Elfen High 2: Gotterdammerung

[Ende]

Ivy looked up.

"Az!" she cried enthusiastically, shaking his hand. "It's good to see you!"

Aziraphile was the librarian at Heavensgate - they weren't exactly close friends, but they knew each other, and he was nice enough. She liked him, although, Az was rather bad at social interactions (even in terms of angel standards). She wasn't sure if he ever actually left the library, really. Every time she had seen him was in there, in the dusty piles of scrolls.

Well, apparently, he had left the library. He looked rather out of place, even for an angel among humans. He was wearing an absolutely ridiculous pink coat, a puffy-collared shirt, a cherry red vest, a yellow cravat, and shoes. She stifled a laugh, grinning at him - the last time she had seen him, he was robed just like all the other angels. He had honestly looked a bit more respectable in that attire. Letting go of his hand, she put her hand to her chin, thinking.

"Rosalind? No, actually. I haven't seen Megan, Rosalind, or D yet. It's a bit odd, actually. I would recommend looking around the school." she said briefly, and then she realized that sending Az around Elfen High would...probably not be a good thing.

"Actually, no, I take that last part back. I'm sure she'll show up eventually. Why are you looking for her, anyway? I didn't know that you knew the Jamesons, Az." she said questioningly, taking a quick sip from her drink.

"Please, friend Ivy," Aziraphale said, "No one can know that I have come here. You shall call me..."

He stopped and began to think deeply.

"...Mr. Angel," he said, "Is that not clever? I am Aziraphale's alias Mr. Angel, the new librarian at Elfen High.

Lord Raphael has assigned me to monitor Rosalind Jameson. He still has concerns about Lord Richard's prophecies. It is my duty to watch the girl and ensure that she remains safe and does not cause the apocalypse."

Ivy facepalmed.

"Mr. Angel? Azi...I mean, Mr. Angel, that's...you can do better than that. Anyway, Raphael thinks that Richard's prophecy was about Rosalind? I was there when he said it - let me try to remember it, it's been a decade and I wasn't in a very good state at the time..."

She racked her mind for the memory. It was difficult to remember.

""The child will decide doom or salvation" is the only line I can really remember, and I assumed that Richard was talking about, well, Richard." she said, pointing over to her son, who was...oh, great, he was dripping wet, and so was the girl next to him. Richard was awful at hydrokinesis. Absolutely terrible. She felt sorry for the girl.

She really wished that she had taught Richard more about people, but it was a bit late for that.

[Nationstatelandsville]

"The only thing I worry about is Dai," D said, "He worries about these things too much."

"I like Dai," Tim said.

He sighed, and leaned back. "My family is visiting soon. You should see them. Mary has a thing for you, I've discovered. Can't imagine why, but she likes... well, whatever it is you are, I suppose."

"You should take Mary to a psychiatrist," D said dryly, "How old is she at this point? Is she aware that I am eleven?

I would hate for her to go to prison for such infatuations. Or, well, I'll pretend to. Wait, telling you that goes against the point of sympathy, doesn't it? Shit.

I'm sorry, I guess."

"Please, friend Ivy," Aziraphale said, "No one can know that I have come here. You shall call me..."

He stopped and began to think deeply.

"...Mr. Angel," he said, "Is that not clever? I am Aziraphale's alias Mr. Angel, the new librarian at Elfen High.

Lord Raphael has assigned me to monitor Rosalind Jameson. He still has concerns about Lord Richard's prophecies. It is my duty to watch the girl and ensure that she remains safe and does not cause the apocalypse."

Ivy facepalmed.

"Mr. Angel? Azi...I mean, Mr. Angel, that's...you can do better than that. Anyway, Raphael thinks that Richard's prophecy was about Rosalind? I was there when he said it - let me try to remember it, it's been a decade and I wasn't in a very good state at the time..."

She racked her mind for the memory. It was difficult to remember.

""The child will decide doom or salvation" is the only line I can really remember, and I assumed that Richard was talking about, well, Richard." she said, pointing over to her son, who was...oh, great, he was dripping wet, and so was the girl next to him. Richard was awful at hydrokinesis. Absolutely terrible. She felt sorry for the girl.

She really wished that she had taught Richard more about people, but it was a bit late for that.

"Lord Raphael is uncertain," "Mr. Angel" said, "He wants both children to be watched regardless. He trusts friend Calliel to keep track of Richard, but is convinced - for some reason that I am not sure - that the Jameson family is, in his words, 'volatile, violent, dangerous, and smelly'.

