Far East Branch Headquarters - Sakaki's Office

The following days were uneventful for much of the First Unit. Determined to accelerate the Aegis Project, Utsugi spent a good bit of his time conducting field operations. With the Director overseas in search of a crucial component, he wanted to do his part to keep the plan going smoothly.

Soma had been similarly spending most of his time on the battlefront. Tiring days and sleepless nights had left him feeling overwhelmingly stressed. And with his closest friend wanting nothing more to do with him, he was feeling increasingly isolated. Thus he had been easing his tension in the most effective way he knew how, which was proving highly beneficial to their Squad Leader.

His efficacy was so high in fact, that it allowed the other members to take some much-needed rest. With the two men carrying much of the team's workload for time being, the remaining three had been enjoying some leisure. Alisa could often be found spending time with Sakuya, enjoying a pot of tea in her quarters, or otherwise lazing about with their other female New Type. Kota and that same New Type were similarly bonding, either watching episodes of Bugarally or hanging out in Sakaki's office with their unlikely friend.

Ichiro remained imprisoned in his underground cell, passing the time in whatever way he saw fit. Due to his frequent visitors, it either involved conversing with some of the Den's members or finding creative ways to fold his bedsheets. The days were long but never lonely and as a result of his New Type's frequent appearances, they were rarely boring.

The highlight of his most recent visit had been said woman losing her temper, frustrated with his ongoing confinement. In a fit of irritation, she had thrown a mild tantrum, attempting to tear open the door and destroy the metal bars. Through a great deal of coaxing and gentle reassurance of his eventual release, he was able to calm her down and get her to stop before she landed herself in a holding cell right along with him.

Shio remained with Paylor Sakaki, as she had no other choice. Much like their other imprisoned colleague however, she also found her days far from solitary. With frequent company from other members of the First Unit, the child was almost always entertained. And through her continued contact and mental stimulation, she was developing at an alarming rate.

Fujiki sat quietly on the sofa in the corner of the room, watching Shio casually stroll around the office. Alisa sat on the opposite couch, keeping to herself and her thoughts. On the other side of the room, Sakaki prodded curiously at an increasingly irritated Neo, who was using every ounce of her self-control not to swipe at him. All was calm in the quiet office… until suddenly, it wasn't.

With a curious look in her eye, Shio began wandering towards the Russian New Type. Her troubled thoughts quickly faded as the pale-skinned girl appeared directly in her line of vision. She was watching her pensively and standing very, very close. Looking up at her, Alisa grinned at the fascinated child, wondering what was going through her inquisitive mind. Within moments she found out… in one of the most unexpected ways possible.

Reaching brazenly forward, Shio placed both of her hands on Alisa's breasts and began to squeeze.

"Eeep!"Wh-What?! I… Ah…"

"Soft and soft!"

Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment as the Aragami fondled her, taking note of their size, texture, and shape. After shamelessly kneading her fleshy mounds, Shio moved on to harass another unsuspecting victim . Wandering across the room, she made her way towards Kota, who was still staring towards the both of them with his mouth hanging open. This was definitely not how he had expected his day to be going.

He could feel his body tense slightly as Shio stopped in front of him, examining him similarly to the way she had his flustered comrade. Tilting her head slowly to the side, she stepped boldly forward, earning a quiet yelp from Kota as he prepared for the worst. Reaching towards him, she grabbed both of arms, squeezing and patting them forcefully.

"Ow… Ow!"

"Hard and hard. Huuuug!"

Turning around, she navigated toward the third and final member of the squadron who at this point was regarding her with amused interest. What an unusual creature. Reaching out to her, she gave the New Type a cheerful smile. Then she wrapped her arms around her and squeezed, enveloping her in a gentle embrace. Both God Eaters sucked in a breath at Shio's blatant disregard for Neo's personal space.

"Hmmm…"

But in a surprising turn of events, Neo slowly returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around the child and gently holding her to her chest. Closing their eyes, both girls enjoyed one another's touch, leaning their chins against the other's shoulder as their minds and bodies connected. All three watched in awestruck curiosity as the two communicated, silently expressing their kinship with one another.

