I mentioned family drama as one of the themes of these stories.

Thing is, I don't really leave drama unresolved.

That's just not my style.

I understand plenty of fandom peeps like angst and drama, and like. I make use of those things. But I'm always a fan of happy, or at least hopeful, endings. So don't expect me to leave things on a sour note.

I just … don't do that.


.


"All right. Give your Niisama a hug from me, okay? Bye-bye, Riley. I love you too."

Noa was sitting across the room from Kisara, tinkering with an iPad. He looked up as she slipped her phone back into her pocket; his eyes were twinkling. "You use a whole different voice when you're talking to your siblings," he said. He didn't sound like he was trying to nettle her; he seemed genuinely curious, even delighted. "Especially compared to the no-nonsense tone you seem to take with your parents."

Kisara shrugged. "What can I say?" she asked. "It's built into the Big Sister genes, I guess. I don't know. Listen, I've not been a human being in centuries now. I don't understand how anything works."

Noa shrugged. "Only a decade for me," he said, "but . . . yeah, that's fair."

"You have adjusted well enough," Kisara noted.

"Oh, you." Noa sat up straighter. "Thankee." He looked down at himself, squared his shoulders. Then he eyed Kisara slyly. "So . . . Niisama, huh?"

Kisara smiled. "As I have mentioned to my prince: Riley picked it up from watching Mokuba."

Noa beamed. "Oh, that's excellent. Is that why he grew his hair out, too, do you think?"

Kisara frowned. "You know, I've never thought to ask. But . . . probably." She shrugged. "He's yet to work out the rules of Magic & Wizards. He prefers to make up his own rules. But he loves watching your brothers on television. When he heard I was headed here to Domino City, he was quite certain that I would one day run into the world's bestest duelist, and I should get his autograph when I did."

Noa's grin softened into a doting little smile. "I'm sure you didn't have the heart to tell him it doesn't work like that."

"I did not," Kisara said. Then she fidgeted a little. "I told him that I would do my best, then immediately forgot."

Noa laughed. "Well," he said, "it just so happened to work out. He was your ride home. Worked out for everyone involved. Awful-graph. Cute kid. I like him. Can't say I'm not surprised your parents would let him have long hair, though. Forgive me if I overstep, but they seem . . . traditional."

"Honestly," said Kisara, "it surprises me more than a little, myself. I think Ray must have had something to do with that. From what I hear, now that I've left home, she's always first and loudest to speak up and argue with our parents on the boys' behalf."

"We'll have to see about bringing them around," Noa said. "Aniki will want to show them Kaiba-Land if nothing else." He pointed. "Anyone who likes dueling in any fashion, fabricated or otherwise, should see our city at least once."

Kisara nodded. "I think they would like that." She hummed. "I suppose there is something to be said about being part of the Kaiba Estate house staff. One certainly can't accuse me of being unable to afford bringing them here for a vacation."

"Afford?" Noa scoffed. "You said you already told Aniki about the 'Niisama' thing? Riley could ask for the moon and he'd start building a shuttle. He'd be insulted if you even offered to foot the bill for this one."