Russian Roulette Pt. 4

With the dishes washed and the kitchen finally clean, the four of us settled into the living room, each carrying our own form of exhaustion—Chloe in the form of satisfied sighs, Lana with exaggerated groans about how full she was, and Alice still carrying her glass of wine like royalty.

Chloe brought out a bag of popcorn from who-knows-where. And I, for once, didn't protest about snacks on the furniture, but I was curious about one thing.

"Popcorn? After dinner?" I chuckled.

"Of course!" she beamed. "Can't watch a movie without snacking on something. Might as well stick to traditions."

Lana snickered. "After two whole bowls of chicken katsu curry on rice, you still haven't had enough? I don't mean to shame, sister, but... at this rate, you'll gain weight."

"W-what?!"

"Lana..." Alice sighed with disappointment. "That's not something you should be saying to your own sister."

"Pfft~ I mean, it's the truth, ain't it? Even you can't deny Chloe's bottomless stomach, Alice. If she could put Charybdis on a grill and fry her, she totally would!"

"Hey! I wouldn't do that to Charybdis!" Chloe retorted.

We all turned to look at her, the judgmental look on our faces posing the exact same question.

"So... If you could, though..." I mumbled.

"Probably not. I'd get tired from the lack of variety. She is very big after all."

"She ain't the only one," Lana smirked.

"L-Lana! I'm not fat!"

"Eh? Whoever said that? Projecting much, are you?"

"W-wha..." Chloe turned to me with a massive pout. "Aikami! You don't think I'm fat do you?!"

Oh boy... she looks like she'd genuinely cried if I answered any other way except one. Might as well do some damage control. It's way too late in the evening to be dealing with any more drama.

"Of course not, Chloe," I said with a nervous smile. "Honestly... I don't even think you could get fat if you wanted to. You know, being a goddess and all that."

"But... It is true that I eat a lot..."

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"Isn't it?"

"In my opinion, not necessarily. If you like food, that's that. No need to change what you enjoy just because someone thinks it's weird."

I shot Lana a glance.

"Hey! What did I do?!" she exclaimed.

"Everything," I muttered. "Quit making fun of Chloe."

"Eh?! But—I..." She then crossed her arms with a pout. "Fine..."

Alice let out a wholehearted laugh. "What a beautiful sight this is. A mortal scolding one of the three Goddesses of Fate? Never thought I'd see the day."

"Goddess or not, no bullying under my roof," I said.

Lana shriveled up across the couch. "Hmph..."

I glanced over at her.

Is she genuinely annoyed at me? Ironic, considering she's the one who put Chloe on the spot just moments ago.

Still... I can't have her feeling down like that. It'll start to affect me.

"Hey, Lana."

She turned her head slightly, then panicked a little when I tossed her the remote.

"You pick," I smiled.

That was all it took for her expression to brighten up. When it comes to hangout sessions, Lana likes to take the lead and plan everything out. I figured that choosing a movie to watch was no different.

"What are you feeling tonight, Aikami?" she asked.

"Anything, really. I'm not a big movie guy, so anything you put on is fine."

"Everyone has a preference, though! Just give me a genre. Horror?"

"Absolutely not."

She smirked. "What, you scared?"

"Let's just say that I am. Besides, it's a bit too late to be watching horror movies. What if Chloe wakes up the neighbors with her screams?"

"Huh?! I-I wouldn't scream!"

"Hehe, you most definitely would," Alice giggled.

"How about fantasy then?" Lana asked. "You're the one who put us on Ring Lords. Anything else you might be interested in?"

I pinched my chin. "Hmm... I guess there's Game of Chairs. It's a show, though. Not a movie. Still, the episodes are like an hour long, so each one might as well be a movie."

"Let's go with that then!"

Lana put on the first episode. After a while, she kind of spaced out because it was filled with expository dialogue. Alice and Chloe, on the other hand, seemed invested.

As for me, I didn't really have an opinion—not that I was even paying attention since I already knew what would happen from the books. It's just that sitting here, surrounded by them, the sound of rustling blankets, and the occasional sarcastic comment, I realized something.

Tonight... was kind of fun.

It was warm and lively. Not just a matter of survival like it usually felt for me… but something that had weight. Memory.

A shared moment... something I wasn't supposed to.

And maybe that's why I kept thinking back on it—Lana's chaotic cooking, Chloe's curry crisis, Alice's surprisingly soft smile. Everything about tonight just felt different. Maybe it's because now... I wasn't lonely anymore.

Then, out of nowhere—I felt a small bump against my arm.

I turned slightly.

"...Chloe?"

Her head had tilted, resting gently against me. Her breathing was soft and steady, cheeks faintly flushed, probably from the wine—or maybe just the warmth of the room.

"Hey, Chloe?" I tried again, keeping my voice low as I nudged her just a bit.

Still nothing.

A soft chuckle came from my right.

Alice, sipping the last of her wine, tilted her head with a smug smile. "Don't bother, Aikami. She's a heavy sleeper once she's out."

"I get that, but... this is a bit much."

"You'll just have to excuse her. She once fell asleep in a tree during one of Lord Zeus' temper tantrums. And by that, I mean a thunderstorm that ruptured Mount Olympus inside and out. Didn't even flinch when the tree caught on fire."

I paused, glancing back down at Chloe. She really was out cold. No signs of waking. Her hands were curled up slightly, lips parted just barely.

"…Right," I muttered, resigning myself to fate. I shifted just enough to let her rest a little more comfortably against my side.

It didn't take long before Lana, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last twenty minutes, slumped to Chloe's right, her head landing against the couch's armrest.

Just like that, she was out cold too.

Alice shook her head and laughed softly. She lifted her hand, causing the remote to fly out of Lana's hand and into hers. With a click, the television turned off, a faint blip echoing in the silence.

"Well..." she said, stretching her arms overhead with a quiet yawn. "I suppose that's our cue to call it a night."

"Guess so," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck.

I reached to the side and handed her one of the folded blankets we'd left by the coffee table.

She accepted it with a raised brow and an amused smile. "My, my… such a gentleman."

"Just trying to keep you from freezing to death. Nothing noble about it."

"Mhm. Sure."

I carefully moved Chloe just a bit and stood up, mumbling something about needing another blanket, and hurried off to my room to grab one. When I came back, I carefully draped it over Chloe and Lana, adjusting it just enough so they wouldn't get cold.

They didn't stir. Not even a little.

Once I was sure they were tucked in, I turned to Alice, who was fluffing one of the couch pillows for herself.

"Night, Alice."

She gave me a faint smile—soft this time. "Goodnight, Aikami. Rest well. Tomorrow is the weekend. You know what that means, don't you?"

I sighed, though I felt a faint smile growing on my lips. "Another one of Lana's spontaneous plans. Am I right?"

"Hehe~ Well, I'm not so sure. Who knows? Maybe she'll dial it down for once."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

I headed into my room and quietly shut the door behind me. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't bothered by the quiet. Because I knew that just beyond the silence... there were people waiting for me.