Laska and Me - Chapter 2

How long would this morning ritual go on, I wondered, watching from the doorway. I was fairly certain she was still in her room, but the question was where. Her bed seemed to be empty as far as I could tell – she was neither on top of the covers nor under them. Didn’t appear that she was around the curtains as far as I could tell, either. Shifting a half-frown from one corner of my mouth to the other, I began to wonder if she’d learned to hide in the open. If so, it was going to be much more difficult to track her down when she did this. Maybe I could bring flour or towels or something I could throw around? Pondering this latest scenario, I caught the barest hint of movement from the pajamas she’d discarded on the floor. She must’ve dropped them where she stood and then never moved.

 

“I know you’re still on top of your PJs, so let’s make this easy,” I said in the most fatherly voice I could muster. Crossing my arms across my chest, I focused my eyes on where I hoped she’d be standing.

 

A moment of silence passed, and then I heard her pout. “What good is being infisible if you know where I am?”

 

As she spoke, her head and ears winked into view. Her eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance, and her ears wriggled back and forth. It was difficult to main my stern façade whenever her more cat-like traits made themselves known.

 

“Invisible, not ‘infisible,’ I corrected her, sighing. “Must we do this every morning? I know you don’t like school, but you need to go.”

 

Laska glowered at me, her disembodied head shifting about as she bent down to pick up her clothes. When she was first exploring her powers of invisibility, she could only make bits and pieces of herself vanish. Kind of horrifying to watch the first few times, but at some point I got used to it, and then even found it amusing when I’d come across various limbs that floated in the air. Either lucky or unlucky for me, she managed to master that particular ability in just a few months.

 

“Why do I need to go? I already know everything they try to teach me!” As she put her clothes back on, the rest of her began to appear.

 

“Because it’s an opportunity for you to get out and make friends. It’s only been two weeks since you started sixth grade, I’m su-“

 

“Sure what? That it won’t be the same as every other year? They always pick on me because I look different and my ears and tail are all messed up and I have this scar on my face!” Her voice started to crack and waver as she reached up to her face to cover her nose and cheeks with her paws. “I hate it I hate it I hate it!”

 

 Watching her made my heart sink, even more so when I knew she was right and there was nothing I could say to refute her. She’d been a vulnerable girl the first and second years of school, but starting in the third it seemed like she was beginning to make friends and fit in. Sometime near the end of fifth grade she began to get picked on far more often, and it was taking its toll. Barely back in school for sixth grade and already the taunting was merciless – supposedly at the hands of another Cheshire Cat.

 

I remember thinking long ago that children were the cruelest of all people, and now I was being reminded that some things never change. I’d attempted to contact the school regarding her bully, but according to them the accused girl was a model student who got along well with others. Then they’d chastise Laska in the same breath for being a ‘troublemaker’ or that she was seeking attention. So, like so often, it was up to the two of us to work through things.

 

Walking into her room, I sat on her bed and patted next to me. “Come on over here for a second.”

 

She sniffled a little, lowering her paws.

 

“Don’t be shy, come on.”

 

Shifting back and forth in place for a few moments, she finally nodded her head and then hopped up next to me. This certainly wasn’t the first time we’d have a talk like this, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Still, it was never easy, and I was often at a loss for words.

 

“They just taunt you because they’re jealous, you know,” I said, meeting her expectant stare..

 

“Jealous of what?”

 

“Well, you’re very smart and hard-working for one. You said yourself you already know everything they teach you.”

 

She turned up to face me for a moment, then looked down again.

 

“Well… yeah… I guess… but that’s ‘cause you teach me better than my teachers do…” She seemed to be mostly collected, but then she clamped her eyes down tight as a burst of tears sprung forth.“But why do they have to be mean and call me things like scarface?!”Unable to control herself any longer, she hid her face in my stomach, her paws pulling my shirt up against her face. “I hate it! I hate them!” Tears choking her voice again, she repeated “I hate them…” several more times, growing quieter with every utterance.

 

“They’re also jealous of what a cute girl you are,” I said, scratching behind her fluffy ears. She looked up at me in, disbelief plain as could be on her face. Wiping away her tears, I lightly traced part of the scar that ran across her cheek. It was deepest on the bridge of her nose, then faded as it went across her cheeks, just under her eyes. To me, it seemed to underline her bright, orange eyes.

 

“But my ears…”Sshe said, reaching up with a paw to touch the missing part of her right ear. “And my face, and tail…and, and, my black hair and orange eyes…”

 

I smiled softly, then spoke in as gentle yet firm tone I could manage. “They make you charming and unique, Laska. All those other Cheshires kind of look the same, don’t they? Some kind of purple color and yellow eyes. That’s boring!” I said the last part with a bit of laugh, frowning and furrowing my brows in exaggeration to emphasize my point.

 

“So, not only are you cuter than they are, but you’re also far more interesting! And, if I do say so, far more lovable.”

 

Laska tilted her head while looking up at me, the barest hints of a smile tugging at her lips. “Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

“But, you’re my dad… don’t you have to say that stuff?”

 

She was too clever for her own good sometimes. Always trying to ferret out the reasoning behind everything. I tussled her hair a bit before answering – having her fur or hair rubbed the ‘wrong way’ always seemed to annoy her.

 

“Ahh!” she shouted, pulling away from my hand. I gave her a half-grin as she scowled at me.

 

“Nah, I don’t ‘have’ to say anything. I say it because it’s true. You’re a wonderful daughter and I need to make sure you know it, since you seem to forget sometimes.”

