> Mobile Suit Gundam Nova <
December 25th / I.J.C. 192 / Stellar Research's colony. Siga-7 /
"Yoha, dear? Wake up, dear. Is the cloth so comfortable you would sleep on it?" the soft and gentle voice enters my ear, and slowly, I open my eyes to meet the shiny gold eye of Mama who is sitting next to me while caressing my head…
"Ehh…?" Tilting my head in confusion, I look at my hand which was covered by a warm set of wool gloves, and I notice the blue parka on my body…When did I put this on?
"Come on, sleepy head, get up already. Or do you not want a gift from the Ode Couple?" I stare at Mama and suddenly, memories start to come into my head, right…today is Christmas, Slowly I get up and look down, only to see my sockless foot.
"Mama…sock…" I said in my grumpy voice as I just woke up and I felt very tired, why did I start sleeping anyway? And when did I put these clothes on?
"Right, right… Here you go." She took the socks that were on the bed and handed them to me, I slowly got into them and jumped off the bed, mama took my hand and started guiding me down the staircase since I was still a little tired…
When we got outside, Mama's car was already out of the little driveway we had.
"Oh, the girlies are here!" Grandpa Kel said with his usual energetic voice and Grandma Judy was also there with him, both of them dressed appropriately for winter, wearing oversized coating.
"Grandpa Kel! Grandma Judy!" I rush out toward the two of them and hug them both on their leg.
"My my, You grow up again, children really grow up fast, don't they?" Grandma Judy said as she caressed my head, then she kneeled down to my height and pulled out a little box along with a pack of cookies.
"Here you go, eat this with your mother, ok? Oh, and don't open them till you get home, understood?"
"Mmh! Ok! Thank you, Grandpa Kel and Grandma Judy!" I said and hugged the two of them again.
"Alright, Have fun at the mall, dear." "Bring me some booze back will ya!" The two said respectively as I got in the car, I waved at them before the silhouette of them slowly getting smaller until I couldn't see them anymore.
I then turned my attention toward the road, seeing the empty road on such a day was quite…weird, but well, since we left out of the population it was what I expected, I guess we would see more cars once we got into the inner part of the Colony where residence area was.
My hand reached for the pack of cookies which was still warm.
"Yoha, no food inside the car, remember? I don't take it out much so there will be bugs crawling up in here." Said Mama as she took away my cookie and put it in the glovebox….
I stare at her, only for her to keep her eye on the road with a smirk on her face…
"Hmmp!" Quickly pouting up my cheek, I turned away from her and I could only hear a little chuckle, before a little sound of plastic and the nice smell of a warm cookie.
"Just one alright? And don't drop it." She said as she handed it to me and I quickly took it away from her hand.
"Yes! Thank you, Mama!" I thanked her and then, slowly took a bite out of the nice and warm chocolate cookie, the chocolate was still warm so it was very gooey, and the touch of sweet and bitter went so well to the point that I couldn't stop myself and finish it in no time at all, and letting out a satisfied sigh.
I would ask for more, but I know that we will go eat at some restaurant so I will need to save my stomach for actual food instead of a snack, though I do hope that I can stuff my belly so full of snacks I won't do anything, but obviously that would be bad for my health, basic to being healthy is to eat healthily and exercise a lot, which I have failed the second by not moving so much like other kid.
However, I would say that I still have quite a nice figure for a child, enough fat to be called cute and not chubby or straight-up fat.
While I was dwelling on my thoughts I just noticed that we had already arrived at the residence area since there were many more cars now, all that was left was to go to the shopping district which was not far from it at all…
Hm?
At the far end, I saw a familiar forest, one I had lost some time ago, I could see the mansion on top of the land and it was big, very big, they probably had a lot of money to be able to afford that kind of land on such a limited space such as a colony, rich people.
My mind jumps to that weird girl I met who somehow guides me out of the forest and suddenly disappears, I wonder, at that time. What did she say?
The mansion disappears among the countless sky-high buildings, covering the view as now I'm entering the busiest area of the colony. I could see couples, families, collar workers trying dating, and even some elementary students walking together and talking…
Yup…not jealous of those students at all….never…I wonder…how Anna is doing…she messages me a lot but that's just it, we never get to talk and the messages are getting less and less frequent…
She probably already making new friends and now starting to forget about me…
Wow…I really need to make friends my age. Damn, I was really a loner, aren't I? This is why I'm not popular at-...at where? Yeah, probably at the nursery.
