Chapter 676 Chapter 675: Family Ties (1)
Jahi PoV
Leaning down, I gave Kat another kiss before ruffling her ears, the dozing Dogkin barely reacting as I gently laid her down on the bed and covered her with a blanket, her body and mind still recovering from yesterday even if she tried to claim she was back to being normal.
It was clear she wasn't, since she had barely reacted to me this entire last round - a round that she herself asked me for - and it was clear that yesterday had taken its toll on her in more ways then one, which was to be expected.
Memories of the 'Monster Mash' that Lady Fenryas arranged for us were still clear in my mind, and the idea of having a more personalized, deadlier fight against not a monster, but an incredibly, mind boggling powerful woman like herself was enough to send shivers down my spine and make me want to run and hide.
It wasn't that I was scared of the pain itself or the woman who would be handing me that pain, but the fact that I would be confronted with such an insane gap between me and someone else that made me hesitant to want to try and do what Kat had done.
Sparring against Mom was already jarring enough, since she handled my best with enough ease as it was, and considering I had watched her get taken down in mere moments by Lady Fenryas, well...
I knew I was one to overthink things, and being presented with such hard, cold evidence that I was weak would be something that wormed around in my mind, even if I knew better.
A problem that I would likely never be rid of in my life, if I had to guess; a problem that made little sense subjectively, but a problem that was ingrained into my very being at this point.
Overthinking had led to many terrible mental states already in my life, and yet I had no idea on how to get rid of something that I had identified as negative.
My overthinking aside, I made sure Kat was comfortable before getting up and letting out a sigh, rubbing at my jaw before turning towards Leone, who was lounging on her bed quietly and reading her book, having managed to redirect her focus away from Kat and I and instead focus on her studies, which was good, though...
Considering the deep blush that covered her cheeks when I stood over her, I couldn't help but reach forwards and grab her head, grinning at my adorable Vampire lover and having her perform some of her expected duties, though I did try to keep it short...
And it would seem that our constant 'practices' were paying off, since she got me to the edge in a couple of minutes, swallowing everything down before giving it a kiss, all while her cheeks remained that captivating crimson.
Getting dressed, I glanced over my shoulder and said "Look over Kat for me, Leone, and take care of her. Don't leave her alone, and don't let her push herself; she needs the rest. Though that doesn't mean you need to treat her gently..."
Leone's cheeks darkened as I winked at her, and a chuckle escaped my lips as I closed the door behind me, leaving Leone with Kat and trusting that in a few hours when I returned, the Dogkin would be feeling better.
Glancing towards the window, I sighed as I noticed the sun had already reached its zenith, the day having long since been in effect, meaning I had wasted some precious time... though that wasn't really time wasted since I had spent it with my family.
That would never be time wasted.
Mother looked back towards me, her sapphire eyes as sharp as ever as she asked "Are you heading out? Your Mom said you could find her at the training grounds, though that shouldn't be surprising."
"It isn't. How's Alessandra and Lakshmi been?"
I approached her and looked down at her lap, the two babies sprawled out and fast asleep, enjoying the warmth of the sun and their Mom as they recharged, oblivious to their older sister standing above them.
"According to your Mom, Alessandra is bratty and haughty already while Lakshmi is laid back and completely normal."
She rolled her eyes at that, before smiling softly as she added "Of course, she says that but does whatever Alessandra wants, while Lakshmi rarely rests nearby your Mom, instead doing whatever she can to play. Without her here, they've both been a bit sad, but I think they've been doing well. Alessandra loves to read and learn things, while Lakshmi just loves to cuddle; they're a nice little mix of what you were like as a baby."
Mother looked up at me, her smile widening before she sighed as she began to rock gently back and forth, saying "It just makes me realize how old I already am, what with you being so mature already. Then there's these two little ones, and watching them grow will be both devastatingly short and excruciatingly long at the same time. And I doubt we'll get lucky for another few years, so..."
She sighed, but her smile returned as she stroked Alessandra's hair, before moving her finger over towards Lakshmi, who grabbed at her finger when she felt it, the lavender skinned baby murmuring quietly and stirring in her sleep, though she was clearly still wrapped up tightly in its warm embrace.
"Well, I imagine you'll want the break between them and the next one more than you realize. After all, Elves mature slower, no? Alessandra will be fully mature at the same time as a human, right? Or sometime a bit earlier?"
"That's why I said excruciatingly long... yes, she'll be 'mature' by her twelfth or thirteenth year, though she'll continue to grow until she's sixteen. Meanwhile, Lakshmi will shoot up at five like you did, before peaking at seven or eight; you don't realize it, but your Light Mana, Kat's Ice Mana, Anput's Metal Mana, and Leone's blood made each of you mature so damn quickly. Sometimes... I understand what Julie talks about, saying she felt like she just blinked and one day Kat was a full fledged woman. I feel the same with... I can still remember the bratty little blue Demoness that whined whenever her books were taken away at night, or how you pleaded with your Mom to play just a little longer."
I gave her a wry smile as she smirked up at me, scratching my cheek and recalling what I could from when I was a child, which really wasn't that long ago.
"But, that little blue brat grew up, just like the cute, adorable fluffy pup that followed you ever. Just like these little ones will as well, eventually. It's apart of what makes us mortals, after all, and it holds its own charm."
Mother rocked back before tilting her head, staring out the window and observing the gorgeous gardens outside of the Palace for a few moments before adding "Though sometimes, I do think that little brat was so much cuter and charming compared to the hulking numbskull she is today~!"
Raising a brow, I looked down at my Mother and snorted, before leaning down and gently tapping my head against hers, saying "My head ain't empty, and you made sure of that. If Mom had her way with everything, that might just be true..."
We both chuckled some more, and for a few more minutes we joked and chatted, enjoying the warmth and love between us for just a little while longer, before I bid her goodbye and made my way out of the room, heading for the training grounds to look for Mom and Belian, who had some more to tell me today.
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