 

Her scowl turned to a slight smile, then into a frown in the span of a few seconds.

 

“Then why do I get picked on so much?”

 

“Well, like I said, they’re jealous, and they think they can get away with it,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

 

Maybe changing my approach would help a bit. From what I had heard from her teachers and other staff, Laska never really reported what the other students said and did to her. Whenever I asked her why she never went to the teachers, she’d claim they wouldn’t do anything anyways. The popular and rich kids always got a free ride, according to what Laska had seen. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to realize that the reason the staff appeared distant was due to the troublemaking nature of her and Zoe. I’d tried to bring up those issues in the parent-teacher meetings, but once that label got applied it seemed to stick hard.

 

“But they do get away with it! And whenever I say anything I just get made fun of more…”

 

I had an idea of what to say, but, should I say it? I’d considered mentioning it to her before, but I always thought it was advice more for a boy than a girl. Chewing my lip, I tried to weigh the consequences of my advice. Would it make her more likely to resort to that method in the future for minor problems? Or would she save it for when she really had no other choice? I never had to deal with harassment like she was experiencing, so I was out of my league, in a manner of speaking. While I thought, she continued to stare at me, desperate for an answer; a solution. Closing my eyes, I sighed deeply, then met her stare.

 

“Laska,” I said firmly. Her eyes seemed to light up. Maybe she knew what I was about to suggest already? Certainly she’d thought about it before. “I’ve spoken with the teachers as well, so I kind of understand what you mean, but maybe you need to try and talk to them more. But. But, if you really feel like they won’t help you… maybe you should confront the kids bullying you directly.”

 

“Directly?”

 

“Yes, like tell them to stop. Or whatever you think you need to do to get them to stop.”

 

“That’s okay?”

 

Oh, I thought it was wrong for her to look so hopeful and optimistic at what I’d said. She knew exactly what I was talking about. Struggling to avoid a wry grin, I was hoping this wouldn’t come back to haunt me. I coughed lightly before continuing.

 

“Only if there’s nothing else you can do, Laska. Remember that.”

 

She remained silent for a bit, her ears twitching slightly as she thought about what I’d said. “So am I really cute?”

 

“The cutest,” I said, laughing at her sudden change of questioning. Her cloudy expression lifted, though only for a moment as another thought crossed her mind.

 

“Daddy, were you ever made fun of?”

 

Her question took me aback somewhat. I never really talked about myself much with her; if only because I didn’t have much to say. I rested my chin on my hand, thinking for a moment.

 

“No, not really… I was mostly ignored. I wasn’t made fun of much, but I never had a good friend like you do. I guess I spent most of my time alone.”

 

Considering her question further, I wound up dredging up all sorts of memories I’d hoped to have forgotten by now. I didn’t have the heart to tell her, or hear myself, say that the loneliness never changed throughout all my years in school or those after. It ate at my spirit and festered for so long, I wound up accepting it as something that would never change.

 

Every day I’m thankful she met that wolf pup when she went off on her own. Who knows how she’d be without Zoe around? There’s only so much I can do, after all.

 

Laska looked at me for a moment, then she tucked her head under my arm, wrapping her paws around me in a hug. “You’re not lonely now, right?”

 

Just like that, those thoughts and memories I’d stirred were quietly laid back to rest. I had to shake my head and smile at it all. If only I had done something earlier; what do they call it? Learned helplessness?

 

“Right. How could anyone be lonely with you around?” I said, returning her hug.

 

“But, now you’ve got to get to school. Hurry up and take your morning bath; Zoe will be here soon.”

 

“Ooookaaay…” She said, drawing out her reply, though a smile remained on her face.

 

-

 

Zoe arrived while Laska was in the bathroom, giving me the chance to engage in a bit of small talk with her. I always thought her grey hair and fur matched with her pinkish eyes was an unusual combination. I did like her toothy little grin she’d always sport, though. Her top fangs would just barely poke out and press against her lower lip.

 

Like Laska, she was picked on during the early years, but then around fourth grade she hit puberty early and hard,growing like a weed. Even now, at 11 years old, she was close to 160cm tall, towering over most of her peers. I think she was even taller than a teacher or two as well, and would probably be above Lydia in another few months. Since she wore clothing that never extended beyond the elbows and knees, you could see she was fairly muscular as well. No one was going to try picking on that gigantic wolf.

 

But, her personality didn’t quite match her physique. From what Lydia had told me whenever we saw each other, Zoe was incredibly self-conscious, maybe more so than the still-tiny Laska.Apparently she was having difficulty getting used to herself and could be rather clumsy at times. Still, she was protective of Laska whenever she was around. If Laska was being picked on by someone, they’d tend to back off whenever the wolfgirl made her appearance. And, considering what I just told Laska, I’d assume Zoe would back her up no matter what. I said a silent apology to Lydia for what was likely to come, sooner or later.

 

 “…heeey…” Zoe said, waving her hand

 

“Oh what? Sorry, spaced out for a second.”

 

“So what’s for breakfast?” She asked, her bushy tail beating back and forth like a feather duster. I was always wary of her walking around the house; she’d knocked countless things off my shelves and tables already with that thing.

 

“Well, we’re a bit behind this morning, so we’ll probably stop and pick something up on the way.”

 

“Okay! Where are we going?”

 

I shrugged. “Wherever you and Laska want, I suppose – so long as it’s not too far off course from school.”

