Quiet morning talks.

Will, Anna, Nanami and Reina had breakfast together early that morning. Knowing that it’d be better to wait for the other party attendees, the girls refrained from asking questions about that. Instead, Will enjoyed the trivial topic they brought to him.

“So what did the three of you do last night?” he asked them.

“We watched movies!” Nanami said, eyes shining with excitement.

“Plural?”

“Yep. We watched five movies in total,” Nanami said.

“We took turns picking them,” Anna said. “Though I’m not a fan of all the thrillers Reina picked. I think my heart was gonna pop out a couple of times.”

“But that’s the fun part,” Reina argued. “Though I admit the last one got a bit too violent.”

“Did it? It seemed pretty fake to me,” Nanami said.

“I guess it would to you,” Will said. “You’re… more familiar with what actual **** looks like.”

Nanami chuckled softly. “Unfortunately. The movie was good, though!”

“And what movies did you pick?” he asked her.

“Um… Old samurai films,” Nanami answered.

“Like, black and white type of old,” Anna said. “But somehow better than a lot of modern action movies.”

“I liked the one about the bodyguard,” Reina said, smiling. “And it was funny when Anna next recommended a cowboy movie that had practically the same plot. It was almost the same movie but with cowboys instead of samurai.”

“So… thrillers, samurai and cowboys? Huh. I didn’t expect that,” Will said.

“It was a fun night,” Reina said. “Hadn’t had one like that in a long time.”

“Are you sure all you did was watch movies, though?” Will asked with a small, teasing smile.

“Of course! Please, Will, what do you take me for?” Anna said, taking a hand to her chest, offended. Or at least pretending to be, because then she laughed it up. “Though I admit I did enjoy sitting on the couch in the middle of these two beauties.”

“Hey, Will, why don’t we make Friday nights movie nights?” Nanami suggested. “We get everyone together and watch one or two movies every week.”

“I’d be up for that. Sounds fun.” Will then found himself smiling. “You know, my parents have something of a tradition like that. They get together with some of their friends every Friday night to have dinner at our house. And I do mean every Friday and even if they’re just having a modest meal, though my dad likes to get fancy and cooks some more elaborate stuff when he can.”

Anna’s eyes brightened. “Your dad cooks?”

“Yeah. And he’s pretty damn good, too. I miss having his cooking.”

“You should call him and ask him for some recipes,” Nanami said.

“Maybe I should. I have a hard time eating rice if it’s not the one he makes, so maybe it’s time I learn to make it myself.”

“You never talk about your family, Will,” Reina said with a happy smile. “What brought this on?”

“Hm? Nothing. I just remembered Friday night gatherings are also a thing they do. I love my parents and I’m grateful to them for sending me to university. Can’t let those efforts go to waste, so even with all that’s happening, I need to at least get my degree.”

Reina winced. “And then there’s me who dropped out…”

“Nah, everyone’s circumstances are different. You had a goal to pursue. I don’t have anything quite like that. I’ll just finish my studies while I do all this other stuff. With how my life has changed in such a short time, who knows where I’ll be in the next three years? I guess it’s good I’m far away from my family. Wouldn’t want to get them involved in any of this.”

“You… You really don’t have a dream, Will?” Nanami asked. “Something you’d like to dedicate yourself to?”

“I like taking pictures, but I wouldn’t call that a dream. I guess I could get back to doing it for more than university and work. Hardly have the time, though.”

“W-What if…?” Anna got interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

“Will… Why didn’t you wake us up?” Cynthia asked, coming into the living room with nothing but a loose robe on. Her hair was a mess and she couldn’t help the huge, unflattering yawn.

“Because of that,” he told her. “You went to sleep at six. It’s not even 10:00 am yet.”

“Please, I’ve pulled all-nighters before. Don’t underestimate this old lady.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s healthy,” Anna told her with a chiding scowl. “You can skip work today, right? I’ll start my shift at the office in the afternoon and take care of everything. So get some more sleep.”

“I’m up already. I won’t fall asleep again even if I wanted to. Besides, I feel fine. A shower and a cup of coffee will have me fresh as a lettuce.” Cynthia walked over to the table and stood behind Will, She hugged him from behind, her heavy breasts pushing against the back of his neck, and kissed the top of his head. “And also, I managed to overhear some of your conversation. I’m up for movie nights, too. Now, I need a shower. I’m all sweaty from last night.”

“Are Amelia and my aunt awake, too?” Nanami asked.

“Aoi is. Amelia is a heavier sleeper than I thought, but I bet she’ll wake up soon enough. We can brief you all on how things went last night after she’s up.”

It played out just as Cynthia said. Amelia woke up not long after Cynthia and Aoi took a shower. The three women joined them at the breakfast table drinking a lot more water than they usually did. After that, they recounted everything. From how the venue looked to the people they met. Of course… that included Will’s ex-girlfriend, Helga, and the Amazon warrior Johana.