My first Vocaloid story! Yippee!
First things first:
This is based off a song (Song for Great Satan by Nanka-P) and a theory I read in the comments(yeah I know what you're thinking; YouTube comment fan theory) that said perhaps the song was actually about a parent turning abusive on their children.
Because child abuse is a bit of a touchy subject, I really want to take my time with this story. Make sure everything is kept in a tasteful manner, etc. So don't expect me to update this often.
Also the title of the song is apparently a mistranslation and the actual title is Song for a Great Evil King. That's why this story is named the way it is.
"So Dad," Gumi began, "we've been learning about alleles in school and how hair and eye colour are passed down from parent to child, but you have purple hair and I have green hair. How is that possible?"
Gakupo thought for a minute before responding.
"Well, it could be the recessive allele or whatever it's called. Your Grandma Sonika had green hair."
Gumi frowned. "Your mum, you mean?"
"Yeah. She died before you were born. If you want, we find a photo of her when we start unpacking."
"Okay, cool. But what about the twins? They're blonde and I don't know anyone else in our family who's blonde."
Meiko turned around in her seat to face her daughter. "Lots of babies start off blonde but their hair gets darker as they get older. I was like that."
"Okay," Gumi craned her neck forward. "How long til we get there? I'm hungry and my legs hurt."
"Hungry!" Len repeated.
"Won't be too long, kids. Just sit tight," Meiko said.
Gumi slumped back in her seat and stared out the window at the wide empty fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. Their new house was gonna be out in the middle of nowhere. That meant she could no longer simply step out to meet friends or walk to school. She would have to be driven. By her parents. She loved her parents, but damn, they can be an embarrassment.
The car was slowing down.
"Are we there now?"
"No, but this is our road."
Yet even more fields, sparsely populated by a few farmhouses, flew by. There was green everywhere. Growing up in the city the three kids weren't used to seeing so much green in one spot.
Ten minutes later they arrived at their new home. It was an old wooden farmhouse that sat on the edge of the woods. The woods themselves seemed very...crowded somehow. Bushes and tree trunks everywhere. There was plenty of space out the front of the house for Len to run around and for the parents to hold barbecues and set off fireworks on New Years.
As soon as the car came to a stop Len managed to unbuckle himself from his car seat, open the door and run around in circles on the shaggy lawn.
Gakupo looked at Meiko. "We really need to install some child locks."
"At least we can trust Rin not try make a break for it." Indeed, Rin had stayed behind and was patiently waiting for someone to let her out.
Gumi was welcoming the exercise her long legs were getting. After stretching, she walked round to the other side of the car, undid Rin's buckle and lifted her out.
"Oof, you're getting heavy for four years old."
Gakupo opened the car boot and pulled out a plastic bag. "Who wants a snack before we start unpacking?"
As the family of five sat on the front steps and munched on apples and marshmallows, the moving van pulled into the driveway. The kids got up, knowing that they would have to help unpack.
They took their first steps into the house. It smelled old and musty and nearly every single floorboard creaked when they were stepped on. The front door opened into a narrow hallway, which then led to a staircase, another hallway and a room that would be the kitchen.
Meiko thought for a minute while standing in the middle of the room, before saying, "Let's start here. Then we can safely prepare any food we get. After that we'll choose our rooms and set up our beds."
"Sounds like a plan, honey," Gakupo said.
Gakupo was tasked with bringing in furniture and utensils, Meiko washed the windows, Rin and Len(who were eager to help) took turned sweeping the floor and Gumi mopped it.
As soon as the last utensil was put in its proper place each family member collapsed, exhausted, into their respective chair at the table. It had been a long day, sitting in the car for several hours then unpacking boxes and moving heavy furniture around. No one seemed to be ready to muster the strength to climb the stairs and claim a bedroom, the get the beds ready for the night.
Then there was a knock at the door.
"Can you get that, Gumi?" Meiko asked. Gumi only groaned in response.
"Fine, I'll get it," Gakupo said. He lifted himself out of his chair and walked sluggishly down the hallway. When he opened the door he was greeted by two teenage girls and a woman. The woman was holding a cake.
"Who is it?" Meiko was also at the door now.
One of the girls, who had long golden hair tied back in a side ponytail, stepped forward. "Sup. I'm Neru, and this is my cousin Haku and my uncle Piko. We live at the end of the road. We saw the moving truck go by…"
"And thought we'd just drop in to welcome you to the neighbourhood." Piko said.
Gakupo blinked. "You're a man? I honestly thought you were a woman."
Piko laughed. "Don't worry. Everyone does." Even his voice was high, just like a woman's.
"Would you like to come in and meet the rest of the family?" Meiko asked, moving aside to make room for them.
"That'd be nice, thank you." Piko said before following Gakupo down the hallway.
Gakupo stuck his head through the kitchen door. "We've got guests. Behave yourselves."
The very first thing Len said to Piko was "Are you a girl?"
Piko laughed and said "Nope, I'm a man."
"But you look like a girl!"
"Len," Gakupo said, "that's enough."
Len still looked confused. How could someone be a boy and a girl at the same time?
"This little one here is Rin, and this over here is Gumi, our eldest." Meiko said.
Neru marched forward and stuck her hand out. "I'm Neru."
Gumi took Neru's hand into hers.
"Gumi."
"And that," Neru said, pointing at the girl with long white hair who so far had managed to stay mostly invisible, "is my cousin, Haku." Neru looked back at Gumi. "She's really shy."
Gumi waved. "Hi Haku." Haku only gave a small smile back.
"Why don't you lot explore the house, and then Gumi can choose which room she wants?" Meiko suggested.
"Don't forget your cake!" Piko said, handing everyone a slice of cake.
"Thank you," Gumi said before exiting the room, followed closely by Haku and Neru.
The three adults talked for a while. Rin and Len sat there and ate their cake. Len scoffed down his slice before anyone else and reached out across the table to grab another one. Gakupo saw him and pushed his grubby fingers away.
"You've had enough already, and we'll be having dinner soon," he told Len when he started to pout.
Piko smiled. "It's been a while since Haku and Neru were that age." He said wistfully.
"Oh! Neru's your niece, right?" Meiko asked.
"Mhm. Been her legal guardian since she was five."
"What happened to her parents?" Meiko asked carefully.
"Car crash."
The room became silent for a few moments before Gumi came bounding down the stairs.
"I've picked put a room! It's the one with the triangle roof and the circle window."
"Sure honey…" Meiko finally noticed what time it was. "Oh damn, it's already dark out! And we haven't set up our beds yet! And I'm too tired and we haven't eaten dinner yet and…" Meiko leaned back in her chair and groaned in frustration.
"You can always spend the night with us," Piko offered, "and we'll help you finish unpacking."
Meiko smiled a tired smile. "Really? We'd hate to just land ourselves on top of you like that…"
"No, not at all! Tonight's takeaway night. We've got plenty of room to spare. And I'm sure my wife Maika would love to meet you."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Well then, thank you for that," Gakupo stood up. "All right kids, Piko's very kindly invited us over. So put your shoes back on and remember to behave yourselves." He turned back to Piko. "Seriously, thank you again."
"Don't mention it."
"All right!" Neru high-fived Gumi. "Sleepover time!"