Faye/Profile

Faye

Story

Profile

Quotes

"I can't sleep yet, I still have work to do..."

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Record 1

"That eccentric axe-carrying, brutish Doll?" That was everyone's impression of CZ75 back in her Griffin days. Her lack of communication skills meant that she could not adapt to the changes brought about by Griffin's restructuring. After her friends left Griffin one after another, she too decided to leave in search of a new life.

At first, CZ75 tried a line of work that she knew best-rescue work. She was a Doll made for that purpose, after all. Unfortunately, she encountered the most traumatic accident of her career during her time working at a civilian rescue organization. She failed to save the people who called for her aid while trapped in a pitch-black mineshaft deep in the earth, and she developed a fear of dark, enclosed spaces as a result.

Realizing that she could no longer handle rescue work, she left the organization and drifted aimlessly in search of other jobs to take on. This continued until a chance encounter with an old friend in the troupe that she worked for-Type 97. She had changed her name to Jiangyu by then.

The two had an intense argument with each other before they left Griffin. But now, much time had passed and both Dolls had grown in various ways. CZ75 learned to acknowledge her issues with communication, and even though she was still clumsy, she tried her best to resolve the conflict.

With Daiyan and Zhaohui serving as mediators, this 4-Doll group unexpectedly turned into the place of belonging that CZ75 had been seeking for so long.

Jiangyu came up with a new name for her-Faye. Embracing the fae-like symbolism in a children's book, she would begin a fresh chapter of her life.

Record 2

"I'm partly at fault for this failure too, Type 97." "I should have been calmer, quickly calculated the best route for our operation, and then sent it to you." "You wouldn't have made those rash, reckless decisions if I were faster."

CZ75 was offering these gentle words of persuasion in the dead of night... to a tree.

"It's alright. We'll learn from this experience so that next time, we..."

Her shaky composure broke before she could finish the sentence, and she punched the tree. "But there's no next time!"

CZ75 lost her will to stand and slumped to the ground in a kneeling position.

A bitter argument with Type 97 had ended not long ago. Back then, CZ75 spared no mercy for Type 97, firing a full string of criticisms pointed straight at her mistakes. This resulted in both parties being overwhelmed by negative emotions, which caused the two to cut ties with each other.

"Type 97 probably never wants to see me again." With that thought in mind, CZ75 started aimlessly reenacting what happened before. "It's so easy to come up with these conflict-resolving phrases, so why couldn't I put them into use in front of Type 97?"

"I'm partly at fault for this failure too, Type 97." Recalling the aggrieved look on Type 97's face when they parted, CZ75 started talking to herself again.

Record 3

The civilian rescue organization lamented CZ75's departure. "She was an excellent rescue Doll who absolutely stood out among her peers for her capabilities. Unfortunately, she took on a job that was nearly impossible to complete."

"A mineshaft had collapsed, trapping a squad of bounty hunters in the depths of the earth." "Information about the accident was extremely limited. Under such conditions, only CZ75 managed to crawl in through the obstacles and reach the trapped bounty hunters with supplies in tow, thanks to the small size of her frame."

"It is important to know that the collapse was incredibly complex. Obstructed by abandoned buildings and underground flooding, even the government took five days before finally managing to dig them all out." "There would probably be no survivors at all if CZ75 didn't bring in that initial batch of supplies."

Even so, the accident left CZ75 deeply traumatized.

The civilian rescue organization didn't know what happened in the few days CZ75 spent in the mineshaft, only that she began to suffer severe neural cloud dysfunctions afterward. She would start panicking whenever she entered dark, enclosed spaces, sometimes even crashing as a result.

She blamed herself for most of the deaths when she discovered that there were only a few survivors. She ultimately left the organization despite all the efforts and offers made to convince CZ75 to stay.

The thank-you letters from survivors were still piled up in some unknown warehouse to this day.

Record 4

She remembered the day she spent setting off fireworks with the other three Dolls at a public park. Really, they were just sparklers.

"We received this huge payment thanks to CZ75 managing to rescue the lead actor. Here, go ahead and light them up first." Jiangyu leaned in and shoved two sparklers into her hands.

