Chapter Text
“Hm... you know, the roses really are a classic choice. And there are so many choices here in terms of color! Maybe a bouquet of red ones? Or, wait - white and pink could also be quite beautiful! The latter would go well with her eyes, too... Well, kind of. They’re blue, but they have a pink tinge that becomes more prominent when- Actually, it doesn’t matter.”
The zombie’s hand lightly grazed the petals of the flowers before her. She bit her lips, looking around uncertainly. “But... roses might be too on the nose, actually. She can get pretty mushy, surprisingly, but still... Maybe the sunflowers? Me and Gura like to joke that she’s a little ray of sunshine. Or, well, she did and I stole that from her.” Her eyes then went to the roses again. “But... these look so pretty! You can probably fit more flowers on with these than with sunflowers, too.” She turned away again. “But then again-”
She was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Blinking, she turned toward the old woman behind the counter. The slightly shorter woman, wearing a white straw farmer’s hat and a bright blue uniform, gave her a patient smile. “Deary, I don’t mean to interject, but... you’ve been stuck going on like this for half an hour now.”
The undead-girl blinked, then started to blush heavily. She slumped against the counter with a meek expression, careful not to disturb any of the flowers there. “S-sorry. I... I’m wasting your time, aren’t I? I can just-”
“It’s no problem at all, deary,” the old woman reassured, moving carefully around the desk with a small cane. “I think I might have an idea for a bouquet for you. Just stay right there and I’ll put one together for you in the back.” On her way to the door, she paused, looking back at her customer. “You seem very nervous about this girl of yours opinion. Is this your first date with her? The second?”
Face heating up more, Ollie glanced away, squirming in place. “...We’ve been dating for half a year now.”
The shop owner stared at her for a moment longer, then chuckled lightly as she continued on. “Aw, young couples. You get so hung up on such silly details.”
That made the zombie groan, rubbing her face as the old woman stepped through a small entryway covered with a cloth. She took a moment to look around at the shop. A colorful array of flowers decorated the white shelves of the small room, both in pots and vases. From Orchids to Tulips to Hydrangeas, all types of fresh blooms were out for all to admire and buy. Spring was finally starting to hit town, and thanks to a little bit of magic from Fauna and some nature spirit Vtubers, plants everywhere were growing healthily.
Her eyes lingered on a few green flowers she saw near her, a card in the pot identifying them as carnations. Her eyes lit up, standing up straighter and her hand hesitantly reaching over. Ame likes the color green. Heh, maybe not as much as red and black these days. But jokes aside, maybe these will look better. Their not traditional, so perhaps-
Realizing she was going on another tangent, she forcefully retracted her hand, shaking her head hard. Huffing, she dusted off her clothes - her ninja-style kimono, minus her katanas - and crossed her arms. She was not going to keep overcomplicating this anymore and waste more time! She would stand right there and see what the lady came up with. If she did not like it, then maybe she would grab the green flowers.
...Still, looking at these flowers did make her think more about the detective. The blond knew her stuff when it came to plants and animals - especially marine life. She had taken lots of science and medical classes in college, and she kept up with the subjects in her spare time. “You never know when it will be useful in the field,” she always said. It had certainly helped them with foraging when they needed to camp for long times in the wilderness, or run tests on special specimens.
Of course, what really got her excited was learning and studying ones not found on Earth. And, even more than that, ones not found on this timeline. Whether it was entirely unique or a mutant not found there, she liked to gather safe ones and put them in terrariums in her apartment. They were well looked after, especially since the redhead had started to stop by and help maintain them. (She paid extra close attention to the notes she was given, hating the idea of ruining her girlfriend’s hobby.)
Remembering the small rambles the time-traveler went on about each one she had made the undead-girl smile, tension releasing. That earnest desire to explore and learn was one of many things she loved about the woman. And the fact that she did her best to share so much of it with the redhead had her smiling like a fool, feeling so included in the EN girl’s life.
Ollie took another look at the carnations. I’ve been stressing out about this too much, she admitted to herself. Ame would be happy getting just about any flowers from her. She doubted that the blond understood any of the meanings of certain roses, or just about any flower in terms of love. Even if she got a single red rose, her lover would likely get flustered simply because it was a “couple thing.”
Still... she wanted to do something special for her this time. Or, well, she always wanted to spoil her with affection, but this time in particular was extra important! It was only a few days ago that everyone had gotten through Hololive 4th Fes., and the excitement of that event was still in the air. Everyone was still talking to each other about their performances, and remembering the cheers of the crowd still made several of them giddy inside.
For the zombie, the thing still felt surreal, being one of the people who performed not one, but two of the three days. She could still hardly believe it, sometimes still imagining herself as a recently revived young woman simping for her favorite idols as a fan. Yet somehow, she had found herself on stage performing songs in front of thousands of people, and even more who live-streamed it. So many people cheering for her, treating her as an equal to those she had admired...
