"How are you so sure that everything will work out?" he asked, examining the item he'd been handed.
The silver-haired woman pushed her pair of glasses up her nose and sent a condescending smirk his way.
"Don't worry your tiny little head about it," she said, tone haughty, making him bristle.
How dare this bitch look down on me!
And yet, for some reason, he lacked the interest in doing anything more than gritting his teeth.
"If you believe I am relying merely upon you…then you are a fool. There are other assets in place ready to do their part. Just do as you're told and everything will work out, after all…" her dark chuckles sent shivers down his spine, the terror momentarily overwhelming his indignation. "I have seen it."
To anyone else, the quaint storefront no doubt looked welcoming and when coupled with the glimpses allowed into the interior past the clothes mannequins and the various other little frills and knickknacks, its aura might even be called cozy.
But for Yuha, each step towards the door, felt like a man walking towards his execution.
So, this is what those who climbed the steps to France's pastime felt, eh?
Morbid, perhaps, and yet, gallows humor felt appropriate for being forced to spend hours in the company of women in a clothes store—admittedly hot women—let's just say it wasn't his cup of tea.
"Yuha." speak of the devil! "I can feel you, there is no point in trying to run," Fubuki said with a huff and the woman's hair danced, threaded with a touch of green for but a moment in warning, while Lily giggled.
Gritting his teeth, Yuha followed the girls into the den of the beast and faced with such a dangerous threat to his sanity…Well it was time to pull out the big guns.
Reflexively activating Kaio-ken and pushing it all the way to a comfortable stage five followed by combining the abilities of his computer and the knowledge of more than a dozen meditative techniques, courtesy of his cells, Yuha slipped into a half vegetative state, one that even Al Bundy would have given a passable grade too, as he paid little heed to the words exchanged between Fubuki and the old store woman.
Merely offering the appropriate grunt, coupled with a 'yes' or 'no' here and there as needed. Letting the old woman take him by the hand, her grip gentle and affectionate as she guided him a few feet away from the girls and, with tape in hand, begun taking measurements.
Letting out little, 'hmm's' and 'aha's!' as she did, even shooing a curious Lily away a time or two, a small part of Yuha noting that the old lady's warm demeanor seemed to vanish when she turned towards the girls.
Still, he bore this trial with the stoicism a true hero should.
Fuck, I'm bored! He cried, obediently lifting an arm, even as the bigger part of his freed consciousness was busy going through his experiments these past two days. For during his meditations and playing with his Ki he'd come to a few discoveries.
As much as I hate it, there does seem to be something to the idea of 'the back of the neck'. He growled with distaste, even in the privacy of his mind his hate for the cluster-fuck that was Super remained unabated. But I have nowhere near the power level to activate ssj, not yet, even if with an easy trigger at hand. And he'd tried, but aside from leaving him exhausted, it'd accomplished little else. After all, if the 'neck trigger' is a thing, then the stupid s-cells probably are as well, and in that case, I really need a girthy power level to get it up so to speak, cause I'm nowhere near the good guy Goku was…
"Other arm, dear," the old woman said kindly, and Yuha nodded and lifted the limb.
So, that's some time away, at least. His mind flashed to his other discovery and he couldn't help but snort, making the old woman pause, needle in hand.
"Dear?"
He shook his head.
"Sorry, Ma'am, just remembered something funny is all. Please proceed."
The woman's eyes creased, and she cooed, "So handsome! And polite to boot! Oh, if only I was younger…"
Inside his head, Yuha screamed.
"You're the very image of youth, Miss!" he said outloud alongside a wink, making her chuckle.
"Flatterer!" the woman gently slapped him on his chest a few times before resuming her work and Yuha breathed a sigh of relief. Gilfs were fine when they looked like Tsunade did with her genjutsu, not without.
Anyway. Ssj is out, at least for the moment. But maybe… his outsider nature came with a certain set of benefits, namely that before his recruitment he hadn't had a lick of Ki, or if he did something similar to this world's humanity had been going on and he couldn't access it.
At any rate, after his training and his arrival here?
Sensing Ki hadn't been difficult. In fact, with his chimeric makeup coupled with his nature,it'd been outright easy. For Ki was outright blaring to his metaphysical ears.
So, with a little bit of downtime and a few hours of meditation while running Kaio-ken?
He'd confirmed something he'd long suspected.
That the technique of the jolly god, did in fact contain traces, or rather precursors to Divine Ki. Explaining how the rotund man's technique could boost the power of someone so much and how it could even be used when someone already had Divine Ki, if with greater difficulty.
