The following days after your nightly conversation with Rafayel flew by in a haze. You slept most of the time, giving your body the needed rest to heal and regain strength. It must have been a week now or so since the incident with your huntress twin and Rafayel had never left your side, not for a second, even as you encouraged him to meet with some people to gather information about her whereabouts.

It stressed him out not to know where she was or what happened to her, it was visible in his movements that lacked his natural grace, and the dark color that started to gather under his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to leave your side.

Only as Zayne is appointed to meet you to make a thorough check on your healing progress you were able to convince Rafayel to do something about his restlessness. The Lemurian demanded from the doctor to stay with you until he'll be back and Zayne agreed, seemingly more happy about this arrangement than he should be, given his position.

Now you're at the apartment that you were given by your other self, and Zayne has cooked a tasty and hearty meal. Since you can walk again, slowly but at least without much pain, you made sure to leave Rafayels place, even if the artist protested vehemently. But you were adamant in your decision. You don't want to stay there since it's his and her home. Here in this apartment, you feel more like yourself, without being reminded all the time, that Rafayel doesn't belong to you. Something hard to think of as long as you were in Whitesand Bay, and he rustled around you non-stop.

"Meal is ready." comes Zaynes calm voice from the kitchen, and you look up from a pile of reports that speak about the day you were found and the wanderer attacks the day she went missing. You try to get some hints or info, but without success yet.

"I'm hungry. Thank you, Doctor," you answer politely, trying to maintain a distance from him since you're not sure if getting closer involved with them all is a good idea. It'll hurt more than enough if you have to get away from Rafayel, adding the pain from leaving the others as well... you'd rather not think of that.

Zayne arrives at the dinner table with the dishes and sits beside you. Sliding over yours, he looks at you with a raised brow and piercing hazel-green eyes. "Now we're back to being formal? What happened to just "Zayne'?"

Looking down at your food, you shyly answer: "Well, nothing. Isn't that the right way to address you, since I'm a stranger to you?"

The dark-haired man chuckles "I see. How come you let a stranger cook in your kitchen and even eat lunch with him?" his tone slightly amused and teasing, like as you are familiar with from the hours in-game.

If he hadn't been so caring towards you, you would have punched him in the shoulder, like you do with Rafayel all the time. But Zayne always makes you warm and safe, you can't be angry with him. "Come on, you know what I mean." you chide him softly instead "You treat me like I am her, and you know it's not the case. You literally don't know me."

Zayne stops eating and looks at you with a serious gaze. "You might be correct. However, you forget one thing. She and you are similar to each other, not like two sides of a coin, but more like a total copy of said coin. You talk like her, act like her. The only difference I catch so far is that there is no protocore in your heart and its condition." he pauses for a moment. "So tell me, why should I treat you otherwise?"

In surprise your gaze shoots up to him, your mouth gapes open and your brain has a hard time coming up with a retort for a moment. Is Zayne serious? It makes no difference to him? Does this also mean, that....? But you can't think along nor answer as he continues.

"So please, do not treat me as a stranger when I am not. You told me you know me from that game, and so far this figure seems accurately similar to me." the hazel-green eyes turn soft, and you forget where you are for a second, and absentmindedly you stutter out "O- okay... Zayne."

You continue your meal in silence, too embarrassed to talk with him, and the dark-haired man does seem content with it.

After the shared meal, Zayne vanishes into the kitchen again, apparently cleaning and stuff. You want to sink yourself into the documents as a blinding light flashes the whole place for a second, making you close your eyes to protect them. Then two figures plopped out of it, stumbling into the living room.

"Stop touching me! I'm not your hugging buddy, you know?", comes Rafayels screaming voice as he steps away from Xavier and falls onto the little white sofa into a half-lying position. One arm throwing over his eyes, his black suit crumbled and burnt, his dramatics continue "I'm so dizzy! Next time, give me a warning before you do that, Sparky!"

