No matter how many times it happened, the coldness of her dreams never got any better.
It was always the same, always the same tango. Yet every time it was worse. Those four walks she had learned religiously. The same mechanisms moving and mocking her in distinct ways. The darkness engulfing her while her torch slowly dimmed. The cold, everpresent. No matter how the dream began, she always ended up back there. Sometimes it happened with no buildup. Other times, the floor gave in and she fell and fell until she was trapped once again. In the worst times, she was lured in and trapped by some unknown figure.
That warmth. It was always that warmth. Accompanying her through the desert to her demise.
So why…
"Time to wake up."
Faruzan opened her eyes and immediately closed them after the sunlight blinded her. It took her a couple of times for her gaze to accustom to, realising that she had fallen asleep in her office. She no longer could stay in that inn as her free stays had run out. And until the end of the month, she'd have no money at all.
"You look like you've just been born."
Not hiding his amusement, her Pupil poked her cheek as he chuckled. Faruzan took a moment to rub her eyes and stretch her neck.
"Good morning… How did you…?"
"Entered through the window. You asked me to wake you up an hour after sunrise, remember?" His eyes looked brighter than usual as he fixed her hair. "Any nightmares?"
"No."
The answer was almost immediate, which definitely tipped him off. He ignored it and continued. "You should not sleep sitting down. You'll hurt your neck, back… All your joints."
Faruzan wiped the drool off her face and quickly stood up. "R-Right, I just don't have much of a place to sleep besides this."
"Weren't you saying the Akademiya would compensate you for your troubles?" He asked, leaning against the desk.
"Ah, yes. But that would only happen if they could confirm that they were the ones responsible. And apparently, they're not. So they're choosing to clean their hands and move on."
"So they gave you a written apology and nothing else?"
"Not even that. But look!" Faruzan turned to her desk and pushed aside a bunch of scrap and crystals. She picked up an old framed diploma, small but well-kept. "It's mine! From my graduation! And here's the award I won shortly after publishing my Synopsium on Ruin Mechanisms. I have also joined a puzzler competition. Mostly to proclaim my superiority over these confident brats that called me a ghost. But also money."
Her Dearest had a bit of trouble understanding the meaning of it all but nonetheless nodded.
"I suppose this has a lot of sentimental value for you." He observed the old diploma for a few seconds longer before placing it down on the desk.
"I had more things to be proud of. This is simply what remains." Faruzan twisted her lips, not liking the negative turn of the conversation.
"I see. This feather and a few other things... They're the same for me." He carefully picked up his vision and showed her the golden plume attached to it. "It reminds me of a better… Rather, a different time with people I miss. Originally it meant something else but I gave it a new meaning."
"New meaning… well, I'm a bit too drowsy to figure out a new meaning for this." Faruzan yawned before she realised how badly arranged her entire office was. "How is your Guardian?"
"My Guardian? She's fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because I care, I suppose? Is she like you? Doesn't she have a name?"
"…Nahida?" He muttered, barely audible.
"What did you say? Anahita? Well, maybe you can introduce her to me. At least you have something of a family, I need her approval!"
"Approval? The only thing you need is to clean this shithole up. Seriously, look at this." He wandered towards the bookcase full of trinkets. "What's this? A broken watch? Half a screw?"
"Okay, okay, I get it! Thank you for offering your help to clean my workshop!" Faruzan smiled proudly as she picked up a bunch of books and offered them to him. "More importantly. I said good morning and you didn't answer!"
"No." He refused to pick up the books. "And I never said I was going to help, but I have nothing better to do. Just move your ass, will you?"
The cleaning operation was not as annoying as it seemed. At least in the beginning. Though the broken components and unnamed trinkets were easy to gather and dispose of, the residue, dust and pollen that entered from the open window were not. After an hour of cleaning up, they decided to gather all the books she did not need and return them to the library.
"If you divide all materials far enough, it always ends up being a triangle. It is the primordial polygon, the basis of all." Faruzan explained as she handed him more books.
"I still don't get why shapes are related to mathematics but… You can't divide a circle into a triangle." He answered somewhat smugly.
"Circles are not real, they're a human invention." She replied as if it was obvious.
"The sun? The moons?"
"They're not perfect circles, they're circle-like structures. And what do circles remind you about? Hexagons. And what are hexagons? Would you look at that like, SIX TRIANGLES!"
"Your face is a triangle."
Faruzan just grinned. "Was that really the best you had?"
