Closed Your taste in men is atrocious

[Joshua Hayes]

“You know this is the Dark Part of the Alley right? People don’t just come here on a normal shopping trip,” Josh reminded his mother for what felt like the tenth time in the last ten minutes. If Grandpa Austiin could see her here he would be so upset, he didn’t like any of them in Bleak Street and it was bad enough that Josh was getting involved in all the shady sh*t they did as a family, as if they Hayes’ have ever been squeaky clean. Not to mention with his stupid dad in the Ministry, well, it’s not like anyone even knew they were related, he certainly didn’t care. “Whatever you need here you should let me get it, it’ll be easier anyway.”​

 

[Keye Hayes]

"I come here for a normal shopping trip." Keye couldn't help but snort as her son had once again seen fit to remind her that she was in the Dark Part of the Alley. It was such a silly name really, and it wasn't like this was her first time in the area. She had been shopping in this area for as long as she'd owned The Runaway Hideout. It was just the only time that Josh was hearing about it. It wasn't like she would bring him when she would shop here after all. She wasn't even sure she'd mentioned it to Felix and Lani. But she was a frequent enough traveller in this part of the world. Really, the only difference right now was that she was pregnant. She'd only found out yesterday morning and hadn't told anyone yet. Even after all this years, there was a lingering fear within her from that one circumstance. She'd told herself repeatedly yesterday that she managed it once, she could do it again. But also, Dexter... she liked to think Dexter was different. She hadn't decided yet if she should tell him or Josh first really. And in the process of putting it off, decided that she absolutely must do some shopping today. Only to be stalked by her own son. "No, the sellers don't know you and I'll get better discounts than you brandishing your wand about," she said more amused while also bordering on exasperated.​

 

[Joshua Hayes]

Josh let out a frustrated sigh at his mother’s expense, running his fingers aggressively through his hair and throwing her a look that said he should be done with her. “You keep saying things like this but you’ve never had the best judgement in anything or anyone,” he reminded her, because he could say that since she was his mother and his father was a deadbeat piece of trash. And he’d stand by that. He looked around the alley with a frown. He wasn’t about to leave his worry slide even if she seeemd to be unfazed. Maybe he would have to have a conversation with Felix if this was going to continue. This was not place for his mother to be, Grandpa Austiin or no Grandpa Austiin. “You joke, but this place is full of trash people with trash morals and trash personalities, I should know,” he said, because he too was a trash person with trash morals and a bit of a trash personality.

“This place isn’t safe, and you’re old,” he reminded her again, in case she needed the reminder, which she clearly did because she was still walking. He loved his mother, truly, but she had a terrible radar for such things. She woulnd’t have had him if she’d a better one. “I’ll go get what you need, it’s fine. You don’t have to keep doing things like this on your own, I’m here now, let me deal with it.” He was going to make her let him deal with it, just because she’d shipped him off to America to avoid having to deal with him didn’t mean she was off the hook for the rest of her life. “Besides, I don’t need to brandish my wand to get the job done. Just—please, let me help.”​