Did Ruo want to take her companion with her on this expedition? No. But did she? Yes.

There's too many dangers and her companion's naive little head, but they were tired of staying inside the bunker—tired of only eating, walking around and then sleeping. Mainly because Ruo wouldn't let them work.

And now I have to deal with...this.

Her companion trails behind, happily, regardless of Ruo not allowing them to speak at all in the first few years when she first found them.

The bombs revealed all the dirt beneath the concrete and steel that the cities were built from, with grass slowly crawling its way back through the cracks.

"Stop playing around in the grass," Ruo points out before rolling her eyes. Why didn't I just stay on the pod longer? Why'd I have to listen and walk with her the last few meters?

Ruo doesn't groan, just kicks a small rock—or was that concrete? She doesn't know.

When Ruo found her companion two years back, she started up the old computer there and found the coordinates for an old trade center. She had Jingwei save all the information anyway—never know when you might need it—and now, she needs it.

She sees the rusting sign posts of the trade center, the tall building half-surprisingly still standing. Guess none of the explosions reached here. Or the architecture was decent.

Regardless, it's better news for Ruo; most things will still be intact.

But that doesn't stop her companion from romantizing the whole thing. Urgh. Why did Rowan have to give her that romance holobook?

Ruo glances at Jingwei's android form behind her, knowing that the AI will make a smug comment as her companion pretends they're in Bora Bora—which they don't even know what actually is, just saw a sticker of it on one of Rowan's stupid holobooks.

She doesn't know what Bora Bora is either. But she knows her companion smiles when she says it, so whatever.

But she doesn't comment. Fine. Have your stupid fun.

As they enter the city centre around the trading center, her companion finds a cafe, sees the tables, and immediately rockets over there, blabbering about having a date like in the book.

End me now.

"We're not going to have a date," Ruo finally sighs.

Ten minutes later, Ruo is sitting down at the table, her companion in front of her, and Jingwei pretending to be a waiter.

Ruo glares at Jingwei, knowing she would've won that argument if he didn't open his mouth. She had said they couldn't have a date without service. Jingwei offered to be the waiter.

And now Ruo has to pretend she's on a date. With her.

"I'll get a tea," she points at the faded menu still stuck to the wall, glancing at her companion for her order. "What are you going to get?"