Complete No More Mistakes

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Riemenschneider's Californa Residence, 10:30 am

The flight to California was swift.

It didn't take long for the trip to be booked, and with Nico sharing the same eager as Ronja, in a matter of a couple days, she was already getting on the first plane to the other side of the country.

A private ride made sure to take the pinkette straight to the path to the Riemenschneider's Residence. This time, not being the expected maid... However, that didn't stop Nico from meeting the unsettling sight of the servant, that patiently waited for her by the corner of an entrace.

The car didn't turn into the road, simply braking on the corner, leaving the pinkette to be received by the maid.

"Ms. Bellantoni." She greeted. If Nico had ever told her surname or not, she would have second guesses. "Ms. Riemenschneider is waiting for you." Lena didn't waste time, gesturing for the woman to follow, despite having a growing distaste on her face.

As they moved deeper into the path toward the isolated house, they eventually neared a gate, which Lena rested her hand on and peered behind her back, with her gaze locking on Nico's before she paused, seeming to momentarily ignore an order she may have received. Her mouth half-opened, ready to ask something, but something made her halt her words.

"... You both are sure always in such a hurry when you met." She settled with this brief commentary, finally pushing the gate open and allowing Nico to enter.

The building could already be seen from afar, being too big for the gate and the wall that surrounded it to hide it enough. It was a sight of contemporary architecture, which was a funny contrast with the far more traditional looking maid simply looking like an outcast in the mansion.

If the presence of the maid were to be ignored, Nico would be able to feel just how peaceful that place was. There was no sounds of cars, or from other people. Only birds and the gentle sound of the pool's water waving that the tiny, artificial waterfalls caused.

The maid once again turned to look at Fiora, offering to take her jacket, or anything she had on her, before casting a glance over to one of the wide windows. If Nico followed her gaze, she would spot a sitting silhouette by near the window for half a second before a curtain was tugged to cover it.

With a sigh, Lena turned to look at Nico.

"It isn't hard to get there." She said, vaguely gesturing to where Nico had to go before bowing and walking away.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Both airborne and down on earth, the commodities made her very self-aware of her economical condition. There were not enough oddjobs in the world for her to get enough for this much privilege. Yet top tier foods and beverages weren't enough to distract her, both in the plane and now inside a car like some sort of VIP, from her phone, and the pictures she kept switching to.

Most of them taken in that week she spent with Ronja. It was silly, but to look at them now made her all the more nostalgic, a little smile carved her lips into joy. A strength she would need, specially now, as she is fairly aware that Death dresses in white and black and it keeps a watchful eye over her back. Something about landing on this side of the country made her feel so... Pursued. As if under surveillance by some sort of god. The whole time she kept her backpack with herself just in case anyone would offer to take it without letting her know, the ragged ol' thing that she brought with her last time, with it's faded pink tones that had turned into a salmon with all the dirt it caught that wouldn't just rub off. Permanent stains rather.

And then her ride came to an abrupt stop.

"You ain't gonna drive the whole way in-"
"Ms. Bellantoni, Ms. Riemenschneider is waiting for you."

Death had arrived.

Nico got herself out of the car, pulling her glasses down a bit just to glance over at Lena. Her blood turned to ice, her heart raced like deer being sideglanced by a cougar. Just having to look -up- at the maid remind her of just how tall she really was.

"I never told you my-- Right, Ronja probably did, haha." She laughed it off, unnerved moreso than happy about it. Honestly, she didn't wanted to know if that the case, so she left it there before Lena could elaborate and instead did as she said and tagged along before she gave her more reasons to hate her.

At least, until Lena proved to be listening in to something, and she kept her distance from the gates and the maid herself, if only to give her some privacy, blue eyes darted over to her satchel, and when they returned, they found the locked gaze of the maid, and a curious brow quirked up on the pinkette.

"Can you blame us for hating on the distance?" She asked, most likely being Ronja the one who gave some sort of command, given Lena's comment, yet even that she didn't trust with how off-handed her guide could be. The only thing that got her out of it had to be the beautiful scenery of what a rich girl who has it all but can't enjoy it looks like.

Including silence. Too much of it that made her more aware of Lena's presence as she handed over her leather jacket back, leaving herself wearing only her tank top for her top, and keeping her stitched satchel at hand. "I got notes for Ms. Riemeneschneider, stuff that don't fit on my pockets." She would make a point by opening to reveal so many notepads and books, except that it was fairly smaller than it should be, and the bottom was discoloured and stitched together... Like most of the satchel, which she had brought in last time.

This didn't last long as she got rid of her glasses to glance at the window, tracking down Lena's eyes to find the curtains closing and someone behind them- Needless to say who this is, but the act just made her feel all the more uncomfortable and remind her of their past days inside the game. The last time they logged in and off, and all the woes carried with that.

"It isn't hard to get there."
"Thanks." She answered, only to watch the woman walk away, and suddently she felt doubt crawl over her throat. It was silly to think this would be her last visit, but... What if?

"Hey uh, Lena?" Nico called out. "It's nice to see you again." As scary as she was... There is a point to be taken that there is no better guardian in this side of the world than her. Despite it all, she's in charge to keep Ronja safe. She couldn't trust anyone else than her for doing what she cannot in this world.

​

She tried to keep note of the turns the maid was so kind to hand over. Despite having been within this mansion before, the complex remains large enough, and enough time had passed to make the memory groggy. Blessed be her photographic memory and Lena's directions, Nico knocked on the door thrice, before twisting the knob...

"Ronja..?"

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Lena halted her steps and turned her face slightly, just enough to have a pheripheral glance of the pinkette as soon as she was called. "Yes?" She acknowledged, only to remain silent for a couple seconds after Nico spoke. There wasn't much of a response, aside from maybe the faintest of the nods before she left.