 

“Yay~”

 

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized Laska had been in the bathroom for quite some time now. We might not even be able to stop somewhere for food unless she hurries up.

 

“Laska sure is taking her time, I’ll go check on her…” I said, turning to head towards the bathroom. Then I noticed Zoe’s ears were unusually active, and she had kept looking behind me while we were talking.

 

“She’s already done, isn’t she?” I said, narrowing my eyes and gazing at the wolfgirl.

 

“Wh-what makes you think that?” That girl needs to work on her poker face.

 

“Laska is standing near us, isn’t she?”

 

Zoe glanced in what seemed to be a random direction. Bingo.

 

“I know you’re there, Laska. What have I told you about being invisible in the house?”

 

All was silent for the barest of moments. Then I heard the pitter-patter of pawsteps leading away from somewhere to my right. Rather than try to follow the sound, I went for the more reliable option.

 

“Zoe. If you want to eat this morning, capture Laska.”

 

Her tail poofed out stiff, then laid down, along with her ears. I put my hands on my hips and stood tall. “No Laska, no food.”

 

“Ahhh, fine! I’m sorry Laska!” She yelled as she broke into her awkward, long-legged gait. She raced behind me, then around the corner into the living room. I followed behind, and saw her holding something , or rather nothing, in her arms. Saying nothing, I instead glared at the empty space where Laska ought to be in the wolf’s arms.

 

“I let it slide earlier, but no being invisible.”

 

“You wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for Zoe! I’ve been betrayed!” Laska howled, still invisible.

 

“Young lady,” I said, dropping my voice an octave.

 

Zoe looked absolutely stricken at having been called a traitor, but still held on fast. I did feel a bit bad using her love of food against her like that.

 

“Didn’t we agree that you’d go to school today, Laska?”

 

“What? You didn’t wanna go to school?” Zoe chimed in, recovering from her prior shock rather quickly.

 

Laska began to reappear within the wolf’s arms, looking a cross between annoyed and regretful. “Now hurry up and get dressed, Laska. We’re running late as it is. You can let go of her now, Zoe.”

 

The wolfgirl nodded and released her.

 

Laska sighed. “I guess…” she said, slinking off past me towards her room. Once she was out of sight, I turned to Zoe.

 

“Well, we’re probably going to be late, but I guess you held up your end of the bargain. Let’s decide where to go once we’re in the car.”

 

She wore a little smile in response, but gave a nervous, furtive glance towards where her friend had wandered off.

 

-

 

Back at home, after dropping the two of them off at school, I spent most of the day idling about. I did have a few things I wanted to get done, but decided to keep my schedule open for the inevitable call. As the morning wore on into the afternoon, I began to wonder if maybe Laska wouldn’t resort to fisticuffs. Perhaps she’d find a different solution?Or maybe she simply forgot what we’d talked about? No, I thought to myself, she’s too clever to simply forget, and if she had alternatives to just simply fighting she’d probably have done it by now. While the thought of Laska beating her tormentors down held a certain appeal, I also feared that due to her small size she wouldn’t get far.

 

I then wondered if I was a bad father for not being completely against the idea of her taking a stand for herself, even if it meant she might get hurt. It may have been kind of normal, I think, to secretly wish for a son to kick someone’s ass. But a daughter?

 

Before I could muse on that line of thought further, the phone rang. Of course, it was the school. They said there had been an ‘incident,’ and they needed me down there as soon as possible. I told them I’d be there soon, and departed a little bit earlier than usual to pick Laska and Zoe up.

 

-

 

There, in the office, were Laska and Zoe. I frowned upon seeing the wolf, since it meant Lydia or Steve was going to be here as well. It had not been my intention for her to get involved in this, but it was inevitable, I suppose. They both looked at me as I walked in. Laska was ornery as could be, scowling and generally looking unpleasant, but Zoe seemed rather nervous and maybe even a bit scared.

 

On first impression it appeared that neither of them had a scratch, but then I noticed a darkish spot below one of Laska’s eyes. Looked like she had a rip on her shirt, and some kind of stain on her shorts. I wondered if it was blood; if only she wasn’t wearing denim. Zoe appeared to be spotless, but the ends of her shirt sleeves and capris were ripped apart. Things must’ve gotten pretty wild if she had to transform.Before I had a chance to say anything to the girls, the principal of the school walked out of an adjacent room, glaring angrily at me. I wish I hadn’t been so familiar with him, I thought with a sigh.

 

“There you are! Do you have any idea what your daughter has done this time?!”

 

I glanced at Laska. She had her arms crossed in a huff, though when our eyes met she seemed to puff with pride. I let the corner of my mouth hook into a small grin, and then turned back to the principal.

 

“No. What’s happened today?”

 

“Laska assaulted another student today – several students, and wound up dragging Zoe into the altercation.

 

I struggled to avoid rolling my eyes. I knew there was no way she’d been the one to start things. Escalate them maybe, but not start them.

 

“Come in here,” he said. “You too, Laska.”

 

I nodded. Then, turning to Laska, I waited for her to come over. When the principal looked away, I rested my hand on her shoulder. “Just because I said you should consider fighting back doesn’t mean it has to be on the day I say it,” I whispered to her.

 

“They started it,” she hissed out in response.

 

Entering the room just behind the principal, I was not quite prepared for what I saw. I was expecting a small room with maybe one kid and some parents in it. Instead I was greeted by a very large space that looked like it was intended for meetings, and there were already quite a few people here.

