Warning: heavily implied backstory rape.

"Hey, Ladiva! You free?"

The door to Raduga flew open, and Zeta stormed through, leading Fraux by the hand. The scant few patrons turned to the sudden burst of noise, and the beefy draph woman behind the counter greeted them with a wave. "Take a seat, sweetie, and I'll be with you in a moment."

"Alright, thanks." All but dragging Fraux to the bar, Zeta took a seat on a stool and patted the one beside her. "How're you holding up, Fraux?"

"Better, thanks. You didn't need to drag me like that though." Despite the crack, Fraux smirked at Zeta, a mask covering her whirlwind of emotions. She sat down and leaned on the counter, chin resting in her palm, fidgeting with the end of one of her twintails with her other hand. "Somehow I haven't been here much. I've heard the barkeep's a real sweetheart, though."

"Yeah, Ladiva's great. You got a problem, she'll hear you out." Zeta stared at the side of Fraux's face, taking in every detail she could. While the erune forced a casual demeanor, her skin remained a few shades too pale, and her wrapping her platinum hair about her finger betrayed her anxiety. She reached out and placed her hand on Fraux's shoulder, earning a surprised jump. "Relax! Things will be fine now. You've got me and Ladiva with you. Everything's gonna work out."

"…Mmm. Yeah, you're right. Sorry, my mind's just a mess right now." Fraux took a long breath and exhaled, her fingers dropping from the ends of her hair. Both fell silent for nearly a moment, before Ladiva returned and slid a steaming bowl of soup in front of Fraux. With a confused blink, Fraux looked up at her. "Hm?"

"You look miserable, honey. A good warm bowl of soup should help pick your spirits up, though." Ladiva took a seat across the counter from the girls, hand curling under her chin. "Hmm… I'm so sorry, I know I've seen you here before, but I don't think I ever caught your name."

"I'm Fraux. Only been here once or twice, and I never really chatted. And thanks." Nodding her gratitude, Fraux leaned in to blow on the soup, fingers fumbling for her spoon. "Don't know why I haven't come by more, though. It's a nice place."

"Aww, you flatter me, Fraux. I'm Ladiva, owner of this little corner of the Grandcypher. If you need anything at all, please let me know." Ladiva turned her gaze to Zeta with a soft smile. "Zeta! Back already. I'm surprised you're not with Vaseraga or Beatrix tonight."

"Yeah, well, Bea no-showed on our spar this morning. But Fraux picked up the slack, and we just hit it off after that." Zeta returned the smile, before glancing over at Fraux beside her and sighing. "But it's not about me today, it's about her. We… had a bad encounter a bit ago with some jackasses that wouldn't take no for an answer."

At once, a flame lit in Ladiva's eyes and she scowled. "Did they hurt either of you?"

"They tried, but Fraux chased them off. But she, uh…"

"Panic attack." The words slipped from Fraux, dry and emotionless. She sipped at her soup; any warmth it brought was swallowed by the abyss of fear still swirling within her. "Went basically catatonic. Zeta had to snap me out of it."

Zeta winced at the memory and nodded. With a sigh, Ladiva lowered her gaze. "That's… I'm so sorry to hear, Fraux. But for you to react like that, this… isn't the first time you've dealt with something like that, is it?"

"No, it's not." Still stone-faced, Fraux cast a glance at Zeta to her side and shook her head. "…I'm just thinking… maybe if I actually talk to someone about these things, it'll help. And if nothing else, I owe Zeta some explanations."

"Yeah, you've been dodging the hell out of me all day here." Zeta patted Fraux on the shoulder as she looked back up at Ladiva. "So I said we should come here to sort things out."

"I see. Well, if you're willing to open up to little old me, then I'll gladly try to help. But first." Ladiva rose to her feet. "Would you like anything to drink? If nothing else, maybe at least some water?"

"Yeah, I was thinking that earlier. I'll have some of the uhh…" Fraux blinked and turned to Zeta. "…What was that drink from earlier called?"

"Uhhh… I forget?" Zeta shrugged. "Just get her whatever it was I ordered earlier. Hell if I remember what it's called. And I'll just have a good solid beer myself, whatever you've got."

"Sure thing, Zeta." Stroking her beard, Ladiva frowned and looked Fraux in the eye. "But are you sure you want liquor? It's a rather light drink, but if you've already had some, it may not be the best thing for you right now."

Fraux wasted no time in nodding. "Yeah, I'm sure. I think it'll do me some good."

