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“Ah! Taking me up on my offer then?” The figure emerges from the light of the room on the far side of the walkway, short and petite—MOMO, all alone, with a little purse clasped in her hands. It must be eight or nine o’clock by Gaignun’s figuring—the mirrors on the Foundation have fully shifted to their nighttime position, leaving the colony with a black sky and a million rainbow lights to pierce it.
“Yes!” She calls jovially, like a little girl staying up past her bedtime for the first time in her life. Of course, she more or less is just that. It’s the dazzling lightshow beneath them and a promised tour of the city that unites the pair tonight, and Gaignun can’t help but wonder if that alone will be worth it…
“Is there anyone else…?” Gaignun gestures across the overpass in the direction MOMO came from.
“Uhn-uh,” She replies, shaking her head. “Everyone else was too tired-out,” A little smile comes to her pink lips. “I probably should have stayed back too—Ziggy wanted me to, and even Jr. is already asleep! But I couldn’t resist…If it’s still okay with you?”
“Of course,” Gaignun smiles and walks towards her. He offers his hand, MOMO takes it, and Gaignun is left feeling a tad bit massive next to her, with his hand encasing the little girl’s by such a drastic amount. It reminds him—pleasantly—of Jr. “I’m not about to go back on my word.”
MOMO giggles, and turns closer to the glass wall beside them. The look on her face is something to behold—full of nothing but grins and wonder as she stares out over the metropolis, its buildings lit up like a wildfire in the dead of night.
“Oh wow…” She mumbles. It’s barely audible—most of her breath seems to have been stolen by the view. “You were right!”
“It’s quite the sight, isn’t it? I can’t say that I’m not a little proud of it.” They worked hard to create this little sphere of isolated peace—the beauty seemed to be an only natural reward for all that they had accomplished with it.
It was, of course, also just simply pretty to look at.
“MOMO,” Gaignun addresses her after a length of whispered comments and mesmerized stares out over the city. He had rattled off all the basic facts he could think of—population (over 4 million and counting), length of a day (24 hours—based off Lost Jerusalem time), and about a half-dozen other factoids. He fears he has her solidly bored at this point. “Shall we go for a walk? The lights on the promenade are almost as spectacular.”
Her gaze lingers on the view for a moment, (Gaignun breathes a sigh of relief at the show of maintained interest) but she quickly nods and follows him down the pathway.
“It’s almost hard to remember that you’re a part of that,” Gaignun comments as they walk. “The city, I mean. In the dark, you can hardly see the shapes of the buildings—it’s really just an array of lights, isn’t it? I think it’s almost… hmm. Magical?”
Magic is apparently something that resonates with her—MOMO gives his hand a squeeze and half-bounds into the air at the thought. “I’ve thought about that too! Jr. once said that he used to wish on lights like that when he was little. He thought they were something like stars that had spread out to the ground!” Their chuckles fall into unison at the image of a properly young Jr. gleefully pointing at skyscrapers and proclaiming his desires.
“Well, I can’t say I can deny that.” Gaignun shakes his head, pushing down his rising laughs. They’ve reached the edges of the building’s promenade—colorful advertisements have burst into view, and each and every happy young face on the massive screens reminds him of those times, freshly rescued from Miltia... “But I also can’t deny that I bought into it…
“You? Mr. Gaignun, I can’t see that!”
“I was once as young as Jr. acts…” He reminds her playfully. “Sometimes, it’s truly a wonder he’s the older one.”
MOMO tilts her head. “But sometimes it’s not?
“Sometimes it’s not.” He repeats, and leaves it at that. “We’re coming to the main square,” Gaignun shifts the subject, pointing up ahead. “There’s an exit just beyond it too—we can head outside after we’re through here.”
MOMO doesn’t reply, but that’s perfectly acceptable—she’s much too distracted by the stimuli dancing around her. There are a decent number of people out and about tonight, being a weekend and all. They’ve already strolled past a few small parties of the well-dressed, entering casinos for nights of luxury with friends and family—but the real population of the square belongs to laughing couples and little groups of close friends. They all wave or stare at him—he smiles or waves back, but can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed at all the recognition. He’s here to entertain, to be a friend and a host—not show off.
