Faye/Profile: Difference between revisions

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She must have run out of battery.

Looks like it was quite the long story.

==Memories==

===Pulse-Racing Response 1===

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{{Dialogue|(The text from the dossier jumps up and down as I walk at a hurried pace, yet my attention is still caught by a few particular keywords.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(An unscrupulous individual decided to strike while the iron was hot. A whole batch of priceless jewelry was taken away under the cover of fire.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Still, justice arrives with unusual swiftness when the rich and powerful are in need. The security department rushed to the scene, sealed off the area, and caught the unescaped suspect in one fell swoop.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Impossible. There must be some kind of mistake…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Under the dim lighting, the red hair adorning the familiar photographed face looks as dull as the sun at dusk.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I am certain that Faye isn’t the culprit. However, the clues in the dossier all make it unmistakably clear that she was on site.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Her footprints were found on site. Evidence of her rummaging around the lost jewelry was also found, alongside the door lock broken apart by her actions.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Those would have served as conclusive evidence if this were a regular theft case. The only thing stopping the security department from reaching any conclusions was the fact that no stolen jewelry was found on her person.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(This gives me room to step in before Faye turns from “suspect” to “criminal”.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I open the door to the visiting room, and finally see her.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I’ve finally witnessed something more fiery than her hair today—the fury in her eyes.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Why are they even arresting me?! I didn’t steal anything!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Save people? That explains it; this does sound like something Faye would do.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t get too worked up yet. Could you tell me what happened?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye sits down with her cheeks puffed up in anger. I can still hear the gnashing of her teeth despite the layer of glass separating us.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I was just walking through the street as per normal. And as per normal, I passed by that extravagant eyesore of a mansion and saw something that made it even more conspicuous: a plume of black smoke.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|A fire was definitely starting in there, so I rushed in due to the urgency of the situation.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Turns out the fire had already started spreading. Luckily, the mansion was relatively empty—just two servants keeping watch on the property.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I spent quite a bit of effort getting them out. The next thing I knew, the security department turned up before the ambulance!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|They arrested me without getting the full story! They said that I stole the jewelry and asked me about its whereabouts!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Hmph! Why would I give a crap about some stupid rocks?!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You must have left quite a number of footprints behind because you rushed in to save them.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You broke those door locks while you were trying to do that, right?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah. Rich people have some really complicated houses.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The servants were calling for help, but I couldn’t pinpoint their locations without busting open the doors!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|They said that you left evidence of yourself “rummaging through the cabinets and shelves”.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I was trying to find something that could fight the fire!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|They didn’t have a SINGLE fire extinguisher throughout that whole fat mansion of theirs!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Erm, so, have you explained all this to the people from the security department?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Some things are going to be displaced during a search and rescue. What’s so hard to understand about that?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(True. I should be thanking my lucky stars that Faye’s communication skills didn’t land her in deeper misunderstandings.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Faye, things aren’t looking good for you right now due to the available onsite evidence.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You’re the only suspect in the security department’s hands right now. They’re not going to give up before the jewelry is found.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye suddenly grows agitatied, seemingly sensitive to the fact that I used the word “suspect” while referring to her.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I know that you are innocent, because I have absolute trust in your actions.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I firmly believe that you did not steal from the mansion, that you only had the desire to save others when you stepped into the fire.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Sadly, the fact that I trust you is not something that can convince the security department to let you go.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Stubborn indeed. It’s hard to make them let go once they set their minds on something.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|If we want to clear your name, we must put irrefutable evidence on the table.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Our only way out of this mess is to take back the jewelry and capture the real culprit.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Take back the jewelry and capture the real culprit…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I am in agreement that this is the best option, but… are we too late?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The security department couldn’t even catch the right person back then, so why should we trust them to do it now?!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Worry not, we don’t have to count on THEM.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Monsoon Squad has already started investigating satellite city POL-05’s personnel and material movements.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’m providing them with assistance to help narrow down our search area.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|We’ll definitely arrest the real culprit and clear your name!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye’s eyes light up with hope for a moment before it fades.)|}}

{{Dialogue|But… no progress for now, right? There are a lot of people here, after all.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah… We still need more time before we can achieve any results.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|We’ll sadly have to trouble you with the burden of being labelled a “suspect” until then.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(The visiting room falls into a brief period of silence. The reality of the situation is sinking in for us—)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye will be imprisoned here as a suspect for an unknown period of time.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye visibly droops in dejection. Even her tone has weakened considerably.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I’ve never seen her looking so demoralized before.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Faye… I’m so sorry. There’s no way for me to secure your immediate release.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It’s alright, Commander. You’ve already done a lot for me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I’m just kinda miffed about the fact that… Here I am, imprisoned for trying to save people, while the actual thief gets to walk away scot-free.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|All that evidence was found to prove my guilt, but none of them was willing to find proof that I was just trying to save people.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Perhaps for them, but they’re more willing to accept the existence of a thief who risks death for profit, than a humanitarian who risks their life for the sake of others.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Humanity bestowed upon me the instinct to help others, so why this refusal to acknowledge my life-saving actions…?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I… the more I think about it, the less I understand…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|No matter what others in society may think, rest assured that I have always endorsed your actions, and will continue to do so.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|If you weren’t there to rescue the two servants, the blaze would have claimed their lives, their deaths overshadowed by news of the theft.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|We are lucky that you were there to save them, Faye. I’m proud of what you did.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You’re really good at reassuring people, Commander.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Thank you. Thanks for visiting me and telling me all this…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|This time, I’m the one who has caused you trouble…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Not at all. The one with that honor would be the thief.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Once we catch them, we’ll give them a real good thrashing!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye is silent for a moment. She lowers her head, unease clouding her face.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I’ve always been the one saving others, but now, I’m the one who needs saving…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You did nothing wrong, so you just have to wait here patiently.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye looks up at me, surprise flashing across her eyes.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(This marks the end of our visitation timeslot. I get up to leave the room.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(The entire time, Faye’s gaze follows each and every one of my movements.)|}}

}}

===Pulse-Racing Response 2===

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{{Dialogue|(Second day. I arrive at the visiting room at the appointed time.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye is already waiting for me behind the glass. She sits cross-legged on the stool, her body slightly leaning forward, her gaze fixed and focused on the doorway.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(How should I put this… Her posture reminds me of a cat eagerly awaiting food.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Yep. Look, I’ve brought you something good.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Your friends in Monsoon Squad have been quite worried about you.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|They couldn’t spare the time to visit you, so they asked me to bring you a few gifts on behalf of them, hoping to cheer you up.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Does she think that I’m being kept in a kindergarten?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Her intention was to help you keep your imposing aura even in prison.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Unfortunately they wouldn’t let us pass you a real axe, so this inflatable toy is here as a replacement.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’ll lose all my reputation carrying this around.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|As for Daiyan, she wanted to give you this.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah. She recorded this song just for you.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Daiyan said that it would help you alleviate your anxiety.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|How am I supposed to get a record player here…?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|That IS a problem… but I’m glad that you know she means well.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(We redeemed it for free in the satellite city a while back—the Dolls often use it for cooking.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye stares at it for a grand total of ten seconds, her face full of confusion.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I don’t really get it. How does this work as a gift?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Ugh, why do I have to be the one to deliver this terrible pun?)|}}

{{Dialogue|(To alleviate the pain we both felt from the pun, I wear a sheepish smile and explain that Zhaohui meant well.)|}}

{{Dialogue|…Ahem. Anyway, Zhaohui wishes you a swift return to freedom.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Wekk, you know Zhaohui. This isn’t too out of the blue.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It might look like they just gave you some inconsequential stuff, but I assure you that they’re doing a lot to help you out there.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|A few dozen criminals have been thrown onto the security department’s doorstep since yesterday.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|We have thieves, robbers, and even a group of Varjagers who just happened to be passing by satellite city POL-05.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|For something this loud, I don’t have to guess in order to know who did this.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Sadly, the real culprit behind the jewelry case is still at large.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|We can only claim to have decreased the perpetrator’s mobility.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Well or not… I wouldn’t put it either way. I’m just passing the time.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|It’s gotten a lot noisier since yesterday, though.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah, a huge bunch of prisoners got thrown in here, after all. Have they caused you any problems?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The communications techniques that I learned from books don’t seem to work very well on the people here.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You’ve managed to win the hearts of so many Dolls. Very impressive.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Why do I feel like there’s a twinge of soft aggression in her words?)|}}

{{Dialogue|Teach…? My communication skills aren’t THAT good. I wouldn’t qualify as a communication coach.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Alright… I’ll try to give you some advice.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Have you run into any communication problems lately?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|For example, one of the Varjagers who just got thrown in today is really hostile towards me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I keep trying to talk to him using polite phrases from my “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”, but he simply won’t listen. Instead, he insists on cussing at me all the time.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|First of all, know that the problem doesn’t stem from you in this case.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|He made up his mind to be hostile towards you before he even spoke. This isn’t something you can dissipate through polite conversation.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You mean that… I don’t HAVE to establish proper communications with him?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Yep. Or rather, the way you communicated with the Varjagers before was already pretty good, so to say.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I only remember beating them up whenever I saw them.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t let the security department people catch you doing it, though.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|My next question is… What if I run into someone who is friendly but annoying?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|A young man who got thrown in here the same day I did keeps trying to talk to me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|He kind of… started worshiping me once he learned why I was here.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|He often asks me about the details of the case, praising me for my supposed criminal skills. Even says that he’ll call me “Boss” once we get out…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I didn’t steal anything from that mansion at all, so his “praise” is just really annoying to me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…There really are all kinds of people out there, huh.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|In this case, I think you should learn how to refuse someone and say no.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t force yourself to listen to things that you don’t want to hear. The lack of malice on his end does not remove your right to refuse.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You don’t have to give a reason. He should be the one figuring it out.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Such simple advice hardly qualifies me for the title of “teacher”…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Then… I’ll ask you about something complex for the next issue.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye’s expression suddenly grows inexplicably serious.)|}}

