#i love you beardface

[vetteldixon]

daily seb 176/365

[bagheerita]

The stars aligned such that I re-watched SGA's "Sunday" and TNG's "Lessons" within a week of each other and... do Stargate writers just not understand what women find attractive or what they want out of a relationship?

I've always disliked "Sunday" for the untraditional reason of Elizabeth's "subplot" with Dr Jackass Beardface.

Not related to my actual point, but I've finally gotten to the end of season 7 in my SG1 rewatch and have realized "Grace," an episode I had fond memories of but didn't remember details about, is basically the writers trying to force Sam into heteronormativity. (Like, it's fine if she wants a boyfriend or whatever, but the fact that this hasn't been an issue for 7 seasons and now suddenly the mental constructs of her friends and family are telling her a man is what she's missing in her life... you know what FUCK OFF JACOB.) And then Pete gets introduced in an episode where his strange stalkery interest in Sam and refusal to accept her boundaries is portrayed alongside Osiris manipulating Daniel, which is... not a great introduction for the character. I haven't watched these later seasons in about a decade and was hoping the fandom was exaggerating their hatred of him, but nope.

But I'm at the end of season 6 in my Star Trek the Next Generation rewatch, and I'm so annoyed to realize that they'd already written the "burden of command vs personal life/love life" storyline with a love interest introduced in the same single episode story over a decade earlier, and it was way more satisfying. Picard falls in love with a Scientist Lady and they bond over a shared interest in music, and it's great. In her first scene she's a little rude and insults him for drinking Earl Grey tea, but it's very easy to see that she's just nervous and awkward with people and she immediately tries to make up for the insult instead of assuming that he's into negging. I actually understand through the medium of storytelling that these characters have a compatability and a deep attraction for each other, even if "love" still feels imho like a jump we only accept for narrative convenience. The episode looks into some ways that the fact that he's In Command could affect their relationship, and they end up breaking up when they realize that neither will sacrifice their career to be with the other. Perfectly contained one episode relationship.

Meanwhile over in Atlantis, Jackass Beardface interrupts Elizabeth's work, places himself in charge of her wellbeing, won't let her finish a sentence, consistently lies about his motives in asking her to eat lunch with him because he finds it humorous, and insults her taste in movies. The writers expect us to believe that she finds all that attractive enough to cancel her plans with Teyla and want to spend more time with this oh so tempting specimen of masculinity... only to leave him sitting on a bench and forget around him entirely when duty calls. He never shows up again. Honestly, the character of Jackass Beardface doesn't deserve anything better but since this collection of scenes that are excruciating to sit through only exist to further Elizabeth's character, it's really a shame that this goes entirely nowhere.

[kai-eastaughffe]

truth or dare; kai eastaughffe

The night already peaked by the time Kai’s turn was up. He had come down off the high off the lip sync battle---gracefully conceeded to Samuel, on the basis that one man sacrificing his dignity to Avril Lavigne should logically outweigh what essentially became a group dance-off with Lady Marmalade, and the excellence of that was in no way Kai’s doing---and he was slumped on the floor half-wasted already by the time he was poked in the ribs and forced back to attention.

He wasn’t looking forward to whatever people had planned for him. There’d already been a few curve balls, and he was, frankly, really worried about Salem, and Cleo. But, he couldn’t very well refuse after making most of the squad do whatever had popped into his head.

from cleo raja —

truth: what’s one thing you would change about everyone here?

dare: consume everything in the minibar, alcohol aside, in five minutes.

He could not afford the contents of the minibar at this point, even not including the alcohol. Nor did he want to. 

“Simple. We’d all have colour-coded or elemental or animal super powers, à la Power Rangers, or Sailor Moon.” He shrugged.

“We have never been, nor can we ever be, a proper friend group, since we don’t have a transformation sequence.” He downed the rest of his drink. Tonight was the first night he was really letting himself consume as much alcohol as he wanted---it seemed fitting. Then he continued, before anyone else could take over.

“See, Salem would be something dark and edgy like a black motif with ice and a panther, Leigh would be like a sassy lion and the colour orange. Danny would be yellow and something that flies, an eagle? TJ would be green with like, an alligator or a snake, Cleo would be red and maybe a badass scorpion or spider or a biker thing going on. Jenny might also be red---I feel like you’d rock the pink outfit, though, and maybe have some secret like you can control time and are the most powerful of us and no one knows it. Skylar would be purple and wind powers, something pretty like a butterfly but like---deceptive, her wingbeats make hurricanes, I dunno. Sam’d be blue, cause it’s like “leader-y”, but he’d have like... sweet water powers or maybe a wolf thing going on... I dunno. Dakota would be white, and his power would be...” Here he blanked. “To perfectly slice a bagel, or he’d turn into an airplane? I don’t know what your deal is these days, I dunno who you are, dude. Jules would be gold and control the sun, probably. Kelley would be silver---not because she’s second best though, silver ‘cause she’d turn into like a thousand knives, or just a fuckin’ tank.”

“And I’d be the, uhhh... Turquoise Ranger. There’s never a Turquoise anything. But it’s cool, ‘cause I’d also have a sloth patronus or whatever, and you guys would still have to bring me along anyway.” He folded his hands and surveyed the circle seriously.

“The defense rests.” Lawyer-talk, bonus points. He mimed sinking a basketball, for good measure.

from dakota harrison —

truth: who do you dislike most out of all of us?

dare: arm wrestle me.

It only took one glance at Kota’s arms before Kai scoffed. “Yeah, right. That’s happening---real suspense in who’d win, you clearly just want to look good. I’ll take truth... Who I dislike most...” He thought about it for a heartbeat, squinting around at the assembled group. Sure, there were some there he could take or leave, but no one he truly, deeply disliked more than... “Myself, obviously. Not that you’re not all terrible in your own special ways.” 

There was a deafening silence, and he glanced around. “What? Too edgy? It’s called a truth for a reason---” Someone helpfully pointed out that answering yourself was against the rules, and he grew slightly more irritated with all of them. But only for a second. “Fuck you guys, let me be the emo one for once.” He sighed. “Whatever, let’s just... give the people what they want.” He rolled up his right sleeve, and leaned forward to plant his arm in the middle of the circle before flashing Dakota a wide smile and saying, “Bring it, Beardface. And I mean it---you throw this out of pity or something and I will destroy you some other way when you least expect it.”

from jenny jordan —

truth: what was the cause of your weirdest boner?

dare: put five ice cubes down your pants and leave them there.

“Saying no to the ice dick, thanks, darlin’.” It was a little hard to look at her longer than a second without remembering what she’d said about his eyes and... all that. He still hadn’t quite recovered from the stuff people had said on their turns. Skylar thinking he had a good personality was... misguided, but okay... Salem’s was intentionally weird (as he’d requested, so that one was probably on him.) But Jenny’s confession had taken him utterly by surprise and he still wasn’t sure whether she’d been entirely serious, or if she’d had some other reason for praising him. 

He cleared his throat. “Weirdest boner? Mr. Fuller’s math class, apropos of trigonometry. Isosceles triangles just do it for me, I guess. Or, it was the hell that is puberty, and a light breeze could have the same effect, so.” He was answering a lot of truths, it turned out. Whether that would grow uncomfortable in the near future, he wasn’t sure, but at least for once it was a game of embarrassment for everyone, not just him.

from julian campbell —

truth: who in the room has hurt your feelings the most, and how?

dare: do your best impression of three people in the room - really commit to it.

Well, he knew he wasn’t gonna touch that truth with a ten foot pole. He’s not certain who he’d answer, anyway. Most of the incidents kind of blurred together, and the ones that really stung weren’t things he was willing to admit under any kind of torture. Which left him eyeing the other individuals for targets.

Of course, the more sensible thing would be to separate the impressions. But once he’d settled on them, a scene was already forming in his mind---and they had a brief stint taking Drama in high school to thank for that, he figured. “Alright, but I need props...” With an effort, he pushed himself up, then travelled around the room collecting what would be most effective---a pair of oversized sunglasses, a phone, a scarf, a pair of big headphones from his own bag tossed in the corner, and... yeah, that’d work. 

He then proceeded to enact a familiar situation to all of them, Jenny and Salem being catty at each other---sunglasses perched artfully on a dismissive smirk when it was her lines, scarf draped around his neck lazily for pretentiousness rather than representing any particular habit of Salem’s, but it worked, and Cleo in the headphones, snapping peevishly at the others as she looked at her phone at intervals.

By the end of five minutes his brain was stretched to capacity, he’d nearly strangled himself twice in headphone cords and the scarf, and the sunglasses were haphazardly pushed into his hair. “...in conclusion, you’re petty assholes who need to handle your issues better, and I don’t know why I love you,” he finished, breathlessly, before collapsing backwards on the floor.

from salem st. ives —

truth: did you cheat to get through law school?

dare: spend the rest of the game blind folded and wear ear plugs under headphones turned full blast (so that any other dares can get done to him and he’ll have no idea who did it).

