Eous yawned at the time of day, seeing as there was no end to the war with work in New Eridu. Since the whereabouts of the Pile Driver Belobog Industries was missing had yet to be discovered, Eous was free for the time being.

That was until Ray texted Nova about a commission that required their attention at the crack of dawn.

Specifically his clear aptitude for taking down Ethereals.

A small part of him was wondering if he'd see Section 6 at Scott Outpost, but only Soukaku was around in the canteen— somewhere he wasn't allowed yet...

"So, I take it Roland bored you to death with the explanation of Shiyu Defense?" Ray asked with a smirk.

"Absolutely. That guy's rigid as hell. What kind of conversation starter is the trolley problem...?" Eous wanted to rub his eyes, but he couldn't take off the mask.

After all, his identity was still a much needed mystery, save for Miyabi.

"So, how does it feel? Getting to fight on the frontlines without the proper license— exciting?" Ray wondered.

"No? From what I hear, my best buds at Section 6 aren't gonna have my back this time, and there's no way I get any Agents wrapped up in something like this..." Eous knew better than to inconvenience any of his friends with work like this.

Well, maybe Soldier 11 wouldn't mind, but he still wouldn't go out of his way.

Aside from that, everyone he had connections with were probably far too busy.

Even Corin and Ellen hadn't been able to spare him more than minute long conversations as of late.

"Well, look at the bright side. You're holding off Hollow Raiders for now, and not big bads like Nineveh. We just need you to get these pests off the Defense Forces back for a bit." She explained.

"Yeah, it's no sweat. Just... been awhile since I've had real sleep. I'll handle it." Eous kicked off the railing and gave a weak wave to Ray.

The woman's smile faltered hearing that, feeling a bit of guilt at how early she needed him to come in. After all, he was simply referred to, not actually ordered to come in.

~•~

The morning was far longer than he expected.

Even with his best partner in crime, Fairy, the entire shift was full of fighting off an entire gang of Hollow Raiders trying to capitalize off the absence of the HSO from a side of the frontlines.

Ray wanted to do more to congratulate Eous, but everything she could think of was far too personal for his status as a Proxy.

Ultimately, she decided she'd pay him back financially when the time was right.

She solemnly watched him leave the Scott Outpost with a small lag in his step.

She would wait a bit to do the paperwork for his Tier 2 License...

•

Feeling like he was in the clear, Eous slumped down against the fire escape with a groan and returned to his casual clothes to reveal he was only in his pajamas.

He looked at his wool pants, slippers, and graphic tee with disgust. Not because of the quality, but because of what he'd become.

His claws began to tremble until Fairy flew down and held them.

"Those aren't healthy thoughts, Partner." Fairy quietly voiced.

"I know..." Eous let out a long sigh and looked up at the dim sky. It was a cloudy day with no rain. Probably bottling up for later, just like him. "I know. Sorry."

Fairy flew up to his face and held his chin up despite the weight. "According to the Inter-knot, when fatigued with burnout, a vacation is called for. Leisure is the best medicine."

"Yeah, I bet, but we're involved in a bit too much to just go off the grid. People need us..." Eous was struggling to keep that mentality.

"Processing sentiment... Sentiment misunderstood. Do they need Nova, or Eous?" Fairy asked.

Eous looked at Fairy with a wry smile.

"What's the difference nowadays?" He chuckled and stood up. "All work and no play, I guess. We'll get through it though. We're the best, right?"

Fairy looked at his fist, waiting to be bumped. Her expression was blank, incomprehensible to Eous until she slowly brought her own fist to his with less enthusiasm than normal.

"...I'm sorry, Fairy. I don't wanna drag you into my mess of body dysphoria and identity crisis. Breakfast will probably fix me." He smiled much brighter than before seeing that she cared so much about him.

Even if it was because their lives were one and the same, it made him happy.

"According to your database, you are craving... Hot Cakes." Fairy replied, fluttering around him and slipping into his shirt to stay hidden.

"One and the same." He mumbled with an elated chuckle.

Eous carefully vaulted over the railing of the fire escape and climbed down just enough to hop to the alleyway with no issue.

He peered out into the morning streets of Lumina Square, since his routine return from Scott Outpost was cut short by his hunger.

Making sure not to look any more suspicious than a man in his pajamas walking out of an alley, he tried to strut into the average foot traffic of the city.

Unfortunately, he was going the wrong way and ran into someone.

Hitting his head on their chin, he stumbled back and winced. He only heard a low huff from the woman across from him before she gasped.

"You're Eous, right?" Zhu Yuan asked with a smile. "Are you... in pajamas?"

Eous snapped to attention seeing the PubSec officer lady of his dreams. "Y-Yes and...yes. Ma'am." He nodded with a nervous smile.

"I must ask, what brings you to Lumina Square in your pjs? They're cute by the way." Zhu Yuan questioned, avoiding looking down at the cat mascot littered down his pant legs.

"W-Well... um..." His hesitant reply was interrupted by his stomach's cry for help. "—breakfast. I'm here for breakfast."

"You're quite dedicated. Must have been craving something real bad to make your way here from Sixth Street. What'd you have in mind?"

Eous was enamored by her cheeriness, distracting him from all his worries he was plague with before. "Hot cakes. Don't know where from, but I want them." He felt unburdened around her, allowing him his biggest smile in the last week.

"Oh, good idea! Now you've got me in the mood too. Do you want to go together? I know a place." Zhu Yuan gazed at him eagerly, her own slight hunger enhanced by the thought of a hot meal.

Eous smiled weakly, his knees almost buckling in exhaustion and hunger. "I'm game. Lead the way."

