Author's Note: This is my submission for the WriteBaeRys 2022 contest~! I hope you folks enjoy!


Prologue - Cairns, QLD

For as long as Bae could remember, she was just another cog in the corporate machine.

It was a quarter to five on Friday night. Hakos Baelz was but a humble nine-to-five corporate drone who plugged away at an onslaught of a never ending workload, counting the precious few minutes left before the weekend. Her employer, the Royal Regency Australian Trust, was a government-owned company, a so-called 'crown corporation'. It gave her a steady income, a dental plan and a company car, but those pros hardly outweighed the cons.

The only thing really royal about this place is that it's a royal pain in the ass!

The work was a monotonous, boring and meaningless exercise of keyboard ASMR. Every workday threatened to turn Bae's brain into mush and whittle away at her spine for the benefit of the local chiropractor. Her coworkers were apathetic to her existence at best, and the apathy was mutual. Her bosses were more concerned about their promotions than Bae's welfare too. Personal and professional development was a foreign concept, it seemed.

Her only trusty companion was Mr. Squeaks, a rubber stress ball in the shape of a rotound red rat with googly eyes.

If I keep working here, my grip strength'll rival a gorilla when I retire.

Only three years into working with RRAT, Bae had dreams about returning to monke. She already had a plan in mind! She would hurl furniture across the office, flip the bird to her bosses and coworkers and blast Hololive idol music in the PA system at full blast. She had a collection of their CD albums in the glove compartment of her car, ready to roll.

But alas, Bae was too timid to even think about going against the flow. She was used to the rigid regimen. She hated the hamster wheel that she was in, but it was all that she knew. Thus, she kept her primate thoughts to herself and kept finalizing expense reports like the good worker rat that she was.

Chaos just wasn't her thing.

Like clockwork, at five o' clock, everyone in the Cairns office rose up from their open-concept cubicles and started punching out. To Bae, it was like watching birds migrating at the chance of the season - a force of nature almost.

Bae saved her file and prepared to join the flock. Just as Bae was about to shut down her computer, whispers started spreading through the homebound crowd. Those whispers turned to panicked cries and shouts.

Was it the zombie apocalypse already?

If it was, it would have been a welcome change of pace for Bae. Zombies were more alive than the typical RRAT employee after all. She even heard rumors that Hololive Indonesia was going to have a Zombie Idol debuting in the near future.

Wouldn't that be nice? But, I digress. What the hell's going on?

Unfortunately for her, a different kind of apocalypse was taking place at the Cairns office of the RRAT.

The rumor mill reached Bae's cubicle before long: whispers about an official email that hit the inboxes at five o' clock sharp. The migratory flock of corporate drones reversed course and scrambled back to their cubicles. Others scrambled for their work phones to hear the rumored scheduled news.

With a flurry of keystrokes, Bae opened her own inbox and saw a brand new unread email sitting there for her eyes. Before she could even open it panicked cries started erupting throughout the office. Some were turning into full-on doomers saying that the end was nigh. Others got furious and threatened to turn the office into a revolutionary scene from Les Miserables.

Her red, furry rat-ears stood in attention and she heard the news: the RRAT Cairns Office was closing down and many people were being let go.

Chills ran up her spine. She dared to open the email and confirmed the hearsay. Bae's grip on Mr. Squeaks tightened. The rotund rat's googly eyes swelled, bulged out and threatened to pop. Questions started to surface in the rat-girl's mushy mind.

What's gonna happen to me now? Am I gonna have to move back home with Mama Rat and Papa Rat? What about my dentist appointment next month? And my petrol expenses this week!?

As Bae slowly and surely descended into panic, a second email popped up in Bae's inbox. She instinctively opened the email and read the header: ' Notice of Transfer to Brisbane HQ '

Brisbane HQ? They're not letting me go?

Bae's skeptical eyes scanned through the second email. All the while, her rat-ears continued listening to the laments of her colleagues. None of them talked about a second email or a transfer to Brisbane. There were only talks of outrage and revolution. It made Bae wonder if she was one of the 'lucky' few whose careers weren't on the chopping board.

Unfortunately for Bae, the bit of good news had its caveats. New chains for the new arrangement. In order to push through with her transfer, Bae would have to attend a consolidation meeting at HQ and sign her revised contract. On Monday morning. In person!

That meant that Bae was going to spend her entire weekend driving all the way to Brisbane at her own expense!

Guhhh, what a freakin 'deal'.

Bae glanced at her rioting colleagues and heaved a sigh.

Better than having to find a new job and throw the dice in this economy, I guess.

Disappointed but not surprised, Bae clocked out of the Cairns office before her rioting colleagues broke out into song and asked her if she could hear the people sing - singing the songs of angry rats. Still in a daze, Bae found her company car in the parking lot. It was a base package Volkswagen Golf that reflected her young adult life like a mirror: plain, bland, devoid of personality… and running low on fuel.

Bae started the car and drove to the Woolworth's grocery store on the way to her humble apartment to buy some supplies. Then, first thing in the morning, Bae told herself that she would drive down the entire length of Queensland's Bruce Highway to Brisbane. She'd fill up her petrol tank in Townsville and play it by ear from there. It was a twenty-hour one way drive, after all. She needed a game plan.

Alright, Bae. This is how we're gonna roll. You're not gonna get distracted by anything! Absolutely no detours! No 'Sunday' driving! The sooner we make it to Brisbane, the better! It'll be pedal to the metal the whole damn way, baby!

Satisfied with her itinerary, she drove to Woolworth's and set her plan into motion. Little did Bae know that the first of her many detours was waiting for her just across the corner.

The sun was starting to set when Bae was driving home from the grocery store. As shadows swept over the horizon, street lamps and city lights started coming on all over Cairns. She stole glances of the impromptu light show but kept her eyes on the road. It didn't look half bad.

That's the sort of sight tourists would have liked to see. Kinda reminds me of that place… how long has it been since I've been on vacation? Doesn't matter now.

Unfortunately, Bae didn't have time to stop and smell the flowers. She had a career to save.

All of a sudden, in the corner of her eye, Bae noticed someone sprinting across the road. It was a rough-looking bogan man with unkempt hair, tattered clothes and a peculiar, designer handbag firmly in his hand.

