Wow…got this one done and I have 2-3 more to go x-x and college starts up on Tuesday….Noooooooooooooooooo!
I DON'T OWN Tales of Vesperia, Yuri's thoughts, Caryn, or Justin. I do have permission to use Justin and Caryn until they tell me no more XD I DO OWN MYSELF, KAIRI, and my work in this fic.
"Are you sure you don't want even a little bit to eat, Liana?" Estelle asked worriedly as Liana had begun to drink her medicine after a change of pads. "I'm so sleepy, no thanks, I can do without it, it won't kill me to go without dinner at least once," was the elder girl's response.
"Alright, don't say we didn't warn you if you wake up hungry," Yuri said with a 'I'm warning you' tone. With those words the elder girl laid her head on her pillow she took from her bag and quickly fell into slumber.
"She seems like such a pain to deal with," Rita said fussily glaring a bit down at the sleeping girl. "Hehehe, you wouldn't know the half of it," Kairi giggled at the mage's reaction.
"We have a problem!"
The youngest member came running up to the group panting. "What's up Captain Karol? You didn't bring back any firewood," Yuri chuckled out. "That's the thing! There's no trees at all, there isn't even any dry leaves around to gather to make a fire either," Karol pouted as his tummy growled to show his hunger.
"What do we do?" Estelle asked Yuri who looked in thought. "We should probably return to Aspio, at least there we can sleep in the shelves and get a decent meal," Rita brought up a solution. "Yeah, seems like our only option, I'll get the stuff put up, Estelle, try to wake Liana so we can head out," the dark-haired swordsman agreed.
Estelle nodded, "Alright, I'll get her up…huh? Kairi, what are you doing?" the pink haired princess noticed the long haired brunette messing with the rock circle where the fire was to be lit. "Alright, put the lint and newspapers here, log piece here, and now a spark," Kairi said giving herself directions. As she began to raise her staff, Yuri realized what she was about to do and panicked, "KAIRI!"
"Huh?!" the little brunette shouted surprised, but it was too late, she had charged up her firebolt and set the firewood, newspaper and dryer lint on fire with it. The flame ignited so large and high until it died down to a tamable flame for cooking. Everyone gawked at her, Yuri looking worried, especially at one mage's gaze.
"You-You don't even…You don't even have a blastia?! How did you do that?!" the mage said astonished, but her voice began to raise, as if in anger and frustration for not knowing how she performed an 'arte'. Kairi began to panic as she realized, she wasn't sure how to tell the mage at least without Liana awake, "Uhh, umm…I-I…I…."
"Well, now that the fire's set, lets start making Dinner," Yuri said directed to Kairi, moving between the two girls to try to keep them apart for the moment after sensing the long-haired brunette's unease. "She hasn't answered the question!" Rita said angrily at the swordsman in front of Kairi. Yuri turned to her with his usual poker face but didn't flinch or budge, "She can't answer you on an empty stomach, I don't think the Captain or Estelle can hold out for long either."
Kairi looked worriedly at the swordsman's back, "Y-Yuri…." She whined a tiny bit, until her tummy gave an intensely loud roar as it had back at the castle. Yuri just turned to her and chuckled as she covered her tummy and began turning a deep red, "Heheh, see, what did I tell you?" At that the mage seemed to drop the subject for now as Yuri took the small girl with him to make dinner.
"AHH!" Kairi shouted jumping back, as a flame that rocketed upwards ferociously engulfed the pot, almost burning her hands. Yuri quickly grabbed a blanket and tossed it over the pot and began putting out the flames. "What did you do?!" Yuri shouted incredulously as he stared at the now empty blackened pot. Kairi looked about ready to cry, "I-I I was just…t-trying to boil some water for steeping some tea in a pot…and it just…P-P-POOF!" Yuri sweat dropped recalling Liana mentioning that Kairi could burn water…he didn't think that was even possible until now, teaching her to cook would take a LONG time with practice at the VERY START. Yeah, he couldn't trust her to cook alone, just yet, or at all.
"We'll just drink some water we don't really need tea, why don't you try to get the plates set?" Yuri asked her, now trying to keep her from cooking. "…Okay," the small girl replied a bit sadly, picking up on the hints as she began grabbing the plates from her bag and setting them up nearby to be able to hand the plates to Yuri to fill up with Salisbury Steak.
