These are some shorts of Melody hanging out with friends. This follows the format of the "Cheren's Free Time" shorts I did a while back, which in itself was based on Danganronpa's Free Time Events.
Tsuyu Asui
I started my day with a refreshing shower and put on a clean copy of my tank-top, sarong, and sandals. I used my favorite moon pearl braid to tie my hair in a ponytail before heading up to the treehouse.
Our new teammate, Tsuyu Asui was drinking coffee at the kitchen table, wearing a vanilla dress with dark-green boots that matched her hair. Her long hair was tied in a knot, and her sitting posture, as well as her big-eyed expression, were like that of a frog. "Hi, Melody." She greeted me with a sort of croaky voice.
"Hi, Tsu! You just get up?"
"Yeah… I'll be going out on a patrol in a bit."
"A patrol?"
"You know, keep an eye out for crimes and stuff. It's basic hero work."
"We usually just wait for a mission alert. But if you wanna go on a walk through town, can I come with?"
"I don't see why not. It's not like I know my way around. Anywhere you wanted to go?"
"Uh…beats me." I shrugged derpily. "Anywhere you'd like to go?"
"Could we visit your school?"
"Pfft, school? Come on, it's Saturday."
"I mean, if I'm gonna be staying here, I'll have to enroll, right? So, I wanna check it out."
"If you say so…" Seriously, going to school on an off day? She really is goofy.
…
Our school was built on a platform a couple miles over the sea, with a road linking it to land. I rode my bike with Tsu sitting in the basket; although she was shorter than me, she felt a bit heavy. I would think a girl with frog-like physiology would at least be lightweight… but I guess I wouldn't know how heavy frogs are when scaled up.
"Wow!" Tsu perked up, impressed by the horizon. "Your school sure picked a scenic place."
"A nice afternoon swim always relieves a stressful day! Not that I even go that much."
"You don't? Why not?"
"Sometimes missions, sometimes… don't even feel like it."
"But school is important…"
"Yeah, for normal people. Otherwise, normal people piss me off. They don't get how hard our job is and some of them barely deserve our service."
"Mmmm…" Tsu tapped a finger to her lip and looked forward. This was a common habit of hers when thinking.
"I mean, I know your school teaches everything about being a hero, but ours don't. We may save everybody, but we don't have to like everybody."
"It's not that I disagree… but you know, learning from other peoples' perspectives could help broaden your own."
"All I've learned is that other peoples' perspectives are based on inexperience and they're a waste of time."
"What's so bad about them exactly?"
"They got fucking oversized expectations and judge everything I do."
"I guess you have a point…" Tsu's eyes seemed to curve sadly. "Do you think I would fit in here?"
"Well, this is an all-human school, so I don't know what they'd think about you."
"Because if people get to know me, they're gonna try to look me up… and then they might find out I'm a porn star."
"…" I couldn't respond because I couldn't disagree. The entire reason Tsu transferred to our sector was because she learned about all the dirty artwork people posted about her. Everyone at her hero school was famous as up-and-comers, but every fandom had a dark side. I had to wonder if even I had some dirty admirers…
"Sigh, what was I thinking… To be honest, Mel, I didn't even feel like being a hero, anymore. And if I do, I don't wanna be famous…"
Honestly, looking at her, I could imagine why Tsu was popular. Every aspect about her was cute to look at. The way she angled her arms and hands and curved her feet, mixed with her big face features… Even by Superbian standards, I had to wonder if she was considered a dork at school. She was the kind of girl that guys would consider "easy." Her posture just looked imbalanced and sensitive.
"You know, why don't we go for a swim? I feel like I just made this super awkward."
"It's alright." Tsu's eyelids reopened, but I couldn't tell if she was smiling. "But sure. A swim would be nice."
"Wait, now that I think about it… can frogs tolerate salt water?"
"Normal frogs can't, but it isn't a problem for me."
"Right, you swam in Field Day…"
"Yep! Besides, your sector specializes in underwater missions. I couldn't fit in well if I couldn't."
"Hehe, that's true!"
We rode down to the beach as Tsu changed into a green one-piece. She even swam like a frog, too, and even had webbing between her toes. It was very easy to outpace her in the water, not that we were competing. I just liked to swim my hardest to wash the stress out of my system, and I could tell Tsu was swimming her hardest, too. We both felt free in the water, and after returning to shore, we felt the tension lifting away with our gasps.
Tsu would return to her casual clothes and go off to patrol the town as initially planned.
