"Ding-Dong!"
"Alright! Pizza's here!"
"Mrf… if I wanted to play games and eat food with a dude, I would've stayed home with Dummy…"
"Mythra, hush, now! Kaito considers us part of his friend group too, and I'm very thankful for that!"
"Yeah, cmon, Mythra, it's kind of an honor to be considered, 'one of the guys'!"
"But I don't wanna be a guy!"
Mythra, Pyra, and Rubee were busy arguing on the couch of a recreational area in an apartment complex, one that Kaito's friend, Clover, had rented out for the day just for this occasion. Also there apart from Kaito himself were Yuri and Ron, Mythra's old co-worker. Everyone's shirts were too big, they all wore sweatpants and sandals, there was a bunch of junk food littered on the table, and the big TV screen was flashing with lights and colors of all kinds just waiting to be played on, it was paradise! Ron and Yuri had just walked away from the door while Kaito and Clover paid for the pizza, piping hot, loaded with cheese and pepperoni on one, mushroom and sausage on the other, plus cheesy garlic bread, it would be a night to remember for sure!
"Alright ladies… dinner is served~" Yuri said with a bow. Mythra scoffed and rolled her eyes in response.
"Show off…" she muttered.
"THANK YOU. For being so considerate, Yuri." Pyra said sternly, glancing Mythra's way at the same time.
"Yeah, relax, Myth, you're amongst friends!" Ron reassured her with a genuine smile. Still undeterred, Mythra turned away.
"E-excuse us for a moment…" Pyra politely excused herself as she took Mythra to the corner of the room, the latter of which still wearing a sour expression on her face as the three people on the couch exchanged confused, backwards glances. When the two were alone, Pyra turned Mythra to face her and frowned in concern. "Okay… what's up with you, Mythra…?"
"I'm fine… nothing is 'UP' with me, alright…? I'm not getting anything here that I wouldn't have gotten back at home. I still got candy to mow through, you know." The blonde responded back. Pyra sighed and shook her head solemnly.
"You know you can't lie to me… come on, I'm not leaving you alone until you do…" Pyra planted herself firmly in place, never escaping Mythra's view as she tried to ignore her.
"M-Mmf… no… I don't wanna…" She pouted. She didn't want to have to… but Pyra decided it was due for a scolding…
"Mythra, you listen to me right now! I don't care if you're technically older than me or what have you- you and I both know that we all feel the same about that big, chubby, studious dork, but there's an ENTIRE future waiting for us beyond our career paths! And I want to make the best of it while I still can…" Pyra sighed again, slightly guilty for raising her voice. "…and that future without you wouldn't be very fulfilling…"
Hearing that, Mythra's resolve faltered, and she turned away solemnly, not looking at anything in particular. Pyra attempted to meet her gaze as sweet and concerned as she normally did, and when Mythra answered back, she came clean.
"I'm just… scared about making new friends…"
Pyra's sternness very quickly dissipated back to understanding and concern. "Mythra…"
Seeing Pyra's expression lower so drastically, Mythra turned back and relented. "S-sorry, I…I know I've been really clingy, I know all of the things you're saying…it's just…"
Mythra gripped her elbows with one hand each and tapped her foot impatiently, as if she was chasing down the words but not able to catch them.
"I-its hard…okay…? I…I want it to not be hard but it…it just is…I dunno why…"
"Mythra…?" Pyra's concern grew as Mythra's expression grew more agitated and upset. It seemed the more she contested with her own irrational behavior the angrier she got.
She wanted to go home, she didn't want to think about these things, the more she thought about it the worse she thought about herself.
Why wasn't she able to make friends with anyone other than Frankie? Why was she being such a pest over just talking to people? Was she always like this? Is this why she never felt like she belonged anywhere?
Suddenly the sounds of the get together on the other side of the wall started to grate against her senses. Her face tightened.
"What…what's wrong, Mythra-?!" Pyra carefully but tightly gripped Mythra's shoulders, snapping her out of her daze.
Mythra stared back at her. That worried look on her face, washed with more than just concern now…with fear.
"I…I'm sorry…Pyra…" Mythra let her eyes fall to the ground.
"H-huh?"
"Here I am…making things difficult for you again…I'm such a…"
Mythra was cut off suddenly by the sound of liquid spilling and the party loudly exclaiming over it, soon followed by sporadic laughter.
"Aww man, how'd that happen-?"
"Kaito, how do you spill a milkshake THAT badly?"
"Years of practice, my friend…"
Suddenly Kaito appeared in the doorway where Pyra and Mythra were standing. His oversized shirt was drenched in the remains of his chocolate and marshmallow shake he'd ordered, a stain so large that, if not for the man's short stature, one could figure the entire cup's contents were now soaking his clothes.
Without missing a beat or even directly looking at the two ladies, Kaito quickly walked passed while gesturing to them.
"Hey Pyra, Mythra, come help me wash this out, will ya?"
The ladies, not fully processing what was happening, simply stared back at him for a moment, before Mythra finally said- "What…what are you-"
Kaito stared back at them, an uncharacteristically serious look adorned his face.
"Ahem…" He cleared his throat aggressively, "..please?"
…
Kaito and Mythra stood idly in the washing machine room of the house as Pyra rubbed off the excess drink contents from the shirt. Kaito was standing in his undershirt and sweatpants, having put on his jacket to compensate.
They stood silently for a moment as Kaito was checking something on his phone, before he spoke up- "Alright, Clover says we can use the washing machine so long as I pay up the extra cost of usage, and I'm chill covering that."
"Sounds good." Pyra said unemotionally as she proceeded to operate the machine.
"...hmph, that's pretty stupid…" Mythra muttered under her breath, causing Pyra to tense up somewhat.
"Mhm, mhm-" Kaito gave a nonchalant, non-response, which only seemed to aggravate the taller blonde woman.
"Aren't you, you know, embarrassed of looking like a total idiot in front of all those people?" She placed her hands on her hips to scold him.
"Mythra-!" Pyra sternly turned around, "Can't you see he's trying to help?"
"Help? How's dumping all that cow juice on himself helping? A-and who said we needed help in the first place?" Mythra mouthed off.
Kaito took a sharp inhale and exhale. "Hoo-kay…Mythra."
Mythra stiffened a bit. She'd seen Kaito be on edge before, but it was still an uncommon and jarring sight nonetheless. It did somewhat annoy her how effectively this much shorter individual so quickly caught her off guard like this, but she listened.
"You know what social anxiety is, yeah?"
"...d-don't treat me like I'm stupid, I-I know what it is…" Mythra folded her arms and nervously looked to the side.
"Then give me the definition." Kaito said, still unflinchingly kurt in his delivery.
"W-w-well I…you…"
"Um…Kaito, I think all Mythra needs is-" Pyra began to approach them, only to also be cut off by the shorter man.
"Do you know the definition, Pyra?"
"I…I um…well…" Pyra scratched her cheek a bit in thought. "I…think it's something to do with uh…" She felt she knew the definition Kaito was asking for, but being put so on the spot had the words escaping her at the moment.
"H-hey! Don't get all on her case like that!" Mythra walked over to Pyra's side. "M-mean jerk, you can't be treating us like we're dumb-!"
Kaito sighed, and then continued.
