"So we escaped here because the Mits wouldn't dare step foot in here, and that's all for now," Oliver concluded to a wide-eyed Narsi.

"Amazing..." she trailed, seeming to look at me with a newfound respect. "You're a pretty tough lady, Evangeline. Really, I could never go through with a plan like that. You really are something else."

"How wouldn't you be able to follow through with killing someone? You are quite literally a weapon for battle." I regretted the words the minute they left my mouth, and I could see Oliver's jaw clench, expecting some backlash. This is what my father had meant by telling me that sometimes I needed to think before I spoke. I closed my eyes, and expected the worst.

But to my surprise, I heard Narsi begin to laugh. It wasn't as smooth as her voice, sounding almost like a grinding of gears, stopping and starting in small bursts of sound, but a laugh all the same. "Oh darling. I'm no war machine. Every other Automaton you're bound to find here is, but I've never been on the battlefield myself. I couldn't hurt a fly. I was "too much of a sweetheart" for war, and the general inspector sent me right home. At first, I felt pretty useless, not able to do the very thing I was created for, but now that the war is over, it seems that we've all hit that point now."

"Still, I'm sorry to have spoken so carelessly. I had no idea..."

"Don't even mention it," Narsi cut in. She seemed to have an unhealthy habit of doing so. "Most people don't have any idea themselves. It's been a good number of years that we've been shoved into our separate districts, so aside from the Gadgeteers I don't suppose anyone knows much more than rumours and gossip."

"Speaking of your Gadgeteer, I was hoping we could ask for some information on him. It was one of the reasons I was planning to come see you anyways," Oliver mentioned, taking a small sip of the tea Narsi had placed before. He seemed to not like it's spicy flavor, making a badly-hidden face of disgust.

"Oh I see. You only visit me when you need something. I'm barely even a friend to you. A second thought..." Narsi pouted.

"Oh no! Narsi I don't think that's what he meant," I tried to hurriedly explain, but Narsi only laughed again.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Honestly I forgot you're not as used to my antics as Oliver here is. Anyways, you know I'm always happy to help out a friend. What do you want to know?"

"A Gadgeteer was in charge of building all the Automatons, but they are also in charge of deconstructing the ones that were overcome with fear from war, and fixing those that are broken in case they are ever needed again, right?" Oliver began. "So I thought-"

"That I could tell you where he lives, so that you could see if he has any of the heart pieces you were looking for?" she finished, with him nodding in reply. "Sure. I don't exactly like the man, so I don't see why not. But it's getting a bit late, and I'm sure that Evangeline here needs to wind, same as I do. Since you have no place else to go for now, and the Mits aren't going to wander in here anytime soon, why don't I set you two up a little room upstairs, and we'll discuss business in the morning?"

"That sounds lovely, thank you." We got up and began to follow her past the two doors leading to the back, and from there a staircase leading to a small halfway with a few rooms attached. I noticed, however, that she only unlocked a single door. "Um, would it be possible to have two separate rooms?" I asked, trying to be as polite as possible. "We are older after all, and I think it would be for the best."

"Oh I'm sure that you two won't be needing that much space." I didn't appreciate how she winked at Oliver before opening the door of the room. "I'll see you in the morning then first thing!" With that she left, leaving only us, and the single room.

♡

It felt good to remove the heavy layers of bandaging around my neck, and from there my breasts once I could ensure that the blanket sufficiently covered my body from the other end of the room. I removed the necklace chain from around my neck, and proceeded to wind myself. As the relaxing sense of peace filled my lungs, I couldn't help but think back to what Narsi had said. I'm sure Evangeline here needs to wind, same as I do. That's all well and good, but what of Oliver? I had yet to see him remove the bandages once, but he wouldn't have skipped winding himself for two nights just to conceal his class. That was incredibly unhealthy. I found it hard to believe he had done it in the morning before I had awoken. The way he laid down in bed, his hands tucked neatly behind his head bothered me in some strange way. He looks so calm, despite not taking care of himself in the slightest. Just what is he trying to hide?

"Oliver, aren't you going to wind yourself?" I prompted.

"Oh, I don't need to. I did it this morning," he yawned in reply, turning his head so as not to face me.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe it. You haven't taken off those bandages since we met. They look just as dirty, in all the same spots. If you were winding yourself like you say you are, then why does every stain of sweat or mark of dirt line up as perfectly as the day before?"

"I said I did this morning!" He yelled, and I flinched from the volume. He then stopped for a second, looking away before rolling stubbornly onto his side, drawing the covers closer. The air seemed to hang heavier in the room after that, making me wish I hadn't pestered him at all. He was doing so much to help me, and yet my curious self had to annoy him anyway. He's probably just ashamed of being a Tinheart, or maybe even an Aluminumheart. It's not like he hadn't noticed my own gold perforation, so he most likely thinks that if I know, then I'll start treating him differently. As dedicated as he is in the Heart-Status theory... I just wish he could trust me to act better than that.

We spent the rest of the night in silence until I finally fell asleep.