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Leonard and the red gloves were assigned a mission to research the wandering magician, Merlin Hermes. Although, Leonard knew that ‘he’, no he, was just one of Klein’s many identities. The mission was in Limon City which was incredibly far away. Leonard knew Klein would leave that place soon, just as he started walking to the cathedral after a short expedition, he saw a figure, a young man with shoulder length hair, dressed in a magician’s robe. Klein.
Before he could walk up to him, one of his teammates, Cindy, whispered to him, “Hey, doesn’t that guy perfectly match the description of the man from the recent report?”
Leonard sighed, such a hassle, he wanted to speak to Klein. “We shouldn’t bother him, remember, he is using the acting method in the form of granting wishes, which is the specialty of the sequence 2 of the seer pathway.”
“You used he instead of ‘he’? Captain, could you be familiar with ‘him’” Cindy asked.
Leonard momentarily paused, he was so used to simply referring to Klein casually, calling him a ‘him’ had never once crossed his mind, Klein also preferred to be referred to as a he.
“Captain?”
“Sorry what?”
“So you do huh?”
"No, I do not know 'him'" Leonard denied, the word coming unfamiliar from his mouth.
Cindy gave him a suspicious look but decided not to pry further.
***
Ha, that fellow is still the same as ever, maybe a small little prank wouldn't hurt. It may even help with my humanity. A man walking along smiled to himself, his cape casually flowing with his shoulder length hair in the wind.
***
The next day Leonard was yet again out with his team of red gloves, they had to take note of any abnormalities happening in dark streets and alleyways. Suddenly, he stopped. In front of him stood a wardrobe like machine, the ‘Fully Automatic Wishing Machine’!
“Captain, could it be more than a coincidence that yesterday we saw the wandering magician and today we see ‘his’ invention?” his team member, Bob, asked.
Of course, Leonard saw what he was implying, coincidences don’t just happen in the beyonder world. Leonard knew that, even more so because of his interactions with 0-08. What is Klein thinking doing this? No way could it just be to mess with me right?
“You already know the answer.” Leonard replied.
Bob nodded. “We should head back and report it to Lord Anthony.”
“What if it disappears before a team arrives?” Cindy asked.
“I will stay and watch it, you two can go back.” Leonard said.
“Captain, are you sure that’s a good idea? I think only one of us needs to go back, I can stay with you while Bob informs the church.”
Leonard's expression darkened for an unnoticeable moment before he responded, “alright.”
With that, Bob left.
Although captain and teammate, it was quite awkward between the two, Leonard usually stuck to himself since his transfer from Tingen. Cindy took a glance up at Leonard, he was staring directly at the machine, as if waiting for something.
Captain has been suspicious since that magician showed up… He doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of losing control though, maybe that magician could actually be a friend of his? It’s quite surprising, everyone really thought he had no friends.
Whilst Cindy was thinking, before she even realised, a figure had appeared before Leonard! And who else but the magician himself? Leonard, who was also thinking to himself, snapped back to reality. But rather than taking action like the captain she knew, he just stood there, and stood.
The magician laughed. “Hello there, good sir, good ma’am, might I interest you in my invention, the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine for just a single coin?”
“Kl- Mr. Magician, apologies but we have no current interest in any wishes.” Leonard replied after a pause.
“Are you sure? No one you want to meet? No questions you want answered?” The magician poked.
Leonard was taken aback, those were the exact things he wanted, in fact if Cindy wasn’t there, he might have actually gone in. “Cindy, please go and grab some lettuce.” He used code to tell her to report back to church immediately.
She did as told.
***
After making sure she left, Leonard turned to Merlin. “Klein what are you doing!?”
“Hahaha!” Klein laughed, “My dear poet classmate, did you enjoy my little prank?”
Leonard shot him an annoyed look before laughing himself, “pfft, Klein you really got me there, I don’t suppose this ‘little prank’ of yours was to regain humanity was it?”
The atmosphere suddenly felt a bit darker, “yes,” he replied solemnly.
Noticing the deepening atmosphere, Leonard placed his hand on Klein’s shoulder, “Sooo, are you going to give me three wishes as compensation for messing with me?”
“Sure, Mr. Star, what are your wishes?”
Leonard thought for a bit before replying, “could you meet me as you? As the you without a mask? Meet me at my place tonight, around 8?”
Klein looked a bit taken aback but nodded, “your wish shall be granted. You have two more”
“Thank you. By the way, how long will you be here for?”
“Well, I was planning on leaving the machine here until tonight, but I’ll probably pack it up a bit earlier, oh your backup’s here, see you later.” With that he disappeared.
