The next day came, this time Andrew woke up before Sophia, or perhaps it would be more correct to say he never really slept. Merely lying in bed coming up with various plans because his conversation with his long-time companion had led him to question what it really meant to be an eidolon roaming the wide and open cosmos.

When morning came Andrew crept out of bed and made some coffee for Sophia and him. Since he still had time to kill he decided to see what Sophia had in her fridge and cupboard and consider the possibility of making breakfast.

Andrew was pleased to find she had flour, eggs, salt, baking powder, and powdered sugar for making pancakes. She also had prosicoutto, and cheese, which combined with the eggs could be turned into a very nice omelet.

“Breakfast is a go!”

*************************************************************************************************************

Later, as they rode to school in yet another taxi, Andrew would watch the city as it slowly woke and prepared to meet another day. Andrew then sat back with a sigh and turned to Sophia.

“Hey…” said Andrew

“Yes, hoheit?” said Sophia.

“Why do we take the cab everyday?” said Andrew.

Sophia seemed to think about the question for a moment , while also absently glancing at a browser window that only she could see.

“Because the academy is too far away for us to walk to, and we’d have to wake up much earlier if we had to go their by bus.” said Sophia.

“Ah...No, that’s not really what I meant. I’m talking about, well you know how for us...three-dimensional space is largely just a construct? Besides having to expend a little energy, we could just teleport everywhere couldn’t we?” said Andrew.

Sophia frowned, tapping her chin with a pointed, well-manicured, finger.

“I suppose that’s true, but I sort of feel like that’d be kind of waste don’t you think?” said Sophia.

“How so?”

“I don’t know… When you told me you wanted to live amongst the mortals for a bit I admit to being a bit hesitant, but now that I’ve been here for a while, I kind of get why you wanted to get back to your life here so badly. Living like this is an experience of its own. And part of that experience is about how one gets to the places one ends up in.”

“Oh… I guess that make’s sense.” said Andrew. Nodding.

“Also, speaking honestly, I’ve kind of scheduled myself into a corner in my current life and my daily commutes too and from school are one of brief periods that I can just...be… and not have anyone expecting anything from me and or any of my duplicate bodies.”

Andrew just chuckled. He understood, and sympathized with “that” kind of reasoning as well. Being able to be multiple places at once meant getting mental strain from even more directions. It wasn’t like the duplicate bodies had minds of their own. They couldn’t, otherwise, the duplication technique would be too dangerous and too costly to use.

“Did I ever tell you you’re a little too hard working for your own good, Soph?” said Andrew.

“Yes… I think I can recall you saying so once or twice… every day, since the first day, after I gained a sense of self.” said Sophia. Smiling. Resting her chin on her knuckles.

“...I’m not trying to nag. I’m just saying, we’re immortals, Soph. We’ve got all of forever to get the things we need done… done. There’s no need to rush.” said Andrew.

“And like always, I’ll say that ‘that’ kind of thinking is why the long lived races always end up getting surprised when their shorter lived peers catch up to them in terms of attainments and achievements. Life whether short or long is something to be taken full advantage of…” said Sophia.

Andrew just shook his head.

“And like always ‘I’ have to rebut by saying that a life well lived doesn’t necessarily mean a life where you’ve lived every second ‘productively’. I’ll never try and tell what to be, or you how to live your life, you’ve had enough of that. All I know is that for me, the best kind of a life would be one filled with tons of those little moments where all you get from them are a few good memories.” said Andrew.

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“Nh… Maybe.” said Sophia. Gnawing on a pale pink lip.

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence, with Sophia and Andrew each doing their own thing. When they arrived at the gate, Sophia kissed Andrew goodbye like the day before. However, unlike the day before, Andrew didn’t hesitate to kiss her back. The young eidolon had already resolved himself to crush any- “one”, and anything that tried to separate them.

The young couple shared a single, brief but passionate kiss before splitting up. While today was technically supposed to be a day that shared classes, Sophia apparently still had some more work to do in the library and thus was not going to be present during the first three periods of class.

Thus Andrew reported to homeroom on his own. Ignoring the appraising and hostile gazes that drifted in his direct as he sat down at his desk.

Ms. Sevinc, the homeroom teacher, was as laconic and downbeat as she’d been two days before. The Gremlin woman gestured in the class’ general direction and everyone who had their sprite on, received prompt informing them that they’d received a new email from the school.

This was followed by Ms. Sevinc using a stylus to write three words on the electronic blackboard at the front of the room.

“Okay, class. Settle down… Settle down. It’s nice to see you all again. I hope the first week of school has been treating you well. We actually have quite a bit to go over today.” said the teacher. Trying and failing to cover up a yawn.

“You all should have received an email from me just now… That email has a couple handouts attached. Now I just ‘know’ you kids will read all of the handout, but just in case you might be tempted to just delete the email or let it sit in your inbox untouched let me tell you that at least two of them will probably be pretty important your futures.” said Ms. Sevinc.