He shrugged as the book pile on his hands grew even taller. "Alright, your ass is a triangle."
"That's just the same comeback… Also, it's a lovely heart shape."
"A heart shape? That's a triangle and two circles? A mad scholar told me circles don't exist?"
"You know what," Faruzan picked up four more heavy books and placed them on top of his pile. His face was basically covered behind it, but he didn't seem to care. "All right, bring them down to the library. Book carrier."
"Fucking old hag with her century-old punishments."
Faruzan opened the door for him, picked up a similar-sized pile of books and followed him out.
Even with the comically sized mountain of books he was carrying, her Dearest had no issues walking down the wide staircases of the Akademiya. Faruzan was almost impressed, but it almost seemed like too lenient of a punishment for… What did he do again? Oh well, it probably wasn't that important.
They had just entered the House of Daena, Sumeru's grand library, when Faruzan spotted a familiar figure strolling through the main lobby.
"Oh, young Kaveh! What a mighty coincidence!" Faruzan turned ninety degrees just to walk up to him with impunity.
The architect had certainly warmed up to Faruzan, but her hectic introduction bode bad news for him. "Oh, Madame Faruzan, good morning."
"See? He says good morning." She offhandedly complained to her Dearest as he followed her. "Ehem. Good morning, Kaveh!"
Faruzan casually jabbed Wanderer's arm with her elbow.
"…Morning." Her Dearest answered, turning slightly to see him fully.
Kaveh didn't seem as careful around the Wanderer, yet did not like the cold words and dead stare. "So, uh… Returning some books, I see?"
Smiling proudly, Faruzan puffed out her chest. "Ah, yes. My… Sir Hat is helping me as always. I was going to ask if you managed to solve your latest conundrum. The issue with dome size in wider structures."
"The help you gave me was sound, I believe the arches and buttresses can hold up the dome in perfect conditions. Though, I still think a buttress is quite ugly… And the foundations are still an issue." Kaveh casually explained, taking half of Faruzan's book. "And if you'll excuse me, I'll help you two for a bit."
"Oh, thank you, youngster. You didn't even throw a tantrum before helping."
This time, it was Wanderer jabbing his elbow against her.
"These are quite old and heavy…" Kaveh muttered before turning to Faruzan. "How's your house hunt going?"
The trio started walking towards the main lobby of the House of Daena.
"Badly. Prizes are exorbitant, and the rest are rent traps. Who can even afford a house in this City anymore?"
Her complaints were quickly reinforced by Kaveh's. "I know, right?! The city is locked by rivers and mountains, so the sprawl is at its limits. If I could I'd move out of it, but to stay so far away from the Akademiya is a death sentence."
"Aren't you a famed architect?" The Wanderer suddenly spoke. "You'll be fine even if you stay out of here."
"Well, I mean, probably. But just because I'd be fine, doesn't mean others would be."
Kaveh was an exuberant idealist but that sort of view helped many people. In comparison, Wanderer seemed much more individualist than the young architect… But that was only how he wanted to be seen.
"You can't understand how people suffer unless you live among them." Her Dearest answered. "Knowing what they go through means nothing as long as you live in a house of gold. Begging for scraps gets you nothing."
That was unexpected. Was he being a contrarian, or did he really believe that? As far as she knew, it was the latter. Her Dearest had a hard shell and a soft interior, with many heavyweights luring his mind.
"I don't live—" Kaveh's answer got cut off by Faruzan.
"Sir Hat has a sharp tongue and doesn't believe in top-down solutions." She translated his words into an understandable sentence. "And he didn't mean to make the matter personal, right?"
"…No. I only wanted to say that sometimes help is denied, or arrives too late. And before that happens, it's better to get involved yourself rather than praying for someone's help."
"I like that answer better!" Faruzan quickly added, bumping shoulders with him.
"Well, I wasn't going to argue with him. Sometimes, it's better to say issues with no sugarcoating. That being said, I'm really not in a good financial situ— Oh, would you look at that! The reception."
The group reached the House of Daena's reception, which was apparently empty.
"Hmph. Odd. I'll ring the bell." Faruzan said, approaching the desk. She placed down the books on the desk and turned around. Kaveh was trying to ignore the ominous stare of the Wanderer, who seemed unsure of how to act. "Don't worry young Kaveh, I have him pegged. He won't do anything."
Faruzan turned and tapped the desk bell.
"…She what?"
"It means she knows me."
"Oh right, that meaning. I knew it."
