A rather short one this time, just getting into the flow of things. Thanks for the reviews and reads so far.

Yosuke went back home, a rather content look on his face. When he opened the door, something pounced on him.

"Yosuke, you're home!"

Shaken out of his Ai-related daydreaming, he scrambled to get his attacker's grip off him. "Gah! I told you to stop doing that, you crazy bear! Get back inside!" Yosuke got up and dusted himself off.

"Sorry, Yosuke. I'm just happy to see you. In fact, I'm bear-y ha-"

"Don't start!" Yosuke swatted him inside and closed the door. "Good thing you weren't wearing the suit, I would've been smothered." Yosuke went into his room to change, leaving Teddie outside the room.

"Hey Yosuke, can I come in?"

"I'm getting changed, could you just wait?" After a while, he unlocked the door. Teddie swooped inside and sat on the futon. Yosuke quickly checked himself in the mirror. "I'm going to Junes. The school campout is coming, and the others want to buy ingredients."

Teddie started bouncing on the futon. "Ooh, can I follow?"

"Sure. I mean… I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be working right now."

"That's not what I meant! I mean the camp! It sounds like fun!"

"What? I- ugh, I'm in a rush, get dressed and we'll talk on the way." He left the room and waited outside the house. Soon, Teddie came out and they both started walking to Junes.

"What do you do at this school campout?"

"You wouldn't wanna come. All you do there is go to a mountain and pick up trash there."

"A mountain? Yes, I can see it… Mist mingled with garbage-scented fumes…"

"I'm serious. Even if you manage to sneak into it, which I strongly suggest you don't - the tent will be too crammed for you."

"…Will there be girls there?"

"Huh? Yeah, but boys and girls sleep separately."

"Can't I sleep at the girls' campsite then? Don't worry if it's too crowded. With my incredible flexibility and slim physique, I'll squeeze in between them, easy!"

Yosuke didn't speak after that. They eventually arrived at the food court at Junes. Chie and Yukiko, along with Ai, were sitting at a table. Teddie gasped.

"Yuki-chan and Chie-chan? And who is that?"

Yosuke grabbed him by the shoulders before he could start running towards the girls. "Ohoho no, you're going straight to the griddle." He walked past the girls' tables, redirecting Teddie at the same time. "Hey, let me just get rid of him for- oof!"

Teddie had his elbow pressed against Yosuke's face, trying to brake as hard as he could with Yosuke pushing. "B-But I wanna talk to them! And who is she? Her face is so nice… she must be an enjoyable sort!"

"That's it! You're stacking frozen peas!" He quickly forced Teddie into Junes and headed towards the girls' table. "And don't come out!"

Wiping his forehead, he put both hands on the table. "You guys ready?"

Yukiko stood up first, followed by Chie. "Yep. And we brought Ai with us, too. So how about that discount?"

Ai got up and looked at her. "Discount?"

"Oh, uh- don't listen to her," said Yosuke. "Nice to meet you, I'm Yosuke." He gave a meek wave, and an even meeker smile.

Ai just looked at his hand, close to his body - waving like he was holding a fan. "…Right. Ai Ebihara, but I guess you know that."

All of them walked into Junes. Teddie was waiting by the elevator. Yosuke skidded to a halt. "Wha- What're you still doing here?"

Teddie took notice of the group and gave a cheerful wave. "You told me not to come out, so I didn't."

"I also told you to stack peas, but hey presto, here you are! Haul it!"

"What's the deal?" Ai walked up to the elevator, next to a subsequently flustered Teddie. "Don't see anything wrong with him coming."

"Yeah, Yosuke!" Teddie nodded like a pneumatic drill. "I like her, she's nice to me!"

Yosuke gave a stare at Yukiko and Chie. Both of them shrugged and went to the elevator too. He eventually dragged his feet, muttering to himself. "Figures. Takes a guy to get why he's such a load. Even Kanji wouldn't have let this slide…"

A half-hearted monologue if there was ever one. The group arrived at the wet market in Junes. Yukiko motioned for the others to gather at the side. She took out a card. "Okay. This is the recipe card for curry. Let's begin."

As time went on, the girls loading the trolleys, Yosuke was at the back of the group – their human ticket to reasonable discounts. He had his arms crossed, observing them.

"...You know, forget what I said. I've got faith in you guys."

"Huh?" Yukiko was making space in the trolley.

"Yeah. I mean, that Christmas cake from that time was great, even if it did take three tries to get it that way… So you better make a kickass meal for the camp!"

Chie smiled. "Consider it done."

Yukiko seemed surprised. "Oh. Thanks, Yosuke-kun. To be honest, though… Naoto-kun did most of the work making that cake..."

