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kachikirby · 1 year ago

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GranEssex Chronicles: Chapter 14 - R & R

The VictoriousArc, the main battleship and headquarters of Reedy, leader of the intelligence division and member of the top 4. Ordinarily he and the crew would be busy at work, but today was different. As at the moment Reedy was captive, in his own bed. It had been a couple of days since the incident with the Myovam happened and Reedy had asked for some time off. Unfortunately, that time off was currently being spent stuck in his room.

"Raita, dear. I'm grateful for what you're doing, but is this really necessary?" Reedy asked.

The fairy gave a playful pout as she wrapped another blanket around him.

"What, you don't like spending time with your wife?" She giggled.

"Now you know I love being with you at all times. I'm simply asking if the "blanket burrito" as you call it is necessary."

"It is. It's to make sure you don't leave to go work. Besides..." she gave him a squish. "It makes you look even cuter in your true form, don't you think?"

"I am not cute, dear. I am handsome." He protested with a straight face.

"In your humanoid form, yes, but right now, you are cute."

"I'm always handsome. But that's not important right now. I appreciate the thought, but you don't need to imprison me with blankets to get me to hold still."

"Maybe not but you look cuter like this. Now accept that you're cute or I'll squeeze your core."

"You say that as if I'm supposed to be threatened. Quite the opposite, actually." He said with a blank expression, causing Raita to blush. As a result, the fairy couldn't respond. Reedy internally chuckled. "Seeing as I've embarrassed you, I suppose it's only fair if I embarrass myself. Fine, I am cute."

She gave a satisfied smile as she hugged him. "That's right! You are cute!"

"Yes, I am, so would you please release me from this fluffy prison?"

"No." Was the blunt reply.

"Why not?"

"Because even if you don't plan on leaving this room, I'm not taking any chances. I know how you are, my little workaholic."

Reedy gave a sigh. "Fine."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Fettuccine, sir." The young woman said from behind the door.

"Do you need anything, Fettuccine?"

"Sir, permission to call the GranEssex? I would like to see how Meta's recovery from what happened is going." She asked, slightly nervous.

The blob looked confused. "Permission granted, but may I ask why you're suddenly so interested in Meta?"

"Is it that strange to want to check up on a friend?" She replied.

"Fair enough. As I said, permission granted."

"Thank you, sir!" She replied cheerfully as she walked away.

He then looked towards Raita. "Now... where were we?"

---------

As the married couple continued to spend time with each other, Fettuccine walked through a very quiet VictoriousArc. The reason for this was simple, many of the Task Force members were on a forced vacation. In fact, they were on vacation for the same reason as their captain: the incident with the Myovam. Honestly, she couldn't blame them. She probably would have wanted a vacation as well after hearing about how many of them had a nightmare about being killed. This was actually the main reason she wanted to check up on her newest friend. She didn't know every detail, but she knew Meta suffered the most during that mission. Most that she knew was from what Pandoro and Risotto told her. Both of them simply said "It seemed he was the most aware of the time loops." And after that, she didn't even want to begin imagining how stressful that must have been for him.

"I just hope he's doing even a little better right now..."

She walked into the communication room, which was currently empty. However, that was perfectly fine for her. She honestly rather it just be her. Then she sat down in a chair and began to open a communication line to the GranEssex. After a few minutes a screen opened up with Meta on the other side.

"Fettuccine?"

"Heeey, Metty! How's it going?" She said, using her trademark smile to hide her worried expression.

Meta gave a small smile, which immediately got rid of any of Fettuccine's worries.

"I'm feeling much better. My mentor is keeping me off-duty for a few more days, but I should be ready to go back to active duty soon."

"Well, that's good to hear! Maybe we can meet up again when you're feeling a bit better."

"I think I would enjoy that. I know you called because you're worried about me, but how are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine. Just a bit busier than normal since half of the Task Force and the captain are on vacation. We were slightly in a panic the past few days since we didn't know who would take command if Calzone, Pandoro, and Risotto were out of commission."

Meta nodded. "I see. I'm not surprised they went on vacation, considering what happened. As for your workload, you can handle it. You might be the youngest but you're certainly one of the most mature there."

"Why, thank you, Metty!"

Meta blushed at the nickname he was given, which just made Fettuccine giggle.

"If you'd like, you can call me by a nickname too."

"I'm... not sure..." He uttered shyly.

"Oh, come on, it's perfectly normal for friends to give each other nicknames. Just say the first name that pops into your head."

He took a moment to think intensely about her words.

"Now I know you give everything a hundred and one percent, but you don't need to think that hard." She said, giggling even more than before because of his intense expression.

"I'm sorry, this is just very hard for me..."

"Then don't worry about it. It's really not big of a deal." She said with her usual smile.

Meta smiled back. "Thank you, Fetty."

"That's it!" She said, becoming suddenly excited.

The youth blinked, slowly registering what he actually said.

"Well, I suppose that was easier than I was making it out to be."

"It is. You just tend to overthink things sometimes, don't you?"

"I suppose I can't argue against that." He said with a grin.

She gave another giggle. "And that's what I like about you."

His blush returned in full force.

"...thank you, Fetty." He mumbled.

"You're welcome, Metty~!" She replied, once more giggling at that response.

"You seem pretty happy right now, Metty. I guess I don't need to worry about you anymore."

"You don't, but I appreciate you calling me."

"Good! As much as I would love to keep talking, I should probably get back to work."

"Ok, then. Thank you for calling me."

"Of course! Somebody has to check up on my little buddy!" She said. Right as Meta was about protest about being called that she hung up.

"I'm so glad that he's fine..." She uttered happily as she began to stand up and stretch. "Well, I should probably get back to work..."

Taking a quick look back at the communication system she began to wonder.

"I hope the others are enjoying their vacation." Then she smiled. "Maybe if I get done fast enough, I can join them on the beach." She said as looked out of a nearby window.

---------

The VictoriousArc was currently on a planet known for its pleasant beaches. A perfect location for vacation. It was on this beach that those on forced vacation were relaxing While some were enjoying the beach as much as they could, some were not used to the concept of taking a vacation.

"Hey Risotto, Pandoro! Why are you two just sitting underneath that tree doing nothing? Come on, enjoy yourselves!" Tira called out.

"I am not doing nothing. I am having tea." Pandoro replied.

"Why are you drinking tea at the beach?" Tira then asked.

"No, a better question is, why are you wearing a freaking kimono!?" Misu yelled out.

"Because I prefer to wear a kimono on my day off."

"That's fair I guess." "At a beach!?" The two brothers said at the same time.

"Yes, at a beach."

"But what if you want to swim?"

"Then I will swim."

"Why would you swim in a kimono!? Why not wear a swimsuit!?"

"It's because I don't plan on swimming today. If I wanted to swim, I would wear a wetsuit."

"Tira, please control your brother, he's scaring away the fish." Calzone yelled out jokingly.

"Come on, Misu, stop annoying the fish." Tira said, seemingly dragging his other half.

"Alright, you two, hopefully now you can drink tea in peace. But you should still try actually doing something later. Now if you would excuse me, I have fish to catch." Calzone said as he dived into the ocean.

With a nod, Pandoro looked over to Risotto. "Do you believe I need a swimsuit?"

Risotto opened his eyes and looked at her. "If you are comfortable in that kimono, I see no reason for you to change it." He then paused for a bit, his face becoming slightly red. "And you look nice in it..."

The woman gave a smile. "Thank you. I am much more comfortable in this, that I am." She then looked him over. "Are you comfortable in those jeans and tropical shirt?"

" I am."

"Good. It was kind of the captain to give us time off, wasn't it?"

Risotto leaned back against the tree. "Indeed. I think we all needed it after what happened a few days ago."

"Quite. All the meditation I've had time for as been a great help, that it has. What about you, Risotto? Are you still troubled by the nightmares?"

"I was only briefly bothered by one last night, but I've been mostly fine overall." The tall man closed his eyes once more. "It's Meta I'm worried about. The thought of us dying is unsettling alone, but the fact that he witnessed it..."

Pandoro nodded. "I understand that. I believe Fettuccine mentioned something about contacting him today, that she did. If it would put your mind at ease, we can talk to her about it. Unless you would rather we talk to him ourselves."

"Knowing her she's probably already called him. We can talk to her, but we should also contact Meta for yourselves."

Pandoro closed her eyes as she nodded. "I thought so as well. I'm sure he would appreciate us checking up on him, that he would."

Risotto grunted in agreement. "He was definitely shaken up, but knowing what Kurabe is like, I wouldn't doubt that she got him out of it already."

"Indeed. It would at least be good to put our worries to rest."

"Right. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see him in person again. I do believe the rookie tournament is coming up in a few months is it not?"

"That it is. I believe that Fettuccine will be participating."

"Interesting. I suppose even she enjoys a chance to fight once in a while."

"It's a nice change of pace for her, that it is."

The two sat together in silence. This was how conversations between them usually went, which both of them were fine with. They both enjoyed each other's company, which is all that mattered.

"I guess we'll accompany Fettuccine when she goes to the tournament." Risotto spoke up.

"That we will."

It was safe to assume that Meta would participate. The rookie tournament, an event held where young and new Organization members compete in friendly competition to see how well each of their training has gone. There was no way Meta would miss out on something like that. They, of course, also wanted to cheer on their little sister figure Fettuccine as well.

"I assume you would also enjoy the chance to spar with Kurabe again, wouldn't you?"

"I would quite enjoy doing that, that I would."

Risotto nodded as he drank more of his tea. "I wonder why the captain isn't here. Then again, he probably doesn't know how to properly enjoy a vacation without help from Raita."

"That likely is the case. He is probably stuck in his room with her, that he is."

He gave a chuckle. "Not like we have much room to talk. Considering how little we actually take time off."

"...when was the last time we took time off?"

"Besides taking time off for holidays and not counting the days where there's just no work, I can't remember. I want to say it was a few years ago."

"Then I say that we needed this break, that we do."

"I can't argue against that. Calzone seems to be enjoying himself."

"Same with Tira and Misu."

"They certainly do seem to enjoy yelling at each other." Risotto said with deadpan tone.

"Yes, but it seems to be a good way to release pent up stress."

The man gave a slight chuckle. "Somehow, I doubt it. They're always carrying on like that, even when on missions."

Pandoro took a drink of tea and sighed. "That is true."

"Tira is fine, if I'm being honest. It's Misu that starts every argument they have. I wish he was more like someone like you Pandoro. Kind, polite, and soft-spoken."

A faint blush appeared on the woman's face. "Ah... well... thank you..."

Risotto stood up and held out his hand. "Care to go on a walk?"

Pandoro responded with a smile as she took his hand. "I would love that."

---------

Meanwhile, Calzone was currently searching for something as he swam. He was looking for a fight. Despite putting on a carefree attitude, he was internally beating himself up. Not because he died in some other timeline, no... he didn't care about that. He was furious that he allowed his captain and teammates to die.

"Something strong... I need to find something strong..." He uttered, continuing to swim throughout the water.

"I've heard the sharks on this planet are strong. I'm bound to find eventually if I just keep going." He thought as he continued deeper into the sea."I know I should be relaxing. I know I shouldn't be beating myself up over this. But I can't relax until I prove to myself that I'm still strong. I'm the leader, damn it, I have to be strong!"

His thoughts continued as he swam further away from the shore, out into the open sea where many of the bigger animals lived. He then saw a school of fish swim past him frantically, as if they were being chased by something.

"There it is!" He thought with a grin as he swam in the direction they came from.

What awaited him was the largest shark he's ever seen. It was about half the size of the VictoriousArc. While most would be terrified by such a creature, Calzone simply smirked.

"It looks like I've gotten my wish today!"

The shark opened its mouth as wide as possible and chomped down, with the Limet barely dodging the attack. Turning his hands into claws, the man got underneath it and started slashing at its stomach. Roaring in pain, the shark swam up and dived down, intent on crashing into Calzone. With a fearless smirk, the man stayed still waiting for the shark to get close and roundhouse kicked it when it did.

"Time to end this."

Calzone raised his arm and transformed it into a giant hammer and swung down at the shark as hard as he could, knocking it out cold.

"Alright, I still got it. Plus, it looks like I know what we're having for dinner." He gave a grin as he began to swim back to the shore with his reward in tow.

---------

During this time Tira and Misu were still arguing.

"No, dude, we are not going to stalk Pandoro and Risotto!" Tira said.

"It's not stalking, it's following them without their knowledge."

"That's stalking!"

"No, it's not! Besides, aren't you a little curious about how chummy they are?"

"No. They can do what they want. It's not any of my business, nor is it any of yours."

"Yeah, but it's intelligence and stuff, isn't it? So, we must find out about it!"

"Our job is intelligence gathering, yes. We're on vacation, meaning I don't have to do anything unless the captain himself orders me to do something."

"And that goes for me as well, so let's go after them!"

"Did you not listen to a single thing I said? Why do you care about what they are up to anyway?"

"Because..." He paused as if attempting to be dramatic. "I could."

"That's not a good reason."

"It is for me!"

"Not for me, the person you're trying to convince."

"Oh yeah? Then I'm going anyway, and you can't stop me!"

Misu attempted to walk, but noticed that the shared body would budge an inch.

