Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Home; curb, Saturday April 7^th 2035, 6:01am

Trina tugs her backpack strap as she waits by the curb. Today she was going on a road trip with Megan, Juniper, Olivia and Karmi for the weekend; and their schools were closed on Monday for cleaning so they wouldn’t have to worry about coming home late. They were leaving early to get a head start, and so David wouldn’t get some of his future spoiled for him; as her family was right there behind her to see her off. But this event was also important; as it would be the first time Trina had been away from her family for an extended period (excluding her honorary cousins Juniper and Megan).

Olivia then pulls up in her dad’s old red 2003 Yukon with their friends already in. Trina fakes a deep breath, then starts hugs Grace, Celine and Amy all at once. “See you on Monday.” She says in a slightly shaky voice. “Be safe.” Grace tells her, getting a nod back. Trina then hugs her mom carefully, since she was holding a sleepy David; who wanted to see her off. “Take care, mom.” She says softly. “You too, bro.”

David nods as he yawns, barely able to keep his eyes open. The robot teen then walks over to her sisters, pulling them into a warm hug. “Take care you two.” She asks softly, getting Antonia more teary eyed as she nuzzles her head into Trina’s chest. Yelena was crying a bit too, not ready for her sister to spend some time away from her. The three of them carefully break the hug, then Trina gets into the back with Karmi and Megan. After she buckles up, she pulls down her window and waves bye to her family. “Love you guys.” She smiles.

“We love you too, Trina.” Victoria smiles before yawning. “Stay with the group and listen to the adults.”

Her daughter warmly chuckles. “I will, thanks mom. I love you all.” She softly waves before rolling up the window, then Olivia starts driving away as Trina looks at her family through what she could see of Juniper’s passenger side mirror before they got too far. “So, what now?”

“Well, whoever’s tired can sleep.” Olivia says as she taps the wheel, noticing that Megan was knocked out and resting on Karmi’s shoulder. “And every 2 hours we’ll switch drivers between the five of us.”

“Sounds good.” Trina smiles. The five of them were driving to Vancouver, Canada to sightsee and enjoy the atmosphere. It would be about 15 hours and 21 minutes until they got there, but part of the trip is the journey; where there could be quality bonding time. “So Karmi, what do you wanna do when we get there?”

“Well, we could visit the Queen Elizabeth Park.” The bio-tech major says, gushing a bit. “The cherry blossoms are in bloom.”

Trina’s eyes widen with excitement, since she found cherry blossoms very beautiful. “Woah.”

“Well, I would love to see a steam clock or maybe the Metropolis at Metrotown Mall.” Juniper lightly geeks out.

Olivia thinks about it carefully. “I dunno, maybe a nice restaurant.” She shrugs. “Well we’ll work around the planner if needed.”

“Sounds good.” Trina smiles. So far, the road trip was going great.

6:38am

“Mom, five more minutes.” Megan mutters as she waves her hand, being bothered by the sunlight. Since that didn’t work she just took off her jacket and put it over her eyes. “What time is it?” She slurs.

Trina checks her phone. “6:38am.”

“Meh, 2 more hours.” Her reporter cousin waves it off, making everyone else laugh. “So Trina, how’s it going in your house?” Juniper wonders.

“Not much difference.” Her robot cousin waves it off. “Yelena’s studying for her G.E.D, Antonia’s getting along with her best friend Ava, David being a cinnamon roll, etc.”

Juniper can’t help but smile, since David was her brother too. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah, I love them all.” Trina gushes. “Sure, David can be a bit rowdy sometimes, but he’s still learning. Oh, and Antonia finds my heartbeat soothing as well.”

Karmi perks up in confusion. “You have a heartbeat?”

“Oh right, your phone was in the shop when I texted everyone.” Her friend realizes. “Well, David finds my “heartbeat” soothing and calming, like how my mom’s heartbeat soothes me. It’s, more like my internal processors humming and whirring.”

The 19-year-old was very surprised to hear this. “That’s so sweet.” She gushes in a low but sharp voice.

“Besides that, not much new. Aunt Celine and Amy are looking for jobs though.”

“Like what?” Olivia wonders.

Her friend shrugs. “Not much, just stuff like fast food or store clerks to get a running start.”

Her conscious friends take a sharp inhale. “Fast food ain’t the way to go.” Juniper points out.

“Yeah, Aunt Kamala worked at Noodle Burger like 3 years ago.” Karmi shares in a concerned tone. “She worked at the one Richardson Mole bribed to rob Fred. SHE’S THE ONE THAT SERVED THEM!”

“Yikes.” Trina winces. “Well, it’s not the BEST, but it’s a start. Also not many high-business places hire ex-cons.”

Olivia winces in sympathy. “Oof, don’t I know it.”

“Well, I’m sure your aunts will find great jobs.” Karmi assures Trina, making her feel good. “Thanks Karms.” Megan then snores very loudly. “Aw man.” Juniper mutters in annoyance.

Karmi rubs her face in annoyance. “She wasn’t snoring before, so why now?”

Trina shrugs. “I dunno, you’re the medical expert.”

“Bio-tech.” Karmi clarifies. “But if I had to guess, maybe some kind of post-nasal drip or phlegm.”

Juniper internally gags at her friend’s hypothesis. “Ew.”

“Well it’s just a theory.” The 19-year-old states as Megan has some loud snores. “Hopefully it goes away soon.” She mutters.

8:58am

By then, Megan had woken up and Juniper was driving. “So, anyone read anything good?” The blonde brings up, trying to start a new conversation.

“I started reading Archie Sonic.” Megan brings up.

Trina looks at her friend/cousin in amazement. “Wow, I heard that’s overall GOATED.”

“It’s good so far.” The reporter notes. “And the fourth wall breaks are well done.”

“I bet.” Olivia says, winking to the fourth wall. “Well, I’ve been reading the GOOD SpongeBob fanfiction.”

Megan fakes a gasp. “And you’ve been holding out on us?!” She says overdramatically. “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH BADLY WRITTEN SPONGEBOB FANFICTION ENDS UP IN MY SEARCH RESULTS?”

Karmi snickers and snorts. “Oh yeah. Well for me, I’ve been catching up on my mangas.”

“You actually got a copy without having to drive to the book store?” Trina asks in disbelief. “Dude, the comic book store, not owned by Richardson, is always sold out by the time I get there.”

“Well that’s because both men and women go there.” Olivia points out. “Since Olivia’s cousin creeps out all the women that visit his shop. I can count the number of times Gogo has gone there on one hand.”

Karmi shudders. “I forgot about Gogo.”

“I still can’t believe Richardson blackmailed Big Hero 6.” The 24-year-old mutters, remembering when Fred spilled the beans out of anger around 2 years ago in November; and unknown to him Ari was there in the shop when he spilled them.

Juniper rolls her eyes. “Yeah, look I believe people can change but Mole’s not making the effort.”

“OH YEAH.” Karmi groans, noting that he had basically flirted with them all. “How did Fred even start a rivalry with that chauvinist again?”

 “It was a charity gala, he called him off for harassing a girl.” Megan recalls. “But Mole saw his Captain Fancy sneakers and the rest was history.”

“Why was he wearing sneakers at a gala?” Trina asks.

The reporter shrugs. “No one knows. But at least he and Olivia have a good relationship.”

Her beanie wearing friend gets a small, warm smile. “Yeah, they’re a cute couple.”

“Shame Olivia couldn’t join us.” Karmi slightly sulks. The cotton candy haired girl couldn’t come on the trip due to her attending some business event on her family’s behalf.

