Forty-second lotus

[spandexisyouth]

[Early on the 27th.]I have been here for two years now. It has been an honor to make what friends I have. It is not good to be taken away to a place you do not know, but it is made better by the company. I do not know what tomorrow will bring, especially here, but I am glad to be part of it. And perhaps there will once more be singing bananas next

Comments

[awokentospring]

[There is a huge blot of ink where Spring nearly broke the pen.]

Da

Gai-sensei. You did not have to tell anyone about this. You did not know so it was not a lie.

[spandexisyouth]

For over a year I told these people that I had a son, and some of us even strengthened relationships based on that. I mislead them and I owed them an apology, Spring. I wrote about it on the journals and so it makes sense that I apologize on the journals as well.

[awokentospring]

I think you are blaming yourself for something that is not your fault. You say it is a lie, but you did not know, unlike me who. Did. Or at least I guessed right and did not bring it up openly with you when I should have.

You should not have to apologize.

[spandexisyouth]

You knew? How long did you know for? Or guess for?

[esoteric_rose]

First and foremost, congratulations on making it to two years.

As to the second part...I don't believe you did lie to us. Even if he is not yours by blood, he is yours by bond, still part of your family. If we here can choose our friends as our siblings, who would say you and him are not parent and child by your mutual choice? You love him and he loves you. That's all that matters.

[spandexisyouth]

Thank you.

[There are pentaps.] And thank you for that. It means a great deal, Juliet. I still feel the same for him! This does not change any of that at all.

[esoteric_rose]

Excellent to hear. ♥

[spandexisyouth]

♥ I hope that it does good when said.

If there was a sarcasm font...

[grab_my_bells]

Well, at least now we know for certain that I can't be the kid's mother. That's a relief.

Hee. And now Gai is smiling a bit.

[spandexisyouth]

Yes it is! Though I think we were mostly sure of that already.

Good. Bell likes his smile.

[grab_my_bells]

Were we? I missed that memo.

\o/

[spandexisyouth]

We were! Nothing has children here so it could not happen!

[stonyfaced]

[Oh. Well. That does make a lot more sense than Spring coming from the future, Vimes supposes, but the resemblance between the two had been uncanny.]

Two years, eh? Congratulations, for what it's worth.

And that isn't exactly what I'd call a lie, there. A lie's when you know you're not telling the truth and do it anyway. I'd call that bit a misunderstanding. Besides, the two of you look enough alike for anyone to make that mistake.

[spandexisyouth]

Thank you, Vimes. It is worth a great deal.

I am glad that you do not feel lied to. I am still sorry that I mislead so many, but thank you. And we do look alike. Maybe we are somehow still related, an uncle and nephew, or something along those lines.

[burntorangesky]

[Tiny ink splatter.]

You are not? Then it is the most incredible case of similar appearances that I have come across in all my time here, not counting the things the Tree has done.

But Gai, I see no reason why you cannot continue to consider him your son. Not all families must be related by blood, and as you have said, he remains an important and precious person to you.

[spandexisyouth]

I am not. When he heard my name, he automatically added 'sensei' to it, and we all knew that was right when we heard it. One does not call their father that.

I [the pen rests here for a time.] think I would like to. It is how I felt. But I am not sure how it will work.

[burntorangesky]

I see.

Are we not family of a sort, after all this time? Genius, Bell, Castle, Lyle, yourself, and I? Do we not mourn each other's loss, balm each other's hurts, and care deeply about each other? It is hardly a conventional sort of family, but at the same time I see no reason why we cannot consider ourselves as such.

In that spirit, Spring can still be your son. [Pentaps] I suppose that makes me an aunt, as I do not believe I am too terribly interested in mothering.

[spandexisyouth]

That is true! That is all true! We have become a family! So it counts! That is genius, Fred! Genius will need a new name!