Chapter 8: Duo Trouble
The day in the land of south Boxwee, once known as Leanbox, was warm and sunny. It was perfect for a CPU-to-be pink-haired girl that wouldn't fare too well in a colder environment.
Across the sky, two objects flew toward the land that used to be Leanbox, their names, Purple Heart and Black Heart.
"How's Euri doing?" Asked the regal voice of Black Heart to her wife that flew behind her.
Purple Heart gave her a happy nod as she looked down at the sleeping girl that was strapped to a baby harness around her chest. "She's been sleeping and hasn't said a word throughout this journey."
Black Heart laughed strongly at the priceless picture of her wife and baby that displayed before her eyes. "Who would have thought that flying would be an act that would put her to sleep?" Stated the white-haired CPU.
"Her face was full of wonder earlier on when we took flight. It must have been too much excitement for her that caused her to hit dreamland after using up all of her active energy," giggled the purple-haired CPU.
"Hopefully, she stays asleep for a while. We're nearing South Boxwee after all."
They touched down at the very top of the once named Leanbox's Basilicom. Now, the only proof of that existed name was used as the street name where the Basilicom resided. The surface of the rooftop was extensive, as the building itself wasn't packed with too much detail. The Basilicom was, an odd-looking square from one angle and once Vert and Blanc had gotten married, it took on a similar appearance that invoked Lowee's style in it with hints of blue in its overall palette.
Four people were awaiting the CPU parents.
The CPU parents transformed back to their base forms once they had touched down.
"Hey, are we late?" Asked Neptune nervously.
"How can we? I made sure to get us ready an hour early just in case," said Noire with her arms crossed. If she was truly mad, then she was mad at herself for failing to stick to the correct meeting time.
The other four people were Blanc, Vert, Rom, and Ram. They all looked rather content with their arrival and being late didn't look to be a factor in the situation.
"Noire should relax that tense nature of hers, you two are actually on time for a change," stated Blanc with a small smirk.
"No need to linger on tardiness. We should focus on the main reason for this meeting," said Vert.
Rom and Ram didn't care about the adult conversation going on and bolted toward the CPU parents. They stood fascinated at the baby that still slept inside the baby harness that Neptune had on.
"Hey, how's Euri doing?" Cried Ram with energetic passion.
"She's growing like a weed every day," replied Neptune with a laugh.
"She's so tiny, Miss Neptune. Can we hold her?" Said Rom politely.
"Are your hands clean?!" Shouted Blanc. She knew well that her sisters had a tendency to get dirty when they played around in the gardens of the former Leanbox named Basilicom.
The twins pouted and held out their hands to show all of them.
"Hmm, they look pretty clean to me. Sure, just make sure to hold her properly," said the girl with the hoodie dress.
Both of the twins were overjoyed at holding the CPU baby that remained sound asleep.
They all retreated into the Basilicom via the rooftop elevator. Euri was still in the combined arms of the twins who were lost in their world filled with funny faces and jokes that were directed to Euri.
The elevator's doors opened down in the lobby that revealed a far-off room.
"The room you see off in the distance is set up to help us brainstorm an idea for the game that you both want to make," said Vert.
"Thanks a bunch, Vert- you too, Blanc," happily cried Neptune.
Blanc accepted the compliment with a small smile. "It's not a problem. I do specialize in kid-friendly games after all. However, why the sudden interest in making a kid rated game?"
Noire and Neptune shared a look toward each other before speaking. "Well, It's for Euri. We want to build a bolder section of kid games in Nepstation for her to latch onto. We figured that if she gets her association with that section of games, people will try to focus their faith to her directly that would get her a better quality of share energy rather than it passing through us, then to her," explained Neptune.
"Yeah, mostly the same thing that our sisters do to prove to the people that they are hardworking CPU candidates. I mean, we would never allow it if they slacked off while we did all the work," stated Noire.
Vert clapped her hands together joyfully. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea! And I can speak with experience as Blanc has managed to help me produce family-friendly games that this part of Boxwee has been loving."
"Hmph, you can't go wrong with a game that's built around for multiple age groups. It just shows that there's more to gaming than just violent, first-person shooter games, isn't that right, Noire?" Boastfully replied the brown-haired CPU.
Noire nervously swallowed and looked away shyly with her arms crossed. "W-well, that's debatable in the end. My people love the violent power fantasy that my games bring that are packed with action."
"Can't argue with numbers after the latest games that were released were a big hit," said Neptune.
Vert agreed, much to the hard look that her wife gave her. "I'm also guilty of following the mature-rated games, too. Say… Noire, when will the Rest of Us Part 2 be out?"
Noire recoiled from the question and she closed her eyes in response to it. "It's coming, it's coming. You can't rush a game of that scale after all. So, what if It had to be delayed?" She said with a bossy tone.
