[She is glad to have her ego fed in turn...! This motherhood stuff isn't so bad.]
Of course you didn't! As a true master of the ninja arts, it was second nature for me to put up an impenetrable wall of secrecy while entertaining you! [It wasn't super easy given the things she had just learned, but she was able to focus on the pure joy of spending time with her son.]
In any case, I - I am glad. Quite glad that I was able to make your younger self happy! And to have successfully picked up the baton from, from my other self!
[No denying she did exceptionally well. The mention of her other self makes him hesitate - he has to talk about that, too - but maybe he'll work up to it. He needs some extra courage first.]
Oh, uh- I heard you met Hunter... sorry I didn't mention him before, we ended up so sidetracked at my place. I was going to introduce you.
[A slight tone shift as she's reminded of something she meant to scold him about. She had been sidetracked by that whole business with him turning into an adorable child and learning about her fate in his timeline! But now, it's time to get to business.]
Cassandra Jones Junior! If you are dating someone, then that is vital information which should have been shared at the earliest possible opportunity!
That is fine. Just make sure to relay such important things going forward.
I do wish you could have waited ten or so more years to start dating. It would give me more time to mentally prepare myself! ...But this is... acceptable.
[She lets out a breath before going on.]
Hunter does seem quite nice. If you are happy, that is what matters.
Ten years? Back home I wouldn't even live that long. [Mother, please, that's too overprotective.] Uh- I am really happy, though. He's a big part of that. So thank you!
[Not that he'd break up with Hunter if she didn't approve, but it means a lot that she does.]
Nonsense!! You will live forever and are never allowed to- to perish. So says your mother!! [She demands, as if that makes it so. And then she exhales.]
Very good. I am glad that you are happy with him! [She tries to think - as a mother, is there anything else she should do or say in handling this? Anything else he can learn - ah yes! Of course! She steels herself for the ultimate lesson. And clears her throat.]
Since you are in a relationship, there... is something I feel that you must learn about. You, uh, you see... When two people love each other very much, or just share a mutual, consensual and healthy desire to explore each other's bodies...
I know! I one-hundred-percent know everything! Don't worry!
[He definitely does not know it all and a lot of what he does know was not... accessible... in the apocalypse, but he is not asking! Not that he needs it anyway!]
You have truly learned well, my son. [Potty training and the birds and the bees? Her kid's a genius!] Heed what you have learned well!
With all that said, I am happy for you that you have found someone. And I am here if you ever need me, of course. Should he ever break your heart, I will be sure to completely destroy him, so you have nothing to worry about!
Please don't come at my boyfriend with a shovel. Even if he did break my heart, that'd be overkill. ...And he doesn't plan to! We're very, uh, healthy!
I- I shall abide by your wishes, of course! Your happiness is the most important thing now. And if your relationship is healthy, then that is great! We don't even have to worry about any potential rampages of revenge!
[Please never break his heart, Hunter. You might actually die.
Speaking of, though... considering her response to the other thing he hadn't told her, maybe he should stop avoiding it.]
...I'm... also sorry I didn't warn you about the... future you, and what happened. I kind of hoped I'd have more time, and that I could tell you properly.
[Unsurprisingly, Thirteen had other ideas. He'd also not really wanted to tell her at all but that's a whole other thing.]
[She'll take that into consideration. But all thoughts of her son's love life and any potential retribution she might visit upon his boyfriend are quickly forgotten with that topic change, accompanied by Casey letting out a shallow breath.]
...A-ah. Yes. ...That. That I can... understand you waiting to tell me. [She respond slowly, without her usual energy.]
That is alright, Casey. It... it is best for me to know such a thing. It is a lot to process. But... even more than that... I- I keep on thinking of what you've had to go through!
[He hadn't expected that. Maybe he should have? She's already taken to heart her role as his mother with such passion, and has been appropriately protective. Knowing his life was a struggle and that she missed so much of it, that's a reasonable conclusion to reach. This was never his intent, though.]
It's okay, though. I had a pretty good life. [Well. Okay. It was terrible, compared to what he knows life can be like now. But at the time he really didn't know any better.] I mean- it wasn't all bad. Everyone took good care of me. They saved me.
[It has been a lot to process. Initially, she could distract herself for the most part by playing with the young Junior. But afterwards, it weighed on her that not only was she gone, but she was gone when he was so young. Accepting her mortality almost seems easier next to accepting leaving her own son's life so soon. At least she can be comforted by knowing him now and seeing firsthand how well he turned out.]
