Dents

[+] White Flag

2D and I wandered through town until the early hours of evening.

The night air was cool and invigorating. The sky was clear, splattered with the shining glimmers of thousands of glowing white stars. We window shopped boutiques and bakeries. Eventually, once we'd exhausted our energy and the last of the businesses shut off their lights, we went home.

Immediately upon opening the front door, I was overcome with smoke filling every bit of air in the house. It was without a doubt the incense burning in Noodle's room upstairs. The thick grey tendrils crawled along the ceiling, creating an ominous trail that made me feel as if something was terribly wrong.

"I'm going to go check in with her," I said. 2D nodded.

I ambled up the stairwell and down the hall until I was standing right in front of her door. 2D followed close behind me. He changed course once we'd gotten upstairs and went to his room instead. He whispered that he'd see me later. He shut the door.

I was alone.

I took a deep breath and reached my closed fist out to the wooden barrier before me. An instant before my knuckles rapped against its surface, it creaked open.

"Saoirse-san."

Noodle smiled weakly. Her shoulders were slumped. Dark circles had taken up shop under her captivatingly green eyes, leaving them dull and restless. She was dressed in mismatched pajamas. A streak of shell-pink lipstick was smeared over her cheek. She looked exhausted.

Her small frame was positioned so that the majority of the interior behind her couldn't be seen. The overpowering scent of incense flooded out in thick clouds. We stood there awkwardly staring at each other for a minute or two. When she realized that I wasn't leaving, she relented. She opened the door fully, letting me inside. 

"I was going to see if you were up for a drink, but... "

I froze. I was struck dumb by mountains of paperwork consuming the space. All that remained was a small path to the kotatsu in the center of the room. The loose sheets were in varying states of distress. Some were wrinkled and yellowed like someone had taken liberty to soak them in coffee. Others were crisp and white. Others, still, were shredded to pieces.

"What... Uh, what've you been up to?"

I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. It didn't sound as casual as I hoped.

Thankfully, my confusion amused her. She cast a genuine smile my direction. It was fleeting, but it gave me hope that I might be able to help her in some way after all.

"It is a very long story. But if you care to listen, I will tell you."

"Okay. Sure."

I kneeled down to the kotatsu, careful to avoid disturbing the many bundles of paperwork surrounding it. Noodle followed. She sat to the right of me. The remaining two spots were consumed with papers and unlabeled boxes.

She poured the both of us a cup of tea from a collapsible kettle set up at the edge of the table. It was served in dainty porcelain teacups with floral patterns engraved into the handles. There wasn't any milk or sugar. I didn't want it anyway.

"I have told you before, yes? How I was in an experimental government program?"

I nodded. She had never gone into great detail. I recalled what she had already shared with me.

She and a couple dozen other kids chosen by the Japanese government were molded into super soldiers, capable of feats in combat well beyond the capabilities of a standard infantryman. The project was scrapped when a unanimous decision was made that the soldiers they created were too dangerous and unstable to control.