Pyra and Mythra had lots of explaining to do to Kari when they went into work the next day. They weren't sure how to approach her at first, seeing as how she was able to see that both of them were effectively the same person just by looking at them, yet here they were, out in the open, both at once. Frankie dropped them off at the usual time and the both of them walked in with sheepish grins on their faces. The other workers were surprised to see Pyra once again after the past two weeks without her. The mutters and whispers of them all sent both Blades into a nervous shifting, as if they were waiting for something to blow up. The commotion drew Kari into the room, with she, herself, surprised to see both of them at once.
"R-ready for work, boss…" Pyra nervously whimpered.
"Do I need to go to orientation…?" Mythra asked as Kari came up to both of them and inspected them carefully. She pulled back with a dissatisfied frown and placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, I really am going to miss having to write out only ONE check!" She said- making the Blades hearts skip a beat as she handed the two of them separate name tags with her usually sweet smile. "Now get to work! We've got decorations for the Fall to make!"
Pyra and Mythra took their name tags in disbelief just before looking at each other silently, breaking out into wide and happy smiles, ending the exchange by looking towards Kari dutifully.
"Yes, ma'am!" They each said with a nod as they headed towards the back of the library.
Frankie was alone at home for the first time in what felt like ages- even though he knew it was merely a little over two weeks, and it felt strange to say the last. It had already felt strange to see both of them at the same time as opposed to one or the other, but it was nice to see, both for his emotions as well as his heart, he did have to admit both of them looked good in bed heads. He wasn't exactly hiding his feelings towards them anymore… well, except for the two of them themselves- but that was going to be a problem for much later. It was reset time. No more Blade and Driver nonsense, he had friends to make.
Speaking of friends, with him, Kaito, and Miko taking the day off to rest after the flight, he did suppose he could call them up to see if they were doing anything. A breakfast together sounded good… then he remembered how much Miko could pack away and immediately decided against it.
Although… food shopping did sound like a good idea when it was time to pick up the girls- grocery shopping was out of the question- this man needed some good spices and oils to fill up the cabinet with, imported goods at a reasonable price, things to just… MAKE with the two of them. Dinner with Pyra still had yet to be done, and that was to happen sooner rather than later, he decided. What better way than to just… browse? They would probably still be hungry after shopping so maybe the weekend would work better for that.
10:00. Still much too early for the girls to get out of work, and with not wanting to do a whole lot himself, Frankie was stumped. He looked over to the large framed picture of his dad on the wall- larger than life, smiling so honestly, darkly colored, and a little fuzzy, of which Frankie was a near spitting image of were it not for the lighter color of his mom's genes and his own distaste for facial hair. He could already hear the kinds of comments the two of them would be throwing his way at the mere prospect of a romance- even if it was still freshly planted.
Cheerful whoops and howls, slight teasings, stories of the past to inspire the young man, gentle talks about how to appreciate a lady proper. Frankie sighed both sadly yet somewhat in amusement. True, his father and mother were both out of the picture and he couldn't get advice from them directly as such, but… He knew they'd be here with him all the same, supporting him every step of the way- so long as he allowed them to stay close.
The vines outside did need a little cutting, 'Francisco' decided.
—————————————————————————-
6:00. Frankie had woken up from his nap after taking care of the yard work and his quick shower, and he lay in bed scrolling through his phone to look up animal videos to help him wake up- a honey badger cracking open an ostrich egg, a leopard hunting for catfish in the middle of the dry season, a flock of vultures feasting on the carcass of a fallen cattle- with a crow sneaking in every so often, a jackal serving as a disapproving audience. His eyes were still droopy from waking up but he was at ease with himself. Comfortable, satisfied, accomplished, all that was missing were Pyra and Mythra. And just as he thought that…
A number from the library had shown up on his phone- he was confused at first but had a very vague idea of what was going on, so he answered regardless.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Hey, Frankie? Is that you?" It was Mythra.
"O-oh! Hi Mythra! Are-are you and Pyra doing okay?"
"Y-yeah, we're fine. Kari's letting us both work side by side, but I think the other employees are still trying to figure out what's going on…"
"Oh Mythra… do you need me to come help out or something?"
"Well, no, everything just kinda slowed to a crawl around this time, so-"
"Mythra! Is that Frankie? Let me talk to him! Please!" Now Frankie had heard Pyra's voice and already felt his heart skip a beat by her excited tone. He flashed an unseen doofy smile as he heard Pyra take over the conversation.
"Frankie? Can you hear me?" She asked.
"Y-yeah, Pyra, I-I can hear you-"
"Great! So, the two of us actually got all our work done and someone else is still handling storytime today, and Kari gave us the okay to clock out early, so if you could pick us up now, that would be great!"
"Y-yeah! And you better hurry! We're starving!" Mythra piped up.
"Oh… starving you say…?" Frankie delivered yet another unseen look towards them, this one, of smug confidence. He was fresh and clean- all he needed were some good 'going out clothes'. "I'll be there soon, girls! Just hang tight!" Frankie called.
"We will, Frankie! See you soon!"
Both parties hung up the phones immediately just as Frankie hopped out of bed, questioning exactly how they were able to get his number so easily. Well, that wasn't important, he had to hustle before the shops closed.
"Okay! Let's try it one more time!" Frankie announced. Mythra from the backseat groaned in annoyance.
"What are you so cross about? This was your idea, Mythra!" Pyra pointed out teasingly.
"I know but I suck at this! It was a lot easier when I was drunk!" The older Blade complained.
"Well, I think you've had plenty of practice, let's get it right this time, ready, girls?" Frankie asked.
"Ready!" Pyra excitedly answered.
"Ready…" Mythra responded in deadpan.
Frankie rewound the current song they were listening to in his car to the last closing lines and chorus and allowed for the beat to play out a bit before the three of them continued along in the song, Frankie gently slapping the top of his steering wheel, Pyra, eyes gently and blissfully closed as she bobbed herself back and forth in her seat, and Mythra… gesturing a sliding motion with her hands as she followed in the opposite direction, her own eyes shut with gentle confidence.
