(I got the picture above from the person who requested it, don’t know who the credits go to, but not me)
There was always something to do at the space station, always people busy. Herta herself also claimed to be busy all the time, which came as no surprise to anyone.
But if anyone knew what she was busy with now, then they'd surely be surprised.
Of course, her main focus was her research. But besides that, she has let her focus drift to something else. Deciding it would be a new 'project'. Yes, that sounded good.
Herta was observant. Even if she didn't seem to care, that wouldn't mean she didn't notice things. And one of the few things she noticed during Ruan Mei's stay at the space station, was that the woman rarely came to the cafeteria to eat.
Now, of course, it could be a coincidence. For all someone knew, she could be making her own food. Just because the Genuis rarely saw her taking care of herself, didn't mean that was actually the situation.
Still... Herta liked this little project, as frustrating as it could be, and decided it would be simply necessary research. It had nothing to do with how lonesome the station felt when everyone was asleep except her. It certainly had nothing to do with those idiots around her sometimes just avoiding her. Why would she care for what others thought? Their opinions had no effect on her research.
"Ugh- how hard can this be!?" The puppet, conveniently lost in thought, quickly pulled the mostly black cake out of the oven. Seriously- she was a genius. She made puppets to control... how could she not even control baking a cake? It was so simple, she had learned all the steps, knew how to use the oven, and measured all the ingredients... yet it wasn't near perfect at all.
At least that kept her interest in the experiment. She still told herself it would be an experiment, even if she hadn't quite figured out for what exactly yet.
With a small sigh, she flicked the small cake into the bin. It wasn't any use, might as well discard it. Then she began anew, ignoring how late it had become. She had gone days without sleep before, and it's hard to tell time in space anyway.
"Okay- check... check... check... that should be it. In the oven..." She put the new cake in, this time deciding to watch it bake. Which turned out to be so boring she lost interest, and only remembered the cake when she glanced at it and noticed how black it had become. Again.
With a sigh, she discarded the cake again and began anew. This time though, she forced herself to keep watching and measuring the cake, even if it was a boring and useless task, and she had much better things to do. Anyone who might see this, would probably wonder; why?
But no one saw it. So Herta didn't need to explain that. Naturally, she could, if she wanted to. Probably. But she didn't feel the need to, so she ignored the need to do it, and decided it was just some new experiment.
Of course- as she had expected- after that boring task of watching the cake, she finally got it out with a golden yellow color. Perfect. The crusty edges seemed to add perfect balance with the fluffy parts in the middle of the cake.
So she picked it up, placed it on a plate, and then began to take it all the way through the station to where Ruan Mei was working. She didn't bother to wait until morning, knowing the other genius would still be up as well.
What a hazard. Usually, she'd just place her consciousness to the nearest puppet there and save herself the time of walking, but with the intention to personally bring the cake, that was a bit impossible. She really should figure something out for that...
She looked up, not having realized yet that she had arrived. The mini robot looks at her, accepting her to go inside Ruan Mei's lab.
The doll-like figure looked around briefly, but quickly noticed Ruan Mei. The researcher had her back towards her, too busy with her work to notice Herta yet.
"I see you are still busy." The puppet walked closer when Ruan Mei looked up, face unreadable as ever, hiding the initial shock and surprise at seeing the puppet there. What could Herta want from her at this hour? She never visits anyone unless it's important
Herta bluntly hands her the cake. "Here, I bought this today. I don't like it though, and everyone else is asleep so they can't eat it."
She's given better excuses...
Ruan Mei seems to think the same, looking at Herta, and hiding her initial surprise. Why would Herta of all people come down here to bring her cake? Herta doesn't buy things, especially not food. And since it's useless, Herta would probably just throw it away, not go all the way down to give it to her.
Still, the cake smelled delicious, and Ruan Mei secretly enjoyed desserts. It brings a small smile to her lips. She wondered if Herta somehow figured that out. She wouldn't be surprised, the aloof genius seemed very observant.
