love? that's ridiculous! (what even is love?)
Kronii is used to this.
In the living room, her friends are nothing but chaotic balls of caffeine and unconsciousness. They say and do things they’ll most definitely regret the morning after. None of them are drunk, but they act the part, high off something on the singular day they are together in one place every week.
It is a competition to her. She cracks her jokes, makes Mumei laugh every five seconds with everyone else following close on her heels. She flaunts her perfection and watches all of her friends break down into hysterical giggles and loud, high-pitched noises that she would categorize as laughing screams. The best thing about being a walking incarnation of comedy is that everyone questions the things she says. The banter that comes as a result is a drug, a dose of nicotine that leaves her on a high.
It only serves to egg her on further.
Gura is playing a puzzle game on her switch. Amelia Watson is watching over her shoulder, and Kronii watches them.
“Wow, Gura,” Amelia says. “Idiot.”
“Shut up, Watson,” Gura replies, in that sassy intonation her voice always has whenever she addresses the detective. “I’m gaming.”
“You’re being stupid, is what you’re doing.”
Kronii chuckles when she elbows Amelia in the stomach. “Why don’t you tell me what to do, then, huh?”
“Because you just elbowed me in the stomach! Plus, you have to solve it yourself.”
“Now girls,” Calli butts in, sitting on the couch, “settle down.”
“Yeah, you’re ruining my appetite,” Kronii says. Mumei squeaks from across the room.
Amelia is going to say something when a pillow flies across the room and hits her in the face. Gura shrieks, and Calli shouts a disgruntled, “Who did that?”
It’s a typical display of chaos in the living room, with Bae snickering and Amelia glaring at her and Calli still scanning everyone’s faces, another pillow being thrown by Kiara landing on the reaper’s face.
A large pillow fight begins.
Kronii does not have the energy to join them. Her quips and flaunts have decreased steadily as the evening wore on, but she does not have the heart to admit that she wants to fall into an eternal state of sleep. So she moves away from the action, with Bae adamant on getting Irys and nearly bashing her head in with a pillow three times as she attempts to join the person in the corner who typically does not meddle with the others when they get like this.
Ina has a fond smile on her face. Kronii has noticed that it’s been there since the first time they began these trips, these moments where they can make new memories together. It’s adorable. It’s a perfect reflection of how Ina feels about everyone, she thinks.
“Hey Ina,” Kronii murmurs. To speak any louder is to alert the various concepts and immortals of her absence from the battle. She really doesn’t want to be dragged into it.
Ina glances at her, mumbling softly, “Hey Kronii.” She clears her throat. “Come here often?”
Time wiggles her eyebrows. Her mind scurries from the abrupt energy that courses through her. “I come here all the time. Do you?”
Ina’s voice dips. “Maybe I’ll start coming by a little more often. For a pretty face like yours.”
Kronii stutters. Her face grows warm. She attempts to come up with a half-witted response, but a pillow lands on her cheek and all of her attention is diverted from deep ocean blue to gold. Fauna is smiling at her angelically.
“You little—” She joins the fray.
She does not speak with Ina until they say goodbye.