He wrinkled his nose at the dare. “I would have to be horribly masochistic to be into that, I hope you know that. And I’m only like... maybe lightly masochistic most days, so you’ll just have to be treated to my full presence for the rest of the game.” It was hard to sweep a mocking bow while seated, but he tried to give one to Salem with minimal spillage of his drink.

“And I...” He paused, and covered it by sipping at the medley of alcohol in his cup---was it his? Had he just picked it up? It tasted like sour patch kids, and he was fairly sure he’d had something in the brownish family. “Is this someone else’s drink?” he asked, keeping the suspicion that maybe he was being pranked---extra bonus prank on Kai night, you know---a private one. “Anyway, it’s delicious, so thanks.” The potential prankster could have their laugh, his drink was delightful. “As I was saying, I did not cheat in law school.” It was, he told himself, the absolute truth. He’d never even been in law school---so how could he cheat? His smirk lost some of its pep when he remembered why that wasn’t exactly the triumph it should be. Someone, somewhere, had actually been in law school and not cheated---but it sure as hell wasn’t him. His mouth tasted bitter, and the stolen drink didn’t help any.

from samuel flores —

truth: do you still resent how the squad treated you in high school?

dare: prank call one of your coworkers.

And there it was. The kicker. ‘Cause he didn’t have coworkers to call---unless you counted Jeremy and Yolanda from the sandwich shop. Who would not take kindly to being disturbed---high priced lawyers might shrug that shit off as a laugh. Minimum wage dishwashers, or his manager, would not. And, believe it or not, he actually liked his coworkers. They thought he was good at his job---and he was, obviously, but they treated him like he was. He wasn’t going to subject them to the... Recapturing Lost Youth Squad. Yolanda had three kids, for fuck’s sake.

He swallowed the remains of his cup and studied the bottom. “I wouldn’t say I resent it,” he said, surprisingly calm and serious for the moment. “That makes it seem like I’m out for vengeance on everyone or hate you all. I don’t, at all. I just want... I dunno.” His voice dropped to a mumble. “Respect, maybe? Or... something...” And now, because of his stupid choice to pretend to be something he wasn’t, some of them actually did respect him, but it wasn’t even him, not really. They respected a complete and total fabrication. He’d almost gotten what he wanted, but it felt hollow and fake.

from skylar murphy —

truth: when was the closest you came to truly getting upset with the squad’s jokes on your behalf?

dare: spread a rumor about someone in the squad that really grinds your gears (i.e. whoever pokes fun at you too much from your perspective).

“Uhhh...” He tried to think, this time, of something specific. After a minute, he nodded. “I do remember one time...” Which in hindsight, might’ve been a precursor to things to come, but he hadn’t been too wise about that sort of thing until he started actively looking for them at his therapist’s bidding. “After we saw the Arcade Fire concert in junior year, and everyone had bought merch. Remember, it was like, a status thing? Wearing the shirts the next day if you’d been to the show? Teenagers are trash.” 

“Anyway, they were actually pretty tame as jokes go, just about the shirt and how I had finally made a decent fashion choice, combined with like... the occasional jab about how now I looked like all the other indie pricks at school.” It really had been totally run-of-the-mill day, all things told---except he’d actually loved that shirt, and the concert had been a good memory. And it’d only lasted a day, because of their idiotic taunts, and his skin being surprisingly thin that week. “Went home and burned the thing in the fireplace. Of course, our fireplace wasn’t equipped for synthetics or whatever was on the logo, I dunno... Anyway the house filled up with smoke and I had to evacuate the munchkins to the lawn,” he said, referring to his siblings. “And got in complete shit for it. Never told any of you, but I think that’s the most pissed I ever got.”

from tj powell —

truth: do you like leigh or salem better?

dare: run out into the hall, knock on somebody’s door, and ask to use their bathroom.

He toyed with his lower lip, looking directly at the dimly-aware Salem as he tried to decide. It should be an easy answer, but his drink had been spiked after all---with indecision and philosophizing, apparently, because it occurred to him that for all his resentment of Leigh becoming joined at the hip with Salem instead, there was something that wasn’t quite... It wasn’t jealousy, really, because he also liked Salem. Genuinely. If he’d been in her shoes, he’d have opted to hang out with Salem, too. So he didn’t really blame her, and that’s what made it complicated. Leigh was his oldest friend, probably. They understood each other, and she’d never cut him out---when she could have. They became a trio instead. He eventually realized he’d been silently musing and staring at Salem for quite some time, and shrugged. “Fuck it.” He got shakily to his feet and went out into the hall, made a show of being choosy about which hotel door he was going to disturb before selecting one at random and knocking.

And then knocking at another when the first didn’t answer. Finally, the door was jerked open. A tall man with a handlebar moustache to rival most cowboy movies loomed over him from the doorway. “What do you want.” He snapped.

Kai blinked. “Uh, I---I lost my room key---can I use your bathroom?”

The man stared at him---then down the hall, where he no doubt saw the heads of several onlookers. “No.” 

The door slammed inches from Kai’s nose and blew his hair back with the force of it. He was happy to retreat with his indignity and the thought of ‘I’m twenty eight fucking years old, what am I doing’ echoing shamefully in his head, until he realized he had an ace up his sleeve---or on his hand, rather. He grinned down the hall at his friends, took the bandage off his right palm from the failed blood oath with Cleo, and knocked again.

The door opened. “Fuck off---”

“Please,” he implored, clutching his bloody hand. “I just need to wash off the blood, and then I’ll go...”

The man’s eyes widened. “Shit! Yeah, come on---I know first aid. How’d you manage that, son?” 

Kai followed, face serious. Ten minutes later he came back to the room, freshly bandaged and more or less triumphant. 

[stayathomesim]

New Pose - Beardfaces

You’d think I’d perfect making a single pose before jumping into group poses, but you’d be wrong.  However!  I learned so much making this pose this morning.  Like, pro level. 😎

Before I share, a special thanks to #SweetSorrowSims, wherever she is, for her wonderful YouTube tutorial.

And now, I proudly present a pose pack for 3 adult males, probably with beards, which works perfectly in game and has no weird joint twisting and has facial expressions and nicely posed FINGERS.

Now I just need to learn how to take screenshots in blender without dots and lines going on. 🤷‍♀️

(^^Al, his brother, and his dad doofing around.  Yes, Daily Sims were promised.  Up next.)

This pack includes 4 single poses for a group of 3 adult male sims.  Pose 4 changes the pose of the right sim from hand down to hand up.

You will need Pose Player and Teleporter for this to work.  Place your teleporter knight x3.

Please tag me if you share my pose in game, I’d love to see it!

Download (SimFileShare)

*applause*

[sadisticsmiles]

Beyond a Thief’s Power Episode 11

Initiated Assault

  The Following Morning

           Everyone was gathered inside Le Renard Noir as usual, mainly regarding important matters and so on. Since all seven members of the Black Foxes were there, it was time to discuss what was going on.

           “So,” Hiro began, unsure of the meeting, “what are we here for exactly? I have a class at nine, and if I miss it, the professor’s gonna chew me out. I shouldn’t stay at LRN very long, Boss. There’s also another class after lunch is over too.”

           Riki nodded. Like Hiro and most of the members in their group, he was not glad to be at the bar in the morning, especially because it was seven o’clock during that time of day. “Make it quick before I snap your neck with my bare hand.”

           Takuto had his archetypal, nonchalant expression plastered on his face. “I have nothing great to say about you, old man. I’m not even amazed by this myself, but Hiro’s got college to attend, so why don’t you treat him to some breakfast as an apology for waking his stomach and nearly ruining his artistic hands? What I’m trying to point out is that this is a waste of time and we’re all busy today. Do you know any common sense or survival tactics? I don’t think so. Therefore, you should let some of us go back home and sleep or something. Kenny’s probably gonna be on duty today, so who cares about spending what little time we have at the moment over here in the stench you bathe in every day, when we could all be productive for a change without being dragged to…” He was at a loss as to what else to say, but it soon donned on him. Somehow. “…whatever you’re trying to get to. It’s just a civil thing I’m telling you to screw into your head for the millionth time in all the years I’ve been alive. You might want to consider it while you’re still around, s’all.”

           Atsumu’s eyes broadened. He was stunned at hearing Takuto’s lecture to him but still. It was a normal moment in his household/restaurant. “H-Hey! I may be older than the rest of you all, but this is pretty harsh for my shoulders to handle! Not to mention, it’s a really important matter I have to announce before you guys leave the bar.”

           Kenshi grinned. “You gotta admit. Takuto’s correct on this since we’ve all got something to do before we can talk about what you’re planning on revealing to us. He understands that my job as a firefighter is one of those things that’s more likely to happen as a daily part of my life. The same goes for you, Boss. You look after LRN since you’re the owner and it’s your home. You’re also one of the city elders and you attend the shopping district’s meetings, but you know what? You’re the boss of the group, so it isn’t so bad. Anyway, I should go now. An early day is something I have to prepare for and I can’t miss any more of it. See you later, though.” As cool as he appeared externally, Kenshi stood up from his seat, pushed it back in and walked out of Le Renard Noir.

