It all started with a cursed singles tournament.
48 came, saw, competed, bled, suffered, and ultimately continued the annual tradition of the great legacy that is King Of Fighters... complete with all the corruption, scandal, and peril that came with it. It rolled in like the rowdy, obnoxious freight train it was, and then chugged along into the distance, leaving everyone in its path with the same confusing mixture of emotions they feel every year: relief, exhaustion... but sadness and longing. As soon as one ended, everyone celebrated, yet were quick to wish for next year to roll around.
But for now... it was time to party. Something the fighters were almost equally adept at.
TWO MONTHS AFTER THE TWILIGHT TOURNAMENT...
THE GARCIA ESTATE, ITALY, 12:28 PM,
"Help me with this grill, bro!" Robert, the "Master Of Ceremonies" appointed the aid of his best friend and brother, Ryo Sakazaki, to move the grill that would be helping keep the stomachs of the partygoers full, to combat the effects of the unholy alcohol they'd be consuming.
There was going to be one rule at this party... zero inhibitions. After possibly the most hellish King of Fighters tournament of their lives, they had the full reigns to get smashed, wasted, and every other adjective to describe them drinking their woes away. Everybody understood this, and nobody was going to argue.
"Hey Andy, I'm putting the last case of Coronas in the cooler! Wanna help?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there!"
Mai and Andy, two honorary members of the party planning committee, were already there. The blonde ninja made his way over to her, where the lovely kunoichi was in the process of inserting the final glass bottles into the cooler... when her hand suddenly slipped and knocked one over, which bounced off her foot and rolled onto the grass.
"Ooops. I'll get it~"
Andy's chivalrous nature compelled him to try and interject. "It's okay, I got it M-M-M-M-MAI!"
...But the trap was already set; Mai had completely bent over, as was her plan, and Andy was staring directly into the abyss beneath her red ninja garb.
Having reclaimed the bottle she "accidentally" knocked over, she turned around and giggled. "Oooooooooh Andy, are you checking me out? You perv, save it for when I don my bikini~"
Andy groaned. "Oh Lord... calling it a bikini is being generous."
As with last year, it was a ceremonial pageant when all the fighters shed their clothes and displayed their godlike bodies, but with only a handful here, Robert and crew were only half committed: Ryo and Robert had on orange and white trunks respectively, but still t-shirts, Mai still had her classic ninja garb, and Andy was wearing black trunks with red flames, still donning a black tank top.
"So you're SURE your dad's gonna be away for a while?" Blue Mary, another exclusive first guest, questioned. Amusingly, she was the first girl to already opt out of her pants, though she kept a t-shirt on for the time being.
"Don't worry, it's cool. Robbie's dad knew to take a vacation when the tournament ended." A shirt-and-shorts-clad Yuri chimed in with reassurance. "We got the mansion ALLLLL to ourselves, heehee."
"You got that right, babe." Robert winked to his soulmate, who flashed a coy grin in return.
"God... I needed this." Mary stretched with a euphoric groan, basking in the sunlight gracing her bare legs. "Im getting totally blitzed tonight. I'm not stopping until I COMPLETELY forget Munich, Germany."
"I can't wait to show off my new swimsuit." Yuri beamed with pride. "I've been doing those bun and thigh exercises since we got home, and my ass looks INCREDIBLE."
"Yuri!" Ryo facepalmed.
"Yuri, babe, your ass is already fucking incredible." Mai praised. "How exactly do you improve on perfection?"
"Awww, thanks Mai!" Yuri grinned. "But you're one to talk."
"Damn straight I'm one to talk!" the two fist-bumped.
Mary rolled her eyes. "I need some intelligent conversation around here. Where's my tall blonde bb?"
Everyone just turned and looked at her, like she had asked the dumbest question in the world... and Mary was quick to answer it herself.
"...She's in the island thing."
"She's in the island thing." Robert pointed to the distance, where, yards away from the pool and hot tub and tables, a lavish tiki bar was set up, littered with various alcohols, mixes, glasses, garnishes... a bartender's domain. And right smack dab in the middle of it was King herself, obsessing over every tiny little detail. A shift of a glass here, a turn of a bottle label here... the bartender seemed to have transformed it into her own personal drink kingdom. She was of course dressed in her professional attire, which... everyone hated on principle. They wanted her to relax and let loose, not be all-business.
"KING! HEY KING!" Ryo yelled out.
No response. She had a rag inside a shot glass, her thumb intensely controlling the power of her scrub.
"Should I throw something at her?" Robert asked.
"Well, I would love to see her violent response to that." Mary smirked.
"KINGYYYYYYY!" Yuri drew out her yell, which caused the Frenchwoman to finally snap out of her zone and pay attention.
"What?!" she shouted back.
"When are you gonna relax?!" Mai implored.
"I AM RELAXED!" King shouted back, already resuming her cleaning. "This is my happy place~"
"Just promise me you won't tend bar all night!" Ryo pleaded.
"No promises."
"Kingggggggggg..."
"Hey... you know what you get with me, Ryo darling. Gotta learn to love it." she flashed a sexy wink that sent Ryo's cheeks ablaze, and went back to cleaning glasses.
The moment was interrupted by the arrival of the 8th and final man... his blonde hair down and flowing freely, clad in an open Hawaiian shirt and denim shorts... the model beach hunk, Terry Bogard, was carrying two glass dishes, full of hotdogs and burgers respectively.
"Bout time to throw these puppies on?"
"Hell yeah!" Robert exclaimed. "Guests are gonna start arriving in less than 30 minutes!"
"WOOOOO! I'M SO STOKED! PARTAAAAAAYYYYYY!" Mai leaped with joy.
Terry grinned, as he set the trays down on the available table space. "Heh... can't wait. Finally, we can get some REAL closure on that damned King of Fighters tournament."
He barely had time to put the food down, before Mary crashed into his arms, allowing him to dip her, before bringing her back upwards to present a kiss on his lips. "You got that right, handsome man."
The eight of them took a step back for a moment, to look and really admire the breadth of their setup: Robert's large pool, glistening as always, the smaller but still substantial hot tub installed a few feet to the right of it. Some yards away, a huge table was sprawled out, and atop it... a line of coolers, stretching from one end to the other, no doubt packed with an assortment of beers, hard lemonades, and fruity alcoholic beverages, in both bottle and can variety. More than enough to suppress their senses and muddle their hesitations.
Rounding it out was the round island bar, flanked with four counters and a rooftop, the interior adorned with an enviable collection of cocktail ingredients. And finally, the grill to the left would be hard at work satiating the stomachs of these ravenous fighters, who were well-known to be able to destroy a feast.