Beside them, the doctor raised an eyebrow as he observed the silent pair. Sakaki hadn't initially noticed it, but the two of them were very similar height. It hadn't really occurred to any of them just how small Neo actually was until they saw them standing side by side. If not for her mature facial features, it was almost possible to mistake her for an older child herself, at least at first glance.

Slowly, the girls let their arms fall, ending their contact. The New Type watched her in silence, eyeing her as she began to lift her hand towards her once again. From her position on the couch, Alisa froze, her breath catching as Shio reached for her scarf. Having experienced her memories, she knew that Neo was very sensitive and detested anyone touching her flowing folds. And as predicted, the woman began to tense as she gently gripped the blue material. Her fingers ran gingerly along a crease, dragging them down to the edge, disregarding the twitch along the corner of her mouth.

"That's weird… That's so weird…"

Kota gave her an incredulous look.

"I'm pretty sure you're the weird one here."

The child merely tilted her white head at him, genuinely confused by his line of thought. Neo just shook her head. Walking past Shio, she made her way across the room and seated herself next to the other New Type, carefully fixing her disturbed accessory. Thoroughly entertained, their Aragami giggled, sitting on the floor and looking happily around the room. Captivated beyond all common sense, Paylor practically trembled with excitement at his new discovery. His harassment of Neo forgotten, he began to ramble on about the second object of his fascination.

"This is new indeed! She's starting to draw conclusions based on unique differences. She's finding specificity!"

Raising an eyebrow, Alisa looked down at the child, now rolling happily around on the floor.

"What? Between all of us?"

"Indeed so! She's finding uniqueness between people. Race, gender, personality, body-type! She's piqued by diversity, I believe! You see, Aragami breed - if such a term can be used - asexually, each creating more of itself. Yet new species grow, like the Vajra. Shio has no concept of gender, but she's beginning to understand."

"Well she certainly seems to be a girl. At least in appearance."

"She certainly does. We must do something about those clothes, don't you think? The Director will be returning soon."

"You may be right."

Turning her eyes to the giggling child once more, she became keenly aware of her state of near undress. Having wrapped herself in Fenrir's flag, the girl was just a few rips and tears away from being completely naked. Of course none of them actually knew what was hiding underneath, and she wasn't sure she cared to find out. Rising to her feet, she made her way towards her, looking over her small frame. Surely, there was something they could find for her.

Following her, Neo stood and observed the two of them as Alisa evaluated her lightly-clad body. Her eye drifted along the shredded fabric.

"I suppose a flag isn't exactly clothing."

"Hm…"

"Something wrong?"

At Neo's comment, Alisa began to look over her clothing as well, if one could even call it that. Her tattered shirt was in desperate need of replacement and her shorts had more runs in them than she could count. It seemed that Shio wasn't the only one who needed a wardrobe change.

"We should probably find something for you too, while we're at it."

"Me?"

"Yes. Surely, you don't expect to wear those rags forever?"

Neo shrugged. That was exactly what she had planned to do. She had no way of getting any new garments and quite frankly, didn't have the slightest inkling of fashion sense. She had never learned. What few clothes she did have had been purchased for her, like her combat uniform and dresses.

"Never thought about it. I only have what Ichi brought for me. No one's ever tried to dress me before. Not since Yuki."

Frowning slightly at her response, Alisa remembered that Neo wouldn't likely have much in the way of clothing choices. She simply wore whatever she could find or what was given to her. Ichiro had certainly done his best to ensure that she he had decent garments at her disposal over the course of her life, but as certain parts of her anatomy grew larger, he probably had some trouble adjusting to her ever-changing measurements.

"Well, then I would be honored to be the first." She beamed at her, earning a snicker from the other New Type. She seemed to actually be considering her offer.

"Are you going to dress me like you, Lissa?"

"Well not necessarily, but I know I can find something to match your style."

