Brand New Life

Good morning, Gavial, it's time to get up.

(She's not here...)

(That's really weird. Did Gavial wake up early today?)

(Maybe she's eating breakfast already. I'll check the cafeteria.)

(Gavial's not here either...)

(She's not sleeping, and she's not here eating.)

(She probably had something important to do today.)

(I don't think she had any field missions coming up, so the only place she can be is Medical.)

Whuh—huh?!

Wh—what's going on?!

I only overheard it from my other colleagues.

We had an emergency call last night from a nearby settlement. It's a complex situation.

We had to send out an accompanying Operator with both combat and medical experience to ensure the other operators' safety.

And out of the whole department, Gavial's the best fit for times like these.

The mission really was urgent. Every Operator who took up the call for deployment headed out right away.

Why... what's...

She probably left you something, right? A message, a slip of paper, the sort.

Let me look!

(Turns on comms terminal)

N—Nothing!

But why...

(Ever since we left Acahualla, she—she's never come to say hello...)

Gavial couldn't have... couldn't have abandoned me again, right?!

Er, you're overthinking it...

I'll go help her right now!

Wait, wait, wait, hold on! How are you gonna get there? Walk?

I... I'll drive over!

Settle down. You need to get permission from the motor pool, not to mention you don't know where you're going.

And that's before we get to the part where you don't know how to drive.

I—I could...

I...

Uwh—wuhh...

W-What are you crying for...?

Oh, come on, quit it.

*whimper*...

I know you're worried for Gavial.

But you oughta know. It's Gavial, what's to worry about?

No one could ever lay a finger on her.

I'm scared she'll... get... get a graze...

...

She's a Medic Operator. She can cure wounds like that herself just fine.

But, what if she—

Alright, alright, you weeping here isn't gonna solve anything, is it?

Just go back and rest for a bit, settle your emotions, and do something to cheer yourself up, okay?

It was an urgent mission, but it's nothing tough. Give her, maybe, three, four days to her triumphant return.

Don't scare yourself.

O—Okay...

I'm sorry for being such a pain...

No harm done, ha ha. Go on, head back and relax.

I will...

I didn't think going Gavialless would hit her so hard.

Must've left a deep impression on her when Gavial up left home the first time.

I've gotta remind Gavial, you tell your loved ones before you go.

Or else we'll get a repeat of this. What if Tomimi cries the department six feet under water?

Something that sad could happen?

Who knows?

Take a seat, Blue Poison. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?

Gavial...

Gavial's out on a mission...

I want to go on a mission with Gavial too.

Do something to cheer myself up...

What should I do? Is there anything I can do?

*Sigh*...

If only I could be as strong as her...

Um...

Um?

Where—am I?

I'm lost in Rhodes Island again. If Gavial finds out, she'll bonk me...

(Someone's over there. Maybe I can ask her.)

Um. Hello?

Hello, Archosauria. Is there anything I can assist you with?

(Graceful curtsy)

Wuh, uwh-wah.

(Imitates the curtsy)

Hello, could I bother you to tell me where I am?

If you mean your specific position, we're in a corridor to the Rhodes Island hangar.

Thank you, Miss Liberi!

Make no mention.

......

You seem as though—you're a little bewildered. Do you need my help?

I'm lost...

Ah, I see.

Where did you lose your way?

?

I'm sorry, I seem to have asked a silly question.

Ahem—in that case, where do you want to go?

I want... to buy a fashion magazine. I haven't read one in a long time, since leaving Acahualla. I'm feeling the itch.

A magazine, hmm. I understand.

If you want to buy magazines, take the elevator there up two floors, then turn right when you come out and go straight; after you see the little fountain, turn left, and you'll find a bookstand.

The prices might be a little higher than in the city, but they have stable suppliers, a varied selection, and you can order in any publications you'd like.

Alright. Thank you, I'll go take a look right now.

Just wait one moment.

Before you leave, could I hassle you to assuage a small doubt of mine?

Huh? Um, you can just ask, no need to be so polite.

