In which Yami decides no one who gives her lollipops can be too terrible a person.

Yami's POV

"Okay Yami, you're gonna have to be nice." Akira looked down at me and I shrugged. I opened my eyes as wide as I could, blinking twice and pouting out my lip. He scoffed. "No, you are not always nice." I frowned, sinking back to my heels and crossing my arms, pouting for real this time. He brought me all the way to Undine territory, where I very nearly lost my dragon to a pickpocket I proceeded to behead, and now I was going to meet some new stranger, and I had to be nice. And it was raining. Just awesome.

"This person is very important to me. Best behavior, okay?" Before I could even roll my eyes, he rapped hard on the door, which honestly looked flimsy enough to give way immediately. I flared my nostrils, hmphing when it didn't fall. What temerity.

"Coming, coming!" A woman? That was a woman's voice. I glanced at Akira, who looked happy. To hear the voice? I frowned, checking my shoulder for my dragon. She was batting the end of my braid with her tail, although whether or not she was doing it on purpose had yet to be seen.

The dark door swung open to reveal big, droopy blue eyes and a bright smile, bridged together with a small nose that came to a rounded point.

"Layra! Hi, hi! Come in, babe," the girl beamed, leaving the door open as she swung inside. Babe? I raised my eyebrows mildly when Akira turned around. Akira grabbed my hand, shooting me a "be nice" look, and lead us inside.

"I was just finishing up some lunch! Are you two hungry? You must be, if you came all the way from Gadan!"

"Nah, we're only here from the Imp territory. We had a little...mishap," Akira's eyes wandered the house, but mine stayed locked on him. Why were we here? Why was a woman important to him? Why was I meeting her now? Why hadn't I ever heard of her before? What was the deal here? Questions swirled through my brain, dulling my recognition of my surroundings. It was a nice enough house. Not much for my dragon to accidentally destroy. I didn't really care that much.

"I love what you've done with the place," Akira said. He pointed to one of the chairs, raising an eyebrow at me. I shook my head, pointing instead to a smaller, fluffier one. He shrugged. Do whatever you want.

I looked at my dragon. She blinked at me. I will. We want that chair.

No one's stopping you. Go get comfortable, we're not leaving any time soon. I made a face, halfheartedly slouching over to the fluffy chair. I just wanted to go exploring. This was not exploring. This was socializing, something people with anxiety-based PTSD didn't really like. But Akira had always been a fan of the "constant exposure" techniques to help get me out of my head. Right. Like that was working. I was mute.

I flopped myself in the fluffy chair, crossing my arms. A small squeak from my dragon, and she crawled from my back to my front, letting her claws go and collapsing with a flop into my lap. I smiled. I wasn't quite sure what she could do, or even if she was really a she, but at this point I didn't care. I'd find out in time.

"So you two came from the Imp territory?"

"Yup," called Akira.

"Wow! Not too awfully far, but they're kinda a rough bunch, aren't they?"

Akira shrugged, chuckling. "Nah, they're pushovers. I almost got in a fight with one, though." He stopped there in the story. I squinted. For what? But he eyed the doorway behind me, shifting to keep his weight on his toes. He was certainly waiting. The scritching of my dragon slowed as I continued to squint further and further at Akira. What was he-

"YOU WHAT?!"

Ah. There it was.

A whirlwind of blue came and glomped all over Akira, flailing helplessly, a good 180 if not 360 degrees from the woman of earlier. "Akira, how could you? Oh baby, you know I worry about you fighting! Are you hurt? Did you actually fight? What happened? Tell me everything. Here, sit down, I can help heal you. Are you in any pain? Oh, Akira!" She shoved my brother onto the couch opposite me, hands feeling his chest- I assumed for bumps or the like- and eyes scoping the rest of his body for lacerations of any shape, size, or depth. My dragon and I looked at each other, wide-eyed, but Akira just laughed.

"Zu, I'm fine. I didn't actually fight him. He was too riled up to be any good fight, either. You know I'm a lover not a fighter!" I rolled my eyes as hard as I possibly could. He was such a schmoozey dork. He just wanted her attention. What a scrub.