Yes... yes, that is true. You have grown to be a splendid young man! And I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who's looked out for you and helped you. [She had already felt that way, but that was when she simply thought he was separated from his mother only by traveling through time and coming to this world. Now that she knows her fate, her feelings towards any and all other parental figures of his have intensified!]
I- I am sad that I could not be there for you all those years of your life, as a parent should... but I am still happy that you've lived and have so much good in your life. Now I wonder... if this was another reason I was brought to this world. To have time with you that... otherwise could not be had.
[It's a depressing thought, but then again, many aspects of his life are depressing, and if true there's an element of hope and kindness to it. One more thing to feel grateful to Thirteen for? That sure wouldn't fly with all the people who hate her or want to kill her, but they don't have to know.
On the other hand...]
It could be that you being here doesn't have anything to do with me. I'm sure Thirteen saw your potential, too. Because you're amazing. [Which is true in his eyes. And she deserves to stand on her own, and not only be his newly-discovered mother. She's still Cassandra- the first Casey. A warrior and a badass and a great person regardless of who she's related to.] I mean... the world's been saved. We stopped the Krang. You're not going to die. We'll meet in New York too, one day, and then we'll have our whole lives to figure all of this out.
[Which is still so wild to imagine. A year ago he'd never imagined living so long. He'd been ready to go down fighting in those final days.]
You're right, I am amazing... [She nods along, as if her son just reminded her of a basic fact of life.]
Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions! So I won't die, and we can still meet! I just, I did die before, in the future, but now I won't, except for when I did...
[She shakes her head quickly to try to dispel the confusion.]
Anyway!! Regardless of that, I have decided for myself that being your mother is part of my purpose in this world! To be an ultimate hero and an ultimate mother! Those are challenges that I intend to crush!
You're already crushing it. So definitely, definitely don't die!
[No doubt that she's rocking the mom vibe. But there's plenty of relief in his tone. He's glad! For all of it, really. Not dying, and being his mom, and a hero, too... just so long as her version of hero doesn't include dying like her counterpart or so many others he knows.
There's just one more thing:]
Hey, how did you know? About me being Cassandra, too.
[It'd been a presumption before, based on that old yokai friend of hers in the future, and Hunter asking (and therefore reminding him it was a thing). But confirmation! For sure! He has to know.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Of course you didn't! As a true master of the ninja arts, it was second nature for me to put up an impenetrable wall of secrecy while entertaining you! [It wasn't super easy given the things she had just learned, but she was able to focus on the pure joy of spending time with her son.]
In any case, I - I am glad. Quite glad that I was able to make your younger self happy! And to have successfully picked up the baton from, from my other self!
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[No denying she did exceptionally well. The mention of her other self makes him hesitate - he has to talk about that, too - but maybe he'll work up to it. He needs some extra courage first.]
Oh, uh- I heard you met Hunter... sorry I didn't mention him before, we ended up so sidetracked at my place. I was going to introduce you.
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[A slight tone shift as she's reminded of something she meant to scold him about. She had been sidetracked by that whole business with him turning into an adorable child and learning about her fate in his timeline! But now, it's time to get to business.]
Cassandra Jones Junior! If you are dating someone, then that is vital information which should have been shared at the earliest possible opportunity!
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[Not exactly the earliest, but he got there.]
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That is fine. Just make sure to relay such important things going forward.
I do wish you could have waited ten or so more years to start dating. It would give me more time to mentally prepare myself! ...But this is... acceptable.
[She lets out a breath before going on.]
Hunter does seem quite nice. If you are happy, that is what matters.
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[Not that he'd break up with Hunter if she didn't approve, but it means a lot that she does.]
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Very good. I am glad that you are happy with him! [She tries to think - as a mother, is there anything else she should do or say in handling this? Anything else he can learn - ah yes! Of course! She steels herself for the ultimate lesson. And clears her throat.]
Since you are in a relationship, there... is something I feel that you must learn about. You, uh, you see... When two people love each other very much, or just share a mutual, consensual and healthy desire to explore each other's bodies...
[Stop her.]
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Mom! I know all of that stuff!!
[Well. That's one way to get him to call her that.]
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[Another clearing of the throat!]
I am proud that my son has learned such - such important information! So you know everything about... being safe?
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[He definitely does not know it all and a lot of what he does know was not... accessible... in the apocalypse, but he is not asking! Not that he needs it anyway!]
