The hours slipped by in silence, the vessel cradling them through the night like a rocker.
Slowly, Cecilia lifted her head from under the blanket, blinking into the pale morning light with furrowed brows.
dii… dii… dii…DII! DII! DII!
Something was ringing.
Loudly.
Without much thought, she reached for her loudly ringing bracelet, missed, and smacked her hand against the nightstand—which, luckily for her, seemed to quiet it.
ghh…my neck…
For a few seconds, she stayed there, her face half-buried in the pillow.
Then she dragged herself out of bed, shuffling her feet across the floor.
Cecilia folded her blanket before heading for the bathroom to take one last shower, among other things. When she finished her morning routine, she returned to the bedroom, where Ikade was already brushing out her hair.
They talked quietly while they changed, packing a couple of bags with extra outfits and hygiene supplies. Nothing fancy—just enough to make sure they had what they needed, that nothing in the dorm would spoil while they were gone.
Once everything was set, they locked up and headed out, following the corridors toward the nearest cafeteria.
dum…dum…dum…
Cecilia walked beside Ikade with half-lidded eyes, one hand to her temple.
Loudness.
More than that, it was bustling—voices stacked over voices, footsteps scraping past, trays clattering against one another, the air heavy with heat and the smell of food.
Cecilia's eyes wandered while Ikade talked beside her.
"blah blah blah…"
Her gaze moved over the cafeteria—the workers behind the counters, the varied expressions, the little clusters of people eating.
They joined the line, inching forward with the crowd until they finally got their trays before they shuffled toward an empty table a worker had just wiped down.
The two sat down and set their trays on the table, where she dropped her bag between her legs.
Cecilia unwrapped the plastic fork and poked at the scrambled eggs, watching the heat rise from it. She blew on it then took the first bite of the day, putting her focus on eating than her throbbing head.
Once they were done, they left their trays behind. Cecilia pulled up her map, searching for the office while her bag weighed on her shoulders.
After punching in the address, the staircases and corridors around them seemed to shift frame by frame—tightening, widening, then swelling again.
Before long, they found it.
A small office packed wall to wall with people.
"Good thing we filled them out earlier, right?" Ikade muttered.
They grabbed a ticket, then took their seats and watched the number on the screen crawl forward.
「Ping! Number XXX.」
And, right when Cecilia was about to sit down across from the worker, she was already in the driver's seat of her vehicle, tossing her bag to the side and pulling off her jacket.
"That took forever…I seriously thought there'd be less people."
"..."
When Ikade didn't answer, Cecilia glanced over her shoulder and found her hunched over the computer, her mouth slightly open as she worked. a pair of earpro covered the sides of her head, while two small buds were tucked into the fluffy ears above.
With a shake of her head, Cecilia held the start button down until the engine cranked to life, a whistle passed through the cabin a second later.
click.
rrr-rrr-rrr…
VRMMM…
mmmmmmmm…
After putting it in high idle, Cecilia stayed in the driver's seat, a hand resting near the controls while the engine's heavy mumble filled the cabin.
Once the air pressure stabilized, she killed the high idle, pressed one foot on the brake and shifted it into gear, feeling a familiar jerk.
The heavy vehicle rolled forward when the guide in front of her signaled. She glanced at the side mirrors, watching them shift just enough to widen her field of view.
Thnk!
"It's too damn wide. I feel like I'm gonna hit something."
Cecilia lifted her head and inched forward, slow and careful. A few turns later, she found herself queued behind a line of normal-sized vehicles, all packed to the brim with supplies.
While she waited, she reached for her bookbag and pulled out her camera.
After fumbling with it for a moment, she found a way to mount it to the ceiling. She switched it on and hit record.
A harsh white glare flooded her vision all at once.
For a second, she couldn't see anything but washed-out light and her own reflection in the glass. Then, bit by bit, the glare faded away.
A heavy, stomach-twisting fall in elevation stretched out before her.
The ramp dropped toward the ground below, held by thick cables that looked far too thin from the height.
The metal groaned faintly under the weight of the vehicles ahead.
Cecilia's fingers curled tighter around the wheel, a shiver ran down her back.
VRRRM…rrrmm…GRNNN—!
"Howdoislowthisdown!"
Her gaze snapped around in a panic.
Click.
brrraap…brrraap…
The two stared at each other while Ikade slowly retracted her hand, her fluffy ears twitching with smug satisfaction.
"...how'd you find it?"
"Uhh...it was on the back of the seat, duh."
Cecilia whipped her head forward, watching the scenery open up while grumbling under her breath as Ikade stumbled away.
With her foot finally off the brake, the massive vehicle settled into something more manageable, its exhaust note hammering through the cabin.
