Experiment 12: Daylife

"Leia." Eve’s voice was soft. She tugged gently at the blanket. "It’s morning."

Eve frowned slightly. She left the room and returned moments later with Piz. Putting him near the bed, she whispered.

Leia sighed, ruffling Eve’s hair with a smile and look at Piz. "You’re a team of troublemakers, you know that?"

7:00 AM
Leia set the plates on the table. She opened the microwave with a small flourish, revealing a pre packed spaghetti she had reheated from yesterday. Beside it was a plastic container of store bought salad.  

"Here." Leia said, placing the food in front of Eve with a sheepish grin.
Eve tilted her head. "Isn’t this the same thing we ate for dinner yesterday?" 
Leia nodded confidently. "Efficient and no waste."
Eve poked at the spaghetti with her fork. "It’s a little... hard."

Leia sighed, sitting across from Eve. "Cooking isn’t really my."
Eve smiled warmly, taking a small bite. "It’s okay. I still like eating with you."

7:30 AM
The warm steam filled the small bathroom as Leia sat in the tub, leaning back against the edge while Eve sat between her legs, gently splashing the water with her hands.

As the water rippled around them, Eve leaned back into Leia, resting her head against her chest. "Your chest is squishy. Soft like pillow." She said bluntly 

Leia froze, her face immediately turning red. "E-Eve! That’s not something you talk about...."

8:00 AM
Leia stood by the door, adjusting her coat. Eve stood nearby, holding Piz in her arms.

"Zero’s in charge until I’m home. Be good while I’m gone, okay?" Leia said, crouching to gently pat Eve’s head.
"I will," Eve replied with a small smile, clutching on Piz.

9:00 AM
Eve sat cross legged on the couch, her eyes fixed on the large TV screen as the cheerful theme song of an animated show.

As the chorus started, Eve tilted her head slightly, her lips moving along to the words. Her voice was quiet at first, almost like a hum, but she soon started singing along, her tone soft.

"Searching stars that I never see. Wishing someone walked with me..." Her voice gentle. "Walking roads where no one goes. Empty skies and quiet echoes..."

Behind her, Zero observed quietly from his own screen. His glowing eyes dimmed slightly, as if processing the scene.

"That song," Zero spoke, his voice low. "Is oddly heavy for a children’s show."

14:45 PM

Eve stood at the edge of the staircase leading to Leia's underground lab. Piz had bolted down there a few moments ago, wagging his tail and completely ignoring her calls to come back. Leia had always told her that the lab are not a playground and there's many important things there, something might broke.

Eve hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay, just find Piz and get out," she whispered to herself, as she slowly went down the stairs to the lab

The lab was dimly lit, surprisingly there's no lock and just need to open the door normally to get in, maybe because Leia not expecting to be living with a child and dog one day. Eve's eyes glance around, carefully looking for Piz. Then, something caught her eye. A framed photo on a dusty desk.

She moved closer and picked it up. The photo showed a young Leia, maybe younger than Eve herself in this photo, standing stiffly as a woman with warm eyes and gentle hands rested them on Leia’s shoulders. The woman had the same white hair as Leia, but her expression was soft, unlike Leia's usual blank demeanor and piercing eyes.

Eve blinked, surprised. "Is this... Leia's mom?" She murmured, running her fingers lightly over the edge of the frame. Leia had never talked about her family.

A sudden crash jolted Eve from her thoughts. She turned around and saw Piz gleefully wagging his tail near a small metal gadget he'd knocked over.

"Piz!" Eve called, rushing over. She quickly picked up the gadget and placed it back on the table, hoping nothing was broken.

"Come on, let's go before Leia finds out," she said, grabbing Piz to be on her arms. He gave a playful bark.

16:33 PM

Eve lay on the living room carpet, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her arms were stretched out like a starfish. "I'm sooooo bored," she groaned, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet room.
"You've only been waiting for an hour," Zero's voice chimed in appear on the nearest screen.
"An hour feels like a hundred years!" Eve exclaimed dramatically, throwing her arms over her face.

"Technically, you haven't even experienced a single year yet," Zero replied dryly.
Eve peeked out from under her arm and scowled. "You're no fun."

17:56 PM
The sound of the front door unlocking echoed through the house, causing Eve to bolt upright from the couch. Her boredom vanished in an instant.

Leia stepped inside, her bag slung over one shoulder and a large takeout bag in her other hand. Her tired eyes softened the moment she saw Eve’s excited face.
"Welcome home!" Eve greeted cheerfully, practically bouncing in place.

Leia replied, ruffling Eve’s hair with her free hand. "I brought dinner. Hope you’re in the mood for dumplings and noodles."

21:00 PM

Leia sat cross legged on the living room, her glasses perched low on her nose as she watched Eve drawing over her sketchpad. Eve little hand gliding the pad, drawing a simple vibrant sunset over a cityscape. 
Leia leaned to look at the childish drawing, smiling sweetly. "That's impressive, Eve."
"I saw Maria drawing this by the window and I wanna try. Although hers is more pretty." Eve replied.

Before Leia could respond, she glanced at the clock and realized it exactly Eve's bedtime.
"Okay little artist, let's get you to bed." Leia said gently.

Eve sighed dramatically but followed Leia to her room. Once Leia helped her into bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin, Eve looked up at her with curious eyes.
"Leia," Eve began, "Why don’t you ever sleep with me?"

Leia blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, well…" She fumbled for a response. "I just thought you’d like having your own space. Plus, I've got a lot of work to do."

Eve tilted her head. "But we shower together. Isn’t that closer than sleeping?"

Leia froze for a moment, then laughed softly. "I guess you’ve got a point there," she admitted. "But I think sharing a bed is different. Shower time is for fun and bubbles. Bedtime is for dreaming on your own."

Eve considered this, then gave a small nod. "But I wouldn’t mind sometimes. It’s nice when you’re close."
Leia’s heart softened, and she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Eve’s forehead. “Maybe one day. For now, sleep tight. Sweet dreams, little Eve."

As Leia left the room, she paused at the door, watching Eve drift into a slumber on the bed. Can't believe that this room used to be her room back when she was young but now, she sleeping in what used to be her parents bedroom as she is now and adult.
If not because of Eve, this room would be full of dust and abandoned.

That summaries how their days usually went.
Since Eve had come into her life, the silence that once filled the house had been replaced with a soft footsteps and laughter, also chaos. To think that before these she would spent more of her time at FLARE Lab instead of going home.

Leia thought she couldn't get it back this kind of life after her parents passed away when she was young but the future is unsure and this is her life now.

Every day might have been simple, but it was enough.