Parenting

"So you tell me that they have recognized us as their foster parents?" Ralia sat down on a chair while Arthas was sitting down on the floor beside him were the two rexes that were on his lap.

The rexes were snuggling with Arthas's lap as he sat on the floor looking up at Ralia, who was crossing her legs with a menacing face of disdain and annoyance.

'Hey, how can she sit down even though she's just a hologram? I wonder? Probably magic?, Arthas observed her properly and saw her sitting down on a physical chair, his focus was on her.

"Hey, Arthas, my eyes are up here, why are you looking down there, you pervert!" Ralia's anger further rose up with her cracking her neck can be heard as she leered at him.

Vines then started to grow out from the ground and quickly surrounded Arthas, while the Rexes were shocked by the sudden plants coming out from the ground and quickly helped Arthas by ever so slightly chomping on the stems of the plant.

The rexes weren't really helpful because of them being just born. The vines were harder than usual, luckily there were no thorns so it didn't hurt as much as it would.

Except that it grips harder than the last time these plants gripped me, Arthas thought as he struggled trying to get out of the hard locking grip of the plants. 

"Sit, Arthas, don't do anything, I am quite irritated right now." Ralia's eyes were covered with hostility and animosity, not at the rexes, not directly at Arthas but at the circumstances that surrounded Arthas.

"Ummm, Ralia, why are you exactly angry about right now? If I may ask?" Arthas asked with a smile while hiding the pain of being constricted.

Ralia's eyes were wide open and gave a deep sigh to her side and slowly unlocked the vines that bound Arthas.

"Listen Arthas, if somebody who you barely know, no nothing about, is suddenly recognized as your partner for the consummation that you didn't even do, I'm not even married or have my first boyfriend yet, so suddenly being thrown here with responsibility." Her face once again deformed into disdain and revolt "Is just not right, annoying and it is so stupid!"

Ralia's voice didn't increase in tone, or sound, it didn't make Arthas disrespect or disdain however, it did make sense as to how someone you don't know would suddenly be your partner.

"Arthas, I don't want to bear the responsibility of losing someone once more, it's always someone that I cherish and care about that… separates from me…I can't…" 

She gritted her teeth and lowered her head as she said those words, and quickly looked up towards the ceiling trying to cover her tears.

The room was quiet, silent, and enveloped with a somber atmosphere, Arthas was silent, and the wind was the only person that whispered into their ears.

The moonlight was on the window ever so slightly peeking its way inside. It was only then Arthas realized that the surrounding area was silent. 

The party that was supposed to be super loud outside was just a couple of murmurs and laughter, the party seemed like it ended and that only a couple would be up right now, drinking and reminiscing about memories.

Ralia didn't look down but Arthas could see her biting her lips trying to hold the emotions that were slowly gushing out from her experiences.

"I'm sorry Arthas, these are just my traumas…Sorry for lashing out at you" Ralia leaned back on the chair before exhaling and closing her eyes.

Arthas just looked at her and realized that they weren't much different, although they were of different races, the struggles and pain that everyone feels are just the same. 

As Arthas was in this moment of reflection, the rexes for the first time stood up and slowly walked towards Ralia.

They approached Ralia with determination even though their legs were heavily shaking, one almost fell down if not for Arthas catching the rex. 

Ralia caught the other one, who tripped as he was walking towards her.

Arthas was just as surprised as the rex that was born just minutes ago was already starting to walk, but much more Ralia could physically touch objects.

Arthas watched as Ralia adjusted the other rex and noticed that this rex had a bluish stripe on its brown body.

He looked at the one he was holding and saw that rather than a stripe, it was in a faded orange dotted pattern.

Both approached Ralia and rubbed their heads onto her feet.

Arthas was genuinely surprised that they were able to touch Ralia's feet, he believed that she was in a holographic form and wouldn't be touched.

"Hey, Ralia I've been meaning to ask since when were you able to touch objects now?" 

Ralia's answer was delayed as she rubbed the heads of the rexes that were below her feet.

"Miss Thalia gave me special privileges that would allow me to feel objects and let objects touch me, umm, she said that if you ever ask, she said to say uh, what was it, Ber—Ver—Birtual Reality?"

Thalia tilted her head as she tried to recall the term.

"Ah, Virtual Reality…wait, huh?! Virtual Reality!?" Arthas was genuinely surprised about what he heard.

"Yes, She said it would allow me to touch and feel the outside world from a faraway place, however, it would drain a lot of mana. Luckily, I have an abundant amount of it."

One of the rexes jumped on her lap and almost made her lose balance.

The other jumped as well finally making her fall down. The chair that withstood the jump of a baby rex wasn't able to handle another jump from another rex.

It resulted in all of them falling down on the floor with the wooden chair broken.

They fell off with a loud thud and a breaking sound, Ralia quickly stood up and helped them stand up. 

Arthas helped her clear out the broken chair and the rexes stand up.

Once they were up, they looked at both Arthas and Ralia with a smile that showed their not-yet-sharp rounded teeth partnered with a drooling tongue. 

Ralia responded with a gentle smile. "You know Arthas, life is such a fragile gem to be refined, it needs to go through the toughest of trials before they shine, however, those trials either make them shine or lose the light that they once held…"

"Ralia…" 

"No matter, what's done is done, I shall bear the responsibility of protecting these kids like they are really my own, though I won't consolidate with you being my significant other, so you can kill yourself if you want." Ralia delightfully responded as she snuggled between rexes from one cheek to the other.

"Yeah…At least you are happy…By the way, speaking of which when I go to the academy, should I tell people that I am a tamer or a summoner?" 

Ralia looked at Arthas confused about his question.

"Why do you need to tell them anything? If they ask just stay quiet, it's the best answer I could give you right now. Just live your life with no restrictions, it's the best feeling you'll receive…Hey, don't bite my ear too hard, they are still a part of me." 

Ralia continued to play with the rexes with a big smile, although Arthas didn't really know how to deal with this, he was just happy that someone like her could be happy.

'Pharmakos, even that term is here, why are English and other languages present in this world? What exactly is going on?' Arthas thought as he remembered the message that was prior to this engagement.

Arthas was deeply involved in thinking as to what could it possibly have been to incorporate such language into another world, and how heavy the influence it gave the current world, he was curious as to how it shaped this planet.

"Hey! Arthas!" Ralia shouted at him.

"Wh—What?! Don't shout" 

''You couldn't hear me, you idiot! I said what should we name them? I can't just call them Creature 1 and Creature 2, it sounds so sad!"

"Really? Then how about you name them then, I am quite bad with names so I hope you can give them a wonderful name. In the meantime, I need to sleep. I have things to do tomorrow."

Arthas stood up and threw his body on the bed, it didn't take long before he fell asleep, completely ignoring Ralia and the rexes who were still playing.

The last thing that Arthas saw was Ralia's mouth moving but couldn't hear the words. He didn't bother and just fell asleep peacefully.