Below, the dunes rolled in long waves, with scattered patches of green breaking up the land and drawing closer with every meter.
A lens flare crowned the moment.
Until.
WHAM—THUD—KRRRK!
"What the—!"
The vehicle leveled out on the ground, and Cecilia turned her head just in time to see Ikade get flung upward, then slammed straight onto the floor, her curses cutting through the cabin.
Cecilia shot her a weary smile, mouthing an apology before facing forward again and reaching out to switch the retarder off.
"You alive down there?"
"That...Hurt!"
Smack!
Cecilia flinched as soon as Ikade's hand clipped the side of her head from below.
"Ow..."
Once they had slowed a little more, Ikade dragged herself back up with a wounded little groan, one hand rubbing at her bottom while the other grabbed onto Cecilia's seat for balance.
Cecilia grumbled under her breath and faced forward again.
Maneuvering away from the mess, she pressed the brake and turned the wheel until they were facing the makeshift town ahead, figures weaving through its streets.
Tap.
The cabin stopped vibrating and the engine finally went quiet. The two let out soft sighs before Cecilia unbuckled and rose from her seat.
"Mmm~"
She stretched her arms above her head, then glanced toward Ikade.
"Well. Might as well finish up here. Right?"
"I guess."
The two looked at each other, then moved together down the stairs. The moment Cecilia pushed the door handle down, the glare outside struck them like a thunderflash.
Both raised a hand against the sun, blinking hard while waiting for their eyes to adjust.
Cecilia reached for Ikade's hand and guided her toward the rear of the vehicle. Once they reached the ladder, she let go and climbed onto the small bed.
With a firm yank, the stairs dropped and slammed against the ground below, dust kicking up lightly.
Ikade walked up the steps and onto the porch. The two crouched near the remaining boxes still tied down and got to work on the bindings, loosening the straps hooked to the bed before carrying the first load back inside the cabin.
They repeated the process again. This time, however, the last crate levitated off the floor and followed them toward the cabin lift before lowering itself gently onto the ground.
"I'm starting to have second guesses."
Cecilia stared at Ikade's cheeky smile, her brows slowly pulling together.
"Just kidding.~"
Ikade slipped past her and headed for the stairs, vanishing from sight beneath a trail of light footsteps.
"Hhah."
Cecilia shook her head and turned toward the vehicle's side storage. She grabbed one of the handles along its side and pulled. The cover slid up with a smooth drag, and a panel lowered itself toward her, revealing a half-filled compartment stocked with maintenance equipment.
A soft hum slipped from her lips while she reached in and pulled out a crowbar. She walked back over to the crate beneath the freighter and wedged the metal tip beneath the lid.
Click...click..thunn.
A machine hummed somewhere above.
Her gaze traveled over her shoulder and upward, finding nothing, but the sound was enough for her to figure out what was making it.
"Oh It actually works."
She crouched and peered into the crate, counting the tools one by one. After confirming the contents, she started sorting some of them into storage.
Then she split.
One became two. Two became several.
Each Cecilia picked up a tool and moved, finding places to hang them and working for several minutes while only one hauled a few pieces inside the cabin.
Before long, she was sweating lightly, taking a short break atop the closed crate.
"That took way too long."
She pushed herself up again and flicked her hand. A strange sensation crept over her head while the crate lifted, levitating back toward the bed.
Step...step...step.
Her last footstep echoed through the cabin. A feline tail swayed in her direction, the tip of its shadow flicking lazily beneath the single light.
"When'd you even get this from—I didn't see it in the shopping cart."
"It was on sale."
While Ikade worked, Cecilia turned to the remaining supplies and started opening those too.
The first box held wall padding, each piece a slightly different shade. She pressed them against the dark interior walls one by one, shifting them around until it felt right and removing the adhesive liner.
Then came a smaller package.
She tore it open and pulled out a soft blanket printed with a beast stretched across it, then tossed it over the couch. Cecilia stepped back for a moment before moving toward the sink on her right.
Her fingers hovered over the knob, then twisted it.
Water burst out in a sudden spray before tapering into a steady stream.
The two chatted while they made the cabin feel more like home. After cleaning herself up, Cecilia opened another small package and pulled out a couple of light fixtures.
They took their time finding places to hang them, then returned to the box for the cable it came with, carefully tucking it into the crevices near the ceiling with magnetic hooks.
In between, Ikade took a break on the couch, tearing into a small bag of chips.
Cecilia, for her part, walked over to the workstation and sliced open a thin package.
Inside sat a matte silver wall mount.
She held it against the wall first, shifting it a little higher, then lower, then slightly to the side until it lined up with the work area in a way that did not annoy her eyes.
Only then did she flip her knife again and cut away the padding beneath it.
"Good thing they made these compatible."
She muttered, digging back into the box.