"This is truly gonna be a party for the ages." Robert basked in the power of the moment to come.
"Yeah... we're gonna party so hard, it might resurrect an ancient god of destruction." Terry joked.
"Don't even go there, bro. Please." Andy followed.
"If anyone has any sense of self-preservation..." Mai started.
"Check it in at the door." Yuri finished.
"We're getting obliterated." Mary assured.
"Wrecked." King added a synonym.
"...Nobody tell my father about this." Ryo dreaded, his sister sharing a hard nod in agreement.
1:05 PM
"Oh great, Joe's here." Mai said with no shortage of bemusement.
"AYYYYYY JOE!" Terry and Andy greeted their best friend with much more enthusiasm, as the spiky-haired Thai fighter came strutting in, boastful and confident as always. He met their hands with a meaty slap, before immediately beginning to gloat.
"Yeeeeah! Whose idea was this party, huh?! THIS GUY! THANK YOU JOE! YOU'RE WELCOME!" he obnoxiously spoke to himself with a wide grin.
"Why are you wearing your Thai trunks, you dork?" Mai jabbed.
"Easy access!" Joe replied, quickly shedding the shirt he came in. His hands gripped the waist of his iconic fight gear, and a collective scream echoed out,
"JOE NOOOO-"
...But it was too late. His shorts hit the ground, revealing a red speedo that could only be described as sinfully small, trying its hardest to contain Joe's front, while the nearly thong-like structure in the back was losing the battle even more. Joe was a ripped specimen, and surely there were people out there who would appreciate such a sight... but this particular cast of his closest friends were less enthused to see his legs in their entirety and pelvis in... partiality. Nevermind the view from behind Mai had to retreat from.
"So Joe, uh... any others on the way?" Terry spoke with his hand near his face, trying to obscure everything from Joe's neck down.
"Oh yeah, several of the Japanese were on the flight with me. Beni, Shingo, the like. They should be right behind me." Joe replied, making no effort to be modest with the confident pose he was striking.
"Eugh. I can't believe I have to look at this all night." Mai's face soured.
Andy chuckled. "Here Mai, I'll give you some therapy."
The ninja quickly shed his black tanktop and discarded it, now leaving him officially pool-ready. Immediately, Mai tore her eyes away from Joe and leaped into her man's buff arms, nuzzling his now-bare chest. "WOOOO ANDEEEE MY MAN IS SO HOT! THIS IS WHAT A REAL MAN LOOKS LIKE~!"
The Thai fighter just rolled his eyes. "Oh you gotta be kidding me."
Robert chuckled, and turned to Ryo. "Looks like it's skin time, bro."
"Right behind ya!"
Robert and Ryo's shirts came off next... and while Robert was certainly no slouch, Ryo's ridiculous training regimen was yielding results, as the man was a mountainous mass of muscle beneath his humble garb. It was intimidating, if not slightly de-masculating to the other guys... except for Terry, the only man who could truly be labeled his equal in stature.
"Jesus, Ryo's fucking huge..." King mumbled from behind the bar. She, of all people, knew the ins and outs of Ryo's body type... but it still never failed to surprise her, how her blonde beloved towered.
A few minutes later, the aforementioned Beni and and Shingo were indeed the next two to arrive. Shingo had an utterly enthusiastic look on his face; at dead on 18 he was going to be among the youngest here, and to be in the presence of adult figures having an adult party felt like a coming-of-age moment worthy of the big screen.
As soon as the pillar-haired staple arrived, his eyes immediately cut up and down across Joe's middling appearance, and he didn't seem to hate it like the rest. "Afternoon, fellas."
"Nice to see you Beni!" Mai greeted. "Where's the rest of your crew?"
He scratched his tall style. "Well first of all... Kyo's not coming. He feels he doesn't deserve to be here, which I do agree; this party is for the people who suffered all week, not just dropped in on the last day. As for Chiz and Iori-"
"Where is my hostess with the mostest? Mai inquired.
"...She's currently trying to convince Iori to get over himself and come over. They're in town right now."
"Ooooh they're together~?" Mai's eyes fluttered at the thought. Mary just rolled her eyes.
"Old man Saisyu's not coming either. So... just waiting on those two."
"This is gonna be AWESOME!" Shingo fist pumped, as he ripped his shirt off and displayed a more modest, boyish figure. "You think I'm gonna lose my virginity at this party?"
Benimaru flashed a glazed expression and rustled his hair. "Anything's possible, bud... anything's possible."
Shen Woo was the next to come stomping in, in his typical open shirt, but wearing green trunks instead of his black pants. As soon as he got in, he quickly shed the shirt and carelessly tossed it aside, displaying a massive physique that was seldom seen in its entirety, as well as some red dragon tattoos exquisitely painted across his canvas.
"Where's the beer?"
Robert extended a thumb backwards. "Nice to see you too. Where's your pals?"
"Well, I brought Kensou. That's it."
Sure enough, the lone Psycho Soldier in question was the next to arrive, sharing a disposition similar to that of the Chinese brawler he came with. He was wearing Navy blue trunks and a white tank top, the latter coming off as soon as he got within pool distance.
"I'm here to get drunk and stuff my face." he bluntly announced his intentions.
"Well you came to the right place!" Ryo grinned.
The two "heartbroken" Chinese fighters slinked onwards, towards the confections that would help them forget the current holes they were in. Though they didn't have bright attitudes, Robert and the rest understood their positions: feeling isolated from the people they care about.
"PARTY'S ON FELLAS!" Yuri shouted. "THE FOOD'S HOT, THE DRINKS ARE COLD, THE POOL IS WARM AND- oooh boy, Beni's got a speedo too."
The tall blonde was the next member of the "Speedo Club", stripping out of his uniform and leaving him in a cheetah-print miniscule piece of fabric similar to Joe's. His long, slender legs, often heralded for their kicking ability, seemed to travel endlessly upwards before finally meeting the thighs they were attached to. While he managed to keep his package well-secured, the fabric seemed to hang... DANGEROUSLY low on his pelvis, to the extent that his lean pelvic bones were clearly visible, compared to Joe's much beefier frame.
"Dammnnn Beni, you wear that so much better than Joe!" Mai complimented, earning another look of ire from the perpetual butt of her jokes.
"I know. I'm the sexiest thing here. Accept it, sweetheart." Beni winked, before getting a running start and diving into the pool, the first to touch water. As he emerged, his once-proud pillar now hung well-below his shoulders, as he flicked his sopping golden mane through the air. He couldn't help but dart eyes towards the drink table, where the incredibly well-sculpted Shen Woo tilted a bottle upwards, chugging its contents. The crossing red dragons on his back seemed to move with life, in sync with his arm motions.
