"Dad, this is Lisa, my acquaintance. Lisa, this is my dad, Danny Hebert," I say, introducing this insufferable Lisa to my father. What a day it's been - for me it compressed into a chain of events: disciplining Sophia Hess, or rather - beating up Sophia Hess. Then the visit to the PRT with Henry, who didn't disappoint me one bit, a true professional. He even has a sense of humor, questionable and professionally deformed, but still. Signing the agreement with the PRT, personal meeting with Miss Militia and the PRT director in BB. Visit to Tattletale, determining Bakuda's status, developing plans, incredible discoveries regarding Panacea. And... I completely forgot that I promised Danny to introduce him to Lisa. Lisa reminded me. Everything was done, we talked, thought about everything, I was already starting to get up from the table with "goodbye, Lisa, everything was very productive," but this flighty girl tilted her head sideways like a canary in a cage and said - "where are you going, Tay-Tay? We're supposed to have dinner with your dad today." Show-off.
"Very nice to meet you, young lady," fine wrinkles gather at the corners of Danny's eyes as he smiles and extends his hand. "Taylor has told me so much about you."
"That's very nice to hear, Danny," Lisa smiles back, shaking his extended hand. "I'm so glad to finally meet you."
"Let's not stand in the hallway, come in. I made pasta. Family recipe." Danny gestures, inviting Lisa to pass. I follow behind her. This is quite a responsible moment - I can't hide information from Danny any longer, but confessing alone with him - I'm somehow afraid. Like a complete coward, I brought a friend along, she should help me deal with the first crisis of realization.
"I'll freshen up from the road," Lisa says. "Where's your bathroom? Ah, I see, thanks." She leaves and after some time we hear the sound of water in the sink.
"You're definitely your mother's daughter," Danny sighs, shaking his head, and something flickers in his eyes - regret? Or disapproval? I don't understand. Usually Danny is somewhat excessively positive in my presence - on the outside. He smiles, but his eyes don't smile. It's as if he forces himself to smile when he sees me. Joking, talking, smiling - he does all this as if forcing himself. But now... now this mask suddenly cracked, and I saw my dad's real face. He's very tired. He's still in pain, he never managed to get over mom's death. He forces himself to be positive - for my sake. Forces himself to smile. But actually what he wants most is... he doesn't want anything. If not for me, if not for a daughter he needs to care for - he would have just frozen in place, simply sat and stared into emptiness...
"She always liked bright blondes too," he smiles sadly. "Couldn't walk past them."
"Seriously?!" In Taylor's memory, her mother Annette - a language and literature teacher at the local college, tall and beautiful, gentle, quiet and somewhat overly pedantic. To suppose that her mother had relationships with anyone other than her father was simply unthinkable! And her strict moral principles, rules, norms and boundaries? So that's how it is, good people?!
"You know, little Owl, you knew little about your mother," the sad smile leaves Danny's face. "She was quite the wild one. That's what I fell in love with as a young guy. For her there was no word 'impossible,' she always went straight ahead and never was ashamed of her desires. And you... lately you very much remind me of your mother. She would have acted exactly like you did with Emma."
"My mom fought?!"
"Oh yes. That's how we met - I pulled her out of a fight. No, seriously! She was desperate and bold, dangerous like a razor blade. Back then she cut her hair short and carried a switchblade in her pocket. Oh, and she dyed it some crazy red-blue color... and I was just an ordinary Irish guy. She was always able to stand up for herself and at some point was even connected with one of the Lustrum groups. But... she never knew how to behave by imposed rules, so she left them too."
"My mom was a terrorist?!"
"Well... Lustrum's followers are recognized as a terrorist organization now, but not back then," Danny hurries to interject. "And don't you dare, understand me, Taylor?"
"Don't dare what? Become a terrorist?"
"Taylor Hebert! Young lady, I know that expression on your face too well," Danny declares and playfully wags his finger at me. "No and no."
"Unbelievable, my mom - a terrorist. Well, well... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." I mutter under my breath. In Taylor's memory, her mom - though strict, was gentle and quiet, loving and calm. In her presence it was always cozy and safe, as if she radiated an aura of comfort. To imagine her short-haired, dyed in bright colors, in a leather jacket with a switchblade in her pocket... my imagination failed me. And... she liked blondes?!
"Uh..." I say. "She liked blondes?! No, wait, stop, I don't want to know! But... what made you think I have such inclinations? Lisa is just a friend!"
"She just keeps me at a distance, Danny," Lisa appears in the doorway, pleased with herself like a cat who stole a sausage from the table. "I'm stuck in eternal friendzone. But I don't lose hope."
"Well, good luck with that endeavor," Danny picks up the joke. "Taylor can be very stubborn."
"Oh yes. She denies the obvious," Lisa responds. "After all, I'm the best match for her. Believe me, Danny, no one can take better care of your daughter than I can. I've already graduated college and have a quite well-paying position! Of course, I'll wait until she grows up a bit more, but then I plan to propose to her!"
"Ahem!" I start coughing and Lisa sympathetically pats my back.
