B4 — 3. Mythic

AuthorSME

PoV:

1: Rachel Park

Recap:  Rachel had some Korean Mom eyes on her and Lunar Nia >_> Molly is not a fan of her daughter's new outfit, but—she'll tolerate ... for now.  She learned a bit more about her step-sister, Alexa, and listened to the President's address on the News.

Now, our girl needs to come up with a name for their group to be recognized.

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Rachel greeted everyone as they joined the call, getting basic information from each other about how they were doing and getting the pleasantries out of the way.  Introductions came next, which took up a decent amount of time with everyone on the line.

In the end, Rachel managed to get everyone she wanted on the call; Maria, Fiona, Anthony, Ohan, Cahira, Maëlle, Kyle, Vasishtha, Selvaria, and Scarlet sitting in a chair across from her on the back patio.

She highlighted everything Tom charged her to do, between setting up the organization structure, what they’d be doing, including Cuba, since she wouldn’t expect any of them to join unless they were okay with it, and the need for an identifying name.  The moment she finished, Fiona, Selvaria, and Scarlet exploded into discussions about games, manga, and light novels, with questions being asked by the others as they connected the media with the organization structure.

To Rachel’s surprise, it was actually relevant, and she found herself seriously pondering the points the three brought up.

Basically, they each filled specific roles inside a unit, and it would be best to organize around that when entering particular areas.  Selvaria brought up primary branches such as Tank, Support, and Damage.  Scarlet commented that range-distance needed to be brought into the equation.

Rachel passively listened for a moment while studying each person’s voice on the phone, debating their addition to the team.

Maria, Fiona, and Scarlet were a given; they’d join.  Although, Fiona had a bit of trouble explaining it to her own parents when Tom gave her the green light to tell him about it, and apparently, her sister, Nora, had transformed into some kind of Slime Aberrantkin that could take on the shape of the things she consumed.

It was a little shocking coming from the tiny fairy, but judging by her tone, it had been an emotional experience.  Much like Rachel’s own parents, Fiona’s family wasn’t happy with it but understood the need.  Her sister even wanted to help, but Fiona was vehemently against it; Nora still had to finish her senior year … which would be in Miami, and there were only a few months left.

Fiona was also a bit bummed about missing out on the Legend’s Quest, telling them to wait for her on the next one … not that they’d want to be doing something as deadly and advanced again.  There was also the factor of outside forces being able to mess with their results; all of the Legendkin were being careful about their quests.

Rachel figured Anthony would likely join, and they were even supposed to go on a few dates, which almost snatched her mind away before she managed to reign it back in.

Still, she couldn’t help but be curious about when he’d pop the surprise event on her and knew it would occupy her thoughts whenever he was nearby.  The teasing manner of waiting for him to take the initiative on where their destination and activity might be was an unfamiliar and welcoming form of foreplay that quickened her heart.

Selvaria seemed all in by just the unusual glee in her voice while talking to Scarlet and Fiona; she was swiftly warming up to the Fairy.

The Leviathan’s personality was a bit particular, considering how she acted in the group.  When she was low on water, the diminished curves and height weren’t the only differences from her voluptuous form.  Her draconic elements became visible with the shortened stature when starved, but her emotions also turned more inward and reserved.  Yet, it could have also been a defensive trigger from embarrassment, such as when she fell down the hole and into the labyrinth entrance, opting to just lay on her back with a dull, listless attitude.

She’d have to study her more to be sure, but the girl’s powerful transformation certainly did add a lot to the party, especially on the waters.

On the other hand, Cahira was entirely on board the moment Rachel explained what was ahead of them.  If anything for the loot … she had an expensive transformation that seemed to keep on demanding more gold to maintain what she’d gained.

She was planning on another raiding quest that she’d invited Kyle, Maëlle, Vasishtha, and Ohan on for later tonight, which appeared to be mainly a sort of mini-game she could do to gain currency.  Although, Rachel wondered if the Pirate Queen simply needed more people to increase the reward, using team bonding and experience as an excuse to get them on her deck.

