943 Chapter 943 Roxanne Doesn’t Stop
“Now, I suppose I shall return to the question of your second adopted ward, Kat. I’ve let myself get distracted by your comments Callisto, and it’s been fun… but now I want to talk about the demon in the room. Is it attention? I very much doubt that Vivian is neglecting you. She’s more likely to be smothering. Is that the reason? An attempt at rebelling away from her cute bubbly image? I mean the kimono is flattering but I can’t see the appeal of the horns. Then again, I do suppose my daughter’s chosen partner walks around the house in maid outfit. Hmm… are you being pressured into it Kat?” queried Roxy softly, with concern lacing her voice. Vivian wasn’t quite recovered enough to retort… and likely wouldn’t anyway.
*Lily, help me backseat here. What’s the best response?*
[How should I know?]
*Well, Roxy is apparently just messing with us so I’m looking for the best way to mess with her in turn. I’m open to suggestions here. The best idea I can come up with is just showing off my power in some irrefutable way.*
[Why not just say they’re real and then explain the story behind your kimono? She might think you’re deflecting or just lying but by starting off with the truth it’ll be all the funnier when the realisation sets in.]
*I like the way you think girlfriend.* The burst of joy from Lily at the address made Kat feel warm and fuzzy inside. Clearly it was a god way of thanking Lily for her advice. Callisto caught the shine in Kat’s eye and decided to simply hold her tongue. It was clear to her at least that Kat had something planned and she wanted to see where it went. “Much like Callisto, I’m afraid I must correct a misconception. I am in fact a real demon. I wasn’t always one, but things happen. As for my kimono, thanks for the compliment. It is a gift from the man who raised me. It belonged to his late wife and I take good care of it,”
Roxy got a slightly pinched look on her face. She wanted to call Kat straight out for ‘lying’ about being a demon, but Kat really did seem to believe it. Perhaps that meant she was worthy of pity? The problem then, was that Kat seemed to have things together… but why entertain such strange ideas then? Then there was the kimono. Roxanne didn’t know how to react to that one. Was it appropriate to wear it so casually if it was so meaningful? Would a teenager understand clothes wore out? Then again… was this not a special occasion for Sylvie?
Of course, Kat was a real demon and the kimono she wore would likely outlive Roxanne herself… and then the orphanage… and the town… and the earth… the solar system. Heck depending on the lifespan of the universe that too might end before Kat’s kimono crumbled to dust. On the other hand, without that information Roxy might suffer a minor heart attack if she found out that Kat didn’t wear anything else. Something Lily had been a bit… distracted from working on mostly because of the other thoughts that always seemed to pop up. Were they just lewd thoughts...? Or perhaps… was Kat doing it intentionally to distract Lily?
Whatever the case, it was a mystery and Roxanne had decided on her answer. “Oh? That seems like quite the precious item. Would you tell me a bit more about the man who gave it to you and why you ended up adopted by my strange daughter?”
.....
*Hmm…* Kat didn’t have any great play in mind for those questions so she decided to answer the only way she could, honestly. “Gramps is the one who gave this to me. Well, I CALL him Gramps but that’s not his real name. I’ve lived at the orphanage in town for a-” Kat’s throat closed up as she accidentally tried to speak a lie. “nearly as long as I can remember,” amended Kat, because obviously she now also remembered living here with Vivian. “Gramps is in charge of the place and he practically raised me.
“As for how I ended up living here with Vivian, well that’s mostly down to Sylvie. I’m nearly eighteen and I was informed by Gramps that I’d be forced to leave when I turned eighteen because of government regulations. This meant I was looking for options, and Sylvie made me promise that if I found a place I’d let her stay with me…” Roxanne gave Kat a ‘that’s hardly appropriate but continue’ look.
“This meant that when someone, in this case Vivian, decided to adopt Sylvie… well… she thought it was only reasonable that she also request Vivian adopt me as well. I promised to take her with me when I left… so now she might be leaving first instead, Sylvie made it a condition of getting adopted, that I could come too,” explained Kat.
“I’m not entirely pleased with the fact you were willing to make such a promise. Either you were lying to a lovely young girl… or you were planning to take care of a child… by yourself… at eighteen when you didn’t even have a home lined up,” said Roxanne with some annoyance in her tone. “Still… I suppose it is a matter of sisterhood and I can understand that at least. How did you meet Vivian though?”
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This however, was an easy one to cause Roxy some grief over. “We met Vivian when Sylvie and I were attempting to use the fence in her backyard to sneak into the house on the other side!”
Roxy frowned and glared at her daughter… who still had not recovered. Seeing that the easy target was gone she looked to Callisto who smiled and said, “I was not present that day,”.
Roxy was now getting a bit excited. She knew the girls were messing with her. The question was… were they lying? Perhaps… perhaps not. If they were playing the game properly it should at least be a somewhat twisted version of the truth. “I’m a little displeased that my dear daughter decided that was behaviour that she was willing to adopt you for. Though I suppose if she is able to curb any delinquent tendencies then it all balances out. Still… I must ask, what were you attempting to do?”
*Hmm… do I say visit my girlfriend or visit me best friend? What’s funnier?*
[I’m not sure. I mean, I wasn’t your girlfriend at that point in time so you don’t have to announce that just yet. She’s already onto Callisto and Vivian and they’re… well they’re doing their own thing. Not sure how she’d take a confirmation of our relationship. Though… you could then bring up the fact I’m a cat girl. That would be another amusing reveal.]
*I think that little factoid makes it the funnier answer. I can say ‘I was trying to visit my cat-girl girlfriend but though at the time she wasn’t a cat, or my girlfriend’. I want to see if she’ll call me out on it, and I’ll follow up with ‘I can’t lie’ obviously. Then we’ll just see how things play out.*
[Oh yes please. I increasingly ridiculous answers that are true, and perhaps vaguely believable.]
“I happened to be visiting my catgirl girlfriend actually. She lives… I suppose next door is the best word for it. Of course, she wasn’t my girlfriend at the time, or a cat girl, but this was quite some time ago now, so it’s only natural some things change,” said Kat.
Roxy held Kat’s gaze for a few seconds as if trying to understand how such a ridiculous statement could come from someone who looked, for all intents and purposes, like she was telling the truth. “Are you a fan of Bluff? The card game Bluff?” asked Roxy.
Kat tilted her head and answered, “I’m not familiar with it, no,”
Roxy took a sip of tea and used that time to think. “I see…” she wasn’t quite willing to call Kat out on any lies yet. She was assuming the girls bonded over a love of costuming or something. Kat was certainly pushing this little back and forth game they were having. Roxy wasn’t quite willing to call foul, but things were heading in that direction. Of course, Kat was stating nothing but the truth. The fact it was so hard to believe only made it all the sweeter.
Things were actually starting to look up for the ‘home team’ as it were. Roxanne couldn’t figure out what was going on with Kat at all. Bruce was starting to sit up straighter in his chair, and Vivian was able to use the focus on Kat to recover herself. Sylvie was a bit more put out from being dragged sideways but she was dealing with it well enough. Callisto was trying not to let her amusement show, it was difficult, but she had practice schooling her emotions and Roxy was rather focused just on Kat. Let’s see if they could keep it that way.
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