I
Gretchen returns from the dream world she was just in. She regained her consciousness, but is refusing to open her eyes. Her senses are not fully in operation yet, but she felt her face skin is getting colder and colder. Being unbearable with the cold air, she pulled up her blanket up to her head, tucking all of herself inside it.
She doesn't feel like to wake up, for some reason. Her muscles are stiff, requiring more energy even to move an inch. The feeling of comfort overwhelms her again as she is preparing to return to the dream world.
But that's until Lynette wakes her up.
"Wakey wakey! Grace, my dear Grace!" Lynette cheerfully wakes her up
"…uuh? What is it Lynn?" Gretchen answered, still tucked inside her blanket
"It's snowing outside! Look!"
Gretchen reaches and wears her glasses then get out of her bed. She looks at the scenery from beyond their bedroom window.
Autumn has passed and winter now has really come. The city of Zurich is now covered in the colour of white. Winter coats and boots now are a must if you don't want to catch frostbites.
All in all, it's beautiful silver scenery.
Gretchen, who previously is kind of disinterested, expressed her awe.
"Wow, it's beautiful…" she muttered
"Isn't it Grace? Surely this is scenery we can enjoy together!" Lynette said as she hugged Gretchen from behind
"Good idea, let's have a winter picnic sometime, maybe at the lakeshore!" Gretchen agreed
"Mhm! Let's!" Lynette nods
Gretchen and Lynette heads to the dining room where Lynette already prepared meals for breakfast. It's scrambled egg with toast and some sliced sausages.
"Are you going to the lab today?" Lynette asked
"Yes, I'm needed there. If I'm not going today, Kriemhild must be frozen to death…"
"…hooo…" Lynette mutters with a slight change in her tone
"…also we decided to take a break from the research few days ago. We are asked to participate in a conference at Paris next year, so we are doing some new things in order to submit a research paper."
"Oh, I see. Paris, huh? That's wonderful!"
"Yeah, I've been planning to tell you about this but I kept forgetting it."
"It's alright, Grace. Well, hearing that it makes me feel a little bit nostalgic…"
"Is Paris as beautiful as people always say about it?" Gretchen asked in curiosity
"Oh it really is! I think it is the most beautiful city I have ever visit and lived! Paris is so memorable even for those who have bad memories…"
"What can you tell about Paris to me? Aside from that iconic Eiffel Tower, of course."
"There's pretty much a lot to see, Grace! The Arc de Triomphe is a notable historical landmark; also the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is an amazing site to see to! Oh, but I'm sure you will fascinated to visit the Paris Observatory!" Lynette starts to talk non-stop
"Whoa, slow down. But I'm not sure I would be able to visit all of those places. We still don't know how long we are going to stay in Paris. The conference only lasts two days though, and that does not include our trip to there…"
"Hmmm, where will the conference be hosted anyway, Grace?"
"I'm sure Professor Rosenrot mentioned the University of France at Paris Sorbonne, the Paris Ecole Normale Superiure, and the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers…"
"Oh, Paris Sorbonne is my alma mater, remember?"
"Yes, I remember, but you were in history, right? Not physics or natural science..."
"Well, yeah. Oh! But I know something about the Conservatoire! They have this huge pendulum that is proving that earth rotates!"
"Hmmm, well it's already a common fact that the earth rotates, but it might be fascinating to see that. Though the subject of terrestrial physics is not exactly my speciality…"
Gretchen swallows her last piece of sausage.
"Alright, it's almost time. Let me wash my face and get dressed…" she said as she stands up from her chair
"Okay, I'll be washing the dishes then."
��Don't you have classes too today, Lynn?"
"No, but I want to shop for a bit at the Limmatquai, you can go ahead"
"If you say so…"
Gretchen washes her face, then look for appropriate clothing for the weather.
She took a considerably thicker shirt, waistcoat with heavier materials, and adding another layer of wool jacket before she put on her usual coat she got from her father. She also changes her usual boots into a considerably hard wearing and warm winter boots that go up almost to the knee.
Gretchen almost never wears a heat, but now the weather is forcing her to. She took a wool flat cap with ear-covering piece and wears it.
"Lynn, I'm off now!" she shouted as she walked to the door
"Wait, Grace! I think you will need this!" Lynette stops Gretchen. She opens the wardrobe again, and then took a purple knitted wool scarf.
