Interlude 7(b) - Tuesday Tumbles


Ring!

As the bell rang, Ryo breathed out a small sigh of relief. Glancing down at his desk's screen, he grimaced at the half-finished notes and plethora of question marks next to multiple terms about the IS CORE that he really didn't give a damn about.

'The exams are gonna be the end of me, I swear…' The courier groused as he stretched his arms up. He looked over to his friends, wondering if they were faring well as usual.

Ephraim was quickly packing up, and while already Ryo knew that his roommate was going to do well in the tests either way, given his position and time spent studying and taking notes. He was more curious about the little addition to his friend's routine.

"Ephraim, shall we study at the library together?" Cecilia asked with a giddy smile as the older teen grinned slightly.

"Quick to the draw, aren't you…" The Gold Frame's pilot chuckled as he pulled out a lollipop, strawberry-flavored this time. Grabbing his book satchel, he nodded at her as he unwrapped the sweet treat. "Very well. We'll have lunch first before we go."

The courier watched as the two blondes exited the room through the back door, as the front was still in the process of being repaired. 'Well, at least it's looking good, I think…'

Turning his head, he looked over to their mechanic…

"Davion-kun! I um, I was wondering if you wanted to study together?"

"Sure, Kanzashi!"

…who was already halfway out the door, a certain bluenette beckoning him from beyond the threshold.

"Heh." Ryo smirked as he leaned back in his chair. His two friends seem to be out there living their best lives, and he's over there worrying about nothing. With them being busy, two of his biggest tickets in helping him study just left him in the dust. Not that he had in mind to ask for help in the first place.

There was always the option to hold it off until next week. Maybe, for now, Ryo could focus on his deliveries or brush up on his swordplay to find improvements…

'Wait.' His eyes widened ever so slightly as a sinking feeling made itself known in his stomach. 'It's almost the end of the 1st term. That means Summer is close.' He straightened from his slouch, making sure to hide any sign of alarm in his expression.

'The Silver Gospel fight is closing in…'

"Ryo..?"

The undercurrent of worry in the voice caused him to shelve his own pressure. Turning towards the comely Frenchwoman that addressed him, the courier gave her a small but genuine smile. "Charlotte. What's up?"

The girl smiled as she held up a distinctly western lunchbox. "Want to eat lunch on the rooftop? My trainers said it was a popular spot for the Japanese to eat. Perhaps we can have a headstart on studying there too."

'Time to reschedule those deliveries then-'

After making the mental note, Ryo stood up and grabbed his book satchel. "Sure." He answered. "Just let me buy some drinks on the way."


Charlotte knew that today was going to be a good day. She had woken up bright-eyed and early, oddly full of energy despite the sun not being out when she got out of bed. Then there was the news from Yamada-sensei about the afternoon class being canceled due to some sort of staff seminar.

And now, she got to spend some quality private time with Ryo! All without the disguises and pretending to be a guy to any busybody spying on them!

Her purple eyes looked around, somewhat wary that one of her classmates would come in and ruin their little moment on the rooftop, but so far, this little corner of the building was all theirs.

"So, how has the whole 'gender reveal' thing going for you, Charlotte?"

Turning her head back at the courier seated beside her, she wiggled a hand with a small shrug. "So and so. Plenty of girls were disappointed that I wasn't a guy, understandably, but that didn't stop them from trying to befriend me."

"I see, that's good…" Ryo nodded, though the Frenchwoman could tell that there was something he wasn't telling her. But before she could try to figure it out, he continued, "Don't be shy about taking some of my lunch, by the way. I asked Ephraim to add a bit more to my portions."

She looked down at his open bento, at the neatly arranged tamagoyaki, karaage, rice, and leafy greens that did seem to be more than what was usual.

"Oh, that reminds me," Charlotte started, idly using her fork to spear one of the karaage. "I'm going to join the Culinary Arts Club next term."

Green eyes glanced over, hidden amusement evident within. "You do realize that there's going to be three purple-eyed blondes in the Culinary Arts Club by then, right?"

"Ah."

Ryo's shoulders shook as peals of laughter escaped his lips, having to use a hand to keep himself from falling back on the grassy rooftop. The Frenchwoman pouted and looked down at her lunch, a pair of humble grilled ham and cheese sandwiches that had poached eggs on top. Grabbing one of the slices, she stuffed the thing into the courier's open mouth to stop his laughter.

"Mmf!" Green eyes snapped open in shock before he began munching down on the warm meal.

