Solo A special person in a special place

[Chako]

Chako was a bit excited today. She had finally decided to meet up with her school friend in Terrasphere.

They could have met earlier, but Chako wanted to explore a bit by herself before going out with Evelyn, so she asked her friend to wait... But well, the wait was now over!

So, Chako waited at the meeting spot they agreed to, right under a large tree close to Honeyhome. Chako seemed to have arrived first, so she just looked around while waiting for Evelyn, or rather, Aki, which was her name here in Arcia.

It still hurt a bit to think of that name... But she was not going to chide her friend if that's the name she chose for herself. Aki was a special person for the both of them, after all.

"Peek a boo." Chako heard a voice whisper at her ear.

"N-nyaaaa!?" Chako screamed as she jumped in place, before crouching down and covering her ears... "Ouch... I shouldn't have shouted like that..." Chako liked her ears, but she really hated how sensitive they were... Pretty much everything made them hurt, even her own screams.

Regardless of that, the other person giggled, a familiar giggle that Chako would recognize anywhere.

"Aki!" Chako exclaimed as she looked up.

"You found me, Chako!" She smiled.

"More like you found me." Chako muttered before twirling around in place... And tripping, but she managed to stop herself from falling, and then she smiled, "So, what do you think?"

"I think..." Aki gave out a very evil grin... Chako suddenly had a very bad feeling about it, "That you look absolutely adorable!" Aki then hugged Chako and started stroking her head, "To think you could become even more adorable than you already were, I'm amazed! You're so, so lovely, Chako!"

For a second, Chako wanted to struggle. She knew that this was going to happen when Aki grinned like that, but... The desire to struggle didn't last long. Chako was never strong against Evelyn, and especially, she wasn't strong against someone caressing her hair.

So, Chako just purred and allowed Evelyn to play with her for as long as she wanted.

"... Oh god... How can anyone resist your cuteness when you're like that, Chako!? Like, wow! You can conquer the evillest of villains with this lovely purr, you know!?" Aki was quite excited, but she continued rubbing Chako's hair gently... She knew what Lisa liked best, after all. She always knew it.

Chako purred a bit more, but then managed to put some words out, "You know... I don't really purr on purpose..." And then she purred again... This was way too comfortable. Chako had a bit of a hard time focusing. She felt like melting under Aki's warmth.

Aki giggled, "Yeah, I know... Still, that doesn't make you any less adorable."

Chako blushed. It always felt special to hear that from Evelyn. She was basically the only person that could make Lisa actually believe those words... Although, differently from Lisa, Chako did think of herself as cute. It was much easier to be cute when you weren't stuck on a wheelchair.

Not like that seemed to ever matter for Evelyn, but it surely mattered for Lisa-

Chako felt her cheek being poked, "You're frowning. You're having depressing thoughts again." Chako couldn't deny Aki's words.

"... And you always take me out of them." Chako smiled. Not bothering with hiding her blushing face. It's not like Aki would catch up to it anyways. She never did.

"Right, right, that I do!" Aki then sat on the ground under the large tree, and waited until Chako followed suit.

Once they were both sat down, Aki said, "So, how is your harp search going? Found anybody that could make one for you?"

Chako sighed, "No good... Seems like nobody in Honeyhome can do it, after all... I'm thinking of asking some traveling Starcalled about it, to see if they can direct me to any crafter."

"And you sure you don't want me to pay for it? You do know I have quite a bit of money on me already, right?" Aki asked, though they had already had this conversation at school before.

Chako shook her head, "No good. I can get things for myself here, so I will get them for myself! Don't wanna be depending on you for everything!"

"Alrighty, alrighty. I won't insist, then." Aki got up, then offered a hand to Chako, "Come on. Let's go explore. I'll show you to a nice lake nearby."

Chako smiled and took on the offered hand, "Let's!" Finally being able to follow Evelyn with her own two feet.

 

[Chako]

Chako sat down at a bench in Honeyhome.

Her time in Terrasphere was always the best time of the day. She could always live her dream life that had always been out of her reach in Earth.

But right now... Right now she couldn't feel that way.

Chako was scared. She trembled when trying to think of going out on the woods again to explore. What if she finds more wolves? Or maybe something worse?

She had been able to shrug off those thoughts before after being saved by Magi, but... After encountering those Faerin girls, she could no longer run from those feelings.

Chako was plain terrified. She wanted to see what else was out there in Terrasphere, but she was afraid of taking a step away from Honeyhome.

"So much for joining the Explorer's League, huh?" Chako said in self-mockery while staring at her whistle... Turns out there was some meaning behind that chuuni oath, after all.

Well, it's not that bad... I can still walk. I can still make friends here... And I might be able to get some food by... By...

Chako was not a good dancer. Chako had no harp here... Chako did not have a way to earn her own keep, by begging, I guess...

Chako buried her face on her hands and started crying.

"So... Gonna tell me what the problem is now? Or will I need to visit your house to get an answer?" Chako suddenly heard a very familiar voice, followed by the sound of someone sitting next to her.

"Aki...?" Chako turned to the side to see that familiar pink-haired girl. She was still unused to that name, but the pain it brought her was far from relevant when considering everything else that was going on with her right now.

Chako looked downwards again. She didn't want to meet Aki's gaze.

"Yep, the one and only.

"So, what is it? Anyone with eyes can tell that you're feeling horrible. And don't bother with a 'it's nothing' like you did at school. You've always been a terrible liar anyways."

