A/N: Don't worry, I haven't died! Been occupied/distracted by a lot of things lately (namely my holiday followed by many hours of Monster Hunter World). Hopefully this chapter turned out well. Hopefully it'll be good character development for Kestria. After this date, the next person on the list will be Raia, though I'm not 100% sure what to do for her yet, maybe a nightclub setting, but as of yet it's still undecided. With any luck it won't take as long to write as this one. On a final note, we're close to 30'000 views on the story, and all I have to say is thank you to everyone who's been reading the story, long time follower or if you've picked it up recently. Might do another special chapter when we reach 35'000 views, though I'm unsure what to do for it. Any suggestions for minor story arcs are always appreciated. As always, follow and/or favourite the story if you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a review or any suggestions for the story if you feel it's necessary, and finally, I hope you enjoy reading it.

''Damn, need to top up on bentos again…''

It was another early morning at the local Oka-mart, and the store clerk was busying himself with restacking the shelves while it was still quiet, though he was hardly enjoying his shift if the bored and tired look on his face was any indication. As he scanned the shelves, he rubbed the top of his buzz-cut head as he was slowly losing the will to live. It may've been a boring job for the most part, but there was always the chance of something interesting happening, like the attempted robbery the other day for example. He had been held at gunpoint by a trio of liminal criminals, and he had to admit that he was pissing himself the whole time. Thankfully for him though, he was save by a group of off-duty MON operatives who had happened to stumble onto the incident. The four liminal women in question quickly and effortlessly dealt with the criminals, and he couldn't thank his lucky stars enough for their timely arrival. He could never forget the silver-haired raptor harpy that flew in and incapacitated the lizardman threatening to shoot him, how effortlessly and gracefully she dealt with the criminal, and how stunning she looked as she did so. She immediately caught his eye, but to his surprise, she also took an interest in him, though she seemed more interested in teasing him, but still she had an interest.

His face went red as he thought about the woman that saved his life. ''Hmm, I wonder what she's up to right now…'' He contemplated to himself as he continued to scan the shelves.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, he felt a pair of soft mounds press up against his back, quickly followed by the feeling of the person's breath against his ear. ''Morning Bud, did you miss me?'' The voice of a woman whispered into his ear seductively, a voice he remembered all too clearly.

He suddenly leapt forwards and pressed his back against the shelf behind him, turning around to see the woman responsible for saving him. The silver-haired harpy MON operative stood there with her wings held behind her back with a teasing look and a massive grin on her face, her azure blue eyes now locked with his. She was wearing a blue tank top, and a pair of green cargo pants with zippers running along the outside of both legs.

''K-K-K-Kestria!'' The clerk exclaimed in surprise, though he was happy to see her nonetheless.

''C'mon Ishida, I told you to call me Kes, remember? Kestria is just too formal for my liking.'' The harpy replied with a teasing grin still on her face, enjoying making the poor man squirm.

''Oh, right.'' Ishida said while rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed look on his face. ''So, Kes. What brings you here today?''

Kestria gave him a warm smile upon hearing him use her shortened name. ''Just here to get some water.'' She started as she walked up to the man, before playfully pinching his cheeks with the digits on her wings. ''Plus, I wanted to make sure you weren't being held at gunpoint again.'' The harpy continued, giving him a teasing grin again.

''Oh, that's good to know…'' Ishida replied nervously as his cheeks took on a deeper shade of red.

He wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed having Kestria come and check up on him, it was almost a daily routine at this point. Every time she'd sneak up on him and tease him in some way, shape or form, making sure he was alright, and made sure that he knew that she'd always keep an eye on him. With every passing day, the harpy would be bolder with her attempts at making herself known, by the third or fourth day of her visits she'd had gotten more touchy-feely with the subtle shoulder rub or a hug goodbye, which always succeeded in putting a goofy smile on his face.

After a moment or two, Kestria let go of his cheeks and took a step back. ''Anyway, I can't hang around today. Got a date to go on after all.''

The clerk's eyes shot wide open upon hearing this. ''Wait, a date?! Are you sure you should be doing stuff with me if you're already seeing someone?!'' He exclaimed as his heart started pounding in his chest with panic.