Needless to say, she had been nervous as hell when the first day to perform finally arrived. She had felt close to a panic attack then. So many terrible thoughts of what would happen if she messed up her moves or forgot her lyrics plagued her backstage. No amount of moving around or deep breaths seemed to help her get ready, either, which only made her more anxious!
The others had all noticed and tried to reassure her that things would be fine. Her fellow ID members especially tried to hype her up, but with how chaotic and busy things got, no one could stay with her for long. She appreciated the attempts, but it had been hard to fully believe them with how stressed everyone seemed, too. She had still felt certain she was going to screw up!
...But then her favorite detective came and stayed next to her all through her prep, holding her hand and rubbing her arm comfortingly. She had offered her a shoulder to lean on to vent her fears without interruption. She even gave her a few pecks on the cheek despite how flustered it made her with people constantly passing by. And slowly, with each loving action, the redhead had calmed down, her worries melting away.
The undead-girl had been so grateful to her... yet had been rather confused once she calmed down enough to think. Why had her girlfriend not been caught in the chaos everyone else was in? The staff had been running everyone around, so why not her? Her idol outfit had also appeared ruffled up some on closer inspection, despite needing to perform right before her.
This was all compounded when the time-traveler was called for her performance, but made no move to leave her. She had panicked for a moment, thinking her lover was going to get in trouble in her attempt to help her... But then the EN girl gave a shy smile and pointed to one of the monitors back there to watch the live performances. And when she looked... the patchwork woman saw the blond appear on stage, despite being next to her.
Her heart had hammered hard inside her chest at that moment. Ame had traveled back in time after her concert to comfort her. She had said before how she did not like crossing her own timestream like that, let alone for anywhere close to an hour, and how complicated such travel could be. It was something she only did for important cases and events with careful planning.
Yet despite this, she had made an exception... just to support her. To be there for her.
That was why Ollie was so determined to get a nice set of flowers, among other things that day. Now that the general chaos of 4th Fes. was over, she wanted to do something nice to repay her. To that end, she was setting up a surprise date for them! With their post-celebration streams done, just about everyone was taking a small break from both Vtubing as well as any normal job they had. That meant she did not have to worry about a case interrupting them. (Unless it was a big emergency, but Kronii had said time was “stable” when she asked, so it should be fine.)
Once she was done here, she was going to find the detective and invite her to go out tomorrow. She would have her come over for lunch and present her with a home-cooked meal. After that, she wanted to take them out to the park and lounge at the local cafe - relaxing choices after all their hard work. From there, she would just go with the flow and take them wherever felt right.
Her dating ideas often felt rather simplistic compared to the time-traveler’s, who could literally take them to other timelines for them. There were so many fantastical sights out there that you could not find in theirs, and they never failed to awe the patchwork woman. She did not feel insecure about it, though. Her lover always told her how much she liked the dates she set up. No matter what she did, the blond always looked so honored to be with her.
That line of thought got the zombie blushing again, looking down at her outfit, which happened to be Ame’s favorite. The way those blue eyes were always following her when they were alone in the office... It honestly baffled her sometimes how much the EN girl insisted she was the prettiest girl in town. She seemed to be in genuine disbelief when people suggested otherwise!
Not that the redhead thought of herself as ugly, but she wondered if the other woman properly looked in the mirror sometimes. She had such a pretty face, and a body fit and curvy from her work. She looked absolutely divine in just about every outfit she wore! Her idol outfit from the concert had looked especially good. It had been hard for the patchwork woman to not stare too long at the exposed leg, or the belly window that showed just enough to tease her, or the way the sparkles on it-
A chuckle interrupted her thoughts. “You know, I don’t get why so many people my age say love is wasted on the young. There’s no better way to keep the heart fond than to find it early, I say! And you look cute as a button thinking about this girl of yours.”
Startled, the undead-girl twirled around, finding the old lady back behind the counter. Squirming in embarrassment, all she could do was turn her head away, hiding behind one hand. “I-I’m sorry! I-” Taking a deep breath, she looked back despite her red face. “N-nevermind! So, um... what did you put together?”
The shop owner smiled at her, holding out the newly made bouquet. “Here you are, deary. What do you think?”
Ollie took the flowers, blinking a few times in amazement. Most of the flowers in the clear bundle were red and pink roses, counting over two dozen - a representation of passion and gratitude from what she read before coming there. There were also four white roses placed at regular intervals in a ring, representing innocence and purity (ironic, given her fantasies). And at the top of the whole thing was a single sunflower, nestled protectively among its friends.
She looked it over with wide eyes, almost feeling like she could scream from how beautiful it looked. “This... this is perfect! Thank you so much!” She quickly dug into her pocket, getting out the money needed and setting it down. “Here! Keep the change. Actually, give me a moment! I’m giving you extra for this!”
The old woman held up a hand, stopping her. “There’s no need, my dear. Knowing I made another couple happy is all the extra payment I need.” She gave a kind smile. “Now why don’t you head out and make her feel like a special little lady? If she doesn’t know you’re a keeper yet, then a bouquet like this should help convince her.”
