Your head feels heavy, your memories foggy, and as you struggle to recall where you are and what you were doing, you hear the sound of something large and heavy moving behind you. Whatever it is - machinery of some sort, you can tell that much right away - it doesn’t seem hostile; merely a massive machine going about doing something down far, far below you. You can see it - through the cracks of the floor you're standing on, and the steep drop off the side. At least there’s a railing on this path to keep you from falling down there?
No matter which way you look - up, down, or out straight ahead of you - there’s endless paths and structures, as though you’re standing in some sort of massive building. You look to your left and there’s a broken section of wall revealing open space - strange, since you aren’t wearing anything different, yet you’re still breathing just fine.
A loud ping! catches your attention, followed by a few more. As you turn around to find the source of the noise, you’re led to a rundown computer terminal. It looks ancient, untouched, and dusty, and yet there’s a message in bright green standing against the stark black contrast of the monitor.
/// L O A D I N G . . .
Oh good, you’re awake.
Hi, I don’t have much time, so please pay close attention.
You’re the only ones who can save this world - all worlds, maybe.
Thank you for agreeing to help.
For now, please practice your new abilities and try to work together.
I’ll be in contact with you as soon as possible.
It feels familiar, like maybe you've experienced something similar before, despite the fact that none of you recognize this place. What's going on here? What have you gotten yourself into?
AWAKENING
Your memories leading up to your sudden arrival in this place may be foggy. Even if they aren't, you certainly don't remember how you got here of all places. And where exactly is here? Well, inside of some sort of massive structure that expands outwards, backwards, downwards, and upwards. Every direction you look, there's plenty of building to be seen, whether it's walkways over the abyss (but thankfully with mostly sturdy guard rails) or stairs and ramps leading up and down to new floors, or even rooms that don't seem to hold much of interest. All of it is rundown, worn and in desperate need of some dusting.
Before you sits the terminal, a sturdy computer set into a pillar with an old-fashioned and dusty keyboard. The green text remains bright against the black background, with a cursor indicating that you can input text, if you'd like. You may try to communicate with whoever's on the other end at any point in time during the week, though you may not receive the answers you're hoping for.
Not too far away is a carefully-arranged group of supplies. You'll find plenty of non-perishable food, blankets and bedrolls, clothes in your sizes that are plain but acceptable, and some basic supplies - things like rope and matches and flashlights, but no weapons or anything you could use to defend yourselves. You'll also find a large room nearby that happens to have several bathrooms and a fairly large communal shower. Despite being rather old and dusty, they do work... though the water never gets above "not freezing". Sorry about that.
Looks like you'll have to settle in, as there doesn't seem to be any way out of this strange structure.
EXPLORATION
It's likely that your first thought will be to explore. Why not? After all, there must be a way back home, or at least a way out of wherever this is. Traversing the structure is fairly easy, as even if a path is blocked by rubble, you'll find another one going in a similar direction somewhere nearby. In fact, the entire place seems to be rather pointlessly constructed - hallways that lead to dead ends, paths that loop in circles for no reason, and far, far too many stairs.
If you're lucky, you'll stumble across rooms with some basic supplies. They won't have any food or weapons, but you'll find some dusty fabrics and blankets, or small caches of tools. If you're unlucky, you'll be lost in this structure for far too long, wandering off the beaten path and possibly losing track of where you are and how to get back to the base... you might want to travel with a buddy, just to be safe. Or hope that someone stumbles across you and can guide you back, your pick.
Holes in the structure open out into what looks like... well, outer space. An endless sea of stars amidst a black sky that never changes, making it hard to tell how much time has passed. Despite this, you can breathe easily, just as you would back home.
MACHINES
It won't take you long to notice that you aren't truly alone. After all, how could you be, when massive machines seem to be hard at work on constructing even more of this place? The large ones - the builders - do just that, building more pathways and rooms and walkways, endlessly working and never stopping. They don't take notice of you; they won't respond to anything you say, and even attempting to poke and prod them won't get a reaction. Even if you get particularly daring and try to take one apart, you'll find that it's nearly impossible; these machines are massive. Finding a panel to get into to get at their wiring is strangely impossible. They seem to be completely seamless, with nothing you can really do to investigate them further.
But they aren't the only machines present. Though you likely won't see them immediately, you will hear them; a skittering, metal-on-metal clicking sound that alerts you to a presence, but fades before you can even detect which direction it was coming from. Whatever it is, it seems to be watching you.
And if you're ever alone... well, then they'll show themselves. Around three feet tall and made of metal with long, spindly legs that look like they shouldn't support their thicker cores, these spider-like robots aren't particularly strong on their own, but they never attack on their own, only in groups of three or more. If you're especially unlucky, you can find upwards of ten of them at a time. They have two claw-like "hands" that can shoot a jolt of electricity or scratch at you - and be careful, because they hurt! That jolt of electricity can even leave a burn if you're unlucky.
But surely if you stick together you won't have to fight them... right?
SHARDS
The strange gemstone imbedded in the back of your dominant hand almost hums when you're in danger. It fills you with confidence, with the knowledge that you can do something - though what exactly that something is varies from person to person. You might be lucky enough that you innately recognize your power and know how to use it. You might not be that lucky and you might have to manifest it in combat to defend yourself. Regardless, it will manifest - and you now have access to a power all your own.
