Pastel Rose Tales

Chapter 6: Tails of Times to Be

Author's Notes

Here is chapter 6 of PRT, chapter 7 was uploaded at the same time. Both 6 and 7 have been ready for weeks now but we waited until MBG chapter 39 was uploaded before releasing them.

We hope you enjoy chapters 6 and 7.

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The next day

"Nyaaaaa~." Houseki yawns as I carry her in my arms while we're on our way to CiRCLE.

"Sleepy kitty~." Jane says as she pets Houseki.

"Said the dragon who's a pain to wake up." I say in exasperation.

"Ow." I monotonously say when Jane gently smacks my back with her tail.

"At least I CAN sleep." Jane says before a clean slapping sound rings out. Jane flinches and holds the back of her head in pain as Karato-nee clearly shows her dissatisfaction with that statement.

Iris and Alisa gulp nervously from seeing Karato-nee hit Jane. As our adult supervision, no one wants to upset Karato-nee and the two learned that the hard way one time when I wasn't around.

"What a lovely morning~." Onee-chan says with a smile as her tail wags while Houseki purrs as she snuggles into me.

We soon reach CiRCLE and enter the building.

"Good morning, everyone." Marina-san greets us with a smile. "Oh, I see Houseki-chan is still sleepy."

"Nya~." Houseki meows as I pass her over to Marina-san who places her on the chair. Houseki curls up on the chair and makes herself comfortable.

"Time for work." Alisa says as she stretches her arms.

"What are our tasks for today?" Iris asks Marina-san.

"Right." Marina-san says before she gives us our tasks for today.

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5 hours later

"Yukina." Houseki calls out as she walks over to Roselia's vocalist.

"Houseki." Yukina replies as she pets Houseki's head.

"Nya~." Houseki meows, enjoying the affection.

Roselia is currently taking a break from practice and with our morning tasks done, Houseki wanted to visit.

"Houseki really likes Yukina-san." Ako says cheerfully.

"And Yukina really likes Houseki." Lisa says with a smile.

"At this rate you might have to marry Yukina~." Lisa teasingly tells me as she nudges me and I'm not gonna take that one lying down.

"Not a bad idea, of course I'll consider marrying you too, Lisa." I reply with a smile, making Lisa blush red at the counterattack.

"Are you sure we shouldn't make a list?" Jane asks teasingly as her tail wags in amusment.

"Shut up, Jane." I tell her.

"Matthews-san, who is she?" Sayo asks as she points right next to me and I turn to see someone right next to me, shocking everyone nearby before we realize it's Hayasaka.

"Hayasaka, what are you doing here?" I ask the fairy dragon.

'There is a list.' Hayasaka writes, causing several of us to look at her in disbelief.

"A-Are you serious?" I ask and she nods affirmatively without hesitation.

"A list of... James' love interests?" Alisa asks as her fox ears twitch.

'Wives.' Hayasaka writes, shocking everyone.

"W-Wives?!" Sayo yells in shock.

"Who... made such a list?" Iris asks, her wolf ears twitching.

'Master discussed it with one of our schoolmates.' Hayasaka writes.

"Hold the phone, Dimitri-san is involved?" I ask, only to be met with another nod.

"And which one of our schoolmates?" I ask.

'He won't tell me.' Hayasaka writes.

"Honestly, I can see that man doing something like that. It's not a stretch to say that he likes to keep tabs on James." Karato-nee says, her arms crossed.

"What's next? His own daughter is on that list?" Alisa asks sarcastically.

'She is.' Hayasaka writes and I choke on my breath.

"Oh..." Alisa says as her tails droop down.

"Honestly... I can see him doing that too." Karato-nee says.

"Aren't you lucky~?" Lisa says teasingly.

"So James-san is really a real harem protagonist!" Ako exclaims.

"Tell us something we don't know." Jane says.

"Rin-rin is into-" Ako says before Rinko screams in panic.

"Ako-chan, NO!" Rinko exclaims as she covers Ako's mouth to prevent an embarrassing secret from leaking out.

"I wanna ask to see the list... but a part of me thinks it's best I don't..." I say with a heavy sigh.

"I need a minute to process this..." I say as I sit down and Onee-chan wraps her tail around me to comfort me.

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[3rd Person POV]

As James is relaxing in a corner with Sora and processing what he just learned from Hayasaka, everyone else is talking with each other.

On one side, the Rose Bassist is watching the Coyote Researcher curiously.

"What are you writing?" Lisa asks Karato who is busy taking notes.

"My observations on my subjects." Karato says as she continues writing.

"Like what?" Lisa asks curiously.

"Houseki being so relaxed with Yukina despite her slight phobia of girls; how many sweets Iris had today; how much pudding Jane had; how many times Alisa groomed her tails; how many times Sora has clung to James; how many times James has touched a tail; how his right shoulder is stiff right now; stuff like that along with possible health concerns." Karato answers as she shows Lisa some of her notes.

"You must keep a watchful eye on them." Lisa says as she reads some of the notes.

"I do, not just as a researcher but as their guardian as well." Karato says.

"You've known them for a long time, huh?" Lisa asks.

"I have, James and Jane especially since their birth. It's no stretch to say I've been with them since the beginning of their lives." Karato says with a smile.

"You don't seem so old though. How old were you when they were born?" Lisa asks curiously.

"12 years old." Karato says.

"Ehh?! That young?!" Lisa exclaims in shock, making Karato chuckle.

"Yup, and I was already close to graduating from college at the time. Jane being a dragon completely overturned my original dissertation." Karato says with a smile. She then pulls out her phone and flips the cover to show Lisa a photo of her during graduation, smiling while holding the infant James and Jane in her arms.

"Wow, and you've been with them ever since?" Lisa asks in awe of Karato's intelligence and history with the Matthews family.

"My parents always joked that I spend more time with them than I do with my own family. They're not wrong though and at the same time they are, because the Matthews family is my family too." Karato says with a smile as she pulls out a more recent photo from her lab coat that shows Karato celebrating her birthday with the Matthews family and their friends.

"You must know a lot about them." Lisa says with a smile.

"I do, how James doesn't like bitter or spicy food; Jane isn't a morning person and is protective of her 'treasure hoard'; Iris' sweet tooth and how she hates hot weather; Alisa loves diving headfirst into snow; how Houseki is attached to her papa. I know a lot, although the only thing I can't measure is how much Sora loves James." Karato says as she turns to said puppy and boy who are snuggling with each other.

"It's not hard to understand why after you told us how she came into his life." Lisa says, also watching the aforementioned two.

"I can also understand how you and Yukina are best friends, having lived next to each other and known each other since you were kids." Karato says.

"Yeah, we've known each other for so long that I know Yukina the best." Lisa says as she looks at her best friend playing with Houseki.

"I know what she likes and dislikes, her love for cats, her love for her father, and her passion for music." Lisa says with a smile.

"I guess we're similar in that regard, knowing so much about the people we've been with for so long." Karato says.

"Although in my case, it feels like James has been taking care of me more than I do him." Karato says with a sigh.

"He takes care of a lot of people." Lisa says with a smile.

"Indeed he does. He has a problem, he can't leave troubled girls alone and reaches out to them every time." Karato says.

"It really wasn't just for Houseki why he went after Yukina that night." Lisa says, recalling that time James and Houseki looked for Yukina after she showed them her father's song.

"From what Houseki told me about that, it definitely wasn't just for his daughter. He resolved to help Yukina as well, he cares about her." Karato says.

"Yeah." Lisa nods in agreement.

"Maybe I should listen to mom and go after him, boys like him are really hard to find." Lisa says as she looks at James who went over to check on Houseki and Yukina. Lisa smiles as she notices signs of Yukina having developed feelings for the boy.

"I think Yukina won't mind, and neither would you girls, right?" Lisa asks Karato.

"Why are you asking me? Ask the fox and the wolf." Karato replies with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm willing to bet that list has your name on it too." Lisa says teasingly, making Karato blush before the two hear the sound of paper.

'It does.' The two look forward and see Hayasaka holding her notepad in front of them.

"What?!" Karato exclaims as her tail fizzies out from shock.

"What's so surprising about that?" The three turn to Sora standing next to them.

"After all, Karato was James' first crush~." Sora tells them with a smile while Karato blushes and hides her face in her hands.

"Oh~, that makes sense." Lisa says with a smile.

"We've all already accepted that we're going to be James's wives, even long before this list came up. It's just that some are still coming to terms with the fact that it's inevitable." Sora follows up.

"Research!" Karato exclaims.

"There's no escape, Karato~, and besides, who says you won't have time to do research and be a mother too? Is it not similar to when you were with James and Jane when they were babies?" Sora asks with a smile and wagging tail as Karato just remains silent, unable to counter her.

"Ahahaha!" Lisa laughs in amusement.

"Looks like you're set, Karato-san~." Lisa says.

"Don't you start with me too, Lisa..." Karato says in embarrassment.

"And you obviously feel the same way for James, Sora." Lisa says.

"I'll gladly be whoever he needs me to be, whether it be as his Onee-chan or his lover." Sora says with a gentle smile.

"I think I'll place my claim on him too~." Lisa says with a smile as Hayasaka nods in approval.

On another side are the Rose Pianist and Silver Dragon.

"Jane... what are you doing?" Rinko asks as Jane stands right next to her, seemingly comparing something.

"Trying to see if your chest is bigger than mine." Jane says, flustering Rinko.

"My ch-chest...?!" Rinko exclaims in embarrassment.

"There's no denying it, yours are bigger... Why are the shy, long-haired ones always so 'gifted'?" Jane asks with a sigh.

"J-J-J-Jane..." Rinko says shyly as her face is bright red.

"What? It's a complement. I bet Onii-chan would love to fondle your breasts~, and if they're this big, he might just bless you with multiple children." Jane continues her onslaught as Rinko's embarrassment only continues to rise as she covers her chest with her arms which only emphasizes them more.

"I-I don't think... J-James... would be interested... in me... that way..." Rinko shyly says.

"That's total [bull] and you know it, Ri-ri." Jane replies in a firm tone.

"Onii-chan has a thing for shy types too, you know." Jane adds with a smile.

"Besides, you still like him, don't you? You always have since we were kids~." Jane teasingly asks Rinko who keeps blushing and looks away, making Jane chuckle in amusement.

"But seriously, Rinko, don't put yourself down by thinking that Onii-chan would never be interested in you romantically. You're honestly extremely desirable, you're beautiful, smart, and are quite a proper Hikkikomori, the video games are the only thing not like that, but that's a plus too because it makes you more approachable." Jane says while patting Rinko on the back.

"Y-You really think so?" Rinko shyly asks Jane who nods affirmatively.

"And before you say 'everyone is more desirable than me', you have your own unique charm. Don't discredit that, Ri-ri." Jane adds before she uses her wing to pull Rinko close and hug her. Rinko smiles before hugging Jane back.

"And don't tell Alisa or Ako, but I honestly thought you and Onii-chan could've been best friends if we didn't move." Jane playfully whispers to Rinko who giggles.

Watching the Rose Pianist and Silver Dragon are the Rose Drummer and Strawberry Fox.

"Rin-rin and Jane-san get along really well." Ako says.

"They are childhood friends, and apparently Jane learned how to perfectly down a glass of milk in one go from her. Although I think the nutrients went to her tail and wings instead..." Alisa says as her 9 tails sway side to side.

