Clyde's house…
"Airi, this is Clyde. Clyde, Airi," Harumi said. The girl seemed to inspect him from head to toe with a single glance. An inch shorter than Harumi, she had long dark-purple hair, skin the color of milk chocolate, and light-brown eyes. She asserted an air of pure confidence, maybe nobility. Dressed in normal casual clothing, no one but the gifted would know at first sight what she was about.
He gave her a quick analysis, shutting down the prompt before the sass could emerge.
Name- Airi.
Level: 120 (compressed.)
Type: Super Druid, adventurer, ???.
Relationship: Neutral. Extremely curious.
Question marks hiding an unknown type and a compressed level. The fuck? At this point, nothing really fazed Clyde anymore. That didn't mean he lacked curiosity. Fuck, what would he give to find out what those question marks hid. Clyde held out a hand.
"Harumi and some of the others told me a lot about you," he said. Airi seemed hesitant to accept at first. Her hands were soft and delicate, fitting for a young woman that carried the natural good looks of an anime girl.
It took him a moment to realize Airi was blushing. She quickly covered it up with a fake clearing of the throat. Her eyes stopped on Neko, widening.
Neko…was playing with a ball of yarn. Clyde facepalmed. He didn't think Chika would seriously find one and trigger the cat within.
"Nyyyaaa," Neko said then purred. Harumi facepalmed.
Way to embarrass us all, Clyde thought.
"Is she really a…" she looked at Clyde. "Did she take you as husband?"
Harumi nearly fell. Clyde gave a long, suffering sigh, before snatching the yawn from the cat girl.
"Nya, I was playing with that," Neko said, false innocence in her eyes.
"Do you mind introducing yourself to our guest?" Clyde said.
Neko looked at Airi as if noticing her for the first time.
"Nyaaa, you attract trouble like a rabbit doing an eat-me dance near a wolf pack," Neko said. Indignation flashed in Airi's eyes. "I'm Neko. An observer from a family of observers."
"If you're jumping at her, then just wait to the others return," Clyde said offhandedly. Ruri would probably make her panic at first.
Airi plucked at Neko's ears.
"Oh wow."
When she reached for Neko's tail, the catgirl quickly moved it away.
"Nyaaa, I don't swing that way."
Airi blushed, raising two hands in the air. She gave the beast kin a sad smile.
"Sorry. I…uhm, didn't know tails were…a sensitive ordeal."
Neko smiled warmly.
"It's okay. Nyaa, learn something new every day."
Chika emerged from the back, smiling at Harumi and Airi.
"Need some help with your bags? We've got a strong man right here."
Clyde gave her a micro-glare.
"At least try not to sound as if you're about to offer some help."
"It's okay," Airi said, pulling a roller bag.
"I'm going to show Airi to her room," Harumi said.
"I'd like to talk with you some more," Airi told Clyde. "As much as possib—I mean sometime later if you don't mind. You guys call yourselves, Team Stone?"
"Yep," Clyde said.
"Interesting," Airi said. "You have no idea how many questions…Never mind, I shouldn't bother you. I'm here to see my best friend." She gave the young man a Japanese-style bow. "Thank you for the hospitality."
"It's no problem." Clyde said, a little moved by the politeness. As Harumi moved to take her friend to her room, Clyde spoke. "Can you make the team meeting or should we push it back."
Her eyes burned with resolve.
"We're carrying on this meet," she said. "And if I have to drag Yusuke by the throat while beating him with my slippers, I will."
Clyde stifled a laugh.
"Don't worry about me stopping you. Full support."
They both laughed. Harumi stole a kiss. Airi didn't see.
"Besides Yusuke's fate, I need to talk with everyone about Niyoto," Clyde said.
"What about Niyoto?" Harumi asked.
"I'll explain everything during the meeting," Clyde said. "And of course bring your friend. I'd like to pick her brain."
Clyde's phone rang. Unknown number. For some reason, a gut feeling advised him against ignoring it.
"Hello?"
"Clyde! I've got a new phone," Alice said.
"It's about time," he said. He offered to buy her a phone before, but she refused. Alice wanted to buy her own using earned money. "Are you still shopping?"
"We're done," Alice said. "See you in a minute. Oh and Tear says—"
"Don't put false words in my mouth," Clyde heard Tear snap. The line died. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Alice's group arrived. The young man already had the door open. The general rule of thumb was to Jump only outside. His house may be huge, but teleporting in on someone while they were taking a shit or showering would obviously not be appreciated.
Besides Tear being the addition to Alice's group, Kitome was there too.
"Here," she said, handing Clyde a small box, almost without looking at him. "A gift—nothing special. It's not like I'm thankful or anything."
