A Walking Baby

After what happened yesterday, Lyrasia found herself back in the cradle bed as they went back home earlier morning, her eternal prison. She huffed, staring at the ceiling. How much longer was she going to play this baby act? Patience was not her strong suit - never had been.

'I mean,' she thought, her baby fingers twitching, 'they wouldn't be that surprised if I started walking, right? I already spoke my first words. Standing's basically a bonus feature at this point.'

But then her train of thought was rudely interrupted by a voice nearby.

"W-Why does she look mad at me?" Lilith tilted her head, genuinely confused, her hands hovering over her face like she was being judged by her own child.

"Well," her dad shrugged, "you haven't breastfed her..."

"True..."

'Oh, no. Not this again.'

Her eyes widened in pure, unfiltered baby terror. She knew what was coming. Just as she prepared to unleash the protest of the century, a defiant "NO" that would shake the foundations of this house, she felt her lips betray her. They refused to move. They wouldn't part. It was as if some invisible force had sealed them shut.

Her whimpers came out as nothing more than muffled squeaks.

Lilith's eyes lit up with motherly delight. "You're right! Look, she's crying!" she exclaimed, scooping Lyrasia into her arms. "I'm such a bad mama. Don't worry, you'll get your milkies now!"

The noises from Lyrasia became louder. 'I'm not crying because I want your milk!' her inner voice howled. 'I'm crying because I don't!'

Her tiny arms flailed wildly, her body flipping and squirming like a fish out of water.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

________________

[THIRD MISSION: Nourish Your Body as a Baby!]

[Objective: Drink your mother's milk.]

[Reward: Sub-Class Unlock]

[Time Limit: 10 Seconds]

________________

Lyrasia's whining stopped.

'You have got to be kidding me.'

It was like a flash of light blinded her eyes once her mother undressed, her eyes aching from actual pain.

Suddenly, it happened.

Her mother was feeding her milk. Lyrasia's tiny baby brain tried to process it, but all she could do was cry and whine. Then, slowly, something unexpected happened: she calmed down.

'Wait a minute...'

She was stunned. 'This actually calms me down...?' The milk, the warmth, the soothing comfort - it was... surprisingly peaceful.

"Look! She's not crying anymore!" Lilith gasped, her hands on her cheeks as she beamed with pride.

"She really takes after me, I see..." Felix, who had been standing stoically, crossed his arms and smirked, his face, usually so serious, now showing a hint of smug satisfaction.

Lyrasia could only roll her eyes internally. 'Yeah, sure, you were totally involved in this too.'

A few minutes later, Lyrasia found herself back in the cradle, feeling oddly content. Her hunger and anger had been satisfied, and for the first time in a while, she felt at peace. But when her father reached out to pick her up, she slapped his hand away with an exaggerated flick.

'Yeah, no. Not today, Pops,' she thought, giving him a glare that could only be described as intense. 'I'm so done.'

________________

[MISSION COMPLETE!]

[Rewards Earned:]

+Sub-Class Section Unlocked!

________________

Open Now? [Y/N]

________________

'No. Not yet. I wanna leave.'

"W-What?!" Felix and Lilith gasped, both too stunned to process the audacity of their two-day-old.

She, however, was too busy walking away, ignoring them completely as she took her first few steps on her own.

They watched in disbelief, unable to do anything but stand there, jaws on the floor, as their baby, their BABY, walked around like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Lyrasia couldn't help but smirk internally. 'That's right, folks. The baby is walking.'

She made her way out the door, ignoring the stunned faces of the townsfolk who were watching her like she'd sprouted wings.

Passing by stalls, houses, and confused adults, Lyrasia was completely unbothered. She'd gotten plenty of odd stares before, especially from her previous life, but this time? She wasn't a failure. She was just an ambitious baby who had places to go and people to avoid.

She marched with purpose until she stopped in front of a door and knocked.

"Yes? Is someone there—OH MY GOD!" The older woman who opened the door took a step back, eyes wide with shock, and nearly tripped over herself. 

"Mom, is something wr—AH!" Meila, the kid from earlier, shrieked at the sight of the walking menace before her. She stepped back just like her mother, and the whole situation was becoming way too dramatic.

Lyrasia, realizing she was quickly becoming the center of attention, tried to make herself less suspicious. With all the grace of a seasoned diplomat, she pointed at Meila and said, "Goo goo..." She immediately winced at the ridiculousness of it. 'Oh my god, did I really just say that?'

She could already hear her pride crying in the distance.

"H-Huh? Do you want to perhaps hang out with my daughter?" Mira Krasius asked, her voice full of hope and a bit of uncertainty.

Of course, as usual, there was the handy information floating above Lyrasia's head, and she squinted at it, taking in the details.

________________

Name: Mira Krasius

Occupation: Housewife

Financial Status: Poor

Perks: Easy To Fool, Naive, Clumsy

________________

'A total opposite of her daughter...'

Lyrasia nodded anyway, too busy grabbing Meila's hand to care. She started walking away with her new "friend," leaving the adults trailing behind. "D-Don't worry, mom! I can handle this!" Meila shouted, trying to sound confident, but the anxiety was evident in her voice.

Felix, meanwhile, was frozen in place. His stoic face remained unchanged, but he slowly sank to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer betrayal.

His daughter, his precious baby girl, held another girl's hand but never his.

He was comforted by Lilith, but all he could do was wipe away the solitary tear that crept down his cheek. 'It's just... a phase,' he told himself, even as his heart slowly broke in the background.

They continued walking, but naturally, Lyrasia made sure to pretend like Meila was the big sister, the one leading the way. The adults were all gushing behind them, awestruck by the adorableness of the whole scene.

"S-Seriously, what the hell are you?" Meila asked, still in disbelief, trying to wrap her mind around the walking, talking baby beside her.

"If you stop questioning me, I'll give you a single gold coin."

Meila didn't hesitate to shut up. Children were so typical.

"Thank you."