"Are you stupid or were you just not paying attention at all while I was growing up?" Charlie spat, her shoulders tight and bunched up as she clenched her fists. Her face and ears burned, both in anger and despair, and the lump in her throat was becoming physically painful to talk past. It felt like a hot stone had been stuffed into her mouth, and she was unable to swallow it or spit it back.
After a few rapid breaths and frantic passes through her hair, Charlie began to speak again, her voice tight, "I had to do everything perfectly before you would let me stop! There were days on end where you wouldn't let me sleep until I'd perfected a stance or maneuver! You were so cold and distant with me that I didn't know whether you were proud of my accomplishments or just absolutely hated having me around, like training me was some sort of obligation you were forced to do... You made me feel like if I was anything less than perfect that you and Auntie wouldn't even give me the time of day! Everything became a test I couldn't fail!" Her voice broke as the tears began to fall hot and fast down her cheeks again. "Romule was the only one who would give me support unconditionally, Dad, don't you know? Were you not aware of how conditional your affections were? Or do you just not care? Do you... d-do you--"
The lump in her throat bobbed as she struggled to get the words out. Shoulder trembling, she wrapped her arms around her chest, as if to protect her heart from breaking any more. It hurt to draw breath with her ribs pressing against her tight skin; it felt like only a matter of time before either her ribs broke or her skin tore.
"Do you regret me, Dad?" The words were so faint Charlie wasn't sure whether she had spoken them or not. She stared at Vioroll through cloudy, watery eyes as everything crashed over her at once. All her fears and insecurities; everything she'd been fighting to contain had finally bubbled up. Her knees gave out, and as she sank back to the gravel the demon buried her face in her hands and began to cry harder than she'd cried in years. The anger had melted away, leaving nothing but despair in its place.
After a few rapid breaths and frantic passes through her hair, Charlie began to speak again, her voice tight, "I had to do everything perfectly before you would let me stop! There were days on end where you wouldn't let me sleep until I'd perfected a stance or maneuver! You were so cold and distant with me that I didn't know whether you were proud of my accomplishments or just absolutely hated having me around, like training me was some sort of obligation you were forced to do... You made me feel like if I was anything less than perfect that you and Auntie wouldn't even give me the time of day! Everything became a test I couldn't fail!" Her voice broke as the tears began to fall hot and fast down her cheeks again. "Romule was the only one who would give me support unconditionally, Dad, don't you know? Were you not aware of how conditional your affections were? Or do you just not care? Do you... d-do you--"
The lump in her throat bobbed as she struggled to get the words out. Shoulder trembling, she wrapped her arms around her chest, as if to protect her heart from breaking any more. It hurt to draw breath with her ribs pressing against her tight skin; it felt like only a matter of time before either her ribs broke or her skin tore.
"Do you regret me, Dad?" The words were so faint Charlie wasn't sure whether she had spoken them or not. She stared at Vioroll through cloudy, watery eyes as everything crashed over her at once. All her fears and insecurities; everything she'd been fighting to contain had finally bubbled up. Her knees gave out, and as she sank back to the gravel the demon buried her face in her hands and began to cry harder than she'd cried in years. The anger had melted away, leaving nothing but despair in its place.
