Chapter Three

Located at the heart of Meteor City was the towering structure of the church, its silhouette a stark contrast against the sprawling wasteland.

Just like most of the city though, the structure was old and weathered, but likewise, it was still a prominent part of what made the wasteland itself.

Sarasa opened the light, ornate gates and led you into the place. As she did so, she relayed stories of her own, detailing life in the city. Occasionally, she would ask you for information regarding your own certain experiences but never probed too far.

"Actually, sometimes, the church gives away yummy treats," Sarasa shared, her eyes twinkling. "So you better get used to coming here or you'll miss out on 'em!"

You took the time to admire the walls sprawling with religious motifs, the architecture forming a visually appealing scene that struck your breath.

As you continued through the expansive grounds, your path led you past a cemetery, a solemn collection of gravestones that cast long shadows light. The sight of so many markers in one place stirred a sense of unease, a reminder of the city's place in society, or the lack thereof.

Your thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Sarasa's voice, tinged with a hint of worry. "I sure hope no one's using the AV room today," she said, her tone shifting as she glanced toward the building's interior.

The sudden change in topic pulled you back to the present, you tilted your head and asked in reply, "Why? Is it usually crowded?"

She shook her head and told you, "Nah, I just don't want anyone else to see the tapes yet. Like I said, if it's a show in a language we know we can surprise the others and watch it with everyone!"

The two of you entered through the huge entrance doors, the hinges creaking as they closed behind you. Being that it was still early, the church was empty, save for the sole figure at the altar.

You and Sarasa walked down the aisle until you were met with an elderly man who had thick, bushy eyebrows and an even bushier mustache. He was dressed in thick garbs and was holding a book to his chest.

"Father Lisores," Sarasa greeted, and your eyes widened at the title, bowing in greeting as well.

"Ah," the elder started. "Goodmorning, Sarasa. Sheila's not with you today?"

Your friend shook her head before replying, "She said she was going to spend today rereading her Dino Hunter book. And I had to do something anyway."

"I see." He huffed out a laugh before addressing you. "And I guess that something must have to do with you, dear. You're new here, aren't you?"

"Yes, father." You answered, trying to steel your nerves as you relayed your name, "I-I got here yesterday."

The man repeated your name on his lips before he moved to place one of his hands on top of your head, making you shut your eyes unsurely. 

Instead of being struck by a forceful hand, a gentle warmth from the appendage bloomed atop your head, making you open an eye to peek. After a bit, he finally lifted it and smiled down at you, "How has Meteor City been treating you so far?"

You opened your eyes completely and looked at Sarasa, who seemed to be urging you to say whatever you wanted to say.

You pondered on the question and answered him truthfully, "Uhm, everything's been okay, father. Sarasa introduced me to some friends earlier; we got some cool s-stuff and she's going to show me to other places later too."

"Is that so?" Father Lisores smiled. "Then I won't hold you two up any longer. Just please remember not to be out late and don't linger around the outskirts, is that clear?"

"Mhm!" Sarasa hummed in affirmation while you also nodded. Your friend decided to ask then, "Actually, father, we were planning to go to the AV room first. Is anyone using it right now?"

"Hm, if I remember correctly, Paku went in there this morning and hasn't come out since," he said. "So she might still be there."

"Eh, Paku?" Sarasa's eyes shone as she exclaimed, "Bingo!"

"C'mon." She tugged on your arm, dragging you with her towards the direction of the audiovisual room while leaving a flimsy wave of goodbye towards the priest. 

As she and you exited the room, you looked back at the priest, who was watching the two of you through the slowly closing doors. You mustered a shaky smile and a wave of your own before the doors finally closed.

The two of you ambled down the corridor, eventually arriving at the entryway for the AV room, where undecipherable voices could be heard within. Sarasa knocked twice before twisting the knob and opening the door.

Sitting on a chair inside the room was the only occupant, a pretty girl donning a buzzcut. She looked up from the TV screen and gazed at you two, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the girl with pigtails. "Sarasa? What are you doing here?"

Young Paku (art by me)

"Hi, Paku!" Sarasa waved as she stepped into the room, with you following behind her. She fished out the tapes she got and showed it to the girl, "We got potential good stuff from Uvo's place.

"Uvo's? Really?" She echoed as if in disbelief, "How'd you get it out of there?"

"Thanks to our new friend here!" Sarasa exclaimed as she patted you on the back, a cue for you to introduce yourself. Sensing that this Paku was tamer compared to the likes of Uvo, you were fortunately able to do so without stammering.

She smiled, "My name's Pakunoda, but it's a mouthful, so you can just call me Paku like everyone else does."

