Chapter 19 by Wolf13

What's next?

Identity

"Wow! You make that look easy!"

Tink shrugged moving the end table easily despite her tiny size. "I've always been this way and putting these things together is a breeze. I could probably do it in my sleep. Dave should have just left all this to me instead of clown sitting. At least he assembled the beds I guess. Thanks, Melfina!" She said as Melfina poured her an ice tea.

Melfina smiled. "You're very welcome. He felt it was something that he needed to do some of on some level but he admitted the same to me."

Tink sipped from the straw. "That's not surprising. He's always been like that. His old man used to make him do things like that. Apparently that's how he was raised too by Dave's Great Grandfather. Harley says he's got a slight complex. His family is pretty incredible. Guess he feels it's hard to measure up even though that's ridiculous. Dave's awesome too and the only one measuring and judging is himself." Tink rolled her eyes and took another sip.

Melfina looked out the window where he and Harley were unloading the van. He dropped a box when Harley wanted to show him something and squirted him in the face with a flower. Now he was chasing her about as she laughed.

Melfina giggled and Tink sighed. "They're goofing off, aren't they? Silly asses."

Melfina smiled and nodded. "Does it bother you? I can go remind them."

Tink shook her head smiling. "Nah. It's fine... we take turns playing around. Harley's our resident "fun" police. She tries to make sure we're all having fun. It's his turn for a "fun break" now. Besides even with all of Harley's junk we didn't have a lot."

Melfina nodded. "I noticed that. Is that standard?"

Tink laughed but then stops. "Oh. Sorry. You've never owned anything before have you?"

Melfina shook her head and Tink nodded. "Yeah, no. It's different for everyone's personal tastes... but we just didn't have any room for excess "stuff" before. Our temporary home became our actual home for too long."

Melfina nodded. "I see. So that's why you all seem so happy here already."

Tink nods grinning. "Yup! It's kinda like our home before. Still not as big... the ranch we grew up at was anything but "small"! But it's got a good feel here. Space and freedom... probably seems strange to talk about freedom when we're owned but yeah. That's how things are here."

Melfina nodded. "I guess it doesn't bother me so much. I was created to owned by someone. It might not be what my original creators had in mind but that's what I am doing here... and I think I just might be kind of lucky. Dave says he knows some of the answers I seek and he hasn't mentioned the galactic layline even once!"

Tink smiled. "He does. We all decided it was best to go slowly for you in revealing things. Don't want to overburden you with everything at once. But a few tough moments aside your story isn't so bad apart from your identity crisis of "not knowing" but... well..."

Melfina nodded. "No... please go on!"

"Yeah," Dave said wiping his face coming in followed by Harley doing the same. He'd finally caught her and gave her a taste of her own medicine. They looked at him and he nodded. "It's ok to reveal Melfina's "identity", I think. Harls? You're our expert. What do you think?"

Harley paused to consider it. "It's a bit "quick" but..." she looked at Melfina and nodded smiling. "Yeah, it should be okay."

Tink shrugged. "The secret of your identity is... you don't have one."

Melfina blinked. "I... what? That..."

Dave sat her down. "Tink's telling the truth. It's not that you don't have an identity of course... it's that there's no secret. You are just you, Melfina. Your creator designed you to be "the maiden" and act as the navigation for the XGP 15A-II to find the galactic layline and allow them to initiate and interface with it... but outside of that you're a blank slate."

He sees the shocked look on her face and puts an arm around her. "In the show it takes you awhile to figure out but that's a blessing. You can just be you. You get to decide as you live and interact with others who you want "Melfina" to be."

Harley nodded and sat on her other side also hugging her. "Sorry but it's not a big secret. A lot of "created" people, and all people in a more general sense, have the same thing. You get to decide your identity for yourself. There's almost no difference between you and me or anyone else that way."

"I'm just... me?" Melfina asked.

They nodded and Tink came over to hug her too. "In your atory you fall in with a rag-tag group of oddballs that become the crew of the XGP 15A-II. After several adventures and setbacks you reach the galactic layline and "fulfill your purpose" as "the maiden" but it's the knowledge that you are essentially just like everyone else that was the answer you were seeking all along. Someone you decided was brave."

"And cheerful," Harley added.

"And above all very kind," Dave added.

"I'm just me," she said smiling with a single tear of relief. "Myself. Melfina."

They kept holding her until she said, "Thank you."

Dave smiled. "Well I think that's enough for one day. Why don't we-"

"Order pizza and watch some of Melfina's show together," Tink and Harley said along with him.

Dave blinked. "Am I really that predictable?"

Tink nodded as Harley said, "uh... duh, Puddin'!"

"Still it's very you, sweet silly ass," Tink said.

Dave rolled his eyes. "Alright fine! We'll have Melfina choose!"

They all grin and turn towards Melfina nodding. She puts her hands up. "Wait I don't know anything! What if I choose something bad?"

"That's fine!" Dave said. "Bad food can be a bonding experience too! Come on let's go get some take out and some drinks! It's Friday!"