 

First I spotted a young Cheshire Cat like Laska, only she had the typical coloring. She also looked a bit worse for the wear – two blooming bruises were clear on her face, and still sniffling. On either of side of her were the two people I presumed to be her parents. They looked even more unhappy with me than the principal did. Based on what Laska had told me in the past, she was the ring leader of the group that tormented her in the prior year and this. Can’t say I felt too bad for that girl, really.

 

Then there was a centaur, a harpy, a lamia, and a girl I mistook for a human at first until I noticed her blood-red eyes and unusually large fangs. Was this a five-versus-two fight? From the mood in the room and how Laska seemed to carry herself triumphantly, I suspected the small gang lost. It took nearly all my willpower to suppress a grin as I thought about Laska and Zoe taking on all five of these girls and coming away victorious. A proud father moment, in some strange way.

 

Almost all the parents were glaring at me, and the principal wasn’t looking terribly thrilled. This was going to be a long meeting-

 

Finally in the car and away from prying eyes, I let the smiles and laughter I’d been containing for over an hour free. All through the meeting I’d been giving signals to Laska that I wasn’t actually upset with her, despite the words I’d said to soothe everyone else in the room. Smiling along with me, I was glad to see she’d picked up on what I was trying to wordlessly say to her.

 

“I can’t believe you took on all five of them and won. I mean, I guess I’m proud, but I’d have expected you to pick your fights better.”

 

“Well… it seemed like a good idea at the time…”

 

I shook my head a few times, smiling all the while. “Still, I was surprised to hear that you defended Zoe instead of the other way around.”

 

“Ya! Can you believe those bitches? I me-“

 

“Hey,” I cut in, “No language like that, young lady.”

 

“…Sorry,” Laska said, rolling her eyes. Made me wonder if the rebellious years were coming already. “They were being… themselves, but Zoe was around this time and told them to stop. Then they started attacking her! Calling her things like bigfoot ‘cause of how tall she is…” Remembering the events, her paws clenched and her face scrunched up as she relived the emotions from barely hours ago.

 

“I couldn’t take it anymore! So I just punched that stupid cat in her stupid face to make her stop her stupid comments!” Laska swung at the air with a balled up paw in a demonstration of her words. “That shut that stupid cat up! And then she fell down! But then…”

 

Laska went from being fired up to sullen in nearly an instant.

 

I somehow already knew what they’d said about her. I wasn’t sure how it got out, but I think that’s what ate at Laska the most, even if she never said anything to me.

 

From quiet to on the verge of tears, she struggled to vocalize the other cat’s words. “She called me an abandoned cat that had to be taken in like a stray…”

 

I knew it was coming, but it still hit me far harder than I’d expected.

 

“Laska,” I began, searching for the words to say. “You know I love you very much, right?”

 

She nodded her head in response.

 

“I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but I think I loved you from the moment I saw you – your picture even. I remember the first word I used to describe you was ‘adorable,’ I said with a chuckle. “They laughed and said no one had called you that before.”

 

Reaching over, I wiped away a tear from her face, scratched her ears again. She sniffled and smiled a bit.

 

Pausing for a moment, I sighed before I continued. “Yes, your mother and father may have not been the greatest for you. But, that just means you got the chance to be with someone who does love you dearly. Always remember that I chose you – and you specifically. How many kids can say that their parents wanted exactly who they are?”

 

Rather than comforting her, it seems my words had caused more tears to flow. Perhaps I should’ve left out the bit about her parents?

 

“And never forget that I will always love you more than anyone else,” I said with a smile, trying not to let my own emotions spill out.

 

Laska continued to sniffle and shed a few tears here and there, never taking her eyes off mine as I spoke. “Thanks dad…”

 

“No problem sweetie. Anyways, go on with your story – I’d much rather hear it from you than from that old principal.”

 

She smiled and wiped at her eyes with her paws. “Her words hurt a lot more than they usually did… I couldn’t do anything…” Instead of tearing up again, she instead flashed me a proud little face. “So Zoe did for me! She got madder than I had ever seen her get and she transformed her arms and legs and punched that stupid cat while she was trying to stand up!”

 

“Then all her stupid friends tried to gang up on us while that stupid cat was crying on the ground. The only reason I even got hit is ‘cause that vampire hit me outta nowhere! It knocked me on the ground, but then Zoe decked her good too! Then that harpy was coming at her from the air… so I got up, started running, and then teleported next to her! I didn’t know if it would work… but it did! I kept flying forward and kicked her in the air!

 

Listening to Laska go on, I was grinning like an idiot the entire time. Her flying-teleport-drop-kick was rather impressive, I thought.

 

“I didn’t have a plan for after though… and kind of fell onto the lamia. Lucky for me, huh? Then that centaur just took off running. Didn’t even try to help her friends!”

 

“Shows they’re not very good friends, doesn’t it? Unlike you and Zoe.”

 

“Ya! We’ll always be best friends!”

 

Laska had this influential air about her. Or maybe it just affected me? Whenever she was sad it seemed to pull my spirits down, and now with her sudden enthusiasm I couldn’t stop smiling.

 

“Speaking of Zoe, you’ll need to apologize to her again when we get home. You both got suspended for three days, you know.”

 

“I know…” She groaned, laying her ears down against her head.

 

When Lydia arrived, she was furious with Zoe to begin with, but as she learned about what happened I could see her expression soften. Then when it was made mention that Zoe had acted to defend Laska, there was no doubt she’d become proud. Maybe it had to do with how wolves supposedly valued loyalty, or maybe she was just happy that Zoe wasn’t the aggressor. Either way I was confident the young wolf wasn’t going to be in much trouble at home.

