23 December 2010
Komaki Residence
Daytime

Midori was working on her homework when the phone rang. Daddy wasn't home, and Nanako was with her father, which left her by herself to answer it. "Moshi-moshi!", she said as she picked up the handset. It was calling the house line, so it was probably a business call for her father that didn't get through to his cell phone.

"Ah, Midori!" Dan's voice came over the line. "I'm glad I caught you."

"Mr. President!" Midori bowed reflexively, even though no one was around to see it. "How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. Listen, I was wondering something." She caught a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"Ask," she said, wondering if it had something to do with school.

"Did you have any plans for tomorrow night?"

Midori felt a crimson blush reach across her face. "Um... no?" Was he really going to ask her out on a proper date?

"I was wondering then, if you would like to spend some time with me?"

He was! Midori's mind raced as she heard more than just a professional tone that he used at school.

"Midori?"

"Um.. sure!" She felt a little light-headed and her stomach was doing loops, but she accepted the possibility of a date. She was a High School student! She should be able to handle this!

She had no idea what to wear.

"Would you mind if I picked you up, say, around 5PM then?"

Evening date in the snow... her mind went places... And then she heard herself agree, somehow being properly polite and calm even as she running around her own head like a mad woman. And most importantly, he was asking her out on a date, not some puffed up image of her!

She hung up the phone after saying something she couldn't quite remember, but was sure it was the correct thing to say and stared blankly at the wall in front of her for a couple minutes.

Then it clicked and she started panicking properly.

24 December 2010
Samegawa Floodplain
Evening

The two of them sat down at the open gazebo away from the walking path. Midori's face was red, though she couldn't tell if if was because of the blood rushing through her skin – pumped by a heart that threatened to explode – or because it was simply cold outside, and she didn't have her scarf wrapped around her face.

Dan had thoughtfully considered the weather and brought a thermos of hot chocolate to share. Pouring out two servings into the plastic cups he brought with him, he offered one to Midori, who gracefully accepted it.

"I hope I wasn't imposing," he said for the first time since he picked her up from her house. They had come straight here, the two of them walking side by side the whole way.

"No!" Midori objected as she let the warmth of the cocoa seep into her fingers. "Not at all! I just... wasn't ... expecting this."

"I know," Dan admitted. "We agreed to have a certain level of relationship, and this is not it." He was still embarrassed by his own decision to do this, but relieved that she had agreed. "I could have phrased it as a continuation of our deception, but that seemed... wrong somehow."

"Well," Midori said after sipping some of the drink, "you certainly made it sound like something else..."

"If you're uncomfortable with this..?"

"Ah!" Midori shook her head. "Would you believe it is my maiden heart?" She gave him a look she had been practicing in the mirror for the past day.

Dan nearly spit out his drink, but his self-control was better than that. "Did you have to do that with your eyes?"

Midori giggled. "I'm sorry. It's just that this was a surprise to me as well."

Dan sighed, but did not quite relax yet. He knew she could play with her appearance and how she projected herself, changing everything in the blink of an eye. She was a natural actress. "Had to do it that way. If you had more time to prepare, I don't know if you would have been able to sleep."

"I did, eventually." She offered her empty cup to him, and he refilled it – then emptied the rest into his own cup. "Thank you, though." She left it up in the air whether it was the date, or the cocoa that she was being polite over.

"You're welcome." He was equally vague. "I have to confess, I did not expect you to be so calm."

Midori blinked. He thought she was calm? She was trying very hard not to stand up and walk around just to burn off the energy in her legs. "It's a womanly secret," she said instead. "To appear perfectly presentable in all situations."

Dan just shook his head.

Their evening did not go unnoticed.

27 December 2010
Komaki Residence
Daytime

Midori stepped in, shopping bags in hand when her daddy swept her up into giant hug. She was caught off guard by the not-unwelcome intrusion into her personal space. "Daddy!"

"My little girl went on a date!" He fake-bawled as he left her down. "How did it go?"

"Daddy..." She said, warning him of over-reaching. "Dan and I spent a couple hours out and about. There's no need to assume the worst."

"Fair enough," Mamoru said calmly. "And if he did something inappropriate, I trust you to have taken care of it?"

