Tears of The Rose-Chp16

(meanwhile)

Sylvia: (enters the room where Peepers is working) Hey, Pipsqueak.

Peepers: [was clicking away on the computer, like writing some sort of report, not looking at Sylvia] Hey, zbornak

Sylvia: ... (peeks over his shoulder) Doing homework, are we?

Peepers: [didnt evn bother to shoo her away as he replied stonily] Uh-huh

Sylvia: ...You like Hater in that way, doncha? -3-

Peepers: [frowned] No! N its none of ur business! [grumbled as he continued typing]

Sylvia: Geez, no need to act like that. Besides, do you really think you can be in charge of Hater's lovelife just like that? Can't he be happy with who he wants?

Peepers: Oh yeah? U think he can be happy with tht furball?? Tht happy-go-lucky, naive little furball who has no idea abt Lord Hater n just prancing ard totally clueless abt everything wen he barely evn knws Lord Hater like I do?? N wat abt me?? I saw Lord Hater first! I was his first n only friend! I stood by his side n put up with his shit for YEARS since he first recruited me! I sacrificed YEARS of my time, even my LIFE, for him n he barely evn notices me, n now this furball steps in ruining both our lives n our plans for conquest n Lord Hater just decided to fall heads ovr heels for him?! Wat abt me?! [kept on rambling n rambling n doesnt realize tht he was starting to type paragraph aftr paragraph of angry gibberish]

Sylvia: (blinks) ...You DO realize what you're typing up, right?

Peepers: [blinked, then looked up at the gibberish n grumbled] Ahh, slag... [highlighted the gibberish n deleted it, then sighed n leaned bk against his seat, tired of typing now]

Sylvia: ...Anyways, don't you think you can at least support Hater with Wander insetad of tearing them apart? You've looked up how Star Nomads work, and even if you tried, it's not gonna work.

Peepers: [finally turns to face her] How do u expect me to support him wen my heart is broken into pieces like this? If u hv loved someone almost forevr, n find out he loves someone else, n tht u hv to see him evryday, wat would YOU do?

Sylvia: (pauses) ... that's... that's different... cause there WAS someone else I thought I loved but then he left...and even did something to break me even more... (grips her hands into fists) ...Why am I even saying this, YOU'RE obviously not gonna care.

Peepers: [blinked for a moment] Wait... Wat r u trying to say here?

Sylvia: (sighs)...I was once with my old partner, Ryder... but he never felt the same... And well... (looks away, holding her tail) You can say there was someone ELSE I was interested in...but...I guessed that he wouldn't feel the same or just wasn't allowed to love because of his boss...

Peepers: Ryder? Sounds like an ass. U said he broke u. Wat do u mean by tht?

Sylvia: ...(groans)...Teen pregnancy >_< (cringing for Peepers' reaction)

Peepers: [if he had a jaw, it would've dropped by now] He... He knocked u up??

Sylvia: Yes, okay?? He did that, and then it got to the point I had to break up with him because he refused to work for me and the baby. But after a while, I felt it was HIM that... (trembles with a few tears) ...that called up Child Service to take her away from me, claiming me as a bad parent... that was his payback... ;(

Peepers: Woah, woah, OK, OK, geez, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on ur toes there [reached forward to put his arm ard her shoulder to comfort her, tho awkwardly] So... U got a girl, huh? Where is she now?

Sylvia:...Some family must've adopted her long time ago... but I didn't know if trying to look her up was the best idea...

Peepers: [thought for a moment, then went to the computer] Which Child Service agency did Ryder call to take ur baby?

Sylvia: I can't recall, it's been years... (blinks) Why? You actually...want to help?

Peepers: [shrugged] I've got nothing better to do. The report was moot anyways. [typed a few buttons] Do u at least remember the planet u were staying in wen it happened?

Sylvia: Not exactly...some sort of tropical place but that's all I can recall ATM.

Peepers: U can't even remember the most important fateful day wen ur child's been taken? [sighed n rolled his eyes] Alright, fine, I've worked with lesser info than this. I can do this [cracked his knuckles, then started speed-typing, doing a search on all tropical planets tht had Child Services agencies available]

Sylvia: (looks with him) ...(points to screen) That one.