 

“Well, today has been kind of a long day, and I don’t feel like cooking. Where do you want to go? Big D’s or Alrune Garden?”

 

“Oooh, ahhh, let’s go to Alrune Garden!” Laska said, her eyes lighting up.

 

“Well, as punishment for getting suspended, we’re going to Big D’s instead. I did tell the principal I’d make sure to give you a punishment fit for your actions, after all. Just remember that hitting people isn’t going to solve many problems, okay?”

 

“Aww… okay, dad…”

 

--

 

 

 

For the rest of school year, Laska and Zoe were left mostly alone. They’d become even more inseparable after their little tussle, doing nearly everything together. I admired Laska’s closeness with her friend, but also wondered if it was causing her to shun other possible friendships in order to be with Zoe.

 

Another thing I noticed was Laska seemed to change a bit afterwards. She’d always been one to want to avoid ‘girly’ things – dresses, make up, shoes, dolls – from a young age, but as the months drifted by she shunned them completely. Eventually she even decided to do away with the long hair she’d loved, instead opting for a sort of short bob-cut with long bangs. It took me a while to get used to her new look, but with the way the indigo tints streaked through her black hair I thought it framed her face quite well.

 

I’d considered that maybe a lack of a woman’s influence had resulted in her current likes and dislikes, but it’s not like I had a choice in that decision anyways. It was only around the fourth grade that she became comfortable enough around older women to not run and cower behind me whenever she was around one. Then, by the sixth grade, incidentally right around the time of her fight and rapidly changing personality, her anxiety almost completely vanished. I like to think it was due to the influence of Zoe’s mother, but who can say? Either way it was a relief to know it was something she was able to overcome.

 

In contrast to Laska, Zoe seemed to favor girlish things whenever possible, even as she continued to grow and grow. By the end of the school year when she turned 12, she was over 170cm with no signs of slowing down. Laska was a bit jealous at times, especially considering how she was still struggling to top 145cm by the end of the year, though she was… as much as it pains me to say, becoming more well-figured than her friend.

 

Whereas Zoe was tall and lanky when the end of sixth grade rolled around, Laska’s proportions were beginning to fill out. It’s something that I always had in the back of my mind, really. Still, it’s hard to accept that your daughter isn’t always going to be a cute little girl that only comes up to your stomach. I guess I knew it would come, but it would always be ‘later,’ and then ‘later’ snuck up on me and became ‘now.’

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

“Do we really need to do this, dad?”

 

Laska eyed me as we made our way to the young women’s section of the clothing store. My face was locked into grimace the entire time; how I wished to retreat and leave this all behind.

 

Lydia coughed behind me and gave a light shove, forcing me onward. I glanced behind myself quickly, to which I was greeted with a one-eyed stare.

 

“…Yes, we do…” I said reluctantly, overwhelmed by the pressure of the wolf.

 

“Why?”

 

“I… uh… because… they support?”

 

My answer was met with a snorting laugh from Lydia.. She stepped up to the other side of Laska when we paused before the ladies’ undergarment area. This trip had been her idea, actually. I’d been content to just let things proceed however they did, but Lydia wasn’t having any of it. Looking back, she was certainly correct to force me into it.

 

“Because whether you like it or not, you’re getting boobs, Laska,” the wolf woman said as she squatted down to eye-level.

 

Frowning even more than before, I looked away awkwardly as if it’d make this situation go away. These were things I did not want to hear,and to think, it was only going to get worse from here on out. My heart wasn’t prepared for this. I didn’t have any gray hair yet, but I suspected that was going to change in the near future.

 

“I don’t want boobs!” Laska protested.

 

Lydia sighed. “Hey, turn around, this is important for you as well, you know.”

 

Groaning, I ratcheted around to meet her exasperated stare. Our eyes locked for a moment before she refocused back on Laska. She poked and prodded at the girl, sighing all the while.

 

“Hey! Stop that!”

 

“You know she has hips already as well?” The wolf woman said, glancing up at me. “How long were you planning on ignoring this?”

 

My mouth hung open as I tried to comprehend her words. Breasts and hips were something /women/ had, not my cute little daughter… right?

 

“Y-yes? I have them as well, ha ha…”

 

Rolling her eyes at me, she then stood and came near, dropping her voice to a low whisper. “She hasn’t started her monthlies yet, has she?”

 

Reality is a cruel thing. A cruel, cruel thing.

 

“I… don’t… don’t think so.”

 

Lydia gave me a wary eye before her response. “Well, it’ll probably happen soon.”

 

“Great…”

 

How did other fathers deal with this? While I was busy cursing my fate, Lydia went back to Laska.

 

“Anyways Laska, as your father so eloquently stated, you’re gonna need some support, amongst other reasons. A bra will also make sure you don’t stick out when it’s cold or have your day ruined by a wet shirt.”

 

“Stick out? And why would a wet shirt ruin my day?”

 

Once again Lydia gave me the evil eye. “You’ve completed avoided any of these topics, haven’t you?”

 

“Well… they’ve never come up, you know…”

 

“You’re hopeless. I mean, she’s probably already an A by now.”

 

“What’s an A?” Laska asked before I could respond. Lydia just narrowed her eyes at me.

 

“An… A.. Cup. For your uh, boobs. It’s a size thing.”