"Alright, we arrive. Let me find somewhere to park the car…" While I was drowning in my thoughts, it seemed we already arrived! Mama took the car into the middle of this empty car park, there was a panel there, but why can't she just park someplace here?
She got out of the car before walking around to get me out of the car too, when I was on the floor, I saw a yellow line, forming around us and the panel was just outside the line, mama took my hand toward the panel and my mind race as to what I thought it would be.
"Mama…Is it an Automatic sorting park?" I ask her, excitement leaving my voice as I was getting giddy at these futuristic technologies!
"Ahaha, you getting excited just from this? Well, then. Do you want to do the honor?" said Mama as she picked me up so I could reach the panel, The screen turned on and I could see the model of our car appearing on it, next to it was an ID check so I look over at Mama, she just giggle a little bit before she enter her Citizenship Id and password.
"Which floor do we want to park it on?" I ask her as I look over at the various things that appear, there is even a car wash on the third floor!
"Hmm…How about the fifth floor? It is cheap after all." I nodded at her and proceeded to choose the floor, it was very packed but there was still room for 3 or more cars on this floor.
After I finish and press enter, I watch as our car slowly goes under through the tunnel, there are various mechanical arms there and I can feel myself getting giddy at the thought of various machines that would be there to make this thing work.
After a few minutes, the ground closed up again and returned to a spotless floor, not even a line of cut was there.
"Awesome! Nee nee, Mama! How do those work?" I turn to ask Mama who still smiling.
"Well, you can just search it on the internet, baby. There a lot you can learn there, ya'know?" Mama said as she put me down and held my hand so I could walk.
"Well, let's get going, shall we?" I nodded along with her and together, we walked away from the park, and in no time at all, we were inside the mall, and it was…huge…I had never seen a mall this huge before…
Just the entrance and there already are ten shops tightly packed together that are still good looking, most of them are kind of fast food chain but…the smell was amazing…the chicken in particular…
Urggh! Hold on me! Stay strong! Mama will take you to eat good food so don't be tempted by those junk food! Right!
"So where are you taking me, Mama?" I ask her as my eye shows hunger for food, and she just giggles lightly.
"Where I will take you is one of your…Mama's Favorite Places. It's a seafood chain that just opened in here, I heard they got quite the fresh seafood." Mama said, her voice, containing a little bit of sadness which I did not miss, I wanted to ask her what was wrong but from the way, she was smiling…I don't want her to lose that smile, so I just ignore the feel of that itch in my heart and smile.
"Seafood? Yoha never tried it before! I wonder how it tastes!" I said as I held her hand harder. "Come on! Yoha is starving already! I want to eat lot and lot!"
"Alright, alright…calm down, you going to trip." Together, we walk past many stores, clothes, toys, restaurants, and even electronics. Mama asked me many times if there was something I wanted but to be honest, I didn't find anything that was particularly interesting, I have no need for toys, no use for a computer right now and I was about to eat with Mama so there really isn't anything that interest me.
Or so I thought, I came across one toy store just before the restaurant Mama was talking about, I came to a stop, staring at the billboard in front of the shop, AI companion toy.
For some reason…something in my heart just started to beat, as if I found something I wanted. I tug Mama's hand and make her stop, she got this confused look on her face.
"What is it, Yoha? Did you find something you want?" I nod at her question and point toward the billboard, Mama's eye Follows my finger and comes to a stop, then, I heard a light gasp escape from her and the hand that was holding me was shaking a little.
"R-really? That what you want Yoha?" Her voice was shaking a bit, it was strange…
"I-it's ok If I can't have it. I was just interested in it that all." I said and quickly took Mama's hand and walked away but she just stopped there.
"No…It's alright, Mama will buy it for you, but you must promise me to take care of it, ok? It's quite an expensive toy after all."
"Really! Thank you, Mama!" I hugged her and she returned it, Mama took me inside the shop, and the shopkeeper greeted us.
"Ah, Good Evening, madam and little Miss. My name is Howard Winsterson. How may I be of use today?" He said and his manner is quite weird, dressing in a suit and wearing a monocle, he was speaking as if he was some kind of…butler?
"Hello, May I have a look at your stock on AI Companion? My daughter got interested in them." Mama said, and the man, Howard, looked over at me so I smiled at him.
"Hello!" And greet him energetically. He seems satisfied for some reason and walks out of the counter.
