Dear Granddaughter,

I hereby invite you to my Christmas get together at my personal quarters in Precise Museum. I typically skip over Christmas, but it has been a while since I last celebrated. IT MIGHT BE PLEASANT, KUMAMA!

It will be just you and me I'm afraid. And perhaps your favorite toy too if you want. (Arms was it?)

I NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE!

I have nothing special planned. Bring your own dinner, it is not wise to cook with my current body.

PATIENTLY AWAITING YOUR RESPONSE,
AKUMAMAMAMA!

"Wow. Grandpa Akuma invited you for a social call." Amitie was impressed reading the letter over Sil's shoulder while leaning at the back of the couch. "Does he ever do that, Sis?"

"Nope," Sil didn't exactly believe the letter. "there were always some strings attached."

"Well, perhaps there are none this time, Sport. I think you should go."

"I am gonna go… When's you guy's Christmas dinner?"

"Our Christmas dinner. You're a part of this too, Sil." The very awake Melody slightly turning her head away from the typewriter. She spoke it matter of factly.

"Whatever. Was it on Christmas day? After the hired out show?"

"Yep."

"Then I guess I'll…" Suddenly the color Cyan popped in her head. She briefly saw Sig's uncle's name on a letter as she moved her eyeballs. "Wait. This is probably an invitation too." She ripped open the letter with a letter opener. "Or a notice for another inspection."

Hey, Niece,

Writing on behalf of Sig because you know grammar isn't his strong suit.

Do you want to spend a romantic Christmas night with Sig? (Or whenever is convenient for you, you have a family now.)

Mail me back,
Your Uncle Stan

"I'm sold. Sounds great." Sil said half in heaven from the thought alone.

"Are you gonna spend the night again, Sport?" The father had some pattern recognition.

"I wouldn't rule it out." Sil said half coyly but in a way to imply that this is none of their business while practicing her accordion.

"What do you on these nights?" The mother asked intentionally ignoring the subtext.

"We cuddle all night. Nothing more to it."

The Roses collectively smiled.

"That brings me back."
"Hmhmm~"
"I wish I could keep a steady…"

The parents and Silvana all stared at Amitie in concern. Her tone was a li'l sullen. "Forget I said anything." She sunk behind the couch.

"Sure you don't wanna talk about it, Ammy?" Sil peeked behind the couch.

"No. We can't all get our special someone on our first try, Sis."

"You'll get there someday, Kiddo."
"Keep on living and you might find someone."

"…Thanks, Mommy…"

Sil was very familiar with this tone. She wondered if her Mom picked up on it… She's typing away. It's a bit loud. She didn't. And her Dad doesn't notice this sorta thing much anyway.

Sil had noticed that Amitie didn't believe her mom. "Ammy."

"I'm gonna go to the tent, to see if anyone's there to practice with, or maybe Raffi wants to spar… Laters…"

"If it keeps your mind off of it, Kiddo."
"Be home by supper."
"Don't let that jerk injure you!"

The three were left alone. Without Amitie one was reading, one was writing, and one was reading music sheets. All doing their own thing.

"So what you and Sig see in each other, Silvana?" Mr. Amitie's dad had cast his embarrassment waves.

"What does Amitie see in Raffine?" The jester deflected. 'It's her fault Ammy is down like this.'

"I don't know." The male parent shrugged. "All I know is that Amitie does like her and not because she's rich. I rarely see Sig, but he seems like an easily scared type. Wait, are you nurturing the boy's fears away?"

"No."

"Whatever the case, you two are cute together…" Melody commented while in a lull in her typing. "Oo. I remember doing this. Sil, take off that sports bra and wear a sweater. Boys like that." Sil's face got flushed from the idea. "I know I liked it." Mr. Amitie's dad closed his eyes and nodded. "Maybe you can get a reaction like that out of Sig. Plus it's a simple way to look good." The grown sweater-wearing woman showed herself off with a smirk as an example.

"...You guys did it, you've reached my embarrassment threshold for today. I have nothing to prove to Sig. I'll do what I feel like. (Gramps' dinner can't come soon enough.)" *POP* Sil butted off to her room just to leave this room faster.

