[Co-Author: Butterfly123199]

Context: The sewers were drained, an excavation dig has exploded in volcanic glory, and bruises were made - Trinny finally gets to something crucial in their off-time...

With all of today's missions out of the way, the others were sound asleep. They were all back at the UG as usual, all but one were currently resting as the midnight sky swallowed the daylight. There was a quiet sliding of a box being hissed ever so slightly, Trinny yawning a little. They opened the lid and decided to dive right into whichever worn book they got their hands on first.

It was so worn from being used and through time, that Trinny was almost scared of ripping a few pages off accidentally from the spine. He had delicately handled it with that in mind and opened it with a massively curious interest. The old aged pages gave him a slight sense of nostalgia, remembering his own collection of few priceless little pieces that had paper colored just like it.

Their eyes scanned for anything, all the books were mighty important, but there's so much he could take in all at once. He eyed for one, opening it (carefully), and began reading one about 'Eco' first.

'Light, light...' Trinny thought mindlessly, yet continued to read it slowly.

There were many scribbles and writings, some in Precursor language interestingly enough. It wasn't anything new for them, seeing that old woman Onin would be smiling about this thanks to her. She probably was. The book was laced with mysteries and goals, some accomplished and discovered, most undiscovered and left to just be goals. The knowledge within the book was unlike any Trinity had seen before. It made him wonder what else a simple man like Okasan knew.

The girl laying beside him squirmed, hugging the pillow tighter. The whole team had such a long day, it wasn't surprising that they were all sleeping. Well, all except two.

Trinity was a little too immersed into the journal itself regardless, searching for something. Something about Okasan reminded him of legends about reading up on Mar himself, the real stories of Mar.

The first few pages were; "My discoveries on Light eco have been successful so to say."

Those pages are what caught the ex soldier's attention too quickly.

'It still exists?'

He didn't know whether it was himself or Nyx who even said it, or if the heart rate spiked up because of one another. Nonetheless, this prompted them to read faster. For a moment it sounded a little 'too good to be true' just by merely looking upon old writings...but there's something that not many knew, something other than the fact that they strongly believe that it's real.

'Where could I find it?' They uttered out within their thoughts swiftly.

Trinny's eyes, hungry for knowledge, soon came to an abrupt stop. His heart dropped noticing the next few bits of scribbles was something otherworldly - it wasn't in any other language they had seen before.

'Of course...'

None of the symbols his brain and memory thought of were anywhere near being similar to the strange symbols he has seen there. But then again, for someone to have found the very same eco told in myths were not to be discovered so easily.

His ear twitched upon sounds of someone rustling in their bed, he steadily closed the old journal and tucked them away quickly, without a sound. There was no use for now, the night was still fresh.

Unfortunately, as they were laying back on the bed, they had thought about something.

Something - that they had feared, which was about the memories Elise was somehow seeing.

They couldn't help but overthink to the point where they had considered closing their eyes.

Just for a little bit...

The room was silent, and they managed to get some sleep for a few hours, but unfortunately, one of them couldn't.

Elise began tossing and turning, her knees tucked to her chest. Sweat ran down her forehead and chest but the room around them was cold. She groaned.. then suddenly sprung up, a fearful "No!" Escaping from her.

She panted heavily, flinching and letting out a yelp from the pain her bruise caused.

They weren't sure if it was the pendant making their insides gurgle around with a horrible inkling of a feeling, or the sudden noise. Because they jolted awake slightly, eyes wide open. They were a little stiff from that abrupt alarm. They were blinking a few times to get the sleepy bleariness out of the way, still staring at the same boring and dull concrete wall ahead of them. As always when sleeping on their side (they could still feel the soreness in their torso).

"Hgn?" They grumbled and bolted upright in a little fright. Without even realizing they looked to where their hand was-

-Elise turned her head in a neck breaking speed at the reaction, she saw the blade hum excitedly. The violent hue cackling quietly upon the corrupted, metallic surface of the dagger her partner was holding.

Trinny could hear his own quickened breathing that he hated, that made his mask all the more uncomfortable to wear even.

Elise then shot her eyes from the dagger to his own- they were something else again. Elise felt her stomach twist in fear, letting out slight breaths. "Nyx.. it's me..." She whispered hesitantly, not daring to make sudden movements. She knew neither of them meant it, but that didn't mean it wasn't scary as hell.

