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“Check this out!”
Dette leaned over the edge of her bunk and showed her phone to Tatsu with a bright smile. He wordlessly raised an eyebrow.
“It’s the perfect idea for Mum and Akko’s Valentine’s Day! Seriously, one night only Shiny Chariot on Ice, in Blytonbury?”
“Why are they bringing it back now—”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to tell them!”
“…You’re telling me you don’t have an elaborate plan to make them think of the idea themselves?” Tatsu’s normally subdued tone had a noted tinge of surprise.
“Nope! I’m twelve years old now, so that means that I’m above such harebrained schemes.” Dette had gotten into old detective novels and quite liked the word “harebrained.”
“Sure.”
Without another word, Tatsu turned back to Ascomycete Fungi of North America: A Mushroom Reference Guide. Dette nearly leaped off the bunk and raced off to the family room.
“Akko! There’s a thing I want to show you—”
The room was empty. Hm. Usually this time-of-day Akko was here playing the new Pokemon game. Dette scanned the room, looking for clues. The pillows seemed to be in order on the couch, which meant Mum had probably been here last. Akko never put them back the right way. Dette caught sight of a book lying on the table. Aoi Hana, a dead giveaway for Mum. Looks like Dette had cracked the case.
Wait, what was Dette looking for again? Right! She wanted to find where Akko was. Her eyes came to rest on the dock for the Switch.
“Bingo.”
The dock was empty. Akko must have gone out somewhere. No problem. Dette could just text the link to the family group chat, and everything would be solved. She pulled out her phone, and what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.
Greetings all Shiny Chariot Fans!
We regret to announce that all tickets for the Shiny Chariot on Ice Performance on February 14, 2022, have been sold.
We encourage all fans to follow our Twitter @callistisentertainment for updates on future performances.
A believing heart is your magic!
- Shiny Chariot Production Committee, Ltd.
Three hours of research, one deep dive into Reddit, and a call to the Shiny Chariot Fan Club later, Dette had found hope. There were still tickets available to the show as grand prizes at arcades around the city. And, by a stroke of luck, that included an arcade just a few blocks away from their apartment. Dette ran back to her room, emptied her piggy bank, and ran off down the stairs.
The way to the arcade was quick, although Dette was still getting used to the area. She was one of the fastest runners in her year though, and she arrived at the arcade after barely breaking a sweat.
“D…dette…please…”
Oh yeah, Dette had dragged Tatsu along too.
“Alright! Now we just have to win, uh, 300,000 tickets. That should be enough for us to take home two grand prize tickets so Mum and Akko can go on their date.”
“And…” Tatsu paused to catch his breath. “…how can I help with that?”
Dette fixed Tatsu with a mischievous stare.
“You and I are going to play skee ball.”
It turned out, Tatsu was a skee ball natural. He was racking up 360 points nearly every game, and the tickets were flowing like water. Meanwhile, Dette had very nearly gotten them kicked out for breaking a window, which was only made more impressive by the fact that the window was behind them. After just a few hours, it looked like they had enough.
They ran over to the ticket counter and fed their ticket stacks in one by one. Dette thought it was really satisfying to watch the numbers on the ticket machine go up and up. As their tickets dwindled, she thought it might not be enough, but as they fed in the last stack, the glowing number spelled out victory.
300,574
“Yatta!”
Dette turned to her side in surprise.
“Tatsu?”
“…Sorry.”
“Awww…you do care!” Dette engulfed him in a big hug.
“Dette. If you do not get off me this instant your breakfast will have mushrooms in it for a week.”
Dette broke the hug immediately. She knew from experience that this was not an idle threat.
Tatsu stood inside the foyer, waiting for his moms to get home.
He knew he wasn’t really supposed to use that term for Diana yet, but that’s how he thought of her.
The rattle of the doorknob got Tatsu’s attention.
“We’re home.”
“Tadaima!”
“Okaeri.”
“Oh! Tatsu, what are you doing there?” Akko seemed more than a little surprised to see him standing there.
“Dette and I have a present for you.”
He held out the two tickets.
“For Valentine’s Day.”
Diana jumped forward.
“Oh goodness. Is this Shiny Chariot on Ice? It is!” Diana leaped forward and took Tatsu up in a big hug.
