Christmas "Meme"

[snakewithbaggage]

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!
Suzu ga naru
Suzu no rizumu ni hikari no wa ga mau
Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!
Suzu ga naru
Mori ni hayashi ni hibikinagara

Welcome to the Dinohouse Christmas "meme"! This is going to work a bit differently from most memes, but still free free to do what you want here!

The idea:
Following this post I will be making an assortment of Universe/Location "thread" comments. These will define the specific scene and universe being worked in. Comments by applicable characters will follow under that comment.

Example:
Mushverse; Shiba Mansion; open to Shinkengers

Comments following that would all be set in the Mushverse universe, be by any Shinkengers that want to participate, and take place at the Shiba Mansion Christmas party. Think of it sort of like every "top level" comment is its own post to the community.

Following that example, if your desired AU/Canon/etc isn't there, feel free to make a "thread" for it! Say there's already a Mushverse Go-busters "thread", and you want to do something in Aibouverse, or something more canon, maybe just between two characters? Make one!

Comments following the "thread" headings can be group setting free for all, or between individuals. Say it's a canon GokaiGalleon party, and Gai and Luka want to go off alone, or are on their way to the Galleon together? Their thread can be a separate second level comment thread beneath the main Canon Gokaiger thread.

I know that's a lot of information/qualifiers, but don't let it make you nervous to post, "rules" are fluid, and mainly set for added organization.

HAVE FUN. And enjoy the season!

Comments

[interpolate]

I consider his question carefully, mostly to make sure that his statement aligns properly with what my intention had been.

"Oui, I believe that is exactly what I can do. Will do."

[red_pleather]

I sigh, and very deliberately use his name. "Emeric. Have you been listening to me at all? You going off like this could be a liability to us. To your brother."

[interpolate]

My teeth grit together when he uses that name, the full name, the... real one.

That is not me anymore.

"Non." I don't mean to deny his question, but it stands. "This... This is how I will protect him! How I will protect you all!" My eyes might be wild again, edging towards glowing red again. "I made a mistake, as a child, but maybe not. Maybe this was meant to be!"

[red_pleather]

...shit.

The guard's beginning to panic. "I've got this," I murmur to him quietly, but I can see him activating the comm link to the Commander. As he should.

"Then take me with you."

[interpolate]

The guard is contacting someone. Hiromu's commander? Someone else?

"I cannot do that, Hiromu. It is too dangerous. Too obvious, then, that I have turned."

[red_pleather]

I sigh, but he has a point.

And he's not going to wait.

"A moment," I say, lifting my brace to my lips. I keep an eye on Emi, more because I don't want the guard to go any paler than because I think Emi's actually any threat to him or me right now.

I can't believe that Emi's pulling this purely to get back to the subdimension. There's no chance. I saw his face when we were with Eti.

I explain the situation.

If he wants to go, the Commander wants him to go, but with whatever precautions we can put in place.

"I'll give you a communicator," I tell Emi after I finish. "It'll at least allow us to track you, even if we can't get anything else from you."

[interpolate]

I do not believe we have time to wait for clearance and careful planning and precautions.

But I am not stupid enough not to recognize that it will be much easier for me if I agree with their... reasonable demands.

"I will accept this." I say quietly. "This communicator, tracker, what have you. On the condition that my own computer is returned to me for the process itself."

[red_pleather]

I'm not happy about this, but it could be worse. If I push him harder he'll push back and just go anyway.

"Be careful. Come with me," I say tersely.

Eti's going to kill me.

[interpolate]

"I am always careful." I inform him simply, and it is true, for the most part. I am not perfect, but I do everything in my power to attempt to be so.

I am glad that he has accepted my terms without fighting me. I will have a much better chance of accomplishing my goal in this way, with my own equipment that I am accustomed to.

I turn back as we finally leave the infirmary room. My brother has not moved, but his skin has grown more ashen, and the crease between his eyebrows has deepened.

"He requires more painkillers." I say tersely to the guard. "Please see to it that they are administered."

[red_pleather]

The guard nods, and I cast one final look at poor Eti. So hurt, so vulnerable, so blessedly ignorant.

This is blunt as hell, but it needs saying. Emi's drawing up the aura of Enter around himself again, and while he's formidable like that, while he's incredibly strong with his own equipment, his own plans...

"I know you're careful, but you're not infallible," I say bluntly as we start walking down the corridor. "We stopped you, or at least fought you to a standstill, many times. Don't get arrogant."

