Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Back at the shop, the sound of clinking tools and the hum of the garage radio filled the air as Guldrin and Revy worked on the Chevelle. The car, his beloved baby, which was so ruthlessly dinged up, was finally beginning to resemble its former glory after the mess Revy made of it during her "test drive." 

For the most part, the repairs were straightforward, new panels here, tightened bolts there, but working with Revy meant an element of chaos was always lurking just beneath the surface. The rest of the repairs were going to have to wait for another time, or at least till they had the parts and patience.

"Hand me the torque wrench," Guldrin muttered, holding out his hand.

Revy stared at him blankly, chewing on a toothpick. "The what now?"

"The torque wrench!" Guldrin snapped, exasperated. "It's literally right in front of you."

Revy shrugged, picked up the tool, and slapped it into his hand with a smirk. "Relax, kid. You're wound up tighter than this rust bucket's bolts."

"This… isn't a rust bucket… It was… but not anymore."

As Guldrin grumbled under his breath, a peculiar wave of nostalgia washed over him, hitting him like a ton of bricks. It wasn't the comforting kind of nostalgia that warmed the soul; no, this was sharp and invasive, paired with a throbbing headache that made him pause mid-repair. His mind strained against a barrier, something deep and unyielding, that kept him from grasping the fleeting memories flickering at the edges of his consciousness.

"Ugh, what is this?" Guldrin muttered, rubbing his temples.

Revy glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "You okay there, kid? Don't tell me you're going soft."

"Yeah, yeah, just light-headed," He brushed off her concern and Revy thought it was as he said.

Ignoring her, Guldrin mentally called out to Emily, his ever-reliable system spirit and confidante. 'Emily, what's going on? Why can't I remember anything clearly? Do you know what this is?'

Her voice echoed in his mind, cryptic as always. 'I cannot say for sure, Guldrin. But I sense seals upon your memories, layers beyond what I expected. Your past is more complex than you realize. Follow your heart, but tread carefully. If you push too hard, you may lose even more of what you have left.'

Guldrin sighed, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. It was always like this with Emily, answers that felt more like riddles. 

Still, he trusted her, even when her cryptic advice left him more confused than enlightened. He filed away her words for later, resolving to approach the problem when things weren't quite so chaotic.

Her words left him unsettled, but there wasn't time to dwell. He needed to focus on the here and now, like preventing Revy from accidentally dismantling the Chevelle's carburetor.

"Hey, stop messing with that!" he barked, snapping her out of her absentminded tinkering.

"What? It looked important!" she retorted, grinning like a cat caught raiding a fish barrel.

Revy, oblivious to his internal struggle, stretched dramatically and tossed her toothpick into a nearby trash can with uncanny precision. "So, are we calling it a day, or are you planning to keep obsessing over every tiny scratch on this thing?"

Guldrin shot her a glare. "It's not just the scratches. Every detail matters with a car like this. We still need to put on the replacement panel."

She snorted. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. Me? I'm gonna grab a drink." She strolled off, leaving Guldrin alone with his thoughts and the Chevelle.

As Guldrin leaned against the Chevelle, letting out a relieved sigh after tightening the last bolt, his phone buzzed on the cluttered workbench. The screen lit up with the name "Letty-Mom," and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly snatched up the phone, his fingers fumbling slightly as he answered. Time to put on his best "responsible son" act.

"Hey, Mom! What's up?" he chirped, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Letty's voice came through warm, yet laced with the kind of exhaustion that made Guldrin's stomach twist. "Hey, kid. Just wanted to let you know I'll be home in about six hours. Mia said she would be stopping at a few places, she is closer to the city, so she might beat me there, but depending on where she stops, I might be home first."

Six hours. Six hours. Guldrin felt a chill creep down his spine. Six hours to fix... everything. He glanced around the shop, noting the greasy rags strewn across the floor, the Chevelle half-finished, the few bullet holes, a half finished bucket of chicken,

'She stole my chicken!'

Revy perched casually on a stool drinking from a flask, and Alisa, the lifelike android, sitting in the corner, tinkering with something that looked suspiciously like a grenade.

'That is a prototype, damn, I hope she doesn't try it… I haven't even tested it yet.'

"Uh, sure! No problem, Mom. Can't wait to see you!" he replied, plastering on an uneasy grin he hoped she couldn't sense through the phone.

But something about her tone caught his attention. Letty was tough as nails, but there was a weight in her voice he hadn't heard before. It wasn't the usual weariness of someone who had dealt with a long day, it was something deeper, heavier. 

