Chapter 31: chapter 31
Chapter 31 – Childrearing
Everyday life was oddly... fulfilling.
A different kind of fulfillment from what I was used to.
Before, with every monster that was culled, and every inch of territory recovered, I felt a little closer to my goal of ending the mess the world had become.
That was my duty as a hero.
The duty of the strong.
But, it was very... melancholic.
As I got closer to the metaphorical finish line of my goal, the track was extended with every step, and my motivation for finishing the race became dimmer and dimmer as time went on.
With every monster culled, comrades died.
For every inch of territory recovered, massacres of innocents were revealed.
A dull sense of fulfillment, more so born out of obligation than from personal feelings.
But starting a family?
Or rather, joining one and adding to it.
That was a whole different feeling.
The future was something to look forward to rather than dread, and the present gave me a sense of warmth rather than hollowness.
It's sad that it took getting sent to another world to realize how... empty, I was before.
But there was no use in worrying about the past, as it should only be looked at to learn from mistakes and experiences.
Learn from past experiences...
"WAAAA!!!"
"GAAAAHAA!"
...It was not helping at the moment.
While I was able to quell most of my daughters' outbursts, there were also times when they just never. Stopped. Crying.
But, light shines brightest in the darkest of places.
...Well, that was a bit much, but what I was trying to say, was that it was worth it.
After all, when their faces were clean of snot and tears with their diapers changed, they were a pair of angels.
My pair of angels.
"GAAaa. Gaa. Hmmmgh."
There we go, that's daddy's girl.
It seems that Amethyst had tired her little voice out with all that crying.
"Zzzz."
And down goes Freya.
It was funny how they did nearly everything at the same time, from feeding to crying to sleeping.
I guess that's twins for you.
"Ah, have the girls quieted down?" Ai then walks in, her gait steady and her steps light.
It was amazing how quickly she reverted to her slim yet soft stomach as if she hadn't had two little gremlins living rent-free in there for the past nine months.
The power of women... a terrifying thing.
"Yeah. Guess they got bored after getting up from their nap. Although Freya went right back to sleep." I say while gently rocking back and forth in the chair.
With Freya's soft snores from my left, I focused on Amethyst in my right arm, who was having fun slapping and squeezing my cheek.
"Agah! Gaa!"
Why?
Was it that entertaining?
"Fufufu! You three are so precious. Ah, but Ruby's practice is soon, isn't it?"
My rocking stops in an instant.
Shit, do I take Ruby to her practice and risk messing up the peace I had formed with my two daughters?
Or- actually, there was no other option, was there?
Sorry, wifey. You'll have to calm these two down-
"Actually... why don't I just take her?" She then says, cutting off my train of thought.
Uh.
"Are you sure?" I ask seriously as I begin rocking once again.
Although I said 'seriously', it was a little hard to give off an aura of authority or respect with a baby squeezing my cheek.
"Hmm... I think so? I mean, I'll have to go out eventually, won't I? And besides, I still have your gift with me."
She then pulls out the Dagger of Summoning, which is currently tied around her neck in the form of a necklace.
The ancient artifact... reduced to but a piece of jewelry...
I wouldn't want it any other way.
"Well... okay. But be careful. Also, don't forget Ruby's water, towel, and extra shoes. She's quite forgetful."
"Jeez! Don't worry so much, Cas. I've been a mother longer than you've been a father... even if it doesn't look that way."
Ai then glares at the sleeping Freya with envy before shaking her head.
"Besides, it's about time I get involved in my daughter's idol dreams, don't you think?" She says while throwing me a suggestive wink.
Ah... with our time together being so innocent, and familial, especially recently, I had somewhat forgotten.
Ai was really sexy.
Shall we try for five...?
No... no we should not.
Four was enough.
"Anyway, I left a bottle in the fridge in case they get thirsty. Love you~"
----- Ai POV -----
It had been a lie.
All of it... had been a lie.
...Who knew taking care of babies was so hard!?
I thought, oh so stupidly I thought, that taking care of the girls would be easy, just like Aqua and Ruby were!
But compared to them-!
No... I shouldn't compare, that's what a bad mother would do.
But I could still whine, just a little, right?