{{Dialogue|If I want to express my gratitude to friends that I’m really close with…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I-I’m not referring to anyone specifically! Just talking hypotheticals!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Let’s say I somehow got into huge trouble, and my friends went all out just to help me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I would feel very grateful, but if I told them outright, I’d definitely get teased about it.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She’s definitely talking about the rest of Monsoon Squad.)|}}

{{Dialogue|You want to show your appreciation, but you don’t want your friends to tease you about it.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|In that case, I think you can try replacing words with actions.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Why not try giving your friends a little gift?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye knits her brows. She stares at the inflatable axe, vinyl record and steel bowl in front of her.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Everyone is different. Just pick something that you believe will express your feelings.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Maybe some handmade confections? Things like biscuits and such.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’ll ask Makiatto for some cooking tips once I’m back on the Elmo.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah. I remember that she really likes cooking.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Never mind. It’s okay. It’s more important to express your feelings than to cook perfectly, don’t you agree?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Jiangyu, Daiyan, and Zhaohui, I’m sorry. A looming trial awaits you.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I can’t help but notice that Faye is suddenly speaking in a formal tone.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Yet her eyes are fixed upon something that isn’t me. She is deliberately trying not to look at me, so to speak. Her gaze keeps shifting about the outlines of my silhouette.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I want to know how to approach a superior who has taken good care of me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Ah, no, not a superior. I was thinking about someone who occupies a special place in my heart.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She finally looks at me again after stumbling through a plethora of conditionals.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Who is she even talking about? It’s a hard guess, isn’t it?)|}}

{{Dialogue|I often feel emotionally conflicted whenever I’m with him.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I feel bad about imposing on him so much, but on the other hand, I want to do it even more.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Just thanking him feels kind of inappropriate. It’s good to thank my friends, but doing it in this case would make me seem emotionally distant.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I… I’m scared that my words won’t match my feelings. I’m not confident in my use of language.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|It’s okay, it’s not an exam. Flowery language is just a means to an end.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You should forget about using your “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook” here.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Unembellished language is the best way to express your most sincere feelings.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|So it’s this simple… But will I be able to do it…?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(I can almost see the “shell” covering her body and facial expressions shatter into a million pieces.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(A defenseless Faye reveals herself to me for the first time.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Commander, I’ve never told you about this before…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…But before I met you and Monsoon Squad, I experienced something terrible: a “failed” rescue attempt.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(I can’t help but remember noticing all the changes in Faye’s behavior and personality when we first reunited. This… might be the very reason for those changes.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I too, adjust myself into a proper sitting posture and look intently at Faye.)|}}

{{Dialogue|It happened in an underground mineshaft. I was there trying to rescue a trapped bounty hunter squad.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But the situation spiraled out of control, and in the end, I was trapped as well.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|We couldn’t do anything in the darkness. We couldn’t see anything, but we were keenly aware of our decreasing air and food supply…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye resonates with her memory, her voice starting to tremble.)|}}

{{Dialogue|One by one, everyone fell into insanity. Suspicion, arguments and endless conflicts filled the darkness.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I couldn’t resolve those conflicts, nor could I stop them from doing anything…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But the darkness never left me. Whenever I’m alone in an enclosed room, whenever I’m in a situation that I can do nothing about, I…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Noticing that she is gradually losing control over her emotions, I call out to her and try to reach for her hands to hold them, but all I can do is press my palm against the glass window.)|}}

{{Dialogue|If I could guide people’s emotions towards the right path, I would have been able to save more people…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The collective consciousness of a group is not something you can easily direct in that kind of situation.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Even so, you’ve done well rescuing people ever since.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I received an update on the situation before I arrived.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The servants you rescued have been discharged from the hospital after a good recovery.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|See? Your past has already stopped dragging you down. Your rescue attempt was a success this time!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Her eyes seem to gaze at something distant, far away from this city.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She clenches her fists, staring silently at the ground.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I didn’t see the ambulance arrive with my own eyes, so I was kind of worried…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Now you can relax… You should probably worry about yourself more, though.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You didn’t tell the truth when I asked how you were doing, right?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I could tell that you’ve been suffering more than you let on.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Faye, you don’t like staying in this tiny room by yourself, right?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(—I have noticed it since yesterday. This tiny room keeps Faye in a constant state of tension. It’s as if she were forcefully keeping appearances while fighting some kind of unknown fear.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Enveloped by my gaze, she gives out a bitter laugh the next moment.)|}}

{{Dialogue|You’re right. I’ve had a fear of small, dark rooms ever since I failed that rescue.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|This would be called “claustrophobia” in humans, but for Dolls like us, it’s just a kind of neural cloud malfunction.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|This fear came into play again when I was locked up here yesterday. It’s been making me overthink things a lot.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|What if the real culprit never gets captured? What if they’re already outside the satellite city, in another zone? Another continent?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye presses her palm against mine, separated by the glass window.)|}}

{{Dialogue|What if this is the closest we’ll ever be from now on?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t be silly. I won’t be stopped by a thin layer of glass.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The culprit won’t get away. We’ll get them.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You won’t have to stay here for much longer, Faye.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(I’ve run out of visiting time. The staff begin to urge me to leave.)|}}

{{Dialogue|By the way… Now that Monsoon Squad has given you those gifts, I can’t excactly keep showing up empty-handed.|Commander}}

}}

===Pulse-Racing Response 3===

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{{Dialogue|(It’s pretty entertaining to watch her reaction face-to-face.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(That’s right. Face-to-face. No longer impeded by a glass window.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I am now wearing prison garb, a detainee in the security department’s detention centre.)|}}

{{Dialogue|What did I say? I won’t be stopped by that thin layer of glass.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I thought you meant that you’d get me out of here! Why have you thrown yourself into here?!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Outside, inside, what difference does it make?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’m not trying to engage you in a philosophical debate…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She paces back and forth anxiously. I swear she’s more worked up now than when she was arrested.)|}}

{{Dialogue|You’re our Commander! You shouldn’t be in a place like this!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Two heads are better than one when it comes to solving problems.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t worry, I’m not a weakling, you know…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Please keep close to me while you’re in here, Commander!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|It’s yard time right now, so I’ll bring you around and familiarize you with the public areas!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(I begin to follow Faye as she walks aroudn the detention center’s public areas.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She acts like a tour guide. Despite her stumbling over words at times, she tries her best to introduce the facilities to me.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Why do they all lower their heads when we walk by them?)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye kicks away a prisoner who happened to be standing in the middle of the corridor.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She seems to suddenly remember that I’m standing right behind her, so she chooses to retract her legs in an elegant manner to conceal the brutality that just unfolded.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Hmm? Not really. Everyone’s just being polite, you know.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|After listening to your teachings yesterday, I took time to teach a few ill-mannered people a lesson.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Everyone became really easy to communicate with after that happened!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…This is way more effective than I imagined.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye leads me through the entire rest area like she’s on a victory parade, finally stopping at the mess hall.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(It’s dinnertime. The prisoners queue for food from a window.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(The crowdedness of the detention center’s is unmistakable here.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(After a short while, a prisoner from the front of the queue hands us a large tray of food with the utmost respect and deference.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(This bravado… She’s just like a prison crime boss.)|}}

{{Dialogue|The guy who brought you food is the same guy I mentioned yesterday.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|He worships me and always tries to strike up a conversation with me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|After hearing your advice, I began to send him off on various errands for me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Not only do I finally get some peace, this also saves me a lot of hassle when it comes to living here. Two birds with one stone.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She has become a lot more chatty, constantly talking about various little things she has seen in here.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I think I finally manage to catch a hint of relaxation from her facial expressions.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Me? I got into a fight with the security department, basically.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’ve been looking for the whereabouts of the jewelry for the past few days.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|When I finally managed to get my hands on a few clues, the security department started thinking that I wanted the jewelry for myself.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|They arrested me after a rather unsuccessful round of “negotiations”.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Tsk. Those bullies are as unreasonable as ever!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t worry. I don’t have to be here for very long.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(I quickly calm Faye down before she goes on the warpath.)|}}

{{Dialogue|It counts as good news, I guess. At least this means that they already have some leads.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The case will be cracked open soon, so you’ll be out in a jiffy.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(A sound of murmurs ripples through our surroundings. The reasons why someone ended up in the detention center always make good gossip.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Some discuss whether Faye is innocent or not, some others discuss my identity. Many more discuss the value of the jewelry, envious of the thief in possession of it.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I listen intently as the topic I brought up spreads through the prisoners, driving them to discuss other various little details.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(It is useful and entertaining for me to listen in on their discussions.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Night comes early for those in the detention center.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Once dinnertime is over, the prisoners are escorted back to their rooms for the night.)|}}

{{Dialogue|You’ve been staying in a place like this for the past two days?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|But… I remember that you mentioned being afraid of tiny spaces.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye does not have her own room. She was assigned an easily overlooked storage room.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Indeed. You don’t have to stay in there any longer.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Since the security department doesn’t want to give you a real room, why not stay with me?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It just so happens that I was assigned a single room.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Of course it is. If not, the money I shoved into the security officer’s pocket would go to waste.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(This isn’t a big room by any measure, being just about ten square meters. The room is adorned with a bed, a table, a chair, and a window letting through some slivers of moonlight.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(But compared to the cramped storage room, we can at least catch a whiff of fresh air here.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(We look at the single bed in the room and feel a bit at a loss.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(In the end, we both sit on the bed next to each other, back against the wall, and cover our legs with the only blanket.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Has all this alleviated your anxieties and fears a little?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(She leans the tip of her shoulder against mine as a test. Seeing that I did not resist, she slowly starts putting more of her weight on me.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I feel more and more of her body leaning on me. This is proof that her tense frame is relaxing, bit by bit.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Dark places are scary. There is no way to relax.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You can’t see anything, and you don’t know what is going on around you.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|There’s nowhere to run, and when you reach out, only the ground and the walls respond to your touch.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I can’t relax. I’m scared that if I’m not watchful enough, the walls will creep up on me and slowly close in…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|So this is what claustrophobia feels like.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|If that’s the description… this place seems to fit the bill.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(My joke makes Faye, who was already half-asleep, snap her eyes open.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She shows me a reassuring smile, and closes her eyes.)|}}

