I took a long hot shower, letting myself just melt into its warmth. It was like a hug, almost. A hug I desperately wish I had. As it turns out, hugging myself and crying in the shower wasn't as effective as crying on someone's shoulder. It was a lot less embarrassing, at least.

After that, I messed around with my 3d printer for a while. Missing one eye—and the other being super puffy for some reason—made it difficult to work, but I managed. It was nice to just create something. My Doctor Absolom figurines were becoming more and more detailed.

My skills were also rapidly improving, even if the stingy interface wouldn't admit to it. Unfortunately, I was running low on plastic filament to print with. I burned through the majority of my own stuff during practice. I should be good for a while longer at my current pace, but it was something to keep in mind.

While I kept my hands busy, I reviewed my memories over the last few weeks, ever since I got the Advent Phantom. I looked for signs of Glitching, mentally questioning each and every one of my thoughts. If it ever happened again, I'd hopefully be able to recognize my tainted thought processes.

It was pretty easy to tell what was weird and what wasn't. Especially once I entered the Crusade. Everything was a nightmarish haze as if I'd been asleep. I remembered some of the major details and emotions, but everything in between was a mindless fear that everything was going horribly wrong.

Slowly, more details started to brighten in my mind. The constant fear. The heart sundering guilt. Even the way some of the shadowed morphs overrode my perception-

I had to take a break for a few minutes to refresh and recenter myself. Realistically, there was no point in looking back at it much more. I already got my answer; extreme paranoia. If I noticed myself slipping down a paranoid slope, I needed to immediately seek Nael.

I shoved all those memories and terrors back into a corner of my mind. Just like most things in life, it was far better for me to just compartmentalize it and move on. Hopefully, I'd just forget all about it before too long.

Once I returned to a mostly calm mental state, I finally paid attention to the Interface. Not that I had been necessarily ignoring it. I just didn't want the added stress at the time. Now it was a welcome distraction.

「Request - Snakeskin - Complete

1 Skill Point」

「Deception - 4>5」

「Criminology - 4>5」

「Name: Shiro Tsukuyomi

Traits: Fox's Grace, Quick Healing, Insight

Skill Points: 1

Tracking - 4

Stalk

Tech - 5

Eidetic Schematic

Stealth - 7

Fox's Paw

Sleight of Hand - 8

Hidden Hands

Ambidextrous

Perception - 4

Aetherial Perception

Net - 2

Melee Weapons - 1

Intimidation - 1

Firearm - 3

First Aid - 3

Evasion - 2

Driving - 7

Land Vehicles

Deception - 5

Honest Face

Criminology - 5

Cues

Concealment - 8

Lethargic Presence

Hidden Weapon

Brawling - 1

Accounting - 1

Request Board」

Small gains this time around, though I wasn't sure what exactly I expected. It wasn't like I could really even remember much of what I did. The Skill Point was nice, but wasn't up to using it. I just- my mind wasn't ready to be trapped again.

I sipped some water from Crow's Canteen of Chaos and stared through my list, eyeing each and every Skill. Maybe it was about time to start actually trying to level one of them up? I'd been so very busy lately, it wouldn't hurt, would it?

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Maybe some focused leg work could help me get through the slow progression of my higher ones? Or maybe… was I peaking? That was a scary thought…

My eye trailed up to the list of Traits.mI still had no idea what Fox's Grace actually did. I hadn't felt anything from it, nor had I noticed any significant benefit. Not that I'm calling it useless! Don't get the wrong idea, oh ye' eidolonic watcher… just that I had yet to figure it out.

Insight and Quick Healing both had obvious effects, ones that had proven to be invaluable throughout my time with the interface. Fox's Grace, on the other hand… well, it probably did something I had yet to notice.

What was the point of the interface anyway? I got it since I was in the right place at the right time, but why was the original holder chosen? Eidolons had only been a thing—or at least in contact with humans—since the Aetherial Concourse about a hundred and forty years ago. It was a relatively new thing.

Why did they decide to give the interface to the original person? Did they want something from them? From Nathos? From me? It wasn't like they offered a whole lot of guidance or anything of the sort. The requests were the closest thing, but even they were always in reaction to the things going on around me.

Hmm… I leaned over to-

Someone knocked at my door, drawing my thoughts away. I stood up and moved over to it, hand on my Sidewinder just in case. I hadn't ordered anything. I peeked through the eye-hole- nothing.

An uneasy feeling filled me. I unlocked the door, pausing for a moment. What if this was Sentinel finally tacking me down… or was that remnant paranoia hitting me? Must be. No way Sentinel Operatives would play hide-and-seek with me like this, right?

I hesitantly opened the door-

Bang!

Someone charged into the room, tackling me-

I dodged just before they could hit me. Insight's warning came just in the nick of time. I pulled my pistol and-

"Damnit, Mira!" I dropped my pistol, staring at my golden-haired mikata. She stumbled, tripping over her own feet and tumbling to the floor. "Don't do that! I nearly shot you!"

