#dualfools00

SPLASH!

"This is just what I needed..." Yu sank into the spacious outdoor pool of warm water and let out a sigh of relief. Their long escort job far away from home seemingly completed for the time being, the fools had finally returned for some much needed RnR.

"And here I thought you were so attached to those guys and steering that ship that you'd never want to come back home." spoke his hetero life partner, one Minato Arisato, sitting across from him and running a hand through his blue locks of hair.

"Or were you just that eager to come here for the free soak? You're welcome by the way." They were of course lounging in the Amagi Springs within the rural town of Inaba, courtesy of a certain heiress that, between the two's travels in their first couple of years, Minato had become particularly fond of.

"Well, yeah... but we've been on this world saving adventure since..." Yu paused, then looked his long time best friend dead in the cerulean eye with his gray orbs, both of them bereft of clothing.

"Actually, how long has it been since we met?"

Minato blinked, then closed his own eyes in seemingly deep thought.

"You know, now that you mention it..."

"Oh come now, Raggy. Think of all our fun times together~! But fine, I'll play with you."

"I'm feeling... revived and in the zone today, let's do this!"

"Well, shit. Why don't we team up more often, man? That was great. Waaaaay better than Captain Asshat over there."

"I'd like that, if I'm around these parts more often. Hey uh, Hazama... no hard feelings, right?"

"Your revival's finally here. But what does that mean for us, exactly? One more once?"

"To arms, 'Your Highness!'" cried out the voice of the clemar nobleman, back to back with the person he vowed his undying loyalty to.

He and his lifelong hetero partner had been surrounded by an enemy monster horde that had gotten the jump on them with a rather grotesque homo sapien seemingly leading the pack, magla particles visibly coursing through its veins.

"My apologies...!" the silver haired man spoke; hurriedly tossing the scabbard of his longsword aside after deflecting an incoming goblin's axe with a diagonal slash. "It was my suggestion that we hunt down our rations to save a little on coin. And now we stare down a blasted human!"

They had trekked just a little too far from their gauntlet runner to gather food and herbs out in the woods. The thicket they sought their prize in was too dense to make for a quick escape however. They'd have to fight their way out of this mess.

"What are you sorry for? Your argument was sound!" the 'royal' companion spoke, casting a gust of green gale infused magla to form a headwind; sending a winged talon beast divebombing toward him careening straight down into the dirt.

"We could both use a bath in an inn that isn't a cramped casket, right?" the azure haired boy reasoned, seemingly not too fazed by the surprise opposition. He had a sinking suspicion one of the competitors for the throne set this trap, but rather than voice concern, he'd rally and beckon his right hand man into action.

"They're the ones who will be sorry. Now, to battle!"

"RIGHT!"

"Now tell me..." A third, monotone voice spoke; breaking all tension. "Is this what you do when you... 'cosplay'?" The voice belonged to Zen, former escort to Minato & Yu, who had since found his purpose elsewhere with a little guidance from the fools.

"W-well..." Yu replied, hands holding onto a script and recounting an outing from a previous Halloween. "We may have gotten too caught up in the excitement that night."

"I'm just as much to blame there." Minato chimed in, scratching the back of his head. "It's been a long time since I was fully immersed in character like that. It's contagious."

"I see. But you two had... fun, right? Would you do it all over again?" In response to that question, they shot each other a knowing look; accompanied by a dramatic pause.

"Would we? We would."

This situation hadn’t been her fault, she’d like to think. She was simply taking a walk when there was a loud bang, and some rubble from a nearby warehouse had fallen on her before she could escape (what the catalyst for that destruction was, she had no idea). 

The cinder blocks and metal beams that had fallen on Ribbon crushed the lower half of her body. It was painful- she wished she could have bled instead- and her meager strength wasn’t enough to lift the debris off of her. The bones in her legs had been broken, and, while being crushed, they wouldn’t heal. 

“Uuu... mother...” She whines, feeling very sorry for herself. The communication device Xis (that is, the god of a place called the “Bubblegum Sea World,” who had created her along with her siblings) had given her had been broken by the debris, and the shattered remains of a smooth white stone lie beside her. 

But then what about the times where she couldn’t go due to tests or clubs? Or did SEES just not go on those nights?

They had no choice but to stay home. Though Junpei once suggested they climb up Mitsuru’s hair since it might have a similar effect.