Chapter 74: *Closed for Chris- Family*

Here Sil was, in front of the closed Precise Museum with a key. About to spend some quality time with one of her creators.

This can go in any way. They were either gonna yell at each other, gonna have an intellectual discussion of any kind, chill, read, have him teach her some stuff, not talk about her inception, Dark Prince forbid they might even bond.

Sil smiled as she twirled the key around her gloved finger and looked up the museum's statue on the rooftop of which she could only barely make out the green Puyo. The more she thought about it the more she looked forward to this night. This could be fun. It's not gonna be a night at Sig's but she can handle a cranky demon. She's a cranky demon sometimes.

Sil locked the door behind her, walked through what little spooky, darkly lit museum she had to. "Man, I can dig this…" And went to Grandparental figure's room. Without knocking. She's intentionally rude, playfully. "Yo!"

Akuma jumped a bit, thankfully he wasn't working on anything fragile (Snrk, like Sil kekekekeh… Sorry).

"Heh! Sorry, Gramps." Silvana put down her cooking pot on a table, took off her mask, took off the shoulder bag and finally took off her winter coat and hung it over a chair. She sat down in a coy position ready to tease her creator. Because if you can't tease your creator what kind of creator are they? "Happy Holidays." She said with a smile.

"I DON'T THINK YOU KNOW THE HALF OF IT! Do you even know about [Demon holiday spoken in demon tongue]?"

"Oh, yeah! That exists! Eh, I can only celebrate so much this month, so mostly only the popular ones for business reasons." She shrugged. "Sorry."

"I don't celebrate many holidays nowadays. Only the ones I celebrate are the holidays of historical significance, mamamamakuma!"

"Such as…?"
"Life day, and-"
"I'm bored. I'll read about it later."
"YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT!"
"Because I'm not here for that? I'm here for your pretense while I hopefully won't have to file for false advertising."
"There is no pretense."

Sil blinked. She heard this before. "You sure?"

"Yes." He replied frankly. "I HAVE NOTHING PLANNED, KUMA!"

The lesser demon of the two squinted her eyes. "You suuuuuuuuuuu-"

"Yes, mamamamamama! You're the closest thing I can honestly consider family, and it has been a while, kumamamamakuuuma!" Silvana smirked, for a second Akuma looked embarrassed that his mood swings gave him away. "And I prefer not to go further into that." He slammed his soft squishy paws onto the table.

The table didn't flinch a bit. "Fufufufu, and some people find you scary, Gramps. Heehee~" She found it adorable.

"Hrmmm… What do you have with you." He nudged his head to the pot.

"It's curry."

"Of course it's curry. Do you even eat anything else, kuma!"

"Do you even know how painful it is to cut back on it to get this toned?" Sil rolled up her sleeve and flexed. "This! Is! Art! And I'm suffering for it by not eating curry on curry day sometimes!"

"Is that a full pot?"

The girl's eyes shifted back and forth. "Noooooooo…" She said with her lips wrinkled.

"Whatever." Akuma rolled his unrollable eyes. "You can make your own decisions, I don't need to grandfather you." He said as he grabbed a book on standby.

Those words didn't need to stir in the junior demon's head. "Ooooooooooh, thank you!" She sounded relieved, threw her hands in the air and threw her weight against the chair's back.

Akuma gave a raised eyebrow.

"Ehe." Sil felt a little embarrassed. "Papa and Mama Rose," She ironically addressed them as such. "They won't stop parenting me despite the agreement we have…" She rested her arms on the table and hid everything below her eyes behind it.

"So? What's so bad about that? YOU WON'T BE A YOUTH FOREVER, KUMA!"

"What's so bad about they ask a loooot of questions." Sil cleared her throat. "Oh hai, li'l Sport, why do you always cover your face? And why the makeup, Sport? Yur face is always covered anyway." She imitated Mr. Amitie's Dad.

"I question that last one too." Akuma interrupted before Sil could imitate Melody. Akuma tried to discern what Sil did to her face.

"Ugh! I just like it, okay? I'm so screwed up, I like to look pretty, and have table manners, I should be more tomboyish…"
"No, you shouldn't!"
"No, I shouldn't…"

Sil composed herself. "Gramps?"

