so...you owe me. ;; remy

Hadley was almost getting the impression here that Remy's brother was trying to make her feel bad for something that wasn't her fault. Sure, it was a sad story or whatever and his life obviously hadn't been fantastic, but all his talk about feeling confused and sad, and how nobody wanted him, all seemed like his words were specifically chosen to make Remy guilty.

Maybe not though. Hadley didn't know this guy, maybe that was just how he talked about things. He figured he'd wait and see where this conversation went before making any snap judgments.

I want you! Remy wanted to say. And she was sure her mom had wanted him too, no matter what had happened. Remy's mother was an amazing woman--not someone that would have given up a child lightly. She had obviously thought it was the best choice for Lysander. She would have been heartbroken if she knew what had happened to him.

"Stay here," Remy said suddenly. She didn't even think for a moment about the fact that she didn't know Lysander at all or that she hadn't asked Hadley. This was her brother and he needed her. Her mother's baby. Her brother. How was any of this even possible?

"We have an extra suite." She didn't want him paying to stay in a smelly apartment in Dahlin when there was a perfectly good apartment attached to the Earalas estate here that he could live in for free. Especially not when said perfectly good apartment was attached to Remy's own. Where Remy could get to know him and love him and he was her brother. She couldn't get over it. She had a brother and he was here and he was hers.

Remy wrote:"Stay here,"

Lysander's eyebrows raised in surprise. He didn't think it was going to be this easy! "Really?" He asked, trying his best to sound grateful. "I...I don't know what to say!"

Look at her, Layla said sadly. She wants to so badly help you, how could you take advantage of her like that?

Hey, I could be friends with her too! He replied, although they both knew he wasn't looking for friendship.

In all honesty, Lysander resented Remy, just like he had resented their mother. In a more logical world, he would have realized that it wasn't Remy's fault their mother threw him away. But this was Lysander's world, and he was jealous. Remy got to live in this huge estate, with a mother, and she always had food in her stomach, and a roof over her head, and a warm comfortable bed to sleep in. Lysander wanted all of that, why didn't he ever get any of that?

Not that he knew it, but Hadley got a look of surprise on his face that was almost identical to Remy's brother's. "What? Remy," he said sharply. It wasn't just the fact that she didn't ask him first (it was his estate) or the fact that they had literally met this guy mere moments ago and knew nothing about him (Hadley didn't even know his name). No, his biggest objection was that he still felt like this guy was just playing Remy like a fiddle. "I think a little more thought needs to go into this first."

Remy had forgotten momentarily that Hadley was in the room she was so caught up in the revelation of having an actual family member that was here, in the flesh, alive.

She turned to look at him, feeling a little irritated that he had interjected on her happy moment. Lysander deserved this. He had to stay. It didn't matter what Hadley said--Lysander was staying.

"Please excuse us, Lysander," Remy said to her brother politely.

She walked over to Hadley. "Can I talk to you in the other room, please?"

"Of course," Hadley said evenly, getting up and walking off with Remy into another room. Maybe once they were away from her brother, Hadley would be able to talk some sense into her.

"Rem, you don't know this guy," he said almost immediately after they stopped walking, wanting to get his point across before she could start talking. "You don't owe him anything."

She knew he was going to try to convince her to not let him move in.

"Hadley, he's my brother," Remy countered instantly. "What if Solange had been passed around from family to family because no one wanted her? He can't just stay alone!"

Realistically, Remy knew that Lysander was a grown man and could take care of himself at this point, but all Remy could think about what boy-Lysander had gone through as he was growing up. He had thought his entire life that no one wanted him. Remy couldn't even imagine. It was changing right now.

"I care about Solange because I grew up with her," Hadley countered. "If she'd been passed from family to family she'd just be a stranger to me, like this guy is to you. You don't know anything about him!"

"But I want to know him," Remy pressed. "And he has never had anyone to care about him! Did you hear how sad he sounded?" Hadley had probably heard, but hadn't cared, knowing him.

"And he lives in that dumpy little apartment that smells. We have an empty room here--why can't he stay?"

"I heard how sad he was trying to sound," Hadley said before he could stop himself. While he still could be wrong, even thinking back on it Lysander's 'sandess' had seemed really insincere. There was no way he was going to get Remy to realize that, though. She was too caught up in the idea of having a family member.

"Look, I think it's a bad idea," he explained. "Have you thought that maybe he's taking advantage of-- of this situation?"

He almost said what he was thinking, that Lysander was going to take advantage of her, but thought at the last second that she might not react to well to that.

"Why would he do that?" Remy asked defensively. Vex didn't bother responding, though he could list probably ten reasons on the spot, the first being money.

"You don't even know him," she protested. "How can you say that about him before you even know him?"

