Pastel Rose Tales

Chapter 5: A World of Many Stories

"Everyone is fine... but Houseki... is a little restless..." Artemis tells me and I know what she means.

Houseki gets anxious and restless when she can't go with me somewhere or is separated from me. She has some separation anxiety, but everyone can help keep her calm.

Hmm... I wonder if being with Yukina could prevent Houseki's separation anxiety since Houseki likes her so much...

"Ah... Alisa and Iris... are getting into a heated argument... again..." Artemis nervously tells me.

"Those two..." I say in exasperation.

"Jane is calming them down... She told them she'd tell you if they didn't stop... and they stopped..." Artemis recounts to me.

"The idea of putting collars and leashes on those two is starting to sound appealing to me..." I say in exasperation before my phone chimes and I pull it out.

MNK: I always figured you were an S~. I won't mind being leashed.

MNK: In fact, I'd welcome it~.

"Dammit, MNK..." I say in mild annoyance while lightly blushing and I can't help but imagine her laughing at my reaction.

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25 minutes later

I'm inside the airport waiting for aunt Julia and the HVI. There are other Stalker-Hunters around as well, but they'll be keeping their distance. Both Artemis and MNK told me that they found no sign of trafficker activity today but they'll keep their eyes out and alert me of anything.

As for the HVI, I wasn't given any information by the other Stalker-Hunters because 'Julia told them so'. That woman is such a carefree spirit...

"Louder... You're my everything (You're my everything). Kagayaki afure yuku anata no oto wa. Watashi no oto de try to... tsutaetai no I'm movin' on with you (movin' on with you)." I gently sing to myself while waiting as I got Mr. Minato's song stuck in my head.

I'm glad Houseki and I were able to help Yukina. I believe Roselia is able to reach the level of that song, they're the most talented band I've seen.

"James~!" I look up before I'm suddenly tackled into a hug by something cold, a comforting cold.

"You're auntie missed her favorite nephew so much~!" Aunt Julia says as she hugs me tight.

"I missed you too, auntie." I reply as I hug her back, enjoying how cold her body temperature is before we pull away a minute later.

This woman with long white hair and icy blue eyes is Julia Ann Matthews, my dad's younger twin sister, making her the youngest among the four siblings, uncle Dream is the eldest. Aunt Julia is a snow woman... born from a snow woman, she is proof that snow women CAN give birth to other snow women. By extension, my grandmother is one of the 4 snow women in history to have given birth and that makes me technically a quarter snow 'person', but the only trait I got from it is that my body temperature is slightly cooler, that's it. I'm still just a human, but with a cooler body temperature.

"How was Alaska?" I ask her.

"It was fun, being in a cold snow environment is the best for a snow woman~." Aunt Julia says with a smile.

"[Until I got tangled in some trafficker BS.]" Aunt Julia says, her tone and expression quickly shifting to annoyed.

"[And the HVI is who they were after?]" I ask in a hushed tone and she nods affirmatively.

"[Where's the HVI?]" I ask her and she turns around.

"[Yuki, come here.]" Aunt Julia calls out to a small girl wearing a large brown cloak that conceals her face and the girl walks over to us.