Time skip
"Let us begin the 6014th Round Table Meeting!", Okarin exclaimed in a self-satisfied smile as he looked around the crowded lab. Almost all of his lab members were here, even Maho had become one this past month. While Nekaha, Moeka, Feyris and Ruka squished themselves on the bed, Kurisu and the Okarin from another world line sat on the floor in front of the squared table. Daru sat at his chair in front of the computer and Mayuri sat on Nekaha's lap, while Maho sat on Moeka's lap. It seemed even a bit absurd that so many people were in the lab. The only lab member who was absent was Yuki, as she missed the appearance of the other Okarin. Therefore, Okarin wanted to keep her out of it, especially since what they're planning to do isn't exactly safe. "Get a grip dude, for reals", Daru stated, as annoyed as a fat man could be in a burning hot late summer whilst sitting in a non air-conditioned room. "Mayushii doesn't think, we've had so many meetings yet". "Of course we have had so many-!", Okarin started but suddenly got interrupted by a cat maid girl with pink hair who stood up and did her cat pose. "The ancient Round Table Meetings were founded hundreds and hundreds of nyears ago, all of them having a certain importance, nya, in the course of history. From all of those, this, nya, is truly the 6014th", she explained to Mayuri with a mischievous smile, before she sat down again. Mayuri just stared at Feyris with an open mouth and seemed astonished. She seemed to be the only one that didn't understand that what Faris said was unreal. "Chunibyu", Nekaha then said in a quite voice and a mocking grin, evidently trying to hide it from Mayuri. Yet she wasn't shy of showing all the others her very upsetting grin that just radiated of sarcasm and lampooning. "We are getting sidetracked", Maho sighed, before letting her head drop in shame, and rubbed her temples. Kurisu also seemed to be doing the same thing, just she seemed upset. "If only that cognitive system hadn't broken", she hissed as she turned around to look into the development room and glanced right at the big Upa that was now retired, after Mayuri clumsily dropped it and it failed to work properly afterwards. The thing that had kept their Round Table meetings on topic. Especially in this mass, they got distracted much easier, so they mostly never got to the point. "What did you say, Kurisu?", Maho asked while her face scrunched up in confusion. She probably only heard a few words of the sentence, or maybe even misheard the words, so that she got the meaning totally wrong. "It's nothing, Senpai", Kurisu responded with a sweet smile, as she didn't want to be one of the causes of the distraction. Okarin and Feyris were already rambling on about some organization, while Mayuri, Ruka and Moeka were planning a party. The only silent people were Kurisu herself, Maho, the other Okarin and Daru, he only being quiet, because he was playing some H-12 games. "Moving on!", Okarin said in an overdone loud voice in an attempt to get all the attention, but failed epically. Now Maho and Nekaha were also caught up in the conversation about the party Mayuri had planned and probably just mistook Okarin's yells as unmeaningful. Though Daru evidently heard Okarin and sighed, before turning off his computer monitor, and just the monitor. "If I lose all my data, you're a dead man, Okarin", he muttered, but not loud enough. Kurisu gave a chuckle at that. Daru wasn't even giving Okarin a chance to make sure his data doesn't get lost. It was like he wanted that to happen. "Hey, I think Mister variety of improprieties is finally coming to a point", Nekaha informed the rest of the girls, and Ruka, sitting on the couch. Okarin clenched his teeth at that name she made up. Never before had Okarin been called names he didn't want to be called, besides of course his actual name. The only person who had done that was Kurisu, though for some reason she didn't do it. It was like she still thought there was an agreement between them. Perhaps it was Reading Steiner, though of course Okarin didn't know that. "Silence, Maria!", Okarin yelled at Nekaha, for the second time calling her Maria, even though she obviously hated it, which was clearly visible in the grim facial expression she had after that. The first time Nekaha totally lost it and even went to hit Okarin. His cheek still hurt from that. But Okarin didn't understand why he got hit. She laughed at the fact that he called Kurisu 'Christina', yet got 'high fived', when he called her a name. "There is a reason I called all of you in today. Last night, I saw a bright star shoot through the sky, and it told me that there are people planning on taking over our time machine research", Okarin started explaining, disregarding the burning glare he was getting from Nekaha. Honestly, Okarin was a bit scared of her. "I... Told you...", Moeka stated in her monotone voice, and even though her face stayed constantly expressionless. "Indeed, Shining Fingers", he said with a smirk. "So you think... I'm a big rock...?", she questioned, while now you could see her expression contort into sad frown. Mayuri's gaze shot up to Okarin in that second and gave him a disappointed face. "That's not very nice. Moeka-chan isn't just a rock", Mayuri whined as she awkwardly tried to hug Moeka. In the process, she ellbowed Nekaha and pushed Maho off of Moeka's lap, causing her to get pushed on Ruka, who was blushing more than the currently getting hugged Moeka, while Maho stayed clueless to the fact why he was blushing. She didn't know he was a boy, not a girl. "You surely act like a rock most of the time", Okarin muttered to himself, earning a firm nod from Daru, the only one who heard his statement. "But that's what I looove about her! I can't wait to see her beg for me to stop... Hah... Hah...", Daru squealed with a perverted smile, as he