Chapter 21: Implications

It was a "sunny day" inside the recreational center's park room. The room was designed to simulate the feeling of being inside a park. It had benches, gravel paths, an artificial duck pond, grass, trees, and even artificial weather. At present it was a breezy and sunny day with high humidity. That was a sign to the park-goers that it would rain later. Chronos was there with his new friend and fellow Dezoran, Megumi. Chronos was dressed conservatively in cerulean robes, hatless, but still wearing black fingerless gloves. Megumi wore a burgundy dress, which had sleeves disconnected at the shoulders so that she wouldn't feel smothered.

"Gosh, it's hot," Chronos sighed, wiping sweat off his brow as they sat at a bench. "Eighty degrees may be nothing to everyone else, but I'm just not made for that kind of heat."

"You should come more prepared," Megumi said, revealing a fan. "Standard Dezolan clothing simply won't do in this climate. Try wearing less material and be sure that it is thin."

"I can't say that I'm quite as daring as you," Chronos smiled at her.

"Afraid to show a little skin?" Megumi teased with a small smirk, pointing to her almost bare shoulders.

"I try not to be as old fashioned as southern Dezolans," he said, "but it seems that you've outdone me. The last time I didn't wear a robe, I felt exposed wearing a sleeveless shirt."

"Coralians don't pay it much mind," Megumi said, fanning a little harder. "The body is nothing special to them, so it's not uncommon to see them half-nude. It seems as if two thirds of the women on this ship want to bare everything but their teats and flowers. And the men want nothing more than to attract attention with their tights and musculature. You, Chronos, are the minority, covering up yourself like that. That's one of the things I like about you."

"Um, thanks," Chronos said, befuddled. "It's nice to see a smile on your face, Megumi. Before that, I didn't know what to make of you. Why do beautiful people deny their own pleasant appearance?" Her eyes widened and she began to fan quicker as she blushed more and more. "You've even been hiding your distinctive eyes."

"You're beautiful, too," she said, futilely trying to hide her reddened face behind the fan.

"I've been told that many times," he said, with some embarrassment.

"I don't see what's wrong," she said, still hiding behind her fan.

"Everyone thinks I look like a woman," he laughed at himself. "I must admit that I do have some semblance to a female. I can't tell you how many times I've been mistakenly called a FOmarl."

"That's not such a bad thing," she said, smiling behind the fan. "Sure, you have a prim body, delicate manicured fingers, pretty emerald eyes, long scarlet bangs hanging over your soft beautiful face, devoid of facial hair," she continued, as he became increasingly uncomfortable.

"Megumi?" he said uncomfortably.

"My apologies," she paused. "I'm simply saying that your feminine looks are nothing to be ashamed of. It's rather uncommon for FOmars, or even Dezolan men in general, to bleed testosterone as so many others do. In fact, I prefer feminine looks to masculine looks. They are much more tasteful to me."

"I appreciate your reassurance," he said, humbled by her forwardness.

"You are very welcome," she said, standing up. "I shall see you some other time."

Chronos had walked back to his apartment by noon. When he entered, the lights did not turn on. Since there were no windows, it was completely dark inside. It didn't help when the door closed behind him.

"Sweet Great Light!" he swore when his shin hit something, as he walked through the darkness. "What's going on in here?" He made his own light with a small flame coming from his finger. He found a switch for the lights, but it didn't do anything. When he tried to turn on the HV, it did not activate either.

"Better call maintenance," he said to himself, as he set the flame to a candle, while he got his videophone. He dialed the number, and the word "unavailable" flashed on the screen.

"We're sorry," a polite female voice began. "Our maintenance staff are unavailable at this time. They are undergoing repairs, upkeep, and/or therapy for the next three days. If you have a dire emergency that must be tended to at once, please dial any number now." Chronos pressed a button.

"What is it?" said an unshaven man in a brown suit.

"The electricity is out in apartment…" Chronos began.

"That's no emergency, mack," the man interrupted. "Call me back when your heater explodes or somethin' like that. Your electricity'll be back when the Androids get back." He disconnected the line after that statement. The flame began to flicker until Chronos put a little more concentration into it. The startling ring of his phone, however, made him lose concentration, putting the flame out completely.

