-Faith, Love, and Forgiveness - Chapter Seventeen: Cohabitation-
Eleven months later
"After weeks of setbacks and logistical delays, officials announced today they would be ready to begin accepting participants for the Diclonius Cohabitation Program as early as next week. The controversial program is intended to help Diclonii assimilate into human society and lead productive lives."
"The Program lasts ten days, but little is known about what actually occurs during that time. According to Ren Narukami, who was put in charge of designing and overseeing the Program:
"The best thing we can do at this time is try to help them become productive members of society. When they complete the Program, they're given a new identity. After they receive this identity, we expect them to abide by the law just like we humans do. In return, they can seek employment, or attend school, or obtain a marriage license, or anything else humans are allowed to do. If we don't help them learn to control themselves, it's all just going to be one big, never-ending vicious cycle."
Almost one year after the death of Director Kakuzawa, the Japanese government passed the Diclonius Identification and Cohabitation Act. Along with it granting additional funding to speed up the development of the Anti-Diclonius Birth vaccine, the law also provided a way for those Diclonii without a legal identity to obtain one.
Lucy and Nana both wanted to enroll, but Kouta, Yuka, and Mayu opposed the idea out of fear that it was a ruse to capture or kill Diclonii that had so far not been located.
It was one of the very few times anybody could remember Kouta and Lucy having an actual argument over something.
In the end, they decided to trust Lucy's assurances that they WILL be coming back home when the program was finished, even if doing so required forcing their way out. Privately, she also told him what he already knew: that this program was likely their best chance to get through the red tape of getting married.
"I had a feeling that had something to do with it." he admitted. Lucy didn't care about getting along with humans (other than those she lived with), but being given a legal identity would enable them to have a legal marriage. To the Diclonius, the ten day program was well worth it, and her reasoning soon persuaded Kouta into agreeing with her.
The Diclonii were allowed to bring their own clothes and hygiene products, and their shared room had it's own bathroom, shower, and telephone. This eased the cousins fears a little, as it was unlikely that they would provide a way to contact them if the whole thing was merely a way to recapture Diclonii.
The program was held in the third-floor Psyche Ward of Shonan Okamoto Regional Hospital. The actual patients there had been temporarily moved to another facility until the program was over, likely to mitigate possible conflict with the Diclonii.
Apparently, they either didn't know Lucy and Nana would be the only ones in that region to participate, or they did know, and were trying to keep the patients out of harms way.
Standing in the waiting room of the "secure area" (as they called it), the Admissions Director (Sae Amari according to her nameplate) explained the specifics in detail to the five residents of Kaeda House.
"It's a ten day program, starting tomorrow. For the first three days, you'll be confined to your room and monitored through the surveillance system." the woman paused and looked over her shoulder before speaking. "I'm sorry about this, but there's cameras in the bathroom as well. I don't agree with it, but I didn't make the rules."
As expected, neither Diclonius seemed bothered about being watched while they used the bathroom or showered. The woman went on to explain the phone would be shut off during these first three days, but provided Kouta with her office number so they could contact her in case of an emergency.
"Why do they have to stay locked in their room?" Mayu asked. The Admissions Director told the young girl it was basically just so they could be sure the Diclonii were mentally grounded and weren't showing signs of psychosis.
"In other words... they want to be sure we won't go crazy and kill them." Lucy explained.
"I wouldn't have worded it like that, but... basically, yes." she admitted.
"What happens then?" Nana asked.
"On days four, five, and six, you'll get called in several times for interviews, and counseling is also available if you feel like like you need it. Between interviews, you'll have free time, and if either of you smoke, there's a balcony you can step out on.
"We don't." Lucy answered.
"Then, you can use it if you want fresh air or something. You can also use the phone or sleep or whatever else you want to do during free time. We'll provide meals, but after Observation is over, you can call and have something delivered to the lobby. If you do, try to let someone know where you're going."
"So far, this doesn't sound too bad." Nana admitted.
"If you get food delivered, remember, no alcohol, even if you offer to share." she teased.
