As for the rest of this author's note, I plan on trying to get this story finished before returning to my usual update loop again. I just want to get this fic wrapped up. No Longer Human and Stranger Tides will return when this fic is finished, which should hopefully be sometime in January.

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  "How bad is it?" Vert asked, taking a sip from her coffee. She shouldn't be, not this late, not as tired as she was. But she wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight she felt, even if she could fall over at just any moment. She felt like her body was exhausted and tense, a paradox.

  Hinum had already gone to bed to rest, after a tearful reunion with Chika, leaving the two older women still awake. Her sister had a rough day and needed as much rest as she could get. It didn't help that she had to be under a lot of stress over these past few years. For Vert, her heart cried out over her sister's suffering. She should have been there for her, instead of being captured.

  The smile Chika gave her was warm. "Not as bad as Hinum makes it sound. She's, very hard on herself. Unreasonably so, at times."

  Vert blinked. She hadn't expected that answer. Hinum made it sound like things were bad. Very bad.

  "I mean, it's not great. But it's nowhere near as bad as Hinum tells herself it is," Chika sighed, shaking her head. "She's got a whole lot more problems than I thought she did. But at the moment? Things are, functional."

  Vert nodded, mauling the words over. Yes, that was likely true. Chika wouldn't lie to her. Not willingly. But Hinum seemed so completely distraught. It hurt. For Hinum, it had been three years, but for her? It felt as if things had passed in both an instant and dragged out for years on end in pain. To see her in such a vulnerable state tore at the raw part of Vert's heart. Things had changed over the past several years. And yet, for a moment, it almost felt as if she had never been captured at all.

  "How?" Vert finally asked, sitting down as she sent a glance toward Hinum's room, where her sister should be slumbering. Chika paused for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to put the past few years into a few simple sentences."

  "Hinum chose violence," Chika said, frowning slightly. Vert swallowed. Never had there ever been a good follow-up to that combination of words. Especially when it came to the government level. "And aimed it all right at the ASIC."

  "How?" Even if it was targeted, it was still concerning to Vert. In character for Hinum given how she could get when her sister was emotionally voloitial, but concerning all the same. Once violence had been unleashed, it was not something that went back into the box willingly.

  "Before her national address, a few days after you'd been captured," Chika started, Vert taking great care to listen to every detail. "Hinum went out and managed to procure one of the devices that the ASIC used to sneak the Fenrir into Leanbox."

  By the time Chika's words left her mouth, Vert's blood went cloud. Hinum had done what? She had gotten one of those? Why? What purpose did having that serve? "Why?"

  "During her address to the nation, she, displayed, the abilities of the technology."

  She'd done what? Why would Hinum do that? Was she trying to cause a panic? Because that was what would happen! Then again, it wasn't like it hadn't been an open secret after the Fenrir attack. Maybe she thought that confirming it's existence would remove the fear of doubt by replacing it with certainty. But that was still going to cause a panic, no matter how you looked at it.

  "She chose a fairly weak monster and dispatched it easily," Chika continued, as Vert nodded. That made sense. If she was going to show it off, it wasn't going to be anything that was a threat to her. Most feared even weaker monsters, so it got the point across. "From there? She spoke. Bluntly and honestly. Laying out what had happened, and what her plans were. That things weren't going to be easy, and that best path forward was one where everyone in Leanbox worked together for a brighter future."

  Vert blinked. Now things were starting to make more sense. Hinum had chosen to encourage fear, but turn it into a rallying point? To be defiant? To make people afraid of the ASIC. But to also remove the mystery surronding them. To make them known. To make them less scary so people would be more willing to fight against them?

  Hinum's plan seemed to start to make sense now. She wanted Leanbox to be unified, and she felt that being honest and open about the challenges the country would face was the best way to go about it. Which was just in line with her little sister. She did favor blunt honesty, even if it was sometimes a bad thing.

  "She also made it clear to many of the businesses what was at stake when it came to the ASIC," Chika continued to speak. That was another concern. Vert had done her best to shore up support when it came to businesses, making it clear what would be needed in times of crisis. But she had no doubt that if they thought they could get past Hinum and renegotiate, they would do so in a heartbeat. That was simply how they were. But it seemed as if Hinum wasn't tolerating any of that.

