With the dishes done and the little one put to sleep, he carried himself up the stairs with a hundred thoughts at once. He held a hand to his chin, bringing together his thoughts about sothing.
He glanced up and noticed his door ajar, ever so slightly. "Kid, what are you doing in my room?" he asked as he climbed up. No reply ca back.
He sighed and opened his door, "I know you’re- Hm." He imdiately noticed the brunette hanging onto the ceiling. "Please get down from there kid."
The perturbed Fuko groaned. "Woosh." She appeared back on the floor. "I assu there’s a reason you were mimicking a spider?"
"Obviously," the answer was to shock him. However, after getting a resounding, ’hm’, she wasn’t exactly thrilled. "Can we talk?"
"More than happy to kiddo," he took a deep breath. Fuko eyed the door. Kazuo took notice and shut it for privacy’s sake.
"I learned so interesting things today. You planning on making Kineko get hoschooling too?" she leered.
"No."
"What?"
"I was actually thinking of sending Kineko to school proper. I was seeing how well she’d respond to things in Dolpool Academy."
"Glad I was just the first test subject for you then," her eyes waned.
"Kid," he breathed. "You’re not my test subject. I don’t regret taking care of you and I don’t see you as so failed attempt at my parenting."
...
"Is that what you wanted to ask ? About your sister?"
Fuko’s shoulders rose and fell, "No, I’m here to talk about sothing else."
"And that would be?"
"I want to help in the cult’s case."
Kazuo closed his eyes and cocked his head, "Kid, there’s a lot of things we can talk about."
"Based on so intel I’ve got, I’m led to believe that you’re trying to keep it under wraps, but also secretly trying to get us to investigate the case. So just be direct already."
Kazuo squinted and his eyes began calculating how she ca to such a conclusion, "No, kid, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not pulling so wool over your eyes or anything, I’m genuinely asking all of you to stay out of it."
"Oh... Well, why?" Fuko retorted.
"It’s too dangerous and there’s too many variables uncalculated for."
"Seriously? You said you were proud of everything I’ve done? But your actions aren’t really backing your words, if you can’t even let help."
"I am proud, more than you know kid. But the cult isn’t the sa thing, they’re a threat you seem to be really undervaluing," he said in a twinge of desperation.
"Then help value it," Fuko stood upright. "I can’t be in the dark all of the ti about things you consider threats, especially if it’s you’re worrying about."
"Kid, I..."
"These people murdered my parents and you’re asking to sit in my room while they slowly co back out of hiding? I’ve been here for seventeen years dad.
I’m not so kid anymore and I’ve got the rits to prove it. The things that you’re proud of, are the things that I’ve done," she did not scream, but nor did she waver. "I know it’s not easy, I know I’ll get hurt, I know the risks.
This world isn’t so soft wonderland, but it’s not so dark hopeless alley either. I’ll co out of it and I’ll do the best that I can. I’ve managed to do that so far, there’s evidence to back it up.
And I’m not doing it alone either. I have my friends and I know I can trust them to be with through everything. I’ve got their help and most of all, I’ve got you dad," her voice cracked.
"The greatest detective in Burnetrout—I’ve got you dad... If I’ve got you keeping an eye on too, then there’s nothing I need to be worrying about.
I need you to guide , not hold up in so cage. I want to be like you dad... I want to be a detective. So please, let help you with the case," still standing firm, she huffed, looking him in the eyes.
...
...
Kazuo kept looking his daughter in the eyes... His face crinkled till he shut his eyes for a mont. Opening them back up, he said, "Okay."
"Wait, really?" Fuko’s shoulders slumped and shadows glimred in her eyes.
"Yeah kid," Kazuo kept looking her up and down... He gave a faint smile and his eyes welled up, "Really."
Fuko’s eyes waxed open wider second by second and her smile broadened till so laughter escaped her lips- "Ahem!" She adjusted her face, "Finally you listen to . Took you long enough."
"Kid," he took a deep breath, "Trauma tends to shape your life. When sothing big happens—when you choose to take a risk or do sothing dangerous—or sotis when it’s just thrust upon you, it changes you.
It turns good people cruel; and so not. Rember once when you asked about your grandparents? I said they were in Luxinor, living in peace."
Fuko furrowed her brows to his sudden words, "You were lying?"
"Not entirely. My parents, died in a fire when I was sixteen..." he took a pause. "Which, made angry against the world and eventually spiralled into joining the fire brigade and training up to beco a firefighter.
Then at twenty-five, I was called down from Luxinor for the great fire breaking out in Burnetrout...
So when you ran away from ho and took that risk, I was desperate; I went into a fever trying to get you back... But then in that, I realized sothing that I didn’t want to believe at first. Eventually I had to.
That my delusions of keeping you safe from everything in the world and giving you a ho with no harm, were nothing more than my own scars dictating my actions.
Once I knew you made it to Kria safe and sound..." he gave a heavy sigh. "I took the chance to have faith in you. Which is the reason I didn’t want to interfere. I hoped you would prove wrong kid. And looks like, I was."
"I see..." Fuko turned away from his gaze. "Dad, I’m s... Thanks—for hearing out."
Kazuo took a step back and inhaled, "Sure thing kiddo."
"So, case," she uttered.
"I’ll take you and your friends to the company tomorrow; we can fill you in on the case and maybe, maybe show you a few leads, we’ll see. How’s that sound?"
"Yeah. That sounds, good," Fuko twiddled her thumbs. Shadows appeared and she reappeared at the door. She turned the knob and creaked it open, "...Night dad." She blinked out the doorway.
Kazuo turned back, "Night." And he shut the door behind him.
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