"What's it like having 9 tails though? I've met a few beast folks before but I've never met a Mythic or Sub-mythic like you before." Ako asks.

"It's quite a lot of work, you have more to be aware of behind you. I have to be careful not to get them caught in something because it really hurts when it does. Maintaining and taking care of them is plenty of work too, but when you give them proper care, they're soft and fluffy enough to use as pillows or as a cushion. Thankfully Victoria Dove has made general care and grooming a lot easier with all her discoveries." Alisa says as she grabs one of her tails and brushes it with a specialized comb.

"She's really talented, it's amazing how despite her products being tailored for beast folk she also puts notices on her products that they can be used by regular people and are actually very good for people with various physiques and physical conditions." Ako says. "I use some of them since it turns out that my hair is really compatible with Kitsune fur, and weirdly enough my skin is compatible with tougher skinned beastfolk."

"Interesting. Wanna try my brush? It's designed for kitsunes and is also good for straightening out hair." Alisa asks Ako as she holds her brush up.

"Ahaha. I actually have my own at home, it's how I style my hair the way I do and it helps with my curly hair." Ako says proudly as she holds her pigtails, making Alisa giggle in amusement.

"I think you'd make a good fox, Ako." Alisa says with a smile.

"Ehehe~, thank you very much." Ako says bashfully with a wide smile and slight blush before she surprises Alisa by gently leaning on her. Alisa is taken aback for a moment before smiling and using 3 of her tails to hold Ako.

"They're so soft and fluffy, and really warm~." Ako says as she holds Alisa's tails that are wrapped around her before gently closing her eyes.

'This is... quite odd... but... I like it...' Alisa thinks to herself as she gently pets Ako while holding her close while she rests.

'Is this... what having a little sister is like?' Alisa asks herself while humming a soft tune.

In another corner, the Rose Guitarist is staring at the Frigid Wolf curiously.

"Yes, Hikawa-san?" Iris turns to look at Sayo who flinches slightly.

"N-Nothing, Reznov-san." Sayo says, regaining her bearings.

"Are you sure?" Iris asks and Sayo nods affirmatively.

Despite Sayo's attempts to be subtle about her fascination with the features of canine beast folks, Iris can clearly sense her curiosity. She has taken note of how Sayo looks at her and Sora's tails and ears.

'She must be a dog lover.' Iris thinks to herself as she remembers how Sayo reacted to Sora patting her head with her tail.

'I never thought wolf beast folks could look so fluffy...' Sayo thinks as she watches Iris' wolf ears twitching. 'How her beret makes her right wolf ear lie flat, it's adorable~.'

"Do you want to touch my wolf ears?" Iris suddenly asks Sayo, catching her by surprise.

"Huh?" Sayo says, taken aback by the sudden question.

"You've been staring at them, I could sense it, even at school." Iris says as her wolf ears twitch and Sayo blushes at being caught.

"... Would it be alright?" Sayo shyly asks.

"I offered, just please don't be rough." Iris says as she removes her beret and leans her head towards Sayo. Sayo slowly reaches her hands up to Iris' wolf ears and when she touches them, she's amazed by how soft they are to the touch.

'They're fluffier than I thought...' Sayo thinks as she begins gently rubbing Iris' wolf ears. Moments later, she notices Iris' tail slowly wagging, clearly showing that she's enjoying it.

Sayo pets Iris' ears for a while more before stopping.

"Satisfied?" Iris asks Sayo who nods affirmatively.

'I want to pet them again.' Sayo thinks to herself as she recalls the fluffy sensation in her hands as Iris puts her beret back on.

"You're much kinder than you appear to be, Reznov-san." Sayo says.

"I could say the same about you, Hikawa-san." Iris replies, surprising Sayo.

"You and I look cold and stern but we have a soft spot." Iris says.

"I guess we have something in common." Sayo says.

"Thank you for being kind to James and not assuming the worst from him. I was worried about him being ostracized for being the only boy in his year. He's been through some... rough times, so I didn't want him getting into more." Iris tells Sayo in a gentle tone that catches her off guard.

"We hold a high standard of conduct which includes impartial judgements to all students, no matter their circumstances." Sayo says, firmly indicating her belief in equal treatment for everyone until proven otherwise.

"And I believe your fair treatment of him helped quell any biased opinions from taking hold. I was worried when you first said you'd keep an eye on him, but any worries were quickly swept away. I really do appreciate that." Iris says, smiling at Sayo.

"He's proven himself trustworthy, I'm honestly glad to see him earn the trust of the class so quickly." Sayo replies, a small smile of her own. Sayo won't admit it, but she has somewhat grown to enjoy James' presence.

"I hope we get along, Sayo." Iris says as she holds her hand out to her.

"I hope so too, Iris-san." Sayo replies as she takes Iris' hand.

"You can drop the honorifics, just Iris is fine." Iris says with a smile.

"If you insist." Sayo replies with a smile.

"So... you watch AI-chan, right? I saw you a few times watching her streams." Iris says and Sayo blushes at being found out.

"Y-Yes..." Sayo shyly admits.

"I like her Karaoke streams the best, I can just leave it on with her singing in the background while I work or play games." Iris says.

"I know what you mean, her voice is truly wonderful and her range is amazing. Her chatting streams are also amazing, especially when Nabi-mama is there too. Their stories are very interesting to listen to." Sayo says.

"Remember that time Nabi-mama talked about butterflies?" Iris asks.

"Yes, that was interesting/ Nabi-mama was so knowledgeable about them and shared plenty of trivia." Sayo says excitedly.

Quickly, the Rose Guitarist and Frigid Wolf start talking excitedly about Heart AI when discussion about Nabi-mama seems to have reminded Sayo of something less than pleasant as her expression suddenly switches from excitement to one of slight despair.

"I wonder... because AI-chan faced a lot of controversy after that statement Nabi-mama made a while back... that one of how apparently there's a massive beast folk trafficking ring and that it's not a secluded issue..." Sayo says.

"Oh that... I mean, she's not wrong..." Iris says with a sigh.

"You believe her?" Sayo asks and Iris signals her to come closer.

"James's Uncle does 'covert work' and the reason he's always busy is because the traffickers do in fact have a massive network that has many members who are working to suppress as much information from going public. This conspiracy has been going on for decades." Iris whispers to Sayo who gasps at the information.

"Is that true?" Sayo quietly asks.

"I don't joke about this." Iris firmly says with a serious expression.

"James's uncle is working tirelessly on eradicating them and, a little known fact, he tracked the IP address of every username who badmouthed Nabi-mama that stream and it turns out they were all involved in it." Iris explains, leaving Sayo shocked while a memory comes back to Iris.

"Did I ever tell you kids about the story of 'The Death Monarch'?" Albert asks James and his family and friends of several beastfolk.

"I just overheard the name from you one time." James says while the rest shake their heads in decline.

"An operation, a while back, at one of their facilities where they kept 50 prisoners, but by the time we got there and about to start the raid... everyone was dead save the prisoners. I was greeted as I slammed the door open... by a Necros Monarch girl... covered in blood and carrying a Glock." Albert describes his experience, leaving many of the kids silent while James and Sora just have this empty gaze in their eyes.

"Killed by their captive, a fitting end for monsters... at the hands of a 'Butterfly of Death'." James says, his voice laced with venom as Sora leans closer to him.

"She was incredibly intelligent... I won't say what she told me in the interest of not burdening you with that knowledge, but she displayed immense intelligence in how she devised her escape..." Albert says while everyone looks in concern at James and Sora who were both almost victims of such monsters.

"A Necros Monarch... who speaks of understanding what 'they' do... it can't be... was it... her...?" Iris wonders silently, as she pieces the puzzle together.

"Oh my god..." Sayo says as she processes such a revelation while Iris takes a deep breath.

'I should keep this to myself...' Iris thinks to herself.

"So yes, Nabi-mama was speaking the truth, and if you want more proof... well, James has a personal vendetta against them..." Iris tells Sayo, causing her to look at James as she thinks about what Iris said.

'Yume-senpai, Jane-san, and Mishano-san are the dog girl with the longest tail, the current dragon of this generation, and the leading beast folk researcher respectively... They're all extremely valuable targets for such... monsters... and James is close with all three...' Sayo thinks to herself as she comes to the realization of Iris' implication.

"He's... crossed paths with them..." Sayo says, her eyes wide.

"I won't tell you what happened, it's not my story to share... But if you want to ask him, just be prepared to see a different side of him..." Iris tells Sayo in a solemn tone.

Sayo's gaze locks onto James who is conversing happily with Yukina and Houseki before Iris' words from earlier play in her mind.

"... He's been through some... rough times, so I didn't want him getting into more."

His love and protectiveness of his sisters and friends who are beast folks... especially for his daughter and his Onee-chan seem more clear to Sayo now.

"... He's a strong young man..." Sayo says as she keeps her gaze on him.

"He is." Iris nods in agreement as they watch James. "He'll reach his hand out to us, even if it bleeds or gets torn apart..."

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[James' POV]

I look around the room as the girls are getting along with each other, although I can't help but notice a somewhat heavy atmosphere from Sayo and Iris as I look at them. The two notice me and I smile at them then the two smile back in response. Things seem to be okay, but they might've talked about something heavy.

"Papa." I feel a tug on my jacket and turn around to Houseki.

"Yes?" I ask as I crouch down to my daughter's level.

"Can Yukina visit us tomorrow?" Houseki asks me.

"Of course she can." I say with a smile as I pet her head.

"Nya!" Houseki meows happily while smiling as her tail sways in joy.

"I couldn't turn Houseki down when she asked me if I wanted to visit." Yukina says.

"You couldn't resist her kitty charms." I say with a chuckle as I pick up Houseki and stand up with her in my arms.

"Nya." Houseki meows as she leans against me.

"Who could?" Yukina asks with a smile as she pets Houseki's head, much to her joy.

"We did say that you're welcome to visit anytime, Yukina." I remind her with a smile. "So you can come over whenever you like to see Houseki."

Yukina smiles before she seems to think about something then looks at me.

"May I stay over at your place tonight then?" Yukina calmly asks. "You stayed at my place recently, wouldn't it be fitting?"

I'm slightly surprised by Yukina's request before Houseki turns to me with expectant eyes, clearly wanting Yukina to stay over. I look between Houseki and Yukina before taking a breath and smiling.

"Of course, I guess that's only fair and Houseki clearly likes the idea." I say while smiling and Yukina smiles.

"Nya!" Houseki meows excitedly as Yukina pets her.

Seeing how close Houseki is getting with Yukina and knowing Houseki's phobia, I want to help them become closer. Seeing their relationship warms my heart as Houseki's papa.

I wonder if Houseki would like Yukina enough to consider her as her mama?

... What did I just think?

I look behind Yukina to see Lisa looking at us with a teasing expression, seemingly overhearing what we were talking about. I don't know why, but part of me wants to wipe that smug look off Lisa's face.

----------

4 hours later

After finishing up more tasks, I enter the storage room looking for Houseki. She isn't at the front desk, with Roselia, or with anyone else, so that leaves one thing.

"If she fits, she sits." I say as I search the boxes in the storage area.

As a cat beast folk, Houseki likes to squeeze herself into tight spaces like most cats. We keep a couple 'Houseki-sized' boxes around the house for her to squeeze into. Maybe I should ask Marina-san if we could keep such a box at the front desk for when Houseki needs to calm down. Dealing with girls at the front desk does drain her.

