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Belle stifled a groan as she peeled off her headset, the slick device slipping from her sweat soaked fingers to clatter harmlessly onto her desk below. Before her, the collection of monitors that comprised the HDD system sparkled to life, their warm blow announcing the completion of another commission in pulsing blue text:
[Extraction Complete]
[Client: Red Rabbit Sports Complex]
[Assets Recovered: 100%]
A cheerful melody resonated from the system to celebrate the news, although, instead of the joy she usually experienced upon hearing the music she could only feel empty as she blinked rapidly to offset the headache she could sense building behind her eyes.
Somewhere in the urban sprawl of New Eridu, Belle knew that a youth football coach was celebrating, not just the return of their lost sporting goods, but the safe return of her girlfriend, a university student who had volunteered to collect the delivery after the original driver had called in sick.
In spite of the pain she was experiencing, a faint smile tugged at the proxy's lips as she remembered the driver's frantic babbling in the hollow and how she'd clung to Belle's bangboo form, gushing about her plans to propose upon returning to safety.
As Belle's focus switched from the virtual world to the physical she became acutely aware of the gentle whir of electronics and the weak hum of the staff room's air conditioning unit. On any other day, it would have been refreshing, as Fairy had long calculated the unit to accommodate her specific needs, however, today, the gentle breeze offered by the unit skirted over her skin without touching the heat beneath, a smouldering discomfort that made her clothes cling to her and her temple throb.
Bangboo 18 hovered nearby, its mechanical whirring tinged with distress as it kept a keen focus on the sweating proxy. Normally the Bangboo would be securely behind the customer dealing with customer inquiries while Belle worked unseen in the background. But Bangboo 6 had summoned it, the distress clear in its movements, as even now it busied itself with tidying up the room in an attempt to prevent an overload of its logic circuits.
“Ehn-ne! Ehn-ne ehn-nu, ehn-nah-ne!” Bangboo 18 exclaimed, a message of warning advising the proxy before her to hydrate and rest due to her high temperature.
Belle waved away the distressed look of her robotic assistants “It’s just because of the heat wave,” she said, even as she started to shake slightly as she laid out her excuse, “I’ll rest after I finish the next commission.”
In the weeks since the strange incident that had resulted in the deletion of their original inter-knot account, Belle had allowed herself to be consumed by a near constant stream of commissions in her pursuit to restore their old reputation.
It was an important endeavour, as not only had their expenses risen considerably since taken on their new AI assistant, Fairy. But they required a high-reputation account in order to take on commissions that allowed her and her brother to explore the ruins of the old capital, as low reputation accounts weren’t trusted with the dangers associated with these regions.
Just this week alone, the emergence of a new gang utilising the hollows as an escape route had meant that the commissions had been seemingly endless. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she had slept more than three hours or eaten anything aside from instant ramen, but to her it was all a worthwhile sacrifice to help her achieve her goal and help the innocent people being victimised by organised crime.
Belle’s inner thoughts were quickly interrupted as Fairy made her thoughts known.
“Master, I recommend that you hydrate and rest immediately,” Fairy said, the dullness of their tone betraying the concern that lay underneath, “If you do not rest then it is highly likely you will be incapacitated for a prolonged period.”
Belle sighed in exasperation as she reached for her water bottle, the lukewarm liquid contained within doing little to soothe the ache in her throat or reduce her temperature.
“Fine,” she said, returning the water bottle to the desk with shaky hands, “I’ll nap for a couple of hours on the couch.”
Belle’s comment appeared to placate both the Bangboo and Fairy.
“Master. I will contact the second assistant as soon as I detect that secure communications with them are possible,” Fairy informed her.
Belle murmured her own appreciation as she rose from her seat, the motion sending the room tilting on its axis and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to dissipate the emerging sensation of vertigo.
“It’s fine, Fairy,” Belle said, the young proxy grabbing her favourite blanket before practically collapsing onto the small sofa tucked away in the staff room.
Belle’s breathing evened slightly, exhaustion tugging her under, as Bangboo 18 stood nearby diligently watching over its master.
Zhu Yuan instinctively found herself relaxing as she pushed open the door to Random Play and found herself enveloped by the generous air conditioning system employed to keep the storefront nice and cool, a welcome respite from the stifling heat that had plagued New Eridu over the past few days.