“Captain! Are you alright?”
“Yep yep, all good.” Leonard replied casually.
“...the machine’s still here.” A Nighthawk said.
Deacon Crestet cautiously approached the machine. He then looked back at Leonard, “I heard the magician approached you? After Cindy left to report it, what interaction did the two of you have?”
“He- uh ‘he’ just was trying to advertise his machine, ‘he’ quickly left after I expressed disinterest.”
Crestet nodded, “return to the church and write a report on the incident. We will handle the situation from here.”
Without a second thought, Leonard walked off followed by Cindy and Bob.
“Captain, did anything else happen?” Cindy asked.
Is she suspicious of me or something? “No, nothing else truly transpired, he left basically just after you did.”
Again with the he rather than ‘he’... Cindy thought.
***
As they got back to the church office, Leonard quickly summed up the events, by the time he finished, Crestet and his team had gotten back.
“Any updates?” He asked.
“No, any attempt to seal it predictably failed, when we grouped up to discuss it disappeared.”
Leonard nodded, “I’ll be off then, do I have to be here tomorrow?”
“No, you’re not on until 3 days from now.”
***
Returning to 7 Pinster street he decided to actually cook something today since Klein was coming over. He didn’t have much in his pantry since he didn’t need to eat as much as a sequence 4.
It was only 7:45 so he decided to just head out to the store instead. Going to the store he grabbed some steak along with some seasoning and premade salad. As he returned he placed a pan on the stove and under Pallez’s instructions, prepared and cooked the steak. He finished at 5 to 8.
Just then, he heard a knock on the door, Klein! He happily rushed to the door, unlocking it. Meeting him was a man he was oh so familiar, yet unfamiliar with, as he had wished, he was in his original appearance.
“Klein!” He said enthusiastically.
“Leonard, good to see you again.” Klein smiled.
“Come in, I’ve made dinner.”
My dear poet classmate, you sound like a wife greeting a husband coming back from work. Klein internally laughed.
Entering his house, it was cleaner than expected but still decently messy. He was welcomed by the warm smell of steak. It smelled nice.
Klein sat himself down on the table, Leonard across from him.
“...”
“...”
No one spoke, it was very awkward. They both just stared at each other whilst also eating.
“Klein, it’s truly good to see you again.”
Klein looked up from his food, “As to you, Leonard.”
They continued eating quietly.
"How does the food taste?"
"Mm, better than I thought." Klein replied after taking a final bite.
Better than you thought?? Klein, what low expectations did you have for me? Leonard finished his meal and went out to his pantry to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses. He sat back at the table and poured a glass for him and Klein.
Klein picked up the glass, swirled it around and took a drink, Leonard did the same.
***
3 bottles in, Leonard was admittedly a bit tipsy, Klein was a bit affected but not too much. They were now sitting on the couch rather than the table
“Kleinnn~”
“Leonard, you’re drunk.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“...” Klein sighed, He’s a complete lightweight! Seriously, he’s already a sequence 4 and can’t take alcohol?
Leonard suddenly walked up to Klein and hugged him, Klein was a bit taken aback but allowed it. He let a small smile slip. As he thought, hanging out with Leonard, where he can be the closest to his true self than anywhere else, is truly the best for his humanity!
“Klein…”
“Yes?”
“Klein, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you…”
“Mm,”
“Klein… Do you miss me?” Leonard stared at Klein with puppy eyes, a desperate expression crossed his face.
“...yes. I do. I miss you, I miss the Tingen Nighthawks too.”
“Yes, even now I think about them often. Have you ever considered visiting them?”
“I can’t…”
“Sure you can!” Leonard smiled, “for my second wish, I want you to go with me to Tingen and visit the Blackthorn security company. I’ll invite you when I’m available”
Klein stared for a second before replying, “sure.”
Leonard, who was hugging Klein until this point, finally let go, but he just went back to the pantry, “Leonard, you’ve already had too much to drink, it’s bad for your liver.”
“Okay…”
“...”
“...”
It was awkward again. Leonard moved to sit closer to Klein, my dear poet classmate, why do you still seem so gay? Although you’ve matured more, you still seem the same in a way. Jeez, any woman who likes your handsome face would probably be rejected by your quirkiness.
Klein, felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, it was Leonard, he had moved to lean his head onto his shoulder. Klein sighed, but against his better judgement, he put his arm around Leonard’s waist, pulling him closer to himself.
Klein spoke softly, “I wish for a blanket to surround us.”
Leonard snuggled up to Klein, and they fell asleep in eachothers arms.