"...did you seriously forget that I can cancel any movement we make?"

"LET ME GO! I WANNA KNOW!" He yelled, punching him.

Tira groaned and flicked Misu's core, causing him to stop.

"Agh! What was that for?!"

"Punching me, wanting to stalk two of our friends, coming up with a plan to bury Calzone in the sand because it would be funny. Take your pick."

"It's following without them knowing! If you're so pissy about it, then go to sleep and let me do it! They'll get away soon!"

"The definition of stalking is to follow someone or something very closely and watching its every move. Emphasis on follow."

"Yes, but all instances of following would be stalking by that logic! Just go to sleep already!"

"You're not going to get me to do anything until you give an actual good reason."

"I've given you plenty of them! What if they're secretly spies or something, huh?"

"That's a serious accusation, Misu. Either give me a good reason to suspect them as spies or just drop the subject."

"Why else would they just get up and walk away to be alone probably!?"

"To walk and explore the island we're on. You know, perfectly normal things to do."

"And why didn't they ask us to come with them, huh?"

"So, they can spend time together. A normal thing that friends like doing. You aren't making a big deal about Calzone going off on his own, so I really don't get why you care so much about this."

"Friends? Yeah, sure! Didn't you see how blushy and stuff they were!?"

"No, I'm not a stalker unlike some people."

"I'M NOT A STALKER!"

Tira smirked. "Alright, then prove it. Prove you're not a stalker."

"Bicerin follows people all the time! Does that make him a stalker?"

"He's a spy. It's literally his job to sneak up on people. And quit ignoring everything I say. Prove you aren't a stalker right now."

"Alright, how am I supposed to prove it!?"

"Simple. Don't follow them."

"WHAT'S THE POINT OF THAT!?"

"Well, it's obvious. If you don't chase after them, then you aren't a stalker."

"But I'm curious!"

"Then let's go up to them and talk with them like normal people instead of crazed lunatics."

"FINE THEN, WE'LL DO THAT!" He said beginning to stomp over.

"Good thing he's so easily distracted. That should give them plenty of time to be alone together." Tira thought to himself.

---------

As Misu was slowly making his way towards them, Risotto and Pandoro were walking in silence as expected.

"This island is beautiful. I'm surprised no one lives on such a peaceful place."

"I was quite surprised myself, that I was. You would think someone would live here. Though I think it might be too isolated for some people." The woman said as she looked out at the sea.

"Perhaps. However, this type of place is perfect for one such as myself."

"I thought the same thing, that I did."

By nature, both Risotto and Pandoro enjoyed peace and tranquility. That wasn't the say that they hated dealing with people, they just preferred the comforting silence this island provided. It was more than perfect for a vacation like this.

"Have you seen any interesting wildlife, Risotto?"

"I've seen a few colorful birds in the trees, but nothing really outside of that. What about you?"

"I've mostly been keeping an eye on the ocean. You never know when a large wave might come in."

"Afraid of getting wet?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Not particularly. In fact, I hope a wave comes in, that I do."

He looked at her curiously. "Oh? Why's that?"

"I've always wanted to see if I could cut a wave in half." She said with a smile.

"Is that so? Well... I can't wait to see you try."

"I can't wait to see it either. Risotto, can any of your summons manipulate the water?" She asked, her excitement now on full display on her face.

"Hmm... I believe I might have one..."

Pandoro nodded and summoned her sword. "Then if you wouldn't mind."

"Very well then."

Risotto got in position and started charging his mana.

"Mighty beast of the sea, come forth!"

He clapped his hands and a large sea serpent appeared.

"Now, create a giant wave!" He ordered.

The serpent nodded and dived into the ocean. After a minute of nothing happening, the area began to shake, and a giant wave the size of the beach itself formed and started crashing towards Pandoro.

"I'm sure you know what to do now, Pandoro." Risotto said.

The woman silently nodded as her eyes became sharp and focused and she crouched into her usual sword stance. She jumped towards the wave and swung down her blade, a large gust of wind being sent from it. Pandoro's strike connected and effortlessly split apart the wave. When the wave reached the island water landed everywhere, except for where Risotto was standing.

"I believe you've done it." The man said bluntly.

"That I did." She said, visibly more relaxed than she was before.

"Good." He chuckled. "That was quite amazing."

"Thank you. Now, shall we keep walking? We can search for exotic animals if you'd like?"

"Hmmm... yes, I would like to do that."

With a smile and a nod, the two journeyed into the forest of the island.

---------

Upon entering the forest, they noticed that they were surrounded by large trees with leaves that gave them ample shade.

"With this increase of shade, we should be able to find more animals."

The woman tilted her head. "Is that so? I'm afraid I'm not too knowledgeable about animals, that I am not."

"It tends to be hotter in tropical areas, so animals are more likely to stay in the shade than the sun."

That made sense to the swordswoman. All creatures have different levels of tolerance for heat and Limets were no different in that regard.

"The shade here certainly is perfect I must admit."

"It is, isn't it?"

Just then the two of them could hear the sound of leaves being stepped on.

"Something must be close. The sound has coming from the north. Let's go, Pandoro."

Silently nodding, she followed after him.

"Chances are it's a type of jungle cat. They are easy to startle but I trust that the both of us can avoid setting whatever it is off."

"That is true." Pandoro replied.

Slowly they approached the source of the sound, which was a creature Risotto had never seen before. It was a jungle feline like the man thought, but its fur was light blue and had white spots that almost looked like skulls all over its body.

"That's an unusual creature..." Pandoro whispered.

"Indeed. It's seemed to have noticed us, but it's not startled. In fact, it appears to not even care that we are here."

"Hopefully it stays that way."

Wordlessly Risotto started to walk up to it.

"Risotto?"

"This creature, I need to learn more about it."

"I see. Be careful."

Risotto smiled. "Trust me."

Soon he was standing in front of the creature. Sending mana to his mouth, the man began to talk.

"Hello there. My name is Risotto. What is yours?" He asked.

It was a little-known skill, but using his magic, Risotto can talk to and understand animals. The creature just stared at him silently, its eyes attempting to pierce his soul.

"Not one for talking, I see. I respect that. I can tell you're strong, but I bet I can handle your strongest attack with no issue." Risotto said, intentionally provoking the animal.

As much as Pandoro wanted to be alarmed by this proposal, another part of her greatly trusted her friend and believed he meant his words. The creature seemed to smirk and opened its mouth. Dark blue energy began to form inside and with a loud howl, the creature fired a gigantic beam at the gentle soul. Risotto stood his ground and took the attack head on. Everything was silent as the creature and Pandoro were waiting for the smoke caused by the attack to disappear so that they could see the man's condition. Soon, a standing figure could be seen within the smoke. Risotto was completely fine, shocking the creature and pleasing Pandoro.

"You're quite strong, just as I thought. You probably don't have any worthy adversaries on this island, do you?" He asked the feline.

The creature seemed to pause, as if contemplating his words.

"If that is the case, why not form a pact with me? I'm a summoner. I can summon you to fight against as many strong opponents as you would like." He then smirked. "Who knows, you might become stronger yourself. Strong enough to actually wound me."

That seemed to pique the beast's interest.

"Very well, summoner. I'll allow it, but the moment I deem you to be too weak to by my master, I'm gone." The beast said.

Risotto chuckled. "I only plan to become stronger."

The beast grinned. "I have no name. But if you must call me something, call me Gremory. For now, I'm yours to summon."

The man nodded. "Understood. It is a pleasure to meet you, Gremory."

The beast grunted and allowed Risotto to touch him, establishing a bond between the two and sent him to Risotto's summon subspace.

"I guess you got another ally, that you did."

"Yes, I have."

"Are you injured?" She asked in concern.

"I appreciate your concern, but I am fine."

She laughed at his response. "If you're speaking like that then everything is okay, that it is."

Risotto himself started to laugh.

"What are you two laughing about?" A familiar voice said. Turning around, the two saw that it was none other than Fettuccine.

"Fettuccine? You should be working, shouldn't you?" Pandoro asked.

The young lady grinned. "Well, technically, I am. We got reports of a giant wave that came out of nowhere and we detected high amounts of magical energy. So, I was asked to investigate. You two wouldn't happen to know what happened would you?"

Both people gave a straight expression.

"Nothing important happened."

"I recruited a new beast and Pandoro wanted to see if she could cut a wave in half."

"Oro?"

Fettuccine sighed but smiled. "Why am I not surprised by any of that?"

"Because it's expected of someone like Pandoro."

"Oro?"

The woman giggled. "Yup. It does sound like her. I'd be more surprised if she didn't do something like that."

Pandoro just looked at her comrades with a dumbfounded expression.

"It's good that you're here, Fettuccine. Tell me, did you contact Meta?"

"Yup! He said he was doing well!"

Both Pandoro and Risotto were relieved upon hearing that. They still wanted to talk to him themselves, but knowing that he was recovering was great news.

"If you want, I can get in touch with him so you could talk to him."

"If you wouldn't mind."

Fettuccine giggled. "Well, would you like to head back to the ship then?"

"Good idea, it would also be wise to see how the captain is doing."

With a smile in reply, the woman began to guide her two crewmates back to the ship.

---------

Unbeknownst to them, someone, or rather two people had just arrived at their previous location.

"I'm telling you Tira they were right here!"

"They were. They aren't now."

"Well, where could they have gone!? I'm telling you they are definitely spies!"

"You're just imagining things now."

"Oh yeah? Well come on, we'll find them and force them tell us the truth!"

"Alright then. Lead the way, I guess."

Misu dragged their body further into the forest, going in the complete opposite direction of where Pandoro and Risotto were heading. In response to this, Tira only gave a sigh.

---------

As they approached the ship a large shadow covered them, putting them on high alert.

"Pandoro, do you sense any ill will being sent our way?" Risotto asked.

"No. Whatever is casting this shadow doesn't seem like a threat. In fact, I don't think we need to fear a dead shark." She said, pointing at a huge shark being carried by one person.

"Oh. Well, that's a relief." The man replied.

"Hey, guys. Look at what I caught!" A still dripping wet Calzone said in the calmest tone imaginable.

Both women looked up at the shark.

"I did not expect the sharks on this planet to be this big, that I didn't."

"Well, it's a good thing I like seafood. But geez, CalCal, did you seriously beat this thing up by yourself?"

"Yes, I did."

"I'd expect nothing less from you, Calzone. I hope that you didn't make it suffer while fighting it." Risotto said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, I didn't do anything unnecessary. If it makes you feel better, it was terrorizing the local sea life."

"I have no issue with taking out violent predators if it means protecting the weak. I believe your words." The man replied with a smirk.

"Alright then. Come on, let's cook this thing." He then looked around. "Where's the terror twins?"

"I don't know. Last I saw them, they were walking off somewhere, that they were."

"And I know they left their communication device back on the ship. Oh well, they'll show up sooner or later."

Fettuccine nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Now come on, let's go give Metty another call!"

The other two nodded before entering the ship.

"CalCal, once you get done giving the chefs that shark, swing by the communications room. We're gonna give Metty a call."

"What? Is the grape having a hard time cheering him up?" He replied with a joking smirk.

"He's doing great, actually. It's those two that want to check up on him." She said pointing at Risotto and Pandoro.

"I thought so. I'll stop by in a bit." The leader nodded and walked off, shark in tow.

"Tell me again how he managed to fit that thing in the ship." Fettuccine said.

"It is just Calzone's natural skill, that it is."

The woman shrugged. "Eh whatever. Let's get going, our little buddy awaits!"

The duo nodded and followed after her to the room.

---------

Upon reaching the room, the trio entered quickly. Fettuccine sat down once more and quickly called up the GranEssex. Like before Meta answered almost immediately.

"Fettucci- I mean, Fetty, is there something you need?" He asked.

"Not me this time, Metty, it's these two that need something." She said, dragging her companions closer to the screen.

"Pandoro! Risotto!" He exclaimed, excited to see their faces.

"It's good to see that you are well, Meta, that it is."

"Indeed."

"Yeah, but how are you two? Are you doing well?" He asked with a worried expression.

"We are perfectly fine, Meta, there's no need for the concern."

"But we are thankful for it."

He gave a smile in response. "I'm glad to hear that."

Pandoro smiled, but both Risotto and Fettuccine knew it was a sad one.

"Putting other's woes above his own. He's a good kid, that he is." She thought to herself.

"Pandoro, I may not be able to feel your emotions, but I can see your face. Are you sure something's not wrong?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just grateful for knowing such a kind young man such as yourself. But let me give you one piece of advice: While it's admirable to put others over yourself, you mustn't ignore your own feelings in the process."

While a faint blush appeared on the youth's face from the complement, he quietly nodded in understanding at the reply.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm not ignoring my own feelings."

"While that may be true now, always remember to keep my words in mind." She replied.

"I understand. Thank you." He responded.

"I can tell by your mood you have gotten better. Tell me, have you found some form of closure?" Risotto asked.

"I did. Thanks to my sensei."

"That's good to hear. A comrade's death is never easy to handle, so I'm glad that you've begun to move on." The tall Limet then replied with relief.

Being honest, he felt strange talking about his own death. A death that both happened and didn't happen. A death he experienced but can't say how it felt. He really didn't know what to make of it.

