Hunting

As I made my way through the cherry blossom esc forest, I scouted for anything that looked edible. The Fauna of the land was quite weird, they only varied in 2 colors, bright cherry blossom pink and dusty brown. The wildlife that was capable of flight like birds were pink, while the mammals and insects on the ground were varying colors of brown. It seems to be a form of camouflage.

If everything is camouflaged, wouldn't hunting each other just be difficult. Maybe there's something I'm missing. What are they seeing that I'm not. With that my object permanence kicked in the colors of the land changed. Colors I couldn't even describe. Colors never seen before by man.

I watched a video once about how mantis shrimps can see colors that even humans can't see and that's why mantis shrimp come in so many varying colors. I guess now I can see like them. I'd rather not though. I deactivate my object permanence and continue with my hunting plans.

I encountered a capybara-like creature near a tree, eating some fallen fruit from a tree. It seemed alone, an easy prey to hunt. I slowly approached it from the back not to alert it.

It would seem I wasn't subtle enough because it just turned around and stared at me. It was pretty cute to be honest. It just walked up to my shoe and started chewing on it.

I pushed his head away. Maybe I didn't have to kill it. It seemed harmless. It seemed too big to be a lonesome child.

Maybe a pet is what Viola needs. Some people have therapy dogs back on earth. So maybe a therapy capybara is just what Viola needs.

I picked the little guy up and made my way back to Viola. We can always just catch some fish if we really want some meat.

After the long trek back to Viola the sun had finally begun setting. When I arrived at our campsite Viola was just fishing at the lake using a makeshift fishing rod with a pink stick and wire from the ship.

"Hey, I'm Back."

"Oh hey, welcome back."

She looked at me and then she looked at the Capybara.

"You know you're supposed to kill the animals you hunt right?"

"Yeah,yeah but It was waaay too cute to kill. Maybe we can keep it as a pet?"

"Uh a pet? Sure I guess but you're gonna have to take care of it on the ship."

"Aye aye captain!"

"Welp anywho, have you decided on a name?"

I haven't thought of one, maybe I should ask Viola to name her or him... actually what gender even is it.

"I thought maybe you could name it."

"Me? Uhh how about Vizen?"

"Oh you said that name before at the restaurant. It was your father's- oh."

Silence had befallen both of us. We stared awkwardly at each other and each time we tried to restart the conversation we would interrupt each other making the situation more awkward.

Now that her father is a topic of discussion, perhaps I can enact therapy now.

"So now that your father's dead how does that make you feel?"

Viola's eyes went from an awkward stare, to an angry one.

"How the fuck do you think it makes me feel?"

I wasn't expecting that response. I just copied what I've seen therapists do on television. I don't have much experience with the feeling of grief for myself let alone someone else's.

"S-sorry I just wanna get a grasp of your headspace right now."

Viola sighed and pinched her forehead with her fingers in frustration.

"I'm doing as okay as I possibly can Veronica.

I just need time."

"I'm sorry the concept of grief is very foreign to me, shit the concept of having a father that loves me is foreign."

"Oh well yea it fucking sucks, I'd be better off not searching for him.

Fuck I'd be better off not even having him."

"You don't mean that Viola.

You are insanely lucky to have someone that loves you that much, someone that is willing to put their life on the line for you."

"You're right. It's honestly my own fault. My own weakness is the cause of my old man's death and it's the cause of the feelings I'm currently experiencing."

"Viola, you are not weak."

I looked her dead in her eyes and I held onto her face.

"Viola, when your dad said the perfect warrior, the ideal warrior I believe he simply meant, he simply wanted you to have the strength to protect those you love."

"Some perfect warrior I am then.

I loved my father and now he's dead."

"Your father probably just wanted you to be better.

He probably felt guilty all his life about his inability to protect your mom and so he pushed his guilt onto you to push you to be strong so you wouldn't feel the way he did.

I believe his final act in life was in a sense him being the perfect warrior, his final act was protecting you."

Viola was about to say something but stopped herself.

She then looked at me, up and down and then proceeded to grab me by the face. She then went in for a kiss.

I pulled away, I was completely flustered.

"W-w-w-w-w-what was that?"

"I've finally got it.

I've had a feeling about it but it's clear to me now."

"W-what?"

"Can't you see, you're the my mom to my dad."

"The what to your what?"

Viola has me completely confluffled.