Very good, I'll keep that in mind~

Archosauria, does the burden on your shoulders weigh on you?

Burden? You mean my backpack?

(Weighs backpack in hand)

It's alright, it's not that heavy.

It's all my specially selected treasures inside. I need to keep them close to me.

Can't you put them in your dormitory? That's your little slice of home at Rhodes Island.

But I'd be really sad if I ever lost it.

I can't let even one thing go missing. I'm better off keeping it with me.

Your recollections, your keepsakes, hmm...

Have you ever thought of putting them in a safe?

No, no way!

My treasures will be angry if I lock them in a box!

Well, then, give your dormitory a proper furnishing, and turn it into your very own museum. Maybe that'd be nicer?

Knowing to bear your recollections is a good thing, but perhaps in learning to unload burdens and adorn them, there's more significance still.

Um, I don't really, get what you're saying.

It's nothing. Just a solitary Liberi's meaningless soliloquy.

My question has already found an answer. Thank you.

Ah.

Do you want me to guide you?

No, it's okay, I think I can find my way! Thank you!

Then I'll bid farewell, Archosauria.

Perhaps we'll meet again very soon.

(Sargonian dialect) May your outlook be as boundless as the great forest.

(Graceful curtsy)

(She looks like she's really in a hurry.)

(Is that Liberi at the other end her sister?)

(They seem really close.)

(That's so nice.)

(......)

(I've reached the tiny fountain. Turn left...)

And this should be it.

Waah, Rhodes Island has stalls like this too?

It's your first time shopping at ours, isn't it?

The store's too cramped, and sometimes when we can't fit all our stock, the stall comes out. Of course, it's all approved and filed on record in advance. There's no shady business here.

What are you looking to buy?

I wanna buy the latest fashion magazine.

Fashion magazines come in many varieties. See, ones for getting into pendants and jewelry, ones putting out celebrity news, ones for announcing what's trendy in clothes, and—

Please give me the ones about clothes, thank you.

This one's... all sold out on the latest issue.

Okay...

(I'm having the worst luck today...)

But you're in luck. The Operator who bought the last copy's still here. If you really want to read it, you could go ask her if she'd be willing to share with you.

Okay!

Which one is she?

Over there, the one with pink hair.

She's called Blue Poison, and she's the first in to buy magazines every time. Seems she got held up today, and almost missed out.

Go give her a shout. She'll share with you, I think—

Alright, thank you!

Wait, I'm not done, she—

......

Whatever, sometimes less is more.

Maybe Blue Poison'll make a new friend this way.

H—Hello... would you happen to be Blue Poison? I'm Tomimi.

(So this is Tomimi? What a fine coincidence.)

(Holds out hand)

?!

You want... to shake hands with—me?

Oh, I just thought, um, it's the polite thing to do and...

If you don't want to, then—

(Shakes Tomimi's hand)

I'm Blue Poison. I'm very happy to meet you.

Because of... reasons... most people aren't too happy to—make contact—with me.

So I was surprised when you held out your hand. Sorry for that.

Did you need something from me?

I want to borrow your magazine to read a little, is that okay? I'll give it right back.

Magazine? You mean this issue of Me Maze?

Yes.

I'm sorry, my Victorian isn't too good, so I can't read the words here so well.

I only just picked it up, so I haven't read it yet.

There's too many people around. Let's find somewhere to sit down and have a read at our own pace.

Okay, I'll follow you.

......

Um.

I'm done reading.

Thank you, Blue Poison.

Hm? Oh, no problem.

Miss Tomimi.

You can just call me Tomimi. Adding a title to a code name is a little weird...

Ah, alright, Tomimi.

This morning... what happened?

An operator at Medical said you could've cried the whole department six feet under water.

It's... kind of embarrassing to say.

You'll feel better getting it out. Give it a try.

......

Well, it's like this...

That's the whole story, more or less.

Please don't laugh at me...

Of course I wouldn't.

You know, I've heard that Archosauria never shed tears.

Tears are a sign of weakness, so you can never, ever cry in front of anyone else.

But even so, you'll still cry for Gavial.

