'Where's Hiro gone to now?' asked Ichigo. 'He was here just a second ago.'
'Pro'bly wif the uwa girr...' Futoshi's hands and mouth still had food in them as he was standing up. "Snacks for the road" he called them.
'"Other girl?", what other girl?' said Ichigo. 'There's no other...'
'Found him.' said Goro, pointing to where Hiro had just stopped at.
Hiro stood at Zero two's table. He had barely paused her eating and continued as if there was no one there. Hiro continued to stand there.
'Zero two.' said Hiro.
Her eyes lifted towards him and truth be told, did not look like the eyes that said: "come in and we'll have a nice chat, while I try to eat my breakfast."
No, her eyes were scowling as they usually were.
'I was wondering if it would be okay if I can some of my questions from yesterday? I know that you felt uncomfortable, but the curiosity is killing me.'
Zero two seemed to have finished sucking the honey off of all of her hands and fingers. Amazingly enough she managed to not ruin her red scarf.
Her unamused look that she had given Zorome turned into a smug and evil looking smile. It almost looked as if she was curious about Hiro herself.
'Hiro's about to get his ass kicked!' mocked Zorome, who had arrived with clean shirt, and a grumpy Miku.
The squad all waited for her response, even if they didn't know what she would be responding to.
'Sure,' she finally said.
Hiro looked a little pleased.
'but only for you, darling~' she said, getting up out of her seat.
'...' Hiro began to blush.
'Where shall we talk? What more questions do you have for me. There shouldn't be that many more, is there?'
'Yeah... There's not that many I have for you.'
'How about, we go to the gardens then?' she leaned forward, tilting her head to the side and her smile only a little less scary.
'Um... sure...'
The pair began to exit the cafeteria.
'Oi, aren't you coming with us?' called out Goro. ' I even got you up in time!'
'Sorry guys, maybe next time.' Hiro turned back to Zero two, who was waiting at the exit.
'Hey, wait-'
'Let him go, Goro... tomorrow is another day...' Ichigo put a hand on Goro's shoulder.
'... I miss him...'
'Me too...' Ichigo lead him Goro towards the opposite side of the cafeteria, where the rest of their friends were waiting for the two.
Ichigo's eyes couldn't be seen, but the dark blue they usually held, had managed to become a very fiery blue.
'Zero two...' she thought to herself.
≈ θ ≈
It was a nice day. It was a nice Saturday. For teens, it could be flooding weather and they'd be happy. Everyone would be, having to stay inside with "nothing" to do.
Being in the school gardens was nice enough in its' own right, rain or clear blue skies. This was most likely thanks to Kokoro and a few other students. Not many would be into that sort of thing: maintaining and caring for a whole, contained ecosystem. It was easier than what most were lead to believe, but it was hard work no matter what way you looked at it.
And here, we have a pair of teenager, students. What could possibly go wrong!
The path that Zero two and Hiro were on was a brick path that weaved itself through the midst of vibrant flowers, and gracious trees.
'So,' Zero two took a seat on one of the benches that lined the path. 'what do you have in store for me?'
Hiro took a seat next to her,
'You seem like this is bothersome for you... We don't have to talk if you don't want to, I remember you not liking it when we talk, and not to sound rude or anything, but it doesn't like you get along with anyone... why is that?'
She smiled,
'You don't need to act stupid; I'm sure you can guess why I'm not the best with people...'
'Quite the opposite, in fact; I think your great with people, you've gotten nearly every boy in the school at your knees!'
She laughed,
'Are you always this much of a charmer, darling~'
Hiro's cheeks got a little darker.
She continued,
'I was always alone due to my horns... I had many who wanted to work beside me, due to my status and looks, but there was no genuine feelings or friendship involved... I was always alone...'
'I'm sorry to hear that... I don't know what else I should say to that...'
'Then don't say anything...'
'Ok... Wh-'
'Why don't I ask you something? For a change. I'm not that interesting, am I?'
'...Sure; what would you like to know?'
'Do I know you?'
'I don't... think so... I feel like we do know each other, but I just... I don't know...'
His mind was calculating and in deep thought. It was cute for Zero two to watch. The way his eyebrows would slightly furrow, and how his eyes would squint. His hand almost tried to stroke his nonexistent beard!
'My cute little darling...' she thought, 'Let's see how long I can keep you for...'
'Hmm... I feel like... I know you... too?'
'Curiouser, and curiouser...'
They sat in silence, their eyes wavering across the garden.
Eventually, Hiro's embarrassed teen instincts acted up, allowing Zero two the further amusement of his flustered face. He didn't even make that much movement; his face, from confuzzled to beet read, was all that it took for Zero two.
'Maybe she has had some experience with people... After all, she knows what makes people freak out - I can't remember the last time Zorome got half as worked up as he did this morning!'