Behind the bogan was a second figure who was chasing after him: a tall girl with long, maroon hair, two colored eyes and Nephilim horns.

"Stop! Thief!" The Nephilim cried out with a crystal clear voice.

The Nephilim was actually gaining on the purse snatcher. But then, fortune changed. Her high heeled shoes broke - and she stumbled towards Bae's speeding car!

Oh shit!

Bae floored the brakes.

Her Golf screeched to a halt, missing the Nephilim by mere inches. Bae closed her eyes and thanked the powers that were for German engineering. Next, Bae glared at the Nephilim that she almost hit. At first, she was so tempted to honk the horn, roll down her windows and give the reckless runner a piece of her mind.

But then, she started seeing tears in the Nephilim's two-colored eyes. The well-dressed lady looked back at Bae like a literal deer in the headlights. She turned to the running bogan with the designer handbag and watched him disappear into the sea of people in downtown Cairns.

Damn. Gone without a trace.

The Nephilim on the road probably realized this too. She looked absolutely devastated. Bitter anguish painted on the Nephilim's face. It pierced Bae's heart like darts through the windshield. What sort of poor decisions did this sorry soul make to end up like this? Bae could only wonder. She considered backing up and going around the Nephilim to carry on with her plan, but other cars started zooming by and cut her off. They honked and cursed Bae and the Nephilim, frightening the already devastated victim.

Bae witnessed this Nephilim's life turn for the worse before her very eyes. She couldn't leave her and act like nothing happened. That was the way she had been living her life working for the RRAT all those years. How many hidden tears and stifled sobs did Bae choose to ignore in the Cairns office up until then?

She couldn't let that continue. Not when the devastated Nephilim made Bae feel like she was looking at a mirror. Bae paused, but the cars kept zooming down the road. Then, she made a decision.

Well… I can't just leave her here.

With that, Bae changed to Park gear, flicked on her hazard lights and rolled down her window. Then, she called the Nephilim.

"Oi! You!"

The Nephilim turned to her. She pointed to herself and tilted her head.

"Who else am I talking to in the middle of the freaking road!? Santa Claus!?" Bae clarified angrily. She checked her side mirror, opened her door and stepped out, "Get in, lady. I'll drive you to the police station. You're not going anywhere with those broken high heels."

When Bae said this, the Nephilim's two-colored eyes shone brightly. A gentle breeze blew through the road and combed through her long, maroon hair. Under the light of the Golf's headlamps and the caress of the early evening breeze, the Nephilim looked like a model in a photoshoot.

Holy cow, she's hot!

Bae felt her cheeks flush red, so she turned away. Her blue eyes looked up to the night sky and she insisted, "C'mon lady. Let's go! Before the evening rush turns you into a flapjack!"

The Nephilim nodded eagerly and scrambled into the passenger's seat beside Bae. The rat-girl, meanwhile, got back in her car, switched off her hazard lights and drove to the closest police station.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The Nephilim thanked Bae profusely, "I can't thank you enough!"

"It's the least I can do." Bae explained calmly, "And besides, your Yankee accent's pretty strong. You ain't from around here are you?"

The Nephilim shook her head and smiled.

"I'm a… uhm, tourist!" She explained, choosing her words very carefully.

The pause in her explanation didn't slip Bae's sharp rat ears.

Hmm… she's pretty guarded huh? She might even give me a fake name now if I ask. Can't blame her. I'll just turn on the radio and let her listen to some tunes.

Bae tapped her on-board computer, turned on the car radio and cranked up the volume. Rather than ease up, though, Bae noticed her Nephilim passenger tense up.

The heck? Did I do something wrong?

The DJ on the radio was rambling about something that flew over Bae's head. Half a dozen wacky sound effects later, he changed the topic to the local music scene in Queensland State. He talked about something going on in Brisbane: some diva from Hololive English was performing there next week and the tickets have already been sold out.

Scrambling for something to break the ice, Bae glanced at her passenger and tried to crack a joke.

"That Hololive English diva's got a funky name, huh? 'Irys' of Project Hope, was it? I haven't seen her yet, but the Hololive talents are pretty cute and… well, talented. If I had cash to spare, I'd watch the Brisbane show. I'm sort of moving to Brisbane, you see!"

The Nephilim sat still and didn't respond.

No reaction, huh? My life isn't THAT uninteresting, is it?

Bae didn't give up.

"I'm actually a fan of HoloMyth and Holo ID and JP! I watch HoloStars sometimes too!" Bae insisted, "I bought their albums! I listen to them at work when I need a good bop. They can really get me through a bad day. Trust me, I know about bad days!"

Still, the Nephilim didn't budge. As a matter of fact, she started sweating and fidgeting.

Bae scratched her cheek thoughtfully and asked, "You don't like Hololive or something?"

"Uh… uhm…" The Nephilim finally broke her silence, but she still couldn't quite form a complete sentence.

Instead, she pointed to one of the billboards along the road. Bae turned to that billboard and back to the Nephilim. Then, she erupted.

"WAIT A FREAKING MINUTE!"

"WATCH THE ROAD!" The Nephilim warned.

The stoplight turned red and Bae slammed the brakes a second time that night. She gripped the steering wheel and started feeling self-conscious. Now that her car was stopped at an intersection, she turned to the Nephilim and whispered with disbelief.

"You're the Irys? From Project Hope!?"

"Mhm." The Nephilim sheepishly confirmed. She then twirled a lock of her long maroon hair, took a deep breath and then recited the new diva's tagline, "HiRys! I'm Irys!"

Holy shit! It's HER! And she's in MY car! Bruh!

This time, Bae was the one who started sweating. Her threats of blasting Hololive music in the RRAT's Cairns office were mostly hollow. Mostly. She always admired the Hololive talents from afar as a casual but dedicated fan. Now that one of those talents was seated beside her, she didn't know what to do!

And I nearly ran over her too!

While Bae was disintegrating from the inside, Irys broke the silence.

"Uhm…" She started, "You mentioned you were moving to Brisbane, right?"

