“Mom, my hair’s fine,” you say, trying to smooth your hair down. You can’t really see, everything’s blurry, and your hands press against the vanity’s surface as you try to find your glasses.
She just gives a distasteful grump and combs your hair a little harder. You hiss, but your fingers knock against your glasses, and you slip them on before she continues. Your hair is bright silver, your eyes are a pale seagreen. You frown, watching the freckles on your pale face before you continue, most of your face dwarfed by your glasses. You’re only around seven, after all. “Do I really have to go? There’s not gonna be any kids there.”
“Of course there will be,” your mom replies, lifting her comb and looking at you in the mirror. Dressed in her best, her long platinum blond hair are a few shades darker than silver, but not by much—it’s clear to see where your eyes came from, and your pale skin, but you wish it didn’t make you look so similar. “Besides, you’ll be going alone to these kinds of parties when you’re older.”
“Why? Can’t Aki just go to them?”
“Sweetheart,” she sighs. “Aki needs to go to university.”
“Well, won’t I go?” you frown and peer up at your mother, and she puffs up.
“We need you to take care of the house and the family,” she says, and applies a little bit of gel to your hair, slicking it back. “Aki shouldn’t have to do that, he’s the oldest. That’s why daddy’s in the mainland and your uncle stays on Destiny Islands. There—don’t you look smart?”
You make a face at both claims. “I look dumb.”
She sighs, and just steps back, beckoning you to get up. You turn around, stumbling a little as you pull on your pint-sized suit, and she fixes the bowtie.
“You look very sharp.”
“What’s that mean?”
“That means that you look really nice.”
You aren’t convinced.
The doorbell rings, and immediately you take off. You know who it is—your best friend in the world. Well, one of them.
When you open the door, Sora beams at you, a little dirty, looking like he’s been sparring with the others. “Hey, Riku! Wow, you look fancy! Y’wanna come out and play? Or are you playing dress up?”
“Am not,” you say, a long-suffering sigh escaping your mouth, just before your mother shrieks.
“Get back in the house, young man! You’ll get dirty!”
You cringe, and Sora looks concerned, taking a few quick steps back. Your mother glares at your best friend and slams the door in his face, not even allowing you to answer.
As she glowers down at you, you frown, dipping your head down. “He was just asking to play!”
“Riku, you can’t keep playing around with people of that background,” she says, taking you hand and tugging you along. “It’s unsightly. What would the neighbors think?”
“That I’ve got friends?” You grumble, surly.
“What about that nice girl, Kairi?”
“She’s probably playing with Sora, too!” You say, frustrated. Your mother sighs, and she picks up her skirts as she bends down on one knee, hands on your shoulders.
“Honey, there are things we don’t do,” she says, her gaze stern and level. “Kairi can do as she pleases—she’s the mayor’s child, whatever she does won’t affect his standing. You, on the other hand, are going to represent our family as you get older. You have to set the best example, you have to be the best.”
You frown and then stare at the ground before you just sigh. “Yes, mom.”
1/2 (memory)
She just gives a distasteful grump and combs your hair a little harder. You hiss, but your fingers knock against your glasses, and you slip them on before she continues. Your hair is bright silver, your eyes are a pale seagreen. You frown, watching the freckles on your pale face before you continue, most of your face dwarfed by your glasses. You’re only around seven, after all. “Do I really have to go? There’s not gonna be any kids there.”
“Of course there will be,” your mom replies, lifting her comb and looking at you in the mirror. Dressed in her best, her long platinum blond hair are a few shades darker than silver, but not by much—it’s clear to see where your eyes came from, and your pale skin, but you wish it didn’t make you look so similar. “Besides, you’ll be going alone to these kinds of parties when you’re older.”
“Why? Can’t Aki just go to them?”
“Sweetheart,” she sighs. “Aki needs to go to university.”
“Well, won’t I go?” you frown and peer up at your mother, and she puffs up.
“We need you to take care of the house and the family,” she says, and applies a little bit of gel to your hair, slicking it back. “Aki shouldn’t have to do that, he’s the oldest. That’s why daddy’s in the mainland and your uncle stays on Destiny Islands. There—don’t you look smart?”
You make a face at both claims. “I look dumb.”
She sighs, and just steps back, beckoning you to get up. You turn around, stumbling a little as you pull on your pint-sized suit, and she fixes the bowtie.
“You look very sharp.”
“What’s that mean?”
“That means that you look really nice.”
You aren’t convinced.
The doorbell rings, and immediately you take off. You know who it is—your best friend in the world. Well, one of them.
When you open the door, Sora beams at you, a little dirty, looking like he’s been sparring with the others. “Hey, Riku! Wow, you look fancy! Y’wanna come out and play? Or are you playing dress up?”
“Am not,” you say, a long-suffering sigh escaping your mouth, just before your mother shrieks.
“Get back in the house, young man! You’ll get dirty!”
You cringe, and Sora looks concerned, taking a few quick steps back. Your mother glares at your best friend and slams the door in his face, not even allowing you to answer.
As she glowers down at you, you frown, dipping your head down. “He was just asking to play!”
“Riku, you can’t keep playing around with people of that background,” she says, taking you hand and tugging you along. “It’s unsightly. What would the neighbors think?”
“That I’ve got friends?” You grumble, surly.
“What about that nice girl, Kairi?”
“She’s probably playing with Sora, too!” You say, frustrated. Your mother sighs, and she picks up her skirts as she bends down on one knee, hands on your shoulders.
“Honey, there are things we don’t do,” she says, her gaze stern and level. “Kairi can do as she pleases—she’s the mayor’s child, whatever she does won’t affect his standing. You, on the other hand, are going to represent our family as you get older. You have to set the best example, you have to be the best.”
You frown and then stare at the ground before you just sigh. “Yes, mom.”