---

As Nico walked deeper into the house, she would, as expected, see several accessibility additions to the house. There were no stairs, aside from the one to the second floor, and even then, it was accompanied by a light elevator, something that almost felt out of place not being in a shopping mall or a skycraper, even knowing who lived in that mansion.

After knocking, it would take a moment for Ronja's voice slip muffled from behind the door.

"Co... Come in."

Stepping in, Ronja's room would look rather bland, if it wasn't for the fact several pieces of art scattered around it, both finished and unfinished. There were also crafts and minor sculptures, with shelves filled with artistic tools with a whole desk only for these sort of craftworks.

A particular painting would probably catch the most attention, if Nico could realize who had painted it... Though, she wouldn't need to guess if she simply took the hint written at the corner of the frame.

But maybe her gaze wouldn't linger on those paintings or pieces of arts, not when a pair of timid eyes looked at her.

They weren't too different from the last time they have seen each other. There was a hint of exhaustion, a faint sadness that lingered, the face of someone that has been reflected for a long time until they were forced out of it for something they had to do, and in this case...

"Good morning, Nico... It... It has been a while..." She smiled, faint but truthfully. "... I hope... Lena didn't cause you any trouble..." Ronja said, peering at the windows.

She probably was watching it since the start.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

To see so much life in the form of art across Ronja's room came as a shocking fact. It wasn't always one would find someone adorning themselves of so much canvas and tools. She could smell the paint and acrylics as soon as she stepped inside, an odor Ronja must be accustomed by now.

One of these were peculiar however. She knew to differentiate artstyle, and this one didn't quite match up the tone of the rest. Vibrant, raw, and almost unpolished but that's what made it all the more expressive to look at. It had to be Luthien's touch, and a quick glance to the edge of it proved her right. But she wasn't an art connossieur, and certainly isn't here for this kind of piece.

Her soft baby blues locked with the shy, weary lids that belonged to Ronja's. This time she came prepared to face that same look from ingame, but no defense nor shield could stop a piercing blow against one's heart like that.

"Way too long if you ask me.." She confirmed, leaning a little closer, slow motions making her intentions known as Nico tried to peck a little kiss on Ronja's lips. "Good morning. I missed ya'" Only now did she smile, once she confirmed this to not be a dream.

When questioned over the maid, Nico made sure to glance around the room, then back to the window they both peered through, resting her left hand over her satchel, and the right across Ronja's back, giving the brunette a few comforting strokes. "She didn't. Either I outsmarted her, or she just left me off the hook this time." Nico smiled, turning around if only to kneel down infront of Ronja and pull her satchel infront of her, where she begun to pull out pens, her own diary, a few scribbled notes and a larger notepad. "I got you a surpriseee~" She singsongs.

Ever since Hawaii, in fact. Her hands went down to pull at the stitches at the bottom of the satchel, pulling out the patch of cloth out as she revealed the makeshift secret compartment, and from it she pulled a very familiar Pink automaton. The colour was faded, and some colourless metal spots are still present, but it was an accurate representation of one of Ronja's Aidlings. One she earned herself a set of eyebags for the sake of crafting it

"It's uhm, I did it with some 3D printing. I know my hand around it. It can't fly though, but the helix spins and the eyes shine when you turn it on!" She remarked enthusiastically, ready to show the barebone functions with just a little switch at the back of the aidling. The showcase was nothing more than what she said it would be.

But Ronja could see just how proud Nico was of this one just from the way she stared at it, then back at her lover, offering it for her to hold. "A teaser for the future." She said, knowing full well they couldn't focus on what had happened the past few days, they needed a new coat of paint upon their frame that wasn't in grays or blacks.

"Do you... Like it?"

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

When Nico began approaching her, Ronja could feel a vague hesitation growing in herself- That doubt, that concern if she did or not deserve...

But Nico didn't give her time to let those thoughts linger, approaching and reciprocating the feeling that... They sure had missed each other, in a more personal way. Ronja didn't resist Nico's attempt to peck her lips, in fact, she returned it with one of her own, with her cheeks warming as she smiled faintly. "I missed you too... A lot." Her voice turned slightly more cheerful, even if it was still weak in a way.

With her lover getting next to her, Ronja straightened her back when it was touched by Nico's hand, with the gentle caress bringing a smile to her lips.

"I... Doubt you outsmarted Lena." Ronja said, not out of distrust of Nico, but probably due to her overconfidence on Lena.

The mention of a surprise did snatch Ronja's interest and curiosity, leaning in slightly to see the satchel, peeking at the pens and diary being pulled out of it, blinking and tilting her head as she curiously looked at them, until Nico revelaed the small, pink automaton that looked so familiar.

Ronja's eyes opened widely, with a surprised gasp escaping as she looked between Nico and the small gift a couple times.

"It is an Aid-Ling!" She perked up, looking at it with eyes sparkling, not caring for the imperfections, studying the small construct with surprise and joy, clapping thrice rapidly when the helix and the lights were activated. "Nico, did you make it by yourself? It looks... It looks amazing..." Ronja held it carefully and fondly, looking at it, with her hopes and dreams growing lively as she saw something she would only expect to ever see in Terrasphere.

"... I loved it..." She looked at Nico, smiling brightly, and turning to look at the object again.

"... This is... Just like in that world..."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She had her stomach full of butterflies, just incapable of feeling any less than that whenever Ronja's smile grew just a little wider. That extra sliver of happiness that warmed her cheeks. She knew that voice would never be as loud as Bubblyfoot's, but she would try regardless. Just hearing her far more cheerful than earlier made her feel like a dreamy teenager in her first romantic experience.

And both starcrossed lovers missed eachother enough to battle through the remnants of their pain.

