Blank Storage [Nier:Automata x Fate/Extra]

SoothingCoffee · May 1, 2018

... You want to call it a goal, but that implies you have a definite plan in mind, or maybe a dream, but that is too grand for an existence like you. Yearning, the word appears on the forefront of your mind, and it fits. Like reaching a hand out towards the sky, believing that you could touch the stars, only to realize the distance - the improbability of it all. It's a bitter pill to swallow: a thick blood-clotting concoction of despair, and resignation. It would be less painful for you to simply... Stop. To just be happy with what you already have.

But you can't. It's simply too late for ignorance. Perhaps for other people, two days are just a drop of water in an ocean, but for an existence like you, those days are like an eternity - and in that time, you've learned, and experienced, and felt. You have tasted something forbidden, and now you don't want to let go.

You want to learn more, experience more, and feel more. You want 5B's eyes, want her warm embrace, and tone-deaf humming, and her boisterous laugh. You don't want to forget that. This treasure, this memory, you want to keep it. To hold it. To guard it with your whole life. Calling it a goal is too definite, and calling it a dream is too grand - so in the end, all that you have is a yearning.

And God, you yearn. Vixen's question resonates in your mind. It's not a question worth even considering - you would do anything. Everything, to be capable of remembering, and not forgetting. It's selfish, you are aware. Such an answer is a direct contradiction to why you were built, and it pains you somewhat to do that, because if you're not supposed to selfless, then why are you here?

... Is that not obvious?

You exhale deeply through your nose, gazing off to the horizon. Something heavy settles in your chest; part resignation, part dread, and something resolute. The day's supposed to be lighthearted - why do you make things harder on yourself? "I would," you say, and you don't know what to follow that with.

"I see," there's a light lilt at the end of her voice as Vixen says that. Her lips curving into a fond smile. "To say that without hesitation at all..." she hums cheerfully, almost playfully, and you stop as she leans her body against your shoulders. "I'm glad you said that, you know? Uuu…" she mumbles, ducking her head - and you shiver as her breath tickles at your skin. "To doubt you like that, I'm really really ashamed."

"I…" you choke out, mind racing in confusion. You blink. Once. Twice. Still nothing. You force yourself to take a deep breath. Begin with a question: "What do you -"

"What do you think you are you doing?" 5B's arctic tone snaps you back into focus, lips pulled into a thin line. Her fishing line is gone, you realize, somewhat belatedly - and her hand, warm and reassuring, rests over yours, allowing you to breathe easy. That's right. Even though you don't understand why this android is suddenly… like this, so long as 5B is here, you're going to be alright.

"Hmm," Vixen raises her head up, regarding your 5B apathetically; like one would to an ant. "Oh, did you speak? I prefer you would not, honestly. A harlot's place is to stay quiet, even when spoken to - and a dog's place it to simply roll over, and beg. Since you are both, you should know what to do."

5B narrows her eyes, the grip around your hand tightening. "Rather than a dog, I prefer the lion. Nevertheless, that's rich from someone who is… touching someone else's lover in front of her. Normally, I do not think I would mind, but your words live up to your name - and you are making 3H uncomfortable."

"Me, uncomfortable?" she snorts dismissively. "I think otherwise. To spend years, with each repeating reset with a naive, simpleton harlot like you… I've been watching, you know? Even now, you don't even realize how much pain you've caused 3H, do you? Showing your vulnerabilities, your weakness, and your hurt…" she sneers.

"... That's not true."

"I…" something settles into your gullet. Something heavy. Something stormy. "Let me go."

Vixen flinches, looking up at you. "Ah," her face falls, a bitter smile over her lips. She doesn't let go. "Haiya… I really lost control, huh? To show this side of myself so soon, it must be unsightly. But I can't help it, you know?" she sighs quietly. Longingly. "It's been so so long, and just being with you here… it's making my heart all messed up," her lips twitch, cheeks as pink as her hair. "I really do miss you."

… Who is she? You open your mouth, before clicking it shut. You try to shake her off, but her grip is vise. Maybe that's why 5B hasn't pulled you out yet. Doubt niggles into your mind then, whispering an answer. An android with pink hair and dressed in blue. But it can't be, right? You've dismissed it earlier for the same reason: it's too much of a coincidence, and it's even more likely that you're making connections where there aren't - and yet, your mind refuses to leave it be. "You're…"

Golden eyes widen slightly in surprise, but not unpleasantly. She smiles, cheeks flushed. "Mnyaa… Even if you only know me because of that nameless loser, the fact that you do still makes me happy, you know?" she giggles playfully, poking at you side. "It's a start," she adds, quietly. "But to be more precise!" she continues, raising her tone with a titter. "I'm Number 3, the Caster Prototype," and at that, she practically melts onto your shoulder.

"... We used to be together," you say. Her body bothers you. Makes you shiver. Makes you want to cry. Makes you want to throw yourself into the waters. But the questions keep on coming, and it centers you, even if those questions do not have answers. Caster Prototype? Number 3? Isn't that my - and if she's honest, then why did she leave -

"We used to be one package," Vixen - no, Caster continues, wistfully, before her expression crumples. "... Until they took you away from me."

"You defected," 5B interrupts, matter-of-factly. Maybe a little too matter-of-factly.

Caster glowers. "Because of you, you harlot. You were built out of nowhere, and stole my 3H away. They didn't tell you that, did they?" she mumbles, turning back to you. "No, of course they wouldn't. Why would they?" she hugs you tighter.

"They," you say, tightly. "YoRHa?"

"Of course, 3H," Caster says, pressing her face on your shoulder. "I'd never lie to you, darling."

"You still left," your lover says. "At this point, you don't have any right to call 3H your 'darling' - even -" her expression tightens. "Even if you are being honest… if I was in your place, I wouldn't have abandoned 3H."

Caster's face pulls taut. For a moment, you see rage - and then it's gone. Or rather, it's hidden behind a thin veil of calmness, and apathy. "You know nothing, harlot."

"I already know enough."

Caster takes a deep breath. She turns up, and looks at you. Regret, you see it in her face. Regret, and sorrow, and love, and - your heart aches, and you avert your eyes. Despite yourself, you can't help but feel for her. Or rather, because of yourself, it's in your nature to feel for her. Even though you hate this stranger who invades, and violates your personal space without permission - who has been insulting your 5B… you can't find it in yourself to despise her.

Perhaps Caster knows this too, because she lets a soft, bitter chuckle - because you hear the slight hitch in her voice. "I really do miss you, 3H," she mutters. "Even though you do not. There's no single moment that passes without me fantasizing what could have beens, but ah, fate is truly cruel on us," you feel her fingers trail to your open palm, before closing it - she's put something in there. "But don't worry. Everything's going just like you wanted it to be, you know? One day…" she trails off.

She climbs up to her feet after that, hesitantly letting go of your arm. "Next time we see each other," she whispers. "I promise things would be better, 3H. Until then," she turns around, and you stare.

In that moment, her back looks so large, and so very inviting. You have questions. So many of them. And she knows the answer, you have no doubt of that. You, yourself, despite being an existence that is so fleeting - is paradoxically buried with so many secrets. "Wait - !" despite everything, you find yourself standing, and reaching out to her shrinking back -

Something jars you to a halt. Your eyes widen, and you quickly snap your head over your shoulders; a bark of command already in your tongue - before it turns into stone. 5B's expression is cloudy, and you realize that you're not the only one who has become the victim of revelations. "3H," she says, shaking her head. Pleading mutely.

[] Chase Caster. No, you need answers, and Vixen is the only one who has them. But she's not going to answer them - not as long 5B is following you. You need to tell her to stay, and go after Vixen! You have a feeling that the next time you'll see her, it'll all be too late.

[] Stay with 5B. No, you have enough selfishness for today. You… you can ask the Bunker for details. Well, 'details'. You're not going to get as much information than with the actual source, but if it's going to make 5B happy, then you'll settle with second, or third.

...

a/n: Goodness, this update is a little bit of a pain. It's hard to capture Nero's, and Tamamo's voice and I don't even know if I'm doing a good job at it. Please tell me if I fucked up!

SoothingCoffee · May 6, 2018

[] Stay with 5B. No, you have enough selfishness for today. You… you can ask the Bunker for details. Well, 'details'. You're not going to get as much information than with the actual source, but if it's going to make 5B happy, then you'll settle with second, or third.

—

You open your mouth, but the sound doesn't come out. Your eyes turn towards Caster's shrinking back — the hundreds, and dozens of questions brewing inside your mind, boiling and screaming to be answered. You have no doubt that she could have answered them — would have answered them. Perhaps you are being naively foolish, but if Caster is who she says she is, she would tell you the truth.

Then you switch back to 5B. Her expression is something you rarely see in the seemingly-long span of two days — something that has never been directed towards you: worry-turned-anger. It stops you. Halts your thought. Pauses your questions. Chokes your voice. Something ugly quivers inside you. It's a stupid, and nonsensical string of thought — but despite, or maybe because of, your fleeting existence, you've never considered…

You shake that train of thought away. Refuses to even go near it. Existential crisis is fine, but this is something else. And though you know better, a small part of you, that little tiny part of you can't help but blame Caster for making you feel this. "I…" your mouth flops. You pause for a moment, taking a deep breath, before you nod. "Okay."

Relief washes the worry-turned-anger from her face, and her shoulders sag. The grip around your wrist loosens. "Good," she nods, sounding satisfied. Then she frowns, her eyes going past you. Following them reveals that Caster has left. "... That woman, she seems like a really troublesome fellow. And I don't feel like she would stay away, even though she…" she trails off, looking at you. Ironically, it seems like 5B finds Caster leaving you more distasteful than you do. You smile back. She returns it tenfold as bright. "Well, no matter, 3H! So long as you're with me, you'll be completely safe," she puffs her chest up proudly at that.

For a moment, you could only stare. Her response is expected, of course, but… in ways that you are cursed, you are also truly blessed, huh? Almost unconsciously, your arms wrap around 5B.

"Three - 3H?" she squeaks in surprise. "T-this is too sudden, even for you! Though I certainly do not mind it, yes!" saying that, she reciprocates your hug, pulling your closer.

You sigh deeply. "5B?"

"Yes, 3H?"

"Thank you," you say, smiling. "For always taking care of me."

There's a moment of pause. "There really is no need for that, 3H," she states, and you find yourself being pushed away - 5B's grips are tight around your shoulders, and her lips are pulled into a frown. "... Even though I admit it could be a little lonely at times, in the end, I'm at my happiest when being with you. To always be by the person you love the most… even if I want more than enough, more than enough is still more than enough."

You blink, tilting your head. You get what she's trying to say, but that's -

5B coughs, cheeks red. "That is to say, even if I want things to be better, I'm happy as we are now."

Despite yourself, you find yourself breaking into a giggle. 5B pouts, but that only makes you giggle more. It feels like an unknown weight — that momentary scare, and something else — has been lifted off your shoulders. Relief courses into your veins. 5B's right, of course. You… still don't want to die, to be removed, and you certainly want things to be better, but as it is right now… you can't honestly say that you're unhappy.

"Umumumu," 5B pouts harder. "It was just a little slip of a tongue…"

Rather than a slip of a tongue… you breathe out, letting the last of the giggles run from your lungs. "Sorry, sorry," you say, brushing the tears off your eyes. "For some reason, I feel really really glad. Being with you also makes me happy, 5B."

She beams at that, and you have to cover part of your eyes to not get blind. You chuckle again. Then her eyes flicker downwards; her smile turning into something sharp, and contemplative. "What that fox gave you, what was that?"

Your eyes widen slightly. You almost forgot about that. Looking down on your closed hand, where both ends of the rectangular, almost box-like, item sticks out, you promptly open it. You blink, tilting your head in confusion. "Is that…"

"A knife?" 5B continues, brows furrowed.

Sheathed within a plain wooden scabbard, it is a knife. Or rather, it's a tanto knife; a type of weapon that hails from the East. Pulling it out reveals a flat straight edged blade that curves into a point at the end. All things considered, it appears rather plain, and there's nothing really special about it either. Why would Caster give you this? You look up at 5B in askance -

"-ee H!? 3H!" you jump at the voice inside your head. "Are you there?! Can you hear me!? Please, answer me!"

You cringe, rubbing the side of your head. 5B leans into you, tilting her head cutely in confusion, and worry. Doesn't she have - "I'm here," you say. "There's no need for screaming."

"..." for a long moment, all you can hear is your Operator 8O heavy breathing. You don't need any Social Chip to hear the almost palpable relief in them. "I see. That's good. Oh, thank goodness…" she whispers, and you're almost afraid that she's on the verge of crying.

"What - is there something wrong?" you ask, confused and curious. 5B makes a face of realization, and leans back. Idly, you imagine her smacking her fist onto her an open palm and go 'ah, that's it!' - despite yourself, you can't help but smile.

"I -" 8O pauses, taking another breath. "Your signals were gone all of a sudden. You were dead silent, and I thought - since you didn't come back to the Bunker, I thought that you -" her breath hitches. "Are you… is everything fine down there?"

You open your mouth, before closing it. Side-eyeing the direction where Caster had left with concern, you answer the question: "Everything's fine. We're fine," you clarify.

There's a relieved sigh. "I see. So," 8O clears her throat. "What happened down there?"

You hum, wondering how to put it into words. "We met an old, old acquaintance?" you glance to 5B, and she shrugs. "I guess she has some sort of cloaking device. Anyway, 8O, can you look up 'Caster Prototype' into the Bunker Database?"

"Huh? Of course! Um, one moment…" she trails off into a hum, before cutting off abruptly into a confused noise. "3H, the thing you're looking for is… Classified," now there's worry in her voice. "It's only open for the Commander, and some of the Seniors in here. 3H, is everything alright?"

You close your eyes. You suppose you were being too hopeful, huh? "No, it's alright. I guess I'll just have to ask the Commander directly."

"If you want, I could…"

Your eyes widen slightly at the meaningful tone. Even if it's not what you're thinking of, it doesn't sound good. "No, no, it's alright. Something like this is better asked face-to-face, right?"

"I guess," you can hear the hesitating frown down the line. "If you say so. But I still recommend checking in with Model Popola and Devola for -"

You chuckle. "I told you, I'm fine."

"Y-yes, of course. I don't -" she cuts herself off. There's a momentary pause. "Just be safe, okay?"

You glance to 5B, then upward towards the sky. You really are blessed with people who care about you, huh? "I will. Thank you, 8O."

"You're welcome. See you, 3H."

You hum in agreement, before cutting the connection off.

"So, what do we do now?"

"Well…" you trail off, meeting 5B's eyes. "I guess we do what we already planned to do," you breathe out. So far, things have been… calm, for lack of a better word, so you can't help but feel a slight trepidation. "That Machine's Request from yesterday. Let's do it."

5B's eyes widen in surprise, and then delight. She beams brightly. "Well then, let us depart!"

[Blank Storage]

"You've come back!" entering the Forest Zone through the derelict shopping mall, the Blue Machine is the first to greet you. It raises both of its arms out. "Huzzah! I had thought you androids had lied, and deceived me. I currently feel so immense relief I could self-destruct without regret!"

"Uh…" you blink. "Probably don't do that. But have you been waiting for us here since?"

"Well, naturally!" it exclaims. It spins its arms around, awkwardly gesturing into the forest. "Part of the reason is because I truly expected the both of you to go against your promise. However, the main reason is because that damned Red Machine has gone made," it freezes its motion, before throwing its arms up. "Madder!"

"I find that truly hard to believe," 5B chimes in. You turn to her in askance. "It might be hard to see from outside, but when I fought that Machine, it felt as though I was battling against someone with a death wish. Without hesitation, it would offer huge openings, and utilize that as a way to fight."

"Well, that Red Machine did! Gone madder, that is!" the Machine shouts. "After you two left the Forest, she has gone into a killing spree, wiping any of my animal friend that barely approaches the Castle. It is horrible, I say! Horrible! I myself tried to hunt her, yet she manages to elude me still!"

You share a glance with 5B. On one hand, callous as it sounds, this is none of your business - and you're pretty sure you're breaking some sort of rule by actually attempting to help the enemy, and the smart thing to do would leave, or call reinforcement. On the other hand, that sounds worrying, and the two of you have promised. You've never broken a promise before, you think, but 5B doesn't seem to want to - and more than that, that Machine injured your 5B, and you're also somewhat sure that if Commander is here, she'd want you to kill that powerful Machine. After all, even if it would only stay here, it doesn't make it any less of a threat. What if an Android goes here without knowledge? What if it decides to go beyond the Forest?

You take a breath. Excuses, excuses. Even if you don't mind either way, 5B wants to destroy that Machine Lifeform, and you would lie to yourself to say that you don't want that Machine Lifeform destroyed either. "So we should go to the Castle to hunt it?"

"Logically speaking, yes!" it nods erratically. "While she would often roam into the Forest, preying on poor unaware animals, after yesterday, she has decided to hole herself there. While she might flee from me, it's highly likely that she'll immediately go to you!"

