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“For the love of the gods would you stop!?”
“Aw… scared little boy?”
“You’re both so childish…”
“What was that!?”
Rhajat buried her face in her hands. She was so embarrassed that her Father was acting like this. She loved him to death, but he could be so frustrating to watch. How could a scary story shake him so much? She could honestly tell something way more scary than Azama if she wanted to.
To be fair, he wasn’t any better. Firstly, he was getting on her nerves attacking him like this. Secondly, he was such a huge bully of a man. If her girlfriend wasn’t right next to her, she may have hexed him for messing with her family. And even then she was still considering it.
That wasn’t even taking Saizo into account. He wanted to act like he was so above the two of them, when in reality he was just as bad. Just because he wasn’t getting as involved didn’t mean he was so free of sin.
At the very least she wasn’t alone. Mitama was sighing, and Asugi was pinching the bridge of his nose. All three of them were pretty frustrated with what was going on. All of their Dads were arguing about nonsense.
That wasn’t out of the ordinary, but that didn’t mean they liked it. Rhajat had stood up a few times to do something, she wasn’t sure what, but something. Every time, Asugi or Mitama would stop her. She got it, she really did. Yet, it didn’t make her any less annoyed.
She could easily yell, or hex, or something. But her moral compass, also known as her partners, were stopping her. Which wasn’t helping her mood. Even if she understood why they felt the need to do that. Emotions could be stronger than logic after all.
“What do you suppose we do then!?” She harshly whispered.
“I don’t know!” Asugi replied. “But hexing them or whatever isn’t going to solve anything either! It’s just going to make them angrier, probably at each other!”
She sighed, he had a point. They’d just use it as an excuse to yell at each other further. They just wanted more and more reason to give each other heat. She wasn’t even sure how or why they didn’t get along. They just sort of… didn’t.
Well, that wasn’t completely true. Azama being a jerk to everyone he met was probably playing a big part. That inherently clashed with Hayato’s pride. Saizo could be a bit of a jerk too, but it was nothing compared to Azama. That wasn’t to say Hayato was blameless though. It wasn’t like he was a bastion of purity. He was pretty damn childish, so he’d always take the bait. It was possible that they were all too similar. So they just, inherently clashed with each other.
“Come on shorty, your temper is like the opposite of your height! It was just a story, it wasn’t real!”
“Yeah, well my fist hitting your face is!”
“That wasn’t clever.” Saizo snarked.
Asugi rubbed his chin. “We could lock them in a room together.”
“As if that’d work.” Mitama replied. “Perhaps a near death experience will have them realize they’re more similar than different. Such as fighting a few faceless?”
“We’re not doing that.” He deadpanned.
“Asugi you fool./Our Fathers won’t really die/They just think they will.”
“We’re not going to traumatize our Fathers Mitama!” Asugi insisted.
“They do say fighting alongside people is the fastest way to friendship…” Rhajat mused.
“We’re. Not. Doing. That.”
Rhajat frowned, even if she knew he was right. Maybe they should pocket that, just in case they need a last resort though… Either way, it wasn’t happening now. Rhajat watched as the trio continued to drive each other mad. Azama, Hayato, and Saizo were all trading barbs, and there were no signs of them slowing down. Hayato was, of course, the most animated and upset. He was waving his arms around like a mad man, his face red with anger. Azama looked like he was having the time of his life. He had his hands on his hips, leaning forward with a stupid grin. And Saizo was sitting in a chair with folded legs and a neutral expression.
“Should we even be discussing this in front of them?” Mitama wondered.
Asugi shrugged. “They’re not listening to us right now.
“You wanna take this outside?” Saizo asked smirking.
“How barbaric…” Azama replied. “Must we resort to violence? When our words are doing just fine. It’s not my fault you two can’t keep up.”
“Case in point.” Asugi added.
“Judging by Father’s expression, Azama is about to get a wind spell in his ass if we don’t step in…” Rhajat noted.
Mitama rolled her eyes. “Such tension and rage/Why are these men so silly/They must be stopped soon.”
“Leave it to me…” Asugi begrudgingly said.
He stood up and put a hand on his Father’s shoulder, which seemingly brought him back to reality. How these hot heads managed to create the three of them, Rhajat was unsure. Sure Mitama had her moments of rudeness, but she never went as far as her Father. Asugi, like Saizo, had his own code of honor but was incredibly lax otherwise. Rhajat, well she liked to think of herself as mature. At least, more so than her own Father. Then again, that wasn’t saying much.
It seemed that the three of them were going to go their separate ways for now. Meaning that the trio would have to figure things out another time. At least they’d be able to actually focus without the sounds of 3 men screaming at each other. If it was this bad, she had no idea how the fact that the three were in a relationship would go over. They probably wouldn’t even mind the fact that they were in a 3 way relationship. Their problem would be the fact that it meant these people would have to spend even more time together.
Hayato was pretty open minded, having her for a daughter. Saizo had loosened up since he reconciled with Asugi. And Azama probably didn’t really care. Then again, perhaps that’s just what they needed. Perhaps that knowledge would make them shape up. It was about as likely as the opposite, so it was a gamble. If there was one thing all 3 of them could agree upon, it was that they loved their kids. Even if Saizo struggled a bit to actually put it into words. Perhaps Rhajat was onto something there. She’d have to run it by the others, before putting some sort of plan into action.
