-3: 110
After a fun time teasing Anis a bit, I saw her off and continued roaming around with Indi, letting her trick or treat. As I watched her run up to knock on the door of a house though, I couldn't help but think about how weird things were.
Not because anything was off, but because there WASN'T anything off.
Like...
"The Ark can be this normal, huh?" I murmured.
Indi knocked on the door and shouted trick or treat.
A young couple smiled and handed her a few pieces of candy...
'I guess I can see how people think the Raptures don't exist and stir up trouble inside the Ark. And why Pops wants to keep this place safe.'
Rather than the 'last bastion of humanity,' the Ark was more like the last semblance of normality.
Here, the peaceful life from the distant past was still preserved.
Social media, going to work, chatting with friends...
Although there were issues since it was a packed city, just like any other metropolis, overall it wasn't much different from a place like New York.
...Actually.
'Isn't this place just like New York in the Marvel Universe?'
There were definitely crazy dangerous stuff outside the city in the form of the Raptures. And there were superhumans walking among the normal populace in the form of Nikkes.
But for the most part, people were just... living.
Indi ran back, holding up her pumpkin bucket with a happy smile on her face. "Daddy! They gave me biiig chocolate bars!" After that, she lowered her bucket and held out her hand to me. The instinctive action of a child with their parent.
I smiled at that and held her hand before starting to walk to the next house. "You're having fun, huh?"
"Mmhm!" Indi nodded and said, "Humans are nice! I'm scary, but they still give me offerings! Is this what being a goddess is like?"
I laughed and patted her head. "Only on Halloween, Sweetie."
"Then we need to do this every year! It's amazing!" Indi looked up at me with sparkling violet eyes.
"I'll add it into the calendar then."
"Yay!" Indi hummed to herself as she walked beside me.
We were in the more suburban part of the Ark with paved yards and ranch-styled homes.
Technically, it was where the 'Sovereigns' should be living and normally wasn't open to the public. A true gated community.
But since it was Halloween, it seemed like everyone was in a festive mood.
Indi and I weren't the only parent and child walking around either.
And you'd think that I'd stand out what with being 'The Valiant' and all that, especially in my armor...
But I'd underestimated how popular I was.
There were plenty of other guys dressed in similar armor as me, cosplaying the Valiant while walking kids around to trick-or-treat.
That, of course, meant that I managed to blend in without any issues.
Or in other words...
"So this is what it's like to be normal around here, huh?"
Indi tilted her head up to look at me, confused. "Normal, Daddy?"
I chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Sweetie. Normal is overrated anyway."
It was peaceful, sure. And the parents looked like they were enjoying themselves by spending time with their kids.
But maybe it was because I was used to the battlefield... or maybe it was because I couldn't just pretend that the Rapture Queen wasn't a thing.
Either way, I felt a bit restless being around like this.
Still, it was a nice change of pace.
Indi furrowed her brows in confusion. But she nodded and gave me a bright smile. "If you say so, Daddy!"
"I do say so. Now, let's go press some more people- I mean, ask more people nicely for candy."
"Yay!"
===
The Royal Road in the Ark, the place for high end fashion, shopping, and altogether quality goods.
Scarlet looked around with an amused gaze. "To think that such indulges doth remain after all this time..."
Rose chuckled and said, "You're getting sloppy, Scar. You're starting to use those old-timey words wrong."
Scarlet blushed and tilted her pointed hat down before saying, "Tis merely your imagination!"
Marian smiled as she watched the two sisters interact, idly tracing her baby bump.
Rose noticed and said, "Someone's pretty happy."
Marian nodded. "I am. It's hard not to be on a day like this, right?"
Since it was Halloween, the Ark had shifted into full party mode.
People were walking around in full costume. Nikkes could pretend to be normal for a day since even normal people dressed up as Nikkes. There was a tacit understanding in the air to not ask questions into who people claimed to be or claimed not to be...
And since everyone was dressed up today, nobody stuck out, no matter how outlandish.
Which meant that a group like Marian, Scarlet, and Rose didn't stick out either, despite Marian just wearing a simple light blue maternity dress over some loose jeans while Scarlet and Rose had gone with full 'wandering swordswomen from the far east' outfits.
...Of course, that was normal clothes for Scarlet.
But for Rose...
Rose adjusted her black robes and looked amused as they fluttered behind her as she walked. After that, she glanced at Scarlet and said, "Did I really have to dress in black though, Scar? Doesn't this make me look like I'm part of the... what did you call it? The Heavenly Demon Sect? Or is it the Demonic Faction?"
Scarlet blushed and said, "I-I had no intentions of the sort!"
"Really~? You didn't want to roleplay being a righteous swordswoman who captured her demonic and traitorous eldest sister~?"
"..."
"Hah! I knew it!"
"...Shut up."
Marian giggled as she walked between the pair of sisters. As she did, she said, "You two really are sisters, aren't you?"
"Oh, absolutely." Rose nodded. "Scar might not remember it, but we were actually the heirs to an ancient swordsmanship style. I think it was called... The Plum Blossom Blade?"
Scarlet tripped over her own feet and stared at Rose with wide eyes. "WE WERE?!"
Rose stuck out her tongue and said, "Sorry. I lied."
"ROOOOOOSE!"
Rose giggled. "You'll never know the truth, Scar~ Not until you get your own memories back~"
Scarlet huffed. "That's not fair. You know that I cannot with my NIMPH. And even were I not with NIMPH, those memories would not simply return for me."
"Sounds like a you problem, Scar."
"...I hate you."
"You couldn't if you tried~ Just like Sasuke and Itachi~"
Scarlet blinked. "Who?"
Rose paused. "...Aw. You don't remember that? And I did such a dramatic sacrifice too..."
Scarlet tilted her head, genuinely confused.
Rose chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I'm sure Commander has a collection of Anime somewhere. I can find Naruto if I look hard enough. He definitely has Gurren Lagann in his library the last I checked."
Marian smiled and said, "Commander DOES have a lot of cartoons at his office building."
"Right?" Rose looked amused. "It's such a waste since he never takes the time to relax."
Scarlet smiled. "Dear Nephew must take after his mother then. It was always difficult to convince Lilith to relax as well. Commander was always the one who had to drag her away to unwind."
Marian chuckled. "Well." She idly rubbed her belly and said, "You never have to worry about Commander being stressed." She giggled and said, "He certainly knows how to unwind at night~"
Scarlet paused, looking genuinely concerned. "If you do not want Rapunzel to jump into Dearest Nephew's bed at night, please do not repeat that anywhere near where-"
"DID I HEAR THAT MY NEPHEW HAS FALLEN TO LUST?"
Almost like she was summoned, Rapunzel burst out from a nearby shop, draped in fancy jewelry, a glittering golden dress that barely contained her 'assets' both top and bottom, and golden boots. "Pray tell! Auntie will help him repent! In bed!"
Scarlet gave Rapunzel a blank stare.
Rose laughed and said, "The Goddess Squad changed a lot, huh, Scar?"
"...You have no idea, Rose..."
Marian looked at Rapunzel, amused. Then she said, "Well... If you can convince Anis, I won't stop you. Commander DOES have quite the stamina..."
Rapunzel's violet eyes glittered. "Truly?!"
A long sigh echoed from the jewelry shop that Rapunzel dashed out of.
"Must you always have such... filth on your mind, Rapunzel?"
Dorothy walked out of the shop, holding a bag under her arm.
Marian noticed that Dorothy wasn't wearing her usual ribbony white outfit. Instead, she was wearing a plain pink hoodie, jeans, and sneakers.
Dorothy noticed Marian staring and said, "What? Even a lady like myself feels the need to change her usual outfit every once in a while. Besides." She flicked her pink hair to the side and said, "...There are many copycats today. I'm flattered, but I can't be wearing the same outfit as someone else."
Marian nodded. "That's understandable." She giggled and said, "An important lady like yourself has to stand out, right?"
"Of course." Dorothy nodded, looking pleased with herself. "As the founder of Eden and the current captain of the Goddess Squad, it's important to stand out. Branding is important. Something my Nephew clearly understands." She looked out at the crowd and saw the numerous Valiant cosplayers wearing either normal white platemail or a makeshift copy of the power armor.
Rose hummed and said, "That's true. Commander even started up that line of limited edition dolls with strands of his hair in it to sell to Nikkes..."
Rapunzel gasped. "THEY REALLY HAVE HIS HAIR IN THEM?!"
"...Yes? Well, the limited edition ones. The normal ones just look like him, but-"
"I'LL BE BACK DOROTHY!" After shouting that, Rapunzel dashed off into the distance.
Dorothy sighed and placed her hand on her forehead. "...I should have come back sooner. To think that a mind switch would turn Rapunzel into such a... I hate to say it, but harlot..."
Scarlet sighed too. "Tis the fault of Red Hood and her final mementos. As you know, Rapunzel was quite sentimental... she read those 'works of art' quite a few times."
"Ugh. No wonder..."
Marian took a look around and said, "Where is Red Hood? And Snow White? I thought we were going to meet up together."
Dorothy shrugged. "I haven't seen them. But if I were to guess, they are probably browsing the weapons stores. You know how they are with equipment."
Marian tilted her head. "...I don't?"
Dorothy paused. "...Oh. Yes. I suppose you wouldn't be." She frowned. "...Perhaps Cecil was right. I may need to spend more around others. My memories appear to be getting a bit fuzzy..."
Scarlet looked concerned. "They are?"
Dorothy waved her hand. "It's nothing serious, Scarlet. Rest assured." She chuckled. "If it was, Commander would have already forced me to rest." She took a look around, seeing a few people dressed up as members of the Goddess Squad. When she did, she smiled and said, "...I'm just feeling a bit sentimental, is all."
Rose nodded. "I suppose you would be." She took a look around with a soft smile on her face. "With things like this... it's almost like the Raptures never happened, right?"
Dorothy stared at the citizens of the Ark enjoying their life and said, "...Yes. It truly is."
Marian tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her ear and said, "Well, enough of the reminiscing! I'm hungry enough to eat for two, so let's go find some food!"
Dorothy chuckled. "Well... I suppose I did not have any particular plans in mind today. And it would be good to get to know my nephew's beloved... or at least one of them."
Rose teased. "Another one's right here~"
Scarlet gasped. "ROSE?!"
Rose stuck out her tongue. "Kidding. Partially."
"PARTIALLY?!"
"Well, Commander IS handsome. And he's quite good with a sword... In multiple ways too~"
"ROSE!"
Dorothy sighed and massaged her temples. "...Some things never change..."
Marian giggled.