How there the light of immortality shines

“Ha! I can’t believe that really happened!” Sylvia hummed as she skipped down the street with a big smile on her face. “I totally beat you, Daddy! That was the best!”

“Yep, you really did manage to pull it off,” Nick nodded. “But it was a pretty close game. I had a lot of fun, Sylvia.” In spite of Sylvia shooting the cue ball off the table, she’d managed to turn it around nicely. The game had been a very narrow tie, and Sylvia had managed a rather impressive victory in the end there.

Something she clearly appreciated, judging by her toothy grin. “Me too!” She said, turning to flash her pearly whites at Nick.

Then she gasped.

“I-I mean… it-it was nothing!” She humphed, her scowl quickly returning as she turned up her nose at Nick. “I didn’t like it that much, just so you know!”

“Right, Sylvia, if you say so,” Nick said, nodding. He couldn’t keep from smiling at how determined Sylvia seemed to be at shutting down any possibility of having fun on their “date” together, even though she was obviously having a blast.

It was like playing the rebellious daughter meant more to her than actually being honest about the fun date they were having.

Nick knew Sylvia to overdramatize- she’d made that abundantly clear in her tenure as host. So he figured this was just another example of her exaggerating every last thing. With that in mind, he kept his mouth shut, and just let her enjoy herself, knowing that whatever would come, at least she was having fun with it.

“So what do you want to do next?” He asked. “Want to get a bite to eat?” She’d rushed through a pastry-filled “breakfast” earlier, and that wasn’t exactly filling. And even though they were nowhere close to lunchtime, a nice brunch might-

“No, Daddy, I’m not hungry!” Sylvia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Well, what would you like to do, then?” Nick left his question very open-ended, because he knew if he made any suggestions Sylvia would immediately decide that she didn’t want to do that. Better to let her true feelings leak out.

It had about the effect Nick had expected. She froze like a deer caught in the headlights and looked at him, trying to sort through which “bratty rebel daughter” response was appropriate for this precise situation.

“…I don’t want to do anything!” She obnoxiously declared.

Nick just smiled. “Well, great! I wasn’t in the mood for anything in particular anyway,” he agreed. “How about we just do nothing together, then?”

“Um… n-no, I don’t… ugh!” Sylvia stomped her foot and pouted. “Daddy! Why do you always have to be so difficult all the time?!” She demanded in a huff.

Nick just laughed. This was about what he expected from his so-called “daughter”. Sylvia could play things out and scheme with the best of them, but as he’d come to realize, she was a very reactive person by nature. Long-term planning wasn’t her strong suit.

That was a bit of a problem right now, though. It was unlikely that Sylvia would be able to fully follow through with any ideas she had. Nick should, in theory, take the reins here, and try to come up with a date plan of his own, and propose ideas. But because of her current perspective and attitude, she would just gainsay any idea he came up with.

She had him over a bit of a barrel here, and it was only a miracle that the date hadn’t gone completely off the rails yet.

Seeing her brain try to combine the two clashing halves as she struggled was fun for a moment’s amusement, but if he didn’t take control soon, and she didn’t let him take control soon, then the worst case would be-

“Well, Daddy, if it means that much to you, I guess I could think of something,” Sylvia huffed. Her cheeks were tinged a light pink and she was taking great care to avoid looking in Nick’s direction. She felt embarrassed because she’d come to the same conclusion that Nick had.

“That sounds great!” Nick nodded. “Whatever you want to do, I’m all for it.”

Sylvia’s eye twitched. “…Aargh! Daddy, you just don’t get it! Stop with the improv nonsense!”

Nick had no idea what she was talking about. “…Improv…?”

“Yes! All this ‘yes, and?’ stuff! You’re killing me here!” Sylvia wailed. “I’m just trying to be a bratty daughter, and you’re making me… …Oops.”

Sylvia quickly covered her mouth and Nick smirked.

Caught red-handed! (And red-haired!)

“Err, um…”

“So wait!” Nick’s eyes widened in a faked surprised expression that would make Rose seethe with rage at the insult to her craft. “Are you telling me that you’re not actually my rebellious daughter, Sylvia? You’re just playing pretend? Well, golly gee!”

Sylvia gave him a frosty look. She wasn’t amused in the slightest. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her finger on her elbow while she narrowed her eyes and waited for him to finish feeling proud of himself. “You done?”

“I just had to get that out there. Yes, I’m quite finished,” Nick assured her.

“Then to answer your poorly-posed, bad-faith question, yes, I’m not really being your rebellious bratty daughter, Daddy,” Sylvia huffed. “…Okay, well, I am, but I don’t really mean it. Obviously. I thought we were on the same page here!”

“We were,” Nick nodded. From the moment they met at the sign, they were both quite clear about what Sylvia intended. “But we still need to actually lay some ground rules about this date, don’t you think? Or else we’re just going to jam like one of Dakota’s VHS tapes.”

Sylvia stared blankly at him. “What’s a VHS?”

Nick sighed. “…Never mind.” Of all the ways Sylvia pretended to be a bratty teen, that was probably the most accurate one yet.