"Hello?" he activated the phone. It was Mina, looking down at the screen.

"Konnichiwa, Chronos," she said, smiling. "…"Why is it so dark over there?"

"There's something wrong with the electricity," he answered irritably. "And the maintenance Androids are the ones being maintained right now, so it's not going to be fixed anytime today."

"You seem to be having a nice day," she said, giggling. "Do you want me to fix your electricity?"

"You can do that?" he asked hopefully. "That would be great!"

"I'll be right over!" she winked.

Miguel and T-65 were at the mall, waiting for Anne and Galactica to finish their shopping. They had mostly been talking about their favorite alcoholic beverages, but T-65 started a new tangent.

"So, how long have you known her?" T-65 asked as they sat on a bench.

"Ever since I can remember," Miguel said matter-of-factly. "That's about eight years."

"This is pretty much the first time I've ever seen you two apart," T-65 said.

"Yeah, we hang out a lot," Miguel agreed. "You guys are the first real friends she's had besides me. It's nice to see her with that smirk."

"How'd you guys first meet?" the RAcast asked. "A hunter quest?"

"I'm not completely sure," Miguel said thoughtfully. "She found me inside some crime syndicate's warehouse on Motavia. Apparently, someone stole me before I was activated. Neither of us knows where I'm really from. I convinced her to take me with her, and here we are."

"Convinced her?" T-65 asked suspiciously.

"He nearly begged me to take him with me," Anne chuckled inside the dressing room. Galactica was inside a dressing room adjacent to hers.

"What made you take him?" Galactica asked, slinging her skirt across the door.

"She'd been through some rough experiences," Miguel explained to T-65. "And I was just the guy to give her the laughs she needed. And here I find that most Androids don't have a great sense of humor, heh heh!"

"So she just took you with her?" the RAcast asked skeptically.

"No way!" Anne said, still changing. "I agreed to get him out of there and that was it. After that, he followed me everywhere I went. And…well, he just grew on me."

"If you just found him like that," Galactica began, "why does he have a higher level than you?"

"I had to get her respect somehow," Miguel chuckled. "So, I just started training myself. I even started sharing some of her problems, pretty much protecting her whenever she needed it."

"You must really care about her," T-65 noted.

"Si, si," Anne agreed. "He already knows that I can take care of myself. But I wouldn't be the Anne you know now without him. Sometimes…I wonder… What if…"

"…we were human?" Miguel asked thoughtfully. "Hell, I'd probably fall in love with her and propose on the spot… Yeah, I know. Kinda silly."

"What?" Galactica asked, not seeing the problem. "Androids falling in love? I don't think it's impossible. Mother said that all Androids are capable of human emotion. She said that the only problem is that none of them know how to show or recognize it… She'd probably be able to help both of you," she said, stepping out of the room. She was in a grey baby tee, jean shorts, and had a small white ribbon in her hair instead of the usual headgear.

"She already mentioned something like that," Anne said, stepping out of the room. "I don't know…" She was in a bright purple and red Flamenco-like dress that almost touched the floor. She also had a pink bow on her ponytail. "… What are you staring at?"

"I never would have imagined you in clothing like that," Galactica said, astonished. "I had to remove my clothing to change."

"So did I," Anne said, pointing at her boots, gloves, and various parts of her bodysuit left inside the room as she looked in the mirror. "This is a traje de flamenco. I haven't worn one of these in years," she said, twirling around once and feeling the material. "You have an interesting look, too."

"Thank you," the RAcaseal said, impressed with herself.

"We'd better get back to the guys," Anne said, still hugging the material. "They're probably bored stiff."

"Welcome," Chronos said, opening the door.

"Hoi," Mina greeted, entering Chronos's dark home with a small, yellow supply box. She was in carpenter's overalls and a pink short-sleeved shirt. "Wow, it's pitch black in here!"

"Thank you for coming," Chronos said gratefully. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a handyman."

"Just tell me where the fuse box is," Mina said enthusiastically.

"I…can't say," Chronos said. The door closed and left them in complete darkness until he lit another flame. "I really should've invested in a flashlight at some point."

