Chapter 8. Wisdom of the Prideful Woman.
Auntie Yue would know what to do. She's the oldest of my family on my father's side. How I feel about seeing Renaru so beaten down but still rising to his feet awakened something in me. So of course I sneak out towards the mansion. I need to talk to someone quite well versed on the subject. So I get on the train into town and ride the line all the way to the villa district. It's a little on the bigger side of things. Regardless of that I see the old European style mansion sticking out like a sore thumb.
I get to the gate and don't notice something in the bushes before.
"GWAAAAAAHHHHHH!" My younger cousin slams into me "Raptor attack!" Her hair tickles my face as she squeezes me in her arms tightly.
"Wahahaha! It's been so long, Ibara! How's Unk?" she asks. Her dark green eyes shining a little with me squirming out of her arms. She still smirks at me.
"Well… he's fine." I say softly. She sighs and shakes her head.
"Does he still not letcha get pads?" she asks.
"WHAT?! N-no!" I squeak, making my cousin double over in laughter. Her fangs shining in the sun. She's so confident and assured. She's even recommended to UA. Setsuna is so… perfect in a genuine way.
"So whaddya here for?" she wonders.
"I'm here to ask your mother for advice."
"Oh yeah! Race ya!"
"No! You always beat me!" I begin to chase her and we do that for a bit before she slows down.
"Then you shoulda not kept me waiting in those bushes! Been waiting to do that almost daily!" she huffs and I cannot tell if she's joking or not. Setsuna leads me up the steps to the door and almost gets tackled by one of her little brothers.
"Oof! Where do you think you're going, Kaneo?" she asks.
Kaneo rubs his horns a little, "Out! Cause ya know… I wanna go outside!"
Setsuna ruffles his lighter green hair and he doesn't even acknowledge me. He just forges out without sparing a glance my way. Setsuna just goes on in and almost gets bowled over by a little white haired boy with dark green eyes.
"Big sis!" He exclaims with tears in his eyes. He only has minty green streaks in his hair. Setsuna squeezes him.
"Nawww… what's the matter Ira?" she asks.
"I thought you goed away!" He sniffles as she scoops him up. From what I heard he's only three. She cradles him and leads me towards the office. It's up a spiral staircase past the study. Oddly enough making it be in the attic. I ascend the steps and arrive to see her sitting in her high backed office chair. Her crimson eyes flick up from her paperwork. In seconds she stands to her full height. Face looking seconds away from bursting into tears.
"Ibara?" she asks softly. Her voice is somewhat husky with her smile showing on her face. "Well. Let's get a look at you.'' She walks closer with her body cloaked in a white dress that shows plenty of skin. Her white hair flaring around with a few strands hanging between her eyes. It falls to her waist in a cloudlike rain of white locks. Regal didn't even begin to describe Aunt Yue. Her hand reaches out from a fur stole she always wore about her shoulders or arms. Her well manicured hand gently took my chin. She studies my face for a moment and tilts it around.
"Hm… more like your mother. Such a shame her beauty is no longer with us." She muses. "To what do I owe this visit?"
I swallow the lump in my throat. "W-well… I have questions." I mumble. She never loses that smile and sinks back into her chair. I sat across the wide desk from her. Her eyes are burning into my soul.
"Ask away." she says. "I promise I won't bite." I smooth my dress out and try my best to stay level. "I was wondering… why does my father turn into such a monster?"
Aunt Yue blinks. "I see. So… already wondering about something a little lamb like you has known nothing of."
"Yes. That's right." I say. She purses her lips with something odd in her eyes. Is it nostalgia or something else? She leans forward and the serious expression fades.
"So. He changed, did he?" She continues. "Into a tree monster."
I nod and she sighs. "Of course he did… Eugen cannot for the life of him go more than a few years without an episode."
"He's done it before?" I ask.
"Yes. Many times actually. I assume he got violent towards you?" she gets concerned and suddenly she's embracing me.
"Oh you poor thing!" Her arms are stronger than I thought. She lets me go.
"I'm sure it must've been quite frightening. Feel free to come talk to me when you have time. Is there anything else?
I nod and she sits back down with me sitting back down as well. I nervously twiddle my thumbs.
"Auntie… is it normal to have feelings for someone?"
"In what way?" she wonders.
"In the way of wanting to protect someone. Or… or you love them so much that you can't stand to see them get hurt or-"
"You're in love." She says. "What's his name and his quirk?"