"Sorry, no details at all, is what my Nowa is actually trying to say," joked Neptune.
"Come on, let's begin brainstorming on your game idea for you two," said Blanc.
Neptune felt her sleeve being tugged by Ram, who looked determined to ask her something. "Can Euri stay out here with us to play?"
"We promise we'll look after her," said Rom, who was the one holding her in her arms.
Noire held a hand to her chin to give it some thought. "I don't know…"
"Noire, that idea sounds way more entertaining than making her witness old gals like us talking about games. If they need help, we'll be in the other room. Plus, it might totally get noisy in there with you and Blanc debating over game ideas," hinted Neptune with a nudge to her wife.
"Hmph, old gals?! You best watch your tongue, sweetie, before that brainstorming room turns into a ring." She directed Neptune's attention to the other married couple that looked deeply upset about the insulting comment.
"Yikes! Y-you know what I mean, r-right?" She nervously smiled.
"I'm here to acquire ideas- not to shoot them down, got it? That's the whole reason we are here anyway." Noire folded her arms to dismiss the possible arguing that could ensue in that room. In the end, she agreed to leave her daughter in the care of the twins.
"You both stay within the Basilicom's grounds, you hear me?" Stated Blanc to her sisters, and before she closed the doors, she exchanged a flaring red eye behind her hair that got the stern point across.
Ram rudely stuck her tongue out in the spot her older sister had been. "Pfft, we can take care of a CPU in diapers any day of the week, right Rom?"
Rom nodded cheerfully. She always made it a habit to go along with her sister's statements even though they might land them in hot water.
"Yeah, we got Euri all to ourselves," said Ram.
Rom hugged Euri extra tightly to make sure that she wouldn't drop her. "Let's go to the playroom," she said.
Ram smiled childishly at the idea. "You're speaking my language, sis." They skipped across a few rooms until they were face to face with giant double doors.
The long-haired, energetic sister pushed open the door to reveal the wonderful land made for any child.
A pink carpet filled the room with blue chairs scattered around. The room also had giant white sofas and fluffy giant armchairs. At the ceiling, a peaceful mural of a night sky filled the room. The mural was filled with stars, shooting stars, and a giant-sized moon. In the corner, a wide toy chest lay ready for anyone to unleash its contents.
Ram and Rom split up toward opposite ways, with one grabbing colors and the other grabbing coloring books.
All three of them made themselves at home on one of the white comfy armchairs that were big enough for all three of them.
They began to set their work on filling out their latest new page from their books, all the while, Euri had been placed protectively between them.
Ram felt that the silence was too much and turned on some low music to get the air flowing with upbeat tunes.
"Ram, change the song please," said Rom. She had finished her first drawing and found out that the music was all wrong that didn't inspire her coloring.
"But this is my favorite. We had to listen to your favorite yesterday, so it's my turn now," declared the pink coat girl.
Rom cutely made a pouting face that would have made anyone else fold. "When this one is done, can we listen to one of mine?"
"No problem!" Ram had been feeling the energy of her music that she didn't mean to increase the volume of her voice. It was too late now when Euri had slowly opened her eyes to the sight of the twins coloring.
The pink-haired baby didn't like this situation as she couldn't locate the two people that made up her world. A whimper filled the room that got the attention of the twins.
"Eeep! I woke her up by accident," said Ram with nervousness.
"What should we do? She's crying a lot!" Asked Rom.
Ram held up a stuffed bunny toward the CPU baby, to calm her down. That didn't help as the little one lightly knocked it away from her sight. "The nerve of her to knock out Mr. Cuddles."
"She wants her mommies, maybe we should take her back to them," said Rom.
"They're still working on their game idea. Besides, how can we act like grown-up role models to Euri if we can't calm down one cranky baby?"
"Maybe she's hungry?" Questioned Rom.
A lightbulb turned inside the head of the pink coat girl. "Food? Alright, I got some crackers. Want some?" She took out a box from her pocket and held a hard-looking cracker toward the crying baby.
"Ram, she barely has a few teeth, that's dangerous for her to munch on a hard cracker of that size," said her sister.
Ram exhaled with her eyes rolled to the side. "Lame... I'll be crying too if I couldn't eat my crackers." She instead ate the cracker that only further made the CPU baby increase her waterworks.
Rom decided to take a spin at it and picked up the pink-haired baby in her arms. "There, there, Euri. I may not be your mommy, but I can still provide a warm snugly hug."
The baby ceased her crying after a few light rocking motions.
"Wow, Rom, you got the magic touch with her," stated Ram.
Her shy sister grew red in the face from her energetic sister's praise. "T-there's nothing to it, just keep her rocking gently." She tried to pass Euri to her sister, but when that happened, Euri thrashed in defiance.