You frown, tilting your head. "Is there any reason why it wouldn't attack you?"

"It's -" it pauses, tilting its head. Motion frozen for a beat. Then it continues. "If I have to guess, it might be that despite her losing her mind, she still recognizes her appointed duty as the Guardian. Thus, it is very likely that I am considered as a 'ally' or 'something she should be protecting'."

"... And you still want it dead," you say, unsure whether to feel horrified, or disgusted.

It tilts its head again, as though confused. "Well, yes. She is ruining the ecosystem, you know? Besides, even if she considers me an ally, it is not as though she is my ally."

"I… see," you really don't. Even if you agree that the Red Machine should be destroyed, the way this Blue Machine states his opinion simply rubs you in the wrong way. You shake your head. You suppose, in the end, even if the Machines are actually capable of thought, there is still a huge divide between you and them. "Well, I suppose we'll go there."

"Oh!" it jumps slightly. "I will lead the way!" it turns around, facing into the forest proper. "Come on, follow me!"

You share another glance with 5B. She beams reassuringly, squeezing your hand. You let yourself relax a little, and trail after the Machine, with 5B walking closely behind you.

Maybe it's due to the awareness of the current situation, but unlike yesterday, you could not help but feel a slight amount of tension in your body; a sensation of cold foreboding that caresses at the back of your neck. It's really quiet here, you muse. Eerily so. Beyond your footsteps, it almost feels like you're within a soundless vacuum. There's no animal here, you notice, recalling the Machine's word. Not even birds. Not even insects. Silence. It's stifling, and the more you realize that things aren't as it's supposed to be, the colder it feels like the forest has become.

It gets worse as you go deeper into the forest, nearer into the Castle. Where once the forest was eerily empty, now you are beginning to see the first sign of a slaughter. One moose. Two boars. Blood-stain on the ground, tainting the green grass with red, and as the Castle enters your sight, tainting the moss-grown, white concrete with vicious red. Two mooses, three boars, and four birds. Six mooses. Eight boars. Eleven birds. Increasing, and increasing, and increasing, growing more frequent. Piling into small mounds, and miniature hills. White furs amidst the browns, and black feathers amidst the whites, and greys. Nothing is spared. All of them dead. The stench is overwhelming — suffocating, and permeating throughout the forest; of salty copper, and sweet rot, and bitter excretions. If not for lack of actual digestive system, you don't believe your stomach would have survived.

And so there you are. Just as the Castle's gate becomes visible to you, the Blue Machine stops abruptly. You blink. It stands there for a long moment, staring at the structure. "Well," it starts after a moment, turning around to face you. "This is where I will be waiting. I would have come with you androids, but then she wouldn't come. So from here onward, you androids will be by yourselves. Oh, and before you do so -" the Machine rummages through its shawl, before pulling out a rolled… paper? It's a scroll, you muse. "Here! It's the layout of the Castle. It is a big place, and very easy to get lost into if it's your first time. True, she would have attacked you sooner or later, but…"

"Thanks," you say, taking the scroll off him. You turn to gaze at the Castle. It looms in a way different than the skyscrapers back in the city. It's foreboding, you think. That's the difference. A sense of danger; a premonition that something bad will happen. Something that will involve combat. There's a pang of… something as you think about that, recalling the last time 5B fought. How you could only watch, and do nothing. That helplessness that lasts an eternity despite only being seconds, or a couple minutes. I know it's stupid - of course you know that. But to do nothing at all, beyond watching? You shake your head, meeting 5B's reassuring smile with your less than stellar one.

After a moment, you unroll the map:

[] The Throne Room. Just right at the top of the Castle. Standing right here, you can even see its large window. When it comes to a Castle like this, it's natural to go to the Throne Room, right? The Blue Machine also thinks so. Apparently there's a friendly Machine near there who refuses to 'sleep' — maybe you could ask that one for more information? The Blue Machine isn't exactly being forthcoming with them.

[] The Garden. Placed, almost secretively so, in the depth of the Castle is a small garden. You do not give it much of a thought at first glance, but on a second and third glance, its… placement bothers you. The Blue Machine comments off-handedly that there would be the quickest way to get to the Red Machine. You're not sure why. It refuses to elaborate, merely staring off into the distance.

[] The Library. Perhaps the largest, and most vast room in the Castle. Ridiculously so, if you have to be honest. It practically eats nearly the entire middle of the Castle. Apparently, it was a source of pride back then. The King, Ernst, loved to read as his past-time — so his Subjects would collect paper books from across the city, and collect them here. There's also a lot of treasures, the Blue Machine mentions off-handedly. You don't miss the way 5B's eyes seem to shine.

[Blank Storage]

Nameless Knife
A tanto knife in a wooden scabbard. It is so plain that it's almost out of place.

Evening comes before I realize it, and school is over for the day. All in all, it's an average day. Shinji Matou occupied the eyes of the girls as always the rest of the afternoon, and Ti - Taiga was late to class, and tripped on flat surface — landing painfully that the thud is audible. She recovers rather quickly. Truly, that Tige - Taiga has the constitution of a monster.

…

Hmm. I feel like I'm forgetting something important… Huh? The Chief Editor wants to talk to me? Wait, I'm in the Newspapers Club? Ah, nevermind. I'll go to her right away.

Evening comes before I realize it, and school is over for the day. All in all, it's an average day. Shinji Matou occupied the eyes of the girls as always the rest of the afternoon, and Ti - Taiga was late to class, and tripped on flat surface — landing painfully that the thud is audible. She recovers rather quickly. Truly, that Tige - Taiga has the constitution of a monster.

…

… Why do I feel like I've done this before? I… Am I forgetting something important — oh yeah, the Chief Editor wanted to know about the School's Seven Wonders, right? Heh, in the end, it was all because of T-Taiga, even if I don't quite get how. Oh well.

Something new happened today. There was a new transfer student. Handsome, smart, charismatic, and immediately popular post-introduction. In a light novel, he would definitely be the Main Protagonist, though I can't really bring myself to feel jealous. Shinji's right about one thing, at least. His name is ******** ******** ******. Bit mouthy, huh? But he's a foreigner, so I guess that's normal. Still, even if Shinji becomes a little bit more annoying than usual, today feels kinda exciting. Fun, really.

…

Hmm, I feel like I'm forgetting something important…

…

…

Huh?

…

My... name?

The cold seeps into my marrows. It is then that I realize I'm dying. Ah. Haha. Ahahaha. I feel like crying. There's - there's a knife jutting out of my guts. It feels so, so cold. So numb. I guess, in a way, I expected this to happen. Of course, someone like me wouldn't be able to survive this. I'm not - I'm not some kind of protagonist who could survive from something like this...

But… still… it's a bit cruel, isn't it? I can't - I don't… even... my… name…

Please… someone… remember...

[Blank Storage]

a/n: Maybe things are going to be okay, after all? Well! There's still another Side Quest! Wheeeee!

SoothingCoffee · May 10, 2018

[X] The Library. Perhaps the largest, and most vast room in the Castle. Ridiculously so, if you have to be honest. It practically eats nearly the entire middle of the Castle. Apparently, it was a source of pride back then. The King, Ernst, loved to read as his past-time — so his Subjects would collect paper books from across the city, and collect them here. There's also a lot of treasures, the Blue Machine mentions off-handedly. You don't miss the way 5B's eyes seem to shine

—

"We'll go to the Library first," you say, catching the twinkle in 5B's eyes. Treasures, huh? "Maybe we'll find something there," though you're not sure what, exactly, beyond books - and those you could easily find by looking into the database. Not that it matters either way, if you're going to be honest. You already have your Treasure. You don't really need it, and maybe you don't really want it, but what matters is the journey - that little anticipation together with 5B as you wonder what could possibly be inside.

"Oh, that makes sense!" the Machine chimes in. It gestures wildly with its arms. "The Library was very precious to the King - and thus, his subjects. I am sure if you desecrate them, that Red Machine will not be happy!"

You hum. Despite yourself, you can't help but frown. There's something odd there. "You said you were an Outsider, right?"

"Huh? Well, yes, I did say that," it nods vigorously. "Because of that, I stayed afar from the Castle, and preferred the small of my hut."

5B is quick on the uptake. She narrows her eyes. "If that is the case, how do you come to know this much?"

"... Well, I listened, naturally," it responds, arms jerking. You don't miss how it seems to pause for a moment. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's being honest. But you can't be sure. Fact is, even though you are aiding an enemy; an enemy is still an enemy. "His Subjects, they weren't exactly tight-lipped, if you understand. They would shout about the glory of their King, and such and such. Honestly, they were extremely annoying! I'm kinda glad that they're all hibernating, now! Thank goodness they were all idiots! Hah!" it jerks its arms out in a show of triumph, and spite.

"Well," you honestly don't know what to say for that. Good on him? You shake your head, turning around - and then you remember. You pause, looking over your shoulder. 5B frowns in confusion. "Before we go; yesterday, you've said about an Android in Blue giving a prophecy… did that android have pink hair?"

"Huh? Pink hair?" it tilts its head in confusion. "No, of course not. That Android had a blonde hair - like that partner you have…" it trails off, shifting its focus on 5B. "Huh. Almost exactly like that."

You blink. 5B blinks. You give her a questioning look, and she shrugs. Only android you know that fits the description would be Saber, but she doesn't wear blue outfit - and even if the physical description fits, the personality is so vastly different that it's outrageous. Granted, you have never seen her out there, and who knows, maybe she's the type of person who has a squishy interior despite a rough exterior… but even that seems like a stretch.

… In the first place, isn't it odd that Saber has a really similar appearance to 5B? You shake your head with a sigh. It's definitely something to think later, and somehow, you have the feeling that Saber might even know.

Shame you've already burned that bridge… though that doesn't mean you can't ask her anyway.

"Okay then," you nod. "Thanks."

"Oh, no problem!" it replies. "Give her hell! Strike first, strike hard! No mercy! Rip and tear her apart, Androids!"

[Blank Storage]

Perhaps one thing that is immediately apparent to you as you enter the Castle proper is the silence: the complete, and utter lack of noise; a vacuum. You can hear 5B's breathing; the fabrics of her uniform, rubbing against her skin. You could even vaguely hear the humming within you; that slight shifting noise within your inner servos as you inhale, and then exhale. And your footsteps - they echo throughout the corridors, lingering across the tunnels of grey concrete.

It leaves you feeling stifled; unnerved as your eyes carefully trace your surroundings. Here and there, growing more often, are the sleeping Machine Lifeforms. Most are stubby, not unlike the Blue Machine, or the Red Machine, or even those listless things walking around the City Ruins. But occasionally, you would spot a few handful of unique ones. Some are built taller. Some are bulkier. Some are even built like an animal. All of them asleep, keeled over on the ground. You inhale. Hear the shift inside. Exhale. Hear the shift inside. It almost feels like you're stepping into a place where time has been frozen. It almost feels like you're entering someone's abode, and as though you are desecrating it with your mere presence.

And they're clean, you muse. Everything here is clean. Well taken care off. Even though you are sure it has been so long, there are no hints of rust on these sleeping Machines. Shiny. Polished. It is hard not to draw comparison with the Blue Machine, how you can see hints of crimson, and oranges underneath its cloak. Hard not to draw comparison to those you've seen in the City Ruins; whom were so dirty, and rusty and lacking in maintenance, they move like they're about to fall over. Even the castle itself is not an exception. Dust swept, and overgrowths trimmed away. That musty scent you are accustomed from being surrounded by urban structures within the city: gone.

"It is strange," 5B breathes out, and you almost jump. You turn to her curiously. There's an expression of contemplation on her face. "No one ever expects Machines to be capable of…" she sweeps her arm around the place. "This," then towards the sleeping Machines. "Or even this..."

"I guess there's still so many we need to learn about our enemies…" you trail off, watching your lover's expression quietly. "... 5B?"

"I wonder," 5B slows to a half, facing towards a slouched Machine Lifeform. There's something in her eyes that you couldn't quite understand - or rather, you do, but you do not know what they mean. Melancholy. Thoughtfulness… Yearning? "This King, Ernst, I wonder what sort of King he was to be capable of inspiring such… love from his Subjects. To such point they would do this."

Yearning. For a moment, time seems to crawl. Yearning. You know yours, of course, but what of 5B's? You can't - you can't just expect for her to be just with you, can you? Of course, of course she has something else. Something… something. Just because she's satisfied with you, doesn't mean she doesn't want more. Just because you are satisfied with her, doesn't mean you don't want more. "Are you jealous of him?"

She blinks. Almost startled. "I -" she scrunches her face. "For some reason, I do. I don't - no, I don't think it's jealousy. Just… I don't know," she mumbles, and then - pain.

"Fi - 5B?!" you call out, eyes flying wide. Your partner hunches forward, face set into a grimace as she hisses, one hand gripping the left side of her head. You reach out for her; she's shaking. "What's wrong? Come on, say something to me."

"I'm - my head -" she takes a deep breath.

Immediately, your hand hovers to her head. A Diagnostic Spell activated before the thought arrives - there's something in her memory core. Throbbing. You grit your teeth, and curse your lack of function in hacking. Knowledge flies from your factory database. Closest comparison: migraine. Signs of chronic - has been for - horror strikes into your core. Painkiller. Just something to soothe - you take a deep breath. Holograms flare up in your Heads-Up-Display. Codes, and Datas fly through your eyes. Synthesizing something quick through parts of yourself. You'd have to check in with the Bunker later for maintenance, but this is nothing -

You take something out of yourself. Feel the pain - that subconscious knowledge that you just pulled out something more than just "energy". It's required. Healing's different, and you can't heal this. First response. Rough around the edges. Particles form in your hands. An equivalent of Human Painkillers. It floats for a moment, like a ball of gel - and then it's absorbed into 5B.

There is a moment of dread. You wonder if you've done the right thing, or if you've miscalculated, and - 5B sags, her face relaxing, and you sag in relief. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Now that the initial worry, and fear has gone… something else. Something strange comes to you. Something you fear putting into words. 5B seems to be aware of it, by the way she seems to shrink.

"Why didn't you tell me?" you ask, quietly.

5B winces, glancing away. "I… because…" she trails off into a mumble. "It does not seem important."

"Does the Bunker know?"

She nods mutely. "... Normally during maintenance, they would give me something to stave off the pain. Something similar to… this. It's… not usually this bad."

You're… you're angry. Not at 5B - never at 5B. You don't think you could even get angry at 5B - you don't think you deserve the rights to be angry towards 5B. No, you're angry at yourself. Why would you, a Healer Type who would normally stay within the Bunker, or be deployed in groups be assigned to 5B? You've never checked. Never bothered to. You thought that she was being assigned to you, rather than that you were being assigned to her — better yet, that you were assigned to each other. Stupid. Hah. Maybe your previous counterparts did figure it out, and you're the only one who… didn't until it was too late.

"... I'm sorry," you return. "I should have known better -"

"No!" 5B shouts, and her voice echoes within the walls of this Castle. Her hands are suddenly on your shoulders; green eyes piercing straight to you, her face close enough her breath tickles. "You did not do anything wrong. I was deliberately keeping it a secret…" she trails off quietly, the previous intensity gone. Cheeks flushed red. "I - something like this takes a lot out of you, I know. You would need to return to the Bunker later for maintenance, and…" she shifts guiltily. "Like I said, it is not usually this… bad."

"Oh," you don't know what to feel about that. "So it has happened before and I haven't noticed?" definitely worse. "How long have you been holding it in?"

5B grimaces, but doesn't answer - and in a way, that's more enough for you.

You take a breathe in. Remember. Your hand reaches up to touch her wrist. She flinches a little. "I'm not… mad," you say, smiling -

"Do not lie about that, 3H," 5B replies, and you stutter out a response. Well that failed horribly. "At least not to yourself. You have to be more honest. I - I c-can take harsh words even from you, you know?!" well, she says that, but the way she says that is very unconvincing.

You smile. "Well, I guess I am extremely disappointed in you," you admit. "You should be ashamed, 5B. Can you imagine how scared I was? Do you think I wanted to feel like that, 5B?"

Despite her previous words, 5B looks like she's about to cry.

Well, now you feel like trash. Your cheeks flush red. She looks - w-wait this doesn't make any - you clear your throat and your mind, and promptly puts 5B's hands into yours. You meet her eyes squarely. "It's really, really okay, 5B," you smile. "I'm not happy about it, but… maybe you could tell me more about it?"

For a long moment, 5B stares. And then she nods. Her eyes stray from yours. "I do not know the details, so I couldn't talk much about it. But it seems that I am afflicted by an anomaly - a certain glitch in the system," she admits. "The higher-ups could not fix it, unfortunately. However, they are capable of finding a way to… repress it."

… Hence why you have the "recipe" inside your factory database. Perhaps why it feels so natural too. "I see," you say, and that seems to end that conversation. You want to pursue it, but where to, really? And what's more to say? You have your defect. So does she. In a way, you understand it. Certainly, you do not want to talk about your constant inner angst, and existential crisis. Spare her that. You would automatically self-destruct if she knows.

