**The day of Greed and the others' departure**
**Wolves Den**
It was 0600. A large wolfdog had woken up on the floor beside the bed in one of her owner's gothic quarters.
When she rose to a stretch, she pulled herself forward, letting her hind legs flop behind for that extra pull that felt just right. Her scar on her face displayed as the dim rays that shone through the black sheer curtains flickered and glinted off her yellow eyes and gray, blue tinted fur.
As she positioned herself to stand, she felt the foot of a girl who hung off her own bed. It looked as if she was thrown—and whoever did it had missed terribly.
She was snoring and sleep talking all in one go as she said, "Choco…! Dong… Teddy's Choco Dong… in my… mouth… mmm…" Her pink hair was a tangled mess around her dark gray horns. And she was completely nude.
When the wolfdog looked at her, she had a disinterested expression on her large face, scanning the messy room once before letting out a yawn, and a high-pitched squeal followed after.
She made a low hum with her throat as she pushed the nude girl's leg back on the bed, causing her to slump her arm, and then her torso onto the ground.
The wolfdog huffed like it was a drag and nudged the girl back fully onto it, turning around and leaving at last. But as she opened the door with her mouth, the girl fell off the other side of the bed, and she merely watched her with bland eyes as she continued to leave anyway.
She closed the door behind her with her tail and proceeded into another room across the hall.
This room was fairly clean, with the exception of the random clutter that occupied the corners of the place. It was also dark and she didn't want to make too much noise or step on anything, so she tiptoed her way over to a decorative area with a fur rug, a blanket that hung on unseen stands, and pillows on the ground. It looked like a fort of some kind.
She spun about eight times in the same place before finding just the perfect spot and finally rested.
But once she did, she heard the sound of an oof from someone who was sleeping there too.
"Ugh… Yuna!" the girl she laid on said.
She pulled her bare leg out and shuffled them over the wolfdog's back, shuffling again and again like she was trying to search for a new comfy spot after her old one had been effortlessly taken away from her.
"Yeah… it's gone… I'm going to the bed…" the girl muttered.
When she got up, she took an elongated pillow with her, wearing only an oversized T-shirt. Her black hair was a mess as the green ombre at the tips began to twist in awkward angles. And when she strolled off, she dragged her large green dragon tail lazily behind her.
Yuna lifted her head and watched the girl as she made it to the edge of her bed and simply flopped face first onto it, passing out immediately.
She looked back to where she once lay with her on the ground and got up, went over to her and pulled the covers over, using her snout to push her into a roll and effectively bundling the dragon tailed girl within her own confines.
She loosed a sharp breath from her nostrils and started for the door, opening it with her mouth, closing it with her tail.
Yuna then crossed the hall to another nearby room. When she entered, she scanned the room. It looked like two different rooms at the same time… with literally one side entirely pristine and the other half a cluttered mess—clothes of all kinds scattered about the ground and even hanging off cabinets and wardrobes… Unlike the first pink haired girl's room where there were unknown contents on the ground that even she—an animal—would not inspect, the mess in this room could be solved with some intentional cleaning. But that was for the maids to worry about.
In any case, the one this room belonged to was not here at the moment… so she left without a second thought to another, further down the hall.
As she was about to casually enter, she heard the incessant moaning of another girl that just so happened to sleep over from time to time, followed by the sounds of persistent clapping…
She inhaled and exhaled deeply like she paid the bills. Then continued onward to the next room.
"Oh! My Gre— Ah…! Ah-ah-ah-ah-AH—!" the girl's muffled voice echoed through the walls. Yuna rolled her eyes as her large paws sounded like mere slippers in this long hallway.
She went to the next room.
This one had barely anything in it. There was a bed without a frame, clothes of the same outfit that were openly hung, a metal foldable chair, a mana game system, and a massive flatscreen that looked nearly as large as the wall…
On the bed was an edgy fellow with dirty blond hair and an undone rat tail laying spread out on the mattress. No blanket. No pillows. She had started to wonder if he even had a towel in that bathroom of his…
As she strolled toward him, he faced away—back facing her now, and she watched.
Then without warning, a loud noise invaded her ears. It was like the sound of a trumpet… or rather a tuba… shortly followed by the smell of something gnarly…
With her hypersensitive nose, she winced and blinked sharply, before exiting the room almost immediately after the occurrence. She would rather not.
She went for the next room across and opened the door.
This room smelled nice.
It was both the colors black and pink, effortlessly designed like an extension of this gothic home.
The room was spotless. The bed was made. And its inhabitant already awake and getting dressed.