"Pfft, tell me how you really feel?" Stated the long-haired twin. Her hurtful rejection had been concealed to the best of her ability, but her twin could still see how much the baby's actions had diminished her sister's mood.
"Maybe we should play a game," said Ram.
"How about we play hide-and-seek? Said Rom.
Ram gasped with a shock that quickly became replaced with a prideful smug look. "Heck, yeah. You haven't been able to find me during our last three games, sis- making me the champion. Hide-and-seek might be too risky with Euri here, so let's play something else." said Ram with a flick of her hair.
Rom continued to smile at the idea of hide-and-seek, and for what her sister had said, had only motivated her further. "Hmm, that might change. I'm going to count to a hundred, and you two go hide," smiled Rom with a sneaky end game to her pairing them together.
"What?! No, no, no, she's going to give out my hiding spot with her crying!"
"10… 9… 8… 7…" The blue coat sister had already initiated her countdown that would be the beginning of her twin's downfall to her streak.
Ram puffed her cheeks in frustration since she had been played by her not so innocent sister. She frantically darted her head in different directions while her arms occupied the squirming and irritable baby. "Oh, man… time to make tracks." She ran as fast as her feet could carry her until she was a good three rooms away from her sister. She stopped to catch her breath and looked at her surroundings. To her left, were stairs that led up. On the back corner of the room, was furniture; the perfect size for hiding. To her right, was a grandfather clock that she could probably squeeze in if it wasn't for Euri, who wouldn't have been too keen on that.
"Here I come, Ram!"
The loud yet soft mannered shout of her sister came from the area that she came through, and panic set in. "Umm…" Her eyes found the solution to her problem in the shape of a closet close to the stairs. With no time to think, she entered the small room that was filled with cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, and chemical cleaners.
Euri's face was red as it was clear on her face that she didn't like the dimly lit room that smelled of unpleasant things to her nose.
"Pfft, you don't have to tell me that this room is bad, but my hide-and-seek streak is on the line here."
Euri grew crankier and her cries amplified across the small room.
"Hey, please keep it down, girl. You're going to give out our location away." Ram tried everything in her power to calm her down. She expended rocking motions, funny faces, and even head pats with other tender gestures. Everything fell short on Euri as she continued her crying. "Hmm, maybe you are hungry like Rom had said. Let's see what I got in my deep pockets." She felt around crackers that didn't end marvelously the last time. Her hand then connected with another item. "Ah- of course. You're Neptune's little pink vacuum of food," she said jokingly. Her hand produced a small plastic cup filled with pudding.
The pink-haired CPU ceased her cries to be replaced with a curious fixed gazed at the cup.
"Hmm, don't tell me that mommy Neptune hasn't given you your first taste of pudding? Well, this will be a treat for you." Ram grinned with happy anticipation to see what kind of face the little red-eyed devil would make. With a plastic spoon in hand, she scraped the surface layer of creamy chocolate pudding that accumulated on the spoon.
Euri never blinked away from the sight in motion as if this one act was like an engaging session of peek-a-boo with her mommy. She opened her mouth to accept the clearly obvious substance that was food, and her taste buds exploded with an eruption of profound flavors that colored her world with brighter depth and meaning. She rewarded the girl of the land of snow with a fulfilling giggle from the exquisite taste.
"Hehe, your mom can thank me later. Now, Rom won't be able to find-"
She spoke too soon when the door of the closet opened to show an overly excited Rom jumping in place. "Yes, I found you both in hide-and-seek!"
"How did you find us?!" Blurted the pink coat girl with a doomed expression that her streak was broken.
Rom placed her hands playfully behind her back. "I followed the giggling from Euri when I got here. I was planning on hearing crying, but it looks like you two were able to find common ground to become friends."
Ram checked on the expression of the CPU baby to find that she was drooling over the spoon that she had in her mouth. The pink twin sighed defeatedly yet held her head up high. "Don't act too high and mighty, sis. I'll be sure to reclaim my hide-and-seek title very soon. Besides, losing it was worth it if it got me closer to this pink devil. Promise me that you and I can play when you get a little older," she said to the baby.
Euri agreed in her own way by swinging the plastic spoon around like a rattle.
"That's so mean- I want to play too when she gets older!" Barked Rom, envy clearly shown on her face.
"Heck, yeah! The three of us will be a triple threat for sure!"
The three of them happily cheered and they continued to play for hours until the others had finally emerged from the brainstorm room.
I didn't know how this chapter would hold up when I pieced it together, but after reading it again, I think this was one of my favorites so far only because it feels new in terms of writing Rom, Ram, and Euri together. There will definitely be more fun moments with them.