Venice Venice Hotel : Venice : Italy. 2xxx
Takanashi Kiara
"… And that's how story go. I, Pontus and Fatima start creating a chain restaurant from Austria territory. Time moves, People dies and born.
My friends leave me to the cycle of life and death. And you could probably guessed of the rest. My cutie."
Kiara sighed and waving the long gone past off her minds before turning her attention back to Kobo. But the rain shaman is already sleeping, snores softly
beside her and seems to didn't listen to even half of Kiara's story.
" Well, that's it." Calliope raising her cup and drinking, fumbling for another bottle of cognac but failed.
" Darn it!"
" I mean. Don't you have anything to comments?" Kiara asks.
" I don't judge other people story. No matter how absurd it is." Calliope snorted, trying to gets up but her legs is too wobbles for her to even leave the
minibar. Probably caused by drinking too much alcohol since the evening until it is passed 2 AM.
" Guess I will have to sleep on the couch tonight. Don't want to disturb Kobo with my drunkard smell." Mori chuckled, slowly moving toward the refrigerator
for more bottles.
" No!" Kiara said, lifting reaper with her surprisingly strong arms and completely holding Calliope body inside her grips.
" I won't let you sleep tonight. Now that our child is sleeping.
How about we strengthen our relationship a little bit?"
" Kyaa!" Calliope wailed, but her body is too weak to running away and unable to resist as Kiara is open the door that leading to the gym room.
Behind them, Kobo quickly snoring louder, pretending to be asleep as much as possible.
…
That night. Calliope was being forced to practice dancing (for the upcoming concert.) with Kiara until she can get rid of any last drop of alcohol from her body.
…
A Few Weeks Later.
Salzburg : Austria
Kiara, Kobo, Calliope
Kobo walks carefully on the path that being made by old stone and bricks, trying her best not to disturb the decorated graves that keep surrounding them.
For someone like Kobo, this is a huge step of respect for the death. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she is a shaman back in her home.
" So, these are your friends?" Kobo asks watch respectfully that to tombs that standing in front of them. Small flowers and weeds are growing on the dirt
parts of it while the grass that being planted are slowly withering when no one is taking care of them.
" Yes. When human dies. We will put their body under dirt. It's a popular tradition." Kiara gently placing some flower on the tombstone as she is explaining
it to her child.
" Why do you think everyone has to die, though? It's seem unfair that one being will being reduced to just a bone under stone and memory of their friend."
Rain shaman questions.
Kiara gently stroking Kobo's head. " I don't know, sweetie. That's just how things are. Nothing last forever. Time continues to flows and taking everything
away from you. Life, memory, Identity and even believes."
" So, one day uncledad and me will have to leave you too?" Kobo asked, pointing at Calliope who is talking with a group of lost souls who unable to find their
way to the underworld.
Pink hair reaper gently leading them toward the passage, sending those who stuck here in the graveyard out with a warm smile on her face.
" Yes. One day we will be separate. Maybe it was me, you or Calli. That will leave each other in the cycle of life and death.
Though I don't know if there will be a place for immortal being like me in that circle or not." Kiara chuckled
" That's sound cruel." Kobo hugging Kiara tightly while Calliope is slowly approaching them.
" I may phrase it wrong. Nothing last it doesn't matter if the next century we will be standing here and talking about complexity of life and death or not.
What important is now. We are happy and have each other right now. It's only thing that matter." Kiara hugged Kobo back as she is speaking.
" I am not sure I understand." Rain shaman tilts her head.
" Me, neither!" Phoenix giggles.
" What are you guys keep gossiping about?" Mori asks jokingly as she is pushing herself between Kobo and Kiara, surprising both of them.
" Uhm… Nothing!" Kiara answered, but Calliope is already reaching for the grave, gently brushing piece of dried glass off the tombstone.
" Their soul are already leaving this realm. That's mean they have dies in peace." Reaper clarified.
" I know. Those two are the most chilling people I ever met so far.
I doubt that they will be upset enough to staying in this realm for long." Phoenix laughed.
The trio standing in silence to pray their respect for the death for a moment, before Calliope will snorted and leading them out of the graveyard.
" Enough with dead people. Let's talk about the living instead. What's for lunch?"
" I don't know, but there are still plenty of time left . Let's get back to my apartment first and think about it later!" Kiara offered.