A few moments later, a familiar-looking figure strolled into the main reception of the library. The man crossed eyes with Faruzan and immediately shuddered.
"Heavens, no. You again."
It was the same lazy man that had botched her triumphant return to the Akademiya.
"That's no way of treating your elders, youngster. I've come to return a few books." She tapped the books on the desk and then pointed to her two book carriers behind her. "So you better get going."
"I'm just filling in for the current librarian temporarily. I don't know where these books are supposed to go. Either come later or arrange them yourself."
"Hmph! You'll regret that."
Faruzan took her pile of books and stomped off towards Kaveh and her Dearest.
"Give me the books, young Kaveh. No need to bother yourself with this." Her stern voice was enough to make the architect give in. "These receptionists, I swear to Buer…"
"What's the issue?" He asked.
"Nothing, we're just going to return these by hand. You can go, we can handle this."
"I see… Oh, by the way. I actually meant to tell you this beforehand. I've managed to convince Alhaitham for another lunch. Want some room like last time?"
His offer was quite tempting, and Faruzan had not eaten at all. So her answer was obvious.
"Really? Well, I haven't had a proper meal since last time… Okay!" She pulled her Pupil by his arm. "Can Sir Hat over here come too? He'll pay his share for being a bully though."
"Uh, sure. It's alright I suppose." Kaveh scratched the back of his head. "You sure you don't need help with the books?"
"We don't." Her Dearest answered, pushing past him and placing himself beside Faruzan. "Let's get going."
Bidding their farewell, Faruzan and Wanderer roamed through the seemingly endless House of Daena.
Most of the Haravatat books were easy to return. The issue came with the Kshahrewar technological books. Their section was wide and long, with several narrow bookcases making labyrinthical paths all over the library. The old and outdated books Faruzan had chosen were seemingly lost through the endless bookcases. By the time they were done, the sun was already in its highest spot.
Their quest took even more time, as they got lost in the nightmarish layout of the library. The search anticlimactically ended as they randomly strolled into a somewhat wide study wing with four long tables all gathered together. The bookcases suddenly became sparse, with a clear and wide path towards the main library.
Sitting at one of the tables, a drowsy student saw them coming by and suddenly snapped out of her stupor. She gathered her books and pencils and slowly left towards the main hall of the library.
"Oh, bye Layla!" Faruzan waved at her, but the girl ignored her and left the isolated wing. "That girl usually greets me. Odd."
"Who? That sleepwalker?" He headed towards the tables to properly see the student. "No clue who that is. Want me to make sure she always says hello?"
"No, not really. Those Rtawahist students are smarter the odder they act." Right where that girl was sitting, there was a small book. Faruzan approached it and picked it up. "She left her notebook. Let's give it back."
"If it was that important she wouldn't have forgotten it." He snatched the notebook from her, rummaging through the pages. "Let's see what she's writing about."
"No." She snapped shut the book and placed the notebook back on the table. "Which reminds me, you're the one who owes me something.
"Owe? Oh, you mean the complex machinery I mentioned yesterday? Right. I've been trying to think of the best way to say it." He rubbed the back of his neck, bidding for time.
"Say it? Say what?"
"Let's just drop the pretences. You haven't seen me asleep, I took a bolt to the face and came out unscathed, I do not need to eat or drink. I'm, like my Guardian says, a synthetic human. I don't really like that name, but she knows better."
Faruzan blinked. "That's… a lot to take in."
"I guessed as much. I can prove it, though. The less invasive way is to just try to find my heartbeat, so try to do so."
Unsure but not unwilling to follow his request, Faruzan sheepishly placed her palm right in the middle of his chest. It was warm, though the bodysuit felt somewhat rough to the touch. The movement was firm enough to feel through the cloth, but smooth and gentle enough as to not bother him too much.
Nothing.
Making a conscious effort to overfocus on her hand, she applied a bit more pressure and moved her hand a bit lower. There was nothing. Pulling her hand back, she took a step forward and her ear against his chest. Still nothing, not even blood flow. It was inert.
"Huh."
"Huh? That's all the reaction my confession receives?" It almost felt like his pride had been wounded by her lacklustre answer.
"So you're like… half machine?" Faruzan asked, taking a step back.
"No. As far as living beings go, I'm completely artificial. I was made to reassemble a normal human and to deal with some other unimportant issues." His stiff posture gave away how nervous he was about this endeavour.
