{Date: 10/15 - Saturday}
{Time: 5:30 PM}
After a long battle against the Black Cerebral, Charlotte took us all back to the sharehouse so we could all rest well for the evening. Once we made it back, Orika and I stumbled in the house together, our bodies aching more than ever now that the adrenaline was teetering out.
"Easy now girls, your bodies haven't finished recovering yet," Yusa said, her hands gentle on our backs as she guided us in the house.
I held Orika's hand for support, my legs trembling with every step. "It's...harder to walk than before..."
Orika nodded in agreement, her grip on my hand tightening. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it anywhere...else..."
Suddenly, Orika collapsed to the floor dragging me down with her. We both groaned softly in slight pain, the two of us on the floor like a drunken couple. Charlotte lowered her head slightly, holding back her laughter with her hand covering her mouth.
"Oh dear..." Yusa sighed softly, crouching down to make sure we were okay.
"Bondad..! Are you two okay?" A woman called out, hurrying toward us with urgency and crouched down in front of us.
I looked up slowly, my eyes meeting the beautiful woman in front of me. It was at this moment that time seemed to completely stop, my heart racing against my chest as the woman before me looked like a Goddess.
She had a clear, amber skin complexion, her eyes shimmering a radiant violet, and her hair cascaded down her back like a lush wave cruising down a gentle stream. Her attire seemed to hug her figure as well, my eye unable to stop admiring her.
"They're alright, for the most part," Yusa smiled at the woman, helping both me and Orika off the floor and hummed at the woman. "You seem to have grown quite a bit last time I saw you. It's been a while, young Golden Star..~"
The woman smiled brightly at Yusa, bowing toward her with undeniable respect. "It has been a while. It's nice to see you again, Miss Yukota."
I glanced between the woman and Yusa, wondering who the woman was and their relationship with one another. "Who is she..?"
"Ahh, you haven't met yet. Hisumi, Orika, this is the Co-Leader of New Karma, Adrianna La Rosa. Adrianna, meet my daughters. With the permission of the Destiny Women, we're going to be staying in Destiny Islands up until the New Years," Yusa introduced, smiling at the three of us, already sensing a connection between me and Adrianna.
"It's nice to meet you, Hisumi and Orika. Maybe tomorrow, me and my sisters can show you two around?" Adrianna suggested, glancing between me and Orika with an inviting smile.
"Y-Yeah..! Sure! I mean, it would be cool to... y'know," I awkwardly answered, clearing my throat and chuckling nervously as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Smooth..." Genesis teased, nudging me gently with a giggle.
{Adrianna seems interested in you...}
Adrianna giggled softly at my awkwardness, holding her arms under her chest with a teasing smile. "Well, I can definitely sense the excitement. It's settled, I'm showing you around my stomping grounds~"
"Ha! Stomping grounds!" Chelsey laughed in the background, making her way to the kitchen.
Adrianna whipped her head around as she heard her mother's laughter. "¡Sabes que es verdad, mamá!"
I watched as Adrianna hurried after her mom, my focus seemingly locked onto her. Suddenly, I felt a familiar chilling stare, my hand slightly covered in frost.
{Orika's Mood: Jealous}
'Yeah, no shit...' I said mentally, my thought full of sarcasm.
"Hey, Mom, we're gonna go rest up! Goodnight!" I said hastily, finding a random surge of adrenaline and pulled Orika with me upstairs to our temporary room.
Yusa didn't have time to respond before I bolted off with Orika, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Seems like someone's gonna get an earful tonight..."
Charlotte chuckled softly, letting out a soft exhale and looked at her phone. "Welp, I guess we'll try tomorrow to meet up with the others. I've still got to head to Sanctuary City so I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Angel of Death..~"
Yusa rolled her eyes at Charlotte, smiling at her and walking her to the door. "Right, I'll see you tomorrow. Call me when you make it."
Charlotte tipped up her hat in response, making her way outside to her van. Once she made it to the door, she turned around to wave at Yusa before getting inside and starting the engine. With one final honk, Charlotte drove off into the distance while Yusa went back inside the sharehouse.
I entered our room with Orika, closing the door behind us then took her over to the bed, sitting her down. I sat down beside her, leaning back on the bed and sighed softly, resting my arms behind my head. I glanced at her, noticing jealous snowflakes flowing around her.
"Orika?" I called to her softly, raising an eyebrow as I noticed she was giving me the silent treatment.
"Hmph..." Orika pouted, puffing one of her cheeks out and turned away from me.
I sat up slowly, grunting softly and gently held my side, straightening myself on the bed. "Orika, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"
Orika glanced at me, her eyes shimmering with her usual gentleness with a hint of jealousy flaring in her eyes. "It's the way you looked at her...you looked at her as if she was the most beautiful girl you've ever seen..."
I tilted my head slightly, thinking back on how I reacted upon seeing Adrianna for the first time. I couldn't help but to let out a soft chuckle, a gentle exhale escaping my lips. "I guess I did get lost a bit, but...that doesn't change the way I feel about you. You don't have this jealousy with Saito..."