He wanted to ask her if everything was okay, to pry just a little, but he knew better. Letty would talk when she was ready, if she was ever ready. For now, he had his own problems to deal with.

As the call ended, he slumped back against the Chevelle, staring blankly at the chaos surrounding him. Six hours wasn't nearly enough time to clean up the mess he was in. 

His stomach did a nervous flip as he tried to calculate the odds of pulling this off. 

Spoiler: they weren't great.

He turned to Revy, panic written all over his face. "Mom's gonna be here in six hours! And Mia might show up even sooner! What the hell are we supposed to do about... well, everything?"

Revy, ever the picture of calm chaos, took another swig from her flask and shrugged lazily. "I dunno. Hide me in a closet or something. I'm small; I'll fit."

Guldrin pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath as he paced the garage floor. "Revy, this isn't some joke! If Letty walks in here and sees you, she's going to lose her mind. And Alisa? How do I even begin to explain a lifelike android hanging out in our garage? This is a disaster, it's too much."

Revy rolled her eyes and, in true Revy fashion, brushed off his growing anxiety with a nonchalant wave. "Relax, kid. If Letty's as badass as you say, maybe she'll appreciate my unique charm. And if not, well..." She grabbed the door to a nearby closet and squeezed herself inside. "Boom. Problem solved. I once stayed crammed in a closet for twelve hours waiting for some dirtbag to get home. Easy ten grand."

Guldrin threw his arms in the air, groaning. "That is so not helpful! Your charm, as you call it, will end with guns being pulled, and aimed at each other." 

He resumed his frantic pacing, muttering scenarios under his breath. Each solution sounded crazier than the last: "Fake a gas leak and evacuate the shop? No, that's insane. Pretend this is a hologram display for a school project? Yeah, right, Letty would never buy that. One conversation with Mia and that would blow up in my face."

Amid his spiraling panic, Alisa casually entered the room with the grace of someone entirely unbothered by the chaos and unease that radiated from Guldrin. Her movements were so smooth and precise they could have been choreographed. "I have heard and observed the situation," she said in her soothing voice, "and I believe I can provide assistance."

Guldrin slumped against the workbench, dragging a grease-stained hand down his face. "Finally! Someone with a plan. Please, Alisa, tell me you've got this under control. I am sure with your countless years, you will have some great ideas."

"Did… You just call me old?"

"N- No?" Guldrin felt his heart drop at this moment, and he remembered who this woman was, and how scarily dangerous she is.

Alisa tilted her head slightly, her serene expression betraying just a hint of smug pride. "Good… I will restore order. My programming is optimized for efficiency in organizational and cleaning tasks." She paused, her lips curving in what might have been an attempt at a sly smile. "Although, to clarify, I was designed for combat operations. However, I have adapted these skills to domestic environments over the years. I dare say I am unmatched as a caretaker. Well… Almost unmatched, a silver haired maid might…. MIGHT… outclass me."

Shiro, lounging nearby with a lollipop she had procured from who-knows-where, gave a slow, mocking clap. "Fantastic. A killer robot maid. This is exactly the kind of chaos I signed up for."

Without waiting for further commentary, Alisa took the lollipop from Shiro's mouth, threw it away and gave her some healthy veggies, and then went to work with a grin. It was less of a cleaning session and more of a choreographed performance. 

Tools, bolts, and spare parts that had been strewn across every surface disappeared into perfectly organized drawers and bins, sorted by size and function. The once-grimy floor gleamed as she scrubbed away months of neglect with the kind of efficiency that defied human comprehension. 

Even the air seemed to change, the usual cocktail of motor oil, rubber, and old fast food fading into a light, citrusy freshness that was both invigorating and suspiciously otherworldly.

Guldrin watched, slack-jawed. "I... I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified," he muttered. "That floor hasn't been clean since I came to this place. Mom's gonna think we hired a miracle worker."

Alisa straightened, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from her spotless uniform. "Consider the immediate crisis mitigated. However, additional complications remain."

Her cool, analytical gaze flicked to Revy, who was sprawled in the doorway, lazily twirling one of Guldrin's wrenches between her fingers like a baton. She chewed on a toothpick, smirking as if the chaos around her was all part of some grand plan only she understood.

'Where does she keep finding these toothpicks? Argh, whatever, at least she isn't smoking.'

Guldrin pointed at her accusingly. "What are we supposed to do about you? Letty's going to walk in here, take one look, and immediately assume the worst. And you're not exactly subtle!"