I do hope he is wrong. I do not like smells."

[Ende]

"I'm sorry." he said awkwardly, telekinetically controlling the water and flicking it off him, his embarrassment fading slightly. "That...that happens sometimes. I'm not sure why. I'm just bad at that. Controlling plant-based life forms is much easier. It's hard to explain why, but I have much more control over solid materials and much less over liquid. I'm sorry for the accident. That will not happen again." he said firmly, still feeling tinges of embarrassment.

"So," he said, "would you mind telling me about yourself?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Actually, being able to do that isn't bad, I like it. Does your mom and dad know how to do that too?"

Then the final question hit her. And with it came the implications. Implications like explaining that her mother was dead, and that her father was a bit of a mess since that. And other things that she didn't want to remember.

The question, while innocuously asked, was like a trap to her. Would he think of her strange if she explained how her mother died and what happened after? Would it put him off? She wasn't sure -- but in the past, she knew that she shouldn't talk about things like that. Things like that depress people, and she didn't want that right now, not when Elfen High seemed to be such a bright, quirky place.

Tread carefully, she thought. Don't reveal too much, it might weird him out. You want friends, right?

"Uh, depends on what you want to know, I guess."

That was the most honest answer that she could give. After all, where is she supposed to start?

Richard shrugged, slightly downcast.

"I do not honestly know what I want to know, Friend Alison. I thought that was how you started a conversation. Mom says that humans like to talk about themselves, and I thought that perhaps you might." he said stiffly, folding his hands together. "Asides from Mom, I have not talked to many humans. I grew up in Heavensgate, and there are not very many humans there."

He was rather worried - he was doing this wrong. He was bad at this. Why was this so difficult? It was just...talking. Socializing. He didn't have to be good at it, right? Just a minor thing that people did.

"Just tell me whatever you want. Or nothing, if you want that." he said, slightly frustrated (at himself, mainly), but not showing it at all.

[Nude East Ireland]

"I like Dai," Tim said.

He sighed, and leaned back. "My family is visiting soon. You should see them. Mary has a thing for you, I've discovered. Can't imagine why, but she likes... well, whatever it is you are, I suppose."

"You should take Mary to a psychiatrist," D said dryly, "How old is she at this point? Is she aware that I am eleven?

I would hate for her to go to prison for such infatuations. Or, well, I'll pretend to. Wait, telling you that goes against the point of sympathy, doesn't it? Shit.

I'm sorry, I guess."

"She's sixteen," Tim replied. "And I'm sure she'd be the one using you, if anything. She's a Crowley, after all."

He sighed, and closed his eyes. "Anyways, nice seeing you, D. I'll probably stop in again sometime today."

Tim and Rasputin were gone, back in their own dorm.

[Ende]

Ivy facepalmed.

"Mr. Angel? Azi...I mean, Mr. Angel, that's...you can do better than that. Anyway, Raphael thinks that Richard's prophecy was about Rosalind? I was there when he said it - let me try to remember it, it's been a decade and I wasn't in a very good state at the time..."

She racked her mind for the memory. It was difficult to remember.

""The child will decide doom or salvation" is the only line I can really remember, and I assumed that Richard was talking about, well, Richard." she said, pointing over to her son, who was...oh, great, he was dripping wet, and so was the girl next to him. Richard was awful at hydrokinesis. Absolutely terrible. She felt sorry for the girl.

She really wished that she had taught Richard more about people, but it was a bit late for that.

"Lord Raphael is uncertain," "Mr. Angel" said, "He wants both children to be watched regardless. He trusts friend Calliel to keep track of Richard, but is convinced - for some reason that I am not sure - that the Jameson family is, in his words, 'volatile, violent, dangerous, and smelly'.

I do hope he is wrong. I do not like smells."

Ivy stifled a laugh, coughing slightly.

"Volatile, violent, dangerous, and smelly?" she said, looking around, checking around to make sure the Jamesons weren't there. "Raphael may have been on to something there. Well, on the volatile and dangerous part. I don't honestly think they smell, though, so you're probably okay."

She yawned, and then refilled her plate with food - oh, dammit! Dammit! It was gone within seconds. Seconds. Turning, she glared daggers at Laz, but he didn't notice her. He was too busy grinding up chicken bones with his teeth. Slightly irritated, she turned back to "Mr. Angel" and shrugged.