CZ75 was bewildered. Jiangyu, who used to get into arguments with her all the time, was now warmly leaning against her. How did this shift in attitude even happen? She did not know, but she happily accepted the situation.

She lit up a sparkler and hoisted it high, moving it around in response to cheers from the other Dolls. She felt at ease. More at ease than she ever felt before.

"Miss CZ75, are you planning to join the troupe afterwards?" Daiyan asked her amid the celebration.

Staring at the gradually fading sparkler, CZ75 shook her head.

"I am not planning to become an actor." "I... want to try things in some other places."

As the words of farewell left her lips, she felt as if she was transported back to the day she left Griffin.

Running away from yet another social circle. She had always been doing this, but there was no other way. She followed her heart for this decision-she would rove and wander from place to place until she found a real "place to call home".

Farewell, Dolls of the trou... "Huh? You want to try something else too? That's awesome!"

The farewell scene was completely shattered by a bear hug from Jiangyu. "We're about to leave the troupe as well! We'll form a band and perform wherever we go, but we're still missing a backup performer. You should join us!"

Looks like they both unexpectedly arrived on the same page when it came to the matter of leaving the troupe. Right. One did not necessarily have to be alone as a wanderer.

She was unable to emit any rejections this time. "Why not switch to a name that fits with our style, since we're going to be forming a band together? 'Faye'! How's that?"

"'Faye'?" CZ75 pondered the unfamiliar word.

"Ah, could that be from the story I told you before, from the picture book?" asked Daiyan. "That's right~ The name of the main character from 'Forest of the Flame Fae'. It suits you, don't you think so?" "Well then, Faye. Welcome to Monsoon Squad." Zhaohui extended her hand in greeting. "Wait a minute. When did 'Monsoon' get into the name of our band?" "I came up with it on the spot."

Record 5

"What did the 'Emergency Handbook' say on what to do in this sort of situation...? Oh, right, do not attempt to argue with people who only listen to themselves!"

Jiangyu was arguing with Zhaohui-a common occurrence in Monsoon Squad's rehearsals. Meanwhile, Faye watched from a distance behind them with some admiration in her eyes.

She wasn't admiring the love-hate relationship between the two Dolls. Rather, it was... the "Emergency Handbook", which sounded quite fascinating.

According to Faye's memory, Type 97 wasn't an easy Doll to deal with. Whenever there was a conflict, she would never give up until she came out on top. Yet today, the Doll now named Jiangyu had learned to proactively defuse conflicts.

Was it all thanks to this "Emergency Handbook"?

According to Faye's observations, whenever Jiangyu ran into a problem, she would always manage to find the perfect solution in the "Emergency Handbook". It seemed way more practical than those interpersonal relationship guidebooks from the library! SHE NEEDED ONE TOO!!!

Faye secretly asked Daiyan for a copy of the "Emergency Handbook" after the rehearsal. Faye felt as if she had dug up a heap of treasure as she stared at the hundreds-of-pages-long document in her hands.

Faye managed to annoy Jiangyu with her absent-mindedness the very next day during rehearsal. "Ow! You stepped on my foot! Faye, what the heck are you doing?!"

Faced with her companion's rebuke, Faye showed no embarrassment or anger. Instead, her eyes lit up.

The time had come! Search criteria: mistake, criticism. Search results: When you face criticism as a result of your mistakes, do not argue back. Just act cute and you'll get away with it.

Act cute? Faye tried the following example sentence out loud in her confusion. "Tehepero~ So sorry, Faye is such a klutz!"

And so it was that the day's rehearsal came to an end due to Jiangyu's unstoppable laughing fit. Realizing that the use of such emergency countermeasures had to be adjusted to the user's situation, Faye, still blushing, created a new document with the title "Quick-Reference Communication Handbook".

Record 6

"Why do I get the feeling that you grew taller, Faye?"

"Really?!" Faye seemed unusually delighted by my comment.

"That's weird. Doll bodies don't grow, right? Maybe I had a different impression of you in mind. You're a lot taller than I imagined, Faye."

She nodded profusely. "Of course! I've been a mature Doll for a long time!"

Mature...? I wouldn't agree so easily to that. I didn't say that out loud, of course.

