Mulberry poked her head through the Doctor's office after she unlocked it with her identification card, only to find it devoid of the Doctor's presence. With soft footsteps, she made her way around his desk to confirm his absence. "Huh... I guess the Doctor is busy." She noted.
Exusiai and Texas had delivered a package to her that was sent from her family back from her home. It was a small wooden box, stuffed to the brim with sweets the Doctor was guaranteed to enjoy. There was a selection of mini red bean paste buns and candied fruit; the former stuffed with a sweet paste made from red beans in circular, glossy buns and the latter covered in a thin layer of sugar that had hardened to create a tantalizing gleam around the exterior of said snack.
Mulberry stepped out from the Doctor's office, watching the door close behind her before she made her way around Rhodes Island with a few specific people in mind. Provence, Tsukinogi, and the Doctor were her primary targets, but if she stumbled upon other operators, she wasn't going to object to sharing as long as she had enough.
As she focused her efforts on finding the Doctor first, she didn't spot any hint of him, nor did she find the others as her side quest. Mulberry asked other operators, praying she would receive an answer. Unfortunately, the operators she met were busy with their projects and the ones who were kind enough to stop were unaware of the Doctor's precise location.
"That's a good question." Wild Mane answered with a shrug. "Hey, if you find him, beat him over the head with your fist! That'll teach him to never hide from you!"
"Eh...?" Mulberry didn't know how to respond to her brash suggestion of violence. "Um, I rather keep a good relationship with him at the moment and forevermore…"
"Nah-ah. You gotta teach 'em while they're unaware of their mistakes. You want to have the Doctor listen to you? Beat him down and clobber his head!" Wild Mane blurted as she made a swinging motion with her fist. "Do you wanna have me follow you and do it for ya if we find him?"
Mulberry shook her head vehemently. "T-There's no need! I'll find him, eventually!"
Wild Mane watched Mulberry shuffle hurriedly away from her presence. Wild Mane looked down at her fist and then back at Mulberry's fading figure. "Ah, she'll figure something out. She looks like she had a good head on her shoulders."
As Mulberry walked through the interior of Rhodes Island, she came across May next. May's demeanor changed as she suddenly pointed her taser over at Mulberry, who flinched in surprise from the weapon being pointed at her. "Hey, you! Put your hands up where I can see 'em! I know you got something from Penguin Logistics! Don't make any sudden movements, otherwise, you'll get zapped!"
Mulberry froze up in shock as May slowly approached her. One of May's instructions was to put her hands up, but Mulberry couldn't, even if she wanted to. The wooden box of goodies limited her movements.
"Er..." May noticed Mulberry's difficulty in raising her hands, so she tried a different approach. "Open that box slowly! I want to see what's inside of it and what Penguin Logistics gave you!"
Mulberry slowly opened the box, revealing the sweets to May, who stared at them, enchanted by their mere presence. "Is... Is this good enough?" Mulberry asked, hoping to continue her journey to find the Doctor.
May cleared her throat, trying her best to rein herself back into her typical composure. "No, not yet! I'm going to dig through the contents of the box, so don't try anything suspicious!"
Mulberry watched May shuffle through the wooden box, disrupting the neat order of the goodies. Mulberry opened her mouth, but opted to say nothing, just in case an unfavorable outcome played. Once May was satisfied with her observations, she closed the box in its disarrayed arrangement. But not before swiping a bean bun for herself.
"You're fine, but I'm going to be keeping my eyes on you! This is some very shady behavior!" May exclaimed, stuffing the bun in her mouth. As a result, her words came out in a muffled manner.
Ignoring her accusation, Mulberry spoke up. "Um... Speaking about shady behavior, do you know if the Doctor has been sneaking amulets into my belongings? I thought you would know something since you're a detective and all..."
"No, I have not heard of such a thing. And I don't take trivial cases or odd jobs like that. Anyway, you're free, but remember." May made a motion with her two fingers, pointing it at her eyes, then toward Mulberry. "I got my eyes on you!"
Mulberry watched May leave the scene. The amount of help she received from May wasn't very helpful in the slightest. Maybe the next person she met could reverse the bad luck she encountered.
Mulberry looked around for a few more minutes until Grani appeared around a hallway's corner like a savior. Mulberry recognized Grani from the time she helped her find her lost doll. Grani brought a hand up to her chin and nodded her head, listening to Mulberry's request for the Doctor's location.
Grani smacked her fist in the palm of her hands and spoke up. "I just completed my patrol a while ago and remember seeing him up on the deck! Your best chance is there unless he moved! I can take you up there if you'd like?"
