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1. A Declaration of War, or: A Silent Reload
The section of Gaming Galaxy dedicated to Machina: Zenith Rebellion was generating visible friction.
"...Wide open."
Two words from the seat beside her. That was all. Ledea Mace's quiet sense of professional dignity registered the comment with the precision of a targeting system.
She stood up. She sat back down. Deliberately.
Her expression did not change. But her hands did — she adjusted the controller sensitivity to maximum and redirected her full attention into the virtual space in front of her. The silver Machina on screen turned. Its barrel crossed with the red unit Kanoa was piloting.
(I will be returning that.)
The quiet war for Machina supremacy between two girls had begun.
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2. A Best-of-Three, or: The Digital Clash
Round One: Atmospheric Entry Descent Race.
Burning through a re-entry corridor, weaving past drifting debris, racing for ground-level arrival speed.
Kanoa's red unit moved on reflex — shortest path, no hesitation, straight through. Ledea's silver unit read the atmospheric flow and managed thruster heat with the precision of someone who did this kind of thing outside of games. She settled in behind the red machine like a shadow.
The ranking display changed hands at every checkpoint.
"...not bad."
Kanoa said it quietly. Ledea didn't respond. She pushed the booster to its limit and passed the red unit on the outside.
Round Two: Elimination Count — Fortress City Defense.
An endless wave of unmanned weapons. Highest destruction count wins.
Kanoa's approach was destruction as its own end — high-output laser sweeping left to right, clearing the screen. Ledea's approach was efficiency taken to its logical conclusion — sniper fire into power sources, each shot triggering a chain reaction that multiplied her count.
Kanoa's explosions. Ledea's clean single shots. The cabinet's warning lights were going continuously. At some point, a crowd had formed around them.
Round Three: Final Mission — Twin Titan Simultaneous Takedown.
Two colossal boss units. Each player takes one. Fastest completion wins.
By this point Ledea was certain: the girl beside her had put the same level of seriousness into this that she had — possibly more. Kanoa's fingers moved through complex inputs at a pace that didn't leave room for errors. Her eyes hadn't left the screen.
Ledea had left her usual composure somewhere earlier in the session and hadn't gone back for it. Her grip on the controller had weight.
(I cannot lose. As an older sister. As a professional.)
Simultaneous takedown.
The screen displayed MISSION COMPLETE. Their scores were identical.
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3. "Amazing!", or: The Muni-Muni Baptism
Both of them stood up at the same time, result tickets in hand.
Ledea had a faint film of sweat at her hairline. She turned toward Kanoa.
"Amazing! Kanoa, you were incredible today as always! So cute!"
A blue shape launched itself from somewhere behind Kanoa and wrapped around her in one motion.
Blue hair in a loose side tail. A soft, warm presence. The woman had Kanoa's expressionless face in both hands and was squishing her cheeks together with complete commitment.
"...Asphi. Thish ish hard to thalk."
"It's fine! You worked so hard — you deserve this! Muni, muni!"
Kanoa submitted to it without expression. The scene was so completely itself that Ledea stood there for a moment, simply processing it.
"Oh—"
Then the pieces connected.
Red hair. And this particular blue-haired woman.
"...You're the one from—"
The woman looked up at the sound. She released Kanoa's cheeks, turned, and walked over with a smile that had warmth and recognition in equal measure.
"Oh, is it really you—? I thought so!"
She stopped in front of Ledea.
"Ledea. It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"...Asphi. Yes. It's been a while."
Ledea pressed down her surprise and bowed. The woman who had taken down a pickpocket in a station plaza with two words and a stun device — and then left in a hurry to pick up her sister.
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4. Shutia, or: A Bewildered Return
"Sis—! I'm so sorry I was gone so long—!"
From down the corridor, moving at a velocity that turned heads: a flash of gold.
Shutia arrived from the direction of the restroom at what could generously be called running speed, confirmed that Ledea was present and unharmed, and began to exhale—
Then she saw Kanoa. Then Asphi. And stopped.
"...Wait. Aren't you..."
"Oh my. You must be — my sister caused you some trouble recently, didn't she."
Asphi raised one hand in a graceful wave, and Shutia's memory apparently caught up with her all at once.
"The sister of the girl who fell asleep on my shoulder—?! What are you doing here—?!"
While Shutia was still catching up, Kanoa walked over to her. Unhurried. Direct.
She took Shutia's hand in both of hers and held it.
"...hi again, big sis."
"Oh — right, hi — wait, hi?! What—"
Kanoa's expression remained neutral. Her grip did not loosen. There was something in it that qualified as satisfied.
Ledea, watching this, had gone completely still.
Asphi, watching all of it, pressed one hand to her mouth.
"Kanoa really did take to you, didn't she. She doesn't warm up to people like this — it's genuinely unusual."
"I'm sorry, what is happening, can someone please explain—"
Shutia's head moved back and forth between Ledea and Kanoa. She couldn't shake off the hand. She also couldn't stop being aware of her sister's expression.
In the noise of Gaming Galaxy, the four of them had arrived at a configuration that was considerably more complicated than any game score.
"...Shutia."
"Sis! What does that look mean—?!"
Ledea's cool gaze. Kanoa, attached to Shutia's hand. Asphi, containing her amusement with imperfect success. The corner of Gaming Galaxy held all of it at once.