Chapter 7:
Re:Admin
The Admin-Mobile finally sputtered to a halt in a secluded clearing. With a few taps on his phone, Admin conjured their new temporary residence: a sleek, modern trailer house that looked utterly alien against the backdrop of the fantastical landscape.
Tundra tilted her head, her digital eyes scanning the structure. "What is this thing?"
"Home sweet home," Admin replied with a grin. "Don't worry, it's got all the modern conveniences: running water, electricity, and even indoor plumbing. You'll love it."
The interior of the trailer was equally bizarre. Plush sofas, gleaming appliances, and strange, rectangular screens adorned the space. Mirai, however, seemed unfazed.
"This is just like back home," she said, her voice nostalgic. "Except… less broken."
"See? I told you," Admin said, smirking. "Now, let's get you guys out of those rags and into something a little more… practical."
He opened a closet, revealing a selection of clothing that would have looked perfectly normal in his world, but seemed utterly foreign here.
"Alright, Mirai," Admin said, tossing her a bundle of clothes. "I got you something special."
Mirai unfolded the items, revealing a stylish jacket that mirrored Admin's own, but with a striking red fur trim instead of white. She also received a pair of durable jeans and comfortable, modern sneakers.
"Not bad," Mirai said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "Matches my style."
Next, Admin turned to Tundra. "For you, I went with something a little more subtle." He handed her a soft black sweater, grey cargo pants, and a pair of low-profile grey canvas shoes.
Tundra examined the clothes, her expression thoughtful. "Comfortable and practical," she said. "Thank you, Admin."
Finally, Admin presented Eyrie with a pile of colorful outfits. "I picked out a few things I thought you'd like," he said, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Try them on. We can always swap them out if you don't like them."
Eyrie's eyes lit up as she rummaged through the clothes, giggling with delight at the vibrant colors and playful designs.
"But there's one more thing," Admin said, his voice serious. "These clothes aren't just for show. I've also enchanted them with a couple of protective spells. Rip protection and dissolving protection."
Tundra raised an eyebrow. "Dissolving protection? What's that for?"
Admin cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "It's… it's just in case," he mumbled. "You know, to prevent any… unwanted… violations from monsters."
Mirai snorted. "Oh, so this is about the tentacle monster, isn't it?"
Admin's face turned crimson. "Just… just put the clothes on, okay?"
Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues, Admin gathered his party around a strange, flat, circular object.
"Alright, dinner time," Admin announced, gesturing to the object. "Tonight, we're having pizza."
Eyrie and Tundra exchanged puzzled glances. "Pizza?" Eyrie asked, her voice filled with curiosity. "What's that?"
"It's a cuisine from my world," Admin explained. "It's made of flatbread covered in tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings. It's delicious."
Mirai rolled her eyes. "It's pizza. Get over it."
She turned to Tundra and Eyrie, "It's great! Trust me!
Admin shot her a playful glare. "Hey, let them experience the magic for themselves." He sliced the pizza into wedges and handed them out to his companions.
Eyrie took a tentative bite, her eyes widening with surprise. "This is… amazing!" she exclaimed, devouring her slice with gusto.
Tundra, after a moment of hesitation, also took a bite. Her expression softened. "It is quite palatable," she admitted. "The combination of flavors is… intriguing."
As they ate, laughing and joking, Admin watched his party members, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. He had found a new family, and he would do everything in his power to protect them. Even if it meant burning down kingdoms and summoning truckloads of explosives.
As the night went on the group ate and talked, and they would sleep peacefully.
Admin jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. The trailer was dimly lit by the pre-dawn light, casting long shadows across the interior. He blinked, trying to orient himself. He was in his bed, but something felt… off.
He slowly turned his head, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He wasn't alone.
Tundra was curled up on his left, her head resting on his shoulder, her digital eyes offline. Her normally stoic face was surprisingly serene in sleep. On his right, Eyrie was snuggled against his side, her small frame pressed close to his. Her soft, even breaths tickled his neck.
A wave of panic washed over Admin. What the hell was going on? He didn't remember falling asleep with his party members. How did this happen?
Before he could process his confusion, Mirai stirred beside him, her red eyes slowly opening.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she said, a mischievous glint in her gaze.
Admin stared at her, speechless. "Mirai… what's going on? Why are you all in my bed?"
Mirai stretched, her muscles rippling beneath her jacket. "Relax, Admin. It's not what you think. Mostly."
"Mostly?" Admin repeated, his voice rising in alarm. "What does that mean?"
"Well," Mirai said, stifling a yawn. "After dinner last night, we were talking, and we all agreed that you've been acting a little… reckless lately. Especially after what happened in Lazarus."
"So?"
"So, we decided that someone needed to keep an eye on you, make sure you didn't do anything stupid," Mirai explained. "And what better way to do that than to sleep in the same bed with you?"
Admin blinked. "You… you all decided to sleep with me to prevent me from doing something stupid?"
Mirai nodded. "That's right. And before you ask, yes, we were arguing about who gets to sleep next to you. Tundra wanted to analyze your sleep patterns, Eyrie just wanted to cuddle, and I… well, I had my own reasons."
"And then things spiraled out of there."
Admin groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This is a nightmare."
"Don't be so dramatic," Mirai said, nudging him with her elbow. "It's not so bad. Besides, it's kinda cozy, isn't it?"
Admin couldn't deny that it was… comfortable. But the proximity to his female companions was also stirring up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He couldn't help but notice the softness of Tundra's skin against his arm, the warmth of Eyrie's body pressed against his side, the alluring scent of Mirai's perfume.
He tried to push the thoughts away, reminding himself that they were his friends, his comrades, his family. He couldn't let his hormones cloud his judgment. But the thoughts persisted, growing stronger with each passing moment.
The room was silent for a few moments, until Mirai spoke up, "Anyways, do you have plans for today?"
Admin said, "We need to get to the bottom of this whole memory loss stuff, it's annoying"
"Do you have any clues to go off?" Mirai asked
"I have this little tracker that's been installed in my headphones from last night, I can use this to locate where my memories are" Admin responded
Mirai got off the bed and said, "Oh, so we'll be playing a hot and cold game, I'm excited to find out where you truly came from."
"Don't get your hopes up too much" Admin responded
Admin decided to not dwell on the fact that he's sleeping with 3 of his party members, but he felt a little bit happy knowing that he has companions to stick by him, and Admin now knew that the tracker on his body will lead him to his missing memories.
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