"Y-yeah!?" Bae sat up straight and hairs and rat-ears stood in attention, "I mean, yes. I'm driving there first thing in the morning."

Irys bashfully let the tips of her pointer fingers touch. Then, she made her request.

"Do you mind if I hitch a ride with you to Brisbane?"

The Nephilim's two-colored eyes met with Bae's blue. After being steeped in the shallow, superficial corporate world, Bae could tell when something was genuine. This was an earnest request.

One that came straight from the heart.

Bae was tempted to ask if Irys had other ways to get to Brisbane or if the managers of Hololive could arrange something for her. Even if she just lost her things in her handbag, Bae was sure that there were alternatives. Kicking the can down the road and minimizing responsibility was the corporate lifestyle. More so in a government firm like the RRAT. They were shackles that Bae had always wanted to break but never had the courage or opportunity to do so - the hamster wheel that she imprisoned herself in.

This changes tonight. I'll be a good samaritan for once and be on myway.

After a few moments of silence, Bae turned away from Irys and faced the road again. Then, without much fanfare, Bae gave a simple answer.

"Sure."

Irys' two-colored eyes sparkled like the stars in the night sky. She smiled at Bae and became absolutely gracious once again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"But I can't treat you like a tourist, you hear?" Bae countered, "We're taking the highway. No detours. I'm taking as few stops as possible. And we leave at the break of dawn. Daylight's precious. Is that understood?"

Irys nodded. She accepted Bae's conditions without any hesitation whatsoever.

Complete honesty, huh? What a breath of fresh air.

Bae decided to follow suit.

"My name is Baelz Hakos. I'm an analyst at a government office." Bae finally introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hakos." Irys answered with a smile, "I'm Irys from Hololive English's new Project Hope!"

"'Bae' is fine." Bae insisted, "If you don't mind me just calling you 'Irys'."

"By all means!" Irys grinned, "Please, just call me Irys!"

A small smile crept up on Bae's lips too.

Then, as the corporate drone and the diva saw eye to eye, the stoplight turned green.


Stars Shining O'er The Coast

A BaeRys Story


Act 1 - Townsville, QLD

After Bae gave her word, she brought Irys to the police station like she promised but she didn't go off on her own like she originally planned. Instead, she waited for the Nephilim to finish her business there and brought her back to her apartment. She loaned Irys a few changes of plain clothes and some shoes, let Irys use the shower and fed her a humble microwaved dinner.

Bae quietly feared that the plain clothes, the bare-bones shower and the defrosted food would turn off the Hololive diva. However, Irys accepted everything that Bae gave her wholeheartedly. It was like watching a pampered rich kid finding out how the common people lived day-to-day. If that was the case, Bae was happy to be Irys' working-class host for now. She let Irys sleep on her bed while Bae napped a stone's throw away on the sofa.

Irys fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Bae alone with her thoughts.

The wind got knocked out of her sails, huh? I wonder what would have happened if I didn't take her in. Cairns is nice, but at night…

Bae stopped herself. She didn't want to think about it. She shifted around, set her alarm and forced herself to sleep.

The alarm went off at the break of dawn. Bae got up and she woke up the sleeping Nephilim. They shared a light breakfast and then got back into the Volkswagen Golf. Bae started the engine and her dashboard came to life. The early warning lamp for her petrol flicked on and chimed.

Petrol, huh? Looks like that's our first stop.

"Something wrong, Bae?" Irys asked casually?

"Oh, the tank's at a quarter. I gotta fill up at a petrol station." Bae tapped her on-board computer and brought up the navigation map, "I'm thinking… Maybe Townsville is good."

"Townsville!?" Irys' two-colored eyes shone, "Like in the Powerpuff Girls?"

"Not THAT Townsville." Bae rolled her eyes, "Now put on your seatbelt. We're going."

Irys chuckled and obliged. Bae set her navigation, drove out of the driveway and beelined for the southbound Bruce Highway. As the speed limit changed from fifty to a hundred, the Volkswagen Golf zoomed through and Bae's muscle memory kicked in for the long haul. The morning sunlight illuminated one of the billboards along the highway: another one advertising the debut concert of Irys from Hololive English in Brisbane, accompanied by talents from the legendary HoloMyth quintet. The morning DJ of Queensland Radio spoke about the concert yet again, talking about the hype building up for the new diva.

Shifting her eyes between the road and Irys, Bae asked the questions that she had been holding since last night.

"So, what brought you to Cairns? It's pretty far from Brisbane."

"It's a long story. A little embarrassing, really." Irys spoke with less hesitation than before, but her walls weren't completely gone yet, "Originally, I was gonna fly from Tokyo to Brisbane and arrive tomorrow… but I wanted to take my time in Australia. It's my first time here, so I wanted to stop and smell the flowers, you know?" The diva twirled a lock of her long maroon hair, "So, I begged with my manager to let me fly to Australia ahead of the production team. But…"

"But?"

The diva laughed uncomfortably. Then, she confessed, "I didn't tell my manager that I flew to Cairns and not to Brisbane."

A rebel, huh? If I pulled off something like that in the RRAT, I'd get terminated on the freaking spot.

"Things were going pretty well, actually. I got to see some cool places downtown." Irys continued her story, "But then, that purse-snatcher came and took everything. Passport, credit cards, cellphone and all."

"Yikes…"

"The police helped me out. They let me call the Embassy. I canceled my credit card and had my phone line cut too." Irys explained, "But the hardest call I had to make was to my manager. She blew a fuse!"

"Sheesh, I can imagine!"

"I had a feeling she'd be mad at me. That's why I wanted to hitch a ride with you to Brisbane, Bae. I wanted to make it up to my manager somehow. I wanted to actually solve some problems instead of just causing them all the time."

Bae glanced at Irys and sympathized.

Looks like virtual idols get their fair share of management oversight. Our worlds aren't as far apart as I thought.

"What about you, Bae?" Irys bartered cheerfully, "I told you about my life. Tell me about yours!"