Hadley opened his mouth to speak, then had to close it again when he realized he didn't have any idea how to respond to something that idiotic coming out of Remy's mouth. He took a deep breath and tried again: "You. Don't. Know. Him. Either," he said, probably not in the nicest way he possibly could have.

Gods, he knew this whole thing was a shock to her and that she was probably reeling at the fact that she suddenly had a living family member, but she was going to get herself into trouble if she didn't clear her head enough to realize that her brother was still a complete stranger. He was going to have to spell it out for her.

"I don't think he came here to get to know his mother," he said after a brief hesitation. Surprisingly, he actually found himself feeling a little bad having to tell her this. "I think he came here because he found out she was living with me."

"Not everything is about you, Hadley," Remy said angrily. "And I might not know him--but that's the point! I want to. I have to. I'm going to."

Lysander was staying. Remy had already made up her mind. It didn't matter what Hadley said or thought. Having her brother live there would barely affect Hadley at all--it's not like he talked to anyone that lived at the estate anyway.

There was absolutely no reason for him to be acting this way. It was like he just wanted her to be upset, which would have made sense in the past but not since things had changed for them. Not that Remy was feeling any sort of affection for Hadley at the moment.

It was like talking to a brick wall. "Fine," Hadley said, annoyed. He was over this conversation. If Remy wasn't going to listen to reason then he wasn't going to keep trying to get her to. If she wanted to stay oblivious to the fact that he was just looking out for her, then fine. She could deal with the consequences. "He can stay. But don't blame me when this doesn't end up going like you think it will."

Remy was happy she had gotten her way though she was still irritated by Hadley's attitude. Why was he so sure Lysander was going to be an issue? It was almost as if he wanted this to go badly.

Remy didn't bother saying anything to Hadley's irritating response she just glared at him, took his hand and led him back into the living room. They could at least look united in this decision.

Remy wrote:"Please excuse us, Lysander,"

"Oh go right ahead," Lysander responded.

Hm. This overloridian may be a problem. He decided to eavesdrop, and quietly made his way to the room they left to, and listened outside the door. Listening to their conversation, Lysander realized that his assumptions were right. At least Remy believed him, and she was all that mattered. It sounded like the overloridian cared about what she thought too, because after their conversation was over, Lysander was still moving into the large estate. He would have to figure out how to get the overloridian on his side later.

Before he could get caught, he swiftly made his way back to the room they left him, and started tinkering with a decoration that was left on an end table. When the two returned, he looked up and smiled a small smile at Remy.

"Lysander," Remy said with a smile, "Sorry about that. We just needed to talk about a few things." Lysander didn't need to know that Hadley was a big old jerk, he'd figure that out soon enough on his own.

"But you are more than welcome here, of course," she told him. "You don't need to worry about anything, we can set up the whole thing for you." She had already started thinking of what movers could help them move things all the way from Dahlin to Earalas. He had traveled a long way to find her! she thought, already forgetting that he had come right out and said he had been looking for their mother and not Remy at all.

Remy wrote:"But you are more than welcome here, of course," she told him. "You don't need to worry about anything, we can set up the whole thing for you."

"Really?!" Lysander responded. "Oh my gosh that is so amazing, you didn't have to do that!" But you kinda did. He made his way over to his sister and the overloridian. He pulled Remy into a big hug and squeezed her. Then took the overloridians hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Oh man thank you so much," he said. "I really appreciate it uh...er...I didn't catch your name yet."

Remy wrote:"You don't need to worry about anything, we can set up the whole thing for you."

Hadley didn't know who this "we" she was talking about was, because it sure as hell didn't include him.

Lysander wrote:"I really appreciate it uh...er...I didn't catch your name yet."

"Hadley Sterling," Hadley replied in a polite yet unenthusiastic voice as Lysander shook his hand a little too vigorously. He was going to have to pay careful attention to this whole situation. Despite the attitude he'd given her in the other room, he really didn't want Remy to end up getting hurt after all was said and done.

When Lysander hugged her in thanks, Remy's heart instantly melted. The very first hug she was ever sharing with her brother. Later she would probably be really sad, when she thought about all the time she had lost with him, but right now she was just so happy that she had this. That he was here, and real, and that she wasn't alone anymore.

She was disappointed when he let go, but was happy to see him shake Hadley's hand. If Hadley could see she would have shot him a smug look. Lysander was so polite. And happy. It made Remy so happy, too.

"It's nice to meet you, Hadley Sterling," he replied after letting go of his hand. "The name's Lysander Sparkes!" Lysander could tell Hadley was less than enthused to have him living there, but frankly he didn't give a damn. He was finally getting what he deserved. What he should have had already.

"This is great," he said to Remy. He didn't think it would have been so easy! Yet here he was, under the overloridian's roof. Lysander's roof too. Life was grand!