Cold Stuff, Sweet Stuff (Lots of 'em)

It was hot today—scratch that. It was so freaking Hot today, with a capital 'H' to really sell it home.

There really was nothing else that could be said about the situation. It's a normal day like any other, although it feels a little hotter than usual. Because of that, he isn't too keen on going out to play in the playground or something—instead, he's azing on the couch and staring blankly at the television, Issei feeling like he was being microwaved alive. It's probably because it's nearing the end of July, which means summer is in full throttle in Japan. Hot days every day, after baiu-ake (the rainy season) had come and gone.

Whatever was being played on the television right now, he wasn't exactly keeping up with them, more focused on flapping the collar of his tee to fan himself. He was also contemplating buying a bathtub, if only to fill it to the brim with ice cubes and dunk himself in it. Too bad that they don't have enough bathroom space for a bathtub.

'There are just those days,' he thought to himself with a little groan. 'Those kinds of days where things just ain't cool. Figuratively or literally,' and it turns out that the next few days will be part of the latter, much to his chagrin.

By now, he thought he'd have gotten used to this sort of thing; Japan's a four-seasons country, after all. Flowers blooming, to days sweltering, to modest temperatures and then freezing moments. And it isn't just a one-time thing either; it's a yearly thing that they have to deal with (and enjoy, depending on the occasion) all the time, so that's that.

That tolerance he should have built over the years just isn't here at the moment, though. All he wanted was to cool down. It would be great if the A/C is on, but unfortunately, mom wouldn't let him because if he had his way, he'll leave it on for the whole day, which would really hurt the electricity bills. Plus, she guilted him well with the excuse that it'd hurt the environment.

Darn it. If only he didn't care so much about prices and the environment… Actually, nah, that's a bad thing to say. Mom wouldn't appreciate it if she heard him ever say that.

'But it sure would be nice if there was something I could do about this…'

"Issei," a youthful face with black hair and eyes approached his own. What he expected to see was a typically expressionless look. Instead, he got—"It's hot."

"Yep, it sure is."

Discomfort. It wasn't obvious, but Issei could make out the difference between this expression and her usual look. Her eyes were mildly droopy, her front bangs somewhat sticking to her face from the sweat she was producing. Despite wearing a simple strap top and short skirt, the heat was still getting to her, just like him.

"Are you hot?"

"I really am. I feel like I'm being baked at the moment."

"I, don't get it. Why does summer exist?"

"Because there's gotta' be everything to even it out," he answered with a sigh, remembering the talk he once had with his dad. "Just like how spring is the best season to grow certain produce like apples and cucumber, then summer would be the perfect time for corn and watermelons… I think. But yeah, there's gotta' be a change in seasons every time for different things. You can't have one good thing forever. You gotta' make room for the less-than-stellar stuff at times."

"…But it's so hot…"

"Yeah… Yeah it is…"

In sync, the two let out a collective groan. He found it weird that he was bonding with Ophis over their discomfort with the intolerable heat, but he supposed it's possible to just grow closer with someone else through just about anything. Nothing like a bit of suffering to strengthen your bonds, huh?

Eventually, with some time, Ophis suddenly seems to move. "Issei," she called, getting him to hum. "What is that?"

"Hmm?" He had been staring off into space, but now he made sure to focus on the television properly. "Oh, that? It's called ice-cream."

"Ice-cream? It, looks nothing like ice nor cream."

Yeah, she's not wrong about that. Language as a whole can get weird when it came to naming things; like fireflies and butterflies aren't actually flies on fire or covered in butter, or how American and British English tend to complicate spelling between using 's' or 'z', or chopsticks aren't exactly used for chopping things. And having read the encyclopaedia plenty of times, scientific names especially are just the worst. Who comes up with these names?

Naming aside, now that she mentioned it, ice-cream does sound pretty good right about now. The television is depicting a scene of a blonde kid jumping on the balls of her feet as she reached up for her mom's hands, an ice-cream in them. The older woman teased her child by dangling the sweet treat over her head for a moment, causing the child, before finally handing it down to her. She was all smiles afterwards as she enjoyed it. To sell the point, light seemed to burst from behind her as if she'd just been thrown into nirvana.

Damn. That really does look good. If cold weathers are the times for hot cocoa and fireplaces, then the reverse holds true. And eating something cold right now would definitely make this hot summer a little more tolerable.

"What, does it taste like?" She asked once more.

"What it tastes like," he repeated the question with a hum, finding some amusement in having to explain what would be considered so normal to so many people to the girl. Still, he understood that her situation is a little different compared to everyone else's, so the least he could do is answer any of her questions. "It's really sweet, very tasty, cold. It has all kinds of flavours; fruit, chocolate. And it's not hard at all… Well, some are. Some are super fluffy. One of the best things to eat whenever it's hot."

