Chapter 33: The Video Chat and Info About The Rally
We both have now arrived back at the library on time, and there were a few people in. It was possibly because of the conversations that we were having. Including the one that we had with Candace.
"*sigh* Every once in a while, I wish there were more people here." Blue said.
"Well… " I said to her. "Usually they would just come here and just grab a book that they usually like. Or they just come here just to chill, find a comfortable zone and just hang out for a little while."
"I know. I'm just saying. Like a few weeks ago, there was a huge spike in the number of people that were here."
"Really?" I asked, looking surprised.
"Ms. Sparr was telling us all about it and I was surprised. Xavier and Lucas didn't."
"It's still good. Do you earn like extra money?"
"No. Our salary is still the same as it is. I mean I wish it happened, but it actually doesn't."
"Oh…"
"Anyway, I gotta get to work. I'll talk to you sometime later. I'll give Lucas and Xavier your number so we can have a group chat, alright?"
"Ok, sure thing. You do you."
"Alright thanks, best friend!" Blue said as she happily hugged me out of nowhere. "Ok, I gotta get going. See you around." She then said as she ran off.
She must've been grateful that time. No matter. Now I can know who to rely on this time. Besides, Amitie must have done that to me at the train station. There's no denying that I can allow Blue to hug me. Since she is my friend after all… or… my best friend as she says it.
I proceeded to walk down to the table and continue reading my book for a good while. Now that I think about the people that are around this area, it seems they never paid close attention in terms of how I look. I really don't want to embarrass Candace, but it seems that I'm starting to get more attention ever since I got here. But right now, I'm sticking to what I cherish doing. And I can't just go up a level and start researching more ways to become beautiful since this is… well normally I can be presentable, that is, but I don't think I have the ability to brighten everyone's day with just fashion skills. Even then, I would've been too busy dealing with rivals that I encounter. This is why being slow but sure is a need for me in life. And I've been sensational doing it.
But there was kinda one error, though. And it started a few days ago, when I was at the store with Ringo, Amitie, and Raffina. We were all splitting up, I was finding the stuff that I needed then… somehow this happened.
*FLASHBACK*
But what do I really want? They got the same bags from my world.
…
…
…
Gah! Why does it matter?! I'm just gonna take what I want! I feel like I'm asking too much right now! Let me just stop questioning it!
"Hey. Are you feeling ok?" I then heard a voice aside from me.
From my right came a girl with long red hair and blue eyes. She also had wings on her back just like Ciel and Harpy and a Halo on top of her head. She was wearing a black T-shirt with a red X in the middle along with a red wordmark underneath saying "No One Outranks The President" (No wonder why it was named that.)
She also had on some really nice jean shorts which were black but with red stitching all over it and had on these black and red flip flops. But one thing caught my attention according to her outfit.
Wait. President… Is she?
"You seem to be not yourself. Is something troubling you or anything?" The girl asked me.
"Gah! Sorry about that. It was just that I thought about something very random. I should've just kept it private." I said, a little embarrassed in myself for what I just did in public.
"No no. It's fine. I understand how you feel right now." She said.
…
"By the way… your outfit looks very nice. I think it suits you well." I said to her while I was grabbing a bag of barbecue chips and looking at her outfit at the same time.
"Really? Well for me, I would often wear sweaters often , but if you think it suits well, then yours is way nicer than that."
"Thanks. But I think your outfit is more favorable than mine." I said.
We then both laughed it off after experiencing our little chat on how we look.
*PRESENT TIME*
In my opinion, the world of Puyo Puyo felt easy to me when I started to make friends. And I didn't think I would befriend an angelic student council president.
Speaking of which… well I asked Ciel, but I forgot to ask Floré as well since she was the only angel left that could give an explanation. But thanks to freaking Arfoire and her robots, I didn't get a chance to do so. She might say the same thing Ciel said to me.
…
Oh well… I guess that'll be my prediction for now.
Jordyn's POV
"So that's what she's been up to."
"Yeah, I was thinking to myself otherwise, because it was never meant to happen, but that's what I received from her." I said to someone on the phone.
I was still driving around the area to pick up two more things and then I'll be back to my only, lovable daughter. The places weren't as bad as it was… or at least I thought it would be. I went to this one store that almost looked like it was just… out of stock. Nothing seemed to be available. But I proceeded anyway. There was a lady who noticed me looking very confused and asked me if I was ok, and I told her I was fine afterwards and I'm just wandering through the place. But all in all, they weren't bad and now I'm currently going to pick up two more things.
"*sigh* I thought to myself asking if it was just me or did Thanos actually appear here in this country, and now when I'm reading this news, he's not only appeared here, but has been resurrected. This may be a whole new ballgame for him when you just think about… Apocalypse."
"I see what you're saying. This is just something called "stone-hunting" and recently, Thanos was just looking for what he needs. But… I want to ask, Mason, did you predict what Thanos might actually do with the stone? Well, although he is gone along with it, I'm not sure if it was an extra stone that he needed."
Or if he is not really the mastermind, and he is giving it to the true mastermind. He or she might need to reveal him or herself at some point.
"It's really obvious. He might just make this world go bye-bye. He would literally make us give up the ghost. *sigh* Just never again."
And another person says that.
