The towel queen has fallen. Queen Nazuko has lost her towels in an act of terroism, the perpetrator: an elf named Remi. This is truly a dark day. Reminds me of the comic called Sarajevo in which the king was killed in a whirlpool. I head over to the dying queen who is lying in the water with her hands over her chest, her body ready to go to the afterlife.

“N-Nerva” Nazuko says coughing.

“W-what is it?” Nerva responds, swimming next to her.

“I-I’m not gonna make it. I have lost almost all of my towels. I don’t have much time left. I leave you to be my successor.” Nazuko informs.

“Ugh what are you three doing?” Remi calls out to us from the other side of the hot spring.

“Queen Nazuko is about to ascend to godhood. Do not interrupt, assassin.” I tell her.

“W-what? Are you girls still doing that dumb towel queen thing?”

“Remi be nice, let them have fun.” Azura says swimming next to Remi.

“Hey I don’t mind, I only started to care once Nazuko started hoarding all the towels. You have to admit it’s childish though, they’re playing like children”

“I think it’s kind of cute” Lilith adds, also joining the group.

“Can everyone stop interrupting my death scene!?” Queen Nazuko asks, still floating.

No one responds. They must be in awe of the Queen’s power, even on her deathbed, which is a hot spring. Her death spring.

“N-Nerva. It’s happening. I’m dying. Honor my legacy, get all the towels…..bleh.” Queen Nazuko orders, finally entering a peaceful slumber.

May she rest in peace. May she get all the towels in heaven.

“Noooooooo!” Nerva screams in anguish.

Suddenly we all start to hear clapping coming from where Remi was. I turn back to see Azura, Lilith, and Anastasia, who must have joined during the death scene, applauding. They were clearly moved. Remi is not applauding. I do not know these women well yet, but I have a feeling Remi does not have good taste.

“Well that was fun. Right, Akane?” Nazuko says, shooting back up from the dead.

“Very. It was quite the journey. I was witness to the rise and fall of an empire. It has changed me greatly” I affirm.

“Good shit.” Nerva adds.

“Ugh but now I’m bored. What do you wanna do now?” Nazuko asks us.

“Hmmmmm...wanna burn shit?” Nerva proposes.

Note to self, Nerva is fond of fire. If I burn things then perhaps our friendship will grow. Burning things must be an activity that females do together.

“No burning things!” Azura calls out to us.

“Damn” Nerva mutters to herself.

“Hmm well if we can’t do that then there is one thing I’ve been wanting to do. I want to peek on the boys. This is my chance to see Will in his full glory” Nazuko explains as she eagerly starts to swim to the end of the hotspring.

“You want to do what now?” an angry figure asks, appearing in front of Nazuko.

It’s Lilith, who Nazuko told me to refer to as the muscle giant. I believe I understand why she has that honorific, she is well built.

“Ugh I said this is my chance to see Bill in the quarry” Nazuko answers.

“Who’s Bill?”

“...Nerva’s cousin. Right Nerva?”

“Bill? I have a cousin named Bill? I don’t remember that shit. Yo sis we got a cousin named Bill?!” Nerva hollers to her sister.

Anastasia is in the corner of the hotspring speaking with Azura. She looks away from Azura to shake her head in the negative.

“Dang it Nerva we were trying to trick Lilith” Nazuko whispers to her.

“Ohhhhhh shit, my bad” Nerva apologizes.

“You were trying to sneak off to peek on Will weren’t you?” Lilith asks us.

Her face looks angry but I do not know why. I also don’t understand what the fun there is in seeing the boys right now. I won’t question things however for I don’t want my new friends to think differently of me.

“Ok yes but hear me out before you strangle me with those gorilla hands. How about you come with? I know you wanna see.” Nazuko suggests with a sly smile.

“...No I don’t. I’m not like you, I’m not a pervert” Lilith stammers, her face becoming all red. She must be getting sick.

“Come on Lilith, just imagine, Will, without clothes. Wet. Everything hanging loose.”

“No stop it! I’m not like you!”

“Come on Lilith, give in to your dark side. You’re just like me (except a lot uglier)”

“Never! Wait what was that last part?”

“Ugh nothing. Akane, use splash!”

I have been summoned. I make my way in front of Lilith. Using my right arm I splash some of the hot spring’s water onto her. She shouldn’t be able to withstand this attack.

“....Akane what was that?” Lilith asks me, confused.

I see, my attack was so powerful that she can't comprehend what occurred.

“I have splashed you with water.” I explain.

“Um yeah I got that part. I’m confused on what that was supposed to accomplish.”

“To harm you.”

“R-right. Wait where did Nazuko go!?”

Lilith frantically looks behind me, but the queen is gone. She escaped while Lilith was in awe of my strength.