He glanced over to Ophis, noticing that gleam in her eyes that always came to her when something caught her interest. She was even sitting upright, focused on the girl in the advertisement enjoying her ice-cream. This mannerism is something that she shows very regularly since she'd started living with them—and that had been two full weeks ago.

Honestly, that last bit is a little surprising. To think that she's been with them for two weeks at this point… it really does feel like she's been with them from the very start. As if they hadn't just met in the park that night.

Mom and dad don't seem to mind having her stay with them. If anything, they're super happy about it. No mentions about setting her up for adoption or finding her parents, which he doesn't mind either. The thought of her leaving doesn't make him comfortable.

And now that he thought about it, it was a little more surprising how comfortable she is with their everyday normal things now. Well, not all of them, but she's steadily been relearning all the things she missed out on. Adapting to everything. And if there was something she didn't know, she would ask them. Mom and dad are all too happy to answer her questions, and even Issei can't help but enjoy telling her all kinds of things.

'She didn't have the opportunity to grow up with the normal things. A little late in life, but hey? Better late than never.'

"Is there any ice-cream in your home?" Her question pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Ah… No, sadly," he said with a sigh.

"I, see," she didn't sound dejected, but the faint dip of her head is enough of an indication of her displeasure with his answer. Little movements, but they told him enough. She spoke more through her movements than with her words. "Where, can we find some?"

"Welll… Maybe we can go buying some in a convenience store nearby," Issei then crosses his arms, furrowing his eyebrows. "Although, I'm not sure if mom would be okay with that. Even if there are the two of us and it's safer than just going alone, without an adult…"

"Why not?"

"Because there are always bad people out there!" He exclaimed, going pale in the face. "Mom always warns me to be careful if I ever step out of the house. You never know what could possibly happen out there."

After all, there are always stories of children getting kidnapped. Sometimes out in broad daylight, which isn't exactly uplifting of a message. Heck, he's been paranoid about going out at times, remembering to stick close to home and stay outside longer than past six. That one time when he had gone out that night hadn't been purposeful, but aside from that, he's been very careful about staying outside of the house.

So to know that Ophis had been travelling all over the place and had managed to avoid getting caught at all deserves respect. No way just about anyone could pull that off with ease. She's probably learnt all the street tricks to smartly manoeuvre around the place.

He was just about to think further on the matter when someone taps him on the shoulder. He glances sideways, meeting Ophis's obsidian eyes that seem to focus wholly on his person.

"I, want to eat ice-cream with you, Issei."

"Oh yeah? I guess we could do that," he grins a little at the thought. "Hot as the day may be, it's really the perfect time to be eating ice-cream. Maybe we could ask mom or dad to go out with us?"

"You two can just go together," he perks up at the sound of his dad's voice. The man in question comes over from upstairs, his laptop cradled in his arm. Must have been doing some work. "There's a store that's super close by. I'll hand you the money to buy yourselves some ice-cream."

"Ehh? Is that really okay?"

"Sure is! While I'm sure you'd be worried about things, I can promise you that it's close enough that it'll be safe to go there without us. Plus, nothing ever happens around here, so you'll likely come across nothing."

Well… Dad's not wrong there. Kuoh may be a lot of things—a little old, strange in some parts and certainly hot like right now—but it's also one of the safer towns here in Japan. He wasn't sure why, per se, but the criminal rate here is only 0.003%.

It would be really cool if all of this is solely because there are some behind-the-scenes people who are protecting their territory from outsiders, but he knows that would be silly. Kuoh doesn't seem important enough to need that much security. That's something only possible in spy flicks or in large cities with important locales like The Pentagon in U.S.A.

Actually… Maybe it's not so impossible? Some quiet places might be under such protection as well, and he might have been living his entire life not knowing about this the entire time. Oh God, now he's getting in way too deep.

"Issei, let's go," Ophis patted him on his arms. "If Uncle, says it is fine, we should go."

"Hmm… Well, I guess if you think it's okay, then I guess we can go."

" 'Course you can! I'll give you some money and the directions to the store after you've changed into some more comfortable clothes. Maybe a quick bath if you need to," he told them, getting them to nod. "Now then, get moving. You don't want to be late and the store is closed by the time you get there!"

"Very well. Issei, hurry."

"W-Whoa, don't rush, Ophis!"

…

Issei remembered a time when he didn't have a care in the world. When his brash attitude reared its head every time and he was all 'action first, think later'. A little too energetic back in the day… which is awkward to think of, since he's just six and it wasn't so long ago when he'd been excited energy incarnate.

Given time, he'd mellowed out and became a little more cautious of the world around him after carefully considering all his parents' lessons. He always listened to them because they're the kinds of people who were realistic, never bothering to make up some white lie to make the world seem less scary. Some people would call his parents blunt; he preferred the term honest.

