Eric's POV:
I couldn't tear my gaze away from Christine's eyes. It felt wrong to take advantage of her fragile state, especially with everyone watching.
With that in mind, I gently picked her up and asked. "Where are her clothes?"
Angie quickly ran off to grab a spare set of clothes. However, when she returned, I noticed it wasn't Christine's clothes.
"What are those?" I asked, somewhat perplexed.
"Oh, these? They're mine." Jade replied with a proud look. "I think she'll look good in them."
"Based on what? They're kinda bitchy." I remarked.
"Ah... Bitchy... So I'm a bitch after all..." Jade's voice trailed off as she dramatically fell to her knees, feigning sadness.
Angie leaned in to whisper to Jade, attempting to comfort her, "Don't worry, Jade. We still love you..." She paused before adding with a sly smile. "...even if you're a bitch."
Morning arrived, and it seemed that the playful banter had already caused a couple of tears to be shed.
Even so, I tried to put the clothes on Christine, just to... erm... make sure she's dressed properly.
However, as I struggled to get her into the outfit, it became clear that the spandex boob tube top and tight leggings might be a bit too... well, tempt- i mean... provocative!
"Eric, how is it you only blush in the weirdest situations?" Angie quipped, teasing me mercilessly.
"That was mean, Angie. I'm pretty sure I can blush like a normal person as well." I retorted, a touch defensively.
"It's just, these clothes are so..." I started to explain before Jade interrupted me, her voice shaking, "You said it already, stop!"
Alright, I thought, I'd better not say anything more about the clothes. But it was their fault for buying such revealing outfits in the first place.
"What are they for?" I wondered aloud, though I could think of a few reasons that made me smile a bit. Still, it was too soon for that.
"Angie, bring a different top and a sweater if you have?" I requested.
"Ah! I got an idea!" Angie exclaimed, sounding excited. Maybe it would be something more suitable, I hoped.
"The heck is this?" I muttered, bewildered by the sight of what Angie had brought.
"A virg—"
"I know what. I mean, why did you think that's a better choice?" I interrupted, utterly perplexed. It was a virgin killer. A fucking virgin killer! And stockings! Well, maybe stockings weren't a bad option, but a virgin killer?
"Fine! But only because I think that if I ask you for something else, you'd bring some BDSM latex." I retorted, half-joking.
"Of course, it wouldn't be latex, she seems too submissive next to you for latex. I'd rather bring that cat lingerie you love so much." Angie teased with a mischievous grin.
"So, a cat lingerie? That's not a bad taste. I won't judge." Philip chimed in, causing me to groan inwardly. Angie, Phillip, and their banter were really getting on my nerves.
"It's not what you think, that's just for special occasions." I quickly defended myself. Personally, I thought a cuter choice would be...
"Angie! Bring me a kitty onesie!" I exclaimed, hoping for something less revealing.
"Shortened or full body one?" Angie inquired.
"Full body one!" I shouted vigorously. Finally, a good idea. I mean, all my ideas were good ideas.
In a short time, Christine was dressed in the kitty onesie, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why do I feel like we're still losing to her?" Jade whispered to Angie, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Because we are, Jade." Angie responded, her expression equally serious.
"Aaahhh... well... fuck." Jade muttered in defeat.
"So now we have free time? Considering that we're gonna eventually encounter Cassandra?" Jade asked me, seeking confirmation on what Isaac had said.
"Seems like it." I replied, confirming it. I stood there, lost in thought, contemplating our next moves.
"T-then I'll be off to go home. I've got a job later on if you don't mind." Philip mentioned. Unlike us, Philip had a real job.
"I'll drop you off at your place, so don't bother calling a taxi." I offered, appreciative of his assistance. It's always nice to help out a friend who happens to be strong enough to kill with a thought.
"Thank you, Eric." Philip replied. With that settled, I took him home, thinking I might go shopping a bit later after that.
POP
Jade's POV:
"SO!!! As we're alone, there's some explaining to straighten. Huh, kitty?!" I couldn't contain my frustration any longer, and I directed my questions at Christine, who sat there in her onesie looking rather composed.
"Why did you strip?! Why would you try to take our man?! And how do you look so good in that onesie?!!" Lauren spawned in, adding her own inquiries to the mix. It was clear that we were all desperate for some clarification on this peculiar situation.
"Sei tu che ti intrometti. Dopotutto sei andata a letto con lui." Christine replied, her words laced with a hint of irritation. "E sembra che tu fossi più intimo."
We exchanged glances, both baffled and slightly disturbed by her response.
"Ren, translate!" Angie whispered urgently.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Tha fuck? I'm French, just because I speak two languages doesn't make me a sudden Italian translator."
Angie's expectations were clearly misplaced.
"But still, I kinda feel offended by her." Lauren muttered.
"Jade, bring the phone and install a lougle translator." Angie suggested, thinking of a practical solution.
"I don't think she'd talk if we're expecting her to repeat herself." I replied, ending the discussion, and leaving us in a state of uncertainty.
"So we're gonna just stand and ignore that she might've said something important?" Ren raised a valid point, but we were stuck without a clear course of action.
"Let's change the topic then, how about some vacation?" I suggested, thinking it would be a welcome distraction from our current predicament. And we're also a bunch of lazy butts.
"Where? 'Cause I had high hopes for France." Angie expressed her desire for a specific destination.
"Iiiiii don't think it's such a good idea. I'm kinda busted there." Lauren revealed her concerns, alluding to her prior troubles in France.
