Over the past several hours, I holed up inside the single-bed suite I claimed as my own. From the confines of a padded chair, my strategy to wait out a case of abdominal cramping went unrewarded until someone came knocking at my door.

“Food’s up!” Ora cheered, though her voice was severely muffled.

“You know, a little food in your stomach will do you a lotta’ good. Come join us on Floor 10 when you’re feeling up for it. Cafeteria is right past the doors on the opposite end.”

Having said her piece, Ora took her leave… Or so I thought. Seconds later, her footsteps returned, and with a jiggle to the doorknob, Ora’s head poked inside.

“Hey, even if you’re not hungry, I’m sure your friend would appreciate the company. Izumi, was her name?”

Nodding my head still holding my hands to my stomach, Ora continued.

“She’s a tough nut to crack- hasn’t even opened her mouth to speak let alone eat, so uhh…” As she pressed her way inside, Ora slid to the floor prostrating herself as if to beg me for assistance. “Please help me! In all my years as a nurse, I’ve never dealt with such a stubborn patient without being armed to the teeth with benzos!”

“Wah?” I winced in a half-smile, revealing in the spectacle of a full-grown woman groveling with her forehead planted on the floor like an elementary schooler pleading for forgiveness.

“Get up you weirdo. There’s no need to be so dramatic.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me?!” Ora lifted her head in an instant.

“I… guess…” I sighed, biding back a tide of pain rolling through my guts. “(I’d be more inclined if you had some of those benzos to take the edge off.)”

“L-Like I said I don’t have any benzos, but your soldier friend entrusted me with his medical kit. Would one of those pills you had before suffice?”

Blinking twice, I didn’t think Ora could have possibly overheard the second half of my moaning let alone offer me the remedy to the Diketrophene withdrawals, but before I knew it, she was already at my side with three tablets rolling around in the palm of her hand.

“Are nurses even allowed to prescribe people medicine?” I laughed dryly as she placed the pills in the breast pocket of my button-up.

“Prescribe? Nope! I’m more than qualified to see that you’re banged up enough to warrant something to ease your pain. If anything, it would be irresponsible of me to withhold them from you since we’re in no position to drag you around in the middle of a detox.”

“I don’t know if that’s a 200-I.Q play or next-level laziness, but either way; I’m not complaining.”

Without hesitation, I choked down one of the tablets of diketrophine. In hindsight, a glass of water would have aided swallowing, and before the medicine could properly kick in, my cramps subsided leaving me to wonder if I had been experiencing withdrawals, or something else entirely.

In the cafeteria, I found Izumi sitting by her lonesome while Al, Liger and Ora prattled between each other leaving Revi awkwardly off to the side at the adjacent table with her back facing the conversation. After ordering the first thing that came across the Auto-Chef’s digital menu, I lugged my tray of extra-portioned mapou tofu towards the storm cloud brooding at the far end of the lunch hall.

“Hey, wasn’t there a rabbit chick in their party? Think she bit the dust?” Vivian’s voice infected my thoughts as I felt her ghostly presence keeping pace at my side.

“She probably already ate, Vi. That's rather dark of you to say. Besides, she’s definitely a loner-survival type. She hunted, killed and cooked that squirrel stew back when we were at camp.”

“Hmmm, maybe~! Oh, right, you forgot your chopsticks, so I snagged you a pair!”

“Thanks Vi-err, wait, how the…?” Tucked between my palm and the tray, I found a sealed set of chopsticks leaving me wondering if I had forgotten them in the first place. As if to shake the confusion out of my head, I let out a shiver before taking my seat across from Izumi who kept her head buried, chin to her chest.

“Heya Zoomie! I brought over some super comfort food with more than enough to share! Talk about American-sized proportions, right? This tray is heavy!”

Despite putting on a thousand-mile high smile, Izumi wouldn’t acknowledge my presence. Even when I skillfully flicked the pieces of minced meat and tofu into my mouth from a distance, Izumi did not so much as stir.