"Follow me," Howard said as he guided us behind the shop, I passed through various toys, most of which seemed to be from the old times, such as one from the old century, and it seemed to be from various countries of Origin, I even saw some bamboo horse, wooden sword, paper plane and such…it was really old…
"Here it is, there are many models for you to choose from, and each comes with a unique setting, such as this one. Model G03, a maid." Howard said as he picked up a doll around half my size, honestly? It was very human-like, except for those joints and the face.
He presses a button on the back and the light in the doll's eye shines.
[ Good Evening, Master. How may I be of Service? ]
The doll said in a child-like yet also robotic, making it kinda creepy, the head moved to the side as if to show that it was asking and the arm and leg moved to be in that of a waiting position with two hands joined together in front and the leg completely close together.
Yeah, kinda creepy not gonna lie.
"They kind of…creepy…" Mama has the same thought as me but she is the one to say it out loud, the shopowner, Howard just chuckles lightly.
"These are some of the reasons they are not popular and are now being abandoned. I simply can't find it in my heart to throw them away, wasting such a good toy is simply not in my nature." Said Howard as he put the toy back down.
"Now then, Do you still desire these little ones after seeing them?" He turns to ask me and honestly? Who wouldn't want that!? Although it is a little creepy. The reason I want them is not for playing, I want to know the mechanism behind these little things and how the code of it works, how are they able to move their joint? How do they support their own weight?
"Yes! But um, do you have umm…plain one? With no setting or such like the maid." I asked him and he seemed a bit surprised at my answer.
"Of course. Please wait a moment." He went back to look for the doll and took out one, the design was simple, but…for some reason…it remind me of…me? The blue hair was the thing that connected the dot, it was practically the same shade of blue as my hair, Mama got blue hair too but was darker.
I glance at the owner and he just simply ignores my glance. " This one is the plain one I have in the shop, do you find it to your satisfaction?" He said as he handed me the doll, I took it and gave it a second look, well…not that I disliked it so might as well take it.
"Yes, though I feel like you deliberately chose this design," I said and took the doll into a hug, and wow…it was actually kind of soft. It seemed the surprise was showing on my face as both Mama and the shopowner looked at me with gentleness, making a light blush appear on my face. "...What?"
"Nothing, dear. Now then, how much for this doll?" Mama asks as we walk back toward the counter, after scanning the doll, Howard gives us the price.
"This will cost you, 13500 Colony Credit, But if you use Earth Credit then it would be 12000." mama just stood there, completely still at the price. Her eye twitched as she looked at me and the doll that was now on the table.
"Let me…go talk with…my relative first." She said before she took out her phone and called someone, leaving me alone with the owner and the doll.
"Nee, uncle, how much is 13500 Colony Credit?" I asked him hesitatingly as Mama was now on the call with someone.
"Well, for 50 credits, you could get a nice meal at the luxurious restaurant, a thousand and you could buy a car, and ten thousand would be the price of a house."
"The doll cost as much as a house!?" I blurt out. "That was the reason why no one bought this doll, the reason it stuck on the shelf!"
"Hm? That is true, well, I do have to make a profit so I can't go any lower." He said in a mocking voice as he shook his head…For some reason, I feel like if I grow up, I will hate his type the most…just for some reason…
"Alright, sorry about that. Pack it up for me, I will buy it." Mama said as she took out her card, there was a sweat drop on her head as if she didn't think she would buy this.
"M-mama, You don't have to buy it! It is the same price as buying a house! No way some toy will be worth it!" I quickly stopped Mama who was about to do something she would regret, Of course, I would take care of it but once I grew up I would probably leave to collect dust!
"Nonsense! Money is not a problem, mama is just a little bit stingy with it that was all." She said as she pushed the card into the machine that the old sly man prepared!
"O-oi!" I looked over to see the man happily packing the doll, everything happened so fast and in no time at all, I was walking out, in a daze while holding a carefully package bag…
Slowly looking down, to check the content inside, I quickly hook my head up in despair as I just catch a glimpse of a house flying away, with wing saying goodbye…
My god…Mama is not stingy at all…she…she just doesn't know how to use money…god…damn it.
Sighing I looked at Mama, she had this satisfied look as if she just overcome a hurdle in her life. "Well then, let's find something to eat, shall we?" She took my hand and started walking.
Seeing her this happy I just sigh again and look at the doll….I hope you will be worth it for my research…
With that thought, I walk after Mama as we arrive at the restaurant wants to take me to.
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Jestly
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