To say that today was overbearing on me would be an understatement. Sure working both Funeral and Hood was a little tiring, but the real kick in the balls was my findings while interacting with them. For starters, they show human-level intelligence but not human level awareness.

Only the insane can't see the contradiction of their actions. The Red Hood was more prominent on this part, to the point I think she was naturally ignoring the facts as false. Funeral did seem capable of pondering his actions if only to reach the conclusion that the employees wanted his mourning... endpoint being, it isn't that they couldn't change.

SOMETHING was actively working against any thought that could turn them away from their actions, which was worrisome to a degree. And even if I don't know what that SOMETHING is, it is progress on my part in understanding Abnormalities on a deeper level.

Another thing to keep note of is how threat levels seem to matter on this matter too. Hood was a WAW and had the strongest reactions to my questions on her contradictions, Funeral a HE at least entertained the thought before dismissing it and doing it again, and Punishing Bird had the strongest reaction to my words while being a TETH. Interesting bit of information there.

The biggest proof of that was how said bird breached about 5 minutes ago while pecking Gonzales, who wasn't bothered by this, but when his eyes landed on me, he flew on my shoulder and started brimming with pride like it did something right. I had petted it and received many - and I do mean many - odd looks from that interaction.

I returned the bird to his containment unit after a couple of minutes of being with it and, waiting for the day to end, mentally prepared for all the information in my head to be put into my notepad back in my room.

My team did well today, and they praised me quite a bit for my skills handling abnormalities. But this was only the tip of the iceberg for me, there was more to find out about them and I will in due time finish this puzzle.

The day had finished with no actual problems, to the relief of my coworkers and probably the managers too. I was making my way back to my room, trying to avoid the mini-party the Control Team wanted to hold due to making it through such an interesting day... and they wanted me to be the center of it.

Sadly I declined, feeling somewhat tired, mainly from the amount of brainstorming I have been doing about the abnormalities themselves. I really need to get to my notepad and calm do-

Bumping into someone wasn't good, bumping into someone who's made out of metal was just painful. I grunted slightly and was about to apologize to Malkuth, and then I noticed her state of... delirium.

Her single glowing eye was unfocused and flickering rapidly like a lightbulb that was broken. I blinked at this and her lack of reaction to our collision and knew that something was wrong. "Malkuth?" I shook her slightly while she, quite violently mind you, turned her single eye at me.

For a moment, I felt anger so big and sorrow so deep that it felt as if I was drowning in an ocean that was somehow on fire. It didn't last, but that was a good enough tell that whatever problem she had, it most likely involved me in some capacity, "Trigger!... the manager has read your proposals and has found a number of them... optimal for use." I'm starting to feel really bad right now.

So saying that I'm happy about this is not a good move, but acting indifferent would be a whole lot worse, "I see, you were asked to tell me this?" That… wasn't the best answer, but there weren't a lot of good options for me to pick from.

Also... Manager, why send the person who was most AGAINST my ideas in the first place to tell me!?

Malkuth was... faking being okay, but I knew deep down that I had earned her resentment. "Indeed, I can't help but feel worried about what might happen now that my code of conduct has been terminated and my rules of engagement changed, but it will surely go well now that you did them!" Oh yeah, she is very much not happy with me.

I glanced at her left and... what the fuck was that? I saw something black pop out of her body for a second there.

... Okay, this may not be ideal, but I have to give it a try.

"How many people know about me being the one that proposed those ideas?" I asked her, hoping that only the manager, me, and Angela are aware of this fact.

Malkuth paused in confusion but answered nonetheless, "The Manager, Lady Angela, and I. Any particular reason you needed to know that?" She asked me while I gave her a nod.

"Would you like to take the credit?"

...

"What?" There was no question there, only confusion.

I elaborated further, "I mean... I only wanted to change things for the better, I really don't care if you get the credit for this. I'll even ask the Manager and Angela to keep quiet about that. They won't care and just go along with it anyway." Those two didn't seem like the type that cared who got the attention.

Malkuth wasn't responding and was mostly still. Her single blinking eye had stopped shutting off, and she had only been staring at me. After a minute of this she just answered, "Sorry, I need to go." She didn't hurry off, but rather just kinda... walked.

She must have thought I was out of earshot, but I heard it anyway.

"I wanted it all along... why is he giving it to me?"

The way that was worded, and the tone used, gave me pause. It almost seemed like she herself didn't know what she meant, not only that, but she says wanted...

Apparently, a man-made machine wanted what it was made for. That didn't make sense. She was made for the position after all, how can she desire something that she has?

Unless...

I glanced at the retreating form of Malkuth with a pit forming in my stomach.

A single ugly thought ran through my head.

Is she REALLY a Machine?

Young Saint, faced with the Ghost of the past.

Lingering regrets, made from mankind's mind.

Will you break or find the light that is I?