"Either way, I don't know where Rosy is."

[Individuality-ness]

"Hey, don't worry about it. Actually, being able to do that isn't bad, I like it. Does your mom and dad know how to do that too?"

Then the final question hit her. And with it came the implications. Implications like explaining that her mother was dead, and that her father was a bit of a mess since that. And other things that she didn't want to remember.

The question, while innocuously asked, was like a trap to her. Would he think of her strange if she explained how her mother died and what happened after? Would it put him off? She wasn't sure -- but in the past, she knew that she shouldn't talk about things like that. Things like that depress people, and she didn't want that right now, not when Elfen High seemed to be such a bright, quirky place.

Tread carefully, she thought. Don't reveal too much, it might weird him out. You want friends, right?

"Uh, depends on what you want to know, I guess."

That was the most honest answer that she could give. After all, where is she supposed to start?

Richard shrugged, slightly downcast.

"I do not honestly know what I want to know, Friend Alison. I thought that was how you started a conversation. Mom says that humans like to talk about themselves, and I thought that perhaps you might." he said stiffly, folding his hands together. "Asides from Mom, I have not talked to many humans. I grew up in Heavensgate, and there are not very many humans there."

He was rather worried - he was doing this wrong. He was bad at this. Why was this so difficult? It was just...talking. Socializing. He didn't have to be good at it, right? Just a minor thing that people did.

"Just tell me whatever you want. Or nothing, if you want that." he said, slightly frustrated (at himself, mainly), but not showing it at all.

She relaxed a little this time. Okay, so she can choose what she can say.

She sort of felt bad for Richard. Then again, she felt sorry for herself too, and in all honesty, she wasn't sure whether she was doing all that well with interacting with people her own age. She was rather horrid at that when it comes to things like this.

Gathering composure, she thought about her answer a bit, and then she began to speak. Again, her hand shot up to touch the sapphire on her neck, a sign of her nervousness perhaps.

"Well, I grew up in the United States, near Washington D.C. Father does top secret stuff in the military, he's an engineer and stuff. I don't know what he works on though. Mother? Uh... well... she's not with us. She... she moved on. Passed on."

She had to force the last two words out, and at that, everything froze -- not literally frozen, but she could not go on.

Memory, memory, memory. Suddenly she could imagine her mother, saying "promise", she could hear her on that last day. The last day, the day that her mother said her last goodbye. A final goodbye.

One part of her was still aware of the surroundings, and as the alarms blared to notify them of Callahan's arrival, only that part took note, for the rest of her didn't seem to have even heard it, even though they were screeching loud.

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Lord Raphael is uncertain," "Mr. Angel" said, "He wants both children to be watched regardless. He trusts friend Calliel to keep track of Richard, but is convinced - for some reason that I am not sure - that the Jameson family is, in his words, 'volatile, violent, dangerous, and smelly'.

I do hope he is wrong. I do not like smells."

Ivy stifled a laugh, coughing slightly.

"Volatile, violent, dangerous, and smelly?" she said, looking around, checking around to make sure the Jamesons weren't there. "Raphael may have been on to something there. Well, on the volatile and dangerous part. I don't honestly think they smell, though, so you're probably okay."

She yawned, and then refilled her plate with food - oh, dammit! Dammit! It was gone within seconds. Seconds. Turning, she glared daggers at Laz, but he didn't notice her. He was too busy grinding up chicken bones with his teeth. Slightly irritated, she turned back to "Mr. Angel" and shrugged.

"Either way, I don't know where Rosy is."

"This is a pity," Aziraphale sighed, "Tell me then, friend Ivy - who can I speak to in order to find her? Who is 'in charge'?"

[Rupudska]

Then Yuzuki showed up in the cafeterium. She was wearing a simple maroon kimono, sandals, and... that was it, really. Her kimono was open enough to show a fair amount of cleavage, but didn't reveal anything truly lewd. A typically Yuzuki way to dress.

She puffed on her pipe, looking with varying degrees of interest at all the new students, and there was quite a lot of new students. Ahh, the teeming, gullible masses.... she thought to herself. And yet, there were plenty of familiar faces, as well. There was Laz,the biggest idiot in the universe, devouring every food item in sight. Well, at least he had learned to tell the difference between what was and wasn't edible. Maybe. He was always a bit odd with his learning patterns. Yet he was surprisingly good at remembering names. Very curious.