"Wh- wait no I'm just - surprised." He blinked and they returned back to normal, just like that. Trinny quickly sheathed the dagger, and let out a breath of relief. "Good grief I thought we got ambushed..."

He looked around regardless, suddenly remembering that he was burying his face in the journals and resting his eyes before accidentally falling asleep.

With breathless huffs and brushed her short hair back. It was getting a bit longer, but she still hated how short it was. "I'm sorry I woke you..." She flinched as she sat up. "Precursors..." She cursed under her breath. Everything felt sore from the extensive movements.

She looked at the bundles of journals and papers scattered around. "Don't you ever get tired of working?" She asked, crossing her legs.

Yet again, she had stolen clothes from the boys. Mostly Trinity this time. The only thing she had from Jak was a hair tie he kept. She had stolen some random shirt and shorts she knew Trinity never used.

She scooted closer to him with small flinches and hugged her knees to her chest. "Watcha read so far? He mention anything about Mama?" For a moment... she looked like a little kid. Her brown eyes shone with interest and slight excitement.

"I haven't gotten to read much honestly, I kinda just quickread a few here and there. I, uh, fell asleep." He yawned and stretched, only to grimace in pain from his injury.

'OHOHOH I SO hate this! That's your own doing, you ass!' He crossed his arms, closing his eyes for a small moment, and gritting his teeth.

He grunted and organized the papers, placing them carefully back into the box. Even with all the short ruckus, the duo over at the otherside were deep asleep. It seems they had woken up a little too early.

"Ooo you said a bad word." She grinned and nudged his shoulder with her own. "Gotta put a dollar in the swear jar."

His eye twitched, "I would've been richer than any mobster and baron combined if we had a swear jar for ya, honestly."

He stood up and rolled his shoulders, picking up the Stradivar this time for whatever mini-road trip he's about to do it seems.

Her grin faltered and a blush grew. "Hey! This ain't about me!" She grumbled. She watched him and stood to her feet. "Now I'm gonna pester ya wherever you go!" She wrinkled her nose.

'Okay then!' The masked soldier rolled his eyes, 'Nyx, I swear.'

He had exited out of the UG.

It didn't take long before the small girl was tailing behind him in her own clothes this time. "Are you really okay with me tagging along?" She raised an eyebrow. "You two seem agitated."

'Wish I could talk to Dawn and Beth like you do Nyx..' She thought to herself.

Trinity couldn't help but clear his throat at that. "It's fine, I'm just going to speak to Onin and maybe the Oracle."

'I mean there's no point hiding that other fact. And honestly sometimes Trin and I, er, don't get along very well.' He started up the zoomer and waited for Elise to hop in.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Onin could help you about them."

'She's always...'

"Smiling." Trinity finished for Nyx, he genuinely grinned at that.

"You may not get along well but you're part of each other..." She carefully got into the zoomer, a flinch coming her way when she sat down. "It's like having a sibling." She chuckled.

"And.. I wouldn't want to worry Onin about the girls..." she rested her head in her hand. "They'll be back.."

He smiled at those words. 'If a sibling was the kind to be overly obnoxious- hey! And even more scarier of a prankster than me, than yeah pretty much. Wow Trinny.' He chuckled Trin feeling the violet but playful urge that Nyx wanted to punch him in the gut herself.

He gave another yawn, getting past the dreary setting of the cityscape, and making their way into the nicer part of Haven. In its own, unique way. Being so early in the wee hours of morning, there were actually less patrols to worry about. Most KGs were probably dozing off (alongside remembering the frustration of keeping his own squadron in line).

Trin poked his head into the tent, moving the draping cloth, then soon entering. Elise followed close behind, ending up standing by his side as she eyed random things scattered throughout Onin's hut. There was a peculiar scroll hanging near them in ancient Precurian.

"Mornin'." Trin gave a small wave, Onin seemingly enjoying herself making mystical gestures in return.

The moncaw ruffled his feathers, spouting off casually. "Ah, welcome back Nyx. Onin greets you again, how does it feel after sleeping for so long?" He squawked.

Trinny's eyes wandered off to the side a bit, scratching their head. "Like I've gotten rusty." Pecker flew to his shoulder, making the masked man turn his head, Elise noticing they were glinting gold. "What, bird? Were you savin' an entire list of insults like ya said before?"

The blind soothsayer laughed lightly.

