"Did she hear anything we said?" Elysia thought in a sweat, her heart pounding through her chest.
She stared at Talon who stood there casually.
"No… it doesn't seem like she heard anything. I sensed her essence as soon as she stepped near the door. But still, why is she here?"
Talon's eyes drifted between the two of them before she fully stepped into the training room without saying a single word. Her eyes briefly locked with Elysia's as she marched forward and grabbed Kaito by the arm, before beginning to drag him away like he was her rightful property.
"H-hey! Talon—wait a second!" Kaito stammered, nearly getting whiplash from being yanked so damn fast.
Before his body was fully out the door, his other arm was grabbed by Elysia. Her usually soft voice was melting away allowing a bit of frustration to seep through as she smiled sweetly at Talon.
"What's the rush, Talon? Kaito dear and I haven't quite finished our training session. Surely you can spare a few more minutes?"
Talon's eyes narrowed but her expression remained mostly unreadable.
"No, it can't wait." She gave Kaito's arm another yank, almost tearing the poor guy's arm off his body.
Poor Kaito, who's now stretched between them like a rope in a tug-of-war match, let out a dying gasp and turned his head to Elysia.
"I'm really sorry. I promised Talon earlier I'd talk to her, and I'm already running late. We can catch up first thing tomorrow morning… I swear!"
Elysia's smile faltered slightly and a hint of disappointment crossed her face before being quickly masked by the usually sweet smile she always presented to him.
"Oh… I see. Very well. Rest up tonight… tomorrow will mark the beginning of stage two of your training, after all."
"I promise I will." Kaito replied, letting out a small sigh of relief when she finally released his arm.
"Thank you, Elysia."
"You're welcome, Kaito dear." Her tone was cheerful, yet carried something deeper… something Kaito couldn't fully grasp, but he could sense ever so slightly as she stared at her for that short moment.
As Talon pulled him out of the doorway, the door hissed shut, but not before one final fleeting glance between the two women.
As they left the room, Elysia stood there alone, her cheerful mask fading away entirely. She glanced down at her trembling pink hands, clenching them tightly.
"If Kaito is one of those called upon by Lyra …then everything we've planned can finally be in motion. But Talon and the captain… they could ruin everything… I can't, no… we can't let them do that, right… Kaito dear?"
Minutes later, Kaito stood anxiously outside Talon's room, staring nervously at her closed door. His heart sounded like a drumline at an HBCU as his thoughts became a tangled mess.
"Huh? Why am I suddenly this nervous? It's just Talon. The tiny, angry, impatient, intimidating…" His thought trailed off as his eyes drifted down to her for a moment before shooting back up.
The panic only grew as the door hissed open without warning and Talon calmly stepped inside, giving him a glance over her shoulder before disappearing into the dimly lit room.
Without another moment of hesitation, he followed her in. His eyes immediately widened in amazement. Walking into Talon's room was like stepping into a grand castle chamber straight out of a fantasy isekai story. Lavish purple drapes hung from high ceilings, plush carpets covered polished floors, and elaborate furniture filled the spacious area. The air itself felt rich and intoxicating, filled with a… seductive like fragrance..?
"Wow…" Kaito whispered under his breath, his eyes lingering on every detail around him.
But his admiration was short-lived.
"Kaito. Come sit over here." Talon commanded him gently, breaking through his trance.
She was sitting casually at the center of her massive plush bed, positioned at the center of the room.
Kaito took a big gulp before walking over. He felt his heartbeat grow louder with each step. Once he got there, he sat stiff as a tree next to her, leaving a respectful distance between them. A stream of sweat ran down from his neck to his ass. There was an awkward silence between the both of them for what felt like an eternity.
"Wait, wait, wait… Is this actually what I think it is? No way. This is Talon we're talking about. She practically hates my guts, right? It's all in my head… right?"
From the corner of his eye, he caught her quietly watching him. Her cheeks flushed red when their eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away, her tail slowly moving back and forth in a manner he's never seen before.
