Ketsueki was wrestling her little brother on the floor as Reiki was in the middle of the headlock with the back of his head feeling his older sister’s large chest. Ketsueki said. “Reiki, just hand the block of dark chocolate over and everything will be fine.” Reiki was trying to break free from his older sister's headlock with his right hand while holding the bar of chocolate with his left, he said. “I refuse.” Yuki was watching them with interest all over her eyes, she moved her gaze onto Namida who was casually sitting on the armchair. 

 

Yuki said. “Namida aneki, you were right. That is a lot more interesting than watching tv.” Namida wiped some whipped cream on the corner of her lip using her thumb and said. “It’s just getting started.” She licked the whipped cream off her thumb while Mio was staring at Shiro’s pudgy belly which grew slightly bigger. A black slit appeared mid-air as an arm wearing a long green sleeve came out of it while trying to steal the chocolate bar from Reiki’s hands. Reiki slid the bar of chocolate on the floor as it was near his feet. 

 

The arm with the green long sleeve went back into the black slit floating in mid-air as it vanished while Ketsueki’s eyes had a glint in them as she quickly moved one of her hands away from her little brother's neck and tried to get the bar on the floor. Reiki kicked the chocolate bar as it slid across the floor near his face as the black slit appeared near the bar as the hand quickly came out of it and grabbed the chocolate bar. Reiki thought. Shit… Ketsueki ruffled his little brother’s hair which was styled to be straight and said. “See, Reiki. That wasn’t so bad.”

 

The black slit floating in mid-air grew bigger as Sachi revealed her upper body as she lifted the large bar of dark chocolate that was neatly wrapped in tinfoil into the air. Sachi said. “I! Got! It!” Ketsueki moved her hands away from her little brother’s neck as she stood up from the floor and patted her clothes to dust herself off. Mio glanced at Ketsueki from the corner of her eye as she leaned closer to Shiro and spoke in a whisper. “Shiro, don’t you think your stomach is getting… Too big?”

 

Shiro was holding onto a half-eaten eclair as she looked down to stare at her bloated stomach, she said. “It’s fine.” She casually waved the eclair she was holding and continued. “Tomorrow it’ll be back to normal.” Ketsueki walked toward her friend who was too absorbed in staring at the large bar of chocolate in her hands, she held out her right hand and said. “I’ll cut that into two pieces.” Namida picked up a millionaire shortbread and said. “Three.” Sachi glanced at her friend who was sitting on the armchair, she said. “Did you even do anything to help?”

 

Namida let out a scoff as she watched her friend step out of the black slit and said. “Then why did you even bother asking me to make a slit?” Ketsueki reached out her hand as she was about to grab the large bar of chocolate her friend was holding. Sachi slightly pulled the bar back as she gave Ketsueki an odd look and said. “What are you doing?” Ketsueki pointed at the bar, she said. “I was going to cut that into two pieces.” Namida appeared beside Sachi as some trails of black were emitting from her, she said. “I think you meant three.”

 

Shiro ate the last bit of eclair as her gaze wandered onto the plate of eclair and millionaire shortbread, her hand slowly reached out as she was about to grab one when she heard her friend's voice. Mio had a worried look and said. “Shiro, I think you should save some room for dinner.” Shiro rubbed her pudgy belly, she said. “I just have a slow metabolism.” Yuki picked up a shortbread and pointed it at her friend's gut and said. “And I think you need to exercise more.” She took a bite of the shortbread in her hands.

 

Ketsueki spoke in a firm tone, she said. “Sachi, hand over the bar, and I won't mess up your twenty thousand yen haircut.” Mio, Yuki, and Shiro peeked above the backrest of the couch as they all gave Sachi odd looks while glancing at her hair. Sachi let out a hmph as she used her hand to flick her hair which was tied in a loose ponytail, she said. “You’re just jealous I take good care of myself.” Ketsueki’s right hand blurred as the large bar Sachi was holding was suddenly in her hands.

 

Sachi’s pupils faintly glowed, she pointed at the bar her friend was holding and said. “I’m going to watch you cut that.” Namida let out a laugh as she spoke with a faint undertone of mocking, she said. “You might as well use a ruler to measure it so it’ll be evenly cut.” Sachi had a straight expression and said. “I have a wooden ruler on me.” Namida’s eyes widened as she gave her friend an odd look, she said. “The question is, why?” Ketsueki shrugged her shoulders and said. “I don’t mind, I’ll even be nice and take the part Reiki ate.” She pointed at the area where the aluminum foil had been undone.

