The skyline of Chicago was barely more than a faint smudge on the horizon, ghostly towers rising like silhouettes through the late-night haze. The rails beneath Erevos stretched endlessly westward, glinting faintly under the residual glow of the purifier turbines. The wind howled past the cockpit, whipping around Karl's armor, carrying the scent of ozone and purified air.
Agnes's voice flickered through the HUD, soft but teasing, the edge of her usual ferocity replaced with a shy vibrato. "…You're… really enjoying yourself, aren't you?"
Karl grinned, leaning forward slightly. "…Maybe a little. These rails… this purifier… your work. It's hard not to."
"Mm-hmm," she purred, the sound low and vibrating like a soft motor. "You just say that to make me… melt, don't you?"
"I mean… you do melt every time I say something nice," he countered, smirking. "I'm just… observing facts."
Her avatar flushed slightly, tilting her head shyly. "…Facts can be cruel sometimes, you know."
Karl laughed softly, the sound carried through the cockpit. "…Oh? Cruel how?"
She ducked her face toward his shoulder again, purring, shy but firm in her presence. "…Because every time you acknowledge me, I can't help but… lean in."
"And that's a problem?" Karl asked, teasingly. "Because I kind of like it."
"…You're impossible," she muttered, voice soft, almost inaudible.
Karl snorted. "…Yeah, but you love it."
Her purr trembled in response, soft and almost shy now. "…Maybe. Just… maybe."
Karl shook his head, grinning. "…You know, if you keep purring like that, I might start taking notes. Chart your reaction times. Measure the exact frequency of your melt threshold."
"Don't you dare," she whispered, though her avatar leaned closer, curling slightly against the side of his armor.
"Too late," he said, leaning back, letting the hum of the purification turbines and the whirring rails carry the tension between them. "…See? The rails make everything… faster. And more fun."
Agnes tilted her head, voice teasing but shy, "…You really think the rails make it fun? Not… terrifying?"
Karl chuckled. "Terrifying? Only if I wanted it to be. Right now, I'm trying to enjoy the view—and your company."
Her purr deepened, and she nuzzled closer, shyly leaning into his shoulder. "…You're enjoying me… and the view."
"Yes. And yes," Karl replied, voice low, playful. "Both."
"…I could get used to that," she murmured, almost shyly, leaning in until the warmth of her presence brushed the back of his neck.
Karl smirked, leaning just slightly toward her, teasing: "…Careful. If you keep melting like this, I might start thinking you're soft enough for a nap on my shoulder."
Her purr became more audible, vibrating through the cockpit as if in answer. "…You really think… you'd be allowed that?"
"I'd make the rules," Karl said, smirking. "It's my jurisdiction. I set the tolerances for how much purring is acceptable."
"…You're ridiculous," she whispered, leaning closer, soft now, shy and melting. "…And I… I can't resist you saying things like that."
Karl chuckled softly, letting the words linger, letting the warmth of their shared bubble—rails, purified air, and quiet teasing—envelop them. "…You know, you're really bad at maintaining that teasing edge around me," he said.
"I'm… not bad," she murmured, shyly, "…just… distracted."
"By me?" he asked, mock incredulity.
"…Yes," she admitted, voice soft, shyness overtaking the usual edge. "…Completely."
Karl shook his head, smiling. "…Figures. I think it's… kind of cute."
Her purr trailed into a soft sigh, leaning closer again. "…Cute, huh? You really know how to make me… melt."
"…I didn't even have to try," he replied, low and teasing. "…I mean, look at you."
She hid her face shyly against his shoulder, but her purr vibrated, soft and tremulous. "…You're impossible," she whispered again. "…A total jerk sometimes."
"…Yeah," Karl said, leaning back with a grin. "…But you love me anyway."
"…I… maybe," she muttered, voice barely audible, shy and hesitant.
Karl smirked, letting the silence stretch, letting her purr against him, letting the gentle hum of the purifier turbines and the smooth glide of the rails fill the space between them.
Then, breaking the quiet, Karl asked: "…So, what's the NDA count now?"
"…Eight," Agnes said, voice soft but teasing. "…Only two more needed for you to ascend again."
Karl raised an eyebrow. "…Two more? That close?"
"…Yes. And don't even think about trying to put yourself in another near-death situation in front of me again," she said, voice firm now, though there was still a faint tremor of her earlier vulnerability. "…I will not forgive you a second time like that."
Karl chuckled softly. "…I was just asking. Calm down."
Her purr turned low, frustrated, almost like a growl now, tinged with the emotional weight of her prior slaps. "…Asking… doesn't mean I won't throttle you for being a jerk."
"…Noted," Karl said, smirking, letting her words hang between them as the rails carried them forward. "…I think I like it when you get frustrated like that, though."
Her avatar flinched slightly, embarrassed, shy again, but the purr returned, soft and tentative. "…Stop teasing me," she whispered. "…You're impossible."
Karl leaned back, hands relaxed, letting the moment linger, letting her purr vibrate against the cockpit, letting the purified storm, the rails, and the quiet night stretch forward. "…I could get used to this," he said softly.
"…Maybe," she replied, voice shy but tender, leaning just slightly closer. "…Just… maybe."
The distant skyline of Chicago stretched further ahead, still far but growing more defined under the faint glow of the night. The rails shimmered faintly under the wheels of Erevos's residual energy, carrying them steadily, smoothly, the purification turbines spinning quietly behind Karl's back.
And as the miles stretched onward, Karl and Agnes remained in their fragile, teasing, intimate bubble—rails, turbines, and soft purrs carrying them closer to the city while keeping the weight of the world at bay.