"I guess killing off half of the people is more like thinking about hell breaking loose if you ask me. Kaze might even notice what Thanos' scheme is, even though she learned a lot from him."
"She's really been through a lot."
"Well it really is what she wants best. Most stories seem fictional, but I guess she is trying to make history or something. Just with magic."
"You must be jealous. For a 39 year old." Mason teasingly said.
"N-No I wasn't! I was in my own lane. I didn't know she had to be this powerful herself."
"Are you sure? I can tell it's written all over your face."
"It would never be written all over my face! What the hell?!" I said, blushing hard.
"Alright, alright. Damn, you sure fall for it easily."
"*giggle* That's coming from you."
"You never know when I can tell something's up. That's why I sense your feelings even when we're not in person."
"Whatever, smartass."
By the way, I was really late on this. The person on the phone if you guys are wondering is my husband, Mason Matsuzaki. All three of us, me, him, and Kaze, share the same last name. I actually never came up with that. It was actually my mother that came up with that. She said she changed her last name because it sounded like a really powerful name. At first, I didn't believe it, but when years came by and I started using that name, that name really started to sound more interesting. Hence why I named my daughter, Kaze. It really fits. And I tried to come up with a more unique name. And mentally, Having Kaze on our side with shadow magic can truly make history change. Only if she were to show it to everyone at the right time. Hey, it's my daughter, so she knows what she's doing. I'm not an expert at all of this. I'll admit… I know most adults don't want teenagers to get into any trouble, or go into parties because they think they'll take too long to get back home, or go somewhere very dangerous, but if Kaze is really mature and she knows that she can handle it, then I'll allow it. Besides, she respects me a lot and I would never be more worried about her. But anyways, all that aside, Mason is my husband. We both get along well. We sometimes play around, but in the end, that doesn't stop us from ruining our relationship with each other. Especially when he loves to be a damn smartass all the time.
All in all, I still love him. No question.
"*sigh* So where are you right now?" I said to him.
"I'm currently in Chelmsford right now. I'm picking up food for myself."
"Alright. Maybe you can pick me up something?"
…
…
"Pretty please?"
"Get your own food."
"Wha— I hate you so freaking much!" I yelled at him.
"It's my money! What do you expect me to get?! Hot Chocolate?!"
This guy really loves to push my buttons. I just wish Kaze were to beat him up right now.
"Alright, look… I'll make it up to you. Whenever I come back, I'll take you and Kaze somewhere to eat."
"Really?!"
"Don't get all excited now. You asked for it and we're gonna take this seriously."
"Hello. I asked you nicely. Why would you think I be the only person to rely on you?"
"I don't know, you tell— never mind. I'm about to head inside. I'll talk to you later. Tell Kaze I said congratulations on her ability to use magic."
"Ok. Talk to you later, smartass." I said with a giggle as I hung up the phone.
So that was what I meant when I said we always play around. The history of our playful bickering was not pretty long. But it all starts with him and he really doesn't have a care in the world to tease me or joke around. Sometimes I would turn into my cruel side and start teasing him excessively, but in the end, I would definitely defend myself by any means necessary. But when in front of Kaze, she just shakes her head or facepalms. Probably because we get at each other's faces with the arguing and stuff like that. But in the end, this is how we are as a whole. On my end, I would want to end this feud with him and just be happy as an adult because Kaze is two years shy of becoming an adult.
*sigh* Kaze…
Anyway, I never told you the location I was going to, right? I'm currently heading to another clothing store where I'm going to pick up this white dress that would look really good on me and some new blankets since recently, the blankets were starting to get uncomfortable and I couldn't find a good spot so I can relax myself and go to sleep. I've started to find one in the other clothing store, but there wasn't one thing in there, so now I must keep looking to see if there is the stuff that I need perchance.
I thought about this because I'm just thinking about a newer fit and I thought for once that I would look more nice and beautiful for a change. Not because of what anyone told me. And I have tons of money so I could buy what is best for me.
But… even with the money that I have, I just really hope this apocalypse is not nigh because we all have to get prepared. Even Mason has to be prepared, because Kaze might do all the work on this stone pursuit. Although I'm proud of her not laying down on the mat. Although I gotta keep an eye on her.
After a few more minutes of driving, I have now arrived at this clothing store called, Next. I'm not just tricking you by saying I'm gonna get the stuff I need and actually finding the orange stone for Kaze. I actually mean it. I would definitely help Kaze out, but with the stone now lost and in the possession of Thanos, there is no way I could make a move and try to receive what is needed. Even security wouldn't allow me on the roof anyway.
So for the time being, I went inside the store and as always, it smelt fresh in here. I grabbed a cart and started searching around for the items I needed.
As I walked down the area, I looked into the women's dresses section and started looking around for the dress. There were a lot of dresses in this area, I couldn't find the only thing that I needed.
All these dresses are here and in stock, but not the one white dress that I really like here is in this store. I don't know if I'm completely hoodwinked, or if it's not actually available. But I'll keep looking. I just need to use my own Jordyn Matsuzaki capabilities.
I kept looking and swiping into each dress there was. I used every corner there was and it only took two minutes to find the hidden dress until…
"Here it is. My God." I said to myself as I finally got the white dress that I needed.
"It must've been really hard to find your choice, huh?" I heard a lady ask me.
