Her Masterpiece (hiatus for now)

Plan

"Can you stop scaring the kids?" Came the amused words when Nihl walked up to her creator and the red-haired woman speaking.

Nihl gave a head tilt, having learned that it should mimic someone feeling confusion, more or less doing it when she had no logical answers to give to a question or statement she theorized would confuse.

"Not my fault the walking stelleron scares easily."

"You stabbed the poor girl."

"Indeed..."

"Nihl can do nothing, if they are scared it is their fault." Ruan Mei added, Nihl shouldn't shoulder the blame here. She's how she is, she's seen the look and it is not like Nihl would be able to easily correct it.

"Just don't threaten them." Himeko said with a dismissive wave, knowing not much about this second person who was she to judge. As long as she is not a danger to them.

"We'll finish this later, thank you for agreeing to this."

"With pleasure."

"Come on Nihl."

"Sure."

"Might I ask what you spoke about." Nihl spoke up when far enough from the redhead, the literal redhead, she never saw hair this red before.

"You might." Ruan Mei said, still pacing her eyes around to be sure no one was close enough to hear. "There is a planet that's said to have glass lifeforms on it and I want to look at it. Out of all space travel vessels, the Astral Express is by far the fastest and talking with Welt and Himeko revealed their next jump will be in the same system tho different planet. It would be a hassle to use my vessel for that so we made a deal, they'll tow (somehow? I didn't think of a how... Magic.) our vessel along and drop us off there and we'll go our separate ways from that point."

"Our?" Nihl blocked on that, knowing how the creator spoke and our or us was rarely in her vocabulary. The rest was easily understandable to her.

"I will need someone to come along to help me." Lifting her hand in a dismissive tho not rude wave-like gesture towards Nihl while she looked over her shoulder. "Would you say no to coming along?"

Shaking her head.

"No, if you wish, I'll come with you."

"But would you want to?" Ruan Mei turned to face her, both stopping. "You have a role her and I did leave you here, maybe you don't want to leave it behind."

"I cannot want in the way you do, not even the way the critters do. I know what I represent in this place and what I stand for... But I suppose if I must use that word... Wanting... Then I'll say I want to come along. I don't understand what others mean by me having my own way of feeling since I lack those but I'd never think of turning you down as my way of wanting let's say."

The little smile was a welcomed sight, knowing she did good.

"Very well, let's pack up and get ready to depart."

"Alright."

----------------------------------------------------

"Are you really leaving?"

Nihl found the frown weird... Right, Asta thought of her as a friend.

"I don't know how long but my creator needs my help."

"And your loyalty lies with her, I know. It is just surprising. After so many times to know you'll be gone."

"About that." Holding up her beacon. "The space anchors are in a lot of places and just discovered the Express has a machine to literally make them, so if there is something you need that I should solve just text. I can come back like Stelle has been doing."

"Right but it still feels weird for me. It was nice having you around and knowing, like Arlan, that you wouldn't judge AH-" Holding up a finger with an exclamation before Nihl could speak. "I know you can't judge like the rest but you can't say you don't judge Arlan each time he loses Peppy."

"... Should I add judgement to the emotions I feel?"

"Probably, because you are extremely good at judging people or at least at sarcasm which doesn't require feelings even."

"Noted. I would enjoy it in my own way if the space station didn't combust while I am gone so call me if needed. And I repeat, the code is 637316."

"I'll remember, no worries."

Even if she was leaving, she wouldn't abandon the critters. Breaking her own secrecy with the one person she was close enough with to know she'd care for them in her absence, knowing Asta would take the time to look after the critters... Or at least send Arlan to do it.

"I'll be on my way, I got to finish preparing."

"Right, good luck and don't miss us."

"Asta..."

"Oh right... In that case try to miss us."

Nihl just gave her a look that meant thousands of things.

---------------------------------------------

With the critters it was... Harder...

Not for her, for them.

The whining and crying from them... Even Nihl would call it awful.

"Worry not, I'll come by each week." She said, sitting on her ankles with the critters amassed around her with their sad wobbly beings. "And you see this?"

Putting her hand up towards the space anchor, it flashed once before she pulled out her beacon with her other hand.

Turning the screen to the critters before tapping the smooth surface of the anchor's ball-like crystal middle, a notification popping up on the screen with a short one second jingle.

"If you really miss me or need my help you only need to tap the surface of the anchor and I'll come when I can." I did it a few times and each time a notification came, having long rewired it to do this.

Many instantly scooted over and drummed their little fists on it, sending hundreds of notifications to her beacon, she just sighed.

"Please stop." Pulled them back from it to stop the deluge. "I promise you, I am not leaving you. If you need me, I'll come but right now my help is needed and I need to go."

A sigh through the mewls.

Putting her hands and arms on the mass, somewhat hugging as many as she could, not a fan of hugs because they feel odd to her but knowing why it was used.

"I am not abandoning you guys, never." This is bothersome. "I was left behind like you before. I am not doing the same."

Let's say that afternoon she didn't have much time for packing.