Her lips curling upwards, Ladiva nodded. "As you wish, then. Do be mindful if you feel you're having too much, however. And feel free to take your time here; I know this is difficult."

"Of course, it'll just be this one. And thank you." Fraux hung her head, eyes closed in thought. Where to even begin with this? She spooned some soup into her mouth, hoping it would somehow help untangle her mind. Of course it didn't; she gave a sigh, ears drooping. No sooner had the sound escaped her throat than Zeta gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. She turned to her friend—and with just that glance at Zeta's wide smile, the turmoil within her settled. As Ladiva placed both of their drinks before them, Fraux took a deep breath. "…Okay. So. You wanted to know why I don't care about being strong or whatever, right?"

"Yeah. Makes no sense to me; you're strong and like fighting, but don't actually like being strong?" Zeta took a deep swig from her mug, downing it in a single go before shoving it toward Ladiva for a refill. "Just don't get it. But I'm guessing it's tied to what happened earlier."

"…Yeah, pretty much." Fraux sipped at her drink—it really didn't go well at all with the soup, but she couldn't really care less right now—and furrowed her brows as she gathered her thoughts. "When I said my strength and beauty was just kind of natural, I wasn't lying. I was born with power in me—my strength, and that heat you felt before. You'd think things would've been easy for me like that, but…"

"Mmm… you were met with jealousy, weren't you?" After placing another drink before Zeta, Ladiva took a seat with a pitying frown. "And from such a young age too…"

"…More than jealousy. Just pure contempt from my entire village." For a moment, Fraux paused; not even the captain had heard this whole tale. What was she doing, spilling everything to two women she'd just met today? But as much as she wanted to blame the alcohol, this needed to be said. If nothing else, she had promised Zeta this much. She gritted her teeth, fist clenching. No matter how much her gut told her to stop right now and protect herself, she had to do this. "But… you're right, it started with jealousy. To the other women and girls of the town, I was flaunting my beauty. To the men, if I wasn't just some object for them to lust for, I was showing them up with my natural strength. It's like… everybody sensed my weaknesses, and just dragged me down as far they could. My strength and beauty may as well have been a curse."

She hung her head and shuddered; when had these tears started? After a dry swallow, she forced herself to keep talking, voice hardly more than a whisper. "…As I came of age, the men of the village started coming onto me. Not because they actually liked me, of course, just for my body. I… I tried to be friends with every single one of them, but… none of them showed me any love, and just left when I wouldn't give them sex. And I couldn't turn away people that needed help, no matter how cruel they were, so… it continued. But this just made everything worse. Everyone thought I was being… well, loose. And… that just got everyone else to look down on me more, and made more hungry men come for me thinking I'd be easy. And my parents… they tried to protect me, but it was too much. Eventually, they decided I was… I was out of control, and they started acting like I didn't exist. It was the only way they could deal with the burden of having me. I just wanted to be normal, but… that was impossible. And finally… well. I couldn't fend off the men's advances forever. Eventually… I… they…"

Fraux couldn't spit the words out, and instead broke into sobs, hands in her face. Zeta choked on another swig of beer as a white-hot knife of rage pierced her heart; Fraux didn't need to say anything beyond that. She slammed the mug down. "You're shitting me… those bastards! If I was there, I'd give them all a Sirius Roar straight to the damn face! Every single damn one of them!"

At the sight of Fraux's ears twitching under her cacophony of rage, Zeta sighed and reached out to drag Fraux in for a tight hug around the shoulders. "…Sorry, didn't mean to."

"…How dreadful." Ladiva held her face in her palm, other fist clenched. "To have no one to show you love, to be treated in such awful ways, and to not even be able to fall back on your parents to comfort you… it's truly heartbreaking."

Silence, aside from Fraux's blubbering, fell as she curled up into Zeta's hold, crying against her shoulder. Her own arms wound around Zeta's waist in a wiry grip, while Zeta slipped her hand around the back of Fraux's head to stroke behind her flattened ears. They held the embrace for several wordless minutes, Ladiva keeping watch over the two.

Finally, the sobs slowed, and Fraux pulled back out of the hug as she rubbed her puffy red eyes. "…W-well. I was fortunate enough to have one friend. One person to comfort and protect me through all the hell everyone else put me through. One person to share my interests. And then one day… she was just gone. I never truly learned what happened to her." After a moment's consideration, Fraux downed the remainder of her drink in one long gulp. "That was the day I made my pact with the Devil. I left my home without a word, and haven't been back. I've… just been traveling ever since, until meeting Djeeta and eventually joining the crew."