I spot the boxes I used to move some things earlier, those should have some of my scent clinging to them and be big enough for her to fit in, making them a relaxing spot for Houseki to hide in.

I walk over to one of the boxes and open it.

"You in there, Hou-seki...?" I ask when I open the box only to find...

"He-Hello..." Pastel Palette's drummer nervously greets me, seated inside the box.

"Hi... Maya..." I say, surprised to see her here before we fall into an awkward silence.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, breaking the silence.

"Well... I saw the door to the storage room was open and... I couldn't help but take a look around... then I saw Houseki-san... climb into a box... Seeing her so comfortable and relaxed, I... ummm... also climbed into a box..." Maya nervously explains.

"Nya." Houseki pops up from the box beside Maya and meows.

"You find tight spaces comfy and relaxing too?" I ask Maya.

"Y-Yes..." Maya shyly nods, blushing lightly.

"This must be weird, huh?" Maya says, looking away.

"I don't know, it's pretty normal for me." I say.

"Huh?" Maya lets out, confused.

"Houseki is a cat, she does this all the time at home." I say.

"Nya." Houseki meows in confirmation.

"Regardless if one is a beast folk or normal human, if one finds being in tight spaces relaxing, I don't have a problem with it. It's what makes them comfortable, I'm not gonna bash on it. I mean, I can't sleep comfortably without hugging something so I get it." I tell Maya.

"Mm." Houseki nods.

"I see... Most people just find it weird... Thanks for understanding, James-san." Maya says with a smile.

"There you are." A voice says that sends chills down mine and Maya's spines, and we turn to see Chisato standing behind me with a smile.

"Chisato."

"Chisato-san!"

Me and Maya say in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I ask Chisato.

"I was looking for Maya-chan when I saw you walk into the storage room, James." Chisato answers, still smiling that smile that sends chills down my spine.

"I followed you because Maya-chan might be in here looking at the equipment since she loves them so much." Chisato adds innocently, easing up my worry.

"That makes sense from what I heard about Maya." I say as Maya laughs nervously.

I think Chisato is dangerous... not as much as Dear, but still dangerous.

"You've done your research on us it seems~." Chisato replies.

"If you want to know more, you could ask me directly. I would love to have you know more about me~. We could make it a date if you want." Chisato tells me excitedly, her eyes seemingly hiding... lust...

This girl is looking more and more like a yandere in my eyes...

"I'll keep that in mind, Chisato." I reply as calmly as possible and she giggles in response while Maya hides inside the box and Houseki observes Chisato.

"For now, come along, Maya-chan, just one more song and we can call it for today." Chisato tells Maya.

"Y-Yes!" Maya replies as she quickly stands up.

"Ah!" Maya yelps when she almost falls out of the box.

"I got you." I say before I grab Maya by the waist.

"Hue?" Maya lets out in surprise as I lift her out of the box then set her down on her feet.

I look at Maya's face completely red and her body is shaking in embarrassment before I realize what I just did.

"[Oh f-] I'm sorry, Maya! I pick up Houseki out of boxes all the time so I did that on instinct." I worriedly explain to Maya while Chisato looks on in clear jealousy.

"Nya. Papa didn't mean anything bad, Maya... Papa is just used to doing things like that with us." Houseki tells Maya.

"I-I se-see..." Maya says as she tries to calm down.

"I'm really sorry for touching you all of a sudden, Maya. I'm just used to things like that with the girls." I say as I bow my head in apology, worried about making Maya uncomfortable.

"I-It's okay, James-san! You didn't mean anything bad, you just wanted to help! It was just natural for you!" Maya says as she waves her arms around nervously.

"I was just surprised... a-and... I didn't... f-find it uncomfortable..." Maya shyly says while blushing and twiddling her thumbs while Chisato's gaze slowly turns to her.

"Chisato-san, did you find Maya-sa- Oh, James, you're here." All of our attention is turned to the now entering Eve.

"Hey Eve, just found Maya relaxing in a box with Houseki." I say.

"Nya." Houseki meows.

"I see, Maya-san does like hiding in boxes like cats do." Eve says with a smile.

"Hm, what's wrong, Maya-san? You look flustered." Eve asks Maya.

"N-Nothing! It's just... wa-warm in here..." Maya nervously says.

"Yes... Maya-chan's body is just heating up. We should move her to somewhere she can cool down." Chisato says with a light glare and I don't miss the double-entrade.

"Oh, then let's head back to the studio and get you in front of the fan." Eve says before grabbing Maya and pulling her along.

"Would you like to see us practice our last song for today, James? Aya-chan and Hina-chan brought Alisa-chan and Jane-chan with them earlier." Chisato asks, her eyes staring directly at me.

"Sure, we don't have anything urgent right now." I say, not wanting to upset Chisato.

"Excellent~." Chisato says with a smile before I turn to Houseki.

"Is that the one I taped at the bottom?" I ask Houseki.

"Mm." Houseki nods and I look down to check. The box has tape holding the bottom to prevent it from opening because I used it to move some heavy stuff earlier.

"Okay, hold on." I say as I pick up the box with Houseki in it. Chisato looks at us before chuckling.

"You're such a wonderful father, James." Chisato says with a smile.

"I take pride in that." I proudly say.

"Nya." Houseki meows before we head to the studio Pastel Palettes is using.

----------

30 minutes later [3rd Person POV]

After finishing their last song for practice, Pastel Palettes is resting with the CiRCLE part-timers before going home for the day.

On one side, the Pastel Drummer is watching the Precious Cloaked Kitten relaxing inside a box.

"Does Maya... want to get in the box too?" Houseki asks Maya.

"Ummm... Well..." Maya nervously says while scratching her cheek, as she does want to get in the box too.

"Hmmm..." Houseki hums before she holds her arms up to Maya.

"Hm?" Maya hums inquisitively at the kitten holding her arms up to her.

"Help up." Houseki says and Maya nods before picking Houseki out of the box.

'She's so cute.' Huehehe.' Maya thinks as she holds Houseki up who looks at her with her cat ears twitching adorably before Maya sets her on her feet.

"Get inside." Houseki tells Maya as she pats the box.

"Okay..." Maya says, a little unsure as she climbs inside the box and sits down, getting herself comfortable.

"Heuhehe..." Maya laughs as the tight space instantly makes her feel comfortable and relaxed.

"Hm?" Maya looks to see Houseki climbing into the box.

"Houseki-san?" Maya asks as Houseki positions herself on Maya's lap so the two can fit inside the box.

"Nya." Houseki meows before she settles in more comfortably and nuzzles her head against Maya's chest.

Maya is surprised before Houseki starts purring and Maya can't help but hold her close, making Houseki purr more.

'Inside a nice and comfy box while holding a cute kitty on my lap, this is nice~. Huehehe~.' Maya thinks to herself as she and Houseki are blissfully relaxing inside the box together.

Watching the Pastel Drummer and the Precious Cloaked Kitten relaxing inside the box are the Pastel Vocalist and the Strawberry Fox.

"Hehehe~. It looks like Houseki-chan has taken a liking to Maya-chan too." Aya says, smiling at the scene.

"It's really curious how quickly Houseki trusted Yukina and Maya, it took her some time to trust us; she was always clinging to James." Alisa says with a smile, happy to see Houseki slowly getting over her fear of girls.

"Maybe you helped ease her into trusting people faster? Maybe she just needed some practice, and you helped provide it." Aya suggests, making Alisa hum in thought.

"Hmmm... I never thought of it like that... Ever since I met James, I've hung out at his place a lot, so I've interacted with Houseki a lot. At first, she couldn't be near me without her papa and before I knew it, she could talk to me normally albeit a bit shyly, and now I'm one of the few girls she trusts enough to be with when her papa isn't around." Alisa says as she recalls her relationship with James' kitten daughter.

"It definitely seems like a story that would lead to her being able to trust people quicker, with experience comes wisdom after all." Aya says happily hearing Alisa's story.

"Like what my mom says, the more you experience in life, the wiser you become." Alisa says with a smile.

"How did you and James meet?" Aya curiously asks Alisa.

"That? It's quite the story..." Alisa says as she takes a deep breath.

"It was when he and his family returned from Japan. When I was young, I was popular in school due to being a nine-tailed kitsune; many people were curious and wanted to be friends with me, but... I never considered any of them my friend... I could feel that they didn't want to be my friend, they just wanted to be friends with a rare beast folk... So I kept a friendly facade and hid my loneliness behind a smile..." Alisa tells Aya who looks at her in concern.

"No one saw through my facade, until one day in middle school, a boy approached me with a concerned look on his face." Alisa says as she recalls that moment.

"[Are you okay?]" A younger James asks the nine-tailed fox girl who's found a moment of peace in a secluded hallway.

"[Yeah, I'm okay, why?]" Alisa asks him.

"[You look lonely.]" James asks Alisa, surprising her.

"[What makes you say that? Everyone talks to me all the time.]" Alisa asks him.

"[You're surrounded by people, but when I look at you, I always see a lonely look on your face.]" James says.

"[Are you sure you're not imagining it?]" Alisa asks, trying to deflect his concerns.

"[Well... first your face looked like my sister's when she felt lonely at school but wasn't trying to worry me. There were people who tried getting close to her, but that was because they were interested that she's a dragon, not because they wanted to be her friend. I know when she gets uncomfortable with people like that.]" James says, catching Alisa by surprise at the mention of his dragon sister.

"[Are you sure you're not reading into it too much though? Our situations could be very different after all.]" Alisa suggests.

"[Maybe... but... I have a lot of family who are beast folk... a lot of them have tails, and I can see the difference in how they move based on how they're feeling... and yours are always moving so... slowly... even when you're talking to many people. They barely wag even when you're smiling or 'happy'. Onee-chan's tail is always moving so quickly, but when I first saw her... it was moving so slow because of how much pain she was in... physically and emotionally...]" James explains and Alisa realizes that she's ratted herself out as her tails flinch.

"[Tails don't lie, never ever.]" James tells Alisa as she feels like this boy who just transferred a week ago saw right through her, through the fake smile she always put on that fooled everyone. Something she finds all too amusing as she chuckles and her tails begin moving a bit faster.

"[Haha. All these years and I thought nobody could noticed, and yet, with you saying that, it suddenly feels like a weight has been lifted off me.]" Alisa says with a chuckle, relishing in this new feeling she never thought possible.

"[So... do you want to be friends?]" James shyly asks her.

"[Is it because I'm a kitsune?]" Alisa asks him as she gazes into his eyes.

"[Partly, but it's also because I think you deserve a friend who understands you and it looks like I can understand you. I don't want you to be lonely like Jane and Onee-chan were.]" James playfully says with a smile.

"[You're the only one who's seen the loneliness behind my smile... and offered to be my friend; you're the first one who feels... 'real'.]" Alisa says before taking a deep breath and standing up.

"[Let's be friends.]" Alisa says with a smile as her tails wag in genuine happiness.

"[Now your tails are showing they're really happy.]" James says with a smile, making Alisa's tails wag more.

"[And now that I get to see it, your real smile looks really pretty too.]" James says, causing Alisa to blush and her heart to skip a beat.

"That's so cute~." Aya squeals, giddy at Alisa's recollection of that moment.