"My little girl has grown up and already brought a pretty blonde to my house," Danny again gathers the network of wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, smiling, showing he supports Lisa's joking communication style. I help him set the table, taking care of Lisa and, by the way, painfully pinching her shoulder so she knows. Lisa didn't even blink, just rubbed the affected spot and continued entertaining my father with her stories.
"Very delicious," she said, barely tasting the cooking. "It's like you have Italian roots too. My grandmother cooked like this. You can't mistake the Italian cooking style for anything."
"You're remarkably perceptive," Danny nods. "My grandmother was from Sicily..."
"Amazing. Mine too. A small village south of Palermo, what did she call it... it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember... Something villa, or villu..." she pretends to think.
"Villagrazia?" Danny says.
"Exactly! Villagrazia! That's what my grandmother said!" Lisa smiles triumphantly. "How do you know?"
"That's the village where my grandmother used to live too," Danny shakes his head. "What a small world. Amazing."
"Nothing amazing," I grumble, sure that Lisa simply made it all up, the manipulator.
"Maybe we're even relatives? Some distant ones?" Lisa suggests. "My grandmother told me that in that little village everyone was some kind of relative to each other. It's probably good when you have a big family."
"What about your relatives, Lisa? Are they also here in Brockton Bay?" Danny asks.
"Unfortunately mom and dad died in a car accident when I was still little," she answers. "My grandmother raised me, but she died two years ago too. Since then I'm independent and grown-up Miss Wilbourn."
"I'm sorry," Danny says. "Forgive me, I didn't know."
"It's all right. That was long ago, except I miss grandmother. She was very kind. And Italian cuisine... I just haven't eaten home-cooked food prepared like this in a long time," she sighs and looks down. She rubs her eyes and smiles. "But everything's fine, Danny, don't worry."
"Yes... sorry," Danny drops awkwardly. An attentive observer might notice that Lisa-Tattletale's eyes reddened. Either from rubbing them hard, or tears really welled up. Believing in Tattletale's tears is not respecting yourself. Maybe she cries at night, burying her face in a pillow, but she'll never show her weakness in public. So - manipulator. Worming her way into my dad's trust. I secretly show Tattletale my fist. She just rolls her eyes in response.
"I heard in passing that Taylor's mom was a very interesting woman," Lisa says, changing the subject. "But Taylor never told me anything about it."
"Annette was an outstanding woman in all respects," Danny says with sad pride. I understand Lisa's light manipulation, because under normal circumstances he wouldn't elaborate about mom, would prefer either to joke it off or ask a question himself. But Lisa shared something very personal, something very painful for her and even teared up, and now my dad feels obligated to share something personal in return. And besides - to steer the conversation away from Lisa's trauma. That Lisa's only trauma is her too-long tongue, he doesn't know yet, of course. I pinched her too little after all. Bite her with a mosquito? Right in the nose, so it swells up and turns red...
"Stop chattering already!" a voice sounds in my head. "How long can this go on?! Speech, speech, blah-blah-blah, chatter! Enough! Get to work!"
"Shut up." I switch channels, assign a woodlouse to the Butcher and stop paying attention to the howling inside my head. Right, Tattletale stopped by a store on the way and bought twenty tablets at once, supposedly for the needs of the charity organization "Education for the Needy," while so skillfully sweet-talking the guy at the register that he became moved by the problems of children who don't have internet access and opportunity to learn, that he not only provided maximum discount, but bought one of the tablets with his own money. My conscience would have eaten me alive from such a thing - he's just an ordinary salesperson, where would he get big money, and we're buying tablets so fourteen Butchers in my head have something to occupy themselves with. But Tattletale didn't even blink. Even left her business card, shameless. In any case, no one will suspect anything unusual about this purchase now. That's why I didn't buy all the tablets at once, I was afraid. Though what's to be afraid of - the PRT knows everything. But Tattletale solved the problem easily and without even bothering, playfully. On one hand it's convenient to have a Thinker nearby, but on the other - dangerous. Too smart. Still need to bite her with a mosquito. At least on the knee.
"Calm down," I inform inside my Space where the Butchers are howling. "A little later I'll go down to the basement and connect all the tablets and give you access. You'll have a marathon of web surfing. Do you even know how much traffic you consume? You should be ashamed."
"...she taught at the local college. Literature and language," Danny continues telling meanwhile. "But in her soul she remained a rebel. Though everything changes with years, for me she always remained the same as on the first day of our meeting - reckless and bold."
"Now I understand who Taylor takes after," Lisa nods. "Sometimes I'm even a little afraid of her. When we first met, she saved me from bullies. You wouldn't tell by looking, but she's so fierce!"
"Annette was the same way," Danny nods. "And honestly, I missed the moment when Taylor stopped being my little Owl and grew into a beautiful young woman."
"Well... don't exaggerate, dad..." I say, feeling my cheeks start burning. "Really now..."
