Afterward, they took measurements for specialized uniforms.
The group disbanded after that.
Before heading out, Aura pulled Fenix by the shoulder and whispered into his ear,
"What made you invite Cantarella?"
Her question amused him. He grinned and poked her cheek before answering,
"She's an expert on creating and curing poisons. She also knows how to make medicine in a pinch or discern which plants are safe to eat." He shrugged and added, "Having her along would save time."
"I can do that too," Aura replied with a pout. Fenix laughed softly, reaching down to hold her hand and weave their fingers together.
"It shouldn't all be on you, though. You're trying to be support, defense and offense all at once. I don't want you to overdo it."
After hearing his response, Aura pressed her lips into a hard line and thought deeply.
"Plus," he began, "Cantarella can also do those things without relying on powers. There may be a time when you can't use yours for whatever reason, or you're tired. At those times, we'll have her."
Aura's heart stirred and she placed her free hand to her chest, hoping to calm it.
It never crossed Aura's mind that Fenix had made the decision with her in mind.
"Well... if I have to travel with a former teacher, I'm glad it's Madam Cantarella."
"You don't have to call her Madam now, but yeah, we could be traveling with Ms. Emerald," he remarked.
Aura shuddered at the thought.
Outside, Veil approached Vision with Flow in tow.
"Hey, did you ever open the gift I sent you?" he asked.
Vision squinted from confusion, then remembered the package Veil left him a few days back. It was still sitting on his bookshelf untouched.
"I completely forgot about it," Vision admitted, feeling slightly ashamed. Veil sighed heavily and said,
"I can tell."
Vision gave him a questioning look, so Veil continued,
"Make sure to unwrap before we leave the island and tell me what you think."
Vision's suspiciousness rose.
"What did you give me?"
Distrust was heavy in his voice.
Veil laughed dismissively and began walking away,
"It's a surprise!" he shouted while waving back at his brother.
When Vision got home, he sat on the couch and scowled at the gift with folded arms.
After a long bit of deliberation, he flipped over the gift tag and read:
"For my beloved brother."
Vision cringed and his apprehension increased.
It was over an hour later that he gave in and opened the gift, only to be blasted in the face by tons of glitter.
His eyes shut instinctively but the glitter got in his mouth. It also coated his skin and hair.
After letting his rage simmer for a moment, he tossed the box into the trash and took a shower. The glitter was stubborn and hard to get off even after several washes. As he scrubbed his face one final time, Vision muttered,
"I'm going to kick his ass."
He rushed to Veil's house right after getting dressed and banged on the door. There was no answer, so he yelled,
"Get out here, now!"
Veil cracked the door open with a wide mischievous grin,
"What's wrong?" he asked, as if he didn't know. Then he snorted, stifling a laugh as Vision's face sparkled in the sunlight.
Vision reached out to grab his collar, but Veil ducked out of the way and ran out the door, laughing manically.
Vision took off after him.
They ran to the marketplace, weaving through the crowd.
Vision stayed hot on his tail, powered by pure adrenaline.
Veil made a sharp turn down an alleyway and when Vision followed, he saw they were at a dead end.
He smiled to himself and cracked his knuckles.
"You can't run anymore," Vision commented while creating two clones so Veil wouldn't be able to get past him.
Veil scoffed, then ran full speed toward one of the walls and jumped. He agilely leapt from one wall to the other, making it all the way to the building's rooftop in seconds.
Vision jaw dropped as he watched in amazement.
Veil peeked down at Vision, smirked smugly, and stuck out his tongue while flicking him off.
Vision's rage was renewed so he summoned more clones.
The clones climbed onto one another until they were tall enough to reach the roof's edge. By the time he climbed up there, Veil had hopped over to an adjacent rooftop and was gleefully on the run again.
The chase led all the way back to Veil's house.
Veil strolled over casually and sat down on his porch steps tauntingly as Vision staggered after him at the end of the walkway.
Vision collapsed, hunching over with his hands on his knees, too out of breath to take another step.
Veil watched him quietly with a smile.
