(GS3) Home Field: Espoir Mansion

[Hope]

With the way they spend time together, they may as well be. "Poor New Thirst-kun, awkward third wheel..." Hana drank some orange juice. Oranges tasted nice, especially with eggs.

"That's weird seeing how you are like around him though, at the same time its pretty nice. I mean at first I was like ewwwwwww, but now I feel more comfortable with it. Can kinda relate, maybe maybe." She waves her fork around, somewhat lost in thought.

[Cherry]

"It is weird... Huh?"

Yukino looked over at Hana.

"What's that mean? 'Can kinda relate'? Does my princess have someone in mind?" The big sister tried to settle in the casual conversation, playfully attempting to draw out whatever else the little one has on mind.

[Hope]

"Weird as in you get all blushy touchy and all that stuff obviously. He uses Spectral Duke Dragon and Dragonic Overlord The End so he likes to restand after he hits or retires..." Hana thought aloud.

"As for me having someone in mind?.. Huh?" She was genuinely curious what that meant, though if that weird feeling that she usually feels was love then awk.

[Cherry]

"Huh?" Yukino's mind didn't translate the meaning of mentioning Duke and Overlord.

"A-As in someone you like..." The queen meekly responded, embarrassed for not being clear and probably sounding stupid.

[Hope]

She didn't understand that thing with Duke and Overlord. Yukino needs more training.

"Well someone I like, I mean... I haven't had any feelings for any guys at all especially because I've just been focusing on dancing and singing. Though, recently I've been having this weird feeling when I'm around Mi-hime.." Hana thought to herself. She couldn't quite put a finger on it. Maybe Hana needs more training as well.

[Cherry]

Yukino had a good idea of the "weird feeling" Hana got with Miyuki, an even better idea if it's the same as hers with Haruka. It'd also explain them being together so much. Yugure wasn't sure on what more to say, however. Should she encourage Hana to try giving Miyuki these feelings like confessing? Should she hold them off just in case Miyuki doesn't feel the same way, or just wait for Miyuki? An answer was hard to give seeing as she doesn't really have one for Haruka other than trying to finally get at his lips once.

"Hmm..."

An inquisitive hum, thinking on how to go about this.

[Hope]

"Nociel told me it's the same thing as you and Yukinee's bf, but I don't believe it." Hana had a sweat drop from the corner of her forehead, and she was even grabbing her cheeks, her face blushing a little. "From movies and stuff I watch, a girl or guy usually confesses to the person they like, but then I stop and think, what if the sins I confess to Mi-hime are far too much and she won't like anymore... wait, why do I even have to go to confession?" Hana shakes her head, dismayed and seemingly troubled.

[Cherry]

"Why do you think Miyuki would stop liking you? Or why would you think the things you confess would be too much?" Yukino sat up a little more to lean back, but the hastened movements made the body aching return with some power. The woman quickly stopped halfway, groaning quietly. She looked back at her little sister: "If you like her the same way... then you just do. What you do with those feelings... I don't think Miyuki would turn her back on you."

[Hope]

"Nee-san I think you're getting too old," she said, noticing her sister's movements. "Nah, well you just need to rest, maybe a treatment from mom-san or something." Hana thought about it for a little, maybe she should be the one asking a certain question that must be answered soon!

"So you like him that way too! When are you planning to confess yourself?" She leaned forward, asking enthusiastically.

[Cherry]

Old? Maybe, but she was just malnourished. Then again, she felt brittle and weak like an old lady. Mom patching her up or something would be nice... but getting a lecture about her health didn't sound all too exciting either. The Gold Paladins have been giving plenty as it is. Yukino sort of wanted to stay here, gently gripping onto the blanket. Hana would probably mind... but it felt good to just be sisters again. Not tied to destiny or duty, but just family.

However, the question Hana just asked caught Yugure off guard. But not as much as it did when the princess suddenly leaned forward like a hungry gossip girl. A little scared squeaking noise came out of her mouth from reacting to the enthusiasm.

"U-Uh..." She stammered. "W-Well... I'm... not sure... I don't think I should do it while I'm like this, though..."

[Hope]

"I see!"

Hana snapped her fingers and a butler walked in with 20 eggs, 9 boxes of orange juice, and a dog.

The dog was for Hana, the rest was for her sister. "You'll need to get fixed up a bit then. Does that mean that I need to fix myself up too? I mean Mi-hime is really cute... Dad always protects us from guys.... what if he doesn't like Mi-hime too." She panics a little .

[Cherry]

More eggs?! More juice?! Yugure didn't even put a dent in the massive egg feast Hana conjured up already! The woman began sweating nervously at the sight, never mind the dog. The girl really had no desire to eat still beyond the natural desire her body has to survive. She supposed eating enough to keep going for a couple days would work, if possible.

"Dad already likes Miyuki, you're worrying too much."

Ironic that phrase comes out of the queen's mouth.

[Jello]

Haruka ended up spending the night on the couch in the living room of the house. Satoshi had completely gone unconscious in the guest room after Haruka patched him up and got him water.

He felt really bad about hitting him. Haruka didn't even feel the force of his punch. His fist was red and bruises and yet it was as if nothing happened.

Waking up, he goes to grab his daily dosage of caffeine. The kitchen was the first stop. After meeting with butler-san and talking about the doge for a bit, Haruka thanked him for the amazing brew once again, and sat down.