"C-come on, there's no need shut down my wishful thinking like that!" Nico chuckled alongside her words. Ronja could tell apart almost immediately just how much energy she had, in comparison to the silver elf. The lack of Emotional Overtuning made a clear difference. "It's okay, I know I can't outsmart her. But I'm pretty sure I can make her like me. She's just gotta know me a bit better." More wishful thinking came out of her lips, but her hardheaded faith could or could not pay off one day.

When taking the time to prepare her big surprise, the way Ronja almost jumps from her spot put her nerves to rest. The brunette guessed just right, and Nico giggled it away. She could be so adorable when excited, it was hard for her to keep her eyes off from her beloved whenever something caught her admiration.

"It is! It's hard to forget those little bots of yours, so I didn't have an issue sketching the design." She explained, giving a nod once inquired about her involvement in the solo project, handing it over to her to let her inspect the toy version of an aid-ling. "It could look better, but I'm happy that you think that." Her cheeks coloured themselves with embarassment, letting her hands rest on Ronja's knees.

"It was worth not sleeping at all just to see you like this." Blue eyes never left that smile of hers, and finally hers grew wider once her lover's proved too contagious on it's own. "One day it will do more than be just for show. We'll make it fly, and we can easily put cameras in it like the ones in that world. I can do these easily. I just need to get it a better engine and learn how to do these without just printing them. They gotta be sturdier, so I'll need a metal alloy and-" She rambled for a moment, pausing with a smile on her lips once her mind caught up to her words, crossing her arms atop of Ronja's knees to rest her head in between, using her own forearms as support for her chin.

"It's yours. Oh, and I got my notes with me so we can read them over later and you can see how I got around it. I had to search up how to do some of the electronics, but I bet Lena can hire me to fix lightbulbs around the mansion now."

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja smiled faintly at Nico, shaking her head as she handwaved gently. "I'm not shutting you down..." She protested, well humoured as she paused and pondered about Nico's second plan, that seemed much more feasible, even if still very hard. "I'm very sure you could make her like you..." She nodded, confident of it. "Lena... Isn't a bad person... She is just too cautious." Ronja sighed briefly, with memories flowing deep into her mind as she shook her head and glanced back to Nico.

"It looks great, don't say that..." Ronja said. "Especially in such a little time you had to make it... Unless... You have been making it since before." She pondered, still gently tracing her fingers on the Aid-Ling replica.

Her face then frowned in realization, as soon as Nico revealed her lack of sleep. "You... You what? You should rest, Nico..." Ronja protested, staring at her with serious expression, huffing faintly and shaking her head in disapproval.

Those negative feelings, however, soon were overtaken with dreaming ones as she mentioned the possibilities that could follow after that small 'tease for the future'. Everything that Nico said was very, very close to the possible... Would it require some effort and tinkering, yeah, but it wasn't the hardest thing to invent ever. If anything, it would be just be heavy modifications over what they already had.

"... Just like drones, right..?" She muttered, with her eyes brightening along with a smile, just as she looked to her lover, who laid over her knee.

"This is wonderful, Nico!" Ronja chirped. "This is totally feasible to be done, we just... We just need to put work on it..." Ronja said. "You can work with the eletronics, and I can build the software... And if we both learn a bit from each other, we can think of everything from scratch, maybe-" Excitement grew in her voice, but it slowly softened, warming at her girlfriend as she gently brushed her hair with her fingers.

"Lena could... And maybe... That wouldn't be a bad idea..?" Ronja squinted, pondering for a moment.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She then gave her the equivalent of a 'Oooh, really?' Just as Ronja proclaimed to not be shutting her down at all. Her luck didn't carry over, as plan B came with a more positive reception. The mention of how the maid could be a bit too cautious made her giggle as she reminded herself of their last encounter. "Yeah, she really is. You didn't tell her my surname, did you? Couse she just dropped it out of nowhere." The comedy on their exchange helped her keep cool at that, despite how terrifying that was, given how her mind fell to assumptions. "I knew she was some top secret assassin. She protects you though, and that's all I care. Maybe one day she will drop her guard with me." Wishful, if only because that would make her feel a little less like a side character in a slasher film.

The Aid-Ling would feel quite solid on Ronja's hands. Hollow despite having components within it's graphite shell, smoothened out by the sloppy coat of paint that had long dryed out.

"Originally it was just gonna be for show. I already had the parts, I just had to assemble it, but then came the idea to make the helix spin and the eyes glow, and that means baaack to 3D printing." She waved her finger, gesturing a circle, like turning a wheel and starting it all over.

Ronja's protests, paired with that serious glint in her eyes, got her raising both hands in surrender right below her chin, "Once the day's over, I will have plenty of time to do that with you." A tranquil expression resting on her face, alongside the little smile curving up the edge of her lips, in what she believed to be a smooth comeback.

Nico fell quiet, she learned to tell when Ronja was deep in thought, it wouldn't be difficult for her to figure out what ran through her mind at the time, yet given their interests it wasn't that much of a surprise in the first place. All she did was watch Ronja arm herself with their hopes and dreams, reinvigorating her voice, sharpening her gaze and widening her smile.

"Just like drones~" She repeated, her own smile growing up progressively with her beloved's, merely resting against her as the brown little bird chirps away with the endless possibilities they had infront of them.

They had all the tools they needed outside of Terrasphere, and that realization opened a door they imagined would always remain closed, if only because neither had thought about trying to get it open first before ruling it out.

