It was nearing dark before Kaede knew it. Losing track of time, listening to Kouta tell her more about himself, and eventually Yuka. She had a feeling she could trust Kouta's cousin a bit more, but she still felt weary of her. It looked like a storm was coming so Yuka, reluctantly, went home before it would start pouring.
"Kaede, I get the feeling that you don't trust Yuka. And thats okay, given that you just met her, but I wanted to know if you left anything out like... you know." Kouta points to her covered horns. "That is, if you're okay with it."
"No Kouta, its fine... its just... its very unbelievable. You might even call me crazy for it." Kaede assures him.
"Okay. I suppose its time to get ready for stranger things then." Kouta says.
"After we parted that night before festival, I was talking with two of who would soon become my family, Tucker and Church." Kaede starts.
"Okay." Kouta acknowledges.
"And this... is where it gets... unbelievable." Kaede continues.
"Keep going. I can already tell you think I'm going to call you crazy or something. I won't. I promise." Kouta assures her.
"It turns out they... they were from another dimension." Kaede embarrassingly forces out. "And that night, they went back with some purple ball, but I had accidentally went with them so they decided to keep me. Thats the reason I was never around when you said you came looking for me whenever you visited. I know its unbelievable, but its the truth."
Kouta stood silently with a thoughtful expression. She did say it was unbelievable but this... to be honest he didn't entirely believe her story but he also didn't entirely discard it either. 'Perhaps there was just somethings we weren't meant to understand, and Kaede just so happened to stumble upon one of those things.' Kouta thought. After an agonizing amount of time, Kouta finally spoke.
"Your right. It is unbelievable. I'm not sure I'm entirely for it, but for the most part, I believe you." Kouta assures her. Kaede exhales a breath she didn't know she was holding in.
"Thank you." She smiles.
"So, what are you doing back here then?" Kouta asks.
"Donut and Caboose, two, other members of my family were playing with a ball. It turns out that ball was one of the purple balls that brought us here. No one seems to know what they are or where they came from. I was heading to the beach to look for we dropped the one we came here with when I ran into you." Kaede says. She then realizes something. "Oh shit! I forgot to look for the ball. I have to go look before someone else finds it!" She heads for the door but is stopped by a tugging on her wrist. She looks to find it was Kouta stopping her,
"You can't. Its too dark out making it impossible to find now. Besides, the rains starting up. It'll be pouring soon." He says.
"Right..." She sighs. "Damn it."
"Uh... what about the rest of your family?" Kouta asks. "Do they have a place to stay?"
"No. They went somewhere where they would remain "out of sight" until I returned with the ball." Kaede said. "They're kinda eyesores with what they're wearing." She answers his unspoken question.
"If we can find them, they're more than welcome to stay in here. I mean, I've got a lot of room." Kouta suggests.
"Thanks, but we wouldn't want to be too much trouble." Kaede says. She then thinks of Grif. "MOST of us wouldn't want to much trouble for you."
"Its no trouble at all, really." Kouta assures. "You're my friend. Who am I to deny you and your family shelter. How many are there?"
"Nine including myself." Kaede answers.
'Nine? Thats quite a big family' Kouta thinks. "They'll be fine. Might have to double up though."
"Thank you." Kaede smiles.
"Do you have any idea where they would be?" Kouta asks her.
"Hmm." Kaede's expression becomes thoughtful. "They said they would send someone out to bring me to where ever they're hiding. They have to have sent some one to the beach!"
With that, Kouta grabs an umbrella.
"We should hurry then. Don't want them to be out longer than they have to." He says.
"Right. And Kouta... thank you." Kaede says. The two then head outside towards the beach, just as the rain started picking up.
The ever growing darkness of night was becoming useful as Washington made his way around the beach. It helped keep eyes off of him but the downside he was beginning to realize was that he wouldn't be able to spot Kaede easily.
