The ARKS common room was a scene of peace and quiet. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, birds chirped outside, and Yui was calmly focused on the maintenance of her photon rifle. Mochi, her little companion bird, dozed in his favorite spot atop her head, unperturbed by her soft, methodical movements. The morning couldn't have been more perfe---
“GOOD MORNING, EVERYNYAAAN!” [WHAT EVEN IS THAT WORD?]
The rifle components clattered across the table. PIYOYOYOOOO! Mochi, startled out of his feathers, fluttered around in panicked circles as Narumi burst through the door— twin-tails and cat tail swirling as she pirouetted, somehow managing not to spill a single drop from the drink carrier she held triumphantly overhead.
“I found this amazing new bubble tea place, and they have so many flavors, nya!” Her heterochromatic eyes sparkled with increasing excitement. “And the tapioca pearls are perfectly chewy, nyaa! So, I bought bubble tea for everyone!” [Aww, so thoughtful! Wait, I get one too, right?]
“But we didn't—” Yui started, as Mochi finally settled back onto her head.
“Blueberry milk tea, extra bubbles!” Narumi grinned cheekily and slid the periwinkle blue drink across the table with practiced precision. Her cat tail curled with satisfaction as the drink stopped exactly in front of Yui. [When did le cat become a bartender?]
“...how do you even remember these things?” Yui muttered, as her fingers were already reaching for the straw.
“Herrokero!” A white-haired head poked through the doorway. “Oh, Narumi-nee-san is here too!”
Akari stepped into the room, her pinkish-red eyes widening at the sight of the bubble tea carrier. She leaned forward slightly, watching the dark pearls and seeds settling at the bottom of each cup. “Ohh, the seeds in this look like the tiny eggs that frogs lay in ponds!” [Wait, really?]
“That’s right nya, I thought you might like these Akari-chan! Here you go -- honey milk tea with basil seeds and bubbles, small size, nya!” Narumi's cat ears perked up as she handed the creamy-caramel colored drink to the young girl. “Hmm, where's Emi-chan?” [Oi, forget about Emi-chan, what about narrator-chan!?]
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Thank you, Narumi-nee-san!” Akari carefully accepted her drink. “I think Emi-nee-san is still in dreamland… Just like the tree frogs when they hibernate in winter.”
“Still sleeping, probably,” Yui said between sips. “That ponkotsu always—”
“Mmmm? What are my kawaii kouhai talking about~?”
Emi drifted into the room like a sleep-walking ghost, her lavender hair an ambitious bird’s nest. She adjusted her glasses, missed, and poked herself in the cheek instead, her pointed ears twitching at the contact. “Ara...”
“Ohayoooou everyone~” Emi yawned widely with a smile. “I was up late organizing the photos from yesterday's costume session—”
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Yui's hand froze mid-sip.
“...w-what photos?”
“Oh, you know,” Emi smiled innocently, her chest bouncing as she swiped through her MAG's holographic display. “The ones where Yui-chan was trying on that adorable maid—”
“DELETE THEM!”
Yui vaulted over the table. Poor Mochi, now displaced, fluttered to safety atop Akari's head as his petite owner chased Emi around the room. “Those were supposed to be temporary! You promised!”
“But Yui-chan looked so precious! Besides,” Emi giggled as she twirled away with astonishing grace for someone who regularly tripped over flat surfaces, “these are precious memories I want to—kyaa!”
POMF.
Emi landed gracelessly on her bottom. She had, inevitably… tripped over a flat surface. [Balance has been restored… except for her]
Now looming over Emi, Yui's hands began striking at machinegun speed, unleashing a barrage of frustrated slaps at Emi's chest. “Stop bouncing around already! And delete those photos!”
Somehow, the target in question only jiggled more and more triumphantly with each hit.
"Ahaha! Y-Yui-chan, s-stahp—kyaa! Th-that tickles!"
“Nya! This is getting intense!” Narumi bounced in place, her tail swishing faster as she watched the chase. She contentedly sipped her multi-colored bubble tea, cat ears twitching in amusement. “Yui-chan's really fired up today nyaa~!”
“Anoo...” Akari raised her hand, Mochi still perched contentedly in her hair. Akari tilted her head thoughtfully, causing the bird to readjust his stance. “Herrokero… The mission briefing starts in four minutes...”
The chaos screeched to a halt. Yui's hands were frozen mid-slap against Emi's chest. Narumi's straw went up her nose instead.
In the ear-ringing silence, Mochi offered a helpful piyo. [Thanks, Mochi]
What followed could only be described as an explosion in reverse: Yui scrambling to reassemble her rifle, Narumi inhaling half her bubble tea with a distressed “Nyaaa!”, Emi somehow tangling both herself and her staff in her own hair, and Akari calmly gathering her talis and finishing off her boba tea while wondering, not for the first time, how she ended up being the responsible one. At least Mochi seemed to appreciate her steady demeanour, choosing to remain nestled in the safety of her white hair rather than return to the chaos.
Just another perfectly chaotic morning for the Chaos Girls of ARKS. [Shouldn't they be stopping chaos?]