Priss looked out at what was once Tokyo, she couldn't believe how much it
had changed.and yet how it was so much the same. The boomers were gone and
this time, the people were rebuilding the city. It wasn't much of a city,
the buildings had to be demolished from the boomer plague and many trees
had been put in their place.
Priss looked to her side as a young girl with gold eyes slid her hand into hers, "come," she said, "my papa will give you food."
Priss looked up at the relief workers handing out food. Leon, Priss' mind reeled as she saw him standing there shirtless with a sack of sand draped over his shoulder.
Leon stopped dead in his tracks, Priss, his mind screamed the name of the woman he couldn't forget, the woman he loved. He gave a half smile, Priss had vanished three years ago, and he had seen her in front of him many times, it was just an illusion as all the others were. Nene and Linna had come back years ago, hadn't they? Had Priss wanted to come back to him, she would have been there sooner.
"Papa!" The girl yelled approaching Leon.
Papa? Priss thought. A hundred images rushed to her head. Was Leon.married?
"Asil, how many times have I told you," Leon said calmly with out flipping out like usual, "I'm not your father."
Leon bent down as she started to sniffle, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to take care of you."
Priss couldn't believe her eyes, this couldn't be the Leon she knew.or rather had known. The Leon she knew was scrawny and stupid. This man was strong and caring, yet she knew it was him, the way he looked, his laugh when Asil joked with him. Cocky and arrogant, it was still there, but pushed aside.
"Hey Leon," Daley said approaching. He was also shirtless with a sack of sand, "it's that the singer chick you had your mind on."
Leon turned and grabbed Daley by the neck, "she's gone Wong, I told you to let it be."
Leon let go of Daley when he heard Asil gasp. Scowling Leon picked up the sack of sand and with one last look at the image of Priss he continued to go about his duties.
Daley looked at Priss for a long minute, didn't Leon realize that this vision of the singer he could see, and it was clear Asil could see her as well.
Priss turned and began wandering the streets; it was Leon, and his partner Daley. How could it be? Priss wanted to know how Leon could forget her. She found herself staring up at the Silky Doll. She hadn't even intended to go there. The truth was she just let her mind do the walking and let her feet follow.
She opened the door to familiar faces.
Linna gasped and dropped the box of thongs she was about to hand to Macky who had also gone still. Sylia dropped the phone she was talking into and Nigel knocked his head on the bottom of Priss' old bike. He stood cursing. Nene came out talking, "Macky I told you not to touch my files!"
She said this through a mouthful of Pizza.
"Well hey Priss," Nene said calmly. She then screamed as she realized who was there. Of course it wasn't enough for her to forget her pizza.
Nene tackled Priss at full speed knocking her into a rack of lacy bras.
"Geez Nene, you gained some weight," Priss muttered standing.
It was then she noticed; Nene was pregnant.
"Who the hell knocked you up?" Priss muttered dryly.
Linna and Sylia laughed and looked to Macky who was blushing.
"My husband of course," Nene said showing off her rings. Priss had never thought that she would see the day that Nene put aside her pride and showed Macky her true feelings, part of that could be that because of the events that had happened, Nene's feelings were finally able to come out. Or maybe Priss was just turning into a softy.
"Your kids are going to hack into the internet mainframe before they're weaned," Priss said sarcastically.
Everyone seemed surprised about her knowledge of computers. It had obviously increased since they had last seen her.
"Have you seen Leon-Poo yet?" Nene asked continuing with work as if nothing had changed.
"What does it matter?" Priss replied with a shrug. He eyes were downcast and she seemed extremely uneasty.
"I'll take that as a yes," Linna muttered, "the man has been going crazy, Priss. He kept seeing images of you walking towards him, he never gave up hope."
"What did he have to hope for?" Priss demanded, "A second date?"
She sounded hurt and angry but no one commented. No one was shocked when Nigel bent over and kissed Sylia, "I need to get some more parts for the bike I'll be back after lunch," he said in his usual calm voice, he then turned to Macky, "will you be coming in later?"
Macky nodded, "yes Nigel."
"Priss, I have a lot to explain to you, should we head to the pit?" Sylia asked.
Priss nodded and followed Sylia down into the secret rooms that had once been a center for controlling rogue boomers.