Revy leaned against the door frame, one leg crossed casually over the other. "Relax, kid. I told you, I'm great at hiding. Toss me in a corner, and I'll blend in like an old toolbox."

"That's not how hiding works!" Guldrin snapped. "You're loud, armed to the teeth, and about as inconspicuous as a grenade in a porcelain shop!"

"Aw, thanks," Revy said with a grin, clearly taking the insult as a compliment as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing Shiro to fume. "Look, worst-case scenario? Letty finds me, we have a nice little chat, and she realizes I'm not so bad. Maybe we even bond over a shared love of fast cars and risky business."

Guldrin gawked at her. "You think Letty's just going to bond with you? She'll throw you out of here so fast your head will spin! Or, as I said before, you will end up pointing your guns at each other."

"Hey," Revy shot back, pointing the wrench at him, "I've been in tighter spots than this and come out smelling like roses. Well, maybe not roses, but definitely something tolerable. I mean, most of my long time friends were made after we pointed our guns at one another."

Desperation mounting, Guldrin turned to Shiro for support. "You're supposed to be the smart one. I do the techy things, you do the common sense. Help me out here!"

Shiro shrugged, clearly enjoying the show. "I don't know, Guldrin. Revy and Letty might actually get along. They've both got that whole 'dangerous badass bitch' vibe. Could be fun to watch."

Guldrin groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "You're all insane. All of you just want to watch the world burn."

Eventually, they settled on a compromise, or what passed for one. Revy was unceremoniously stashed in the basement workshop, where Letty rarely ventured due to hazards. 

She grumbled the entire way down, complaining about being treated like a fugitive, but Guldrin ignored her. At least down there, she'd be out of sight and hopefully out of mind for a while.

Meanwhile, Alisa's situation required a bit more finesse. Her human appearance was flawless, too flawless, honestly… Disregarding this fact, they needed a plausible explanation for her presence. 

In the end, they concocted a hasty backstory involving a bogus contract. 

According to the new narrative, Alisa had been hired as their live-in maid, a service Shiro and Guldrin had supposedly "paid" for out of pocket. It was flimsy, but it was better than nothing. After all, they had a book, and a highly profitable MMORPG funneling them money, that could make it slightly believable.

By the time everything was more or less in order, Guldrin collapsed onto the couch, utterly spent. He glanced at the clock and groaned. Four hours. That was all the time they had left before Letty's arrival. The shop looked immaculate, and the cover stories for Revy and Alisa were as solid as they were going to get. 

Still, the knot of anxiety in his stomach refused to loosen.

"Crisis averted," he muttered to himself, though the words felt hollow.

Revy's voice drifted up from the basement. "You know she's gonna see through all this, right?"

"Shut up! If you talk like that when she is here, you will unravel the whole plan!" Guldrin yelled back, hurling a throw pillow at the basement door.

Shiro strolled over, popping another lollipop out of her mouth with an audible click. "You've got a point, though. Letty's sharp. She's not going to buy this maid story without asking a ton of questions. However, we may get lucky, seeing as she has been preoccupied with other things as of recently."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Guldrin deadpanned.

Alisa settled into the armchair with the kind of poise that made it seem as though she'd been living in the house for years rather than a matter of hours. 

Guldrin's pacing grew increasingly frantic, his boots scuffing against the shop floor as if trying to carve a trench to match the one forming in his nerves. His fingers tugged at his hair, disheveling it more with every step. "This is an unmitigated disaster waiting to happen! How am I supposed to explain away the fact that we've got a battle android pretending to be a housekeeper and a trigger-happy outlaw, yes, Revy, I mean you, hiding in the basement like some sort of wanted fugitive?"

Revy, lounging casually on a workbench with her feet propped up, smirked around the cigarette dangling from her lips. "Correction: I am a wanted fugitive. And I don't 'hide'; I lurk. Big difference, kid."

"Grrr, shut up!" Guldrin groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Do you ever stop being infuriating?"

Revy shrugged. "Nope."

Meanwhile, Shiro was draped over the couch like a lazy cat, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she watched Guldrin unravel. "This is pure gold," she said, barely containing her laughter. "The pacing, the panic, the absolute certainty that you're about to be caught, it's better than any reality show. I'd grab popcorn if we had any."

Guldrin whipped around to face her, his glare as sharp as a dagger. "Hilarious for you, maybe! For me, it's like sitting on a live bomb, waiting for Mom to stroll in with a match!"

Shiro raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Technically, that metaphor implies she already knows the truth."