"Daddy... what kind of inappropriate behavior are you thinking of?"

"Um... nothing?" He tried to backpedal, but his daughter would have none of it.

"DADDY!"

04 January 2011
Yasogami High School, Teacher's Lounge
After School

Midori had no idea why her teacher wanted to see her, but if she had to guess, it was because Morooka-sensei was just checking up on her before the tournament next weekend. She mentally tallied what was needed ahead of time, and made sure that everything she needed to do had been done. Registration? Check. Approval of the School to skip Friday and Monday for travel? Check. Which was weird, because they were driving to the Regionals, and yet Tokyo was closer by train!

Parental permission? Check. Uncle Ryotaro had called some people, and they would be home-staying that weekend, rather than spending money on a hotel, so that was good. Still sad Saki had dropped out? Triple-check.

Yep, everything was in order. She had nothing to worry about at all!

"Eh, there you are." Morooka poked his head out of the office with a glare. "Come in."

"Sit down," he said, pointing at the chair beside his at his desk. That worried Midori as he was being unusually stern with her, though she did as the teacher commanded. "Good. Ye know why yer here?"

Midori shook her head. "Is there a problem with the tournament prep?"

"Nah, that's alright. Everything is in order there. I'm more concerned about you."

Midori straightened up from the slight slouch she had fallen into. "Me?"

"Yes. I heard about yer Christmas date with the President." The teacher went right to the point, recognizing that dancing around the issue would only lead to her escaping.

Midori recognized the logic instantly. Date - Romance - Sex - Morooka's typical tirades about that subject in class. She had to cut this problem off now before it became a larger problem.

"It's fake," she said quietly after checking to make sure there was no one around to listen. "He and I were under some pressure at the start of the term to find a boyfriend or girlfriend given our status here in the school. He proposed", she instantly regretted the word choice, "suggested that we put on a show for the other students, pretending to be what they want enough that they stop bothering us. The thing on Christmas Eve was a surprise, but it was also public enough to fulfill the expectations of the other students." She looked up at her teacher. "Apparently it was good enough to fool you as well. I am sorry." She bowed in apology.

Morooka considered that. It was like her to deceive students for their own good, as was the responsibilities of her position. He wanted to say more, but saw that she had also deftly maneuvered her position in such a way that he had to respond to her explanation first, which would disrupt any further questioning. Approving of her cunning, he decided to insert himself into the deception to make sure it stayed that way. She was running a very fine line between pretending for the sake of herself and others and actually being in that state. "Heh. To avoid future... misunderstandings, you will let me know if something like this happens again." He quickly wrote his phone number on a sheet of paper and handed it to her. "I can help maintain your propriety, but you have to keep me informed. Ye understand?"

"Yes, Morooka-sensei. I do."

"Good. I already talked to Riddle-kun, in case he was the one taking advantage of you, but I'm glad to see you two are actually smart enough to keep yourselves acting properly. If I find out yer doing something behind my back, I will be most disappointed." he left the threat to dangle, for Midori and the no-longer-present Dan to fill in the gaps themselves. Smart kids like them could do far more that the usual dumb shits he had to deal with.

Midori bowed, feeling the chastisement. She already had plans to discuss with Dan about letting it be known that Morooka was bearing down on them, and letting the students run with their usual thoughts of the teacher and understanding if the two of them throttled back their relationship for a while. It would be easy.

12 January 2011
Konishi Liqueurs, Central Shopping District
Evening

Midori was glad that the snow plows had done their jobs earlier in the day, as she was still nervous driving on heavily snowed roads. A light covering of white was acceptable. At her side, Naoki feigned boredom as he helped her with the deliveries.

With her canceling the Dolly show, this part-time job became her only source of income. Not that she didn't have a large bundle stored away in her bank account, it was still the only thing she had going for her right now.

Checking traffic, she turned right into the alley behind the Shopping district, and crawled down the thin road toward the parking space behind the store.

"Hey," Naoki said as she maneuvered around garbage bins, "Have you talked to Saki lately?"

"No," Midori said. "I've tried at school, but she's avoiding me."

