"This is my daughter, Wadanohara."

Tatsumiya was at a loss for words.

Before her, sat on a velvet cushion atop of a marble podium, was a pearly white egg. Meikai, a soft and proud smile on his lips, stood behind it with his hands gently holding the sides.

This certainly hadn't been what she'd expected to see when Meikai requested that she and Old come to see something that he'd brought back from his most recent adventure at the surface.

"An egg..." Tatsumiya's eyes stitched together in confusion. "Your daughter...?"

"Well, I'm not completely sure it's a girl yet." Meikai laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Just have that feeling, you know?"

"What the hell, Meikai?" Old was staring at the egg with just as confused an expression as Tatsumiya's, but angrier. "I thought you were virgin. How'd you get a kid?"

"Old!" Tatsumiya stiffened. "Don't make such vulgar assumptions about Lord Meikai!"

Old shifted his glare toward her. "I'm sorry that I was apparently the only one here who thought he was too much of a pussy to put his dick in a woman's-"

Horrified, Tatsumiya screeched. "Old!"

"Well, why the hell else wouldn't he have tried to bang you by now?"

"W-What?!"

"I would have, if you were always drooling over me."

Her face was almost as red as the accents in her hair. "The audacity! I would never-"

Meikai interjected before either of them could say anything else. "Please stop teasing her, Old; you know she flusters easily." Tatsumiya looked as if she wanted to argue, and Old seemed to not want to listen. He didn't give either of them a chance."But as for how I got her..." Meikai looked down at the egg in his hands. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, and Wadanohara's mother kind of wants to remain anonymous for now..."

Wadanohara's mother. Tatsumiya felt her heart sink at the words. Meikai's lover.

Old looked accusingly at their master. "So you're just going to keep us in the dark about this?"

Meikai bowed. "Really sorry, guys."

Exasperated, Old stormed out of the house.

"Oh, no. I've upset him now." Meikai watched the now-closed door that the shark had exited through only a moment ago.

Tatsumiya shook her head. "He just wishes you could trust us a little more. We are your familiars, after all."

"I know." Meikai sighed. "Trust me; I'd really like to tell you two. You're my best friends, but..."

Friends.

Tatsumiya looked off to the side, suddenly feeling depressed at the word. "Yes, well... Was this all you wanted? To show us... uh... Wadanohara?"

Meikai straighten himself up. "Oh, no. I also wanted to ask for you and Old to help look after her. I can't carry Wadanohara around with me everywhere I go, and I can't be home all the time." He finally released the egg from his hold and let his hands sit at his sides. "There may soon come a time when someone will think that the best way to get to me is through her, and I'd like to rely on you and Old to help keep her safe."

Tatsumiya bowed to him. "Of course, Lord Meikai."

He laughed and pat her on the shoulder. "Didn't I tell you to drop all of the 'Lord' stuff? We're friends, right?"

Friends.

Just friends.

"Oh, yes. My apologies."

He gave her a small smile. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself to her?"

Confused, Tatsumiya tilted her head. "Huh?"

"Introduce yourself to Wadanohara."

His smile was so innocent, she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "I think that's a little unnecessary. It's just an egg right now."

"Oh, nonsense!" He was behind her now, nudging her back in the direction of the egg. "Go on! She doesn't bite. Yet."

"But-"

"There's nothing I'd like more than for my two favorite girls to get along."

Tatsumiya froze.

She knew he didn't mean to be so cruel to her. He was just so thick-headed. But it hurt.

She suddenly lost all the determination to argue and held her hands tightly together in front of herself. "OK, then."

Carefully, she approached the egg and, upon much prompting from Meikai, touched her fingers to its smooth surface.

"Hello, Wadanohara..."

There was no reaction. Of course. It was an egg. A round, white, ball-shaped egg.

Still, Meikai was indication for her to keep going.

"My name is Tatsumiya."

Suddenly, she felt something from the inside. The tiniest movement.

Her eyes widened in wonder, and she looked to Meikai. "She kicked! I think she heard me!"

He simply smiled as Tatsumiya turned back to the egg. "Yes. I'm Tatsumiya. Your father's oarfish familiar. Lord Meikai, Old, and I, we're going to take care of you."

Behind her, Meikai was trying to hold in his laughter.