"But how are you powered? It's so quiet in there." She pressed her ear back against his chest, but he pushed her away.
"Look that's not… I don't exactly know. I've never seen past a certain point and I would rather not know." His eyes repeatedly shifted away and towards Faruzan. "Aren't you scared that I'm not human?"
He wouldn't have asked that if it wasn't chewing him inside, or so Faruzan believed. Save for flesh and bone, there wasn't anything to really discern him from other humans. There could be some philosophical debate here, but Faruzan wanted none of it. As far as she knew, he was as human as any other person. She already had made up her mind even without knowing the truth. Synthetic life was the same as organic life.
"Well, you're still a person. Just made of… What are you made off? A non-ferrous metal, that's for sure."
"Stop for a moment. The only person who has asked me those questions is the monster I'm going to eviscerate if I ever see him again. You're bringing back bad memories, so don't ask those types of questions." He crossed his arms, pivoting slightly away. "I'm also not going to show you anything inside my body. I can't really… I'm not mentally prepared for that."
Wasn't that bad? Like really bad? Two bombshells right next to each other. Had he been experimented on? Perhaps even worse? He really seemed to not care much about that confession, but this was even more worrying than yesterday's.
"What's with the stupid face? Why are you believing me so easily? You should be more reticent."
He just said to not ask questions!
"But you just…" Faruzan massaged her temples. "Organic or not, you're still an annoying quibbler. Is this a prank, is that it?"
"When have I ever made pranks? You can prod around, I don't have a normal skeleton. But I'm not… opening anything. I won't allow that."
Curiosity killed the cat, but he seemed really lenient today. Coupled with an almost innocent expression, he seemed to be making a genuine offer. Did he not notice that he killed her enthusiasm?
"Don't you hate being touched?"
"Only when I don't allow it. So every time you do it."
Ignoring the comment, she poked his chest again. It didn't feel any different, barring that she couldn't quite feel his skin through the bodysuit. Passing to a more concise analysis, he certainly had ribs or at least, rib-like structures. She was no biologist, but bipedalism was not something so easily refounded.
It did not feel like bone, however. Cartilage, or a very malleable metal. Perhaps…
Did he believe that she was so good at identifying mechanisms? This didn't feel so different from groping him. Which, arguably, didn't feel so bad. She could count all his ribs and feel up his muscles warping at her fingertips. The recreation seemed almost perfect.
"Do you have to ogle so intensely?"
"It's not ogling, it's staring with scholarly intent," Faruzan answered, her hands becoming a bit bolder. "There's certainly something odd with your ribcage. It feels like a few of your ribs are detached. And I don't mean the floating ones."
Faruzan pushed aside his coat, freeing his right arm and immediately traced one of the strangely decoupled ribs. He barely showed skin, but his shoulders and armpits seemed to be free from that dreaded bodysuit. So hard to feel around…
"What are you doing?" He said, raising his arm as Faruzan walked behind him. She forced him to undress the remaining arm, leaving his coat dangling from his belt. "Seriously, what are you doing?"
"Nothing heinous. Can you lean forward? I can't see your backbone."
"I… You know this is a library, right?" He asked, his face showing the smallest hint of embarrassment. "If we get caught, I'm the one half-naked."
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have taken so long to tell me. Lean forward!"
Begrudgingly following her command, he crossed his arms and leaned forward ever so slightly. Just enough for his spine to show through the thin bodysuit.
As fun as it was for him to follow her request, the fun was short-lived. Certainly, she could already see something not quite right. Touching his covered back confirmed those suspicions. In three points across his entire back, a few of his ribs simply stopped existing. Part of his lower spine was non-existent. She trailed her finger across a few of the holes, finding little resistance. Putting some pressure on the hole made them bend down until some sort of metallic wall stopped them.
Grimacing in pain, he distanced himself from Faruzan and turned around.
"You have at least three holes in your back. No bone for some reason. That's pretty weird." She spoke out loud, quickly noticing his pained expression. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's fine." He crossed his arms again, looking around the empty library wing. "So? Do you believe me now?"
She already believed him, but he wouldn't mind just a bit more of touching, right?
"I mean, I'm inclined to trust you but… I'm going to need some more proof!" She quickly asserted, grabbing one of his arms and holding it up. She twisted and moved it around. "Hmm… Your mobility seems to be fine even with those back wounds. I assume the ribs are purely aesthetic to resemble the human form. Yet, the holes. How did you get them?"