Chako couldn't deny her words, yet Chako didn't wish to talk about it... She was scared... Scared because of monsters in a game, and because of a prank she suffered... It was dumb. It was so dumb.

A hand landed on Chako's head. A gentle ruffling of her hair, in the way that only her mom and Evelyn ever did... It eased her a bit. Not enough to start purring, but it eased her nonetheless.

"Talk to me, Lisa." It was rare to hear Evelyn use her real name in-game, "I can't help you if you don't let me help you.

"Besides... I can't forgive anyone who makes my Chako cry. Only I can do that to you." Chako felt a pang in her heart as she heard those words.

My Chako... How much she wished that this meant more than it actually did... It hurt to hear it.

And yet, the words still comforted her... Nobody other than Aki could make Chako cry... And Lisa knew that Evelyn would never make her cry... At least not on purpose.

Chako finally looked at Aki's eyes. She saw a worried face, but that still had a smile on it. A smile that told Chako that things would be alright.

So, Chako took a deep breath and started talking. About her encounter with Magi. About the wolves. About the prank. About how the smell of Canis Beastfolk terrify her. About how she was having nightmares with wolves. About how this game was affecting her in ways she couldn't have possibly imagined when she first logged in... About how real this all was. Far more than any rumors made justice to.

"So, essentially, you're traumatized and scared of going out because of that?" Aki summarized it.

"Traumatized...?" Chako repeated.

"Yeah? That's what this is, isn't it?" Aki replied.

Can anyone get traumatized by playing a game...? For a second, Chako thought that, but... She remembered her meeting with Magi again... I'm alive... I can fear because I'm alive...

"... What do I do, Evelyn?" Chako asked. Somehow hoping that her most special friend would have a magical solution for everything.

"Well, to begin with. Talk to your psychologist about it. You still go to one, don't you?" Chako nodded, "Yeah, do that... Probably don't mention Terrasphere though. If they hear that you're playing this illegal game, they might tell your mom despite the fact that a psychologist's clinic should be a safe space... Just tell them that you got scared from playing a VR game or something.

"And also... You need a way to protect yourself."

Chako had already heard those words before, even if not from Aki, "I don't want to hurt anyone..."

"I know that." Aki ruffled Chako's hair again, "But fighting isn't the only way to protect yourself. You could try using Echolocation or something. Can't be ambushed by wolves if you know where they are ahead of time, right?"

Chako blinked a few times, "Echolocation to... Protect myself?" Aki nodded... It felt like such a ridiculous idea, but maybe it would work.

However, there was a problem, "Uhn... Yanno, my ears are really really good... I can actually hear a lot of sounds... Turns out I can even hear bats and stuff...

"But... I actually guugled a bit about it out of sheer curiosity when I noticed I could actually make ultrasounds too, but... Bats echolocation is at such a high volume that it would hurt human ears, never mind my ears... It's not feasible..."

Aki grinned, "Why would you echolocate like a bat when you aren't a bat, girl? Just echolocate like a human. Or like a catgirl, I dunno, any way is fine."

Chako could not understand what Aki was trying to say there, "Echolocate like... A human?"

"Yep. There is a wikipedia article on it and everything." Aki's smile felt genuined, but...

"You're kidding me." Chako plainly replied.

"Go check it out. Guugle it. I'll be waiting here when you come back.

"Besides, you know I wouldn't mess around when you're feeling this bad, don't you?" Chako couldn't deny it... Aki was not going to mess with her in this situation.

So, Chako sighed, "I'll be back soon." and logged out.

******

Some minutes later, Chako was back online, and true to her word, Aki was right next to her, "Uhn... Aki... I really appreciate you telling me about all that, and I honestly still have a hard time believing it's true, but...

"Those people had years to learn how to echolocate... How am I supposed to learn that by myself? I... I don't want to wait years before I can explore Arcia again."

Once again, Aki grinned and ruffled Chako's hair, "Oh, my dearest Chako... Did those people who echolocate on Earth have cat ears and harmonic magic too?"

Her words hurt Chako again... My dearest Chako... Chako couldn't help being hurt by those words... Why can't Evelyn get how I feel...?

... Why can't I just confess to her?

It was one fear Lisa was not ready to face just yet... She was not willing to risk losing Evelyn when faced with a 'no'.

So she turned her attention back to the topic at hand. To get her head away from those feelings she was unable to express, "So you're telling me... You think I can learn how to echolocate quickly?"

"Yep. So... Ready to start practicing?" Aki offered her a hand.

Chako stared at Aki for a few seconds... Then, she wiped out her tears, and took the outstretched hand, "Alright."

 

[Chako]

They were in a clearing with a big lake near Honeyhome. A place Chako found in one of her trips, and that she took note of as she felt it was particularly pretty.

Aki was sat down on the grass, looking at Chako, while Chako was standing in front of her, "You ready for it, Aki?"

"Ready!" Aki replied with a smile.

"Ready ready!?" Chako asked again.

"Ready ready!" Aki replied once more.

"Ready ready ready!?" Chako asked one more time.

"Chako, if you don't hurry up and show me this mysterious surprise, I'm gonna log out and bonk you on your own home." Aki replied with a deadpan expression.

"A-ah, right..." Chako gave out a wryly laugh, "Sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it." Aki waved her hand, "So, what even is this mystery surprise of yours? I'm not seeing anything hidden nearby..." Aki glanced at her surroundings.