"I'm sure Ichiro would like that…" Kota muttered quietly under his breath, the thought of Neo running around in Alisa's outfit crossing his mind. It wasn't an unpleasant image, but certainly a strange one. In front of him, the blonde turned, a curious expression her face.

"What was that, Kota?"

"Huh? Oh! I said, uh, I'm sure Neo could try that."

"Hm… For once, you and I are in agreement." Turning her attention back to her friend, she slowly began to look her over. From her blue scarf to her brown skin, a few ideas were already coming to mind. "I've got it! Why don't we try -"

"Soma, welcome!"

All four heads turned towards the doorway as Paylor joyfully announced his arrival. Stepping through the doorway, the veteran paused, a bit surprised to see all three of them in the office. More specifically, to see Neo. Was she hanging out with Shio?

"Oh. Didn't expect to see you here."

"I was just leaving."

Turning, Neo made her way towards the door, startling her friend who had just been in the middle of a conversation.

"Huh? Wait! What about your clothes?!"

"Another time. See you later Lissa. Kota." Kota waved casually in acknowledgment as she passed him by, stopping at the door. "Bye Saki."

"Farewell!"

Without another word, she exited the office and disappeared down the hall.

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters - Dungeon

Quiet footsteps echoed through the underground corridor as she slowly approached the cell. After a few questions and some direction, she finally found who she was looking for. Though it wasn't the state that she had expected to find him in, she was still happy to see him all the same. Approaching the iron bars, she peered around the wall, peeking into the small room. Lying quietly on the bed lay the man she was looking for. Facing the wall, his chest rose and fell in steady breaths, leading her to wonder whether or not he was resting.

After watching him for a few minutes, she determined that he was definitely asleep, and decided it would be best to leave him to his slumber. If the stories that she had heard were true, he probably needed it. But as she turned, her ankle rolled on an uneven portion of the metallic floor. Her foot slipped from beneath her, sending her airborne.

"Eek!"

She tumbled to the ground with a crash, startling Ichiro out of his sleep. In practiced motions, he leaped from the bed reaching for a God Arc that he suddenly realized wasn't there. Old habits really died hard it would seem. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he turned his attention to the source of the sound. Outside of his cell, a foot was visible, poking out from around the corner… and the quiet groans brought him back to the present.

"Whoa. Hey! You alright?"

"Hm…?"

Slowly climbing to her feet, the young woman frowned. Straightening her glasses, she turned towards the object of her visit, who was now very much awake. He had been sleeping so soundly too…

Stepping forward, she approached the bars, hanging her head sheepishly.

"Yes, I'm… I'm fine, thank you. I apologize, I've interrupted your rest…"

"Don't worry about it. That sounded like a nasty fall. You sure you're okay?"

She lowered her eyes to the floor, a light pink dusting her cheeks as grew bashful under his concerned gaze. It seemed he was just as kind as he had been the day they met. Perhaps he truly was as sweet as they say.

"Yes, thank you very much."

"Wait, you're…"

His eyes widened slightly as realization hit him. He thought that he recognized the sound of her voice, but he wasn't certain. Now that he saw her in the light, he was certain. It was one of the women he had found in the wilderness during his journey back to the Den. She looked to be in better spirits than she had been the last time they had spoken.

"Yes. I… I wanted to thank you for saving Yoko and I… I don't know what we would've done without you."

"Yoko?"

"M-My sister…"

"Oh, right, of course. I told you before, it's no trouble at all. I'm just happy that the two of you are safe. How is your sister, by the way?"

"Oh, she's doing very well, thank you. She's settling into the city nicely."

"Good. What sector are you guys in?"

"E-26."

"Oh, near the outer wall, right?"

"Mm-hm…"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you two are doing alright. I had been meaning to come and find you, but I uh… got a little tied up."

The brunette giggled, earning a smirk from the older God Eater. Her gentle, timid nature reminded him very much of someone…

"I'm Aki, by the way. Aki Yamada."

"Ichiro Hamasaki. It is a pleasure to meet you, for the second time, Ms. Yamada."