And there's nothing embarrassing about it at all.

Ohh, thank you.

I see you have an interest in clothing and fashion magazines. Does your homeland have such publications too?

No, but sometimes Inam would bring some from the outside for me.

She's the one who does business in our place, so she always brings interesting stuff back. She taught me the outsiders' languages.

After I learned them, I bought books from her to read, and I really liked the stuff in some of them, so I kind of ended up reading more.

Such as?

City Beauty and other ones like that.

Mm-hm, that was a fairly notable fashion magazine for sure.

But... their works have been too streamlined, too cookie cutter. They've definitely lost a lot of their mystique... *sigh*...

I hear a few editors and photographers of theirs want to jump ship and set up their own shop. Who knows yet if that'll come to anything.

You really, really know a lot about fashion, Blue Poison. You're incredible...

Not quite. I just read around, and have some of my own tastes and opinions, that's all.

How about you, Tomimi? What is fashion to you?

I'm not too sure. My mother tongue doesn't have the vocabulary to talk fashion.

It has plenty for hitting people, though.

Hahah...

I think, fashion is probably nice-looking clothes, and simple and pretty jewelry.

Acahualla doesn't have anything like that.

The first time I opened that magazine was the first time I learned clothes could come in colors like that, and designs like that.

Some clothes I probably couldn't ever imagine in my life, but someday or other, they'd appear in the magazines Inam was selling, and I could say for sure—

—I really liked those clothes.

There you go. I'd call you knowledgeable any day.

Actually, the clothes I'm wearing right now are from when I saw some I really liked in a magazine, so I worked on making the whole outfit and adjusting it myself.

Although it's a little rough...

Ah, I think it's ringing a bell...

Hm...

(Opens and flips through her own personal notepad)

MARTHE... Mad Wild... Fury's Call... Swimming Suit series... Coral Coast...

Found it.

Take a look. Was it this outfit?

Oh, it was!

How do you know it?!

It's in my collection. Sometimes, if I meet with a design I particularly like, I'll cut it out and stick it in this notepad, and then write my own gains from it.

Y—You cut them out? Won't that ruin the magazine?

It's—how do I put it... I suppose it's a personal habit of mine.

Cutting and pasting magazine pictures does spoil the print's intactness, but to me, it's a shortcut.

Shortcut?

Taking all the knowledge you want most from a magazine, and putting it in one place.

And through that shortcut, it ends up in here.

In your head?

Mm-hm.

This notepad I'm holding is my sixth one already.

I only ever pull out the first few to flick through when I want to feel nostalgic.

Inside them, save for memories, there's nothing left at all.

The truly important things have all gone into my brain.

They've become my aesthetics, tastes, styles.

Can brains really remember that much?

Of course not. What's left behind is only the parts you least want to forget.

Such as, your choices and aspirations for beauty.

Or maybe, in your case, um—

Gavial?

Oh, you're right. I definitely couldn't forget Gavial.

The most important memories, they're always in your head.

Sometimes, things are just keys for opening them up.

Once you consolidate the memories and they're like an automatic door, you'll never need the key again.

That... that makes sense.

Keys... treasure...

Memories...

......

Tomimi, have you ever tried styling outfits before?

Styling? No, not yet.

Then let's go to the shops and try on some clothes, what do you think?

Try them? Can—can I?!

Sure.

Though the selection's not as complete as stores in the big cities, I can take you to experience it at least.

If you don't mind, I can take us to visit a tailor, to get you even more style suggestions.

I—is that—really something you can do?!

Of course. If you want, we can even have a whole outfit custom-made for you here at Rhodes Island.

(Small mutter) Although the prices aren't too customer-friendly...

O—Okay, I, uh, I, I'll get ready.

We're gonna try on clothes in a moment, right?

Mhm.

Then I—I, I need to put my backpack in my dorm first, and then it'll be less tricky when I'm trying them on.

The fact you've gained awareness of this is something worth celebrating, you know.

Ah, it's Miss Liberi from just before!

I forgot to introduce myself previously. Do forgive me for my negligence.