"Darling, well
Don't you know that I can tell
Whenever I look at you
That you think that I'm untrue
'Cause I say that I love two
But I really really do
'Cause you're a split personality…"
"Personality…!"
"And in reality…"
"Reality…!"
"Both of them are you baby…"
"They both are you…"
"Well, I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers, and I love them both the same
Two lovers, and I ain't ashamed"
The trio repeated the last chorus smoothly over and over again up until the song concluded, at which point, they had finally reached their destination- a humble but tall standing shop in the midst of an entire shopping center. Sandwiched in between a rather large bookstore and a home necessities store. What allowed it to stand out was the colorful assortment of items stacked up against the back of the store as well as to the sides- it wasn't just food- it was also cooking supplies, porch furniture, paintings, fine China, even gardening tools. The more lowkey and homely vibe of it all captivated Mythra instantly, who was the first to step out of the car.
"What are you two waiting for?! Come on, let's move it!" She hollered as she impatiently bounced lightly at the side of the vehicle as Frankie and Pyra exited their seats.
"This is only a quick little trip, Mythra- the store won't be closing for another hour or so." Frankie explained with a light hearted chuckle.
"All the more reason to get in there now, come on!" Mythra grabbed both of their hands and dragged them beside her as she scurried forward.
"So… this is happening…" Pyra smiled in concern towards Frankie.
"You DID remember to pick up your pay on Friday, right?" He asked.
"Of course we did!"
"Alrighty, girls… let's go shopping!" Frankie announced in a flamboyant lisp, getting a chuckle out of Pyra- though Mythra was still determined to check out what was quite literally in store for them.
Pyra had gone straight to the back first and was inspecting the wine dutifully. She had tried to recall what exactly Frankie liked to cook at dinner time- he did seem like a red meat sort of person, she decided, and promptly took a closer look at the red wines.
"Oh, Pyra, not you too…" Frankie moaned as he came up to her with packets of thick noodles.
"Mythra and I like a glass or two at dinner time! Is that so wrong?" She asked innocently.
"Oralé pues- you sound just like my mother." He shook his head, causing Pyra to get particularly puffy cheeked.
"And I suppose the bubbly fizzy stuff we always see you at the table with is any better?" She shot back in defense.
"Well- unlike YOU weirdos, at least my drinks have more flavor than just bitter butt juice from a sour old grape- crushed in the prime of its life without any sort of say in it, I mean, take into consideration the plant's feelings for once! There's no sense at all in untying it from the bonds its created over so many years of tender loving care and careful consideration and-"
"Oh, hush up, you, you're just making excuses…" Pyra grabbed one of Frankie's cheeks and tugged on it lightly to get him to stop, which he did, but not before pouting her way.
"Well- at least I know how to stay young at heart…" He shot back quickly before dropping the noodles into the shopping cart. It was at that moment did Frankie realize the products Pyra was looking to purchase besides the wine already: Korean hot pepper paste, kimchi, Cajun seasoning, Filipino sea salt, tumeric, cayenne pepper, fruit spreads, t inned seafood, all different sorts of soups, sweets, pasta, and sauces.
"Uh, Pyra… you sure you wanna be getting all this…?" Frankie asked in a concerned tone.
"Of course I do! I told you before- this is my time to live! And I want to live it sampling different cultures' tastes from all around the world! Even in our time of living on Titans, the culinary options were far from this widespread!" She explained.
"Well, that is a good point… I just hope you don't let it go to waste…"
"Of course I won't! My palette is very adaptable, I'll have you know!" Pyra was beaming with pride as she placed a hand over her core crystal.
"Okayyyy, Big Mama- let's move a state over and get you to try alligator and kangaroo and then we'll see how adaptable that palette of yours is."
"You just don't wanna spend so much money, is that it?" Pyra smirked knowingly Frankie's way.
"I-I mean, uh… w-well… Mythra won't be able to handle all these spices- I'm just- looking out for me- HER! I mean her!"
"Oh, really? Looking out for yourself?" Pyra teased as she drew closer to him. "What happened to 'picoso is a way of life because you're Mexican', hmmmmmmmmm?" Pyra batted her eyes rapidly his way, getting him even more embarrassed and flustered than before.
"And now you're starting to sound like my grandma- guess you're the right age for it…" Frankie snidely shot back.
"Hey! You better mind your tongue, mister! You've been hanging around Mythra too much!" Pyra crossed her arms and gritted her teeth at Frankie, the tables completely turned on their expressions.
"It's the hard truth, Pyra, live with it…" Frankie patted her on the head as he fell back, getting her to pout at him in turn. "Speaking of Mythra, where is she?"
"Frankie! Pyra! Shut up! Look! Look at this!" Mythra called out from the next aisle over.
"Shall we?" Pyra asked.
"Before she breaks something…" Frankie replied as Pyra affirmedly nodded her head.
When they had turned the corner, they were amazed to see a large mass of snacks piled high just Mythra's height. The only parts of her body that remained visible were her hands and legs. With a confident and pleased stride, Mythra felt around for the shopping cart and plopped them down into it with a big wide and joyful smile on her face, both of them could even see some drool forming around the edge of her mouth.
"Look at all these snacks! Aren't they awesome?!" She asked giddily.
"Charcuterie meats… smoked Gouda… gourmet crackers… pickled olives… kettle fried chips… maple, chocolate, lemon, gingerbread, AND shortbread cookies… mochi… ramen… tea… roe…" Frankie intoned as he listed off all the foods Mythra dropped in on the cart. "That's quite an adventurous palette you have there, Mythra…"
"Thanks! With all this yummy food stocking our cupboards, we'll never go hungry again!"
"Between the three of us, I give it three weeks…" Pyra giggled in a whisper towards Frankie.