“Oooh~! It’s super tasty! Say, Zoomie, you like spicy foods?” I asked between chews, reveling in the new experience.

Slowly, Izumi shook her head still refusing to make eye contact.

Spurred on by the sliver of progress, I tapped the menu display ingrained in the glassy table swiping through the endless options provided by the Auto-Chef's special menu.

“Let’s see… you’re not a vegetarian, are you?”

Again, she shook her head, this time, with a subtle cue of humor in her movements.

“Whoo! My mouth is on fire!” I sniffled, shuffling the layered display towards the dessert category. “*SNIFFFFF* Well, *hic* there’s no adults to tell us we can’t have a slice of cheesecake before lunch, you have to like sweets, yeah?”

Having given me the slightest of nods, I sorted the selection of cheesecakes by price until I landed on the most decorative of the bunch. In the upper corner, it appeared Al used his own account to fund our luncheon. Having seen his meager credit pool, I activated the retina scanner, conjuring the credits from my personal nest-egg.

“Al…istar… Clover…” Izumi murmured, reading off the name of the account I had activated.

“Y-Yeah, that’s my owner alright… haha…ha… *sniff*” I chuckled apprehensively.

“Twenty-three trillion, eight-hundred ninety-seven billion, two-hundred forty-three million, six-hundred seventy-seven thousand, four-hundred and sixty-two credits… .. ... amazing…”

Although I was impressed by the Izumi’s feat of having read the credit statement upside-down and at the same time, relieved that I finally managed to get her talking, digging up the echoes of my past was not the way I intended to go about it. Thankfully, all I needed to do was tap the digital representation of the gold-encrusted cheesecake for a small drone to deliver the goods and change the subject.

“I wonder how they can shape raw organic matter into edible dishes that look remotely appetizing. This is unreal, I mean, it’s faux gold leaf since it is all organic, but how the heck do they replicate water-buffalo cheese and cognac? This thing has an ingredient list that rivals an encyclopedia! Hell, I'd say it comes a lil' close to the type of things served at the Clover Club.”

Only realizing the commotion caused by the cake paraded by a hand planting itself on my shoulder, I jolted at the sudden appearance of a finger that reached overhead before dragging itself along the cake’s unblemished surface.

“Thanks for not breaking my bank.” Al chuckled, scooping a finger loaded with creamy fluff into his mouth. “Say, what line of work did you say you were in?”

“Alphonse!” Ora’s voice erupted at my rear. “Leave them be! That’s none of your business!”

Distracted by the ear-pulling ordeal transpiring at my rear, I turned back around just in time to witness Izumi cautiously holding a spoon to her lips.

“It’s… really good… thank you… Else… but I... didn’t… deserve this…”

“Nonsense, Zoomie! After all, we’ve been through, you deserve truckloads of cake! Cake for every meal! Let there be cake!”

Having allowed a drug induced zeal to get the better of me, Izumi retreated into her bangs, excusing herself from my presence without uttering a word.

“Frack me…” I huffed, planting my elbows on the table in frustration. “How can I be all warm and tingly inside, and yet feel so shitty?”

“You tried your best, dear.” Ora hummed in disappointment as she took a seat at my side. “It’s going to take some time for her mind to heal… That poor girl lost a child, that’s a pain I pray neither of us will ever experience.”

“Most Beastkin are sterile... Not that it matters... Anyway, why did you ask me to fix her if I can’t possibly comprehend what she’s thinking?”

“You don’t need to understand to be there for her, silly. You made more progress in a few minutes than I’ve made all night. It’s obvious that girl trusts you more than anybody.”

If only Izumi had listened to me in the first place!

Then she would be undoubtedly dead, lil Frill…

Yeah, but then…

Her suffering…

No buts! You haven’t made it this far riding a lucky breeze! From the start, you took responsibility. You saved a life! There’s no need to doubt yourself when fruits of your labor are alive and breathing!

