"Hello, William," she said, her voice wrapping around his name like silk.
After speaking, she let out a long sigh. Her tall frame, once 6'1, suddenly shrank down to 5'6 "This feels right,"
Then turned sharply to Wenny. "Wenny! Quick, give me some casual clothes, it's hard to act this elegant!"
She quickly ducked behind the curtain of her dress, clutching it closed.
Wenny looked genuinely heartbroken at the sight of the elegant gown being discarded.
Still he opened a floating screen and began scrolling through options, tapping on one.
He stepped a little closer, but she shot him a sharp look. "Don't even think about it, you perv!"
Wenny paused mid-step raising both hands in innocence, and simply pointed at the screen. "I was just picking clothes. Do these work?"
She squinted at the display for a moment.
Then her face twisted with disgust. "Less revealing!!" she shouted.
Wenny looked from her to the screen, confused. "What do you mean? It only shows your belly button. This kind of outfit is super common!"
"It still shows skin!" she barked back. "Only my head and hands should be visible! That's modest enough!"
"Alright, alright, I'll change it." He quickly grabbed the screen back, started making exaggerated motions, dragging icons around like he was assembling a digital puzzle.
Then, in an instant, a new outfit materialized onto her.
Long white pants flowed down her legs, brushing lightly against the tops of her shoes with each small movement.
The crisp white shimmered faintly under the ambient light.
A pink shirt hugged her figure. Its soft color was warm and subtle, just enough to draw the eye.
Over it, a cropped white jacket settled on her shoulders.
It ended just above her waist. The sleeves clung gently to her arms, stopping just at the wrists.
"Much better," she exhaled with satisfaction.
But as she tried to take a step, something felt… off.
A blush crept over her cheeks. She turned to Wenny with furious eyes. "Where is my—!!"
Her voice cracked with embarrassment and rage.
Wenny blinked, then tilted his head.
A beat later, realization hit. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't know your size," he said innocently, though the playful tone in his voice betrayed him.
She simply brushed it off and walked toward William.
"Hello, I'm Mim," she said with a small, polite smile.
William looked at her and shook her hand.
His mind was still trying to process everything that had just happened.
"Sorry for the grand entrance," she added, tilting her head toward Wenny. "That was his idea."
The Wenny just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.
William didn't even try to hold back his suspicion. "Are you two… beelp?"
Wenny gagged so hard he nearly threw up on the spot.
While Mim whipped around and glared at him, absolutely furious. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM WENNY!!"
"I didn't write that line!" Wenny yelped defensively, waving his hands like a man trying to prove his innocence in court.
"I will not allow it!" Mim snapped, her voice roaring like a thunder.
In a panic, Wenny whipped out his screen, pricked his finger, and drawing a little blood, rewrote the word on the floating text to 'bleep'.
"There! I changed it, okay!? Don't look at me like that!" And with that, he bolted, Mim chasing after him, hurling furious curses.
William stood there, blinking.
Somehow… these two felt more human than most people he'd ever met.
Mim saw the tears welling up in William's eyes and rushed to him.
"Don't cry, my child it's not you, it's definitely him!" she said, glaring sharply at Wenny.
Wenny gasped overly dramatically "Huh?!"
But when he caught a glimpse of William's watery eyes, his expression shifted. Quietly, he walked over.
With a sigh, Wenny reached into his coat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
There weren't many left, maybe five.
He took one for himself, leaving four.
"Here" he said simply, holding the pack out to William.
Mim's expression twisted as she was about to beat Wenny.
She moved to stop them, her voice sharp. "Don't even think about it, you two!"
But Wenny didn't flinch. His tone was sharp. "I wrote him based on my friend. So he will… no, he needs to."
It was rare, but the shift in his voice was unmistakable. Even behind the mask, it was clear, he meant every word.
Mim wasn't happy about it, not at all. But it was rare where Wenny was serious. So she backed down.
William looked at the pack, then back at Wenny.
Wenny huffed, a little flustered. "Don't look at me like that. I know I'm poor, these were all I had left, so don't overthink it!"
Mim's irritation only grew at the very thought of William smoking.
Her eyes narrowed, arms crossed tightly.
But before she could speak, William wiped his tears away and stepped forward, pulling them both into a sudden embrace.
"It was tears of joy," he said softly, holding them close.
Mim silently patted his head. There was no need for words.
Wenny, meanwhile, slipped the pack back into his coat.
"You really are a momma's boy, you know that?"
He was the first to step away, lighting his cigar with a small flick.
"You two enjoy yourselves. I've got something to take care of real quick," as he was already walking toward the portal, smoke trailing behind him.