 

Laska patted at herself, and then pulled her shirt away from her chest to look down the collar. “Is that good or bad?”

 

“I don’t know… it’s… it’s whatever you want it to be,” I stammered out. I was fairly certain my face could not possibly become redder than it was.

 

“Hmm… well having boobs like Lydia’s seems like they’d just get in the way.” Laska said, and then poked at the wolf’s chest. Lydia let out a little giggle I’d never heard from her before.

 

“I’m glad you think mine are large, but I’ll have you know I’m hardly a C. They’re kind of a medium. Anyways squirt, you need to pick out at least three here, and you’ll need to wear them every day.”

 

Laska’s eyes went wide. “Every day?!”

 

Lydia nodded. “Every day.”

 

My daughter’s eyes then turned to me, pleading. I shook my head. “Lydia’s right, sweetie.”

 

“Fiiiiine… let’s just get these,” Laska said as she pointed towards a rack full of sports bras.

 

“No dear… well maybe one wouldn’t hurt, but what you need are these…” Lydia said as she directed Laska towards a stand of ‘normal’ undergarments.

 

I remained at the entrance to the section, lamenting the loss of my innocence on this subject. The rest of the shopping trip was spent buying her some summer clothes, all shorts and shirts, and a new swimsuit. Despite Lydia’s protests, Laska and I settled on a set of trunks and a rather modest top that covered almost everything except her midriff. She accused me of trying to protect her too much, to which my response was that it was simply what Laska wanted.

 

Later that evening, after we had gotten home and ate dinner, Laska seemed to pace about near me. I could tell she wanted to ask or say something, but couldn’t find the nerve. A curious change from her normal attitude. It had to be something that embarrassed her terribly, but it still kind of stung that she felt it wasn’t something she could be open with me about.

 

Finally, tired of hanging around me as I played games she had little interest in, she came out with it.

 

“Daddy, what…what does it mean to be a woman?”

 

My mind froze and my heart stopped beating, only to begin thundering in my chest a scant second later.

 

“W-what do you mean, sweetie?”

 

“…Lydia argued against what I wanted all day… and said that I was becoming a woman whether I wanted to or not…”

 

Laska looked down and kicked at the floor with her paws. “What did she mean by that?”

 

Where was I to even begin with this? Was it because I always thought of her as my daughter rather than a girl that things had come to this point? I’d kind of hoped that just being out, in society, and watching other people would kind of give her the idea of what ‘being a woman’ meant, but that plan seems to have failed.

 

“Well, ah, first, why don’t you tell me… tell me what you think it means?”

 

I stood up from my PC, and headed towards the living room so Laska could sit with me. She walked behind me, thinking about her answer.

 

“Does it mean having boobs and hips?” She answered as we sat down, tilting her head. “Lydia has those, and she has a big butt moves around a lot when she walks.”

 

“That’s… I, uh, that’s part of it, I guess.”

 

“I don’t get it… do people expect me to have those?”

 

“Ah, sure, I guess. It’s one of the… physical aspects of being a woman. I guess. But it’s not everything. No no, there’s more to it.”

 

My response seemed to only confuse her further. I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to talk with my daughter about these things. Shouldn’t I have the confidence that she’s not some sheltered princess? She’ll understand, right?

 

“Having those parts… and some others… is part of the charm of a woman. It’s not everything, but, for better or worse, it’s desirable.” I’d managed to collect myself enough to hopefully get Laska to understand. She seemed to mull over my words, then a realization of some sort seemed to dawn on her.

 

“So would you like me more if I got big boobs?”

 

Unable to respond, I pursed my lips and looked up to the ceiling, seeking some sort of answer that would make this all just go away.

 

“Daddy?”

 

I looked back down. I had to say something. She had to know about romantic attraction by now. She just had to.

 

“Well… that’s… more for when a boy likes you.”

 

“Likes me?”

 

“Yes… uh, you’ve had health class, right? I can’t remember…”

 

She shook her head.

 

Why would they have something so vitally important to a father so late? I could have just bypassed all of this had they taught her by now. This was becoming ‘the talk’ I had always dreaded. No, it is ‘the talk.’ Where do I even begin? Why can’t this over-sexualized city have taught her already? Wait, wasn’t it good that I can teach her things properly?

 

“Dad… you seem kinda nervous…”

 

Laska was looking genuinely concerned about me. And only now do I realize that I’m sweating profusely, and that my heart is still racing. She probably thought I was about to pass out; though she wasn’t too far off the mark, I was feeling a bit dizzy.

 

“Sorry, sorry… you just asked me a really hard question that is really hard for me to answer, sweetie.” Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself for the oncoming torment. A deep breath to try and calm myself.

 

“Right. So. Boobs and hips and all that other stuff means… it means… that… you’re an adult… a woman. And it makes you… attractive to… men…”

 

She simply gave me a puzzled expression. “Attractive?”

 

“Look. Haven’t you uh… ever been approached by boys at school that like, wanted to be with you? Or ones that you maybe liked, and couldn’t explain why?”

 

“No... Boys tend to stay away from me, especially after I kicked that stupid cat’s ass.”

 

“Er, I guess not… you’re still young, I guess? And hey, no swearing… but anyways… how… how do you think children are born?” This was probably the most direct way to get to the heart of the issue. Going round about was likely to lead to nowhere fast.

 

At my question Laska dropped into thought for a while. “I remember reading that a baby grows in a woman?”

 

Well, that helps some.