"Squawwk! Careful mascara! Your Nyx is showing, humph, put a leash on her!" He flew away just as Trinny almost grabbed his tail, but ultimately ended up plucking a few of his feathers.

"I don't think I need to." He smirked.

Regardless of wanting to roast the parrot-monkey hybrid, Trinny gave a curt bow, a smile painted on their lips. "It's been a while."

Trinny saw the gestures and signs Pecker used, Onin shook her head as if her bird companion hadn't learned a thing and was chuckling. Because within the next moment, Trin had him in an iron grip with a dangerously playful smirk. The marigold irises made it seem more chilling.

"What was that about us and our 'inadequate intelligence', bird brain?" Trinny narrowed their eyes, bringing the parrot-like creature up to eye level. "I can read that, you know. Elise, wanna put him in a present box- "

He cawed, "Awwrk! No! Not like that idiota ottsel, not in there!"

Even Onin didn't need to express her disappointment to Pecker and merely just crossed her arms and shook her head.

"If only I had a box." Elise chuckled lowly and rolled her eyes. She mostly kept behind Trinity, she didn't really have much to say. She was hardly comfortable there at all if she was honest.

They threw the bird and he caught himself in midair, sticking his tongue out, then landing on top of Onin's head where he usually was perched. Onin made a few signs with her hand, they read it and put their hand on the pendant. "I'll keep it safe."

"Awrk! Why are you here anyway?"

"What's wrong with paying a visit after so long, mm? Unless, El, you need anythin' you wanna ask?" Trinny glanced over their shoulder.

Elise glanced at Trinity, her tired eyes glossed with a bit of annoyance for the bird. "Yeah." She stepped forward a bit, "How did you know my father?" She asked softly.

'I guess we ultimately had the same question...'

Onin proceeded to wave her hands and sign. The idiot bird perched onto her shoulder and opened his mouth to speak.

"Shut up, I know what she's saying..." Elise mumbled (to Trinity's slight surprise.)

It was an understatement to say her heart sank at what the elder woman signed out.

"Which father are you talking about, Elise?"

Elise looked back at Trinity a bit too quickly for comfort.

Trinny had their brows raised, glancing at El. "I assume she means Okasan, Onin." They said kindly. "I was honestly gonna ask about the whole prototype Precurian stuff mentioned in the journal..." They mumbled.

"What a peaceful man he is - always curious, and mysterious."

'She said Is...'

Elise suddenly felt very overwhelmed. She looked back at them, then back to Onin.

"Those are from his discoveries. Such a smart man he is. Though I assume you've run into an issue when reading, is that correct, Nyx? Almost as if it were another language? An unknown one?"

"U- uh, yes. I really shouldn't be surprised you'd know." They scratched at the back of their head, slightly embarrassed. They then slowly took El's hand upon noticing an internal conflict happening. 'You okay?' They asked.

'No..'

When they took a hold of her hand, she practically squeezed it as if it were a stress toy. She sighed through her nose and listened to the woman's words.

They sighed, continuing. "Tried looking for Light Eco in one of them, you already know the rest... But I think I'd rather like to know how you got to know Okasan." They hummed thoughtfully. 'Was there somethin' he needed to find - so you told him?' They didn't bother to ask that aloud though, since they wanted this conversation with El. Who seemed to be trying to hold it together.

"He came to me looking for answers. I gave him answers, and a friendship blossomed." She suddenly grinned very playfully. "And between us, he was quite the looker."

Elise wrinkled her nose, "Eughhhh.. gross.." She shook her head.

"He was always so adventurous. Like you three. Always wondering if there was so much more to discover."

"Now you're just flirting indirectly." Elise jokes... hoping she was wrong.

"What? Trin and Nyx have you, can't I boast about a good look-"

"Changing the subject!" Elise squeaked. "Why was he so obsessed with Eco..?"

This time, Onin grew more serious. She 'looked' directly at Trinity. "Because he knew about the future. Trinity. Nyx. Moria. Jak. And You, Elise. He knew you would be the last Eco channelers. There will be none after you all."

Trinny then narrowed their golden gleaming eyes, there was no sense of malice, but rather something else. Something only Onin and Pecker knew of, to Elise however, she could only sense the heavy weight in the air. "Of the future... You told him about me, didn't you?"

Onin gave a hum, she was no longer smiling. There was no answer to it, but Trinny didn't mind that. 'Obsession with eco, the future, us... sounds a little too familiar.'

