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Dorothy raised an eyebrow as she observed her nephew's expression. "You appear quite haggard, dear nephew."
Hoopa slipped into the seat across from her and said, "It's been a long week..."
"So I've heard." Dorothy gave him an amused smile as she reached for the tea pot. "Would you like a cup? It's marigold. Taken from your father's private stores, of course."
"Please." Hoopa sighed and said, "I could use a bit of a breather after all the running around I've had to do."
A week had passed since the breach in the Dome of Eternity.
In that time, Dorothy had been busy working with Andersen to tidy up the various issues and political plots that were afoot. Because of that, she'd mostly been keeping up with her nephew's antics from the Goddess Squad group chat.
But today, both of them happened to have spare time around lunch, and so Dorothy invited him for a private tea party at her manor in the Ark.
Dorothy finished pouring the cup of tea for her nephew and slid it over. After that, she slid over a tin of pastries as well. "Have these too. Freshly baked this morning. They should pair well with the tea."
"Appreciate it, Aunt Doro."
Dorothy paused, feeling a strange mix of emotions in her chest on hearing that.
Hoopa noticed and said, "Did I say something weird?"
"...No." Dorothy let out a soft smile. "It's just... unfamiliar."
The casual shortening of her name was undoubtedly what Commander would do. But the way Hoopa said 'appreciate it' was definitely like Lilith instead of Andersen.
Hoopa tilted his head, again, a gesture so like Lilith. And then he said, "Well, let me know if I bother you. I guess you're family, right? So I'll try to be polite."
Dorothy snorted. "I appreciate the sentiment, I suppose."
Hoopa gave a thumbs up.
'That cheeky...'
He was just like his father.
But he was also just like his mother.
...It was strange.
Dorothy still didn't quite know how to wrap her head around it, even though she'd had a week to mentally process it.
Rationally, she knew that Hoopa was the son of Andersen and Lilith.
But knowing that he was and SEEING that he was...
Dorothy poured herself a cup of tea while quietly watching Hoopa unwind.
Reaching up to adjust his sleeves so they wouldn't slip over his palms while he grabbed his cup of tea. Picking up the pastry with just his thumb and index finger instead of palming the whole thing like Andersen would have...
"I have to admit," Dorothy said. "I don't think any amount of time could have prepared me to meet you, my dear nephew."
"Hm?" Hoopa paused. Setting down his pastry, he idly brushed his hands together to get rid of his crumbs (another Lilith mannerism) and said, "How so?"
Dorothy hummed, a wistful smile on her face. "...I suppose it's just in the little things. You clearly take after Commander in your personality... but every time I think you're like your father, I see how much you are like Lilith as well."
"...Thanks?" Hoopa sipped his tea again and then murmured, "I wonder if this is how Harry felt."
Dorothy snorted. "Are you honestly comparing yourself to Harry Potter right now?"
"Oh! You know about it? But yeah. Aren't I like, basically in the same boat? I look just like my dad, but apparently everyone tells me I'm more like my mom."
Dorothy paused to consider it. Then she let out an amused smile. "I suppose I can't refute that." She sipped her own cup of tea and said, "Though, I do hope you won't start thinking you have some sort of prophecy around you and head off on a reckless treasure hunt to reclaim pieces of an immortal dark wizard's soul."
Hoopa gasped. "Oh my god. You don't just know Harry Potter, you KNOW Harry Potter. Like, you're a real fan."
Dorothy felt her ears burn and she said, "I-I would not call myself a FAN. I have simply... read the series a few times. In my younger years."
"A fan is a fan." Hoopa chuckled. Then he paused. "Wait. My mom's name is basically the same as Harry's... and my name starts with an 'H' too... Oh my god, I AM the Chosen One."
Dorothy snorted. "Please. You're the boy-who-lived at best. You are NOT Anakin Skywalker."
Hoopa's eyes sparkled. "Aunt Doro. I like you."
Dorothy felt her face burn and she spluttered. "E-Excuse me?!"
"You know about Harry Potter AND Star Wars. That's already like, top tier cool... Wait. Do you know about Narnia too?"
"Of course I know about Narnia. C.S. Lewis was an amazing author and literary scholar."
Hoopa nodded. "Alright. Confirmed fact. You're definitely the coolest out of the Goddess Squad aunts."
Dorothy laughed. "My. I suppose I'm honored? Who would be second then?"
"Snow, because she's cool. Pun not intended. After that, Scarlet because she's level headed. Then Red Hood and Rapunzel are tied for worst since they're unashamed perverts."
