Setting a Boundary

To say that Aurelius liked taking pictures of Phoebe was an understatement. The constellation was simply obsessed. He took pictures almost every second of Phoebe's life, he did it during school, during training, as she ate, when she played with her friends, and when she tried to sleep. The sound notifications kept ringing and ringing without stopping Phoebe thought she was going to go insane. The noise gave her a massive headache and soon she found that they started haunting her dreams, it was getting out of hand. 

Phoebe had slowly started to suffer from Aurelius' constant interruptions. She had a hard time paying attention in her class and the teacher had noticed. When asked why her performance in class had suffered all Phoebe could respond with was that she kept hearing a loud and painful sound. Her teacher concerned for her decided to call her family so that they could take Phoebe to take some tests to find out the problems with her ears. 

Aurelius had to disappear from Phoebe's side when he saw the teacher move away to call him. He instantly transported himself back to the relative privacy of his home to possess the fabric doll so he could answer the teacher's phone call. What Aurelius missed after he teleported away was the relieved face of Phoebe as she slumped back in her chair, exhaustion finally settling in her bones. 

"Hello this is Sadie Andrew, I'm your child's teacher. I'm calling you because I'm concerned for your daughter. Recently she's been struggling in class and when I asked her she told me that she couldn't concentrate because she was constantly hearing a loud annoying sound. I think you should pick her up and take her to see a doctor!" Mrs. Andrew's concerned voice spoke when Aurelius picked up the phone. 

Aurelius did feel slightly guilty, he knew that the sound notifications for his indirect messages were very loud and annoying but in his defense, he couldn't risk missing any moment in Phoebe's life. What if he failed to photograph an important milestone in her life?!

"I understand I'll be there soon to pick her up," Aurelius responded perfunctory as he hung up the phone. 

As the constellation put the phone down he met the disappointed glare of the pair of fox servants. Kiki in particular was tapping her foot angrily as she stared at the constellation. 

"My lord you know you've caused the lady a large amount of stress this past week. You have no sense of control and now the poor lady flinches at the sound of any loud pitched sounds. We will go pick her up and while we do you should think about how your actions have affected the lady." Kiki spoke with a small snarl in her voice. 

Without waiting for Aurelius' response the two foxes walked out of the door jumped into the car and pulled away. Aurelius was left by himself to think about his actions and how they had negatively affected Phoebe. He wasn't making a lot of progress when it came to this train of thought since as a constellation he had never before been judged by a human for his actions towards them. Frustrated Aurelius went to the internet to find his answers. 

Is it wrong to constantly take pictures of your kids?

Should I stop taking pictures of my kids?

The information from those searches didn't give Aurelius too much information or confirmation. As his frustration grew he started aggressively flicking through the search results until he stopped at one. 

Are you giving your child enough space? How to draw appropriate boundaries with your children. 

Aurelius clicked the link and was brought to a vlog by a highly reputed expert on child psychology and behavior. Aurelius started reading the vlog trying to understand how to be a better father. 

"Boundaries are essential for healthy relationships, this is especially so with the relationship you share with your child. They serve as invisible lines that define personal space, emotional needs, and acceptable behavior. Teaching your child about boundaries is not about imposing strict rules or limitations; it's about fostering mutual respect, empathy, and understanding.

Setting boundaries with your children is a vital aspect of parenting that requires patience, consistency, and empathy. By understanding the importance of boundaries, communicating effectively, and leading by example, you can create a nurturing environment where your child feels safe, respected, and supported as they navigate the world around them.

While setting boundaries is important so that the child maintains respectful and appropriate behavior around you and others it is necessary to note that this is a two-way street. Your child will likely have expectations of you and how you act around them. You must communicate with them to understand their needs and address where you could change how you interact with them." 

Aurelius paused as he read that sentence. For a constellation, the only relationship and boundaries that existed between a champion were that of a guarantor and a guarantee. The constellations were unreachable god-like beings to the mortals they guaranteed their powers. They paid little mind to the needs of their champions, only granting their power on a whim as a source of entertainment or a way to increase their prestige. To many constellations, human champions were no more than pets that they could dote on for a while before moving on. 

Aurelius realized that subconsciously he had maintained this distance attitude with Phoebe and that he had taken care of her needs on a surface level. He was not behaving like a loving human parent, which was problematic since he decided to raise the girl. If he didn't make an active effort to fix his mistakes he would have failed his goal to raise the girl. Aurelius had begun to truly care for the wellbeing and health of the girl and was growing increasingly attached to her, whether or not he truly realized the depth of his feelings for the girl. Aurelius resolved himself to have an actual conversation with the girl on how he could be a better parent. 

Aurelius didn't have to wait too long for Phoebe to arrive after some time she came rushing into the house. The fox servants urged her to sit down next to Aurelius so the two could have a heart-to-heart conversation. 

"Phoebe I would like to apologize for my lack of boundaries when it came to taking photos. I want to do better so can you tell me what I should change?" Aurelius apologized as he took the small girl's hands into his own. 

"Dad I love you but you have to stop taking so many pictures, the sound is so loud and annoying! You can still take pictures but you have to take less!" Phoebe responded with a huff. 

"So how many should I take then." 

"You should have a limit of 100 a month!"

"NO! How about 2,000 a month." 

"No that's too much! 1,500 is the monthly limit! And you can't take any pictures when I'm in class or when I'm studying!" 

Aurelius was shocked by Phoebe's last sentence, her expression was simply the cutest when she was studying. Aurelius enjoyed looking at how her small plush face scrunched up, how determined she looked, and how cute it was when she puffed her checks when she got frustrated. He couldn't be banned from taking studying photos or he would be missing out on some of her best expressions! 

"Phoebe could be allowed to take one or two studying pictures, you're too cute when you're studying!" Aurelius bargained. 

Phoebe tried to keep her stance but as she looked at Aurelius' pleading eyes she found her will slowly sapping away from her. 

"Fine one or two but if you do more then you can't take any more pictures of me anymore!" Phoebe stated as she extended her pinky to Aurelius. 

Aurelius took her pinky in his and they sealed the promise.