TL Note: This references the Waterfront City Guide event story so I recommend reading that first! The title of the story also references the North drama track from EDCD Vol. 2 「Everyone in North Sector Gets Along」
—Nova, are you here?
I saw some coffee you might like on my way back from patrol, so I got some for you
Oh— Welcome back, Marion
...... Eh?
Welcome home, Marion ♪ What's this I hear about you bringing coffee?
W-W-What's he doing here? In your lab!?
Well, since it is my lab, it's not uncommon for heroes to drop by to get some maintenance done on their weapons~
I usually take care of it myself. The professor said I still gotta bring it in regularly though......
Ah, I've got it! Since it looks like the maintenance is gonna take a bit longer to finish up......
Why don't the three of us drink the coffee Marion bought together?
Huh!?
Time passes…
Ohh, this is some real good coffee
...... Hmph, of course it is. I personally selected it
Haha, true that. You can't go wrong with Marion's picks
You say that as if you understand anything......
Or perhaps I should say—how would someone who says they don't care if they're drinking tea or coffee know whether or not they're drinking good coffee?
Uhh...... I mean if it's good it's good, I can say that much......
Huhu, it makes me smile to see you two getting along so well~
...... Huh?
Did that look like friendly banter to ya?
Considering how you were at first, it's a huuuge improvement for you to be drinking coffee together~
It feels like it's the same way with Ren-kun...... I'm just happy to see Marion getting along with the rookies ♪
............
Sure 'nough. We're real open with each other now considerin' how we got off...... right?
Granted, I still spend a lotta time gettin' chased around with a whip
Ah~...... Sorry about that, Gast-kun. As the one who raised him, I feel like I'm responsible for it
N-Nova......
I'm sure you're already aware, but Marion's been prone to fits since he was small
While I bought it hoping it could take the place of a friend, he would sometimes hit his precious piano
I told him he shouldn't do that, and he ended up clinging to the piano and crying about how sorry he was
Gast-kun doesn't like being hit, does he? Violence is no good, so you should take care from now on~
Gh!
Someone's finally come along that gets along with you, so you need to cherish it
It's always been the case for you that "my piano is my friend!", but maybe he could become your friend too
!? F...... Fr...... Friend......?
Oh! Hold on!
Wasn't there something like this a long time ago, back when you were alone? Besides your piano. Without human friends......
I think it was somewhere around the old research facility. If I remember correctly, you were playing once with a staff member's son, right?
!!
I think you ran into him in the garden? You told me that you had fun playing house and drawing and playing a lot together, right?
Yep, that's right. You came back with the biggest smile I've ever seen and spoke about it so happily
You never found out where he came from, and I think you never saw him again...... but I think that he was your first human friend
............
Yo, Marion
Don't say it! That thing...... Don't you ever dare tell Nova about it!
Y-Yeah...... I'd 'preciate that too
What's the matter, you two?
N-Nothing......!
Ahaha, right in sync~ See, you're good friends after all ♪
I know you have a mentor-mentee relationship, but don't worry about that and just befriend him~ Gast-kun
Huh? O-Okay......
I-I don't need friends!
Even without them, I have Jack and Jacqueline, and I've never had a problem with that
Hmm...... But Jack and Jacqueline are like family, needing friends is a different story
Hey...... what about Doc?
Eh......
Sorry to bring that up outta the blue. But you've known Doc forever, haven't ya?
I don't think you really talk about it much, all things considered...... But what kinda relationship do you have to the doc?
T-That guy...... Well, I've never thought of him as family or anything like that
...... I suppose I'd consider him a neighbor?
Pfft! A neighbor......PFHAAHAHA
You might be right about that~...... Vic's never been the type to go out of his way to interact with others or join a social circle, not then and not now
It's not just Marion, he's like that with everyone...... I'm no exception
So while, it's not out of the ordinary for him to join us for dinner, or for a movie, or for some other family activity...... "Neighbors" might be pretty apt
N-Neighbors......?
But to be honest, Vic helped me out a lot after my dad passed away and it was up to me to raise Marion
Vic started attending the academy around then, so he didn't have much time to be involved......
But when I was having a rough time, Vic would play with Marion and take him bug hunting on piggyback
Huh? That Doc... did that!?
It's not that he's much of a caregiver, but it's not that he hates taking care of children either
You won't hear him talk about it much himself, though......
You remember though, don't you, Marion?
............
You used to be okay playing with him, but after awhile your impression of Vic as the "injection man" overtook that
And Vic's not really the type to care about that, so I feel like your relationship just ended up becoming how it is now~?
I see...... Well, someone had to be the one to give him his shots
Yep. So really, he's closer to us than a neighbor would be
Maybe Vic could also be categorized as a "friend"......?
No...... I've never seen that man as anything close to a friend—
Well, we could say he's like your uncle
......!
Yep, uncle sounds about right! That's the best we're going to get for now~♪
Ahaha...... Marion......
I wonder what Doc'd have to say about all this. He feels like the kind of guy that'd tell me old stories about Marion if I asked 'im
T-There's no need to ask him!
Huh...... okay, man, okay?
Well, anyway...... I'm hopin' we can chat like this again over some of the doctor's homebrewed espresso
............
Huhu...... I'll pass that on to Vic the next time I see him