"My life…? Oh, where do I begin?" Bae hummed, "I'm your typical salaryrat, forever stuck in the rat race. Pay's alright. Benefits are good. This Golf's a company car that they let me use actually!" A frown then formed on her lips, "I work at the branch office back in Cairns, but it looks like they're closing the Cairns office in the near future. Downsizing, you see. I survived the chopping block and got transferred to the Brisbane HQ. I just need to attend an orientation meeting, sign some papers and finalize the transfer."

"I see." Irys mused, "You're going through a pretty rough time in your life too."

"You think?" Bae raised her eyebrow.

"Mhm. We're on the same boat, Bae." Irys explained, "It's not easy being a Vtuber - or a Vsinger in my case. It takes a lot of getting used to. There's a whole new routine too. Recording, going on tours, streaming. The whole shebang."

Is that why she wanted to cut loose and go to Cairns instead of Brisbane?

Bae also remembered how Irys fell asleep as soon as she plopped down on the bed last night. The Nephilim was absolutely exhausted.

"Why do you do it, then?" Bae asked the Nephilim, but she felt like she was also asking herself the same question, "What keeps you going?"

"It's because I have a dream, Bae." Irys answered with a smile, "There are songs in my heart that I want to sing. I want to sing songs that bring people Hope!" She popped open the glove compartment and brought out one of Bae's Calliope Mori CDs and beamed, "Some of my senpais already give you hope, it seems!"

All of a sudden, Bae's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

The Holy Disks!? Oh crap! I forgot to put those away!

One of those songs on that CD even came up on Queensland Radio.

Calliope Mori's Red.

The song started to play on the radio and Irys sang along. Her voice was strong, clear and full of personality. It was Calli's song, one of Bae's personal favorites, but Irys breathed new life into it and turned it into her own! The Nephilim's performance whittled away at Bae's hesitations.

When the chorus came, Irys glanced at Bae. Inviting her. A wry smile formed on Bae's lips.

Then, she obliged and joined Irys.

" Can't turn back tiiiiiime~ I'll always be a pris'ner to my ambitions!

As petals fly, I'll dance your tune. But hold your breath, guess who's running the show!

And when this red runs black, I'll ask you: Was I everything you imagined?

When my time's finally up, the sun's falling down. I'll turn to stone again! "

"Yeah!" Irys cheered, clapping for Bae, "You've got the singing chops, Bae!"

"You think so!?" Bae gasped, "Nahhhh, you're just bein' nice to me, Irys."

"No, seriously!" Irys insisted, "You can hold a tune! There's passion there too - lots of it!" She clenched her fist and added, "And you know what, if Calli-senpai was here, she'd say the same!"

"G-gosh…" Bae shriveled up behind the wheel, "I don't know if I can survive praise from TWO Hololive talents."

Handling one Hololive member in real life is already tough enough. Not that I'll ever meet anyone else from Hololive.

Just as Bae was thinking this, Irys suddenly chimed, "You know, you could audition for Hololive! They're looking for a new generation of Vtubers, I heard!"

All of a sudden, Irys paused. Her face went pale and she covered her mouth.

"Did you just spill trade secrets?" Bae raised her brow.

"Ahehehe~" Irys scratched the back of her head, "We were gonna announce it at the Brisbane concert, but I guess you know now."

"Don't worry, Irys. My lips are sealed!" Bae reassured with a toothy grin, "Your secret's safe with me!"

"I appreciate it." Irys smiled, "But I'm serious, Bae. Give the Hololive audition some thought."

"If the RRAT ever fires me, I'll consider it." Bae joked.

"That so?" Irys started tapping on her non-existent phone, "I'll start writing a strongly-worded letter to your company then!"

"Oy!" Bae scowled, then laughed. Irys laughed too.

The couple continued joking around until they reached a petrol station on the outskirts of Townsville. Bae pulled up by the pumps and started filling her tank all the way up. Irys then took this time to step out of the car and stretch her legs.

"Be right back! Idol meeting!" Irys excused herself, "I'll hit up the convenience store too!"

"Knock yourself out." Bae said. She then passed Irys a twenty Australian Dollar bill and made a request, "Get me some string cheese while you're at it, will ya? And some coffee."

"String cheese and coffee. Got it." Irys nodded, "Anything else?"

Bae's eyes wandered for a while. She found an ad for 'homemade' Maryborough Meat Pies taped to the convenience store windows. There was a picture of a delicious-looking cross section of meat pie beside the picture of the smiling sole proprietor - Sana Tsukumo - but the price tag made her reconsider.

"39.99? It's a steal?" Yeah right!

"That's all." Bae said, "Thanks."

Irys gave Bae a fake salute and sauntered over to the convenience store.

Once Bae was alone, she listened to the rhythmic hums and clicks of the petrol pump while she filled up her tank. Still spurred by her impromptu karaoke session, Bae let her mind wander for a while. She thought that the pump had a good beat. It reminded her of one of those 'songs' that she wrote while she was trying not to fall asleep during an uneventful RRAT Zoom meeting.

"Na-na-na-na na-na-na-na na-na-na play dice!"

Bae scoffed.

Hah. As if.

Irys returned to the car with Bae's string cheese and a cool can of coffee in one hand. Then, cradled on her arm were the other things she bought: a bag of chips, a can of soda and a banana curiously wrapped in plastic.

"Got your things." Irys passed the coffee and cheese to Bae, "Ready to go?"

The skeptical rat-girl finished filling up her tank and she paid for the petrol. Her tank was now full again, but she couldn't help but feel like she gained something more.


Act 2 - Calliope, QLD

After Townsville, Bae and Irys continued their road trip down the Bruce Highway. They only stopped when they absolutely had to: for food, washroom breaks or to stretch their legs after sitting for so long. With Bae's steady hand on the wheel, they made incredibly good progress during the daytime. By the time the sun was starting to set, they were half an hour past the city of Rockhampton.

"We're gonna have to find a place to stay the night." Bae insisted, "The next big city's Maryborough, but we're still pretty far." The rat-girl blinked rapidly, "And I'd like to rest my eyes - and the rest of my body soon too."

"Hmm… I'd search for nearby hotels if I had my phone." Irys clicked her tongue.

"You can use the onboard computer to search for places." Bae suggested, "You've been with me for a while now, so you're pretty much my co-pilot."