"She's avoiding the family too. Sure, she comes home and gives us money, but she's not talking."

Midori recognized the admission of a state of affairs she was already aware of, though not a participant in. "You want me to corner her? That didn't work out so well last time."

"No," Naoki replied. "I was hoping she was talking with someone. Anyone."

Midori shook her head without taking her eyes off the road. "I can't do anything about it this week, I'm headed out of town for the tournament this weekend. I'll see what I can do when I come back. Promise."

"Thanks."

15 January 2011
Komaki Household
Daytime

Mamoru had the radio going in the background as he worked on business projections for the next year. It was a hard start, but he felt like he was making progress, which was a provable fact to his boss and his boss' boss. Which was always good for a pay raise, among other things.

When the phone rang, the house line both in his office and downstairs, he looked up in confusion, wondering who it would be before answering. "Hello?"

"Hello," a voice he hadn't heard in a while, but whose name he still remembered said. "Is Midori there?"

"Ah! Chidori-chan, is it?" He checked his watch. "Midori is out of town at a tennis tournament. If she's not answering her cell, than she's probably on the court." Being a single father, he had drilled it into her head that she was to keep her phone charged at all times, and she hadn't failed him in years.

"Ah," the young woman replied. "I am sorry to be a bother."

"No bother! I could use the distraction from staring at a computer screen all day."

There was silence on the other end. From his daughter, he knew that Chidori wasn't the most social of people, and that for her silence could also mean that she was thinking, rather than ignoring you. He knew that Midori handled it by talking into the silence, but he was far too mature for that. Instead, he figured that if she wasn't going to apologize and hang up, then she was considering talking to him instead. "Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

"I don't know," She said in that quiet voice of hers. "I wanted to talk to Midori. She is understanding."

Mamoru didn't show his response to the implication that he wasn't understanding, even as he recognized that he was an outsider in many of the social circles his daughter participated in. "Are you sure? A more mature viewpoint may help."

Silence again. "Perhaps. Tomorrow is Junpei's birthday, and we missed last year."

She was in the hospital, he remembered. And from Midori's comments, she was certain that this was a long-term and very stable relationship. Which he was kinda happy to hear about, given how easily kids could make a mess of things like that. "Have you talked to him about it?"

"No. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Be careful with surprises, Chidori-chan," he warned calmly. "From my experience, it is too easy for a person who is planning such an event to go too far and make the other person uncomfortable. Have you done such a thing for Junpei-san before?"

More silence. "No. This would be the first."

"Hrm, speaking as a married man, who has been on both sides of this," Mamoru carefully phrased his suggestion, "I think that this would be a very intense moment to spring something like that on him. Start small, like a present or something. But going full on surprise from a cold start is not the best way to go about things unless you two are absolutely certain that's what you want. Has he done something like that for you?"

"No."

"Then I would suggest that you refrain from doing anything spectacular. It won't be a total surprise if you give him a present or something like that."

"You are suggesting moderation?"

"Exactly!" Mamoru was glad she caught on. "I'm sure you'll talk to Midori later on, and she won't say anything that will contradict what I've said. Just take it reasonably slow and don't feel pressured into doing anything you're uncomfortable with."

"I understand," Chidori eventually replied. "Thank you."

"No problem. I wasn't planning on chatting with Midori today, but when you talk to her, tell her I said hello, and still wish her luck."

"I will."

16 January 2011
Komaki Household
Daytime

The phone rang, and Mamoru picked it up, letting Ryotaro and Nanako start in on their heated meals. He really wished Midori and her cooking skills were present, as after getting used to the skill she developed while away from him, the absence was sorely missed.

"Komaki household," he greeted the person on the other end.

"Is this Komaki Mamoru?" The young female voice on the other end of the phone line was curt and professional.

"Yes, this is." He instantly put on his business voice even as he waved at his friend to keep eating. "How may I be of assistance?"

"My name is Nurse Tsurumaki, of the Prefecture Hospital here in..."

"What happened to Midori?" Fear and worry ripped into him as that was the only reason why a hospital would call. Behind him, Ryotaro looked up with concern.

"She is well. However, during one of her sports matches earlier today, she injured herself and as a precaution, was brought to the hospital for an examination. We are contacting you as her parent."

