Chapter 40: Chapter 37.5 - Fun
"We really did turn into training addicts without realizing it..." Flynn said to Aiden, his head raised from the book he was reading while staring at his brother.
They were both in one of the two living rooms in the mansion. They had two living rooms with one being super large and the other being quite small. They were presently in the smaller one.
The smaller living room was usually used to accommodate guests while the larger room was for family usage only, but, considering how the Belmonts had never had a single guest over the past year and seven months that Flynn and Aiden had become conscious that they originally had past lives, they had turned this space into their relaxation spot.
"I'm really bored. I can't think of anything asides training..." Aiden said while dragging his voice like a sloth.
He really looked like a couch potato right now and it genuinely looked like he was about to melt into the chair just from boredom.
"Muscle head! What about the library? You'd usually go there on days like these right?" Flynn responded to Aiden.
He was genuinely finding the sight of his usually active brother looking like a lazy-ass person, really amusing.
Today was one of the two days they'd set aside once every month to take a break from training as a way to honor their mum's wish and relax every once in a while.
Aiden was about to respond to Flynn's comment when the door to the room opened and Ivar walked down the small stairs and plopped onto the chair beside Flynn.
"Haaa... what do people even do for fun..." Ivar said with a sigh as he plopped onto the chair.
"That boredom's really getting to you too huh" Flynn said while glancing over at Ivar.
"More than you could imagine. I feel absolutely restless not doing anything" Ivar replied with his eyes closed while also sinking into the comfort of the chair.
"Tell me about it! And Flynn, the library has no fun books to read. Just history books, magic spell books, maps and books containing information about Arcadia and the nearby nations. That's no fun at all if I'm going to be reading them all the time!"
"Is that so?" Flynn said, his concentration back on the book he was reading.
'This punk!' Aiden inwardly thought to himself after realizing Flynn wasn't paying attention to what he had said.
"I need me some good ol' fashioned light novel, or just a good novel in general!" Aiden said while moving both of his hands in a grabby motion.
"Can't you just read some with your smartwatch?" Ivar asked with curiosity.
"Webnovels are great! They really are! But then again, nothing beats the feel of a real book in your hands. The smell of a fresh new book has to be one the best things! Also Flynn, stop reading that spell book about telekinesis magic! That's no different from training but without going out! You wouldn't want to let mum find out would you?" Aiden said with a smug smirk.
Flynn's face contorted into a frown when he heard that and with a sigh, threw the spell book on the table while also sinking into the sofa as he spoke.
"I really wonder if you really aren't a devil in a human's clothing sometimes..."
"Maybe..." Aiden replied, contented that he had caused his brother to join their couch potato gang.
"Tch! No reaction today huh..." Flynn said.
He then immediately spoke up as if remembering something.
"Where's Ivelia?"
"She's in the lab. She said she has something she needs to check and that once she's done, she'll be here in a jiffy. Wait..." Ivar said with a pause before he sighed and then continued.
"You're not planning on teasing her again, are you?"
"What else am I supposed to do when I'm this bored?" Flynn replied with a smile before continuing.
"Besides, Ivelia has the best reactions. It's so much fun to watch and experience" Flynn concluded with an even brighter smile.
Aiden and Ivar looked at each other for a moment then looked at Flynn with sly smiles as they both said in unison.
"Is that so?"
"You guys are doing that weird thing again?" Flynn replied, his face immediately reverting to that of a frown.
"He doesn't even realize it yet?" Ivar said with a smug look.
"Oh you sweet summer child..." Aiden said with a sly but sympathetic look.
Flynn just looked at both of them like they had a brain tumor before he proceeded to just ignore them. As he did so, Ivar and Aiden looked at themselves and began to chuckle.
A small but comfortable silence passed between the three of them as they sunk into the comfort of chairs but all of a sudden, Flynn's eyes widened and he sprung up almost immediately from the chair while standing, his hands on the table as he did so.
"I haven't played a single video game for the past one year and seven months!" Flynn exclaimed in a surprised tone, as if he had an epiphany. n./OvE1b1n
"Well, we've been training throughout the entirety of the past year after all" Aiden replied with a small shrug.
"Also, can't you just play it using your smartwatch?" Ivar asked, wondering why Flynn was making such a big deal out of it, just like the way Aiden had with his novels.
