“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

Chapter 75 - My Family

She looks different.

For some reason, that's the first thing you focus on. After thousands of years of seeing a person look exactly the same day after day, you suppose even small differences would become noticeable. Your sister's hair has been cut from easily passing her shoulders to no longer cover her neck. Instead of her usual suit and coat, she wears a tight purple-blue dress with faded white flower patters along the edges. Under one arm, she carries a heavy-looking leather-bound book.

"Angela."

Your voice is completely flat. Partly out of a conscious effort, and partly because you just haven't decided what emotion you should be feeling right now. Your relationship with your erstwhile assistant was always complicated, even before… everything. Now? Everything is even more of a mess than it was before. You're frustrated at her betrayal in the end, but you don't… resent her for it? Blame her? You understand why Angela did what she did. Even considering what it might have cost the City, depending on what the Seed of Light was actually supposed to do. You lived in the Facility too, so it would be impossible for you not to understand to some degree. Knowing she kept everyone alive afterwards would probably have been worthy of gratitude if you didn't expect ulterior motives. Even so, you are glad for that particular decision.

The silence stretches on as the two of you stare at one another. Feeling awkward, you say the only thing you can think of.

"You look better with short hair. It suits you."

Your voice is still steady and devoid of emotion. Still, it seems enough to shake your sister out of whatever thoughts were occupying her.

"Thank you," she answers in her own monotone. Her voice isn't quite as even as yours, caution clearly apparent in her words. You suppose it makes sense. Angela might have been perfectly composed at the Facility, when everything was written out and rehearsed a thousand times over, but now she's no longer in that environment. She can't rely on that familiarity to conceal her emotions. Then again, it does seem like she's even trying to at this point. "I see you've been making some changes yourself."

You jolt, the hint of embarrassment the first obvious emotion you've shown since your sister appeared. "Well, I didn't want to go around looking like our father forever. I did a bit of self-exploration." It's strange. You've never felt the need to justify or explain your transformation to yourself or anybody else. It's just something you chose to do. Considering that nobody you spoke with since even knew about your original form save for Nothing There, there wasn't much reason to. Now, the disconnect feels slightly uncomfortable. Like there's a new layer of separation between you and everyone you knew in the Facility.

That's another thing you had avoided dwelling on. Calling your relationships with your coworkers 'complicated' was an understatement. It often felt like they were talking to somebody else when you spoke, like you were just a person-shaped stand-in for them to vent their grievances to. If you took a particularly cynical angle, that was what you were. A stand-in to replace Ayin because he wasn't capable of going any further.

That wasn't the whole story, though. Your relationships with the Sephirah, save for Hokma, are far deeper than Ayin's ever were. Even taking into account all the pain and suffering endured getting there, simply living alongside your colleagues made everything worth it. Depending on how things go, you might actually be able to see some of them soon.

"So, I'm assuming that this is your Library? It's more industrial than I had come to expect. It reminds me a bit of the Facility, actually."

At that, Angela makes a disconcerted face.

"While this is indeed the Library, each individual floor varies aesthetically from the main structure. The Floor of Geography is attuned to you in particular and was inaccessible to me until your recent arrival, so you can only blame yourself for the state of decoration here."

There's quite a bit of information to process from the terse response. You are indeed in the Library, which means you've gone back to the City. Only temporarily, but still. You don't know how, but returning is at least possible. Are you really happy about that? While it wasn't really a conscious decision, some part of you knew the City was a terrible place and tried to get away from it as soon as possible. Why would you want to go back?

You still have unfinished business here. Your first friends and the only biological family you have remaining. That's reason enough for now.

Second, Angela has some degree of authority over the Library. Focusing too hard on it gives off the same sort of aura as EGO Gear. While you've never even considered the idea of EGO the size of an actual building, you're not willing to rule it out just yet. She probably has some level fo actual control over the structure and its features. Fighting in these conditions is anywhere from just an uphill battle to outright suicide depending on how much control your sister has. Even if you were upset enough at her to attack, it still wouldn't be a suitable course of action.

Third, you have your own floor. Keyed to and designed for you, with Angela being unable to manipulate it until you showed up. Another point to the EGO theory, since that sort of concept-based effect is fully within its purview. Although it does beg the question as to what a Floor means for the Library. Are they the equivalent of departments? If so, then you have a good idea of why Angela decided to keep the Sephirah around. You can try to confirm that, at the very least.

"Is it just you and me here? I'd like to see some of my other coworkers again. It's been a long time since I was able to speak with any of them."

Something- guilt?- flickers across Angela's face, and she sighs. "The others are currently asleep. The Library is still undergoing repairs to regain all of its functionality, and we do not have enough energy to maintain them all of them while doing so."

The room lapses back into silence. You sit back down on the table you were lying on. You only have so much time here, you should be making the most of it. You don't even know how you got here, so getting back will likely be difficult. But what should you even say?

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Conversation Topics… (Pick two)
[] The Library
[] You
[] New Friends
[] Family Matters
[] Mitakihara
[] Missing Abnormalities
[] Write-in

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