"So in your duties as a collector, you'll go to many different planets, and find spinels who have been left behind or have ran away from their owners." Heli explained.

"Okay." Oops said with a nod.

"You're supposed to poof them, then reset them with a rejuvenator, but that's a little cruel, don't you think?" She continued, frowning at the end.

"A rejuvenator?" Oops asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a weapon that turns you back to how you were when you first emerged once someone hits you with it." Heli sighed. Then, she gave a small smile. "But I don't think you'll have to use it...right?"

Oops didn't reply, she was lost in thought. Heli didn't press, they kept walking.

"So, besides collecting other spinels, what am I supposed to do around here?" Oops asked, with a slightly annoyed tone.

"There are some gems who plan attacks on SRS, so you've got to be ready to defend it at all times!" Heli chirped in reply.

Then, she stopped at a door. "Which reminds me, you've got to get suited with a weapon."

"Okay?" Oops questioned, still very confused by all of this.

Heli took her by the hand, and led her into a room with weapons on the shelves. "Okay, now you just pick one."

Oops looked at the variety of weapons. They all looked pretty powerful. Then, her eyes got drawn to one specific spear.

It wasn't special, nor very powerful. It would've been bland to other spinels. But not to her. It was perfect.

She absentmindedly approached it, staring at it blankly. "You like that one?" Heli asked. Oops yelped in surprise, forgetting that she was still here. Heli giggled.

Oops' face heated up, and she grabbed the spear, holding it under her arm. "Whatever."

"It suits you! It's a good starter spear." Heli said with a smile. Oops rolled her eyes, and put it in her gem.

"Please, keep your pants on. It's just a weapon." She scoffed.

"I'm not wearing pants!" Heli laughed, cupping a hand to her mouth. Oops growled, and put her hands on her hips.

"Stop it." She warned.

Heli stopped laughing. "Stop what?"

"Stop laughing at me, you clove. I'm not funny!" Oops shouted angrily. Heli frowned. "I think you are."

Oops scoffed. "Then you're an idiot."

Heli shrugged. "Then I guess you're friends with an idiot."

"You're not my friend, nor will you ever be." Oops barked.

Then, Heli grinned. "Oh, I think I will be~"

"No, you won't be. Now leave me alone, you clove."

Oops marched down the hallway with a few grunts of effort after opening the door. "Wait! Don't you need some more help?" Heli cried, peeking out the door.

"I'll figure it out, clove!" She shouted in reply, not even looking back.

Heli sighed, and slid down to the floor. "What am I missing here?"

Then, she looked down at her gem. She gave a determined smile, and jumped up quickly. "I swear on my very gem that I'll find a way to be your friend!"

-

Oops had overestimated her ability to figure it out. This place was huge, and she was all alone...

Focus! It was for the best, anyways.

"Why does that clove have to listen to what I say..?" She groaned, turning the hallway. She looked around. All of the doors looked the same.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on the shoulder. She jumped, and looked behind her. Nobody was there.

Then, she felt a tap on her other shoulder. She growled, and quickly turned that way. Nobody was there.

Then, the perpetrator quickly jumped in front of her. "Surprise, bitch!"

Oops let out a shriek, and fell to the unforgiving green tile floor. The spinel cackled, offering a hand. Oops harshly slapped it, and got up quickly.

"You clove!" She yelled. The spinel continued to laugh. Then, she recognized her.

"Hey, you're that purple spinel that took me away!"

She finished laughing with a satisfied sigh. "Yup, that's me. Purple, at your service."

Oops narrowed her eyes. "That's a stupid name."

Purple playfully scoffed. "Oh, and I guess you have a better one?" She asked. Oops scoffed in return. "It's Oops, for your information. It's straight and to the point."

"Oh, so Purple isn't straight and to the point? It literally describes everything about me!" She laughed.

"Shut up." Oops replied with an eyeroll.

"So, all alone, huh?" Purple asked, wrapping an arm around Oops. She crossed her arms. "So what?"

"So," Purple continued with a grin. "I kinda don't want you to be alone? Let's take a walk, we can talk about what you need to do. I'm a soldier, but I kind of know some shit about collectors."

"Shit?" Oops asked with a raised eyebrow.

Purple's eyes widened, then she gave an evil smile.

"Forgive me, I forgot to introduce you to a special custom here..."

-

"So they're offensive..." Oops clarified. Purple nodded.

"But...people still use them?" Oops asked. "That's right." Purple chuckled. "Try it, it's fun!"

Oops looked down at the ground. What could she possibly say?

"Titties." She said nonchalantly. Purple chuckled, and patted her on the back. "That's the spirit! Now, come with me, there's something else I want to show you."

"More curses?" Oops asked as Purple led her somewhere.

"No, no, but don't worry. We've barely even scratched the surface." Purple replied with a grin, going into a room.

Purple let go of Oops, and bent down on the floor, grabbing something from underneath a metal slab. "What are you getting?" Oops asked.

Then, she pulled out a strange purple device. "This."

"And what's 'this' exactly?" She retorted.

"It's a communication device." Purple explained. "You can reach people from all the way across multiple star systems."

"Okay?" Oops questioned.

"Here." Purple said, pressing a button.

"So...how do you use it?" She asked.

Purple smiled. "You send out a signal, directed towards another communication device, and if it's received, you can talk to them."

"So when do I start collecting spinels?" Oops asked. "I don't know, ask commander." Purple shrugged.

Oops walked out of the room, and immediately saw commander down the hall.

"8J Cut—"

"You can just call me Oops." She groaned.

"Whatever, Oops. Here's your first mission: there's a poofed spinel on the planet Croncent. That's not too far away from here. Collect her gem, and then reset her with a rejuvenator. Put the gem in the room labeled 'Down Zero Recollection', and lock the door."

Oops processed her words, then nodded. "Alright."

"Take the ship in the launch bay, or better yet, just go talk to that Heli spinel."

She groaned. "Alright..."

-

"And then, you fly back, take the gem to Down Zero Recollection, and—"

"Thanks, Heli, but I remember, thank you."

"Oh." Heli sighed. Then, she gave a grin, and stepped off the ship. She waved happily. "Good luck on your first mission!"

Oops just stared down at her gem, and then gave her a smile. "Thanks, clove."

Then, she flew away in a yellow flash. Heli's skirt fluttered in the wind, and she yelped, falling onto the ground. Then, she laughed, getting back up and waiting in that exact spot for her to come back.

-

"I have no idea what I'm doing...do I?"

She stared at the big abyss of stars. She sighed.

"I'm going to need that luck after all..."

-

Oops' riddle of the day: What has five fingers but isn't alive?