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Ruan Mei was waiting for Herta at their agreed upon spot. It was part of a routine the two of them had been following meticulously for a while now.
It was Herta's suggestion and she had stuck by it ever since. Had never missed a meeting, had always been there first to welcome Ruan Mei and yet... for the first time ever, Ruan Mei found herself sitting at the table alone. The tea in her cup had grown cold.
Distantly, she gazed at the door, waiting, expecting Herta but was met with nothing.
Perhaps she had simply been busy today? No need to worry. After all, the two of them both had their own projects to divulge in. No less Herta and her recent engrossment with Amphoreus. Ever since her return, she had worked tirelessly on finding out a way to restore what was left of it.
A promise she had made with the Trailblazer, a promise she intended to keep. Ruan Mei knew that more than anyone; if Herta set her mind to something... if Herta promised to do something, she would see to keeping that promise, no matter what. It was this trait among many others that intrigued Ruan Mei the most in regards to the Sorceress…
because Herta had proven time and time again that her antics were more than mere words.
With Herta being the way she is, those who didn't know her might simply dismiss her claims as boisterous, self-aggrandizing nonsense. However, those who knew her well enough could easily tell that, for The Herta… there truly was nothing she couldn't do.
As long as it didn't relate to baking, Ruan Mei added in her mind. The thought earned itself a quiet chuckle, meant for herself only.
"I'm glad to see you in such high spirits."
An all too familiar voice chimed from beyond the table and when the biologist turned to confirm its source, her gaze softened. The sight of the woman she had been anticipating did well to set her unusually restless mind at ease.
Genius Society member number eighty-three stood across from her, a paper bag held out in front of her frame as her face donned that all too familiar wide grin.
"I do hope you weren't too lonely waiting for me," she spoke while handing the bag off to the other woman. Ruan Mei, on the other hand closed her eyes, shaking her head as she quietly accepted the offer. To some, Herta's antics may have suggested a sense of tardiness or dismissal; however, Ruan Mei knew that this was simply the other's way of voicing an apology for her delayed arrival.
"Plum Blossom cake," Ruan Mei spoke softly as she glanced inside the bag to inspect its contents. Her favorite, of course, and Herta knew this.
"That's not all," the latter responded whilst taking her seat. With a snap of her fingers, a tea set materialized out of thin air, gently placing itself atop their table. Within seconds, two of her puppets emerged from behind the door, hurrying over with freshly brewed tea. Dutifully replacing Ruan Mei's cold cup with a fresh, hot serving.
"Marzipan cake, Matcha cream puffs and a small box of chocolates. I hope they'll be to your liking,” she added. Her voice sounded as casual as ever. As if she had simply shared a fact with her companion.
At second glance, Ruan Mei eventually noticed the other items mentioned by Herta, neatly placed inside the bag. All for her to indulge in.
"You know my tastes quite well, Herta." Ruan Mei stated as she retrieved each item from inside the bag. The sorceress shared a satisfied grin with the other, waving her hand dismissively. "This is hardly a big deal, Ruan Mei."
No big deal... Ruan Mei knew this to be more than true. For as long as she and Herta have been growing more accustomed to one another, the more aware they have become of each other's interests, of likes and dislikes, preferred flavor profiles, you name it.
Thinking back on it, Ruan Mei couldn't exactly confirm when she had started to notice but she knew that it did start.
With their relationship previously being strictly about her contributions to Herta's project —due to Ruan Mei's personal request— there had never been room for much else and yet, contrary to her own demands, Ruan Mei eventually found herself more and more entangled with Herta, even with the people Herta had surrounded herself with.
To herself, Ruan Mei had always been one who enjoyed quiet solitude more than anything. Preferred to work alone on her research. However, with Herta's insights and her outstanding ways of coming up with approaches that differ from her own, the biologist found herself intrigued. Not the least because her own studies had quickly come to a halt.
Then there she was, asking for Ruan Mei's assistance, offering her own resources for the eighty-first to use as she pleased. More than anything, agreeing to work with Herta had been… convenient. But the more time she spent at the Space Station, the more she felt like she could extend her stay, and the longer she stayed, the more she realized that work had not always been at the forefront of her time together with Herta.