"Hey Mary, how you healing up from Munich?" Joe asked with a sly grin.
Mary immediately knew his game, but smiled anyway. "Are you just asking so I'll take my shirt off?"
"W-well uh..."
"I'm healing up quite nicely, thank you. Here."
All eyes were on Mary, as she peeled off her top in what felt like a slow-motion scene from a movie. Inch upon inch of her fantastic core revealed itself, the subtle teasing of abs not gone unnoticed. Eventually the shirt slipped past her bosom and beyond her head, as the blonde flung it away in such an abrupt motion that they jiggled with freedom. The blue bikini top was well-cut to compliment her large breasts, the triangles pushing them towards the center to form a symmetrical canyon of cleavage that waxed and waned with her every motion, some causing them to bulge out more, but never crossing the dangerous threshold of bursting completely. With a sexy torso to complete the picture, Blue Mary was the American Dream of blonde swimsuit models.
"Y...yeah. I'd say your cuts have healed up nicely. Can't notice a single one." Joe was furiously scanning up and down, with no shame.
"Well thank you for double-checking for me, Joe." Mary winked, before turning and strutting away, giving everyone the equally-sought "rear view" from her blue slip-on briefs, which was much more modest, but still mildly cheeky. Just to drive home that she was already taken, she collapsed into the shirtless Terry's arms, the smaller woman nearly swallowed by the MASSIVE upper body of the blonde beach hunk. Their lips met in a slow, sensual affair, and Mary coyly allowed Terry's arm to slip low, underneath her thigh.
"God, those two are totally Ken and Barbie." Beni commented, his head propped on the edge of the pool.
"Ooooh is it finally bikini time~?" Mai eagerly bounced. "I swore I wouldn't put mine on until Mary stripped first! That means you too, Yuri!"
Before Yuri could respond, the ninja already grabbed her hand and was dragging her towards the house. It was all Yuri could do to say "Okay, okay! I'm coming!"
"Cmon girlfriend, we're gonna turn so many heads!"
"Which heads is she talking about, I wonder..." was the last words Yuri could utter before being swept into the house.
While two Japanese beauties retreated into the house, another was the next to grace the partygoers with her radiant presence: Athena Asamiya, who was immediately all smiles when she walked in, throwing both hands up in a cute wave.
"Athena! Glad you could make it!" Robert toasted her appearance with a raise of his bottle.
Athena bowed. "Mr. Garcia, thank you for having me."
She picked her head up and looked around: noticing every man at this point was down to trunks, as well as Mary rocking her bikini, the pop idol laughed nervously and scratched her head. "Ummm I take it... it's swimsuit time?"
"Damn straight it is!" Joe barked from the pool, his muscular body floating horizontally on the surface. "Cmon sweetheart, don't tell me you came without yours!"
Upon that suggestion...Athena flashed a coy smile. "Oh you underestimate me, Joe. Check this out... IKIMASUUUUUUU!"
The Psycho Soldier demonstrated her mystical abilities, spinning around in a flash of sparkles and enveloping lights...
...And when she again faced forward, she was instantly in her exquisite two-piece: her legs and thighs bared in all their glory, thanks to the high-cut triangular red bottoms, held together by thin knotted strings on both ends. The back part was more substantial, covering most of the rear... but hung just slightly low at the top, to tease a little "plumber action", just enough to drive someone looking back there a little mad.
Her top, also sporting her ancestor's colors, went around her torso and was simply secured by a back knot. The simple yet effective symmetrical design was twisted in a bowtie-like shape, securing her chest for the most part... but was just small enough that it hugged her breasts tight, making them slightly bulge out on top and bottom. The sight of Athena's underboob had more than a few heads turning... notably Kensou.
Her eyes instinctively went in his direction, making the situation instantly awkward, as the eggshell-walking partners traded an awkward stare... before Kensou finally turned away. Athena did the same, scratching her head, walking in the opposite direction. He couldn't help but slip one more glance from behind as she walked away; whatever drink was in his hand, instantly turned upwards, and down his throat. King already had another in the works.
"DAMN, THEENS! Lookin' fine!"
Oh no.
As soon as King heard that obnoxious voice, she lost concentration and dropped a full glass all over the counter. Curses quickly followed.
Ryo and Robert turned towards the entrance, and their faces soured. Mary wasn't thrilled either. Andy was particularly not happy, the memories of what she did to Mai still lingering.
Nobody on the premises seemed pleased to see her... despite this, a cocky little blonde runt strutted into the scene, sporting a pair of white short shorts, and a simple brown bikini top that didn't have to do much work. The most notable feature was her iconic bandana nowhere to be found... and her blonde hair hanging freely was actually rather cute.
"Hey, is this a party or not?" Malin grunted. "You jagoffs are all looking half naked, so this is either a pool party or the start of a massive-budget porno."
"ATHENA!" Everyone shouted her name in accusation.
The pop idol nervously rubbed her cheek. "Ummm ehehehe... she just kinda, tagged along. I-I didn't invite her, I swear!"
"Then who did?!" Andy growled.
Everyone was so busy bemoaning Malin's presence... they just now noticed the smoking hot blonde who had appeared next to her.
"HIIIIII~!" Jenet greeted with an exaggerated bounce, causing her breasts, which were spilling out of a loose purple top that curved up her shoulders and around her neck, to bounce so violently, that the bottoms of her large mounds slipped out the underside as well. She didn't bother to fix her wardrobe malfunction, as she strutted confidently into the scene... and the purple bottoms, which had looked normal enough from the front, were basically a thong in the back, as the only part visible was a single triangular piece that rested on her tailbone. The rest of her fairly-rounded cheeks were completely visible, and jiggling with every spirited step she took.
"...Well that levels out." Shen Woo casually mentioned, as he turned up his Corona with a swig.
It took a while for the next guests to arrive, but the next one was a very welcome sight, always fun at a party: the tall, stacked redhead known as Vanessa. Despite being a married woman, she wouldn't let that get in the way of her having a good time, and possibly making some bad decisions.
"AYYYY VANESSA!" Mary was obviously the most happy to see her best friend, and came running out to meet her (her bouncing not going unnoticed), glomping her upon contact. The boxer laughed and threw her arms around her, meeting her with equal force.
"Hey heyyyyy! You act like I wasn't gonna show or something!" she laughed. "I brought Seth with me too."
He brought up the rear, clad in a purple button-shirt, and, amusingly... a pair of blue floral trunks. He lifted his shades up and greeted his fellow operatives with a flashy grin.