"Wear this for extra warmth; I've knitted it for you." Lynette said as she puts the scarf around Gretchen's neck
"Wow, thank you Lynn! This is very nice. I didn't know you knitted this."
"Because I've been keeping it as a secret for you" Lynette winks
"Ahahaha, thank you, Lynn. I'll wear this every day in the winter!"
Lynette hugs Gretchen as a parting gesture
"Well, see you in the evening, Grace!"
"Yeah, see you in the evening, Lynn…"
Gretchen leaves the flat and walks to the Polytechnikum. She's a bit grateful that Lynette gave her that scarf, as it significantly give her more warmth.
----------------------------------------------
II
"Jesus Christ, Kriemhild! It's freezing outside and the stove is not on!?" Gretchen complained
"Too lazy to move, too cold to get out…" Kreszentia answered vaguely
Gretchen sighs and proceeds to turn on the heating stove
"So how about our research paper? Did you think of a good topic? I mean, we already brainstormed for few weeks now about Electromagnetic Field…"
"…hmmmmh…" Kreszentia mumbles an intelligible noise
"Kriemhild, where are you?" Gretchen tried to look for Kreszentia between the huge piles of books.
She then founds basically a chunk of boulder made out of layers of blankets at the place where Kreszentia is usually sleeping on her makeshift mattress bed.
"…My God, what in the world is that creature…?" Gretchen mutters mockingly
"Shut up, it's cold outside…"
"I've already turned on the stove; get your ass out…"
"Wow, I didn't know you had such a foul mouth, Gretchie~" Kreszentia said as she emerges from her insulation fortress
"Shut up, and don't call me with pet names, it's creepy…"
Kreszentia then takes a bundle of paper notes on the table.
"Here, catch!" she throw it to Gretchen
"Oof! What is this?" Gretchen catches the notes
"Our research paper abstract…"
"What?" Gretchen then inspects the notes
"…wait, when did you write this?"
"Last night, do you think I only laze around when you're not here?"
"Well, that is a fact most of the time though…"
Gretchen reads the note thoroughly. Each sentence and each paragraph delivers Kreszentia's idea. What Kreszentia is proposing is surprisingly not an absurd one like their current research.
"…Thermal radiation by Electromagnetic Fields?"
"Yes, I've just realized it by watching the alcohol lamp while boiling my coffee…"
"…care to elaborate?"
"Well, you see, right now we are standing quite far away from the stove, yet you still can feel its heat. Why is that, Gretchie?"
"Well, simply it's a thermal conduction through air, and stop with that pet name…"
"Correct. Combustion is a process that turns potential energy into kinetic energy, which produces heat. Now, as far as I am concerned, electromagnetic field bears similar properties with kinetic energy…"
"…so you're saying that electromagnetic field can produces heat?"
"Exactly!"
"And how do you think the heat being transferred from the electromagnetic field itself? Is it conduction through air?"
"No, but I think it's more of a radiation"
"…radiation?"
"Yes, Electromagnetic Radiation!"
"…Kriemhild, you might as well write a thesis on this…"
"Nah, it's just a side project for us. If anyone is really intrigued by this that much, let them research for it! It's just a conference research paper anyway, if it's wrong or debunked later on, we got less problem than if it's out thesis being debunked!"
"…alright if you say so…"
"Anyway, for that, we also need to build a small handicraft. It's nothing complicated, really!" Kreszentia said as she takes a chalk and starts to draw on the chalkboard
"We just need to create a coil that can produce electromagnetic induction, it will work based on Faraday's Law of Induction. Then we need to somehow create electricity current strong enough that the coils would produce heat that will radiate through the electromagnetic field around the coil…"
Kreszentia draws a seemingly simple design sketch of a device. Gretchen studies it at a glance. She then tries to derive an equation from that sketch.
After a moment of scribbling, she made a set of equations with holes between it.
"...I don't understand; there's something missing from the equation…" Gretchen scratches her head
"…what's wrong?"
"I can't find the constant for the heat transfer, how to produce higher current, and something else is missing too. I wonder what it is."
"You can develop the equations later, for now, be a good girl and buy these components for me"
Kreszentia hands Gretchen a list of components needed to create the electromagnetic field device.