“You could forget what a crisis we’re all in at a place like this,” MOMO observes quietly. Her tone isn’t as bitter as most people’s might be, but quite innocent and hopeful about their situation—it warms him to hear it.
“I suppose that’s sort of the idea, isn’t it?” ‘Work hard, play hard,’ he believed was the old adage. It was folly to ignore their state, but equally foolish to deny yourself any relaxation. MOMO nods, in full agreement.
“If my mommy came along with me, I think I would want to live here!” They’ve come to a stop at the central fountain—it’s quite sleek and contemporary, unlike some of the more quaint ones in the city suburbs outside, but the headquarters practically required that sort of flash.
“Jr. would be pleased to hear that,” Gaignun tells her with a hinting wink. “Although, I’m sure we all would be. Time to convince Dr. Mizrahi, hm?”
She laughs, and gives his hand a tug. “I’d like to see what’s outside too!”
“Come along then!” He leads the way, moving surprisingly briskly—MOMO has quite a fast pace for someone so small.
He takes her out the sliding doors and onto yet another walkway—this one, however, slopes downward, gradually leading into the rest of the city. It also branches off to the left—forming a spacious wrap-around balcony on the side of the building.
“Which way—ah, MOMO?”
She hasn’t heard him—her eyes are much too fixated on the dozens of little green lights dancing around her face.
“I didn’t know you had fireflies here!” She exclaims, lifting her hands so that the insects may glide over and around those as well. “Does everything out here have lights?”
“Ahah! There are 37 different insect species onboard,” Gaignun explains as he catches one in his palm. “Even mosquitoes, I’m afraid.”
“Why did you bring them on then?” MOMO’s brow knits in genuine confusion. “Aren’t they bothersome to everyone…?”
“They’re actually food, for the bats.”
“Bats!?”
“We’re a regular nature preserve, I suppose.” He gently flicks his hand, encouraging the firefly to take to the air. “They all allow the colony to be more self-sustaining—bees and bats, for example, pollinate the flowers. The mosquitoes feed the bats, so we needn’t worry about their health, and the bees give us honey to boot.”
“It’s a cycle then…” MOMO is riveted by the idea. “Give and take… symbiosis, right? With the whole Foundation is one of the participants!”
“That’s exactly it.” Gaignun holds out his hand to hers again, and she takes it with a smile. “Come on. Let’s head into town.”
The pair begins to make their way down the slope, moving at the same brisk pace they had kept earlier. They walk in silence for most of the trip, each soaking in their own thoughts and taking in the ever-brilliant view.
Eventually though, MOMO begins to slow down. Gaignun doesn’t notice at first—they’re both too wrapped up in their individual minds, and furthermore, MOMO is doing a mighty fine job of concealing her weariness. However— Gaignun notices her drooping eyelids and lagging pace slowly growing and growing, and quickly decides it’s time to point it out:
“MOMO,” He whispers gently, pressing her hand with his own and coming to a stop. “If you’re tired, we can go back. I’m not cross about it at all.”
“Ah!” Her mouth forms an ‘o’ of surprise, and she waves her free hand with a rush of enthusiasm. “I’m—I’m fine, Mr. Gaignun!”
“You’ve been slowing down…”
“Um…Well... It’s past my bedtime, I guess…” She sighs. “I really wanted to see the town though.”
“There are other nights…?” Gaignun offers.
“But I rather not wait!” She tries not to laugh at her own eagerness, but fails horrendously. That leaves Gaignun with no small conundrum to work out. He ponders it for a second—could he make a compromise with her, or…
“Ah. I have an idea.” He crouches down and meets her eye level with a broad—enigmatic—smile on his face. It’s infectious, much to his delight, and it quickly spreads to her own.
“Mr. Gaignun…?
Before either of them knows it, MOMO is on his shoulders. For a girl of her size to be on the shoulders of a man Gaignun’s height—she might as well be on a skyscraper.
“Waaaaaah!” Her wail is one of mock-fear mixed with childlike excitement and adrenaline. No more falling asleep for her! She crouches down, trying to situate her hands so they don’t cover Gaignun’s eyes. (“Hey!” He kids as her fingers slide over his vision for a half-second. “Careful there.”)
They’re back on their way in no time.