•

Zhu Yuan couldn't help but giggle seeing Eous devouring his food in his pajamas.

She didn't find it appropriate to see him as a little kid, since she learned he was surely an adult, but he came off so innocent the way he ate without a care in the world.

That was until she noticed the dark circles and bags under his eyes when he moaned into his fork.

He sliced another square of his hotcake before Zhu Yuan reached forward and stopped him.

"Eous, are you okay? You look... extremely tired." Her voice was oozing with concern.

Eous' eye lids fluttered, trying to understand what she meant, but was too busy staring at her hand on his claw.

"Uh, I'm okay. I am pretty exhausted." He half-lied. He tried to slink his hand out from under hers before she noticed his misshapen claws, but it was too late.

"Wait a minute... Are these Ether Crystals? A-Are you experiencing corruption—"

"Ma'am, I promise you. I'm not. It's nothing."

"Eous, I can't look at this and see it as nothing. You have to give me more than that." Zhu Yuan held his hand tighter, trying to get a better look until he snatched it away and looked down at his food.

"I'm fine. They've been like this for weeks. It's how I stopped that car, so... yeah, not corrupted." Eous was trying not grow impatient, knowing her concern was coming from a good place.

"Eous—"

"Miss Zhu Yuan, I'm not human."

She tensed her hand, unable to inch forward like she wanted to. That single sentence washed her concern away for a brief moment, making all of the harmful thought Eous felt come back in a moments notice.

"I'm long past corruption. I'm bonded. I'm a freak. Is that what you wanted to hear?" He asked, trying his best to keep eating, but the flavor was no longer there.

He spit out the bite and grimaced as his eyes began to water.

"I'm a monster, hiding in plain sight. There's no way to tell anyone this. I can't change who I am or what I've become." He looked up at her, straining himself to keep the tears from falling.

"You're just a kid, Eous. You're not a monster—"

"I'd be a lab rat in a moment's notice. This gets out and I lose who I am. Or what's left of me anyway. So what do I do?" Eous leered at her in disgust.

"Keep eating." Zhu Yuan glared back at him.

His own faltered, the sternness in her voice making it sound like an order. He wasn't even sure if he was capable of it.

"I... I can't—" He looked up and saw she was still glaring at him.

He picked his fork back up and cut a different piece from his hot cakes.

"You're still you, Eous. You have family who worry about you. Friends. Even I was concerned seeing you walk out of that alley like this. I'm glad I finally know why." Zhu Yuan slowly began to smile seeing him start to chew.

"You can't only look at the negative in your life. There is no light without shadow, people say." She nodded her head with pride for enlightening him with her wisdo—

"Did you get that from a fortune cookie?"

"Never mind that!" She leered at him again before sighing, realizing she had barely taken a few bites from her own hot cakes.

"Thank you, Officer. I... I really needed that." Eous couldn't look at her, smiling down at his food.

"Ah, no officer with me anymore, okay? Someone's got to check on you if you're gonna keep wandering the streets in your pajamas. We're friends now, so call me Zhu Yuan." She slid him her phone as she began to cut her hot cakes.

Eous' cheeks began to grow pink, but he quickly typed in his contact info. He wasn't unaware that this is so she could reach out first.

"I should've ordered coffee." He was stuck with chocolate milk...

Zhu Yuan chuckled as she looked at his meal and appearance once more.

"This wasn't a wake-up enough? I guess you don't have social anxiety." Zhu Yuan smirked and began eating again.

Eous looked around and noticed everyone else in the restaurant was sparing glanced at the two. He held his head in annoyance, but they wouldn't stop him from enjoying his food (and self-proclaimed first date).

"Hey, I'm stunting in these clothes. They wish they were eating breakfast with the Officer Zhu Yuan while looking like me." Eous took a sip of his chocolate milk, making Zhu Yuan burst into laughter from the irony.

Eous squinted his eyes at her amusement before stealing a bite of her hot cakes as she snorted.

As she calmed herself down, the two watched the waitress shuffle over with a smile.

"Hello! How was the food, you two?"

"It was great, thank you." Zhu Yuan nodded, covering her mouth as she chewed.

"It was 'preme." Eous gave a thumbs up before taking a long swig of his chocolate milk again.

"That's great to hear! Will the bill be together or separate?"

Eous' eyes widened as he realized what he was wearing. He pat his only two pockets and realized he didn't even have his phone, let alone his wallet...

Fairy made any messages he really needed to more often than not, and it was clear he got out of bed first thing, so he slowly turned to Zhu Yuan with guilt in his eyes.

"Together." She answered with no hesitation.

'This woman is a gift I do not deserve.' Eous' mood brightened and he turned to the waitress with a grin.

"Together~!" He sung happily.

She giggled and placed the receipt down on the table. "Gotcha! Just wave me over whenever you're ready."

"Oh, no need. Here you are." Zhu Yuan handed her a card, not even bothering to check the price.

"Woah. Baller move, Zhu Yuan, I wasn't familiar with your game." Eous teased.

"Yeah, yeah, quit it." Zhu Yuan watched the waitress scan her card with the device in her hand before having the card given back.

"You ready?"

"Yu~p." She and Eous stood up and nodded to the waitress with gratitude.

As they walked to the exit, Eous slowly stopped his tired strut to stop and eye a pastry case in the corner.

"Woah, woah. Zhu Zhu, can I get a donut?" He asked, placing his face against the glass in awe of the perfect glazed donut.

"Z-Zhu Zhu?! A-And no, not this time! I've already paid for your meal, come on! I'm taking you home..." She grabbed his collar and began dragging him out of the store with a blush.