“Else?” Ora questioned me with a concerned look on her face. “You tuned out on me again. Is everything okay? Meds hitting you a little heavy?”

“Y-Yeah… Say, Ora, when you nabbed one of those pills back at camp did anything weird happen?”

“Why do you ask? Are you having any side-effects?” She asked, placing her palm on my forehead. In fear of having her brush against the filed remains of my horns, I recoiled on instinct. “I didn’t snag a hair now, did I?”

“N-No…” I choked, bracing myself from further tumbling out of my chair. “I just... don't like being touched is all.”

There was nothing better I could say that wouldn’t make it sound as if I had lost all my marbles, thankfully, there was a golden key, a get out of jail free card, an excuse I could use to back out of the conversation sitting before me; the cheesecake.

Like a shovel, I scooped a portion of the cake into my hand absentmindedly.

“Just a severe case of the munchies.” I grinned, before twirling about in my seat, positioning myself for a quick escape.

Ugh, were it only that easy…

“Alistar Clover, I thought I recognized the name,” Al spoke down to me before I could launch like a coiled spring from my seat. “I worked security detail for a man with that name. Escorted him down all the way from that crazy castle thing floating in the sky.”

“Err… did you now?” I cringed as my eyes sank into their sockets.

“Sure did. With an armed group of twenty-some others. Hmm, I can’t put my finger to it, I vaguely remember the event had something to do with robotics and charity.”

Charity…?

“Oh, he must be referring to a time before you became a Virtual Doll!” Vivian smacked loudly as she twiddled a spoon in her mouth hoovering half a meter above the table. “Alistar always attended events for the less fortunate, like, one time, he donated a tonnnn~ of prosthetics to an orphanage, but now that I think of it, our crew practically doubled in size when he came back! – Ooooh~! This cake is delish!”

“I don’t know if I should be impressed or disgusted.” I grumbled quietly, though by both Ora and Al’s concerned expressions, they definitely overhead me talking to myself.

“Behind every great fortune, there is a great crime… or so some wise man once said.” Al rolled his eyes. “I only had a brief interaction with the man, but from what-.”

Just as Al was about to finish, I wiped my cake-encrusted mitts on his shirt before pushing past him.

I don’t want to hear it.

I don’t want to remember.

Things are better this way.

“Are they, lil Frill?” Vivian called after me as she trotted up to my side just as I was about to leave the Cafeteria.

“Yeah, I got more important things to be worried about. If you’re going to help me, Silk, then point the way to Izumi- wha!?”

Out of nowhere, a massive tremor rolled through the building. Previously, the reverberations had always been far in the distance, but this time, it seemed that the origin of the earthquake came from directly overhead. But as quickly as it appeared, the quake dissipated.

Perfect. While the others babbled amid each other in confusion, I took the opportunity to slip out into the hall, distancing myself through the many subterranean layers of the Golden Lotus.

“Where to, Silk?” I asked through the breeze whipping through my hair in my descent as I slid down the spiraling stairwell, balanced precariously on my rear.

“The elevator was stopped at Floor 27, so by my powers of deductive reasoning, that’s where Izumi must have gotten off!”

“Dividing by one is hardly deductive, but alright.”

“Wait, wait-wait!” Vivian cheered, snatching me by the hand before I could descend any further. “Do you smell that?”

“What are you on about? I don’t smell anything other than industrial cleaner and aerosol fragrance. This place smells of musk and old building.”

“I smell booze! Say, why don’t we bring your mopey friend something nice! Spiced Rum, Cinnamon Bitters, or maybe something sweet like a dessert wine!”

“Why do I have a sinking suspicion you just want a drink for yourself? You’re the only freak who willingly drinks Cinnamon Bitters, Vi. Can you even taste the things that I eat? You know, at some point, you’re going to need to explain how you were able to yank me off the stair rail…”

“Guess you’ll have to find out!” She smirked as she faded through a door labeled Floor 32.

