7:27 AM, Day 2
Hotel Mirai
1st Island
Kaede woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and relaxed, much to her own relief. Of course she was briefly confused upon waking up...but, well, it didn't take long for her to remember everything that had happened yesterday.
She quickly brushed past that though, and set about getting ready for the day. After freshening up in her cabin's bathroom, she headed over to the hotel, intent on taking a nice, hot shower. When she arrived in the girls locker room, she saw that some of the other girls had beaten her to the punch.
"Good morning, Kaede!" Tsumugi cheerfully greeted her as she came in. The other girl was already in the process of stripping down and placing her clothes into one of the lockers.
"Morning, 'Mugi," she greeted in kind. She likewise greeted Mikan and Ibuki, both of whom were also in the locker room.
Soon enough all four of them had disrobed, and went into the communal shower to bathe. Kaede chose a shower head at random, turning it on. She shivered as it blasted her with cold water at first, but slowly it started to heat up, raining down a soothing stream of hot water against her bare skin.
She idly looked around, eyeing the other girls as they also showered. Admiring the admittedly cute and sexy bodies of her classmates...at least, until she glanced at Ibuki, and inadvertently locked eyes with her. It seemed she was studying Kaede, in turn.
Kaede blushed a little and immediately looked away, feeling a little guilty at being caught like that. She had little time to dwell on that though, before she felt someone reach up from behind and squeeze her breasts!
"W-Woah!" Kaede squeaked, her face flushing further as her mysterious groper fondled her shamelessly. She twisted her head back, finally seeing it was Ibuki that had come up behind her!
"Ooh, Kaede has real big titties! Ibuki has to admit, she is real impressed! You've probably got, like, the biggest set of boobs on the entire island!" Ibuki enthused, a carefree grin on her face as she felt her up.
"I-Ibuki?! Wh-what do you think you're doing?!" Kaede demanded, even as felt more heat gather at her cheeks. At the same time, she had to bite her lip a little, not wanting to make any weird noises as her shower-mate fondled her like this! "A-And you're exaggerating! My breasts...th-they aren't that big!"
"I believe this is referred to as, 'skinship grope'. It's a common trope in anime and manga. It's usually used for fanservice in bathing scenes, where one or more girls admire another's chest size. It's usually treated as pretty harmless...though I suppose such things might be considered sexual assault in real life," Tsumugi 'helpfully' proclaimed, doing absolutely nothing to help her out.
"Hmm, Mugi is right! Ibuki should have asked for permission first!" Ibuki decisively stated, abruptly letting go of Kaede's breasts.
She breathed a sigh of relief at that, her face still quite red from that sudden, rough treatment. She glared half-heartedly at Ibuki, crossing her arms under her breasts as she tapped her foot against the linoleum floor. "You really should have! That isn't very nice to do out of the blue like that, Ibuki!"
"Ibuki is very sorry! She humbly begs your eternal forgiveness!" she exclaimed, bowing her head as she clasped her hands together. A moment later though, an impish smile worked its way onto her face. "So then...do I have it? Your permission?"
"H-huh?" Kaede stuttered out, taken aback.
"Well, Ibuki is asking for it this time! Does Kaede want me to fondle her breasts?" she clearly asked, giving an excited giggle afterward.
"I...y-you...I..." she sputtered in response, at a loss for words. Much to her eternal gratitude, however, Tsumugi came to her rescue.
"Hey, I don't mind if you fondle my chest, Ibuki!"
Ibuki turned to Tsumugi at that, an eager grin on her face as she nodded. She wasted little time at all and slipped over to where Tsumugi was at, getting behind her and reaching over to grab her breasts.
"...Really?" Kaede couldn't help but ask, staring at her bemusedly.
"Kaede, don't ruin this for me. You have no idea how much I want to play out an anime trope in real life!" Tsumugi insisted, an intensely serious look on her face. After a few seconds though her face started to redden, as an intense blush blossomed over her cheeks. "Oh, w-wow, this feels a lot more...d-different than I imagined..."
"Ibuki is happy to serve!" the girl in question happily chirped, of course still groping Tsumugi's chest. "Mm, your boobs are pretty big too Mugi! Maybe just a little bit smaller than Kaede's. Ibuki is so jealous! Grr, Ibuki wanted to be a big tiddy goth gf! Why was she given such small breasts in her character design?!"
Ibuki continued babbling her nonsense, taking out her anger on an increasingly flustered Tsumugi, as she aggressively fondled and felt up the other girl's breasts. Kaede felt the need to intervene, until something else ended up distracting them.
"Wahh!" Mikan suddenly screeched.
Kaede immediately looked her way, just in time to see Mikan skidding across the floor, her foot having slipped on a dropped bar of soap. Too late, Kaede realized she was going to crash right into her! Seconds later Mikan smacked against her body, sending them both sprawling to the floor.
"I-I-I'm so sorry!" she wailed from atop her, squirming in embarrassment as she tried—and failed—to get off of Kaede.