{{Dialogue|That’s great. You’ve finally managed to overcome your claustrophobia.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I won’t be afraid of this place, even if I have to stay forever.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Laughs) Don’t joke about things like that.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I once valued absolute freedom at all costs, because a monsoon does not want to stay anywhere for long.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But now, I’ve suddenly realized that even the mightiest hurricane…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She hugs me with one are comfortably, our bodies perfectly pressed against each other.)|}}

}}

===Pulse-Racing Response 4===

{{CollapseSection|

{{Dialogue|(The detention center is particularly boisterous the next day, with prisoners walking through the corridors every now and then.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(I ask the detention center’s officer and finally learn what happened. It just so happens that a large number of prisoners are getting released today.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(They depart as loud and lively characters. It is as if they took all the joy left in this place with them, because those who remain have fallen into a lull.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye sits next to me at breakfast, helping me peel eggs. She crushes the eggshells over and over again, until the table is covered with a pile of powder.)|}}

{{Dialogue|The lackey who liked harassing me said goodbye to me just now.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|He said something about how he’s going to enjoy life out there from now on, and how he never wants to see this damned place again!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|After going on and on about how he’s was going to go on this big holiday trip, he encouraged me to persevere before he left.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But… I just felt irritated after hearing that. Really irritated.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Her finger traces a spiral in the powder, drawing the shape of a nautilus shell as a result.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I understand the logic, but watching those criminals leave before us makes it feel so unfair.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Why… Why do we have to be kept here even though we did nothing wrong?!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Indeed, we have done nothing wrong. In fact, we’ve done too much right.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|So, not only does the security department have to release us today, they’ll also have to give us some compensation as a reward.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Because the real culprit is about to be caught.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You’re trapped here, too. How did you suddenly figure that out?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The truth is, I committed no crime and did not clash with the security department at all. I got detained as part of a discussed plan with them.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Her jaw drops in shock. She spreads out the powder on the table as she listens to my explanation, and draws a huge question mark in the middle of it.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Two days ago, Monsoon Squad executed a blanket search on the region, but we still didn’t find any leads on the suspect and jewelry.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|But one thing was certain: The culprit did not have a chance to slip out of satellite city POL-05. They didn’t even leave the district.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|In other words, they were hiding right under the noses of the security department.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I know that the security department lacks competence, but I’m sure that your investigation with Monsoon Squad wouldn’t have left any gaps!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how fantastical, must be the truth.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|There IS a place that the security department doesn’t focus on, a place that Monsoon Squad and I can’t conduct a proper investigation in.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|You’re talking about the detention center! The culprit is hiding here!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Very sharp. I came to the same conclusion back then.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The culprit hid the jewelry somewhere, then, by committing a minor offense, hid themselves in the detention center to wait out the storm.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Once we understood this, our next steps were simple.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I see! So that’s why you got yourself arrested.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Correct. Solving the case was one of the reasons why I came here.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Do you remember how I talked about the reason for my arrest at the dinner table last night?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I made sure to mention that the security department “has some leads” on the jewelry’s whereabouts.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|A regular prisoner would pay no attention to it, but the culprit definitely would: he fears the discovery of the stolen jewelry the most.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Now that the seed of anxiety is planted, the culprit’s first move after getting out would be to confirm the security of their stolen goods.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|So we just need to track those who got released today…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|That’s right. This is exactly what your friends are working on now.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Now that Faye’s frown is turned upside down, she puffs up her cheeks and gently blows all the crushed eggshell powder into the dustbin.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(His unusually respectful attitude makes it easy to guess what happened.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Monsoon Squad has successfully recovered the jewelry and captured the culprit.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(After a series of tedious procedures, Faye successfully clears her name.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Her 4-day-long imprisonment ends here. We can leave once we gather our personal belongings.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Yeah. But now that we have the benefit of hindsight, his strange behavior actually makes sense now.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It’s a form of narcissism to revere someone who takes the blame for himself, don’t you think so?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(We finally meet the real culprit at the retrial—the lackey who liked pestering Faye.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Remembering what he did in the morning, Faye repeats the ostentatiously long travel plan to his face as a form of revenge.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(It is likely that he’ll never get to go on that big trip of his.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Waving the sheriff goodbye, we return to the storage room.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Wait a moment while I gather my things, Commander.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye carefully takes out a few items from the cargo rack situated in the deepest part of the storage room.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(An inflatable axe, a vinyl record and a steel bowl.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She wipes off the dust from each item with care. The inflatable axe is placed in a large enough bag for it, and the vinyl record is wrapped in a soft cloth. The steel bowl is wrapped and stored in a bag.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(She puts more effort into this than some people do when they wrap gifts.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I didn’t expect for you to like them so much.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|How should I put this…? To be honest, I didn’t like them at the start.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|There’s no practical use for them here, and some of them are kind of embarrassing. Think about the looks I get when I carry that toy axe around…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Okay, stop right there, I’m about to start feeling secondhand embarrassment…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|When I’m alone by myself, though, they… make me feel warm.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|When I swing the toy axe around, touch the vinyl record, and think back on the stupid pun while I’m in the scary darkness… my fear and anxiety are momentarily replaced by other feelings.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Unknowingly, I became more and more reliant on them.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|It’s good that you managed to like them. Your friends will definitely be happy to hear that.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(She suddenly stops to stare at me straight in the eyes. Her face turns bright red, as if competing with her hair for attention.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(With the blessing of the second law of thermodynamics, my face grows hot as well.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Pretty amazing, isn’t it? We are definitely thinking about the same thing. The things she learns from the gifts definitely apply to me as well.)|}}

{{Dialogue|I’m talking about, you know, have you ever heard of this psychological phenomenon? It’s c-c-called…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I-I learned about it in a rescue course in the past.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The general idea is that in a tense environment, people will easily misinterpret a racing heart as some kind of romantic attraction. This might lead to some… feelings toward those around them that they normally wouldn’t experience… like…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye squeezes the handle of the inflatable axe helplessly, seemingly venting her “extra emotions” through it.)|}}

{{Dialogue|T-Then if we are speaking in terms of a Doll’s neural cloud, excessive computational load and abnormal data exchange rates can be likened to physiological phenomena in humans such as…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(The way she seems to be heating up with a nearly overloading neural cloud makes me want to pull a joke on her.)|}}

{{Dialogue|So you mean to say that the affection we have for gifts is just psychological illusions?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It all starts with a mild feeling hidden deep inside my neural cloud, as if it were just part of my body temperature.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But it suddenly started heating and welling up these past few days, like how that inflatable axe can inflate with a “boom” in an instant. It gets really unbearable if you don’t express yourself out loud.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Perhaps this is just like my claustrophobia. The fault lies with yet another psychological phenomenon.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Will you be able to cure it for me this time, Commander?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Would you still like the gifts you received if you had never been falsely arrested?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|And I think… my affection started a long time ago.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye hangs her head as shel pulls at her twin bangs in embarrassment.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Will you continue to like them after being set free?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Diagnosis complete. I believe that you are healthy without any issues whatsoever.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(I return her gaze, which still carries hints of doubt, and nod firmly.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Faye, I firmly believe that your “unnecessary extra emotions” aren’t due to some kind of psychological phenomenon.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Those are simply your true feelings. That’s all it is.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I feel about you the same way you feel about me.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye’s mouth falls open, her eyes widening in shock.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(The fiery-red Doll suddenly starts leaping up and down and gesturing frantically, as if someone lit a fuse under her.)|}}

{{Dialogue|O-Of course you, you were completely right! Um, no, I was trying to say—|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…Commander, we have all our things, let’s just go!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(She scrambles to grab the luggage and hurries to the door.)|}}

{{Dialogue|(Right before we step out of the detention center, Faye finally gains the courage to grab my hand and pull me forward.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Congratulations, Commander! We’ve regained our freedom!|Faye}}

}}

===Madder Waltz===

==Private Meeting Logs==

{{Dialogue|Commander, when will you be free? There are some things that I would like to get your opinion on.

It's not an urgent matter, but I would appreciate your help ASAP.

So, will you help me sort things out?

Oh? I'll wait for you in my dorm room, then.|Faye}}

===Quick-Reference Communication I===

{{CollapseSection|

{{Dialogue|Faye, what was the urgent yet non-urgent thing you mentioned earlier? Huh? What’s this thick handbook you have?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’m practicing how to express myself. That book is titled the “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”. I made it.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I record down inspiring quotes when I hear them. Whenever I encounter communication issues, I look for answers in this book.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Feel free to have a look if you are interested, Commander.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Maybe I should be more direct. I’ll show you what I’ve learned by communicating with you.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Just lend me your ears and give me some feedback afterwards.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Sure. I’ll bear witness to the fruits of your labor.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Okay… The valley winds carry the trees’ whispers, they instill the coastline with breath, slowly but steadily…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The bright moon hangs high as cheerful fireworks and lights fill the night. The earth heeds whispers from the wind…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Just hold on a moment! What the heck are you going on about?! Why can’t I understand a word of it?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Is that “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook” of yours filled with quotes like those?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Not completely, but I have plenty of such lines in there.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Nemesis taught me those lines. I consulted her for advice on how to interact with people and she told me all of this.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I recorded down what she said to me, but I haven’t found much use for her lines in my daily communications.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|So that’s why I found that manner of speaking so familiar… If it’s Nemesis, then it’s no surprise.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Speaking of which, do you understand what you said just now, Faye?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Not at all, but since Nemesis said it to me, it must be a useful suggestion.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|She’s not like me, after all. Nemesis gives people the impression that she’s calm and reliable, always speaking in profound, enigmatic ways. Imitating her should help me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|She definitely speaks like a total enigma… as for whether it’ll help you or not, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Are Nemesis’ words undecipherable for you too, Commander? To be honest, I’ve always respected her. To the point that I want to call her Master Nemesis…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|She’s reliable, all right, but we’ve confirmed that she speaks in a special encrypted language. You’ll understand her if you install a translator.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|So that’s why the opposing forces were driven crazy when I quoted her to them on a mission.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Hmm… Your goal is to improve your communication skills, right? If that’s the case, why not try imitating someone else?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I’ll have to trouble you to keep me company as I train my communication skills, Commander.|Faye}}