"You got that right! We have the technology already, Ronja. All we gotta do is learn it so we can do it by ourselves. And you know what?" Her tone changed to befit a mastermind revealing the key to the plan they deviced, starry eyes locking with Ronja's as she gave it a second before letting it out. "We can learn it through the game. At one point it's just gonna be mechanical for us, we'll be building Aid-Lings without even thinking about it. Our bodies will know what to do." Nico reached out for that hand brushing her hairs, the treat paid back with a kiss at the back of her palm, "And you made them yourself. We just need to get you the exact same parts on a table and I'm sure you will understand what I mean. If I did this and I never ever built one of this ingame, imagine what you can do, Ronja." She couldn't stop her nerdy self from surfacing there, her voice bubbling with excitement as every piece in her logic felt undeniable in her eyes. Usually skeptical about things being too good to be real, but this time it might just be the case: No proof seemed to aim otherwise.

The only thing to stop her momentum ended up being Ronja pondering over her joke, how she didn't think of it as a bad idea in the slightest-- Her heart skipped a beat just then.

"I-I mean, do you think Lena would hire me? I would love that. I mean it. Like, being close to you while also learning a thing or two? And it's pretty quiet too..." She said, starting to convince herself too that it might just be a good idea. "If it pays well I could probably move over to an apartment nearby as of now. Probably not the best room out there but I can make do." All her savings would go to the drain, basically.

Thinking about drains got her in the pondering mood too, middle and index finger tapping away at her chin. "Say, you have a really big pool out there. How about we keep talking about it while I take you for a swim? I'll be your personal, pink-haired lifeguard. Just need one of those big floaties that look like a chair to sit you on."

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja was for most of part giggling at the way Nico spoke about Lena, with the mention of 'top assassin' making Ronja avert her gaze for a moment, mostly to pretend she wasn't hearing it and that she had no idea of Lena's background.

Something in Nico's talk caught her attention, however- "Sur... Surname..?" Ronja blinked, looking at Nico before pursing her lips and leaning closer. "U-Uhm... Nico... What exactly is your surname..?" Ronja asked, unsure herself. She has never really had a reason to have Nico's surname at hands, and she had never asked either.

Her eyes then slowly peeked at a vague gap on the windows curtains.

Ronja was strucky with a surprised expression as soon as she noticed a small brim reflecting from a glassy surface inbetween the trees... And while Ronja had trouble in close sight, she had no trouble with long sight, that would soon reveal to be a feminine frame with a very, very dangerous sniper aiming at the pinkette- Whether Nico noticed or not.

Quick to bend closer to the window, Ronja stretched her body almost supernaturally, taking the gap of the curtains and hiding it, letting out a sigh as she tried to recover her stance and looked back at Nico.

"Y-You know... Swimming sounds like a great idea... I think Lena would be much less stressed if we weren't so much alone by ourselves, right?" Ronja smiled faintly. "I... Think that hiring you would be a great idea... But I will still need to talk with my parents and Lena." She admitted, letting out a sigh, but then peeking at Nico.

"Besides, maybe the water will refresh our minds enough for us to think about how we will transfer things from in game to this real world." Ronja guessed, gesturing for Nico to get things ready for them to leave as quickly as possible.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Ronja's silence incriminated her, labelled her 'guilty' all around. Giggling and pretending to not even notice her as she spoke the most dangerous truths about the secret agent she housed. Nico made it a point to pout, as if trying to act offended, only for the whole act to be dropped once Ronja leaned closer, the secretive nature behind her voice caught her curiosity, and once she revealed the question, a frown crossed her face for but a short lapse.

"Bellantoni... Food industries." She kept it short, if only because the surname spoke for itself: The last she wanted was to get her family involved, yet given the circumstances, it would be impossible to hide that. Lena confirmed it, much like she could have confirmed the pinkette being no more than a rebel who rejects everything in a family that has it all. "I'm not proud of it, or that I kept it from you. I thought someone else told you, given how Lena knew it... Maybe she thought I had told you that." Her voice lost itself within her own bitterness. Yet the shock within Ronja's eyes made her unsure if she did the right choice, but the truth is all Ronja deserved.

At least, until she followed the brunette's eyesight, baby blues widening, irises twitching as she noticed an impossible-to-miss lady clad in whites and blacks... And a trained killer aiming at her brain matter., for only a split of a second before Ronja jumped in her defense to close the curtains.

"A-ah S-sure! Let me help you out to pick something!" A hasted reply, scrambling her way back up to her feet as any form of negativity got killed by an imaginary 50 cal. bullet, that could have very well been real if she had done anything slightly off the mark. "Take your time, love. I know trust ain't easy to afford, but I'll do what I can to earn it, from your parents and Lena." She declared, yet something told her the latter might prove to be inconsequential if the former just asked her to put some lead into her skull.

'That bitch owes me a new heart after that bullshit...' Yet she couldn't just double down on Lena. Sadly, her thoughts would remain as thoughts.


"Don't worry, I got a few notes ready for you, and I can tell you at the pool, came prepared for this, y'know?"

​

After taking down the elevator, Nico gave the last push to lead Ronja by her wheelchair, having her satchel hanging by it's strap over her right shoulder. The pool's waters were crystalline, almost too perfect. They could fit in Terrasphere's fantastic scenery as much as it did on this mansion, only the layout would be different in that case. There were a few servants they passed by, Nico offering merely a smile. To be fair, she felt safer behind four walls than outside on the open, but perhaps that's all Lena needed to cool off: see them on the open, where she could take a shot at any time, and with many witnesses to watch Nico should she try anything.

Yup... Exactly.

"Sunlight's pretty good for the skin. Bet we both need a little bit of it right now, eh?" She jested, tugging at her shorts just a little, letting her satchel drop over one of the sets of reclined beach chairs across the pool.

Afterwards, she stood right infront of Ronja, offering her arms out for her lover. She wasn't about to pick her up without her permission, and if granted, the pinkette would lift her back up. The lack of strength in comparison to the silver elf was more than evident, but with gritted teeth and a cool demeanour she made it look just as easy, taking both to the edge of the pool to sit down, letting her legs sink down onto the waters.

