Noble Akane Household, Baths…

  *SPLASH!*

  Steely was sitting on a plastic stool as he splashed himself with water using a wooden bucket, washing away all of the remaining soap bubbles that were scattered all over his body.

  He then stood up from his stool and then submerged himself inside the warm water inside the large bathtub, letting the feel of the water slowly cover his body. He felt relaxed once he was fully submerged.

  “Ah~… Nothing really feels better than a warm bath during the night…” Steely let out another sigh as he leaned back on the tub.

  “Gramps said that we’ll leave for the shrine at Sun Temple Park once everyone is ready, so I have to quickly finish taking a bath…” He then stretched both of his arms up and let out a light sigh.

  “Ah~… But the warm water just feels so good on my skin that I may fall into its embrace even more and become late. Ngh…! Guess, you can’t have everything at once.”

  Just as Steely was about fully submerge himself deep down the warm bath waters to continue bathing—.

  *SLAM!*

  The bathroom door slammed open with a loud bang and a voice called behind him.

  “Hey, bro! Did you finish cleaning your back before you entered bathtub?”

  When Steely turned to look behind him, he wasn’t surprised once he saw on who was the person that called him. He merely sighed before turning back and focused on relaxing, but he didn’t end the conversation there though.

  “Stella, did you need me for something? If you’re here just to mess with me, I suggest that you don’t. You know very well that we have to prepare quickly for my Blood Transfusion Ritual.” He said to Stella.

  Stella, who was the person that barged into the bathroom, pouted and placed both of her hands on her hips as she walked inside the bathroom before she stopped once she was right behind Steely.

  “You’re awfully calm about the situation. Is it so wrong that I visit my “twin brother” inside the baths to reassure him so that he won’t become anymore nervous for his upcoming ritual?” The young foxian maiden asked.

  Steely turned his head slightly towards Stella’s direction before he responded with a calm tone.

  “First of all, it’s not common for siblings—let alone twins—to enter the bathroom when their other sibling is taking a bath. Second, I’ve gotten used to us doing this to one another since we’ve been doing this ever since we were little.” Steely fully turned his head to look at Stella.

  “And lastly, I’m doing fine, Stella. I don’t need any more reassurance. The talk that we had earlier at Amber-nee’s dinner feast was more than enough for me to feel reassured and let out all the nervousness that I’ve felt before.” He added.

  “Hmm~. Well, it’s good to see that you’re not feeling nervous anymore. But I just can’t help but think that maybe we should have talked about this matter more clearly.”

  Stella cupped a few volumes of water on her palm before she splashed it on Steely’s left shoulder. Once she did that, she gently touched the navy blue snowflake-shaped mark on his shoulder with her left index finger, despite his cold body stinging him.

  “Your Blood Transfusion is about to happen in just a few moments. Once we’ve stepped inside the Sun Temple Shrine, it’ll begin immediately and you’ll become part of our family completely. I can’t help but wonder if this mark will disappear.”

  “Are you wondering if this “birth mark” of mine will disappear once my Blood Transfusion is completed? Why are asking about that now? As far as I’m concerned, this “birth mark” of mine won’t disappear even after my transfusion.”

  Despite the confidence in Steely’s voice, Stella shook her head before placing her arms on the tub’s corner and lean her head on it as she let out a small giggle before she replied with a soft tone.

  “You don’t get it, bro. I’m not just talking about your “birth mark”, I’m also talking about your biological blood.” She clarified before continuing.

  “Sure your mark will still say the same since it is A “birth mark” of your biological birth from your true parents, but what I’m talking about is your abilities that come from your true blood.”

  “If you’re worried about that, then there’s nothing for you to worry about. Just like what happened to mom, will happen to me. I’ll become a full blood Akane member after the transfusion, but I’ll still keep some of my biological abilities.” Steely replied.

  “I know. And I’m not too worried about that. It’s just… *SIGH* It would feel like we’re taking away another part of you that we haven’t fully discovered yet. It’s like leaving an unexplored cave on its own and not getting the rewards, you know…” Stella responded.

  “Ah! I get what you’re trying to say now. You’re saying that if I do the Blood Transfusion now, I’ll never be able to discover my true powers and would instead unlock my powers as an Akane blood, is that it?”

  When Steely got it right, Stella nodded her head.

  “Yup. That’s what I mean.”