}}

===Quick-Reference Communication II===

{{CollapseSection|

{{Dialogue|I switched to imitating someone else after you advised me to do so last time.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|After a long period of observation, I managed to write a new “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”. There should be no problems this time around.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Commander, can I trouble you to check on my learning progress?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You might be too hasty to give your book complete trust…|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|But I’m interested in how you are developing and this is a rare opportunity. Go ahead and give it a try.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Okay… Hmph! You want to have a deep talk for an issue THIS minor? Does your head need some WD-X4?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|What? You got a problem with what I said? Sure, I’m itching for some entertainment and exercise.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Is that axe of yours just some decoration or what? Come! Let’s see whose blade is sharper!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Wait, hold on! Are you imitating Krolik this time?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|—Hmph! Don’t ask me things you already know the answer to! What a waste of time!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Faye! Pause for now! Go back to your normal state! Just talk like how you did before!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Did you stop me because I couldn’t imitate her well enough, Commander?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The exact opposite of that… I think you’re imitating her too well. It’s as if Krolik was standing right in front of me!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Can I ask why you decided to imitate Krolik?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It feels like her emotional module has much more range than mine. She’s really good at expressing herself in all sorts of tones as well.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|There might be trouble if she’s made to interact with strangers, but in principle, her communications are concise and effective.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Plus, Krolik and I are like two flies from a corpse. So I decided to imitate her.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Two flies from a corpse might not be the best way to put it… Anyway, you’re trying to say that you get along with her, right?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Mmm. Is there anything bad about adopting her style of conversation?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|If you talk to people like that, I think your actions are more likely to instigate disputes rather than resolve them.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Speaking of which… Faye, why do you want to improve your communication skills?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I want to get along with the other Dolls aboard the Elmo. Before I joined, I would often create misunderstandings because of how I spoke and how I carried myself.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Good thing I had help from Daiyan and the others from Monsoon, who helped me avoid some mistakes.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|So that’s how it is. I see… Why don’t you try imitating someone who is a bit more friendly? That might bring you closer to your goal.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|If that’s the case… Alright. I’ll give it a try, Commander.|Faye}}

}}

===Quick-Reference Communication III===

{{CollapseSection|

{{Dialogue|Shocker! Isn’t that the Commander? Long time no see, where have you been lately?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I’ve missed you lots~ Hey, come on, wanna take a selfie together?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Now that really reminds me of someone in particular… I can almost feel a headache welling up in my head.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|…I probably know your answer, but I should still ask you. Are you doing your imitation practice right now?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye does not speak, but she nods with a determined look in her eyes.)|}}

{{Dialogue|Fine then… This feels weird, but at least you don’t seem too unhinged yet. Continue.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Oh, come on, Commander! Why would you stick me with an “unhinged” label just because of how I speak? Ah, make sure you don’t post about this on Grifchan, okay? You’ll look really bad if you do that!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Alright then, let’s do a handshake to celebrate our long-awaited reunion~|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…Why do I feel like you’re not as passionate as you once were? Have you forgotten how we got along with each other in the past?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Don’t be a stranger! Accept this affectionate embrace from me. Let us gaze tenderly into each other’s eyes and kiss~|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|M-My dear Commander, let’s kiss, let’s… (whimper)|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Faye clings to me in an embrace before she ever finishes the rest of the sentence. the side of her head leans against my chest, her face as red as her hair.)|}}

{{Dialogue|The Doll you’re imitating says that as a joke, so don’t take her too seriously… No, wait! You don’t have to force yourself if it’s too upsetting for you! Please don’t cry!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|What are you trying to pull?! Aren’t you going to take responsibility for this?! Stop dodging if you still got any balls left!|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…Sweet honey… lures to the gallows… the holy mother’s mercy upon the sinner most grave…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Stop, stop! Your language module is going to melt! Stop!|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Let’s take a pause here for now, Faye. I can say for sure that I’ve amply witnessed the results of your learning.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|What do you think, Commander? She told me that if I managed to master those mannerisms of hers, I’d definitely…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Um… How did she put it again…? Have the Commander in the palm of my hands or something?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…I have many things to say, but you did imitate that Doll well.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|It’s quite an interesting and emotive way to carry myself, but there’s lots of things that I don’t really get.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Grifchan, “surfing the net”, “I came here to laugh at you” …They’re all terms and phrases that I don’t understand.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Will knowing how to use them improve my communication skills?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|In a certain sense, it’s not wrong to put it that way… But I hope that you don’t think too deeply into this particular aspect.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I see… I actually tried to imitate my squad members before, but I realized that I couldn’t do it very well after a few tries. People started asking me if I needed to go to the repair bay…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|After I stopped, Daiyan asked me about it in private. Once I explained, she said that I should just be myself.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Hmm… I agree with her. There’s no need to imitate someone else. Faye is Faye.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|But if I remain like this… What if I run into more problems communicating with them? I’m worried about causing misunderstandings like I did before.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|We’re all nice people here aboard the Elmo. Even if you make a mistake, people won’t mind. What’s most important is that you show us who you really are.|Commander}}

}}

===Quick-Reference Communication IV===

{{CollapseSection|

{{Dialogue|Commander, I talked to the people aboard the Elmo as myself, without imitating anyone.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Things were a bit rough at first, but people didn’t mind my behaviors too much. They felt that how I carried myself really suited me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The idea that I’d never be able to get close to other people has vanished into mist. I can communicate normally with people now.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|You might need to work on your phrasing a little… But still, you are improving every day.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I might be asking this a little too late, but you weren’t the type to be concerned about how you were interacting with other people. So why did you suddenly—|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|The weakening of my emotional module turned me into a Doll who was bad at expressing herself, running into errors often.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|So, I stayed silent most of the time. I actually felt that doing so was pretty relaxing, which was why I did not seek change.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|But when I boarded the Elmo, and… was reunited with you, I realized that I didn’t want to stay like that forever. I had to change.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|It’s not exactly uncommon for Dolls and humans to suddenly bid farewell to each other. It’s something I came to understand ten years ago. Everything that I never managed to express clearly, because a thorn in my heart.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Thinking back on the days I spent imitating others, I do admit that I was being reckless.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The people I imitate would unsurprisingly get angry at me… It’s a good thing that you pointed me to the right path when I needed it, Commander.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|The missions I went on, the communication problems I had… Those were trials that I passed only because you were there to help me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I am truly thankful for the help and support that you’ve given me.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|W-what’s this all about? Are you imitating someone again?|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|No. I am simply following your suggestions for me, so right now, I am telling you my true feelings as myself.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I did think about embellishing it with some flowery language, but I couldn’t find anything suitable. So, I decided to just put my thoughts and feelings out there, plain and straight.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Commander, your face is getting red all of a sudden. Are you alright? Should I escort you to the med bay?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|I’m fine. I just didn’t expect to get dosed with such a direct show of affection today, so I was feeling a bit shy.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|…I like what you did, but do be mindful of the time and place whenever you decide to do something.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|Place? So as long as I’m alone with you, there are no limits to any displays of affection?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|That’s not exactly what I said… but for future reference, just try not to do it while we’re on a mission.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|I see. Then, as thanks for your help in solving my communication issues, and because I like you…|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Commander, I’m free tomorrow. Would you like to go the training grounds with me? I’ll teach you how to use tomahawks.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|…Commander, why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|(Laughs) Nah, I was just thinking that what you said really suited your personality. I thought that you were going to take me out on a date or something.|Commander}}

{{Dialogue|But from my point of view, a one-on-one training session together is the same as a date.|Faye}}

{{Dialogue|Is that so…? Looks like I’m the one who misunderstood this time. Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow for our da… our training session, I mean.|Commander}}

