2.4.2 - Day Planner
Lepidoptera
Mother of Monsters, Unverified Impuritas Civitatis
- Location
- Indeterminate Unknown
Chapter 125 - Day Planner
Even as the sunrise paints a beautiful glow across the city of Mitakihara, you can't shake the weighty gloom lying just ahead. Today is the day you reveal the origins of Witches and the full extent of Kyubey's operations. The possibilities are many, but you simply cannot help but allow the most grim of outcomes to take up the forefront of your mind. While you know that the children are more resilient than their age would indicate and that they will have support to help them through the revelation, it is still the possibilities for failure that you fixate on. This isn't an unfamiliar feeling. Focusing on the worst-case scenarios, seeing the silhouettes they cast on your thoughts, is a natural step to preparing for them. Detrimental outcomes require more preparation than beneficial ones in almost all cases, so it's only natural that they would occupy more of your time. Even the gleam of the rising sun can't dispel such an ingrained shadow in the mind.
Knowing what you have planned for later in the day, you want to make things as comfortable as possible for your kids up until the time of the reveal. This is easiest for your adopted children, as they live in the same house as you, but you do have some preparations made for the others. Assisting Leonie in her recovery isn't just a standalone objective for them to complete, but it's an unambiguously good thing for them to do. Reminders like that, the knowledge that you are making a positive impact in somebody's life, have been a stabilizing influence for you more times than any person would be able to count in a single lifetime.
Leonie remains silent as you return home. You do nothing to initiate conversation either. You can't talk to her on her level, so all you'd get at this point is the same bare, functional answers you've been getting from her so far. Her needle pauses in its aimless wandering as you enter the apartment, immediately greeted with the scorched living room.
Right. You need to buy replacement furniture today as well.
Later, though. You turn and walk into the kitchen, recalling the remaining ingredients and mentally sifting through your options for what to make. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or so you've heard. It's a good way to start things off, at the very least.
—————————
The children slowly trickle into the dining room when the smell of fresh food finally overcomes the desire to not get out of bed. Idly, you consider if you should be waking your kids up yourself, but then dismiss it. You show an adequate amount of affection already, and you wouldn't want to go overboard and become smothering. They're all extremely self-sufficient for various depressing reasons, so the whole ordeal would be unnecessary. But maybe they'd appreciate it anyways?
Gah. You have better things to think about.
Specifically, the spread of omelettes, blueberry pancakes, and fresh orange, apple, and pear slices that your kids are working their way through. It's not a local breakfast, but the variety of flavors and nutrient groups seems better suited for adding a bit of extra joy to the start of the day. It may also have something to do with all the sugar. Only Kyoko has noticed Leonie sitting on the table, but she just glanced up at you and then shrugged and went back to devouring her food when you looked back. Conversation is light, split evenly between overstatements of your cooking ability and Mami and Yuma describing their school experience while you and Kyoko listen and occasionally add in a word or two of commentary.
"So," you say while depositing a second pancake on Yuma's plate. "There are a few things going on today that I wanted to make you aware of."
The atmosphere noticeably shifts, your moving of the conversation into "business" having cut out some of the simple mirth of just enjoying a meal as a family. It hurts, knowing how quickly a bunch of children not even old enough to drive set aside whatever they have going on so quickly to throw themselves towards service. Even Yuma, the most distant from all this mess, goes from greedily slurping her juice to listening as attentively as a child of her age can.
"It's mostly just me things, though I do have something to talk to everyone about later in the day and something to ask of you right now. To get that out of the way first, do you remember Leonie?"
"The other distortion you mentioned Argalia was with? Yes, I remember you mentioning her." Mami says, recalling whatever vague details you might have included in your conversation.
"Right. Well, please say hello to everyone, Leonie."
"Hello." Leonie says obediently, the same bizarre clicking noises somehow being translated mentally into words.
"Wow! You can talk!" Yuma says excitedly. "That's cool! What else can you do?"