"Thank you... That's surprisingly thoughtful." She stared at the cake a bit longer, then smiled gently, taking it from Herta, who immediately crossed her arms with a scoff.
"Thoughtful? That's a stretch, I just needed to get rid of it and you're the only person available." Herta says, feeling a bit uncomfortable but trying not to show that. Ruan Mei was very good at hiding her true emotions, and that caused Herta to try and fail to decipher how the other genius felt about the gesture.
Had she been too forward? Did it come across as a need for company? No, that's absurd. Herta doesn't need someone to keep her company. She has her research.
"It's for research purposes."
Ruan Mei looks at her a moment longer, then down at the cake. "I see." She says softly, trying to ignore the slight pang in her chest. It almost feels like rejection. Or isolation. Herta just bought it and needed to get rid of it, of course combining it with research to profit from that, and Ruan Mei was just the best person to test on. At least she's honest.
She shakes that off, taking a small bite of the cake, feeling the soft sweetness in her mouth. It's becoming increasingly hard to hide her emotions. Wait... the cake is still warm. Freshly baked. Didn't Herta say she bought it? Ruan Mei smiles softly when she realizes that Herta bakes a cake for her, whatever the reason might be, whatever the reason for hiding might be... Herta still baked it for her.
"You know, deserts are like this—unexpected sweetness in the middle of what seems like emptiness. Life finds a way to thrive in the smallest things."
The cake is good, really good. Ruan Mei wonders how long it took Herta to make it. The thought of Herta standing in a kitchen, measuring ingredients with the same precision she applies to her research, brings a faint warmth to her chest. She didn't have to do this. But she did.
Herta raises her eyebrow, looking at Ruan Mei as she eats the cake, not quite sure if that's a compliment or just a normal statement. She's aware of how often Ruan Mei compares things to her research or draws parallels between them. "You're comparing cake to a desert? That's absurd. A cake is engineered to be sweet. The desert doesn't care whether it pleases you or not."
Ruan Mei looks up again, that soft smile on her face. Her tone ever warm and gentle, Herta finds herself looking at Ruan Mei too long without the researcher giving her a reason to. She looks away, directing her focus to the cake. Why- why does she always find herself looking at Ruan Mei longer than needed? What's so special about her?
"The cake doesn't either, it's the person who made it." Ruan Mei says softly. Herta doesn't see, too busy with her own thoughts to think of what Ruan Mei could be thinking. She doesn't know about the pang of regret when the words leave her lips, and the sense of longing.
Ruan Mei knows that that was too personal, she knows it and she said it anyway. She's not supposed to be like that, she's always been thoughtful, and mindful of what she says. But this... it just slipped out. It makes Herta go silent for a while. Then the puppet scoffs.
"You act like this is something special. It's just cake. People eat it all the time."
Ruan Mei relaxes slightly, it seems like Herta doesn't react differently to it than usual. Perhaps that means she didn't accidentally cross a line, perhaps her slip-up doesn't bear strong consequences. "Maybe, but it's not every day someone thinks of me like this." She says thoughtfully, taking a new small bite of the cake.
"It's hardly worth mentioning. You forget to take care of yourself, and it's distracting. That's all. Besides, this is still for research." Herta explains, though she's trying to convince herself more than Ruan Mei at this point. Her eyes flicker over the other taller woman's face, the crumbs of cake at the corners of her mouth, her gentle eyes so deeply engrossed with the cake, the strange tenderness of the gesture.
No one had done this before... People always wanted something from her or admired her. No one ever stopped to bake a cake for her, even if it might just be for an experiment. Ruan Mei can't help her mind from wandering, wondering if HErta feels that same pang of loneliness sometimes. If that's why she came here.
Herta doesn't know those thoughts though, she just sees Ruan Mei eat the cake, that gentle smile as perfect as ever, making it impossible for the genius to gouge her emotions.