"So… you want to be loved so," you say, and despite yourself, your lips pull upwards into a sly smile. "Like this King, Ernst?"

5B blinks, before sputtering. "... I do not know?" she mumbles. "It would be nice," she admits. "To be loved, and be loved in return, but I already have that," she says, staring into you. Well, this has backfired terribly. "I suppose it is from something before I met you, even though I have always been with you?"

You cock an eyebrow. "Like a past-life?"

She hums, tilting her head. "Something like that, do we have it?"

"I don't know," you admit, and you don't think anyone does. "But I wonder what it's like, if we do have one? Maybe you were an unloved Emperor?"

5B gasps. "3H!?" she leans away, eyes wide. "Why would anyone not love me? If I am Emperor, I would have given everything I have to make them happy. And they would…"

"Well, they would also be happy," you continue. "I am, aren't I? Maybe," you say, as you return to your journey into the Castle deeper. "I was your bride there, too?"

"... For some reason, I feel like I prefer to be the bride."

"Well, we could both be brides, right?"

Her cheeks flush. Not quite in embarrassment, but because she finds the idea too exciting. "If I was an Emperor, I would have certainly ignored the common convention!" she nods, nostrils flaring.

You find yourself laughing, and not long, so does 5B.

It almost feels like that little episode has never happened.

Of course, you know that's not the case. But someone like you, whose existence is so fleeting you'll be gone by tomorrow? You can keep it in. Act as though nothing happens. Everything will reset, eventually.

[Blank Storage]

The Blue Machine did not lie. The Castle's Library is truly something else; a single three-stories room that has been transformed into a bastion of knowledge, stored into one of the most ancient medium in known history: books. Their stench lingers in the background; a new smell that is immediately registered as woods, and papers that feels oddly calming. There are rows, and columns of them, lined within large shelves that have been installed within the wall.

Looking down from the railing of the Library's second floor reveals more of the same thing. Shelves, and books. And on the base floor, you recall the map the Blue Machine gave you. There's a way there that leads into the Castle Garden. If you don't want to get hurt, finding a way down there would have to take a while since most of the paths you could see leading there are blocked (you have the feeling that it's deliberate), but you're certain you could find a way.

"Umumu… I guess this should not be surprising," hearing her observation, you turn around. 5B's exposed back stares back, and you have to clear your throat a little to focus. Right. Maybe you should let 5B take the lead, once in a while? Your cheeks flush, and you clear your throat a little louder, stepping to her side. With a hand under her chin, 5B's eyes trace along the ridges of the books. "All of these books, not only are they not catalogued properly," she explains, giving you a side-glance. "Most of them are copies of the same books," she says, before gesturing towards a few books.

She's right about that. Same color, and same titles: "Easy Indian Home-cooking", it says. The cover has been rubbed off from time, and the language is extremely ancient. You follow her as 5B continues to point off more books. "Le Morte d'Arthur"' placed between "Not My Father's Son: A Memoir" and what looks like a children's book "What Aunts Do Best". Indeed, it's as 5B said. Uncatalogued, copies, and if there's any rhyme or reason here, you don't see them.

"The King loved to read books," you remember the Blue Machine's off-handed comment. "But maybe it is simply like that? He just liked to read books. No real preference."

"Umu," 5B nods. "Or maybe because the Subjects never asked, or didn't understand. So they simply gathered whatever they could find…" she trails off, eyes trailing through the Library.

"Maybe they even copied those books themselves," you add, and 5B nods. "So long as the Library is filled with books, and the King was happy, there's wouldn't be any problem."

"It is aesthetically pleasing," 5B agrees with a smile. She saunters towards the railing, an excited smile on her lips. "Something like this, it could be made into a wonderful theater. I could see it. Down there," she points, and you follow her gaze. "You can place a podium there, and surrounded by audiences…" she hums tunelessly, closing her eyes.

You giggle. "You would be amazing down there."

Her eyes fly wide, her body whirling immediately to you. There's an excited glimmer there. "R-really!?" then she coughs, leaning back, cheeks pink. "W-well, of course I would know that! B-but… do you think…" she trails off shyly.

You crack a smile. "I would definitely watch it," you say.

"O-oh," she coughs again, and then lifts her head to face you directly. There's a fire of determination behind her eyes that make you take a step back. She takes your hands. "Then I promise to set up a show just for you, 3H. You will be me my one, and only audience."

Your heart skips a couple beat. "I'd be happy to."

She nods, and then breaks the contact. She's practically beaming. You're barely holding yourself from melting on the spot.

"Oh!" 5B perks up again, something taking up her brightness setting to another notch. "Look, 3H! A treasure chest," she points at the one side of the floor.

You blink. "Another what -" your jaws click shut, eyes landing on what 5B's pointing. There's an actual treasure chest. "Huh."

5B takes your hand, practically skipping as she pulls you onward. It's locked, but it really doesn't take much for 5B to unlock it. Forcefully so, as she twist the latch, and -

You gasp, stars in your eyes. Cloths! Sewing kits! You could make 5B's new outfit with this! Without much further ado, you begin to rummage through it. Red! You take it, storing it within your Inventory. White! Soft, and silky! In fact, rather than rummaging them, you instead store them all within your Inventory.

"How truly fortunate," 5B says, and she looks positively as giddy as you. You're excited to make this gift for her to remember you, and she's excited to receive the gift that she'll wear to remember you. To say that you're ecstatic would be an understatement.

[You Can Start Making 5B's Uniform!]

You stand up, before blinking. Underneath all of the cloths, and tiny accessories, is a small mound of materials. You blink. "Really fortunate," you say, recalling Sache's request. You're pretty sure this is all that he'll need. Without further ado, you also store that into your Inventory.

[Sache's Request Complete!]

"Umumumu," 5B mumbles, agreeing. "How about we look around more?"

You nod.

Pick One:

[] Project Last Hope: Heroes Reborn. It seems to be a… document regarding a very old project, considering its Ancient language.

[] Ernst, Our Most Generous King. It seems to be a biography made by one of his Subjects.

[] Our Last Moments: Until His Return. It seems to be a record of the Forest Kingdom's Subjects last moment before they decided to sleep.

One Final Visit Before a Certain Fight:

[] The Throne Room. The Blue Machine mentioned another Machine Lifeform who is still awake. Perhaps you could talk to it?

[] The Secret Garden. The Blue Machine said that this would be the quickest way to attract the Red Machine's ire-slash-attention. There has to be a reason why.

SoothingCoffee · May 19, 2018

[] The Throne Room. The Blue Machine mentioned another Machine Lifeform who is still awake. Perhaps you could talk to it?

[] Project Last Hope: Heroes Reborn. It seems to be a… document regarding a very old project, considering its Ancient language.

…

You frown, looking around the vast Library. Now that you've looted the treasures, there's really not much thing left you could do in here, huh? Even with all of these books… well, in the first place, it's not as though you have a real preference for reading — and the place being so horribly, and arbitrarily catalogued, it's very unlikely you'd find anything you're looking for, if you have any.

Panning through the shelves after shelves of books, you let out a quiet breath. In the back of your head, you could feel the digitized clothes, and materials stored within your Inventory. All in all, the visit here has overall been very productive. You… would need to learn how to sew, and you don't know if you're going to have the time to finish such a project, but you would still have to try. Maybe, you close your eyes, breathing in the scent of ancient books, and papers, I could pass it on to my next self. Something inside you clenches at that. An instinctive refusal; a desperate shout of "if I can't have it, then they can't" — childish, and selfish, and self-conceited. Something that belongs only to you, and yourself — you can't help but wonder if you should abandon that yearning for 5B's joy. Which one's heavier on the scale? Something like that, you don't think you'll ever find a satisfying answer.

Shoving that thought away, you step away from the railings, and turn around — a suggestion in your tongue, only to pause when you see 5B keenly reading into something. A small, plain blue journal the size of your palm. "What are you reading?" you ask curiously, leaning over her shoulder.

"Umu?" she glances up to meet your eyes, before perking up a little. She smiles. "It's the old journal of a researcher," she lifts it up a little, giving you a better view. Ancient letters are scrawled across it; faded, and barely eligible. "Very old. A miracle that we can still read it," she says, then pauses. "Well, some of it," she corrects. "But it's nothing that a little expert care couldn't recover."

"Huh," you eye the journal with some curiosity. "What… is it about?"

5B frowns, a complicated and thoughtful expression on her face. "It doesn't say much, beyond the general strokes. Whoever wrote this was being overly vague," she clicks her tongue, an annoyed expression on her face. "How do you expect your reader to understand your intent if you hardly explain it?"

"I don't think we were meant to read it," you point out, smiling.

She blinks. "W-well, I know that," she clears her throat, rising her chin a little. Your smile grows. She pouts. "Regardless, it's speaking about "an unforeseen enemy" and "an unwinnable war" and how they perhaps had a way to win…" she trails off.

"You think it has something to do with the Alien invasion," you say, frowning thoughtfully.

"I do, but — look here, 3H," you follow her index finger, and then blink. There, on the top left corner of the page, ink faded and smudged nearly to ineligibility, is a date. Or rather, it's a year: 2012. You nearly choke. That's… nearly ten thousand years ago. "It's too early to talk about the alien invasion, so it must've been something else. But… what?" something flashes in her face. 5B winces.

"5B?" you ask, alarmed.

"It's… I'm fine," she says, shaking her head. "I think… I think it talks about the Red Eyes."

"The Legion," you surmise.

"I suspect so," 5B agrees, before closing the journal with a small sigh. "But it is simply a suspicion. It's likely to be nothing, but I'm still curious — after this, we've planned to return to the Bunker, correct?"

You hum, nodding. There are questions you want to ask the Commander, and more importantly, the both of you need maintenance. When you created that "painkiller", you've sacrificed something — you don't know what it was, and beyond slight fatigue, it hasn't been affecting you, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt you later down the road. "Maybe we can find someone who could decipher it?"

"Hopefully," 5B beams, digitizing the journal into her inventory. "So!" she puffs her chest up, turning around to face you. "3H, where are we going now?"

You look around, recalling the map inside your mind. There's the Garden below — that's probably the closest, and quickest way to finish this quickly, but… the Blue Machine's off handed comment about the Throne Room tickles at your curiosity. There's another Machine here who is awake, and it's not the Red Machine. 5B's own curiosity mixes into yours as well — perhaps you could talk with it? You look off sideways, to the entry leading you deeper into the Castle. "Let's go to the Throne Room," you decide.

5B nods with a smile, and lets you lead the way.

[Side-Quest Received: Unlock the Secrets of the Journal!]

[Blank Storage]

It is the dull clanging of metal against metal, sneaking right at the edge of your hearing, that seems to confirm the Blue Machine's words. Standing near the mouth of a hallway, outside lights filtering in almost blindingly, you share a look with 5B. There's nothing to the motion — merely something instinctive; something reassuring. You breathe in, and approach the light.

Forest air breezes into your nostrils, and the sunlight flares your vision — compared to the dim corridors of the Castle, littered with keeled-over and sleeping Machine Lifeforms, and the musty nothing scent of stoneworks, and woods, you welcome the change immediately, taking in a deep breath, as well as the sight. The corridor leads you into a bridge — or rather, what used to be bridge. The stone-path broke off right in the middle, leaving a hop-a-skip-and-a-jump gap that leads into what you guess is the Throne Room.

But that's not where the clanging noise is coming from. Carefully, you peer over the edge of the bridge, and beneath this bridge, is another broken-off bridge, leading straight down to the ground. A ledge just outwards, just somewhat visible from your angle. There, you think, is where that source of clanging is from.

You step back off the edge, glancing back to 5B. "Let's go down there," you point out, and she nods, smiling — and you realize, a little too late, the meaning behind that smile as she grabs you, and your vision blurs. You squeak for a moment, before you realize that your front is pressed against something solid. Her hands beneath your thighs, like solid locks. 5B's back. "U-um, 5B, what are you — ?"

"I know that you could jump easily," she responds, smiling green eyes glancing back. Her cheeks are rosy. "But I have always wanted to do this. I read it from various books — if possible, I would like be carried like a bride, but a piggyback carry like this isn't… ah," her eyes shine. There's a lot you could say about 5B. She's honest, and maybe pure — but shy or modest she is definitely not. "It's very nice."

"Oh," well, what can you say about that? It's not as though you're not enjoying it either, even if you don't properly understand why. Too vague of a thing to define into words. "It feels nice for me too," you admit.

"Ah," 5B clears her throat. "Regardless!" she exclaims. "Hold tight, 3H."

Doing just that, you lean forward, and hug her tightly. Her hair a pillow made of golden strands that swallow your face whole, and for a moment, you can't help but feel intoxicated; a not-quite-unpleasant dizziness as the smell of her hair — of roses — pervades into your nostrils. And then, 5B jumps. It's not a very long jump, and neither was it a very long drop. In fact, they are both very short — there's a reason why you're confident you could jump it yourself, after all. Despite that, and despite expecting it, your heart drops for a moment. That feeling of weightlessness. Of floating. Her hair almost seems to flow around you like a river current, engulfing your head entirely. And then there's a drop — you hit the ground, and gravity takes hold. 5B took a few leaping steps forward to bleed the momentum off, before she finally stops.

You pull your head away from 5B's hair, blowing some of yours from your vision. 5B slackens her hands, sliding you down back to the ground. Blinking, you stare ahead. "Well, that's inconvenient," you comment. And it is. Right in front of you is an oversized block of stone, large enough to nearly block the entire path.

Despite your comment, 5B is still positively glowing. Cheeks rosy, and lips stretched into an eager puppy-like grin. "Don't you worry, 3H. Something like this," she steps forward, hands gripping around the block. "For someone like me is incredibly easy," and to prove her point, she pulls with a grunt. The ground rumbles. Gathering dust scattering like puffs of ashes. From the corner of your eyes, you spot few loose stones tumbling off the edge.

Then it stops. "Umuu," 5B wipes her forehead, grinning, The clanging has gone from muffled into something more distinct. Your lover turns to you. "That should be enough!"

You give 5B a nodding smile. "Good job," you say. And without further ado, the two of you try to find your way inside, slipping between the block, and the wall carefully.

The moment you step into the room, the clanging stops almost immediately. It's hot here, you note. The heat wafts over your body, reminding you of the desert heat. Barely visible, the only source of light in this room is the burning furnace, and the red-hot metal of a blade. It casts a shadow to the sole occupant of the room — surrounded by racks of weapons, and heavy appliances, the Machine Lifeform is a distinct outlier to the others; with it being slightly larger, and wearing an Eastern-styled helmet that makes his shadow look like a stag beetle.

"Ah, Androids!" it exclaims — and rather than in hostility, or wariness — in joy. "How surprising to see one — no, two! — of your kind around here. Hmmhmm. It feels like…" it trails off, and for a seemingly long moment, the Machine looks as though it has frozen. Suddenly, it snaps into motion - "Ah! Where are my — oh my!"

5B makes a face, before blowing out a sigh. "You surprised me too. If you value your life, you should be more careful," she huffs, letting her fire-like sword to dissipate, settling it on her back. She crosses her arms.

"Ah, my apologies. It has been so long, I've forgotten that we were supposed to be enemies. Rather than taking up a weapon for myself, and go out there, I prefer to lock myself in, and forge weapons, see?" it shakes its head. "Ah, my, I'm doing that again. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Masamune, this Forest Kingdom's Blacksmith."

As though used to it, 5B promptly puffs her chest up, resting a hand on them. "My name is 5B, a YoRHa Battler Unit. And this is my lover, 3H," she gestures towards you.

She's doing that on purpose, you're sure. You clear your throat. "Nice to meet you, Masamune."

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, 5B, 3H. Mhmmhm," humming loudly, it nods its head with a "hand" resting under its "chin" — what a surprisingly human gesture, you can't help but notice. "That is quite an impressive looking sword you have there, 5B, but much as I would like to see it up close, I need to ask," it tilts its head, raising one hand up slightly. "What are you two androids doing this far into the Forest Kingdom Castle? Surely, it is not to meet me. I do not believe my name has spread that far yet."

"We're…" you trail off, meeting 5B's eyes. She nods reassuringly, and you flash her a smile. "There's a dangerous Machine Lifeform within this Castle. We're here to kill it."

"... Ah," it ducks its head, voice strangely low. Sad, you think. "I see. May I know why?"

You nod. As expected, Masamune knows each other — and you suppose, their relationship is better than the Blue Machine's. "We were attacked by it, yesterday," you explain. "And there's also another Machine who requested us to kill this one," you pause. "Although, in truth, we're targeting it because I deemed it too dangerous for us Androids." — well, you think, part of the truth, anyway.

"Is she?" it tilts its head at you, before shaking its head. "Nevertheless, I thank you for the honesty. Haah," it sighs forlornly. "If it's from her, then I truly have no rights to interfere, do I?"

You furrow your brows. "What does that mean?"

"Hm. Well, that is not my story to tell," Masamune replies.

