“Hehehe~”

“You’re in a good mood tonight sis, aren’t you?” Ria said to her sister as Licia kept giggling to herself.

“I mean, how can I not, Ria? Mom said she’s gonna try to ally herself with Eve!” Licia said back, still smiling.

“Sis, really…” Ria wanted to say something, but instead let out an exasperated sigh, seeing her sister like that. Unlike her usual protesting demeanor however, there was a smile on her lips.

This was not a rare sight to Licia, in fact, she was used to seeing her sister smile at her antics, despite their usual arguings. 

The both of them were currently within Licia’s room after taking their showers, and both of them wore the same cat-eared hoodies, proof of their closeness. From time to time, the two eldest clone sisters hung out together before bed, sharing intimate moments as sisters. In moments like this, and unlike her usual self, Ria was the most relaxed, and even referred to her sister in a more intimate way.

If Ticia was there, she would be overjoyed to see the always so upright Ria acting more her age, but unfortunately, Ria admired her too much. She would never show this ‘embarrassing’ side to anybody but Licia, her only older sister.

“I know you… ‘like’ Evelyn, but can we have a serious talk now?” Ria suddenly made a serious face, which immediately got mirrored by Licia.

“Yeah, I understand. You want to talk about what happened today, right?”

Ria nodded.

“Among other things.”

“Okay, but first, let’s do the usual.” Licia replied back as she sat on her bed cross legged, Ria did the same, facing her.

“Ria, you’ve done it again.” She pointed out, not saying what her sister did again, but it was enough for her sister to understand.

“I did, and I went too far too since mom intervened.” Ria acquiesced her mistake.

What they were referring to was Ria’s small outburst against Meiko during the reunion today.

“But was I wrong in what I said?” Ria defended herself, frowning. “She’s an outsider, Licia. I don't know why mom wanted her to be present, she had nothing to do there. ”

“Well… I guess you're right in saying that she’s an outsider.” Licia nodded in agreement. Since it had not been long since they’d met Meiko, she also shared her sister’s feelings. “But Ticinia and Vinia seem to have taken a liking to her?”

“They like everybody so long as they get to be pampered by them.” Ria rolled her eyes, to which Licia could not help but nod. Their two little sisters of the same series WERE always pampered by the people around them, Ria and Licia included.

“True, but don’t forget Ticinia’s ability.”

“Right, but this isn’t enough to integrate her.” Ria continued to argue, justifying that ‘positive emotions’ was simply not enough to judge whether someone was trustworthy or not.

Licia understood Ria’s point, so she had searched for some answers to this herself.

“I think it’s because mom looks up to her.” She said, putting down her own theory.

“Really?” Ria frowned.

“Yeah, I mean, she’s also a mother.”

“Right… Rika’s mother… Even though they don’t get along…” Ria mumbled to herself, pouting a bit, and this did not escape her sister’s attention.

“You’ve become quite fond of Rika, haven’t you?” Licia said, a warm smile on her face.

“Eh?” Ria was startled by what her sister said at first, before entering her thoughts. “Now that you mention it, her everyday presence doesn’t bother me that much anymore… But if I don’t agree with her, I’ll still say it.”

“That’s fine, Rika isn’t someone who doesn’t accept criticism, from what I’ve seen.” Licia said, in a good mood. “But remember that you must apologize for being so rude all this time.”

“Ugh, I’ll try…” Ria was clearly not at ease with apologies, a clear problem caused by her own, prideful personality.

“...Dear little sis, can you brush my hair?” Licia asked with a smile, changing the subject for her sister, and Ria was happy to oblige.

They moved to the hairdresser right next to the bed. Licia sat on the chair while Ria took the brush and started brushing her sister’s hair.

“Moving back to Madam Meiko…” Licia said, facing the mirror. “I can see that Rika has some attachment to her, which was also confirmed by Ticinia, so don’t judge just by how they interact.”

“But didn’t she hurt Rika? How can Rika have already forgiven her?” Ria frowned.

“She didn’t, Ria. It’s just… Sometimes, there are bonds stronger than emotions.” Her sister replied.

“I don’t understand…”

For Ria, who based most of her thoughts on her own, earth to earth logic, the actions of both women only appeared weird to her.