“My point is,” he continued, “we need to actually work out a framework here that isn’t just you saying ‘no’ and then refusing to come up with any ideas, you can understand that at least, right?”

Sylvia nodded. “Yep, that makes sense Daddy,” she agreed. “After all, when it comes to role-playing, you need rules and safe words!”

Nick’s jaw dropped and his face reddened. “Sylvia! This… this isn’t like that at all!”

“Oh? It’s not?” Sylvia tilted her head to the side and scrunched up her face in confusion. “But Daddy, I am playing a role, remember? As your bratty daughter. What is that if not role-playing?”

“Err… well, you’re not wrong…” Nick blushed, realizing that Sylvia had a point. “I just meant, um… I thought you were saying…”

“Oooooh? And just what did you think I was implying when I said ‘role-playing’, hmm, Daddy?” Sylvia leaned forward, wearing a shit-eating smirk that almost compelled Nick to do something that would have gotten him written up on child **** and domestic **** charges.

“…Can we just drop it?” He pleaded.

“Fine, fine,” Sylvia said, still smirking. No sense in lording her victory over him, that would get them nowhere. “You’re right though, rules. How about this? Let me decide what we’re doing today, okay? As your bratty rebel teenager, it wouldn’t really fit if I meekly agreed to do whatever Daddy wanted me to do, don’t you think?”

Nick nodded. “Okay, that works for me,” he agreed.

“Besides,” Sylvia continued, “you put a lot of effort into your date with Ella yesterday. As much as I’d love for you to do the same for me, I’m sure you’re pretty worn-out.”

“No, I still have a lot of ideas,” Nick protested. “Mary and I worked really hard coming up with stuff you might like!”

Sylvia’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and delight. “Aww! That’s so sweet, Daddy! Thank you so much! And I’d love to do all that stuff with you, some other time! But right now, that’s gotta be a no-go from me. No self-respecting rebellious teenager would just follow her Daddy’s plans for their date together, you know?”

Nick was pretty sure that no self-respecting rebellious teenager would go on a date with their father in the first place, but he didn’t have the energy to have that argument with Sylvia right now so he just nodded.

“Anyway, just leave it to me!” Sylvia said proudly, slapping her chest. “I have all sorts of ideas rolling around in my head! Keep in mind, I used to run this whole place! I know all the best dating spots, because I made a ton of ‘em!”

Well, with how confident she sounded, Nick found himself agreeing that maybe she had the right idea here. After all, with how hard she was working and how much effort she’d put into this ruse, it wouldn’t feel right to deny her the fruits of her labor.

“Okay, that works for me,” Nick agreed. “So what were you thinking of doing, then?”

Sylvia wagged her finger and shook her head while clicking her tongue. “Tsk tsk, no, Daddy, that’s not how this works! We’re still on a break! I’ll answer that question when we’re back in character. You don’t do any role-playing at all, do you?”

“Err… that’s-”

“I already know I’m right,” Sylvia cut him off. “I did watch a lot of your nights with the other girls while I was the host, remember? And a few playful smacks and some handcuffing with Gina doesn’t equate to serious role-play! Ask Rose about it next time you’re together, she’s got a transformation that’s perfect for it, after all!”

Nick could tell that they weren’t in character yet, because this was not a conversation he would be having with his daughter, bratty rebel or otherwise. He just sighed and nodded and let Sylvia do her thing.

“…Okay then.”

Sylvia cleared her throat. “Now, where was I… right, yes, one more thing, and then we can get back into character!” Her expression softened, and she looked at Nick with eyes that were both anxious and hopeful, while also burning with fierce determination.

“About our bet… that was for real, right?” She asked quietly. “You weren’t just playing along with my character, right?”

Nick blinked. “The bet… wait, you mean the wish?”

Sylvia nodded. “I did beat you in pool, Daddy,” she reminded him. “And our bet was you’ll do any one thing for me if I ask, no matter what, right?”

“Of course I will,” Nick assured her without hesitation. “Anything, Sylvia. I’d never go back on my promise like that.”

Sylvia looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes watered and she smiled, and nodded. “…Thank you, Daddy,” she said, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. As she exhaled, it was like all the burdens that had been piling up on her were slowly being released.

Then, when she was done, she opened her eyes, and that spark of mischief was back.

“But Daddy!” She said loudly, in as bratty of a voice as possible, “I don’t want to go clothes shopping! I want to go get a massage!”

Nick wasn’t proud of how long it took him to realize they were back in character again.

“Err… a massage? Sylvia, we can’t do that,” he said, shaking his head.

“What?! Why not?!”

He had to give her credit- she was a decent actress. Maybe she could even give Rose a run for her money in that department. Nick had no idea if she was actually trying to make him go get a massage with her, or if she was just being difficult as part of her character.

Either way, she knew as well as he did that there was zero chance of the two of them getting a massage together.

“Absolutely not,” Nick said, putting his foot down. He really hoped Sylvia was looking for him to be the stern disciplinarian, and wasn’t just expecting him to go along with any of her ideas.

I knew there was something we were forgetting! They had discussed Sylvia’s role in their date, as the bratty daughter who resisted his suggestions. But they’d forgotten to talk about what he was supposed to do.

