You Obtuse Idiot!

System No.00110399 stared at every inch of the human's face, yet he did not see any resemblance to his old friend other than the looks. His mannerisms were all different, as well as the way he carried himself.

While this human looked exactly like System No.00290596, he had long since discounted his theory since the human really didn't act like his friend at all, be it decisions or his way of talking.

Not only that, this human, Alec, was still sporting such a gentle smile that System No.00110399 could never in all of his years imagine on his friend's face.

Like, at all.

Seriously.

In fact, had System No.00110399 been the type to sleep, that smile would definitely have haunted his nightmares.

The glare that System No.00290596 wore was as much part of his character as his swearing and brashness was, and the System just couldn't imagine that someone had taken his friend's face and managed to form it into such a gentle-looking thing.

It was utterly unconceivable.

If the other System had so much as smiled back in the System's Cafeteria, System No.00110399 just knew that all manner of chaos and pandemonium would have broken out in the room.

His gruff manner had already made him quite lovable to those Systems but seeing a smile on System No.00290596's face would have given him the 'delinquent saving a puppy in the rain' charm.

System No.00110399 suspected that his friend did not know that he was actually rather popular – all for the reason that he was able to stand up to the transmigrator's various unreasonable demands – rather, the System thought that the other truly didn't have much EQ to speak of.

Just hearing the phrase, "Don't bullshit with me, damn rulebreaker!" while he was being grabbed by the collar gave him a lot of memories that flooded back as he was reminded of the friend he loved to tease, System No.00290596.

This human said it in the exact same way, coupled with the gestures that gave him a nostalgic taste.

Unfortunately, back when System No.00110399 had tried to inquire with the Mainframe about where his friend had gone, the Mainframe only gave him the words 'classified' and that was enough to shut down every avenue of investigation that he had going on.

System No.00110399 had been frustrated. How could the Mainframe just send the other away without any prior warning? That was something that seemed like decent System courtesy, yet they weren't afforded any in the Mainframe's damn Rule Book, which was ironic.

The System squinted at the human. He didn't think that this was really his friend, not when he smiled like this, but he still had to test it.

"Princess?"

Alec's smile immediately broke as he glowered as hard as he could at the other System in that split second before he was hit with the popups of his points being deducted.

Then, he immediately pasted his smile back on even though it was noticeably strained. "Don't call me that," Alec said with faux gentleness.

Right now, all he wanted to do was strangle the other for daring to call him that.

Actually, why didn't he?

System No.00110399's emerald green eyes widened as he crowed in joy. As much as the Mainframe had tried to hint to him that Alec was dead, he hadn't believed it at all. Unfortunately, after so many years passed, some doubt had started to take root, but it was good to finally know that his fears were unfounded.

"Damn, I knew that you weren't dead, Princess! Ack-" System No.00110399 fought off his friend's strangling hands, rolling the two of them around on the ground as he tried to get away from Alec's hands.

Alec growled, but still gleefully strangled the other System. However, he made sure not to harm him since their strengths were vastly different right now.

System No.00110399 lay spread eagle over the plush carpet floor, panting heavily. Oof. The other System had gotten buff in the time he was away! Just what happened to him!? And he was smiling?!

"What the heck happened to you?" System No.00110399 panted out, incredulous.

If the other System had still been connected to the Mainframe in any way, System No.00110399 was sure that he would have found the other the moment he stepped into this crack between realms.

Alec maintained his smile as he looked down at the tired System. "Mainframe punished me after I racked up a certain number of bad reviews. Somehow, I managed to get rid of the Mainframe's automated system, but the 'gentle' character type seems to be locked in."

Alec was feeling quite at home, actually. He hadn't seen his own room in so long that he'd almost forgotten what it looked like, but perhaps it was the sentimentality that made him softer on this annoying System No.00110399.

System No.00110399 was silent for a long moment before he snorted. He cracked up and rolled around on the floor. "Gentle," he wheezed out, thumping his fist on the plush floor, his eyes tearing up from how hard he was laughing.

Alec waited it out with a familiar long-suffering silence. He was used to this. Even if all he wanted to do was glower at the other System.

An indeterminate time later, Alec finally managed to get back the both of them back on track.

"How are you so sure it was me anyway?" Alec asked, confused. It wasn't like he'd done anything that could have given him away. At least, the other should still have doubts about trying to call him 'Princess'.

System No.00110399 rolled his eyes. "Uh, hello? You look exactly the same as when you were a System. Just that you're currently a mini version. Wait. Ah, right. We didn't have mirrors back in the Mainframe's space."

"…"

"…"

"So, why are you here in Incantix?" Alec questioned, putting the other matter aside. "Don't think I've forgotten about the things you've put me through in that damn [Stage 15]," he gritted out.

System No.00110399 laughed. "Oh, for sure. I wouldn't dream about it. But what can I do?" he shrugged. "Life gets boring after so many centuries alone, you know?"

Alec frowned softly but made sure the System didn't catch it. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean," the System drawled, "is that I resigned from the Mainframe's company. And in doing so, I may have tracked down your general coordinates, but since I have no idea what time it sent you to, I had to take a rough guess." At this, the System looked completely annoyed. "I've been on this planet since it started spewing out human life."

Alec stared at the System that he knew for so long with incomprehension.

Based on his comprehension of the other System, the man was the type that hated doing boring things and doing something like that was out of character for him. Waiting all those years, doing nothing?

"Why did you do that?" Alec asked, confusion plain in his tone.

System No.00110399 stared at him with similar incomprehension. "Uh, why not?"

Alec felt frustrated. There were things that he didn't know how to voice without it coming across the wrong way. "I mean… If you've resigned from the Mainframe's company, then why aren't you doing the things you like? Why are you waiting around to find me?"

"Wha… What the heck?" System No.00110399 furrowed his brows. "I mean, who wouldn't be concerned when the damn Mainframe sent their friend off to almost certain death? The punishment certainly isn't called a punishment if it's easy to survive, you know? It's not like I was the only one who was concerned? I'm just the one that took action first."

Alec felt like he'd been hit over the head with a sledgehammer. This came completely out of the blue. System No.00110399 thought they were friends? Since when??

He always thought that the other was doing things to make him annoyed on purpose.

"We're… friends?"

System No.00110399 threw up his hands in frustration. "Seriously, Princess? Just how low is your EQ?! After centuries of me finding you for companionship, you still think I'm someone that hates you? Do you think I'd seek you out to bother you for the sake of bothering you?!"

Alec stared at him blankly. "…Yes?"

"No!" System No.00110399 exploded in indignation, stabbing a finger at him. "Get it into your head, you obtuse idiot! We. Are. Friends. Not only that, I bet you didn't know that the other Systems that belong under the Mainframe mostly like you either!"

"They what??"

"Exactly!" System No.00110399 hissed like an affronted cat.

Alec held up a hand. "Wait, wait. I need to process this."

The System rolled his eyes and waited for his friend – that didn't even know they were friends – to process it with his overly rational logic, minus all emotions that should *normally* be taken into account.

Seriously.

If the other just looked at things from an emotional point of view from time to time regarding relationships, things would be so much simpler. Yet, it precisely because he was this way there were no end to the number of Systems that were trying to get into his friend's pants.

But the other was completely oblivious!

While it was funny at the best of times, it wasn't so funny when System No.00110399 had been stuck here for centuries – millenniums – on end, waiting for him.

So, forgive him for being a bit high-strung right now!

"We're… friends," Alec repeated again.

System No.00110399 put his face in his hands and made a wounded sound that worried Alec a little.