"*giggle* Tell me about it, I was frustrated when I was first looking for this. Although this is a big store."
"Yes, it really is a big store. I almost had that same reaction one day when I was looking for a different dress. It almost sounded like I was gonna get pissed off for no reason in the middle of a store."
"Yeah, it can be a real pain in the store. In my opinion, I guess this is just how the store is. It just… gives you a whole bunch of nice clothes, dresses, etc."
"Yeah. I was going to give my daughter a newer dress because she wanted to take part in the United Kingdom Royal Rally."
Royal Rally? I wonder what that is…
"That's really neat."
"Yes I know, it really is."
"Alright, it was nice meeting you."
"It's nice meeting you too."
So I wonder if… ladies wear only dresses to this Royal Ra— perhaps maybe I should tell Kaze about it. I bet she might get to try something new while waiting for preparations on searching for the other stones.
So after I put the white dress in the cart, I went ahead and searched for the blankets I need for my bed. Finding the blankets here in Next isn't that hard. I just needed to figure out which color I like the best. My favorite color is black, but I prefer a different color. Actually, scratch that, I prefer a different color scheme for my bed, not just normal blankets.
I looked around the blankets section (I reached there no less than 20 seconds by the way) and started looking around to find the blankets that I wanted.
After a few minutes of scrolling through, I actually found a blanket that was really nice. It was a purple, black and white zig-zag blanket that seemed to be a really good fit for my bed. Or rather, a spectacular fit.
Hmph. I would imagine if my room was a lot more new than it was before in terms of color. Maybe my bed would look good for a change.
I then decided on this blanket and put in the cart. In fact, I actually like this blanket. It kinda reminds of Kaze a little bit when I look at the colors, but a change of scheme would be neat for my room. I want to see what she thinks first. I may not be good at fashion, but I guess grabbing a purple, black and white blanket would be solid.
After double-checking what I had in my cart, I made my way towards the checkout line, where there were not a lot of people in line. It didn't last long, but I saw a poster that mentioned something about the royal rally.
United Kingdom Royal Rally: Starting July 18th, 7:00 PM. That's in four days. Now I'm curious to know what it is. I wonder who those two ladies are to begin with.
They might be taking part.
"I'll take the next person." I heard a woman call out as I walked towards the register.
"Hello." We both said as I started checking out my items.
"It's nice weather out there." I said.
"It really is. Not much I could do, but I'll see when I'm done here." She said.
"Fair enough."
I feel for her. There's not much going on here, but not everything is too late if we think about it.
"£56.87 is your total." The lady said.
(Quick Note: British money is used in the United Kingdom, so in the United States, it's $78.98.)
I went inside my bag, took out my credit card and started to purchase my items. In my mind, I didn't know why the dress would be cheap, but it doesn't mean anything since it's really my lucky day because I guess wearing it would be good for me. I can just imagine it any day of the week whenever I go to a party or a celebration. It notably fits.
There's no question that I would also help Mason in his decisions with choosing elegant outfits… or maybe— I know she is in a different world, but Raffina (Kaze's friend) might be a perfect choice since she knows perfectly well on the clothes that she wears whenever she goes outside. Grabbing the best advice or picking the most exquisite outfits from her would be big for us whenever we go to parties or whatever. Although, I rarely go to them.
"Alrighty, do you need a bag?" The lady asked me as I purchased my clothes.
"Yes." I answered.
The lady then grabbed a bag and placed my items inside.
"Alright, have a good day."
"You too."
Maybe when I get a chance to travel dimensions, I'll ask Raffina for some advice on how I should look more beautiful. Only for when I go to parties and stuff like that. But for now, I'm just happy for my dress. I can really tell it'll look good on me with the white high heels that I have. I can definitely bet on it.
After I got my stuff, I took one last glance at the Royal Rally poster.
Man… I wish I could take part in it. Although this is my first time. I think it's going to be mentally hard when I look at it. Well… I guess I'll think it through. I wish I was young again at the least.
Kaze's POV
*A LITTLE OVER SUNSET*
I was still in my room thinking about how Candace was really that nice to me although everyone was mentioning her this whole time. In my mind, she didn't recognize that she sees me as a foe which is an absolute surprise because of course we have the same hairstyle, but when we look at them, it looks totally different. Mainly because of the inside hair looking different and not the ponytail itself. We have more hair that is… I picture it as if a girl had short hair when looking at the front of their face. When you look at my face, you can see there is mostly hair that is almost touching my cheeks and is mostly… Well I can say approximately 40 percent of it is covering my forehead. It felt odd for some reason, but I guess this is just the way I am. As for Candace, she must have that type of hairstyle, but the ponytail itself is what's making it more beautiful. She also had hair covered, but it was a little bit of it on the top of her head. I can see why she is famous for some reason and the current… three-time Royal Rally champion as she says, but I must feel lucky that I'm gaining respect from her. I never expected this from the start, but the way I look, and how I was acting, signals my good influence towards Candace.
However, that other girl, Candace was talking about… I wonder how she feels about Candace, although Blue mentioned her before. I know they know her, but I wonder how she is causing Candace to spark a rivalry with her. Maybe it's gotta be their history with each other. I can't tell since I don't know those two in the first place, even though they are not a threat when I prospectively look at them.