"Mythra, you and Pyra are uber-powerful warriors with a level of skill that is quite literally beyond our world's comprehension. You both have kindness that knows no bounds and have a sense of humility that is downright angelic. On top of that, you've accustomed yourselves to a world and culture almost completely foreign to you to the point of attaining jobs within the span of a few months without even having a full education. Most people on this planet take years to figure themselves out to that extent, myself included. What on God's green earth makes you think I have any grounds calling either of you dumb on any level whatsoever?"
"..."
Both of the ladies were at an utter and complete loss for words.
They had heard Kaito give direct compliments with a straight face, but having him do so with such an assertive tone really froze them in place.
Kaito let out another sigh, mostly to catch his breath. "You really think I don't understand exactly what you're going through? You think Frankie is the only person who does?"
"Wha…that's…"
"...that's it, isn't it?" Kaito followed through on his assertion.
Mythra looked like she was about to say something in refutation, but stopped herself…her expression slowly becoming a storm of emotions as she processed. Surprisingly Pyra -who had been hanging onto Mythra's shoulders- was the one to successfully speak up.
"Th-that's not true! Mythra is perfectly aware of-"
"I'm talking about BOTH of you, Pyra." The shorter man cut off the red haired taller woman before him, this definitely being the first time he'd ever addressed her so sharply.
Seeing how she recoiled, Kaito scratched his head and more casually grit his teeth.
"Listen you two, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. But…I've had this impression long before tonight. I don't wanna place myself on a pedestal or nothing, but…I think hearing what I have to say will help you out."
Eventually, the two softened their expressions and relented. Pyra was still a bit more uneasy, but at this point both of them understood Kaito well enough that they knew he had their best interests at heart.
"So, how to put this, hm…" Kaito looked to the side for a moment, looking as though he was figuring out the best means to ease them into what he was trying to say.
"...tell me, do you think I'm a social person? Be honest."
Partially thrown off by being told to listen and then immediately told to speak again, Pyra and Mythra looked at each other with some perplexion.
"I mean…are you not?" Mythra asked.
"Mhm, you certainly give off an air of confidence when speaking to others, yes." Pyra added, and Mythra continued.
"Like, you don't know some of the people at this party super well either, but you seem just fine chatting up a storm-"
Kaito made a noise that neither lady could tell if it was a scoff or a chuckle. "Is that right? Well that's nice of you girls to say, but…you'd…be wrong."
"What…do you mean?" Pyra asked this time.
"I'm about as introverted as they come. Social situations drain me like no one's business, especially stuff like this get-together. I'd even wager I'm more introverted than the both of you."
Pyra and Mythra both looked in some shock. While it's true they didn't exactly see every conversation Kaito had ever been a part of, to them it had always seemed like he reveled in exchanging dialogue with others.
"Sooo…I bet you're wondering how someone as chatty as me could possibly be on the level where talking to others feels so tricky, hm? Especially since that's something…you two deal with all the time-?"
The two ladies silently nodded, a bit ashamed to verbally admit that was exactly what they were thinking.
"Well see…that's the thing. You two seem to be under this impression that your problems are crazy unique. Like you're some celestial beings who don't have human struggles. That's why you took such a liking to Frankie right away, because he was the first person who made you realize that…there was someone out there who could relate to the problems you did have." Kaito gestured his head in their direction.
Again, the girls were speechless as they processed what was being said. Truthfully, Kaito had put words to the exact emotions they had been feeling practically since they arrived in this land and met Frankie, words they always had trouble fully articulating themselves.
Kaito smiled as they seemed to be starting to understand. "And that's awesome, finding someone who helps make your problems feel like a part of what makes you human, someone who you can connect to. But…" As he said this, Kaito put his hands together as if to tell the girls to wake up and pay careful attention to his following words, "...now that you've found Frankie, you're thinking that he's the only person who could ever understand what you're going through."
Kaito opened his hands as if to emphasize the weight of his statement, and that weight was not lost on Pyra or Mythra.
Mythra in particular took a moment to reflect on her experiences the past few months. Her previous conversations with Kaito, what he told her about Miko's struggles. And then her mind branched out, thinking of Irma (surprisingly), Mia, all the people she'd met and connected with here.
And then she spoke.
"But…that's not true, is it?" As Mythra said this, Pyra turned to her in some surprise, "Frankie isn't the only one in the universe who can help us…you know…see our problems in other people…I guess…?"
"Pfft, how astutely put, ya walking french fry-" Kaito laughed.
"Mm, shut up you fuzzy brat-" Mythra crossed her arms and pouted.
"But, you're a hundred percent right. Frankie's not the only one other than you ladies to ever feel like it's tough to just fit in. To talk to people you don't know super well. It's something everyone deals with."
"And…mmm…Frankie can't be with us every second of the day, e-even…even though…" Mythra trailed off.
"Even though you really want him to-?" Kaito finished with another chuckle.
"I-I said shut up!"
"Mhm…Frankie's an amazing person. More amazing than he'll ever give himself credit for. He's helped me out a ton of times too. But…obviously he can't be in multiple places at once, yeah?"
Mythra nodded as Kaito continued.
"So that's why it's important to make those connections with other people-"
"N-no!"
Kaito and Mythra turned to Pyra, who -after having been suspiciously silent- finally raised her voice. A moment of dead quiet followed, with no sound but the washing machine being heard.
"I…I just…" Pyra scrunched her face, holding her arm with her other hand, a type of posture Kaito normally associated more with Mythra.
"S…so what? O-our connection with Frankie…was it not all that special after all?" Her voice was shaky and trembling.
"Pyra, what're you saying-" Mythra questioned, but truthfully that thought had flashed through her mind as well. It just shocked her that Pyra was the one who seemed more troubled by it.
"I-I was willing to put up with the idea that we just…needed more work to be able to live normally in this world…but…if you're saying Frankie shouldn't matter as much then-"
"Heyheyheyhey- when did I ever say that?" Kaito quickly cut her off.
Pyra looked up, tears welling in her eyes as Mythra took her turn to place her arms on her shoulders. Of course Mythra wanted to say something herself, this was one of the few times Pyra's younger age actually showed through. Had she…been keeping her own emotions regarding all of this bottled up? And for the sake of who…?
"Pyra…big sis…you know that's not what I mean-"
Kaito walked a step closer.
"What you have with Frankie, both of you, it is special. A type of bond that's precious on a level you can't even imagine."
As soon as he said that, Pyra's face softened once more, as she reached for Mythra's hand on her shoulder and gripped it tightly.
"But I think you know it best yourself. Relying on someone else is fine, good even. But you can't rely on them to a point where it starts holding you back more than helping you."
This time, both ladies looked down, a bit disappointed in themselves. It wasn't an emotion Kaito was trying to give them, but he had to press on. Even if it meant pulling out the card he was hoping not to use-
"W-well just…compare that to me and Miko-" Suddenly a lot of the confidence drained from Kaito's voice, still sure of what he was saying but now with a twinge of bashfulness added.
"D-do you think…ahem…do you see me and Miko needing to be in the same room all the time? Do you think we don't make connections with people other than ourselves?"
"I…I guess…not…" Pyra said slowly, as Mythra nodded.
"Uh huh. To put it another way, it's like…there are people you connect with on like, 95% to 100% level. That's you two and Frankie…or as we in the business call it, lovers-" Kaito sneakily added at the end, causing Pyra and Mythra's faces to flare up in red.