“This way, you can save your energy for when we get there.” Gaignun explains as he walks. “We’re only a few minutes off anyway.”
“Mmm! And the way back…?”
“Silly, I can carry you then too...” Neither can see the other one smiling, but there’s something in the air that conveys everything they need to know. They walk on
“…”
“MOMO?” It’s been a few minutes, and she’s shifting around on his shoulders—almost as if something is bothering her. “Do you need to change positions?”
“No, no…” She assures him. Her voice doesn’t sound quite so tired anymore, so it can’t be that. “It’s… it’s Jr, actually.” A nervous chuckle sounds off in his ear.
“Jr?” Gaignun has been expecting this for some time now. It was bound to happen, with the way Jr. talked about MOMO, each word a fresh bubble of excitement. And the way she talked about him was no different… When the two sides were added together, along with who she represented and resembled for both Jr, and so many others…
If he were to say that he hadn’t thought about it at all, he would be lying. He had run the conversation over in his head so many times now; he could hardly remember when he had even begun to think about it.
“We were talking about him earlier…” MOMO continues. “And I got to thinking about him. Really thinking about him. He’s really wonderful…” She mumbled, softly curling her arms around Gaignun’s neck. “He can be an adult and a kid, all at the same time. He makes us laugh and goofs around, yes! But he also… he also protects us. Protects me. He… he makes me feel like I’m human.”
Now that the moment has arrived, Gaignun’s mind is a wreck. Half of it is lost somewhere else... half of it is just desperately trying to remember what he wished to say in the first place. He was happy—happy for the both of them, and he wanted to convey it… that much was obvious, but…
“MOMO,” He began, touching his hand to hers. “He’s a good kid.” Kid. Such a strange word to use for his older brother. It seems he had gotten rather comfortable with Jr’s semi-permanent form—and his false identity.
Gaignun could feel locks hair brush against his head as MOMO nodded. “He really is!” However strange that word ‘kid’ might be for him, at least it allowed Jr. to be a better match for this child. That was enough for him—
“Can you promise me something?” They’ve reached the outskirts of the town now—he stops there, on a small footbridge that bridges across a wiry little stream. With steady hands, he crouches down, and helps MOMO off his shoulders. Her head is tilted in curiosity and confusion as she looks to him for some sort of answer as to his sudden behavior. Gaignun takes ahold of her shoulders—firmly, but with care, and locks their gaze together.
“Please, take care of him.”
These words only serve to confuse poor MOMO more—not that Gaignun expected anything different. He couldn’t explain it. Not now, and maybe not ever.
“Mr. Gaignun…” Her smooth forehead creases with thought. “Isn’t that what you do? I don’t think I could match up at all…!” There’s a nervous quake to her voice, and he knows she’s caught onto something.
Gaignun just smiles. “Yes. Yes, I suppose it is…” He looks out over the water, unable to keep the eye contact any longer. “I’m not supposed to be that person though. And one day…” He swallows. Don’t cry—he can’t cry. That’s not the persona he’s created for himself. “I don’t think I’ll be able to do that.”
MOMO is doubtlessly looking at him with painful amounts of concern and confusion—she’s an empathetic being, that’s for certain. When he slowly turns back to her, he finds nothing less.
“You love him as much as I do, yes?”
MOMO nods.
“That’s all that matters then. You’re a wonderful girl. So please, keep him safe, for me. For yourself.”
“And… and out of trouble?” MOMO offers lightly. It must be a lot for her to take at once. She’s tough though—she takes it in stride. Gaignun laughs and lightly touches his hand to her cheek like a father might to a daughter.
“Yes. Perhaps that most of all.”
Removing his hands from her shoulders, he stands up, brushes off his suit in a nervous-tick, and half-heartedly gestures towards the town. “Sorry,” He says with a tense cough to clear the air. MOMO shakes her head, unbothered. Understanding. Only then does relief wash over him.
MOMO is holding out her hand to him now, much as Gaignun did to her earlier: “Let’s go see the city!” Her voice is passionate and animated, and somehow far beyond her years. She is a child—an extraordinary child—full of endless potential for innocence and maturity.
He knows it for certain—Jr. is safe with her.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
He takes her hand, and slips all his trust and hope into that little girl’s palm.