Olivia Vi nods. “Yeah, but at least most of us were able to come.” She says with an optimistic smile. The others smile back, noting that their friend was right. “Yeah, it’s great that the five of us could make it.” Trina says in a warm voice, grateful about the trip.

12:38pm

Around lunchtime, Karmi was now driving; and they had stopped by the T-Burger drive-thru for some lunch and were parked so Karmi could eat. “So, any plans for next week?” She asks the group.

Olivia shrugs. “I’m taking Sofia to dance class next Saturday but besides that not much.”

“Ditto.” Trina raises her right finger. “Antonia doesn’t return to school until May- oh wait! My Aunt Yuriko and her friend Victoria are visiting.” She snaps her fingers in reminiscence.

“Oh yeah, I remember you telling us about Ms. Hand.” Megan notes between bites of her double burger.

Trina gets a small, warm smile. “Antonia really loves Victoria, but I think Yelena, David and I need some time to get to know her.” She notes, since Victoria and them hadn’t really interacted.

“Aw.” Juniper coos, finding the possibility of found family expansion touching.

Karmi sips some of her Squirt before smiling. “That’s sweet, Trin.”

“Thanks.” Trina says with a warm smile. “So, what do we talk about now?”

Megan shrugs. “I dunno, crushes?”

“Don’t really have any.” Trina notes. “But this does remind me of when Olivia teased Hiro for an innocent comment he made about my Aunt Rebecca.”

Olivia then gets an embarrassed blush and smile. “Well in my defense Hiro doesn’t compliment women often; also we were goading him into revealing his actual crushes.” Hiro never actually found Rebecca attractive; he was just too flustered to correct the girls and Baymax back in Klamath Falls. Plus Megan was just joking around during the sleepover at Trina’s house the previous year.

“Yeah, we went a bit too far there.” Megan winces.

“Let’s change the subject back.” Olivia votes. “But I don’t think I have any crushes.”

“Hiro of course.” Karmi gleams. “Attraction only wise, Reed Richards.”

“Ooh I forgot about him!” Olivia gushes. “He’s adorkable.”

Juniper thinks about it carefully. “Um, Dr. Hank McCoy I guess.”

“Oooh.” Karmi and Megan lightly tease, making Juniper sulk into the middle seat. “Lil Juni’s got a special crush.” Karmi kindly teases.

“I get it.” Megan states. “He’s smart, funny and poetic. Plus he’s a gentle giant.”

The former crime-dancer slightly unsulks, getting a calm smile on her face. “Thanks, guys.”

“Plus he has great hair.” Olivia snickers. “Like seriously; how his hair on point?” This makes the rest of her friends burst into laughter. After one minute, it dies down. “So Trin, no one on your romance-radar?” The engineer asks her friend.

“Not really.” The robot shrugs. “Not many robots in San Fransokyo.”

“Oh, right.” Olivia says, feeling kinda bad for the girl. “But that’s ok.” Trina smiles. “I don’t really wanna date right now.”

Megan gets a small smirk. “Me neither.” She says warmly, making Trina feel not so alone.

“Well it’d be nice if I started dating.” Juniper notes. “But I’m happy either way.”

Olivia snickers. “Mami is never gonna let me live it down if I start dating. She’ll be like “Took you long enough!” and “I’ll be the judge if he’s good enough for you!” and such.”

The girls have a small laughing fit, noting that Lucia meant well but was kinda naggy.

2:59pm

“Anyone have any plans for the summer?” Megan asks, tapping the steering wheel to pass the time.

“The beach and pool of course!” Juniper gushes, holding her arms in the air. “And amusement parks!”

“Count me in.” Karmi smiles. “I need some sun.”

Trina can’t help but smile. “This will be my first summer with my new sisters and aunts.” She warmly gushes. “I can’t wait to share that with them.”

“That’s heartwarming.” Olivia joyfully notes. “Racing bikes with Gogo is definitely on my list.”

“That sounds fun!” Her blonde-haired friend gushes. “Mikan really needs the sun.”

“Our sister is naturally pale though.” Trina notes, remembering old photos of Mikan the Ferns and Juniper showed her.

Juniper nods. “Yeah but she stays indoors too much, especially at work. She and Liv did join us on one of our beach days last year, but still; the girl spends too much time indoors.”

“You make a good point.” Her robot cousin notes as Megan looks out the window. She notices all the desert area they’re passing, all the shops in the middle of nowhere. It was, weird. She wasn’t used to the scenery, the lack of social life in the environment; it was too quiet. She gets pulled out of her thoughts when Karmi taps her shoulder, with a look of slight concern. “You ok, Meg?”

Megan nods as she rubs the back of her neck. “Yeah, I’m just not used to how quiet it is out here.” She admits in a low voice. “Yeah, I get it.” The reporter freezes at her friend’s confession.

“It’s weird, driving this far out.” Karmi says in a soft and understanding voice. “Looks like “nowhere” in the dictionary. It somehow lacks the life of freeways.”

Megan’s eyes widen, since her friend had taken the words right out of her mouth. “Yeah, that’s.. how I feel.” She says in a low voice.

“I’ve been on a lot of road trips, so this isn’t too rare for me.” Her friend shares. “It can be lonely, but at least we have each other.” She says with a small warm smile, bringing her friend slightly out of her shellshock; making her feel not so alone in this area. “Yeah, we have each other.” The reporter warmly gushes.

6:38pm

“My mom would flip out seeing me driving her dream car.” Trina quietly gushes from the driver’s seat, since Juniper was snoring in the passenger’s seat. Meanwhile, Megan was listening to music on her phone while Karmi and Olivia watched the scenery as they passed by it.

“Almost 3 hours, girls.” Trina says in an soft, enthusiastic voice. “Almost three hours until Vancouver.”

“Can’t wait.” Karmi says quietly while Olivia nods. She then sits back against her seat and looks at the car ceiling. Bored as well, Olivia does the same. “So, you and Hiro doing ok?”

Karmi lightly snickers. “Yeah. He’s probaly running after Trivia Trickster with the others.”

“Maybe.” Olivia slightly smirks. “She’s kinda a weirdo.”

“Yeah, and her hair’s a nightmare to draw.” Karmi chuckles, noting that Tricker’s Big Chibi 6 form took a while to get right. “I bet.” Her engineering friend snickers. “Her hair is CRAZY.” The two then share a soft but hearty laugh. Karmi then thinks of a question, one that was deep and kinda personal.

“So, have any plans for after SFIT?” She asks softly, catching Olivia off-guard. The raven haired girl takes a deep breath as she considers it. “Not really.” She admits in a low voice. “Probaly an engineering job somewhere. I, don’t know yet. I know I’m passionate about engineering but when it comes to the bigger picture.. I’m drawing blanks.”

Karmi absorbs what her friend said and couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. “Yeah, me too.” Olivia turns her head in shock at Karmi’s words. “I could get a job in bio-tech engineering, maybe a medical scientist, but nothing is set in stone yet. Juniper and I are graduating in two years, and it feels like there’s pressure to, find something.” She takes another deep breath. “The pressure is a lot.”

“…Yeah.” Her engineering friend says after taking in Karmi’s words as she continues looking at the roof. She then gets a smile when she thinks of something encouraging. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.” The two of them had gone through a lot in the past three years, but they always managed to succeed; because they had friends and they worked hard.

Karmi thinks about what Olivia said, then gets a small smile; feeling less pressure and more encouragement.

