Viktor: "(I wonder what the time is…)"

It was dark inside the makeshift underground shelter the knight was hiding in, yet he couldn’t sleep. Just how much time has passed since he left them behind? Five hours? Maybe even six. Anyways, it was a long time ago and there were no signs of anyone following him. Nevertheless, he did not have the luxury to let his guard down, even though someone finding him at this point was highly improbable, not small part thanks to the fact that he was buried under about half a meter of sand.

It was part of the plan. In fact, this was the main reason he was here. He was powerless, and in this case it was a good thing. Unlike the couple he lacked the ability use viridia, which in turn made him virtually untraceable in the void of the desert. The arid winds got rid of his trail by this point, so as far as he buried himself, there was no way anyone would find him in the vast emptiness of this sea of sand. The plan was simple: he would be spending the day underground, sleeping in a cavity formed by the inactive bodies of the Type-O’s, and would only move under the cover of the night. This way they wouldn’t be able to find him unless they kept the whole desert under constant surveillance, although this far it didn’t seem like anyone was even looking for him on the first place.

Viktor: "(I wonder…)"

Maybe those two had succeeded? The thought itself somehow made his chest feel a bit lighter. Sure, he didn’t particularly like the two, but leaving them behind like that still left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. After all, he spent a month with them, day and night. Even if they were only annoying at best during those times, they were still acquaintances, not to mention powerful potential allies.

Viktor: "(Now that I think about it…)"

There was one thing he couldn’t understand from the very beginning: why did the abbot decide on this course of action on the first place? Sure, he understood the basic idea behind the plan: the mercenaries cause a commotion while the undetectable scout slips away to report on the location of the enemy base. However, and this was a serious problem with the plan in his opinion, wouldn’t simply retreating after finding the target would have been more efficient? Those two, even if they seemed completely oblivious and, to say it bluntly, stupid, were formidable fighters. Not to mention the knight had a slight suspicion about them only playing into the dim-witted image on purpose. He only got a vague outline about the nature of their targets, but as far as he could see the abbot practically sacrificed the two, and for what reason? To test the defenses of his enemies? Or just to wreak havoc? Or maybe it was part of some sort of hidden diversion he didn’t know about?

He had no idea what his superior was thinking, but he knew one thing: the slight feeling of guilt that was slowly growing inside of his chest clearly told him that what he just did was wrong…

Viktor: "(There’s no point thinking about such things for now. At this rate the sun will rise before I get a wink of sleep.)"

As he looked up one last time, he could see the face of one of the sleeping Type-O’s covering him. It was on standby mode, meaning it was closer to being in suspended animation that actually sleeping, an already unnatural function made even more unnerving by the fact that none of them was breathing. As he thought about that, he reached for the small machine connected to a tank by his side and checked its display. It was an air-filtration device that would automatically turn on when the oxygen levels would drop or the amount of carbon-dioxide would go over to dangerous levels. Once again, he had to marvel just how meticulously prepared his superior was when he was planning this operation. He checked the machine’s state one last time and, once he found everything all right, he finally closed his eyes.

Viktor: "(Time to sleep…)"

