Check in on Lalarin, Stax, Fava, and Lynx.

Lalarin Relestel, renegade daughter of the Relestel Estate, and alter ago to Rabbit's Foot the Lucky Hero--she sits at a table that's been set up around the center of the deck, though she no longer has her hat, and her feet are entirely bare below. She's holding a hand of cards, and a few are spread out in front of her. To her left is the goblin Stax, once leader to a band of monsters who have been absorbed into your numbers, and trusty treasurer of Castle Phoenix, and she has cards of her own. She's still fully dressed in her newfound swashbuckler's blouse and shorts.

"Ah. I fold," Lalarin declares as she places her hand face-down on the table. "I have nothing."

"The trick is to say nothing more than what you do," Stax explains. "We shouldn't know why you're folding, so we don't know how to read you in the future. Maybe you had a great hand and you're messing with us. This is a game of bluffing."

"Oh I see. That makes sense."

To the bunnyfolk's right is Fava, once again in her full-sized body. It's been cleaned up since a couple nights ago. She's still wearing her sports bra and baggy pants, though she's barefoot as well beneath the table. The more she wears this second form, the more natural it seems. Even without her winks out, it's like a tall pixie is at the table with the others. It's also easy to forget just how brilliant she is. There isn't a chance the mechanisms of the ship will fail as long s she's here. She kicks her feet impatiently as she watches the final girl make her call.

Lynx is the last one staring intently at the cards in her hand. A bead of sweat runs down her brow. For her, she's only wearing her tube top, shorts, and stockings. Of course her eyepatch doesn't count. "Uh. Uuhh. Hold on a second."

"The longer you take, the more obvious it becomes," Stax says with a smirk.

"All right! I fold." She admits defeat and tosses her cards away.

Though you don't think of it often, Lynx is one of the more mysterious amongst the crew. Just like Niki, she performed the taboo of undergoing the Rite of the Sun twice, and she's had a colourful live unknown to you. Though as time has gone on, and you've told her what you can of manga, whether or not it's one she's seen before, her personality has continued to betray her appearance. You wonder what she's gone through, but it feels like a past she'd have spoken to you about if she were comfortable discussing it.

"That's another hand for me." Stax stretches forward as far as she can, and pulls the small pile of chips to her side. "And I'd like to redeem."

You approach from the side and watch curiously. "Are you guys playing strip poker in the middle of broad daylight on the deck of the ship?" you ask.

"N-No!" Lalarin flushes and stumbles over her explanation, as if taken by surprise by such an accusation. "It's a sort of truth or dare game, Stax and Fava explained. The card game I've played before, though you can redeem your chips to **** another player to either tell a truth, or do a dare."

"And it costs more for a dare, naturally," Stax adds. "Speaking of which, I'm doing another one of those."

"How's everyone doing so far?" you ask.

Fava leans back in her seat. "We've been going for almost an hour. Lots of funny truths. Did you know that Lalarin has a fantasy where she runs into another masked hero in the rain, they kiss in an alleyway, and then just absolutely go hard--"

"That isn't fair! My turn is long over, and he wasn't here before," Lalarin frantically intervenes.

Stax slides a stack of chips to the center and says, "I choose you, Lynx. For a dare."

"Not again!" Lynx yells back. "You keep picking me. How come?"

"It's funny."

"What are you gonna say this time? Strip again? That's boring."

"You're so right. I dare you to... give Kyle your top."

"That's still stripping!" She swallows hard and touches a hand to her chest. "Anyway, do you really want... to see something so small?"

Stax leans forward. "Maybe that's why I want to see them," she whispers between a toothy grin.

Lynx sighs. After looking around her nervously for a moment, she stands to her feet and turns away. "Can you at least all not stare?" she pleads, though she grab the bottom of her tube top, and pulls it slowly up and over her head. Before turning back, she extends an arm over to cover them up, and then she shyly hands the garment towards you. "Here."

"All right!" Stax cheers. "Just because of that, I won't pick you anymore."

"Lucky me."

You take the gift with a bow. "Thank you. I'll treasure it forever."