A few brackets came out next, along with a small pack of long screws. Cecilia measured the spacing with a glance, pressed the mount back into place, then screwed the brackets in one by one until the whole thing sat flush against the wall.
She gave it a firm tug and Cecilia nodded to herself.
At last came the miscellaneous stuff.
A hammock was strung between the couch and the table. Then they grabbed several packs of water and stacked them neatly in the gap beside the couch, alongside a small speaker in the very corner of the cabin.
"Huwah…I think my legs are officially finished."
"Oh? Look at that. Someone's getting fluffy."
Cecilia reached over and pinched Ikade's side, gently tugging at the soft fluff with a grin.
Ikade stiffened—then sprang a few feet away, her ears snapping back.
"Me? Getting fat? That's slander."
"You're the one who bought the chips."
"They were...discounted."
Cecilia snorted.
Ikade narrowed her eyes, her tail brushing along her side. Eventually, once their bickering faded, Ikade crouched near the wall and plugged the lights in.
flic.
Warm light spilled across the cabin.
It washed over the padded walls, the red couch, the mounted fixtures, and the swaying hammock, while shadows stretched across the floor. Strips of sunlight cut through the so-called windows, overlapping with the glow.
They kept going.
A slim, silver-clad A/C units lifted toward the ceiling support beam, holding it there just long enough to check the spacing.
She lowered it again and dug back into the box for the mounts that were tucked beneath the packing foam, along with a small bag of bolts and nuts.
She fitted the mounts onto the back of the unit, then slid them side to side along the rail until they lined up with the beam. Once the spacing matched, she lifted the unit back into place and tightened the bolts one by one.
The A/C settled against the support with a dull click.
She stepped back, stared at it for a second, then blinked.
"...Battery."
After digging through the box again, she pulled out a matte black module marked with small symbols across its face. Cecilia turned it once in her hand, found the slot at the side of the unit and pushed it in until it clicked.
From a miniature fridge tucked under the work desk to a couple of board games locked away, the work kept going until dawn.
The miniature fridge had to be nudged under the work desk twice before it could be secured in place.
Every time Cecilia thought they were done, Ikade found one more thing still sitting in a box.
By the time the cabin finally stopped looking like a pile of opened packages, dawn had begun to press through the windows.
srrp…
"This took way longer than I though it would."
She crushed the empty water bottle and tossed it into a hanging bin, the lid spun a few times before settling.
"Kae?"
She turned her head and spotted Ikade fast asleep, her head bobbing lightly with soft snores. Cecilia's eyes softened. She pushed herself up and carefully laid Ikade onto her side before pulling the thick blanket over her.
Pausing, she raised a hand and rubbed the soft white pom of Ikade's ear. Almost immediately, the ear began to twitch.
After tucking her in, Cecilia switched off the warm lights, leaving only a single one glowing overhead. She leaned over the couch toward the placard near the generator and read through the information printed across it.
Her eyes skimmed it, then the small screen beneath them.
A few seconds passed.
Then she pressed a button.
vrrrmmm…rrr…r…
The generator turned off, buts its fan kept churning.
fhh…sixty hours huh? Lets see...its a PTO, with three power banks and a total of nine fifty kilowatts.
...so...I only need need to charge it every once in a while.
She ran through the numbers for a moment. Satisfied, Cecilia straightened and cast one last glance at Ikade before heading back to the driver's seat and sitting down.
Dim light from outside spilled through the windshield. Cecilia fumbled near the dashboard until her fingers found a small knob. She gave it a twist until static crackled from below.
She adjusted the dial beside it, turning it until a voice suddenly cut through the noise.
〈...op playing around you dumb fu—! Get in already!〉
Cecilia paused.
Then lifted her legs and perched them on the steering wheel, letting the chatter drone on while she passed the time.
A few minutes later, Cecilia yawned and stretched her arms overhead before muting the speaker.
Beyond the windshield, a few vehicles were parked nearby, people coming and going between them. Cecilia lifted her wrist, and a screen flickered to life above her bracelet, the time glaring back at her.
Still sixteen forty-five…whatever. Something'll show up sooner or later.
She stared at the screen for another second.
Actually, I'll do it me-self.
With that, she stood. She grabbed her jacket off the seat and slid her arms into the sleeves, fixing the collar with a quick tug. Twisting slightly, she checked herself over and gave herself a small nod.
Picking up the backpack resting on the table, she headed down the cabin stairs.
Was it always this damn cold down here…? I can't even remember.
She shook her head, letting the thought fade as her eyes settled on the working town beyond.
People.
An abundance of them, of every race.
They moved side to side, passing one another in an endless flow. Cecilia blended into their parade, her footsteps dissolving into theirs. Their faces carried a whole circus of expressions.
