W-What the hell is going on over there!?
"Your name is pretty funny." One of the countless kids that was huddling around Cene noted.
"Thanks!" Cene happily replied, "I got it fwom papa."
"What's that book you're holding?" Another girl seemed interested in his picture book.
"It's my favowite book!" He smiled back immediately before opening it wide to show everyone, "Awoo, mom and dad taught me how to wead it!"
"Whoa, you know how to read?!" Some of the six year olds got super impressed, "Damn, even we don't know how to do that yet..."
"Haha, you guys are dumber than the new kid!" The eight year olds mocked them.
"S-Shut up, you!" The six year olds then grouped next to Cene, "It can't be that hard if this kid can do it! Right, little man?"
"Yeah, it's easy." Cene nodded, "Want me to teach you?"
"Nah, I'll just learn how to myself!" The older kid took the book right out of Cene's feeble hands, but Cene didn't seem to care all that much.
"Okay! I'll be in the sandpit playing with Allen, so call me if you need help." Cene nodded, the other kids laughing at the older kid's foiled bullying attempt.
"Yo Al, you friends with this kid?" Allen's friends snickered.
"W-Wuh, n-nah, totally not, man!" Allen tried to save face, "He's just my godbrother. My dad was his dad's best man, you see."
"Whoa, really!?" All of his friends immediately stopped all their mocking when they heard that, "You mean your dad, THE KING OF THIS CONTINENT, was this kid's dad's best man!? Who the hell is that guy, then?!"
"Papa is awesome!" Cene immediately went to praise me, "He twaveled awound the wowld, fought a bunch of beasts, and mom said he even died and woke up even aftew that!"
Hehe, Cene's praising me~! Damn, these kids are either not gonna believe Cene's words though, or they're gonna have a huge misunderstanding. From their surprised tone, I think these kids think I'm someone better than Adam to have him be my best man, whereas in reality we're just old friends. Eh, as long as Cene's not getting bullied... No, wait!
"Why the hell ISN'T he getting bullied!?" I voiced my issues with the kids' reception of Cene to Cecily and Adam, "When we were kids, Ed and I used to get bullied a ton just for having Green Eyes, so why is Cene getting way better treatment!?"
"I'm sorry, are you... sad that Cene is doing well with these kids?" Cecily looked annoyed, "Besides, kids convert from being Green Iros sometime around the age of 5, so seeing a four year old with Green Eyes isn't anything special."
"I concur, your son is doing very well for his first time out with kids his age." Adam agreed with Cecily, "He is handling every situation with the utmost grace and respect, not letting anyonr or anything get to him as he truthfully and honestly tackles each question. Something I personally believe you should be proud of, not angry at."
"But-!" I stuttered.
"Papa, papa!" Cene and his newfound friends ran towards our bench.
"Yes, son?" I smiled back nervously as all the kids looked at my face, "I-Is something the matter?"
"See! I told you his Eyes were Rainbow!" He proudly showcased me to all the other kids.
"Woah~!" The scrappy looking boys couldn't even contain their excitement, "Mister, mister! What color Iro are you?"
"Ha-ha, I was told that my Iro is Rainbow..." I looked away as I recalled Aru's diagnosis.
"Oooh!" The young girls swooned on and on, "He's so prim and proper - Like a prince! And his Eyes are really the color of a rainbow! So soothing! That beard, swoon!"
"Looks like you're quite popular with the youngins, dear." Cecily took the opportunity to tease me.
"Hm?" The girls finally noticed her presence, "Miss, who are you?"
"I am Cene's mother, Cecily Grimheart." She replied seriously before returning back to the teasing, "So I'm sorry to say, but this prince is already ta-!"
"SWOOOOOON!" The girls erupted even more as soon as they heard her reply, "She's so pretty, a perfect princess! And Red hair!? That's so rare, they really are straight out of a fairy tale!"
"Eh?" Cecily was caught off guard by the sudden change in their target.
"Lady, lady, are you and this hottie married?" One of the girls pointed to me as another girl interrupted her.
"What the hell is that question even!?" She corrected her, "Of course they're married! You can't have kids if you're not married!"
"Ah, about that..." I raised my finger, "Cene actually has an older sister. We adopted her when we were fifteen."
"P-Parents at fifteen!?" The girls eeked and aaaah'd, "Ohmigosh, so swoonnnnn~!"
Is swoon some new age slang I'm not familiar with? I mean, I can understand what it means, but is this really how kids these days talk? Dude, first it was those little boys who were talking about retirement funds, and now this? How strange... Wait, where's Cene? Oh, he lost interest in our little QnA a long time ago and went over to the sandpit to teach that kid that took his picture book how to read. How nice, they seem to be getting along together.
"Whoa!" One of the boys noticed my finger, "Sir, your pinkie is missing!"
"Oh, this?" I had no qualms about showing off my left hand, "I lost it while on an expedition. Our team was stranded all the way up in Sibirus!"
"Sibirus? Where's that?" The kids tilted their heads.