It's not going to be easy to control it. This power is new to you, and you'll need to practice to have a hope of utilizing it in full. But right now, you have the means to defend yourself, and if those spider robots get particularly bold, you can stop them. After all, what better way to put your power to use than by testing it on fairly weak robots?
Let's hope that you can aim your power well enough, however. While the builders may not care about you at any point in time, if an attack goes wide and hits them or they're otherwise in the path of an ability, they will turn their full attention on you. You really don't want that. Builders are relentless in their pursuit of you - and they have massive steel beams they will swing at you, or they'll try to crush you with their giant hands and fists. There are only two ways to stop a builder: the first is to run far, far away. They cannot chase you, as they are connected to the building itself, after all. The other way is to destroy the joints of the arms or wrists, rendering the builder incapable of doing anything. Better hope you don't anger any of the ones near your base!
DOWNTIME
Aside from exploring, mastering the power of your shard, and getting to know one another... there really isn't much to do here. So how are you going to spend the time? After all, it's just you, your fellow shardbearers, and some robots that probably aren't sentient. Settle in, it looks like you've got a long week ahead of you.
ENEMIES
This week's enemies are described above: spider robots and builders. If you have an enemy idea you'd like to have your character encounter, let me know and we can discuss it!
Spider robots are three feet tall, silver metal spider-like robots that look vaguely like this. They have a core in the center of their body that can be taken, but it isn't particularly useful outside of being cool to look at. Even you tech nerds won't be able to get much out of it, as it seems impossible to find a way to dismantle it further. Spider robots come with two "hands" that have sharp claws on them; they're capable of creating electric zaps with these hands, which really hurt if they connect! Spider robots are very fast and will skitter away the moment there's danger... unless there's three or more of them, then they get bold. They will attack anyone sleeping, especially if they're alone. They're fairly weak enemies, and can be fended off even if you don't have a great grasp on your powers just yet.
The builders are a different story. Massive, structure-spanning robots that are nearly impossible to tell apart from the building itself, the only real part of them that you can identify are their dark metal arms. They are likewise massive, with one hand being large and strong enough to flatten five of you if you aren't careful. Though the builders are non-hostile and will go about their business of building this never-ending structure, they will turn their attention on you if you hit them with any sort of ability... even if that ability isn't an attack. They can swing giant metal beams or just go for the option of trying to crush you with their hands. They're slow-moving, but very powerful; though they can't pursue you so at least there's that. If you anger one near the base, watch out - as you will have to defeat it.
[Yeager's gotten fairly used to activating his power by now. It's simply a "turn it on and it happens naturally, turn it off and it's gone" type thing, so all he has to do is will it to happen, and he's got tank stance on. This is quite convenient, but now he's just taken to trying to determine the second part of his ability. The increased durability is nice, sure, but he's trying to see if what he suspects is true, which means he needs some test subjects.
The first test subjects are the four spider robots he's just. Gathered?? They're all following after him trying to zap him while he just walks ahead of them like this ain't a big deal. The next test subject would be...]
Oh, miss Dorothy! Come here for a moment, would you?
[No, he does not care that there are four spider robots zapping him, thanks for asking. He also could take them out if he wanted to, given that he has picked up one of those broken pipes to use as a weapon, but he's not doing that either.
[Dorothy's starting to get used to this way of life. It's almost like being back on missions with her original squad, all of those decades ago. Dorothy keeps exploring and utilizing her water powers, blasting any little spiderbot that dares come along and try to fuck with her. The groups are even more fun, though Dorothy's tactical and quick enough to divide and conquer. It's just like being on the field again.
It's like coming home, in a weird way.
But that strangely homey feeling gets interrupted when she hears that familiar, slightly grating voice of her business partner, coming at her cheerful as ever with--]
Sir Yeager, what on earth did you do--
[Dorothy is admittedly more than a little irritated at these events, but fine, she sees a battle that this man is ill-equipped to deal with and she can deal with it once he explains everything. It's weird to work in tandem with a human, but Yeager at least fights decently enough--not enough to keep pace with her (in her esteemed opinion. he is, in fact, perfectly fine, she's just a bitch--), but as Dorothy fights with almost practiced grace alongside him, she blasts down spider after spider with ease.
She's remarkably precise with her shots, using those jets of water like bullets--one managing to hit it's target pretty hard, though still standing. (14) Another manages to disable the spiderbot, leaving it little more than a half formed ball on the ground. (18) She even manages to nearly cut one in half with a precise water shot! (19) But...]
[The problem with Dorothy is that she always holds back just a touch, to prevent herself from getting messy. There's a clear shot she can take at whatever Yeager doesn't manage to finish off, but it'd involve getting her pristine white clothes filthy, and it's while she tries to adjust herself that she misses. (2)
The spiderbot in question manages to get a clean laser shot off at her, and she's genuinely thankful that she protects her dominant hand out of instinct, because it slices through her right hand with entirely too much ease, sending the hand falling to the ground while Dorothy's eyes widen.]
No, no, no--you--
[The fight is finished quickly, but Dorothy is hiding behind some kind of rock for the time being while she pokes her head over it once all is said and done, looking to see how Yeager is fairing.]