"Well..." Chako took a deep breath, "Just keep your eyes on me." and smiled.

Chako had been practicing a lot since the day she met Lune. She kept on remembering the steps they practiced together. The slowdown moves. The mirrored moves Lune made... She made sure to get all that entrenched deep into her head, and kept on relieving those memories over and over again.

It was now time to make all that practice worthwhile.

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Chako didn't know why it wasn't 'one, two, three, four', but she was copying Lune there, she figured there might be a purpose behind it.

And so she started. One step at a time. Singing and dancing Evelyn's favorite song. She still felt like her singing was pretty bad, but over time, she became confident enough on her dance for this song at least. She kept on repeating the moves that had become entrenched in her memory, and that her body could naturally reproduce without even needing to think.

It was... Very stressful. She really didn't want to mess this one up. She had prepared all this for Evelyn, after all. It really was the moment of truth for her.

So she kept on dancing. She kept on singing. Going through the motions, until slowly but surely, the song came to an end, and Chako reached her final pose.

The claps came right after, "Oh wow! That was amazing, Chako! I can't believe you were preparing that! Must have been hard to practice without having a video to use as reference!" Aki happily congratulated Chako as she kept on clapping.

Chako blushed, "Well, I had some help, but... I'm glad you liked it..." She could barely meet Aki's gaze. It was hard to look at her straight on while being complimented like that.

Still, this felt worth it-

"Liked it!? I loved it!" Aki got up, hugged Chako, and landed a huge kiss on her cheek, "That was absolutely incredible! You absolutely nailed it!"

Chako went beet red at that... She was a bit frustrated too that kiss was only in the cheeks, and that the love was for the performance and not for her, but... She was also very happy with the results, and very very embarrassed with the close contact, "T-t-t-thank you... I-I did my best..." She meekly muttered.

Aki grinned, "You're just way too adorable." and started ruffling Chako's head while still maintaining the hug.

It helped Chako calm down a bit, but... It also made her start purring. To Aki's happiness and Chako's dismay.

"How did you even manage to find help for this song though? This isn't the kind of thing that Ruby performs, is it?" Aki asked. She had seen some of Ruby's performances before, as Lisa had shown some of them on her phone, and this really wasn't the kind of thing she worked with at all.

"Oh, that? I got a bit lucky..." Chako purred as the hair ruffles continued, "Found a woman named Lune who... Well, she said she was a big fan of Slime Girls." Chako purred once more... It was incredibly frustrating, but she really loved the feeling of Aki's hand on her hair, so she made no motion to stop it, "But I feel like she was way too good at the dancing to be just that. I think she might actually be an idol." Chako explained honestly.

"First a Chinese dancer, and now a Korean idol? You're meeting all sorts of famous people over here, aren't you!?" Aki giggled.

"W-well, m-maybe!? I-it's not like I could just ask her directly if she was an idol..." Chako muttered and purred, "M-most importantly though... I'm just happy that I could show it live to you... I know you were bummed out that you could never see a live show of the Slime Girls before they disbanded..."

Aki grinned, then sat down, forcibly sitting Chako down on her lap too, "That you did... Thank you. My most adorable Chako!" This time, Aki kissed the top of Chako's head.

It really felt way too frustrating. Lisa felt like Evelyn still treated her like a child. They were the same age. Evelyn should know that Lisa had grown up too, just like she did.

And yet, this was still their relationship. And Lisa was still lacking the courage to take the step forward... She hoped this performance would have been it, but... In the end, nothing changed. Until she gets the willpower to confess, nothing will change.

Seems like today will just be another day like any other, then...

"I'm happy if you're happy..." Chako muttered. Hoping that one day, the way Evelyn said she was 'hers' had a completely different meaning... One day... Surely...

 

[Chako]

Lisa had really enjoyed the trip to the US. Meeting up with miss Yuhan was nothing short of fantastic, and going around a completely different country with just the two of them was great!

But there was someone she missed a lot during her trip abroad... Well, she still talked with Evelyn every day on phone, but it didn't make her miss her any less.

So, after coming back from the trip, she had been planning on visiting Evelyn's home or inviting her over, but... Evelyn told Lisa to meet her in Honeyhome instead.

It was... Not exactly what Lisa wanted, but she was still happy with it. At the end of the day, Aki was just as real as Evelyn, after all. Meeting up in Honeyhome or at their homes shouldn't make a difference. It was still them. They were still real.

... But even though she told herself that, Lisa really wanted to meet Evelyn in Earth right now... Probably because of how happy she was with meeting miss Yuhan in Earth too.

Well, that was that. Lisa was never one to turn down Evelyn's requests, so... There was Chako, waiting for Aki in Honeyhome's plaza.

It didn't take long for her to hear steps approaching her. She turned her head in their direction and saw the pink-haired elf coming her way, "Aki! It's been a while!" Chako waved.

"It sure has!" Aki smiled and... Proceeded to land a kiss on Chako's cheek, making her instantly blush a lot, "I missed you!"

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I missed you too!" Chako blurted out, trying to calm down her heart that had just decided to beat at full speed.

"Come on, this way!" Aki suddenly held Chako's hand and started walking away.

"W-where to?" Chako asked as she was being dragged by Aki.

"You'll see!" Aki turned her head around for a sec and grinned, before going back to facing forwards.

