Author's Note:

Since FanFiction doesn't have a proper replying system like AO3 and Wattpad have, I'll return to my old ways and do this little segment for my readers.

Tell me if you think this should be before or after the chapter, I think top is better since it gives more... power to any cliffhangers I might implement.

Rexthunder: omg i cannot believe it. im so happy that this story is back! thk so much!

Glad to see you're excited for the rewrite. No need for thanks, the potential for this particular story has been nagging at me for a long time, couldn't let it go to waste.

Neon Starch: Nice to see this one back. Though, you've definitely changed things around. Now, we don't begin with a lost rocket, our POV is with our resident human and everyone is speaking Japanese except him. Curious to see where this goes.

I've changed alright. Nearly two years since I last updated the older version. Ah, the lost rocket. To be honest, the only reason I still have the older VQ(Veridis Quo) up is to show my progress as a writer. It's terrible in my current standards. I fired a shot in the dark without a target, can't say I'm too surprised I burned out. And it's not Japanese... technically, but I can't tell you all the secrets, ay?

As always, stay safe and hydrated.

A hand held my own, the rubber an odd form of comfort. I squeezed lightly, feeling like a child bothering their mother in a convenience store. Oddly enough, I didn't dislike holding their hand. Without any form of formal verbal communication, the only way to do so was through action, but that locked the exchange of deeper meaning. Oh, how I wish I could talk to them… all of them. It bothered me to no end. They were clearly intelligent, more than me for all I knew! They were like me, so, so human…

I sighed, soldiering on with a downcast gaze. Here I go again on an internal rant. I promised myself to steer clear of that slippery slope but it just kept eating away at my mind! Walking down a corridor, holding the friendly giant's hand, letting them lead me to wherever; it wasn't real. It couldn't be, I wished. Nothing personal against the beings in this facility, but I much rather be back home.

I supposed I could keep reflecting upon everything that happens, too much food for thought, but such is America. "Was I in America?" I muttered, looking up at the giant. They hadn't changed besides one bit; a green badge was on the left side of the chest, its shape a simple five-pointed star. Its true meaning will remain a mystery for a long time, but logic nudged that it had something to do with me.

Rounding another corner, our footfalls echoed throughout the dull walls, no other sound broke our waves. What was the time of day? Lunch break? Too easy. Unlike the first day here, which was full of awkward, frightening fun, the number of the yellow suits has dropped to extinction level threat. I saw five or ten of them every day at minimum, but that was nothing compared to the hundreds, yes, hundreds of aliens practically stalking me like… like… prey.

I was about to face the giant but swiftly decided against it, reaching a compromise by keeping my eyes forward. Don't think about it, I reminded myself. As long as I'm with them, everything is fine. That was true. Despite the volatile situation, as long as I went along with whatever my personal hazmat suit wanted, no harm would come to me. Screams were shrieked, nonsense was yapped, hidden eyes dug into my very soul, but nothing happened… and I hoped nothing would. I shouldn't fear them. How would I fare in their shoes? Yes, yes. Therefore, I had to remain calm, let the tides do their thing and smile.

Suddenly, I was yanked back. They stopped and hadn't let go. I opened my mouth to inquire but shut it halfway since there was no point. Pesky barrier, I will overcome you! While I was wondering what we were doing in a seemingly random spot, the giant was searching their person for something. That was when I saw it, a coincidence too great to be one; the red cross. I didn't doubt any person in the world didn't know what it meant, it made sense that the time had come for an inspection of sorts, a welfare check.

Some days ago, I was given decent accommodations, nothing spectacular, just the necessary basics. Not once was I probed or bothered, the major events that took place were the meals and a nice, warm shower, one that was within my room- my? I… guess it was mine… for now.

Raising their hand, between an index and a ring was a card, the black magnetic line was the key to every door. Yeah, why should I be scared? Nothing bad has happened yet, so there was no reason to be suspicious! I rationalized. Swiping the card in a reader on the wall right to the door, a thought struck me; if this was some sort of medical center, what about other patients?

I didn't have the time to continue that line as they pulled me into the room, the door automatically closing behind me. Leading the way, I looked each and every way, many new details to memorize and analyze. The floor was a reflective surface so clean you could eat off of it, not that you should. We arrived at our destination; a cubicle occupied by another suited alien, though this one wore a white lab coat over their person.

Addressing me with a glance, the giant let go of my hand, gesturing towards a chair in the white coat's territory. I didn't keep them waiting long, I sat with hands on my knees and back straight against the support. Then, the two engaged in a conversation. The topic, like always, was as obvious as the color of the sky. Whenever I was present, even if I wasn't the main character in said event, attention would drift towards me like a reluctant moth to a solar flame. And I wasn't even asking! No one was!

