An hour before Raskan's party, Liz calmly walks into the guest room and spots the gang on their beds, holding burgers. She then observes Minaro pull out fries from his rift, which leaves her a little confused. The gang notices her.
Rinka: … Hi.
Liz: Hi … Minaro's able to summon food from his space portals?
Rinka: Yup. He's got infinite food.
Liz: … Very interesting. Anyways, come to the living room. We're gonna celebrate Raskan's birthday.
…
Everyone's eating, some are at the table, some are on the sofas, and others are standing.
The people at the table start to interact.
Liz: … Hey. Thanks again, Minaro, for all the food.
Mausho: What!? He bought all of this!?
Liz chuckles.
Liz: No. His rift Skill lets him summon food.
Mausho: Oh. Oh! That's awesome!
Raskan bites a pizza slice.
Raskan: This might be the best birthday I've ever had! Thanks, Minaro! I hereby declare all of our beef, nonexistent!
Minaro smiles.
…
Everyone at the table, except Rinka, is on their phones now. He promptly grabs a pizza slice, bringing attention to himself.
Mausho: Damn! That's your 8th slice, bro!
Rinka: … I, uh. I eat a lot.
Raskan: Don't judge him, dude. Pizza's good!
Liz: Yeah, Mausho. You're such a hater.
Mausho: I'm not judging him! Or hating on him! I'm just surprised!
Minaro: … Rinka's a fatass.
Everyone at the table laughs at the absurd, random remark.
Rinka: … Hey. What can I say? I love eating.
…
Raskan's gleefully upright, next to a bunch of gifts on the floor. The crowd's around.
Raskan: Alright! Let's see if you guys can top your gifts from last year.
Defei: I got you a boat last year, man. How the hell am I supposed to top that?
Raskan: … A plane or a tank could do the trick.
Defei and some others laugh.
Sosa: … Raskan, what do you plan to do with a tank?
Raskan: Go to war! I don't know, dude. I just think it'd be really cool to own a tank.
…
Raskan opens a gift. It's a pair of gray, wooly socks.
Raskan: Socks.
Shima: Yeah, the world's comfiest.
Raskan: Really?
He feels the item thoroughly.
Raskan: … They do feel pretty comfy. I'mma put them on.
He quickly does that, freezes, and then starts to cry. Shima chuckles awkwardly.
Shima: … W- why are you crying? Do they suck?
Raskan: No! These are amazing! My feet are in heaven!
…
Raskan opens another gift. It's a heavily damaged skateboard with silly pictures of him plastered all over it. He's laughing but perplexed.
Raskan: Dude, what the fuck?
Mausho: Do you like it?
He attempts to use it but as soon as his weights on it, it shatters into pieces. Mausho bursts into laughter.
Raskan: … That was the greatest gift I've ever received.
…
Raskan opens one more, this time enormous, gift. It's a colossal frog plush.
Raskan: Woah! This is sick!
Xika: You told me you really like frogs, so I got you a frog.
Raskan: Thank you, bro. I love it.
…
It's late at night. On a bed, Rinka's lying next to Minaro, but facing away from him and upside down so their faces never meet. Super snug thanks to a blanket, Rinka silently and anxiously watches the news on his phone. A portion that speaks of him begins.
…
197 people were killed while Nunda was in his body. The reporters describe it as the most horrific mass-murdering spree in decades. Coming close to topping the original, "Void Murderer", rampage. Which claimed the lives of 231 people.
…
Rinka's heart and stomach ache immensely, the pangs of guilt are stabbing them. And his being has been horribly rattled.
…
In his mind, the world was now going to associate his face with the second-worst murdering spree it had ever seen.
…
He carefully moves off the bed.
"... It's all my fault … No, it's not my fault at all … But it is."
He laments internally, and heads to the restroom.
…
On the way there, he encounters Liz, who's in pajamas.
Rinka: … Hi, Liz.
She yawns for the whole world to see.
Liz: Oh. Hey, Rinka.
The two walk past each other. However, Rinka turns around a moment later.
Rinka: … Liz.
She looks back.
Rinka: You got a minute?
Liz: … I do. What's up?
She steps over to him, his depressed face locked looking at the floor, intriguing her.
Rinka: … I … feel horrible, Liz … It feels like everything that happened was my fault. And I just can't live with the fact that I'm probably gonna be labeled a killer for the rest of my life.