“Hahahahaha you can’t stop me now! Nerva, Akane let’s go!” Nazuko orders behind Lilith, getting out of the hot springs.

“I-I can’t move for shit. I’m stuck! Sis let go you bitch!” Nerva shouts back.

I whirled around to see that she is being held by Anastasia. My friend is so small that her sister only needs to use her left arm to keep her constrained. Nerva is flopping around trying to escape but it’s no use. I then hear someone enter the hot springs. I turn back to where Nazuko is to see a figure standing menacingly in front of her. Nazuko slowly looks up in fear.

“Remi, stop her, she’s trying to go peek on Will!” Lilith yells.

“Yeah I heard. Kind of hard not to when everyone is so loud (I can’t even go to the bathroom without stupid things happening).” Remi utters, looking down at Nazuko.

“Remi, listen to me with those big ears of yours, we can work together on this.” Nazuko pleads.

“Yeah no.” Remi says as she picks up Nazuko and throws her back into the hot springs.

She lands right next to me causing water to erupt into the air.

“Girls time for plan B!” Nazuko orders,coming up from the water and spitting some of it out of her mouth.

“I understand” I reply.

I swim over to my clothes located at the rim of the hot spring and after rummaging through my clothes, take out a bomb Ryder had given me. I was told it is a token of friendship, making me feel honored.

“With this bomb, may my enemies know no quarter” I say as I’m about to press the button.

I just quoted Vinland Quest. I always wanted to say that line.

“No!” all the females except Nazuko and Nerva scream.

It is too late, I already pressed the button. The entire room becomes engulfed in a glorious light. Unfortunately the bomb was not lethal, it appears to have been a very strong flashbang. I’m disappointed. I didn’t even get affected by it, my years of training have prevented me from enjoying flashbangs. The last time I was flashbanged and it actually blinded me was when I was 8. That was a fun birthday party.

“Good job Akane! Victory for Nazuko!” Nazuko cheers, making a dash towards the exit. She was about to succeed when a blue wall materialized in the doorway. Nazuko couldn’t stop her momentum so she slams into it.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” Azura yells, emerging from the water. “You girls need to stop! No more! Nazuko, get back in here before I break you”

“Yes ma’am!” Nazuko replies, running back towards the hot springs.

She enters and solemnly swims back to where I am.

“Ok, now everyone listen. We’re all going to stay in this hot spring, and no more crazy stuff is going to happen you hear me!? No towel fights, no weapons going off, no insanity. We’re all going to act like normal people for one night!” Azura commands.

“Yes ma’am” everyone in the room acknowledges.

I see now, Azura is truly the most powerful person in the room. She reminds me of the mentor character from Two Piece, truly a strong woman.

“Do you see the nonsense I have to deal with Anastasia? It’s like this everyday.” Azura remarks, beginning a conversation with Nerva’s sister.

As they spoke Anastasia lets Nerva go and Nerva proceeds to swim her way towards us, unleashing expletives along the way.

“I’m sorry Nazuko, I could not make your dreams come true.” I apologize.

“It’s ok Akane, I don’t need to see Will that badly. I already know he’s huge down there.” Nazuko responds.

Huge in what regard? I’m puzzled, I’ve seen Will and he is average height, I need more information.

“Huge where?” I pry.

“Akane you know what I’m talking about.”

“I do not. Will is average height. There are men we know who are taller.”

“No I’m not talking about his height, I’m talking about his length”

“The length of his weapons? They are short blades, my katana is longer.”

“Um how do I say this in a not weird way? Nerva, help me out.”

I look at Nerva and her face is puzzled. It is not just me, she too does not understand Nazuko’s dialogue.

“The hell are we talking about?” Nerva questions.

“Wow everyone around me is innocent. Remi, come here for a bit, I need your hoe expertise!” Nazuko yells to Remi who has been talking with Azura and Anastasia.

She comes over looking quite annoyed.

“Ok for how long is that title going to stick? It’s getting really annoying now.” Remi inquires.

“As long as you keep being a hoe. But anyway I need you to explain to Akane why I wanted to go peek on Will just now.” Nazuko commands.

“What why? Why can’t you do it you little pervert?”

“Because dummy it’ll sound a lot better coming from a hoe. You’re dirtier than I am.”

“That literally makes no sense. If anyone is dirty, it’s you. You’re the one who tried to peek on Will.”

“Yeah but I didn’t hold his hand though”

Upon hearing that Remi grabs the side of her temples, perhaps suffering from a migraine.

“Is that moment going to haunt me for the rest of my life? Ok fine Akane, I don’t know why you don’t know this but Nazuko wanted to peek on Will’s private parts because she’s dirty.” Remi comments.

“Why?” I question.

