When Kiana pushed open the front door, the living room lights were still on.
Siegfried was sprawled across the sofa, a magazine in hand, eyes fixed on a soccer match playing on the television.
Cecilia poked her head out from the kitchen, and when she saw Kiana, a warm smile spread across her face.
"You're back. Have you eaten?"
Kiana took in the scene, and her eyes went suddenly, unexpectedly warm.
"Dad! Mom!"
She practically launched herself at them.
Siegfried had no time to react. The magazine flew out of his hand and landed somewhere across the room, and he sank deep into the sofa cushions under the impact.
"Oof! You little menace!"
He fumbled to push her away but couldn't bring himself to use any real force.
"What's wrong, what's wrong? Did something happen? Did someone upset you?"
Cecilia came quickly out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, concern written across her face.
"Kiana? What's going on? Did someone at the studio give you a hard time?"
Kiana lifted her head from Siegfried's arms and shook it vigorously.
"No, no! Nothing like that!"
She grinned, eyes still a little red, face lit up with a wide smile. "I just missed you both! So much!"
Siegfried and Cecilia exchanged a glance, the same question passing between them without a word.
When did this kid get so clingy?
"Did Arthur do something?" Siegfried ventured carefully. "Because if he did, I'll go have a little talk with him."
Cecilia gave him a reproachful look. "Arthur isn't like that. Kiana, is someone at the studio treating you poorly?"
Kiana kept shaking her head.
"It's nothing like that, I promise!"
She climbed back up from the sofa and looked at the two of them.
"Mom, Dad, have you been keeping up with anything online lately?"
Both of them blinked.
"Online?" Siegfried scratched his head. "I've been buried in family business matters lately. Haven't had a spare moment to go online."
Cecilia nodded in agreement. "I've been completely wrapped up in foundation work. What is it?"
Kiana grinned, eyes gleaming with barely concealed excitement, and pulled a tablet out of her bag.
"Then take a look at this!"
On the screen, the login page for *Honkai Impact 3rd* slowly lit up.
Siegfried leaned in. "What's this? A game?"
"Yes!" Kiana puffed up her chest with unmistakable pride. "A game our studio made!"
Cecilia leaned in with interest. "Oh? Let me see."
Kiana navigated the game with practiced ease, skipping past the opening cinematic and going straight to the character screen. A girl in white armor, hair in twin braids, bright blue eyes looking out from the center of the display.
Siegfried stared.
Cecilia stared.
They both looked at Kiana, then back at the screen. Then at Kiana again. Then at the screen.
"This," Siegfried said, pointing at the screen, then at Kiana, "this, this, this..."
Cecilia had gone quiet as well. "Kiana, this character looks just like..."
"She does, doesn't she!" Kiana was positively glowing. "That's because the protagonist of this game is me!"
Siegfried's mouth fell open. Cecilia blinked. Then blinked again.
"You?"
Siegfried pointed at the screen in disbelief. "This person holding a gun in that strange outfit is supposed to be you?"
"What do you mean serious-looking!" Kiana objected indignantly. "That's called cool! Do you know what cool means!"
Cecilia couldn't hold back her laugh. "She does look quite a bit like you, honestly. That little swagger. Completely identical."
"Thank you, Mom!" Kiana hugged her happily.
Then something occurred to her, and she tapped the screen a few more times.
"Mom, Dad, look at this! You're in it too!"
They both leaned toward the screen.
There was Siegfried, standing in snow, grinning brightly, eyes full of warmth. And beside him, Cecilia, with that gentle expression of hers.
Siegfried went quiet.
Cecilia went quiet.
They both turned to look at Kiana.
"When did we ever give permission to use our likenesses?" Siegfried asked, genuinely baffled.
Cecilia tilted her head. "Is that... actually us?"
Before Kiana could explain, Siegfried had already started investigating his in-game counterpart.
"Let me see what this Siegfried gets up to in the game."
