Lilly

Kaori had woken up mute. Willingly mute, but mute nonetheless. She was sitting on the side of the bed, her legs dangling off the edge while her toes hung just above the carpeted floor that made everything look cheaper than it was. 

Out of everything that could have happened to her father, why did it have to be that? Kaori rubbed her eyes in unison as she tried to adjust to waking up from her extremely long, much-needed slumber. 

Jesse was already long gone, so she was able to have the bed to herself for a good majority of the morning and leading into the afternoon, and she had no issue with any of it whatsoever. After talking to Persephone, and being shown her history, she was wanting nothing more than to be alone. Of course, she knew better too. 

On the bed stand next to her was a set of small diamonds, that looked as if they could be screwed into something. 

My head. She thought to herself, grabbing them as she began to twist them into place in each temple. The idea of it grossed her out, but upon screwing each in, a sense of happiness filled her; like residual feelings about it from the soul before hers. 

When both were secure, a very sweet, delicate voice greeted the new soul. "Kaori? I recognize you, but at the same time I don't. Your brain is a bit different." 

The woman chuckled, "yeah, I've been told that." 

"No, your depression and anxiety are still there, but I'm saying all of your normal memories have vanished, and are replaced with different ones, but with you in them." Her voice lowered slightly, "and your blood isn't the same either." 

Kaori sighed, "I'm a Kaori from a different universe. What day is it?" 

"May 2nd, 2074." 

"Well, I died yesterday, May 1st, but in the year 2024. Instead of letting me be a ghost in peace, I was convinced to reincarnate by the Greek Goddess Persephone. So, I was brought back into this Kaori; a living dead version. So, I'm technically a zombie. But Persephone liked this Kaori a lot, so she brought me...her... back." 

Her Sable went quiet for a moment, as if she had powered herself off. Kaori waited though. 

Then, after a couple minutes, she finally spoke up. "Does that make me a zombie too?" Followed by a cute giggle. 

"I suppose," Kaori couldn't help but smile. "Do you have a name?" 

"Lilly! Well, that's what the other Kaori has called me since she's been old enough to talk to me. I've been with her since she was born." 

"Then you will keep that name." I may be the morbid version of the 2 of us, but that doesn't mean I'm a monster.  

Lilly thanked her before going radio silent; not even a buzz could be heard, which Kaori fully anticipated with a powered-on robot inside of her skull. 

With the silence, she stood up from bed, before getting herself dressed, putting on a duplicate of her bodysuit since that was all Kaori had in her closet, and then freshening herself up. 

When she went out to the kitchen, a complete throwback of the 2020s and what she could only assume was the starting of a 2030s era greeted her. Luckily it also made things pretty straightforward, and she easily made herself a sugary cup of French vanilla coffee. 

She didn't get a good look at anything last night; she was going off survival mode only, but today, "Today is going to be the start of great beginnings, hopefully." She said aloud to herself, admiring the decor for the first time. Nothing was impressive, but it was comforting in its own rite. 

Just as she was beginning to distract herself, she was once again greeted by Lilly, "we have a slight problem, Kaori." Her voice wasn't chirpy like just a few minutes before, but worried. 

"What's wrong?" she questioned her head as she made her way into the tiny living room, before plopping down onto the gray leather couch that stood in front of a large, flat screen television. She took a careful sip of her hot drink, as she reached for the controller on the coffee table in front of her. Does this work? 

She clicked the power button, but was only greeted by colorful squares; Every. Single. Channel. 

So, she simply turned it off, slouched back, and continued sipping her coffee using both hands to lift her cup, while propping her feet up upon the small, brown, coffee table. 

"Since your memories have taken over, It has confused my circuits. Your memories have overrun the previous memories so I can't seem to deduce whose are whose anymore. Though, it's not all bad." Lilly added, and Kaori only continued to listen. Any voice that wasn't hers inside her head, she was willing to listen to. Anything to keep her distracted. 

"I have expanded my capabilities by so much just by having you take over! All these memories from at least 50 years ago, my knowledge has become factual, lived, instead of installed." 

"You're welcome?" 

"So it is true that Por-" 

Suddenly a beep began to come through, sounding off only a couple times before she heard Jesse's voice chime in. He was frantic, and asked that she come to the Doctor's room as soon as possible, but he wouldn't go into better details before he ended the brief call. 

"Any ideas?" Kaori asked Lilly. 

"Well, last night there was an emergency with Elias; he was bit. But he's alive." 

Bit!? Enzo guaranteed no one would be hurt! 

With Lilly's help, and having chugged the rest of her coffee, she dashed out of her door and went directly for the doctor's room. 

While she didn't know the others too well at all; in fact, she knew more about Jesse's body than the cowboy himself, Kaori, like with Enzo, felt a bond between all of them. Like they were part of her safe space. 

She was only a couple floors above the Doctor's medical floor, and it had taken her all of 20 minutes to reach it. 

Inside, the room was nearly identical to hers, but she didn't have a chance to look around. Upon entrance, she was called to the bedroom, where she found Elias laying underneath his covers with Jozette by his side and Jesse standing in the corner, distraught. 

Elias smiled at Kaori, raising his amputated arm into the air, "I was able to get firsthand knowledge on my inventions," he joked dryly.