It also explained the technique's deadliness and risk.
Ultra Instinct it might not be, but playing with such forces unprepared was still risky.
So with that discovery, Yuha had immediately tried to compress his meagre Ki. But whereas the jolly god's technique and the resulting Ki could be likened to a gas giant, Divine Ki was like a full-blown sun.
Needless to say, he'd failed and had blacked out, waking up with a worried Bang and Charanko hovering over his gasping self.
In other words, Divine Ki was right out. He lacked the necessary pressure just yet.
So, I guess I should focus on attaining ssj before Boros arrives… But I have plenty of time! If Goku could jump from 300 to over 8k in a couple of months, I can surely do much better! After all, Ki is kinda like Spiral Power in that once you know something, like say a powerlevel is possible, it's much easier to get there than when you believed it to be impossible.
"My L-lord, here's is the report you requested!" the trembling alien squeaked, arms stretched overhead, kneeling before the steps of the massive throne, feeling the oppressive power emanating from the being seated above.
"Hmm…"
With a tiny flex of power, the data-slate held in his palms lifted towards the figure above, who perused it with an almost bored air.
Chancing a glance and licking one of his many mouths, the technician dared to push his luck.
"M-my lord, the men were asking—wondering, wondering! If, perhaps, we might slow down a tad and give the engines and the crew a chance to rest and—"
"No."
He winced and his six pairs of eyes shut simultaneously, waiting for a blow that never came, before he tentatively risked a peek.
Lord Boros was gazing at him with boredom, slouched to the side of the throne, head propped up on a fist.
"The engines can take it, can they not?"
Right, he'd forgotten that unlike the lieutenants, Lord Boros was generous and kind and wouldn't strike down someone for merely voicing their thoughts…As generous and kind a pirate king could be at any rate.
"Y-yes, my lord, they can keep up their current pace for at least ten standard solar rotations more! Less than a standard month will be no problem at all!" he exclaimed, chest puffing up with pride. For their engineers were the best in the universe!
"Hmm, then my decision stands. Full speed ahead. The men can have their fun and shore-leave both once we get to the planet, this…what do the natives call it again?"
"Standard auspex scans suggest…" the technician blinked as he recalled from memory and wondered whether he'd had a little too much fun last night. "Well, I believe they call it 'earth' sire."
Boros snorted. "What kind of backwater primitives name their planet 'dirt'…" their lord sighed and waved an arm. "That is all. Leave me."
He knew better than to overstay his welcome, and so, with a bow and, "Yes, my lord." He turned and scampered out of the throne room, bathed in twilight and its oppressive aura.
"Mistress?"
"What is it, Lily?" Fubuki asked, placing back down the cute shirt she'd been examining and turning towards her subordinate.
Said subordinate was chewing on her lip as she stared at Yuha and the store's proprietress, before huffing and crossing her arms.
"Mistress, are you sure this…woman isn't up to something?" Lily asked with a petulant pout, and Fubuki had to resist the urge to giggle. For the girl's crush was obvious to anyone with eyes to see and she didn't like being kept at bay...well, she rolled her eyes. Anyone not as dense as Yuha that is. "You did say you've never seen her before…"
She snorted. "Stop jumping at shadows, Lily. There's being wary and then there's being this."
"Sorry, Mistress…"
At the girl's contrite tone, she nodded, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "But you are right in that some caution is warranted at all times." She winked at the girl, causing her to blink. "In other words, I did do a scan on her, if a brief and light one," she said, making Lily gasp.
"Then—"
Fubuki nodded and reached with an arm for a pink shirt. "She is who she says she is, Granny G, unusual name and coloration greenish tint aside is indeed Mistie's grandma and filling in for her."
Lily's shoulders slumped.
"Then she ain't some villain or monster in disguise, is she?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Afraid not dear."
"Bummer, and I so wanted to kick her…" the girl mumbled, and Fubuki giggled.
And if asked, the giggle was entirely due to Lily's words and not due to imagining Yuha, face mortified, wearing the pink shirt in her hands, filling out to the brim…
Yuha shuddered.
"Dear?" the kind old woman asked, making him glance down at her.
"Mmh, it's nothing, Ma'am, just…a sudden feeling of dread is all, like someone's is planning something which I'm not going to like…" he muttered and the old woman's eyes widened.
"Oh my!"
"Eh, it's probably nothing," he said, shrugging his shoulders a tad, able to do so now that the woman was busy measuring and working on his legs.