"I'm serious," he says. "Look at yourself in the mirror. As soon as you stopped hunching, straightened your shoulders and threw your hair back from your face - look. My daughter is a beauty. I understand what you found in her, Lisa." He turns to her. "But I won't give her away so easily. Only into hands worthy of such beauty."
"I'm very persistent, Danny," Lisa smiles. "And I promise to be the most worthy. And my hands are..."
"Lisa!"
"I meant to say - worthy of such a worthy girl," she shrugs innocently. "What did you think I meant?"
"Lisa!!"
"Oh yes, you mean the whip. Danny, do you have a whip in the house, or will Taylor have to flog me with a belt?" Tattletale tilts her head sideways, a satisfied smile playing on her face. Danny chokes on his tea and starts coughing. I hastily pat his back, sending rays of indignation at Tattletale.
"You know... I think I'll go," Danny says after coughing. "Very nice to meet you, Lisa, but I have a hard work day tomorrow. I think I'll go to bed early. If you want, you can spend the night with us, I'll make up the couch..."
"Lisa will go home," I say firmly. "Right now she'll help me with one school project and go home. Right, Lisa?"
"You see, Danny - you can be calm about your daughter's chastity," she sighs deliberately sadly. "She's very domineering. A tyrant."
"Always was," Danny sighs in unison with her.
"Dad!" I'm indignant. "Don't indulge her! You see what she's like!"
"Exactly," he smiles and gets up from the table. "Well, I'm going, I'll take a little nap. Don't get into mischief here... beyond necessary. You have a good friend, Taylor. Lisa - it was nice getting to know you better. Come visit more often. Taylor just blooms in your presence."
"Dad!"
"All right, all right, I'm leaving..." and Danny departs. For some time I hear his steps as he goes upstairs.
"You have a good old man," Lisa says, watching him go. "He has problems, but he loves you completely sincerely."
"Tell me something I don't know," I grumble. "Better help me bring the tablets from your car, unpack and connect them in the basement."
"Oh! Finally I'll see your Lair with my own eyes! Lead on!"
"Wait, first we need to go up to the room and..."
"I'm with you." Before I could object - Tattletale already jumped to her feet and followed... no, not even behind me, but ahead! Well, of course she knew where my room was...
"Wow!" she said, standing on the threshold and surveying my modest dwelling. "Wow... look at that..."
"Sorry it's not tidy. I wasn't exactly expecting guests and certainly wasn't planning to let anyone into my room," I say, making every effort for this to sound not just sarcastic, but rather even venomous. Hinting that some people burst into my own room ahead of me, no tact whatsoever. Seriously, I should get a whip. A leather one.
"Hmm." Tattletale takes a step forward, entering my room. "I always wanted to visit your room. Do you know that a room can say a lot about a person? You were wondering why your father thought you were into girls?" She turns to me and raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"What? But..." I look around as if seeing my own room for the first time, through someone else's eyes. Mess, clothes scattered everywhere, I'm a bit ashamed of this. Bed, desk, bookshelf taking up almost the entire wall. On the opposite wall - posters. Alexandria, in her heroic pose, flying upward with her fist extended forward and clenched, her face serious and focused. Narwhal, adult version, uncensored, the poster sold for eighteen dollars, force fields barely cover her, otherwise she's naked and carries herself with the dignity of an Empress. Miss Militia, full-height poster, face covered with a scarf, she's in full combat gear, as if growing from shadow, walking straight at the viewer, and her eyes look into the soul, she's focused and serious. This poster gives me goosebumps. And... Glory Girl, photoshoot in a swimsuit, still from that period when New Wave decided to outdo the paparazzi who were photographing her at the public pool. The photo really turned out great, you can even see water droplets on her skin, her open smile, she stands half-turned... stop. I look around again. Posters, figurines, calendars, posters, t-shirt with Alexandria print...
"That's exactly what an otaku's room looks like," Tattletale nods. "But I don't see a single poster with Legend or Eidolon. With Hero. Or with Myrddin. I don't see male heroes here on posters or t-shirts. What does this tell us?"
"I have underwear with Armsmaster!" I protest weakly. "In the closet!"
"The desire to sit on Armsmaster's face I interpret not as a sexual urge, but as a subconscious drive for domination," she waves it off. "I'd sit on his face myself... I wonder about his beard... would it tickle?"
"Ew, Lisa! How can you! Ew, stop it right now! I swear, I'll..." I'm already directing a mosquito toward her to fly into her mouth and make her stop saying disgusting things, but at that moment her phone rings. She makes me a "sorry, I'm busy" gesture and brings the phone to her ear.
"Yes?" she says. "It's you, boss. Yes, I understand. Yes, I will. She will too. Yes, I'll tell her." She hangs up and frowns. Her eyebrows gather in the middle of her forehead.
"That's your boss?" I ask. "The same one who..."
"Yes. That's my boss. He called to tell me that he's no longer my boss. That he's setting me free like a little bird, that now I'm free to do whatever I want, and the only thing he asks is to talk to you."
"To me?"
"Yes. And... tell me... What did you do to him?" Lisa peers into my face. "When did you manage to devour him with your insects?"