Giggling, the zombie nodded with a smile. “If you say so! Thank you again! I’ll be sure to recommend you to all of my friends!” It always made her happy to promote the local businesses of Vtuber Town. Many of them did so much to help their mythical residence feel welcome, so it felt like the least they could do.
Not wasting any more time, she quickly left the small shop with a skip in her step. Out on the street, she was met with warm afternoon air, in complete contrast to the cold of just last week. People were bustling out on the streets, many recently returned from Spring Break vacations for their kids. It seemed to cause a swell in activity as people resupplied from their trips or enjoyed a few last days off work.
She did her best not to disturb the crowds of people as she moved by them, mindful of her bouquet. It was hard to go at a slow pace, however, as she thought more about how Ame would react to the flowers. Would she set them up in her office? Would she then be inspired to get a bouquet for her, too? It would not be necessary, in her opinion, but her girlfriend had a habit of trying to match her in terms of gifts, not wanting to “fall behind.” Would she put as much thought into them as she did?
...Actually, she would probably be much worse in that regard. Her Senpai also had a tendency to overthink things sometimes.
The thought still had the undead-girl smiling, though, as she quickened her pace. Shielding her gift gently with her arms, she lost herself to her imagination, only barely paying enough attention to navigate. God, Reine and Anya would never let me hear the end of it if they saw me like this. Their teasing is bad enough when all they have are stories from the others! But... dang it, they don’t understand! This relationship... my heart can hardly take it! Ame is so considerate, and funny, and... she deserves to be treated like this, with all the stuff she goes through. More than this! Why, if I can ever get her to pick out another of the girls to-
She shook her head slightly, rounding a corner and ducking by more people. Thoughts for another day. She’s still considering things - can’t blame her for being cautious about that sort of topic. Anyway... hm... Her eyes scanned the street and buildings nearby. I should only be about three blocks from her office. (Weird American measurements.) Knowing her, she’s probably at least trying to organize her papers, that workaholic. I won’t stop her this time, though. I’ll just pop in and hand these ove-
She then found herself crashing into somebody, both of them yelling as they fell onto the ground in a heap.
Groaning, Ollie slowly sat up from where she was, her first instinct to check on her flowers. Thankfully, she had stretched her arm out on instinct to protect them, leaving them uncrushed. Sighing in relief, she then inspected herself. Her kimono was ruffled up, but nothing seemed to have torn, and a quick dusting with her free hand got rid of most of the dirt and debris. Any scrapes she suffered had already healed thanks to her regeneration, and anything deeper was no longer bleeding and would disappear in a few seconds.
Once she was sure she was fine, she then looked over to who she had run into. “Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where-” She stopped her apology short, only then taking in who the other person was. She blinked, shocked by her (lack of) luck. “Mel?!”
Her JP Senpai sat up, groaning as she also dusted herself off. She was dressed in her fourth costume, though in a pair of longer white leggings - it was not too warm yet, and there were still cool breezes during this seasonal transition. She also had a black handbag hanging at her side, seeming mostly unharmed. After cleaning it off, the blond looked over at her, eyes also lighting up in recognition as she smiled. “Oh, Ollie! Good see you!”
Despite the kind words, the zombie still felt mortified by this turn of events. It was bad enough she had crashed into someone, but one of her coworkers? Flushed with shame, she quickly scrambled to her feet, giving a deep bow. “I’m so sorry, Mel-Senpai! I didn’t mean to run into you! I was just so excited to get somewhere, and I lost track of my surroundings, and-”
She would have continued, but the vampire was quick to wave her off, giggling at her actions. She slowly stood up, continuing to give a friendly smile. “Hey, it’s fine. I wasn’t exactly looking where I was going, either. I’ve been admiring how everything is starting to bloom with spring coming in.”
The undead-girl looked around, now taking notice of some of the trees growing in special spots along the sidewalk. Leaves were starting to grow back on their branches, and at the base of a few were some small flowers and dandelions. This place was also not too far from one of the parks in town, entrance only a couple of meters behind her friend, which even from there looked to be already getting more colorful.
She chuckled bashfully, pulling herself out of her bow. “It does look really pretty, huh? I’ve just been happy that we soon won’t have to deal with snow and stuff.” She huffed lightly. “I hate winter here! I don’t know why people like cold weather.”
Mel tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “You know cold weather is good for us undead, right? Especially a zombie like you.”
“Well, I grew up in Indonesia before I became like this, so the cold makes me uncomfortable!” Ollie stated, crossing her arms while once more being mindful of her bouquet. “You can’t take a girl who grew up in the tropics, drop her in a snow pile, and tell her to have fun! You guys in JP and EN are the weird ones for having people who enjoy that!” She pointed to her friend’s pink sweater and long socks. “And if it’s so good for us, why are you dressed like that?”
