Passing of Time

Afternoon-Early Evening: March 1, 2190 AI

Two days later, Virginia was starting to feel more like her old self. She was trying to find new ways to keep busy, since there was again no one to play with. Most of the time one might find her back in the specimen chamber, talking with Adam, although he couldn't talk back to her. It was just a comfort to share her feelings with him, to spend time with him. One day, he would wake up, and then they would really talk.

Adam looked more like Jet every day, his hair was growing in silver, and his body was filling out to be a short but somewhat stocky form. His chest was beginning to look like he had six pack abs, and they weren't small either. It was enough to make any rabid teenage flirt fall in love right on the spot. Not that it would effect Virginia, she was only seven after all. But it did make her feel as if her friend would be there for her soon. Although her father and Elliot had both said it would be at least six months, maybe several years.

The years part had come quite suddenly, Elliot and Werner had begun to think about the seven year age difference between both of them. It might not be as fun if they were so far apart in age, even though she had gotten along well enough with Jet. The fourth of March had been set for a very important discussion on Yggdrasil, they would bring up the issue then. Maybe, by restricting the energy flow to the capsule or by using the less powerful instruments at Leyline Observatory, they could make it so he would be born when the girl was around thirteen years old. Then, they'd only have two years in between their physical ages.

Virginia was sitting in the chamber that morning, bouncing a little ball she kept in her pocket. It would fall to the ground, go back up in the air, and then she'd catch it and start again. "And that's what my daddy and Uncle Elliot are thinking of. I know you must be eager to be born, but please be patient. I know they are doing it in our best interests, they want the both of us to be happy. After all, why would you want a little kid to be the one hanging around you every day? I wouldn't mind waiting, you'd still become my friend."

"Thinking about it again?" asked Elliot, who had come in to check on the sample, "You're a really sweet girl, Virginia. I can see why my son wanted to be your friend, and was protecting you from Leehalt the other day. Hey, do you know if your father brought wine in with him when he arrived? I'm all out of my stash, and I know he doesn't drink. But he does buy me some once in awhile, and he's the only one with the Teleport Orb. So he's the one who goes to buy the wine if we run out. Now that it's broken, we can't go to the store. I'm in serious need of a drink." For Elliot had begun to drink very heavily after Jet died, and was now dry after two days of constant drinking. Ok, more like one and a half, he wasn't insensitive enough to go to his own son's funeral punch drunk, he owed that much to Jet. Virginia shook her head to tell him she didn't know if her father had any. Elliot sighed, this would be a long rest of the week without his drinks.

"Don't worry, when Daddy's Teleport Orb is all better, I'm sure he'll buy you some wine to make you feel better. I wish there was something I could do, but I don't have the ability to teleport anywhere," she told him. In fact, the ability to teleport had been lost a thousand years ago, once the Shaman's had been routed until they were nearly an extinct tribe. The survivors created Teleport and Exodus Orbs, because they felt they had to change their Crest Board setup in order to survive in a world where they were unwelcomed. So they left behind the way they'd designed boards in the past, with one for attack spells and one for defensive spells, and combined them into one board. Many of the spells they didn't use much were forgotten about, and teleportation was, as I said before, placed into orbs. They'd thought to keep that power, but maximize the magic they could use in their changed boards. By hiding extras, even non-Shamans could travel from place to place instantly. But no one had ever thought that something like this would ever happen to anyone.

Elliot continued to check around, and eventually left. Virginia took out her lunch, and began to eat the sandwich her father had made for her. Mmmmmmmmmmm. . .peanut butter and strawberry jelly, the favorite of many young children. The girl looked towards the specimen chamber, and did a double take. It appeared as if Adam had opened his violet eyes to look upon her. But when she turned again, they were closed. Virginia thought it was just a figment of her imagination, after all, she was impatient for his birth.

* * *

That evening, after dinner, Leehalt came storming into the room, looking for Werner. Virginia, who was still a little wary of the man after what happened two days ago, ran into the sleeping chamber. Werner came out to meet him, and asked, "What do you want now Leehalt? The last time you visited me in my own quarters, you wanted me to duel you outside of the lab, hoping to beat me and humiliate me in front of Ekatrina, because you'd sent a fake note typed on laboratory stationary to say I wanted her to visit me at the lab on my brake time. I know you all too well, this isn't just a pleasure visit you've come to give me."

Leehalt looked at Werner. "For once, I have no intention of harming you. But I want you to think about what we're getting into by releasing such a creature into the world. What if he's too unstable, if we are unable to control him? Will he go on an insane killing rampage? After all, you and Elliot, in your infinite wisdom, are bestowing him with an ARM, one created from the very Guardian Blade that legends say was able to ravage the planet when it was invoked in the wrong way. Imagine what he can do with that power."

"I'm not listening to you, Leehalt," Werner stated, "Adam is a life, and thus he must be preserved. Now I've got to straighten up around here, and get Virginia to take a bath. So I would like you to leave me alone, we can discuss this later on, when I'm not such a busy man." Before Leehalt could argue, Werner pushed him out of the room, with just enough force to move but not hurt him, and locked the door behind.

"Daddy, I don't think he's going to give up, he won't leave us alone. Why is he so mean to you, is it only because you were the one that Mommy was in love with?" asked Virginia as she re-entered the room.

Werner told her, "Leehalt's always been bitter, he and I grew up together. We were the only boys in our age range in the whole town, everyone else was about two or three years older than Leehalt or younger than me. Since one year apart was the closest either of us could get, we were practically forced to hang out with each other. Our younger brothers were also good friends, being the same age and all. But Leehalt was completely spoiled, his father thought he could do no wrong. So he got whatever he wanted, and got away with most everything. That was why he always hated me, I got the better of him on many occasions, and he wanted to come out on top. Now that's it for stories about him, they'd all be too long to tell you."

The little girl nodded, and headed for the bathroom. There, she soaked herself in the hot bathtub, letting the water warm up her skin. Meanwhile, her father was sitting in the living room area, listening to Leehalt's annoying banging on the door. Eventually, the irate man gave up, and returned to his own room.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, more of Leehalt being a jerk. It's such a true characterization. The drinking thing coincides with what I've said in other stories - - most notably "The Awakening" - - where Elliot was sloshed at work after he lost his son. But since they've got no way to get Virginia home, there's also no way to go to a store besides walking through Nidhogg Pass and subtracting days off their project's finish date.