[Yeager, of course, does not bother explaining what it is he's trying to do. Why would he, when never explains himself to even Droite and Gauche? Instead, he lets Dorothy take the lead in taking out the spiders; two of them are easily blasted apart, and the third is still standing (and still focused on Yeager) so that's nice, that proves what he was thinking—
Until the fourth very clearly decides it is done with Yeager's shit and turns its attention on Dorothy. Uh oh. And even more pressing is that it manages to zap her hard enough to cause serious damage and oh man, he really underestimated these things, didn't he. Time to put this little experiment to an end, by way of a metal pipe colliding with the core of that spider robot. He finishes off the other one for good measure, just to make sure they won't be interrupted because what—]
A test of my power, but clearly that didn't go as anticipated. Miss Dorothy, are you alright?
[Usually he doesn't question what he just saw but like. Did she lose half her hand?????]
cw: brief panic attack, slight robot gore continued
[This can't be happening. Dorothy's whole world feels like it's been tilted on it's head for a brief, horrifying moment as she looks to the part of her hand that remains, blood staining the ground as she tries futilely to keep it from staining her clothes. She's already failed in that endeavor.
It really isn't that major of a loss, especially given that she's being expected to fight with her gun. Truly, it isn't. But it's what this means that puts Dorothy on edge. She should be stronger than this--a weakling, a runt like this, it likely would have burned her hand if she had her usual level of endurance. Nikke are made to endure hits like these without problem, without fail, but--it sliced right through her hand, the hit so clean that it feels like either a lapse in judgement or that this world has taken her durability from her.
Dorothy's frozen for a moment, maybe even enough of a moment for Yeager to see the wiring and various little parts that have been exposed from her hand if he chances a step closer. She stares for a bit, eyes wide, her brain feeling like it's going into overdrive before--
Right, he spoke. He spoke, she--she can't let him see this, she can't, he's just like her and he'll use it against her--]
I am fine, Yeager!
[It comes barked out in a tone that's quite the contrast from Dorothy's usual. She stuffs down her frantic demeanor, stuffs it all down, takes stock of the damage as she rushes off to grab that part of her hand--three fingers gone, well. That's not ideal to say the least, to say the least of what's happened with her clothes, and she just needs to find someone who can repair her. It's got to be easy. Maybe there's someone, anyone--
But oh, Dorothy's anger has risen, and while she's forced to clutch her bleeding hand to the chest of her outfit and stain it red, she's quick on the draw to express that anger.
Namely--and perhaps thankfully not fatally, she attempts to hit Yeager with a water gun in retaliation (15) to soak him rather than knock him over, and maybe mercifully, she sounds far more indignant than outright furious at the moment.]
You--you could have stood to warn me first before enacting such a stupid plan, you moron! These clothes are going to take weeks to get clean again!
[She doesn't know how much he's seen, if anything at all. She's hoping he didn't see anything, or that her indignance is enough of a distraction from the fact that she's very much not human if he looks too close.]
[Yeager steps forward when she doesn't reply immediately; it's equal parts concern and curiosity that compel him forward and ultimately he finds himself staring at her hand. Mercifully, he's more focused on that than Dorothy's own reaction, because Yeager has never seen a robot that looks like a person before and his brain is kind of stalling out trying to process what he's seeing. That injury should result in a lot more pain and a lot less robot-y parts. Sure, there's blood, as expected, but the rest... the rest just isn't right.
(And there is a part of himself - the part that's been tamped down for ten years - that can't help but feel some level of guilt. This is his fault, after all.)
Her initial outburst barely even registers because he's too busy staring at her severed fingers that she's now grabbing, and he only blinks and comes back into himself from the blank stare when she continues. His initial urge is to deflect, to play it off, to get annoying and flippant and maybe even blame her for being so weak that one of those things could hurt her like that, but...]
You're right, I should have.
[It just sort of leaves him, and the urge to fight with it. He just hasn't really been feeling up to fighting lately - why bother when he'd already decided how things were going to go back home? Why bother, when he shouldn't even be here in the first place?]
What... are you, exactly? Something like that... well, most people wouldn't be able to react like you are.
[It's not meant to be pointed and his tone remains just as blank as his expression.]
[...He saw. He saw, he saw hesawhesawhesawhesawhesawhesawhesaw--
Any pretense of cordiality leaves Dorothy as her purple eyes stare at Yeager as all light leaves them at once. She doesn't even look human anymore, despite everything--she looks more like a cornered animal, trapped in a cage of it's own making as she looks at him, her steps forward shaky and almost a threat.]
Are you going to tell everyone? [Another step forward.] Are you going to tell everyone that I'm--that I'm an inhuman freak, that I'm just like these monster that threaten us?
[Just like every other human has. Every other human who's afraid of us, who sees us as beneath them, you're the same, you're all the same--
She stares him down, and she's not sure what she'll do at this point, but she's shaking something fierce.]
[Yeager doesn't move, still watching her with that blank expression. She looks... cornered. "Terrified" isn't the right word, because it doesn't match her tone or her actions, but it's the closest thing he can think of.]
I see no reason to.
[His words are even, calm, but just as emotionless as his expression.]
There are other non-humans here. As far as I've seen, none of them have been treated poorly for who or what they are. But even so, it isn't any of their business.
[He should be having some kind of feeling about this. This is important information - at least for her. Even if the others wouldn't care, she would. Information like that can go a long way - he'd know better than most people. And yet...
Yeager's hand absently comes up to rest on his chest.]
I've no interest in sharing your secrets, miss Dorothy.