The vampire looked at her attire, laughing some.”Heh, yeah, that’s fair, I suppose. I mean, sunlight is good for a lot of species, too, but... Well, you know how some of our fellow members can be.” She gave a playful smirk. “Do you think we could drag Aqua out this week? No doubt she’s holed herself up in her room after all the concert madness.”
That thought made the zombie giggle. “If I helped with that, you need to help me with Kaela. She’ll only go out if Zeta and Kobo ask her, not her Senpais! I want to see if both of us together can drag her from her PC while she’s playing Minecraft!”
Mel gave a faux look of pity. “Ollie... You can’t just ask me to do the impossible in exchange for a favor. Give me something easier, like building you a house from scratch.”
The two laughed for a minute, ignoring other people as they passed by. The undead-girl let her tension drain out, relieved she had not ruined her Senpai’s day. The two were not exactly the closest in Hololive, but they had hung out and done a few collabs together, so the redhead thought they were friends. She respected the blond’s seniority over her, and was always touched by how supportive she seemed of all her Kouhais. The last thing she wanted was to cause her problems, especially on everyone’s days off.
Once they calmed down, Ollie took a moment to look over the Gen 1 member, making sure her outfit was not damaged. “Are you hurt anywhere? That was a pretty rough fall.”
“I’m alright,” the vampire reassured. She rolled up a sleeve, showing an area of her arm with a bit of blood on it, but no visible wounds. “You’re not the only one who can heal fast. I’ll be a bit sore for a while, but I’ll be fine.” She pointed to the ID girl’s cheek. “You might want to wipe there. It looks like you scraped your face when you hit the ground.”
The zombie nodded, digging into her pockets and pulling out a black handkerchief. She tried to make conversation while she cleaned up. “So, how have you been lately? Anything interesting going on?”
Mel rubbed her chin. “Hm. Nothing super interesting, I don’t think. Although, just earlier today, I-” She stopped short, suddenly frowning while glancing away. “Well, actually, you probably... don’t want to hear about that. It can be a bit gross.”
The undead-girl, thanks to her time with Ame and talks with her JP Senpai in the past, was able to make a quick guess what she was talking about. She gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’s about blood, isn’t it?”
That made the vampire blink, before she sighed and gave a nervous smile. “I swear that everyone can guess that the moment I say ‘gross.’”
“It just shows how well we know you,” Ollie said with a grin. Her expression then became more earnest. “But hey, you can talk about it. No judgment between us undead and our weird quirks. You shouldn’t have to feel self-conscious about it, anyway. It’s part of how you survive!”
A small giggle escaped Mel. “Choco is always telling me that, too. She doesn’t want me to regress back to my attitude before.” Biting her lip, she look back, straightening up as a small gleam entered her eyes. “I... I just got some blood samples I never had before is all. It’s some angel blood courtesy of Kanata and Nazuna. It’s so hard to get with how a lot of them stay in the heavens... That, and some viewing us ‘necrotic-spawn’ as blights upon this world, but that belief has been going down over the last few millennia, I think.”
The zombie hummed, having heard about the... biases of some older angels from Kanata as well. It was always weird to hear, because all the people in town who came from the heavens were so accepting of people like her. But, then again, she supposed that anyone so judgmental would not willingly leave the heavens in the first place. Not unless they were looking to start a fight in the underworld or something.
She pushed aside those musings as she finished wiping her face, now cleaning off her hands. “I’m kind of surprised you can drink their blood at all. You’d think it would hurt you since it’s holy.”
“It can in large doses,” the vampire admitted. “Just taking in an ounce or two as a small treat is fine, though, if kind of uncomfortable. It sort of tastes... bright. A kind of hot flavor that reminds me of a sunny day, but not spicy. Nazuna’s had a certain bitterness to it, too, I imagine from her necromancy.” She sighed in bliss. “It’s nothing compared to human blood for me, but... I’m so glad I have the chance to sample like this again. I still prefer actual food tastes, but I had forgotten how good pure blood can be after... certain events.”
That made the undead-girl wince, knowing the basics of what her Senpai was referring to. The blond had had an aversion to drinking pure blood when she first joined Hololive, caused by some traumatic event in her past. She would have to dilute the substance into her food - notably acerola juice - to mask the flavor and keep it down.
It turned out, however, that this was not as effective as drinking blood by itself, and this started to negatively affect her health. So, with oversight from the local medical board, Choco helped provide therapy to her friend to get over her phobia. It had been a slow process of many months, but by the time last year drew to a close, she was able to start holding down the substance.
Since then, many of the others had been volunteering to let Mel drink directly from them with her fangs. Some were a little embarrassed by how... intimate the whole process could feel, but nobody wanted her to waste away by ignoring her need for blood. Choco, Subaru, and Watame volunteered the most out of everyone, and while a few, like the redhead herself, had yet to do so, just about everyone was at the ready in case an emergency came up.