"Mm. Never mind, sorry Onin."

They gave another bow and headed out.

"I'll be outside, Elise, unless you want to take our leave let me know."

Outside he was greeted with the colorless skies, in the distance and around the corners of the Bazaar, there were only very few people still setting up their stands.

In the hut, Pecker clicked his tongue. "Ah, mascara..." Onin gave a sad frown for him.

Elise waited a long while, making sure Trinity had left before she stared at Onin. "Did he mean it..?"

Both Pecker and the old woman raised their eyebrows in question.

"..."

She swallowed thickly. "When he said he loved me..."

Onin didn't have to make symbols or signs with a question like that. She only gave a somewhat sorrowful smile, but it was a genuine one.

She nodded without hesitation.

'Yes.'

The small nod was all she needed to feel relief wash through her entire body. She chuckled and almost teared up. "Thank you for everything.. I'll come back on my own time." She waves goodbye and steps out.

She shivered at the cold air and held her arms. "Shoulda brought a sweater.." she mumbled. Then again, she never wore anything heavier than her tank top. She looked around for the 'siblings'.

'Got what you were asking for?'

They were sitting on the front of the Zoomer, 'Mhm, kinda curious about his inventions. Other than that, how ya feelin'?'

The eyes remained different, but there was that deadpan voice of Trinity still when they spoke aloud. "Least you have great parents." He sighed looking off into the sky. "I... don't remember mine honestly."

They hopped off the front end and jumped into the vehicle itself.

"Well..." she climbed in beside him. "You've got Jak and I..." She smiled. "Nyxie, Tess.. Torn and Ash." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "We're a crazy bunch.. and we're a little rabid."

'Very rabid.'

"But we're your family... and Dawn and Beth would agree too."

They put them on the wheel, Trinny grinned. "One very insane and lovely group." They turned the Zoomer on, "Anyway, got a destination in mind?"

"Dead town." She said rather sternly. "If you wanna know more about Okasan, you've gotta see his place.. you'd make more sense of it than I could."

Trinny hummed and they went off to the muddy, murky place of what was once part of the city. The sky lit orange, Dawn was sitting on the horizon by the time they arrived and got past the airlocks. The Baron had once complained and mentioned about someone illegally using the gates within a broadcast, but they remained unguarded ironically.

Trinny sighed, eyeing the crumbled concrete towers lying in rubble. The sun's rays dance around it and through the gray heavy clouds. 'The more time goes on the more I'm starting to forget how it looked.'

He mumbled, his mind wandering. "It's as if I can almost recall."

'But not quite...like a mist.'

Elise, having been within Trinity's deepest part of his mindscape, could actually see it. What they meant.

"Mm..."

Noticing his sudden change, She hummed in thought.

'You two alright?'

'Hah, no.' Trinity kicked over the rocks, strolling by the houses half sunken in the gurgling mud and bog. As they watched the muddy liquid bubble, they could still imagine the faces of people that once lived here.

Now lying in the dirt.

'This place gives me a headache sometimes, in all honesty. It reminds me of something but...'

'But what?'

They watched the Znorkletooths and Glubs shiver in their dark holes, many half asleep, others shivering in fear. Mostly from their eyes.

'My amnesia... I have it, Trin, has it. Due to the experiments. But it got worse down the road.' A harsh tone in their mind grumbled. 'All the memories start mixing up. Maybe replacing others, or maybe, I don't know.' Then they took a deep breath. 'It's something I've been thinking about for a long while.' Trinny bit their bottom lip. 'Don't quite know which memories are mine.'

Then he chuckled, saying aloud: "Maybe that's why my dreams are a little messy too. It's not because of the pendant or you, I'm sorry about that."

"You've both experienced different lives..." She reached out and held their hand as they walked. Mostly for her own sake. But she knew it would comfort them as well. "I think you should learn more from each other... Dawn and Beth had their own lives too y'know.." She smiled though. "Beth was a mother... guess that's where her instincts kick in, huh?"

Trinny lightly laughed at that, smiling a bit. "Do you see their memories and dreams?" They asked with curiosity, examining the dilapidated buildings. "Both me and Nyx were in the KG, and the rest is pretty much the DWP stuff. I've mistaken some things that aren't mine, it doesn't mean I haven't tried knowing her." They walked over bits of debris, making their way into the other parts of this place. "A mother... I don't know who's, but they braided our hair all the time. I don't remember what she looked like but she was always brushing and messing with it." They reminiscence. "Anyway, where is it?"

