Hello, the imaginary audience in my head!

It's Plusle and Minun here!

By that I mean it's Lilyanne and I and it's magical charging time. Rawr Rawr cheer, I don't know what I'm doing but it must be doing something.

I really can't feel anything but it looks like that if I concentrate on pushing at the same time as Lilyanne, the magical charge is more effective and her control is better. Again I'm not sure how it works, this is just what they're telling me.

Even if it doesn't it makes Lilyanne happy so whatever.

It feels stupid just pushing with my imagination so I make it slightly less stupid by pretending I'm a fictional electrical rat. The mental image somehow works apparently.

Rosalia use 'Light Screen', buff up! Lilyanne, spam that 'Thunderbolt'! Back to me, Rosalia use 'Helping Hand'! Now everyone, use 'Volt Charge'!

I feel like a legitimate child playing pretend but the mental image is much more interesting than staring at Lilyanne or this blank stone. Pokemon is for all ages ok, even the confused reborn sort of people.

Today we're taken to charge a certain ruin looking plaza with a stone arch. It looks sort of like a giant gazebo, a much nicer more complicated version of stone henge.

Gable must have had a hand in this place because it's somehow hidden in the training camp. This entire camp is really funny, it's much bigger on the inside of its walls but even there there's so many twists and hidden buildings. This strange gazebo courtyard is just one of them.

Without grampa or someone us leading, I would have never found this place on my own. There's definitely Gable's illusion magic involved in masking all the hidden places and space distortion in the camp.

We took a few days off from charging anything to let loose on this baby. According to uncle Geoff, this is one of those kinds of things that's incredibly difficult to fuel, money or not. We've been here once before but just like the pillars deep underground it zapped out everything from Lilyanne with no sign of being sated.

After that we let Lilyanne take a long break with some light practice on armor and weapons. It was to some very specific people and mass materials so I think it's for a raiding crew leaving soon.

Like an old school gaming guild, there's multiple raids and outings going on at once. The one that Amar said he'll be going on a small to medium-sized informational scouting mission prior to a planned raid. The talk of spices interests me much more than a potential dungeon excursion though, no offense.

I somehow convinced a few of the cafeteria chefs about what a good idea it would be to tag along. There's more than a few capable sorts of folk in the kitchens. Mr. Boar didn't immediately yell or stop the talks so that's a good sign. Besides I can't be the only one to be excited over the prospect of cheap foreign herbs and spices.

For that reason, I managed to gather coins, actual physical bags of money!

It was actually quite easy asking mother for allocated funds. Much easier than I originally thought. She didn't even grill me on why but I told her truthfully anyways how I wanted the chefs to buy me some foreign ingredients when they're off accompanying the scouting raid teams.

Then something odd happened.

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The day before:

"Oh that's just funds, the staff will be able to take care of that don't worry. We'll be sure to give the cooks some extra spending money too, don't worry about that. But of course, here's a little something for you too my darling. "

"Thank you mother....mother is this the chefs' funds too?"

"Why it's yours silly, my little girl I know you're very kind and love to share but this is all yours. If you give money out too freely bad people will come and try to cheat you."

"...I see."

"Remember Rosa, you must not let bad people try to trick you even if they look friendly. "

Well maybe don't give a kid so much money then! That just leaves them vulnerable!

What is this!?

It's a whole velvet purse stuffed full of coins, I feel like a robbed and old school bank! Is this normal or does a born rich person like mother just not understand the concept of monetary value! Who just leaves kids with this much money?

Really I don't get rich people at all.

Something like a memory regurgitates itself up while I stare at the overwhelmingly large amount of cash.

Something that looks suspiciously like this very scene but it's not. It's Rosalia, just as sharp-eyed but a little older, more extravagantly dressed, standing before her mother. I can't hear them but this Rosalia is asking for something, I can feel her nerves as if they were my own.

This mother, just as beautiful in my memory as she is now, claps her hands in mild surprise. The servants, previously hidden in the background arrive with bags upon bags of money. At least 5x the ridiculous amount, I'm holding now.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The maids by the child Rosalia's side take the money, the dresses, the ribbons and all those things I don't even know where they all came from. Neither does that Rosalia and she looks on in anticipation, this is not what she wants not what she came for. She near crumbles down into herself but holds still and curtsies gracefully.

When the maids finish receiving the money and more, mother, that mother, makes the steps over to pat the other Rosalia's head.

It's such a simple gesture but she blooms under it.

Was this what that child was all anxious for? A little touch?

Mother's lips move, I think there is sound coming out.

"Don't spend it all in one place now sweetie....Rosa? .... Rosalia, can you say something for me? Rosa are you alright? Rosa!? Rosa what's wrong! Rosa can you answer me, can you hear me?!"

It takes me more than a moment to snap out of the daydream, the memory, I seem to have fallen in. I hadn't realized when that time and this one blended into one and separated. Talk about deja-vu, what an odd way to zone out.

"...mama?"

"Rosa!"

Where the mother in the dream, the memory, had merely patted that Rosalia's hair, this one was on her knees. Her hand frantically rubbing and patting all over my face and body as if to check for injuries.

"Oh thank goodness, yes what is it my darling? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? It's not the magical runoff from your sister is it?!"

"What happened?"

