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"Ahh, this is gonna be fun!" Rill laughed. "I hope I can get some inspiration for my paintings!"

[Name] shook their head. "Seriously, is painting all you can think about?"

"Well, it's fun! I want to paint the perfect masterpiece.." Rill trailed off, presumably zoning out.

[Name] laughed, looking back for Charmy and Noelle. The four of them were on a trip to the US, since Noelle wanted to go. She'd even paid for most of the money on [Name]'s ticket, leaving the rest for them to save. Rill and [Name] had been sitting up front (economy seating, of course) while Noelle was resigned to the back with Charmy. Why she didn't get first class for herself was a mystery—perhaps she didn't want her siblings mad at her for spending too much money?

"There you two are!" [Name] waved at Noelle and Charmy, coming from the terminal where the plane they exited stood.

Noelle looked positively beat, tired from the long flight. Charmy also looked a bit pissed; the plane food was probably bland.

"That was the worst flight I've had in my life." Noelle sighed, crossing her arms.

"Agreed." Charmy frowned. "The stuff they served.. it's a mockery to call it food!"

"Is that so..?" [Name] felt a bead of sweat drop from their face. "Well, hurry up now! We don't wanna miss our luggage!"

They grabbed their friends' hands and tugged on them, prompting them to move sluggishly towards the bag pickup. They went down some escalators and peered into all the novelty gift shops on their way towards their luggage.

"Alright! Let's pick up this stuff and get started!" [Name] said enthusiastically. They wanted to make the best of the trip.

"[Name], the luggage gets here at 7:30. It's 6:50 right now." Noelle looked up at the little TV screens above the little conveyer belts with the bags of the people whose flights were before theirs.

"Huh? Why so late?" [Name] complained.

"The plane got here early, remember?" Noelle plopped down on a seat, dropping the handbag she had with her.

Rill, Charmy and [Name] took the seats near her. [Name] pulled out their phone to look up tourist destinations to pass the time. The four of them were in California, so they looked for places that were interesting. A couple of state parks like Yosemite were written in their notes app, as well as some towns to stop by.

They felt a presence on their shoulders. [Name] looked up to see the other three fast asleep, resting their heads on each other, and on them was well. [Name] laughed softly; it'd been 11 sleepless hours, and before that, a restless night, so who could blame them?

-

"It's 7:30, so wake up!" [Name] yelled out, startling their sleeping friends, and a couple of people who happened to be waiting nearby.

"Do you have to wake us up in such an undignified way?" Noelle huffed, drearily opening her eyes. "Ugh, I'm sore from this metal seat.."

"I'm tired..!" Rill complained, yawning and stretching. "Can't we sleep for a little longer?"

"I want food.." Charmy groggily said. Was that all she thought about..?

"C'mon, once we get our stuff, we can head to where we're staying and sleep and eat a lot of food!" [Name] said, emphasizing certain words. They knew just how to get their friends' attention.

"Fine," Noelle stood from her seat, followed by the other two, "let's go!"

"Yahoo!" [Name] cheered excitedly.

The group of four sleepily walked to the luggage conveyer belt, looking at the bags that were being released. The TV screen showed the flight they were on, so it was safe to take the bags.

"That one's mine." Noelle tried picking up a large, fancy looking suitcase that just might have been made of real gold, knowing her.

"Is that heavy?" [Name] asked, starting to go and help her.

"Hmph! I don't need your help!" Even as she said it, Noelle was struggling to grab her bag, stumbling a bit and yelping.

"If you say so..."

Rill's suitcase in comparison was small and light, adorned in tons of colors that he'd painted on himself.

"Did you pack anything other than paints?" [Name] asked, only half joking.

"Of course I did!" Rill clutched his suitcase defensively. "I have a toothbrush in here, too!"

"Please tell me that's a joke.." [Name] started sweating.

Charmy's suitcase had a childish food design on the outside; a few rows of donuts were on the outside of it.

"How typical.."

In contrast to their friends, [Name] simply had a boring suitcase of a plain, muted color with a couple of stickers near the handle. Though the three others already had theirs, [Name] hadn't seen their suitcase. Had someone else taken it?

"[Name], isn't that one yours?" Noelle pointed at a plain suitcase in a muted [favorite color].

"Oh, yep!" They picked it up with ease and rolled it on the floor. "Alright, let's go!"

Sounds of the clacking of wheels on the tiled floor of the airport disturbed the peace of some as [Name] and their friends ran out, excited to spend their first day in another country.

"Wait, so how are we gonna get there?" Noelle asked.

"Oh! I asked Rill to get a rental car." [Name] explained.

"What? I thought you were gonna get a rental car!" Rill said, distressed.

"Dude, I'm dirt poor! How am I gonna afford a car? I have 50 cents and a 6 piece McNugget to my name!" [Name] argued back.

"McNuggets? Where?" Charmy chimed in.

"Not now, Charmy!" Rill, Noelle and [Name] shushed her in unison.

-

After a bit of arguing, they ended up just calling an Uber and sitting in silence the whole car ride to their hotel.

Once they got back, [Name] set up the pull-out bed couch while Noelle and Rill flopped onto the two actual beds they'd been provided with. Charmy flipped through a brochure she'd found, looking for room service.

"Say, do you guys want dinner yet?" [Name] asked, plopping down on the rigid sofa bed.

"Yes! Yes we do!" Charmy piped up.

"Sure, sure!" Rill sat up from his bed, looking through his suitcase for paints.

"Hmph, well if you're going to get food, get some for me too!" This was Noelle's way of saying she was hungry.

"I'll order a pizza then."

[Name] opened up the Domino's app since there was one nearby and filled out the order. It was quite expensive, mostly since they had to get three pizzas for Charmy alone, but [Name] could spare a little.

"Hand me my suitcase," [Name] extended their hand, "my wallet's in there."

"Why would you put it in there instead of your pocket?" Noelle tossed over the suitcase.

"Don't wanna lose it on the plane."

[Name] opened up the suitcase to what was decidedly not their stuff. There was unfamiliar clothing, and their cutesy little wallet was not to be seen. They checked the handle—the little sticker they had on their suitcase was not there. Frantically, [Name] looked for any sign of the original owner, finding a wallet with an ID inside.

"Who the hell is Luck Voltia?" [Name] asked.

"I dunno. Why do you ask?" Noelle asked.

"That's the owner of this suitcase."

luggage | luck voltiaWhere stories live. Discover now