"I'm sorry," he said insincerely. Vision flicked him off, too tired to retort and sat down on the ground.
Flow came out of the house at that moment and looked between the two of them.
"What's going on?" she inquired.
"Vision didn't like my gift," Veil replied with a shrug.
"You're damn right!" Vision mustered out, still trying to even out his breathing.
Flow made her way over to him. She touched his shoulder while invoking her powers to restore his energy.
"What did he give you?" she asked quietly.
"An annoyance," Vision answered, while glaring at his brother.
Veil gasped, feigning hurt.
"I worked on that gift for hours and that's all you can say?"
Vision's eye twitched.
"You made that thing?!" he shouted, irritated.
"Yeah, it took forever to gather all the materials. You should be more grateful," Veil replied in a mocking tone.
Vision sneered but, even after Flow's treatment, he no longer had the mental energy to chase him.
"He pranks me sometimes too," she whispered.
Vision turned to her with intrigue, so she continued,
"He's pantsed me several times, replaced the salt in the shaker with sugar, flipped my skirt on walks, and put dye in the hand soap," she recited while putting up her fingers.
Vision snickered lightly, his anger dissipating.
"You've been putting up with a lot," he commented.
Veil frowned but Flow laughed off his statement, her cheeks growing red.
"He makes it really hard to stay mad," she admitted, glancing at Veil but turning away quickly.
"Fine, whatever. I'm leaving. Don't send me anything else!" Vision replied while getting up to go.
"I love you too!" Veil called, but Vision didn't give a response and kept walking away. Flow sat on the porch beside him.
"I noticed the glitter... was that from your gift?" Flow interrogated. Veil covered his mouth trying to hold in his laughter. Flow sighed heavily, slumping her shoulders, "Why would you do that?" she mumbled.
"I just had the urge and couldn't help myself..." he muttered. Flow rolled her eyes, but then she laid her head on his shoulder.
"We should go inside," she said sweetly, while holding his hand.
His eyes lingered on their clasped hands expressionlessly. Then he turned his head, placing his free hand on her cheek, pulling her in for a kiss.
She gasped, and her heart pounded as it continued.
"Veil... we're outside," she noted shyly, between kisses. He deepened the kiss, massaging her tongue with his, and causing her body to heat up.
Their mouths parted and he grinned as he said,
"Are you embarrassed? That's cute," before connecting their lips again.
Flow let out a soft moan.
Then Veil embraced her, and this time when he pulled away, she went limp in his arms, panting, with a starry-eyed gaze, and flushed cheeks.
"You... went out of your way to heal my brother, I'm hurt. We ran the same distance, and you didn't even think of me," he murmured, faking a sad face.
Flow's eyes drifted away,
"You... didn't ...look tired," she mumbled while panting.
Veil lowered his hand, sliding it under her skirt and gripping her thigh. She jolted, looking at him with wide eyes.
"That's a bad excuse," he said coldly.
She tensed as his fingers inched upward.
"Also... as soon as he left, you immediately tried to tell me what to do..." he leaned to her ear to whisper the next part, "If you're horny and want to go inside, you have to ask me nicer."
His hand slid between her thighs and his voice made her tremble.
Flow swallowed hard as she stammered out,
"V-Veil... L-let's take this inside, p-please."
She looked at him with pleading eyes.
Veil instantly retracted his hand from her skirt and patted her cheek.
"See, was that so hard?" he said gently as he stood up to hold the door open.
"After you," he added in a sweet voice, but with the same mischievous smile he'd had for a while.
Flow's hands shook as she propped herself up to her feet and her legs wobbled all the way inside the house.
Veil shut the door behind them.
"And Flow," she paused as soon he spoke, feeling his gaze on her back, "if I'm in a fight, even if I win, and barely get a scratch. Attend to me first."
The tension in his words felt heavy, but it also thrilled her.
"I understand," she replied softly.
Veil lifted her, cradling her in his arms and leaned in as if to kiss her, but instead he bit her bottom lip and sharply looked into her eyes.
"Good. Don't forget," he said, carrying her into the bedroom.