Elysium

Italian cuisine is an art very few can get right. Sure, anyone can boil some pasta and pretend to be an expert, but you? you are an expert, dedicated to your craft, an artisan that wont-
A youtube ad starts playing over your Filetto sauce tutorial
''Fuck you Susan'' you grumble, stirring the sauce, triying your best to not mess it up without the guidance of the nice balding italian man. You put some bay leaves on the sauce and turn the fire down, wiping the sweat of your brow. While the sauce is getting ready, you put a pan with water and salt in the stove, the pasta water slowly heating up.
As you finish watching the tutorial (that fucking ad took like 2 minutes) and you make sure your sauce doesnt taste like barely spiced crushed tomatoes, its time for the grueling task of cleaning everything you used so far.
''Future me will thank me'' the water starts splashing against the dirty dishes when the sound of a pair of keys grab your attention
Your front door swungs open and a small pink haired girl does a clumsy cartwheel,before getting into a Y pose with her eyes closed
''Hello baby girl!'' you exclaim, happy to see your beloved daugther
She peeks with one of her eyes but keeps the pose
Oh!. You clear your throat ''The shining star of the Abyss! iiiiiiiiiiits Lyyyydiaaaaa!!!'' your hypeman attempt seems to make her happy because she drops the pose and comes to hug you, then dropping the hug and jumping in place while talking
''Hi dad! Todayihaddanceclassandtheteachersaid-''
''Wowowow cowgirl easy there, remember to breath'' The door closes and your wife, Mrs Calliope Mori, walks into the apartment. Even now, with Lydia being 12, she doesnt look a day over twenty-five, rocking her bobcut like she's still a young idol with an attitude.
Lydia takes a huge breath before talking again ''Today i had dance class, and the teacher said im pretty good!'' she gives you a smile that sorely lacks one teeth.
God is she the cutest thing ever, youll have to take another photo of her later.
''Aww sweetie you are just the best'' you pat her head and she giggles, playing with the hem of her dress. Calli comes next to you and kisses you on the cheek, as you turn around she playfullly slaps your butt
''Sweetie can you help daddy with the table?'' you ask, glaring over your shoulder to your wife, who just snorts and ruffles your hair. Even without heels, Calli is a few inches taller than you. Not like it ever bothered you, but it was a problem when you tried to act mad
''What are we eating today, my small cute husband?'' she opens the fridge, probably looking for some water. You wait until Lydia runs to the other side of the table with the plates before you deliver a quick slap to her butt. She glares at you, but you both cant help but laugh.
''Dad..Mom!'' Lydia comes running again, crossing her arms ''No fighting!''
''Sorry dear'' you say, tending once more to the pasta water ''Mommy is just so mean to me sometimes''
Calli just rolls her eyes,before taking the cutlery and setting it on the table. Now that the food is almost ready, you can check if that recipe was truly italian


