Chapter Text
It was a quiet day on a quiet little planet (for now) that the Stellaron Hunters had decided to use as a temporary stop. Inside, in the corner of the lounge, Firefly sat curled up on a sofa, book in hand.
The silence was broken by a click of boots.
“There you are, little bug.”
Firefly glanced up from the pages she was reading, looking toward the familiar voice. Kafka greeted her with her usual half-smile.
“Oh, hello, Kafka,” Firefly said, calmly closing her book with a quiet snap. “Did you need something?”
Kafka hummed softly, arms behind her back. “You’re free after our next mission, yes?”
“Huh? I suppose I am…” Firefly tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden question. “Is there something you needed from me?”
“Nothing in particular,” the taller woman replied.
The gears in Firefly’s head turned as she tried to make sense of the question, until it nudged something in her memory.
“Actually, about that…” her brow furrowed slightly. “I had a question about the Script, the next one. It just says I have to go to a place and… wait?”
Kafka’s expression didn’t change. “That is what it says, yes.”
Firefly blinked. “For an hour?”
“Yes, if that is what it says.”
“...Is that really it?”
“Even I don’t know how Elio’s mind works, darling,” Kafka dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Well, if you’ll excuse me.”
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away, coat fluttering in the wind.
It was later in the day when a loud thud echoed down the hallway, snapping Firefly out of her thoughts. Her shoulders tensed, the book slipping slightly in her hands. She hadn’t sensed anything off, but there was nothing wrong with keeping her guard up. She stood up and peered toward the source of the sound—
Blade was standing halfway into the corridor, facing the wall. In his arms, he carried a cardboard box so large it completely obscured his face.
As a result, it seemed like he didn’t know where he was going, and that sound earlier was clearly him bumping into the wall.
“...Blade?”
There was a long pause. Then, in a voice as gruff as usual, he answered:
“...It is me.”
“That’s… not what I meant,” Firefly narrowed her eyes. She walked a few steps closer, watching him stand perfectly still like a statue, as though contemplating whether this part of the house should classify as another one of the four that must pay the price. “That looks heavy. Do you need help?”
The answer came quickly this time. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She squinted. “...You can’t even see where you’re going, can you?”
“I can not.”
A second passed. Was Firefly losing her mind? Quietly, as if trying to sound as sensible as she could given the situation, she said, “So… you do need help.”
“No.”
Firefly finally gave in, backing away with her arms crossed across her chest. “...Alright. Suit yourself.”
With slow, stiff steps, Blade moved backwards like a car on reverse. Then he pivoted, faced sideways, and walked in a crab-like fashion past the girl.
He disappeared into the next room, shutting the door behind him with an audible click.
Firefly stared after him for a moment longer.
Something about this was… strange.
Whatever suspicions that weighed on her quickly left her mind as soon as she stepped into the living room, noticing a familiar mop of gray hair.
“Stelle!”
Firefly barely had time to react before Stelle spun around, hands clasped together as if she was begging for forgiveness from a wrathful Aeon.
“Heeey, Firefly! Sorry, I’d love to chat, but I got errands to run! See ya!”
Her shoes were barely even halfway on as she shouted over her shoulder, dashing toward the door.
Firefly opened her mouth, hand half-raised in greeting.
“Ah… okay.”
And just like that, she was gone, leaving Firefly all by herself.
So even Stelle too, huh…
Firefly found herself curled up on the edge of the couch again, eyes fixed on a TV screen that displayed pixelated characters jumping across impossibly large platforms—but her mind wasn’t following any of it.
The room was largely quiet, save for the sounds of the video game and the click of buttons coming from the controller in Silver Wolf’s hands.
Maybe this was a good time to bring it up.
“Do you think that everyone’s been acting…” she started, voice low, “strange, lately?”
“Hmm?” Silver Wolf didn’t look up from her game, her eyes glued to the screen as her fingers executed a series of flawless inputs that won her the level. “Not really.”
At that notification, she paused her game. She reached into the pocket of her grey, oversized hoodie, fishing something out.
“More importantly, check this out.”
So even she was avoiding the question. Firefly sighed quietly—more to herself than anyone else—just as Silver Wolf abruptly shoved her phone into her hands.
The screen displayed… a selection of cakes?
Big ones. Overly ornate, to the point of looking like movie props more than actual food. One was covered in white coating, topped with symmetrical rows of scarlet fruits. Another was deep brown, smooth and shiny—must be chocolate, Firefly thought. The last one looked like some chaotic fusion of things that she didn’t even have words for, towering with layers that somehow seemed to defy all known physics.
“What… is this?”
“Between these three, which one looks the best to you?”
Firefly narrowed her eyes eyes, glancing between the cakes, and then back at her friend. “Is this… for something?”
Silver Wolf just leaned back, shrugging.
Firefly looked back down at the screen, hesitant. She really wasn’t a cake expert. She hasn’t even gotten to experience a lot of desserts yet, as much as she would like to.
“Umm… I guess… I would say the second one?”
“Cool,” Silver Wolf said, snatching her phone back from Firefly’s hands.
No follow-up, no explanation, nothing. The shorter girl pocketed her phone, attention shifting back to her now-unpaused video game.
Firefly stared at her for a moment longer, narrowing her eyes.
“What is it with you all…” she mumbled under her breath. She thought she had finally grown closer with her comrades... Did she do something wrong?
Elsewhere, in a narrow alleyway as shady as can be, Stelle leaned against a brick wall. Hoodie pulled over her head, sunglasses resting on her face, whatever attempt she made at not standing out actually made her stand out even more.
She turned her head, addressing her visitor.
“Wolfie. Situation report.”
Across from her, Silver Wolf made a face that could only convey the emotion of “being absolutely unimpressed”.
“Don’t call me that,” she said flatly. “Also stop LARPing, you weirdo. You look like the mascot of a bad mobile game ad, with gameplay so horrible that it convinces you to download the game so you can play it yourself the right way.”
“Weirdly specific example. Was that a personal experience?”
“No.”
“I could pry, but I won’t,” the taller girl said, taking off her tacky sunglasses. “Anyway, did you get the answer?”
Silver Wolf rolled her eyes and pulled a pack of bubblegum from her pocket, unwrapping it with annoyance. “She said the chocolate one looked best.”
“Hm, as I thought—hold on.” Stelle paused. “...What do you mean she ‘said’ that? You just straight up asked her to pick?!”
“Yeah.”
“You did?! What happened to being subtle?!”
Silver Wolf shrugged, throwing the piece of gum in her mouth. “Just like subtext, subtlety is for cowards..”
“...Leaving that controversial statement aside, you’re literally a hacker. Shouldn’t subtlety be your priority?”
“My priority was to get the answer. Mission accomplished.” She turned to walk away, waving a hand lazily behind her. “Well, we will leave the rest to you, Ms. Organizer.”
“No, your priority was to NOT drop any hints that we’re planning a surprise!”
Stelle groaned, dragging her hands down her face.
“Let’s just hope she hasn’t caught on…”