One last sigh left the knight’s tired lips, them he finally gave himself over to his exhaustion, falling asleep almost instantly.

~~~

Lily: "Huaaah~!"

Pabloc: "I told you to put your hand in front of your mouth when yawning."

Lily: "Gomen~"

The scientist could only shake his head at the girl’s completely nonchalant reply as he sat beside her on the bed. They just took a shower, so both of them were still damp with only their bathrobes covering their tired bodies.

Pabloc: "What a wearisome day…"

Lily: "Nyu?"

The girl tilted her head to the side while looking at the scientist with curious eyes, who in turn only slightly shrugged his shoulders.

Pabloc: "What is it? Is there something on my face?"

Lily: "Pabloc-san, you are making that weird face again!"

Pabloc: "No I’m not. I’m just tired."

Lily: "Really? Are you sure you are not hurt?"

Pabloc: "Yes, why would I not be all right?"

The girl started uncharacteristically fidgeting as she answered.

Lily: "I had to remake you in a hurry, so I was afraid I left a few things out…"

Pabloc: "… You know, I don’t think you did, but just the prospect is scary."

Lily: "Right?"

Instead of answering the scientist reached out and gently patted the head of the blonde girl as she once again wagged her head in surprise.

Lily: "Pabloc-saaaan~?"

Pabloc: "Yes?"

Lily: "Are you patting me because I didn’t leave anything out?"

Pabloc: "Well… That too, but mostly because you saved me. Again."

Lily: "Kihihi. Arigatou!"

Pabloc: "Wait, it’s me who should be thanking you…"

Lily: "Nyu?"

Pabloc: "Whatever. I just wanted to thank you again."

Lily: "You are welcome, but I would have saved you anyway~."

Pabloc: "Yes, I know. I am your anchor here after all."

Lily: "Hai."

Pabloc: "And because you need me to give you viridia."

Lily: "Hai-hai!"

Pabloc: "And because you love my hot cocoa."

Lily: "Ah, yes, I love that~!"

Pabloc: "And because you love me too."

Lily: "Hai, I love Pabloc-san too…"

There was a moment of silence, then Lily abruptly punched the scientist I the abdomen with a surprisingly irate expression.

Lily: "Argh! What are you making me say when I’m still asleep!? You are the worst!"

The girl’s voice was peevish yet temperamental as she crossed her arms in front her chest with a huff. In the meantime Pabloc patted his stomach with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Pabloc: "I didn’t expect that you would wake up so easily. Are you all right?"

Lily: "Hey, don’t change the subject! I’m still mad at you!"

Pabloc: "Yes, yes. Sorry."

Lily: "Hmph." The girl was serious, yet at the same time she seemed just as lively as before even as she was pouting with all her might. "I might have let it slide while I was asleep, but I’m still really angry at you!"

Pabloc: "You didn’t let it slide, you completely forgot it." Seeing that she didn’t have a snappy response drew another smile on Pabloc’d face. "Face it; you are a scatterbrain when you are asleep."

Lily: "Oh, shut up! That doesn’t change the fact that you still ran to your death back there! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"

Pabloc: "Yes, I know. Once again, thank you for taking care of me."

Lily: "Of course I take care of you, idiot."

Pabloc: "Because I am your anchor in this world, right?"

The girl sent a somewhat annoyed glance at the man and let out a small sigh.

Lily: "What are you talking about? I do it because I love you. Idiot."

The man absentmindedly reached for the new pair of glasses on his nose and promptly started tinkering away with it.

Pabloc: "That was unusually direct."

Lily: "Shut up. I can say that on my own whenever I want, but tricking me into saying it while I’m asleep is low!"

Pabloc: "Yes, I know. Sorry."

The girl kept looking him in the eye for a few moments, then let out yet another exhausted sigh as she fell back and stretched herself out on the bed.

Lily: "Seriously, you know I hate it when you trick me while I’m sleeping." The scientist kicked off his slippers and lied beside the girl without saying a word. They stared at the ceiling for more than a minute before Lily spoke up again. "Today was really tiresome…"

The blonde girl suddenly turned her head towards the scientist and sharply looked him in the eye, then a moment later she lashed out and grabbed his arm.

Pabloc: "Hey!"

Lily: "I’m using your arm as a pillow tonight. Any objections to this are automatically overruled."

Pabloc: "… You could have asked for it, you know?"

Lily: "Yes, but I’m way too angry at you to do that today."

The two of them laid motionlessly for a few more minutes in the dimly lit room before Pabloc finally spoke up.

Pabloc: "Shouldn’t we change into our nightwear first?"

At first the girl didn’t answer, seemingly deep in thought, then she suddenly let go of the scientist’s hand and sat up…

Pabloc: "Guh?"

… only to suddenly jump onto his stomach.

Pabloc: "Ouch. Hey!"

The man’s annoyed glance was immediately repelled by the mischievous smile on the girl’s face as she reached for the belt of her bathrobe.

Lily: "I did some calculations, and with the surplus viridia I got out of those two, I can stay awake for about… say… six more hours without problem."

Seeing the playful light in her eyes, Pabloc immediately realized what she was trying to say.

Pabloc: "… Are you thinking what I’m thinking you are thinking?"

Instead of answering, the girl threw off her robe with one swift motion, revealing her naked figure underneath.

Pabloc: "Whoa! Hey, didn’t you say you were tired?"

Lily swiftly placed her hands onto the shoulders of the man lying under her, not even trying to cover up her stark naked body. In fact, it almost seemed like she was positioning herself to give the best possible look for the scientist while answering.

Lily: "What? It’s been almost two weeks since I had enough in my reserves to stay awake for some fun like this. It’s only natural I take this opportunity, right? You cannot touch me when I’m asleep, so this is your chance to make up for the lost time."

Pabloc: "… Why do I have a feeling I won’t be sleeping tonight…?"

Lily: "It’s not a feeling, it’s a fact. So, what shall I be tonight?" A moment after the question left her mouth her shape gradually shifted as her body filled out. In a few seconds she grew about a head taller and her proportions gained a more voluptuous, womanly shape. "How does this look? Or how about this?" With a shake of her head her hair changed color, from bright gold to fiery red. Another shake later it was jet black, then a rich brown, then it finally settled on blonde again as her chest and hips swelled another three sizes. "So, what do you say?"

For a moment the scientist seemed like he was thinking, but in the end he reached out and pulled the girl into his embrace.

Lily: "Whoa!"

Pabloc: "Let’s stick to the basics."

Lily let out a tinkling laugh as her form returned to that of the usual little girl with the cascading golden hair.

Lily: "You perv."

The scientist reached out and gently held the girl’s face in his hand as he drew her even closer.

Pabloc: "Wrong. It is not your shape I love, it’s you."

Lily: "Aw! You always know the right words to say to a girl!"

This time it was Pabloc’s turn to let out a soft laugh.

Pabloc: "Please be gentle."

The small devil in his lap adorably giggled hearing his semi-serious words as she too reached out for his face.

Lily: "Idiot. I told you I love you. I would never break you."

Pabloc: "I know."

And with that their lips finally met once again, signaling the beginning of a long night to end a long day.

~~~

A young man and a young girl, standing face to face in front of the only bed in the unfamiliar room, with seventeen different flavors of awkwardness mixing in the air around them…

Soketsu: "Errr…"

Kay: "Umm…"

The two of them spoke up at the same time, adding a not yet introduced new flavor to the smelting pot of embarrassment the facility’s guest room became in the last few minutes. Yet, they pushed on and tried to chase the awkward mood away…

Soketsu: "Sorry, please continue."

Kay: "No, just say what you wanted first."

… with little to no success. Both of them gave the other the right to talk first, and thus, both of them fell dead silent yet again. It became clear as sky the moment they entered their new quarters that they were in for a rough time. Both of them were extremely conscious of the other, the reason being Soketsu’s earlier confession and the matter of Kay’s new appearance respectively. In the end neither of them could calm down enough to form a coherent thought, and thus they have kept standing in front of the small bed for more than ten minutes, waiting for the other to make a move, with no avail whatsoever.

The problem was not really a ‘problem’ to speak of, but that their relationship was dancing on a very thin line, and even though they both wanted to push it in the same direction, neither of them had any idea where they could start a conversation to do so. It was a stage-fright neither of them could explain, but it was all too real and annoying beyond belief.

The silence was already grating on their nerves for nearly fifteen minutes when Soketsu finally decided to give his best shot and try to change the situation no matter what. However, just as he was about to raise his voice and try to bring up some small-talk.

Kay: "Soketsu…?"

Soketsu: "Y-Yes?"

Kay: "Let’s…um… Let’s lie down."

Soketsu: "… Okay."

The two of them awkwardly climbed into the bed, but it was hardly a step up from their previous state, the only change being that now they felt awkward while lying beside each other instead of while standing beside each other.

For a few moments it seemed like they were irrevocably stuck in this limbo of awkward silence. Soketsu was still determined to at least try to force some small-talk out of the girl, but whenever he tried to say something it always had to do with the girl’s new appearance, something that he just felt completely inappropriate to mention at the moment. Finally, the answer to his distress once again came from a surprising source.

Kay: "You know…"

Soketsu almost gasped in surprise when she spoke up, but he managed to hold himself back as he slowly turned his head towards the girl lying by his side.

Soketsu: "Yes?"