Emily Garley
I flew to Washington after parting with Tsu and visited the Garley house. Emily was wearing her usual white labcoat, a yellow shirt underneath and a purple tie that matched her big square glasses. She wore big shoes that were white with the same purple hue, and her blonde hair was done up into a crown-like shape. "Hey, Melody! You need something?" she asked in her soft, stuffy voice.
"Just wondering if you were free to hang out."
"Wanna try out my new invention?"
"What kind of invention?"
"It's inspired by the Pikmin!" Emily pulled out a sort of spray gun with a glass capsule attached. "Filth-collecting nanobots. I release them into your hair and they collect tiny pieces of filth. Of course, they can go into other areas, too…"
"Oh…neat." Emily applied her personal interests to this one, I could see.
"They also have cameras built in that can send a combined image to my monitor. That way, you can tell how clean and healthy your body is on a more nano scale…huhu."
"I just went swimming in the ocean, so I probably have tons of salt fragments on me."
"Give them a try!"
"If you say so…"
I went up to her room and let her release nanobots into my hair. I couldn't really tell if progress was being made, but Emily was staring at her monitor with fascination. They appeared to be images of a cluster of thick, black ropes, littered with whitish rocks and other fragments. Some images depicted an extremely rugged, peachish surface. "Is that supposed to be my…"
"Your big, hairy head~" Emily gently took my ponytail in her hands, feeling its softness. "Your body looks so clean and flawless on the outside, but there are billions of flaws that escape the human eye." She then picked up my arm, extremely thin to her big hands, and stroked my smooth skin. "I wonder what crevices decorate this lovely skin…"
Emily and I have been best friends since childhood, and we were the typical "pretty girl" and "nerdy girl" opposites. I was pretty used to her kinks and she was unafraid to be open around me. …Actually, I think she was open about her kinks to everyone. But if there was one thing we had in common, it was an ego. I should be flattered that she was so fascinated with my body, but I doubt Tsu would appreciate this kind of attention. I could also feel the residue of some lotion on Emily's hands.
"Are you coming onto me?" I asked with a smirk.
"Huhu, no, no! My attraction is to Mike all the way. I wonder what his muscles look like on this scale…"
"Heh heh…have you shown him, yet?"
"Well, no… he usually gets weirded out if I do stuff like this…huhu."
"Doesn't everybody?"
"Yeah, but I don't mind if everyone else thinks I'm weird. But if Mike thinks I'm too weird, he might not like me…"
"It's weird to hear you be worried about that."
"Well, what do you think?"
"I mean, I've never had a problem with your weirdness. And it never seemed like Mike did, either. Besides, if you're open around him… maybe he'll feel more open around you, if you know what I mean."
"Oh! You think… he has a few kinks of his own?"
"I dunno. He probably does somewhere deep down."
"Oh… I just got an idea for a new invention. A kink ray!"
"Excuse me?"
"A ray gun that helps people express their kinks! In fact, according to Haylee's report from the Gourmet Hunt, there was a lightbender who could do that very thing. Perhaps I could harness Light Chi to power the invention…"
"I don't think anyone is gonna appreciate that, Emily."
"I could always use it against baddies~"
"Just don't turn it against fellow operatives."
"Huhu, okay…"
"By the way, I don't suppose the nanobots have images of your body."
Emily immediately flushed at that statement. "N-n-no! You're not allowed to see those!"
"Why not? You're checkin' out my body, why can't I check yours?"
"B-b-because I'm ugly…"
"It couldn't be any uglier than mine."
"Ghhhh…"
After we were finished, Emily set to work on her kink ray, and I… let her be. Our conversation was anything but normal, but she was still my best friend.
MaKayla King
I visited Sector IC next and found MaKayla in her room, which was modeled like a yoga studio. She was sitting with legs stretched, trying to touch her toes. MaKayla was one of the thinnest people I knew, with small hands and feet to balance out her limbs. "Melody! What brings you here?"
"It's an off day and I thought I'd spend it pestering my friends."
"Alright~ How am I being pestered today?"
"I dunno. Getting involved with your activity?"
"Well, get a mat and let's stretch."
MaKayla stood on her right toes and stretched her left leg skyward. I only felt a strain in my foot while trying to mimic her, and my other leg couldn't make it up before I fell over. I decided to just stay down and do splits motions. "So, is yoga like a timebending exercise? You seem like you're using your legs as clock hands."
"Yep! I'm corresponding with the seconds hand." Her leg steadily rotated down in a 'tick-tock' motion. When it touched the floor, her other leg began to ascend. "But it's also a spiritual exercise. It helps your soul feel comfortable with your body."