Once everyone had their plates, Rita's gaze that had never left the brunette, became more irritable, and she couldn't hold it much longer, "So, are you going to answer me or what?" At that, the small brunette swallowed her piece steak that she had been chewing on and nearly choked; the swordsman who sat beside her patting her back to help her swallow it down, as she drank her water in what seemed like 2 gulps.
Rita's gaze held steady and level, the fire reflecting in her eyes didn't even seem to be coming from the actual fire, it made the brunette more nervous than she was before. Estelle and Karol looked about ready to just shout out the answer in their friend's defense, but the swordsman seem to beat them to it, "And just why do you want to know so badly?" Rita just scoffed as the tiny girl took cover behind the swordsman, "Isn't it obvious? Someone without a blastia, using magic like that, it shouldn't even be possible." Yuri slightly darkened his gaze at the mage, "So, let me guess, you want to experiment on her?"
Kairi who was clinging to Yuri's back was now shivering a bit, "Y-You mean like dissection? E-Electric Shock Therapy Tests? O-Or Or…Sensory…Deprivation Tanks…?" Her grip became tight at the mention of Sensory Deprivation Tanks, her body absolutely trembling, her puppy eyes with tears peeping from behind Yuri at Rita; because, while Earth people find the tanks relaxing, the thought of being alone in a small tank in the dark with no sense of sight, sound, smell, taste, or feel, disturbed the girl immensely.
Rita looked taken back, her cheeks turning a bit pink at the slightly cute scene, but raised her voice at the insinuations, "Guh, J-Just what do you think I am?! I wouldn't go THAT far!" Kairi sweat dropped, "S-sorry, kinda can't blame me after your argument with Liana in Shaikos Ruins…and just how far would you go…?" Rita regained her composure, "Huh? Just observations, perhaps a little bit of formal and informal tests, but nothing that bad."
"So you promise, no dissection?" Kairi said calming down a bit. "No dissection," Rita replied. "No electric tests?" Kairi asked, peaking out from behind Yuri once more. "No electricity," Rita promised. "No sensory deprivation tanks?" Kairi said coming out and sitting beside Yuri. "I don't know what that is, but none of that," Rita responded. "No acid or tests with fire? Or overdose tests, or medication, or-" Kairi continued as she scooted in front of the mage with sparkling eyes. Rita was turning pink at how close the brunette was approaching, and nervous as well as confused, "Where are you even coming up with this stuff from?!" Kairi just twiddled her index fingers together, "Well…having magic is kinda an EXTREME rarity on Earth…so, other than dissection, I've kinda been down the ladder…"
Everyone gave the tiny girl incredulous stares, she wasn't kidding, though her reason was a lie. She indeed had been subjected to tests, though as torture methods, not research, all because she was her father's daughter, and many enemies he did have. "Earth?" Rita asked finally snapping back to the conversation.
Though Kairi dodged answering, "So, pinky promise?" The small girl held up her pinky towards the mage, and the mage blushed a little before taking her pinky in her own, "Uhm, yeah… pinky promise." Before the mage could take her pinky out, Kairi tightened her pinky around her, "No, you gotta say the phrase!" Rita looked oddy at her, "The… phrase?" Kairi nodded, "Yeah, the phrase for the promise, just like I did with Repede."
"Woof!" Repede barked, as if in agreement.
"Uh… ok, so how does it go?" Rita asked embarrassed. "Ok, repeat after me. 'Pinky promise'," Kairi said happily.
"Pinky promise…" Rita began to repeat.
"Cross my heart," Kairi continued.
"Uhh, Cross my heart?" Rita said a bit confused on the choice on words.
"'Hope to die'," Kairi went on.
"Huh?!" Rita said, now utterly confused and befuddled, "Why 'Hope to die'?!"
"I don't know, but that's just how it goes. Pinky promises are big deals! So, the phrase is 'Pinky promise, cross my heart, hope to die, I'll swallow a thousand needles if I lie. Fingers cut'," Kairi said a bit pouty.
"Woof! Woof Woof." Repede barked in agreement once more.
"See. Repede knows," Kairi said before looking at the mage seriously, "So?"
"… Ah! Fine, fine! Pinky promise, cross my heart, hope to die, I'll swallow a thousand needles if I lie! Fingers cut!" Rita said a bit frustrated, she just wanted her answer.
Kairi merely nodded, pulled out her pinky, and simply replied, "Liana and I are aliens, from the planet Earth."