"As IF! We didn't say NOTHIN' to each other, so it ain't official… jerk face!" Mythra commented shakily, shoving her hand into Kaito's face and pushing him away as she turned from him, meanwhile Pyra was silently letting her mind wander all over the place, her hands on her cheeks as her eyes wibbled in curiosity and questioning.
Kaito chuckled as he caught himself, then continued, "That's exactly what I mean! No one else gets a reaction out of you two like he does. It's proof enough that he's special to you on a level no one else can match!"
The short fuzzy man dusted himself off. "BUT, just because you and Frankie are at 100% understanding and bond with each other doesn't mean you have to be 0% with everyone else, you get me?"
After coming down from their respective fluster, Pyra and Mythra pondered that. It hadn't occurred to them before now but…what Kaito was saying made a lot of sense.
"Take me for example. I know you ladies fairly well, but definitely not even close to the level you are with Frankie-"
"-and that stuffy brat would likely have our heads otherwise-"
"-yes…heh…yes she would. So I'd say I'm at about…40, maybe 50% with you two."
Kaito walked over once again to face the two directly.
"That means I can understand what you're going through, and I want to help. It means that you can trust me, and talk to me if you need some guidance on these things. A bond of friendship, or like, you know…"
"...a little brother…?" Pyra finished Kaito's thought, which made the small man grin.
"Precisely, big sis!" He held out his fist towards the girls, "And it's not just me. You can find bonds like that with Miko, with the people you work with, even the folks at this party."
Pyra had a slightly startled look on her face, while Mythra scoffed and turned her nose up.
"Listen, the reason I can be so social and chatty despite all my baggage…is because I keep reminding myself that everyone around me is human, just like me." He gestured his fist once again, clearly looking for a bump, "You girls are human too. Just as human as these jokers. And there's a lot of potential close friendships you can make with them. Friendships that can make you better as people, for yourself, and for Frankie."
After hearing that, the two ladies looked at each other…and finally relented, sharing Kaito's fist bump.
"If this night goes downhill, I'll never let you live it down…"
…
Exiting out of the washroom, Kaito reappeared to his friends with a spring in his step, while the two taller ladies trudged along a bit unsuredly, their eyes widening at the sight of- well, to call them a lot would be a massive overstatement- though they had forgotten just how many people were at this party to begin with, and they all wore the same concerned expressions.
"Hey, Myth… you and Pyra doing okay…?" Ron asked with a wince.
"What's it to you, you big-" Mythra caught herself, slapping her cheeks together and letting out a deep breath. "I-I mean… could be better…"
"Yeah, that's easy to see…" Rubee pointed out.
"Listen, you two- you're amongst friends! You don't gotta worry about a thing… if Kaito says you're cool, then you can stay as long as you like." Clover, the organizer of the shindig announced, warmly extending his arms toward them.
It had been the first time Mythra and Pyra had properly met Clover in person, and while they weren't sure why, the girls had somewhat anticipated him and Kaito would look alike. And while they had their similarities, the actual Clover stood quite a fair bit taller, actually matching Pyra and Mythra in height. He was also missing Kaito's scruff entirely, instead bearing a head of soft hair with round glasses. The energy he provided was similar enough to Kaito though, that was for certain.
"W-well… I do have one request…" Pyra shyly shuffled.
"Yeah? What's up?" Yuri asked.
"…please give us some space."
The quartet suddenly realized how disturbingly close they had huddled up towards Pyra, Mythra, and Kaito, all four of them immediately backing off and nervously looking around as if nothing happened.
"Good… we have room to breathe now…" Pyra demonstrated thusly. "We do appreciate you all inviting us to this outing… we do! Just… don't mind us if we bring it down a little bit…"
Mythra silently gave Pyra a solemn look… she didn't say it, probably didn't even think it, but Mythra certainly felt that a lot of the tension in the air was on her part, so she nodded right alongside Pyra's statement.
"Well, alright then- how's about we bury the hatchet and get this party started?!" Ron hollered excitedly.
"Maybe without so much milkshake mayhem, eh, Kaito…?" Clover prodded his ribs teasingly.
"Everything happens for a reason, my friend…" Kaito grunted in response.
"Hey, I got an idea- why don't I show you that video I showed Frank back at work? It's hilarious!" Without any pause, Yuri pulled up his phone, showing Pyra and Mythra young Rubee's Ave Maria recital, forcing the younger lady to leap and claw fruitlessly at her older brother.
"YOU JERK! I TOLD YOU NEVER TO PLAY THAT AGAIN!"
"Oh, this? Is this what you want? Whop! …Whop! …Whop!"
Every time Rubee jumped for the phone, Yuri immediately yanked it upward, his face unblinking and unphased at each action taken against him.
"You know what, girls? I changed my mind- you can be mean to HIM and him on- HEY, WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!"
Mythra stubbornly held in a chuckle while Pyra pardoned her own light giggle over the sport.
"See? Told ya they were good people…" Kaito reaffirmed.
"Not ALL of them, Kaito!" Rubee retorted.
"Oh, Rubee- I actually think your voice is quite lovely! You were the real star of the show during that little dance and dinner some time ago!" Pyra complimented.
"Oh… you really think so?" In an instant, Rubee stopped trying to attack Yuri, and clasped her hands together, eyes twinkling snobbishly as she stared directly at Pyra.
"Indeed! As a matter of fact, I'd like to run a few things by you tonight if we have the chance… you don't mind do you?"
"Things… like what?"
"Ah-ha… you'll see soon enough… but I suppose now I should ask… is there a way we can use the space in this room for… more than just sitting?"
"…gonna have to be a little more specific than that, Pyra…" Kaito reminded.
"O-of course! I knew that!"
"Well- don't mind me, just taking a shot in the dark here, but… how about we put the board games aside for now and try something a little more… interactive?" Clover suggested. Mythra perked her ears and head up at the mere mention of games, and Pyra had to admit she was interested too.
…
Space. The final frontier. Nary a man has dared to venture into its deepest vacuums, much less come out alive. Silence crept over this world just below Heaven, the only sound that even attempted to let itself be known was that of the planets' natural rotation. Droning, slow, dream-like in a sense. Stars would die and be reborn in seemingly rapid succession, and the moons surrounding these gaseous or rocky orbs shivered ever so gently as the sun stood just far enough way to refuse its warmth… only, the surface of one moon in particular wasn't shaking due to the cold, rather, there was a bump in the night. A large bump. A hectic, erratic, terrifying, confusing, and ear-shattering bump.
LGMs and Greys hissed out warnings over the laser shots fired their way, of which they just managed to barely dodge. The Grey had carried with him a large sack of money while the LGM skulked creepily into the shadows of a bustling moon city, scaring its inhabitants away with grotesque guttural noises and sloshing sounds from its sticky feet.
"Damn! Not here!" Yuri bemoaned, wearing a skin tight techno suit with blue trim, showing off his rather impressive set of muscles. On his right was Rubee, same fit but trimmed with red instead, to his left, Clover- same but green- Kaito, purple, Ron, orange, Mythra, white, and Pyra, pink. No longer were they stuck in the large but visually boring rec room, they were surrounded by alien landscapes, people, floating debris, colors never even thought of by man down below, and little creatures that even Pyra and Mythra wouldn't hesitate to call bizarre running around in a frenzied panic. One of the smallest ones spotted them and scurried on over to them on tiny legs, its round and spiky body trying to keep up with its speed.