"You guys ever seen the map of the world?" I borrowed one of the kids' cool looking stick to draw on the soil beneath me, "Basically, if we're over here, at the very center of the map, then Sibirus is all the way up top. Right here!"
"Ooohhhh~!" Everyone gawked, "So cool!"
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Ahem, Lune?" Adam chuckled as he pointed out, "You made a slight flub. You said we're in Trivis Numerica, when we're actually over to the left in Centralis."
"Ah. So I did..." I sighed as I handed the kid his stick back, "Guess I'm feeling a little homesick, after all."
"Lune..." Cecily gave me an understanding tone.
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"You wanna go visit your folks in Entropa?!" Ed and Anna gasped as they heard me out.
"Yeah, I just can't accept the idea of not getting their blessings for the wedding." I sighed, "Man, they really should have just come over, I even sent them some money for the travel fees, crap..."
"Well, your old man was never really all that amicable in general." Ed shrugged, "I say why not? Go over there and give them a piece of your mind while you flaunt the happiness you achieved with your own hands!"
"Are Lune's parents really that bad?" Anna seemed skeptical, "Back when we briefly ran into them when you came back, they seemed just like a normal married couple that's scared and looking for their runaway son."
"Mn, I wouldn't say they ever hated him, quite the contrary, actually." Ed sighed, "But I'm sure they searched all over for years, so now when they probably gave up, he shows himself and offers to invite them back into his life. I could see how they would think of Grim as some sort of stuck up ungrateful son if he presented himself like that in the letter."
Certainly, I've been told mom and dad have never really given up their search for me. Sigmund mentioned before that it's thanks to dad and his strong words that Ed's family managed to escape the warzone in time. Eleanor later told me in a half-joking tone that dad's favorite way to pass the time is to go looking for me around the country. Heh, that idiot, he still thought I never left the country... But then he got a letter that I'm actually across the world. Yeah, he must've felt like he had wasted all this time for nothing, so he probably doesn't even wanna see my face... Should I even go and see them, then?
"I don't care what they think of Lune." Cecily decidedly announced, "Cause I wanna meet them and show them their grandkids."
"Huh?" We all stood shocked, "You wanna bring Nelly along for the ride too?"
"No, her studies take priority." She shook her head before whipping out her wallet, "I'm talking about this!"
"Ah, you wanna show them a picture of her." I smiled, though I must admit I felt pretty bummed that we weren't actually gonna have her come with, "Nifty."
"So, are you gonna be departing soon, then?" Anna thought to ask, "How long are you planning to stay?"
"It's a surprise visit, so much so that it honestly surprised us just as much as it will them." I chuckled, "We're thinking of going soon, though. But how long we'll be staying depends on how long they're willing to put up with us."
"Yeah, that letter of reply they sent over is still kind of pissing me off." Cecily furrowed her brows, "I wanna know why it is they sent such a stupidly rude letter to their son and give them a piece of my mind!"
"Man, it's gonna get lonely without you guys." Ed smirked, "Issei, Othelia, Eleanor and Aru are going on their own trip, and now you three will be going as well. Don't leave us all alone here with my parents, guys, geez..."
"Don't say that." Anna laughed, just as carefree as ever, "We've got Nat and the Gryses."
"Maybe you've got Nat and Elaine, since you girls are all friends." Ed slumped forward, "I, on the other hand, have to resort to being around King Perfect whenever I wanna kill time."
"You mean Protein Powerhouse?" I recalled another nickname we gave Adam recently behind his back.
"Yeah, that's the one." He dapped me up, but held onto my hand for a while as he made sure to tell me seriously, "Be careful out there. Take care of Cecily and Cene, and please come back soon."
"Geez, honey, are you gonna splash water in front of the doors for good luck next?" Anna teased, "Such a worrywart."
"I'm just saying." Ed finally let go of my hand, "I of all people know how awkward families can get. I'm just wishing my homeboy good luck."
"Well, that's actually why we went to your guys' house to tell you." I added, "We wanted to ask if you'd like to come with us and-"
"No." Ed replied without skipping a beat.
"Absolutely not." Anna shook her head, "Sorry guys, but this is your business. Besides, Ed's got his clinic to run, and neither of us have anything to do in Entropa anymore, really."
"Oh right, Arthur's in Lichtenstelle with Harper and Carl, and Ed's folks are here with us." I recalled, "Still, I thought it fair to ask, at least."
"We appreciate it, but we'll have to pass." Ed politely declined, "Now, with that over with, how about some coffee?"
"No, we should go home and tell Aru and the others." Cecily replied, "Oh, and when we do go, can we entrust you guys with the key to the house?"
"Sure, I'll keep it tidy for you until you come back." Anna nodded.
"Yeah, you can count on us." Ed smirked.
I know that smirk. With us gone and the key to our empty house in their possession, this asshat is surely going to shag his wife in it without anyone to interrupt them. I know that for a fact without him even having to say it at this point, because he's voiced his complaints to Issei and me countless times before about how he couldn't really get it on with his parents in the house, and Anna apparently dislikes having to go all the way to the town for them to find a motel to spend the night in. Tch, he better not try anything on our bed, I sleep there, dammit!