"Geez…" Zeta took her beer once more to polish it off, uncertain of what she could possibly even say to that. She slid the mug over to Ladiva in disgust, stomach still churning from the tale she just heard. Fingernails chewed into her palm as she snarled. "But… I don't get it. You're so strong; why didn't you just… fight them off? No way they could've handled you."

Fraux's heart and ears both fell at the question, shame burning in her. "…Because I'm not that strong, Zeta. Or rather, wasn't. I convinced myself I needed to help everyone, that their needs were greater than my own. And if I fought back, and hurt them? I'd just be proving everyone that thought I was out of control and dangerous right. I… have no idea what would have happened to me in that case. But moreover… I was naive enough to think that if I showed them love, they'd reciprocate. Of course, that never actually happened, and the only thing that tended to keep things from getting out of hand at first was my friend, Rios. But… obviously, she couldn't always protect me. The day she vanished was also the day the worst of it happened."

"What the hell… gah, that's just the worst." Absolutely quivering in rage, Zeta snatched up her newest mug almost before Ladiva had set it down. She took a long, slow sip, eyes closed as she did her best to collect herself. "And so those jerks from before reminded you of… all of that. And so you snapped."

"Exactly. When that guy grabbed for me, I just… something broke in me. No, even before that, it was like I was back in my village." Fraux shuddered, summoning up the rest of her will to continue. "But… that's not the whole reason I broke down there. I… I lost control. Of everything. I snapped completely, and if you hadn't been there, I don't know what I would have done to those boys. And… I was scared of losing you, Zeta. It's been so long since I've really connected with anyone, and I thought I'd lost it, and that you would hate me for that."

"I'd ask why would I, but damn, I see why now. The crap you've been through is insane." Upon receiving another mug, Zeta wasted no time draining it as she thought to herself. She nodded, laying her hand on Fraux's shoulder. "…Going to be honest. I can't even imagine what it'd be like to go through all that. But Fraux? I'm not gonna abandon you for something like that. I can't possibly get your pain, but I do get fear. Anything you need to talk about, I'm here."

"Fear, hmm?" Ladiva placed a meaty hand on Fraux's other shoulder, lips curving into a gentle smile. "It's been a dreadful tale to hear how much you've been hurt, but you've been very brave tonight, Fraux. Like Zeta, I'm always open if you need to talk more. All you need to do is come down here."

"…You two are serious? I don't…" Fraux leaned back, face turned to the ceiling, and heaved a deep sigh to expel lingering worries. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, clearing the remaining tears. "…Sorry. I guess I'm still a bit used to expecting the worst. I thought I was doing better since joining the crew, but… well, I really haven't. I've still been keeping everyone except maybe Djeeta at arm's length."

"No, it's understandable. When all you've known is pain, I can only imagine how hard it is to see love again." Ladiva stroked her chin again in thought. "But Fraux, honey, you need to help yourself, too. I know it's difficult for you to open up, but if you keep yourself shelled off, you'll never escape this rut. Make some real connections, and the world will shine a whole lot brighter. And when times get tough, you'll have friends to fall back on."

She placed another beer before the blonde and gave her a piercing look. "Last one for the night, Zeta. You have missions tomorrow."

"Oh fiiiine." Zeta turned away for a moment to gulp down her final drink, before slinging her arm full around Fraux's shoulders. "Look, I know we only met today, but the hell with anyone hating you for stupid reasons; I think you're awesome. And I'd love to get to know you more. So if you need to vent or want to chat or whatever, I'm here, okay?"

Finally, a soft smile cracked through Fraux's melancholy as she leaned into Zeta's light embrace. "…You two are so kind. You're right. I've been in the crew so long, and barely really know anyone besides Djeeta and Lyria still. I'll try to open up better to help kill these fears."

She lifted her bowl to her lips to drink down the warm broth and scant few remaining noodles. Already, things were better. The warmth spreading through her purged most lingering fears at last, though phantom pains lingered within. As she finished the small bowl, she heaved one last sigh and offered Zeta and Ladiva a sunny smile. "Thanks, both of you, for letting me get that all off my chest. And Zeta? I'm sorry I wasn't truthful about things before. But you stood by me. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Y-yeah, no worries!" The radiance of Fraux's smile made Zeta's breath catch for a moment, red tinging her cheeks under its shine. In sudden desperate need of any distraction, she reached for her mug again, only to remember she had already finished it. Hence her headache and light daze. "W-well, ummm…"

"So then, Zeta." Fraux couldn't help herself; she giggled and gave Zeta a wink, watching her cheeks redden further. Flustering the younger girl was too fun a way to fight off her inner glumness—but it also masked one burning issue lingering within her, the one thing she had omitted about her past. "I'd like to have a quick word with you outside, too. Just the two of us, with no one else around to hear."