"Hey, I took a sword to the chest in Munich. I deserve to be here just as much."
"Nobody's saying otherwise, big guy. Glad you could make it." Mary met him with a more chaste, light hug.
"Hey, where's mine?" a third voice spoke in the distance, and Mary raised her eyebrow with amusement when their comic relief came bursting in last, clad in a white tee and black cargo shorts, which probably weren't going to last long.
Mary smirked. "I would hug you Ramon, but I'd rather not take a stab wound to my upper thigh, thank you."
Ramon pointed with a wink. "I'll get you before the day's over."
"I'm sure you will." Moving on, Mary clapped her hands and gleefully exclaimed, "Yeeeeee this party's gonna be lit! All the cool people are here! I mean, well, Malin kinda showed up unwelcome, but besides that one blemish-"
"Ah ah aaaahhh ummmm welllllll..." Vanessa cut her off with a series of nervous sounds. "I do... have a BIT of bad news... on that subject..."
Before anyone could inquire about what said bad news was... it came walking in on two legs.
"WASSUP BITCHESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" a loud, bratty voice screeched. "I'M HERE TO FUCKING PARTAYYYYYYYYY! ¡VAMOS A PONERNOS HASTA LA MADRE!"
Enter Unwelcome Guest #2... Angel. As soon as she dropped in, clad in a black tanktop and shorts, everyone's ire had reached their peak...
...But once the clothes came off, the general attitudes (among the males) became slightly more welcoming. Well-known as having the biggest rack of the females, Angel's bosom was almost literally BURSTING out of a black bikini top sporting two horizontal rectangular pieces attempting to cover the bare minimum of her front, bridged by two strings in the middle, connected in the back by a strained knot. She was spilling out of the top, bottom, and sides, but it somehow held on for dear life.
Her black bottoms were a Brazilian style, high in the waist, and cheeky on the bottom... but it appeared slightly modified, in that she had deliberately taken scissors to the middle, as a heart-sized hole had been cut for the blatant purpose of showing off inches of ass cleavage. A curious decision, but inspired.
"And, introducing my tag partner, one third of the future universal Lucha Libre tag champions of the WORRRRRLD...REY DE LOS DINOSAURIOS!"
People were used to seeing Tizoc shirtless, but the man, who was 7 feet of pure muscle, was dressed down even more than usual, sporting olive green trunks with dinosaur bones all over them. They were normal size, but the Greek statue of a man was so massive in stature, the shorts looked like children's small by comparison... and they clearly didn't fit very well, riding up his thighs and showing off a pair of legs that could pass as concrete pillars. As a bonus, anyone who was ever curious as to how "big" Tizoc was, well... the trunks did little to suppress it.
In spite of all this, he still kept on the dinosaur mask.
"ROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRR!" he let loose his mighty Jurassic bellow. "SUSTAIN ME WITH THE FLESH OF THE DEAD, AND INTOXICATE ME WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF BEER! LET US CELEBRATE MY DOMINION AS RULER OF THE FOOD CHAIN!"
"Man, do I have to look at that all night?" Shingo's face turned. "He looks like he has a velociraptor in his pants."
"What are you complaining about, you get to look at THAT all night." Benimaru pointed slightly north of the boisterous behemoth, where he was bent backwards at the knees in a suplex position, currently bench-pressing both a giggling Angel and Bonne Jenet up and down in the air. They seemed to be enjoying it wildly, and made no effort to conceal the multiple wardrobe malfunctions that resulted.
"Point well made, Beni. Point well made."
"So is that everybody?" Ryo was the first to question aloud, as the party up to this point was finally seeing some heavy attendance.
"I would say so, yeah." Robert theorized. "The Ikaris are back on duty, so they won't be making it."
"Kim's still on probation, so he and Jhun are stuck in Korea." Andy added helpful info. "Poor fellas... I can't imagine a worse place to be than under the heel of Master Gang Il."
"Well, Luong's there. It's not so bad." Joe winked. Everyone just shot him a glare.
"...What? I'm the single bachelor here, ya bunch of iron-ball lugging bast-"
"What about Iori? Is he gonna make it?" Terry interrupted.
"I could do without him..." his better half eyerolled.
"Cmon Mare, be nice."
"Walking away nowwww..."
"I sent an invitation to Adel, but I'm not sure he even got it." Robert informed.
"And Krauser?"
"...I did, out of obligation, since he housed us all week. If he didn't show, I wouldn't complain one bit."
"I second that." Terry agreed.
The long, droning conversation about potential shows and no-shows was finally broken up, when the sliding glass back door opened... and out stepped one of the duo, who had retreated inside to change.
"AND NOWWWWW..." Mai's voice could be heard, "INTRODUCING... THE LOVELY... THE CAPTIVATING... THE FORMIDABLY-REARED... YURI SAKAZAKIIIII!"
The loud voice was enough to get everyone's attention, but once they turned to look... they had a good reason to keep on looking.
"Oh great." Malin scoffed. "The dumb hoe has to feel self-important by announcing herself like she's a- hooooooly fuck..."
Yuri was sporting a white two-piece with purple polka dots... the top was a standard affair, and didn't have to work hard to keep her moderate bosom in place, but the slightly high-cut slip-on briefs did a fantastic job displaying her legs and succulent thighs.
But no, it wasn't until she did a sexy twirl that the audience was greeted to her REAL highlight... it wasn't exactly a Brazilian design, but the bottoms were visible near her waist and tailbone only... the rest had COMPLETELY disappeared between her ass cheeks, leaving her rear bare and curved in its natural state. Two flawless slabs, carving a perfect radius against her upper thighs. Mid-twirl, she halted while she was 180 to give her hips a slight shimmy, causing her exposed buns to sway with her rapid motions, before turning back around with a mischievous giggle.
Ryo was rendered paralyzed by embarrassment.
Robert, meanwhile, completely loved it. "Oh my god... Yuri! You look amazing!"
Yuri crashed into his arms with a wide smile; he wrapped around her, and his hands wasted no time traveling below the waist, to grab two handfuls of the epic meat his girl was displaying.
"R-ROBERT!" Ryo spat. "STOP GROPING MY SISTER!"
Upon hearing that, Yuri shot him two deathly daggers. "HEY... I like it when he does that. Now go away."
"B-but-"
"GO. FIND KING. NOW."
The staring contest became 2-on-1, as Yuri gave him death and Robert gave him pleading... eventually, with a harsh puff, Ryo lost the battle, and stomped off.
Still in Robert's arms, Yuri turned towards the house. "YOU CAN COME OUT NOW, MAI!"