"Nothing beats the feel of a keyboard or a game controller in your hands!" Flynn replied while looking at Ivar like he was an alien.
"Both of you are really weird" Ivar said, his gaze alternating between the two brothers strangely.
"Aiden! Ivar! We're going to get a gaming console!" Flynn declared, his eyes shining with a rare twinkle as he did so.
"I can also use that opportunity to find some good novels" Aiden also got up, his excitement ramping up as he did.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late. Should've been here sooner" Ivelia said as soon as she came in.
"Ivelia! You too! You're coming with us" Flynn said to her immediately she walked in.
"W-What? To where?" Ivelia asked, surprise evident in her voice at the sudden declaration from Flynn.
Ivar immediately filled her in on what the two aliens were planning.
"That does seem fun. I would also like to get some things in the city" Ivelia responded after listening to her brother's explanation.
"Well then! Off we go" Aiden declared as he marched out of the room with Flynn in tow.
Ivelia and Ivar just shook their heads while smiling.
"Never a dull moment with those two" Ivelia said as she and Ivar followed the two brothers out of the room.
They first went to inform the Duke and Duchess before finally requesting for Frank to drive them to their various destinations. It was a weekend so both parents were at home.
After coming back home, Flynn set up the entire thing in the small living room while Aiden piled up a bunch of good novels he felt had the potential to keep him occupied on the glass table.
Ivelia had mostly gotten a few new headbands and some chemicals while Ivar had only gotten a full kit of a barbing clipper and all of the required tools required to cut his hair. Apparently, he wanted to change his hairstyle from the rough look it had and make his face a bit more refined to look at.
"You just had to make it a harem you darn author?! World-toppling beauty my ass! The story was getting so good too... Why do people even like harems? Isn't it like an eventual, over-glorified, roundabout way of cheating?" Aiden complained bitterly while throwing away the light novel he was reading to pick up another one that he had hoped wouldn't add that annoying trope.
As each teen went about doing their own thing, they all eventually got interested in the fighting game Flynn was playing.
Considering he had purposely bought four controllers for this very moment, he was suppressing the devilish smile that was threatening to come out when they had all asked to join a co-op match.
Aiden who noticed this had a shiver run through his spine.
"Dang it! Why are you falling off the platform you darn plumber!" Ivar cursed as his character fell of the stage.
"Hahahaha! You're horrible at this Ivar" Aiden said but soon, it was Ivar's turn to laugh as the blue porcupine he was controlling was thrown off the stage by a blondie with a big-ass bat that Flynn was controlling.
"Pfft! Hahahaha! And you were being so smug just a few seconds ago" Ivar laughed as Aiden sent a death glare at Flynn.
Flynn just looked at him and winked, something which caused Aiden to get even more annoyed while Ivar's laughter echoed through the room as he rolled around on the rug. After a few minutes, one of the remaining two emerged victorious.
"I won!" Ivelia said with a bit of surprise before she then sprung up and said with an even louder voice, this time while grinning from ear to ear.
"I won!!!"
Flynn could be seen sulking as he watched Ivelia's excited face.
Her character, a pink slime, had swallowed Flynn's character and spat him off the stage, humiliating him even further.
Aiden relished this moment and continued to laugh while poking fun at his brother.
Flynn however, looked at Ivelia and requested for one more match.
Ivelia seeing this a rare chance to get back at Flynn for all the teasing he had been putting her through, bent down and began to stroke his hair as she spoke.
"There there child. Mommy will go easy on you this time"
"Any opportunity to stroke his hair huh sis" Ivar said while watching his sister.
"Flynn you hypocrite! If I was tussling your hair and ruffling it, you'd have smacked my hand away by now" Aiden said, almost as if he was hurt, although very obvious that he was clearly faking it.
"You ruffle and scatter my hair! Do you know how much work I usually put into ensuring it doesn't block my eyes?"
"Eh. Fair enough" Aiden responded with a shrug.
"So uh Ivelia... are you happy now? Had enough? If you have, let's get back to the game. I really want to win" Flynn declared.
One could almost see the competitive spirit that was radiating from him.
"Just give me one more minute. Still need more time to recharge" Ivelia said as she kept stroking his hair with a contented look.
"Fine! One minute it is" Flynn responded.
After Ivelia had "recharged her batteries", she went back to the game with the rest of the boys but unfortunately for all of them, they all lost to her every time.