Warning for cursing and implied harm to minors. Also that is not scientific method.

3. A Meaning Behind Everything

"You seem all right."

Litton's voice, once somewhat nervous, once empty even, sounded boisterous and less hoarse. Barone managed a smile. She sipped mango and peach puree out of a straw and tucked her hair buns back. "You too."

"Anubimon helps," Litton admitted, settling back in her chair. "Encouraging and everything. Doesn't care that I still can't see shit."

Barone's eyes widened. "An Anubimon? Really?" She couldn't help the excited wriggle in her chair. "You managed to connect to an Ultimate?"

Litton's dark skin darkened even further as she blushed. "Well, uh… yeah. It was by accident. Glare was working with us down in Thriller Ruins. He showed up and he's been around all the time since. He's..." She dipped her head in a gesture of humility that Barone knew the other didn't make easily. "He's been a great help, after everything."

Barone smiled, though her head drooped in dissatisfaction. "Yeah… I still can't..." Dreamless or even happy sleep eluded every single one of them, no matter what they did.

Litton took a large gulp of mango and banana. "Same. This won't help."

That comment earned a giggle. "We have a few hours before bed. I think you'll be fine, Li-nee."

Litton flushed again, a solemn frown twisting her small face. "I wish you wouldn't call me that, you know. It's almost insulting."

"It's a compliment," Barone defended, though her voice wavered a little to control her giggles. It was still a little fun to get under her senior's skin. Litton laughed and her eyes cleared.

"I know, but still." She raised a hand and waved it about like she would cast a spell. "I'm a bit of a failure of a big sis, you know."

"You're doing some good," Barone countered with a huff, blue eyes curdling like spoiled milk. "Cheetah won't even write to me and we were stuck in the same room for three days."

Litton snickered. "That's because he's a boy, Barone. Nothing to do with you."

Barone sipped her smoothie with a wrinkle of her nose. "I think he just doesn't like me."

"Cheetah doesn't like much of anyone." It suited him. He liked to be a lot faster than anyone else, or think he was. "He's made a new friend though, him and Pulsa." Litton tossed back a cookie and caught it in her mouth, causing the other girl to wrinkle her nose.

Barone raised an eyebrow. "Cheetah can make friends?"

Litton chortled and shook her head. "Well, more like he punched the kid, the kid punched back, and Pulsa got between them. So it's close enough."

Barone laughed shyly again. "Well, that's progress." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "We're screwed up. We're all really screwed up. We can't even go home."

"We'll hurt them." Litton sounded so grim, so wan. "But up here, we'll get better, and maybe when the world gets better, we can go back and not freak at every creaking door."

Barone made a solemn hum of possible agreement and the girls finished their smoothies in silence.