"Yeah. Though... from what the book on magic seals I read said... they might be still alive in another universe..."

"Interesting. Well, I'm happy for the me of that universe. But right now, let's put all of that aside. We're living in this universe after all, we should focus on that."

The puff nodded. "I know. But I thought I'd tell you since it helped to give me closure. I just hope it does the same for you."

"Well, thank you."

"So, Metty, are you going to participate in the rookie tournament?" Fettuccine asked. Both out of curiosity and wanting to change the conversation to a lighter topic.

"...rookie tournament?"

"You haven't heard about the rookie tournament? I thought that Kurabe would've at least brought it up to you!"

Meta looked confused. "I think sensei has been avoiding talking about getting back into the field while I'm on break. I'll ask her about it later, but could you tell me more?"

"The Organization has a tournament every few years for new recruits in each division."

The youth looked interested immediately. "So, a chance to see how strong I've gotten. Certainly sensei will sign me up for it, if she hasn't already. She's forgetful about that sometimes."

The three members laughed at that.

"Yup, it's a chance to see how strong all of our young members are." Pandoro said.

"And more importantly, I'll be competing, so we'll get to see each other again in person!"

The youth's eyes lit up in excitement upon hearing Fettuccine's words. "Really? You're all coming?"

"Captain Reedy is required to come as part of his duties. Pandoro and I will be coming to support Fettuccine, and you, of course."

"I'll be coming too." A voice said from behind everyone, revealing himself as Calzone. "Hey, kid, how you doing?"

"Oh, Mr. Calzone! I'm doing fine right now, thank you."

"Hey now, we're practically comrades in arms after what happened. No need to add the "Mister"."

"Ok then, Calzone." He said with a smile.

"Good!" Calzone then leaned into the screen, as of trying to analyze something. "Good eyes you got. Strong but soft, fierce yet welcoming. Yeah, I'd say you're feeling better alright."

"You can tell all that just by looking at me?"

"Ever heard of the expression eyes are the mirror to the soul? It means that a person's eyes reflect what they're feeling. It's why a lot of spies either wear eye covering materials or train them to not show emotion."

"Is that also why sensei wears that visor?"

"You're gonna have to ask her that yourself, but if I was to guess, probably not. I think she wears it to protect herself. That or she just thinks it looks cool."

"Yeah... both sound like something she would do."

"What would be something I'd do, Meta?" A warm voice said from behind him.

"Sensei! When did you get there?"

She gave a smile, but it appeared to be somewhat forced. "I've been here for about a minute. Now, what would be something that I'd do?"

"Well, Calzone said you wear that visor to protect yourself or to look cool." He replied nervously.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah, it's what the kid said. So, am I right with my guess?" Calzone said, taking Kurabe's attention away from Meta and onto him.

The puff became silent, as if debating her response with an unreadable expression.

She then looked at Fettuccine. "You're an interrogator, correct? Care to try and get the answer from me?"

"Is that a challenge?" The woman replied with a grin.

"Yes, it is. I want to see if you're as skilled as Reedy says. Think of it as training. While you aren't my student or even a member of my division, you are still a young soldier. As a veteran, I need to help support the newer generation the best I can."

"Oh, so the captain has praised me that highly? I'm grateful." She then sat up calmly. "A part of me has always wanted to test my skills on one of the Big Four."

"Should I leave?" Meta asked.

"No, stay here, Meta. This is an opportunity to see how skilled your friend is in her field of specialty."

He quietly nodded and took a seat in preparation.

"We stepped into a dangerous situation by accident, that we did." Pandoro whispered to Risotto.

"Indeed. Perhaps we should back up a bit."

Calzone just smirked. "Well then, little lady, better show the elderly how good you are."

"Did you just call me old?" Kurabe uttered in a dark manner.

"Maybe. What are you going to do about it? It's not like you're anywhere near me." He said with a smirk. Almost immediately, his head was frozen in a block of ice. Everyone could only stare in shock.

"Did... did she cast that from through the screen?"

"I may not be as powerful a mage as Momo, but casting a long-distance spell like that is child's play. Don't worry, the ice will thaw in thirty minutes." Before anything else could be said, she cut them off. "Alright, now begin the interrogation, would you?"

Now incredibly nervous, Fettuccine nodded. Seeing this, Meta decided to speak.

"Don't worry, Fetty. Sensei prefers to fight fairly, even if it's only a verbal contest. She won't do anything to harm you. Right, sensei?"

"Of course. Unless you decide to pull something like the vice captain over there."

The woman shook her head. "No, I don't like going for low blows."

"Very well. Then begin."

Fettuccine stared at Kurabe for a long time, reading her body language, trying to find something she could work with.

"I must say, Kurabe, you certainly take good care of your attire. I'm admittedly a bit jealous."

She gave a smile. "Of course I do. However, it appears you take care of yourself equally as well. It must take several hours for you to manage your hair, doesn't it?"

"It did take me several hours when I first tried this style, but over the years, it's practically become second nature. I can do it in less than thirty minutes now." She replied. "So, she clearly takes pride in the way she presents herself. So, there's more to the visor then simply looking cool." She then thought to herself, her expression not changing at all.

"Oh? So, you've tried other styles before?" Kurabe suddenly replied.

"Plenty, but I like my current one the most. I'm sure you can relate, because I doubt that visor of yours is your first one ever."

"It's been broken a few times, of course. Most of them by my student over there."

Meta looked embarrassed, which briefly distracted Fettuccine before focusing back on the task at hand. "I believe it's fair to assume that your main reason for the visor is to protect yourself, right? Like we can just scratch that off the list of CalCal's guesses."

"Oh? What happened to interrogating me, Ms. Head Interrogator?"

"I mean, I've already figured it out anyway." She immediately responded.

Kurabe's smile went away as she gained a neutral expression. "Really now? Even though we've just barely begun?"

"Yes, I have!"

"Really now? Then what exactly tipped you off and what have you figured out?"

"Well, that's quite simple. You admitted to taking proper care of your appearance, yet your attitude shows that you don't do things just because it's cool. Instead, I get the feeling you view your equipment as part of you. That's why you didn't sound angry when you mentioned Metty breaking them. In your mind, that's just proof that you're doing a good job of teaching him. You pride yourself as both as a warrior and a person and want your attire to reflect both aspects. You don't wear the visor because it's cool. You wear because it's an extension of yourself. So, how did I do?" She asked with a smile.

The puff had an unreadable expression.

"You are quite good, I must admit. Good enough to make me overlook your little crush. For now." Kurabe telepathically said to Fettuccine, making her blush which confused everyone around them.

The puff chuckled aloud. "Yes, you are correct, Fettuccine. Meta, you certainly have a good friend. A shame you have to be under Reedy. Though I suppose he requires your talents more than my division does. At least for now."

"Oh? Planning to recruit her to your own division at some point?" Risotto chuckled.

"Perhaps. That is to say, the door is always open. This applies to you and Pandoro as well." "I understand, and I'm grateful for the offer. However, we can also perhaps say the same for Meta."

"I know. I also know it's unlikely that any of you will leave Reedy anytime soon. Just as you all know Meta is unlikely to leave me any time soon."

"Yes, we know well."

Kurabe smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Fettuccine. I can tell you'll do great as an interrogator. I would love to stay and chat, but I have some paperwork to finish. Most importantly, the signup sheet for the tournament."

"Sensei?!" Meta suddenly exclaimed in excitement.

"Of course I was going to sign you up. I was just holding off on telling you until you were off break."

"But why?"

"Because I don't want you to get worked up before then."

The youth nodded in understanding. He knew making sure his mind was perfectly sound was of more importance.

"Well, anyway, it was nice talking to all of you. I should be going now. But first, I'd like to thank you all so much for taking care of Meta during his stay on your ship." Kurabe said with a bow.

"It was our pleasure, that it was."

"I know, I wanted to thank you anyway."

"You're quite welcome then." Fettuccine replied with a smile.

She smiled back. "Well, I should be going now. Sorry to interrupt your conversation, Meta."

"It's okay, sensei, I'll speak with you later."

"See you." She then walked out of the room.

The puff looked back at the screen, noticing a puzzled expression on Fettuccine's face. "What's wrong, Fetty?"

The young interrogator shook her head. "There's nothing wrong per say. I just feel like Kurabe was holding back. If she was, then I have a lot more room to grow."

Everyone looked surprised by that.

"But Fettuccine, it seemed like you were directing the entire flow of the interrogation."

"No, the opposite. She let me direct the flow."

Pandoro looked confused. "And what makes you say that?"

"Well for one, all the clues she gave me were deliberate. Everything she said was said on purpose and for a reason. She just said them in a way that came off as incredibly natural. The second reason is because she could read my mind, meaning she probably already knew what I was planning before I committed to it."

"I see. So, then you will have to work harder, that you will."

"I was already planning on it. Metty, would you mind telling me everything you know about Kurabe? Facts, personal opinions, anything." She requested, incredibly serious about getting better.

"...what exactly do you want to know about her?"

"Anything you're willing to talk about." She said, her tone indicating that she didn't want Meta to do anything he didn't want to.

"Well, there's a lot of things I know. That's why it's hard."

"Metty, you're over thinking again. Just start with something simple, like what you think of her."

"But you know that already, don't you?"

Fettuccine laughed at the response. "Boy, Metty, you sure are cute when you're confused. Hey, you guys can go ahead and get dinner. I'll eat after I'm done talking with Metty."

Risotto nodded and picked up the still incapacitated Calzone. "Enjoy your talk you two. Let's go, Pandoro."

"Very well. Take care, you both." The swordswoman said.

"R-right. It was good seeing you two again." Meta said, still recovering from being called cute.

The duo gave a wave before they left the room, leaving only Fettuccine in the communications room.

---------

As they were walking through the always sparkling clean hallway, the group were stopped by the sounds of stomping and huffing.

"We finally found you, fakers!" The source of the noise, Misu, said.

"...fakers?" Risotto questioned.

"Don't mind him. He thinks you two are spies because you went off on a walk together."

"Oh."

After that dry response, he turned to Pandoro. "Does the captain need someone to bring him his dinner?"

Pandoro put her finger to her lips and thought about it. "Come to think of it, we haven't seen the captain at all since this morning. We should go check up on him, that we should."

The man nodded. "Let's go do that."

"Hey! Don't just ignore me like that! I demand answers, why were you two walking together?"

"Why do you care so much?" Risotto asked.

Misu's eye enlarged out of anger. "Because you were doing something without us! And with all that have holding and blushing you were doing, you look super suspicious!"

Both Risotto and Pandoro looked confused. "...By hand holding, are you referring to me helping her get to her feet?"

"No! You held your hands as you walked and were all blushy and stuff with each other!"

"I fail to see any reason as to why you care, Misu. We're on vacation, we wanted to explore the island together. There's nothing more to it than that. If anything, the only one acting like a spy is you with how you're following us around and watching our every movement. Actions like that are highly questionable as I'm sure Tira tried to tell you multiple times."

"I KNOW BUT THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ELSE!"

"The idiot is actually just being nosy and wanted to know if you two were dating or something." Tira finally said.

Silence filled the air as the two registered his words.

"...oro?"

Before anyone else could say anything, the ice around Calzone broke.

"Finally, I can talk again! Also, I was aware of what everyone was saying, so guess I should be thankful for that. Anyway, Misu, don't ask questions you don't need the answer to, understand? That's an invasion of privacy and I'd rather not have to punish Tira for your own mistakes." The leader said, flashing a knowing smile towards Risotto and Pandoro.

"But what if I need the answer to this!?"

"You don't. Now drop it, that's an order."

Misu only responded with irritated grumbling.

"Besides, everyone has a private life. No one has any right to demand things they have no reason to demand."

"But I share everything with Tira!"

"That's 'cuz we're attached to each other, dimwit."

"Oh, that's right."

Pandoro smiled. "Now if this matter is settled, Risotto and I shall go see the captain. You three may head to the cafeteria without us."

With a nod, Calzone began to simultaneously walk and drag Tiramisu off to the cafeteria.

"Well, let's get going." Risotto said.

"Yes, let's." She replied, clearly a bit agitated from Misu's antics.

As if noticing this, the man awkwardly patted her head.

"Oro?" She responded, blushing in the process.

"Forgive me, I have no idea how to calm you down..."

"Oh, that is quite alright, Risotto. Your presence is enough, that it is."

"I see..." He uttered.

Neither of the two really knew how to continue the conversation, so they decided to just walk to Reedy's room.

---------

In a couple of minutes, they reached the door to the captain's cabin and knocked.

"Captain, it's Risotto and Pandoro. We came to check on you."

For a while, there was no sound at all to be heard from inside the room.

"Do you think he's asleep, Pandoro?"

"Perhaps. Allow me to try." She then knocked on the door herself. "Captain, are you doing fine? Give us a sign to let us know you're well!"

For a moment, the woman heard a faint rustle from inside the room, indicating movement.

"Y-yes, I'm here, Pandoro. There's no need to worry, I'm currently with Raita at the moment. Is there anything you need?" He asked from the room.

"We were just coming to check on you, that we were. Would you like us to deliver dinner to you later?"

