The interior of the Might Family’s mansion was just as extraordinary as one would expect but surprisingly, it wasn't very luxurious. It wasn't decorated with unnecessary expensive paintings or sculptures, it didn't have dangling chandeliers or golden trinkets for display. The inside was homey, like a normal house, just on a larger scale.

The main floor was largely open, you could almost see the entirety of the floor from the entrance alone, only two parallel staircases on either side, each leading up and down to the second floor and basement respectively, blocked the view.

The inside wasn't alabaster white like the outside, but was a mixture of dark and light woods making it feel more in touch with Gladesdales whole vibe. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, as opposed to oppressive and stuffy with the scent of wealth.

Standing further into the entrance waiting for them was an older gentleman wearing a black suit with a small black bowtie. He stood with his right arm behind his back, his left arm crossed in front of him, both hands adorned with white gloves. On his face was a bushy gray mustache that took up the majority of his otherwise clean shaven face.

He was the clear opposite of how they currently looked; grimy, dirt covered, blood stained and worn out. He didn't even flinch upon entering proximity with the stink that spewed forth from their bodies.

“Good morning Lady Sera.” The man greeted Sera with a bow. “Your mother has been worried about you.”

“Sorry about that Robert, it's been a long few days.” She gestured at Iris and Bo. “These are my… buds who saved my life, Iris and Bo.”

“This is my Family’s butler, Robert.” She continued, introducing Robert to the two. He bowed gracefully to them.

“We got stuck out there and our safest way back… well you can probably smell it.” Sera shyly scratched her head.

“Mm, indeed quite a horrendous smell. I'm glad you took precautions towards your safety even if it meant stinking quite a fair bit.” Robert faintly smiled. “I assume you all will be heading to the baths?”

“Yes, the baths come first,” Sera nodded. ”Can you prepare something to eat for all of us as well? I'm starving.”

“Right away Lady Sera, please wash up and stay in the basement, we wouldn't want the whole house to take on the smell after all.” Robert bowed one last time and went off to prepare them food.

“Follow me, I'll show you guys the way.” Sera took off down the stairs, heading towards the basement. Not wanting to be left behind, Bo and Iris followed after her.

The basement was different from the main floor, it wasn't spacious and open and instead had long and wide hallways that led to many rooms.

They followed along until Sera stopped after reaching two doors that sat right next to each other, one had a golden label reading, “Main bath” the other read, “Guest Bath”.

“Me and Iris will take the main bath, while you can take the guest bath yourself Bo.” Sera said much to the surprise of Iris.

“I can wait out here for you to finish— eek!” Before Iris could finish speaking Sera once again nudged her through the door to the main bath.

“Were both girls, come on I haven't had a bath with anyone in a long time.” The door to the main bath closed with the faint sound of Iris squeaking coming from behind it.

Bo stood there for a second. ‘They should be fine.’ he thought before heading into the guest bath himself.

It was a large room consisting of three areas; a changing room came first, followed by an open area with a rinsing section to one side and the bath on the other side. The bath itself could easily fit twenty people inside it, let alone the rest of the room.

It was a little more luxurious than anything he'd seen in the house so far. There were two golden statues of creatures Bo couldn't recognize that spat water out of their mouths, filling the bath up with hot water.

Bo took off his only article of clothing, the beige pants, and awkwardly tried to use the rinsing sections tools to clean himself off before entering the bath.

While he didnt know many things, most of those things were either small specific details, most things about the Bridge and human culture. He didn't really understand why he knew some things and not others, maybe it was some previous data from his time as an Android lodged inside his brain.

Whatever the case he could recognise items and knew their purpose; he had just never used them before so it was a little slow to get the hang of it. Slowly but surely he would learn about everything he would need to live a normal life like a person.

The one thing he really needed— wanted to know more about was the Bridge. He knew he would not be able to enter Arcon any time soon since he wasn't in their database, so for now the Bridge would be his home.

On that note, he eventually managed to turn the shower head on and rinse the dirt and grime off himself with a little effort.

He was a little surprised at the technology he saw through the house, he hadn't seen any technology when he was looking around the streets of Gladesdale but for some reason there was plenty here.

He spotted showerheads, taps, and even electrical lights. ‘Maybe I'll ask Sera or Iris later.’ Bo decided and lowered himself into the bathtub.

The water was a perfect temperature for most, Bo might’ve liked it a little hotter because his skin resisted some of the heat, but nonetheless it was still relaxing. Faint bellows of steam rose out of the water, covering the room in a foggy atmosphere.

A sudden voice came from behind. “I must apologize for intruding, but you couldn't hear my knocks.” Robert stood at the entrance of the room, carrying some items in hand.

Bo looked back and replied. “That's alright.”

“Much appreciated. I noticed you were only wearing pants when you came in, so I prepared a full set of clothes for you after you're done bathing.” He placed down a neatly folded pile of clothes down on a dry bench. “I also have some special scented soap which might help get rid of some of the smell.”