"Damn it." Wash cursed as it started to rain. Kaede might have run for cover somewhere away from the beach and anywhere in the city. Saying it would be hard to find her now would be an understatement.
He was pretty sure he searched the whole beach when the rain started to pick up. They should have thought this plan through. If Kaede has a radio, he could just as easily call her.
"Wash! Over here!" Yeah like that. Wait, that WAS Kaede's voice. He looks towards the city to see her waving over to him with a black haired boy about her age holding the umbrella keeping them both from getting drenched. His face bore a look of... recognition? It must be the dark making it hard to see.
"Kaede, who is this?" Wash asks.
"Wash, this is my old friend Kouta." Kaede introduces.
"Uh hello there... Wash?" The man uncomfortably holds out his hand.
"Yes. Nice to meet you Kouta." Wash shakes it. "Kaede, did you find the ball?"
"Um...no. But I did find someplace to sleep where we won't wake up wet." Kaede offers.
"You and your family can stay at my place for awhile. Its plenty big, so it won't get TOO crowded. All the same, some of you might have to double up." Kouta tells him.
"Its no problem. Thank you for your hospitality." Washington says. "Take me there and I can radio the others to join us."
"Oh. Alright. I'll lead the way then." Kouta says.
It took awhile, but soon Kouta had quite the eyeful of colourful, futuristic, armoured soldiers in his yard all waiting to be let in.
"Again. Thank you so much for letting us stay." A woman in teal armour thanks him as they enter.
"Uh, yeah, no problem." Kouta says, still somewhat in disbelief.
The blue one gasps. "This house is the best looking house I've ever seen!"
"Even if it is quite barren, the style does look really nice." The pink one agrees. The orange one was about to go into the kitchen when he suddenly slipped and fell. The red one laughed at this.
"Grif, this is my friends place. You will NOT eat all his food after he was nice enough to put us up!" Kaede exclaims to him.
"Uh, are they all usually like this?" Kouta asks.
"This is about the standard, yes. But once you get to know them, you'll love having them around." Kaede assures him. "I'm sorry if this is making you uncomfortable."
"No. Just a bit surprised is all. Why don't we all head into the kitchen and talk over supper... or something like that." Kouta suggests.
"I'd like that." Kaede smiles. "I'll round em up. Make sure to make as much food as you can." She turns to leave. "And Kouta, I can't thank you enough for being so understanding and lenient. I'll make it up to you sometime."
"No need for that Kaede. What are friends for." Kouta smiles.
Yuka has just gotten back to her home, just in time to make sense of the situation. So this Kaede person that Kouta has apparently known for sometime from somewhere was here and hanging out with him. She may have feelings for Kouta but Yuka couldn't be so sure. Kaede seemed like a good enough person, but there was something she was hiding. Her cousin could be dense and would not be able to sense any danger of any cane up.
'I'll have to keep more of an eye on him, and this Kaede too.' Yuka thinks. She then notices something out of place. She had the key to the Maple Inn. She forgot to give it to him 'This is as good a reason as any to check up on him.' She reasoned as she got up to find her umbrella.
Back at the Maple Inn, Kaede has managed to calm everyone enough to sit down at the table as Kouta laid out food for everyone.
"Behave." Kaede silently scolds Grif.
"What?" Grif asks.
"Do I really need to say it?" Kaede insinuates.
"Ugh. Fine. I'll try not to eat to much." Grif groans.
"Again, thanks for all this, Kouta." Wash thanks. "I know we must seem strange with our armour and all, but this is all we have on us for now."
"It's fine. Kaede explained everything to me. Please, make yourself at home." Kouta assures him.
"In that case-"
"No." Kaede, Sarge and Simmons interrupt Grif.
"God damnit!" Grif curses.
"So Kouta, you just move in?" Donut starts the idle chit chat.
"I did actually. Guess it's clear I haven't unpacked." He scratches the back of his head
"In that case, let me help!" Donut exclaims.
