Cosmos: I am here. Where's your dumb arse?
Me: I was bathing after training your nephew.
Me: You're welcome.
Me: I'll be down in a minute.
"He's here," I told them and they all tensed up, which got a laugh out of me. "He's not that scary, come on. You better prepare yourselves though, because I'll go harder than before on training later. I don't want to get scolded."
"I don't know who scares me more," Priya cried. "You or Cosmos."
Silly. "I'll be going there first, but he'll definitely want to meet my team. We'll be training as usual, two teams together, but harder, so spread the word to the others," then I turned to Oliver. "Come on. You too, Jack."
{"I think I'm anxious."} He took my hand.
I would be too, but don't worry.
We used our telekinesis to fly to the cafeteria, and Jack flew right behind us. Everyone watched as we passed, and as we got to the ground too.
Especially because everyone had their eyes on Cosmos, who was standing in front of the cafeteria, all in black, wavy black shoulder-length hair half wild and half in a man-bun, some of his tattoos on display, including the wings that adorn the front of his neck. His nails died black, and a intimidating look on his face. Standing tall around 2.05m as usual.
Go inside and get with the Circle first. I'll talk with him alone.
{"Okay, babe."}
As I stopped, his eyes paused on me and he grinned, then he turned his murderous gaze to Oliver. "Still with little fanged bitch, I see," Cosmos mocked. "He's lucky he has good-looks that attract you."
"More than looks, father-in-law!" Oliver provoked.
Oliver! "I missed you too!" I pouted and walked to him.
His gaze got softer and he hugged me, taking me off the ground. "I missed you too, kid." As he hugged me, his lemon scent filled my nostrils, all too familiar, and I hugged him tighter. "Piss off!" He hissed at the kids around and I could feel everyone staying away from us. When he put me down, he played with my hair, "Whoever suggested you to keep them lose, made an amazing suggestion, you look gorgeous."
My cheeks heated, "You do too. Look at you, all dressed up in fancy clothes, it's the first time I see you like this," it was his time to blush, his dark green eyes glowing with the compliment.
"I know! I'm amazing, aren't I? Besides, why would I use fancy clothes to train? I mean, my clothes are all fancy, but it's different."
I rolled my eyes, "Of course, it is. You look handsome."
"I always look handsome," he winked.
Hah, sounds like someone I know.
{"I can still hear your thoughts, you know?"}
"You do," I pinched his nose softly, then shook the bracelet on my wrist. "So, aren't you proud of your prodigy daughter?" I asked grinning.
He held my wrist softly, taking a look at it, "Hell yeah, Hel. That's my kid. And an emerald bracelet? You are really taking after me, because all the times I played the Eclipseball Tournament of Lunar Starfall, and won, of course, I also had a bracelet and crown of emerald. You better take the crown out of your boyfriend's pretty little head."
"Aw, you think I'm pretty?" Oliver yelled from his seat.
Cosmos glared at him, "You also eavesdrop, little fanged bitch?"
"Won't change the fact that you think I'm pretty," Olive grinned.
Ignoring him, Cosmos got inside and took me to a clean table, away from all the others, and as we set down, he turned to me. "Freeze time for a bit, will you, kid?"
Nodding, I did as he said, freezing everyone else but us. "So?"
Licking his lips, he took a little dark green velvet box from his pocket, then looked at me, "I wanted to give you something that would also contain some protection magic in it, but I didn't want to buy you anything. I mean, Shay, your mom, was the best crafter in the world, I was a fan of her, and I thought of trying to go for her way too. You know, dragons are natural talented at crafting, and though I'm not at all as good as Shay was, I tried," and when he opened the box, there was a ruby ring inside.
I gasped, "The advice you asked me…"
A nod. His eyes turned to the ring, "Yes, it was for you, dumbarse. Lighter hair color, ruby ring. So, I picked a rough ruby and crafted it for you. I was going to go for a serpent, but I didn't knew if it would be special enough. So, I decided to just work on it and see what would come from it. That's how I got to the little serpent with small open wings in the center. I mean, I know you're actually of obsidian scales, but I wanted to either go with diamond or ruby. I did all while embedding with my barrier, healing, and flame magic. You're healing is better than mine, I also know that, but it'll work for an immediate wound, and it'll power up your own healing."
A wave of emotions took over me, and I found my eyes burning up with tears. "You crafted me a ring?" I whispered.
When he met my eyes again, he seemed caught off guard by my tears, and pressed his lips together. "Do you like it?"
Getting up, I jumped and hugged him tight, "I loved it. I couldn't ask for nothing better ever. To think you tried to do a present in the same style mom did means more than anything to me. I'll never take it off," I cried and he hugged me back again. "Thank you. Thank you, so much."
He chuckled softly, "No need to thank me, you dumbarse. I've been planning on doing something for you since our training was coming to an end. But keep it a secret, the Queen has no idea. You know how she is, it would be a pain if she learned how I care for you."
"As I would let that old reptile know," I scoffed, then I sat on the other side again. "Can I give you something back?"
Chuckling he gave me a look, "I mean, I never refuse gifts."
I summoned a set of eight emerald daggers with handles of gold and obsidian crafted and adorned with a dragon on it, plus a bracelet made of emerald, similar to my necklace, but of a dragon instead of a serpent, surrounding the neck, the arm in his case. "You better not refuse, or I'll kick your arse again. Something in me tells me these were made for you."
His eyes widened as he took a look at it, "Your mom's…"
A nod, "Hide in your fancy black coat. I know it must have lots of pockets inside it, since you are addicted to pockets."
Winking, he did exactly that, "What can I do? They rock."
Well, I did get that from him. "Did you like it?" I asked as he hid all daggers and put the bracelet on, under the long sleeve of his fancy suit over the tight sleeve of his fancy black shirt underneath. Weird, I'm starting to realize his style is a lot, and I mean a bloody lot, similar to Oliver's.
"I love it," he beamed. "Your mom was the best. Now, give me that right hand of yours," I held my hand up and he took it gently, then he put the ruby ring on my right ring finger, then he kissed it. "Suits you."
I blushed, "It's the perfect size."
Scoffed he gave me a bitch-be-for-real look, "Of course, it is. Come on, I know you. If we count the time we spent together thanks to your time magic, I know you for a thousand years. So, it would be a shame if I didn't know the size of your fingers for a ring."
I mean, he does has a point. "So, did Hanna flirt with you?"
He rolled his eyes, "She did. But I'm not giving her hope. And you shouldn't either, Hel. She's adorable and kind, but she's not my type."
Scowling, I made a gagging sound, "Oh, yes. You prefer anciently older than you, who will never reciprocate and are already mated, uh? Quite the putrid taste you have there, father. Besides, I can't have my grandma as my foster mother, can I?"
Throwing a ball of green fire on me, he scoffed, but I was quick to countered it with my own green flame. "The Queen is not my type, damned serpent. And I don't have a crush on her, alright?"
Let's pretend to believe that. "Uh hm, and who's your type?"
He tilted his head, "You better not punch me, alright?"
I narrowed my eyes, "If you say Philippa, I'll kick your teeth!"
It was his time to make a gagging sound, "Hell no. Disgusting shite. I loathe that fucking whore. I can't even stand her face. I'm talking about your mother, Hel. She was absolutely my type."