I saw Faye again in the lounge the next day. Huh? Why did she look even taller today?

"Commander!" She approached me eagerly, her face brimming with expectation.

"Good morning, Faye. Did you..." I spoke the second half of the sentence with tentative probing, "...grow taller again?" It was just as I expected. She couldn't suppress her grin any longer.

"Thanks, Commander! I'll keep up the good work!"

Keep up the good work? What was she keeping up the good work for, and how? I obtained the answer to my questions the very next day.

"C-Commander... Good morning!"

So tall!!! She's half a head taller than usual! But why did Faye seem to be swaying unsteadily from side to side, as if she were unable to maintain her balance?

"Are you okay, Faye?" "What? I-I'm fine!"

"Come closer. I want to take a look."

Faye made an attempt to march towards me, but she completely lost her footing almost right away, and she stumbled and fell down. Luckily, I managed to catch her. Faye's body was light, so she felt no heavier than a blanket falling into my arms.

But something bulky fell to the ground. Her shoes.

Both our gazes fell on the shoes. It looked just like a normal pair of long leather boots, but when I looked inside, I saw that the heel of the insole had been made over six inches thick!

"I-I-I'm so sorry, Commander! My shoes don't seem to fit me well today!"

Faye hurriedly picked up her shoes, squirmed out of my embrace, and limped back to her room. She was restored to a reassuring height when I saw her again at night.

Record 7

I agreed to watch a movie with Faye on a free day.

I was planning to pick a martial arts related movie (due to her interests), but she had already watched all the ones we had by herself. After much deliberation, we somehow settled on a horror movie.

It was clear that she had not touched this genre yet.

"Why are they just running away?" "Why are the living scared of the dead?" "They should try to grab some weapons at times like this!"

Faye was disappointed in the weak-willed main character of the horror movie. Whenever the monster suddenly appeared in a jump scare scene, Faye would react with her lightning-quick reflexes and start swinging her axe around before the jump scare even landed for the protagonists.

"Hmph! That thing would have been split in two by now if I were there!" The horror movie didn't scare her, but she found another way to feel involved in it.

The scenes that Faye had been waiting so long for finally showed up in the second half of the movie. The protagonist had the military for help, and said help arrived in the form of well-armed soldiers and armored vehicles. The military's machine guns broke into the protagonist's village and were prepared to eliminate the monster.

Faye nodded rapidly. "Now that's more like it! The movie is approaching its climax anyway, so it's definitely gonna end up with justice prevailing over evil..."

"What the hell? Why are all the soldiers dead?!"

Bullets failed to strike the shapeless, intangible monster. It possessed the soldiers, forcing them to shoot each other. The result was that this particular batch of soldiers perished en route before they even reached the village.

Faye, watching a horror film for the first time, was utterly shaken to the point of speechlessness. She fell silent, and her axe arm trembled slightly. The surreal spectacle of the soldiers slaughtering each other finally managed to instill full-bodied fear in Faye. She curled up into a ball on the sofa, peeking at the screen with one eye out.

"No way... Why would guns lose to a monster?"

I couldn't resist teasing her after watching her stark transformation over the course of the movie. "It's a pity that you weren't there. You would've split that thing in two and saved them all."

Faye shuddered immediately. "I can't do it..."

As expected, the protagonist died at the end of the movie. Faye heaved a sigh of relief when the end credits finally rolled. "Thank goodness, it's finally over..."

"Did you suffer much?"

Faye shook her head. "Not really. I'm just glad that it's all over. No more will die."

"That's a kind thought to have. But still, I'll have to give you this piece of bad news." "Hmm?"

"There's a sequel. Let's watch it together next time." "AAAAAAAA-"

Record 8

"Faye, I'm not dying, I just have a cold."

Confined to the bed with weakness, I was really out of ideas and options on how to comfort Faye. She sat next to my bed, hand on my forehead, as she anxiously watched the numbers from her thermal receptors.

"I know that your life isn't in danger, but prolonged abnormal body temperatures can still cause permanent damage!" "My fever is only 37.8 degrees Celsius, it's not a high fever at all..." "Low fevers are health hazards too. All such problems should be nipped in the bud!"

