happilyeverbeginning | So are we still trying? / Or simply surviving? (magica x scrooge x poe)

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So are we still trying? / Or simply surviving? (magica x scrooge x poe)

Their clothes still smelled like ash. Both children had wanted to bathe - if they understood what irony was, they would have noted on how they used to hate taking them before - to great rid of it, but Poe insisted they had to keep moving. Even though their feet ached and their stomachs growled and they were cold, they had to keep moving. Who knew when the Bad People would catch up to them? It had been days (they assumed) but they couldn't be sure.

But when Magica whined she really needed to stop, Poe finally relented. But only for a little while.

Magica sat under a tree, hugging her knees, while Poe kept watch. He was convinced, any second now, some hideous thing would pop out and try to eat them whole. Well, let them try. He'd protect his sister. His magic wasn't strong, but it was something. He'd die before he let his last living family come to harm.

Magica rubbed her eyes. When was the last time she slept? She couldn't be sure. And she was so hungry. How long would they have to live like this?

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The twins had rarely been around children their own age, and had also never seen an actual baby before, so Hortense was given two sets of curious head-tilts.

"An eagle really could carry her away." Magica said, nodding in affirmation. Hortense was tiny.

"We're not really staying." Poe added defiantly. "We're gunna leave tomorrow."

Matilda frowned, eyes sad. "Why? Don't you like it here?"

Scrooge, however, gave a snort. He crossed his arms and smirked. "That's what you think. I'd bet my Dime that Mummy's already planning on taking care of you for the long term."

"I don't care what your 'Mummy' thinks." Poe sneered. "We're not staying."

Magica really didn't want to get into another argument, so she settled for an inquiry. "What's a dime?" She and Poe were familiar with gold and jewels, but a monetary term so small was unfamiliar.

"It's American money," Scrooge told her. "Not worth anything here. I earned it shining shoes."

But "my" dime meant he kept it, didn't he?

"If it doesn't have any worth, why would you keep it?" Magica asked, puzzled.

"To remember to be tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties, and sharper than the sharpies!" he proclaimed proudly. "That way I won't get cheated again!"

"That's dumb." said Poe. Of course, being raised as superior, he couldn't see himself ever being cheated in the first place.

Magica sat down next to Hortense, waving a hand above her like she was playing with an animal. "I wonder what America is like."

Hortense giggled and reached for Magica's hand, trying to catch it to stick in her mouth.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna go there someday," Scrooge said. "It's supposed to be easier to make money there."

Magica allowed it at first, but when her fingers were in Hortense's mouth, she made an "ewww" noise and tried to pull back.

Poe looked around, noting all the empty space. "Where did your parents go?" He asked, suspicious again. Maybe they were building some kind of child-cage. It didn't occur to him that they were likely talking about how to keep the twins, or even making dinner. Making meals was a servant's job. And these poor people didn't even HAVE servants, from the looks of things.

"Making dinner," Scrooge said matter-of-factly. Honestly, it should've been obvious. "Duh."

"Your parents make dinner?" Magica repeated in surprise.

"They don't have servants, Magica." Poe told her.

"I can see that, brother." Magica huffed.

"Yours didn't?" Scrooge asked, just as surprised.

Matilda blinked. "Wow. Are you two rich?"

Magica wiped Hortense's spittle from her hand onto her dress. This time, neither twin answered. Delving into who - what - they really were was dangerous. Magica silently retreated to Poe's side, and he pulled her into her arms, quietly assuring her she did nothing wrong.

"...I'm sorry," Matilda whispered. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

Scrooge walked forward to scoop up Hortense. "We should all get to the dining room before Mummy and Daddy come looking for us."

The twins said nothing, but when Scrooge and Matilda walked, they followed hand-in-hand.

Magica kept glancing around at all the draperies and heirlooms and paintings of past McDucks, curious. But Poe kept his eyes forward, not wanting to get attached to a place that wasn't home.

"There you all are!" Downy said cheerfully, setting down the last plate.

The food was simple fare and admittedly there wasn't much of it. The ones who got the least amount were Downy and Fergus, the two adults wanting the kids to have the lion's share.

"Everyone sit down and eat up!"

Poe frowned - maybe the food was poisoned, or had glass in it, or...

Magica was already scarfing down. The bread had been good, but they'd been hungry for days.

Poe rolled his eyes, but eventually began to eat as well, showing far better table manners than his twin.

Dinner passed with idle chatter. Scrooge tried to engage the twins in chit-chat about the old castle.

Fergus cleared his throat. "Ye two will be staying in the same room. Downy and Ah figgered ye'd probably want to be together."

The twins kept mum about the castle, either just going "mm-hmm" or flat out ignoring Scrooge's questions.

At Fergus' explanation, the twins nodded. "We've always slept together. We even hatched from the same egg." said Magica.

Downy clapped her hands with delight. "So you are twins! I thought so!"

Scrooge and Matilda looked at one another in confusion.

Downy looked to her children. "Twins are when a mummy lays two eggs at a time or two babies hatch from the same egg."

Scrooge's eyes went wide but there was also a faint feeling of fear. Mummy would probably have an even bigger belly if she was having twins, right? Which would mean things would be even harder if Mummy's belly started growing again...

"I came out of the egg first." Poe said, rather proudly.

Magica rolled her eyes, having clearly heard this detail a million times before. "Five minutes. You got out five minutes before I did." And he treated this as if was the best reason to act like he was older than she was.

"No wonder you act like such a responsible big brother to Magica," Downy praised.

Matilda leaned towards Magica and whispered, "I hope he's less of a pain than my big brother."

"Poe never lets me do anything." Magica whispered back, although everyone could easily hear them.

Poe pouted - he didn't want strangers complimenting him, and he didn't want Magica preferring others over him.

"Neither does Scrooge!" Matilda hissed.

"Oi!" Scrooge protested.

"I'm not a baby. I can do things." Magica agreed. "He doesn't have to be there all the time."

Poe angrily stabbed the food with his fork.

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