"Oh my! What a shameless display of fanservice!" Tsumugi commented, an amused gleam in her eye as she stared down at them.
Ibuki, meanwhile, chortled and giggled impishly. "Welcome to the world of girl love! Careful, it's slippery when wet!"
Kaede wasn't sure what they were talking about at first, but then she took stock of her current situation. Here she was, sprawled out on the floor, wet and naked, with an equally wet and naked girl on top of her. Their breasts were pressed together, and Mikan's thigh was pressing up against...an unfortunate place. As if that wasn't enough, the icing on the cake was Mikan's constant squirming, as she unsuccessfully tried to get off of her, causing her to rub up against her body.
All in all, it was a rather obscene sight!
Kaede felt her cheeks heat up in response, and she immediately reached up to grasp Mikan's shoulders. "Okay, calm down Mikan! Just...just roll off of me, and then we can get up."
She gave out another hurried apology, but complied all the same, tilting her body to the side and landing next to her. After that, Ibuki and Tsumugi finally helped, pulling them both up to their feet.
"Gee, you could have stepped in a little sooner," Kaede huffed, glaring at them both. She sighed after a moment though, glancing at Mikan, who still acted rather frazzled and apologetic.
"It's fine, Mikan. I know it was an accident," she reassured her, reaching over to reassuringly patted her shoulder.
"B-B-But it's not! Oh, I'm so sorry Kaede! Y-You can grope me however you like, if it makes you feel better! I can take it!" Mikan, however, didn't seem so ready to accept her forgiveness.
Before Kaede could even reply, Ibuki swooped in, wrapping Mikan up in a bear hug from behind, as her hands seized hold of her breasts. "Ooh, don't mind if Ibuki takes you up on that offer!"
Kaede immediately averted her eyes, though that didn't stop her from hearing the squeaks and surprised squeals Mikan let out.
"Jeez, I'm starting to wonder if she has an obsession or something," Kaede commented aloud.
"That, or maybe she swings for the other side? Not that there's anything wrong with that," Tsumugi suggested with a shrug.
Whatever the case was, Kaede decided to turn her attention back to the showers, intent on getting washed up and clean. Though that was a bit harder to focus on than she'd like, as Ibuki continued horsing around, even after other girls started entering the shower...
9:02 AM, Day 2
Hotel Restaurant, Hotel Mirai
1st Island
After a brief visit to the showers, Akane found herself feeling refreshed and invigorated. She marched on over to the restaurant soon after, where most of the group was already gathered eating breakfast. After getting herself a plate of food from Teruteru, she scoped out the dining room. She spotted Rantaro at one table with Mikan and Monaca, the three of them enjoying themselves nicely. She felt a little tempted to go join him, but instead decided to leave him be.
After a few seconds she instead set her sights on a lone table in the corner, where a certain brown haired girl was eating by herself.
"Hey there, Chihiro right?" Akane asked, as she sat across from her. "Looks like you could use some company."
"Oh um... hello Akane, I'd love some company," she softly replied, giving the brunette a small smile.
Akane nodded, idly spearing a portion of food with her fork, before plopping it into her mouth. After she chewed she remarked, "Gotta admit, I'm surprised you're sitting here all alone. A girl as cute and pretty like you usually has a whole entourage of guys and girls to bat off!"
"Oh? I'm a bit nervous around strangers. I-I can be a very shy person when I want to be," she replied, turning her attention back to her food. "Though I wouldn't call myself c-cute, I-I don't like having a lot of a-attention on me,"
"Really? Well, you're *definitely* cute: I'm a girl too, so you can take it as an objective observation!" Akane declared, a wolfish grin on her face as she stared at Chihiro. "But yeah, I can get that. It's kinda annoying to have guys stare at my boobs when I'm not in the mood for sex."
"Hehe ...yeah," Chihiro awkwardly replied. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I take it you don't like being ogled? It makes me feel weird when I am,"
"Eh, most of the time I don't mind. I mean, I'm used to it. Plus, I like it sometimes. It's just when I'm not in that mood, that it's annoying," she replied, shrugging slightly.
A teasing grin came on her face a moment later though, and Akane reached up to tug at her shirt, revealing some more cleavage. "But I certainly don't mind if you ogle me, ya know!"
"Ah! I w-won't do that A-Akane! I respect you after all!" the girl exclaimed, a flush on her cheeks. "I d-don't think I could do that to you!"
Akane couldn't help but chuckle at that, shaking her head as Chihiro got all embarrassed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just teasin' yeah! I mean, I seriously don't mind if you do, since you're such a cutie. But anyway, I gotta admit, I was a bit surprised you weren't in the showers with everyone else. I was hoping to see you in there!"
"T-that's because-" she paused, looking away from her. "I had already taken a shower, haha. I like showering alone. I get embarrassed when I'm with other girls."
Akane nodded lightly at that. It made enough sense to her. "That's fair, I guess. Whatever makes you more comfortable, I say!"