You nodded with a beam of your own, "Nice to meet you, Paku."

"So." She stood up from her seat and neared you two, curiously eyeing you, "How'd you get the tapes out of Uvo's place? I know he isn't exactly the type to be generous."

'For real,' you inwardly sighed as you remembered the threat the tall male had given before allowing you to leave.

You opened your mouth to explain the simplest way you could, when suddenly Sarasa cut in and decided to divulge everything she knew. Events from when you and her first got to the tall male's turf leading up to Shalnark's recollection of how you told Uvo off like a, quote, baby bird yelling at a bull.

"-And then she got Shal out of there while also taking back the dress I left!" The girl told Pakunoda, happiness exuding from her face. This made the other pleased as well, having a soft spot when it came to seeing the others' happiness.

"Wow," Paku giggled, making you shy, "You're pretty good then, huh? Maybe I could also join you the next time you decide to raid Uvo."

At this, you turned dot eyed at the implication, which made both Sarasa and Paku laugh out loud. After calming down, the three of you finally settled on your chairs and got to talking about your purpose of visiting.

"Is that a learning Gelman tape?" Sarasa asked, referring to the show that was playing on the television. 

Paku nodded. "Yep, one of the earlier volumes."

"Woah," You and Sarasa awed at the revelation, to which Pakunoda flushed in the face and immediately followed up, "I can't say it's working for me though; really, I don't know how Chrollo did it so easily."

"He's just good like that, huh."

Hearing this, you were once again struck with awe by the boy's feats. You couldn't help but wonder how long until you would meet him.

"Oh, right!" Sarasa suddenly remembered. She asked you to hand her your dress and then showed it to the taller girl. "I remembered how you sewed my bag last time, so do you think you can fix this too, Paku?"

"Let me see," Pakunoda took the dress in hand and visibly awed at the dress. And then she got to the hole and winced at the sight before telling you with uncertainty, "Well, I think I can remedy this, but I don't know how seamless it'll look."

"That's fine." you told her, smiling gratefully. "Just being able to wear it is enough for me."

She briefly noted how your vibe then was reminiscent of how she saw Chrollo. 

She looked at the expectant Sarasa, who also seemed to be drawn towards you. Maybe it was from the way you carried yourself or from how you talked, but she immediately felt inclined to treat you as she did the boy. 

She closed her eyes, smiling gently. "Okay, give me a moment, and I'll work on it."

Pakunoda left the room for a bit and came back with a small pouch containing a few sewing materials. Then she got to work, her entire focus on bringing the dress to its former display.

"Are you still going to watch this, Paku?" Sarasa asked, pointing towards the player. The girl with the buzzcut shook her head in reply, "Nah, I've finally decided to leave that whole Gelman thing to Chro."

"Okie~" You watched as Sarasa removed the tape in the player and inserted one of her yields in it. She pressed the play button and then walked back to the seat next to you, awaiting the contents of the tape.

However, after a few moments, the television continued to crackle, eliciting a frown from your and Sarasa's faces. 

She sighed, "Of course, another broken one."

"Don't worry, we still have more, right? Try the others we got." You pointed to her bag, hoping not all was lost. Sarasa nodded and entered the next tape, hoping for anything to pop out.

Once more, your hopes were dashed as the screen remained static. Your friend stood and immediately replaced the tape without saying anything, and just like all those prior, nothing popped up.

"C'mon, don't tell me everything we got today was busted?" She whined, having been pushed down to the last tape. She inserted it and then pressed play, stepping back to view the screen beside you.

After a few crackles, the television finally changed into something else than static, the sight making both Sarasa and Pakunoda break out into excited noises. 

You tilted your head in curiosity. The screen flashed with the title text in an unfamiliar language and then went on to show an introductory segment featuring a group of colorful heroes, a catchy song playing in the background.

Both Sarasa and Paku seemed to be familiar with the show, making you feel a bit out of place.

"What show is it?" You found yourself asking, making Sarasa gasp dramatically and reply, "Eh, you haven't seen any of Mighty Sweepin' Power Cleaners?!"

"Mighty Sweepin' Power Cleaners...?" You repeated, your head spinning from the lengthy title.

Paku asked, "Maybe you've at least seen it playing once on your TV?"

At this, you tried to think back to before your arrival at Meteor City, "Uhm...Mama didn't really like opening the TV though, and whenever Papa did, he always told me not to watch. So I don't know about any show like that."

You ended on that note shyly, twiddling with your fingers as your eyes remained trained on the screen. Two pairs of eyes briefly fell on your figure, giving you unreadable looks, before they eventually went back to the show.