It was now a comfortable living space.
"Linna and Nene moved in, their apartments are below," Sylia explained.
Priss didn't comment only sat down casually.
"Nene and Macky married as soon as he was better, I know your wondering how he lived if Galatea was destroyed," Sylia continued.
"Don't keep me waiting," Priss replied uninterested, her mind was still concentrated on Leon, she didn't love the dope. She figured the more she told herself that fact the more she might be able to believe, and if she could believe it, then it had to be true. Leon had obviously moved on and made a family of his own, that seemed to be the theme.
"Because Macky is so much a human and so little like a boomer the only thing he lost when Galatea was killed was the immortality of a machine, he will live a full life, I suppose that's all I can hope for him," Sylia looked down at her hands still sorry for all that had happened before the Knight Sabers left on their final mission no doubt.
"That's all anyone can hope for I supposed," Priss said raising her eyebrows and standing to look at the fish.
"He fixing the bike for you," Sylia whispered from behind her, "he never gave up on you either Priss. The girls and I, we accepted the possibility, but not Nigel."
That was comforting to Priss, for some reason, the fact that the only two men she had ever loved in her life wouldn't give up on her and trusted her to return.
"Sylia, I brought you your package," a familiar voice said. Priss looked into the gold eyes of Asil and smiled.
"Thank you Asil, is Leon with you?" Sylia asked calmly.
"Uh-hu," Asil replied, "he's as pink as that dress he's always looking at."
Sylia muffled a laugh but when Priss looked to the security camera she knew what dress Asil was talking about. It was the pink dress Priss had worn after she lost the bet with Sylia and in Leon's hand was a tattered photo, the photo taken of Priss in that dress.
"I know who you are," Asil boasted.
"Who am I then?" Priss demanded of the insolent child.
"Your Priss Asagiri, you were the lead singer in Sekiria you saved my life," Asil said proudly.
"Your very smart for a young girl," Priss replied warming up to the child, "how do you know all this."
"Leon told me, he also said that-that," Asil stopped when her train of thought derailed.
"That's enough Asil," Leon said calmly. Priss looked at him but didn't move, she was content to just look at him for a long time.
"It's been a long time, Priss," Leon said just above a whisper.
Priss looked to her side as a young girl with gold eyes slid her hand into hers, "come," she said, "my papa will give you food."
Priss looked up at the relief workers handing out food. Leon, Priss' mind reeled as she saw him standing there shirtless with a sack of sand draped over his shoulder.
Leon stopped dead in his tracks, Priss, his mind screamed the name of the woman he couldn't forget, the woman he loved. He gave a half smile, Priss had vanished three years ago, and he had seen her in front of him many times, it was just an illusion as all the others were. Nene and Linna had come back years ago, hadn't they? Had Priss wanted to come back to him, she would have been there sooner.
"Papa!" The girl yelled approaching Leon.
Papa? Priss thought. A hundred images rushed to her head. Was Leon.married?
"Asil, how many times have I told you," Leon said calmly with out flipping out like usual, "I'm not your father."
Leon bent down as she started to sniffle, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to take care of you."
Priss couldn't believe her eyes, this couldn't be the Leon she knew.or rather had known. The Leon she knew was scrawny and stupid. This man was strong and caring, yet she knew it was him, the way he looked, his laugh when Asil joked with him. Cocky and arrogant, it was still there, but pushed aside.
"Hey Leon," Daley said approaching. He was also shirtless with a sack of sand, "it's that the singer chick you had your mind on."
Leon turned and grabbed Daley by the neck, "she's gone Wong, I told you to let it be."
Leon let go of Daley when he heard Asil gasp. Scowling Leon picked up the sack of sand and with one last look at the image of Priss he continued to go about his duties.
Daley looked at Priss for a long minute, didn't Leon realize that this vision of the singer he could see, and it was clear Asil could see her as well.
Priss turned and began wandering the streets; it was Leon, and his partner Daley. How could it be? Priss wanted to know how Leon could forget her. She found herself staring up at the Silky Doll. She hadn't even intended to go there. The truth was she just let her mind do the walking and let her feet follow.
She opened the door to familiar faces.