 

Yuki leaned closer to Shiro as she spoke in a whisper and said. “I’m not the only one who can’t see a haircut worth twenty thousand yen, right?” Shiro shook her head sideways, she said. “Her hair looks the same to me since her last visit.” Yuki and Shiro turned their head as they moved their gaze onto Mio. Sachi had a hint of embarrassment on her face, she thought. Ketsueki, I’m going to make you pay for this. Mio noticed the eyes of her friends and said. “What?”

 

Ketsueki glanced behind her by using the corner of her eye and saw Reiki standing while staring at her, she thought. Reiki’s been staring at me for a good while now… Yuki used the shortbread she was holding to point at her friend and said. “I mean, your the only one between us three who goes to salons.” Shiro nodded in agreement while Mio let out a sigh and spoke under her breath, she said. “Oh, right… Ketsueki nee-san cuts Shiro’s hair and you go to a barbershop.” Yuki’s brows as she frowned at Mio and said. “What’s wrong with a barbershop?”

 

Ketsueki turned her head sideways and said. “Reiki, you’ve been staring at me so I think you have something to say to me.” Her lips curved into a playful smile while she stared at her little brother. Reiki kept a straight face, he said. “One day, Onee-chan.” Ketsueki let out a chuckle, she said. “I highly doubt taking a block of chocolate from my little brother is deserving of a comeuppance.” Reiki stared at her for a couple of seconds and continued. “One day someone going to steal something from you and I’ll do nothing but watch.”

 

Ketsueki completely froze as Reiki dashed toward the kitchen, he thought. That teasing may have been one step too far. Namida stared at her frozen friend as she waved a hand in front of Ketsueki’s face but didn’t get a reaction. Namida said. “She’s dead, which means we’ll be cutting the block into two.” Mio shook her head sideways and said. “I don’t have anything against barbershops.” Shiro stared at her frozen older sister as she moved her gaze onto the direction of the kitchen and thought. What did Onii-chan mean by that? Yuki’s brow furrowed as she waved the shortbread she was holding around.

 

She said. “Then what makes a salon so special?” Mio’s mouth formed into a smile, she said. “You can get massages in a salon.” Shiro’s eyes lit up like stars, she said. “You can?” Yuki had an unimpressed look on her face, she said. “You can also get one at a barbershop.”  Mio’s eyes slightly widened as she moved her gaze onto her friend and said. “What?” Yuki nodded as she continued. “You can even get your beard trimmed, I’ve seen my dad do it a couple of times.” Sachi had a stiff smile on her lips as she took a few steps toward the couch.

 

She said. “The reason why it was so expensive, is because I took one of the package deals.” Shiro looked up at her and said. “There’s a deal that cost twenty thousand for a place you’re supposed to get a haircut?” Sachi felt the sting of Shiro’s words and thought. Please don’t say it like that. She cleared her throat and said. “The deal includes a manicure, green tea face mask, a foot rub, and a haircut. They also lit up a few candles for a bit of aromatherapy.”

 

Namida poked Ketsueki’s cheek a couple of times as she turned her head sideways to look at everyone by the couch. Namida said. “Uh, Shiro. I think there’s something wrong with your older sister.”

________________________________________________________________________________

Large Living Room

 

Enora was lying down on the couch as she pretended to look out the ceiling while stealing glances at a talisman lying on the coffee table, she let out a long sigh and thought. Why hasn’t he called yet?... She grabbed the nearest pillow beside her as she wrapped her arms around it and strangled it. The door leading out opened revealing Elora who cautiously peeked inside the room.

 

Enora kept her eyes on the ceiling and said. “Melanor isn’t here, mom.” Melanor walked into the room as she closed it behind her and let out a sigh of relief, she said. “Another day where I managed to leave all the responsibility to her.” Enora glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye and said. “At this rate, you might as well make her royalty.” She let out a chuckle as she moved her gaze onto the talisman on the coffee table. Elora followed her daughter’s gaze and saw the talisman.