Aki seems... A bit pushy right now. Chako thought. It's not like she disliked it, but it did feel unusual... Maybe it was nice to stay some time away from each other. Chako smiled to herself.

---

They walked for a while until they arrived at a clearing... A beautiful place filled with pink flowers, "Whoa... I didn't know there was such a beautiful place so close to Honeyhome..." Chako gasped... She had already explored a fair bit, but it seemed like there were still plenty of new places for her to find.

"So you really hadn't found it before, then? Guess I was lucky, then." Aki giggled.

Chako wondered what exactly Aki was feeling lucky about... About finding the place? Or having the chance to show it to Chako?

Chako blushed... It would be nice if it was the latter...

"Well, then." Suddenly, Aki was lifted Chako in a princess carry.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what!?" Chako went beet red.

Aki giggled in response, "You're so adorable, my little Chako." She kissed Chako's cheek again, and carried her to the middle of the flower field, before sitting down with Chako on her lap, with the two of them facing one another.

Then, Aki started stroking Chako's hair... It was usually something that was very calming for her, but there was no way she could actually calm down when facing Aki face to face from this close, so Chako was panicking a lot, "A-A-A-A-A-Aki, w-w-w-w-w-w-we're a bit t-t-t-t-t-t-too close..."

"Mmmmmm?" Aki tilted her head, "No purring today?"

As if I could purr in this situation! My heart is about to explode!!!

... Wait, hold on, I don't even like purring! It's embarrassing! Stop trying to make me purr, Aki! Chako thought, but wasn't able to voice anything. She was just staring at Aki's face. At her lips. At how close the two of them were... Would it be okay if I kissed her now...? Wait, no! What are you thinking!? You can't do that without consent-!

Chako's thoughts were interrupted by Aki's next actions, "Then how about this...?" Aki pulled Chako's face towards her chest, burying it in-between her chest, "Better now?"

As if this is any better!!! Chako thought as she felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

However... Once Aki resumed the stroking of her head, Chako actually started relaxing... It was strange. She was so close to Aki. Touching her in a way she couldn't even dream of... But it could still relax her... Evelyn really knows me best, after all... Who else would try to calm her down like that? Only her mom for sure...

... Though she didn't want Aki to treat her in the same way her mom did.

Still, it was effective, and it led to Aki's desired effect... Chako did start purring, despite her best efforts to stop herself from doing so.

"Ah... You really are my way too adorable little Chako..." Aki kissed the top of Chako's head... Chako said nothing in response. She just... Enjoyed the feeling.

And felt that usual frustration at herself for doing nothing... Come on... Say it!

"I was really lonely, you know? Things really aren't the same without you around." Aki told her.

"... I felt the same." Chako muttered.

"Yet you still went to another country to meet a different woman... I don't like it." Aki told her.

Those weren't the kind of words that Chako expected to hear from Aki... After hearing this much, she couldn't help thinking... Was Aki... Jealous?

"You're my Chako... Don't go running away from me to chase someone else." Aki said next.

It's not like Chako was unused to being referred to as hers by Aki, but... This felt different. It felt way more possessive than what she usually was.

Could it be that maybe... We feel the same? It was the first time Chako felt any level of confidence on this... She did want to confess to Aki. She wanted it for a long time... But she never thought there was any chance of her feelings being reciprocated. At least not a first. She thought Evelyn would need to think about it before giving her a reply, assuming she wasn't instantly rejected.

But now... Now she felt a little confident... Maybe... Maybe I can actually get a yes?

Chako took a deep breath, then forced herself to get her head out of Aki's bossom and to look her in the eye again, "Aki... I am yours. I am not going to run from you. I'm not gonna chase anybody else..."

Aki seemed to be a bit surprised at that sudden statement, "Really? You aren't ever running away from me?"

"I'm not. I won't run, because Aki... Because Evelyn. I... I really... I want to be yours in a much deeper meaning, I-" Chako could not finish her sentence.

"Awooooooooooooo!" Because she heard something that sent her whole body into a panicked state. No words came out of her mouth anymore, she was just desperately clinging to Aki for dear life.

N-no! W-why now!? Chako could think this much before instincts took over... I gotta run... I need to run...

"Guess we'll have to continue this later." Aki said with a warm voice, before getting up while carrying Chako with her on a princess carry, "Don't worry. No wolf will harm you on my watch."

Aki then started running back to Honeyhome. Chako clung to her, desperately paying attention to the noises in the surroundings. To try warning Aki if she heard anything approaching in the direction they were going to.

... But she didn't hear anything. No steps at all. There was an occasional howl that absolutely terrified her, but... She couldn't hear any wolves approaching at all.

It was hard to think things through, but... It felt off.

Chako didn't understand what this meant... She couldn't understand. She couldn't process it. Not now at least... She just clung to Aki. To the one safety net she had right now. To the person she absolutely wanted to be with more than anybody else... Well, other than her mom, of course.

This continued until they arrived back at Honeyhome. It was only then that Chako could finally heave a sigh in relief... "Thank you..." She muttered.

"You're welcome." Aki ruffled her head, "Though remember to use the right names while we're here."

... I was using the right name. Chako wanted to say, but her body was still trembling. It was hard to try replying, and much harder to do anything that required any level of courage.

"Say, are you sleepy right now?" Aki suddenly asked.

Chako blinked a few times at the question that came out of nowhere, "Sleepy? It's still kinda early... But I guess a bit? I am a bit tired from the trip..." Was she trying to talk about something random to calm her down? To distract her from her thoughts?