Kay: "… What you said this evening…"

Soketsu: "You mean that I love you?"

The girl ever so slightly shuddered hearing these words and nodded while still avoiding eye-contact.

Kay: "Yes… I… Just wanted to make sure. I wanted to hear you say it one last time…"

Soketsu: "Then here I am saying it: I love you."

The girl was seemingly deep in thought for a second, then she abruptly faced the man with a quiet, slightly wavering determination in her eyes.

Kay: "I think… No, I not just think, I… I love you too." It seemed like a huge load was lifted from Kay’s shoulders as she forcefully exhaled while finally looking the man in the eyes. "Finally! I said it!"

Instead of answering Soketsu’s face abruptly closed in on her before she could even react.

Kay: "Mmmm?!?!"

The girl’s eyes opened wide as saucers as the man’s lips suddenly came in contact with her own. She was so shocked in fact that she even forgot to panic for a few moments. Frozen in place, Soketsu’s lips finally parted from hers with a small sound and they once again faced each other in a small moment of silence. Then…

Kay: "Iiiiiiik!!!"

The girl let out a muffled shriek and almost fell out of bed in surprise, as if the sensation took long seconds to reach her mind and she only reacted to it now.

Kay: "Wha-what did you do!?"

Soketsu: "What do you mean? I kissed you. I thought it was the appropriate moment."

Kay: "But it was so sudden! I couldn’t even get ready! That was my first kiss!"

Soketsu: "Really? Congratulations."

Kay: "Argh! Don’t act all composed like that, it only makes me even more nervous! What the hell got into you anyway!?"

The man stared deeply into her eyes, and then opened his mouth with a completely casual tone.

Soketsu: "Honestly? I was wrecking my brain all this time about how to talk about your appearance, so that when you confessed like that just now I just though; ‘What the hell, I love this girl no matter what!’, and just put those other useless thoughts into the garbage bin and decided to go all out with my feelings."

Kay: "All… out…?"

It took the man a second to grasp just how wrong his choice of words was, but even then, he didn’t really care. After all, his cute partner just confessed her love to him, finally, so his brain was pretty much swimming in the hormones of carefree happiness. The girl on the other hand was getting redder by the moment in embarrassment while nervously fidgeting and glancing at him.

Kay: "I…"

Soketsu: "Hmm?"

Kay: "I… wouldn’t mind…"

The man frowned and then absentmindedly shook his head and looked away from the girl, staring at the ceiling instead.

Soketsu: "Nope. Not now."

Kay: "H-hey!"

There was equal amount of relief and disappointment in the girl’s weak reply as she rose on the bed to look into the eye of the man, but instead of that she suddenly found herself on his chest in a tight embrace.

Kay: "…H-hey!"

Soketsu: "It’s late."

Kay: "Don’t change the subject!"

Soketsu: "What? Why are you pouting about something like that? Having sex when you haven’t even gotten familiar with your new body? That would be just plain weird." The man put even more strength into his embrace while gently whispering to the girl. "Listen, I’m really, really happy with the fact that you finally shared your feelings with me. In fact I’m so happy I could die, and I really don’t want to spoil this moment by doing something rash."

Kay: "I… understand…"

Soketsu: "Good. Then for now…"

Kay: "Whoa!?"

The man suddenly hugged the girl even more vigorously than before, yet his touch was so gentle it was almost soothing.

Soketsu: "I never thought this day would come so soon…"

Kay: "Umm…"

Soketsu: "Seriously, I was completely ready for waiting weeks for your confession, and I got it right here, right now. Christmas came early this year!"

Kay: "Christmas?"

Soketsu: "Oh, that’s an old holiday. It’s practically the same as Vivid Night. The Order pretty much took the whole thing and just changed the name."

Kay: "I see…"

Soketsu: "Anyways…"

The man ever so softly rolled the girl off his chest beside himself and pulled her up to eye level.

Kay: "W-what is it this time?"

For a few moments the man solemnly stared into her eyes, then a mischievous smile bloomed on his face as he raised his voice.

Soketsu: "Say… Are you ready now?"

At first the girl didn’t understand what he meant by that, but then as she replayed their earlier conversation in her head, she became even redder right up to her ears. In the end, she could only nod at the man’s eager eyes.

Soketsu didn’t say a thing, but his reassuring smile was enough for the girl. She closed her eyes with a mixed feeling of embarrassment and expectation, and sure as it was, she could soon feel a pair of lips pressing against her own. Their first kiss was more of a short, one-sided peck, but this one finally felt like a proper pledge of love between two lovers.

[Soketsu]: "Heh. I could get used to this…"

[Kay]: "…? Wait, what did you say…?"

The two of them suddenly separated while looking at the other like they were seeing a ghost.

Soketsu: "Was that what I think it was…?"

Kay: "… I… I don’t really know."

Soketsu: "… Let’s test it again!"

Kay: "Okay."

The girl immediately agreed and they once again joined together.

[Soketsu]: "Can you hear me?"

[Kay]: "Yes, loud and clear."

[Soketsu]: "Hmm… This is weird."

[Kay]: "Tell me about it…"

[Soketsu]: "But hey, look at the bright side. You can talk a lot more naturally like this."

[Kay]: "I suppose."

[Soketsu]: "Okay, let’s try saying this after me: I love you~!"

[Kay]: "Waaaaah! That was so creepy!"

[Soketsu]: "Haha. Yeah. Now that you mention it, I would have died of embarrassment if I said it out loud like that."

[Kay]: "… By the way… I can’t breathe…"

Soketsu: "Huh?"

The two of the parted yet again as Kay drew a huge breath. Soketsu on the other hand seemed utterly enthralled with their unexpected discovery.

Soketsu: "Wow, I though mind-crossing like that was only possible when you were in your weapon-form… Could it be that it’s because you are back in your real form?"

Kay: "I don’t know, we never tried kissing before…"

Soketsu: "Hmmm… Sure. But this is really intriguing. I could even taste some of your viridia leaking out when I stuck my tongue into your mouth."

Kay: "You did what?! Uuuuu! I was so focused on what you were saying that I didn’t even notice…!"

Soketsu: "There is no other choice then… We have to test this newfound ability to its fullest!"

Kay: "Wait, what do you mea-mnmnm!!!"

