Yawning and going to brush my teeth, I look at myself in the mirror… just to see it’s still covered.

  ‘Right, even if it’s been a week, I keep forgetting that we covered all of those so no more copies get through. Ugh, so creepy. Glad Sal protected me though.’

  Smiling a bit despite the terror of it at the time, it makes me happy thinking that Sal cares so much about us already.

  Hm, maybe I should do something nice for her? As a way to say thanks? …well, besides when I made her take a group photo with me and Lulu, but she doesn’t seem to be one for pictures anyways.

  ‘Maybe I could show her some of our old phones and stuff? I mean, she has really high tech implants, so she might like it. Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m off, so why not?’

  Throwing on a comfy sweatshirt with a cute bird on the front, I head over to her room and knock. “Sal, are you up?”

  “Mmm… yeah. What’s up?” Hearing her climb out of bed, I pop open the door. “Do you wanna…”

  I trail off, seeing her just in an oversized shirt and nothing else, it draping over her body like a curtain and her breasts nearly visible through it.

  After a moment of frozen embarrassment, I quickly slam the door shut. “I-I’ll just wait for you to get dressed!”

  Hearing a cough followed by a muffled “yeah”, I wait in awkward silence.

  ‘Well… that didn’t go as hoped… I’m used to Sis locking the door when she’s naked so I just barged in. Ah… that’s embarrassing. Though she does look pretty, now that her burns are almost healed. They’re still present, but faded more into her skin now. The chrome even looks pretty on her arms, thin steel bands running down them.’

  As the door opens, I turn and wave at Sal, who’s wearing some sweats and a black t-shirt now, with a proper bra beneath. “What’s up?”

  “Oh, well… I was wondering if you’d wanna go through some old tech I’ve got?”

  She looks at me confused, before silently glancing at her left arm, then back at me. “...sure, maybe I can find something to do some repairs on my carver.”

  “Sweet~ c’mon, it’s in the attic.” Pulling down the ladder to be able to get up there, I climb up with her beneath me, and once up I smile at her, noting a fading blush on her face.

  ‘Huh, weird. Is it hot up here? I don’t think so, just a bit warmer.’

  She quickly gets focused on the cramped space around us, and all the old trinkets collecting dust up here. From us and prior owners.

  Pulling out a box from the back, I pop it open and cough a bit from the dust.

  “Wow, old huh?”

  “Yeah, it’s from when I was a kit, and even when sis was small. Not that I’ve seen that, obviously.”

  She looks over my shoulder, before reaching in and grabbing an old music player. Well, not that old, but old enough to still have a headphone jack.

  “Had one of those before?”

  Nodding slightly to me, she speaks quietly, a tinge of sadness in her eyes. “Yeah… my brother used to have one of these. It was the first thing I pirated music onto, because he didn’t have data.”

  “Ah… I get it. Sis used to do the same thing for me, on this one. And even for Mira, she did.”

  At that, she holds it out with a silent question. “Think I could hold onto this? Just for the… sentimental value.”

  “Of course. As long as you want, I wasn’t using it.”

  Smiling slightly, she pockets it, while I dig into the box again.

  Grabbing a phone out the box, I wipe it with my sleeve to get the dust off. It’s… old, so old it’s actually got a charger port.

  “Wow, jeez. This is from the dinosaur age huh?” Holding it out to her, she grabs it and starts messing with it quick.

  “So, how does this thing even work?”

  I blink in surprise. “Wait, you don’t know? Have you never used one?”

  “No? Wait, you have? It’s not just some old relic?” She holds it up confused, waving it for emphasis.

  Grabbing another one, this in a pink case that was Lulu’s. “Yeah, it’s not that hard. You just plug into this…”

  Using the wire most people have in their body, in my case the one from my neck, I pull it out the thin barely visible metal sheath and plug it into the phone, it lighting up from charge.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Oh, right okay that’s simple enough.” Plugging in her own, from her wrist, she looks at it… with increasing confusion and aggravation.

  “Nothing’s happening, no connection or holo display or anything.”

  I can’t help but laugh, covering my mouth as she looks at me with growing frustration.

  “What?”

  Forcing myself to calm down, I give her a big smile. “It’s just that you’re so… different, when you get upset like that. I should show you this stuff more.”

  She stares at me blankly, before shaking her head. “Just- how does this thing work?”

  Smiling, I walk next to her and show her Lulu’s old phone, walking her through the simple process to turn it on and navigate it.

  Quickly, she’s searching through the apps with a curious grin, a little spark in her eyes.

  And a warmth in my own. ‘She’s adorable… wait, why am I thinking something like that? But, it’s true, she looks cute getting so engrossed in something she called as old as dinosaurs. Maybe that’s just natural wonder, or is she just loving tech?’

  Pondering it for a moment, I recall how she was looking about the kitchen and attic with a similar spark in her eyes, and I nod to myself. ‘No, she just loves exploring, I guess.’