He offered a friendly smile, chuckling lightly as she turned away. Her pink face turned even darker under his gentle gaze. She was adorable.

"Have they given you your God Arc?"

"No, not yet. I am scheduled to start basic training soon…" Aki fidgeted nervously, pressing her fingers together.

"Don't worry. You'll be alright. It's not as bad as it sounds, I assure you."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you guys made it this far, right? Nothing's worse than being out there."

"Mn… I… I suppose you're right. Okay. I - I think I can do it! … I hope."

A smiled pulled at his lips as her face lit up. She responded very well to encouragement it would seem… yet another striking similarity. As he watched her giggle quietly to herself he began to wonder if she and Neo would get along.

"You'll be fine. Just don't get on Amamiya's bad side. Otherwise, you'll end up like me."

"Oh dear… No… no, that wouldn't be good at all."

"No, it wouldn't. Come to think of it… how did you get down here anyway? New recruits aren't authorized to wander the lower floors…"

"Eep! I - I'm so sorry! I'll take my leave now… bye! Ichi - Hamasaki!"

Flustered, she turned and bolted toward the stairwell, likely to return to her own floor. As he had suspected, it seemed Aki had snuck down there to find him. A crash sounded from down the hall as she stumbled up the stairs. As he heard her footsteps fade away, he shook his head. This girl was going to be trouble… wonderful.

. . .

Sheets rustled quietly from within the holding cell as Ichiro carefully maneuvered the white fabric between his fingers. This would be his seventh attempt, but it seemed to be coming out nicely. Perhaps he would show it to Neo whenever he got out. She would certainly enjoy it.

He gingerly tied the final knot as the stairwell door opened, echoing through the empty dungeon. It seemed he was getting plenty of visitors today. Had she come back already?

He carefully placed his creation on his pillow as the footsteps approached his cell. They were certainly far too heavy to be Aki's, and much too slow to be Neo's. Could it be Soma perhaps? He hoped not. If he were coming to see him, that meant that their New Type had gotten into trouble again.

Surprisingly, none of his guesses had been correct. As a head of blonde hair appeared outside of the bars, Ichiro raised a curious eyebrow. What in the world was he doing here?

"Gunter."

"Evening, Hamasaki. I take it you're faring well."

"Just passing the time."

"I can see that."

Gunter smirked, eyeing the bedsheet swan sitting beside him. Drifting his gaze to the God Eater-turned-craftsman, he noticed that his expression had shifted slightly. There was irritation hidden beneath his pleasant smile. There was only one reason Ichiro could think of that he of all people would come to visit him. Always the charmer, he had a way of coercing others into following his lead. But he wasn't fooled by his façade. He was after something.

"What is it that you want, Gunter?"

"Just came to chat."

Doubtful.

"That so?"

"I'm surprised, I figured a guy like you would have plenty of visitors to keep him occupied."

"I do. Now kindly get to the point."

"…Neo."

Of course…

"What about her?"

"She yours?"

"Neo belongs to no one."

"I take it that means you're not together then?"

If only.

"Not at all."

"So you wouldn't care if I took her out, right?"

Wouldn't recommend it.

"Knock yourself out."

"Fantastic. I most certainly will."

With that attitude, she's bound to do it for you.

His question answered, he turned to take his leave. Pausing, he looked back at the bird sitting carefully on his pillow. It certainly wasn't something that he would have expected from someone as imposing as himself. Perhaps that was why women enjoyed his company so much?

"Interesting hobby. Get the lady's attention with that stuff?"

"From the one that matters."

Gunter smirked, leaving Hamasaki in the cell to his folding. Either he genuinely didn't care what Neo got up to or he was cocky to fault, and his money was on the latter. He had seen the look in his eyes when he mentioned the New Type. He saw the brief moment of agitation as he voiced his interest. She definitely wasn't his… but he wanted her to be. He didn't know why he hadn't, but that didn't matter to him. His indecision would soon be his loss.

As the stairwell door swung closed, Ichiro laughed quietly in his cell. Gunter had no idea.