No better time than any to find out.

“Why not?” Sylvia demanded, scowling.

“Because of the aphrodisiacs in the massage oil?” Nick reminded her. Sylvia knew full well what those massages would entail- she’d been the one to orchestrate his little incident with Dani in the first round, after all. And he had no intention of a repeat, not when they were pretending she was his bratty daughter.

Now that I think about it, why am I even humoring her in the first place? He wondered. Sylvia pretending to be my daughter sure isn’t going to help me see her as a sexual partner. What does she even want here?

For the first time as he looked at her sour expression, he realized that he didn’t have a read on Sylvia in the slightest. He could see through her role-playing easy enough and discern her superficial motivations in the moment… but when it came to her long-term plan, he had no idea.

Maybe it really was just an impulsive thing. Another example of Sylvia flubbing up, thanks to her inability to plan ahead decently.

But Nick suspected it was more than that.

Sylvia looked disappointed. But she sighed and nodded. “You’re right, Daddy, it wouldn’t be a good idea for the two of us to get up to sexy times. You’re my Daddy after all, we shouldn’t put ourselves in a situation where we might end up intimate.”

That was quite a loaded statement. He could feel a lot of weight in her words, and the intensity with which she stared at him made his blood run cold.

Wait… she… is she…?

A terrible thought passed through Nick’s head as he looked into Sylvia’s eyes. There was a spark of mischief in those brilliant blue pools, almost drowned out by her sincerity and intensity, but just barely present enough for him to realize what she was getting at.

You bitch! So that’s your game!

Then and there, Nick made a vow that he’d never underestimate Sylvia’s cunning again. On the surface, he was just looking at a disappointed girl. But beneath that, he realized just what she was gunning for, and just how she’d managed to trap him.

“You’re right, Daddy, it wouldn’t be a good idea for the two of us to get up to sexy times. You’re my Daddy after all, we shouldn’t put ourselves in a situation where we might end up intimate.”

Those words had been carefully calculated by Sylvia to back him into a corner. If he agreed with her, then obviously it would hurt her considerably. But if he disagreed…

She’s trying to get me to say that it’s okay if we do sexy things together, even while doing this Daddy-Daughter role-play! That was her goal this whole time, wasn’t it!? And I fell for it hook, line, and sinker! Damn it, Sylvia!

Nick was angry, but also begrudgingly impressed. Even though he knew Sylvia wasn’t intending for anything racy to happen between the two of them today (she gave up her night with him, after all) she was still laying the seeds for something sexy to happen in the future.

“Is something the matter, Daddy?” Sylvia looked concerned, and leaned forward, brushing a lock of her ruby-red hair behind her ear as she parted her lips, gazing up at him with a soft glimmer in her eyes and a light flush of her cheeks.

If she wanted him to think about her in a sexual context while still calling him “Daddy” she was doing a really damn good job.

Nick let out a deep breath, and straightened up. As he did, Sylvia straightened up as well, almost as if she could sense that he had seen through her little ruse.

“Sylvia…”

“Yes, Daddy?” She looked at him with an expression filled with eagerness and also heightened tension. She was both excited to hear what he had to say, and also very worried.

She knew. She knew that he knew, and she knew that he was about to give her an answer.

“…This isn’t something we should be doing together,” Nick said firmly. “I enjoy the time I spend with you, Sylvia, but if we were going to get something like a massage together where our bodies were slathered in aphrodisiac oil, we wouldn’t be able to think clearly, and we would end up doing something we might regret. I don’t want that. I want to get to know you for who you are, because I want the chance to treasure you without the influence of anything impeding my genuine feelings. That’s what I think will make us have a successful relationship, don’t you?”

Sylvia took a moment to process what he was saying. It was a little difficult to parse out the meaning, but Nick made sure that every word was said while looking her dead in the eye. He could only convey so much sincerity with his stare, and he hoped it would be enough for her to understand his feelings towards her.

Realization dawned across the bratty teen’s face, and her eyes widened.

“…Oh, Daddy! You’re right! You’re exactly right!” She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug and pulling him close. “That’s just what I want, too! We don’t need any special lotions or steam to affect our feelings for one another, we can do all that just the way we are!”

She raised her head and looked pleadingly up into his eyes, almost like she was begging him to reassure her that she hadn’t gotten it wrong.

Nick sighed.

“You’re right, Sylvia,” he admitted. “That’s what I want most, for the two of us to develop a normal relationship together.”

Her calling him “Daddy” was going to be an unfortunate part of that. And he expected, much to his chagrin, that he would eventually come around on her playing the part of his daughter, even though that fetish still really creeped him out.

But he did care about Sylvia as a person, and he wanted to give their relationship a chance to really get started. After all, she was in his harem, for better or worse. And if role-playing as a parent and child, sexual context or not, would help her feel loved and accepted into the harem, then he supposed he might as well accept that would be a possibility now, before things got too out of hand.

Surrendering to his “daughter’s” wishes, Nick hugged her back to show her just how much he cared about her. She’d already earned VP for that gesture before, but it was still a tender moment between them regardless.

Hopefully, the rest of the date would proceed in a similar direction.