Disclaimer: I don't own Till the End of Time or the characters from the game; I also don't profit financially from writing this story.
Prologue – Setting It All Up
"I'm telling you again, Blair, I don't want to do this! Why are you insisting that I do something that I keep telling you that I don't want to do?" Luther folded his arms across his chest and glared at his sister. She didn't even have the decency to look ashamed or even guilty.
Instead, she merely shrugged and replied, "Because I already signed you up for it, Luther. You've been far too busy lately, almost working yourself back into a manic mode of mass deletion. You, your mind, and your body need a break."
"Says you," Luther groused. He folded his arms across his chest and almost immediately regretted it as pain lanced through his neck and shoulders.
"Because I know you," Blair said, gesturing to him. "Like right now. That probably hurt a lot, didn't it? You've been hunched over your screens for hours and days on end, eating little and sleeping little. It isn't going to hurt for you to spend some time away from work. It also isn't going to hurt you for enjoying the fruits of your labor."
"But Blair," Luther started to whine. He hated it when Belzeber whined, and he definitely hated it when he whined, too. Whining was for children. "I don't want to! It's in the Eternal Sphere! They're going to . . ."
"Not know it's you," Blair promised. "I swear to you, I have it all set up. It's a new resort place I managed to write in seamlessly into the program. You can choose whatever kind of a disguise you want or not at all. The only Eternal Sphere denizens who know who you are happen to limited in numbers. The chances of them being at this resort, with everyone knowing about their powers, is practically non-existent. You'll be fine!"
"But you're making me go out on a date with someone that isn't real," Luther accused. "It's like you're saying I can't get a real one."
"Oh, I know you can get a real one." Blair smiled at him. "And all of them would be more fake than the AIs in the Eternal Sphere because, in our world, they'll know who you are." She reached over and touched his cheek. "And they won't see the real you because all they'll be thinking about is using you. At least in the Eternal Sphere, you can be free from all of that. It's only for a day, after all."
Luther deflated in his argument. When his sister put it that way, about the shallowness of the women in his world, going on a fake date with an AI sounded more appealing. Almost everyone in his world was obsessed with having fame and status. That's why the Eternal Sphere was still insanely popular compared to all other games.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll go, but on one condition."
"And what's that?"
"You stop interfering in my life like this. And that none of those AI from before find me. Can you promise me that?"
"Luther, I've checked the names of everyone who will be there," Blair insisted. "They're not on any of the lists. I promise you."
He relaxed even more, nodding. "Good. That's . . . that's tolerable. What time is this supposed date anyway?"
"For us? In one hour. You might want to hurry and figure out what you want to wear," Blair teased. "Or you're going to be more than fashionably late!"
Author's Notes: Here I am, with an SO3, Luther/Fayt story as I love the game and those characters. It's a very belated Valentine's Day offering. /glances at the calendar/ . . . very late.
Please enjoy!