Santa, aliens, shadow people—they'd never shied from telling him that they don't exist. He did have to pretend that jolly Saint Nicholas is the one that delivers them their presents during Christmas back when his childhood friend was still around, though, if only to not hurt their feelings and throw them into an irreversible shock. But he would know the truth. That it was his dad who worked for the money to put the presents underneath the tree.

He had a feeling that some people would take offense to that, but he liked to look at it this way; better to know that there was no such man who exists than to discover that later in life and be incapable of recovering from that.

Ah, but going back on topic, he'd never once tried to go out of the house on his own. Such a paranoia was acting even now, pleading to him to go back inside the house and maybe ask his dad to come along to watch over both of them. But he knew that wouldn't work. Dad would just shoo him out. Plus, he doubted Ophis would let him.

So here he is now. Out in broad daylight, standing outside their very home with Ophis right beside him. No use worrying about things now, he thought to himself. Not if his dad thinks it's fine. Plus, it's much safer to be travelling in a pair than alone.

'And it does feel nice to have company. Would be even nicer if it doesn't feel like I just stepped foot in a desert!'

If it was hot inside, then it was blazing on the outside. The sun's scorching rays beat down on them, casting long shades that travelled across the asphalt road. It was hard to make out if he was hallucinating or not, but the world around him seemed to waver in his vision… Oh wait, no. It had something to do with that science phenomenon mom talked to him about that one time. Didn't understand it, but oh well.

"Here's hoping it'll rain sometime tonight…" He muttered, having swapped his clothes for a white tee and a pair of shorts. He was simultaneously glad for and regretting the shorts; he felt a lot freer and the wind on his skin felt nice, but the heat on his legs did not make it nice.

"It, might not."

Issei turned his gaze to the side, taking in Ophis's appearance—oh hey, she must be wearing some of the new stuff that mom bought for her. A simple white sundress with a sunhat to complete the set, which makes her look so much more childlike than before. But it was a good look, not gonna' lie. Plus, she gets some shade from the sun.

"Let's go. To get some ice-cream."

"Yep. Onwards!"

And so they began their journey, departing from his home and moving in the direction that his dad had instructed him to go. The two children walked side-by-side, Issei putting himself on the side closer to the road. There wasn't any need to worry about getting hit by cars since there were none, so the walk was surprisingly calm. An occasional dog barking broke the spell, but otherwise, it was rather pleasant.

'Huh. Now that I think about it, how come I don't remember anything about a store being close to our place?'

It wasn't like Issei had never explored his neighbourhood all this time. Before his childhood friend had left for England, they'd gone just about everywhere together, searching through every nook and cranny of Kuoh. And sure, he may not have the best memory most of the time, but he's pretty sure he doesn't remember there being a convenience store round these parts. Likeliest explanation is it's new.

Rummaging through his pocket, Issei manages to pull out a couple paper money. 'Let's see… Dad gave me three thousand yen. That should be enough for the both of us.'

Handling this much money felt a little terrifying, but when he considered how it would be split between the both of them, that made him feel a little better. No idea why, but he supposed the smaller number was just a comforting notion compared to having all three thousand yen to himself. Plus, an ice-cream costing that much probably wouldn't be worth it.

"Issei," he hummed back. "What ice-cream, do you plan to get?"

"Chocolate, probably," he answered. "That's, like, my default choice. Otherwise, I'd just go for simple vanilla."

When he didn't get a response, he glanced at her. Her eyes were wide, mouth slightly agape with the faintest signs of drool at the corner of her lips. "Chocolate… Vanilla…"

He chuckled. They might just be the same age, and yet, Ophis manages to seem much more childish than himself. "Yep. And there all kinds of ice-cream that you can get; maybe in a cone, or a stick, or scoop out of a cup. I heard that there's a country where their ice-cream is in a plastic, which sounds pretty weird. But cool."

"So many kinds…"

"Mmhm. Just about everything has all sorts of types; people, food, culture, places, seasons. Guess it just gives us a lot more variation to choose from, eh?" Promptly, Issei paused when he considered his words. And man, that sounded oddly wise. Definitely storing that in the memory bank for future use.

The two continued walking down the street, exchanging a few more words along the way to decide on what flavour is the best. They eventually reach their destination; a building of wood with an old-looking roof and the words 'Convenience store' etched into a wooden tag hung above the doorway. There were even chimes hung up, clinking melodiously as the wind blew.

Huh. This must be a new shop, because he doesn't remember coming here back then. Or maybe he did, and he just doesn't remember… Naw, this one should be new. Although maybe whoever it was decided to go for an old-timey look?

"Well, let's take a look inside."

He moved forwards and pushed the sliding doors to the side, the action causing the chimes to clink like. The interior was just as old-looking as the outside, with rows of shelves filled with all kinds of snacks arranged against the walls. A single wall fan groaned metallically as it swivelled slowly from left to right. Behind the counter was an old man with greying hair, reading some newspapers. When they entered, he nodded his head at them before returning to his reading.

