The next morning Tania was already long awake before Daniel. Even after living together for years now, trying to adjust to her sleeping schedule, he had stayed a late riser to her early bird. Something the black turned green head had often used and abused to her advantage, though not this time around as she was far too giddy to finally get out of the hotel and to the convention hall.

“Uah… Hey, don’t hurry me…” Daniel yawned wide, giving her a still sleepy glare as she pushed him along. It was barely past seven in the morning.

“I’m not hurrying you.” Tania replied smugly. “I’m just helping you to move faster! Totally different~”

“And how exactly…?” He asked bemused, rummaging through his suitcase.

“It just is! Now get dressed you perv~!” She grinned widely.

“Well, since I’m a perv apparently, I’ll get dressed in the bath. Alone.” Daniel shot back and promptly closed the bathroom door behind him, leaving an amused smiling Tania behind.

A few minutes later he was dressed, having also brushed his teeth, and with backpacks slung over their backs Tania lost no time at all to push Daniel onwards from behind again. The young man mused if he shouldn’t just get rollerblades instead of shoes, it would be that much easier for her. He covered up a snort, grin stretching his lips.

Daniel had barely stepped into the hallway outside when a cheerful and familiar voice called out to him.

“Daniel, Tania! We haven’t seen each in so long~! Good morning!” With a big, excited eyes Luna waved animatedly towards them from a door further down the hall. She was taller than Maria but still on the small side, short, black hair with violet tips ending a bit above her shoulders. A short-sleeved, black blouse hugged her form, giving a glimpse of her modest curves, and a tight pair of blue jeans snugly fit her hips and thighs.

“Hey, it’s Luna!” Daniel grinned wide.

“Morning, Luna!” Tania cheerfully waved back at her.

Without hesitation Luna flitted over to them and pounced at them with a surprise hug, making the two laugh.

“Why didn’t you write us yesterday?” Luna pouted at them with narrowed eyes.

“Ah, we just didn’t want to disturb you and Jake.” Daniel answered playfully and with a chuckle waved at the guy in question who had just followed her out of their room. “Speaking of… Hey, Jake!”

“Morning… uah.” Jake let out a wide yawn, the bronze haired stretching himself wide. With a still tired smile he waved at them. He was dressed in a simple shirt and pants combo mirroring Luna’s own.

Luna puffed out her cheek at being so promptly ignored, trying to push down the small blush dusting her cheeks. She pulled away from the hug only to blink owlishly and then nervously.

“Ahaha… I’m stuck.” She laughed sheepishly, tugging helplessly to get free.

“…” Daniel and Tania could only stare at her deadpan as the girl had somehow managed to get her shirt hooked into their backpacks. Jake just sighed in well-used resignation as he moved to help out. He had gotten far too much practice in this over the last few years.

———

The dining hall was buzzing with life as the newly reunited foursome had wandered down the stairs. Luna huffed cutely as she had been relentlessly teased by Daniel and Tina on the way down. I-it wasn’t her fault that the world conspired to see her stuck all the time! Amused Jake had needed to guide the easily distracted girl lest she walked into a wall.

Nearly everyone sitting around the dining hall was here for the convention, many colourfully dressed in anime and other media themed shirts, hoods and other types of clothes. And of course, a few were either already in cosplay or at least the parts that weren’t overly prohibitive or cumbersome to wear. Daniel noted the duo they had met for a sec on the stairs yesterday, one dressed in a black bodysuit the other in a grey one, some metallic plates gleaming at the sides of his legs. Then he blinked and grinned, nudging Tania in the side as he nodded with a grin towards a girl of beautiful, ruby red hair.

“Looks like your cosplay would’ve already been taken…” He whispered to her amused and she sparkled at the incredibly well-made Blaze Vermillion cosplay.

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Besides her long hair styled perfectly into the long, flowing ponytail the arch-vampiress was known for, she was also wearing the glossy, deep purple virgin killer sweater, snugly hugging her curves. Both trio of bat wings and the spade-tipped tail could be seen poking out of the bag sitting on the couch besides her as she chatted with her friends.

“Ooh, we’ve to ask her for a picture…!” Tania squealed in quiet excitement and Daniel was quick to bop his head in agreement.

But that would’ve to wait as Maria and Natalie were already waiting impatiently at their table, the two girls had already finished with their breakfast and had waited for a while now.

In passing Daniel waved with a grin to Sarah as he noticed her cheerfully wave from where she sat further in the back, already on the move to get going. Tania absentmindedly followed suit a moment later before they sat down at the table.

“Who dat?” Luna asked, craning her head to watch Sarah curiously through the bamboo lattice separating the various tables, nearly falling out of her seat. She didn’t even notice Jake keeping her steady by the scruff of her blouse.

