A Debt of Grahams and Other Sweets

“Eri! Eri, look at this!”

Lisa Sonne pulled a blinking Eri Blitzschnell into the Coordinates’ Control Room, where a familiar golden dot blinked on the screen. It made its’ way to the left side of the crossroads, closer and closer to the entrance of New Technika. Eri could only smirk slightly and told Lisa to call Mathias, to which the yellow-eyed lady rolled her eyes and ran from the control room.

The Watcher was there again.

But this time, there was no blinking orange dot nor was there a blinking emerald-green one.

“You never fail to surprise me,” she told to herself (and the screen), shaking her head and pressing a white button on the control panel. Immediately the coordinates map minimized and the Watcher was shown on the screen, calmly walking past. Eri controlled the direction of the camera that watched his movements, and as if he could tell, he looked straight into the lens and waved.

She chuckled, turning around only to see a dark-haired man.

“I was told that someone came again,” he said smoothly, and she rolled her eyes yet again.

“It’s the Watcher. He asked me for something.”

“Nothing too personal, I hope.”

“Calm down.” She faced the screen once more, bringing back the map of coordinates. “Entertain him for me, will you? I need to get some parcels from the Rasant’s place.”

Mathias pouted.

“But he’s irritating.”

“So are you.” She punched his arm lightly. “Now be a gentleman and play nice.”

*****

“How exactly is Amaya doing, Lisa?” Lisa cocked her head to the side slightly, in thought, trying to remember how the orange-eyed lady was after the manic events of what had just happened in Technika. Both of them sat by a bench in the middle of the city square, where she had happily greeted him once she saw a blonde head appear in the middle of New Technika.

“She’s still under watch, but she’s good.” Lisa glanced up at the sky before continuing, “She hasn’t broken any rules ever since her release from the hospital. Government might give a lighter sentence, but Eri’s trying to persuade them to let her off.”

“Let her off?” he raised a brow. She nodded.

“Not exactly let go and forget her crime against the city, but…not to send her to the gutters. Or to the execution lab. With the needles and the poison. Anyway, she’s trying to convince them that killing would just do nothing to ease what happened around here.”

“…what did happen?”

She sent him a look.

“Data blockage. Firewalls. The whole city almost went in ruins if it weren’t for the Data Duo and for Elaine’s quick Setomion removal when Amaya had sent them in and declared war. And if you’re wondering,” she added upon seeing the confusion on his face, “the Data Duo is none other than Cissa and Mathias.”

He briefly recalled the girl with maroon-eyes.

“I remember Cissa.”

As if helping him, Lisa joked, “Mathias is the arrogant ginger.”

“Ah.”

“…you say that as if you don’t like him.”

“It’s not a matter of dislike, but a matter of deciding whether to politely stick a Setomion into his mouth,” the Watcher replied serenely. This made Lisa laugh, but she stopped and bit back a snort at the sudden appearance of said ginger.

“Watcher.”

“Pra – Mathias.”

Lisa took out her teleportation disc and pressed the button, sniggering.

In a flash, she disappeared.

And then, there was silence.

“…I didn’t know Eri would have you give the things I asked,” he started, choosing each word slowly. Mathias merely shrugged, remaining standing and his arms folded over his chest.

“She asked me to accompany you while she got them from the Rasant’s.”

“Rasant’s?”

“Collette Rasant’s shop – member of the Protection Core – she sells baked goods and whatnot. Lisa works with her sometimes just for the baking, but Collette prefers the company of her ovens and ingredients.”

“And Eri?”

“Eri’s part of the Protection Core – not that you wouldn’t know,” he added under his breath with a hint of cynicism.

The Watcher noticed, of course.

“You don’t exactly like me, do you Mathias?”

Again, he sounded amused.

“It’s not a matter of dislike.”

How familiar. But Mathias went on.

“It’s a matter of things she knows, and thing I don’t.”

Possessive, maybe?

The Watcher was about to ask what exactly Mathias was going on about, but in a flash Eri appeared, holding a basket in one hand and the teleport disc in the other. She squinted her eyes at both males, a frown coming to her lips.

“Please don’t tell me both of you are having a testosterone clash. Again.”

“I did as you asked,” Mathias injected. Ignoring what he said, she handed the Watcher the basket.

“Collette took liberty of packing them. You’ve got everything you asked for in that basket. Hopefully, Elaine won’t mind enhanced flavorings and such.” Sending her a smile, he took the b basket, peeked in, and nodded in approval. “Shall I send you back, Watcher?”

“If it won’t be a burden to you, Eri.”

At that, he stood, and she configured the teleport disc’s settings. 

"I'll see you soon, Watcher."

Pointing it to him, she pressed the button and he disappeared like how she reappeared – in a flash and silent.

“Will you tell me what’s in there?”

Eri tucked the disc into her pocket and looked at the blue-eyed man.

“Graham crackers, all-purpose cream, and condensed milk. Collette threw in a few apples for the Watcher.”

“Aha.”

She spotted the look in his eyes and smiled slightly.

“…you’re ridiculous, Mathias.”

“I know I am.” He grinned cockily and took her hand. “Coffee, darling?”

“I’m not your darling.” She sent him a look but didn’t protest, “Coffee. And you’re paying.”