“I do.” Licia insisted, a serious look on her face as she remembered the conflict she had with her mother when they were at CI3. “Trust me, Meiko only wants the best for Rika.”

Ria stared at her sister’s serious expression for a moment, sensing that her sister would not explain this to her.

“...If you say so.” She was curious, but decided to move on. “From what I understand though, she only brought more problems, and I don’t think we can deal with it right now.”

“Madam Meiko did not ask us to solve her problems, Ria. She merely suggested an alliance.” Licia corrected with the information she got from the reunions with her mother and Ria. When it came down to their common enemy, the Doesson family, Meiko pushed a lot of propositions herself, which meant to Licia that the woman clearly had a plan on how to deal with them on her part, and only needed their help for some elements. The reason she even allied herself with them in the first place could also be resumed with one name: Rika.

“You mean she has the means to deal with her enemies by herself? How?” Ria frowned again, but Licia shrugged her shoulders this time.

“Dunno, everyone has their own secrets after all.” She then sighed. “Anyway, today was a mess… How are we so unlucky?”

“No, we were rather lucky sis. None of our sisters died.” This time, Ria was the one who corrected her sister, with a serious look on her face as well.

“True…”

Seeing the number of enemies they had, it was a miracle the twins and ECGs got out of this alive. At least Licia had a hard time imagining herself fighting off so many people at once…

“We should go praise our sisters later, they’ve done well today.” Ria suggested, going back to her role as a high ranked clone. 

“The Twins or the ECGs?” Licia asked.

“Both. Miria and Tiria were feeling inferior to all of us. Now that they have gained this new ability, we should all spend some time together as a family.”

Ria had kept a good eye on her sisters, more than Licia could, and she told her older sister multiple times how painful it was to see them in their state, hence why she disagreed with the separation plan. Now that they had an ability that seemed to boost their fighting capabilities, she was sure the twins would feel confident again, but she also felt that there was a need to reassess their bonds between them and the rest of their sisters.

“Good idea. I’ll tell mom to see if she has some free time to join us. As for the ECGs, except for some words, I don’t know what to give them…”

When it came down to commanding others, Ria was better than Licia, after all. So Licia often asked her little sister’s advice before making a choice.

“Best would have been medals, but I don’t think the mood is right for that. A personal moment with mom should do it for the wounded, while words of appreciation would be enough for the others.” Ria said as she kept brushing her sister’s hair, to which Licia nodded.

“Let’s go with that then. Ah! How about allowing the two wounded to ‘distinguish’ themselves from the others?” She added.

“Well, nothing stops them from doing that in the first place, but it’s true that they would consider this a reward.” Ria continued, putting the brush down as she finished.

“Plus their personalities would come out stronger!” Licia exclaimed as she got up, before taking the brush. “Allright, my turn to brush your hair.”

Ria nodded, taking her sister’s place, and knowing very well that her sister wouldn’t take no for an answer. Licia hummed happily as she began brushing her little sister’s hair. They stayed like this for a while, enjoying the atmosphere, until Ria's mood suddenly soured…

“...Say, sis, am I still not capable enough?” She suddenly asked.

“What is it, so suddenly?” Licia said back, stopping her brushing movement.

“No, I mean…” Ria blushed, going back on her words. She hesitated for a bit, but under Licia’s gentle gaze, she spoke up.

“When is mom gonna tell me the entirety of her plans?”

Licia could see some bit of yearning in her sister’s eyes as she said those words, which she clearly understood, but unfortunately, she could not give her sister an answer.

“I can’t say. I might be mom’s perfect clone, but I’m no doppelganger, Ria.” She said with a sad look, to which Ria sighed sadly.

“Obviously. Sorry, I asked something ‘immature’.”

At this, Licia hugged her little sister from behind.

“That’s okay, you can act ‘immature’ with me~. That’s my privilege as your big sister.” She whispered in Ria’s ear, a teasing smile on her face. Ria was surprised at first, but leaned back in the hug.

“...Yeah.”

They stayed like this for a bit, before Licia began to brush Ria’s hair again.

“But in all honesty. I think you’re getting closer to getting invited to our reunions.” She said, raising the mood of her sister.

“Is that so?”

“Yup! Just try to get friendlier with normal humans, and you’re in!”