He planned to take it easy before visiting the Espoir sisters. No doubt they haven't seperated.

[Beryl]

Seph sat cross-legged on top of the couch Satoshi was laid out on. Only one person was taking care of him at this point, and it was his favorite servant. A cool rag, some cleanup, and vigilant protection of his living space, allowing only three people to see him ever. Truly a respectable fellow. Probably deserved a bit of a raise from Mr. Espoir that the Great Lion would never agree to, considering his intense dislike of the boys.

He stared down at his champion with a slight smile. While he was most certainly an idiot, he was still trying to make things work and bring back some of the most powerful leaders of Cray from their incarceration. Why would a simple farmboy do that if not for a brave, valiant purpose, dedicated to those he cared for the most? Seph leaned down and stroked his hair.

While in the meetings of the Council of Cray, he asked Amaterasu in private about the destinies of the Triad of Hope. While he was prepared for the worst, the CEO of Oracle Think Tank had instead met him with a warm smile:

"Oh, Arboros Dragon...your champion may not have to carry the world, but that does not mean that those who carry the world do not need carrying themselves. His 'third wheel' position is necessary to maintain balance. The Earth bicycle that is Yugure and the Seraphim...their balance is not as simple as they would like it to be. Therefore...a tricycle, I believe they call it? That is what is needed to keep the state of their world intact. Satoshi Kurosaki's destiny is not to be the leader, but to stand with the leader and help shape them to become that leader, through many hardships."

That had been a relief to hear. Even with his purpose in question, the Oracle of Cray still believed. That belief carried a huge amount of significance.

---

In the weight of his unconsciousness, Satoshi was lost in his thoughts. Well, he had been punched. Punched by one of his best friends, even if it turned out that friend had some kind of a violent being within him. He kind of deserved that, given how he had been recently, separated from their world that was in many ways a reality. Neu was so very wrong and had deceived him.

...But had she really? The older-than-she-looked woman had certainly used him to further her goals, but at the same time, was it wrong for Vanguard to be fun? Many people didn't know that what they were doing were skirmishes on Cray, but they loved playing and interacting with other people and their cards. So it was like they did know, but in a way that made Cray not seem war-torn. In fact, a lot of the skirmishes seemed more peaceful than malicious.

That was what he really wanted Yukino and Haruka to understand; that despite their despair, it was necessary to bond with these new avatars. What better way to do so than by having fun?

His Snow Flower and Blazing Sun...yeah, they had both lost something dear to them. Beings they could say were family. While he had bit it back, Satoshi did, in fact, know what it was like to lose family as part of your life. Being alone in the world...it was a form of death and rebirth. Yukino still had her sister and her father. Haruka still had his aunt and uncle. But he...he had no one to go back to or stay with or remain close with in terms of family. He had been banished from the farm until he came back with success. Being a "footstool"...wouldn't really count as success, despite what it paid. He couldn't see his parents again.

So loss of family...yeah, he could feel it 100%. But that's why he wanted to keep his current family, the Triad of Hope, so close. Through hardship, they had formed together and become the best of friends. The fact that they were currently heading in a direction of further separation...it killed him inside. To hear Yukino lie when her body language told nothing but the truth; to be punched by Haruka, even if it wasn't truly Haruka...

He shouldn't have come back to the mansion, even when the servant called. They would've taken care of her. Hana did so much for her and kept his efforts out of the picture, pushing the Triad of Hope apart even more. The littlest sister...did she feel the same way as the eldest?

The buildup of these thoughts was gruesome and painful, and he felt very alone and separated. A shadow of the world. Even if his destiny was to be some sort of glue for these two to stick together, it was very difficult. He'd rather be alone, like---

Satoshi's eyes fluttered open at his moment of realization. There was someone he hadn't spoken very much to since that day, two months ago, who was experiencing similar backlash to the Triad. A man who now wielded a clan once sealed by the Rift deep within Magallanica.

"Jellal Kisaragi," he said in a whisper, as the servant at the door, noticing he was awake, brought him water.

[Hope]

Hana woke up early yet again, running a few miles around the manor's front yard, and doing her daily exercises. This was a foolproof exercise regiment, with every design, while harsh, helping very much in getting her into shape for dancing and singing. At first, Hana was unable to handle the tough workout, often giving in after the first section, but it was thanks to her great personal trainer that she was able to increase her endurance as well as her strength. Dad-san treated her like a princess until it came to physical fitness. When she started the exercises early on in middle school, dad-san would often run with her in order to push to do better. He sometimes got carried away and ran twenty-five miles before she could even complete one, but that inspired her to try harder anyways. Dad-san on the other hand was touched by her passion to be fit and cried tears of joy at the sight of having his little princess as an exercise partner. While he does not have as much time as he did before, he sometimes takes his spare time to do these morning routines with Hana and that's usually when it become a hundred times more grueling, but also a hundred times more fun.

After the workout, Hana took a quick shower and checked back up Yukinee who was still asleep in her room as it seems. "She really needs to fix her sleep schedule..." Hana said to herself, fixing the blanket on her sister as well as her hair. "Well I better go put out an order for food for when she wakes up..." She then headed out and quickly informed a worker. After that she went back into her room and sat in the very same chair that she did yesterday, thinking of their conversations.

"Nociel, do you have someone like a boyfriend on Cray?..."
"No..."
"Of course you don't."