/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46715189
"A-and she's my sister's, Oiwa and Tsukuyomi's, Godmother right? Without her, they wouldn't have, I mean, won't be born! And my other sister, Renko, she deserves to know her mother as well right? Never having seen your mothers face, you know how much that hurts don't you?" She stammered out.

She was clearly piling it on, laying on as many truths as she could in order to mask the one obvious lie. I know because I've done it before, and even though it gave me a small flicker of pride to see her so tactful, I knew I had to pull the rug out from under her.

"Sekai, Yukari is a desperate, deluded, and powerful woman, you know the only one who can save her is herself." I said.

"Of c-course she is b-but, but" she hicup, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I still love my Mother!" at this, all dams were broken and the girl began the cycle of wailing, heaving in air, and wailing again.

I know that she wasn't really here, I know that I was maybe only 1/100th of her parent at best, I know that she had probably inherited the serpent's tongue from any number of sources, but I hugged her anyway, swaddling her in my cloak, patting her back, and shielding her from the cruel reality of it all. For awhile she continued to cry into my chest, clutching on for any kind of security and I continued to caress her, rushing nothing as she rode out the tantrum.

Finally, after a spell she wiped her face against my cloak and slowly her breathing came close, but not entirely matching, a normal cadence. "I'm, sorry." She said, looking a little guilty "I don't know why I did that."

"It's normal for kids to throw a fit every once in while." I said, gently rubbing her head. "It's nothing to feel guilty about."

"But it wasn't your fault I started crying so why did you comfort me?" She asked.

"I'd be a pretty crappy adult if I just ignored a child crying right in front of me." I answered.

"So, you love me?" She said, looking right into my eyes.

I felt the sinking feeling of being trapped in a verbal snare and the encroachment of a metaphorical hunter come to collect their catch. Well, if the only way to go is forward...

"Yes. I love yo-" before I finish the sentence the girl leaps up and wraps my neck in a stranglehold of a hug and begins happily singing: "Father Goro loves me! Yes he does!" floating around me as she lulls.

"All right, all right, don't strangle me with your gloating, I can see where this is going, just go ahead and say it" I told her.

"Hmph" She happily tutted. "Since Father Goro loves me, that means he acknowledges me as his daughter." Which was tenuous jump in reasoning, but I'd give her that much rope. "And, as my Father, he's responsible for my happiness. Therefore, he'll have to find a way to be by my Mother's side, as her advocate AS WELL AS making sure my sisters are happy as well, because otherwise I'll be sad and start crying again!" Sekai closed her argument.

At that moment I felt a little nauseous, thinking about all the times Keine-Sensei, Hijiri, and my Father had put up with my bargaining. Well, being on the other side of it had it's advantages.

"Fine, Seija and I will do the impossible, but in return, you have to promise to be a good older sister and take care of your siblings, no matter how annoying they get." I told her sternly.

She merely smiled and jutted out her hand, with only her little finger raised "Pinkey swear?" she asked.

Extending my own hand I wove my small finger with hers and said "Pinky swear." I felt the small spark of a tri-fold Absolute Deal. Two from the mutual ability, one from the parental commitment.

"Thank you Father Goro, I know many of my Mothers may not understand and even hurt you and Mother Seija for what your doing, but still, I'm happy your doing it."

And that smile almost makes it worth the pounding I could foresee from Yuuka, Hijiri, round 2 with Reimu or Hana, maybe Kasan if things went sideways there...

"Oh uhm and, I'm sorry. Writing fate is really hard and, while I was able to spare you two from some of it, however, three horrible things will happen to the both of you before this is over, well, one has already happened, the second is an accident, and you really should forgive the person that does the third to the both you, she didn't know-"

And like that, the girl who had been sitting in my lap disappeared. I'd wanted to ask her so many other things, like how she planned on getting out of the HSE, if there were any plans for her Father's escape, and what those 'horrible things' were, but I suppose those two souls she ejected were a part of her plans and Anon's escape was almost guaranteed, what with the massive forces aligned against us. I wonder how they'll react to the fact that, by Sekai, we're technically all related at this point? Regardless, she'd given Seija and I a task she thought only we could complete, so best to focus on that for now.

Next time: Takane gets in a big pinch!