The Admissions Director informed them the final three days would be "Cohabitation and Life Skills Building". Once they completed this, they'd be photographed, fingerprinted, undergo a medical exam, and then be given the opportunity to decide on a legal identity for themselves that would enable them to work, attend school, get a driver's license, etc...
"What about get married?" Nana asked. She knew that was pretty much the only reason Lucy had even considered doing the program, so she wanted to ask about it upfront. To the older girl's relief, Amari confirmed that yes, their new ID's would allow for legal marriages.
"If you two are ready, grab your bags and I'll go ahead and take you to your room."
Yuka and Mayu hugged the two of them, then left to wait in the hallway so Kouta could say goodbye to Lucy with a little privacy. Getting the hint, Nana stepped out of the room, leaving the couple alone with the older woman.
"Are you sure you'll be ok?" he asked one last time.
"I'm sure. This is for US... don't forget that." she reminded him.
"I know..." he replied with a smile. Lucy smiled back, hugging him tightly as she told him how much she was going to miss him.
"I'll miss you, too." he answered. Lucy pressed her lips firmly against his, trying not to cry as they kissed.
They shared one last hug before reluctantly letting go of each other. After he left, she wiped her eyes and picked up her bag.
"You two make a beautiful couple."
The Diclonius blushed, thanking her for the complement as they walked out to join Nana.
As she walked them to their room, Amari again reminded the girls that their three days of observation starts at 6 am.
"Just between us, the cameras don't turn on until then, and the phone will still work, so if there's someone you want to call or you want to take a bath in privacy, now's a good time."
"Thank you." Nana replied politely.
The three women approached a T-intersection with a ''Psychiatric Services -'' sign on the wall. Amari pressed a button and the double-doors opened to reveal what looked more like a hotel's hallway than a hospital psyche ward. The plain white walls had been painted over, and were now a medium tan, while the tiled floor had been replaced by light brown carpet.
The fluorescent lights were noticeably dimmer, and were a much warmer shade than those in the rest of the hospital. The old motivational posters had been swapped for actual paintings, and there were even live flowers here and there.
"Why is this section decorated so differently?" Nana asked. The older woman explained that the patients on this wing are here for mental rather than physical disorders, and the changes were made to help put them at ease."
The three of them stopped at a room marked 3412.
"Alright, this it. Do either of you need or want anything?"
Both Diclonii shook their heads no.
"Ok, then. You girls have a good night." Amari said before heading back to her office.
Nana opened the door to their shared room. It was still clearly a hospital room, but it had been renovated enough to at least be considered a "nice" hospital room. All of the typical hospital equipment was gone, the floor had been carpeted, there were nice curtains, two small dressers...
And one full-sized, Western-style bed.
Nana looked at her new roommate. "Umm... Lucy?"
"It's fine."
The Sipelit smiled in relief, thankful that she didn't mind having to share a bed.
The two girls took turns using the bathroom to shower and relieve themselves. Both of them usually slept nude, but brought pajamas because of the very real possibility of being woken up by a staff member. They didn't care about being seen naked, but neither of them wanted to be seen naked while asleep (and therefore vulnerable).
After their hygienic needs were taken care of, they changed into their sleepwear, turned off the lights, and settled down in bed.
"Lucy?" Nana asked a few minutes later.
"What?"
"Can we talk?"
"...Why?"
"I just wanted to, that's all."
"It can't wait until tomorrow?"
"I... I guess so, yeah. I'm sorry for bothering you."
There was about ten seconds of silence before Lucy sighed in annoyance.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Do you think I'll ever find someone who loves me as much as Kouta loves you?"
Lucy blinked in confusion. "Why are you asking me?"
"Do you?" Nana repeated.
After a few seconds, Lucy sighed. "I can't really answer that, Nana. Love isn't something you can go out and buy, or something you get automatically after you wait X-number of years. If you're meant to have it, IT will find YOU when the time is right."
"Is that what happened with you and Kouta?" she asked quietly.
For several moments, there was silence. Then...
"I didn't find Kouta... he found me." she finally said. "He found me on one of the worst days of my entire life. I had no friends, no money, no home, and no hope. The only comfort I had was a stray puppy, and that didn't last very long."
