Story Reader / Affection / Lucia: Plume / Story
Oh Commandant, you're here... great.
As you move through the hallways, you stumble into Lucia, who seems to be looking for you.
Sorry, Commandant... for running out on you earlier.
Thank you, Commandant.
Just a small internal malfunction.
It's hard to explain, but touching your hand seemed to accelerate this frame's heartbeat... Well, "heartbeat" might be an inaccurate term.
That is, my M.I.N.D. was just overwhelmed by a wave of unknown fluctuations that didn't match with the memory data I have.
These fluctuations did exist in the data from the previous frame, but they were flagged as errors and dismissed...
...But I didn't expect the last flux to be so volatile. What came over me? Why did I suggest something like holding hands...?
I don't think the old me ever said anything like that, right Commandant?
H-huh... really? I can't seem to find the relevant logs... Unless you're toying with me, Commandant?
I thought so too. Maybe it's a compiling error from reordering memory files.
Though, to be honest, the more I try to adapt to the old me, the more distant I feel from her... hence, these strange actions I'm prone to.
Holding hands was one of them. The incident with Karenina was another...
It went like this... I was on my way down to Tech for routine maintenance after a training session...
You're not getting away this time, Lucia! Get ready and put 'em up!
I'm gonna beat you this time!
Okay, sure.
Tch, you coward! You—wait, h-huh?
Eh?
I thought that responding to Karenina that way would satisfy her, but instead we stared daggers at each other for what felt like hours, until she finally had enough and left...
So refusing her, just as I always had, was the right choice?
I see... I have much to learn about my companions.
What I think is best... You never make it easy, do you, Commandant?
But then I'll have to spend more time familiarizing myself with personality data that aren't yours, Commandant...
Commandant, you're surrounded by so many... amazing people. If I don't hurry and become myself again, I might lose you forever...
Halfway through, Lucia seems to have entered into a world of her own and begins murmuring to herself—brows furrowed, lips pursed.
Mh-hm, yeah... Why am I even worrying...? Hmm...