For a moment, you allow yourself a pause. Despite knowing that these Machines could feel — that they are at least self-aware, it doesn't mean you could identify them the same as your fellow androids. Still, it doesn't take a social implant to know genuine sorrow, and hurt. The wise step would be to back off. However, even if you're not truly invested in the Red Machine, leaving things unanswered would still leave things unsatisfactory, huh?

"... This Red Machine," you say, almost hesitantly. "What can you tell us about… her?"

Masamune stares at you for a long time. Pensively, almost. Then it scratches its 'chin'. "... I prefer to call her the 'Caretaker'," it responses, and you give the Machine a conceding nod. "Well, I suppose, calling her 'innocent' would be woefully blind of me, because I have seen her done things that would have her condemned. However, calling her 'evil' — a 'monster' is simply ignorance…" Masamune trails off. "Although she is definitely mad," it adds, chuckling.

There's a pause. Masamune drops his hammer onto the table, hinges creaking slightly under the silent crackling of the burning furnace. "When King Ernst had fallen to 'sleep', my fellow Machines were about to do something drastic… however, an android arrived. Blonde haired, and in a blue dress. She came to mourn for the King — not only that, she came with a prophecy. That King Ernst was not dead, merely slumbering, and that one day, he may wake up," it chuckles at that, almost darkly. "I do not believe that to be the case, however, my fellow Machines did — they were desperate, you see. They were alive because of the King, and without the King, they become lost. At the first sign of hope, they immediately latched on to it."

"So they waited," 5B continued, and you turn to her in both curiosity, and worry. There's that tone again — the same tone she used when discussing the sleeping Machines. "Or rather, like lost children entranced by the melody of Hamelin's pipe, they followed him."

"Well, I'm sure they are actually sleeping," Masamune says, tone light. "Or at least, they were. Now? Well, who knows. The Caretaker cares for them, and I do not have any intention to make her job more complicated," there's a brief pause. "Or lonelier."

"But they needed someone to watch them over. Just in case, perhaps," you say, connecting the dots easily. "The Machine outside said that she was supposed to be their Guardian."

"She still is," Masamune nods. "She volunteered, you see. An outsider not unlike me — but where I saw a shelter where I could forge weapons in peace, she was attracted to King Ernst' charisma like a moth drawn to fire. It is quite ironic, truthfully. Out of all his subjects, she was the biggest fanatic of them all," it sighs, chuckling emptily. "So when the time came, she was the first to step forward — rather than peacefully sleep in peace until the King 'woke up', she vowed to become their Guardian. To watch over them. And they all agreed — for all that my fellow machines disliked her, she was their strongest — and she was undeniable, their most loyal. And for the months that followed after, she did her job, but..." he trails off.

And something clicks immediately in your mind. Ernst, and the Caretaker. It's a horrible realization — like the slithering of worms in one's organs, and skin, and flesh. You, and 5B. "Time," you say, the word slipping out unconsciously. You inhale sharply, shifting in discomfort. From the corner of your eyes, you spot the same realization within 5B's eyes. "She began to doubt," you whisper, voice almost hollow. Your heart feels as though is has stopped -- before exploding like a bullet within its chamber, straight off your head. You lick your lips.

"Something like that, but not quite," Masamune nods. "We all have our obsessions — passions, and I'm sure this doesn't apply to only us Machines," he says, pointedly. "Mine are forging weapons. Hers was — and is — King Ernst. And as she was his biggest fanatic, she was the most child-like. When her name was not… the Caretaker, she told me about her worries. What if that android lied? What if he won't wake up? What if — and so, rather than confronting them, she simply stopped thinking about them. Something like this is just going to distract me, is probably what she thought. And so with each doubt cropping up, she simply stopped thinking about it, until…"

"Until she becomes what she is today," you say.

"Until she becomes the Caretaker," Masamune nods sadly. "A beast utterly devoted for one thing, and one thing only. Uncaring of her own pain. If it means this place, and its denizens remain unscathed, then there's little she would not do. In her mind, it is the only thing she has to do."

You duck your head. Is that something that will happen to 5B? And then another android crossed your mind — was that what happened to Caster? 5B wouldn't abandon you, nor would she forget you. This, you know. But if you keep going like this; keep forgetting, is that how she's going to end? Insane? Mad? Obsessed? Your throat dries out.

You do not want that future, where something similar to Caster might have happened to 5B: to be replaced by another. A future without 5B... even if you're intellectually aware that you-then would not care, for you right now, you can't even begin to imagine a future without her. And it terrifies you, because you don't need to imagine it -- because reality might as well make it happen.

"I am aware, of course," Masamune exhales, pulling your focus outwards. 5B's hand on your shoulder feels like a cooling balm. You wet your lips. Right. You can worry about this later. If there's a later. "That it is kinder to destroy her. But I am not without faults. Although I could not stop you, and although I was indifferent then, I have grown to care for the Caretaker. Despite her faults, she is quite the great listener, you know?" he barks a laugh at that, before sobering quickly. "So, what do you think?"

"You're trying to convince us," you say quickly.

"And have I succeeded?"

[Blank Storage]

[] Change of Intent. Not quite, but perhaps you have seen 5B in this Caretaker. Like putting an ill dog down — you'll grant the Caretaker peace. It's kinder this way.

[] Change of Mind. He did. It is as he said, isn't it? The Caretaker — so long as she is not bothered, so long as this place remains locked… you'd have to talk with the Commander. Attempt to convince her. You're not sure about your chances, but… call yourself a coward, but whenever the Caretaker appears in your mind, there is 5B's face, and you do not want her blood on your hands.

[] Change of Heart. He did. Perhaps more than he expected — you don't truly care. There must… there must be a way to settle this in peace. A way — you're not sure — for her to regain her thoughts back. What did Masamune say? Ernst' Charisma. That's it. And your 5B is Charismatic. Perhaps…

[] Write in

...

A/N: Swear to God, this chapter is perhaps the most difficult thing I wrote so far in this quest. It's unfocused, a mess, and goes everywhere -- and beyond an infodump, progresses the story little. Sorry, readers.

SoothingCoffee · May 23, 2018

[] Change of Heart. He did. Perhaps more than he expected — you don't truly care. There must… there must be a way to settle this in peace. A way — you're not sure — for her to regain her thoughts back. What did Masamune say? Ernst' Charisma. That's it. And your 5B is Charismatic. Perhaps…

...

To say he didn't succeed would be a bald-faced lie. No, rather, it's like he's succeeding way too much. But rather than it's because Masamune is a master of persuasion, it's because he's talking to you. You're sure, if it's someone else standing right in front of him, they wouldn't be as affected -- perhaps, rather than 'killing her because she's dangerous' the intent changes into 'killing her to grant her peace' or something like that, but beyond that, the mission remains the same. But because it's you, who have managed to see parallels between your relationship with 5B, and the Caretaker's with this Ernst guy -- and because you have projected 5B's image into that Machine...

Truly. It's not exactly a revelation, but for someone whose purpose is to be a soldier, you are awful at being one. You sag a little. Certainly, Masamune has succeeded in his endeavor. But now that you know, you can't really leave it be. You could leave, but doing so would simply haunt you forever. Well, until you forget, at least. "... Can you tell me what this Ernst was like?"

Masamune twitches; eye-lights blinking. It seems that you've taken the wind off his metaphorical sails. "What?"

5B cocks an eyebrow at you, and you return it with a nodding smile. She takes that as a response enough. "Just answer us, Masamune."

He scratches his head, tilting it ever so slightly. "Well," he clears his throat, gathering his composure. "To be honest, there would be too many to tell. Even though we called him a King, it was more that he was a Father to us all -- rather than treating us like subjects, he treated us like his children. Rather than a Kingdom, he had founded a Family," Masamune sighs a little at that, almost fondly. "He was kind, wise, and just. Not only that, he was generous," the Blacksmith barks a sharp chuckle. "Too generous, one might say. Because in the end, that was why he died. He gave, and gave freely -- and I do not talk in a metaphorical manner. When he realized he was dying..." Masamune makes a gesture with his hand 'the rest is history'.

Kind, and generous, and wise, and just. For you, there is only one 5B, but it would be a lie if you don't see the parallel between the two... well, maybe not wise, or just. So maybe you're just projecting, but that's beside the point. You shake your head, taking a deep breath. You… have a plan. Well, not really. It's more "let's take this step; maybe it'll work out!" to be honest. It's not even a good one. Just thinking about it is making your hands clenching up. Simply said, the risk heavily outweighs the reward, and not only that, it runs against everything you stand for —

"I'll do it, of course," 5B declares, and you blink, looking at her in incomprehension. She huffs at that, smugness mixing with light irritation. "I know that look, 3H. You have something in your mind that you want to do, but you are hesitating. Do not hesitate. Everything you command me do, I'll do it with a smile."

But that's not the problem, you want to tell her. You know she would do whatever you're suggesting. Hell, she might even be happy with what you're suggesting. But… you shift, and promptly crumples at 5B's expectant look. "Fine," you say, taciturn. You knit your eyebrows, giving 5B a stern look. "But when I tell you to stop it, you better do as I say, okay?"

She huffs again, in mock-offence, but gives you a reassuring smile. "I promise."

[Blank Storage]

And that's how it comes to be with you standing right at one end of the Throne Room, facing the almost-glowering entrance. Calling your "plan" a plan is a downright hilarious — an act of comedy to crown all acts of comedy that would send its audience rolling in laughter, and tears; not because it's actually funny, but because it's so ridiculously horrible, and idiotic that you can't help but laugh.

Emulate the King, you told her — and at first, that might make sense. After all, to snap the Caretaker out of her mad fugue, logically you have to remind her why she's doing all this; to create that singular moment of clarity, where her sanity might be able to take hold. But how? And isn't that the joke? Be generous. Give her openings, let her injure you, and don't kill her, but more importantly, don't die. What sort of contradicting command is that? Let yourself die, but don't actually let yourself die? It's so horrible, you might just be rolling around in tears, right now.

You want to call it off immediately. Oh, how you really want to. But it's too late for that now, isn't it? Doing it now would mean you have little to no faith for 5B, and even if it's not true, it doesn't mean 5B wouldn't be hurt by it. Especially when she's already as resolute, and confident as she is now. Of course, it wouldn't matter if she dies in the end… though only silver lining is that, so long as you're alive, as a Healer Type, you can retrieve her Black Box.

So long as you're alive.

And that you can tell her to drop the plan off immediately if it doesn't work.

You place a hand over your chest. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Do not worry, 3H," 5B speaks, her tone enviously light and easy. Her fire-like sword is already bared open to the world; a declaration for a duel. "I told you I can do this, no? And when I said that, I was being completely serious. I don't lie."

You smile tentatively. "Even if you say that, I don't want you getting hurt, you know?" you return. "... Especially when it's me who told you so."

"I know," she nods, acknowledging your point. "And I promise I would immediately go for the kill at the first sign that things are going badly."

You sigh, almost wryly. "For things to get that badly in the first place… it's still because of me, you know?"

"Nonsense," 5B huffs, and you chuckle a little. Your chest, if only a little, feels lighter. "If things get that badly, then that simply means I'm not good enough. Naturally, however, I am good enough. No," she shakes her head, expression beaming with confidence. "I am more than good enough. I'm simply the best — which is a requirement to be with you."

Your cheeks color, and you huff a short chuckle. "Oh you," you mutter.

"Mmhmm!" of course, 5B's smile could become brighter.

Silence follows after that, ending the conversation, and you bask in it. 5B really has a way of calming you down, huh? Of course, you're still nervous, and worried, but… you also feel reassured. Confident. Focused, and controlled. You breathe in, and then out.

Then 5B stiffens, and just like that, the silence is broken. Metallic clanks approach from the other end of the room; servos shifting, and swerving. From the wall of light, out comes a pair of glowing red eyes — followed by a rusted body cloaked in red. In its mechanical grips, a pair of straight-edged swords.

"Androids…" the Caretaker hisses, and there's so much malice, and loathing in that word that you nearly take a step back. Her body twitches awkwardly: restrained anger. "You… how dare you…" she growls, taking a step forward.

5B's face is a mask of indifference. She takes a step forward —

The Caretaker snaps into movement. Too fast for your eyes to see; there is a flash of something in the air; an incoming blur. 5B dashes forward, wind blowing your hair away as she swings her sword — a loud clang of steel against steel resonates, and echoes in the Throne Room. The blur reveals itself to be the Caretaker's sword, rotating almost to a crawl — your eyes snap back to the Machine she's gone! She leapt to the air!

"5B!" you shout out.

"Got it!"

The Machine plucks the stray sword almost effortlessly out of the air, letting the momentum carry her as she flips overhead. 5B braces herself on the ground, and against her sword; angling the blade as a pair of sword come down — shrrk!

Metals clash. They scream. Shrieking, and screeching as though they're in pain as angry golden sparks fly off. The room shakes; the ground beneath 5B cracking like webs. For a moment, it seems as though all motion has stopped — and just as quick, it all continues. The Machine's blades slide from 5B's, and the android quickly pivots to the Machine's side — a leg snaps out to the Caretaker's side, sending her careening into the distance.

You could see what 5B would normally do next: she would close in the distance, and use that moment where the Caretaker is open in the air to punish her — to end the fight immediately. That's not what happens, because that's not what you've told 5B. Rather, she stays on her ground, her fire-like sword poised, angled slightly down to the ground.

The Caretaker releases a rumbling growl, driving her swords down into the floor — digging gouges into the stone as she grinds to a halt; an ugly pair of scars on what used to be a pristine canvass. She stops. Twitching, staring at the deep gouges, and it seems as though her red eyes glowed brighter. "Urgh. You Androids… argh… how dare you how dare you. Why do you do this? Why why why —"

"I should be asking you that," 5B clear voice cuts the Machine's like a sharp blade. "For what purpose are you doing all of this?" she gestures simply around her.

"..." rather than answering her, the Machine lets out a roar so loud it cracks her own voice-box. She leaps once more in wild abandon — 5B's observation comes to your mind. This Machine, she fights like an animal who have little care for her life. Something lodges within your throat; the beginning of a bad premonition that crawls on your back.

5B meets the Machine's leap with her own — in the center of the Throne Room, they collide, sending a wave of power that nearly pushes you back, and your ears popping slightly. The cracks grow larger, becoming more and more like the intricate webs of spiders. Golden, angry sparks fly with each contact of their blades.

The Machine is relentless; without hesitation, and without thought, she strikes and strikes like hammer upon anvil. Each impact sending a shockwave that sends your hair back. And despite that fact, 5B stands her ground — expertly, she wields her sword, blocking each strike with finesse. Some manages to graze her uniform, cutting slits open, but beyond that, her defense is absolute.

"Is this," she grits. "What your King would have wanted you to become?"

"Quiet!" the Machine howls. "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about him! You do not know anything about him!"

"I know that he deserves respect," somehow, despite the clashing of blades, and the screaming of metals, 5B's voice manages to pierce through it. "A Leader who could inspire so much loyalty and love… for some reason, I feel envious! However, I also know that he was kind, and —"

"Is! He is still alive! Alive!" the Machine shrieks — and if anything, that only makes her fervor increase.

"5B!" you shout out, eyes wide.

"I can handle this, 3H!" 5B replies, grunting — and then, against the Machine's feverish onslaught, she manages to push through it — into the Caretaker's inner space. An iron blade descends, aiming to split her head in twain, but 5B's left hand shoots out towards the Machine's wrist, stopping it an inch away from her hair. With a grunt of effort, she pivots sideways on her legs, and throws the Machine away with a shout —

Only for the Machine to quickly recover as she digs her blades down into the ground, and like a rubber ball thrown at terminal speed, she bounces back almost like lightning; so fast, the air around her distorts, so fast, sound itself seems to warp. "He's alive!" the Machine shrieks, voice breaking apart.

5B's eyes widen. Another weapon — that red barbed spear forms in her other hand, and without pause nor hesitation, she throws it towards the Machine; an almost distant boom as it flies from her hand. It collides with the Machine. Sparks fly. Somehow, neither weapons give — not the Barbed Spear that seems as though blood-like lightning is covering it. Not the Machine, whose body seems to be coated with fang-like wind.

That moment, although only lasting even less than a second, feels like a long eternity. Eventually, however, something gives. The Barbed Spear tilts and it careens away, swirling almost lazily in the air. The Machine continues its motion — but 5B hasn't been idle, and that collision was more than enough to slow the Machine down. Grabbing the spear off the air, 5B rushes forward, and with a heave, she lunges to meet the Machine head on —

Once again, something gives. It is not 5B. There is a flash in the air; a noise not unlike broken glass resounding in the room as a sword snaps. Without slowing down, 5B pivots immediately to the Machine's side, and slams the spear down. The ground cracks with the impact of the Machine —

It immediately drops its swords, and immediately goes for the blade of the spear — and it pulls. 5B makes a sharp noise as she tumbles forward, eyes widening, but before she could do anything, the Machine lets out a heaving roar, and sends 5B flying to the other end of the room.