  She then leaned her head on his left shoulder, enduring the stinging pain of his cold temperature despite the warm water trickling down his body.

  “Unlike mom, who unlocked all of her powers from her original bloodline before she did her Blood Transfusion—you however, haven’t unlocked even a single one. You’ll never get the chance to unlock your true powers because of that.”

  “That doesn’t matter right now, Stella.”

  Steely responded before cupping both of her cheeks with both of his hands. Although it stung her, Stella endured it once again as Steely kept talking.

  “What matters right now is that I’m finally going to be truly part of our family and that I’ll learn even more all about our clan’s powers, strengths, and history. Isn’t that good since we’ll become even closer to each other than before?”

  It took a while for Stella to process his words, and when she did, she chuckled a bit before grabbing both of Steely’s wrists and pulled his hands off of her face.

  “You’ve really got your mind all set on this now, haven’t you~? If you were asked this question, let’s say two years earlier, you wouldn’t have answered with such resolve before.” She teased Steely with a smirk on her face.

  Steely smirked back before he ruffled Stella’s head with his right hand, the water on his hand trickling down a bit on Stella’s forehead.

  “You’re just teasing me like that just to change the subject now, aren’t you~? Well, you won’t get away from me like that so easily, you little sly fox!”

  “Oh no~! I’ve been caught by my brother’s trap! What should I do~?”

  They both shared a small laugh with each other before they calmed down once more and both let out a small sigh. It was then that Stella decided to do something that she haven’t done in a while.

  “Alright, I’m joining in the bath with you! Give me some of that relaxing warm waters on my skin!”

  She announced, not waiting for any of Steely’s replies as she already started removing her clothes. Steely was calm about this since they’ve been bathing with each other ever since they were little.

  And quite frankly, he missed the times they bathed together. It was always a fun time playing with the waters and bubbles when they were bathing before.

  “I’ll scoot over to the side then to give you some space to get in. And don’t you dare jump inside like it’s a pool, Stella. Last time you did that, you injured your legs.”

  Steely scooted over to the left side and when Stella was finally done taking off her clothes, she gently got inside their massive bathtub before she let out a gentle sigh and enjoyed the warm waters together with her “brother”.

  Inside Enrei’s room…

  “How does this one look, Aki? It still fits this old man, eh?”

  Enrei asked his son as he tied the thin white sash around his black hakama-style pants that had red flame designs. He was wearing a white yukata that had a maple leaf design on the front before he fixed his hair while staring at his reflection on the full-body mirror.

  “I’m actually quite surprised that this outfit of yours still fits you, dad.” Aki commented and continued.

  “I thought that you would’ve grown out of it already considering it had been a long time since you’ve worn this. When was the last time again? Back at Shiranui’s own Blood Transfusion?”

  “If my memory serves me right, then yes. It was back then at Shiranui’s own Blood Transfusion Ritual. By the Goddess above, it has been a long time, huh? To think time could’ve passed that long.”

  Aki didn’t say anything and just nodded his head before fixing the sleeves of his red yukata that had a black petal design. He was wearing the same black hakama-style pants as his father though.

  Using his one of his tails to grab a cherry blossom-shaped pin on his drawer, Enrei pinned it on the left side of his yukata. He then fixed his sleeves, rolling them up a bit before nodding his head.

  “Alright! I’m done dressing up. What about you, Aki, you done yet?” Enrei turned to his son.

  “Just about done, dad.”

  Aki responded before he combed his hair to flow a bit to the right. Once that was done, he nodded and place the comb on top of the drawer.

  “There, I’m done— Oh wait!”

  The Current Head of the Noble Akane House opened one of the drawers before he took a gold ring that had a red gem and slid it in his right middle finger.

  “There! Now, I’m completely done and ready.”

  Enrei then scanned his son’s outfit from top to bottom before letting out a small whistle once he was done.

  “Not too shabby, my boy! You’re really trying to look good today, aren’t you?”

  Aki chuckled slightly at his father’s comment before he confessed something to him while tapping his chest and letting out a small puff of air with a grin.

  “I try, only for today though. I mean, come on, it’s Steely’s big day! The day that he’ll become a complete and true Akane Clan Member! This ceremony requires his old man to at least look presentable yet also nobly, just this one time!”

