hadriel_logs | you're part of a machine [OPEN/CLOSED]

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you're part of a machine [OPEN/CLOSED]

Who: Rey/Safronov and Nick Valentine (feat Alphys) + a couple open prompts.
What: Finding out that she has limited time left before her brain melts due to the infection that led to her death, ~~Rey~~ Safronov suffers a few blackout episodes before she is able to bring her successor back.
Where: Abandoned shop, Science lab, Robot House (1401).
When: March catch-all (feel free to specify dates in the subject line when tagging an open prompt if it's important).
Warnings: Suicidal ideations and other heavy subjects.

7th-19th; Abandoned Shop [OPEN]
(are you insane like me, been in pain like me?)

The headaches only got worse as the days went by. Sometimes, she would hear the most unbearable ringing in her ears, like a grenade had just gone off right next to her head. More frequent came the nosebleeds, and within a week it became blatantly obvious that Safronov was working on borrowed time. She knew this, and there was no pride in being right.

Her memories at the Russian command center were vague at first, but over time she began to recollect her life more. Perhaps it was due to the infection constantly reminding her in the forms of distractions that were getting increasingly more difficult to ignore, but she remembers it all now: She had failed in her objective to destroy the synthetic's hub at the Grigoryevich Underground Center. As a result, its systems had trapped her. Hooked her up to a seat and sent a needle through the port to her brain.

It's not much unlike the needle that her successor had evidently worked from scratch, which had been used to unintentionally bring Safronov back to the forefront. Such a crude design, but one that did the job it was supposed to. All Safronov needed to do was make sure it did its job even better. Her DYI handiwork was all over the shop she had set up base in, so that she could labor on in peace. Peace that was becoming more frequently disrupted through headaches and, now, blackouts.

Sometimes, she would lose track of what she was doing, only to wake up on the floor after trashing the extra tables, chairs, and shelves around her. Quite a racket, for those passing by on the outside and happen to notice a light beaming in the mostly empty establishment.

At some point, it gets even worse. Blackout. Then, another bloody headache. Literal this time. Blood is coming out of her nose as she grips her head, screaming and rolling on the floor. The agony is searing through her skull, electrifying her body and she feels it under her skin.

One bullet should do the trick. In her blinding pain, she crawls across the floor, to the table where she had been working at to find her gun there. Or, Rey's gun. Her successor's gun. It isn't like she hasn't done this before. This is her body, after all. A different owner has taken it now, but she recognizes the subtle flaws and blemishes that were special to her.

Regardless of whose gun this belongs to, it's Safronov's pill now. Just what the doctor ordered.

20th; Science Lab [CLOSED to Alphys sciencelizard + Nick Valentine synthedick]
(do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?)

Of course, her only 'remedy' had been less than ideal, though unsuccessful. In the end, she can't.

This isn't Safronov's life to take away anymore. Despite the pain that Rey had so badly wanted to erase, it was clear that she didn't want to be removed from the world entirely. Not when there were people who cared for her.

More than anyone ever cared about Safronov. There would never be anyone to mourn over her death, and she was better off that way for it. It gives her less reason to cling to this life, or lament the inevitable.

Still wracked with the hot pulsing pain tearing through her skull, Safronov somehow manages to make it across this strange and hot city, back to the place where she had began. While most seem to arrive here through that Door, she came through different means. Unlike the people here, however, she has an exit strategy.

Her nose is bleeding once again as Safronov opens the door to the science lab, the bag holding her supplies that she will need for this slung over her shoulder.

"Doctor?" Safronov calls into the lab before entering. She can't recall if the reptilian scientist had ever designated herself with such a title, but that is what she is called now. Whether the fact that such a creature could even be called a scientist has never struck her as strange, however. Perhaps a little bit of her successor remains, grounding them both, or it's just that Safronov has bigger concerns. "Are you here--?"

Oh. Oh no. Not again--

Safronov grunts, staggering forward while the door slams behind her. Eyes squeezed shut, she finds a wall to rest on, fighting to remain conscious this time.

30th; House 1401 [OPEN to close CR]
(you can't wake up, this is not a dream.)

Nearly a week and a half passes and Rey's body barely stirs in her bed, though it's hard to say if she still even is Rey. If not for the steady breathing, one could easily mistake the prone woman for a corpse.

Though she doesn't show it, every so often she is cognizant of her surroundings. Voices of those standing over her, their presence nearby. She hears, she listens, but she could never reply.