She had just put on her black fur hood jacket, checking herself in the mirror, and flipping her blonde pigtails as she found her in the reflection.
"Oh, hello, girl…" was all she said.
Yuna made her way over to her and sat down. Even as she did, she was still drastically taller than this small blonde. She observed her with her large yellow eyes and the young girl met hers back with her baby blues.
"You don't normally visit. The other's not to your liking today?" she asked.
Yuna huffed sharply as she made what appeared to be a nod as she adjusted her large front paws in the same place.
"I wanna say you get used to it… but I'd be lying…" the blonde girl gestured a thumb to a nearby wall where the faint, muffled sounds of that same girl from earlier was still sounding off—like she was constantly being surprised every waking second.
"Don't worry, I'm almost done. Gonna have some ice cream for breakfast…" she looked at Yuna hesitantly as she huffed happily in her face. "I was gonna offer some… but can wolfdogs even have ice cream?"
Yuna twitched her head upward like she was going to howl loudly, but only a low, quiet woo came out.
"Of course you're gonna say 'yes'…" the girl pondered for a second. "I'll at least give you some whip cream. Fair?"
Yuna made a disgruntled sound.
"Keeper… you're so spoiled. Had I said this to the other wolfdog, he would have gone mad."
Yuna dozed off like she was recalling her only memory with that one.
It had been when Greed and Belle finally got together, and the next day they had a play date with them at the Desert Kingdom.
Their first interaction was anything but enjoyable. She was mainly circling him from at least thirty yards away the whole time, while he was trying to roll a ball her way and waited a close distance—like he was waiting for her to play with it too…
She felt almost bad at the thought as she stared blankly out this girl's window, suddenly forgetting what she was even thinking about in the first place.
Why was she here again?
"Fine… I'll give you some ice cream too… I think we have some lactose-free ice cream you can have… I don't know, we have so much. I think Code has about three fridges total. Two in the kitchen, and one in the storage for meats. I think the more specific flavors are in the second one."
Yuna howled happily at that, and the girl snickered as they both left the room.
***
The time was now 0630. She and the blonde girl had just finished their morning ice cream.
Though, she wasn't sure if what she had eaten truly was lactose-free… She didn't care. Even though her stomach started to feel otherwise. She would deal with it later.
As they ate, three maids—two girls and a guy—had started on some chores and Den maintenance. She was still getting used to them, but they seemed nice enough at least.
The one with the half blue and half pink pigtails always seemed to clean up after her. Even going so far as to make a little nook where she was trying to lure her in for a pet. And when she got close, Yuna would just growl at her, even though she knew she was no longer a threat.
She had always been like this since becoming this group's Guild pet…
The distant memory of a certain black-haired individual had loosely clouded her mind.
Everything was blurry, but she could faintly see him standing in front of her. Her face was bleeding, where the scar on her face now forever rested. And she only recalled the words.
Everything will be okay… there is a home with your name on it if you don't currently have one…
She would never forget that day. Never forget that when she was at her lowest, he was there.
At this time, another more refined owner came down the stairs. He had a black fur hood on with a white billed hat, a double hilted sword on his back, round glasses, and had his eyes closed the entire time like he knew his steps before even making them.
She followed without a word, and he patted her on the head.
As usual, they were the first ones outside the Den.
They waited until 0645 to see if there were any more who would show up, but it seemed to be only the two of them.
"Everyone's still taking some time off after that Valley Tournament incident," the man with the glasses said. "And I don't think that idiot is gonna join today either. He departs today and won't be back for about a month."
She snorted and walked on with the man as he prepared himself, leaving one blade behind on a stand as usual, while the other was latched on his hip.
He cast a quick pentagram almost nonchalantly as it widened beyond the trees and disappeared before he was off.
The place they lived was only about a few kilometers away from the East Gate of the Valley Kingdom, but that didn't mean there was no immediate danger here.
It was a passing zone for the frequent Grade 5 animals/monsters, and the occasional Grade 4… much like herself.
Because she was here, she had already marked her territory. This was her domain, and the other lower Grades knew it too.
But that didn't mean that it was permanently safe from any looming danger…
As she and the man were jogging around the vicinity within one of the many groves, she sensed something far off beyond where his pentagram rested.
"Something wrong, girl?" the man asked and they halted temporarily.
She perked her head and looked off into the dark distance of dense trees, sounding off a short, controlled bark as she did.
The man looked at her plainly and then looked off into the distance she was looking. "Probably a rare Grade 4 past there," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was that lioncat that Star brought home that one day. You two are the only Grade 4s here from what I know of. In any case, it's probably nothing. Grade 3 and up beasts don't ever hang around here."