"Co-pilot, huh?" Irys seemed to savor that word.

"Something on your mind?" Bae asked innocently.

Irys shook her head and hid her smile from Bae. Instead, she took a look out the window and watched the billboards and road signs that they passed by.

It was at that time that a billboard caught Irys' two-colored eyes.

"Look, Bae! There's a motel nearby. It's in the town of Cal… Calliope!?" The Nephilim gasped, "They named a town after Calli!?"

"It's named after the Calliope River, dummy." Bae lectured, furrowing her brow. She then grumbled, "Though I'd be lying if I said I didn't think of that too."

"Ehehe~" Irys stuck out her tongue, "But what do you think, Bae?"

"Calliope's pretty close." Bae agreed and made her decision, "We're going to Calliope!"

"Hooray!" Irys cheered, "I'll totally tell Calli-senpai about this! She'll have a laugh!"

With that, Irys inputted the address on the billboard to the onboard computer and Bae followed the navigation instructions. Soon enough, Bae brought her Golf into the quiet rural town of Calliope, Queensland.

It was a pretty laid back place and there was really only one inn open for business: a budget version of a larger traveler hotel chain. The mass of cars in the parking lot, however, didn't inspire much confidence in Bae.

"Looks like this hidden gem isn't as hidden as I thought." Bae found parking along the curb, "I hope they have room."

Bae and Irys got out from the Golf, took their things for an overnight stay and went to the front desk.

"Excuse me." Irys called for the receptionist, "We'd like a room please."

"Do you have an online reservation?" The receptionist asked.

"Uh…no." Irys started to fret.

"Hold on, please." The receptionist nodded politely and excused herself. Moments later, she returned, "We have one room available. A Queen Suite."

"A Queen Suite!?" Bae gasped. She glanced at the room prices taped to the front desk, "That's pretty steep!"

"It's peak tourist season." The receptionist explained, "The Queen Suite is all we have."

Bae pulled herself and Irys away from the front desk and whispered in her ear, "I don't have the money for this."

"But where else are we gonna stay?" Irys asked.

"We'll go to the next town over." Bae suggested. However, when she looked out, the sun had already set and the rumble of thunder reached her ears, "That's…not gonna work out, is it?"

Irys rubbed her chin and thought for a moment. Then, she laid a hand on Bae's shoulder.

"Leave it to me!" She declared. The Nephilim went back to the front desk and faced the receptionist, "We'll take the Queen Suite."

"Very well." The receptionist gave a polite bow, "How would you like to be billed?"

That question brought chills up Bae's spine, but Irys was undeterred.

"About that. Do you mind if I use your telephone?"

"Certainly." The reception passed the landline telephone to Irys.

Irys took the handset and started dialing a certain number. She had a short conversation and a tense back and forth. After a while, she passed the phone to the receptionist.

The receptionist listened and spoke with whoever it was on the other end. Her indifferent attitude promptly melted away and she started speaking more brightly. When the receptionist was finished, she was smiling wryly and became gracious all of a sudden.

"Your Queen Suite has been paid for. There will be complimentary breakfast as well. Allow me to show you to your rooms."

Irys nodded and Bae followed suit. The two of them then followed the receptionist to their suite.

"Who the hell did you call?" Bae asked.

"My manager." Irys revealed, "Don't worry though, I had her use my own money. Otherwise, she would have given me another earful!" She gave Bae a playful wink, "Consider this my thanks for driving me all this way and for your company."

"But Irys, you didn't have to…"

"I want to." Irys answered with a firm smile. She joined her hands behind her back and added, "This is the most fun I've had in a long while. So please, let me do this much for you."

"There's no way I can talk you out of this, can I?" Bae raised her eyebrow.

"Nope!" Irys stuck out her tongue.

"Heh, alright."

So, as thunder rumbled in the horizon, Bae and Irys followed the receptionist to the Queen Suite. That suite turned out to be a pretty decent-sized place. It was a far cry from the creme de la creme luxury that they would find in one of the major cities like Cairns or Brisbane, but it was still pretty luxurious.

Compared to Bae's apartment in Cairns at least.

Satisfied, Bae and Irys shooed the receptionist out of the room, got settled in and then took turns at the shower. Bae finished first and plopped down on the edge of the Queen-sized bed, the centerpiece of the suite. From that perch, though, Bae chanced upon something peculiar stashed on the bookshelf.

Board games? Is that Monopoly?

Bae stood up and took the board game from the shelf. Thunder rumbled outside the room again. It was awfully loud and was followed by torrential rain.

It was a good call to just stay here, huh? But that storm's pretty bad. We won't be sleeping anytime soon… so we could probably pass the time with this. But do celebrities even play Monopoly?

She was thumbing through the Monopoly game's rulebook when Irys walked out of the bathroom in nothing but her panties and a large bath towel. Bae tensed up when she saw the barely-covered Nephilim walk in, but Irys seemed completely unfazed.

"Ooh! Monopoly?" Irys pointed to the box in Bae's hands, "Wanna play on the bed?"

Bae's heart skipped a beat. That had to be the most accidentally suggestive thing she had heard in her life.

How the hell is this ditz gonna survive Hololive?

"Put some clothes on first! Then we'll play if you want!"

Irys finally realized her state of undress and her face went pale. She retreated into the washroom and came out in a fresh change of sweatpants and an oversized (for Bae) Mr. Squeaks t-shirt. Seeing Irys wearing one of her old shirts made Bae's heart flutter.

Better than a bath towel, I guess.

Now that she was decently clothed, Irys sat beside Bae on the bed and casually asked, "Do you know how to play?"

"It's been a while since I last played Monopoly." Bae admitted, thumbing through the rulebook again, "Though, I know the rules!"

"And so do I!" Irys declared proudly, "C'mon! Let's play a quick game till the storm passes."

Bae nodded in agreement.

The two ladies set the game up on the Queen-sized bed and they started to play the game. It was a pretty fun affair with its ups and downs, jail time, mortgages and hotel construction on Boardwalk and Park Place. Halfway through, neither of them really knew what they were doing anymore in the game. They were just chatting, laughing and joking around about anything under the sun: from the debuts of Irys' senpais in HoloMyth to the Australian accent to the colorful bills of the Australian Dollar.