Nana nodded, already aware that the first murders she committed were the kids who killed the only positive thing she had going for her.
"After I met Kouta, everything changed. He was the first true friend I had ever made, the first person to see my horns and not ridicule me for having them." Lucy said.
There was just enough light in the room for Nana to see the shy smile on the other girls face.
"That's so romantic... actually, it's more than romantic, it's beautiful."
Lucy smiled sadly at Nana, shaking her head a little. "I don't deserve him. I've never deserved him, and I never will."
"I think you do. I wish you could see how bright your eyes get when you're around him. I can't explain it, but somehow, deep inside my heart and soul... I know that you two were made for each other. Honestly, it kinda pisses me off sometimes." Nana admitted.
"Why? Do you think we're rubbing your nose in it or something?"
"No, of course not. It's because... well..."
Even In the dark, Lucy could tell the younger Diclonius was blushing.
"It's because I'm a bit jealous. When he looks at you, there's always just this... this incredible love in his eyes. I see him look at you, and I know with every fiber of my being he loves you more than life itself. It's so beautiful... like the fairytale kind of love you only see in movies."
Lucy swallowed a lump in her throat. "Nana..."
"I pray every night that I'll find a guy that looks at me like Kouta looks at you." she said softly.
Now, it was Lucy's turn to hope the other girl couldn't see her blush.
"When that person finds you, cherish him... not everyone is going to get a second chance like I did..." Lucy said quietly.
Nana nodded, giving the older Diclonius an almost sisterly smile. "I will. Thank you, Lucy. That was all I wanted to talk about."
"You're welcome, and... sorry for being rude." Lucy replied.
The Sipelit smiled at her bed-mate. "It's alright. I know this must be hard on you."
"A little, yeah... but it'll be worth it in the end."
Nana yawned, nodding in agreement. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight Lucy."
"Goodnight Nana."
Both girls rolled over to go to sleep, but then something occurred to the older Diclonius that she felt Nana needed to be made aware of sooner rather than later.
"Hey, Nana? You know how me and Kouta cuddle in bed before going to sleep?" she asked.
The purple-haired girl giggled. "Is this your way of asking me to hold you, Lucy?"
"Of course not!"
Nana laughed playfully at her older counterpart. "I'm just kidding. I already know what you're trying to say; If I wake up and we're cuddling, you did it in your sleep."
Lucy blinked in surprise. Despite being so young and naïve, the younger Diclonius could be pretty damn sharp when she wanted to be.
"I'm glad you're so... understanding."
"After sleeping with Kouta for so long, I imagine sleeping with another girl might take a while to get used to." Nana teased.
"...I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that."
Day One
As those running the Cohabitation program were figuring out, all locking two bored Diclonii in a room together was accomplishing was boring the interns who were tasked with watching them.
"Hey, on the bright side, at least we got to see the hot one take a shower!"
"Yeah, for like... five minutes."
"What are they doing now?"
"Umm... napping."
"Again? How can those two sleep so much?"
"I think they're part cat or something."
"Nah, that's just their horns."
As the two Diclonii napped, watched TV, or played card games, the interns watching them were as bored as they were. Getting to watch the girls shower was about as exciting as it got, and even that didn't help much.
"This is gonna be a lonngggg three days." the other intern sighed.
Day Four
Lucy was thirty seconds into her first interview and already hated it.
Once the first seventy-two hours were over, three men came to the girls' room and informed them that the observation phase was over. As expected, they wanted to talk to the older girl first. Twenty minutes later, Lucy, wearing a knee-length, burgundy jumper dress over a pink and red striped short-sleeved top, was seated in front of a desk even wider than Kakuzawa's.
Opposite her were the men from earlier, who informed her they were Government officials sent to conduct the interviews and oversee the Cohabitation process.
"I'm Saito, and this is Naga, and Hara. You're "Lucy"... right?"
"Yes."
"We don't make any decisions concerning whether or not you "pass" the program. As long as you're not mentally unstable, and satisfactorily complete the Skill Assessment phase, you'll "graduate"... for lack of a better word." one of the officials explained.