Still, it could not be easy to leave behind nearly a century of being queasy about her dietary needs. Thus, with a deep breath, Ollie reached out and gave the vampire a pat on the shoulder while smiling. “Well, I’m glad you’re no longer in any pain. I’d honestly love to know how my blood tastes to you! Want to check?” She held up her arm holding the handkerchief to emphasize this.
Mel giggled at the offer, shaking her head. “I’m full right now, but thank you. Fellow undead blood is always a gamble on if it will taste decent or nasty, anyway. It would probably be best to try it when I can get to a bathroom in case it doesn’t sit right with me.”
The zombie pretended to be offended as she pulled her arm back. “WOW! I can’t believe you would insult me like this! I bet I taste fantastic!”
“Whatever you say, Ollie,” the vampire teased with a smirk. Her eyes then wandered over to the bouquet still in her Kouhai’s hands, raising an eyebrow. “So what are you up to today? Off to see your girlfriend, by the looks of it?”
Looking back at her flowers, the undead-girl could not help but blush again as she thought of the detective. She giggled bashfully, double-checking her present for damage. “Y-yeah. It’s kind of an impromptu thing. She just did a lot for me lately, and...” Biting her lip, she looked at her Senpai pleadingly. “Do... you think it looks nice? Does it need any more roses, or another sunflower? Or should I get something else to go along with it?” By the last sentence, she was muttering to herself more than anything.
Mel, for her part, simply raised an eyebrow at her, scratching her head. “Um... I think they look nice, but... shouldn’t you know what she likes? How long have you been dating now?”
“Over six months,” Ollie replied immediately, shuffling nervously on her feet. “And I know lots about her, but... it’s so hard not to spoil her rotten. She offers her heart to me so willingly, and I don’t think she even realizes it! And her lack of experience in romance hasn’t made her attempts to wow me any less touching, or effective.” She closed her eyes, holding the bouquet closer. “But... she still looks to me to help guide our relationship. Like I’m some sort of expert on the matter!”
The vampire gave her an amused smile. “Well, with how much you’ve proposed to everyone and asked them to step on you, you can’t blame her for having expectations.”
The zombie snorted, feeling a bit lighter. “Guess I made my own bed there, huh? Apparently even the dead can’t rise from it!” She held her flowers back out in front of her. “My point, though, is that... I don’t want to let her down. So, even if I know logically that she’ll love what I get her, I like to get a second opinion at times. With how much effort she puts into us, I don’t want to seem... ‘less invested,’ I guess?”
Mel nodded slowly, moving forward and smoothing out another ruffled part of the redhead’s kimono. “I think I get what you mean. But I don’t think you have anything to worry about there. I doubt she’s going to stop liking you if you get a subpar gift every once in a while.” She sent her a glare. “And remember you don’t have to overdo it with your money for each one. I know these are just flowers, but I have my suspicions this isn’t the extent of it. I’ve heard rumors of your habits on buying merch, at least.”
That got some embarrassed chuckles from the undead-girl. Her thoughts drifted to all the times she had begged either Reine or Calli for a bit of money to get one item or another when she had no more to spend. She always set aside enough to pay her bills and get food, but she teetered close to those lines on several occasions. The simp in her just cried out for her to be as supportive of her coworkers as possible!
Adding her planned outings with Ame into the mix did not help things. Her lover had even expressed concern to her many times about her finances, hating the idea of her going hungry. (Remembering that worried expression got her heart going again as much as it caused aching.) It would not be a problem for the date she had planned for tomorrow, since they all had gotten a bonus for their performances at the concert. But still, she did not want to cause her friends and girlfriend to worry over her for something so easily avoidable.
Sighing reluctantly, Ollie crossed her arms while grumbling, not exactly pleased by the realities of money. “Fine, I’ll be more careful. You better not have amazing merch this year, though. You’ll send me to my second grave!”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” the vampire chided, looking pleased by her answer. She glanced at the flowers again. “But still, I do think it’s rather nice you like to check so much with others to get her good gifts. Do you know if she does the same?”
“I think she asks about gifts occasionally, but she actually does a lot of planning herself!” the zombie answered. “She’s doing her best to prove to the others that she’s not a romantic disaster who constantly needs guidance. And honestly, she’s a lot better at it than she gives herself credit for!” She shrugged. “As for me, I don’t really have anything to prove. I know how much of a disaster I am, and wear it proudly!”
Mel chuckled at this. “It’s any wonder how you two managed to get out to do dates at all. I’ve heard you initiate a lot of your kisses and stuff. Where do you get the confidence from?”
Glancing around, the undead-girl leaned in conspiratorially and whispered. “That’s the amazing thing... I don’t find confidence. I bottle up all my fear and scream into a pillow afterward!”
The vampire laughed louder, hand over her mouth. “Oh god, I can’t tell if you’re being serious!”
Ollie laughed with her. “I’m kidding!... I haven’t done that in months.” She smiled widely. “It’s just easy to ignore how flustered I am when I think about how happy she would be to get a kiss. Plus, it helps encourage her to start trying to do it herself!”