***
Klein awoke in a daze. He put his hand on head, “I wish to not have a hangover.”
With that, his mind cleared up. He felt memories coming to his head and suddenly recalled the events that transpired the night prior. If it wasn’t for his clown abilities, his face would’ve flushed a bright red hue. He looked around, Leonard isn’t here, well that is to be expected, the sleepless beyonders don’t require much sleep after all. Wait… if Leonard woke up first then..! Klein’s face did flush a red this time, but he quickly cleared it away.
Klein sat up, it was then he smelt the smell of toast bread.
“Klein you’re awake!” Leonard walked in holding a plate with four pieces of toast, spread with strawberry jam.
Leonard’s face was slightly red, it was understandable considering the circumstances he probably woke up to. Leonard placed the plate on the table in front of the couch and grabbed a slice. Klein also grabbed one, sweet. They ate in silence, only after Leonard finished his second piece did he speak.
“Did I say anything strange last night?”
“No, but you did make a wish.”
“Ah, uh, what was the wish?” He asked
“You wished for us to visit the Tingen Nighthawks together.”
“Ah, I see, should we go then? You need to fulfil the wish right?”
“Yes, but don’t you have work?”
“I would but I’m on a three day break.”
“Alright.”
***
Around 15 minutes later they were both changed and ready to head out(Klein wished himself a change of clothes).
“Ready?”
“Of course, what about you Klein, are you ready to face them as you?”
Klein hesitantly nodded, in truth he was understandably nervous, “I wish for Leonard and I to be teleported to a secluded street in Tingen near the Blackthorn security company.”
With that, they ended up in a small alleyway. Klein shifted his characteristics a bit using his faceless powers, he now looked like a mix between Zhou Mingrui and Klein Moretti.
“Let's go.” Leonard said softly with a warm smile.
They arrived at the door, Leonard let himself in.
“Hmm, oh! Leonard, welcome. I didn’t know you were coming in today.”
“Hello Rozanne, it's good to see you again. How are you?”
“Good, how are you? Hm, who’s that?” She asked, noticing Klein who had walked in behind Leonard.
“He’s someone you haven’t seen in a while heh.”
“Leonard, you still have that same old habit of trying to be mysterious… Just get to the point already.”
“Don’t you recognise him,” he turned around to look at Klein, “Huh, when’d you change your appearance?”
“I…” Klein started but just ended up trailing off.
“Come onnn, remember, I wished.”
“Hahhh…” Klein sighed, “alright.”
As he said that he put his hand to cover his face, when he removed the hand, staring at the face of Rozanne, was someone who she thought had died, standing in front of her, was Klein Moretti.
“N-no way… Klein?!” Rozanne gasped, she physically backed away from the front desk, knocking down her stack of magazines, a loud thud was heard as they hit the ground.
Because of the sound, Frye came out from his office, only to be stopped in his tracks by the man in front of him, “Leonard and… no way, Klein?”
“Hello.” Klein waved awkwardly. "It's been a while…"
"Leonard, explain."
"Ummm so basically Klein resurrected and went into hiding."
Frye did not look convinced, "resurrected? How could a sequence 8 be resurrected?"
Leonard looked at Klein. His eyes screamed 'can you please please please help me?'
Klein sighed, "I am unable to disclose that information, I apologise. But, Frye, it's good to see you again, you too Rozanne."
It was only then that tears began to well up in Rozanne's eyes, "yes it's good to see you alive, Klein."
"I'm going to inform Royale and Seeka." Frye said, quickly walking away.
Before long, two more figures appeared alongside Frye.
"It's real…" Royale mouthed.
***
The rest of the day was spent catching up, and a lot of questions.
"I'm sorry we have to leave now, I'm unsure when I'll be able to visit again, please stay safe." Klein gave his farewells and departed with Leonard. "Oh yeah, don't tell anyone we were here."
And with that, they left.
Klein wished them back to Backlund, more specifically Leonard's place.
"Klein, how are you now?"
"...I'm feeling quite refreshed."
"That's good, uh maybe we can hang out some more! It's good for you!"
"Of course we should."
"Thank you for today Leonard. It was fun." Klein gave a solemn smile. "I should head off now, but before that, is there anything you want to use your final wish for?"
"I… I'll save it."
Klein nodded. He turned around to leave but he felt a warm arm grab his waist, restricting his movement.
"Leonard?"
Leonard stayed still for a bit, embracing him. Eventually he let go.
"Goodbye Klein, I hope to see you again soon, stay safe."
***
…
***
"Klein, for my third and final wish, I wish that you would wake up…"