"You see that?" Sarasa leaned against you, pointing at one of the characters. You nodded, to which she continued, "That's one of the bad guys, Disgust King! And the ones in the colorful suits are the power cleaners there to beat him up!"

You watched the show, not all understanding due to the language barrier, but following with the events via the actions and expressions as well as tone of the characters. You laughed along with Paku and Sarasa at the seemingly comedic parts and clenched your fist in anticipation for the action scenes.

The tape had been running smoothly for a good five minutes or so when, without warning, the screen flickered and abruptly went blank. The three of you simultaneously let out a "What?", as the show was completely cut.

Sarasa ejected the tape out of the player, she turned it over in her hands, scrutinizing it with a mix of frustration and disappointment, "Dang it, it's busted."

"Lemme see." You reached out and took the tape from her, inspecting it yourself. The damage was evident; the tape frayed and twisted in a way that made it look beyond repair.

A sigh.

"I guess we'll never know what happens next unless someone can find the full version in this dump," Sarasa huffed, collapsing back into her chair.

"And it was getting so good too..." You trailed off.

You and Sarasa defeatedly sighed in unison, stewing in brooding silence.

In the midst of your shared sense of defeat, Pakunoda observed you both with a concerned expression. She noted the downcast looks on your faces and, feeling a pang of empathy, pondered how she might lift your spirits even slightly.

Her mind wandered back to the tape and the show you had been watching, and after a moment of contemplation, she finally arrived at a way to distract from your disappointment.

"So, how did you like the show?" Paku decided to ask you.

The question seemed to pull you out of your gloom, and your eyes lit up as you eagerly responded, "I loved it! I really like the characters, especially the Red Cleaner!"

"Red Cleaner? But he seemed really stubborn, though?" Come Sarasa's input, making you tilt your head. The girl huffed and announced, "Honestly, I think Clean-up Orange is better."

This sparked a lively discussion between the two of you. You animatedly shared your thoughts on the characters and plot points, despite the tape's abrupt end. Sarasa weighed in with her own thoughts and opinions. 

Pakunoda, content with the revived spirits in the room, decided to return to her sewing, her fingers deftly working on the dress as she listened to the lively conversation.

Your enthusiasm matched that of the short girl, as the two of you never seemed to run out of topics to talk about. Before long, during a lull in the conversation, Pakunoda finally announced, "Okay, I'm done."

You and Sarasa perked up, looking up at the girl as she showed her work on the dress. As promised, she did great work covering up the hole. Looking at the clothing from a distance, no one would be able to notice the slightly off color of the covering.

"Wow!!" you both exclaimed, rising from your seats to get a closer look. The stitches were neat and precise, and the repair was impressive. Sarasa, in her excitement, gently nudged you forward, causing you to stumble slightly and catch the dress in your hands.

Paku smiled and handed it to you, giving you a chance to admire the clothing fully.

"Come on, wear it!" Sarasa urged, her eyes shining with anticipation.

You hesitated for a moment, feeling a flutter of nerves. "E-Eh? Right now?" you stammered, looking from the dress to the eager faces of Sarasa and Pakunoda.

"Yeah!" they chorused in unison. You clutched the dress to your chest, contemplating their encouragement before finally relenting. With a deep breath, you made your way to a nearby corner, swiftly removing your top and slipping into the newly repaired dress.

After adjusting it to fit comfortably, you gave yourself a quick glance, feeling a tinge of doubt. You turned to face your friends, who greeted you with bright, approving smiles. Their expressions of delight and admiration quickly dispelled your lingering uncertainties.

Once done, you gave yourself a glance over, unsure if it looked okay on you. You gazed up at the girls and watched as they sent you beaming smiles.

"It suits you so well!" Sarasa exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement as she took in the sight of you. Pakunoda, equally pleased, clapped her hands in appreciation.

"Oh, oh! Do a full spin for us," Pakunoda encouraged.

Swallowing your nerves, you offered them a shy smile before beginning to spin. The skirt of the dress flared out gracefully with the movement, the fabric catching the light in a pleasing way. 

The way your friends reacted—Sarasa's delighted squeal and Pakunoda's enthusiastic applause—bolstered your confidence. Encouraged by their supportive reactions, you spun around once more, and then again, lost in the moment.

Just as you were getting into the rhythm of your spins, a new presence made itself known as a voice called out from the entryway.

"Paku?" 

Young Chrollo (art by me)

Hi guys! surprise update bc I was stuck at school today

my first class (7-10 am) was done and my (10-1 pm) wasn't in. I had to wait until my last class (5-8 pm) since I couldn't go home (too far + transpo cost is ☠️😭)

Next chap contains my fav future criminal ^^