“Ugh, can I not?” Ria immediately grimaced, showing a strong rejection to what her sister said.

“Nuhuh, orders from mom. You need to make friends, Ria. Friends. Our sisters don’t count.” Licia said, finishing brushing her sister’s hair. She was now in a good mood again.

“I don’t see the need to establish ephemeral relations with people who could become my enemies tomorrow.” Ria said back, expressing her clear opinion on the subject.

Due to her genetic modifications, which caused her mind to mature faster than her sisters, and on which she prided herself. She had already developed her own ideas, and had a harder time changing her mindset. This subject was the one she was the most stubborn on too.

Licia sighed as she sat back on her bed, Ria following suit. She stared straight at her sister’s eyes.

“Open your mind more, Ria, see the great picture and you’ll understand that not everyone is our enemy, just like when you plan a strategy.”

Licia had once heard similar words from their mother, in one of their moments alone, and she thought it could help Ria too.

“It’s not like I’m not trying, but…”  Ria seemed conflicted, knowing that her mistrust of human beings was partially wrong. “Every time I see a stranger interacting with mom or one of us, I can’t help but remember ‘that time’...”

“You mean when you and Nicia saw her hurt?” Licia asked, to which Ria nodded.

“Even though it was only a bruise, it was too much of a shock for us.” Ria gritted her teeth, a mix of hatred and frustration showing on her face. “Human beings always change their minds, you can never truly know what they think. Us clones are different, we’ll never betray mom or hurt her.”

“...So you’re saying we should just isolate ourselves from the rest of the world?” Licia said, her face void of emotions, and Ria nodded.

“Just us and mom.”

Licia closed her eyes, keeping silent for a few seconds, before speaking up.

“I understand your feelings, Ria, I truly do. But you should know it, it’s impossible to accomplish.” She said straightforwardly, well aware of the situation they, as clones, were in.

“...Yeah.” Ria also reluctantly nodded, but seeing that this was not enough to change her sister’s mind, Licia continued.

“If we truly did that, we would have to say goodbye to Rika, Evelyn, and even gramps. Would that make mom happy?”

Ria stared at her sister, opening her mouth, before closing it. She was about to say that it did not matter so long as they were there, but the interactions she had seen her mom have with Rika, Berdo, and other people made her quiet. With those people, her mother showed sides she had never seen, and she was not sure she would be able to make those appear by herself, nor if her sisters could…

In the end, she sighed, depressed.

“...No, as much as it pains me to admit it, mom isn’t like us, I know it. She needs contact with other ‘humans’. We… can’t be everything for her...”

“You’re right, and perhaps WE also need outsiders…” Licia added, thinking of a specific person as she gazed in the distance with a light smile. Her sister stared at her, and her gaze immediately became judging.”

“...You’re thinking about Evelyn again, aren’t you, sis?”

“...Teehee!” Licia pulled her tongue and winked.

“Don’t ‘Teehee’ me!” Ria rebutted at this Ticinia-like answer, before sighing. “Seriously… And I thought at first you were thinking about Ticinia and Vinia…”

“Sorry, sorry~. I just think you need a best friend, just like me.” Licia said, laughing it off.

“...Best friend?” Ria looked at her older sister in bafflement. While the idea of a best friend did not really hit her, something else did. In her eyes, the attachment Licia showed to Evelyn was probably more than just ‘friendship’...

She sighed, before giving her sister a triumphant side look. “I guess you’ve not yet reached maturity after all.”

“W-what? What do you mean?” Licia was shocked to hear that so suddenly, feeling like she lost.

“Nothing~.” Ria kept her smug look, looking down on her sister, which provoked Licia to get closer to Ria, pestering her.

“Come on~, tell this big sis of you-mguh!?”

“Noisy.”

She received a pillow in the face as Ria kept a lady-like look.

“Hoh… So that’s how it’s going to be…” Licia began to giggle creepily as she grabbed the pillow that had just been thrown at her face. “In that case!”

“Buh!?”

She threw the pillow back at Ria’s face.

“War it is!” She declared while giggling, and a pillow battle ensued, both girls laughing their hearts out.

Later, when Ticia went to check on her daughters as she usually did, she could not help but smile, seeing her two eldest daughters sleeping while hugging each other in the same bed, relaxed expressions on their faces.