"…what?"
"It's cold outside"
"Kriemhild…"
"No"
"I'm not your errand girl…"
"Now you are, come on, giddy up!"
"…"
----------------------------------------------
III
"For the love of Christ I can't believe I'm really outside in this vile weather…"
"It'll be even colder if you're moving slowly like that, Kriemhild. Come on; create some kinetic energy so you can enjoy yourself heating up!"
"I'm already heated enough from you dragging me outside of my lab despite of my unwillingness…"
In a way or another, Gretchen managed to drag Kreszentia out of the lab to shop for the components they needed.
"Quit complaining, it's been months since you're actually outside, aren't you?"
"For a good reason!"
"Well then now you're out of your lab for a good reason too!"
"Not if there are you to buy them for me!"
"I'm not your errand girl! Nor your assistant!"
Kreszentia only curses in mumbles.
They are heading to the Limmatquai, the street at the Limmat Riverbank. There are numerous shops in there, including an only shop designated to sell engineering components and equipment.
"...Gretchie, you know you could just help me out, don't you?" Kreszentia tries to bargain again
"No, and stop with that pet name…"
"I mean, it's for our research sake too, right?"
"I highly doubt that 'a bag of Brazilian coffee beans' or 'a pack of dried ginger' is for the sake of our research…"
Gretchen read the shopping list Kreszentia showed her at the lab; she remembered one of the items included a bag of coffee beans, some spices, and few others of Kreszentia's personal needs.
Gretchen sighed at Kreszentia's antics, but she's a bit grateful that she's able to drag Kreszentia out from her nest.
"Where did you usually get your coffee anyway?" Gretchen asked
"I don't know, Richard used to buy it for me…" Kreszentia shrugged
"…God, what will happen to you if nobody is there to take care of you…"
"Well, I never ask to be taken care of…"
"Whatever, if you really want that coffee, I know a good store around here…"
Gretchen and Kreszentia heads to a specialty grocery store that sells imported and preserved goods. You can find varieties of coffee beans, tea leaves, tobacco leaves, even some spices and dried tropical fruits. People who know their stuff would immediately look from the aisles, but for those who do not know what and how to look, they would ask to the clerk.
"Here, you can ask the clerk over the counter for those items you want…" Gretchen said as they entered the store
"Alright…" Kreszentia answered as she approached the counter
"Excuse me, where can I find some coffee beans and spices?" she asked to the clerk who is currently doing some book keepings
"Oh? You can go ahead to aisle 4 for the coffee beans and aisle 7 to 8 for the spices…" the clerk answered and instructed
"Thanks…"
Kreszentia heads to the said aisle followed by Gretchen. Gretchen only observes as Kreszentia looks for the goods she wants for. In the aisle 4, she just confused on the many varieties of coffees and she had to look through them.
Kreszentia roams around the aisle as she's looking for the coffee she wants, which is actually not very particular. She's confused because the term 'Brazilian' only stands for its origin, but not its specific varietals. Kreszentia never really minds about specifications of the coffee she drinks, but perhaps because she is now very used to the coffee Professor Rosenrot usually bought for her, she's trying to stick with it.
Gretchen only crosses her arms and leans on the shelf, entertaining herself watching Kreszentia stumbling around in confusion. She smirked in a bit of amusement. While she already knows the specific varietal of the coffee beans Kreszentia is looking for, she decided not to help her and enjoy herself watching her.
A glimpse of familiarity catches Gretchen's eye corner from the few aisles down. There is only one person in Zurich who wears a monochromatic pink outfit. She then approached the assumed aisle where that figure is seen.
"Lynn?" Gretchen calls
"Grace?"
The figure behind the aisle is actually Lynette herself.
"Grace! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the lab?" Lynette said as she approached Gretchen
"Well, we had to buy something for our research, so we go out to shop for a bit…"
"Hey, Gretchie, where are you? Help me out for a bit!!" Kreszentia shouted from few aisles away
"Coming!!" Gretchen shouted back
"…Gretchie?" Lynette asked in suspicion
"…ah, she suddenly called me with that pet name, I don't know why though…" Gretchen shrugged
"Hmmm, so you're already that close with that philistine, huh?" Lynette's intonation become less lively
"…don't take it wrong, Lynn… It's not like I like to be called with that name though…" Gretchen said
"Sod it, Gretchie! I'll just pick whatever smells better…" Kreszentia appears from the end of the aisle, following Gretchen.
