Fires And Family | Paradox Live

Fireworks - 1

"Himari-chan! Do you want to go to the festival this weekend?"

Himari raised an eyebrow at Iori as he walked up. She hated when he acted all friendly like this, as if she hadn't been pretty much feuding with him for years. "What festival?"

"The end of summer festival? Oyaji said you love the fireworks and since he's too busy to take you I thought I'd ask."

"What kind of logic is that?"

"Oyaji agreed though. He felt kinda bad since you haven't really gone out much all summer."

"Oh, I see." Himari grabbed the book she had come to the living room looking for and turned to leave again. "You can keep your pity to yourself. If I wanted, I'd go alone."

"Pity...?"

Himari left Iori and met her father on his way to the living room. She glared at him and said, "Dad, we need to talk later."

She didn't want to hear his response. This had been their relationship for a while now. Just icy back and forths over dinner and occasional passing remarks as they passed each other in the halls. Himari was the only one being icy. Her father was still as exuberant and loving as he had always been with her.

Himari remembered the festival Iori spoke of very well. It was a summer tradition for her and her father to go every year. Himari's memories of last year's festival were mostly rain and ignoring her father. It wasn't exactly fun anymore. Hadn't been for a couple of years. The only thing she could still say she enjoyed was the fireworks show at the end of the night.

She didn't know what it was with her father and festivals. Ever since she was a little girl he had always taken her to every festival he could throughout the year, making sure to never miss the first shrine visit of the new year as well as the summer festival. Himari didn't really have any particular love for festivals; they used to just be an excuse to spend time with her father. And after she realised that spending time with her father was becoming an annoyance, she had begun to turn down his invitations.

Still, this felt like a cop out.
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"So you're too busy to attend this year?" Himari said, sliding the dining room door shut behind her. She took her seat without looking at her father.

"What's that?" Her father still held on to that accent. Himari - after being teased for it in elementary school - had quickly dispensed with the accent, and her father had never questioned it. The annoying thing was Iori, who now used the same accent occasionally.

"The festival. You're too busy?"

"Oh, that's right. I've got something to take care of this time."

"Hm. Iori asked if he could take me."

"Oh. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"I don't think so. He has no right to be asking for things like that."

"That's a little harsh, Himari. Why would you say that?"

"Because you go to things like festivals with family or friends. He isn't either."

Her father sighed. "Now don't go getting angry with him. I asked him to do it."

"Yeah, I know," Himari said icily, placing her chopsticks in their stand but continuing to stare into her bowl of rice. "How else would he know I'm a loser with no friends who spends all her time indoors?"

There was silence for a while. Himari finally looked up at her father who was giving her the softest of smiles. She felt a flash of anger but fought it down. "I don't need your pity. Or his, for that matter."

"It isn't pity, Himari." Her father continued to eat. "Can't you at least accept him as a friend?"

"No."

"Well, whatever. Finish your dinner, please."

Himari picked up her chopsticks. She was about to take her next bite of food when her father spoke again.

"I'm not asking you to marry him Himari, but one day you may find that he's the closest thing to family you have left."
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On the evening of the festival, Himari found herself waiting outside the gate of the house in a yellow yukata. She studied Iori's black and gold suit with a disparaging eye when she climbed into his car. "Dad always wore a yukata."

"Eh? You think I should have worn one too?" Iori said, looking down at himself. Himari clicked her tongue in annoyance and told him to just drive.

Iori obliged. The drive was quiet with only Iori humming under his breath as he drove. Himari kept her eyes fixed outside the window but unfocused. She barely noticed when Iori pulled the car into park and continued to sit immobile until Iori called her name to get her attention.

The silence from the car continued as they walked through the stalls. Himari floated moodily from stall to stall, not really interested in trying anything until Iori stopped her at a stall selling masks. He pulled down an ogre mask and held it up to his face.

"What do you think?" he asked of Himari.

"It's stupid."

"Hmm. What about this one? More modern, eh?"

"Stupid."

"I see..." Iori studied the rack further. "Hey, this one would suit you." He pulled out a half mask in the likeness of a cat and held it up proudly as if he'd made a major discovery. Himari frowned at the mask, but when Iori held it out she allowed him to slide it on over her head. He seemed very pleased about the whole thing.

Iori paid for the mask and moved on to the next stall. Himari, meanwhile, had noticed something on one of the upper racks. She asked the stall keeper to get it down for her - a black kitsune mask with red lining and a red tassle hanging from the left side. Himari smiled at it. She payed and ran after Iori who had advanced two stalls and was watching some kids at the shooting game.

"Iori-san," she said as she came up to him. "This one. It looks just like you."

"Eh? Really?" Iori studied the mask a little, then held it up beside his face. "What makes you say that?"

Himari felt warm. "The eyes...a little bit..." she mumbled, suddenly very interested in the soft toys on offer as prizes at the shooting game. Iori took another look at the mask.

"If you say so," he said and pulled the mask on over his ear. "Now, want to see me destroy this game?"

"That's big talk. You know they rig these things right?"

"Yeah, but I can still do it." Iori smiled widely and turned to the stall keeper. "One turn, please. Just watch me, Himari-chan."

'Just like a puppy,' Himari thought as she watched Iori excitedly examine the dart gun he was handed. Then, as a seriousness came over Iori and he took aim, Himari thought, 'A pretty deadly puppy.'

With the first shot, Iori hit to the right of the board, between two of the balloons. He hummed, lined up the gun again and took his next shot. It hit the central balloon; a win.

"See that?" Iori asked of Himari with a huge grin. Himari clapped her hands sarcastically. Iori pointed out a fox plushy as his prize and on receiving it, immediately handed it over to Himari. "Since you said the mask looks like me."

"What, so I can have a constant reminder of your face?"

"Well, if you don't want it..."

"I didn't say that," Himari held her hand out but refused to look at Iori. Iori handed off the plushy with a chuckle and went on his way. Himari finally took a moment to study the plushy as she walked behind him.

This one's eyes were too round and innocent.