Day 11: Trip Through Time

Ryan sighed as he woke up. "I really don't want to work today," he muttered to himself. Of course, he loved his job, but there will still days that he was tired and just wanted to sleep all day. As if the universe wanted to make yet another cruel joke, Ryan's phone rang.

"Morning Ten-," Ryan really needed to stop trying to talk first when he picks up the phone.

"KIKKERIKIII~!" Kiara exclaimed. "Good morning!"

"Morning Tenchou," Ryan said, smiling. Originally, Ryan would find these calls annoying, but now, he found it endearing. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm okay! Calli got to sleep over last night!" Kiara sounded ecstatic when she brought up Calli's name. Ryan's smile grew wider. He genuinely found Kiara and Calli's relationship adorable. "We had a lot of fun last night!"

"We didn't do anything!" Calli's voice was faintly heard through the phone.

"Sure," Ryan muttered to himself. "Are you at the restaurant?"

"Yeah, we're setting up for today. Calli's probably not going to stay though," Kiara said through the phone. "She has work or something."

"I just don't want to hang out with you!" Calli's voice could be heard again.

"Sure," It was now Kiara's turn to mutter.

"Anyways, I'll be there soon," Ryan said.

"I'll see you then!" Kiara chirped as Ryan hung up the phone.

-

Ryan totally didn't walk in on Kiara and Calli totally not snogging and he totally didn't almost not die when Calli didn't not swing her magic death scythe at him before leaving.

"Well, that was an experience," Ryan grumbled as he looked down at the rip in his hoodie.

"It's your fault for not knocking," Kiara said as she wiped down the desk.

"The door is made out of glass," Ryan deadpanned.

"Does it matter?" Kiara asked.

"This is a public establishment."

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not," Ryan rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to get changed."

"Alright!" Kiara chirped.

Ryan couldn't help but think about Sabrina as he walked in to get changed. Apparently, she was getting his calls, but refuses to talk back. Ryan wondered if she just didn't want to talk to him, but if she didn't, she would have hung up immediately. The situation was just so weird. I can't understand any of it, Ryan thought to himself as he finished buttoning up his vest. Well, I can't think about that now. It's time to get to work.

As Ryan opened the door, a familiar looking woman in a pirate cosplay barged through the door. "AHOY~! Captain of the Houshou Pirates, Houshou Marine has arrived!"

"Oh, it's the lesbian pirate," Ryan deadpanned. "I'm Ryan Shade. May I take your order?"

"Ah! It's you!" Marine's eyes widened as she dramatically pointed at Ryan. "You were the one at the liquor store the other day!"

"Senchou-senpai!" Kiara exclaimed. "You've already met my little egg?"

"Please don't call me that," Ryan rolled his eyes.

"He didn't buy me a drink!" Marine pouted.

"I was running errands," Ryan replied, holding up his hands.

"To be honest, I did ask him to get a bottle for 5th gen," Kiara said.

"Oh," Marine's features slumped for a second before returning to their normal, ecstatic nature. "I see! I'll let it slide, then."

"I'm so blessed," Ryan rolled his eyes again, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"It's good that you understand!" If Marine detected the sarcasm, she didn't give any indications that she did as she dashed over to one of the seats.

"So, what would you like?" Ryan asked. When Kiara's face started to pale, Ryan looked at her with confusion, but soon regretted his decision.

"What I would like are some doujins, a sexy oneesan, and Flare-chan," Marine said.

"I mean to eat," Ryan deadpanned.

"Did I stutter?" Marine asked.

"I guess not. Where are we going to get a sexy oneechan'?" he turned to his boss, using finger quotes. Suddenly, the doors slammed open, revealing a woman in a knight costume literally flying towards Marine, eventually landing a hard punch in the head.

"Flare is mine!" The knight proclaims loudly as the ring of her fist connecting with Marine's skull emanates throughout the room.

"Noe-chan," A dark-skinned elf walked into the room calmly, eyes fixated on the knight and Marine, who was rubbing her head where the knight hit her. "You don't have to hit everyone who makes a joke."

"But Flare~," the knight whined. "It's Senchou."

"That's true," the elf rubbed her chin.

"Pardon the intrusion, but can you please not break any skulls while you're inside the establishment?" Ryan asked politely. As fun as this was to watch, he was on the clock.

"Ah, I apologize," The elf bowed slightly. "My name is Shiranui Flare. My friend over here is Shirogane Noel."

"We're not friends! Flare is my husband!" Noel shot her fist in the air.

"Whatever you say," Ryan muttered to himself before raising his voice. "My name is Ryan Shade. It's a pleasure to meet you two. May I take your orders?"

"Gyudon!" Noel cheered as she sat beside Marine. "I'll have 15 bowls of Gyudon, please!"

Ryan looked at Flare. "15? Is that okay?"

"I'll have one for myself, please," Flare nodded.

"Okay," Ryan mumbled.

"I'll cook it!" Kiara raised her hand.

"Shouldn't I be the one doing the cooking?" Ryan asked.

"You don't know where the doujins are, so I might as well do the cooking," Kiara responded.

"Wait, you were serious about the doujin thing?" Ryan turned to Marine.

"Where else am I supposed to get it?" She shrugged.

"I don't know, online?" Ryan suggested.

"Wait," Marine looked at Ryan with a blank expression. "You're right."

Ryan facefaulted. "Ya think?!"

"So, how's working with Kiara-chan?" Flare asked. Though she refused to show it, she was desperate to change the subject.

"She's quite something," Ryan smiled fondly. "She calls me every day at the crack of dawn and works me to the bone every day, even though she sometimes forgets she's at work. She's overly clingy with customers and has no sense of professionalism. Despite that, working with her has probably been the best thing that has ever happened to me. She genuinely cares about my well-being and treats me like a true friend. If you ask me, I couldn't have asked for anything more."