Charlotte continued to pout, embarrassed and with reddened ears. "Mou, you didn't have to laugh that hard!"

"Sorry, sorry." The bespectacled teen grinned once he swallowed the food in his mouth. "The way you realized was just so amusing. Kinda feels like there's an innate nature that draws people like you together."

Charlotte's cheeks flushed.

"Oh?" Ryo licked his lips as the flavor of her lunch finally registered, his eyes widening ever so slightly at the subtle spice and salt as he thoughtfully put a hand to his chin, "Mmm, that was actually quite good! I think you'd be a shoo-in for the club."

"R-Really?"

"I live with a guy that learned under numerous sous-chefs." The courier smirked, licking the last crumbs off of his lips. Charlotte's eyes lingered on his tongue as he did so. "You have no idea how much food I had to taste test for him that I had to study a bit gourmet knowledge just so he could be satisfied."

"Satisfied? Why?" Purple orbs slightly widened in interest.

"Well, Ephraim is bona fide perfectionist if you haven't noticed, which I doubt. So when he practiced his cooking at home, he needed a stand-in critic for his dishes, with it being Davion and me. Davion wasn't even of help at all because, for him, food is food. Mind you, I don't have a gourmet tongue or anything, but I do know my tastes, and Ephraim's cooking is just plain good."

Charlotte briefly giggled, moving her hand to her mouth, "So why did you study cooking?"

"Because I knew he wouldn't settle for 'it's good' from us, probably anyone. Knowing him, he wanted to improve himself even further than that. Cooking became a matter of pride for him. A single displeased customer is unacceptable…" Ryo paused to take a bite out of his sandwich, staring ahead as he swallowed. "But if everyone likes your cooking no matter what effort, why bother? The thought probably crossed his mind once."

Charlotte thoughtfully hummed, eyeing the bento her lunchmate had on his lap and wondering how much effort her fellow blonde had put into making it.

"So I decided, 'why don't I play along?' I mean, I'm not a chef or anything. I can't even cook for myself. But I started slow, used my taste, and said that his dish had a little too much salt in it. You have no idea how betrayed and enthusiastic he looked when he reacted."

"I can see that." Charlotte chuckled.

"It wasn't long until he started to become more determined and ambitious in his home cooking. I had to match my criticism with his standards, making me study gourmet dishes and plan visits to restaurants if I had the time and opportunity so I could have a reference." Ryo took another bite and closed his eyes, appreciating the simple taste of Charlotte's food. "This leads us to where we are now… So trust me when I say that I know your cooking's good."

The Frenchwoman cupped her cheeks, turning away from him bashfully. "I- This is the first time in years since I cooked that specific dish. It probably doesn't match your standards…"

"Charlotte, it's good. I already told you that I know my tastes. I know when I don't like it." The Astray pilot smiled as he finished her sandwich. "I'm sure joining the Culinary Arts Club will be good for you. Even if the members are nice if a bit overenthusiastic in some cases."

"Overenthusiastic? What do you mean by that?" She turned back towards him, a brow rising at the somewhat exasperated expression on his face.

"The Club President…er, Nakiri-senpai, she's…" He looked over his shoulder, eyes darting around to see if there were any sign of the older blonde. Satisfied that the nearest group of girls from them were several meters away, he turned back to her. "Well, let's just say I've heard that she's 'quite a handful.'"

Charlotte blinked, tilting her head in slight confusion. "Quoi?"

"Haah, just… you'll see when you meet her." Ryo waved off the subject and took his chopsticks, taking one of the tamagoyaki rolls. "Anyway, how about we continue eating? You wanted to have a study session, right?"

"Oh, right!"

They both inched closer together as they brought out books and notes, hardcopies of what they had taken down during class. The courier looked away when Charlotte saw the number of question marks in his recent notes, his cheeks flushing slightly at her amused huff.

All in all, It was a delightful lunch.


Later…

Two figures walked down the hallway, garnering some attention to the unusual sight of the resident courier being accompanied by a small albino.

"Why are you following me..?" He inquired, finally acknowledging Laura's presence.

"I want to help you, Ryo-nii."

He looked down at the albino, shifting his grip on the documents box so that he held it in one hand.

"Why?"

"Because..." Laura glanced to the side, eyeing some of the students that sent them questioning glances as they passed by. "Because I want to see if helping you help others would be a Laura thing to do."

Green eyes softened.