''Chill out dude, it's not like that.'' Kestria replied while waving her wings at him in an attempt to calm the man down. ''It's just a work thing. My boss has got me and my squad to do an experiment in regard to the upcoming amendments to the Exchange Bill, so me and the other girls are taking turns going out on dates with our squad captain, Hotshot.''

''Hotshot?'' Ishida questioned with an eyebrow raised.

''Yeah, the blonde guy that showed up just after me and the girls saved your hide the other day.''

''Oh.'' He had finally calmed down after having the situation explained to him. ''Well, I bet he must be having the time of his life…'' He said with a hint of jealousy.

''You'd think so, but he's finding it really awkward, especially seeing he already has a girlfriend.'' Kestria replied with an amused look on her face. ''He basically got strong-armed into doing it by our superior.''

''Well, that sounds complicated. Anyway, what do you guys have planned for today then?''

''We're having a day trip to Hinohara Village to see Hossawa Falls and take the hike around Mt Matsubaeyama. Need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.''

''Nice, I've been there myself, and I couldn't recommend it enough. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.'' Ishida said with a confident smile on his face.

''Oh? Well I just have to go now, seeing it's got your seal of approval.'' Kestria replied in a sultry tone, winking at him. ''I best get going now, don't want to keep Hotshot waiting.'' She added, before checking to see if anyone else was around, but fortunately for her, it was just the two of them.

''What are you doing, Kes?'' The clerk asked with a confused look on his face.

''Just making sure the coast is clear.'' The harpy replied in a seemingly innocent tone.

''Clear for what?''

''This.'' She answered as she narrowed her eyes, her tone becoming more sensual.

Before Ishida could react, the MON operative leant into him at lightly nipped at his right earlobe, causing the poor man to blush profusely. She stepped away from him as quickly as the act itself and walked away while waving a wing at him.

''Catch you later, Bud.'' She said before stopping for a moment to wiggle her butt at him, which sent the man reeling by this point. ''Don't go forgetting about me.'' She added as she walked off again with a wink.

Ishida stood frozen in place for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened as his whole face went red. Only one thought crossed his mind as he brought himself back to reality. ''How the hell did I get so lucky?!''

Back at the apartment complex, Yuuto was waiting outside the front entrance for the arrival of his harpy squad mate, wearing a plain white t-shirt, an old pair of blue denim jeans, and a pair of brown hiking boots, as well as a green backpack on his back. He was continually checking the time on his phone as he waited impatiently for Kestria, wondering what might've happened to her. Just as he was about to make his way back inside to check on her whereabouts, he heard the meek voice of his monoeye co-worker speak up from behind him.

''Good morning, Kazama-san.'' Manako said in an uncharacteristically confident tone, though the blonde was happy to hear that she was more comfortable around him than from when they first met.

Yuuto turned around to see the purple-haired monoeye in her work uniform, presumably making her way to work, though he couldn't help but finding her walking out of the complex by herself a little bit odd, considering her shy demeanour. ''Morning Manako.'' He replied, giving her a warm smile. ''Not going in with Zee and the others today?''

''Oh, Ms Smith asked me to come in early to help her with something.'' The monoeye replied in a slightly more nervous tone as she broke eye contact with him for a moment. ''It's your date with Kestria today, isn't it?'' She questioned as she returned her focus to him.

''Yeah, it is.'' Yuuto replied as he readjusted his backpack. ''Kes and I are heading to Hinohara today. She hasn't had chance to get out of the city since she joined MON, so I thought it would be nice to take her somewhere away from the urban sprawl.''

''That's really kind of you, Kazama-san.'' Manako replied with a warm smile on her face. ''I'm sure she'll really appreciate it.'' As she continued to talk, the blonde would notice his co-worker occasionally glancing towards the sky, and he started to get suspicious of her.

''You okay there, Manako?'' The blonde asked with a hint of concern, though he knew she was up to something.

''Oh, I'm fine!'' She exclaimed suddenly in a panicked tone, flailing her hands at him apologetically. ''N-N-Nothing to worry about!'' Try as she might, the monoeye couldn't keep calm any longer.

Yuuto was now narrowing his eyes at the woman as his suspicions grew tenfold. ''Kes put you up to something, hasn't she?'' He asked in an annoyed tone.