Peepers: [looks at it saying Planet Yokel] U sure?

Sylvia: The name sounds familiar. It's gotta be that one.

Peepers: [nodded] Right [clicked onto the planet's icon, then did a word search on agencies n came up with 2 agencies] There's East Yokel and West Yokel Child Services. U remember which one?

Sylvia: (looks at both)... I'm pretty sure it was West.

Peepers: Alright [clicked tht icon] OK, gotta do a little hacking here [typed furiously to hack into it] So, u said ur interested in someone else. Who is it? Do I knw them?

Sylvia: (flushes a little) Yeah...you'd know him pretty well...

Peepers: Reli? Who? [before Sylvia replied, the computer dinged] Ah, got it! I'm in! So u remember the yr? It'll be easier to find if I knw the yr

Sylvia: The year of her birth, or...? (glad the subject had changed)

Peepers: The yr she was taken, bt yr she was born might work

Sylvia: (thinks about it)... Somewhere in the 90s at least. That's what I know.

Peepers: U reli hv my work cut out for this [cracked his knuckles again n started typing, then the computer did a speed run before reaching the 90s n showed a list of kids registered into the system during tht time period]

Sylvia: (looking through list with him) ... Her. (notifces a picture of a yellow zbornak child with a blue mane)

Peepers: [clicked onto her file] Tiana? That's her name? Huh, she's cute

Sylvia: She was... ;( my little girl...

Peepers: Lemme see if I can locate her current whereabouts [scanned thru the file n reached the footnote] Hmmm... "Adopted by Mr & Mrs Dingleberry" [did a search for that family] OK, they live on Planet Vakaria 6.5, the sister planet of Planet Yokel. Tracking their home via satellite uplink... [clicked a few dozen buttons, then the satellite camera zoomed in to the location n produced a live feed of a zbornak matching Tiana's picture playing at the front yard]

??: Shelly! Shelly, help me with the laundry, sweetie! I'm coming out with the baskets!

Sylvia::O Shelly? She got renamed?

Peepers: It's not uncommon [shrugged as he zoomed in some more to see her clearly]

Shelly: :) Yes, mama. (gets to sorting the laundry)

Sylvia: (watching)

[a chubby blueish-red alien tht looks like a mer-octopus came out with baskets in her tentacles n set them dwn, then chatted idly in a Southern accent with Tiana, now Shelly, as the two ladies took dwn the laundry n put them in the baskets. Judging by the design of the house n the surrounding area, they were in some kind of farm ranch]

Peepers: I guess that's Mrs Dingleberry

Sylvia: Yeah... (slightly jealous of her already)

[a crop-harvesting tractor drove by, n the ladies waved at it, n wen Peepers zoomed in, it was another mer-octopus, but yellow with blue freckles n a male, driving it with a young boy tht looks like a Minotaur species sitting at the passenger seat, both of them waving bk at the ladies]

Peepers: Tht must be Mr Dingleberry, n it seems like they also adopted a son

Sylvia: ... Do you think she'll even remember me...?

Peepers: Who knws? Would u want her to?

Sylvia: ...I'm not even sure...

Peepers: [sighed, then clicked a few buttons to turn off the live feed, then ejects a mini-drive out] Here. I recorded everything, ur daughter's file, the live feed video just now n also coordinates tht u can access onto Planet Vakaria 6.5 satellite if u feel the urge to see her again. Don't worry, this drive is counter-hack proof. U can safely view her anytime, anywhere with just a click of a button

Sylvia: :( ... (hugs him tightly) Thanks, Pipsqueak...

Peepers: Ooff! [rolled his eyes n patted her bk] Don't get used to it, zbornak, I'm just doing this coz u caught me in a mood today

Sylvia: (pulls back) Yeah. Right, gotcha. (backs up)...But really, thanks about all this. (quickly leaves)

Peepers: [watched her leave, then sighed n mumbled to himself] Sorry I can't return ur feelings just yet, not with my heartbreak right now... [seem to hint tht he knws who the "other person" Sylvia was interested in, then sighed n went bk to continue his report]