So after almost aire two days, Carmil finally finished looking at everything as best she could. Unfortunately it was su unusual effect that even the System didn’t fully reize it as a dition. Meaning that all she could say to me was that it wasn’t doing any damage that she could tell. But more wly, it seemed guided. This was something doo me iionally.

  As she told me all this, I could feel her f me. It felt like fingers softly stroking against my cheek, arms around my sides. What she could do from inside me was incredible and I wao feel something, anything about it. But I was just overwhelmed. What was I being and why? Was who or whatever did this also responsible for my amnesia? It seemed likely, but why? What’s the end goal? Was this entirely without my knowledge or sent, or did I agree to something before my memories were taken?

  sidering that I think I was a coward with a Survivor css, I could imagine past me agreeing to just about anything if the alternative was death. But I didn’t know enough to even wonder what was more likely. Just giant gaps in my mind that I hated more by the day.

  Four days after the interrupted interview I was once again thhly ed up after lunch, making sure I otless for the important folks again. Once I resentable Dod General came ba. The old fel looked even more tired tha time and the General had her hair down and simply tied back, also she wasn’t wearing makeup this time and somehow the little imperfes in her face just made her far prettier. At least as far as I was ed.

  Though, and I am not going to apologize for this, I barely noticed that before she shut the door behind her and immediately took her uniform jacket off, draping it over the back of a chair. I had been incorrect. That jacket did in fact hide her curves, Henna’s tits were enormous, as big as my head at least. Hell, I could even make out nipples just barely poking through the heavy material of her top and, I assumed bra. I had to quickly drag my eyes away before I started drooling.

  This time both of them dropped into chairs by my bedside, doc pulling out his notebook and a file with photos of my runes and dots that I assumed were the findings on them. “Alright, it’s been a long week for all of us so lets just skip right to it so we move on, agreed?” he said impatiently. I nodded, he turo the General who did as well. “Good. We got the report on your runes bad I was right, they prevent false or partial diagnosis. Though, they also seem to have been altered to greatly improve the intelligence of the Elemental they are boo. Would you know how that happened?”

  “Not really, I don’t know anything about runes or Elementals aside from what Carmil told me after she woke up.” I looked at my arm “Carmil, you got any answers for us?”

  There was a longer pause than I was fortable with before she answered.

  [Yes. Partially at least. I’m sorry, love. I hadn’t figured it out until yesterday and I’ve been worried over how you’ll take it.]

  All three of us humans in the room perked up at this, though weirdly I think the General was more ied than even I was. “Hey, it’s alright. I think you’ve earned my trust ten times over by now.”

  [I believe-, that is I have seen some signs that the mutation effect you are under had something to do with how your body respoo the bands and the runes on them. Specifically the why and how of your absorption of and alteration of them. It might even be how you were able to unsciously agree to a tract.]

  The drunted and started writing quickly “You’ve learned more about the mutation then? Was it caused by her iion with the triage bands?”

  [No, it was happening to her in a lesser manner before then. The truth is, I believe the mutation effect is a plex and adaptive Status dition pced on her by a particurly powerful entity. Ohat i with things outside of, or at least on the very edge of the System.]

  The General’s eyes went wide. “That would mean an arch-lord at least!” She huffed and threw her hands up “No, this is ridiculous. The runes may give ho diagnoses but clearly the Elemental lie in other circumstances.”

  [I , but I am not.]

  “Wait, hang on.” I blurted out. “Why were you worried about telling me?”

  [Because it means I am a part of it somehow. The mutation ged the runes, ged me. It might have dohings that I am not aware of, I might be a threat to you still. Even if I don’t know it, even if I don’t ever want to hurt you.]

  I sighed with a weak smile a an urge to hug her. I really wanted her to have a body of her own, she said level ten, right? Well I’d just have to get there for her somehow. “Hey, we’re in this together, yeah? Not gonna think less of you for something outside of your trol anyway.”

  The Doctor cleared his throat to remind us of ere all there. “I realize this is likely a very emotional experience for you both but the sooner we get through it the sooner we all move on. Miss Carmil, what more you tell us about the mutation effect?”

  [Well, it’s guided. It is reag to stimuli on her body in ways that at least mimitelligence. In fact, I think the reason it grew in strength was because it was aware, in some manner or ahat she was in very poor physical dition. Now that she has recovered it has begun to work more diligently, as if it knew she would not survive what it is attempting to do before now.]

  “That sounds rather advanced. Were it not for the Mind Shatter dition I would be hesitant to sider the idea. But any being capable of inflig a triple S rank status dition must not be uimated.” He grumbled and scribbled more down. “Do you have any idea what is being ged?”

  [I do, and sidering how hard General Devatius is staring I think she might as well. Unless of course she’s simply enjoying the view.]