The other man still stands unfazed, the white hunter's uniform covered with dark dust stains and blue shimmering meta flux remnants. "It was the fastest way, or did you rather get captured, Rafayel?" sky-colored eyes wander around till they spot you. "Don't worry, we're okay." The silver-haired hunter walks over to you and sits beside you at the table "How are you?

You try to hide a grin at the scene that has unfolded before as you open your eyes again. Not in your wildest dreams you have thought to see Rafayel and Xavier working together.

You're about to answer the question as Zayne steps out of the kitchen, and with his stoic demeanor, he calls out to both men. "Get your clothes and hands clean, so you can eat. You can tell what happened in the process," he orders with a firm voice.

You're quite surprised as Xavier actually walks to the bathroom to do so and Rafayel follows suit, but of course not without leaving a snarky command. "Just because I'm starving..."

Trying to hide a giggle you free some spots at the table to make room for them to eat.

During the meal, they report what happened, Rafayel with wild gestures and his best storytelling attitude, and Xavier interrupts him with a calm voice, playing it down and asking him to stop exaggerating.

It is such a fun experience that you laugh and giggle all the way, even if the topic is serious, Zayne also couldn't hide a smile here and there as you throw a few glances in his direction.

"But there was no sign of her, so all the effort to infiltrate that building was in vain." Xavier ends the report, and you catch Rafayel grabbing his fork a little tighter.

"Then we need to infiltrate the next until we find her." comes his dark and serious voice as he picked some meat onto his tool.

"To break into every single building that belongs to Ever or Xander isn't very effective, Rafayel." Zaynes timbre interrupts the silence that settled after the painter stated his idea. "We need to rethink our plan. With every day she could be in more danger."

That breaks something inside the Lemurian and Rafayel suddenly jumps up from his chair "Dontcha I think I'm unaware of this?" he hisses at the other. "So tell me, O mighty doctor" now mocking, "as long as you can't use psychic powers, what do you think we should do! Our only hints are her dreams." as he pushes his plate over the table to Zayne and glares at him with an angry fire in his eyes.

The dark-haired doesn't even flinch as some of the food he cooked flies onto his gray vest. "To go on a rampage won't help either. Why don't you calm yourself first by cleaning the dishes? Xavier and I are going through the maps and reports again meanwhile."

You look back at Rafayel who still glares at Zayne, small cracks of fire dancing around his fingers. Xavier is calmly eating, completely unimpressed by the commotion surrounding him. Zaynes hands are pressed flat on the surface of the table as small snowflakes spread beneath his palms. The doctor isn't as calm as he appears to be, and you're afraid they jump at each other's throats if you don't intervene.

Okay, you got this! And you rise from the chair, grabbing the painter's hand and pulling him with some force into the kitchen. Wincing from pain caused by that, it's enough to turn his focus to you.

"Cutie, whatcha doing?" he calls out worriedly his anger immediately evaporates at your pain.

"No murder on my dance floor!" you state and look back at him.

Rafayel furrows his brows at you, ocean eyes filled with utter confusion. "What? Did the Popsicle mix some drugs in the food?"

You giggle and roll your eyes "No, you silly fish! Zayne was nothing but very attentive to me."

That gets you an angry pout from the purple-haired, and you need to bite back another laugh. He looks just adorable with his arms crossed on his chest, the head turned to the side and his bottom lip slightly pushed off. It makes your heart skip a few beats and jump erratically in your chest.

"I bet he was. Sticking to you like a sugary bonbon." and with a fading voice "He always wants what is mine..."

You're not sure if you heard it right between the beating of your heart or what he meant by that, so you decide to just ignore it and go back to the issue that brought you into the kitchen.

"What I tried to say is, please don't kill each other. I know it must be hard for you to be separated from her." sighing you touch his still-crossed arms, giving him some sort of comfort. That gets you back his attention and Rafayel relaxes a bit indeed and exhales loudly. "Can't you locate at least some direction or so with you know... Your fishy sense?"

The Lemurian huffs and gives you an upside-down smile "This again? I told you already it doesn't work like that." and caresses your cheek with his hand. "And I already searched together with Sparky some locations. We couldn't find her. All other spots in question are in the N109 Zone..."