Sorry about no updates for a while, but I finished spell-checking my book, so later updates should be quicker. ^-^copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡftaOSmN4Fj
We reach the lab, & I unlock the door by press making my hand upon the Indentation Detector. Steam envelopes your hand, read making the indentations on every single different hand. My hand & Peregrine's are the only hands authorised to enter the lab. My sister said she couldn't go in because it would turn her stomach, & Peregrin's parents had no interest in enter making despite their having bought the lab.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh24vA4vIn
As such, I had pretty much free reign & close to infinite funds to use in the lab, as I received an exceedingly generous cheque for lab-work, a thousand bits a month, which I doubt I could ever fully use despite the high costs of maintain making my oddities & the lab. Whatever I did not use, I always return to Peregrin's parents.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5zRFcz90c
I walk into the Steam Illusion Decomposition System, & wait for Peregrine to turn it on. I have not voice activated it because it has become routine for Peregrine to accompany me into the lab so nothing goes awry. I wait as it peels off the steam blend particle layers that compose the illusion of skin on my left pointer finger, my right SRDs, & part of the right side of my face. My eye itches as the machine tries to analyse whether or not my Condensed Liquiform Analytical Engine Lens is part of the illusion or not. They could be considered part of the illusion, due to the fact that it's coloured to match my left eye, which is dark brown, almost black except when caught in the sunlight, when it shines a beautiful amber brown. Or so I have been told by Peregrine. The system comes to a stop, & I step out. I eye my metal finger & shiver. I wonder what my face must look like with it's metal features to others. I don't keep any reflective surfaces in the lab, everything is matte, & the last time I saw myself without the illusion particles was years ago.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfFz3yVQDA
Suddenly, I notice Peregrine wav making his hand in my face & I blink.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95Sc9oNeTv
He exhales, " For a moment there I thought maybe the machine had decomposed something in your IEMP..."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnAbegnOqo
" Don't be absurd. Most of my IEMP is completely flesh. The part that is machine doesn't have aught to do with that type of thing... I think."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PEGoIfkyS
" Exactly my point."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIXNV7bJl4
" Alright, I had better get in the glitch scanner..."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXsP8H6www
" Wait."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwlydJgs4P
" What?" I asked confused.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZyjMuqYdM
" Take out the lens."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sJwiSdooJ
" Why?"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjggSuZ9W4
" The scan is slower with it in." he paused.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡYi3xBQ21Of
" Also..." he scratched his head.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSIxo0pCoN
" You know I like it better when it's out." he said sheepishly.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡmj7CzZ7z83
" I don't see why. It just makes my imperfections glare out at you all the more."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7lGEWwGYk
" Just take it out."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMdEjBEId3
" Fine. I'll do it." I grumble, tak making out the lens & sett making it down in a little box.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAmDdVCkuK
He smiled at see making my eye without the lens.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7RJOwGkdE
" Much better. I bet you are actually feel making better now. I don't know if I could stick one of those things in my eye. It looks uncomfortable. I don't understand why you do it. Your eye is beautiful."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡFarSOKuttI
" If it were up to you I should probably have to prance around in my undergarments, with all my metal parts show making, & my defective eye glow making with it's brightness & blind making every one who saw it."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZiSDvOgPj
" Frankly, yes, yes I would. The undergarments part is go making too far, because a simple dress does not count as an undergarment, in my opinion."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dqSXfpDzD
" You silly little boy. Undergarments & decency are not defined by silly little boys." I say, shak making my finger at him while grinn making.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡifNJ8BuC5X
He immediately puffs up.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBXCuA8iQX
" Now just who do you think you are call making a silly little boy? I'll remind you that I am much taller than you, & years older!"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRb2K8iaMR
I stick my tongue out & chant, " Silly little boy, silly little boyyy!"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡN57AOfbjSh
" Oh yeah, Miss Shorty?"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcSePnOXGF
He moves even closer, directly in front of me & puts his hand to his fore-head, mov making the hand upwards & back to his forehead repeatedly.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡVix6lhfDr2
" See? I am clearly the taller one."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡve7DOWS0fK
" You are slant making your hands upwards! Not fair!" I reach for his hand, try making to pull it down & make it go straight.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwXaKMyzJe
He sees his watch as I pull his hands down, & his eyes widen.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFxMMS32wv
" Alright, just get in the scanner, it is getting late." he pauses.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41JcEy8xzo
" I'm still taller than you, though."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRUf2F1AeL
" Shut your big bazoo, child." as we walk over to the scanner & I step into it, shutt making the door before he can say anything further.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtrmfdfjfL
I smile as I see him say making something that looks a lot like Miss Shorty through the transparent metal that forms the scanner's body.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkNyws7E0G
The scanner says " Commenc making Scan..."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iyYxBDzbS
I see the scanner pass making over & I have a realisation.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1mMoBZEVf
It worked! It's not making all those awful clank making noises anymore. I streamlined the design yesterday, removed quite a few of the gears & polished the ones I absolutely could not removecopyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJzdi5GpKG
A few seconds later, " Scan completed. Results visible on Analytical Engine's Liquiform Viewer."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NYFMwgp5s
I step out, & Peregrine nods, indicat making that everything is in order.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡirtEdSfdwa
" Oh, there is actually one thing..." he says.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWU29c7QBS
" Yeah? Is my finger joint act making up again? It has been a bit off now that I think about it..." I look at my finger.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIGvns2DS8
" No, it's not that."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5azzOMr4ZX
I look up & see a small smile he's trying to hold back. I narrow my eyes.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsU9u3mCUY
" It says you need to clean our your SRDs more often. Also, that I'm definitely taller than you."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqGbW4DYHw
I huff, curl making my hand into a fist, but then relax making it.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NGFmvsOzr
" Don't do that to me, you little kid."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPUGZoKl0E
I flex my finger.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡjv50G14k0M
" Guess nothing is wrong with my poor finger after all. I had better put the illusion back on."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6zxMW2eLC
" Please don't... Just this once."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxsAerYYMY
I turn to him.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6tI7aKbuL
" Please don't what?"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlRySEuVSg
" No illusion."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyN081r60e
" No illusion?"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DkzmsK7Ee
" Yeah."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCzKasoFnh
" Why?" confusedly said by me.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVPJVYLn5L
" You know I like it better."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡBapWKMouU2
" You have never asked me to keep it like this, though."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNFixPLWv8
" You know why Hermes is com making, Ollie."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq429Z0Vm5
" I don't know for sure..."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYg6U1TjvN
He stares at me, half-lidded, sarcastically.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡleA0x8Qi4l
" Alright, fine, just this once I won't, but I'm putting it back on when we return."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡriLvkVvlQS
" Sure you are."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxQIELJx4f
I look at him, my brow arched.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡkquVq23hl8
" & just what is that supposed to mean?"copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMqoiLkN7b
" Nothing. Nothing at all."copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyIwhnh1Um
My IEMP growls.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfMLacNeu8
& at the command of it, we walk out of the room to (finally) go on our little picnic.copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6VMvdxP1E
Out of curiosity, do you guys like the use of '&' instead of 'and'?copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HdJev7ww1
P.S. Don't forget to vote if you think people look better without illusions. :Pcopyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNhEysRmGl
Legolass+copyright protection83ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2sqPXEnNF
ns54.81.197.24da2