9:28pm

“Karmi, Karmi wake up.” Juniper shakes Karmi awake, prompting the bio-tech major to sit up and stretch. She then looks outside, noting that they were on a bridge in the city. “Where are we?” The brunette asks.

“Fraser Delta Thruway.” Olivia smiles as she drives them across the bridge. “Welcome to Vancouver, Karms.”

Karmi can’t help but look out in amazement. She was finally in Vancouver; and it looked wonderful. The bridge arched over a river surrounded by the city and nature. It was a calming atmosphere. The others looked in amazement as well, especially Trina from the passenger’s seat. Vancouver was beautiful, and it felt, tingly to be there. It was, exhilarating to reach this milestone in her life and she was glad her friends (and cousins) were there to help her.

Chapter Text

Vancouver; motel, Saturday April 7^th 2035, 9:45pm

“Yes mom, we made it safe.” Trina says to her mom on the phone as she and her friends enter their motel room. “I’ll videocall you guys in a moment.” She says as she heads to one of the beds. The room was nice with tan papyrus textured walls and dark brown carpeting. As usual, there was a radiator and air conditioner, a sink outside the toilet and shower area, and a TV with a bunch of furniture accompanying the two beds. Trina puts her backpack on bed then sits by it, changing her call from audio to video; being greeted by her family’s loving faces. “It’s so great to see you guys.” She smiles, being happy to talk to them.

“How are the accommodations, sweetie?” Amy asks, noting that some motel rooms looked horrible.

Trina warmly snickers. “It’s great, Aunt Amy.” She says before standing up and doing a quick turn around so her aunt could see the quality room in the background. “That’s good to see.” The golden eyed woman smiles. Celine then raises her hand. “How is everyone doing?”

“We’re a’ight.” Her robot niece shrugs with a smile. “Heart to heart here and there on the ride, but overall, a wonderful ride.”

The diamond eyed woman then smiles as Grace tries getting into frame, greeting her niece with a concerned face. “Were you ok driving during your turns?”

“Yeah, I was great.” Her niece assures her. “Thanks for your concern, Aunt Grace.”

Grace smiles and nods before handing the phone back to Victoria, who places it back into position so it showed all seven of them. Antonia then leans over, waving to her. “Hey Trina!” She says, very happy to see her sister. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Lots of fun.” Trina says in a fun but cryptic way, making her sister excited and curious. David then yawns heavily, since it was past his bedtime but like earlier; he asked his mom to wake him up so he could see his sister. “Trina...” He says before dozing off in his mom’s arms, making Trina’s heart melt from how cute he was. “I love you too, David.” She says in a loving voice. Yelena then adjusts the camera to get herself into frame, giving her sister a small smile. “I hope you have fun, sestra.” She says softly, yet loudly.

“Thanks sis.” The robot girl smiles. Then Victoria points the camera back to normal. “You made sure to pack extra underwear right?” She asks innocently.

“MOM!” Trina yells, feeling her cheeks blush from embarrassment.

“You might get dirty, so the “only have to bathe every two weeks” rule doesn’t apply.” Her mom clarifies, making the robot teen sigh. “Yes, I have an extra pair.”

“Good.” Victoria smiles, before thinking about something else. “Wait did you pack an extra pair or are you borrowing from-“

“MOM!” Trina yells, her face feeling like it’s overheating.

“Alright, alright.” Victoria waves her hands defensively, before getting a warm smile on her face. “Good night Trina. We love you.”

Trina smiles as her blush fades. “I love you all too.” She says warmly before ending the video call. She turns to see her friends have already settled into the motel.  “Alright everyone, get changed into your PJs.” Olivia tells her friends. “Beddy bye time and we’re waking up early tomorrow, so get changed and wash up.”

Everyone nods, then starts getting ready for bed.

10:16pm

*CLAP* “Alright everyone, who’s sleeping where?” Olivia asks her friends, since they decided that the sleeping arrangement could wait until they arrived. “I’m in the bed closest to the door.”

“I call right next to you.” Juniper says.

Olivia nods. “Alright, one more in this bed or the three of you can share the other one.”

Karmi, Megan, and Trina look at each other as they think about it. Then, Trina realizes something and raises her hand. “Um, just in case maybe Karmi or Megan should join you since I’ll basically be a brick when asleep.” She points out. “So, my bedmate will need more room.” True, she had slept with her mom and siblings, but that was a different layout.

Olivia considers what Trina said, then nods. “Alright. So who’s bunking with Trina?”

Karmi and Megan look at each other, feeling awkward since they had to choose who slept where. “You should, she’s your cousin.” Karmi offers.

“It’s ok, you go ahead.” Megan assures her. The two then think very hardly abou-

“If no one says anything, I choose.” Olivia speaks up, not wanting to waste time on this. Knowing time was running out, Karmi raises her hand. “I’ll bunk with Trina.”

Olivia smiles, glad the matter was settled. “Alright then. Everyone get tucked in then lights out.”

“Ok Olivia.” Trina says as she and Karmi get into their bed. As she takes one last look at her cousins and friends, she notices Karmi’s pajamas; since this was the first time she and Karmi ever had a “sleepover”. The bio-tech major was wearing orange-plaid PJ pants with a black t-shirt that said “Nucleus are my interests” in neon blue letters, along with her hair being down. It was different compared to Trina’s dark purple PJ pants with a dark blue 2012 SFIT t-shirt. “Nice PJs.” She compliments her friend as she fluffs her pillow.

“Thanks.” Karmi smiles as she takes in the atmosphere. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Tingly mostly.” Trina says as she tries getting comfy. “A bit nervous I guess, since I’m not with my mom or Aunt Grace.”

Karmi can’t help but feel for her. “That’s how I felt after Aunt Kamala went back home, after my parents pulled me out of SFIT 2 years ago.” She says, remembering how upset she was. “She stayed with me a few days at my parents’ house before going back home. I had trouble readjusting to life with my parents, but I got it eventually.”

Trina feels a bit teary-eyed inside. “Thanks, and I’m sorry that happened.”

“Thanks.” Karmi lightly snickers as she gets under the covers. “Goodnight girls, love you.” She says in a loving tone. “Love you too.” Everyone else says out of sync.

As she tries drifting off, Karmi can feel Trina moving around. “Trin, could you stop moving so much?” She asks as she turns to face Trina.

“Sorry.” Her robot friend says, feeling embarrassed. “I, can’t get comfortable enough to fall asleep.” Karmi’s pupils shift a bit, feeling bad for her friend. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Trina thinks about it carefully, then nods. “There is one thing.” She then cringes in embarrassment. “I understand if it’s weird for you.” Karmi gives her a look of love and understanding. “Trina, what is it?”

The robot girl fakes a deep breath. “My mom’s heartbeat soothes me, especially when I’m upset.” She admits, hiding her face in her shirt. “It made me feel safe and loved. Could we, do that?”

Karmi thinks about it for a minute, carefully, then nods. “Sure.” She says in a soft but kind voice. Karmi then lays on her back as Trina carefully lays by Karmi’s torso, carefully placing her ear against her friend’s chest. Karmi’s heartbeat was at a normal resting pace, but it was a bit higher due to her teenage metabolism. Her age also attributed to how it’s volume; since it was louder than Victoria’s. “Good night Trina, love you.” Karmi says, giving her friend a goodnight kiss on the forehead. Then, the bio-tech major’s heartbeat gets more calming, more relaxed.