[Dorothy's about to finally give into that ugly, animalistic urge inside of her to simply beat Yeager until she can't feel anything anymore, her tone rising to frantic, almost shrieking levels before those last words seem to cause her to startle outright.
I've no interest in sharing your secrets, miss Dorothy.]
...How can I believe that, when every single one of you humans--you parasites, you self serving--you're just like--
[me, aren't you?
Dorothy shakes with barely held in anger, her mind at war with itself. She should kill him for the slight. She should. But he's useful to her, isn't he? If he's feeling this kind of pity for her, she can use it to her advantage. But if he lets this slip to the group, they'll see her the same way they see these monsters. Yes, just a monster, just a weapon of a monster that roams among them, just like the rest, just like--]
...I am...what the humans of my world call a Nikke. [The words come out shuddering, almost a snarl, but it's a start.] We are soldiers--weapons created to combat the Raptures that plague our world, as humanity's last ditch effort to save themselves. Everything I've told you still remains the same, but we're...
[...]
Why should I tell you any of this? Why should I not simply kill you where you stand? You...
You see me the same as these creatures here, don't you? The rest of them, at least most of them--they're organic. Or at the very least, they don't hide what they are.
[He should have a reaction. He knows he should have a reaction, and even if he doesn't, he should fake a reaction, because that's what people expect. That's the front he puts forward for everyone. People can't listen to something like this and simply have no reaction whatsoever.
And yet that's what Yeager's doing, because he just can't get himself to care enough about putting up a front right now. What does it matter anyway? Why bother pretending when everything was so damn close to just being over and done with? He'd already decided. This whole thing is a farce. He shouldn't be here.
Why should I not simply kill you where you stand?
That gets the corners of his mouth to quirk up, the very first reaction he's had to anything happening here after the surprise wore off back into the familiar, numbing apathy.
Why indeed? There isn't much of a point in him being here when he'd already decided death was the only way to solve all of his problems. What does it matter if he dies here or in Zaude? Perhaps this might even be a mercy, as Gauche and Droite wouldn't have to watch.
The silence lasts for far too long, Yeager lost in his own thoughts before he finally forces himself to speak.]
Why would I? My world does not have Nikke, nor do we have anything like you. But you look and act like a person, and that's good enough for me.
[The words are still unnervingly even, blank, and not reflecting the slight quirk of his lips at all.]
You don't have to tell me more if you don't want to. It doesn't truly matter, ja?
[...]
Are you going to kill me now, or did I give you a satisfactory answer?
[Again, nothing behind it. No mockery, no teasing, no sarcasm: it's just a simple, straightforward question.]
cw: violence, homicidal thoughts, a hard detour into nikke rights talk, war time trauma
[It barely takes any time for Dorothy to close the distance. Robot she may be, she's incredibly quick when she wants to. Not as quick as she used to, but it's noticeable, in how her body was built. One of the fastest of the Goddess Squad had known outside of Liliweiss and Red Hood at her peak, and she closes the distance and takes Yeager's neck with her uninjured hand and squeezes.
Yeager can likely feel the mechanics underneath her so-called skin. And it feels like skin; Goddessium really does wonders for that, but there's still differences. Little noises of internal machinery that can be heard if Yeager strains his ears, skin yet strange unyielding metal underneath.
Dorothy stares at him with cold eyes, wanting to snap his neck. If she had her strength, she could, easily. She wants to hurt him, to hurt him so badly, to make him pay for this slight against her for reminding her how little of a difference there is between humans and Nikke, how Eden has strived for their equality, how--
But you look and act like a person, and that's good enough for me.
Those words echo in her mind, and she can't help but think for a second that the insipid Commander who keeps trying to reach for her heart would be able to get behind such words.]
...I don't understand you in the slightest. [And that, perhaps surprisingly, signals the easing on Yeager's throat. Her words come out soft at this point, confused, hollow, and empty.] Any of you, but you especially. There was a time I wanted to protect people like you, you know. My...
My only obligation to you all is because of this frankly absurd mission, and I fear all it's doing is making me soft. I'm only seeing to your safety because I have to, because I know I'm outnumbered.
[It's not the only reason, and Yeager likely knows it. But she can keep the more selfish reasons to herself. With surprising gentleness, she releases Yeager's throat and withdraws her hand, though perhaps despite herself, she keeps talking.]
...The humans of my world do not see us the same as you, you know. They put things into most Nikke's brains called NIMPH; Neuro-Implanted Machine for the Protection of Humans. Because they fear what we could do if we were able to act against their injustices against us; not something I have to worry about, as I'm sure you can surmise. Most Nikke are simply seen as tools to be used. Weapons to be replaced and upgraded as humanity wishes, fodder to be sent against their endless war to reclaim a surface they don't even deserve at this point. There was one point where they viewed us as Goddesses of Victory, destined to bring them back home, but I'm sure you can imagine how that turned out. It was apparently only recently within the last seventy years that Nikke were even allowed to become something other than soldiers in the Ark. In Eden, it's a non-issue, but...
[...]
Can you see why I cannot trust you at your word?
[And yet, despite it all, she's let him go. Dorothy's a mess of contradictions.]
[He hand - her good hand, the one he isn't responsible for damaging - closes around his neck and Yeager's properly smiling now. It isn't the usual expression. There's always a touch of slyness or sarcasm or irony when he smiles, but right here and now, he looks genuinely pleased. Like this is exactly what he wanted from this altercation, even if he didn't exactly plan it out down to the last detail.
