Tempest [BNHA]

Chapter Four

~Ariel's POV~

Rosie didn't seem too happy about my new friends. My stomach twisted into guilty knots, what if she thought she was being replaced and was feeling insecure? I'd have to make sure to take her for a late-night swim to play and get her all the fresh fish she wanted. I didn't want her to feel insecure, she was my best friend and she always would be.

I reached the basement and glanced back at Shota and Hizashi they were both looking around at everything in a daze. Did they think the décor was strange? Everything was nautical theme. Dad had made all of the hanging mosaics and the ones in the floor. They were my favorite part of the house. After he died, I had bad nightmares and would wake up in the middle of the night. Rosie used to try to comfort me but when it was too bad, I'd grab a flashlight and Rosie and I would wander the house looking at all of Dad's art. It always calmed me down.

We passed by grandfather's cocktail lounge, not that he used it very often, and then the home theater and ice cream parlor where there were soft serve machines with ice cream, frozen yogurt and all kinds of fun toppings. After the ice cream parlor was the indoor gym, pool and training area then the arcade. They were being too quiet. I looked back at my friends in concern. Maybe after they left, I could research on what to do with friends online.

The doors to the arcade whooshed open as we got closer. After my dad passed away, my grandfather made a bunch of renovations to the house, I think it was his attempt to make sure I wasn't depressed after losing Dad and him being so busy with work. I rarely used the arcade or the bowling alley, I spent most of my time in my room, the library or out in the ocean with Rosie. Shota and Hizashi gaped at all the different arcade games and gaming consoles.

I watched them carefully trying to see what caught their eye so I didn't suggest something they didn't like. "..pinch me...I think I'm in heav-OW!" Hizashi yelped loudly as Shota reached over and pinched him rather viciously on the arm, it was sure to leave a mark.

"Are you okay?" I asked Hizashi, worried.

"He's fine." Shota rolled his tired bloodshot eyes and draped his arm across my shoulders causing my face to burn. He steered me away from Hizashi who was still rubbing his aching arm and gaping in the direction of a large multiplayer VR station. It had floors that moved to feel more realistic and immersive. VR always made me feel motion sick.

Hizashi scrambled to catch up to us and looked at the VR setup in awe, "whoa, that's amazing."

I felt my stomach twist into nervous knots. "We can all play that if you want, there's lots of different games on it."' I offered with a smile while trying to hide my apprehension.

Hizashi was excited, Shota seemed indifferent and kept throwing me curious glances as I got the VR system set up. We all put on our gear and were soon transported to a medieval setting and instantly thrown into chaos as a red dragon began attacking the small hamlet we appeared outside of.

"AH! This is insane!" Hizashi yelped as Shota and I took off running toward the hamlet. "EEP wait for me!"

I glanced over my shoulder at Hizashi's avatar and couldn't help but laugh, he was playing a massive orc barbarian and his yelps of terror did not match his avatar's snarling face at all. "Maybe you should have picked a different character, Hizashi." I giggled, "the character you picked is a melee fighter."

"AH! No way am I getting close to that thing! It's too real!" Hizashi squealed and I couldn't help but laugh again. "Why is there so much running?" He groaned as he struggled to catch up to Shota and I.