In just a few hours, from the time they first met in Cairns to their mid-Monopoly ramblings, Bae had more human interaction than she ever had in the office in her years working for the RRAT. Even though Irys was an internet celebrity, she was more down-to-earth than most of the people that Bae worked with. Being able to talk about something that didn't have to do with work took a weight off of Bae's shoulders.

For the first time in a long while, Bae let her guard down and spoke from the heart.

She could talk and the person in front of her would actually listen eagerly. Bae could see in the windows of Irys' two-colored eyes: the Nephilim wanted to know more about her.

So, when Bae's turn to play came, she took the dice and rolled it. Then, she moved eleven spaces forward.

"You know." Bae started, "When I'm bored in the office doing nothing or when I'm stuck in a meeting, I just take my notebook and write down stuff."

"Oooh! What kind of stuff?" Irys asked happily, hanging on Bae's every word.

Bae scratched the back of her head. She paused before she found the courage to speak, "Lyrics."

"Lyrics?" Irys' two-colored eyes shone brightly, "Let me see! Pretty please?"

"It's just stuff I pieced together when I'm bored." Bae tried to dampen the hype. She reached into her bag and brought out a notebook, "Here you go."

"Bae's rhyme book." Irys dubbed the notebook a ridiculous name. She held it up like some sort of sacred artifact.

"Call it whatever you want!" Bae folded her arms and pretended not to care while Irys flipped through the pages.

But she did care.

She wanted to know what Irys thought about it.

"This is…" Irys started

"This is…?"

"This is pretty good!" Irys praised. She showed Bae a page of her notebook and pointed to a segment, "See this? This sounds like it'd make a really good rap bit! That bit flows really well! I can tell you're a big Calli fan!"

Bae pouted, "Not THAT big of a Calli fan!"

"Liar." Irys teased.

"Heh."

"But yeah. These lyrics are solid." Irys commented, "I can really tell that you're singing about freedom and letting loose." She glanced at Bae again and added, "Like, I can guess what this 'hamster wheel' you're talking about is."

She understood what I was trying to say in the lyrics? Man. That's Hololive's newest V-singer for ya!

Bae shrugged and tried to act innocent, "Hamster wheel? I couldn't possibly comment!"

Irys beamed. Then, she added, "All in all, the content is pretty good. But if you don't mind me saying, it does need a little bit of polish. To really get that X-factor, if you know what I mean. I can help you with that if you want!"

Bae smiled back, "I'd be honored. Let's do this thing!"

With that, Bae and Irys set aside the Monopoly board and worked together on the lyrics of Bae's song. They got so engrossed in the process that they didn't realize that the storm had already passed. The moment they let their guards down, sleep came quickly for them. They plopped down on the bed, side by side.

As Bae drifted off to dreamland, she thought about her journey with Irys thus far. Calliope wasn't that far away from Brisbane. She knew that they could make the trip in just a few hours. She would have a hell of a story to tell her new office mates in the RRAT HQ in Brisbane. But thinking about saying goodbye to Irys so soon now made her feel a pang of pain in her heart.

She didn't want this to become nothing more than a happy memory just yet.

She didn't want this trip to end.

When Bae woke up, the thoughts remained. She felt bitter.

What the hell am I thinking? I'm getting attached, aren't I? What happened to 'no detours' and 'no distractions'? Your career's on the line here! Just get it over and done with!

Bae covered her face with one hand and listened to the chaos in the parliament of her own mind. Morning sunlight peeked in through the blinds of the suite's windows. It illuminated Bae's notebook and the lyrics that she and Irys worked on and reorganized. She read the lyrics through the gaps between her fingers.

"Get off the hamster wheel and rule your life… huh? Five, four, three, two, one. Play dice."

While Bae recited the rewritten lyrics, she heard Irys groan beside her. The sleeping Nephilim shifted on the bed and gently reached for Bae's other hand.

Their fingers touched. For a moment, Bae thought about pulling away and getting out of bed. But she remembered her journey with the Nephilim once again. Those were the most eventful hours of her placid but dull life. In that short time, Irys became the closest, truest friend she's ever had. Bae couldn't help but think like Irys felt the same thing.

Irys probably felt the same way as her.

So, Bae let her free hand wander. She intertwined her fingers with Irys'. The Nephilim gave a satisfied mutter.

Under the morning light, Bae enjoyed the tender moment without saying a word. All the while, Bae racked her brains for a way to keep this happy dream going a little while longer.


Act 3 - Hervey Bay, QLD

When Irys woke up a little while later, she found herself holding hands with the rat-girl who took her under her wing. The moment Irys stirred, Bae turned to her and smiled.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Bae greeted her happily, "Have a good rest?"

Irys bashfully untangled her hand and fingers from Bae's and nodded. She couldn't look Bae in the eye after she realized what she had done.

Moments later, the Nephilim sat upright on the bed. She felt the heat of the sunlight on her skin and gasped, "Oh crap! I overslept!"

"It's fine." Bae reassured, "We still have time before the complimentary breakfast ends - and checkout is at noon."

"Eh? But weren't you trying to get to Brisbane as fast as possible?" Irys reminded, "No detours and no distractions, right? We get going at the break of dawn… but what time is it now?"

"I've decided that I'm not exactly in a rush to get to Brisbane. A change of heart, if you will." Bae explained, "We could get to Brisbane for a late lunch if we leave now, but I'd be paying for an extra day at a Brisbane hotel." She then glanced at Irys, "You're not in a rush to get to Brisbane either, aren't you?"

"Well… my concert still is tomorrow night after all, so not really." Irys admitted.

"And my orientation meeting at RRAT HQ is tomorrow afternoon." Bae added, "We've been very efficient in our journey thus far. We can afford a little detour. Just this once." She turned to the sunny sky and the trees draped with morning dew behind the window and added, "I figured that I'd let you be a tourist for a little while, just like you wanted."

"You're doing this for me…?" Irys hesitated, "You don't have to…"

Bae shook her head and stood firm, "I want to."

