"Homhom Alvis, Bird People, and Machine People!" Chief Dunga was as loud as last time, Egil noted as they made it back to Frontier Village. "We are happy to see you once again!"

"Chief Dunga!" Oka waddled forward, little hands swinging at her sides. "Oka is still fulfilling duty as Heropon, but want to check on family. That okay?"

The group had discussed this already, as the Machina and Alvis changed into Makna-appropriate armour. They had agreed a night at Frontier Village couldn't hurt, given the circumstance. Kallian would have more time to rest, and they could make sure they had a good handling on Tyrea.

If they weren't careful, the assassin could try and escape at any time, Alvis had said. It would be for the best if they ensured they had their bearings straight before heading too far off the beaten path, where she could vanish into the foliage.

Seeing as they'd gone through quite a bit of trouble already, cutting more of that out would be for the best, Egil supposed. Last thing he needed was to try and fail at stopping yet another death, when so many had slipped through his grasp already.

"Hm, for heropon Oka, I will allow it!" Chief Dunga nodded, looking to the group. "Friends, please be merry! Tonight we will celebrate your safe return and send you off in style!"

"I see… Thank you." Egil gave a small nod, shifting uncomfortably at the thought.

Tyrea, on the other hand, didn't even hide her discomfort as she scoffed. "That's ridiculous! If I'm stuck among Nopon, the last thing I want is to interact with them."

Before anyone else could say much, Kallian was at her side, pinching her cheek as she yelped. Egil had to admit, it reminded him a bit of how he and Vanea would interact, when one of them was being overly grumpy.

"None of that, Tyrea! We will be kind and accept our hosts' hospitality." Kallian gave her a frown as he spoke in a chiding tone. "Understood?"

"Release my cheek!" She pulled away, rubbing the attacked spot with a huff. "I am going along with you as is mandated by our government, nothing more! I have no reason to play nice with the lot of you!"

"I am your brother, Tyrea." Kallian placed a hand on his chest. "Is that not enough?"

She made a face. "Never in a million years will that be enough!"

"Tyrea…"

"Now, now! No fight!" Oka stepped in, ever the mother. "Tyrea would like Nopon if she try! Nopon are very nice, will give Tyrea lots of cuddle time!"

"Like I would want any of that!" She scowled at the Nopon. "I'd sooner be dead than be caught doing anything with the Nopon. This is pointless, either way! I am going to find a place to wait until we move out!"

"Tyrea, wait!"

And with that, Tyrea stormed off, Kallian following after her. Egil shared a look with the rest of the group and, when they simply shrugged, he sighed. Let them be, then. They had things to work out, and he wasn't getting in the middle of it.


"Vanea! Good thing here!" Oka ran up to the Machina. "Need help!"

Vanea had been wandering around the village and found herself at Oka's house when the Nopon came up to her. Everyone had seemed to relaxed around her, she almost forgot how loud Oka could be! Made her jump a bit, before straightening herself out.

"Yes, Oka? What do you need?"

"Kino hide in hard to reach place for Nopon, but Vanea is Machina!" She smiled up at her. "Long arms should have no problem!"

Vanea blinked, but nodded and allowed Oka to lead her to a little nook. There, she could see a Nopon with green fur… perhaps one of the ones that had been adopted? She wasn't sure how Oka's pink and Riki's yellow would make green, otherwise…

But for now, she shrugged it off and reached into the nook, carefully pulling him out and holding him as he wriggled, trying to get free. "Oh my! What an energetic little one!"

"Can let Kino go now! Won't try that hidey-hole again!" Oka nodded surely as Vanea let him down and watched him skitter away towards other Nopon. "Kino just get too shy sometimes, and be afraid of wrong people."

"I see…" She sighed, now worried. "Was the poor thing afraid of us Machina?"

"Afraid of Tyrea, too." Oka giggled, shaking her head. "Vanea no worry! Oka good at making littlepon not as afraid."

Oka flopped down and pat for Vanea to join her on the ground. After a moment, Vanea joined her, knees up against her chin as she looked down at the motherly Nopon, waiting for her to say her piece.

"Oka work hard as Mamapon! Raising littlepon hard work, but worth it to see them grow!" She giggled happily. "Riki do good as Dadapon, too! A bit stupid, but heart in right place, and doing okay without Oka right now."

"I see, Oka. That's wonderful." She smiled at her, patting her head. She knew she'd kill for a similar feeling about a certain someone right now... "I can't imagine being away is easy, knowing he's doing alright must be a calming feeling."

"Yes! Oka know now Riki will not lose littlepon while she is gone!" Oka smiled happily. "Now Oka know she not have to divorce Riki, is load off her back! Oka now just focus on keeping family safe!"

"I… I see." She blinked a few times, patting Oka's head once again while trying to brush off the awkward feeling that left her with. "How nice! I'm glad you can trust him and don't have to, er… leave him, then."

"Oka knew Vanea would understand!"


"How fascinating…" Alvis held Linada's arm in his hands and hummed. "All of you is metal and silicone, then…?"

"Indeed." Linada chuckled, pulling her arm away. "I've noticed you stealing glances at all of us. You're interested in our anatomy, then?"

"I suppose I am. I've seen Bionis life up close, so there's little left for me to learn. In comparison… you and your people are quite secluded, a mystery."

"You could say that." Linada snorted, shaking her head. "Well, then. To answer your question. It's metal, silicone, and internal wiring. Hopefully you'll never have to see that or our blood."

"Blood!" Alvis whistled. "I suppose it's not the same red hue of Bionis life?"

"No, it's more a black, like oil." She shivered, remembering the sight of it pooling at Egil's feet not too long ago. "So if you see any of us leaking that… it may be something to make note of, and try to help with."

"Anything else to look out for, then?" He tilted his head to the side. "I may as well ask while we're here."

She looked out across the forest, thinking for a moment as Alvis leaned next to her. What else could she tell the Homs that wouldn't be unsettling the moment the words left her mouth? Machina seemed to be the odd species out, after all…

"Ah!" She held up a finger, looking at him. "If we lose a limb, no worries. No matter how long it's off, it's fairly easy to fix up and reattach."

Alvis blinked a few times. "Well, you are the race with detachable breasts… I suppose I should've expected something of the sort."

"You say that as if not being able to detach your body parts doesn't make you strange to us Machina." She rolled her eyes, but her mood was actually quite light. "Not our fault you were made so differently than us!"

"Fair enough." He shrugged. "Still, though. You're telling me Egil could lose an arm and just keep going? How terrifying…"

"Egil is the least scary thing you need to worry about, actually." She leaned a bit closer, lowering her voice. "Now Vanea, on the other hand…"

"Oh? Do tell."