"Wait? Are they triplets?! They look kinda like each other!" Kimberly said in awe.
"Hey! Marlin! We've been looking for you!" The green sweater teenage said.
Sniffling, "I'm sorry Marley...I didn't mean to worry you." Marlin, the teen in the red dress responded.
"Are you crying! No! My baby brother is hurt!" Marley the teen in the sweater said while hurrying to hug Marlin.
"Oh! Red dress is a boy!" Kimberly said surprised.
"You're such a cry baby Marlin." The suit wearing teen spoke-up visibly annoyed.
"Hey! Shut-up Marlow! You suck bro!" Marley said angrily while hugging Marlin who continued crying as he said, "I'm sorry to bother you...I got sad when I dropped my glass and it shattered...I didn't mean to get that poor maid cut by the glass!"
"Hey shush! It was an accident baby brother! That maid is fine, you're not in trouble! Mom will understand." Marley said.
"Damn it, I hate when things get too emotional...I just want to go to sleep, but here I am! In the kitchen watching my brothers be ridiculous idiots." Marlow spoke-up again with the same annoyed attitude.
"I'm gonna snitch to mom and tell him you're being an asshole to Marlin again! It was your fault he ran to the kitchen, Since you scolded him for dropping his Glass!" Marley replied, "Go sleep and leave us alone you annoying jackass! All you do all day is either sleep or play detective! You need to learn to have emotions like normal people you psycho!" He added angrily.
"Oh wow! These three hate each other!" Kimberly said surprised.
"I'm Sorry! Please Don't Fight!" Marlin started crying more.
"Oh no! No! We're not fighting! Everything will be alright baby brother." Marley said reassuring his younger sibling.
Suddenly, someone else decided to come into the kitchen, this time it was someone Kimberly recognize.
It was a worried Muriel who came in with Thorn, "Mom!" Marley said.
"Goodness! The servants told me what happened!" Muriel said hurrying to Marlin's side.
Upon seeing his mother, Marlin started crying louder, "I'M SORRY MAMA!" He hugged Muriel tight as he sobbed into his chest.
Rolling his eyes, "Oh what the hell! He's 15! Why is he crying like a little kid!" Marlow said.
"Mom! Did you hear that! Marlow has been bullying Marlin again! He keeps saying stuff like that!" Marley said with a finger pointed at his bully brother.
"Ugh, you other little kid! You also need to act like your age Marley! You keep babying Marlin as if he's your son!" Marlow replied angrily, "Marlow that is Enough!" Muriel stated firmly.
"Muriel is right, quit it kid! You know your little brother is sensitive!" Thorn spoke-up.
"Marlin is only minutes younger than me and Marley, but he's acting like a 7 years old! It's so annoying listening to him cry all day!" Marlow replied.
Furious, "You know what?! I had just about enough of your attitude Marlow!" Muriel said, "You young man, are under punishment." He added.
"Oh really?" Marlow replied nonchalantly.
"Do not mock me! from now until I say otherwise, You will be put under a no-sleeping spell." Muriel said.
Horrified, "I'm sorry what?!" Marlow said, "I will have Socorro cast a spell on you to stop you from sleeping, and you will not sleep at all, until you apologize to both Marlin and Marley." Muriel explained.
"You can't do that! That's child abuse!" Marlow replied.
"Yes young man I can! And you brought it upon yourself!"
"I won't apologize!"
"Yes you will!"
"You can't make me Mom!"
"Yes I can! Thorn go fetch Socorro please." Muriel said and Thorn nodded then hurried outside the kitchen.
"UGH!" Marlow grunted loudly, "I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU!" He screamed and ran outside.
"Oh wow...I'm starting to think this is more than a dream world." Kimberly said to herself.
...Meanwhile...
"What do you think happened?" Ned questioned, "I'm betting 20 golden pieces, that Marlow was bullying Marlin again and Marley stepped in and the two started fighting." Garrick replied.
"Huh? The triplet?" Tacito asked, "Do you remember them? They're Muriel's kids from that idiot Leonard." Matilda said.
"Do The triplet...hate each other?" Tacito asked, "They used to be so close, but recently they manifested into their secondary genders, and they've started to behave differently." Socorro explained.
"Marlow and Marley are both Alphas, but Marlin's an Omega, and he's Muriel's favorite even if he says he loves all of his children equally, Muriel really favors Marlin because Marlin resembles Muriel the most." Ned said, "Oh I see!...I always had...a feeling Marlin...was gonna be...an Omega like...me and Muriel." Tacito replied.
All of the sudden, Thorn came back into the dinning room, "Socorro, Muriel needs you." He said.
"What happened?" Matilda asked, "Marlin accidentally dropped a glass while he was drinking, it ended-up shattering on the floor and a glass shard went flying and accidentally cut one of the maids that were helping the kids to eat.
So Marlin felt sorry and started crying, and of course Marlow thought he had the right to scold Marlin which made Marlin even more sad and he ran out of the kids dinning room to the kitchen." Thorn explained.
"Give me my money cuz I won the bet!" Garrick cheered, "No you didn't, also nobody betted with you." Ned replied.
"Do you need any help?" Lucius asked Thorn, "Just Socorro...thanks Lu." Thorn replied then left with Socorro behind him.
"It's weird though..." Yurei spoke-up.
"What's weird?" Tacito asked, "Marlow used to be a sweet sleepy kid...why become a bully just because he manifested as an Alpha?" Matilda questioned.
"Even more weird, he used to love and protect Marlin, now he bullies him." Yurei said, "Siblings bully each other all the time, but I have to admit that Marlow is becoming more than just a nuisance lately." Garrick replied.