"Brazil? I've always wanted to meet 'that' guy." Angie added, clearly sharing my dreams of encountering a famous 'bullet blade'. We all seemed to be on board with the idea, and discussing our vacation plans lightened the mood.
"You mean Raul Costa?" Lauren asked, seeking clarification.
"Yes, the man who's said to be able to track machine gun's bullets separately with his eyes and make swift movements with his swords to cut them into pieces with ease. Raul Costa, the bullet blade." I explained, feeling a sense of accomplishment for delivering such a cool-sounding summary. I had done my research on him, and my description seemed to impress everyone. Raul Costa was a tall, muscular black man with a handsome face, known for wielding a katana in an environment where such a choice of weapon was quite unusual.
"People say that he's on par with Chloe Bennett. Even I wonder myself who would win in a fight." I continued.
"I would bet on Chloe, she has a more versatile range of tactics and skills." Lauren opined. She had a point, but I knew Raul Costa had a unique power. He could create additional senses to adapt to any fight, and while that power had its limits, it was incredibly strong.
"Ah, yeah, Chloe one-shots him. She's got better feats." What the hell is Angie thinking?!
"The outcome of a fight isn't solely determined by feats. The collector may have more advantages, but the bullet blade has greater mastery over his skills." I argued, trying to bring the discussion back on track.
"Raul said he's unsure of the outcome of the fight, but he was certain that once he meets eyes with Chloe, there would be a clash." Eric revealed.
"Wow, you know Bullet Blade?" I inquired, genuinely surprised.
"I had the chance to meet him and have a nice conversation." Eric replied.
My excitement soared. "Alright, guys! Let's go to Brazil right away!" Angie declared, and I couldn't agree more. A chance to meet the legendary Bullet Blade in action was a thrilling prospect.
"Well, it's not like he'll be available. In most cases, aside from kicking evil asses, he goes for bodyguarding, so you can cross your fingers and hope he's free at the moment." Eric's pragmatic insight dampened our expectations.
Despite the slight disappointment, the idea of exploring Brazil and its wonders was still incredibly enticing, and I couldn't help but look forward to our upcoming adventure.
"Before we go, there are still preparations to be made. I'll call a hotel to rent a room for us," Angie said, informing the group.
"Two rooms would be-..."
"ONE ROOM!!!" The collective response of all of us interrupted Eric's words in unison. He's not getting away from our watchful eyes, and we'll ensure he's the last one to go to sleep.
After the bizarre events with Christine, we couldn't afford to let our guard down. I also made a mental note to install that fucking lougle translator as soon as possible.
"Actually, why are you all so hyped about Raul? All of you, excluding Ren, would win in a fight with him," Eric stated, throwing a bombshell into the conversation.
"What do you mean excluding Ren?!" Lauren was clearly pissed.
"Jade cannot be cut, Angie cannot be permanently injured. Even Christine is a walking elemental nuke." Eric explained.You meant riding nuke. Or well... maybe not qiute.
"Does that mean we can win against Chloe as well?" Angie asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Well, duh? You doubt your ability so much?" I couldn't believe what Eric had just said. If we were that powerful, why weren't we more famous? I mean, sure, I'm not a registered hero, I don't give a fuck, but still...
"Well, we gotta get some new swimsuits." Ren suggested, and it was a great idea. She and Christine couldn't wear any of our 21 suits as we didn't share the same sizes.
"I don't know why, but I just imagined Lauren in swim sleeves, and it fit so well." Angie laughed, teasing Lauren once again.
"Shut up, I don't want to swim anyway. I'd rather get an umbrella to avoid getting too tanned."
"Why do you care so much about staying snow-skinned?" I couldn't help but wonder.
Lauren smirked, "Well, you know... Eric is drooling at the sight of the witch, and she's pale as the ceiling, so that might be it."
I was shocked. Thank God that Angie and I couldn't get tanned due to our bodies. It was surprising that Eric preferred the old-fashioned style. Though, if you asked most men, they'd probably say, "I don't mind dating tanned girls, but unlike others, I'd rather date a pale girl." So, now I wondered where this tanning idea even came from. In older times when men had more influence over how women should look, most of their bodies were covered, they wore dresses, and pale skin was desirable. Now that women have the freedom to choose what they wear, you can see uncovered cleavage on every other girl on the streets, and most of them are super tanned. It was even more surprising that an Italian girl like Christine was so pale in the first place.
If someone from like... 200 years ago were to see the most decent girl from today's times, they'd probably wonder how much she charged for the night. Girls have oversexualized themselves once they gained more rights and freedom in society. Well, I'm not one to judge. My wardrobe consists of clothes that often leave my belly, thighs, and cleavage exposed. I have to admit that over one-fifth of my clothes come from sex shop pages.
"Angie, you know what? I feel like wearing a one-piece swimsuit. Personal reasons." I revealed my decision, influenced by my earlier thoughts.
"Aaah, I get what you're thinking. Then I'll wear a slingshot." Angie's response was quite the shock. Slingshot? That's way too sexy! It's like going full-on pornstar mode! Angie, you sly devil.
"We also need to choose something for Lauren. Something decent, so we won't get arrested for child abuse," I said, unintentionally thinking out loud. My remark clearly didn't sit well with Lauren.
"I'm an adult! I'm not short! I just choose to have no reason to kneel!" No reason to... Shiiiit that's good.
"I wanna go in a black sukumizu with a transparent top shirt," Angie declared, making a playful choice that still had a hint of sexiness.
"Alright, then it's a shopping day for us!" I responded, with our swimwear choices set. But we still had to figure out how to deal with Christine when we got to the changing room.
That will be quite the trouble.