“The handout that’s the biggest deal is also the file with the smallest size. It’s basically a brochure on the job fair that’s set to happen in a few weeks. There’ll be a lot of corporations and government groups from all around our empire. So if you don’t really have any plans for what to do after you get out of here and finish serving out your mandatory two years of mandatory military service during the course of the Academy’s field training program, and don’t plan on staying on with the academy, this is a big opportunity to get your foot in the door somewhere nice.” said the teacher.

“The second biggest deal amongst the handouts I’ve given is the file with the largest size. It’s a guidebook to every club, and student association, within the academy. I’d like to remind you that it’s mandatory to join at least one student group, and I don’t think I need to remind you all of the effect the groups you’re part of during school can have when you’re trying to get that all important first job...Especially, since many of the groups that are coming to the school’s job fair also fund a number of these clubs and associations as a way of building a recruitment pool… So yeah, take it seriously, folks.” said Ms. Sevinc.

After her announcement, the homeroom teacher returned to her usual task of explaining certain simple elements of life in the academy, life in the empire, and the current situation on the warfront.

She also took breaks every few minutes to answer any questions she could about the other classes students were taking.

As far as he could tell, homeroom was basically a chaotic little variety show instead of proper class, but the content was interesting enough for this to be one of the classes that could see himself actively listening in. Plus there was something about the teacher’s vibe that Andrew liked.

Andrew couldn’t say the same for the first period class, which was another those classes whose contents he’d already downloaded into his brain so he could ignore the class itself.

Five minutes into the class, Andrew got up to go to the bathroom. A minute later, Andrew returned, except this wasn’t the true him. He’d taken a leaf out of Sophia’s book and sent a construct of solid-light and aether in his place. Assigning a small sliver of his consciousness to controlling the construct.

The real Andrew, the main Andrew, was wandering through the academy’s campus. He considered stopping by the school canteen, but it was still early in the morning, and he wasn’t hungry enough for that yet. In the end, he decided to just take a walk, he didn’t need a destination. For now Andrew was satisfied with just enjoying the warm spring air.

This world, Harlow, was officially recognized as a temperate planet, but its high average temperature was almost enough to push it into the ranks of the tropical worlds and jungle planets. The winters and falls were short. The summers were long and brutal. The springs however, the springs were something lovely.

As Andrew strolled through the campus he took in the sight, admiring the shivering trees and vibrantly colored, four-winged, birds that lived in their branches.

“Hey…” said a voice. Crashing into Andrew’s zen moment like a luxury sedan crashing into a twenty-four convenience store’s front entrance.

Andrew frowned. Clucking his tongue. Then because he recognized the aura and essence-pattern of the one who was approaching, he smoothed his expression and turned around with a smile on his face.

“Oh, hi...What’s up Ollie.” said Andrew. Greeting his new bosom buddy. Absentmindedly noting that the half-elf seemed to be looking a whole lot better than he’d looked either of the times Andrew had seen him before. His physique was much more robust than it had been yesterday.

“Ollie?” said Oliver. Taken aback.

“You don’t like it?” said Andrew. Feeling simultaneously embarrassed, that his tendency of nicknaming everything he came into contact with, had come out. While also kind of hoping the name became an issue so that it’d make it easier for him and the half-elf to drift apart.

“Nah… It’s cool man. Is it alright if I call you Andy?”

“....Sure.” said Andrew. Smiling so hard it nearly strained his teeth. Hating the nickname because he had an older brother named Andrei, a cousin named Andrea, and an uncle Anders, and all three were some of the most miserable people he’d ever had the misfortune of meeting.

As far as Andrew was concerned there were only two people in all the cosmos who’d ever willingly allow to call him Andy. His sister, Jack, and his mother, Carmella. However despite that being the case, he wasn’t the sort to kick up a fuss about something as paltry as name.

“So, Andy what are you up to?” said Oliver.

“Nothing much. Just taking a walk. You?”

“Taking a walk, eh? Of course a personage like yourself would be the free spirited sort. I wish I could say the same but I’m actually just in the middle of doing an errand for the teacher. I just spotted you and figured I’d stop by to say hi.”

“Nh… Guess that makes sense.” said Andrew.

“Well, since I’ve said it… I best go before that old codger teaching Electronics Engineering gives me a demerit.” said Oliver. Running back towards the school building he’d come out.

“Ah, don’t let me keep you. I’d hate to get you in trouble with your professor.” said Andrew. Waving.

As Oliver waved back, Andrew found himself deciding that his friendship with the other boy might end up being a lot less hesitant and begrudging than he’d expected it to be.

As much as Andrew disliked having to deal with people, being alone all the time “was” boring, Oliver had just proven himself to be the kind of person who wouldn’t overcrowd him.

This realization left Andrew with a new headache to deal with. Now that he’d decided that they just might be compatible after all, he now had to figure out what it meant to be a good friend to the half-elf.

As Andrew’s mother was fond of saying, respect and consideration were things that had to be reciprocal in any healthy relationship.