You watch, horrified as the Room rumbles — concrete dust flying as 5B hits the wall, forming a thick choking smog. "5B!" you scream — something stops you from moving. It chokes you. An instinctive reaction that sends your insides screeching to a halt. The Machine sets its gaze on you, and there's so much malice, and bloodlust in those red eyes that though you want to move — that you want to haste to 5B's side, your body refuses to follow.

"You! You you you you —" the Machine makes a frustrated noise. "Look! Look at what you've done! Look! Look! You've destroyed — you you! You!" it screeches, bracing its spear against you —

"Look at yourself!" relief courses into your veins upon the voice, immediately followed by terror as 5B steps out of the curtain of dust concrete. Her left arm — i-it's limp. Dislocated. Broken. Despite that, her expression still manages to hold that confident. Something flares inside your chest. This needs to stop. She needs to take this seriously — "Is this what your King wanted from his subjects? A mad hound?!"

It pauses. Breathing heavily as it looks around. It twitches. Faltering. Twitches. "Shut up!" it explodes. "You know nothing! Just die —"

"Oh, I know enough," she grins; Original Fire forms in her free arm. "Your King wanted a Family. I've heard from Masamune. What you are now — imagine how your King would think of you!"

"I —" it pauses. Hesitates. Red eyes blinker. "I — no — " it steps back. One eye shuts down, before turning blinking red again. "Nonono! This — he wants this! I'm doing this for —"

"Truly?" 5B asks. "Are you in denial, Machine? Would the King command you to kill woodland critters?" she barks a laugh. "Would he want his Subjects to suffer?"

"W-what —" it - she flinches, looking around. For a moment, you think you see a flicker of something there. Realization. It dawns upon her as red eyes blink, keep flickering into yellow — and then into a pair of blues. They turn to give you a knowing look. Your eyes widen in recognition.

And then she stabs herself.

And explodes.

You watch horrified. Even 5B is off-kilter. "W-what?" she mumbles, blinking. Original Fire flickers away.

Your mouth opens, and then shuts. "Those pair of blue eyes…" you choke, confused. Stiffly, you turn to 5B. "Do you think —" you don't say it. The tension is replaced by something else. Shock. Confusion. Disbelief.

Hollow.

Pointless.

All of this, a joke.

You close your lips with a click. 5B's mouth is set into a thin jawline.

"Let's…" you click your lips, looking away from the spot of explosion. "Let's leave."

5B nods, sighing. "... Let's."

"Let me heal you first."

[[color]Blank Storage[/color=transparent]]

Leaving the Castle is as easy as leaping out of the Throne Room's window. With 5B healed, and you exhausted, the sheer drop is easily done just by hanging onto your Partner. The two of you don't talk about what just happened. The faster we get over this, the better, you think.

"Look," you say, pointing out to the ground. There's a sheet of yellowed paper. 5B picks it up, reads it, and looks back with a complicated expression.

She shows it to you.

If you are reading this, then it means you have succeeded, and I have died. For this, I thank you, Androids.

In truth, she and I, we used to be the same being. However, in order to focus on her duty, she threw reasons and things such as emotions — and thus, I am created. I don't really know how this works, but one thing that I do know that I do not want to live a life chained to a duty that I do not have any care for. Such a thing, especially when she keeps killing my fellow furry friends, is a life filled with torture.

Hence, I've made the decision to die. She doesn't want to — hence, I asked the both of you to do it.

I do not know where a Machine's Soul goes, but I am nevertheless grateful for this turn of events.

Foucault.

You stare at it blankly. And then sigh. Too much for you to digest. Instead, you store it for later. After a moment, you force yourself a smile. "Let's head back to the Bunker, 5B."

She nods, storing the piece of paper into her Inventory as she gently sweeps you into her bridle cradle. She smiles, and you feel slightly less empty. "You can take a rest if you want," she comments lightly, the world swaying into a rhythmic motion as she begins to move.

You hum. "Just being like this is more than enough," you admit. "The view is fantastic."

5B chuckles, puffing her chest in pride. "Naturally. It is 3H Exclusive."

You blush. Somehow, she still manages to catch you off guard. "Oh."

...

A/N: About this Update... yeah, I think I'm suffering a case of burnout. So sorry. I have to either take a break, or start writing something else for some fresh air. No vote this update. Consider it as the end of "an" arc -- or rather, the First Arc. Next update will move the plot proper.

SoothingCoffee · May 28, 2018

Arriving back to the Camp, Anemone's the first to notice the both of you. "You two look bad," she frowns, brows creased in worry. Her green eyes flit to you, to 5B and the tears all over her uniform, and then back to you. "What happened out there?"

"Nothing to be worried about," you reassure her. It's a bit hard to meet her eyes, what with 5B still holding you in her carry. Or rather, it's because you don't want to move from your already comfortable position. Regardless, you don't need to be psychic to know that Anemone doesn't buy it. "It looks worse than it actually is," you say, honestly. "And we already took care of it." Or rather, the problem took care of itself, if with some help, you add quietly. Even though the journey back to the Camp has given you some time to think about it — even if the puzzle pieces fit, somehow, though they're really out there…

Well, after all that, an unsatisfying conclusion is still unsatisfying. It's kinda a pain, to be honest, and you almost don't want to think about it, but it's really annoying.

"... I see," Anemone nods, slowly. She opens her mouth, before shutting it with a heavy sigh… "Ah, damn it."

"You really should not worry that much, Camp Leader," 5B comments. "Like 3H said, we're fine."

"That's not the point, is it?" she grumbles, shaking her head in exasperation. "You're still under my care, and it's worse by the fact that you're not really my guys — I'm kinda responsible. I feel responsible," she clicks her tongue, before looking to the back of the Camp — to Popola and Devola. Or rather, their empty seats. "And they're not here," Anemone grimaces, looking back at you, expression pinched in frustration.

You wonder what that reaction could mean — that lack of reaction that their sole advanced medics aren't here. The Twins have mentioned that they're used with odd menial labors that are also somewhat dangerous. Either Anemone's confident about them, or she doesn't… what? You shake that thought away. Anemone doesn't seem the type, and last time she talked about them, she did sound genuinely concerned for them. Confidence, then.

"Don't worry, Anemone," you say easily. "We're both in need of maintenance anyway, so we're going to head back up to the Bunker for a while — which, actually," you smile sheepishly. "Can we return back to the Bunker?"

Anemone shakes her head, looking somewhat amused. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to say no. You guys may think you're alright, but sometimes…" she trails off — blinks, and returns to present. "Sorry. But yeah. I'll notify some of the others that you'll be gone. Anything else before you go?"

"Ah, yes," 5B chimes in. She shares a look with you, and you nod. "We were actually out in the first place to gather some materials for Sache," without prompting, you 'pull' the sack of gear materials out of your Inventory. "We… can't convince him to fix his legs," 5B adds.

Anemone sighs at that, taking the sack from you. "That's not surprising," her eyes darken a little at that. "We've tried, but that fool is too stubborn. He means well, but…" a look crosses her face; realization. "And if he said something, I'm sorry."

"So that has happened before," 5B observes, raising an eyebrow.

"So he did, huh?" Anemone drawls, lips pulled into a knowing smirk. 5B coughs, and you smile sheepishly. "No, it's fine," the Camp Leader shakes her head. "I'd have to talk with him later, but… well, Sache doesn't mean bad. He treats that everyone who aren't Machines to be his, hm, comrades. So his words can be…" she gestures vaguely. "We got used to it, but for new androids, it can be grating."

You suppose. Maybe it's because that anger has finished into warm crackling embers, but you simply return Anemone's look with another look. "Or insulting?"

Anemone chuckles. "Or insulting, yes. Anything else?"

"Ah, of course!" 5B exclaims, before deflating — ah, yes, the Mackerels. Since the both of you are going up to the Bunker, neither of you will have the chance to taste these infamously poisonous delicacies. "Umumumu," 5B pouts, letting the bucket of Mackerels to materialize.

"Is that," Anemone stares at the bottom dubiously, then back at the two of you in confusion. "But why?"

"Ah, well," you cough. In hindsight, perhaps it's fair to consider that Wisteria wouldn't be telling the her leader that she's going to pull a particularly dangerous stunt — and doubly so, considering the both of you wanted to partake in the dangerous feast. You're sure something like that would get into the Commander's ears… which would be bad. Oh well, sorry, Wisteria. It was good to know you. "... Wisteria asked for it?"

"Umu?"

"Hoh," Anemone drawls slowly, her eyes darkening. Ah, scary. You give out a silent prayer to Wisteria. Stiffly, she takes the bucket of Mackerels from 5B's hand — and 5B shifts you into a much more comfortable position. Anemone turns sideways, gaze panning across the camp. Androids milling about, sitting on grounds, and on chairs; the muted, distant sound of music playing, and chatters that play in the background. Sighing, Anemone's shoulders slump, her lips curving slightly; satisfaction, and bitterness. "Sometimes I wonder if I've done enough…" despite hearing that, you think it's aimed towards herself than anyone else.

"I believe you've done more than enough, umu," 5B chimes in, agreeing with her own sentiment.

"Huh," Anemone blinks, and then coughs. "Oh. Thanks," she smiles appreciatively, before side-stepping away. "I'll give Wisteria some stern talking later, but thanks. Hope we'll see you again."

5B's lips curve into a smile. "I am simply being truthful. Keep up the good work, Anemone."

She blinks again, and the Camp Leader clears her throat once more. "Yeah. Okay."

As 5B carries you towards the transporter, you catch Anemone's furrowed brows aiming at 5B's back, looking somewhat nonplussed. You chuckle, giving her a little wave, and her lips twitch slightly, returning the gesture. 5B can really be something else when she wants to be something.

[Blank Storage]

Just as you're stepping off the Access Point, you are immediately welcomed by 5B's bouncy embrace. "Oomph," you go, sinking deep into marshmallow heaven. Or is it hell? Well, since it's 5B, it's definitely heaven. You tilt your neck out slightly, meeting her mirthful green eyes. "Well, hello there."

5B laughs a little. "How was your journey?"

"Everything's intact," you reply, pulling yourself up until you're leaning against her, rather than sinking into her. For a moment, you let your eyes pan around the Bunker. Its greys, and whites, and blacks feel distant, the air odorless, and the sound muted you can almost hear your insides. Even though it has just been a couple days, the contrast jars you. The Bunker feels almost lifeless, yet at the same time… familiar. It's home, even though you've only been here for a while, the conclusion feels natural. "How was yours?"

"Umumu… without a doubt, this technology has improved," 5B nods, gesturing towards the row of Access Points. "It used to be that we can only save our datas, and even after that, the travel was very turbulent, and only used for emergency — or maybe that's because we teleported from a disturbance free location?" she tilts her head slightly in ponderance.

"That makes sense," you hum. "So we're used to be in someplace more dangerous, huh?" you ask, giving 5B a curious sideway glance.

5B hesitates only for a moment, before nodding. "Indeed. It is quite rare for the Commander to give us an assignment like this, umu, but… I certainly do not mind."

"Me too," you say, almost absent-mindedly. You've suspected, of course, based on the fact that this is the first time the both of you visited the Resistance Camp, as well as doing things like "fishing" and such, but to have it confirmed… well, you're not sure if you should be happy that you're a certified "unique" 3H, or ashamed. You want to know more, but you really don't at the same time. "I guess this assignment won't last long then, huh?"

"... No, I don't believe so," 5B immediately puffs her chest up, and you're nearly thrown away. You hold tightly onto her shoulder. "But that is far more reason for us to enjoy this one to its fullest while we can."

You grin, chuckling along as you bury your face into her arm. "... Can't help but wonder why, though," you say, voice muffled. "I guess the Commander has learned not to overwork her soldiers?" you crack.

Before you could respond, you hear the sound of a door opening: a distant, muted swoosh that is soon followed by an echoing set of footsteps — growing closer, until around the euclidean corridor, she appears. Wearing a tight form fitting black bodysuit that so extremely accentuates her ample chest, and curves you have to clear your throat, and prod 5B's side with your elbow, as well as a lustrous purple hair that reaches down to her ankles, adorned by a red ribbon on its side, and swaying… along with other things, the Operator Unit rushes immediately to the both of you — hands clasped together, and deep purple eyes that seem to immediately sparkle.

"3H!" she exclaims, and though her mouth is covered by a black veil, you can hear the ecstatic smile in that familiar softly-spoken voice. You blink. Familiar? "O-oh," she stops to a stutter, turning to 5B — as though only realizing your lover's existence. She bows deeply. "A-and you too, 5B."

You blink again, recalling the voice that has been in your head a couple times. "8O, is that you?"

"Huh?" she looks up in confusion — and then in realization. "Oh, right," 8O smiles sadly, shuffling on the spot. "I guess this would be the first time you've seen me…" she bows hurriedly. "I-I'm sorry."

It's easy to forget, but 5B — and Caster — is not the only one hurt due to your defect, huh? You hurriedly shake your head, waving an arm. "No no — stop that. Raise your head, please. You don't need to apologize, 8O."

"Y-yes," she coughs, lifting her back up again. "Right. Of course," and then, just like that, her eyes land land on you, and they widen — immediately, her hands begin to flail. "Sen — 3H! You look bad. And you too, 5B! What happened… I should have noticed immediately! You two need to — I'll call someone to check the both of you, so you can wait in your own personal room," she breathes in, nervous energy hidden behind some veil of professionality. "3H, you can talk with the Commander afterwards. She wants to talk with you too."

"Ahaha," you chuckle. "It's really not that bad. Just a little exhaustion."

5B clears her throat, looking at you pointedly. In turn, 8O merely narrows her eyes, and you suspect that she's pouting underneath the mouth-cloth.

"Although we are here to get a maintenance anyway, so…" you continue, sheepishly.

8O nods, then before she could leave, hesitates. Shuffling almost demurely. "Um — welcome back, the both of you. Good work," there's a pause. She places a fist over her breast. "Glory to Mankind."

You smile, replicating the gesture with 5B. In unison with 5B, you say: "Glory to Mankind."

You wonder how much of that you truly believe in.

[center[Blank Storage][/center]

"Hello… Hello? Can you hear me?"

You crack your eyes open. There, standing by your bedside, is an unfamiliar person. Eyes folded with black cloth, and hair white as snow — that's not what catches your eyes. Rather, it's the fact that that person is a he — and he is a YoRHa Unit. You blink. Logically, you know that YoRHa Male Models exist, but this is the first time you've seen one.

"Um," the boy shuffles a little. The Pod floating above his shoulder settles its 'gaze' on you — odd, you can't help but idly note. "Can you move?"

You inhale, and then exhale. Who are you? 3H. Who is your treasure? 5B. You crack a smile, nodding your head as you stiffly swing your legs out — sitting on your bed. You remember. "Yup. Everything is working."

"Oh. Phew," the boy sighs in relief, palming his chest. "You were kinda all quiet, you know? And unresponsive. I thought something went wrong," he laughs. "Thank goodness that's not the case, huh?"

"Yeah," you chuckle. "Who knows what would happen then, huh?" waking up not remembering and having this boy the first person to greet you — you shudder. You want to think that you're not that shallow, but Caster's existence is a contradiction to that believe. Maybe you are that shallow. You shake your head. "You know, this is the first time I've seen a Male model,"

"Huh?" the boy tilts his head; you have the impression that he just blinked. After a moment, he shrugs. "Well, I guess we are pretty rare. Though I haven't seen you either before, ma'am. I'm 9S… uh, you can call me Nines. Everybody does that," he chuckles.

You smile. Nines, huh? He doesn't seem bad. Charming and fascinating at the same time. "I'm 3H. Uh, call me 3H, I guess?" you shake your head. "Nice to meet you, Nines. And thanks for the help."

"Ehh, it was nothing," he grins, waving a hand. Modest, he is not. "I was just around, really, and I'm really really good at this. Easy peasy. But um, how are you feeling?" he drops his arms, frowning in concern. "I've… read the record about your… uh, I hope you don't mind about that."

You blink, and then cough out laugh. "It's fine. I think most of everybody knows that, so one more is… well, I think it's better the more people remember, right?"

"Oh," Nines pauses, tilting his head, humming. Then he nods. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

You hum back, breathing softly as you look around your room. Now that you think about it, there's really nothing here, huh? You would've thought you would try to decorate it more, but… yeah, you don't think you want to either. It seems pointless, and seeing something from the past you can't remember doing would just bring more hurt. There are books, of course, but they're too scarce as well — no point in reading when you're going to forget them, and when you can search into your archive as easily.

In the end, your room ends up being "a place you occasionally wake up in" rather than a "safe space" like most rooms would. Distant. Empty. Bare. Blank. Fitting, you suppose. You breathe in deeply. Stop this. "So," you exhale, clenching and relaxing your fists. Nines makes a noise, turning to you. "Do you know where 5B is? She's my partner."

"Your partner… Oh, I guess she should be in her room," he answers.

