[IInd copy]
Author:Don't mind the upper title , it's related to Universal Time-lapse here.
"Papa."
"Hm?"
"Can laws be broken?"
Andre stopped walking.
Here we go again.
"What laws?"
"The laws of reality."
"Reality has lawyers now?"
Cia frowned.
"That's not what I meant."
Andre sighed. "What happened this time?"
"I tried bending gravity."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You WHAT?"
"It didn't work."
"Thank heavens."
"But I found a problem with my calculations."
"That's not better."
"It is for me."
No. No it wasn't.
His daughter was smiling.That smile only appeared when she had discovered something dangerous.
Last month she nearly dismantled a radio because she wanted to "improve communication efficiency."
The month before she had somehow convinced herself she could create infinite electricity using two batteries and a spoon.
Andre still had no idea where she got these ideas from.
Probably Satan.
"Papa."
"Hm?"
"If gravity bends space, can space bend gravity?"
"No."
"You didn't even think."
"I don't need to."
"You should."
"I shouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because I enjoy being sane."
They walked in silence for a few seconds.
Then someone called out from the roadside.
"Chris!"
Andre froze.
Not visibly.
Years of experience prevented that.
But internally?
He froze.
Slowly he turned his head. There sat the old beggar. Leaning against a wall. Eating absolutely nothing.
Looking just as homeless and annoying as usual.
"Still teaching children to commit crimes, Chris?"
"Good afternoon, beggar."
"That's not my name."
"Neither is Chris."
"Then why did you answer?"
"..."
Checkmate.
Andre clicked his tongue. Cia looked between them.
"Papa, who is this?"
"A beggar."
"See? This is discrimination."
"You are literally a beggar."
"That's a profession."
"That's unemployment."
The beggar pointed at him.
"See? This is why your daughter will become a villain."
"She's six."
"Exactly. Plenty of time."
Cia nodded, "That's true."
"DO NOT ENCOURAGE HIM."
The beggar laughed.
Cia looked between them.
"Papa, you really don't know him?"
"No."
"See?" the beggar pointed at him. "This is why children shouldn't trust adults."
"You literally steal wallets."
"Allegedly."
"I watched you do it."
"Allegedly."
Andre sighed.
The man was impossible.
Cia however seemed fascinated. Probably because she had never seen a professional nuisance before.
"Hey little girl," said the beggar. "What were you talking about?"
"Gravity."
The beggar nodded seriously.
"Good. Defeat it."
Andre immediately interrupted.
"Do not defeat gravity."
"Why?"
"Because we are standing on Earth."
"That's exactly why she should defeat it."
"Stop encouraging her."
The beggar laughed.
Cia looked thoughtful. That was dangerous. Whenever she looked thoughtful, property values nearby decreased.
"Papa."
"What?"
"If I successfully defeat gravity one day—"
"No."
"You don't even know the question."
"I know enough."
The beggar laughed even harder. Andre seriously considered throwing him into a river. Then he remembered murder was illegal.
Probably.
Andre sighed. Another day. Another headache.
The world continued as normal.
People went to work. Children went to school. History moved forward.
And somewhere beyond the knowledge of mankind, something moved.
Except for a brief moment—
Cia stopped walking.
"Hm?"
She looked at the sky. Then frowned.
"What's wrong?" asked Andre.
"...Nothing."
The feeling disappeared.
Andre nodded. Good.
Nothing was always preferable. He grabbed the grocery bags again and started walking.
"Come on. We still need to get home."
The beggar waved lazily.
"See you later, Chris."
Andre didn't even turn around.
"Wrong person."
And for the first time in years, he almost wished that was true.