''And thats why every time there's a lot of animals in one place, its called a zoo'' You finish the story, closing the picture book. Lydia looks at you with tired eyes, fighting to stay awake
''can....i get another story?'' she mumbles, her right eye already closing by itself
you just chuckle and give her a kiss on the forehead ''Sweet dreams cowgirl''
You exit the room and close the door behind you, walking all the way to the living room, where Calli is nursing a fresh glass of wine in the sofa
''What you doing here all alone m'am?''
''Oh you know, enjoying some time alone...finally getting to hear my thoughts''
You sit next to her and take her glass, sipping from it before scolding her ''Be nice''
''Anon i had her in my body for nine months... I LOVE her, but she's a lot sometimes'' Mori sips the wine again and sighs ''I really love her a lot, you know that''
You hum, fully understanding your wife's point of view. Lydia was...a bundle of joy and energy...a lot of energy. Something you fully suspected came from the Mori side of the family. You cuddle with your wife for a while, making some small talk about work. The glass of wine turns into a bottle and before you know it, you two are getting sappy in the middle of the night, with just the crickets as witnesses
'She seems to love her dance lessons a lot''
''She's killing it, and you should hear her sing. She's planning to sing you a song on your birthday''
''Wonder where she inherited those pipes from''
''You are talking with her, Bitch''
''Language''
''She's not here, i can be as crass as i want...dick,tits..cunt...ass''
She laughs and you steal a kiss. you stay there, enjoying each other's company
''Anon what if she wants to be an idol?'' Calli's voice is full of worry
''What about it?''
''This world is....a lot to handle... i dont want my sweet little yam to get corrupted''
you frown, deep in thought, and now is Calli's turn to steal a kiss from you.
''I guess... we'll have to be there to make sure she's fine''
''Of course we are, im staying with my girl until hell freezes over or i go to jail for killing a press member''
''Language''
''Are you gonna punish me if i keep saying bad things? Dick...fart...tits..pussy''
You look at the ex-reaper and you cant help but catch the mischievous spark in her eyes
''Mrs Mori?'' you fake your exasperated tone as much as you can, making her giggle'' Are you seducing me?''
''I dunno, you tell me dude, we've been married for thirteen years''
now its your time to be smug ''A bottle of wine isnt enough to get you frisky... seems like you got lonely huh?''
Calli's ears turn red, as she tries to evade your eyes. Thirteen years and she's still an akward dork.
''So... gonna tell me?''
''T-T-Tell you what''
''Are you seducing me?''
''Anon...for fucks sake''
You close in and kiss her, your tongue invading her mouth, before pulling away from a bit.
''Are you seducing me?''
She bites her lower lip
''Y-yeah... i was thinking''
You hum, your hands roaming her legs and shoulders
''Thinking what?''
Now she leans in for a kiss and you take your sweet time savouring her lips, her tongue and the wine.
The looks she gives you after the kiss makes your pants extra tight
''Thinking that its time for another member in our family''
Scratch that, your pants are about to explode, but still you decide to play around.
''Oh? how hard have you been thinking about it?''
She leans in once more, but instead of going for a kiss, she passes your face and gets her lips on your ear.
She blows and kisses it, nibbling it and stroking your manhood over your pants
''I might be wearing new lingerie'' she finally says
Your reason snaps as you take the initiative, toppling her and taking her lips, as your hands get to work, both for feeling her up and undressing her
''Wait'' Calli complains between kisses ''Lets get to bed''
''And risk waking Lyd up?'' her pants go fliying ''no thanks''
''Anon i swear!'' she hushes you, your shirt joining her pants in the floor ''If our daugther wakes up and sees you fucking me in this couch...''
''She wont'' now her shirt is gone, and you pick her up in your arms '' because im fucking you on the table''

The next morning, its hard to answer your daughter's questions like ''why is daddy full of marks?'' ''why is mommy so happy?'' and ''why are you cleaning the carpet so early?