           “Are you going to tell us what’s on your mind already?” Takuto asked with the same expression he always had. Though, there may have been a chance he was just annoyed or bored. “Time’s tickin’ and everyone else can’t possibly be here for much longer. That’s why you should spill out what’s in your throat, but that’s gross, so give us the details, Beardface.”

           “You’re as crude as ever, aren’t you, Takkun?” the most mature-looking man commented. A smile ran across his face within the speed of light. “But I’ll do what you asked and be gentle. So here goes nothing. What I’ve come to let you know is that I’m thinking we should go on a brand new mission tonight if everyone would like to participate in it, of course!” He was beaming with joy and glowing with it as well. “How about it?” He opened his eyes, quickly skimming the other four seated in front of the counter. “We’ll all kick some ass together and beat the hell out of these knuckleheads in order to save this kind gentleman—or something like that scenario. For example, we could put in some more effort and execute some justice every now and then, just for giggles. I respect my ami Fujioka a lot, and his team’s like a one-hit wonder, so I say it’s about time to repay the favor.”

           Riki narrowed his eyes in irritation. “What favor? We don’t owe anything to those decorous police officers working under him, so don’t make any excuses for going on a mission. That’s the worst thing you could ever bring up to your fellow foxes as a thief. You should know better than to decide on one using those who are after us.”

           Hiro smiled slyly. “Maybe he’s trying to invoke the goody two shoes to do something for him, or for all of us. Kinda makes a person think whether or not he’s trying to lure Sayuri out due to her genuine deeds as someone who’s on the side of the law.” Then, he frowned. “I’d hate to have her get angry at us for doing something like this. With Boss’ personality and harassment attempts, the whole place might be destroyed in no time if he tries to capture her.”

           Takuto glanced at Atsumu. “Well, it is Beardy we’re talking about, after all. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time he committed a felony towards women and younger girls. I bet Shinobu’s felt betrayed many times in the other world because of him. See, even trying to think about it is disgusting. He’s also the most perverted out of all of us. That is, if you don’t count Riki.” The light blond switched his attention towards the government official, turning his head to his left to where he could see his older friend in plain sight. “But he doesn’t go after other girls when it’s clear as day whom he’s eternally in love with.” He looked back at the owner of Le Renard Noir and started to snicker mischievously. “Hehehe. You are such a lonely sucker it’s hilarious! How do you not have many female friends? Age has thrown plenty of pies at your face by now, it’s dying for more laughs! Hahaha!” Takuto kept chuckling with his teasing and it was getting to the point where he was having a hard time holding his stomach in place.

           Hiro began to laugh as well. He had his right hand near the side of his charming visage, so it was endearing to anyone who saw his expression. “It can’t be helped, though, Takkun!” Tears formed as he resumed. “Ahaha! Boss is middle-aged, so it actually makes sense that he can’t get the girls after marrying and becoming a widow. He might not look the part, but he used to be an awesome combat specialist. It’s natural for him to have bad luck hovering over his head.” The college student was also amused with the teasing he and Takuto flung at Atsumu. “As for Riki, he’s caught the hearts of so many ladies, he’s turned them down the very second Mitsuki was in his eyes’ view. He wasn’t able to stop staring at her, as it was love at first sight!" He let out a giggle. "Hehe! It was so cute seeing them together! It was like watching a waltz take place without it actually happening; Riki was so happy, a trampoline surrounded him and everything started bouncing off his infectious aura, including small balls and stars. Ooh," the orange-haired artist-in-training added, "and don't forget the hearts, too. Those very really pretty coming from him." When he had spoken of the second eldest member of the entire team, his facial appearance became fond of the past he came to know during the years of childhood innocence that belonged to him, as what he recalled was a long time ago.

           Riki frowned sternly. "You know, I do remember you staring at me with amazement in your eyes during my last year of high school when I brought Mitsuki here back then. Your mouth was even open, Hiro. I was wondering what was going on in your little mind at the time, and now I know why you were being cute yet strange yourself." All in all, he was calm and composed like a mature grown-up should be at his age. "Boy, am I ever relieved to find out it wasn't a serious case directed towards something wrong I may have done." He sighed and looked at Atsumu. "Anyway. If you're going to bring up the subject of having a mission later on, why don't you find something that involves the word 'danger' shining off of it? Then again, we might have to learn and gather some more information beforehand. We can instantly leave most of that to Takuto, but you get the gist of what I'm saying."

           Mitsuki, who had been witnessing the events of the morning at Le Renard Noir unfold, finally spoke in a frustrated manner. "I’m the one who asked Atsumu for this meeting. I wanted to take a break from work since I was away from Ginza for a number of days. To be honest, I didn’t go to work yesterday because I went to visit Takuji in Roppongi.”

           Atsumu smiled tranquilly. “I see.”

           Rina’s eyes widened. “You did?! What did you discuss with him?”

           “A few things,” the dark purple-haired magician answered. “To start off, we engaged in a normal conversation about his home in the Human World, along with the fact there’s someone living with him and Asuka. That’s before I became a bit more serious to inquire about Sayuri’s whereabouts and something nostalgic.”

           “…About Neon?” Rina asked.

           “About Asuka’s lack of presence in their place,” Mitsuki replied. “That’s not the nostalgic portion, rather it turned towards Kousuke.” Her eyes lowered a bit. “It saddens me to say that I didn’t get a chance to be part of those two’s lives as they grew up into the adults they are now.”

           Rina nodded in comprehension. “Right. The Saionji and Hogo families helped those two grow up without their parents around, along with… a few others, even after your absence in Neon.”

           Riki had an anguished facial expression as he listened onward. “…”

           Takuto glanced at the male government official. “You okay?”

           “…”

“Speaking of which," the college art student stated in order to lighten the mood, "I better get going. I actually enjoy going to college, unlike some people." He glanced at Takuto and smiled. Then, he headed to the entrance/exit and waved before going to his designated area.

Takuto blinked. “Hold on.” He took out his flip phone which was the same color as his hair—courtesy of his fondness for Shiffey—and opened it. “That little liar. It doesn’t take that long to walk from here to the university. He went off early.”

“Even though this is an important meeting…” Mitsuki and Atsumu calmly said at the same time.

“Too bad Kenny left before he got to hear what you had to say, Mitsuki,” Takuto added. “I’ll message those two on what they’ve missed out on later. Though,” he shrugged, “it would dampen their reactions compared to having them here in person.”

“It’s fine,” Mitsuki responded back. “Anyway, Takuji told me Sayuri had already left before I came, so I can only assume she knew I was going to seek her out. It’s unfortunate I wasn’t able to find any more information, especially with how secretive they are.”

           Rina let out a short and relaxed sigh. "Well, they do follow Akio-sama’s instructions since he’s their advisor. Sayuri’s getting by even faster with moving from one place to another. I wonder if we’ll be able to catch up.”

           “I can only hope so,” Mitsuki smiled at her fellow magician. “We should all have a little hope that we’ll be able to confront her sooner or later.” A few seconds passed by ere her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of a transparent area of the near her and opened it. “Yes? A meeting? We’ll be there.”

           Atsumu glanced at the dark purple-haired magician. “Was that call for work?”

           “…Of course.” Mitsuki was still smiling as she closed her eyes. “It’s too bad our own one had to be cut short, but since the call I received was basically an order, Riki and I will take our leave and meet up with you all later.”

           Riki’s eyes widened. “What? We’re leaving now?”

           Mitsuki glanced at her husband as she hung up and continued to smile. “There’s no choice in this matter. The Minister of Finance wants us to go to the meeting.”

           Riki frowned. “…Alright.”

           The married couple walked out of Le Renard Noir with Mitsuki going ahead of Riki, with only Atsumu, Takuto, and Rina in the restaurant/bar.

Rina folded her arms against her abdomen. “It seems as if I should get something from my pocket to replenish my stamina."

           Takuto looked up. "Pocket?"

           After the six-letter word came out of his mouth, his past sweetheart stopped in her tracks before shifting her gaze at him. "...We just saw Mitsuki-san take her phone out."

           "Oh, that." It didn't take long for Takuto to figure out what Rina meant. "The invisible 'pocket' magicians have where they can take out anything they want or need when they're not close to the objects for their convenience, including things from their Neon. I'm envious of you and Mitsuki for having one. It makes me wish I was like you guys sometimes, mostly you, though. It must also be fun having super strength, unlike an ordinary person like me."

           A calm expression etched rapidly onto Rina's face. "Don't forget that Sayuri has one as well. Still, I think you're fine the way you are Takuto. You're smarter than most of your kind and as a thief, you use your computer skills to hack into security systems and aid everyone on the missions. Plus, I—" She paused immediately to prevent herself from completing her sentence. "..."

           "...Go on." Takuto urged for an answer.

           Rina frowned. "No."

           "Why not?"

           "I don't want to." Rina averted her gaze. "It's... difficult for me to say. Anyway, do you want to eat something? I'll prepare something for you."

           The programmer cocked his head to his right side. "Isn't that Beardy's job?"

           Rina glanced at her ex-boyfriend. "It's fine. I'm working here for free, anyway. I'll be helping with the cooking and cleaning, so go ahead and order anything from the menu." A kind eye smile appeared on her pretty visage soon after.