Asugi gently placed down a plate holding a large cake. Mitama was scribbling on a piece of paper. Rhajat had a few charms around designed to make people stop talking, just in case their fathers got a bit too chatty. They would be showing up soon, and it seemed all the preparations were ready. This was their last chance before they had to start doing something more extreme. Rhajat wasn’t the kind of person to give up, she didn’t need their fathers to be the best of friends. However, she’d appreciate it if they could at least co-exist in the same room.
Their mothers got along pretty well, so she could always involve them. Make them put their feet in their Father’s behinds should this fail. They would tell them all later, considering they weren’t particularly worried about their reactions to their relationship. She just hoped they wouldn’t be offended that they weren’t invited. Considering this was a two fold plan. Coming out to them, as well as simultaneously fixing their relationship.
“You sure this will work?” Asugi asked as he folded his arms.
Rhajat shrugged. “Beats me.”
Asugi sighed. “Hope for the best prepare for the worst I guess.”
“Indeed. I’ve got my coming out haiku ready. The charms are set, and the cake is prepared. All that’s left is for them to arrive.”
Rhajat looked at the door, it wouldn’t be too long before it opened. Saizo and Hayato weren’t the kind of people to keep them waiting for long. Azama though… he may come late just to mess with them, much to her chagrin. Which would only add to their anxiety about coming out. Mitama effectively having a script should help them say what they need to say at least.
“I’ve rewritten this haiku about 20 times it feels like…”
Asugi gave his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. “Like I said, let’s just hope for the best here.”
The door creaked, signaling someone’s entrance. Hayato was the first to arrive. He smiled at the trio as he looked around the area. He tilted his head, clearly confused as to what the celebration was about. Before he could voice said confusion, the air in the room shifted. Saizo manifested in the room, much to Hayato’s surprise.
“Do you have to do that!?”
“Not my fault you don’t pay attention.” Saizo then looked at his surroundings. “What’s going on here?”
“We’ll tell you more in a bit, we’re still waiting on someone.” Asugi explained.
Saizo scowled. “Ugh, you know I hate sweets Asugi.”
“Just another thing you’re wrong about.” Hayato said sarcastically.
“Whatever brat.”
“Brat!?”
The two devolved into yet another argument, much to the trio’s chagrin. Rhajat had half a mind to stop them, but it’d be a waste of energy. They may as well let them get it out of their system before Azama arrived. The two went back and forth for a good fifteen minutes before the door cracked one final time. Fashionably late, Mitama’s Father was finally here.
“Did you all start the party without me? How rude.”
“About time Father.” Mitama said.
“Oh, I’ve been here for a while. I just wanted to watch.”
Rhajat turned to her girlfriend. “Why is he like this?”
“I wish I knew.” She replied.
Asugi cleared his throat and clapped his hands together, getting the fathers’ attention and making them stop. Rhajat was ready to trigger the charms if needed, and wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad that she wasn’t going to get a chance to actually use them. She looked towards her partner, who according to their plan was going to be the first to speak.
“So, we’ve gathered you here today to tell you something very important.” Asugi began.
“Important?” Hayato asked as he furrowed his brow. “What’s up?”
“The three of you? You’re going to be in-laws.” Rhajat continued.
Saizo looked a bit offended. “In laws? Wait, all three of us? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We three are now one./Asugi, Rhajat, and I/We are all dating.” Mitama began. “So we need you all./Put aside your differences./We are family.”
The three looked at each other, then back to them, who were all holding hands. Rhajat’s heart began to somewhat race. She hoped they didn’t miscalculate, and prompt them to frown upon their relationship. The silence was deafening, and somewhat irritating.
Azama was the one to break the silence. “…Well there’s no rule saying that in laws have to be friends. I mean… when’s the last time anyone’s liked their mother in law? However, I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. So, I’ll do what I can if these two loud mouths can put in the effort as well.”
“Loud mou- No, no. He’s right, I just wish he wouldn’t say it in such an obnoxious way. I’ll… do better.” Hayato said with a nod. “Sorry we’ve put you kids through so much stress. I will also try to be the bigger man.”
“Right. For them.” Saizo finished.
The three parents looked at each other and smiled. Rhajat looked at her partners and smiled as well. That went significantly better than they expected. Perhaps they could get along after all. That was one issue solved at least.
“Just know I’m not doing it for you two.” Saizo added.
“The feelings mutual.” Azama said with a smirk.
“Oh come on, really? You couldn’t have kept that to yourself?”
The three began to bicker once more, and Rhajat looked back to her charms. Asugi looked at her and shook his head, and Rhajat sighed. She supposed that progress was progress. She couldn’t expect things to change in an instant. Baby steps, and the fact that they promise they’d do better meant a lot. For now, she’d take them at their word.
Asugi and Mitama kissed Rhajat on her cheeks, prompting her to blush. At least no matter what she had them to fall back on. They’d always be there to support her, and she’d do the same for them. She giggled under her breath. No challenge would be too great, as long as they were together.