Seconds of silence pass. Rinka looks up, and Liz caresses his shoulder. She's got an expression of compassion and eyes of sincerity.
Liz: … Rinka … None of it was your fault.
Her hand slides off his shoulder, brushing past some of his arm, and moves back to her side.
Liz: … You were born with a nuke inside you that you were unaware of and had no clue was gonna explode. So please don't beat yourself up over what happened …
And If anything, the fault belongs to us, the Guardians. We failed, failed you, and failed those who died. Sorry, Rinka.
Rinka is at a loss for words.
Liz: … Also, about you being labeled a killer for the rest of your life. They're gonna air a message I recorded that should inform everyone about your situation. Hopefully, they'll understand. However, regardless of any explanation, there'll still be a plethora of people requesting your execution…
And like I told you yesterday. If THAT ever happens again, I'll have to follow through … But Rinka, honestly … I think … No, I'm sure -
Liz smiles earnestly.
… Everything'll be okay. Alright?
Rinka begins to tear up.
…
At a park court, the hockey goal is up, and the mood is merry. Neishi violently swings her hockey stick, blasting a puck away. Brian smacks it back with his own stick. The puck is hit back and forth for a while, getting alarmingly faster.
The other Skillers spectate, interested.
Yutsu: … It's nice to see Neishi having so much fun.
Dynima: … Yeah. She's so cute when she's anything other than serious.
Panchu: … Dude, that puck's a deadly weapon. It's gonna rip a hole through someone if they're hit.
Yutsu promptly creates a portal near the action and the puck flies into it, shocking the two players.
Brian: Hey! You just interrupted a professional match of Skockey! I was about to win too!
Neishi: Lies. I was the one who was about to win.
Yutsu: Skockey?
Brian: Skiller Hockey. Instead of trying to score, you try to kill the other player with the hockey puck.
Dynima: That's stupid as fuck!
…
Okay, the Skillers are now playing hockey, the normal one. Everyone's in position. Panchu travels with the puck and reaches Brian, who attempts to take it. Their sticks are in a scuffle, and then they lock eyes. A declaration of war.
Immediately, the two flamboyantly raise their sticks and start moving and clashing them like katanas. The rest of the Skillers are poker-faced.
Dynima: … Are these two incapable of playing a sport correctly?
Yutsu: I think so, but it's pretty entertaining to see how absurd they get.
…
It's another night. Rinka suddenly rises from his sleep, startled. And from the bed across, Doa stares at him, confused.
Doa: … You good, Rinka?
He's breathing heavily, and makes eye contact with her.
Rinka: … Yeah. I just had a really bad dream. There was a whole buncha death in it.
On a cabinet beside him, is his phone, which he grabs and sets on his chest. He stares at the ceiling in silence for a while.
Rinka: … Doa, are you scared of dying?
Doa: … I am.
He tugs, grabs, and tightly hugs a long pillow.
Rinka: … Doa, is it okay if I talk to you about all my worries?
Doa: Go ahead.
It's silent for a long while.
Rinka: … Death haunts me, Doa. I've tried to temporarily forget it all, push it to the deepest parts of my mind, with the good times. But I'm horribly traumatized, and can't escape the thoughts. They always loom. Not only that, but I have an enormous, irrational fear of death, and it sucks, a lot. I hate living like this… I don't know what to do.
It's silent for another long while.
Doa: … Rinka, I'll be blunt, and this might be super insensitive, but. You've gotta come to terms with your trauma. You can't let something that was so out of your control, have control over you for the rest of your life.
… What happened to your family was horrible, and I understand it's extremely hard to learn to live with it. But I believe you can, and … I'll be here to support you the whole way.
The silence continues.
Doa: … You've also gotta come to terms with death, Rinka. It's the unavoidable end for all of us, so letting it hold your heart hostage is just adding insult to injury… All we can do is keep moving forward. Surviving, letting the joy, positive experiences, and fulfillment, diminish and push the thoughts of death away-
… Basically, like you've been doing… You just need some better experiences in your life, Rinka.
The silence continues for a little longer.
Rinka: … Wow. You're so wise, Doa. You said I was a pretty good therapist but you're on a whole different level.