It was the same reason that Irys gave Bae yesterday. The Nephilim's cheeks flushed red and she grew embarrassed.

"Wait a sec…" Irys still tried to digest what she was hearing, "Are you saying that you'll… take me on a trip?"

"You got that right, girlie!" Bae grinned. She showed Irys the screen of her smartphone, "There's this nice little place that my family used to take me to when I was a little rat. It's a little bit off the mainland, but there's a ferry. It can take the Golf. It's on the way from Calliope and it's not that far from Brisbane too."

Irys took the smartphone in her hands and read what she saw, "Fraser Island - K'gari Campsite." She scrolled through the pictures on the website and gasped, "Whoa… that's pretty!"

"It's even prettier in person!" Bae gave a thumbs up, "The weather tonight's gonna be peachy. It'll be quite an experience! We'll camp there and head to Brisbane at first light."

Without thinking, Irys grabbed Bae's hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Let's do it!" Irys wholeheartedly agreed, "Let's go to K'gari!"

"Your wish is my command, m'lady." Bae winked.

"Smooth." Irys teased.

"I try." Bae snickered.

The two ladies laughed. Then, they got prepared for the new leg of their journey.

They got their complimentary breakfast, stocked up what they could snag from the buffet - all the cheese, butter, bread, fruits and tiny coffee creamer cups they could fit in Bae's bag - and checked out before the stingy receptionist could notice. Then, they got back into Bae's Volkswagen Golf and drove out to the K'gari ferry terminal at Hervey Bay.

This time around, Bae didn't put the pedal to the metal. She drove at a more carefree pace and went through one of the more scenic rural highways. All the while, Bae played tour guide for Irys. She pointed out all of the sights to see along the way and recounted the stories she remembered from her visits there with her family.

Then, they reached the ferry. Bae paid the ferryman and backed up the Golf into the vehicle hold. All the while, Irys held onto her seat and gave Bae as much moral support as she could. Once the Golf was secure in the hold, the ferry set sail from Hervey Bay to K'gari.

"Holy cow, I'm on a boat!" Irys exclaimed, "I'm actually ON a boat!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Bae laughed heartily, "You ain't seen nothing yet! Wait till you see the view from the upper deck!"

"Upper deck, huh?" Irys slipped out of the Golf and challenged Bae, "Race you there!"

"Huh!?" Bae was surprised. She ran out the car, locked it with the remote and chased after Irys, "Come back here you wacko Idol!"

Bae and Irys scampered up the stairs to the upper ferry deck like children set loose. The rat-girl ran after the Nephilim in an unannounced game of tag until they reached the end of the deck. Irys looked out to the shining waters of the Coral Sea reflecting the sunlight.

"Bae…" Irys started, but she ran out of words to say.

"Glad you like it." Bae folded her arms, "You can be as touristy as you want today, Irys! This is your one chance before your concert! Go for broke!"

"I'll take you up on the offer!" Irys grinned. She pointed at the smartphone in Bae's pocket, "Take some pictures of me, will you?"

"Can I keep some of them?" Bae raised her brow.

"As long as you send them to me after I get back to technology!" Irys laughed.

"Pictures of an Idol? What a deal!" Bae exclaimed. She whipped out her phone and started taking candid shots of Irys.

"H-hey, I wasn't ready!" Irys snapped. She then struck a pose, "Take one now!"

Bae obliged and snapped up more photos. When Irys was satisfied, she offered to take Bae's pictures now. Bae handed the phone to Irys and then did some of her own poses on the deck herself.

After a while, Irys and Bae tried taking selfies together with the Coral Sea behind them. However, they couldn't seem to get a good angle.

It was at this time that a pair of tourists approached them.

"Excuse me, would you like us to take a photo of the two of you?" The tourist offered.

"Yes please!" Irys graciously accepted. She swiped the cellphone from Bae's hands and handed it to the tourist.

However, Irys suddenly stopped herself. She stood before the kind tourist and her jaw dropped.

"Wait a sec… senpai!? What are you doing here?"

Bae looked over Irys' shoulder and wondered who this 'senpai' was. It turned out to be HoloMyth's Ina'nis Ninomae!

Bruuuuh!

She was wearing casual attire that was a huge departure from her 'priestess outfit' and wore a beret that hid the ear-like flaps on her head. Ina turned to Irys and then to Bae and gave the two of them her now world-famous greeting.

"Wah!"

For the second time that weekend, Bae was absolutely starstruck!

"I'm here to stretch my legs before the Brisbane concert." Ina explained happily, "I came early so that I can take in the scenery and meet up with a dear old friend." She gestured to the tall, tan-skinned lady beside her and introduced her, "This is Sana Tsukumo. She insisted that we go to K'gari to watch the stars.'

Looks like K'gari isn't as hidden a gem as I thought either, huh?

"Sana, meet Irys." Ina then continued, "She's our new V-singer! I'll be performing with her in Brisbane tomorrow!"

"Sananana~!" The tall-lady greeted her, "Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise." Irys shook Sana's hand.

"Wait a sec." Bae chimed in, "Sana Tsukumo? The owner of the meat pie company!?"

"The one and the same!" Sana beamed. She spread out her arms and proudly declared, "They're the best meat pies in the whole universe!"

"I second the motion. Sana's meat pies are the greatest." Ina raised her hand, giving her seal of approval. She turned to Bae now and wore a smile for her too, "And what about you, friend? What is your name?"

"Oh, uh… B-Baelz Hakos." The rat-girl could barely hide her excitement, "I work for the Aussie government. I'm an analyst for the RRAT."

All of a sudden, Bae paused. She struggled to find the words to say or to dig up something interesting about herself in the face of yet another internet celebrity.

So, Irys laid a hand on Bae's shoulder and vouched for her, "Bae's a big Hololive fan too! And she drove me from Cairns all the way here!"

"Whoa… that's a long drive." Ina commented. She leaned over to Irys and whispered, "Does this have to do with what Omega was telling us…"

"Probably." Irys avoided Ina's eye contact, "It's a long story."

"A long story and a long drive." Sana interjected cheerfully, "You two must be awfully tired. Ina and I were about to have a quick snack of meat pies. Would you like to join us?"