 

“Yes, when you become a woman, you can have babies. But first, you need a… man, and… love, and you want to have a baby.” My heart felt like a hammer beating against my chest. My blood pressure was likely through the roof. I’d wiped my hands on my pants so many times they were becoming noticeably damp.

 

“Where does it grow? And why do you need a man? Does that mean I could have a baby with you?”

 

And now the pressure has increased by several magnitudes. I desperately wanted to put this off until tomorrow or something and try to rope Lydia into having this talk with her, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it had to be me. I couldn’t always go to Lydia, after all. This was the easy stuff compared to what I knew was to come in a few years, wasn’t it?

 

“I love you, and you love me, right? So could we have a baby?” The longer I delayed in responding, the more difficult her questions became. I wondered if she had sphinx blood in her somewhere.

 

“No… no we cannot. Obsoletely not. That’s… the love we have is because you’re my daughter, and I’m your father. I think the world of you, but it’s… not the sort of love you need for a baby.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean… well. I mean it’s something you’ll have to wait until you’re older to understand.”

 

“That’s not fair!” Laska puffed out her cheeks. She always hated it when I said that, but I really couldn’t think of any way to describe romance to her right now.

 

“I know, I know, but trust me when I say it’s something you have to /feel/ before you can understand it.”

 

Laska continued to scowl at me, crinkling one corner of her mouth.

 

“Okay… so where does the baby grow?”

 

I could at least answer this easily enough, right? “Well… the baby grows here…” I said, pointing to her lower stomach. She traced where my finger was pointing, and then put both her paws on her tummy.

 

“Here?”

 

“Yes, there. And… the reason is… because… well… remember when we used to bathe together?”

 

“Yea, why?”

 

“Do you… remember how we looked… uh, different… between our legs, right about here?” I said, wincing as I motioned to my groin.

 

“Hmm… oh yeah! You had that thing, and I had a slit!”

 

Where did she learn that word? And why, oh why, doesn’t she understand the connotations of it? I stood up, and paced around the room, hands on my hips. There was nothing else I could do, despite the very strange look on Laska’s face.

 

Several minutes later, I managed to calm myself down, telling Laska I needed a moment whenever she asked something. Unfortunately she was quick to realize it was something she could use against me, and started repeating ‘slit’ to watch my reaction.

 

“Anyways. Okay. Yes. Come with me for a minute,” I said, heading over to the PC. I shielded the screen from her view and searched for ‘vaginal anatomy’, looking for something reasonably medical or educational. It was a bit difficult considering all the species, but I managed to find one for a Cheshire Cat reasonably quick on a kid’s sexual education website. I then full-screened the image, and moved away so that Laska could see.

 

“This… this is a… vagina, and it’s what you have.”

 

“Oooh…”

 

She studied it for a while, saying nothing. Then she started undoing her pants.

 

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

 

“I just wanna check…”

 

“N…not when I’m here! That’s not something you should do when I’m around! So uh, you can… check, just let me leave first. Whenever you’re done, just come get me. And please make sure your pants are back on.”

 

I powerwalked away before she could respond, giving her the time and space to do whatever she wanted in the room. She was clever enough, so she’d probably be able to associate all the names of the parts to her own without help.

 

I stood in the kitchen, watching the time tick away. A minute passed, then five. Then ten. I was beginning to wonder what exactly she was doing. What if she had decided to search further on other things? Did I just wind up introducing her to porn? Or was she…? No, I refused to think that.

 

“Laska! Are you uh, done yet?” I yelled out once fifteen minutes had elapsed.

 

No response. I walked a bit closer towards the room she was in, and yelled again.

 

“What’s up?” Laska said, poking her head out of the room.

 

“Are you finished?”

 

“I guess so…?” She said, disappearing back inside.

 

Taking that as a cue that all was proper, I followed her in. The image was gone, replaced with a page full of text and other, smaller images. Apparently she had taken the initiative to do some of her own research.

 

“I checked and I had all that stuff on the image… it felt kinda funny when I looked...”

 

This was not something I wanted my eleven-year old daughter to be talking about. Or maybe I just didn’t want to hear it. Or think about it. Thankfully she kept going.

 

“When I was done I looked at some other stuff on there.”

 

Crisis averted.

 

“Huh. So what did you find out?”

 

I wondered if I should have just sat her down in front of the PC to begin with? Would that be the same as having a man-to-…daughter chat?

 

“That a man puts a penis in the vagina and then… ee-jack-you-lates inside and it makes a baby!”

 

The way she said that word was almost cute. Almost. “So you understand how all your uh, parts are… connected?”

 

“Yup! But… it also said that most non-human women can control if they have a baby.”

 

Oh no. It was foolish of me to think all my problems could be solved so easily by the internet.

 

“Why would they do that if it didn’t make a baby? I also read that non-humans have a big ‘sex drive,’ and how ‘es-tee-eyes’ don’t transfer between humans and non-humans. What does that mean?”

 

Slumping down into a sitting position on the floor, I felt like I just couldn’t be embarrassed or nervous about this anymore. She seemed to… understand things easily enough, without become bashful herself. Have I really sheltered her this much? Or rather, how has she not picked up on these things elsewhere?

 

“They do it because… well, it feels good. Really good. Especially when it’s between two people who love each other. And… yes, girls… women - non-human women - are known for being… active. And not having to worry about STIs means that you can… do as you please.”

 

Seated up on the computer chair, Laska was able to look down at me as I sat on the floor. I hoped she’d understand what I was getting at, without asking any more questions. She remained silent for a while, swinging her legs back and forth.