 

She let out a helpless and said. “Honey, I’m pretty sure Reiki won’t call you for an hour or so.” Enora moved her gaze onto her mother as she spoke with a hint of aggressiveness in her tone and said. “What makes you say that?” Elora made her way to the couch, she said. “Well, for one he has to hand out the souvenirs and explain what happened.” Enora lazily sat up straight from the couch as she placed her hand in the small crevices of the couch and said. “What is there to talk about? All we did was laze on the-.”

 

She stopped the moment Elora’s lips curled into a smirk. Enora pulled out a long white sock from between the cushions of the couch as she threw it at her mother and said. “We sat on the couch and did nothing.” Elora easily caught the sock mid-air while Enora took out another one and started putting it back on. Elora sat beside her daughter and placed the sock beside the talisman on the coffee table, she said. “I didn’t ask for details.” The long white sock reached to her thigh as she waved her hand as the one on the coffee table flew to her palm.

 

Elora patted her daughter’s shoulder a couple of times and said. “Isn’t Mora supposed to have the talisman today?” Enora placed her right foot inside the combat leather shoes that were lying on the floor, she said. “She is, I just…” She placed her left foot inside the other one and slightly leaned forward squishing her large chest against her thighs as she tied her shoelaces. Enora continued. “I might borrowed it when it was inside her pouch…” Elora stared at her daughter’s squished chest and thought. That sticky hand is from her father's side.

 

Enora finished tying her shoelaces as she sat up straight and glanced at the talisman. The door suddenly swung open as Moranor who was heavily breathing with a few beads of sweat trickling down her cheek. She wiped the sweat off her cheek as her eyes zoned in on the talisman on the coffee table, Moranor spoke with a hint of indifference in her tone and said. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop touching my stuff?” Enora raised a brow at her, she said. “My mom was the one who handed Reiki the talisman.”

 

Moranor made her way closer to the couch while moving some of her light goldish hair behind her long pointy ears, she said. “And we agreed on days of who gets to keep the talisman.” Elora placed her left hand on the armrest of the couch as she moved her gaze onto Moranor and said. “Mora, do you know where your mother is?” Moranor stood beside the couch, she said. “Your majesty, can you please stop making my mother do most of your job for you?” Elora lazily waved her hand in dismissal and said. “It’s fine, I did it all the time back in school.”

 

A meaningful smile crept onto her lips, Elora continued. “At this rate, you should start calling me mom too.” A faint blush appeared on Moranor’s cheeks while Enora let out a scoff dripping with disgust. Enora glanced around the room and spoke under her breath, she said. “That’s one way to become royalty.” Elora kept her gaze on the blushing Moranor as she raised her right hand and gently pinched her daughter’s ear. Enora’s eyes widened as she flailed her arms around while constantly letting out incoherent words.

 

Elora let go of her daughter’s ear as Enora covered it with both her hands as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks that reached to her ears. Elora had an amiable smile and said. “You don’t have to worry about Nora, with the amount of work your mother does for me. She might as well be royalty.” Moranor meekly nodded while Elora waved her hand as the talisman flew to the palm of her hand. Elora handed the talisman to the shy elf, she continued. “Tell Reiki that we said hi.” Moranor reached out both her hands to take the talisman off Elora’s hands.

 

Moranor said. “S-Sure.” Elora handed the talisman to Moranor while her pointy ears slightly jolted as she heard The sound of footsteps quickly coming closer. Elora stood up from the couch and hastily said. “With that, I have-.” Melanor’s pupils had strings of lightning traveling in them as her eyes focused on Elora. Melanor spoke in an indifferent tone, she said. “Your majesty, I think it’s time for you to do your job.” Elora gave her a flattering smile and said. “Mela, I have been thinking about giving you a big pay raise-.” Melanor coldly cut her off, she said. “Work.”

 

Elora let out an exaggerated sigh as she grumpily walked toward the door under Melanor’s cold gaze. Melanor moved her gaze onto her daughter and said. “Sweetie, I’ll be home late for dinner. I set aside some of the minestrone Reiki made in the fridge, just heat it up.” Moranor gave her mother a nod, she said. “Do we still have some pasta-shaped bowties?” Melanor’s brows furrowed, she spoke under her breath and said. “Bowties?... Oh, farfalle. Yes, we still have a few bags in stock. Make sure to eat after training.” Moranor smiled at her mother, she said. “I will.”