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  “You say that it’s “just this one time”, but I know for a fact that it isn’t. So don’t be so modest towards this, Aki! You’ve worn something like this pretty often at meetings—or the most notable one, during Shiranui’s Blood Transfusion.”

  Enrei smacked the back of his son as Aki let out a small yet awkward chuckle at his father’s words while he scratched the back of his head.

  “Ahaha… I guess, you’re right, dad.” Aki then straightened himself.

  “Well anyways, let’s get out of here now. We’ve finished dressing up for the occasion anyways, so let’s just go in the living room and wait for the others to come out.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  The two father and son left Enrei’s room and started walking towards the living room. As they were doing so, Enrei asked something.

  “Do you think that Amber is going to wear the outfit that Stella gifted to her?”

  “Oh, you bet that she’s going to wear it! It fits the occasion quite well and who knows when Amber’s going to wear that kimono again.” Aki answered with a giggle.

  Once the two finally reached inside the living room, they both decided to sit down on their zabutons and wait for the rest of their family to come down.

  But that waiting of silence didn’t lasted long.

  “So… How about a drink of that sake that I bought you?” Aki asked with a grin.

  Enrei grinned back before he stood up and grabbed two small glass cups in between the fingers of his right hand and the bottle of sake gripped on his left hand.

  “Say less, my boy! But we better not drink too much though. I’ll be performing the Blood Transfusion with Steely after all, so I don’t want too much toxins inside of my body before and while the ritual is being performed.”

  “You don’t need to ask me twice. I know my limits, dad.”

  Aki then grabbed one of the small glass cups before he corked open the bottle of sake and poured some in Enrei’s glass before his. With a clank of their cups, they drank little by little, shot by shot.”

  Inside Amber’s Room…

  “My, my, my~! The kimono that Stella bought suits you perfectly, dear!” Shiranui exclaimed loudly with a hand over her mouth.

  Indeed, it looked beautiful on Amber since it matches her looks very well and even the size of the kimono was just about right for her—not too tight, but not too loose either.

  “Thanks for the compliment, mom. But with the design of the kimono… Doesn’t it look like I’m in the middle of a thorny flower garden?” Amber asked nervously.

  “That’s exactly the intention of the design, dear! The design is supposed to make wearer the center of attraction, the final piece that completes the design of this dress! Stella picked the right one for you!”

  Shiranui circled around her eldest daughter, eyeing every single bit of detail on the kimono that Amber is wearing. Nodding her head with a satisfied smile, she then grabbed the yellow obi on the small table in Amber’s room.

  “Alright then, dear. Hold still for mommy, okay? I’ll just wrap the obi around your waist and then we’ll tie your hair up.”

  Before Shiranui even began wrapping the yellow sash around her daughter’s waist, Amber grabbed it from her grasps and did the wrapping herself.

  “There’s no need for you to do that for me anymore, mom… I can do it myself.” The eldest daughter of the Akane Nobility announced, a slight blush on her face.

  Although Shiranui was a bit surprised by her eldest daughter’s actions, when she saw the blush on Amber’s face, she couldn’t help but giggle slightly before stepping away a few meters.

  “Fufufu~. Alright, then I’ll let my grown-up daughter handle her own for now~.” She teased before giggling again.

  “M-Mom! I-I am a grown-up already! I can do this on my own from now on!” Amber protested.

  Despite her flustered attitude right now, Amber still managed to wrap the yellow obi around her waist by herself… Well, maybe not all by herself.

  “Why is it so hard to tie an obi around my back…?” She groaned mentally.

  Yup, she was having a hard time tying the obi behind her. Although her arms were able to reach behind her, without being able to properly see behind her, she’s having a hard time tying it.

  Noticing this, of course Shiranui came to help her daughter.

  “Here, let me help you out, dear.”

  Without hearing another word for Amber to protest, the mother of three took both ends of the obi in each one of her hands before tying them together in a small bowtie.

  “I could’ve done it myself though…”

  Amber still tried to protest even though the job was already done. Shiranui merely let out a small smile on her face before tightly hugging her eldest daughter from behind.

  “I know that you could’ve, my little Amber, I never doubted you.” The mother reassured before adding.

  “But it’s alright to ask for help whenever you need it the most. That’s just a part of life. Both I, Aki, your grandfather, and even your siblings know that you want to be someone independent. But being independent doesn’t mean casting away others.”

  “I’m not casting away anyone.”