"Don't start, Shiro. I'm begging you," Guldrin muttered, rubbing his temples.

Alisa, ever the model of poise, stepped forward with her signature precision, her smooth voice cutting through the tension. "If you wish to mitigate suspicion, I recommend focusing on narrative consistency. A believable deception requires meticulous attention to detail and strict adherence to the established story."

Guldrin rounded on her, his eyes wide with desperation. "Easy for you to say! You're not the one who has to convince Letty why you're suddenly dusting shelves and cleaning grease stains like it's second nature!"

Alisa tilted her head, her serene expression unchanging. "Given my advanced cleaning algorithms and adaptable social protocols, such tasks are well within my capabilities. However, if you feel my presence raises undue suspicion-"

"Alisa, stop talking," Guldrin interrupted, his voice strained. "You're not helping."

Revy snorted from the basement. "Oh, she's helping, alright… Just not you."

Shiro let out a soft chuckle, clearly enjoying the show. "You're the one who came up with this ridiculous plan. Own it."

"It wasn't a plan so much as a desperate attempt to keep this whole thing from imploding!" Guldrin snapped. He checked the time for the hundredth time that evening. Letty's car would be pulling up any minute, and he still didn't feel remotely prepared. "Okay, everyone, let's go over this one last time: Alisa, you're the new housekeeper. Stick to cleaning and don't over-explain. Revy, stay out of sight. And Shiro…" He pointed a finger at her. "Just… don't make it worse."

Shiro put a hand to her chest, feigning innocence. "Me? Make it worse? When have I ever done that?"

"Do you want a list?" Guldrin deadpanned.

Before Shiro could retort, the distant hum of an engine reached their ears, growing louder by the second. Guldrin froze, his heart pounding as Letty's car pulled into the driveway. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. It's happening. Everyone, positions!"

From below, Revy's voice floated up, dripping with mockery. "Break a leg, kid! Or, better yet, both legs. And after it all goes to shit, bring me some booze to enjoy the show!"

"Not helpful!" Guldrin hissed as he bolted toward the front door, trying to suppress the rising panic that threatened to make him freeze in place.

The door creaked open, and Letty stepped inside, her sharp eyes immediately scanning the room like a hawk assessing its territory. 

She paused mid-step, her gaze narrowing as she took in the spotless shop. "What the hell happened here? Did a cleaning crew break in? What did you break that made you clean to cover it up?"

Guldrin forced what he hoped was a casual grin, though it probably looked more like the grimace of someone facing imminent doom. "Uh, no, no cleaning crew. I just thought, you know, it was time for a deep clean. The shop deserved it. I swear, 'I' didn't break anything."

Letty crossed her arms, one brow arched. "Uh-huh. And since when are you this concerned about cleaning? And what's that smell? Citrus? You hate citrusy smells."

"Uh, lemon-scented cleaner," he stammered. "It's supposed to, uh, freshen the place up. New year, new me?"

"New year, huh? But I am pretty sure it is summer… Brat, your skilled tongue seems to be lacking today." 

Her skeptical gaze bore into him, and for a horrifying moment, Guldrin was sure the jig was up. But before Letty could press further, Alisa entered the room with impeccable timing, her movements smooth and deliberate as if choreographed. 

Her smile was warm yet professional, her tone polished. "Good evening. You must be Mistress, Letty. I am Alisa, the new housekeeper."

Letty blinked, her expression shifting from suspicion to outright disbelief. "Housekeeper? Since when do we have a housekeeper?"

"It was a, uh, last-minute decision," Guldrin said quickly, jumping in before Alisa could get too creative. "Shiro and I thought it'd help keep things organized, you know? The shop was turning into a disaster zone."

Letty's eyes narrowed further. "And where exactly did you get the money for a housekeeper? We're not exactly rolling in cash, you know. Did you spend your money, which I and Mia have explicitly told you to save for college? "

"Ah, well, about that," Guldrin began, sweating bullets. But Alisa stepped forward, saving him from digging his own grave.

"I assure you," she said smoothly, "my services are both cost-effective and invaluable. Maintaining a clean and efficient environment improves productivity and overall morale. My presence will more than justify the investment."

Letty's eyes flicked to Alisa, lingering for a moment, as if sizing her up. Then, to Guldrin's immense relief, she nodded slowly. "Fine. But if this turns out to be some kind of scheme, you're dead, brat, I will take away your tinkering rights for a month."

"Understood, no scheme here…" Guldrin squeaked, his voice cracking slightly as he forced another smile.

