After some traveling, the Onobots successfully escorted their guests from /risu/ to their castle. It took longer than planned since the Risuners loved getting distracted by all kind of things they found on the way, but the Onobots managed to keep them going with the promise that they get to roam freely once they know their lodging first, so they know where to return to.
„Wow, this castle is so big!“ exclaimed Neriah as she entered the big front hall.
„It holds adequate space, yes.“ answered RD-439 as he motioned for a maid to approach
„Welcome honored guests, I am Lumeria the Head maid, if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to call my girls and boys, we want to make sure you have a pleasant stay without getting too confused by our honored hosts.“ said the Woman with a smile as she bonked RD-439 on his head.
„Hey don't hurt him, he has been super nice to us.“ pouted Neriah at Lumeria.
„Please do not worry about this, it does not hurt at all.“ but RD-439 just hand waved her worries away.
„You sure? Well, ok then.“ still with a bit of worry in her Eyes, she could not help but accept this response.
„Yes it is fine... but I thank you for your worries.“ As RD-439 met the eyes of Neriah he could not help but add the second part of his response.
***
„Man, this Place is great.“ said a Risuner happily as she jumped up and down on the fluffy bed.
„Yeah, we really landed in a nice place.“ Neriah could not help but agree with the young woman she was sharing a room with, jumping just as excitedly on her own bed.
„Ahh, the food was so good too, I feel almost full. hehehe I think there is only one thing missing for this day to be perfect.“
„Ohh, sounds like you already got your eyes on someone?“
„There was this cute man when we got served food, a butler he called himself I think? Whatever that means, I think I will see if I can't find him, hehehe. What about you, Neriah?“
„Hmm, no one caught my eye yet, but we just arrived, and honestly I rather relax tonight after all the sailing we did. But you have fun.“
The young woman gave a thumbs up and mischievous smile as she made to leave, only stopping for a moment as she tried to exit the door.
„Ohh, you came to visit? Neriah is in if you wanna talk.“
Curious as her name was called, Neriah looked to the door only to see a tall metallic man with a tray passing her fellow Risuner as she left the room.
„ Greetings, I hope I am not disturbing you.“
„Ah! Ardy right? It's fine, I was just about thinking what to do before bed anyway. What brings you?“
„I just wanted to inform you that tomorrow before you leave the staff would like to measure you to have clothes tailored to you all for the coming art session. I also wanted to ask if it is ok to learn more about you and your homeland. I have brought tea and cookies with me, as is apparently customary for such a thing.“
„Alright I will tell the others first thing tomorrow then. Dunno what you wanna know tho, our land is not quite so big and fancy like yours.“
„Please feel free to tell me whatever you want. I have seen many places through the recordings of other Onobots, but I have never left the country myself. So hearing about a place and culture so far away would be very nice, maybe I want to visit myself someday.“
„Please do! Hmm, well, you brought tea and food, so I might as well humor you.“
As the night went on, Neriah told RD-439 all about /risu/ and the place it is. About a culture where people live freely and if they are hungry they just go and take food from around them and if they want to go somewhere they simply do. She also told stories about herself, how she liked to adventure and find cool and new stuff she has never seen before. How she once got badly hurt while fighting some wild animals and many such stories. To most these might have been boring stories of a backwater nation but to RD-439 it was stories about a fantastical place where things seemed so much easier with no confusing etiquette to dictate stuff as well as the personal stories of a girl full of wonder, and so they continued their exchange late into the night.
*Yawn*
„Ohh, I am so sorry, I must have impacted your sleep cycle. I did not mean to disrupt it. Please go take rest.“
„Thanks but no worries, I would not have stayed up so long if I had no fun myself, but I guess if i wanna be up and going tomorrow I better get some sleep, I am surprised you are not sleepy yourself.“
„I have no need for sleep myself, so I have a hard time to gauge when it is time to rest for humanoids. Have a good sleep“
„Woah that sounds so strange but nice, have a good night too then.“
Neriah hopped into her bed and rolled up in her blankets as she got ready to fall asleep and so RD-439 got up to leave the room, only to stop for one last moment and take a final look at the woman he just spent so much time looking at already, not sure why he felt the need to, then he left.
***
RD-439 went down the Hallways, oblivious to the muffled moans escaping from rooms here and there, showcasing their guests enjoying their stay.
After a while, he reached a room, in which already a handful of Onobots were surrounding a table already.