           Takuto felt drawn towards the sincerity Rina showed him, and he thought to himself in a trance. How long has it been since I saw that smile? He didn't know the exact answer, but it did feel like several decades had passed by without his knowledge, and it struck his heart with a sting. Ah, it hurts. It really hits me whenever I see you that I feel at ease, angry at myself, so pained inside, and many other emotions continue to pour out.

           Rina stared at her former lover's expression and saw the sad beauty within it. "Takuto..." She reached out with her left arm in order to place her hand on the side of his face, but abruptly stopped herself from doing so before it could touch the tsundere. "...!" Then, she pulled her arm back and let her shoulders fall to their corresponding sides.

           Atsumu placed his left hand on Rina's right shoulder, looked towards her, and smiled gently. "It'll be alright."

           Rina didn't nod, but gazed at Takuto. "You are probably the one who understands me more than you understand the others, Boss. Then again, perhaps Hiro knows me more than you do."

           Atsumu's eyes slightly widened. "Oh? I believe you're right on the mark, Rina. But you're very level-headed towards me out of everyone else."

           Rina smiled and closed her eyes. "Well, it's no wonder you're a pervert in everyone else's minds."

           The wavy-haired brunet laughed lightly. "Ahaha. I guess you have another point there." He poked the side of Takuto's face with his right index finger, instantly catching the latter’s attention. "Takkun~, it's time for you to order something. What'll it be? You can tell me, and I'll have it ready in a few."

           Takuto glared with an irritated expression. "Wh-What are you doing, you sick bastard?!" Atsumu's poke sure did snap him back to reality. "Are you trying to harass me or something?!"

           Atsumu backed away with his eyes raised more than when he was chatting with Rina as he put his hands up. "Woah, Takkun! I was just trying to get you back to Earth! Really! Besides, you still haven't had breakfast, right?" Just as he was freaked out seconds ago, he was currently joyful and beamed at the twenty-four-year-old. "Let's get some food into that belly!"

           "Tch!" Takuto's upper and lower teeth met one another, indicating his grumpy mood. "Whatever, just get me something to eat. I don't care about ordering a meal right now, so serve me whatever you want as long as it’s decent and legal."

           Atsumu sighed. He was down in the dumps. "And after Hiro told you that all of us are concerned about you. A growing man needs to eat his meals three times a day, you know?" He smirked in a clever manner. "You might shut down one day if you keep spacing out for many periods of time."

           Hearing that made Takuto frown indifferently. "Is that supposed to be a joke about me when I'm facing a computer? You're not making me happy, though. Also, I'm not laughing, and if I did, I wouldn't giggle like Hiro, or burst out like Kenny does. Those two need to improve on their laughing styles. I'm in between, so I fit perfectly while Hiro is somewhat girly, and Kenny is too over-the-top. Riki? He's okay—he’s between me and Kenny so he's fine. As for you, I hate to admit it but you're better than Hiro; you're just under me. Out of all five of us guys, I'm the best at laughing. What do you think of that?"

           Atsumu sweat-dropped once the light blond's explanation was over. "Talk about brutal. You've basically butchered everyone's ranks on that. I bet those three would really get mad. The only thing I'm glad about is that you didn't include the girls. You sure overanalyze peculiar things, Takkun. It's your specialty but it's not such a bad thing in your case."

           "Of course not," Takuto objected. "I'm a gentleman and I'm nicer to ladies more than you are in terms of sensitivity, but girls outside our group are mainly an eyesore to me. Well, except magicians. Anyway. Because Rina trusts Sayuri, I'll have faith in her for now. Despite the possibility she could be up to something at the moment, I can't conclude her to be a bad woman, but she's still a little suspicious. I mean, she did lure us to the mountain and almost sent us to our deaths. Part of it was Riki's fault so I'll forgive her for..." He started to blush and continued. "...saving Rina's life. She really duped us after planning ahead but conning us might've been the best karma we’ve had in all our years of being thieves."

           The next thing the two men knew, Rina came out from the kitchen with a tray in her hands. "Well here you go, Takuto. Have a nice breakfast." She shot him a considerate glance with a casual smile after placing a normal Japanese-style morning meal on the counter in front of him. "Oh, and be careful or our identities will be found out by the you-know-who. Remember what I said before in the cave, so make sure to keep a cautious eye and ear whenever you speak about us."

           Takuto could only blush further in embarrassment. "I-I know! I haven't forgotten about it, so you shouldn't, either."

           As the Black Foxes' hacker muttered a, "Itadakimasu," he felt a warm sensation in his chest. Then, he took out his chopsticks from their wrapper, and split them apart evenly to enjoy his food. Having his ex-girlfriend around to remind him of the fact who the seven members altogether were during the night was bad enough since it was also their secret, but... He couldn't deny the reality of the world as it was true he and his friends were thieves who performed hidden deeds behind everyone else's backs. Seeing his expression gave Atsumu the smile the brunet would typically wear on his face, while Rina went back to the kitchen to check on the food cooking inside.

           Meanwhile, Kenshi was in the nearby fire department—the closest to Le Renard Noir, which was actually a long distance from there, though. As he was getting ready for duty, his co-workers smiled splendidly at him.

           "Say, Inagaki," one of them began. "You look pretty happy today. Somethin' happen lately?"

           Kenshi smiled back. "Nothing really. What makes you say that?"

           The same guy who initiated the conversation stared at his fellow firefighter, pondering whether or not he should tease the twenty-five-year-old. "You really don't know? It's all over your face."

           Kenshi's eyes widened in trivial confusion. "Huh? What is?"

           "That you're in love with some chick none of us know about," the co-worker blurted out with a grin on his face.

           Within an instant, Kenshi's visage was flushed with a shade of pink like Takuto's whenever the latter would get tongue-tied. "Wha—How do you know that?"

           The co-worker smirked. "So it is true. Spill the beans, will ya? We all want to hear the details about her. Are you gonna try and make a pass at her the next time you see her?"

           Another co-worker nodded. "We're really curious about the type of girl you've got your eyes on, Inagaki. You've never taken much liking to them in a romantic sense, but girls are attractive in their own way. It's a shame you never fell for anyone until the age of twenty-five. When it comes to us men, love comes and goes in the blink of an eye if you're not serious about a girl. And, you should be going on dates when you're young like a teenager in his second or third year in high school. When you get to the drinking age, you should marry the woman you love, and have a hot night all to yourselves when you're at home. Then, she'll be popping out a baby or two, and before you know it, you're already a father. So you see, you should enjoy the romance while you're young, not old. You won't get to do that at your age, man. You're the only one who's single now, which sorta makes you leftovers from a batch of cookies."

           A third co-worker exhaled. "Face the truth, Kenshi. You've got some looks, but no significant other to share your heart with. You're also dense when it comes to a lot of things, and you're too nice." He crossed his index fingers to form an X. "That's a bad combination and so many girls have been hurt by your characteristics. It's not that we don't think very poorly of you; we're just pointing out your flaws."

           Kenshi looked at the guys who had supported him for several years and looked down. "It's not as easy as you guys think it is. I've had a lot to do and... that's not an excuse. I understand that. Really. But you guys have had better luck than me. I'd like to experience being in a relationship too— and get married, have kids. Those sort of experiences. And I envy you for achieving every bit of happiness with your wives and children. Unfortunately for me, I'm in love with this girl who's out of my reach. She's beautiful and everything about her shines brilliantly." He clenched his hands into fists. "How can I not like her? She's not someone I can be with, and she's around my friends' age. I can't stop thinking about her, and it's so painful I feel like I'm going to die from these feelings if I don't get the chance to see her again. That's how much I like her."

           The first co-worker walked up to Kenshi, placing his hand on the single man's back. "You're an earnest guy, aren't you? Even though she's out of your league, I'm not going to apologize for making you feel bad when you're still—how should I put this—untaken and in your mid-twenties. Continue to suffer from the heartache, will you?" He patted the posterior region he was already touching and smiled lightheartedly. "You're such a sappy guy, Inagaki. It's hard to believe you work with us in a fire station. Anyway, tell us when she dumps—I mean, rejects—you. We'll be around to hear every detail, and we'll berate you even more. Can't wait to pull another one on you. Torture you later!" As he and some other firefighters went to their station for the morning, he gave a wave with his left hand, and the back of it was in full view.

           And then it hit Kenshi right on the face.

           "What?!" He shouted with a shocked expression. His so-called companion at work had just made him confess he was in love with a certain someone without him saying that girl's name to everyone, to which the others joined in with saying horrible things about him, as well. Kenshi felt infuriated; his face was boiling hot with a red color. Oh, it was worse than a lobster or two. Heck. A thousand of them couldn't compare to how angry the spiky-ish-haired son of a restaurant owner was as he was soon alone in the area he was standing in. Within the almost empty space displaying his existence, he took a breath and yelled to the sky. "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

           Kenshi's frustration and humiliation broke some windows belonging to larger buildings. Surely enough, it may have even shattered the glass of a certain government facility that was one of the most renowned ones in Japan.

