@espioatyourservice

He definitely wasn't at the office. In fact, he was quite busy at the moment. The life of a detective certainly kept things going and today wasn't an exception. After all, knocking a few skulls in while getting a call from one of his coworkers wasn't anything new. Good thing he had a wireless earpiece, so long as Espio wasn't concerned with the background noise of thugs getting clobbered.

"Hey, you caught me in a bit of a bind here." Charmy spoke casually as he sucker punched one goon in the face before tripping one that was charging from behind. "Good news, I found the corporate spies our client was worried about." The screams of one of said culprits from their arm getting twisted could be heard as the bee reached into their pocket to pull out an SD card. "And I just got the data they tried to steal. Got any news on your end?"

Unfortunately for the bee, his luck ran out as one of the big bruisers grabbed him from behind and tried to pin him to the ground. That's when they found out how strong bees really could bee as Charmy easily broke the grapple and tossed the large mobian across the room.

Getting to Know Charmy (Accepting)

"...You always can tell when I have been having nightmares, huh?" He sighed. Even he couldn't mask when he had a bad night to the two who raised him. Not that he truly wanted to, but he also didn't want to worry Vector or Espio. Still, it was out there now."

"It was about the four of us again...You, me, Vector...Mori...We got caught up in a bad situation, what exactly I'm not sure, but I remember making a stupid mistake, an avoidable mistake; just like when I was a kid...And you all were gone."

He couldn't look at the chameleon in his eyes. He hated talking about this. It made him feel stupid, worthless, like a burden. It was something he made strides in overcoming in his teenage years, but nightmares like these always managed to hit him where it mattered, even if temporary.

"I know I have done a lot to make you and Vec proud, but sometimes I still worry I'm not doing enough..."

Next

"The decision was made by those that followed me to these lands." She smiled softly at Espio's joy for her, it was nice to see that one of her friends understood how big this was. "My people refer to me in different tones, still figuring out what to call me, but I prefer that my friends still refer to me by my name. Valdia, my childhood mentor, was a great aid in advice and helping me get settled into the role. Goremagala, my dragon, has at last found peace in its role alongside me. However, it is still immature, and has yet to evolve into Shagarumagala which is the dragon's adult state. We shall see what happens with time."

"I'm impressed you were able to find your way through the swamp's mangrove maze." Espia gladly accepted the hug from her brother but kept it short for both of their comfort's sake and also to be polite. She had so much to tell him. "Even we who live here can easily get lost among the vine walls and root networks. Let's go inside there is much to tell you..."

"Yeah!" Charmette darted off to a low set, large treehouse at the back of the village.

The building was in the center of the space, fashioned similarly to a pagoda at the front but the mangrove it was connected too had a few windows carved into it showing that the space was even larger on the inside. Any shinobi would recognize it as the home of a leader or warlord....or Bride in Espio's world. Espia was still unsure where that title came from. But her home was clearly visible among the many small and humble abodes scattered among the trees. Charmette located the ladder and let it drop down so the chameleons could have an easier time climbing up.

That was a voice that she hadn't expected during her daily rounds around the village, Espia dismissing the Shinobi that had been giving her their reports and turning around to face the older ninja. Her eyes lit up in recognition but she was beaten to the greeting by a blue of yellow and black. Chaos, Charmette was so fast now as she tackled into the other purple chameleon with a tight hug.

"UNCLE ESPIO!!!!" The little honey bee was over joyed to see him, not caring if her glasses got smudged in the process of hugging him.

Espia however chuckled lightly and signaled for the guards to stand down as she approched the other chameleon. It was wonderful to see him. Haven, the village they were in, was in the heart of the Black Swamp, a maze like zone that only the shinobi could find their way through. The buildings were built upon and into the giant mangroves, spiraling up into the air and connected by a network of bridges and ladders. The only light that illuminated this place came from the glowing mushrooms connected to the trunks of the trees.

@espioatyourservice replied to your post: "Perhaps it's due to the humidity and no wind? We...

“HAH! Hahah. I don’t think I’ll warm up to the idea.”