Rift

Chapter 3: Stay Like This

When Colin walks out of the kitchen with a tray that has a pot of spaghetti noodles and a pan of sauce, accompanied by the plates and silverware, he stops in his tracks at the sight of a tired Cree standing with his head down, and behind him is a massive blanket fort taking up 3/4 of the living room.

Cree looks up at him with defeated eyes. "There was no stopping them..."

Colin chuckles and walks over, setting the food tray on the new coffee table. Reela pokes her head out from the entrance to the fort with a mischievous grin.

"What's the password?" she demands.

Cree grumbles and pats Colin's shoulder. "Good luck. I'm still not allowed in."

Colin sighs and kneels in front of the entrance and Reela.

"Food's ready, children," he rolls his eyes, smiling.

Reela squints her eyes and purses her lips before quickly ducking back inside. They can hear muffled whispering, then Edith pokes her head out next.

"Incorrect password! But briberies will be accepted!" she states.

Colin nods his head towards the food tray on the table. Edith glances over at it and her eyes narrow before dodging back to him. Reela's head pokes out again next to her and they look at each other.

"What do you think? Will this suffice?" Edith asks.

Reela hums in contemplation. "I don't trust it! It might be poisoned!"

Colin opens his mouth to speak. "But—"

"Order in the court!" Edith announces and both she and Reela retreat back into the fort.

Regan emerges from the back and holds his head high. "You dare try to poison Queen Reela the fourth?! Off with their heads!" he points at Colin and Cree sharply.

Edith jumps up next to him. "Regan! That's not how court works!"

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not the lawyer here!" he scoffs.

"They need to stand trial!" Edith declares.

Cree groans and picks up the carton of chocolate milk Colin has on the food tray and he just chucks it at Edith, nailing her in the center of her forehead and she falls back into the fort.

Regan stares down at her, then looks back over at Cree and Colin.

"Very well. You may enter. But we've got our eyes on you hooligans..." he glares at them suspiciously as he slowly lowers back into the blanket fort.

Colin sighs and looks up at Cree, who nods with the face of a man who knows the pain.

After being 'granted' access to the blanket fort, they all got situated with their plates of spaghetti. Reela seems completely pulled out of reality at the new taste, and her appetite somehow rivals that of Edith. Regan and Colin sit together across from Edith and Cree, with Reela laying on her stomach between them all, devouring her plate of spaghetti, Toya picking noodles off her fork and letting out small squeaks while she eats.

It's not long before Reela has full-on passed out so they put her to bed before starting to talk over drinks, Edith enviously watching Colin and Regan with their wine and Cree with his whiskey. She misses alcohol.

Colin chuckles and takes a drink from his wine glass, looking at Regan.

"Well, you certainly know how to make your presence known," he says. "You're pretty famous around here now, after that little broadcast of yours."

Regan shrugs and waves him off, eating some of his spaghetti. "What can I say? I just have this effect that turns heads wherever I go," he places an elegant hand to his heart.