Once she had calmed down enough, Mel gave her a bright smile. “And you’re worried about seeming like you aren’t putting in enough effort?” Her eyes drifted back to the flowers, expression growing softer. “But your flowers do look amazing. I wish I would have come up with something like that sooner! If she doesn’t swoon over it, then I’d be surprised.” She gave an encouraging pat on her Kouhai’s shoulder. “Now, how about you stop wasting time with me and get those to her already? Enjoy your days off with her!”
The words seemed to put energy back into the zombie’s legs. She nodded eagerly, giving her Senpai a bow. “Right! Thank you for the advice! I promise you won’t see me begging for coins on the street anytime soon!” She started to move past, getting swept up in imagining her lover’s reaction to the bouquet again.
...But then she stopped, not having even moved a meter. Something about what the blond just said caught up to her. Once, she might not have given it much thought, too distracted and eager by other things to care. Her time with Ame as her assistant, however, had taught her to be more perceptive of smaller details, no matter what else might have been going on. She was no sleuth like her, but she did notice odd things more often now.
Thus, the redhead was able to process something about what her friend just said. Frowning, she turned back and got her attention before she could move away. “Wait, what do you mean you ‘wished you came up with that sooner?’ Have-” She cut off as a thought came to her, eyes widening. “Wait... Are you looking to confess to someone?!”
The vampire looked at her with shock, eyes wide as well. “How did you-?” Seeming to realize she had slipped, she coughed, smiling awkwardly. “Well... you’re right that I have had a crush on someone in the past. It’s nothing, though.”
“It’s not nothing!” the undead-girl exclaimed, stepping closer with barely contained excitement. “You’re in love with someone! That’s always a big deal!”
“I have a crush on someone,” Mel corrected, playfully pushing her back. “I’m pretty good friends with them already, but there’s still a lot I don’t know about her. It’s been a lot of admiring from me rather than trying to engage.” Her cheeks pinkened. “They... seem nice, though.”
Ollie contained her squeals, feeling blessed to see one of Hololive’s original members expressing such feelings. It was another one of those things that felt almost like a dream - being able to see the love lives of her fellow members. They liked to mostly keep that stuff away from fans and on streams, beyond a few jokes that could be dismissed easily. Part of it was the idol image some liked to maintain (futile as it was by now), and also not wanting viewers they had never met interfering and commenting about their relationships.
Since joining, though, she had been able to bear witness to this more intimate side between some of them. Watching the playful bantering and hand-holding of Suisei and Miko, and the more shameless kisses Korone and Okayu would exchange in front of everyone. Getting to see the wedding rings of both Noel and Flare, and Bae and IRyS after they joined. She had even gotten to see relationships develop in real-time, like between Calli and Gura, Towa and Laplus, and... well, her and Ame, she supposed.
And now it seemed that another one might be forming right in front of her. She reached out with her free hand, grasping her Senpai’s wrist. “Well, who is it?! Do you know when you might confess? Do you have any plans to get to know them better? You can’t just sit on this!”
The vampire laughed at her energy, prying her arm free. “You’re quite invested in this, huh? It’s just a crush, like I said! It might not even amount to anything!”
“But there’s a chance it could!” the zombie insisted. “You’ll never know unless you try! I mean, how long have you had this crush? If it’s been a long while, then that’s a good sign!”
Mel sighed, but appeared willing to humor her Kouhai. “I’ve had it for over a year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much. I’m an immortal, after all - our feelings can drag on and linger longer than they would for a mortal. I can still be considered to be having a ‘fleeting crush’ by those standards.”
The undead-girl started to pout. “Why do you keep trying to make excuses? Seriously, if you need support or something, I can help! I know how to be calmer! I’ll be the best wing woman you’ve ever seen!”
“You sure that’s not an excuse to get a front-row seat to the confession?” the vampire teased with a grin.
“...Can’t it be both?” Ollie asked, unable to stop her smile as the JP member laughed. Her expression became more of a frown a moment later, however. “You really are being evasive about this, though. What’s up? Is it an ID member? I’m not going to care if you sweep Reine off her feet or anything.”
Another sigh escaped Mel, who now looked a bit ashamed as she looked away from her. “That’s... not quite it. I was trying to avoid giving away who it was, but...”
The zombie frowned more, getting more concerned. “You don’t have to tell me who it is if you don’t want to. I’m sorry if it felt like I was pressuring you. I just wanted to give you a helping hand if you needed it.”
“And I appreciate it,” the vampire reassured. She started rubbing one of her arms, still looking away. “But... maybe honesty is for the best here. I haven’t felt any jealousy toward you yet, but getting it out in the open could help not make things... awkward later.”