}}

@@ Line 266: / Line 266: @@
 She must have run out of battery.
 Looks like it was quite the long story.
+==Memories==
+===Pulse-Racing Response 1===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|How did it end up like this…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(The text from the dossier jumps up and down as I walk at a hurried pace, yet my attention is still caught by a few particular keywords.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(A mansion.)(Fire.)(Theft.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(An unscrupulous individual decided to strike while the iron was hot. A whole batch of priceless jewelry was taken away under the cover of fire.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Still, justice arrives with unusual swiftness when the rich and powerful are in need. The security department rushed to the scene, sealed off the area, and caught the unescaped suspect in one fell swoop.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(The suspect was, specifically, a Doll.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Impossible. There must be some kind of mistake…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Name of suspect: Faye.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Under the dim lighting, the red hair adorning the familiar photographed face looks as dull as the sun at dusk.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I am certain that Faye isn’t the culprit. However, the clues in the dossier all make it unmistakably clear that she was on site.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her footprints were found on site. Evidence of her rummaging around the lost jewelry was also found, alongside the door lock broken apart by her actions.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Those would have served as conclusive evidence if this were a regular theft case. The only thing stopping the security department from reaching any conclusions was the fact that no stolen jewelry was found on her person.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(This gives me room to step in before Faye turns from “suspect” to “criminal”.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I open the door to the visiting room, and finally see her.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|They’re such bullies!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(I’ve finally witnessed something more fiery than her hair today—the fury in her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Why are they even arresting me?! I didn’t steal anything!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I rushed into the fire to SAVE people!!!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Save people? That explains it; this does sound like something Faye would do.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t get too worked up yet. Could you tell me what happened?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye sits down with her cheeks puffed up in anger. I can still hear the gnashing of her teeth despite the layer of glass separating us.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s simple, really.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I was just walking through the street as per normal. And as per normal, I passed by that extravagant eyesore of a mansion and saw something that made it even more conspicuous: a plume of black smoke.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|A fire was definitely starting in there, so I rushed in due to the urgency of the situation.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Turns out the fire had already started spreading. Luckily, the mansion was relatively empty—just two servants keeping watch on the property.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I spent quite a bit of effort getting them out. The next thing I knew, the security department turned up before the ambulance!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|They arrested me without getting the full story! They said that I stole the jewelry and asked me about its whereabouts!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmph! Why would I give a crap about some stupid rocks?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I think I get the gist of it…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You must have left quite a number of footprints behind because you rushed in to save them.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You broke those door locks while you were trying to do that, right?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. Rich people have some really complicated houses.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The servants were calling for help, but I couldn’t pinpoint their locations without busting open the doors!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|They said that you left evidence of yourself “rummaging through the cabinets and shelves”.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I was trying to find something that could fight the fire!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|They didn’t have a SINGLE fire extinguisher throughout that whole fat mansion of theirs!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What a lack of safety awareness!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Erm, so, have you explained all this to the people from the security department?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|No. What’s there to explain?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Some things are going to be displaced during a search and rescue. What’s so hard to understand about that?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(True. I should be thanking my lucky stars that Faye’s communication skills didn’t land her in deeper misunderstandings.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye, things aren’t looking good for you right now due to the available onsite evidence.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re the only suspect in the security department’s hands right now. They’re not going to give up before the jewelry is found.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye suddenly grows agitatied, seemingly sensitive to the fact that I used the word “suspect” while referring to her.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander!!! I did not…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I know that you are innocent, because I have absolute trust in your actions.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I firmly believe that you did not steal from the mansion, that you only had the desire to save others when you stepped into the fire.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Sadly, the fact that I trust you is not something that can convince the security department to let you go.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmph! What a bunch of stubborn jerks!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Stubborn indeed. It’s hard to make them let go once they set their minds on something.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|If we want to clear your name, we must put irrefutable evidence on the table.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Our only way out of this mess is to take back the jewelry and capture the real culprit.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Take back the jewelry and capture the real culprit…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I am in agreement that this is the best option, but… are we too late?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The theft happened quite a few hours ago.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The security department couldn’t even catch the right person back then, so why should we trust them to do it now?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Worry not, we don’t have to count on THEM.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Monsoon Squad has already started investigating satellite city POL-05’s personnel and material movements.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m providing them with assistance to help narrow down our search area.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|We’ll definitely arrest the real culprit and clear your name!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye’s eyes light up with hope for a moment before it fades.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|But… no progress for now, right? There are a lot of people here, after all.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah… We still need more time before we can achieve any results.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|We’ll sadly have to trouble you with the burden of being labelled a “suspect” until then.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(The visiting room falls into a brief period of silence. The reality of the situation is sinking in for us—)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye will be imprisoned here as a suspect for an unknown period of time.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Despite her complete lack of criminality.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I understand. I’ll sit tight and wait.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye visibly droops in dejection. Even her tone has weakened considerably.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I’ve never seen her looking so demoralized before.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye… I’m so sorry. There’s no way for me to secure your immediate release.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s alright, Commander. You’ve already done a lot for me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m just kinda miffed about the fact that… Here I am, imprisoned for trying to save people, while the actual thief gets to walk away scot-free.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|All that evidence was found to prove my guilt, but none of them was willing to find proof that I was just trying to save people.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Is that jewelry worth more than a human life?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Perhaps for them, but they’re more willing to accept the existence of a thief who risks death for profit, than a humanitarian who risks their life for the sake of others.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But I was created to save people!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Humanity bestowed upon me the instinct to help others, so why this refusal to acknowledge my life-saving actions…?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I… the more I think about it, the less I understand…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t doubt yourself, Faye.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|No matter what others in society may think, rest assured that I have always endorsed your actions, and will continue to do so.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|If you weren’t there to rescue the two servants, the blaze would have claimed their lives, their deaths overshadowed by news of the theft.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|We are lucky that you were there to save them, Faye. I’m proud of what you did.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re really good at reassuring people, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Just telling the truth as it is.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Thank you. Thanks for visiting me and telling me all this…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|This time, I’m the one who has caused you trouble…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Not at all. The one with that honor would be the thief.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Once we catch them, we’ll give them a real good thrashing!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Aren’t you being a bit too formal, Faye?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Ah… Am I?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye is silent for a moment. She lowers her head, unease clouding her face.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Maybe I… I’m not used to how things are now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ve always been the one saving others, but now, I’m the one who needs saving…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You don’t have to feel so pressured.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You did nothing wrong, so you just have to wait here patiently.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll make sure to visit you every day.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye looks up at me, surprise flashing across her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Every day? Isn’t that a bit too…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yep, every day. It’s settled, then.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(This marks the end of our visitation timeslot. I get up to leave the room.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(The entire time, Faye’s gaze follows each and every one of my movements.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(It is the only thing that she can do now.)|}}
+}}
+===Pulse-Racing Response 2===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|Faye, I’m here to see you!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Second day. I arrive at the visiting room at the appointed time.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye is already waiting for me behind the glass. She sits cross-legged on the stool, her body slightly leaning forward, her gaze fixed and focused on the doorway.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(How should I put this… Her posture reminds me of a cat eagerly awaiting food.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander! You’re here!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yep. Look, I’ve brought you something good.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I place a backpack before Faye.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Your friends in Monsoon Squad have been quite worried about you.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|They couldn’t spare the time to visit you, so they asked me to bring you a few gifts on behalf of them, hoping to cheer you up.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Let’s start with Jiangyu’s gift. Here.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…What is this supposed to be?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Erm… I’m guessing… an axe?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|An inflatable toy axe…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Does she think that I’m being kept in a kindergarten?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Her intention was to help you keep your imposing aura even in prison.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Unfortunately they wouldn’t let us pass you a real axe, so this inflatable toy is here as a replacement.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll lose all my reputation carrying this around.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|As for Daiyan, she wanted to give you this.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|A vinyl record?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. She recorded this song just for you.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Daiyan said that it would help you alleviate your anxiety.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I appreciate Daiyan’s intentions, but…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|How am I supposed to get a record player here…?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That IS a problem… but I’m glad that you know she means well.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Your final gift comes from Zhaohui.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I give Faye a steel bowl.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(We redeemed it for free in the satellite city a while back—the Dolls often use it for cooking.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye stares at it for a grand total of ten seconds, her face full of confusion.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|A bowl? Is that all?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. That’s all.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I don’t really get it. How does this work as a gift?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(I take a deep breath.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Ugh, why do I have to be the one to deliver this terrible pun?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|She’s giving you a…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|”free-dome”.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I deserve that silence.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(To alleviate the pain we both felt from the pun, I wear a sheepish smile and explain that Zhaohui meant well.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|…Ahem. Anyway, Zhaohui wishes you a swift return to freedom.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Wekk, you know Zhaohui. This isn’t too out of the blue.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah… I guess so…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That’s all the gifts for today.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It might look like they just gave you some inconsequential stuff, but I assure you that they’re doing a lot to help you out there.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I know.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|A few dozen criminals have been thrown onto the security department’s doorstep since yesterday.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|We have thieves, robbers, and even a group of Varjagers who just happened to be passing by satellite city POL-05.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|For something this loud, I don’t have to guess in order to know who did this.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Haha, you guessed it.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Sadly, the real culprit behind the jewelry case is still at large.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|We can only claim to have decreased the perpetrator’s mobility.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|What about you, Faye?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|How are things here? Doing well?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Well or not… I wouldn’t put it either way. I’m just passing the time.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s gotten a lot noisier since yesterday, though.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah, a huge bunch of prisoners got thrown in here, after all. Have they caused you any problems?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|They get a bit annoying in the public area.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But I’m partially at fault as well.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The communications techniques that I learned from books don’t seem to work very well on the people here.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I envy you, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re just so good at communicating.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’ve managed to win the hearts of so many Dolls. Very impressive.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I-Is that so?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Why do I feel like there’s a twinge of soft aggression in her words?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Teach me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Teach…? My communication skills aren’t THAT good. I wouldn’t qualify as a communication coach.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I think that you’re a great teacher, though.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Alright… I’ll try to give you some advice.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Have you run into any communication problems lately?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah, I did. A lot, in fact.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|For example, one of the Varjagers who just got thrown in today is really hostile towards me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I keep trying to talk to him using polite phrases from my “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”, but he simply won’t listen. Instead, he insists on cussing at me all the time.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What should I do, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|First of all, know that the problem doesn’t stem from you in this case.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|He made up his mind to be hostile towards you before he even spoke. This isn’t something you can dissipate through polite conversation.