I know I went through a lot of details of what happened today, but I have to mentally understand it just in case if Mom needs to know what is up. Otherwise, she would sense fake rumors from me and she would demand the truth from me.
*RING CHIME*
I heard my phone ring as I checked my phone to see who that really is at the moment.
I know it's mom.
But then when I checked my phone after thinking about it…
Oh, it's Blue. And she wasn't kidding when she said she was going to be in a group chat. Not only that, it's a video chat.
"Hello." I answered as I accepted the video chat. And not only Blue was there, but Lucas and Xavier were on video chat as well.
"Wow, she actually remembered. Hi, Kaze." Blue said.
"Hey, Kaze…"
"Now, now, you must be reaaaaally lucky, getting some respect from the world's greatest fashionista herself Candace… Kaze! Yeah! I've kept that all to myself the whole day." Xavier said to me with a funny looking face, cutting off Lucas in the process.
"I-I was being civilized!" I said with a little blush on my face. "There was no hostility or something coming from the two of us. Well, even though according to me, it was going to be predicted."
"Oh, really? Because when I give her respect and her adoring, she just doesn't take it so well on me."
"It's because you overdo it without thinking." Lucas said with a sweatdrop.
"Agreed." Blue said.
"That ain't true. Well of course I get so intense with other girls, but seeing other girls with a rude behavior towards me *cough* makes me want to get flat-out pissed off."
"There are times where you just need to lay low too, Xavier. Not every girl can get furious, but it's normally because you are just seeking a girlfriend without trying to get through every obstacle."
He's seeking a girlfriend?
"*sigh* It's too late to be talking about this anyway."
"I didn't want to bring that up either. At least, just not right now." Lucas said.
"Yeah, this is starting to get too sudden for Kaze." Blue said. "Speaking of which, what are you doing, Kaze?"
"I'm just looking out the window. Nothing extra." I said.
"Nothing extra? I thought you were reading a book or something?" Xavier said.
"Well I was planning to, but I'm taking a break for a little bit. What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing much. We are just chatting about random things." Blue said.
"Oh right. Kaze. I need to ask something." Lucas said.
"Yeah. Yeah. Settle this debate between me and Lucas, please." Xavier said.
I then saw Blue facepalm.
"Ok?" I then asked with a sweatdrop.
"Ok, so what do you think is the easiest sport to learn? Badminton or Tennis?"
…
"H-Honestly, it would have to be tennis since I'm actually good at it." I said.
"You say tennis?!" Xavier asked.
"See?! I told you, dumb-dumb! It would definitely be tennis that's the easiest!"
"Alright, you can say that is the easiest but when it gets competitive, you mainly get screwed up easily!"
"No it doesn't! Not if you learn it!"
"Ok. But I'm still saying otherwise because people swing the tennis rackets very hard. And it gets hard to keep up afterwards."
"That's because the tennis ball is easier to hit than a shuttlecock. People keep missing the shuttlecock which causes them to lose points in badminton."
"I still don't understand how a shuttlecock would be hard to hit in the real world." Blue said.
"EXACTLY!" Lucas yelled with such sarcasm.
"It'd be still slow so it gives time." Xavier said.
"Well, It's probably because in badminton, you need to have a REALLY fast reaction because when it comes to speed, you will never keep up." I said as I was explaining my side of the debate. "This is because the court is small and many people might have a lot of explosive power. So what I mean is, they can swing the shuttlecock really hard, which creates an insane amount of speed and you'll have a hard time trying to swing back since you need to be precise and have fast reactions because you don't know when the shuttlecock is coming. As for tennis… well, of course you need to have good reflexes but the game itself is not faster than badminton, so it'll be easier for you. You just gotta have good power, flexibility, eye coordination, and endurance. In Badminton, it gets a lot trickier…"
"Well, hold on. That's the thing in tennis." Xavier said. "You get tired easily because of endurance. Most people set up rallies way longer than badminton. Badminton can be done in a shorter amount of seconds."
"Yeah that is true, but this is due to the shuttlecock's speed when you are trying to swing it hard. Of course you get a longer reaction time, but I wouldn't want to swing your racket hard, because if you swing your racket hard, your precision is gonna be off and you'll have a hard time trying to get into a rhythm."
"Exactly! Tennis does the same thing." Xavier said.
"No it doesn't!" Lucas said.
"It's about keeping up quickly in tennis but you need to have good flexibility as well." Blue said.
"Yeah. Which is my point. You'll never keep up within the rally since it goes fast." Xavier said.
"I don't think so." I said. "Because I've seen a lot of people get way too comfortable with a tennis ball because… it has more gravity than a shuttlecock so people can be ok with a tennis ball landing how it is. And besides, the thing about tennis is that the ball can hit the ground one time so you can have extra time to swing correctly. Like, I've been practicing on my swing for many years and I still have it in me because I know the game pretty well. Badminton… not so much. I play it occasionally, but I just don't have one of those tennis mentalities that is carried over to here since the shuttlecock is very hard to hit on my end. It's like hard to kick it all in just like how I was doing in tennis."
"And your right, Kaze." Lucas said as he chimed in. "I mean, I can agree that it'd be hard to keep up as the rallies continue in tennis but it's really easier to hit the ball that way since people do it really well."
