[Jaden Wolf]

Kumo | Ghost | Monday Noon

So apparently there was some kind of lost chick out there, with some old lady requesting every soul she could grab to find it. Of course, Monday had caught wind of it, and the child was quite into the idea of finding a helpless little critter. It was a phase, Kumo was sure, but that didn’t stop Friday from jumping eagerly at the opportunity to encourage it.

Not that Kumo had any problem with supporting their son’s interests, but he did have to wonder why his mate didn’t just take him out herself. Instead, she decided to go on a shopping trip with her sisters and shoved him out the door instead. “It’ll be good for you!” she’d said, as though he were still a shut-in. Those days were long behind him though, even if he could never live it down.

[Jaden Wolf]

The details of this hunt itself seemed a little sketchy, though, as Kumo had set out from the Beach with Monday. What kind of little chick only ate meat? Not to mention, what would happen if this apparently carnivorous chick decided it was more interested in tasting little Kuhna fingers instead of the offered steak?

It didn’t help that Monday had decided a chick like this must be in a forest somewhere. Monday was not particularly eager to throw his son out in the wild to potentially get eaten by werecain or something. It didn’t matter that the kid didn’t seem capable of dying, it would be a decidedly unpleasant experience for him. Thankfully, on the way out, he’d managed to convince Monday that a lost chick from a farm was most likely in the vicinity of farms. Therefore, the Sekudui farmlands it was.

[Jaden Wolf]

Kumo could only breathe a sigh of relief as he looked around at the open fields of crop and livestock. No real dangers for a child lay out here, and nothing to trouble said child’s father. Now he could simply focus on his son and keeping him active, happy, and healthy.

“DaaaAAAaaaAADd!” came a cry that jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked down at Monday’s pouting face.
“Yes?” he inquired.
“You weren’t listening!” the boy cried in frustration. Kumo must’ve looked as sheepish as he felt, since Monday crossed his arms and shook his head at his father like ‘what am I going to do with you’.

[Jaden Wolf]

Kumo crouched down to Monday’s level.
“Sorry, kiddo. What were you saying?” he asked calmly. Monday squinted as though trying to decide whether he should bother even saying something, even though his father was clearly paying attention this time.
“I said,” he emphasized unnecessarily, as children do, “we should spread out to look for the chick, shouldn’t we?”

Kumo wasn’t so sure about that. Monday must’ve noticed his expression, since he hesitated and added, “at least, that’s what they do in the stories, right?”
“Well, sure,” Kumo started, “but we only have one steak, right?” He and Friday had found that it was always good to let Monday draw his own conclusions. Or at least, let him think he was making the decisions himself.

[Jaden Wolf]

Monday nodded sagely, as though he had considered that himself. “Yeah, that’s a good point. We can’t all call the chick if only one of us has the meat,” he reasoned. He seemed to think it over for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of each plan. Kumo just waited patiently for the kid to reach the inevitable conclusion. Or at least, what he hoped would be the inevitable conclusion; he wasn’t about to let Monday wander off on his own.

“Ok, we’ll stick together,” Monday declared decidedly. Kumo nodded as though accepting the kid’s decision.
“Ok, kiddo, together it is,” he replied.

[Jaden Wolf]

Kumo stood back up. “We’ll really have to keep our eyes peeled, won’t we?” he asked Monday. “Just the two of us could easily miss a little, or even a not-so-little chick, couldn’t we?”

He meant for it to be a light conversation starter, to engage with his son’s eagerness. He wasn’t expecting the answer he got.
“There’s three of us here, dad!” Monday snapped, sounding somewhat offended, “Ghost is here too!”

It was entirely unexpected. Kumo was just as involved in his son’s life as his mate was, but this was the first he was hearing of an imaginary friend. Friday would have said something too, if she knew about it.

[Jaden Wolf]

Monday was clearly expecting a response, so Kumo tried to improvise a response on the spot. Imaginary friends were a touchy sort of phase, but thankfully, he and Friday had discussed several common phases Monday might go through, and how they would deal with them. What kind of a name was Ghost, though?
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see him here,” he apologized, “so uh, Ghost is joining us then? Is he here now?”

Monday looked even more angry, which made Kumo both nervous and confused. What did he say wrong? After a second though, Monday took a deep breath.
“Ghost is a girl, dad,” the kid started, “and she’s invisible, so of course you can’t see her.”

[Jaden Wolf]

Monday seemed a little begrudging about having to forgive his father’s ignorance, but nothing could be done about invisibility.
“She’s actually been with us the whole time, I asked if she wanted to come when you were saying goodbye to mom,” Monday explained. He thought for a moment, then hung his head. “But I guess I should have asked for permission first. Sorry, dad.”

Kumo hesitated for a moment. Should he enforce the idea that Monday had to ask permission for his imaginary friend to play with him? Well, she was real enough to Monday himself, so...probably. Kumo reached down and patted Monday on the head reassuringly.
“It’s ok, kiddo. Just ask from now on, ok?” he said reassuringly.

[Jaden Wolf]

“Well, then,” Kumo started, relieved that they seemed to establish that this Ghost girl was the third, invisible member of the party, “how about the three of us get looking for that chick, then?”

Monday nodded eagerly, jumping up and practically bouncing along the path, poking his head in around rocks and posts and into bushes along the way. Kumo likewise looked at high places where Monday wouldn’t be able to reach, but there were few of them and his focus was more on his son anyway.
“So, uh...” he started, looking to start a conversation, “is Ghost always invisible, then?”

[Jaden Wolf]

Monday looked up from the bush he was crouched in front of.
“No,” he answered simply. After finishing his search of the bush, he elaborated, “she’s just really shy so she doesn’t turn visible very often.”

Kumo did wonder why his son would make his imaginary friend invisible part of the time. Perhaps to explain why sometimes Monday could see her, but others couldn’t.
“So she won’t show herself to me, then?” he couldn’t help but ask. The second he said it, he thought he probably shouldn’t have. It would have been better to go along with Monday’s imagination.

The kid looked over at him for a long moment, before looking nowhere in particular. “I think it’s ok if dad sees you, Ghost. No one else’s around,” he said. Kumo didn’t expect any answer to come of it.
“Hi Mister,” came a soft voice. A pale figure appeared, completely white but for pink eyes.

OH S...UGAR CAKES, A GHOST!