"This is, very different than anywhere else."

"Yeah, you got that right. Now then, where is the… Ah, there it is!"

Issei speed-walked over to the ice-cream freezer, identifiable by the colourful exterior, its glass top that could be slid open, and the constant rumbling it gave off. Ophis came over beside him, and when he slid the top to the side, cold air from inside rushed out and against their faces. Immediate relief. Both children sighed in delight.

"This… is nice… Issei, can we take this home..?"

"No kidding… And no, mom wouldn't let us," he chuckled at her disappointed sigh. "Well, let's get to choosing. Which one do you want to try?"

When it came to choosing, Issei noticed how indecisive his friend could be. She would look upon all selections and struggle to choose only one—he understood her on a very deep level. It's really hard to choose when everything could look super great. Just like all these ice-cream.

But Issei technically knew which one he wanted. As Ophis scanned over the selection, he searched for a simple popsicle. Sure, he may have talked about vanilla and chocolate, but a basic green apple popsicle sounded really nice right about now. Plus, they don't melt fast, so he gets to keep it in his mouth a little longer than the cone ones. And they're cheap. Talk about genius!

He finds his intended target a moment later, reaching down to a plastic wrapper coloured bright green. It was cold to the touch, so he switched his grip to hold it over where the stick should be.

Beside him, Ophis watched him curiously. Then her head looked back down in the freezer. Before he could ask him what she wanted, though, she took out the same popsicle as he had taken.

"Huh. You sure you want that one?" He asked. "It's a little sour for some people."

"This, is fine," Ophis said. "I will eat what you have chosen. We can eat the same ice-cream, together," quietly, she muttered to herself. "It is hard… to choose…"

"Heh, guess that's something you'll have to learn to work on in the future," he snickered. "I guess that's fine. Okay then, let's get these paid for and then head straight back home. And we need to be back quick! Otherwise, our popsicles are just gonna' melt!"

"We won't let that happen," she huffed in determination.

"You bet! Hang on, I'll get these paid for."

…

By the time they returned back home, Issei did not waste time to literally drop down on the floor like a rag doll. Or a puppet with its strings detached, if he was feeling a little more poetic. As it was, none of that mattered more than his body hitting the floor with a thud—must have been loud enough if even mom called out to him to go lie on the couch all the way from the kitchen. But at the moment, all he wanted was just to stay lying down and not move a single dang muscle.

Eyes squeezed shut, muscles aching and wheezing as he tried desperately to get oxygen back inside his lungs. Body on fire, sweat on his face and legs the sorest (sorest? Is that actually a word? He'll need to look it up in a dictionary).

Even with the complete loss of his vision, however, he could still tell that someone was standing over him because the darkness grew; likely someone casting a shadow over his eyes as they stared down at him. "Issei. Are you, okay?"

"N-No..!" He panted out. "Give me a minute…"

Fiddlesticks. That had not gone as well as he expected. Which is a surprise because he thought he was rather energetic and active enough. Hell, if there was anything his parents were mad at him for, it was how he was always doing all these crazy things like jumping around from dangerous heights, climbing trees and getting himself dirty while playing. So really, he should be fine.

Cue his attempt to match Ophis's running speed, which was a failed endeavour, considering just how fast she was; Ophis literally charged ahead like a train, while he was left in her dust attempting to not get left behind. And that meant he literally exerted himself too hard barely keeping up. And at the end of the run, he just felt like he was dying.

In hindsight, that really shouldn't have been a surprise. The night he'd played with Ophis in the playground, she'd proven herself one heck of a power machine, capable of doing crazy things with the swings and the seesaws. Personally, he'd liked to have assumed he was pretty good in the physical department himself, but compared to Ophis?

Something cold poked him in the cheek, producing a wrinkling sound in the process. He peeked an eye open, and saw Ophis thrusting his popsicle at his face. "Let's eat."

He one-eyed his popsicle, still in its bright green wrapper, and eventually forced himself up into a seating position. Groaning all the while, as his muscles ached and his head feeling light. "Thanks," he said, accepting his popsicle from her.

"I'm, sorry. I shouldn't have run that fast."

"It's… It's cool. I'm just surprised by how fast you are," maybe that's how she's always managed to evade any potential kidnappers. Can't be caught if you're too fast, after all. "It was amazing, to be honest…"

"Even so, I shouldn't have done that. I won't again in the future."

If he knew her well enough, he had a feeling that she might just forget what she said and try it again another time. "It's fine, really. I don't mind. It just means I gotta' think about working out next time. Then I'll be just as fast as you!"