"His name is Renaru and his quirk is hard to explain…" I say.
Aunt Yue smirks, "It's because of some attachment to him, I'm sure." she continues. "Our family tends to fall in love very intensely. At least your father did. Due to his Sin."
"Sin?" I echo.
"Oh. Well… it's better if I show you." She stands and gently grabs my hand leading me outside towards a low building near the mobile lab Uncle Alan uses on digs. Of course Aunt Yue would sometimes join him. I didn't notice the fact that there were subtle changes in how Aunt Yue looked. A straighter posture and a brighter shine to her eyes. Her hair seems to flare upward. Billowing in an unseen wind.
The building looks like a training gym on the inside. She turns towards a high quality training dummy and it powers on to face her. She smirks and it lunges for a strike right for her stomach. In only a blink, my aunt is exchanging blows with it. Her long white hair billowing around her face. She looks almost angry as she blasts the bot back with a heavy roundhouse kick to the head. It sputters and sparks as it dies. Her hair settles down and her eyes lose their glow. She looks at me and smiles.
"The answer to your intense devoted love for your precious Renaru is…" she grins and marches up to me with her finger poking my chest. "Right in here!"
"Eh? Well… I know that." I mumble.
"No. Not figuratively! Literally!" she exclaims. "Your heart is the core of your sin! Such is my brain and Maryanna's body!"
"I feel so confused." I say and Aunt Yue laughs.
"Oh darling. Don't be! Your father and us were made to be stronger than average. Even among this superpowered society!" She gently grabs my shoulders. "You've kept your beautiful little self hidden from blooming for so long. This is just the next step. I'm sure that little boy will love what you'll become."
There was a sinking feeling in my chest. An almost danger sense takes over and I jerk myself away from her.
"Excuse me but… I… I uhm… have to go." I mumble. I back off and go towards the door. My aunt watches me go and I make it all the way to the gate but I don't notice Setsuna until I'm about to head back home.
"Hey. Bara." She calls. I walk over and she gives me something. "I already got my number in here." I open the box and it's a dark green cased smartphone. She grins and hugs me tightly.
"Don't trust my Mama." she hisses into my ear.
"Why not?" I ask.
"She's been waiting for one of my bros to show the… weird billowy fast strong thing." she wiggles her hand a little. "If you show something similar, she's gonna notice."
I smile and push away from her, "I'll keep that in mind." I say.
"Take care of yourself. I don't wanna see ya keel over." she states as I turn to walk out of the gate. Something about this doesn't seem right. Nothing about it does.
Heading back to the apartment, I see Auntie Maryanna carrying something. She looks over her shoulder and breaks into a sudden run. I follow after her curiously. Of course she beats me to the door and gets inside before me. I see her sigh the minute I get in.
"Aw man! I was gonna have a big surprise! Ah well…" she puts a big pot on the table with a plant inside. "Ta-da! Consider this a housewarming gift!"
I look at it with a sort of happy nostalgia. Auntie Maryanna grins and sets her hand on my shoulder.
"I know you lost your plants when your dad went crazy. So I got you a new one! It's a Swedish Ivy. It reminds me of being back home sometimes." I suddenly hug her with tears running down my face.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I sob. "Oh goodness I…" Auntie just shushes me a little.
"Hey. Hey. No need to cry!" She exclaims. "Oh wait who am I kidding go ahead and let it out!" I just bury my face into her shoulder and cry as she hoists me onto the couch.
"Alright… there we go. Let it out." She continues. I just sat there in the arms of my aunt. Crying out my feelings. I just need time. My shoulders hitch and she rubs my back softly. My vines wind gently around her.
"You wanna know what I do to make myself feel better?" She pulls out a DVD with a boxer on the front cover. He looks serious but his eyes look sort of droopy. Stance up with big white letters saying ROCKY.
"I watch this movie. It's a good one!" she jives over to the TV and the DVD player. Soon enough the TV is on and I watch the underdog story of Rocky Balboa. It makes so much sense why my auntie loves it so much.
After the movie I got up to take my plant to my room. "Come on Ren. Let's get you watered." I mutter at it and set it near the windowsill so it could get a little sun. Since they need medium sunlight. I smile and settle down on my bed. It was still odd how Setsuna had told me not to trust my Aunt Yue. It's rather strange to me that Aunt Yue was monologuing about how we were above other humans.
Am I another tree monster like my father? I guess it remains to be seen.