"It's a bit hot even. Awesome." Nico commented, turning her head over to the brunette with a little smile. "You looking great even." Sick or weak, Ronja was the standard of beauty in her eyes, no question about it. And that thought got her cheeks to match her hair just a little more with how cheesy her thoughts turned out to be. "Soo, I imagine you use a floatie or something for the pool? I can bring it over if you want. Wouldn't mind dragging you from one side to the other. We gonna toast under the sun if we don't get in."

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja sighed at the mood breaker Lena had caused due to her eagerness to keep people at gunpoint, frowning as she seemed legitimately angry at what had just happened.

Her expressions softened, however, as soon as Nico's resolve seemed to be untouched by the threat. "I-I am very, very sorry, Nico..." She apologized, with her face growing red hot in shame for the maid's actions.

"Uhmm... S-Sure." She nodded, ready for changing and to soon get to move to the pool...

---

Needless to say, Ronja was a bit sheepish about everything, even if her happiness only grew. To be carried by the wheelchairs with Nico being the one pushing it was something that felt strangely nice. Of course, she felt safe with Lena doing it, but with Nico it felt different, and in a good way Ronja couldn't quite pinpoint.

"It sure is... the sun is... very pretty today." Ronja said with a small smile, slowly peering to Nico, with rosy cheeks as she allowed herself to be picked up, with her eyes lingering on Nico's for a moment.

"I-It is... very close too..."

It came out shyly.

Did it went well? She had read that one in a book. Ronja averted her gaze, with her lips quivering into a smile as she cleared her throat, flinching very softly when the cold water touched her feet.

"I don't... need any floaties, no... only when I am going to somewhere like a beach, or a river." Ronja explained, before adding- "I am... used to pools... they are part of physiotherapy" She elaborated.

"But... You can carry me too... If you want..."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Oh, is it?" Nico pondered, falling for the bait entirely as her arms were busy with keeping her beloved safe on her grasp. The only hint she had were those flustered cheeks of hers that indicated more than met the eye, and as their gazes locked, all that courage Ronja gathered had soon fell flat when delivering the line itself, but it was a charm of it's own with how adorable the result turned out to be! It went well, given they now shared pink over their faces.

Nico's smile grew a little warmer just as Ronja tried to dodge her gaze for once. "The moon's pretty shy today, too." She doubled down on it the moment they sat down at the edge. She caught her breath a few seconds after, but for the first time carrying Ronja, her body wasn't in such a bad condition as she expected it to be.

Things clicked together with the mention of physiotherapy as Nico blinked a few times, a bit embarassed for her own bluntness at asking away. Yet the trust poured on her helped her recover speech once again. "Hmmm, who knows. Maybe I want you to carry me." She giggled, not such a crazy thought given they would be inside a pool real soon.

"But first, I want to see my pro swimmer in action." Nico added, sliding closer to the edge, until her thighs were fully immersed, followed by her waist while she gently turned around to face Ronja, letting the rest of her body drop in up to her neck. Her right hand stretched out for her to have something to cling to. "I'll be right beside you when you need me."

Said and done, as the pinkette would tag along at the same pace Ronja would take while inside the pool, never straying too far, taking one particular opportunity to submerge herself without letting the brunette pay note of and swim all the way until she ended beneath her, surfacing slowly so afterwards until she ended up face to face with her, her hands gently pushing the pink bangs off her face, slicking them back.

"Alright, now I'm cooled off." She said, with both body and mind applying for this. "So, I need time to figure things out clearly, but I have a few theories already." Elaborating further, Nico swam herself to the shallower section of the pool, stretching a hand out to reach for her satchel, using it as a towel for her hands before pulling the ragged thing open, from where Ronja would see the same brown cover from Nico's diary.

Within, she begun to pass over many pages, some were entirely unrelated given they were pure text, and some had sketches of Fiora's sword on them, but at last they reached the familiar sight of the Aid-lings. While her form wasn't the best, it was pretty acceptable for the purpose the pinkette needed it for, but by no means an artist.

Many of the automatons Ronja had used across Terrasphere, each with their own page, were illustrated, arrows pointing out to each separate limb and some even segmented into their own page, at least for the largest of them.

"We know what we need to power up an Aid-Ling for instance, but we don't really know how much Watts that actually is. We just know it works because it's a magical source, so we need to go to the basics and find a way to measure how much each of our creations consume." She explained, methodical like a scientist explaining her hypothesis and the arguments behind it, yet still with that candle-- That passion -- Only a freshman could have for what they are doing.

She turned the page over to a far less... Friendly looking bot, given it's size. "I figured out it's not a problem of how we create them, but what do we use to power them up. Take this guy for instance. If you gonna make it lift something, it's gonna need at least twice it's size in Watts. The ratio is something around two to one when it comes to lift and weight, so we can use that as a basis." She flickered the page with her middle finger, resting her elbow against the pool as she smiled back to Ronja. "So, in short, we need to get an idea of how much power consumption they have, and to find a way to replicate it. After we find a cost-efficient battery for these babies, the world is our playground, love."

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

The retort made Ronja's cheek burn a bit more, side glancing Nico shyly as she offered a timid smile, one that enjoyed the way the other complimented and returned her affectionate words. Her head tilted vaguely at the playful request, but it seemed like Ronja truly gave it a thought.

"I... Could carry you, if you wanted." She said. "It is a bit hard, but I think my legs can take it." Ronja said, giving her thighs a few taps on them before looking at Nico, that slid into the pool and gave Ronja the 'ready' for her to slid in herself.