  I realized Carmil was teasing her somehow, but I didn’t realize how at first. I looked at the General and saw a moment of pink in her face before she recovered. “I didn’t think it appropriate to ent when it could have simply been my imagination.” the defeone of her words was light, but defihere.

  [Well I wouldn’t bme you for stariher way, dear. But yes, they are bigger and tinuing to grow. I had only noticed st night, and I have been carefully examining some other possibilities since.]

  A narrowed my eyes “I’m sorry, what’s bigger?”

  [Seriously, love? You don’t even notice ges to your own body?]

  “I’m barely used to not being in agony all the time. From my perspective I’ve not even had a full month to get used to anything at all. Also, there is one big ge uhe damned bhat’s beey distrag so far, alright!?” I was tired, fused, scared, and frankly tired of that fug room. I didn’t mean to snap at her, but things were clearly weighing on me more than I wao admit.

  [I’m sorry love. That was insiderate of me.]

  Insiderate is not a word I would ever use to describe Carmil. After all, she was unig in a way that kept uests in the loop. She could just speak into my ear and only I would hear her, but instead she was making sure that the other two had no reason to grow suspicious over a one sided versation. Or, more suspicious I guess. They already were.

  “It’s okay, just… what ged?” I asked, then looked at the General who was staring again… at my chest. “Oh are you kidding me?” I looked down. Yeah, okay it wasn’t much but I could see growth. If I hadn’t been in a hospital gown I would have felt my top getting tighter I imagine. “Just, just why?!”

  It took the doc a moment, but he looked at them too and picked up on things. He didn’t seem embarrassed, which I imagine makes sense for a doctor. “That is very strange. I’ve heard of certain etic treatments that do such things but for a mutation effect that also altered triage bands in incredibly plex ways, that is frankly… odd. I ’t imagihe purpose.”

  “I .” The General grumbled. “If this is the doing of an arch-lord being or stronger, some have been known to make special servants. Champions, Avatars, Saints, different kinds use different names but they all have something in on.”

  The Doctor’s eyes widened a bit “They ge. The being ges them to more appropriately resemble a of said being.” he quickly started writing furiously.

  The General cleared her throat “You know, we get things done faster by splitting up. Itran, go to the other side of the bed and just speak with the ele-, with Miss Carmil. She will know far more about the medical issues than Esme I think, and I question her while you do so.”

  He blinked and nodded “Wonderful idea.” And immediately pulled his chair around the bed and leaned in to speak directly to Carmil. Well, directly to the runes on my arm but that was as good a focal point as possible sidering that’s where the words were appearing above.

  The General moved her chair closer to my head and gave me a small nod. “Hopefully this will be as painless as possible for both of us. You likely know very little with memory loss, but you did swear to tell what you do know. I hope you will honor that, even if it es to nothing.”

  “I try not to make promises I ’t keep.” I said, suddenly remembering words about a cafe and dang. I would make sure to keep that one somehow.

  “State your full name.” she said, not b with a notebook. Though crossing her arms in a way that very iionally put her bust on more promi dispy for me. I mao trol my gaze and voice though, thankfully.

  “Esme. Sorry, no more than that. Not even my birth name. Me and Carmil named each other while I was out there trying to find help. My Status didn’t even have a name on it, shows Esme now though.” I was going to be ho, pletely. No half truths or minimum details. I felt like they would figure that out and I didn’t have any aable intelligenyway. But they could still be o us if I cooperate as much as I . I hoped.

  “What unit were you-… you know what, it would probably be easier to just tell me what you remember and I’ll ask any questions that e up. Though, I am curious how you had a Managun. You doly scream noble and everything else you had, clothing included was for a basifantryman.”

  “Oh the revolver? Yeah that oor dead Bernson’s.” I said, letting myself have a small dark chuckle over the morbid personal joke.

  The General’s eyes shot open and she sat rod straight in her seat “Bernson? Captain Teodar Bernson?”

  I bli her “I… have no idea. His uniform had the name Bernson on the chest and he had some stripes on his pels but that’s all I know. When I first woke up it was in a busted up armored transport of some kind and his body was o mine. I took the gun off of him as a backup piece, saved my ass against some carrion feeders.”

  She took the news with some stress and gave a description that matched poor dead Bernson and when I told her she grew visibly upset. “Damn it. He was one of the leaders of the moderates.” she muttered. “Well that answers more than I thought it would, tell me your story.”

  So I did. Everything, ramblingly so. I just rattled off every a and thought I had since waking up surrounded by death, including the embarrassing stuff. Henna turned away with a small, brief smirk when I mentioned firming I was a natural redhead. Also when I mentioned getting turned on by Carmil’s voice. Which holy I had sidered skipping those bits but damn it if this dy was gonna tease me I’d return the favor.