"Oh, if you could?" Mulberry requested, hope in her eyes.
"No problem, follow me!" Grani exclaimed, turning around on one foot to lead the way. While they walked alongside one another, Grani invited her to a conversation by asking her a few questions. "So what's your purpose in finding the Doctor? Is it about the wooden box you're holding? Or did he pull a prank on you?"
"He also pranks others, too?" Mulberry asked.
Grani let out a laugh. "You're lucky if he didn't… Earlier, he squeezed the cheeks on my face when I was up on the deck, greeting him. I have a feeling he's teasing me for my short stature and thinking I'm cute... I remember when I invited the Doctor to the training room for a session and he patted my head at the end. I'm telling you, he's a sneaky one with his harmless pranks."
"Well, now that you mention it..." Mulberry trailed off, pondering the two times she's found extra amulets hanging on her staff. "I've been finding more and more amulets on my staff, but I don't know if it's the Doctor or not..."
"Oooh... Wait, does the Doctor have amulets? I don't know if he does. But do you want me to talk to him about it? I'll do my best to aid you in whatever troubles you!"
Mulberry panicked momentarily as she raised her hands to decline her assistance. "I'm fine! I'll talk to him later when I confirm it's him! I don't want to accuse him and make him upset!"
Grani blinked twice at her, but nodded her head, not pressing the matter any further. Mulberry felt a little bad for her brief outburst, but it didn't last as the view of the deck appeared in front of her. Once Mulberry spotted the Doctor leaning against the railing with his head looking at the expanse beyond them, her eyes lit up with regard. Right beside the Doctor, Platinum stood beside him. She relied on the railing to hold her up, but her back was against the railing, unlike the Doctor.
Platinum noticed the two of them approaching them first before she leaned over to poke the Doctor on the side to attain the Doctor's attention. The Doctor glanced over at the white-haired Kuranta and then over at Mulberry and Grani when Platinum pointed in their direction.
"Doctor!"
"Doctor, we finally-"
Grani and Mulberry looked at each other from talking at the same time. They both giggled from their blunder, but Grani allowed Mulberry to take center stage.
"Doctor, I was searching for you. I received these goodies from my family back home, and I wanted to share them with you." Mulberry lifted her hands a little higher, presenting the wooden box to him. "I'm also searching for Provence and some others, but I couldn't find them along the way. But please, have a taste!"
Despite the chaotic jumble Mulberry forgot to address, the alluring nature of the snacks captivated the Doctor when he cautiously opened the lid. "Thank you, Mulberry." He commended, taking a bean bun into his hand along with some candied fruit in the other.
Mulberry swiveled over to offer Grani and Platinum some, which they accepted. Grani's joyful reaction was more pronounced than Platinum, who muttered a quick thanks while Grani showered Mulberry with appreciation. Mulberry didn't hesitate to join them by nibbling on a few of the goodies herself.
The Doctor twiddled his thumbs after he finished his share, eager for more sweets, but Mulberry informed him she was saving the remaining ones for the others, causing him to deflate.
"Sorry, Doctor... Some others deserve this too, but I'll write to my family to see if they can send me more than one next time."
"I look forward to snacking on some more."
"Okay, I'll be taking my leave then!" Mulberry was about to leave the scene but halted when she heard the Doctor call her.
"Wait, before you go..."
Mulberry turned around and waited patiently, anticipating his next move as he approached her. "Yes, Doctor?"
The Doctor stood there for a good second, invoking Mulberry to stare at him in perplexity. He lifted his hand and ruffled her hair gently before he spoke. "Take good care of yourself, okay?" During the duration of patting her head, he used that distraction to slip an amulet into one of the fanny packs tied around her waist. A master plan unfolding before Platinum's very eyes.
Mulberry stared at him in shock from the sudden touch but nodded her head with gratitude. "I-I will... Thank you, Doctor."
"Now where were we, Platinum?" The Doctor asked, attempting to continue the conversation from where they last left off.
Mulberry slowly reached up to touch the top of her head. A silky warm and fuzzy emotion enveloped her head and ran down her neck. She glanced over at Grani and smiled nervously before she pointed toward the exit.
"Right, let's go find the others!" Grani exclaimed, unaware of what the Doctor just did, other than he patted Mulberry's head with kindness.
Once they left the deck, Platinum turned around to face the Doctor. "You think she'll figure it out?"