 

Enora was staring at the talisman Moranor was holding as her hand blurred in an attempt to steal it from her. Moranor held the talisman between her index and middle finger as gave Enora a glare and said. “Nice try.” Enora tapped on the cushions of the couch she was sitting on, she said. “How about we-.” Moranor interrupted her and said. “No.” Enora stared at her for a few seconds as Moranor returned it with a glare. Enora said. “Yeah, you’re Melanor’s daughter alright.” Moranor’s brows furrowed, she said. “What is that supposed to mean?”

 

Enrel appeared in the room as her pupils were glowing, she said. “Where is that white glorified chicken!” Enora raised a brow at her and said. “White glorified-. Cherry?” Enrel pointed at her as the glow in her pupils slowly turned into a crimson red, she said. “Where. Is. That. Thieving. Bird.” Moranor pocketed the talisman and said. “What did Cherry even steal?” Enrel clenched her right hand into a fist as it visibly shook in fury, she said. “That bird stole elven steel!” Enora rolled her eyes as she lazily rested on the backrest of the couch and said. “That’s it? With the size of Cherry-.”

 

Enora interrupted her, she said. “That bird stole twelve point four kilograms!” Enora’s eyes had a hint of amusement in them, she said. “You lost three thousand platinum?!” Enrel aggressively waved her hand as she placed it back to her side and said. “Enora, this isn't funny! An ounce of elven steel is almost seven platinum on the market!” She took a deep breath, Enrel continued. “I don’t know which one of you has the talisman and I don’t care. Call him right now and tell Reiki to give the bar back.”

 

Enrel noticed the doubt all over the two young elves' eyes and said. “What? Don’t tell me you two aren’t going to believe me?” Moranor did a rough height measurement of Cherry using both her hands, she said. “You’re talking about a bird that’s about sixty centimeters big, steal a twelve-kilogram bar…” Enora scratched her cheek and said. “This isn’t the first time you cried wolf and faked a story to get my mother to hand over money.” Enrel’s lips curled into a slightly cruel smile, she said. “But this time I have proof.” Moranor and Enora gave her deadpan expressions.

 

Enrel spread her arms out as she let out one long exhale and said. “I’m telling the truth!” Moranor turned her head sideways to face Enora. Moranor said. “Can you move over to give me some room?” Enora gave her a nod as she scoot over on the couch as Moranor sat down next to her. Enora moved her gaze onto Enrel and said. “If you have proof, why can’t you just tell our mothers?” Enrel opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, she glanced to the side as she stared at the wall and said. “I did but they didn’t believe me.”

 

Moranor shook her head sideways, she said. “That’s what you get for constantly trying to find new ways to get money out of them.” Enrel suddenly appeared by the side of the couch as she grabbed Moranor’s hand and said. “Mora, I watched you grow when you were a baby and I have never lied to you once. All I’m asking is for you to call your soon-to-be husband.” She gave her a flattering smile as a faint blush appeared on Moranor’s cheeks. Enora glared at them from the corner of her eye, she said. “That’s if Reiki’s still going to be interested in you.”

 

Moranor took a deep breath as the blush on her face slowly faded, she said. “Show me your proof first.” The smile on Enrel’s lips grew bigger, she said. “I’ll give you a big present on your birthday.” Moranor rolled her eyes and said. “That’s what you always say.” Enrel let go of her hand as she scratched the back of her head, she said. “Well, I have to finish my research first and you know how expensive those are.” Moranor stood up from the couch and said. “I know, that’s mainly the reason why I never asked anything from you.”

 

She held out her hand, Moranor continued. “Alright, let’s go.” Enrel grabbed it as Enora grabbed Moranpr’s other hand as the three of them vanished from the room.

________________________________________________________________________________

Ketsueki’s House In The Kitchen

 

Reiki was holding onto a triple beef patty that had bacon and melted cheese with his right hand while using a cast iron pan to flip a patty with his left. He heard Ender’s voice in his head. [Look at you, hiding in the kitchen after what you said.] Reiki took a big hungry bite of the burger and thought. I don’t have a death wish.

 

Beside the stove was a large plate that had a mountain of fries on it, Reiki placed the burger on it as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and heard the sound of something tapping on the window. He turned his head sideways and saw Cherry along with something shining beside her, Reiki thought. Is that… Silver? He grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them into his mouth and made his way to the window Cherry was at. Reiki slid the window open and said. “Hey, Cherry. What do you have there girl?”