"Fair heroes! You have come to save us!" The creature proclaimed over-dramatically, "Those dastardly aliens made off with all of our funds for the Children's Expo! Now our young will go hungry and have nothing to read! Oh help us! Please think of the children!"
"Ok, now this is a bit much…" Pyra mused, grimacing at the garish and overly exuberant surroundings and characters she had been plopped down in with absolutely no context, tugging at the pant leg of her suit. Mythra harshly shushed her, eager to get on board with whatever it was they were doing, as Yuri, their designated leader, took a stand and put a hand out in front of him, accepting the offer.
In reality, Clover had brought out an elaborate virtual reality set up, every last participant held on to their controls and wore their headsets as tightly as they could, as if they really had gotten sucked into the game. Pyra was visibly shaking. This current casual technology was already stressing enough, but this was more or less the future to her! She didn't want to admit it, but she was absolutely SEETHING over Mythra's quick grasp on everything, and her bounding in place did nothing to quell her anger. Now SHE almost wished Frankie was here. Almost, because for as jittery as she was, she had to admit she was excited, nevertheless… as over the top everything seemed.
"Alright, gang, listen up! This is training day and we don't have much time til those nasty aliens totally lose us! We gotta get moving, people! I want you all to tell me what you can do so we can get a move on!" Yuri shouted as though he were a military general, sizing up all his troops dutifully. A cheeky Rubee raised and waved her hand with a smug grin.
"I can be your babysitter~"
"Hey! This is no time for jokes, cadet Rubee! We're on a mission here!" Mythra hollered.
"Heh… what a voice, Myth… almost forgot you were a cop for a sec-" Ron chuckled.
"Damn right I am! I'm bringing these freaks to justice like it or not! I won't stand for ANY wrongdoings here!"
"I'm starting to see why Miko calls her big sis…" Clover whispered to Kaito.
"Oh, you should've seen Frankie when he was going over his midterm with us- he almost brought the house down himself- telling you they're perfect for each other~" Kaito and Clover snickered naughtily to themselves. The lack of any progress caused Yuri to pinch his nose in frustration.
"This isn't helping at all… alright- tell ya what! Mythra- you seem good on the battlefield! You're my lieutenant!"
"I won't let you down!"
"Please let him down…" Rubee joked.
"Oh, dear sister, how wonderful of you to volunteer yourself as live bait-" Rubee's smug confidence disappeared all too quickly, whipping her head towards her older brother in shock.
"Say wha-?!" Yuri didn't bother responding to her at all.
"Ron, Clover, you're my shields- Kaito, I'm counting on you to be my scout- and Pyra-" Pyra snapped herself to attention at the sound of Yuri's voice. He could see her clear nervousness too well and puzzled over himself for a few seconds… what on earth would he assign her to being so new to this and all? "…you're my eyes at the back- I'm counting on you."
"I-is that it…?" She questioned nervously.
"We got plenty of firepower-" Mythra emphasized Yuri's statement by slamming her blaster in one hand and then to the other, "Lookout's all we need."
"O-okay! I can do that!"
"Alright, ladies and gents!" Yuri brought a terrified Rubee up close to him as he called to action, "Let's do this thing!"
The curtain was up- and this ragtag team of mercenaries was off. Running in place in reality looked like soaring across the watery, murky reaches of space with reckless abandon. Kaito, as their fastest, kept a distance in front of everyone else… Rubee only at his side because she was forced to… her time would come, she thought to herself, giving Yuri the evil eye as she and Kaito continued forth.
Kaito barked out a warning as he dove headfirst for a Grey, who tried to tackle him back, but the denser form of the human man overpowered the alien's squiggly top heavy body. Before Yuri could give an order back, Mythra locked and loaded her blaster and swerved around the group with grace, sliding into battle as she fired at a leaping LGM, shooting it down with one well aimed blast. Pyra cringed and looked away in disgust, only to be taken surprise by two greys running up on them with sharpened daggers. As she yelped out in alarm, Yuri demanded Clover to assist Pyra, forgoing his ranged weapons and delivering a swift kick to the stomach and arm thrusting his way out of a one on one with the other that was attempting the sneak attack. Pyra nervously looked over to Yuri, who gave her a silent, proud thumbs up. Sheepishly, Pyra mimicked the action as she shook her head back into place.
Now there wasn't just one or two coming from out of the darkness, a horde of screaming extra terrestrials were making their way over to the lot of them, swinging and roaring around with reckless abandon. All this for a bank's worth of money? There was no time to compromise, the whole gang finally came alive. Whenever Rubee was pushed ahead by her peers, she would shriek out in terror as she was about to be jumped only to be saved by Mythra, who was doing a tag team sort of formation with Yuri, where she would blast at his blind spot, and he would smash his way through before sniping a kill from faraway, thinning out the pack in his own right. Rubee and Kaito themselves worked rather well together, even with the former grumbling and swearing under her breath over the position she was forced into… as a matter of fact, it ended up working… disturbingly well. Rather than any unnamed alien faces coming at her from all directions, she instead envisioned them all as tiny, grotesque versions of Yuri, taunting her with slimy, disgusting tongues and big drooling noses… as if she couldn't stand him to begin with- oh but what fun it was to lay into them completely, slashing and goring them savagely like a wild cat tearing into its prey, surplus killing left and right as a reminder to all the Savannah that it was the top predator… that SHE was the top predator. While Rubee laugh maniacally over the mountain of corpses she left in her wake, Kaito was more than happy to set and detonate traps off in the distance to cover his allies… but if they were to be honest, at this point, they were all mostly frightened at Rubee's frantic attacks. Though Yuri was just as stunned as the rest of them, he couldn't help but chuckle and feel pleased with himself- she was doing just as- if not better than planned.
And then… the fun really began. Just as the ground troops had all been whittled away, the team all finally came across the stolen money and were ready to collect it for themselves… and then the ground started to shake. No longer were they on even footing with smaller enemy forces… instead, they were met body to eye with the Queen of the extraterrestrials, a gigantic, rocky, squid-like creature that blurted out a loud and disgusting guttural roar as she flung the team off her body and into space once more. Pyra, especially, was freaking out at this point, screaming in utter confusion and failing to say a single word as she tried to get a look over her galactic surroundings, she was thrown into an even bigger surprise as she was flung into the seat of… an airship?
It wasn't just her. Mythra, Clover, Kaito, Rubee, Ron, and Yuri all sat determinedly in their own color-coded spaceships. Within the space, Pyra looked over to Yuri, who smirked cockily back at her… regardless of if it was real or not, Pyra felt herself getting sick… but she could tell the game was almost over… just a little more to tough out.
"Star Dhole… Fire at will!" He hollered, and in a frenzy of yelling and harsh blasting, every single member of the team went completely nuts! Pyra, mostly due to being caught in the heat of the moment, kept up just as well as she could, narrowly missing her own team with each shot, and just BARELY missed Clover in one instance, to which he was quick to reply with,
"Hey, Einstein, I'm on your side!" He ended his jeer with a proud sounding chuckle, but Pyra couldn't help but feel embarrassed nevertheless, feeling like a total hindrance… and on the last leg too… and then Kaito and Mythra flanked her with their own ships.