Maëlle and Kyle were still up in the air as to if they’d join, and Rachel still didn’t fully trust the two … there was just the pure gut feeling that the Succubus and Incubus were not wholly honest with their personalities.  There was also the simple fact they represented some pretty untrustworthy myths, in general.

The two seemed a little interested in experiencing what this raid might entail with the red-haired pirate’s assurance they wouldn’t need to lift a finger, and the two could also just handle the guns.

Vasishtha was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend the night with both the Pirate Queen and Succubus nearby, challenging Cahira to see who could take out the most enemies … Rachel assumed he hadn’t seen her new ships yet.

Cahira hinted that she’d be using her new war vessel and not her turtle since it was just so bloody expensive to even take for a walk; she needed to build up a reserve fund, and her Dreadnought could use some love.  The Indian Legendkin had no clue what a Dreadnought even was and just took it as a name she gave her old little sailboat.

Ohan was relatively silent throughout the whole exchange, allowing everyone else to talk, but Rachel had no doubt he was pondering the invitation heavily.

Once the anime trio began breaking down their explanation for their organization, Rachel zeroed in on several points.

“So,” Fiona mused, taking the conversation away from Cahira and Vasishtha about their adventure, “let’s get all this ironed out so you guys can get on the sea.  By the way, Cahira, I want to go sailing when I get back, too!”

“Mi sails always be ready fer a new adventure!”  Rachel didn’t feel like pointing out the woman’s boats no longer had sails, and no one else seemed to care enough, as well.

“Right!”  Fiona chimed.  “Okay, so, let me get all of this out of the way … tanks are super, super important.  Right, Selvaria?”

“Mhm, mhm,” the girl returned, tone much brighter than expected.  “Super, super important, and I’m the tank!”

Scarlet giggled.  “Which means you’re super important.”

“Right!”

Considering what Rachel had heard back in the labyrinth with Selvaria being extremely depressed, she’d been forced to walk the maze alone, which made her behavior more understandable.  She probably had a tough time fitting in with crowds and wanted to feel useful and included in a group, which also increased the likelihood she’d join.

The Vespertine Reaper pushed the conversation forward.  “You also have good sustain around water, some ranged attacks, and a good monster form to taunt!”

“Yeah, I have all that, but … umm,” her bright voice diminished slightly, “my defense is tied to my life force…”

A chair creaking caught Rachel’s notice as Maria leaned back in her chair with a short chuckle.  “Welcome to the club, chica.  Yo, but I’m in the healer category shit, right?  I got ya!”

“Heh,” Fiona’s voice strained.  “Well, I mean, you can’t really heal her water dependency, I don’t think, and true, Selv, if we end up in a desert, then you’d probably have to sit on the bench.”

“Aww … yeah, I know … but maybe I could get an ability to counter that if I wish hard enough!”

“I mean, probably,” Scarlet replied, staring at a lock of her hair as if something was wrong with it.  “That would be cool.  Your physical attacks and defense is tied to your Water Pool, though, so you’d probably want to increase that a ton, too.”

Fiona jumped back in.  “I can summon water to help, but umm…”

“Oh, wow, really?”  Selvaria asked with enthusiasm.  “You’re so awesome!”

“Heh, thanks!  Right, but umm, we can talk about what more we should go for after.  Uh … Rachel, you wanted to know about the possible organization stuff, right?”

“That’d be great,” she chuckled, “but I think before we should first figure out who’s going to be joining us.  You’ve heard what it’s going to be about and the President’s speech.  So, who’s up for remaining a group?”

Shifting to her side, Rachel watched her rabbit blobs do what appeared to be mock battles with Gisele; how they got to that activity was beyond her.  It was a good idea; although, her little Sky Reaver was having a tricky time dodging the triple rabbit puffball attack as they used Lunar Steps, coordinating reasonably well-executed attacks in the air while Gisele dodged.

The little bird tried her best to use her claws, wings, and tail to attack them when they came closer, but the Lunar Step platform doubled as a defensive shell to repel the attack while they jumped away, giving the playful rabbits plenty of time.

