Welcoming Death - Hololive Fanfiction [ONGOING]

CHAPTER 10: EXOTHERMIC

As the pressure of Truth or Dare amped up, Ina found herself gravitating towards the door. Soon, it got too much as she excused herself for a break from the game. Mostly, to cool her head off after that. 

She sat upon the couch in the living room. Fiddling with her hands, Ina looked up at the ceiling in deep thought, "When did I start feeling this way?" Crossing her arms, she rubbed them gently, "If only I'd been more open to her… I could've been--" She hugged herself tighter. 

Soon, the thumping of footsteps alerted the shy girl. Ina turned suddenly, wanting to see who was coming downstairs. "Ki-Kiara?" She called out nervously. 

"Nah, I'd rather die than to be that bird," an abrasive voice calls out yet soothing to Ina's ears, "That's if, I could die." The reaper chuckled morbidly, coming closer to where Ina was situated. 

"Calli…" Ina stared at her, mesmerised by her. Not exactly in the way you'd be mesmerised by someone's grace, rather the opposite: Calli had all the grace of a stray dog however had the determination of one too. Like a glint in her eye that never stopped shining, she seemed so ungodly awkward but was a perpetual motion of work. Ina's hand twitched with instinct to do something. 

In concern, Calli jumped over to sit next to Ina with a space in between for good measure. "Dude, are you good?"

"What do you mean?"

Shifting around, Calli looked at Ina with a skeptical eye, "I mean, you looked uncomfortable or somethin'. When kusotori-- y'know?" Ina sighed, not replying. "Look, if I did something to make you feel uncomfortable, man, I'm-"

"No, it's not that."

"What is it?" Calli's eyes bore into Ina's with that same determined glint. She leaned forward slightly, closing the gap between them. 

Ina raised her arms, rubbing them excessively, "I just-"

"Just?"

"I mean, it's-!"

"It's…?"

With an explosive outcry, Ina almost screamed, "I'm really jealous of you and Kiara!" She panted for a moment until quickly snapping her mouth shut, covering her mouth with her hand. "I-I mean…", the words died in her throat, leaving a bitter taste behind.

Nervously, Calli scratched her neck, "Wow… Ina. I, uh, didn't know you felt like that." She cautiously outstretched her hand to pat Ina but didn't when Ina suddenly spoke up.

"It's not that I got jealous of the k-kiss… I just felt like," she gathered her knees under her chin, muttering audibly, "It was unfair that I was one to meet you first y-yet the other girls seem closer to you than you and I." Ina snuck glances at Calli who was looking behind her. 

Behind, Calli was still figuring out how to place her hand until she noticed Ina's small nod. In the end, she put her hand on Ina's shoulder, pulling her closer. After some silence, Calli finally spoke up, "I tried to, y'know. But, man… It's honestly discouraging when you seem to hide so much, Ina."

Ina's eyebrows shot up in surprise, pulling away and looking at her wildly, "Hiding--?"

"I mean--!", Calli quickly apologises for cutting her off, "You seem to always have something in your mind. As if you're so distracted by everything else but what's happening, man."

"I just," Ina blinked, finally remembering what she had been so focused on lately, "I just… remembered why." She quickly goes over to where their bags were in a discreet corner of the room, grabbing a poster rollup. Excited to show her work, Ina pulls back the poster, revealing it in all its glory. 

A poster with a girl akin to Calli, only with a suit and cigar in her mouth. In a strong stance, she posed with a scythe while looking off to the side. The colours of it being incredibly different to what Ina usually used but beautiful nonetheless. The style was different from Calli's however the colours, the reaper and the design was incredibly in Calli's ballpark.

Gently, Calli took the poster in her hands in awe. "You've been… working on this all this time?" 

"Mmm, yeah." 

"Ina… Thank you!" Calli wrapped her arms around Ina. She laughed, joyful and full of life (as much as a reaper could be.) The hug was short lived however as she quickly took notice of what she was doing. "Oh, sorry!" she jumped back, hugging the poster in her arms blushing.

Sighing, Ina smiled as she saw the look on Calli's face, "To think you're seen as this big scary reaper. You don't live up to your name so much, don't you?"

Calli pouts, "That's a misconception. We're not to scare but to comfort."

Ina blinked in surprise, pointing to Calli curiously, "To… comfort?"

The reaper sighed, looking at the poster, "People find seeing something familiar comforting. That's why we all assume a human face." She leaned back, looking at Ina intently, "Everyone deserves a peaceful passing. Wherever they end up."

"Well," Ina fiddled with her fingers a bit, "So will you take my soul when I… y'know?" Calli shrugged, indifferent. "Well, I have a few thousand years left for myself so… We have a lot of time until that happens."

Calli blinked in surprise, gazing at Ina carefully. "A few thousand…" with a dry chuckle, she smiled, "Better give me more of these during your lifetime so I can definitely say I know the famous artist, Ina'nis Ninomae." She pointed at the poster, fiddling with the edges. 

"Guess I'll get back to work then," as she said so, Calli's face fell, "Or maybe after a rest or two…"

"Mmm," Calli hummed in agreement, "Can I ask something before we go back?"

"Uhhh, sure," Ina gulped, feeling the pressure from Calli's piercing red eyes gazing at her. She shifted back, hoping to gain a little distance.

"Well, I was just wondering why you feel the need to hide stuff, y'know? It's hard to understan--"

"Calli," Ina said strictly with a sense of sadness weighing behind her eyes, "I know it's hard to but… I just need some time. I can't… I can't openly floodgates to people I barely know." 

Calli sighed, nodding, "I know but I jus--"
 
"In time. But for now, I want to know you. Just everything and anything so… Stay with me for a while and we'll see.

With that, Calli hummed approvingly, standing suddenly. Pointing to the stairs, she nodded for Ina to join her, "C'mon, dude."

With a nod back, the two headed back up together. That night, they felt a little closer to each other. Even with how little time they had together.

moricalliope just posted for the first time in a while. 

moricalliope | check out @takotenshi 's drawing of your boy!