"Yes, thank you. Bring us anything they are serving later, please. At least... two hours from now." He said, his voice oddly seeming out of breath.

Noticing this, she became concerned. "...captain, are you alright? You sound strangely out of breath for someone who has been resting for most of the day."

"Trust me, Pandoro, I feel great. Raita's just showing me different yoga poses. You two should go eat dinner, I'll be fine."

"If you are that exhausted from doing yoga, I will send a doctor to your room, that I will. Please take a rest." Pandoro replied.

"Pandoro, you seem to forget but I am a doctor. There's nothing to be concerned about." Raita's voice could be heard saying, sounding equally out of breath.

Pandoro and Risotto looked at each other with concern.

"Lady Raita, there's clearly something wrong. Please let us in." Risotto said.

"I thought I told you not to worry about it. I'm a doctor. I can handle it."

The woman walked up to the door and turned her index finger into a key.

"A trick that Bicerin taught me." She explained.

Risotto nodded. "Ok, open it."

"Don't you dare open that door, Pandoro! That's an order!" Reedy shouted from inside the room.

"Captain Reedy, we are under our right to disobey orders as long as it's for the benefit for the crew. A rule you yourself made, that it is."

"And I'm telling you not to open that door for the benefit of your lives!"

"The captain would never say anything like that under normal circumstances! Something is clearly wrong with the both of you." Pandoro said as she unlocked the door.

"Well, I'm saying it this time! Go away now!"

"Captain Reedy, I respect you immensely, but as your soldier it's my duty to see that you are perfectly safe and sound, that it is." She said as she opened up the door.

"PANDORO!"

Pandoro walked in and saw two figures on the bed. One was Raita, looking clearly embarrassed and the other was familiar silver blob that was now highly stretched out.

"...oro?"

The familiar blob began to turn red and even started to bubble.

"What are you "oro"ing for?! Get the hell out of our room!"

"Captain, why are you being so aggressive? Are you under some type of spell? And why are you a blob?"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

As if noting the tone and not wanting her husband to become even more angry, Raita quickly shook off her embarrassment and pushed both Limets out of the room, shutting the door behind her so she was standing outside with them.

"I'm very sorry about that, you two. Reedy's not in the best mood right now."

Risotto nodded. "...he stayed constrained for too long and is unable to morph at the moment. Am I correct?"

"Constrained and mostly immobile, but yes."

Risotto sighed. "Lady Raita, I know you mean well, but that technique you use with the blankets, you need to use it in moderation."

"But this never happened when I've used it before..."

"Excuse me, what exactly is happening? Why were you two out of breath?" Pandoro asked.

Raita gave a sigh. "Reedy tried to morph back to his humanoid form, but he was struggling with it and complaining about how stiff he felt, so I was trying to help him morph back."

Pandoro just looked at her with a vacant expression. "...I am confused, that I am. Why didn't the captain just say so?"

"Because it's embarrassing to him."

The woman then took a moment to think. "Ah, I see. So, it was just an unfortunate misunderstanding."

"That's correct."

Pandoro's face turned slightly red. "I see. My sincerest apologies, captain." She said loud enough for Reedy to hear.

"It's fine. I apologize for raising my voice." She heard him say.

With a nod, she replied. "Apology accepted, captain."

Raita gave a smile at that. "Now that we've cleared everything up, I have to go back to helping him. Please deliver us dinner in about two hours. I should have him back to normal by then."

The cheerful fairy went back inside, leaving the two Limets behind in an awkward silence. Almost immediately, Pandoro's face turned even redder.

"Orororororo...!"

The quiet man grabbed Pandoro's hand gently. "...let's go get you something cold to drink."

The woman only replied with a silent nod.

---------

Meanwhile, back in Reedy's room, the blob in question was still trying to go back to normal.

"Dear, be honest with me. Was I being too harsh?"

"A bit. I understand how embarrassed you feel about this situation, but those two were only checking in on you and blowing up on them like you did was uncalled for."

Reedy nodded, or at least attempted to do so. "Yes, you're probably right, Raita. Still to unlock our door like that...then again, she was following the correct protocol. I'll need to make an effort to make it up to them."

Raita squished the sides of his cheeks with a giggle. "Yes, you will. But for now, let's focus on getting you back to normal."

"Yes, dear..." He replied, already dreading more stretching.

The fairy then rolled up her sleeves. "Now, come on and work with me."

---------

As Reedy was being stretched to kingdom come, Pandoro was already finishing a tenth glass of water.

"Are you feeling better yet?" Risotto asked, returning with yet another pitcher of ice water.

The woman nodded. "Yes, I am, thank you, Risotto. Right now, I just feel very silly, that I do."

"You and me both." Was his simple reply.

Pandoro smiled at that reply and gladly kept drinking the offered water. "More please."

Across the room, Misu was glaring at them.

"I swear there's something up with those two."

"It's none of our business, dimwit."

"Yeah, but look at her! Something clearly happened."

"Something that's none of your business, that's what."

Misu glared at his other half and then looked at Calzone, who was currently chowing down on some of the shark he fought.

"Calzone what do you think?"

"I think you should mind your own business as well."

"Oh, come on! Aren't you even just a little bit curious?"

"No. And even if I was, I'd rather they tell me when they feel comfortable about it."

"Why am I the only one whose curious?" Misu whined.

"Because you are a nosy doofus."

"No, I'm not! You all are just boring!"

"...Dude, I fought a shark. I'm sure that's infinitely more entertaining than whatever you did today." Calzone said.

"Wait, you did?!"

"Why do you think we're having shark for dinner?"

"I thought someone just got it for free with shark fin soup!"

Calzone just looked at him silently. "Tira, I ask this in the nicest way possible. Why is your brother like this?"

"I ask that question every day when I wake up." Tira replied.

Before Misu could complain about what was just said, Pandoro and Risotto walked over.

"What's the commotion?" The tall man asked.

"Just Misu being an idiot as usual." Tira replied.

"Is that so? What exactly is he carrying on about?"

"He thinks something happened between you two and that's why Pandoro looks all embarrassed."

Risotto just looked confused. "No. Nothing happened between the two of us as far as I'm aware."

"Then why does the sword nut look like that, huh?!"

"First, I'd prefer it if you didn't call her that. Secondly, that is something you'll need to talk to the captain about."

Misu only looked confused. "What does the captain have to do with this?"

"Everything." Risotto said cryptically before going back to his original seat.

"THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING, YOU IDIOT!"

"Misu. Do not call him that." Pandoro said, her voice suddenly cold and her eyes sharp as a blade. One look from her was enough to make Misu back down immediately.

"Ok... now I know there's something going on between those two..." He thought.

"And if you must know I heard that the captain was out of breath and in pain. So, I entered to see him performing yoga. It was an embarrassing misunderstanding and nothing more."

"...wait, is that seriously it!?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" She asked, her piercing eyes staring directly at him.

"N-no! Not at all!" Misu quickly replied.

"See what happens when you mess with the hornet's nest?" Tira said with a smug expression.

"Shut up, Tira!"

"No, brother, I don't think I will. I've let you have control for long enough. I'd rather not risk getting cut in half by the one of the strongest people we know because you can't keep our mouth shut."

"Can you at least not look so smug about it!?"

"After putting up with your antics for the past six hours, I've earned this."

"No, you haven't!"

"Misu, why are you so desperate to learn about what Risotto and I have been up to?" Pandoro suddenly cut in. "And be quick about it." She added. While normally calm and hard to anger, even Pandoro had a limit to what she was willing to take.

Misu paused and looked hesitant for a moment.

"On our last mission, we- I was worthless. I didn't do anything to help and I'm probably what got me and Tira killed. So, I just wanted to prove to myself that I can be good at gathering information, that I can be good at something. Annnnnnnd, I was just really curious."

Everyone in the room seemed to collectively stare at him, as if they were attempting to determine if he was lying or not.

"He's not lying. At least not entirely. I've had to listen to him beat himself up for what happened, even though I've been telling him that we're still alive so quit complaining about it. But his main reason was just curiosity." Tira explained.

"Pandoro gave a sigh. "I believe all of us feel some level of guilt about everything that happened on our last mission, that we do."

"Even still, there's no reason for you to be so insistent about what we do together. But if you want to know the truth about what we were doing, we'll tell you." Risotto added.

Misu stared at them dumbly until Tira knocked him over the head. "I told you that all you had to do was just not be an asshole about it!"

"Well, I didn't think it'd be that easy."

"That implies that you think."

"I do think! It's just sometimes easier not to!"

"Enough. Do want to hear from us or not?"

"Yes, please!"

"Very well. The truth is...we were just hanging out with each other, that we were."

Misu only stared in dumb silence. "...I know that much, but is it because you two are a thing or something?"

"...oro?"

"What do you mean by a thing?" They responded at the same time.

"You know what I mean! Dating and stuff!"

Pandoro and Risotto looked at each other in silence, then the silence turned into laughter. "Oh no. Risotto and I simply good friends, that we are."

Misu only stared at her doubtfully.

"Alright, you got your answer, you idiot. Now drop the subject." Tira said.

"But why were you two blushing and holding hands?"

"Holding hands? The only time I recall that happening was when Risotto helped me stand up."

"There was at least one other time, but that didn't explain why you were blushing!"

"Oh, Risotto simply complimented my kimono. I'm not too terribly used to compliments about my appearance you see." She said bashfully.

He stared. "...really? That's a shame."

Pandoro blushed. "Well, thank you... oro?" Her face then turned even more red. "Orororororo?!"

"Alright, let's get you some more water, Pandoro." Risotto said, taking her away from the table.

Misu stared blankly. "...was it something I said?"

"You called her beautiful." Tira commented.

"I did?"

"Do you have the attention span of a squirrel? She said she's not used to receiving compliments."

"Yeah, and that's a shame!"

"It is a shame, yes, but the fact is you complimented her appearance by saying that, so of course she would react by blushing."

"Oooooh. Ok."

"Yes, and now that you got the answers you wanted, will you finally stop obsessing over them?"

"Seeing how I don't have anything else I'd like to know, sure."

Calzone chuckled at his teammates' antics. "Looks like everyone is getting back to normal." He said as he continued to eat his food.

"So, Calzone, why did you fight a shark?" Misu asked.

"I just wanted to see if I still got it."

"Got what?"

"Strength. To see if he's still strong." Tira explained.

"But he's a level 10 Limet! Of course he's strong!"

"Numbers are just numbers. Even the strong can fail, Misu. I, or rather, another me failed and got you all killed. I needed to prove to myself that I can still handle tough situations."

"Oooh. I get it. It's because of that last mission, like me..."

"Exactly. All of us were affected by it. Except... wait, Tira, what about you? You don't seem bothered by what happened."

"I guess I've already accepted this stuff."

"Oh, come on! Why am the only one of us that had to deal with this! We're brothers, we're supposed to share everything!"

"No, we don't!"

Calzone clapped his hands, getting the brothers attention. "Before you two start with the comedy routine again, Tira, please explain in more detail what you mean. How have you accepted dying so easily?"

"I dunno."

"You don't know?"

Tira shrugged. "Listen, man, I didn't die. None of us did. Sure, we did in another universe or something, but why should I let that get me down? I'm alive in this universe, why should I care about what goes on in another?"

Misu blinked silently. "...huh. I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

"NO, YOU AREN'T!"

"Compared to you I am."

"I have to agree."

"Not you too, Calzone!"

"No, he's right. At least about how we shouldn't care about what happened in other worlds. But even still, I needed to prove something to myself, or else I wouldn't have been able to accept it."

Tira gave a nod. "Yeah, that makes sense."

While they didn't want to join in on the conversation, both Risotto and Pandoro agreed with what both Tira and Calzone were saying. That was why they went and did the activities that they did today. To regain their shaken confidence from what happened. It was more of a silent agreement, but there was no doubt that their captain would also agree with those two. That was why he was spending time with his wife. For the rest of the time everyone ate in silence, aside from a few side comments made by Misu.

---------

Two hours later, Pandoro and Risotto started walking back to Reedy's room, with his and Raita's dinner in hand. Eventually, they reached the door and Risotto knocked on it.

"Captain, we've arrived with your dinner."

"Yes, come in." He replied calmly.

Pandoro and Risotto looked at each other and then opened the door. When they got inside, they saw that Reedy was back in his usual form, a solemn expression on his face.

"Captain? Is something wrong?"

Reedy stood up and looked up at the both of them. "I... would like to apologize for my earlier behavior."

Pandoro silently blinked. "...but captain, I already forgave you for it."

"Perhaps, but I haven't forgiven myself. You two were only worried about me and I spat insults in your faces. That was immature and unprofessional of me."

"That was something you said out of anger, captain."

"Pandoro, please do not try to justify my behavior. I was wrong and acted in a manner that is unacceptable. So, I say to you, I'm sorry."

"Well... um... apology accepted again, captain."

Reedy nodded. "Thank you. And you, Risotto?"

The man stared at him for a moment before placing a hand on his head and tousling his hair. "Don't worry about it."

Reedy backed up and nodded, his hair now disheveled. "I-I thank you, Risotto."

The man gave a chuckle at his captain's behavior. "Anyway, here's yours and Raita's dinner, captain."

