Omake 2: Nora's Tree Plan (C)

"Adults are just outdated children." – Dr. Seuss.

"Nora, get off that tree!"

I admit I could've been a little less stern with that approach, but my worry just wouldn't allow me to attain my usual calm.

As a parent, there were some good perks and other stuff that just left you incredibly helpless and furious at the same time.

Not that I was angry at Nora as the girl giggled while jumping between the tree's branches.

I was surprised when I was called by Sienna when one of the grunts from the White Fang had caught notice of the situation and had notified her of the matter, but I was even more surprised by the fact that this just felt so absurd and insane to stare at.

It's your fault for giving her 'The Jungle Book' as a night read.

How should I've know that she would have gone ahead and pull a Tarzan-

[I think it's Mowgli-]

I know that! Doesn't help me handle a solution to this if we lose ourselves in pseudo-semantics.

"Daaad! This is amazing!"

Why does she have to be so cute and so destructive at the same time?!

It didn't help that I was doing all of this while kids and parents that were in the park had all rallied around the sight. With the former group looking at the amused girl as if she was some grand hero, while the latter group was giving me some disappointed look for allowing my own child doing that.

Seriously, why now, Gods?

"Is this… normal?" Cinder muttered as she stood by my right side.

"No," I quietly replied, giving nothing else beyond that.

"C-Can't she end up falling?" A nervous Ren asked, which prompted a hum from me.

"Either Sienna or I can just move in time and catch her. It's not the problem at the moment."

The guarantee did little to soothe the boy's worries.

"You know, I have to say this now that I look at it better," Sienna commented with an interested look. "Are you sure this isn't her following your 'lifestyle'."

My glare stifled a snort from her.

Gods, can you strike me any further?

Are we completely sure you and Ms. Valkyrie are not somehow blood-related?

I fail to see the humor in that sad affirmation, Ozma.

[Maybe you should start analyzing the situation.]

I sighed.

She is jumping on a tall tree that I don't think I can climb without falling and breaking my back on the solid ground.

[Yes, but… how did Nora get to that high point?]

I paused for a moment, just now realizing that while the girl was a professional troublemaker when she wanted to, there was no way she had accomplished this on her own.

Either she found a tall enough latter to help herself to that point or…

Glancing to my left side, I addressed the confused and nervous-looking Ren and perplexed Sienna.

"I will be back soon. I think that Nora has an accomplice."

The Tiger Faunus looked surprised but nodded, while Ren's stare was fixed at his childhood friend's shenanigans.

I breached through the little encirclement made by the parents as I tried to find clues that would sustain this theory.

The search was particularly quick as I noticed two familiar individuals hanging just a couple of meters away… spying from the bushes.

While Ilia was doing a brilliant job in keeping herself hidden within the bush, her partner in crime was failing miserably as a pair of cat ears protruded out of the fellow bush.

I spared just a glance, knowing that approaching them directly would get them to run away and ruin my chances of finding the ladder.

Instead, I started to walk to the very edge of the park, then around the position where the two girls were spectating the scene from afar, and finally I started to make my way behind their little hideout.

"W-Where did Mr. Bukharin go?" A nervous-sounding Ilia muttered, completely unaware of the fact I had sneakily arrived close enough to eavesdrop them.

"Probably to get some help," Blake remarked quietly. "Dad is tall and he might be able to help him reach Nora."

"B-But what if we just return the ladder?" The Chameleon Faunus inquired. "I mean, not that I want to ruin Nora's plans but… maybe this is too much?"

As the two continued to discuss, I finally found the ladder, the tool having been left lying down on the ground behind a couple of bushes near where the girls were hiding.

Once I had recovered it, I approached the children again and… I saw Blake tense up.

"Ilia?"

The redhead blinked, glancing at her friend. "Yes, Blake?"

"Do you feel like we're going to be punished quite soon too?"

Ilia looked confused at that question, but then I faked a cough and drew their shocked stares to me.

"The game's up, girls," I confirmed without hesitation. "I will not handle any punishment for you two, but I want to know what my eccentric daughter is trying to accomplish with that."

They shared an uneasy look and… then submitted.

As we started to make our way back to the tree, both girls started to explain the situation.

"Nora just wanted to try climbing a tree and engrave something in its trunk," Ilia muttered. "She didn't say what she wanted to write in there, but she was rather insistent about it."

"Yeah, she gave us some of the candies she had been saving up from the rewards she got at school for behaving nicely," Blake added with a nod. "She wanted us to keep an eye on the ladder and make sure to… delay you."

I hummed at this explanation. While this did leave me perplexed for most… I was still stomped by a single detail.

Nora is a natural in bribing people.

This is what you really want to focus about? Not the fact that she had gone through this lengthy process all to cut something in the tree?

[But that is a really important discovery. In fact, we should be wary of the girl eventually developing more in that regard and… make quite the elaborate pranks thanks to that much influence.]

I really wanted to be disappointed in the way she was making use of these tools of power… but then again, my kid just flawlessly made a plan as complex as this one.

If I hadn't paid attention to the chances of this ordeal having multiple accessories, I wouldn't have found anything.

[Ah-hem!]

Yes Sallie, you were crucial in that investigation.

[Much better.]

Once we arrived at our destination, I had the girls wait for a moment as I planted the ladder just behind Nora and silently started to climb it.

The still-giggling girl hadn't noticed my approach, and soon I was standing right behind her.

"This is so cool-"

"Hello Nora."

She stopped, turning sharply to look at me with a wide-eyed expression.

"O-Oh, hi dad."

Way too calm and guiltless. What is going on here?

I sighed. "Nora, what are you doing?"

"Jumping on branches?"

"I can see that. But why are you doing it?"

"Because it's fun!"

I held a groan inside.

"Nora, what did you need to write on the tree?"

The sudden question actually got her to pause and frown.

"You found Ilia and Blake?"

I nodded, her pout now accentuating at that defeat.

"Uh, I thought I had you… and I suppose I can tell you."

Tell me what?

"Here, look!"

She aimed her open palm at part of the tree, one that was hidden to those that were staring from the ground.

It was a small rectangle with something written inside it.

John Bukharin is Best Dad.

…

John, you can't just-

[Awww, that's so adorable!]

"Nora-"

"I'm sorry for being a pest but… I love daddy!"

Hook, line and…

I sighed, my stern look melting away in a softer expression.

Sinker.

[You were no better when the children near our domain would use their puppy-eyed technique to turn you into a puppet for their plays.]

"I'm not angry… just worried. If you wanted to do this, you could've told me and I would've tried to have you do this in a safer way," I pointed out calmly. "I hope you understand that I will have to punish you now."

Her eyes widened, but she nodded in understanding. "How?"

I hummed again. "How about you help me with the garden after school?"

"Can I pick the flowers to plant?"

… I sighed. "If you work well, then yes."

"Yay."

At least this is over…