"Hehe... Yeah... What wasn't cute was that after getting a whiff of all the beast folk scents attached to him, I immediately, unconsciously declared him my Alpha." Alisa says, slightly embarrassed while blushing at the memory.

"Hehe. And when did you fall in love with him?" Aya excitedly asks Alisa, suddenly causing her to pause when she starts thinking about.

'Is what I feel love... or... is this just my instincts as a fox...?' Alisa thinks to herself as she suddenly feels an internal dilemma welling up inside her.

Meanwhile in another part of the Live House, the Super Genius and Pastel Bassist are enjoying each other's company.

"I've always been curious, you seem quite refined and mature, though it is to be expected considering your age, and yet you seem to fit so well into this little family James has, how is that?" Chisato asks Karato.

"It all goes back to what you heard yesterday, taking care of myself almost becomes an afterthought because of my research. Though I feel slightly dignified in that mindset, which is probably why I haven't broken that habit." Karato says as her gaze wanders.

"Why would you say that? Do you believe your research is an absolute necessity?" Chisato asks curiously.

"... I really wish it wasn't... but it is..." Karato says as her mood still seems caught up on the subject.

"Is it... dangerous research?" Chisato asks, thinking the only reason she'd say that would be something that fits that criteria, especially considering Karato's mood.

"It shouldn't be... but it is... Do you believe there's a widespread Beast Folk Trafficking Ring?" Karato asks and Chisato is taken aback by the question.

"Well... I don't think I'm well-versed enough on such a topic... I won't readily denounce it but... I can't say I've seen enough to think there is." Chisato answers as it's now her turn to be slightly bashful.

"Whether you wish to believe me or not, there is, and it's because my research is seen as incredibly dangerous... There's already... a notice amongst those 'people' for an extremely high reward for my capture... or murder..." Karato says and Chisato rapidly turns in shock, looking at Karato who is in a defensive posture as she hugs her stomach with her arms.

"H-How could it be that bad? What did you do? Is your research that dangerous to them?" Chisato asks urgently.

"I specialize in Beast Folk Biology, from pregnancy to behaviors that are innately biological, and since most beast folk traits are dominant traits they're consistently passed on with few exceptions... wouldn't it be... problematic for people who specialize in using these innate biological traits to capture their targets if their tactics were discovered and... worse yet, released to the public...?" Karato asks and Chisato's gaze lowers, realizing the weight of Karato's work.

"Is that why... so many conspiracies surround people who've researched Beast Folk Biology in the past...?" Chisato asks.

"It's why I haven't gone live with my research, but it's only because I'm being paid by a very rich man to keep the research on the downlow and keep communications and findings between him and I unless expressly stated otherwise. He's keeping an eye on it because he's also had issues with these people in the past and he wants them gone as much as I do, and if he can succeed, then he'll allow my research to go public because he doesn't want another reset of beast folk research that he believes the public has a right to know." Karato explains as Chisato becomes interested with her sentiments.

"Does James know this?" Chisato asks.

"Due to an incident that happened a while back, he was forcefully brought into the shadows, and from then... he went from an average boy to a significant threat to them, he needs to be. There's no greater deterrent to violent criminals than a strong protector who's willing to do what's necessary to protect what he loves." Karato explains as Chisato looks off towards James.

"Protect what he loves..." Chisato says as her usual lust towards the young man takes a different tone, one of endearment, pleased to know that should her fate be to become his happily-wedded wife, he would willfully protect her, and be cold and callous to those who would be possessive of her despite her not wanting anything to do with them.

"You're really taking him in, aren't you?" Karato asks, snapping Chisato of her seeming trance-like state.

"He truly is an interesting boy, and I'm really happy I met him. I hope that at the bare minimum we can stay friends for the rest of our days." Chisato says calmly.

"Hehehe... He really is amazing after all. It's the one part I relish in that makes me not regret assigning someone 12 years my junior as my Alpha." Karato says.

"Is that actually a part of Beast Folk Biology?" Chisato asks as to the general public, it's still uncertain if Beast Folk assign legitimate alphas to themselves.

"Some of them yes, others no." Karato answers as their discussion continues.

Meanwhile elsewhere, 2 duty-bound warriors, one to her friends and the other to the blade converse.

"Iris-senpai, have you considered following the ways of bushido?" Eve asks the Russian wolf.

"No, what makes you think I would?" Iris asks the half-nordic samurai-idol.

"You seem rather duty-bound to your friends, a very important principle to all who follow the path of the blade." Eve explains.

"I am ready to dirty my hands to protect my friends, even the Klubnika, but I don't think I would be a fit for the ways of bushido... Some of my beliefs would... conflict with it..." Iris says.

"Bushido manifests itself as the pure form of understanding your battle, your purpose, what you seek, eliminate indecisiveness, having the poise and determination to attain what you desire, and in doing so, you are able to see the clearest path in which to attain it, the path of Bushido is not strictly that of the blade, it is a lifestyle founded in understanding of one's self, after all, if you do not know yourself, how could you ever wield a blade?" Eve asks, leaving the white wolf in deep thought.

'I always believed in being cold-blooded and ruthless as a warrior, but... I can't deny something about 'honorable warriors' fascinates me... I just don't understand why.' Iris thinks to herself.

"Do you really think I, someone who believes in being ruthless and pragmatic in battle, could learn the ways of bushido?" Iris asks Eve.

"I don't think it's a question of 'can you' and more 'are you willing to'?" Eve asks, taking Iris aback as she thinks about it more.

'I got nothing to lose...' Iris thinks, taking a deep breath.

"Are you offering to teach me?" Iris asks her kouhai.

"I could if you want me to, it's good for your mind, body, and soul." Eve says happily.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Then I shall be counting on your guidance, Eve." Iris says with a smile as Eve laughs bashfully while rubbing the back of her head.

"I will do my best! I know that you have a noble soul inside of you, Iris-senpai." Eve says determinedly.

"Bushido!" Eve exclaims excitedly as Iris smiles at her enthusiasm.

'And maybe... this will help me protect Rushia and Nabi-mama from those wretched people too.' Iris thinks to herself.

Outside the Live House, Two Talented Younger Twins are talking to each other.

"Onee-chan split an arrow in half with another arrow without meaning to when she fought that monster! It was awesome!" Hina excitedly praises Sayo, recalling their time in TWO.

"Onii-chan was truly amazing with how he fought alongside Friend yesterday to beat that boss!" Jane sings James's praises.

"Onee-chan was also cool when she killed that monster that tried to claw at James and saved him!" Hina exclaims.

"You should've seen the time Onii-chan ended up winning a 5 v 5 match in less than 3 minutes because the enemy team didn't realize how good of a sniper he was! We just led them right into his view." Jane proclaims a proud memory of the fastest game they've ever finished in a 5 v 5 match.

"Hmmm... It sounds like James needs others' help." Hina bluntly points out but Jane just chuckles in amusement.

"Oh, he can handle things by himself, you should've seen when he started playing his current main in 'Dead till Nightfall', there was this one game where he killed everyone in 5 minutes because he got into their head and since he's such a good shot, they never see him coming. One guy thought he was gonna get away in the hatch but got hooked and dragged away right before they jumped in, crushing his hope of escape. Onii-chan is amazing by himself, but he knows he's better when working together with others." Jane proudly says.

'Didn't help that last guy was an anti-beast folk bigot... Onii-chan really sounded like he was going to kill him for real... Onii-chan normally lets people go in that situation... He really wanted to crush hope and bring despair...' Jane thinks to herself.

"Onii-chan is really cool, but at the end of the day, we love Onii-chan because he loves us and takes good care of us." Jane says as her tail wags in joy.

"Wan!" Sora's muffled bark rings out from inside the building.

"You, Sora-chan, Alisa-chan, Iris-chan, Houseki-chan and Karato really love him, huh?" Hina asks.

"In Onee-chan's words, 'What isn't to love?'" Jane replies with a smile.

"Wan!" Sora's muffled bark rings out from inside the building again.

"I wish Onee-chan was affectionate with me like James is with all of you..." Hina says with a longing sigh.

"Just give her some time, I'm sure she'll open up to you, though maybe not as affectionate as Onii-chan is." Jane says with a nervous laugh.

"What are you two talking about?" The two turn to see James walking towards them.

"Oh, just two younger twin sisters praising their older twin siblings." Jane says with a smile as her tail wags.

"I knew that's what you two would be up to the moment I saw you two together." James says with a sigh before he pets Jane's head, much to her joy.

"You okay, Hina?" James asks the younger Hikawa twin, noticing the sad look on her face.

"Why are you so affectionate with Jane-chan?" Hina bluntly asks him.

"Because this somewhat annoying dragon is my dear little sister and I love her." James says as he squishes his twin sister's cheeks, much to her joy.

"Then... does Onee-chan hate me?" Hina says dejectedly, causing the Matthews twins to stop and look at Hina in concern.

"I don't think that's the case, Hina." James says.

"Then why isn't she affectionate with me like you are with Jane-chan?" Hina asks.

"Well... she's not me, so she could very likely show her love differently. Not all sibling relationships show love the same way, even twins. Some are affectionate and some playfully mess with each other." James says as Jane nods in agreement.

"I don't think Sayo hates you, but from what I see... I think she might be a little stubborn and hard-headed, kinda like me." James says as he walks over to Hina.

"I think she might need to think about a few things about herself and I think giving her some space would be something she'd appreciate. You let her know you love her, but not too much. Too much love can drive people away when they feel suffocated." James tells Hina as she looks at him curiously.

"Let me give an example. Can I borrow your hand?" James asks Hina who blinks at the odd request before she slowly raises her hand and James holds it.

"When you hold hands with someone you love, it feels nice when you hold it tight, right?" James asks and Hina nods as her hand is held by his gloved hand. She finds this curious, but not unwelcome.

"Now what if you hold it too tight?" James says as he slowly begins squeezing Hina's hand tight.

"Ow!" Hina exclaims from the pain as James keeps squeezing her hand tighter to the point that it feels like he's crushing her hand.

"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts!" Hina cries out in pain as she tries to pull her hand out of his grasp, but James' hold is too strong. James keeps squeezing her hand before he lets go of her hand and she quickly pulls it back, shaking the pain away.

"What was that for?!" Hina asks, irked by James hurting her.

"Do you understand?" James replies, his question catching Hina off guard.

"When I held your hand too tight, it hurt and you wanted to escape my grasp. The same thing can be said with love and affection." James says as Hina looks at her aching hand, thinking about his words.

"Another example, if Onee-chan's tail squeezed my body too tight to the point that my body was being crushed but Onee-chan ignored my pain and kept doing so, what do you think I would do?" James asks Hina.

"You'd... try to escape her grasp..." Hina slowly says as she starts to realize what James is trying to tell her.

"Correct." James nods.

"I want him to feel comfortable, not constrained." A voice says as a long brown tail wraps around James gently and Sora walks up next to him.

"This is just my understanding and I could be wrong, but you love Sayo a lot, Hina, and that's good, siblings should love each other. However, Sayo might be feeling suffocated by your love. I'm not telling you to stop loving her, I'm suggesting you learn how to love her without making her feel suffocated." James tells Hina as he pats Sora's tail wrapped around him.

"I admit there was a time that I was clingy to the point of Onii-chan getting annoyed. Onee-chan taught me that lesson of suffocating love... using a similar manner of demonstration..." Jane says with a nervous chuckle.