Trina recognized it anywhere; the heartbeat of someone who loved her. “I love you too, Karmi.” Trina smiles as she drifts off. Karmi can’t help but smile, feeling glad she helped her friend. As she drifted off, her heart was warmed from knowing that her friend loved her and felt safe with her.

Chapter Text

Vancouver; motel, Sunday April 8^th 2035, 6:53am

Karmi slowly wakes up and attempts to stretch, but notices that Trina was still there; her head against her heart. She warmly chuckles, finding it so sweet and cute that her heartbeat soothed her friend. She carefully gets out of bed and starts heading to the bathroom, but notices that the rising sun was peeping through the curtains. She heads up to the curtains and hides in them, gazing and smiling at the beautiful sunrise. Today’s already off to a great start She warmly gushes in her mind.

7:00am

Then, an assortment of alarms go off, ranging from beeping or someone’s favorite song. Everyone else was then awakened, a bit begrudgingly since they were pulled from their sleep. After Juniper stretches, she notices she drooled on Olivia’s dark red t-shirt. “Oops, sorry Vi.” She squeaked as she wiped the drool off her mouth. But her friend seemed unbothered. “You’re good.” She smiles. “It happens.”

Megan on the other hand drooled all over her own custom printed “Super Sleuth Megan Cruz” t-shirt that her mom commissioned for her. “Aw man.” She mutters as she examines the stains. “Morning everyone.” Trina says after she puts her tan fluffy slippers on. As she gets out of bed, she realizes that her friend/bunk mate was sitting in the desk chair as it faced the open window with a calm yet exhilarated face. “Morning Karms, how long you been up?” She asks as she walks up to Karmi.

“7 minutes.” The bio-tech major shrugs, sounding inspired and in awe. “Just in time for sunrise.”

Trina takes a look out the window, seeing that the skies were still tainted a beautiful orange from dawn. A small smile of awe grows on her face. “Yeah, I can see why you stayed.” She says in a similar tone as she decided to stay there for a moment more.

Streets of Vancouver, 7:34am

After the girls got ready, they started walking to a restaurant for brunch as they also took in the scenery. Vancouver was like most cities, although a few more round buildings than some. It was also quite colorful. The mountains were very close them in the distance, which was exhilarating. “This place is breathtaking.” Megan smiles, letting out a small laugh as she said it.

“Indeed.” Trina notes in an amused tone. “It’s so, weird having the mountains so close to us. But I love it.”

“Ditto.” Juniper says, before feeling her stomach growl again. “Hey Vi, how much further is the restaurant?”

Olivia sees it not too far in the distance and smiles. “Don’t worry, June. We’re almost there.” She assures her best friend.

Northern Café & Grill, 7:39am

The five enter the restaurant and are immediately greeted by the diner like aesthetic, with diner tables around the restaurant as if it were a fancy establishment. The walls were adorned with fairy lights and picture-frames displaying old photos and certificates above some kind of paper-form DIY wallpaper. “Wow.” Juniper blurts out in awe.

“Come on.” Olivia says, leading the group to a table. As they crack open their menus, a waitress walks up to them with a notepad in hand and big smile on her face. “Hi everyone, I’m Jenny and I’ll be your server today.” She beams. “Can I start you off with anything to drink?

“I’ll have some Sprite please.” Juniper asks.

“Dr. Pepper.” Olivia says.

“Diet Coke.” Megan asks.

“Squirt please.” Karmi smiles.

“Cherry Coke please.” Trina asks, letting the waitress finish writing their drink orders. “Alright, well I’ll be back soon with your drinks and to take your order.” Jenny says in a perky tone. “Thanks Jenny.” Trina says as the waitress heads out.

Juniper then takes another look around the restaurant, still impressed with the décor. “This place is so, cozy.” She says with an amused chuckle.

Megan looks around the room, noticing it’s, calming aesthetic. “Yeah, it kinda does.” She smiles. Meanwhile, Karmi was looking at the menu. “This is an interesting mix of Canadian and Asian cuisine.” She notes.

“Yeah.” Olivia says, trying to figure out what to order. “It all looks good.”

Trina snickers. “Yeah, Yelena would love it here.”

Megan lowers her menu with a curious look. “Trin, when are we going to get to meet them? June and Karms have already met them.”

“I know, I know.” The robot girl waves her arms defensively. “It’s hard with David in the house, and there’s scheduling. stuff I really want you two to meet them.”

“That’s ok, girl.” Olivia assures her friend. “We understand. We can wait to meet them when the time is right.”

Megan nods with a small smile. “Yeah, we can wait.”

“Thanks, guys.” The robot girl says, having melted into a calm smile. “So, where to first today?”         

Olivia pulls out her phone and reviews the stuff the group wants to do. “Well, we can do the steam clock first, then the park and Metropolis. Then we can do some more sightseeing.”

“Sounds good.” The beanie girl says. “So, what’s everyone getting to eat?”

Streets of Vancouver, 8:14am

After a very delicious breakfast, the girls stroll through town on their way to their first landmark- “IT’S RIGHT THERE!” Juniper squeals loud enough for the girls’ ears to hurt. The other four then gaze their eyes on the steam clock; which looked like an ordinary albeit gothic grandfather clock in black on a pedestal with a plaque. Juniper couldn’t help but squeal and awe at how rustic and steampunk it looked. Megan walks up to the plaque and skims it. “Huh, it’s been here for like twenty years.”

Her 18-year-old dancer friend then zooms over to Olivia with an eager look on her face. “Vi, could you please take a photo of me with the clock?” She asks with the puppy dog eyes (which she learned from Ari). Olivia gets a warm smile. “Of course, June.”

Juniper hands Olivia her phone then heads back over to the clock and strikes a happy pose. “Ready!” She happily gleams, signaling Olivia to take a few photos. In the meantime, Karmi, Megan and Trina examined the clock.

“Why steampunk?” Trina wonders, getting a shrug from Karmi. “I dunno, but maybe Steamer would like it.” The bio-tech major notes.

“Got em June.” The eldest of the group says.

“Thanks Vi.” Juniper smiles as she walks back over and grabs her phone. “So next stop Elizabeth Park?” Olivia then snaps her fingers joyfully. “Bingo.”

Queen Elizabeth Park, 8:56am

The five enter the park, immediately being hit by how beautiful it was. All the luscious shrubs, trees and flowers across the differing terrain. The dome building somehow added to the beauty, and of course there was the crème of the cream; the cherry blossom trees. As the five approached them, they couldn’t help but take in their beauty. True; cherry blossoms were in bloom back home, but it was still beautiful nonetheless. “It’s so, big compared to the ones in the sidewalks.” Karmi notes, her eyes widened from the wonderful sight.

Trina warmly chuckles. “Yeah, it’s a big one.”

Olivia lays her hand out and lets a cherry blossom land on the palm of her hand, admiring how majestic the experience was.

“This tree is a big boy.” Megan snickers in an amused tone as she snaps photos of it with her camera and phone. The others can’t help but burst into a small laughing fit at her comment.

Metropolis at Metrotown, 10:28am

The girls take in the epic-ness of the mall. It was three stories with 450 stores in it’s white tiled and pillar-ed décor. In one of the wide-roofed areas, there was a glass pillar that held elevators going to each floor. Like all malls; it was calming and cozy. “So, it’s on?” Megan asks.

The others said “Yes” or “Yeah” with an excited tone. Then the five walk further into the mall, ready to get their shop on.

Clothing shop; fitting rooms, 30 minutes later

After a while of browsing, the girls had gathered enough clothes to try them on. “Everyone ready?” Megan asks.