Lucy nodded in understanding.
"You are not required to answer every question asked, but if I were you, I would. Refusing to do so may delay your completion of the program, or in extreme circumstances, be considered an indication of mental instability. Do you understand?"
Lucy nodded again, reminding herself she was doing this to make marrying Kouta possible, so just play nice and be done with it.
The interview started off pretty typically. She was asked pretty much the kind of questions one would expect in this situation: Do you know your birth name? Where do you live? How old are you? Do you have any family?
Then things took an unexpected turn.
"How many people have you killed, Lucy?"
After a long pause, she finally admitted she didn't know. "I... I'm trying to put that behind me and move past it. I can't take any of it back, as much as I wish I could..." she replied honestly, unable to stop the memory of murdering Kouta's family from resurfacing.
"Easy to say now that it's over and done with..." Naga remarked.
"I... I know."
The room went silent for almost thirty seconds before Hara spoke up.
"How's your relationship with the humans you live with? Do you like living with them?"
Lucy nodded, her face brightening at the mention of the people she had come to think of as her family. "I love living with them. They're the only real, true friends I've ever had."
"Do you care about them?"
"Yes, I do."
"What about the other Diclonius?"
Lucy couldn't help but smile a little bit. "Nana's a bit naive at times, but she's always so kind and caring to everyone."
Saito made a couple of notes on a writing pad.
"Would you consider yourself kind and caring also?"
Caught off guard, the pink-haired girl went silent for a few moments before answering the question.
"No... but I would like to be." she finally said.
The man taking notes put his pen down. "That's all for now. We'll call for you in a few hours, but in the meantime, please tell "Nana" we're ready for her."
Going back to their room, Lucy walked in and immediately got back in bed, listening to Nana as she talked on the phone to someone (presumably Mayu).
"Your turn." she said after the Sipelit hung up.
"How was it?"
The older Diclonius shrugged. "It wasn't bad."
Hearing this, Nana thanked her and departed. Lucy stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. After a few minutes, she decided to give Kaeda House a call so she could give Kouta an update.
Thirty minutes later
"How did you come to live where you do?"
"Well, after Papa helped me escape from that Institute, I was homeless and had nowhere to go. That was when I first met Mayu. She took me to Kaeda House so I could meet Kouta, Yuka, and Nyu."
"Nyu?" Hara asked.
"That's Lucy's other half." Nana explained. She went on to explain that being shot in the head while trying to escape caused her to develop a split-personality.
"They named that side of her Nyu because that's all she'd say."
Writing down a few notes, they asked her to describe what living with humans was like. Once she finished, they wanted to know how her and Lucy got along.
"We didn't like each other at first. We had a fight the first time we met, and Lucy ripped my arm and legs off."
The officials looked at her skeptically. "You seem fine to us..." Naga said. Nana stood up and removed one of her legs and arms, quickly ending any doubts they may have had.
"How well do you get along now?"
Nana smiled, telling them that over time, her and Lucy had become close friends.
"You're "close friends" with a girl who ripped your body apart? Don't you think that's a bit stupid?"
"Lucy's changed. She's not like that anymore, and... I've forgiven her for it." Nana replied. "I look up to her now. She's become a completely different person, and I'm so proud of her for it."
"Be honest with us, how does she get along with the humans you two live with?" Naga asked.
"She might be a bit moody at times, but she deeply cares for all of them, especially Kouta."
"Why is that? What makes her care more for him?"
"He's her boyfriend. It'd be a little strange if she DIDN'T care more for him." Nana answered.
The officials looked at each other, then turned back to Nana. "...Excuse me?"
"Lucy is Kouta's girlfriend, and Kouta is Lucy's boyfriend. They're so deeply in love with each other, it kinda makes me a bit jealous." Nana blushed.
"I find it hard to believe that a Diclonius and a human are dating, let alone "in love" with each other." Hara said. "Honestly, I'm amazed humans let you two live with them at all."
Nana gave the men a dirty look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't believe humans and Diclonii can live together long-term. Your species and human beings are natural enemies, after all. Most people know this instinctively, which is why they avoid girls born with horns and invisible arms." Naga remarked.