I took a good look at the girl. She was pretty. Dark hair cut to her chin gave big, droopy eyes a nice compliment, and the feminine set of her mouth and nose gave a girlish twist to the womanly figure she'd created. Whether that was real or not wasn't discernible, at least not to me. But then again I didn't notice anything around me so what did I know. But she was pretty, and the snap-change of personality that Akira fighting had brought on seemed like it would be a good fit to Akira's split big brother/hell-raiser personality. But again, what did I know?

Speaking of...She'd called him Akira. They must know each other from real life. Had I known that? Surely not. I didn't forget things. But maybe. I squinted at the bar around her. It said her name was Yaside. That didn't seem to fit with the nickname "Zu" though. I guessed.

"So, Layra, hmm? Interesting. I like your real name better though," she giggled, laying her head on his shoulder and still looking up towards him. Akira laughed heartily.

"Didja miss me that bad, Zu?" he teased. The girl blushed, rolling her wide eyes and looking at me instead. I could feel my face go unamused. What did she think she was doing? Why did everyone always stare at me?

"So, Sirento? Silent?"

"Uh, Zura, this is my little sister, Yami." Zura, that's right. Zhur-uh. It looked like Zoo-ruh, but it wasn't. And 'Zu' was said like 'zoo' because Akira apparently never paid attention to language. "She picked the screen name Sirento because, uh...She's mute." Zura blinked once, then nodded.

"Okay. Hi there, Yami. You can't talk in the game, huh?" I shook my head. Zura sat up, crossing her legs under her and still staring at me. "Wow, that's a real snore. You guys want something to eat?" Zura headed back towards the kitchen of this place that we guessed was hers. I looked at Akira blankly.

"We're okay, Zu. But if you have any lollipops around here, Yami wants one." Akira smiled brightly until Zura had left, then he looked at me seriously. So?

I raised an eyebrows, continuing to scritch my baby dragon. So what? I asked loosely with one hand.

What do you think of her? While normally Akira's sign language was crisp and precise, that was more rushed and slightly irritated. Not fun. I made a face.

You want to marry this girl?

Akira's face twisted in a frown. He fidgeted, looking off to the fireplace to my right. He did, obviously, but if he wouldn't tell me, then it wasn't worth it. Finally, Akira bowed his head, nodding. I do. She's the only woman I've ever loved, Yami.

I looked blankly at my older brother. Akira was too much a dork to be a real ladies' man, but he'd had some girlfriends in the past, flings and one or maybe two serious relationships. But he was looking at me sincerely. I couldn't find a drop of amusement in his face, where normally I could find buckets. He was serious. Dead freakin' serious.

Give her a chance.

I simply shrugged, looking off into the foyer.

Who said I wasn't?

"Okie dokie, Ya-chan, the only lollipop I could find was green apple. Is that alright? I didn't know you liked them, or I would've gotten some before you two came over," Zura said, walking back out from the kitchen. Dark blue hair swished at her chin, to which I could tell Akira was having trouble adjusting. I assumed her hair was longer in real life. She stopped in front of me, bending down to give me the lollipop. Well, well. Akira wasn't the only one looking to impress the real-world beau with a different character in-game, was he? Not that I knew that for sure, but Akira's eyes certainly seemed stapled to her behind.

I nodded, reaching for the lollipop. I signed a quick thanks before unwrapping it, putting the lollipop in my mouth. It was interesting. Sour burst on my tongue, but right on its tail came sweet. I didn't know how I felt about it. I decided that I wouldn't know until I continued to try it. So I kept sucking.

Meanwhile, Zura had paced back over to Akira, and they were now knee-deep in a conversation about Akira and school. She sat very properly. Akira looked like a slob in comparison, slouching and leaning forward at the same time. What a dork. I lifted my hand from my dragon.

"Grrrrah!" My mouth twitched to a smile. What a needy little thing. I rubbed the top of her head, then removed my hand again. The dragon bent its neck to look at me, big eyes questioning me. My smile broadened. Adorable. "Gra-achoo!"

Previous, my dragon sneezing spilled a little smoke. No big deal. This time, a short burst of fire had flown out of her nostrils, catching the chair I was sitting on and the pants I was wearing. If I could've yelled, I would have. As it was, I jumped up, the dragon fluttering its wings uselessly as she flopped onto the ground. Zura did the screaming for me. I jumped around making shrieking-like noises, patting the fire on my clothes.