"Never give up, trust your instincts!" Kaito called out to her. In response, Pyra looked over to a determined and excited looking Mythra, who gripped ahold of her blasters and shot at the Queen with no regard for anyone but her own team's safety.
With both of them keeping her safe, Pyra was able to readjust herself fairly well enough… getting a better scope of the creature and the space it was in… tentacles flying everywhere, eyes darting in different directions, the lot of them all had gotten it so confused that its own attacks were null and void at this point. She couldn't help but laugh just a little at that… and that's when she saw it- in its beak-like mouth was a glowing core, it was more evident than ever now as the creature roared repeatedly in frustration.
"The mouth! The mouth is its weak point!" Pyra exclaimed.
"Good eye, cadet Pyra!" Yuri hollered, "Now, who wants to be the lucky one to go in after it- Rubee-?"
"NOT. HAPPENING." Rubee shot her older brother one of her most venomous glares yet.
"Never fear, dear Rubee! I shall take the mantles this once! To ensure not a single finger of yours may be lifted! And then we shall fly merrily to safety, celebrate our victory and-"
"WATCH OUT YOU IDIOT!" Clover shrieked, forcing Ron to stop his valiant tirade and watch as the queen's giant stony tentacle was about to smack him out of the sky. He was just barely able to dodge, flushing completely pink as he avoided eye contact with Rubee completely.
"Pretty smooth flying, Ron~" Yuri jested.
"Shut up…"
"All of you shut up!" Mythra suddenly announced as she opened the cockpit of her aircraft, loaded up her gun, and stood high up on her seat as the ship entered freefall closer and closer to the weak spot.
"Mythra!" Pyra hollered.
"Relax. I'm about to do what's called… a pro gamer move…" With a swift leap into the sky, Mythra took out her other blaster as her ship totally disappeared from sight, and with deadeye precision, fired away one shot after the other directly into the queen's maw. Not even her reeling her body away to avoid the blasts helped much as Mythra matched each jerk with equally impressive aim, and as one final push, charged up her last two shots both at once and then…
BLAM!
The creature felt a barrage of fire explode into her mouth, and with a blood-curdling shriek, gyrated around uncontrollably, stopping for a brief second to stare straight ahead in stunned silence, her deep red eyes widened in incredulity… and then exploded into a massive pile of rubble.
The rocks all landed one after the other on top of each other, forming a mountain stretched miles high. The team had all evacuated the area quickly before getting caught in the rock slide and watched on, flabbergasted out of their minds and trying to decide whether or not they just witnessed all of that.
"Wait… where's Mythra…?" Rubee asked. Whispered fell upon the team, none of them being able to give a direct answer until Pyra noticed two figures standing atop the mountain.
"There!"
They all followed her point to see as Mythra stood atop a large chest, containing all the treasure, some of which was spilling out the closed top, completely unharmed, but extremely proud. So proud, in fact, she began to shimmy around in celebration, eyes closed in pride and rapture as she clapped in rhythm with a silly song she came up with on the spot…
"Ye. Ye. Ye. Ye. Got da money. Ye. Ye. Ye. Ye. Dummy. Dummy. Dummy. Dummy. Ye. Ye. Ye. Ye. Dummy!"
"Who's Dummy?" Ron asked. His question fell on deaf ears, however, as Pyra blocked him out completely as she called out to her.
"Mythra! Be careful up there, you'll hurt yourself! …and don't get all excited! This money isn't for us!"
"Aww- live a little you big red gumball! I'm just having a bit of fun! And I think I deserve SOME praise for cheating death back there like the absolute queen that I am!" Mythra acted more of a horrible snob than she ever did before. Pyra shook her head in defeat while pouting and stubbornly kept down a laugh while Mythra continued to dance.
"Alright, Lieutenant, at ease… let's get you into one of our ships and let's get this money back to those little guys before anything else comes our way." Yuri chuckled aloud.
And just at that moment, a little ding was heard. Rubee was the first to look in its direction. It was a message, it read, "Achievement Unlocked: Star Pilot- finish Story Mode without taking a single hit." At that revelation, Rubee veeerrrryyyy slowly and creepily twisted her head to face Yuri.
"You… used me… as bait… for a stupid medal…?" She growled.
"H-hey, now, sis, let's calm down- it's for all of us to share- it's just a game and none of it is real-"
"THAT'S IT- COME HERE!" Rubee ripped off her headset and made a beeline towards Yuri, who was pleading for mercy as he parroted her own actions, the chase going round and round the room, the commotion forcing the rest of the crowd to remove their own headsets and watch in intrigued horror.
"Rubee- Rubee- trust me i know what i was doing-!"
"YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE JUMPSCARES- YOU WANT AN ACHIEVEMEN- I'LL GIVE YOU AN ACHIEVEMENT! YOU AND YOUR STUPID TRY HARD RIP-OFF STAR FIGHTER TEAM!" She swiped and pawed at the air furiously as she gradually closed the distance between them, putting on quite the display.
"Mythra, Kaito- Somebody- HELP!"
"Yeah- gett'em, Rubee! I believe in you!" Ron hollered joyfully.
"She's not going out with you-"
"She's not going out with me…"
Clover patted Ron on the back reassuringly as he hung his head in shame after agreeing with his shorter friend, meanwhile, Kaito took the time to separate Pyra and Mythra from the group once again.
"So? What did you think?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"Mmf… I didn't like it… Frankie's games are much nicer and friendlier…" Pyra admitted, fidgeting around nervously.
"Well I sure had a great time! I'm gonna force Dummy to buy us one of these and-" Kaito raised an eyebrow Mythra's way, halting her excited tangent… yeah, she realized there was no need for that and calmed down, correcting herself thusly, "I-I mean… I'll be sure to come on over some more if I wanna play again-"
"They're good people, Mythra, trust me."
"Mmm… it's not bad if I don't WANNA hang out with them all the time though, right…?" Mythra shrunk into herself, much like Frankie whenever he was confronted with a difficult question. The similarity wasn't lost on Kaito- who put a reaffirming hand on her shoulder.
"Course not- friends are there to have fun with- not stress you out…"
Mythra seemed to agree, as she smiled slightly at Kaito's remark, but then that only drew her attention to Pyra, who was still shuffling around shyly and nervously, looking around the room at nothing in particular, but still very clearly feeling left out. She frowned in response and thought for a minute. And that's when it hit her…
"Hey Rubee!"
At this point, Rubee had caught Yuri in a choke-hold, though Mythra's call brought her out of it.
"Huh? What's up?" She asked, turning her volume and energy down considerably as though Mythra had flicked a switch.
"I'm freeeee!" Yuri cheered in celebration, keeping a far away distance from Rubee as possible at that point.
"Come on over here, why don't ya? Pyra's got something to ask ya-"
"W-wha?! M-me? Mythra, what're you-"
Mythra stopped Pyra's fluster with a proud and confident smile of her own… now it was her turn to save face… and Rubee's genuine interest as she walked on over told her more than enough to believe that everything was going to work out…
…
"Take your stinking paw off me you darn dirty ape!"
Pyra watched as a vicious Rubee slowly stood up tall from her then-hunched over position, eyes widening in surprise as the comparatively smaller woman now towered over her, teeth bared and eyes glaring daggers into her very soul, punctuating it all off with one simple world.
"…nnnnnNNNNOOOOOOO!"