"What is it?"

"Why am I even allowed to diverge from Arle?" She asked. "I mean, sure, it hurts when I do. But I've learned to tolerate that pain years ago."

"You answered your own question in part. You're also defective!"

Sil groaned at the sudden yell more than at the text. "This I know… Have you guys put in too much allowance of one's being in there?" That means humanity, but there are more sentient beings than humans, we need a better word. Or individual ones. Fish-ity? Bear-ity? Demonity?

"POSSIBLY ON PURPOSE, ANY IDEA WHAT A FRATHOUSE IS LIKE, KUMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"

"No, but I heard horror stories… Doesn't sound like fun to me, a girl's dorm doesn't even sound fun to me."

"Let me put this in a bird term, we were a bunch of peck necks if you get what I mean."

Sil nodded. "Imma peck neck myself…" She reached for her metal box and took out a big drinking cup and eggnog in a thermostat… (Whatever floats her boat.) And she poured.

"By design." He affirmed.

"You were a really big dumb stupid ****** bear…" Sil cursed at her creator before she took a sip.

"Hm. I was a desk lamp, actually." He deflected from where this conversation could go.

"Hmhmmmm… Sure you were, Gramps." Sil mumbled serving herself her own delicious homemade curry. "Did you just say you were desk lamp in college?" She tilted her head.

"Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… No."

Sil saw through hesitancy, she had a grin thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big. "Oh my gosh, you totally did say you were a desk lamp! That so-"

"No, I did not, kumakuma!"

"Don't deny it, Gramps~" Sil childishly teased out of love.

"Grrrrrrr…" Akuma narrowed his eyes. He seemed like he was considering to leave his stuffed body just to haunt somewhere where she won't find him.

"Sooooooo…" Sil snickered a bunch more. "Why? Were stuffed animals still stuffed with wood snippets back then?"

"It was symbolic…" Akuma awkwardly defended himself. Sil kept on laughing, narrowly avoiding choking on her curry.

"SYMBOLIC!? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!" *wheezes from laughter* "Wooooooooo. Thanks, Gramps. I needed a laugh!" She took some more glug from her nog.

"Hmmph. You were a pearl once…" Akuma had no good retort.

"Huh, hmm, I guess I never looked at it that way… What makes me me is made of the stuff," Doppel seeped out some of her purple aura out of her skin and stared at it as if it was a fireplace. For about a few seconds.

"Also you suck, Gramps. What girl wouldn't take being called a pearl as a compliment?" She slurped some more eggnog, stood up from her chair to do an I'm-pretty-and-I-know-it pose, tossing her long loose hair with a smug smile.

Akuma didn't feel like rebuking this. Not that he can't, he doesn't wanna. He opened a book.

"That's right~" She took a few more gulps of eggnog.

Silvana sighed. Looking at the glass and played with what little was in it by twirling it. "Now if only I was a white one… A pretty white pearl… Not this evil Amethyst nonsense… " She started crying.

"You know amethyst doesn't make the person evil." Akuma was still reading that book.

"I wanna be a pure girl…" She sniffed. "I'll never be pure. Is it possible to purify my essence, Gramps?"

Akuma was always a bit uncomfortable when this girl became vulnerable, so he kept on reading. "No."

"Whyyyyyy noooooot?"

"Because it is scientifically impossible! You can't change something pure like Amythyst Pearl essence and turn it into something else pure that's similar to it like White Pearl essence. Essences can be merged even outside of the same color group, but that won't do you any good. YOU WILL NEVER BE A PURE WHITE PEARL!"

"UUUUUUUWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!" She put her mask back on so the museum owner couldn't see her face so undignified. "I hate you…" The girl tried to suppress her bawling.

"Oh…" Akuma realized he screwed up too much now. "I warned you several times that I'm not good at this, Mamamakuuma!"

Sil hiccuped. "All I want is to be someone that just happens to have Arle's face and is called Arle! Is that too much to ask!?" She hiccuped some more. Akuma seemed to notice that Doppel didn't notice her slip up. But he kept his mouth shut, she's programmed that way, burned into her core. She'll forever be stuck with relapses like that.

He and Lemres were still at work to change Silvana, but their progress has been stagnant for months.