  Amber retorted before holding both of Shiranui’s arms.

  “I know you aren’t, dear. It was merely a figure of speech.” Shiranui kissed the top of Amber’s head.

  “But seriously though, no matter how independent you become, never—and I mean EVER—try to cast others away because you didn’t wanted or needed their help. Sometimes, getting help is an act of being independent itself.”

  “That… doesn’t make quite a lot of sense, mom.” Amber commented.

  Shiranui just hugged her tighter before giving the crown of her head another gentle kiss and speaking in a warm tone.

  “Don’t worry too much about that, Amber. One day, when you grow into a young adult, you’ll understand what that sentence meant. The same will go for your siblings as well.”

  “I can’t really tell if that’s good advice or not, but either way…” Amber looked up at her mother with a smile on her face.

  “Thank you, mom.” She said softly.

  “Fufufu~. I’m glad that I could help, even if it’s just something simple.”

  Shiranui stopped hugging her daughter as she too wrapped her own purple obi around her red kimono that had a pink cherry blossom design. Tugging a bit on her obi, she tightened it behind her waist, making sure it was secured.

  “There we go. And that’s how you tie an obi behind you, dear~.”

  Though the comment was just a simple tease towards her daughter, Amber still pouted before gently hitting her mother multiple times. This action made Shiranui let out a small chuckle though.

  “Ara~. It would seem that I’ve touched a nerve on my lovely daughter’s pride as a “grown” woman~.”

  “Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! Y-You can’t just embarrass me with such teasing r-right after you said those words to me! It’s unfair, mom!”

  Shiranui let out another hearty and warm laugh as Amber kept on gently hitting her many more times before she finally stopped. The blush on Amber’s face was quite a sight of behold for Shiranui.

  “Ah~… Seeing that vulnerable look on Amber’s face really takes me back. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I couldn’t help but tease her. But maybe I’ve overdone it a bit though…”

  With those thoughts, Shiranui gently hugged Amber in a slightly tight hug before she patted her head and giving her forehead a kiss.

  “Sorry about that, dear~. Mommy was just teasing.” A soft smile appeared on Shiranui’s face.

  Though still blushing and pouting, Amber returned her mother’s hug by tightening her wrapped arms around her.

  “Fine… I’ll accept this apology.”

  Shiranui let out another small giggle at the cute sight of Amber before she thanked her for forgiving her and she kept on patting her head. Amber’s tails flapped side to side while her fox ears dropped because of this affection.

  After a while…

  “Come down now, everyone! It’s time for us to go! If we don’t want to be late, we need to go now!” Aki called out to the others upstairs.

  It has about fifteen minutes since everyone started preparing themselves to get ready to leave for the Sun Temple Park where Steely’s Blood Transfusion would happen and there were only seven minutes left before it begins.

  “Coming!”

  Amber shouted as she rushed downstairs with Shiranui right behind her. When Aki saw his eldest daughter, he couldn’t help but whistle once he saw the kimono that she was wearing.

  “Is this the gift that Stella bought for you? I have to say, you’re little sister found something the fits you perfectly, dear.” The foxian father complimented.

  “Hee-hee~. Thanks for the compliment, dad. And I have to agree with you, Stella outdone herself with picking this for me.” Amber twirled once before bowing.

  “Where’s Stella and Steely, Aki? Haven’t they come down already?” Shiranui asked.

  “We’re right behind you, mom. It took us a while to get ready though, sorry.”

  Hearing Steely’s voice, everyone turned and he was now the center of attraction.

  He wore a white yukata that had red tomoe patterns adorned along the sleeves, a white sash around his hips, and his usual black hakama-style pants. The only difference would be the prayer beads on his wrists and around his neck.

  “I’m here too! Sorry if it took a while.” Stella poked out on the right side of Steely.

  The kimono she was wearing had the same patterns as Steely’s, with the only difference would be the colors; red kimono that had pink tomoe patterns adorned along the sleeves. She didn’t have any prayer beads though.

  “Not too shabby either, you two. Really makes you two look more like twins now.” Aki commented with a whistle.

  “Is everyone already done with dressing up? If so, we can go now.” Enrei voice echoed out of the living room as he stood in front of everyone.

  Everyone glanced at each other for one last time before they all nodded their heads in approval.

  “Alright… Then let’s get going!” With that, everyone left for the Sun Temple Park.