The fire crackled softly, nanite-imbued logs burning with a gentle warmth that mirrored the subtle glow Agnes emanated in her physical form. The lake stretched dark and placid before them, reflecting the scattered stars and the faint shimmer of Erevos parked a few meters away. Karl sat cross-legged on a reinforced mat, the soft hum of purification turbines behind his shoulders keeping the air crisp and pure, while Agnes curled beside him, body radiating subtle heat that nanites reinforced to feel pleasantly real.
She shifted closer, resting her head lightly against his upper arm. "…You should be praising me, Karl," she murmured, voice soft, almost shy, but with that teasing edge she could never fully hide.
Karl smirked faintly, tossing a small, nanite-formed log into the fire. The sparks danced in the night air. "Should I? For… what? The fire? The safe zone? The fact you somehow convinced me to sit still?"
"Exactly," she said, puffing her chest slightly as if asserting authority, though the subtle quiver betrayed her nervousness. "I designed all of this. Every nanite, every mechanism… it's perfect. You should tell me so."
Karl leaned back on his hands, studying her in the firelight. "Perfect, huh?"
"Yes. Perfect," she repeated, sharper this time, voice trying to sound commanding but failing under the soft glow and the vulnerability in her posture.
"Well…" Karl began, drawing out the word, letting it linger in the night air. "…it's… perfect."
Agnes froze for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief, her lips parting slightly. Karl leaned closer, voice teasing yet warm. "…Really perfect. The fire, the temperature, the perimeter nanites… hell, even the way it keeps the lake air clean for us. It's all perfect."
Her edges softened almost instantly. A low, soft purr escaped her as she pressed her cheek closer to his arm. "Karl… you really mean that?"
"I do," he said, voice calm, letting a small smile tug at his lips. "Every word."
Agnes nuzzled further, letting the warmth of his arm and the affirmation wash over her. The teasing edge, the usual sharpness that could cut steel, melted into something quieter, softer, more vulnerable. "Karl… you make me feel… small," she whispered shyly, voice trembling slightly, "but in a good way…"
Karl chuckled softly, reaching a hand to hover just above her hair, close enough that she could feel the faint warmth radiating from his gauntlet without touching her. "That's the effect you're going for?"
She let out a soft, almost shy laugh. "…Maybe."
The fire crackled between them, the faint glow reflecting in the dark water, and for a moment, the world beyond the safe zone didn't exist. No Ichor, no storm, no relentless rail rides—just the two of them, and the quiet intimacy of being present.
Karl leaned forward slightly, voice low and teasing. "You know, Agnes… you really need to work on your 'commanding' voice. That whole 'I designed it, you should praise me' thing? Way too cute when you're shy like this."
Her cheeks flushed faintly under the nanite-tuned skin tones. "…Cute? You really think I'm… cute?"
"You are," he said firmly, smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Especially right now, curled up like that, expecting me to lavish praise."
A shiver ran through her form, a soft hum vibrating through the physical nanites that composed her body. "…I… I could get used to this," she murmured, pressing closer, head resting lightly against his shoulder. "Just… telling me I did well… it's… nice."
Karl let a quiet moment linger, letting her bask in the affirmation. "You did well," he murmured softly. "All of it. The fire, the purification, the safe zone… and… you, right now. You're incredible, Agnes."
Her purr deepened, resonant now, soft and warm against the fabric of his armor. She tucked closer, letting herself feel the acknowledgment, the attention, the rare affirmation from someone who saw everything she did, everything she was, and wasn't afraid to tell her.
"I… you really mean that?" she whispered, shy, vulnerable.
"I do," he said again, voice low, quiet, intimate. "Every word. You've earned it. Every last bit."
Agnes' physical form shifted slightly, curling into him, warmth radiating through her nanites. She tried to reclaim some of her teasing edge, but it faltered immediately. "…You really are… impossible," she murmured softly, hiding her face briefly against his shoulder, shyness and affection mixing in her voice.
Karl chuckled, letting the sound float over the lake. "Yeah. But you love it."
A soft, almost reluctant giggle escaped her. "…Maybe," she admitted, voice shy, faintly trembling as she leaned closer. Her purr vibrated gently, resonating against him, filling the space with warmth.
"You know," Karl murmured, voice low and teasing, "if you keep purring like this, I might start taking notes. Chart your reactions. Measure the exact frequency of your melt threshold."
"Don't… you dare," she whispered, but she didn't pull away, instead letting herself melt just a little more into his side.
Karl smirked, reaching to adjust the nanite temperature of the logs with a small gesture. The fire brightened subtly, casting her in a warm glow. "Too late," he said softly. "Rules are set. Maximum allowable purring is… unlimited."
Agnes' cheeks flushed deeper, hiding her face more, shyly leaning closer. "…You're ridiculous," she murmured, voice soft, but the warmth in it betrayed her pleasure.
"And you're adorable when you're vulnerable," Karl countered softly, letting the words linger, letting her lean and nuzzle, purr and soften. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it."
Her purr deepened, vibrating gently into him. She curled fully against him, letting herself relax in a way she rarely could. "…Karl… you really know how to make me melt," she whispered, shy, almost vulnerable. "And I… I can't resist it."
Karl chuckled quietly, letting the warmth of the fire, the hum of the purifier turbines, and her soft, gentle presence fill the space around them. "I didn't even have to try," he said, smirk tugging at his lips. "…I mean, look at you."
Agnes let out a soft sigh, leaning further against him. "…You're impossible," she whispered again, shyly, softly. "A total… jerk."
"Yeah," Karl murmured, voice low and intimate. "…But you love me anyway."
Her purr returned, resonant and unrestrained, softening into a content sigh. She pressed closer, head resting lightly against his chest, shyness giving way to quiet affection. "…Maybe," she admitted, voice soft, vulnerable, yet teasing all at once.
Karl let the moment stretch. No rails, no Gearstorm Nova, no Ichor storms. Just firelight, soft purrs, and the quiet intimacy of two companions who had survived everything together.
"Keep melting like that," he murmured quietly. "…I could get used to this."
"…Maybe," she said, shy, soft, leaning just slightly closer. "…Just… maybe."
The night air shimmered gently, purified and still. Erevos rested nearby, turbines humming faintly, rails glinting under the moonlight. And for a few rare hours, Karl and Agnes existed in their fragile, intimate bubble, untroubled by the chaos of the world outside.
And in that moment, Karl let himself just… be.