"Well...I know Saito, so she's different...and you two also shared a deep bonding moment on your mission. I guess, it's my first time ever feeling so in love with someone. It's hard to control my emotions when I see... competition," Orika admitted, fidgeting with the hem of shirt bashfully.
My lips curled into a soft smile, my arms finding their way around her with a gentle embrace. I gently held her chin, making her look up at me. "Competition..? You shouldn't have to compete for me. Besides, you're my soulmate...there is only one who will ever come before you, my mother.."
Orika leaned her head against my shoulder, her eyes meeting mine as if she was in a trance. Her body shuddered at my whispering tone, her legs closing together more. "Do you mean that..?"
I chuckled softly, leaning down to steal a kiss from her lips, catching her off guard. Orika's body reacted before her mind could, leaning into the kiss with one of her own, her eyes closing from the pleasure her body felt.
After a few seconds of the kiss, I pulled away slowly, licking my lips to savor the sweet taste of her cool lips. "Does that answer your—"
"Yes," Orika breathed, throwing her arms around me and pushed me down on the bed.
I let out an excited giggle as she pushed me down, holding onto her as I began to pull the two of us under the covers. Once we were cozy under the covers, Orika wasted no time to capture another kiss from my lips and I was quick to reciprocate her affection.
{Bond with Orika MAX!}
{Spiritual Resonance with Orika has increased.}
{Date: 10/16 - Sunday}
{Time: 9:30 AM}
The sun rose above the horizon, casting its gentle, warm glow upon Destiny Islands, the golden hue of its rays illuminating through the blinds. I scrunched my eyes gently, feeling the gentle heat hitting my eyes and slowly woke up, seeing Orika sleeping peacefully next to me.
I smiled at her, moving strands of her hair from her face, my heart racing just from being near her. Soon, Orika began to wake up as well, letting out a soft sound and opened her eyes slowly. She met my gaze, a sweet smile curling on her lips.
"Good morning..~" Orika said in a soft, melodic tone, slightly shifting to get more comfortable in my arms.
"Good morning...did you sleep well..?" I asked, gently cupping her cheek, my thumb slowly caressing against her skin.
Orika nodded slowly, closing her eyes to enjoy my soft touch. "Yeah...I actually slept like a rock. I haven't...slept that good in forever."
I chuckled softly, understanding where Orika was coming from. "I agree...I had a great rest as well."
"I'm glad you both slept sooo well..." A voice said behind us, the salty tone immediately recognizable.
I turned my head, my eyes searching for the source of the voice. My gaze soon landed upon Cerebral, sitting on the ground in her Hound Form. "Well, and I thought you were done with us after we masterfully beat you yesterday..."
Cerebral rolled her eyes at me, letting out a low groan from my gloating. "Yeah, yeah... Don't think this makes us buddies or anything. I'm not some giant orange fox dwelling within ready to grant you power..."
Orika immediately got the reference, a soft giggle escaping her lips. She looked up at me, a soft twinkle in her eyes. "Didn't think your dark side was an anime fan..~"
"Well...ah, Yumeji and Kikyo watch a lot of anime so I've kinda caught up on a few things," I said, chuckling softly and rubbed the back of my head. Suddenly, the mention of Yumeji and Kikyo sparked something in my mind. "Oh right, I gotta call them to tell them we made it..!"
With that, Orika and I jumped out of bed, making it up then began to prepare for the day ahead. Cerebral watched the two of us from afar, letting out another soft huff before laying down and closing her eyes, waiting for the two of us to finish getting ready.
Once we finished getting ready for the day, Orika, Cerebral, and I began to head downstairs, making our way to meet up with everyone else. The scent of a delicious breakfast filled the house, attracting me and Orika immediately.
Yusa heard the sounds of our footsteps approaching the kitchen and turned around in her seat, meeting our curious expressions. "Good morning girls!~ Come join us at the table, there's room for two more."
"Hey, Hisumi, Orika!~ ¡Por aquí!" Adrianna waved, wanting me and Orika to sit next to her at the table.
I felt Orika's hand grow slightly colder, but with just a gentle squeeze of her hand reaffirmed her of our talk last night. I smiled at Orika, my eyes speaking for me and she nodded in response, smiling back at me.
We made our way to the table and took our seats, and settled in. I glanced around the table, seeing our mother's on one side of the table and on the other side, sat us, the children.
"So, you've already met Autumn I'm sure, and I'm guessing she still hasn't apologized for what she did?" Adrianna asked, leaning back in her seat to glance at Autumn.
Autumn rolled her eyes slightly, fixing her glasses on her face as she scrolled through her phone. "What is there to apologize for? Besides..."
"It's fine...water under the bridge as my friend in Japan would say. All is well now and through that experience I'm learning to grow and not let my past define who I want to be," I said, glancing between Autumn and Adrianna.
Ryder crossed his arms and closed his eyes, letting out a soft hum. "I must admit, you speak very wise for someone of your caliber. You speak with pure intelligence."
"She talks like she's typing an email to some corporate office," Olivia snickered, poking at her waffles on her plate.
"Alright, alright. I'm sure you're seeing some new faces at the table as well right?" Desiree asked, looking over at me with a smile.