“Made new friends?” Jake asked amused, throwing curious glances to Daniel, Tania and Maria. The latter had turned around to cutely peek over the backrest of the touch, spying on an oblivious Sarah as the blonde made her way out of the dining hall.

“Do you want me to also look or…?” Natalie mused out loud, cocking her head to the side amused as she met eyes with Daniel.

“Guys, don’t weird out the nice girl.” He chuckled in reply. “She’s the only person I’ve ever met who actually asked for permission before uploading a vid.”

“Does that have anything to do with the prank Tania got you back on?” Jake wondered. “Because I checked Ga… Tania’s EGO earlier.”

“Also, I asked for permission, too.” Natalie drawled amused.

“Completely different.” Daniel shot back without a pause, eyes twinkling as he got ready to retell how exactly they had met Sarah Jake and Luna’s sake. Before he could start, however, Tania quickly excused herself and fled to the buffet. No was was she going to suffer through his retelling, again!

“Okay, now I need to know.” Luna grinned with gleaming eyes. Goody~ Ammunition to stop at least one front of teasing!

———

Tania gave a deadpan stare towards the rest of the table at Luna futile attempt to stare her down with a smug smirk, chest puffed out and still half a head smaller than her standing even after Tania sat back in her seat.

“Let her have her fun…” Maria stage-whispered with a shit-eating grin that Luna blithely ignored. In the back, Jake shook his head amused and smiled at his cute girlfriend as she tried to blackmail Tania.

“Fufufu~ And here I thought you liked attention~” Luna laughed haughtily before giving a flourishing bow, false kindness dripping from her oh so cute and innocent smile. “But very well, I’ll be magnanimous and allow you respite from being teased about such irony…”

Natalie was grinning wide from the side as she filmed the whole scene without shame, poking her tongue playfully out and shrugged not all apologetically at Tania’s suffering sigh, massaging her temples. All while Luna continued to embellish her oh so generous offer like a princess blackmailing the king for all he owned.

Jake and Daniel used the time to get their own food from the buffet, chatting amused with each other. A whispered grin from Daniel made Jake blink and then flush hotly, realisation hit him and he sighed in resignation.

“Fine, I’ll stop teasing you about getting stuck to our backpacks.” Tania sighed theatrically as Luna finally finished her truly generous offer.

“Much obliged.” Luna smiled cheerfully.

“By the way, how long did you and Jake stay in bed~?” Tania grinned wide and Luna nearly faceplanted into the plate of scrambled eggs that Jake had brought her, eyes wide.

“I—! Whw-wha…?! D-donjjaaswakthat…!” Luna cried out, mortified, cutely flailing in embarrassment.

“You four are the worst…” Jake groaned, cheeks burning hotly as he narrowed his eyes at them while Daniel hummed cheerfully.

“I hate you all.” Luna huffed and pouted with a glare at her friends, face burning crimson.

“What? I just wanted to know if you slept long enough.” Tania smiled innocently back and popped a fork of delicious food into her mouth.

“Oh, that reminds me…!” Daniel perked up and rummaged through his pockets. A moment later he handed a small note to Natalie. “Here’s the link to the video, just as promised~”

“Why, thank you.” Natalie grinned cheerfully as she gracefully accepted, her phone out a second later to immediately look it up.

Tania froze and with darkened eyes turned back to Luna, eyes met and slowly they nodded in wordless agreement. Down with the teasing animosity! May splendid cooperation be born to battle against the rising tide of evil, of teasing friends and their tiny minion!

“Join us, Maria!” The two declared as one.

“Muh, but I like teasing you two~ It makes me feel all nice and warm inside.” Maria stuck out her tongue with a cute grin.

“You could’ve asked me first, too, you know?” Jake added amused.

“I needed to ask?” Luna blinked confused, eyes narrowing at him, and Jake facepalmed at his mistake.

———

Breakfast came to an end with the newly formed alliance of Tania and Luna, Jake had been promptly blackmailed into joining and was then immediately demoted to Luna’s very own carrier of all she bought. Mercenary minion Maria had been bought via bribery of sweets, but betrayal was anticipated. All in all, it had been a very amusing early morning as they left to catch the tram.

The streets of Cap Flortia were buzzing with activity as everyone who wanted to go to the convention could be seen waiting for a bus, the tram or were looking for their cars if they had a bit more to carry. Or just didn’t want to chance it in case they bought too much merch.

The wagons were jam-packed full and the group had been separated when Daniel and Tania found themselves unable to fit into the already overflowing tram.

“We’ll just wait for the next!” Daniel called after them with a grin.

“We’ll catch up!” Tania nodded sagely, waving with twinkling eyes.

Or maybe they were just unwilling. That was probably the bigger reason.