Dorothy hummed. "...I suppose I can agree with that ranking." She wrinkled her nose. "...But to think that Red Hood managed to corrupt Rapunzel so handily over the years... She used to be such a devout and pure follower of the faith."
"You say that, but apparently she was from the Vatican, so I highly doubt it."
Dorothy laughed. "That is true- Wait." She paused and gave Hoopa a side-eye. "How do you know about the Vatican?"
"Huh?" Hoopa blinked. "Isn't that what the V in V.T.C. stands for?"
"...It is. But even when we were deployed, people had already started to forget what it stood for. And I do believe any proper records of it have been forgotten. So... how do you know?"
Dorothy wasn't suspicious. But she WAS curious.
Hoopa shrugged and said, "I went on a deepdive conspiracy theory rabbithole after I realized the stylized I's in Missilis were actually crosses turned to the side."
Dorothy blinked. "What?"
"Oh, here." Hoopa pulled out his phone and then pulled up a picture of Missilis's logo before placing it side by side against a crucifix. "See?"
Dorothy slowly blinked, taking in the pictures. Then she let out a long suffering sigh. "That explains... SO much. Too much."
"Right?"
Dorothy chuckled. "Well... enough about that for now." She let out a soft smile and said, "Since this is our first proper time meeting... is there anything you would like to know about me?"
"Not really? I'm just happy to have capable adults around for once."
Dorothy looked amused. "Is that so?"
"You have NO idea." Hoopa sighed. "I mean, it's not like I can't handle things by myself... but I'm very much more of a 'let's just get things done so we can relax' type of guy. Knowing that I don't have to deal with the Ark's politics and also that my other aunts can help with defenses and expeditions too... it's a lot off my plate."
Dorothy paused and took a closer look at Hoopa. Then she paused and said, "...Hold on. How old ARE you, my dear nephew?"
"Honestly? Not sure... but probably no older than 21? I think the academy's basically like high school, so I should be around that age."
"...Should be?" Dorothy frowned. "What do you mean 'should' be?"
"Oh. Well..." He coughed and said, "In my first mission I kind of... clinically died. Memory's kind of fuzzy from that. I've got a lot of semantic knowledge and know-how, but actual episodic memory is a lost cause mostly."
"...I beg your fucking pardon?"
"...Sorry?"
===
A few hours later. The Central Government office building.
Dorothy slammed open the door to Andersen's office and said, "Andersen! You didn't tell me our nephew died on his first mission!"
Andersen paused in the middle of his talk with Burningum, who was seated across from him.
Burningum paused too and looked over. "...Good evening, Lady Dorothy?"
While Burningum greeted Dorothy, Andersen finished processing Dorothy's words. Then he said, "...What? Wait, back up. What's this about my son dying on his first mission?"
Dorothy closed the door and crossed her arms. "My dear nephew just informed me in our lunchtime tea together that his heart had completely ceased functioning on his first mission! Complete cardiac failure! And if not for Marian restarting it, he would have completely died! But more than that, he is completely amnesiac!"
Burningum tilted his head and murmured, "That explains so much."
Andersen's eyes widened. "That wasn't in the report." He quickly pulled his desk open to grab Hoopa's file. Then flipping through it to the first mission, he saw that there wasn't a single mention of Hoopa being harmed in the first mission, only that it was completed successfully despite the transport vehicle destruction.
Dorothy slammed her hand on Andersen's desk and said, "Not only that, but my dear nephew said that you immediately sent him on another mission afterwards without proper recuperation time! He is lucky to be alive!"
Burningum cleared his throat. "Now, Lady Dorothy. It would be best to calm down-"
"I will NOT calm down!" Dorothy looked at Andersen and said, "You sent Lilith's child... your own son into danger. And not only that, but into more danger than the average commander!"
Andersen frowned and said, "More danger than the average commander? I suppose that's true considering the missions he was assigned, but-"
"No, Andersen! He can't receive blood transfusions!" Dorothy looked at Andersen and said, "I checked his medical records! His bloodtype is Rh Null! And O- too! There's no one who has his blood!"
Andersen froze.
Burningum's eyes widened and he said, "That's... So if he is injured even in the slightest and bleeds-"
Andersen slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "MY SON HAS BEEN FIGHTING IN CLOSE COMBAT AGAINST RAPTURES WHEN HE CAN'T GET BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS IF HE'S INJURED?!"
"YES!"