Does that mean she likes it?
It's not like Herta actually cares if she does.
Still, the gentle smile on Ruan Mei's lips as she tastes the cake makes Herta unable to look away. Just... observations. For her experiment. She doesn't need friends. She just watches as Ruan Mei takes another small bite, pausing briefly, resting the fork on the plate for a moment as she looks at it.
Herta is inclined to say that she doesn't need to eat it, that no one forces her to, but Ruan Mei has already taken another bite.
Herta doesn't know why the researcher hesitated, and probably never will. She doesn't know the hint of doubt Ruan Mei felt. Wondering if she was good enough to receive this gesture of kindness. This sweetness, feeling like a reward she hadn't earned yet. But... she doesn't want to offend Herta. And she does enjoy the cake. And to be quite honest, she appreciated the company.
"What kind of research?" She asks thoughtfully, looking up at Herta, who just turns away and casually brushes her off.
"Does it matter? Just eat."
Ruan Mei watches her turn, slowly taking another bite, savoring the taste in her mouth. Herta glances around at her studies, her research. But the way she does it, almost like she's avoiding answering the question. Is she scared of the answer? Or does she just not know it...?
"Thank you." Ruan Mei expresses softly, gently setting the plate down at the cold research table. Herta turns around at that, cold and aloof as ever, but for a brief moment, Ruan Mei thinks she can see a flicker of something else. She must be imagining, that the puppets probably aren't even able to express themselves like that.
"Don't mention it," Herta says, yet she makes no move to leave yet, just staring at Ruan Mei a little longer.
As if realizing what she's doing, she scoffs and crosses her arms once more, shaking her head slightly. "You're the slowest eater I've ever met. I could have made three new puppets while you ate one piece of cake."
Ruan Mei sighs softly, then laughs lightly as she leans back on the table, hands pressing against the cold metal she's so familiar with. "Maybe I just didn't want it to end." She doesn't point out that, despite Herta's point, the puppet stayed, and Herta's consciousness stayed in this puppet.
"Everything ends eventually," Herta says, trying to ignore the nearing end of this... whatever it was. Trying to ignore the feeling of dread she shouldn't be feeling at the thought of being alone again. A feeling Ruan Mei understands all too well...
Sweetness fades eventually... Why does she wish it would have lasted longer?
Ruan Mei bites back the urge to say more, to ask Herta to stay, to break the fragile silence between them. Instead, she holds onto the moment, savoring the last few bites of the cake—and the fleeting comfort it brings. The moment of sweetness, ending when the puppet leaves again...
It's a few days later when Herta hears a knock at her door, and Ruan Mei walks in. Herta raises her eyebrow, not having expected to see her so soon again, let alone outside the lab.
It sounds curt, Herta knows that, but Ruan Mei knows it's not meant to be mean. So she gives Herta a gentle smile and then holds out a painting. She wasn't sure what to give someone who already has everything, but if Herta made a cake for her- even though not admitting to that- then the least she can do is make something in return.
It's a desert. Two single flowers standing in it. In the place filled with sand, where almost no life blooms. The blue flower, and a purple one. Herta holds it almost gently.
"Hmmm... is this for me? I don't really collect things like this anymore."
She doesn't take her eyes off the painting though, even though she feigns some sense of distance and aloofness. Ruan Mei notices,smilingg gently.
"You don't need to hold onto it."
"No, I'm just analyzing the craftmanship. That's all."
"Okay, I just wanted to say thank you, that's all."
Herta watches her leave, looking up from the painting briefly. Then she looks back at the painting, eyes softening when Ruan Mei is gone. She has to admit, the painting almost brings her a sense of peace. Two lonely flowers in the desert, just like them. Alone yet together.
Perhaps... Perhaps she can make this sweetness linger just a little longer. Make it last... another day or two.
For once, Herta doesn't think she'd mind to put a stop to her research for a moment.
For a moment, of sweetness
