Forgive || The Promised Neverland

➴ Chapter One: Father ➴

<< Why do you call that thing your father? >>

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It seemed that she might've gone a bit overboard with the intimidating. Ayshe was staring at [Name]'s uncovered face, but with the shorter girl's mask, [Name] couldn't figure out what she was thinking. The other girl didn't move, or rather, couldn't due to the shock of seeing one of her own.

[Name]'s face dropped into a neutral stare, and she dropped back onto her heels so that she was no longer looming over Ayshe. She sighed, waving her hand at Ayshe half heartedly.

"Why don't you take off your own mask?" she suggested. "I already know your secret, and I assume Gorian does as well."

Ayshe took a defensive stance. "How do you know that."

It wasn't a question, [Name] noticed. This girl, despite being so much smaller than [Name], was confident that her ability to fight was greater than [Name]'s. How peculiar. Ayshe almost reminded her of herself.

"Your feet." [Name] gestured at the boots peeking out of Ayshe's dress. "Demons don't wear shoes."

"Demons?" Ayshe echoed, the horror in her voice a tad bit more than [Name] would've preferred. The (h/c) tilted her head.

"The creatures around us," she explained, sliding her mask back on. "We call them demons because of the horns."

"They're not demons," Ayshe snapped. "They're just like us."

"Do we eat children?" [Name] questioned. Ayshe growled.

"Maybe they do," she admitted, stepping forward with anger in her step. "But that person you call a demon is my father. He took me in and raised me."

"And why would he do that," [Name] said, her voice a flat monotone. "Are you sure he isn't... raising you up?"

Ayshe stepped up to the taller girl. "He's my dad."

"You say that as if it means anything," [Name] replied, remembering her own experiences with a so-called mother and father. Isabella had acted the part of a mother, but even that meant nothing when she sent her own children to their deaths. Peter Ratri had called himself her father and proceeded to experiment and torture her.

Any parent was one in name only. She'd thought Isabella was her mother too.

 Ayshe bristled. How peculiar. Why would she be so angry for a demon? [Name] refused to believe that that thing could be anything close to a caring parent.

"Who hurt you?" she asked, jabbing [Name] in the chest. "I've seen you before. You talk to those vendors like they're family."

"I can lie," [Name] said simply, gently pushing away Ayshe's finger.

"To yourself, or them?" Ayshe countered. [Name] blinked. "Gorian treats you like you're his daughter, and you-"

"Good for him," [Name] clicked her tongue. "Ayshe, I don't think you understand. You don't get what these things are."

"They're people," Ayshe repeated. "And I understand as much as you do. I don't get why you hate them so much."