Until the ninth day since Safronov had gone rifling through their head once again. Only her eyes open, and for the first several hours all she can do is stare at the ceiling over her bed. Process her surroundings, feelings... who she is, why she's here, what happened. She remembers her name -- or a name, more like it. And a few other things. The mysteries keep her thoughts more than occupied for the long hours she can't move.

And then she blinks.

Isn't it about time you wake up, sleepyhead? says a quiet whisper in the back of her mind. Where has she heard that before? In a dream?

The questions flutter away as she closes her eyes again, until she hears the sounds of footsteps approaching the opened door to her room.

To what should come as no one's surprise, curled up at the end of the bed is a three-legged cat, whose head lifts at the prospect of company. They will find themselves being stared at by the one, single eye belonging to the creature, before yawning as he stretches his front leg over the covers.

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A week isn't really that long in the grand scheme of things. She's known people to be dead longer or in a god-induced coma for a month or more.

"Yeah, you were. You're a lot heavier than you look, which isn't a bad thing just- I wasn't expecting it."

Of course, she had been there when the call had come in. It was the least she could do after being so utterly unhelpful during every other step of the way. It wasn't... a lot, admittedly, but Rose figures it's the small things that she can do that might add up in the end. She's going to figure out how to repay Rey for all her help in fixing her ailment, after all.

Maybe not, but around here a lot can happen in a week. A lot can be lost in the blink of an eye, without even realizing it...

But such things do not linger on Rey's mind at the moment. Still distracted with the myriad flashes of images and voices and words in her brain, she's got more than enough to think about now.

"Heavy...? You mean you carried me?"

Rose must have gotten more strength than looks could grant. But then, Rey's appearance is somewhat deceptive as well.

Rose has a lot more than looks could grant. Speed, strength, and senses all much more powerful than the average person's. She couldn't have carried Rey just a few weeks ago. But since she's been able to eat consistently again, her strength has returned impressively fast.

"I did! No need to thank me, just being a good Samaritan and all that."

"Oh."

That's... genuinely impressive. Color Rey impressed.

Her brows raise and she blinks at Rose a few times before she finds her words again (other than 'thanks' because, well, Rose just told her not to). "Well, um. Good to know that you're still eating, then."

At least, that's what Rey assumes. Rose is looking a lot better than she did before. Hell, she looks better than Rey feels now.

"Yeah, I am. Got my strength pretty much back now. Still testing it all out, but- Seems to be working well enough." It's hard to tell if she's back to where she used to be. She might not be for a little bit, honestly, but close is still good enough for Rose right now. And she does look better. She still has dark circles under her eyes that are thickly black, but- Those are probably permanent at this point. But otherwise, she isn't quite as sunken in as before.

"And hey, now you know I can carry you in the future in dire situations. Hopefully, you don't mind princess style. That's what's easiest."

Princess style? Is that how Rey was carried here? She feels her face flush a little at the thought. Rey is usually the one doing the heavy lifting, not the other way around.

Good thing she helped with Rose after all, in which case. She'd probably have woken up on the floor of the science lab otherwise.

"Ah. Well. Don't have a preference, really. Not many people can carry me as it is."

Now embarrassing.

It is, actually. Rose didn't want to say as such, but- It was just the easier option all things considered. Even weight distribution and that better for the yokai to get her to her home as swiftly as possible.

"Alright, well, don't be surprised if I literally sweep you up off your feet one of these days for fun. It might be a good way to test my strength and when it comes back completely."

The suggestion alone is somewhat mortifying. Still, it's good to know who to call if Rey ever needs transport somewhere.

"Sweep me off--" She huffs out a nervoush laugh, ducking her head while scratching the side of her neck. "Not fair. That's supposed to be my job."

Like it really matters...

Rey is pretty used to being the protector, isn't she? That much had been clear when she'd found her on the edge of a building what feels like forever ago now.

"Hey, who says a little bit of role reversal can't be fun? I might not be the most orthodox knight in shining armor, but- I make a pretty alright one, I think."

In truth, Rey has only emerged in that protector role within the last few years. Before that, she was more of a destroyer than something that could ever be relied on for preserving much of anything.

"Hmm, think there might be something in your size at the armory?"

Does the armory even have armor? Fuck it, who cares.

Well, Rose knows about that life all too well.

"If they did, I would be wholly impressed. I bet I could ask one of the gods to craft me a set. Don't usually mind their prices."

"You probably could, but they might be having other concerns right now."

Rey remembers enough about what happened to recall Safronov's conversation with the surviving Null. She doubts that the gods might be as giving knowing that their survival is on the line.

She ducks her head, still feeling her face flushed and hot as she rubs the back of her neck. "If you're not in too big a rush to ask them, guess you could sit down? If you want."