As genuinely terrified as she was, Pyra couldn't help but let out the smallest of smiles as her pupil violently let go of her wrist, wildly rummaging around the room, screaming out defiant and ear-shattering bellows of "no" just as she expected her to, following the script to a perfect t.
"Yes- yes! You're doing amazing! More energy, more energy! I don't want to see Rubee, I want to see Caesar! Do you hear me?!"
"Er- when you said dinner and a show, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." Clover whispered to Kaito.
"Shh! This is the best part!" Kaito replied back.
"All of you call it high class theatrics… I call it Tuesday…"
"Cut!" Pyra suddenly yelled. On a dime, Rubee followed command and whipped herself around, completely shifting her vengeful demeanor to one of hopeful curiosity.
"H-how did I do? Was I loud enough-?" She begged, twiddling her fingers around.
"Rubee, I saw potential in you the moment you hopped up on stage and took that mike for yourself!" Pyra admitted, getting the smaller lady to smile widely. "You have such a natural talent for the performing arts it's a wonder you haven't pursued them yet!"
"Ah- w-well- it's really more of a hobby… I don't wanna make a big name for myself or anything… sticking behind a computer screen is good enough for me-" She admitted with a blush.
Pyra paused and looked inquisitively at the young lady. Cooking was a hobby, playing games was a hobby- something so lively and extravagant as the performing arts itself being lumped in with these other comparatively simple things threw her for a loop… but Rubee also seemed very confident about what she had said. Pyra was perplexed, but accepting. Regardless of how Rubee viewed this project of hers, she still wanted to make it worth her while, put her talents and interests to use somehow… just like she was.
"Hey, Pyra- don't you worry about a thing!" Yuri suddenly offered, getting up out of his seat and drawing attention towards him as he met with the two ladies. Rubee gave him an unimpressed side eye as he tried to flaunt himself towards Pyra, "Lemme tell ya, my singing may not be as good as little sis over here-"
"Stop touching me."
Even as he removed his supportive pat from Rubee, Yuri didn't bother responding to her.
"But I can put on a pretty decent show if I do say so myself- it was me AND Kaito who put together Frankie's little shindig at the office, after all~"
"Well, that's very well and good, Yuri, but-" Pyra let out a gentle and nervous smile in an effort to explain further to Yuri, but the younger man stayed vigilant and put himself further away from the ladies so she could get a better view of his profile.
"Check this out, I can do drama…" Waving a hand over his face, Yuri's expression shifted from casual to heartbroken in an instant as he fell to his knees, "Jack… Jack, there's a boat, Jack…! Jack…"
"That certainly is very impressive, but-"
"Feigning sympathy- oh, of course, of COURSE you didn't… no one ever means for these things to happen… but the king IS dead… and if it weren't for YOU, he'd still be alive…" Pouring himself over an invisible muse, he let out a fake sob before pointing angrily at Pyra, still trying to get a word in, to no success.
"Yuri-"
"Romance-" Suddenly, Yuri pulled Ron into the act, dipping him quickly and taking a deep breath, before putting on a horrendous French accent and whispering sweet nothings into his ear. "I am ze captain… and you are ze first mate… and promotions will follow quickly~" He wiggled his brow Ron's way, raising a hand dramatically in the air. Though freaked out at first, the brown haired man feigned swooning, batting his eyelashes rapidly as he looked away coyly. Clover and Kaito couldn't help but laugh. Pyra, however, certainly wasn't. Now, she couldn't even speak as Yuri rapid-fired his 'expertise'.
"Still not enough for you? I got BRAVERY! Cowardice… Bashfulness, Stone-faced… CHEERY! Sultry~ PASSIONATE…! LOoonging! Foul-mouth-I say, FOUL-MOUTHED MOTHERFU-"
Pyra finally snapped.
"WE ARE CASTING THE MAIN LEAD AND HER LOVE INTEREST!" She hollered, cupping her hands over her mouth as a makeshift megaphone. It was the loudest she had ever raised her voice… even she had to take a step back and clear her throat apologetically, smiling sheepishly at a now frozen in shock Yuri. The man darted his eyes towards his disgusted little sister, who slowly shook her head coldly as his stunned smile only seem to grow wider in embarrassment.
"….aaaaaaand Yuri Young exits the scene, stage left! You've all been a wonderful audience, thank you! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go wash my mouth out with soap, dive headfirst into a heap of scrap metal and proceed to let Jesus take the wheel from thereon out…!"
"I-I'm sorry, Yuri… I-i shouldn't have gotten so cross with you…"
"Hey, try not to feel too bad about it, Py, that's just what a director's gotta do sometimes." Clover pointed out as he took another bite of pizza.
"I-I don't know… it just still feels a bit wrong…" Pyra shuffled herself around nervously, wringing her hands to stimulate her emotions. But before she could lose herself too much, Rubee came closer and offered her a helping hand.
"Pyra, cmon now, if this is something you really wanna do, you got a lot more people on your side than you think- right boys?"
"Wouldn't dream of anything else!" Kaito raised his glass cheerfully.
"Hey, everyone loves a good cult underground classic, I'd be happy to spread the word and snag a couple of tickets in due time!" Clover encouraged.
"Ho-Ho, we all know how you get with the kids back at work, Pyra. There'll be lines to get INTO the lines at this rate!" Ron exclaimed.
A still mortified Yuri gave a supportive thumbs up from behind the corner.
"Listen, Pyra… if it weren't for you or that… whatever the heck Frank is to you… I wouldn't be quite literally making a scene like I am now! Sure, it was an accident but, hey- exercising these ol' pipes of mine always love a bit of exercise now and then- so I'm happy to help anyway I can!" Rubee added.
"I-I mean… I do suppose…" Pyra could hardly finish her thought before Mythra stood up tall and shouted to the small little audience that lay before them.
"Words only go so far! If you really wanna convince Pyra you're on her side, you gotta do something about it! Rubee! You're in the makings of a star, show 'em what you got!"
She whipped her head toward Pyra, who, while initially shocked, caught on what Mythra was doing and dug her heels into the ground, standing up just as tall as she was.
"R-right! In the director here! Rubee! I want you to sing a song as you're getting attacked by a horde of vicious criminals! It's important for the lead to be adaptable in any given situation! And she is to sing just as well as she can fight! This isn't just a production, this is art! Positions, everyone!"
"Did someone say we're gonna attack Rubee?!" Yuri asked, zipping into place a bit too excitedly.
"You suck! Get outta here!" The young lady demanded. Pyra hummed and turned away from the crowd.
"A bit more emotional than I'd like right off the bat…" But just as quickly as she furrowed her brow, it was raised back up in pleased surprise. "But that's how you let people know you care about your craft! Yes! We have a solid motiv right off the bat! Is everyone ready?!"
The room let out a solid and resounding, "I am!" That echoed amidst the walls… all except one.
"WAIT!" Kaito cried before scrambling in a frenzy, taking some of the soda cups they had yet to use, taking some tape from the drawer of the room and stitching them together as tight as he could into a childish mess of makeshift swords… a bit ghastly and amateurish to look at, but they held together well, as he demonstrated by quickly jabbing Clover in the arm. The other man yelped in alarm and gave Kaito a nasty glare as he rubbed the spot he hit. Couldn't stay there for too long, however, as Kaito gave each one of the aggressors a sword just as quickly as he made them.