Ronja smiled, slowly scooting and finally sinking into the pool, where 'gravity' had less power on her body... Where her legs had much more freedom. The weight of her body was very much bearable, and she could even 'walk', in a sense. Her movements weren't the most nimble, but with her hold on Nico's hand tightening, she had the security to do anything she wished.

When Nico went for a dive, Ronja blinked surprised, looking around, and taking a brief moment to refresh herself as well, simply allowing her face to be wrapped by the water of the pool before she sighed, taking her head off water.

"Aah~" She smiled, opening her eyes to see Nico appearing before her, with the mention of theories and the quick swim to the edge of the pool making Ronja follow along, curious.

She blinked, looking curious at the sketches and writings, one more interesting than another, with surprise coloring Ronja's face as she saw the illustrations of her own creations being repeated on a paper in real life. She had never really tinkered with the idea, which was how one would never see her things that she crafted in Terrasphere to be reflected in some way in real life.

"I... I see..." She nodded, collecting every inch of information into her mind. "You are right, this is all a matter of working out our limitations... Trying to take the real life equivalents to work with these creations in game..." Ronja crossed her arms over the edge of the pool, pondering.

"I'm... unsure of what power source we could use right now, that could bring these things into life in the same way as they do in Terra." She admitted. "Especially since magic is something that can be concentrated in abstract ways, and it doesn't really occupy much space, if at all... On top of being very, very flexible to work with." Ronja sighed, wondering what would fit the bill.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Nico kept it in consideration, her mind half distracted with Ronja's reaction to focus entirely on her proposition. She hoped her smile would speak for itself about the idea, but she didn't give an answer, if only to let the ball roll for a little longer for that.

Instead she focused on getting the brunette through an almost zero-gravity environment. The pool really benefitted her to her fullest. It only reflected on how sad the reality of their situation is, but to have at least these moments brought some hope in her. Maybe, one day, Ronja would do all of that and more without requiring a body of water to compensate.

A few of these questions were part of her agenda. Just once her lover begun to bring them up did Nico's mind start to kickstart the gears once again.

"Yup, that's basically the idea, we need to change what we aimin' for to get things running." She nodded, elbows resting behind her against the coping of the pool, taking a few extra seconds on voicing out her thoughts just as Ronja became thoughtful all of a sudden. "All of these things you mention about magic, electricity can do it just as well. And we got another edge here: References." She explained, blossoming confidence with just a smile and the fire in her eyes. "There are thousands of drones and robots out there in the world. We can get all the information we need if we look for it. If you think about it, there ain't many differences between our tech and 'That world's. Magic just has the plus of being almost infinite, in some form." She added, left hand casually flipping over her pages, going past all the models Fiora had seen of Ronja's automatons, only to end on a far more theoretical section of her diary. No sketches were there, only text.

"I wrote down about magic and it's conversion of energy, but this is all just theory with nothing to back it up, since I didn't have time to show you this, and I don't have too much magic per say in-game." The only weakness in how she built her. Magic was the last thing she had in her repertoire beyond some tools and Last Hope, which were all influenced by Ronja herself.

"We have the energy sources, hun. I'm telling you now, we can create one of each of these with no problem, but that isn't our goal." Nico shook off her head. "We want it to be accessible. You want to make the world better so we gotta make it economic, something that can sustain itself and that the people who need it can afford it. Like any business." She bit down her tongue as she said that. It all sounded too much like her father's teachings, and that alone made her displeased with herself. But if it helped her, and it helped Ronja, then she would make do with the old man's madness.

"Electricity is our best bet, it's just like magic but with some plus here and there, and we know exactly how to make it work. It's easier to bring over that stuff from our world to the other." Nico paused, closing her diary before darting closer towards Ronja, resting her arms over her lover's shoulders, hands locked behind her. "I'm still waiting for you to carry me~" She giggled, leaning over for a chaste kiss before her sultry expression shifted back to idle. "Only if it won't hurt you though. I don't want you to push your body that hard for me. A little distraction could give you a good idea." And hopefully it would also keep Lena from blowing her head off, but of that she doubted...

Blue eyes flickered around for a moment from their tunnel vision, if only to check for any gun barrels, before returning back at Ronja.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

"There are, for sure..." Ronja muttered. Robots were indeed very numerous around the world, but the main issue was exactly what Nico soon pointed out to be one of their main objective, which was making it all accessible. Technological advancements, the efficiency they held, and everything related to the improvement and development of them were quick to become cheap as soon as a couple years passed, becoming outdated...

... But machinery per se. The objects, the actual robots and their material, they costed a fortune.

"So you based this conversion on guess?" Ronja asked, regarding the magic to energy conversion, wondering how her girlfriend had come into these numbers and conclusions, if she had nothing to back it up.

"You should've asked me for help... my body there literally runs on magic." She explained, with a small suggestion.

"... But the pricing will be a true problem... The costs to build a robot are too much." Ronja pursed her lips, crossing her arms as she pondered about it. "We need cheap materials... but that are enduring enough... Maybe... Maybe we will even need to invent... a new material ourselves."

But to make such a thing, they would need to create the greatest invention of the year, at the very least.

Her thoughts, however, were soon interrupted by Nico's request, making Ronja pause for a moment, sheepishly looking at her as she glanced away. "Well... I can do that... Now." She nodded, letting go of the edge of the pool, to turn toward Nico and vaguely opening her arms, waiting for her to approach.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The way Ronja's words went over like whispers had her worried for a moment. Was there some flaw on her plan that the brunette noticed that she didn't?