"That's okay," Mina said, turning on a flashlight. "I can trace the fuse box from any device." She walked to the HV and took out another device. She pressed it against the wall, next to the holovision. She began to follow an unseen path, leading across the wall, past a lamp, and up the wall. Then she stopped and turned around.

"Is there a problem?" Chronos asked helpfully.

"It's in the ceiling," she said, puzzled, pointing the light at a spot surrounded by ceiling lights. "Do you have a stool?"

"No, why?" he said without thinking.

"I can't reach," she stated simply, showing her limited reach. "I'm not even up to your shoulder, remember?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Chronos apologized quickly. "Use me to get a boost," he said, getting on his hands and knees. She climbed onto his back, but couldn't get the nerve to stand up.

"I can't," she said nervously, stepping down.

"What's the matter?" he asked, standing up. "You aren't heavy enough to be a burden. It's okay; I can bear it."

"It's not that," she said, rubbing her shoulder shyly. "I…um…have a problem with heights," she said meekly.

"Oh," Chronos said, understanding. "Well, that's…nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe you just need more stability than you would have teetering on my back."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, tilting her head. "Whoa!" she gasped as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her legs and hefted her up toward the ceiling.

"Is that high enough?" he joked.

"I don't know if I can do this," she worried, looking at the floor from her new height. It wasn't far at all, but to her, it seemed like she was a mile high.

"Don't worry," Chronos said reassuringly. "Just focus on the task at hand and don't look down. I've got you… Just try to be quick about it. I'm FOmar, not a HUcast."

"Okay," Mina said nervously, opening the panel. She tinkered with some of the fuses for only a second. Then, all of the electronics began to turn on.

"That was fast," Chronos said, surprised. He spoke too soon as all the light bulbs blew out and the electronics switched off.

"I can fix that," Mina reassured him. Chronos couldn't see that she was red with embarrassment.

"You seem to be quite interested in this Chronos fellow," Loris said to her sister. They were at Xi'san's home, drinking tea. Loris wore loose black silk pants and a buttoned white blouse, with a black ribbon on her collar.

"He's a modest, upstanding young man," Xi'san explained.

"I suppose that would be a change from your previous significant others," Loris replied, opening her red eyes. "Have you made any advances?"

"Not really," Xi'san said, sipping her tea and then looking down at it. "He's awfully bashful. I'm not sure how I should approach him with something like that… Why? Do you have any advice?"

"Do not seek courting tips from me, elder sister," she said, humored. "I'm the one who should be asking you for that sort of thing. You would have better luck asking Zin… He does know how to charm a man."

"I'm sure Chronos is heterosexual," Xi'san chuckled. Her black android maid walked by to refill their cups.

"Where is Nina?" Loris asked, noticing the drop in quality of tea. "This is decent, but it certainly isn't her doing."

"Yes, Fina," Xi'san said, looking at the black Android. "Where is your counterpart?"

"Um," Fina hesitated. "She's…"

"Here!" the blond Android said, rushing through the door, grabbing an apron, and running into the kitchen. The three looked towards the kitchen as they heard her shuffling through things.

"Where were you?" Xi'san questioned.

"I was out," the Android in synthetic skin said, as she stepped out of the kitchen with fresh tea. "Try this." She gave them new cups of tea.

"That's better," Loris said, sipping. Then she remembered Fina. "I meant no offense on your part, Fina. But Nina has superior culinary skills."

"Perhaps I should be of some other service," Fina said, stepping toward the piano.

"That's okay; I've got it," Nina said, quickly sitting at the piano. She instantly began playing The Flight of the Bumble Bee. Fina glared at her and walked away groaning.

"Nina has been doing this rather often, lately," Xi'san said to her sister. "Are yours acting strangely?"

"Yes, actually," Loris said, sipping tea. "The new girl, Rupika, has been making a few outbursts. They're so sporadic, it's hard to tell whether something is bothering her or she's just touched in the head." A phone began to ring. An aggravated Fina returned with the phone.

"A call for you," she said, holding it limply in front of Loris. Loris took the phone and activated its screen. There was the image of another synthetically skinned Android with blue hair, in a purple dress.

"Miss Zano?" she asked.

"Yes, Tameenda," Loris answered, familiar with her voice.