It doesn't matter anyway. He didn't plan out his death back home either.
He's aware of the differences between her and a human, but those don't really matter anymore. Not when she has her hand on his throat and all she has to do is keep squeezing. He won't fight her, after all.
...And yet.
Dorothy's grip loosens and despite himself, Yeager gasps for breath. No matter how much his mind may argue with his, his body very clearly isn't ready to give up on him just yet.
Her words register, but they don't register as right. The only reason she's doing it? That doesn't quite add up. Even if she's spoken with the person on the other end of that terminal, she doesn't have the full story. It's silly to believe everything they've been told. Yet she's seemingly embraced it, and seemingly accepted that this is her fate.
(And isn't that a familiar feeling.)
Dorothy's hand withdraws and Yeager's own finds his neck, gloved fingers mimicking her grip, though loosely this time; checking the severity of the bruising left behind on instinct. It isn't bad, it should fade within a couple of hours which is both a relief and something of a disappointment.
She continues speaking, telling him things he doesn't need to know, that ultimately don't really matter all that much here. But...]
I can see that, ja.
[His voice is a little rough, and Yeager clears his throat before continuing.]
I cannot speak for all the humans here, of course, but as for myself... well, I'm not from your world. I do not have any sort of preconceived notions of what a Nikke is or should be. All I have to go on is what I've seen of you here and now.
[Which involves totally sane things like talking about guns and dangerous missions and also being strangled. So you know. Typical Yeager Stuff.]
Somehow, I doubt you'd appreciate anything I'd have to say about your circumstances. But unfortunately, that isn't going to stop me.
[When he smiles this time, it's back to the usual. His words come easily and flow as they usually do, but there's still that unrelenting blankness behind them that hasn't been present in his voice before this confrontation.]
I've always valued my freedom above all else. Losing that... well, I can't imagine what I'd do. [Hah.] To never have that option to begin with... I can't help but feel frustrated and angry at your situation.
[His hand drops back to his chest, fingers digging into the cravat and suit jacket beneath it.]
If I could, I'd tear that NIMPH from your head and let you make your own decisions. Everyone - human, nonhuman, Nikke - should be allowed to choose their own path, regardless of where that may take them.
[...He forces his hand to lower, shaking his head.]
You don't have to believe me. I'm not doing a very good job of selling it, ja? Regardless, I stand by what I said: I've no reason to tell anyone about this conversation.
[Yeager allows himself to breathe; to close his eyes and center himself and remind himself that no, today isn't the day he rejoins Casey. Just take it one day at a time.]
[Dorothy should shut him up somehow. Shut him up, yes, shut that stupid mouth up that even he knows is pissing her off right now. Maybe she could even crush his damn throat with her heels because while her hand clearly won't suffice she must still weigh a lot, but...
Somehow, Yeager keeps his life as Dorothy stares at him for a much longer than acceptable time. He's...he's really just like that blasted, overly forgiving Commander she knows. There are things that she can admit make sense--that the humans here clearly aren't from the world she comes from, so why can't she give them the benefit of the doubt?
The answer is pretty simple. He might, but what of the rest?]
...I wish I believed a word of what you're saying. [Dorothy's gaze has lot a lot of it's cagedness, but it seems he's not the only one who's expression has gone blank. Her tone's a little softer, though.] But you know I can't. Your words, your sentiments, they're empty and they mean...nothing.
[And yet, what does that say of her? What does it say for Dorothy, who hasn't strangled every bit of life out of Yeager? What does it say that she's standing right here, still listening to him, still hearing those stupid, stupid, insipid words that don't mean anything?
Dorothy has to force herself to turn on her heel. She needs to get out, she needs to...
...]
Try not to get yourself killed, you blithering idiot. Unlike some of you, I still have a mission to see through, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it any harder for me than you already have.
...You will be owing me a few extra blastia for this slight. Just so you're aware.
[Dorothy doesn't quite walk away, but she doesn't look at Yeager when she says that.]
[She doesn't know how true that is. How much of what he's said - even just here - has been completely empty, pointless, and untrue? He lies as easily as he breathes, now. Maybe she can see straight through him, or maybe she just can't allow herself to trust a human. Regardless, the end result in the same. She doesn't trust his words.
Good; she shouldn't trust someone like him - even if this time it is true.
But she continues and Yeager finds himself canting his head. Her words are... baffling. She can't trust him, she was ready to kill him, and yet something he said must have gotten through to her in some way, because she goes and says something like that
Try not to get yourself killed, you blithering idiot.
Hah. Failed step one.]
You're welcome to them, then. [It's not like he has much use for blastia anymore.] I've no intention of causing any further problems for your mission either.
[He already told Raven as much. What's the point in causing problems here?
(What was the point in causing problems back home, come to think of it?)]
...Thank you for listening. And I...
[...He doesn't know how to finish that. He certainly can't tell her that he'll stay out of trouble and keep himself safe. So instead Yeager just lets that hang there for a long moment before lifting his shoulders a bit in a shrug.]
Well, anyway, you've my apologies for what happened.
I'm-- [Dorothy's body tenses for a brief moment, as if she's about to consider going back on her word.] An apology isn't going to fix this. I'm only listening because you--
[She forces herself to release the tension in her and walks away.]
--I'm taking my leave. Forget this conversation ever happened if you value your life. But if you die, I'll never forgive you.
