Chapter Text
“Wiwa, hurry up! You’ve been sleeping all day! We were supposed to leave 3 hours ago!” A short, black and orange haired girl wearing a floral sundress yelled, her arms shaking the girl on the bed violently. Her victim? A sleeping Elira Pendora. Long, light blue hair, pale skin, slender figure, rather large assets. The eldest daughter of the Pendora family had always taken a liking to her comfy bed. Every time a family member would ask about her love life, she would always reply with her one true love, her mattress. Next to the orange girl was a much taller girl, Elira’s half sister, Selen. Bright purple, just past shoulder length hair, baggy sweatshirt and pants hiding a fit, muscular frame, a pair of blue and magenta eyes veiled by a pair of blue light glasses. Despite being the youngest of the Pendora/Tatsuki family, she looked far older than her age, and loved her solitary time. Petra is Elira’s best friend, so she always had access to the house, and this was usually the only time Selen would entertain guests.
“I told you she doesn’t even act alive during the daytime anymore…She’s more of a night owl than me…” Selen said, taking a seat in her sister’s desk chair, kicking her feet on the table and popping a piece of gum in her mouth.
“But school is starting next week! She hasn’t adjusted her schedule at all?” Petra responded, turning and throwing her hands up in defeat.
“She has never had a good sleeping schedule, Petra…” Selen blew a bubble and let it pop before collecting the sticky substance and continuing to chew away.
“You have a point…oh, wait. She's waking up.” Petra gave a little jump before sitting on the bed as close as possible to her friend. “Wiwa!!!” Elira lazily sat up and ‘looked around’ the room, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice hitting her ears, her hair jutting out in every direction.
“Good…morning…” Elira rubbed her eyes then blinked rapidly to adjust her focus. “Hi, Peto…sup, Selen.”
“Sup.” Selen replied, blowing another bubble. “We still going to the gaming cafe later? You guys wanted to play some Apex after you go shopping right?”
“We’re going shopping…?” Elira looked at Petra with a confused face.
“Duh?! We have school next week! And I know for a fact you don’t have your supplies…Go clean up, we’re leaving soon. It's already 3!”
“Just let me know when you guys are done and I’ll head over to the cafe. Have fun.” Selen walked out with a small wave.
“Okay…” Elira waved at her sister’s back, still dazed. Petra gave her an encouraging nudge to assist the taller girl in standing up.
“Go on now!”
Elira groaned as her feet hit the ground, “Fine, mom…” her entire body limp and barely able to drag her to the restroom. She let the water run in the sink, letting it get warmer before splashing her face with it. She looked in the mirror and let out a depressed sigh at the sight of her hair. She tried her best to tame it with her hands, but ultimately found her brush and began to run it through her locks. After a few minutes, she felt comfortable enough to leave it be, grabbing her toothbrush and beginning to clean her teeth. Another 5 minutes passed before she left the bathroom, rendezvousing with Petra back in her room. The smaller girl was working on her make up with Elira’s vanity mirror, nothing extreme. “I hope you’re using your stuff…”
“Of course I am! I don’t steal your stuff that often.”
“And what happened to the 3 lip balms I bought last weekend? Or my bag that you said you’d return last month? I don’t see them here…” Elira shuffled through her closet, looking for a nice outfit. She pulled out a plain black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, as well as a matching black beanie.
“Hey! I will give it back…someday…also, you’re wearing a beanie? It’s like… 35°C today…”
“Why not? I just like it, plus I need to buy hair ties. I broke my last one, so it’ll keep my hair out of my face.” Elira explained as she placed the hat on her head, pulling back her bangs to reveal her bright heterochromatic eyes. “You done yet?”
“Just about…” Petra slowly stood and closed her mascara tube, taking one last look in the mirror. “All yours.” Petra took a seat on the bed while Elira took her spot at the vanity table. “I don’t know why you wear make up at all…you’re hot, girl!”
“Could say the same about you, Peto. I’m just doing my eyes, not going too crazy.” Elira made quick work of drawing cat eyes, making a small flick at the tip of her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“We gotta get notebooks, folders, pencils…we can get all that stuff at a normal office supply store though…do you have a bag?”