And Akane would like to make Chihiro comfortable in her bed back in her cabin, but she seemed a bit too shy for that strategy to work so soon. Pity.
"So, you're a programmer, huh?" she asked, switching gears. "What's that like?"
"It's very fun. I've learned a lot over the years, especially from my father. We built our own computer out of spare parts," she said, a small smile appearing on her face. "A lot of people have a hard time understanding binary but when you do, you'll see yourself speaking in 1s and 0s too. You can even make video games and other cool things. It's really rewarding."
"Hm, sounds like it," Akane agreed, nodding a little. "I was never one for computers, but then again I was never all that booksmart too. Had to teach myself and my siblings how to read: wasn't as if there was a proper school in Roanapur."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But with computers you have quite the advantage, you can learn a wide manner of things now. Some people even elect to take school courses online, skipping out on school entirely," Chihiro replied. "If you'd like, I could compile a list of sites that could be of help. I'm sure your siblings could use a simple and affordable education, and you wouldn't have to leave your home either."
"Hm, that's not a bad idea Chi. I'll have to keep that in mind!" Akane noted, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "But I've already got a good deal going on for my siblings. We've got a house and education paid for by the Japanese government. Pays to know the right people when we came here. But thanks for the offer: it still might prove useful for us later."
"No problem! I enjoy helping people out with programming and technology, it is my specialty after all," Chihiro said happily, taking a few more bites of her food. "I'm glad to hear that your siblings are doing well. I am a little worried though, being on this island. I hope by father isn't worrying over me."
Akane nodded at that. She could really relate to that. She hadn't tried to think about her siblings too much since waking up here. At the end of the day, she had no way of knowing what was going on with them, unless she found a way off this blasted island. She just had to hope that they were okay, and that Hajime would be looking after them like he usually did.
Still, they were in Japan now: they should be safe. It wasn't like they were in Roanapur anymore: she didn't have to worry about one of them getting caught up in a fight in town, or make sure no one tried to kidnap them off the streets. Whatever was going on with her, *they* were safe, and that was all that mattered!
"Uh, 'scuse me..."
Akane blinked, glancing off over to the side. She noticed Mondo standing there now, looking a bit red in the face as he stared down at her and Chihiro.
"H-hello M-Mondo," she shyly replied. Her face went completely red as she hastily looked away.
Mondo's face likewise heated up, but he braved through what he had to say all the same. "I uh, was talkin' to Kaede, apologizing to her and stuff. For...how I acted yesterday. And...she made me realize I ought to apologize to you two too. So...uh, sorry. I really shouldn't have ogled you while you were...n-naked, Akane."
He turned to Chihiro next, struggling even more to get out his next sentence. "And...s-s-sorry for uh...that, Chihiro. A lady shouldn't have to see somethin' like that! I'm really, really sorry about that. I shoulda known better!"
Well now, that was a story she had to find out later! In the meantime, Akane just smirked up at him and shrugged. "Hey, I don't mind. It's cool, man."
"It's fine. Y-you're forgiven," the programmer squeaked, squeezing her eyes shut. Meanwhile, her face was so hot, Akane was almost sure steam was gonna blow out of her ears.
Akane resisted the urge to snicker, finding Chihiro's reaction endlessly adorable and a little sexy. Instead she finished the last of her food, and offered them both a fanged grin and proclaimed, "Well, if you wanna do some more ogling later, with my permission, both of you know where to find me! Think I'll head off for now!"
She got up, pushing her plate aside. Before she left though, she came to a sudden stop. "Oh shit, I almost forgot!"
She let out a sharp whistle, gathering everyone's attention fairly quickly. That done she said, "Hey! This afternoon at three pm, Mukuro and I are having our goddamn rematch! And this time, she's going down! You're all welcome to watch as I beat her into submission! In fact, the more the merrier!"
That declared, she happily left the restaurant, already plotting her revenge...
11:43 AM, Day 2
Jabberwock Park
Central Island
With not much else to do for the time being, Kaede found herself traveling to the central island, deciding to explore it a little more. When she arrived, she decided to make her way over to the park, where she bumped into someone unexpectedly. "Sayaka?" she noted, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise. The girl in question was resting on a park bench, she saw. "You come out here to explore the central island too?"
"Hi Kaede!" Sayaka politely greeted. "To answer your question, yes. I wanted to get some fresh air, get away from it all for a bit. It's been...stressful,"
"Stressful? In what way?" Kaede couldn't help but ask as she tilted her head, finding herself curious.
The blue haired idol chuckled and rubbed her arm, remembering her encounter with the Ultimate Princess. She sighed, shaking her head. "I'd rather not talk about it. I'm mostly just... getting used to this entire situation. I can't help but worry about my family and my bandmates,"
Kaede nodded at that, a pensive look on her face as she crossed her arms. She took a seat besides Sayaka after a moment, figuring she wouldn't mind. "Yeah, I can understand that. I'm worried sick about my sister, Keiko. We've...never really been separated this long before. But, I'm sure it'll all work out all right! If all goes well, we'll be freed of Usami in a few more days!"
