After logging in after his lunch break, Fenris found his party members waiting at the gazebo. Since most of the gazebo’s earlier occupants were still busy partying along the riverside, Gen, Lily, and Louis had plenty of room for what appeared to be an impromptu stretching session. Noticing Fenris’s arrival, Lily called out to him.
“Feeeen, help…” she wheezed, panting with her hands on her knees. “They're making me exercise…”
“Oh, come on—we're just stretching a bit, Lily.” Louis sighed. “If things get hectic out there, you gotta be ready to move; remember how hard it was to catch up to Fen earlier?”
“Ugh… that's true…” The memory of Fenris’s fish-fueled rampage still fresh in her mind, Lily couldn't deny Louis’s point. However, even if she understood that it was important for her to stretch, Lily simply didn't exercise enough—and so the feeling of being even slightly out of breath was still uncomfortable for her.
‘This is… a bit nostalgic.’
Fenris remembered Amiya being like that when she was younger—she’d always had a bit of a lazy streak, and tended to put things off until later if she didn't want to do them. Despite how active she was now, getting Amiya to actually start moving around had troubled Fenris for quite a while.
Fortunately—after years of having forgone his usual, physical methods of convincing others—Fenris became very good at using his words instead, and was confident that his technique would work with Lily as well.
‘... How did it go, again...? Nn, it was something like this…’
Fenris gently patted Lily’s head.
“Lily.”
“?! Y-yes?” She felt an unnerving chill creep up her spine.
“It's okay if you want to take a break,” Fenris said, his muddy, unfocused eyes staring directly into Lily’s. “But it's important to exercise properly.”
“B-but…”
“Exercise properly.” He repeated with no change to his intonation.
“I--"
“Exercise properly.”
“... Y-yesh…” Lily was quivering a bit.
Louis and Gen exchanged a look.
‘... Man, that's some powerful older brother energy.’
‘... That's definitely not it?’ Gen, physically unable to raise her eyebrow, directed her general feelings of skepticism towards Louis. ‘What kind of older brother intimidates their siblings into a healthier lifestyle?’
Louis gave a mouth shrug back.
‘That's what my brother usually does… Fen seems a lot scarier, though.’
Fenris was much gentler with his words compared to Louis’s brother; however, Louis couldn't shake the feeling that getting on Fenris’s bad side would somehow be much more dangerous for his well-being.
“... Why are you two making faces at each other…?” Fenris asked, still patting Lily.
““... No reason.””
“I see.” Fenris figured that they were just doing another skit that he didn't quite understand.
“... Anyways—” Louis said, desperately trying to change the topic. “If you’re all ready, let’s get this hunt started!”
———
(EXTRA:)
“Does stretching even help in VR?” Lily asked dubiously.
“I mean, it definitely feels like it does,” Louis said, circling his arms. “My shoulders feel a bit tight when I do those wide swings, y’know?”
“It’s a bit strange that the developers would simulate muscle stiffness…” Gen commented. “I’m not sure why they bothered with this level of realism.”
“Maybe it's a warning for us youngsters to stretch our bodies more often.”
“... Adults have it rough, huh?”
———
(EXTRA 2: Louis’s older brother on intimidation…)
“This is slander—I would never menace my kid siblings! I only do that to Louis.”
“Hey!” Louis cried.
“Haah? You got somethin’ to say?”
“... No.”
“Good.”
———
Spoiler
wimbledon
I was driving today, so I didn't get to write as much as I'd like.
[collapse]
After logging in after his lunch break, Fenris found his party members waiting at the gazebo. Since most of the gazebo’s earlier occupants were still busy partying along the riverside, Gen, Lily, and Louis had plenty of room for what appeared to be an impromptu stretching session. Noticing Fenris’s arrival, Lily called out to him.
“Feeeen, help…” she wheezed, panting with her hands on her knees. “They're making me exercise…”
“Oh, come on—we're just stretching a bit, Lily.” Louis sighed. “If things get hectic out there, you gotta be ready to move; remember how hard it was to catch up to Fen earlier?”
“Ugh… that's true…” The memory of Fenris’s fish-fueled rampage still fresh in her mind, Lily couldn't deny Louis’s point. However, even if she understood that it was important for her to stretch, Lily simply didn't exercise enough—and so the feeling of being even slightly out of breath was still uncomfortable for her.
‘This is… a bit nostalgic.’
Fenris remembered Amiya being like that when she was younger—she’d always had a bit of a lazy streak, and tended to put things off until later if she didn't want to do them. Despite how active she was now, getting Amiya to actually start moving around had troubled Fenris for quite a while.
Fortunately—after years of having forgone his usual, physical methods of convincing others—Fenris became very good at using his words instead, and was confident that his technique would work with Lily as well.
‘... How did it go, again...? Nn, it was something like this…’
Fenris gently patted Lily’s head.
“Lily.”
“?! Y-yes?” She felt an unnerving chill creep up her spine.
“It's okay if you want to take a break,” Fenris said, his muddy, unfocused eyes staring directly into Lily’s. “But it's important to exercise properly.”
“B-but…”
“Exercise properly.” He repeated with no change to his intonation.
“I--"
“Exercise properly.”
“... Y-yesh…” Lily was quivering a bit.
Louis and Gen exchanged a look.
‘... Man, that's some powerful older brother energy.’
‘... That's definitely not it?’ Gen, physically unable to raise her eyebrow, directed her general feelings of skepticism towards Louis. ‘What kind of older brother intimidates their siblings into a healthier lifestyle?’
Louis gave a mouth shrug back.
‘That's what my brother usually does… Fen seems a lot scarier, though.’
Fenris was much gentler with his words compared to Louis’s brother; however, Louis couldn't shake the feeling that getting on Fenris’s bad side would somehow be much more dangerous for his well-being.
“... Why are you two making faces at each other…?” Fenris asked, still patting Lily.
““... No reason.””
“I see.” Fenris figured that they were just doing another skit that he didn't quite understand.
“... Anyways—” Louis said, desperately trying to change the topic. “If you’re all ready, let’s get this hunt started!”
———
(EXTRA:)
“Does stretching even help in VR?” Lily asked dubiously.
“I mean, it definitely feels like it does,” Louis said, circling his arms. “My shoulders feel a bit tight when I do those wide swings, y’know?”
“It’s a bit strange that the developers would simulate muscle stiffness…” Gen commented. “I’m not sure why they bothered with this level of realism.”
“Maybe it's a warning for us youngsters to stretch our bodies more often.”
“... Adults have it rough, huh?”
———
(EXTRA 2: Louis’s older brother on intimidation…)
“This is slander—I would never menace my kid siblings! I only do that to Louis.”
“Hey!” Louis cried.
“Haah? You got somethin’ to say?”
“... No.”
“Good.”
———
Spoiler
wimbledon
I was driving today, so I didn't get to write as much as I'd like.
[collapse]