„Welcome RD-439, have you successfully informed the Risuners of the measuring? You were gone longer than expected.“
„Greetings RG-089. Yes I have, I also happen to have a pleasant talk with one of them.“
„Please tell us more.“
„Truly /risu/ is a wonderful place. It is filled to the brim with a race of logic and easy understanding. And Neriah seems like such a wonderful person herself.“
„Oh, I would like to see the files of this myself.“
„Sure, please let me send them, how has the secret research progressed?“
„Hmm, not sure, we have reduced the choices by quite a bit, but no final result as yet.“
As the Onobot spoke, he gestured to the table that they were all standing for RD-439 to take a look himself. In a box on the table was a Squirrel who was hopping around sniffing an array of food samples laid inside the box.
„This is not good, we are running out of time.“
„I know, but we do not know how to proceed.“
No sooner as these words spoken as the Squirrel finally settled down and started nibbling on a cut grape.
„„„OHHH!“““
„Have a metric ton delivered to the castle before the Risuners wake up!“
„Yes, I will see to it immediately!“
And so ended the research of the Onobots as they nodded to themselves, self-satisfied.
***
After the Risuners got measured, they had the following days to explore the Capital for the wonders it held, as long as they had some Onobots with them to help with payments and guidance. They found many fun things to entertain themselves. The markets and Workshops held many wondrous items that the Risuners enjoyed seeing, and Workers of the shops even sought them out themselves, either for their personal interest in their kind or to ask for their input in their products. They also got invited to Barbecues all around, and they also happen to have arrived just in time for the bi-monthly Karaoke contest, in wich they not only proved to be quite capable singers but also great party animals, much to the joy of the locals.
Whenever Neriah went out, RD-439 just so happened to always be free to guide her himself, and so they both enjoyed many fun times on shopping sprees themselves as Ardy happily explained all the knickknack and whatnot to her and got chased around the city by her enthusiasm. On the evening of one of such shopping spree, Neriah came across a jeweler, wich excited her greatly.
„Ohhh pretty Gems, how lucky, I was looking out for them!“
„Do these interest you?“
„Yes, we like gems a lot. Ohh, those purple ones look so nice!“
„Those are called Amethyst, they are native to our Land and such quite common.”
“Ohh, I want them! Let me... just...” Just as quickly as the sight of the gems put a sparkle in Neriah's eyes, they faded when she looked into her bag, only to realize she spent all her nuts she had with her.
“NOOOOOO! I finally found gems, but I got no money anymore!”
“If you like, we can return tomorrow again.” Unsure how to handle the situation, Ardy tried to come up with the only thing he could that might make Neriah happy again.
“uuuuuuh, I guess I got no choice.” but Neriah was still saddened even as the duo went back to the castle.
As the two said their farewell for the day, Ardy could not help but be restless for some reason, feeling deeply displeased with himself. He could not understand where this was coming from, but he knew he wanted to correct this grave error.
***
“Pff hahahaha. I cannot believe you, of all people, had such a childish tantrum over something like this. When I saw you return, I thought something actually bad happened”
“Stop laughing at me, I was just so disappointed I could not buy pretty gems.” Neriah said with a cold glare, pouting at her roommate.
“Ohh come one. You just got to wait the night, and then you can buy them. Did you at least find a nice boy today?” At this question, Neriah could not help but freeze in shock.
“Uhh... i kind of was having so much fun that I kinda forgot to look around.”
“You okay? You haven't squeebed a single time since you got here. I mean I get that this Nation is super exciting but to be so absorbed you forget it is kinda crazy.”
“Ohh, leave me alone. Tomorrow we finally get drawn and once they share those drawings around I will be so famous the boys will all come to me.”
“True, I can barely wai-” As the Risuner was about to finish her sentence, she suddenly got interrupted by a loud knocking on the door.
“Please come in.”
The two women had their jaws almost drop to the floor as the door opened. Not at Ardy who came in, who they got used to already, but at the enormous purple mass he was holding in both hands.
“Greetings, I hope I am not interrupting, I just wanted to bring this to you.”
“IT'S HUGE!” Neriah nearly screamed in shock as the Onobot gently placed the raw, uncut but polished Amethyst that was the size of a large watermelon onto a side table.
“There is no way we can accept this, it must have costed a fortune.”
“This is one is from my personal belongings, so it cost me nothing and I don't really have use for it myself. You seemed so sad today when you could not buy one yourself, and so I tried to think and came to the solution that this one might be better suited with you. Did I do wrong?”
“No you did not, this is so nice of you! Oh by risu, I don't even know how to properly thank you.” Neriah was so overwhelmed with happiness at the gift that she even ignored the snarky “Even the metal man got worried about your tantrum” that came from the side.
“If it makes you happier than it also makes me happy, that is thanks enough. Have a good night.” With these words spoken, Ardy made for a hasty retreat and as he closed the door behind him, he felt the uneasiness from before finally gone and replaced by a warm happiness he never felt before as he heard the excited chatter from inside the room.