"Yes, that's what I'm hoping for too. Though I am worried that someone will actually do something." Sayaka replied, glancing away briefly. "No motive is basically a motive of it's own. Someone might be spurred to action, or a secret motive could be handed. With Usami, who knows?"
"Hmm...I guess that's fair. Still, I think we should look on the bright side for as long as we can!" Kaede declared, a determined look in her eye. "I'm sure Usami wants to drive us to paranoia and distrust, anyways!"
"Yeah, you're definitely right! I bet nothing is gonna happen anyways. Maybe we could do something to distract everyone from this? A concert maybe?" the idol asked, an almost excited look on her face. "I'm sure you want to show us your mean piano skills, this would be a great opportunity,"
"That's not a bad idea! I'll have to bring it up with Byakuya later," Kaede replied, nodding a bit. That might actually be fun! "But, well, I'm sure everyone would rather see you perform, you know." She leaned over a bit, playfully poking Sayaka in her side, "I mean, you ARE the Ultimate Idol and everything. You're a famous celebrity too!"
"Oh I know, but maybe just this once, I'd like to not be an idol. I don't mind singing a few songs but we can have the others sing too!" the blue haired beauty said, a smile on her face. "I'm sure they'll enjoy that, especially Ibuki. I'm sure she'll rock out the moment she gets on stage,"
"Oh, I'm sure she will!" Kaede replied, giggling slightly. "Ibuki sure is energetic and...unique. Makes me wonder what she'll sound like on stage. Hmm, you know, maybe we could even put our own impromptu band together? Ibuki on guitar, you doing lead vocals, me on piano...all we'd need is someone to play the drums and we'd be set!"
"Hmm... you are right. We could definitely put a band together, though I'm not sure who would be on drums." the idol said, tapping her chin in thought. "Shuichi doesn't strike me as a drummer... neither does Rantaro. Maybe Nagito? I'm not sure why it is, but I feel like he'd be able to play it perfectly,"
"Hmm, maybe! We'll have to find an actual drum set though, maybe there's one in the airport storage room," Kaede mused, shrugging slightly. "Besides that though, I gotta admit I'm curious about something: what's it like to be an idol?"
"Being an idol is a lot harder than a lot of people think it is. Everyone thinks it's all about glamour, cute songs and outfits and music videos," Sayaka said, sighing audibly. "In reality, the idol life is exhausting. You have to be punctual all the time. Rehearsals are mandatory to everyone and you spend at least 3 hours on several routines. You have a strict diet that you have to stick too, shit. Most of us can't even date because it ruins our public image!"
The young woman huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms under her bust. "I was told once that I couldn't date anyone because teenage boys were big consumers. Do you know what it's like knowing that some 15 year old is jacking off to a poster of you in his room? Or that there are figurines of you and your friends with very very detailed clothes? It's a nightmare."
As she said that, she tucked some hair behind her ear. A moment later though a small smile started spreading across her lips. "Still, despite everything, I love being an idol. It's fun knowing people love your music all around the world. That you have the sweetest fans in the world sharing their love and support for you. I've met so many kind people in my career, especially kids. They make my career very fun and fulfilling for me!"
Kaede felt her face heat up a bit at that, as Sayaka spoke. Still, she found herself nodding at the end, smiling a little. "I know I'm nowhere near the same level as you are, but...I can kinda relate. I just want to play the piano, but my manager has always put a lot of focus on my public image. Doing interviews, making sure I'm pretty and made up for pictures and photoshoots, answering fan letters, that sort of thing. You'd be surprised how many guys are suddenly into piano when an attractive teenage girl is the one playing it."
She paused a moment, a soft smile spreading across her lips. "But when I get in front of a piano...it all becomes worth it. I love playing it, and I love playing it in front of an audience even more. There's something...beautiful about it, in a way."
"Hehehe, I suppose we're kindred spirits then. Both of us enjoy what we do, and that makes it all worth it in the end. No matter the embarrassing interview questions, the fact that people are using your pictures for things you don't want to think of, and of course...embarrassing moments on stage," she said, shuddering a bit. "I'm just glad I've got someone I can relate too on this island,"
"Me too! I always relied on my sister on these sorts of things. I mean, we're twins, so we kind of shared the burden on that. But I'm glad I can talk about this with you too, Sayaka!" she declared. "Though I think I'd take the embarrassing interviews, and even the less reasonable photo shoots over the really obsessive fans. I mean, I actually got a love letter from a fan once. It was...really, really creepy."
"You too?" Sayaka said in a deadpanned tone. "Hoo boy, I've had my fair share of those. From the 'I love you, please marry me' to the 'Please come to England, I want you to meet my parents' to the creepiest one 'I love you so much. I'm watching you right now'. Ugh...just thinking about that last one makes my skin crawl," she said, shuddering.