It was a sense of comfort that was rapidly pulled away from her, as within moments the experienced detective noticed that something was amiss. Bangboo 18, an automaton that Zhu Yuan had always associated with the utmost professionalism and dedication to maintaining the cash register, was nowhere to be seen.
Belle herself was also absent.
That, at least, was less surprising than the absence of Bangboo 18. The store manager had a habit of slipping away during working hours, often dragging Zhu Yuan away for impromptu lunches or meandering walks somehow all during moments in which the detective could afford to detach herself from her ever-growing pile of responsibilities.
Still combined with Bangboo 18’s disappearance, the fact that the storefront was devoid of Random Play employees felt odd, especially, as she knew that Belle would always take time to greet her if she was simply working on a project in the employee-only area.
Her concern was alleviated for a brief moment, as the door that separated the main commercial storefront from the employee room opened to reveal Bangboo 18, although, her concern returned twice over as she recognised the distressed look on its face.
“Ehn-ne! ehn-nu, Ehn-ne!” Bangboo 18 exclaimed, their loud proclamation shocking a few customers who had never heard the small robotic device raise their volume to such a level.
Zhu Yuan understood the message and allowed herself to be led into the employee-only area without hesitation.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to Belle, curled up on the sofa in a posture that she knew the younger woman wouldn’t have voluntarily put herself in. As one arm hung lazily over the edge, the blanket barely covering her small frame. Even from this distance, it was obvious she was unwell, as her body glistened with sweat and her breaths came out in shallow, uneven rasps that made Zhu Yuan’s heart clench in spite of the fact she’d encountered far worse medical situations over her career.
Just for a small moment, Zhu Yuan allowed her attention to shift to the rest of the employee-only area.
It was the quiet hum of machinery that caught her attention first, a non-surprising noise as the detective understood that both Belle and her older brother often engaged in technical support to aid their video rental business during the lean months, so the workshop nestled into the far right corner confirmed that story.
Her attention was soon viciously grabbed by the complex computer set-up positioned on a desk centred ahead of her. It wasn’t the presence of multiple monitors joined together that concerned the detective, as she understood that the practice was also employed by those engaged in legitimate technical support work but rather the information displayed on them and without thinking she found herself walking over to the computer system.
In front of her lines of data scrolled across the scenes, a mixture of coordinates and communication stamps that signalled that the woman now lying on the sofa had successfully completed a commission prior to falling asleep. It was arguably one of the most advanced computer setups that the detective had seen in her career and it was all very illegal.
Zhu Yuan’s heart ached.
If she had been presented with this information a couple of weeks ago she would have called it in without hesitation, as in her opinion proxies were small-minded criminals who had no qualms about aiding criminal elements escape justice through the hollows. But this alone didn’t match the image that she associated with Belle, a deeply compassionate woman who always carried some cat treats in her pocket in case she met any particularly hungry-looking strays. Or the Belle that once put her own personal safety at risk to help repair a malfunctioning bangboo that had ceased functioning in the middle of the street.
Zhu Yuan turned away from the illegal activity in front of her with a sigh and returned to the sleeping form of the proxy, recoiling slightly as she noticed the sheer heat radiating from the smaller woman.
“She’s burning up like a furnace,” Zhu Yuan said mostly to herself, although she turned a small portion of her attention to Bangboo 18, “How long has she been like this?”
Zhu Yuan found herself surprised once more, as the response to her question didn’t come from Bangboo 18 but from the computer situated behind the sofa.
“Master Belle has been resting for two hours and seventeen minutes.”
Instinctively, Zhu Yuan’s hand went to her firearm, an action which provoked another response from the voice emanating from the computer.
“I am not Master Belle’s enemy, Captain,” the voice said, “You may refer to me as Fairy. Belle’s number one assistant. It was my decision that allowed you to enter here, as I trust that you’ll render much-needed medical assistance to Master Belle.”
Zhu Yuan closed her eyes for a moment, the detective taking in a deep breath as she tried to come to terms with the situation.
“I’ll trust you for the moment,” Zhu Yuan said earnestly, as to her Belle’s health was the immediate priority, “Bangboo Manager, can you go to the 141 and purchase some ice packs, ibuprofen and cool water?”
Bangboo 18 nodded, the robotic creation soon departing after receiving the appropriate amount of dennies from Zhu Yuan.
