It would be absurd to assume that a “family” tethered together by legal documents would live
“happily ever after.” Indeed, even with the newly acquired living space (to which they were all
thankful for) everything was not wonderful, just as Kevin expected it to be. The girls seemed to
have trouble settling in, raising a ruckus and threatening to break down the walls just for minor
things. At least, that’s what Material-L, now Lilia, did whenever something she wanted was
denied (usually a sweet of some sort). Material-D, Diana, was a mouthy sort and complained
about every little thing, from the lack of silk bedsheets to wanting champagne to go with dinner.
Material-S, Shana, was the quietest of all three, the most polite and pragmatic of them, but she
was also the most mysterious. It was difficult to tell what she wanted, often giving that blank,
stoic look to every situation. Fortunately, she was also good at corralling her sisters into behaving.
And how thoughtful Shiro and Momoko were to give him the week off, so as to allow him time
to help the girls adjust. But now, Kevin was wondering if one week was enough.
5:40AM
Habit made the chef an early riser, and despite his body’s desire for more sleep, Kevin crawled
out of bed as the sun peeked over the urban jungle of Uminari City. Brushing teeth, a quick
shower, a struggle to get some clothes on, he was still drowsy when he half-stumbled-half-
walked into the kitchen area. There, he found an increasingly common sight.
“Oh. Shana, you’re up early again.”
“Good morning, Father,” the girl greeted, looking up from the morning newspaper. It was an
unusual habit she picked up, but this way she was learning about current events and society.
Kevin blinked, still unused to that title. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Lilia continues to sneak into my bed at times, however.”
“Heh. That’s adorable,” Kevin chuckled quietly. “She’s not bothering you, though?”
Shana shook her head. “No, but sometimes she sneaks into Diana’s bed, and she is less than
appreciative of the disturbance.”
“I wonder if she has a cuddling issue…” Perhaps visiting the toy store for a bear or something
similar would be prudent. For that matter, a trip to the clothing store would be a good idea too.
For now, the girls had a few borrowed sets from Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate, but his newfound
daughters would want to establish their own sense of fashion.
“I think we will go shopping today, to buy you three clothes of your own,” Kevin announced,
looking at Shana for approval, “Does that sound good?”
“The others must be awake by now,” she slipped out of her chair. “Please excuse me. They
have… difficulties dressing in the morning.”
“They do?” Kevin looked at Shana with a raised eyebrow. “Why would they have issues?”
“Diana is lazy, and Lilia is a dunce. Neither are capable of doing it themselves,” Shana gave her
adopted father a flat, completely unamused stare, one that invoked a slightly stronger chuckle.
“Alright. Go wake your sisters. I’ll prepare breakfast. Does muesli sound good?”
“I have trust that whatever you make will be good.”
Kevin blinked again, watching his adopted daughter walk off. The girl was difficult to read, but
she seemed to accept him well enough. It was heartwarming, in a way, to have Shana’s trust so
quickly, as well as the title of “father.”
Well, it would do no good to ruin that trust, would it? If there was one thing he could do well, it
was making sure that the girls stayed well-fed.
4:30 PM
“I’m bored.”
“Yes, Lilia. You have said that many times now.”
“But I’m bored!”
“We were just at the department store. Go try on those clothes we bought.”
“But~ I’m~ Bored~!”
“Cease your complaints! I cannot hear myself taking over the world!” Diana screeched, her
patience at its end. The silver-haired girl sat in front of a desktop computer, the gaily colored
screen showing some sort of terrain with various submenus overlaying the land. Upon the fertile-
looking land, tiny men labored to build a town. This “game” was rather entertaining, the potential
for taking over land from opposing cultures rather befitting a king.
There were several footsteps, and Diana felt someone watching her over her shoulder.
“You’re not even out of that peninsula! How are you taking over the world?”
“One does not dominate all of existence in a blink, fool. A kingdom rises from humble roots and
grows into magnificence.”
“…Like a tree?”
A sigh. “Yes, Lilia, like a tree. A great, big, world-conquering tree.”
“That’s a weird tree.”
Indeed.
Diana tolerated her sister’s presence for a while, though her presence gradually bore down on
her. The incessant questions and occasional bad advice about what to build or develop next
didn’t help to sooth her rapidly deteriorating patience either. Finally, the clone tore her eyes
from the screen and glared at Lilia, “Do you have anything else better to do?”
“Nope!” Lilia answered with a smile.
If she could, Diana would have buried her face in her hands, but as it was her base was under
attack by pagans, and that was not cool. “Why don’t you go bother Shana?”