"Jeez, tell me about it. The letter I got went into...really, really graphic detail about what he wanted to do with me. My manager ended up calling the police about it," Kaede admitted, giving a little shudder. "Still, it's not so bad. At the end of the day it's all really worth it when I get to play the piano! And thank god there's one on the first island: I'd be going stir crazy if there wasn't one!"
"Oh girl, I feel you. If there was a stage somewhere on these islands, I'd likely be dancing on it," she said with a giggle. "I'm sure we'll find one soon. Whatever the case, I'm starting to like this whole band idea! It's gonna be so much fun. I'll write some new songs too, it's been awhile since I did that,"
"Great! I really look forward to that now! I'll talk with Byakuya soon, maybe we can find ourselves a drum set and drummer!" she replied, pumping her arm up in excitement!
Just then, Shuichi burst into the park, coming to a stop near them before bending over, clearly out of breath and exhausted. "I think...I managed to lose her after all..."
"Shuchi?! What's the matter, is someone chasing you?" Sayaka cried, a worried look on her face.
"Huh?" Shuichi started, looking up as he just now noticed them. He immediately straightened himself out, smoothing out his jacket as he tried to preserve some sense of decorum. "Oh, s-sorry, didn't see you two there..." he mumbled, looking faintly embarrassed.
"What's wrong, Shuichi? Are you okay?" Kaede asked, standing up from the bench to make her way over to him.
"Oh, it's, um...well, it's Toko," he admitted after a moment. "She's been...acting weird since breakfast. I started noticing she was...following me around. I tried losing her but she was...persistent. I finally confronted her, to see what was going on, and..."
He trailed off, heaving a heavy sigh before quietly finishing with, "...I think Toko has a crush on me..."
"Aw, that's so cute~" Sayaka said happily. "Though it is a bit weird... she just followed you everywhere?"
"That's it? Really?" Kaede couldn't help but ask, giggling a little. "You really had me worried there Shuichi! Though that is a bit strange. Then again, Toko isn't entirely...normal, from what I've seen."
"Yeah...she had this weird look on her face too, and she was breathing pretty heavily..." Shuichi replied, looking away nervously. "And when I did confront her she...she called me...'Master'..."
"Yeah, that's not weird at all," the idol said, looking at Kaede. "It reminds me of one of my fans, actually."
"Okay, yeah, that is kind of concerning," Kaede noted. "Well, maybe I can talk with her later about it. She might just not be used to showing her...feelings in a normal, healthy manner. I'm sure she doesn't realize just how weird she might be coming off as."
"Yes, she's probably just confused. She seems like a nice person, and is probably a recluse. I feel bad for those kinds of people. Social Anxiety isn't a fun thing to have," the idol said, placing a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "Don't you worry Shuchi, me and Kaede will talk to her about it. We'll let you know what she says,"
"Th-thanks. I'd really appreciate that," Shuichi said, a relieved smile on his face. "I mean, I don't know if I could feel the same way about her, but...well, she is coming off kind of strong."
"It's no problem, Shuichi! Sayaka and I will get to the bottom of this for sure!" Kaede declared with a bright grin. "Just leave it to us!"
1:27 PM, Day 2
Hotel Restaurant, Hotel Mirai
1st Island
Akane feasted eagerly on the food before her, wolfing down an early lunch. She was hoping to get some food in her belly before beating Mukuro's ass, and Teruteru had been more than happy to cook for her. The chef in question was seated across from her, eating his own meal while also admiring her assets: something Akane wasn't too bothered by.
The pair were interrupted though, when Miu came storming into the restaurant.
"I cannot fucking believe this shit!" she snapped, as she looked at herself. It seemed she had been forced to wear a uniform, at Usami's command: but the uniform she had on was...unorthodox, to say the least.
It was a sleeveless, strapless leotard, that hugged her curves nicely. Her bountiful breasts were slightly squished, the button holding them back threatening to pop off. The outfit was pink in color, with various shapes embroidered into the material. She was also wearing a pair of black fishnet stockings, and glossy pink stilettos. Atop her head, she was wearing a pair of bunny ears, her outfit also had a small tail right on her behind. Her lengthy hair had been straightened, and allowed to fall perfectly down her back.
"H-Honestly, if it wasn't because my life was on the line, I'd take this fuckin shit off. What kind of person forces someone to d-dress like this?!" Miu thundered, her face beet red.
Akane and Teruteru looked Miu over for a good minute, paying particular attention to her outfit. Teruteru himself had a grand smile on his face as he checked her out.
"Well, mon cheri, I don't know about that. You look absolutely ravishing in that outfit!" he gladly praised, shamelessly eyeing her up and down. "Yes, simply breathtaking!"
"D-Do I really?" she asked, almost softly as she looked at him. She noticed his perverted look, and her nervousness swiftly turned into anger. "You fuckin perv! You're just happy because my tits are almost hanging out!"