I don't think there was a need to treat a fever as if it were a building set on fire. But I understood where she was coming from. Faye had seen too many disasters that stemmed from negligence, after all.

"Relax, okay? I just had some medicine, so I'll be fine after a nap."

Faye, now put at some resemblance of ease, removed her hand from my forehead. "Right. You need more rest, Commander. Then... I'll help you fall asleep."

"Oh? What's your plan?" "I'm going to tell you a story."

To be honest, I'd fall asleep quicker on my own. But right now, I was more interested in knowing what Faye was like as a storyteller. "Sure, go ahead."

Faye used both hands to give her cheeks a hard pat. She seemed to be doing this in an effort to organize her thoughts.

"Let me tell you a story from my time in the troupe." Oh right, she did work in a troupe before. Maybe something really interesting would come out of this.

"I've forgotten the background of the story, but the protagonist was called... Well, it was a boy. He grew up with a girl in a town, and one day, they met another boy and a girl." Why did the opening to the story already sound so off?

"The boy argued with the other girl on behalf of the girl, and then he fought with the other boy." "It was an exciting fight! The boy managed to land a straight punch on the other boy's nose, while the other boy immediately returned the favor with a flying kick, before the boy..."

What was this mess of a story even about? I didn't really get it. But this was really good at putting me to sleep...

I felt refreshed when I woke up. My cold was at least 90% gone. How long was I asleep? I opened my eyes to check my watch, but the first thing I saw was Faye's sleeping face right in front of mine.

Curled up on the bed, her tiny frame barely occupied any space next to my pillow. She did not react to my awakening.

She must have run out of battery. Looks like it was quite the long story.

Memories

Pulse-Racing Response 1

Commander
How did it end up like this…

(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.)

(A mansion.)(Fire.)(Theft.)

(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.)

(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.)

(The suspect was, specifically, a Doll.)

Commander
Impossible. There must be some kind of mistake…

(Name of suspect: Faye.)

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

(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.)

(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.)

(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.)

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

(I open the door to the visiting room, and finally see her.)

Faye
Commander!

Faye
They’re such bullies!

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

Faye
Why are they even arresting me?! I didn’t steal anything!

Faye
I rushed into the fire to SAVE people!!!

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

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

(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.)

Faye
It’s simple, really.

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

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

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

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

Faye
Hmph! Why would I give a crap about some stupid rocks?!

Commander
I think I get the gist of it…

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

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

Faye
Yeah. Rich people have some really complicated houses.

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

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

Faye
I was trying to find something that could fight the fire!

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

Faye
What a lack of safety awareness!

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

Faye
No. What’s there to explain?

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

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

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

Commander
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.

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

Faye
Commander!!! I did not…

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

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

Faye
Hmph! What a bunch of stubborn jerks!

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

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

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

Faye
Take back the jewelry and capture the real culprit…

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

Faye
The theft happened quite a few hours ago.

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

Commander
Worry not, we don’t have to count on THEM.

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

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

Commander
We’ll definitely arrest the real culprit and clear your name!

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

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

Commander
Yeah… We still need more time before we can achieve any results.

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

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

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

(Despite her complete lack of criminality.)

Faye
I understand. I’ll sit tight and wait.

(Faye visibly droops in dejection. Even her tone has weakened considerably.)

(I’ve never seen her looking so demoralized before.)

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

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

Faye
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
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
Is that jewelry worth more than a human life?

Commander
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.

Faye
But I was created to save people!

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

Faye
I… the more I think about it, the less I understand…

Commander
Don’t doubt yourself, Faye.

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

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

Faye
You’re really good at reassuring people, Commander.

Commander
Just telling the truth as it is.

Faye
Thank you. Thanks for visiting me and telling me all this…

Faye
This time, I’m the one who has caused you trouble…

Commander
Not at all. The one with that honor would be the thief.

Commander
Once we catch them, we’ll give them a real good thrashing!

Faye
But…

Commander
Aren’t you being a bit too formal, Faye?

Faye
Ah… Am I?

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

Faye
Maybe I… I’m not used to how things are now.

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

Commander
You don’t have to feel so pressured.

Commander
You did nothing wrong, so you just have to wait here patiently.

