Chapter Text
Josefine Zhou sat on her bed, the firm and cold mattress giving her little comfort. She had made sure to check her schoolbag to verify that her things were still in there, which, thank the Revolution, they were. Unfortunately, the heating system in her block had failed yet again, subjecting the girl to an increasing coldness.
She hated this frozen moon. Sure, the occasional view of one of the volcanoes on Boudica erupting against the backdrop of the huge gas giant was nice, but nothing compared to stargazing on Vineta, even if its moon was in the process of being put back together. She missed the ocean breeze, the half-flooded railways bustling with Aras and Haubentauchers moving to and fro, and her old home.
She’d gladly trade the bitter cold of Rotfront away for a chance to go back to her childhood room. It felt more human than the empty bedroom she sat in, the one decoration on the wall that brought a pop of color to its plain walls being a propaganda poster deeming the cold moon as a ‘hope for the future.’
Yet the blizzards that had yet to be klimaformed away despite over 40 Vinetan revolutions about the Ursonne passing since colonisation began always gnawed away at every building in every sector of the moon’s settled surface. It was hardly an image that inspired hope in Josefine.
The opening of the door to the apartment interrupted her longing for Vineta. Josefine scrambled off of her bed, turning the lights off and darting under her blanket as she pretended to sleep.
“Josefine?” her mother asked.
Footsteps echoed through the apartment, coming closer to her room until the door at last opened. Her mother sighed.
“I know you’re awake,” Klara declared, turning the lights on.
Josefine didn’t dare move until her mother tore the blanket off of her. Both of them made eye contact, Klara’s eyes burning through Josephine’s soul.
“I swear, Josefine,” Klara said, half-sighing, “you need to stop pretending to sleep whenever I get home. I trust that you’ve continued keeping up with schoolwork?”
“Yes,” Josephine whispered.
“Good. Make sure you actually get enough sleep tonight. I’ve gotten tired of seeing you wake up on the floor.”
Then, as suddenly as she came, Klara left. Josefine stared up at the ceiling, the short interaction replaying over and over again in her mind. The two of them never spoke to each other much as of late. Rotfront had ruined everything between them.
Josefine turned the lights back off, trying to genuinely fall asleep as she thought of her life on Vineta with her mother and sister. She wondered when Viola would come back from wherever she was. Klara had never explained where the Nation sent Viola to no matter how many times she asked her.
It took an eternity for sleep to finally befall Josefine.
She dreamt of a beach, the familiar Vinetan wind buffeting her as she ran alongside her sister. She didn’t remember her appearance that well due to the sheer amount of cycles it had been since she left. Instead, the vague outlines of the legs of a replika ran alongside her. That was a close enough substitute for Josefine.
“Vi, look!” Josefine exclaimed, pointing at a ship in the distance. Her sister marveled at the vessel alongside it. One of many supply ships sent to aid in the reconstruction effort landed in the distance next to what was once a bustling metropolis.
The two of them stood on the beach together, watching the ship unload its cargo for what felt like aeons.
This was a memory Josefine wanted to relive.
The waves lapping at their feet let Josefine see her reflection for brief moments at a time. Black hair and blue eyes greeted her. To her right was Viola’s reflection, a vague smattering of white, red and black against the wet sand below.
She wondered what Viola would think of her when she finally came back. She’d been in Rotfront for only a few seasons, after all.
As the two of them stood on the beach together, Josefine smiled.
This was a memory she never wanted to forget.
They stood together under the Vinetan sun, watching as the latest construction team exited the ship. The construction replikas’ figures were distant enough that they looked like specks.
“Wanna go in the water?” Josefine asked, tugging Viola’s hand slightly.
Viola hesitated for a moment.
“...Sure,” she said, her voice a bit firmer than Josefine remembered, “don’t get too wet, though.”
“Oh, come on!” Josefine exclaimed. “Water’s supposed to make you wet!”
Viola chuckled a bit as Josefine ran into ankle-deep water. She beckoned her to follow.
“C’mon! We’ve got an hour left before mom’ll be home!” Josefine shouted.
Viola stood still, lost in thought as she stared into the distance. However, her sister’s pleading compelled her to follow. Soon, they splashed water at each other, laughing together and enjoying their precious moments by the ocean.
Yet this was a memory both Josefine and Viola had to wake up from.
And so they did.