"...Hah." A yawn escaped Katsuri's mouth as she sat up. Her back felt a little bit stiff, she stretched a little bit as a few cracking sound echoed, making her feel relief.
"Phew." She rubbed her eyes, feeling her head refreshed from such a good sleep.
But then, she stopped.
'...Where am I?'
She looked around, it wasn't the wild like she was expecting. Instead, it was a familiar white ceiling she had woken up once in.
Her eyes got attracted to the windows, many small voices from far away could be heard even through the closed window.
Although the sun hadn't risen yet, a lot of people were already wide awake to celebrate the Carnevale.
It was then that she realized there was a weight on her waist.
Cautiously, she peeked under the blanket... and saw a red head hugging her waist to sleep.
"...Ah--!"
A sudden scream surprised the neighbors, some even reported it to the security.
"Danjin, get off me!" Katsuri pressed both her hands on the arm that had a tight grip on her hip.
But they didn't even budge, not even a tiny bit.
It seems like her strength is still too weak to compare to someone of Danjin's caliber.
But that's an unfair assessment. She's practically a regular person, perhaps even below average. She can't be compared to someone like Danjin who had probably defeated the Demon King in her previous life.
She probably solo'd him! [Author's Note: 'Solo' a term used when someone does something alone]
She kept on relentlessly trying to detach this koala from it's branch.
...With no progress.
So, she gave up and simply laid down in the embrace of someone else.
Katsuri felt quite uncomfortable. After all, it's been practically years since she's felt human warmth like this.
But... It's not unbearable.
She needed to think of the positives so that she doesn't bite her tongue in frustration.
What is the pros of being hugged?
"..."
One thing came to mind as a memory of the past flashed inside her head.
"Whenever you feel scared, it's alright to just let everything out. We'll listen to you. We won't judge nor would we control your choices."
"If you're still hesitant... That's alright too. It proves that you're still keeping your human qualities. Unlike those two, you're an angel."
"Don't believe in anything they have told you past the years. If you're afraid, put your trust in us. We'll always be by your side to make sure you feel protected."
"We promise."
Right. It feels like she's being protected.
Katsuri's heart beat began to race a little bit faster at the memory, feeling her eye stung.
She trusted those words with all her heart. After years upon years of agony, she finally felt happiness... there's no way she would ever want to go back to those years.
Along with a passing memory, their motto always struck her as weird.
"The two of us live by the sentence, 'Kindness is repaid a hundredfold, even if it takes eternity.' You just have to believe in the balance of the world. Even if you'll suffer, just know that you still have kindness due. You are never alone."
Of course, she didn't make that her very own motto either, she can't always be nice 24/7.
...But she did try to make sure to not do others any discomfort.
It's fine if it's her feeling uncomfortable, it's not fine if others feel uncomfortable.
Although she only lived with them for 2 years... They struck her as a weird couple. Yet, their words hold weights even she can't vocalize.
In the end... even they broke their promise.
"...Are you awake yet?"
"Heh, you noticed? I guess the Tacet Mark did have an impact on your capabilities." Danjin responded as she released her hold on Katsuri, finally letting her breath freely.
Katsuri frowned, "No, I just guessed. There's no way you wouldn't be awake after all that moving I did. So, it's either you were pretending to still be sleeping or you have a sleeping habit of not waking up even in the most precarious of scenario. The chances of the latter is extremely low, knowing where you work at."
There's absolutely no way a member of the Midnight Ranger would have a habit of not waking up in the face of danger.
In fact, it should be the opposite.
Danjin should've woken up at the slightest disturbance in the air.
Which meant that she was probably having fun watching her struggle trying to rip her grip from her body.
What a twisted taste.
"Anyways, putting that aside for now... C'mon! Dress yourself up! We'll be having fun in the Carnevale today!" Danjin excitedly said as she opened the closet, a set of clothes was already hanging inside.
"I also prepared the two of us a set of matching mask! I heard it's actually a tradition to wear the during the Carnevale as the people would sometime treat it like a masquerade ball. I figured that it would be fun if we go together as a pair."
Katsuri cracked her neck, feeling the stiffness escaping her bone and sighed in relief.
"Just get me some inconspicuous clothes, I don't want anything that could attract attention." Katsuri said as she made her way out of the room, towards the living room.
Down, she saw Phoebe who was still in her pajama serving some hot tea. She was also rubbing her eyes, seemingly not a morning person.
But she still woke up early. After all, today is the day of the Carnevale.
They're going to need every single manpower they could use.
"Breakfast is in the kitchen, I'll take it here in a bit... I'm gonna wash my face." Phoebe yawned as she covered her mouth.
Then, she disappeared into the restroom.
Katsuri sat down on the couch, prepared to pour herself a cup of tea as the sound of footsteps echoed from the second floor down the stairs.
She didn't even need to turn her head as she could feel someone sit next to her, even though there are many empty spaces around them.
She didn't voice her thoughts. She simply let it be and just began drinking her tea slowly to not burn her tongue.
"I bought you some clothes yesterday right after you left with Rover. I think it'd fit you very well." Danjin struck a conversation with her.
Katsuri hummed but didn't say anything else, just to show that she was actually listening.
"So? What do you want to do during the Carnevale? Want to walk around the plaza with me?" Danjin suggested. "Or I can give you some allowance for you to explore Ragunna by yourself. I wouldn't recommend that, though. I'd much prefer we feel the hype together."
"...I want to stay home." Katsuri muttered to herself.
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
"Why would you want to stay inside during such festive days?"
"So you did hear me..." She sighed and leaned her head back, capturing the beauty of the ceiling.
There's a reason she's saying this.
The first time she ever played Wuthering Waves was back when 2.0 just came out. Rinascita was the brand new region with Ragunna as the main attraction of the patch.
Along with Ragunna, came the Carnevale, an event that accompanied Rover's journey in Rinascita.
It was quite fortunate she actually played the whole entirety of the main story quest... due to that, she knows what happened during the day of the Carnevale.
It will be attacked by the bad guys... She forgot their name.
But that's alright, as long as she doesn't attend the actual Carnevale, then she wouldn't be part of the attack that's about to take place.
If she remembered correctly... There's going to be a performance led by the Rover herself, The Fool's Troupe, and... the Montelli Family's executioner, Carlotta Montelli.
'...Carlotta.'
"..."
Will they finally formally meet each other? Or would it be like the passing wind, never to occur?
...She wants to see her, but she's also afraid.
In which case, it'd be better to just never meet her face to face... She wouldn't know how to act in front of the young lady of the Montelli Family.