"Well, for one, just following me won't cut it." Ryo shrugged as he stepped around a gossiping group of 2nd years. "If you want to help me, you've got to ask Yamada-sensei for permission. Some of the stuff I carry and deliver are sensitive or have something sensitive in them."

"O-Oh..."

"And personally, I don't think that something like this would be very 'Laura.'" He continued, side-stepping a runaway Roomba-like device that had a short 1st year chasing after it.

The German looked up at him with a narrowed eye. "Are you trying to say that I'm not suited to helping others out?"

The courier chuckled as he stopped before the Chemistry Club room door. Knocking on it twice, a 2nd year wearing a lab coat shuffled out. She had wavy dark green hair, akin to kelp, and bags underneath her purple eyes.

"Ah. Thank you..." She took the box from his hands, and Laura had to do a double-take when she saw her caress her brother's hand like it was some sort of priceless treasure afterward.

Ryo's brow twitched.

"Fuwa-senpai, what have I told you about doing that without warning? This is within the realm of harassment, you know? I'm calling the police." The courier groused, still keeping the strained smile.

"But this is me giving my thanks for the delivery." Fuwa murmured, pulling the hand close so she could rest her cheek on it. It barely got an inch closer as the courier's smile grew tight.

"I know you're trying to research 'body-melding,' whatever that is, but I still have other deliveries to do. So would you please, let go?" Green eyes narrowed in displeasure as she let his hand go.

"Ah." The greenette gasped lightly before she started to...fondle herself?!

'What the?!' Laura recoiled at the juxtaposition of the 2nd year's blank face and her rather raunchy action.

"Should I have given you a feel? Maybe a touch closer to the heart could be the key to body-melding-"

Flick!

"Ow."

Retracting his hand, Ryo pinched the bridge of his nose. "God's sake, never do that again, okay?"

"But-"

"Thank you for using the IS Academy Courier Service!" The Astray pilot plastered a fake grin as he bowed. "I will look forward to your continued patronage!"

Grabbing Laura by her tiny wrist, they walked away without another word.


"Ryo-nii, what was...that?"

Stopping before a pair of vending machines, the courier let out a long sigh as he leaned against it. "Just one of the many… 'unique people' you find in the Academy." He sighed as he rummaged through his pockets. "Also, don't call me 'Ryo-nii' out of the blue. Especially out in public where people can record it and spread it around on the internet."

Laura blinked. "But… we're family…"

Slotting in the coins needed for his coffee, he turned his head to her with a small, fond smile.

"Ordinary people can't tell that we're related. They can't notice how we look alike, even if there are similarities with our appearances. Others might get the wrong idea when you refer to me like that." Ryo glanced around the empty area, having specifically picked this vending machine spot for a reason. He kept schedules of when places would have a lack of people and where they were at any given time.

Why exactly did he keep a schedule of such a thing? Well, sometimes a man just wanted some peace and quiet away from the incessant staring and gossiping.

"You can still call me Ryo-nii when we're alone together or when people I trust are around like Charlotte and maybe Ichika."

"Okay then… what should I call you if we weren't in those situations?" The albino tilted her head.

"Just Ryo is fine, Laura." Ryo waved it off, crouching down to get the can of coffee. He paused upon grabbing it, frowning to himself before sighing and standing up. "Speaking of Ichika…"

Laura looked up at him with a raised brow, still having somewhat mixed feelings towards the younger Orimura. "What about him?"

The can hissed quietly as he opened it. "... He… Well, he knows everything." Taking a long sip of the cold drink, he closed his eyes. "Who we really are, where we came from, what we did and how we are related. Even did this whole speech about 'our past selves don't define us now' or something of the like."

"Hmm…"

"He had a point, I must admit." Ryo laughed briefly, a somewhat jeering tone in his voice. "Unfortunately, he was talking to us. We have our own reservations about our past. Some of us take to it more than others, and it's not a light topic to talk about. And that blockhead is still as naïve as ever, trusting too easily…."

"I see…" The albino nodded to herself. She remained quiet after that, her expression twisting into uncertainty as the courier took sips of his coffee. Her silence caused him to peer at her, curious as to her tight-lip.

"Ryo-nii, does… does Sahaku-nii hate me?"

The Neo-Type looked at the girl who was his genetic cousin and sighed. "Hate is too strong of a word, Laura." He took a long drink of the can, emptying it of its contents before tossing it into the recyclables with superhuman precision. " Let's call it… A highly intense dislike."

Laura frowned, lowering her sight to the ground. "...How can I make it up to him?"

"Easy, prove to him that you're strong." Ryo stated a-matter-of-factly.

