Eldritch

 

Seems like she's gone.
While curling myself on the ground in a fetal position and crying in existential terror sounds appealing, there are more pressing matters right now.

Now it seems like I need to figure out how to deal with whatever chaos she, or maybe I, left here.
I shouldn't dwell on anything she said.
If it was the truth, nothing good can come from focusing too much on the future.
And if not, then it means she lied and I shouldn't listen to anything she said in the first place.

What certainly remains would be the things she actively did just now.
Dad is still going to be affected by this strange force field my probable future self erected around him, so he'll see everything abnormal as something completely mundane.
The first thing I need to do is return to my home dimension.
Apparently, I have enough control to make this happen without issues.
According to my intention, a portal opens I can step through.

 

"Mum? Is everything okay?" (K)

 

Kuri!?
Right, she was supposed to hide somewhere for the time being.

 

"Hey, Kuri. Are you alright?" (I)

 

I hope that... thing didn't do anything to her.

 

"This was strange, mum. There were two of you, but you were not the same. When you-but-not-you said I couldn't stay here, I didn't know what to do." (K)

 

Sure, your mother being two different persons with different personalities and opinions can only be confusing.

 

"I-it's fine, Kuri. The other one is gone now. I'm still the one I was yesterday and the day before." (I)

"Okay!" (K)

 

Not a single speck of doubt.
Sometimes she truly is too innocent.

 

"But what happens now?" (K)

"I-I don't know. The other me did something to Dad I don't totally understand. We either hide you or introduce you in some way to him. The latter can only be complicated with the thing going on that I don't understand. You get it?" (I)

 

Honestly, not even I fully get it.

 

"Yes! Confusing things are confusing!" (K)

 

That's... one way to see this.

 

"Okay, I need to figure this out first. I think we should talk to Mum. So we don't decide anything behind her back." (I)

 

Kuri nods enthusiastically, which I take as her consent for me to leave her and return to the living room.

Once I'm inside, I notice that Mum is massaging her temples.
Also, she's fuming, literally, indicated by this smoke trail of miasma that emerges from her.

This makes another thing all the more obvious.
The force field around Dad, or whatever it is my other persona did there, is still present, obliterating any speck of miasma drifting too close.

The moment I enter the room, Mum's gaze snaps in my direction.
Somehow I start feeling concerned.
An instant later, she stands up and walks towards me.

 

"Ehm, Mum, could I talk to you for a moment?" (I)

"Yes, certainly we will!" (S)

 

Evidence that I'm in trouble starts piling up.

 

"Alright. But we should make plans for the evening upon your return. How about a boardgame?" (Chr)

 

Oh no, I think he's starting to feel left out.

 

"Yes, sure. I'm really glad that you're here, Dad." (I)

"Oh my. I'm too, my little sleeper." (Chr)

 

I nod and get back with Mum to my room.

 

"Hello, Grandma!" (K)

"Sigh. Hello, Kuri. Okay, Iori. What happened there? Suddenly there were two of you, your dad acting like he doesn't notice, and I'm pretty sure my ability to speak up or even move was suddenly taken away from me. While I'm trying to be understanding and lenient for your circumstances, forgive me if I believe that you have to do with these abnormal occurrences." (S)

 

This isn't even wrong.
If that was really the future me.
I truthfully relay everything that I witnessed within the last moments.
This process is quite severely impeded by the fact that I only understood half of it and am still thoroughly overwhelmed.

 

"So to get this straight: Your future self, or at least an incredibly powerful being with your appearance that even dwarves you who are basically an all-powerful dimensional being, jumped into our house, said a lot of disturbing things that are linked to claimed future events, and then cast some weird magic over your dad. Did I miss anything?" (S)

 

During her recollection, Mum starts to rub her temples more and more intensely and the miasma gathers around her in a concentration that starts making me worried if Dad will still be able to ignore something of this degree.
Or maybe other people and how their complaints are going to be filtered out by this super spell my proclaimed future self just cast on him.

Speaking of which:

 

"Uh, I guess most can be summarized under 'saying disturbing things'. Regarding that spell she cast, she called it a 'normalcy field'. No idea how it works exactly, but I was told it's blocking any supernatural influence from his vision and environment as well as adjusting everything in a way that it does make sense." (I)

 

Or so I was told.
What exactly the intricacies are is far beyond me.

 

"So basically you're saying that there goes our coming out to him? That your 'future self', for lack of better insight, made it so that by no means we can convince him that we aren't regular humans anymore?" (S)

"I, I guess so." (I)

 

I mean, my presumed other self even said that it might work through the planet exploding.
I can imagine a thousand situations I probably even caused myself where the lack of supernatural context wouldn't make any sense anymore.
However, my other self said this would be included.
Something makes me inclined to believe that a being that defies reality, logic, and basically any natural or unnatural law I can think of would be capable of such a thing.

This means to me, that I should believe that Dad won't notice anything even if I'm trying hard to burst that bubble.
Probably going all out might work, but I don't like the implications of what doing so may cause.

 

"Sigh. Okay, fine by me." (S)

 

Huh?
Did Mum really just say that?
We shouldn't come clear to Dad?

