"So this is the invention of modern humans..." Moque's voice echoed oddly, her head entirely inside a washing machine, while a dryer loudly tumbled beside it.
Tamamo, her tail twitching in annoyance, walked over and delivered a sharp kick to Moque's backside. "Stop messing around, you stupid bird."
"Ah, stop kicking me, Tamamo! I might get stuck in this thing!" Moque scrambled out of the washing machine, shaking her head. She looked around the hotel room, her fiery gaze filled with a sense of wonder and displacement. "Tamamo, why are you remaining here in the Dark Side? Let's go back to Gensokyo together. I'm sure we can find a way to restore you to your true form."
"I don't need your help," Tamamo replied dismissively. "And to return to Gensokyo in this state would be an utter embarrassment that they surely wouldn't let me forget. I'll only return when I have either conquered this world or restored myself to my former glory."
Moque tilted her head, her gaze softening as she looked at Kaito, who was asleep peacefully on the bed. "Is it because of those humans that you decided to remain here?"
"Nonsense," Tamamo scoffed, looking away. "They are merely my servants."
"If you say so," Moque replied, a knowing smile on her face. "But why is that human taking a nap for so long?"
"He seems to be training in his mental realm, in preparation for the fight against the No Life King," Tamamo explained.
"Oh, really?" Moque's eyes widened in doubt. "But would that help in the slightest? In comparison to the No Life King, the gap in power between them is akin to heaven and earth."
"Who knows..." Tamamo muttered, her usual confidence replaced by a flicker of genuine concern.
Just then, Eleanor walked in, carrying several bags of groceries. "I'm back," she announced, placing them on the kitchen counter.
"You're back!" Moque cried out, her focus instantly shifting. "Have you brought the food?" Moque swiftly moved to the bags, pulled out a box of french fries, and laid them out on the table, her eyes lighting up as she took a bite. "Mmm! Delicious!"
With a happy expression on her face, she turned to Eleanor. "In gratitude for providing me with a meal after so long, I shall grant you a reward." While she ate, she waved a magnificent black and red feather towards Eleanor, who caught it in her hand.
"Stop giving away your power for such a shallow reason," Tamamo scolded, her voice laced with exasperation.
"But I've always done so to humans who brought offerings to me..." Moque pouted.
Tamamo sighed. "This isn't Gensokyo... Well, human, just accept it. You can use her Eternal Flame or whatever."
Eleanor examined the feather. "But I'm an ice ability user," she said hesitantly. "I don't think a fire-based power would be compatible with me."
Moque's playful demeanor faded, replaced by one of intense academic focus. "On the contrary. That makes you the perfect candidate."
She tilted her head as she explained. "That's a common misconception. Fire and ice aren't opposites. They are complementary forces on the spectrum of thermal dynamics."
"The First Law of Thermodynamics tells us that energy can't be created or destroyed, only transformed. That's exactly what's happening with ice and flame. When you freeze something, you're not just making it cold. You're drawing in heat, shifting matter from solid to liquid to gas in reverse. Flame does the opposite—it releases energy, driving change outward. But in the end, both are just different expressions of the same force: thermal energy."
"Then there's the Second Law—entropy. It governs the flow of energy, the tendency of systems to move toward disorder. The heat you pull in when you freeze something? It doesn't just disappear. It has to go somewhere."
"My flame embodies the cycle of destruction and rebirth. By channeling the excess heat you generate, you can feed it into the flame. Not just to control it, but to empower both aspects of it."
Tamamo stared at her, utterly baffled. "Why do you know all of this?" she finally managed to stammer. "I've never seen you pick up a book, much less one about the scientific principles of this era."
Moque tilted her head, a genuine look of confusion on her face. "Isn't it common knowledge?"
"If my ability follows the Law of Thermodynamics," Eleanor began, "how come I've never experienced the emanation of heat as I used my ability?" She manifested a floating ice crystal in her palm for them to see before she evaporated it with a puff of vapor.
Moque, watching intently, nodded as if the answer were obvious. "The heat was likely transferred into another dimension, an extra-dimensional space created by your power. It's an unconscious process."
Moque's playful demeanor returned. "Now, accept my flame into your being and try again." She commanded the feather to transform into a swirling stream of red and black energy, which shot forward and entered Eleanor's chest.
Eleanor gasped as a warm sensation spread through her body. Holding up her left hand, she manifested a small, reddish-black flame that flickered in her palm. Then, she used her ice ability again. But this time, she couldn't control it. A flash freeze instantly encased the entire kitchen area in a thick layer of ice, leaving only the food on the table untouched—a testament to Moque's quick reflexes.
The small flame in Eleanor's other hand flickered, growing visibly warmer as the ice expanded. Realizing her mistake, Eleanor took a deep breath and evaporated the ice encasing the kitchen, turning it into a fine mist. The flame in her palm flickered once more, growing even hotter.
"My abilities seem to have gotten a lot stronger and easier to use, if less precise," Eleanor said, a look of awe on her face. "Not only that, but whenever I use my ice, this flame keeps getting hotter."
"My flame can store an unlimited amount of thermal energy," Moque explained, her tone serious once more. "However, unlike me, you're not immune to it. I suggest you unleash the heat at a manageable level, lest you incinerate yourself."
Eleanor held up the hand with the now-scorching flame and put it out as a wide smile spreading across her face. "Thank you for your gift, Moque."
"It's my pleasure, human," Moque replied, grabbing a handful of fries. "Provide me with more offerings, and I shall bestow upon you greater rewards."
Tamamo sighed in exasperation, throwing her hands up. "Don't hand out your power so easily, you idiot!"