  ‘Huh… is it weird to feel that way thinking about her? …eh, I don’t know. I’ll just trust my gut and say it’s a good feeling for now.’

  Suddenly, I spot a very slight grin on Sal’s face, and I look at her confused. “What’s that look for?”

  After a moment, she speaks, not looking up at me from the phone. “I didn’t know you had a thing for bad gi-”

  “H-hey stop! Give me that!” Blushing brightly, I try to take my phone back from her, but she seamlessly dodges back, using the hatch to the downstairs to block me from reaching her.

  ‘She found the bad smut I wrote, ah crap I didn’t know she’d figure it out that quick!’

  With a smug grin that I don’t think I’ve seen on her, she starts reading. “When she growled, it made my heart thump, a thump, a thump, in my chest-”

  “Stooooop~” Chasing after her with a bright blush, she keeps dodging away until I tackle her, pinning her beneath me.

  “Aha! Gotcha!”

  “Oww…..”

  Gasping, I completely forget about the phone for a moment. “Are you okay?!”

  She slowly looks to the side… reading off the phone. “And when she made the connection, I felt bli- Ow!”

  So frustrated, I can’t help at this point but do something… so I bit her neck. At least it made her stop.

  …and now I can’t help but feel a sinking pit in my stomach.

  “Sorry, sorry sorry sorry, are you oka-”

  The air lightens up as I apologise, and she chuckles a bit. “Yeah yeah, I’m fine. I just, didn’t expect you to bite me all of a sudden. Who knew you cats had such sharp fangs?”

  Giggling a little at her energy, I climb off her and help her up. “Well, I mean I just got frustrated and didn’t think it through, sorry.”

  “It’s fine, it's fine. Besides, I was the one who wouldn’t stop reading it. So, we’re even?”

  Smiling a bit, I nod and grab my phone. “Even. And next time you wanna go through a phone… go through Lumi’s instead, alright?”

  Handing her Lulu’s phone, she smirks and takes it. “Sounds like a plan, my pawtner in crime~”

  I stare at her, before groaning. “That sucked.”

  “Meh, gotta try someow.”

  Giving her a look, she just gives me a grin.

  “...suddenly, I don’t feel so bad for biting you.”

  She laughs at that, and I can’t help but join her.

  ***

  ‘Today’s a good day.’

  Humming as I run between the kitchen and dining room, it’s honestly enjoyable. I mean, it’s busy, sure, but why wouldn’t I enjoy myself?

  Sal seems to be in a great mood, and even taught me a bit about how she kept dodging me so well in the attic the other day. Her implants aren’t even why, as it turns out. Just little tricks.

  And on top of that, even Lumi seems to be in a good mood, after working with Sal on her burns a bit this morning before we started work.

  Even if I know she’d never admit it to us, but… she enjoys it.

  Though the best part by far… is the dinner later! We’re even closing early for it!

  ‘I always love her food, it’s been years since I’ve had her fried fish and rice, at that. It’s always too expensive… I wonder what’s got her in the mood to make it, though?’

  As we near closing, I poke my head into the kitchen. “Hey, sis?”

  “What’s up, Yuna?” Her tail sways happily as she’s already working on the fish, preparing it.

  “I’m just curious… what’s got you in such a good mood today?”

  “Oh? Well, I’m just happy about dinner I guess.”

  Crossing my arms, I step into the kitchen. “Mhm… but you said you were making such a nice dinner because you were in a good mood. So why?”

  Her tail slows behind her as she’s in thought… I can see the gears turning in her head.

  ‘It’s not like her to lie, what’s wrong with her today?’

  “I’m just… well I’m just happy that Sal is feeling better, is that so bad?”

  Blinking in surprise, I shake my head. “No, no it’s fine, I’m happy for it too.”

  “Good, then leave me be, I’ve got dinner to make~”

  She turns away to cook, as if I’m not here.

  Walking out and to my room to change, I can’t help the sudden tenseness in my chest… What's going on with Lumi?

  ‘She lied, that’s weird in itself. But then she said it was because Sal was feeling better, which if it was just that she’d have said that before lying to begin with, I think.’

  Stripping and changing into some sweats and my rough sweatshirt meant for moving heavy things, but also just fluffy comfort, I pause in thought.

  ‘But even beyond that, which I could believe her just being embarrassed about her feelings, one thing is still wrong.’

  Grabbing a small pocket sized weight that weighs enough you couldn’t pocket it without pulling your pants down, I tuck it into my hood in my left hand.

  ‘She called her Sal. She doesn’t even call me Yuyu most of the time, so to call her Sal? Something is really wrong.’

  Walking out my room, I turn towards Sal’s. She’ll have a better idea than me, I think. Or at least be able to confirm my thoughts.

  ___

  Hehe, I’m sure you guys and gals and nondescript beings out there are figuring it out by now~ Like the twist?