... It worked, to some extent.

"Great! Then, it's settled!" Aki exclaimed and grinned.

Chako had no idea what that was supposed to mean...

---

Chako was panicking. And it was not because of wolves.

Why were they in an inn room with a double bed!? What was Aki thinking!?

"Alright, then! It's sleepover time!" Aki princess carried Chako to the bed, then laid down right next to her, "How you feeling?" she asked while gently stroking Chako's head.

"N-n-n-n-nervous! V-v-v-very nervous! Y-you really think this is a good idea, Aki!?" Chako managed to say.

"Oh, don't worry, you can sleep in Arcia just fine. It feels quite nice, even. And I did tell your mom about it too before we logged in, so you don't have to worry about anything. You can relax." She explained while still caressing Chako's head.

"E-e-e-e-easier said than done!" How was she even supposed to relax while on a double bed with Aki?! They haven't slept together since they were small kids!

"Mmmmmmm... Guess the wolves really got to you, huh? I suppose it's not easy to relax when they're this terrifying to you..." Who cares about wolves!? "Then, in that case..." Aki suddenly materialized some clothes out of her inventory, "Maybe pajamas will get you in the mood better! I bought some that are your size, so don't worry!"

Chako froze.

"Mmmm... Guess you need help when you're like this? Okay, don't worry, my adorable little Chako." Aki kissed her forehead, "I'll take care of you. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Chako didn't know if she should curse herself from being unable to say or do anything, or if she should thank whatever gods were watching over them right now for that... Because seeing Aki change was already enough to make her heart stop beating... But being changed into pajamas by Aki? That was the kind of thing she only expected to happen in her wildest dreams.

"Better now?" Aki asked once they were both changed.

"M-maybe..." Chako managed to mutter, though her head was seriously struggling with rationalizing what had just happened or coming up with manner of thoughts.

"Good enough for me." Aki kissed Chako's forehead, "Let's sleep, then." She snuggled up close to Chako and closed her eyes.

"Y-yeah... Let's..." Chako thought there was no way she was going to sleep at all in this situation.

But the tiredness of the trip, paired together with the emotional rollercoaster she went through in this meeting with Aki today, actually made her fall asleep fairly quickly.

... It wasn't really a good night's sleep though. By the time she woke up, she felt like she hadn't rested at all... This really wasn't good for her heart.

And by this point, any thoughts about her uneasiness with the wolves had completely escaped her head.

 

[Chako]

They had settled into a routine... On saturdays, if there was nothing getting in the way, Chako and Aki would sleep together in Arcia.

It was... Nice, in a way, and terrifying in another. Chako kept on wondering if that day would be the day she'd have a heart attack.

And wondering if in that day she'd be able to confess... It was strange though. Somehow, whenever she gathered her courage, something always got in the way. Whether it was wolves, or a bee swarm, or a particularly loud clerk, or a couple shouting at each other, or even an earthquake... It was as if Arcia itself was trying to stop Chako from confessing her feelings.

Either that, or someone in Arcia was using their powers to stop her... Each and every time. Today had been no different.

Chako had been thinking about it... It was frustrating. Confusing and frustrating. It raised questions that she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers of.

But it was night now. She was tired. She was tired, and her heart was beating at the usual heart-attack-inducing speed. She, hugging Aki to sleep... She still wondered if it was a dream or reality... Though who can say what is real and what is not when they're in Arcia?

Still, like usual, she was tired after a very hectic day, and she wanted to sleep... So her body relaxed, and into slumber she fell.

Her last thoughts were hopes that she would have some sweet dreams this night... But Chako very rarely remembered her dreams.

---

She was at school. Lisa was walking down the corridors, greeting someone here and there as she walked towards her classroom.

"Chako!" She heard the usual voice call out.

Lisa turned around and saw Evelyn...? No, Aki running her way.

And quickly, they hugged, and their lips touched, "Oh, my dearest Chako." Aki muttered after separating their lips. She gently stroke Lisa's head as she spoke.

"Ah... Evelyn..." Lisa blushed. It was hard to come up with a reply. It was just so sudden!

Aki giggled in response, "That's the wrong name to call your girlfriend for, silly." Aki smiled... Right, right. They were dating! Of course they were! That's why they were kissing!

Chako moved her tails, happily grabbing a flower with them, and offering it to Aki, "No better place to have a date on than Arcia's flower fields, right?"

Aki smiled, picked up the flower, and smelled it, "Smells gentle... Just like you." And then kissed Chako again.

... Truly a dream come true... How have I longed for this... Chako thought to herself as she spent her time with Aki.

"But I think... I prefer a date on a lake!" Aki pushed Chako, and suddenly Chako was falling off a cliff, right next to a waterfall, ready to fall down onto the big lake below.

"Nyaaaaa!?" Was all Chako could exclaim, before...

---

She woke up.

"What a wild dream..." She muttered to herself as she sat up... Though what was the dream about again? It was quickly fading from her mind.

She looked to the side, and saw Aki still sleeping right next to her... Her sleeping face is so beautiful...

... Chako shook her head. She could blush all she wanted, and stare all she wanted, but this was not the time and place to do anything.

... Because she kept missing the right time and place. Over and over again...

Chako sighed, then laid back down. She didn't think she was going to be able to go back to sleep, especially as the sun seemed to be rising already... But she also shouldn't leave without Aki, so she decided to just wait.