"Soak!" Zura hollered. The sign of Undine appeared between her palms, and a blast of water popped over the chair, dousing the fire and splashing myself and my dragon in the process. The room was dead silent except for Zura's and my heavy breathing.

"Holy mother of God," Akira whispered, breaking the silence. "We have a fire-breathing dragon. That's awesome."

"Akira, you owe me a new chair," Zura deadpanned. My older brother laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "And don't try to pawn this off on her, it wasn't her fault."

"What? How is that my fault then?" Akira whined. She glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest. Akira sighed, pouting. "Fiiiine. We'll get you a new chair." With that, Zura was satisfied, dropping her arms and smiling.

"That was kind of fun, though, wasn't it? Exciting!" I stared blankly at the girl. If being caught on fire was her idea of fun, maybe it wasn't so odd that she was dating a Salamander. Maybe it was just that she was odd.

But who was I to talk?

0.o.0.o.0.o.0

God, I hated Undines.

The Undine territory was wet, rainy, and humid above all. I didn't like being wet, especially with the new cat-like tendencies that my avatar had. But if the Undine territory was soggy, the people were moist.

They milled around slowly, coattails of some and hair of others flopping, ugly and useless. Their eyes wandered always, moving all over every new person they saw. I had resorted to shoving my dragon into the inner pocket of my coat so I didn't have to worry about her being stolen. I was the brightest color in the Undine capital, and I was one of the duller ones even in the Imp territory. It was dark, gloomy, and wet, and I hated it.

A peal of thunder shook me from my thoughts. I placed a hand on the outside of where my baby dragon was then looked up to the sky like everyone around me. The big, dark clouds tat had been bordering the capital since Akira sent me with money for a new chair had been steadily creeping closer, and now they threatened to burst and spill rainwater all over everything. And while that might have been okay for the Undine, who resumed walking around me, it was not okay for a cat with a fire dragon in her pocket.

What an odd way to describe myself.

I felt a heavy drop of rain land on my ear. I flicked it off, then looked back at the sky. It was definitely going to pour. I looked back around me, moving a little faster, a little more frantic now. My head swiveled, looking for somewhere that sold furniture at a fair price, probably in vain.

Dennis's Fabrics. Charlie's Waffle House. Nails For Fun. I ground my teeth together, looking further and further through the capital. I turned onto odd side roads, nearly running. I did not, repeat NOT, want to get rained on. But with every unsuccessful storefront I passed, it was looking more and more like I was going to get soaked. Great. I hated getting wet.

"Where are you running so fast to, dearie?" A voice called from a door that opened in front of where I was. I slowed but didn't stop. What could I say? I slowed to a stop in front of the house on the corner, looking at the plump, elderly woman who looked at me.

I need to buy a chair. I tried signing. But she squinted at my hands, then shook her head.

"No, I don't sign, I'm sorry dear." I frowned. The woman pointed at me. "My husband, Wallace, though...He's nearly deaf, so he doesn't hear very well anymore, and his arthritis means signing in real life can be hard for him, but I'm sure he'll be able to get you where you need to be. You can hear me, can't you, dear?" I nodded twice. If her husband could get me to a furniture shop before it burst into rain, I was willing to test it. "Wallace!" The woman moved inside a bit more, raising her voice more. "Wallace! Come here!"

As the sky threatened, thunder and lightning all, a man ambled to the door, looking down at me with intelligent brown eyes. I smiled, waving and giving him a friendly hello.

Do you need help with something? My eyes widened. That was ASL. They must be American. I'd always heard that Americans were nice. These old Americans went out of their way to help me. That was so nice. The man waved, trying to get my attention. His face had creased in worry.

Yes, sorry, I'm not used to seeing ASL. I'm in Japan. But ASL will work. Can you help me? He nodded, and I grinned, bowing multiple times. Thank you so much.

Of course. Where do you need to go? The signing had been slower that time. He thought I might have trouble remembering all the signs. Were all Americans this nice?

I need to buy a chair.

The man smiled, then came down the stairs to meet me. You just exited our shopping district. Head back up this street, turn left, then head down that street for a few miles. Along the way, you should find some good, cheap furniture stores. Avoid Herle and you should be okay. He smiled as I bowed and thanked him again, turning to his wife and bowing and thanking. She chuckled, waving me off.