“Well, of course, I’m in,” Scarlet swiftly replied, giving her a bright smile before her focus darted to the kitchen window.  Their mother was peeking out at them with a fond smile, and Scarlet gave her a cheery wave, causing the Korean woman to duck back inside to continue dinner with a pleased giggle.

“Tch, do ya even gotta ask?”  Maria snickered.  “By the way, how’d y’all even handle the funds without me; I’m rich bitches!  But yo, I got some sick shit in the pot cookin’ with my homie Reed, my chica.”

Rachel smirked; Maria hadn’t changed.  “Can’t wait to hear about it.”

“Yeah … wait, what do you mean you’re rich, and who’s Reed?”  Fiona asked.  “Uh … no, nevermind … shoot, I’m so out of the loop.  I’m totally in…”  She paused as her sister piped up in the next room, apparently listening with her feline-like ears after obtaining a Cheetah Beastkin form.

“I wanna join you, Fi!”

“No, no, no!”  Fiona growled.  “Not until you at least graduate.”

“Why does school even matter?  Gah … you’re as restrictive as Mom and Dad!”

“...”

The phone muted to allow Fiona time to deal with the issue, leaving the Succubus to casually slide into the opening.

“Rachel, mon amie,” Maëlle chimed in a fond and clear French accent.  “It has been quite too long since we last saw one another.  What has it been … two, three days?” 

[my friend]

Not long enough…

“Bah, it matters little; it is nice to hear your lovely voice!”  Maëlle powered through.  “Alas, I am afraid I must disappoint,” she mourned, causing Vasishtha to release a low aww.  “A delicate flower such as myself cannot enter such dangerous places; I simply lack the strength of will to engage in such endeavors, ma cherie.”

[i.e., ma cherie - calling a female ‘my dear’ or ‘sweetheart’; can be romantic or platonic]

Rachel was about to feign sadness when the Succubus flipped directions, making Scarlet wince and groan.  Right … delicate as nightshade.

“... Although, I could not bear to be so far apart from my adorable Scarlet!  I simply must indulge in my sweet choupette.  So, if I may so remain on a more … Earthly side of this business, then I would be honored to join, mon amie Lièvette Lunaire; this certainly is exciting!”

[i.e., ma choupette - a female-only term of endearment meaning cabbage (although referring to a sweet and yummy puff pastry) which is usually seen as romantic, although not exclusively; i.e. mon amie Lièvette Lunaire - Lunar Hare friend; erotic]

Not understanding precisely what the French woman was calling her, Rachel swapped to Korean to mutter, “What a joy…”

“Excellent!  How I love multiculturalism,” she giggled.

“Right,” Kyle sighed, causing Scarlet to sit a bit straighter while listening.  “I’m … kind of with Maëlle on this one.  My abilities mainly deal with dreams, which wouldn’t be that helpful in a harsh battle environment like what you were talking about in that Legend’s Quest.”

Scarlet cleared her throat, a slight quiver in the undercurrent of her voice.  “Well … umm, I mean, you could also gain abilities to, you know, put enemies to sleep or something.”

“True,” Selvaria mumbled.  “That’d make things a lot easier if we had a control main…”

Kyle swiftly interjected.  “Heh, I uh, appreciate the confidence, Scarlet, Selvaria, but jumping into other worlds is just not something I’m really comfortable with at the moment.  I have a lot of … well, other issues to deal with.”

Rachel lifted an eyebrow at Scarlet as she held up her hands, protesting vehemently as if the Incubus was right in front of her.  “N-No, no, it’s fine, umm … yeah, that’s fine, uh … wait, is that good, Rachel?”

“... Yeah, totally fine,” Rachel said with a sad shake of her head at Scarlet’s light blush.

The girl can’t go through a sentence without embarrassing herself when it comes to him … maybe she’s just really weak versus his passives or something.

“If you two want to remain on the sidelines for most things, then that’s great, but we’ll probably not be able to pay you much unless you do things within the organization.”

Maëlle’s bright tone returned.  “Ah, wonderful; it is as if our minds are in sync!”