"Mr. Ace Duo is ready to meet you," she said cheerfully.

"Stall him until I arrive," Loris advised. "I don't want to have to interrupt anything. Tell the others to refuse him any service until I get there."

"That won't be easy," Tameenda giggled, hanging up.

"Our best customer," Loris explained, knowing that her sister was looking at her with a question. "We're going to negotiate an advertising contract. His connections will make Regalia known to nearly every single adult on Pioneer 2. And I'm certain Zin will appreciate the run-off advertisement for his spa." She got up with her cane and began to make her way to the door.

"Fina," Xi'san looked to the black Android. "Escort her to…"

"That won't be necessary," Loris said, confidently feeling her way to the door. "Slyphe is waiting for me."

"Are we the only people who know that you're blind?" Xi'san asked, smiling.

"Ha ha, for the most part," Loris laughed as she exited.

"So what's with the dress again?" Miguel asked Anne as the two walked down the hall to their home.

"It's one of our little traditions," Anne said, holding a bag. "We like to gather once a year and dress up." They reached their door, but stopped when they heard voices inside. "Hey, listen."

"Sounds like one of them is Chronos," Miguel said, listening through the door.

"And the other is…Mina," Anne said. "What are they talking about?" They eavesdropped on Chronos and Mina's conversation.

"Mina," they heard Chronos pant. "I'm starting to…tire out. I can't keep this up forever."

"Hold on," Mina paused. "Did you even put it in yet?"

"Yes," Chronos panted.

"It's so small," Mina said, showing some surprise. "I can barely feel it." Anne and Miguel glanced at one another and listened closer.

"I can't do anything about that now," Chronos said. "You're really wearing me out."

"Okay, you take over," Mina relented. There was a pause. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"I have… a pretty good idea," Chronos said, sounding like he was straining to do something. "It's just that…it's so tight."

"It's not as if this is the first time you've done this," Mina giggled. "Just screw it in like you would any other time… Here, let me help you." The two Androids listening in were taken aback. "Just…put your fingers in there…" she strained.

"How's this?" Chronos strained even more.

"Okay, just like that," they heard Mina say in a more satisfied voice. "You're better at this than you thought. Now, just do it harder…Harder!"

"I can't…hold out…much longer," Chronos warned

"Almost…there!" Mina strained. "That's it! Just…a little bit…more!"

"Minaaa," Chronos gave a final warning. "Ergh!"

"Aaaah!" Mina screamed.

"Wow," Miguel said, not knowing what else to say.

"Let's check it out," Anne said casually, about to open the door.

"Whoa, wait a sec!" Miguel said, stopping her. "I don't think we should just walk in on them. You've seen the nature shows before. 'During mating season, pairs of animals often become extremely territorial. Interlopers are almost always met with a viciousness never seen before in…'"

"It's not Spring, Mig," Anne said, amused. "And they're not Newmans. I just want to see the look on their faces when we catch them in the act."

"It's not like a porno," Miguel said, waving his finger. "You can't just walk in and laugh at 'em… Let's come back later and rub it in Chronos's face."

"So, what now?" Anne said, since nothing could be heard inside.

"I'll treat you to something special," Miguel said warmly. "A deluxe treatment at the Jutto Spa."

"They serve Androids?" Anne asked with intrigue.

"Well it is run by a Dezoran," Miguel nodded.

"Sometimes, you can be a great guy." She quickly rushed out, with Miguel in tow.

"Mina, are you okay?" Chronos worriedly asked the woman on top of him. She had been clinging to him, ever since his arms gave out and he dropped her. They had managed to get the electricity back on and fix the damaged lights.

"I…I think I'm okay," she said tensely, still gripping his robes as she slowly sat up.

"I'm so sorry for dropping you like that," he apologized, feeling her face for bruises.

"It's okay," she said, reddening. "You broke my fall."

"Wait!" he said, instantly sitting up and rubbing her forehead. "What's this?"

"Oh, that's my crest," she said, feeling the spot. "I've had that ever since I was a child."

"I've never noticed that before," Chronos asked suspiciously. The crest looked like a jagged, turquoise, upside-down crescent moon with a blue dagger-like marking going through the middle.

