Clare's Café…
Clyde laughed as Seth raised a hand, grinning evilly. A Fireside magical girl, dressed in a short-skirt maid outfit, hurried over. And no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't break character. There were a lot of customers. Mostly men and a few Sato Academy students, one which Clyde could've sworn he recognized, but had no name to put to her face. The typical observations—but Clare…she was truly a genius. After just days of renovating, she converted her shop into a café with the weapons display in the back. No oil smell—she did all of the cleaning at home. At first, the idea was temporary so that the Fireside girls could leave after serving their punishments, but other girls began to apply for positions, even cooks (who wore the eye-attracting look). Apparently, the maid thing appealed to them—especially the roleplaying types. Earlier, a famous idol stopped by—the same girl who winked at Clyde back in Niyoto. Clare's café boomed in terms of business. The young man found it hilarious that the maiden herself was the star of the show. She chose to wear her traditional Japanese maiden outfit, which pretty much gained her a cult following. The magical girls also served as security, though would-be violators wouldn't know it.
"How can I help you, Master?" There was only the slightly tinge of bite in the magical girl's voice.
Seth wiped away the nosebleed.
"I'd like a strawberry cheesecake and a photo."
The magical girl probably wanted to choke Seth. She even held an impressive Gin smile. Clyde stifled a laugh. She turned to him. The young man waited for the magic words.
"Can I get you anything, Ma—master." Seth snickered. A small outline of anger aura outlined her, yet she held the fake smile.
"Just a photo, with Sahara," he said. Clyde actually didn't give a shit about the picture, but he needed to talk to the Fireside leader.
"Are you sure it—"
"I just need to talk to your leader," he whispered so the others couldn't hear.
"She's in the breakroom," the magical girl said. "Just go. No need to mess with me, like this guy." She gave Seth a micro death glare, then put the fake smile back on.
"I'll be back in a few," Clyde said to Seth.
"Take your time dude," Seth said. "With Clare right there, I'm free to fully enjoy myself. Now let's get on with that photo, my servant."
"I'd sleep with an eye open tonight," Clyde said to Seth, laughing.
The white-haired, red-eyed Fireside leader was indeed in the back, asleep on a sofa, in a rather compromising position. The young man could see full blue-striped panties. Drool oozed off the side of her lips as she softly snored. He silently walked over, knelt beside her, and whispered, "slackers will be punished."
The magical girl leader lurched nearly five feet into the air, only to see a laughing Clyde. She whacked him with a pillow.
"Don't scare me like that," she said. "What do you want? And I swear if that blonde—"
"Seth's in the front with your minions," Clyde said. Sahara let out a breath of relief then slammed down her skirt, realizing that the young man probably had an eye full. He pretended not to notice, but knew damn well that the white-haired girl didn't buy it. He sat in a chair, opposite of her. "What do you know about curses? I ask because you wield strong power. That thirteen witches crap and what not."
"Why not ask one of your demon friends about curses?" Sahara said. "Why come all the way here to remind me that you and your annoying friend are just perverts? Even your little kid witch friend—"
"She's the reason why I'm asking," Clyde said. "To be honest, I'm just asking around. If Tear, Alice, Yuki or any of the others knew anything, they would've cured Natalia by now." Suddenly, an idea hit the young man like....Truck-kun. "You know what, never mind. Go back to sleep. I think I have a solution."
"Well, don't hold it back, I want to know," Sahara said, but Clyde ignored her, hurrying out. Why go through the cliché of asking stubborn, annoying people who'd die with even the secret cure to cancer when he could simply wish away the problem.
"Seth, I'm leaving early, something came up, bye," he said, continuing out, not giving the man a chance to ask questions. He made the Jump to Libado Grasslands. Detective Tetra waved for his attention from afar, but the young man just didn't have the time.
It was time to rub one off. The magic lamp that is.
**
Military base…
"Unit Sixty-eight, ATTEN-HUT!"
The unit, composed of both men and women, shifted into attention at their lady Ace's command. She looked right at Hiroshi. He frowned inside, not in the mood for her pestering this day.
"Section Leader Hiroshi," Aika said, walking over to him. One rank above him and she thought had the right to annoy the man all day. He stared at her blankly as if to emphasize his point.
"Ace," he said then whispered. "What now, Aika."
She frowned.
"What's your status on Rodger's visitation?"