It wasn't the first time she was doing that anyways. Chako always ended up waking up earlier than Aki when they slept in Arcia... Probably because she was still too nervous about it.

So... She just kept on staring at Aki's gorgeous face, until Aki's eyes eventually opened, staring directly at Chako's own, "What? Were you staring a my gorgeous face?" Aki smiled.

D-don't read my mind like that! Chako internally screamed, "M-m-m-maybe...?"

Aki giggled, then changed her embrace so as to let her hold Chako's head, and then started gently stroking her head, "Oh, my dearest Chako... You're way too adorable."

Chako started purring. It was as embarrassing as always, but also... Aki's hold was way too comfortable. It was hard to hold back.

Chako wondered if now would be a good time to confess... But she felt like she was, somehow, just going to be interrupted again.

She decided to listen to her feelings. So this time...

"Let's go eat something." Aki suddenly stated, "You're probably hungry back on Earth too, so we should eat here, then go back to Earth to eat there as well."

"R-right, let's..." This time... "H-hey, Aki..."

"Yes...?" Aki asked as she got up and started changing out of her pajamas... Which was not healthy for Chako's heart.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-d-do you h-h-h-h-have some time? L-l-l-later... Later today?" Chako barely managed to ask with her beet red face.

"Sure. Wanna go explore a new region of the forest? Or maybe even try going away from Eastern Brisshal?" Aki replied.

"N-n-no... I... Can I... Visit? You? On Earth...?" Chako muttered the words in a barely audible tone.

"Oh... Alright." Aki didn't seem to be that happy about it. "Wanna come for lunch? Mom would love to have you over."

Chako wasn't the only one who preferred spending their time together in Arcia, it seemed... But today she really... Really wanted to put a stop to that streak of strange coincidences.

... Aki already knew what she wanted, didn't she?

Still... Chako at least wanted a clean rejection. It was better than this forceful maintenance of the status quo, "Alright... Lunch... Then let's talk, okay? Just us. You and me."

"Alright." Aki gently ruffled her hair... Chako didn't purr this time... She just barely held back her tears instead.

---

Time passed by fast... Chako didn't remember what they talked about over at breakfast.

After going back to Earth, Lisa simply told her mom that she was going to confess to Evelyn today. So she was going to eat lunch at her place.

Her mom... Hugged her and gently stroke her head... Of course she would. She knows when her child is about to burst into tears, "Want me to take you there?" Her mom asked.

"No need... She's just next door, after all." Lisa could take her wheelchair to her neighbor's house at least, "I'll be back for dinner, alright?"

"Okay." Her mom gently replied.

Before she realized it, it was already lunch time... One doorbell ring later, and she was inside Evelyn's house.

Both her and Evelyn tried keeping a nice mood, though Lisa was pretty sure that Evelyn's mom noticed that something was off.

... It didn't matter if she noticed now or later though.

With lunch finished, Evelyn suggested, "My room?"

"Sure." Lisa replied.

And so, Evelyn pushed Lisa's wheelchair to her room... And after closing down the door behind her and sitting on her bed... Evelyn waited.

Lisa took a deep breath, trying to stop her tears from coming out before she said anything... Another deep breath, "I love you. Romantically."

There... I said. It was finally done.

Evelyn sighed, "You really don't give up, do you?"

Lisa didn't know what she was expecting... But this reaction did not surprise her, "I don't."

"Well... What now?" Evelyn asked.

"You tell me how you feel." Lisa plainly stated.

Evelyn stayed silent for a while... Until eventually, she requested "Can you give me some time?"

"Rejecting me now or later won't make a difference-" Lisa started replying.

"I don't want to reject you!" Evelyn exclaimed.

Lisa was... Confused. It was an instant reply... Lisa knew that Evelyn had already had plenty of time to mull this over, but... She was certain it was a no. It had to be. She had to be the one stopping her confessions... She had to be.

... But she was also jealous when they met up that day when Lisa came back from the US... She was jealous, wasn't she?

Lisa didn't know anymore... She was confused... And she could no longer hold back the tears that were starting to go down her face, "Hey... You were stopping me from confessing, weren't you? It was all illusion magic, wasn't it?"

"... The loud clerk wasn't my fault." Evelyn replied.

"Fair." Lisa said... And then they both stayed silent for a while, "Then why...? Why stop me from confessing if you don't want to reject me...?"

Evelyn stayed silent. Her hands were trembling though... It was very unusual to see Evelyn being nervous about anything.

Lisa tried a different approach, "For how long have you known?"

"Since elementary." Evelyn told her.

"So basically from the very start..." Lisa commented, "And was this still not enough time to think this over?"

"... I don't want things to change." Evelyn replied.

Lisa's tears started flowing freely, "Well, they're changing now..."

"Lisa..." Evelyn started moving her hand towards Lisa's head.

"Don't!" Lisa exclaimed, "You know what this does to me! Don't do it!" Stupid conditioned reactions... She didn't need that right now. She needed an answer, "Just answer me already..."

Evelyn stayed silent for a while longer... But eventually, she started talking, "I do... I do love you."

Lisa gasped. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"I do want you to be my Lisa... My Chako..." There was a strangely strong emphasis in the Chako part... Lisa did not understand why, but she did not interrupt her, "I don't want you to be anyone else's.

"And that's... That's why I don't want to answer."