  XXX

             Inside the Ministry of Finance, a meeting was interrupted from the sound of glass breaking. One of the employees opened the door each of the agents entered through, and frowned with a tone of disappointment.

           "Oh, that's great," the man who checked on the situation muttered. He had emerald green hair and viridian eyes; wore a beige plaid suit over a white dress shirt [that had clear buttons], whereas his pants extended to a few inches above his ankle; his pale yellow socks and dark brown dress shoes were shown. "We have to fix the windows with our powers now. And yes, I do mean all of them. They're all... greatly damaged by a..." He tilted his head to his right, blinking with a perplex look on his face. "...human man's scream...?" Then, he narrowed his eyes defeatedly. "What the heck?" No satisfaction whatsoever appeared on his nice visage. As colorful as he was with his physical appearance, was contrasting on the outside. That was when he sighed, lowering his shoulders. "To save us some trouble, we'll have to call a repair team and go under reconstruction for a while."

           Claire took a glance from the left door as he stood beside the Minister of Finance.             "No kidding." His eyes were large due to raising his upper eyelids. "We've got to act fast." He took out his cell phone and dialed a call to the company that would be of most help at the moment. "Hi. So you've just heard about it. Yes. There's a huge conflict with our windows. Of course we’d like to have them repaired. Thank you very much. We will secure a large payment after you're done rebuilding the ministry. Have a nice day and goodbye." He hung up and turned around toward his many co-workers who were still sitting in their seats. "We're all clear on that matter. The repair team is currently on their way with a helicopter to provide a net for covering the Ministry of Finance and they're bringing in other materials to fix this entire place up by truck. While we're waiting, let's resume the meeting."

           He and the Minister of Finance returned to their seats and sat down. Then, the latter stood up and cleared his throat.

           "Ahem," he said, covering his mouth with a fist before removing it. "I called this meeting today to recognize the return of our fellow co-worker, who has accomplished an enormous success for us during her trip to Europe. Although it's a bit late to announce this, I'm still grateful of her efforts to go through with work before taking any breaks and vacations. It may have been a bit forced on her since we've been encountering plentiful amounts of escalations for a long time now, but you all know what I mean."

           There was a round of cheery laughter in the closed room; even Riki and Mitsuki gave in to it.

           "So to give a quick ending to my speech," the Minister egged on, "Let us all commend Mitsuki for completing this time-consuming job, and welcome back to our team." He gave a light bow with his head. "Congratulations on bringing us some more pep and negotiations. As a reward, I was going to give you three weeks off from work. However, since we're going to be dealing with an extended period of repairs to make it seem like a normal case, we'll be stopping work at the Ministry of Finance for an unknown amount of time, so I guess most of us can return to Neon without any worries.” It was then that he heaved a sigh. “I wouldn't mind it if we were to shut the office down for good.” He scoffed. “I mean, isn't that an extreme benefit to us owe don't have to keep track of everyone's money in Neon? Man, oh man, do I ever want to give the Japanese government a piece of my mind. It’s the opposite here in the Human World."

           Nao smiled tranquilly. "It certainly would make our lives easier to manage if we tried to change this world to make it fit our standards. While this is not part o he ministry’s ‘business,’ Kei and Rie are more likely to do that in the future than we are at this time and day. We would also be eliminating more than just the ministry. Consider how much we could gain from the losses of most of this world’s government control. Taxes wouldn't exist anymore, so people could be paid the total amount of their work. But. As we're here to aid humans who are kind to others, it would be more for their personal gain. After all, their world is not like ours in terms of the law. I understand it's frustrating, but let's bear with it. We should ensure that they're in a safer place to live in, as well as for us before we try anything against this world’s governments. Sometimes if we wait long enough, someone else will take action to solve our complaints."

           "I see," one of the male employees who had lunch with Riki that day said, and some of the others nodded. He had his arms folded across his chest again as he continued to speak. "We'll have to see what happens before we do anything about it. That gives us more time to go back and forth between the two worlds, but it might take years beyond our guesses to shut the governments in the Human World down. Maybe even a millennium or two."

           With his usual smile, Claire inquired, "But doesn't the world revolve around the business field? Wouldn't international connections be lost if you decided to cancel the governments' authority?"

           "Claire has a valid argument," Riki proclaimed. "We might need several governments to operate how we regulate our supplies and resources, along with keeping track of our inventory and money for—"

           The Minister of Finance looked straight at Riki and commented, "And that's why you're such a realist, Riki. You don't want to accept this under the circumstances other civilians will lose what they have, and other than that, you wouldn't want to lose this job. Think about it: Is it really necessary for you to condemn yourself to working as a government agent when you could just live your life the way you want to with the woman you love? With all the problems this world has, the government isn't interested in human affairs. Those who are supposed to lead your kind aren't doing their jobs properly, and look. People are suffering every day but no one has truly attempted to lend a hand to anyone in need, except for the noble thieves known for stealing works of art to bring decorum back. We as magicians had decided to come here to aid others who are pure and can be trusted in some way or another, but we observe from afar to see if there are 'good' humans who won't stray from that kindness they let us know of. It's not that we're doing this to be terrible beings; we want proof of a human's sincerity before we act out on anything too rashly, which of course we don't want, and what we don't like to do is make mistakes we'll regret. For our reasons, we want what could be a better life for you and some others we come to trust. Do you comprehend what I mean?"

           Riki nodded firmly. "Yes... I know. It isn't as easy to abandon this position and move forward. On the contrary, I'll try to live a life without being a government employee. It's just... A lot has been going on in my life. Not only mine but Mitsuki's, and our friends' lives. There are more conflicts arriving at our door, and we can't resolve every one of them by sheer will. We can't wait for anyone to do something, so we've decided to stay by their sides and support them. We're not sure if it'll turn out perfectly fine for them, but we want them to know they're not alone."

           "Then, watch how things turn out for them," the male magician facing him replied softly. "You'll find the answer in due time. For now, focus on what you can do as a person before resolving a conflict. It'll go away without your presence at times. Without further ado, I believe it's time to end this meeting and take a long break from work. I'll even have them make this place smaller in size and proportions."

           In a brief moment, they all decided to leave the room and pushed in their chairs before doing so. As they strolled side by side, Mitsuki took Riki's left hand in her right to assure him it would be alright. Soon, they met up with Nao outside. She was indeed as beautiful and fair as ever.

           "Mitsuki-san, Riki-san," she smiled casually. "Going on a date now?"

           Riki perked up. "That's right. I can't let the fact we're all out of work for a while get to me when I have my wife by my side. You seem jolly yourself, Aozora."

           "I agree," Mitsuki remarked. "Do you have plans with your boyfriend?"

           Continuing to smile with her eyes closed, the white-haired magician replied. "I'll be helping my boyfriend with some errands and cooking once I get home." She opened her eyes and added, "I better start shopping for a ton of groceries in a bit."

           "Does your sweetheart like to eat a lot?" Riki asked with a smirk. "And cooking for just one person sounds tough when you put it that way."

           Nao placed her left hand on the side of her face with her fingertips touching her cheek. "I didn't say I was cooking just for him; Riki-san, did you misunderstand what I said?"

           "You mean, there's a whole round of others who'll be enjoying the food you prepare besides him?" Riki's eye were currently widened. "Boy, you must have a tough time taking care of your man and getting those meals done."

           "He is a doctor, after all," Nao mentioned. "It's not a surprise several people visit him during the day. He's also very skilled at what he does. Although we're not always together since we both work separately and in different career fields, we do what we can to show that we care about each other. It isn't any trouble for me to at least cook for a big group when he's so busy because I love him."

           Mitsuki put her hands together and smiled tenderly. "That's true. I don't mind preparing a bento for Riki and sometimes for our sisters. They're very important to me, and I can't help but love all of them. It's natural to have a desire to do something for those you care about."

           "Well, I better get going. Have a lovely time together, alright?" She turned round and walked a few steps forward in her direction before teleporting somewhere.

           The dark purple-haired magician glanced at Riki and said, "Shall we resume from where we left off? I like going on dates with you, Riki."

           "Well I believe so." The tall, wealthy human man had a loving expression on his handsome visage as he gazed back into his wife's magenta eyes. He wanted to hold her in his arms so much, but restrained himself to be more gentlemanly in the eyes of those who saw them together.

           "Oh, they're holding hands," a young woman whispered. "How lovely."

           Another one inquired, "You don't suppose they're actually...?"

           A young man nodded. "It has to be true. Just look at the way they're looking at each other."

           The second woman disagreed on something. "But they're so..." It felt as if she wasn't pleased with the height difference.

           Understanding what she meant, a third woman around the other three's ages responded with, "Who cares about that? Don't they look cute together, though? They really suit one another to me."

           Despite the both of them hearing the spectators' comments about them, Riki and Mitsuki kept walking forward before the wife in the marriage called out.

           “Riki,” Mitsuki said and stopped. She turned to face him with a sincere seriousness in her eyes and facial expression. “It’s time for me to tell you my concerns. Rather than to put our romantic reunion as a couple first, I want us and everyone else in our group, to counter the roads ahead of us. There is not a single doubt in my entire being of the dangers towards the magicians, but us as well. You know that, don’t you?”