"And with Miko… I give it eleven minutes…" Now both were chuckling with each other, getting Mythra just a small bit agitated.
"What?! What's so funny?! Are you making fun of me?! Come on! What's the joke?!" She didn't get an answer, just the warm and friendly smiles of her sister and friend.
"Well, Mythra, if you're so keen on buying all these things, I have a suggestion; come Saturday, we have a little picnic lunch with Kaito and Miko." Frankie said.
"A picnic lunch?!" Mythra beamed brightly as she rushed over to Pyra's side. "Whaddaya say, Pyra?! Can we? Can we, please?!" Pyra raised an amused eyebrow her sister's way and patted her on the back assuringly.
"Well… it's not like I have any room to argue… that does sound rather nice." She said.
"Yes!" Mythra shook with a proud and whispery exclamation as Frankie overlooked the food once again.
"I think we can afford a sandwich and some fried chicken on the day of- we aren't gonna give ALL of this to Kaito and Miko." Just then his phone buzzed, it was Miko.
"I heard fried chicken."
"Do you have food?"
Frankie very gingerly looked away from the texts and slowly put his phone back in his pocket as he shook himself off of the chills.
"That sounds lovely! Should we get some tablecloth while we're here?" Pyra asked.
"Capital idea, old sport!" Mythra hollered before turning to Frankie. "You're keeping that promise, right, Frankie?"
"Weather permitting…" Frankie smiled nervously back as Mythra grinned cheerily.
"Well, I think that's everything… except maybe some quick instant things for breakfast- do they have anything like that here, Frankie?" Pyra asked.
"Well, nothing like produce or anything like that, but I'm sure we can find some rice or biscuits or sausages or something like that."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Mythra stood up tall as Frankie and Pyra laughed some more.
However, their laughter would be cut short by… quite the interesting individual.
"Well, well, well- what DO we have here?" The trio turned around at the sound of the voice- there stood a mid height young lady, older than Miko and Kaito, but younger than Frankie. She had long blonde hair that was darker than even Mythra's, a plain white shirt and plain black shorts, carrying a wine colored pocketbook, and staring at them with piercing blue eyes.
"Oh… I'm sorry… do we know you?" Pyra asked politely.
"You should- considering how well I know you." The woman said as she came closer to the group.
"Frank! Long time no see, how're your aunties and uncles doing these days? Or are you still keeping your distance from them? That isn't very healthy, you know…"
"W-well.. I… I uh…" Frankie turned away and backed off from the female, clearly uncomfortable with the subject at hand.
"Hey! Butt out, will you?! We didn't come here to get ourselves in a tizzy, and we certainly didn't come here to get comments from the peanut gallery either!" Mythra towered over the smaller lady, who only stared up at her in silence… what seemed to be stunned, if a bit muted, silence. She smirked and chuckled lightly as she pulled back a bit.
"And you- you must be Pyra Goodman, ol Frank's girlfriend! He DID catch a live one, I MUST say!"
Mythra blushed profusely and refocused her attention on the smaller woman.
"FIRST of all, what gave you THAT idea, second of all, who are you to come in and ask us questions about our personal life? And third of all, his name is 'Frankie', got it?!"
The lady was undeterred by Mythra's words and kept a cool demeanor all throughout.
"What gave me that impression?" She asked in faux pondering. "Well- I do have to admit- I catch a lot more jury duty on TV than I really should- so I know you all too well, miss Goodman!" She then turned her attention to Pyra, herself in a defensive stance, grimacing silently her way. "And who's this? Pyra Goodman II?"
"JUST Pyra…" She warned.
"Ohhhhhhh- then you must be the one they were supposed to summon! My, my, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble, sweetie, you better mind yourself next time!"
Pyra was taken aback and turned away guiltily, embarrassed to not have a comeback to that remark.
"Then who might you be, tall, fair, and beautiful?"
"Mythra… now get out of our sight- we don't need you here, whoever you are…" She growled.
"Ah, that's right, how rude of me! My name is Irma, Irma Cutthroat. Though Frank knows me very well- his not-brother dates Iino, after all." Irma's jovial expression turned to one of anger and frustration as she turned to the lot of them. "And speaking of Iino… you tell her to quit her showboating if she knows what's good for her…"
"Don't think I will. You better watch yourself, Irma, I don't take kindly to others deciding who does and who doesn't belong to anyone's family… Kaito IS Frankie's brother, and I won't hear you say otherwise, got it?"
"Oh, dear me- greatest apologies! But I do believe someone has to remind him! Otherwise, he'll just be wasting away into absolutely nothing in his little bout of sadness."
"Hey! You watch your mouth!" Pyra suddenly snapped as she joined Mythra in icing this younger, shorter woman out. "Whatever Frankie's going through, he's allowed to take as much time as he needs to so long as he's functioning alright!"
"Yeah, where do you think you get off on telling people to speed through their feelings?" Mythra added.
"Are you threatening me?" Irma asked in an almost jovial manner. "I wasn't the one who fooled an entire court standing just for the sake of an easy victory, now was I?" Mythra was about to protest but then she immediately thought back to what had just occurred at the shrine. She needed to keep her emotions in check, lest she take action in a way she would regret. Not to mention how difficult her glowing sword would be to explain.
However, Mythra's sudden stop gave Irma a green light to proceed in the mockery.
"Heh…you better hope you don't get put in that courtroom again, or this little mixup could cause quite a big problem for you and your new boyfriend!" She chuckled to herself somewhat manically.
Suddenly Mythra as well as Pyra's hearts sank. They were still just getting over the trip to Mexico, the last thing they needed on their minds was more reason to think they were being a burden on Frankie. Not even Irma's accidental implication of their relationship status could distract them, and the two blades looked down in shame.
"H-hey…! Leave them alone!" Frankie suddenly called out to Irma, who not very amusedly in the slightest shifted her focus to him.