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You mean that… I don’t HAVE to establish proper communications with him?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yep. Or rather, the way you communicated with the Varjagers before was already pretty good, so to say.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Communicated with the Varjagers? Did I?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I only remember beating them up whenever I saw them.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. Just do that.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t let the security department people catch you doing it, though.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…I see. I understand now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|My next question is… What if I run into someone who is friendly but annoying?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|A young man who got thrown in here the same day I did keeps trying to talk to me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|He kind of… started worshiping me once he learned why I was here.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|He often asks me about the details of the case, praising me for my supposed criminal skills. Even says that he’ll call me “Boss” once we get out…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I didn’t steal anything from that mansion at all, so his “praise” is just really annoying to me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…There really are all kinds of people out there, huh.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|In this case, I think you should learn how to refuse someone and say no.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t force yourself to listen to things that you don’t want to hear. The lack of malice on his end does not remove your right to refuse.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Refuse? What reason should I give?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You don’t have to give a reason. He should be the one figuring it out.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Okay. I know what to do now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re a great teacher after all, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Such simple advice hardly qualifies me for the title of “teacher”…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Then… I’ll ask you about something complex for the next issue.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye’s expression suddenly grows inexplicably serious.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Is it just me, or does she seem a bit…nervous?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|If I want to express my gratitude to friends that I’m really close with…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|How should I go about it?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Do you mean Jiangyu, Daiyan, or…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I-I’m not referring to anyone specifically! Just talking hypotheticals!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Let’s say I somehow got into huge trouble, and my friends went all out just to help me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I would feel very grateful, but if I told them outright, I’d definitely get teased about it.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What should I do in this case?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She’s definitely talking about the rest of Monsoon Squad.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|You want to show your appreciation, but you don’t want your friends to tease you about it.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|In that case, I think you can try replacing words with actions.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Why not try giving your friends a little gift?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|A gift?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Like… these?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye knits her brows. She stares at the inflatable axe, vinyl record and steel bowl in front of her.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Everyone is different. Just pick something that you believe will express your feelings.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmm, something that expresses my feelings…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Any suggestions, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Maybe some handmade confections? Things like biscuits and such.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Sounds good.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll ask Makiatto for some cooking tips once I’m back on the Elmo.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|HUH?! MAKIATTO?!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. I remember that she really likes cooking.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That’s true, but…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Never mind. It’s okay. It’s more important to express your feelings than to cook perfectly, don’t you agree?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Jiangyu, Daiyan, and Zhaohui, I’m sorry. A looming trial awaits you.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Alright, I have one last question.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(I can’t help but notice that Faye is suddenly speaking in a formal tone.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Yet her eyes are fixed upon something that isn’t me. She is deliberately trying not to look at me, so to speak. Her gaze keeps shifting about the outlines of my silhouette.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I want to know how to approach a superior who has taken good care of me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Ah, no, not a superior. I was thinking about someone who occupies a special place in my heart.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|How do I communicate with someone like that?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She finally looks at me again after stumbling through a plethora of conditionals.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Who is she even talking about? It’s a hard guess, isn’t it?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I often feel emotionally conflicted whenever I’m with him.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I feel bad about imposing on him so much, but on the other hand, I want to do it even more.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|How should I return the favor?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Just thanking him feels kind of inappropriate. It’s good to thank my friends, but doing it in this case would make me seem emotionally distant.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I want to express something raw and real|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Then… you just have to do that.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I… I’m scared that my words won’t match my feelings. I’m not confident in my use of language.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s okay, it’s not an exam. Flowery language is just a means to an end.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You should forget about using your “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook” here.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Speak from the neural cloud.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Unembellished language is the best way to express your most sincere feelings.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I see…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|So it’s this simple… But will I be able to do it…?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye adjusts her posture.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I can almost see the “shell” covering her body and facial expressions shatter into a million pieces.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(A defenseless Faye reveals herself to me for the first time.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her sincerity and unease are clearly visible.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander, I’ve never told you about this before…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…But before I met you and Monsoon Squad, I experienced something terrible: a “failed” rescue attempt.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Oh? What happened?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I can’t help but remember noticing all the changes in Faye’s behavior and personality when we first reunited. This… might be the very reason for those changes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I too, adjust myself into a proper sitting posture and look intently at Faye.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I’d like to hear more about it.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It happened in an underground mineshaft. I was there trying to rescue a trapped bounty hunter squad.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But the situation spiraled out of control, and in the end, I was trapped as well.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|We couldn’t do anything in the darkness. We couldn’t see anything, but we were keenly aware of our decreasing air and food supply…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye resonates with her memory, her voice starting to tremble.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|One by one, everyone fell into insanity. Suspicion, arguments and endless conflicts filled the darkness.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I couldn’t resolve those conflicts, nor could I stop them from doing anything…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Many of them died in the darkness.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I never took on rescue work ever since.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But the darkness never left me. Whenever I’m alone in an enclosed room, whenever I’m in a situation that I can do nothing about, I…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Noticing that she is gradually losing control over her emotions, I call out to her and try to reach for her hands to hold them, but all I can do is press my palm against the glass window.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|You tried your best, Faye.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…No. I could have done better.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|If I could guide people’s emotions towards the right path, I would have been able to save more people…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The collective consciousness of a group is not something you can easily direct in that kind of situation.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Even so, you’ve done well rescuing people ever since.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Eh?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I received an update on the situation before I arrived.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The servants you rescued have been discharged from the hospital after a good recovery.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|See? Your past has already stopped dragging you down. Your rescue attempt was a success this time!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Really…?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her eyes seem to gaze at something distant, far away from this city.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She clenches her fists, staring silently at the ground.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|…That’s wonderful.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I didn’t see the ambulance arrive with my own eyes, so I was kind of worried…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Now you can relax… You should probably worry about yourself more, though.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You didn’t tell the truth when I asked how you were doing, right?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I could tell that you’ve been suffering more than you let on.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye, you don’t like staying in this tiny room by yourself, right?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I look right into her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(—I have noticed it since yesterday. This tiny room keeps Faye in a constant state of tension. It’s as if she were forcefully keeping appearances while fighting some kind of unknown fear.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Enveloped by my gaze, she gives out a bitter laugh the next moment.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|…Nothing slips by you, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re right. I’ve had a fear of small, dark rooms ever since I failed that rescue.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|This would be called “claustrophobia” in humans, but for Dolls like us, it’s just a kind of neural cloud malfunction.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|This fear came into play again when I was locked up here yesterday. It’s been making me overthink things a lot.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What if the real culprit never gets captured? What if they’re already outside the satellite city, in another zone? Another continent?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What if…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye presses her palm against mine, separated by the glass window.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|What if this is the closest we’ll ever be from now on?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t be silly. I won’t be stopped by a thin layer of glass.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I retrieve my hand, and clench it into a fist.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|The culprit won’t get away. We’ll get them.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You won’t have to stay here for much longer, Faye.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I’ve run out of visiting time. The staff begin to urge me to leave.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I wave goodbye to Faye before leaving.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|By the way… Now that Monsoon Squad has given you those gifts, I can’t excactly keep showing up empty-handed.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll give you MY gift tomorrow.|Commander}}
+}}
+===Pulse-Racing Response 3===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|Commander!!! What are you…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Is this supposed to be your gift?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Y-You threw yourself into the slammer?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(It’s pretty entertaining to watch her reaction face-to-face.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(That’s right. Face-to-face. No longer impeded by a glass window.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I am now wearing prison garb, a detainee in the security department’s detention centre.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|What did I say? I won’t be stopped by that thin layer of glass.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I thought you meant that you’d get me out of here! Why have you thrown yourself into here?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Outside, inside, what difference does it make?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m not trying to engage you in a philosophical debate…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She paces back and forth anxiously. I swear she’s more worked up now than when she was arrested.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|What to do… What should I do now…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re our Commander! You shouldn’t be in a place like this!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Isn’t this great?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Two heads are better than one when it comes to solving problems.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But… this is a detention center…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|If you have a rough time here, I…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye stops. Determination fills her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|No! I won’t let you suffer any hardship here!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t worry, I’m not a weakling, you know…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Please keep close to me while you’re in here, Commander!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Sigh) Alright.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s yard time right now, so I’ll bring you around and familiarize you with the public areas!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(I begin to follow Faye as she walks aroudn the detention center’s public areas.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She acts like a tour guide. Despite her stumbling over words at times, she tries her best to introduce the facilities to me.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(But my attention is on the other prisoners.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Why do they all lower their heads when we walk by them?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|OUT OF MY WAY!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Sorrysorrysorry! I’ll get out of your way!|Varjager}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye kicks away a prisoner who happened to be standing in the middle of the corridor.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She seems to suddenly remember that I’m standing right behind her, so she chooses to retract her legs in an elegant manner to conceal the brutality that just unfolded.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye, are they… afraid of you?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmm? Not really. Everyone’s just being polite, you know.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|After listening to your teachings yesterday, I took time to teach a few ill-mannered people a lesson.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Everyone became really easy to communicate with after that happened!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…This is way more effective than I imagined.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye leads me through the entire rest area like she’s on a victory parade, finally stopping at the mess hall.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(It’s dinnertime. The prisoners queue for food from a window.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(The crowdedness of the detention center’s is unmistakable here.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Are you hungry, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Just a little.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Do we queue up here if we want food?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Queue up? We don’t. Leave it to me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye shouts at the crowd.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(After a short while, a prisoner from the front of the queue hands us a large tray of food with the utmost respect and deference.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(This bravado… She’s just like a prison crime boss.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|…Is this really okay?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Why not? You can eat it, don’t worry.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The guy who brought you food is the same guy I mentioned yesterday.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|He worships me and always tries to strike up a conversation with me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|After hearing your advice, I began to send him off on various errands for me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Not only do I finally get some peace, this also saves me a lot of hassle when it comes to living here. Two birds with one stone.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(We chat as we eat in the boisterous mess hall.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She has become a lot more chatty, constantly talking about various little things she has seen in here.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I think I finally manage to catch a hint of relaxation from her facial expressions.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Anyway, why did you get arrested, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Me? I got into a fight with the security department, basically.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|What?