"Jesus, do I have to admit tennis is easier?" Xavier asked.
I nodded.
…
"I can help you out some time if that's what you want…"
"Kaze!"
"Hold on, that's my mom… or rather, let's see what my mom thinks since she was the one that helped me out." I said as I heard my mother from downstairs.
"She helped you?" Lucas asked.
"Yes. She noticed that I took a liking to it so she helped me develop."
I left my room and went downstairs to see what mom is up to. I'm thinking it's dinner she cooked for us.
"I see you two are in a strong relationship, Kaze." Lucas said.
"My mom? Yeah, I know. I could never be annoyed by what she does since she cares about me so much." I said.
"This is starting to sound more like a lesbian era for you two." Xavier said.
"Are you serious, Xavier?!" Blue shouted while blushing hard.
My mom is not gonna like that.
"*sigh* I guess I'll tell her that since you mentioned it." I said to Xavier.
"No! Kaze, don't tell her!" Blue shouted.
"Wait Wait Wait! I'll take it back! I'll take it back! I guess it'll sound crazy." Xavier said while in a panic.
"Why did you even bring that up?" Lucas asked with a sweatdrop.
"Because I was prospectively looking at those two closely. I watch a lot of anime and see a lot of girls spark a close relationship with each other. And now I'm predicting that this is going to happen, but this is definitely going to be history in the making so I'm sure that everyone would be surprised to hear this."
…
…
...
"Is that really a good prediction? My mom is 39. I'm 16. Of course... it's starting to sound like she definitely has a crush on me, but she just doesn't want to admit her feelings about me since she only loves me as a mother."
"Hey, I can hear you over there." I heard my mom say as I went downstairs after a long time trying to get to her.
I looked away from her trying to not laugh at her again.
She must've seen right through me. Typical.
"Anyway, dinner's ready. Hope you enjoy it."
What she made was (my favorite) Spaghetti and Meatballs and marble cake for dessert. I didn't expect marble cake, but I'm down for dessert.
"I figured you wanted dessert for yourself so it was the only thing I could think of." Mom said.
"It's fine, mom. I didn't expect you to pick it up for me anyway."
"Can I have some?!" I heard Xavier shout.
"Who's that?" Mom asked.
"Oh. That. I'm having a video group chat with my friends. I said.
"Oh… that's right." My mom said as she remembered my friends. "I'm glad you are keeping yourself company."
"Thank you. Oh right, mom. I wanted to ask you— hold on." I said as I placed my phone in a position where me and my mom could see my friends. "We were having a discussion about what is the easier sport to learn. Lucas says tennis is easier, while Xavier thinks otherwise and says badminton is the easier sport. What would you say?"
…
…
"Well, if you guys are talking about sports that require rackets, then I believe it's gotta be tennis since it's one of the more co-comfortable sports... *giggle*"
"*giggle*" I saw Blue laughing at Xavier.
"Hahahahahaha!" Then Lucas was laughing at Xavier.
What my mom, Blue and Lucas were laughing at was Xavier was moving out of the screen, knowing that he was getting upset with mom's answer since she agreed with what me and Lucas said. I did my best not to laugh, but I formed a small smile in exchange.
"See I… hold on." Lucas then took the time to drink some water that he had.
…
"*pant* I tried to explain it to him but he kept countering and countering, I couldn't try to convince him until I brought up someone who might help. And I didn't know if Kaze would be my last resort, but I had to try it out anyway."
"Luckily for you, she's athletic. Only in tennis because she took a liking to it. At first, she thought about trying basketball, but she wanted to do something light so that's what she came up with."
"Why does it feel like she can do anything?" Blue asked. "I mean at first, she was being nice and now I'm noticing some people that are taking a liking of her due to how she looks, and then out of nowhere, she gets her… or rather earns respect from Candace after she doesn't know that other people are gaining attention towards Kaze for some reason."
"Not only that, she is known to be athletic in tennis and really good. I don't know what else she has in her sleeve." Lucas said.
"Well, she's… everything." Mom said.
"Umm… well, fashion I really want to erase since it's not my thing. I just want to stay in my own lane because I don't want to face so many challenges progressing forward. It'll be hard to smash it all down in one go." I said.
"You don't need to do everything, Kaze. Everyone is not forcing you to try the biggest challenges in order to earn their respect. You just gotta do little by little and not jump really high. Almost like saying "It's a marathon, not a sprint." So you don't need to worry about forcing yourself to impress the important stuff."