"Well, just because I'm happy to observe your body, doesn't mean I don't think you look great in that," Teruteru proclaimed, giving her a charming grin as he leaned back in his chair. "Which you do, by the way. It looks great on you! Really helps accentuate your natural beauty, Miu!"
"Hmph, I don't know about that. I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that!" Akane interjected, looking over at her with a smirk. "Though it does offer a nice view, I'll say."
"I-I'm only wearing this because I don't have an option!" Miu retorted, looking away from the two. "That stupid rabbit said if I didn't, she'd blow my lid off, and I don't want that to happen."
"Of course not, mon cheri! Still, you do look ravishing in that outfit!" Teruteru praised some more. A moment later though he abruptly stood up. "Oh, where are my manners! Can I fix you up anything to eat? It'll be no trouble at all for me!"
"I suppose I wouldn't mind something to eat. It's been a long time since breakfast. I think a steak will do just fine. I'm fuckin starving!" Miu allowed, a hungry look on her face. "Maybe some steamed vegetables on the side... and some lamb sauce,"
"Oh ho! A woman after my own heart, I see!" Teruteru proclaimed with a grin. "I'll be back in a jiffy then!"
That said, he dashed off with surprising speed into the kitchen, leaving Miu and Akane alone.
"Well, I think I know where all that's gonna end up going," Akane murmured to herself, eyeing Miu's breasts. "Seriously, I never met someone with bigger tits than me until you."
"R-really? Uh, I mean, of course! These babies are the biggest pair of tits you'll find here! And I'm very proud of 'em!" Miu declared, giving a triumphant laugh. "You can stare all you want of course, but you'll have to beg to touch 'em!"
Akane snorted at that, an amused grin on her face. Glanced over at Miu again, her eyes lecherously lingering over her body. "Is that so? Well, too bad I'm not the begging type."
Hm, even when she was being kind of a jackass, Miu was actually kind of enjoyable, she had to admit. Besides, the poor girl was trying to make the best of things: honestly, Akane wasn't sure at all how she'd have reacted if Usami had strapped a bomb to her neck.
"Ha! Well I'm sure I can change that! After all, I am a gorgeous girl ge—fuck!" Miu cut herself off, wincing as she clutched at her head. "Ow, shit! G-goddamn stupid migraine! Wh-why do I keep getting these stupid fucking things?!"
"You okay? Do you need me to get Mikan or something?" Akane immediately asked, tensing slightly as she observed her.
Miu winced again, but shook her head after a moment. "Nah, I can...handle it. Just...these stupid fucking headaches come out of nowhere all the goddamn time, especially when I'm trying to remember shit. Fuck, this is annoying!"
"Come on, why don't you take a seat next to me? Getting off your feet might help," Akane offered, pulling out a chair next to her. Miu gave a numb nod and took the offered seat.
A moment of silence passed between the two of them, before Akane spoke up. "What do you remember, anyway? Is your past one big blur, or is it just your talent?"
"It's...hard to say? I remember my Mom, and most of my childhood...but then after a certain point my memories get all fuzzy, and it's all just one big jumbled mess. It's like...someone scrambled up my memories after a certain point, making it hard to recall anything at all. Sometimes I feel like I'm just about to remember something...but then that migraine comes back, and I'm sent back to square one," Miu replied at length, scowling a little.
Akane couldn't even begin to imagine how awful that would be. She'd had a few head injuries and trauma in the past, sure, but nothing like what Miu was suffering through.
At the same time though...well, sometimes Akane wished she could forget about her past. Or at least, some very specific events.
"Not gonna lie, that sounds really rough," she acknowledged. "Wish I could help you out, but that's far beyond my own expertise. Still, if you ever need someone to help take your mind off that shit, I'll be ready with a bottle of booze. Nothing like some good beer to lighten the mood!"
Miu blinked at that, but her lips slowly curved into a genuine smile. She looked away rather shyly after a moment, a finger twirling a lock of blonde hair. "W-well, I g-guess that doesn't sound too bad. J-just don't get the cheap stuff or anything! Only the finest of beers will satisfy this gorgeous babe!"
Akane laughed at that, and opened her mouth to reply—
"Aww, am I ruining a touching moment?" suddenly came the familiar voice of Usami.
Akane jumped back a little, startled as she noticed Usami now standing between the two of them, resting on top of the table. She narrowed her eyes at the rabbit, resisting the urge to punch her away.
"AHHH! Wh-what do you want? I'm being a good girl see? I'm wearing the outfit just like you ordered me too!" Miu immediately cried, backing away in her chair from the rabbit.
"That you are, Miu! And I'm very happy about that! I just wanted to let you know that I've gone ahead and taken the liberty of replacing all your clothes with copies of your uniform! You don't need to be wearing anything else. Showing off your ugly, slutty body is your top priority as a member of Staff! That's all a stupid whorish cow like you is good for, after all!" Usami declared, giving an impish giggle.
Akane eyed the rabbit with supreme distaste, the urge to beat her senseless rising within her. Still, she managed to hold herself back. "Oh piss off already, you've bullied her enough already, haven't you?"