"What? Now you're putting the pants on? I'm surprised, Frank, you really have grown! Oh, but, wait… you can't hit a lady! That wouldn't look very good on your permanent record, oh nononono! Especially not a perspiring lady of the law!" Despite Frankie's angry looming over her, Irma approached her target and stared up at him, smug as ever. "So, what are you gonna do, Big Guy? You're not gonna be the favorite in any situation, you know…"
Mythra's head perked up suddenly as she whipped her head to face the smaller woman, already seething with silent rage she did her very best to maintain.
"Did she just…" She muttered quietly through gritted teeth.
"Mythra… please…" Pyra tiredly begged as she caught her sister's heavy breathing.
Mythra was very much about to lose control, until Frankie stepped in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reserved nod. He then turned back to Irma.
"Look, Irma, we have other places to be right now. So if this conversation is just gonna spiral further, I think it's better that we go." He spoke matter of factly as he started leading Pyra and Mythra away before Irma could object. "And don't think I'm unaware of Miko's line of work, I know what could happen to your own personal record if you press false charges on someone."
"O-oh yeah?" Irma suddenly spoke up as she struggled to recollect herself from that disturbing fact. "Well… the fact still remains that you lied on National television, and-"
"It's called a split personality. This one just so happens to be physical as well as mental. Things change all the time, don't you know?"
Irma was very taken aback, she hadn't known Frankie to be so collected, which honestly just aggravated her even further. She never exactly thought much of him at all to be frank, kind of like a walking doormat. But now he was…standing up to someone, and doing so way too well for her liking. She stomped in place as if about to say something else, but words failed her, so she simply stormed off, looking back over her shoulder in disgust as they rang up their things and headed back outside.
Meanwhile the couple-trio left for their proper destination. Not a word was said as both ladies stayed close to Frankie as he pushed the cart, each in a mixture of concern and newfound magnetism spawning from the altercation.
Pyra held into his arm tenderly, trying not to be too clingy, but still pressing into him a good deal. Mythra on the other hand held his arm tightly, a twinge of anger felt in her grasp, but mostly just wanting to stay as close to her companion as possible.
Frankie himself felt a little overwhelmed, as walking forward with both ladies holding onto him proved to be less comfortable than one on the outset would expect. He was glad basically no one else was walking around to see this because he was not in the mood to answer potential questions, especially after Irma placed a cloud of uncertainty over the three of them.
That all said…he couldn't deny that it just felt nice to have them close to him.
They had at last pulled up to the parking lot of the nearby food court- Frankie had yet to decide where exactly he wanted to eat, so he wanted to leave it up to them once they exited the car. The three simply stood silently in front of the parking lot, Pyra and Mythra still clearly affected by Irma's words.
Noticing this, Frankie shook his head to get his own self-doubt out of his mind. Now was not the time to get all moody, these girls needed someone to cheer them up and comfort them, and if he was to be a proper…whatever he was supposed to be to them at this stage, he needed to focus on that.
"You two doing okay…?" He finally asked.
"What kinda question is that…?" Mythra asked with an edge to her voice.
"Well… she's gone, you know, we don't have to worry about her right now."
"That'd be true if we still didn't have her words on the brain…" Pyra admitted.
"I know… she's mean…" Frankie answered back. He felt himself cringe with how pathetic of a comment that was.
"I don't know who this Irma girl thinks she is. Where do you feature in her life, anyway?" Mythra asked.
"It's a long story… just know that pretty much anyone in Miko's good graces gets put on her hit list." Mythra scoffed and rolled her eyes as she sat back in her seat.
"That's fine with me, I sure as hell wouldn't wanna be caught dead being all chummy with her."
"And her behavior is unacceptable!" Pyra protested with a furrowed brow. "Threats against the law and knocking on personal weak points is a coward's tactic! And as much as I prefer to stay away from confrontation- you'll never see ME turn tail and run!"
"Hah… took the words right out of my mouth…" Frankie chuckled lightly.
"Oooooooh……! And that little girl better be damn sure I don't catch her in a dark alley- I'M the only one that can call Frankie, 'Big Guy'!" Mythra growled as she clenched her fists tightly.
"There are more PRESSING matters here, Mythra, but sure- let's go after her for a silly nickname…" Pyra drooped her eyes Mythra's way as the older of the two shot up in protest.
"Hey now! If there's one positive thing I CAN remember- it's that nicknames are an important part of establishing the bonds between friends and allies! It's just… now I don't feel weird for brewing more than one up…" Mythra pouted lightly and glanced away as she folded her arms defiantly. "As a matter of fact, I'm surprised you don't have one for him yet!" Mythra glanced Pyra's way once again.
"Is… is this really something we have to discuss?" Frankie asked with the slightest of blushes on his face
"I do too! You may be more eloquent than I am in certain aspects, Mythra, but I'm just as insightful! Like-like… Mr. Frankie! Yeah! That's it! That's perfect!"
'How on earth did we get to this…?' Frankie thought to himself as he hid his flustered demeanor away from his two friends.
"Well then… perhaps Mr. Frankie over here has his own two bits to give about the walking bundt cake back there." Mythra looked over to Frankie now with a sly grin on her face.
"Oooh- indeed he must! Well then- don't keep us waiting anymore, Dummy! Out with it!" Pyra clasped her hands together and faced him expectantly.
"Ah… well… I don't like her very much…" Frankie said.
"We know that, Big Guy. There's no one else here. You can let it all out, just like you let us!" Mythra invited with her arms spread out.
"I…" Frankie felt himself about to flat out refuse, but instead took a moment, before slowly and nervously accepting Mythra's embrace.
Mythra, initially shocked despite her being the one to make the offer, blushed heavily. But…feeling how comforting Frankie was, she slowly reciprocated.
It wasn't a massively romantic hug, but a comforting and soothing one for those involved nonetheless, helping to ease the stress they both felt. Pyra smiled and joined on in, right behind Mythra yet again, but with each other's company, they were finally able to just relax and refocus their attention.
