Chapter 5: Good Night...

When they finished, Bella said, "Let's go in, Saturday nights are TV nights, sis!" While half-jogging, half-running to the house, taunting Mima to race her.

"You bet!" Mima gleefully answered as she ran after Bella. Bella came in the front door first but they both sat on the sofa at the same time.

"I won!" Mima shouted.

"Technically I did because I came into the house first and we sat on the sofa at the same time! I won first and we tied!" Bella argued.

"That means I was about to outrun you!"

"Yeah but acceleration is better than top speed in short distance races!" Bella stated. This goes on until the agreed on the sofa being the finish line and a tie.

"Got anything you wanna watch? I normally put random crap on Netflix." Bella asked.

"Uhhh... Oh! I already watched the first two episodes but I already forgot anyways. But I watched a show called 'The Big Bang Theory' a few months ago and it was really funny. Let's watch that!" Mima cheerfully suggested.

"Alright!" Bella said before typing the words on the smart TV. She looks at the synopsis of the story and saw.. Wait... 16+? Mima watches these? "This says 16+. How the hell am I going to allow you to watch it?"

"Come on, aunty! Don't be such an authoritarian! It's a comedy show! It's not like it has torture or full of sexual content!" Mima pleaded somehow with puppy eyes.

"Well... I cannot say no to a shrine maiden with puppy eyes." Bella sneered before pushing the play button.

"I don't have puppy ey-"

"Shush, the show is starting." Bella cut her off. They had a good time. A lot of giggles and some fits. Bella meanwhile has the time of her life. She got someone new and right here to talk to. The only times she could talk to anybody is when selling or putting n a mic when playing in her PC. It has been a depressing 2 years alone for her. Even though it's been better than just talking to her parents, at this age, she has become more sensitive to this subject and was not sure if she could show herself to anybody.

But this one girl, a victim to Ethelinda's deed, which Bella takes fault in, changed her mood in a U-turn. Mima is the torch Bella found in the tunnel without a visible end. Fate is tricky sometimes. Making a girl who got personally affected by another be the hope for the child of the one who is guilty.

After 6 episodes, Bella's eyes stumbled upon the clock on the wall pointing at 10 pm and sat straight up. "Damn! It's already late!"

"Huh? What time is i- Oh my god time went so fast!" Mima blubbered out.

"You sound drunk," Bella joked.

"Yeah, I got laughing overdose," Mima said before going into another fit.

"Yep, you're drunk. And the only cure is sleep," Bella half-ordered half-joked. "But, you're not sleeping in that, my sweet shrine maiden. I'll help you look for some clothes."

"There's already some in the wardrobe in the second room," Mima said.

"Ok then..." Bella said before taking a final look at the kimono Mima's wearing as she runs upstairs.

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10 years ago...

"God, why did she send me this?" Adam sighed while holding red-white kimono hanging in his hands. A friend just came back from Japan and as a joke, got Adam that dress. What can I use this for?

Then, the kitchen door opened with Bella coming out with sauce on her head. "Pffft HAHAHAH- What happened, Bella?" Adam said while getting into a roaring fit.

"Not funny... I put the pasta sauce on the windowsill and a crow smacked it to my head..." Bella muttered.

Adam wheezed at that statement as he grabs a damp cloth for Bella to clean herself up. Bella looks at her father's other hand and saw the kimono. "Dad, what is that?"

"This is a kimono. It's a traditional Japanese styled dress my friend got me from Tokyo," Adam said before having an idea. "Wanna try it on?"

"W-what?! Should I?"

"Yeah, you can wear it," Adam said as he handed Bella the kimono. Bella lets out a little gleeful scream as she folds her wings around her torso and puts the kimono on. "How do I look?" Bella asked.

"Shrines will be giving you high-level titles you look so awesome. And you're half 'Mythological' too. Or maybe they'll give you the title of 'Eagle Apparition'." Adam said while Bella blushed under her feathers.

Her avian head and half-avian feet really give a big impression in the kimono... "You can keep it if you want, Bella."

"Really?! Thanks, dad!" Bella said as she runs upstairs to put it in her wardrobe.

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Present time...

Bella sighed, remembering the gift. She turns off all the lights and went upstairs to check on Mima. She knocked on the door and the door fully opened to show Mima in some of Bella's old pyjamas. "Hey, thanks for everything today and everything you are going to do. I simply can't thank you enough," Mima said.

"Don't worry, your company is enough to repay me. I've been alone too long for my mental health."

Mima notices the slight decline in Bella's tone and volume and realized that she might've been depressed and lonely all this time. Mima tackle-hugged Bella. "Thank you..."

This went on for a good few minutes before Bella broke the silence, "Ok, come on. We need to go to sleep. We'll be out the first thing in the morning to the school to get your missing school stuff, and also going to town to get you some clothes."

"Hah? So quick??"

"You got school in two days and that's important," Bella stated firmly.

"You're saying school's important but you're not in college you hypocrite," Mima sneered.

"Go to bed."

"Ok, good night aunt Bella!"

"Good night, young shrine maiden."