"I mean, Jordyn does possess a point there." Xavier said as he made his way back into the group video. "I don't normally do this a lot in all other things. Just when I'm doing games, I'm just trying to keep it normal. I study whatever it is I'm trying to do, I try to develop whatever it is that I need to research. In an important event, I try to keep that development until I know it works and if it doesn't work that way, there's always a need for repair until I figure out that challenge's requirement. I don't need to go full power because it'd be a waste of something that is needed in order to help you get better every single time. So like Jordyn said, it's like taking it little by little. You spend something a little and save the extras you need afterwards and keep grinding until you feel like you're getting lucky. So… I know you are a bookworm and don't really want to try out being on top of the world in certain things. I'm just saying in the near future if you feel like you are up for the task. I mean, I know how you are. You just don't want to disrupt everyone's reputation, try to go on your route, and become an expert in anything that you desire to do as a whole. For me, it's really nice to see you have a good mentality and take the steps that work best for you and… heck I would follow the same steps that you have, but it's got to be in a different version, like in a different way. I got to come up with a better strategy in order to succeed, because… well that's what makes you successful. And not to mention, replaying the stuff that you failed to accomplish. Because then you would get a better understanding of what needs to be done as a whole. It's like rebuilding the important procedures. Which is what Candace has been doing in her past. Every time she loses something big, she gets off the mat immediately and starts to rebuild her game plan and follow the procedure carefully because if she trips one pebble, then the whole plan would be a bust and she would lose what is important for her in her life. So it's important to know that when you want achieve something big, it's always important to start slow and courteously go through the challenges that are given or handed to you because when your in a big stage, not everything is going to be just how you expect it to be, so you don't need to rush anything in order to become successful. It's just… you just gotta learn everything that you went through in your own life. You don't need to mix it up and let out random stuff that'll grab everyone's attention. Just try to use the procedures that you worked trying to do and if it works perfectly…
*CLAP*
There you go."
"That was a really long— what was that, two minutes of a story on what you think Kaze should do with the reputation that she has." Blue said. "But yeah, you have a very strong point. Not a lot of people want to go on their own route and instead focus on their dream as a group. But it's going to require a lot of chemistry if we're going to accomplish our dreams. Because moving forward, it's going to get harder and harder."
"Oh ok. There you go, Kaze. Now you have something to remember." Mom said.
"Yeah. I really do. And it was kinda what I needed." I said.
I also need to use this advice for when I'm going to try to find the other four legendary stones.
"You know, I never actually thought that you would be very useful to Kaze in a big way." Mom said.
"Useful to her in a big way? What do you mean?" Lucas asked.
"Well, think about it. It's only been a few days and you three have already befriended someone who is actually reliable so you just try to become yourselves and befriend my only daughter. It would be shocking to see you add another masterpiece."
"It would be best if you at least give them some time." I said with sweatdrop.
"I'm not saying that I should force them to find another friend." Mom said.
"Yeah, she has a valid point." Blue said. "We could be free for anyone. Only if they just be kind to us and maybe… hope that they do the same things that we do. Like working at a library, reading a book, watching anime, all that sort of stuff."
"The first part, I don't like." Xavier said, annoyed. "But it's still whatever. If it involves getting my paycheck, then say no more. Off the mat, I do."
"But you only do it to buy games." Blue said with a sweatdrop.
"So? You, Lucas and I work together, right? At the Library? Heck, I would buy y'all something that y'all like."
"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Mom asked in a charming tone.
"D-Did you really have to ask like that? And yeah, it kinda is. For once." Xavier said while blushing.
"Wait! Xavier, are you blushing?! I've never seen you blush like that before!" Lucas said while looking surprised.
"I-It was because I got complimented so sweetly! I wasn't saying that I got a crush, sir!"
"Sorry! Sorry! It was just so sudden."
"Oh yeah! Right! Back to this whole… debate! How?! How?! How in god's name did another woman say tennis is better than badminton?! How and why?!"
"Well, ok. I'll admit." Mom said as she was trying to make her point. "Badminton is a better sport to play in the United Kingdom, but most people here prefer to play tennis because it's more comfortable to swing a tennis ball with your racket. I mean, it does require footwork, eye coordination, and power if you are an aggressive swinger in which I wouldn't recommend being in real life. I may not play a lot of tennis since I'm more used to playing or watching soccer but tennis seems fun to watch since the court is big and it'll be easier to move around and see where the ball is going, right?"
"So you don't need to have REALLY good reflexes in order to see where the ball is coming from and find out where you have to swing." I said. "Well… let's say, Mom used to train me on that when I was little. I couldn't say too much about it."
"Yeah. She was asking for some advanced stuff so I kinda taught her a few things. The rest of the stuff I don't know about." Mom said.
"See, I can send you some video clips on your phone so you can actually see the difference, Xavier." Blue said. "And just watch every single one of them. You'll know what they are talking about."
"Tch! Now you expect me to watch video clips that involve… alright whatever. But they better not be fake either. Otherwise, my argument will still stand." Xavier said.
"You'll be convinced. I'm telling you it will change your answer." Lucas said. "I don't play tennis all the time, but it will definitely make sense as you watch it."
"Do you really have to take it as if it was a chess match?"
"No, not at all." Blue said. "We're just explaining the purpose of what is the easier sport to learn that uses rackets. It's not like we're taking badminton as a joke. Like, imagine if a poll was set up for tennis and badminton and everyone is gonna take part in it, then what would everyone say?"
"I-It depends. Everything just can't be one-sided. Or at least, if anyone wants to make it one sided. That's their own opinion to say the least. I mean, think about it, sometimes the odds would change, but not all the time, since most people want to stick to one side and leave it official."
"Ehh… yeah, you do have a point." Blue said with a sweatdrop. "But still, I'm gonna send you those videos so you can get the understanding of it. I'm not a sports girl like Gemma but I know a little bit about those two sports."
"Gemma?" I asked.
"Who's that?" Mom asked.
…
…
…
"Crap, did I say it out loud?" Blue asked.