"Ah, thank you very much, you both." He then gave a curious look. "What exactly is this?"

"Shark meat. Calzone caught it."

"Oh, it's been quite some time since we've had seafood!" Raita commented.

"Indeed, it is. Tell Calzone we said thank you."

"Will do, captain. Enjoy your meal."

Reedy nodded in response. "Thank you, we will."

The two Task Force members nodded and left.

"Well that certainly went well if I do say so myself!" Raita said, happy that her husband apologized.

"I feel better myself." Reedy commented.

The fairy looked at her husband with a smile, but it was obvious she was sad about something.

"You must've really been shaken up by that nightmare, weren't you, Reedy?"

He pushed up his glasses with a sad sigh. "It wasn't just that nightmare. It was everything that happened a couple of days ago."

The fairy floated over to him and hugged his right arm. "Are you finally willing to talk about it?"

"...yes, I finally feel ready."

"Alright then. Start when you want to, dear. I'm not moving from this spot."

With a silent nod, he sat down and began to think of how to begin.

"To begin, let's start with Meta. To be blunt, I think my actions traumatized the poor boy."

"And you believe it's your fault because you asked him to join you on that mission?"

"Not just that. He was under my watch. It was my responsibility to look after him. But instead, he watched everyone around him die. It's my fault Raita. I failed him and I failed Kurabe."

"If you're saying that, this is more serious than I thought..."

"She trusted me to look after her precious student, Raita. My stupidity could have potentially ruined his life. Am I even fit to be a parent anymore after this?"

Immediately, he felt himself being hugged by his wife. "Reedy, no. Don't say something like that. You're more than fit to be a parent. Please don't let one mistake make you think otherwise."

"...you're right, but it's hard to see it that way. I failed Meta. I failed my rival. I failed my own squad. I got everyone killed. I'm surprised they don't all hate me for it."

"But everyone's still alive now, aren't they? That's all that matters."

"Again, you're completely right. Everyone is alive and Meta is back home safe and sound under Kurabe's watchful gaze."

"I know, so why exactly are you beating yourself down like this? It's not healthy, you know."

Reedy sighed and took off his glasses. "I failed. Even if the damage has been undone, the damage only happened because of me. I'm supposed to be the shining example of a captain. I'm not supposed to fail."

"But even a shining example of a captain can be imperfect, correct?"

"But I shouldn't be imperfect. I have to be perfect, otherwise how else am I supposed to help those that need it?"

"Reedy, you're forgetting something important: You're a person. People are naturally imperfect."

"Well, yes, but-"

"Reedy, that's enough." Raita uttered, putting a hand on his face.

"Raita, why do you put up with me whenever I'm like this?"

"Because I love you, silly. Isn't that enough of a reason?"

"Even though I'm not perfect?"

"Of course."

A small smile appeared on the man's face. "Thank you. What of the others? Will they follow me even after this?"

"Don't you remember how Pandoro and Risotto went out of their way to check on you? I think that should be enough of an answer for you."

Reedy chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you're right as always."

"Of course I am. Now, is there anything else you're hiding from me?"

"Well, not exactly. But there's something I've been meaning to talk about."

Raita looked concerned. "What is it, my dear?"

"What would you think about expanding our family?"

"As in our crew or... our own family?"

"Our family. It doesn't have to be any time soon, but I would like to have another child with you sometime down the road."

Raita gave a smile. "I would be happy with that. I'm sure Lyze, Mark, and Ciel would love a younger sister or brother."

"I believe so as well."

"Well, I'm happy you agree."

"Well of course I do, I'm the one who suggested it."

"I know that, but I'd like to say it anyway."

The two looked at each other and started laughing at each other's words.

"Thank you, Raita. I'm still not completely over what happened, but I think I'm ready to move on." The man said, putting his glasses back on.

"It's no problem, my love. I understand there's no way of fully getting over everything, but moving on is the first step to healing." She then placed her other hand on his face. "And I don't know if you need to, but... if you feel like crying, just let it out."

"I appreciate it, but I'll be fine."

"Oh, come on, Reedy, this better not be you trying to act like a tough guy again."

"I'm not, Raita. Don't worry."

"You know that's impossible, Reedy. I'll always be worried about you."

"I know, and I appreciate it. But I'm not putting on a tough guy act."

"Alright, but if you change your mind."

"I know, and thank you." He then pushed up his glasses with a shine. "Besides, I AM a tough guy."

"Yes of course dear, you're my very strong tough guy."

"Good to hear you agree."

"So, what exactly brought upon the thought of having another child?"

Reedy paused and looked at her. "While the thought was always in the back of my mind, what happened this past week reminded me that I'm not invincible. So, while I still am alive, I should live life to its fullest."

"Indeed. And the best way to do that is to spend time with your family."

"You're right. Speaking of, where are the kids anyway?"

"Oh, that's simple! I asked Granita to show them around the island since they were all so curious about it."

"...I would question that, but Granita is good when she has to be."

"Oh, don't be like that Reedy, she's always been great with kids."

"I know, I was kidding."

"Yes, yes. Of course you were dear. Besides with most of the members on vacation and poor Fettuccine taking most of the workload, Granita seemed to be the best choice."

Reedy frowned. "Dear, remind me to tell Fettuccine that when we're all done with break, she's taking a mandatory vacation."

Raita looked a bit surprised, but nodded. "Alright, honey."

"...why are you so surprised? Didn't you say she took upon most of the workload herself?"

"I just think it's a little ironic, considering how hard it is to get you to take a break. Mr. Workaholic."

"That's because I'm the only one in my crew who's allowed to overwork themselves."

"No one should be overworking themselves, dear. You can't enjoy life if you keep stressing yourself out."

"...perhaps you're right." He replied with a sigh.

"Now I know you won't like hearing this, but you should use Kurabe as an example. You two have similar work ethics, however I've never heard of anyone having to place her in solitary confinement for her own good."

"...I swear, someone's ought to lock her in solitary confinement..." he mumbled.

"I heard that. Point is, she's never worked herself to near death. Neither has Momo for that matter. You're the only one of the Big Four member that has worked himself to near death. Multiple times."

Reedy couldn't deny that at all.

"And while I haven't spoken much with Raiden, I'm sure even he makes sure to avoid overwork."

"...he at least visits his clan one week per month, so it's fair to assume..."

"Exactly. So as your wife I'm forbidding you from working for another week."

The man blinked in shock. "But I'm already feeling better! Shouldn't someone take over for Fettuccine?"

"Yes, and you'll have five Task Force members finishing up their vacations. Unlike you, they don't overwhelm themselves."

"Yes, but then who will captain the ship!?"

"Is that not what a vice captain is for?"

"I know, but it'll be a lot for Calzone to come back to after vacation."

"But it won't be a lot for you, who would also be coming back from vacation?"

"I can handle it. I always have."

"So, you're saying that Calzone, the man you trust enough to make vice captain can't handle it?"

"No, not at all. Just I can't sit still while he's doing all that work."

"Then who says you have to stay still? There's plenty of activities we can do while on vacation."

"Yes, but I won't be doing anything for the Organization."

"So? Reedy you can't do anything for the Organization if you keep burning yourself out. I'm saying this as both your wife and your doctor."

"But-" Raita put a finger to his lips to stop him from talking.

"No "but"s. You're taking another week off and that's final."

"Fine. You win, Raita."

She gave a giggle. "Good. Now I better not see you working, or it'll be burrito time for you again."

"No, no more burritos. I'd rather be able to move properly."

"Then you better rest."

"I will. Now can we please eat our dinner? I'd rather not eat cold shark tonight."

"Very well. Let's eat."

Reedy took a quick bite. "Interesting. This tastes remarkably like chicken."

"...really?" Raita took a bite for herself.

"Oh, you're right!"

The two then sat down and began to eat.

---------

It didn't take long for all of the shark to be eaten. While surprising to some, Reedy was a fairly fast eater. Though that was due to him rushing dinner time so he could get back to work quicker. Even during breaks, the man couldn't help but eat quickly. Noticing this, Raita looked at him sadly.

"Reedy, please try to eat at least a little bit slower while you're on break. I don't want you to choke on something."

"I appreciate the concern, Raita, but there's nothing to worry about. Limets can't choke on anything."

"Still, you'll make yourself sick if you do it too much."

"Please, Limets don't get sick."

"Now I know that one is a lie." She then pinched his cheeks. "Or would you like me to remind you of the time where you caught a cold, and I was taking care of you the whole week? Or how about the time where you had the flu and threw up everything you ate?"

"That won't be necessary, you've made your point." He replied, his voice muffled from being pinched.

Raita let out a giggle due to how his face looked and his voice sounded. "Good." She then gained a thoughtful expression. "Honey, you should call Meta. For closure's sake."

"...I probably should." Reedy sighed. Admittedly, he had a vague feeling the child wouldn't want to speak to him.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get going to the communication room." She said, practically pushing him out of the room.

"Alright, I'm going..."

"No, we're going. I'm going to make sure you actually go through with this."

The man sighed in response. "Ok, ok..."

Reedy hesitantly started walking towards the communication area, hoping no one saw him getting literally pushed around by his wife.

---------

Eventually, the couple reached the communications room, thankfully to see that it was empty. Reedy stood still, unwilling to move another step.

"Reedy, I understand that you're scared but you need to do this."

Before he could even say a word, he felt himself being pushed by Raita towards one of the computers and her forcing him to sit down. Knowing he had no real choice in the matter, he swallowed his pride and called up Meta. After about a minute, the youth picked up.

"Oh Mr. Reedy. Is there something you need?" The youth asked casually, catching him off guard.

"Hello, Meta. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing just fine. I've been having less nightmares recently."

The man gave a smile in response. "That's a relief."

"It is. Is that all you needed, Mr. Reedy? I kind of doubt that's everything you want to say to me."

"It's not. I'm just trying to think of the words I need to say."

Meta nodded. "Mr. Reedy, a friend told me that I'm the type to overthink, and I have a feeling you are very much the same. So, I'll tell you what she told me, just say the first thing that comes to you."

"That's hard to do. I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"Then take your time. I don't have anything important to attend to."

"Ok then."

Admittedly, the man was a bit embarrassed that someone as young as Meta was telling him this.

"I'll be blunt, or as blunt as I can be. Meta, do you hate or blame me for what happened to you?"

The youth only looked confused. "Why would I? You weren't the one who made the Myovam attack that city, weren't you?"

"Of course I wasn't. However, because of my decisions you were subjected to a horrible event that can only be described as psychological torture. The fact that you don't resent me truly surprises me."

"If I do, it's for completely different reasons."

"If you're referring to the day we met, then I can hardly blame you. But how can you not blame me for what happened to you?"

"Because you didn't know the mission would turn out like that, did you?"

"Of course not. If I knew a Myovam was involved I would've kept you on the ship."

"Then just drop it, Mr. Reedy."

The almost irritated way he said that told the man to do what he was told.

"Besides, if I truly hated you, why am I still talking to you? You may not be someone I like talking to, but I don't dislike you, I guess."

"...you guess?"

"Would you rather I fully disliked you?"

"Not at all."

"Then you'll just have to settle for a "I guess". Oh, and Mr. Reedy?"

"What is it, Meta?"

"Thank you for calling."

The man gave a surprised expression, which turned into a small smile. "No, Meta. Thank you for letting me talk to you."

With a nod, Meta hung up.

"Well, I think that went well!" Raita commented, sounding cheerful as always.

"Indeed. I feel quite relieved now."

"Wonderful! Now quit moping around, it hurts seeing you like that."

"I understand, dear."

Raita smiled and wrapped herself around Reedy's arm and started dragging him back to their room to spend the rest of the night together.

---------

It was much the same for the other vacationing members. Tira and Misu went to their room immediately after dinner, with Misu exhausted from all the antics he did. This left Calzone, Risotto and Pandoro alone together, sitting comfortably in the cafeteria.

"This was a nice break." Risotto said.

"Indeed, it was. I haven't felt this relaxed in quite a while, that I haven't." Pandoro responded.

The man nodded. "What about you, Calzone?"

The leader shrugged. "It was alright, aside from today's annoyances. But I can't really complain too much."

"Regardless, it was well-needed."

"I'm not going to argue against that. But it'll be good getting back to work. I expect the both of you to do your best as always." Calzone said, getting back into his role as vice captain.

"Yes, sir!" Both members immediately responded.

Calzone chuckled at the response he got from the two. "At ease, you two. We're still on vacation until tomorrow, so enjoy yourselves as much as you can."

"That we will." Pandoro smiled.

"Good, now why don't you two go outside? The night sky here is very pretty."

The duo nodded and began to make their way outside.

---------

"This was a nice break." Risotto said.

"Indeed, it was. I haven't felt this relaxed in quite a while, that I haven't." Pandoro responded.

The man nodded. "What about you, Calzone?"

The leader shrugged. "It was alright, aside from today's annoyances. But I can't really complain too much."

"Regardless, it was well-needed."

"I'm not going to argue against that. But it'll be good getting back to work. I expect the both of you to do your best as always." Calzone said, getting back into his role as vice captain.

"Yes, sir!" Both members immediately responded.

Calzone chuckled at the response he got from the two. "At ease, you two. We're still on vacation until tomorrow, so enjoy yourselves as much as you can."