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ve been looking for the whereabouts of the jewelry for the past few days.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|When I finally managed to get my hands on a few clues, the security department started thinking that I wanted the jewelry for myself.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|They arrested me after a rather unsuccessful round of “negotiations”.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Tsk. Those bullies are as unreasonable as ever!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t worry. I don’t have to be here for very long.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(I quickly calm Faye down before she goes on the warpath.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|It counts as good news, I guess. At least this means that they already have some leads.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The case will be cracked open soon, so you’ll be out in a jiffy.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Really? …I’ll believe you.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(A sound of murmurs ripples through our surroundings. The reasons why someone ended up in the detention center always make good gossip.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Some discuss whether Faye is innocent or not, some others discuss my identity. Many more discuss the value of the jewelry, envious of the thief in possession of it.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I listen intently as the topic I brought up spreads through the prisoners, driving them to discuss other various little details.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(It is useful and entertaining for me to listen in on their discussions.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Night comes early for those in the detention center.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Once dinnertime is over, the prisoners are escorted back to their rooms for the night.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I take the opportunity to find where Faye stays.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|You’ve been staying in a place like this for the past two days?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m a Doll, after all.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s not bad, really. Pretty quiet.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But… I remember that you mentioned being afraid of tiny spaces.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye does not have her own room. She was assigned an easily overlooked storage room.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s alright, I’m already…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Indeed. You don’t have to stay in there any longer.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Eh?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Since the security department doesn’t want to give you a real room, why not stay with me?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It just so happens that I was assigned a single room.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Is it… really okay to do this?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Of course it is. If not, the money I shoved into the security officer’s pocket would go to waste.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(I lead Faye from the storage room to my room.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(This isn’t a big room by any measure, being just about ten square meters. The room is adorned with a bed, a table, a chair, and a window letting through some slivers of moonlight.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(But compared to the cramped storage room, we can at least catch a whiff of fresh air here.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(We look at the single bed in the room and feel a bit at a loss.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(In the end, we both sit on the bed next to each other, back against the wall, and cover our legs with the only blanket.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Thanks, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Way better than the storage room, right?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. This is a lot more comfortable.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Has all this alleviated your anxieties and fears a little?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It all vanished once you arrived.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She leans the tip of her shoulder against mine as a test. Seeing that I did not resist, she slowly starts putting more of her weight on me.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I feel more and more of her body leaning on me. This is proof that her tense frame is relaxing, bit by bit.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander… I think… I’m tired…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s about time for you to sleep.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Sleep… I don’t like it.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Dark places are scary. There is no way to relax.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You can’t see anything, and you don’t know what is going on around you.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|There’s nowhere to run, and when you reach out, only the ground and the walls respond to your touch.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I can’t relax. I’m scared that if I’m not watchful enough, the walls will creep up on me and slowly close in…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Which… is why I’m unwilling to close my eyes.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|So this is what claustrophobia feels like.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Mmm. I hate dark and enclosed places.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|If that’s the description… this place seems to fit the bill.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(My joke makes Faye, who was already half-asleep, snap her eyes open.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her scarlet eyes dart around, scanning the room…)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(…Before they end up staring at my face.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She shows me a reassuring smile, and closes her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Things are different now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Different?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|When I open my eyes, I can see you.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|When I reach out, I can touch you.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|A place like this is no longer scary.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That’s great. You’ve finally managed to overcome your claustrophobia.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You managed to fix my malfunctions, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I won’t be afraid of this place, even if I have to stay forever.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Laughs) Don’t joke about things like that.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I once valued absolute freedom at all costs, because a monsoon does not want to stay anywhere for long.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But now, I’ve suddenly realized that even the mightiest hurricane…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Will want to remain in place sometimes.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye stops talking. Our tiny room grows silent.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She hugs me with one are comfortably, our bodies perfectly pressed against each other.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I know that she has already fallen asleep.)|}}
+}}
+===Pulse-Racing Response 4===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|(The detention center is particularly boisterous the next day, with prisoners walking through the corridors every now and then.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I ask the detention center’s officer and finally learn what happened. It just so happens that a large number of prisoners are getting released today.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(They depart as loud and lively characters. It is as if they took all the joy left in this place with them, because those who remain have fallen into a lull.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye sits next to me at breakfast, helping me peel eggs. She crushes the eggshells over and over again, until the table is covered with a pile of powder.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Are you upset, Faye?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…Just a bit.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Because of the ones who left?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I guess so.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She gathers the powder into a small mound.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|The lackey who liked harassing me said goodbye to me just now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|He said something about how he’s going to enjoy life out there from now on, and how he never wants to see this damned place again!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|After going on and on about how he’s was going to go on this big holiday trip, he encouraged me to persevere before he left.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But… I just felt irritated after hearing that. Really irritated.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her finger traces a spiral in the powder, drawing the shape of a nautilus shell as a result.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|An untimely encouragement, indeed…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I understand the logic, but watching those criminals leave before us makes it feel so unfair.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Why… Why do we have to be kept here even though we did nothing wrong?!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Indeed, we have done nothing wrong. In fact, we’ve done too much right.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|So, not only does the security department have to release us today, they’ll also have to give us some compensation as a reward.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Huh? They’ll let us go today? Why?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Because the real culprit is about to be caught.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|<big>What?!</big>|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye’s cute little face is full of confusion.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I don’t understand, Commander…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re trapped here, too. How did you suddenly figure that out?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Everything happened according to plan.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The truth is, I committed no crime and did not clash with the security department at all. I got detained as part of a discussed plan with them.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her jaw drops in shock. She spreads out the powder on the table as she listens to my explanation, and draws a huge question mark in the middle of it.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Two days ago, Monsoon Squad executed a blanket search on the region, but we still didn’t find any leads on the suspect and jewelry.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But one thing was certain: The culprit did not have a chance to slip out of satellite city POL-05. They didn’t even leave the district.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|In other words, they were hiding right under the noses of the security department.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|How did they do that?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I know that the security department lacks competence, but I’m sure that your investigation with Monsoon Squad wouldn’t have left any gaps!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|A famous detective once said this:|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how fantastical, must be the truth.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|There IS a place that the security department doesn’t focus on, a place that Monsoon Squad and I can’t conduct a proper investigation in.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The culprit… hiding in there.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Ignored and hard to investigate…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re talking about the detention center! The culprit is hiding here!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Very sharp. I came to the same conclusion back then.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The culprit hid the jewelry somewhere, then, by committing a minor offense, hid themselves in the detention center to wait out the storm.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Once we understood this, our next steps were simple.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|—We lured the rat away from his hole.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I see! So that’s why you got yourself arrested.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Correct. Solving the case was one of the reasons why I came here.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Do you remember how I talked about the reason for my arrest at the dinner table last night?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I made sure to mention that the security department “has some leads” on the jewelry’s whereabouts.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|A regular prisoner would pay no attention to it, but the culprit definitely would: he fears the discovery of the stolen jewelry the most.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Now that the seed of anxiety is planted, the culprit’s first move after getting out would be to confirm the security of their stolen goods.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|So we just need to track those who got released today…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|And nab both the culprit and the stolen goods!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That’s right. This is exactly what your friends are working on now.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Now that Faye’s frown is turned upside down, she puffs up her cheeks and gently blows all the crushed eggshell powder into the dustbin.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Meanwhile, the sheriff issues a summons to us.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(His unusually respectful attitude makes it easy to guess what happened.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Nice, they did it!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Monsoon Squad has successfully recovered the jewelry and captured the culprit.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(After a series of tedious procedures, Faye successfully clears her name.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Her 4-day-long imprisonment ends here. We can leave once we gather our personal belongings.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I didn’t expect the culprit to be HIM.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. But now that we have the benefit of hindsight, his strange behavior actually makes sense now.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s a form of narcissism to revere someone who takes the blame for himself, don’t you think so?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(We finally meet the real culprit at the retrial—the lackey who liked pestering Faye.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Remembering what he did in the morning, Faye repeats the ostentatiously long travel plan to his face as a form of revenge.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(It is likely that he’ll never get to go on that big trip of his.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Waving the sheriff goodbye, we return to the storage room.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Wait a moment while I gather my things, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye carefully takes out a few items from the cargo rack situated in the deepest part of the storage room.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(An inflatable axe, a vinyl record and a steel bowl.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She wipes off the dust from each item with care. The inflatable axe is placed in a large enough bag for it, and the vinyl record is wrapped in a soft cloth. The steel bowl is wrapped and stored in a bag.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(She puts more effort into this than some people do when they wrap gifts.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I didn’t expect for you to like them so much.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|How should I put this…? To be honest, I didn’t like them at the start.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|There’s no practical use for them here, and some of them are kind of embarrassing. Think about the looks I get when I carry that toy axe around…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Okay, stop right there, I’m about to start feeling secondhand embarrassment…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|When I’m alone by myself, though, they… make me feel warm.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|When I swing the toy axe around, touch the vinyl record, and think back on the stupid pun while I’m in the scary darkness… my fear and anxiety are momentarily replaced by other feelings.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Unknowingly, I became more and more reliant on them.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s good that you managed to like them. Your friends will definitely be happy to hear that.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah. I liked every gift, especially…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She suddenly stops to stare at me straight in the eyes. Her face turns bright red, as if competing with her hair for attention.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(With the blessing of the second law of thermodynamics, my face grows hot as well.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Pretty amazing, isn’t it? We are definitely thinking about the same thing. The things she learns from the gifts definitely apply to me as well.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(After all, I serve as one of the gifts.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I-I… I’m talking about…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander, you…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What about me?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You’re good!!!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|What does that even mean…?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I meant…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m talking about, you know, have you ever heard of this psychological phenomenon? It’s c-c-called…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The suspension bridge effect!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Oh?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I-I learned about it in a rescue course in the past.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The general idea is that in a tense environment, people will easily misinterpret a racing heart as some kind of romantic attraction. This might lead to some… feelings toward those around them that they normally wouldn’t experience… like…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Unnecessary extra emotions!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Okay, so you’re trying to say that…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I think I, uh… maybe I…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But you don’t have a heartbeat.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Erm…Y-Yeah, that’s true.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye squeezes the handle of the inflatable axe helplessly, seemingly venting her “extra emotions” through it.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|T-Then if we are speaking in terms of a Doll’s neural cloud, excessive computational load and abnormal data exchange rates can be likened to physiological phenomena in humans such as…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(What is she mumbling about?)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(The way she seems to be heating up with a nearly overloading neural cloud makes me want to pull a joke on her.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|So you mean to say that the affection we have for gifts is just psychological illusions?