Mother
– They're her kids, after all.
Marielle was not as oblivious as people liked to think she was. She wasn't a Guild Mater for nothing, though her main concern when it came to her player was to make sure they were safe and happy. They were her kids! She'd always wanted to get married and have kids back on Earth, but this, in her opinion, was even better!
She had all those little babies to take care of and love and no matter their age they were still her darlings!
That's why, whenever one of her kids was in danger or suffering she'd know immediately. It was like a gut feeling, and she'd learned to trust it since the Apocalypse. And now one of her babies was suffering, and it wasn't hard to tell who it was.
Serara had been quiet for days now. Gentle soul she was Marie was surprised the girl hadn't cried yet. Serara usually had no qualms about crying, she was young and when she was distressed she cried. She was compassionate and sweet and naïve, and usually very easy to console.
Now... now she wasn't talking and Marie didn't know what was wrong.
She guessed it had something to do with the party her little girl had found herself part of – all of which were in Log Horizon. She went to see them every single day. She'd always be so excited in the mornings, bouncing off to find her friends but returning much more somber.
What could be the cause of her gloom? Marie wondered. Serara loved spending time at Log Hozion with Nyanta and the other children that were now, in truth, Shiroe's kids (she'll have to drop by to see how he was handling him).
Try as she might, Marie couldn't figure out what was wrong.
Finally, she decided to call Nyanta. It was already dark outside when Marie stepped out onto the balcony, calling up her Friend List. Nyanta, of course, answered after a few beeps. They talked and Marie was disappointed that she hadn't managed to get very far in her investigation.
"She told me not to tell you, Marie." was the cat-man's simple reply.
She pouted, though she knew he couldn't see her "No fair. I'm her Guild Master, how am I supposed to take care of her if she doesn't tell me what's wrong?"
There was a chuckle on the other side of the link "Marie, you can't baby them forever, you know? Children grow up eventually, and you need to let them."
"Humph, they're still gonna be my kids – even when they're eighty!"
There was another hearty chortle on the other end, and something that sounded suspiciously like food being fried. "Serara needs to learn how to deal with her own problems. She may be young but this is a lesson she will have to learn eventually. And it's better she do it sooner rather than later, you understand?" Nyanta lectured in that old, warm gentlemanly voice so reminiscent of a grandfather's. She sometimes did wonder just how old the cat-man was.
The line was silent for a full minute, but Marie hardly noticed, to wrapped up in her own thoughts. Let them go? No! No way! Not her babies! And who was he to tell her to do that? He treated Shiroe like a surrogate son, along with all the other members of Log Horizon, so what was wrong if she did the same with her kids? Sure, Nyanta didn't act like a mother-hen (the image of him doing so sent her straight to hysterics) but he still acted like a parent.
Marie huffed, preparing to tell Nyanta off for suggesting something so utterly ridiculous when she realized the line was dead. The old man probably realized she got distracted again, but oh well – it wasn't like he was going to tell her what was wrong with her baby girl any time soon.
"No matter how old they are, their still my kids." she said aloud, even if Nyanta wasn't there to hear. "They'll always be my kids, no matter what."