New discoveries, a breakthrough in their research. Welcoming their fellow contributors, Screwllum and Stephen… birthdays. What had started out as a purely professional relationship had quickly become a lot more personal. Yet Ruan Mei herself could not figure out why she stayed.
All she could figure out is that, in spite of her own words, in spite of insisting on the convenience of this arrangement, the reason she found herself unable to move along like she had so many times, was Herta. No matter how often the biologist told herself otherwise, her thoughts, often unrelated, would just as often drift off and make her think of her fellow Genius.
Whenever the calm waters within her mind were met with a storm that cast ripples on the surface, it was Herta's silhouette that came to vision and set the clouds aside.
And Herta herself? Had always paid meticulous attention to all things Ruan Mei. Had always managed to bring little treats or trinkets that were to the biologist's liking, no matter how often she told Herta not to go through the trouble.
"Trouble? This? Don't be ridiculous," she had said once. Pointing her finger at Ruan Mei whilst telling her that this was the least she could've done.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Ever since then, she had simply accepted Herta's offerings. Pastries, Jewelry, Clothes. There's nothing Ruan Mei hadn't received from Herta at this point in time. So much so that Ruan Mei found herself fascinated with how Herta never failed to bring her something new.
"Herta, I trust you'll allow me to share these with you," the biologist hummed gently as she retrieved a fork from the dishware offered by the puppets.
First, she dove her fork into the Marzipan cake, guiding it slowly into her mouth. The sweetness of almonds and sugar settled within her mouth in an instant, mixed with whipped cream and a glaze of sugar, it felt like pure bliss. Causing the corners of her mouth to curl up gently as she chewed. No matter how conflicted Ruan Mei would feel, the instant her mouth was greeted by the aroma and flavor of freshly baked cakes and pastries, it was as if all her troubles faded into the background.
The sight of Ruan Mei, so thoughtlessly engrossed and in her element was enough to spark a similar reaction from her companion. Herta's sharp smile softened into something filled with warmth. Her chin rested within the palm of her hand, finding herself lost in observations. It was only then that she noticed the fork that was hovering next to her mouth.
“... huh?”
“Didn't you hear what I said? I want to share these with you.”
The expression on Ruan Mei's face had long returned to its default, quiet stoicism paired with a gentle-mannered, mature nature. Yet, there was something equally laced with innocent excitement in the way she expected the other to follow her pace without question.
And Herta did, inching closer without a word and taking a bite of the cake with equal anticipation. She allowed the tip of her tongue to protrude just slightly as she licked her lips clean. “I've got to admit, I do know your tastes quite well.” A quip, mostly to reiterate what Ruan Mei had already established. The latter nodded, mostly in quiet agreement as she drove her fork into the cake yet again. With Herta, observing, indulging in the taste whenever Ruan Mei offered her a bite.
Their moment of bliss continued with the usual banter, exchange of findings and latest news relating to their work and their friends. That odd feeling Ruan Mei had felt earlier, long forgotten.
That is until she and Herta eventually found themselves at the end of their get-together, moments away from parting again until their next meeting. It was only then that the feeling inside Ruan Mei's stomach returned. Unknown and unwelcome.
She eventually closed the distance between her and Herta as they occasionally did with one another. With Ruan Mei draping her arms around Herta's waist from behind, pulling her into an embrace within an instant.
“It's been a while since we had time to spend a moment together like this. If you don't mind, I'd like you to stay with me for a little longer…” she said quietly with Herta simply humming in response.
They remained silent for a while, focusing on the moment, enjoying each other's presence in blissful solace until Ruan Mei's grip softened. She scrunched her nose with mild irritation, then lowered her head to inspect Herta's neck a little more thoroughly. Carefully grazing her nose against the fabric of Herta's choker.
“Hmm… it's different from your usual scent,” she muttered under her breath, still unmoving, still investigating. Herta's body froze for a second. For as used as she was to Ruan Mei's antics, the sensation of her body and nose pressed so closely against her own still took its effect on the sorceress.
“Different? How come?” She asked, acutely aware of the fact that she had not been testing new fragrances for herself.
“You've been teamed up with that girl again…” Ruan Mei says eventually. Her grip tightened once again as she buried her head into the small of Herta's neck. “The one who's with the Stellaron Hunters…” the corners of Herta's mouth twitched upwards uncontrollably as her expression contorted into something resembling nervousness.