[Kay]: "… You are terrible."

[Soketsu]: "Hehe. Sorry, but I love you too much to let a chance like this slip by."

[Kay]: "… Yeah, so do I."

With that, the two slowly disappeared into their own little world, leaving only an orchestra of suggestively slurping noises behind.

~~~

Ahazkun: "… Ninety-two percent… Ninety-seven… That should do it…" Ahazkun paused for a moment and put away a note. "If… No, ninety-eight is more than enough… Sixty-seven… that’s too low. Maybe if I…"

Tiari: "Khm."

Ahazkun: "Eighty-two per-"

Tiari: "I said khm!"

Ahazkun: "Huh?"

The oracle finally tore his gaze from the parchment in his hand and faced the annoyed girl glaring at him from under the warm blankets of her bed.

Tiari: "Do you know what time it is?"

Ahazkun: "Yes, but…"

Tiari: "No buts! Go to sleep already!"

The man looked somewhat troubled as he let go of the note in his hand and faced the irate catgirl once again. It was easy to understand both of their troubles. Tiari was simply tired after the long day, and since the mad scientist just left their quarters after having a long-winded discussion with the oracle, she was more than eager to finally lay her head down. The man on the other hand seemed almost obsessed with his work and hardly even talked to her since the incident a few hours ago, even though they were in the same room the whole time. For him doing his job held the outmost importance at this moment, but he would have been lying, if he said he wasn’t exhausted already. After all, he just had to throw all his previous work into the garbage bin, so he felt more than obliged to salvage as much as possible, even if he had to do an all-nighter again.

Ahazkun: "Ugh…"

As if his body just heard his thoughts, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. It was only natural though, he already pushed his body to the limit before and now he wanted to go even further. In the end, control of viridia or not, he was just a human, and his sleep deprivation was not something he could easily overcome at this point, if at all.

The girl’s glare was drilling holes into his forehead as he laid his eyes upon her. In the end it took him a few moments to acknowledge it, but his body has already resigned to the alluring call of the bed. His mind, on the other hand.

Ahazkun: "Sorry, just a few more and I will hit the bed."

Tiari: "Oh, come on!"

The catgirl angry rose on the bed, kicking of her blankets in the process and revealing her surprisingly scantly nightwear. Ahazkun was apparently left cold both by the reaction and the outfit, though it wasn’t that surprising, taken his mental state at the moment.

Tiari: "Stop being such a workaholic! You are spoiling my day!"

Ahazkun: "Spoiling your day…?" As he was looking for the meaning behind the girl’s words, only a single name came to his mind. "Is it because of Jill?"

Tiari: "Yes, but why was that a question?"

Being reminded of her, the man fell silent yet again. Jill. The one whose mere existence messed up all his predictions and threw all his plans to jeopardy. Sure, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad that one of his old comrades was back, and having another sensible person on the team was a welcome change, but the price for her return might have been too grate in the end.

Not that he could ever tell this to the girl in front of him. In fact, she wasn’t even fully aware of Ahazkun’s involvement in her original ‘death’. For as long as the Oracle could remember, Jill was something of a surrogate mother to Tiari and she was especially attached to her in return. After her ‘death’ she refused to eat for days, and if she knew that it was the oracle who told her to sacrifice herself for the greater good… The thought made his back shiver for a moment, but he suppressed it. He had a feeling Tiari already had her suspicions about it, so in some ways it was inevitable, but maybe hearing it from the mouth of the ‘victim’ would dampen the shock somewhat. Either way, this was one thing he didn’t want to predict.

He was about to reach for another piece of paper without a word when his hand was forcefully grabbed by Tiari.

Tiari: "I told you to stop clairvoyancioning!"

Her sharp tug yanked him right out of his chair and he staggered to his feet.

Ahazkun: "That is not a real word."

Tiari: "I don’t care! Just get into the bed already."

She pulled on Ahazkun’s arm with all her might, and to her surprise she found little resistance as they both tumbled back and onto the bed, Ahazkun landing right on top of her.

Ahazkun: "… At least let me change my clothes first." He complained with a dull voice, but Tiari only held onto him all the firmer in response.

Tiari: "No! You are going to sleep right here, right now, right as you are!"

They locked gazes for a while, but it was the oracle’s loss as he was subsequently dragged under the blankets by his overly concerned feline lover, and to his own surprise, he found himself drifting into sleep in moments, only vaguely being aware of the tender arms hugging him as he closed his eyes.

~~~

Gabe: "Geez, what a day…"

The automatic door of the dusty room slowly closed behind the scientist with a barely audible sound and he looked around with exhaustion clearly reflecting in his eyes. The air felt somewhat stale, and for good reason.

He hasn’t used this place since he started working on the physical body of the Soul Core incubator, which was quite a few years ago. Dust has long since formed a thin layer on all the surfaces within the premise, though he apparently didn’t really mind. For him his workshop was his actual home for such a long time he could only consider this place as a secondary lodging.

In fact, now that he thought about it, he barely used this room even before he began that particular project. Though this residence housed most of his more personal belongings, the place still felt quite alien. After looking over the room one last time he let out a small sigh and promptly threw himself onto the old sofa of the living room.

Gabe: "Geez… That was torture."

Jill: "What was torture?"

Gabe’s eyes opened wide with shock the moment her voice hit his ears. Under normal circumstances he would have already figured out that someone had already entered his home, if from nothing else than from the fact that the lights were already turned on, but he was just so exhausted after his three hours long discussion with Ahazkun that even this obvious detail had completely eluded his attention.

Still, the fact that Jill standing in front of him hasn’t changed one bit no matter how many times he blinked at her in silence.

Gabe: "Sooo… What are you doing here?"

Even though he was trying his best not to sound too strained, his words still came off somewhat cold at the end, immediately reflecting on her dejected face. Still, Jill kept her cool and answered with a collected voice.

Jill: "I asked Pabloc where your quarters were and decided to come here. Are you telling me I shouldn’t have?"

Gabe: "No… I just… I thought you were still with Pabloc, doing your… stuff."

Jill: "We finished with that about two hours ago."

Gabe: "Really? Great…" The scientist ran his eyes over her one last time and they suddenly opened wide with the next missed detail finally registering with his mind. "Hey, you are standing!"