“Kay!” the blue haired girl skipped off to another part of the apartment. Whereas Diana busied
herself with being a 400 BC Alexander, Shana was found in the kitchen, cautiously stirring a pot
of… something.
“Whatcha doing, Shana~?”
“I am preparing soup,” the short-haired one replied in monotone.
“What kind?”
“Father calls it minestrone. He told me to stir it ‘every now and then.’”
“What’s that mean?”
“I do not know. I have decided to stir every fifteen minutes.”
What a serious and hardworking girl.
“No, I mean ‘mee-na-sta-lo-ne,’” the poor girl butchered the foreign word.
“It is ‘minestrone,’” Shana corrected her sister, tapping the spoon a few times on the pot’s edge
before setting it aside. “Father describes it as an Italian soup with seasonal vegetables and a rich broth. It smells good.”
She was there when the soup was just started, a pot of broth and uncooked vegetables. Over
time, Shana bore witness to the gradual transformation from simple, cut up ingredients into a full,
rich soup. The smells, especially, were the most dramatic.
“Is it done yet? I’m hungry!”
“No, not yet. Father said to let it simmer until supper time.”
“Why do you call him ‘father?’ He’s not your real dad.”
“He is our legal guardian, and since he has adopted us, he is our father.”
“But he’s not related to us, right? Not even Diana thinks so!”
“Bow before my army!” came the distant reply. “Bow before Diana the Great! Ohohoho~!”
… Well, at least she was getting megalomania fix.
The two stared at their sister for a moment before returning to each other, Lilia speaking up first,
“See? She doesn’t even accept him yet!”
“The fact that she refers to herself as Diana means she has accepted him,” the short-haired girl
peered into the gently bubbling pot. “Had she not, our situation would be not nearly as peaceful
as it is.”
“You sound like you like him!”
“Gratitude and respect can infer ‘liking,’ if that is what you meant. You too should be thankful; we may have easily have become tenants of the state, rather than citizens.”
“What do you have against him, Lilia? Do you not like him?”
“I just… I don’t know,” the girl’s shoulders sagged, as if she were carrying a heavy weight. “I just don’t want to be left alone… I don’t want to be separated… I heard someone talking about that on the ship, you know? It’s so scary…”
Lilia was shivering.
“Silly girl,” Shana pulled the blue-haired girl into a hug. “Remember what he said? He would not leave us alone. I, for one, trust him on that.”
“…” Lilia was slow to return the hug, but tightly her arms wrapped around her sister. “…I hope so too.”
“FOOLISH BARBARIANS! THIS LAND IS NOW MINE! BOW BEFORE ME!”
6:30 PM
“I’m hungry~!”
“Why must you complain about everything?”
“Because I’m hungry~!”
Click-clack! The front door’s lock unlatched, opening to reveal the sole male of the house.
“I’m back~” Kevin announced as he stepped into his abode, a brown paper bag cradled in one
arm. “I brought dessert~”
He was slightly disappointed that only Shana came to greet him, but that was to be expected.
Diana was a little too engrossed at dominating cavemen, while Lilia was strangely silent. Not
even the mention of dessert had her excited, which was a little disconcerting.
“Welcome home, father,” Shana greeted, earning a smile from the older man. The thoughts about
Lilia were pushed to the side.
“Shana, how’s the soup?” Kevin stepped towards the kitchen, breathing in deeply the room’s
bouquet.
She copied the older man’s actions, “It smells good.”
He set the bag down on the counter, chuckling at the girl’s Spartan response, “How does it
look?”
“It looks good.”
A small white box came out from the brown bag. “Heh, you worked hard on it, didn’t you?”
She nodded, “It will taste good.”
“Fantastic,” Kevin mirrored Shana’s nod and pulled out a crusty loaf of bread, still warm from
the oven. “Get your sisters. We’ll eat dinner now.”
“Yes.”
Meals were usually a quiet and uneventful time of the day. Kevin quickly picked up on the little
quirks that each of his girls had. Lilia was the easiest to figure out: though not picky with her
food, she disliked bitter things and adored sweets. Desserts were a part of a complete meal,
even at breakfast and lunch, and God forbid you deny her cake. On the flipside, restricting
dessert was a good deterrent for misbehaving. She also had a propensity towards poultry,
especially chicken. Fried, roasted, baked, she loved that bird; pot pie night was her favorite.
Shana was almost clinical in her analysis and deconstruction of food, though truth be told meals
were exotic adventures in taste and texture. Every flavor, every sort of cuisine amazed her.