Astesia Urbica. Most usually call me just Astesia.

Pleased to make your acquaintance.

Hello, Miss Urbica.

(Holds out hand)

(Elegantly shakes hands)

Good afternoon, Miss Urbica.

Good afternoon, Blue Poison.

I want to take Tomimi to try on some clothes. If you could—

As luck has it, I want to pick out some new clothes for myself too. It would be my greatest pleasure to go with you.

As for Bibeak, I wager she's still at the bookstand, buying the print.

Oh, my. It seems I wagered correctly.

(You really can't get anything past her...)

I'll go give Bibeak a heads-up.

See you in a bit.

(Hushed) Astesia, Miss Urbica!

(Hushed) What's the matter?

(Hushed) You said before, about furnishing into a museum. How do I really do that?

(Hushed) Here. See that little water fountain?

(Hushed) Mmhm.

(Hushed) There's a sculpted relief on top of it. Isn't it pretty?

(Hushed) Mmhm.

(Hushed) If that fountain was your own meticulously preserved piece, would that make you feel, well, delighted?

(Hushed) Um... mmhm!

(Hushed) And that's the way it works.

(Hushed) Placing beautiful memories on pedestals specially made for them—it always has the power to cheer oneself up.

(Hushed) If you need it, you can install further equipment on the pedestals too. You can protect things from outside damage, and greatly extend their lifetimes.

(Hushed) That sounds pretty good.

(Hushed) Then, if, if you have time, could I ask you to, help me, um, plan it out?

(Hushed) Of course.

(Hushed) Choosing decor has its own particularities. When you're done trying on clothes, we can take our time with research.

For now, we'll go meet up with Blue Poison and her friends. It would never do to keep them waiting.

Okay!

Tomimi.

What is it, Miss Urbica?

Do you feel in a better mood now?

Yes!

Doing what I like—makes me really happy.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Let's go, then.

Alright!

The difference between Rhodes Island and Acahualla is kind of big.

There's a lot you can't do here, and the rooms are pretty small.

But I don't mind it that much.

I can learn so many new things, and make new friends.

There's nothing that makes me happier.

Maybe I can become a fashion expert, or an explorer, or a Caster.

Or maybe a fashionable Caster with an exploring spirit?

And what fun stuff might happen in the future?

I'm really looking forward to it.

I guess when Gavial chose to stay at Rhodes Island, and not in Acahualla, this was why.

......

I wonder what Gavial's up to now?

Hold still! It'll just hurt for ONE moment.

Ow, gentle, you're killing me!

I said it'd hurt, not kill you.

Hm?

Hmph.

All bound up. You put some pressure on that wound, and I'll give our guests a warm welcome.

Hah!

Urgh...

Hey! What's with these punks creeping up here?

Sorry, Gavial! We only let that one guy slip, the others are all done and dusted!

Everyone, rest up where you are, and stay vigilant!

Understood!

Phew. It's finally over.

Yep. Long as you're all alright.

Gavial.

Hm?

You had real short notice for this mission. Did you ever send your hometown friend any regards?

What regards am I gonna give? I know her.

Not sure about anyone else, but the one who keeps coming to Medical, same race as you, right? You could at least give her a shout.

What if she didn't find you, and cried Rhodes Island under water?

Us Acahualla expats are all strongest of the strong. Tomimi sure as hell isn't that weak.

Besides, I ran some work with Astesia pretty recently. Anything happens, and she'll be there to help manage, guaranteed.

Fine, yeah, you got it all worked out already. Pretend I never asked.

Less yapping, more helping me figure the post-mission out. Where are we linking up with the R.I. landship?

Oh, yeah, one sec.

Um... here.

Landship'll be calling at this city for rest and resupply.

Hear it's a holiday city too. Giant coastal beach in there, wide open to tourists.

Thinking what I'm thinking? We can take a vacation.

Doesn't that work out.

(Holiday city... coastal beach?)

(How about I buy her an outfit for the waterside? She oughta like that.)

(Yeah. Call it an apology.)