Both of them looked startled, albeit for different reasons, as the man suddenly raised his voice.

Jill: "Yes, I have practiced a little and now I can walk properly. I just needed some time to adjust and figure out the balancing."

Gabe: "Wow. Great."

Jill looked a little disappointed with the man’s soulless reaction, though it was more than possible that the scientist was the only person on the planet who could immediately recognize the emotion behind her barely changing expression.

Gabe: "Anyway…" Gabe finally stood up, as if he only just noticed that he was the only one sitting all this time, and moved to the kitchen. "I’m being a bad host again. Sit down and I will—"

Jill: "You don’t need to treat me as a guest, I’m not one."

He abruptly stopped on his track upon hearing those straightforward words. They almost sounded like a challenge.

Gabe: "Excuse me, but what?"

Jill: "It’s what I should be asking."

Gabe: "You... are kinda losing me here…"

Jill quietly walked over to the mad scientist with clear determination in her eyes and stood in front of him with a firm expression.

Jill: "Ever since I came back, you have barely explained anything to me. I’m not going to leave this place, nor am I going to let you leave until you tell me everything."

Gabe: "Everything?"

Jill: "Yes. About what happened to me and about what happened to the rest of the world while I was away. I also want to know what happened to the fairies, and, most importantly…" Jill took a small step towards the scientist with her brows arched into an irritated frown altogether unfamiliar to her face. "Most importantly, I want to know why you are avoiding me!"

Gabe could feel the cold sweat trickling down his back but tried his best to appear unfazed. After a moment of hesitation he decided to try and deflect the issue with a smile and some reassuring words…

Gabe: "Hey, I’m not avoiding you… in particular."

… However, both the smile and the words gave out quite fast under the glare of the woman in front of him, not helping matters the slightest.

Jill: "Yes, you are! Even now, you are avoiding me! Look!"

She took another forceful step towards the man, and just as she expected, he stepped back in the very same moment. In fact, the back-step was so abrupt that one could have mistaken it for an involuntarily reaction, and it actually wasn’t that far from the truth.

For the next few seconds the two of them just stood there, staring at each other in utter silence, until the man finally gave in and pitifully hung his head.

Gabe: "Sorry."

Gabe was waiting in silence, but after he didn’t get an answer he finally glanced up, only to find himself face to face with a sight he never expected.

Tears. In the corners of Jill’s eyes tears of frustration started flowing down her cheeks while her normally unreadable expression slowly turned into one of anger and loneliness. For a few moments he didn’t know what to do, but in the end Jill solved his dilemma for him.

Without warning she suddenly threw herself at him, though it felt more like she just stumbled forwards. This time he didn’t retreat. He might have had his reasons for avoiding her before, but he knew that he would never be able to live with himself after rejecting her at this moment.

Jill’s surprisingly light body fell against his chest with a quiet thud and she clung to his clothes like a small animal.

Jill: "You idiot! I don’t want you to say sorry, I want you to explain what’s going on!" Her voice was coarse and colored by anxiety so deep even hearing it could consume someone. "Do you have any idea how confused I feel!? Do you have any idea how distressing this is!?"

Gabe: "Sorry."

Jill: "Stop saying that!"

This time Gabe didn’t say a word, instead his arms softly embraced her. It was enough. For the first time since she woke up in the workshop, this was the first time his touch didn’t hold any restraint.

It was a touch that was familiar but subtly different. It was, for the lack of better words, warm.

Gabe: "I’m sorry." Gabe repeated his apology yet again, but this time his voice also felt different from before. It was, calmer. More mature. More sincere. "I know I was unfair, but I couldn’t help it. It’s just… difficult for me."

Jill: "Difficult for you!?" Jill raised her head and glared him, but her teary eyes had a hard time conveying her objection. In fact, she looked more like she was pouting than anything. "How do you think it feels for me then?"

Gabe: "Yes. I know. I’m sorry."

The silver-haired woman gazed into his eyes, then slowly lowered her head and buried it back into his chest.

Jill: "… Stop apologizing…"

For a few minutes the two wordlessly stood under the doorframe of the kitchen. In the end it was Jill who moved first, slipping out of Gabe’s embrace. At this point, both of them had regained their composure and were looking at each other with somber eyes.

Gabe: "Please sit down. I’m going to make a tea or something and we will talk."

Jill firmly nodded in response and slowly walked back to the sofa in the living room. The atmosphere still wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge step up from their awkward stiffness from before. After a few short minutes of silence the mad scientist finally returned with two glasses of water.

Jill: "Water…?"

Gabe: "Ah, yeah. I haven’t used this place in a while so I forgot that there was nothing to make tea with. Sorry."

Jill reached for the glass of water without even a hint of dissatisfaction and took a small sip while the man sat beside her. The room was lacking a proper table, a trait that was seemingly common in all of the man’s accommodations, so it was quite impossible for them to sit face to face. After yet another moment of silence Gabe discretely cleared his throat.

Gabe: "So, now that we are both calm and collected, I believe this is a good opportunity for us to re-evaluate the—"

Jill: "Please stop stalling."

Jill’s voice was direct yet strangely nostalgic at the same time and it made him smile without him even noticing.

Gabe: "Yeah, yeah." He finally turned his entire body towards her, and took a deep breath. "First off, I would like to say sorry again."

Jill: "You are apologizing an awful lot today."

Hearing her somewhat pouting voice further tucked the corners of the man’s lips into an awkward smile.

Gabe: "Yeah, I know, but… after seeing you like this I just feel kind of bad." Getting no answer, Gabe began scrambling for words while visibly squirming under Jill’s level gaze. "I… didn’t really want to ignore you, I just… I had no idea what to do with you. In fact, I still don’t have the faintest idea what I should do now."

Jill: "Why? Because of this new body?"

Gabe: "No. I mean, yes, that too, but… It’s really, really complicated."

Jill took another sip from her glass and gave a small nod.

Jill: "… I see. I would actually like to press you, but you obviously don’t want to talk about the issue."

Gabe gulped. Here we go again, he thought. She knew all too well how to hit him where it hurts, and acting reserved like that was pretty much the most effective way to make him feel even guiltier at the moment.