Fava giggles. "Should we take a break?"

"Actually, yes," Lalarin answers. She turns on her seat to face you properly. "This is a little embarrassing to say aloud, but there's something I'd like to get off my chest."

Still concealing her nudity, Lynx calls out from the other side of the table, "Go ahead, girl! We're all buddies here."

She smiles. "Well, it's just that... I think this is the farthest I've ever been from home. Growing up with my family, I was taught a number of things, from the proper fork to use for which dish, or how to walk in heels, but it was never things about the wider world. I'd meet all sorts of people by attending balls, whether it were ones my family ran or others, but they were always of the same crowd. As I began my career fighting crime in a mask, my world expanded. But it wasn't until I started adventuring with you, Kyle, that I finally felt free. And now here we are, miles from Tivera, in the middle of the sea."

"Too true," Stax says. "I mean, me and the others travelled all around, though we always had to keep to the shadows. We lived amongst the hills and forests, never the city streets, unless we were brave or **** enough to sneak around town at night. But I personally have never been beyond Tivera. Maybe a bit north or south, but always the same land."

"And I spent a long time in my laboratory," Fava says.

"Not the first hermit Kyle brought home."

"I've seen! Honestly, I was so buried in my work, I forgot how **** I was to interact with other people. I kinda lost my mind a bit at first, wanting to try everything I had made on them... I do kinda still want to do that actually. Maybe less has changed than I thought."

Lynx stares down at the mess of cards and chips on the table. "I--" Her speaking up, despite trailing off, brings the eyes of everybody over. She blushes for a moment upon realizing she has **** but to continue. "I travelled a lot, working as the Spymaster for Demon King Sa'dis. Met with all sorts of people. Though I did end up in places like the Oraang Desert, no I haven't been far out to sea. I don't know how to word this, but I think I'm happier not travelling as much. I mean, not going all over the place constantly, and always meeting new people, yet never connecting with any of them. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely," you answer. "I get it. I'm glad to know you've found a home, if that's what you consider your place with us."

"I do! I really do. I've had a... complicated life. I've gone by a number of names, and I've done things for people I wouldn't do again. But at last, I can be myself."

Stax leans back with arms behind her head. She kicks up her boots, though they barely reach the table. "Lynx. Lynx. Lynx. I do like that name though."

She chuckles nervously. "Thanks."

"Stax isn't my original name either. But it doesn't matter, does it? You just gotta go by the name you wanna go by. That's your name."

"I've kinda had multiple names, in a different way," Lalarin says. "I mean, not anything like your situation! Nobody really called me Lala before, until Kyle said it. Now I think it's my favourite one of all. Or maybe some has, and I don't remember. I think it might just be how it sounds coming from his mouth."

Lynx chuckles. "You're talking like he isn't right here."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to talk through you, Kyle," she says with a bow of her head.

"You're good," you reply. "And thank you. I enjoy when you say my name too."

She smiles. "Kyle."

"Kyle," says Fava as well.

"Kyle," Lynx joins in with a giggle.

"Kyle. Kyle. Kyle. Kyle." Stax gestures her hand up and down, as if wrapped around something cylindrical. "Is hearing all this getting you going, Kyle?"

"You've got me so flustered, I might even pass out," you answer.

She bursts out laughing. "I'm so glad you brought me along this time."

"Does anybody else want a snack?" Lalarin asks.

"I'd love something," Fava replies, sitting up from her seat.

"We'll play again some other time," says Stax.

Lynx than looks around and crosses her arms tight over her chest. "W-Wait. What about me? Do I get my top back?"

"Ask Kyle. He has it."

She shuffles her way over to your side of the table and looks up at you with overly cutesy eyes. "May I p-p-pwease have it back?" she begs with a tone of melodrama.

You chuckle. Then you hold it high above your head, knowing she couldn't hope to reach it. "You gotta give me something in return."

After thinking for a moment, she stands up on her tippy-toes and presses her soft lips against yours. She lingers the warm and gentle kiss for a moment, and then slowly sinks away again.

"All right. You win," you say before letting it drop.

Lynx catches it easily. "Why thank you."