Commander
I’ll make sure to visit you every day.

(Faye looks up at me, surprise flashing across her eyes.)

Faye
Every day? Isn’t that a bit too…

Commander
Yep, every day. It’s settled, then.

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

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

(It is the only thing that she can do now.)

Pulse-Racing Response 2

Commander
Faye, I’m here to see you!

(Second day. I arrive at the visiting room at the appointed time.)

(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.)

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

Faye
Commander! You’re here!

Commander
Yep. Look, I’ve brought you something good.

(I place a backpack before Faye.)

Commander
Your friends in Monsoon Squad have been quite worried about you.

Commander
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
Let’s start with Jiangyu’s gift. Here.

Faye
…What is this supposed to be?

Commander
Erm… I’m guessing… an axe?

Faye
An inflatable toy axe…

Faye
Does she think that I’m being kept in a kindergarten?

Commander
Her intention was to help you keep your imposing aura even in prison.

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

Faye
I’ll lose all my reputation carrying this around.

Commander
As for Daiyan, she wanted to give you this.

Faye
A vinyl record?

Commander
Yeah. She recorded this song just for you.

Commander
Daiyan said that it would help you alleviate your anxiety.

Faye
I appreciate Daiyan’s intentions, but…

Faye
How am I supposed to get a record player here…?

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

Commander
Your final gift comes from Zhaohui.

(I give Faye a steel bowl.)

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

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

Faye
A bowl? Is that all?

Commander
Yeah. That’s all.

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

(I take a deep breath.)

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

Commander
She’s giving you a…

Commander
”free-dome”.

Faye
…

Commander
…

(I deserve that silence.)

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

Commander
…Ahem. Anyway, Zhaohui wishes you a swift return to freedom.

Faye
…

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

Faye
Yeah… I guess so…

Commander
That’s all the gifts for today.

Commander
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.

Faye
I know.

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

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

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

Commander
Haha, you guessed it.

Commander
Sadly, the real culprit behind the jewelry case is still at large.

Commander
We can only claim to have decreased the perpetrator’s mobility.

Commander
What about you, Faye?

Commander
How are things here? Doing well?

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

Faye
It’s gotten a lot noisier since yesterday, though.

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

Faye
They get a bit annoying in the public area.

Faye
But I’m partially at fault as well.

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

Faye
I envy you, Commander.

Commander
Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that?

Faye
You’re just so good at communicating.

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

Commander
I-Is that so?

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

Faye
Teach me.

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

Faye
I think that you’re a great teacher, though.

Commander
Alright… I’ll try to give you some advice.

Commander
Have you run into any communication problems lately?

Faye
Yeah, I did. A lot, in fact.

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

Faye
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
What should I do, Commander?

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

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

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

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

Faye
Communicated with the Varjagers? Did I?

Faye
I only remember beating them up whenever I saw them.

Commander
Yeah. Just do that.

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

Faye
…I see. I understand now.

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

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

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

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

Commander
…There really are all kinds of people out there, huh.

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

Commander
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.

Faye
Refuse? What reason should I give?

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

Faye
Okay. I know what to do now.

Faye
You’re a great teacher after all, Commander.

Commander
Such simple advice hardly qualifies me for the title of “teacher”…

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

(Faye’s expression suddenly grows inexplicably serious.)

(Is it just me, or does she seem a bit…nervous?)

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

Faye
How should I go about it?

Commander
Do you mean Jiangyu, Daiyan, or…

Faye
I-I’m not referring to anyone specifically! Just talking hypotheticals!

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

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

Faye
What should I do in this case?

(She’s definitely talking about the rest of Monsoon Squad.)

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

Commander
In that case, I think you can try replacing words with actions.

Commander
Why not try giving your friends a little gift?

Faye
A gift?

Faye
Like… these?

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

Commander
Everyone is different. Just pick something that you believe will express your feelings.

Faye
Hmm, something that expresses my feelings…

Faye
Any suggestions, Commander?

Commander
Maybe some handmade confections? Things like biscuits and such.

Faye
Sounds good.

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

Commander
HUH?! MAKIATTO?!

Faye
Yeah. I remember that she really likes cooking.

