and I will try to fix you [CLOSED]

[circumitus]

Who: Rey and Nick Valentine.
What: Nick's been in bad shape. Time for his roommate to fix that.
Where: Beep Boop House, 1401.
When: February 10th, after Nick's encounter with a dirty synth-hater.
Warnings: Some gore of the robot variety and possible mentions of trauma -- both of the physical and psychological variety.

---

To say the least, it has been a day. And that's putting it mildly.

Between the sharks, the newcomers, and Muscovy's... change (to call it a 'growth spurt' would be an understatement), the only thing now that Rey wants to do is come home and rest. Or at least give her mind some time to process everything.

Rather than driving herself (more) mad with all the strangeness and matters that she can't change, Rey diverts her thoughts towards what she can do in the immediate moment: She can take care of Nick. Make use of Shadow's time and utilize it to keep her roommate from falling to pieces. Keep him existing for as long as she possibly can. It isn't like he came with an maintenance manual, so it's all been trial and error so far. It just isn't good enough.

The opening and closing of the front door announces Rey's return before she even calls out, "Nick? You home?"

She kicks off some dirt from her boots at the doorway before entering, trudging over the carpet as she listens for any signs of the house's second inhabitant.

Comments

[circumitus]

Though she has very little reason to fear someone like Danse coming after her, she does make a note to herself to be more careful about what she says around him. Making waves does no one any favors.

She also tries to convince herself not to pummel the man next time they meet. Despite his actions against Nick, he did genuinely talk as if he had the best intentions, and they could use all of that they can get around here.

"Think it'd be a bad time to inform him that you're runner up on the Guard's chain of command? He seemed interested in joining, but..."

Talk about awkward.

[synthedick]

"If he doesn't realize it yet," Nick returns with a sigh, "he'll figure it out soon enough. Let's just hope Henry and Maketh don't end up dead a third time."

Maybe they're better people than he is and throw themselves into more danger, maybe they're foolhardy and don't think too hard on what would happen to the city without them, or maybe they just have rotten luck, but Nick is grateful that, unlike his bosses, he has yet to kick the bucket in Hadriel. He's come close -- that emergency shutdown after he ran into a deathclaw really put the fear of God in him -- but he still doesn't trust Hope can bring him back the way he does the others, certainly not with what the insides of those mopeds look like. Things run on magic in the city; Nick doesn't. Last thing he needs is for them to bring him back nonfunctional and for Rey to have to deal with his lifeless shell.

[circumitus]

Rey squints in front of her current task, shaking her head.

"No, I don't think he's the type who'd just kill anyone. Not unless they give him reason to. His beef is with you. Or, at least, with what you are."

Maketh may has her irrational moments, but even she should know better than to incite provocation when things can be handled without bloodshed. Rey didn't spend enough time with this Danse to know him, but she wants to believe that he was being sincere.

Finally, she finishes repairing the wires and begins to return Nick's orbital back to its rightful place. It snaps back into the socket.

She nods to herself. "You should get functionality back in this eye soon."

[synthedick]

Nick had been thinking more along the lines of if whatever the gods brought in next took them out, but hell, with how furious Danse had been with him, maybe he'd categorize both Henry and Maketh as synth sympathizers. Rey's right though, and Nick knows it, deep down -- Danse had been after him, and no one else for now. He hopes to get more answers regarding exactly why at some point, but for now, he'll settle just for being back in some semblance of working order.

And that's why what she says next gets a smile on his face. "Thanks, Rey. I don't know what I'd do without you, other than start shopping for an eyepatch."

[circumitus]

"God, no. You start pulling off that look, you're going to get even more people punching your eye out and more."

It's a good-natured joke, but with Nick's appearance, he's bound to make people jumpy the way he is already. He doesn't need to get mistaken for any of the lesser inhabitants that accompany the monthly arrivals any more than he needs a piano dropped on his head.

Once she's finished, she says, "Think I can fix that leg of yours now, if you've got time. And not just make a slipshod patch job, either."

[synthedick]

If Rey was expecting a suspicious look, she's getting one now: Nick's mouth draws itself into a thin line, his brow over his darkened eye rising.

"Yeah? You been busy?"

Yes, she's been busy with doubles and sharks and who knows what else; she doesn't need the gods and their nonsense on top of all that, and especially not for his sake. She has to get parts from somewhere, though, as much as he'd rather she didn't -- she can't just fix his leg from nothing, and getting what's required means asking the gods for it. Rey did say she wouldn't go that route -- if only because he asked her not to -- but Nick can't say he honestly expected she'd keep her word forever, especially if he got so worn down that he was hardly able to function.

But he's not there yet, which begs the question of where any spare parts she might suddenly have came from.

[circumitus]

It doesn't take much for her to follow where Nick's line of thinking is going, and she's quick to shut it down: "You can relax. I got them from someone else this time."

Someone who got them because he made a similar deal with Hope. Basically the same thing, but it's enough of a truth that she doesn't have to feel any guilt for the lie. Because it isn't a lie, you see. Not from where Rey is sitting.

Honesty. It's good for the soul.

"That doesn't mean I haven't been plenty busy lately, though," she adds with a sarcastic tone.

