Hey Look Ma, I Made It (Family)
Kiara sighed as she ended the stream, relief flooding her senses. The phoenix sagged back into her chair, letting all of the built-up tension melt away. Finally, after what felt like forever, she finished her first year at hololive on a high note. To be honest, she didn't think she'd get this far. Definitely not as far as this.
She wouldn't have even been surprised if she was the only one to not reach one million subscribers by now! Gura had that magnetic personality and cute factor that drew people in, Calli was a music and gap moe machine, Ina drew a lot of stunning artwork and provided a comfy atmosphere, and Ame?
Where would she even begin with that detective? Sure, the blonde had her weaknesses, but the girl's courage to try all of the creative and innovative ideas she'd imagined more than validated her spot in holomyth.
But what did Kiara do that made her her? Yeah, she was a polyglot, but even she occasionally doubted her abilities. Then there was that whole 'bottom-left' meme that just refused to die!
She brooded, Like I get the 'bottom' part, that's fair, but can I just stop being the dumb chicken for once? I'm a phoenix, dammit! I rise from the ashes in a blaze of glory!
Grievances aside, Kiara learned to quiet those doubts in the back of her head as time passed. Her genmates, no, her friends made sure to reassure her about how important she was to them as well. Even if she wasn't the best in the traditional sense within holoMyth, she was still a great singer, and her art was praised by Ina herself! She could always be trusted to translate between English and Japanese well, and her senpais always let her know how fun she was, whether on their streams or on holoTalk.
Though it didn't seem like it at times, her fans were always supportive of her. Whenever she felt the need to be truthful on something, they would listen to Tenchou with earnestness. Sure, it failed to stop that joke, but a decent number always took her words to heart.
And of course, she had a few big supporters very close to home as well…
*knock-knock-knock*
Oh! That must be them, Kiara reasoned. She stood up and ran to the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by her older siblings. Her brother and sister waved hello until the youngest phoenix suddenly glomped on them tightly.
Her sister joked, "Geez, it hasn't been that long, Sis. Now c'mon, we've got a surprise waiting for you in the kitchen."
Kiara rushed ahead, leaving the two to walk after her.
The brother shook his head. "Still the same hyperactive chick she was centuries ago, eh?"
The sister flicked his nose. "Like you're one to talk, you egg."
As Kiara stepped into the kitchen, she was taken aback at the scene set just for her.
Above the dining table was a banner with the words 'Herzliche Glückwünsche zum Jahrestag!'(T/N: 'Congratulations on your anniversary!'). Below, orange and green balloons were arranged to spell out 'KFP'. Their mother beckoned her to come closer.
Beside Mamatori was a small cake in the shape of Kiara's first KFP restaurant, complete with the old sign and a tiny Kiara figure in the uniform she had from the 30s.
"We're all so proud of you, my little Birdie!" She squeezed her youngest daughter so tightly, Kiara could almost see her next life!
Her brother waved his phone around as he suggested, "After we eat, why don't we look at Reddit? I'm sure there's a lot of fanart celebrating you!"
Their sister glared at him jokingly. "Even now you talk about browsing Reddit? But why not? It's our sis's big day, after all. She deserves a bit of an ego search."
Kiara buried her hands into her face. "Aw, stop it~! You're embarrassing me!"
"No, I don't think we will," the elder sister smugly retorted.
Their brother added, "Enough downplaying yourself, 'Birdie'! It's time to celebrate!"
The cake was a scrumptious blend of orange and lime, the flavors strong enough to nearly singe the taste buds of unwary consumers. The mix of citruses paired well together, forming a flavor profile unlike any other!
Once the cake was reduced to a single leftover slice, Kiara's siblings ran off to retrieve their presents. Their mother simply retrieved hers from underneath the tablecloth and passed it to her youngest child.
Opening the plain box tied together with ribbon, she found a woolen cap inside. This predominantly-blue chullo, knitted by Mamatori herself, had large flaps to keep the sides of her face warm in winter. Trying it on, Kiara found that it was a great fit, and the design incorporated an alight phoenix spreading its wings around the circumference, as if to hug her head tightly.
The receiver exclaimed, "Omigosh! It's… it's perfect! Thank you, mama!"
The matriarch merely looked satisfied. "You're welcome, Birdie! Remember, stay nice and warm! Winter comes fast."
Turning to her older sister, the girl received a wrapped box from her. Tearing away the wrapping paper and prying the lid open, the celebrant found a simple teal cartwheel hat adorned with feathers. She immediately recognized the feathers as her family's, and she almost, meaning 'certainly', started to tear up. She placed it on top of her chullo, tilting it so the right side pointed up.
"Thanks, Sis. I'll treasure it always." The giver flashed a grin and gave a thumbs-up.
"We'll always be with ya, Kiara!"
Finally, the brother returned, this time with a decorative gift bag. Inside was a trucker cap with a pattern resembling a stylized license plate embroidered onto the front. The larger lettering read '10CHOU', while the words 'hololive' and 'KFP' appeared above and below respectively. The restaurant owner gasped and immediately stacked it on top of the other hats for a hat tower.
"This looks so nice! Where'd you get it stitched?"
He responded haughtily, "Got it done at-"
"I taught him sewing," Mamatori interrupted.
"I-... Yeah, I asked her to teach me," her brother added in a deflated tone.
In response, Kiara got up to trap him in her arms, giving a hug nearly as tight as their mom's.
She teased, "Aw, look at you, learning to sew for your little sister. What next, gonna learn knitting so you can make a scarf maybe? Or how about a sweater?"
"Sh-shut up, Sis. I just wanted to fix a hole in my jacket, and then one thing led to another…"
"Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
The idol would keep beaming all the way to sleep. Between the two grand celebrations held for her and the three new hats to add to her collection, today was the best day of this life! What more could Kiara ask for?
Ah yes, and how could she forget the family that loved and supported her through every step of her journey? Whether in this life or the next, they'd have her back just as much as she'd have theirs. And not even Death-Sensei could keep them apart for long!
A/N: And so the month ends already… Man, it went by in a flash! But I guess that's just how the rabbit hole works. Special thanks to Peko_Virus69 for organizing this, and for everyone else that participated! It was fun reading your stories!
I'll admit, this and the 'Favorite Generations' chapter were the hardest to write. The former was because of all of the clashing personalities to account and accommodate for, while this was because this went through a few iterations of 'who or what should I write about?' Didn't make it any less enjoyable to do, though.
In any case, thanks for sticking around until the end, and look forward to more stories in the future. I've got a MiComet itch I've been meaning to scratch for some time now!