Rachel’s brow creased.  “Uh-huh?”

“But of course,” Maëlle replied, seemingly animating something to the others inside the hotel room she currently sat in with the other Mythickin and Legendkin staying in Maria’s ritzy rooms.  “When I saw the reception of our lovely Unicorn on media, I knew my aid was in dire need!  I can be our little organization’s public representative!  Wouldn’t that be exciting?”

Rachel’s lips swiftly pulled in at the energetic woman’s suggestion, Scarlet’s mirroring the reaction.  True, Maria had laid out a News anchor, but the assault was received relatively well … in fact, it had gone viral, and she could hear it being shared all around the city with laughs and memes being made from the interview.  Still, if Maria would be busy working on their financial front, they would need someone to represent them, and she certainly didn’t want to be bothered with the job.

After debating between the options, it was hardly her favorite idea, but possibly her only option, given the people she had to give the task to.  Anthony would be a reliable, absolute chad of a front face for their organization, but the thought of having fangirls swooning over his handsome face set a blaze in her breast.

One particular cultural shock Rachel had when bringing Scarlet’s clothes and items over  to the house was a very strange full-body pillow of some man that she assumed was a vampire hunter.  Scarlet said his name was Dean Winchester, and the thought of women buying Anthony full-body pillows set her tail on-end.

… Maybe Maëlle isn’t as bad of a representative as I thought…

“Hmm,” Rachel took a long breath, watching Scarlet give her a look that said, what are you doing?!  “Well … if Maria is doing the finances, then we probably should have someone else handle that.”

Maria released a long and loud sigh of relief.  “Yo!  Chica, comin’ in!  For real, though, ya got no idea how shitty that whole gig was.  Ya want it?  All yours!”  She laughed.

Maëlle seemed thrilled by her new position.  “The media will not be able to keep their eyes off our little group!”

Well … that could mean a lot of things … we’ll see, though.  She wouldn’t do anything to embarrass herself.  Can she even get embarrassed?  Probably not…

Hoping she hadn’t made a terrible mistake, she moved on.  “Alright … Maëlle’s found a good spot.  What about you, Kyle?”

“Oh, oh,” Maëlle cut in, “he must join me; think about the ratings, the exposure!”

“Kyle?”  Rachel asked.  The Succubus wasn’t wrong, and drawing more attention away from Anthony by putting the Incubus front and center could help combat the fangirls.  She had enough problems with Cahira’s wonton gaze.

“Mmh … I suppose it would help me,” he muttered before releasing a short puff of air.  “Maëlle…”

“I know!  I know!”  She giggled.  “No touching!  Mmh .. but aren’t you just a little curious as to how much poison we can take?”

Rachel could practically feel the Succubus leaning closer to the Incubus with a devilish smile on her full lips.

“... Not really…”

“Aww, a shame,” Maëlle pouted.  “Maybe another time.”

Vasishtha bounced into the conversation with gusto.  “Yo, I’m always up for a game of tug-a-war, my little devil!  What do you say, huh?  A feverish dance on Cahira’s deck or on the white beach?”

“Mmh … perhaps,” Maëlle teased.  “So, mon mignon, what will be your direction on this night?”

The Indian Legendkin released a low hum at her question.  “Eh … I came to America to party, dance, and serenade the pretty ladies, but I’m never one to refuse a challenge or combat!  Of course, I’ll be your ranged savior; ah, and if you stay by my side, no harm can ever come to that charming tail…”

Maëlle giggled, the bed creaking as she leaned into him.  “I will be in your care, Mr. Legend of Arjuna.”

Ohan pulled the conversation away from the man’s continual attempts to sway the Succubus to give him attention.  “I have my own goals, but if the fastest way to get stronger is to be in a party, and you have a lot of support to enter high conflict situations, then it would be stupid to reject the offer.  Give me a target, and I’ll see it dead.”

Finally, Anthony spoke up.  “Hmm … good to see everyone getting on-board.  Although, honestly, Rachel…”

Her gut instantly tightened.  Are you serious?  No … he can’t be serious!  Why wouldn’t he join?  He has to join!