“Yep!” the others say in un-synced unison. “Alright then, let’s see how we look.”

The five exit the rooms and look at each other’s outfits. Juniper was sporting a hot-pink sweater with black stripes and hot pink legging-pants with neon blue flats, Olivia was wearing a plaid red and black scarf, Megan was wearing a black t-shirt with dark blue jeans and red flats, Karmi was wearing a dark blue maxi skirt with a medium gray t-shirt and Trina was wearing a sleeveless lavender sundress with a light gray sunhat.

 “Wow, reminds me of my cousin.” Megan lovingly jokes to Juniper, since her outfit was basically a recolor of Ari’s. Juniper snickers. “Really, cuz you’re basically dressed like your mom.” She points up and down at her friend’s attire, making the reporter blush. “Yeah, I guess we both took inspiration.”

Olivia has a small laugh at their situation. “Nice fit, Karms. Reminds me of Granville.”

“Thanks.” Karmi says, twirling her foot awkwardly but cutely. “Nice scarf.”

Olivia warmly chuckles as she overdramatically wraps her scarf around her neck. “Thanks.” Karmi then gets a look at Trina’s outfit and can’t help but gush over it. “Trina you look so cute!”

Trina feels a blush on her face, feeling flattered. “Thanks, Karms.”

“You do, cous.” Juniper pats the robots back. “That’s a pretty dress.” Megan walks up and straightens the sunhat. “You look great, Trina.” She compliments her cousin a loving voice, then Olivia gives a thumbs up. All the kindness makes Trina’s heart warm greatly as does her smile. “Thanks girls.” She says softly.

Food court, 12:49pm

After browsing the jewelry store, GameStop, and the book store, the girls got pizza for lunch in the food court, then got froyo for desert. And Trina decided to wear her new sundress and sunhat on the rest of their outing, feeling so comfy and happy in it. “So Trina, you gonna wear your new dress to the beach?” Megan asks as she eats her fruit punch froyo.

“Yeah.” The robot girl warmly gushes. “I feel so pretty in this.”

“You are, cous.” Juniper lovingly compliments her. “The dress just compliments your looks.”

Trina warmly chuckles. “Thanks, June.”

Olivia finishes her vanilla froyo when she gets a brilliant idea. “So, should we do a beach day? Just the five of us?”

The others look at each other as they think about it, then look back at their friend and say either “Yeah!” or “Yes!”

“Ok then, we’ll plan it in May.” The eldest engineering major smiles as her friends gush about it. “I can already feel the sand under my feet.” Juniper laughs.

Megan looks at the ceiling as she sits back. “It should be fun.” She smiles. “Plus maybe we can drag Yelena with us.”

Trina snickers, picturing the group putting her sister on a dolly then pushing her to the beach. “That’d be something.”

Megan laughs and snorts. “It sounds like a blast.”

“Yeah,” Karmi starts off. “This might also be the last summer I spend single.” She says warmly and excited. Overall she and Hiro agreed to start dating when he turned 18 so it wasn’t awkward, which would occur in December. Juniper gets a look of vicarious joy on her face. “We’re happy for you, Karms.” The bio-tech major can’t help but gush at how excited she was for the future. “Thanks, girls.” She says softly. “So, is your mom dating anyone, Meg?”

“Nah, unless she wants to give it another go with my dad she’s practically sworn off dating.” The reporter notes.

Juniper gets a small smile. “Dunno about legal wise, but Uncle Steven’s basically my father.” Trina smiles, feeling happy for her cousin. “That’s sweet, June.” She also remembered something her mom said, about her wanting Trina to spend some time with Steven so that way she’d have a positive father figure in her life. It didn’t sound like a bad idea, but she hoped it would go well.

“Alright girls.” Olivia speaks up, noting that they were all done with their froyo. “We all ready to continue?”

The teens nod and or say “Yeah” or “Yes”. “Alright then.” The raven-haired girl smirks. “Let’s go.”

Park by the Seawall, 7:51pm

After some more sightseeing, and finding a parking space, the girls walk to a park area by the seawall and sit down, admiring the view as the sun set. Juniper snickers. “You know, we’re technically in British Columbia.”

Trina looks at the former crime-dancer with curiosity. “Why is it “British” Columbia?”  Juniper clicks her tongue. “Well, it refers to the Columbia District, which is where the land where the British drained the Columbia River, which was named after its namesake country; which was named after Columbus. It has British in the title since there was already a Columbia. There’s British influence here due to their role in Canada’s development as a country.”

“Woah.” Trina comments, in awe from her cousin’s infodump.

Megan warmly chuckles. “The sunset is beautiful, no matter where you are.”

“Ditto.” Olivia agrees as Juniper rests her head on her shoulder.

Karmi looks at how happy her friends were, then smiles before looking back at the sunset. She then puts her arms lovingly around her friends, pulling them into a side hug. “This trip was worth it.” She says softly, having enjoyed the time she spent with her friends.

Chapter Text

Vancouver; motel, Sunday April 8^th 2035, 8:58pm

After a fun day out, the girls are dressed and ready for bed. This would be their last night in Vancouver before going back to San Fransokyo. As they got into their beds, they were still pumped from the day they had. “That was a great day out.” Megan gushes as she lets her ponytail down.

“Yeah, it was fun.” Juniper smiles. “And we did a lot of walking.”

“Yeah, my legs can vouch for that.” Olivia jokes, making her two bunkmates snicker. Meanwhile, Trina was finishing her goodnight videocall with her mom. “Don’t worry mom, we’ll drive carefully.” She kindly assures her.

“Alright.” Victoria warmly smiles, like the rest of her family in frame. “Good night Trina, we love you.”

“Love you guys too.” Trina lovingly says before hanging up. Olivia then claps her hands. “Alright everyone, time for bed.” She calls out with a smile. “Good night everyone, love y’all.” She says before laying on her side and dozing off.

“Love y’all too.” Juniper gushes before closing her eyes. Megan snickers then turns on her side. “I love y’all too.”

As Karmi unties her ponytail, she can feel Trina moving around; in another struggle to get comfortable. “Trina, you ok?”

The robot girl sighs. “No. I’m just, I don’t feel comfortabl-, safe enough to fall asleep again.” She says in a soft but upset tone. This makes Karmi’s heart bleed for her, hating to see her feel unsafe. But she has an idea. “Hey Trin, do you want my help again?” She asks kindly and softly.

Trina looks at her friend, then nods with a warm smile. Karmi moves her arm, allowing Trina to nuzzle up against her as she listens to Karmi’s heartbeat; which started to soothe her. “Trina, can I ask you a question?” The brown-eyed girl asks. “Sure.” Trina shrugs, feeling too happy to lose her smile.

“..What was your first impression of me?” Karmi asks, her heartbeat giving away her nervousness. Trina moves her head up slightly enough to look at her friend. “I thought you were a kind girl.” She says casually. “You’re also smart, thoughtful, funny, and you helped me and my family get back home out of the kindness of your heart. You were kinda my first friend.” She gushes, her love for her friend on full display. This makes Karmi get teary eyed and get a warm smile. Her heart was warmed; which Trina could hear from the calm heartbeat. However, the robot girl did have a question;

“Why do you ask?” She says softly. Her bio-tech friend then takes a small deep breath. “This month marks three years since we met, and I couldn’t help but think back. I was also, a different person then.” She says with a hint of regret, remembering the person she was; a mostly anti-social girl with jealousy issues, and a bit of a bully.

