It turns out, fixing it was a lot harder than anticipated.

It wasn't that Hailey couldn't talk.

She didn't want to talk. And no amount of pleading or bribes had persuaded her beyond one or two words at a time.

And Satori couldn't quite figure out why, as vexing as that was for the mind reader, as it seemed not even Hailey herself fully understood her reasoning, meaning it was probably something subconscious.

She had tried asking her sister, but her only response was, "Because she loves you!' which while heartwarming, really didn't help.

So now, three years later, the now no longer infant Hailey stayed resolutely mute.

Satori sighed as she stared into her teacup.

'Parenting troubles?' Shiki thought, Sipping tea.

"Nothing new, Hailey's pathological muteness is an ongoing concern, but we have learned to deal with it. Most of my pets have become adept at reading her body language, and it was never a problem for me. Koishi also seems to have little difficulty reading Hailey like a book." Satori explained.

Since adopting Hailey, Shiki had given her an open door policy regarding the child, and Satori often sought out her advice in matters involving her. This had resulted in the two meeting each other far more frequently, and while this had started out fairly professional, they had become a bit more casual over the years. Sometimes Satori just needed another responsible adult to talk to about her woes, despite Shiki being as single and childless as Satori had been previously. In fact, while she already respected Shiki as an employer, she found she quite liked the Yama's company, and the feeling was surprisingly mutual.

'That is heartening, I was worried at first. And meeting Hailey, I was struggling to get a read from her.' Shiki thought.

"Orin claims it's fairly easy once you get used to it, her body language speaks volumes. Not that I would know." Satori said. "Nevertheless, I still worry. Her inability to communicate might hamper her later in life."

'An understandable concern, communication disorders can be difficult gaps to overcome' Shiki thought. 'Have you been teaching her sign like I suggested?'

"Yes, and thankfully she has taken to it slightly better than speech, although she is still reluctant to use it. I have to get Orin to do the teaching as well, since she refuses to do it with me… It's strange, I don't know why, but she not only expects but demands to have her mind read when conversing with me."

'If I had to guess, she probably enjoys the intimacy' Shiki thought. ' although… have you ever mentioned how Satori traditionally communicate with one another?'

Satori thought about it. "Perhaps once or twice." she admitted.

'And has she ever harboured desires to be more like you?' Shiki's thoughts continued.

"Quite often," Satori said. She quickly browsed Shiki's train of thought. "You think she is trying to be more like a Satori?"

'It seems likely, she probably doesn't fully understand what a Satori is yet, but she probably has an understanding that she is not one, and you are.' Shiki explained. 'Perhaps in a desire to become closer to you, she is trying to emulate Satori behaviour subconsciously.'

Satori stewed in this, before sighing. "Goodness, I really messed up this whole human parenting thing didn't I?"

'I wouldn't say that.' Shiki thought. 'Parenting is not something easy as I understand, and there are more wrong ways to do it then right. But at the same time, I don't think that anyone could be considered a truely bad parent when they care as much as you do, and are as loved as you. In the end you are trying to do the best you can, with a serious interspecies handicap. I still stand by my initial assessment, and I think you have honestly done a wonderful job.'

Satori flushed a little and averted her gaze. "Those are high praise coming from you." She sipped her tea.

'She can be quite cute when embarrassed.' An errant thought came unbidden drifting across Shiki's mind, despite her attempts to squash it. Satori nearly choked on her tea.

After an awkward silence, at least for Shiki, as Satori could hear the Yama mentally berrating herself, for thinking such thoughts about a subordinate and co-worker.

Shiki cleared her throat, remembered she didn't have to do that, and thought as usual. 'Apologies, I have probably made you uncomfortable.'

"It's fine, such thoughts happen. The mind is difficult to steer, even to a Satori. We tend to take such errant thoughts at face value. To us, that would have been a compliment," Satori said. who had gotten her own flush under control. "I was just... surprised. I just didn't expect you to be one prone to such thoughts."

'Especially about me,' Satori added in the privacy of her own head. She doesn't think she's ever been called cute before.

Except for Yuugi, but she calls everyone smaller then her cute, so that doesn't really count.

'I don't think I'm prone to such thoughts… then again, perhaps I have, I am not usually as conscious of my thoughts then when I am with you, so it is possible I simply did not commit it to memory.' Shiki thought.

Satori couldn't help herself. "Anyone else you find cute?"

Shiki seemed to short circuit as she tried to search her own brain for anyone else she might have thought of as cute. It made Satori feel slightly bad.

"...Hailey." Shiki actually said it out loud, before switching back to thought speak. 'I mean, Hailey is a pretty cute child wouldn't you think?'

Satori decided to show mercy. "That she is. We probably got a little side tracked didn't we?"

'Indeed, we were talking about Hailey… and her communication problems.' Shiki thought. 'If you are still feeling concerned, perhaps one possible approach would be to widen her social circle, put her in more social situations away from you. This might incentivise speech if you are not available to translate her thoughts.'

"I understand what you mean, but wouldn't that be a bit like throwing her in the deep end?" Satori asked.

'It doesn't have to be. Orin could be a chaperone, she is the best at reading Hailey and with a good head on her shoulders, but can't transcribe Haileys thoughts like you can. While she might be a little uncomfortable, it might be good for her if she gains some acquaintances she wants to speak to besides you, and you don't need to be far away.' Shiki said.

