The Darling, who controlled the Franxx

Growth or Rejection

Quote of the chapter :

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"Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind."

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Third Person POV -
In the Garden :

"Good morning," Ichi patted Hokori's shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

Hokori blocked the doorway to the collective bedroom. "Another ones gone."

"What do you think they do with them?"

"Get them reassigned to something else." Suimin exclaimed. She held a tray of biscuits and orange juice, clarifying her return from a trip to the kitchen. "It's obvious. If you aren't cut out for this then you are too worthless to be a parasite."

"Suimin! No one's worthless here!"

"Hokori, what are they then. Cause I'm sure they have no other purpose as a parasite."

"They are just as special as me and you! Just some people aren't cut out for piloting the Franxx robots."

"Exactly, they aren't useful."

"Listen here, Suimin." Hokori's usual joyful face twisted to sadness before becoming full of seriousness. "No one is worthless. The ones who have left us are brought somewhere else to be trained to help with other stuff besides Franxx piloting. Such as becoming garden workers or helping out with growing food and cleaning plantations. They told us this before."

"... Calm down Jamal... Don't-"

"Suimin! Don't finish that joke!" The mood lightened as the two began arguing over the books they have read.

"Code 017, come along for your specialized testing." Ichi waved goodbye to Suimin and Hokori, both still focused on their verbal battle.

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A few years later :

"Connection has been lost, Codes 017 and 265 go back to the others." Two workers ran around, flicking and tapping every button and switch in the control center.

"Ichi what happened back there?" Tafu, Code 265, trailed her fingers back through her hair.

"I... It just doesn't link. It did before when we were younger... but now it doesn't click for me like it did before."

"Ichi, things don't just click! You get in, clear your mind, and pilot the robot. Not that difficult."

"That's what it feels like for you! It isn't that easy for me."

"Are you sure? Do you need another debrief of how to pilot? I'm sure the garden would be glad to help get the oh so precious parasite to remember how to pilot."

"Tafu, thats enough." Hokori pulled Ichi into a hug. As he patted Ichi's back, he held his wrath inside his mind. "Tafu, you have had your own problems too."

"Sure do, but they haven't affected my piloting unlike Ichi."

"Tafu, calm down. You are going to start saying stuff you would never mean." Suimin stole Tafu's hands, rubbing her hands in circles.

"Ichi, we need to try again to connect. We managed to last three minutes last time. We just have to practice."

Tafu fell forward into Suimins arms. "There we go, our regular Tafu is back now." Suimin held Tafu in a tighter grip.