"That we will." Pandoro smiled.

"Good, now why don't you two go outside? The night sky here is very pretty."

The duo nodded and began to make their way outside.

Just as the bird-like Limet said, the night sky was quite the sight. With not a single cloud in the sky, they had a perfect view of the star filled sky.

"Calzone was quite right. The night sky on this planet is beautiful, that it is."

"This planet as a whole is beautiful. No wonder this is the captain's preferred place to vacation."

"That is, whenever he's required to vacation." Pandoro said with a chuckle.

Risotto couldn't help but join in with a chuckle of his own. "That's quite true. Our captain unfortunately has a habit of feeling that everything is his responsibility."

"Aye. If only he let go of that mindset and left some of his work for us, he could relax more, that he would."

Risotto nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, it seems to have been ingrained into him since childhood, based on what Mercury and Calzone have told me, making it a habit that's difficult for him to break. We'll just have to trust Raita to do it."

"That's all we can do I suppose. Oh! Perhaps we could ask Kurabe to help him get over his workaholic tendencies."

The man gave a laugh. "That would be a good idea, I think. The captain would probably be furious about it at first, but the results will pay off, I think."

"Aye. We can ask her when we see her at the tournament. Hopefully she will say yes."

"Even if she doesn't... perhaps Mercury will convince her."

"She is one of the only people who can easily convince her of anything, that she is."

"Much like Mercury with Reedy, if I'm honest."

"You're not entirely wrong with that assessment. Though those two are certainly more like sisters if anything."

"Indeed. Though by that logic, it would also make the captain Kurabe's brother, a thought I imagine neither of them like, that they do not."

The two chuckled at the idea of Reedy and Kurabe calling each other brother and sister. Especially considering the harsh contrast between how they would address each other compared to Mercury.

"I believe they would rather do anything else rather than acknowledge each other as siblings, that they would."

"That's true. I believe that is why they've avoided the subject for so long."

The two laughed at the thought of them addressing each other as siblings. Suddenly, Pandoro stopped laughing.

"Risotto, do you view me as a sister?"

Risotto looked confused for a moment, but then gave a chuckle. "I do. You and Fettuccine are like sisters to me."

"Aye, I feel much the same. I've always felt a certain kinship with you."

"Indeed... Meta, too. I also feel a certain kinship with him."

Pandoro nodded. "As the elder siblings, it's up to us to look after our younger siblings."

"I think so as well... and to protect them to the best of our ability."

"And we will."

The man gave a nod in response. "That's right. We will."

There was another moment of silence.

"...Risotto, its normal for siblings to hug one another, right?"

"Of course. Even the captain and Mercury hug each other when they meet." He then saw her look at him expectingly and chuckled. "I suppose that means you want one now?"

She averted her eyes shyly. "If you... wouldn't mind..."

"I wouldn't mind at all."

"...then could you-?"

Without another word, Risotto hugged her.

"...oro?"

"You've never been hugged before, have you?"

"That I haven't."

The man nodded, remembering Pandoro's past as a cold-blooded assassin.

"In that case, don't be afraid to ask me or Fettuccine for a hug if you ever want one."

"I understand..."

To her own surprise, she began to cry. The two new siblings stayed together like that in silence, surrounded by the many glittering stars in the night sky.

#kirby fanfic #granessex chronicles #art of rikka #fettuccine kirby #reedy #raita kirby #risotto kirby #pandoro kirby #tiramisu kirby #calzone kirby #meta knight #kurabe

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kachikirby · 1 year ago

Text

GranEssex Chronicles: Chapter 10 - Boarding the VictoriousArc

A month and a half had passed since Meta ordered the enchanted cape and it had finally arrived. Meta was happy with how it turned out, though for the time being he decided to use its magic to keep it small enough to fit in his pocket, still not entirely used to wearing a cloak. Today should have been a good day for the young swordsman, but it was anything but.

"Sensei, why are you making me do this?"

He looked up at the vast exterior of this battleship VictoriousArc and gave a slight sigh.

"Meta, I've already explained this to you. You will be spending a month on Reedy's ship, where you'll learn to interact with complete strangers. You need to get better at being sociable. Not only that but as you get older, you will be forced to work with other soldiers. It's for your own good." Kurabe replied in a stern tone.

"But I don't think this is the way to do it, sensei..."

"Yes, but you seem to learn better under pressure. Now I want you to be on your best behavior, ok?" She asked getting a nod in reply. "Oh, and be sure to call me twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening."

The youth just stared back at her. It was quite apparent that he didn't want to leave. His mentor placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Meta, it will be only one month, you can handle it no problem." Kurabe said with a small bit of hesitance, as if she was trying to convince herself more than her student.

"Don't look at me like that. We both know you can handle it. Reedy is someone that can be trusted, as much as I hate to admit it..." She mumbled the last sentence.

Meta sighed at that. As much as he wished he could argue, he knew Kurabe right. He needed to learn to cooperation, regardless of how annoying it may be.

"Alright, sensei, I'll do it." He said, still clearly upset.

His mentor quickly hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Meta. Again, please remember to call me twice a day."

The youth quietly nodded, picked up his luggage, and began to walk toward Reedy's ship while waving goodbye to Kurabe and Mercury. The warrior watched on with a sad smile.

"Do you think I made the right decision, Mercury?"

The vice captain smiled. "I think you did. If anything, this is going to make him learn the hard way about needing to interact with strangers. Besides, he at least has two people he already knows and can talk to if needed."

Kurabe looked at her friend with a smile, but couldn't quite shake the feeling of unease.

"If you ask me, both of you need some time apart." said Reedy, who was now revealed to have watched the entire conversation between Meta and Kurabe from afar.

"Why do you say that?" The warrior replied with an irritated pout.

Reedy adjusted his glasses. "Are you joking? We all know how much you baby him. Maybe not in terms of training, but in regular day to day life. If Meta leaving for a month is already making you unwell, then imagine if he was gone for a year or longer? You two are attached to each other and you both need to get used to being separated."

Kurabe only continued to pout, unable to refute anything that was said. Mercury, however, gave a look at Reedy.

"Bit hypocritical of you Reed, considering that you keep your kids on the ship at all times."

"That's a different matter altogether, Mer, and you know it."

"No, it's really not. I agree that some time apart will do some good though."

"Yes... yes... glad to see that you agree." Reedy replied, seemingly ignoring the first part of that statement.

"Then you wouldn't mind leaving one of your kids here with us, right?" Mercury asked with an innocent smile.

He only glared at her. "I should be going then. Oh, and Kurabe? Do remember that you asked for this."

"Don't act like I don't already know that!" She replied with a pout.

"Then stop acting like you don't."

"Ok, enough you two." Mercury quickly said before an argument could break out. "I guess we'll be seeing you in a month then, Reed."

"That you will. Goodbye, Mer, Kurabe."

With that, Reedy left to join up with Meta to show him around the ship. As she watched him walk away, Kurabe clenched her cape tightly.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Mercury said, smiling towards her.

"I... I hope you're right..."

---------

Meta entered and took a look around. The interior of the VictoriousArc was clean and well kept. A bit too clean in his opinion. Every surface was sparkling, and he could see his reflection in everything. It was a bit unnerving for Meta.

"Quite a beauty, isn't she?" Reedy asked with pride.

"It sure is." The youth responded flatly.

Already he missed the GranEssex. In truth, the VictoriousArc was a better-looking ship, but it all felt superficial to the young soldier.

As if noticing how quiet he was, Reedy continued. "First impressions are the most lasting, so we keep the entryway as clean as possible. You wouldn't trust someone who can't keep their living space clean, would you? It's also because our housekeeper is quite enthusiastic, but that's another story."

"Enthusiastic?" Meta uttered under his breath.

That reminded him of something Tam once told him. "Enthusiasm is the same thing as being eccentric." When asked what that even meant, all Tam had to say in response was "Sensei."

Meta looked at Reedy in the eyes.

"Is your crew... eccentric?"

"...very much so." Was the blunt response. "However, you don't need to worry. They are well aware that you are our guest."

The youth nodded then noticed what looked like a trio of heads peeking out from behind a wall.

"Are those silver wings?" He thought to himself.

"Mr. Reedy, are they a part of your crew?" He asked while pointing at the general direction of the mysterious figures.

Reedy looked in the same direction. He then gave a slight chuckle.

"How about you three come over and introduce yourselves?" He then called out.

Hesitating a little, three silver figures walked out and looked at Reedy, and then Meta. The youth instantly figured out who they were, thanks to those silver fairy wings they all had.

"Are they your children?"

The man gave a nod in reply. "Yes, they are. Now how about you introduce yourselves to each other? You will be seeing each other for the rest of this month, so it's best if you got to know each other."

Meta nodded, honestly just wanting to get this over with.

"My name is Meta. Member of the GranEssex and student of Kurabe. I'll be here for the remainder of the month."

The second youngest looking of the children pouted. "Daddy said that someone from GranEssex was coming and I thought that Auntie Mer was gonna be here... this is dumb."

Reedy knelt down and flicked them on the forehead. "Don't be rude."

The eldest of the children walked up. "My name is Lyze. I'm currently twelve years old and I'm the older sister of these two troublemakers. I tried to stop them from spying on you, but it was easier said than done. I hope we can get along." She said while holding her hand out.

Meta took her hand and shook it.

The middle child walked forward. "My name is Mark! I'm currently seven. It's nice to meet you!" The boy said cheerfully.

Meta nodded in response before looking at the last one, the youngest. The youngest shuffled their feet, clearly nervous.

"My name is Ciel. I'm five years old." She responded shyly.

"At least I'm not the only who has trouble talking." Meta thought to himself.

"It's nice to meet you all." He replied.

Reedy gave a slightly satisfied smile. "How about all of you go play while I give our guest a tour of the ship?"

The children nodded.

"And Lyze, please try to keep a better eye on them. Use the lullaby trick your mother showed you in case it's necessary."

"Understood, father." She nodded.

"Let's go, we can talk to Meta later." She said grabbing her siblings' arms and dragging them away.

Reedy just smiled before turning to the young guest. "Shall we begin the tour, Meta?"

The youth nodded in response.

"Great. Then follow me."

---------

The setup of the VictoriousArc was surprisingly similar to that of the GranEssex. Not exactly the same layout, but similar types of rooms. A training facility, a cafeteria, a meeting room. Though there were two facilities that didn't exist in the GranEssex.

"Here we have our recreational room. Or as my children call it, the game room."

Meta looked around. "So, this is where you guys take breaks?" He then asked.

"Yes. It's a place for the crew to relax in between missions."

"Isn't that what bedrooms are for? To relax and get rid of stress?"

"Ah, so that's how it's done on the GranEssex... it's no wonder you're so socially stunted..." The man grumbled before continuing. "There's one other purpose for this room: it's a place to encourage social interaction with others in the crew."

Meta glared at Reedy. He hated his condescending tone.

"Before you make any more assumptions, we do have a facility the GranEssex to socialize. It's called the lodge. It's where students go to talk about matters that aren't related to training. Subjects I have very little interest in."

The man crossed his arms. "I see. If that's the case, you should visit there more often. Even if you are uninterested in the subjects there, socializing will help you work better with your fellow crewmates. However, this room is unique in the sense that socializing is done through things such as games."

Meta was thoroughly uninterested. Why waste time playing games when he could be getting stronger? Strong enough to protect his mentor. Strong enough to prevent anything from harming Mercury ever again.

Reedy seemed to notice this. "Meta, do you know why recreational activities are important for a soldier?"

"...they aren't." He replied in a somewhat cold fashion.

"Incorrect. Soldiers, no, all living creatures need something they can do to escape from stress. Stress can eat away at you, making one irritable and prone to making terrible decisions. In some cases, people have died because of stress. Being focused on your duties as a soldier is good, but you mustn't let yourself be consumed by the soldier mindset."

Meta still looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm sure if you ask Mercury or Kurabe, they'll say something similar, if you don't believe me."

The youth, begrudgingly, agreed with that statement. Both his mentor and Mercury had various hobbies they did that had nothing to do with being soldiers. Kurabe loved to cook even though she didn't have to, as well as making the occasional ice sculpture. Mercury liked to design new clothes for herself on a regular basis and judging by the pool table she keeps in her room; she also enjoyed a game of billiards.

"What about you, Meta? Surely you must have some kind of hobby?" Reedy asked.

"...I like to read."

The man seemed to smile. "Well, if you'd like, I could show you the library."

The youth looked a bit confused at that. "Library? Why would you need something like that on a military ship?"

"Two reasons. One, as the owner of this ship I'm allowed to install whatever I deem necessary. Secondly, I'm the head of intelligence for the Organization. By extension, this ship is the intelligence squad headquarters. So, a library is only natural."

The youth nodded in understanding.

"Every vessel that is in the command of a Top Five member also doubles a headquarters for a certain branch of the Organization. We are the intelligence branch, where we specialize in creating strategies, relaying information to other forces. Diplomatic duties as well."

Meta continued to stare at him, but it was clear that he understood what was being said. "Is that why I've noticed a lack of weapons on this ship?"

Reedy smirked.

