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29/MAR/2021   Interrogation day. It's sort of what I've been dreading most ever since I made things up with Dad and the others.   Dad's been given the all clear to go back home today. I'm excited, but sort of nervous about it at the same time. What if it doesn't go well, what if something else happens? I know I've been told to just take things as they come along, but when you're someone like me who likes, and almost needs, to be prepared for every possible situation and every possible outcome of situation, such a thing is exhausting.   Maybe there's something good that's still to come from this.   Yesterday, we all met up like we had promised. I went to the pier a bit earlier that day, just to be by myself for a while and to get out of the house. I waited there until I got a text saying both Dad and Dexter were waiting by the car up by the ice cream shop we always go to. Dad laughed about how he feels like a flamingo with the crutches he has to use. In a way, he wasn't wrong. He does sort of look like one.    Just a little.    To complete the look, Dexter suggested that we dye his hair bright pink. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I could see him with pink hair, but maybe that would make it even funnier.   A couple of others joined us as well. Some of which I recognize like Lucas and that 'Bec' that works with the Fire Department, but there was another person who I didn't recognize this time. Dad said she used to work with the Police Department back in Larkspur and that she helped him out when he got into trouble that time. Her name's Marusya, and apparently she isn't a fan of sweets.    Dad spoke briefly about how his Mum died in a DUI. It somewhat makes me glad my Mum stopped driving years ago. I hope she hasn't started again at least.. it's the sort of stupid thing she'd do, because a person like her wouldn't consider it to be stupid.    At the end of the day, I went back to the Hospital with Dad. I had brought him one of those "World's Best Dad" mugs. I know it's slightly weird to dot hat without having an occasion to mark, but I know stuff like this is customary. Might as well make a start on the collection. I'll leave the socks for his birthday, or maybe Christmas.   I managed to apologize to Ruby and Dexter as well, which has made me feel a bit better. Even then, with those words said, I'm aware I still have a lot to make up for.   As for today, right now, I'm stood awkwardly between Noah, Rico, Dexter and Dom. I picked Dad up from the Hospital earlier after I ended up staying with him last night. He was able to convince the staff to let me at least. After that, we headed to Odin's. It wasn't long at all before we ended up here.   Dad runs through a bunch of questions with him, asking him what his intentions are with me, if he's still in school, what he's studying, what his plans are when he finishes school, who he lives with, how he pays his rent etcetera.    I sort of stood there throughout, almost not even daring to interrupt. Eventually he seems to relax about it though, however he very clearly states if Noah ever upsets, touches or hurts me in any way, his "ass will get hung from the highest flag pole".   Poor Noah.    We all end up sitting down as a group and continue talking like that, though I'm back to the stage where I'm not saying much. Noah mentions that he's got a bike, to which Dad specifies I'm never to go on that bike. Somehow, I agree, even if it never had said that, I have a feeling that I wouldn't.   Marusya, the lady from last night, ends up showing up as well. They end up going to the back of the room to talk about "grown up stuff". I know in reality they just want to let Noah and I catch up, but my head won't shut up that they must be talking about me, or that they clearly don't trust me enough to be a part of their conversation, or that maybe they just don't want me there at all. It's all of that on top of the fact that I keep feeling myself get nervous whenever he goes out of sight, like if I take my eyes off him for even a split second, something bad is going to happen. My head keeps peeking over my shoulder to the point I'm barely focused on the conversation Noah is trying to have with me.    Noah is talking about how he's trying to find work and stuff. Maybe I can see if Dad will offer him a job here? Then again.. maybe not, considering those two have just met. But at the same time, he's the sort of person who won't hold back offering help when he can, so maybe I should? I guess it's something for me to think about.   I spent most of that conversation wishing I was somewhere else. Not because I don't enjoy the company, just in that moment, I needed some space to clear my head, but going over to Dad and the others to let them know just felt wrong.   Regardless, eventually Dad announces he's heading back home, so I offer to drop him back off. I sort of feel like going home anyway. On the car ride back, though, he asks me what's wrong - why I kept looking over my shoulder. Dad seems to think I'm worried that Marusya is going to make a move on him or something, but states that isn't how it is. I admit to myself that it was making me nervous, but I sort of tried to push it down. Besides, for me at least, that wasn't the point.   I decide to open up about how I get concerned when he goes out of sight, even if I know he's right behind me. Spouting it out verbally like that makes it sound even more ridiculous than my head was already telling me it was. He tries to affirm the fact that he feels the same way when he can't see me. "You are my home," he says, sounding almost rather corny.   I explain that I just don't want him thinking I'm smothering him or that he feels tied or bound to being around me all the time. And that's the truth - I don't want him feeling like that. I don't want to hold him back or limit what he can do. That's not my place, and even if it was, I wouldn't want such a thing.   He says he doesn't want me feeling the same way either, and I promise him that I don't. It never really crossed my mind before. In turn, he then promises that he doesn't feel that way either. "Double promise?" I ask.   "Triple promise," he replies.   I give a small chuckle.    "It's been a long time since I made you triple promise anything."   "Well, now is that time."   "You have to trust me in some way that I'm gonna be okay and always come home to you."   "It's not you I don't trust," I begin stating. "It's just the other people in the city. Minus Dexter and everyone else, of course.. you know what those people are like, so do I."   Dad says he gets it, which is why he's so protective of me, but he has a lot of people on his side and will always have back up. Even then, he could have an entire 1,000 person army behind him and I'd still get worried. That's what I believe at least.    "Because that's family," he reminds me.   I nod a couple of times, giving him my acknowledgement. I'm not sure if it's so much understanding this time round. There are things I don't think I'll ever understand. All of what's happening recently are just a handful of things on that list.   But what can you do?   "How about we go in and eat our weight in pancakes and ice cream?" he bribes, even offering to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the fourteenth hundredth time this year.   I smile a little and we head inside. Being back here feels almost.. odd, even if it's only been a few days since we were last both here together. We finally end up getting set up on the sofa with the food as promised and sticking on some random movie running on one of the channels. I don't think either him or I were that bothered by what was on, a result of being equally tired as we were just relived to both be back home together, the return of some sort of sense of normality.   Dad ended up falling asleep before the movie even started getting interested - albeit I can't blame him for it at all. Despite being worn out, I decided to stay up to watch the rest of the film. I was sort of curious. I need to find more re-runs to bother him with other than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.   I've got a lot of things to think about. I guess that's stressful in its own way. Even now, things are still moving too quickly. Before we can get over one curveball, we get hit with another.   Someday I hope we'll get some sort of a break.  

L&A as per discussion with xLeicy. He will be focusing on another faction instead.

Yeah, no brainer +1

Well given we only had three entrants, it was a simple case of choosing first place! Thanks to our judge @Chaos, I can confirm that @Effect has won first prize for this competition - you may report in-game to get the GCs spawned. As regards the Discord nitro for you all, feel free to DM me on Discord to claim!

@QueenC @Rat