She quickly made an eye to eye contact with Lynette.
"What a coincidence, isn't it, Miss Bavarian Bourgeoisie? Still healthy and haughty, I suppose? Having a nice day?" Kreszentia 'greeted' Lynette
"My, of course I'm doing well. It was such a fine day until someone unsightly appears…" Lynette replied with her sweetened voice, but you can hear the tone of slight abhorrence in it.
"God, please, don't start…"
"Nevermind that, Gottschalk, help me to look for these spices..."
"Spices? What do you need spices for an experiment?" Lynette asked
"No, Lynn, it's just her groceries. We will head to the engineering shop after this…" Gretchen answered
"Yeah yeah, let's giddy up. We don't get all day..." Kreszentia then heads first to the spices aisle herself. Gretchen, and somehow Lynette too, follow her suit.
Most of the spices in the spices aisle are preserved in a metal box. Each box has their own labels, so Kreszentia only needs to look for what she wants. After looking for a moment, she only returned with few boxes of ginger.
"Damn, I can't find the other one…" Kreszentia grumbles
"May I see your shopping list? Maybe I can help you." Lynette offered her help
"Sure…" Kreszentia handed her the list which also includes the list of the materials
"…cinnamon? They are not in the shelves today, why don't you ask the clerk instead?" Lynette said as she returns the list to Kreszentia
"Really? Thanks for the tip then…" Kreszentia said as she then head to the front counter.
Kreszentia puts the list on the counter, and then calls for the clerk.
"Excuse me, do you still have any cinnamons in stock?" she asked as she points at the word 'cinnamon' on her list
"…cinnamons? They are low on stocks nowadays, I might have few boxes inside but it will be quite pricey…" the clerk answered
"As long as it's reasonable, I'll take what you give…"
"Alright then, wait a moment, let me check the storage…" the clerk then goes to the shop's storage
Few moments later, the clerk returned with two metal boxes of cinnamon.
"We can only sell you two..."
"How much for those two?"
"I'll give you a deal for 200 Francs for two of these"
"Fine, ring them up with these too…" Kreszentia then give the rest of her shopped items to the clerk.
The total reaches 500 Francs, a price that quite high for a one stop shopping. But considering that the shop is a specialty shop, it does not seem strange at all, not to mention the items Kreszentia bought. Kreszentia pays for them in several banknotes instead of coins. While it is quite understandable that nobody would carry that much coins, banknotes was not quite a common form of currency to use for transactions except for the very wealthy.
Seeing Kreszentia figuratively throws away that amount of money in banknotes makes Lynette impressed for a bit.
"I see you're not the type that hesitant to spend your money, Miss Kriemhild" Lynette said
"Hmm? Well, I never really buy anything, so all of that money I received from awards, commissions, and others are just piled up in my account. It's a real hassle when I need to converse them to other currency though, like when I returned from England last year…" Kreszentia shrugged
"I see…"
Lynette then proceeds for her turn to pay for her groceries.
"Where are you going after this, Lynn? Back to the flat?" Gretchen asked
"I was, after all, I have no other plans today. You're going to that engineering shop after this, right?"
"Yeah…" Gretchen nods
"Can I join you? I'm kind of curious of that shop anyway!" Lynette asked cheerfully
"What?" Kreszentia suddenly butted in
"Oh, am I not allowed?" Lynette faces Kreszentia
"…do as you wish, then…" Kreszentia said, half grumbling
Gretchen can only sighed on the situation.
----------------------------------------------
IV
Iseltwalt Industry Shop, the only commercial store that sells mechanical and engineering perks in Zurich. The wealthy part of engineering students in ETH bought their equipment straight from the factories that are located in Bern, Geneva, or even from Germany or overseas like England. But for those with low budget, this shop is their only place to go to.
The shop is a direct seller from a small manufacturer owned by the Iseltwalt family. The price is marginally cheaper but it does not exempt of the quality of the goods. And to consider the shop as commercial, it was hardly a commercial one since nobody really visits this shop aside of the engineering students because the industries around Zurich only bought their equipment directly from the suppliers. Aside from that, the shop is pretty much normal.