"Wan." Sora barks as the end of her tail reaches out to Jane and pats her head.

"Thanks to that, I learned the right amount of love to show Onii-chan and we're happy with how we are." Jane says with a smile as her tail wraps around her twin brother's arm affectionately.

"Same goes for me, I learned that lesson too." James says as he gently holds Jane's tail and pats Sora's tail.

"Too much or too little love and affection can both be bad. You need to learn how to love someone in a way that makes them know and feel that they are loved, but not suffocated, and everyone has a different way of showing love." Sora tells Hina with a smile.

"Do you understand what I'm telling you, Hina?" James asks Hina as he pats Sora's tail, asking her to let him go and she obliges. "Show your Onee-chan you love her, but don't suffocate her."

Hina looks at James, Jane and Sora as she processes everything

"I understand... But... how do I know if... I'm being too much... or too little?" Hina asks.

"We could help you if you'd like. As a fellow twin, I want you and Sayo to have a loving relationship." James tells Hina as he pats her head, catching her by surprise.

"Yeah! We'd be happy to help!" Jane says as her tail wags and wings flap while Sora smiles. Hina stares at James before a smile forms on her lips.

"You're a pretty boppin' guy, James, maybe almost as Onee-chan. I guess I can see why Jane-chan and Sora-chan love you the way they do." Hina says.

"Wan!"

"I don't really roar."

Sora and Jane say respectively.

"I feel a lot better now, thanks. I'll be counting on you." Hina says while smiling.

"Happy to help." James says with a smile as he pets Hina's head again, this time she leans towards him.

"You really raised Onii-chan into a wonderful young man, Onee-chan." Jane says with a smile.

"Wan!" Sora barks with a proud smile and a wagging tail.

----------

[James' POV]

I couldn't help but take notice of the Hikawa twins' strained relationship, most notably from Sayo's end, but I can also see how Hina's adoration is annoying Sayo. Hopefully they can reconcile and their relationship can improve. Jane and I get along very well so it's really depressing for us to see another pair of twins who have a strained relationship.

My phone suddenly chimes while I'm petting Hina's head and I pull it to see a message from who else, but MNK.

You truly have a kind heart, teaching her a valuable lesson and offering your hand to her. Seeing your kindness and watching you taking action only makes me fall even harder for you~.

Love, MNK.

'This girl.' I think to myself as I read her message while Artemis sighs at it.

----------

3 hours and 30 minutes later

"Good evening, please pardon my intrusion." Yukina greets my parents as she respectfully bows to them.

"Welcome, make yourself at home. Friends of our children are always welcome in our home." Mom says with a smile.

"And it's rare for Houseki to be the one to ask someone over." Dad says with a chuckle as he holds his granddaughter in his arms.

"Nya." Houseki meows with a smile as her tail sways in joy, making Yukina smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Yukina says.

With that, my parents return to their business and Yukina sets her bag down when she sees a Houseki-sized box in the living room that has a blanket in it.

"Is this Houseki's?" Yukina asks as she checks the box.

"One of several." Jeanne says, making Yukina turn to her.

"Nya." Houseki meows in confirmation.

"This is our youngest sister Jeanne, she's in 3rd year middle school." Jane says as she pats Jeanne's head with her tail, making Jeanne swipe her tail off her head.

"Oh, she's not a beast folk?" Yukina asks, mildly surprised that Jeanne doesn't have a tail.

"Yeah, Jeanne's a common human like me." I say with a chuckle.

"But Jeanne is very smart and hardworking, a very responsible and reliable girl. Her friends call her 'mama' sometimes." Onee-chan says proudly as she pets Jeanne's head with her tail, making Jeanne blush at the praise.

"It seems that everyone here is unique." Yukina says with a small smile.

"Welcome to the Matthews household." Karato-nee says.

Yukina then turns her attention to the Alaskan snow puppy lazing in front of the cooler while dressed lightly.

"Isn't she cold?" Yukina asks.

"Yes, she's 'Yuki'." Jane says with a silly smile, wagging her tail and flapping her wings while Onee-chan giggles at Jane's pun.

"That's the equivalent of a hand fan for her." Karato-nee says as she walks over to Yuki and places her hand on Yuki's forehead to check her temperature.

"Hmm? But she's a dog girl." Yukina says.

"Wan." Yuki barks as her tail wags and dog ears twitch.

"She is, but... Okay, this needs to stay between us though. Not a word to anyone." Karato-nee tells Yukina, taking her aback.

"Yuki is truly one of a kind, she's a dog girl and a snow woman." Karato explains and Yukina looks at Yuki in surprise who just looks back at her.

"Why... must that be kept a secret?" Yukina asks cautiously.

"Oh boy... Where do we begin...?" Karato-nee says, letting out a long sigh while I walk over to Yuki and pet her head to ease us both.

----------

[Alisa's POV]

"You look like you were struck by a bolt of inspiration." I say as I watch my mom type away at her typewriter, her fingers gliding as the sounds the typewriter rings out in the room; a rather rhythmic and relaxing sound. My mom prefers writing her novels on a typewriter rather than a computer. She just scans her work to digitize them then send it to her publisher and for archiving. Once she publishes her novel, she hardbounds and signs the first copy, putting it up for auction; she's done this ever since she became a prevalent novelist. The signature and the prestige of having 'the first copy', typewritten with its imperfections instead of digitally printed, serves as a high status symbol among collectors and catches high prices. One of her first copies actually sold for 2.5 million USD.

Mom's a very talented writer, she can make both novels for older generations and light novels for younger generations. This makes her unique compared to most writers.

Suddenly the beautiful rhythm of mom's typing is interrupted by a loud knocking on the front door.

"Could you get the door for me, my sweet little fox?" Mom asks as she turns to me since dad is already asleep because he used his day to catch up on his work backlog. Dad deserved his sleep.

"Okay." I reply before leaving the room while mom resumes her work. I head downstairs and walk towards the front door. I open the door and I'm suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the house. I feel someone cover my mouth, instantly causing me to panic and struggle to break free.

"Don't struggle and no one gets hurt." The stranger coldly tells me as he drags me with me and I notice 2 more men running out of a van towards us.

In that instant, I'm consumed by fear and try to struggle free from his grasp.

"Quit moving." The stranger holding me demands in frustration before he suddenly falls down, breaking me free. The other two panic and quickly reach for their sides to draw their weapons before two suppressed gunshots ring right behind me. The two fall dead with a bullet in their heads before one more silent shot rings behind me and I quickly turn around to see...

"Hayasaka...?" I ask, remembering the dragon girl as she stands over the corpse of the one who grabbed me and slowly holsters her suppressed pistol.

My attention then turns to the three corpses of my kidnappers. The realization of the situation hits me as immense fear and dread wells up inside me.

"Oh my god... I cou-could've... I-I could've b-been k-ki-..." I say as panic starts to set in while horrible stories of what happens to beast folks who are circulated into the trafficking ring play in my mind.

"We won't let that happen." I'm surprised and look to see several men in black suits and wearing black shades grabbing the bodies of the kidnappers, placing them into body bags then throwing them into a truck nearby.

"Your intel never fails, ma'am." Another of the Suits says and Hayasaka nods to him before the men in suits quickly make their exit and drive away while some are still cleaning the evidence.

I hear the sound of running before two men who are clearly foreigners arrive before one of the Suits stops them and talks to them, explaining what happened. One of the two foreigners pulls out a radio, saying 'The suits have it handled' in English into it before the two nod to the suited man and leave.

Were they... Albert's men?

"Do you... work with James' uncle Albert?" I ask Hayasaka as I try to calm myself.

'No, I do not. We do cooperate with each other, but I work for the head of the Tsurumaki family.' Hayasaka writes on her notepad.

"The Tsurumaki family..." I say, recalling how they're possibly the most powerful family in Japan and how they have an interest in both Karato's work and the Matthews family.

"I know they have an interest in my best friend and his family... b-but why me?" I ask shakily as the Suits finish cleaning up evidence and leave while Hayasaka stays.

'That's classified information, what I can say is you're a high value individual and your safety is of the utmost importance to my master and an undisclosed individual.' Hayasaka writes in response.

"As a kitsune... I know how valuable I am... to those sick a-animals... but... how lo-long have they been planning to c-ca-capture me...?" I ask as the fear of almost being kidnapped continues to grip me.

What would've happened to me...?

'They've likely been planning it for months, the syndicate is starting to see how much of a threat Karato and James are to their operations, and they tried to get you as a ransom to get closer and possibly get rid of James.' Hayasaka replies and I slowly understand what she means. Karato's research is undoubtedly important and valuable, and James... he thinks I don't know, but my ears have overheard about what he's really up to after that incident with Sora.

"Things are getting interesting and dangerous it seems..." We turn to the door to see my mom standing there with her Colt Python in hand.

"Xandria always warned me that something like this would happen..." Mom says as she tucks her gun away and walks towards me.

"Are you okay, Alisa?" Mom worriedly asks me as she holds my face in concern.

"Y-Yeah... I'm fine... I'm j-just... sh-shaken... I was almost... I was almost... kidn-" I shakily say before I can't control my emotions anymore and I hug my mom, crying into her chest.

"I was so scared... I don't know w-what would've ha-happened to me... The stories of what happens t-to beast fo-folks like me..." I say, crying more into mom's chest as she hugs me back.

"I know, it was terrifying. I don't know what I'd do if they took you... But fate has blessed us that you were saved before they could take you and I'm thankful for that. It's okay, Alisa, you're safe." Mom gently tells me as she pets my head, comforting me.

"Thank you for saving my sweet little fox." Mom thanks Hayasaka.

'We do our best, we really have our work cut out for us. We have various mythic and sub-mythics that aren't under James' protection that we constantly observe in the event danger arises, and that's not even counting the regular ones that they've already started targeting.' Hayasaka writes as she leans against the wall and slides down it to sit down. My legs soon start to give out and mom gently lowers us to sit down on the ground.

"Those cruel monsters are everywhere... and yet there are people who think it's not a huge problem... that it's not a widespread issue..." Mom says in disappointment as she continues to comfort me.

'They've done well to keep their tracks covered, the fact that a dedicated US-backed multinational task force and people who work under the most powerful man in Japan are very telling of how capable and dangerous they are... After all... they never would've captured me... if they were just petty thugs...' Hayasaka writes as mom is taken aback from learning that Hayasaka was once their prisoner. That's right... this is a personal matter for her...

"You certainly look like a valuable 'prize' for those monsters." Mom says, angered at those monsters. "What are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

'I'm a fairy dragon, so, exceptionally valuable to them.' Hayasaka writes as Mom is seemingly startled at hearing that Hayasaka is the 6th dragon.

"So Jane isn't the only one... Two dragons in a generation... This is... unheard of..." Mom says in awe of that fact.

'Did you ever hear of the incident around a decade ago when an orphanage was burned down and the bodies of several children' and caretakers were found scattered around...?' Hayasaka asks as mom and I recall when that was all over the news. It was horrific and shocked the entire world...

"Yes... Were you...?" Mom slowly replies.

'It was... because of me... I was... one of the children who lived there... they came, killed everyone, and burned it down trying to find and capture me... I managed to save 1 life... a German shepherd pup who would go on to be raised by the Matthews after I left him in front of their house before running away to distract them so they wouldn't hurt him, knowing I was the one they wanted... and it wasn't long after that I was captured... but at least... Pershing was safe...' Hayasaka writes, recalling the day she was captured, still relieved she saved Pershing's life even if she risked a life of eternal slavery to achieve it. Frustration boils inside me, knowing now that such a horrific incident was caused by them and yet STILL THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SAY THEIR ISN'T A BEAST FOLK TRAFFICKING RING!

