Chapter 180: 180:Lucy’s Zoo
Raymond’s apartment was actually usually pretty quiet, for most of the time.
Like today, with Raymond calmly playing the piano in the living room. The apartment was filled with a tranquil music, one that could calm the hearts of even the most violent men.
Evident by how even Ellen and Erin both felt calmed by the music.
As the music gradually died down, and Raymond stopped playing. He could hear several small sounds of applause from her.
She smiled, "It’s been a while since Ive heard you play. I like it."
"I already said it. You can just ask me. I don’t mind playing whenever."
"Mhm. I know."
"Then why don’t you ask?"
She gave a small shrug, "I just prefer it when you choose to do it yourself."
Music was one of Raymond’s core memories with his mother after all. She wasn’t cruel enough to ruin something like that.
Same thing with all her ’punishments’, if Raymond really wanted to. He could come up with at least a dozen different ways to escape before she even had the chance to use her authority. Her authority itself didn’t even last longer then a few minutes at the most.
Sitting next to her on the couch, Erin kicked her legs back and forth. Her eyes glued to the television screen.
Such a young age, and she was already addicted. Truly an issue that could only be found in the modern era.
Despite Ellen being right next to her, she turned to Raymond instead.
"Dad! Dad! Can we go to the zoo?"
"...ask mom."
Raymond might have been mistaken, but he thought he could hear the smallest sigh from Erin.
"Mom. Can we go to the zoo?"
"Why do you want to go to the zoo?"
"I wanna see the animals!"
Unfortunately, no matter how much Erin wanted to go the zoo. There was no zoo in the academy. Not in the commercial district, or the nature district.
The closest would be the nature district, where there would probably be a lot of wild animals around.
Otherwise, the academy biology division was a close second.
There was a zoo in the capital. But it was still a weekday and they weren’t allowed to leave the academy grounds.
"There’s no zoo in the academy."
"But..!"
She pouted slightly, before pointing a finger at the window.
"There!"
The two of them turned. Spotting a brown squirrel hanging onto the small ledge on the glass panels.
Around its neck, a blue collar made them instantly realize where it had come from.
"Should we tell Lucy one of the squirrels escaped?"
"Sure..."
Ellen didn’t even finish her answer, when the exact same answer appeared inside of both of their heads.
Lucy mainly had Sparky and Vesper as her actual pets (and Cador). But she still took care of dozens of other animals. Injured strays, pet sitting for other classmates and animal rehabilitation. Not just regular animals like dogs or cats, but also more unique beasts as well. Like a flying fish, and a Splitting bird.
The two of them turned back to Erin, who was still grumbling with her arms crossed. Speaking in unison.
"Let’s go to the zoo."
***
"I must say, of all reasons to come visit my floor. I didn’t expect it to be this."
Raymond subtly gestured towards Erin, "She wanted to go to the zoo."
"Ah. Well come in then."
Lucy was now currently living in Cador’s apartment, transforming her own apartment into a zoo for all the animals. Even going so far as to request the academy to upgrade the elevators, that way Vesper would be able to fit inside.
The layout of her apartment was still the same, since all of their special class apartments were built the exact same. But Lucy had clearly put a lot of work to improve it for her animals.
Several shelves and long sticks were nailed into the walls, likely for her cats or birds to have something to run on. There were several fish tanks filled with colorful small fish all the way to a massive tank the size of a small bed, with a singular koi inside.
All the windows were closed, and the walls had clearly seen better days. As a lot of the paint was falling off. Raymond could also spot several tubs filled with food for each of the different animals she had.
"Wow! What’s this one for?"
"That’s..."
Erin’s eyes flicked back and forth, her mouth open as she excitedly hopped over to a small wooden hutch on the ground.
Inside it, several pure white rats scurried about. Occasionally letting out a small squeak as they looked up at her. Before running away in terror.
"Those are albino rats from the west. I’m...taking care of them?"
Lucy didn’t want to ruin Erin’s current joyful mood with the truth after all.
She wasn’t taking care of those rats. It was just that albino rats from the west were Sparky’s favorite food, and buying them each time was getting too expensive.
"Can I have one?"
Raymond immediately covered Erin’s mouth.
"No we can’t, and it’s rude to ask Lucy like that."
"I don’t mind giving away these rats."
Ellen stared at Lucy for a bit, letting her understand the clear intent in her eyes.
"But they’re very difficult to take care of, I wouldn’t recommend it since you’re new." She quickly added on.
"Aw."
Just then, the same squirrel which had just now escaped from Lucy appeared. Causing Erin to start chasing it.