While the shop is generally located in the Limmatquai, it's specifically located inside one of the alleys between the front face shops of the street. At a glance, it really looks like a shady shop.
"I always heard about this shop from the engineering students, but this is the first time I've been here!" Lynette said, amazed by the look of it
"Well, yeah, this is my first time too…" Gretchen said
"Because there is nobody except freaks who are willing to get into a shady shop like this, come on, let's get in…" Kreszentia said as she enters the shop.
"Ah, welcome! Oh, it's you Kriemhild…" a woman of their age greeted from inside the shop.
Rather than a shop, the interior can be described as a workshop instead. There are various engineering and mechanical equipment lying around the shop. Stacks of boxes and carts, weirdly shaped ironworks, and other curious items are also placed around.
The shop reminds Gretchen of the lab, as it is equally messy as the lab.
The woman that greeted them was doing some welding nearby a burning furnace. She then drops what she's working on and then approaches her customers.
"…it's been awhile since you're here Kriemhild, do you need your stove to be fixed again?"
"No, I need some materials for my research... let me check my list first..." Kreszentia said as she checks her coat's pocket
Meanwhile, Lynette is astounded with the uniqueness of the shop's interior and merchandises.
"Oh my, this looks like a pawn shop for the scientists!" she comments in awe
"Rather, a storage of a pawn shop…" Gretchen adds
"Ah, I haven't seen you two before. Are you an engineering student?" the woman greets as she saw Gretchen and Lynette wanders in her shop
"…um, not really, I'm from Physics…." Gretchen said
The woman grabs and shakes Gretchen's hand in a sudden
"Irene Iseltwalt, the owner and operator of Iseltwalt Industrial Shop" she introduced herself
"…uh, Gretchen Gottschalk, I'm collaborating with Kriemhild for our research…" Gretchen introduces herself
"Wow, I never thought someone would be able to cope up with her antics! Hahahaha!"
"…let me tell you something, nobody is…" Gretchen laughs in bitterness
Irene seemed to be a very merry person, judging from her way of talking.
"And, you are, Miss…?" Irene turned to Lynette
"Oh, my apologies! I am not an engineering or natural science student even though I am here with Miss Kriemhild there. My name is Lynette Lindemann, I'm a student of Archaeology in University of Zurich" Lynette introduces herself
"Oh, you're from the Lindemann family eh? Our families have a distant but well connection in business; our fathers must know each other"
"I remembered that my father used to have a guest named Iseltwalt, but I never recall any details about them. My apologies for my rudeness then"
"Relax! I'm not really keen into business anyway; I'm only here because I like it!"
"I really hate to interrupt you two, but apparently I've lost my list. Gretchie, did you have it?" Kreszentia suddenly butts in
"No, I did not..."
"...bloody hell I've must left it by the counter back at the Grocery store!" Kreszentia facepalms
"What's wrong?" Lynette asked
"Kriemhild lost her shopping list..." Gretchen shakes her head
"Oh, I remember everything on that list! It was steel rods, a capacitor, relays, switches, and 3 meters of copper wires. I think that's all, though I don't understand what they are..."
Kreszentia jumped and hugs Lynette.
"You're the heroine of the day. I will remember that!" Kreszentia said as she releases Lynette and then went to a component hunting between the aisles.
Lynette only stands there baffled.
"…that's Kriemhild with her antics for you, Lynn" Gretchen giggled
"I did not expect that in the slightest…" Lynette said
"Ahahaha, she's been like that since her Oxford days!" Irene laughed
"You're friends with her since then?" Gretchen asked
"Yes, I was her classmate at the Oxford. We studied physics together, but she was interested more in electromagnetism and I was in metallurgy"
"Oh, I see…"
"Was she always rude and ill-mannered too?" Lynette asked
"Ahahahaha! Yes, yes, she does lack common sense and mannerisms, but once you get comfortable with her, she's really not bad of a person…"
"Did anyone even ever get comfortable with her?" Gretchen jeered
"Well, me, and you, for example" Irene smiled
"She never really had friends, as far as I know, I'm the only one who is sticking with her during our Oxford years" she continued
"How come you two meet each other anyway?"
"Well, my father is a professor at Oxford and he's also the one who supervised Kriemhild with her thesis. She came to our house in Oxford few times, twice in midnight, to discuss about her thesis. We got hooked and basically that's it."