Yuna followed while still looking off into that distance, her head craned toward it as they went along.
And then her stomach growled as she had begun to slow down…
"It's the ice cream, isn't it?" the sharp man asked.
She whined as she begged to go off behind one of the trees.
"Alright, go on… I'll meet you back at the Den. We're almost home anyway."
The man jogged off, leaving Yuna there as she proceeded to relieve herself behind a tree. What she ate most definitely wasn't lactose-free…
A noise echoed just as she finished, and her ears perked toward it.
When her eyes narrowed, she saw a silhouette of a large beast.
There usually were not beasts larger than her in this area, as any larger would indicate a Grade 3 or up beast, which would be a problem if that were the case. But this… this seemed… big.
It was on all fours and its eyes glowed as if it were night, inching toward her like it was trying to pounce.
Yuna started growling and becoming feral. And the beast inched closer and ever closer all the while.
She barked viciously as her claws grew and the fur on her spine had begun to rise.
Still, it came.
Slow and deliberate. She could take it no longer.
She dashed toward the shadow, and it dashed as well, running at speeds that near equaled two other of this group's fastest members 'slower' paces.
Her large paw shuddered the ground just as they were about to arrive to each other, and the other's raised like it was about to throw down a strike from above.
When the light shone on it, the face it had was anything but menacing as it huffed happily with a cloud-like paw that bonked Yuna's head upon arrival.
She still growled when the soft paw had landed on her head, but now she was just in a state of bemusement.
When she studied the creature, she at last knew who it was…
"Toto…! Toto where are you!" a girl's voice entered their ears from sight unseen.
When she arrived, she had braided lavender hair with a blonde ombre, and her outfit was a casual cropped white shirt, black short shorts, and a pair of running shoes.
She panted as she came to a halt, resting her hands on her knees as she finally caught up.
This other—Toto—was panting idiotically at her with its paw still resting atop Yuna's head.
When the girl at last caught her breath, she whipped her head up to it and said, "How many times do I have to tell you to not run off in places you don't know! Bad boy!"
Toto whined, and Yuna had almost begun to feel sorry for him.
"Aw… How can I be mad at a face like that?" the girl swooned as she launched herself to Toto's bosom.
He merely sat there, panting idiotically like he did. This was his default expression at this point.
When the girl retracted herself, she looked at Yuna and said, "Well, hello there! You must be Yuna… Err…" She observed the gnarly scar on her face; she was more intimidating in person. She had heard of her from her captain, but… her descriptions didn't seem to match.
Though Yuna was not as large as Toto, they were wolfdogs, nonetheless. And Grade 4 wolfdogs of their size were not very common, so she was sure this had to be—
"Can I help you?" a man's voice entered.
The girl peeped and looked around, wondering where that came from.
When she looked above atop a branch of a tree, he was there—arms crossed and leaning on the trunk.
She collected herself poorly and said, "Uh—hello! I'm Code! And you're Love—no—wait—! I-I-I mean! I am not you, but you are me! No, wait! I'm—"
"I know who you are, Love…" the man—Code—said. "We weren't expecting visitors today. It's Greed's send off, so naturally we didn't invite anyone…"—he placed his index and thumb on his temples—"Unless you were invited without my knowledge? Which I wouldn't be fucking surprised…"
"That would be true it seems." The blonde-haired girl arrived behind Yuna.
"Care to enlighten me, Alice?" Code said.
"Two wolfdogs. A casually dressed girl. And most importantly—a very casual day. Need I say more?"
Code raised a brow.
"It's as simple as that." Alice finalized.
"S-S-S-S-Sorry. I-I didn't mean to just drop in without warning. I thought Belle had already told you all we were coming?" Love implied.
It was at that time that Code had received a message on his comm…
Hey, Toto and Love are coming over FYI. ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ GG
Followed by an immediate follow up message…
Goddamnit, Jo… ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ GG
"Idiot." Code said flatly and sighed before saying, "Kay, I'm making breakfast… make yourself at home."
He snapped his fingers and he was gone. Only a leaf fluttered down from where he once was.
"I was going to just transfer us to the Den with my magic, but you insisted to walk… I'm surprised you got here without a hitch. Toto doesn't do too well in the Desert heat. Ironic that he's even Belle's pet in such a place…" Alice said.
"Yes! And well, we didn't exactly walk…" Love said as a massive airship passed by overhead. "You see?" she held a pleasant smile at the end.
Yuna watched Toto the whole time, weary for no reason as Toto stared at her blankly with a tongue out the side of his mouth.