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You have truly learned well, my son. [Potty training and the birds and the bees? Her kid's a genius!] Heed what you have learned well!
With all that said, I am happy for you that you have found someone. And I am here if you ever need me, of course. Should he ever break your heart, I will be sure to completely destroy him, so you have nothing to worry about!
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Oh! A... shovel talk?
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Huh? Well, I suppose that shovels could come into play at some point, should it come to that...!
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Please don't come at my boyfriend with a shovel. Even if he did break my heart, that'd be overkill. ...And he doesn't plan to! We're very, uh, healthy!
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[She clenches a fist for a moment, then exhales.]
I- I shall abide by your wishes, of course! Your happiness is the most important thing now. And if your relationship is healthy, then that is great! We don't even have to worry about any potential rampages of revenge!
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[Please never break his heart, Hunter. You might actually die.
Speaking of, though... considering her response to the other thing he hadn't told her, maybe he should stop avoiding it.]
...I'm... also sorry I didn't warn you about the... future you, and what happened. I kind of hoped I'd have more time, and that I could tell you properly.
[Unsurprisingly, Thirteen had other ideas. He'd also not really wanted to tell her at all but that's a whole other thing.]
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...A-ah. Yes. ...That. That I can... understand you waiting to tell me. [She respond slowly, without her usual energy.]
That is alright, Casey. It... it is best for me to know such a thing. It is a lot to process. But... even more than that... I- I keep on thinking of what you've had to go through!
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[He hadn't expected that. Maybe he should have? She's already taken to heart her role as his mother with such passion, and has been appropriately protective. Knowing his life was a struggle and that she missed so much of it, that's a reasonable conclusion to reach. This was never his intent, though.]
It's okay, though. I had a pretty good life. [Well. Okay. It was terrible, compared to what he knows life can be like now. But at the time he really didn't know any better.] I mean- it wasn't all bad. Everyone took good care of me. They saved me.
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Yes... yes, that is true. You have grown to be a splendid young man! And I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who's looked out for you and helped you. [She had already felt that way, but that was when she simply thought he was separated from his mother only by traveling through time and coming to this world. Now that she knows her fate, her feelings towards any and all other parental figures of his have intensified!]
I- I am sad that I could not be there for you all those years of your life, as a parent should... but I am still happy that you've lived and have so much good in your life. Now I wonder... if this was another reason I was brought to this world. To have time with you that... otherwise could not be had.
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[It's a depressing thought, but then again, many aspects of his life are depressing, and if true there's an element of hope and kindness to it. One more thing to feel grateful to Thirteen for? That sure wouldn't fly with all the people who hate her or want to kill her, but they don't have to know.
On the other hand...]
It could be that you being here doesn't have anything to do with me. I'm sure Thirteen saw your potential, too. Because you're amazing. [Which is true in his eyes. And she deserves to stand on her own, and not only be his newly-discovered mother. She's still Cassandra- the first Casey. A warrior and a badass and a great person regardless of who she's related to.] I mean... the world's been saved. We stopped the Krang. You're not going to die. We'll meet in New York too, one day, and then we'll have our whole lives to figure all of this out.
[Which is still so wild to imagine. A year ago he'd never imagined living so long. He'd been ready to go down fighting in those final days.]
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Perhaps I am jumping to conclusions! So I won't die, and we can still meet! I just, I did die before, in the future, but now I won't, except for when I did...
[She shakes her head quickly to try to dispel the confusion.]
Anyway!! Regardless of that, I have decided for myself that being your mother is part of my purpose in this world! To be an ultimate hero and an ultimate mother! Those are challenges that I intend to crush!
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[No doubt that she's rocking the mom vibe. But there's plenty of relief in his tone. He's glad! For all of it, really. Not dying, and being his mom, and a hero, too... just so long as her version of hero doesn't include dying like her counterpart or so many others he knows.
There's just one more thing:]
Hey, how did you know? About me being Cassandra, too.
[It'd been a presumption before, based on that old yokai friend of hers in the future, and Hunter asking (and therefore reminding him it was a thing). But confirmation! For sure! He has to know.]
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But she is confused by his question though, as if he's asking about some basic, elementary fact.]
It's obvious, isn't it? What else would I call my own child that 'Casey' would be short for? [With a snorting laugh-] Casington?
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I don't know! Everyone always called me Casey, or Junior. Definitely not that, though.
[Still, it is nice to have it confirmed.]
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