"Y-yeah… yeah, that's fine. Just fine." Bahamut almighty, Zeta was almost convinced any more teasing from Fraux would kill her. But she still saw through what Fraux had really just said. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, trying to shake off inebriation and whatever the hell it was that Fraux had just done to her to collect her thoughts. "…Maybe we can try to get back to that hill? Doubt anybody else will be up there right now."

"Hmm. Are you two sober enough for that?" Though she had broken into laughter at the previous exchange, Ladiva scowled at the idea. "If it's the hill I'm thinking of, it ends in a cliff overlooking the ship. I couldn't stand for something to happen up there."

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Really, I didn't—" Zeta stood up, only to wobble and place a hand on Fraux's shoulder for balance. "Uhh… I can lean on Fraux and be okay?"

"I'm not really the most sober myself right now, you know." Fraux rose as well, world in a slight spin about her. "Would be nice to make it up there, but I'm sure we can find somewhere just as quiet, right?"

Ladiva heaved a sigh. "…Maybe you two should stay on the ship for the night. I'm not sure either of you are good to even cross the gangplank to leave."

Zeta and Fraux exchanged glances, and after a moment's thought, Fraux winked at her. "My cabin, then?"

"E-eh? You mean, like your room?" Red flooded Zeta's cheeks as her drunken mind wandered. She shook her head to try and clear it to no avail. "W-well, uh…"

"Relax, Zeta. We won't be doing anything weird, right?" Fraux beamed, allowing a facade of mirth to overtake her. "Just a little girl talk by ourselves. Just the two of us."

"R-right, yeah. Nothing weird. Got it." Dammit, Zeta just knew Fraux was completely aware of what she was doing to her. She swallowed and shook her head again, dispelling as much nervousness as she could. Forcing a wide smile, she turned to Ladiva and placed a handful of rupies down on the counter. "W-well, guess we'll be going then. Thanks a bunch!"

"Yeah, thanks for everything." Fraux looked down at at her empty drink glass and soup bowl. "So, uh, how much…?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetheart. It's on the house tonight." With her familiar kindly smile, Ladiva gave both girls a wave. "Take care now. And please, be careful."

"Alright! Here we are."

Fraux's jaunt came to a halt in front of one of many wooden doors deep in the bowels of the Grandcypher. Behind her, Zeta staggered along, hand tracing along the walls for balance. With a hum, Fraux opened the door to her cabin and beckoned Zeta to follow her inside. Cheeks still red, Zeta nodded and followed without a word. As soon as she stepped in, a strong floral fragrance struck her. She glanced aside to spot a row of potted red blossoms lining the entire top of a dresser. At the far end, a steaming pot and a plethora of colorful glass vials rested upon a small table. Using the dresser for balance, Zeta crept closer a better look. "Ooh, what's that for?"

"Oh, I'm steaming out essential oils from flowers here. Need to have materials on hand for the scented oils, you know?" Fraux closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma surrounding her before making her way over to the bed. She plopped down and patted beside her in invitation. "Come on over and have a seat!"

"Y-yeah, sure!" The distraction ended, and Zeta remembered exactly why she was so nervous. Still, she did as bade and took a seat beside the beautiful erune, almost wilting under the radiance of her smile. How was this somehow so much more embarrassing than when they were naked together in the onsen? It had to be the damn alcohol. She took a deep breath, hoping once more to clear her head. "So. You… wanted to talk to me in private here?"

Fraux held her mask of a smile a moment longer before sighing and looking down, feline ears drooping to the side. "…Yeah. I still have more to come clean about. And I don't want to risk anyone overhearing us here. I hope you don't mind."

"Nah, it's fine, I getcha." After exhaling, Zeta turned to Fraux and nodded. An instinct to lean against her shoulder struck; she forced it down. "Right! Ready whenever you are, then. Lay it on me, Fraux."