Commander
That’s true, but…

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

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

Faye
Alright, I have one last question.

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

(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.)

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

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

Faye
How do I communicate with someone like that?

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

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

Faye
I often feel emotionally conflicted whenever I’m with him.

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

Faye
How should I return the favor?

Faye
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
I want to express something raw and real

Commander
Then… you just have to do that.

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

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

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

Commander
Speak from the neural cloud.

Commander
Unembellished language is the best way to express your most sincere feelings.

Faye
I see…

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

(Faye adjusts her posture.)

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

(A defenseless Faye reveals herself to me for the first time.)

(Her sincerity and unease are clearly visible.)

Faye
Commander, I’ve never told you about this before…

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

Commander
Oh? What happened?

(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.)

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

Commander
I’d like to hear more about it.

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

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

Faye
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 resonates with her memory, her voice starting to tremble.)

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

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

Faye
Many of them died in the darkness.

Faye
I never took on rescue work ever since.

Faye
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…

(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.)

Commander
You tried your best, Faye.

Faye
…No. I could have done better.

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

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

Commander
Even so, you’ve done well rescuing people ever since.

Faye
Eh?

Commander
I received an update on the situation before I arrived.

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

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

Faye
Really…?

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

(She clenches her fists, staring silently at the ground.)

Faye
…That’s wonderful.

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

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

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

Commander
I could tell that you’ve been suffering more than you let on.

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

(I look right into her eyes.)

(—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.)

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

Faye
…Nothing slips by you, Commander.

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

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

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

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

Faye
What if…

(Faye presses her palm against mine, separated by the glass window.)

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

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

(I retrieve my hand, and clench it into a fist.)

Commander
The culprit won’t get away. We’ll get them.

Commander
You won’t have to stay here for much longer, Faye.

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

(I wave goodbye to Faye before leaving.)

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

Commander
I’ll give you MY gift tomorrow.

Pulse-Racing Response 3

Faye
Commander!!! What are you…

Faye
Is this supposed to be your gift?!

Faye
Y-You threw yourself into the slammer?

(It’s pretty entertaining to watch her reaction face-to-face.)

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

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

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

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

Commander
Outside, inside, what difference does it make?

Faye
I’m not trying to engage you in a philosophical debate…

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

Faye
What to do… What should I do now…

Faye
You’re our Commander! You shouldn’t be in a place like this!

Commander
Isn’t this great?

Commander
Two heads are better than one when it comes to solving problems.

Faye
But… this is a detention center…

Faye
If you have a rough time here, I…

(Faye stops. Determination fills her eyes.)

Faye
No! I won’t let you suffer any hardship here!

Commander
Don’t worry, I’m not a weakling, you know…

Faye
Please keep close to me while you’re in here, Commander!

Commander
(Sigh) Alright.

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

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

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

(But my attention is on the other prisoners.)

(Why do they all lower their heads when we walk by them?)

Faye
OUT OF MY WAY!

Varjager
Sorrysorrysorry! I’ll get out of your way!

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

(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.)

Commander
Faye, are they… afraid of you?

Faye
Hmm? Not really. Everyone’s just being polite, you know.

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

Faye
Everyone became really easy to communicate with after that happened!

Commander
…This is way more effective than I imagined.

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

(It’s dinnertime. The prisoners queue for food from a window.)

(The crowdedness of the detention center’s is unmistakable here.)

Faye
Are you hungry, Commander?

Commander
Just a little.

Commander
Do we queue up here if we want food?

Faye
Queue up? We don’t. Leave it to me.

(Faye shouts at the crowd.)

(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.)

(This bravado… She’s just like a prison crime boss.)

Commander
…Is this really okay?

Faye
Why not? You can eat it, don’t worry.

Faye
The guy who brought you food is the same guy I mentioned yesterday.

Faye
He worships me and always tries to strike up a conversation with me.

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

Faye
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.

(We chat as we eat in the boisterous mess hall.)

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

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

Faye
Anyway, why did you get arrested, Commander?

Commander
Me? I got into a fight with the security department, basically.

Faye
What?!

Commander
I’ve been looking for the whereabouts of the jewelry for the past few days.

Commander
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
They arrested me after a rather unsuccessful round of “negotiations”.