"Okay! Now we're ready! Your vision is very fantasy driven, isn't it? Gotta have more than just fisticuffs at the ready!"
"Ohhh- this is gonna be fun- almost wish Dummy was here to see this…" She pretended to cock her 'sword as she assumed a battle-ready stance, grinning madly. "ALMOST." She reiterated. Kaito smiled at her proud and affirmative glare and matched it with his own, leaving Rubee alone on the battlefield as Pyra stepped aside.
"Whatever comes to mind first- let it out and keep it in tune with the action! Speaking of which… ACTION!"
As the horde charged towards Rubee, her eyes widened in alarm as she searched herself for a way to respond to Pyra's direction. With everyone closing in on her so suddenly, she was getting flashbacks to the dance club all over again… alllll over again… that was it!
She grunted harshly as she slid to the side, surprising her pursuers and Pyra. The two locked eyes and the director urged her to keep going, eager to see what was to come next.
"Alright- bad guys! Step in time and stay in formation! Let's go!"
The crowd all rhythmically followed orders, with Mythra in particular waving her eyebrows in tune with their steps, but the tense situation only seemed to urge Rubee even further, as she taunted them just as how Pyra requested.
"You don't- have to be beau-tiful… to turn me on!" She stepped in tune with each beat that played in her head, perfectly dodging and weaving out of dodges in an almost ballerina-like grace. Mythra in particular was rather miffed at her evasion.
'Yeah- consider yourself lucky we aren't on a REAL battlefield, pretty girl…!' She exclaimed to herself.
"Really, sis? That's what you're going with? Something a little more fitting wouldn't hurt, would it?" Yuri asked just before Pyra clapped her hands attentively.
"N-no comments from the peanut gallery! We're orchestrating a performance!" She exclaimed.
Though still quivery and nervous in her speech, Pyra was most definitely excited. Mythra didn't even need to rely on their inner bond they naturally shared to tell. All she had to do was look. She was blushing very lightly and breathing slightly heavily, but she pinpointed the way the corners of her mouth stood up on end. It was very nearly a smile, an honest one at that. She only chuckled lightly before agreeing silently with her and redirecting her attention back to a still singing Rubee, who was busy continuing on with the song, seemingly no care in the world as she bounded up and down with grace and rhythm, not different at all from when they first met at the dance.
Pyra especially kept a close eye on the action- noticing Rubee's movements just as well as Mythra did. She felt… good? She searched herself to find a way to describe her sudden shift in emotions, and that was what she landed on. All she did prior was organize and lay detail to the haunted house at Mia's… but now she was outright commanding and guiding others before her eyes. Art being sculpted at her hands and words. Her heart raced and knees buckled like never before. The tiniest of laughs left her mouth as she listened and watched the scene before her unfold just how she envisioned it… well, mostly, anyway, it needed something more… well, she WAS the director, after all.
"This is a musical number, everyone! I wanna see that rhythm in your steps just as well! There IS an audience to entertain!" She shouted as demandingly yet politely as she could, accent her request by kindly placing her arms behind her back, rocking back and forth in anticipation.
"Rhythm? Is that what you want- you want Rhythm? Coming right up!"
Rubee had just let out a particularly screech-y sounding lyric, her eyes bulging wide as Mythra charged her way, spinning and gripping the floor with her toes perfectly in tune with,
"AIN'T NO PARTICULAR SIGN I'M MORE COMPATIBLE WITH! I JUST WANT YOUR EXTRA TIME AND YOUR-"
THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK!"
"Kiss…"
Clover suddenly stood up tall amidst his now fallen peers, Mythra included- the wind having been knocked out of her by surprise. The lot of them all could only look up in shock after the sudden betrayal, now more interested in what exactly Clover was planning than anything else.
Now the two were staring in surprise and confidence, respectively, at each other… it was a stare Pyra recognized before. She could work with this.
"Clover… Rubee… why don't you two get to know each other…? It's only polite after all…"
"What's going on…? This wasn't a part of the production…!" Mythra whispered harshly to Kaito, still on the floor in stunned silence.
"No… but somehow, I don't think big sis Pyra really cares~" Kaito glanced her way proudly, with Mythra aping his movement.
"Heh… what is acting if nothing more than an expert game of charades…?" Yuri sighed.
"Proud of that girl, eh, Yur?" Ron asked.
"Always…" Despite his less than desirable position and appearance, he looked on to the unfolding scene with great intent as the two closed the distance between each other.
"Y-you saved me… why…?" Rubee asked timidly.
'Don't screw it up- don't screw it up- I don't care HOW easy the joke is, she's watching you, Clover- be a pal for Kaito, frickfrickfrick!' Clover scolded himself as he tried to come up with a perfectly suitable answer… Rubee made it look too easy, it wasn't any wonder as to why Pyra had her eyes on her.
"W-well… you know… it's only polite… isn't it?" He nervously responded. Rubee let out a snort and overly dramatic chortle as she leaned in closer to Clover, who backed up with an equally nervous smile on his face.
"YOU have got a lot of nerve! Coming for a lady so ferociously like that… all together in a pack picking on someone as lonely as I am… and now you expect me to believe you're doing this out of pure altruism…? Who's side are you on anyway?"
Rubee's confidence forced a laugh out of Clover, no longer chained down by his own struggles, continuing forward with the same amount of bravado as she had.
"I'd like to be on your side, if that's okay?"
"Oh really? And why's that?"
"…cuz I wanna?"
"Tch. You cheeky little thing… well then, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship…"
The two bowed honorably before each other. The floored audience stayed silent, eating up every last bit of this… admittedly corny but ever so passionate performance… just up Mythra's own alley. She was the first to clap… then Kaito… and then Yuri and Ron joined in as the two young people bowed their way, with the only one completely still in the room being Pyra herself. Her eyes twinkled with wonder and discovery. Her heart still beat quickly and her breathing was still slight… but heavens above, was she satisfied.
"…ladies and gentlemen… I think we have our leads…" She announced with a smile.
And Rubee and Clover smiled back. Rubee looked over to Yuri, who winked confidently her way. It almost made her sick… but she felt appreciative and honored nevertheless.
"Pyra… you sure? I'm not even an amateur…" Clover said suddenly.
"Neither am I, Clover… and I think that's just what we need." She answered back.
"Heheheh- Clover you lucky son of a bitch- getting to share the stage with Rubee of all people- what would your lady think~?" Ron chuckled.
"Hey, man! Don't joke about this stuff! It's all acting!"
"Yeah and Clover's girl would right get ready to murk you for even asking that, she's a huntress-!"
"Alright, you're going down after this round for that one-" Clover asserted as he got himself back into the zone.
Clover and Ron went back and forth as Kaito had gathered up alongside Pyra and Mythra once again, smiling at them bright and proud.
The rest of the night went off without a hitch.
All of the laughing, yelling, cheers, it was an infectious and energetic time for all. Soon however, the non-residents had to make their way home, and while it was later than they had expected, Pyra, Mythra, and Kaito would do much the same.
After thanking Clover and exchanging numbers with him, as they had with the rest of the goers, the three made their way to the car to head back home. They all walked with a mixture of staggered exhaustion and residual party-energy,
"Wellllll…?" Kaito side-eyed the two girls, both of which were almost staggering, not from drunkenness but sheer exhaustion.