"Both in the KG, hm?" She swung their hands as they walked. "It should be just a little bit further." She hummed. "So.. Nyxie was your boss?" She joked and bumped her hip against his. She just desperately wanted to lighten the mood.

Trinity blinked in comedic realization, Nyx in their head laughed. 'Technically, yes!'

"Mm." Trinity grumbled, "You're giving her bragging rights..."

"Ha! That's my girl!" Elise squeezed their hands tightly. "All is forgiven for making me fall on my ass, Nyxie. But don't tempt me again. Just a couple more houses.."

'I am beginning to regret this- oh shush, Trinny.' He held back a sigh, while Nyx's laughter was howling and echoing in his head.

"Hey. I warned you when you met me." She winked at him. "Now I can't tell if it was you or Nyxie who convinced one another to keep me around."

'Either way, I love you both... Nyxie a bit more.'

They made their way over, there were no signs of Metalheads around, and most of the other enemies stayed away because of the predatory look of Trinny's eyes alone.

Elise stopped in front of a very large and decrepit home. It was in shambles and looked more than destroyed. She let go of their hand and stepped forward.

'My old home...'

Home.

It was a deep word that had struck sharp and true within all of them. Trinity himself could feel a sense of longing inside him, a heavy weight on his mind and heart. To which it only intensified thanks to the whole Dark Eco circumstance. Both Nyx and Trin had a burdensome hush, silence filling around them. An undeniable sense of guilt gurgled within the pits of their stomach, knowing what Jak and Dax had to deal with when they realized this was also their home.

To many, Dead Town is an ugly stain of the past. People could only imagine the horrors and give sympathy to such a thing. But for those who actually had a home once...

It meant a lot.

The friends, the neighbors, even down to the sight of beaches in the sunset they didn't realize they'd miss until it's all gone. Then there's one other thing - the families. Losing someone is something one cannot simply overcome the sorrows over, it comes back, and it never leaves. They knew it well and they knew the most they could do is live on for others sake. As well as their own.

Trin followed right by Elise's side, knowing how it feels. They weren't quite sure what to say in something like this. So they stood by her side and gazed at the sad scenery before them.

"Follow me.." She mumbled softly.

It was clear the pain they all felt, wandering their old home. Elise almost heard whispered apologies from the girls in her mind she once thought were lost. But there was a third voice.

"Be careful going up the stairs." She said and looped her arms over the stair banister and pulled herself up rather than taking the stairs. "First room to the left!"

Trinity readied their dagger, fierce yellow eyes wide and cautious.

The room around them seemed to be cluttered with burned papers, old broken ink vials and some old vintage looking shelves and feather quills. Elise looked around, her worries vanishing into sorrow yet again.

"He used to spend weeks here..." She chuckled softly and brushed her fingers over an old and very dusty desk. "I'd come in and bug him.. till he agreed to take a break.."

She motioned to a bin. "You should be able to find more of his journals there. Maybe even some old blueprints. I don't remember much.. but we can look around."

There was no point in stopping after being led so far into this place already, he nodded, examining the place. 'God, this reminds me of Trin- is that how you see it?' He raised his eyebrow, going around, and kneeling down.

They noticed a peculiar set of thick, dusty papers buried under some abandoned junk. Trinny rummaged around and blew a cloud of debris away, "Ack- " They coughed a bit. "I think I found somethin' here, mm?"

"What's it look like?" Elise stood up and walked to their side. She brushed off dust from the old blueprints, coughing a bit.

She paled.

"Oh.. oh no..."

The title of the specific blueprint was 'For My Little Queen.'

'This - what I think it is?' Trinny fanned them out and what they saw...

Twip!

"N-Nothing!" She hissed. Her face was a wild red. She hadn't looked that embarrassed since they made fun of her tutu.

The yellow eyes narrowed, making Elise give a weary look and backed off instinctively. A tiny giggle reverberated under the crimson mask, making El's heart drop slightly. "Oh, it's somethin' - now GIVE!- " Nyx went for it!

"nO NYXIE PLEASE—"

CRASH!

"NYX!"

BANG!

Elise would've laughed for Trinity's rare giggle, but in the spur of the moment and in a flustered whirlwind of emotions, it all happened in a blink of a second!

"OW!"

Trinny basically faceplanted into the corner, 'Urghh...I HATE you, Nyx...'