"I can connect different points in space and allow people to travel between them. Argalia uses me to get from place to place more quickly." the distorted girl answers tonelessly. Yuma seems even more interested, though Mami visibly winces at Leonie's use of the word "uses". It does imply a rather dehumanizing treatment.
"Right. Well, Leonie is a distortion like Kyoko or Homura. Argalia and I agreed that she needed some time with other people her age to help her open up, so I'd like you to take her to school with you today. Just to give her some time in a more social environment." you explain.
Mami, of course, lights up at the suggestion. "Of course. I would love to introduce a new friend to everyone. If that is alright with you, Leonie?"
"Whatever you want." Leonie says, and Mami's smile becomes ever so slightly more mask-like. To her side, Kyoko appears hesitant at first before noticing Mami's expression and immediately switching to a look of guilt.
"Then I suppose it is decided, then. It is nice to meet you, Leonie." Mami says, the pity she feels completely silent beneath her usual demeanor.
"If that's cleared up for now," you transition, "there are just a few more things to notify you of. I'll be doing a few errands while you're at school, mostly buying furniture and setting up Kyoko's transfer into school. I'll also be talking to Hitomi's parents if possible, though they seem the busy type so I wouldn't be surprised if they make me book an appointment." you say with a small chuckle. None of the Sephirot were ever that kind of person thankfully, but you do remember Ayin having a few experiences with individuals overly focused on scheduling. While you can appreciate order and organization, there should always be a level of flexibility and willingness to improvise. Expecting everything to always go to plan is an easy way to set yourself up for failure.
"After that, Sayaka, Homura, and Madoka all have appointments with various Sephirah in the Library. You can come too if you'd like, or you can just do as you please. It's up to you. After that, though…"
You sigh deeply, and for a mere instant you feel all the exhaustion one would expect of a person who has not slept a single minute in the past two weeks. Then it is gone, and you set the moment ahead of you.
"There is something I need to tell you."
———————————————
Sidestory - Children
[] The Fallen Children
[] The Aspiring Children
[] The Risen Children
[] The Desperate Children
[] The Enlightened Children
———————————————
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 1/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED
The top two Sidestory votes will be chosen. Write-Ins are accepted, but only in the form of [] The - Children with an assigned hex code.
Even as the sunrise paints a beautiful glow across the city of Mitakihara, you can't shake the weighty gloom lying just ahead. Today is the day you reveal the origins of Witches and the full extent of Kyubey's operations. The possibilities are many, but you simply cannot help but allow the most grim of outcomes to take up the forefront of your mind. While you know that the children are more resilient than their age would indicate and that they will have support to help them through the revelation, it is still the possibilities for failure that you fixate on. This isn't an unfamiliar feeling. Focusing on the worst-case scenarios, seeing the silhouettes they cast on your thoughts, is a natural step to preparing for them. Detrimental outcomes require more preparation than beneficial ones in almost all cases, so it's only natural that they would occupy more of your time. Even the gleam of the rising sun can't dispel such an ingrained shadow in the mind.
Knowing what you have planned for later in the day, you want to make things as comfortable as possible for your kids up until the time of the reveal. This is easiest for your adopted children, as they live in the same house as you, but you do have some preparations made for the others. Assisting Leonie in her recovery isn't just a standalone objective for them to complete, but it's an unambiguously good thing for them to do. Reminders like that, the knowledge that you are making a positive impact in somebody's life, have been a stabilizing influence for you more times than any person would be able to count in a single lifetime.
Leonie remains silent as you return home. You do nothing to initiate conversation either. You can't talk to her on her level, so all you'd get at this point is the same bare, functional answers you've been getting from her so far. Her needle pauses in its aimless wandering as you enter the apartment, immediately greeted with the scorched living room.
Right. You need to buy replacement furniture today as well.
Later, though. You turn and walk into the kitchen, recalling the remaining ingredients and mentally sifting through your options for what to make. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or so you've heard. It's a good way to start things off, at the very least.
—————————
The children slowly trickle into the dining room when the smell of fresh food finally overcomes the desire to not get out of bed. Idly, you consider if you should be waking your kids up yourself, but then dismiss it. You show an adequate amount of affection already, and you wouldn't want to go overboard and become smothering. They're all extremely self-sufficient for various depressing reasons, so the whole ordeal would be unnecessary. But maybe they'd appreciate it anyways?
