Charlotte had to sleep all the time the old yellow buddy was high up. Only when it was giving the folk a final greeting did she finally resurrect from the dead.

Strangely, she didn’t feel that tired after wasting all that energy fooling last night. The only thing she felt was some soreness of staying up until a time she was not used to. She took a well-awaited body shower so she could stop being a ghost of society. Her face was completely white, and her undergarments weren’t faring any better, they were black before so it was even worse.

The only thing that wasn’t white were the trousers she put on before sleeping. Heck, as even her knickers were full of flour, the only fate it could have was to be floured on the inside…

“This will be a chore to wash off…”

She decided for the future her to solve that predicament. Now was the time for a heavenly drizzle to fall on her body.

Once the white grate was off of her, she went outside with a newfound question in her mind.

“Hey, how are we cleaning the clothes?” she asked while drying off her hair.

“We don’t.” he was like a rock, immobile on the vastness of his bed.

“… You mean, you leave them like that?” her hands stopped moving as her eyes looked at him in skepticism.

“No. I buy new ones and leave the used one behind.”

“Isn’t that a waste?!” Now her eyes were completely circular. “Why would you do that? Is it because you don’t like to travel with baggage?”

“It is not a waste, whoever finds them can keep them, I am sure they would not complain. In case you are wondering, everything I need is being kept within me, that is the reason I do not go with useless bags, like you.”

After hearing his weird philosophy about life, her eyes narrowed while twitching.

Wealthy people really are…!

“Seriously! You…!” she lost the drive seeing him not moving a finger. “Never mind, I won’t follow your creed, mine shall be shiny, care to help?” nodding her head, she stopped using the dryer cloth.

“Help? With what?” he finally moved his head, looking at her.

“I’m going out so obviously, I need the disguise. You also need new ones, or… Are you going out like that?”

He looked down at his body after hearing her, his black suit was ruined. It wasn’t black anymore, but a spotted dog. He nodded after a little bit of thinking. He couldn’t do anything about it except buying a new one.

“No way.” She was stunned at his eagerness to not buy at least a change. “I still have Jean’s shirt, so you should wear it for now… As for the pants, there’s nothing to do there. You’ll have to go like that.”

She went to her bag, took out said shirt and threw it to Gut.

“Don’t you dare to throw it away. I’ll kill you.”

“Alright.”

He nodded at her words, he could tell she liked this shirt a lot.

A memento of sorts, uh?

He took off his coat and then his also black shirt. The two of them were washed with white flour.

It was the first time Charlotte was seeing his bare upper body. Taking away the fact that it was a too well-defined body, there were numerous scars. She also could see what scars were of the implants he had and which weren’t.

Maybe fights?

On the middle of his chest was a big scar. She wasn’t able to tell if it was because of a big injury or of an implant, it was too big and messy. Around it was plenty of smaller ones. On his arm nearing his armpit was a long one which made a complete circle, it was pretty obvious something big had happened on it, maybe changing all the arm with bones and all or just the skin.

Gut held up the shirt and made an unpleased face, he obviously didn’t like this kind of colorful shirt. He then noticed the stare Charlotte was giving him.

“What? Never seen a naked guy before?”

Blushing at his remark, she tore away her stare of his body.

“Uh? Oh, no. It’s just… You have so many scars and stitches… It makes me wonder how badly injured one can get and still be alive.”

“Not much alive but more to be kept alive. There is nothing more to it.”

“Kept alive?”

“I am useful so I am kept alive by the ones who want something done.” He said as if that was of no concern to him.

“Oh… I see… Let’s go then.” She got a rock on her throat, stopping her idea there.

Once he finished putting on the shirt, she saw how he left his coat and black shirt on the floor.

“You’re not going to wash it?”

“No.” he shook his head as if it was the most natural thing to do.

She gave up on trying to convince him, there were better things to invest her energy in.

Getting all her dirty clothes packed, she left the room after getting her disguise on. They then went out to the hotel’s laundry. It was a wonder they allowed the peasants in without charging an additional fee.