"I don't... I don't understand." It made no sense... Lisa started sobbing, "Make it make sense...!" How can she love her and not want to answer...?

"If I reject you it's over, and you might become someone else's." Then don't reject me! "If I accept, then you're my girlfriend. Then we're in a relationship... Things change. We might fight. We might break up... I don't want that."

Lisa could not believe what she was hearing, "You're... Scared?"

"... Yeah." Evelyn replied.

"... Didn't I tell you I was yours? That I was not going to chase anybody else?" Lisa asked.

"We both know those words would mean nothing after a break up." Evelyn told her.

"Then don't break up with me." Lisa stated.

"That's not what I'm scared about." Evelyn replied.

"I'm not breaking up with you!" Lisa exclaimed.

"... You don't know me well enough to say that." Evelyn said.

"Don't know you well enough!? Who do you think I am!?" Lisa shouted. She couldn't believe what Evelyn was saying. Who else would know her well enough to say that!?

Evelyn stayed silent. She just stared at Lisa directly in the eyes.

... She really seemed to be serious about it.

Lisa sighed, "Then let me learn more about you. Please..."

Evelyn stayed silent for a small while longer before replying, "Promise me something?"

"Sure." Lisa instantly replied. It didn't matter what it was, she was sure she would agree with it.

"... Don't ever stop being my Chako." Evelyn requested.

It was a very... Odd request. Why Chako? Why bring that up now? Lisa didn't get it...

But Lisa was not giving up because of that, "I'm not leaving you. And I'm not giving up on my legs."

"It's a promise, then." Evelyn got up from her seat on the bed and... Kissed... Me!

Lisa could not believe it... It was really... It was really happening...!

"Then a promise from me too..." Evelyn started, "One day... One day I promise I'll definitely get you out of this wheelchair. Promise."

Lisa didn't know that Evelyn wanted to be a doctor, but... With tears in her eyes, and the happiest smile she had ever had, she replied, "Sure... I'll wait...!"

 

[Chako]

Lisa had never gone through such a wild whirlpool of emotions before.

Evelyn had told her to try taking a nap this afternoon... Because tonight, they were not going to sleep.

It was exciting... Scary, but exciting. Lisa had trouble falling asleep in the afternoon, but somehow managed to, so as to be ready for the upcoming night.

And yet, she was told to go to Arcia, which was... Not what she expected for tonight, but she went along with it anyways... It was still going to be a special night, after all.

Yet time was passing, passing, passing... Come on, wouldn't any inn work!? What's so important about the right place!?

Eventually, it reached a boiling point, so Chako just had to ask... "Aki..."

"Yes?" She didn't even turn her head around to ask as she continued guiding their path, lighting the way with some strange beings she was summoning.

"What's so important about the location that has led you to CLIMB A WHOLE MOUNTAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!?" It wasn't the intention, but Chako screamed partway through... It actually hurt her own ears, but she tried to not let it show.

This made Aki stop and turn around, staring at Chako with a very confused expression, "What? The location is everything, isn't it?"

"... Isn't the important thing just the two of us being together...?" Chako was really frustrated by now, but, "Sorry, I shouldn't have shouted, I just... Well, I had a lot of expectations for tonight."

Aki approached her, "Oh, my dearest Chako." and kissed her on the lips... Something that Chako still struggled with believing was real... But there they were, climbing a mountain together and getting ready to do more, "I promise that it will be even better than you ever imagined... Trust me, okay?"

"Okay..." Chako meekly muttered... She knew she couldn't win against Aki anyways, "Is it much farther ahead?"

"Nope. We should be getting to the top of this mountain soon. I made sure to scout the mountains of Providence in advance, to make sure the one we climbed gave us a wonderful view, and could be climbed in a single night." Aki replied.

Chako didn't think she would care much about the view when they got to it, but she decided to trust Aki on this. She seemed to be planning this for a while, so she was not going to spoil the mood, "Alright. Let's get back to it, then. I'm looking forward to it." She blushed heavily as she said it, but Chako meant it.

"Sure, let's." Aki delivered another kiss, and then got back to leading the way.

The climb itself wasn't too tough... There were clear trails that they could follow, probably animal trails, so this mountain was probably climbed by them with some frequency... Aki must have paid attention to this too when deciding what mountain to climb... Chako figured.

It really felt like a lot of wasted effort... But at the same time, it was her first time climbing a mountain, and was climbing it with the one she loved, so... It was an enjoyable experience in its own right. An experience she'd never be able to have back on Earth.

Well, Evelyn did promise to take me out of the wheelchair, but... But Chako had long lost hopes on that actually happening. There were no gods on Earth who could answer that prayer, and the gods of Arcia had no say on what happened back on Earth, to the best of her knowledge... So all she could do, was enjoying her time in Arcia to the fullest, especially when she was spending it with someone she loved as much as Aki.

So, Chako shoved the thoughts about wasted time and effort away, and focused on enjoying the experience together with Aki... They didn't speak much while climbing, since it still demanded a fair bit of effort of them, and it wouldn't be a very good idea to trip in a place as tall as this one, so Chako mostly focused on her own movement... Well, on that, and on the beautiful mountain that they were climbing. There was a limit to how much she could see in the middle of the night, but it was definitely something she could appreciate.

Until eventually, they reached the top... And there was nothing there? No inn? No unknown abandoned cabin... Nothing? Just the grassy mountaintop?

"Come on, over here." Aki moved forward, dragging Chako along by the hand, until they reached the edge of the mountaintop and... Aki sat down, "This is the best spot."