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surely no one will notice if we have a second thread day 2
The first test subjects are the four spider robots he's just. Gathered?? They're all following after him trying to zap him while he just walks ahead of them like this ain't a big deal. The next test subject would be...]
Oh, miss Dorothy! Come here for a moment, would you?
[No, he does not care that there are four spider robots zapping him, thanks for asking. He also could take them out if he wanted to, given that he has picked up one of those broken pipes to use as a weapon, but he's not doing that either.
In other words, Shenanigans Time.]
surely not!!! 1/2
It's like coming home, in a weird way.
But that strangely homey feeling gets interrupted when she hears that familiar, slightly grating voice of her business partner, coming at her cheerful as ever with--]
Sir Yeager, what on earth did you do--
[Dorothy is admittedly more than a little irritated at these events, but fine, she sees a battle that this man is ill-equipped to deal with and she can deal with it once he explains everything. It's weird to work in tandem with a human, but Yeager at least fights decently enough--not enough to keep pace with her (in her esteemed opinion. he is, in fact, perfectly fine, she's just a bitch--), but as Dorothy fights with almost practiced grace alongside him, she blasts down spider after spider with ease.
She's remarkably precise with her shots, using those jets of water like bullets--one managing to hit it's target pretty hard, though still standing. (14) Another manages to disable the spiderbot, leaving it little more than a half formed ball on the ground. (18) She even manages to nearly cut one in half with a precise water shot! (19) But...]
2/2 cw slight robot blood/gore
The spiderbot in question manages to get a clean laser shot off at her, and she's genuinely thankful that she protects her dominant hand out of instinct, because it slices through her right hand with entirely too much ease, sending the hand falling to the ground while Dorothy's eyes widen.]
No, no, no--you--
[The fight is finished quickly, but Dorothy is hiding behind some kind of rock for the time being while she pokes her head over it once all is said and done, looking to see how Yeager is fairing.]
What was that all about?!
[...oh. oh boy, she's mad--]
no subject
Until the fourth very clearly decides it is done with Yeager's shit and turns its attention on Dorothy. Uh oh. And even more pressing is that it manages to zap her hard enough to cause serious damage and oh man, he really underestimated these things, didn't he. Time to put this little experiment to an end, by way of a metal pipe colliding with the core of that spider robot. He finishes off the other one for good measure, just to make sure they won't be interrupted because what—]
A test of my power, but clearly that didn't go as anticipated. Miss Dorothy, are you alright?
[Usually he doesn't question what he just saw but like. Did she lose half her hand?????]
cw: brief panic attack, slight robot gore continued
It really isn't that major of a loss, especially given that she's being expected to fight with her gun. Truly, it isn't. But it's what this means that puts Dorothy on edge. She should be stronger than this--a weakling, a runt like this, it likely would have burned her hand if she had her usual level of endurance. Nikke are made to endure hits like these without problem, without fail, but--it sliced right through her hand, the hit so clean that it feels like either a lapse in judgement or that this world has taken her durability from her.
Dorothy's frozen for a moment, maybe even enough of a moment for Yeager to see the wiring and various little parts that have been exposed from her hand if he chances a step closer. She stares for a bit, eyes wide, her brain feeling like it's going into overdrive before--
Right, he spoke. He spoke, she--she can't let him see this, she can't, he's just like her and he'll use it against her--]
I am fine, Yeager!
[It comes barked out in a tone that's quite the contrast from Dorothy's usual. She stuffs down her frantic demeanor, stuffs it all down, takes stock of the damage as she rushes off to grab that part of her hand--three fingers gone, well. That's not ideal to say the least, to say the least of what's happened with her clothes, and she just needs to find someone who can repair her. It's got to be easy. Maybe there's someone, anyone--
But oh, Dorothy's anger has risen, and while she's forced to clutch her bleeding hand to the chest of her outfit and stain it red, she's quick on the draw to express that anger.
Namely--and perhaps thankfully not fatally, she attempts to hit Yeager with a water gun in retaliation (15) to soak him rather than knock him over, and maybe mercifully, she sounds far more indignant than outright furious at the moment.]
You--you could have stood to warn me first before enacting such a stupid plan, you moron! These clothes are going to take weeks to get clean again!
[She doesn't know how much he's seen, if anything at all. She's hoping he didn't see anything, or that her indignance is enough of a distraction from the fact that she's very much not human if he looks too close.]
cw: slight robot gore continued
(And there is a part of himself - the part that's been tamped down for ten years - that can't help but feel some level of guilt. This is his fault, after all.)
Her initial outburst barely even registers because he's too busy staring at her severed fingers that she's now grabbing, and he only blinks and comes back into himself from the blank stare when she continues. His initial urge is to deflect, to play it off, to get annoying and flippant and maybe even blame her for being so weak that one of those things could hurt her like that, but...]
You're right, I should have.
[It just sort of leaves him, and the urge to fight with it. He just hasn't really been feeling up to fighting lately - why bother when he'd already decided how things were going to go back home? Why bother, when he shouldn't even be here in the first place?]
What... are you, exactly? Something like that... well, most people wouldn't be able to react like you are.
[It's not meant to be pointed and his tone remains just as blank as his expression.]
no subject
Any pretense of cordiality leaves Dorothy as her purple eyes stare at Yeager as all light leaves them at once. She doesn't even look human anymore, despite everything--she looks more like a cornered animal, trapped in a cage of it's own making as she looks at him, her steps forward shaky and almost a threat.]