Manako's face turned red as she grew more flustered over her current situation, and eventually she relented, sighing in frustration at being found out. ''I'm sorry Kazama-san, but she asked me to distract you for a while so she could prepare.''

He quirked an eyebrow at Manako in confusion. ''Prepare for what exactly?''

She then stepped to the side of him and looked him straight in the eye as her tone grew serious. ''You might want to brace yourself.''

''Brace myself for whaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!''

From out of nowhere, Kestria flew in behind the blonde agent and grasped her talons around his arms, and proceeded to lift him into the air with her with great ease. The harpy looked back at Manako with a massive grin on her face as she started to ascend with her squad captain in tow.

''Thanks for your help, Manako! I owe you one!'' Kestria shouted as loud as she could.

''It's no problem!'' The monoeye shouted back with a wide smile as she waved them off. ''Have a good day you two!''

Once she was out of earshot, Kestria returned to the task at hand of making their way to their destination, though the blonde agent she was currently carrying was less than please about his current predicament. ''ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK?!'' He yelled at her in a furious tone. ''AT LEAST WARN A GUY BEFORE YOU CARRY HIM OFF TO GOD KNOWS WHERE!''

The harpy looked down at him as her grin widened. ''And ruin the surprise? Where's the fun in that?'' Kestria asked as she winked at him.

Yuuto let out a defeated sigh as he eventually calmed himself down, now that they were flying at a steady altitude. ''There's no winning with you, is there?''

''Nope, so you might as well enjoy the ride.'' She replied back with a warm smile as she focused her attentions back to where she was flying. ''Oh, by the way Hotshot, could you put these water bottles in your bag for me?''

The blonde looked up quizzically at her for a moment, before noticing an Oka-mart bag to the left of him in one of her talons. He grabbed the handle of the bag as Kestria loosened the toe the bag was clutched to, and he took it off her, holding it to his chest as he felt it was too dangerous to try to get at his own bag mid-flight. Kestria looked down at him again to see the slightly worried look on his face as he clutched the handles of the bag with both hands to his chest, and the raptor harpy couldn't help but giggle to herself at the sight of her squad captain.

''What's so funny, Kes?'' Yuuto asked as he furrowed his eyebrows at her.

''Sorry, but you look like one of those old ladies waiting at the bus stop with the face you're making right now.'' She replied before starting to laugh out loud to herself, much to the annoyance of the blonde held in her grasp.

''Well, it's not everyday I get abducted by a raptor harpy, so I'm kind of feeling on edge right now…'' He said with a mixture of worry and annoyance.

''Well, better get used to it, Hotshot.'' Kestria replied with a smug look on her face. ''There's no telling when I'll have to swoop in to save your ass.'' She continued in a slightly suggestive tone in an attempt to tease him, and it succeeded in causing his face to blush bright red.

''…Glad you're so concerned about my ass, Kes…'' He answered in a sarcastic tone.

The harpy couldn't help but giggle to herself again. She definitely enjoyed spending time with Yuuto, and today wasn't going to be an exception.

The pair eventually made it to their destination, Hinohara Village. The village itself was situated in a mountainous path, right next to the Aki River. Even though they were still fairly close to Tokyo itself, it felt like they were out in the middle of nowhere, the area surrounded by forests and mountainous terrain as far as the eye could see, from ground level that is. After admiring the scenery for a moment, they eventually descended into the village itself, the harpy dropping off Yuuto close to the ground once they'd slowed down enough, before landing gracefully right next to him.

''Wow, this place is really scenic. No wonder Ishida recommended coming here.'' Kestria commented as she took in the view of the village and the surrounding area.

''Ishida? Do you mean the store clerk you've been seeing lately?'' Yuuto asked as he faced his squad mate, giving her a quizzical look.

''Yeah, him. And before you ask, no. I'm not dating the guy.'' She replied as she glanced away from her squad captain with her wings held behind her head, her cheeks going red. ''Well, not yet at least…''

''Almost feel sorry for the guy if he has to put up with what I do with you on a daily basis.'' The blonde said with a cheeky grin.

This had quickly earned him a hard jab in the side from the raptor harpy's elbow, though Yuuto still had an amused look on his face as Kestria furrowed her eyebrows at him, accompanied by a smirk on her lips. ''Oh, you are so going to pay for that later, Hotshot.'' She said before she wrapped a wing around his arm and started dragging him off towards the local attractions. ''C'mon, lets go see Hossawa Falls first.'' She continued as a massive grin appeared on her face.