"Oh my stars it's happening… it's actually happening! Crap! I just trained—I probably stink! Maybe I can sneak back to my room, take a quick shower—"
His frantic thoughts were cut short by Talon's voice that was… surprisingly soft and gentle.
"Kaito…"
He froze and his heart leapt into his throat.
"Y-yeah, what's up?" He tried to say nonchalantly, but failed pretty badly.
"I needed to talk to you about something." She began, staring down at her hands before continuing.
"And I don't have much time, so I'll say the most important part first."
The anticipation tightened Kaito's chest and his excitement grew with each passing breath. Talon took a deep breath, visibly gathering herself before she spoke again.
"I—I don't want you to leave the crew."
His mind exploded into a frenzy immediately hearing this.
"She's confessing—she actually wants me around, she feels something, she's gonna throw herself into my—"
"Because…" She continued hesitantly, cutting through his wild imaginings.
He leaned in slightly, heart racing, waiting for those final words… but the words that came weren't anything he'd expect.
"I'm leaving the crew."
There was absolute silence as those words rattled around Kaito's head, shattering every single one of his freaky fantasies instantly.
"Huh?! W-what are you talking about, leaving the crew? Why would you say don't leave and then suddenly announce you're leaving? Make it make sen—"
In an instant, Kaito found himself suddenly jerked downward by an invisible force, falling to his knees in front of her, who was now glaring sternly down at him. His eyes involuntarily landed on her thighs before another tug forced his head upward, locking with her irritated stare.
"What exactly do you think you're looking at?" She demanded, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
"Ehh?! You're the one who pulled me down here in the first place! How is that my fault—"
"You should've looked somewhere else then stupid." She interrupted sternly, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
At those words, something inside him snapped. There was something about Talon and her words that touched a nerve in him that only she could reach. Trapped helplessly by her telekinetic grip, he flailed around like a mad man the little he could, giving some of those wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men a run for their money.
"Oh, sure! Let's blame the guy who got dragged onto the floor by an invisible force out of nowhere! It's always my fault, isn't it? I swear, I could literally just be standing there, minding my own damn business, and suddenly—"
"Won't you shut up already!" Talon finally shouted, silencing him instantly. Her voice softened a bit and she averted her eyes for a moment before looking back.
"Look, it's not permanent, you idiot. I just need to leave temporarily. I'm heading out first thing tomorrow in one of the B-class ships we have stationed in Rorik and Jinx's bay. I'll meet up with everyone again in the galaxy the codex fragment pointed us toward. In the meantime, though..."
She released her telekinetic grip, allowing him to breathe and sit up properly. Her expression softened further and her purple eyes held an unusual sincerity as she continued.
"I want you to fill my role as co-captain."
Kaito stared at her, eyes wide with confusion.
"Me? Co-captain? Wait, wait, hold on. Why me? I'm not even officially a star traveler yet. What about everyone else in the crew? Wouldn't they be better suited for something like this?"
She let out a small scoff, her eyes momentarily rolling as if the request wasn't absurd whatsoever.
"Not exactly. Rorik would spend more time slacking off than leading anyone. Kaeline… has her own responsibilities and wouldn't have the time to manage the crew efficiently. Elysia is critical for the medical bay, she absolutely can't be distracted by extra responsibilities. And Finn and Nara…They're both a step down from you. They're a definite no."
Kaito silently counted through the crew in his head and perked up as realization struck.
"Wait a sec… then what about Jin—"
"Absolutely not." She said sharply as her eyes began to glow.
"Oookay. Shutting up now." He said as he held his hands up defensively.
After a short moment, he dropped his head and took a deep breath to gather himself from everything happening so suddenly. He slowly began to look up, and when he did, he found himself captivated by the sight of Talon standing there, holding a necklace with a vibrant purple crystal glistening gently from its center in her hands.
"Huh?" He tilted his head curiously, pointing at the necklace.
"What's that?"
Talon's fingers tightened around the crystal briefly, as if fighting off her nerves, before finally loosening her grip.