"So, you noticed that detail, did you? I expect no less from a natural born fighter. That's right, the ship doesn't have anything more than standard issue vulcan cannons. As far as handheld weapons are concerned... well, you'll soon see that most of my crew don't need to carry weapons with them." He uttered cryptically.

"Then how do you defend yourselves if attacked?" Meta asked in a blunt fashion.

"Not every problem can be solved with brute force, Meta. We here prefer to do things quickly and precisely. We have cloaking technology that keeps us hidden from all types of sensors. We tend to avoid battles before they can become battles. And if needed we have an expert hacker that can take over an enemy ship."

"But the thing with life is that not everything can be quick and precise. You can plan all you want, but sometimes you'll get dealt a bad hand. That's what sensei told me. What about then?"

"Please, I plan for anything and everything, Meta. I'll have you know we haven't been infiltrated or shot down a single time." He bragged.

The youth had a feeling Reedy was trying to impress him and make himself sound better than Kurabe. However, there was something that Reedy said that really pissed him off.

"You plan for everything, is that right? So, are you saying that you planned for the hivemind to almost kill Mercury? Because that's what it sounds like."

"...there are a few exceptions."

Meta kept glaring.

"No wonder sensei can barely stand this guy. I'm this close to taking over this ship and going back to the GranEssex." He thought to himself.

Reedy took off his glasses to clean them. "I assure in the unlikely event we do get attacked, I'm still the most powerful Limet."

"Physically, perhaps. But as a person, Mercury is stronger..." The youth thought.

Reedy put his index finger to his head and closed his eyes. To most this would be an odd gesture, but this was a pose Reedy took when he tried to think of a way to change subjects.

"Alright, Meta, let's head to the library, since I'm sure you're excited for that. I also have a question for you. Has Kurabe taught you about each of the branches, or divisions of the Organization?"

The youth nodded in reply. "She's given me a basic rundown."

"Then tell me what you know as we walk."

"Alright then."

The two then began to walk down the hallway.

"There's the combat division led by my sensei. I'm a member of this division. We specialize in front line fighting, escort and bodyguarding. We are the go-to division for physical labor and battle. As such we all train in the art of combat every day to keep our skills sharp."

"Alright, next?"

"Next is the intelligence division. As you mentioned, this is your division. They specialize in negotiations and gathering information, especially on suspicious clients. You also specialize in formulating strategies."

"After that?"

"The stealth division led by Bio Raiden. A force that specializes in espionage and assassination. They handle affairs we don't want to go public."

"And then?"

"The mage division lead by Momo. A force that specializes in magecraft."

"Well, you do seem to have a solid grasp on each division. Good for you."

The man nodded before then stopping.

"Alright, we made it." Reedy said as he opened the door to the library, showing him inside.

---------

Upon entering the room, the youth looked up at the great number of bookshelves in amazement.

"This library is bigger than the training room back at the GranEssex." He said absent-mindedly.

"Of course it is, would you expect otherwise?" The man asked with pride.

"I wasn't expecting anything." The youth bluntly responded.

"Somehow I should have known you would say that..." He gave a sigh. "Well, would you like to take a look around and choose a few books to read?"

As soon as he said that, Reedy noticed that Meta had already left his side to explore the library. "Incredible, to think he'd be that interested in books."

What honestly amazed Meta was that there were not just simple research books. There were books from all kinds of genres. Romance. Horror. Science Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. So many to choose from and from various eras. A few of his fellow students had thought it was wasteful to have so many physical books, but there was something that smelt nice about bound volumes and they felt nice in his hands.

"Tell me, Meta." Reedy said as he caught up to him. "Besides Kurabe and Mer, is there anyone else on the GranEssex that shares your interest in reading?"

Meta had to think about that. He knew Tam loved romance novels, but he really wasn't interested in that subject. Outside of her, none of the other students read as far as he knew.

"At least one other person."

"I see then." Reedy replied, his expression unreadable. "Why do you enjoy reading, Meta? I assumed you would have no interest in hobbies that won't make you stronger."

"...honestly, I don't really know myself. There's just something about books that draw me to them." He replied.

"That's fine then. Living creatures are complicated beings. We often gain interests for no reason. We often gain dislikes for little to no reason as well. Tell me, what type of books do you like?"

"Um... I like adventure, mystery, and some science fiction. The only genre I don't really like is romance." The youth said.

"I assume stories of heroes utilizing their skills and tools to fight interests you?"

"Yes, they do."

Reedy smirked. "Let me guess. The heroes you read about remind you of Kurabe. That's why you like them so much, isn't it?"

Meta averted his eyes in embarrassment. Reedy was completely right. Brave warriors with kind hearts that fight with no mercy. Kurabe was just like that in his eyes, so naturally stories about figures similar to her would interest him.

"Well, I guess that doesn't matter." The man then said. "Follow me, Meta, it's time you met the rest of my crew."

For whatever reason, the tone the man used made the puff uneasy.

---------

The two made their way to the cafeteria. Along the way, Meta couldn't help but notice that it was still unnaturally clean. It all felt superficial to him.

"...I feel like Kouta might have overdone it with his housekeeping recently... no matter." Reedy uttered, with a slight wave of the hand.

"...Kouta?"

"The person we have in charge of housekeeping on this ship. While his attention to neatness is appreciated, he tends to go a bit far at times to the point where he tends to scream at people who even ruin his cleaning work a tiny bit. At least, unless you're my children, of course..." The man replied.

The puff only nodded in response and in a few minutes, they reached the cafeteria. Meta stood at attention as his guide walked further into the room.

"Alright, now that we've made it. It's time to introduce yourselves, everyone." Reedy said while snapping his fingers.

Soon, Meta was practically cornered by a group of Limets. Instinctively, the youth reached for his sword but Reedy stopped him.

"Relax yourself, Kurabe Jr. They're with me. Allow me to introduce Task Force Zetta."

Hesitantly, the youth took a look at the squad members. They were all humanoid-looking, just like Mercury and Reedy, but they all wore a uniform that was quite different to Meta's own, especially the white mantle with a colored stripe worn on the outside of it.

"Task Force Zetta?" He asked in confusion.

"My elite force of Limets. They are some of the strongest Limets in the universe. Now, introduce yourselves. Meta here will be with us for a month so it's important that we're all on the same page."

The group seemed to give a collective nod.

"So, to start, let's have Meta introduce himself. I believe it would only be fair." He said, causing the puff to tense up slightly.

It honestly took him a few minutes for him to figure out a good response.

"My... my name is Meta! I'm from the Lady of Shadows Corps and have been stationed here for a month by my mentor to better learn how to operate with other forces outside my own! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The puff said, sounding somewhat stiff in his response.

However, the gathered reaction didn't appear to give a reaction to that. Reedy gave a slight sigh as he adjusted his glasses.

"So, which of you would like to go first?" He then asked, turning to the squad members.

Almost immediately, one of them stepped forward. He was easily one of the tallest members and wore a headpiece resembling a falcon. Most noticeably, his arms were also very wing-like in shape.

"My name is Calzone, leader of the task force and Commander Reedy's second in command." He said with a lazy smirk.

After that, another tall man walked forward. He was just slightly shorter than Calzone and wore a strange device over his right eye.

"My name is Tiramisu." He said however there was something strange about his voice... or, more accurately, voices.

"How did you that? Speak with two different voices, I mean." The youth asked.

"Hmph! Why should I tell you anything kid? Soon, one day, I will be the ruler of this ship and you all will have to answer to me!"

Meta was shocked by the sudden change in personality. However, it was what happened next that shocked him even more.

"Shut up, idiot brother!" Tiramisu said as he proceeded to punch himself in the face.

The youth stared at him silently in complete puzzlement. "...is he ok?"

Reedy sighed upon hearing that. "Which one are you referring to?"

Upon seeing Meta's confused expression, the man decided to explain. "Are you familiar with the concept of twins?"

"Uh... yeah, two of sensei's students are twins."

"Then this should be simple to explain. Like other creatures, Limets can be born as twins. However, unlike other species, the cores of twin Limets are fused together at birth. In other words, two personalities, two souls, one body. For all purposes, both of them are named Tiramisu, though to make things easy on us we refer to the one with a mean punch as "Tira" and the wannabe supervillain as "Misu"."

Meta looked back at Tiramisu, who was now restraining himself. "I assume they can't be separated?"

"Trust me, kid, we would have done that a long time ago if the process didn't kill us." Tira replied.

"If twin Limets try to separate, their core will shatter completely." Reedy clarified.

The youth blinked. "That sounds horrible..."

"Oh, it's not all bad."

"Speak for yourself, Tira!"

"I am, dumbass."

"...yeah, it seems pretty bad." Meta thought.

"Alright then, who'd like to introduce themselves next?" Reedy quickly asked before anything else could happen.

"My name is Pandoro." said a female Limet who had a x shaped scar on the side of her face.

Meta looked her over, noting the calm expression on her face and, most importantly to him, the sword sheath on her side.

"I see you noticed my weapon. Allow me to give you a better look."

As she said that, she drew out her sword, or more accurately a sword hilt with no blade attached. Meta was momentarily confused before understanding what it meant.

"You place parts of your body into the hilt in order to create any type of sword you want, don't you?"

"Yup!" She said happily. To demonstrate this, she pulled off one of her fingers, which quickly reformed, and placed it in the hilt. Then immediately a blade resembling a scimitar was formed.

"As you can tell, I'm our designated sword fighter. Perhaps we can spar later?"

Meta nodded with a small smile. Finally, there was one person on this ship he could potentially get along with.

Then the shortest of them walked forward.

"My name is Parmigiana. Physically, I'm the weakest Limet, but I'm the best healer on the ship. Well not counting Mrs. Raita anyway. Well, kid, I'm glad to have met-ya." He said with a cheeky grin.

Before anyone could groan at that joke, another member walked...or rather, stumbled forward.

"I am Granita." She uttered in low voice as she tried to keep herself standing up straight.

Meta looked a bit concerned as he noticed the bags under her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Granita chuckled at him. "Thank you but you have nothing to worry about. I'm just always tired, just usual stuff."

"Is there any reason for that?" He then asked.

"I can't sleep. I have narcolepsy or something like that. I mean not really a big deal since Limet's don't really need sleep."

"...I thought all living things need sleep."

"They do." Reedy said. "But Limets can go fifty days without sleep, if needed." He continued.

The youth silently nodded.

"So how do you fall asleep if you can't do it normally?" Meta then asked.

"I keep a frying pan in my room."

"...what's the frying pan for?"

"...I thought that would be obvious. No medicine can put me to sleep so I need to use more forceful methods."

The youth only stared. Now another member stood forward. He was of average height, comparable to Reedy. The most interesting thing about him was the gas mask he wore which had an X symbol on it. He then raised his hands and transformed them into different letters, effectively writing out a sentence.

"Hello, my name is Bicerin. I am the crew's expert stealth and espionage expert." Meta read aloud, looking a bit confused by the situation when he was finished.

"He's mute." Reedy clarified.

"And easily the most reliable partner I could ask for." Said a new voice. This belonged to another unidentified member who now stood next to Bicerin. "I'm Minestrone, head of communications and expert hacker."

Meta nodded along. While he wasn't too knowledgeable about hacking, he knew it must be a mentally taxing job. Suddenly, the youth's instincts went off and he quickly turned around to catch an object that was thrown at him from behind.

"A rose?" He said looking at the object.

Indeed, it was a rose, but it was completely silver.

"Fettuccine, how many times must I tell you to stop throwing roses at guests?" Reedy said in an annoyed tone.

The puff looked at the person apparently named Fettuccine. She had a very youthful appearance to her, looking considerably younger than all the other Limets.

"My name is Fettuccine and I'm the newest member of Task force Zetta! I do hope we can get along!" She said cheerfully while extending her hand towards Meta.

"Ah... good to meet you, too." He replied and shook her hand as well. However, he also had another question that he decided to keep at the back of his mind. Specifically, how old was this woman?

"If you're wondering how old I am, I'm twenty-one. I'm one of the youngest Limets to ever reach the rank I currently have!"

He blinked in surprise.

"Can you read minds?" He asked, to which the young woman laughed.

"No, I don't have ESP, I'm just great at reading other people. That's why I'm the ship's main integrator."

That statement made the youth pause.

"Is that why you threw that rose at me?"

"My, you are perceptive. That's right, Meta. You see, you can learn a lot about someone based on how they react to something."

"I see. In that case I assume you like perform spontaneous acts to see if people react in a certain way?" Meta questioned.

"That's exactly correct and thanks to your actions I've come to decision about you."

The youth stiffened slightly. "Which is?"

Fettuccine pointed her finger at him in an exaggerated motion. "I want you to be my apprentice!"

Meta blinked. "Excuse me?"

The young woman smiled. "With your attentiveness and attitude, I just know you'd be a perfect interrogator!"

"Thank you for the offer, but I already have a sensei." The puff replied instantly.

Reedy nodded and spoke before anything else could be said. "Next is..."

A large man with short hair and wearing a large cloak walked up.

"I'm Risotto. Occupation, mage." He said in stoic tone.

"What kind of magic can you do?" The youth asked. "

Watch my hands." Risotto then held out his hands and mana began to pour out of them.

"Hear my call and come to me, O mighty beast." He chanted under his breath and then clapped his hands together.