"It's usually hidden under my bangs," Mina smiled bashfully. "…You've…never been close enough to see it."

"Oh…oh!" Chronos said, removing his hand out of respect. Mina took hold of it before he could pull it away, though.

"Listen…Chronos," she said nervously, cupping his hand. "Would you be interested in…I don't know, going to a movie, or someplace to eat…just you and me?"

"You mean…like a date?" he asked, blushing.

"I'll understand if you don't want to," she said, turning her eyes away nervously. It doesn't have to be a serious relationship or anything… We can just keep it simple and casual."

Chronos noticed the look on her face and thought to himself. He shrugged and said, "I would be glad to go on a date with you."

"Really?" Mina said, eyes sparkling. "Wait, do they have dating on Dezoris?"

"Ha ha, of course!" he laughed, tousling her hair. "We have dating, cinema, and fast food restaurants just like everyone else. But I don't remember Motavians having crests in their childhood."

"My mother was born on Dezoris and part Coralian," Mina explained, "but she met my father on Motavia during a student exchange program."

"Ah, so you're one-fourth Dezoran," Chronos smiled, helping her up. "Perhaps we should discuss this further over a cup of tea."

"Oh, yes!" Mina said excitedly, as they walked to another room.

Taya was lying on her bed dejectedly, curled up in a fetal position as she stared at the phone. All the while she was being struck by thoughts from within.

"No Misha today," the presence taunted. "We're taking a break from her. Oh, what's that? You need a new friend, don't you? How about Van? The little boy with the dark blue hair. Don't you think he would be a much better friend?"

"Misha," Taya said to herself, still staring at the phone.

"No, Van!" the presence growled. "You don't need Misha. You need Van. You don't even remember what you told him, do you? He's your boyfriend now, Taya."

"No," Taya denied fearfully.

"That's right," the presence continued. "You probably didn't even notice. As soon as he asked, I slipped in a reply for you. He's so much nicer than that girl. You don't like him that way? Too bad! When I've taken over, you won't have to worry about anything."

"Misha," Taya repeated, tears running down her face

"No," the presence said sternly. "…On second thought, go ahead. Get up right now and call her… Can't do it? Is it because you think I'll say something… Believe me, I would…No, that's not your problem is it? Ha ha ha! You can't even move, can you? Just lying there, struggling to overpower me. That's right Taya… I told you it wouldn't be long. Now, all we need is a Hunter's License and Van. Don't worry; you're not the only one who's like this. I've sensed others who are in the very same predicament."

"But for now," Taya spoke aloud, grinning as she hopped off the bed. "Let's just call Van. I'm sure he'll cheer you up. I'll prove that he's much better than that girl."

A young girl with long white silky hair, snapped open her blue eyes after hearing the foreign thoughts. They had awakened her from her afternoon nap. This was only one of several intrusive thoughts she had heard. She had learned to block many of the ambient thoughts that people had, but certain ones had still been making their way to her. As she regained her senses, she found herself sitting in the enclosed arms of her bluish-silver android nursemaid, who had been resting with her on a couch. The barefooted girl was in a plain black housedress. Her nursemaid, although skinless, appeared almost nude since her clothing was had the same color as herself. She looked like any other RAcaseal. The Android's eyes lit up as she felt the girl shift in her embrace. She looked down at the little girl, puzzled as to what had startled her.

"I'm hearing them again," she said so inaudibly, that only the Android would be able to hear her. The near-expressionless Android tilted her head. "Some of them are being…mean." Her nursemaid gently stroked the girl's face. "Tiem…I think I should do something." The Android adjusted her embrace around the girl and dimmed her eyes, lying back. "Okay yawn I won't worry you or myself about it," she said drowsily, drifting back to sleep.

Notes: Not much really happened here, just build-up for the most part. I think it's time we got back to some action. So here's a recap: Taya's screwed up, some girl can hear her thoughts, Chronos and Mina plan to date, and Miguel and Anne told some of their history.

On the next episode of PSO: Sidestory: It's another busy day at the Hunters Guild. It's kind of a two-parter in "Letters, Brides, and Graves…Oh My!" It's all about the quests baby…Only Toonami!