Author: Rockin Sockin Robot

The Unscheduled Appointment

"Come in, Miss Kanzaki."

Dryden Fassa sat comfortably reclined on a Freudian-style couch—the kind meant for patients but which was somehow never put to its proper use. He held a file in one hand and gestured for his patient to sit on an ottoman with the other.

"Thank you, doctor," said Hitomi. "I appreciate you seeing me. I know my problem is a strange one."

"Are you having these dreams regularly?"

"They're not dreams," said Hitomi automatically. "They actually happened. That's the problem."

Dryden narrowed his eyes sceptically. He glanced at the papers in his hand, and again at Hitomi.

"Alright, well... tell me about your first dream."

Hitomi woke up with a start. She'd been studying late in the library at school and must have fallen asleep. Cursing her tiredness, she reached for her probably cold coffee, determined to keep working.

Only the coffee cup was gone. So were her laptop and notes.

Bewildered, Hitomi looked around and realized she wasn't at the school library at all, but what seemed a luxurious private study. She sat not on a cheap wooden stool, but a fine, black leather armchair.

"Shit," she muttered. Was this some kind of joke?

Hitomi got up from her seat and looked around. The study was more like a library—it opened to three floors, every inch of available space crammed with bookshelves. It was an impressive sight, but one Hitomi had certainly never seen before. What was more, as she looked out the window, she saw—but didn't believe—both the moon and the Earth, in gigantic proportions, hanging innocently in the sky.

"Well, your psychiatrist can go to hell!" cried a voice nearby.

Hitomi froze in panic.

A young scholar—probably Hitom's age—burst suddenly into the study, and slammed the door angrily behind him. He had unruly black hair, was clad in an old-fashioned suit, and his eyes were red—that is, the actual coloration of his irises was a deep scarlet shade. On his nose was a distinguishing smudge of fresh black ink.

It took him a moment to notice Hitomi was there. When he did, he stopped in his tracks and turned white, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"What are you doing here?" he spluttered.

"I – I'm sorry, I fell asleep… I was studying in the library…"

The young man looked at her dazedly for a moment, blinked, and then seemed to come to his senses. He cleared his throat and adopted an authoritative tone.

"You're a student here?"

He cast a doubtful glance at her strange clothes. Hitomi nodded nervously.

"I am a student, but I've never seen this place before…"

"Of course you haven't—it's strictly off-limits to regular students," he replied, shortly. "You're lucky I don't have time to report you to your housemistress. You must leave immediately."

"My housemistress…?"

But the snobbish young man already seized her by the hand and dragged her out of the room. He opened the door, ready to shove her out, when he suddenly stopped and very slightly drew her close. Hitomi thought she saw his eyes soften.

"This isn't a dream, right?" he whispered. "You're actually here?"

Hitomi nodded her head, though utterly confused—especially by his changed tone. She was uncomfortably close to him, unable to move away because of his hold on her hand. He leaned towards her and a deep blush swept over her face.

"I can hardly believe it," he said, still coming closer. "You look just like you did in my dream…"

"Who are you…?"

He was much too close. Hitomi realised, too late, that his hands were pressed against the small of her back. He gathered her up in his arms, leaned in, and, before Hitomi could react, he pressed his lips against hers.

In the next moment, the scene rapidly dissolved before her eyes. Hitomi felt the weight of his lips lessening. When she moved to kiss him back, she met only cold air.

"It sounds like just a dream. You had others like it?"

Hitomi exhaled impatiently.

"I know how it sounds… but right after I woke up, I went to wash my face. When I looked in the mirror, there was an ink stain on my cheek."

"Ink?"

"Yes, there was ink on his nose."

Still, Dryden looked unconvinced.

"You're a student, Miss Kanzaki..."

"Look... I have a laptop, I don't use pens, and I never, ever come in contact with that kind of ink!"

"Did any of your other dreams leave any such traces on your face?"

"No."

Dryden idly took some notes. Hitomi had a vague suspicion that he was doodling.

"Tell me, Miss Kanzaki—why do you think you're having these dreams?"

Hitomi looked at him blankly.

"I don't know what you mean."

"What is it that bothers you about them? Why did you come here today?"

Hitomi was flabbergasted. Was he not listening to a word she was saying?

"They aren't just dreams, doctor. I saw the Earth and the moon in the sky. That's not the kind of detail I could come up with on my own."

"Hitomi, do you have a boyfriend?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. Dryden tried to look consoling.

"You know, it's perfectly normal for young, single persons your age—"

"Excuse me," she cut in impatiently, "but this isn't some stupid fantasy. There was ink on my face! The kind from fountain pens or a – a feather..."

"It could have come from anything."

"It actually happened, alright?!"

But Dryden shook his head disbelievingly.

"Miss Kanzaki, I'm sorry, but this isn't productive. Come back when you're prepared to speak honestly. Now excuse me… I have another patient."

"...Fine."

Hitomi got up from the ottoman, fuming, and turned to leave.

Just then, a young man with unruly black hair stepped into Dryden's office. As they passed each other, Hitomi saw a flash of scarlet in his eyes.

He smiled at her mysteriously, saying only—

"Van Fanel."

Words: 995

"Hello - Robo (or Automaton) here. :) Thanks for reading my take on the Earth-Gaea fusion theme. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I had fun writing it. I don't think I've ever posted anything under 1000 words before, haha... hopefully everything is okay. :p Kudos to Suils for setting this up. Please give this project all your best support. Love, love, love!"