"Mmh." The kind grandma agreed. "Are you eating well, dear, getting enough sleep?"
He chuckled at the white-haired lady's tone, one used by grandmas everywhere.
"I'd say yes to both. But that would probably be a lie, as I doubt what I consider adequate would pass your standards, Ma'am."
She cooed again, patting his calf.
"Such a smart young lad," she said, putting a hand on her cheek as she sighed. "Oh, if only all of my children were as smart and obedient as you, dear."
He smiled.
"I'm sure you've done a fine job raising them, Ma'am." He offered, doing his best to be polite and follow social conventions. After all, that's what true Heroes, like All Might would've done, yes? So it was best to at least fake his interest, even if within his mind, the wider part of his consciousness was busy pondering questions of training, powerlevels, and Tatsumaki's ass…assets, assets!
The woman's red lips stretched wide into a smile, and she patted him on the thigh again.
"You're too kind, dear," she said and stood up, dusting her knees. "There, all done."
Yuha blinked. "Already?"
At her raised eyebrow, he rushed to add.
"Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mind. But what about shoes and stuff?"
The woman sniffed. "I don't see why we need to bother with that," she said and her gaze softened as she glanced at his feet and begun working herself upwards. "After all, you're already beautiful, dear. It is already a big enough shame that we have to cover up the rest of you. I see no reason to cover your beautiful feet as well."
Gilf danger. Gilf danger! Deflect! Deflect—
"But…" the woman sighed and chewed on her lip, making Yuha blink.
"But?"
"Forgive this old woman, after all, you've been a wonderful customer and young man both, but, you're a tough customer after all."
"In what way?"
"Well, your head."
Yuha blinked.
"N-now, don't get me wrong, dear," she said, hastening to raise her arms and wave them. "You're gorgeous, as I've said, but, while you have the body to fill out a suit, your head…well…oh this would be so much easier if you had hair…Oh, what am I saying, forgive me. Forget this old woman's words and—"
He hummed and raised up his arms, taking off his hat and with a flex of magic making it disappear back into the ether, easy to do now that he'd been forced to regrow, or rather re-summon, the darn thing.
"Would this help, then?" he asked, and the kind grandma spent a few seconds blinking up at him before breaking into a wide smile.
"Perfect! Thank you dear~! Just you wait and I'll have your suit ready before you can blink!" she said and rushed off.
Yuha, shaking his head, stepped off the circular measuring platform and with a few quick steps went to join the two girls who were busy talking amongst themselves and checking out clothes.
The black-haired esper was the first to notice him, as expected.
"How did it go?"
He shrugged.
"Apparently we're done, but…"
Fubuki arched an eyebrow.
"But?"
"Suits take time to make, don't they? If so, what did we come here for? There's no way it's going to be ready in time for the ceremony?"
Lily and Fubuki exchanged glances.
"What?" he asked, tone defensive, courtesy of the pitying glances he received.
"You, err, don't know much about the fashion industry, do you, Mister Yuha?" Lily asked, and much as he wanted to say otherwise, he couldn't. And so, he shook his head.
Fubuki snorted. "I expected as much," the girl said, stepping close, and standing at the top of her feet, patted his hair. Making a complicated expression flash across Yuha's face. On the one hand, her hand felt rather nice. On the other, it was demeaning. "In that case, don't worry about, your clothes will be ready in time. Now granted, normally you'd be right in that it takes quite a bit of time, but there's a reason we picked this place, for its high-class and they work fast."
He blinked. That was all well and good, but it didn't answer how. He fought the urge to ask.
And yet, something must have shown on his face, for Fubuki rolled her eyes and Lily giggled.
"Agh, men," she sighed. "Advantages of modern engineering and the reason we're paying so much, that enough for you?"
He smiled and nodded. Yes. Yes it was.
"Good, now come along," Fubuki ordered, spinning in place, his eyes unable to resist stealing a glance at the woman's shapely rear, highlighted as it were by her dark form fitting dress before, with an effort of will he tore his eyes away, catching Lily's pointed gaze, the girl puffing her cheeks.
A thought made him pause.
"Wait, who's paying for all this—"
"I said follow," Fubuki ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Mmh~ That's what I like to hear, Yuha," the woman said with a deep throaty chuckle that caused him to shiver.
Suddenly, Lily all but threw herself at him, wrapping her arm around his elbow and gazing at Yuha with an unnerving intensity as they followed Fubuki, the woman leading them in between the aisles.
Jeez! It was but one glance!
