Hello again. It's been a while, hasn't it?

I've spent far too long in the dumps - more than enough to kill any sort of creativity I had. Sure, I've had several attempts to pick up writing again - I'm sure you've seen the various projects I've started, progressed, then stalled out.

But finally, I feel slightly better. Things are clearer, and I truly hope I can keep the momentum going. Do I promise further updates? No. But if you're reading this now, then you don't care about that, do you? You want to see where this goes. I want to see where this goes as well.

For any who left reviews during my long, long dormant period, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means more than you can imagine.

This chapter is far from the first iteration of itself. I threw out three, four, five different spins... before I realized I was stuck on an unimportant part, and simply... chose not to.

I hope this was worth the wait. Thank you.

All things considered, when the initial rush was over, the raid itself revealed itself to be quite mundane.

After we broke inside, it was a pretty simple task to make our way inside, clearing from room to room - honestly, with as much firepower as we're packing right now, unprepared and unalerted grunts really didn't stand a chance at holding us back. Room to room combat just isn't fair when one side can literally punt the other through walls. And considering how no one has come back just yet, I get a feeling they haven't run into any locked doors.

Thus, while the rest of the party worked towards clearing out the factory, I worked on my own delegated task. Taping bombs to the various load-bearing pillars in the main room, some dynamite, and some good old Dogoo jelly. I still have no idea how I'm even going to rig up a detonator for all of this - will I need to rely upon chain reactions?

"I still can't believe you expect me to be able to do this." I grumble, looking to the side at IF. Just like me, she's not fighting - instead focusing on sabotaging the machinery with magic. Though the explosion might ruin them, it was ruled that it'd be better to not risk it to chance. Better to make sure that there's no chance of pulling assembly equipment out of the wreckage.

The agent glances over, pausing her work to give me a look. "You are aware you're pretty well known for destroying structures in Lowee, right?"

I sweatdrop, but that doesn't stop me from looking about for the next pillar to set up. Everything in this room appears rigged to go - I guess I could do a few parts of the ceiling too. "Is… Is that really a good reputation to have? That doesn't sound like a good thing to be known for."

"You can't be worse than that Sam fellow that's kicking around Lowee these days." IF shrugs, as she knocks a smoking machine over, to get at the stuff behind it. "From what I've heard, they've been blacklisted from basically every dungeon for sheer catastrophic collateral damage."

That's worthy enough for a pause as a question bubbles to the surface of my thoughts.. "... Are they a girl?"

A snort back. "That's the funny bit. No one knows - they always wear concealing armor and use a voice modulator."

With no other response available but a nervous chuckle, that's just what I do. Well, if I become the team's demolitions expert… I suppose that's what ends up happening. I sigh, but a job's a job. At least I'm useful for my talents - and heck, even as the girls become even more powerful, I should still be worth keeping around.

We don't quite manage to finish clearing the room before Marvy comes running back, her stealthy steps only betrayed by the echoey metal floors.

"We found something, you two want to check it out?" reports the orange-haired ninja. "We think it's some sort of office… and we hear weird things going on inside."

Well, isn't that interesting.

Shaking my head, I pull my focus back again, pulling out my crowbar as I do - might as well see what's going on.

Past the labyrinth of shiny metal and smoldering machines (it seems that for as much as this was supposed to be a 'stealth' mission, there certainly was no attempt to keep collateral down), we finally are led in front of a door with a shiny label: Manager's office.

The group's gathered around outside, shuffling about nervously, and some might even say uncomfortably.

Of course, the moment we're close enough, the source of the discomfort becomes plainly obvious. Truly horrific noises are heard on the other side… like someone watching a particularly deranged porno without the headphones on. The pitch of the voices are also disturbingly high, so much that the sensation of discomfort veers far too close towards outright horror. A faint slurping can be heard on the other side, completing the horrible, awful picture.

No prizes to guessing who is on the other side, nor what he is doing.

Nepgear makes a face as we arrive. "So… Uh… D-do we go in?"