"I suck…" Akuma couldn't find it in him to disagree or lie. He kept quiet. "I shuck sho mucccch…" She slurred. "What'sh worshe issh that I drag othersh in my mishery…"

"You sure do."

"Pleashe make your body usheful and *hiccups* and lemme hug you." She barely lifted her arms.

"Oh! Of course. This is what family does, mamamakuma." Again, he's no good at this. But Sil didn't care. The both of them got off the table and hugged each other. Sil's walk was a bit wobbly, and Akuma noticed. And it became apparent when his granddaughter collapsed on her knees with him in her arms.

He sniffed her breath. "Silvana..."

"Aaaaaaarrrrmyyyyy~"

"KUMA!"

"Whu? Oh hai, Grampa. How *hiccup* how ya doin'." She looked totally dazed.

"Did you spike your drink?" Akuma spoke, he wasn't disappointed, but he'd rather her not be drunk.

Regardless, Sil picked it up hard. "I'm sho-o-o-rry! I think oferestimuh… Ofereste- Ofer thought how much I needed to pour in… Pleashe ffffforgif me… I jusht need it sometimes…"

"I do not care if you drink unless you're an alcoholic."

"Liah! You want me to die sho Arle getsh to lif!" Sil hugged him tighter.

"Teens, kuma!" He yelled.

"Don't be angry! Shtay still. I need shomthing to hug~"

"You got Arms."

"But shhe's a girl! Shhe had cootiesh thish whole time."

"I think it's time for you to go home, girl, kuma!"

"No~o~o~o~o! Wanna stay fffor bit."

Akuma grumbled, but he agreed. "But you when you start losing consciousness you will safely teleport home. YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR THINGS AT THAT LATER DATE, KUMA!"

"mmmmm… You're sho shoffft and cuddly…"
"You're malforming my stuffing, mamamakuma!"
"Don't leave me!"

Sil hugged him tighter.

"Oh, pleashe don't leave me! You're the only family I have 'shides Ammy!"

"You got two parents up for the picking, kuma!"

"I can't! I mean, shure they cook and clean around the caravan, zatsh nice," She sniffled. "but I can do that myshelf!"

"They've welcomed you with open arms, more than I have, Kumamama!"

"I just caaaaa-aaa-a-a-an't! Sshometimesh I let their shlip ups slide… But that'sh all. I wanna them go home already but the jerksh who're re… Um… *hiccup* Removing the toxick shtufffff from their houshe are on sshhhhhhtrike!" She slammed the floor behind Akuma. "And now the poooiiiishonsh'sh gonna grow back!"

"Indeed, super asbestos will do that." Akuma felt like he needed to say something. "You're not going to kick them out are you?"

"No! Nooooooo! Nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono!"

The drunk needed a moment to pause. Some stomach acid threatened to rise.

"Worssssssssht my part ish that I wanna open up to them… I really do… mmmmmmmwanna be part of the family. I'm just a few years too late… *Hiccup* I just can't…"

"WHAT IN THE HELL MAKES YOU ACCEPT ME THAN ME! THEY'RE WAY BETTER AT THIS THAN I AM!"

"'CUZ YOU HATED ME FOR WHAT I AM FROM THE BEGINNING! AND I FEEL SAFE CUZ I KNOW WHERE YOU STAND!" Silvana hugged Akuma so hard if he has a living being he'd have trouble breathing. "I don't know what they'll do if they fffffind out… It can't be good!"

"Hm…" Akuma warped his arms around her and patted her on the back. He felt something when Sil smiled for a bit. She seemed to calm down in from her depressive rant. This was on accident. (Just like Si-)

"And I like cuddly things~" She sounded more out of it than sad now. "Cuddles are the beeeeeeeeeeeest~~ Iffffff I wasshh a ghosshht I'd poshsessh a Teddy like you. I could get aaaaaaaaaall the cuddlessh in the world to make up aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the hugsh I didn't get!" Her grip on Akuma, became less tense. He could breathe easy metaphorically speaking. "Can you just transssshffform 'nto Sig already? He'sh cuddler shupreme~" She wished it was the next chapter already.