 

"I can see your look and yes, while I admit that lying to your father makes me feel conflicted, I wouldn't feel much better about presenting everything there is to know. So in this case I think we could apply the saying that a lady got to have some secrets. Sometimes they may just be slightly bigger." (S)

 

I... guess I understand her.
It's not like we're harming Dad.
As much as this may seem like a bad excuse to not do the right thing, it's also kinda the truth.
Dad won't appreciate hearing all my troubling stories.
Heck, Mum barely does.
He won't feel better knowing that the only reason why my condition improved is because I mutated into some kind of super monster.
And well, it won't make anything worse if I just don't tell him.
Yes, okay, he may be disappointed about lying, but in comparison to existential dread, this seems like it doesn't catch up.

 

"Okay. I understand. So we won't tell him." (I)

"Sounds like an agreement. Which leaves one point open." (S)

 

At this, she glances over and I directly know what she's talking about.
Yeah, that might require an explanation.
After some more discussing our next steps we return to the living room.

 

"Ehm, hey Dad." (I)

 

"Huh, I kind of have a deja vu. I feel like you're today coming quite often to me like this. Oh, and your mother is apparently as well into this." (Chr)

 

Yep, I confirm that Mum is behind me, with a growing eye that Dad apparently can't notice.
Another effect I notice is that Dad's shield seems to have filtered a considerable amount of the miasma that was left here.
This makes me quite concerned about our next actions.

 

"Honey, we need to tell you something." (S)

"Oh, this sounds serious." (Chr)

"It kinda is. There's someone we need to introduce you to." (S)

"Introduce me? Well, consider me slightly confused." (Chr)

"Ahem, you can come out now!" (I)

 

With this, a tiny demon, clad in black with hair of pure darkness that flows down her back emerges from my room.
Of course, Dad has the equivalent of a big question mark over his head at this.

 

"This... is Kuri. She's, she's my daughter!" (I)

 

I can't deny her.
Otherwise, I would be a terrible mum.

 

"Oh, one of your cousins? If you already promised to let her live here for the time being, why did you hide her?" (Chr)

 

Yet apparently the reality bubble's adjusting effect applies even to this.

 

"You see, we weren't exactly sure how you would react." (S)

 

To some people, the idea that their daughter gave birth to a demonic nightmare spawn could be troubling.

 

"Well, I can't say that I'm thrilled that you went and decided all of this on your own without even telling me a thing. But I can see that this is something you had to do. It's not like you could've left her on the street. By the way, we shouldn't exclude her like this while she's present." (Chr)

 

At this, Dad stands up, moves a step towards Kuri.

 

"Kuri, right? That's a beautiful name." (Chr)

"It is! My mum gave it to me!" (K)

"Oh yes, I've heard that happens." (Chr)

 

And she looks so proud of her reasoning.

 

"So, nice to meet you, Kuri!" (Chr)

 

He extends his hand towards her.
Kuri looks first reluctantly at it, then at us.
Not seeing an indication that would free her from this, she reaches out herself.
Yet then, suddenly, the force field that was disturbingly calm until now becomes active and envelops Kuri's right arm.
All the black that usually makes her up is gone the moment it crosses this invisible border, any pale hue getting replaced by a rosy tan.
Confronted with this, Kuri panics, rips her hand back, and sprints into my room, leaving a miasma cloud that scatters due to the simultaneous breaking of the sound barrier.

 

"Did I say something wrong?" (Chr)

"Uh. No, no. She's just shy." (S)

 

Also, she might've just experienced a moment of frickin existential dread!

Apparently, Dad's barrier isn't only changing his perception but basically all of reality around him as well.
Though, it doesn't seem like it caused any permanent harm to Kuri.
The question now is if this is due to a special adjustment for her because my future me favors her or if other ghosts would be evaporated.

 

"But you can believe me, she's a really sweet child and always listens." (S)

"Never doubted it. Maybe a bit timid, but I don't think she's a troublemaker. I can see why you like her. But how long did you say she's going to stay?" (Chr)

 

This question got Mum on the wrong foot.
It's not like we return her anywhere.

 

"Well, that's a bit in the open right now." (S)

"That won't do. She looks like she should already be in grade school. It would be irresponsible to lock her up, no matter her personal problems. There's school duty." (Chr)

"But, ehm, Kuri is a bit of a special case." (I)

"Ah, you're saying it's already dealt with by her mother? That's good to hear." (Chr)

 

Was that the field?
Does it alter what we're saying to him to solve the situation?
I'm not sure if I'm fine with this.

 

"Anyways, why don't we have a gaming evening? I was sixteen hours stuck in a plane, and I'm burning to spend some time with my family! Let's ask Kuri if she'd like to join." (Chr)

 

At least he's like I remember him.
To be honest, I still feel the same warmth being with him.

 

"Okay, I'll go." (I)

"Oh, and Iori..." (Chr)

"Yes?" (I)

"I'm glad to be here with you and see that you're well." (Chr)

 

A pang in my heart.

 

"Y-yes. Me too." (I)

 

Maybe this isn't so bad?