Footsteps from the kitchen has both children turning to look at the source. "That's good and all, but it's better not to overdo it," his mom tutted. "It's not about stunting your growth or whatnot, but I don't want you complaining about developing back pains or something worse along the way."

"Is that actually a myth or no? I can't tell."

"Some people say it is. Build too much muscle early on, and there'll be some difficulty for your body to grow naturally in the future. Don't let that happen."

"I won't," he conceded with both hands raised defensively. "If this was a videogame, it's all about building stamina. Maybe I could go look for some mysterious temples, complete their missions and then raise my stamina at a statue."

She rolled her eyes at that, though the mirth was clear in her gaze. "Sure thing, Issei. In any case, I'm heading out for a bit to see a friend. You know the rules of the house."

"Don't let a stranger in, don't talk to anyone that seems suspicious, and use the house telephone to call you in the case of an emergency," he recited, getting a pleased nod from his mom. "You just go and have fun. We'll be here!"

"Alright, alright. See you kids later!"

Both Issei and Ophis waved her off as she left the house. Dad was likely somewhere else in the house, perhaps in his bedroom sleeping or whatnot. Either way, that meant we had the living room to ourselves.

And just in time, too, as I focused once more on the popsicle that we had gone out for. Would be a waste to just let them melt.

"Alright then. We'll tear them open together on three. Got it?" Ophis nodded her understanding, prompting me to pinch the two ends of the side where the stick was. Ophis did the same. "One. Two. Three!" The wrappers tore in sync. "Good one! Now then, throw away the wrappers and hold the ice-cream at the stick."

"Okay."

It was well over three now, and the sun thought that it was just about to right to turn up the dial of hotness. Issei didn't like that, but complaining wouldn't have gotten him anything, so he opted to focus on the things that he can control; like his ice-cream!

Putting it in his mouth was instant catharsis. It was like finding an oasis after navigating the wild sands of the desert—this time, even colder. That was the single thought that he had as he then moved to sit in front of the television, flapping the collar of his t-shirt to cool himself down while enjoying his cold treat.

Another person quickly planted themselves into the space beside him. He didn't need to look to know that it was Ophis, the scent of her shampoo already notifying him before he even met her eyes. With her knees pulled up to her chest and her popsicle in her hand, she brought it to her mouth.

"Mmm…" It was barely audible, but the hum so close to him was enough. The look on her face was one of wonders, something that he'd seen countless of times, but never having gotten sick of. "This really is delicious."

"Right?" He snickered. "Next time, we'll try the other kinds of ice-creams. Banana split, snow cone… Summer is hot as heck, but it's the best season for cold stuff like this!"

"Indeed. We, should go out some more."

His initial reflex to say 'no' to her was halted, as he considered the day that they'd already spent together and the simple fun he had with her during their walk together. Even now, simply sitting side-by-side and watching the telly as they ate their popsicles together…

It's amazing.

"Yeah," he said, smiling as he pushed aside his concerns. "That would be nice."

"Mmhm. Both of us."

"Yep! No other ways to it," because there was no way in heck he'd let either one of them go off on their own. That was just begging for trouble.

Either way, as they settled in their places and delighted in their cold treats, they can't help but hope for another day to go eat ice-cream. Issei, especially, can't help but find so much enjoyment out of this simple day, he knew he would have regretted it if he remained stubborn and chose to stay inside. Yeah, they should definitely do this sort of thing more often in the future.

And then, a brain freeze struck both children as they simultaneously whined and spasmed. The two opt to eat their popsicles a little slower afterwards.

A Mother's Smarts

Five o' clock. The alarm sitting on the nightstand beside her sounded off, loud at an appropriate volume to rouse her from slumber. Having already memorized its location, her hand easily lashed out to shut it, and the woman slowly pushed herself up into a seating position as she yawned out loud. To her side, her husband remained asleep.

'Another hour. Maybe with another half an hour,' she decided. She could let him sleep in for a little longer, since it's a weekend.

She, in the meantime, decided to get out of bed and drag herself over to the bathroom. Some cold water would do well to get her systems in full chugging, and then she'd be fully prepared to face the day as the housewife of the Hyoudou household—not without a full mug of coffee, though.

This is Miki Hyoudou. Issei's mother and the woman of the house. A simple Japanese woman who was an office worker, now a housewife who devotes her waking moments taking care of her family. And she couldn't be any happier.

Well, aside from being able to safely deliver Issei six years ago. She remembered absolutely everything from that day—how much she had cried. How hard she strained herself. How much she hoped for this to be the true moment. How the pain that seized her entire body felt utterly incomparable to the joy swelling in her chest as she held her crying son. How Gorou, having been so anxious before, came close to fainting beside her bed out of relief.

That single day had been such a perfect moment. One she would hold dear to her heart until the very day she passes. That much, she knew.