Are you going to tell everyone? [Another step forward.] Are you going to tell everyone that I'm--that I'm an inhuman freak, that I'm just like these monster that threaten us?
[Just like every other human has. Every other human who's afraid of us, who sees us as beneath them, you're the same, you're all the same--
She stares him down, and she's not sure what she'll do at this point, but she's shaking something fierce.]
no subject
I see no reason to.
[His words are even, calm, but just as emotionless as his expression.]
There are other non-humans here. As far as I've seen, none of them have been treated poorly for who or what they are. But even so, it isn't any of their business.
[He should be having some kind of feeling about this. This is important information - at least for her. Even if the others wouldn't care, she would. Information like that can go a long way - he'd know better than most people. And yet...
Yeager's hand absently comes up to rest on his chest.]
I've no interest in sharing your secrets, miss Dorothy.
no subject
[Dorothy's about to finally give into that ugly, animalistic urge inside of her to simply beat Yeager until she can't feel anything anymore, her tone rising to frantic, almost shrieking levels before those last words seem to cause her to startle outright.
I've no interest in sharing your secrets, miss Dorothy.]
...How can I believe that, when every single one of you humans--you parasites, you self serving--you're just like--
[me, aren't you?
Dorothy shakes with barely held in anger, her mind at war with itself. She should kill him for the slight. She should. But he's useful to her, isn't he? If he's feeling this kind of pity for her, she can use it to her advantage. But if he lets this slip to the group, they'll see her the same way they see these monsters. Yes, just a monster, just a weapon of a monster that roams among them, just like the rest, just like--]
...I am...what the humans of my world call a Nikke. [The words come out shuddering, almost a snarl, but it's a start.] We are soldiers--weapons created to combat the Raptures that plague our world, as humanity's last ditch effort to save themselves. Everything I've told you still remains the same, but we're...
[...]
Why should I tell you any of this? Why should I not simply kill you where you stand? You...
You see me the same as these creatures here, don't you? The rest of them, at least most of them--they're organic. Or at the very least, they don't hide what they are.
cw: suicidal ideation
And yet that's what Yeager's doing, because he just can't get himself to care enough about putting up a front right now. What does it matter anyway? Why bother pretending when everything was so damn close to just being over and done with? He'd already decided. This whole thing is a farce. He shouldn't be here.
Why should I not simply kill you where you stand?
That gets the corners of his mouth to quirk up, the very first reaction he's had to anything happening here after the surprise wore off back into the familiar, numbing apathy.
Why indeed? There isn't much of a point in him being here when he'd already decided death was the only way to solve all of his problems. What does it matter if he dies here or in Zaude? Perhaps this might even be a mercy, as Gauche and Droite wouldn't have to watch.
The silence lasts for far too long, Yeager lost in his own thoughts before he finally forces himself to speak.]
Why would I? My world does not have Nikke, nor do we have anything like you. But you look and act like a person, and that's good enough for me.
[The words are still unnervingly even, blank, and not reflecting the slight quirk of his lips at all.]
You don't have to tell me more if you don't want to. It doesn't truly matter, ja?
[...]
Are you going to kill me now, or did I give you a satisfactory answer?
[Again, nothing behind it. No mockery, no teasing, no sarcasm: it's just a simple, straightforward question.]
cw: violence, homicidal thoughts, a hard detour into nikke rights talk, war time trauma
Yeager can likely feel the mechanics underneath her so-called skin. And it feels like skin; Goddessium really does wonders for that, but there's still differences. Little noises of internal machinery that can be heard if Yeager strains his ears, skin yet strange unyielding metal underneath.
Dorothy stares at him with cold eyes, wanting to snap his neck. If she had her strength, she could, easily. She wants to hurt him, to hurt him so badly, to make him pay for this slight against her for reminding her how little of a difference there is between humans and Nikke, how Eden has strived for their equality, how--
But you look and act like a person, and that's good enough for me.
Those words echo in her mind, and she can't help but think for a second that the insipid Commander who keeps trying to reach for her heart would be able to get behind such words.]
...I don't understand you in the slightest. [And that, perhaps surprisingly, signals the easing on Yeager's throat. Her words come out soft at this point, confused, hollow, and empty.] Any of you, but you especially. There was a time I wanted to protect people like you, you know. My...
My only obligation to you all is because of this frankly absurd mission, and I fear all it's doing is making me soft. I'm only seeing to your safety because I have to, because I know I'm outnumbered.
[It's not the only reason, and Yeager likely knows it. But she can keep the more selfish reasons to herself. With surprising gentleness, she releases Yeager's throat and withdraws her hand, though perhaps despite herself, she keeps talking.]
...The humans of my world do not see us the same as you, you know. They put things into most Nikke's brains called NIMPH; Neuro-Implanted Machine for the Protection of Humans. Because they fear what we could do if we were able to act against their injustices against us; not something I have to worry about, as I'm sure you can surmise. Most Nikke are simply seen as tools to be used. Weapons to be replaced and upgraded as humanity wishes, fodder to be sent against their endless war to reclaim a surface they don't even deserve at this point. There was one point where they viewed us as Goddesses of Victory, destined to bring them back home, but I'm sure you can imagine how that turned out. It was apparently only recently within the last seventy years that Nikke were even allowed to become something other than soldiers in the Ark. In Eden, it's a non-issue, but...