"" Sure!"" Calliope and Kobo agreed and just like that. Three girls slowly walking out and leaving the tomb of Fatima and Pontus to Rest In Peace.
…
" I thought owner of multi billion dollars restaurants owner would live in penthouse or something!" Calliope laughed after seeing that Kiara has leading them
toward the normal-looking apartment in the nearby town.
" At least, it wasn't a rat nest you invite me to spend the night with during my London trip. ( It is Calli room that being mention in Holo Myth arc.
She still keeping it despite moving around the globe in order to works with Cover Corp.) It filled with your junks and the only bed in that room is too small!
Even when you are squeezing under my body and keep begging me to pushed harder. My heels are still hitting the empty wine bottle on the floor!" Kiara
complained.
" Why uncledad was under you tho?" Kobo frowned, trying to pictured Mommy Kiwawa being on top of anything but failed.
" Cough! We were… playing yoga. Don't listen to your mommy too g much, her wording is always weird." Mori clearing her throat before quickly change
the subject.
" But wasn't there are problem with your privacy. Maybe the neighbor could remembers original owner of 300 years old restaurant or something."
" There are fake CEO that being hired by me to controlling my chains. So, nobody should thinking of me more than someone with the familiar face.
Beside, I prefer quantity over quality. Buying 64 private houses and properties around the world is quite draining, even if you could make false identities.
If you wanna visit something bigger.
KEKIIRIKI mansion near the Alps maybe a better option. I bought that place from royal palace long ago." KFP owner snorted before searching for her room's
key.
…
" I think there are some cherry wines in the fridge. I am not a hard drinker myself, just keeping some of them for cooking." Kiara said after she unlocking
apartment doors, letting Kobo to running and explored the room first while she and Calliope are talking about upcoming plan for today's activity.
" Wow! There is a lot of snacks here!" Kobo shouts from the kitchen, mouthfuls of something crunchy.
" Don't eat anything weird!" Kiara yelled into the direction, open TV and sat down on the L shaped Sofa bed in the living room, while Calliope quickly mixed
cherry wine with soda, handing them to Kiara after adding some ice into it.
" Thanks. But I am not in the mood." Phoenix giving the glass back to Calliope who quickly gulped the alcohol down.
" Meow!" A sudden screaming making both of them winced and running toward the kitchen.
" Kobo! What's happening!" Kiara asked, rising her sword and shield.
" I will kill it with my bare hands!" Calliope also charging at the door with similar speed.
They rush in and seeing that the kitchen had turn into a mess.
A pack of cat food being cut open and splashing on the ground.
While Kobo is crawling on all four, snarling at the couple of animals that looks like a mixing between cat and raccoon.
They are 'catcoon' the genetic engineering pet that is a mixing breed of cat and raccoon, which is quite popular by how smart and (although not all that
friendly) cute they are. Suit for someone who not staying home for long. Since these animals can open the door and open food pack on their own.
Most of the time, Kiara can just keep water in the small ponds running and cat foods in the kitchen room in order to take care of these two.
But today. These catcoons are out for blood for some reason.
Both animal baring their teeth and snarled, puffs up to increase their body size as they are trying to drive Kobo away from the kitchen.
" Chonkers! Smoothie! Come back here!" Kiara yelling at her pets to stop. But the animals seems to not listening to her. Their eyes are only focus on Kobo's
movements as she is running towards Calliope's sides.
" STARDENBURDENHARDENBART !" Kiara shouts with perfect gruffly German accents, making both catcoons stop whatever they are doing and running
to cuddle with Kiara's leg.
" German always works! But what's that all about?" Phoenix asked, turning back to Kobo who start gobbling cat food from the pack.
" B*tch! No! That's cat treat. Not a f**king snack!" Kiara yelled at top of her lung when seeing what Kobo is munching on.
" B*tch! Yes! That's my child. Act first, ask later!" Calliope quickly kneeling next to Kobo and start tasting the cat food too.
" Mhmmm! Crunchy. Fishy. Not that bad for a snack. Let's see how it will go with cherry wine. Leave some for me!" Reaper quickly running toward the
refrigerator while Kobo and catcoons are circling around Kiara's legs, waiting for another treat.
" Wait, Calli! At least eating on a plate… What the fook is happening here!?" Kiara groaned, pouring some more cat treats into the big ceramic bowl that being
surrounded by two catcoons, rain shaman and reaper.
Each trying to shoving other away from the bowl and scooping as much cat food as they could into their mouth.
" Oh, fook me!" Kiara looking at the ceiling, wondering if she is the only sane person in this room or is the only strange one here.
…
After finish eating snack. Trio and catcoons finally relaxing enough to just laying around. Calli and Kiara open television without actually looking at it,
enjoying each other company while Kobo is controlling toy car to running at Chonkers for the hell of it.
Smoothie yawned since its stomach is full, rather rolling on the floor instead of exercising like its companion who jumping at the car with murderous intent.
" Wait a sec. Zeta is streaming right now. What is she doing again?" Kiara asked, linking her phone with television in order for everyone to see while she is
still talking.
" I, Iofi and Ollie separate with them when we reach Gobi desert. Maybe they are in Russia territory right now?" Kobo answered, ignoring Chonkers that
climbing on her head.
She is referring to the ' HoloID' caravan that is a joint project between Akukin, Usaken and some other individuals. They are traveling across the Asia and
other continents to look for the sign of intelligent life from other planets that may have left some traces on our planet. But their progress are so slow that
they need more than one month to finished exploring South East Asia countries.
And the fact that members of caravan keep traveling in and out.
Like Kobo who coming back before their party could reach Mongolia country is a best example why the whole project is more like a big vacation than real
exploration.
" Ollie steal one private jet from Akukin's airfield and flying toward her friend weeks ago. So, I think they are already unites. Not sure about Moona and
Iofifteen though." Calliope recalls what Subaru has ranting to her on the phone not long after the shooting of advertisement in Venice has been done.
" Enough analysis! Let's see what Zeta want to show us first!" Kiara punching the play button. The video start running, but what's showing here wasn't
make sense.
It is a picture of one plushie doll with grey uniform and golden axe in one hand.
The doll then quickly turned and looking at the camera.
" Suichan is cute today too!" It yelled, making Calli and Kiara winced. But Kobo simply sighed.
" Zeta, stop playing. I know that you bought that doll from the local market in Inner Mongolia."
" What the hell is that?" Calliope asked.
" It is the plushies of Mongolian new god of lightning, Suisei.
People insisted that she had traveled around the mountains area and shooting lightning at people who trying to rob her." Kobo explained.
" That sounds like Suisei I have been reading in Subaru's files. So she has been hiding here after all." Kiara nodded.
" Not anymore. It seem that she already leaving this planet long before we can be reaching here. Moona tell us that much." Kobo explained.
" I am Suiplush!" Zeta control the door to waving its arm, before panning her camera toward something else. It is Kaela and Anya who holding a bottle of
golden apple juice in their hands.
"And that. Is Suipiss!" Kaela and Anya gulp the liquid down, empty the bottle within a few seconds.
" Cool and fresh. Good for the hot day of summer time!" Zeta continues to talking, making the doll turn around and pretending to drink another bottle of
apple juice.
" What the f**k is that. No, seriously. What the f**k is that?" Calliope gasped at the television, slack jaws.
" Some sort of fermented drinks from Mongolian people. Legends said that one village who make Suisei angry manages to run away before she come.
So, Suisei stomping their barrel of apples before leaving and nobody dare to touch it until many day later. And when people tries drinking the golden liquid
that came from the apples. It's very delicious. So, people start selling them and copying the recipe.
Turning this liquid into one of the most expensive liquor in the world." Kobo elaborated.
" Can you tell your friends to send some here? I am just curious. Subaru must love to inspect those liquid!" Calliope said before Kiara could smack her head.
" You are drooling right now, Calli."
" Enough with joking. What are you guys doing right now?" Kobo asked the television. Seeing that Zeta, Kaela, Anya and Ollie are sitting at the back of one
pickup truck that keep running on the rocky, semi desert ground. Driving by some one Calliope never seen. She is a blonde girl who dressed in white and blue
uniform.
However, there is something familiar in the girl's face even when reaper and Phoenix can only has a glimpse of the back of her head, but Zeta swore and
quickly changing camera direction when seeing spider crawling out of the driver's hair so, there is no way for them to have a proper looks, she is probably
a local guide or something.
" Oh! About that… we are now in the Kazakhstan, trying to find a way to get into Russian territory without their government looking for us. You know, about
Kaela." Zeta said, lowering her voice and reminding Kobo the day they snatched Kaela from the Gulag.
" But what's with that sound, though?" Calliope frowned after hearing the ' Hoomb!' sound that shook the car and forcing Zeta to stop talking.
" Nothing serious. See?" Secret agent moving her camera toward the sky from the left side of their car, revealing some kind of monster that looked like a
giant jellyfish which bigger as airplane and having one massive human eye in front of its body. While the center of the creature opens, showing many
tentacles that crawling on the dusty floor as the monster is flying toward them, being hold by Reine and Risu whose flying around and unloading their
attacks at it.
" Stop playing around and help us!" Reine yelled, dodging the massive tentacles and cutting one with the blade from her wings while Risu is shooting multiple
fire nuts at the monster, trying to chase it away.
" I am cooling my machine gun over here! Just killing some time!" Zeta shouts back, pointing at the FN Minimi that is laying on the car, it hot barrel is being
tossed in the bucket of ice that Ollie is carrying.
After cooling the gun, Zeta quickly put the barrel back to its place and start shooting the Minimi, Ollie helps holding the bullets line while Kaela is holding
camera for both of them.
" Do you, uhh. Need some help? That thing look tough." Calliope asked, seeing that the bullet seems to not effecting the monster at all, while the tentacles
that being cut is growing back, even longer than ever.
" No worry. It's just a devolved angel. Probably wondering in our realm long enough to be left with nothing except from basic instincts. They are probably
traveling on the earth's upper atmosphere and snatching prey from the ground. Luckily that they don't like metal. So, human plane is safe,
except when they are really hungry.
But this thing cannot shoot beam or teleport like real angel. So, not much of a problem here!" Zeta explained, reloading her gun and shooting it at the
monster, trying to blind its eyes with her bullets.
" Beside, we already calling an backup." Ollie added.
" Wha-" Calliope's word went missing as the sound of sonic boom suddenly filling the livestream.
Kaela turning the camera upwards, revealing Moona Hoshinova who flying at the giant jellyfish with hypersonic speed, using her own body like a bullet by
crashing into the monster's mouth and leaving the human-sized hole at the back of its body.
The monster cries as it is falling down, suddenly withers like a ballon that being put hole on its surface.
" Look like we aren't needed now." Kiara chuckled, seeing the cloud being blows away as Moona is coming back, cutting the last tentacle that is still moving
with her crescent beam.
"It's good that she is on our side." Calliope gasped, being reminds of the day Myths has face Tokino Sora, the woman from the same race as Moona.
And completely getting their ass whoop, to be honest.
" For now." Kobo suddenly said, making her parent winces.
" Between us and Pekora. Who do you think she will listen to?" Kiara asks her adoptive daughter.
" I don't know. But she is Iofi's friend. So, there shouldn't be a problem!" Kobo answered.
" Let's hope we can stay friendly with her." Calli concluded, drinking cherry wine directly from the bottle.
The winds that being blow from the dying monster seems to disturbing electronic devices somehow. Because the livestream suddenly end. Leaving Kobo,
Calliope and Kiara to stare blankly at the TV.
" So, have we figured out what our lunches will be?" It was Mori who finally break their silence.
" How'bout pizza! I haven't eat them for a while. Especially the one with lot of pineapple and corn. Topping with miso and maple syrup too!" Phoenix
demanded, ignoring the green look on rain shaman and reaper's face.
Calliope quickly sinking her hands in the shadow and make it appear between Kobo's thighs, written the word. ' Two pizzas' on her adopted child's leg.
Rain shaman nodded grimly and telling Kiara that she will be the one who orders.
Calli blowing air from her mouth in relief when Kiara nodded, both woman watched Kobo running towards the phone room with a slight smile on their faces.
" So, uh." Kiara rubbing her legs together as she is moving near Calliope's body.
" Now that there's no one else around. I need to thanking you again, Calli. For keeping your promised."
" Which one?" Reaper raised her eyebrows.
"You idiot! I mean the one that we will finding each other even when distance of the whole universe are trying do us apart. That we will travel through
thousands of stars if necessary. To seeing each other."
Kiara punching Calliope's shoulder furiously.
" Oh that one?" Calliope couldn't remember that promise very well. It was before she even become a reaper. If it wasn't being made up in the first place by
Kiara's overdramatize story of how they've met.