Satori thought about it, it sounded like a good idea in theory, but she found one major flaw. "I mean, I understand where you are coming from, but… where would I even take her?"

This question also threw Shiki for a loop. 'That's… a very good point… do you ever take her to the former capital?'

"Too dangerous." Satori said.

Shiki nodded. 'Right, too many Oni and other such beasts, and she is a human child… is there any school you could send her to?'

"In former Hell? I home school her for a reason." Satori said.

'Foolish question' acknowledged Shiki. 'You can't really send her to the surface either…'

Satori shook her head, "The treaty forbids us underground youkai from going up. As a human, Hailey is not bound by that treaty, but she would have to go up alone…"

Both minds rejected the thought.

'... There is always the New Years party in Higan?'

"You mean the dull as dishwater party that neither of us attend, because we have better things to do than make awkward small talk with barely acquainted coworkers?" Satori deadpanned. "Are we even allowed to bring kids?"

'...This is most vexing.' Shiki thought.

Satori nodded, but after a moment she started looking thoughtful. "Actually we may be overthinking this…"

Shiki looked up. 'What do you mean?'

"Well, we are worried about her communication skills, because it will make it difficult to communicate with people outside of this palace while I am not there… But realistically, as we established, when will she be in a position where I will not be in arms reach?" Satori asked, "Former Hell is too dangerous, and she can't go to the surface… I can't see any scenario where she leaves the palace without me."

Shiki blinked. 'You have a point… but doesn't that effectively make her a prisoner of the Palace?'

Satori sighed. "Sometimes I do wonder about that."

Shiki frowned. 'Now Satori, I know you probably want more for her than that…'

"It's not about what I want for her." Satori said, feeling tired. And staring into her now empty cup. "It's about what I am capable of giving. A human in old Hell does not have a lot of future prospects, and as established, I failed utterly in teaching her to be human. A comfortable life in the Palace of earth spirits is all I can really afford to give… and maybe a clerical job in Higan perhaps, although she isn't that good at math."

Shiki studies Satori's face, and sighs. 'I understand, her future prospects do look somewhat bleak, at least for the moment.' Satori looks up, as Shiki continued, 'But a lot could happen in the future, and if you just do your best to prepare her for whatever future she may end up pursuing, that will be enough.'

Satori smiled a little. "Just do my best huh? I guess that will have to be enough."

'She has a cute smile too.' was Shiki's brain's contribution to this discussion, but both of them elected to ignore it this time. 'I think we need to let the matter of her speech problem rest for the time being, at least until we have a solution.'

"I suppose so…" Satori trailed off as Shiki observed her third eye shift to the door, followed by her head.

The door opened a moment later, and Hailey poked her head in.

'Mama, can't sleep.' Hailey thought.

Satori gave a wry smile. "Go back to bed dear, I'll be along in a minute."

'Okay, be quick please.' Hailey said, shutting the door again. Shiki watched the third eye trace her movement through the wall.

"Sorry, Shiki-sama, it seems my little girl needs some help getting to sleep." Satori said, getting up.

'Shiki gave a chuckle. 'don't mind me, I'll see myself out.'

"And so Princess Kaguya, leaving her mortal woes behind, ascended with the envoys to return to Tsuki no Miyako..." Satori trailed off as Hailey's thoughts descended into the general white noise that was dreaming.

She closed the book and returned it to the shelf. She technically didn't need it, her memory is perfect, and she has read it more than once, but it was more for the look of the thing more than anything. It felt right to tell a story with a book in your hand.

She walked back over to the bed, and looked at her sleeping daughter, studying her pale features, her waist long black hair, her delicate frame. She looked so peaceful… so fragile, like she would be carried away in the wind.

"What kind of future will you have?" Satori asked, stroking Hailey's hair knowing she was asleep and couldn't answer.

"Too fragile for the underground, no prospects for the surface… Sometimes I wish you really were mine, then at least you'd be a Satori," Satori said.

For Satori this was merely thinking aloud, an idle thought to be forgotten. But for the human child, despite being asleep, the simple suggestion rooted itself in her mind, and played back again and again as her subconscious mind unpacked that statement, in her semi-lucid state of dreaming.

"I wish you were mine…"

"I wish you were like me…"

"I wish you were a Satori..."

Satori had left the room by that point, but if she had still been there, she might have seen Hailey's lips trace out the words...

'Me too'

Chapter Notes:

As Promised, another chapter to make up for how brief the second one was.

So yes, as fully established, Hailey in this story is a pathological mute, subconsciously compelled to remain silent, is it fully realistic? Maybe not, but we're going for it.

But yeah, Satori is worried about Little Hailey's future, because she lives in Hell and Humans might as well be made of tissue paper compared to Oni. They are also looking for a place for Hailey to socialise safely with other people away from Satori (I planted a little seed there if you didn't notice, it's called the rest of the plot :P ).

Also I wonder if anyone picked up the "Subtle" Hints to a rather unusual pairing that I have grown rather fond of while writing this story.

Also I didn't mention the last time she appeared, but I'm aiming for the more cannon tall Shiki rather than the Fanon Smol Shiki. Nothing against it, but I like size gap couples, and Satori is already the Smol one.