“Bangboo,” Zhu Yuan said, unsure of the robot's title, “Can you ensure that Belle’s bedroom is ready? Her bed should only have the lightest of blankets on and ideally, a fan should be nearby.”
Bangboo 6 saluted, the automaton seemingly pleased to receive orders to distract themselves as they departed to accomplish their task.
“Fairy, please contact Belle’s brother as soon as you are able,” Zhu Yuan said, unrelenting in the stream of orders she was giving out, “I assume that he is unable to be contacted at the moment.”
Fairy responded almost instantaneously, “You are correct in your assumption, Captain. It is why the decision was made to gather your assistance when you entered the store, although, I would have contacted you personally if you did not enter within thirty minutes,”
Zhu Yuan felt slightly relieved at that information, even if it did raise further questions she felt obliged to ask.
“Why? If you contacted me directly wouldn’t that put you at risk of discovery?”
Fairy again responded sharply.
“Master Belle determined that you were the most trustworthy individual in her life outside of her immediate family,” Fairy said, her voice devoid of emotion, “It is why she dedicates a not insignificant portion of my processing power to analysing your break patterns, so she can take you to lunch or romantic walks.”
“W-What?” Zhu Yuan replied, the experienced detective able to feel her face heating up as the information provided by Belle’s assistant slowly seeped into her brain.
Fairy’s response this time was slightly slower as if the assistant were adjusting to Zhu Yuan’s body language.
“I apologise, Captain. I realise I was not supposed to reveal that information.”
In spite of her best efforts, Zhu Yuan found herself faltering for the briefest moments as she continued to take on the information she had just received from Belle’s virtual assistant. Her face continued to burn up, as she considered the possibility that Belle had tracked her movements to spend more time with her.
All throughout her career, Zhu Yuan had dealt with dangerous ethereals, organised crime and pestering political interference and emerged unscathed, however, just the idea that she was the subject of romantic interest from someone she considered to be an extremely compassionate and attractive woman caused her mind to spiral endlessly and her heart to beat wildly.
“I don’t doubt the information you are providing me but my lunch breaks are wholly inconsistent due to the nature of my work,” Zhu Yuan said trying to attach logic to the proceedings, as she couldn’t really picture Belle changing her routine for her, “It would mean that Belle would have to deny herself lunch.”
Fairy’s response was once again quick.
“Correct, Captain. Belle often forgets to eat meals at a regular schedule, so even your inconsistency has resulted in a positive health outcome.”
Zhu Yuan didn’t quite know how to respond to that information, instead settling on taking the smaller woman into her arms, and focus on not thinking about how she'd be effectively taking Belle back to her room in a manner that looked like a bridal carry.
“It would be better if she maintained a more consistent schedule,” Zhu Yuan said, the detective purposefully ignoring the hypocrisy in her own words.
Fairy replied seemingly ignorant of the context behind the words, “Master Belle has always been inconsistent in matters of self-care, Captain.”
Zhu Yuan’s eyebrows rose at that comment, although the fact that the young woman was now in her arms after working herself to the point of incapacitation was proof that she had an odd approach to self-care routines.
“I’ll have to try and fix that then,” Zhu Yuan said to herself, the detective purposefully ignoring the stares that she received from the small number of customers that remained in the store as she made her way up the stairs and into Belle’s bedroom.
Belle’s bedroom was a testament to her own chaotic sense of order, the walls cluttered with numerous film posters, although, the most prominent within the collection was a carefully framed poster of Astra Yao, a popular artist that Zhu Yuan herself had been encouraged to listen to thanks to Belle’s insistence.
In front of her, a small space was seemingly dedicated to watching films or listening to music, as a comfortable-looking sofa lay adorned with blankets and cushions ahead of a television outfitted with a video cassette player, a vinyl player stood beside an array of records, films and a small number of books.
Behind the sofa sat a cosy bed, and Zhu Yuan muttered a small prayer as she recognised that the Bangboo she had assigned to prepare the room had accomplished their task effectively, as the bed itself had been outfitted with light summer blankets that were suitable for ensuring that Belle remained warm without overheating.
With an abundance of caution, Zhu Yuan climbed a short staircase that separated the relaxation area of the bedroom to the sleeping quarters, and gently lowered her close friend onto the bed, careful not to jostle her too much.
