"You and Gixx are dating now?" Batanga asks.

We're in my section of the lab, and I'm working on my mini-VOED infused golem again. I have no problem working on it in front of her. I think I've finally figured out my problem with the AI and the motor controls! In a particular bit of inspired genius, I devised a possible workaround. There's a small margin for error, and if I make a mistake it has the possibility of the entire golem exploding. There's a 30% chance of success. Not bad for odds!

"I wouldn't say dating as much as seeing each other on an occasional basis," I reply casually. I'm still happy to start a relationship with Gixx, but I don't want things to get out of hand due to Batanga's gossip. I carefully fit the mini-VOED into the stock body of my golem.

"With romantic intentions," she says smugly. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"That this would happen. I'm excellent at predicting romance. I could tell he liked you, I just didn't want to say anything."

I start to solder the VOED into place. This is going to work I just know it.

"Ha! I'm sure you did," I respond without looking up from my work. Almost there . . .

She watches me work in silence for a moment. I get the feeling she doesn't know exactly what I'm doing. Not that Batanga isn't an intelligent and cunning asura, but I can tell that she's not very familiar with golemancy. When I asked her for a vorpal arcane wrench earlier, she handed me an endomystic one instead! That's not even an apprentice level mistake!

I lean back from the golem and inspect my work. Everything looks to be in order, but I go over everything one last time before closing the golem. I take it off the work bench and place it on the floor in front of me.

"It's done?" Batanga asks. "That was fast."

I smile broadly. "I'm a genius remember? Once I knew what was wrong, it was easy to fix."

"Looks like now's the chance to show off your genius," she says while pointing behind me.

I turn around and see a familiar face heading toward me. I hide my surprise and remember to act as cordial as possible.

He notices that I've seen him and he waves. It's awkward though, as he's come close enough that a handshake was more appropriate.

"Tippa," Gorr begins, "How are you?"

"Just fine, and how are you Professor Gorr?" I purposefully use his full title. Gorr is either incredibly dense or callous to come walking into my lab after what he said to me. Best to be professional, even if I wasn't yesterday. Running off in tears like some progeny who just broke her first toy! I should have acted better than that. Oh sparks, it WAS only yesterday. So much happened over the past 2 days it felt like much more time passed.

"Ah just fine. My project is going well," he shuffles his feet awkwardly as he responds.

I turn from him to power on my golem, and I notice Batanga is nowhere to be found. Sometimes I'm jealous of how a Whispers agent can just leave without a trace when they please. Unfazed, I begin the power up testing and sequences. Whatever he wants, it isn't more important than testing my new golem.

"Do you need something?" Power output normal, diagnostic tests are clean. With a whirr, the lights shine bright on my mini-golem, and it de-compacts itself.

"I . . . just wanted to apologize for the other day," he says.

"What for?" I watch as the golem starts to work on its motor sequencing, its arms spinning around its core body. So far, so good.

"An associate of mine informed me that, I, should have phrased myself better at our last meeting," he scratches behind one of his ears. Those glorious ears. No! Focus on the mini-golem. Wait, phrasing?

"When I said I was busy, I meant it, but not in the usual way," he wrings his hands and continues. "Not in the "not interested ever way," but that "I am interested but now is a bad time" way."

Are you kidding me?! I look at Gorr, just as the golem gives a critical warning error. His little confession throws me off and I pay for the hesitation. The mini golem explodes in a crackle of light and blue-gray smoke. It's arms and legs flying off into the distance until they were just a twinkle, and its arcane crystals cracked or crumbled.

This little explosion isn't a setback. No, any good golemancer learns as much from their failures as they do from their successes. I cough and wave away the remaining smoke. Gorr did as well, and he seems unharmed. My mind briefly went to Gixx, realizing that I now have nothing to show him but the burnt body core of my golem.

I have more choices where to go from here. More choices are good right? Things are more complicated, but I'm an asura. We're great at handling complications.

FIN

To be continued in the next story! Which is on hold, as the May 14th update has a storyline that's really close to what I had in mind. I'm going to wait to see how that plays out before posting the next entry in the series. For now, I hope you enjoyed Heart Inverter, and thank you for reading!