"Y-You can tell us, Blue. We're not offended or anything." Mom said.
"Well… ok. She's this "Blonde Rascal" that a girl named Candace was talking about."
"Blonde Rascal? W-Why would she call her that?!"
"She and that girl Candace, the one who has the brown ponytail, green eyes, green lips and she also wears…"
"Wait Wait, Timeout. Because I think I recognized those descriptions."
"You did, Mom?" I asked, surprised.
"When I was at the line trying to purchase my stuff at Next, I saw a poster talking about some Royal Rally contest that starts on July 18th and I didn't know who were the two ladies that were on that poster and I thought to myself that they would be celebrities or someone who is known to be recognizable."
"Oh, so then you saw Candace and Gemma on there, Jordyn." Lucas said. "Yeah, those two are totally recognizable. People know who their favorite woman is."
"Not to mention, me and Kaze saw Candace this morning when we were going outside for some air." Blue said. "And just… literally out of nowhere, unexpectedly, she has a little bit of respect for Kaze since she notices that she seems very quiet and innocent."
"Wow… so my Kaze has gained respect from a celebrity?" Mom asked.
"U-Uh… well I wouldn't recall her being a celebrity since I don't know her that much." I said with a sweatdrop. "But yeah, I guess being who I am really showed that I gained respect from her."
"This is getting more and more exciting to hear. But… let's put that aside for now." Mom said. "Candace, right? Why would she call her that?"
…
"Y-You see, Jordyn, Candace and Gemma both have been rivals lately due to Gemma's popularity of being the hottest girl in the United Kingdom." Blue said as she was taking the floor. "Her greatest respect towards people and how pretty and beautiful she really is is what made her climb the rankings of what is called the United Kingdom Women's Royal Rankings. Meaning people around eighteen or older must vote on who do you think is the hotter girl here in all of the United Kingdom. And she was rapidly climbing through the rankings due to her kindness and how pretty she really is. I mean everyone was going to expect Gemma to reach the highest summit, but no matter the strategy, Candace would always not give up and beat her many times. But the more votes Gemma receives, the angrier Candace gets, and she would form a rivalry against her because… Candace wants everyone to pay attention to her and she's getting all the popularity that she deserves due to how beautiful she really is, but with Gemma standing in her way it'll get harder for her to make her… stand down as the hottest girls in the United Kingdom. That's why she's always butting heads with Gemma and calling her hurtful words, but as for Gemma… She's the complete opposite of Candace, as she respects her talents and how she really looks. However, just like sports, she always gets competitive. But not competitive enough as things didn't click for her every year she participated in."
"Didn't click? What do you mean?" I said.
"In the final rounds that she plays… Well there are a lot of challenges that most women play and I don't want to go through all of them since there are a lot. But the thing is, she ends up losing all three of them. It would actually hurt for most people who voted for Gemma as the Royal Rally Champion, but the two reasons why she wanted to do this is because she doesn't want to give up and it was really fun. Everyone really wanted to see what she could really do. But Candace just wants Gemma out of her sight and out of the rankings because she believes Gemma is testing her patience year after year and just won't give up. So this is the fourth consecutive year that those two might have to face off again."
"Man… why would Candace be like that?" Mom asked. "I never knew Gemma would be so talented but just ruins all the momentum that she's had in her sleeve."
"Well, I don't know if I would feel bad for either Candace or Gemma because Candace hasn't gotten a newer opponent yet due to Gemma's popularity soaring while Gemma on the other hand is one of the kinder celebrities but hasn't beaten Candace for the right to become the Royal Rally Champion." I said. "It's a lot to think about for those two because siding for either one is gonna impact my relationship for the two since they want to be recognized. It's tough. It really is. Although getting along with Candace really helps. But if I run into Gemma, then I may not be so sure how this will affect Candace in a way. I mean, I know Gemma seems like a nice girl…"
"You don't have to side for either one, Kaze. You can just become how you've always been. Remember when you bumped into me and respectfully stacked up my books? Not to mention, you took an interest in me reading books that involve magic and I took interest in you receiving magic for yourself. So I prefer you to become your normal self."
"Blue's right, Kaze." Mom said. "You don't need to think about deciding who you should side with. I know you've gained respect from Candace and want to keep going with it, but you should give Gemma a chance too. Although you two have never met before. You've been doing so well at making friends so I just want you to keep that fiery streak going. Even some people here are taking a liking of you."
"No. Please don't." I said while looking away from everyone.
"I mean, you don't want to admit that you are really hot too?" Mom said.
"I-It's really…"
"I'm surprised Xavier isn't blushing at Kaze." Lucas said.
"L-Lucas!" I said while blushing really hard.
"I'm cool with Kaze being around. Heck, if we were to know each other for so long, we would've been in a romantic relationship, but it's not…"
*SLAM*
"Geez, Kaze! You don't have to be uneasy over it!" Mom shouted as I slammed my fists and my head on the table. Luckily my food didn't drop.
"And I was gonna say it's not going to happen right now." Xavier said as he finished up what he was saying.
Goodness gracious, I really wish to turn my hair back to black right now.
"Aside from that, you are starting to act more like Gemma, but in a different type of way." Blue said.
