Reprieve

The battle with Schicksal was over, but their hardships had only just gotten worse.

Anti-Entropy as an organization was alive in name only. With Cocolia's defection and Welt's death, the future was put in the hands of the girls who had survived the treacherous war with Schicksal, along with Raiden Ryouma and the Magician.

With Houraiji Kyuushou left in a coma upon taking in the core of the second Herrscher, the group was left to pick up the pieces and try their best to help their friend. Thus, Yssring got to work, working around the clock to develop the technology they'd use to enter Kyuushou's stigma space to aid her.

And so, this was where Seele found herself with Sin Mal, testing out the prototype that Yssring had developed. The beach was so life-life, the sand beneath her feet, the comforting warmth of the sun, and the calm flow of the tides made it all feel so real, and Seele had to make sure she congratulated Yssring later.

So much had happened, Seele had almost forgotten the feeling of being...relaxed. She let herself go, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, easing away all the tension that had made her body so tight and stiff.

Sin stomped her feet behind Seele, kicking a rock along the way.

"This is so stupid,' Sin complained, "what are we doing? Yssring already tested it out before, why are we here again?" Clearly, she was still salty about the scuffle she had gotten into with Kiana prior.

Seele giggled, "Yssring wants us to do another run, we have to make sure you'll be alright when going into the stigma space."

" I'll be alright?" Sin mocked, "Of course I'll be fine! If there's anything that comes my way, I'll kill them to death! And then some!"

A sigh escaped Seele, "We're still going to worry anyways," she frowned, "it's going to be dangerous."

Sin scowled, "Tch, yeah, like you'd be worried."

"Matushka left us, so there's no reason we have to care about each other or anything," despite her harsh words, Sin looked like she was trying to maintain an angry disposition.

"You know that's a lie," Seele whispered softly, "I care about you, so does Bronya. Oh, and Yssring, Kyuushou, Kiana, Mei..."

Sin pouted, and looked away.

"You're just saying that," Sin said, her voice quieter than before, "Matushka probably left because I'm such a freak! Hah! What a worthless mom."

The words weren't meant to sting Seele, that much she was aware of.

Just as Sin was about to stomp away, she felt a pair of slim arms wrap around her. Her first instinct was to wriggle away, but the girl behind her made it clear that escape was not an option. Seele stubbornly clung to Sin, in the same way Sin had seen her do to Bronya. Insecurity rose up within Sin, but she remained in place.

"Sin," Seele murmured, the warmth of her body slowly evaporating Sin's resolve, "don't say those kind of things."

"I...okay, fine," Sin grumbled.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Now, just...go run off to Bronya or something," Sin whispered, a touch of bitterness laced in her words.

"Nope," Seele objected, "I'm staying right here."

"You want to die?"

Seele's hug only tightened.

"You're so annoying," Sin murmured, placing her hands on Seele's arms, "I wish you and Bronya weren't so annoying."

Seele giggled, and then gently nipped at Sin's ear. The warmth of Seele's breath was comforting, just as much as the contact her lips made with Sin's skin.

"Ugh...hey!" Sin blushed fuirously, "Don't just...do that!"

Seele continued to place ticklish kisses along Sin's neck, "But I want to," she smiled.

The two settled down onto the sand, but even so, Seele held onto Sin anyways.

"Let's go to a beach like this with big sister Bronya," Seele suggested after a period of silence.

"Hmph! She can go herself," Sin muttered.

Sin sat stiffly in Seele's embrace, but eventually she too relaxed her body, and leaned into the warmth. It was a short reprieve before the fighting and struggling would continue again, but it was welcome regardless.

A/N: Short HG2 piece :O.