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It started off small. Kira and Riri playing pranks on each other, as they usually did. The sisters were surprisingly notorious pranksters, pranking and playing practical jokes on their friends and family whenever they had the chance. It was cute, is cute, that they still want to have fun like that, even after Arkadi and all his bullshit. The pranks were mildly annoying at worst, and extremely funny at best, so no one minded, sometimes they would even egg the sisters on, to do more, to not let the other have the last laugh. The pranks would go on for weeks, without ever escalating to a point where it was worrying, just good lighter hearted fun between sisters. This year though, it didn't stay between the sisters.
Aly — twelve years old, and three years into her truce with Kira — decided that she wanted in on the prank battle, joining Kira's side. A few well executed pranks, involving buckets of water and shaving cream later, Riri decided to get some backup and even the playing field. Enter Yumeko, on Riri's side. Two people on each team, one betrayal for each sister, everything was balanced. Then the next set of players entered the fold.
It was a Saturday afternoon, everyone was over at the twins' mom's house, because Lena and Kara had missed their grandbabies. Mary had given a stern directive that no pranking should take place while they were over there, of course that directive was disregarded. Mary watched as Kira and Aly rigged one of the couch cushions in the living room to trigger a huge gust of wind that would hit whoever sat down on that spot. That spot being Riri's unofficially designated spot to sit, while at her mom's. It was a good plan, it was almost guaranteed to work, and then Lena sat in the spot instead of Riri.
"Mama, no!" Kira yelled, but it was too late, Lena had already taken her seat.
"Really, Kira?" Riri grinned, "you couldn't stop this for a couple of hours while we visited our mothers, for shame."
Kira moved to stand up to check on her mom, but as she did she immediately fell forward, someone had tied the laces of her sneakers together. Thankfully, she landed on the bean bag close to her, looking up in mild annoyance at Riri and Yumeko who were smiling very proud at their good work.
"Okay, that's enough with the pranks." Kara spoke, as she helped Lena gather herself.
"Oh, I don't know. I think it's only fair I get a turn now." Lena commented, looking at Kira with the same grin Riri currently had on her face.
"Of course." Kara and Mary said and sighed at the same time.
So it became three against two, as Lena joined team Riri.
A couple of days later, another person joined the battle. Riri walked into the kitchen to make breakfast for herself and Mary, as she usually did. She opened up the cupboard to get cups for the tea she was about to make, she tried to lift the cup but it wouldn't budge. She tried, and tried, and tried but it wouldn't move, none of the cups would. She closed the cupboard frustrated, then turned around just in time for Kara and Kira pop out from somewhere, and laugh in her face because their prank had worked.
"What?" Kira replied at Riri's surprised look seeing Kara there, "You have one mom on your side" Kira hugged Kara, who placed a kiss at the top of Kira's head, "I have one mom on mine, it's only fair."
"Sorry Riri, it's not personal" Kara said as she walked over and gave Riri a kiss on the cheek. "The glue should dry in an hour, bye love." Kara waved goodbye and left with Kira.
The teams continued to grow after that, Dori joining Riri's side because Riri told her about the war and Dori was offended that Kira didn't bring her in. Runa joining Kira's team because she had fun playing pranks on Dori, Chad joining Kira's side for the same reason. They were down one person, and it showed. Kira's team always had an extra person to intercept a prank, or one of their members, they had the upper hand, and were taking full advantage of it. Which is why Mary knew the conversation was coming long before it even happened.
"C'mon Mary, we need you." Yumeko pleaded, following Mary around the house as she tidied up.
"I don't want to get involved in this. I like that the pranks are affecting me directly, thank you very much." Mary replied.
"Did she say yes?" Riri popped in sheepishly and asked Yumeko.
"Your wife doesn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation." Yumeko answered.
"I understand, I'm just not getting involved and neither are the kids. It's bad enough that Aly and Ao are involved."
"Mary please, we neeeeeeed you." Yumeko pleaded again, "We CANNOT lose to Kira."
"Yeah, любимый. Help us humble Kira, you know you love that." Riri added, turning on the charm.
"I do like that." Mary mumbled.
"See, now help us humble Kira and half of our family and friends."
"Fine." Mary sighed.
With Mary's inclusion, both teams were now complete, and the chaos increased exponentially after that. There were slime baths, ink sprays, and a whole lot more. Children were used as bait, grandmothers deceived their children. There was no let up, no surrender. Anyone could be pranked at any time, people changed sides. Runa betrayed Kira and aligned with Riri, but balance was restored soon after when Yumeko joined Kira. The pranks went on for weeks, till the point where both sides were running out of ideas and plans, then a family meeting was called, to find a way to settle it all, once and for all.
