MOMO rubbed her eyes absently while the upgrade saved to the main server. "Urgh." She grunted while leaning back and stretching out her muscles. "I'm glad I came in early," she thought standing up and pulling her arms over her head. "there was more left to this upgrade than I remembered."
It was already 16:45 in the afternoon; so coming at the crack of 5 a.m. as she did made it an 11 hour work day, 12 by the time all the reports were finished and sent off.
"MOMO, what did I tell you about getting out of here early?" Shion asked, walking up behind the stretching realian.
"I know, but the upgrade was almost done and I didn't want to leave it for someone else to finish, that wouldn't have been nice." She replied turning to her boss.
Shion rolled her eyes. "You do twice the work of some of the people in here, so making them do their fair share would be just fine."
MOMO giggled and said, "That's true, but they usually have things going on that get in the way; I am happy to do it if I can help them out."
"You are too generous!" The Chief exclaimed. "Most of the "stuff" they have to do is gossiping and going to get something to eat."
"Still, everyone needs to eat; but I am done now so as soon as it is finished saving and my reports are sent I will leave, ok?"
Turning the young woman around, Shion gently pushed her towards the door. "That is just a waiting game, I will make sure it gets saved and your reports filed. You go relax, sleep or watch a holo or something, but no work!"
Standing in the doorway to the lab, MOMO turned around and looked at her friend patiently. "The same could be said for you Shion; you need a break once in a while."
"That might be true, but I am the boss and I say go!" Shion cried out with a smile as the doors hissed shut.
Being glad to get out of there, even if it did take Shion throwing her out, MOMO knew she was right; it was time for a break.
Not really sure what she wanted to do, since she wasn't tired just yet, the young girl walked back to her room for a change of cloths.
Slipping out of her uniform and hanging it up neatly, she rummaged through her closet for something comfortable. "Hmm," She muttered to herself. "Maybe I will go the park; they are supposed to be having a fair this week."
Deciding on a tan corduroy skirt and a dark red blouse, she slipped on her shoes, grabbed a jean jacket and headed back outside.
Since it was late in the afternoon, MOMO figured that the weather in the park might be a little cool, so she slipped on the jacket and buried her hands in the pockets as she made her way.
"What's that?" She wondered, feeling something delicate but heavy in the right pocket. Hooking the object out with a finger, she stopped near a window and held it up to the light.
Her eyes widened as she saw the sun glint off the bullet bracelet Jr had given her so many years ago. "Oh…" she thought surprised, "How did this get in there?"
Unable to look away from the slowly spinning charm, she was reminded of the dream she had earlier, which led her to remember how Jr promised to look after her.
"I didn't let you do that though, did I Jr?" She asked herself sadly. "Not that I ever wanted anything else, but just it was too much to ask of you."
Not really being in the fair mood now, MOMO tore her gaze away from the charm and put it back in her pocket, deciding that one of the smaller, quieter parks would be more appropriate at the moment.
Walking down the long hallways, she tried to recall how the bracelet got into her jacket. Going through numerous memories, she ran across the right one…..
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"I am not going to wear that Myuki!" MOMO exclaimed, a look of horror marring her adorable features. The outfit in question was a skirt that wasn't much more than a belt; while the blouse was a full sleeve, it was see through in backlight.
"But you will look so cute!" Myuki said defiantly. "Come on now you have the body to wear stuff like this and all you do is the same old jeans and blouse!"
Blushing furiously, the young realian shook her head and stood her ground. "No, it's nice enough out for a skirt, but nothing that shows THAT much."
"Awe, please?" Begged Myuki pathetically. "At least wear the shirt; all the guys will be staring at you!"
Groaning MOMO replied, "That is exactly what I don't want, I agreed to come with you, isn't that enough?"
"Nope!" Myuki said with an evil look in her eye as she dove back into the bag she brought with her.
"Ok, ok," she sighed. "let me look though the bag at least."
"Ok, where is your jewelry? I want to make sure you have the right accessories." She asked, getting up and searching already.
"Um, I don't have much," MOMO said fearfully. "But it is over there in the box on top of the dresser."
Hopping she didn't bring any "accessories with her, MOMO started to go though the large bag, rejected most everything she grabbed.
"Who does she think I am?" she wondered to herself. "One of the Seraphim sisters?"
She was almost down to the bottom of the bag when she pulled out a semi-modest pale blue tank top. Placing in her lap she rummaged around and saw the perfect match for it, peach colored capri's. "This'll look cute." she thought, taking a quick glance over her shoulder at Myuki tearing through her drawers and limited jewelry.
Sneaking away quietly, she closed the door to the bathroom and changed in a hurry, before Myuki caught her and convinced her to wear something less.
"MOMO, are you in there?" Asked a muffled Myuki from beyond the door.
"Here goes nothing" she said to herself, opening the door.
Myuki stood before her, arms full of more revealing clothing. "Oh my gosh MOMO! You look so cute!" She fairly yelled. "But you need to roll up the tank top, show some belly…"
The modest young girl backed up a step as her well intentioned friend dropped her load and reached forward to "help" her.
Trying to distract her MOMO asked, "Did you find any accessories?"