'I haven't got much more to talk about, I'm afraid...' Zero two's voice cut through the silence. 'Not everyone, is ready to find out all of their past experiences...'
'Yeah; right, right, right... Once again, I'm sorry for bothering you, Zero two... See you around?'
Zero two stood up, her height going beyond his own.
'I doubt that we will be apart for long darling~'
She leaned in and gave his neck one of her little... licks...
His shuddering and convulsing movements only stimulating Zero two even further.
She laughed and walked off, a lollipop had already made its' way into her mouth, just as a redder shade of ripe red had made its' way onto Hiro's
He then parted on his own way, wondering if he could still catch up with his friends. Throughout all of his 'interrogation', Hiro would never get any good time learning anything about Zero two. Her enchanting... beauty, just made Hiro's life full of, what could only be described as (no matter how cheesy it seemed), purpose.
He still had so many questions that were in need of answering, knowing full well that they wouldn't be answered with any more rounds around the garden. Hiro was getting impatient.
'What else could I do to learn more...' he muttered, 'It isn't like there's a spot in the library labelled, Zero two, now is there...'
Little did he know, as well as the rest of the squad, there were in fact books about Zero two... just not ones that were all that... jolly...
Thoughts were disrupted as Hiro nearly walked into a wall.
Not long after, he made his way out towards the gate of the school. The usual staff were standing there, their bizarre and creepy masks resembled that of a victorian styled, masquerade masks.
Looking towards the bus stop, Hiro new he was too late. The bus would have left, ages ago, even with the rare, inconsistency of the buses.
'Eye for an eye, I guess...'
Hiro turned around from the pair of staff that resembled, drug addicts from some old game he couldn't recall. All six of the empty eye-slits bore into his back, as if sensing his mental recognition.
'God, when was the last time I slept...'
≈ θ ≈
There was never not a time for sweets and sugar.
This was the philosophy of Zero two.
It had been one of the only things that she had enjoyed in her life, after everything she had been through.
Sugar was a way of getting energy that was fast, easy, satisfying, and rewarding. Her body, was different to most, it is Zero two in question, here; with her horns, her teeth (if those counted), her hair and so on and so forth.
She had come to terms with the fact there would be people, humans; that would question the obsessive sweet tooth that she had. Some might need to steal an extra cookie from the cookie jar, Zero two would always, swathe her meal in thick coats of honey. The kind that was artificial, and had sugars added to it.
She would also have a lollipop with her for the majority of the time.
She had never gotten around to think about it further than,
Not human, different needs.
Maybe she did it to keep people away from her, as she was split between, drawing them in, or pushing them aside, because of them just treating her like a piece of art that was only there for display. This may have been the truth, maybe not; we shall never know.
Zero two had grown tired of it all, though.
The constant whispers, the ever present voices, the small gasps and giggles that she would here in the halls and classrooms of APE Academy, or outside, wether she be eating food, or walking around... wherever she was at the time.
There was a small part of her had wished FranXX Academy to be different, anyway, shape or form, but it never did.
Being born different meant, living different.
That's why she looked for a suitable darling for so long. Specifically, the darling that she had once had. That's all that had mattered to her.
But the hopes and dreams of a young girl had to make way for the cold reality,
You live, with what you get.
Going back to the present, on the other hand.
Zero two had walked all of the way to her dorm room. It wasn't hard, as the dorms were practically next to the gardens, if one just had the ability to remove several stories of buildings with ease and minimal risk.
Zero two would have been sad about having her dorm face the complete opposite direction, but things like flowers had long left her mind and list of troubles.
One thing remained, and would always remain,
'Darling...'
≈ θ ≈
The public bus was a decently full. It was the weekend, and smart people would be taking the time to, end their long week.
The academy did not provide transport of any kind for the students, if they so desired to leave its' grounds on holidays, public holidays, and in pretences like the squad were in at the moment.
The students were given a small amount of money to do what ever they liked, although if it was questionable in nature, the school will have the buyer and seller severely punished. The Academy had eyes, everywhere.
The squad had decided that the particular place that they would be going to, would be the particular, nowhere of the city.
They hadn't much in mind; maybe go for a movie; see a new exhibition in the local museum; bum around the business district and eat candy and other garbage that resembled food. None of them could afford a high-class dinner at a five -star restaurant, but they didn't care either.
Getting off the bus and into the central area of the city, the group collected into a small mass and began churning out ideas for where and what to do exactly. Sometimes the best thing to do, was nothing at all.
Their voices only adding to the large garble of city noises and sounds.
≈ θ ≈
To be Continued...
Hey there, looky whats we got here, another trash chapter, made and produced by yours truly! Sorry for the late publish, I know I literally said I would be publishing more often, but I got some great ideas for a fanfic idea I've had in mind for a while now. The clue/easter egg for what it is about, is in the chapter above, some of you won't get it, it's fine. And with that, thank you for reading
- Eclipse