"Oh, I have no doubt she will. Mulberry is a very bright child, but until then, I'm going to elongate this antic as long as possible." The Doctor said with a small laugh before his attitude transformed to take on a more serious tone as he placed a hand on his chin. "But maybe I shouldn't be indulging myself like this for so long. It feels... Well, there's no better way to put it. Fun, but punishable by being guilty if caught."
"No, this is very amusing. It's been a while since something interesting happened around here, so I would love to see how the rest of this plays out." Platinum commented as she leaned against the railing with a smirk. There was always something entertaining transpiring every day.
"Though I most likely won't be there when it finishes, so whatever…" Platinum mused, lifting both hands in the air, resignation signaled by a roll of her eyes.
"I can tell you how it all plays out when it happens." The Doctor offered.
"Oh, is that a way to appease this lady? Then you better not get caught in a nonsensical way."
With the help of Grani, Mulberry realized it didn't take long before she discovered the whereabouts of the others she was searching for. She distributed her hometown treats to Provence, Tsukinogi, and others, but afterward, she realized Grani was still following her, despite finishing their task of finding Mulberry's friends.
"Oh... Thanks for helping me out today, Grani."
"Ah, it's no problem! I'm always here to help anyone out, no matter how small their troubles are!"
Mulberry looked down at her box of goodies and contemplated giving the rest to her to show Grani thanks. "Um... Since you aided me with finding my friends, did you want the rest of these?"
"Woah, really? Are you sure about that? We could probably give the rest of the Doctor, couldn't we?" Grani asked, her ears flickering with excitement.
"That's true... But I want you to have it." Mulberry reiterated, holding the box out to her.
Grani smiled as she accepted the box of goodies wholeheartedly. "If you're fine with it, then I'm fine with it! Well, I'll see you around! Don't hesitate to ask me for help again if you need it!" Grani called out as she waved her hand to bid her farewell before sprinting away.
Now left alone with no one in sight, Mulberry pondered how the rest of her day should play out. But there wasn't much to consider when her aching feet reminded her of how many steps she had taken throughout the entire day. It was a fascinating journey around Rhodes Island, but it was time to rest.
Mulberry was about to wander back to her room when she heard someone approaching her from behind. Curious as to who it could be, she turned around and made direct eye contact with Platinum, who was a little too close at the moment. "Ah...! Y-You scared me," Mulberry told her, slightly shirking away from her.
A mischievous smile grew on the Kuranta's face as she slowly circled her in a larky manner. As Platinum studied her, Mulberry could feel a powerful sensation of trepidation stirring deep inside her heart.
"You didn't notice it?" Platinum asked.
Perplexity flashed across Mulberry's appearance. "N-Notice what?"
First, it was a mischievous W, an assertive Wild Mane, then a quack detective May, and now it was a roguish Kuranta. This week was filled to the brim with surprises that Mulberry didn't want to deal with. The effort it took for her to break out of her shell to talk to the kind Catastrophe Messengers and various friendly operators was monumental, but eventually, the other shoe had to drop. Still, it was too much to deal with in one week!
"Surely, you must have noticed the Doctor drop something into one of the bags hanging around your waist."
"Uh... Did he? I'm not sure..." Mulberry stepped back, searching for an exit, but Platinum took a step forward to put mild pressure on her.
"Did you really not see it?" Platinum asked, reaching into the fanny pack without permission to pull out an amulet between two fingers. "See, magic, right?"
Mulberry didn't answer, opting to stare at the plate of metal with Yan characters written on it. She already had some suspicion against the Doctor developing since the second time he deposited them on her staff, but was it actually him? "..."
A grin spread over Platinum's face, telegraphing her intention of playing a joke on her. "Don't worry about it. But I'm sure the one thing you saw was how the Doctor lovingly put his hand on your head to pat you. That was very cute if I recall."
Mulberry blushed at her teasing remark, striving to avoid Platinum. "I'll be going now!"
Platinum snickered, reaching out to pat her on the head to replicate the action of the Doctor. This put a stop to Mulberry's tracks. "There, there. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Have some extra head pats to cheer yourself up."
Unfortunately, it did little to lift her spirits out of the embarrassment she was experiencing.
Author's Note: I think the bags hanging around her waist could be classified as fanny packs. I deemed it so when I did some research on what type of bags Google would show me, but I thought they fit the description perfectly!
Also, been crafting this chapter for the longest time now since February, as I said in my last author's note because I believed it to have so much potential to be fun. And it is! I tried to add in a lot of interactions between many characters with Mulberry to see how it would turn out!
Proud of how it worked out in the end, and I hope every single one of you guys enjoyed it too!
With love from your favorite writer, Out4Lunch!