Clyde blinked as he took the box and opened it. Shining at him was a white-gold necklace with a well-crafted homemade charm attached to it.
[You received Necklace of Her Devotion. Item class: *One of a kind* This necklace was made with love. Unknown benefits. Has a 1% chance of triggering Enlightenment mode 1 during battle. All stats will increase by 100% during the mode.]
"Kitome…" Clyde said. "Thank—"
"Nya, just hug him already," Neko said, pushing the magical girl into him. Instead of exploding with fury, she melted into Clyde.
A rare vulnerable moment, the young man took in all of it until Airi cleared her thought.
"Okay, someone explain to me why she looks like a school girl in love with Harumi's boyfriend."
Airi seemed to shrink into herself when all of the glares fell on her.
"Clyde, is this—"
"Airi?" Kitome said as she pulled away.
"Kitome? And hugging him instead of ripping his head off," Airi said.
"I'm not that mean," Kitome said, hugging Airi. "It's been a while."
"Yes it has," Airi said, nodding. "It has…And I'm just confused."
"We've got a team meeting in a half-hour," Clyde said. "Everything will be explained then. Harumi, do you mind catching her up?"
Harumi shrugged.
"It's a bit complicated," she told Airi, "but I'll try."
"I could always give you a drink to take off the edge," Yuki said.
All eyes fell on the demoness maid, Toru-style. Airi laughed.
"I accept! And it's not like I'm judging." She said softly. The rest of her sentence was a whisper. "It's like having a family, right?"
Clyde decided not to touch the matter any further. If Harumi didn't explain, he'd show, not tell. He put on the necklace, allowing the power to flow through him. Kitome managed to wiggle her way past the others and back into his embrace.
"Do you like it?" she said.
"I fucking love it," he said truthfully. "You are amazing."
[The existing quest, Either call or visit Kitome in the late hours has changed to mandatory. Reward: unknown.]
[Kitome's current relationship with you is Friend, closer level 10. Excellent job, but you know that's not enough. Kitome has the love in her heart, but doesn't know how to show it. Break that shell by completing the above quest.]
Clyde mentally nodded. He couldn't help but admit to himself that he was eager to spend time with the magical girl.
That tsundere moment. Fortunately for him, his nose didn't bleed.
Clyde's house…
"Airi, this is Clyde. Clyde, Airi," Harumi said. The girl seemed to inspect him from head to toe with a single glance. An inch shorter than Harumi, she had long dark-purple hair, skin the color of milk chocolate, and light-brown eyes. She asserted an air of pure confidence, maybe nobility. Dressed in normal casual clothing, no one but the gifted would know at first sight what she was about.
He gave her a quick analysis, shutting down the prompt before the sass could emerge.
Name- Airi.
Level: 120 (compressed.)
Type: Super Druid, adventurer, ???.
Relationship: Neutral. Extremely curious.
Question marks hiding an unknown type and a compressed level. The fuck? At this point, nothing really fazed Clyde anymore. That didn't mean he lacked curiosity. Fuck, what would he give to find out what those question marks hid. Clyde held out a hand.
"Harumi and some of the others told me a lot about you," he said. Airi seemed hesitant to accept at first. Her hands were soft and delicate, fitting for a young woman that carried the natural good looks of an anime girl.
It took him a moment to realize Airi was blushing. She quickly covered it up with a fake clearing of the throat. Her eyes stopped on Neko, widening.
Neko…was playing with a ball of yarn. Clyde facepalmed. He didn't think Chika would seriously find one and trigger the cat within.
"Nyyyaaa," Neko said then purred. Harumi facepalmed.
Way to embarrass us all, Clyde thought.
"Is she really a…" she looked at Clyde. "Did she take you as husband?"
Harumi nearly fell. Clyde gave a long, suffering sigh, before snatching the yawn from the cat girl.
"Nya, I was playing with that," Neko said, false innocence in her eyes.
"Do you mind introducing yourself to our guest?" Clyde said.
Neko looked at Airi as if noticing her for the first time.
"Nyaaa, you attract trouble like a rabbit doing an eat-me dance near a wolf pack," Neko said. Indignation flashed in Airi's eyes. "I'm Neko. An observer from a family of observers."
"If you're jumping at her, then just wait to the others return," Clyde said offhandedly. Ruri would probably make her panic at first.
Airi plucked at Neko's ears.
"Oh wow."
When she reached for Neko's tail, the catgirl quickly moved it away.
"Nyaaa, I don't swing that way."
Airi blushed, raising two hands in the air. She gave the beast kin a sad smile.
"Sorry. I…uhm, didn't know tails were…a sensitive ordeal."
Neko smiled warmly.
"It's okay. Nyaa, learn something new every day."
Chika emerged from the back, smiling at Harumi and Airi.
"Need some help with your bags? We've got a strong man right here."
Clyde gave her a micro-glare.
"At least try not to sound as if you're about to offer some help."
"It's okay," Airi said, pulling a roller bag.
"I'm going to show Airi to her room," Harumi said.
"I'd like to talk with you some more," Airi told Clyde. "As much as possib—I mean sometime later if you don't mind. You guys call yourselves, Team Stone?"
"Yep," Clyde said.
"Interesting," Airi said. "You have no idea how many questions…Never mind, I shouldn't bother you. I'm here to see my best friend." She gave the young man a Japanese-style bow. "Thank you for the hospitality."
"It's no problem." Clyde said, a little moved by the politeness. As Harumi moved to take her friend to her room, Clyde spoke. "Can you make the team meeting or should we push it back."
Her eyes burned with resolve.
"We're carrying on this meet," she said. "And if I have to drag Yusuke by the throat while beating him with my slippers, I will."
Clyde stifled a laugh.
"Don't worry about me stopping you. Full support."
They both laughed. Harumi stole a kiss. Airi didn't see.
"Besides Yusuke's fate, I need to talk with everyone about Niyoto," Clyde said.
"What about Niyoto?" Harumi asked.
"I'll explain everything during the meeting," Clyde said. "And of course bring your friend. I'd like to pick her brain."
Clyde's phone rang. Unknown number. For some reason, a gut feeling advised him against ignoring it.
"Hello?"
"Clyde! I've got a new phone," Alice said.
"It's about time," he said. He offered to buy her a phone before, but she refused. Alice wanted to buy her own using earned money. "Are you still shopping?"
"We're done," Alice said. "See you in a minute. Oh and Tear says—"
"Don't put false words in my mouth," Clyde heard Tear snap. The line died. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Alice's group arrived. The young man already had the door open. The general rule of thumb was to Jump only outside. His house may be huge, but teleporting in on someone while they were taking a shit or showering would obviously not be appreciated.
Besides Tear being the addition to Alice's group, Kitome was there too.
"Here," she said, handing Clyde a small box, almost without looking at him. "A gift—nothing special. It's not like I'm thankful or anything."
Clyde blinked as he took the box and opened it. Shining at him was a white-gold necklace with a well-crafted homemade charm attached to it.
[You received Necklace of Her Devotion. Item class: *One of a kind* This necklace was made with love. Unknown benefits. Has a 1% chance of triggering Enlightenment mode 1 during battle. All stats will increase by 100% during the mode.]
"Kitome…" Clyde said. "Thank—"
"Nya, just hug him already," Neko said, pushing the magical girl into him. Instead of exploding with fury, she melted into Clyde.
A rare vulnerable moment, the young man took in all of it until Airi cleared her thought.
"Okay, someone explain to me why she looks like a school girl in love with Harumi's boyfriend."
Airi seemed to shrink into herself when all of the glares fell on her.
"Clyde, is this—"
"Airi?" Kitome said as she pulled away.
"Kitome? And hugging him instead of ripping his head off," Airi said.
"I'm not that mean," Kitome said, hugging Airi. "It's been a while."
"Yes it has," Airi said, nodding. "It has…And I'm just confused."
"We've got a team meeting in a half-hour," Clyde said. "Everything will be explained then. Harumi, do you mind catching her up?"
Harumi shrugged.
"It's a bit complicated," she told Airi, "but I'll try."
"I could always give you a drink to take off the edge," Yuki said.
All eyes fell on the demoness maid, Toru-style. Airi laughed.
"I accept! And it's not like I'm judging." She said softly. The rest of her sentence was a whisper. "It's like having a family, right?"
Clyde decided not to touch the matter any further. If Harumi didn't explain, he'd show, not tell. He put on the necklace, allowing the power to flow through him. Kitome managed to wiggle her way past the others and back into his embrace.
"Do you like it?" she said.
"I fucking love it," he said truthfully. "You are amazing."
[The existing quest, Either call or visit Kitome in the late hours has changed to mandatory. Reward: unknown.]
[Kitome's current relationship with you is Friend, closer level 10. Excellent job, but you know that's not enough. Kitome has the love in her heart, but doesn't know how to show it. Break that shell by completing the above quest.]
Clyde mentally nodded. He couldn't help but admit to himself that he was eager to spend time with the magical girl.
That tsundere moment. Fortunately for him, his nose didn't bleed.