“I didn't know you could identify anyone other than myself by their scent…” she uttered, feeling the way Ruan Mei held her even more firmly. “It's true, Stelle had arranged for a meeting with her and insisted I tag along. Although, I don't recall you ever being bothered by the idea of me being involved with other people…”
There was a pause. With Ruan Mei still clinging onto Herta and the latter considering the implications of her next question; “What's gotten into you, Ruan Mei?”
“..?”
The biologist remained silent for a while longer. Her eyes revealed a sense of perplexity at the current transgressions. Almost as if she was unaware of her own actions. Of her own mental state.
She eventually shook her head, loosening the embrace she had been holding Herta in until now, yet still not letting go entirely. “I don't know.” She said, turning her head away from the other. “I just… don't like the way her scent mixes with yours. That's all.”
Her eyes trailed down to the floor, unwilling to face Herta. Yet, her arms remained wrapped around her all the same. Hands still placed around her waist as they stood in the middle of the dining room, not too far from the table they previously sat at. Herta drew a breath between partly shut lips, slowly placing both her hands against Ruan Mei's. Gently interlocking their fingers, offering a light squeeze to catch Ruan Mei's attention.
Despite the ongoing silence between them, and Ruan Mei's inability to word exactly why she seemed to be so bothered by the scent of a certain, grey haired individual, Herta was still very aware of the quiet admission Ruan Mei had just vocalized.
The two of them had never spoken much about their bond together. Didn't feel the need to do so. After all, the more time they had spent together, the closer they grew and there was never a need to address anything. Especially for herself; Herta had always been the one who had paid extra attention to Ruan Mei. Knew of her preferences, what she did and didn't enjoy. From mundane things such as her preferred temperature when drinking tea, to the more subtle things, like the way Ruan Mei would become quieter when troubled… not that she was much of a talker to begin with.
Herta was always aware. Always watching, observing, analyzing… because Ruan Mei had become more than just a fellow Genius. More than a contributor to the Simulated Universe, more than a colleague. She doesn't know when it started or how but, to Herta, whose routine had been mostly occupied by herself; who seldom made room for someone else in her life, there had been subtle signs of changes when she allowed herself to welcome Ruan Mei into her life.
She didn't know when but, when the image of Ruan Mei began to slowly replace her own reflection in the mirror, that's when Herta knew just what exactly the two of them were sharing.
That is… what she assumed to have been going on in her own mind, no— her Heart. And yet, in spite of their closeness, Herta had convinced herself that whatever had manifested inside her heart, there was zero chance that Ruan Mei could feel the same. She didn't need her to feel the same. As long as Ruan Mei felt welcome enough to show up occasionally, they'd be fine. As long as Ruan Mei felt their arrangement was useful enough to keep coming back to the Space Station, they could keep dancing that thin line between more than coworkers and less than… Herta couldn't finish the thought. Couldn't allow herself to admit that a part of her that desired more.
Until now, that is…
There was a tight feeling settling within Herta's stomach. Something she rarely felt. Was it uncertainty? How could she know? The only thing on her mind at the time was Ruan Mei.
The way her lips curled up into a gentle smile whenever they met. The way her voice sounded just moments ago when she questioned Herta about her whereabouts today. Troubled, unsure, melancholic… and the way she knew exactly what kind of expression the biologist was wearing right now, even if she couldn't see her face.
Just then, she gave Ruan Mei's hands another squeeze. To ground herself, to ground her companion, and to signal an end to that prolonged bout of silence for both of them.
“Say, Ruan Mei…” she began, but then paused, feeling the biologist's head rub against her neck once more. Inhale, exhale… the eighty-first sighed quietly and the sensation of her breath, unusually cold, sent a shiver down Herta's spine. She felt Ruan Mei's fingers curl around hers, presumably in an attempt to hold onto Herta more firmly, despite their fingers still being locked together.
With each passing second, it felt like Ruan Mei tried to attach herself closer, deeper. As if she'd try to anchor herself onto Herta. And the more she kept going, the closer Herta got to having her own senses overridden. It was then that she decided to grasp one of the biologist's hands more firmly, gently guiding it upwards until their joint hands traced along her chest and ultimately stopped just shy of her collarbone.
