"I'm definitely excited to take part in the tournament... Me and my teammates have gotten very strong, so I haven't a doubt that we'll get at least to the finals."
Cecilia giggles a bit. "The Ruby girl did seem dependable... A new girlfriend, huh? She's a cutie~"
Cici teases me a bit, so I flick a bit of the rice I'm eating at her. This dinner has been nice, and I'm surprised the day has gone by so quickly.
"So tell me, what have you been doing these past years?"
Cici nervously scratches her neck.
"Well, father isn't actually as strict as I expected... He lets me do what I want, with the only exception being meeting you."
"What a dickhead..."
Cici doesn't respond to my comment, and instead continues.
"I have gotten formal training to become a huntress, and I'm here for the festival! I don't have a team, so I'll only be able to take part in singles matches, but I'm still excited!"
"We may just meet in the finals, then... I dunno if I could ever fight you."
"If you don't, I'll be mad..."
I chuckle a bit.
"Fine fine, I'll prepare myself for it."
I sense something... A familiar presence.
I attempt to glance in the direction of the presence without being seen, and I notice it's just Ruby.
Is she following me?
Why would...
Oh, I guess I did promise a date...
But my sister I haven't seen in ages is finally back, so I feel it's justified.
"Is something the matter, (Y/N)?"
"Ah, no it's nothing. Let's keep talking. Uh... Did you end up learning about the whole mom and dad ordeal?"
"Yeah, eventually..."
"What do you think of it all?"
"Hm... I don't really want to talk about it."
"Ah, sorry..."
Neither of us wanting the atmosphere to get awkward, Cici speaks up.
"But if you'd like to say your thoughts, I'm okay with listening."
I nod once.
"I think everyone was in the wrong."
Cici's eyebrows perk up a bit.
"Mom cheated, which is a big mess-up, let alone the fact that she didn't mention it until she was forced to."
Cici nods a little, making sure it's obvious she's paying attention.
"And Dad took it bad for understandable reasons, but... He stopped caring about giving me a good childhood... All he really cared about after the incident was making mom feel like crap."
Cici looks down a bit, sad to hear that life without her wasn't exactly easy for me.
I look up a bit, exhaling to calm down.
"And then, of course, your father wins custody of you due to mom and dad only caring about getting at each other... So then you were gone."
My eyes close, protecting the whites of them from the sun.
"Dad didn't protect us... He used his abilities for the wrong reasons, and it's why I lost respect for him. Worse even is that he didn't encourage my desire to become a huntsman just because my semblance was weak."
I admire your spunk, but... You were branded as the weakest hunter for a reason. It's not because you're inexperienced... It's because your potential is barely above that of a powerless human. It doesn't matter whether you try or not, you'll never be strong. No one will stop you from taking the exam, but... Don't be too bummed when you go back home.
"I really hope he watches the festival battles, because he's going to see I'm stronger than he is, now; that I'll be using my powers to protect what's really important."
Cici is silent after I finish, and I look back down to her. She's clearly a bit upset, so I sit up straight.
"Sorry... I have very, uh... Strong opinions about it all."
Cici nods. "I can tell. And... Sorry, I'm just not used to hearing mom or your dad talked about so negatively. I always saw them as so... Perfect."
I shrug. "So did I... I guess because I was the one that saw them at their worst, I'm the one that has lesser opinions of them."
Cici twiddles her thumbs, not sure what to say. I notice and decide to move on finally.
"Look, I'm sorry... This is supposed to be a festival and a happy reunion. It's not the place for such talk. I'm just glad to finally see you again."
Cici takes a deep breath in and out, resetting her energy.
"Yeah! You're right! C'mon, big brother, let's go over here!"
"Huh?"
She pulls me over to the presence from before, and all I hear is an "eep!" From Ruby as we approach.
"Oh!" Cici begins to act.
"Ruby! How surprising! I never expected you'd be here! Oh! I suddenly have to go prepare for the match! Sorry, I guess you two are alone!"
Cici kisses my cheek before walking away at a quick speed. And so I'm left alone with Ruby.
"Her subtlety could use some work..." I critique, turning to my partner.
Ruby is a bit red.
"Sorry... Was it that obvious I was over here?"
"I could tell, but I had no idea Cici knew... Either she's impressive or your stealth is garbage."
"Meanie."
I chuckle a bit.
"Did you need something, Ruby?"
"No, um... I guess I didn't know what else to do, and I was really looking forward to our date."
"Ah... Sorry about that... I wasn't expecting to see Cici again so soon... I guess she left me so I'd be with you for a while, so now's as good a time as any for the date!"
Ruby gives a hearty nod, shyly grabbing my hand.
Our fingers intertwine, and she's clearly shy.
"Hnnnngh, why am I still so nervous about this??" She questions aloud.
"Aren't you all about breaking gender stereotypes? Such a strong girl being so weak and vulnerable around me? It's not a good look..."
Ruby punches my ribs a few times at my teasing.
"You're so mean!"
"Then why are you still holding my hand?"
"Because... I like you..."
"Ohhh, you said it. Maybe we should start dating."
"Don't be stupid, idiot... We already are."
"We are? Oh man, I'm so forgetful."
Having had enough of my teasing, Ruby yanks my arm in the direction of a nice and atmospheric restaurant.
She sits us down at a table for two, and we wait for menus to be brought to us.
In the meanwhile, I look at the bustling streets, happy to see so many bright faces and diverse crowds.
After the menus arrive, Ruby chooses some kind of pasta with shrimp in it, while I choose a great medium rare steak. I guess my meal with Cici didn't fill the endless pit that is my stomach.
In waiting for the food, Ruby and I make small talk, the girl clearly a little bugged by something. I decide to prod.
"Something still upsetting you?"
"Oh, uh... Yeah, but I don't really know why..."
"Just say it! Sometimes nothing comes from it, but it still really helps to say what's on your mind."
"Hm..." Ruby sighs before speaking. "Okay. Well..."
I make eye contact with her so she knows my full attention is on her.
"For some reason I was a little unhappy that we didn't get to go on our date for a while, but it was for a real reason! Your sister was here. And even though I knew that, I still was upset that you weren't giving me attention, which is so childish... And I feel like such a B word for wanting your attention now of all times... So... I'm sorry, (Y/N)..."
Damn. I guess my reasoning for not going on the date came back to bite me in the ass.
"Ruby, it's okay you feel that way... You clearly don't enjoy those kinds of thoughts, so you're not selfish. Sometimes the human mind feels negative thoughts even despite knowing that they're pointless. And... I should have taken you into account a bit more, you know? I was happy to see Cici, but this is an entire festival... We have time. And you deserve some of it with me if it's what you really want."
Ruby blushes a bit, taking shuddered breaths in and out to ensure she doesn't get emotional.
"Thank you... I... I love you."
Now I'm the one blushing.
Attempt to maintain eye contact, faking confidence.
"A-and I you!"
"You too scared to say it back, (Y/N)?~"
She gives me an evil grin.
God, this is hard to say.
"Ugh... I love you too, Ruby..."
"You said 'ugh'! How insensitive! You must really hate me." She further teases.
I hold her hand over the table, closing my eyes to help say these words with confidence.
"I'm glad we're on this date, Ruby... You're as important to me as Cici is..."
Ruby smiles, leaning over the table to kiss my cheek.
"You're a sweetheart, (Y/N)... Thank you."
Fireworks begin to shoot up.
Explosions of color fill the sky, and our food arrives right on cue.
We eat said delicious food in the comfortable embrace of a colorful sky and each other's company.
I give a genuine smile to Ruby, to which she responds in kind.
I can't wait for tomorrow...