"Strong?"

"Show Ephraim who Laura Bodewig is. People assume that his standards are unreachable, he might not look like it, but he's quite easy to please, as long as you prove yourself to him." Ryo advised her, pushing himself off of the vending machine with a small grunt, and the short girl looked up at him with slight confusion. "Strength and independence are things he likes to see in people. You remember what he said about back then, right?" At her nod, he continued with a contemplative frown. "Good, then that will be the only hint you'll get from me."

"Wha-?"The albino recoiled somewhat. "But what do you mean by strength-?!"

Wagging a finger at her, his lips curled up into a smug grin. "I said that he also values independence. Think for yourself, try to know what is wrong or right with your own means. What matters is that you thought for yourself. He'll recognize that you made an effort to be who you are instead of going along with other people."

Laura frowned as she nodded, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot. Her sole eye bore back down into the ground before she looked up at him after a minute of contemplation.

"You never really answered my question."

"Hmm? Which one?"

"You said that me helping others is not very 'Laura'." She huffed, scowling at the apparent insult. "Explain."

Sighing, Ryo ran a hand through his hair. "I meant that you seem to be trying too hard to figure out what you like that you're just copying what we do. It's not that carrying around boxes and packages is not 'Laura' to me. I just meant that it doesn't look like you want to do it in the first place. You just want to do it because I'm doing it."

The albino blinked.

"Oh."

He huffed, then took another look around, spotting a cluster of girls that were approaching from the Academic Building. "Any other ideas you have that I may help with? Perhaps something that you think you might enjoy?"

"...Tea Ceremony."

Ryo turned to her with a raised brow. "That's... honestly surprising." He muttered, tapping his chin as he tried to envision her doing such a delicate act.

Laura pouted, lightly glaring up at him. "Well, how else am I supposed to experience one of the finer cultures of Japan?"

Huffing, he shrugged at her reasoning. "Point. Well, last I checked, there is a Tea Ceremony Club. They've been lagging behind on members ever since their 3rd years recently graduated." The courier tapped his foot idly, glancing up at the sky to remember some of the Student Council meetings he sat in. "Most of its members are non-Japanese, so perhaps you'd find yourself in solidarity."

"How do you know that?" She asked in slight surprise.

Ryo chuckled, looking over to where he knew the Student Council Office was in the Academic Building. "I'm in the StuCo, remember? Got dragged into it by Kaichou and am, on paper, the 'General Affairs Manager'. But in reality, I'm just their gopher and the Prez's delivery boy."

Bzzt!

The Neo-Type pulled out his phone, the action so practiced that it was as smooth as butter. "Well, speaking of being a gopher…"

"Another delivery request?"

The courier nodded and did a few stretches of his arms and legs.

"Sorry to cut our time short, but I gotta go." The taller super-soldier skimmed the delivery request. "The package will be arriving at the docks in about 5 minutes, and the girl has a class in 7."

"Wha-?!" Laura looked at him in shock. "The journey from the Docks to the Academe takes more than 5 minutes!"

Ryo smirked, looking back and giving her a knowing look.

"I have my ways."


Elsewhere, at the Library…

"Hey Charlotte, have you thought about my offer?"

The Frenchwoman turned from her reading to look up at Houki. Blinking in confusion, she tilted her head. "Offer?"

The swordswoman groaned, making sure of her volume as she sat beside her. "Yesterday, at the locker room?" She pressed, looking around at the library for any eavesdroppers.

"I wanted to switch rooms with you. B-Because I know you're still awkward around Ichika now that you don't have your boy disguise." Houki blushed as she crossed her arms, closing her eyes as she nodded to herself. "Y-Yeah, he's far more used to me being his roommate. As a girl, that is."

Charlotte's eyes widened as she snapped her fingers. "Oh! That one!"

"Shh!"

Wincing, the blonde ducked her head. "W-Well, I think we can talk with Yamada-sensei right now to discuss that. Is your roommate alright with it? I still have to talk to Ichika about it too."

Houki looked away to hide the giddiness that was threatening to break a smile on her face. "I've already talked to Tatsuki-san about it, and she gave her permission. She's curious about France, so expect to be bombarded with questions when we switch rooms."

"A-Ah...okay..."

The swordswoman gave herself a mental pat on the back and a small fist pump at her victory.


"Courier Service!"