Doa lets out an amused sniff. And abruptly, Minaro pokes Rinka's head with his foot.
Minaro: … Be quiet, Rinka. I'm trying to sleep.
Rinka's a little annoyed.
Rinka: … Well, I'm trying to get over my fear of death, man!
Minaro groans.
Minaro: Again? I've told you like 100 times, there's literally nothing to be scared of.
Doa: You're not scared of death, Minaro?
Minaro: … Nope. If I die, I die. I'll be at peace regardless.
Rinka: I'm so jealous of the way you think, dude.
Minaro groans in understanding.
Minaro: … Anyways, complain about death later. Let me sleep.
Rinka: … Okay. Go to sleep, bitch.
Minaro shifts a little and resumes sleeping.
Rinka: … Well, we can't talk anymore so … Thank you, Doa, for all the awesome wisdom.
Doa: Anytime, man.
Straight away, Rinka begins using his phone. And for a few seconds, the room goes quiet again.
Doa: … Yo, Rinka.
Curiously, Rinka turns his head to Doa.
Doa: … Uh. Um. Do you- do you mind standing up, real quick?
He rises, and shortly after, Doa does too. They're face to face, and suddenly and tightly, Doa wraps her arms around Rinka's upper back. He's super nonplussed. Their bodies are glued together, and Doa's head is resting on his shoulder. His super nonplussedness continues for a little while longer.
Doa: … Hug me, Rinka. Don't just stand there.
Rinka: O - okay!
Gently, Rinka wraps his arms around Doa's middle back. She squeezes him a bit more, which prompts him to do the same. They're passionately enveloping each other, wallowing in comfort.
What's more, Rinka closes his eyes to completely indulge himself. It felt like he was hugging the world's softest pillow under the world's warmest blanket. The cozy sensation soothes his soul. Additionally, an ambrosial and addicting smell fully fills his nostrils and solidifies the pleasure. It's like being in a hammock daubed in the world's most pleasant scents.
Thus, the heavenly hold had done something huge to Rinka's mind. Every negative thought and worry he had, had been instantly washed away by a new, single, and sincere thought.
This hug from Doa is the most amazing thing he's ever experienced.
Following, and finally, the two leisurely detach, and are somewhat flustered.
Doa: … Uh … I, um. I - I just felt like giving you a hug. For no reason in particular.
"... I'd tell him that the real reason I did it was to help him forget about death for a while, but that would just remind him."
Rinka: … That's, uh. That's… Cool. Um… Thank you a lot for the hug… I really liked it.
Doa blushes a little more.
Doa: … I really liked it too.
Rinka blushes a little more.
Doa: … Um. So feel free to ask me for another hug whenever you'd like. Okay?
Rinka: … O - okay!
…
Another day has arrived, and within the perimeters of Iza's room, is a large, stylized, and mostly orange, combat training room. Where Mausho and Zeph are fighting, and Xika, Liz, Iza, and Zizin are watching, huddled on a flat bench.
Mausho violently swings his leg and lands a blow on Zeph's belly, but he tanks the hit and immediately counters. He strikes Mausho's head with full force, yet the attack is tanked as well.
After the hits, they stop and stare at each other.
Mausho: Damn. I feel way stronger. I'm pretty sure my blood's all black now.
Zeph: Same here. I feel incredible.
Mausho: … We should go and get everyone, so we can hone their Black Blood too.
Liz: … We should. I'll go get them.
…
At a different park court with a volleyball net, Brian hits a ball high into the sky. Neishi beside him, swiftly flies and violently smacks it down. Panchu dashes to it and hits it up with the same force.
Panchu: Hey! You just cheated! You're not allowed to fly!
Brian: This is Skolleyball, dude! Skills are allowed!
Near the playing, Dynima's spectating. She's on a foldable chair, eating nachos.
"... Damn. This is the happiest I've seen Neishi in a while, so I can't get super mad at Brian for messing up all the sports they've played. She seems to enjoy them more like that."
She scoffs and goes for a bite on a nacho. Suddenly, the volleyball zooms by, slams into, and demolishes her nachos and chest. The impact slams her to the ground, and she's coated in cheese and crumbs. It looks like a crime scene.
Immediately, she rises, enraged and gasping for air. She looks at the players, who are all goofily staring in random directions, looking very guilty.
TO BE CONTINUED…