As if they had recovered from Yuri yet, Act 2 of the performance came out of the house next... and as exquisite as the Sakazaki girl was, Mai's borderlined on plain ridiculous.
"Jesus holy fuck." Shen Woo cursed as his glass found his lips again.
"No fucking way, man." Ramon literally lifted his eyepatch, despite having no working eye there.
"WOOF WOOF! WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!" Shingo was just reduced to animal noises. Benimaru had to physically hold him back.
"Come on boys, come get a good eyeful!" the INCREDIBLY Alluring Kunoichi teased with a wink, striking a sexy pose on the patio, arms behind her head. Her bikini was small last year, but somehow this one managed to even be SMALLER... two red floss-like strings connected to a thin crotch piece, and traveled upwards towards her chest, where only two diamond-shaped fibers managed to conceal her areolae. From there, the floss curved with an inverted v upwards to a focal point around her neck, traveling down her back, where they joined back together at her lower waist in a thong that might as well had not been there, as it did absolutely nothing to conceal the incredible ass that shone in all its uncovered glory, top to bottom. With every strutting step she took, every unrestricted part of her jiggled in turn. Suffice to say, a certain blonde runt was having serious malfunctions.
Yuri walked over there beside her, taking in the view as Mai twirled around to show everybody... and the extent to which her rear was exposed become prevalent on everybody. The karate girl let out a whistle in admiration. "Lookin good, sexy!"
Mai yelped, but giggled afterwards, as she felt Yuri's hand slap her behind, causing a gelatinous ripple. "You're not so bad yourself, sexy!" The ninja babe returned the favor with a slap of her own, with equally jiggly results.
"Welp, looks like we've checked most of the boxes of a kickass party." Robert boasted. "We got plenty of booze, food, women, Mai is nearly nude..."
"Now we just gotta figure out how to get em all the WAY". Joe contributed.
"I guarantee Joe will be the first." Terry laughed.
"God, please don't put that in my head." Robert groaned.
"We could always get a pool going, there are several good bets I'd throw on to break the mold, especially when we're sitting on a hazardous stockpile of-HOLYFUCK GATO!"
Terry nearly jumped out of his shorts when he turned slightly to the right and saw a built Japanese man, his long dark locks hanging freely, standing right next to him, his presence introduced without a single utterance. He was even pool ready, sporting an impressive if not intimidating torso, whilst wearing gold trunks with a white drawstring. Tucked under his arm was a green bottle of unknown origin, but the kanji on the label suggested it was an old favored domestic brand of his.
"Heyyyy...Gato." Robert greeted with an awkward grin.
He said nothing, just continued looking forward.
"Didn't expect to see you here, to be honest. I thought you'd be spending time with your sister ever since... you know..."
"Hotaru has friends." he bluntly expelled. "She doesn't need me clinging to her constantly."
"O-oh, right. Of course." he nervously smiled. "Well then, enjoy... the...party?"
Before Robert could finish talking, Gato had placed the bottle on the booze table and wandered off to his own devices.
"I can't figure him out."
"Well, he actually came. That alone is a hell of an extraordinary feat. if that's not progress I don't know what is." Terry shrugged.
"You've got your knife with you, right?"
Malin just laughed like it was the silliest question in the world, before producing her beloved dagger a second later, twirling it for flair. "Of course."
"Let me hold it."
Malin flipped it handle end-out, allowing Jenet to take it. Suddenly, without warning, the pirate plunged it into the fabric of Malin's shorts.
"Whoa, what the fu-"
RRRRRRRIP! RRRRRRRIP!
A few swipes later, Jenet was now holding two long strips of white fabric: the bottom portions of Malin's shorts. She held up her handiwork and the knife with a triumphant smile on her face.
Malin buckled, covering up her now much more exposed thighs, a blush on her face. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
Jenet just giggled. "You're a sexy girl Malin, you need to show it."
She eyed her. "You're fucking kidding, right? Cmon."
Jenet dropped the fabric, placing a tender hand on her shoulder, while passing her knife back. "I need you confident tonight, girl. For our hunt."
"...Hunt?"
She patted her shoulder. "Yep! Before the night's over, each of us has to bag a buck. Or a doe, whichever you're into."
NOW Malin was getting it...and the red in her face intensified tenfold. "Ohhh shit...uhh...y-y-you're kidding, right? Nobody here fucking likes me."
Jenet laughed it off. "Ohh you'd be surprised. It's a party! Parties are for making wild, crazy, bad, fun decisions! It'll be a good experience for you. That's why I'm challenging you... get your confidence up~"
"But... what about us?"
"Aw cmon, you know I'm free." Jenet replied with a kiss. "You need an actual challenge."
"I..I dunno..." Malin rubbed her shoulder. "I-I'm not... well... you know. I'm not like you. Or Mai over there. I don't make people spring out of their pants."
"Hey." Now two hands gripped both shoulders, and their eyes locked. "You're 18. You're strong and beautiful. The world's your oyster. Now embrace it."
With one more deep, encouraging kiss of luck, Jenet pulled away, and rubbed her head gently. "I know you can do it. Now cmon. WE'RE the life of this party, not those other bimbos."
"CHIZURUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Mai sprinted out to meet her with open arms (completely disregarding how intensely she was bouncing) and crashed into the dignified priestess with a glomp, Chizuru immediately laughing and returning favor... though she was careful with her hand placement, in Mai's current state of attire.
"Heyyyyyy girl! I'm so glad you made it!" Mai expressed with a tightening of the hug, before finally granting mercy with release.
Chizuru took advantage of the moment to straighten everything back up. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
King was out there a second later to greet her with a hug, this one much more returned. "So where's the angry raging blowhard who's probably a gentle lamb at heart?"
Chizuru chuckled at that. "Oh, he's dragging behind. Hold on a sec, I'll get him in here."
Upon that challenge, Chizuru made her way back towards the sliding glass door that led inside and screamed "IORI! GET OUT HERE NOW!"
A muffled response followed a second later. "Quit fucking yelling at me, dammit!"
"YOU SWORE YOU'D BE MY DATE!"
"Stop using that word! It's not a fucking date!"
"DONT MAKE ME SEND IN CLONES!"
"Fuck your clones!"
Chizuru gave a loud, exaggerated sigh of annoyance. "Always playing hardball...I wish Kyo were here, then maybe he wouldn't be acting up. He only acts normal when Kyo's around."
"If one could call that normal..." Yuri pondered.
Robert laughed and beckoned everyone nearby. "Guys, I think Iori needs some encouragement."