The undead-girl furrowed her eyebrows, trying to piece together what the blond meant. Why would she ever feel jealous of her? Had some of her joking flirts been directed at her Senpai’s crush lately? She did not think she had been doing it more to someone than anyone else. And it was all a joke - lots of members did it, like Fauna with Mumei and Kronii despite having her own girlfriends. She would only ever do that more seriously if Ame-
And that was when it clicked in her head. Her eyes widened once more, nearly dropping her flowers. There was no accusation or anger in her town - just surprise. “It’s... Ame. That’s who you have a crush on.”
Mel looked back at her hesitantly, seeming to search for any signs of disgust or the like. Not seeing any, she nodded slowly, more fully facing her. “Yeah... I do.”
Ollie blinked several times, simply staring at her. “So... I mean... why?”
The vampire snorted at that, un-tensing slightly. “That’s your reaction?”
“I’m still trying to process, okay?!” the zombie defended, cheeks darkening. “I just... you had a crush on her for a year, and didn’t do anything? I was her assistant during that time, but she was very much available! You guys have done plenty of collabs, too!”
Mel only shrugged. “Like I said, there’s still a lot I don’t know about her. I wanted to try to learn more and let my feelings either bloom or fizzle out. Stuff kept getting in the way for both of us, though. I wasn’t desperate to get a relationship started, so I decided to be patient about things.” She gave a surprisingly earnest giggle. “Guess that’ll teach me the next time I have a crush on someone, huh? You really blindsided me when I suddenly heard you two were together.”
“It was all... rather sudden for us, too,” the undead-girl admitted, saying nothing further to not breach the privacy of her girlfriend. She looked at her Senpai questioningly. “So... you’re just not going to say anything now?”
The vampire gave her a bemused look. “Um... No? She’s your girlfriend! I’m not going to do anything that could cause any trouble in your relationship!” She gave a polite bow, her smile devoid of any sorrow. “I missed my chance, and I accept that. There will be plenty of other people who I might get another crush on one day, whether here or after Hololive is done. For now, though, I’m just going to let these feelings fizzle out and continue spending time as friends with you both. So long as you’re both happy, I am.”
Ollie stared at her for a long moment, touched at the maturity her Senpai was displaying. By no means did she expect her to try and sabotage their relationship or start petty rumors - nearly all, if not everyone, in Hololive was too kind for that. But the lack of any negative feelings, best as she could tell, was still a bit surprising. She had planned to keep it to herself and try to move on quietly rather than cause any drama. Even now, she was trying to reassure the redhead that Ame was all hers and she would find love elsewhere if she wanted it.
It was as good of a situation as anyone could hope for in a case of unrequited love... However, that assumed that there were only two options here: confess and cause ripples, or stay quiet and move on. There was a third option, unknown to the JP member. Something the zombie had been talking with the detective about for months now, but both had been stuck on who to ask to try it out with.
If Mel was okay with it... And they had a great opportunity with her planned date with the time-traveler. It would not take much to alter her plans a little or get a few more groceries. Plus, while she knew she did not have to, she did feel a thread of guilt in her heart for robbing her Senpai of the chance to at least attempt to start a relationship with the EN member. This could be seen as a way to make up for it.
With all of this in mind, the undead-girl did not hesitate to ask her question. “And... what if you could go on a date with her... without worrying about me?” She coughed, face starting to warm up. “Or... including me, actually.”
...The vampire blinked several times, face blank as if not knowing how to react. “Excuse me?”
Cheeks burning even more, Ollie took a deep breath and made eye contact, asking again. “Basically... would you like to go on a date with me and Ame? Possibly tomorrow, but I would have to talk to her about it.”
This time, Mel did react by straightening up, suddenly looking flustered. “I-I- What?!”
The zombie quickly moved forward, gesturing soothingly with her free hand. “Calm down! It’s just a question! No need to panic! You can send me an answer later, if you want.”
“N-no! It’s not that! I just... That...” Struggling with her words, the vampire started to take a few deep breaths. Eventually, she seemed more calm, but her face was still red. Looking at her Kouhai, she tried again. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Because it’s something I’m interested in!” the undead-girl replied. At the questioning stare she got, she elaborated. “You know how I’m always joking about wanting a harem of wives, yeah? Constantly tricking you all into fake marriage proposals and such?” Receiving a nod, she smiled brightly. “Well, it actually is a fantasy of mine. I mean, just girlfriends for right now - marriage can come later. But I’ve always wanted to experience a poly-relationship since I was revived.”
Mel tilted her head. “Only since you became a zombie? What changed between your human life and now?”
Ollie’s smile became more timid. “Heh, that’s... a little personal to explain. I will say, though, that I have changed quite a bit since then. Not for any bad reasons! At least, I don’t think so. It’s not that important for this.”
The vampire still seemed curious, but just shrugged. “If you’re sure. So, you’ve been interested in getting a harem?”
“I’ve wanted to at least try,” the zombie said, bouncing on her feet. “Of course, that’s easier said than done! I...” Her blush returned. “Well, you know how I am. I could flirt a lot and make lewd jokes, but the moment it’s returned, I get cold feet, usually. It took me forever just to get one girlfriend, and once I did...” She smiled warmly. “Ame’s been so caring that I... kind of forgot about that dream for a while. I was so overjoyed that just one person loved me like that. I still joked on streams, but looking for more partners was the furthest thing from my mind.”
