Mariella Snippet 5

'Are you a couple?' Mariella spun around  once more, tilting her head as Trystan sputtered, his cheeks glowing bright crimson. She'd wager he was pretty thankful for her blindness, at least for this moment. It was a rare thing for him to get flustered, she'd learned.

"No, nothing like that. He's my escort to Eden. As it just so happens, he's not too terrible at his job. As far as me fixing everything... it's simply what I was programmed to do, nothing more and nothing less." Mariella said as they reached a sort of business part of town. Destroyed shop faces lined either side of the road, accentuated by the burnt out cars that had become all but commonplace these days. Overhead, the sun had began it's descent. They would need to-

"The drones picked up movement in this sector." She paused her steps and put a hand up to stop Trystan and Zoey, frowning a bit as her diamond irises began to glow.

.:Sensory functions enhanced. Battery at 15%... 14%...:.

"This way." She whispered, taking Trystan's' hand and pulling the both of them into a nearby storefront, an old store called Gaemzer. "There's two. Just two." The store used to be an old game store. Empty plastic cases and boxes lie strewn over the floor and a banner for something called an Xstation 5 hung limply over what used to be the payment counter. She led them through the store and to a backroom, sighing in quiet relief when the floor was for the most part cleared away. A sleeping bag lie forgotten alongside a small lamp and bag. On the far wall, a small symbol that resembled a Z was spray painted in red.

"This is a Ragnarok keep-safe." Trystan had whispered, letting go of Zoey's hand and immediately going for the bag. "Food, water, fresh clothes." Mariella glanced at him as the light in her eyes died down. "We should be safe here for the night. Zoey, how are you feeling?"

.:Battery critically low. Entering charge mode in 60 seconds.:.

"I must charge. Will you be okay for the night?"

"Yeah. I'll get Zoey taken care of and see if there's anything useful left in this store. You get some rest, you deserve it."

Mariella nodded and looked at their newest companion. "Good night, Zoey. Don't let the bug beds bite." She moved to sit next to the door and crossed her legs. A moment later, her eyes were closed and she processor had put her into sleep mode.

'Mariella, the General wishes to speak with you about transferring from the l'Ultima Frontiera to the Nexus.' So it would be one of those dreams, hm?

||

Trystan glanced at Zoey and smiled. "How ya feeling?"