Chako was getting more confused with each passing second... Best spot? There? "... Best spot for what?" She cautiously asked while slowly moving forward and carefully sitting there on the edge of the mountaintop.

"For watching the sunrise, of course!" Aki instantly replied, "Did you seriously forget!?" She asked in a joking tone.

Chako blinked a few times.

"... You actually forgot?" Aki was the one who seemed to be in disbelief now, "You told me about it after you came back from your trip to the US, remember? That you thought it would be great to see the sunrise from the top of a mountain in Arcia, that you got the idea from talking to miss Mira... What did you think we were doing tonight?"

"Ooooh! So that's what this was all about!" Chako exclaimed... Like, yeah, sure, she did remember the conversation, but she didn't really think they were doing that today, what she thought they were doing was... "Well..." She blushed hard, "Yanno... Sex?" She just blurted it out.

Aki was in utter disbelief now, "In Arcia!? Without me even talking to your mom first!? On top of a mountain!? And before marriage!?"

"W-well, that was what I was so confused about!" Wait, hold on, what was that last one? "Wait, you don't wanna do it before marriage?" Chako couldn't help asking.

"Uhn... Yeah? I thought you were the same way on that?" Aki replied.

Of all the things to be old fashioned about... Chako sighed. Between the two of them, Chako was definitely the more old-fashioned one in terms of tastes... Music, dances, movies, anime, clothes... Chako always preferred the old stuff, while Aki wanted whatever was in vogue... But on this is where their roles reversed? It was... Outside of her expectations.

"... Do you really wanna do it that much?" Aki asked her while averting her gaze.

In response, Chako took a deep breath, "Aki, look at me."

Aki actually turned her gaze back towards Chako.

"I love you." She moved her face close to Aki's, and gently landed a kiss on her lips, "And I'll wait. I'll wait however long you want me to... You know that I'll always be yours, right?" Chako smiled.

Aki gave out a troubled smile in return, "I don't, actually."

This again... She said something similar when Lisa had confessed... She still didn't understand what she meant with it.

"But, I know that, at least for now, you're mine. My little beloved Chako." Aki kissed her again, "And I know I'll do everything I can to keep this smile on your face."

"Sounds good enough to me." Chako replied, "Do you know how long until sunrise?" It's not like she had a clock on her, so she didn't really know.

"Soon. We were a bit faster than I expected during the climb though, so we'll have to wait for a bit... You really got used to your legs, didn't you?" Aki's happiness as she said those words was very easily heard.

"Yeah... Thank you, Aki. For taking me here... Not just to Providence, but to Arcia... I can't imagine how my life would be now without this world." Chako really couldn't... It just felt like her life had completely shifted since she started coming to Arcia... The things she could now experience that were completely out of reach for her before... Living without access to that was just unthinkable for her now.

"You're welcome." Aki warmly replied.

After that, Chako rested her head on Aki's shoulders and they waited... There wasn't much to be said, so they just stayed silent... Whatever they could talk about, could also wait for later.

They just stayed together... And watched the sunrise.

Only after the sun had finished rising out completely, and the sky color had stabilized a bit, that Chako decided to say, "You were right... It really was better than I had ever imagined." Especially because you were here. The last part was left unsaid.

"Was it worth the disappointment and mismatched expectations?" Aki asked, although her tone made it clear that she wasn't particularly worried about it.

"Absolutely... Though are you seriously going to ask mom for permission before you do anything?" Chako asked in a teasing tone.

"You bet I will." She instantly replied, then proceeded to kiss Chako on the lips, "I actually had gotten her permission to go out with you, you know? Otherwise I wouldn't have kissed you after your confession."

"You can't be serious..." Chako stated, like... When would Evelyn have even gotten permission from that?

"I am serious. We had a talk some years ago..." Aki took a strangely long pause, but eventually continued, "Back when you were taking antidepressants... Yanno..."

When dad died, "Yeah... I know..."

"So... She told me that she knew... She knew that I was aware of your feelings towards me." Aki stated.

Wait what!? Mom was aware of what!? It was a bit too much for Chako to take in.

"And she told me... That she would support me in whatever it was that I chose to do... But that she also wanted me to happy, and that I shouldn't force myself to do something I didn't want to out of pity, because that wouldn't make either of us happy... That counts as permission for going out with you, doesn't it?" Aki gave out a wry smile.

... What the hell, mom? I can't believe that she knew that Aki knew... How did she even get to know that...? Chako figured she'd have a long talk with her mom about love later on... "Yeah... I think that does count."

Aki giggled, "Surprised?"

"You just exploded my brain with that one... Please tell me that it wasn't a joke." Chako knew Aki wouldn't joke about this kind of thing, but she had to ask.

"It wasn't a joke." She kissed Chako again, "I would never joke about that, or about anything that happened back then... I would never hurt you, my beloved little Chako, with this kind of lie."

Aki's possessiveness coming out in times like this was actually reassuring to Chako... It just made her feel at ease, "You know... Being with you here... It really is a dream come true."

Chako then felt Aki's hand reach her head, and then her hair was slowly and gently ruffled by Aki, "Just you wait... I'll make this dream a reality."

Chako started purring... And for once, she didn't mind it, "Alright... I'll keep waiting." The dream was already real enough for her. It was enough. She didn't need more.

... But Aki didn't need to hear that. Not now at least.