The vampire giggled at her words, smiling kindly. “That’s exactly why I tried to leave you two’s relationship alone by staying quiet. She gets that same look when she talks about you.”
The undead-girl yelped, hiding her face with her bouquet. “D-don’t say that! I... God dang it, now do you know how hard it is to not fantasize about her? Now you’ve put that image in my head!”
“Sorry,” Mel said with a grin, not sounding apologetic in the least. Still, she did let up the teasing as she continued. “But back to your point... Despite forgetting about it for a while, you still want to try to add someone else to your relationship?”
Ollie nodded, forcing the blush off of her face. “Yeah. I talked with her about it a few months back. She’s not sure how she feels about being in a polycule, but she’s willing to give it a try. The main issue has been choosing someone to try and get started with! We’ve thought about approaching members of our own branches for it, but we haven’t done anything yet. Everyone in EN is in a relationship, and Ame does not want to get involved in any of theirs unless she’s sure polyamory is something she’s okay with. She wants us to start with one person and see how that goes, and I agree with her.
“I haven’t tried asking anyone in ID, either. They’re all single currently, but I know none of them are interested in either of us. Still, romance can spring up randomly among friends - Pomu and Kiara proved that - so I had been thinking about maybe seeing if Reine or Anya would be willing to give us a shot.” She looked at her Senpai hopefully. “But if you are already interested in Ame, and... you don’t mind giving me a chance...?”
The vampire nodded slowly, looking more thoughtful than flustered now. She rubbed her chin, humming softly. “So... you want me to join you on a date tomorrow and see how it goes...” She sighed. “I have to admit - it’s tempting, even if what I feel for her is just a crush.” A small smirk graced her lips. “And you’re pretty cute yourself. I’ll be blunt - I’ve never considered you for something like this. But... I’m not opposed to trying to ‘deepen’ things between us.”
The zombie nodded along, feeling hope blooming inside her. Still, she calmed down some, knowing she had to address something else. “Thank you. But... just remember-” She paused briefly. “We both need to keep in mind this might not lead to anything. Hell, I’m not sure Ame is going to accept the idea when I go talk to her. There’s... a few private matters we need to discuss about this, too.” Such as if she would be okay with you finding out about her dissociations and other problems.
She took a deep breath, looking with earnest eyes. “But if she does... then no matter how the date ends, I think tomorrow could be fun. If nothing else, you can say you at least tried to date her. You won’t have to live with any ‘what-ifs’ about her. And we’re all mature enough to accept whatever everyone decides at the end, right?”
“...Well, me and Ame, maybe,” Mel drawled.
The undead-girl puffed her cheeks as her Senpai giggled. “Oh, ha, ha!” She soon dropped the expression, tilting her head. “So... do you want to send me a message later - tell me what you decide?”
Another moment passed, the vampire deep in thought. Then, gradually, she shook her head with a shy smile. “No need for that. I... think I’d be happy to try this out, if Ame’s willing.”
Ollie broke into a wide grin, jumping in place as excitement filled her, pumping her fist up. “Yes! I mean - thank you! Oh, this will be so fun, I know it!” She took another moment to smooth out her clothes, pointing her thumb in the direction of the detective’s office. “I’ll go over and ask her after giving her these flowers. I’ll let you know if she says yes and give you the date details.”
“Alright - and no hard feelings if she doesn't want to do this,” Mel said. She held out her hand before her Kouhai could run off. “Oh, and Ollie?”
“Hm? Yeah?” the zombie asked, turning back toward her-
-and receiving a lingering kiss on her cheek. The vampire stepped back, smiling at her shocked expression. “Thank you for the chance. I’ll be thinking about how I feel about you.” With that, she turned and walked away, casually admiring more trees and flowers that she passed.
The undead-girl stared after her, idly touching her cheek. The blond’s lips had felt cool against her skin - not icy, but definitely colder than a human's, much like hers. There had also been the hint of fangs touching skin, but not puncturing. And there had been a slight vanilla scent to her, with an undercurrent of metallicness.
The redhead noted all of those things... but while her heart was beating faster, it was not the same as when Ame kissed her. Still, that was to be expected, as she had not thought about asking the JP member for a date before today. There would be time to see if that changed tomorrow... if the time-traveler accepted her proposal, anyway.
With that in mind, she began to make her way over to her girlfriend’s office again, this time moving slower to not run into people. She glanced at her flowers one last time, particularly at the sunflower. This was going to be a more complicated discussion than she first planned, but she was ready for it. No matter what, she was going to be by her side to help her with making this choice.
(...She also probably owed her ten dollars. That theory of how all the luck and chance entities in town might be affecting the odds of certain things happening seemed to have a lot of merit at this point.)