"U-ugly whorish cow? Oh, I am one aren't I? That's why I have to wear this, because I'm a slut," she said in a dejected tone, bowing her head in shame.
"You got that right! And don't you forget it!" Usami declared, before scampering off, leaving them alone.
Another moment of silence passed before Akane let out an aggravated sigh. "Goddamn rabbit. What I wouldn't give to kick her into space..."
"Don't... she'll certainly kill you. It's best if you just do as she asks... less people will die that way," Miu replied, not taking her gaze off the table. "Believe me, I've thought of punting her to the sun, but I know for a fact that would be my own death."
Then, in a quieter tone she murmured, "It's not even fun getting degraded by her...not anymore, at least...sh-she just says it so harshly…"
Akane grumbled to herself, but couldn't exactly refute what Miu said. Before she could reply, the door to the kitchen opened and Teruteru came out carrying a plate of food.
"Lunch is served, darling! ...ah, did I miss something?" Teruteru inquired, seeming to sense the negative energy in the room.
"It's nothing, Teru. Listen Miu, forget all about Usami, and just enjoy your food. That'll make you feel better! It always does for me," Akane said, giving her a light pat on the back. "Besides, we can't let this food go to waste now!"
"You're right! I'm not gonna let that bucket of bolts down talk me! Besides, I'm fucking starving!" she said excitedly, grabbing a hold of the plate.
With a slight smile, she started digging into her food, putting her troubled behind her: for now.
2:45 PM, Day 2
Rocketpunch Market
1st Island
With her official duties as a 'Staff' member now started, Mukuro found herself patrolling the island, wandering from place to place, until she found herself getting peckish for a snack. That in mind, she soon walked over to the market on the first island, hoping to find something there to satiate her hunger.
"Good afternoon Mukuro! I wasn't expecting to run into you, though I'm quite glad that I did," the voice of Sonia Nevermind stated, causing her to shift her gaze in her direction.
Mukuro blinked, not quite expecting to run into her again. That of course brought back memories of last night...which caused her to stifle a snort.
"Right, Sonia. It's good to see you," she offered. "Can I help you?"
"No... well aside from perhaps getting an opinion on a snack," she said, glancing around at the wide selection. "I've been standing here for 20 minutes trying to decide on something,"
"Really?" Mukuro couldn't help but ask, eyebrows raising in surprise. She glanced toward the particular selection of chips she had stopped in front of. "Well, when in doubt, go with Pringle's I suppose. They are my preferred brand of chips."
"I see... well I suppose I can give them a try. Hopefully my hand is small enough to fit in that can," the princess said, grabbing one of the crimson cans of chips. "So what brings you here? I'm assuming you are also famished?"
"More or less. I wanted to have a few snacks while I had the chance. Plus that stupid fight with Akane is coming up soon, and I don't like fighting on an empty stomach: even if it won't be that long of a match," she replied, giving a confident little smirk.
"Quite right, I honestly don't understand what the fuss is all about. I would have thought a woman like her would be alright with being nude," Sonia said, tapping her finger to her cheek. "Before I forget, I have a bit of an odd request for you, if you wish to hear me out,"
"I think she was more upset I beat her in a fight, more than anything else," Mukuro replied. "And what is it?"
"Well as you know, I am a princess. In Novoselic, children are taught self defense when they are quite young. With the onset of this game, I've decided to start training again. I would like for you to be my sparring partner, if you are willing of course!" she said giving her a hopeful look. "I'd really appreciate it if you'd say yes, but I won't force it upon you,"
Mukuro stared over at her, studying Sonia as she considered her response. She knew a little about Novoselic: mainly that the higher ups in Fenrir loved to recruit ex military officers from there. At the same time though, she wondered how serious Sonia was being here. She couldn't help but feel the princess was just trying to play soldier, and she didn't have time for that.
"Tell you what: if you really want me to be your sparring partner, show me what you got right now. I need to know if you're up to my level before anything else," Mukuro replied after a moment, crossing her arms.
"I suppose I can do that," she replied, setting her Pringle's can down. "So, do I just... come at you?" she asked curiously.
"Sure, go ahead. A few punches from you ought to be enough to get a feel of your level," Mukuro confirmed. She of course highly doubted Sonia would be able to land a hit on her, but perhaps she could find out just how serious the princess was about this.
Sonia loosened herself a bit, cracking her knuckles. Mukuro quirked a brow but said nothing as the princess threw her first attack. Mukuro easily dodged it, catching her follow up punch. Sonia let out a hiss, aiming for a leg sweep, which the Soldier was able to avoid. Mukuro threw her own punch, nailing directly in the stomach. Sonia winced in pain, doubling over slightly as she clutched at her stomach.
"Ow! Dammit... you've got quite the punch!" she said, her voice carrying an odd tone of excitement.
Mukuro gave an idle nod in response, shaking her hand slightly as she considered Sonia. She had to admit, she was fairly surprised: the princess definitely had experience, that was for sure. She wasn't close to her own level, but against a regular civilian? Sonia would dominate easily.