Taking a deep breath, I studied this new environment. As I'd mentioned, the floor was spectacularly clean. If I imagined hard enough, it had little stars shining everywhere. Since the cubicle was contained on three sides, I didn't have much to entertain myself. I spotted a defibrillator near the door we'd come through, a lightning bolt through the heart was the symbol stuck on the plastic cover. A fire alarm on the other side of the door. A suit passed by, sending me a curious glance, a nurse or a doctor. So many possibilities. Maybe they had a camera crew watching my every move around the clock.

I swallowed the accumulated saliva, a little too much, back to simple. Although the suits they wore heavily distorted their voices, the giant's was… how do I say it… collected? Good enough. I didn't know how to fully describe it, but I knew what they weren't, courtesy of the "doctor". Paranoid, even when talking to the giant they kept not-so-subtly staring at me. Shaken, our tongues are different, but a stutter was a stutter. Afraid, a twitch there, a shuffle to nowhere. In a sense, I saw myself in that figure. I didn't want to be here and neither did they, but things had to happen, so the best we can do is understand that and chill.

Just as I was about to zone out, a hand touched my shoulder, a lesser jolt than the previous ones shocking me. Confronting the giant, I sent them a questioning raise of the brow, rubbing my index and thumb together. The suits had another quick word before standing up, the unknown a little slower than my friend. I followed in their steps as they left the cubicle to a different part of the room. It was fairly big, I counted five other heads excluding our own. A hospital being so empty felt… wrong. I think I got it, but it was still unsettling.

Shortly after, we stopped at a bed surrounded by various instruments, some of which I recognized from my bad morning. I didn't wait for them to sign, squeezing myself between them I sat down on the bed. The two looked at each other before the doctor went to a cupboard and rummaged through. Finding what they were searching for, the white coat exchanged another word with my friend before returning to me. In their hand was a hammeresque tool, shifting a little to the side, I watched the giant kneel down to where the doctor just was and bring out a wide assortment of tools; knives, tiny bottles, a stethoscope, plastic bags with that vacuum zipper, many more I couldn't name. The one in the doctor's hand was meant to test a reflex, I easily deciphered that. However, my legs were touching the floor, so with a few pumps of a mechanism under the bed I was raised to the right height for the test to work.

I watched the doctor as they lowered on their knees before me, the tool in their hand shaking. I tightened my hold on the covering, humming inquiry. Dramatically, they raised the hammer and slammed it down on my knee, receiving a minor jerking motion in response. Snapping to me, I offered them a thin, toothless smile, exhaling with a sigh. Testing my reflex a second time, the same happened, so the doctor put the tool away and proceeded onto the next one.

From that onward, things got much more relaxing. For the next, glancing at a clock on the wall, three hours, the doctor conducted many tests on me. My reflexes, my temperature, my skin, my hair, nearly every part of my body was examined and documented on the computer. The tests didn't take long at all, it was the waiting between them that bored me out of this world. I nearly fell asleep when they listened to my heartbeat in spite of the cold disk. Although… there were several bumps along the checklist. Like my sensitive regions, my teeth and my hands. The first doesn't have to be explained and I refuse anything further. For some reason, my oral cavity and hands were very intriguing to the doctor and my friend who watched the entire time. My teeth weren't crooked, I won that genetic lottery, nor were my hands deformed. So, why did they go back and forth between them? Tracing a finger over the tips of each tooth, writing something, holding my hand as if I were a princess, writing a little more. The questions just keep stacking up, don't they? The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Alas, no more experiments were left for the day. The doctor rose up to their feet, having stored away the last of their tools. "Done?" I asked. They glanced back at me, shrugging in reply. "Eh, sure, what time is it?" I jumped off the bed, standing on my toes to find that clock. Once I did, a wave of disappointment hit me, "Awww, damn. We missed lunch." Perhaps I could bother the friendly giant until they gave me what I wanted… Naaah, that would be too mean. I planned big on that meal as we'd skipped breakfast.

Erecting themselves, the doctor turned on their boots, holding something in their hand-

My heart sank, my vision tunneling faster than a mole in a chase. The giant must've instantly noticed because next thing I know a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me away from the doctor. I averted my eyes away from the sharp object, gulping at the idea of… of…

The two started yelling at one another. The doctor distanced themselves while the giant pointed at me clearly in distress from the thing. It wasn't their fault, I thought, but dared to voice nothing. A false guilt made itself home in my heart. I came up with several reasons why they might need to do this, and it didn't hurt that bad, it didn't! I… I…

"Hmm, fuck it."

I pushed myself away from the giant, the strange hug close to breaking, they completed the process. Sitting myself back on the bed, I gulped, steadying my breath for what was about to happen, what had to happen. Grabbing the left sleeve, I pulled it up to my shoulder, exposing the entire limb. Although their faces were hidden, their eyes must've gone wider than saucers. I was willing to do it, I had to, it was for my own good. What if the side effects were beyond the naked eye?