The moment it ran up the wall and away from her sight however, Erin angrily stuck her hand in the direction it went.
"Skwee-wel!"
Raymond put a hand onto her head, correcting her pronunciation of squirrel. Which was a pretty difficult word to say.
"Squirrel."
"Skwuhwel?"
"Squirrel."
"Squihrel."
He patted her head.
Good enough.
Raymond wasn’t sure who Erin learnt her language from, but they clearly didn’t care to correct her.
Sometimes, her speaking sounded more like a baby’s babbling. Which was something he and Ellen had to correct whenever she spoke.
She immediately lost interest in the squirrel however, when she spotted an animal that shouldn’t have even been in this climate.
"Pengwing!"
Raymond corrected her again.
"Penguin."
"Penglin?"
"Penguin."
"Penggin."
Said penggin however, unfortunately ran away from Erin. Or maybe waddled away was more accurate. Surprising Raymond because he didn’t even make penggins could waddle so fast.
"Where’s Sparky and Vesper?"
"Vesper’s just out and about right now."
The idea of a horse being out and about like a human was strangely funny to Raymond, but he didn’t laugh.
"And Sparky?"
A blue snake popped out of Lucy’s shirt. Briefly flicking its tongue at Raymond before going back in.
"...is he always with you?"
"Not always."
"Right but is he with you often?"
"I wouldn’t say that."
"So what would you say?"
"...he’s with me frequently."
"Isn’t that the same thing?"
Seeing Raymond and Lucy casually chatting, Erin took the opportunity to sneak away, under the watchful eye of Ellen. She watched as Erin stuck a hand into one of the dog cages.
It was a golden retriever, one of the friendliest dog breeds in the world. So Ellen wasn’t worried about Erin getting injured.
What was surprising, was that rather then rejoice at Erin’s hand. The dog immediately crouched away, shrinking its body into the furthest corner away from Erin.
Still persistent, Erin snuck her hand into a different cage. With a colorful parrot inside, only for the parrot to immediately flap its wings and move to the furthest corner again.
Ellen watched as Erin repeated this a few more times.
Just like Raymond had said. Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence and three times a pattern.
Ellen copied Erin, sticking her hand into the dog cage and letting it happily lick and sniff her fingers. To which she responded in kind by letting and scratching under its chin.
So it was definitely Erin that was the problem.
Before that, she had to first comfort Erin however.
Sounding as if she was about to cry, she asked. "Why don’t the animals like me?"
"Everyone has different tastes...this means that not everyone can like the same things. You really like to eat bones but your friends don’t like to, isn’t that the same?"
Unfortunately, Ellen wasn’t exactly experienced with kids. So she just tried to explain it in the best way that she could.
"But, they like you!"
"That’s because..." She paused. Not having an answer prepared for this response.
Raymond cut in for Ellen, letting her breath a sigh of relief. Although hearing his answer also made her choke on her own saliva so the relief and stress both canceled each other out. Leading to a perfect equilibrium. Where she felt neither stress nor relief.
"-mom is very lovable which is why everyone loves her."
"You as well dad?"
"Yes."
Cough cough—!
Raymond’s immediate reply was like a splash of cold water directly onto her face. Because Ellen was not prepared for it at all.
But Erin’s next question was like splashing the entire ocean onto them.
"If dad loves mom. Why aren’t you two married or dating? Dad clearly loves mom, and mom clearly loves dad!!"
Raymond and Ellen:!!!
Setting aside the fact that Erin somehow knew what dating was. This question was like when Erin first moved in with them, asking why neither him or Ellen were married. As well as that last part, what exactly was so obvious?!
This time however, Raymond was essentially trapped between a rock and a hard place. With either answer leading to a bad outcome for him.
Saying no would mean that he didn’t love Ellen, and was lying to Erin. Something he promised her he wouldn’t do(unless the situation necessitated him, and Raymond considered himself a man of his word after all.
While saying yes...
That was an entirely different problem!!
"..."
Lucy quietly covered her mouth. Hiding the smile that was forming on her face.
Kids knew best after all. Blunt observation, no concern for any hidden agendas and the lack of thought filtering. All of these traits combined made it so kids usually just spoke the unfiltered truth.
Erin was just curious as well, not even trying to be purposefully embarrassing them. Like loudly asking a question like that. The bluntness hitting them like a truck out of nowhere.
Just saying whatever crossed their minds at that moment. It really wasn’t a good thing for either Raymond or Ellen.
Seeing a child understand their relationship better then they themselves, Lucy had to desperately fight to prevent the laughter from coming out.
These two were never going to beat the allegations against them.
And she got front row tickets.