Last time, it was her who came to you. You smile, feeling somewhat pumped. "Well, I guess I should go to her," if she's already awake, she should already be here — but since she's not, that means you could be the first person she wakes up to. Nodding resolutely, you pull yourself up to your feet. Nines takes a step back. "I also need to talk to the Commander later too. Still," you shake your head. "It's nice to meet you, Nines."

"Haha," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, same here, 3H."

You give him a grateful nod, giving your room a once-over, before you head towards the door —

"Uh, wait!" Nines calls out — you halt in the middle of a step, turning around with furrowed brows. Nines coughs. Stops. Shuffles a little. "Um," he grimaces. "Sorry, but there's something you might want to know."

"Huh?"

He winces. "When I said I read up on your records… I might have understated it a notch. Ahaha," he laughs awkwardly. "I got a little curious, and uh, dug deeper than I really should on you."

You open your mouth, before shutting it with a click. You recall 8O's words. Classified. "... You hacked into the Bunker's Archive?" you whisper.

"Umm. Yeah," he scratches his cheek, smiling sheepishly. He takes a deep breath, jaws set into a straight line. "This… this is very likely to be important for you."

[] Hear Him Out. You've intended to talk with the Commander, and you still are — but there's still that niggling doubt that the Commander won't tell you everything. After all, much as you are entitled to know about yourself, she's also entitled to keep some things secret, especially if that "some things" might prove dangerous. After all, things are classified for a reason. So maybe, whatever Nines has found… it might prove to be… you don't know what, but something.

[] Refuse. You have nothing against Nines. Truly, you don't. You might even say you appreciate him doing this. It's in your honest opinion that it's better this way — the more people know about you, then the better it'll be for your next... iteration. It might end up hurting them, but… well, nevertheless, you will put your trust into the Commander. You'd have to hear from her directly. She may tell you everything — she may not. Whatever the case may be, the Commander is not a bad person. She does care, and if that's not enough, you will just have to try to convince her.

SoothingCoffee · Jun 5, 2018

[] Hear Him Out. You've intended to talk with the Commander, and you still are — but there's still that niggling doubt that the Commander won't tell you everything. After all, much as you are entitled to know about yourself, she's also entitled to keep some things secret, especially if that "some things" might prove dangerous. After all, things are classified for a reason. So maybe, whatever Nines has found… it might prove to be… you don't know what, but something.

…

The wise thing to do would be to ignore Nines, and leave him. The wiser thing to do would be reporting him to the Commander. Unfortunately, you have never claimed to be wise. Your throat clenches for a minute second — an inner battle against proper procedures, and protocols. At this point, it's not just a matter of 'want' anymore, but also of 'need'. Even if there's a chance that the Commander might tell you what Nines is going to tell you, there's also an equal, or higher, chance that she's not going to tell you.

Of course, as the Commander, she's entitled to keep secrets, especially if she judged them to be potentially dangerous. She's the Commander for a reason, after all. However… you wouldn't know, and you wouldn't know that you don't know. And because you can know, then you have to know.

You turn around to face Nines. "Accessing classified documents without permission... we could get into a pretty big trouble, you know?"

"Hah," Nines laughs, shoulders sagging into relief. "At least we'll be in trouble together, right?"

"Well, I guess I am officially your accomplice now. Silver linings, I suppose," you say, shrugging. And then you take a breath. "So, tell me. What… did you find?"

Nines straightens his back. "Yeah. Okay. Where to start… I guess from the beginning, huh?" he shuffles awkwardly on the spot, scratching his cheek, looking faintly sheepish. Well, when you were still in the process of rebooting, I got, um, bored?"

You blink. "Bored."

Nines coughs. "W-well… yeah," he finishes lamely. "So anyway, I already read up on your profile, but I got curious — you know, even if 'defects' — or 'glitches — do exist in some of us, they're always quickly patched. Especially when it could be very detrimental in so many ways," he gives you a pointed look, before chewing his cheek. "But in your case, 3H… well, it's best for you to see it yourself," he looks over his shoulder, and nod. "Pod."

"Affirmative, 9S," the Pod bobs in air, before turning to face you. "Sending files from Platform Pod-153 to Unit Number 3, Type Healer. Do you accept?"

You lick your lips, inhaling deeply. This would be your last chance to back off. To do the smart, wise, and if not, the right thing. "I accept," you nod.

"Files sent."

There's a bleep in your head; a strange sensation of being poked on the skin, yet it's not on your body, and distant at the same time. Three new unread documents are added into your Personal Archive: "YoRHa Prototype Unit Healer Number 3", "{Top Secret} Dismantlement of Prototype Unit Healer Number 3", and "{Top Secret} Model Number 3's Loss of Memory".

… Well, to begin with, they're all very intimidating, huh. You give Nines a dry look. "So you got bored, huh?" you remark.

Nines coughs, split between embarrassment, and beaming. "Well, if there's one thing we Nine Models are good at…" he trails off into an uneasy laugh.

"Haha," you intone flatly. You let out a breath, nodding to yourself. Nines nods at you, and after what feels like a nerve-wrecking eternity that only lasts a minute second, you open the first file. YoRHa Prototype Unit Healer Number 3.

YoRHa Prototype Unit Healer Number 3 said:
The following document details the planning creation of YoRHa Prototype Unit Healer Number 3:

Gathered from observation data on how Mankind fought in the past, it was found that there was a common thread — a rather universal detrimental condition that occured during and the aftermath of conflict, or a particularly traumatic experience. First dubbed as "shell-shock", then "battle fatigue" before finally recognized by the world as an actual mental disorder called "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder", shortened into "PTSD".

Although theoretically speaking, Androids could be built in a way where such a thing would never occur, it is considered rather "inhuman" and "cruel", not including the potentially detrimental effects such an android might have on others.

Thus, the suggestion to create the Prototype Model Number 3, an android with the main purpose of preventing, as well as treating this mental condition. Branching slightly from its original conception, this Prototype Model will be classified as "Type Healer".

However, in order for something like this to be realized, it has to have the "perfect" personality. An existence whose thought process would align easily to their 'patient'; a someone whose presence would be comforting, and soothing, but not submissive. Who is understanding, and emotional, but not naive and still capable of creating a pragmatic decision. Someone who would never give up, someone who is full of determination, and someone who would put importance on their patient rather than themselves.

We've found her.

You open your mouth, and when you realize you do not have the words, close it with a soft click. You shiver; a discomforting sensation like cold ants crawling up on your spine. This is how you were made — the conception of "you", the idea behind "you", and the why of "you". The entirety of "you" — this existence dubbed as "3H" — condensed into letters and words and sentences and paragraphs and ones and zeroes.

You want to say that reading this is "creepy", but that's not entirely accurate either. It's more a sensation of "uncanniness", of "should-not-be", as though you are reading something that you — and only you — should not read. Something forbidden. Something taboo.

Your breathing speeds up, and even though it should not affect you, you still manage to feel dizzy. You tamp that sensation down. Hyperventilation, you distantly recall. You force yourself to slow your breath. In. Beat. Out. Beat. In. Beat. Out. Perfect. Your hands are shaking, somewhat, but you're in control of yourself.

You raise your head to look at Nines —

"Um," Nines freezes, his being closer to you than before; an arm stretched out, two-thirds a way from your shoulder. Cheeks red in embarrassment, Nines steps back, hand twitching slightly as it drops back to his side. "Ahaha…" he squirms under your gaze. "S-sorry — I was just — I didn't — I mean — are you okay?"

Despite yourself, you find yourself relaxing, a small laugh bubbling into your mouth. "I'm fine, I'm fine," you say. "And don't feel too embarrassed, Nines. I like the gesture. It helps."

"Oh really?" he perks up a little, before shaking his head again. "Um. Anyway! Sorry, I should have warned you earlier! I guess… I didn't realize that reading something like that, about you, might be… a little disturbing," he finishes, lamely.

"Yep," you say, popping the 'p'. "It's a little disturbing, alright."

"Well, now you're just making me feel guilty," he jokes, and you give him a knowing smirk. "Oof. You can be a little cruel, 3H. Anyway," he sobers immediately. "That document isn't exactly classified. Just hidden, almost deliberately so, since I had to be thorough, and it's relatively old."

Nines is right about that. The age of the document, it's from seven years ago, and accordingly, you were built two years later.

"Normally a heavy defect like that would get patched within a couple months — a year at most. It's already five years, 3H, and they haven't managed to do anything about it. And more than that… the you that was then, and the you that is now, you're the same person. Prototype Number 3."

You lick your lips. You've figured that much, at least, from the document. "I was told they had tried," you point out, furrowing your eyebrows. "Are you saying that they're hiding something?"

"Well that," Nines nods. "Or they gave up on it, or that it's something way bigger."

"Which one is it?" you ask.

Nines' smile would have been cheeky, if not for the hesitance in it. "You should check the next file."

"... Right," you say, and this time, you prepare yourself better than before — and with the word "dismantlement" in the same sentence with "Number 3" as the title, such a thing is easily done. In, and out — and you open the document.

{Top Secret} Dismantlement of Prototype Unit Healer Number 3 said:
The following details plans on the dismantlement of the then believed failed Prototype Unit Healer Number 3.

(Note that this document is marked with Level-B Confidentiality, and should only be disclosed to the Bunker's Commander, Researchers, as well as a handful of YoRHa Personnels.)

[14/11/11939]

Despite effort, Project Model No. 3 is now officially declared as a failure, and so the subject will be dismantled as soon as possible — this is in order that the resources dedicated on this project could be put to another.

The basis of this decision is due to the fact that after months of observations, and numerous fixes, Number 3 has managed to accomplish the exact opposite of its purpose. It appears that, according a number of tests, something unpredictable has happened during the process of its creation, and it has become effectively unresponsive, or "emotionally" dead. Rather than being a "personable" and "comforting" presence it is supposed to be, Number 3 has only succeeded in becoming "alien" and "discomforting" when around other androids.

And although attempts have been made to fix this "defect", nothing has worked. It is not as though Number 3 is incapable — certainly, it is equipped with the tools, and it has the abilities as well as the knowledge, and indeed, when it is given a command, it will heed it as best as it could.

However, that is exactly the problem. Number 3 is empty — rather than an android; an existence based on the image of a human, it is instead a lifeless robot. In essence, it is not "sentient" — or "self aware". Ergo the pronoun "it" within this document. Even though her personality base is still intact, and should, in theory be working… perhaps it is due to lack of understanding in the technology, but nevertheless, there is simply too much being put into Number 3, and there is too little gained.

For now, Project Type Healer will be returned to its original conception of retrieving, and storing Black Boxes — and the tools that have been invested into Number 3 will go into Project POD.

[21/01/11940]

Planning of Number 3's Dismantlement has been cancelled. This is due to a change of behaviour on the Subject during and following the event where Special Type Caster made contact on her.

To further elaborate, Special Type Caster (read: Model Caster), seconds upon her awakening-slash-activation, had immediately rushed into Number 3's chamber, and made contact. Although a later questioning gives no answers, without a doubt, Caster acted very… affectionate for Number 3 — and more than that, Number 3, the then thought-to-be emotionless robot repricocated; she reacted, becoming "alive" for the very first time, as though waking up from a deep sleep.

It is unsure why this happened. Admittedly, there is little we know about [REDACTED], so perhaps it has something to do with that. Nevertheless, they are all speculations, and with Number 3 showing success for the first time, her dismantlement is cancelled, and further observation is needed. A suggestion has also been given that Special Type Caster should be paired with Number 3, as separating them might backfire.

… How are you supposed to feel about this, really? It's like reading a story already knowing the ending, so you aren't really surprised about the conclusion, and certainly, the indicative title alone was more than enough to set your expectation. However, that does not make you any less disturbed. That there was a 3H who couldn't be called 3H — how you used to be a lifeless, unthinking existence. Less android, and more… just a thing.

In truth, however, even though that part is interesting in a morbid way, the revelation still amounts to nothing.

The second part of the document, however. Caster — the name triggers a memory; a lonesome android who sat on the pier of desolation, her eyes gazing into the sea in what you now realize as longing. You do not know this woman. Even though you should, you do not — it's not even hyperbole that you've never met this woman until recently. It is fact that the 3H that was her lover is a completely different compared to the 3H who is 5B's lover.

Still. There is this strange feeling that you can't quite explain. Pity? Not quite. Something close, yet distant at the same time. It's like reading a story of a tragic heroine, and realizing that you're part of the problem — or at least, you're not helping matters. Guilt? No, too distant, too vague; the fact that you are who you are now, you do not regret it. Responsibility? Strangely, yes. It might just be too self-conceited of you, voluntarily putting yourself in a position nobody expects, or maybe even want you to be in, and you don't even know where to begin, but...

You need to know more. You want to know more. There's this urge; a thirst you now recognize when meeting the callous Saber, and the twin Popola and Devola — the lack of it when talking to Sache. Like a book missing its pages; like a puzzle missing its pieces. One thing is obvious: you need to find Caster. You need to talk to her. Ask why she came to you in the first place. Ask about herself. Ask. Ask. And ask. In private, without 5B, if must be.

You let out a sigh, raising your head to meet Nines. He hesitates, and you try for a smile: "I guess this is where I've actually became your accomplice, huh?"

Nines chokes out a laugh. "H-hah," he snorts. "Yeah, I guess. Hmm," he hums. "It feels kinda nice, letting people in on a secret."

You raise an eyebrow, incredulous. "Don't tell me…"

"Shh…" smiling cheekily, the boy lifts up a finger over his lips. "Don't tell anyone. This is our little secret," then he exaggeratedly tilts his head, motioning what you might think is a wink.

You huff in amusement. "Not like I could tell anyone about this," you point out. Then you take a deep breath, sobering. "... I guess my model was really close to being dismantled, huh?" you say dryly, more a statement, than a question.

Nines winces. "Yeah," he breathes out. "But it's really curious, don't you think? I tried to look into Caster more, but it was harder to find. She defected, and died in the process — I know that much. But… why you were like that in the first place, or why Caster came to you in the first place, and why you reacted to her, or why she defected in the first place…" he shrugs. "Some of those questions… I don't think the higher-ups even know the answer."

"Well," you say, considering your words. You suppose you can trust Nines. "Caster defected because… I changed partner."

"5B," Nines surmised, and you nod. "How do you know this?"

"From the source herself," you frown distantly at the memory. That's right, you think, you haven't checked the knife that Caster gave you.

"Wait," Nines twitches his head up in surprise. "She's alive? But the YoRHa…"

"She's really good at hiding," you say. Which would be really difficult to find her… unless you want her to find you. Risky, but worth considering. You would have to apologize to 5B later, and probably do many things to make up for it — just the fact that you're considering to go against your promise against her hurts. Granted, the intent is different. However…

"Huh," Nines frowns. "I wonder if that's what the 'Caster' type is supposed to be? Considering that we don't have one anymore means that it's not really successful, huh?"

Well, you don't know either, to be honest. But since it's called 'Caster', the answer might be obvious, huh? Nines is probably thinking about the same thing too.

"Oh well," Nines shakes his head, giving up for the moment. He takes a breath, giving you a serious look. "Let's move onto the next one…" he trails off a little. "The others are just introductions, but the final one, I think, is the one that you might need or want to know."

"Is that so," you mumble, closing your eyes. And then, without much preamble, you open the final document:

{Top Secret}Model Number 3's Loss of Memory said:
The following details an overview regarding Number 3's Memory Loss:

(Note that this document is marked with Level-A Confidentiality, and should only be disclosed to the Bunker's Commander, and a handful of YoRHa Personnels.)

Months after her encounter with Special Type Caster, Number 3 has improved improved significantly. Steadily, those vacant eyes who would only stare off into the distance, are now becoming filled with life. Her previously normally monotone voice has gained complexity, and her expression has become completely natural. Indeed, it seems as though after encountering Caster, she has become the android that was first envisioned (read: YoRHa Prototype Unit Healer Number 3.)

However, after a month, an oddity occurred. For seemingly no reason whatsoever, Number 3 has lost her memories; a case of amnesia. As though she was reset to a "factory new" condition, she has forgotten everything save for the basis general knowledge. Special Type Caster has reacted strongly to this.

It does not seem, however, that beyond losing her memories, Number 3's personality has changed. In fact, Number 3 still retains the personality she has "cultivated" throughout the month with Caster, as well as the girl she was based on. One might even argue, that after a few hours of confusion, Number 3 has become all the more lively. Although it was strange, however, there seemed to be no answer to why. There were speculations — perhaps due to [REDACTED], this happened.

Nevertheless, further observation was required. Perhaps it was simply an unfortunate accident. Another month later, however, the same occured. And so another month. Despite Caster's distress, and her less than… pleasant reaction to certain people, she remained by Number 3's side.

Another month — and this time, something was detected. Six weeks after the last incident, as Number 3 was on sleep mode, a 'signal' was caught — a data transmission of a sort. Too quick, and heavily encrypted to be read, or tracked. The next day, Number 3 has lost her memories. The implication is both troubling, and alarming.

The same thing happened with the next incident — even though it was expected, the encryption put on the transmission signal was too… advanced. Too complicated. As though written in a completely different, and new language, it was impossible to decrypt.