"Do I need to come there? What happened?"

"Simply a hyper-extended elbow, Komaki-san." The nurse explained calmly, having a lot of experience with this sort of call. "It is a relatively minor injury, but because it was at a proper event, all precautions were taken in case it was more serious. You do not need to come personally, as I understand that you are several hours away."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Of course. I will let her know that you have been contacted. She was quite adamant that she speak with you, but hospital policy requires that we contact you first."

"I... thank you."

"You are welcome. She has her phone in hand, and I expect she will be dialing you shortly."

17 January 2011
Yasoinaba Train Station
Afternoon

"Daddy!" Midori stepped off the train, right arm in a sling and left hand carrying her bag. She dropped the latter and rushed over to hug her father. "You didn't have to come!"

"My little girl got hurt!" Mamoru said as he embraced her. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm on painkillers for the next week," she said as she recited what the doctor told her. "And I'm supposed to use hot and cold compresses for my elbow as needed." She fished a sheet of paper out of her pocket and handed it over. "Here's the doctor's note that I'm supposed to give to the school. The elbow will sort itself out over the next few weeks, but I'm pretty much done Tennis until March." She pouted as she let that sink in.

"Don't worry, Captain!" Kanako said as she got off the train behind her. "You still did good. No one blames you for hurting yourself."

"I can!" Midori objected.

"At least you're not staying for observation this time," Mamoru said, remembering the last time his daughter was in the hospital. "How is this going to affect other things?"

Midori groaned. "I've got a few phone calls to make to arrange things, but nothing serious." She didn't move her sore arm from its resting place as she turned to pick up her bag again. "Can you give us all a lift? I don't see the others' parents..."

"Sure," Mamoru said. "I let them know that I was picking you up."

"Thanks daddy!"

Komaki Residence
Evening

Holding the phone in her off hand was awkward, but Midori persevered. "Hey Aigis!" She greeted her friend as soon as she picked up the phone.

"Midori! I heard you were hurt!" The relief was palpable on the robot's end.

"I'm fine," Midori said to clam her down. "I just bent my elbow wrong. It's not an uncommon injury."

"So my research indicates." Aigis said. "Were there any problems with your medical history? Mitsuru found out when the hospital pulled your file from the Kirijo Memorial hospital."

Not shocked at all that it had happened, Midori shook her head despite Aigis not being able to see it. "There was no concerns. It's not a repeat injury, and everything else has been recovered from quite well."

"That is good to hear." Aigis said. "Other than that, how did your tournament go?"

"Forget about that!" Midori changed the subject. "Yesterday was Junpei's birthday! How come I only found out about that on Saturday!"

"He was... indisposed this time last year."

Midori wanted to hit herself, but one arm was immobile while the other was in use. "Oh. Right. Forgot. So. What happened? Tell me everything!"

21 January 2011
Junes Department Store
After School

Midori walked into the store for the second time, one hand holding firmly onto Nanako as the young girl had her first taste of the gargantuan complex. With her other arm still in the sling, she let Nanako open the automatic doors, then pulled her through before she got it into her head to play with them. "Come on!", she said. "We've got shopping to do!"

Truthfully, she wouldn't have come here if it was just more hot/cold packs for her elbow. She could get those at the pharmacy. But Uncle Ryotaro had tasked her with buying certain supplies for Nanako given that she was starting first grade in April.

Naturally, she had objected, stating that as Nanako's father, he should be the one to do that, but her objections were overridden by reasons of work and extended family.

"Come on in!" A female voice said from one of the overhead speakers, in that falsely cheerful voice that Midori dissected with ease. "Every-day's great at your Junes!"

"Every-day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang back, causing Midori to shake her head. Nanako was young enough that such jingles would work on her. "Where are we going, Big Sis?" She looked up at Midori with those wide eyes of hers.

"First," Midori said, "we're going to get stuff for Big Sis' arm." Thankfully Nanako had not insisted on playing doctor. Mari-sensei had looked over the medical report at her father's request and saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Then, we're going to buy some clothes and stuff for you when you go to school in the spring!"

"Will I go to your school?" Nanako asked.