''Seriously, why do all the girls feel they have to drag me around everywhere?'' The blonde thought to himself as he let out a defeated sigh, something he felt like he's mastered recently. ''Alright, just don't yank my arm off, okay?'' He continued as he gave her a warm smile.

''Well, it'll be your fault for not keeping up with me then.'' The harpy answered while winking at him.

''…Of course, it is…'' He replied as Kestria giggled to herself.

After a few minutes of walking, the pair made their way down a wooden walkway in the middle of the woods that crossed over a small stream, and finally made it to Hossawa Falls. The waterfall itself wasn't massive, only being shy of 200 ft high over four steps, but it was still a sight to behold. Kestria stared in awe as she watched the water cascade into the pool below, and Yuuto couldn't help but admire the view too.

''It's really beautiful here, don't you think?'' The harpy asked, her eyes still fixated with the waterfall.

The blonde glanced to his side and gave her a warm smile. ''It is, though you should see this place during the winter. It practically becomes a wall of ice, and it's quite the sight.'' He explained as he looked back at the waterfall again. He then glanced back at her again to see her staring back at him, her eyes shining like diamonds as she gave him a pleading look. ''Pfft. Alright, I'll bring you back here when it gets colder, so you can stop begging now.'' He continued, trying to stifle a snicker at the cute face she was making.

Kestria smiled back at him, happy with his answer. ''Thanks Hotshot.'' She replied before she stepped back and spread her wings wide. ''I'll be back in a sec, just want to get a better view.''

With that, she took off into the air and made her way to a large and sturdy branch that overlooked the waterfall. She got above the branch and perched herself on it, the limb able to hold her weight, not that it was ever a concern with her hollow bones. Kestria looked down at the waterfall, and she could see the water cascade down all four steps, each grander than the last. The raptor harpy seemed bewitched by it's beauty and couldn't turn her gaze away from it. Yuuto looked up at her and couldn't help but smile at how happy she was, it was obvious that she loved nature by now.

''Look Mommy! There's a pretty bird lady up in the tree!''

The MON operative looked behind him to see a young boy who was about five years old with short jet-black hair and green eyes, grasping his mother's hand as he pointed at his harpy squad mate perched up in the tree.

''Seiji, it's rude to point at people.'' The boy's mother lectured him while giving him a stern look. ''And she isn't a bird lady, she what's called a harpy.'' She explained to her son, to which the boy nodded in understanding.

''Actually, she's a raptor harpy to be exact.'' Yuuto interjected as he gave the pair a warm smile. ''They're like normal harpies, but they're more comparable to birds like eagles, being bigger and stronger than most other harpies.'' He explained to the boy.

''So, she's like an eagle lady then?'' Seiji asked, trying to make sense of what he was told by the MON operative.

Yuuto chuckled to himself before he replied. ''Basically.'' The blonde then glanced up at Kestria to see that she hadn't budged an inch, but could tell she heard what they were saying, if the light blush on her cheeks and slight pout on her face were any indication. He then looked back at young Seiji and walked up to him and his mother before he knelt down so he was at eye level with the boy. ''Hey, do you want to meet her?''

The boy's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing he'd get the chance to talk to a real-life eagle lady in person, and his excitement sky rocketed as he turned to face his mother. ''Can I, Mommy?! Can I, pleeeeeeease?!'' Seiji pleading to her as he gave her his best puppy dog eyes.

His mother looked down at him and gave him a warm smile. ''Yes Seiji, you can meet her.'' She replied before turning her attention to the blonde man. ''If that's okay with your friend that is.''

Yuuto smirked to himself as he stood up straight again. ''I'll go ask her now.'' He replied before he turned his attention to his harpy squad mate who was still perched in the tree. ''Hey, Kes!'' He shouted.

Kestria was brought out of her trance and looked down at her captain. ''What is it, Hotshot?'' The harpy asked, giving him a quizzical look.

''Can you come down for a sec?'' He asked as he smirked at her. ''I think you've made a new friend.''