"They were for moving an exoskeleton. The energy was too much for my body, so I had that to help me use it. It didn't quite work and I had to forcefully detach myself from the tubes."
"A tube? But someone had to remove part of your ribs and…" That seemed completely insane. It was clearly hurting him now, she couldn't imagine how much it hurt beforehand.
"It healed over and I can't regrow missing body parts. End of story."
Was that the reason he hid most of his body under that tight bodysuit? What marks or scars was he hiding? It was quite clear he didn't want to talk about it, so the story was more than it seemed. She didn't have the gall to force him to confess.
As if reading her mind, he continued speaking. "That person I mentioned experimented on me. I allowed it at the time, but I regret it now. I was just being used."
"I see." Her fingers lingered around his forearm. "Maybe I can make you something so it stops hurting."
He didn't answer straight away, merely shrugging and looking away. "Well, are you done now?"
"I just need one last check…"
Her Pupil narrowed his eyes, not convinced of her reasoning but didn't do anything to stop her touchy hands.
Picking his left hand as if it was an ancient relic, she placed her palm against his and measured it. It wasn't much bigger than hers, and he did seem to have fingerprints. They were very soft, however. Interlocking her fingers, the smooth, velvety touch was even more pleasing. He didn't seem to mind that they were holding hands.
"Your hands are rough to the touch, how can you feel anything with them?" His calm expression betrayed his clearly annoyed voice.
"It's what happens when you truly work. Your hands are too soft, you've never worked a hard day in your life… Actually, I don't think you've picked up anything in years."
"I have. You."
She was too busy with her inspection to care for the poor flirt. "I prefer love poems to lousy lines."
He raised an eyebrow. "Listen then. She was heaven, he was hell—"
Pressing a finger against his lips, Faruzan stopped the horrible poem that he had probably invented in less than five seconds. Taking advantage of the new position, her hands cusped his cheeks while her thumbs drew circles around them.
"You know, maybe you're right… My hands are quite old. My sense of touch is very rusty, I can only identify shapes with them." Her Dearest did not react to her sly words, merely choosing to let pull herself closer to him. "Did you know that lips are as receptive as fingers?"
"If you want to kiss a strange puppet, then be my guest." He opened his mouth as if to say more, but thought better of it.
"Hmph. I don't like how you belittle yourself. I'm going to bite you."
She stood on the tip of her toes as she leaned against his cheek and nibble him for a long, pleasant second. Her hands grabbed his shoulders for support, stopping her soft bite to peck his nose.
"…What are you doing?" He huffed out an answer, a flush developing on his cheeks.
"Testing materials?" Of course, this was for science. Her lips brushed against the tip of his nose again but stopped short of touching it. Leaning back, Faruzan observed the strange, forced scowl on his face. "I didn't think you could feel embarrassment."
"I'm not embarrassed. Just very angry at your shitty bite."
His lie did not hold up as an inscrutable feeling flickered in his eyes. He looked down and away, twisting his lips.
"Hoho! You are, you totally are. I think I've figured you out. You're just a little glass cannon, aren't you? That's why you left so suddenly last time, right?" Faruzan pulled her arms around him, returning him another kiss on the cheek. "Did I steal your ability to speak?"
"We're in a library…"
"And?"
That blunt affirmation was enough to unclog his system. "You just want to be caught, is that it? Nobody found you for a century so now you want to continuously be found out?"
Faruzan just brushed aside his comment, choosing to drive her knee against his crotch. He yelped for a moment as Faruzan showed a restrained surprise. "Huh, I thought it would be smooth like your navel."
"Not anymore and give me some warning!"
She pulled back her knee. Her arms lowered to his chest and then his abdomen. She then proclaimed with a smile: "I wanna see it!"
Whether he was shocked or glad, he inadvertently tried to take a step back. He immediately bumped against the table in the middle of the wing, which left him no choice but to say something.
"You have to be so eager here…? If it's just looking, it's fine, I guess." Her Dearest clearly only knew how to lead, not how to receive anything. He was so out of touch that she was almost feeling sorry for him. He still looked at her longingly, waiting for her move. "But after this, we're done for the day."
"Good! You have to admit, this is very interesting." Faruzan's hands roamed lower but found a bit of an issue to feel anything at all through so many layers. "Really, I hate your bodysuit. And your coat. And this rope… belt… thing…"
"That belt holds up everything, don't insult it."
"Oh, I get it!"
Faruzan kneeled in front of him and started to try and unfasten the thick black belt around his waist.