''And why i cant go with you?'' Zoe, your now 6 year old daughter, whines. The venue of the concert is starting to get full and while your family has access to the VIP section, that doesnt include the backstage, at least not for everyone
You kneel and look straight at her eyes. Her hazelenut hair is tied in a neat bun with a ''Lydia 1st Live'' scrunchie, the rest of her attire just screams fan, down to her small (custom made) happi coat.
''Because Lyd is very busy,probably getting her idol outfit in'' your younger daughter frowns ''and besides, i need someone to keep mommy safe'' that seems to grab her attention.
''what?''
''yes Zoe, there are a few bad people out there that want to make your mom look bad'' you continue ''they are called The press''
Zoe scans the corridor with her small eyes ''dapresz? what do they want to do with mommy?''
''A paycheck''Gura, who is currently looking at her phone while you try to convince your daughter, chips in
You roll your eyes, before putting your hands on the small shoulders of your precious daughter
''Can you do it Zoe? can you go with auntie gura and keep Mommy safe?'' The girl opens her eyes and you can almost feel the stars coming out of it as she nods
''Good, now go''
Gura takes her hand and carries her away, as you wave them off. ''thank you'' you mouth off and she just gives you a peace sign
With that solved, you start a powerwalk through the corridor,and taking on the twists and turns of the venue,running into multiple staff members giving you weird looks, altough the UNLIMITED ACCESS pass in your neck deters any one of them stop you.
Finally you arrive to the dressing room area and a beast of a man built like a wardrobe that just happened to be the passion project of a caveman steps in front of you.
''Need clearance pal''
You sigh, triying not to rage at someone doing their job, as you flash the pass
He looks at it and clicks on his earpiece
''I need confirmation for pass 44-59-21-0''
''Oh come on'' you say, he simply crosses his arms ''I work here man, my daughter is in there''
He gives you a look and you can see his eyebrows raise over his sunglasses ''Yeah and im Aqua's Jamaican brother, get real buddy''
Before you can tell him that's actually not as impossible as he think it is, a raspy voice intervenes
''Let him in Brutus, you are speaking to Anon, from the producer department''
Brutus steps aside, and behind him the sight of a pair of sunglasses, a pony tail and a lit cigarette awaits you
''Thanks'' you say, and try to give your meanest scowl to Brutus ''How's everything going J?''
J-chad looks at you from head to toes and chuckles ''I knew you would be here mister husband. Your daugther is inside'' she points to the dressing room behind her.
Still, you walk up to J-chad and extend your arms, she giggles and gives you a hug.
''Thanks for keeping an eye on her'' you tell her, squeezing a bit. Even after all of these years, you still have loads of respect to your Ex-boss
She squeezes too, and pats your back a bit too hard for your taste.
''Calli looks like a goddamn sun these days, its honestly kinda sickening how happy she is'' you chuckle, before she adds ''Im just paying the favour back Junior, no need to thank me for doing my job''
You finally get released from the hug and she pats your back once more
You give her a last wave as you step in the dressing room.
Its a scene you are way too familiar with. The backupdress in a coat hanger, the table with a jar of room temperature water and a sea of cosmetics and other stuff, the mirror full of lights, the mountain of postals and flowers, the bathroom that was mainly used to throw up before the councert, the bucket that was there when the girl couldnt get to the bathroom in time and of course, the idol pacing back and forward, almost leaving a mark on the carpet
There she is, your daughter (soon to be a grown woman) in all of her glory.
You cant help the wave of nostalgia washing up over you, seeing the small little bundle of clothes you once held, turn into this gorgeous girl wearing her Idol outfit and braided hair
Puberty has been generous to your daugther, even if she's nowhere near as tall as her mother ( and maybe on the shorter side like you) she has definitely inherited her curves. However the similarities end there. your daugther having a far more higher pitch voice, wildly different musical tastes,personality and just overall a less...flowery language
''You are supposed to put the boots first, that way you get them to fit better'' Her head snaps to you and gives you an excited gasp, running into your open arms
''Oh dad, im so glad you are here'' she squeezes you hard and you reciprocate ''the nerves are going to eat me alive''
You pat her head, you would have loved to pat her back, but you learned that usually ended up with the talent throwing up in your shirt
''Its okay sweetheart, just remember all the tips your mother gave you'' You can feel a sudden influx of heat in your chest and a quick glance at your daughter confirms her ears are red as a tomato
Sigh ''She told you to picture all of them naked didnt she?''
She nods and steps back, gloved hands covering her face
''I cant, its just so lewd''
you chuckle and walk to the table, getting her a glass of water
''Its okay baby. You are gonna ace this''
She takes the glass of water and drinks it, still clearly stressed
''But what if miss a note?''
''Scuffs are cute''
''And if i fall?''
''Gap moe''
''And if i freeze?''
''Just Blame the lag'' she cracks a smile and you do too, that one always works.
She takes a deep breath, and smiles once more.
''Thanks Dad'' You cant help but hug her once more
''Not a problem baby girl'' You fish for your phone in your pocket ''wanna take a selfie?''
Your daughter's smile instantly becomes akward
''What? is something wrong?'' you look into the mirror and nope, your Lydia shirt is still in pristine conditions, your hand made haori and headband too, even your first live pants are unscathed.
oh
okay you get it
''Maybe after the concert okay?'' she nods, clearly triying her hardest not to cringe at you. You give a quick look at your watch and you whistle, you have to get back.
''Break a leg sweetie''
She closes her fist in front of her face and nods, suddenly reinvigorated
''Yes dad! ill make you proud! I can do this!''
Someone Knocks in the door, and as it opens, J-chad peeks her head in
''Twenty minutes kiddo''
''TWENTY MINUTES?'' your daughter shrieks, as you reel in pain
''I CANT DO THIS, DAD IM LEAVING IM GOING TO COLLEGE AND BECOMING A'' she stops, suddenly going pale and clasping her hands over her mouth
Before you can make an attempt to hand her the bucket, she zooms to the bathroom and starts retching
''At least she made it to the bathroom'' says J-chad from the door
''I MISSED-GLERK THE TOILET'' you and J-chad cringe as the idol keeps emptying her stomach in between sobs ''IM NOT AN IDO-BLERGH, IM A FRAUD''
''I love you sweetie!'' you walk out of the dressing room and give a small wave to the makeup team on standby.
Honestly you've seen worse