"Those monsters..." Mom says in frustration before she takes a deep breath to calm herself.

"I hope you don't believe that was your fault, because it wasn't, just as tonight wasn't Alisa's or that incident years ago wasn't Sora's. All the fault lies on those monsters." Mom tells Hayasaka.

'Root causes are always more important than simply who's at fault, you can blame anyone but unless you address how it even happened it's doomed to happen again. Just like tonight would've been much worse if we didn't identify the root cause for the incident with Sora-san, a strong deterrent force.' Hayasaka writes

"True..." Mom says with a heavy sigh.

"They won't give up... won't they? They'll make an attempt on me again... or maybe someone else..." I say as I cling to my mom desperately as she holds me.

'If the depraved do not recede, then their only fate is death, I assure it. If you come into my domain and start calling your own shots, well... screwing around is temporary, finding out is eternal. If they come for you again, tonight will just be the prologue.' Hayasaka writes with a serious expression on her face.

"At least we'll be guarded. Thank you, ummm..." Mom trails off, asking for Hayasaka's name.

'Hayasaka.' Hayasaka writes her name.

"Thank you for saving my daughter, Hayasaka. I'm truly grateful." Mom says, bowing her head to her.

"Thank you... Hayasaka... You saved me... I owe you..." I thank Hayasaka who nods to us in reply.

'Do you wish for me... to report this incident to James?' Hayasaka asks and I feel my heart sink.

James...

What would've happened if I was taken...?

I know he would be enraged, like what happened when his Onee-chan was almost kidnapped...

He made a choice to become stronger that night... and knowing what he's been doing with his mentor...

Would he have done to find me...?

Should I let him know...?

Should I burden him with this...?

I don't want to worry him... He has enough on his plate with Sora, Houseki, Jane, and Karato already...

I could just keep this a secre-

"[Tails don't lie, never ever.]"

I could fool the others... but not him...

Ever since... he's always been able to see right through me...

He could tell right away that I'm keeping something from him... especially something this big...

Keeping this a secret and lying to him... would be futile...

Besides... we're best friends... I can always count him... like he can always count on me.

"Can we... tell him tomorrow? They have a guest over... and I don't want the mood to be soured by this..." I ask Hayasaka.

'Very well, I shall leave the time of report up to you. After an unsuccessful heist, they can only make small moves, easy tracking for my men. I'm going to go home and log in to TWO, I suspect James will soon too.' Hayasaka writes as she stands back up and looks towards the sky as she spreads her majestic beautiful glowing wings. Mom and I look at them in awe before Hayasaka flies up into the sky, barely making a sound and instantly disappearing into the dark night sky.

"What a courageous girl. I think she gave me a bolt of inspiration." Mom says with a small smile.

"How do you feel? Are you alright?" Mom asks me.

"I feel a little better..." I say, as most of my fear has subsided, though dread still lingers.

"We should let your father know." Mom says and I nod.

"Come on, let's head back inside." Mom tells me. We stand up and head back inside the house as I try to process everything that happened tonight.

----------

20 minutes later [James' POV]

"Nyaaa~." Houseki meows as Yukina scratches her chin.

Yukina smiles as she continues to play with Houseki, but she's clearly shaken up by what she just learned... Yuki's nature as a snow puppy hybrid, the Beast Folk trafficking syndicate who are after several people in my family, and... the incident...

"... Sora-san's love for you is so much clearer now..." Yukina says, making me turn to her.

"I could never imagine what you and Sora-san went through..." Yukina says before she turns to me. "Or the lengths you would go to protect her and those you hold dear..."

I take a deep breath as I steady my breathing. I didn't reveal too much, but I told Yukina I've been learning to 'protect' everyone I love and that I saved Yuki before from traffickers, just not how.

"I love all of them... that's all the reason I need to go to the lengths I do and would do to protect them. I don't want to experience that helplessness and fear I felt that night ever again... I want to be able to protect everyone I love from those monsters." I tell Yukina as I look into her eyes.

"And if I can protect others too... then I'll reach my hand out to them..." I say as I remove the glove from my right hand and show Yukina the scar I got from the incident. "... Even if my hand bleeds or gets torn apart."

Yukina's stares in shock at my hand, at the scar, at the proof of that horrible night.

Suddenly my phone chimes and I quickly check to see MN- Oh, it's Iris who texted me.

Iris: Hey, I'm coming over. Can you tell your folks that I'm coming over with 2 important people?

Before I can respond I get another message, this time from Uncle Albert.

Albert: James, Iris is heading to your house with 2 HVIs. Be ready in case of trouble. I have men on overwatch. You'll be looking for a black sedan.

"[Goddammit...]" I quietly curse as I take a deep breath before putting my glove back on. This doesn't bode well...

"I gotta handle something, please watch Houseki for me." I tell Yukina who's taken aback by the request.

"I will." Yukina nods as Houseki leans against her and I nod to Yukina in thanks before walking over to dad on his PC.

"Dad." I quietly call out to him while tapping his shoulder.

"Yeah?" Dad turns to me.

"I need to go outside for something. [Uncle Albert messaged me, possible trouble.]" I quietly tell him and dad sighs through his nose before nodding. He opens the filing cabinet and grabs the Glock 19 kept there and some loaded magazines before concealing them on his person. He then powers down the PC and heads to the living room, turning on the TV with the volume low so he can be aware of outside.

I quickly head upstairs to my room. I check my M4A1 hidden in the closet then hide it in the room where I can quickly grab it if necessary. I grab my sidearm and ammo then pull out my phone.

"Artemis, MNK." I call out to the AI and Hacker duo on my phone.

"Yes?" Artemis says as she appears on the screen.

'Yes, dear?' MNK types.

"I need to go out for something and Uncle Albert warned me of-" I say when MNK suddenly types something.

'We saw the message. We'll keep you safe~.' MNK types.

"Artemis is currently tracking Iris now... and is actively looking around for trouble..." Artemis says and I can't help but chuckle at them taking action.

"I'm counting on you two." I say as I start walking.

"Hai." Artemis replies with a smile.

'You can count on me~. No one is going to harm you, my love~.' MNK types.

"Pershing, with me." I call out to the family guard dog who stands up and follows me outside.

I head outside and wait by the gate with Pershing sitting next to me.

"I bet you want to tear the syndicate's throats out for what they did to you, huh pal?" I ask Pershing and he lightly barks, seemingly in agreement.

"Good boy." I say as I pet Pershing's head.

"They're here... to your right, Teacher..." Artemis informs me and I look right to see a black sedan driving up then stopping in front of our house. The door on the passenger side opens and Iris steps out.

"So who are the important people?" I ask the frigid wolf.

"... The Death Monarch and Heart AI." Iris says in a serious tone as the mention of 'The Death Monarch' takes me aback.

I turn to the figures who step out of the car. One is Rushia Mori, our schoolmate who we figured out is Heart AI and the one who gets out of the driver's side is a woman with long straight black hair and blue eyes with a massive pair of glowing deep blue butterfly wings.

Is she... 'The Death Monarch'? Uncle Albert did say she was a small frail-looking woman. However, when I look into her eyes, I can see something... familiar in them...

"They're right, we do share the same look in our eyes." The Death Monarch says with a small smile. "The look of someone who's stared death in the eyes."

"You really are the Death Monarch..." I quietly say and she looks at me curiously with a slightly confused expression.

"Death Monarch? Where could such a name have come from?" The Death Monarch asks.

"My uncle, I believe you met him when you escaped. It's what he and his men called you after the... 'judgment' you passed on those monsters and how you're a Necros Monarch." I explain.

"Your uncle... I can vaguely recall, there was a man who appeared to share your visage... all those years ago." The Death Monarch says as her eyes return to their gentle yet foreboding form.

I look between Rushia and The Death Monarch, seeing a resemblance with them.

"You're Rushia's mother?" I ask her. She smiles and nods as she gently pets her daughter's hair and ears, much to Rushia's pleasure.

"I see. Please come inside." I say before leading them inside the house before I turn to see Pershing isn't moving. Hayasaka might be nearby, it's a common thing for Pershing to be looking for Hayasaka when she's nearby. They really were important to each other, weren't they?

"Lead her in when she gets here, Persh." I tell Pershing and he barks in reply as he waits for his old friend.

"We have more guests!" I announce as we enter the house. We enter the living room and I give an 'Okay' sign and a thumbs up to signal dad that things are alright.

"Oh, it's Iris-chan and Rushia-chan, welcome." Onee-chan says with a smile as she sees our guests.

"Thank you for welcoming us and please pardon our intrusion. Iris-chan wanted us to come over and meet you." The Death Monarch, rather Ms. Mori, says as she and Rushia bow in greeting.

"This is Rushia Mori, our schoolmate and her mother." I introduce them to everyone.

"It's nice to meet you. Please make yourselves at home." Mom greets them with a smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Ms. Mori replies with a smile before we go about introducing ourselves.

"Her wings are glowing... is she a Necros Monarch?" Jeanne asks while looking at Ms. Mori's wings.

"A what?" Yukina asks, confused while she's currently inside the Houseki-sized box with Houseki.

"Necros Monarch, there's only 5 currently alive in the world and their documented numbers in history are in the low double digits. They're insect beast folk, specifically butterflies who's wings glow in the dark. They get their name from a species of butterfly that lived on the earth 50 million years ago." I explain.

"A NECROS MONARCH?!!" Karato-nee's voice suddenly rings out from her room, startling the cat girls and making the canine girls flinch from the volume before we hear her rushing out of her room and down the stairs. Karato-nee stops in her tracks and her eyes sparkle when she sees Ms. Mori.

"An actual necros monarch... I've never seen one of your species before." Karato-nee says in excitement as observes Ms. Mori.

"Well, I'm happy to make your acquaintance. You must be Karato Mishano, the famous Coyote girl Beast Folk researcher." Ms. Mori says with a gentle smile before Karato-nee seems to be taken aback as it seems she just noticed Ms. Mori's eyes.

Karato-nee turns to me and I sense the silent question she's asking me, 'Is she the Death Monarch?'. I nod affirmatively to her and she takes a deep breath.

"So what brings such a rare specimen like you over? Is there something we could help you with?" Karato-nee asks after recomposing herself.

"Oh, Iris-chan was just really insistent on us meeting you all and I thought that it would be nice to meet such kind people. Iris-chan told us quite a bit about your family." Ms. Mori says with a smile.

"In that case, we need to make more for dinner, Sora." Mom says.

"Wan!" Onee-chan barks with a smile before a slim feathered tail taps her shoulder.

'Allow me to help.' Hayasaka shows her notepad, making her and Pershing's presence known.

"I want to help cook as well." Iris says, surprising Ms. Mori and Rushia.

"You can cook, mama Iris?" Rushia asks.

"Yes, my mother taught me." Iris nods with a smile as Rushia looks curious about Iris' cooking.

"And her cooking is surprisingly good." Jane says and I nod in agreement, which earns a tail wag from Iris. Onee-chan, mom, Hayasaka and Iris head to the kitchen with Rushia following to watch her mama wolf while Karato-nee observes Ms. Mori while Yuki stares at her glowing wings curiously.