“Like a backpack? I was just gonna use my old one, it’s still good.” Elira replied, shuffling through her purse, looking for her lip gloss.
“What?! No, no, no! You have to get a new bag! We have to make our mark this year! We were too scared to interact with anyone last year, so we gotta have some style to give us confidence! You can match with me too!” Petra’s eyes sparkled, oozing with enthusiasm and excitement.
“You say that, but we’re just gonna fall into the same pattern…like we do every year…” Elira let out a defeated sigh, spreading her light gloss on her lips. She gave a couple of lip smacks and secured her belongings. “I’m okay with just you, Peto.”
“But what about all the parties we’re missing out on?”
“If you wanna go that bad, then go? You don’t have to take me everywhere…”
“But I want you to have fun too! You’re always stuck here reading…plus…not many other friends at the moment…” Petra followed and grabbed her small bag, slinging it over her shoulder. “I’m ready…”
“Let’s go then.” The two made their way out into the living room, passing by Selen’s room. “Hey, we’re heading out. Need anything?”
“Nope. Peace.” Selen said, a lollipop stuck in the side of her mouth, her eyes glued to her screen, hand with a pen moving deftly on a drawing tablet.
“Bye Selen!” Petra waved from Elira’s side. The two continued out into the warm Wednesday afternoon, the suburban streets of Elira’s home bustling with kids playing in the streets. “Remember when we used to run around like that?”
“Please, we’re not that old…yet…”
“Remember when you tripped on the curb and scraped your knee really bad? Your mom was so pissed!”
“If I recall correctly, I was running to help you when you poked a bee’s nest…and she was pissed because a certain someone broke our neighbor’s favorite flower pot in the process…”
“How was I supposed to know it was a bee’s nest?! We were like 6! Also, that pot was ugly, so I did them a favor.” The two made it to the public bus stop, quieting their voices to not disturb the other people present. “I’m not looking forward to school…”
“What happened to all the excitement of…” Elira let out two short coughs, “We have to make our mark this year!’ Hmm?”
“I meant academically…you saw my grades last year…they were awful!” The bus pulled up and opened its doors, letting the waiting passengers onboard. “I’m surprised I even passed…”
“Well, all that matters is that you did, and you’re still stuck with me! Hehehe.” Elira said, flinging her arm on Petra’s shoulder and pulling the smaller girl in slightly, Petra’s face growing a slight pink after realizing how close she was to Elira’s chest, her bosom just barely pressing against the smaller girl’s face.
“Hey! Let me breathe at least!”
The remaining hours of the afternoon were spent going to a few office supply stores, the girls opting to look for supplies with cute prints or decorations on them. They even settled on matching book bags, Elira picked out a blue, pink and white laptop bag and Petra found one in black and orange, with a hint of red in the lining and seams. They also found a few charms to go along with them, Elira picking out a few clouds, one with a sun peaking out behind it, and Petra found a penguin. After all of their shopping, they spent around $100 and it was now 7pm, so Elira gave Selen a call. “Hey, we’re all done! You can start heading over and we’ll meet you there.”
“I’m already here…we said 6pm, remember? Just hurry up, I’m getting tilted by these randos.” Selen said, irritation spelled in her voice. “You owe me.”
“What do you mean I-” The call ending cut Elira’s sentence off, to which she groaned in annoyance. “This girl…”
“She’s already there, isn’t she?”
“What gave it away?” Elira rolled her eyes and put her phone away, grabbing her shopping bags and beginning to walk in the direction of the gaming cafe, Petra following close behind. It took them a good 30 minutes to walk there and upon arrival, they found themselves in a bustling PC cafe. There were many stations, but almost all had been filled, except for an entire row with a girl with purple hair tied in a pony tail sat at one end, her blue light glasses reflecting the bright lights from the screen. The two girls walked over and took their seats, placing their shopping bags under their desk. Petra took the seat beside Selen, leaving Elira in the middle of the 5 set-ups.
