The World's Best, and Universe's Greatest, Onee-chan

"Neo-samaaaa!" Elsie whined, sinking deeper into bed, miserable as she drew the covers up tighter around herself. Neo's eyebrows raised three centimeters. It wasn't much, but Sophia would've been able to pick up on it clear as day.

"Th-the fact that they rose by three... M-means that Neo-sama is genuinely surprised by something! A rare thing indeed! But one must look at her mouth as well in order to determine the exact nature of her emotions."

In this case, Neo's lips twisted in a grimace. She was surprised by Elsie's uncharacteristically open behavior, for although it was no secret that she was a brat, she typically did not display like this, for fear of tarnishing her polished reputation. Her preferred approach was to act haughty, so she had an excuse to fight back and fight dirty, but not in a way that made her sound like, well, this.

But it is the sickness, no doubt, Neo thought, brow creasing slightly. Elsie's defenses were down, and so she was not thinking clearly.

"Are you in pain?" Neo demanded quietly, eyes flashing with sternness and worry as she crossed her arms. "No. Wait. Of course you are in pain. You are ill." Neo shook her head, berating herself silently. "What are your needs? What can I fetch for you?" There. Better.

"You like me. Don't you?" Elsie pleaded, ignoring Neo's question in favor of her own. Or perhaps that was what she needed most in the moment: an answer. Her lower lip pushed out in a pout as her wide, amber eyes glittered wetly.

For a second time, Neo was taken aback by the younger, smaller girl. But as she noticed Elsie's hands slowly tightening around her bedsheets again, the vocalist understood that Elsie was in little mood to be kept waiting. At least that much of her was normal.

"You have never given me reason to despise you," Neo at last said, choosing her words carefully. But even she realized what an unconfident answer this was, and then elaborated. Elsie was intelligent, observant, and hardworking. They may not have been close or friendly, or known one another well, but Neo still had plenty to draw on from the two years they'd spent in Abyssmare together. Then Elsie surprised Neo a third time.

"Noooo! That's not what I meeaant!" The sickness must've really been bad if even validation from Neo wasn't enough. No, that wasn't it. Neo just wasn't giving the type of validation Elsie was hoping for, asking for, so desperately, secretly wishing for... Honestly, Neo-sama! Aren't you supposed to be the cool one? Savvier than this? "I want to know... am I your favorite?"

"Favorite?"

"I know you're gonna visit Sophia and Weronika next," Elsie sighed, shoulders slumping in reluctant resignation. "But I want to know first. I'm your favorite of Abyssmare, right?" Weronika is a boorish, piggish ANIMAL and Sophia is...! Well, Sophia. "I am Abyssmare's second in command, and Neo-sama's right hand, after all, am I not?" she asked, though she seemed to be speaking more to herself than Neo.

The littlest Abyssmare member then coughed weakly, body betraying her, reminding her that her fanciful fantasies were only that. Noble as her desire was, she was useless now, both to Neo-sama and herself, and it was the worst feeling in the world. She couldn't impress Neo-sama. She couldn't even function! "For Elsie Largo to be so thoroughly incapacitated by a measly cold...!" But Neo did not see it that way.

As far as her frank, matter-of-fact, clinical mind thought, Elsie was sick, therefore there was no expectation upon her to do anything but aid her body in its recovery, be it through rest or hydration or nutrition. That was all there was to it. At least until Elsie started talking. Then Neo slowly began to see that as weak as the flesh was, her spirit was strong, and matters of the heart troubled Elsie's mind far more than sickness.