"That ex-marine guy?" Hiroshi said. "He hasn't called me back. Can't blame him. If I retired, I sure as shit wouldn't answer any call from the—"
"You're just a bitter man," Aika said. "And you know what we face, so do your job, Section Leader."
"Yeah yeah," Hiroshi said. "Look, give me an allowance and about two people, preferably those with experience and I'll catch a flight to Lot City. Maybe debunk some of the rumors there."
"We know what we saw in that report," Aiki said. "Recruit those particular gifted if you see them. The admiral has given the supreme order to—"
"Yeah, I know, find and recruit magic-wielders," Hiroshi said in a deadpan voice. "I was there, remember."
She shot him a flat look.
"Don't make me remind you of the punishment you received for looking up my skirt."
Hiroshi sighed.
"And I told you that wasn't my fault. It didn't help matters when you fell on top of—"
Aiki covered his mouth with both hands, blushing.
"Just drop it." She removed her hands.
"Fine, but will you give me the greenlight?" he said.
"I will ask the captain," she said. "If he's okay with it, I'll send you by Sonic Jet."
Hiroshi shrugged.
"What a drag."
**
Unknown city…
Aunder stared at the maps laid across his hotel room's table.
"Four so far, declaring loyalty to me," he said softly. "As if I care about that." He placed his finger on a highlighted point. "This is taking too long. How am I supposed to beat this game if the gods keep bloody interfering?"
He sighed, glancing at the kid asleep on his bed, book in her hand. His annoying, bratty second-in-command. "What is up with this Loli saga gag?"
Aunder turned to his empty mug of beer, grimacing. How could he actually end the stone-viper games if the Watchers themselves are protecting the others? Was he supposed to be trapped in this world for an eternity? Why not just give him unlimited beers? He'd retire in a heartbeat.
His body pulsed again, the cells inside struggling to hold off the taint. The search for the witch capable of curing him brought no results. Damn that Mortem. He just couldn't leave a man alone to his beer. The constant provocations by the Watchers…
Aunder had to do something about this. He'd never get to relax with them around. He needed more support.
[You have a maiden temple located 600 miles to the northeast. The spot has been marked on your map.]
Aunder shook his head.
"I suppose it's progress and another annoyance to my journey. I'll take it."
Clare's Café…
Clyde laughed as Seth raised a hand, grinning evilly. A Fireside magical girl, dressed in a short-skirt maid outfit, hurried over. And no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't break character. There were a lot of customers. Mostly men and a few Sato Academy students, one which Clyde could've sworn he recognized, but had no name to put to her face. The typical observations—but Clare…she was truly a genius. After just days of renovating, she converted her shop into a café with the weapons display in the back. No oil smell—she did all of the cleaning at home. At first, the idea was temporary so that the Fireside girls could leave after serving their punishments, but other girls began to apply for positions, even cooks (who wore the eye-attracting look). Apparently, the maid thing appealed to them—especially the roleplaying types. Earlier, a famous idol stopped by—the same girl who winked at Clyde back in Niyoto. Clare's café boomed in terms of business. The young man found it hilarious that the maiden herself was the star of the show. She chose to wear her traditional Japanese maiden outfit, which pretty much gained her a cult following. The magical girls also served as security, though would-be violators wouldn't know it.
"How can I help you, Master?" There was only the slightly tinge of bite in the magical girl's voice.
Seth wiped away the nosebleed.
"I'd like a strawberry cheesecake and a photo."
The magical girl probably wanted to choke Seth. She even held an impressive Gin smile. Clyde stifled a laugh. She turned to him. The young man waited for the magic words.
"Can I get you anything, Ma—master." Seth snickered. A small outline of anger aura outlined her, yet she held the fake smile.
"Just a photo, with Sahara," he said. Clyde actually didn't give a shit about the picture, but he needed to talk to the Fireside leader.
"Are you sure it—"
"I just need to talk to your leader," he whispered so the others couldn't hear.
"She's in the breakroom," the magical girl said. "Just go. No need to mess with me, like this guy." She gave Seth a micro death glare, then put the fake smile back on.
"I'll be back in a few," Clyde said to Seth.
"Take your time dude," Seth said. "With Clare right there, I'm free to fully enjoy myself. Now let's get on with that photo, my servant."
"I'd sleep with an eye open tonight," Clyde said to Seth, laughing.
The white-haired, red-eyed Fireside leader was indeed in the back, asleep on a sofa, in a rather compromising position. The young man could see full blue-striped panties. Drool oozed off the side of her lips as she softly snored. He silently walked over, knelt beside her, and whispered, "slackers will be punished."
The magical girl leader lurched nearly five feet into the air, only to see a laughing Clyde. She whacked him with a pillow.
"Don't scare me like that," she said. "What do you want? And I swear if that blonde—"
"Seth's in the front with your minions," Clyde said. Sahara let out a breath of relief then slammed down her skirt, realizing that the young man probably had an eye full. He pretended not to notice, but knew damn well that the white-haired girl didn't buy it. He sat in a chair, opposite of her. "What do you know about curses? I ask because you wield strong power. That thirteen witches crap and what not."
"Why not ask one of your demon friends about curses?" Sahara said. "Why come all the way here to remind me that you and your annoying friend are just perverts? Even your little kid witch friend—"
"She's the reason why I'm asking," Clyde said. "To be honest, I'm just asking around. If Tear, Alice, Yuki or any of the others knew anything, they would've cured Natalia by now." Suddenly, an idea hit the young man like....Truck-kun. "You know what, never mind. Go back to sleep. I think I have a solution."
"Well, don't hold it back, I want to know," Sahara said, but Clyde ignored her, hurrying out. Why go through the cliché of asking stubborn, annoying people who'd die with even the secret cure to cancer when he could simply wish away the problem.
"Seth, I'm leaving early, something came up, bye," he said, continuing out, not giving the man a chance to ask questions. He made the Jump to Libado Grasslands. Detective Tetra waved for his attention from afar, but the young man just didn't have the time.
It was time to rub one off. The magic lamp that is.
**
Military base…
"Unit Sixty-eight, ATTEN-HUT!"
The unit, composed of both men and women, shifted into attention at their lady Ace's command. She looked right at Hiroshi. He frowned inside, not in the mood for her pestering this day.
"Section Leader Hiroshi," Aika said, walking over to him. One rank above him and she thought had the right to annoy the man all day. He stared at her blankly as if to emphasize his point.
"Ace," he said then whispered. "What now, Aika."
She frowned.
"What's your status on Rodger's visitation?"
"That ex-marine guy?" Hiroshi said. "He hasn't called me back. Can't blame him. If I retired, I sure as shit wouldn't answer any call from the—"
"You're just a bitter man," Aika said. "And you know what we face, so do your job, Section Leader."
"Yeah yeah," Hiroshi said. "Look, give me an allowance and about two people, preferably those with experience and I'll catch a flight to Lot City. Maybe debunk some of the rumors there."
"We know what we saw in that report," Aiki said. "Recruit those particular gifted if you see them. The admiral has given the supreme order to—"
"Yeah, I know, find and recruit magic-wielders," Hiroshi said in a deadpan voice. "I was there, remember."
She shot him a flat look.
"Don't make me remind you of the punishment you received for looking up my skirt."
Hiroshi sighed.
"And I told you that wasn't my fault. It didn't help matters when you fell on top of—"
Aiki covered his mouth with both hands, blushing.
"Just drop it." She removed her hands.
"Fine, but will you give me the greenlight?" he said.
"I will ask the captain," she said. "If he's okay with it, I'll send you by Sonic Jet."
Hiroshi shrugged.
"What a drag."
**
Unknown city…
Aunder stared at the maps laid across his hotel room's table.
"Four so far, declaring loyalty to me," he said softly. "As if I care about that." He placed his finger on a highlighted point. "This is taking too long. How am I supposed to beat this game if the gods keep bloody interfering?"
He sighed, glancing at the kid asleep on his bed, book in her hand. His annoying, bratty second-in-command. "What is up with this Loli saga gag?"
Aunder turned to his empty mug of beer, grimacing. How could he actually end the stone-viper games if the Watchers themselves are protecting the others? Was he supposed to be trapped in this world for an eternity? Why not just give him unlimited beers? He'd retire in a heartbeat.
His body pulsed again, the cells inside struggling to hold off the taint. The search for the witch capable of curing him brought no results. Damn that Mortem. He just couldn't leave a man alone to his beer. The constant provocations by the Watchers…
Aunder had to do something about this. He'd never get to relax with them around. He needed more support.
[You have a maiden temple located 600 miles to the northeast. The spot has been marked on your map.]
Aunder shook his head.
"I suppose it's progress and another annoyance to my journey. I'll take it."