Faye
Tsk. Those bullies are as unreasonable as ever!

Commander
Don’t worry. I don’t have to be here for very long.

(I quickly calm Faye down before she goes on the warpath.)

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

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

Faye
Really? …I’ll believe you.

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

(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.)

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

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

(Night comes early for those in the detention center.)

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

(I take the opportunity to find where Faye stays.)

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

Faye
I’m a Doll, after all.

Faye
It’s not bad, really. Pretty quiet.

Commander
But… I remember that you mentioned being afraid of tiny spaces.

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

Faye
It’s alright, I’m already…

Commander
Indeed. You don’t have to stay in there any longer.

Faye
Eh?

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

Commander
It just so happens that I was assigned a single room.

Faye
Is it… really okay to do this?

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

Faye
…

(I lead Faye from the storage room to my room.)

(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.)

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

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

(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.)

Faye
Thanks, Commander.

Commander
Way better than the storage room, right?

Faye
Yeah. This is a lot more comfortable.

Commander
Has all this alleviated your anxieties and fears a little?

Faye
It all vanished once you arrived.

(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.)

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

Faye
Commander… I think… I’m tired…

Commander
It’s about time for you to sleep.

Faye
Sleep… I don’t like it.

Faye
Dark places are scary. There is no way to relax.

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

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

Faye
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
Which… is why I’m unwilling to close my eyes.

Commander
So this is what claustrophobia feels like.

Faye
Mmm. I hate dark and enclosed places.

Commander
If that’s the description… this place seems to fit the bill.

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

(Her scarlet eyes dart around, scanning the room…)

(…Before they end up staring at my face.)

(She shows me a reassuring smile, and closes her eyes.)

Faye
Things are different now.

Commander
Different?

Faye
When I open my eyes, I can see you.

Faye
When I reach out, I can touch you.

Faye
A place like this is no longer scary.

Commander
That’s great. You’ve finally managed to overcome your claustrophobia.

Faye
You managed to fix my malfunctions, Commander.

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

Commander
(Laughs) Don’t joke about things like that.

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

Faye
But now, I’ve suddenly realized that even the mightiest hurricane…

Faye
…Will want to remain in place sometimes.

(Faye stops talking. Our tiny room grows silent.)

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

(I know that she has already fallen asleep.)

Pulse-Racing Response 4

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

(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.)

(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.)

(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.)

Commander
Are you upset, Faye?

Faye
…Just a bit.

Commander
Because of the ones who left?

Faye
I guess so.

(She gathers the powder into a small mound.)

Faye
The lackey who liked harassing me said goodbye to me just now.

Faye
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
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
But… I just felt irritated after hearing that. Really irritated.

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

Commander
An untimely encouragement, indeed…

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

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

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

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

Faye
Huh? They’ll let us go today? Why?

Commander
Because the real culprit is about to be caught.

Faye
What?!

(Faye’s cute little face is full of confusion.)

Faye
I don’t understand, Commander…

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

Commander
Everything happened according to plan.

Commander
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.

(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.)

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

Faye
How did they do that?

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

Commander
A famous detective once said this:

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

Commander
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
The culprit… hiding in there.

Faye
Ignored and hard to investigate…

Faye
You’re talking about the detention center! The culprit is hiding here!

Commander
Very sharp. I came to the same conclusion back then.

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

Commander
Once we understood this, our next steps were simple.

Commander
—We lured the rat away from his hole.

Faye
I see! So that’s why you got yourself arrested.

Commander
Correct. Solving the case was one of the reasons why I came here.

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

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

Commander
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
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
So we just need to track those who got released today…

Faye
And nab both the culprit and the stolen goods!

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

(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.)

(Meanwhile, the sheriff issues a summons to us.)

(His unusually respectful attitude makes it easy to guess what happened.)

Faye
Nice, they did it!

(Monsoon Squad has successfully recovered the jewelry and captured the culprit.)

(After a series of tedious procedures, Faye successfully clears her name.)

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

Faye
I didn’t expect the culprit to be HIM.

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

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

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

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

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

(Waving the sheriff goodbye, we return to the storage room.)

Faye
Wait a moment while I gather my things, Commander.