Murmurs all around, mostly about how no one wishes to do it. Rom and Ram are thankfully too young to be aware of the exact context of the sounds on the other side, especially since Uni and Compa are holding their hands over their ears. Amusingly enough, for all of her own depravities, RED looks absolutely appalled by what she's hearing.

I pause, staring at the door. The door handle has a crusty, oversized sock on it. I feel no urge to remove it, touch it, or pass the threshold of this horrible, horrible situation.

"No." I say, after even a bit of thought, taking a step back.

"W-what?" cries Uni, cringing for a moment. "I mean, I don't wanna go in either, but what if there's something on the manager's computer?"

I take in a breath. "There might be, but it's more likely he'll just smash it. However, if we do recover it… Who wants to be the one to dig through that freak's files?"

Absolute silence, which horrifically only makes the noises coming from inside the office worse.

Compa looks a bit green, but eventually nods as well. "O-okie dokie…"

There's no argument from any of the other girls… and thus, rather than face the obvious disgusting boss fight, we just finish rigging up the factory instead.

There's a strange beauty in the vindictive grimaces upon the faces of the members of our party as they offer to help me set things up - this site has truly shifted from a mere 'site of a mission' to 'place which must be purged'. Uni even transforms for a few moments to help lift me up to make the finishing touches on the roof: a single bomb surrounded by more jelly, meant more to spread fire than to cause real damage.

Soon enough, the place is rigged up like a Michael Bay movie - with bombs sticking out of every possible corner. I've near-depleted my own supplies, as well as the dynamite I had asked Nepgear to carry for me. It's a thing of beauty: a colorful, dangerous mishmash of high explosives. Every bit of my common sense is telling me to flee already - that's how you know it's good.

"I truly wish I knew a powerful enough anti-teleportation spell." grumbles MAGES., staring at our handiwork. The Mad Magician had only just finished her own part of the demolition, a nice runic circle which, knowing her, is probably equal to at least a few dozen bombs on its own. "It would be a useful bonus to know we took the CFW down in the Factory's destruction."

IF shakes her head, sighing. "We have a few jammers back in Planeptune, but they're heavy… and not really something we can bring into a populated area. They cause a ton of problems when they're used - it's why the bad guys use them, and we don't. Last time we pulled them out, it shut down transit across Planeptune for a whole week due to safety concerns."

Compa murmurs something under her breath, which probably only adds further credence to the threat reckless jamming would cause.

Either way, that means no killing Trick with collateral damage. A shame, but he'll get his just rewards eventually. I can only hope that it'll be excruciatingly painful.

With a final check to ensure that we've done everything we can, we vacate the factory. A simple fire spell tossed into the powder keg we've created sets the fuses, and a few moments later, it's as if a portal to the sun had opened in front of us. Metal screams, light erupts, and glass splinters as the factory twists itself into a piece of modern art, before finally imploding in upon itself.

The snow continues to fall down upon the remains of the gutted structure, its once box-like shape now resembling a concave bowl, its exterior walls dragged inward by the collapsing ceiling.

It's honestly astounding that the structure held up so well - but then again, if there's one thing Lowee would probably be good at, it'd be sturdy constructions. At least until they start cutting corners.

Nepgear stares out at the destruction, still looking a bit ill. Furthermore, she looks… disappointed in herself.

"Truly a shame we couldn't recover anything." I state, with a straight face.

"Huh?" echoes the Purple Candidate, slowly turning towards me with a raised eyebrow.

There's a pause.

Uni slowly nods. "Trick destroyed his computer, so we couldn't get anything out of it."

The crew slowly echoes our sentiment as cognitive dissonance kicks in - regardless of what we might not have recovered in this raid, we had still set them back - and hopefully given Trick a nice scare.

Nodding all around, we turn back into the woods. It's time to take a break - we've been working hard, and we more than deserve it.