Teddie was trying to pry free samples from a salesgirl when he managed to get a piece of the conversation. "You mean Naoto-chan!"

Yukiko nodded. "Ah, right. But thank you anyway. We'll try extra hard!"

Ai was stacking several packets of powder. "Huh? It's just curry, come on."

"Well, sure, it's supposed to be," said Chie. "It was supposed to be curry last year too, but the tasters disagreed…"

"…Eh." Ai must have assumed it could've have been that bad and went to look for more ingredients.

Teddie went up to the group. "That lady was so nice, giving me these little sausages with sticks in them!"

Indeed, he had a plate full of them. Yosuke grabbed one. "Dude, you can't just take samples like that!" Resisting the urge to eat it, he put it back on the plate. "Give it back."

"B-but it's free! And I work here, I can eat for free at my own workplace, right? Where are my rights?"

"At the food stall, where you're going to haul those samples back." Yosuke tried shooing him away. "Go on, get- AGH!"

Yosuke shielded his eyes from Teddie's barrage of sparkles. "Just one, Yosuke…?"

Yosuke uncovered his face, sighing. "Fine. Give it back quick once you're done, we're almost done looking for ingredients."

Teddie grinned and turned around towards the stall. Chie started pushing the trolley. "We're done. Ready to check us through, Yosuke?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah…" The group left for the cashier after Teddie caught up with them. While waiting for the items to be checked out, Ai was putting the plastic bags into the trolley.

"So, uh… Ai-san?" said Yosuke. "You, uh… come to Junes often?"

Ai just glanced up at him. "I guess." She got right back to stacking.

Yosuke rubbed the back of his head and turned to Chie. "Um, not much of a conversationalist, is she?"

Chie shrugged. "Not when she's only got that opening line to work with, I guess."

"Ugh…" Maybe he'll have more luck at the campout, he thought.

Inside a room, bathed with blue. A strange man was pouring a glass of wine for both his assistant and himself. Thay both proposed an unspecified toast and sipped.

"Ah, simply divine, would you not think so?" The man's assistant said - eyes closed, sitting with one leg over the other.

"Indeed, Margaret." The man, Igor, took in the wine's aroma - which shouldn't be hard, considering his oddly large nose. "Sicilian, 42 A.D."

"Hm?" Margaret looked at the drink, moving the glass so the scarlet liquid formed a tiny whirlpool. "Certainly it isn't that old."

"A rare delicacy indeed." He didn't seem to hear her, and merely chuckled to himself. She just smiled and put the glass aside. She took a large book and opened it. This caught the man's attention. "Brushing up on the compendium again, I see? Why, you must have read it a thousand times."

Margaret laughed a bit. "That may not be as big a hyperbole as you might think. It's all quite fascinating, I find."

He nodded and pointed a bony finger to one of the pages. "Why, look at this fellow over here, he certainly looks- oh." He winced a bit before regaining composure. "I keep forgetting our friend, Mara. Must have kept slipping my mind. Or maybe, my mind kept casting him out."

Margaret just kept quiet, eyes on the compendium. Igor adjusted his collar.

"...You can stop staring, if you may."

Margaret quickly stammered an apology and flipped through the pages. After a while, she looked at him. It was a familiar look, a sly smile, but with a childlike playfulness in her eyes. Margaret went back to the page on Mara. "Round One, same as before?"

Igor raised an eyebrow before nodding, chuckling in consent. "I'm certain I can make the time. If you may start..."

Margaret thought for a while. "I have heard this often-said quote. I certainly can't blame Mara. It's... not easy being green." She tried to stifle a laugh.

Igor pointed up a finger. "Ah, but I am sure he will persevere. He does have a high... endurance level."

Margaret quickly replied. "He is weak to light. Does it mean he has to hide himself in a dark place?"

"One wonders why he is of the Tower arcana, of all things!"

"Well, at least he absorbs fire. That fellow gets stronger when he gets more heat!"

The Velvet Room was filled with the echoes of their laughter, neither of them concerned about anyone watching their pun duel. Soon, both of them calmed down. Igor wiped a tear from his eye.

"Ahaha... we must apologise to him later."

Margaret nodded, still chuckling. Igor relaxed his posture, leaning back on his seat, head turned towards his assistant.

"Thank you for your company, my dear."

Margaret took back the glass of wine and brushed some stray hairs aside, keeping her blonde locks neat as they were before. She smiled before taking a sip. "You are welcome. Likewise."

Igor clapped his hands twice, and choir music resounded throughout their domain. The Velvet Room resumed to normality.

Author's Note: If you don't know who Mara is, I must apologise in advance for two things: you may not have understood the puns, and when you look him up, you might not have wanted too. :p Oh well!