Gabe: "It’s actually not as much that I don’t want to… There are actually so many things I would like to tell you, it’s just that… I…" He finally dropped his shoulders in defeat and let out a huge sigh accompanied with a truly pitiful expression. "I just can’t."

Seeing the perplexed expression on the scientist’s face, Jill had no choice but to give up the pursuit of this particular thread of inquiry. It wasn’t too hard of a choice though; she had too many other questions to count after all.

She took one more sip from her glass as if to collect her thoughts, and just as she did so, the usual light of sharpness instantly returned to her eyes.

Jill: "All right, let’s forget about your unfair treatment of me for now."

Gabe: "For now?"

Jill: "Yes. I will get to the bottom of it, but we already resolved the main problem, so let’s move to the next most pressing question."

Gabe: "Which is…?"

She glared at the man with all the sternness she could muster in her current state and spoke in a dry voice quite unbefitting of her delicate appearance.

Jill: "… I want to know why you brought me back."

Gabe blinked in surprise and lightly cleared his throat with a bemused expression.

Gabe: "Well, it actually was quite a hard thing to do. I had to work on the theory behind it for—"

Jill: "No, I didn’t ask about how you resurrected me, I asked you why you resurrected me."

Gabe: "That’s…" Gabe struggled for words and seemed to be deep in thought, but then finally decided to just speak and deal with the consequences later. "Well, if you remember, bringing you back actually helped me prove the last bit of my theory. Not to mention, it was sort of a grand-scale experiment trampling on the rules of the universe. You know how I just love doing that."

Jill: "All right, now that we are done with the excuses, would you care to tell me the real reason?"

Gabe: "Erm… Well, in the end I guess I just kinda…" The man awkwardly averted his eyes like an embarrassed middle-schooler and almost whispered the last words. "You know… missed you?"

Apparently still unsatisfied with the answer, Jill glared at the man without giving him even a second to cathch his breath.

Jill: "You are not telling me something."

Gabe: "What gave you that idea?"

Jill: "I know you. You are technically not lying to me, but you are telling me a half-truth. There must be something more."

Gabe seemed to be taken aback by her harsh attitude and he slowly shook his head while holding onto his temple with his left hand.

Gabe: "Is it really that hard to believe that I would resurrect you just for that reason?"

Jill: "Frankly? Yes."

He sighed while he continued massaging his temple.

Gabe: "Why so distrusting? I thought bringing you back to life was worth at least a few good points…"

Jill: "Then could you at least tell me why I’m human?"

Finally noticing an opening, the man’s eyes suddenly lighted up and he flashed and obviously hollow smile.

Gabe: "That’s kind of technical question. I could most certainly explain it to you now, but it has a lot to do with the Core theory and everything…"

Jill: "… I see you are hell-bent on dodging this issue."

Gabe: "Hey, I’m not dodging anything; it’s just really hard to explain it. All I can say is that it wasn’t a personal decision." It was obvious that Jill still wasn’t satisfied by his answers, not by a long-shot, but she didn’t seem to press the issue any more either. In other words it was the perfect opportunity to change the subject. "Anyways, what was your next question? It’s getting late so I want to get things wrapped up soon."

She sighed when faced with the ham-fisted effort at stringing the conversation along, but she abstained from objecting.

Jill: "Very well, though you should know the next question already." She took a deep breath before continuing and closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself for whatever the next topic may contain. "Tell me about the fairies."

The moment she said those words the mad scientist’s expression immediately lightened with a small yet surprisingly warm smile.

Gabe: "Ah, yes. I was actually wondering what you thought about them."

Before answering, Jill gulped down the last drop of water in her glass and awkwardly looked around, trying to find a place to put it down. Seeing her distress, the scientist reached out to her and took it from her hand.

Jill: "Ah."

Gabe: "I’ll put that away… Unless you want another glass, off course."

Jill: "No, I had enough. Thank you."

Gabe: "You are welcome."

The man nonchalantly strolled out of the living room and put the glasses away in the kitchen. Once he returned he immediately turned his attention to Jill again.

Gabe: "So, where were we? You were asking about the girls, right?"

Jill forcefully nodded as the man sat beside her and they continued on with their conversation like nothing happened.

Jill: "I asked Pabloc and the others about the details, but I want to hear it from your mouth. Why did you change them?"

For a moment, the man looked like he was completely taken aback by this seemingly simple question. Of course, the question only seemed simple for one who didn’t know what the fairies were like in Jill’s time…

Gabe: "Exactly which changes are we talking about now?"

Jill: "Don’t act dumb, I know you know what I meant."

The scientist let out a small sigh and slightly shook his head before answering.

Gabe: "Well, if you are talking about their appearance, it’s purely cosmetic."

Jill: "I told you not to act dumb. You cannot write something like that off as cosmetic."

For the uninitiated observer Jill’s reaction might have seemed overly dramatic, but from her perspective it was actually just the opposite. She had a hard time understanding how the others weren’t completely outraged by the changes even if they didn’t know how fairies worked like she did.

Gabe on the other hand just patiently smiled at her.

Gabe: "Well, they did say that looking so childish was weird, so I changed them. They are technically my familiars, so why wouldn’t I?"

Jill: "Wait… they were the ones who asked for it?"

Yet again, the small piece of information managed to knock her right off her tracks, so much so that her outraged bafflement clearly showed on her face. Gabe couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction, though he apparently tried his best not to.

Gabe: "Yeah, they did. You shouldn’t get so worked up on something minor like that."

Of course for anyone else that small remark about Gabe doing something the fairies asked for would have seemed nothing. Not for her though. She knew both the man and the fairies way too well to let something like this slide.

When she had last seen them, they were about half as tall with childish features and frilly, impractical clothes. They had been like that since they were first envisioned and stayed that way throughout the ages without a hint of change. Seeing them now as adults in casual clothes was not only strange but completely unnatural, something that left a thousand times greater impact on her than the whole resurrection deal.

As such she couldn’t help but to push on with the question, her voice filled with a rare mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

Jill: "Did you change something else beside their appearance?"

Gabe: "Well, as a matter of fact…"

The complacent smile on the man’s face was enough to automatically put her on guard. In the meantime Gabe drew a huge breath and started talking with a slightly boastful tone.

