Celeste was walking through the hallway later that day, her usual calm composure back in place or so it seemed.
The academy was alive with chatter and footsteps, and she kept her smile steady as passing teachers greeted her warmly.
"Good afternoon, Miss Celeste!" one of them called out cheerfully.
Celeste smiled and raised a hand in response. "Good after-"
Her voice stuttered.
The rest of the word came out in distorted fragments, like a static-ridden radio:
"-nooo-oooon-"
Her body froze for half a second, then her head twitched slightly to the side. The other teacher blinked in confusion.
Celeste's eyes flickered rapidly between amber and blue before returning to normal. She coughed, forcing a laugh that sounded far too rehearsed. "Ahaha - sorry! Hiccup! Must've been… that tea Miss Mila gave me earlier!"
The teacher chuckled, waving it off. "Haha, long day, huh? Happens to the best of us."
Celeste nodded politely and quickly excused herself. "Indeed! I'll just, uh… recalibra- I mean, freshen up a bit!"
Without waiting for a reply, she practically speed-walked to the nearest restroom, her heels clicking rapidly against the marble floor.
Once inside, she locked the door, leaned against the sink, and took a deep, artificial breath.
Her reflection flickered in the mirror part human, part her true robotic form, overlapping like two realities fighting for dominance.
"Note to self," she muttered in a strained voice. "Organic beverages… interfere with system stability."
A small spark crackled near her right temple, and she winced.
Then, with a sigh, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small, glowing screwdriver-like tool. "Alright… debug protocol D-17… again."
As she carefully adjusted panels hidden under her cyan hair, she mumbled with mild annoyance, "Milly's kindness is more dangerous than her claws."
A faint chuckle escaped her as she stabilized her systems, her reflection returning to normal a tired but composed woman with cyan hair and amber eyes.
"…There. Operational. Again."
She stared at her reflection for a moment longer, then whispered softly:
"Still… that tea wasn't bad."