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|No! They are definitely not an illusion!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye frantically tries to explain herself.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|It all starts with a mild feeling hidden deep inside my neural cloud, as if it were just part of my body temperature.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But it suddenly started heating and welling up these past few days, like how that inflatable axe can inflate with a “boom” in an instant. It gets really unbearable if you don’t express yourself out loud.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I don’t get why it is happening.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Perhaps this is just like my claustrophobia. The fault lies with yet another psychological phenomenon.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Will you be able to cure it for me this time, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll start with a diagnosis.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Would you still like the gifts you received if you had never been falsely arrested?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Of course I would.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|And I think… my affection started a long time ago.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye hangs her head as shel pulls at her twin bangs in embarrassment.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Will you continue to like them after being set free?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Yeah! I will!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I will… forever, till the end of time.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Diagnosis complete. I believe that you are healthy without any issues whatsoever.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Huh?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye looks up at me in bewilderment.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(I return her gaze, which still carries hints of doubt, and nod firmly.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye, I firmly believe that your “unnecessary extra emotions” aren’t due to some kind of psychological phenomenon.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Those are simply your true feelings. That’s all it is.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I feel about you the same way you feel about me.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye’s mouth falls open, her eyes widening in shock.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(The fiery-red Doll suddenly starts leaping up and down and gesturing frantically, as if someone lit a fuse under her.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|I-I… Commander—|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmm? Was I wrong?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|O-Of course you, you were completely right! Um, no, I was trying to say—|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Commander, we have all our things, let’s just go!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(She scrambles to grab the luggage and hurries to the door.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|(Right before we step out of the detention center, Faye finally gains the courage to grab my hand and pull me forward.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Congratulations, Commander! We’ve regained our freedom!|Faye}}
+}}
+===Madder Waltz===
 ==Private Meeting Logs==
+{{Dialogue|Commander, when will you be free? There are some things that I would like to get your opinion on.
+It's not an urgent matter, but I would appreciate your help ASAP.
+So, will you help me sort things out?
+Oh? I'll wait for you in my dorm room, then.|Faye}}
 ===Quick-Reference Communication I===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|Oh, you’re here, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye, what was the urgent yet non-urgent thing you mentioned earlier? Huh? What’s this thick handbook you have?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m practicing how to express myself. That book is titled the “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”. I made it.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I record down inspiring quotes when I hear them. Whenever I encounter communication issues, I look for answers in this book.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Feel free to have a look if you are interested, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Maybe I should be more direct. I’ll show you what I’ve learned by communicating with you.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Just lend me your ears and give me some feedback afterwards.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Sure. I’ll bear witness to the fruits of your labor.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Okay… The valley winds carry the trees’ whispers, they instill the coastline with breath, slowly but steadily…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Huh?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|The bright moon hangs high as cheerful fireworks and lights fill the night. The earth heeds whispers from the wind…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Just hold on a moment! What the heck are you going on about?! Why can’t I understand a word of it?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Is that “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook” of yours filled with quotes like those?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Not completely, but I have plenty of such lines in there.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Nemesis taught me those lines. I consulted her for advice on how to interact with people and she told me all of this.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I recorded down what she said to me, but I haven’t found much use for her lines in my daily communications.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|So that’s why I found that manner of speaking so familiar… If it’s Nemesis, then it’s no surprise.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Speaking of which, do you understand what you said just now, Faye?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Not at all, but since Nemesis said it to me, it must be a useful suggestion.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|She’s not like me, after all. Nemesis gives people the impression that she’s calm and reliable, always speaking in profound, enigmatic ways. Imitating her should help me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|She definitely speaks like a total enigma… as for whether it’ll help you or not, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Are Nemesis’ words undecipherable for you too, Commander? To be honest, I’ve always respected her. To the point that I want to call her Master Nemesis…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|She’s reliable, all right, but we’ve confirmed that she speaks in a special encrypted language. You’ll understand her if you install a translator.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|So that’s why the opposing forces were driven crazy when I quoted her to them on a mission.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But what should I do now, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmm… Your goal is to improve your communication skills, right? If that’s the case, why not try imitating someone else?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Someone else…? I see. I’ll try this again.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ll have to trouble you to keep me company as I train my communication skills, Commander.|Faye}}
+}}
 ===Quick-Reference Communication II===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|I switched to imitating someone else after you advised me to do so last time.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|After a long period of observation, I managed to write a new “Quick-Reference Communication Handbook”. There should be no problems this time around.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander, can I trouble you to check on my learning progress?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You might be too hasty to give your book complete trust…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But I’m interested in how you are developing and this is a rare opportunity. Go ahead and give it a try.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Okay… Hmph! You want to have a deep talk for an issue THIS minor? Does your head need some WD-X4?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Huh?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|What? You got a problem with what I said? Sure, I’m itching for some entertainment and exercise.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Is that axe of yours just some decoration or what? Come! Let’s see whose blade is sharper!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Wait,  hold on! Are you imitating Krolik this time?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|—Hmph! Don’t ask me things you already know the answer to! What a waste of time!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye! Pause for now! Go back to your normal state! Just talk like how you did before!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Since it’s an order from you… okay.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Did you stop me because I couldn’t imitate her well enough, Commander?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The exact opposite of that… I think you’re imitating her too well. It’s as if Krolik was standing right in front of me!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Can I ask why you decided to imitate Krolik?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It feels like her emotional module has much more range than mine. She’s really good at expressing herself in all sorts of tones as well.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|There might be trouble if she’s made to interact with strangers, but in principle, her communications are concise and effective.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Plus, Krolik and I are like two flies from a corpse. So I decided to imitate her.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Two flies from a corpse might not be the best way to put it… Anyway, you’re trying to say that you get along with her, right?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Mmm. Is there anything bad about adopting her style of conversation?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|If you talk to people like that, I think your actions are more likely to instigate disputes rather than resolve them.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Speaking of which… Faye, why do you want to improve your communication skills?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I want to get along with the other Dolls aboard the Elmo. Before I joined, I would often create misunderstandings because of how I spoke and how I carried myself.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Good thing I had help from Daiyan and the others from Monsoon, who helped me avoid some mistakes.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|So that’s how it is. I see… Why don’t you try imitating someone who is a bit more friendly? That might bring you closer to your goal.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|If that’s the case… Alright. I’ll give it a try, Commander.|Faye}}
+}}
 ===Quick-Reference Communication III===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|Shocker! Isn’t that the Commander? Long time no see, where have you been lately?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’ve missed you lots~ Hey, come on, wanna take a selfie together?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Now that really reminds me of someone in particular… I can almost feel a headache welling up in my head.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…I probably know your answer, but I should still ask you. Are you doing your imitation practice right now?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye does not speak, but she nods with a determined look in her eyes.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|Fine then… This feels weird, but at least you don’t seem too unhinged yet. Continue.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Oh, come on, Commander! Why would you stick me with an “unhinged” label just because of how I speak? Ah, make sure you don’t post about this on Grifchan, okay? You’ll look really bad if you do that!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Alright then, let’s do a handshake to celebrate our long-awaited reunion~|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Why do I feel like you’re not as passionate as you once were? Have you forgotten how we got along with each other in the past?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Don’t be a stranger! Accept this affectionate embrace from me. Let us gaze tenderly into each other’s eyes and kiss~|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Kiss?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|M-My dear Commander, let’s kiss, let’s… (whimper)|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Faye clings to me in an embrace before she ever finishes the rest of the sentence. the side of her head leans against my chest, her face as red as her hair.)|}}
+{{Dialogue|The Doll you’re imitating says that as a joke, so don’t take her too seriously… No, wait! You don’t have to force yourself if it’s too upsetting for you! Please don’t cry!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|What are you trying to pull?! Aren’t you going to take responsibility for this?! Stop dodging if you still got any balls left!|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Sweet honey… lures to the gallows… the holy mother’s mercy upon the sinner most grave…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Stop, stop! Your language module is going to melt! Stop!|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Let’s take a pause here for now, Faye. I can say for sure that I’ve amply witnessed the results of your learning.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|What do you think, Commander? She told me that if I managed to master those mannerisms of hers, I’d definitely…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Um… How did she put it again…? Have the Commander in the palm of my hands or something?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…I have many things to say, but you did imitate that Doll well.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s quite an interesting and emotive way to carry myself, but there’s lots of things that I don’t really get.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Grifchan, “surfing the net”, “I came here to laugh at you” …They’re all terms and phrases that I don’t understand.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Will knowing how to use them improve my communication skills?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|In a certain sense, it’s not wrong to put it that way… But I hope that you don’t think too deeply into this particular aspect.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I see… I actually tried to imitate my squad members before, but I realized that I couldn’t do it very well after a few tries. People started asking me if I needed to go to the repair bay…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|After I stopped, Daiyan asked me about it in private. Once I explained, she said that I should just be myself.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Hmm… I agree with her. There’s no need to imitate someone else. Faye is Faye.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But if I remain like this… What if I run into more problems communicating with them? I’m worried about causing misunderstandings like I did before.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|We’re all nice people here aboard the Elmo. Even if you make a mistake, people won’t mind. What’s most important is that you show us who you really are.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I see…if that’s what you say, I’ll try it.|Faye}}
+}}
 ===Quick-Reference Communication IV===
+{{CollapseSection|
+{{Dialogue|Commander, I talked to the people aboard the Elmo as myself, without imitating anyone.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Things were a bit rough at first, but people didn’t mind my behaviors too much. They felt that how I carried myself really suited me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The idea that I’d never be able to get close to other people has vanished into mist. I can communicate normally with people now.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|You might need to work on your phrasing a little… But still, you are improving every day.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I might be asking this a little too late, but you weren’t the type to be concerned about how you were interacting with other people. So why did you suddenly—|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|You are right on the mark…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The weakening of my emotional module turned me into a Doll who was bad at expressing herself, running into errors often.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|So, I stayed silent most of the time. I actually felt that doing so was pretty relaxing, which was why I did not seek change.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|But when I boarded the Elmo, and… was reunited with you, I realized that I didn’t want to stay like that forever. I had to change.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Faye…|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|It’s not exactly uncommon for Dolls and humans to suddenly bid farewell to each other. It’s something I came to understand ten years ago. Everything that I never managed to express clearly, because a thorn in my heart.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Which was why I got kind of impatient…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Thinking back on the days I spent imitating others, I do admit that I was being reckless.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The people I imitate would unsurprisingly get angry at me… It’s a good thing that you pointed me to the right path when I needed it, Commander.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|The missions I went on, the communication problems I had… Those were trials that I passed only because you were there to help me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I am truly thankful for the help and support that you’ve given me.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|W-what’s this all about? Are you imitating someone again?|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|No. I am simply following your suggestions for me, so right now, I am telling you my true feelings as myself.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I did think about embellishing it with some flowery language, but I couldn’t find anything suitable. So, I decided to just put my thoughts and feelings out there, plain and straight.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander, your face is getting red all of a sudden. Are you alright? Should I escort you to the med bay?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|I’m fine. I just didn’t expect to get dosed with such a direct show of affection today, so I was feeling a bit shy.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|…I like what you did, but do be mindful of the time and place whenever you decide to do something.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|Place? So as long as I’m alone with you, there are no limits to any displays of affection?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|That’s not exactly what I said… but for future reference, just try not to do it while we’re on a mission.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|I see. Then, as thanks for your help in solving my communication issues, and because I like you…|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Commander, I’m free tomorrow. Would you like to go the training grounds with me? I’ll teach you how to use tomahawks.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|…Commander, why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|(Laughs) Nah, I was just thinking that what you said really suited your personality. I thought that you were going to take me out on a date or something.|Commander}}
+{{Dialogue|But from my point of view, a one-on-one training session together is the same as a date.|Faye}}
+{{Dialogue|Is that so…? Looks like I’m the one who misunderstood this time. Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow for our da… our training session, I mean.|Commander}}
+}}