Gabe: "Well, I actually changed a lot of things. I’m going to get the most shocking one out of the way first, so that you won’t interrupt me later. So… please guess how long their life expectancy is now."

Jill couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows hearing the challenge, and frankly, she was at a loss for words. In the end, she could only give an almost timid reply.

Jill: "Is it more than before?"

The scientist seemed almost disheartened hearing those words and sharply shook his head.

Gabe: "Are you kidding me? Do you think I would ask if I didn’t improve it?"

The word ‘improve’ kept ringing in Jill’s head even a few seconds after she heard it with a clear hint of disbelief in her eyes.

Jill: "Just how much of an improvement are we talking about here?"

Gabe: "You are really bad at this. Okay, I’ll give you a clue: forty."

Jill: "WHAT?!"

Gabe: "Whoa! Hey, easy there!"

She almost jumped at him hearing those words with disbelief bordering denial in her voice.

Jill: "You raised their life-expectancy to forty years?!"

Gabe raised his hand and wagged his index finger in front of her with a smug smile.

Gabe: "No no no. I raised it by forty years."

For a couple of seconds Jill kept gawping like a fist out of water until she managed to speak up with a barely audible voice.

Jill: "Forty-seven years? Are you serious?"

Gabe firmly nodded with a prideful expression and continued without missing a beat.

Gabe: "Not only that, I also gave them a few nifty things. For example, now they can have children."

Impossible as it might have seemed at the moment, the silver-haired woman’s eyes opened even wider.

Jill: "How does that even work…? Wait, do I even want to know?"

Gabe: "Honestly, it was a little tricky but I managed to do it. At first it was quite an ordeal to work out the clanks of introducing the concept of family and child-care to them but they did pretty well. Actually, now there are more than two point three million of them thanks to this."

Jill actually seemed like she was just about to pass out from the shock hearing the man’s explanation, but in the end, she could still squeeze out a single question.

Jill: "Why?"

The man immediately raised an eyebrow, like it was the most obvious question in the world.

Gabe: "Yes, good question, though the answer is really obvious. They are my fairies; of course I do this much for them."

Jill’s silence was saying more than any words could have. After all, it reflected just how little she could believe of what she heard.

Fairies. Small, winged humanoid creatures. They were weak, childish and generally speaking, barely more than a nuisance. They were familiars created in the ages of myths and legends and are the only known familiar species; but unlike most familiars, they weren’t created for warfare. From the very beginning, fairies were tools. They were given existence to speed up the gathering of experiences and thus build up their master’s Core in the process. They were supposed to be disposable eyes and ears whose only role was passively improving their master, only living for a mere seven years before dying and returning the collected experiences to them, without their existence leaving even a single memory in the world.

It was the truth of fairy-kind since the very beginning, unwritten rules and facts that were not supposed to change, or rather, were supposed to be absolutely unquestionable. And right now, all of them were shattered in front of Jill’s very eyes. Fairies living for nearly fifty years, having children, families, lives on their own… It was a concept that was too good to be true. In fact her mind was already preparing to hear the man’s sneering laughter after tricking her into believing such a fairy-tale.

But no. He was looking at her with surprisingly sympathetic eyes and a smile filled with a completely uncharacteristic sense of warm, fatherly pride.

Gabe: "You don’t believe me?"

Jill: "… Would you fault me if I didn’t?"

Gabe: "Actually, no. I wouldn’t. Even I agree that these are drastic changes, but it’s the truth. It wasn’t simple, nor easy, but it was one of those pleasant challenges I always loved."

Jill: "But why?"

Gabe: "Huh? I already answered that one. Because they are my fairies."

Jill: "And you want me to believe that? I know you; you don’t do things like that without a reason."

Gabe: "Yes, and I just told you that reason. Because. They. Are. My. Fairies."

Jill: "Fine, then what was the purpose behind these changes?"

Her borderline hostile denial have taken him aback, but he still answered with a calm voice and undiminished patience.

Gabe: "The purpose? I guess it’s so they can have better lives? I guess."

Jill: "You guess?"

Gabe: "Yeah. I actually never really thought about it that much. I mean, do I really need a reason to help them?"

Jill suddenly fell into a deep silence, but her sharp gaze kept digging into the scientist’s eyes, looking for any trace of mischief or deceit… but in the end, she could find neither of those.

Jill: "So… you did that just out of the kindness of your heart, huh?"

Gabe: "Hehe… It’s a little embarrassing when you put it that way, but I can’t say you are wrong."

Jill has once again shrouded herself in silence while fallen deep in thought. She knew her feelings were unreasonable, but Gabe’s statements filled her with a crushing sense of anxiety even though she would normally have been overjoyed just by the prospect of those changes. To put it bluntly, she felt lost. As for why, it was something simple yet all too confusing.

Jill: "I know this is going to sound stupid, but… Are you sure you are Gabe?"

It took a few moments for the question to sink in, but then the man’s lips slowly curved into a slightly awkward smile.

Gabe: "Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but yeah, that was a really silly question."

Jill: "Yes, but… I still cannot believe you would talk about something like that, much less do it. It’s just…"

Before she could continue Gabe slowly shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Gabe: "Yes, I know this all must be really confusing for you. A lot of time has passed since you were gone and a lot of things happened."

Jill couldn’t help but be baffled by the solemn atmosphere surrounding the man, something that she had never actually seen before. She remembered the mad scientist, the face everyone knew him by, and she also remembered the cold, calculating planner behind that mask that only she knew… But this somber man in front of him, this calm yet slightly pained face was something completely new. All this time she talked to him like she knew all the man’s sides, but in this very moment she had to realize she was wrong.

Jill: "… You are different."

Gabe: "Huh?" Gabe slightly tilted his head like he just heard something really amusing and answered with a small chuckle. "… Yes, I suppose. People do change with time after all."

She once again looked over the man in front of her and let the realization slowly sink in: she only knew who this man was, not who he is. The Gabe in front of her was different. His true face, the face that only she could see, was different.

She let out a terrible sigh and laid back on the sofa with her mind in chaos. The absurd loneliness she felt all this time has suddenly gained a form, and he was looking at her with concerned eyes.

Gabe: "Are you all right?"

Jill: "Yes. I’m just… tired, I guess. It was a lot to take in, and to be completely honest, I feel a little lost right now."