Haa... but I guess this was normal, huh?
At least with how Cas thought nothing of it, and how expertly he dealt with their cries, I suppose it was Aqua and Ruby that were the weird ones.
I then looked down at Ruby, who was currently skipping happily down the sidewalk while holding my hand.
Noticing my gaze, she sends a questioning glance my way.
"What is it, Mama?"
Cassius was such a huge help, but even then I felt slightly overwhelmed with handling Freya and Amethyst.
And that was while I was staying home, without any idol work stressing me out.
If Ruby and Aqua were anything like the girls while I was still trying to find my place in the entertainment industry...
"Thank you, Ruby."
Truly, thank you.
"Huh? Umm, you're welcome?" She says with a bashful smile.
How cute.
As Cassius had told me a few nights ago, right now was a critical time in Ruby and Aqua's development.
We would have to be careful not to neglect them due to Freya and Amethyst, but more importantly, we would have to make them know we weren't neglecting them.
And with those two beginning schooling and finding some level of independence, it was a fine line to walk.
"So, do you know what's happening today, Ruby?"
"Hmm... not really. Sensei said we'd be doing some gymnastics rather than studio practice for dance this week, but I don't know if that's today or not." She says while pressing her finger against her cheek.
Did she get that from me?
How cute!
Hmm... Ruby's dance lasts an hour... so what should I do?
Ah! Maybe I could get a stroller!
That's the only thing we haven't gotten yet for the babies.
'Babies'... but all four of my babies are my babies...
And 'Freya and Amethyst' is a handful, so how about the 'littles'?
Yeah, I'll call them the littles.
But thinking about strollers, I started thinking about some family activities we could do.
With me being able to go about in public now, or at least close to it, we could start doing a bunch of fun family things!
Ice skating, camping, travelling... I wanted to do it all and more!
"Umm, Mama?"
Breaking out of my thoughts, I looked down at Ruby once again, whose eyes were darting between me and the road while her hand that wasn't connected to mine fidgeted with her dress.
"Yes, sweetie?" I ask gently.
Was Ruby about to open up to some insecurities?
Was she worried about her new siblings and finally revealing her vulnerability to her dear Mama?
"Uhm, could you, maybe, watch me? Please?"
Red puffy cheeks, wide watery eyes, and slightly trembling lips.
My heart clenched at the sight.
Such power... is this what my fans felt like for me?
How dangerous.
"O-Of course, sweetie!"
"Really!"
Her tone instantly shifts to her usual excitement.
Was she doing that on purpose?
No... it couldn't be.
"Really." I respond with a soft smile.
"Yay!"
Yeah, strollers could wait for another day.
For now, it was Mommy-Daughter time.
----- Cassius POV - 3 Months Later -----
It seems that Freya and Amethyst, the two 'littles' as Ai so affectionately calls them, were an advanced set of twins.
In preparation for my two daughters, I had marked out developmental milestones babies go through, and what times to expect for each of them.
Smiles, laughs, babbling, reaching for objects, and things like that.
The only thing was... they had already cleared most of the 6-month milestones in half the expected time.
Were they geniuses?
Or was it just chance?
Did my magic have to do anything with it?
Wait, Ai said that Aqua and Ruby were really smart babies, and knowing how they act now, I certainly believed her.
Perhaps it was just Ai's genes?
Well, whatever.
Both of my little angels were healthy, and they were happy.
"Gahahaha! Baba!"
Very happy indeed.
They must be pretty curious, as this was a very special day for them.
Their first time outside.
Well, not exactly.
I had taken them outside before, mostly on a few night walks whenever they woke up in order to calm them down and not wake up the rest of the house, but this would be their first time with people around.
The bustling streets of Tokyo seemed to be very interesting to the two.
And the occasion?
Sightseeing!
Throughout all my time in this great city, I had not once visited the garden viewed as one of the best sights in Japan.
The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
And the best part?
"Whoa~!"
"So pretty!"
It seems that the others hadn't been here either.
Walking through the path, I am met with the scent of fresh greenery with a hint of floral sweetness.
Ah~ that hits the spot~
While I never was a big fan of most of the projects of nobility, the wasted resources often being nothing but a way to flaunt their pride and money, I held a special place in my heart for gardens and parks.