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

(An inflatable axe, a vinyl record and a steel bowl.)

(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.)

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

Commander
I didn’t expect for you to like them so much.

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

Faye
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…

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

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

Faye
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
Unknowingly, I became more and more reliant on them.

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

Faye
Yeah. I liked every gift, especially…

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

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

(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.)

(After all, I serve as one of the gifts.)

Faye
I-I… I’m talking about…

Faye
Commander, you…

Commander
What about me?

Faye
You’re good!!!

Commander
What does that even mean…?

Faye
I meant…

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

Faye
The suspension bridge effect!

Commander
Oh?

Faye
I-I learned about it in a rescue course in the past.

Faye
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
Unnecessary extra emotions!

Commander
Okay, so you’re trying to say that…

Faye
I think I, uh… maybe I…

Commander
But you don’t have a heartbeat.

Faye
Erm…Y-Yeah, that’s true.

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

Faye
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…

(What is she mumbling about?)

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

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

Faye
No! They are definitely not an illusion!

(Faye frantically tries to explain herself.)

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

Faye
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
I don’t get why it is happening.

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

Faye
Will you be able to cure it for me this time, Commander?

Commander
I’ll start with a diagnosis.

Commander
Would you still like the gifts you received if you had never been falsely arrested?

Faye
Of course I would.

Faye
And I think… my affection started a long time ago.

(Faye hangs her head as shel pulls at her twin bangs in embarrassment.)

Commander
Will you continue to like them after being set free?

Faye
Yeah! I will!

Faye
I will… forever, till the end of time.

Commander
Diagnosis complete. I believe that you are healthy without any issues whatsoever.

Faye
Huh?

(Faye looks up at me in bewilderment.)

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

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

Commander
Those are simply your true feelings. That’s all it is.

Commander
I feel about you the same way you feel about me.

(Faye’s mouth falls open, her eyes widening in shock.)

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

Faye
I-I… Commander—

Commander
Hmm? Was I wrong?

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

Faye
…Commander, we have all our things, let’s just go!

(She scrambles to grab the luggage and hurries to the door.)

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

Faye
Congratulations, Commander! We’ve regained our freedom!

Private Meeting Logs

Faye

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.

Quick-Reference Communication I

Faye
Oh, you’re here, Commander.

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

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

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

Faye
Feel free to have a look if you are interested, Commander.

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

Faye
Just lend me your ears and give me some feedback afterwards.

Commander
Sure. I’ll bear witness to the fruits of your labor.

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

Commander
…Huh?

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

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

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

Faye
Not completely, but I have plenty of such lines in there.

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

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

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

Commander
Speaking of which, do you understand what you said just now, Faye?

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

Faye
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.

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

Faye
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…

Commander
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.

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

Faye
But what should I do now, Commander?

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

Faye
Someone else…? I see. I’ll try this again.

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

Quick-Reference Communication II

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

Faye
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
Commander, can I trouble you to check on my learning progress?

Commander
You might be too hasty to give your book complete trust…

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

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

Commander
…Huh?

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

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

Commander
Wait, hold on! Are you imitating Krolik this time?

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

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

Faye
Since it’s an order from you… okay.

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

Commander
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
Can I ask why you decided to imitate Krolik?

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

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

Commander
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?

Faye
Mmm. Is there anything bad about adopting her style of conversation?

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

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

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

Commander
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.

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

Quick-Reference Communication III

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faye
…Kiss?

Faye
…

Faye
M-My dear Commander, let’s kiss, let’s… (whimper)

(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.)

Commander
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!

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

Commander
Stop, stop! Your language module is going to melt! Stop!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faye
Will knowing how to use them improve my communication skills?

Commander
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.

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

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

Faye
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.

Commander
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.

Faye
I see…if that’s what you say, I’ll try it.

Quick-Reference Communication IV

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

Faye
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
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.

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

Commander
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—

Faye
You are right on the mark…

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

Faye
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
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.

Commander
Faye…

Faye
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
Which was why I got kind of impatient…

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

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

Commander
W-what’s this all about? Are you imitating someone again?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faye
…Commander, why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?

Commander
(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.

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

Commander
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.