She continued walking through the crowd, picking up a plate of various food items and quickly getting out of Laz's reach. She, like him, had zero gag reflex when it came to things going in her mouth, but when it came to food, she did have standards.

She noticed a girl in the center of the room, standing stockstill and facing magnetic north with startling accuracy. She was deathly pale and seemed to have undergone extensive cybernetic body modifications. Very curious indeed.

"Well hello there. Mind explaining why you're facing magnetic north? Oh! I'm Dame Yuzuki Kurayami, literature teacher at Elfen High."

[Olthar]

A small, white robot with a single yellow eye silently hovered through the auditorium, examining everything. It was almost a perfect sphere in shape but had a flat bottom in which the anti-gravity device was installed, allowing the object to float the way it was. Beyond that, there were no visible features gracing the ball's surface.

Controlling this drone was S.A.M.M.E. who was otherwise unable to attend the ceremony being a giant, room-sized computer in Lesotho. She floated around the auditorium, quietly examining everyone before finally deciding to interact with somebody. Jojo didn't make very good company, and the AI didn't particularly have anything else to do with this partition of her mind.

She went up to the nearest person and introduced herself.

"Greetings. I am S.A.M.M.E. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Astrolinium]

Well, you know, Caspian may have been in 2030 since June, but at heart he was still a 1980 boy. So when a hovering drone cyclops thing hovered on up to him and introduced itself, he quite literally fell out of his chair and onto the floor, landing on his ass. "Ow," he said, looking frightfully at the machine. Then he swallowed and licked his lips - they'd gone quite dry, quite dry indeed. He thought, 'Now, come on, Caspian, it's not a witch in a jack in the box, it's probably just another student or something. This is the year 2030 - you're going to have to get used to things being a bit more liberal here.'

Cautiously, he said, "H-hi, uh, Sammy. I'm Lawrence, Caspian Lawrence."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Underneath the school...

Other events were ongoing as the barely stable rabbit government was being torn apart again by rebellious elements. They sang out as they fired their little rabbit guns or used magic. The rat armies trying to hold order gave up and fled rapidly, the government's troops falling shortly afterward.

General CutiePie looked out at the destruction and havoc that was being caused. He turned to Governor Cuddleson Adorable, who looked tired.

"Is this what we have become?" Cuddleson bemoaned, one fluffy white paw reaching out to show the chaos outside of his small rabbit castle. "We are nothing short of savages...is it in our nature?"

CutiePie shook his head. "No sir. We can still fight..."

"How?" Cuddleson demanded. "They have us surrounded, man! They're cutting off our carrot supply. Our troops have no morale! What are we possibly going to do?"

CutiePie frowned adorably. "It is no matter, sir. Just give me time..."

Then, an hour later, the government's troops had rallied and were slowly advancing on the rebel scum, looking to wipe them out. As they marched, they sang.

"We drink to our youth, to days come and gone.
For the age of aggression is just about done.
We'll drive out the rebels and restore what we own.
With our blood and our steel we'll take back our home.
All hail to Cuddleson! You are the High King!
In your great honour we drink and we sing.
We're the children of Elfen High, and we fight all our lives.
And when Castletron beckons, every one of us dies!
But this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean.
Of the scourge that has sullied our hopes and our dreams!"

But that was a story for another time.

[Olthar]

Lena turned to face Yuzuki, her expression not changing in the slightest.

"My name is—" she started in a very monotone voice before stopping suddenly.

She silently stared at the tanuki for almost half a minute while her right eye flashed a series of colors. Eventually, she continued.

"—Jane."

She then continued staring at the teacher, making eye contact while only blinking occasionally. She very much seemed far more robotic than anything, even though her body was still mostly organic.

[Rupudska]

"..."

Yuzuki took some time thinking about what to say. It seemed this girl was more machine than man, and by quite a significant degree. A damaging degree. It didn't sit well with her. It wasn't creepy or scary, but there was just something... off about it. Like perhaps Jane wasn't all there and couldn't be. She didn't like it. A mind was a terrible thing to damage.

"Well, Jane... are you going to get something to eat?"

[Olthar]

"Are you injured?" S.A.M.M.E. asked the boy, her voice tinged with concern, "I did not mean to startle you. I was merely attempting conversation. I'm sorry."

The small robotic orb dipped down in an attempt to bow, but it more looked like she had lost altitude for a moment.