Trina lovingly nuzzles against Karmi’s heart. “So was I, well for the first year of my life. But I had people there for me, they helped me become a better person. We’re both different people now.” She says in a soft, kind tone. Karmi warmly snickers. “You’re the same person the day I met you.”

Trina then sits up for a moment. “Yeah, but you’re still the kind girl that helped my family.” She then gives Karmi a kiss on the forehead. “Good night Karms, I love you.” She lovingly says before going back to nuzzling her head against Karmi; hearing her heartbeat so calm and happy as she dozes off. A warm smile seems to be very stuck on Karmi’s face. “I love you too, Trina.” She gushes before drifting off, being glad she had Trina as a friend.

Chapter Text

Vancouver; motel, Monday April 9^th 2035, 6:00am

Everyone is sleeping peacefully, until their alarms go off. The girls get up and turn them off; with Megan and Juniper being the most upset to be woken up. However, Olivia was very chipper as she got out of bed and clapped her hands. “Alright everyone!” She says in a perky tone. “Let’s get ready so we can start the journey home. We’ll get breakfast on the way.”

“Alright.” The girls said one way or the other as they got out of bed. Their trip in Vancouver had come to an end, but they had a good time. Now it was time to go back to San Fransokyo.

Outside motel, 6:38am

Karmi loads the final bag into the trunk, then heads over to the passenger side and buckles in. “Car’s all loaded.” She says with a perky smile. From the drivers’ seat, Olivia happily nods. “Alright then, let’s go home.” She starts the car then drives it out of the parking lot; starting the long journey home.

The others watch as the motel disappears in the side mirrors. The journey had officially begun. “So, what do we talk about?” Megan asks.

Juniper does a small yawn. “How about I spy?”

“Sure.” The reporter agrees, looking outside her window to start off the game. “I spy with my little eye, something shaped like mountains.”

The blonde dancer thinks about it. “Hmmm. A landfill?”

Megan snickers. “Nope.”

“Well I give up.” Juniper shrugs.

“It was the McDonald’s arches.”

“Ah.”

“Speaking of which, that’s where we’re stopping for breakfast.” Olivia points out as she starts heading to the McDonald’s. She carefully gets into the drive-thru line, then looks back at the others. “Alright y’all, what do you want?”

“4 hashbrowns please, with mini-flapjacks and chocolate milk.” Karmi asks.

“Breakfast burrito with McFrappe please.” Juniper asks.

“Hasbrowns with the McGriddle please, and a coffee.” Megan asks.

“Chocolate milk please.” Trina asks.

Olivia nods. “Alright.” As they wait for the line to pull up, Juniper decides to continue the I spy game. “I spy with my little eye, something shiny.”

The others look outside their windows for the thing. “That spilled water?” Karmi guesses.

“Nope.”

Megan raises an eyebrow. “The foil candy wrapper?”

“Nope.”

“The bobby pin?” Olivia guesses.

“Nope.”

“The coin?” Trina guesses. Juniper then gets a smug smirk. “What coin?”

“The penny.” Juniper fakes a dramatic gasp. “You got it right!” The blonde gushes to her friend, making Trina feel happy. “Your turn.”

“Alright.” Trina looks around outside. “I spy with my little eye, something sorta purple.”

Karmi looks outside, spotting what she believed was the answer. “The mountains?”

*record scratch* “Huh?” The robotics major asks in shock that her friend got the answer right. “The mountains look sorta purple since they’re in the distance.” Her bio-tech friend explains her answer. After a moment, Trina picks up her jaw. “Correct. Your turn.”

Karmi nods, then looks around; her eyes widening when she finds the perfect thing. “I spy with my little eye, something cute as a button.” She says with a smug smile. The others frantically look outside, not being able to find whatever she was looking at.

“The pug being walked?” Megan guesses.

Karmi snickers. “Nope.”

“The seal plushie some kid is holding?” Juniper guesses.

“Nope.”

“The pudgy pigeons?” Trina wonders.

“Nope.”

“The Grimace poster on the window?” Olivia shrugs, feeling like giving up.

“Nope.”

“Then what is it?” Megan asks. “We give up.”

Karmi’s smug smirk turns into a warm smile. “I was talking about Trina.”

The others’ jaws are dropped to the car’s carpeting. “Huh?” Juniper asks, not believing what she heard. Karmi leans over from the passenger’s chair and looks at her friends. “Trina is, platonically, very cute; especially in the sundress.”

Trina can’t help but blush and smile from Karmi’s compliment. It felt good to get affection from her friend. “Thanks, Karms.”

“Well I’m glad Karmi wasn’t there when we basically gushed over her beauty at our sleepo- HEY!” Megan yelps after Juniper lightly elbows her in the ribs. But it’s too late, Karmi heard it and gives them a smug look. “So, I’m the prettiest girl you two have seen?” She says in a teasing voice; akin to Mikan’s.

The two then start squirming a bit in their seats from embarrassment. “Not in those words..” Megan tries defending theirselves.

“That’s kinda what you said.” Trina blurts out, since Karmi had found out. “You two said she was beautiful with flawless skin and deep eyes.”

Megan and Juniper blush even harder from embarrassment. Their comments, while platonic, were a bit much. Trina’s testimony made Karmi’s smug grin grow. “So, any other comments, ladies?” She says, enjoying this too much.

Juniper gulps. “Um, Olivia?”

“Nah, you two are on your own.” The 24-year-old snickers. “Besides, I’m about to order.”

“DOH.” The blonde hides her face in her hands, as does Megan. “I don’t mind the compliments, it’s just funny to see you two squirm around.” Karmi snickers and snorts, making the two feel even more embarrassed. “We should be glad Mikan wasn’t here.” Juniper mutters. “She’d have a field day.”

Megan sluggishly nods. “Oh yeah.”

8:59am

“Can’t believe Big Hero 6 formed like 3 years ago.” Olivia notes as she watches out her window. March had marked three years since the titular team had formed; giving San Fransokyo it’s protectors.

“Me neither.” Karmi shrugs in the drivers seat. She then gets a small snicker and blush. “Man, I was bad then.”

“Bad?” Juniper says with a small smirk. “Big Chibi 6 practically used to be love letters to Hir- well “Captain Cutie”.”

The brunette has a small chuckle. “Yeah, I had it bad then.”

“And worse of all; Ari still beta reads for you even after she found out.” Megan jokes, causing the whole group to burst into laughter.

“Yeah, Hiro gave her permission, dunno why though!” Trina snickers and snorts, making the group laugh harder. As the laughter dies down, Olivia wipes a tear of laughter. “Yeah, we all had phases when we were younger.”

“Yeah, we all did.” Juniper smiles, poking fun at her former crime-dancer career. As Megan tries getting comfy against the car seat, she gets a stroke of brilliance. “Hey girls, wanna do karaoke?” She gushes, unable to contain her excitement. The girls look at each other, then smile. “Karmi?” Megan asks, wanting the driver’s permission. The brunette thinks about it for a moment, then gives a joyful nod. “Go ahead.” She smiles, making her friends happy.

“Thanks Karms.” Megan says as she digs through her music. “What do y’all wanna sing first?”

“Paralyzed by BTR!” Trina suggests.

“Bad Blood ft Kendrick Lamar!” Olivia votes.

Karmi shrugs. “How about Mother Mother by Haley Tju?”