Rachel’s voice was in check, but her mind was reeling, and her heart went from a calm river to a raging hurricane.  “Honestly, what?”

The silence stretched for a moment, and Rachel’s acute ears caught the actions of his left hand running through his thick red pulled-back hair.  “You see,” he muttered, “I have this pre-arranged engagement already…”

Judging by Scarlet’s expression, there was probably hellfire in her eyes because it certainly was in Rachel’s breast.  “Is that right?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, scratching above his lip, “there’s this rabbit girl that’s asked me to join her team, and heh, well … you know rabbit girls.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped open, mind blanking as confusion and doubt exploded.  Rabbit girl … rabbit girl … he can’t mean another girl with rabbit ears … no hare, hare!  Gah … uh, no, he teased me about it last night … it’s a dirty joke!  No, but … what if it is another rabbit girl … why am I saying I’m a rabbit girl?!  No, if it is a rabbit girl, he knows … it’s just impossible!

Her mind and chest were practically entering hyperspace with the spiraling doubt and second-guessing erupting through her thoughts like a supervolcano; she couldn’t embarrass herself by being jealous, she absolutely couldn’t, but she wanted to know about any rabbit girl that just so happened to be in her boyfriend’s life beside her … not that she was a rabbit girl.

Anthony’s roaring laughter pulled her dizzy eyes out of their death coil.  “Wait, wait … I meant a hare girl!  Haha!  Wow, hehe!  That silence … that’s so good … I can just … I can see your face!”

Sure enough, her face was becoming bright pink as her brain frazzled; she was hiding it by turning away from Scarlet when the girl’s lips curved with entertainment while connecting the dots, bringing up her own phone to take a picture of her and probably forgetting how dark it was.

To Rachel, this felt like the most embarrassing moments of her entire life, but she had to continue with the meeting.  She couldn’t just get up and walk away to cool her face.  Yet, it was the first time in a while that she actually felt like crying; she felt so dumb falling for such a simple tease and how much she read into it.

Rachel activated Emotional Detachment, shortly followed by Rapid Mental Acceleration.

Her cheeks slowly returned to normal as she composed herself, her heart still squirming, but the boxed emotions and clear head only added to the increasingly horrifying realization that was consuming her mind.

I’m an ultra jealous, stupidly possessive, obsessive girlfriend … he’s technically not even my boyfriend … we aren’t going steady … but obviously, I want it to go in that direction.  Wow … me … I’m this tripped up about such a silly joke that I should just laugh at … I’m pathetic.

Throughout it all, Lunar Pride was between a rock and a hard place; it was two conflicting actions at battle within her.  The realization about how badly and toxically she wanted to acquire Anthony made her feel a negative way about herself she’d never really experienced before and the embarrassment she felt from Anthony’s little joke.

However, with Emotional Detachment’s help, she could postpone the battle, yet the self-disgust was being allowed leeway to win since her reasoning mind gave way to critically analyze her emotional state and add more fire to that side of Lunar Pride.  If she put her emotions to form, she’d call it a complete bitch, and she did not want that side of her to escape and 100% ruin a good thing in her life at all costs!

Rapid Mental Acceleration gave her enough time to compose herself and provide the proper response … she seriously had to do some self-reflecting, and behavioral corrections after this meeting, and maybe her grandfather’s retreat was just what she needed … time away to sort herself out.

“Heh,” Rachel giggled, shifting in her seat to hug her stomach.  “Wow … that was great, but … rabbit girl … c’mon, we’ve been over this!”  She huffed, leering at the phone.

Scarlet was chuckling, snapping photos with the flash that wouldn’t show nearly what she hoped, and most of the voices on the call were following the light laughter that she should have seriously felt in her heart … yet it was filled with raging chaos that the Flush Moon’s energy couldn’t temper.

“My bad, my bad!”  Anthony replied.  “Yeah, I don’t have much going on after my boss dropped me.  I need to find some form of employment to keep up with my hobby, and this seems better than most.  Yo, Maria, what’s the pay like?”

