Waddling tongues

PRESENT DAY

"Adia? You are an Esquire, too?!"

"As you can see. I hope you are so shocked not because you think I'm too weak to be here!" the girl said, grinning at him.

The familiar sight made something tighten in Zemin's chest. He didn't realize he missed the few friends he made in the academy… but maybe he did.

Zemin smiled back, but his expression was strained by the questions on his mind.

He turned to Adia fully and examined her appearance. His eyes pointed at every detail that changed since Zemin congratulated Adia on her graduation ceremony almost a year ago.

She was still young and beautiful, with smooth skin, full lips and shiny hair, but the time left its marks. There was a large burn scar on the back of Adia's left hand, and her hair was cut a palm shorter than before. Her aura became stronger, too—her Psi-potential grew a grade.

But Zemin was most drawn to Adia's eyes. They were shining with genuine optimism and enjoyment of life, and the look of them was enough to make Zemin's day. It felt like nothing really changed in the past year.

"I thought you wanted to become a Soldier and try to reach officer ranks, Adia. Did you change your mind?"

The spark dimmed immediately. Then Adia grinned again, but it felt off.

"Yeah. Think about it—officers get more rations and privileges than low-ranked Soldiers, but Exemplars get even more! It only made sense. I was offered a promotion, so how could I refuse it?" Adia chuckled. "But you, I see, didn't change a bit—still a total bookworm."

Zemin threw a glance at his computer, then at Adia again.

"Didn't you come here for the same?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks. This is my free time, and I'm going to enjoy it as I should."

After these words, Adia turned on her computer and began to click through folders with a speed that came from familiarity. The last folder she opened contained a row of colorful labels, which…

Zemin gasped.

"Games? These computers have games?"

Adia made big eyes.

"Shhh! If everybody knows they don't have to go all the way to the city's arcade to play something, there would be a constant queue to sit here. I only come here when there is no one else to watch me play. Well, you are an exception, of course. I know your lips are sealed, even if your tongue is pretty skillful."

After saying this all out of the sudden, Adia grinned at Zemin's flabbergasted and red face.

"Still a blushing virgin, are you? I thought you'd pick up every girl in the academy after I graduated."

Zemin made a short cycle of calming breathing exercises. Slowing down his heartbeat was much easier than when Adia did things like these in the past.

"You are worse than Levana sometimes," Zemin grumbled, pointedly turning to his screen. "Did you say this just to get a rise out of me, or did you actually miss my bedroom skills?"

Adia smiled. "Genius on the streets, and genius in the sheets—that's about you. I'm also totally free this evening," she gave Zemin a half-lidded look that made heat pool in the lower part of his stomach.

Then, as by a flip of a switch, Adia turned to her computer. "But while the library is free—want to pull your nose out of the books and play something together?"

Weapons can wait. The Void System scanned the list, anyway—Zemin could decide on his pick later.

For now, he accepted Adia's offer.

They played games until the Librarian finally paid attention and shooed them both out, then just walked around the base, enjoying the view of the forest and talking. Both had a lot to share—before, they could barely even exchange letters. With Adia traveling together with her army regiment from place to place, communication was hard.

"You sent me a gift on my 17th birthday," Zemin recalled. "A postcard with dried flowers… It's in my room somewhere."

"Yeah, that was a shit gift. I wish I could send you a cake by post."

"It was nice, Adia. I wish I could send you anything at all, but I couldn't even call. Why didn't you give me this place's address when you became an Esquire?"

Adia's smile grew strained.

"Ah… I guess I forgot. Sorry, Zemin!"

He raised his brows incredulously. "Forgot? Something like that? This is a very stupid lie."

The smile fell. The spark of optimism in Adia's eyes changed into a feverish glow of anger.

"You don't fucking get it, Zemin. Again! How can a genius like you don't understand when a person just wants for you to stop asking the damned questions?!"

Zemin blinked and opened his mouth, but Adia interrupted his unspoken words.

"What was the point of giving you my address if I could die on the first damned mission? Or on the second? At least people wouldn't have to worry about me!" She made several deep breaths, then smiled at Zemin again. "Really. Let's not commit a cardinal sin of gloom by talking about this stuff, alright?"

<A logical contradiction detected. Secondary signs suggest a 99.37% chances that you are being lied to or omitted information, Master.>

'I can get THIS much, System! I shouldn't have asked… But what happened to Adia?'

<Should I analyze Adia and suggest the most effective interrogation techniques, Master?>

'No. Just shut up for now.'

<Understood, Master.>

"I'm sorry, Adia," Zemin said aloud. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out to take her scarred palm in his. She didn't resist. "Can I fix this somehow?"

She sighed, and her smile became more genuine—but now Zemin saw as clearly as day the glint of anger that had always been in her eyes. This entire time.

"Better use that waddling tongue of yours for something more fun than asking questions, Zemin. Too much knowledge brings only grief."