Nary an ingredient did she not question and examine, a trait that Kevin found endearing. Being
born into the world as is, Shana’s experience seemed incomplete, though this likely meant the
same for her sisters. Diana seemed to be the pickiest of the three, but fortunately her tastes
were not excessive. Too hot, too cold, too spicy, there was always something wrong with
whatever food was given to her. Yet, eat she did, grudgingly accepting that what she had was
all that was available. She never seemed completely pleased, but never wholly disappointed
either.
Tonight’s meal, minestrone with fresh bread, made for a surprisingly active conversation. The
girls were happy that they had gone on that shopping trip, secretly eager to try on their new
clothes, especially Lilia. Shana tried a number of ways to change how her soup tasted, be it
dipping the bread in the broth, eating soup then bread, even bread straight. An extra dollop of
extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of pepper, her curiosity seemed to have no bounds. Diana
boasted of her exploits, having crushed a number of burgeoning civilizations and merged them
with her own. Apparently the entire east coast of what would be known as North America was
in her control.
What strange daughters he had, but better as girls than warriors.
Dessert, a cake from the Midoriya, was well accepted, and the following clean-up was usually
a team effort (Diana took position as quality inspector). Afterwards, Kevin made an
announcement:
“It took some time and a little work, but we’ve managed to finish your paperwork for Earth,”
the cook announced as he placed a towel down. The girls’ attentions were all drawn to him.
“As such, starting next week, each of you will be transferred to Seishou Elementary School.
You’re going to school.”
The reactions he got were close to what he expected: indifference from Diana and muted
interest from Shana, but Lilia’s was slightly off. Off as in she suddenly transformed into her
Barrier Jacket and summoned her device to her hands. Though her sisters watched in alarm,
Lilia hefted her weapon rather threateningly, causing Kevin to take an unconscious step back.
“You’re just sending us away?!” the girl shrieked, her eyes wide.
“Hey, calm down,” Kevin spoke as calmly as he could. Though outwardly he seemed only
slightly worried, his heart was thundering a mile a minute, and he was struggling to not shake at
all. The girl in front of him appeared only nine-years-old, yet she was the most terrifying thing
the chef had ever seen.
“I am calm!”
“Not while swinging that thing around,” Kevin eyed the axe-like device, something that could
break him in half easily. “Put that away.”
“No! I don’t want to go! You can’t make me!”
A worried Shana took a step towards her sister, “Lilia, please stop this. You are overreacti—”
“Back off, Material-S!” Lilia spat, briefly pointing Vulnificus at Shana, “I don’t
“You’re not going away forever, Lilia,” the older man had his hands out placatingly as he took
a step towards her. “It’s just during the day, and you’ll be with everyone else—”
“Shut up! You’re not my dad!” she screeched, Vulnificus lashing out viciously. Though she was
a tiny girl, her arms were not even as thick as the older man’s wrists, her strength was still
incredible. For that reason, Kevin found himself scrambling to avoid being struck by the device.
For the most part, he did dodge the bladed axe-head of Vulnificus. However, a small part of
the weapon clipped him in the ribs. He was knocked off his feet, set bodily head over heels into
the wall behind him. Crash! The wall groaned as Kevin bounced off the wood and plaster,
leaving a sizable crater in the wall.
“Nnngh,” he groaned, a sign that he was still alive.
The indifferent Diana, silent earlier, uncharacteristically rushed over to the fallen man, beating the
shocked Shana to their guardian. A quick look-over, then she whipped her head over to give
Lilia a rather scathing glare, one that the girl flinched at, “What were you thinking?! He’s a
human, completely unlike us! What you even thought of what could happen if he were to die?!”
“I-I…”
“You fool! What are you doing raising a hand against—”
“Stop. Don’t yell at her,” Kevin’s voice, though weak, could still be heard.
Diana turned her attention back her guardian, her brow furrowed in indignation and… worry?
“But—”
“It’s fine. I’m fine,” he muttered, shakily pushing himself off the floor, “Ugh, that was tough.
Don’t worry, really. It just hurts a bit.”
A warm viridian glow encompassed the silver-haired girl’s hand, “Sit still, then. I will heal you.”
“No, it’s okay. Let me deal with this,” Kevin said, looking at Diana, “Please.”
A number of emotions were visible on Diana’s face, changing from confusion, to frustration,
then finally at tired acceptance, “If you stop interrupting me, fine. But don’t blame me if you
ache in the morning. Really, rejecting my help after I so graciously offered! You had better
appreciate my generosity, servant!”
“Thank you,” the man smiled and patted Diana’s head, causing a blush to form on her cheeks.