***
As they made it back to the Den, Yuna was at her usual thirty-yard pace away from Toto while he began playing casually with a boulder he managed to dig up from somewhere nearby.
"Toto! Put that away! That's not a toy!" Love yelled to no avail.
Right then, the double doors opened and a black-haired male and a platinum white haired girl walked through.
When he laid his eyes on Toto, his face became elated. "Toto my best boy!" he said as he pranced toward him and halted just inches from his face, nearly knocking him back.
The platinum haired girl giggled at the sight and then searched the area for Yuna. "Now where is she hiding?"
When her sky-blue eyes found her, she was all the way in another grove with her head peeking out from the bushes.
"Yuna! Come here and play!" the platinum haired girl shouted.
"Yeah, Yuna! Quit being a weirdo! Come play with Toto!" the black-haired male shouted next.
His words made her scowl as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, like she was the one that carried the Den on her back.
As she dragged herself to them, Toto grabbed the boulder he found and dropped it yards away from her. Yuna stopped in place as he waited patiently, again with that stupid look on his face as he panted.
He then pushed the boulder with his snout, and it rolled an inch closer to her.
He waited. And she remained.
They stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime, and then Toto barked and broke the silence.
Afterward, the black-haired male appeared out of nowhere in front of the boulder and kicked it, sending it flying across the clearing and over Yuna's head.
As he did, Toto bolted, chasing it down like some mere ball.
Yuna's attention was on the boulder that flew by as Toto drew closer, and when she narrowed her eyes at him—it was already too late.
He tackled her and she wore a stunned look, perplexed that he had done such a thing. This was the second time he had touched her today, whereas previously they only stared at each other from a distance.
He ran past her, continuing to chase the boulder. But as he did, Yuna began running toward him as well—her goal something else than the boulder as she began gnawing at Toto's leg whilst running in the same direction.
They looked like a comedic mess as they ran, chased and even tossed back and forth the boulder.
The group watched them with smiles on their faces, enjoying this rare moment.
"See… I told you she'd open up. She just needs a little push sometimes." The black-haired male said.
The platinum haired girl smiled serenely as she watched them, mentally saving this moment in her memory archive.
"I think I'm gonna start journaling…" she said randomly.
The black-haired male raised a brow but eventually shrugged in agreement.
"There are things I don't ever want to forget. And things that I forever want to remember. Little things like this. Being with you…" she stopped herself as she traced a hand on her stomach. "Never mind! I'm just rambling!"
"I like it when you ramble. Turns me on."
"Ugh… I want to gouge my eyes out watching you two." Alice said.
"I think it's sweet!" Love replied. And then a thought came like she was supposed to remember. "Oh! Captain Belle! Here are your clothes that you ordered from the Valley—"
"Love! SHHHHH!" The platinum haired girl, Belle, said.
The black-haired male just stared but didn't pry as his lover Belle and her subordinate Love went off somewhere else completely.
He looked back to the wolfdogs, and they were still chasing each other around without a care in the world.
"I miss you guys already." He said as Alice stared at him sidelong.
"It won't be long. And all this,"—she gestured to Toto and Yuna, the crew, and Belle—"All this will be here when you come back home."
He smiled and looked off into the distance. Then without a word he turned around, patted her once on the head, and went to grab his things still in the Den.
Alice watched him all the while, unaware that Yuna had snuck up on her with a snout under her legs. Her eyes widened and she gasped as Yuna raised her and threw her onto her back, letting her ride as she speeded off with Toto close behind.
The black-haired male glanced back to witness the tomfoolery as others had shot out the Den to join.
One with pink hair—Star. One with dirty blond hair and a scar on his face—Havoc. The other with an eyepatch as she laughed heartily—Ophelia—at the male with black metal skin—Brand—as he trailed behind with a bucket over his head, and paint splattered all over him.
Another girl with a dragon tail—Jo—lazily hung back with a popsicle in her mouth as the smell of Code's cooking had exited the double doors to where they all were now.
At a higher window he heard another man's voice—Nash—as he conducted his livestream in his room. And the maids—Ulrich, Milo, and Kiki—as they eagerly assisted in the Den.
"Can you see this, Asura? Big bro?" the black-haired male said.
Closing his eyes, he let himself be in the moment for as long as time would allow. For he knew this would not last long.
He then felt a nudge from behind, and when he turned around Yuna was there with a large head pressed up against him.
He returned the favor and hugged her. And when he did, he heard a voice. It was one he did not recognize but for some reason, it still felt familiar. Perhaps he imagined it… but nevertheless, it said,
Come back home, Greed.