"Okay, this can't go on." Kara spoke once everyone was seated. "I haven't slept beside my wife in a week, I keep side eyeing everyone, and I'm constantly on high alert. We need to end this."
"I fully agree Mom, that's why Riri should forfeit so we can put a stop to this." Kira chirped up.
"In your dreams." Riri scoffed.
"We knew you two would do that." Lena chuckled, standing up to join Kara where she was standing in front of everyone. "So we've made the decision on how this is going to end."
"Exactly." Kara nodded, "In two weeks, we have a game of paintball. Team Riri versus Team Kira, as they are comprised right now. Whichever team takes out all the other team's members first, wins."
"Understood?" Lena asked everyone but especially the twins.
"Fine." They both grumbled.
"Good." Kara sighed.
"Now, ground rules" Lena started, "For the next two weeks, no pranks, no practical jokes, no tactical takedowns, no poaching."
"Wh-"
"No, no tactical maneuvering either." Lena cut both Riri and Kira off.
"That's not fair." The twins whined at the same time.
"You two are adults. You have kids. You can keep yourselves in check for two weeks." Lena scolded the twins.
"Alright. We'll behave."
They backyard of the Timurov mansion was used for the game. It had enough space to fit all of them, and enough tactical hiding and vantage points to make the game exciting. Everybody was excited for it, everybody was taking it as seriously as the twins were. They all wanted their team to win. Team Riri, comprised of Riri, Mary, Dori, Runa, and Lena were dressed in winter style camo gear, although altered for the summer season. Team Kira, made up of Kira, Yumeko, Kara, Aly, and Chad were dressed in regular camo gear.
Both teams were given twenty minutes to go to their respective bases, plan and strategize, and get ready for the game to start. Once the twenty five minutes were up, the team emerged from their bases, and the game began.
It took five minutes for the first elimination to happen, Aly sniping Lena as Lena was trying to make her way to another hiding spot. "Sorry grandma." Aly chuckled and ran to take cover.
Ten minutes later, Aly was eliminated by Dori. "Aunt Dori" Aly whined.
"Should've kept your head on a swivel kid." Dori blew a raspberry at Aly, as the child walked over to where Lena was sitting and watching.
Five minutes later, Dori, Runa, and Kara were eliminated in quick succession. Kara eliminated Dori, Runa eliminated Kara, and Chad eliminated Runa.
Chad was the next to be eliminated, Riri chasing him down and eventually getting him. Riri took him out, but during the chase he had led her close to Kira's territory. Kira and Yumeko immediately started firing their paint guns at Riri, as Riri high tailed it out of there, managing to avoid any hits and making it back to her base.The game was now down to four, Kira and Yumeko against Riri and Mary.
"Did you get him?" Mary asked as Riri joined her in the hiding spot behind the boulder.
"Yeah, it's down to us four now." Riri answered, "You ready to take them down?" Riri asked semi rhetorically as she pretended to relaod her gun.
"Always." Mary smirked as both of them emerged from their hiding spot.
At the same time as Mary and Riri were removing themselves from their hiding spot, Kira and Yumeko were doing the same. Both teams kept walking until they were within shouting distance of each other.
"Old Western?!" Riri asked Kira.
"Old Western!" Kira nodded.
Both teams continued their walk until they met in the middle. Following the rules of the wild west duels — that the twins made up — each team member holstered their weapons, then turn around and walked ten paces in the direction they faced. The rule was once the ten paces were completed, they turned around and the person with the quickest draw of their weapon, shoots and wins. That was the rule, Kira didn't follow the rules, turning around and draw her weapon at the ninth pace. Mary though, read it, and pushed Riri out of the way and took the shot for her, not before firing one of her own though, that hit Kira. With that, both Kira and Mary were eliminated, and they were down to the last two; Yumeko and Riri.
Riri still on the floor after Mary's save, also had her paintball gun knocked away from her, she was defenseless against Yumeko. Who stalked over to her, and pointed her gun on Riri.
"Any last words?" Yumeko asked, shit eating grin on her face.
"Yeah…. You really shouldn't have switched sides." Riri spoke, and quicker that Yumeko could pull the trigger, Riri picked up Mary's gun beside her and fired it at Yumeko. Winning the game for herself and her team.
With that, the battle was over and Riri had won.
"Do you get a prize?" Archie asked as they walked back towards the house.
"Not really, honey." Mary answered.
"Why did we do all this then?" Archie groaned.
"Because this family, is super competitive." Lena replied to her grandson. "For example, I bet I'll get to the house first." Kara rushed out as she started sprinting towards the mansion, with everyone following suit, except for Lena who was holding an asleep Nadia.
"That's our family." Lena chuckled, "I would not change it for the world."