He fought the urge to sweat as the girl continued staring at him. Before, at last, Fubuki came to a stop before a display flush against one of the store's walls and filled with various pieces of jewelry.
"Tell me."
"Mmh?" he asked with a blink as they two came to a stop, at the sound of Fubuki's voice, Lily thankfully also turning and dropping her creepy staring.
The black-haired beauty waved an arm across the display.
"Which one do you like best?"
Ah!
Yuha nodded.
So, she wants my opinion on what would look good on her?
Well, on the one hand, this was bad. For Yuha's sense of fashion…wasn't.
Yet on the other hand, there were few things that would look out of place or outright bad on Fubuki. And so, he scanned across the rows and rows of jewelry, dismissing various gaudy rings and earrings, and focusing on the necklaces, and as his eyes landed upon a silver piece that was eerily similar to a Quincy Cross, he had his answer.
"That one," he said, pointing with a finger.
Making both girls blink and Fubuki to cock her head as she examined his peak.
Leaning in closer and rubbing her chin as she considered it, Lily letting go of his hand and joining her mistress.
"Hmm."
"Its…"
The girls glanced at him, making him blink.
Fubuki nodded. "Hmm. Very well, a good enough pick, I suppose," she said, and pulling back, raised an arm, an aura of green radiating from her and the protective glass slid aside, and the necklace flow into Lily's expectant arm, before the glass covering slid back in place.
"Just like that? We didn't have to ask—"
Again the women looked at him with pity.
"Mr Yuha…" Lily started, and paused, clearly trying to find a delicate way of saying whatever she was thinking.
Fubuki, on the other hand, rolling her eyes had no such compunctions.
"Yuha, I don't know what sort of…shops. you've been frequenting, but this is a high-class establishment, there is little fear of someone trying to steal something, and if someone has the bright idea to try, well, let's just say it won't end well for them."
Ah.
Security measures that were actually worth a damn. Well, ok, yeah, that would explain it.
Still—
"Yuha, dear?" the grandma's voice called out. "Where are you? Please come here!"
He blinked as he turned towards the voice and started walking towards it, the girls silently following.
Shit! I don't even remember telling her my name! Those meditation techniques rock!
"Ah! There you are, dearie!" the smiling grandma said as soon as they came into view, her smile dimming as she glanced at the pair of girls behind his back before it quickly bloomed in full as she focused on him. "Come, come!" she said, making beckoning gestures and as Yuha approached, she stepped to the side, revealing a folded deep purple suit resting on a small table.
"Some of my finer work, I dare say. So, what do you think, dear?" the woman asked and as Yuha lifted the suit to examine it closer, he could say but one thing.
"It looks perfect."
"Oh, hush! You're making me blush," the grandma said, swooning in place, hand in cheek before shaking her head and making a shooing motion. "But enough of your flattery, young man, go on! Put it on!"
Smiling and shaking his head, Yuha picked up the various pieces, starting with the modified white button-up shirt, shifting his pointy wings through the openings in the back followed by the rest of the pieces.
"So, how do I look?" he asked after putting everything on, and stretching an arm and a leg in opposite directions, in a move similar to a Sailor Scout's transformation pose.
Lily's giggles made him smirk. For he'd achieved his purpose and the suit's range of motion seemed adequate.
"You look perfect, dearie!" the old woman praised, before licking your lips. "But…your…err, style—"
"Or rather your complete lack of style to speak off," Fubuki added from behind him, making the old woman briefly scowl at her. "Not the way I'd have put it, but yes, keep working at it, dearie," the woman said and Fubuki, rolling her eyes, stepped into view.
"Enough, while your shops' services have been excellent, as usual, we really need to be on our way. So." Fubuki's hair danced and from out of view a pink shirt floated into view. "How much for the suit, this, and the necklace?" she asked, inclining her head towards the trinket still in Lily's hands.
The grandma sniffed and winked at Yuha.
"Well, as thanks for introducing me to such a fine young man. The previously agreed-upon price will do."
Fubuki arched an eyebrow.
"But—"
And the old lady rolled her eyes.
"The rest are on the house. Consider them a gift. Now, let me wrap the rest of those and ring you up."
After thanking the woman and Fubuki paid, they left the shop and walked for a few meters before the black-haired beauty to the left of Yuha stopped.
"Fubuki?"
In lieu of responding, the woman continued checking her phone, nodding to herself.
"As I thought," she said and turned towards Yuha with a smirk. "We still have some time, so, what say you two we grab a cup of coffee?"