[synthedick]

It takes Nick no time at all to piece together what she means. Parts like his don't just grow on trees. That leaves him with one question:

"Who else would be getting parts for me?"

[circumitus]

Lying this time won't do her or Nick any favors, since they're well passed that at this point for her to assume he would buy a bluff for a second. Nick is perceptive. It's who he is, and who that cop used to be.

"Shadow," Rey says simply, then is quick to add: "And I don't want to hear you say no. I'm not going to let you fall apart so long as there's something that can be done about it."

[synthedick]

Rey stops him before he can protest; much like she knows it's no good to lie, he knows it's no good to argue with her. He's certainly in no condition for it, given the repair work she's doing. Besides that, they're family, so they have to take care of each other for each other. Rey looking out for him helps her, as well.

He sighs, leaning back so he can prop up his busted leg. "I guess you're not the only one who gets to claim that now."

[circumitus]

Taking the tools and parts needed, she transitions to her next task. Not even awkward or bumbling when she has to roll his pant leg up to get a better handle on what she's going to be working with.

"Are you really that surprised?"

From the sounds of things, even people in Nick's world warmed up to him after a while -- and they at least had the similar excuse like Danse to express ire towards their kind. Nick just has that sort of personality.

She shrugs a shoulder, fingers not fumbling once. "Besides, if you start hobbling around after he went through all that work for you, Shadow is just going to take it out on me for not fixing you. It'll make me look bad in general if I'm supposed to be taking care of you and you can't even stay vertical."

Not that she cares what other people say or do to her, but she knows that her roommate would. Think about the reputation she has to uphold here, Nick.

[synthedick]

It might be a bit of a guilt trip, but it's done lightly enough that Nick smiles. "I've always given you a glowing review when asked."

He really shouldn't be surprised when folks go out of their way for him, yet here he is. He'll just have to keep himself in better condition this time so Shadow, Rey, or anyone else doesn't have to do it again. That's easier said that done, of course -- no telling when the Door will bring in something else looking to knock a few pieces off him.

"I'll have to thank him later," Nick continues finally, that half-smile still tugging at him. "He's rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart... a little like someone else I know."

Nick clearly has a type when it comes to making friends.

[circumitus]

How ironic, for someone who used to talk about not caring what happens to him. Now obligated to take care of himself so the people who like him don't have to go through great lengths to keep him functioning.

Isn't family just great, Nick?

Rey tries not to falter when her roommate draws his little comparison, not wanting to risk messing this up when she's in the middle of a delicate process between reconnecting some cords. She's going to have to install a proper cast around it to better protect the internal wiring. At the very least, she is grateful that he isn't calling them out on exploiting a loophole in Nick's logic not to have Rey risk herself to attain replaceable parts.

"Well, if it's one thing I know someone is willing to stick a rebar through me for, it's my heart." She barks a laugh, but it really isn't much of a joke this time. It also isn't a subject she's thought to bring up much.

[synthedick]

Nick pushes a quiet sigh out of him at that; it's been a while since the Door's sudden influx of visitors, people who were there and gone in such a short time, but some wounds just don't heal. "Even if she'd managed to take it," he utters quietly, that soft rumble lying in his tone, "you'd still have more heart than she'll ever have."

And he absolutely means that. Hell, some people would say the same about Nick himself, and he doesn't have a heart at all -- not in the traditional sense. Wanting to get away from the subject of IV, he's thankful for the distraction as his eye finally comes back online, the light within glowing brightly.

"Guess it's official," he continues, giving Rey a smile, both eyes settling on her. "You're a miracle worker."

[circumitus]

The change of subject isn't even subtle, but all the same it is appreciated. Nick knows just as well as Rey that the topic of IV is a sore spot for the two of them, and is better off switched altogether with some levity than anything else.

She pauses, only her eyes darting up at him to see what he's talking about, and meets the glowing circles of Nick's gaze. Somehow managing to pull a smile back, she returns her attention back to reconnecting, repairing, and replacing the wires within Nick's leg.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We can talk about miracles once we can keep you vertical without needing a third leg."

By 'leg' she means that cane. It's helped, but she'd rather Nick not have to need it.

[synthedick]

"And here I was finally getting used to it."

As facetious as that statement is, he'd rather be back on his own two feet, as well. Having a bum leg hasn't been too much of an ordeal, save for when it gives out from under him when in a fight with a Brotherhood Paladin or Rey's evil twin.

In other words, it hasn't been trouble, except for when it was. "I'll be glad to leave the cane at home from now on, though. I'll be honest that I wasn't sure how I was gonna get out of the hole Sharon and I found you in." She knows the one. "We didn't know what kind of condition you'd be in when we got you out of there, and neither of us is exactly a light load."

[circumitus]

Too bad you're not allowed to get used to it, dadbot.

The mention of the hole Nick and Sharon had found her in almost gives Rey another pause, but she manages to compose herself by repeating the same coping mechanism that's been playing over and over in her head. Just has to keep herself together. Can't fall apart. For Nick.

"Mm. Climbed out of worse scrapes than that," Rey says rather frivolously, her focus not leaving the work that has her hands full as of the moment. For that, she's grateful. She could use the distraction. Could keep it, too.