"So… do I need to beat her up?" Mythra asked jokingly.
"Mythra…" Frankie and Pyra both bemoaned as they looked down at the golden haired woman.
"Come on… you know I would! I just said so!" Pyras tightened her own grip on Mythra- causing her to wince out under pressure and shrink into herself a bit.
"And I just said I don't like confrontation. We're moving past this, Mythra…" Pyra pointed out.
"I know… sorry guys…" Mythra sighed.
"Hah… don't worry about it, Mythra… let's just say that four years ago… work wasn't very fun with her around."
"You keep too many things in secret, Frankie. One of these days you're gonna have to come clean." Pyra playfully warned.
"Yeah! Kaito can't be spinning your own yarns forever, you know! That isn't fair to us, you big fat Dum-" Mythra was halted instantly by the smell of something… alluring… a strange yet familiar smell. The smell of meat to be sure, but certainly not any kind she was familiar with. It wasn't fried, it wasn't grilled or anything of the sort just… flavorful.
"Mythra? You oka-" Frankie himself was interrupted as Mythra took her two index fingers and shut his and Pyra's mouths with them.
"Shh! I smell something!" Mythra sniffed the air once again and shifted her eyes suspiciously before taking lead. "Follow me…"
"Does she normally do this…?" Frankie asked as he watched Mythra walk away from the two of them.
"This is a first for me too, I must admit… Just as well, it doesn't surprise me…" Pyra admitted with a parted smile.
The trio entered the establishment, Frankie and Pyra holding on to Mythra this time to prevent her from bursting into the kitchen at first glance. Mythra and Pyra looked up at the decór of the restaurant- quite rural and homely indeed… putting it lightly. Frankie, familiar with the place and its firmly rooted American Comfort Food showcasing smiled nervously as he looked around as if for the first time himself. Old black and white pictures of cars hung up next to awards and sponsors, the latter of which were mostly advertisements for the types of beer they served.
'Note to self, keep the "Light" away from Mythra…' Frankie thought as he glanced over to the stoic canoe that hung above the wall right next to a large, makeshift chandelier of deer antlers, flat screen TVs playing the latest baseball game for its patrons at the bar or at their booths and tables. Even at almost 8:00 at night, business was still booming. He very timidly looked over to Pyra and Mythra in hopes they weren't feeling too discomforted with the sights, sounds, and smells- though thankfully Mythra's nose reassured him on the last one at the very least.
While Pyra was looking around curiously, trying to make hide or hair of the place Mythra led them to, she didn't seem disturbed- a little bit overwhelmed, but not too disgruntled. Mythra had peeked ahead towards tables in this distance to see a family of five laughing and howling over a tantalizing plate of tangy and saucy ribs, charbroiled chicken leg quarters, strips of brisket, crispy and fluffy potato wedges, sweet, delectable, crunchy and juicy and buttery golden corn with cornbread muffins and a healthy sprinkling of pickles on the side. To say she was enamored was an understatement.
"Well… I guess I know where we're eating tonight…" Pyra chuckled as Mythra wiped a bit of drool from her mouth and rejoined Frankie and Pyra.
"Frank. Guosmán." Mythra demanded as she whipped her head towards him, a dark steely glint in her eyes as she fixated her attention on him. "What. Do you call this?"
"I-it's barbecue… are… are you sure this is where you wanna sit down? It's not exactly the most elegant of meal choices-"
"Cut the crap, Dummy." Mythra suddenly twisted her whole body around to face him as she crept closer and closer to him, expression unchanging and staring him down seriously as their eyes locked tightly with each other. Pyra nervously looked one way and then the other as she very discreetly walked backwards ever so lightly. "I don't give a damn about elegance or dainty quaint hoity-toity attitudes when it comes to food. So I'm asking you this, now. Is it. Any. Good?"
"ᵈᵉˡⁱᶜⁱᵒᵘˢ…" Frankie, who was now bending over backwards as Mythra loomed over him, whispered with a stutter, part of him, a little bit scared, the rest of him… strangely excited.
"Okay!" Mythra exclaimed as she sprung back into a much more excited, child-like tone, walking over to the host to put their name down on a table.
"Well, you handled that pretty nicely." Pyra said with a smile.
"Did I?" Frankie asked back. Pyra shifted her eyes nervously as her own grin quivered.
"You have no idea how hard I was trying not to laugh…"
"Orá…."
As the three of them put down their menus, the waiting time began, and conversation along with it.
Frankie and Pyra were simply watching Mythra for a while, excitedly spying for the waiters only to be devastated when they weren't attending their table. Every now and then, bobbing her head side to side and kicking her feet playfully under the table.
"Are you CRAZY sure she's the older one…?" Frankie whispered to Pyra, who chuckled lightly in response.
"She's having a good time, leave her alone." She answered back.
"Oh alright…" Frankie leaned back towards Mythra. "You know, Mythra, I know you have a bit of a sweet tooth and… quite a way with words in your descriptions, but I didn't quite catch you as much of a foodie in general."
Mythra snapped her head in his direction.
"W-what I mean is, you're very energetic and athletic. I guess just in comparison to Pyra it…feels a bit surprising." Frankie wasn't sold on the way he phrased that but couldn't think of a better way to explain it.
"Oh, I get it. Cuz dumb old Mythra's a dunce in the kitchen, I see how it is-" The fiery blonde went from jubilation to annoyance as she slumped into her seat.
"I'm sorry, Mythra I didn't mean it like-"
Mythra put her hand towards him.
"It's alright, Dummy, I'm not that mad about it, or at least not mad at you." She peered over at Pyra.
"Well hang on now-" Pyra leaned over in a scolding position. "I don't recall doing anything to your cooking skills, you just need to learn more!"