The contents of the first couple of rooms I searched were nothing to write home about. Loose articles of clothes and partially packed suitcases and the like… Oh, and the sex toys of every variety, condom wrappers and bottles of lube strewn about- this is a love hotel after all.

I couldn’t figure out for the life of me where Vivian had smelled anything akin to firewater, that is, until I searched the seventh room and found a small flask with its contents half-empty.

“No way she could have smelled this when the bottle is screwed tight…” I grumped, tossing the small silver flask aside. “Alright, Vi, give me a hint! Where’s the booze? Am I hot or cold?”

“Hey Lil Frill, catch this in your mouth!” Vivian squeaked giddily, though my instincts told me such an action would be ill advised.

“Fat chance, Vi. I know you have a fascination with rubber objects of the phallic variety.”

“Moh! No fun no fun!” She stamped her foot impatiently only to quickly return to her carefree rhythm. “Try searching beneath the bed. I can practically smell the cinnamon lingering in the air.”

“Friggen better be more than just friggen Bitters…” I mouthed, feeling around beneath a large bed until my fingers grazed along the handle of a leather briefcase.

Once out in the open, I examined the digital clasp before slipping a hairpin into the lock’s mechanical sweet spot.

And…

Ta-da!

Easy-peasy!

Let’s see…

Cinnamon Bitters…

Better chuck that!

“W-Wait!” Vivian screeched, throwing herself on the floor only to catch a face full of discarded liquid and broken glass.

“I hope you felt that one, Vi. There’s no way you were going to convince me to drink that crap. Now, where was I?”

Two cans of Jack n’ Coke? Hmm… These will be perfect for Zoomie!

Rise Lightning Vodka- We’ll just save that for little ol’ me.

An empty slot for the nasty cinnamon hellfire and a cocktail glass with… a note in it?

Unravelling the note in my fingers, I read aloud; “Foreplay Only…? What kind of idiot carries a briefcase around loaded with this? None of these drinks even go together, and you sure as shit don’t use a plastic cocktail glass to serve vodka! C’mon Vi, help me carry this bottle.”

Just when I thought to release the vodka into Vivian’s care, my 6th sense directed me to the mischief playing out on Vivian’s expression.

“On second thought, knowing you, you’d probably drop it just to get me back.”

“Darn, you saw right through me Lil Frill! Looks like my sharp wits are rubbing off on you!” She smiled from ear to ear. “Don’t you worry. I discovered another way to get you back for dumping that sweet-sweet crimson gold! Check out this new ability I just discovered!”

“W-Wait, Vi- stop making that face! Get your finger away from me you cretin!”

In my haste to retreat, I tumbled over my heels onto my backside, but not before Vivian jabbed me directly in my midriff.

“G-Gah, why do I suddenly need to pee!? What did you do to me Vi!?” I squealed, attempting to right myself while cradling both the vodka and the two cans.

“Oh, I just overrode your autonomic nervous system! You don’t really need to pee, but I bet it sure feels like you want to!”

“Y-You’re horrible! Make it stop already!”

As she swirled the remains of the bitters in front of me in a daring manner, I took it upon myself to pop the top on the vodka bottle and then proceed to drown myself in the fiery liquid. On a hunch that I could drink away the demon resting on my shoulder, my suspicions were confirmed when I finally took a breath of air having polished off the entire vodka bottle.

“*Hic*… Vhi? Yew still ther?”

After a moment of silence, I tossed the empty bottle aside before clambering to my feet.

“I gotta get theshe cans to Zoomie, shesh gonna luv dish! *Hic!* M-Maybe Leeger may wan sum! Bhut doo robotsh even drink? Eh, ohwel *Hic*. More for me den!”

As I stumbled out into the hallway, I braced myself against the far wall, patiently waiting for my noodle legs to respond to my input.

“Gee, Lil Frill. You’ve always been such a lightweight! C’mon, I’ll help you walk! Take my hand!” Vivian's voice reappeared at my side, just second before my legs began moving on their own.