The girls screamed in surprise, whirling around to see the green-eyed Astray pilot peeking out from the vents on the ceiling. Ryo blinked at them before sliding out, flipping in mid-air and landing on his feet. He deposited the package, a medium-sized box, on the table nearby and completed the request on his phone.

"Thank you for using the IS Academy Courier Service!" He recited, plastering a professional smile as the girls looked between him and the coverless vent he just hopped down from. "I look forward to your continued patronage!"

With that, he casually climbed back into the vents as if nothing had happened, giving the class a friendly wave goodbye as he exited.

"..Wh...what?"


Bzzt. Bzzt.

The courier quickly navigated to his messages, pulling his phone out, curious if it was another delivery request.

Tate-san: Did you direct Bodewig-san to the StuCo office?

Dumbass 3 (You): Yes?

Tate-san: Oh.

Tate-san: Still, she surprised me when she wanted to join the Tea Ceremony Club.

Dumbass 3 (You): Right. Is there anything else you want to tell me?

Tate-san: Come over to the office. Bodewig-san will need a guide to the club room.

Dumbass 3 (You): Understood, Kaichou.

Tate-san: Thank you, Mu-kun~! (≧∀≦)

Rolling his eyes, Ryo pocketed his phone and then pushed a button on the side of the maintenance shaft entrance he was looking at. Honestly, the maintenance vents reminded him a bit too much of the ones in that one sci-fi horror game, where the character had to crawl through them in order to traverse certain areas.

Just to get jumpscared.

Then dumped straight into a QTE while panicking.

Beep!

The entrance opened, and he climbed out, patting his jacket clean of any dust before closing the entryway back up. He was glad that he got the access codes for such routes. As much as it was fun sneaking into ventilation shafts like some sort of infiltrator, getting constantly blasted with the cold, air-conditioned wind was not a pleasant sensation.

Cleaning his fake glasses, he exited the janitor's closet and nearly bumped into someone on the way out.

"Sacre bleu-! Huh, Ryo?"

"Charlotte?"

The Frenchwoman blinked at him as she looked at the closet he exited. "Were you using the shortcuts again?"

He could only give her a semi-guilty grin as he put the glasses back on.

"Mon dieu…" She sighed, though her lips curled up in a fond smile. "You and your deliveries…" The blonde adjusted her grip on what few books she carried. "Where are you going?"

"StuCo Office." Ryo answered, as he flicked a piece of lint off of his sleeves. "Bodewig-san signed up for the Tea Ceremony Club, and Kaichou asked me to guide her to their clubroom."

"There is a Tea Ceremony Club?"

"That was her reaction too." The courier huffed in amusement before he glanced over his shoulder. "Curious about it? You can come with me if you want."

Charlotte nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly as she stepped up to his side. "If I won't be a bother…"

"Oh, maybe you could also sign up for the Culinary Arts Club ahead of time while you're at it." The green-eyed teen suggested as they walked together, drawing many jealous stares from the girls they passed by. The Frenchwoman preened at their seething, not caring if her cheeks were flushed at the close proximity of her crush.

"That's a good idea!"


Tatenashi Sarashiki stared at the albino before her as she arranged the documents for the latter's admittance to the Tea Ceremony Club.

The girl was short, shorter than her, and quite petite. She had this cuteness to her that tickled her older-sister instincts, but it was waylaid by the lack of innocence found in younger siblings. The bluenette knew of the albino's past, and she bet that Ryo knew as well.

A soldier of a clandestine branch of the German Military, a 2nd Lieutenant of her squad. For some reason, she was chosen as the squad leader despite there being a Captain in the form of her second in command, one Clarissa Harfouch. Why exactly was she the leader? One so young yet so…unnaturally talented.

It reeked of dark secrets, and if there was one thing that the Sarashiki Family was well-versed in, it was digging into the dark underbelly of society. She was going to have to dig her teeth into this new prey…

after she was done with her current…plaything.

Knock knock.

'Speak of the handsome devil and he shall appear~'

The door opened, and the Student Council's General Affairs Manager stepped in, nodding at her and-

-Asurgeofjealousy-

-following behind him was one smiling Charlotte Dunois, the hottest topic in the rumor circles as of late.

"Glad you received my message, Mu-kun~!" She greeted the tall boy as she hopped out of her seat, sticking a hand out with the palm facing up as she stopped before him. Ryo sighed and took out a chocolate bar from his hoodie pocket.

"Really now, you should just keep a mini snack bar here in the council room…"

Snatching it from his hand, she turned to the sole blonde in the room. "And hello there, Miss Dunois." Her expression cooled into a professional mask. "May I ask why you're here?"