"You're being a jerk, you know that? I go out of my way to be as nice as I can to everybody I meet." Nana glared.
"Lucy said something similar about you, but we tend to take anything mass murderers like her say with a big grain of salt." Saito remarked.
"How many people have YOU killed?" Hara asked with a smirk.
Nana took a moment to calm her nerves. The Sipelit didn't understand why there was such a sharp change in attitude as soon as she mentioned Kouta and Lucy being in love.
"How many, Nana?" Hara asked again.
"One... and if I hadn't killed him, he would have killed Kouta." Nana said at last.
"I see... are you sure it wasn't some other reason?" Naga asked.
"Like what?!" she asked incredulously.
"Maybe you just wanted to know what it was like to murder someone..."
Looking at the officials, Nana could clearly see the contempt for her and Lucy in their eyes. She didn't know what crawled up their asses and died, but it was starting to piss her off.
"If I hadn't done it, Kouta would have been killed. I got no joy out of taking someone's life, and I wish I hadn't been forced to do it, but... I don't regret it." she said calmly.
Saito made a few notes in his pad, telling her without even looking up that they were done, and that they'd call for her again later that afternoon.
After her first interview was over, Nana went back to her and Lucy's room to find the older Diclonius sound asleep on the bed. More and more, she was starting to understand why the Diclonius Queen had such a mistrust of humans.
It was so frustrating it made her want to cry. The officials responsible for overseeing the new COHABITATION program had just told her they don't think it's even possible. What a joke...
She sat down on their bed, watching the pink-haired girl as she slept. It sounded like she was muttering something in her sleep, so Nana leaned in closer to see if she could make out that it was. When she finally did it again, Nana wasn't completely sure what it was, but judging from the dried tears on her face, it sounded like "Kouta".
The Sipelit smiled and sat back down. The day they arrived for the program, Lucy had insisted on using the shower first. It kinda annoyed her at the time, but that changed when she heard the older Diclonius crying, and realized why she had been so pushy about it.
'She must have been holding it in and just... needed to let it out.' Nana thought sadly.
When you love somebody as deeply as she did Kouta, ten days apart must have felt like an eternity.
Following her roommates example, Nana yawned and crawled onto their shared bed. She didn't know when they wanted to do her second interview, but she knew that if they called for her, but she didn't show, an orderly or some other employee would come and check on them. Just to be safe, she left the door unlocked and set their shared alarm clock for three hours.
Eight hours later
"We heard some interesting information from Nana this morning."
"Oh? What would that be?" Lucy asked.
"We've been informed of a supposed relationship between you and this "Kouta" individual that lives with you."
Lucy looked at him in confusion. "So?"
"You don't deny it?" Hara asked.
"Why would I?"
Before she left their room for the second interview, Nana had warned her that the officials started acting strangely aggressive once they heard that she and Kouta were dating. Neither girl could understand why, but it certainly warranted caution.
The men looked at each other and shook their heads.
"How long has this been going on?" Naga asked. From the tone he was using, he sounded like an angry parent who just found out their kid's been skipping school.
"Why does it matter?" she challenged. "I love him, he loves me... that's what's important."
Silence stretched on for what felt like hours until she finally gave him an answer.
"How would you describe your... "relationship"... with him?" Hara asked.
"Perfect." Lucy said, a faint blush appearing on her face.
"That's not much of an answer." Naga complained. Saito nodded in agreement, "What makes your relationship perfect?"
Lucy glared at the officials in irritation, and then took a moment to think about her answer.
"I call it perfect because, I don't have to hide anything from him. There's nothing I can't tell him, and he knows there nothing he can't tell me."
"So, there's no secrets between you two?"
"None. There doesn't have to be."
The men looked at each other as Saito made a couple of notes. "I assume he knows what you are?" Naga asked.
When she confirmed that he did, Naga followed up by asking if he knew she was a murderer.
Lucy looked down in regret. "He knows everything. Like I said, there are no secrets between us, no matter how painful they may be."
"Go on." Hara coaxed.
