Blood Lily

Warmth and motherly love.

I had known Magnolia for no more than a single day, but these feelings were so tangible as she buried me in a hug so tight that it was hard to think she was never my mother.

"Come to visit mother on her day off already? My, what a surprise," she sweetly said as she maintained her embrace.

"A-Amber and Millie were showing me around the house..." I said still shocked by her brazen display of love.

She loosened her grip on me and sat us both up on the couch, her hug transitioning into a headpat as she gave an appreciative look towards my friends.

"Oh? I see. How has he enjoyed the tour?" Magnolia asked them.

"He certainly enjoyed meeting our colleagues, as I'm sure 'Mister Batler' can attest to," Amber dutifully teased.

"He's very eager to see the garden, you should have seen his face smooshed against the window," Millie dutifully teased.

My face turned a shade of scarlet deeper than my eyes.

"I- I, uh... I just called him that on the spot, and I was just trying to look out the window, so..."

Magnolia gave me a light hug, putting a halt to my defensive reasoning.

"You really have made friends, haven't you? I'm glad you've been enjoying your time here," she said, quelling my embarrassment and replacing it with an odd sense of pride.

I looked back at Amber and Millie and saw the smiles they both had. I really did make friends.

"Thank you," I said to Magnolia, "for letting them speak casually around me."

She booped the seriousness out of my nose.

"Anything for my beautiful boy," she said before making a slight nod towards my friends.

"We'll wait outside, Lil', see you later," they waved to me before exiting the room.

After they shut the door, Magnolia and I were sitting alone in the room dimly lit by the tv.

"Lil', huh?" Magnolia started, "Is that what-"

She gently placed a hand on the top of my head.

"What's wrong?" she concerningly asked. "You're not smiling anymore."

"I..."

I wasn't sure, actually. I didn't realize I had stopped smiling, or that I had been smiling up to a point, for that matter. Before I could say anything more, however, my stomach made a startlingly loud grumble, making my cheeks return to a light scarlet hue.

"Oh? Hungry? Well, fortunately for you," she said as she pulled the table closer to us, "I still have half of a hot pizza just begging to be finished."

"B-but, isn't this yours?" I said, eyeing the melted cheese. I may have been tempted earlier, but that's as far as I would get; tempted.

To my surprise, she seemed rather annoyed.

"I'm your mother and that means we're family. What's mine is yours, and that includes takeout pizza."

I was still hesitant. Unlike yesterday's meal, this one felt like it was only ever meant for her. Not me.

But, I wanted to believe what she was saying, I wanted to believe she's really my mother, so...

"O-ok," I said and grabbed a fresh slice, gobbling down mankind's greatest creation.

"Hey," she laughed, "I'm glad you're eating, but you don't have to eat so fast."

"Oh, r-right," I agreed as I started on my second slice much slower.

"So," she started again, "they were calling you Lil'. Did you name yourself that or...?"

"Um," I said licking a bit of sauce off my cheek, "I heard them say it, so I suggested they keep calling me that... but it's just a nickname."

"I see... Good, I was hoping to show you something special in the garden before you decide on a name," she said.

"What you wanted to show me is in the garden?" I asked. "But, Amber and Millie said I couldn't see it until we get more sunsilk, which will take over a week..."

"Usually they would be right, however, I'm sure I can pull some strings. I'm not the head of House O'Sang for no reason, you know, even if I hate the political side of things. I have a meeting with the head of House A'Ketsueki tomorrow, so I'll see if I they have any spare sunsilk available," she winked with confidence.

"Really? Thank you!" I happily said. Maybe I would get to see the garden sooner than hoped.

"Mhmm, but even if they can spare some, it will still take a few days at most," she clarified.

"Ok," I said contently, both from her words and from finishing my slice.

During the silence that had settled while I wiped my face and hands with a napkin, she leaned heavily into the arm of the couch, sighing as she let her silver hair flow off the side.

Her eyes glanced over at the tv, tracing the word "PAUSED."