Kestria glanced towards the woman and the young boy standing near Yuuto, and noticed the boy staring at her with an awe-struck face, waiting in anticipation for her answer. The raptor harpy smirked to herself before she took off from her perch and glided down towards the group. Seiji face was plastered with a huge smile, happy to see the eagle lady fly down towards them. Kestria finally landed in front of the group, and immediately made her way to the young boy, crouching down in front of him until she was at eye level with him.

''Hey there.'' She started as she waved a wing at him. ''What's your name?''

''I'm Seiji!'' The boy exclaimed in excitement. ''What's yours?!''

''Seiji, there's no need to shout. She's right in front of you.'' His mother said sternly to him.

''It's alright.'' Kestria said looking up at the mother before returning her attention to her son. ''My name's Kestria, but most people call me Kes.'' She answered with a wide smile on her face.

''That's such a cool name!'' Seiji exclaimed again. He then focused his attention towards one of her wings. ''And you've got really cool wings too!''

Kestria held her right wing in front of her, examining the patterns and colouration. ''I guess they are.'' She said before looking back at the boy. ''You want a touch?''

He looked up expectantly at his mother again, pleading to her with his puppy dog eyes. His mother merely nodded at him as she gave him a warm smile, signalling her approval. With that, he took a step forwards and gingerly placed a hand on the harpy's wing. A wide smile appeared on his lips as he felt the softness of her feathers against his hand, and Kestria giggled as he lightly brushed his hand across her wing.

''It's so soft…'' Seiji muttered to himself as he continued to stroke her wing.

Kestria continued to giggle to herself as the young boy gently stroked her feathers. ''Hey, that tickles.'' She said in between fits of giggling.

Yuuto and Seiji's mother looked down at the pair with warm smiles on their faces at the adorable sight they were witnessing. ''Thank you for doing this.'' The human woman said as she directed her attention to the blonde. ''I'm sure Seiji really appreciates this, it's not very often he gets to meet a liminal in person.''

''It's not a problem.'' He replied as he glanced down at his harpy squad mate once again. ''Seems like Kes is enjoying herself too.''

After a moment, Kestria stood up straight again and took a step back from the young boy. ''Pretty cool, huh?'' She said to him as she gave him a wide smile.

''Yeah! Thank you, Kes!'' Seiji exclaimed joyously. ''I bet you could do all sorts of cool stuff with your wings!''

The raptor harpy gave him a warm smile before she spun around on her talon, extending her wings out to her sides as she did so. ''Oh, they can do a lot of cool stuff, Seiji. There's this one time when…''

Kestria would go on about all the aerial manoeuvres she could do, and how her flying skills were used to help people, though she exaggerated some of the details for dramatic effect, and Seiji was clearly hanging on to her every word. After a while and a parting farewell, the two groups went their separate ways, with Yuuto and Kestria making their way back into the village. As they were heading back, the harpy wrapped her wings around his arm and held it close to her chest, causing her squad captain to blush at the act. He looked down at her and noticed the joyous smile on her face as she rested her head against his shoulder.

''Seems like someone enjoyed themselves.'' Yuuto said to her with a warm smile on his face.

''Yeah, that kid was fun to talk to.'' She replied before looking up at her date. ''Though, you still owe me for that oh so hurtful comment from earlier.'' She continued in a sarcastic tone as she gave him a teasing grin.

*Sigh* ''What do you want?'' The blonde asked in a despairing tone.

''Well, I saw this place while we were heading up here that's supposed to serve up really good dumplings, and I am absolutely starving after flying you all the way here.'' She replied as she pouted at him in an attempt to guilt-trip the human into treating her, tightening her grip on his arm as she did so.

Yuuto sighed to himself again, knowing full well the harpy would gorge herself on the savoury treats, though he was thankful that she wasn't as messy an eater as Blare. ''Fine, but don't overdo it with the dumplings. We've still got the hike to do later on.''

''No promises.'' Kestria replied, giving him a teasing wink before giggling to herself, though Yuuto was genuinely happy to see the harpy enjoying their day out.

