Planet Omega

Chapter 29

Adamantos and Celeste ensure that each and every member on the gala mission play their role to perfection. Phin easily fought her way to receiving the honor of assassinating the remainder of the four regional generals, but her daily drills keep her hip functional and as mobile as possible. Will practices shifting fluidly between several people, including pawns, humans, and other non-human organic beings.

But more nights than not, Will is only allowed to go to bed at nearly past midnight. Adamantos insists that the forms they'll be taking are of the highest importance, so learning how to shift between new faces is what the focus is on. While Will can shift easily between forms already committed to memory, new ones are far less smooth. I remember the mage demon form It had taken, and it was only mid fight when I wasn't able to tell the two mage demons apart.

My training is perhaps the easiest, because EMMA model pawns are pre-programmed for certain skills. I just have to put on a nice suit and offer guests glasses of champagne. But with the uncanny friendliness of pawns, and some extra acting skills so there's no way anyone would ever be able to tell that I'm sentient. Easy peasy.

Cal, however, has it rough. Day in and day out, she and Celeste butt heads so loudly, it can be heard all the way up to the fourth level where our rooms are. Unfortunately, Celeste is as stubborn as Cal is, and Cal knows she has to relent eventually in favor of this mission.

And the only reason Cal didn't riot about the heels Celeste insisted she learn to walk in, is because Celeste compromised with shorter heels. The good news is, Cal won't break her ankles if she walks a little too fast; the bad news is that she may still faceplant regardless of the heel height. It's no secret that Cal prefers whats comfortable and convenient, something she can easily move in and fight in. Dresses and makeup are not her cup of tea.

It's not even like she has to wear a dress necessarily, but Celeste insisted that high society prefers their female humans wear dresses to events such as these. Cal would draw far too much attention to herself if she wore pants - yet another thing she'd had to relent on.

"I swear to god, Celeste, you're doing this just to fuck with me," Cal complains, but doesn't dare move as Celeste works on Cal's eyeliner.

"Of course I am, but you've got to start acting like you look like this all the time," Celeste drawls, then leans away from Cal. "You always had potential, darling, so I don't know why you insist on looking so grubby all the time."

I cover my mouth with my hand to keep my laugh as concealed as possible. Cal would never forgive me if she heard me laughing at Celeste calling her grubby. Truth be told, Cal just isn't girly, but that's never been something I minded. She has this look about her that tells people she's always ready for action, to get her hands dirty, to do whatever is necessary. It's her inability to care about the tangles in her hair, and the dirt on her pants, and the blood on her arm that attracts me to her.

She's real. She doesn't care about the frills or the cuffs, but Cal will defend the people she cares about to the very end. She will start a war for someone she loves. And in fact, she has.

Watching Cal continue to grumble about the makeup makes me smile softly. How could I not care about her the way that I do when she's so unapologetically...herself?

"Why do you have that stupid smile on your face again?"

Cal has her arms crossed as she stands right in front of me, eyebrows raised. Celeste is nowhere to be seen, which means the two of us are now alone in the empty sitting room converted for mission training space. I grin at her, and take her wrist to tug her to me. "Because you're letting Celeste do useless things to you for the sake of the mission," I answer, circling her neck with my arms. "Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"