Rather than return to Planeptune, our next destination is actually Lastation. We even got permission to use the Basilicom bus again, since we obviously checked in with Blanc before we left. After all, we did make a ton of noise, and caused a huge explosion in the middle of (though near the edge of) her territory.

It makes perfect sense, though it definitely took me by surprise. I guess I'm too used to returning to the team's 'headquarters' in Planeptune. Going directly to where the base is just saves us a step.

The next base. Where we fight Brave, potentially to the death.

I glance to my side across the lane, meeting Uni's gaze as the bus bounces down the bumpy mid-nation roads. Wearing a poorly-concealed frown, she sighs, shaking her head slowly. It seems she's already tried psyching herself up, to no avail. I reach out to pat her on the shoulder, and while she flinches slightly at the unexpected reassurance, she at least shoots me a slight smile back.

Behind us, I can hear Nepgear checking in on the Planeptune Basilicom. Normally I'd applaud her being on top of it, but I am 100% certain that the only reason that the forgetful girl is doing it is that she just saw Rom and Ram checking in with Blanc before we left.

And what a nerve-inducing check-in it was. Thankfully, neither of the twins truly understood what exactly Trick was doing inside of that office, and as such weren't able to explain. Without them making it worse by -

I grumble, and lean back against the chair, placing my hands on my face. I really need to start giving those two the benefit of the doubt. We might not like each other, but… well, we're allies. Dismissing them as actively harmful helps no one. It'll be a struggle though, since I know I can be vindictive at times.

RED, for once in her life, doesn't have an ecchi or stronger magazine in her grasp as she sits beside me. Instead, she's merely staring at her hands. It seems that witnessing true depravity was enough to kill her libido, at least for a while. I don't blame her, not for a second, but if she isn't back to her usual chipper self by the end of the week, we might need to stage an intervention. The mood of our party just isn't the same without our resident airhead.

Meanwhile, judging by the thick tome in our resident Magician's grasp, MAGES. is making good on her promise to try and pick up anti-teleportation magic, though from the sheer girth of that book alone, I doubt she'll get it working any time soon. She's the meticulous sort, and I doubt she'd want to use it half baked, instead waiting til' she gets it done completely before officially adding it to her toolbox.

As for me? I'm just taking inventory, going through my things. Taking out that factory fully cleared out my explosives stockpile, both improvised and otherwise. I'm going to need to pick up some replacements in Lastation… which honestly is probably the best place to do so, now that I think about it.

Either way, there's nothing to do but enjoy the trip, and the break it entails.

Heaven knows that we'll need it, with what comes next.

With our goodbyes said to the bus driver, a smiling man with a white beard and whiter overalls, we quickly dismount in the empty streets of Lastation.

To call the change in atmosphere disturbing would be an understatement. Gone is the welcoming and industrial feeling that was here last time… Instead, it's more the feeling of a besieged city. Gigantic sinkholes have consumed a few of the buildings here and there, and despite the risk, the telltale profiles of cranes working can be seen nearby. It seems that the city is doing its best to heal as quickly as possible. People still roam the streets, but they're far more hurried, rushing to their destinations as quickly as possible.

I can't exactly say that it's more wrecked than Planeptune, but -

I pause, and snicker, despite everything. Lastation and Planeptune got hit hard, but Lowee was actually pretty intact while we were there - at least at a first glance. I'm sure at least a few of the massive piles of snow that had been dominating some lots hid collapsed structures, but they were few and far between.

It seems being in the ass-end of nowhere was good for something, after all.

A few of the girls shoot me looks, but as that opinion was told to me in confidence by Neptune, I feel no urge to speak up. Besides, putting my foot in my mouth so soon definitely wouldn't help my goal of trying to make peace with the Twins.

"Alright everyone!" chimes up Nepgear, clapping her hands to draw even further attention. "We don't know exactly where the next place will be - so we should all stock up while we can!"

IF nods alongside her. "It was a long trip, so feel free to take some time off, okay? The last thing we need to do is work ourselves gray."