After an hour and many dumpling sacrifices later, the pair left the village and started making their trek up Mt Matsubaeyama. Initially, the hike took them through a forest of tall trees while going up a steep incline. After a while, they would break through the woods and into a clearing where the trees were less dense. Kestria took the chance to spread her wings and start flying around above the blonde operative as Yuuto continued hiking up the mountain, now thankful for the slightly decreased incline. A few minutes of walking later, the ground finally evened out, and the human was just about ready to take a break. He looked up to the sky to see Kestria still flying around without a care in the world. Returning his focus his current surroundings, he noticed that in front of him was a solitary tree standing near the edge of a gentle slope, overlooking a breath-taking view of the nearby mountain range with Mt Fuji standing proudly in the background. Yuuto made his way towards the tree, satisfied that it'd be the ideal resting spot for him and Kestria. He took his bag off and placed it to his side before sitting himself down to rest his back against the trunk of the tree, letting out a sigh of relief as he allowed his muscles to rest. As Kestria was still flying above him, she noticed him doing this and slowing started descending towards him. She soon gently landed in front of him and crossed her wings in front of his chest, as the blonde looked up at the raptor harpy, giving her a warm smile.

''Getting tired already, Hotshot?'' The harpy asked, giving him a teasing smile. ''I thought humans were good at walking long distances.''

''Yeah, on flat ground I may add. Climbing mountains kind of exerts more energy last time I checked'' The blonde retorted, returning her a cheesy grin of his own. ''Plus, you're not the one carrying our supplies.''

Kestria gave him a warm smile as she dropped her wings to her sides, slowly making her way towards the human before taking a seat right next to him, resting her back against the large tree herself. As she was making herself comfy, Yuuto unzipped his backpack and pulled out two water bottle which the harpy had bought earlier, and proceeded to pass one over to her.

''Here, looks like you need it.'' The blonde said as he waved the bottle in front of her.

She stared at the bottle for a moment before grasping her wing around it and taking if from her captain's hand. She may have only had apposable nubs at the joint of her wings where most species had hands, but they were enough to unscrew the cap on the bottle before pressing it to her lips as she took several gulps of water from the plastic container.

Once she was done, she let out a sigh of satisfaction before putting the cap back on. ''Thanks for that, Hotshot.'' She eventually replied before wiping the mouth with one of her wings. She then looked out at the view in front of them, and she was happy with the scenic mountain range. ''Got to say, to know how to find a good view.'' She commented as she continued stare at the scenery in awe.

Yuuto smirked at that comment as he took in the scenery himself. ''Well, me and my sister used to come here quite often when we were younger, any excuse to get away from our dad.'' He replied as he recalled the times he went up here with Hikari on their days off school, and it was times like those that allowed them to be as close as they were. He may not admit it, but at the end of the day, he loved his little sister, and despite how much of a nuisance she could be at times, the blonde wouldn't have her any other way.

A sad smile soon crossed Kestria's face at the mentioning of the human's family, recalling the situation with her own. ''Guess I'm not the only one with family issues then.'' She said as she tucked her legs to her chest and wrapped her wings around them.

Her squad captain looked back at her with a look of concern, though he couldn't help but wonder about the raptor harpy's circumstances. ''I've been curious, what actually happened with you and your tribe anyway?'' He asked, though he was careful not to pressure her into answering his question, seeing it was a personally matter. He wasn't exactly forthcoming with the problems he had with his farther after all. ''I'll understand if you don't want to- ''

''It's okay.'' The harpy interrupted him, though she didn't make eye contact with him. ''I've been meaning to talk to someone else about it for a while now.'' She continued as her tone grew shaky, remembering what happened with her tribe before she left for Japan.

''Who else have you told?''

''Raia.'' Kestria answered as she glanced at him, a sad smile still prevalent on her face. ''Believe it or not, we joined the Exchange Program around the same time and ended up staying with the same host for the year.''

''That explains why you two are so close then.'' Yuuto replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

She stifled a chuckle at that comment. ''I guess, if you call her tying me up with her wrappings for fun close. Though I will admit, she is a good listener when she wants to be.'' Her smile faded again as she got back on track with their conversation. ''I suppose I should tell you about what happened with me and my tribe.''

''You don't have to force yourself if you don't want to.''

Kestria shook her head at him, not wanting him to give her an excuse to avoid the subject. ''No, I want you to understand why I'm here in the first place.'' She then took a deep breath to calm her growing nerves, and continued to speak. ''Me and my younger sisters went out hunting one day, and we found this large bull elk by itself near a forest. The three of us took it out quick and easy, and were about to carry it home with us. That's when… That's when it…'' The raptor harpy was struggling to get her words out as tears started rolling down her cheeks, the memories of what happened still clear in her mind.

Yuuto placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze, causing the harpy to look up at him with tear-stained eyes, surprised by the sudden contact. ''It's okay Kes, just take your time.'' He said in a calming tone, hopeful that it would calm the harpy down.

She wiped the tears from her face and took a moment to recompose herself, nodding to him as she did so. ''Anyway, this grizzly bear came charging out of the woods while we were getting ready to fly off with the kill. My sisters got away from the elk as fast as they could, but me being stubborn decided that I'd fight the bear for the kill…'' Kestria hung her head in shame as she replayed the memory, recalling everything she could remember.

Yuuto sat there with his hand still on her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze again as she went silent, trying his best to comfort her.

She took another deep breath. ''Basically, I got my ass handed to me, but before it tried to swipe at me, my youngest sister, Avia, pushed me out the way and took a claw to the back for me. She was bleeding heavily from the deep claw marks, and me and my other sister, Tori, flew her back to the others as fast as we could.'' Kestria looked back up at her captain as tears were still welling up from them. ''In our culture, putting a hunting partner in harms way, for whatever reason, is unforgivable, so the rest of the tribe was pissed after I explained what happened. The whole tribe, including my own mother, saw it fit to exile me for what happened, and the worst thing is, I never found out what happened to Avia afterwards, and it haunts me to this day that she might've died because of my own pride…'' The silver-haired harpy was balling her eyes out at this point, unable to compose herself any longer.

The blonde had tears welling up from his eyes as well from the sad story, and he soon pulled his harpy squad mate into a comforting hug, which Kestria responded by wrapping her wings around his chest, and nestled her face into his chest, now crying as hard a she could. ''It's alright Kes, let it all out.'' He wrapped his arms around her tighter as she continued to sob into his chest.

Kestria continued to wail with grief for some time, but after a while, she calmed down enough to look up at him from his chest, a sad smile crossing her lips once more. ''Thanks Hotshot. You really are a good friend.''

''I try.'' He answered back as he lightly strokes her hair. ''You going to be okay?''

The raptor harpy separated herself from her captain, wiping the tears from her face again. ''Yeah, sorry about that.'' She apologised before continuing her story. ''Anyway, turns out we got a visit from the ICEP officials that day, and you'll never guess who was with them.''

Yuuto quirked an eyebrow in confusion for a moment, before he realised who she was talking about. ''Wait, Ms Smith was there?''

''Don't know why, but she was, and she heard all about me being exiled from the tribe. She wasted no time in finding me and convinced me there and then to sign up for the program. Either she wanted to make use of my skills for something good, or she wanted to avoid having a lone raptor harpy causing trouble somewhere.'' She replied, her mood slightly improving.

''Knowing her, probably both.'' He joked, which succeeded in getting a giggle from his squad mate.

Kestria smiled back at him. ''Anyway, after a shit ton of paperwork, I was shipped off to Japan to move in with a girl call Fuyumi, alongside with a certain mummy we're well acquainted with, and thirteen months later, here I am.''

Yuuto shook his head to himself before responding. ''And here I thought I had problems with family.''

''What happened with yours then?'' The harpy asked.

''Long story short, after my mom left, Dad started pushing me and my sister to do better, to the point he would get violent if we didn't meet his expectations. Once we were old enough, we moved out, and we haven't spoken to him since.''

''Families suck, don't they?'' Kestria said as she hung her head with an amused look on her face, unable to believe what she and her squad captain had gone through because of their so-called families.

Yuuto then placed a hand on her head and patted it gently. ''Sometimes, but at least we've got good friends to rely on.''

''Isn't that the truth.'' She answered back before standing up to stretch her wings. ''Thanks for everything today, but do you mind if we head home now? I feel exhausted after all that.''

The blonde operative soon joined suit and got up onto his own feet, stretching his arms as well. ''I'll second that, the hike itself was bad enough.''

Kestria soon returned to her usual demeanour and gave him a teasing grin. ''I've heard from Blare and Kasumi that you've started giving us nicknames. So, what's mine going to be?'' She asked as she got up in his face. ''It better be a good one too.'' She added with a teasing wink.