He took the tablet and pulled up the story playback. And then he found the scene with the line: *"My, what a lovely lady. If the opportunity ever arose, I'd very much like to buy you a drink."*
Siegfried went very still.
The smile on Cecilia's face froze.
"Siegfried."
Her voice was as gentle as ever, and yet something about it sent a chill straight down his spine.
"Wh... what?"
"What was it you just said?"
She looked at him, smiling pleasantly.
"I didn't say anything! That was the game version of me!"
"And the game version of you isn't you?"
"That's... that's completely unreasonable!"
Cecilia continued to smile. Siegfried quietly pressed himself into the corner of the sofa.
Kiana doubled over laughing.
"So," Cecilia turned back to Kiana, her expression softening. "All the characters in this game are based on real people? Kiana, me, Siegfried... who else?"
"Theresa! And Teacher Himeko! And so many others!" Kiana counted on her fingers. "But Theresa said she gave Arthur permission herself."
"Theresa gave permission?"
Siegfried emerged cautiously from his corner of the sofa.
"Mmhm! She said as long as it doesn't damage her image, he can use it."
Cecilia nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
Siegfried already had his phone out. "I need to ask that little shortstack what gave her the right to speak for the rest of us."
The call rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello?" Theresa's voice came through the speaker, carrying a note of wariness. "Siegfried? Why are you calling so late?"
"Shortstack!" Siegfried got straight to the point. "Did you sell out my entire family?"
"Sell out? What are you talking about?"
"The game! *Honkai Impact 3rd*! Why are all the characters based on us?"
A brief silence on Theresa's end.
Then her voice returned, with just a trace of sheepishness. "Oh, that. Arthur said he wanted to make a game inspired by everyone, and I thought it sounded like a fun idea, so I said yes."
"What gave you the right to say yes on our behalf?"
"Because I'm Kiana's great-aunt!" Theresa declared, completely unapologetic. "And Arthur promised it wouldn't damage anyone's image. He said he'd write everyone in a good light!"
Siegfried was about to argue back when Cecilia gently took the phone from him.
"Theresa."
Her voice was warm.
"It's alright."
"Cecilia?" The defensive edge in Theresa's voice dissolved instantly.
"I just went through the game."
Cecilia looked at the image paused on the screen.
"They wrote Kiana well."
She paused, a quiet smile forming at the corner of her mouth.
"They wrote everyone well."
On the other end of the line, Theresa let out a long, audible breath of relief.
"Cecilia, you are the absolute best! A thousand times better than that loudmouth!"
"Hey!" Siegfried protested from beside her. "I can hear you!"
Cecilia smiled, exchanged a few more words with Theresa, then hung up.
"Mom, you're really not upset?"
Cecilia looked at Kiana and reached out to ruffle her hair gently.
"Not at all. Seeing you doing something you love, and doing it this well? I'm happy, if anything."
Siegfried muttered from the side, "But what about that scene where I was hitting on someone."
Cecilia looked at him. The look was perfectly gentle.
Siegfried closed his mouth immediately.
"Actually," Cecilia said, a thought coming to her, "what's Kiana's story like in the game? What happens to her?"
Kiana's smile flickered for just a moment.
But she recovered quickly and smiled again.
"Her story? Well." She thought about it for a second. "It's a very brave one. She keeps fighting to protect the people she cares about."
"That sounds wonderful," Cecilia said.
"Of course it does!" Kiana lifted her chin proudly. "Because it's me!"
The three of them sat together in the living room, watching the small figure on the screen.
Siegfried had his arm around Cecilia's shoulder. Cecilia leaned against him. Kiana was wedged in between them.
Just like many years ago, when Kiana was still small, and they would sit together just like this and look out the window at the stars.
"Dad," Kiana said suddenly.
"Mm?"
"Thank you." Her voice was soft. "And Mom too. Thank you for always being here."
Siegfried paused, then laughed quietly.
"Silly girl." He reached over and ruffled her hair. "What are you talking about."
Cecilia didn't say anything. She just pulled Kiana a little closer.