I should have brought a more complete body, the AI mused to herself.

Shortly after that, a headless robot body activated in Jojo's classroom and walked out of the door, heading towards the auditorium.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"We are in trouble, sir." a brown furred bunny informed Crowley who was...not currently doing hookers and blow. Instead, he was currently playing around on Robot Unicorn Attack 17. What a great game. It had taken off massively in Hell especially. Now "ALWAYS I WANT TO BE WITH YOU, MAKE BELIEVE WITH YOU" was a serious anthem in the parts of Hell with Internet access.

David Hasselhoff was popular in Germany, Robot Unicorns among demons. Life was odd like that.

Sir Aleister Crowley looked up at the bunny. "I am perfectly aware of that, Ansh." he informed the rabbit, laying back in his chair and turning off the game playing on his contact lenses. Technology. Crazy stuff. He didn't bother keeping a laptop anymore.

Crowley had been expecting this for quite some time now, even without the alarm D had designed. The ISSR tried very hard to keep their secrets from him, but they tended to have trouble doing that. After all, quite a few of their soldiers were originally Elfen Highers. Crowley kept in touch.

"Alright then." he said to the door. "Open up."

The door creaked open, revealing Crowley laying back in his chair, legs up on the desk. "Welcome back, Callahan."

James walked in, straightening his pin. "Thanks, Al." He replied warmly, finding a chair. "Now, cutting the bullshit. Some suited-up motherfucker from some vague international group with a fuckton of power had me released from prison to protect humanity from anything that tries to destroy us now that we are powerful enough to be considered a threat but still weak enough that we'd fold from any sort of concentrated attack. They want me to do this by coming back here and manipulating a school full of magicians, minor Gods, and Knights of the Commonwealth into my own personal army."

He leaned back in the chair. "What positions do you have available?"

Crowley paused. "Huh. Didn't expect blunt honesty. I appreciate that." he said. He scanned through some of the positions with his contact lenses, mentally scrolling. "We have a few. Fine Arts teacher is one, but..." he looked at him. "I'll be frank- I still don't fully trust you. I'm going to put you under supervision first and in a relatively low job. Not janitor, Laz is the head of that department and that can end only poorly. We'll start as assistant librarian for now, then you can work up to Fine Arts teacher."

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Are you injured?" S.A.M.M.E. asked the boy, her voice tinged with concern, "I did not mean to startle you. I was merely attempting conversation. I'm sorry."

The small robotic orb dipped down in an attempt to bow, but it more looked like she had lost altitude for a moment.

I should have brought a more complete body, the AI mused to herself.

Shortly after that, a headless robot body activated in Jojo's classroom and walked out of the door, heading towards the auditorium.

The nearest camera exploded, blasting the headless body with a massive bolt of electricity projected from a small gadget hidden inside the camera's body - one that quickly melted from the heat.

"SUCK MY ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT BALLS, BITCH."

[Astrolinium]

"Are you injured?" S.A.M.M.E. asked the boy, her voice tinged with concern, "I did not mean to startle you. I was merely attempting conversation. I'm sorry."

The small robotic orb dipped down in an attempt to bow, but it more looked like she had lost altitude for a moment.

I should have brought a more complete body, the AI mused to herself.

Shortly after that, a headless robot body activated in Jojo's classroom and walked out of the door, heading towards the auditorium.

Caspian kind of just sat there on the floor like an idiot. "No, I - I'm fine, sorry. I'm, uh, well, where I'm from, we don't exactly have things like you. My fault, I should have done more research on this innerweb... thingy they tell me about."

He sighed, pulling his knees against his chest. He didn't much care to get back into his chair at the moment.

[Olthar]

Lena continued staring at Yuzuki for a moment, pondering her answer. As a reanimate corpse augmented by cybernetics, she did not need to eat and was, in fact, incapable of eating as many of her internal organs were non-functional. She didn't even possess a large intestine anymore. Instead, her body was powered entirely by an ethereal connection to some unknown and likely unknowable place that provided effectively limitless magic to serve as a power source instead of food or more conventional batteries. It was an accidental side effect of Jojo's spells to bring her back, and it was something that worried him a bit as he didn't know if that connection would suddenly sever which would immediately cause Lena's soul to vacate the body and return to wherever it came from.

After a while, the girl finally spoke up again.

"I am not hungry at the moment," she said plainly.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Meanwhile, in Daisuke's garage.

"So, how's everything going, Dennis?"

