//------------------------------// // Arc XVI Episode I: Pool Party // Story: Family Begins With You // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// At Diamond Tiara’s mansion…specifically the backyard… The pink girl herself had already acquired her best friend Silver Spoon’s favorite foods, and her newest friend Keiji’s favorite foods. Once that was done, she got dressed in her swimsuit--a black one-piece with shorts--and headed outside to the pool. “Alright. Food is set. Shrimp for Spoon, blood sausages for Keiji, what am I missing…?” She looked over to the side of the yard where her father was busy manning the grill wearing a red flannel shirt and an apron. “Daddy, did you get everything I asked for?” “Of course I did, sweetie,” Mr. Rich responded as his daughter approached him, “Now remind me again: Just how many friends of yours are arrivin’ today?” “Just Keiji and Silver Spoon,” she replied, “I want them to try and get along with each other since she kinda has a thing against him.” She inspected her father’s choice of dress and promptly rolled her eyes. “Seriously, dad? Socks with sandals?” “What? It’s an old-fashioned look,” he insisted while flipped the sausages over. Tiara rolled her eyes. “There’s ‘old fashioned’ and there’s straight-up old. Just please don’t embarrass me in front of them.” “Right, right--oh and go tell your mother everything’s almost ready. Been dying to see her come out near the pool again,” he said with a small smile on his face. “Got it--wait--” Tiara stopped, double-taking as she looked back at her father, “You’re excited to see mom?” She asked with an uncertain half-smile. “Let’s just say…we’re workin’ on communication,” Mr. Rich replied slowly as he tried to figure out how to explain it to her, “To make a long story short, we uh…went to therapy and were told--” Before she got any more details, Tiara cut him off. “Ya know what? I don’t really care how you guys figured it out, I’m just glad you guys figured it out.” She stepped forward and put her arms around her father to hug him tightly. “The sooner you and mom start treating each other better, the happier I’ll be.” The man gave a sigh of relief, but was unable to properly return the gesture due to being preoccupied with the grill. “Don’t worry, princess. We’ll be just fine. Now go on and get her for me, ya hear?” “Of course, daddy!” Tiara squealed as she let go and ran back inside, “Hey mo--woah!” “Hm?” Spoiled Rich was already on her way out towards her, wearing a well-fitted two-piece bikini with cougar print. “Does this make me look fat, Diamond Tiara? Be honest with me.” “You look fine, mom. Don’t worry,” Tiara replied with a nod, “Just go on. Dad’s waiting for you…if you wanna see him, that is.” Surprisingly, Spoiled continued walking with a grin on her face. “Good. I’ve been taking a look at myself lately and realized that he and I need to reconnect in a few ways. So I’m going to try and spend more time with him--and you of course.” “Really…?” Tiara asked with an optimistic expression as she rubbed the back of her neck, “What inspired you to think of it that way?” “Let’s just say…a little bat informed me of a different way to look at things,” Spoiled said with a wink as she walked outside towards her husband--the latter greeted her with an open arm as the two smiled at each other for the first time in what felt like months. Meanwhile, Tiara started to piece together what her mother had meant by her words. “Bat…could she mean, KK--?” Speaking of which… The vamp-kid had arrived a few minutes later, and Tiara allowed him entry via her home’s automated door system. “Agh…holy shit, I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” he muttered while picking something out of his ear with his pinky finger. In his other hand, he was carrying a small duffel bag--likely containing his swimwear. “You’re here!” Tiara ran forward and startled the guy with a hug. “The hell?!” Keiji was taken aback, recoiling from the embrace. “Hey, not so hard, dammit!” She backed off, and cleared her throat. “Ahem. Sorry. But my mom was just telling me about how she and dad are getting along again. I think you may have something to do with that.” “Right…and?” he raised a brow, “What they do in their spare time doesn’t concern me. So long as you don’t get caught up in the crossfire that is.” “Aw, so you do care about me. Is that it?” Tiara said with a teasing giggle. “But seriously…thanks for…whatever you did.” Keiji rotated his neck as he put a hand to his forehead. “Meh. Call it even, I guess. Anyway, where can I go get changed?” “Oh, there’s a bathroom to your left. Can’t miss it,” she said, pointing down a hallway. “Gotcha. Hopefully Spooner won’t hate my ass once this is over with,” he muttered as he trudged off in the direction of the bathroom. “Yeah…me too,” Tiara agreed under her breath as she wondered where her best friend was. “...Did she ghost me? What’s going on?” About ten minutes later… Diamond Tiara was sitting on the side of the pool where the steps were, idly kicking her feet in the water. “Hrm…where is she…?” Moments later, the green boy made his debut to the backyard pool wearing nothing but a pair of orange swim trunks. “Ahhhh…” he yawned, and stretched his arms upwards before approaching the pool. “Sup.” Tiara turned around to see him, and her eyes were immediately fixated upon his abdominal region--mainly the scars that were on his body. She was immediately reminded of the day she brought him home and she saw him wearing nothing but a towel. “...What happened to him? What did he go through to get those painful-looking marks…” she thought to herself with a worried frown as she tilted her head downwards. Keiji had noticed the way she was looking at him and called her out on it. “What’re ya starin’ at me for? Have some class, little lady. My eyes are up here.” “Huh--oh, sorry…” Tiara turned around while consciously rubbing her left arm. “I couldn’t help but…uch--never mind.” He sat down next to her on the pool’s steps and addressed the elephant in the backyard. “That’s a pretty neat pachyderm topiary you got over there,” he then looked her in the eyes, “Also, I bet you’re wondering why I’ve got these healed burn wounds.” She turned to look in his direction. “...If you don’t wanna tell me…” “Meh,” he put his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers, “You’re nice enough so the least I can do is sate your curiosity since it’ll come out one way or another. Listen up, DT.”