Juniper’s eyes widen as she thinks of her top song choice. “How about Unlovable by Diamante?” The girls are surprised by this answer, then look at each other; smiling in agreement. “Sure.” Or “Alright” They all say with smiles. Megan then pulls up the song on her phone, then hands it to Juniper. The dancer plugs the aux cord in, then presses “play”. The music slowly starts, with the chorus vocalizing to the piano. “Alright then, let’s join in for the main chorus.” Juniper tells everyone as the lyrics start.

“Another love, taken to the grave” The blonde starts, singing along in the same, somber tone as the song. “Another one goes right down the dra-a-ain”

“I keep making ALL the same mista-a-akes” Trina chimes in. “Running out of reasons I can bla-ame”

Megan then joins in. “Thought I had a heart of go-old, everything I touch turns to sto-one. Is it MY fault I always end up alone?”

“Maybe I’m just DIFFICULT,” Karmi chimes in, singing very well. “Maybe I’m impossible, maybe I’m just ONE STEP OVER THE EDGE, you’re one foot out the door” She belts, impressing her friends.

“Maybe I’m emotional, too much to HAN-DLE” The group starts singing together. “Or-or-or, maybe I’m unlovable.” They were all singing with smiles on their faces, enjoying the time they were spending together.

10:15am

After Juniper took over driving, Olivia had dozed off while Trina was in the passenger’s seat watching videos on her phone. Meanwhile, the other three were conversing amongst themselves. “Wait, how was Krei Tech rebuilt in less than a month?” Karmi asks, noting that Callaghan basically leveled the building to the ground.

Megan shrugs. “I have no idea, but I know that building wasn’t around since September ’31. The only thing accurate about that employ of the month wall was the fact it was up-to-date.” She says, noting that it went all the way up to May ’33.

“Gosh, Krei Tech is weird.” Juniper scoffs. “Why would you need a perfectly round oval smart phone?”

Karmi snickers and snorts. “Those things look like eggs and break like them.” Her joke makes her friends have a silent laughing fit.

“Yeah, those things were discontinued for a reason.” Her blonde-haired friend snarks.

“Yeah, hey speaking of blonde businesspeople, wanna talk about Liv Amara?” Megan brings up, wanting to keep the conversation interesting.

Karmi claps her hands in agreement. “Sure. Hey June, you hear about the Regeneration Cradle?”

Her tall friend nods. “Yeah. It’s really interesting.”

Megan looks up in confusion. “It’s finished?” Her brunette friend nods with a big smile. “Almost. The field of skin grafting will change forever when you can replace damaged skin with an artificial, life-like silicon.”

“Yeah,” Juniper gushes with a toothy grin. “It’s a fascinating concept. And Mikan gets to help since she’s Liv’s assistant.”

“Assistant and best friend.” Karmi specifies, making the dancer lightly chuckle. “Yeah, that too.”

Megan takes out her phone so she could update her parents about the trip. “Hey, doesn’t Hannah work at Neurogenesis?” She asks, having remembered that the Aussie worked there.

Karmi nods. “Yeah, she and Mikan got in at the same time I did. She built their food delivery bots.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Megan says as she waits for her dad to pick up. “Haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Mikan says work’s been busy lately.” Juniper brings up. “She hasn’t had much time for the group chat.”

Megan does a slight nod. “Makes sense.”

Juniper then gets a warm smile. “And it’s great that Athel can spend time with her mother now, since she’s back in the city.” She says in a kind tone. She briefly remembered when Kang was defeated back on at the start of 2034, Dr. Cho could finally come to San Fransokyo to work on the Regeneration Cradle with Neurogenesis; and with that, she could spend time with her daughter. Gogo seemed, so happy with she and her mother living in the same state again.

“Yeah, it’s so heartwarming to see her so happy.” Karmi smiles, knowing that the bond between a mother and their child was strong.

12:29pm

 For lunch, the girls got Taco Bell before Trina took over driving. “Mmm, these are so good!” Megan gushes, munching down her plain meat and cheese crunch shell tacos. Juniper nods in agreement. “Yeah, so is the Baha Blast.”

“Street tacos are bomb too.” Olivia points out before drinking her Dr. Pepper. Megan warmly snickers. “True.”

“What about Yaki Taco?” Karmi asks after eating half of her burrito. Juniper waves it off. “It’s delicious but very unhealthy. Fred eats too much of it.”

Megan has a small laugh. “Oh YEAH. I was there when he ordered a boatload of food. I can still hear Baymax complaining.”

“Well yeah, that was more fat than 4 sticks of butter!” Karmi notes, making her and her reporter friend burst into laughter.

Trina drinks some more of her Diet Coke. “At least the dude stays in shape.”

“Yeah,” Megan waves it off as she drinks her Sprite, making Olivia snicker.

2:51pm

It was a bit quiet during Megan’s turn behind the wheel. Karmi was listening to her music while Juniper was napping on her shoulder and Trina was looking out her window. The reporter taps her fingers against the wheel, trying to keep herself stimulated. “So, this weather huh?” She asks her conscious friends, trying to break the ice. Trina looks at the sky, noting it’s slight gloom. “Seems like good weather.” She shrugs. Megan gets a small smile on her face, since her friend/cousin at least tried.

Bored, Olivia looks at the fourth wall. “What, this is accurate to actual road trips.” She points out. The Latina then gets an idea. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone.

Wrecking Gals group chat

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Yo anyone here?

Mikan Ferns: Yeah I’m on break

Rachel Rosemary: Yep

Rachel Rosemary: What’s up?

Olivia “Vi” Vega: The road trip is kinda boring right now, so I thought I’d chat with you guys

Rachel Rosemary: Let’s do it

Rachel Rosemary: So, anything new?

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Well, this series did get a shoutout in the intro notes for Heroes of Flowers: Fallen from Power back in June

Mikan Ferns: WOAH!

Rachel Rosemary: I can’t believe it

Rachel Rosemary: Pepsi must’ve been thrilled

Olivia “Vi” Vega: He was :D

Mikan Ferns: So is my alt universe self gonna talk trash about me now?

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Come on, give your alt self some more credit

Mikan Ferns:

Rachel Rosemary:

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Yeah that sounded ridiculous the moment I said it

Mikan Ferns: Character growth takes time

Rachel Rosemary: Yeah

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Hey Mik, how’s Hannah?

Mikan Ferns: She’s doing good. Work isn’t too tiring

Rachel Rosemary: Wait a who-ee

Rachel Rosemary: Are we referencing Monogatari?

Mikan Ferns: OH YEAH

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Monogatari?

Mikan Ferns: The OTHER parallel retelling of Big Hero 6 the Series

Mikan Ferns: Aka the reason the author knows you exist

Mikan Ferns: Since Freedom adapted your IDW comic into her story

Olivia “Vi” Vega: WOAH

Mikan Ferns: Yeah

Olivia “Vi” Vega: So what am I like in that universe?

Rachel Rosemary: A kind engineer who’s good friends with Gogo

Mikan Ferns: Yeah. You’re a really good friend

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Aw :D

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Wait so if I get an H.O.F adaptation, it’ll be based on her?

Mikan Ferns: Maybe. Might depend if Sparks reads the OG comic

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Ah

Olivia “Vi” Vega: So does Monogatari have any villains we could possibly adapt?

Mikan Ferns: I cannot answer that question at this time

Mikan Ferns: But the series is pretty grounded

Rachel Rosemary: Too grounded for Kang to teleport into that universe, arriving by landing first-face into a wall (with his armor)?

Mikan Ferns: Eh who knows

Mikan Ferns: Hey Rach, how’s Ari?