"He listens to me." she said after thinking for a moment. "He never tells me he's too busy or not interested. Sometimes, I swear he's a mind-reader because he can tell what I'm thinking just by the way I look at him."
"Sounds like you're close."
Lucy nodded her head. "We are. I love him so much, and he loves me."
Naga and Hara leaned in and whispered something to Saito, who was as usual the one taking notes.
"So, what do you and your "boyfriend" like doing?"
"Well, the same things most couples do: Running errands, taking walks, watching TV, going to the beach... things like that. We both love the zoo, and it's actually kind of special to us since we were children the first time we went there."
Saito wrote down a few notes as Hara continued asking questions.
"Is he handsome?"
"God, yes... he could have any girl he wanted." Lucy admitted.
"Would you consider him a kind person?" Naga asked.
"Definitely. He took me in when I had nowhere to go. He did the same for Nana, and for that human girl Mayu, too."
"Do any of you have to pay rent, or otherwise compensate him?" Saito asked her after he was done taking notes. Lucy shook her head, "All he's ever asked for was a little help with chores, that's all. I think helping wash dishes a couple of times a week in exchange for having a home is a pretty good deal."
Again, Hara and Naga whispered something to Saito as he took notes.
"Does this alleged boyfriend of yours display his affection through physical means?" he asked with a barely concealed grin.
"You mean, does he touch me? Of course he does." she replied.
"What does he do?" Naga asked.
Lucy was beginning to wonder where they were going with this. "We hold hands, hug, kiss, cuddle... the same things every other couple does."
"Do you two have sex?"
The pink-haired girl was a little surprised by the question, but nodded her head.
"How often?"
"Four or five times a week, sometimes more or less. Why?" she asked in confusion. Ignoring her inquiry, they continued asking questions that gradually became more and more personal as the interview went on.
"What's your boyfriend's favorite position?"
"Missionary, but I don't understand why you're..."
"Do you prefer it romantic, or rough?"
"Well, it... it depends on what mood we..."
"Have you engaged in any form of sex other than vaginal?"
"Why are you asking so many personal questions? This has nothing to do with cohabitation."
"Answer the question, Lucy."
There was a few moments of silence, then she finally answered by telling them that yes, she and Kouta are both very fond of oral sex.
The men just snickered among themselves. Lucy wanted to be cooperative, but was about to run out of patience.
"Do you like getting on your knees for that, or is ther-"
"Alright, that's enough!"
Lucy and the officials turned to see the Admissions Director in the doorway with a very, VERY pissed off look on her face.
"Her sexual history is absolutely NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" she yelled loudly.
"Actually... it is." Saito said as he frowned. "We're just trying to ensure that she's competent enough to engage in sexual activities without endange-"
"Don't give me that bullshit! All your doing is trying to humiliate her!"
Saito crossed his arms with a sigh as Naga and Hara scoffed, glaring first at the Director, then at Lucy. "That's all for today, Lucy. Please let Nana know we won't be needing to see her until tomorrow."
Without a word, the Diclonius stood up and walked out. She had barely made it around the corner when she suddenly heard her name being called. Stopping in her tracks, she waited for Director Amari to catch up to her.
"I'm sorry, Lucy... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but my office is right beside the interview room they're using."
The Diclonius just shrugged. "I'm used to ignorant humans. Don't worry about it."
"Umm... could you take a short walk with me? I'd like to talk to you about something." Amari said.
"I don't really feel like it right now."
"Please? It won't take long."
Lucy just sighed in annoyance. She really didn't feel like talking at the moment, but she felt a bit indebted to the woman for sticking up for her.
"Fine."
Ten minutes later
Amari brought the pink-haired girl to a small, isolated breakroom so they could talk with at least some degree of privacy. It contained a row of vending machines and a couple of small tables, and had been painted to resemble an outdoor cafe.
Sipping the can of soda the older woman had insisted on paying for, Lucy again found herself describing her relationship with Kouta.
"It sounds like you really love him." Amari said with a genuine smile. Lucy nodded, relaxing her guard after she was satisfied the woman was sincerely wanting to get to know her.
"Kouta means everything to me. We met as children, and I... I am truly blessed to have him." the Diclonius blushed. "He was the first person to ever treat me like... well... like a person."
"Because you're a Diclonius, you mean?"
The younger girl nodded. "He didn't care that I had horns, or red eyes, or pink hair. He looked at ME... not at any of that."
"I hope you treat him right, men like that only come along once in a lifetime."
The Diclonius blushed again and nodded. "I... I know. He's the reason I joined the program. We hope to get married someday, but without an official identity, that's probably not going to be possible."
"About that... I'm sorry again for what happened earlier."
Lucy shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault."
"In all honesty, asking if you were sexually active IS a reasonable question, but the rest of it was just... it was completely inappropriate regardless of what half-ass excuse they came up with."
The pink-haired girl couldn't help but smile. It was nice having humans (other than the ones she lived with) stick up for her for a change.
"What's their problem?" she asked, relating how Nana had warned her of the men's abrupt change of attitude once they heard about the relationship.
"Lucy, to be completely honest with you, some people are just prejudiced against Diclonii. I know that's not much of an answer, but it's the truth."
Lucy finished her soda and set the empty can down on the table.
"Oh, you're done? Here, I'll throw it away for you." Amari offered. Lucy simply reached out with a vector, picked up the can, and dropped it in the garbage can.
"Wow..." the older woman grinned, "That's pretty convenient!"
Lucy smiled. Her and Nana hadn't exactly been forbidden from using their vectors, but both girls knew to severely limit their use in front of any of the humans involved in the program. The fact that Lucy felt comfortable using hers in front of Amari proved the Diclonius Queen had at least some level of trust for her.
"Well, I have to get back to work. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me."
"It's fine. Thank you for speaking up back there." Lucy said gratefully.
"Anytime, Sweetie."
Day Seven
The final three days of the program were, as Lucy had put it, "The most insulting seventy-two hours of my life."
So far, the entire first day was nothing but "simulations" of events that might occur whenever interacting with humans. Apparently, the ones who designed the program were taking a page out of Shirakawa's book because clearly they didn't believe a Diclonius and a human could get along outside of a lab, otherwise they wouldn't have felt the need to constantly remind them that murdering humans at the drop of a hat was wrong.
The girls pointed out that they were already living with humans and had been for some time, but this did nothing to get them out of the nearly ten hours of asinine role-play.
By contrast, the eighth day actually contained useful information. Among the topics covered were applying for a driver's license, finding employment, balancing a checkbook, using a PC, and numerous other topics that might seem remedial to the average human, but were brand new if you had spent most of your life locked up in a laboratory being experimented on.
The Diclonii had a roughly half-hour "lunch break"' before being presented with a fairly short written exam. Since Nana wasn't as literate as Lucy, a staff member was called to assist her if needed.
Following that was a three-hour period of "free time", which both of them used for napping. After that came more lectures and role-play, another half-hour break, then a short practical exam on the use of everyday appliances and performing common maintenance tasks such as changing lightbulbs, replacing smoke-detector batteries, resetting tripped circuit breakers, and unclogging drains and toilets.
To the two Diclonii, this felt less like life-skills and more like the final exam for maintenance workers.
Lucy had at first criticized the decision to put such menial tasks in the program, but changed her mind after watching Nana break nine lightbulbs in a row while trying to change one. The Sipelit just didn't seem to understand that you're supposed to unscrew them, not pull them straight out.
Looking back on it, it became apparent that this portion of the program was probably created with Diclonii who had never left the confines of a lab in mind, not those who had originally lived in the outside world and were captured later in life.
By the time the girls got back to their room, it was far later than usual, and both of them were worn out. They took turns in the shower, and decided that since Yuka had repeatedly offered to pay for something to be delivered, they'd take her up on it instead of making the trip down to the dining hall. Lucy and Nana spent a few minutes debating what to order, and finally the girls settled on pizza.
They gave Yuka a call, and soon after, Lucy changed into the pink tank-top and pajama pants set Kouta had recently got her and was on her way down to the lobby.
Ironically, it turned out to be the driver she had once answered the door for while naked. The man handed her a pen and the receipt, which she signed and handed back to him. Amusingly, once he remembered who she was, he became too flustered to make eye contact.
