A tall woman crouched over the papers, scattered all over her table. She occasionally sipped on her now warm coffee. The final case, the one she closed with Tanizaki. The girl's name was Mitsuru and she was going through Child Protective Services. Perhaps, her mother could take her in. Or some other relatives if not. But her father will go to prison. There was enough evidence that he abused the child physically and sexually. The final stroke of a pen. Her head fell on the table. Is this what sense of accomplishment felt like? Is this it, happiness, contentless? Satisfaction, perhaps? She couldn't name what she felt because all she could perceive right now was stinging in her eyes and ache in tired muscles.

It was alright. Saskia knew that happiness was ephemeral. Peace of mind, knowing that her pain brought someone closer to happiness was enough most of the days. On days like this one, it was quite a handful. There were days that were much worse than today. Days when they – scratch that – she couldn't help anyone. Days when her pain was a waste. Those days she disliked and often drank herself to sleep.

"It's done," she sighed contently. Her month of paperwork was finished. All it took was an all-nighter, large cup of coffee with a triple shot and self-hatred. I'll just close my eyes… Her mind let go of the unpleasant reality, lulling itself to sleep.

The assault of light on closed eyelids and the abundance of sounds pulled her back into reality. The attack was worsened by general exhaustion. The department was waking up, people coming in and out. The sunlight coming in through the windows. Oh, she hated it. All this. The regular weekday things. Mornings. She opened her eyes, unhappy to be woken up so soon.

"Good morning, Saskia-san," the boy said. "Are you alright?"

"I am just peachy," Blok spoke bitterly. She lifted her head from the table. Feels like a hangover but without the fun.

"Why are you here? It's a school day," she rubbed her eyes awake. Immediate regret. The rubbing made her eyes sting even more so. And the sensation confirmed that this was real. This is her reality where she fell asleep at her workplace. And Tanizaki was real too. In his regular attire of an oversized, light-coloured sweater, light blue pants and a red sweater is wrapped around his waist. She disliked the last bit. It didn't suit his orange her in her humble fashion opinion.

"I just needed to make a statement," he explained.

Oh.

"I'll get you to school, kiddo," she said, getting up. Her body immediately reminded her of how she slept on the desk. Her neck cracked, back ached. Her body hated for the stupid decisions made. And it was fair retribution. Yet she owed a kid one. He lied for her. Not that she asked him to do it, he agreed before she asked for a favour. Yet he is saving her some trouble, she could repay him with the same card.

"Come," she prompted him to follow her. "I'll give you a ride."

"Thanks!" he replied, hurrying after.

"Happy to skip the bus ride?"

"Kinda."

"I would too."

They walked out of the police station, together, idly chatting about Tanizaki's studying. Saskia wasn't particularly interested in the matters of the police station. Who was working with whom, who had a conflicted with whom, or why one had this particular rank... Human affairs, she didn't like to be involved too much. It is as if diving into deep and troubled waters. Easy to be pulled in too deeply and drawn. Saskia Blok knows just enough to get by. That's why she didn't exactly question the involvement of Junichiro Tanizaki in police cases. Until now.

"Haven't you heard?" the teenager asked, confused.

"I probably just forgot," she shrugged. Before yesterday, they've met only once before and briefly. She had a whole station to learn about when she started so she didn't pay attention to some kid. Maybe his father was working here too or something like that. Maybe they were extremely understaffed and needed some manual labor done. Whatever. Didn't bother her.

"I have an ability," he answered.

"Ah, you are one of the gifted," she hummed thoughtfully. Yokohama was notorious for attracting ability users to its borders. She never had an encounter with an ability user before – not to her knowledge. Yokohama police either worked with them — which she avoided successfully during her short time employment — or handed the case to the gifted for it to be solved. The one she heard of the most was a…eh…..um…. She forgot his name. Never quite good with those. But she heard that his ability was incredible deduction and he could crack cases under a minute. They got to her car and she unlocked the doors.

"Don't you have one too?" Tanizaki asked, getting inside.

"Where did you get that idea?" the woman smirked. "I just have headaches but that's poor genetics."

She tried to dismiss the idea of being one of the gifted ones. The teenager thoughtfully hummed.

"I have two older brothers," he suddenly spoke. Saskia tsked, annoyed. People lied for many reasons and while she could never ignore the act itself she hated when it was done for nothing. A waste of air. A waste of suffering. If you decide to lie, do it with a good reason, Tanizaki.

"And I have a crush on a girl at school."

Tsk. Tsk.

"My ability allows me to nullify the powers of others."

Her hands gripped on the steering wheel tightened.

"I've killed a man and got away with it."

"Enough," she said, almost laughing, "that one is definitely a lie."

"How do you know?" he asked curiously.

"I've killed a man," she replied unmoved. "I know plenty of others who did. It's something you can tell. If you go through it."

"I work as an informant for the Detective Agency."

"Hmmm."

"I liked to torture animals in childhood."

Tsk.

Blok rolled her eyes, "What game are you playing, kiddo?"

"I have a crush on you, Saskia-san!" he confessed. The woman laughed.

"Liar, liar," she spoke, voice still shaking from laughter. Yes, he caused her pain, but it was too ridiculous not to laugh at.

"How do you know?" Junichiro asked again, crossing his arms.

"I'm not stupid, that's how."

"What if I just confessed and you rejected me?"