Some people came in to the laundry to wash their clothes. Everyone was a mess today. There was even one guy who came in while wearing his clothes full of flour and undressed on the spot!

Some of them tried to start a conversation while waiting so they could kill time, but decided against it when they noticed Gut’s icy face. Even if he was wearing a colorful shirt, his face was still a scary one. When the clothes went through the cycle of being wet and dry, they left them in the room and went to the restaurant to grab a nab. They hadn’t eaten anything all day long, so Charlotte was starting to feel pangs of hunger.

“Hey, wanna drink something tonight?”

She said once they were in the hotel’s restaurant and had ordered their food, the usual two servings for her.

“Are you not still a kid? Oh, you are talking about juice, I see.”

“What?... Ah.”

Even with his scary face, he still jokes…

Coming to an understanding, she pouted and looked away. She kept forgetting what her ‘age’ was.

“Then… Buy something for you... And bring me a delicious grape juice. You can always drink in the room, no?”

“Indeed, but I am no fan of getting drunk.”

Hearing his answer, she looked at Gut with a knife in her eyes and the intention on her face. He received that expression as if nothing was wrong, even smiling a little. Something which made Charlotte angrier at him.

We’re in a festival! We ought to make the best of it! It might even be, my… Last one…

“… Fine.” She lowered her gaze and continued bringing food to her mouth in sorrow.

“Oh? I did not think you would give up so easily.”

“Yeah, whatever you say. I guess it’s better to be level headed… Yeah.”

He didn’t answer and she didn’t talk anymore, even after coming back to their abode. She changed into her pajamas consisting of a white camisole and her shorts after dipping herself in some water and soap so she could go to sleep when she felt like it. In the meantime, she started to kick and kill monsters in her device, taking her frustration away.

Half an hour of doing this and that to the poor programed monsters there was a knock on the door. She looked at the door with worry, there shouldn’t be anyone from the hotel coming at this time.

An acquainted of his…? It couldn’t be, a police officer!?

Right now, she was on an easy to move camisole without any constrains, it was obvious to the eye she was no lad! She looked at Gut and he nodded at her. She then immediately did what an ostrich does, hid its head and think its body is not visibly to the world to see. She feigned to be asleep.

… What is she doing?

Gut had nodded before as he thought she had reasoned the intentions of the one standing at the other side of the door. But she just panicked and is now trembling under her sheets, pretending to be asleep. He couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head. Doing what he must, he approached the door and looked at the clerk waiting for an answer.

“Hello, sir. I was asked to bring you this.”

“Thank you.” Receiving the package, he closed the door and brought it to the side of the poor shivering thing.

“So, you want to sleep already and forget about these littles I just got? I guess I will have to throw them away…”

“… Eh?” Uncovering her head, she looked at him.

She then cracked her neck to look left and right, searching for ghosts that coulb be hidden, there was no soul in the empty room they were in. Finally, she noticed the little things he was holding. In each of his hands was a violet dark bottle with a name she couldn’t see from afar, but she immediately recognized what they were, wine!

“O-oh! That’s what I was talking about! When did you order it?” she realized her mistake and wished it to be under the bed, forgotten.

“On the restaurant, coming?” he motioned to the table on the wall.

“Yes! Gosh! I crave for it!” she quickly made herself free of her self-imposed reins and followed him.

And so, when the second day of the festival was still going strong and the peasants were shouting and throwing things at others for the sake of it, they went on to make a relaxing night while just talking and chilling out.

She talked the most, opening her mouth as though she was being interrogated and wanted no part on it. The three experiences she had on college along with those she met and didn’t leave a strong impression and the true friends she made on the first one, whom she still talked with, she also told Gut the reason she didn’t continue on it. She also babbled about the last job she took, the only official one on her belt, and the nuisance she felt with the others she shared the desk. Deciding that it was a depressing matter as she took it after doing the deed, she went back on her friends, how they were and why she liked them. At this point, the first bottle was over and Gut decided to open the second one.

Charlotte stood from the chair, abandoning the comfortableness of being seated.