But that story isn't what's important right about now. What is important is the fact that, as a mother, she had learnt to understand her son in a way that no one else could. She had taught him all there was to know; to help him develop himself as a functioning human being and establish his 'self' in the world. She got to learn of all his quirks, his favourites and dislikes, witnessed him in his highs and lows, be a part of his life…

In a way, she could proudly say that she was a good mother to Issei. Others would also call her incredibly perceptive, for her deep understanding of his psyche and personality has allowed her to adapt all kinds of methods and techniques to raise and steer him in the right path at times.

Soon enough, however, she'll come to learn that such an invaluable skillset that she'd developed throughout her period of motherhood wouldn't simply be applied to Issei, her son. In fact, she might have to rely on it much more than she would realize.

…

Being a housewife isn't a simple job, as most would think it is. Sure, it doesn't need a degree or a master's, but what it does need is a whole lot of patience, persistence and energy, as housework encompasses all sorts of physical labour needed to maintain the cleanliness of their home. Plus, she has to deal with the laundry, cooking and such, so one can only imagine what her daily workload is like.

But Miki never complains about it. Perhaps once or twice on a bad day, but every other time? She doesn't actually mind, because she recognizes how important of a role she plays in maintaining the order and camaraderie of their little family.

At times, though, it can get pretty… well, she wouldn't ever say difficult, per se, but they definitely require some creativity on her part. And thank goodness, she's gotten a lot of experience with that sort of thing.

"Issei," she called, knocking on his door. A stray hair fell within her vision, so she swept it off to the side. "Are you awake yet?"

" …No I'm not."

"Yes you are," she says with a roll of the eyes. "It's already six. Go take your bath while I prepare your clothes for you. If you fall asleep again, I'll come in there myself and carry you."

Perhaps she needn't have said that, but Miki preferred absolute chances of success to a half-or-half. And she knew her words ere effective when she could hear the sound of the bed squeaking, followed by some rapid tapping of feet against the floor as he rushed around before the door in front of her finally opens up, revealing a little boy with hair so messy it looked as if he'd just been thrown into a tornado.

"I'm off!" He saluted, prompting her to return the gesture as he rushed off, towel in his arms.

Miki grinned watching him go. 'Getting better at waking up, I see,' she thought to herself, though she wouldn't put it past him to revert to his old ways from time to time. At least, for the time being, he's doing pretty well. "Right. Time to get his clothes ready."

She steps into his room, nothing looking too out of the place save for the hastily drawn curtains and the bedsheets thrown about as if the bed itself was ransacked. She rolled her eyes at the sight. Issei just isn't cut out for housework. Or, at the very least, he isn't now. He's got all the time in the world to learn.

Once she fixes the mess he left behind, she turns towards his closet, pulling out a set of clothes for him to wear for the day. Considering how it's hot nowadays, shorts should be fine for him, though they might need to make a shopping round to buy some more. He's always complaining how there aren't enough shorts. Plus, she could find some more clothes for little Ophis.

Room fixed, clothes on his bed, Issei in the bathroom… she supposed she could let her husband sleep in a little longer. He's been tired as of late, so just a couple bit more wouldn't hurt. Ophis ought to take her bath right after Issei… Although, she's not easy to get out of bed (as she learnt very early on), just as Issei is. Maybe that's just a children's thing? Loving to sleep in?

She thought back to her own mother, who loved to laze around the house back in the day, and chuckled. Nah, definitely an everyone's thing.

Miki heads over to the guest room afterwards, knocking on the door. "Ophis-chan, wake uuup~! It's already six thirty in the morning. Issei will be done with his bath soon, and then you'll take yours after him."

Sounds of shuffling. And then, silence.

"Ophis-chan?" Not a single word. Well, looks like she just got ignored. "Huh. Well, nothing that I hadn't expected. Ophis-chan, I'm coming in."

She twisted the knob and stepped inside. Complete darkness. Miki easily crosses the room to reach the window, pulling back the curtains and squinting when light rushes into the room. She then fixes her attention to the large blanket mound sitting on the bed.

"Ophis-chaaan. Come on now, let's get up," she grasped the blanket, attempting to peel it off of the girl, only to grunt when it refused to move even a little. "Mmfh. Oh dear, you're a rather strong one, aren't you?" Force will be met with force, or so some famous movie might quote. So, a smarter approach was necessary here. And thankfully, it's already been proven useful thanks to her son. "If you don't get up, we might need to go on with breakfast without you. Now, would we want that?"

"No."

Resurrected like a phoenix from the ashes, Ophis practically seizes up into a standing motion as she threw the blanket up into the air. Just as she was about to rush into the bathroom, however, Miki is quick to catch her by the nape of the neck, stopping her in her tracks and handling her expertly like a mother cat to her kitten.

"Aunty?"