"Trinny!" She gasped and sprawled up from the floor to check on him. "Are you- Oh no. Precursors, damnit!" She looked up. "You're just screwing with me now, huh?"

"How..." He uttered feebly from under the floor, his mask face down and sounded horribly muffled. "Bad is it...?"

She glanced and flinched at the sight. "Ah - define bad..." She sat him up properly. "Blame Nyx-"

"Already...AM." He sounded so pissed, Elise could imagine steam coming out of both his ears. Trin could swear he felt something on top of his head, even his goggles fell off. He didn't need to touch the top when he saw Elise's face. "I'm bleeding aren't I?"

"...Yeah." She wrinkled her nose. "It's not much, though."

She looked down at the object that had fallen on him.

"...I hate you." She grumbled under her breath towards her father.

"Mm. Shoes?" He grabbed his goggles and placed it right under his throbbing spot on his head instead to hide it. 'They seem kinda nice.'

"They are NOT!" Elise snatched them away and tried to hide them with her tiny body. "Don't loooook!" She hissed.

"I don't see anything wrong with them." He wanted to massage his head, while looking at the special footwear Elise is so desperately hiding for some odd reason to them.

"There's EVERYTHING wrong with it!" She flushed darker and hid them more. "He's even embarrassing me when he isn't here." She growled lowly.

He sighed, but then the girl inside of his mind thought it was funny to say something: 'Not as bad as when we dressed as- '

"- NO!"

He stood straight up, letting the bits of dirt and pieces on him scatter to the floor, eyes wide, and ears shooting upward!

Trin then began to turn on his heel and paced around, "I cannot BELIEVE you woman!"

'It's Nyx!'

"No, I do not find this amusing!"

"Wait wha? Dressed up as what?" She was suddenly a little too curious.

'Tell ya what, tell us about those shoes and we'll maybe- No, Nyx!' His ears were turning red.

"I despise you sometimes." She groaned and shoved the shoes forward.

They were a pair of pointe shoes, ones that could immediately be recognized to be for a ballerina or gymnast.

'Oh they're pretty! Trinny- fine.' He crossed his arms together, eyes closed, and face scrunched up in an embarrassing ball of anger. 'You think going on dates is bad, could you imagine this guy?'

"Oh, get on with it."

'Say it!'

"And this is why I despise her." Then he blurted out, "I had to put on a dress a few times! Wh- " He began to pull his ears downwards and paced around, making a hilarious display. All the tough exterior look was just gone at this point. "NYX YOU ASSHOLE!"

For all Elise knew, it sounded so ridiculous that Nyx could've easily lied. But based on Trin's horrible panicking and Nyx's howling bag of laughter, there was no way. Elise was in such a sudden shock, it took her a long while to finally process what Nyx had said. She snickered before busting into a hysterical fit of laughter.

"Y-You WHAT?!" She wheezed. She fell on her butt again. But she was too damn hysteric to even realize the pain running through her body. Even sooner than they thought, tears were streaming from her cheeks. "I'm gonna pee!"

"Oh, I hate you both!"

"Y-You love us!" She snickered and wiped her eyes. She laid flat on the floor, her wide smile not leaving. "Oh man I haven't laughed like that in years.. I bet you'd make a pretty girl."

"Oh?! You wanna start?!" He stomped, eyes still yellow, ears red, and Nyx laughing in their minds.

"Yeah I wanna start, you big baby!" Elise grinned devilishly wide. "What? You're gonna paint my nails pretty wike yours?" She put on a baby voice.

He gritted his teeth, picking up the shoes. "First this falls on me, now this. Why are you so embarrassed by these anyway?!"

She paused and quickly rushed to snatch them away. "Nothing!" She hissed. "I showed them to you now give!"

Trinny merely turned and sidestepped, making Elise trip herself but she caught herself quickly! "Nothing?" Looking at the fingers turning white, not because of any Dark Eco, she realized he had an iron grip on them. 'Oh Trinny, you're so mean turning the tables like that- you, shut up, I swear.'

"Nothing!" She snapped. "Just give me them, you big baby!" She attempted to jump for them. "You know I'm short you ass!"

There was a mischievous glint in those eyes of his, "It's definitely somethin'!"

'Both of you are like children.' Trin sighed in his thoughts.

"Maybe I could go...in detail about the dress-ups in exchange?"