" I must be pretty cringe back there, gee." Mori chuckled at her old self, being punches in the shoulder for second times as a reward.
" You are drunk. But that's not the point. What I mean is that I kept some money in case that you will come here. We can open joints business now.
The restaurant with its own singer. ' TakaMori' you knows?" Kiara voices keep lowering as she speak, mumbling for the right words to make her friend
understand how importance this is to her.
" Sure! Why not!" Calliope duly agreed, making Kiara blinks.
" I mean, I love singing and you love cooking. We probably make a blast by working together. It's not like I have permanent home anywhere on this planet
anyways. If you don't mind, I will moved-"
" Calli! You are going to live with me here!? You are so cuuute! Cawwi, Mwah! Mwah!" Phoenix suddenly jumps on top of the reaper, making both falling
on the sofa by accident.
" Wait! No! Hey! Children is watching!" Mori yelled, snapping Kiara back to reality. But Phoenix didn't want to leave this position yet.
So she simply looking at Calliope's eyes and smiling with her tearful face.
" Thank you, Calli. For finding me."
" Stop bullsh*ting, wawa." Calliope gently brushing Kiara's face, moving her orange hair out of the ways.
" You are the one who finds me!"
Phoenix leaning closer to her friend and then…
" Mommy and uncledad are flirting again!" Kobo suddenly yelled, making both woman jumping away from each other like a frog that being hit by hot water.
" You misunderstood! I mean…! Kiara need me to… set her hair." Calliope fumbling for an answers, while Kiara quickly nodded.
" Has you ordered the pizza yet?" Mori changing the subject after Kobo is looking at her with suspicion for a while.
" Yes! Two pizzas. One small for mommy Kiwawa specialty and another is mid-sized pepperoni for me and uncledad!" Kobo energetically answered.
" Looks like we will eat well tonight, bois! Wait a minute. Where's Chonkers and Smoothie?" Kiara demanded after seeing non of her two catcoons are
appearing in the room.
But the apartment front door that supposed to close while they are still here, is wide open.
" Are you sure they aren't running away from this room when we haven't looking?" Calliope asks Kobo who shook her head.
" I always close the door after me. There's no way they can gets out!" Rain shaman insisted.
" Look, Bokobo, thing is. Catcoon can open the door with their hands. Whoever owns it have to lock the door in order to preventing them from running away
from the house. So Kobo. Did you lock the door?" Calliope questioned.
Rain shaman cannot answered, big drops of sweat start dripping from her face as Calli and Kiara are looking at her.
" How the f**k can it get there!" Somebody outside of the apartment yelled, making the trio quickly running outside, fast enough to see one catcoon
sliding on the cable line and reaching the next building with an ease, gaining applause from the crowd that are watching.
" Chonkers! Get back here!" Kiara yelled at top of her lung, but the animal simply goes on, completely ignore its owner as it is running towards another
building by the new cable line.
At the corner of their apartment. Smoothie is giving one Sphinx cat a wing chun punches during the fight over can of tuna. The cat meows in distress and
calling another ten of its companions to ganging up on the catcoon. But smoothie simply standing on its two legs and gestures at all of them to come at the
same time.
Causing the mini cat war to start in the middle of apartment complex.
" Wawa! I can travel through shadows. No need to worry about Chonkers. Finding away to help Smoothie first!" Calliope warned, disappears inside the
shadow as she is teleporting inside the building's shadow. Following Chonkers at full speed.
"STARDENBURDENHARDENBART!" Kiara yelled, running toward the pile of cats that being knocked out by Smoothie's fist while Kobo is quickly reaching for
the cat food, throwing at the cats to distracting them from the fight.
Kiara and Kobo yanking their pet out of the whole mess and laughs, somehow feeling even more alive than ever as the time goes. Not worrying about
anything in the universe for a moment.
While Calliope quickly grabbing Chonkers from behinds, carrying the protest catcoon back toward Kiara's apartment. Grinning a little when thinking about how
Kiara will punished her pets, sending them to usual room perhaps?
" Poor fellas. Maybe we will have to take you for a walk if being hold in one room is too much for you guys." Calliope said, ignoring the snarling from the
animal that being disturbed by reaper's present.
Above them all, the wind keep blowing harder, promising of the summer that is yet to come.