A quiet step grabbed my attention, the doctor was first to make a move. Another step, then another, and another. Until they stood beside me, the hand holding the thing shaking uncontrollably. A gust of air left my nose, I doubted the hesitation to continue was just because of me. Thinking of a way to tell them to just do it, I gave a single nod of approval. Relaxing their posture, they brought the sharp end closer and closer to my fragile skin, popping off the plastic cap before taking aim. I relaxed the entire train of muscles from my back to the pinkie. Clenching my eyes shut, I grit my teeth in anticipation for an excruciating, fiery, tortuous-

A hand touched my other shoulder. I yelped in surprise, holding my chest as I calmed down. It was the giant, of course. I felt something on that shoulder, a… a…

A bandage. A small cotton ball held tightly against the microscopic wound with nothing but a medical sellotape. I examined the quick work the doctor made, shocked at how… painless it was. It didn't feel like a second had passed. Looking at the doctor, I spotted the syringe in the process of transferring the crimson liquid into a small vial.

I sighed, laughing a few times at myself, all of this, really. I was glad it was over, that's what matters. The hand on my shoulder went up and down, so I leaned into the touch. It was nice. And my eyes were drooping, so I put my trust in the giant and let them rest.

Blinking a number of times, I straightened my back, cracking a few joints in my neck as well. The giant was standing against the wall with their arms crossed, the impressive construction of the measly cubicle upholding their mass. The doctor spun on their chair around to meet me, holding another syringe in their hand.

I didn't know what they'd found, but I was mostly sure it was nothing. First thing on arrival the next day to, what I dubbed, the infirmary, I watched my friend and the doctor converse while a tab was open on the computer. It was a white screen with a bunch of gibberish I didn't understand, though I did catch patterns in the letters. At one point, the doctor snapped their fingers towards me and gestured to come closer, so I did. Whatever they were trying to convey was lost on me, there were a few graphs and columns on the sheet, the blood test, I assumed. However, an idea struck the giant, they pointed at me, then the screen, and gave a thumbs up. As one should, I returned the positive gesture, and all was well in the world.

Until they sat me down on the bed. And there we were, the giant acting as security while the doctor prepared another extraction, or so I thought. As they casually approached me, I noticed that unlike the first syringe, this one was full of a clear liquid. Could that mean I was sick? Why be so happy about it? I swallowed, my nails digging into the palm of my hand. It was for my own good just like last time, but it didn't mean I wasn't any less phobic!

Forcing my eyes away from the sharp tip, I gazed up at the giant, thinking hard over my next actions. They titled their head, as if asking: Is there something you need? Were it true, they would've hit bullseye. Extending a hand out to them, I made grabbing motions, some red rushing to my cheeks.

Without hesitation, a heavy weight plopped down next to me, their left hand presented to me on a silver plate. Taking a deep breath, I revealed my left shoulder to the doctor, ignoring everything on my non-dominant side. I brought my right hand to rest in their bigger one, their digits gently closing like the claw of those carnival machines, the ones the player is guaranteed to lose. It was… not bad. I didn't know what had come over me, but being like that made me feel a little better, but that wasn't as awkward as the needle penetrating my skin, delivering the liquid into my bloodstream before retracting. Just like that, it was done. Another ball of fluff and a piece of sticky translucent paper and viola! Good as new. There was barely a mark left by the first one.

"This wasn't so bad…" I sniffed, their hand squeezing mine. Clearing my throat, I licked my lips, "Uh, mm, what was the word…" I concentrated, looking off into space as I searched through the drawers of short term memory to find what I was looking for. A wall stands between us, one made of thick steel reinforced with titanium, but nothing was invincible. With enough time and effort, I was su- no, I knew it could, would, will, fall down.

Until that day comes, I promised myself to be on my best behavior, and when it does I should stay that way. It was right. Biting the tip of my tongue, I silently gasped, snapping towards the giant. Still holding my hand, which I didn't mind, they loomed a little closer, wondering what I wanted that time.

Offering a wide smile, my sole hope was that I wouldn't butcher the pronunciation, "Areegato, uh- giant-saka…" Externally, I was still smiling. Internally? I was hitting myself over the head with a stick. Facepalm after facepalm after facepalm trying to construct a tunnel through my forehead. I slowly looked away, taking my hand back, or tried. The giant hadn't let go. I waited for a response in the corner of my eye, too ashamed to face them. What the hell is saka? What did I even say? Doubt started to corrupt my confidence, but it was squashed before it could bloom.

I was encompassed in a hug, half my vision a hazardous yellow. My back was being pat, a strange noise originating from the giant, low and… purr?

Man, what a week, I laughed in my head. I remained motionless in their arms, though I didn't break away. It was nice. Perhaps it was the trauma or the loneliness or a hundred other things, but I no longer found it alien. Even if words couldn't cross, we found a way to close the gap. And it was just a hug, a friendly gesture from a being I knew nothing about! The same could be said from their place, so all was fair in the end.

Yeah, the last few days have been quite strange, and I had a feeling it was going to get a lot stranger.