"…that's sounds like what Kriemhild would do…"
"But it's quite amazing how you can coop up with her, Miss Iseltwalt…" Lynette comments
"Ahaha, well, I was never a ladylike woman too, you know? I mean, you don't see a woman welding some metals by the furnace every day, do you? I never really bothered with her personality because I'm used to face people like that."
"I understand, then. At least your manners are still worth of praise than hers"
"Ahahaha, don't flatter me now!"
After quite a while of hauling, Kreszentia returns with a bunch of items and boxes. The amount is clearly more than it should be, judging from the shopping list.
"…Kriemhild, is this really what we need?" Gretchen asked
"Well, yeah. I figured that we probably going to need some extra nicks on it, that blueprint design were a spur-of-a-moment idea after all. We probably are going to change some things here and there" Kreszentia answered
"…alright if you say so…"
"Very well, then, I'll count how much I should charge you!" Irene went and picks a small notebook and pencil.
Irene counts for everything Kreszentia picked. After calculating for a minute, she then rips the paper from the notebook and gives it to Kreszentia, as it is a receipt.
"…900 Francs? You egg?" Kreszentia slants her eyes
"I've already cut a considerable slack on that, come on, I need to keep the furnace on too!" Irene smiled
"Fine, here, keep the change…" Kreszentia said as she gave 1000 Francs in banknotes
"Thank you, thank you! Thank you for your patronage! Do come again sometimes!" Irene accepts the money
"Alright, let's go back to the lab…" Kreszentia then heads for the exit.
Kreszentia is leaving the crate full of components and equipment she just bought behind.
"Wait! Who's going to carry all of this!?" Gretchen asked, half shouted
"I already have my share of baggage" Kreszentia shows a bag in her hand, which is her own groceries.
"…are you kidding me, Kriemhild?" Gretchen puts an unamused expression
"Just carry them; it's not that heavy anyway…" Kreszentia said as she walks out the door
"Ahahahahaha!! That's a classic!" Irene laughed off
"…Christ, Kriemhild…" Gretchen sighed
"…hang in there, Grace" Lynette tried to cheer Gretchen up, though she also giggled
----------------------------------------------
V
Irene was kind enough to arrange a delivery service free of charge to deliver heavy materials to the lab, but it would have to wait until the next day. Thanks to her, Gretchen only has to carry fewer light components she can carry in a reasonable sized bag back to the lab at the Polytechnikum.
"Christ Kriemhild, I'm not your servant!" Gretchen protests
"Consider it as an exercise…" Kreszentia irresponsibly answered
"Also…"
Kreszentia stares at Lynette who is standing behind Gretchen with them in the lab
"…why are you here too?"
"Well, considering its past lunch time, I figure I'd follow you here and make some lunch for us" Lynette answered with a smile
Gretchen only smiled wryly and shrugged when Kreszentia gazed her after
"…I have no kitchen appliances here, let alone the utensils, except you want to brew your tea in a chemical flask…" Kreszentia said
"It's alright; I'll just make the same sandwich like the last time. I heard from Grace that you liked my sandwich, no?" Lynette said
"Okay then, suit yourself…" Kreszentia gave up
"Hey, it's better than your dry breads every single day, don't you think?" Gretchen said
"I don't mind, besides, I don't particularly enjoy such luxury…" Kreszentia shrugged
"Having quite amount of wealth in your account then calling a simple sandwich as a luxury, my, what an intriguing person you are, Miss Kriemhild!" Lynette commented
"I grew up surrounded by luxury because of my family's profession, but I was never once entertained by it. I find it as a rather dull situation, it's boring. Yes, luxurious lifestyle is boring to me…"
"Really? Wow, I'm amazed by that! I remember when Grace visits my mansion for the first time and staying over in my bed room for the first time. She was so astonished I can see stars sparkling behind her eyes!"
"Geez, Lynn, do you really need to bring up our childhood stories? Also, that's really almost more than 10 years ago! I can only remotely remember it…"
"Why do you always forget that I have a perfect memory, Grace?" Lynette smiles at Gretchen cheerfully
"…by the way, about your memory…" Kreszentia suddenly changes the topic
"Yes, Miss Kriemhild?"
