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You find Hero WEAPON next. The blonde girl is at the base PX, collecting several bags of popcorn while the multi-colored hair of Gaia's avatar bobs around the candy isle.
You blink once that last part registers. "Do I want to know?"
Hero shoots a look over her shoulder as she finishes paying for the popcorn. "She likes Twizzlers. Don't ask me why, because I don't have a clue. I'm already paying for all the ones they have on the shelf." The girl at the cash register nods awkwardly in confirmation.
You look back to Gaia. "I sense a story there. Would you care to share at all?"
Hero chuckles, "It's a bit of a long one. You sure you want to hear it?" You nod firmly in confirmation, even as the cashier finishes placing Hero's purchases into a bag and passes them to the magical girl.
The older girl picks up the now-bagged candies. "Well... the first thing you need to know is that Mother loves us. No matter what it is, she is fascinated by all that Humanity has to offer. Though she has different morals than we understand as normal and can sometimes come off as callous or even cruel."
You and Hero walk a few steps to the side, away from the cashier. Gaia's avatar drifting away from the candy isle towards the pastries. Hero herself comes to a stop next to a vending machine, ruffling through her pockets for loose change. "If she can be so cruel, then why become a WEAPON?" Hero looks inquiringly at you. Blushing, you continue. "I mean... what would the point be? Wouldn't she force those morals onto you?"
Hero smiles. "It's actually because she's cruel I decided to become a WEAPON, something we each made a choice for. You see, I lost my original family in a fire that was started by one of her thunder storms. She could have saved them, but she didn't because the event awoke my Magical Girl powers. I hated her over that for a time... but I eventually learned that she did not do it out of malice, or to torture me. She let them die, because she did not see a reason to save them. Their deaths, despite being caused by her actions, were a natural thing. Or that is how she sees it. Which is why I eventually agreed to my post as a WEAPON." The vending machine rumbles, spitting out a Doctor P. Hero crouches down to fish it out of the dispenser. "Angel became a WEAPON because she agrees with Mother's plans for Humanity. To uplift them. Sin became a WEAPON because she wants to protect our world. I became a WEAPON in order to help Gaia understand her connection to us Humans better. To keep things such as what happened to me from repeating itself."
"That makes a bit of sense." You reply as she stands up. "How long have you been at it? Make any progress?"
Turning to you, Hero waves her soda towards Gaia's avatar. "Two years, I've been able to help Mother understand. The amount of tragedies caused by her Apathetic Love have decreased from a common occurrence to a rare thing. She does not understand, not truly, but she tries. Her Table Top sessions have been helping, but it's still a long road."
You look from Hero to Gaia, raising a pointed eyebrow. "Do you think she'll ever fully understand?"
Hero shakes her head. "I doubt it. As much as I love Mother, she is too far beyond a Human perspective to ever truly value individual humans she's never bothered to directly interact with. She sees time as it's described by the movement of the Tectonic Plates. We are far too fleeting to ever have any real meaning when measured against that. All of our history, recorded or otherwise, doesn't even amount to a blink to her." Hero trails off as the ambient light surrounding the two of you suddenly shifts.
Gaia's glowing avatar -literally glowing- comes out of the isle with her artificial shirt ("Flat Is Justice!") wrapped around a payload of more candy in a makeshift carry bag. "Hello Nepgear." She grins, causing the mouthful of candy sticking out to fan up in front of her face. "It's been a while."
"Hello Gaia. I'm visiting Magical Girls on Base, and well... I heard you and Hero were sticking around for a while so I thought..."
"Ah. That makes sense. I've actually been a little interested in you." She throws an arm over your shoulder and swallows her candy with a slurp. "We could sit down and talk to each other for a while..." She leans in, "get to know one another a bit better..."
You swallow, uncomfortably aware of how her artificial body is pressing up against you. "I... need an adult?"
She smiles, breathing across your cheek, "I am an adul-"
Hero's Doctor Pepper hisses as it's opened right next to your faces and both of you squeak in surprise. She gives Gaia a flat stare, looking less then impressed. "Mother, you're being weird again. Stop that." She pops the soda's lid off and takes a drink.
Gaia pouts, suddenly looking a lot less mature than she had a few moments ago, "I am not! Take that back!"
Hero rolls her eyes and walks out of the PX without a word. "Hey! I'm not done with you! Get back here!" Still pouting Gaia looks at you. "You see what I have to work with? Claims to love me like a mother, and she goes and does this to me. I am so unloved!"
You fidget awkwardly, "Uhm... don't worry? I still love you." Gaia looks at you looking slightly stumped for a moment. You fidget some more.
Then she squeals and physically leaps at you shouting something along the lines of 'imotou aura' and 'sister cancer'. Hero makes her escape in the chaos.
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