“Lightweight mah assh!” I slurred as we took a turn away from the stairwell. “Whait, wherewe goin? Shtop, Vih, gib me back control of mah bodee!”

“You’re in no shape to use those rubbery legs! I’m just gonna make a quick pitstop to some drunken slip’n’slide in the bathroom. Being cooped up in your head makes me want to stretch my limbs -er, I mean your limbs? Our- limbs? Eh, anyway, I’m gonna take you out for a test drive! Time to burn some rubber like we did when we were kids!”

Stuck in the passenger seat on a horrible roller-coaster ride, I held on to whatever mental fibers in reach as Vivian squeaked across the soapy tile floor of the nearest washroom. After an undetermined amount of time, she grew bored of the smaller facility, voicing her complaints of the lack of velocity before taking off towards the stairs, ascending by the rails alone in a manner similar to that of a monkey.

“VIIII!” I shrieked, looking over my shoulder down towards the heart of the shadowy stairwell.

“Oh, relax! This is a far more enjoyable way to ‘climb’ stairs, ain’t it?! You’re so limber and your muscles seem to never tire! If I was in my own body, my cartilage bones wouldn’t let me do a single pull-up! That’s the life of an aquatic Beasty after all! After we’re done here, wanna see if we can flip your butt onto your head!?”

“N-no-no-no! Vi, yous ghot shtuck like dat one tiem, member!? Bad-idea-bad-idea! Just fochus on nhot killinmeh, phlease!”

“HEY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?” An ear-splitting voice burst in my ear as a powerful grip landed on my wrist. “What the hell is wrong with you!? Do you have a death wish!?”

“No, but I have Jack n’ Coke!” Vivian spoke through me as we tumbled to safety, coming to a rest at Al’s feet against a turn in the stairs. “Want one?” She snickered, procuring one of the cans tightly wedged in my pocket.

“Why didn’t you follow after your friend to the elevator? The stairs aren’t secure. There’s no telling what is lying in wait at the bottom- wait, why does your breath reek of alcohol?”

“The cans of Jack n’ Coke didn’t explain it?”

“Give me those!” Al snapped, swiping the cans from my possession.

“B-But *sniffle*” Vivian began to wail like an injured animal.

“Alligator tears, really? Are you even old enough to drink? – And don’t give the apocalypse as an excuse!”

Little did poor unsuspecting Al know he was dealing with the Queen of Alligator tears, the inventor herself. Given that both Vivian and I were both Virtual Dolls and subsequently Barmaids by trade, I relinquished my reigns wholly with anticipation for the customer satisfying charm.

“W-would the answer really matter?” Vivian sharpened my mouth into the shape of a dagger as she slithered up Al’s leg. “Is the apocalypse not an excuse enough to allow us to act like adults?” Stopping directly before his face, Vivian let out an otherworldly giggle that forced Al to hard swallow.

“If you don’t give me back those cans, I’ll scream… teehee…”

“Err- y-your asking for trouble, you little shit. Fine-! Just don’t go around being obnoxious to the others.”

Welp… Even though her actions were roughly what I expected, they still sent chills up my spine. I learned long ago never to challenge Vivian in a bullfight… or rather anything. In the end, even when she lost at our petty feuds she’d find a way to claim victory through unconventional means. That is why despite being such a handful, I found myself willfully at her mercy.

“It would be nice if you’d say that out loud, Lil Frill.” Vivian chuckled as we entered the hallway of the 27th floor. “You know I can hear all your thoughts, ya?”

“Erk! I-It wood be nishe if yude warne meh tat ur listnen befour I get all shappy on yew, dhummy. Beshide, itsh not liek yew didn’t no.”

“Damn straight!” She smirked as we passed through the door into Izumi’s cubical. “Heya Mopeymoper! We brought you some-… oh… It appears your friend is sleeping.”

“Kheep it douwn.” I rolled my eyes internally. “Nao whadawedo, Vhi-*Hic*?”

“Hmmm, well, I suppose we could have one of our therapy sessions.” Vivian suggested as we took a seat at the foot of Izumi’s bed.