It would be left to her imagination, if only because Ronja picked at the devil in her explanation, getting a little nerveous chuckle out of Nico "A bit, yeah. Nothing concrete, as it is, but that's where trial and error comes in." She said, clearing her throat to get her voice back in tune with her explanations. "Basically, what I did was make estimates given what the aid-lings are capable of and what I've noticed from how you operate them, and translated that into electrical power output. It's not perfect, and not that reliable, but it's just a very close approximate." She shrugged. "My favourite part about science is testing things out rather than write about them."

Ronja reminded her of what she's capable of, and it would be met with a sigh and a bottled up guilt on her face. "I wanted to surprise you, I figured you were doing your own work too, so we would meet on the middle with notes to exchange for one another. I really wanted to make sure you loved what I had for you. I worked hard on it." She admitted upon her childish motivations, but they were all she had with, and what she achieved in so little time felt like a lifetime for her.

"But no use beating the bush about that." She shook her head off. The mention did make her feel a little better now that she opened up to it, so at least the burden was dropped along with her words. "The costs ain't as high as you think though. It's a matter of what you want them to do. Military equipment? Sure, you can ask Lena, I bet she can tell you exactly how much a drone of that kind costs. Spoilers though? Almost a million." She remarked. "Go figure what the hell they put on these to cost so much. But eitherway, they ain't as costly as that. We ain't arming Aid-Lings to shoot missiles or stuff, so we should probably be fine cost-wise." Nico reassured her with two winks out of her right eye.

It was quick to move over to Ronja playing knightess for once, and when offered a set of arms with an adorable, embarassed look from her lover who couldn't even keep her eyes straight on her, Nico gently turned herself horizontally, floating down onto Ronja's arms and wrapping her own around her neck.

"I can see why you like it when I do it. The view is beautiful." Nico smiled, blue eyes never leaving hers, tucking herself as close as she could to Ronja.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja had to suppress a giggle when Nico's expressions turned sheepish when the minor lack of palpable evidence. But what truly Ronja wanted to know was soon answered, and a smile crossed her lips. "So it was an educated guess more than anything else, yeah?" She asked rethorically. "In this case... it is all a matter of adjusting... to reality then. At least our margin of error should be... lower..."

The smile only grew softer when Nico's expressions changed into something negative, which was the last thing Ronja wanted to see on her lover's face.

She gave Nico a gentle caress on her cheek, with an encouraging smile. "And you did well, because I love all of this..." Ronja said, with her eyes lingering on Nico for a moment, then turning to look the sketched and notes. "... You are... Actually trying to make my dream a reality." She said, truthfully. "Lena... And my family is lovely to me... But not even them tried to do such a thing for me... Perhaps because they... want to preserve me way, way too much..." A brief sigh escaped her lips, but she soon pushed those thoughts away, now having Nico in her arms, and with their gazes locking for a moment.

Ronja leaned in, giving a gentle peck on Nico's lips before fondly holding her close, being thankful of the advantage she had on water, and calmly taking her steps, with her leg enduring what she could.

"The view is really pretty here too." She returned, but unfortunately, one misstep and one of her legs suddenly losing all strength made her tilt, triping and sinking Nico and herself into water, making her flail for a moment to emerge her face out of water again.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

When asked directly with a rhetorical, Nico pursed her lips and nodded timidly. Thankfully, Ronja went out of her way to reassure her for playing on guesses this time around, educated or not, looking at the bright side of the situation right away. "Yeah, it should at least make things less likely to explode on our first attempts. Saves us on materials and probably fire extinguishers." She added, far more light-hearted with that last statement, despite being a fact.

Nico found comfort on the way Ronja looked at her, on her fingers brushing against her features and the way she stared at her so full of love and appreciation, her own insecurities fell short, leaning against the sweet touch of her beloved's hand, with her own resting atop of it. "I'm so happy that you think so..." She said, beaming up into a gentle smile. "I'm trying and will keep doing my best to share this dream with you, Ronja. It's out there, we just gotta stretch a hand and catch it." A bit of that remorase came back just as Ronja mentioned her family and Lena's intentions, breaking eye contact for a moment. "If I'm honest, I want that too, It... It would hurt me so much if I woke up and you weren't next to me." Which happened plenty, given they were so far away from eachother. Nico took a deep breath and stared her right in the eye, leaning closer until the tip of their noses were against eachother. "But, I also want you to live your life to the best and do everything you thought you couldn't before. I would hate myself if all I did was make you miserable because I'm selfish." She let go of it though, but the topic concluded with a smile rather than guilt, remorse, or pain. The cards were dealt for Ronja: It was all a matter of how she played them.

And Nico hoped she would be one of the positive ones for her lover.

The pinkette didn't miss a beat to return that peck back, an airy giggle escaping her lips as she squeezed her a little and closed her eyes to enjoy the tranquility of the pools with only sound as her stimuli, opening them just as Ronja returned her words back. Before she could answer though, both were flopping down into the waters. Thankfully, despite the surprise, she didn't catch any water into her nose.

Once she emerged and gasped out for a little, Nico broke into a hearty laughter, pushing the hair off her face to cast blue eyes on Ronja once again. "Thanks, love. It felt real good to be the one carried for once. And peaceful too." She knew her lover had her own limits, but even then she went against them just for her, and to repay her, Nico would swipe her off her feet. Not literally of course, but her hands went after her if only to catch her off-guard on her attempt to carry the brunette. "Let me show you."

She took full advantage now, every step was slower than on land, but the ease with which she could carry Ronja around made it all the more safer. Just like the elven guardian could, so did Nico walk around the pool.

As usual, Ronja could feel the soft stroking of the hand across her back. Only this time, the soft humming out of Nico's throat could be heard amidst all the silence across her residence, a hum fit for a lullaby.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

To listen to Nico's wonderful words when she was carried made a wide smile cross Ronja's lips, perhaps being one of the many things that had distracted her enough to make such a silly fall possible. Despite unexpected, Ronja managed to resurface herself, gasping for air before letting out a bright laughter, similary tugging her hair away from her sight, while embracing Nico so she could have someone to hold onto and recover.

