Welcoming Death - Hololive Fanfiction [ONGOING]

CHAPTER 8: MELTING THE WAX

"Inaaa, Calli! Come on!" Kiara begged, holding their hands and shaking it insistently. She pouted, lip wobbling from annoyance. 

The two girls awkwardly looked around, trying to find any excuse to avoid the situation. Seeking for it, they turned to Gura and Amelia who both just looked away and pretended to not be in the same discussion.

Hesitantly, Calli stepped up to start, "Look, I haven't known you guys for too long so it might be… uncomfortable."

"Exactly - That's why we're having the slumber party: to get us all closer. Right, Ina?!" Kiara turned to Ina suddenly with expectant eyes, shimmering with hope. The poor, small girl jumped with fright as the happy girl started to shake her and forth to agree.

With gentle hands, Ina took Kiara's warm palms and removed them from her slender, meek shoulders. She smiled, not in a way where she was affirming Kiara's words, but a gentle rejection all on its own, "She's right and plus, I have some stuff to work on." 

Calli's piercing eyes darkened, staring at Ina's eyes, especially around them where eye bags were apparent.

Kiara sighed, sliding her hands off Ina and residing them beside her, "You've been working so much and for so long already! C'mon, when has it been all four of us? With Calli too!" She gestured over to the reaper, who stood there quietly observing. 

Again, Ina politely refused, "Nono, we'll hang out another time. I promise. Soon!" Though words felt hollow.

"I think we should go," suddenly, Calli interjected, "It'll be nice."

Jumping, Ina's eyes widened at Calli, surprised that she'd switch sides so quickly. Her hand awkwardly itched her back, not exactly wanting to turn Calli directly. "... It's- well- you know?" She wildly looked for Amelia, who caught her during a glance and simply flipped her off. 

Calli shrugged, smiling a little wider, "I don't know, man… It could be fun." She toyed with her hair a bit, avoiding Ina's gaze. 

Wordlessly, she moved her eyes from Calli to Kiara who was enthusiastically pointing and gesturing from behind (like some kinda charades thing?) Her flaps wiggled slightly, clearly in thought. She did not want to go, in fear that her jealousy of Calli's closeness to the other girls may get the better of her but Calli definitely wanted her to go. Plus, it'd be rude to Kiara to reject her. 

"Okay…", Ina spoke reluctantly, twirling a finger in her own hair. 

At this, Kiara beamed and tightly compacted Ina into a hug of her own which almost crushed her frail body. "Ina Ina Ina! Love you so much!" With mock kisses, she smothered Ina in affection. A joke in itself but it really showed how grateful Kiara was of Ina. 

With a chaste pat on the back from Ina, she hugged the taller girl back. She looked over her shoulder at Calli who gave a thumbs up with a lopsided smile.

From the table, Amelia leaned forward with her weight being carried by her chin. Her eyes scanned over Calli, Ina and Kiara with a curious glint. "Should we intervene?"

Gura looked up from her phone, sighing, "And watch that threesome Titanic go down? I ain't touching it unless it's PG."

The detective blinked, staring at Gura for a moment until bursting into laughter.

"Not threesome, I mean. A love triangle."

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. As the group started to blend into the crowd, Ina and Calli lurked behind a bit. 

Ina, daring to get closer, grabbed a hold of Calli's wrist to pull her back to her. Before letting her go, she searchingly looked into Calli's eyes to see if she was okay with being dragged like that. Nothing showed any such malice.