“Finally…Can you get me a bowl of teriyaki chicken and rice? I’m getting hungry…” Selen said, mirroring her demeanor from earlier, eyes glued to the screen, this time her hand flicking the mouse side to side, clicking occasionally to pop some heads. “Also, Apex is down right now, so I’ve been playing Valorant.”
“Bitch? Buy your own food!”
“I said you owe me, and I’m calling in the favor. Ugh…another loss…” Selen replied, looking up at the ceiling in defeat for a brief moment before looking at her two companions. “What are you guys gonna eat?”
“I’ll get onigiri! With extra spicy tuna!” Petra said, pulling out her wallet and handing Elira some cash, licking her lips in anticipation.
Elira opened up Valorant on her PC and quickly skimmed through the menu. “I’ll get…hmm…I don’t know…” Elira tapped her cheek with her finger as two boys came over and took a seat beside her, causing her to lean closer to Petra.
“Um…sorry to interrupt…” Elira popped her head up from the menu to see the boy setting up next to her waving in her direction. He had jet black hair with a plume of blonde highlights. He had a soft smile, but he was rather fit, the cuts of his muscles visible through his black long sleeve shirt with a banana peaking out of his breast pocket, rocking a pair of shades. He wore a pair of black jeans and some sneakers. “I-I couldn’t help but notice you’re having a bit of trouble deciding on what to order…I recommend the soy ramen. It’s really good! This place can get a bit cold, so it'll help you stay warm too.”
“Oh…I’ll try that out then! Thanks!” Elira gave a bright smile, causing the boy’s cheeks to glow red.
“N-no problem…haha…” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, giving a small bow before turning to his friend, giving the girls some space again. He talked to his friend for a brief moment and left the aisle. Elira then called a staff member and placed their orders.
“Oooh, he’s pretty cute, don’t cha think?” Petra said, lightly jabbing her elbow into Elira’s arm.
“Yeah…his friend is too…”
“I wonder what they’re gonna play…”
“Probably Valorant since Apex is down. It’s been really popular lately.” Selen said, her head resting on her hand, scrolling on social media with her phone, unenthused by their giddy behavior. Sure enough, Elira peaked over to the boy’s friend and saw him loading up Valorant after he finished speaking to the staff member as well.
“Yup, Selen is right.”
“We should play with them then! We’re just here for a good time anyway, it's not like we ever play ranked. Plus, maybe we can make some new friends!” Petra said, her eyes sparkling. She pushed out her chair and stood. “I’m gonna go ask!”
“W-what?! No, just leave-”
“Hi!” Petra failed to hear Elira and walked up to the boy at his screen. He had long platinum blonde hair with magenta highlights tied in a low ponytail. He wore a white jacket and blue jeans, as well as a pair of running shoes.
“Hello…can I help you…?” His voice was deeper than his friend’s. He turned his chair, engaging in the conversation.
“My name is Petra, and these are my friends Elira and Selen.” Petra pointed behind her, letting the boy get a better look. Elira gave a shy wave while Selen tossed up a peace sign, her eyes still glued to her phone. “What are your names? You and your friend?”
“Um…” He took a second to think. “I’m Claude, his name is Shu.”
“Did you guys wanna queue up with us?” Petra asked, somewhat catching him by surprise. “You’re playing Valorant, right?”
“Oh…yeah, we are, but I don’t know…”
“What’s the harm, Claude?” Shu had returned and patted his friend’s shoulder. “Sure! We’ll play with you guys, we’re not that good, so don’t expect much out of us…”
“Perfect! We’re not good AT ALL. We just play for fun too! So no stress~” Shu gave a smile as Petra sat down at her chair, the sisters giving her mildly annoyed looks, to which she smiled and even chuckled. The 5 all set up their games and joined a lobby together, Petra talking to Selen about which agent to pick, considering she was still new to the game, and Claude was busy checking his settings and sensitivity, so Elira took the opportunity to make some small talk with their new acquaintance.
“Hey…I’m sorry about Petra, she gets a little…riled up when she’s with us…”
“It’s alright, Claude can be a little…aggressive when he plays so…just a little heads up on our side haha. I’m Shu by the way, forgot to introduce myself earlier.”