'Oh, no you don't!' This prompted Trinny to accidentally have the shoes slip in that split second!

She felt the shoes slip from his hands while she was tugging and yipped, flipping back over the old desk!

"AH!"

CRASH!

"Ugh, I'm getting a headache again." He rubbed his own head, blinking and deciding to pick up the blueprints and books laying about. He mumbled and grumbled about 'dumb dresses, horrendous heels, and maddening makeovers'. "I'm just about done with you Nyx - hey, is Dawn or Beth by any chance like this? Be brutally honest."

"I think my spine snapped." She groaned in agony and wiggled out from the rubble. "Beth and Dawn are worse." She growled. "The two never stop bickering, always wanting to be right and blah blah blah." She rubbed her lower back again, the shoes tight in her other arm's grasp.

Trinny tucked only a few of the books into his back pouch, glancing at the blueprints one of which was the same one Elise tried to snatch away. Picking out the other ones, he noticed it was the same pointe shoes with an impressive amount of detail written into its interior design. 'Hmmm she did need some way to get around when we used JET Boards...' He looked at the other aged prints, "That's a ton of prototypes, you sure you don't want one of them made or refined?"

Trinny already had a bit of brainstorming brewing in their head, something that he found a little giddy on.

The little birdie made his mind click, 'She taught you how to dance, didn't she?' He hummed thoughtfully on a tiny realization dawning on him. 'Explains it.'

"I don't even know what HALF of those things are." Elise huffed. And groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, yes you've figured it out." She grumbled angrily. "Just. Ugh..." she covered her face with her hands to hide her blush.

Nyx chuckled, soft words coming through Trinity's lips, as their brilliant irises looked to the side. "We both find it amazing honestly, dancing and singing, we never had a chance to do those before you came around."

Trinity tried to reminisce about old memories, despite being uncertain which of them was his. Within that brief moment of a pause, his lips were a thin line. 'I wonder if... Yes, I know she can hear us, it's a little stupid, but - you wonder if she wanted to be a princess like you as a kid?'

Elise stared down at the shoes, broken and hurtful memories in her mind. "That was a very long time ago, Trinny." She held the shoes out to him. "As much as I wish I was.. I'm not a little girl anymore."

She saw the gloved hand was placed upon the footwear that sat in front of her idly, he chuckled. "Don't you ever want to dance again though?" Judging by his tone, they were definitely cooking up a concoction of a mad plan somewhere in there.

That tone was all she needed to give them a stern stare. "What are you planning? That's your evil plan tone." She scolded and crossed her arms.

'Really, you're asking the man who researched heavily on all kinds of crazy things what he's planning? He literally sat on his own desk and computers for days- No one needs to know about that.' He carefully folded the blueprints and tucked them away, the shoes however, he tapped on them with his index finger. "Point is, and with a little help, I may be able to get some of these together working and have it be actually useful for some things."

"Whatever you think is best." She raised an eyebrow curiously, but decided against questioning any further. They were a strange two, no need in questioning them... anymore. "Got what you were looking for?"

"That and a bloodied head or couple of bruises over this? Yeah." Nyx cackled.

They had exited out, one of their Communicators zipped out to life in a mild surprise.

Brutter (Communicator): ["I hears you look for a piece of Mar's shiny seal; Brutter loves shiny bright things too! I have piece I thinks, it in Water Slums hanging over me hut, and you free to have, gift from Brutter!"]

"Onwards, I guess?" Trin stated as soon as their message finished.

"Just us three?" Elise raised an eyebrow. "That's the first time you didn't want Jak to tag along."

He shrugged, "We didn't say he wasn't, he probably got called in too. Now c'mon, I'll have these stored somewhere else and get them later after this mission." Then he quickly added before she said something, "Don't worry, the Oracle's place will protect them. Mmm... Perhaps they have a better chance of helping Dawn and Beth out as well."

"I doubt it." She mumbled to herself and followed close behind him.

JV007 A/N: The chaos that Nyx is ever since the pendant- could you imagine if there was no pendant? HAHAHA- Oh oh man, so much little info dropped here. Though, I do imagine everyone being thrown off by how weird Trin is sometimes. Trinity being obsessed with eco so much and all this shtuff really does remind me of Okasan, and mind you, my OC Trin was like that ever since the beginning before I even met Butterfly!

This was like- written together with my partner back in April 2021 thereabouts, life's been pretty busy huh?