I touch his shoulder lightly as we walk. "I want you back safely."

[interpolate]

"You are human." I return, my voice cold, more... mechanical than it had been in recent weeks. It is all an act, I suppose, but it has been an effective one so far. "You are... difficult to anticipate. Impossible to control. Foolish and dangerous, and very much worthwhile opponents. Messiah is... A program. It will be bested."

I smirk at his words, but do not shrug his hand from my shoulder. "I will return. I will save my brother from further harm, and especially from further damage. It will happen."

[red_pleather]

"Messiah is not stupid," I say quietly. "It picked you, after all."

He's been a large part of Vaglass' intelligence. A large part of why we haven't won already. But he's not all there is to it.

He's not shoving my hand off his shoulder, at least. That has to be a good sign. "You'd better. This way."

I'll sign out his damn computer to him.

[interpolate]

"Non, non, non, you are mistaken." I say softly, with a hint of... annoyance, perhaps? Frustration? Mockery, even? "Messiah did not pick me. I volunteered."

He is so wildly concerned about me. It's... unnerving. The sooner I complete this mission, the better off we all will be.

It is so good to get my computer in my hands again.

[red_pleather]

He sounds more pissed off, but at least he also sounds more alive.

I won't say 'human'. Not all the time, at least. That can be his choice.

"Messiah wouldn't've taken you if it hadn't seen potential," I shrug. He has his computer now, and the man who signed it out to us looks... terrified.

Emi looks as if he's relieved.

[interpolate]

I can't help but smirk at the poor guard who had been assigned to protect my computer from... well, from me, I'm sure. He looks scared, as well he should be.

My fingers stroke across the keyboard a few times, re-familiarizing myself with the feel of the keys, and then look up at Hiromu with a more genuine smile.

"You should escort me out of your base."

[red_pleather]

The guard looks like a child.

He's probably older than I am.

I nod in agreement, and cast what's supposed to be a mildly reassuring smile over my shoulder at the guard as we leave. He's given me a communicator. I'll hand it to Emi before he goes.

[interpolate]

Hiromu seems frustrated suddenly. I know he does not approve of my plan, not that it bothers me either way, but this sudden change that has come over him is unsettling, somehow.

I notice that he does not neglect to collect the communication device before escorting me to the front. We meet little resistance but plenty of concerned and in some cases outright frightened glances from the staff.

Of course they are scared of me. I am a force with which to be reckoned. Messiah has not a chance against me.

Once outside, I feel... decidedly more free, though I don't breathe properly as a human would. I feel more connected to the greater scheme of wireless information, which doesn't surprise me, considering the amount of firewalls they must have in place to protect their base from intrusion.

I could go, now, but I agreed to take the communicator, and so I hold my hand out for it.

"This will not take me long."

[red_pleather]

The word has obviously gone out, not that I expected anything different from the Commander. Everyone gives us room.

It frustrates me that they treat Emi like he'll break at any second, and start massacring us all.

I know they have to be careful, and I wouldn't want anyone putting themselves in stupid danger. But... it frustrates me.

He looks considerably more relaxed when we exit the base, into a small plaza. Deserted, of course. I checked before we exited.

The communicator is small enough for a pocket, if he doesn't want to pin it to something. I... he's holding his hand out.

I tug him into a quick hug.

[interpolate]

I expected him to do the obvious and place the little communication device into my hand. Instead he takes my hand in his and pulls and then I'm stepping forward, not entirely against my will, but certainly not even half a thought is being lent to why I'm going along with this, and then his arms are around me and my free arm, the one not holding my computer, slides around his waist in turn.

Oh.

"Take care of my brother." My words come out as hardly a whisper, but at this proximity, I'm sure he can hear.

[red_pleather]

If I'd thought about it, I certainly wouldn't've expected him to hug me in return. Not at all. I would've expected him to be tense, annoyed, stiff.

I didn't think about it.

And his free hand is on my lower back. It's not just me hugging him for the brief seconds we're in proximity. He's hugging me, too.

"I will," I promise, my voice low and serious. "Take care of yourself."

[interpolate]

I'm not sure which one of us pulls away first but I take a few steps back from him once we've finally disentangled.

Well.

That was certainly an interesting motivation to return.

"I am unstoppable, Red Buster."

I carefully tuck the communicator into an inner pocket of my coat, and meet his eyes as I access the subdimension. Odd, how simple it seems, when it was all but impossible a few weeks ago.