With that, the group disbanded, scattering in all directions. For a moment, I find myself walking towards the mercantile district, before I spot Uni walking towards the Basilicom, gaze fixed over her shoulder as she walks past the damaged buildings.

Instead, I catch up to her, and nudge her on the shoulder.

"W-wha- Oh, hey, Derek." she answers, tearing her gaze from a destroyed sweets shop. "Is there something you need?"

"Well… I begin, thinking how best to word myself. "You said that next time we were in Lastation, you'd show me around, right?"

She stops for a moment, as if going over what I said in her head. I can practically hear the gears grinding in her head.

"What? Now?" is the flat response, punctuated by the lowering of her head. "I don't know what you're getting at. This place is a wreck right now. I'm… almost embarrassed to show it off in this state."

"Oh, come on." I shrug, pointing at the majority of buildings, which still seem to be functioning. There's a few broken windows here and there, but besides the few unlucky buildings that got utterly ruined, everything else seems to be holding on as well as they can. "The businesses here need support in these trying times - and besides, we both need a break. If we go into the… next thing…"

With the visible cringing bringing that up causes her, I double down.

"Look. If we aren't on top of things, and in high spirits, we're not going to do our best." I state plainly. "Besides, if I don't distract you, you're just going to wander around staring at broken buildings, aren't you."

"H-hey…" grumbles Uni, looking slightly offended. "I'd… Uh, I mean, I'd probably check in with Noire and-"

"And help her with the absolutely stress-inducing paperwork she must be sifting through right now? How's that any better?" I smirk, knowing there is no good answer to such a thing.

That gets a flinch, followed by nervous laughter. "Ahaha… I-I mean, maybe walking around a bit wouldn't be so bad after all…"

"Remember what I said." I smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Most of the time, you're human. No point in burning yourself out by going two hundred percent all of the time, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Now, c'mon, there must be at least a few places you want to show me, right?"

Uni perks up on hearing that. "R-right! C'mon! Let's get moving! If we get started right away, we can hit all of them before the last one closes!"

I laugh at that, and let her grab my hand. "Good to see you in high spirits again."

"Shut up and start running!" yells Uni, who all but drags me along at top speed.

And with an order like that, how can I refuse?

What follows is a flurry of activity, as we go between shops that Uni deems interesting and 'worth' visiting. For the most part, I agree with her - we visit a rather excellent little bakery, a clothing store, and even a hairstylist's. We did pass by a convention hall earlier, but sadly it was ruined by the quake - poor Noire. Hopefully it'll be repaired soon enough so she can get back to her (possibly) only hobby.

Munching on a gluten free blueberry bagel, we come to a stop at another location, courtesy of my far-more experienced black-haired tour guide.

"And this is the shooting range!" smiles Uni, gesturing at a familiarly-designed building with a 'closed' sign on it. "I like to come here to train up my aim, as you probably know."

I nod slowly, giving the building a once over. It's a shame that it's closed, otherwise I'd offer to take her up for a few rounds. For now, I just mentally jot down its location for later, and smile back. "Where next?"

Uni closes her eyes for a moment, likely going down a list of her own, before responding, "Uh, how about the military surplus store? I go there to-"

Right, supplies!

"Right, I need to grab more grenades!" I blurt out, before I sheepishly pause, realizing I've cut her off. "Err… Sorry."

"It's fine." states Uni, rolling her eyes, but thankfully seeming to be good enough spirits. "Let's just head over there."

On the outside, the surplus store looks like any other. Black, boxy, and amidst other similarly-sized stores. It's only set apart by the sign, labeling it as "Snake Eyes' Emporium". However, the moment we step inside, it's like walking into a camouflage jungle. Racks on racks of camouflage-patterned clothing are scattered about, from desert, to forest, to even a few sets specifically insulated and patterned for Loweean winter.

There's also a few racks dedicated to the usual 'camouflage' junk - umbrellas, t-shirts - the sorts of stuff to serve no real purpose besides to look cool. Thankfully, those racks are nice and separated from the 'real' stuff.