"No," Midori said. "You're going into Grade 1. I'm going into Grade 12."

"Awwww! But I wanna go with Big Sis!"

Midori giggled. "No, Nanako. That won't do. Then you won't be able to go to school with Mana and all your other friends! They'll be lonely!"

"Oh." The young girl thought about that as she was led to the elevators. "Can I at least walk with you?"

"Of course. But your school is past mine," the teenager replied. "So you'll have to walk a certain distance without me or daddy."

She pressed the button for the floor with the pharmacy and the elevator went into motion. She wasn't worried at all about her supplies, so instead turned her thoughts towards Nanako's needs. And how cute she could make her on her budget.

She already missed her 'Dolly' income, but she still had plenty in the bank. She could splurge a little on her without it being a concern at all. Her part-time income from the store and the occasional payment from the shrine could easily offset the loss over time.

The elevator door opened and the two stepped out, Nanako eager to explore, but Midori refusing to let go. She had seen what happened when kids ran loose in the place like this, and had no wish to see that from Nanako. "This way," she said, reading the signs hanging above them. "Me first, then we get to spend all the time we can on you."

Midori would soon regret that decision as once her own supplies were in her bag and they found their way to the children's section of the store. Here, she let Nanako off her metaphorical leash, and followed the young girl as she ran around the section looking at everything with wide-eyed wonder and excitement.

She had also forgotten just how much energy that young children had in general, even though she was a magical girl with her own energy. It was different kinds that made the difference as she took better paths through the section while Nanako ran around without much of a plan.

Although her attention was distracted when she noticed a familiar face wearing a Junes apron quietly stocking one of the shelves. She walked over casually, then tapped Saki on the shoulder with her good arm. "Hey!" She greeted the other half of her strained friendship politely and without recrimination. "If I knew you were in this department, I would have come here sooner!"

Saki spun around, but didn't drop the soft goods in her hands. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Midori responded by pointing at Nanako, who was staring at a pile of stuffed toys, trying to decide which one she loved more.

Saki lowered her voice. "So you have to bother me?"

"I'm not!" Midori said, carefully measuring the physical distance between them. "I'm worried about you, and you keep avoiding me!"

"Just stay out of this," Saki said. Midori couldn't understand why she was trying so hard to cut her friends out of her life. Was she just that embarrassed by her choice? Was she projecting her feelings of betrayal onto those who didn't feel it?

She had to fix this, but needed an in. "I'm not judging," Midori said with concern. "But if you don't want to talk about it, fine." She checked up on Nanako again, who was trying to decide between a penguin and a bear. Both heavy on the dark colors, leading Midori to worry if she was growing too attached to Frosty before throwing that out of her mind. "Instead, let's talk work. Are you restocking anything in her size or can we browse without worry?"

Saki seemed to want to angrily retort against Midori's words, but bit them back when she focused instead on helping Nanako instead. She sighed. "Let me look."

"Thank you!" Midori bowed respectfully. "But don't take too long on it."

Saki retreated to the back where she took a moment to breathe in and out to steady her heart. She had never expected Midori of all people to show up, let alone dragging along her little sister at the same time!

She leaned against one of the large shelving units as she silently cursed little-miss-perfect, with her own sports team that she never wanted to join in the first place, her position on the Student Council that just got dropped into her lap by the teachers who loved her – even the King Moron bowed to her!, her boyfriend, and her wonderful and welcoming family life and everything else that went just right for her without her even trying.

It was infuriating just how condescending she was without even realizing it!

"Hey? Are you alright?" Saki spun around to see the Manager's son looking at her with a concerned expression. Hanamura – something or other.

"Sorry," she said, mindful of her position. "... just someone I didn't want to see is in my section right now."

"Ah," Yosuke said. "If you want, I can take over for you there." He looked so eager to please her that Saki mentally crawled back. "I'm between jobs at the moment, so helping you out would keep my dad off my back." He looked around as though expecting the Store Manager to appear from the shadows like a ninja.

"No," she said, rejecting his help. "I can handle this. I just need a moment to compose myself."

Yosuke nodded, even though he didn't believe her. "Alright. But if you do need help? Someone to carry something heavy for example? I can come running."