"...okay yeah that was a lot of fun…Clover knows his stuff, I'll give him that-" Mythra grumpily admitted.
"Indeed! Though I can't say I'm not looking forward to lying down in a quiet room to let this ringing in my ears stop-" Pyra placed her hand to her forehead, though still smiling happily.
"Jeez, tell me about it. My battery for talking to people is just about spent. I need like, at least a full day of no social interaction to recover from this-" Kaito said in a relaxed huff.
"Oh? And not even a peck from that bossy brat of a girlfriend of yours…?" Mythra intoned, ruffling the small man's hair.
"...alright fine, one person, but that's it." Kaito laughed as he shook off Mythra's hand.
Pyra and Mythra couldn't help but smile at that for their part. It was as the scruffy lad had told them earlier. They had so many ways of connecting with people in this world beyond what they thought was initially possible.
"Phew…I swear, Frankie's gonna think a bomb dropped on us or something…" Kaito mentioned, dusting off some of the snack crumbs on his clothes.
As he mentioned that, both Pyra and Mythra became a bit quieter without realizing, but Kaito could tell what they were thinking right away.
"Heh…you're thinking of how this would've been if Frankie were here to experience it with you, huh-?"
Mythra simply crossed her arms and pouted slightly, while Pyra slowly twiddled her thumbs and looked to the ground, a bit embarrassed.
"...maybe a little…" Mythra admitted after a moment. "But like…it's like you said."
Kaito, a bit surprised, gestured for her to continue.
"Well, it's like…you know…"
"We can't be relying on Frankie too much, be it emotionally or physically or even socially." Pyra continued her thought.
Kaito smirked at her assertion. He had correctly figured Pyra to be the one more unsure about this whole affair, even being the more put-together of the two. So seeing her make this realization so quickly alongside Mythra was a nice surprise for him.
"Yeah…and we'll be spending way more fun times with him than just this one night!"
"Fun times you can only spend with him and no one else, uh huh-?" Kaito leaned in.
"W-well…s-sure but shutup…" The blonde blushed strongly, drawing yet another chortle from Kaito.
"B-but even more than that…" Mythra stepped forward. "We need to be there to help out Frankie here and there too!"
This took Kaito by surprise the most.
"Yes, that's right!" Pyra stepped forward as well. "For all that he's done to help us, we need to help him just as much!"
"A-and l-like…I guess we should try and not be too much helping him or too much him helping…us-" Mythra started to fumble her words.
"Balance! We need to make sure we have a balance of being there for him and relying on him!" Pyra once again finished her sentiment.
"That's right!" Mythra put her hands to her hips, accenting Pyra's words.
"..."
After his brief moment of shock, Kaito slowly started to laugh, the hardest he had all night.
"W-what's so funny, you hairy nerd?" Mythra stomped her foot, wondering if she should be embarrassed.
"Th-that's right! We're really opening our hearts here, Kaito! This is no time to be making fun of us!" Pyra puffed her cheeks, wondering if she should be angry.
"Nono, I'm sorry, I don't mean it like that! Hehe-" Kaito slowed his laughter down before continuing. "It's just…I keep forgetting how wise you two really are."
The two taller ladies simply stood confused.
"It…takes a lot to realize that about being in a relationship with someone, that whole idea of needing balance. I mean…it takes most people years to really figure that out, at least from what I hear." Kaito scratched his head, wondering if he should admit how long it took himself to understand that with Miko.
"It's just…a real sign of maturity in you, to so quickly put that together. So new to this world and yet you've adapted better than people who have lived here their whole lives."
Now Pyra and Mythra were rather flustered, but kept their composure…mostly.
Kaito took a brief moment to check his phone. "Buuuut, methinks we can talk about this more some other time, we wanna get back before the birds start chirping-"
Pyra and Mythra looked on for a moment, then smiled and nodded in some agreement. It had taken them by surprise, but…once again, they were being shown that they were much more…normal than they had assumed. That their emotions and experiences didn't isolate them from others, but connected them.
"So, I'm driving?" Mythra asked.
"Heh, sure, if you think you're up to it, big sis~" Kaito teased. Flaring her nostrils, Mythra looked down at him angrily only for Pyra to step in between them.
"Oh, you'd be surprised- cmon, Mythra! Take us home!" Pyra cheered on.
"O-oh… okay! I-I will!" The blonde promised as she took lead to the car..
"Just make sure you get us there in one piece this time-!" Kaito prodded once again.
"I'm a police officer now, you hairy jerk!"
…
And in seemingly no time at all… they were all back home. With a smile in their heart, and a spring in their step, they exited the car and eagerly waited for Frankie and Miko to show up. Mythra in particular whipped her head around in either direction nervously, only for Kaito to pat her shoulder reassuringly and Pyra do much of the same as they watched the horizon… and that's when the two showed up at last. Frankie's eyes were gently closed and Turters was kept close to his chest, tucked away in his shell. Even from that far away, Pyra and Mythra could see how hard at work Miko put him to… but the very moment he opened his eyes to see the two of them all too happy see him… he smiled right back at them, a flutter in his heart, and a sense of pride and excitement to see them so… happy.
"Hey Dummy." Mythra smiled.
"You have an okay day?" Pyra added.
Frankie paused momentarily and glanced over to Miko, who rolled down the window so Kaito could see her, sharing an equal amount of love for Miko as Frankie did for his own girls… even if they wouldn't admit it yet. Nevertheless, Miko's proud and wide smile as she urged Frankie to answer let him settle down just enough and continue on.
"We learned a lot… and still have a lot to learn… Final's an open house… just saying…" He offered with a wink.
"Heh… sounds good… but now I wanna play fun games with you!" Mythra exclaimed, pulling Frankie inside the gate.
"Mmm… maybe tomorrow- I wanna look over some stuff some more-" Frankie said as he began to walk into the house, passing Pyra and Mythra.
"W-what?! Hey! Get back here, Dummy! You're not supposed to be mean to me! You gotta gimme everything I want and be super duper ultra nice all the time!"
"And I do believe that's my cue… goodnight, you two… and thank you!" Pyra chased after Mythra happily as Mythra chased after Frankie, still nonchalantly walking into the house, paying absolutely no heed to Mythra's wild roars.
That was when Kaito met Miko at the gate, the latter having gotten out of the car to make sure the three of them got inside safely.
"Mmm… you're a good brother, Kokonut…" Miko said, laying her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, sinking into it happily.
"And you're an even better wife-" Kaito woozily said. Miko's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Kaito in surprise. Having caught himself all the same, the young man nervously tried to correct his 'error'. "SISTER- I meant to-to say sister! Yeah! That's what you are to them! Um… s-so… anything cool or interesting you found from the stuff we found in Mexico…?"
Miko chuckled teasingly, letting his slip of the tongue pass her by as she responded thusly.
"Like big brobro said… lots of new things… and things we still have yet to learn… and some I wish we should've known already…" Miko glanced at her kite-shaped necklace once again, lifting it up to the light before snickering in accepting defeat… in due time, she thought to herself. "But… I think we're making progress…"
Kaito looked back to the trio entering the house, Frankie's surprised yelp at Mythra's sudden tackle attack being cut off by the sound of Pyra shutting the screen door, drooping his eyes in fondness.
"Yup… we really, really are…"