Belle shifted slightly in her arms, murmuring something wholly incoherent as she nuzzled into the detective's neck.
Zhu Yuan found herself hesitating slightly, the older woman reaching to brush a damp strand of hair from her forehead, as she attempted to voice her request in an authoritative but gentle manner, “You need to rest.”
Belle seemingly acquiesced to Zhu Yuan’s request, the shorter woman ceasing her ministrations as she allowed herself to be lowered onto the bed, a victory that left Zhu Yuan beaming with a sense of pride and security.
It was a moment that was soon disturbed, as she found herself interrupted by the gentle whirring of machinery that indicated Bangboo 18 had returned from its mission.
“Ehn-nu, Ehn-ne!”
At their proclamation, the Bangboo exchanged the supplies that they had gathered from the nearby convenience store, and an amount of money that suggested that the items purchased hadn’t cost as much as Zhu Yuan expected.
“Thanks,” Zhu Yuan said, the older woman shifting through the supplies to confirm that everything was in order, “...were they running a sale? I accounted for everything in the budget I gave you.”
Bangboo 18’s response was simple, although it still left Zhu Yuan feeling a sense of pleasant shock.
“Ehn-ne!”
It was often said that Bangboo merchants only cared for hard cold dennies, of course, Zhu Yuan herself knew that this stereotype wasn’t wholly true, however, in her career she had met a fair few Bangboo merchants that engaged in behaviour that rivalled any human capitalist in regards to its immorality and simple greed.
Yet the owners of the convenience store had gone out of their way to apply a generous discount to Bangboo 18’s order. It appeared that Belle herself had wracked up a considerable amount of goodwill in the neighbourhood, with both her actions as a technically illegal proxy and an active member of the community.
Zhu Yuan’s mind was taken back to her second encounter with the woman, and found her heart warming at the memory. It had been an uneventful day transformed by a simple order, a drive to secure further community engagement with an upcoming public security briefing planned to take place in Lumina Square.
Her hopes of this being a simple assignment had been dashed, as alongside Qingyi she had discovered that their superior was largely unpopular in the region due to his tendency to put politics over public safety when he was overseeing security in the Janus district. It meant that she was forced to endure dozens of uncomfortable conversations with local residents in which they brought up frankly ludicrous excuses not to attend the public security briefing.
All had appeared hopeless, and Zhu Yuan was mentally preparing herself for the lecture she was about to receive from her superiors when rescue arrived in the form of Belle. Without asking for anything in return, the video store manager had spoken to the residents to try and get them to attend the meeting. It wasn’t successful, however, it was clear even from these small conversations that the video store manager was well-regarded in her community, and the quiet support they had lent to investigate a minor traffic incident led Zhu Yuan to admire the young woman greatly.
In the weeks that had followed this admiration had grown steadily, and Zhu Yuan had long admitted to herself that she had developed a significant crush on the woman, as she came to recognise Belle’s compassion and their mutual appreciation for gardening, romantic soulmate literature and stray cats. Zhu Yuan couldn’t also ignore the physical pull she felt towards the woman, as not only did she feel that they had a perfect height gap but she found herself practically ogling the woman whenever they spoke.
Zhu Yuan’s expression remained steady, as she took watch over the unwell woman before her and did her best to wipe her down whenever sweat accumulated.
Belle awoke feeling considerably refreshed, a satisfied murmur leaving her lips as she stretched to try and clear some of the cobwebs that had formed after taking a small rest, although, any relief was soon replaced with confusion as they took in their surroundings to discover they were in their bedroom.
In spite of the lingering exhaustion, the young proxy searched around her immediate area for her phone. It was possible that her older brother had returned and helped Belle up to her bedroom or perhaps Anby or Nicole had visited long enough to help her.
A loud click answered Belle’s internal thoughts, as the one woman she didn’t ever expect to see in her bedroom walked in.
Zhu Yuan.
A long stream of curses flowed poetically through her mind, as she cursed herself for not properly cleaning her room and forever embarrassing herself in front of the woman that she had developed a massive one-sided crush on.
“Belle, you are awake,” Zhu Yuan said, an element of exhaustion in her voice that made Belle’s heart ache, a feeling that intensified when she gazed upon the food tray being carried by the older woman, “I went to a restaurant nearby and got you some congee, so please eat it.”