"Hol—hold your head out." She ordered him to do it softly, her voice uncharacteristically hesitant.
Kaito looked confused, but obediently leaned forward, exposing his neck. His heart raced when she stepped closer, gently placing the necklace around him. The crystal fell perfectly in place, resting softly against his chest, just above his heart. He carefully took the gem in hand, rotating it slowly, mesmerized by its beauty.
Before he could comment, Talon spoke again—but this time her voice lacked its usual sass and confidence. Instead, it seemed to tremble slightly, her face glowing with embarrassment and nervously holding her tail in her hands.
"It's… it's meant to protect whoever wears it… it's supposed to keep you safe and… also…" Her voice faded into uncertainty, unable to finish whatever else she was trying to say.
Kaito chuckled softly, cutting through her embarrassment radiating from her. Talon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a slight annoyance creeping back into her voice.
"What's so funny, idiot?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." He said, smiling warmly, his eyes sparkling as they met hers.
"It's just… after hearing what it means, I guess I really can't blame you for giving me something like this. After all the crazy stuff I've been through… makes sense you'd worry about me."
His voice softened and took on a gentler tone as he continued, genuinely moved by her gesture.
"Plus, it shows you care and… that really means a lot to me. So… thank you."
Talon's eyes widened briefly, her face remained composed but her breathing quickened, and her tail twisted around restlessly in her hands, almost as if they were trying to scream out her true feelings in that moment. But before she could fully recover, Kaito held the crystal up to his eye level, slowly turning it.
"It's so… beautiful."
In a flash, Kaito found himself propelled backward by an invisible force. Before he could protest, he was outside her room, stumbling slightly into the hallway. The door hissed, beginning to close, but Kaito quickly reached out, grabbing hold of her arm to keep it open just for a bit longer.
"Talon, wait! I—I have something to say too, before you go."
She paused, her back turned toward him, not daring to turn at all.
"What is it?"
Kaito hesitated then took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
"I know I'll eventually leave the crew no matter what… I have to chase my dream of becoming King of the Stars… but for you, I'll wait. I'll stay here, with everyone, until you come back."
Talon remained silent for a long moment, the air heavy with an unspoken emotion.
"What about Aqua?" Her voice came softly, as if testing him.
"I'll figure something out—I'll help her too, somehow. I promise."
Another moment of silence passed before Talon spoke again, her voice softer, nearly a whisper.
"You're so stupid… you know that?"
Kaito smiled gently, accepting her remark as if it was a compliment.
"I know. But that's not all…" He took a moment and gripped her arm slightly tighter, heart pounding like never before.
"When you return from wherever you're going, I want you to join my crew."
The silence after that stretched for an eternity, each heartbeat echoing loudly between them. Then, slowly, Talon removed her arm from his grip and turned, her hand forming a gentle fist as she playfully but firmly tapped it against his chest, nudging him backward into the hall.
"We'll talk about that when I get back… you idiot."
Kaito stumbled back a step, watching in a daze as the door hissed shut. He stood motionless, staring blankly at the closed door for a moment before a slow, goofy grin began to crawl up his face. His cheeks flushed red slightly as he chuckled softly, finally turning away and heading down the hall.
Inside her room, Talon remained perfectly still, listening carefully as Kaito's footsteps faded down the hallway. Once she was certain he was gone, every bit of her self-control vanished instantly.
She gasped for air, clutching her chest as her heart thundered wildly, each breath a desperate struggle for life it seemed. Her tail flailed wildly behind her, completely beyond her control.
"Oh my stars oh my stars oh my stars oh my stars oh my stars oh my stars oh my stars!!!" She screams internally, face burning bright red.
"He called it beautiful, he really—No, Talon! Get a grip! It's just stupid Kaito, nothing more! You only gave him that stupid crystal to protect him from his dumb self—that's it! Nothing else!"
Yet as if mocking her, the recent event of his invite to his crew played in her mind. She grabbed her pillow and buried her face deeply into it and screamed as loud as she could as her tail swung around chaotically behind her.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid Kaito!"