locked eyes with Kurisu, who somehow, connected his words to Moeka and glared. She was about to stand up and probably in somehow hit Daru - she got that from Nekaha - but before that could happen, Okarin stepped in. "Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself", he stated and crossed his arms, as if to dominate Daru, even though if they did have a fight, Daru would most definitely win. After that, he turned way from Daru and stared back to his lab members, mainly Mayuri who he actually wanted to keep out of this mess. "And we can't let that happen", Okarin continued his sentence from before, realizing that he indeed got sidetracked easily, as Kurisu had told him before the meeting. Maybe investing in repairing the cognitive system wouldn't have been such a bad idea. "And why can't we let that happen again? There are already people who know about it and rumors have been spreading on @ channel, so what's the use", Daru asked in a disinstered tone. In that same moment Okarin froze. He neither knew why they couldn't let everybody know. He got told that by Kurisu who evidently knew more of the situation. "Because if not we'll switch world lines", the Okarin dressed in black answered with ease, before Okarin could even think of an excuse. "Then what do nyou suggest?", Feyris asked Okarin with a confused gaze. The way Okarin answered made it seem as if he had a plan how to avoid the world line switch. And he did. Of course nobody besides Kurisu who sat right next to him saw how he took out his phone, which should be totally useless in this world line, before he he had answered Daru's question. That was another thing Kurisu added to the list of things she needed to talk to Okarin about. Though that might ruin their night, she'd rather talk about it sooner than later. And possibly before the part Mayuri was planning. The party for the Okarin from the Alpha attractor field's departure. "We deceive the world", he started to explain with a quote that made Kurisu's eyes flicker with curiosity. From what Okarin, the Okarin who hadn't lost his memories yet, told her, that was something the future him would say to him via video d-mail. To deceive the world and himself, in Makise Kurisu's 'death'. The fact that the Okarin knew that, even though he was in the Alpha Attractor field, surprised Kurisu quite a bit, but it was most probably just coincidence. Or perhaps even Deja Vu. "We will intentionally sabotage the experiment that is coming up tomorrow and label it a lost cause. That way, the time machine research will be canceled. But we can continue and finish it personally, since we're nearing the end, am I wrong?" he explained the seemingly fool proof plan. But there was one problem. While they had almost finished the time machine that somewhat resembles the one Kurisu had seen Suzuha come in, the obvious problem was that it was too big to transport into any space any of the lab members owned. It was absurd to think it would somehow fit into the lab, ignoring that fact that they somehow had to get it into. "And where shall we continue the time machine?", the other Okarin asked who seemed to have caught on to the issue, when mere seconds later, Feyris jumped up, once again, and started to maniacally laugh. "I, too, saw the shooting star last nyight, and it told me to seek a place, big enough to fit a two meter cubed clutz of scrap metal. Of course, nya, I immediately made my way to ask Kuroki, and-". "Just let me cut you off there", Kurisu suddenly interrupted Feyris's breathtaking speech that evidently wasn't so breathtaking to her. "It was impossible for you to know that", she stated with a very very upset frown and crossed arms, not believing even a little part of what Feyris had just said, totally spoiling her big moment. "Uwuu...", she suddenly uttered and sat down with tears in her eyes that were threatening to overflow. Though obviously, they were in an overexagerrated manner. "Kuroki told me yesterday that someone wanted to sell a big hall under the radio building, and I bought it. But it isn't in the blue prints of the construction", she plainly explained, before falling silent. First now had Kurisu realized how cold and rude she had been to Feyris and couldn't really find the source of her aggression towards her. Suddenly, she was overcome with guilt. Especially when she found out that Feyris had the intention of letting the use that hall for their time machine. The sudden cough of Okarin, and also probably purposeful, snapped the lab members out of their trance, before they all averted their gaze from Kurisu to Okarin. "I am sincerely grateful for your offer, Feyris, but sadly the lab cannot afford to rent a makeshift event hall", Okarin said and turned on his heels, until his back faced the development room, "We shall have to find another source of shelter for our time machine with our budget". The light in Mayuri's and Maho's eyes disappeared in the same second Okarin spoke those words while Ruka and Nekaha just sighed simultaneously. "You're so stingy, Okarin", whined Daru who evidently lost all his interest in this meeting, while turning back to his computer and continuing his game, just this time being one hundred percent focused on it. If only he would take the construction of the time machine as seriously as he did with his hentai games. "Nyahaha, of course I will grant nyou that wish for free. It is for the purpose of world peace, nya?", Feyris questioned, back with her chunibyu personality that everyone loved, or not. After that, Okarin's expression contorted into an astonished one, as his mouth hung wide open. Was Feyris really going to let them use the room for their time machine, for free? That went to show how much money she had to spare, if she could afford that. "I must thank you, Master Feyris", Okarin suddenly overdramatically chanted, before falling to the ground