Congradulations!

“Othello!” tiny rabbit ears bounded over to him happily.

“I still don’t understand why you wear those. We have actual rabbit ears you know.” he looked up from his desk, cluttered with books and papers of all sorts.

“So that I can have rabbit ears all the time! And I can wear them out when I get to go into town. Plus they are very cute.” she swayed a little, the ears seeming to sway with her.

Oh what did he expect? Ninnie was just odd like that after all. He laughed at her comment, only to get a huffy pout in return.

“Do you not think they are adorable?”

“No no- they’ve very cute.”

“Good! It’s tough to set them up around my braid…”

“Oh? I could adjust it if you’d like.”

“It’s okay. Sometimes I don’t wear them anyways.”

He nodded. “Just let me know if you change your mind. Is there anything you do need though?” he tapped a finger on his lips, curious as to what she needed this time. Last time she wanted him to use his vines to pull something up from a crack in the floor, finding it was just a glossy eye from some sort of doll. Then she went on the hunt to find the rest of it, though it was probably just one of Maxies.

“Hmm...well…” she glanced away, as if she was thinking if she should really ask something. “You know before...when you used to tell me to not do things everyone else did because they were dangerous?”

Before? ...ah...before. She means before they got their memories back. That’s why she hesitated, because it’s still somewhat of a sore subject. It was for him at least, Ninnie seemed to pay no mind to it anymore. At least if she did, she didn’t show it in the slightest. He was glad though. He’d rather her look forward with no hesitation, than her looking back with worry. Someday he too would be able to do that…

“Yes. What of it?” he couldn’t figure out where she was going with the conversation though.

“Well since you’re related to them does that mean I can? I mean- you probably did stuff like that too right?”

He chuckled, “I suppose I did.” He thought back to better memories instead. Ones he had already been thinking about, funnily enough. They pushed him to keep looking.

She beamed. “So I can do all that cool stuff?!”

“Ninnie you know you could have always done those things right? You could experiment with potions, bring plants to life, even try Maxie’s cooking...well maybe not that last one. We’re not sure if that stuff is...sentient or not.” he could have sworn he saw something come out of the oven breathing and by hell and the heavens he refuses to eat anything Maxie drags out. Othello wouldn’t call himself a world class chef, but at least his food is edible and has taste.

“But you told me not to.”

“I highly suggested it, advised it if you’d rather. I’m not your father after all, it was your choice to listen to me.”

She stared at him, a bit longer than was comfortable. He didn’t see her clench her dress in her fists. She knit her brows together.

He raised a brow. “What?”

“But wouldn’t you have gotten upset if I didn’t listen?”

“I suppose, but what could I do? For most of those situations I would have been stuck as a doll.”

“Would you still helped if I was in danger?”

“Of course I would! I’d risk my heart and soul for you, but I don’t need to be a father to do that.”

“I guess, but it’s something a dad would do! And you took care of me all the time!”

“That I did, but I don’t need to be a father for that.” he leaned forward and placed his chin on the back of his hand. He glanced at the papers on his desk. Him? A father? Certainly not...he didn’t have the qualifications for that...at least he didn’t think so. He never actually thought about it, he just felt it was natural to take care of her. He owed it to her after all...then again, he didn’t know who she was back then. So then...

“Well...I’m adopting you as my dad!”

Huh?

He looked up at her again, surprise on his face again, but it was real this time.

“Y-you’re going to what?”

“You ARE my father! Says me! I’m adopting you!”

“Ninnie you ca-”

“I don’t care!” she swung her arms into an “x” shape and then back out, shaking her head with the motion. “You ARE my father! You were always there for me, and took care of me, and even though you did that stuff...before...you still looked at me like you really did care. And you still do, and I can’t remember them well, but the people who came before those...big baddies! The people who took care of me before the big baddies- they looked at me like that too. They loved me like that, and you love me like that too, so that means you’re my new dad! Well you’ve been my new dad, so you’re just dad now. The new ran out. Sorry about that.” she smiled at him, shock still plastered on his face.

He had no clue what to say. Ninnie’s logic was hard to fight, mostly because she stuck to her point hard especially if it came from the heart. This definitely came from the heart. He could feel the emotion in it. “Well...since you said I could have been doing that stuff anyways, I’m going to have Auntie Rosie teach me about magic!” she began to bound off.

“W-wait a second-”

She turned slightly and waved, “Thanks papa!” and continued off out the door, giggling and footsteps tapping down the hall.

He sat there dumbfounded. Did she say...auntie Rosie? Did she call him papa? Did he just become a dad? Was he...already a dad? He leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. She wasn’t wrong was she? She was right about all that…

“I’m a father…” he stayed in that thought, staring at the ceiling, for some time.

He was her dad.

(boogie woogie woogie!)