 

“So, being a woman means having boobs and having sex?”

 

“That’s… not quite true,” I said. With my embarrassment over all this beginning to fade, I was able to regain some of my ability to think. “Being a woman also means… knowing what love is, I suppose. Being able to make your own decisions, and accepting responsibility for them. It’s not all that different for men, either, really.”

 

Laska’s legs kept swishing back and forth as she held the edge of the seat with her paws. “When will I be a woman?”

 

“I… can’t say. It’s not something you just become one day, but something you become over time.”

 

For some reason or other most of the tension in me was slowly bleeding out, despite the conversation topic. I thought that maybe I was simply coming to terms with the reality I’d been pushing away for so long. This wasn’t as hard as I imagined it, I guess.

 

“I don’t want to change… I like being me…”

 

“Well, it’s not that kind of change. You’ll always be my darling daughter, Laska. You’ll always be you, so long as you remember to be yourself. If that ah, makes sense.”

 

She stopped kicking her legs and seemed to study me for a moment. I doubt she understood what I’d say.

 

“Did you stay you when you grew up?”

 

Or maybe she did.

 

“I… think so,” I said, moving to stand, “I have you now, and that’s really changed me in some ways… but I’m still the same person you’ve known since we met, aren’t I?”

 

Laska smiled a bit and laughed. “Yeah…”

 

“Oh… does that mean Zoe is going to be a woman too?”

 

“Yeah, in time – just like you.”

 

Humming to herself, Laska had this suspicious grin. I was fairly certain what she was going to talk about with the wolf when they next met.

 

Thumping down onto the floor, Laska darted out of the room. “I’m gonna go outside and play!”

 

Looks like they were about to meet in a few minutes, I thought to myself with a smile.

 

“Just be back in time for dinner.”

 

“Okay!” She yelled, showing off by teleporting outside rather than using the door. Looking behind her shoulder as she ran, she flashed a grin, well aware that I hated it when she teleported.

 

--

 

Only a few weeks later, just into the start of summer vacation, I was greeted by another coming-of-age surprise when Laska woke me up in the middle of the night. Well, maybe it would be better to say I had been expecting it, but not right at that moment.

 

She wasn’t crying, but was obviously distressed as she continued to tug on my arm, trying to rouse me.

 

“Wake up, wake up…” She said, her voice full of worry.

 

I rolled over, opening one eye. “What’s the matter, honey?”

 

 “I… I’m bleeding…”

 

There was little else, I think, that could have woken me up faster than that. I bolted upright in an instant.

 

“Are you hurt somewhere? What happened?”

 

“It… doesn’t hurt, but…”

 

She held the smaller of the two stuffed fish to her chest tightly, staring at me all the while. I flicked on the lamp, getting a better look at her. Nothing appeared to be wrong with her that I could see. Her long nightshirt was fine, no cuts or stains.

 

“Where are you bleeding from? You look fine to me…”

 

Then, somewhere in the back of my mind, a little thought came to the forefront. I knew instantly what she was talking about.

 

“Wait, don’t tell me. It’s from your… ah, between your legs, isn’t it?”

 

Laska nodded.

 

“And it’s on your sheets?”

 

Again, she nodded. She seemed unusually calm, however. Worried, but calm. I would have expected her to be a bit more concerned about random blood coming out of her.

 

“Do you… know what it means?” I asked.

 

She paused for a moment before answering, burying her face in the stuffed animal.

 

“Kind of… it means I’m becoming… a woman doesn’t it?”

 

I rubbed her head a bit, and then stroked the tips of her ears, causing them to twitch a bit. “Yeah, it does. Just one of many things, sweetie. You’re still you.”

 

From what I knew, young monstergirls had trouble controlling their… fertility, and it could take a few years until they were able to master their bodies to turn it on and off as they pleased. Somehow dealing with this didn’t really bother me much, if at all. I wasn’t sure if I should be surprised at how easily I was handling this.

 

“Come on,” I said, getting out of bed. “Let’s get you taken care of, and then I’ll wash your sheets.”

 

“Take care of me?”

 

“Ah, yeah. There are things you can wear that prevent you from… making a… mess everywhere.”

 

“Oh, okay…”

 

“Yeah. Anyways, let’s get dressed and head to the store, okay?” I said, patting her head again. I remembered that there was a female pharmacist at a nearby 24-hour drug store that would probably be able to help me… us, with this. I thought about calling Lydia, but it was three in the morning. Besides, I’d been depending on her too much.

 

After Laska put on clean clothes, I took her sheets off and sure enough there was a red streak. It was a bit… gross, I guess, but something that I simply had to deal with. Laska seemed to be more embarrassed about the mess she made than anything else as she watched from the doorway. Not too surprising considering she was never one to wet the bed when she little – something I was so very thankful for. Once I had the wash started, we headed outside.

 

“Sorry for waking you up,” she said quietly as we got in the car.

 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a natural thing, and one neither of us can predict… well, the first time anyways. The rest should come regularly? I think.” I sighed and knit my brows.

 

Laska gave me her usual ‘What are you talking about?’ look.

 

“Look, I’m not an expert on it. That’s something unique to girls, you know. We can look it up online tomorrow or something if the lady at the store can’t help us, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she said, her crimson blush starting to fade. I found it odd she could talk with me about some things and not have an ounce of shame, but then other matters caused her seemingly endless embarrassment.

 

 

 

But, I thought, I guess that’s just Laska.