"Darling you just were standing there, staring and not responding. It was like you coudln't see or hear me. Rosalia, are you feeling alright?"

I know the answer I'm supposed to say, it's "I'm fine" or some other coherent enough response. It surprises me then, to hear the wrong words come out of my mouth.

"...I don't know."

"Oh dear, call for the doctor! Oh my baby."

"Yes my Lady."

The accompanying maids are sent to make the arrangements and I'm scooped into mother's suffocating chest before I can escape in time. But for some reason, my body doesn't want to resist at all. Not to my mother's touch. How weird, I'm not normally so...needy? I'm not sure.

That particular memory must have shaken this body of mine up. But I really am okay though.

"Ack no I meant I'm fine, really. You can let me go now."

"Oh no you don't darling, to bed and we'll have the doctor take a look at you. I knew something wasn't right, you never call me mama unless you're unwell. "

"What, no. Look 'mama' I'm really fine. Thank you for the allowance. I'll be good and won't spend it all."

"I just knew it, to bed dear."

"Mother!"

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And that's how I spent my day under house arrest with mother standing guard. No sneaking out possible. I really am fine, it's just the memories from the past sometimes gets to me oddly. This one was weirder than usual to zone me out like that.

Normally no one witnesses it when I do but unfortunately, mother had to see that episode.

I don't even know where they come from or what triggers them.

With enough of pleading and reassurance from grampa I got out to make the charging trip today. Maybe the requests for money wasn't really that easy but hey, not a bad price to pay. Half a day od awkward fussed over bed rest for the stacked purse mother gave me. The amount inside was more than enough to feed two small families for a year.

She said don't spend it all in one place but where else will I spend it on? I don't go anywhere but grampa's garrison camp. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tuck the physical money away for a rainy day. I don't expect to be run out of the household for another couple years but it would be smart to save up early.

Still, I think it's more important to make investments and raise favor at this stage.

After zapping the stone pavilion with all that we got, Lilyanne fell into her usual nap and I rushed off on my missions of the day.

"Wait right there my little hero hopeful." shouts grampa overly dramatically as always.

What is with the nicknames? I don't know where he gets the impression I want to be a hero like him? I'm not OP enough for that kind of thing. Besides, it's too much work and I'm lazy.

*sigh* "What is it now grampa?"

U-turning back I'm greeted with the sight of him slinging a dozing Lilyanne up into his chest. Possibly the world's safest place to take a nap. I am very careful to not nap or fall asleep around grampa lest he put me up there too.

"Such a lovely little grumpy face, it wounds me so. Did Gable teach you that?"

"No grampa, this is my usual face."

"I swear you're getting more Gable like since you came back"

I'll take that as a compliment, who wouldn't when compared to their favorite person. But no I'm not copying him, rather I'm just more free about showing more of myself. I'm not particularly grumpy in my opinion but I was never a naturally patient sort of person.

That and with Gable's talks and reassurance I'm a not less likely to be cowering and playing nice and dumb in from grampa. Don't get me wrong, the old man is still scary as hell but he's also just so ridiculous it's hard to be reverently fearful of him all the time.

I once gave the man a knitted headband, a spare that I made for fun, but with cat ears and cutesy bow. He seriously wore it for 4 days straight.

How do you stay scared of a man like that? Also, Gable's stories helped.

"Well turn that frown upside down because I come bearing letters and gifts!"

See it's pretty hard to stay cowering in his presence though I'm definitely not brave enough to slap away the oversized hands pinching my cheeks. Ow ow ow my face is baby soft and squishy, stop rearranging my mouth already! I admit you're scary grampa, very very scary but for an even more fearful reason than I previously thought.

"Okay! I'm smiling, seeeeeee. Please, my cheeks."

The old brute gives my poor face a little pat and pulls out two packages from thin air. They're not very large and wrapped in a plain brown twine and look plain but the pressed green leaves decorated on top tells me they're from Gable.

My mood improves drastically.

"Now that's a much cuter face from you, I should be jealous."

"Grampaaaaaa."

"Alright alright, put them away in your bag for later. It's not only from Gable but your little friend Lukas too. The larger package is for your other little pal when you run into him."

"Oh? For Amar?"

"Yes! It's very cute, the kid finally got his first ice stones made and charged. Wanted his friends to have them. Keeps you nice and cool for summer."

"So he and Gable are good?"

"Great! Gable complains all the time but he loves having the kid follow him around the house. It's just adorable! He's like a duckling! Keeps it lively when I'm not there."

I can see that actually, they would balance each other out despite their differing personalities and if there's anything Lukas can do it's livening things up. I mean just looks at grampa and Gable, they might as well be night and day and they're somehow BFFs.

Hey, wait a minute-

"So you have been visiting Gable without me!"

Gramps bends down with the packages and drops them into my waiting arms. His overbearing grin is awful and I can't avoid it when he double pinches my cheeks again.

" Mayyyyybe, whatcha going to do about it?"

"No faiwww, I hwate yuu."

"Aww I love you too. Now don't get into anything too dangerous or cook up all the ingredients in the kitchens again. See you by dinner time!"

My poor cheeks! Ow, my face! I scamper off as fast as my tiny legs take me the moment grampa releases his pinching hold.

I swear he doesn't abuse Lilyanne so much!

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