Alice In Borderland: Riptide

EPISODE SEVEN: FOR THE LOVE

A week passes in more or less the same schedule; tasks carried out to decorate Seaside Paradise, creating a cozy home for all 27 people under your care; nightly missions by Karube and Co. in a fruitless search for both Mira and Takeru Danma, the Hatter; Takuma plays only one more game during the week, earning him a two-week Visa for winning his 7 of Hearts game.

Yet another playing card gets tossed in the "comments" drop box, nestled behind a messily stacked pile of aprons in the kitchen pantry.

You're looking through the refrigerator idly, wondering what sounds good because even though you don't particularly think you're hungry, your stomach is loudly complaining otherwise, when Niragi stumbles in and drops loudly onto a barstool at the counter, cradling his head in his hands and groaning.

"Not gonna make it today, boss," he says hoarsely. You notch your lip up while also trying desperately not to laugh at his misery.

"Why?"

He tries to blearily focus on your face, but you can tell he's seeing approximately five of you. None of them well.

"Drank 400 beers last night and my liver is a raisin."

Your eyebrows levitate into your hairline and you raise your currently empty glass in a sarcastic toast.

"Understood. Here-," you take a cold bottle of water from the fridge and plunk it down in front of him. He jerks at the noise but gratefully chugs it. "If I can't trust you to take care of yourself, I'll just have to do it for you."

     He merely grunts around the mouth of the water bottle, not noticing Chishiya sneaking through on his way to the huge box of string cheese on the third shelf in the massive fridge.

     "Or I could always ask Chessy to do it, I'm sure he'd love to babysit you."

     "No. Hell no." In stereo from both sides, and you raise both hands.

     "Just a suggestion. I won't make you get along."

     "Maybe we will-" Chishiya says.

     "-Someday-" Niragi interjects.

     "-for you-" Chishiya finishes.

   You laugh and pull Chishiya into a hug, resting your head against his collarbone, then approach Niragi around the counter, clasping his face and gently touching your forehead to his. You both close your eyes, and then Chishiya voluntarily embraces both of you. Niragi's eyebrows rise nearly to his hairline as you meet each others eyes, and Chishiya steps back.

     "Don't get too excited. Can't guarantee that'll EVER happen again." He grins, puts his hands in his pockets, and turns to leave. Nearly forgetting his snack, he performs a flawless about face, snatches the string cheese off the counter, and winks at you before finally exiting the room.

     "Fuck me," Niragi softly states in an awed tone. You gently pat his arm.

     "Not right now, I'm busy."

     His jaw drops, but you make no other response, merely leaving the kitchen with a bottle of Fiji water.

...*...

Another week goes by. Karube and Arisu have been gone every night, while Takuma and the other Players have provided a decent distraction, playing (luckily) in fairly minor games. Still no sign of Mira physically, although others Takuma has spoken to have seen her and played in games with her. Karube thinks he and Arisu might have a good lead on her, the best yet, and leave at sundown to head for the Kabuki district.