"Your memory, has it always been as sharp as that?" Kreszentia asked
"As long as I can remember, yes" Lynette answered jokingly
"When was the first time you actually conscious of it?"
"When I was five years old, I was praised by my family how I remembered many things. Since then, I realized that I always remember everything, every moment in my life to the very miniscule detail…."
"…can you elaborate? Miniscule detail to what extent?"
"Everything, literally everything. Whatever I saw, heard, said, smell, touch, at what place, and at what time, I remember it to the very last detail…"
Kreszentia start to scribble some notes
"Am I your experiment subject now, Miss Kriemhild?" Lynette asked
"Basically, yes. You've been here before, given to your testament, perhaps I no need to tell you that I studied neurology before…"
"I am very aware of that" Lynette nods
"Can we do this while I make the sandwich?" Lynette asked as she took some bread, preserved meat, and other ingredients from her grocery bag
"…fine…"
Lynette answered with a smile then starts making the sandwich on Gretchen's desk, which is tidier and cleaner.
"Okay, continuing our previous conversation, does your extraordinarily sharp memory affect your life? In your studies, perhaps?"
"My memory is very useful to study history and literatures, as I can practically remember every single word in every book I've read. But, regrettably, it comes at a cost, I rely on my memory too much that my logical and analytical skills is not as good. I may be able to perform very complex mathematical equations too, but if you change the numbers in the equation, I will have a rather difficult time to solve it."
"So basically, you are remembering your subjects, not understanding them?"
"I do understand some subjects, but only if it does not require a complex logical process…"
"I see, then. I know that you're currently studying archaeology, did you also studied that previously for your bachelor degree? I believe you mentioned before that you have studied in Paris..."
"No, when I was in Paris I studied European History as a major and Romance Languages as a minor. I focused to study the relationship between the Kingdom of Lombard and the Papal State, in case you are intrigued…"
"Nah, not really on that, but I do intrigued on the Romance Languages part. Did you benefits greatly to study languages with your ability?"
"Of course, I could master languages easily…"
"Just so you know; Lynn is fluent in German, Latin, French, English, Italian, Spanish, even the Basque language..." Gretchen interfered
"…don't forget the Neapolitan, Lombard, Catalan, Dutch, Polish, and Russian!" Lynette adds gleefully
"Okay, freaking 13 languages, that's a lot. So you have no problems with languages, I take it because you can memorize an entire dictionary eh?" Kreszentia adds more notes
"Yes, that's right!"
Kreszentia then scratches her head while reading her notes.
"…this is quite similar to a medical condition one of my professors taught me back in Edinburgh, I think it was by Clouston? Tell me, did you experience any memory disorganizing or anything? I mean, that is a lot of memory you have inside your head, how do you handle it?"
"No, no such thing. If I have to describe it, I would describe my memory as a library. I just remember anything that I have to remember, I could easily recall them anytime I want…"
"…I see. Then I guess it's not a currently known medical condition…"
"Did you ask Grace the same questions?"
"No, while her ability is extraordinary, it doesn't catch my interest much…" Kreszentia then put her notes down
"Really, Kriemhild?" Gretchen said a little annoyed
"Yes, Gretchie you're being helpful with your ability for our research!"
"…that's not what I meant, but oh well…"
Kreszentia averts her attention to the chalkboard where she sketched the design of the device they will create for the conference in Paris.
Soon after, Lynette finished making her sandwich.
"Here you go, the same sandwich as yesterday!"
Gretchen immediately grabs one and bites into it. Kreszentia grabs one and inspects it again.
"Yeah, this is pretty much the same. Same cheese, same meat…"
"Didn't I tell you that my memories are good?" Lynette winked
"Yikes…" Kreszentia averted her eyes in slight disgust for Lynette's wink
"Still, it's awesome to be able to memorize everything! Your life sure will be convenient if you're able to memorize everything!" Gretchen said
"No, not at all my dear Grace…" Lynette said
"…what do you mean?"
"Do you ever hear that behind every gift is a curse?"
Lynette's intonation becomes slightly sorrowful, even though her face is still smiling.
"I might be able to remember everything. Those happy memories whenever we spent times together, Grace..."
