scarf around his neck was odd considering it was still summer, but she guessed it was part of his style. She smiled politely.

“Sorry, the guys downstairs told me I should come up and introduce myself when I came in.” He said, slightly unsure at how to approach her, “I’m Shuichi, most people just call me Spinner.”

She smiled, “I’m Salacia, my nickname isn’t near as creative, just Sal.” She laughed.

He grinned before his expression fell to one of uncertainty, “I...I apologize for eavesdropping, but, who was that that you were talking to?” He asked, unsure of how to broach this topic.

“Oh, my niece...she had an issue with some so-called friends at the mall today...and she’s starting to question her sexuality…” Salacia said, “She’d never heard of Asexuality before, but it sounds to me that’s where she’s leaning. Why do you ask?”

“Just...what you said...is what I wish someone had told me at that questioning age…” he admitted, “You’re someone she trusts and can go to...it’s nice...sorry...just...shocked me…”

Salacia blushed, “You’re Ace, I’m gathering…” she said, “I take it you’ve gotten the ‘broken’ or ‘need to be fixed’ bullshit a lot?”

“Constantly.” Shuichi said with an exasperated sigh.

“I’m sorry.” Salacia said, “I know it’s not the same, but for being bisexual I get a lot of comments about my being easy or a slut or confused…a lot.”

“I’ve heard that from my bi friends. Sucks.”

“The worst is when I’m told it’s for male attention.”

“Gross. The worst is when guys or girls think I need to be seduced...I’m not Aromantic...but it sucks when they think just because I wanna cuddle that means…”

“You wanna do more than that.”

“Yeah.”

Salacia shook her head, “People suck sometimes.”

“Yeah.” He chuckled.

“Hopefully she talks to her mom, my sister is not the one to try when it comes to hurting one of her babies.” She laughed, “Seph may be twelve...but she is still my sister’s first baby.”

Shuichi smiled at her, “I’m sorry if I overstepped by asking.” He said.

“It’s nothing, it’s not like you were asking anything completely out of bounds. Like her contact details or social media or whatever.” Salacia shook her head with a laugh.

“Twelve was around the time that I started to notice that whole puberty was affecting my body...development wise...I wasn’t...noticing the opposite sex...or the same...just...not in that way…the way my peers were talking about...” Suichi explained.

“That’s about the age when I noticed girls for the first time...after a bunch of schoolgirl crushes on boys suddenly...girls.” Salacia laughed.

They chatted for a moment before deciding to head back down into the living room. She sat down again and Kenji informed Suichi of how the two of them met. Eventually someone walked out of a room down the hallway, he had several piercings and tattoos as well as burn scars on his face and neck. His black hair was messy. He seemed startled at the sight of Salacia still there.

“Nice of you to make an appearance, Dabi.” Tomura said, snark lacing his tone.

“Fuck, I didn’t think it was such a big deal.” He grumbled and walked over.

He flopped down onto the chair beside the one Tomura was sitting in and looked completely uninterested in any and everything around him. But she could tell that his eyes were on her subtly, sizing her up.

She decided to be unbearably polite, since before he came down she had agreed to move in, and everyone else had been all for it. So he would just have to learn to live with her.

“Hi, I’m Salacia,” She said with a simpering smile, “You’re new roommate.”

He looked at her, she could see how stunned he was at how unfazed she was by his attitude. She kept a smile on her face. Just like Rebecca taught her to when being petty. There was hardly anyone more petty than her second elder sister.

“So you think you can handle living with all of us?” He asked.

“Honey, currently, I live with my older sister, my five month pregnant older sister, and her twelve year old daughter,...and seven year old twins. Also, she’s pregnant with twins again. So...I think I can handle college students if I can handle seven year olds. Unless you’re trying to tell me you’re gonna be worse than twin newborns.” She smirked.

Dabi’s brows raised and he laughed, “Damn…” he shook his head, “You’re good.”

She chuckled and shrugged, “Not like my older sister Rebecca, but close.” She said.

“I thought you said her name was Taylor?” Jin asked, confused.

“I can’t have two sisters?” Salacia joked.

He laughed, “Oh, duh.” He said, “So, I’m gathering you’re the youngest?”

“Yep. Youngest of three. Taylor is nine years older than me, Rebecca is five years older than me.” She explained.

“Sounds like you were all more or less planned with ages that far apart,” Dabi mindlessly commented.

“I know Rebecca was...Mom used to say as much...when she raged that her dad got custody of her in their divorce...I don’t know about Taylor...but her dad shared custody of her with Mom so he at least accepted her...I don’t think I was...Dad fucking split when he left Mom.” Salacia shrugged.

“You all…” Tomura began.

“Yeah.” Salacia laughed, “Different dads, same mom...four marriages, three kids.”

“Couldn’t find the right one?” Himeko asked.

Salacia just shrugged, “I don’t know, at least my sisters and I know and love each other. Taye and Beccs dads made sure they were in my life when We were growing up.”

“That’s good.” Kenji said.

“Yeah.” Salacia said with a smile, but a slightly faraway look in her eyes.

Yeah.