But Are You Okay? [Kath]

At first, Arianna seemed quite shocked at such an aggressive way of supporting her bestowed by Priere. Then she was just… motivated. “All right! I’m going to nonoroku find this now!”

With an expression that denoted pure determination, the fairy turned back towards the closet. She could think of plenty of reasons why Anzu would lie but… She was still going to give her the benefit of the doubt. Instead of questioning anything else, she had decided to summon some help for this important endeavor.

“… And you are going to help me!” In a swift movement, Arianna took Priere’s hand and… pulled herself and the nun inside the closet, before closing the door abruptly. Huh. An odd plan. Had she really thought this through? Or was she just having too much fun?

While the sound of the door closing did manage to startle Jazz for a second or two, the importance of this conversation helped her get back into the focused mood quite quickly.

“I think it does.” Jazz replied, showing Anzu a firm node. “Jaenryu said DNA evolution is accomplished when both parts are absolutely synchronized, didn’t he?” That’s what the dragon had explained back in Bastian's warehouse! “He said… our desire to protect who we love had to be stronger than our desire to defeat our enemies.” She mused, letting herself be carried away by these thoughts. “When Minervamon appeared back at the beach, I feel she was not as strong as when we fought Luke. Maybe because we were focusing on the right things when we were at the Dogma Tower, mainly because we had talked to Jaenryu already.” A final pause. “… I think that’s why we feel Minervamon can keep surpassing her limits, because her power depends entirely on us and our mindset.”

They could have the wrong mindset but... as long as they were synchronized, they could fuse. If they had the RIGHT mindset, though, then their power would increase.

That… made sense. But what was this sheer strength relying on, exactly? The answer to that would have to wait. Anzu’s question about the date had come.

Then, when the bean went on to posit that second question… Jazz just gasped. Slowly, her cheeks started to gain a reddish color, which only got stronger as she realized Anzu had to mean a date in a romantic way. Many questions raced through her mind, none of them finding any solid answer. The pink-haired girl seemed to be fairly nervous about this whole ordeal, and now Jazz was too!

To avoid the next seconds being of sheer silence while she died inside, Jazz rushed to throw some type of answer in Anzu’s way. “V-Valentines…?” She has read about that. It was a day where humans celebrated love, wasn’t it? While her curious mind was interested in experimenting a day like that herself, there seemed to be something else making her really nervous. Whatever it was, she would try to keep her mind away from that and deliver an answer.

“Su… S-Sure.” She nodded, before her eyes trailed towards the floor timidly. Why would she decline such an invitation? What did it mean she couldn’t think of any reason to give a negative answer?

Meanwhile, a dim purple light was turned on inside of Akemi’s closet. It was coming from Arianna’s index finger! The fairy had her digit raised and tried to illuminate the wardrobe’s insides. She did this only to find out… Priere’s face was less than an inch away from hers. Well, that made sense, this place wasn’t that big!

Inevitably, Arianna blushed a little.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t think this place would have so… little room for us.” Maybe they should start looking? Could they even start looking in this situation?

---

Akemi’s input only made Katherine remember one of the reasons why she was her best friend. Although usually quiet and not keen on delivering flamboyant arguments on a daily basis, Akemi was brilliant. Just hearing this theory made Katherine’s eyes widen. “T-That makes… a lot of sense.” She admitted excitedly. “They are actually very different, and yet somehow they manage to synchronize their thoughts and sentiments into a single being. She’s completely crazy, but they still manage to protect us.” Was that because of their sole desire to protect who they loved? "That makes it even more admirable."

It seemed like, slowly, the two pairs were getting to the truth behind Minervamon and her power.

“That was… exactly what I was thinking.” The Spaniard admitted, flailing her legs a little bit while still laying on Akemi’s couch. Suddenly, she reincorporated into a sitting position, getting ready to have her wine once her friend served it for her. “I used to think part of her power could be coming from our feelings towards each other.” She noted, her green eyes timidly looking down. “But now… I have noticed… Jazz acting differently when she talks about Anzu. I haven’t asked her properly because I don’t want to make her uncomfortable but…”

A sigh.

“… I don’t know. I feel their bond is becoming stronger than ever.” If that made sense.

It seemed like this little encounter had helped Jazz and Anzu understand a lot more about that warrior they became when their data fused. Minervamon was still a bag of enigmas but… at least they had some theories about her existence now.

Yes. That was the main result of this exchange. Well, that and, of course… Jazz and Anzu having a date! Something that made the bunny even more nervous than the existence of Minervamon itself. Even if she couldn’t quite determine why just yet.

Oh. Hug! Yes. Hugs were good. Especially if coming from Anzu. Naturally, Jazz reciprocated that tight hug with one that was equally snug.“What would you like us to do that day?” She asked, still holding the holosuited bean tight.

Once that was out of the way and without really paying much attention to Arianna and Priere’s mission, Jazz’s eyes trailed down towards the gaming console in Akemi’s room. “So… are you going to invite me to play videogames with you too?” She had mentioned before for a reason! SHE WANTED TO PLAY NOW.

Back in the closet? Arianna celebrated the first pajama found, while Priere was determined to increase that number. Something the fairy was perfectly fine with! And yet still…! She didn’t appreciate the noun being sassy! “W-What do you mean by inclinations?” Without really understanding the obvious joke about drawing someone into a closet, she couldn’t help her cheeks from getting a natural flush. “It’s not like we’re doing anything weird!” She explained while Priere’s rear was… pretty much all over her. The space was very limited!

“Now you have to get one more of these. You’re wearing them with me!” And she meant that, you know?

---

“You might be right.” After reincorporating on the couch, Katherine offered a nod to Akemi’s point. While receiving her glass of wine, Katherine just listened to her friend as she theorized about Anzu’s recent behavior. She couldn't help but… blink and stare at her for a second or two.

Just… thinking about Anzu acting like that felt… both out of place and completely accurate at the same time. “I-I had no idea,” Katherine muttered. “I’ve always had trouble understanding what lies in Anzu’s mind. But you know her a lot better and… if you’re feeling that… maybe it’s true?” Could it be? Could it be the bean had a crush on her bunny!?

“Well… as you can probably tell, she acts a lot more calmly now that she is back at being a Lopmon. So… that also means she is not that vocal about her feelings. More like… she hides them better.” Yes. That was it. “However, she is also a lot more affectionate. She likes hugging and taking things slow. I can feel her attitude towards Anzu had changed but… I can’t tell if that’s just part of her natural change of demeanor or if there’s… something else happening.”

Did that make sense? Finally, the Spaniard took a moment to start drinking her wine.

“This is good!” It was!