"Rough out there, isn't it Uni." calls out a gruff, grizzled voice the moment we step inside.

"Yeah, isn't it?" Upon responding, Uni awkwardly glances back towards me. "Um… You could say I'm a bit of a regular."

Well, if she's on a first name basis with the shopkeep, who am I to argue? "Sure."

"I uh… mind if I browse the shelves?" she asks, awkwardly glancing around. "I had an item coming in that I wanna check up on…"

"Go for it." I shrug, taking her word for it. "I need to grab a few grenades… The last mission completely emptied my stock."

"Right. Meet up at the entrance?"

"Only if you promise not to leave without me!"

"Ha!"

Either way, we split for the time being, and I dive into the unfamiliar store, goal in mind.

Finding the explosives section is pretty easy - there's friggin' missiles stacked on a platform near it. I gawk at them for several moments - they're not very big missiles, but still, what the hell? Do people actually use handheld missile launchers as main weaponry?

Shaking my head, I try to ignore the insanity that probably only I care about. This is a fantasy world - this is commonplace. Ignore it. Instead, I search the shelves for frag grenades - which is now, in retrospect, just as insane.

I sigh, and shake my head. Flashes of comparison come at the worst possible times, don't they.

Either way, I find the grenades section, stocked with everything from high explosive, to acid, to even EMP. Stored in boxes with little anti-tamper seals, there seems to be at least some attempt to ensure safety, though it still takes me for a loop.

What kind of grenades do I even want? I've been using crude dynamite and fused bombs… so I guess high explosive? Frag grenades say they do more damage, but I… I can't see myself ever using them. Same thing with acid and fire - Even with their toned down effects, the thought of using such weapons is stomach turning. It seems the Geneva Convention still haunts me to this day.

EMP grenades are interesting at least. Rather than looking like a regular grenade, they're blocky and have a little screen on the side. Alas, the important creatures we're going to be fighting in the near future are organic rather than mechanical - at least, I think so. Even when facing an enemy group including a few mechanicals, it's probably better to hit all of them. Taking out only a few and having to clean up is a waste of time.

I grab a dozen packs of HE grenades, along with a single pack of demolition charges - which are quite heavy, might I add - before slowly making my way to the entrance to pay. However…

I pass by the mods section on the way out, and I really can't help myself but pause.

Glancing through the pile of weapon-modifying parts, my eyes glance from piece to piece. From extended magazines, to recoil dampeners, to better scopes, they appear to have everything for every kind of weapon. And with so much here, I'm finally able to make sense of how things work.

It seems that the lower-quality mods merely add flat stats to their equipped weapon - it's the higher quality ones that give percentage bonuses instead.

Of course, it seems that the high-quality stuff costs an arm and a leg to use… so it's beyond my limited budget for the time being.

My eyes do stop upon a pistol compensator being sold for half off - what the heck, right? It says it just boosts damage by a bit - so why not squeeze out every possible advantage if it jumps into my lap?

Grabbing the cheap addition, I pick up the rest of my prospective stuff, before making my way to the cashier.

Behind the counter is an athletic, one-eyed man with a bandana, scars, and slate-gray uniform. Uni's having an animated conversation with the man, though both pause when they see me approach.

"Oh, there you are!" states Uni, crossing her arms and looking a bit offended. "What took you so long? I already picked out my stuff a looong time ago!"

The cashier just smirks, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. Ah.

"I uh, was window shopping a bit. Is that fine?" I reply, holding up the various explosives and compensator. "I'd have looked more, but there's no need to go full Gear and make an evening out of just browsing, is there?"

"Well of course-..." Uni pauses, but the Cashier is the one to cut her off this time.

"She's a regular, and I have to say, she's spent many a night doing just that." laughs the Cashier, gesturing for me to put the items on the counter. I do just that.

"Snake!" whines Uni, crossing her arms.

Snake? You mean like the Metal Gear guy?

