AnD: Anise and Dist

Love Life

"Hey Dist, have you ever had a girl you liked?"

Dist stopped mid rant, about a coffee machine no less, and blanched.

"A-a girl I liked?"

"Yeah!" Anise chirped. "A crush, girlfriend, you know. What was she like? Was she pretty? Did she have big boobs?"

Dist had become silent and sat with his head straight, the light of the room hiding his eyes behind his glasses.

"W-well. It wasn't a girl. But there was a woman I highly respected."

"OooohI You're into mature types? That's…" Anise sighed and looked down to her chest. "That's understandable."

For once Dist was quiet for more than a minute.

"I have some research that needs attending to. Perhaps you will have the honor to bask in my glory another time."

Anise raised an eyebrow at the man's more odd than usual behavior and shrugged, resuming eating her meal. The other knights hastily made way as they saw Dist leaving, then turned to Anise who ate her lunch as though nothing happened.

"Hey, you're the Fon Master's Guardian right? What did you do to him?" One of the knights said as he stood beside Anise. Several others had gathered as well while many stayed in their seats, yet looked over.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

An older man stepped forward. "He's been sitting alone for years in that same spot. And he'd talk forever and a day to anyone that approached him. I don't know what you said, but he's never just been quiet for no reason, much less just up and left."

Anise shrugged. "I dunno. I just asked him about his love life. Though, it seems like he's into older ladies."

The knights looked around at each other.

"Wait he actually likes women?"

Dist had shut himself in his personal lab and stared down at the binder in his lap. The plush love seat did little to ease how rigid his body felt. He thought of his childhood in Keterburg every single day, and with it, his memories of Jade and her.

Opening the binder, he reviewed his notes of replication experiments from failed hypothesis to small achievements. He would bring her back. Then he would get Jade, Nephry and even Peony. He would show them he was right, and they would all live happily ever after. That's what he would do.

A scowl contorted his features as the smallest hint of snot threatened to dribble out his fabulous nose.

"I'm Dist the Rose dammit not Dist the Runny."