"Boy, please," she laughed, "you are too distracting, we'll get into an accident."

Soon, the car slowed down due to the school's crossing. Tanizaki got out of the car with a sincere thank-you. She smiled at him but warned not to play games like this with her ever again. It made him look stupid.

"Saskia-san," he said right before closing the door. "Can I get your number?"

"What?" Blok asked, shocked. The boy smiled brightly and laughed.

"I told you I have a crush on you!" he said smiling widely. Saskia knew it was a lie but gave him the number. She also said that it was the last time she would ever give him a ride.

When the door closed, she sighed heavily, tired, exhausted. Annoyed. The light sipping through the blinds of the window, the silence of the lonely apartment… She welcomed it. Or that's what she used to tell herself. That this is how it was supposed to be. Relationships with people were to difficult for her to handle.

"Maybe I should get a cat," she sighed, looking around. Everything was just as she left it. There was no one to disturb the peace created and preserved. Or maybe it was just the absence of chaos. The silence and dullness that always waited for her here. It was her home, her asylum from other people. She feared she will always be reluctant to let someone in this concord. Even a cat for that matter. Plus, she wouldn't make a good pet owner. Yes, this will have to suffice She took off her boots, kicking them off wherever and walked inside, sighing contently.

There's an irony to her ability. A gift from God if there was one. But it worked more like his last joke. Her family was a lie. Her father, she knew his name and who he was. Never met him, however. She learned of him by stories she heard from her mother. Mother. That was a lie too. The woman who raised her wasn't her biological mother. The woman who gave birth to her was dead before Saskia could form any tangible memories. At this point in life, just a concept, an idea, not a real person.

She untied the belt of her steel-grey jacket and shook off the leather material. It felt on the floor with audible thump due to the contents of its pockets.

'I love you, Saskia.'

It never pained her. For it was the truth, the woman loved her. And she was love in return during her lifetime. How could the woman not be loved? She loved, she cared. She protected and supported. Saskia loved the woman she still would call her mother. She knew no other mother, no other form of motherly love.

Next was her light-grey shirt. It would have to be washed after those two heavy duty days.

'You are my daughter.'

Oh, no doubt she meant it. She meant every bit of it and meant it well. Nonetheless, it was a lie. And it hurt. In every possible sense. She never found adoption papers in the closet, she never got any sort of medical test to find out the truth. She was nine when she started to understand what that pain in her head meant.

The black, jogger-styled pants and sports bra. All she needed now was an oversized shirt and a blanket on top. No reason to stay awake. It's the end of the day. Tomorrow is a day off. She would be happy to get as much sleep in a bed as life was throwing her way.

'Your father was a gifted man.'

Saskia took it as a sign she was born for greatness. No such thing, she came to realize in her adulthood. But before lonely adulthood, there was a painful childhood. Children lie a lot to get out of trouble and to make other children like them. Adults lie to children too. Sometimes for sillier reasons. She remembered that day when she was nine. Coming home to her mother, hearing her welcoming her home. She received a hug and a warm smile. And most painful words of her childhood.

The woman climbed into bed, covering herself with a blanket to her nose.

'Daughter.'

She knew that instant that she wasn't. The pain shot through her head so severe she started to cry. Through the tears, young Saskia asked for the truth. A little child who had but one person to love and trust – her mother – had come to discover that it was a lie. That was difficult for both of them. No child should learn of adult's lies so cruelly. Her mother was relieved as much as she was hurting.

'Your ability is much like your father's but kinder.'

She wondered what it could mean. Because kindness was never a word she associated with it. Because people could not understand the pain it would her to hear them lie. No matter the reason, how big or how small. She heard every excuse and learned one simple thing: the act of lying is morally grey. But never to her. Under the layers of self-service and occasional sympathy, quite often there is this simple truth. People lied to protect only themselves.

'I didn't tell you about her 'cause I didn't want you to worry!'

He said and she knew that he lied. Perhaps, he lied because he liked the attention. Or because it was thrilling. Maybe he was bored or the relationship was falling apart. They were young. She didn't plan to marry him. He could have broken it off. Their relationship wasn't filled with grand words and long-term promises. But he chose to lie. He lied about the affair as well as the reasoning for his lie. There's a chance he never wanted for the issue to go for so long. It could be that he thought himself too great to be caught. He wrapped a lie in a lie in a lie like a present to be found and opened.

'I knew how you'd react if I told you the truth! It was to protect you!'

She was a friend and she chose not to be. She lied about things that mattered most. It's not to say she could never have thought about protecting Saskia's feelings. But the ability guaranteed that it wasn't the reasoning behind the lie. And, of course, there is this one, 'Those jeans look really good on you.' In the end, Saskia Blok felt like heard all of it: every excuse, every innocent lie. In the end, she concluded that human relationships is a concoction requiring two main ingredients: the ability to lie and believe in the lie. Since she could never ignore it, she lacked one component to built such connections.

In the end, she felt had heard all of it: every justification, every white lie. And concluded that people had a complicated relationship with the lie. It was accepted as long as it didn't hurt anyone, right? Well, it always hurt her. People liked to protect their image or avoid conflict. Lies were told to get out of trouble and to shift the blame. It was rarely used to protect someone else but it wasn't unheard of. Humans lied for various reasons. And she knew she was not above single one of them.

She closed her eyes and went into a dreamless sleep.