The Age of The Masrui

“Quite frankly you all need to get over it.” Rose sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead before taking the box from her daughter. “I’m dying, there’s no other way to say it; we all know I don’t have long left, let’s not beat around the bush mm? Now - “ she hummed opening the box and looking inside to be sure that everything was in there before passing it over to Louis. “For you, your daughters.”

“I don’t understand how you can be so casual about it mom.”

“Because there’s no point being so upset about things that cannot be changed, Karsi. Crying just wastes the time we have left.”

---

“He’s a strong kid, I think people need to have a little more faith in him... we’re a durable bunch.”

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Rhys hesitated before nodding, getting out of the car.

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“Fine, whatever you say.” Maddox sighed.

"We're good parents, Maddox." Marlowe assured, though sounded under confident with it now. Her gaze going down to stare at her glass of water.

---

She offered him a warm smile then, interlocking her fingers with his as she guiding him into the house. "I'll wait in the hallway, if that's okay. It's probably best not to crowd her, right?"

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"No one is crying, Rose." Louis sighed, taking the box from her with an attempt at a grateful smile. "We just don't want to talk about it constantly, it doesn't always have to be the forefront of conversation."

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"Mm, people are going to be naturally worried."

“Never said we weren’t good, but even good parents fail their children and we’ve only got so much time to correct the mistakes we make.”

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Rhys nodded, kissing her forehead gently and wrapping his arms around her.

---

“Fine, fine.” Rose sighed deeply. “Though you can’t keep hiding from - “

Karsi left the room sharply then, closing the door behind her.

“The boys have all seemed to accept what is coming. It’s only Karsi that cannot hold herself together anymore... I can’t tell if it’s because she’s the baby, because she’s the only daughter or if it’s something else...” Rose sighed again, before coughing harshly.

---

“Sounds awful doesn’t it but I hope it doesn’t affect his career too much. Even Rose has apparently said so to Dane, to make sure he gets to the qualifiers this year no matter what. Poor kid can’t seem to get his career started.”

"It is just going to make it all the much better when he does get there - I don't think where I am right now would be half as sweet if I didn't go through everything I did at eighteen."

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Louis frowned, lifting his hand to rub her shoulder gently when she began to cough. "Take it easy, hm? What 'something else' would it be? She is just struggling a bit more openly then the others are, thats all."

---

Cleo hugged him for a few moments, only stepping back when she spotted Karsi leaving Rose's room. Whispering to Rhys, "I am right here if you need me."

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"I don't know what you want me to say, Mads." Marlowe sighed.

“And I don’t know what you want me to say, unless I’m agreeing with you, you don’t want to hear it.”

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Rhys nodded, kissing her cheek before heading into his grandmothers room.

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“I’m trusting you with her.” Rose said as she rested her hand over his. “I know this will be hard for you too Louis... I love you like the other children. I hope when I see your mother again she approves of the way I’ve looked after you... just don’t let her drink? The drink will lead to everything else and with everyone else grieving there’ll be less support for her going over the rails. I can’t have my passing be something that triggers off a relapse for her.”

“Hi, grandma.” Rhys greeted as he walked in.

---

“What did you want for yourself, at that age?”

"Agreeing with me? We're not disagreeing now." Marlowe frowned, wrinkling her nose in genuine confusion. "I - if this is an argument then you need to tell me because I didn't think it was?"

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"I-" Louis began to answer, before shaking his head and just kissing her forehead gently. "I'll leave you and Rhys have time alone. It was nice seeing you, Rose."

---

"At that age it turned into survival. I just wanted to.. get through everything. Before that though the plan was to make my father proud, conquer the world in anyway I could - wanted to be a big player, make a difference somewhere and somehow."

“You’re your mother’s son, Louis. She’d be just as proud of you as I am.” Rose whispered quietly.

“Thank you...” Rhys murmured.

---

“Aren’t we? You think our son is fine being coddled, I don’t. But as usual, you want to phone him, and what you says goes.”

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“You’ve more than just survived mm? You’ve completely thrived. I think you’ve done well...”

"I don't feel like we are coddling him. I am going to call him because I promised I would, I'm not going to break a promise - after that I'll back off." Marlowe frowned, getting to her feet and whispering; "See, bee in your bonnet like I said. We aren't fighting, you obviously want a fight though, don't you?"

---

Dorian laughed tiredly at that, finishing off his drink and musing; "I don't know about thriving."

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Louis smiled gratefully before heading out of the room, going to search for Karsi.

“You’re alive, you have a successful business and a small family... what’s wrong with all that?” Serena frowned then, “You’re not happy?”

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“Yes, nothing I enjoy more than a fight. Riveting, makes my day so much better.” Maddox rolled his eyes. “You’re being ridiculous.”

---

Karsi was in the sitting room, curled in on herself under her mother’s blanket as she sniffled.

"Where is all of this coming from then? I said I am going to phone our son and you go off at me. Implying I'm controlling, or that I don't listen to you - I listen to you plenty; we listen to each other plenty. I - I don't understand what is going on, your confusing me."

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Louis placed the box down on the coffee table as he lowered himself to sit down beside her. Pulling her into his arms and humming softly, "Its going go be okay, Karsi."

---

"No, no I am happy. I'm just tired right now, sorry." Dorian sighed. "Lux has given me a headache aswell."

Maddox just made a noise of frustration, slamming the laptop closed and throwing it on the sofa as he put his head in his hands.

---

“You go to bed for a bit, I’ve got her now. She’s settled enough and I can keep her quiet.”

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“Feels like the worlds ending.” Karsi whispered thickly as she curled into him, burying her face in his chest.

"Talk to me..." She encouraged, getting to her feet and picking the laptop up, putting it on the table to make room for her to sit beside him.