Gabe: "It’s only natural. It’s not every day one gets to come back from the grave."

Jill: "I suppose."

For a few moments she stared at the ceiling with a difficult expression. She felt out of place and lonely, that was for sure, however… There was something else on her mind.

The scientist beside her was looking at her with calm, gentle eyes. Even though she was not even looking his way, she could almost feel those eyes on her skin. That gaze, the gaze of the man she thought she and only she knew… It filled her with a strange sense of warmth. There was something in them that she noticed since the moment she first opened her eyes into her new life, a sense of kindness she was completely unfamiliar with. Yet, at the same time, there was a small glint of guilt in them that made her both confused and intrigued. It was a complex and mystifying feeling, but it made one thing absolutely clear for her: she wanted to know the reason. She wanted to understand the man in front of her, learn the secret behind his change and find out the true cause behind her resurrection. In the end she finally turned to the scientist with a gleam of her previous determination returning to her eyes.

Jill: "Say, would you mind if I stayed over tonight?"

Gabe: "Erm? Well, I don’t really mind, but…"

Jill: "Thank you. I need to sleep on this and get my thoughts in order."

After getting the his approval, Jill quietly stood up and aimed for the bedroom.

Gabe: "Oh well… I guess I’ll crash on the sofa then…"

Hearing Gabe’s silent complaint made her stop just as she was under the doorframe and she turned back with a puzzled look in her eyes.

Jill: "On the sofa? Why?"

In the meantime he also stood up and was walking towards the bedroom as well.

Gabe: "Because you are going to be using my bed, obviously. I’ll just go and get my bedding and—"

Just as he was about to pass by her, Gabe was suddenly pulled back by a hand grabbing hold of his shoulder.

Jill: "That’s not what I meant when I said I wanted to stay over."

Gabe: "Errr… My bed is kinda small for two people…"

Jill: "What do you mean? We were sleeping in the same bed all the time."

Gabe: "True, I suppose, but back then you were, what, about this small? You were actually sleeping on my pillow. There is no way we can do that now."

Jill: "That just means that we need to share the same blanket."

Gabe: "But…"

Jill’s visage suddenly turned sore as she pulled even harder on the man.

Jill: "Get a clue already. I’m in a crazy situation right. I need you to be around me."

For a few moments they kept intently staring at each other, but in the end there was no question about which one of them would give in first.

Gabe: "Fine. It will be a little crowded, but I understand your situation. I’m going to give you company for the night, but we are going to divide the bed equally."

Jill: "Agreed."

~~~

Gabe: "(… Just how exactly did I get into this situation again…?)"

The scientist couldn’t help but sigh in face of the state of affairs. He was lying on his back in his bed with the sleeping Jill clutching his arm like she was afraid he would disappear at any moment. It was about the only development of events he didn’t anticipate for the night.

He slowly laid his eyes upon the sleeping silhouette of the silver-haired woman at his side, barely visible in the dark. He could still feel her warmth though, even her breath on his skin. It was a strangely fulfilling, yet at the same time a bit painful. She was there.

All those years he was longing for her in his memories, and yet when she was right in front of him, all he could feel was the cold whisper of his guilty conscience, and no matter how hard he was trying to shake it away it was simply impossible to get rid of. After letting out a pained groan he raised his eyes and kept on staring at the ceiling once again. He could only marvel at her ability to sleep under such circumstances, though she must have been in even greater distress than he was.

He had gotten into the bed expecting a long discussion in the dark, but instead she just grabbed his arm and fell asleep like a kitten by the warm stove while holding onto him with all her might. Just as he was thinking so, she snuggled even closer to him in her sleep, even interlocking her legs with his, prompting him to look at her again.

Gabe: "Fufu…"

Seeing her childishly innocent expression, the man had a hard time holding back his chuckles. The Jill in front of him seemed so different from when she was awake. The expression on her face right now was that of an innocent child’s, with no cares in the world whatsoever. It was a really precious sight, and just looking at her like this made his heart feel a little lighter. Sadly it was only a small relief.

At this point, even he had a hard time understanding his own feelings. He didn’t want to let her this close. In fact, he wanted to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. It was the most logical thing to do, the most painless way, and yet… he just couldn’t do it. He was only supposed to bring her back and let her go on the spot, but he just couldn’t, not to mention how he already let her so close to himself on the very first day.

Gabe: "(Pfff… How pitiful.)"

It was not supposed to be like this. This way everything would only hurt even more in the long run, and it would wound both of them… but then why did he feel happy to have her on his side? Was he always such a shallow man, who would sacrifice his future plans for just a little bit of warmth in the present? Thinking so, Jill’s earlier question suddenly came back to him.

Was he the ‘Gabe’ she knew? No, of course not, and she has already found that out. The only thing that she didn’t know yet is just how different he was. It was not a question of if, but of when. She was a sharp one, so it was only a matter of time before she realized everything.

He was not supposed to let that happen. No, he was afraid to let it happen, and yet… and yet here he was, by her side, under the very same blanket. After this point, he couldn’t push her away anymore. Not only she wouldn’t let go but he would not have the willpower to do it either. It was a battle he already lost.

Gabe: "(… but how come I’m kind of glad I did?)"

With that he laid his eyes on Jill’s sleeping face and a small smile bloomed on his lips. He silently reached out and gently brushed her short bangs. For a moment it looked like she might wake up, but in the end she just lightly shook her head and nestled even closer to him. Gabe kept staring at her for long minutes, seemingly enchanted by her mere existence, and then a small apology left his mouth.

Gabe: "Sorry."

That one word had so many emotions behind it that it might as well have been a confession, and just like that, his face finally eased up. He gave up. It was a doomed endeavor from the very beginning, so he decided to stop fighting. If things turned out this way then he will work things out this way. Even if it won’t work out in the long run, even if it will only end up hurting both of them, he decided not to look back.

He brought her back. She was his responsibility now, and he was determined to see things through until the end.

As such, he finally laid his head back to his pillow and closed his eyes. He could already see what no one else could, the storm clouds towering behind the horizon. but However for this night, for this sweet yet fleeting moment, he decided to ignore them and let the lullaby of his beloved advisor’s breathing nestle him into sleep.