“You brought me some clothes and soap? Thanks!” Bo stood up out of the water naked, forgetting to at least cover up. Robert bowed while closing his eyes and left quickly so as to not disturb Bo, who had run up to the bench.

Bo grabbed the container of soap and poured it over himself while in the bathtub, making sure to spread it to every crevice on his bronze body. He scrubbed his body well, trying to get the smell out as best as possible. He took a whiff and still reeled back in disgust, the smell had only faded by a bit and was still horribly bad.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

After 10 minutes of washing his body to try and get the smell out, followed by another 20 minutes of relaxing in the water, Bo thought he should finish up. Hopefully they weren't out there waiting for him.

It took him longer than he'd like to put on the spare clothes, but he did manage to squeeze them on. He was now wearing tight black jeans with a pair of boxers underneath, and atop of his chest was a simple white t-shirt. There was also a pair of slippers he put on before walking back out into the basement hallway.

Waiting for him was not Iris or Sera, but Robert once again. “Please follow me Mister Bo, the lady of the house has told me to keep the smell isolated in the basement.”

There was nothing to say about that so Bo followed him to another room further down the hallway labeled, “Guest Room”

It was a spacious room large enough that it looked like a home by itself. The main area of the room consisted of a kitchen, a dining room and a living room all openly connected. On either side of the room were hallways that lead further down towards more rooms.

On the dinner table were platters of piping hot food ready to be eaten, paired with baskets of fresh breads and other snacks. It was a grand display of food, the smell alone enchanted Bo’s senses causing him to almost drool. Robert led him to the table, poured him a glass of water and then stood off to the side telling Bo if he needed anything just ask.

Bo wasn't hungry, he'd never really been hungry before, but that didn't mean he didn't want to enjoy the delicious looking food in front of him. He piled food onto his plate and began to chow into it with delight, each bite more tasty then the previous.

It didn't take long before Sera and Iris came into the room also dressed in fresh clothes, besides their clothes though, their hair was also silky smooth and their skin seemed to glow.

Sera without blood and dirt covering her body was extremely gorgeous, paired with her defined muscles would leave most feeling jealous. She wore her usual clothes, but it was Iris in normal clothing that surprised him, it was something he hadn't seen her in before.

Obviously they hadn't known each other long but he had only seen her in oversized witch robes, but now he could see her outside of her robes.

She was smaller than he thought, and quite thin, but now that her hair was tied up in a bun instead of covering most of her face, what was underneath was a cute woman. She had a sleek face with a partially defined jawline, and her eyes that scanned the room sparkled in a midnight purple.

Bo waved at them and received two different waves back, a shy wave from Iris and a cheerful wave from Sera. They walked over to the table— Sera almost running over to the opposite side of the table, immediately began piling up a large plate of food\ whilst Iris instead took her time and slowly took a seat next to Bo.

She took a deep breath out, and sat there silently watching Sera demolish a hunk of meat larger than her arm.

“You okay?” Bo asked Iris. ”I noticed Sera kinda pushed you into the bath.”

“Oh, no no I'm fine.” Iris' shoulders relaxed and she turned to Bo. “It was a little nerve wracking… and maybe I felt a little forced at first, but I had a good time chatting with her in the bath.”

“She's a little blunt, quite pushy and even a little awkward, but she's kind. I haven't hung out with another girl in a while and it was nice.” A smile blossomed on her face. “Thanks for asking.”

“You're welcome. I'm glad you had a good time.” Bo said with a mouthful of food. “I'm glad because both you and Sera are quite fun to be around.”

“Oh me too!” Sera chimed in. “You guys are interesting and also the first people that havent treated me differently. Iris might've been nervous around me and acted differently at first, but after that bath, I can tell what type of person she is. I'm glad it was you two you saved my ass out there.”

Iris’s face turned bright red from the chorus of compliments coming her way.

“What's wrong Iris, you look like an apple.” Bo asked, causing Sera to laugh boisterously.

The three continued chatting together during their meal, now more comfortable around each other than before. Even Iris was starting conversations and was no longer sitting back with a blank expression but actively participating with a bright smile.

A shared experience, even for a small amount of time, could bring the oddest of folks together.

After a while, the three sat back in their chairs with their bellies full. The bath and now the food made them feel drowsy. It was barely even midday at this point but they could fall asleep right there.

Bo’s eyes began to wane and were about to shut but then he heard heavy footsteps ring out in the hallways. He looked at the door wondering who, or what was heading to their room.

The door burst open and a woman that looked almost identical to Sera appeared with her long red hair and muscular body. She looked a bit older than Sera and was a head taller than her, the second she entered the room, the feeling of being in the presence of a predator was felt.

“Mother!” Sera shouted with a mixture of happiness and a little bit of dread.

The first thing her mother did was wave her hand in front of her nose and frown. “You guys smell like shit!” Were her first words before taking large steps over to the table and standing next to Sera.