"I... I am glad you liked it... For me it felt like a small piece of dream like the one you want to share with me." Ronja said, cheerfuly before squeaking, being lifted by Nico and having her eyes sparkling with joy, only for her expression to soften in comfort and happiness.

"It will be... really hard to not see you as my knight when you are doing all of this..." She said, but did take into account Nico's words.

They couldn't continue with that mindset, otherwise, they would never go anywhere.

Spoiler: Mood

"You are having a lot of fun, aren't you?"​

"E-EEEK?!" Even Ronja, who was simply being carried by Nico, didn't expect the sudden approach of the maid, immediately fearing for Nico's safety, holding her tighter in the embrace to cling on her arms. "L-Le-Lena? You..." Her eyes slowly lowered to see a platter on the maid's arms, with glasses of lemonade and a jar laying on them, just as the woman kneeled to place it near the edge of the pool.

"The sun is too strong today, Ms. Riemenschneider. You should hydrate yourself, and apply some sunscreen." She said, casting a very brief glance at Nico, before adding: "You aswell." And after slipping her hand into her dress' pocket, she laid a bottle of sunscreen, close enough to the platter.

Breathing heavily, Ronja sighed and stared at the maid in a scolding expression. "D-Don't do that again! And by that, I mean now... And... A few hours ago."

The maid looked at Ronja with a fainter expression, simply responding - "I am just following orders, Ms. Riemenschneider" - And with a bow, she turned around, stepping away from the pool, letting Ronja sigh and brush her sudden scare away.

"Th-That was... Something." Ronja said, casting a glance at Nico and letting a brief giggle. "Carrying someone is much tougher than I expected, even in a pool..." Ronja said, then nudging Nico for them to approach the edge of the pool, so she could try to climb and take a seat on it, so she could recover from the abrupt water sinking they had to deal with.

She couldnt help but allow herself to feel a bit dreamy, however- No matter how big was the mood breaker, Nico carrying her by the arms just like... Fiora did... was lovely. A new and special way to feel it, even if both Nico and Fiora were the same.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Nico couldn't hope to stop herself from feeling so lucky, so blessed, just the two of them enjoyning eachother's company. No phones on their hands, no hollow words leaving uninteresting conversations to bore eachother to sleep. Just the new colours present on Ronja's face made her want to preserve this moment forever.

Becoming her support, Nico reciprocated that embrace, giving Ronja something to hold onto, and something to squeak for once she managed to get her hands around her. "We'll find the way to make you feel like that more often. Just gotta be creative like we were right now." She reassured her with a smooch against her neck, held there for a second or so and leaving a 'mwah!' once she straightened herself again.

"We can keep it as a petname and nothing more. Maybe in the future, if nothing gets in our way, you will have a better way to call me... And for me to call you." While her cheeks burned like a volcano, her face remained serene despite the embarassment she felt deep down. Too fast, but her heart just let it slip out, unbound by anything else as it made itself clear enough on it's wishes.

And then she showed up, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike...

Spoiler: Mood

"You are having a lot of fun, aren't you?"​

These words pierced deeper than the bite of any hollow round could on her flesh and bones alike. The voice of the reaper herself. It made Ronja jumpy, her grasp on the brunette tightening for a second as she half turned to use herself as a meatshield against the worst the maid could fathom to unleash upon the couple, eyes closed and gritting her teeth like a nerd too used to being bullied.

Both of them had the same idea though: protect one another, but that didn't cross her mind as hard as panic and adrenaline did. It's only when Lena elaborated that Nico dared to peek in her direction and notice not only refreshments, but a bottle of sunscreen.

"D-Don't do that again! And by that, I mean now... And... A few hours ago."
"Goddammit Lena..." She sighed off, almost losing all her strength in the process, and with the ache to grasp her heart before it simply popped out of it's cavity. "Yeah, we are having a lot of fun. why? Want to join us in the pool too? Maybe all you need is to cool off a bit." She smirked, if only because the idea of the three of them being on a pool sounded ridiculous. Maybe the cold maid just needed some warm water and a closer eye on the pair? She just gave her that opening.

But she couldn't feign surprise when the woman turned around and left, with the ominous reminder of being no more than a soldier carrying out commands from her superiors, only leaving her eyes off Lena once she left their peripherical, and Ronja begun to gently direct them both towards the edge.

And like her royal steed, Nico carried her on to the edge, helping the princess to sit down on the pool.

"You know, compared to getting a gun aimed at me, this was nothing. But I gotta give her credit: she is a master in the art of breaking the moment." Nico chuckled to herself, her hands reaching out for the bottle of sunscreen, pouring some of the creamy substance over her hands and, after a good rub, the pinkette positioned herself right behind Ronja, legs spread just to be as close as she could and miss nigh a patch of skin.

The way the sun hissed it's rays at them certainly wasn't nothing to scoff at. She hated it, but Lena usually -is- right whenever she opens her mouth.

"It's because you ain't used to do that. Carry me a few more times and you gonna be making an extra step every time. Eventually it might not even be a problem for you, but our bodies need activity." She paused her nerdish introspection for a second to clear her throat. "...I don't mind carrying you any time you want, though. You know that. Just felt fun to switch the roles once, and in the pool it probably was easier than out of it." After being done with her sides, arms and neck, Nico could say she's finished, but decided to instead wrap her arms around her midriff and lean herself against her back, head resting over her right shoulder.

"Hey. I know I shouldn't ask but I have to bite now after all this drama Lena did: What exactly are her orders..? Are your parents watching over us?"

Her phone vibrated within the satchel, quietly at that.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot