Reina: Here's the third chapter! A bit weird for my tastes though.... Not really XD

Also, thanks for the votes!

The ride to Hoshido was interesting to say the least.

You rode with Cori, Cora, and Azura. Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura rode in the other carriage ahead of you guys. What was supposed to be a quiet ride turned into a never ending chatterbox. Cora eagerly asked Cori questions about Hoshido and the world, to which Cori answered them excitedly. You could only watch them with a blank stare, as Azura had pretended to fall asleep (she kept opening her left eye to look at them). With Cori and Cora acting like they ran on caffeine (which was Jakob's fault - he gave them lattes for some dumb reason), you could understand why Azura was pretending that the world didn't exist around her.

As you began to nod off, your eyes looked downwards, where you noticed something interesting.

"Hey," you say, cutting off Cori's explanation of why Ryoma hates eating lobsters. "None of you guys are wearing shoes."

At once, you got three different responses.

"They constrain my feet," Cori whined.

"They don't allow me to climb trees easily," Cori added.

"My shoes never fit me," Azura declared.

💧

You are surrounded by weirdos, Lamia muttered.

Shut up Lamia.

You sigh. "Really? I can barely go outside without banging up my feet..."

Cori looked at you with a frown. "Where exactly do you live?"

"Before entering service as a maid, I actually lived in Anime Europe - it's actually sandwiched by Nohr and Hoshido. My town is called Anime London - one of the busiest towns in the state of Anime England."

"Why is everything called 'Anime?'" Azura asked.

"I don't know," you reply. "It's what our current queen has decided."

"What's her name?" Azura asks

"Her name is-" you begin, before you realize that you lost your shoes (and you forgot to put on socks). "Huh?"

"What kind of a name is Queen Huh?" Azura continues, oblivious to the fact that you lost your footwear. You look up to see Cora holding your Mary Janes.

"This shoes are ugly," Cora declared as she threw them out the window of the carriage.

"What was that for?" You yell. "Now I'm barefoot!"

"Just like us!" Cori declared happily.

You face palm. "I should have worn my knee-high boots."

"Why aren't you wearing them then?" Azura asks.

"I was cleaning them - they were knee high in dried mud."

Cori and Cora snickered, but you ignored them.

"So what's Hoshido like?" You ask.

"Peaceful," Azura said.

"Colorful," Cori added.

"And full of celebrations," the green-haired man now beside you said.

"Gah!" You scream and jump into Cori's lap. "Who are you?"

Cori laughs and hugs you closer. "Easy, (Y/N). This is my personal retainer Kaze."

You look at Kaze carefully. "If you are Cori's retainer, then why weren't you at the Manor?"

"Oh, I was," Kaze responds. "It's just that I found it dreary."

"Plus he can turn himself invisible," Cori added excitedly.

Kaze sighed. "I don't turn invisible - I'm just good at hiding."

Cori pouted as Cora looked at the window. "But Saizo can turn invisible," he protested.

"Saizo can't turn invisible," Kaze countered.

"I'm just a master of stealth," the red haired man that walked beside the carriage said. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hi Saizo!" Cori waved at the ninja, who didn't acknowledge it.

"Are all of you alive still?" Saizo asks.

"Somehow we are," Azura responds.

Saizo rolled his eye. "Fine." With that, he disappeared.

You look at Cori. "Who's Saizo?"

"One of Ryoma's retainers and Kaze's older twin brother."

You look at Kaze. "You don't look like Saizo... Are you fraternal twins?"

Kaze nodded. "If you will excuse me, Lord Cori, I will join the other retainers." Kaze waved goodbye to you, Azura, and Cora, then jumped out the window.

Cora looked at Cori. "Cori-chan."

"Yeah?"

Cora leaned forward and grabbed his shirt. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT HOSHIDO WAS FULL OF HOT GUYS?!?!?!?!?"

Azura began to laugh as Cori gave his twin a funny stare. "Why would I say that?"

Cora shrugged and looked out the window. "Just keeping my options open."

Cori scoffed. "Great, my sister is boy-crazy."

Azura smiled at Cora and had a teasing edge to her voice. "You're right, Cora. Hoshido has some of the hottst boys on the block!"

Cori moaned. "Why am I with the boy-crazy girls?"

"You can't say that," Cora snickered.

"Why not?"

"You're the one holding on to (Y/N) as if letting her go means that you'll lose her."

As your face and Cori's face turned tomato red, you shoved each other away and refused to look at each other. Cora cackled at this, and then began to lament that you didn't have a way to record your faces onto a painting easily.

Is this how living in Hoshido will be like? You ask yourself.

If you're lucky, Lamia stated.

What do you mean by that? Are you going to possess my body and kill everyone?

No, that's not my style.

Then what are you talking about?

Something's not right. Can't you feel it?

No. I'm an alchemist, you reply. I can sense magic, but not changes in the air or future.

Lamia sighed. I can't see the future without consulting Echo-sama, but something is off.

Can you give me an idea of what could happen?

No, I'm sorry. But be vigilante.

Reina: Another chapter down!

Cori: You did a fantastic job, Reina!

Reina: Uh, thanks Cori.

Takumi: This chapter had zero violence in it!

Reina: What? Do you want me to throw violence into your story?

Takumi: Actually, yes.

Leo: And update my story.

Reina: Okay, okay! I will!

Leo and Takumi: *high-five each other*

Cori: 5 votes for more!

Reina: And ten votes to have Ryoma tell embarassing stories about Takumi and Cori at dinner.

Cori: EH?

Takumi: WHAT?

Leo: *laughs*

Reina: *shoves Leo* You're not safe....

Leo: Eep!

Reina: Until next time!

Leo, Takumi, and Cori: HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT CALMLY?