"That's true. Still. Hope should probably be overpowered with how much everyone pitched in, I'd imagine."

She knows she brought back two orbs herself, which... She's not actually sure how much that helped but it was all that Love would let her bring. Please let it be enough.

"Yeah, why not?" she says to that, plopping down the nearest place she can. "Not like I wasn't already planning on hanging around for a bit. Been kind of quiet without ya' around."

Hope. Right. Rey starts to remember certain things more now, like Hope's current state and why they were out of the city for several days. Moreover, she recalls her conversation with Rose out there, and helping her through Carlisle. More things just start to come together over time.

Those orbs are probably more power than Hope would get from them the normal way, at least. Bastard better be grateful.

"That so?" She raises a brow at Rose's comment. "Take it that means I haven't missed much, then?"

Rose tries to think about the last few weeks and what stood out. Honestly? Not a whole lot. "Not really," she finally says, giving a tilt of her head. She's sure she's missing something, but... Rose tends to kind of keep to herself these days. It gets difficult, really, letting people in only to lose them. Maybe it's a way of safeguarding herself these days: she just doesn't get too close to anyone.

Usually.

"Or maybe I just spend too much time around ya' so I noticed your absence more. Who knows!"

Losing people sucks. Having lost more than her fair share, Rey knows how letting them in isn't easy.

Sometimes, however, they kick down your door like an asshole and don't give you a choice in the matter.

"Who knows," Rey echoes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "At least it doesn't sound like I missed another Null attack. That's really piss me off."

Not like she hadn't woken up in a strange place in the middle of a situation where things are trying to kill her, though.

Who would ever do an obnoxious thing like that? Certainly not her, nosiree.

"Oh, uh. Were you awake... for the one Null showing up? Goes by Name, it seems to have the ability to feel and stuff." She thinks maybe Sav handled that one, actually

"It's fuzzy, but... some of the things they talked about? With Safronov and with others? Can remember some of that."

Rey isn't sure she buys into that whole 'friendship' story. It's clearly prioritizing its survival by relying on those least likely to kill it, and playing those with heartstrings is the best way to do that.

No doubt most would disagree, claiming that Rey and Nick are walking testaments or some bullshit like that, but... no. Nope. No.

Kind of like a dream, maybe? Some things half-remembered, some things farther away than others. Rose has had a lot of those experiences.

"Alright, well- That's the big news right now. I'm... on the saving it side, which. I know Sorrow's not gonna' be happy about when he gets back.

Which, actually. He should be coming back. Think everyone got enough orbs for that."

She tries not to sound as happy about it as she does.

Somehow the news of people aiming to protect the Null doesn't sit very nicely with Rey. Maybe it's still a little bit of Safronov impressed on her, or she really doesn't believe that Name thing's cute act.

"Well, at least there's Sorrow." Hopefully he'll talk sense into Rose about the whole thing.

Fat chance.

"Why bother with that thing? If it doesn't get killed by the gods, it'll get killed by one of its own, or by someone else here who doesn't care to have a potential infiltrator in the city."

Truthfully, Rose isn't sure she buys it completely either. Still, she imagines even if it does turn out to be a trap the saying 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer' might prove to be fruitful. It's too good an opportunity to pass up, honestly, what they might learn about the Null... Even if it comes with a risk, it's a calculated one that they should take, in her opinion.

Maybe she'll talk some sense into Sorrow. It's not likely, but- She's going to try.

"Because it's too useful to just kill or let be killed right off. We can learn a lot from it, if we play our cards right."

"Or it could be playing you," Rey quips. "Null don't seem particularly devious, but it could have learned a thing or two from those emotions it has."

Maybe it's just scared and confused. Those are two gods that could benefit from it. To Rey, it's not worth the risk. The synthetic should be put down before it can leak their location to its own kind.

"And it might not and then we'd be killing a being that just wants to live. If I deserve a second chance, so does it. So does anyone."

So maybe she's a little too emotionally invested in this already. Maybe she's biased, but- To her, it's worth the risk. Saving someone is always worth the risk.

Huff.

"Fine. But if that fucker decides to call its buddies over to have another round with us, it's going in a trash compactor. And I also reserve the right to say I told you so."

Hopefully it won't come to that, but Rey isn't holding her breath for redemption for the little robot.

"It wouldn't be the first time I heard it," she says to that, a cheeky little smile on her lips. "But hopefully it doesn't come to that."

Rose is holding her breath if only because she's still waiting for her own redemption.

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you're part of a machine [OPEN/CLOSED]

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