"Now, now, no need to rush. You know we'd never eat breakfast without everyone there, and that includes you," she said gently, setting Ophis down to sit on the edge of her bed. Miki sits beside her, stroking her on the head to calm her down. "I'm sorry for what I said. I'll make sure not to do that again."

"Mm, okay."

"Good. And also, it's not a good idea to wake up with a jolt like this and immediately start moving. You need to let yourself relax so that your body can naturally wake itself up. That way, you can avoid getting cramps and such."

"I, see," after a while, she nodded with a hum. "I understand. But never do that again."

"I promised you I won't, didn't I?" Despite herself, she couldn't help but grin in amusement. "But of course. I promise I won't do that again," Ophis made no sound save for a hum, and the two sat together for a bit.

The girl is hard to understand at times. For how expressionless she can be and how little she tends to say, Miki has trouble understanding what she's thinking. Despite that, she's has enough experience with Issei to understand a child's usual quirks, so she could make out the little cues that Ophis makes to figure out how to understand her.

Perhaps that seems a little odd to say, considering just how expressive Issei can be—both in terms of body gestures and facial expressions. Ophis, on the other hand, can come off as completely muted in terms of conveying any sort of information to another person, so it would technically be hard to figure out anything with her.

Cue Issei, who has a surprising knack for understanding people from a mere glance. Or, at the very least, be friendly enough to then be able to communicate with them so to understand them better.

That was part of the reason why she'd been able to understand most of Ophis's quirks, almost all of which Issei had told her about. Her little hums, her straightening up when she gets curious, small curves in the corner of her lips that would have gone unseen from a distance, but up-close to a very observant eye meant a great change in expression.

She supposed that was just one of his talents, and one that she, as his mother, prayed he would develop in the long run.

"Well then," she began. "Now that you're properly awake, what say you go take your bath?"

The girl hummed back. "Okay."

"Right. I'll prepare your clothes in the meantime. Take a cold bath, alright? It'll help to—"

"No."

Miki had to refrain from shooting the younger girl a surprised look for her immediate rejection. Her expression was, as always, as calm as an untouched lake. But even a lake could experience some disturbances from time to time; and her eyes, with a light dip in them, told her enough.

"What do you mean, Ophis-chan?" She asked, moving away from the girl's wardrobes and approaching her, settling down on her knees to meet Ophis's eyes. "You don't like cold water?"

"I, dislike bathing with it," she began. "After experiencing hot water, I cannot return to cold water, ever again. It is far too nice to let go of."

She could certainly understand her on that one. But there was a little issue with that. "Ophis-chan, it's hot out. If you bathe with hot water, you're only going to feel uncomfortable later…"

"No," she shook her head. "I refuse to."

"Ophis-chan," she tried to reason. Ophis's expression underwent a minor change, as her cheeks barely puffed out. It resulted in an adorable pout that had her wanting to hug her and squeal like a schoolgirl. She reined back that particular desire through sheer willpower. "I know you don't like bathing with cold water, but it's good for you. Trust me! It'll be fun!"

"I refuse," she repeated once more, proving to be far more stubborn than she gave credit. It's almost enough to remind her of Issei—for some reason, she can't help but wonder if that particular trait of his has rubbed off on her. Bad influence? Hard to tell. "I will admit, I like ice-cream and cold juice. But to bathe with it? I, dislike it."

"But it's really good for the body. I won't go too much into detail, like blood circulation and yada-yada… Plus, it'll help keep you cool during this hot weather. You don't like it when you sweat too much and it makes your clothes sticky, does it?"

"I do not, but I remain adamant. I stand with my choice."

Adamant? For a young girl to have such vocabulary is genuinely impressive, although she doubted now is the time to be impressed by that. "Do you really not want to give it a try?"

"Never."

"Aww… I guess it can't be helped. It's a shame, though," she sighed. "I mean, it's not like I'm trying to force you or anything. Issei's just like you; he doesn't enjoy bathing with cold water, especially if it's early in the morning. Like, it's already so cold out, why would you even think to douse yourself with freezing water, right?" Ophis nodded, seemingly pleased by her seemingly agreeing with her. "But if there's ever a time that all of us go out to the beach or someplace, there won't always be hot water to bathe in. Most times, they'll be cold. If you can't tolerate it now, how are you going to enjoy swimming in the waters and play with Issei?"

Now, Miki Hyoudou isn't a mother for nothing. She had spent years—literal years—understanding how her son worked and figuring ways to properly guide him whenever she wants to convince him to do something specific. Such is the skill that she's honed over the years in order to get results that she feels would benefit him or teach him something invaluable.

And no, it's not manipulating. See, manipulating involves deception and lying, which she absolutely hates. In this instance, she was simply stating factual possibilities to give Ophis an idea of what she would be missing out on if she refused to listen to her while still offering her choices to keep her from feeling like she was being pressured into doing anything.