Though a select few weren't interested, most everyone was game, and began to gather en masse at the back entrance. Once a mob had formed, between snickers, they all proceeded to yell and heckle:
"CMON IORI! CMON!" Shingo encouraged.
"QUIT BEING A LITTLE BITCH!" Shen Woo jeered.
"GET OUT HERE, YA WUSS!" Vanessa egged on her former teammate.
Ramon got an idea. "Hey guys, guys... I know how to get him out here. "HEY, LEONA'S OUT HERE! AND SHE'S NEKKEEEED!"
"Fuck you!" an angry voice finally fired back at that last line. Everyone began to erupt into a chorus of laughter.
"I JUST WANNA SEE YOUR TIDDIES!" Malin screamed with no shame. "SHOW ME YOUR TIDDIES!"
"YEAH, SHOW US YOUR TIDDIES IORI!" Jenet joined in with her partner in crime.
At this point, everyone was in a mixture of laughing, snickering, and holding their faces in embarrassment. The alcohol and atmosphere was already getting to them, and reverting them from grownups to less mature-minded beings.
Robert, nearly choking on his laughter, held his hand up like he was a conductor, and beckoned everyone. "Okay, everybody. On three. One... two... three."
Upon that cue, most everyone formed a choir and screamed, to the top of their lungs, in unison:
"SHOW US YOUR TIDDIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
Everyone was already dying of laughter, but it only escalated higher when an angry Iori finally came stomping into sight, nearly ripping the glass door off of Robert's property and coming out in a t shirt and red trunks, howling,
"ALRIGHT, FINE! IF IT'LL SHUT YOU THE FUCK UP I'M HERE! HAPPY? God dammit..."
Feeling prideful of their accomplishment, everyone let loose a round of applause... not for Iori overcoming his social hurdles, but a self-acknowledgement of their victory in getting the grumpy pariah out there.
Robert fearlessly gripped his shoulder, grinning. "Glad you could make it, champ. Party wouldn't've been the same without you."
Iori was quick to angrily remove the hand. "Don't call me that. And fyi, the only reason I'm here is the same reason I entered that damned tournament in the first place."
"Because Chizuru told you to~?" Yuri cooed, to his immediate disapproval.
"I don't do things because Chizuru tells me to, I make compromises so she'll get off my-"
Mai egged in on further with a babyish voice. "Just admit that you like getting bossed around by her, and when she tells you to do something you say "yes mommy-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Everyone let loose another helping of laughter, as the steam was literally visible on Iori's skin at this point. Chizuru, to her credit, was just rubbing her head unconsciously with a reddening of her cheeks.
Iori just rolled his eyes, and began remove his shirt. "Hell with you guys. I'm going for a swim."
He had finished shedding and dropped the shirt on the ground, but it wasn't until he picked his eyes back up that he noticed... everyone was still standing there. And quiet.
"The fuck are you all looking at?"
Malin was the only reliable one to not have a filter, and she demonstrated. "Holy mother of fuck, dude. Iori's fucking huge. You could literally tittyfuck those."
At this point Chizuru had to hide her face to shield her embarrassment, as did a few others to stifle their snickers. But Malin had a point: Iori's body was as Adonis-like as they came, with six pack abs, sculpted arms...and two massive pectorals that could have very well out-measured some of the females of the cast.
"I think Iori's got bigger ones than you, Mai." Malin cackled. "Maybe I'm hate-targeting the wrong person."
Mai took offense to that, stomping. "He does NOT! You can say any measure of vile things to me, Malin, but NEVER question my breastical fortitude!"
Iori finally grew tired of the moment and walked off. "If you don't shut the fuck up, they'll be the last things you see."
With the situation finally quelled, Chizuru was able to start getting words in edgewise. "Guys, PLEASE don't antagonize Iori... it took a lot of effort to get him here."
Mai put on an exaggerated pout. "But Chizzzz, IT'S. SO. FUNNNNNNN."
Yuri grew a sly smile, nudging the priestess. "Cmonnn Chizuru, you gotta learn to use your feminine wiles... all you had to say was that there was going to be a party with a ton of hot babes, and you were gonna be in a sexy swimsuit. That'd be all you needed~"
Chizuru was back to red. "U-ummm, ahh... uhh... Iori... doesn't really... respond to such things. He doesn't really express interest in... ehh..."
Mai and Yuri just stared at her, blankly.
"...You're kidding, right?"
"Iori doesn't like girls?"
Chizuru threw her hands up. "W-well I didn't say... it's just that he..."
Mai's filter waned. "Iori may act all hard, but I'm pretty sure he's gotten more ass than all of us combined."
"MAI!" Chizuru squealed.
"Yeah, it kinda surprises me how DTF Iori can be." Yuri shrugged. "You should go for it, Chiz. Really."
"NOT YOU TOO!"
The shrine maiden finally retreated, lest she die of embarrassment right there in Robert's yard. Mai and Yuri laughed the entire time.
"I just can't get enough of those two. I don't know why."
"Kyo being away opens up so much potential. We could never pick on them like this while he's here."
"Hey uhhh... Robert?" Yuri poked.
The party head temporarily suspended his conversation to turn around. "Hmm?"
"That butler guy is here."
"Butler guy...?"
It took Robert a moment to recollect, but once he laid eyes on the incredibly well-dressed man, slick hair and spectacles, he remembered instantly.
"Oh."
Hein gave a polite, theatrical bow. "I come as an ambassador to my lord, Krauser. Compliments of milord, I've come to offer my services, free of charge."
Robert grinned awkwardly. "G-great! We have a butler! Umm..yaaaay."
Hein stepped slightly to the side, and continued. "I've also brought them with me, per milord's order. If it please you, they'd like to partake."
Robert absentmindedly took a gulp of the Modelo in his hand at just about the time a well-built, slightly old man with a menacing face emerged from the doorway, rocking dark green trunks and displaying a battle-worn physique, his sculpted midsection littered with scars of fights past.
He said nothing, just uttered a low growl as he rudely bumped through Robert and immediately proceeded to the food table. Robert rolled his eyes and took another sip, granting Yuri opportunity to comment instead.
"Ugh, great. Why'd he have to bring Silb-"
PTTTTHHHWWWWWWWWWWWW!
The kyokugen kicker did a spit-take for the ages when the next figure emerged; Yuri herself was rendered instantly speechless, her jaw dropping to the floor.
A Japanese maid who had found herself getting accustomed to this modern century bowed gracefully. "My Master has granted me leave to come and participate in the festivities. I do hope I'm dressed appropriately for the occasion..."
