Chapter Text
“Have you thought it through?” Himeko smiles warmly. She keeps her gaze steady, letting it rest on Stelle’s figure. The young woman is hunched over with her head down, face twisted in contemplation as her lip is caught beneath timid teeth.
“A little,” Stelle admits. “I…I talked about it, y'know?"
Himeko lifts a lone, delicate brow. Curious, and ever so patient.
Stelle shifts before softly adding, “With Herta.”
Himeko hums softly in acknowledgment. She’s talked with the doll-like imitation before. From their brief conversations, Himeko could only assume what their relationship was like. From what she’s grasped, their personalities are contradictions of each other. Now, how their dynamic plays out is a question that remains unanswered.
Herta was a tight-lipped person, infuriatingly enough, and Stelle was a bit skittish of Himeko. She’d have a better time pulling teeth than getting information out of either of them.
“Did she say anything in particular?”
Stelle shook her head and her eyebrows knitted together. Her face was so tight, Himeko just wanted to smooth out the sharp lines that marred her delicate features.
“No,” she mumbled, sounding near exasperated. “She said that whatever I picked, she would be fine with it.”
Himeko frowns. “Isn’t it nice to have her support on whatever you decide?”
Stelle shrugs. Dejectedly, looking like a kicked puppy. “I dunno? I…She’s smart, so I was hoping she’d help me make a right decision or something, I guess.”
Ah.
Stelle is still new to the world. That fact tends to slip Himeko’s mind simply because Stelle has the physical appearance of a young adult. Technically speaking, she’s probably, what, a month or so old? She still has a lot to explore, and decision making is one of those many aspects.
Himeko gently informs, “It’s better to choose something for yourself.”
There’s a pause—a shift in the air, almost.
For the first time, Stelle looks up. Her eyes crackle with uncertainty. She looks almost offended at Himeko’s nonchalance. As if this near stranger just had her life all figured out. “What if it’s a wrong choice on my end? Then what?”
More fear, more worry.
That’s okay.
“Stelle, if you join the express and ever decide that you want to come back, we’ll always turn around for you.”
Himeko is ready to give her steady reassurance.
Stelle doesn’t look like she believes half of what Himeko just said. She looks at the train that rests several feet behind them, then briefly she turns back to Himeko.
“I don’t want to be a hassle.”
Himeko smiles softly.
“You’ll never be.”