Meeting Riley and Raphael

It was unexpected! Henry doesn't know if he should be happy or not, how should he react to them, casually, formally? He scanned through his memory to see if there was anything he would get from his socializing class...ah, maybe there's a skill he could use to make it less awkward

...

"Wow, this place is big, I want to take a look around." Riley kept excitedly as she gave Raphael the puppy dog eyes, he heaved a sigh and waved her off.

"Sure, make sure to get back here on time so we can leave early, it's a long journey back, you know." Raphael reminded her.

"Who do you think you are? You aren't babysitting me, so don't act like you're the responsible one!" She stomped out annoyed. As usual, she was wearing an eye patch covering her left eye.

'What's up with her attitude? She was just all over me a second ago. This gender, they are aliens, you can never completely understand them, I'll get in trouble if we both get home late; I won't be able to make it on time to the game and automatically lose the bet.' Shaking off the thought he called a nearby employee and instructed her to fetch Henry.

While waiting, he brought out a new lollipop, unwrapped its seal, and put it in his mouth. He sat at a nearby garden shed while getting unwanted attention from the workers, he didn't want to keep looking at them, so he decided to use his phone

Raphael was busy on his phone when a blonde kid approached him and greeted him.

"Good day, are you my big brother?" Henry asked.

Raphael could say nothing but smirk, those eyes of his gave him a lot of sleepless nights and nightmares, he finally had the opportunity to eliminate this threat once and for all.

"Yes, I sure am your big brother. Nice to meet you, Henry," Raphael said stretching out his hand for a handshake. Henry stared at Raphael's hand for a while, lost in thought.

'Isn't this supposed to be the scene where he cries and hugs me since it's our first time meeting? Cartoons and movies sure know how to bend reality.' He finally shook his brother's hands.

He was told to have a seat while they waited for his sister.

"It's nice to meet you, how's everyone at home?" Henry asked. Raphael looked amazed but then smiled before answering.

"They're all missing you. We all feel incomplete knowing we have a little brother but he's not around." Henry picked up that he was lying from the insincerity in his eyes.

"Oh... that's good to hear," Henry said and continued "I'm sorry brother but I can no longer hide my curiosity. Why do you have two different colored eyes?" Henry questioned.

Calling him brother felt weird, but wasn't difficult, maybe it was because he wasn't holding any meaning to it. Saying something you don't mean is easy.

But he was genuinely curious, who wouldn't be? If it were possible, everyone in the lab site would have rushed towards Raphael to interview him on the same question Henry just brought up, but, they knew who he was and cherished their lives.

"I thought that you would find it difficult to communicate with me, I guess not." Raphael shrugged, sounding a bit disappointed. He had planned to tease him if he appeared to be timid.

"Am I not getting it right? Should I change my speech pattern?" Henry asked rubbing his chin like a detective.

' What the hell? Does he think we are acting a movie here or something?'

"Sigh.... No, it's fine, I'm just impressed that's all. Ah... about the eyes, well, you see: Dad has powerful vampire red eyes and Mom has powerful witch yellow eyes, so our eyes mean we possess both a witch and a vampire's powers, we're like hybrids that is if you understand what I'm saying." Raphael answered

"I do, the theory has been explained to me in class. Though this is the first time seeing it for myself."

'He said 'we', meaning that it's both he and Riley.' Henry thought.

"But... I'm equally curious about your purple eyes, it's beautiful though." Raphael said staring at Henry in the eyes.

"Yes, you have a handsome little brother. But, alas, I have no idea of its origin." Henry said.

Henry was honestly doing his best to put everything that was taught to him into practice, his teacher told him to always be confident in himself during a conversation. It'll always give him the upper hand during a negotiation, but he wasn't sure if he was doing it right. He felt like he was failing, just as he kept failing his tests.

' I can't read him, there's something fake about him, but... I can't quite figure out what it is.' Raphael studied Henry for a moment to know if he'd get any lead to what he might be thinking, but unfortunately, Henry's expression was blank, although he was smiling, it was all fake.

'I freaking hate kids with dead expressions like this. They remind me of my 'death' days too.'

"Hehe," Raphael smiled and continued " You see, our paternal grandmother, once had those pair of purple glistering eyes, but it was powerless. And I heard that you have been going through the same phase. How I empathize with you brother." Raphael said but Henry immediately caught on to the mockery in his tone.

"Oh, is it about me having little chi and stuff? It's fine, I'm better off this way. Having big chi would have been stressful, I have a tight schedule as it is and I don't want anything added to it, if I had enough chi, I'm sure I'd barely have time to eat or sleep." Henry said, his sincerity transparent enough for Raphael to notice.

"..."

"I'm more at peace having low expectations from you all," Henry added

"But, you should..."

"Here's my cute little brother! Big sister has missed you so much, have you been well?" Raphael was interrupted by Riley who came from behind and jumped on Henry. She was excitedly rubbing her cheek against his.

Henry like a robot immediately analyzed how the conversation would flow to not get awkward. If he greets as he did to Raphael then it would be awkward, the solution is being informal.

"Hey big sis, Henry has always looked forward to meeting you. It's finally nice to see you, my dear beautiful sister." He said in a third person's point of view while wearing a bright smile.

"Aww! Cute cute cute!" she exclaimed looking very excited, but on the inside she was surprised.

Surprised at how he controlled the conversation, his confidence, and how he sounded so mature. She immediately knew to be careful around him.

"I see that you and your big brother have met," Riley said, finally letting him go. Henry could notice that slightest change in her and could tell that she had become wary of him.

He was satisfied somehow, he knows that a family should honestly bond, but after seeing these two, he has an idea of what kind of family he was born into, so he was satisfied by completely dominating and overwhelming them...well, maybe not completely.

"Yes, and I'm grateful, he has shown me how much he cares this past minute," Henry said while focusing on her patched eye.

'I guess she patched her golden eye, maybe she just prefers father's special eyes instead.' Henry thought.

"Ok," Riley clapped, "How would you like to have a taste of the cupcake that your big sister spent her precious time making JUST FOR YOU." She said, intentionally stressing the last words, and deliberately keeping Raphael out of it.

Henry became alert, he knew there was nothing good that would come out of this but he didn't know what to expect. He couldn't just turn down her cupcake, she would be suspicious of him, if not offended. Besides he was hungry, he hadn't had anything to eat after the energy-draining class.

"Don't make it so obvious, it's not like I want your cupcake or anything," Raphael said noticing the void in Riley's acting and trying to patch it up. He knew the kind of person Henry was from the little conversation and understood that he couldn't be fooled so easily. But Henry's reply made him doubt his judgment about him.

"Hehe, sure I would love to," Henry replied believing that whatever it was, it wouldn't be a big deal, or at least, it wouldn't kill him.

Raphael closely watched them as Riley sat beside him, brought out the thcupcakeske from her spatial ring, and offered them all to Henry, accompanying it with a chilled soft drink.

"Thank you," Henry appreciated. He noticed how cold the drink was and was able to figure out that she had used her power as a witch to make it cold. Something wasn't right but he didn't care much, he wasn't going to let the delicious-looking cupcake pass him by without having a taste of it. He picked up the cupcake took a bite of it and swallowed.

"Argh." A short but not too loud exclamation left Henry's lips as he froze in place.

'Yes.' Riley inwardly exclaimed excitedly.

'This is it. I win!'