Letty scooped up Emily, the small cat purring contentedly in her arms, and headed toward her room. Her phone was already out, her focus shifting seamlessly to whatever she needed to check next. 

The ease with which she transitioned between responsibilities was uncanny, a skill that only added to her intimidating presence. 

As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Guldrin exhaled a long, shaky breath, his hands gripping the back of a chair for support. His knees felt as if they might buckle at any moment, the weight of his carefully maintained facade pressing down on him.

"How is this my life?" he muttered under his breath. "I've faced a dragon, warlords, cyber samurai, zombies... and I'm still terrified of my mom finding out about this mess."

From the depths of the basement, Revy's voice cut through the tense silence like a knife, dripping with sarcasm and amusement. "Yeah, kid. She totally bought it. A flawless performance."

Guldrin's fists clenched as he resisted the overwhelming urge to scream. He darted a glance toward the staircase, half-expecting Letty to reappear, her sharp gaze cutting through his defenses like a knife. "Revy, shut up before she hears you!" he hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.

But Revy was having none of it. Her laughter echoed up from below, irreverent and infuriating. "Relax, will you? Even if she comes down here, I'll just charm my way out of it. People love me."

"People despise you," Guldrin shot back, his frustration bubbling dangerously close to the surface. "You are the least charming, most volatile person I have ever met. And I've met warlords."

"Pfft. Details," Revy replied lazily. "Besides, if it comes to it, I'll just tell her I'm your long-lost sister. Family forgives everything, right? Isn't that the big Toretto motto? 'Family is what matters' or some crap like that?"

Guldrin groaned, dragging his hands down his face as if he could physically pull the stress away. "You're going to get me killed. Or worse, grounded."

Meanwhile, Alisa stood near the corner of the room, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she meticulously tidied an already spotless shelf. Her movements were precise, almost hypnotic in their perfection. 

She didn't need to tidy up, it was more a performance, a gesture of calm amidst the storm of chaos swirling around her. "If it's any consolation, Little Master Guldrin," she began, her voice smooth and mechanical with a touch of dry humor, "I calculate that your odds of survival have increased marginally now that Miss Letty is distracted. Marginally."

"Thanks for that inspiring pep talk, Alisa," Guldrin muttered, rolling his eyes.

From her position sprawled on the couch, Shiro chimed in, her feet propped up on the coffee table like she owned the place. She barely glanced up from her phone, where she was scrolling through memes with a mixture of delight and smug satisfaction. "Honestly, this is better than anything on TV right now. You're like a live-action sitcom with higher stakes. I'd give it five stars."

"Oh, I'm so glad you're entertained," Guldrin snapped, throwing her a withering glare. "Because I'm seconds away from a full-blown nervous breakdown."

Shiro didn't even flinch. Instead, she held up her phone, showing him a meme of a cartoon character sweating profusely while trying to juggle a mountain of tasks. "This you?" she asked, her grin wide and merciless.

"Yes, that's me," Guldrin said, his tone flat and exasperated. "Thank you for your deeply insightful commentary on my suffering."

"You're welcome," she replied, unbothered and clearly enjoying herself far too much.

Guldrin turned his attention back to Alisa, desperation creeping into his voice. "Is there any way we can keep Revy quiet? Like, permanently? Or at least until Mom leaves the shop, tomorrow?"

Alisa tilted her head, her synthetic eyes glinting with a faint blue light as she considered the request. "Permanently silencing someone would be morally dubious, even for me. However, I could deploy noise-canceling measures in the basement. It might mask her incessant chatter."

"Do it," Guldrin said immediately, his eyes lighting up with a spark of hope. "Please, for the love of everything sacred, do it."

Revy's voice rose in mock indignation. "Oh, come on! You wouldn't dare-"

The faint hum of an active soundproofing field cut her off mid-sentence. Guldrin let out a sigh of relief so deep it felt like it came from his soul. "Finally. Blessed silence."

Shiro clapped her hands slowly, her expression still amused. "Congratulations, you've temporarily solved one of your million problems. What's next? Telling Letty the truth about this whole circus?"

Guldrin's face twisted in horror. "Are you insane? That's not an option. Ever."

"Why not?" Shiro asked, feigning innocence. "She might appreciate the honesty. Maybe she'll even laugh. You know, after she destroys you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Guldrin said dryly. "But I'd rather not gamble my life on Letty's sense of humor."

Alisa chimed in again, her tone uncharacteristically wry. "Statistically, her reaction is difficult to predict. However, the probability of her laughter is significantly outweighed by the probability of physical retaliation."

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)