Myuki's eyes lit up at this, "Yep, but none of it will really go with that…there was something though…"
While she dug through the pile of cloths she deposited on the floor, MOMO walked around her and sat down, grabbed her sandals from under her bed and slipped them on.
"Here it is!" Myuki grunted in triumph, wrestling her way out of the cloths monster she had created.
Making her way over, she dropped a gold bracelet and charm into MOMO's hand, "That'll go perfectly!" Myuki said brightly.
Guessing what it was, she looked down hesitantly, only to confirm the empty pit in her stomach. Jr's bracelet.
"Um, I don't know Myuki, isn't there something else?" Asked MOMO timidly.
"Why, this will go just great!" Myuki said, "What don't you like it? It was in your box, you must like it then."
"Well, I guess, it's just…"
"What's the funny little charm on it, I've never seen something like that before; where did you get it?" Myuki asked, not noticing her friends' obvious discomfort.
"Someone gave it to me a while ago, and the charm is called a bullet." She explained dejectedly.
"Oh, well, you should wear it, cause it goes perfect with your outfit." Said Myuki. "Oh, I know just the thing to finish it off!"
Myuki ran back to the entrance and grabbed the jean jacket she had worn over, "Here, you wear this, it'll look much better on you and I wanted to show off my new shirt today anyways."
"Oh I can't do that, it's your and what if the weather get cool tonight?" MOMO asked concerned, and grateful for the turn of conversation.
"Don't worry about it; I'll just snuggle up to some cute guy to stay warm!" She said giggling.
"Well, ok, I guess. Thank you." Said MOMO softly.
"Your welcome; now put on your bracelet and let's go meet Shion and Allen!"
Reluctantly, MOMO slipped the delicate chain over her wrist, feeling the familiar weight settle and tinkle as it used to.
As she stood up to follow Myuki out the door, she had mixed feeling about wearing the bracelet again; on one hand it felt so right to have it there, and made her feel less empty. On the other, it brought bad memories of his hurt face, the choice she had made and those dreams.
Deciding to wear it just for today to appease Myuki, MOMO caught up to her friend and put on a happy face she didn't much feel.
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While the recollection rolled through her, MOMO had made her way to one of the many smaller parks that littered the Vector HQ.
A stream trickled though this particular park, gurgling as if consoling the misery that filled her.
"That's right," she thought sitting down on a bench. "Shion noticed the bracelet and asked me about it; I told her no it wasn't the same and took it off."
Reaching back into her pocket, and drawing it out carefully, she held it gently almost afraid it would disappear.
She didn't notice the tears until one fell onto the bullet, making it dance with the sunset through the trees. Unable to hold them any longer, she broke down crying; the shame she felt for lying to him, hurting him and all the time wasted when she could have been by his side overwhelming her.
MOMO clenched the charm tightly in her hand, the tip of the bullet just sharp enough with the pressure to draw a speck of blood.
The puncture in her hand was small, but her hand squeezing so tightly, caused a small trickle to drip silently into the stream.
That first time she had cried over him, in Shion's lap, had hurt. But this wasthree years worth of grief and anguish boiling to the surface. She sat, alone, and cried for she didn't know how long. When she finally looked up, wiping her tears away, the sun had gone down completely and a full moon had taken its' place. From somewhere in the back of her mind, haunting words floated through;
Don't cry
There's always a way
Here in November in this house of leaves
We'll pray
Please, I know it's hard to believe
To see a perfect forest
Through so many splintered trees
You and me
And these shadows keep on changing
Finding strange comfort in the words, MOMO began to compose herself as she leaned over to check herself in the clear stream. Her eyes were red from all the crying, so she decided to splash a little of the cold water on her face to bring the swelling down some.
"heh" She muttered as the frigid liquid splashed over her face. Wiping her hands on her skirt and checking herself one last time before leaving, she wondered why her hair seemed so short and dark all of the sudden, she made sure not to get any water in it. Looking closer she noticed her eyes looked, almost green. Blinking, she gazed harder into the rippling stream before realizing that it wasn't her reflection but that of her dead "sister". Reeling back, but unable to tear her eyes away, Sakura lips formed one word, easily read by the scared shocked girl. "Rubedo."
Staggered by what was before her, MOMO stopped breathing, just able to watch the girl who looked so much like her move with the water, staring back, obviously aware. A light breeze rustled through the trees and dropped a leaf onto Sakrua, sending her parting with the waves.
"How? What? Why?" Tumbled from her mouth, all good questions but none with any answers. Had Shion ever spoke about he own experiences, MOMO would have had someone to confide in, as it was; she turned quickly and ran from the park to her quarters.
Closing and locking the entryway behind her, MOMO stood taking deep breaths in the darkness, not wanting to find out what was in the room when she turned on the lights.
The resilient part of her spoke up. "I have been through worse; this is nothing, just turn on the lights. If there is anything deal with it, deal with it, if not then it is over."
Taking a couple of deep breaths, MOMO called out for the lights; to find nothing amiss in her room. Looking around to double check, the only out of place thing were her work boots by the side of the bed, but that was normal if she went somewhere right after work.
A sign of relief escaped her as she sat down at her Comm Station to check her mail. "Doing something normal will calm me down." She thought. "Only one today, let's see, whose' it from?" For the second time that day she was amazed into silence. "Jr?"