Belle nodded, unable to speak, as Zhu Yuan approached and helped the young proxy to a comfortable sitting position on the bed.
“...I forgot I also got this electrolyte drink for you,” Zhu Yuan added, the captain seemingly embarrassed by her forgetfulness as she helped Belle drink.
Belle drank greedily, the younger woman not really caring for appearances as she needed to get the strength to speak.
“Zhu Yuan,” Belle said, the proxy rather desperate to ask the woman beside her about her identity as a proxy.
“I know,” Zhu Yuan said, the public security officer lazily stirring some of the congee as she prepared to serve it to the woman in her care, “Let’s talk about it when you get better, okay?”
Belle shook her head resolutely.
“I need to apologise properly for not telling you about my other identity,” Belle told the older woman, “It isn’t that I didn’t trust you but I ju...”
Zhu Yuan smiled, although Belle noticed that the smile wasn’t wholly earnest.
“I suppose you didn’t wish to force me into a conflict? You’d thought that I would feel compelled to report you due to the illegal nature of your proxy activities.”
Belle again shook her head, her confidence returning as her body began to absorb the nutrients offered by the drink.
“If it were wholly my decision I would have told you weeks ago, as even before we met officially in person I knew that you have a compassionate heart.”
“I-Is that why you appeared to recognise me after I saved your life?” Zhu Yuan said, the confusion evident in their tone.
Belle nodded her head.
“I was part of the team that discovered the sample in the plaza,” Belle replied earnestly, “You could have fought over jurisdiction and fluffed your ego but you put public safety above all else and allowed HIA to take the lead.”
Zhu Yuan huffed, a hint of red spreading across their cheeks as they offered Belle some of the congee, a request that the young proxy couldn’t deny as being fed by the attractive woman had featured in a number of her fantasies.
“It wasn’t anything special,” Zhu Yuan said, “I was just acting as any public security officer should have done in that scenario.”
Belle huffed slightly.
“You know that isn’t the case, as the only reason you were assigned to signature duty is because your superiors didn’t agree with your decision,” Belle countered, although, only after taking a few generous bites of congee, “But then you didn’t really view that as punishment and rushed to help the people that had been talking behind your back all day. You are incredible, Zhu Yuan and I really trust you.”
Zhu Yuan turned away briefly, “I suppose that your brother was the dissenting opinion that prevented you from revealing yourself.”
Belle found herself nodding again.
“Wise tends to be more cautious in these situations, plus he wasn’t around to see how you acted in the plaza,” Belle replied, “I guess now we’ll have to tell him though.”
Zhu Yuan smiled as she passed Belle a couple of ibuprofen, an offer that the proxy gladly accepted and washed down with a glass of water.
“Just know that I will always be around to protect you, Belle,” Zhu Yuan said earnestly, an admission that left Belle feeling positively weightless, “You may be engaging in illegal actions by operating as a proxy, however, everything I have seen suggests that you are using the network to help people that can’t be aided by public security. Just perhaps ask in the future before tracking my work schedule?”
Belle regulated her breathing to try and control her emotions, as the words from the public security officer hit home.
“I am so sorry! I know that I must look like some sort of creep,” Belle replied, her head firmly in her hands as she began to curse her past self, “It’s just that Fairy convinced me that I would be able to create some romanti...friendly moments, and I would help you relax.”
Zhu Yuan sighed, and the proxy couldn’t help but fear the worst.
“Just send me a message next time, okay? I’ll always try and have time for you,” Zhu Yuan replied, “I have enjoyed our time together and I-I hope that the romantic intent behind them wasn’t a figment of my imagination.”
“N-No! Never! I just didn’t think you would be interested in this,” Belle said, the proxy gesturing to her own body before gesturing to Zhu Yuan, “When you have all that.”
Zhu Yuan looked at her with an authoritative gaze so firm that Belle almost thought she was in an interrogation room.
“You must be delirious from the fever so I will simply ignore your comment,” Zhu Yuan said resolutely, the firmness in her tone leaving no room for argument, “I am not attracted to you simply because of your appearance but I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t appreciated your figure.”
Belle nearly pinched herself in disbelief but pulled back, as she definitely didn’t want to wake from the fever-induced dream she was in.
“I-I guess I have never been confident about my body which is why I try to hide it,” Belle replied, the store manager feeling slightly foolish.