Makeshift stalls stood in mismatched rows, with clusters gathering at every corner—a miniature city beneath another, its own rhythm building into a sound her ears slowly took in.
Her breath left in faint puffs against the air. Little by little, more and more people began to brandish their own pieces—small things, heavy things, otherworldly things.
Dawn painted everyone in orange and white, sunlight catching in their eyes.
Her gaze followed the silhouette of a navy-clad man, his guard uniform melting into the structures around him.
All the way until he became someone else.
"Hmm? What've you got in stock, Shady?"
A single vehicle had been pushed behind the stalls, away from the streets, its lower half painted the color of sand. The beanie on his head was marked with small cuts, his clothes worn and rugged.
"Well, that's blunt. Don't look at me like that—I'm fragile."
The beanie-wearing man let out a dry, crackling laugh. He rose from his folding chair and walked to the back of his vehicle. With a thunk, he pulled the handle at the top, and several racks of goods slid out.
His one good canine ear flicked while he stepped aside, digging into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.
Cecilia moved down the rows, brushing past lightly used clothes and unexpired medicine until she reached a smaller section.
"Flashbangs? How the hell did you get those…"
She stared at them for another second.
"You know what, forget it. I'll take one. Got any knives? Something less lethal?"
Cecilia fired off a few more questions while the man came over and took her order, pulling items out and laying them across a small table he dragged over. After that, he brought out two small crates and flipped their lids aside.
The smile on his face never wavered, his beanie still shadowing his eyes.
Her gaze swept through the boxes. She picked out two knives and tested their grips before handing one back, keeping the other—the one with the longer steel.
"We've also got this, if you're interested."
thmp.
"Resiniferan, strong enough for Ursine...maybe even a Vouivre."
"Huh, as if they'd ever let you try."
Cecilia picked up two larger canisters and handed them over, one black, the other orange. Smoke curled from the tip of his cigarette in a thin trail.
"That'll be two hundred fifty dollars."
Cecilia stared at him for a moment.
Then she slung her backpack around to her front, turned slightly to the side, and unzipped it to pull out her purse. She counted the money before handing it over.
After the man took the cash, he counted it too, then passed over her order.
Cecilia accepted it without a word, sliding the flashbang, the knife, and the canisters into her backpack, tucking each item into place.
Once satisfied, she zipped the bag shut and slipped her arm through the strap, securing it against her body.
She stepped back into the moving crowd and lifted a hand toward the merchant in a lazy wave. A yawn crept up on her, so she covered her mouth with that same hand.
A sudden headlight flickered on, washing part of the street in white.
Then another.
And another.
One by one, more lights followed.
Their beams cut across her face with every step. The rumble of engines and generators soaked into the air, mixing with the crowd's song.
People gathered wherever they could.
Around makeshift fires.
Around folding tables dragged out beside vehicles. Around dented grills balanced over whatever was handy, sizzling while tired voices traded complaints.
Farther down, a few more lingered beneath a hanging lantern with cups in hand, their eyes tired even from where she stood.
Life.
Cecilia slowed without meaning to.
For a moment, she just stood there, letting the busy of the street pass around her. Voices overlapped. Boots scraped against metal and packed dirt. Somewhere, someone bickered.
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere.
She inhaled.
Chilly air, smoke, food, oil, dust.
She lifted her eyes toward the night sky.
Cecilia exhaled.
The miniature town brightened in uneven patches, shadows wavering like leaves on a swaying branch.
And, at the end of her short walk, Cecilia found a lone feline sitting on the edge of a bed—their metal bed. Her legs swayed back and forth.
Back and forth.
Bundled in a thick blanket, Ikade gazed up at the shimmering lights overhead.
Her tail flicked lazily. Her fluffy ears twitched at every passing sound.
Warm light traced Ikade's profile, softening the edges of her face. The blanket rose and fell with each quiet breath.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Cecilia exhaled through her nose and walked up the metal stairs. She stopped beside Ikade before lowering herself down to join her. Her shoulders slouched the second she sat, the weight of the bag fading with them.
Cecilia set the bag beside her and reached inside. Her fingers closed around the bright orange canister before she held it out.
Ikade blinked, her eyes shifting from the lights to the canister.
"What's that?"
"Resiniferan." Ceciliasaid, her tone soft. "In case a...fearh suddenly attacks."
"You went shopping without me. How cruel."
Ikade huffed, leaning her shoulder into Cecilia's and taking the bright canister from her hand.
The two sat there a while longer, the patchwork glow flickering around them, their words blending into the hum of the night.
"Cil?"
"Hm?"
"…Suki."
Her eyes stayed on the lights ahead, but her shoulder pressed a little more firmly against Ikade's.
"...Yeah."
"..."