And this place did not disappoint.
And with the four kids getting in for free, we only had to pay 1000 yen for such a great day trip.
"Papa! Look! Look!"
Following Ruby's hand that was pointing into the distance, a beautiful view enters our vision.
A serene pond, with a few decorated bridges connecting the lands, and a marvellous pavilion, with the brown roof blending perfectly into the background of the trees that were tainted in the various colours of autumn.
A charming sight.
And with the weather being a little cooler than normal, it wasn't that crowded either.
"Yeah, it's pretty, isn't it? Anyway, let's go sit down. Can't have the soup getting cold."
In preparation for our little picnic, Ai made a big thermos full of miso soup, while I bought some sandwiches, drinks, and snacks from the convenience store.
And of course, baby formula for the littles.
Couldn't have Ai breastfeeding out in public, even without it being seen as taboo, only I was allowed to see those precious mounds!
Anyways, back to the present.
Having laid out the blanket, I got to work on setting up the food as Ai and Ruby left with the littles to take a look around the pond.
Aqua, on the other hand, opted to stay with me and start reading his book.
And not just any childish book either, as it seemed to be a normal novel for adults, at least from what I could tell.
A weird kid...
But I guess that's what I should expect from a genius.
"Hey, Aqua."
He ignores me.
Was it intentional? Or was he just too focused?
Well, let's try it a little differently then.
"Hey, Aquamarine."
He instantly raises his head from his book, his eyes narrowed and cheeks red.
This kid...
"What?" He asks.
"Just wondering what's up. With school starting soon, and I know that it's gonna be boring for you, are you thinking of joining any clubs?" I ask.
He closes his book before placing his chin in his hands in a pondering pose.
"I... don't know yet. It's not like I'm that good at anything."
Oi.
I don't think toddlers are supposed to have such self-deprecating thoughts, right?
"Well, if you want to join kendo or martial arts, you good old dad here could teach you a thing or two to get ahead."
I did always want a disciple, and who better than my son to pass my sword on to?
"Maybe... but, recently, I've been interested in... interested in..."
His cheeks turn redder as he turns his head away in what looks to be embarrassment.
"...Acting." He says softly.
If it wasn't for my enhanced hearing, I don't think I would have picked that up.
"Acting, huh? Well, you've already done your first gig, what's the hold-up?" I ask.
"I'm... not talented in that stuff. Not like Ruby and Ai."
"Aqua-"
"Mama."
There we go.
"Well, you're right that those two are made for entertainment... But you know, you don't have to be naturally charismatic like that to be a good actor."
I would know.
The training I went through wasn't something to grab ahold of an audience, it was something subtle, that shouldn't even be noticed as acting.
When I watch the shows and movies Ai seems to love, I can't help but notice a disconnect from the characters in terms of realism.
While they were wonderful performers on the screen, it was a little too much for me.
Perhaps for the main character, or for other characters in certain moments, such charisma fits perfectly, but it doesn't have to be all the time, right?
"If you say so..."
I guess my words didn't help him that much.
"How about this, Aqua? Once we get home, you call up that director and see if he has any projects happening soon. He did say he liked your acting, right?"
"Yes, but that was for a role that fit me perfectly. A creepy child."
...Well... that's a little harsh, but I can't really deny it.
"Well, anyway, just try getting a role, and when you do it, try thinking of how you feel while acting. Not thinking of how it would affect your mother."
His head snaps toward me, blue eyes wide in shock.
"H-How did you-?"
"How'd I find out? Oh please, it doesn't take a detective to know that the director wanted you at first. While Ai did great as a main character, that movie was more about the atmosphere than anything. An atmosphere you were perfect for."
Aqua seems to accept that answer as he turns back to looking at the pond.
"... I didn't think you were a film connoisseur, Cassius."
"I'm not. I'm just good at reading situations, what people want, what they need... And call me Dad or something."
"No."
Well, I tried.
"But-"
Oh?
"Thank you, for helping me like this."
As a smile forms on my face, I reach out my hand and ruffle his hair a little bit as he turns his head to face away from me once again.
"No problem, little man."
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