"Oh, don't worry. That's not necessary." Kouta assures him.
"Nonsense. It's the least I can do for letting us sleep here. Besides, it's fun!" Donut exclaims.
"He does love packing and unpacking." Kaede says.
"It's almost as good as going through the airports full cavity-"
"Anyone got a topic to cut off Donut!" Kaede loudly cries out.
"I do. How'd you get this place Kouta?" Tucker asks.
"My aunt and cousin." Kouta answers. They say so long as I keep the place... and the garden clean, I can live here rent free.
"That sounds like a pretty good deal." Carolina says.
"You poor torture soul." Grif disagrees at the same time.
"Cousin, huh?" Tucker asks. "Older or younger?"
"Older." Kouta thinks nothing of it.
"Would you say about late 20s older cause-"
"Caboose, how are you doing over there?" Kaede interrupts Tucker to see how the unusually quite blue soldier is feeling.
"Ha." Grif silently taunts Tucker. He can only stare. "Okay, what are you doing?"
"I was sticking my tongue out at you, but I guess that doesn't work when I'm wearing a helmet." He looks away.
"This place..." Caboose says. Silence.
"What about it? Is something wrong with it?" Kouta asks.
"This place is amazing! It feels like the bestest home ever!" Caboose loudly exclaims.
"Oh, um, glad you like it." Kouta says.
"Caboose is a little messed in the head on the kid side." Kaede whispers to him.
"Yeah. I've noticed they're all... quirky in a way." Kouta says. "By the way, was Tucker about to ask me if he could hit on Yuka.?"
"Knowing him, probably." Kaede confirms.
"Yuka's older than me, but still around the same age. And Tucker said he was in his late 20s? He sounds like a real creep." Kouta says.
"He's not a creep... most of the time, he's just clueless. Tucker will back down once he figures out the age gap." Kaede assures him.
"Simmons, help me with this." They both heat Sarge say.
"Can you tell me more of what the others are like?" Kouta asks.
"Sarge's line of thinking is very... militaristic. Through most of his ideas are also, quite unorthodox. I find it best to just nod and agree with whatever he says." Kaede starts. "Grif is the certified lazy one. Don't be afraid to kick his ass a little to get him to start doing something or to stop. Wash and Carolina are the normal ones. They're actually soldiers. Donuts just a bit... girlish. Don't let his innuendos catch you off guard, he doesn't know what he's saying most of the time. Tuckers the ladies man that knows nothing about women, you already know Caboose... and Simmons is just a nerd."
"Okay, I think I've got an idea of... them?" Kouta says.
"Kouta what is it?" Kaede asks.
"Where did they go?" He asks. Kaede sees apart from herself, Kouta, Wash and Carolina, everyone is gone. The last two don't seem to notice as they are in a conversation of their own.
Before long, Yuka had arrived at the Maple Inn. The lights were on, so that probably mean't Kouta was still awake. Hopefully Kaede had left by this point. Walking into the court yard, she noticed there was an awful lot of noise coming from the inside. What was going on in there. Walking inside she was greeted with-
"This is a lesson in manners you fat ass!" A maroon soldier screamed as and a red soldier were beating on their orange buddy, who was lying on the floor just taking it.
"Kouta said to make myself at home, so I did!" The orange one says.
"He was being polite. Just for attempting to eat all his food we're running drills as early as 6 am!" The red one exclaimed.
"Oh dear God, please no." The orange one begged. Nearby a pink one was inspecting the old clock.
"Shame this thing doesn't work, it really brings the whole place together." He muttered to himself. She was brought out her initial shock by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Looking to the source, she saw a teal/aquamarine/turquoise soldier with his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey baby, did you fall from heaven? Cause I always wanted to bone an angel." He said in a confident tone. Was that supposed to be a pick up line? Who are these people? Why were they here? Why was that blue one's head stuck IN the clocks inside.
"Kouta!" She screamed as loud as she could.