“Thank you so much!”
Tatsu felt very proud that day.
The Met Office has issued a winter storm warning this 14th day of February, 2022, for South West England…including Bath, Wells, Blytonbury, and surrounding areas…the public is advised to ensure that they have an adequate supply of food and water and to avoid all travel until further notice…
“Hey Di,” Akko said forlornly, “I just got a text. It looks like the show’s cancelled. They said they’ll reschedule it but it’s gonna be a while.”
“I’m sorry love. I expected as much, but it’s still sad when the kids put in so much hard work.”
“I know…” Akko curled up in a little ball on the couch.
“Tell you what love, why don’t we take this opportunity to have a family night in? I know it can be hard with my work and all, so I think it could be fun!”
Akko perked up a little.
“With the kids too?”
“Of course! I was thinking we could watch something new as a family instead.”
“It sounds like you have an idea brewing Ms. Cavendish.”
“You know me too well. I really wanted to watch a show called Revue Starlight with you all.”
“Revue Starlight?”
“It’s about these girls who fight to achieve their dreams as actresses. It’s notable for its Ikuhara-esque symbolism and explorations of the interaction between artists and the systems that shape them.”
“Uh huh.”
“It’s also gay.”
“You have my full support.”
“Dette! Tatsu! Come over here! We’re having family movie night!”
Two pairs of footsteps came thumping down the stairs. Dette, of course, arrived first.
“But aren’t you two going to…oh.”
Tatsu looked up, his face soon matching her forlorn expression.
“Don’t worry! I think it’ll be fun to spend the day with you all anyway.” Diana tried to cheer everyone up.
“Look, we’re going to watch this show, Revue Starlight—”
“It’s gay isn’t it.” Dette cut Diana off.
“…yes it is dear.”
“Awesome!”
Sometimes that girl was too smart for her own good.
“Oh, so the black-haired girl is seemingly aloof and reserved but really she cares deeply about Karen and wants to make her happy and is also super cool and talented?” Akko rambled.
“That seems to be the case.”
“I think I’m going to like this.”
“Is that a giraffe?” Tatsu nearly shouted.
“I think so?” Diana replied. She didn’t get much further before Dette interjected.
“Ahh, I think I understand what they’re going for,” Dette rambled, “the symbolism of this show has already contained a number of clear allusions to the Takarazuka Revue. Notice, for example, the stairs in the opening dialogue about Starlight. Now, Takarazuka is well known to focus heavily on height, where only the taller otokoyaku can become top star, unlike the shorter musumeyaku. Interestingly, the most masculine character we’ve seen so far, Isurugi Futaba, is also the shortest, so suspect this will be a focus of the series. The giraffe being a notoriously tall animal likely implies a symbolic role that will be explored later.”
“Dette, you really are something else,” Akko commented, even though she wasn’t really surprised.
“Ever higher and even brighter still! Illuminating the horizon…”
“Oh my God,” the whole family commented, “this is awesome.”
“Alright children, we should probably stop here for tonight. You have school tomorrow—” Diana was cut off by the buzzing of her phone.
Classes tomorrow are cancelled at North Blytonbury…
“…I suppose we can finish the series then.”
A few hours and even more emotional roller coasters later, the family reached the end of the movie. It was late, and the world outside was blanketed with snow.
“It’s time to get you children to bed.” Diana got up, not more than a little tired herself.
“Diana, wait.”
“What is it Akko?”
“I have…something I want to tell you. I was going to do it at the performance tonight, but I actually feel like it will be better with the whole family here.”
“Oh?”
“Diana, the past year together has been one of the best of my life. I love being together with you. I love raising the kids together. And…I want to us to make one family together.”
“…Akko”
Akko kneeled down and produced a small case from her back pocket.
“Diana Cavendish, will you marry me?”
“Yes!”
“Yay!” Dette and Tatsu shouted in unison.
Akko slipped the ring onto Diana’s finger, and she gave Diana’s hand a soft caress. Diana brought her up a little closer.
One might say the environment wasn’t terribly romantic. There were still snacks on the table. The credits of an anime were still playing in the background. There were two shouting kids on the couch.
But for Diana and Akko, as they leaned in for a kiss…
It was perfect.