           Riki gazed back into his love’s eyes in a serene manner. “Of course I do. Being with you and the others has molded me into who I am right now, but being apart from you most of all turned into a time for me to learn more about what you’ve endured since our first encounter. Not only about you, though.”

           Immediately, Mitsuki knew but was not surprised by her husband’s words. “…You’re such a workaholic. No wonder I can’t bring myself to forgive you for yesterday’s—” She cut herself off and took a step back, not once taking her eyes off of the man who loved her; and she towards him.

           Riki smiled slightly, but all so affectionately. “I know, and I apologized for how I treated you after finding out about your pain and the history that’s gone on for a long time.”

           “Yet, knowing the things you’ve learn about me doesn’t sever the love I have for you. I don’t doubt my feelings for you as much as you’ve felt for what I couldn’t tell you myself.” Mitsuki paused and then continued. “What I would like to let everyone know are my circumstances and Neon’s history, but I’m forbidden to as part of my punishment and exile from home.”

           The sun’s rays glimmered in a lovely way on Riki’s black hair and he nodded. “This’ll be our secret until the time comes for us to tell them.” His shoulder’s fell. “No. I’ll be the one to do that so I can protect you, Mitsuki.”

           “Riki…”

           Riki took hold of his wife’s left hand with his right and lowered his legs. He steadily entwined their fingers together before taking hold of Mitsuki’s waist with his free hand. Then, he pulled her body close to his—it was evident there was no resistance from her, in contrast to his advances. The dark purple-haired magician placed her right hand on Riki’s cheek; their eyes gradually closed and their lips met.

The love they held for one another attracted more attention—stares and glances from bystanders, but nothing else was important. They spent as much time together before being called in to Le Renard Noir later that night.

  XXX

             "What's up?" Kenshi asked as he and Hiro entered the bar together. "I heard something was urgent and met Hiro on the way here."

           Atsumu had a serious expression on his face. "..." He glanced at Takuto sitting in front of the counter. The latter appeared to have a flustered look.

           "What's up with Takkun, you mean!" Hiro exclaimed. "His face is totally red!" A sly grin formed from his lips. "Something juicy definitely happened."

           Takuto glanced upward at Hiro and Kenshi. "It's nothing." He may have had a calm tone when he spoke, but he seemed angry. "There's no way that's frickin' possible."

           Hiro blinked once. "Takkun, are you feeling okay? You seem like you would be sick by your voice and facial expression."

           "Of course I'm not!" the light blond yelled this time. "Who would be when they've been humiliated so much in a day?!"

           Hiro glanced at Atsumu. "Boss."

           Atsumu frowned in a way that seemed more like his usual self. "A male customer today was hitting on Rina, so Takkun got riled up and told him not to mess with her. There were a whole bunch of other people who had come to eat here as well, and when they saw Takkun helping Rina out, they were complimenting and cheering him on. They also called those two a couple, thinking they were dating. It was nice but also embarrassing in Takkun's case, so you know how it typically is." He smiled dryly before returning to a somber expression. "That's not what I called you all here for, however. We've got a new mission on our hands, and it involves countering the mafia. What we're dealing with is no ordinary mafia, either. It's a triad. Do you know which one?"

           The men looked at each other before gazing at the wavy-haired brunet. Rina and Mitsuki on the other hand, gave their undivided attention to him as he explained the direness of his statements.

           Atsumu continued. His expression did not budge as he told his teammates. "It's the 14K who're targeting us. Though this might be an assumption, they could be after the magicians as well due to the powers magicians hold within themselves. I'm concerned about Sayuri more than the girls because of the video they sent us." He glanced at Takuto and nodded.

           In response, the hacker took out his laptop and opened it. Then, he clicked on the play button for them all to watch.

           "Yes, may I help you gentlemen?" A man turned around and asked after closing his shop early.

           When Hiro saw who it was, he was stunned. "What?!"

           The video continued to play, despite his surprise.

           A group of three men in suits walked up to the man. They were all wearing sunglasses and had stoic looks on their faces. What was most prominent about them was their sync when they stepped up to the man while standing next to one another in a row.

           "We're looking for a girl who may have worked here," the man in the middle began. He took out a small photo of said girl from his breast pocket located on his suit’s left side, handing it to the man, who delicately grabbed the photo and gazed at it for a second before shifting his focus to the leader of the three. "She is notorious for striking against us, specifically at our master, and has attack us on many occasions since the day she arrived on Earth through a form of teleportation, or so we believe. Her name is Sayuri Mitsuyoshi. She is also a magician with wings that shine brighter than what we picture angels to have, as hers are packed with a power unlike anyone on Earth has seen or experienced when they emerge from her back. Therefore, she is a very dangerous adversary of ours, sir. If you would please cooperate with us, we will give you a large sum of money in return."

           "Sayuri, you say," the man noted calmly. "From what you have just told me, I don't believe she is the same girl I remember. This young lady in the picture does not remind me of the girl I once knew, except for her orange eyes and hair. Sayuri's hair, however, is lighter than this woman's, and her eyes couldn’t be agate. Since the picture is also small, I am not certain if they have the same hair length or not, but I believe hers was shorter. The young woman in this photo probably grew her hair out longer than Sayuri's, too. The Sayuri you've described to me is not the Sayuri I know. Sayuri Mitsuyoshi could never look like this; she couldn't be a magician, or an angel-like being. Sayuri is a human girl who didn't have a place to go to until I met her. I don't believe she is, and I don't wish for money. Sayuri is not a dangerous person, but an innocent—"

           "Innocent? I don't think so." He was cut off by the leader. "If you have a different view of her, you're wrong. You don't know a thing about Sayuri Mitsuyoshi because the way you see her is someone who doesn't have any special abilities--someone who's dull in nature and has no real qualities to create a sense of frustration and lure out someone else's wrath. But the orange hair and agate eyes in the photo? Those aren't what human girls have unless they dye their hair and get cosmetic surgery performed on their irises. No human could ever have those types of physical characteristics at birth, and they certainly can't have abnormal bodies and powers. Though there are some humans who are blessed with unhuman strength and attributes, Sayuri Mitsuyoshi could never be one of them due to being born in the magician world, a world so ancient and advanced before our own." He removed his sunglasses from his face, revealing his brown eyes. "She is, sculpted to perfection. That's not the reason we're after her, but she's interfering with our plans." There was one demand he and his lackeys had in mind at the moment. "Tell us where she is if you know what's good for you." He came closer to the manager.

           The middle-age man's eyes widen. "...!" It appeared as if there was no place left for him to back into as the three members of the mafia cornered him to the edge of the counter.

           The video stopped playing. Riki, Kenshi, and most of all, Hiro were shocked and paralyzed as to what had taken place before their eyes.

           "...Who was that they were after just now?" Riki questioned.

           Kenshi blinked. "And what's their reason for going after that man besides trying to get to Sayuri? Could they be after something else?"

           Hearing those words from the firefighter, it was all coming together to Hiro. "!!" He swiftly turned his head towards Takuto. "Takkun!"

           Takuto gave another nod. "Yeah. I checked before anyone else got here after the video was sent to my laptop. They know the manager of the café has the cymophane since Sayuri left it for him. She probably flew back the same night we gave it to her; plus, the 14K may also have been observing her and us since the night we snuck into the mansion to get that painting of Takuji Uramoto. He's pretty famous, and it's been mentioned many times that he's a magician, so it's likely they're after him as well."

           Mitsuki looked at the floor. "That's correct. He's made himself known but due to the Human World's lack of magic and resources Neon has, he's brought more than enough to last him and Asuka years without having to go back to Neon. There have been times when Asuka's collapsed from overexertion and her fragile state, so he nurses her back to health.”

Rina added, “Takuji was also paired up with Sayuri during their time in high school to train and bring out their best abilities.”

Mitsuki nodded. “Despite the fact he hasn't revealed anything, he's likely to have planned something with her in order to bring the mafia down. As we're magicians, we are restricted on having our powers to their fullest range, unless we're told otherwise by the two highest ranking families of our world. But now, we need to get there as soon as possible." She looked at Atsumu. "I can't let you stay in harm's way, so the rest of us will go. At any rate, it'll be easier to get everyone else to the café now that I'm back."

           Rina turned her head towards the other Black Foxes with a composed expression. "Is everyone ready?"

           "Hold up." Takuto got up from his seat and closed his laptop. "I don't want to be dropped on my ass by the time we get there." He took hold of the electronic device, placing it under his left arm.

           "Who said we would drop you?" Rina asked with the same look on her face.

           Takuto blushed. "W-Well, I can't be too reckless, can I?"

           "Anyway, let's go. We're already late as it is."

           Hiro had a resolved expression etched onto his face. "We can't let the 14K do anything to the manager. He's too good of a person to be beaten and killed by anyone, so let's do this."

           Everyone besides Atsumu nodded and were sent to the location of the café owner after having a bright light of different colors surrounding them.

           Even though I know they'll be fine, I still fear for their lives, the wavy-haired man thought. I'm probably getting too old, but that doesn't mean I can't care about our family. Right, Shinobu? For their sakes, I'll have to prepare a grand feast for them so they can come back with brighter smiles.