“Bhut I gotta be sleep for dat, ryte? I’m knot tyred at awl, I’m-*hic* I’m hungwee.”

“A quota is a quota, Lil Frill! If I don’t help you out, I’ll be internally audited as a rogue A.I and we can’t have none of that! Ya swallowed another pill, which means we gotta deal with another Adjunct! Since we got nothin' better ta do, time go nighty-night!”

And with that, Vivian reared my head forward, then back, ramming the base of my skull directly into the bedpost with a grizzly ‘thunk’.

“Really Vi!? REALLY!? Did ya have to knock me out cold!?” I fumed indiscriminately to the void.

“Aye- look at that! You’re not slurring anymore! I was wondering if you could be drunk when you’re dreaming, but I guess that answers that! Eheehee!”

“Damn it, that really hurt! Did you not think that would wake Izumi!? You could have just held my breath or somethin, ya know!”

“What? Are we talking about the same Chicka who slept through a earthquake? What’s a little bump in the night gonna do to her? If anything, she’s probably happy you stumbled into her room. It’s like Al-the-Pal said; ya smell like booze! I’m sure your Mope-a-dope friend will figure out the rest!”

“Yeah, whatever, gah- why can I still feel the pain in my neck!?”

“That’s probably cause your implant is overheating. I probably shouldn’t have hijacked the synapse-signaly whatevers I used to control your legs. My bad!”

“Oh, don’t you ‘my-bad’ me! I take back all that sappy shit I said!” I scowled just as Vivian's sudden embrace startled me from behind.

“But you didn’t say it… You were thinking it. There's no erasing the sentiment.”

“Same diff- err-ugh! Whatever, Vi. Hurry up and get on with this charade. What dreadful memory are you gonna dig up this time?”

“Ah, right!” She perked as she planted her chin on my crown. “Say, before we get into that, wouldn’t you say Alphonse looks a tad familiar?”

“What? Why do you ask that all of a sudden? He said he escorted Mr. Clover, right? What’s that have to do with me?”

“Oh boy…” Vivian sighed.

“W-What?! Don’t ‘oh-boy’ me! What aren’t you letting on? Am I supposed to recognize him? How far have you been digging into my head?!”

“Okay, I guess you get a pass because we’ll have to roll back the clock a bit. Aren’t you bothered by the gaps in your memory? Can you even recall your childhood?”

“You mean before the Clover Club? Pfft, with all the drugs I pursued to escape the perpetual waking nightmare that is life, I’m surprised I even remember my name. Fuck it all, fuck everything- that's my mantra. Ninty-nine percent of everything isn't worth remembering.”

But what she said next caused my thoughts to tangle.

“Well, what about your parents? Haven’t you any thoughts of them?”

“Puhlease, Vi, it’s not like most Beastkin reproduce naturally. Many of us don’t have parents, we're designer test tube babies. You of all people should know that Miss 'One of a Kind'!”

“I’m well aware of the Catalyst Gene Artificer-1 that’s required for insemination to take hold, still, even if we Beasties aren't born naturally we're still placed in familial settings if the applicants get the government's approval. You told me about your mother when we first met. I practically pried your mouth open to get you to speak.”

“Ugh, it's all a haze, but I’m beginning to remember you prying my mouth open with kitchen utensils, AND knocking out my front teeth on multiple occasions, AND how you used to lie in wait in the shadows of the halls, waiting to ram your fingers up my ass! Come to think of it; you were pretty horrible to me when we first met!”

“Mmm! Thankfully for you and me, our teeth regrow like the apex predators that we are!”

“That's besides the point! I’m not a damn shark Vivian! You had no way of knowing they'd grow back!!”

“That’s racist! I’m a Torpedo Ray, little Frill!”

“There you go again, side-railing the topic until I get caught up in your web. Seriously, how exactly is this therapy?”

“Well…” She started, but I already knew she'd answer in her typical fashion. “Guess you’re about to find out!”