"Aliens? How gullible do you think I am?" Rita said, she wasn't gonna buy it, especially without proof. "It's true, they both just appeared out of a ball of light on top of me," Yuri explained, though Rita still wasn't buying it, she began arguing that some blastia could've done it. Kairi began to scramble to find proof, "It's true! We can't read your writing! We don't know where places are! We can't use blastia! Aer makes us incredibly sick and can kill us! Liana's on her period! And….and…give me a second…" Kairi ran to grab Liana's bag and hoped and prayed she could see into it, in which…she could…bizarre…
She reached in and yanked out Liana's cell phone and two books, "Here, look at these! Uh, but don't break the phone or Liana will seriously kill us…" Rita quickly snatched the phone from Kairi, "Just what is this?" Kairi panicked a little as Rita began to investigate the phone, "Uh Rita, please be careful, Liana will be furious if it breaks, I'm not kidding, she'll go insane on us…" Rita still fiddled with the phone, "Oh come on, it's not like a bit of poking and prodding is gonna-" at that Rita hit the home button to reveal the lock screen with Sakamaki Shu.
Rita's face turned bright red, "W-W-WHAT?! W-WHO?! WHO IS THAT?! AND WHY IS HE SHIRTLESS?!" Kairi sweat dropped, "He's technically not shirtless….AH RITA, DON'T MESS WITH THE PASSWORD!" Rita was trying her hardest to unlock the phone but after a few tries she gave up. Estelle was trying to read through the books, "I can't read this at all…Kairi, what are they about, and what are they called?"
Kairi turned to Estelle after taking the phone back from Rita, "Oh that one is Green Eggs and Ham, it's a kids book with rhyme, the other is like a play in book form, it's called Romeo and Juliet, and it's a tragic love story. At that Estelle's eyes lit up and she put her head back into the book, only to lower it and remember, she can't read it.
"Hmm, it seems like you might be telling the truth, but I don't believe it just yet," Rita said skeptical still of Kairi's truth. "But that's all I can think of…." Kairi pouted as she put the things away. "By the way, what is a period anyways?" Rita asked, recalling Kairi's shout. Estelle raised her head and recited what Kairi and Liana had shared with them, and Rita seemed intrigued a bit.
As it seemed the mage wouldn't accept the facts yet, the group resumed eating and finishing their meal. "Kairi…do you mind if I ask a question?" Estelle asked, curiously. "Hm? What is it Estelle?" she replied. "You don't mind?! Okay…at Rita's house, Liana said Yuri wasn't her type…just what is her type?" Estelle said, her eyes shining at the idea. Kairi giggled before responding, "Let's see, tall, beefy, takes no 'crap' as Liana once put it, has an affinity for children, and is genuine husband/father material I suppose, judging on who she's been crushing on."
Estelle looked in thought, as if trying to figure out who Liana was crushing on. "Estelle, he's not from here, so you don't have to try to figure it out," Kairi began sweat dropping. "Oh…Really? Who is it then?" Estelle asked curiously. "Girl secret's Estelle, gosh, I thought you'd know better than to pry into things like that?" Kairi said astonished. Estelle became flustered and apologized as Karol looked in thought, "So when you think about it that way, other than being tall, Yuri doesn't fit the bill, huh?" Kairi just giggled, "Yeah, she even called him punipuni~"
"Punipuni?" Estelle asked. Kairi giggled more, "Ehehehe. It means Squishy in Japanese, so beefy Yuri isn't." Karol began laughing, "Gyahahaha, Yuri's Squishy?!" At that Yuri looked shocked, "Huh? Just, how am I squishy?" The swordsman poked his chest and paused, he was definitely going to exercise more after this…
"So, what's your type, Kairi?" Estelle asked with stars in her eyes. Kairi's face turned a bright red, "M-Me?!...I..I….I don't…I…" (I love Yuri….So…Tall, dark, and handsome, vigilante, with a delightful squishiness~…). "Kairi…are you okay?" Estelle asked, as she watched Kairi swaying her spot, her cheeks bright red. "Huh? Yeah I'm fine….I'm….just going to keep my type a secret since I'm not so sure still…" the brunette lied to try to drop the conversation. "B-But, even just a little general idea?" Estelle asked determined. "You trying to play matchmaker or something?" Kairi asked curiously at Estelle's persistence. Estelle just fidgeted as if she'd been busted and turned away blushing a bit.
