Ninjago: Amplified 【 Midnight Masquerade 】

【4】 - The Connectivity Between Oni Intuition and Jealousy: a Continuing Study

Akiri rubbed at her temples, trying to usher away the negative thoughts that plagued her mind. In another attempt to refocus, she discreetly tapped the button on her communicator, clicking to a different channel.

A monotone voice read the number of each line as she shifted through them. Recognizing Aurora's number first, Akiri switched to a different line, knowing she was likely too busy to respond.

Instead, she landed on Onyx and Eris' channel; maybe they'd gotten a break in between the card games?

"Guys?" Akiri called out. "You there?"

But there wasn't a response from either of her friends. The oni assumed they were preoccupied as well, so she clicked to the next line.

"Yuri?" Akiri called out.

Much to her relief, the hypnobrai was quick to answer.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yuri asked, more than ready to come to her aid.

"Everything's fine." Akiri assured, despite the fact that she felt far from it. "I'm just checking in."

For a moment, Yuri was silent. Akiri could practically feel the hypnobrai's doubt emanating from the opposite end of the channel.

"You sure?" She questioned, concerned. "That's Gold's job tonight. You don't usually do this."

Akiri opened her mouth to object, but that was when the anxious feeling in her chest intensified without her control. Conflicted, she absentmindedly picked at her fingernails, her nervousness making her antsy.

Heaving a sigh, she caved in.

"Maybe not, honestly." She admitted, lowering her voice. "Nothing's wrong mission-wise, though, so it's really nothing. I should probably just get back to searching."

"Well, mission or not, it's important." Yuri didn't give her the chance to leave the call. "You know I've got time. I haven't seen any movement outside of the venue since you got here. So what's up?"

"It's just..." Akiri trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Complicated? I guess? I don't know."

She frowned as she turned on her heel, resuming her walk through the crowds as the conversation continued.

"You... don't know?" Yuri repeated, confused. "Akiri, are you really okay? Did someone pull something at the party?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Akiri promised. "It's just that..."

She paused, unsure of how to continue. She'd never brought up how she felt about Aurora to anyone yet, not even her closest friends. This would be a first, but how could she explain something like that so suddenly?

Though, Akiri knew she'd feel better if she talked about it. She swallowed away her uncertainty, pressing on.

"Don't tell the others, but I think I'm... jealous." She confessed.

"Jealous...?" Yuri echoed, clueless. "Of what?"

Akiri pursed her lips together as she slowed to a halt, breaking away from the crowds and stopping in an emptier clearing. She hesitated before she continued, not allowing herself the chance to back down now.

"Okay, this is going to sound super childish, mostly because it is." She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I just... Really wanted to dance with Aura."

"Oh."

For a short while, Yuri was silent, making Akiri all the more uneasy. After all, it was the first time she'd told her friends of her crush– she hadn't even stopped to consider what they might say about it.