and bowing in front of Feyris whose cheeks turned a slight pink. "Would nyou stop, you're making Feyris embarrassed", she chuckled while covering her mouth that was clearly forming a smile. You could literally feel the affection she had toward him, and that made more than Mayuri happy. It also caused Kurisu to crack a smile, even though she was so unwilling to. But all of that joy in Kurisu disappeared the next second, when the other Okarin started to mention the second problem. "If we follow that strategy, we would have to negate your theory, Makise", he admitted with a worried expression, proving that he knew exactly what problems she was currently having. As much as she tried to hide it, Kurisu knew how much her father despised her. He tried to steal her time travel theory and even mercilessly attempted murder, which succeeded in some world lines, but thankfully not in this one. But in this case, the phrase 'it's the thought that counts' applies. Her own father stabbed an innocent man, and then fled the scene. And when Kurisu attempted to make contact with him, he didn't even feel an ounce of remorse. These past years Kurisu had tried to mend the broken relationship with her dad, to no avail. Her father was too thick skulled to understand that she was trying to apologize. And trying to bond with him via a shared time travel theory, that he obviously took very seriously, obviously was the wrong way. So that scene played over and over in Kurisu's head, until she knew every detail of it, yet still couldn't find out what went wrong. "Chris-chan?", suddenly sounded, as Kurisu was snapped out of her thoughts. All eyes were on her, as she evidently was suppose to make the final decision: if they would follow the plan. Of course, it was much more important to get the other Okarin away from the Steins;Gate world line to avoid any world line changes, yet by doing so, she would be once again publicly insulting her father's intelligence, by opposing his time travel theory. Which was the right decision? "We'll follow your plan, Okabe", Kurisu answered, a shadow covering her face as she said those words. It was most obvious that she was upset, yet most of the lab members did not understand for what reason. The only ones who seemed to understand were the Okarin from another world line and, strangely, Feyris. "We can find another way", Okarin suddenly blurted out and ended the painfully long silence. He saw that whatever the plan was compromised of, it would upset Kurisu which he didn't want. But shortly after, everyone stated at Okarin with wide eyes, at what he had just said. "I mean, I wouldn't want my assistant to be in a sour mood whilst making the time machine. That would be a hindrance!", he corrected himself, before his cheeks burned up into a light pink. Even though he managed to avert most of the gazes, he still got a grin from Nekaha and Daru, who were both thinking the same thing that mustn't even be said to be understood. "Thank you, but it's alright", Kurisu said with a soft smile to Okarin. After that her smile disappeared and was replaced by her typical frown. "We'll follow the plan. Hereby I end this (Round Table) meeting. We will get in touch, when needed", she announced, as everybody's faces lit up. The idea of leaving the sauna of a lab was just to attractive to not feel happy, when given the opportunity to leave. "So, nya. Will we go to the Cafe to discuss our part plans, nya?", Feyris asked Mayuri and Ruka who were organizing the part that was to happen in a few days. "Of course~!", Mayuri answered while leaving the lab with Feyris and Ruka, even though he didn't seem very motivated or comfortable going to May Queen's. He always got stared at there. "I'm coming I'm coming, my Feyris-Chan!", Daru squealed and immediately ran after the two girls and Ruka, knowing he would get a discount when it's this hot, as he always did. "Okabe-san... I'm leaving too...", suddenly sounded before Okarin, evidently coming from timid Moeka. And without further hesitation, she just left the lab, not even giving him a chance to stop her. It's not like that would've worked. Now the only ones in the room were both Okarins, Kurisu, Maho and Nekaha who just silently looked at eachother for a while. And that when Okarin remembered. Already before had he noticed how Kurisu was acting strange from time to time. She was very moody and extra stubborn which had cause a lot more actually aggressive fights, not just bickering, between Okarin and her than usual. Exactly that worried him. Of course it could only be because of the stress of working on the time machine - it already completely baffled Okarin that they made so much progress, almost finished it, in just a month - but he just wanted to be sure. Even though that would probably spoil their night. So, to Kurisu completely out of the blue, Okarin walked over to Kurisu, grabbed her by the wrist and attempted to pull her out of the lab to talk personally. "What are you doing? L-let go of me!", she uttered a hoarse yell while struggling against Okarin's grip. However, in the end Okarin was just to strong and literally dragged the poor panicked girl out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Suddenly, the lab was silent again. "What was that about?", Maho questioned, contemplating whether to worry about Kurisu or not. "No clue, but after this part, is when she finally drops the tsundere act and gives Hououin-san the permission", Nekaha chuckled with a sly smirk, as she kept on listening to the desperate yells of Kurisu that slowly got more distant and quiet. While Maho didn't understand what she said, the other Okarin heaved a loud sigh. "You're as bad as Daru, Marianne", he muttered. By the time Okarin finally realized what he had said, he already caught the astonished face from Nekaha that showed a glint of pure discomfort. "H-how... Do you know?".