I nodded, noticing one guy and girl I've never met when I first arrived at the sharehouse. "Yeah, your other half-brother and sister. They weren't here when we first got here."
Desiree turned to her half brother first, introducing me to him. "Hisumi, meet Rain Ayami, the son of the famous and retired Rockstar, Ashley Ayami."
I looked at Rain, analyzing his appearance for a moment. Just like the rest of Shiro's biological children, he was half Hawaiian but also mixed with Japanese. He had curly black hair, light brown eyes, and had a tribal tattoo along his left arm.
I gave him a warm smile, waving at him politely. "It's nice to meet you."
Rain smiled back at me, waving back and sat back in his seat. "The pleasure's mine."
Before Desiree could introduce her other sister, the girl immediately shot up out of her seat, surprising Olivia and Autumn. She bowed toward me with a bright smile. "My name is Sakura Aoi, daughter of the Perfect Woman, Gloria Aoi! I am a Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts, National Champion of the Matsugaya University MMA Team, and Front Woman of New Karma!"
Orika was slightly startled by Sakura's energy, holding my arm out of reflex and let out a nervous laugh. "She's...a lively one..."
"Yeah, we get it, Karate Kid! You don't have to announce your victories every time you meet someone new!" Olivia shouted, pulling Sakura back down in her seat.
"Yeesh...she is going to be annoying to be around. I'd rather deal with Yumeji and Cherry," Cerebral groaned, sitting beside my seat, watching our interactions.
"I like her!" Genesis hummed, a digital happy emoticon popping up over her head.
"No one asked..." Cerebral said, shooting down Genesis's parade.
Genesis huffed at Cerebral, sticking her tongue out at her and turned away from her. "Hmph! No one asked you, Dog!"
Cerebral groaned at Genesis's insult, not taking any offense to her childish name calling. She stayed silent, laying down and ignoring us for the remainder of the breakfast.
"So, what's the plan for today? Are you all hanging out again?" Chelsey asked, glancing at Adrianna and took a sip of her coffee.
Adrianna nodded, taking her phone out of her pocket to check her plans. "Yeah, we're planning to show Hisumi and Orika around Destiny Central today. Oh yeah, also, Leilani said she would be coming to Destiny Islands next week also!"
Upon hearing Leilani's name, Celene glanced up from the article she was reading, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Really? It's been so long since she was last here. I wonder how she's doing."
"Well I can say, she's doing fine for herself. Apparently, she's the strongest C Rank out of all the C Rank Valkyrias. I can confirm that she's strong and fast," I said, my battle against Leilani flashing in my head.
"Oh yeah, Leilani is very strong! Out of all of us, she's the strongest and the best fighter we have. There's a reason, Auntie Naomi made her the leader of New Karma. She's unmatched!" Sakura said excitedly, happily praising her sister's accomplishments.
"Pah...once you began using my power, you had her beat," Cerebral said, chuckling to herself as she thought about the look on Leilani's face before my finishing blow was interrupted.
"Yeah, but at the same time, your power screwed over Hisumi's reputation slightly. Now we have to work big time to get her to be respected again!" Genesis retorted, crossing her arms as she looked down at Cerebral.
"But yeah, that's our plans. We might try to take them over to Sanctuary City to meet the new Sanctuary City Girls, but that all depends on how long we're out for," Adrianna said, standing up from her seat with a smile on her face, picking up her empty plate.
"Well, that's fine by me. Who are you gonna call to take you around the city?" Chelsey asked, watching her daughter walk toward the sink.
"I'm gonna be driving. I am the only one here with my license, we'll be fine," Adrianna answered, giving Chelsey a thumbs up and a bright, confident smile.
Chelsey couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at Adrianna, shaking her head slightly. "You remind me of every bit of your dad..~ Alright, you can take my car, but don't be a speed demon on the street. This is Destiny Central—"
"Not Sanctuary City. Lo sé, mamá. Just have some faith in me, they don't call me the Golden Star for nothing!~" Adrianna said in a confident tone, finishing washing her plate then turned to face Chelsey. "As the oldest child, they are my responsibility, so I will make sure mi familia are safe."
Chelsey decided to cave in, letting out a soft sigh, a warm smile playing on her lips. "Está bien, cariño. Just don't do anything reckless."
Adrianna nodded, turning toward me and Orika. "Alright, once you two are ready, you can meet me in the living room!~"
I watched as she skipped off to the living room, smiling softly at her. I leaned back in my seat, glancing at Orika. "Well, here we go. Our Holiday Training officially starts today."
Orika nodded, smiling back with an excited twinkle in her eyes. "Yeah, I feel like we can learn a lot from New Karma. Everyone seems to have a different way of going about...so much to keep up with."
"Mhm, but we've got this. Let's get something in our stomachs and get out there and actually have some fun," I said, getting up to get us plate of breakfast to enjoy.
With the plans set and stone, Orika and I decided to get some fuel from the hearty breakfast made by Whitney and Amber before heading out with New Karma. We knew we would be in for a ride, so we prepared for everything the day had in store for us.