Saki chose to ignore the offer.

30 January 2011
Dojima Household
Evening

"Hey, Midori?" Ryotaro pulled up to her as she carefully washed dishes after supper. As long as she didn't put weight on her injured arm, she could still move it in limited amounts. In the living room, Tohru and Mamoru were playing a card game while Nanako watched and tried to figure out the rules.

"Yes, uncle?"

"You know how I've been talking to my sister and her husband about them going on their trip?"

"I've heard about it, yes." Midori was only tangentially involved in that, but it seemed like they were trying to impose something on him without compensation. "Is their trip canceled?"

"No," Ryotaro replied as he rolled up his sleeves and started to dry some of the dishes. "I've already talked to your father about this as well, letting him know what's going on. But now that everything is settled, I'm letting you know before Nanako."

"What?" Midori was suddenly worried, though she did not know the cause. "Is there a problem?"

"No," he confirmed. "In fact, you're probably be better at this than I will be." He shook his head at the thought. "Their son, Yu, is going to be staying in Japan while they go overseas for their job. I've agreed to let him stay here for the year."

Midori paused, surprised that this was what was being talked about in hushed tones. "I... don't have a problem with that."

"Good. I'll be preparing the spare room on the second floor for him, and I'll be talking to your school over the next week to make sure that all the transfer papers are properly arranged." He took a clean plate from her and started to wipe it down. "He'll be a second-year, so please look after him."

Midori nodded. "I think I can do that. You said his name is Yu, right?"

"Yes. Narukami Yu," he said formally. "I don't think he's ever met you, and the last time I saw him was years ago, so I have no idea what he's like."

"I can handle that." Midori didn't think too much about that. When she slept over at the Dojima house, she shared a room with Nanako, and didn't use the spare room on the second floor. She was also certain that it needed a complete cleaning and airing out. "When is he arriving?"

"April 11th," Ryotaro said. "He'll be here for the full school year, then my sister and brother-in-law come back."

"Huh," Midori already started to plan things out, though to be truthful, there wasn't much she could do. "You worried about me?"

"No, I'm more worried about Nanako." Ryotaro admitted as he looked back at his daughter. "She's getting better with strangers, but still, having him move in like this... I need to prepare her."

"I understand," Midori replied. "Let me know when there's more information."

"I will. And thanks for being so thoughtful."

21 February 2011
Somewhere... Velvet

Midori jumped awake with a start, not recognizing her surroundings even as she looked around wildly. She had gone to bed and now she wasn't there and this place was...

"Hello again, young child." Igor said with a smile. "I welcome you back to the Velvet Room."

"Wha..." Midori refocused on the long-nosed entity sitting across the table from her. Looking around, she saw nothing distinct, like everything was obscured by a thick fog that started mere feet from the table. "Oh. Um. Hello, Igor-sama." She bowed as best she could. "Forgive me, you... I didn't expect this."

"Quite understandable." Igor gestured to his left where a woman stood. "Allow me to introduce Margaret. She is my assistant currently."

Midori looked at the Velvet attendant and was struck instantly by the sheer presence she put out. Where Elizabeth was chaotic and exploring everything that she remembered, and Theodore seemed put-upon, this Margaret was... regal in bearing – if she had to choose a word. "Hello!" she said as she again. "My name is Komaki Midori."

"Hello," Margaret said in a voice that only reinforced the conclusions that Midori had made.

"So, where's Elizabeth and Theodore?" Midori asked as she looked around, though all she could see was the other two people and the table. "Is it their day off?"

It was Margaret who answered. "My dear brother has other tasks to which he is attending," she sighed. "And my younger sister is..." She drifted off, letting Igor fill in.

"Elizabeth has her own path she is following right now," he said. "Thank you for your concern. But now, as to the reason why I have invited you here."

"Of course!" Midori felt awake and paid attention to her inhuman host. "How may I help?"

"There is a certain person – who is neither a guest of this place like yourself, or Aigis or others; nor is she a resident like myself and Margaret – and yet she has come into my care." Igor said with a wave of his gloved hand. "In discussion with certain others about what to do with this person, your name came up as a person who could help."