Rachel Rosemary: Doing great thx

Rachel Rosemary: She’s with the folks taking her driving test

Olivia “Vi” Vega: That’s good

Rachel Rosemary: Yeah, then she can drive me around XD

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Bruh

Mikan Ferns: Hey Vi, I forgot when do you guys get back?

Olivia “Vi” Vega: Tonight

Mikan Ferns: Yay

7:02pm

“We’re doing great, thanks for checking in Aunt Rebecca.” Trina says to her aunt over the phone. “Yeah, we’re like 3 hours away. How is everyone?” She lowers her phone and looks at her car-mates.

“Wait, so Archie Comics are the reason Sonic eats Chilli Dogs?” Juniper asks Megan for clarification. “OH YEAH.” Megan nods with a big smile. Meanwhile, Olivia was driving as Karmi was letting her hair down in the passenger’s seat.

“They’re doing ok.” The robot girl says. “Busy with their own stuff. But they’ve been great company.” She smiles. “I, I value the time we spent together, especially Karmi. Alright, I will.” She comments as her aunt prepares to leave the call. “Take care Aunt Becky, I love you.” After her aunt says “I love you too”, she hangs up then looks outside the windshield. She had a really good time on the trip.

9:46pm

Trina slowly wakes up from her nap as Olivia shakes her awake saying “Trina, wake up we’re at your house.” The robot girl stretches, then looks outside her window. Her heart then warms intensively from seeing her house again. Trina then starts hugging Olivia, Megan, Juniper, and Karmi goodbye before grabbing her bag and exiting the car. But before she heads to inside, she faces her friends; prompting Karmi to lower the windows. “Girls, thank you for the wonderful weekend.” She gushes in a low but love-filled voice. “I had fun, and it was WONDERFUL with you guys.”

Her cousins and friends shed a quick sentimental tear. “It was great having you.” Olivia says. “Love you girl.”

“Love you cous.” Juniper and Megan say in un-synced unison as they wave at her.

“Bye Trin, love you.” Karmi waves at her friend, her tone as heartfelt as the others. Trina sheds a quick tear of happiness. “I love you guys too.” She starts heading in, but then gets an idea. She rushes back to the car before Karmi pulls the windows up. “Hey Karms, can I ask you something?”

The bio-tech major looks at the others, who signal her that they can wait a moment to go home, then back at her friend. “Sure.”

Trina fakes a deep breath. “Do you wanna spend the night, like a mini-sleepover?”

Karmi’s pupils shrink in surprise. She didn’t expect the offer, and she though really hard about it. “What about David?” She asks, worrying about the space-time continuum. Trina gets a smart smile on her face. “I got that covered.”

The brown-eyed girl thinks about it really carefully, then looks at her friend with a warm smile and nods. “Yes. But let’s check with your mom first.”

Trina happily nods as Karmi gets out of the car and heads to the back to grab her backpack and duffel back as Juniper takes over driving. She then walks up to Trina before the two walk up to the door, which Trina knocks on. “Coming!” Someone says in the distance. After a moment, Amy walks up to the door, a smile growing on her face to see her niece back.

“Hi Aunt Amy.” Trina tries waving before her 65-year-old aunt pulls her into a warm hug. “We missed you.” The golden eyed woman says lovingly. Her robot niece warmly chuckles. “I missed you too, Auntie.” She says before they lovingly break the hug. “Is mom awake? I need to ask her and Aunt Grace something.”

Amy nods. “Yeah, everyone’s in the den. Come on.” The curly haired woman then leads Trina and Karmi into the house.

Living room

Everyone was on the couch or chairs, watching TV. David was asleep in his mother’s arms while Antonia was trying to stay awake so she could see her third eldest sister’s return. “Hey everyone.” Trina says warmly, everyone directing their attention to Trina walking up to them with Amy and Karmi. Their faces warm as the robot girl walks over and hugs each of them, two at a time. “I missed you guys so much.” She warmly gushes right before Antonia clings onto her. Then Yelena quickly pulls her into a hug as well, having missed her gravely. “It was, empty without you here.” The blonde Russian admits in a heartfelt tone. Trina warmly chuckles. “I missed you two as well.” She says as she pats her second eldest sister’s back.

Trina then heads over to her mom and hugs her lovingly yet carefully, since she was holding David. “You had fun, sweetie?” Victoria asks her daughter, getting a soft happy nod in response. “Yeah, it was amazing.” Her mother smiles then looks up, noting Karmi was in the house. “Trina, care to explain your guest?” She asks softly but concerned, due to the space-time continuum.

“Right.” Trina says, straightening herself up. “Mom, can Zara stay with us for the night, please?” She asks, holding her hands together. Victoria thinks about it, then realizes Trina’s plan; she was referring to Karmi by her middle name so David wouldn’t know when he meets her in 2031. The 44ish year old woman takes a deep breath, then gives her daughter a warm smile. “She can stay.”

Trina giggles, then hugs her mom. “Thank you mom.” She gushes before hugging Karmi, who is enjoying the affection. However, the commotion woke David up a little, causing him to rub his eyes. “What?” He slurs, before seeing his robot sister across from him. “Trina!.” He happily yelps in a tired but happy voice. Trina walks over and kisses David’s forehead. “Hi bro.” She warmly says before giving her brother a small hug. After they break the hug, David notices Trina’s guest. “Who’s she?”

His sister gets a warm smile on her face. “This is my friend Zara, she’ll be staying here for the night.” Karmi gives the toddler a small wave and a smile. “She’s pretty.” He lightly gushes before drifting off. “Yeah, she is.” Trina warmly agrees, then gives him a goodnight kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, bro.”

Karmi smiles at the two Kase’s compliments, before noticing Antonia standing in front of, looking up with curious eyes. “You’re staying with us for the night?”

The brown-eyed girl happily nods. “Yeah, I am.” She says kindly. Then, the 9-year-old hugs her lovingly. “Welcome.” She gushes softly, making Karmi’s heart melt with cuteness as she returned the hug. Ever since she had helped Antonia her body dysmorphia episode, the young Russian really loved Karmi.

Trina gets a warm, smug smirk as she walks up to them. “Looks like you’ve stolen another girl’s heart.” She says in a warm tone as she crosses her arms. “After you’re done, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

“Ok.” Karmi nods as she and Antonia lovingly break the hug. “Let’s go.”

The Kases’ Room

“And, here’s my room.” Trina says as she leads Karmi into the room, showing it off. “And here’s my bed.” She gestures to her air mattress. “You can sleep there while I bunk with my mom or Antonia.”

The brown-eyed girl gets a small smirk on her face. “This room is nice.”

Trina smiles. “Thanks, my mom and aunt Grace arranged everything.” She heads over and fluffs the air mattress. “If you want to go to bed soon, I’ll tell my folks so they don’t disturb you.”

“Thanks.” Karmi smiles, appreciating how hospitable her friend was. “I think I’ll have a good night here.” She then walks over and pulls her friend into a warm hug. “And, thanks again for the invite.” She says in a low but warm voice.

Trina smiles back and pats her back. “No problem.” She kindly assures her before they break the hug. “Now then, do you wanna go downstairs for a while? We’re just watching TV.”

The bio-tech major thinks about it for a moment, then happily nods. “Sure. It’ll be nice to spend some more time with your family.”

Her robot friend smiles, then leads the way as the two head out. As they do, they reminisce about the road trip. Not only was it fun and wonderful, they got to spend quality time with their friends; and their friendship grew ever deeper and stronger.