"Are you sure you want to be like that? On your knees in front of me?" He asked, gripping the edge of the table.
"Why do you ask?" She managed to remove the rope around the belt and finally started to peel it off. "Finally! Shorts off, please!"
Faruzan was about to unveil the hidden obelisk of Inazuma when her Dearest tapped her head. She glanced up and saw how he was looking to his right.
"The... The notebook."
Layla's voice quivered as she picked up the notebook she had forgotten, her face and ears completely flushed with shame.
Faruzan hastily stood up, a gaggle of words stuck in her throat. Layla stuttered a semblance of a response as she covered her face with the notebook. The student quickly turned around and tried tro run away.
And in desperation, Faruzan barked a hopeless order to her Dearest.
"Knock her out!"
There was no hesitance in the Wanderer, as he suddenly appeared behind Layla and knocked her out with a well-placed chop. Before she fell to the ground, he picked her and the book up.
"Why did you knock her out?!" Faruzan's panicked voice did not help the situation.
"You told me to do so!"
"Don't follow orders without thinking! What if poor Layla is dead now?!"
"The only thing dead here is her respect for you! She'll only complain about a headache at most."
"Hng…" Layla groggily opened her eyes. "Who attac—"
Wanderer repeated the same move and knocked her out again. Layla fell limp on his arms again.
"Sir! What the hell!"
"You said to think for myself. And I would rather not go to jail because of this." He proficiently dragged her towards one of the chairs and sat her down. "We'll just make her think she dreamed this."
For lack of a better option, she agreed.
"Okay, fine!" Faruzan took the notebook and opened it, placing it on the table before forcing Layla to rest upon it. "We'll make it up to you, young Layla, I'm sorry!"
Her Dearest seized Faruzan's wrist and led her behind a few bookcases. They observed how Layla woke up while rubbing her neck and glanced at the notebook below. She merely took the notebook and drowsily meandered away towards the main lobby. Almost immediately, Wanderer laughed.
"See? She's none the wiser." His laughter petered out into a hearty chuckle. "What was her name? Miss Fortune?"
"Miss Fortune? Oh, Misfortune." Faruzan giggled but forced herself to stop. "That's not funny. We should treat her to a massage or something…"
"Eh, if you think so. But we shouldn't tell her the truth, right?"
"Of course not! Why did you bring that out, I had forgotten!" Faruzan's face turned beet red again and she covered her face. "Oh god this was an awful idea, why did we have to do this in a public library!"
"If nobody knows the crime, then there are no culprits. Anyways, if there's something I hate more than people, it's being interrupted." He slowly put back his coat on and tightened his belt.
"You interrupted the fun last time."
"It's alright if I do it. Unlike you, I have self-control." He finally fixed his hat and walked out of their hiding between bookcases. "Besides, aren't you glad that I'm making you feel the youth you lost?"
She grabbed the back of his coat and followed him out. "Mighty talk from someone who was quavering in his boots not two minutes ago. And if I wanted to feel young, I'd go back to the Great Red again."
They slowly made their way to the main lobby.
"Hey," Faruzan continued. "Why did you choose to tell me now?"
"I guess there was no point in hiding it anymore. You deserve the truth. And lying is the worst, is it not?" He turned around, his expression uncharacteristically serene. "I'm also around 300 years older than you. Maybe more."
"Really? Why are you such a brat then?"
Her cheeky smile was met by her Dearest's even more mischievous one. "I'm a brat? Then you're very grouchy for a 120-year-old. I guess I can go back to calling you Twintails. I don't need to show any more respect."
"I am a respected and distinguished scholar. Calling me Madame Faruzan is still a must. Not like you called me that anyhow."
"Well then, Madame." He offered his hand, still smiling. "Since I've been so open with you, I hope you won't grow tired of me?"
"Of course not. I like my 400ish years old within spitting distance." She kindly took his hand. "Though I expect you don't have any more mindboggling revelations?"
He didn't answer straight away. A moment or two later, he parted his lips. "…That time we slept together I stared at the ceiling for the entire night. I can't exactly fall asleep."
Faruzan raised an eyebrow. "…That's so creepy."
"Yeah, well, you snore."
Hand in hand, they finally made their way towards the main lobby of the House of Daena.
"Lies! Also, we have lunch with Kaveh and Alhaitham so don't act weird… You eat, right? Well, I've seen you eat."
"Out of spite, I can do anything. Even hurt myself."