"I see," Flare nodded her head approvingly. "That's really nice."

"You're lucky!" Marine chimed in, her cheeks flushed. "I would love to spend every day with Kiara-chan!"

"I'm sure Calliope-san would appreciate that," Ryan deadpanned.

"Gyudon! Gyudon!" Meanwhile, Noel was in a completely different realm, chanting excitedly about her beef bowls.

"Is that normal?" Ryan looked at Flare, gesturing at Noel's antics.

"It's kind of cute, really," Flare giggled.

"Flare thinks I'm cute?!" Noel gasped, her eyes turning into hearts as he turned and tackled Flare into a hug. "I love you Flare!"

"Please, Noe-chan," Flare tried to push off Noel to no avail. "Not in public!"

"Gyudon!" Like an angel descending from heaven like Kanata less-than-gracefully falling off the Heaven Academy diving board, Kiara arrived, Kiara balanced a stack of books and a bunch of beef bowls on one tray before placing it down in front of the three girls.

"GYUDON!" Noel grabbed a bowl and started to scarf it down. Within a few seconds, she set the empty bowl aside and grabbed another one.

"Is that normal?" Ryan gestured to the gluttonous knight and the pirate literally drooling over doujinshi. "I swear, that question is going to be my catchphrase before long."

"It's quite endearing," Flare offered Ryan a smile as she took a bite of Gyudon at a normal pace, much to Ryan's relief.

"If you told me that two weeks ago, I would have laughed at you, but at this point, I'm starting to understand what you mean," Ryan smiled back. "You know, you're one of the more mature ones that I've met."

"All of us are capable of being mature when needed. The world is harsh to us. Having a place to let loose our true personalities and to unwind is nice," Flare looked down at her half-eaten Gyudon, taking another bite.

"I'm sorry if I came off as insensitive," Ryan bowed slightly. He knew he could never understand what it was like to be a magical being in today's world, or in general and he didn't want to come off as insensitive. "I'm still new to all this. I don't really understand all the dynamics."

"It's okay," Flare offered him a soft smile. "You'll understand soon enough."

"I guess I will," Ryan reasoned. After spending enough time with Kiara, he will eventually get it, right?

"Thank you for the food!" Marine and Noel said at once. To Ryan's absolute shock, all of the bowls were completely empty, and Marine seemed to have read all of the doujins.

"How did you do that?" Ryan asked, his face in complete shock.

"I exercise a lot!" Noel chirped, flexing her arm for visual effect.

"I… exercise a lot…" Marine's cheeks flushed as she offered Ryan a wink.

"Sure," Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Flare! Let's go to a love hotel!" Noel tugged on Flare's arm. "Please~?"

"Can I join?" Marine asked.

"No to both of you, but we can go see a movie," Flare offered.

"That's good enough for me!" Noel chirped, tugging on her arm harder.

"It was nice meeting you three," Ryan smiled at their antics. "Please come back soon."

"We will!" Noel exclaimed as she finally managed to pull Flare off her seat, dragging her out of the restaurant.

"Wait for me!" Marine ran off after them. After a couple moments on silence, both Ryan and Kiara started laughing. Today was a good day.

-

"It's been a while," YAGOO and a hooded figure stood atop a tall peak as thunder could be heard from the clouds below. "You don't usually ask me for anything."

"I have to depart from this world soon," the hooded man replied. "It's calling me back."

"I see," YAGOO replied. He remembers the hooded man constantly referencing 'it', though he has no idea what 'it' could possibly mean. "I suspect that you want something from me."

With a quick motion, the hooded man unsheathed a weapon, a knife with a serpentine curve. "This kris has served me for many centuries," he said, spinning the weapon in his hand. "I would be doing her an injustice if I took her with me. She would not thrive where I am going."

"I see" YAGOO lied, remaining wary. He and the hooded man had helped each other in numerous situations, but he didn't exactly have Yagoo's full trust. "I assume you want me to take it?"

"I will be performing a ritual to be giving her a human body," the hooded man replied, causing Yagoo's eyes widened with shocked. In his years of mastery in magic, he never heard of such a ritual. "She deserves to have a life of her own. I want you to take care of her."

"Consider it done," YAGOO replied. He wouldn't deny another member added into the Hololive Initiative.

"I owe you a great debt," the hooded man sheathed the weapon and bowed.

"Consider us even for helping me talk down Matusri," Yagoo replied, shuddering as he remembered the incident with the goddess. "Before I go, may I ask her name?"

"Anya."

-

Aloe sat in a ceaseless void, a reclining chair and a bento box being the only sense of color for miles. As she ate, the sounds of wind blowing interrupted her meal. "Morning, Storm," she took another bite from her self-made bento box. "Is it morning anyways? What were you doing in the real world?"

"I gave YAGOO Anya," The hooded figure behind Aloe replied.

"Why would you do that after all these millennia?" Aloe turned, a confused expression on your face. "Are you preparing for something?"

"Call it an experiment," Storm replied, looking up. "I wonder if I'll get her back."

"Get her back?" Aloe only looked more confused. "You just gave her away."

Storm smiled under his hood. "Exactly."

-

Ryan sighed as he looked at his phone. Should he call Sabrina? It was obvious she didn't want to talk. Maybe he could take a break, just this once.

-

Sabrina sat and waited for Ryan's call. She loved hearing about his day. It gave her a sense of normalcy. Huh, that's weird, Sabrina thought as she looked at her phone. He should have called me by now.

She looked out the window of the spare streaming room at the bright lights of the city. 'I'm sure he'll call soon. I believe in him.'