Family Begins With You

by Jmaster49

Arc XXIII Episode IX: Festival Companions

A few minutes before the fireworks, with Keiji and Silver Spoon…

The vampboy had gotten up to refill his drink, when he noticed a peculiar white cat from the corner of his eye. “What the…? Again?”

But the next time he blinked, the cat was gone--disappearing as if it was never there in the first place. “Gah--must be a Lucky Cat Statue,” he reasoned to himself, “Not gonna let any crazy magical bullcrap ruin today--er, tonight.”

Soon enough, Diamond Tiara had returned to their table, and started to chat with Silver Spoon.

“So, how was he?” she asked her gray-colored friend.

“...for a ruffian, he’s actually very insightful,” Spoon remarked as she glanced at Keiji from afar, “I honestly think he just uses that ‘tough-guy’ exterior to cover up his softer side. I mean, he likes to knit, embroider, and crochet--though the last one is his best skill.”

“Wow, for real?” Tiara asked with an interested tone, “But did you get a feel for him as a person? What’s he like around you?”

Spoon raised a brow, then smirked. “You seem to be rather interested in how he is when you’re not around. Gettin’ a bit jelly, Di?”

“No,” she replied flatly, “I just wanna know how well he held a conversation with you.”

With her elbows on the table, Spoon interlocked both sets of her fingers and went on, “It’s crazy because as I said--he’s not a dickwad like most of the ones we see. He kinda…puts it on. Like a mask that he sometimes takes off.”

“...So you’re saying his antsy, ‘I hate everything’ side isn’t the real him?” Tiara asked.

“Not quite…” Spoon shook her head. “I think a better way to put it would be to describe him like an onion: He’s got layers and each one is actually more powerful than the last. There’s more to him than what’s on the surface.”

“I see…” Tiara nodded as she placed a finger on her chin, “I suppose that makes sense. We all kinda act differently depending on who we’re talking to, ya know?”

“Yeah…exactly,” Spoon added with a sigh, “Just wish we could help him embrace his real self around us.to where he’d feel comfortable treating us as close friends.”

“...Or maybe…” Tiara thought to herself as she stared off into space for a moment.

Which Spoon quickly snapped her out of. “Hey. Are you thinking about--”

“N-noI’mnot!” Tiara cut her friend off, preemptively denying any accusations with an uncertain smile. “I mean…I’m not thinking about anything at all.”

That’s when Silver Spoon realized what the nervous look on her friend’s face meant. “Ohhh…I see now. You think we should totally take him on as our--”

“A what-now?”

Keiji suddenly appeared, placing a drink for Silver Spoon and himself, “What’s going on?”

“Oh nothing!” Tiara replied with a nervous smile, “We were just talking about…stuff. Like…uhh…” she desperately looked to Silver Spoon for a response with her eyes widening.

“How we’d love to go get masks once we’re finished eating,” Spoon commented as she sipped her drink through a straw, “There’s so many nice little trinkets we can find out here that we’d like you to show us where to go next, Keiji.”

“Yeah--you’re an expert on all this stuff, right?” Tiara asked with a pleading grin.

Keiji rolled his eyes, then gave his usual grin of serrated teeth. “Of course…sure, why not? Although, did you find your dad, Deets?”

Tiara shook her head. “Nah…apparently he went to a nearby office building to do some business. I guess someone running the festival needs his approval for something.”

“...Strange,” Spoon commented, “I hope he’ll be okay.”

Keiji started to think to himself about what he heard from Shinji the other day. “Hm…is it possible that….?”

FWOOOOOSH--CRACK!

Just then, the fireworks started to go off, lighting up the sky above them with various flashing colors.

“Oooh…” Tiara and Spoon both stared at the sky with wide eyes as they took in the beautiful, sparkly visuals.

“I need to make sure they’re both safe.” That’s when Keiji had an idea. “Okay, girlies--change of plans. We’re gonna head to one of those hills and watch the fireworks--uh, together.”

Silver Spoon shot him a teasing smile. “Well, aren't you just the smooth little romantic all the sudden.”

Tiara playfully nudged Spoon with her elbow. “C’mon, Silver. Don’t be mean, he’s just trying to show us a good time. Can’t blame him for that, can you?”

“Nah, I’m just screwing with him,” Spoon added and looked at Keiji. “Lead the way, big guy.”

“Sure--just follow me.”

With that, Keiji would lead them to one of the hills away from the bright festival lights where they could all sit on the grass and watch the fireworks with a much clearer view. The vampboy sat in between the two rich girls as they all looked up at the sky.

“...Now this is much better,” he commented as he lay upon the grass on his back. “Now we can properly see everything as they go off.”

“He’s right…” Tiara muttered with a wondrous tone, “The sky is much prettier when we’re away from the festival’s lights.”

“Makes sense,” Spoon remarked as she adjusted her glasses, “Being a vampire-pony, it’s only natural that he’d know the best dark spots to hang around. Next thing you know, he’ll try and bite us to make him a part of his little vamp-harem.”

“He wouldn’t do that!” Tiara playfully snapped back as she pinched Keiji on his cheek. “Would you, my widdle vampy friend?”

“Ugh--can you like, not?” Keiji complained and swatted her hand away. “You’re cramping my style. Don’t do that.”

“Jokes aside, I think you’re pretty fun to hang out with, Kei,” Spoon commented as she put an arm around Keiji’s shoulder, “You just might be worth our time after all.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he replied with a grin, “Nice to hear that people actually care about me in this world.”

Not to be outdone, Tiara put her arm around him as well, effectively hugging him between the both of them. “Hey now, I care about him too. He’s like, a really close friend!”

“Oh really?”

“Really.”

"Really?"

"Really."

They both glared at each other for a moment before devolving into immature snickering.

Keiji shook his head and laughed along with them. “...Ya’ll are something else.”