"Things seem to have escalated quite a bit tonight." I say with a chuckle.

"Nya." Houseki meows on Yukina's lap.

"Is it always this lively here?" Yukina asks curiously.

"You could say that." Jeanne says with a chuckle.

"This house has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere." Ms. Mori says as she looks around.

"I agree, there's something rather comforting here." Yukina nods.

"This house is such a lovely home~." Ms. Mori says with a smile.

"Nya~." Houseki meows as Yukina pets her.

"I'm happy that my little Ru-chan has such kind friends." Ms. Mori says and I turn to her.

"Iris-chan has told me quite a bit about you, James-kun. I can rest easy knowing someone like you is her friend." Ms. Mori tells me while smiling.

"Will do, Ms. Mori." I reply with a smile.

"But, allow me to join those in the kitchen, I wish to assist in meal preparation too." Ms. Mori says as she starts walking towards the kitchen.

Once Ms. Mori enters the kitchen, Karato-nee stands by the entryway with her notepad.

"James, come here." Karato-nee signals me over to her and I walk over to her.

"Yes?" I ask Karato-nee.

"Observe closely, I'm sure you'll notice something strange in how she conducts herself." Karato-nee says as she puts her pen to her notepad.

I get curious about what she means and watch Ms. Mori carefully.

After several minutes, I start to notice something off... very off...

"She looks more familiar with the kitchen than mom and Onee-chan are..." I say as I notice that Ms. Mori seems to know where everything is and swiftly moves between everyone, and Onee-chan's tail, without even looking at them.

"Another subject to suggest insect beast folk have high 360 degree awareness." Karato-nee says as she starts writing.

"Interesting." I say, continuing to observe Ms. Mori when she turns around and smiles at us, seemingly knowing that we were watching her despite all the movement from multiple people in the kitchen and her perfectly cutting vegetables without needing to look at her hands, even Rushia is unfazed by her mother cutting with a knife without looking.

"Such a fascinating specimen." Karato-nee says as she keeps taking notes when Ms. Mori moves Iris' tail aside to keep it from dipping into the sauce, again without looking.

"This kitchen is very spacious, I assume it's to account for Sora-chan and Jane-chan's tails and wings?" Ms. Mori asks mom.

"Yes, we can't have them bumping their tails and wings around, that'd be uncomfortable for them." Mom replies.

"Diana and Ernst have always taken Jane's large wings and my long tail into account to make sure we're comfortable moving around the house." Onee-chan says with a smile.

"I never expected to give birth to a dragon, nor did I expect to take in a puppy with an extremely long tail. Our life sounds like a novel as an old friend of mine once said." Mom says with a chuckle, making Ms. Mori smile.

"It's always nice to meet people who are very considerate of beast folks' comfort and well-being." Ms. Mori says as they continue cooking.

I smile at the scene before leaving while Karato-nee continues to observe Ms. Mori. I walk back into the living room to see Jane snuggling with Yuki, Jeanne on her phone, and Yukina still with Houseki in the box. I join them while we wait for dinner to be ready.

----------

2 hours and 15 minutes later

After having dinner with our many guests, Ms. Mori and Rushia get up and get ready to dismiss themselves when Hayasaka suddenly stands in front of the door.

"Hayasaka-chan?" Onee-chan calls out to her, confused as to why she's blocking them.

'I'm sorry, but I must implore that you remain at the Matthews Residence for the next 24 hours unless notified otherwise. A direct order from my master.' Hayasaka shows her notepad, worrying some of us.

"May I ask why your master is making such a request?" Ms. Mori asks her.

'Your safety, Beast Folk Traffickers are active tonight. I cannot let you leave.' Hayasaka writes and Ms. Mori shivers in place at the mention of... her kidnappers and everyone else falls silent at the 'concern' while Yukina holds Houseki close.

I'm also getting a bad feeling if we let them head out right now...

"I guess that's what Albert's message meant." Dad says and I nod in agreement.

"I just hope those monsters fail." I say in anger.

"Those scumbags just won't stop..." Karato-nee says in disappointment.

"It would be safer for you and Rushia to stay for the night, Nabi. You and I know just how brutal those traffickers are... So do James and Sora..." Dad tells Ms. Mori. Onee-chan trembles and wraps her tail around me and I pet her tail to comfort her. Ms. Mori closes her eyes before opening them again to see her eyes are blood red now, shocking us.

"I've dealt with those people when there were far less stakes... Now, I have a beautiful daughter and her friends to protect... If they dare to come here... I will repeat that day." Ms. Mori says. Her sudden change of eye color and tone clearly took almost everyone here aback; from a sweet and loving woman to a mother who would do anything to protect those she loves.

"Allow me to help if they dare... I'm still not over that night..." I say, my voice cold as I gently pet Onee-chan's tail. "I won't let them lay their hands on anyone here."

Ms. Mori looks me in the eyes and I can see those familiar eyes that have started at death, before she smiles.

"I know James will protect us, he saved me from the traffickers before." Yuki says as her tail wags, showing her faith in me. Ms. Mori looks at Yuki then back at me before closing her eyes.

"That makes me feel safer." Ms. Mori gently says as she opens her eyes, now back to their normal blue color.

"You'll both be safe here, Rushia. James and his family are strong, and I'll be protecting you as well." Iris tells Rushia who nods to her in reply.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Yukina asks in exasperation while holding Houseki.

"I'm sorry... for dragging you into this, Yukina..." Houseki says dejectedly as her ears droop in sadness and Yukina looks at her, worried about making Houseki blame herself.

"No, it's not your fault. This is merely a misfortunate coincidence. I don't regret being with you, Houseki." Yukina says as she pets Houseki's head before Houseki hugs her tight.

"Everything will be okay, Onee-chan." I say and Onee-chan nods to me.

'Thank you for cooperating. I will remain here as well for security.' Hayasaka writes as Pershing barks, as if agreeing with her.

"We'll be fine, this is the safest place for us, except maybe the Tsurumaki estate since that place is as impenetrable as Fort Knox, if not moreso." Karato-nee says and Hayasaka nods in agreement with her.

With that, everyone decides to go about their evening, albeit some of us are still tense about the situation.

"Hmm... I think I have an idea." I say as I head to the stairs. Onee-chan, seemingly knowing my plan, follows me.

"Wan!" Onee-chan barks cheerfully as her tail wags a lot, much to Ms. Mori's curiosity.

"Yukina, follow me, you might want to see this." I tell Yukina and she looks at me before following us with Houseki. As we walk up the stairs, I see that Rushia grows curious and follows us too.

We head to the music room and enter while I leave the door open.

"So this is your music room." Yukina says as she looks around the room along with Rushia.

"Yes, this is where we practice." I say.

"Is this Sora-san's?" Yukina asks as she looks at the piano.

"Well... It was bought for me, but I like to think of it as mine and James'~." Onee-chan says with a smile, making me chuckle.

I sit in front of the piano with Onee-chan sitting right next to me and wrapping her tail around me. Houseki sits on my other side as Yukina and Rushia stand behind us.

I take a deep breath before my hands move over the keys and begin to play a relaxing melody that can be heard around the house. Suddenly, Rushia starts singing a gentle tune while slightly swaying side to side before Onee-chan follows Rushia's lead and starts singing, then Houseki and Yukina start singing as well. Soon our music echoes throughout the house, creating a comforting atmosphere that makes us feel safe and relaxed.

----------

45 minutes later

After less than an hour of playing the piano with Onee-chan, Houseki, Yukina, and Rushia singing gentle tunes, the tense atmosphere is now gone, replaced by the usual calm and peaceful one. Artemis and MNK also reported that the traffickers seem to be slowing down since they caught the attention of both the Tsurumaki Suits and the Stalker-Hunters.

I take a deep breath as I remove my hands from the piano and place them on my lap. I look to the other side of the room to see Jane and Yuki sleeping, the former's wings and tail wrapped around the latter.

"You're quite the talented musician." I turn to the doorway to see Ms. Mori standing there with a smile. "Your music and everyone's voice harmonized so beautifully, it was very calming."

"Thank you, Ms. Mori, I'm glad you liked it. I had a great teacher." I say as I pet Onee-chan's head, much to her delight.

"Wan." Onee-chan barks with a proud smile and her tail wagging.

"You learned the piano from Sora-san?" Yukina asks as she carries Houseki in her arms.

"Mm-hmm, I learned how to sing and play piano from my precious puppy Onee-chan." I say as I play with Onee-chan's floppy dog ears.

"Wan-wan!" Onee-chan barks cheerfully, enjoying the affection as Ms. Mori giggles at our interaction.

"So everything you know about music, you learned from her?" Yukina asks as Rushia seems to be curious about it too.

"Yeah, I did... but it wasn't exactly... free of difficulties..." I say as my expression turns downcast and Onee-chan's ears and tail droop down. The sudden change in our mood has everyone concerned.

"Sometimes it felt like... the world had it out for my Onee-chan..." I say as I pull Onee-chan into a hug and she rests her head on my shoulder as her tail wraps around me for comfort.

"Why did it feel like that?" Rushia asks and I take a deep breath.

"... Onee-chan is a... very hard worker... She always wanted to be a classical singer... then several years ago, her instructor suddenly told her that she needs to choose between her singing career and her voice..." I slowly explain as Onee-chan trembles while Yukina, Rushia, and Ms. Mori's expressions change to ones of shock.

"Sora-nee-chan was... really heartbroken over it..." Houseki says in a downcast tone.

"Having a weak throat ended her dream of being a singer... so you decided to learn to sing to fulfill her dream for her." Yukina says as she looks at me, recalling when I told Roselia about it the day we met.

"Yeah, but... it didn't end there..." I say with a heavy sigh as I run my hand over the piano.

"Onee-chan, could you play something for us?" I ask her and Onee-chan pulls away to look at me.

"If that's what you want, I will." Onee-chan says as I slowly move aside and let her take the center. "I think... I'll play 'Accolade'. I'm in the mood since I reread the tragedy of Knight Captain Julian."

I gently lean against Onee-chan as she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before her hands gracefully dance along the keys, producing a somber melody for a book in our favorite tragic story series.

The tragedy of Knight Captain Julian, a man who fought his entire life to gain the approval of his father, the king, despite being his illegitimate child, only to learn that he viewed all his people as disposable in his quest for immortality mere hours before the kingdom he served was overrun. Julian was filled with despair at knowing the one thing he dedicated his life to being pointless, knowing that it would be the only thing he'd ever be known for. In despair, he killed his father before meeting his own demise after, as he slowly lost all semblance of who he was.

I remember the first time Onee-chan read that story. She was struck by a moment of inspiration seeking to create a melody that could communicate the tragedy of his story. She did so for many tragic figures in stories she's read. I guess it would only be fitting though, considering how much heartache Onee-chan faced from others being told she'd never make it, one who knows her story would think her gravitating to tragedies would be the most logical outcome.

"That was beautiful..." Rushia says as she, Yukina, and Ms. Mori are in awe of Onee-chan's piece.

"Sora-san... did you make that piece?" Yukina asks.

"I did, I created it for a character from our favorite book series. One that reminded me a lot of James." Onee-chan says and I pet her head.

"Now... listening to that piece... would you believe that Onee-chan was a girl who had no talent for the piano and was told as such by various instructors?" I ask and they're all shocked.