Linna gasped and dropped the box of thongs she was about to hand to Macky who had also gone still. Sylia dropped the phone she was talking into and Nigel knocked his head on the bottom of Priss' old bike. He stood cursing. Nene came out talking, "Macky I told you not to touch my files!"
She said this through a mouthful of Pizza.
"Well hey Priss," Nene said calmly. She then screamed as she realized who was there. Of course it wasn't enough for her to forget her pizza.
Nene tackled Priss at full speed knocking her into a rack of lacy bras.
"Geez Nene, you gained some weight," Priss muttered standing.
It was then she noticed; Nene was pregnant.
"Who the hell knocked you up?" Priss muttered dryly.
Linna and Sylia laughed and looked to Macky who was blushing.
"My husband of course," Nene said showing off her rings. Priss had never thought that she would see the day that Nene put aside her pride and showed Macky her true feelings, part of that could be that because of the events that had happened, Nene's feelings were finally able to come out. Or maybe Priss was just turning into a softy.
"Your kids are going to hack into the internet mainframe before they're weaned," Priss said sarcastically.
Everyone seemed surprised about her knowledge of computers. It had obviously increased since they had last seen her.
"Have you seen Leon-Poo yet?" Nene asked continuing with work as if nothing had changed.
"What does it matter?" Priss replied with a shrug. He eyes were downcast and she seemed extremely uneasty.
"I'll take that as a yes," Linna muttered, "the man has been going crazy, Priss. He kept seeing images of you walking towards him, he never gave up hope."
"What did he have to hope for?" Priss demanded, "A second date?"
She sounded hurt and angry but no one commented. No one was shocked when Nigel bent over and kissed Sylia, "I need to get some more parts for the bike I'll be back after lunch," he said in his usual calm voice, he then turned to Macky, "will you be coming in later?"
Macky nodded, "yes Nigel."
"Priss, I have a lot to explain to you, should we head to the pit?" Sylia asked.
Priss nodded and followed Sylia down into the secret rooms that had once been a center for controlling rogue boomers.
It was now a comfortable living space.
"Linna and Nene moved in, their apartments are below," Sylia explained.
Priss didn't comment only sat down casually.
"Nene and Macky married as soon as he was better, I know your wondering how he lived if Galatea was destroyed," Sylia continued.
"Don't keep me waiting," Priss replied uninterested, her mind was still concentrated on Leon, she didn't love the dope. She figured the more she told herself that fact the more she might be able to believe, and if she could believe it, then it had to be true. Leon had obviously moved on and made a family of his own, that seemed to be the theme.
"Because Macky is so much a human and so little like a boomer the only thing he lost when Galatea was killed was the immortality of a machine, he will live a full life, I suppose that's all I can hope for him," Sylia looked down at her hands still sorry for all that had happened before the Knight Sabers left on their final mission no doubt.
"That's all anyone can hope for I supposed," Priss said raising her eyebrows and standing to look at the fish.
"He fixing the bike for you," Sylia whispered from behind her, "he never gave up on you either Priss. The girls and I, we accepted the possibility, but not Nigel."
That was comforting to Priss, for some reason, the fact that the only two men she had ever loved in her life wouldn't give up on her and trusted her to return.
"Sylia, I brought you your package," a familiar voice said. Priss looked into the gold eyes of Asil and smiled.
"Thank you Asil, is Leon with you?" Sylia asked calmly.
"Uh-hu," Asil replied, "he's as pink as that dress he's always looking at."
Sylia muffled a laugh but when Priss looked to the security camera she knew what dress Asil was talking about. It was the pink dress Priss had worn after she lost the bet with Sylia and in Leon's hand was a tattered photo, the photo taken of Priss in that dress.
"I know who you are," Asil boasted.
"Who am I then?" Priss demanded of the insolent child.
"Your Priss Asagiri, you were the lead singer in Sekiria you saved my life," Asil said proudly.
"Your very smart for a young girl," Priss replied warming up to the child, "how do you know all this."
"Leon told me, he also said that-that," Asil stopped when her train of thought derailed.
"That's enough Asil," Leon said calmly. Priss looked at him but didn't move, she was content to just look at him for a long time.
"It's been a long time, Priss," Leon said just above a whisper.