"She has a point." Frankie joined in, though quickly shifting to being more supportive of her. "Everyone needs a little bit of help sometimes, heck, why do you think I keep Kaito and Miko around all the time? You got a good head for numbers, and everyone needs that to know the ins and outs of cooking. It's just a matter of putting that knowledge to the test, and I already see you got what it takes… even if you are a bit overzealous but… that's what we're here for, right?" He gestured to himself and Pyra, who confidently sat back and nodded.
"I guess…" Mythra sat upright but still pouted slightly and leaned over the table and drew her finger around her empty glass.
Frankie thought to himself for a moment.
"Anywhere you might want to start? Or somewhere you've started before?" He suggested.
Pyra lit up, figuratively.
"Ooh! Tell him about the parfait, Mythra!"
"You had parfaits back then but not barbecues?" Frankie asked.
"Hey, we never judged your culture, now did we?" Mythra answered.
"I don't know… you did get pretty handsy with me when I told you what was in that menudo and those tacos you were eating…"
"Okay, that was just nasty- now hush up and pay attention!"
Frankie snickered naughtily to himself as he leaned back again.
Mythra sighed. She didn't intend to show it, but her mood was lifting back up smoothly.
"Well…yeah, I really-"
"Like really really-" Pyra interjected.
"-liked parfaits…so I hunkered down and spent a whole month trying to figure out the right way to make one…and eventually I did…soooo, yeah."
Frankie couldn't tell if Mythra was serious or not because it was unlike her to not be boastful of such a feat. Pyra nodding enthusiastically at him confirmed it however.
"W-well, ¡Muy bien! Even I've never made a parfait before- I might need to get tips from you now! Was it any good?"
"Oh it was divine! Only something a parfait lover could have made!" Pyra affirmed.
"S-s-stop that!" Mythra was now blushing heavily at all of this appraisal. "I-i-it was just…pretty alright…kay? Like those toucans, or tocos, or whatever the hell those crunchy things you watched me make were called!"
"Tacos, Mythra. I literally just said it."
Mythra threw her hands up. "Whatever! The point is that's the only thing I'm even slightly good at making!"
She then once again leaned over the table. "Plus…no matter how hard I try or for how long, there's no way I'll get as good at it as Pyra…so it's pointless."
"Look, Mythra…" Frankie said with a sigh. "I like to act like I got a way with chicken all the time… if you couldn't tell." He chuckled lightly before continuing, "I absolutely love it- it's my favorite food for a reason- there's so many ways to prepare and serve it, and I take great pride whenever I find a method that works, and a favorite one of mine is to throw it on the grill but… that's where it gets kinda mousey…" Mythra looked up at him curiously. "Sometimes it's cooked to the right temperature, but the outside is a little burnt, sometimes my thermometer straight up lies to me and I end up cursing myself because the last thing I want is to spread salmonella to MY family… my dad always knew how to get it right every single time…"
"Your dad?" Mythra asked.
"Yeah- he was the one who really got me into cooking in the first place."
"Oh? I would've guessed it was your mother." Pyra gasped lightly.
"Oh, nonono- my mom hated cooking- unless it was easy." Frankie chuckled again, "It started off with just hanging out with him as he started up the grill, then it turned to me checking for doneness, then to placing the food on the grill, then turning the food, setting everything up, doing it for him, taking over completely when he passed, moving to the stovetop because I wanted to make all the yummy things I kept seeing people eat and well… here I am. There's always gonna be someone better than you... it hurts to think about sometimes, believe me but... you know."
"I…I see…" Mythra wasn't quite sure how to take all of that, but it comforted her nonetheless. She simply stared at her warped reflection in the glass.
Frankie looked at her for a moment.
Then he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Okay, Mythra, here's what we're gonna do… I'll still help you cook whenever and whatever you want, I'm more than happy to, but I'll also be happy to help you find a hobby that piques your own interest in particular, sound good?"
Mythra's gaze went from reflective to very intrigued as she looked at Frankie as if to confirm he really suggested that.
Frankie simply smiled.
She then looked over to Pyra.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. As a matter of fact, I think I can take a shot in the dark and get pretty close to what might fancy you, but I guess we'll just leave that as a surprise, won't we?" She looked knowingly at Mythra.
The blonde looked at her two table-mates and took a deep, relaxed sigh.
"Fine…I guess I can give it a shot…"
Frankie and Pyra lightly cheered her on.
"Alright, alright! Now enough of this sappy stuff, where's the damn food?"
"You ordered the All American Feast. It's still gonna take a while." Frankie pointed out as Mythra groaned in her seat.
"We could always order some Buffalo wings in the meantime…" Pyra playfully suggested.
"Pyra… I swear to all that is holy-" Frankie and Pyra laughed with each other as Mythra gritted her teeth at them.
A little under an hour later, Frankie, Pyra, and Mythra's eyes lit up wide as they were delivered the exact same feast Mythra saw the small family dining on when she first came in, with ribs and chicken in particular oozing with such sweet, succulent tangy barbecue sauce, the likes of which were unfamiliar to both ladies. After a quick prayer, Frankie and Mythra had a short slap fight over a particularly meaty chicken thigh before Pyra swooped in and took it for herself, giving them both an unamused glare as she bit into it herself, embarrassing the both of them.
The uneasy air quickly shifted to a jovial one once again as Pyra reveled in the delightfully smoky and vaguely spicy flavor of the sauce which coated the already juicy chicken, paired up with its crispy skin, she couldn't help but dine much more hungrily than she thought, not even caring that she was getting sauce all over her fingers and mouth. The look of awe and excitement that glittered in her eyes as she inspected the pile of bones told Frankie more than enough- she was already brewing at-home recipe ideas in her head for these strange new flavors that tickled her palette, of which he would be very happy to assist. He then looked over to Mythra, who had completely stripped the meat off of a single rib and breathed heavily as she chewed in an ever so loving fashion, her lips watering in bliss as she so effortlessly devoured the cutlet and immediately reached for another one in one hand, and a cornbread muffin in the other, alternating between each one in between bites.
If he wasn't sure before, he was most certainly in love now.