"*sigh* Well, yeah. You are right about that, now that I think about it." I said "I don't know if I'm really changing this game. I mean, first I got back from another dimension and now I'm starting to heat up with the amount of friends I'm receiving along with the respect I've been given from Candace."
"Why does it feel like you are in a video game?" Lucas asked.
"I have no clue."
"Because you are special towards everyone." Mom said. "There's no reason you should step away from that."
"Well… I really wish to see how this Royal Rally is going to play out." I said.
"Oh yeah! You should also come too, Kaze! I promise it's really fun! Trust me, there are a lot of things you can actually do while you're here." Blue said.
"I agree! Everyone would love to see…"
"Please, drop it already!" I whined as I covered my face with a t-shirt.
…
"...to see how you really look. Well most of them might not know you pretty well, but you don't have to feel embarrassed by their kindness towards you since most people are not gonna be worried about you so much." Lucas said.
"Well if Kaze were to be comfortable stealing the spotlight in the rankings, then guess how crazy of a free-for-all it will be." Xavier said. "You got Candace, Gemma and Kaze. But it's only two that are allowed in the Royal Rally. So if the next one were to happen, and Kaze were to become the champion, guess how big of a game-changer that will be even though no one has seen her description yet. I'm not saying you should do it, Kaze. It's just… that's how I'm predicting as a whole. I mean… occasionally I would be watching the Royal Rally but not all the time. I know every woman in the rankings so I know what I'm talking about."
"Well, to be honest, I know I'm a big fan of soccer, but at least that's something I could learn more about." Mom said. "So, in sports terms, were there any upsets in the Royal Rally?"
…
…
…
"I… don't think so." Blue said with a sweatdrop.
"Nope." Lucas said.
"Nah. I think most of them were completely one-sided. Including Candace." Xavier said.
"I see. Candace seems very good at this stuff."
"She really does. No one can stop her at all since she uses every strategy there is. And you know what's crazy? Not only she doesn't like Gemma, she doesn't like me either."
"Why?"
"Why? Because she is a complete hater. Everytime when I root for her or talk to her, she just gets sour. Completely sour."
"And the thing about it is that he never lays low at all." Lucas said. "I always lay low when I meet celebrities like her and I give them no problems at all. Xavier just… overdoes it."
To be honest, that is really the thing that I hate about boys. They just overdo it in my ways so I would have to mentally agree with Lucas. It's my personal belief.
"You just can't mix up your strategy, Xavier?" Mom said. "I mean, I know you want Candace's attention, but you have to take your time and not overdo it. That's how you know she will start to shun you every single time, although you are a fan of her."
"W-Well… alright. If that's what you're suggesting, then fine. I guess there's no other alternatives I can think of or what I CAN do." Xavier said with a sweatdrop.
"*moan* Alright, I'm gonna take a shower. I had a long day." Blue said.
"Alright. Maybe I should do that too." Lucas said.
"Sheesh, after all of this, y'all are willing to take a shower." Xavier said.
"Well, you started the conversation with a debate on badminton and tennis, sir."
"I was trying to close this topic on what I said, sir."
"Alright, whatever. I'll talk to you guys later."
"Alright, see you guys." Blue said.
"Peace out." Xavier said.
"Alright, bye." I said.
"See you all later." Mom said as I hung up the video chat.
"They seem really interesting to talk to, don't you think?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, it was a pretty long conversation. I never noticed a video chat would be this interesting before. Did you do something like this before?" I said.
"Well, I've done it a few times. But I do it at work, so it's not much going on." Mom said.
"Oh… well, I still feel like I'm going to be more comfortable with these people. Since they are my first few friends here in the real world."
"Yes. I'm glad that you are feeling this way. I know there's more things to take care of, but since you know how to do them, I'm sure you'll find a way somehow."
"Thank you, mom. But… I don't want to miss out on my Hyperdrive City friends too. They seem really interesting to get along and cooperate with." I said. "You know, their world is starting to really satisfy me even though I don't read science fiction books that much. I bet they can be really helpful."
"I know. Do you want to invite your friends to see that place?"
…
"Actually, since me and Blue have a lot in common… I think I want her to come see it with me since she's just so worried about magic. Although I may not be so sure that this is gonna work for her. But if it's worth using magic, like me, then she's gonna love it."
"Fair enough. So why don't you at least try to text her to see what she thinks about this and then you two can set up a perfect destination at where you want to go?"
"Good idea. I'll try to text her tomorrow since I think they are starting to get tired."
"Alright, are you done with your food?" Mom asked.
"I'll save it for later. Now I'm starting to get tired."
"Ok. Man, I'm starting to get full." She said as I put my food inside the refrigerator and went towards my room.
I have a feeling that Blue is going to have interest in Hyperdrive City.
Author's Note: Getting involved in a video chat has given Kaze a lot more details on who Candace really is and not to mention, how to maintain her momentum on building relationships. So this is going to be big for her moving forward.
But another person was mentioned when she was having this conversation… that Gemma girl. Are Blue, Lucas and Xavier telling the truth when they were talking about Gemma, although she is kind to everyone, goes neck and neck in the Royal Rankings against Candace? By the way, her appearance will come in just a few chapters. You'll see.
So that's all I got. Remember to stay safe, (The Pandemic might be coming to a close. We are not sure just yet, though.) follow/favorite/review this story if it's really entertaining, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter.