Time Warp: Gloriously Wired

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

July, 2025

Penelope rarely had to work on the weekends, and when she did have to, the Brit could normally work at home. On occasion, however, she had no choice but to go back into Hammel for a few hours, and that particular Sunday she had to.

She wasn’t gone long; only a few hours. For summer break, the school was going through and cleaning all the classrooms, and Penelope decided to clear out her desk for it.

When she came home, the Brit pushed open the door, a neatly packed box in her arms. “Hello?” She called out as she stepped inside. Within the few steps she had taken into their home, Penny had yet to see any signs of her wife or children.

Her eyebrows twitched together as she placed the box down on a counter and continued to walk in the direction of the living room. Silence was something to be concerned about, at least as of late. Living in a house with two young boys and Lucy Serrano was hardly called for a quiet weekend – and that was fine. Perfect, even.

Penelope Blaise hardly expected to ever live such a life, but she loved every minute of it.

“Lucy?” She tried again, pressing her lips into a hardened line as she entered the living room.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Parenting was something Lucy was sure she hadn't been built for. Never did she expect to rightly find someone willing to have a family with her, and beyond that she never expected to be remotely good at it. Her personal examples were far too distant to build something of a collaboration between a strict mother and a nonchalant father.

She guessed she faltered. A lot. But she was thankful Penny didn't point that out to her.

When the psychometrist made it home, Lucy heard her initial call. The derelict silence must have been daunting, and she really did want to rectify that with reassurance. But she was all but stuck in her current place. She considered the safety behind making a decent run for it, and then she remembered their children were three and four years old.

So as the Australian's name passed the Brit's lips, she quickly came dashing out from the bedroom and ran - as quietly as she could - to meet her. The first thing she did was wrap her hands around her counterpart's arms and lean in to kiss her, because despite the evident haste, she couldn't help herself.

"I can't stay long. It was a danger even meeting you like this." Lucy started, her voice carrying evident, albeit feigned desperation. "I'm completely exposed and no one's bloody well watching my six." And when she realised this didn't make sense, she took a breath and continued on. "It's hide and seek. With bullets."

Another breath, as if it brought her to her senses.

"They've got nerf guns." She reasoned, and caught her expression before continuing on; "Only the tiny ones."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny stopped in the living room, her concern growing from the lack of a response. She sucked in a quick breath, and before she could again call out to her love, she came into the living room. Quietly. Almost frantically.

She let the held air in her lungs pass, and although she had plenty of questions for the Australian – the first of which being was where the children were – she reciprocated the kiss. She couldn’t help it, just as she couldn’t help but to lean into her hold.

Lucy’s explanation was first met with raised eyebrows; a look that clearly stated she needed more information. The ink manipulator didn’t look as if she were in any real danger. Her eyebrows lowered though, furrowing together in a look of confusion as her wife did offer more information. Unfortunately, none of which seemed to explain what was going on.

And finally, she was enlightened with what was going on. Hide and seek. With bullets. Despite knowing that they likely weren’t real, Penny couldn’t help the way her eyes widened at the information. She dropped her jaw, a hardened expression taking over her features, but Lucy continued, as if knowing she’d inevitably ask.

And when she continued, the Brit felt tension grow in her jaw. “We talked about this, Lucy.” Her dark eyes flashed to the left of the Australian’s head briefly, catching sight of the younger of her two sons, armed weapon pointed at her wife’s back. “They don’t need to have Nerf guns, even little ones.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Immediately, Lucy lost the definite intention she had in her hands around her wife's arms, but she didn't let her go. It'd only been hours, and the ink manipulator had still missed her. Any ounce of contact was most definitely important.

But that look - that particular stern look from her counterpart's eyes was the very thing she was trying to avoid. Or ease away from. And it seemed she failed, as she knew she likely would anyway. Yes, they had talked about this. Lucy could keep her collection if she didn't encourage the kids to shoot each other. And if she didn't shoot the kids. If she left them in the office on the wall, despite how much Penny really clearly hated seeing them on the wall.

"They don't need them, my love," She started, running her fingers down the line of her arms towards her hands, "But they like them."

And if they liked them, Lucy reasoned they could have them. Spoiled as they were by such a mentality.

"Besides, I had fake guns as a kid and I turned out fi-"

It wasn't the quiet little pop! that cut the conversation dry, it was the little hit that caused her to roll her shoulders back. She suddenly dropped as dramatically and painfully as she was able. Silence fell. Not a cry. Nor a scream. And definitely not a movement from the Australian as she lay motionless on the floor for a decent amount of beats. Enough to make Ellis look at Penny and wear something of his own elated grin as he took steps towards them.

"That-" Lucy started suddenly, propping herself up into a sitting position, "Was one rip roaring shot you just took!"

And she jumped to her feet, closing the distance between herself and their youngest son with quick steps before hauling him into her arms to rest against her hip. "Right between the shoulder blades." The ecstatic expression of the little boy radiated into that of the ink manipulator, and she pressed her forehead against his as he laughed about, in a round about way, killing his mother with a nerf dart. So she pressed her lips against his cheek once. Twice. And on the third, she lingered. "When we find Link, we'll-"

Pause. The Australian looked at the Brit, keeping her eyes steady on her as she stayed leaning close to the face of their youngest.

"Put. The gun. Away. Put the gun away." She whispered into his ear, though loud enough for her counterpart to hear, "She's gonna take it off you. Captain Blaise is decommissioning your weapon, soldier."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Before Lucy had finished her sentence, Penny had dropped her jaw with every intention of throwing back a reply about the Australian’s childhood. However, before even she could finish, the definitive sound of a foam bullet leaving its gun ripped through the air, and even more dramatically, her wife fell to the ground at her feet.

Penny looked down at her wife, and then to the proud expression their youngest wore. She took in a quick, almost unsure breath as her gaze moved back to her apparently dead wife.

Who quickly reanimated out of seemingly nowhere. The Brit tried not to let her surprise of the sudden movement show. Her lips pressed into a hardened line as Lucy complimented their son’s shot. Positive reinforcement over shooting guns was not by any means helping.

However, when Lucy stood and scooped up Ellis, Penny felt her hardened expression immediately soften despite how badly she tried to maintain it. She clenched her jaw in an attempt to maintain the sternness in her features.

And as their son laughed, and Lucy kissed his cheek, she failed. Exhaling slowly, she caught her wife’s gaze and held it, eyebrows twitching upward once. She brought her arms up, crossing them as Lucy not so secretively called Penny’s intentions out to the younger boy.

“It’s too late now.” She replied after a few beats. “They’re never going to give them up now that you let them have them.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy was definitely getting something from her psychometric counterpart. But would it be this cold a shoulder when it was just the two of them? She almost laughed at the thought of Penny trying. Especially when her answer landed somewhere between disapproving and… Was that mild approval? Was she giving in and giving up? The brightened connotations of their sons face in tandem with the definite little; “Yay!” he offered most definitely seemed so.

“Oh, they will.” Lucy replied, nodding her head once. And then he was frowning just as quickly. “Captain’s orders. Anyone who doesn’t do what she says doesn’t get to stay in the crew anymore.” Immediately, she tilted her head towards Ellis and dropped her voice to a whispered; “Do you want to live on the street, boy?”

He offered a quick no followed by a broad shake of his head as the Australian pulled away a touch. “He doesn’t want to disembark, ma’am.” Lucy added, holding him a little closer, “Did you bring your requisition forms?”

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The corner of Penny’s lip twitched upward as their son let out something of a little cheer at the news. It wasn’t fair; Lucy was sure to know this would happen, and Penny would have to, in a sense, lay down arms as her wife would say.

But she was still offering surrender, and Penny found herself surprised by the act. If anything, it was confirmed as their son’s bright smile pulled downward.

She tried to follow along with her wife’s ongoing illustration of their little crew. Although she hadn’t approved of the thought of kicking their son out onto the streets – joking or not – Penny found herself quite in awe by how the Australian was able to handle the situation.

Because he wasn’t putting up a fight about it.

“I’m afraid I left them at the office.” She explained, following along with the act. The Brit stepped forward, walking closer to both her son and wife. She raised a hand, running it through the boy’s dark locks. Any sternness she had left in her expression quickly faded as she looked to her counterpart, feeling the overbearing need to kiss her.

And so she did; leaning in, she put her lips to the ink manipulator’s cheek. “Where’s Lincoln hiding?”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Penny was playing along. It was the very thing Lucy had been searching for, but it was rare. Rare enough that when it happened, she couldn't help but feel and genuinely look surprised. The sentence was so seemingly insignificant, but damn, it was everything for the Australian.

As Penny came closer, the boy in her arms couldn't help but smile at her, unfathomed by any the hardened expression she was no longer wearing.

"Then I'll take it to the armory." She reasoned, raising her eyebrows at their son who begrudgingly placed the three-bullet shooter in the palm of her hand. He didn't seem too phased to lose it, because in the next moment he was reaching for the psychometrist in her close proximity.

But so was Lucy.

Her free hand curled into the fabric of her counterpart's dress at the feeling of her lips against her cheek. Because it wasn't enough. It was hardly satisfying; nor was it sustainable.

With the exchange of their son made, Lucy did her best to catch the Brit's gaze. But her's dropped down to her mouth on instinct, and when she looked up again, she carried that small hit of desperation.

Ellis pointed to their bedroom, and Lucy lowered her eyebrows. "Closet, I bet." She guessed, drawing a dart from her back pocket and loading the weapon Ellis had given her. "Stay back, love. I don't want you to see this." And she definitely didn't want to get in trouble for shooting their son.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny raised her eyebrows as their son handed over the gun to Lucy. She wasn’t sure which of the two were more dangerous with the plastic weapon.

Her lips lingered against Lucy’s cheek as she felt her wife pull at the fabric. It was more than enough to grab her attention, and she found herself involuntarily letting out a short exhale against the Australian’s skin. Such a move was unfair, and Penny was sure she knew that.

Their youngest wrapped his arms around Penny’s neck, and she withdrew her hand from the ink manipulator, drawing it slowly across her back before taking their son into her arms. She offered the boy a smile as he grinned at her, and when she looked to her counterpart again, she caught the where her gaze was settled. The Brit pressed her lips into a hardened line in an attempt to ease her mild frustration.

However, it only grew worse when she caught Lucy’s dark eyes. It was impossible to ignore the small hint of intention in her wife’s expression, and the distress that came with knowing when she could properly express such. Her jaw tensed slightly as she held Lucy’s gaze for another beat, implying everything she could within the few seconds.

Lucy wasn’t the only one feeling desperate.

She tore her gaze away when Ellis indicated towards the bedroom, and she raised her eyebrows as Lucy pulled out a foam dart from her back pocket. Of course she had more of them somewhere; it was so her to.

“Give him the chance to surrender before you attack.” She replied, the corner of her lip threatening to pull upward. “That’s an order, Major Swindle.” Certain things, even Penny couldn’t resist but to play along with. However, she still refused to fully admit such, and turned her attention to the boy in her arms, fingers brushing through his hair and pushing it neatly to the side. “Did you have fun with mum?”

As he nodded, Penny’s smile broke through and she pressed her lips once to his forehead. “Good.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

There was a very short moment of eye contact. But it was all Lucy needed. Part of her wished she hadn't seen the desperate reciprocation in her wife's eyes; it made it that much harder to create any distance with her. Because she knew she had to wait. So the Australian had to take a breath. Anything to calm herself and allow herself to keep moving.

And she had every intention of doing so. She was going to play on as she always did. She even took her first step away before she faltered.

Because she said that.

As much as Lucy wanted to look back at her, she simply faltered over a step and dragged her foot for a second or so. It forced her back straight. It was unfair. And she was unfair for saying it. "Jesus." She said quietly, but there was nothing light about the single word's delivery.

She ventured forth alone into the room in question, and she was met with immediate silence. The only time she heard a sound was when she pressed her hand to the closet door. A small shuffle, and a little fit of laughter. Lucy pushed the door open, and her eyes took in the sight of a little boy surrounded in fallen clothes.

Her first thought? Penny wasn't going to like seeing her dresses off the hangers and in a heap in the closet.

Second? She was holding a nerf gun to her son's head, and even with the titled brand of shooter attached, that still didn't really sound good.

But eventually she walked out of the bedroom door, her hand to the boy's shoulder and the hand with the weapon up in the air. As they stepped into view, the trail of dishevelled dresses was practically gone. He dropped the one he held and glanced up at her.

"Poor camouflage techniques, love." Lucy reasoned, raising her eyebrows at the fact, "I didn't even need to shoot him, just like you said. I think that means you won."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

As Lucy stepped away, Penny’s gaze shifted towards her, dropping down the line of her form and catching the falter in her step. The Brit couldn’t help the amusement her lips took; she knew exactly why her wife faltered, and the smugness in her expression gave that much away.

She heard the Australian say something, but she hadn’t managed to catch what it was. And because of that, she determined she was thankful that it didn’t reach their son’s innocent ears.

It was only when Lucy disappeared from view did she bring her gaze back to the younger of their two sons. Any intention in her smile cleared from her expression as she caught his blue eyes. It briefly crossed her mind to ask him just how many times Lucy had given him a toy weapon, but part of her determined that she just didn’t want to know.

Because there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she had.

Penny pressed her nose to the side of Ellis’s face, to which the boy let out something of a giggle. “I brought a new book home for you.” She said lightly, “We’ll read it tonight, okay?” The boy seemed thrilled with the idea, giving a nod, but his attention – and Penny’s – was quickly drawn away as Lucy returned.

She watched the dress fall to the floor, nose crinkling on instinct over the wrinkles that would form in it. But her gaze moved to her wife, and she let out a light breath at her declaration. “Do I get some sort of reward for winning?” She asked, “Isn’t that how these things work?”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The first thing Lucy noticed was the way her wife's nose wrinkled. She knew her expression would take some kind of unamused form, if only for the moment, at the state of a dress on the floor without the ink manipulator being the cause of its newfound placement. If that was her face now, Lucy couldn't imagine the look she'd be carrying when she saw the state of the closet.

But she definitely wanted to be there for it.

"Well, you can't get recognised through a promotion - you're already the boss." Lucy reasoned, edging their son closer to them both as she took more steps forward. When she was close enough, she managed to bypass both and finally press her lips against hers again, "Leave it with me, I reckon I'll figure something out."

She exhaled a quick sigh as she reeled back, refusing to let her smile falter in any way. "But for now, I'll take 'em off your hands for a bit longer, yeah? We'll find something else to play." The universal final word immediately had their older son curling his hands around Lucy's, intent on dragging her away and towards the perfectly placed controller near the couch.

"It won't even be violent." Lucy quickly shrugged her shoulders on instinct as she stepped away with Link, "Well, it's temperamental. But no guns." Raising a hand, she waved for Penny to put Ellis down so he could quickly follow, "Well, there'll be guns. But they're plastic, and everyone's plastic so it's not too bad."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

“I’m sure you will.” Penny replied against Lucy’s lips, her own pulling upward at the thought. It almost made her breath catch, but she forced the rest out of her lungs as Lucy pulled away. Not yet.

The tail end of Lucy’s sentence caught Ellis’s attention, and it hardly surprised the Brit as his grin grew. His grip already loosening around Penny’s neck, a sure sign that he was ready to squirm his way out of her arms.