 XXX

             It was a dead end for the manager of the café. He had run all the way to the rooftop and was a few feet away from the edge that met nothing else, but the cool air with his back facing it. It was truly a defective time and place for him to be at, as it was also one of the worst situations for someone to go through. The three mafia men were in front of him, and there was nowhere else to escape to. It felt like the end of the world for the frightened café owner.

           "What is your purpose for doing this?" he asked, trying not to show his fear. "I have no clue as to where the woman you are searching for could be! She does not reside, nor does she work anywhere near here, or in the café."

           The leader of the three only said, "It is your fault for not telling us so before running away. You could have saved your life if not for your unethical attitude downstairs. As for our purpose... Slaughtering you might give us an opportunity to lure her out and capture her once and for all. She has given us a long chase this past month, so it's to be expected that we'll have to take our revenge on her and sell her to the black market afterwards." He showed an eerie grin. "Perhaps we'll do some other stuff before that. She does have the looks, after all. We'll violate and torture her as punishment for messing with us. Then again, who needs auctions from the market when we can enslave her to do our bidding. Hehehe."

           It was unbelievable how far the group of men would go to if Sayuri was in their hands. It was sickening and revolting enough to get on a kindhearted person's nerves, which there was no doubt the manager felt livid about.

           "How dare you filthy lot of men say such impure things towards a woman, especially to Sayuri!" the middle-aged man shouted. "You should be ashamed of having been born into this world! Have your parents not taught you any courtesy at all?! No man should ever think about defiling a lady, no matter her appearance and personality! All men should be gentle and polite when a woman is in their presence!"

           The 14K triad member gritted his teeth and snarled. "Why, you—! How dare you give me a lesson on how a man should behave! You're nothing but an old man who likes to run his mouth like a motor on and off until someone gets annoyed at you! I'll show you who's right or wrong!" He was aiming to punch the manager with his right hand and arm when...

           "Hold it right there!" Hiro, who was enraged more than anyone else at the moment, had appeared with every member of the Black Foxes going on the mission. It was a terrible case of anger igniting his fiery core.

           The three triad members turned around, and the leader smirked. "Well, well. What do we have here? So the Black Foxes have finally arrived, have they? It seems you all got our message. We were waiting for you to get here. And look, you managed to save the café owner from death's hands. For now at least. But we'll kill him after you've been finished off by our comrades." He blew onto his index and middle fingers located on his right hand to form a whistle-like sound, but was a bit softer when doing so.

           Immediately, several other triad members jumped out and covered the edges of the roof. Although they were completely surrounded and outnumbered, the Black Foxes’ team did not falter, standing their ground with their backs facing the others'. It was like a scene from an action film but it was even better than one. It was also at that very moment that something phenomenal happened, and in the blink to an eye, too. A bright light radiated above everyone on the scene as if it were a fairy tale glow summoned from a book of the stories that were listed in it. Thousands of needle-like objects spun out and hit the mafia members, knocking them unconscious and evading the Black Foxes. Shortly afterwards, the sharp needles dissipated, and the light sank back to a pair of wings, giving the chance for Sayuri to display her alluring, yet pale form.

           As they witnessed her appearance, Hiro's eyes were taken in the older girl's beauty, more so than Kenshi was; albeit there was the fact Sayuri landed between those two when it came to age. Even the manager of the café was enchanted by the woman balanced above all of them. Soon enough, the winged magician gracefully descended down to the roof's ground.

           Sayuri scanned wherever the 14K triad members were lying. "What a pain in the back. Really. Do I have to go through all of this for a group of criminals looking for me? Just when I was about to go home, too. This isn't a night that's in favor of me now, is it?" Afterward, she confronted the members of the Black Foxes with her agate gaze. "So we meet again, you so-called noble thieves of art. Or should I say, the Black Foxes. It really isn't as great of a pleasure to see you, but that doesn't matter. I have to rally up these foul men and turn them over to the police station before the night ends, thank you very much. I'll be taking my leave, so fare thee well."

           "Wait," Hiro called out, almost as though he were desperate.

           "What is it?" Sayuri glanced at the orange-haired young man whom she once referred to as a friend.

           Hiro frowned somewhat sadly. "Can we talk for a bit? There's a lot we'd like to discuss with you, Sayuri."

           "There's no reason to," Sayuri shot down her words.

           Hiro shook his head. "But there is. Because I just told you that reason."

           Rina gazed at her best friend with her hands folded across her chest and added, "Why don't you hear us out, then? I don't care if you refuse to say anything in reply to the other guys, but at least have a chat with Hiro. He's a good person at heart, which sets apart what a thief at night would commonly be from who he truly is on the inside. You already know not all human guys are like this, so do something for his sake."

           Sayuri's shoulders fell. "Fine. We can't speak inside the café. That's my condition for listening and answering you guys. I don't want to be in a place like that anyhow. Understand?" She arrowed her eyes with order. "I just can't find being in the place I had reluctantly agreed to live in and work at as an employee very fitting since my wings weren't comfortable the first instance I had been here.  I even went home every night but you should get the point by now."

           The owner of the café took a step forward. "Um..."

           Sayuri glanced at him. "Yes?"

           "Are you really... Sayuri Mitsuyoshi?" the middle-aged man asked. "You don't quite seem to be the same girl I remembered meeting over a month ago."

           "Is there anyone else you recall meeting on their twenty-first birthday who has the same name as me?" Sayuri frowned indifferently.

           "Well, no, but..." He looked down. "It's hard to believe you were the very young woman who was once here not too long ago. I was quite fond of you for being such a kind and warm person. You attracted so many customers to my café, and I have always been grateful to you. I can't thank you enough for spreading joy to this place and bringing wonderful smiles to everyone's faces."

           Sayuri let out a worn out sigh. "Well, I suppose I should thank you as well for giving me a place to stay and hiring me. Why don't you join the conversation? I'm positive you wouldn't want to be left out of this." She looked back at the group of thieves, and sat down with her legs crossed.

  XXX

             "Now, what do you want to ask me?" Sayuri inquired as she waited for Hiro to start conversing. Her wings had disappeared after sitting down to face the Black Foxes.

           A sense of nostalgia flowed into Hiro's body and he softly smiled at Sayuri. He thought back to a couple nights ago and the memories of that portion of the past came back to him in a flash. "You're really nice, and I mean more than meets the eye, you know that? You went out of your way to create a trap for us in order to restore Rina's powers and save her from losing them. That's an astounding feat none of us could have thought of since we didn't have Mitsuki back in Japan with us until after we went to the mountain. Thanks."

           "Well, I can't just let Rina die from that rotten woman's plans." The orange-haired magician was looking into Hiro's eyes with a crucial hint in her expression. "It's her fault that Rina was in danger in the first place. Not only Rina, but other magicians who are here on Earth. Of course, I don't want them to perish. Because they're important to me, I can't let them go. It's too sad to never get the chance to see the ones you love ever again, along with not being able to talk to them when they're gone forever; it's even more painful to have to say goodbye to them, especially when they're in your line of sight. I'm not the only one who doesn't want that. There are so many magicians who don't, as well. That's why..." She was filled with a resolve that could move the hearts of others in a short amount of time. "...I won't give up on setting things right. And I'll make sure that woman pays for what she's done. She's pulled a lot of strings, but I'll be working to stop her with Takuji and the others."

           "...Sayuri..." Hiro saw how much Sayuri was purely devoted to save her own people.

           She must be going through a lot to do what she has so far, he thought. It's no wonder she has such a strong sense of justice. I want to help her, even if I'm not fit to stand on the same ground or breathe the same air as her. So…

           There was a curious look on Takuto’s face as he gazed up at Sayuri from his computer screen. “’That woman?’ Who exactly would you be referring to? From what you’ve told us just now, there’s something unpleasant about her. She must be sucking away the magicians’ powers in order to eliminate them from existence, especially in the world you’ve been trying to benefit—our world, the Human World—since there was originally no trace of magic until...” He narrowed his eyes before finally coming to an answer. “ ...the magicians came here as part of their mission to help this world.  So I take it she's hated all magicians enough to strategize and perform a counterattack against you guys. Which means..." He glanced at Rina for a few seconds before turning his gaze back at Sayuri. "Every magician staying here is in peril far more than quadruple the amount the whole planet is going through right now. What about your princess? Is she still on Earth, or is she back home?"

           "For the time being," Sayuri went on, "Takuji and I have sent Asuka home to rest and recover her powers. At the very least, I don't want to involve her in the fight that I'm going to take part in. I don't know if that's going to do anything but... You all may end up going into this if you decide to go with me. It's no ordinary battlefield, but whatever your choice is, I won't stop you."

           Hiro and everyone else smiled at Sayuri. Of course they were going with her. And. It was evidently present that their bond and willpower were powerful and overwhelming for a band of thieves, so much so they wanted the orange-haired girl to be part of their bond.