"It just makes me feel fat." I stretched my legs and tried to reach for my toes. "Ugh, I can't even touch my legs down! My heels are so bulky!"
"It'd be impossible to tell time on your clock~"
I let out a chuckle at her quip. Though, speaking of time… "You know, can't you see the future, MaKayla?"
"I can't see anything specific, I can only sense when certain time spans will be important. For instance, I sense important things happening later this May."
"So, you wouldn't be able to help us prepare for crises then…"
"No, or else I would've already been hiding from the Big Mom Pirates." MaKayla got on all fours and angled herself like a triangle.
"Yeah…" Even though Kayla believed in destiny, she would've definitely wanted to avoid an awful situation like that. "Are things going well with Terry?"
"I don't think he'll be coming on missions for a while. He's still upset over the Miyuki situation."
"I know, but… are you two doing okay?"
"I mean, we're still talking… but it's still too early for dating. Sigh, can't we talk about something else?"
"Sorry. Heh, I have a habit of starting bad conversations."
"Now isn't really the time for stuff like that. Just let the tension flow out of you…"
Maybe the reason I was so bulky was because I was carrying so much tension… pfft, as if; it's just weird biology. Kayla's probably got as much stress as I do, but her thinness is all natural.
When we eventually got tired of yogaing (that's a word, right?), the two of us simply lied down on our mats. My muscles felt more relaxed after the activity, even though it still made me feel heavy. "Wasn't the most exciting thing, huh?" Kayla asked.
"It was alright. Unless you have something else in mind?"
"Well, my brother came up with a fun game."
"Yeah?"
We went to the balcony facing out at Oil Ice Mountain. There were several giant, black golfballs placed around; soft, but solid enough to knock around easily. "It's like that Sandbag game from Field Day. See how far you can knock them." She used her timebending to trap a ball in stasis. She then began to bash it with her Chrono Staff, storing the ball's kinetic energy. When the Stasis wore off, the ball rocketed toward the mountain. Its black color contrasted with the snow, so I was able to see where it landed.
"That's cool! But you have to go all the way out there to get them back, right?"
"Suki's usually available for that. We can also actually climb inside them and yeet ourselves over."
"I'll pass on that…"
We spent some time sending balls flying toward the mountain, trying to land them as high as possible. My Water Fists had more density than her staff, but Kayla was able to land more precise, arched launches, using her staff like a golfclub. If she went pro with the sport, she could sure make it big.
Arianna Dunfree
I decided to visit the gym on KND Moonbase afterward. Between swimming and yoga, I figured I might as well get some other exercise as well. A few operatives were there, but one who stood out was a purple-skinned girl with green hair, a green top, a yellow sarong, and green sandals.
When I started wearing my new outfit, Arianna took inspiration and decided to change her attire as well. Of course, her belly was shown through a triangular gap in the top instead of just being a midriff. Either way, her new look suited her as well as mine did.
As if sensing my thoughts, Arianna approached me. "Hello, Melody!" she greeted in her gentle, half-whispery tone. "Have you come to train?"
"I guess. What about you? Doesn't GKND have a gym?"
"I felt like getting away for a bit… but since you're here, would you care for a sparring session?"
"What kind of sparring?"
"You know, with our elements. Plantbending vs. waterbending makes a unique combination. And I would rather have you than my Negative. Her waterbending style is a bit… different."
"Heh heh! Alright, but shouldn't we find a more natural setting?"
"All we need is our bottles and pots. Let's see how we do on our own."
"Okay~"
We went to the main gymnasium and battled with what we had in our containers. I suffered cuts from her brambles and she took cuts from my Water Slices. We took bruises from each other's Water and Vine Whips. She used some vines as a shield, which also absorbed my water like a sponge, allowing her to strike harder, but I could also bend the water back out of her plants. Not only were our bending styles similar, we were pretty much an even match.
Though, in terms of agility, I think I had the advantage. Arianna was hefty in the thigh and legs, almost like tree trunks. Okay, maybe she's not as thick as a trunk, but it's the only thing that came to mind given her element. You know, like how MaKayla was as thin as clock hands. Maybe putting on that weight helps Arianna get in tune with her element, though it felt rude to ask.
Once we had our fill of sparring, I healed each of our cuts and we sat against the wall to rest. "Hah…that felt pretty fulfilling. We ought to visit a lake by a forest later."
"Hah, yeah…" I panted. "So, how's Vweeb and everyone been?"
"Why Vweeb?" She cast me a glare.
"Uh…you know."