The blonde averted his gaze from his harpy squad mate, his cheeks going red from the sudden confrontation. ''Can't say I've thought about it much.'' He said as he tried to give himself to think of a good one for her, though one practically jumped in front of him within seconds as he met her eyes again. ''How do you like Falco?''

The harpy gave him a quizzical look. ''You mean the bird guy from the Star Fox games?''

''Yeah, that one.''

Kestria mused to herself as she held her chin in her wing, thinking over if the nickname suited her. After a moment, she looked back at the human with a smile on her face. ''Works for me, Hotshot.'' She replied, bumping shoulders with him before she started walking off back the way they came. ''Let's get going, I've got stuff to do now that you're off the market.''

''Let me guess, it involves your crush that works at Oka-mart, right?'' Yuuto teased as he walked up behind her.

Her face went red at his accusation, and she quickly turned around to face him again, a peeved look plastered on her face. ''Hey, that's none of your business!'' She squawked at him as she puffed her cheeks out.

''Alright, alright. Just don't do anything illegal, got it?''

She soon gave him a teasing look again. ''Like I said, it's none of your business.'' She replied, giving him a mischievous wink.

As the harpy walked off in front of him again, Yuuto couldn't help but enjoy the fact that Kestria was back to her normal self again, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the store clerk as his harpy squad mate was going to be his problem for the foreseeable future.

It was almost dusk, and Ishida had just finished off his long shift at the Oka-mart. It had been a gruellingly dull day for the most part, apart from his visit from Kestria earlier, which was enough to get him through without banging his head against a wall. As he walked out of the building, he heard a faint yell in the distance, but it seemed strange seeing it sounded like it was coming from above him.

''Hey! Ishida!''

The store clerk looked up to see the smiling face of the silver-haired harpy that had taken an interest in him. ''Hey Kes!'' He yelled back at her as he waved his hand at her.

He had however failed to notice she was still flying at him with some speed, and before he realised it, the girl had crashed into him, wrapping her wings around him as she did so. After a moment, he came to his senses and opened his eyes to see Kestria's face looming mere inches above his.

''Sorry about that.'' She apologised in an innocent tone as she rubbed the back of her head with one of her wings. ''I just couldn't wait to see you.'' She continued as a blush soon appeared on her cheeks.

Ishida's face had also gone bright red and immediately sat himself straight, with the harpy still pressed up against his chest. ''D-D-Did you really need to crash into me like that though?'' He stuttered, feeling embarrassed about the compromising position he found himself in.

''Oh, don't be such a grouch, Bud. No harm, no foul.'' Kestria replied, now giggling to herself.

The young man wasn't sure what was worse, whether that she crashed into him knowing they could get hurt, or that she tried to brush it of with a possibly intentional bird pun. He soon sighed to himself, unable to bring himself to lecture the gorgeous girl currently on top of him. ''Alright, but can you do me a couple favours, please?'' He asked in a defeated tone.

''Name it.'' Kestria replied with a wink.

''First of all, can you let me get up, please?''

The harpy nodded at him and soon got off him, offering a wing to help him up as a bonus.

The human took her wing and got back onto his feet with her help, before brushing himself down. ''Thanks. As for the second favour…''

''What did you have in mind?'' She asked as she got up in his face. ''Can't do anything illegal though, Exchange Bill and such.'' She continued in a teasing tone.

''Do you mind calling me Isao instead? I honestly prefer it over Bud.'' He said as he averted his gaze from hers.

Kestria gave him a warm smile and leant into the human again, resting her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of him next to her. ''Whatever you say, Isao.'' She replied in a caring tone, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.

Isao smiled back at her in turn, happy with her answer.

The raptor harpy soon stepped back from the clerk, holding her wings behind her back. ''I've been meaning to ask, what have you got planned tonight?''

''Err, well, not a lot. Just go home and make myself dinner.'' He answered in a slightly nervous tone, already guessing how she wanted to spend her evening. ''You're welcome to join me if you want.''

Not a split second had passed as Kestria latched her wings around his arm, nestling it against her chest. ''It's a date then.'' She replied with a massive grin on her face.

Isao couldn't help but smile back at her as they started walking back to his place. He wasn't sure what had happened on her date earlier today, but he was happy to know that she wanted to spend time with him above anyone else. He felt like he was on Cloud Nine.