---

"I know," Louis whispered, brushing his fingers through her hair. "There isnt anything we can do about it though, hm? We need to try and accept it."

---

"Okay.. thanks."

“Have some rest.” Serena assured with a warm smile. “I’ve got her, you deserve a few hours.”

---

Karsi just lay against him as she stared into the fire then, not daring to say anything else.

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“I’ve nothing to say.”

Dorian nodded, kissing her cheek before heading into the bedroom.

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"Mm," Marlowe hummed doubtfully, slipping her arms around his shoulders to hold him gently. "I know things are stressful right now."

---

Louis held her in silence.

“She’s asked for you both.” Rhys said quietly as he headed into the room around an hour or so later. “I’ve given her some painkillers, she was coughing a lot, she’s ready to sleep but yeah...” he murmured before heading to find Cleo.

Karsi blinked her eyes open, having been dozing in front of the heat.

---

“The funeral coordinators called this morning to tell me everything was sorted.” Maddox murmured, swallowing thickly. “She’s arranged the entire thing on her own, when I spoke to her she just waved me off... said we’d planned too many so she’d done her own...”

"At least we know that it is getting done exactly as she wants it that way. It's kind of her to take the organisational pressure off of everyone." She frowned, resting her head on his. "It's horrible seeing her so poorly."

---

"Again? Oh." Louis frowned, kissing Karsi's cheek as he got to his feet and offered a hand out to her. "Come on, let's see what she wants so she will rest."

---

Cleo was stood in the entryway looking through the open doorway. Her eyes fixed on something in the tree line.

“She’s explicitly told the doctors not to speak to us either. Said it’s none of our business.” Maddox snorted. “They won’t even give me an estimate - “

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“You okay?” Rhys greeted quietly.

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Karsi nodded, grabbing the throw in one hand and Louis’ hand with the other and heading upstairs.

"What is knowing that information going to do, my love? Would knowing that really help you?"

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Cleo subtly flinched in surprise, stepping to the side to face him and offering him a sad smile. "Mhm. Are you?"

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Louis knocked on Rose's door gently before heading inside. "Hey, Rhys said you wanted us?"

“Planning more time in... just want to know what I’ve got left.”

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“Mm...” Rose nodded, thanking her daughter quietly when Karsi lay the throw over her, beckoning them to sit at the chairs by her bed. “Since Caliban and Darya turned my offer down I’ve been having to think long and hard about the house and who’ll have it... I’ve thought about everyone. Who wouldn’t want a house this large, who wouldn’t want to accept the help to upkeep it. All of that. I’d like it to go to you. Your family.”

“Mom - “

“Hear me out. I know you two spent a lot of time renovating your own home, I know your home is bigger than this one, and I know that. I know you won’t intend to live here but - let the house be used for good mm? Think about it. If you don’t live here maybe others could. I’ve been thinking a lot about your girl, Tesni. Maybe this could be a home for children like her? Let her guide you into shaping it into what she needed before you came along.”

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“What were you looking at?”

"I thought I spotted Steve. I - I've been a bit paranoid with it the past week or two, seeing things." Cleo laughed nervously, "It is nothing to worry about. How was your grandmother?"

---

"A home for.... that actually sounds like a really good idea." Louis whispered after a few moments. "It isn't something that we've ever considered but... yeah I really like that idea."

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"I- yeah, that makes sense." Marlowe sighed softly in understanding, kissing the top of his head and whispering; "It is horrible, hm? Waiting for something so terrible to happen."

“Hire people who’ve made it out of the system themselves to run it, the kids that escaped the system and ended wanting to give back. The children that come here - fund their education, support them on their feet into adulthood until they can do it themselves. Let this house be used for good, balance off some of the bad that it’s occupants have put out into the world.”

“That sounds great mom.” Karsi whispered as she took her mother’s hand, kissing the back of it gently. “Levi orphanage doesn’t have a ring to it but we’ll think of something.” She added jokingly, blinking back the tears in her eyes so her mother wouldn’t see.

Rose took Louis’ hand too with a small smile.

---

“It is if you’re worrying about it.” Rhys frowned before giving a small shrug. “She’s as to be expected... she was just encouraging me, telling me to follow my dreams and all of that.”

---

“Just feels like a constant knife in my gut.”

"The Rose House." Louis suggested confidently, "Full of love for its residents; thorns and all."

---

"That's nice. There was lots of talk about the qualifiers then." Cleo laughed softly.

---

"Torturous." She agreed, tightening her arms around him gently. "There isnt anything worse than feeling helpless when someone you love is ill. I know it's your worst nightmare, not being able to save your family."

“The way you’ve loved us mom, thorns and all.” Karsi whispered, nodding in approval at the name.

Rose laughed quietly. “I’m sure you’ll make a fine go of it. I have faith in you both. Proud of you.”

“Sleep mom.” Karsi encouraged as Rose closed her eyes. “We’ll be here till Altair comes later, you won’t be alone.”

---

“I tried to explain to her but she gave up trying to understand.” Rhys chuckled as he headed back to the car, opening her door for her.

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“I always thought my mother would end up living till she was like a thousand. She just seems ageless, always has. Even after dad passed.”

"In a way she is going to be. We are, so we will always be able to carry on her memory. She'll live on through us, through our children and hopefully through grandchildren eventually."

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"Sweet dreams,"

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"Yeah," Cleo laughed, "It's sweet that she tried though, right? When is the first race again - was it this week or next?"

Rose soon drifted off, Karsi holding her hand - the latter soon drifting off herself, leaned over on the bed from where she was sat on the chair. After half an hour or so it would’ve become apparent in her stillness that Rose was no longer sleeping and had quietly passed away.

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“Next week.” Rhys murmured, waiting till she was in before setting off.

---

“It’s just hard...”