She's being fair and honest. How else would she be a role model for little Issei, so that he lives up to the name that his father had bestowed upon him, that which brings about the meaning of 'honest'?

"But I understand. I'm being too pushy, and I'm really sorry about that. In any case, go take your bath. I'll prepare your clothes in the meantime—"

"Wait," there was a pause. "What is… the beach?"

"Oh. If you watch the television or check it up online, you'll find pictures of really beautiful places that are technically just a lot of sand beside the sea," memories fill her mind, and she can't help but smile fondly. "All three of us—Issei, Uncle and I—we went there three times. The last time we went was five months ago, I think… In any case, they're very beautiful, and a lot of people love going there."

"Ah, I see… Is it fun?"

Like fishing fish out of a barrel. Or something similar. "It is!" She exclaimed with a delighted smile. "People always go during the summer because, even if the sand is hot, the sea would be really cold. Now, while that doesn't sound nice, it's actually a really nice feeling. It's why they love swimming in the water. And there will be all kinds of games you get to play, like volleyball, or building sandcastles… And sometimes, there will be stalls selling shaved ice. Absolutely delish!"

As she progressively talked to the little girl about the beach, the latter grew more fascinated, her posture straightening a little as her eyes lit up. Miki had learnt to understand her little mannerisms, and this was a clear sign that she'd gotten curious.

"But don't take it the wrong way, Ophis-chan. Even if you don't want to swim in the sea, you can still go to the beach," she said. Again, being completely honest. "You'll get to lie on recliners or maybe on the sand, underneath an umbrella. An umbrella? I forget what it's called. Pretty sure that it's an umbrella. But yes, you can still enjoy the beach without wanting to swim. As for swimming pools… That would be a little more difficult, but."

"Ah… Hmm…"

Ophis had gone into her thinking mode, dubbed so whenever she stops to think deeply about things. Always when she's usually thinking about things that interest her; more specifically, on things that may be 'fun', as noted by Issei before.

In someone's opinion, she might be considered a devil of sorts for playing with her head like this, but that wasn't it at all! A devil would have tried to tempt her into doing something—usually a bad something. And they preferred leaving things ambiguous to trick their supposed client. All Miki intended to do was make Ophis aware of all the good and bad things of whatever she wished to know of so that she could decide for herself which option she preferred. In that essence, she was like a very meticulous teacher during a teacher-student-parents meeting (now that she thought about it, she wonders if that's a good analogy or not…).

People often misinterpret things because they don't understand what's being presented before them. And when they start complaining like idiots, they realize the important things too late, usually when the salesperson brings up the clauses in the contract and whatnot. Could be one party's fault, could be the other. In the end, both wind up unhappy.

So, she may as well avoid that issue and make sure that whoever she talks to understands her completely. It's especially important with children, since they could easily misconstrue whatever she says and go off and do something she might regret.

She's broken out of her line of thoughts when Ophis makes another sound, this one tinged with frustration. "I don't know… what to do."

"Oh, it's nothing serious. Besides, if you don't like it now, you can always give it a try another time," she chuckled. "You can go bathe in hot water today and maybe try cold another time. It doesn't have to be today. It's not like we're going to the beach today. But it would be best you bathe with cold water first someday to get a feel for it before we ever go to the beach or a swimming pool," she patted the girl on the head afterwards. "No matter what, we'll go there together someday. I promise."

Joy. That was the emotion that momentarily glimmered in her eyes as she stares back at her.

"…Alright then. Thank you."

"No worries!"

The girl marches off into her bathroom to undress and freshen up. Miki watches from the corner of her eyes, just happy to know that she's already up and had already gone to take her bath. What she is even more delighted by, however, is the switch for the water heater, which goes ignored.

Sometimes, it takes a little creativity to work with children. And she liked to think that she'd done that pretty well.

Sitting downstairs in the living room, Issei can't help the strange feeling that his mom is busy gloating about something—and that that something has to do with him and Ophis. Weird.

Author's Notes:

Wowee. Long time no see.

In all honestly, y'all really shouldn't be too surprised or worried. I tend to disappear from time to time without any explanation, be it laziness, exhaustion or busy. Or just because. It happens every now and then, but I do try to get some writing done.

More importantly, I'm extra excited for the many things to come; Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is on my list, hands down. The demo alone was lit! RWBY: Ice Queendom is on the verge too, which are definitely gonna' keep me rather occupied—and I ain't complaining. And of course, exams in two weeks from now. No running from that, am I right?

Also, I realized a little detail whereby most Japanese houses tend to have a shared bathroom… and Ophis gets a bathroom of her own? Let's just assume that only the guestroom, which she is currently using, has one. Admittedly, I'm not too familiar with Japanese house designs. Here in Malaysia, most bedrooms have their own bathrooms, although there are some individual bathrooms that are either in the corridor or someplace else that have to be shared. Is all.