''How is she?'' asks Calli once you come back, the fact her happi and Lyd merch has not been used as a weapon against the papparazi taking photos of her is a relief. Next to her, Zoe and Gura are playing a phone game while they wait for the show to start. The VIP zone,despite not being exactly detached from the rest, still has a lot less sound going on
''Puked in the bathroom''
Calli puffs up her chest ''That's my girl''
''She missed the toilet''
''ITs still a win, i had to use the bucket''
Gura pops in from behind calli ''I tried to get to the bucket but i tripped, so i just did it on a flower vase''
Honestly, why do you even try.
''She was nervous, but im confident she'll ace it''
''Of course she will'' Mori squeezes your hand ''Because she has a kickass dad''
''And a mother'' you add, kissing her
''nah, im on a different league'' you both laugh, waiting for the concert to start
The countdown starts, 50 seconds and everyone starts to freak out, you included
50!
You and the girls can feel the hype, your heartbeat accelerating
40!
''Oh god'' Mori breathes faster ''Im so excited''
30!
''Fuck''
''Langua- Are you criying babe?''
''I am? oh shit im.. i think im too emotional''
20!
You can see Calli's tear running down her cheeks very clearly, as she tries to stop them
''Its something wrong?'' you yell, the crowd starting to get louder
''I dunno, im just... so overwhelmed'' she sobs and yells ''Im too hormonal''
10!
''What?''
9!
''Yeah, from the pregnancy''
8!
''THE WHAT?!'' You yell in a mix of surprise, happiness and nerves
7!
''THE WHAT?!'' yells Gura, in a mix of surprise, horror and disbelief
6!
''IM HAVING A SISTER!!?!?!'' shrieks Zoe, in complete glee
5!
Mori slams her hands in her face
4!
''IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FUCKING SECRET!''
3!
''wait babe'' you try to make yoursel be heard over the chorus of people
2!
''WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW!''
1!
The Venue goes silent
And then the lights turn on, and you can feel the earth shaking as everyone cheers.
Lydia is in the center of the stage, inmaculate,shining bright
''DO YOU GUYS HATE WINDY DAYS?'' she screams, and as the band starts playing, your own cheers get drowned by Calli's


''ENCORE. ENCORE.ENCORE'' the Crowd screams as Lyd throws kisses and waves to the public, you cheer in a soft voice. You are pretty sure your voice its gone and the only reason Calli's isnt is because of her extensive vocal training. What is gone is probably her reputation. Tomorrow there will be a lot of covers and posts of Mori Calliope, the cool reaper, bawling her eyes out and shaking lightsticks.
Lyd takes the microphone and waves once more, before doing a quick look to the sideways. You know that one, is the ''manager is this okay?'' stare
You see her smile grow, and you can tell J-chad probably gave her the thumbs up
''Thank you everyone for being here!'' the crowd erupts once more as she takes a breath ''before i finish my first live concert... i want to sing a song i never sang before''
She smiles as everyone cheers and whistles, before speaking once more
''This song is dedicated to my parents and my sister... i dont think i could be'' her voice breaks a bit and the crow goes wild again
''I dont think i could be here without them'' she sniffles and you can feel the waterworks on your side too ''My mom says ballads are sappy and my dad thinks their are too sad'' as she speaks, one of the band members hands her a guitar, the public chanting her name
''But Dad? Mom? im already criying and i love you so much!'' As she starts playing the guitar, the crowd start clapping. you embrace calli and join her, both of you criying your eyes out as your daughter perfoms.
The next day is not Lydia's or Calli's photo the one in every site. Its one taken and uploaded by ''sharkster420'' where Lydia Calliope and her family are criying and hugging on the stage, as the lights shine above them.

Edit
Pub: 17 Sep 2022 05:09 UTC
Edit: 17 Sep 2022 22:16 UTC
Views: 520