"How in the world do we even begin to look for her?" Squigly contemplated as she and Leviathan strolled slowly through the empty park. "We have no idea of what she would even look like today. We don't even know how much time has passed!"
"As she has written, Miss Squigly, it would be hard to miss a woman with a terrifying, vulgarity-spewing mouth on the back of her head," answered Leviathan.
"Well I sure hope she isn't wearing a hat, then."
"I'm certain we would hear that creature's obscenities regardless. ...Actually..."
"Leviathan?"
"Either I'm going quite mad, or... I actually DO hear his voice... coming from... there!" Leviathan indicated the edge of the park with his tail. Squigly looked in its direction and saw a peculiar woman in the distance with long black hair and red eyes, wearing rimless black sunglasses, a plain beige V-neck shirt, short black jacket, blue jeans and black shoes. Though she appeared to be alone, the woman seemed to have been talking with someone.
"I... cannot say I think that's Filia..." said Squigly. "...But then again it's too far to tell. Let's try to get closer."
The two began slowly approaching the mysterious woman while staying unnoticed, and Squigly started hearing the voice Leviathan had heard before: it was that of a deep, raspy male voice, and it and the woman's own voice could be faintly heard having what sounded like an argument.
"Alright, alright, kid. I get it already. You told me like a million goddamn times by now," the male voice exasperatedly stated.
"Samson, this is very important!" The woman urged. "I really NEED you on your best behavior!"
"Look, I'll let you do ALL the talking, okay? I won't say shit. Not even gonna open my mouth once."
"For our sakes and hers, I hope you're telling the truth for once. Just gimme some time to tell her... what we've... found. THEN you can say anything you want."
"Aaanything...?"
"DON'T talk about her ass, Samson!"
"Not promising anything there. Hey, who the hell is that walking over here?"
"Huh? Where?"
The woman looked around and suddenly discovered Squigly and Leviathan gradually making their way toward her. After removing her sunglasses and confirming their identities, a look of immense joy and awe instantly spread across her face, and she began sprinting toward the pair with outstretched arms.
"SQUIGLY! Oh my god, it's really you!" the woman exclaimed as she tightly embraced Squigly with tears in her eyes. "I've missed you SO much! I knew we would see each other again! I never stopped believing for a even a second!"
"Ahh, so you are Madame Filia then, I presume," said Leviathan.
"Of course she's Filia, Leviathan!" said Squigly as she returned the woman known as Filia's embrace. "Who else would be so welcoming upon our return?"
"So nice to see you again, too, Leviathan!" Filia greeted, releasing Squigly from her hug and turning to face the parasite.
"The pleasure's all mine," Leviathan replied, bowing slightly. "...But I see that, to my displeasure and I'm most certain your misfortune, you haven't yet been able to divorce yourself from that horrid, flea-infested pox in your locks. Heed my words, Miss Filia, your continued cohabitation with the beast will spell your certain doom."
"What's the big deal, dickwad? I ain't here to try to start shit with you!" replied a voice that erupted from a face on the backside of Filia's head that possessed a large mouth lined with sharp, jagged teeth. The face's piercing yellow eyes looked upward to return Leviathan's glare. "I was ACTUALLY willing to sit here and let the girls have their moment. YOU'RE the one who can't keep their worthless trap closed!"
"Could you two please behave?" Squigly sighed. "I had thought you'd be a little more restrained, Leviathan."
"You too, Samson!" Filia addressed the creature that acted as her hair. "This is SUPPOSED to be a happy reunion for all of us!"
"What are you yelling at ME for?! Was I was the one who threw the first punch?" Samson protested. "Besides, why should I be happy to see that ugly, stuck-up overgrown maggot?"
"Consider yourself fortunate you rest upon my lady's acquaintance's head, you loathsome barnacle... or else you'd be a smoldering pile of filth right now!" hissed Leviathan.
"ANYWAY, I'm very happy to see you again as well, Filia. I received your letter and was quite moved it," Squigly interjected. "Also, the coffin you made for me was just lovely! I still cannot believe you and Samson crafted it yourselves!"
"I still can't believe your ass was able to fit in it!" cracked Samson.
"Damn it, Samson! What did we JUST get finished discussing?" Filia sharply scolded the prickly parasite on her head.
"Hey now, I did say I wasn't promising anything, remember?" replied Samson. "Besides, having a generously-sized rump ain't necessarily a bad thing! Heheh, you of all people should definitely know that, kid!"
"Allow me to interrupt the buffoon's prattling by remarking on the quality of our resting place myself, Miss Filia," Leviathan spoke up. "As my lady has said, it was quite splendid – the headstone as well!"
"Oh yes, I wholeheartedly agree!" Squigly added, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. "The sight of it had me in tears!"
"Well, that would make two of us, and thank you!" Filia smiled. "Squigly, you probably don't really care about eating or drinking anything, but let's go to MadMan's Cafe to finish catching up."
"Right!" Squigly smiled, letting Filia lead the way out of the park and into the city.
Filia and Samson walked in front of Squigly and Leviathan down the lightly populated midday streets of New Meridian. As they walked, Squigly noticed that, despite having been taller than her when they had first met, she and Filia were now roughly equal in height.
"You look slightly taller than I remember, Filia," she observed.
"Well I was just a teenager when we first met," said Filia. "I still had a little bit of growing to do, y'know. I'm actually kinda jealous – I grow older while you stay young and pretty."
"Don't worry kid, it's not that hard to beat a corpse in a beauty contest," Samson quipped, angering and upsetting the other three with him.
"Samson! That's absolutely uncalled for!" Filia shouted. "God, I was just joking!"
"So was I! Get off my back, already!" Samson defended. "I mean, undead or not, I'd still get a piece of that ass!"
"YOU WOULD DO NO SUCH THING, WRETCHED BEAST!" Leviathan erupted, wielding his tail threateningly toward Samson's face.
"Let's... just calm down, everyone. Please," Squigly murmured. Feeling highly uncomfortable, she quickly thought of a question to ease the tension. "So how old are you now, Filia? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."
"23."
"23? So then Leviathan and I have been resting for... seven years, I take it?"
"Yeah, seven long years it's been. Lots of stuff has happened to me over that time, but we can get to that later."
"Well I must say you've grown into a fine young adult, Miss Filia," complimented Leviathan.
"Thanks, Leviathan. Nice to hear, especially since Samson still calls me 'kid' all the time."
"Hmph. Shameful. It's almost as if this hairy hooligan does not even know your name."
"Stuff it, assmunch! Of course I know her name! It's – y'know what, I don't have to answer to you, you crusty old worm!"
Leviathan smugly smirked as Squigly decided to ask Filia a rather pressing question. "By the way, Filia, how did you know to come to the park to meet me today? I haven't seen the Skullgirl or any signs of her destruction nearby, so how did you know I would awaken?"
This question gave Filia a noticeable startle. "Well, uh... I-I had... picked up rumors a few weeks ago that the Skull Heart had reappeared and was used again! Since then, I've just been going to the park every day in hopes that I could be there the moment you wake up!"
"Do you know who the Skull Heart was recovered by?"
"I'll tell you everything once we get to the cafe, I promise. I also have news of a discovery that I think will REALLY interest you."
Squigly nodded, and she and Filia increased their pace down the sidewalk.