Suddenly, a large wolf like creature was standing behind him.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Isn't it?" The man said while petting his summoned creature. He continued to stare in admiration.

Then a loud sigh could be heard.

"Guess it's finally my turn. I'm Capellini, expert brawler. Gotta say kid, you don't seem that strong when I look at you. Guess Kurabe's teachings aren't what they are all cracked up to be." He uttered in a condescending tone.

Meta glared at him but tried to calm himself down. He knew this guy was just trying to provoke him into a fight.

"If you can't properly judge your opponent..." The puff uttered before teleporting behind Capellini with his cape and pointing his sword at the back of his chest, right where his core would be. "Then maybe you aren't the expert you say you are?"

"What was that!?"

"Capellini, remember that regardless of what you think, he's our guest and you shouldn't be rude to him." Reedy said with a slight glare.

"Fine." The aggressive man said while walking away.

"I apologize on behalf of my subordinate, Meta. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." The man gave a slight sigh.

"It's nothing to worry about, Mr. Reedy. But why do you keep someone like him around in the first place?"

The man took off his glasses and began to polish them. "Sometimes it's important to have someone who acts on instinct and emotions rather than logic, loathe I am to admit that."

"...I don't understand. What situations would that be useful for?"

"Situations in which thinking is impossible. Here's a hypothetical one for you. Say someone has kidnapped someone you care about, and they'll only let them go if you cut off one of your limbs. If you don't, then they will kill the hostage. You have ten seconds to decide, what do you do? Answer me in ten... nine... eight..."

The question while simple, proved to be quite the difficult quandary for Meta. Of course, he'd want to save a hostage, but we would no longer be able to fight if he lost a limb.

"Five... four... three... two..."

"I'll cut off a limb!" Meta yelled cutting off Reedy's counting.

"...what's stopping them from killing them anyway or killing you then?" The man then asked.

The puff didn't know how to respond to that. "But I only had two options..."

"Incorrect. You were given two options, but you didn't need to pick either of them. You could have made a third option."

"...is that where instinct comes in?"

"Exactly. Capellini lived through the scenario I just gave you. Do you know how he solved it?"

"How?"

"In his own words, he punched them really hard in the face before they could do anything."

The youth pouted. How did he forget about something so obvious?!

Reedy gave a slight smile. "Don't beat yourself up, Meta. In a stressful situation, it can seem impossible to think of the alternatives. Which is why we need those who care very little for logic. In order for a group to grow, we need those with different viewpoints. That's the main point of Task Force Zetta. A group of individuals with different skills, thought processes and ideals that work towards the same goal."

The youth nodded as he looked at him. However, at the back of his mind, he was somewhat wondering if this was really the same person who seemed to love bullying his mentor. He still didn't like the man, but maybe he could learn to trust him at least.

"People of different ideals working together. Is that how you and sensei seem to work together well?" He asked, thinking back to how the two rivals acted during the incident with the hivemind. More specifically, how they were able to throw all animosity for each other to the side for the sake of Mercury.

"Precisely. Kurabe and I are fundamentally polar opposites. There are aspects of her I cannot stand but the reverse is also the same. However, when it comes doing what needs to be done, there's no one more trustworthy than her."

"Working with polar opposites... so that's another lesson sensei is trying to teach me." He thought to himself. "But can I really do that?"

Well, if anything, he'd have to learn it whether he'd like to or not. Reedy then clapped his hands.

"Now that introductions are over, let's head to the recreational room everyone. It'll give a certain someone more opportunities to grow accustomed to us."

"You're just saying that because that's where your kids are. Right, boss?" Calzone asked playfully.

"...perhaps."

The task force members laughed and even Meta smiled slightly but quickly wiped it off his face.

---------

After that, they all walked to the recreational room and, sure enough, Reedy's kids were there, but that wasn't all.

"Ah, Meta, how nice to see you again!"

It was Raita, who Meta remembered was Reedy's wife.

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Raita." The youth replied politely.

"Oh, please, there's no need for that. Just call me Raita, I insist."

He then nodded. "Ok, Raita."

"So, how's Mercury been?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"She's doing a lot better now, thankfully. I took up some of her duties for the past month or so just so she could rest."

"That's good." She replied with a sad smile.

It was obvious to Meta that she still blamed herself for what happened.

"It's not your fault, Raita. It was the hivemind." He said.

"Yes, I know, but it was because she went with me that she was attacked..."

Before she could say anything else, she was embraced in a hug by Reedy.

"It's in the past, dear. It'll do no good to keep thinking about it." He uttered, gently stroking her hair.

"I know, Reedy, but I still can't help but think about it..."

"I know, my dear. It's something neither of us will ever forget. However, there's no point in dwelling on it." The man said before looking at his children and then at Meta. "We have a future to live for..."

"I know... I know..." She whispered.

The youth quietly stared, not really knowing how to react to this. Deciding to leave them alone for a bit, Meta looked around to see various crew members playing games with one another, talking, and just generally having a pleasant time. While it was nice to see, it made the youth feel strangely lonely. But why? He never had a problem with everyone on the GranEssex talking to each other and hanging out. So why did it bother him now?

"Something wrong, Meta?" Raita asked, a little calmer than when he saw her before.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just... I feel so lonely right now..." He replied with a slight sigh.

"Is it because you don't know anyone here all that well?"

"Yeah... like when I see everyone on the GranEssex talking to each other, I don't really care. But here, I just feel lonely..."

Raita gained a thoughtful expression. "It seems to me that you have a case of homesickness, Meta."

The youth looked confused. "What's homesickness?"

"That's a bit of a tough question to answer but I'll try my best. Homesickness effects everyone differently but the cause is usually the same. Whenever a person is away from the place they consider home, sometimes they experience feelings of loneliness. Sometimes it can even cause pain to the poor soul."

Well, that did sound like how he felt right now.

"I guess that makes sense, but there's something I don't get. The planet I grew up on would be considered a home, correct? Yet I felt nothing since leaving it. In fact, I haven't thought about that planet in what feels like forever. So why am I feeling homesick now?"

"Because you're thinking about the GranEssex, aren't you?" Raita asked.

"Yes, but what's the difference?"

"The difference is that you know the GranEssex is your real home. You can be born on a certain planet, but that doesn't automatically mean it's your home. Home is a place you feel safe, and you belong in."

Meta fell silent, processing what he heard.

"There's an old saying on my home planet. Home is where the heart is." She stated, looking directly at Reedy, who was playing with their children.

"I see..." He replied. "I've left the GranEssex multiple times though..."

"But you always returned to it by the end of the day, right?"

"...I did." He averted his gaze slightly.

"You've never been gone from home for longer than a day at most. It's only natural that you would feel like this, Meta."

The puff then clenched his fists. "Will I feel like this throughout the whole month then?"

"That's difficult to say. Homesickness effects everyone differently. Some get over it quickly, others aren't so fortunate. But there are ways of combating it."

"...really? Like what?"

Raita giggled. "Knowing how Kurabe is, she told you to call her every day. Am I right?"

The youth nodded. "Once in the morning and once in the evening."

"Oh, I see. Darling, what time is it?"

"It's..." Reedy took a moment to look at his watch. "...8:23 right now."

"Well seems like it's evening now, Meta." Raita commented with a smile.

"Alright. I'll go call her then." He gave a nod.

"Go down the hall and to the left. You'll find an open guest room. That will also be where you're staying for your time here." Reedy explained.

"Ok, thank you." The puff replied before making his way out.

---------

Once arriving to the room Meta immediately took out his phone and dialed Kurabe's number. In truth he really wanted to hear from her.

"Come on sensei, hurry up..."

In a few seconds, he heard a voice on the other end.

"Meta?"

"Sorry for calling a bit late, sensei. Meeting Reedy's crew took longer than I expected."

"It's all right, Meta. I'm just happy to hear your voice right now." She replied sweetly.

Hearing that caused a wave of relief to wash over Meta, momentarily ridding himself of his homesickness.

"I hope Reedy hasn't been too much of a Reedy to you." She then added.

"Not too much, honestly."

"Not too much is still too much if you ask me."

He chuckled. "I know, sensei."

"So, what's on your mind, Meta? I can tell that something is bothering you."

He gave a slight sigh. "It's nothing, sensei. I just wanted to say hi."

"Meta, even if I can't read your mind right now, I can still read your voice. What's wrong?"

The youth hesitated for a moment before finally giving his reply. "I... I want to go home..."

"You have homesickness." It wasn't a question, but a statement and something about it truly got on his nerves.

"I just wanted to hear your voice again!"

Admittedly, he startled himself by snapping the way he did. However, Meta could only hear a soft chuckle from the other end.

"You sound just like I did when I was your age. My sensei had me spend a month away from him as a form of training. Just like you, I developed homesickness almost instantly."

"...really?" The youth uttered in surprise. "Of course. Like you I grew up as an orphan, although the planet I was born on was covered in perpetual darkness. I was used to being alone... that is until my old man found me and took me in. His ship became my new home. I became attached to both it and him. Of course I would react negatively to being alone again, away from where I felt safe."

"But how did you get over it?"

"I changed my mindset. I took my feelings of loneliness and fear and turned it into motivation. Motivation to see my sensei's test to the very end and prove to him that I could handle being on my own. Of course, it's not as if I went under an instant transformation. It honestly took me a few days to adopt that mindset. But once I did, the situation became more bearable."

The youth became silent upon hearing that. "Is that so...?"

Kurabe sighed at that somewhat dulled response. "Meta, I'll be completely honest with you. I would love nothing more than to bring you back, however this is necessary training. You have two goals now: Become able to work alongside strangers and overcome that homesickness. Can you do both of those?"

"Ok, sensei." He nodded.

"Great! When you get back, I'll make you your favorite chicken parmesan... after I get to hug and cuddle with you of course." She uttered happily.

"SENSEI!" He blurted out, completely embarrassed and glad no one could hear this conversation.

"What? It's going to feel a bit lonely on the ship without you."

By her tone, the youth could tell she was pouting.

"Sensei, I'm not a child anymore..."

"Please, you'll always be my child."

As embarrassed as he felt, Meta developed a warm feeling in his chest upon hearing that.

"Thank you, sensei. I'll call again in the morning, I promise."

"Ok then. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you, Meta."

"Good night."

"Good night, my little knight. Sweet dreams." She replied gently before hanging up.

Meta sighed happily. He still wanted to go home, but for his sensei's sake he would see this through to the end. He then gave a yawn, tired from everything that happened today. He reached into his luggage bag and pulled out a small container before crawling into bed. He then opened it, revealing the silver stress ball. He attempted to get comfortable but soon noticed that this bed was nowhere near as cozy as his own back home.

"It's a good thing I brought you with me, huh?" He thought while giving the ball a good squeeze.

"You leave me in a tin box and that's the first thing you say? Rude!" The blob said in a teasing way.

Meta quickly sat up in shock and stared at the ball.

"...I'm too young to be going insane."

The blob laughed. "Meta, did you really forget that I could talk through pieces of myself like this?"

The puff relaxed upon hearing that. "Mercury, you haven't used that trick in years."

"Well, I thought it'd be a bit rude normally, but I heard a bit of Kurabe's conversation with you and thought I'd say something through this to make you feel a bit less lonely."

"Well, thank you, Mercury. Have you ever dealt with homesickness?"

"Homesickness, huh? Yeah, I have."

"Even you? I guess everyone experiences it at some point."

"Yeah, it's more common than you think."

Meta smiled, glad that this wasn't just an issue exclusive to him. "Since I've already gotten advice from sensei, maybe you can give a different kind of advice. Do you have any tips about handling Reedy's crew?"

"Hmm..." The blob took a moment to think. "Well, thankfully, most of them are pretty cooperative. There's an expression that goes something like "treat others the way you want to be treated". If you present yourself as respectful and cooperative, then they will treat you with respect as well. Well, most of them will... there's one odd duck who doesn't really follow that idea, however. He prefers to let his fists do the taking. Prove your strength to him and he'll ease up on you."

Instantly, Meta knew who she was talking about. "I understand."

"There's also a certain animal lover on the ship too. He may seem intimidating at first, but trust me when I say he's one of the kindest people I know. Stay on his good side and he'll stick up for you."

He nodded quietly. "Anything else?"

"They may all seem like strange individuals, and they are, but they are all good-natured people. Don't be afraid to speak to them. The first step to cooperation is establishing a connection."

"Ok, Mercury. I'll try." He replied.

"Good and please try to get along with Reedy. You don't have to be friends with him but at least attempt to tolerate his existence." Mercury remarked with a chuckle.

He responded with a quiet laugh. "I'll do my best to."

"Then I'll take my leave. If you need anything, squeeze as hard as you can. Good night, Meta."

"Alright then. Good night, Mercury." The youth laid back down, still holding onto the ball.

He closed his eyes and began to think about the crew he would be interacting with for the next couple of weeks. As he started to slowly fall into the realm of sleep, there was one last thought on his mind.

"This will be one long month..."

Toyhouse Pages for appearing Characters

Lyze

Mark

Ciel

Calzone

Tiramisu

Pandoro

Risotto

Fettuccine

Granita

Bicerin

Minestrone

Parmigiana

Capellini

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