To say 'appropriately' was a controversial opinion. While it had almost been decided Mai would win the skimpy contest...Iroha had officially given her a run for her money. Apparently not having been supplied with a proper bikini top, her upper covering consisted of a crudely wrapped white sash which was knotted in the center, a conjoining point that barely kept her breasts from exploding out of it altogether. The simple knot was struggling for dear life, and it seemed a question of time to determine how long such an improvised top could stay intact.
A white fundoshi found similar struggle on the bottom, as the basic Japanese bathwear was fighting against an influx of substantial thigh and waist...not to mention whatever miniscule fabric was in the back had given up the battle to contain a bountiful backside that had started to grow legendary in her present tenure. Several figures had already gathered around to gawk at a rear view that set their mouths south and trunks north.
"I thank you for having me. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Iroha bowed even further...and was close to opening floodgates of bloody noses. She walked away, leaving an awestruck Yuri and Robert gazing behind her, every step, every jiggle of the way. They couldn't exactly hold it against each other...seeing as how both were staring.
Jenet was literally holding Malin back by the hair, as the latter had both hands protruded with fierce squeezing motions, begging to be unleashed like a lawnmower with its blades spinning. "M-MUST...SQUEEZE...SQUEEZY SQUEEZY SQUEEEEEZEEEEEEE..."
"Malin, no! Bad! We'll work on her later! Don't blow it now!" Jenet begged.
Meanwhile, Hein had steeled himself and entered the Lion's Den; the bar, where King had fortified herself and was quite comfortable.
"Miss King, please allow me to take over the bartending duties for the rest of the night." he so boldly propositioned.
King just shot him a taken-aback glare. "B-but... my bar! MINE!"
Hein straightened his glasses. "Lord Krauser insisted that I relieve you of this burden once I got here... he predicted that you would seclude yourself behind the wooden constraints of a serving counter, preventing you from enjoying the social gathering of your peers. So please... allow me."
The Frenchwoman was close to barking like a territorial dog. "It's not a burden, I ENJOY IT! And nobody serves drinks but me! It's my thing! I do drinks!"
"Miss King..." Hein spoke with a gentle tone, but something in his words belied a ferocity...
Before things could escalate any further, Robert was quick with a save. "Guys, guys." He turned to King, who immediately knew he wouldn't be on her side.
"Robert, cmonnnn..."
"Cec..." he breathed. "Take a night off, okay? Go have fun. Get your clothes off. Make Ryo happy. Everyone's half naked and you're in a bow tie, for god's sake."
A moment of silence... followed by a defeated puff of air. With great reluctance, King relinquished her position inside the island, allowing Hein to scoot past her and take up the spot that she had been warming all afternoon.
"Thanks Kingy." Yuri consoled her with a hug and small kiss on the cheek.
"Don't blame me if Hein can't mix an Old Fashioned properly..." the ex-bartender muttered under her breath as she stomped towards the house to get changed.
Taking in the breadth of the celebration they had constructed, Yuri and Robert stood shoulder-to-shoulder, arms around each waist.
"Well Robbie, I think we pulled it off."
Robert nodded with a smile. "Yeah... this is really something special."
It was a picture straight out of a televised spring break; everyone was in swimwear and enjoying themselves. Terry, Andy, Joe, and Ryo were all talking and laughing, food and drinks in hands. Bonne Jenet was seductively waving a bottle of lotion, trying to coax Gato to rub it on her... but the man just grunted and walked away, leaving Shingo to take over instead (much to her annoyance)
Benimaru was floating on the surface of the water. Mary and Vanessa were in the pool as well, and the redheaded boxer was able to intercept a knife-wielding "shark" who had been trying to cut her bikini top off. Ramon, the accomplice, retreated.
Mai, bottle in hand, was dancing to no music on the side, and tried to get Chizuru to join in... but the reserved priestess just laughed nervously and opted out. She did, however, get Athena to participate. From a distance, Kensou watched her... and once again, he requested Hein fill his glass. Next to him, Silber brusquely stuffed his face with a burger, and made no efforts of his own to hide his ogling eyes.
Tizoc had Shen Woo in a headlock and was attempting to throw him in the pool, but the brawler angrily punched his lower calf and managed to break free. A mid-sip Angel spat out her drink laughing at the sequence. Seth just shook his head at their immaturity, sipping his own cocktail.
King was in the house changing. Iroha sat on the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in... perhaps testing the water before making a commitment to plunge in.
Which finally left Iori, the champion himself... standing in the farthest corner, yet to open himself up to the others.
"I'm really proud of what we've done here." Yuri turned and hugged him proper, Robert returning the favor with the full commitment of his hands.
"Yeah..." Robert agreed. "What do you say we rally the troops one more time?"
She leaned upwards and kissed him slowly, deeply, before pulling away. "Do your thing, babe."
It was slightly difficult to get their attention while things were in full swing, but a few good taps of his glass bottle, and Robert was able to bring attention to himself. "EVERYONE! HEY! Hold up a sec, I wanna say something."
Everyone quit what they were doing long enough to heed the gracious host of the party... except Malin, who tried to take advantage of the situation to get behind Iroha. A timely intervention from Mary stopped it.
Robert cleared his throat, and spoke. "I know we all had a rough go of it this time around...it sucks, coming together for this every year, and only one walks away the winner, and so much shit happens that you wonder what the point of it all is. Believe me, if anyone understands... we do."
A slight pause. Everyone who cared to participate nodded in agreement.
"But there's still beauty to be found in what we do every year. I still believe in it. So to those of you who feel the same...raise your glass."
Most everyone had a drink of some kind at this stage, thus producing an inspiring sight: all of them, despite their differences and affiliations, raised a simple toast... to the destructive institution that somehow inspired fellowship and unity among them. King of Fighters, with all its pros and cons... was an event that bound them together, as a pseudo-family.
"Well-spoken. You echoed my sentiments exactly."
As nobody was expecting an additional voice, much less the door to open once again, everyone collectively turned to see who the final guest of the party was. A gasp rang out...followed by a spreading wildfire of joyous expressions.
"Room for one more?" asked the smiling face of the Bernstein heir, a man who had come to be beloved by the others after the week in Munich, for his calm, virtuous spirit and generally just being a cool fellow. Nobody was disappointed to see him.
"ADELHEID!"
"I do hope I didn't miss anything interesting." he joyously exclaimed. It was a warming sight to see him here, and happy... as the week in Munich had taken a hard toll on him.
"Ayyyyy, the main man himself made it! Awesome!" Terry pumped in the air.
Everyone praised his approach with much fanfare, pleased by the sight of his handsome, smiling face...
...Until he stepped slightly to the side, revealing the presence of another Bernstein, who was brazen enough to wave with a cutesy smile.