The cashier chuckles. "From the look on your face, you recognise the moniker. Don't worry about it, I'm only mostly retired. If those bastards actually make a move on the city, you bet your ass I'll be hunting them down with the rest of you. Besides, we're like the James Bond of gunplay - it's a title more than anything else."

I slowly nod my head.

"Either way, Miss Uni here was talking all about how she was showing you around -"

"Was not!" is the retort.

I shrug.

"So, welcome to Lastation, I guess. Wish it was a bit less fucked at the moment, but there ya go."

Two clicks of the scan gun on the explosives, and a code entered in for the compensator. "You got a license for the demo charges? They're on the controlled weapons list."

I pause, but before I can answer, Uni chimes in. "Yeah, he does. Can you put it through for me?"

The military man shrugs, but seems to take Uni's word for it. "There ya go, here's your total…"

With things paid for, and goodbyes spoken, I leave the store with Uni.

"Demolition charges?" she asks, the moment we're out. "Why do you need those, exactly?"

"I try to learn from my shortcomings." I answer, carefully putting everything away. "In Leanbox, we ran into a locked door we needed to brute force open - so I tried to learn to lockpick. This is like the third time I've had to demolish something, so why not get specialized stuff for it? Stuff like that."

Uni blinks, but slowly nods. However, I don't let her off the hook that easily.

"So… You were talking about me?" I smirk, shooting her a look.

"I wasn't the one who brought you up!" she states, defensively. "Snake was the one to point you out, and I had to say something when he said you were 'weak looking'!"

I pause, and snort. "Like I care what I look like."

"I mean…"

I smile, and pat her on the back. "I appreciate that you came to my defense, Uni."

"I-I didn't…"

I shake my head. I get a feeling that the Cashier was merely playing with her. Still, it feels good to know she cares, right?

Uni looks down, and sighs… "Why are you so difficult…"

"Dunno." I respond, and gesture at my watch wallet. "So, where to next?"

I glance up to the setting sun, as we step out of our last scheduled stop of the day. After the surplus store, the next few places we hit were pretty simple - mostly just mixed stores of various types.

"You didn't need to pay half the bill, you know." states Uni as she steps out of the restaurant behind us. "I've got more than enough."

"N-no, it's fine." I speak, through gritted teeth, hoping to avoid this conversation. I've already done the math in my head - between the huge dip in my funds from re-arming myself, and now a restaurant visit to add to it, re-budgeting is already becoming a nightmare. "It'd be rude, right?"

That gets a sigh and rolled eyes back. "Always the gentleman, huh?"

I can't help but to cringe slightly. No matter how -

"... Seriously, what's going on?"

I blink, and try to snap myself out of my funk. "Huh?"

The raven-haired girl gestures at me wearing a stern glare. "Unless I'm missing something, you're acting way different than how you usually do."

For a moment, I debate just denying it, forcing all of my doubts, fears, anxiety down like it belongs where it doesn't cause problems… But as I meet her gaze, I just… Give up.

I sigh, and walk her over towards a seat nearby.

"You know how I'm a rookie adventurer, right?" I begin, wondering how exactly I got into this position.

"Yeah?"

She takes a seat beside me, not looking away. She does rest her head on her hand though, which doesn't help my confidence any.

"Well… I had basically no funds to begin with. And since I follow you girls around, I'm barely, if ever making any money from quests." I state.

"So?"

Seriously, Uni?

"S-so, I started poor, and I'm still poor." I grumble, trying to spell it out. "Chasing what's 'right' instead of what's 'profitable' can fucking suck, sometimes."

Uni closes her eyes for a moment, thinking, before saying those damnable words. "Well, I could fund you if you want. It wouldn't be hard."

No! No dammit…

There's a pause.

"Oh." states Uni, her face twisting between several emotions faster than I can make sense of them. "That's not the problem is it?"

"W-what?"

She jabs me on the shoulder. "You're afraid."

"W-" I stammer again, but I'm cut off.

"You're afraid of failing, aren't you. Of needing to rely on others?"