Herta used her index-finger to guide Ruan Mei's hand together, tapped against the key that always hung around her neck. As expected, this did well to catch the other's attention, as the grasp of the eighty-first lightened once again. She slowly lifted her head, tilting it subtly to see what Herta had been up to.
The sorceress eventually led Ruan Mei's fingers to hold on to the key while she herself held her wrist and leveled their joint hands to match with their eye-level.
“As I was saying…” she began, clearing her throat. This time confident that she had the biologist's full attention.
“... do you know why I wear this key?” Herta said, sensing Ruan Mei's quiet perplexity in the way she shook her head. The eighty-third huffed lightly, almost like a gentle chuckle. Finally having the other focus on herself, rather than just embracing her physically.
“Maybe you've noticed before but, out of all the keys I own, this one's different.” She paused, letting her eyes trail towards the other, waiting for a reaction. Then, Ruan Mei leaned forward, inspecting said key. Quietly taking in the details.
“I have… I was wondering whether or not this one had a special meaning to you,” finally, the biologist broke her quietude. She eventually held the key in her hand freely, turning it from side to side. Then, she looked back at Herta. From behind, she couldn't see her face as well as she'd like to but, judging from the tone of Herta's voice, Ruan Mei assumed the sorceress grinned as she usually would.
“Well… if I'm honest, at first, it didn't have a special meaning. I just liked it and wanted to wear it.” The response made Ruan Mei blink her eyes. Then, she chuckled, amused by the way this explanation was so typical of Herta. The latter tapped her finger against the hand that was still holding on to Ruan Mei's, which hadn't moved from Herta's waist, even now.
“I was just about to get to the good part,” she uttered firmly. A hint of impatience in her voice, most likely due to Ruan Mei's amusement. The biologist eventually maintained her prior composure, her eyes traveling between the key and Herta herself.
“I like this key a lot, that much is true. Which is why… I'm giving it to you.” “Pardon?”
The question came in almost as quickly as Herta had made the proposal, leaving Ruan Mei at a loss for words. For as unpredictable as Herta's mind could be at times, the eighty-first could hardly think of a way to make sense of what Herta had just said.
“You heard me,” she answered, waving her free hand through the air. “You said you were wondering if the key had a special meaning, and I'm giving it one.”
Finally, she reached for the key with both her hands, unclasped it from her necklace and placed it into Ruan Mei's hand. The latter, still caught in befuddlement and at a loss for words. Eyes wide open and unblinking, as if the slightest reaction could cause her to miss this very moment. Almost like a child, glued to whatever may have caught their interest, fully engrossed in wonder and curiosity.
“Earlier, you said you didn't like that I smelled differently,” Herta shook her head at the thought of what that implied but ultimately dismissed the notion.
“Considering how sharp your nose is and how much attention you pay to these things, I assume there may have been other times where this might've bothered you.” Herta lowered her head just a little before ultimately releasing herself from Ruan Mei's grasp and turning around.
Now facing each other, Herta lifted her head again, her sharp eyes sticking out from underneath the brim of her hat. She eventually took ahold of Ruan Mei's hand that was still holding the key and guided it towards the keyhole near her chest. Their transgressions up until now had done well to confirm in her mind what she had previously refused to see.
With the tip of the key now facing the lock-shaped cut out of her dress, Herta took a step forward.
“This key is the only key that leads to my heart so you better take good care of it.”
The look on Ruan Mei's face just became even more dumbfounded than it had already been. Her eyes widened even more and for a second, Herta wondered just how much more she could open them. Such a stark contrast to the biologist's usual expression.
Herta on the other hand, grinned just as confidently as ever. Although, the slight pink hue that coated her cheeks may have been a hint at how the sorceress felt on the inside. In spite of how underhanded her words may have come off, they were, ultimately, still an admission of the unspoken bond she had with Ruan Mei. A confession of her own feelings and a hint to give the biologist a sense of belonging.
The features of Ruan Mei's face would eventually return to how she usually looked, narrowed eyes, calm expression. And yet, there was something different in the way her eyes glowed in an unfamiliar light. She ultimately drew the key back towards herself, guiding it toward her lips to cover her mouth.
However, despite her attempts at hiding the small smile that crept up underneath, Herta still caught a glimpse, quietly taking note of it in her mind. That is, until her focus returned to Ruan Mei, who nodded slowly.
“I will.”