Much to her surprise Zhu Yuan simply smiled at her.
“In that case, we’ll work on it together on our issues, as I also cover up slightly to avoid crass comments from the public,” Zhu Yuan told her, “I guess I just want for us to both feel comfortable in our own bodies, so we can wear clothes based on comfort instead of anything else. It makes sense, right?”
Belle’s heart soared once more.
“I can’t wait to take you on a proper date,” Belle said, a plethora of ideas flowing through her mind, “I’ll certainly feel confident with such a beautiful woman by my side.”
Zhu Yuan blushed, the officer busying herself by putting the tray to one side.
“Just speaking facts,” Belle said continuing her ramble, “I find your compassion and taste in cinema quite attractive....but an embarrassing amount of my proxy footage is certainly focused on how attractive you look walking away and I think your beautiful chest would make the perfect pillow.”
Zhu Yuan was now entirely red, an entirely new alien species discovered, a hybrid between a human and a tomato.
“Just focus on getting better and then we can talk about a date, okay?” Zhu Yuan said, the proxy almost impressed by her ability to remain talking while wholly red.
Belle whined dramatically, the video store manager gesturing to the space beside her own large bed, “I won’t be able to rest properly without my favourite public security officer and hopefully girlfriend beside me.”
Zhu Yuan sighed, although the smile on her face indicated that she wasn’t displeased with the proxy but rather admitting defeat.
“I can’t say no to my favourite proxy and sweet girlfriend,” Zhu Yuan said, the experienced officer adjusting the pillows before carefully slipping under the covers.
Belle instinctively moved closer to her girlfriend, a wave of comfort washing over her as she was wrapped in a warm embrace. “I hate getting sick but I think this time the rewards outweigh the negatives.”
Zhu Yuan huffed slightly in response, the older woman gently brushing some stray hair from her partner's face, “If you fall asleep in the next five minutes I will let you use my chest as your pillow.”
Belle fell asleep in record time.
Wise slipped through the back entrance of Random Play with the quiet efficiency of a seasoned proxy, an act that allowed him to rapidly climb the steps that separated the commercial aspect of their store from the private residential elements.
Upon emerging from a small meeting with Nicole and Anby he’d been surprised by a series of curt messages from Fairy requesting his immediate return to Random Play, as his own sister had fallen ill and required immediate attention. A wave of guilt had washed over him at that moment, as the older proxy had been so distracted by recent events around their inter-knot account that he’d obviously failed to see the signs that his sister was burning herself out again, a dangerous habit that she had picked up from their teacher.
In an instant he found himself before his sister's bedroom, the older video store manager knocking firmly before entering.
Wise froze immediately upon fully registering the scene before him.
His sister was curled up against Zhu Yuan’s body, her face buried in the crook of the senior officer’s neck. Zhu Yuan herself, an officer known for arresting several notable proxies across her career, had one arm draped protectively over Belle’s shoulders, her other hand clutching onto one of Belle’s hands.
Wise backed out of the room silently, the older brother quickly making his way over to the staff room.
“Fairy,” Wise said, his voice calm despite the internal worries he was experiencing, “Can you explain why a senior public security officer is embracing my sister?”
Fairy’s response was quick, an air of irritation about it.
“It was a medical necessity,” Fairy stated, “Belle’s core body temperature was reaching critical levels and Zhu Yuan was the nearest individual able to render capable assistance.”
Wise sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I get that but the cuddling? I don’t understand that.”
“I suspect that Master Belle was able to profess her romantic feelings towards Zhu Yuan and they were returned in kind.”
“...and how long has this been happening?” Wise replied.
“Are you referring to their romantic timeline or this current arrangement?”
Wise found himself sighing again, as curiosity overwhelmed him.
"Both."
“I approximate that Belle and Zhu Yuan have been pining for each other for a grand total of seventy two days,” Fairy said calmly, “They have been cuddling for four hours and nineteen minutes. I note that Master Belle’s internal biometrics indicate that she is in a heightened state of....”
“Enough,” Wise said, the video store manager keen not to hear anything explicit about his younger sister, “Just tell me if she tries to arrest her in the morning.”
Fairy kept blissfully quiet as Wise was left dealing with a new reality.
“...I really need to find a boyfriend.”
Fairy’s silence broke immediately.
“We are in agreement on that issue, secondary assistant.”