By his side, Lily jumped. "Oh! I'd love to!" the girl squealed, making Yuha wince at her volume. "Mistress, you don't perchance mean to visit—"
"Oh, I do."
The girl squealed again.
"Oh, how wonderful! I'd been meaning to try their new milkshake recipe!" she grabbed his arm again, making him glance at her. "You need to try it, Yuha!" the girl gashed, before blinking and blushing for some reason. Letting go of his arm.
Fubuki's chuckles drew his gaze again.
"So, what do you say, Yuha?"
Amidst the crowd of shop goers moving around them, he shrugged.
"Sure, why not?"
The rest of this day, by all accounts, was going to be boring and a wash as far as training was concerned anyway, so why not spend some time in the company of a pair of gorgeous women…even if they weren't Tatsumaki.
He blinked.
Why was Fubuki growling?
Feeling the sensation of cold, merciless hands let go of the sides of her brain, she shuddered.
"So, how did it go?"
Her red lips stretched past what a human smile should, revealing sharp teeth. "Everything went according to plan, my lady," she sent down the mental path.
But, sadly, the hands that had but moments prior been shielding and obfuscating her mind's thoughts were not content with her words alone nor being passive any longer. Proceeding to dive back in and comb her thoroughly. Leaving her shuddering and whimpering before they retreated again.
"Good work," the monster on the other end offered at last. "Once enough time has passed that it won't risk the mission, you may drop the facade and leave."
"Thank you, my lady."
Underneath the patio umbrella and with his elbows resting on the round glass table, Yuha ignored the thrum of the passersby and lowered his glass back on the table, straw and all.
At the sound of giggling, he blinked.
"What?"
But Lily, seated with her back towards the shop proper and thus, staring both the road and him and Fubuki, paused for a second, and instead of answering stared at him again, and started snickering again, at least she raised her arm and did tried to stifle her snickers.
Fubuki, on the other side of the table, merely rolled her eyes.
"Here you big doofus," she said, tone annoyed, even if her lips twitched, and put her own spoon down, grabbed a handkerchief and, reaching with an arm, patted down the corners of his mouth.
Ah, so he'd made a mess. Eh, not a big deal. Still.
"Thanks," he offered, flashing the woman a smile and a nod.
And as a result had the joy of watching Fubuki turn scarlet, and cough into her fist.
"B-but of course!"
Heh, teasing people, girls especially never got old.
Lily, with a gleam in her eye and seeing a rare opening, also jumped in and started teasing her boss.
Yuha chuckled. These past few minutes with the girls had been…nice, the sweets and the coffee were also good.
So, even if it was brief, even if it wouldn't last, he settled into the moment, content to be one with the world, the random people passing them by, going about their day with nary a thought about him and his…dare he say it, friends?
He nodded.
Yeah, he'd like that. And glancing at a flushing Lily, now on the back-foot as a grinning Fubuki went about her counterattack, he raised his glass to his mouth again. He was thankful that the woman—and Bang, can't forget the old fart—had insisted on dragging him on this outing.
He would need to do something nice for her and Lily down the line.
For after so long in basic and in the company of battle junkies alone…being amongst normal people was nice.
"Anyway, Yuha." At Fubuki calling out his name, he blinked.
"Yeah?"
The esper turned towards her subordinate and gave her a quick nod. The still somewhat flushed girl nodding back and face turning serious, reaching under the table and one of the bags, retrieving and passing something to Fubuki.
Followed by the woman, checking it, and then placing the tiny rectangular brown box on the table, pushing it towards Yuha whose eyes widened at the sight of it.
"This is—"
"Yours," Fubuki said in a tone that brokered no arguments, and even Lily being absolutely serious for one as she nodded.
"But—"
"No buts!" Fubuki said, shaking her head and sighing, before she leaned back in her seat. Crossing her arms underneath her impressive bust and Yuha's willpower proved insufficient once again, making him steal a quick glance.
…Which did not prove as stealthy as he'd like, obvious by the woman's tiny smirk and Lily blowing her cheeks again.
"This is a gift from Lily and me, Yuha," the woman continued, while Lily stared down at herself.
"Maybe more milk?"
He had no idea what the girl was mumbling about.
"But I've done nothing deserving a gift?"
Fubuki snorted, and uncrossing her arms, flicked her hair with a hand.
"That's a lie and we both know it," she said with an eye-roll. "You saved both our lives and fought valiantly against deadly odds."
Yeah, and I did it only to save my hide. But I can't very well tell you that.
