Dance with the Russian

Isaac knows a lot of people within the Foundation — some he wants to approach and befriend due to certain reasons, while some he wants to avoid due to very obvious reasons.

It was because some of them are simply troublesome.

And by troublesome — that was a broad spectrum. Some are manageable and can be talked to, while others are stubborn and hard to get through which could complicate matters for him.

Looking at the drunk woman not far from him, he could easily categorize her in the middle of that spectrum — she's unpredictable, but can be reasoned with.

As for whether she would listen to you, that was a completely different matter.

Lilya's eyes, which were previously lolling, suddenly shifted and took notice of Isaac's figure from the end of the hallway.

Then, slowly standing up, she spoke, her voice a bit slurred and her Russian accent noticeable.

"You there... What are you doing here?"

As she stood up, she swayed from side to side, before gradually standing firm and looking directly at Isaac's figure. It was as if, despite her obvious intoxication, she was still able to fully control her actions.

Standing confidently, he was now able to fully see her appearance.

She had long, voluminous, and sandy blonde hair with tousled layers. Her bangs partially cover one eye, giving her a laid-back, confident vibe. Complementing her hair was her light blue eyes, giving a sense of confidence.

She wore a green tank top with a subtle star emblem, hinting at her military pilot background, coupled with an outerwear that was a large brown aviator-style jacket with patches and a fur-lined collar, enhancing her rugged, pilot-like style.

Finishing it all was her high-waisted black shorts with fur trim, accessorized with a bold star-and-belt buckle design, and a pair of knee-high black combat boots.

Overall, her appearance gives off a vibe of a daring, spirited pilot — the type who's always ready for action and enjoys the thrill of danger.

...one that Isaac really didn't want to confront today.

He bit his lip before raising both of his arms in an attempt to look innocent. "Aha, nothing. I was just... passing by. Yeah, I was just passing by. But you... You seem a bit drunk?"

Lilya didn't interrupt his words and listened well in silence. Then, after he finished speaking, she smirked.

"Heh, this is nothing." She then placed one hand on her waist. "But you... You don't seem to belong here, I take it?"

"What do you mean?" He maintained his façade of an innocent composure.

Lilya continued. Despite having just been seemingly knocked out earlier, she spoke stunningly clear now. "Don't take me for a fool, дорогой (dear). Я ведь знаю, что ты здесь не по делу. (I know you're not here on official business)."

Hearing her speak in Russian, Isaac decided to play along as to try and gain her favor somewhat. "Как такое может быть? Я же правду говорю, честно. (How can that be? I'm telling the truth, really)."

"Oh, you have a smooth tongue." Lilya appeared somewhat surprised before assuming an amused smile. Seeing how they were both comfortable with the language, she continued using it. "But you're missing one key detail here."

She then pointed at her face and continued. "Your face. You might not know this, but everyone who's bothered to be informed knows that you're part of the Timekeeper's group, aren't you?"

"Speaking of which... Shouldn't you be prohibited from leaving your designated building?"

'She caught on so fast...' Isaac's smile twitched as he resisted the instinctive urge to frown. "That... might be true... But!"

Reacting quickly, he pulled out the ID Sonetto had given him. "See this? This ID allows me to legally leave!"

Lilya remained silent for a few moments before smirking once more. Then, she pointed at the ID he was holding. "Look closely, that ID only allows you to enter Laplace. Now, can you guess where you are right now?"

"..." Isaac took her words and looked at the ID. Sure enough, what she was true. Then, turning back to her, he smiled wryly. "...I'm at the SPDM."

"And that means you're illegally trespassing without proper authorization." She scoffed. "You know what that means, right?"

After saying that, Lilya twirled what seemed like keychains on her fingers before clicking what seemed to be a button. A few moments later, something came flying by and hovered beside her.

Its appearance resembled that of a fighter plane but smaller — like a drone.

Seeing her call her weapon, Isaac's smiled faltered. "Um... Can't we just talk this out?"

"What do you think?" She smirked.

He sighed. "...I guess not."

At the next moment, the drone ignited.

In a flash, Lilya hopped onto the machine with ease. The hallway thundered with a burst of wind as her vehicle soared upward and fired a round of warning shots.

Isaac immediately moved.

With a wave of his hand, mist erupted around him, thick and unnatural. The shots passed through the fog, causing them to slow down and fall before hitting anything.

Isaac then reappeared a few meters away in a swirl of fog.

Seeing him, Lilya fired again — rapid bursts of high-velocity rounds that tore through the air.

The fog thickened. It rolled and writhed, swallowing the space like a living thing. The bullets slammed into the walls, the floor, everything except him.