He had to quickly distract himself with a bit of brisket so the two of them wouldn't see his doofy lovestruck smile- over something so silly, nonetheless! He, too, was quickly succumb to the sweet, deliciously moist flavor of the meat he sampled, melting in his mouth as he began to buckle under its profile before taking some corn and buttering it up nice and good. There wasn't an empty belly in the house that night.
The trio had stayed until closing time, pausing their feast every now and then to laugh and joke about other tales Pyra and Mythra had about their previous domestic lives- or rather Pyra had, Mythra was silently plotting at a way to get back at her for embarrassing her so much, especially in front of Frankie. Even with his reassurance and high spirit, her pouty frown never faded. At least until they exited the restaurant, Mythra was so full she couldn't even walk, so Frankie and Pyra each took a side of her and escorted her stuffed self to the car while she was still woozily ranting at the both of them.
"…And I said to her… that if she ever suggested something like that ever again…" She paused to gulp. "I'd burn her…"
"Exquisite…" Frankie absentmindedly said as he struggled to keep Mythra steady on his end.
"Hey- hey come on, Dummy, I'm not that heavy! You need to bulk up in your upper region! I mean… all Blades and Drivers had to…" Mythra's eyes fluttered up and down sleepily as she teamed briefly. "That's how… that's how things were back in the day… one jump ahead of the breadline… one swing, ahead of the………… sword…………" Mythra's head tilted to the side as she fell fast asleep, both Frankie and Pyra still carrying her as she snores lightly. Pyra shook her head in amusement while Frankie let out a half smile her way.
"Looks like it wasn't me who had to say it this time…" He said.
"She's taking after you, be careful~" Pyra intoned with an innocent batting of her eyelashes, earning a blush from Frankie as he turned away.
"H-hey, electric media is big these days, I only played some part in it…" He excused.
"Some part, not none." Pyra pointed out, getting a bigger blush from Frankie, which he struggled to hide this time, though Pyra didn't seem to notice.
At last, they reached their car, and Frankie and Pyra helped Mythra into the passenger's seat, sitting her up daintily so she could lay back on the seat as she slept, Pyra going to the middle backseat while Frankie took the wheel as usual. With that, the trio was off for home once again, it was still the beginning of a workweek, after all, though that didn't stop Frankie and Pyra continuing their conversation from inside the restaurant.
"Heh…I know it may sound weird but…I don't think I can remember a time when she had this much fun…" Pyra giggled to herself as she made sure Mythra was comfortable.
"Pssh- You're…you're just saying that, there's no way that could…" Frankie began his usual affair of denial, but one look at Pyra's expression through the rear-view window told him she was being very serious.
She looked…sorrowful, but at the same time relieved and hopeful.
Frankie directed his eyes back to the road quietly, thinking of what to ask next. He thought of something, but was severely unsure of it.
"Hey uh…Pyra?"
"Hm, yes Frankie?" The redhead turned her head upwards and smiled sweetly, something Frankie couldn't tell obviously but the feeling nonetheless washed over him, causing him to blush yet again.
"W-well I…I'm sorry if this is a bit of a personal question but…"
He paused, but Pyra simply looked on curiously.
"S-so…Mythra's the older one of you two…"
"Heh, not that you could tell from how she acts."
"Heh…yeah, well…" Frankie kept looking between his windows and mirrors.
"...if…that's the case, when -or I guess…how- did you enter the picture?" He immediately regretted asking as the words left his mouth.
To his surprise however, Pyra simply smiled again.
"Oh Frankie, of course someone as insightful as you would be wondering about that."
She looked over and gently brushed her other self's hair away from her face.
"To tell the truth, technically speaking I was always there in some capacity, it's…a little hard to explain, but…"
She placed her hands in her lap as she took a moment to ponder how best to describe it.
"...you could say that, at first, I was just another personality of Mythra's."
"W-well… I kinda assumed that- you know… people with split personalities exist, I just assumed the two of you being Blades and all…" Frankie caught himself saying the dreaded 'B-word' to them. "I-I mean- Pyra- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-" Pyra chuckled to cut him off.
"Frankie, please, it's alright! Don't get yourself in a tizzy just because of a meaningless slip of the tongue!"
"I-I… okay Pyra…" Frankie shrunk in his seat a bit as he continued on the street.
"Now where was I…?" Pyra restarted. "Yes, at first I was just one aspect of Mythra's personality. But, as she collected more data about the world, more memories, it became…difficult for her to process everything by herself."
"W-what are you trying to say, Pyra…?" Frankie tensed his grip on the steering wheel.
Pyra looked down in some concern, clearly thinking of a way to say something without fully delving into it.
"Well, needless to say something…very traumatic happened to her at one point…so much so that…she needed to let go and just not take in any more information. She needed someone to take her place, to…help her in a way no one outside could."
She looked up at the car window to the evening sky above.
"And then…I came into existence."
"Oh…….. oh Pyra… I'm sorry I…" Frankie struggled to find the right words to cheer her up, how he kept getting himself into these messes, he didn't know.
"No, Frankie. It's fine, really." She once again smiled so sweetly at him, enough to calm his nerves down with just a look. "You could say, in a roundabout way, if it didn't happen…I…would never have come into this world…and I never would have gotten to meet you."
"H-hey… c-come on now… what are you talking about…?" Frankie asked, becoming an absolutely flustered mess.
"I mean it, Frankie." She looked forward at him in the mirror again, before looking down at Mythra.
"For…the longest time after I awakened, I didn't think I was alive. I was just…an existence to make things easier for her…" She lightly tucked another hair out of Mythra's face as it kept shifting around. "But…that made me happy…being needed by someone, being able to help them so much, I felt like I had a purpose…but, it came with its own baggage…"
"You mean like… living for others instead of yourself?" Frankie guessed.
She simply nodded before continuing.
"It was so odd…I lived my life as if it belonged to someone else, but because Mythra wasn't around when I was in control I…guess I pushed that need to help people onto those around me instead."
