Cinder stared at the small card at the end of the lanyard currently around her neck. It was probably the first time she actually had a picture of herself, and she hadn't taken her eyes off of it ever since she had been handed it.

The man that ran what amounted to the Records Office was surprised to see a child needing an I.D, but as there was a pre-existing form for this particular scenario, it likely happens often enough, as there is an actual pre-existing form for this scenario. It was amusing to see his face when Cinder had asked how a camera worked, but he had taken it in stride, and within an hour, Cinder had her I.D card. It had no 'Access Capability', but it would allow her to actually be on site.

The man had even gotten a quiet "Thank you" from Cinder as he had handed the card.

Things were quiet as we headed back to the Archive. There were a few people walking about, true. But most appeared to be students enjoying their midmorning break. A few of them were staring at the pair of us, but thankfully none of them came up to greet us. Some had, in the past, come up to ask me about history, likely to help with their homework.

Honestly, it was one of the many confusing things I'd gotten used to when it came to having Academy and Military Headquarters in the same facility, I could be taking a break from writing highly sensitive documentation, and end up helping a gaggle of students remember which Experiment Era commander was which.

Although in fairness, remembering the difference between Markus and Marcus Pollock no doubt gets confusing in the mire of revision cramming.

"An Archivist." A semi-familiar voice behind us drawled, drawing me out of my thoughts. "And here I thought you Brownies never left that musty old library you call an Archive."

I turned to face the person addressing me, and fought back the urge to gasp. His uniform had teal highlights, indicating his being part of the Science Bureau, and a Lieutenant's insignia on one. He was stick thin, his mustache wasn't as impressive as it would one day be, and his hair wasn't as greyed, but his face was the same. His smug smile and air of superiority..

Arthur Watts.

Frankly, since my arrival to Remnant, my opinion of him has turned decidedly...mixed. He was a genuinely brilliant scientist and engineer at this point, quite possibly the brightest mind Atlas had seen in decades. The environmental controls in Atlas and Mantle were his design, as were the safety networks in Mantle, the near indestructible glass used in the air fleet, along with a whole slew of other ground-breaking technologies. He even gave lectures at the Academy, and whilst they were often boast filled, according to Captain Glover they were incredibly popular and informative.

Unfortunately, he was known within the military for being a complete and utter bastard. Brilliantly intelligent and creative, but arrogant to the point of frustration..and a desire to punch him in the face. Judging by his slightly crooked nose, someone had actually done that in the past.

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"We do on occasion, Lieutenant." I replied with a thin smile. "And I believe we have you to thank for our 'library' not being so musty anymore, Sir."

"Doctor." He corrected me, almost sternly. "I am a Lieutenant because it gave me high enough clearance to do what they need me to do, Archivist. I prefer 'Doctor' because I earned it."

"Ah..my apologies then, Doctor Watts." I replied, raising my free hand in a peaceful gesture. I glanced at Cinder, who was trying to hide me. Time to go. "I ought to be getting back, Sir."

"Yes yes." Watts waved dismissively. "Go back to your Archive, Brownie. Some of us have work of actual import to do."

Giving him a salute, I all but dragged Cinder away from the not-so-good Doctor. The less we interacted with him, the better.

What a smug cun-

"...Mister Casper?"

I let out a calming sigh before replying. "Yes, Little Cinder?"

"Who was that?"

How the hell do I explain that one?! "He's...part of the Science Bureau, Cinder. He's very clever but...a bit.."

"..Creepy?"

I raised an eyebrow at her response. That wasn't something I had expected from her. "Just so, Cinder. Just so."

The pleased smile she now had on her face was so very adorable.

___________________________________________________________________________

We finally made it back to the Archive, later than intended. Senior Captain Glover was waiting for us when we arrived, a look of faux-disappointment on his face.

"You took your time, Archivist Schwartz." Glover commented. "I presume that there is a reasonable explanation?"

"We ran into Lieutenant Watts, Captain." I smiled. "Apologies."

"Say no more!" Glover replied with a grin, before lowering his voice. "...You didn't punch him, did you?"

"No sir." But it was tempting.

Glover clearly had similar thoughts to my own, judging by the conspiratorial edge his smile had taken on. "Get your ass to work already, Schwartz."

"Yes sir." I saluted with a smile, and made my way to my office. Some of the other Archivists called out greetings to me as we did so. A couple of them, the ones that had been on the mission to the Ruined Temple, even called out 'hellos' to Cinder. She predictably didn't reply.

My office was small, but a comfortable one. Admittedly, most of the others were bigger, but I didn't care. It suited my needs and was easy to clear up at the end of the day, the chair was comfortable and close to the coffee machine. I had a window that overlooked the city rather than the Academy, and that provided me with a frankly magnificent view during winter nights.

I sat down in my chair and began turning everything on. Cinder soon clambered up onto my lap. She smiled shyly up at me, and offered me her I.D card. I took it with a smile, and looked it over. The picture was a good one, and reminded me that I really ought to get myself a picture of my little houseguest.

For some reason though, the card said 'Cinder Schwartz'.

Cinder Schwartz...I think I like the sound of that.