"Ah..um…I was wondering if I can sign the papers needed for me to join the Culinary Arts Club ahead of time..?" The Frenchwoman asked, a bit unsure if what she was asking for was within regulations. "I was planning to join them next term, you see…"

Tatenashi blinked at her and then turned to the sole male in the room. "If she joins-"

"Yes, there will be three purple-eyed blondes in the Culinary Arts Club, I know." Ryo chuckled briefly. "She realized it as well earlier during lunch."

"I see…"

Unattended by everyone else in the room, Laura saw fit to merely observe what was happening before her eyes.

Or sole eye, she supposed.

…Now that she thought of it, there was an odd connection between her and her older blonde cousin. The doctors that installed her artificial sensor suite had called it 'Odin's Eye'. Ephraim had a spear he referred to as 'Gungnir'. Both items were names taken from the Allfather, the god's domain of knowledge and wisdom for the former and his signature weapon for the latter.

Was this a link between the two of them, perhaps? She did recall in Delta-444's memory, he was the assistant of one Dr. Alen Hibiki. The same doctor Ryo mentioned being implicit in the super-soldier program that created her. She needed to ask Clarissa if she could investigate when she had the chance.

Not to mention…

"And what? 'Second-rate'? Does that sole eye of yours allow you to judge a person at a glance? Have you given up the other one just like Odin to allow such a skill?"

'His words back then…they could have just been an insult but…' The albino cupped her chin as she stared at the ground, ignorant of the way Charlotte and Tatenashi seemed to be smiling at one another. 'They were too specific. Normally, people would assume I lost my eye in an accident, but he worded it as if I sacrificed it…as if he knew…'

"This'll be preliminary, of course." The bluenette clapped her hands once after presenting the necessary documents for joining a club. "The real test is whether or not Nakiri-san will accept you into the club."

Ryo put a hand to his mouth, thinking of a possible leeway to offer. "Well, I can be a witness to her skills or something. I already tasted her cooking." He did not miss the very subtle strain on the 2nd year's lips. "Then there's Ephraim to be another referral. He is in the club…"

Charlotte looked at him with flushed cheeks, heart pounding in her bosom as she gave him a wide, thankful smile. "Really? Merci, Ryo!" The Frenchwoman bowed at him, to which the green-eyed courier smiled in welcome.

"Ahem." Tatenashi cleared her throat, pushing the causticjealousy— "Ms. Dunois, if you could sign these, please?"

"Oh, right…"

The courier looked over to the only other person in the room and snapped his fingers. "Ah, right. I'll be taking Laura to the Tea Ceremony Club now, Kaichou. I assume she has all the papers done?"

The bluenette waved him off. "Same deal with Miss Dunois here. Papers signed, club president's approval, yadda yadda, and she'll be able to join them in the next term."

Laura tugged at his hoodie's sleeve, looking up at him with her usual indifferent expression. "Let's go then, Ryo-nii."

Charlotte paused in her signing.

Tatenashi stared.

"You know what… I give up." Ryo deadpanned.


AN:

Proofread and Edited by: ProjectRyo

So...what a week, huh?

I'm...not gonna talk about it, FF mods would probably warn me if I do, but you know what I'm talking about. I can only hope that things will get better, the world doesn't need anymore negativity, especially while it's still in the middle of a pandemic.

To those who are affected that are reading this, I sincerely hope you're safe. I know that one fanfic author's words doesn't mean much but all the same, I sincerely hope that you who read this are safe and away from harm.

Stay strong.

On to the reviews...

KnightOfZaku: Hey, been a while!

Normally, Ichika would normally go to his sister to consult but he's been stewing about it over the weekend. He's seen the Neo-Types at a low point, in the facility, and he's seen Laura's own experiences. He's known the guys for months and while the logical thing would be to ask Chifuyu on what to do, he's a friend first and foremost. And so, he confronted his friends on their past, even if it ended somewhat bitterly. As for Laura, well he already suspected that she was doing something during her time in Germany, seeing the albino's memories merely confirmed it.

As for Alektra, well she is Germany's IS Representative. If it does come to blows, she won't be an easy fight for sure. But right now, she's merely observing and acting as a minder to Laura.

And thanks! I've busied myself with reworking the plotlines for Episodes 9-12, shifting some elements around and adding new ones. It's the new ones that make me uneasy, but I can only hope that I'll properly be able to execute them when the time comes.

With that, a sobered up and tired Cipher, signing off!