“Where have you been for the last three days!? You can't just leave without warning!” She berated Sera. “Not only that, I also received word from the Chief of Security that my daughter had come back smelling so bad they couldn't have you enter the main city.”

“She then suggested isolating herself at her own house until the smell goes away so as to not stink up the city!” Her mother continued.

Sera didn’t respond and only hung her head down.

“What are you doing? Stand up!” Her mother yelled and Sera slowly stood up.

Sera surprisingly felt a warm embrace as her mother hugged gently. “I was worried about you, you can't keep leaving without warning okay?”

Sera could only nod as her mothers gentle voice calmed her down. “You’re such a troublemaker… Just like I was.” Her mother sighed and let Sera out of her arms.

“Now what happened and who are these fellows?” She looked at Bo and a nervous Iris.

“These are my… my friends, Iris and Bo.” She tried to see if they would reject the word friend but only saw Iris blush some more and Bo— well Bo was Bo.

‘Friends? Do they consider me a friend?’ She looked at their reactions and hoped they did.

“They both saved my life during the Beast Tide.” She finished her simple introduction but saw her mothers face turn dark.

‘Oh shit!’ Sera thought and reeled back for an earful.

“Saved your life! So you almost died out there! What am I gonna do with you!?” her mother rightfully shouted. “Do I need to have Robert follow you around again like when you were little?”

Sera flailed her arms. “No no no! Look, it worked out, I'm here alive and well with two new friends.”

Her mother crossed her arms and stared at Sera with a brow raised but was started back by Sera not wanting to give in.

“...Fine. You're old enough now to make your own decision but don't make me regret it. If you die I'm gonna bring you back to life and kill you again.” Her mother warned her.

She took another sniff and frowned once again. “Unfortunately I've been told by the Chief of security that you guys can either stay here until the smell fades a bit more or you can wait in their own isolated building. I suspect you'd rather stay here so I'll leave the basement to you guys.”

“And don't leave the house or I'll personally bring you back myself you hear me? I don't wanna annoy him anymore than I already do.” She warned them and got three nods in return. “Look for Robert if you need anything and he’ll get you whatever it is.”

“I can't stand to be around this smell anymore so I'll be off.” She turned to Iris and Bo. “Don't do anything stupid okay?”

Iris wailed her hands in front of her face and shook her head with ferocity.

“Good. Enjoy your stay.” And she left the room just like that.

After a few seconds of silence Sera spoke up, “Sorry for that scene, my mothers a little… extreme.” She apologized.

“That's okay.” Iris took a deep breath out and muttered. it was a little scary though.”

“What was?” Bo asked.

“Right, I forgot you don't know. That was Madeline Might— thee Madline Might. One of the only five star Crossers.” Iris explained.

“Huh?” Bo didn't understand half of what she said.

“I did it again, sorry. I can explain it all to you if you want.” Iris suggested.

“Ooh I have an idea!” Sera chimed in. “We have a giant library in the basement if you guys want to take a look around and do some reading. It's also a nice place to relax and chat.”

Iris shot out of her seat with eyes sparkling.

“Yes please! I'd love to see the library!” Iris said, “Lead the way!”

Sera excitedly led them through the halls towards another room which was a giant library. It was similar sized to the guest room they were just eating in but it was filled with only shelves of books.

The library was actually two stories tall but instead of going up into the first floor, it went down into a second basement level. The whole room was pretty open with the shelves spanning from floor to floor with multiple tall ladders extending to reach the books higher up.

Iris was more hyped than Bo had ever seen, and took off in search of fascinating books forgetting that she was in the home of a celebrity, leaving Sera and Bo together. Bo was less excited than Iris but was still interested in the prospect of learning useful things, especially about the Bridge.

“Are there any books about the Bridge?” Bo asked Sera. “Like those survival guides you guys have been talking about?”

“Of course! We have tons of books on the Bridge.” Sera took off towards the bottom floor motioning Bo. “Come, I'll help you pick out a few useful ones you should read first.”

After a couple minutes of waiting at a desk while watching Sera run around collecting books, Bo found a pile of them stacked up in front of him. Most of the books were large and thick enough to use as a weapon, but that didn't stop Bo from cracking open a book and looking at its contents.

“The. Bridge. Has. Been—” Bo slowly— slowly starting reading.

“Um… Can you read Bo?” Sera asked, trying not to sound insulting.

“I can, it's just…” Embarrassment flashed across his face. “A little slower than I thought I'd be able to read.”

“Don't worry we all have things we’re good and bad at.” Sera reassured him. “Would you like me to read it for you?”

“Huh? Well… I couldnt… you don't have to… if you wouldn't mind that would be great.” Bo asked, his bronze cheeks a little redder than before.

“Haha don't be embarrassed!” Sera chuckled. “You'll get the hang of it quickly, for now I can read a bit to you.”

“Let's start with the basics of the Bridge first—” and Sera began to read to Bo while Iris was off who knows where.