Arknights: Living the Dream

Chapter 9: Before Sauin

Guess I'll teach myself the drums now.

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One-Two, One-Two.

I tap my fingers on the couch as Sora just watches, sitting next to me.

Bison and Texas are both at the far end of the room. Sitting on some stool, Bison is looking as uncomfortable as ever, Texas looking as uncaring as ever.

Emperor is sitting on the countertop, Yith right next to him on a stool.

...

"We're here!"

The door slams open. Exusiai and Croissant plow through before awkwardly falling onto the couch, making Sora jump off.

Exusiai looks up to me from the couch, "H-hey Az!"

I stay silent, knowing what's coming.

...

"I clearly said you had 3 days before the Sausin festival" Emperor spouts from across the room, "And yet you somehow took the most amount of time possible to deliver the package."

"...But we got here on time..." Exusiai mumbles.

"4 more minutes and you would have been late..." He says annoyed, "But a job's a job... You got it done even though you should have been on a break, so I must congratulate you for that."

"...Baws!" Croissant gleams, jumping to hug the penguin.

"So I'm letting you off with nothing but a warning." He says jumping off the stool to avoid the hug, "Don't. Do It. Again... Got it."

"Yup, we got it!" Exusiai says, completely ignoring the harsh tone. Croissant gets up from her missed hug and gives a thumb up.

...

Sora gets back on the couch, slightly leaning onto me. Emperor hops back up onto the countertop.

"Okay... So now that we're all finally here. Let's make sure we know what our roles are tomorrow." Emperor spits.

"We will have two information teams. Exusiai and Sora will be getting info from a captured mafioso, while Texas and Az will be overlooking the city for any activity."

"Croissant and Bison will be on the ground. Once we get all the information we need, we meet up and begin poppin' their asses. If anything goes awry, we'll deal with it then and there, no contest... Clear?"

"Mhmm." Me and Texas both say alongside everyone else giving a nod.

"...Alright then. We will stay here for the night and head out tomorrow." Emperor says getting down from the stool, "I'll have Yith wake you up, don't bother with those annoying-ass alarm clocks."

Yith nods from behind the counter.

Emperor gets up, "Get a decent amount of sleep tonight, we'll need energy tomorrow. C'yall tomorrow."

He walks out the room, presumably to wherever his bed is. Yith follows, though breaks away after getting past the door, leaving just me and the girls.

"I'm going to head to my bed, good night." Texas says, being the first to leave.

"Wait! I forgot where the beds were here! Show me!" Exusiai says, running after her. Croissant slowly follows behind, probably forgetting where the beds were as well.

Sora, Bison, and I are the only ones in the room now.

...

I take a book off the table and turn up my music slightly, Sora drifts into sleep as she leans further into my chest.