Ina snatched the phone from Irys' hand now and playfully added, "After we take your photos, of course~!"

Sana joined her hands together as well and asked, "Might we also trouble you to take our pictures as well?"

Gladly." Bae finally managed to speak normally, "The more the merrier!"

So, Bae, Irys, Ina and Sana took their pictures. Then, they went back to the lower deck for their meat pie snack. While they ate Sana's delightful treats, Irys told Ina and Sana about everything that's happened to her thus far.

"Humu humu. Looks like you were able to find someone trustworthy." Ina stole glances of Bae and smiled at her, "If you had run into anyone else, things might have gone differently."

"I know…" Irys conceded, "But we're here now, and we'll be heading to Brisbane at first light."

"That means you two are staying overnight at K'gari?" Sana asked now.

"Yup!" Bae confirmed, "I used to go here with my family a lot as a kid. I wanted to give Irys a good tourist experience."

All of a sudden, there was silence at the table. Ina and Sana looked at Bae with scrutinizing eyes.

"D-did I say something wrong?" Bae asked. Irys nodded sheepishly, wanting to know the answer as well.

Then, in perfect sync, Ina and Sana spoke at the same time.

"First name basis already? Sus."

Irys pouted and punched back, "You and your friend Sana are suspicious too, Ina-senpai! Going on a ferry like this with just the two of you."

Ina and Irys glared at each other for a moment in a stalemate. Then, Ina leaned back into her chair with a smirk, "I guess you can say… we're on the same boat!"

Tense silence. Then, the four ladies burst into laughter.

Once they had all caught their breaths, Sana joined her hands together and made a proposal.

"Since we're all going to stay overnight at K'gari, would you like to join us? We have a tent for four people! And a propane barbie!"

Bae and Irys turned to each other. Then, they nodded eagerly.

"Awesome! This is gonna be great!" Sana cheered enthusiastically.

Ina, on the other hand, smiled warmly at Bae and Irys.


Act 4 - Fraser Island/K'gari, QLD

The ferry arrived at K'gari before long. Bae and Sana, the drivers of the group, brought out their cars and made a convoy towards their seaside campsite. It was a calm spot where the woodlands met with the sandy beach facing the Coral Sea. There, they parked their cars, found solid ground to set up shop.

Irys and Ina worked together on their barbecue dinner, preparing the meats, vegetables and skewers for the grill. Bae and Sana, on the other hand, pitched the tent, set up the propane barbecue and did the heavy lifting.

Time flew quickly. Before they knew it, the sun was already starting to set.

They all gathered around a portable campfire and ate their hearty meal together. With cans of beer or juice in hand, they toasted to Queensland, to Hololive and to the Hervey Bay-K'gari Ferry. Irys and Ina even sang an acapella version of 'Shiny Smily Story' for everyone. All in all, it was a fun and lighthearted affair.

Once everyone had their fill, Sana brought out a pair of fishing rods from the trunk of her car and handed one of them to Ina. Apparently, the two of them came there to do some nighttime fishing on the beach. However, Bae couldn't help but feel like Ina and Sana were trying to get out of their hair intentionally.

Either way, Bae and Irys bid them farewell and were left alone at the campsite.

"You're gonna be working with some interesting characters, Irys." Bae commented, sipping on a beer, "Seems like there's never a dull day in Hololive, huh?"

"I guess you can say that." Irys agreed, "It's still a little intimidating to stand on the same stage as the great HoloMyth quintet. I have a long way to go to build up my relationships with them, but they're all very supportive. Ina-senpai, Calli-senpai, Kiara-senpai, Gura-senpai and Ame-senpai. All of them are wonderful people." She looked up to the cloudy night sky and reached out for the faint outline of the moon, "We're all chasing different things in life, but I feel like they'll have my back in this journey. I want to have their backs as well!"

Bae leaned back into her seat and watched the stars above as well.

"If your Ina-senpai is anything to go by, you're gonna be fine." Bae gave her assessment, "You're the new kid in Hololive English, but I think Ina's treating you like a member of the family already. She's not just saving face either. It's genuine stuff." She looked down at the sand beneath her feet and sighed, "I know when people only pretend to care when they actually don't."

"Bae…"

Bae hummed. She stood up from her seat, stretched a little bit and turned to Irys, "I wanna walk by the beach. Wanna come with?"

Irys nodded and followed Bae towards the seashore. They walked along the sandy beach and listened to the pleasant sound of the surf mixing with their footsteps.

"This beach is where I liked to go as a kid so that I could think about life and the future. That kind of stuff." Bae explained. She quickened her pace and walked ahead of the Nephilim on the sand, "I brought you here because it was a really nice place, yes. But I also wanted to think about what I wanted to do."

Silence fell between the two.

Then, Bae continued.

"I had fun traveling with you, Irys. I got to do so many things that I always wanted to do but never had the courage to do. I broke out of my shell - got off my hamster wheel - and just took things at my own pace. Thanks to that, I know what I want to do next."

The clouds in the night sky slowly dissipated and the light of the pale moon shone over the beach. The moonlight, along with thousands of stars, sparkled on the calm waters of the Coral Sea and reflected on the Nephilim's two colored eyes. Sea breeze blew into the shore and combed through Irys' long maroon hair and Bae's bright red.

Bae stood before Irys now and laid a hand over her heart. Then, for the first time in a long while, she spoke from the heart without any filter.

"I'm gonna audition for Hololive. Then, if… no. When I get in, I want you to help me again with that song of mine. I need you to help me bring that song to life."

Irys watched Bae fondly. She tucked a lock of her maroon hair behind her ear and smiled at Bae.

"I'd love to." Irys spoke without hesitation, just like she did when Bae first met her, "Good luck in the auditions, Bae. I hope that one day, we'll stand on the same stage." Then, she extended her hand to Bae, "I'll be waiting for you."

Bae nodded. Then, she took Irys' hand in hers.

And just like that, the promise was made. Their road trip was coming to an end, but their journey was far from over. Knowing this, the rat-girl and the Nephilim walked along the moonlit beach hand in hand. They savored the time they had left and looked forward to the future.

Under the stars shining o'er the coast.

The End