Story Reader / Affection / Bridget: / Story
Bridget: Ardeo
You follow Bridget onto a bridge on an observation deck, where you can peer into space and that planet—Earth, a 4.6-billion-year-old miracle, and humanity's only home.
In the vast emptiness of space, existence is beautifully solitary.
Before her, Babylonia is but an infant still attached to its umbilical cord.
Bridget sets down her drink and sits cross-legged on the observation bridge. You sit down next to her.
Beautiful, isn't it? Few people come here. That's why I love it here.
I come here to clear my head whenever things get too much.
Bridget lowers her head. Her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes, hiding her expression.
[player name], have you ever wondered...
What kind of life would we be living now if the Punishing Virus had never existed?
I see...
Bridget silently gazes at Earth, lost in thought.
Whenever I sit here and gaze at Earth, I can't help but wonder...
If it weren't for the Punishing... Mom and Dad would still be alive.
I would have had a normal childhood. I would go to school, come home after classes, and spend weekends shopping with my parents.
Maybe Mom would have made me take dance lessons. She always loved telling us how she taught Dad to waltz.
And the cotton candy...
Bridget's voice trails off, and she pauses for a moment.
The first time I had cotton candy was when Dad got one for me. I was so little at the time that most memories have faded, but I still remember...
It was so sweet... very, very sweet...
She throws her head back and chugs her electrolyte, emptying the can before falling back onto her back.
It's your first time seeing Bridget so vulnerable. You cannot find your voice, so you simply copy her and lie down beside her.
Bridget seems to see right through your thoughts.
Don't try to comfort me.
I'm really happy you accepted my invitation today. Thank you, [player name].
The spherical observation deck lets you see the cosmos while lying down.
Bridget extends her right hand as if trying to trap a star in her palm.
[player name], I really like it here.
I love Babylonia. I love everyone who lives here. I love the entire Earth, and I love all the civilizations humanity has built.
There is no more sadness in her voice.
Bridget suddenly leans down. You see her face against the night sky. Her hands are planted on either side of your head.
I love you, too, [player name].
A visible blush spreads on Bridget's cheeks—is it from the alcohol-flavor electrolyte?
Her face is so close that you can feel her breath.
Your heart skips a beat, and your breathing grows unsteady.
I told you...
A commandant who can't read the room won't be very popular...
I told you right from the start—this is a date.
And you accepted my invitation.
A feather-light touch grazes your forehead. It is so faint and gentle that it might very well be... your imagination...
But in the next moment, a soft whisper drifts into your ear.
I'm drunk... Blame the electrolytes...
Her warm breath tickles your ear.
Your heart pounds faster and faster.
You can no longer tell if you're hearing your own heartbeat or the humming of Bridget's core.
Maybe... everything would be different?
Bridget rises slowly to her feet.
[player name], look! The sun is rising!
Sunrises aren't hard to see in Babylonia. Sometimes you can even see several in a single day. Yet you still find yourself staring.
The curved horizon glows red as dawn breaks, bathing both the earth and half of Bridget's figure in its light.
She spreads her arms as if embracing the starlit sky with her whole being.
Bridget turns to you, her face still covered in dirt, and flashes a radiant smile.
I'm a very ambitious person, [player name].
I hate conflict and death, and I want peace.
I believe everyone deserves to live with equal rights and dignity.
All the ordinary people living under this dome, and the ones on the planet below, I want to help them all. I want to reclaim Earth.
Humanity might be forced to leave Earth behind one day, but I refuse to flee in disgrace.
If that day does come, I hope humanity will leave Earth like children leaving home—carrying both fond memories of Earth and hope for their future.
I believe this was the real vision of those who built Babylonia during the Golden Age.
Haha, look at me rambling on and on.
Ah, I feel much better.
Just... chalk all that up to drunk rambling, will you?
This is the Bridget I know—not a delicate flower, but an iron that is covered in soil and forged in flame.
Words would feel too empty for this mood, as some feelings cannot be conveyed through words. So...
Huh?
A faint smile appears on her lips.
Hahaha, hahahaha...
Her laughter grows louder and louder.
Some of those rumors about you will surely include me from now on.
Alright, let's dance!
Under the stars and the Milky Way, you join hands and begin to dance.
The universe and the night sky that only observed now seem enchanted, and suddenly blaze with newfound brilliance.
Starlight cascades over her, painting her in an ethereal gentle glow.
You need no music, no routine—only the freedom to move as your hearts guide you.
Your eyes meet when the dance ends, and everything—the galaxy, the cosmos, and time itself—fades away.
...I get it now.
Thank you, Commandant, for treating me as someone special.
Words are redundant as thoughts and feelings flow effortlessly between you.
Let's brave whatever destiny has in store for us—together.