"Not bad, Sonia. You're a lot better than I thought," Mukuro admitted, dropping her fighting stance. "I'm more than fine being your sparring partner. Besides Akane, you might be the only person here they can keep up with me."
"Excellent! That is all that I ask, perhaps I can improve on what I already know, and learn more from you as well. There's always room for improvement after all!" Sonia said excitedly.
"That there is," Mukuro replied, giving a slight nod. She opened her mouth to speak further, but paused when she heard a strange sound nearby. "...Did you hear that?"
Mukuro narrowed her eyes and marched on over to where she thought the sound came from, determined to investigate. What she found was...unexpected, however. One of the vending machines in the back of the store had opened up, revealing a hidden passage. A staircase could be seen, leading down into a black abyss…
"W-what? A secret passage?" Sonia asked, eyes widened in shock. She slowly turned to Mukuro, who had a firm look on her face. "Where do you think it leads?"
"I'm not sure...but I'm going to find out," Mukuro declared, a firm look on her face. "You can leave or follow me if you want, but I'm investigating this."
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm tagging along! This is like those Saturday morning cartoons I used to watch when I was a little girl! All we need now is a talking dog and a stoner and we'd have a decent gang to explore this place with!"
Mukuro blinked rapidly, staring oddly at Sonia before giving a shrug. "Right..."
That said, she turned her attention back to the stairs, and got out her pad. Using its flashlight function, she started making her way down the stairs, into the dark depths below. It didn't take long to reach the bottom, whereupon both she and Sonia saw what was down there.
A giant computer monitor and accompanying keyboard took up a good portion of the area, and the lit computer monitor provided the only other source of light in the room. On the monitor itself, they'd see several different images split up across the screen, and not just any images: Mukuro realized with a start that they were watching security camera footage. One section showed the hotel lobby, another the beach, another switched back and forth between the cabins, and other sections displayed camera feeds of locations they hadn't even seen yet: the other islands, presumably.
"This is... the mastermind's lair?" Sonia said softly, turning to Mukuro. "Do you know what this means? The one responsible for all of this... this must be their base of operations!"
"It must be," Mukuro nodded, gritting her teeth as she stared up at the screen. "We've got to go find the others, fast. No, wait...not everyone, that'd only tip Usami off. Maybe we should go find Chihiro, and bring her here: maybe she can—!"
Mukuro cut herself off with a scream, as volts of electricity suddenly coursed through her body! She dropped to the ground, shuddering in pain as her collar shocked her! Before the pain grew to be too much, however, it abruptly stopped, leaving her gasping for air.
"Well now, this is troublesome. Neither of you are supposed to be here," a voice proclaimed. Someone stepped out of the shadows covering the back of the room, though the darkness itself still obscured their face. "How did you even get in here? Hmph, that's the last time I outsource help in creating an underground base. I knew Miu and Peko were too amateur for their own good."
"What... who the hell are you? What did you do to Mukuro?!" Sonia cried, raising her hands up, preparing to fight if she had to. "Are you the one responsible for trapping us here?"
"Hmph, a certain someone is gonna answer for this later. It's their job to keep an eye on everyone, after all," the mysterious figure huffed, completely ignoring Sonia. A sigh escaped them after a moment, and they stepped closer towards them, revealing their face. "Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. After all...neither of you are going to remember this."
That said, they pointed something at Mukuro and Sonia both: a strange object, that appeared to be some sort of bulky flashlight. Then, a brilliant white light consumed their world.
...
Mukuro found herself blinking rapidly, giving a small start as she came to her senses. She and Sonia where still in the market, standing right besides a vending machine in the back. "...What was that? Did I...space out?"
"My apologies, I believe I spaced out as well... I don't even remember what I asked you beforehand," Sonia replied, shaking her head.
Mukuro furrowed her brow in concern, before her pad started beeping. She brought it out, stopping the alarm and double checking the time. "Well whatever it was, it doesn't matter. It's time for my 'rematch' with Akane, so I need to get going. We'll have to schedule a sparring session for tomorrow."
"Of course. I'm usually up at the crack of ass, so we could spar then! I wish you good luck with your fight!" Sonia said.
Before Mukuro knew what was happening, the princess placed two kisses on her cheeks, then grabbed her Pringle's can. She headed out of the store, a visible spring in her step.
With special thanks to CSD for helping me write this chapter!
Review Responses:
JC: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying things so far!
Kobold: Haha, thanks! I know Cel and I had a blast writing that scene!
Crit: Thanks! It's been real fun coming up with all these subtle differences from Canon.
D-Kirb: Yeah, I gotta admit, the bond those three have is a lot more fun than I imagined it'd be!
CSD: Thanks for your help man! And thanks, I gotta admit, I'm sort of a fan of pre-reveal Tsumugi.
Trust: The More You Know! Always happy to elaborate on Novoselic's proud and distinguished history!