With one final push, Kevin managed to stagger to his feet. His steps were unsteady, though
Shana quickly came to support.
“Father, I am sorry, I could not…” she trailed off, looking pleadingly at Kevin. “Please do not
be too harsh on her.”
“It’s alright. I just want to talk to her,” he patted her on the head as well.
“A-ah…” Lilia, speechless, could only watch as Kevin limped towards her. A limp that she
caused…
When he stood in front of her, he kneeled down so he could close to eye level. Though Kevin
tried to look at her in the eyes, she couldn’t meet his gaze. Material-S, Material-D, they
seemed to side with him instead of her. Was she wrong? Or were they blind? She didn’t know.
What she did was that she harmed someone she shouldn’t have, and everyone was angry at her.
Head bowed, looking away, Lilia was ready for whatever punishment this man would bestow.
But to her surprise, Kevin pulled her into a hug. “You don’t need to fight anymore. Do you
remember what I said when I adopted you? You are not alone, I won’t let you be alone ever
again.”
“S-Shana said the same thing…”
“I did say that I wanted to try and be a family, but if you do not want it, that’s fine too. I just
want what any parent would want: the best for their child. While blood does not bind us, and
our time has been short, I view you all as more than mere children. You are my children,
and my hopes and dreams are yours. I am not a mage, nor am I rich and famous, but I will do
everything in my power to ensure each of you live happily and how you wish.”
Ah. This must be why Material-S, Shana, accepted him so readily, and why Material-D, did
not rebel. He truly meant what he said. And if he had to give his life, he probably would. Is this
what a father is? Could this be what a family is? Fighting and magic was all she knew, and yet…
this was something she desired even more.
“I’m sorry…! I-I didn’t mean to—” her voice was muffled as she pressed her face into Kevin’s
shoulder, her tears soaking into his shirt. Sighing with a smile, Kevin brushed Lilia’s hair with a
gentle hand.
“Shh. It’s alright. Everything is all right.”
7:45 PM
Following a good cry and a cup of hot tea, Lilia finally calmed down. The four of them now sat
at the dinner table, quietly discussing the expectations, responsibilities, and what it meant to be a
“family.” So deep into their conversation they were, that they were all surprised when their
doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?” Kevin wondered out loud as he unlocked the door and opened it.
“Yuuno?”
“Err, good evening, sir,” the blond boy bowed. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
Kevin shook his head, “No, not really, but what are you doing here? Did Nanoha kick you out
or something?”
“Ahaha, no, nothing like that,” he laughed weakly, scratching the back of his head. “Actually,
Chrono told me to come here. I got slated for a job…”
“Is that so…” the older man had an idea as to the boy’s task. “Well, come on in. Did you eat?
There’s still a lot of minestrone left.”
“Oh, no, but thank you very much for the offer. I ate just before coming here,” Yuuno seemed
almost regretful that he couldn’t have any, though imagine his confusion when he entered and
took notice of the crater in the wall, “Um, what happened here?”
“A misunderstanding and an accident. Don’t worry, it’s been resolved. Anyways, am I correct
to assume that you are the person the Harlaown boy forced to help in the rehab?”
“He didn’t really force me,” (Note, yes, he did. With blackmail.) “But, yes. I am here to help in
rehabilitation.”
“Hmm,” Kevin looked over to his girls, who all gazed back with curiosity. “Well, we were
expecting this. How long is it going to take? Do you have all the materials?”
“Yes! This should only take a couple of hours, tonight. I intend on just an orientation and
introduction of sorts. Then we could establish a regular schedule.”
“Hmm, alright. Let me just tell the girls…”
The sisters seemed rather interested, though portrayed in varying degrees. Kevin almost pitied
the boy, considering Lilia and Shana’s sudden excitement. Sudden, with Shana, due to the fact
that she had an expression different from the usual stoic look. And Diana, well, she seemed to
accept Yuuno as a new slave/servant, so that was close enough. (Why is she always
mentioned last, anyways?)
“Work hard, you three,” he waved the little group off as they marched into the next room,
leaving Kevin in the living room with his tea, his book, and peace. Maybe he’d bring up some
snacks later on.
Ahh, this isn’t too bad after all…
The teacup came up to his lips, a fragrant jasmine oolong, though before he could take a sip, a
thought entered his mind. He had just now allowed a boy into a bedroom with three girls,
unsupervised.
…
…
Ehhh. It was Yuuno, one of the most harmless guys he knew. And if he tried anything,
everyone would hit him with enough beamspam to make that ship of theirs look silly.