“Hey, hey, wanna dance for a little bit?” she asked with impetus

“I thought you did not like to dance?” He raised a brow in wonder.

She rambled on and on about the things she had done with her friends and what she liked and what not, so he was certain she said she didn’t like it.

“I’m no good when compared to Elly or Dord. I’m pretty good on my own… That’s my opinion though.” At the end she said with a little bashful smile.

Shrugging his shoulders, Gut was finally able to tear open the cork, he held it in his hand and said:

“I am fine with it.”

Sooner than latter, he poured wine on the cup they were using and passed it to her. They danced to the tune of the street or a song she put on her provisional mobile, the one she never bothered using. She kept laughing at every little mistake he made, wanting to just have fun and forget everything else. He on the other hand, never said a thing to her on her behalf. They danced for a while and kept on drinking in between. When the bottle was nearing its last drops, Charlotte wasn’t able to walk still or straight, she had drunk most of the last bottle so she was tipsy and her head was fuzzy. She didn’t wish to continue on dancing as she wasn’t sure of what she was doing anymore, so she decided to keep on rambling about things and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Hey hey, call forth for another! We can still go on, right?” Moving her feet back and forth like a kid sitting on a high place, she asked with a smile.

“I believe it has been enough?”

“Nu-uh, I can still go on!” She opened her arms wide and lost a little of her balance, falling to one side.

“Really… Wait.”

Even if he didn’t want to, he still called for one more bottle. He wanted to please this lady tonight, she had had a very terrible experience of going from a normal person to a criminal in the span of the night, she didn’t appear like so lately but he was certain that tonight and last’s antics were a mechanism of hers to cope with this reality that was crushing on her soul.

“This will be the last tonight.” He said after finishing the call.

“Right!” She stood up from the bed and started on her spell.

She talked about the game she was playing and how she didn’t like the time it took to do things and how boring it was to grind, and, and. It was obvious it bothered him so she did it with glee, not caring at all if what she was saying was from this one or another game.

*knock knock

“Finally.” He sighed in relief.

Standing op, he went on to retrieve the newly brought wine, he was getting pretty impatient by her ramblings about her video game and stuff like that, and she loved it.

We are companions now! You are going to be with me for a while so you can’t be always gloomy and dark! You need to be more expressive so I won’t be as bored!, were her thoughts. She couldn’t stand anymore it, his always stoic face and composed self, at least not on occasions like this. It was no fun and bored her to the end.

When he was talking to the poor clerk that had to work on a night like this, Charlotte had a bulb lighted on top of her head, she smiled mischievously.

“Hey~ Uncle~ Where are you going~ I thought you said we weren’t finished yet~?”

Using a voice as mellowed and sweet as she could possibly do while maintain a manly tone so there were some kind of gossip on the hall, she kept on giggling to herself. Just as she finished her little trick, Gut turned around with his eyes the size of the moon, he couldn’t believe her! He then decided to pretend she hadn’t done a thing and continued to talk with the clerk. She couldn’t hear what they were saying because there was so much noise in the street, so she just giggled louder while having her thoughts on what they were talking and how he would explain things.

Once he was back, she kept looking at him with a satisfied expression.

“Really… You like to play too much. What if they call the police?”

“They shouldn’t, wouldn’t? Not today. There’s no way they’d call ‘em for some’n so trivial, wo’they?” She was smiling like a little cat who had accomplished her lifelong duty.

“… What am I to do with you…” He shook his head and moved on to uncork the bottle.

“Oh? What do you want to do with me?” She was having her fun and couldn’t think straight, only thinking of continuing with her fun and not to stop.

While he was working on the cork, he saw how brought her right hand to her mouth, keeping her eyes half closed in wonder. Smiling devilish and sweetly at him, she continued on when she was sure she had all his attention, she wanted to tease him and make him drop that expression!

She lifted her right beautifully shaped leg a little while maintaining her right hand on place. Moving her well-shaped lower end on top of her other, she crossed her appendages and left them like that.

She was sweaty of the dancing and fooling before, so her clothes were plastered to her body, making her movements more alluring and seductive.