"You're a better man than you think you are, Yuha," she continued, eyes fixed on him, making him tense, and for a moment he feared she could pierce through his defenses, but the moment passed and she continued, her next words putting his mind at ease. "So. Please…accept it…" she said, and glancing from her to the young girl, both of them gazing at them with such earnest eyes.
There was only one thing he could do.
"Alright," he said, even if he felt like an undeserving fraud. If only they knew what he was part off…
The girls smiled and opened the box, before, each taking one end of the chain in hand, fastened it around his neck, even tucking it underneath his shirt.
It felt…heavier than it should.
"W-wear it with pride, Yuha!" Fubuki ordered, standing back and crossing her arms, tone haughty. "For you represent the Fubuki group now!" she said, even giving a faux sniff at the end.
Eh, 7/10 on the Ojou-sama scale.
"T-that's right!"
He inclined his head. "Thank you, I promise I'll do my best," he offered, once again making both girls flash him a pair of beatific smiles and before long, the heavy atmosphere was dispersed once again, replaced by ribbing and teasing.
But soon enough, signaled by Fubuki checking her phone, all that came to an end.
"Mmh, this was most enjoyable, but, we must be going."
The time for the ceremony was close at hand.
Checking one last time that her prim knee-length skirt was pristine, followed by the rest of her suit, reporter extraordinaire Regina Jones prepared to step into the spot chosen by the Association for the day…Or at least that's what she called herself, even if she'd yet to land a gig that would make her name widely known.
Still! This could very well be the day when all that changed and—
She snorted as she followed the rest of the crowd past the doors and into the building proper.
Yeah, right, there was a reason why she was given today's assignment. Cause everyone who was someone knew that nothing happened in the Association's press briefings.
It was as cut and dry and boring as it could be… Well no, it was plenty exciting and sometimes even a new rising star amongst the heroes was introduced, as today was heavily rumored to be. But all that was old and routine by this point. And the occasional small time villain with a grudge against some hero exciting did not make. And thus, nothing that would get the ratings up and give her a chance to advance her career, like that bitch Cindy, who wouldn't stop rubbing the fact that she'd become a news anchor in Regina's face everytime they met by the water cooler.
…Like it wasn't widely known how she got said position, for that skunk had little skill as a reporter.
"Let it go, Reg, you need to be on your A game," she muttered, and biting back another curse, she purposefully tensed all her muscles as hard as she could for an instant and let them relax in a flowing motion akin to a river, said river carrying with it all of her bad feelings. Feelings that would be of little help today and while she was on the job.
For unlike Hank, she was a professional. Her assigned cameraman not even bothering to show up, no doubt still sleeping off yet another night of partying.
But that was alright, she could make do.
Her breath hitched.
Still, if nothing else, even with the throes of people surrounding her. The Association's preferred building for holding press conferences still took her breath away.
For anything from the size of the circular building, to the gigantic partially transparent dome dozens of meters above, to the walls adorned with gigantic windows from which, like pieces of the roof above, sunlight poured in, to the wide platform straight ahead in the shape of a crescent moon and below which chair after chair, ordered in square rows could be found.
A smile found itself on her face despite her previous thoughts, and she took a deep whiff.
The air inside the building, yet again and despite the scores of people around her, only smelling like the cleanest of spring breezes. No doubt, yet another technological marvel courtesy of some hero.
Yes, despite it all, her spirits lifted slightly as she followed the crowd towards the chairs, for with the Heroes protecting them everything would turn out alright.
Finding a chair close to the middle she prepared to wait, her nose crinkling as a big man in a bulging grey trench-coat sat down next to her, the man who clearly was not satisfied with merely not being on speaking terms with baths everywhere, Regina's eyes landed on the man's head, which was covered by a brown stocking cap, and as if the mismatched colors were not enough, the atrocious wool hat had a long woven tail hanging down the man's back, one that'd turned black, no doubt due to the man refusing to wash it.
She opened her mouth but then the stranger turned her way for a few instants and their eyes met, that pale face, those soulless eyes… Perhaps it would be wiser to stay silent.
in unrelated news, I think I've been fully infected by the Takeuchi virus at last.
Last night I had a dream filled with blushing Sabers/Artoria variants...and I liked it.
You've won, mr Takeuchi, you've won... I see the beauty of saberfaces at last... Forgive me Shishou, I've fallen into the temptation of thighs other than yours...(also, Hitler was there in the dream for some reason, as were giant robots, but Mechas are a man's romance so whatever that trucks at least)