"I want….lots of bacon on my burger zzz….lots of pickles please…no….no onions….Nooooooo….zzzzz" Liana's sleep talk came as we turned to see her rolling away, to which Repede ran to roll her back towards our area. "And there she goes again. I guess that's our cue to go to bed," Yuri said, as Repede gave him a knowing look which meant 'I'll take first watch'. "Why does she do that?" Karol turned to Kairi asking. "She sleeps by the wall back home, cause she rolls a lot….right now there's no wall…simple…" Kairi said sweat dropping.
Everyone gave the sleeping girl odd looks before agreeing to hit the hay. "Well, goodnight everyone," Kairi said as she headed to bed. "Goodnight," Karol and Estelle said. Yuri lay beside Repede, so that the canine could wake him for his watch. Rita just moved her blankets and stuff near Liana, to observe her while Kairi sweat dropped, wondering just what tests Rita has in store for them…
Bonus: Tree talk
Yuri wandered up the hill to check on the mage who had run off to view Halure's tree. He left behind the two earth girls with Repede, Karol, and Estelle. The mention of assassins had him second guessing the two oddball aliens in the group, and while Liana was violent, cold blooded murder didn't seem fit her. Same could be said of Kairi, though they say the quiet, innocent ones are the ones who aren't so innocent, but Repede doesn't just up and like someone from the get go without faith and reason. Either way he left Repede to keep them out of trouble, because you could never be too careful.
After walking up the hill, sure enough, there Rita was, staring at the tree in absolute awe. "…I can't believe it. I've never seen anything like this. The flowers are in full bloom even though it's not the season for it…And the barrier's strong, too…Did Estellise really do this?" Rita said amazed as she turned to the now approaching swordsman.
"What do you mean?" Yuri said, trying to play it dumb again.
"Karol let it slip when we were leaving Aspio. You tried to change the subject, but it was too late," Rita said triumphantly. "Guess I blew that one," Yuri said in defeat as he sat down beside the mage.
"We mages have nothing even remotely like she has," Rita said still intrigued by the tree.
Yuri raised an eyebrow to that, "So you just decided to come with us to eliminate the competition?"
Rita spun around to face him, furious at his insinuation, "Don't be ridiculous! I have a formula that I have to work out!" That made Yuri a bit wary, but curious, "A formula? What do you mean?"
"…It's nothing. Forget about it," Rita scoffed as she turned away, but soon turned her head to address Yuri, rather upset at his previous remark, "So what did you want? You came here for something, right?" Yuri just looked ahead, "Well, that just about took care of about half of it." That caught the mage's attention, "So what's the other half?"
"You said back in Shaikos that it's easy working with blastia because they never betray you, before Liana blew up," Yuri said. "Yeah? So?" Rita said in her 'yeah yeah, get to the point' tone.
Yuri gazed at her seriously before opening his mouth again, "You, Kairi, and Estelle are human. You're not blastia."
"…Oh, I get it. You're worried for them. Worried I might hurt them," Rita said almost mockingly. "Estelle and Kairi are honest. Good. Kind. Unlike you, me, or Liana," Yuri said as he got up, "I'm just saying… Don't do anything reckless," he finished as he walked away. Though not before he turned back to the mage, "Come on, let's go back. The others are waiting for us."
The swordsman turned to walk away back down the hill just as Rita turned back to the tree with a grin, "I've finally found the clues I was looking for. I want to be all kinds of reckless…" After a few moments there, she followed after Yuri.
Halfway down the hill, the pair were greeted by a panting Karol, "*huff* Y-Yuri *huff* ….It's *huff* bad…" Yuri didn't look concerned, but seeing the small boy so panicked made him wonder what was happening, "Take it easy. What is it, Karol?"
The small boy couldn't keep calm though, "*huff* The Knights!... *huff* Estelle! Liana and Kairi! *huff* They're in troubl- *cough* *cough* *huff*" His quick panting and shouting caused him to choke on air, though Yuri got the message loud and clear, the Knights were here to arrest the two Earth girls, and take back Estelle.
With a serious gaze, he turned to Rita, "C'mon, we have to help them!" Rita nodded, and the pair began running towards the Mayor's house where they left the party. "H-Hey! *huff* Wait for me!" Karol shouted as he chased after the two, having no trouble with breath this time on the downhill run.
First drabble in a while….Though I had bee meaning to put a different one up, though still working on it….Still got another 'CHAPTER' drabble to do before I add in the two EXTRA drabbles….what are EXTRA drabbles? Wait and see~. Oh, but there will be SKIT drabbles for skits that I didn't put into the chapter to save on word space, or forgot to implement. I'll explain it in more detail inside of an author's note…eventually XD