"I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for, dearie!" I nodded and smiled as politely as I could, running off in the direction the man had pointed me.

Follow the street...then turn left. My sprint slowed not as all as I took the curve, my feet nearly leaving the ground altogether. I had never been an athlete. Not even when I was a real girl instead of the shell of a person that I am. I was a nerd, but a kinda cute one, not to mention a girl, so I didn't get beat up much. I didn't run much, smart enough to think up excuses out of it in P.E. I hadn't even jogged in months, probably close to a year. But this was virtual reality! I had nothing to worry about. Stamina in real life had nothing to do with this world!

Well...Right...but wrong. Very wrong. And painfully wrong, as I tripped over something I hadn't seen in my rush, sprawling forward with a squeal and landing, face-first, onto the ground. I scrambled, trying desperately to get to my feet. I felt a raindrop, then another. My ears and tail flicked and I slipped again, landing back on the ground for all my effort. The drops were becoming more consistent, what Kettei would call "a sprinkling." Sprinkling came before rain, and normally right before rain. If I was going to not get wet, I needed to get inside.

I pushed myself up off the ground, not looking anywhere close to in front of me. I got a sure footing, then took back to dashing. I looked up after my legs got into a rhythm, just in time to see a big, purple obstacle. My eyes bugged. I slammed on brakes, dug my heels into the ground, and tried not to skid. Alas, in vain.

"Hey!"

My sword materialized in my hand and it was swinging towards the avatar's head before I registered that it had called out to me. Which meant it was human. But my sword rung true; I trained with it too much for it to stray. Resistance hit my sword, but not enough to stop it, and then came a wet, scwelchy sound. My arms felt like lead. They brought my sword to the side my baby dragon was on, guarding her. I looked at what should have been a corpse, but was actually an avatar, arms up in front of his face, and the top end of one forearm missing.

I blinked. With a peal of thunder, rain began to fall, pelting the two of us with large, heavy drops of rain.

"What the hell!" the guy yelled. I stared, uncomprehending. He was good. I'd swung at him without any notice, and while he might have protected himself prior to my actual swinging, if not...He was good. Really good. "For Christ's sake, you run into me and try to take my head off? Something wrong with you? Normally someone would say sorry or something!"

He was an Imp. Wait, no I'd seen this one before. He was...around the bar? When I'd crashed their statue? My eyes went to the bar that held his screen name.

Sire.

No. He hadn't been around the bar...He'd been the one to almost fight Akira. My brain whirled. But the longer I looked at him, yelling, the better the pieces came together. He was so willing to pick a fight with Akira. I'd been startled, but wasn't relying on my brain in those moments. I'd crashed into a statue, been a little shaken up myself. And he hadn't paid any attention to me aside from trying to get Akira to fight him by implying that I was a bitch. He'd been so happy, so eager to fight with Akira...It was probably because he was bored. He'd been bored by all the Imps who were builders, constructors, not fighters, warriors. He'd wanted to prove to himself that he could still fight, by taking on a Salamander- a warrior breed by nature, by the skills bestowed upon them naturally by the game- and winning.

And he was good. Not that good, his breed still held him back too much...But...He was skilled. He was a natural.

He should've been a Salamander.

"Well, it ain't gonna do us any good to stand out in this," he muttered. "C'mon, let's get in here." He moved towards the storefront we were closest to, grabbing the doorhandle and looking back at me. I shook myself off a little, the followed him quickly, scampering in the door after him. Air conditioning was blowing in the store, which made the rain on and in my clothes feel cold.

"Do we know each other?" I blinked, turning to Sire, then nodded. How would he know me? He wouldn't remember me, for sure. But I was the girl who'd crashed his statue...so maybe. I pointed to the bar with my name, Sirento. He read it, and his expression went quickly from calm-angry to furious. "You're that little kid that ruined our statue," he growled. "I've been lookin' for you."

And very suddenly I feared for my life.

Temerity: (noun); excessive confidence or boldness, audacity

Me: lol...oopsies! Yami ran into Sire, and now he angry! Tune in to the next chapter- written by the lovely Foxtail-chan- to see what he does~