He danced through the mist, reappearing at unpredictable angles, each time further away from the confined space of the hallway.

All the while, he flicked his fingers to redirect her shots subtly — guiding them toward support beams instead of major structures, to reduce the environmental damage.

"I really don't want to do this, you know!" He called out, weaving through another barrage.

"Sorry, but you've become quite suspicious." Lilya answered with another wave of shots.

He clicked his tongue. "Oh, come on..."

Soon, his fog swirled upward, coiling around the projectiles and swallowing their trail. They detonated mid-air, safely, like fireworks in a bottle.

He then exhaled. 'I need to lead her out — fast.'

With one final dash, he vanished and reappeared just outside an open exit into the outdoor field.

"Hey!" He shouted, his voice echoing in the air.

She hovered mid-air, glaring at him with scrutiny in her eyes.

He raised his hands once more, this time not in feigned innocence, but calm warning.

"You keep this up, and they'll detect the ruckus. Misconduct this loud? They won't ask questions before dragging you in! You really want that on your record?"

Lilya paused.

The small plane she was mounting slowed down as her brow furrowed.

Silence stretched between them for a while — the fog spreading out as if wanting to cover what was happening.

Isaac held his breath.

He didn't want to fight her. He just needed her to back off.

For a second... just a second...

It looked like she was considering it.

After a long while, Lilya sighed and got off her small plane. Then, walking out and meeting with Isaac outside, she scoffed while crossing her arms.

"You really do have a way for words."

He heaved a sigh of relief. Still speaking in Russian, he smiled wryly at her. "And I'm glad you have considerate ears. Thank you."

"Hmph." The corner of her mouth twitched. "You say that, but I only did that because you appeared suspicious."

"Fair." He said. Then, with a soft chuckle, gestured toward the now-empty, fog-laced hallway. "Walk with me?"

She quirked a brow and a half smile. "Hah, You're bold. You show up in a place you're not allowed, get caught, almost shot down, and now you want a stroll?"

He hummed. "Strolling's safer than dodging bullets, wouldn't you say?"

Lilya rolled her eyes but didn't argue. With a shrug, she fell in step beside him, their boots echoing softly along the polished tile floors. The tension was still there — but something less hostile had taken its place.

For a while, they walked in silence.

Then Isaac spoke again, tone lighter. "By the way... I haven't told you my name yet. I'm Isaac."

"Lilya." She replied succinctly. "You can just call me that."

"I see." He nodded as he maintained his smile. "So… wanna tell me why you were drinking in school grounds?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Lilya chuckled. "It's the afternoon, so I did it. That's it."

"As for why I'm here... I got wind of something odd going on here. And so, I decided to stick around. The drink just… helped pass time."

He gave her a sideways glance. "That so?"

She nodded. "Call it instinct. SPDM's been a little too clean lately. Almost too clean. It's like that feeling that something's off, but you can't quite put your finger on it."

"I get what you mean." Isaac replied. "In fact, that's sort of why I'm here."

Lilya arched an eyebrow. "So you're admitting to illegal trespassing now?"

He sighed. "Look, I came to check up on someone. Just a… precaution."

"Right." She smirked. "And that someone wouldn't happen to be a green-eyed troublemaker with a penchant for alchemical accidents, would it?"

Isaac blinked. "You know about Sotheby?"

"She's also part of your Timekeeper's team, is she not?" She gave him a sideways glance. "Moreover, there was also an incident with some squirrels growing fangs last week. Who else could've pulled that off?"

"…It was roots, actually. Not fangs." Isaac mumbled.

Lilya scoffed. "Of course you'd know the difference."

They turned a corner, the sound of distant laughter from dorm rooms barely carrying to them. The tension in Lilya's shoulders slowly relaxed.

Then her voice dropped a little. "I really did catch wind of something, you know."

Isaac turned his head.

Lilya looked forward, tone serious now. "Rumors had been going around of some people snooping around causing trouble for arcanists. I dug a bit and traced one here at SPDM."

Isaac's brows furrowed. "…You think someone infiltrated?"

"I think more than one someone might have." She replied. "And the fact that you came snooping around too? Just adds more smoke to the fire."

With that said, she opened her canteen and downed a shot, obviously drinking again.

The air between them grew quiet again. Only the faintest sound of their steps filled the corridor.

"Well..." Isaac finally said, hands in his pockets. "Looks like we're both trespassers with good intentions."

Lilya finished drinking. Her mouth then curved into a smile. "Let's hope we're not the only ones."

And with that, the two formed a loose cooperation for the evening.