(っ－＿－)っAM N. NOT.
Maki was reading the details of the card. An Arrancar uniform?—he had never heard of such a thing before. So it was pants, not a gown!. Tear the card to materialize the uniform? That was a strange method for summoning clothes, but the design looked impressive. Look at that black, leather-like jacket. But why was there no shirt or anything to cover the body? Wouldn't it be cold? he asked himself again. After studying the details of the clothes he had drawn, he thought about letting the system decide his outfit. Nemuri kept telling him that he sucked at styling, so maybe the system could help.
He swiped back to the first panel of the system and saw his points were around 6,000. He nodded; today he had received many good draws. "I guess I'm lucky today," he muttered. He didn't make another draw and exited his consciousness back to real time.
His eyelids opened, and, as before, he saw Nemuri and Tsunade talking to each other. Their faces were serious as they conversed. Maki covered his ears, but he could still clearly hear them.
"So it's still useless," Nemuri said.
"Yes, the void cracks really seem to have a connection to passages to the real world," Tsunade muttered.
"Seems like the void cracks are ignoring the ether," Nemuri added, shaking her head.
"Maybe they have another way to bypass the ether," Tsunade replied.
Their conversation was serious, discussing the void cracks and how they might bypass something. As they spoke, their eyes fell on Maki, who tilted his head, listening intently.
For some reason, when their gaze landed on him, both women smiled and chuckled.
"What's wrong, baby?" Nemuri asked.
Tsunade chimed in, "Yes, what's bothering you, Danna?"
Maki had heard their serious conversation but wasn't focused on it; his thoughts were elsewhere. When they asked what was wrong, he answered casually, still deep in thought, "I'm thinking about where I can find another turtle."
"Turtle?" Tsunade and Nemuri repeated in bewilderment.
"Why are you looking for a turtle?" Nemuri asked, glancing at Tsunade as she readied herself to heal them in case something happened again.
"Well, I need to find a mate for the island turtle and grow their population to nine," Maki said, still lost in thought.
Nemuri and Tsunade exhaled in relief that nothing unusual had occurred. But his answer left them dumbfounded. Island turtle? A mate? Population? What was he talking about? Their eyes lingered on his thoughtful expression, his hand stroking his chin like a monkey, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Nemuri asked again, "Baby, what island turtle?"
Maki's eyes lit up at her question. Excited, he began explaining the legendary species he had discovered firsthand.
"Oh, glad you asked, Nem-Nem… you know that island turtle, right? Our elders used to talk about it—how the turtle would shield them from storms and typhoons, and even catch fish with its massive jaw to feed them. I saw it! That island turtle is real, and it can even speak!" Maki said, his voice deep but laced with enthusiasm. His hands moved animatedly, illustrating every detail—the turtle's enormous size, its powerful jaws catching fish.
This was the first time Tsunade had seen this side of him. He was like a child describing a monster he had encountered. That expression alone was disarming, undeniably charming. Nemuri had seen this side of him before, especially when it came to topics connected to the sea, and it was her favorite—him acting like a true youth. Both Nemuri and Tsunade remained silent, listening.
"Its eyes are golden, with spikes on its head," Maki continued, putting his fingers to his head and stretching them out to mimic the spikes. "And the turtle has three tails, each ending with a spike."
"Three tails?" Nemuri and Tsunade repeated simultaneously. "When does a turtle have three tails?"
They watched and listened to Maki but didn't fully believe him; to them, he was speaking of the legends his elders had told. They didn't question it much, though, because he used his long hair to mimic the three tails, acting out the turtle's movements and even copying how it spoke. Then, with Maki's deep voice, he imitated the turtle: "THE NAME IS ISOBU," said the turtle in its ancient voice.
After explaining the encounter he had with the island turtle, Maki adjusted his sitting posture, tilted his head again, and rested his hand on his chin. "And that's why I'm looking for its mate—to prevent their species from going totally extinct."
Tsunade and Nemuri saw the seriousness in his tone when he said "extinct." They didn't know if they would believe him about the island turtle, but given the mysteries surrounding this man, they felt he was genuinely telling the truth and planning to help it find a mate.
Then Nemuri asked, "Baby, I've never seen you have a turtle before."
Maki replied casually, "Hmm… I just received it."
Nemuri and Tsunade recognized this pattern—like the earlier incident when Tsunade had asked where he got the golden serpent earrings. They both just nodded, not asking who gave it to him or where he had received it. They simply accepted it.
Tsunade then asked, "But, Danna, where is the turtle?"
"Oh, that—I need to call for it," Maki said.
"Call?" Tsunade and Nemuri repeated in bewilderment. Where would you call an island turtle? they asked themselves.
The three of them fell into deep thought, each considering different things. Nemuri and Tsunade reflected on what Maki had just said, while Maki contemplated where he might find a mate. Then, they heard a doorbell, which made all three stop and shift their focus from their thoughts.
AM N. NOT.(っ－＿－)っ