  Leanbox's corporate industry was always troublesome, though Vert knew that was hardly unique among the other countries. They looked after their profits first, and everything else second. Part of her job was balancing their profits with the well-being of Leanbox's people.

  "Or, more accurately, the threat the ASIC would put on their profit margins both long and short term," Chika shook her head. "They didn't cave quickly, but they eventually did cave to the pressure."

  Even then, it would take pushing for them to stand down. No doubt some had to have worked with the ASIC as a survival method. Hinum was new, completely untested and nobody had any idea she was around until a week or so before the attack on the Graveyard in the first place. If they had more time, Vert would have been sure to change that.

  "A few didn't heed her warnings, but she managed to convince enough that their long-term profits were worth more than what the ASIC was offering," Chika took a sip from her coffee, barely warm after the time she had spent talking. "Most of them are in jail at the moment."

  Vert sighed. Harsh, but given the circumstances, it's more than understandable. Sometimes a harsh hand was needed. If they were willing to sell out her country, she would have put forth the same punishment. But if Hinum managed to get the businesses on her side, convincingly, at that, then that raised other questions. If she had the consent of the 4people and the businesses on her side, then why was she acting like things were a mess? Why all the tears and sobbing?

  "Then why as she acting like she did a poor job?" Vert asked at last. From the sound of it, Chika was correct. Things were likely far from perfect, but there was no way things were as bad as Hinum seemed to imply they were.

  "Because Hinum has a lot of issues," Chika sighed. "She knows things aren't perfect, far from it. She knows that things shouldn't be perfect, that perfect is an impossibility given the situation at hand. But at the same time, because she knows the full picture, that things aren't great, barely good and that the good she's worked so hard on is only barely holding on."

  "She assumes the worst is right around the corner because she doesn't see a way to improve the situation through her own merits. She's viewed the past three years as nothing more than a holding action at the best of times, with her only real win condition being getting you back, as she's convinced that the only way to stop the long-term bleeding is for you to be free, undercutting the ASIC's messaging and giving the people even greater faith in Leanbox again."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  That sounded like a lot.

  "She can keep up a good mask to the public. She's surprisingly good at speeches. I never figured Hinum for the type to be able to get in front of an entire nation to sell a message that she doesn't entirely believe in. But she was able to do so, and did so well," Chika shook her head.

  That didn't sound like Hinum. It really didn't sound like Hinum was shy. Quiet. Slow to warm up to others. Anxious. Vert felt if Hinum lead, it would be a quiet leadership, leading from the back and manipulating opposing factions against each other.

  Not from the front. Not out in the open. Not giving speeches, being a focal point. That never seemed like it was Hinum's speed. Though exceptional times often lead to exceptional measures.

  "She still had a sneakiness to her, though," Chika chuckled. "Hinum pulled off this little act, trying to play her and Green Sister as two separate people."

  That was, interesting. Who a Goddess was could be a bit of an open secret, if one paid attention. Most didn't pay that sort of attention, but it could be figured out. That was how it had always been.

  "As in she made an effort to keep the two separate," Chika elaborated, seeing the confusion in Vert's face. "Hinum thought that she was supposed to keep it as much of a secret as possible, like it was a superhero identity or something."

  "And you didn't correct her?" Vert asked, trying to might back a snicker as she imagined Hinum hiding her identity in a small black mask.

  "Didn't have the time," Chika sighed. "And it was working. The ASIC was pulling their hair out over this."

  "What?"

  "I'm not joking. With all the other little sisters, you could figure it out. Frankly, their identities are a bit paper thin. But Hinum? She went full smoke and mirrors. Yeah, a fair few had it right. A few were way off track. Most? She was able to sell herself as her own eyes and ears," Chika rested her face in her hands.

  That sounded like Hinum to Vert. Clever and being a pain in the ass.

  Then there was a part of her mind that whispered something.

  "Chika, what about the bureaucracy?" Vert asked. There was no way Hinum left everything untouched during her time in charge. Chika's wince did not fill Vert with confidence. "Chika."