"You've never played a video game, have you? Or any game?" she asked me.

I shook my head.

"Here," she said as she handed me the controller. "Ah, but this one might be a bit complicated if you've never played... one moment."

While I stared at the weird device in my hands, she messed around with the box near the tv. The screen changed and, before I knew it, there was no longer the word "PAUSED." Instead, there were two short lines on both sides of the screen and a dot bouncing back and forth between them.

I tilted my head like a confused puppy.

"What's this? And, actually, what's a video game...?"

"Entertainment," she said with an oddly competitive grin. "This one is as simple as it gets. Just move the stick up and down to control the bar on the left. The goal is to block the ball and bounce it past the opponent's bar. Give it a try."

Nodding, I moved the stick up and so did the bar.

"I-it moved!" I said still fiddling around with the stick, "is this magic? Alchemy, maybe?"

"No, this isn't magic and, wait, when did you learn about-"

"I did it!" I pridefully interrupted her.

The ball had bounced past the bar of my "opponent," granting me my first taste of victory. I was beaming with a confident smile.

"Oh, did you now? Think you can do it again?" she asked with a thin brow raised.

"Yup, it's easy, watch!" I proudly claimed.

As the dot bulleted towards my bar, I expertly timed an upward movement with the control stick, redirecting it towards my opponent's opening. Knowing victory was assured, I smiled at Magnolia.

"What are you looking at me for?" she said, flashing me a second controller in her hands.

I looked back at the screen and saw the ball heading towards the opening on my side. Panicking, I rushed to move my bar in the ball's path but failed to make it in time, granting me my first taste of defeat. My mouth was agape in frustration.

"B-but, that's not fair! I wasn't looking..."

"No buts! Only another round to prove your skill... unless you think it's too difficult," she taunted with great effectiveness.

"It's easy, you just cheated! I'll do it this time, for sure," I said, puffing my cheeks up in a pouty fury.

And so we spent who knows how long bouncing the ball back and forth. After a few bounces, it always ended up past my bar, but I was determined to earn my second taste of victory. Eventually, it got to the point where I could bounce it back enough times that the ball began increasing in speed, making it difficult to keep up with... but even so, I was determined.

-Meanwhile, as Lil' and Magnolia's fierce battle rages on, Amber and Millie converse just outside the room.-

"Hey sis, just finished fixing Lil's mirror. Is he still inside with Lady Magnolia?" Millie asked Amber.

"Yeah, she's teaching him how to play his first game, I think. Haven't checked in a while, though. Want to?" she replied.

"You know it!" Millie happily answered.

Cracking the door open just an inch, the spying maids peered inside.

"W-what in the..." the shocked maids said in unison.

Though they couldn't tell which one was Lil' and which one was Magnolia from behind in the dimly lit room, what they could see was the impossible speeds of the ball bouncing so fast it seemed like a laser being reflected.

"S-since when could the game even process that fast, let alone people?" Millie quietly asked. "Here I thought I could give Lady Magnolia a challenge..."

"Wow... that's two Great Vampires for you," Amber whispered.

"I did it! I finally did it!" Lil' exploded in a cheerful tone with arms held high in the air.

As Lady Magnolia clapped, the maids were shocked even further.

"H-he beat her?" Millie questioned.

"Seems like it, wow..." Amber added before shutting the door.

-Back inside the loungeroom, as Lil' celebrates victory-

I couldn't believe it, my determination had paid off! 

As I sat back down and Magnolia finished her applause, I could see how pleased she was.

"You became rather good at this rather fast," she admitted with a proud smile. "Faster than I did."

"R-really? Faster than you?" I asked, astonished.

"Mhmm, I didn't actually expect you to beat me in just a few hours."

Several hours had passed? Wow, time sure can fly when you're having fun.

She rested her elbow on the arm of the couch.

"This was almost as fun as my work," she said, yawning.

"Oh, right, Amber and Millie said you had today off. What do you usually do?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.

She smiled a wicked smile.

"I'm a hunter."