"Alright." Closing her eyes, Fraux took several deep breaths to collect herself. A twinge of annoyance needled her, telling her to hurry up and start talking. But no, this was too heavy to rush through. "…Zeta. I won't ask you to not hate me for what I'm about to tell you. Just… please, I'm trusting you to not tell anyone this. Only Djeeta, Lyria, and the Enforcers know. And if it slipped out…"

"Mmm… don't worry. Whatever it is, my lips are sealed." Zeta reached out and took Fraux's almost limp hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Guilt struck her; how had she allowed her mind to go so far into the gutter earlier, when something like this was clearly what Fraux had in mind? She could just be so stupid sometimes… "Let me guess. You weren't 'just traveling' after you left your hometown.

"…Yeah. Pretty weak lie there, huh?" Fraux spat a sardonic chuckle as she nodded. Her eyes opened, and she pierced Zeta with an amber gaze. "I… gave into the years of hate that had been building within me. The Devil promised me a world where nobody would ever hurt me again. All I had to do was follow his plan; we would destroy this world and make a new one. Of course I knew it was crap, but I didn't have anything else to turn to."

Fraux brought her knees up to her chin and hugged them, face turning downcast again. What was she doing? She finally had a real friendship, and she was just going to let this endless guilt ruin it? But no. She could trust Zeta with this. She had to. "…I spent the next few years working toward that. But, honestly? I didn't care about some new world. I just… I wanted to die. Die, and destroy the world alongside myself"

Falling silent, Fraux braced herself for rebuke—surely nobody could still like her after hearing that. And sure enough, Zeta stared aghast at her, mouth hanging open. Several long seconds passed, Fraux's panic building with every breath. She flinched when Zeta at last moved… and placed a hand on her back. Throat dry, Zeta stumbled to find any words at all. "What the actual hell, you idiot…"

Fraux's face fell; the condemnation was coming, she could just feel it—

"Why did you try to throw yourself away like that?"

"Huh?"

"Geez, seriously! It's like you're Vaseraga or Bea or something! Gah, why do you people pull this crap?" Blowing out the frustration with a sigh, Zeta squeezed Fraux's hand once more. "You're still alive, and you sure didn't end the world. And despite all the hell you've been through, you regret trying that, don't you? Or else you wouldn't even be talking about it."

Uncertainty silencing her, Fraux could only blink and nod, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. A light, sad smile traced Zeta's lips. "Thought so. And I'll be honest; if I were in your shoes… damn would I have snapped so much harder. So don't worry, Fraux. I ain't telling anyone about this. Your secret's safe with me."

Fraux turned to face Zeta's smile, her skin pale under its shine. "…You can't seriously just be forgiving me that easily. I would have killed everybody, even those that never hurt me. I can't even blame the Devil; he gave me the push I needed, but otherwise it was all me. How can I—"

"Yeah, no crap you can't just be forgiven for free. But that doesn't mean just throwing you out. You didn't actually hurt anyone, after all." Zeta removed her hand from Fraux's shoulder to poke the older girl square in the forehead. "Way I see it, you're already feeling guilty as hell about it. You were hurt when all you wanted was to be normal and help people, and lost yourself. But that's past now. So instead of moping about it, I'm gonna make sure you bust your butt to make up for it. You got it?"

"…As if I could ever actually atone for that. I mean, I've been doing the best I can, but…" With a sigh, Fraux curled up tighter, face once more buried against her knees. "What can someone as terrible and worthless as me hope to even accomplish?"

"Hey! Don't say that." A pang of sadness stabbed Zeta in the gut like a knife. Just how far did Fraux's gloom go? She turned and pulled Fraux in for a tight hug. "You're great, you hear me? Yeah, I've only known you a day, but I can already see that. So you screwed up. Bad. But you're not terrible, and you're definitely not worthless, no matter what those bastards you grew up with may have told you. Got it?"

After a few moments of silence, Fraux peeked her orange gaze up at Zeta. "…Sorry about that. It just… kinda slipped out. I'm usually better about masking those feelings, but talking about my past just…"

"The hell? Masking? You don't need to be doing crap like that in the first place! You don't gotta pretend anymore, Fraux. Not in front of me." Zeta paused and blew out a breath to ease mounting frustration. "I don't care how many mistakes you've made. That's the past, and it's not like I'm perfect myself. But Fraux, I hate seeing you like this, and it worries me. So listen. I'm here for you as your friend. If you need me to help with anything, I've got your back."

"…As my friend, huh? Well. If you really want to stick with me like that, I can't complain." Fraux's eye closed again, but she gave a soft smile as she leaned into Zeta's embrace. A warmth billowed in her chest, spreading to tinge her cheeks as she returned the hug at last. Somebody accepting her, even knowing her past sins, felt surreal. "…Thank you so much for staying by me, Zeta. I can't promise much, but… I'll do my best here."

