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Riyo is laying in her bed. Today's mission was a tough one, her team had to fight off a boar trash beast. They did great too! If you ignore the damaged wagon. Riyo had been looking forward to getting cozy in her bed all day, and here she was.
She snuggles down into the soft blankets with a happy sigh. To top off good news with better news, it seems like Rudo is having a peaceful night as well. She enjoys the other cleaner’s company but the poor dude cannot catch a break with his hand pain. Riyo basks in the rare silence. She's practically asleep when she hears it.
Skitter skitter
Riyo is suddenly wide awake. “Surely not,” she whispers into the air. Immediately sitting up and alert, Riyo scans her bedroom. Eyes examining every shadow, every corner. After a few minutes, her racing heart starts to slow down. "You're just imagining it girlie. Yeah, that must be it! Brain all tired from the day,” she reasons with herself. She lowers back down into her blankets when she spots it.
Horrible antenna twitch every way. Long spikey legs skitter on the ground. The terrifying tan dots on the creature's back. There it was, a giant fucking cockroach.
Riyo’s mind goes blank.
Then her body is filled with panic.
She can only helplessly look as it scurries away... Right into her dresser. Riyo’s eyes are as big as dinner plates. That filthy thing is possibly touching all of her clothes. Running across all of her things. Feeling her prized possessions with its disgusting antennas. With shaking limbs Riyo gets up.
She's a goddamn Cleaner, a proud member of Team AKUTA! They take down trash beasts the size of cars with no sweat.
What is a tiny bug in comparison to that? Riyo reaches for the handle of a drawer, brimming with earned confidence.
Only for the cockroach to climb out of the drawer and swerve right back in. Riyo is a brave and strong woman in the fact that she didn't scream. She simply removed her hand from the handle and did what any other responsible person would do.
______
Zanka opened his door to a shaking Riyo.
Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Zanka listens as Riyo recounts her tale. “I was going to sleep when a fricken roachie popped into my room.” The way she says it so casually anyone would think, renowned giver Riyo Reaper, is just starting casual conversation. Zanka knows better. He sees her tense shoulders. The way her eyes scan the walls. Her rocking on her heels, ready to bolt.
Closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh he accepts his fate. “Show me where it went.”
Zanka follows Riyo to her room. He's got his Lovely Assistaff in his hands, he honestly didn't mean to but it's second nature to bring her everywhere with him.
Reaching her bedroom, Riyo cracks open the door as if a trash beast would come charging out of it. Once he gets the all clear they walk in and Zanka assesses the situation. One dresser against the wall with eight drawers in total. Riyo is hovering behind him with her eyes glued to the dresser.
He opens the first dresser and uses Lovely Assistaff to move around Riyo’s clothes. No sign of the beast. Turning to Riyo he tells her, “This one is clear, you can go ahead and take it out. That'll leave less places for the bug to hide.” Riyo nods and removes the dresser.
They proceed to remove seven out of the eight drawers. Leaving the final one unopened. Zanka, using Lovely Assistaff, slides the drawer open. The room stills. Suspense choking them both.
Nothing happens. The roach had disappeared into the shadows.
________
Riyo’s mind kicks into overdrive. Did they somehow miss it? Did it crawl into one of her shirts? Did it climb into her blankets? Huh. She's tearing up now, water making her vision blurry. She knows she's not gonna get a wink of sleep.
She hugs her arms close to her body. Turning away she says to Zanka, “Hey man I appreciate you helping me look. Sorry about waking you up. I know elders need their sleep, heh.” Zanka stands in her room for a moment before straightening up and walks out the door.
She stands there alone with her thoughts.
“You coming?”
Zanka's voice rings out from the hallway. She looks up and back towards her bedroom. It wasn't like she was going back to sleep anyways. She bounds out the door.
They're sitting together on a lounge sofa, holding warm drinks that Zanka made for them. Riyo sips on a mug of hot cocoa while Zanka enjoys chamomile tea. At some point Rudo had woken up and joined their little gang. He happily drank hot cocoa with marshmallows.
Riyo felt herself relax into the cushions. She wasn't alone. She had her team with her and they would always watch her back.
Basking in their company, one by one, the young members of team Akuta fell asleep.
One Enjin finds them passed out on the couch the next morning.