Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 419: Love(?)Talk (II)

Penny watched Aria’s cheeks flush with growing amusement. Seeing her favorite pop star so flustered after almost blurting out her embarrassing feelings filled her with wicked delight, and soon a smug grin began to curl across her lips.

That grin was all it took to make Aria’s eye twitch. Her irritation flared as violent thoughts briefly bubbled up in her mind.

"Fine! I’ll say it, alright!" Aria suddenly blurted, covering her face with both hands. "I like Leo and Adam the most!"

The room fell silent for a second. Luna frowned, her expression unreadable. Rachel’s eyes, on the other hand, began to sparkle like a child who had just found a new toy.

"Ooh? Details, details!" Rachel teased, her long prehensile tail uncurling from around her waist. She used it to poke Aria’s arm.

Aria nearly jumped out of her skin. "Wh-what’s with that look?!" she sputtered, her face as red as a tomato. "Adam... Adam was the one who saved me from my father’s grasp. He was like a savior to me, alright?!"

Penny’s smugness evaporated instantly. Her mouth dropped open as she stared wide-eyed at the older girl. "Wait. My uncle? You... like my uncle?"

"Not like like that!" Aria protested. Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence, which didn’t help her case at all.

"Then what about Leo?" Luna pressed, crossing her arms.

Aria hesitated. She peeked through her fingers, her blush somehow deepening. "Leo was... really kind to me. He noticed when I was struggling and tried his best to make me feel better. Saying something like I can’t leave my friends alone if they are hurting."

Luna was quiet for a long moment. Then, she nodded. "You’ve got good taste. At least you recognize some of my brother’s better qualities."

Crystal snorted. "You’re starting to sound like a crazy brocon again."

Lily tilted her head. "Acting like? She is a crazy brocon."

Luna’s face went scarlet. She clenched her fist and glared at Lily. "Care to repeat that?"

Lily only giggled and put on an innocent expression, clasping her hands together.

Aria groaned and threw her hands down. "Can we move on already? Someone else’s turn!"

Luna huffed but eventually sighed. "Fine. Among the boys, I like Leo the best. He’s my only family."

Rachel’s smile shifted. Her tail flicked behind her as her eyes narrowed. "Lying isn’t good for the soul, Luna. You also like Adam."

Luna froze, her eyes widening like Rachel had just accused her of a mortal sin. "What?!" she sputtered, her face flushing crimson. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Not at all," Rachel said sweetly.

"Do you want to die?!" Luna snarled, hurling a pillow at her.

Rachel vanished from her spot as she used her teleportation ability to dodge as another pillow barreled through where she was a moment ago before it slammed against the wall.

"Rude," Rachel’s voice chimed from behind the couch. Lily jumped slightly as the monkey girl reappeared, crouched casually on the backrest. "Hey Lily, didn’t it look like Luna and Adam were about to kiss in the forest that one time?"

Luna went stiff like a broken robot, her mouth opening but no sound coming out.

Lily tapped a finger to her lips and smiled mischievously. "Now that I think about it, that’s true. Their noses were practically touching."

Penny’s jaw dropped again, her shock turning toward Luna this time. "Wait. Uncle Adam again?!"

Rachel grinned from ear to ear, clearly enjoying every second of it. "Seems like he’s popular with the ladies."

Luna covered her face with both hands, groaning in frustration. "I hate all of you."

Rachel only laughed, tail swaying lazily behind her. Thoroughly enjoying all of the gossip and love talk she was hearing.

Penn however looked completely lost as she didn’t see how anyone could genuinely like Adam in that manner. Sure he was a nice guy to a degree but by no means would she ever consider him to be a ladies man.

Vivian who had been watching silently on the side was surprised to see how Aria had changed in the time she hadn’t seen her. She was now acting like a girl her age and it warmed her heart. However, given her upbringing at the Orphanage, she felt incredibly awkward and couldn’t help but ask: "So by like, you girls are talking about which of the guys you find the most sexually attractive?"

Everyone froze.

Even Rachel stopped laughing for half a second. The room went so quiet that the faint hum of the air vent was the only thing that filled the silence.

Arachne had a hand over her mouth, her shoulders trembling as she tried not to burst out into full-blown cackling laughter.

Rachel broke first. She let out a loud bark of laughter that echoed through the room. "Yeah, that’s pretty much it!" she said between giggles.

Vivian nodded seriously. "Ah, I see. Then in that case..." She stood up, completely unbothered by the stunned looks she was getting. "I find Leo the most sexually appealing."

Then she turned on her heel and walked toward the kitchen.

The others sat there, stunned, their expressions blank as the sound of a cabinet door opening came from the other room. A moment later, Vivian returned holding a bottle of vodka.

She didn’t even sit down before popping the cap off with her teeth and taking a long drink straight from the bottle like it was water.

Crystal was the first to recover. She cleared her throat with a fake cough. "So... why Leo?"

Vivian lowered the bottle and tilted her head slightly. "I like them cute."

Everyone blinked.

Penny’s confusion finally broke through her shock. "Wait, what about Greg?!" she blurted out.

Vivian blinked at her, clearly lost. "What about him?"

Penny pointed accusingly. "You know! I thought you had the hots for Greg!"

Vivian paused, blinking a few more times before she suddenly laughed. It was deep and unrestrained, a laugh that filled the whole room.

"Oh, that," she said once she managed to stop. "No, no. I just respect him as a fellow martial artist. That’s all."

Penny froze. The realization hit her like a truck. Her face went pale, then turned a deep crimson as she processed what she’d just admitted out loud.

Rachel’s grin stretched wide. Crystal looked away, smirking. Lily stifled a giggle behind her hand. Even Luna’s earlier embarrassment seemed to fade as she tried to hold back a snort.

Penny, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and never come out again.

Vivian took another casual sip of vodka, entirely unaware of the chaos she’d just caused.