Dammit, stop it! I raise my hands up to protest before-

Pain. Pain and a loud noise.

I blink metaphorical stars out of my eyes as I rub the side of my face. Ow!

Wait, she slapped me!

Uni smirks back at me, before sighing. "Stop it, okay?"

I gulp, and nod. "O-okay… But… How does this fix anything? I'm still just…"

"You're terrified of failing and being left behind." Uni pauses, grumbling to herself, before continuing, far quieter. "... You're terrified of failing and being left behind… too."

I blink back, only now putting the pieces together. Oh. Right.

The most I can do is sheepishly reply, "Thank you for not putting me through the wall behind me with that slap."

"See? Look at the bright side!" smiles back Uni, but she shakes her head a moment later. "So… you really feel that way too?"

I shakily nod, as I try to lay everything bare. "Ever since I got here. I'm… terrified of being left behind, again. I… I know that it'll take everything I have to stay relevant. I'm not strong enough to be a hero here - I'm not smart enough to be some genius, and I most certainly am not some sort of super mage able to keep up -"

She interrupts me. "Do I need to slap you again?"

"Ple… Y'know what, please do." I sigh, lowering my face into my hands.

A blink back. "What, are you some kind of masochist now?"

"Why else would I stick around you girls, letting myself get beat up all the time? But more honestly? You're right, this is going nowhere… I'm just going to work myself into a rut. A good slap in the face always was great for getting me back on track."

Rather than a slap… I get an arm wrapped around me instead. It feels… quite nice.

So I sit there for several minutes, just trying to get my emotions back under control. I can only imagine my face…

"Hey." says Uni, poking me in the side. "We've gone to all of the places I wanted to go to… why don't we go somewhere you want to, for once? We got more than enough time."

I check my watch… Quarter past six. The sun'll be down in an hour, at most.

I nod, slowly, and think back of all the places I've been to in this city - though honestly, nothing really comes up. The cafe I had been to with Nepgear and her crew isn't really a place I'd find myself going for more than a quick drink, nor anywhere else in the city limits…

I pause, and nod slowly.

"I know a place… But uh, can you close your eyes for it?" I ask, turning to face Uni. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Is it going to be illegal to go there?" she retorts, arms crossed. "If we're breaking into somewhere, it better not be in Lastation."

It takes only a little bit of effort to fake being scandalized. "Why is that your first question? But no, it's not."

The Black Haired Candidate shrugs, and closes her eyes, holding her hand out for me to lead. "Fair enough - but don't you dare trip me, or play a prank! I'm trusting you."

I smile, though she can't see me with her closed eyes. "I promise."

With that, we both stand up… and I lead her to my destination.

"Alright… You can open your eyes now." I say, five minutes of walking later.

Uni nods, and opens her eyes, to pause and look around.

We're standing on a hill, under the shade of a tree, only a few dozen meters away from a lake.

This place wasn't some fancy, hidden away location. Located only a few minutes away from the city limits, I had passed this little park several times in the past, each time wishing I had time to relax there. Each time, I had seen people picnicking here, or sitting by the lake, or even walking dogs - but in the wake of the disaster, it is nothing more than an empty scene, devoid of all but nature.

"No one's here." is Uni's first comment.

"Right." I say, gesturing at the tree. "I… Well, sometimes, isn't it best to get away from it all? You never need to go far, but… Sometimes, people are just too much."

"Goddesses, I wish." sighs Uni. "So… what now?"

"What now?" I respond, taking a seat, and all but pulling her down with me - "Well, how's just taking a seat and having some quiet time sound?"

"No talking?"

"Only if you want to." I respond, sighing happily as I lean back against the tree's bark.

"... Can't argue with that."

And so, under the light of the setting sun, we just sit there, relaxing.

Hoping to center ourselves for what almost certainly will be an anxiety-ridden fight in the future.

But it's the little things that make a difference isn't it?

Warm sun, a calm area…

Or in this case?

A pair of held hands, of which neither of us seem to care enough to let go.