“Aye, I got ya, amigo!”  Maria assured.  “Don’t be sweatin’ it; we got something in the works!”

“Sounds good.  So, what’s up?”  He asked, shifting his posture to glance around at the group at the hotel.  “Anyone else got something to add?”

When no one responded, Rachel picked up the spotlight, wanting to get this over with to deal with the boxed emotions.  “Good.  So, we’ve got eleven on the team.”

“Oh, chica!”  Maria piped up.  “Add that catgirl to the gig; she can be my secretary or whatever you were talkin’ about. “  She popped her tongue with a low growl.  “She got screwed over … hard.”

Rachel’s brow furrowed at the news.  “... Zoe?  What happened?  Did someone try to touch her again?”

Maria clicked her tongue, leaning back to probably stare at the wall to her front room in Little Havana.  “Eh, na, nothin’ like that; mi mafiosos be takin’ care of things locally.  Mmh … she should probably be the one to tell ya, but my lil’ hermano be comforting the girl … it’s rough for the chica.  Her family … tch, eh … yo, they didn’t make The Oscillation, and uh … yeah, it’s just not good.”

A frown touched Rachel’s lips, leaning back.  The memories of the first time she met Zoe came flooding back into her memory when she’d changed into a Lunar Hare, and she’d taken the new catgirl by the hand, leading her out of the burning dorm building to then be picked up by the National Guard in hazmat suits.

“Talk about rough…”  Anthony whispered.

Selvaria released a depressed sigh.  “Umm … yeah, let her know we’re here for her … even though, you know … I don’t know her that well.  If she needs someone, then Galatea and I’ll be there.”

“Hmm…”  Ohan seemed to connect to it by the manner Rachel caught his low tone and shifting movements.

The others gave similar responses, offering support.

“Yeah … have her call me when she’s feeling up to it.”

“I’ll let her know,” Maria mumbled, causing an awkward silence after the confession.

Since she wasn’t elaborating on any culprit or area to blame, Rachel figured it wasn’t something that could have required action.  Fiona had failed to return, seemingly finding it more difficult than she thought to get her younger sister to back down.

“... Well, in conclusion, from what Fiona, Selvaria, and Scarlet mapped out, we have an alright starting roaster but could pick up a few recommendations from Tom.

“For Tanks, we have Selvaria and me … although, can you really call me an Agility Tank?”

“Yes!”  Scarlet and Selvaria chimed in unison.

The Vespertine Reaper followed with, “Remember the Nightmare thing in that labyrinth?  You were super tanking at the start before Selvaria grabbed aggro!”

“I guess,” Rachel mumbled, “but I was basically … nevermind, umm, yeah, so, I’m an Agility Tank and a Close-Range Damager.  Scarlet and Ohan also fit that category with a few mid-range attacks.

“Dedicated Mid-Range Damage, and general elemental nuker, is Fiona, naturally.

“Long-Ranged Damage is Vasishtha with his bow.

“Maria is our dedicated Healer.

“Maëlle and Kyle are our Control-Support on Earth … and Cahira, the All-Terrain Vehicle,” she smirked, adding humor to not tip anyone off her insides was at war.

“Aye, what be the … well,” Cahira trailed off, pondering her joke, “I mean … ye ain’t wrong, but … gah, do ya gotta say it like I’m a bloody doormat everybody be wipin’ their dirty boots on?”

Everyone laughed.

“We love you!”  Selvaria giggled.

“Aye, ye better or else ya be thrown ta the sea!”  She laughed.

“Okay,” Rachel hummed, chuckles fading.  “We got the line-up.  What’s our org’s name?”

Selvaria spoke as if jumping up in class.  “MythBusters!”

“Eh … I don’t know, Selv,” Scarlet gave the girl’s suggestion a forced tone, “I mean, we’re not really busting myths.”

Vasishtha made a note of objection in his throat.  “Eh … in some ways myths are quite … busting, if ya catch my meaning.”

“Not wrong,” Cahira replied with a snicker.  “Too bad yer eyes be the only thing that be catchin’.”