"I said that I wanted to get away."
"Oh…I guess his perviness is getting a little tiring?"
"It used to be flattering, but when he does it with every other girl, I feel less special. I've been trying to give him the cold shoulder, but now I feel like I'm in an identity crisis."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, after the Viridi incident, I started to think my environmentalist passion just got me nowhere. Then I got fixated on getting stronger so I could impress Vweeb… I mean, it helped me win battles, but it was such a pathetic reason."
"Just take a break from Vweeb and think about yourself. Do something you like, like gardening."
"I know, but it's not like I can avoid him forever. And even then… where do we even go? He obviously still wants to be in a relationship with me…"
I feel like all my friends today are only fixated on their boyfriends. Well, except Tsu. Does she even have a crush? I heard she was particularly close with Deku, but Tsu's other friend already has eyes on him. (Okay, I guess I kind of started some of these boyfriend convos, so maybe there's something wrong with me.) "My only advice is to just set him straight. If he's gonna be a ladies' man, he needs to establish who his real true love is and risk breaking some hearts. Other than that, you should still make time for yourself. Though, it does make me wonder… Does Vweeb have an identity besides being a flirt?"
"I mean, he hangs out with my brother and they do usual hangout things… Couldn't really give an answer."
"Maybe that's something you should talk with him about."
"I guess so… Thanks." Arianna smiled and stretched herself up. "Let's spar again sometime. It really got a lot out of me."
"Hehe, me too! You're really good!"
Though since we brought it up… I wonder what kind of hobbies Eric has, besides typical things? Most of the time we've worked together, he's only ever been my assistant. Well, he's also my boyfriend now, and he comically threatens Yuta whenever he's sweet with me… but does he have other interests besides just me? Maybe I should ask him…
Eric Horvitz
I traveled back home late afternoon and found Eric cleaning the studio. "Hi, Melody!" he was quick to greet me in his loudish, dorky voice. "Where've you been all day?"
"Just hanging out with friends. Figured I should make time for you, too~"
"Okay! What did you wanna do?"
"Actually… I was wondering what you liked to do?"
"Huh?" He seemed a little confused by the question. "Uh…you wanna go to a restaurant?"
"No, I meant what are your hobbies? Just trying to strike up a talk."
"O…kay. I like… reading comics, watching movies, and playing games…"
"That's not exactly what I was thinking…"
"Er…is something wrong, Melody?"
"I just felt like I needed to get to know you better. I know we watch movies and record news broadcasts a lot, but I just wanted to know if you had other interests. Like, we are sort of dating now, so I thought I should ask."
"Uh…nothing particular. I'm just fine with my day-to-day life."
"Well, that's nice." I sounded sarcastic, but there was nothing really wrong with that. Not everyone needs strong ambitions, and it was enough work going with me on dangerous missions.
"Though, actually… you know how I sometimes record you in action, and we post it on the news?"
"Yeah?"
"Heh…I guess I really like doing that."
"Yeah, you really like me."
"It's not just that, but it sort of makes me feel like a movie director. Just, recording my star actress and her epic motions. Your swimming and waterbending are so cinematic!"
"Hehe, I always feel like a star with you around~. You think you would like to be a movie director someday?"
"That's sort of sudden." Eric tensed. "The real thing would be kind of expensive, right? It's easy enough to manage our own funds."
"Well, instead of a director, maybe a cameraman." Now I felt like I was trying to set a career path for him.
"I guess that would be a fun job. Wait… are you thinking about our future?"
"Huh?"
"Eheh, it sounds like, since we're dating now, we might get married, which means I'll need a good job…"
"No, it wasn't anything like that! I was only just wondering what you liked."
"Heh, what even brought this up?"
"I don't know… Like, since we've known each other, you've always liked me, and I like you… I guess I think that I'm holding you back. I feel like you never seem to think about yourself or your own interests."
"Oh…Are you saying you want time apart?"
"That's not what I meant either." Man, what've I gotten myself into? "All I'm saying is, I don't want you to think you have to think about me 24/7. If you have personal interests, you should focus on those as much as you do me."
"And comics, videogames, etc. aren't good enough personal interests?"
There's just no good angle to take. "Ugh, no, they're fine, I was just… Oh, forget it. I got a fricking headache now."
"Er, sorry…" He shirked cutely. "Want me to get some medicine?"
"Nah, let's go to a restaurant. I need to clear my mind with some fast food now."
"Eh, okay!" Eric cracked an awkward smile. "I'll get my wallet."
"No, I'm paying!"
"Eeek! Alright!"