Monster Fifteen - Reply

I was studying in the library, looking over an older book with some Dark magic spells in it. It was tricky learning a spell from a book. I loved reading, of course, and I didn’t have a hard time understanding what was written, but there was more to actually casting a spell than just understanding the explanation some old cultivator had written down.

It didn’t help that they often spoke about weird esoteric stuff that didn’t have anything to do with actual magic.

I was lucky though. If I tried and failed enough times, Mom would lose patience and come and help me, then we’d get to spend mom-and-daughter time learning how to cast spells meant to tear muscles apart or summon big shields that could stop fireballs.

Mom was a great teacher when she felt like teaching.

“Valeria.”

I looked up and found Mom walking over. She came close to my desk and stood tall next to me, arms crossed and... was that a letter? “What’s up?” I asked.

“You received this,” she said while waving the letter around. She flicked it up and caught it by the middle, finger tapping just over the name written on the front—my name.

“Oh, a letter!” I said. “I’ve never received one of those.”

“Yes, which raises the question, how did you receive a letter without ever, to my knowledge, leaving the castle?”

“Ah,” I said. I may have made a small but understandable mistake at some point. “Maybe it’s a reply?”

“From whom?”

I squinted. I’d only really sent two letters. “Either from the Three Goddesses, or Semper.”

Mom closed her eyes for a moment. “Why, exactly, are you writing to the Three Goddesses? Or Semper, for that matter?”

“Well... ah, I wrote to the Three because I had a question,” I said, my expert evasion skills at work. “And I wrote to Semper to thank her for being your friend.”

Mom stared at me, then she carefully placed the letter on the table next to me so she had a hand free to pinch the bridge of her nose. “What did I do to deserve such a troublesome child,” she muttered.

I grinned. It might’ve been a bit sheepish though.

Mom tugged out one of the seats next to the desk I was at and sat herself. “It’s your letter. You should read it,” she said.

I grabbed the letter and weighed it. “Now?”

“Yes.”

I huffed. “Mom, you can’t spy on people’s letters. That’s mean.”

“I haven’t spied on the contents of the letter. Though I will note there’s no spellwork on the letter.”

“But you’re sitting real close to me while I read it?” I asked.

“Coincidental, I’m certain,” Mom said without an ounce of sarcasm in her tone. “My feet are tired.”

I stared.

She stared better.

“Fine.” I jumped to my feet and walked over to Mom’s throne. “Shoo shoo, Mister Stretchy,” I said to the cat currently warming her seat. Mister Stretchy--the same slightly-deformed kitty I’d made with Mom when I was making monsters for the first time.

Mister Stretchy tried to meow, screeched instead, then flopped off the seat. I stepped to the side and gestured for Mom to sit in her favourite seat.

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Why, exactly, do you want me to sit there?”

“Because,” I explained.

Mom didn’t sigh, because she was too fancy for that, but she did walk over, turn around and sit herself down. Then I climbed up and sat on her lap.

“Why are you using me as a seat?” she asked.

“Because if we’re going to be reading together, I want to do it right,” I said.

“And you placing your bony behind upon my lap is the proper way to read with someone?” Mom asked.

I wiggled a bit. I didn’t wanna hurt Mom’s lap. “Yeah, it is,” I said. Mom was... not the most comfortable. She was too rigid. Still, it was Mom.

I looked at the letter properly, now that it was actually time to read the thing. The writing on the front was quite nice: flowing letters written by someone who obviously knew their calligraphy.

Sliding a finger under the fold of the letter, I unfolded it. There wasn’t too much there, text-wise.

“Dear Valeria Malvada,” I read aloud. “Definitely for me,” I said.

“Indeed,” Mom said. “Read on.”

I cleared my throat. It looked like a girl’s handwriting, and it probably was if it was from the Three Goddesses. That was great; I didn’t need to make a pretend boy voice.

“My fellow goddesses and I were quite surprised to receive your letter. It is not often a monster dares to land in the courtyard of one of our larger temples, let alone one with a letter in its talons. For a moment, we suspected your mother dearest had finally lost her mind.”

I gulped.

“Typical,” Mom said.

“Ah, right, so... We were all impressed to learn that the positively ancient woman you call your mother was able to find herself a daughter, and one that doesn’t seem to take on her many negative qualities, at that.”

I tilted my head back to see Mom’s reaction. Her face was entirely blank. Scary!

“You wrote asking us the kinds of questions that would usually be addressed by one of our priestesses, but we don’t see the harm in answering you ourself. In fact, it’s refreshing to tackle such simple issues.”

That was positive!

“We understand coming from a family that includes someone like Luciana might make it hard for you to comprehend something as simple as love and tenderness. It’s wonderful to see that despite your no doubt precarious upbringing, you still manage to want these kinds of things.” I lowered the letter. “Mom, you know you’re a great mom, right?”

“Are you trying to reassure me?” Mom asked.

“Of course,” I said. “This letter is very rude. They don’t know how good of a mom you are.”

“Yes, I’m certain they’re unaware—that’s likely why you wrote to them in the first place?”

“Mom!” I said. She was jumping to the wrong conclusion. “Mom, you’re the best mom I could ask for. You gave me a home when I needed one, and you taught me things, and gave me food, and you kept me safe. I... I was just worried that maybe you didn’t know about some mom stuff and maybe they could help you.”

“Yes, well, I’ll admit it hasn’t been an entirely one-sided affair, nor was I expecting some of the complications that having a... daughter would entail.”

I scooted around so I was sitting sideways to her, then I wrapped her in the best hug I could manage. It wasn’t not an optimal hug, but it did the trick. “I know. And I’m sorry I’m not the best daughter. But we’ll figure things out together, okay?”

I could tell Mom was hesitant, but her arms came around me, and she hugged me back.

I started to giggle. It was the best. Sure, she was still awkward about it, but she was trying.

“And... I apologize if I haven’t been the... mother that you deserve.”

“You’re being silly,” I said, my words muffled by her clothes a little.

Mom shook, and I realized that it was a laugh, one of her little silent laughs. I squeezed her even tighter.

“We don’t need the rest of the letter,” I said while flicking the letter away. The Three Goddesses had obviously written the letter to taunt Mom. I hadn't seen any advice there, just thinly veiled insults and condescension. Mom didn’t need that. She needed to be told she was loved and she was doing a good job. The rest would come as we worked it out.

“Thank you.”

I leaned back and met Mom’s eyes. She was smiling. Not a big smile, but a little twitch of the lips at the corners, and her eyes were pinched up. That was a rare show of emotion from her, even more so than the hug.

“I can honestly say that you’ve made this last year a very interesting one. But I think you’ve done more than just stave off the boredom. I... thank you.”

I leaned in. “I love you lots too,” I said.

It was, I decided, the best day ever.

[Congratulations!]
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Daughter of the Dark Goddess
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