Mahou Madness!

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Heh... I'm gonna need it!"
She replied as the game started, Luca wasn't terrible, but she wasn't going to be competing in tournaments any time soon, or beating Namiko with anything less than a total fluke.
Still though she was happy to keep playing and keep getting smashed as she tried to pull out a win, the smile on her face showing that she was actually really enjoying herself.

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko did good, but less good than she would have, because she spent so much time looking at Luca and her smiling face. She wanted to protect that smile, to keep it there as long as possible. She never wanted it to go away.

Worse or not, Namiko still won, one stock remaining. She leaned back, smiling. "That was a good battle," she said. "You did good dodging some of my attacks."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Luca smiled as she soaked up the praise, as little as it was it still did wonders.
"Thanks! You are so good at this game! I never had a chance".
She admitted, apparently not sad at all about being dominated.
A moment later the sound of a door opening rang out through the big empty house.
"Lucas? You here?!"
A man's voice rang out, causing Luca to freeze up.
"P..papa is here..."

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko raised her eyebrow. Luca was obviously worried, but...

...Wait. She was still wearing the dress.

"Shoot," she said. "Quick, get dressed. Or at least get undressed," she said. It was a flimsy plan, but it was the best she had at the moment, having been put on the spot so quickly.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Umm... Okay!"
Luca ran over to her closet and pulled out some jeans and a random shirt with a bear's face on it, quickly pulling the dress off over her head and then dressing as her father approached, and opened the door just as she got the shirt on... Luca still looked very girly...
"Lucas? What have you done to your hair? Are those extensions?"
Her father asked before turning to Namiko.
"A girl?... Huh... That's a first".
The man looked nothing like Luca, he was tall, thin and imposing, his dark hair incredibly neat and his dark suit impeccable.

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko had to keep from sighing in relief when Luca got her shirt on in time. The sight of her father - a classical businessman, tough and sharply dressed, suggesting a comsos' worth of ambition - was a bit shocking, considering how Luca was. She didn't back down though, smiling politely and bowing. "Hello, sir. My name is Kasahara Namiko, and I'm...Lucas's friend," she explained, tripping slightly over the name.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Luca seemed to flinch when she was called Lucas... Having apparently already gotten used to her shorter, more feminine new name rather than her old one...
"I see... Well what did I tell you Lucas? You were bound to make some friends eventually... But really, you look like a girl... People will pick on you if you don't man up... I'll talk to your mother about a haircut".
He declared, causing Luca to look away.
"Umm... Thanks papa... Uhh... I'm sure it will look good..."

 

[twinkletide]

Namiko felt this line of conversation was getting uncomfortable, especially given her use of Luca's old name, so she switched gears. "Speaking of that, is Mrs. Tasman here with you as well? I'd like to meet her too."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Oh! Yes, she's just downstairs, we met up before returning here..."
At the mention of her mother Luca perked up, clearly there was a little parental favoritism going on here...
"Umm... Papa... Can Namiko stay over?..."
Luca almost squeaked as she spoke, causing her father to stop and think.
"Hmm... A girl staying over... Alright, but she has to use the guest room..."

 

[twinkletide]

She smiled again. "Thank you, Mr. Tasman," she said, glancing with relief at Luca. It wasn't ideal, but hell, this went a lot better than it could have. "Anyways, I'll go down to meet your wife," she said, walking out of the room and descending the stairs.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Once down the stair they found who could only be Luca's mother, she was clearly where she got her looks from, her mother was short, with the same cute round face and silky hair, and a bright cheerful smile only slightly offset by the exhaustion clear in her eyes, very likely from over work, but her job was important enough that she couldn't just stop...
"Oh Lucas! Don't you just look adorable today!~ And who is this? Did you make a friend?"
She asked, clearly a lot more friendly than the father.

 

[twinkletide]

When they met Luca's mother the difference was incredibly stark. Where the father was somewhat domineering, imposing, the mother was friendly, bright. Her age showed only through her eyes, intelligent and focused, yet with the same exhaustion that marks any working parent. Namiko's smile immediately grew more relaxed and less forced.

"Hello, ma'am," she said, bowing. "My name is Namiko. Me and Lucas met a week ago."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Ahh, I see, well I am so glad he has made a good friend... Ever since Drew stopped hanging out with him poor Lucas had been lonely".
She commented, seeming a little wistful as she likely remembered something.
"But what is this change Lucas? Long hair... Smoother skin and it looks like you lost weight! And it looks like you have something smudged on your face..."
She stated, causing Luca to enter a bit of panic mode... She had been experimenting with makeup and not cleaned it all!

 

[twinkletide]

Who was Drew? Namiko mentally logged the new name, intending to ask Luca about it later.

Luca's panic upon her mother noticing her makeup was not lost on Namiko, who thought quickly. "It's probably just baking powder or something," she said. "S...He cooked for me earlier. Your son is a great cook, by the way," she said.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Ahh... I see, yes that makes sense... He always has been a great cook! Puts me to shame really... I struggle to keep up really... Though... That was an odd slip of the tongue there... Are you okay?"
She asked, having noticed the pronoun mix up.
"Ahh! Mama... You taught me to cook though... You're great!"
Luca declared to change the topic, which seemed to work.

"You know Namiko, it surprises me that Lucas cooked for you... He hasn't cooked for other since... Well it must have been since Drew stopped coming over...."

 

[twinkletide]

Well. Now was as good of a time as any to ask, she supposed. "Who was Drew, if you don't mind me asking? Lucas never told me about a Drew. A former friend?" Well, that was obvious; the real question was what happened to him.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Luca seemed to go pale as Namiko asked that and her mother nodded.
"Ahh... I am not surprised... Drew used to be Lucas's best friend, they were inseparable and hung out every day, but then for some reason Drew stopped talking to him... And Lucas refused to talk about it..."
She gave a concerned glance to Luca.

 

[twinkletide]

To be honest, Namiko barely listened to her mother's explanation. The fact that they were former friends was obvious. She paid attention, however, to Luca, how her head dipped in shame as her mother talked about it, how concerned her mother seemed with her. It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it.

"I see," Namiko said, nodding. "Well it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Tasman. Lucas, do you want to play more games or something?" She glanced meaningfully at Luca.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Ahh yes, I hope to see you again sweetie, Lucas does so need more friends... You two have fun!"
She said with a smile.

"Umm... Yeah... Games or... Something".
Luca agreed, heading for the stairs with another forced smile, it looked almost exactly like her regular one, except it was somehow less bright, less Luca and more Lucas.

 

[twinkletide]

They both sat down on the carpet in front of the TV. They were still stuck on the win screen, Robin clapping in the background as Corrin struck a fancy pose. They did not play, but rather stared at the scene as if there were some subliminal message hidden in the gestures.

"You don't want to talk about it, do you?" Namiko was the first to speak. She continued to stare at the screen, without a single glance at Luca.