Penny raised her eyebrows, setting the younger boy down as Lucy spoke. She highly doubted any game they owned didn’t contain some form of violence, and her expression showed exactly that. And, as expected, it was. Temperamental, she said. It was violent. Even if it was little plastic men running around.

The moment he touched the floor, Ellis already started heading towards the living room. He wasn’t patient enough to wait, and Penny took the first initial steps with him as she moved to reach for her dress. As her fingers curled around the material, she immediately found herself looking up at Lucy with pursed lips. Her nose crinkled again, although this time it looked as if she were physically in pain.

There was no doubt in her mind the closetful of dresses remained on the bedroom floor.

“I’ll get started on dinner,” She replied, straightening her back, “In a few minutes.” Now that she knew of the mess, there was no way the Brit could let it stay that way. Glancing down to Lincoln, Penny put her hand to the top of his head, pushing dark hair to the side. “Go have fun.”

She looked up to the Australian, leaning in once more and kissing her. “I’ll be there shortly.” Because even if the video game had mild, childish violence, she still loved watching the way Lucy played with their children.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

When Penny first mentioned starting on dinner, Lucy raised her eyebrows in a questionable way. That was, until she amended her sentence and gave herself the time Lucy knew she was going to want to take. She'd be back shortly, and the ink manipulator knew it.

"It's a right mess." She whispered, grinning at the fact, "Left it all for you."

After all, any attempt to straighten the pile of dresses in the closet would have resulted in that very precise wife of hers re-straitening them in her usual fashion.

Two controllers in hand, Lucy found the means to settle on the couch, but there was hardly any time to really settle with two little boys hot on her heels. At either side of her they found their places, and one at a time she eased the controller into their small hands. Taking her time through the all important instructions they always forgot - that they likely would forget after this shared moment.

As much as she tried to keep her voice down and her laughter to a dull, almost insignificant reaction, that was hardly going to happen.

"Don't shoot your brother, Ellis!" She shouted with such feigned distress, running her fingers through her hair as if she were to consider pulling it out. And then he laughed, so of course she laughed at the infectious nature of his humour. "Okay, shoot him once more."

Because something about little plastic men being obliterated by little plastic laser guns still appealed to the Australian, even in her later years.

Within the minor break of mindless violence and the inability to follow a simple level's projection, Lucy eased herself out of the seat between them, promising to return in literally three minutes. The draw of her counterpart's presence in the kitchen after fixing her wardrobe was too pressing to deny for a moment longer.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

It hadn’t surprised Penny to hear that Lucy left the leftovers of a warzone for her to pick up. She told the Australian she appreciated it, and although light sarcasm lined her tone, in a sense she did mean it. Even if Lucy had gone through the effort to hang everything back up, her wife was right to know that Penny would have gone in and reorganized it anyway.

It hadn’t taken long, but Penny returned everything to its original state with the precision she was known for. Her dark eyes scanned over the carefully arranged clothes once more. Perfect. Only then it was acceptable to go and start on dinner.

Always believing that Lucy was something of a picky eater, and with two young boys, the Brit had to narrow down meal choices significantly. She had recently attempted to convince the boys to eat salmon; it hadn’t gone well. That night, pasta. Because for some reason one could never go wrong with spaghetti.

Penny raised her eyebrows, hearing her wife’s accented voice call out to their youngest son in a poor attempt to scold him; if there was any attempt at all, for the Australian was encouraging playful violence in the next moment. Without her wife to see a disapproving look, Penny allowed herself to smile over it. Because even if she disapproved of violence, she couldn’t help her the reaction when hearing echoes of their laughter.

Still, she continued fixing up a sauce that lacked mushrooms and had significantly less basil than she would have used four years ago. And when she heard Lucy enter the kitchen, Penny put a cover on the pot, quickly turning the burner down to low before turning to her wife. “Shoot him once more?” She repeated her wife’s words, eyebrows raised. Still, she couldn’t completely hide the smile that she failed to suppress.