Once with her lower parts in the position she desired, she turned her body a little to her left while putting some strength on her right hand, dragging with her right elbow the camisole she was wearing, just enough to show him part of her precious top moulds with a peek at the pink peak.

To not fall to either side, she inclined her body forward, showing him without wanting a little more of her left side. Continuing with her tactic, she put her left hand on her knee and propelled her backwards, caressing with it her lower thigh, on the clothed higher thigh, she put a finger underneath and pulled it up almost to her inner thigh. Letting it go, she proceeded to forego of the position of her right hand and keep herself from falling completely on the bed.

She bit her lower lips and continued forward with her left hand, dragging on her camisole up until the middle of her chest, showing him her porcelain white, sweaty and perfectly beautiful tummy. She let go of her hand and put it behind, as her right was.

She pushed herself backwards with her feet and with both her arms, propped her back up. Finally, she left her left leg on the bed and her right collected towards her, showing him her almost completely bare right thigh, down to the base of her butt.

All this time she kept smiling at him, wanting to see his reaction the most.

*Plop

The cork fell to the floor.

He gulped at this wonderful sight, looking at the spectacle in front of him, he marveled at her show and the sexiness she exuberated. At the end, he looked at her expectant eyes, at her half-opened lips with a little of a mischievous smile, at her now covered but still there tips and down her beautiful abdomen. When looking at her right leg from the knee down, he noticed something, it wasn’t that big but still something that had troubled him the last days.

*Sigh

“With your body in that state, I believe it is better not to do anything right now.” He said after being cooled down.

“Huh?! My body?! Oh! Sorry about that!” She immediately sat up at hearing him.

She felt wronged, even if she was not that tall, she was by no means ugly. She had the right curves and always took care of it. Telling her that her body was not enough, she felt anger, insulted. Having lost all her drive, she stomped her feet, got up and started organizing the bed. She didn’t have the mood to continue playing around.

“I believe you are misunderstanding me.”

“Misunderstanding you? No, I understand alright.”

She turned back, staring daggers at him. She then saw he was still holding the bottle of the just uncorked wine. Storming towards him, she didn’t allow any word of his to enter her ears. She took it and drank from it as fast as she possibly could, finishing almost three quarters on the spot. She then threw the bottle to him and went to her bed. She was finished for tonight.

He was astonished by her behavior. Although he meant what he said, she misunderstood his meaning. He was worried of her scorches!

They were pretty bad right now. They haven’t healed one bit even after a week. There was something wrong with it and he didn’t know what to do to make them better. The ones on her legs and arms were like that, not to mention the big one on her back. Her skin was still burned and without signs of recovering!

Even though he was aroused a great deal by her, when he saw the burn marks on her leg, he was reminded of how bad they were and wanted her to not be that hurt before doing anything that could endanger her more.

“… Really, what a messy woman.”

Was the last thing she heard that day before passing out. She drank too much too fast!

The next day, her mood was the worst. She didn’t have much of a hangover, which was something that she was grateful about. But she still felt that what he said to her was too much, even if he wasn’t interested in her.

Being mad at him won’t do me any good. It’s my fault for thinking things could improve between us. Hmp! He’s just my bodyguard and nothing else.

She then went to the Crystal’s Space to calm her mind. She extracted some of the black spots before stopping.

I’ve not seen the External Projection for a while.

She called for it and was surprised that it wasn’t instantly brought out, making her a little worried. When it finally came out, she was scared by what she saw. The External Projection wasn’t round as it was before!

There were some spikes on its edges, showing just a little of what was there. It looked as if there was some kind interference.

“Uh? What’s happening…?”

She clearly remembered the last time she was here, there wasn’t any kind of ‘noise’ to it. She had thought at first that maybe not coming daily was what made it so slow to appear. She didn’t think that was the reason after a moment of wondering.

Eating…

She had made a conjecture before: What she ate was somehow used by the White Prism! Since she started using it, she felt like her energy wasn’t enough. Whenever she used the External Projection, it would make her a little hungrier. And moving things around in it made the desire even worse!

Did it… Perhaps, get drunk?