  "Overhauled considerably," Chika admitted. "She kept what she could. Really tried to. But defeating the ASIC was first and foremost for her."

  "And the social services?" That was the first place Vert's mind went.

  "The first thing Hinum bolstered," Chika smiled. "She had a lot of ideas on how to undermine the ASIC's influence. How to turn people against them, even more than just out of the fear of the violence the ASIC used. Yes, the ASIC's attacks helped, but Hinum considered undercutting the reasons why someone would be desperate enough to seek out the ASIC would be the best deterrent and solution."

  That was smart. She'd been pushing for similar reforms herself, but with the ASIC growing in power and business seeing nothing but the possibility of their own profits checked her ability to raise funds.

  But Hinum had managed to talk them into seeing the danger. Or her going missing was enough to convince them of said danger.

  Or knowing her sister, she was willing to break something to get them to realize the risks.

  "Yeah, Hinum acting like things are awful is an exaggeration. Things aren't perfect right now, but Hinum is working herself up," Chika rested her hand over Vert's. "It's good to have you back."

  "I'm not going to take the reins right away," Vert nodded, enjoying the comforting touch after so long. She was going to have to read up on the changes Hinum had made. That, and she was exhausted. Her sister was right about that.

  But it was good to be back in Leanbox. But now that the issue of what had been done had been addressed.

  "Now, I'm sure the past few years have plenty of embarrassing events," Vert grinned, getting on to the equally important matters. She'd missed the past three years of Hinum's life! That was a lot of time! And Vert knew that Chika would keep track of all the juicy information.

  "Well, Hinum managed to convince most of the country that she's secretly dating pb.5," Chika grinned, chuckling to herself.

  "Get out!" Vert breathed. Hinum and pb.5? Her sister and a minor idol? That was scandalous.

  "pb.5 is a lot bigger now than she was back then," Chika elaborated. "But I don't think she's the one Hinum is interested in, though, no matter how much forum boards twist themselves up over it."

  Vert should see why. If her sister had the same aversion to skirts and dresses she always had, she could almost cut a tomboyish figure, despite her long hair. "Who do you think that person is?"

  "Based on the beating pools, it's still Cave," Chika answered with a smile. Still? She would normally be a bit upset at her sister's romantic interest having a betting pool, but that was a holdover from before anyone knew Hinum was her sister.

  Still, Vert was a bit disappointed that a cute boy hadn't come along to sweep her sister off her feet. But she could understand why Hinum was still attracted to Cave. Sometimes it was the maid in shining armor.

  "And is she getting any closer to admitting her feelings?" Vert leaned in.

  "Cave is aware," Vert nodded at Chika's words. Hinum was not subtle when it came to the lingering glances or blushing. "As for Hinum? She felt like she was much too busy for a relationship, didn't want to ruin the already existing relationship, and felt that as long as she's in charge, a romantic relationship would be unethical."

  Those were all good reasons as to why Hinum wouldn't confess her feelings.

  "I can understand that," Vert nodded at last. "Have anything particularly embarrassing?"

  "Oh yes!" Chika giggled, leaning back.

  Vert sighed with contentment as Chika talked. She was sad that she had missed all this.

  She wasn't going to make that mistake again.

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  Light filtered in through the curtains as I stretched and yawned, giving Fuzzy a warm squeeze. The stuffed triceratops had received no small bit of repair work, soft felt looking good as new. It almost felt nostalgic.

  Part of me wanted to stay in bed. To curl up into a ball and just go back to sleep.

  But that wasn't an option. There was still a lot to be done. I'd have to set up an emergency announcement. Vert needed her rest, but for the nation to see her back would go beyond doing good.

  My toes dug into the carpet, making my way to the kitchen. The sight before me made me shake my head, breaking away to grab a pair of blankets over Chika and Vert's shoulder.

  Stepping away to give the two their much needed rest, I suddenly felt Vert's hand grab mine.

  "You did good," Vert's voice sounded exhausted, as if she'd spent the entire night awake. "You did a lot better than fine."

  Tears began to form in my eyes again as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.