"I can't imagine that... after hearing her play..." Yukina says, seemingly in disbelief at what I just said.

"When the world beats you down... you either crumble and allow it to consume you... or you defy it, crying that your life is your own... Despite my weak throat... that still doesn't stop me from singing... I'm just careful not to overdo it." Onee-chan says with a solemn expression despite smiling as her hand gently holds her throat.

"Despite everyone telling her she couldn't, she proved them wrong and showed the world that she could." I say, proud of Onee-chan's determination and accomplishment.

"She did her best, and her best was more than enough." I say as I pet Onee-chan's head, making her tail wag.

"I understand your struggles, Sora-senpai... You defied everything that they said and succeeded. You're a strong person." Rushia says with a smile.

"It takes great strength to defy the world, you should be proud, Sora-chan." Ms. Mori says with a gentle smile.

"And not only did you show them what you're capable of, you also brought out what James-kun is capable of too." Ms. Mori adds.

"Wan." Onee-chan barks with a smile while Yukina is deep in thought.

"Yukina?" Houseki calls out from her place in Yukina's arms.

"Passion... emotions... I could feel them in your music..." Yukina says as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening her eyes. "It seems like... there is much I could learn from you both..."

"I'd be happy to teach you everything I can." Onee-chan says, happily offering to Yukina.

"I would appreciate that." Yukina says with a smile.

"Nya~." Houseki meows as she rubs against Yukina affectionately, making her smile.

Suddenly we hear some yawning and turn to the silver dragon and the snow puppy.

"What did we miss?" Jane asks as she and Yuki wake up from their little nap.

"A little heartfelt conversation on music." I say.

"Awww..." Jane groans in complaint at missing that.

"At least I got to snuggle with the snow puppy~." Jane says as she cuddles Yuki as her tail wags and her wings flap.

"Wan." Yuki barks, her tail wagging as she leans on Jane.

"I find it quite adorable you call her a snow puppy, a fitting description for a husky." Ms. Mori says playfully.

"Oh, 'snow puppy' is literal." I say and Ms. Mori hums questioningly, her head tilted.

"Yuki is special!" Jane says before she goes off on Yuki's nature as a hybrid which leaves the cat girl and the butterfly lady both surprised.

"Wow... that's amazing..." Rushia says in awe.

We notice Ms. Mori hasn't commented at all and her eyes are closed while facing down at the floor.

"I won't let them get their hands on Yuki, Ms. Mori, I assure you." I tell Ms. Mori, sensing her concern.

"Does she or will she be going to school with you?" Ms. Mori asks as we're once again unsettled as her eyes open showing that horrific blood red again.

"She starts Monday and she can't be left alone outside the house." I answer.

"... I see..." Ms. Mori says before she turns to face Rushia. "I think it might be worth telling Iris-chan. Also, please do not leave the school building without at least one of your friends from now on, okay, Rushia?"

"Y-Yes, mama." Rushia replies.

"I'm sorry to push this on you, but Rushia still requires time to learn to properly defend herself, but you can have faith in her senses, she's highly perceptive." Ms. Mori tells us.

"Understood. Don't worry, Ms. Mori, Rushia is our friend so we'll take care of her." I tell Ms. Mori who nods and smiles as her eyes 'calm', back to their original blue.

"Why don't we take the edge off with another song?" Onee-chan suggests with a smile and everyone agrees before our music rings throughout the house once more.

----------

3 hours later

Everyone is ready to sleep while some of us are preparing to head into TWO for the meeting we agreed to have last time to set up the guild. We log into the game and meet up with everyone in the central town square to discuss our course of action as a guild in the game. Dear in particular is pushing to find an HQ.

"Let's create our guild first, then we can find a place as our HQ." I say as AI-chan helps me with creating the guild as I have no experience in the matter.

"Our guild will be called 'Musical Tales' and James will be our guild leader as previously agreed upon." AI-chan reminds everyone.

"Hence why he's making the guild." Ina'nis points out as everyone confirms.

"We can set up the hierarchy later, or does everyone wanna do that now?" I ask. Creating a guild only requires a name, a leader of whom by default is the guild creator, and must have at least 5 'founding' members (currently we're by far the guild with the most founding members).

"Later is better, HQ first, besides, it would be better for everyone to be established with each other to determine our strengths to be placed in the best possible positions for their capabilities." Dear says.

"Fair point." I say as I do a quick look over the guild creation details.

"And... create." I say as I press the create button and the system processes the submission for a few moments before everyone receives a notice and clicks it a few times. Once everyone is done, I get a message telling me that everyone accepted the invites and that the 'Musical Tales' guild has been officially formed.

"Guild creation complete~!" Hinata cheers, jumping in excitement.

"Wan." Yuki barks, her tail wagging.

"Yay! I'm in the same guild as Onee-chan!" Hina cheers with a smile as she throws her arms in the air in excitement but makes no move towards Sayo which seems to throw her off a bit.

"Now our journey to become the strongest guild in this... in this... umm..." Ako trails off, thinking of a cool line.

"World of our fiction begins?" Onee-chan suggests.

"Now our journey to become the strongest guilt in this world of our fiction begins!" Ako exclaims.

"Yeah!" Many of the girls cheer excitedly.

"I like our chances of success." Alex says with a confident smirk.

"Everyone... is excited." Rinko says with a smile.

"The spirit of bushido is with us!" Eve cheers.

"But first, we need a home worthy of our goals~. Someplace big and extravagant~." Dear says with a smile, her tail wagging.

"Humans do say, 'dress for the job you want, not the one you have.'" Valor says, hands on her hips as she laughs adorably.

"Yes, but we need to consider our finances and resources, we need to save up to-" I try to reign the excitement in before a massive wall of sacks full of gold bags appear right behind Dear who stands proudly as everyone looks at the display of wealth in shock.

"[What the actual fu-]" Jane's curse is cut off by Chisato.

"HOW?!!" Chisato exclaims in disbelief.

"Rin-rin! Friend-san is rich! She must be the richest player in the game!" Ako says as she looks inside one of the gold bags and holds up a gold bar.

"I haven't logged off since the game went live." Dear says with a smile.

"That doesn't sound healthy..." Sayo says.

"I'm just built differently~, Sayo-chan." Dear says confidently.

"I mean, I haven't logged off either." Ina'nis states off to the side.

"..." Sayo is stunned into silence.

"Whoa, we got dedicated pros over here." Tana says teasingly while chuckling.

"How much is this?" Jane asks as she counts the bags.

"These bags are worth 50,000,000 gold." Artemis instantly replies.

"... Just these bags...?" Maya asks in disbelief and Artemis nods.

"That's half my fortune, this is enough to buy that massive estate on the hill that overlooks the entire starting area. The other 50,000,000 is so we can buy decorations and furniture, and food too, also instruments, I love music." Dear says cheerfully while everyone processes the wealth this girl has accumulated within 1-2 days.

"I'm almost afraid to ask how she farmed all this gold..." Alex says when I remember something.

"Lots of Murder!" Valor triumphantly declares.

"Extreme Violence!" Onee-chan follows up, conflicting with her sweet smile.

"Speaking of gold coins... Where's Maria?" I ask, looking for her.

"I am here." We all turn to see Maria standing behind me.

"There you are. What have you been up to since last time?" I ask Maria, happy to see her.

"Waiting... for you... to return... as Friend instructed me... for my safety." Maria says and many of us are saddened by it.

"But once we have our home, Maria will have a proper place to stay where she'll be safe and comfortable~." Dear says and that is a valid point.

"Then we should get to buying a place then so Maria-chan doesn't have to stay out in the streets!" Aya says with some tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, we can't let Maria go on like this." Lisa says as many of the girls express their agreement.

"Are you sure about this, Dear? This is your money." I ask the nameless dog girl, not wanting to impose on her, especially with such an impossible sum.

"I grinded all of this specifically for all of us. That estate is quite future proof even if we have a hundred guild members; it'll have enough room for everyone, and even in the worst case scenario it increases even higher, there will be larger places as we unlock more areas in the game." Dear says happily as she rubs her face against my shoulder.

"Karato, are you sure James doesn't release some sort of pheromone that makes beast folks, especially dog girls, crazy for him?" Alex asks the Coyote Researcher.

"Only that which is native to people who have multiple scents clinging to them." Karato-nee replies.

"Hmmm... Yeah, I buy it." Alex says with a nod.

"If we do this, we can't slack off on guild work, understand? Dear worked hard to earn all this." I say.

"Wan~." Dear barks as she snuggles up against me.

"I have no plans on slacking." Alex says with a grin.

"Hai!" The girls exclaim in agreement.

"Now let's go, time to make a purchase~." Dear says, her tail wagging in excitement as she leads the way and we follow her.

"Just who is that girl?" Iris asks as she carries AI-chan in her arms who is happy to be carried around.

"Something feels off about her... but I can't exactly call it malicious..." Alisa says as she looks at Dear.

"You okay, Alisa? You seem off." I ask my best friend, sensing something might be up with her.

"Just a little shaken from... something earlier... I'm fine." Alisa replies with a smile, trying to reassure me but it just makes me worried.

"Okay." I nod in reply, not pressing further for now.

"How's the visit with Yukina going~?" Lisa asks as she walks up next to me.

"Eventful." I say.

"How so~?" Lisa asks teasingly.

"She got to hear Onee-chan play piano." I say.

"Really?" Rinko asks, her attention caught.

"Sora-san was amazing, she's incredibly talented." Yukina says while carrying Houseki. "Roselia could learn a thing or two from her."

"Thank you, Yukina-chan." Onee-chan thanks her for the praise when she notices Rinko looking at her.

"Just visit us anytime and I'll be happy to play for you like I used to, Rinko-chan." Onee-chan tells her.

"Yes." Rinko nods with a smile.

We soon reach the estate overlooking the starter area and take a look around the massive mansion before huddling to make a final decision.

"All in favor." I ask.

"Hai." Everyone voices their favor of buying the estate.

"Unanimous approval, motion carried." I say, slamming my first onto my palm like a gavel.

"Dear, if you could do the honors." I ask her.

"Wan!" Dear barks with a smile as her tail wags. Dear navigates the menu to make the purchase and after a few moments, the transaction is complete and the estate is recognized as owned by the 'Musical Tails' guild.

"We have our very own guild building now!" Ako cheers. "It feels like we're a real guild now!"

"A lovely little place to call home~." Hinata says, her tail swaying side to side.

"It's definitely a picturesque place." Ina'nis says as she looks at the mansion.

"So what's next?" Alex asks.

"We could go do some quests or decorate." I suggest.

"Decorate!" Many of the girls exclaim. Alex and I exchange looks before he shrugs his shoulders then I look back at the girls.

"Decorate it is." I say and the girls cheer before they head inside to start planning on how to decorate the place.

"Dear." I call out to her, making her stop in her tracks and spin 360 degrees on her toe to face me.

"Yes~?" Dear replies in a sweet tone and I motion for her to come over, which she does.

"This isn't much for all the hard work you did, but... Good work and thank you, Dear." I say as I pet her head and scratch her dog ears.

"Wan!" Dear barks in joy as she suddenly presses her body against mine and rubs her face on my chest, catching me off guard as her tail wags so much that I could hear the wind.

"Good girl." I say as I continue petting her head and scratching her dog ears.

"Wan~." Dear barks, seemingly in bliss.