“Oof,” Fiona’s voice responded, finally returning.

“C’mon,” Anthony mused, nudging the chuckling Indian man’s side, “let’s get our heads out of the gutter.”

Maëlle was next.  “How about … Succulent Fervour?”

“... Not feeling it,” Ohan mumbled.

“Eclipse ?”  Rachel offered.

Maria hummed thoughtfully.  “The sun and moon, eh?”

“What about Fiona, though,” Scarlet asked.

Anthony popped his tongue a few times to fill the silence.  “Mythic?”

“Eh … but what about you guys?”  Selvaria asked.

He shrugged, glancing at the others.

“Aye, seems fine to me,” Cahira grinned.  “Mythic adventures await!”

“I could think of worse names,” Ohan nodded.

Rachel waited, but no one offered an alternative.  “Okay, we’re Mythic.  Well, everyone, we’ve got a mission on the 27th to prepare for.  Rest up, level up, and bulk up.  I’m going to be somewhat unavailable for the next few days.  I’ll be spending time with my grandfather; he asked me to come down.  My phone will be on me if anyone needs to get a hold of me.”

With that, they slowly said their goodbyes, and Fiona added a final note that her lawyer/agent/friend, Erica Kohne, would be going over their Tempest contracts to reevaluate it since it could be argued they’d signed it under duress with The Oscillation.  She’d be able to work out a better deal, and Rachel told Fiona to see if she could also look into the Montana Hare Majesty brand while she was at it.

Hanging up, Rachel caught Scarlet giving her a small frown, arms crossed under her chest.  “So … you’re going to go see your grandpa?”

“Yours now, too,” Rachel chuckled, “but … I’ll be going alone on this one because my cousin’s involved, and he’s kind of … not in the best state of mind right now.”  When Scarlet’s frown didn’t lift, she added, “Plus, you get to spend some personal time with Mom, Dad, Nam, and Alexa … I think she really needs it right now, too.  I think you’re kind of her first friend in … a while.”

“Gmmh … fine,” Scarlet groaned, relenting while smoothing back her smooth black hair behind her pointed ears and smiling.  “I do have a lot of anime and manga to catch up on.”

“Right?”  Rachel chuckled.  “Oh, and I’m gonna tell Mom to finalize the adoption papers!  You’re 18, so no need for anything else than you, Mom, and Dad signing the dotted line.”

A lump dropped down Scarlet’s throat.  “... You mean it?”  She whispered, trying to hold back bloody tears.

“Of course,” Rachel replied, feeling bad the warm feelings she had at the exchange were boxed up with the torrent in her heart as she walked over to lift the smaller girl into a bear hug.  “When I get back,” she whispered, “you better be my official sister.”

“... Okay…”  Scarlet choked, blood leaking onto Rachel’s bare shoulders before rising back into the Vespertine Reaper’s body.

She held her for a good minute before setting the crying girl down and returning inside while holding Scarlet’s hand.  Rachel told her parents about her plans and what she expected when she returned before seeing the Vespertine Reaper off to Alexa’s room, continuing their bonding night.

Going to her room, Rachel started to pack for her grandfather’s; she didn’t need much, and now that she was alone … she closed her doors.  The emotions exploded within her, and Rachel let the bitter, jealous, embarrassed, and hateful tears mix with the warm fuzzies she felt when hugging Scarlet.

She had to get control of her ego if she ever wanted to get somewhere with Anthony, and this trip was the place to do it.

The confirmation from her grandfather came during her recovery process, and she snuck off to the bathroom to clean up her face.

Once finished, she piled into her parents’ car with Gisele and her white bunny blob, the Coral and Flush Bunnies, converting into her Lunar Pool the moment they reached max charge, and she allowed her mother to drive her to her grandfather’s old Korean-style mansion.

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10 Chapters in Undying Empire.

10 Chapters in the Pokemon Fanfic

3 Chapters in The Power Of Cuteness And Positivity

All pictures are up for free download on Patreon with the artist I commissioned listed.