She then turns her face up and closes her eyes
"The day we first met at the town square, the days we spent playing in the meadow, and the nights when we had a sleepover in my mansion…"
But then, Lynette turns her face down
"…but that is also true with all of the sad, sorrowful, and horrible memories…"
Even though the heating stove is on, the air in the lab turns bleak and heavy.
"…the time my real mother passed away, the time father took in numerous mistresses that are only after his money, the times when each one of them abused me whenever father is nowhere to be found…"
Lynette recites every horrible memory that she can't forget
"…and the time when I betrayed our promise and left you to Paris…" Lynette said as she faces Gretchen
"…Lynn…"
Gretchen is unable to take another bite of her sandwich. She has lost her appetite. It is the first time Lynette ever told her the dark side of her ability.
It should have been obvious. She remembers everything. She cannot choose what memories to remember, she remembers every single one of them, indiscriminately between the good and the bad ones.
Lynette never tells her about horrible moments she has been through. She always tells her the happy memories, the exciting memories, but never once she ever mentioned herself being sad.
For Gretchen, Lynette has been and always been an older sister figure for her. She's always cheering on her and caring for her. There are only a handful of times when Lynette is not showing her smiling face, she's mostly always joyful and merry.
It anguishes Gretchen's heart to hear such words from Lynette, whom she cherishes and care for.
Gretchen wants to say words of comfort, but she doesn't know what. Just like Lynette said, her ability is also a curse that will torture her until the day she died, and nobody, including her, can do a thing to change it.
The only words that she can finally utters are
"…I'm sorry…"
With her face down, Gretchen can't bear to see Lynette's sorrowful face.
"Oh, my? Why are you apologizing, Grace?" Lynette asked
"…no, It's just, while it's obvious, I never thought you're bearing such horrible torture in your heart…"
Lynette smiled
"Don't worry about that, Grace. I'm quite used to it right now…"
Lynette then approaches Gretchen.
"…besides, Grace…"
Lynette caresses her cheek, and turns Gretchen's head to face her. She stared into Gretchen's eyes. Gretchen knows those kinds of eyes. Lynette's beautiful eyes that always mirror her care and cherish towards her. Those eyes are not full of sorrow, but instead it's full of happiness.
"…how can I be despaired when I know you are always by my side?" Lynette said
Lynette's voice is not a voice of sorrow. Gretchen can feel the warmth of her voice.
The bleak and heavy atmosphere of the lab turns into a warming and wholesome.
"…Lynn…" Gretchen muttered
Gretchen holds Lynette's hand that's caressing her cheek. She could feel that hand, a soft and warm hand that always calms her whenever she feels distressed.
It could have been a very intimate moment for them. Unfortunately, both of them seem to forget where they are right now.
"You two lovebirds get the fuck out of my lab!"
"Hah!?"
Kreszentia shouted, shattering all of the emotional walls that have been built. From her expression, she's quite unamused by it.
Gretchen and Lynette startled by her shouting.
"Geez, we are at the good part, you know!" Lynette pouted
"...Christ, get a room, you two!" Kreszentia continues to grumble
"…ahahaha, sorry for that Kriemhild…" Gretchen laughed it off
"Oh my? Why are you apologizing, Grace?" Kreszentia mockingly mimic Lynette's word
"Hey! I'm the only one who is allowed to call her with that!" Lynette protested
"Really? Alright then, what about I call her Gretchie?" Kreszentia dared on Lynette
Lynette took the bait and confronts her
"Oh? Do you think you're already close enough with her to call her with a pet name?" Lynette said, as she crossed her arms
"Well of course! In fact, I'm sure you remember that she already saw my naked body!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Do you really need to bring that up!?" Gretchen panicked
"You call that close? I used to bathe together with her even in this day and age!" Lynette contended back
"Lynn, not you too!!"
"Oh yeah? Then I bet you already feel her skin too?"
"Oh why I do! When we are bathing together, I always washed her body, her back, and her breasts too!! Are you jealous, huh? I remember clearly the texture and juiciness of her parts" Lynette smugly said as she demonstrated with her hand how she cleans Gretchen's chest area
"LYNN!!" Gretchen shouted as her privacy is being spread open
"Really? Then what about her va—OUCH!"
Gretchen managed to throw a book at Kreszentia before she finished her sentence.
"YOU TWO STOP THIS INSTANTLY!!" she shouted as her face is totally covered in bright red colour.
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