           "Like anyone's going to stop us," Riki grinned victoriously. "We're the Black Foxes. We don't back down from what we seek to do and we'll finish our missions without a care for anything else. That's one of our mottos we live by when we work at night! I'm gonna ask you this again, Sayuri. You rejected my offer before, but that doesn't change the fact I'm set on having you as a member of our team. Will you join the Black Foxes?" He held his hand out for the magician's reply as he stood up.

           Sayuri also rose from her position and looked directly into the leader's eyes. "I'm sorry to say this to you, Riki. But my answer remains the same. I will not join you as we're on the opposite sides, but I can stay with you all, seeing as you're willing to risk your lives for the magicians. Therefore, let us arrange what we will be doing later on. I will meet you after I recharge in Neon. I need to heal there as well since I was attacked and wounded before arriving here tonight."

           Kenshi spoke despite being flabbergasted along with the others as he glanced up from sitting on the ground. "What? You're hurt?" He frowned in concern. "Is your wound... painful? If it is, I think you should come by LRN another time. Maybe, you should stay home for a few days if you're gonna go back to heal it."

           Sayuri shook her head. "No, it'll be alright. It's... a wound that gives me a feeling of remembrance." She looked down for a few seconds, then raised her head up slowly. "I'll meet you all. At Le Renard Noir. So... Wait for me and don't forget that I'm going to be staying with you, so I'll be sleeping on a bed there for a while. Also. Have Rina return to Neon tonight before I come. She should at least visit her family and let them know she’s doing well in the Human World. I won't be seeing her back home, though." She turned around, walking toward the edge of the rooftop before stopping in her tracks. After that, she turned her head to gaze at the six members of the Black Foxes and the café manager. "I nearly forgot to mention this. Mitsuki-san, you two look good together. It has been over nine years now, but congratulations on your wedding. Manjuki-san must be looking forward to the day you have a kid with your husband.1 And Owner? Live well without me and don't get yourself involved with this. It's about time for you to sever your will to hold onto me, so don't become depressed over the memories I've been in, and resume your life as it already is. You can't look back and sink into despair. You need to be strong for the people around you. If your employees become worried about you, apologize to them and make a decision to remove their anxiety. Thank you for everything you done for me." Sayuri's wings grew out and flapped once before rising again. She flew up and disappeared afterward. Along with her, the 14K triad members were gone and out of sight, indicating where she might have gone first.

           Hiro looked at the manager and smiled. "I know you're sad about her departure, but try to listen to her words. I'm positive she wanted the best for you, Manager. If she didn't, she wouldn't have cared to tell you anything. I believe Sayuri was looking out for us as well. She might not have said much about it, but maybe she's trying to protect everyone who're pure at heart in her own way. That's... my conviction." At that moment, his smile became softer and full of endearment. His support for his friend was to be praised, as he could not be disloyal to the feeling of care towards the winged magician.

           Kenshi felt a wave of excitement for the college student. "Hiro...!" He was glad the young man was dedicated to Sayuri as he was, but felt as though Hiro had a stronger heart for her than he did.

           Takuto looked at the café owner. "Well, she did pull the wool over our eyes the last time we crossed paths with her. Luckily, we weren't killed, but she concocted the perfect plan to lure us—except for Sir Beard-it-all—out to a secluded terrain and replenish Rina's powers." He gave a short nod at his ex-girlfriend. "She was losing them, anyway. Sayuri's a clever one to have done all that in a short period of time. Looking at our missions so far, she was always ahead of us. Even tonight, she stole the spotlight in just a flash. She really beats us to it every time, but with good intentions. It's no wonder Riki wants her to join us. She still rejects the thought of siding with thieves, but now we can compromise on working together to defeat the woman who's going against the magicians. She's a commendable person at least, so don't fret over not seeing her again. The girl you knew was hiding her true self; yet she does it to help her kind. You're already proud of her and you love her like a family member, but with everything that's happened, you'll have to move on and forget about her. She doesn't want you to regret anything. The thing is, she can't go back to being under your roof and working for you. The cymophane returning to you wasn't for nothing, you know."

           The manager of the café was surprised. "You mean... Sayuri didn't receive it from someone she knew? Then..."

           Hiro nodded in confirmation. "That's right. She said it belonged to someone she knew and that person happened to be you, Manager. We didn't know who the cymophane belonged to until Takkun and I visited you. Thanks to you, we were finally able to see her again. But... It wasn't like we were on friendly terms then." He gave an eye smile this time. "I guess the credit should go to Rina since Sayuri seems to have opened up a little whenever she spoked to her."

           Kenshi chuckled. "And with Saionji here, she even acknowledged our married couple." Looking at Riki for a brief second, he laughed some more. "But she totally refused our leader, which of course makes it worthwhile. Hahaha."

           Riki frown with an irritated look on his face. "Laugh all you want while you still can. I'll be giving you something you won't be looking forward to once we get back, you little brat. It's no wonder you never got a girl to keep with you." He smirked sarcastically. "Aren't you the poor old sap of us all?"

           "What are you talking about?" The sniper cocked his head with a dumbfounded expression. "You and Boss are the oldest ones of us all, and Takuto's next in line after me! I'm basically in the middle of everyone, even if you include the women on our team."

           Heh... Takuto narrowed his eyes as he stared at the firefighter.

           Hiro was also watching with a similar facial appearance, but had a dull half-smile to add to it in contrast to the hacker's nonchalant look. Hm.

           The two of them sighed simultaneously in their minds [but not letting out an exhale from their actual bodies]. At least he didn't say anything about Mitsuki's age.

           They then sent signals with their eyes with Takuto being the first to respond.

           That would've been bad. For Kenny, I mean.

           Hiro silently agreed. No kidding. But Mitsuki's feelings would've still been hurt in the process.

           "..." Riki was still looking sternly at Kenshi. Then he turned around. "Let's get going. Boss is waiting for us and Sayuri is going to be at the bar soon. He must have prepared some food for us. Hopefully, nothing's gone cold."

           Mitsuki smiled. The sight of her was as serene as ever when things hadn't gotten to an unpleasant state. "Perhaps the food has already... We can reheat it once we get back. Let's not worry too much about making Atsumu wait."

           Kenshi was still clueless in the current situation. "Did something happen while I was at work this morning?"

           "It's nothing you really need to know about, Kenshi," Rina patted the most oblivious member of the group on the back with her left hand. She glanced at the café owner/manager. "Sayuri will be fine with us. She can take care of herself, no matter what's thrown at her."

           The middle-aged man nodded. "She was capable of saving us while injured. I wonder if she can truly handle being in this foreign place by herself."

           Rina raised her eyebrows. "Oh? That sounds like you don't trust her enough. Sayuri's always like this; she's a bit reckless in some ways, but she's also a magician like Mitsuki-san and I are. We all make foolish mistakes because we're alive. Sayuri probably doesn't want to inform you how she got hurt in the first place, as well. If she decides not to say anything else about it, it's her choice. Do you not think so?"

           "I see you're very supportive towards her," the manager smiled gradually. "Thank you. She must be fortunate to have a friend like yourself, young lady."

           "Not at all," the blonde beauty replied. Her expression was still as collected as usual when she was unprovoked by anything/anyone, especially by a certain someone. "Sayuri's... always been by my side during our high school and college days in Neon. I'm grateful to have her as a companion."

           She looked down and entered her thoughts. Even during my most difficult times, she was placing more effort to cheer me up. And not just her, but everyone else in their own way. I can't abandon those dear to me, not even Sayuri. With the new circumstances we'll be facing with her, I have to ensure her safety as much as I can.

           The café manager gave one last tender smile. "I must really be getting old for my age. I don't even know if I've live half my life yet when I think back at everything that has occurred in it. To think a magician had been by my side all this time, and that one of my greatest customers was a member of the famous Black Foxes. In addition, there are two female magicians aiding this band of thieves. I would have never thought the truth was laid out in front of me like this." Taking a glimpse of the six members who came along that night, he added, "My, you all are an impressive bunch, and so is Sayuri. I'm glad to have had this encounter with you seven tonight. Thank you for saving my life. I shall pray for your success in saving the other magicians, including your own.2 Goodbye and good luck to you all."

           Hiro closed his eyes with a jubilant smile. "Thanks! We'll make sure those evildoers don't get away with their objective. You can count on us!" He saluted the owner of the café. "Teehee! Or should also we say, toodle-loo!"

           The rest of the Black Foxes smiled at the manager and Hiro's last words to each other before heading (teleporting) back to Le Renard Noir with Mitsuki and Rina's help. From now on, they would be moving forward and could not look back on the old things which were peaceful, but the ones that needed to be done for the sake of magic and alteration. That very night was when a new door towards their future was unlocked, and they had decided to step through it without hesitation. It was because of their desire to assist Sayuri and the other magicians in order to save them from a cruel, malicious demise that they took drastic measures into their hands, jumping into an extraordinary frontier awaiting their arrival.

  XXX

 1)        Sayuri used verbal irony in which to invoke situational and dramatic irony, as Mitsuki and Riki cannot have a child together.

2)        In case there is any confusion, the café manager/owner’s words mean to save the magicians, along with Rina and Mitsuki, whom are members of the Black Foxes.