In order to keep the Base from panicking, as well as to protect Number 3, the Commander — and us — has decided to keep this a secret. At least, until the signal has been finally decrypted, and the location tracked, we will say tell Number 3, Caster, as well as others that this is an unexpected defect.

For a moment, you don't know how to speak. Your mouth flaps open, but no voice comes out. Signal transmission? You think numbly. Even though the document doesn't say it outright, the implication is obvious. Even someone simple minded could figure it out. You sleep. There's a signal transmission. You forget.

A strange choking noise escapes from your throat; the emotions too thick, and too muddled, and too unconscious for you to even identify. To even bother. Stolen, that word rings in your mind. Stolen, it's stolen, it repeats. Over, and over, and over. Not a defect, but stolen.

"H-hah," you choke out. You feel faint, your legs suddenly numb. You grasp for your chair, and plop yourself, staring off into the distance. You are shaking; your teeth feel as though they're about to come out, and your head feels as though it's vibrating. Or maybe that's just your eyes.

It's strange.

You should feel angry. Should feel bitter, and enraged. And though you do feel all those, you also feel… relieved. Like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Happy. You feel clarity. It feels as though this… this muddy, and foggy path has opened up to you; has cleared up, and now you see something — you see an end.

Stolen.

That means there's a culprit — not just random, unfortunate circumstance. That means there's a cure — not some desperate hopeless prayer for more time. That means you can live, that means you can stay you — that means you do not have to accept, to resign your fate.

You breathe out, and you realize that you are smiling. And that you are crying. Joy. "Thank you, Nines."

"... 3H?" Nines asks.

You turn to him. Watch the concern in his everything — his frown, his posture, his twitchiness to reach out. "It's just like you said, and you were right — I needed to know this. So thanks, again. And don't worry, I'm fine. More than fine, really," you chuckle, shaking your head. After a moment, you stand up. "And if you need anything, Nines, you can call for me."

Now. What's next?

[Blank Storage]

[] Confront the Commander. In the end, the Commander has a reason why she's hiding the truth. And in the end, she is still your Commander. She'll be curious about where you find this information, but considering the Commander, she would not react violently. She's not the type. You… you don't know, exactly, what to ask of her — but perhaps, she has a clue?

[] Search for Caster. In the end, there is only one person you could depend on: Caster. That android who used to be your partner — your lover. The same android who is doing… whatever she is doing to help you. Of course, finding her will be near to impossible, but that only means that to meet her, she has to go to you. For once in your short lifetime, you will separate from 5B's arm lengths — you'll worry her to death, but you're sure she could understand. For you to live happily with her… this needs to be done.

...

A/N: Dramatic screeching

SoothingCoffee · Jun 28, 2018

[] Search for Caster. In the end, there is only one person you could depend on: Caster. That android who used to be your partner — your lover. The same android who is doing… whatever she is doing to help you. Of course, finding her will be near to impossible, but that only means that to meet her, she has to go to you. For once in your short lifetime, you will separate from 5B's arm lengths — you'll worry her to death, but you're sure she could understand. For you to live happily with her… this needs to be done.

—

You feel something lodged inside your throat; that slow sinking sensation at the back of your head, like dipping your arm slowly into sand. You breathe in, and out. You know what to do next. Turning to the other occupant of the room, you give him a smile. "Thanks, Nines, for telling me all of this," you give him a bow. "It's nice meeting you."

Straightening yourself, you turn around —

"Wait, 3H?" Nines' voice is barely a mumble, but you hear it all the same. Tilting your head over your shoulders, you see a concerned frown on his lips. "I… Where are you going?"

Ah. You open your mouth, and then close it. He noticed, huh? Or at least, he suspected. For a hesitant moment, you consider lying — but the words stubbornly latch onto the edge of your tongue. You close your head, and in that moment, you see the thousand steps before you — see the "could have"s and the "might have"s ahead of you. "I'm seeing a fox," you say, after a beat.

Nines stares, looking nonplussed. But he doesn't stop you from leaving the room — pneumatic tubes hissing as the door parts into two, and you cross the threshold. Almost immediately, needles pierce your inside; a pin dropping in a hollow room, the noise echoing for eternity. Your heart begins to beat; the decision finally sinking in. Away from 5B — everything looks so dull, so distant, and yet so close. It roils within your stomach, and if you are able, you would have vomited. Instead, you take a deep breath, and step forward. Needles prickling your skin as you ignore 5B's room, and pass the elevator leading up to the Command Room; further down into the white euclidean corridor you go.

An android raises her hand at you, lips parting open. Short red hair, her body swaying life a falling leaf, and a Pod bobbing over her shoulder. 10D, you remember her; the android back in the Oasis.

You don't slow your pace, offering her a quick apologetic smile. "Sorry."

10D raises her brows, but shrugs. "Don't mind me," her eyes look around, and you see the frown on her lips — the gears in her head moving. "Where's…"

You are already past her. Needles. Needles. Needles. On your legs, on your arms, on your chest. Frozen, and melting. They prick, and prick. Your breathing grows chaotic. Your vision swaying, and shaking — and for a quick moment, you half-expect, half-hope that 5B would already be there once you got into the Access Points.

She's not there.

Your breath escapes your lungs, and for a moment, everything blackens. And you blink, and there is still no 5B. Haah. "This is bad," you mumble pitifully, leaning against the black capsule.

///

"3H?" Devola stumbles back in surprise. Her blue eyes furrow in confusion, glancing to your side — or rather, the lack of a certain someone. "What are you doing here? Where's 5B?"

You freeze; anxiety, and hesitance clogging up your throat.

"… We've heard from Anemone that the both of you were injured," Popola steps forward from her twin's side. Voice soft like the whispers in the wind. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm," you wet your throat, finding your voice quickly. Lifting your head, you meet Popola's eyes directly. "I'm fine. Doing fine," you smile. "I was just a bit tired, and needed some maintenance, you know? They already gave me the green light… which is why I'm here."

"And 5B?" Devola asks, frowning.

"She's fine," you say, switching to meet the other twin's eyes. "She's still in the Bunker. Her maintenance is taking a little while, so... I decided to… go ahead," you finish, with a lame chuckle.

Popola frowns, sharing a look with Devola. "Why would you do that?" Popola asks. "Shouldn't you wait for 5B? … I guess it would be fine if you just stay in the Camp, but you're not going to, are you?"

You glance upward, breaking eye contact. The corner of your lips twitches, before continuing eye contact. You suppose that's a fair assessment, being that you're right at the entrance of the Camp. You could say that you're just standing here — but you don't think they're going to believe that. "I… forgot something," you "admit", sheepishly.

"... Forgot something," Devola deadpans.

You quickly regret using that excuse. You nod quickly. "Yeah,"

Popola glances quickly to Devola. "Even so, it's still dangerous for you to go out alone, 3H," she says.

"I'm not going too far, Popola."

She eyes you for a moment — and inwardly, you sigh. She's playing along, hoping that you would step back. "What did you forget, anyway?" she smiles. "We could get it for you."

You shake your head. "It's something important, and… besides, you guys look a bit roughed up too," you point out, with some concern. And you're not just making excuses. Torn clothes, sheared, and sliced. Dirt on their skin, and dust on their hair, dulling their red maroon into something brown. Artificial blood, blooming beneath the bandages around Devola's left leg, and the awkward angle of Popola's right arm; how she's keeping it still on her side. "You guys should take care of yourself now."

Popola smiles softly, tittering. "We've been in worse, 3H. We were, ah," she coughs, looking embarrassed. "We were caught off-guard. I guess we should be more careful when in caves — but really, this is nothing. It could wait. You, however," she says, and you glance sideways.

Devola sighs harshly, and you jump. She gives you a flat look. "Cut the bullshit here, 3H," she says. "You're not fooling anyone — so unless you're going to spill, we're not going to let you go."

"It's just..." you mumble, shuffling in spot. Your eyes trail to the space beyond Devola — despite Devola not at all blocking it, it seems so small. "Something I gotta do…. It's private."

There's a pause. "It's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?" Devola asks, brow raised. "Just a couple days ago, you were asking, and then forcing your way into our own business. Telling us that you're our friends, and stuff," she crosses her arms over her chest, frowning. "And now that you look like this, alone without 5B, and we're asking you to tell us what's going on — you're telling us to mind our own business? That how friendship works, is it? We're not supposed to care about you?"

"... Devola," Popola mutters, before sighing. She turns to you, smiling lightly. "Well, while I would have put it more mildly," Devola scoffs. "But my sister's right, 3H. It has only been a couple days, I admit, and we haven't really talked much since," she chuckles. "But you're our friends, 3H, and you look troubled. So if there's anything we can do —"

"Or rather," Devola cuts in, grumbling. "Even if there's nothing we could do, just tell us. And yes, we're still not going to let you go into danger without any good explanation."

You wilt. They are right, of course. You are being unreasonable. Fact is, you and 5B have intruded your way into the twin androids' bubble, and by doing so, they're in yours. Or rather, they should be. And now when they are trying to reciprocate, you're not allowing them in. Friendship is a two-way street; a give-and-take relationship. You care, but it also means that they care too.

… But because they are your friends, they would also stop you. And because they are your friends, you're trying not to tell them. Would they understand? You wonder. You're not 5B; you can't really defend yourself if something bad happens, and even if you could, you doubt it would be enough against Caster — not that you think she would do anything bad to you. Even if you're not meeting someone as dangerous as Caster, who has defected from YoRHa, and is supposed to be dead, the fact that you're stepping out of the Camp's safety would still raise alarms.

And now that, in hindsight, you've been hesitant in telling the truth, Popola and Devola know that it's something bigger than just "taking a walk".

You return back to the question: Would they understand? They would. There's no doubt about that, really. The similarity between your current circumstance with theirs is so painfully damning, even you're having doubts at the lack of connections. So they wouldn't stop you... but that doesn't mean they would let you go out there alone, and...

… And you're not sure what. That Caster might not show up? There's a very real chance of that -- perhaps Caster might even attack them. But it would be dishonest to say that those are the only reason why you don't want to tell them honestly. You want...

You want to meet Caster.

Alone.

... Eventually, though, you need to give Popola and Devola something.

[] Tell the Truth: They are your friends, and... well, they've allowed you inside their bubble, and now it's your turn. Maybe... maybe you're being too hasty -- maybe they could be reasoned with.

[] Tell a Lie: They may believe it -- they may not. However, regardless of the fact, you are quite aware that you're going to break your bond with them.

SoothingCoffee · Jul 8, 2018

[] Tell the Truth

[Blank Storage]

Telling the Truth — to be honest with your friends, who have also been honest to you, that is the right thing to do. You lick your lips, meeting Devola's and Popola's eyes as you nod your head. "Alright, I'll tell you guys."

Popola lets a quiet sigh of relief. Devola sags her shoulders, lips curving upwards as she returns your nod. "Great… though," she narrows her eyes threateningly — not without some heat. "You better be honest, 3H."

"Devola," Popola says sternly, bumping her twin's side.

"What?" Devola returns, pouting. "I'm just being frank," she turns to you, eyebrow raised. "So?"

You chuckle sheepishly. "I suppose I deserve that," you say dryly, and then take a deep breath. You open your mouth, and then pause — where to even begin? Well, you suppose, there's really only one answer to that question: the beginning. "I haven't told you guys, either because we only met two days ago," and has it really been that short? It feels like an eternity. "Or because I didn't have the chance, but…" you sigh. "I'm a defective model line — that is to say," you smile wryly at their expression of surprise. "I'm chronically amnesiac."

Popola frowns, eyes lowered slightly in thought. "... Chronically amnesiac?" she blinks, concern and surprise filling her eyes. "You're losing your memories?"

You smile tentatively. It is somewhat strange, and uncomfortable saying this. It isn't exactly a secret, and if you want to see it as one, it's basically an open secret. Those that knew about your existence would already know about your condition, and those that don't know you could easily find it like 9S. Only exception is you — and those who are not YoRHa, and have never met you — Number 3 — before. This includes Popola, and Devola whom you've just met, and quickly befriended in — and thanks to — your relatively short existence.

Long story short, this is the first time you have to actually tell someone about, well, yourself.

"Uh-huh," you nod. "Every once in a while… I don't know when — it could be a week to a month, I will lose my memories. Everything that I've seen, felt, and experienced — every person I've met, I'll forget them all. And even evidence of my existence; records, and videos, and images seem to have the same condition..." you make a weak sweeping gesture. "Wiped clean."

There is a long pregnant silence.

"3H, that's…" Popola trails off, eyes wide.

"It's not great — actually, it's pretty horrible, and terrifying," you admit, and you feel a certain weight lifted off your shoulders. There's something liberating about saying all of this — and now the ball is rolling. "Fearing that with each second passing, that the next time I'll close my eyes — poof. I, the me standing right now, will die — and another iteration of 3H is going to take my place. At the surface, she may not be different, but at the core… she's not going to be the same. And you know what's worse?" you chuckle, and realize the wetness trailing down on your cheeks. You wipe them vigorously. "There's a chance that 5B is not going to be there, and I wouldn't know. Someone else could claim that they're my partner, and I fear that I would treat them the same as I would 5B — and even if that 3H finds out that there was another, she wouldn't care, because 5B is not that 3H's partner, but simply the past 3H's partner, and —" a hiccup interrupts your speech. "And I know this because it has happened once before, and even if it's just a one-in-a-billion possibility, it still terrifies me. And 5B —" you croak. "5B is amazing, and she's — she's —" another hiccup, and this time, you couldn't form the words anymore.

You're crying.

All those insecurities, all those worries, all those fears, anxieties, doubts, and stress, and pressure, and anger, and regrets, and resentment, and bitterness, and despair — piling, and piling into hills, into mounds, into mountains. Ignored, held back, and kept locked in a vault within your mind so that you wouldn't worry 5B. Even with 5B convincing you that it's fine like this; even with the relief that you have a vague form of a goal-line at the end of this seemingly endless road… it doesn't make all of those things suddenly go away. And now, like a broken dam,they are all bursting forth — spilling from your lips, into letters, into words, into sentences. Forming into cries, and shouts, and pleas, and blubbers.

Your back hits a wall of the alley, and you clench your eyes shut. You swallow audibly, and breathe. In, and out. In, and out.

"Oh, 3H," Popola murmurs, and you feel her sidling to your side. She reaches out to you - but freeze suddenly, her hand hanging awkwardly over your shoulder, a strange look on her face. Like a rusty gear beginning to turn after an eternity, the hand falls on your shoulder. "I don't… I don't know what to say," she admits, almost guiltily. "But… we're here for you."

There was a louder sigh, and Devola practically swallows your other side — or rather, throwing you to her side. There's a surprised squeak. Your eyes widen as your body suddenly loses its balance, and falling into Devola's side. Before you could even recover, Popola's weight follows, and your face promptly squishes into Devola's shoulder. You blink, looking up, and meeting her amused — and caring — eyes.

"Devola!" Popola squawks, pulling herself back up to her feet. She puffs her cheeks out, giving her sister a stern look. "Be careful next time. Geez."

Devola grins mischievously. "C'mon, Sis. Nothing like a little skinship to wash the grime away, right?" then she turns to you. "... You've been holding in a lot of things, huh?"

You're stuck between a cough, and a chuckle. "Yeah…" you trail off. To scare, and worry 5B: that would be the last thing you want to do. "I suppose."

Devola shares a look with Popola - unreadable, yet knowing at the same time. "I think we understand," she says, nodding. She pauses. "But from now on… well. Holding things like that — sometimes it's needed, but there's just so much a person could handle, you know? So you can lean on us more."

You blink at the offer — you can let it all out at us, is what Devola is saying. Something itches at the back of your throat. You almost shake your head, stopping only when Devola shoots you a look. "... Thanks," you smile, before shooting them a sharper look. "But that also means you two could lean on… us more."

"Ah," Popola giggles. "I suppose that is fair."

"Maybe even a one-on-one thing," you offer.

Devola cocks an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly our counselor? If you must know, Popola and I are the perfect pair of sisters," she huffs, crossing her arms. "We don't keep secrets."

"... But I'll consider your offer, 3H," Popola adds, tone mischievous.

Devola sputters. "Popola, come on!"

You laugh — the twins follow not long after. And then you stop, and you feel yourself sobering. "... I still haven't explained why I'm out here yet," now that you've gone through the hard part… explaining the rest isn't as difficult as you thought it would be. You gaze off to the ground. "I can't explain much into the details — Classified Information, you know," you smile wryly — it slips off almost immediately. "But… I believe that rather than caused by a mysterious defect, my memories are stolen —" their eyes widen. "And I think I know someone who might know more about it, and…" your pace increases, and you have to close your eyes to stop yourself. You take a deep breath, before opening them again; meeting your friends' eyes. "She was my previous Partner."

There was a long stretch of silence. You can see the gears connecting the dots — they've probably thought about it from your little outburst, but now that you've confirmed it… you wonder, what they think about it. Popola and Devola — the twin model Androids who could never live separated. You — the model Android who loves her Partner, but whose Partner could be switched easily. In a way, they understand you — but because they are not you, they don't understand you.