"Maybe he's jealous because Marlin is Muriel's favorite. " Lucius said.
Sighing, "Muriel doesn't discriminate between his children, I believe he loves them equally, however it's only natural he'd pay more attention to Marlin since he now sees him as his 'Minnie Me'." Fernando spoke-up.
"Yeah but still, Marlow is being too much on Marlin, even if he's jealous, that's too much." Garrick stated.
Suddenly, "Excuse me." Tacito got-up.
"Where you going?" Yurei asked, "Don't worry about...it mi amor...I'll be back." Tacito replied.
...Few moments later...
"Tacito?" Muriel was surprised to see Tacito come into the kitchen, he was still there with his boys, Marlin and Marley.
Kimberly herself was still under the table, so she waved at Tacito to alert him that she's there.
Although curious on why Kimberly was sitting under the table even if no one but him can see her, Tacito decided to focus elsewhere.
"Taci bro! It's so good to see you standing!" Marley said with a big welcoming smile.
It was the first time Tacito saw the grown Version of his step-siblings, "Hello there Marley!" He greeted his step-brother with a smile, then turned to look at a puffy red faced Marlin.
"How are you...feeling now?" Tacito asked.
"I'm sorry I worried you big brother Taci!" Marlin said, "Not at all...you haven't sweetheart...I just came... looking for Marlow!" Tacito replied.
"Marlow? That little troublemaker ran away when I said I would punished him, I sent Thorn and Socorro after him." Muriel said annoyed, "How can a child of mine be a bully? Outrageous!" He added.
"Don't be harsh...on him mother... I'm sure Marlow...isn't really a...bully."
"You only think that because you are an angel Tacito."
Before Tacito could respond again, Thorn and Socorro came back while dragging a reluctant Marlow into the kitchen.
"Let me go you two! I refused to have that spell CASTED ON ME!" Marlow shouted.
"Can you two...Please release him?...I'd like to... talk with Marlow... privately." Tacito said and a confused Thorn and Socorro looked at him.
"What is wrong Taci?" Muriel asked, "Nothing...but I'd like...to kindly request...all of you...to leave us...for a minute." Tacito replied.
"Maybe we should listen to brother Taci!" Marley said, "Umm...alright then, I will be taking Marlin to his room, please bring Marlow when you are done with him, Taci." Muriel replied.
"Thank you mother." Tacito said and glanced at Socorro who nodded and started dragging Thorn away with her.
Marlow who has stopped shouting, was now confused himself as he watched his mother, his stepdad and Socorro leave with his two twin brothers, leaving him to be alone with Tacito in the kitchen.
Well, almost alone since Kimberly was there, she has decided to come out from underneath the table even though she left her plate there.
"Would you like me to leave so you can talk with the kid?" She asked Tacito.
Tacito shook his head with a 'No', "Why are you shaking your head?" Marlow asked.
"You know Marlow...my memory is...a little fuzzy...I don't remember...you growing-up...but when I...came to this...Castle I was...5 years old...and you were... just a one... years old baby...you and your...other two brothers." Tacito said sitting down.
"So?" Marlow said, "You were apparently...and still is...a sleepy baby.
you loved sleeping...a lot you'd... start crying the...moment you're awake...but then soon...after that you...back sleeping again." Tacito replied smiling.
"You know just because I'm really good at solving riddles, doesn't mean I like it when people speak in riddles." Marlow said, "He looks adorable but he is so annoying, honestly how do you handle a kid like this?" Kimberly wondered.
"I always knew...you'd grow-up...to have something...for riddles and...puzzles.
You'd only calm...down when Muriel...reads you one...of his detective...story books, Marlow." Tacito said chuckling.
"Maybe that's why I'm much more mature than my idiot twin brothers." Marlow replied.
Shocked."I can't believe this kid's audacity!" Kimberly said.
"Listen Marlow...I don't know...what it's like...to have a...twin...somebody who looks... like you but...I know that...everybody's different even...siblings and twins...can be completely....different people...from each other.
Just because Marley...and Marlin are... different than you...you shouldn't dislike...them...you should accept...and embrace their...differences!" Tacito replied.
Flustered, "I don't hate them because they're different from me...well at least not Marlin." Marlow said.
"Then what seems...to be the...problem?
because I heard...you target Marlin...more than Marley...for some reason...is it because...he's an Omega?" Tacito asked.
Sighing, "Hey listen Taci...you've always been good at keeping secrets...and you're probably the only person I can talk to about this problem whom might understand...but if I tell you what's really going on, would you promise me two things?
One, You'll do your best to not judge me and two, you won't tell anyone especially not mom." Marlow asked, he was now completely nervous.
"Sure I'll promise...just...please talk to...me."
Sighing again, Marlow hurried to sit next to Tacito, "I hate Marley because of how close he is to Marlin.
I can't be as close as Marley to Marlin." He said.
"To be fair you obviously pick on Marlin, so of course he would be closer to Marley than you, bully." Kimberly said annoyed.
"Why can't you...be close to... Marlin?" Tacito asked, "You know how...well I don't know, how to say it." Marlow replied biting his lips.
"I promise I...won't judge you."
"I know."
"Then tell me ...Marlow."
"I think I'm jealous of Marley because I'm in love with Marlin! Here I said it." Marlow stated with a red face.
"WHAAAT?!" Kimberly shouted in disbelief.
Astonished, "I think I...understand why you'd...think I'd understand... since Yurei and...I were brothers...but him and...i were adopted...not blood related...like you and...Marlin!" Tacito replied.