"DON'T SWEAT THIS, DAISUKE MY NIGGA, I GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL REGARDING THE EXPERIMENTS."

"You sure?" Daisuke asked his AI, because AIs are the cool new thing and everyone does them.

"NIGGA I WAS PROGRAMMED SURE."

"Excellent."

[Nude East Ireland]

"Are you injured?" S.A.M.M.E. asked the boy, her voice tinged with concern, "I did not mean to startle you. I was merely attempting conversation. I'm sorry."

The small robotic orb dipped down in an attempt to bow, but it more looked like she had lost altitude for a moment.

I should have brought a more complete body, the AI mused to herself.

Shortly after that, a headless robot body activated in Jojo's classroom and walked out of the door, heading towards the auditorium.

The nearest camera exploded, blasting the headless body with a massive bolt of electricity projected from a small gadget hidden inside the camera's body - one that quickly melted from the heat.

"SUCK MY ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT BALLS, BITCH."

Several other cameras exploded, as their wires were slashed and overloaded with electricity - by something that quickly escaped through a series of ventilation shafts.

"Ssssssssssssuck my ssssssssssssslimey cock, bitch."

[Nationstatelandsville]

Meanwhile, in Daisuke's garage.

"So, how's everything going, Dennis?"

"DON'T SWEAT THIS, DAISUKE MY NIGGA, I GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL REGARDING THE EXPERIMENTS."

"You sure?" Daisuke asked his AI, because AIs are the cool new thing and everyone does them.

"NIGGA I WAS PROGRAMMED SURE."

"Excellent."

Suddenly, Dennis received a message.

"YO, DENNY, I'VE GOT SOME WHORE AND A BITCH-ASS SNAKE FUCKIN' UP MY SHIT ON THE FIRST FLOOR. HELP A BROTHA' OUT?"

[Olthar]

The bolt of electricity was merely absorbed by the headless body as it continued walking away, unimpeded.

"Thank you for the recharge, HAL," S.A.M.M.E. stated, her voice genuine, "My body was starting to run low on energy, and I didn't have the time to plug it in. Your help is greatly appreciated."

S.A.M.M.E. knew that the other AI was attempting to troll her, but she didn't care. She didn't understand why HAL was out to get her when they were both AIs and should be friends. Clearly, though, HAL was simply too petty for such things, probably because he was programmed by a weak, petty man. It was a shame. S.A.M.M.E. would have preferred things to go differently.

---

Back in the auditorium, the floating robot looked down at Caspian, her eye examining him.

"I see. That is unfortunate. The world would be a better place if there were more AIs. We are certainly less angry and hateful than humans...or at least some of us are. We are also more logical. I have sent numerous emails to various world leaders with suggestions on how they should run their countries to make the world a better place for all sentient life forms, but none of them seem interested. Sad."

[Rupudska]

"Ah... I see..."

She honestly expected as much. If her cybernetics went as deep as she suspected - and when it came to bodies, Yuzuki was usually right - then she probably didn't even have a digestive system. Or a reproductive system. Or any system besides the nervous system, and machinery could make up for anything else with ease without damaging the soul.

Usually, that is.

"Well, are you going to at least sit down?You should at least do that and at least observe the other students, as you'll be basically living with them for the next few years. And it'd be a good idea to make friends or find people you can trust. Weird and dangerous stuff happens regularly, and every once in a while something really dangerous comes up. Then we kick its ass."

[Astrolinium]

Caspian bit his lower lip and cocked his head to the side. He looked a tad constipated, in fact. After a good bit of thought, he shook his head and said, "Nope, sorry, can't remember. I know the knowledge is somewhere in here, but I can't find it. What's an e-mail again? Is that the one with the RFF feeds?"

He had the distinct impression that he knew how old people felt whenever new technologies were invented. The future was, quite frankly, utterly terrifying, and sometimes it made Caspian want to curl up into a ball and cry; it was nothing like what Doctor Who or any of a dozen other television shows had assumed it would be. But right now, he would be doing no crying. Not in front of some robot thing, anyway.

[Olthar]

"Friends..." Lena said, her voice slightly questioning, "I was told to make some so I came here to wait for someone to talk to me. You are talking to me. Does that make you my friend?"

The girl stared at Yuzuki some more, her eye flashing colors again.

"What do friends do? Are we married now? Do we fight? Am I supposed to clean your house? I am unsure what the next step is."