"Of course, Fraux. Like I said before, I think you're great. And don't you let anything convince you otherwise! Or I'll be right here to smack some sense into you. Everything's gonna be fine, Fraux." Grinning, Zeta pulled back out of the embrace and placed her hands on Fraux's shoulders. "Alright! So! What are you doing from here? Any goals?"

"E-eh? Just like that? W-well, uh…" Despite being caught off guard by the question, Fraux still managed a giggle as she rubbed the back of her head. "W-well… that's a tough one. But for one… I said the Enforcers knew about my past, right? Well, in return for them not charging me with anything, I've agreed to help fight against a certain primal beast. The one that controlled the Devil into manipulating me in the first place."

"Mmhm, I see I see~. I was wondering why you still kept him around if he's the one that pushed you into doing that stuff. But that makes sense; I guess he's trying to fight that primal too, then?" Zeta beamed and nodded. "How's this then, I'll help whenever you fight it? Arvess is made for fighting primals, after all."

"Heh, right on the money. The Devil wants revenge on the World for controlling him, and doesn't care for much else." Fraux leaned in with a wink and a smirk. "And I'd ask if you really wanted to help with something so dangerous, but the danger clearly doesn't actually matter to you. So sure. I'll take your help if you're up for it."

"W-well, you know. Wouldn't it be awesome being the one to take down that kind of primal?" As color once more flushed into her cheeks, Zeta found it nigh impossible to keep looking into Fraux's eyes. Why was a simple smile and wink scrambling her mind so badly? It had to be the booze. She wouldn't accept any other explanation. "S-so, uh. Um. What else? F-for goals and stuff, I mean."

"W-well, I need to find Rios again. Her kindness is what protected me and kept me going through all those years, and she means the world to me. Not even defeating the World is more important. And I know you'll just love her when we do find her! She's strong and kind, and even has a beautiful singing voice, and… eh heh, sorry, got a bit sidetracked there. Anyways, I'm sure you've noticed I struggle to say no to people who need help. Even if they don't deserve my kindness. I'm better about that now, but still. I… I just love helping people." With a sigh, Fraux looked down. "…But more than that. I don't want anybody to suffer like I have, and want to fight for that. I know, it's completely impossible. But that's not going to stop me from at least trying. If I can rescue even a single person from going through what I have, that will make up for everything I've gone through."

"…Fraux…" Something incorporeal, yet weightier than the heaviest guilt, struck Zeta, crushing her from all sides yet igniting her heart as she looked upon Fraux, somehow more radiant than ever. Trembling, she reached out her hand to Fraux's chin to lift it, so she could look her in the eye again. Her other hand found Fraux's and clasped tightly. "…You're really something else, you know that?"

"…Hehe. That may be the first time anyways ever said that in a good way about me." Beaming wide, Fraux clasped both her hands on Zeta's. Temptation called to her, beckoning her to lean the rest of the way in. But the last vestiges of the fortress shelling her heart from all others held strong. Rather than give in to desires, she just treated Zeta to a wide grin, tears of happiness beading at the corners of her eyes. "…But you are too. I know I've said it a million times already, but thank you for standing by me through all that. It… I can't even begin to express how much it means to me."

"What kind of heartless monster wouldn't? But yeah, anytime, Fraux." The moment passed for Zeta as well, and she lowered her hand, still confused to what she had just felt so strongly. All she really knew was simple: she wanted more of it. But the headache beginning to spread from her earlier drinking grounded her back down. "…Hate to say it, but it's getting late, and we've got missions tomorrow. Wanna meet for breakfast beforehand?"

"Oh, sure! I'd love to." With a sigh, Fraux nodded, sadness overtaking her smile. "But yeah, you're right. You, uh… gonna be fine in the morning? You drank a good bit more than I did."

"Yeah, no biggie at all there. Shouldn't be much of a hangover." With a wink, Zeta leaned in to give her new friend one last hug for the night. "The important thing is you're all right now."

"Yep. All good now, thanks to you and Ladiva." After returning the brief embrace, Fraux laid back on her bed, her smile not betraying the light disappointment hanging within her. "Well then. Good night, Zeta; looking forward to tomorrow morning here."

"Yep! I'll see you then." As Zeta rose and made her way out of Fraux's room, she too masked her swirling emotions with a smile. "Night, Fraux."