"Oh, you got clothes on this time." he joked.
"Are you disappointed?"
"Wha..?! N-No, that's not what I meant!"
Now, unable to look at her at ALL, the driver attempted to apologize, but kept tripping over his words.
"Don't worry about it, it's fine." she said.
The man bid her goodnight and quickly left before he embarrassed himself any further.
Once back in their room, the two Diclonii sat down on the bed to eat and talked about what the next day may hold for them.
"What do you think? More tests? Role-play?"
Lucy shrugged, taking a sip from her drink. "I'm just going to play nice and get through it. You should do the same."
Nana nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I'm kind of surprised... I didn't expect there to be actual tests on any of this."
"Well, they did say it was possible to fail this part of the program."
"I know, I jus-" Nana abruptly stopped speaking as somebody knocked on their door. Before she could get up to open the door, it opened and in walked a security guard, flanked by two armed police officers.
"Umm... can we help you?" Nana asked in uncertainty. It did not escape her notice that both of the cops had drawn their guns and were hiding them behind their backs.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you ladies, but we received a call that there might have been a breach in security. Which one of you is Lucy?"
"I am." the older Diclonius said suspiciously.
"I know it's late, and you probably just want to go to bed, but this is an urgent matter that has to be resolved sooner rather than later. Give me a few minutes of your time, and I'll get out of your hair, deal?"
Everyone could clearly see Lucy did not look happy one little bit, but she wasn't about to do something to jeopardize finishing the program this close to the end. She accepted, and the guard pulled up a chair.
"I'm going try and hurry this up, especially since I can see now that we shouldn't have been called in the first place." he said, clearly annoyed about the entire incident. "We received a call that you had left the secured area of the hospital, and were trying to escape."
The Diclonii just looked at each other. "Escape what?!" Nana asked. "We're here because we WANT to be, not because we HAVE to be!"
One of the officers walked closer to the bed. "Are you saying you're here voluntarily?" When they nodded, the cop asked the security guard if it was true. The guard replied that he'd been informed the Diclonii were actually in custody and couldn't leave. In an effort to clear up any misunderstanding, the police insisted he call Admissions Director Amari.
Amari, on speakerphone, informed the guard in no uncertain terms that yes, the two Diclonii were there voluntarily and were free to leave at any point.
"Yes, she should have told someone that she was going to the lobby, but what part of going down there in her pajamas to pick up pizza made you think she was trying to "escape"? Who the hell called you about this in the first place?"
The guard hesitated, then cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Miss Amari, but information on who contacted me is confidential, and cannot be disclosed at this time."
Without missing a beat, the cop closest to him simply raised his voice and said the incident was reported by a Mr. Hara, and that the guard had requested armed police come assist him because of the extreme risk posed by the Diclonii.
"...Oh, really?"
The guards face paled at the tone of her voice. The two police officers holstered their guns, and apologized to the girls for disturbing them. Before leaving, they informed the guard any further frivolous calls from him will result in his arrest. The guard, now catching holy hell in person AND over the phone, apologized as well and quickly departed, letting Lucy and Nana finish eating in peace.
"Douchebag..." Nana muttered, getting a slight grin out of Lucy.
A few minutes later, their phone rang. Nana picked it up, already having a good idea of who was calling.
"Are you two alright?"
"We're fine, but thank you for checking on us." the Sipelit answered.
"Ask her about tomorrow." Lucy said quietly.
"Hey, what's tomorrow going to be like?"
Amari replied that there would probably be "a few graded role-plays, a written test, and one or two practical exams. "
"It won't be as bad as you think it will, so don't worry too much. Besides, I got faith in you two." she assured them.
As they lay in bed that night waiting for sleep, both Diclonii found they were comforted more by Amari's profession of faith in them than by her assurance that the tests themselves would not be as difficult as they were expecting.
Just before she finally dozed off, Nana heard a quiet "Good luck, Nana." from the pink-haired girl. The Sipelit smiled, reaching out to give the Diclonius Queen's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Good luck, Lucy."