All at once, the energy was zapped out of the room.
"...And Rose."
"Greetings, fighters!" Rose gleefully greeted with a pseudo bow. "Aren't you happy to see your beloved hostess again? Of course you are, ohohohohohoho~!"
The voices of the masses changed from joy to groans of annoyance.
"Well I guess if we get one, we have to get the other..." Mai sighed.
"Talk about a sweet and sour package deal." Benimaru mumbled.
Rose quickly began asserting herself again, already showing signs of her old Munich persona. "Now that we are properly assembled, the party can begin! As your hostess, I declare-"
"Uhh... Rose?" Blue Mary, her established 'nemesis' interjected. "Newsflash: KOF is over, and we're a ways from Munich. You're not our host. Robert is."
"Nonsense!" Rose countered. "This is a KOF afterparty, and you're all KOF contestants, no? I still feel a moral obligation to lead you all through this final gathering! Now...AS YOUR HOSTESS, I DECLARE THIS PARTY-"
"Rose."
"WHAT?!" she spun around with a fiery viciousness...but as soon as she saw her brother, she returned to a kitten-like docility.
"Yes, dear brother~?"
Adelheid groaned and placed an arm around her. "It's their party, and we're guests. Please don't come in here and start trying to take over. I think they've had enough of you bossing them around to last a lifetime."
Rose looked around awkwardly, at everyone's bemused expressions, then turned back with a sweatdrop. "Ehehe...y-you're correct as always, brother. S-sorry."
"Apologize to THEM." he pointed.
Rose flashed a slightly snobby expression, but Adelheid grunted with insistence, and, with a reluctant sigh... Rose turned to the others. "I apologize... and thank you for having us."
Robert, ever a chill guy, just shrugged and grinned. "Heyyy it's nothing. Good vibes here, good vibes only. Get out of the stuffy clothes and grab a drink."
"Well, if you insist." Adelheid agreed, and quickly shed his simple black top, followed by his slacks. More than a few heads turned to capture his impressive physique, though extremely white in pallor, still a desirable upper body to look at. His equally-white legs were also as great in exhibition as they were in combat, in a pair of black swimming trunks that rested slightly high on the thighs. It was a plausible theory that his kicking weapons simply filled out a standard men's size trunks more prominently than others.
"Damn... he could kick me anytime." Angel spoke with a whistle.
Ryo shrugged off the situation. "Well... we got Adelheid! That's pretty rad."
Joe frowned. "Still... It'd be nice if we could separate the fuckin' membrane, so we could get the good and not have to be stuck with that total cu...?"
Joe's eyes had wandered over to Rose mid-sentence, and he stopped when he saw her actually shedding the dress she'd came in...when it hit the floor, and he saw that she was rocking a cleavage-baring red bikini, with black trim on the edges... he swallowed his current thought, and came out with a new one.
"...Wow. Guys, look at that."
Ryo, Terry, and Andy joined in watching their ex-hostess, who had bent over to try and open the large parasol they'd brought to protect their more sensitive skin from the sun rays. She turned back around to properly plant it, and the guys all nodded in agreement.
"Huh. Well, who knew the bitchy host was actually kind of hot?" Terry questioned aloud.
Joe grinned wide. "Guys... be honest. You think I have a chance?"
"...Dude."
"You're not serious, are you?" Ryo and Andy spoke in sequence.
"Hey, I'm not seeing Lilly at the moment." Joe's grin widened. "Imagine me, Joe Higashi, getting the forbidden hostess."
"Dude..." Terry chuckled. "Her cooch probably has demon's teeth. You know what they say about crazy..."
"Gaaah still tho, that makes me wanna try more!" Joe spoke with uncanny urgency.
"Well, just knock yourself out, buddy." Andy laughed. "Don't come crying to us when she eats your heart out of your chest."
Before they could even question if he was actually serious, Joe had already made his way over there, fast enough that the three men did a spit-take with the current beverages they were holding.
"Y-yo!"
"He's not really...!"
"Joe...!"
Adelheid had slipped on sunglasses and was applying sunscreen, which left Rose slightly isolated enough for Joe to slip in and attempt his foolish bravado. The ex-hostess was letting her golden locks completely down (which enticed Joe, the blonde-lover, even more) when the Muay Thai fighter suddenly cast a new shadow, different from her parasol, which got her attention.
"H-heyyy Rose..." he waved.
"Rose, sunglasses in hand but not yet applied, eyed him. "May I help you?"
Joe had one of his classic, most goofy smiles. "W-well uh, I was just wondering if you... needed help with anything over here. You can always give me a call if you need something, or if you... well... you know... are lonely and want to talk. You know, some people here hate your guts, but I think you're alright..."
It only took five seconds before Rose let out a posh, catty laugh. "Ahahahahahaha! The nerve of you! A lowly peasant, trying to court me?"
Adelheid had finally caught wind of the situation, but just raised an eyebrow.
Joe knew he was fading, fast. "B-but I... I'm the best fighter in Thailand... I'm a multi-time Muay Thai champion... and..."
Rose finally laid down on her folding beach chair, slipping on her sunglasses. "Hah. Defeat my brother in combat, and maybe commoner swine such as yourself could earn the honor of my hand. Now begone! I'm trying to relax!"
"I... I... okay."
His confidence deflated all at once, the proud Thai fighter limped away in defeat... back to the consoling arms of his buddies, who all laughed in unison at his failed efforts.
Rose turned her nose at them. "Hmph! The nerve of that guy, trying to pitch woo to me... did you see that, brother? You should have taught him a lesson!"
Adelheid just rolled over and groaned loudly. "Oh Rose..."
Robert shook his head, laughing at his friend's epic crash and burn... then he looked back out, scanning the entirety of the party. Everyone was assembled: with the inclusion of Adelheid and Rose, it felt like a complete reunion of those who had shed their blood during that grievous week. Of course, there were some that were dearly missed, such as the Ikari Warriors... but even a gathering of this magnitude was an inspiring sight, and sang a hopeful hymn for the future of King of Fighters.
Taking one last hearty gulp of his bottle, Robert let out a satisfied exhale, wiping his mouth, and he turned over to his girlfriend. "Well Yuri, I think we're finally properly assembled! There's only one thing left to do... HIT THE MUSIC!"
NEXT CHAPTER: Party! Party! Party! Things get crazy. Everything you could possibly imagine to happen, probably happens. Expect to see lots of chaos, a few more swimsuit descriptions, and even two more guests that I couldn't squeeze in this chapter. It's gonna be a fun time. Stay tuned!