[...]
Can you see why I cannot trust you at your word?
[And yet, despite it all, she's let him go. Dorothy's a mess of contradictions.]
Re: cw: nikke rights talk, suicidal ideation
It doesn't matter anyway. He didn't plan out his death back home either.
He's aware of the differences between her and a human, but those don't really matter anymore. Not when she has her hand on his throat and all she has to do is keep squeezing. He won't fight her, after all.
...And yet.
Dorothy's grip loosens and despite himself, Yeager gasps for breath. No matter how much his mind may argue with his, his body very clearly isn't ready to give up on him just yet.
Her words register, but they don't register as right. The only reason she's doing it? That doesn't quite add up. Even if she's spoken with the person on the other end of that terminal, she doesn't have the full story. It's silly to believe everything they've been told. Yet she's seemingly embraced it, and seemingly accepted that this is her fate.
(And isn't that a familiar feeling.)
Dorothy's hand withdraws and Yeager's own finds his neck, gloved fingers mimicking her grip, though loosely this time; checking the severity of the bruising left behind on instinct. It isn't bad, it should fade within a couple of hours which is both a relief and something of a disappointment.
She continues speaking, telling him things he doesn't need to know, that ultimately don't really matter all that much here. But...]
I can see that, ja.
[His voice is a little rough, and Yeager clears his throat before continuing.]
I cannot speak for all the humans here, of course, but as for myself... well, I'm not from your world. I do not have any sort of preconceived notions of what a Nikke is or should be. All I have to go on is what I've seen of you here and now.
[Which involves totally sane things like talking about guns and dangerous missions and also being strangled. So you know. Typical Yeager Stuff.]
Somehow, I doubt you'd appreciate anything I'd have to say about your circumstances. But unfortunately, that isn't going to stop me.
[When he smiles this time, it's back to the usual. His words come easily and flow as they usually do, but there's still that unrelenting blankness behind them that hasn't been present in his voice before this confrontation.]
I've always valued my freedom above all else. Losing that... well, I can't imagine what I'd do. [Hah.] To never have that option to begin with... I can't help but feel frustrated and angry at your situation.
[His hand drops back to his chest, fingers digging into the cravat and suit jacket beneath it.]
If I could, I'd tear that NIMPH from your head and let you make your own decisions. Everyone - human, nonhuman, Nikke - should be allowed to choose their own path, regardless of where that may take them.
[...He forces his hand to lower, shaking his head.]
You don't have to believe me. I'm not doing a very good job of selling it, ja? Regardless, I stand by what I said: I've no reason to tell anyone about this conversation.
[Yeager allows himself to breathe; to close his eyes and center himself and remind himself that no, today isn't the day he rejoins Casey. Just take it one day at a time.]
cw violent thoughts
Somehow, Yeager keeps his life as Dorothy stares at him for a much longer than acceptable time. He's...he's really just like that blasted, overly forgiving Commander she knows. There are things that she can admit make sense--that the humans here clearly aren't from the world she comes from, so why can't she give them the benefit of the doubt?
The answer is pretty simple. He might, but what of the rest?]
...I wish I believed a word of what you're saying. [Dorothy's gaze has lot a lot of it's cagedness, but it seems he's not the only one who's expression has gone blank. Her tone's a little softer, though.] But you know I can't. Your words, your sentiments, they're empty and they mean...nothing.
[And yet, what does that say of her? What does it say for Dorothy, who hasn't strangled every bit of life out of Yeager? What does it say that she's standing right here, still listening to him, still hearing those stupid, stupid, insipid words that don't mean anything?
Dorothy has to force herself to turn on her heel. She needs to get out, she needs to...
...]
Try not to get yourself killed, you blithering idiot. Unlike some of you, I still have a mission to see through, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it any harder for me than you already have.
...You will be owing me a few extra blastia for this slight. Just so you're aware.
[Dorothy doesn't quite walk away, but she doesn't look at Yeager when she says that.]
cw suicidal ideation
Good; she shouldn't trust someone like him - even if this time it is true.
But she continues and Yeager finds himself canting his head. Her words are... baffling. She can't trust him, she was ready to kill him, and yet something he said must have gotten through to her in some way, because she goes and says something like that
Try not to get yourself killed, you blithering idiot.
Hah. Failed step one.]
You're welcome to them, then. [It's not like he has much use for blastia anymore.] I've no intention of causing any further problems for your mission either.
[He already told Raven as much. What's the point in causing problems here?
(What was the point in causing problems back home, come to think of it?)]
...Thank you for listening. And I...
[...He doesn't know how to finish that. He certainly can't tell her that he'll stay out of trouble and keep himself safe. So instead Yeager just lets that hang there for a long moment before lifting his shoulders a bit in a shrug.]
Well, anyway, you've my apologies for what happened.
no subject
I'm-- [Dorothy's body tenses for a brief moment, as if she's about to consider going back on her word.] An apology isn't going to fix this. I'm only listening because you--
[She forces herself to release the tension in her and walks away.]
--I'm taking my leave. Forget this conversation ever happened if you value your life. But if you die, I'll never forgive you.
no subject
[It's a humorless laugh and it leaves him before he can get it under control.]
Noted, miss Dorothy. Until next we meet.
[His smile doesn't look particularly convincing.]