CALAMITY CORE : FREE THE WORLD

CH.90 'WORLDS SO CLOSE APART! PT.1'

"Ahah... Well, I'm glad to be amongst new friends!" The man laughed, sat in the evening sun, the ocean the only thing beside it on the horizon. He held out his arms, sharing a drink around a fire which burned on the crystal-clear shards of sands, the elders of Nowhere Generation taking swigs each. "The name is Mai... I'm the elder of our humble little tribe, and the head of our landing operations. My daughter, Anh, and good ole' Chu, they operate the ships, best as any other third- and second-in-command in the world!"

Their arrival had been tumultuous at best, and the younger members of the group were still a little unsure of what to think of these seeming to be seafarers. They looked more like pirates they'd hear of in a story than a group of tribal villagers or fishermen, but they did offer food, something that none of them could really pass up. Shimoda adjusted himself to lean forward, pointing at his bowl with a pair of chopsticks as the fire lit up his eyes with excitement, these noodles were fresh, nothing made on the road like their usual meals. "Sis', Drei, you guys have got to get a bite of these!" He exclaimed.

"Mfh-?! Hrk-...!" Andrei coughed, and Ra shouted violently in his head as he choked on a fish bone. He spit it up, using a sudden burst of Ki to strike his chest hard enough to send it flying into the air, where Dove's wolves tried to fight for it. "Yeah, I know Shoda! This is..." He waas cut off as Vivian and Suzuko crashed into them, the two of them pulling each other's ear and wing over a rather large fried fish.

A quick elbow from Andrei, who had indignantly closed his eyes and attempted to play the strike off, sent Vivi reeling, and allowed Suzuko to get a solid bite in as the other Chimera pouted. Cherry-Fang sat among the younger members of the group, their electric atmosphere more fitting her usual scenery than the more calculating adults of the Generation. She chuckled slightly as Vivian wiped a tear from her eye, and nearly choked Andrei out before she offered up her own food to share. "Vivi- If you're hungry, I can always get extra!" She would chip in, cheerily.

Saionji sat between Shimoda and Andrei, seemingly distant as she ate. A faint smirk crossed her lips as her friend and brother seemed to be getting along, and she found it almost funny how casually Andrei toyed with a half-Chimera who at one point had nearly torn him apart. Snapping from her spell, she felt her burnt hand shudder as she tried to hold her bowl steady for her chopsticks. Her eyes glassed over, though she had been cheery while they hadn't slowed down, the wound was something she hadn't been able to look past.

It dwelled in her mind, and Saionji's vision visibly grew smaller. Andrei seemed to take note, while Shimoda continued to socialize with Suzuko and the group's pets. He nearly reached out, but Saionji didn't seem to notice him as his hand orbited her shoulder, the one that she had burnt holding him steady. It reminded her... Andrei's friendship, their relationship... it was something that was still dangerous, just like playing with fire. She trembled with anxiety, her golden locks shining as her darker colored hair glossed in the light of the falling evening. She didn't want to get burned.

Andrei's hand snapped her out of her spell, and she felt a cool sea breeze on her neck, something which should've sent a shiver down her back, but it was quite frankly calming, ensuring that she was collected, that she was still rooted in this world, still with her friends. "Huh-?" She stammered, something that caused Shimoda to look over. "Oh, noodles? Yeah, they look good... I think..." Saionji looked at her brother's bowl, and her soul behind her eyes shuddered. "... I think I'll pass. I'm just about stuffed."

Shimoda and Andrei both seemed to double take, nearly relieved by her snapping out her spell, only to be dragged back. She was never one to deny food, just like them, that they knew all too well from their few weeks together at their first home together. Shimoda's goofy grin fell, and Andrei's cool smile slimmed out, both turning downwards. "You alright, sis'? Something up with you?" Shimoda asked.