“W-what do you mean why? Because...you know... ok this is hard to explain.”

“I’m still confused as shit.” Nerva adds.

“How are you two legal adults and not understand? Have you two literally not had any urges ...to increase the population?” Remi queries.

“I have only been taught to lower the population with my blade” I inform.

“Wow I pity your upbringing. Listen Akane, have you ever been attracted to someone?” Remi asks me.

“Yes, I fought a man who had the ability to make everything in a certain radius fly to him. I won that battle by cutting his head off” I answer.

“...Nazuko I’m done. You should just stop having this conversation.”

“What conversation?” Lilith questions are now joining us.

“We’re trying to explain to Akane and Nerva why Nazuko wanted to peek on Will but one’s too stupid and the other is too innocent.” Remi explains.

“Hey don’t call Akane stupid you dumb bitch” Nerva shoots back.

“I was not referring to her trust me.”

“Oh that’s because Nazuko is a huge pervert who thinks she’s allowed to peek on a soon to be married man” Lilith chastises.

“Will, is getting married?” I wonder.

“Yes he’s engaged to me”

“How many times do we have to remind you it’s a fake marriage?” Remi angrily asks.

“I-I know that ...shut up. You’re lucky Azura would kill me if I did anything” Lilith threatens.

“Why is your engagement fake? Is there no love between you?” I prod.

“Yes exactly” Remi affirms.

“Shut up Remi that’s not true!” Lilith retorts.

“Nah I agree with the elf girl, there just isn’t enough room in Will’s heart. There’s only room for me.” Nazuko points out.

That comment caused Remi, Nazuko, and Lilith to start bickering. Nerva and I spend the next few minutes watching them argue. I tried to keep track but it was no use, I’m lost. Eventually I got bored so I started to head towards Azura and Anastasia with Nerva. Perhaps they are talking about things I understand.

“Hello” I greet.

“Oh hey Akane what brings you here?” Azura responds.

“I was with the other girls but they started talking about things I don’t understand.”

“Oh yeah like what?”

“It started with them trying to explain things to me but then everyone started arguing about Lilith’s loveless engagement.”

“I don’t really understand what you just said but I think the gist is that they’re arguing about Will. As long as they don’t start fighting I don’t care. But I swear those girls are gonna have to learn how to get along, right Anastasia?”

“...” the white haired girl affirms.

“So what the hell y’all talking about?” Nerva asks them.

“Your sister and I were talking about poetry. Do you two wanna join us?”

“Nah that shit gay”

“In my comics there are passages which are poetic” I reply.

“Wow Anastasia you were completely right about your sister. Akane you should really check out poetry some time, I recommend anything by the “womanizing black knight”. It’s a pseudonym so I don’t know their real name but it’s good stuff.” Azura proposes.

“Noted.”

“Hey girls I need your help with something.” Nazuko says swimming to us.

Remi and Lilith are on the other side of the hot spring still arguing.

“What is it Nazuko?” Azura questions, sounding annoyed.

“I’m bored so I’m gathering data! I want to see who everyone besides the elf girl and gorilla thinks is the cutest out of the boys. I want to compare and figure out if I have any more rivals” Nazuko elaborates.

“Well at least this is a normal conversational topic. That’s pretty refreshing. Wait what was that last part?”

“Huh? I didn’t say anything, now everyone has to answer. Nerva who do you think is the cutest?”

“I dunno fucking know I don’t think of that type of shit.”

“Come on Nerva let your inner woman out. I see that you look at Adam sometimes, do you think he’s cute?”

“Hell nah I ain’t gay.”

“...” Anastasisa cuts in.

“No fuck you sis you don’t know shit! How about you huh? You always act weird with Quincy around.”

Anastasia quickly dashes in front of Nerva, giving her a karate chop on the forehead.

“Ow fuck sis that hurt. God damn you hit hard”

“Well what about you Azura?” Nazuko questions as the two sisters continue fighting with each other.

“ I’d like to think of myself as everyone’s big sister so I guess I view all of them like brothers. I haven’t really thought about any of them in any other way.” Azura admits.

“What about Ryder?”

“When I look at Ryder all I see is an extremely large 9 year old so definitely no.”

“Wow I’ll have you put down as the girl who brother-zoned five guys, pretty brutal Azura.”

“Geez thanks”

“What about you Akane?” Nazuko asks, turning her attention towards me.

“I don’t understand the question.” I claim.

“Ok then I’ll phrase it like this, do you think any of the guys is a looker?”

“They are all lookers. They all have functional eyes”

“Ok looks like I’m not getting anything out of you so I’m stopping now.”

“Did I do well?”

“Oh yeah you did great Akane you’re awesome.”

I have done it, I have socialized with other females. I am content, I have womaned correctly.