My Zombie Family (MZF) BL

'A lonely wish'

"Brother!" Imil called out as she and Noelle stepped into the strange laboratory. Was it a laboratory? An observatory? She wasn't sure. Either way, Imil scanned the space, hoping to catch sight of her brother's figure. "Brother? Brother!" she repeated, frowning.

"Huh... that's weird. He's usually here to greet guests..." she muttered, puzzled. Imil turned to Noelle, who looked pale and tired, and reached for a chair, gently sitting her down. "Noelle, I'll be right back. I need to find him. Oh! And don't wander too much, okay? He doesn't like that." Noelle gave back a weak thumbs up, resting her head. She was beginning to get a migraine and agreed that rest was what she needed after her sudden faint.

'Pull yourself together, Noelle! Stairs-! Stairs are your weakness, but not heights?!' She began to scold herself.

With a rush, Imil ran through the many halls of the observatory repeatedly calling after her twin. "Brother?!" Her voice wavered. She flung open doors, raced through empty rooms, and turned corners. All in hopes of catching a glimpse of his figure, but there was nothing. All that remained from her search was a quiet building. Not once had her brother shown.

 "Oh no..." she whispered, panic starting to creep in. "If Brother's not here, then that means Noelle came all this way for nothing..." Her breath hitched. "That can't happen! What do I do?..." She paused. Imil began twiddling her fingers to the point where she'd bitten them, a terrible habit she'd developed whenever she started to think. 'Noelle had worked so hard to make it here.' Imil couldn't just greet her with, "He's not here, maybe try again next time!" No. She had to do something. Anything. And like a bulb flickering to life, an idea sparked in her mind. So did her expression change into an alarming smile, "I have an idea!"

'Let's hope this works.'

Imil grabbed a cloth and rubbed the soot from her cheeks, dusted off her clothes, and combed her fingers through her messy hair, trying to tame it into something more presentable. After all, they were twins, weren't they? Maybe... just maybe...

'This isn't bad... right? I'm sorry, please forgive me!'

Once she finished changing, she stood in front of the mirror, trying not to cringe. Her attempt to mimic her brother was far from perfect. She squinted, blushed, and shook her head in embarrassment. She looked like a complete mess. But this was for Noelle. To complete the look, she left behind her glasses, tucking them into her back pocket. And took a deep breath, stepping out.

"I may not be as smart as him," she spoke, "but maybe I can help by figuring out what she needs." She touched her warm cheeks, still flustered. "Okay... time to go."

Noelle sat bored, awaiting Imil's return. She wondered where Imil had gone, but Noelle's headache refused to let her think or wander. She only remained in place in an attempt to relax, even if it was futile. "U-um hi! You're here, so... " A voice, as awkward as it could be, called out, uncomfortably, yet flustered. When she looked at the owner of the voice, she was surprised to see her friend dressed up as a teacher. Well, that's what she recalled teachers looked like from Manon's picture books.

She wore a long coat, brown pants with black knee-high boots, and a long-sleeved shirt tucked neatly within. The shirt had an assortment of ruffles, while the long coat carried a beautifully woven pattern. She looked elegant and proper. But she was missing her glasses. Noelle wondered if she could see. Although unsure at first, her gaze lingered instantly. And the more she looked, the more she felt sure that it was her friend. She looked rather confident yet shy, but the neatly stylized hair and missing glasses couldn't fool her.

IT WAS HER FRIEND.

The only thing concerning her now was, what was the occasion?

"I-I'm sorry I was late," the girl stammered. "Imil had to step away, but she said she enjoyed spending time with you..."