Ryuuji and Hiromu

[interpolate]

The bright side, if one could even hope to find such a quaint and ridiculous notion in this day and age, is that Messiah is so perpetually caught up in it's own suffering (bit pointless, really, as it truly brought that on itself) that it can't spare the motherboard to worry about why I'm acting oddly. Coupled with the fact that Messiah is completely ignorant of the passage of time without me, and not entirely capable of knowing when it's being lied to, I'm managing to keep myself from being deleted, re-written, re-wired, or any other of the vast number of ways Messiah could potentially make me not me anymore.

Which brings to mind its own train of thought, and as I wait in the construction site that I launched that first MetaVirus from, I wonder idly about the Gobusters and their delusion about my past.

I wonder if they're actually going to show up, just the two of them. I wonder if this was in fact a trap. I wonder why I trusted them, wonder whether I should load a MetaVirus into another one of these rusted pieces of machinery to be on the safe side.

No, not yet. But I do sit down in a suitably hidden area and tap away.

I'm still trying to figure out their names.

Comments

[interpolate]

"Thank you, bl-" Again the hesitation. I know their names, I will make a concerted effort to use them. "Ryuuji."

I turn to mon rouge. Name be damned. I won't admit it alive, to myself or to either of them, but I do already consider him as mine on some level. "Please. Return home. I shall do the same. The rest will fall into place."

[red_pleather]

I push myself up, and make my way over to stand opposite the two of them. I reach out very deliberately, slowly, to touch a shoulder of each. "As long as you two know I'm not letting this go, and Enter's not in immediate danger, that's fine."

I pause, wondering if this is it, if this is some key to something. "Enter? Do you not consider yourself worth saving?"

[blue_pleather]

Of course Hiromu won't let this go. It's like he's fitted with an innate tracking system that points him in the direction of most immediate danger.

I'm not sure we should ask a question like that, but I squeeze Hiromu's hand all the same.

[interpolate]

I'm still unhappy that he's limping. I'm unhappy about a lot of things. I am ready just about a second away from making a mad dash for my computer and loading myself into the subspace just to get away from them and their beliefs and their questions and especially that look they keep giving me, that look that looks exactly like I feel. Worry, and pity. Especially the pity. That I cannot abide.

"Of course not!" I shout at him, not even conscious of the fact that this is probably the last thing he wants to hear, this is probably the last thing that will make my point for me. "I am not one of your BuddyRoids. I am an agent of your greatest enemy, of course I am not worth saving."

[red_pleather]

I knew it, but my face falls anyway. Dammit.

"You're a person, and I care about you. *We* care about you." I swallow, because the words aren't coming. "I'll try and make you believe that you're worth it."

[blue_pleather]

I won't say anything. I'm trying to be the neutral party here, and if Enter decides I'm not helping him, we could lose a lot of ground with him.

"Hiromu ..." I'm watching Enter cautiously. I don't think he's going to stand for much more.

[interpolate]

His frown infuriated me. He's upset. He shouldn't be, not over something so stupid.

"Believe what you want." I growl. I take another few steps back, away from them. "If you'll excuse me. You should both be running along home."

[red_pleather]

I rub my forehead, pissed off and frustrated and *tired*, and not a little sore, too, though I'll deal with that. That problem's easy.

"You're probably right," I concede, and while I have no damn idea how to talk diplomatically to people, how to use fancy words and subtle phrases, I do have some idea about manners and acknowledging when people have tried. Even if Youko doesn't agree. "Thank you for coming here today."

[blue_pleather]

It's not a tea party. But Hiromu's learning, he's at least trying not to be so blunt.

"We'll ... see you," I mumble. Maybe we'll see him. He'll probably hide from us after this.

[interpolate]

Now they're both upset. Well, it's not my fault. They're the ones pushing a fruitless agenda. Ganging up on me. Typical. Why am I surprised?

But I don't want them to be angry with me. They showed great resolve in sharing their names with me.

I sweep past them to pick up my computer before I leave. I'm not stupid enough to leave that with them.

And I pause at the door. "Sleep well, both of you."

[red_pleather]

That startles a smile out of me, and I toss off a salute. "Good night," I say wistfully.

[blue_pleather]

"Good night." I stand to attention next to Hiromu as a gesture of respect.

... I'm going to miss Enter, aren't I.

[interpolate]

I smirk at them, but it's fairly affectionate, isn't it. I'm pretty sure they're going to sleep beside each other again, but I shoo away the fleeting feeling of jealousy. "Good night," I say softly before slipping out into the darkness in question.

[red_pleather]

Hell.

I move across and lean on Ryuuji, with an arm around his waist. I can pretend it's because my leg hurts.