Gah. You have better things to think about.
Specifically, the spread of omelettes, blueberry pancakes, and fresh orange, apple, and pear slices that your kids are working their way through. It's not a local breakfast, but the variety of flavors and nutrient groups seems better suited for adding a bit of extra joy to the start of the day. It may also have something to do with all the sugar. Only Kyoko has noticed Leonie sitting on the table, but she just glanced up at you and then shrugged and went back to devouring her food when you looked back. Conversation is light, split evenly between overstatements of your cooking ability and Mami and Yuma describing their school experience while you and Kyoko listen and occasionally add in a word or two of commentary.
"So," you say while depositing a second pancake on Yuma's plate. "There are a few things going on today that I wanted to make you aware of."
The atmosphere noticeably shifts, your moving of the conversation into "business" having cut out some of the simple mirth of just enjoying a meal as a family. It hurts, knowing how quickly a bunch of children not even old enough to drive set aside whatever they have going on so quickly to throw themselves towards service. Even Yuma, the most distant from all this mess, goes from greedily slurping her juice to listening as attentively as a child of her age can.
"It's mostly just me things, though I do have something to talk to everyone about later in the day and something to ask of you right now. To get that out of the way first, do you remember Leonie?"
"The other distortion you mentioned Argalia was with? Yes, I remember you mentioning her." Mami says, recalling whatever vague details you might have included in your conversation.
"Right. Well, please say hello to everyone, Leonie."
"Hello." Leonie says obediently, the same bizarre clicking noises somehow being translated mentally into words.
"Wow! You can talk!" Yuma says excitedly. "That's cool! What else can you do?"
"I can connect different points in space and allow people to travel between them. Argalia uses me to get from place to place more quickly." the distorted girl answers tonelessly. Yuma seems even more interested, though Mami visibly winces at Leonie's use of the word "uses". It does imply a rather dehumanizing treatment.
"Right. Well, Leonie is a distortion like Kyoko or Homura. Argalia and I agreed that she needed some time with other people her age to help her open up, so I'd like you to take her to school with you today. Just to give her some time in a more social environment." you explain.
Mami, of course, lights up at the suggestion. "Of course. I would love to introduce a new friend to everyone. If that is alright with you, Leonie?"
"Whatever you want." Leonie says, and Mami's smile becomes ever so slightly more mask-like. To her side, Kyoko appears hesitant at first before noticing Mami's expression and immediately switching to a look of guilt.
"Then I suppose it is decided, then. It is nice to meet you, Leonie." Mami says, the pity she feels completely silent beneath her usual demeanor.
"If that's cleared up for now," you transition, "there are just a few more things to notify you of. I'll be doing a few errands while you're at school, mostly buying furniture and setting up Kyoko's transfer into school. I'll also be talking to Hitomi's parents if possible, though they seem the busy type so I wouldn't be surprised if they make me book an appointment." you say with a small chuckle. None of the Sephirot were ever that kind of person thankfully, but you do remember Ayin having a few experiences with individuals overly focused on scheduling. While you can appreciate order and organization, there should always be a level of flexibility and willingness to improvise. Expecting everything to always go to plan is an easy way to set yourself up for failure.
"After that, Sayaka, Homura, and Madoka all have appointments with various Sephirah in the Library. You can come too if you'd like, or you can just do as you please. It's up to you. After that, though…"
You sigh deeply, and for a mere instant you feel all the exhaustion one would expect of a person who has not slept a single minute in the past two weeks. Then it is gone, and you set the moment ahead of you.
"There is something I need to tell you."
———————————————
Sidestory - Children
[] The Fallen Children
[] The Aspiring Children
[] The Risen Children
[] The Desperate Children
[] The Enlightened Children
———————————————
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 1/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED
The top two Sidestory votes will be chosen. Write-Ins are accepted, but only in the form of [] The - Children with an assigned hex code.
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