She propped her head up on her elbow and smirked at me. "But you didn't? C'mon, I thought it'd be funny! Taking you by surprise would've been a riot."

"Assuming I didn't kill you! Who'd be laughing then?!" I rubbed at my forehead and shut the door. "Haah… Welcome in, I guess."

"What happened to your eye? You're okay, right?" She bounced off the floor and stepped closer to me, peering at the eyepatch. "Looks fresh."

"Chek, I'm fine. I- uh- I got it removed. They're upgrading it." No way I was telling her I Glitched out after getting yet another experimental piece of chrome from Advent. She wouldn't let me live that down.

"You alright?" Mira's smile melted into a concerned frown. She put her hand on my shoulder.

"Y-yeah. Perfectly fine." I lifted my chin, trying to portray a confident look. From the growing concern in her eyes, I wasn't convincing.

I- I didn't even know how I felt about it myself. No way I was going to throw that emotional baggage onto her. Especially not since she was leaving soon. No need to make her worry.

She pulled me into a hug, wrapping her arms around my trembling shoulders. It took all I had to keep from soaking her shoulder. She stood with me for a while, gently patting my back. "I'm here, if you need me."

"Ch-chek." I backed away and rubbed my eyes, brushing away sweat. Damn AC must be broken.

Mira patted me one more time before turning around to look at the rest of my apartment. "Anyway, this is a nice place, chum! Whatcha making over there?"

"What-" I followed her gaze to the printer. "Oh… just some stuff."

She picked up one of the finished figurines and waved its arm at me. Her voice dropped low. "Face my fist of fury!"

I rubbed at my arms, getting myself back under control. "Ha. Just don't break it, okay?"

"No problem, Shiro…" She carefully put the action figure down like it was some kind of great treasure. "They're cute. For Nael?"

"Um- chek." I tossed my pistol back with the rest of my gear. "How'd you know?"

"C'mon, really?" Mira pointed to the stack of prop needles laying on the table. "He's the only Medek you talk about. It wasn't hard to guess. When's General Mira coming?"

"Never?" I shook my head and turned off the printer. I was already planning on being done for the day even without Mira's sudden appearance. "Why are you here?"

Mira threw her hands over her heart and staggered dramatically back, flopping onto the wall like some kinda soap opera. "Do- do you not want me here?"

I looked away before her crocodile tears could make me start crying again. "'Course I do. Who else would I have over if not my best mikata?"

She grinned and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I am pretty great, aren't I?"

I lightly laughed. "And oh so humble."

"The humblest, even." She smirked and looked around the apartment one more time. "In all seriousness, I like it. Lot safer than that cargo container."

"Lot more expensive too." The container was free. Anywhere else in the world would be more expensive than that. "What made you drop by?"

"Oh, you know." She waved a hand haphazardly. "Bored."

"Heh." I shook my head and took a seat on my work table.

We talked and hung out for a few hours after that. It was nice. Relaxing. We even went out to Big Mike's for dinner. If I didn't know better, I'd say Nael even called her ahead of time to come and hang out with me. As far as I knew, they'd never actually met though.

Eventually, like all good things, she had to go. Rather, I forced her to head back home. She kept trying to spend the night, but I needed some time by myself. After she left, I took the chance to slip out to my overlook out in the Outskirts. It was a bit weird driving with only one eye, but I managed to safely get out there just in time to watch the sun set.

I turned off my bike and settled down in the sand, leaning against it. I pulled my Slashers hat a bit lower over my face and looked out over the neon-lit city. Aythryn City's colors became more and more vibrant with each passing moment as the sun slowly lost its hold.

My mind inevitably dipped back into action. So much changed in the last few months. I felt like an entirely different person compared to back then. Sure, I was still Shiro the thief, but at least now I wasn't Shiro the broke and petty thief living in a cargo container.

I rubbed at my empty eye socket gently. Some changes weren't for the better. Some were. It's just the way life went sometimes. No idea where I'd be in a few months from now, even, but I guess it was exciting? Just the thought of my rapid growth and where I could go in the future was enough to fill me with hope. Hope that I might just see some of my wishes come true.

My thoughts turned to other matters. I tried to keep away from any of the hundreds of stressors that plagued me and just enjoyed my time. Nael prescribed a heavy dose of relaxation. I fully intended to hear him out this time. I'd been going constantly for weeks on weeks, and a little break sounded all too nice. For a few days, if nothing else.

A chilly breeze blew over me. The sun, far to the west, slowly dipped down. It made the ocean swirl and swish with color. Waves pushed and pulled, making the colors twist and tumble. It's kinda funny. Even now, with this place destroyed by the previous generations, it was still surprisingly beautiful.

I shook my head and leaned back, looking for the moon. It peeked through the gaps in the clouds, shining down onto me. I stayed out on my overlook long after the sun fully dipped below the horizon.

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