“Oh…” A bright pink grew on Elira’s cheeks this time, “I’m Elira…and Claude let us know when you left.” Something about him was drawing Elira in, but she couldn’t quite place it yet. He seemed nervous speaking to her before, but now his words came out clear and concise. Her words began to get stuck in her mouth, her tongue getting tied more frequently now. “H-how long have you guys been p-playing?”
“Hmm…I started a season or two after it came out…you played at release right?” Shu asked Claude, bumping the white haired boy’s arm with his elbow.
“Huh? Oh yeah, day 1.”
“Oh cool! You two have to be good then!” Elira’s face lit up, excited to be carried by actually competent players.
“Nooo, we suck, haha.” Shu said, waving his hand in a denying gesture.
“What’s your highest ra-” Before the boys could answer, their food had arrived and their queue had pooped for the game, distracting all parties.
The first swift play game went as expected, everyone shaking off the rust and warming up, but ending in a 3-5 defeat. The boys made callouts as they usually would with each other, but the girls had no knowledge of them, all of them barely looking at their minimaps for their pings as well. Selen held her own, thanks to her FPS gaming skills, Elira wasn’t too far behind, but lacked the reaction time to quickly counterplay, and Petra was having fun.
“You girls aren’t that bad! For casual players, you know how to hold angles and when to buy and save.” Claude said to the group.
“Whatever, mister 14 kills! You even got an ace!” Petra replied, “I thought you guys weren’t good?! I’m not complaining but you guys were hiding your skills from us!”
“Whaaat? Naah. We’re washed.”
Shu and Elira giggled between the two speaking, eating the remains of their ramen bowls. The conversation even earned a smile from Selen, who finished off her chicken. “No, Shu carried a couple rounds too.” Elira spoke up, “You guys know how to back each other up huh?”
“You could say that, yeah.” Shu replied with a chuckle.
The remaining 3 hours of their playtime was spent in Unranked, where their record was 3-2, impressive for a newly formed 5-stack, though Claude and Shu did most of the heavy lifting. “Whew…I’m beat…” Elira said with a yawn, “I’m so sleepy now…” It was now 10pm, and even more people had entered the cafe, with a line forming out the front, so the group took their leave.
“At least we’re going home now. Can I crash at your place?” Petra asked, patting Elira’s head, to which the taller girl just nodded and yawned again. The girls picked up their bags and got ready to leave, Selen already walking out to get away from the now crowded space.
“Thanks for the games guys.” Elira said to both Shu and Claude, who were busy collecting their stuff.
“Oh yeah, thanks for letting us queue with you. It was really fun!” Shu replied.
“Yeah, thanks.” Claude held out his fist, motioning a bump, which both girls and Shu accepted. “Do you girls come here often? We should play again.”
“We don’t…but…” Elira whipped out her phone and swiped a couple times, “Give us your numbers, and we’ll give you ours!” The boys did so, exchanging their numbers with both Elira and Petra. “Now, if you guys come here, just text us and we’ll see if we’re free! But maybe not for a couple weeks since we have school coming up.”
“Sweet.” The 4 walked out and met Selen outside. “We’ll see you later then.” Shu said as the group parted ways. The boys walked toward the busier train station about 10 minutes away while the girls waited at the nearby bus stop.
“That was great, right?! See what a little confidence can do? I’m super excited for the next time we play.” Petra said, bubbling in joy over her achievement.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right…” Elira looked back at her contacts, particularly Shu’s number. She looked back into the sea of people, wondering if she could snatch one last look at him before he disappeared. At first, she couldn’t really focus on anybody due to all the motion, but the bright plume of blonde next to the vibrant white and purple caught her eye after a couple of seconds. She felt time slow when she saw Shu’s face, a bright, ear-to-ear smile plastered on his face. His purple eyes held a soft, yet excited look as Claude flung his arm over Shu’s shoulder. Elira smiled, and couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter. “I can’t wait…” She said under her breath.
“Did you say something?”
“Nope!”