You responded with a rather meek voice.
"Yeah... hum... sorry?"
Wriggling under your father gaze you didn't really know what else to say.
"So you are a Cape... Why didn't you tell me, Taylor?"
You could lie to him, to protect him from the truth to try to shield him from the things at the corner of the eyes but as you looked at his disappointed and hurt face you know that if you did that and, however unlikely, he found out the truth... or, you thought with dread, the truth found him. Whatever relation you had... it would be broken.
"Taylor, answer me, please."
Small sparks of anger could already be seen in his eyes as you were late to respond. He was probably guessing you were giving him the silent treatment. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath before finally answering him with certainty.
"No, I am not."
"Are you ki..."
You instantly cut him off before he explodes...
"Dad, stop... just... it's... I don't know how to even begin explaining it to you dad."
...Just to finish in a whisper as you let your shoulder fell. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at your defeated form, he decided to simply sit on the bed next to you as his left arm wrapped around you. He spoke carefully, gently squeezing your shoulder as he did so.
"Okay, little Owl, take your time. I'm here now, just find the words, okay?"
You nodded as you let yourself fell into the fatherly embrace. Trying to find words to explain the unexplainable. A minute passed, it became two, then five then you simply stopped caring.
"Since the Locker, I can... hear something, it's like... hundreds of bees permanently buzzing around just at the edge of my hearing... it was... just there, I suppose? I mean it's not like it appeared when the Locker happened... more like it had already been there and I just started picking it up."
You started to explain before falling silent at the obvious strangeness of your statement.
"Picking it up?" He probed gently.
"I... it's just a mad story dad, I don't know if you will believe me, if I didn't live trough it even I wouldn't believe myself."
"Taylor I saw you shooting blue pillars of flame from your mouth and eyes in the basement, I don't think you can surprise your old pa more than that."
Was his response as he looked at you with a dry smile, you couldn't contain the strangled laugh, that came out of your mouth, at his statement.
"Dad just don't joke about that, please. So yeah, I started hearing the buzzing and I had those strange urges, to go left and not right, take this door or follow this road and not the other..."
Your father hand tightened his hold on your shoulder and even if he tried to not show it, there was a little hint of dread in his eyes now. You shook your head and rapidly finished your answers.
"... I never listened to them Dad! It was just there, nagging me and wanting to help. It freaked me out a little too... but after a while I guess I just learned to manage?"
He noticeably relaxed before nodding to you to continue.
"Then came Friday, I just went to get out of school fast and then... one of the bullies catch me and... hum... Imayhavestarteedabrawlinthecorridorsorry."
You spoke so fast you were not even sure to comprehend what you just said, however, your father, after blinking at you for a second, started to grin.
"Oh, I heard about that, pepper spray on a young man degenerating into a giant brawl between second and third years? Blackwell called Monday after they finally sorted the mess you made."
"Oh." Was your very eloquent response, as your cheeks became bright red.
"Don't worry I told her to shove it, very politely mind you, since there was no one seriously hurt and that you were indisposed and couldn't move out of your bed. We still have an appointment later this months though..."
You laughed nervously as your father ruffled your hair in good humor, that was already one more day you didn't look forward too. You coughed to try to cover up your embarrassment before continuing your tale.
"I didn't really want to return home so I decided to go to the library and then the buzzing it just became so much clearer and stronger... and I just grew curious... I mean for the first time I could almost touch it so I followed and..."
You voice dies as you looked alternatively at the ground, your father and the closet where a sword was hidden. The concern on you father features returned tenfolds as he tightened his hold on you as if wanting to protect you.
"I'm not going anywhere, little Owl."
He spoke reassuringly
"Okay... just... don't interrupt me, okay? it's already mad enough as it is..."
"Okay."
So you told him, of the circle of trees, the call from the Ash tree, how you found yourself reliving the memories of a long-dead priestess of Khépri and the battle at the Sun Gate of the City of the Sun God, how creatures of Mythos the jinns fought side by side with the Marya and a Roman legion.
How they bleed and die to gain time to complete a very complex magic ritual to entomb the entire City in the desert. Of you waking up at the edge of reality as you could comprehend it, of the things at the corner of the eyes of the white woman and the black man.
And you told him of the bees, the bits of Knowledges downloaded into your skull, the magic swords in your closet and the hieroglyphic ward in your basement.
You spoke for a long time, as your father silently listened, growing paler and paler as your tale unfolded itself.
Finally, you fell silent. And no sound was heard for a long time.
"And... you... you went trough all that... and you didn't say anything to me?"
You looked incredulously at him before responding.
"What could I say? Hi, Dad, I saw a thing that defeated the very purpose of reality being punched out by a Roman legion, a bunch of genies and a group of Egyptian priest?"
"Yeah... sorry... Just... it's a lot to take in alright." There was a pregnant pause as he took his head in his hands. "So you are not a cape but, someone with this... Anima? and with bits of knowledge of an Egyptian in your head..."
"Well, I think everyone has it, I just have a lot more I guess... I mean the Anima part... not the Egyptian part hum... I guess?"
"I guess she says... And let us not forget the magic sword in the closet."
There was another moment of awkward silence as you waited for him to finish.
"I have to let it sink in, just have a day or two to think about it okay? In the meantime just... stay there and don't do reckless things, like magic or whatever."
You nodded with a hesitant smile on your mouth at your father response.
"Why?"
The unpronounced question hanging in the air for a second before your father responded softly.
"You are my daughter."
He hugged you fiercely for a minute before rising from the bed and walking in front of the door. He suddenly stopped arm in the air.
"Oh, by the way, can I see this magic sword of yours?"
You cracked a smile. (choose one)
[ ] Show it to him and let him touch it, the sword had a very positive effect on you after all.
[ ] Show it to him but don't let him touch it, showing is fine you guess, but you don't know the effect taking it in his hands would have on him
[ ] Don't show it to him, you don't know if it is safe for him period, it's a magic sword.
You could still disobey him and don't take a day or two of rest. (choose one)
[ ] He's right, take a day you are rather depleted.
[ ] He's right, take two days and don't take any risk.
[ ] Don't listen to him.
You should probably plan what you would do after your forced rest. (choose one)
[ ] Go to the library.
[ ] Stay home and experiment in the basement.
[ ] Stay home and look up the news.
[ ] Take a stroll in the city.