"Being cuddly isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Nnnnnnmmm. But ish it Shymbolic?" The clown either found her sense of humor again or it was an honest straightfaced question.

"IT IS! MY NAME'S AKUMA! AS IN AKU AND KUMA AND I AM A SOFT HARMLESS BEAR!"

"Fufufufu~ You're sho ffffunny."

"You're drunk."

"Oh… Oh, yeah…" Silvana held her head. The demon felt her mood going down again. "There'sh nothing wrong being shad, right?"

"Shad? You mean sad right?"

"Yeah!"

"No, nothing's inherently wrong with it, kuma!"

"Can you tell the Roshesh that next time for me when you shee them? Pretty please? Eferytime I voice my shadness through my accordion they interrupt me contantly 'n ashk iffff 'm alright! I'fe been sad most my life. I like the fffeeling offf it shometimes."

"…Aha…"

"And I can't jusht be sssshad because I take shome shick comfffort out of it… Nnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Thoshe thorny rose thorn pricks jerks haffta interrupt..."

"Do I need to cast a spell to make you sober…?"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh…" The dazed girl thought about it. And since any alcohol cleansing spells make hangovers worse: "Nah…" She shook her head.

"Very well, my child, kumakuma!"

"Thanksh…" Sil felt emotionally warmed up.

"…"

"… "

"…"

"..-"

"NO FALLING ASLEEP, KUMA!"

"Whu?" Sil's eyes shot open. "Oh, mornin'."

"It's still evening…"

"Oh, that'sh why I shtill ffffeel sshho down…" She finally let go of Akuma and she was alone on her knees in the ground.

Akuma floated to his book on his table.

"I brought my accordion… Can I pleashe play out my shoul without them here?"

"No, the drunken accordion is one of the worst assaults the ear can take!"

"OOOOOOOooooooooooh! Cmaaaaawn!" She pleaded. "Pleashe Dad, lemme practice while ssssing like dying walrussh?"

Akuma gave her a look. Some would say alcohol reduces someone to their most honest selves, as well as their most incoherent.

"No!" But before the clown could cry: "Not while you're drunk. You can play any other time when you're here." The stoic bear said.

"That won't do me any good now."

"Go home. You need to rest. Take your things with you at a later date.."

"Nnnnkay…" *Flash!* And she's gone. Akuma organized Silvana's things and threw away both the curry and the spiked eggnog.

"She deserves to be as least troubled as she possibly can…" He finally felt free to speak. "Lemres and I are failing you… Soon we got no choice but to alter you beyond recognition, and that is not going to happen, kuuuuummmmaaa!" He rubbed his toe against his chin.

"Perhaps, some abandoned experiments hold the key… Aha! Even if this solves nothing, we'll at least know how to appeal to your ego, my child, kumamakuma!"

*A few minutes earlier, Silvana's bedroom…*

"Fiddlesticking heck…" Amitie needed to wash her dirty mouth. "I think I whiffed that one, Raffi."

Raffine rolled her eyes. Staying in her seductive pose on Sil's humble queen-sized bed. "Tsk, It's only a photo reel, dear, I can buy more." She resumed her trademark flirty face. "Now take it again."

"Still…" Amitie snapped the picture and made the okay sign with her fingers. Raffine struck a different pose. "Mommy says you shouldn't waste film." *Snap*

"Then don't let her find out, dear." *Snap*

"Well, it's not her reel…" *Snap* "Oh, can I have a homemade photoshoot? I got a picture book to fill!"

Raffine stared at her ex. 'I can't say no to that…' "Yes."

"Yay~"

"I haven't the faintest how Photogenic you can be, I must admit. I suppose I have got to clea- Ah!" Sil fell on top off Raffine. That's the joke you get along with a happier Amitie than she was at the beginning of the chapter.

"Oh, Hi, Sis~"
"Ugh, what smells like Eggnog mixed with some of the most potent alcohol Primp has available?"
"Hai, Ammy. Izzat you 'Ffffffffffeenie? You look pretty ash ushual…"

"…"

"Get out…"

Author's Notes:
I'm sorry, I'll do better on Chapter 75.

No, I won't. I'll try better on Chapter 76.

I didn't really…

Next up: Three days later, less drunk, onto Sig's.