For once her face scrunched up slightly in a mixture of anger and annoyance, before she let out a tired sigh.
"How pathetic, right? I got so wrapped up in being helpful to everyone else that I couldn't think in terms of what I, Pyra, wanted. I just…went along with whatever I thought would benefit others…"
"Scared to speak your mind because whenever you did, it never went quite right?"
"Oh Frankie…this, this right here is one of the reasons I'm glad that I…stuck through it all in the end. You understand everything just so well and I can just…talk about it as much as I want with you…"
Pyra's face was at the brink of tears. Being able to explain her struggles and let it all out in a context where she wouldn't feel judged or like she was betraying those around her, she couldn't help but get choked up. There were so…so many things she just wanted to say to Frankie, but she opted to hold off for another day and leave it at…
"Thank you…so much, Frankie."
"Pyra… come on now… there's no need to-" But Frankie couldn't finish his sentence because at that point, Mythra's head had fallen on his shoulder, causing him to stop and and blush profusely. Pyra chuckled in response.
"I think Mythra's trying to say Thank You as well."
"W-whatever……." Frankie focused back ahead of him and the car was silent for a time.
"Hey Pyra…?" Frankie asked suddenly as Mythra rubbed up against his shoulder sleepily some more.
"Yes, Frankie?" She asked back.
"…I missed you, a lot, you know?" He admitted. Pyra sat up straight and jumped back a bit, eyes widened as she stared at his reflection in the mirror. He chuckled lightly once again as he quickly rolled his eyes over to the still out cold Mythra. "Not to say it hasn't been a blast with Mythra over here besides that… one day…" He said with a shiver as he tried to remove the thought from his brain, "But… it's just nice to see you again after so long, alright?"
"O-oh…" Pyra intoned with a blush of her own, looking down to hide it and wringing her hands in delighted embarrassment, trying even harder to hide the big goofy smile she was donning on her face. "I-I missed you a lot too… Mr. Frankie…"
Frankie blushed himself as he immediately refocused his attention on the road. Mythra smiling so contently even with drool dripping down her mouth didn't make things any easier on him.
'Just ten more minutes… please God, give me ten more minutes…' He thought to himself as he focused on the road.
Finally, the three of them had made it home, groceries and leftovers in hand. Their first order of business was immediately taking Mythra to bed, of which she had taken Frankie's late grandmother's after Pyra had shown up once again, Pyra going back to Frankie's late parents', Frankie pulled the sheets away for Pyra to lay her down gently and then put them back over her as she was cozy. He then reached for Jimmy and put him close to Mythra's head, who responded with a sleepy but happy moan as she took the Pikachu plushie in her arms.
"Thirds please, Big Guy… mmmm… it's a buffet don't look at me like that you Dummy…" Now, Mythra was fast asleep, a pleased and genuine smile plastered on her face as her breathing slowed down gently. Frankie and Pyra exchanged pleased smiles as the former went to go take his shower, and the latter, put the snacks and leftovers away.
Dressed up in short, cool and light navy blue pajama pants and a big plain white t-shirt, Frankie emerged from the restroom to see Pyra donning a pair of pajamas herself; a light and frilly pink nightgown that draped all the way down to her feet and a pretty light pink bow on her head, imitating her awakening uniform's tiara.
"Fits like a glove…" She said as she ironed down the bottom herself a bit. "What do you think, Frankie?"
He was stunned. He stared at her for a bit until realizing what he was doing and shook the shivers off himself a bit before stuttering a response out.
"Y-y-yeah- y-you look good…"
Pyra blushed happily as she folded her hands in front of her together.
"I…I really enjoyed my time tonight, Frankie…" She said as she looked down with close eyes before opening them up slowly. "It's been a stressful past couple weeks, hasn't it…?"
"It has…" He answered back just as lowly.
"Mythra too… neither of us can even remember just how long it's been since we've gotten to feel so… happy. Something new happens every single day…" She finally looked up at him and shut her eyes happily with an even wider smile than before. "So thank you for that too!"
Frankie smiled back, but curved the edges of his mouth downward barely noticeably. He didn't want to open the can of worms again, but he still thought about Addam and whoever Pyra and Mythra's last Driver was until he came into the picture. What their lives were like with either of them. He didn't want to admit it, as selfish as it was, but neither of them could have been outright miserable… though Mythra's reaction to the text and that dream he shared with Pyra told a few other stories. A few other stories that desperately needed answers.
But even in his most stressful moment, Pyra's smile and light blush was just enough to remind him that was not to be worried about for the time being.
'Were they always… THIS insanely pretty…?' He thought to himself.
"Y-you're welcome, Pyra…" Was what he said out loud. The two of them stared at the other for a bit longer, smiling just as bright as the other until Frankie was forced to break the silence. "W-well… I'll see you tomorrow… good night."
"Good night Frankie. I'll see you in the morning." Pyra said with a bow as she turned to walk to her room.
"night…" Frankie whispered again with a wave, getting Pyra to turn her head teasingly towards him with her classic tiny smile before she finally shut the door and got ready to lie down in bed.
Frankie held his breath briefly before dashing for his own room and bed, plopping down onto it immediately and screaming into his pillow, completely, absolutely, unapologetically twitterpated. When he calmed down, he looked upwards at the ceiling and took a deep breath when he realized something himself. It had been quite a while since he had felt this happy, in this particular moment himself. Kaito really wasn't spouting nonsense after all. Mythra, meanwhile, snuggled up to Jimmy even closer, dreaming sweet dreams of her and Frankie and Pyra just hanging out and eating ice cream and defending truth and justice with great valiance together. And Pyra held on to her heart so very tightly as she snuggled herself closer in bed herself. All three people were hopelessly in love at this point. It was going to be a challenge to keep it under control, but they were ready for it nonetheless. Test the waters… then strike… that's what they all decided themselves.
And finally.
Everyone was fast asleep.