"Um..." Midori fought to focus on that, even as the surrounding fog threatened to wind its way into her mind. "Are you sure it's me? Aigis is the Wild Card."

"Yes." Igor assured her. "Before you voice other concerns, know that this is not an obligation, merely a polite request."

"But why me?"

"There are certain... conditions to the status of our new responsibility," Margaret explained. "These conditions preclude many options that would normally be available to us."

"Indeed," Igor continued. "This person has need of role models that we cannot be, and you were put forth as a viable alternative."

"Who are we talking about here?" Midori left the question open as to whether she was talking about the subject of their discussion or the person who was her 'sponsor'. She had an idea as to whom the latter was, and she would be certain to email Abel later.

"She is named Marie," Margaret said as she gestured to Midori's right. "Right now, she is asleep, but soon she will wake and be ready to interact with the outside world."

Midori looked and saw a new person around the table. The young black-haired girl was dressed in a Velvet jacket and pants that were more like pyjamas than anything else. She was sitting in a chair, but the motion of her chest, and the fall of her head indicated she was asleep. "What is she?" Midori wondered aloud. "Angel? Demon?"

"Neither," Igor said. "Her origin is a mystery to us as well, and we are investigating." He drew Midori's attention. "However, she seems to have some attachment to the place you now call home, hence the contacting of yourself."

"What do you want me to do?" Midori had already decided to agree to their request given that Abel was vouching for her and it was Igor making the request.

"When she wakes, she cannot stay in the Velvet Room," Margaret said. "We would like you to show her your world as well as we devise solutions to problems that are not yet apparent."

Midori nodded. That made some sense, though not really. She trusted Margaret's words as she just seemed like that kind of person, and Igor wasn't about to hire a liar, was he? "I can help," she said. "How did you want to handle this?"

Igor and Margaret looked pleased with her agreement. "We shall contact you forthwith with further details," Igor said as he put something down on the table. "Until then, please accept this key to the Velvet Room for your use."

Midori put her hand over whatever it was the Igor put down and tried to look at it. While her brain recognized it as having the qualities of 'Velvet' and 'Key', everything else about it, including its shape and weight seemed impossible to observe. She also recognized that she now had it, though she couldn't tell if it was in a pocket, or around her neck, or where. It was weird, but she had experienced far more unusual things. "Are there any limitations?"

"At this time, not yet." Igor said. "We will phone you with more information later, and will tell you how to access this place when the time comes." He smiled again. "Thank you for your help in this matter."

"You're welcome." Midori said in polite response.

"Before you go, I do have a more personal request." Igor said instead of dismissing her. "You have Black Frost on you, do you not?"

Midori was in her own pyjamas and she patted herself down until she found Frosty's card. Even though she was certain that she didn't have him there when she went to bed. "Here," she said, holding it up. "Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yes." Igor said. "I wanted to show that unique piece of work to Margaret. Would you mind?"

Margaret reached out and Midori handed Frosty over without complaint. She looked at the card from all sides and when she was done, handed it back. "Amazing," she replied. "I have much to learn."

Igor seemed pleased with that. "Indeed. And there will be many opportunities to learn."

Midori caught that. "Wait! Is something going to happen? Have you warned Aigis?"

Igor ignored her concerns. "Nothing of the sort, my dear." He folded his hands in front of his mouth. "It is time you returned to your world, your own dreams. We have taken too much time of yours as it is. We will contact you soon."

22 February 2011
Tokyo
Early Morning

Abel didn't like doing an end-run around the SDF, but between his own obligations and limitations, and discussions with the Gatekeeper he recognized that this was the best option available to him. He really didn't like politics, even though it was going to be his life's work. Looking down at the e-mail on his COMP, he began to type out a reply.

TO: DOLLY
FROM: A-Bel
RE: Stuff

Yes, I was consulted, and yes, your name came up. I trust you, Midori. You should also trust yourself to do right by everyone involved. I know you'll do well.

By the way, Atsuro is enjoying his new job, and he told me that he was sad that you had retired from being Dolly. Ask him, and he'll change your COMP's email ID from 'Dolly' to 'Midori' or whatever you would prefer.