//first time lead in
"Am I.. . still seeing Alex?" [helspawn] says, the question rolling around her tongue as surely as her mind before it's cleared away with a shake of her head. "Seriously, [Dad], you promised I could. Besides, I'm even being all responsible about it. [if (isdrider) {I'm sure|Did}] you know that spider silk can be used as a--"

And while that's good to hear, it's not at all why you were asking. No, your reasons are far more simpler, far more baser, the kind of thing that seems [if (hel love = -1) {like you're no better than her mom|almost [if (cor < 10) {unthinkable|unreal}] to discuss with your own daughter}].

"Anyway, we meet up sometimes. Nothing serious enough for you to be planning wedding bells or anything." [helspawn] gives you a smile that slowly fades away in the silence. "You weren't doing that, right?"

No, it's nothing like that. It's just that Alex is pretty cute and it might be time for him to meet his girlfriend's family. You'd love to get to know him a little better, and maybe with [helspawn]'s help, the two of you could really show him how to have fun.

That seems to catch your daughter's attention, and she stumbles out a series of sounds before finally deciding on a very articulate <i>um</i>. And that's fine because it's not like she needs to decide now, and really she ought to talk to Alex about it as well.

[Helspawn] seems to consider it, at least, and it's almost entertaining to watch her lips purse up in thought until her face glows with a faint heat that [if (black scales) {can't hide among her scales|almost matches her scales}].

"That's.. . kinda hot," she says, and whatever her next thought might be is shuddered up in a swallow. "And you know, considering how much he likes me being in charge, I bet he'd really love having my [dad] boss him around."

Well, that sounds promising enough, and you've scarcely had time to consider it yourself before [helspawn] gives you a smile, a wave, and a rushed <i>See you soon!</i> as she dashes out of your camp. In the direction of the swamp, you note, and that's probably a good sign.

All there is to do, then, is wait.

//[next] I guess for that immersion

It's hard to say how long it takes before she comes back. The [sun] hasn't yet slipped away so perhaps not as much as it seems, but time runs thick and sticky and anticipation surges like whitefire in your veins and every moment passes both too fast and too slow. Maybe you do some chores, slowly, halfheartedly, the kind where you can't recall what exactly you've done because your mind was somewhere else.

Somewhere specific, in fact, focused on the [if (builtwall) {gate|horizon}] for the smallest gleam of a scale that heralds your daughter's return, and when you spy her [if (isday) {beneath the sky|lit by tail-light}] with a four-armed [if(isday) {spider|figure}] in tow, a breath slips from your lips as easily as the tools from your hands.

"Hey [Dad]!" she calls but a moment later, and she's off, almost dragging Alex along in her excitement. "He said yes!"

It almost sounds innocent if you didn't know what she asked.

Yet you do, and so must he with the hint of color blooming forth on those pale cheeks the moment your eyes meet, and though it's only a breath before they slip away on a shy turn of the head, you can't mistake the glimmer of desire within their golden depths.

"[Dad], this is Alex," [helspawn] says with a smile that leaves little doubt how much she's been thinking about this too. "Alex, my [dad]."

It's a little confusing to figure out just which one of his four hands to shake, so you settle for wrapping him up in a welcoming hug. That earns you a surprised squeak and the cool brush of chitin across your [skinshort], a [if (isdrider) {familiar|unusual}] sensation that vanishes almost as soon as it came. All six of his eyes flit from you to [helspawn] and back to you, and Alex all but folds himself up before he speaks.

"Hello, [Mister] [Dad]."

Well, you suppose he couldn't know, and while [helspawn] certainly seems amused enough, you're a little thankful when she leans down and whispers, "It's [name]."

"Thank you for inviting me, [Mister] [name]," Alex tries, and the poor boy looks so nervous both you and your daughter wrap an arm around him.

"It's okay," she says with a nod. "We [if (helspawnincest) {do this kind of thing all the time|talked about it between us ahead of time}]."

That seems to lighten him up a little, and since there's no reason to stand around in the [if (isday) {heat|cold}] when you have a [cabin] nearby, you invite Alex inside. [if (builtcabin) {There's plenty of room, after all, and|It's a tight squeeze, but}] it doesn't take long before [if (isbiped) {all three of you settle on the [bed]|[helspawn] and Alex settle on the [bed] while you [walk] up beside them}].