...We Could...

Fumi Forty-Eight!

"Come on, come on!" Cassiopeia giggled, tugging Evan while Andromeda screeched with laughter.

"Remind me again why we are doing this...?" Dastan sighed, allowing himself to be dragged by Heather.

"It's a tradition, Dastan," she told him, her Scottish accent thick. "On th' first o' May, we celebrate the arrival of Summer. Since there still be snow up where we usually are, we're runnin' down to th' valley!"

"And why am I wearing a skirt?" Preuss added, not happy in the slightest as he looked down at his blue-and-green plaid kilt.

"It be a kilt!" one of their brothers laughed, enjoying his own kilt. "All the laddies be wearin' them!"

Preuss sighed, hanging his head while Perisa pranced up next to him, wearing her matching plaid dress. "Come on, Preuss, it can't be that bad."

"All of my manly pride has been stripped from me," he groaned dramatically.

"You know, you could wear it like we are..." another one of the sons pointed out.

"You're wearing it exactly like me!"

He lifted his hem slightly, put a finger to his lips, and winked.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!!!" the boy screamed, racing ahead to get away from their laughter.

The Scots dragged the rest of the members in the Holding World into their festival. It was the best they could do with so few knowing the traditions, but they did what they could. For the rest of the day they danced and sang and just enjoyed themselves. With the magic being manipulated with songs, and all of the Gaelic songs being about safety protection and good harvest, none of the animals came after them. All of the children enjoyed the day off.

All but three, that is.

Preuss wasn't enjoying himself in the slightest as he had to wear a "skirt." Especially since he had to wear it in front of Chloe. Yes, the hooded girl was invited to come along with them all. In any case, he didn't want the Californian to see him in such an unmanly state, and thus chose to stay on the outside light of the bonfire.

Chloe wished to join the rest in singing and dancing, but she couldn't lower her hood. It wasn't yet time to reveal herself. And Preuss (who was her only friend) seemed to be avoiding her. Reluctantly she decided to face him herself. Standing and walking over to him, she raised her hood slightly so he could see her features, but the others couldn't.

"What's up with you?" she asked quietly, sitting in the grass next to him. 

Preuss didn't notice that Chloe had come over and started, instantly blushed, and turned away from her, saying nothing.

"Pre-uss!" Chloe half scolded/half whined.

"What," Preuss spat.

"What is wrong with you? You're acting more like an asshole than usual."

Preuss scowled more at that.

"Been taking lessons from Romano, I see," Chloe sighed. "Well, he is your brother-in-law..."

Still Preuss said nothing, though his blush was starting to die down. There was a moment of silence of Preuss mentally begging for Chloe to leave, and of Chloe trying to think of something that would get Preuss to go back to his old tsundere self.

Then, before the thought even crossed her mind, she found herself blurting out, "I've always thought that kilts on men were sexy."

Boom! insta-blush for both parties. Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes grew wide with shock. Preuss suddenly buried his face in his knees.