For them, to be separated means death. Rather, death is a much preferable option than separation. For you… you do not have much of a choice. Or any choice at all, really. If you're separated from 5B, and you forget everything — you'll move on, as though that lifetime before you has never existed.

Because they understand — because they are who they are, they won't despise you for being like that.

But because they don't understand — because they are who they are, they do you.

You return the look with a sad smile.

[Blank Storage]

"I wonder. Is that why you asked us to be your friends?"

You stumble a little on your steps, blinking as you glance to your side. Facing the road still, her eyes peer at you in curiosity. In silence, the both of you have reached an agreement — an understanding, and departed from the Resistance Camp. Time is of the essence, after all. You're aware that it won't be long before 5B wakes up, realizes that you're not here, and begin to track you. And with that clue you've given 9S… well, she'll know where to look.

You don't like it. Even though you're the one who planned this whole endeavour. Just walking with Popola and Devola alone feels difficult. It's unreasonable of you, you know. But you can't help it. In your short, pitiable existence of a mere three days — that fittingly feels like an eternity for you — 5B has become a permanent fixture in your life, and simply being by her side is as natural as breathing. Even though you've managed to quell parts of your anxiety, it still feels as though a worm has burrowed itself deep down into your heart, and it is seeding every manner of poison into your artificial veins. Fear. Doubt. Loneliness.

Your lips quirk a little as you regard Devola's question. "Well, I think I was just being nosy," you answer. You pause for a moment, contemplating what you're about to say. You don't want to lie to them. "... But yeah. I saw similarities between you and me," you smile in resignation. "And where I saw similarities, I saw connections, and when I saw those connections, however small they were… I didn't want to let go," you breathe out, before chuckling self-deprecatingly. "I guess it's pretty insincere when said like that."

Devola stares at you for a long time, scrutinizing every centimeter of your face. And then she turns around. "Eh."

You blink, feeling somewhat nonplussed. You don't expect them to hate you — that since this entire thing started out of pity, and self-conceit. But you didn't expect them to be so… blaise about it.

Bending forward from Devola's right, arms linked on her back, Popola gives you a knowing smile. "We're not upset, if that's what you're worried about. Either way, we don't mind — or rather, we do, but it is what it is. It doesn't matter, in the end."

"Yeah," Devola chuckles, shooting you a look of amusement. "In the first place, we're not really when it's about companionship. There isn't a lot in the first place."

"Heh," your lips quirk. "So you already had a low expectation from the beginning, huh."

"Yup," Devola replies, popping the 'p'.

Popola gives you an apologetic look. "Of course, we were still pretty surprised when you offered us help. After all, there were still others that needed help. We were even more surprised when you suddenly considered us friends —"

"Yeah. Even though we've only talked for how long? Some few minutes?"

You duck your head in embarrassment. "W-well —"

"It's fine, really," Popola says. You don't miss the way she nudges her sister's side. Devola chuckles. "This… thing, with you, and 5B. I don't know how to say it. I'm already satisfied, you know, just having Devola with me. But that doesn't make our situation any less frustrating. Unfair. Sometimes, even though we keep trying and trying, it feels like everything is so… hopeless. This," she breathes out quietly, gesturing at her surrounding. "Knowing that… that there's a line; a break. Even though we don't deserve it, this feels nice."

Devola hums. She pulls Popola to her side, embracing her with one side. Popola leans into the hug. "Yeah," Devola glances at you; her smile uncharacteristically soft. "But one day, I hope we can deserve this sort of thing."

You look down, feeling as though you've accidentally watched something you shouldn't. Siblings, huh. It has never crossed your mind before, the prospect of a family; a bond that's both closer, and farther than a lover. "You already do," you mutter, under your breath.

"Doesn't feel like it," Devola says. There's a lingering stretch of silence — and then Devola lets out a large breath. "So, 3H!" she shouts. You jump a little. Devola grins. Popola, now standing closely by Devola's side, huffs softly. "Are you going to tell us where you want to go, or what?"

"Oh," you blink, before chuckling sheepishly. "Right. I…" well, you don't know where Caster is really going to be, but… you feel the Nameless Knife inside your inventory. "Well, last time I met her, she was in the Pier of the Flooded Area," you say. "So we'll go there. And... I have a request."

[Blank Storage]

The wave crashes against the concretes. Far off the distance, the flock of seagulls let out a cry. It echoes far throughout the silent landscape.

Popola frowns. "3H, are you really sure about this?"

Your shoulders tense, and you sigh. "We've talked about this on the way here, haven't we?"

"Yeah," Devola chimes in. "And every time, we still think it's not a good idea."

You shake your head. "She's not going to hurt me, guys. Believe me, I'll be alright."

"She may not hurt you, 3H," Popola says. "But you can't promise you'll be alright — there are still other ways, you know?"

"I know," your eyes sink into the waters. "But even if you guys could hide in earsight… there's something I really want to talk to her alone with. So," you look both of them in the eye. "Please."

Popola's lips twitch downwards. Devola grimaces, sharing a look with her sister. Their face contort in distaste. "Nngah!" Devola groans, scratching the back of her head. "Fine," she scowls at you. "But that doesn't mean we're going to leave you, alright? We'll just hide far away, enough to keep you in our sights."

"And a signal," Popola adds, frowning. It's not aimed at you, just as Devola's not at yourself — but rather at something else. At themselves. You can't help but feel the guilt seeping in. "If you feel like you're in danger… raise your fist, alright? We'll get there as soon as possible."

Your shoulders relax, and you smile in relief. It's not the best you want, but it's the best you could get. In the end, it's still two against one — and if they remain adamant, there's really nothing you could do. "Thanks," you breathe out.

Popola's expression softens. "We just don't want you getting into danger, 3H," she mutters. "Especially when we could help it."

"I know," you reply, just as softly. "And I'm sorry, but I need this. I… I promise I'll be careful."

"You better be," Devola says. There's a moment of pause, and then she closes her eyes. "You've promised to help us, remember."

"Ah," you blink, then you smile. "I promise about this too."

Devola opens her eyes, cracking a grin, before turning around. Popola chuckles, remaining by your side for a moment. "We'll keep an eye," she says, resting a hand over your shoulder as she passes you, following after Devola.

It takes two minutes for their footsteps to fade away, and longer for you to lose them. And just like that, you're alone. Well, "alone". You gaze far off into the sea. Somewhere, Devola and Popola are keeping an eye on you. Your lips twitch a little — there's relief, despite how much you tried to convince them to leave. "Now, how do I call her…" you pull out the Nameless Knife off your Inventory, carefully inspecting the plain looking tool.

You are a Special Type Android who has fallen deeply in love for your Chronically Amnesiac Partner. After it has been decided that you are going to be replaced… you've decided to defect, and leave your Partner — apparently with a promise of some kind. Using some sort of device — you think —, you've managed to fool them into thinking that you're dead. Some couple years have passed, and for the first time — maybe — since then, you've met your Chronically Amnesiac Partner who is now with another Android… and they were both in love.

You talked with your Beloved, and… left with a gift.

You lift your eyes up, ignoring the aching deep in your heart, and try to think. That gift — it would be something sentimental, even if the meaning is lost on her. But it wouldn't be purely sentimental. It would have some sort of function, and…

"Of course," you whisper, throat dry. You pull the knife off its scabbard, and then raise it up to the sky. You hold it up there for a full minute, before putting it back as you settle on the concrete floor, legs dangling at the edge of the pier; glittering salt water spraying at your knees witch each crashing wave. She would want to keep an eye on you — however, not only is she a single person, she can't possibly keep an eye on you everywhere. So, in order to keep up with you: "It would be a tracker, huh," you mutter. For some reason, you don't mind it.

So you wait.

You hear a tap behind you, followed by more, louder each time. Footsteps. Despite expecting it, you can't help but tense. To your ears, it's almost as though the owner of those feet has appeared out of thin air. "Ah, Darling~" you hear that familiar, lilting voice; a titter hidden beneath it. A pair of thin and pale, almost peach-like, arms loop around your neck, and you feel something soft and warm pressed against your nape. Sleeves of blue, and strands of pink. Warmth flickers at the leaf of your ear; a soft whisper: "Have I kept you waiting for long?"

You shiver, a choke in your throat. "N-not at all," you stammer, discomfort blooming in your chest. You want to run away; to hurl. You wriggle a little, tilting your neck until you could see her face. Peach-like cheeks, and loving golden eyes; her smile like that of an angel. "I… I want to talk."

Her eyes widen — a flicker of something crossing her face as Caster pulls away from you. She noticed, huh. She steps back, looking at anywhere but you. "I — I apologize," she shakes her head. "I did not mean to make you —"

"It's fine," it's not. You smile tiredly, patting the empty space beside you. "I guess… well, I could understand," and you do. "But I want..." you gaze back to the oceans, hands twiddling together. "I want to talk with you."

There's a pause; an exhalation follows. Caster sits beside you, legs dangling as her eyes watch far into the distance.

You open your mouth — and then close it. Hesitation hits you suddenly. Your eyes flicker to her — at the expression on her face, and then back to the water. Starts off great, huh.

"... You're alone," Caster says, eventually. You jump a little, and she titters. Mischief appears in her eyes . "Well, not alone alone. I know there's someone watching us — two someones. Popola and Devola," her eyes curve a little.

You raise an eyebrow, keeping your hands still. "You know them?"

"I know of them," she answers — then the smile falters as she looks away. "But it's fine. They're making sure you're safe, aren't they? At least you're not with her."

You feel yourself falter; a fire quickly extinguished. "I thought you wouldn't come if I wasn't alone."

There's a pause, broken by Caster's soft giggle. You look at her, nonplussed. "Oh, Darling, you're underestimating my love to you. I would be offended if not… well," she cuts herself with a sheepish cough. "If you call for me hard enough; even if you're up there in the Bunker, surrounded by YoRHa Units who would rather see us separated, I would not hesitate."

You blink. Open your mouth, and then close it. "That's a bit terrifying," you admit. "But… it's nice, I suppose."

Caster titters, and then sighs, looking up into the eternally cloudy sky. "... would rather it be me of course, but alas, the World itself seems to be against my Dream."

You duck your head. Unsure what to say about that. In your heart, there is only 5B — and however artificial that emotion may seem, it still feels real to you, and there's little to no distinction of that fact. There's no changing that. Even if Caster was your first. Well, there's one thing you could say, but —

"Even though it's just some couple years," Caster says, her voice distant; filled with memories. Things you can't possibly have. She smiles a little. "It feels like an eternity has passed, Ma — 3H. I had believed my Wish granted, but…" she sighs, dipping her head a little. You look away from her expression. "Ehehe," she giggles mirthlessly. "We've already met yesterday, but I still miss you, 3H."

… How are you supposed to say to that? You don't know. And even if you do, you can't.

"Ahaha…" Caster grins, waving a hand. It looks forced. "It's fine! It's fine if you don't know how to response. I guess I also want to talk too! Yesterday, there was that…" her face pulls into a light disdain. "Sow. But you know… ehehe…" she trails off, a bitter smile on her lips.

"I'm —"

"I guess now it's your turn, huh?" Caster says.

You nod quietly, and then ask your question:

[] What were we like?

[] What was she like?

[] What was I like?

[] Why did you leave me?

SoothingCoffee · Jul 15, 2018

[] What were we like?

[Blank Storage]

"What…" you lick your lips, taking a deep breath. You duck your head, your voice turning into a mutter: "What were we like then? When we were together."

There's a slight surprise flitting over her eyes as she tilts her head to you. "... Ah. Of course," she breathes out, head tilting back to the oceans. Watching Caster's face, her smile seems a drift; a wan-like quality in her eyes as she turns to the past. There's melancholy in there; of things lost, and never retrieved. But there's also joy; of time spent together, irreplaceable.

She closes them. "You were the one who called for me," she says, eventually. Her lips curve into something playful. Deeper. Meaningful. "You… you were desperate. Scared. But truthfully," she opens her eyes, and as Caster turns to face you, they drink thirstily into yours. Despite yourself, you can't look away. "I didn't care about any of that, Ma —" there's a hitch. "3H. You called for me, and that was all I needed. I answered your call."

She exhales. "Things were stacked against you," Caster says. "It was unfair, really. And you worried a lot too — about this and that. Things that I didn't care, and things that I did care. And ah," she giggles. "You were so adorable back then. But with each passing obstacle on our path, you've grown. Matured, and…" she sighs fondly, and as she smiles at you, you're not sure what to feel. "I thought it wasn't possible, but I fell for you even more. And if there was a compatibility test, our score would be waay ooof the —" she raises her arms, stretching them wide overhead, lips smiling wildly; eyes glittering. " — chaarrt!"

There's a pause, and she drops her arms almost with a sag. Sighing, Caster hums a low, lilting tune; her head bobbing left and right. "And at the end of the day, after some tiring hard work, we would return back into Our Room. I would prepare dinner, and we would talk about the day's event. And when that's done, you would lay your head on my lap, and we would stare into each other's eyes…" Caster lets out a dreamy sigh. "We were like husband and wife, filling each other's heart. Even though the circumstance wasn't perfect, we managed to defeat every obstacle down on our path.

"Those days," Caster sighs, smiling distantly. "They were everything I could have wanted it to be."

It sounds nice, the way she's telling it, and you can't help but wonder — you duck your head. Something thick, and heavy clogs inside your throat. "I'm sorry," you croak out.

Caster blinks, back stiffening as she comes back to the present. She looks at you. "For what?"

Shaking your head, you let out a sigh. "It's," you cut yourself off, staring intensely at your hands. They squeeze together, twitching restlessly. You inhale. "I don't remember them. I can't remember them, and —" your throat squeezes. Thoughts whirling inside your mind. You can't feel regret that you don't remember them, because it meant you've met 5B. However… that doesn't mean Caster's unhurt, and it's funny — just like with the twins, you've only met Caster twice, and for a short time, and yet… you feel guilty. "I feel responsible."

"Ah," Caster realizes, and then chuckles. You peer hesitantly at her. Her eyes home in on you, lips quirking in thought. You fidget. The corner of her lips twitches upward. "Well, it's certainly not pleasant, to be forgotten by you like that. In fact, it's really really painful. Especially when I watched you being all lovey-dovey like with that… woman. It really feels like my heart would explode. But," she says, her tone soft. "There's nothing to forgive, Ma — " there's a moment of hesitation, but it's gone almost immediately, replaced with steely determination. "Master. Because none of that is your responsibility. And if there's something to blame, then it's simply the cruel circumstances surrounding us."

"Even so…" you sigh, frustration leaking into your voice. Caster's not wrong. In fact, you agree with her, that everything feels unfair. However… that doesn't mean you just stop feeling guilty. Imagining yourself in Caster's position, forced to watch 5B being all — if anything, it only make you sick, and the guilt worse.

"I suppose, if it'll lighten your heart…" Caster sighs, before giggling. You furrow your eyebrows. For some reason, she looks more radiant. Cheerful. Lighter, in a sense. "I may seem impatient, but I'm actually pretty patient, you know. I've waited before, and I could wait even longer — and when the time comes," her lips split into a fangy grin, giggling spilling from them. Her eyes squinty, filled with mischief. "I could always take you back."

You blink — and then break out into laughter. Caster does the same, but if yours is slightly shriller, there's nobody to call you out on it. Still, even though that was a rather threatening, and extremely terrifying statement Caster just told you — it somehow manages to break the heavy air. Leaving bubbles in your stomach.

Trailing into silence, you gaze off into the distance. Caster hums cheerfully, her shoulder occasionally bumping onto yours. Your body feels strangely light. You've already said almost everything you want to say, and even though there is no world-changing revelation, or some manner of epilogue… you feel strangely satisfied. Elated. Cleared up.

Of course, there's still one thing left you need to ask. The one thing which caused you to be here in the first place. You turn to face her. "Caster —"

"Master —"

You stare into Caster's golden eyes, slightly wide.

"Ah, you can go first," Caster says.

Clearing your throat, you give her a smile. "Of course," then you look at her thoughtfully. "Well, now I have two things I want to ask," you furrow your brows. "Why are you calling me Master?"

Her lips quirk into something fox-like. "Well, it's because you're my Master. Simple as that," she says, cryptically.

"Uh-huh," you say, eyeing her doubtfully. She pouts at that. You don't think she'll say anything more. You sigh, and then look up. How do you start with this? You guess it's easiest to just go straight to the point. "... There's a Classified Document back in the YoRHa Database. A friend hacked it open, and…" you sigh. "It says that there's a possibility my memories are being stolen," you look to her —

And then nearly jump as Caster's eyes dart on you, capturing you like a deer caught in a headlight. "You're not lying," she whispers, and then bursts into an ecstatic giggle. "Oh, Master," she throws her arms around you. "How fortuitous."

"U-um," your eyes widen a little as you find yourself being hugged. You try to pull away, but not before Caster pulls back. "W-what do you mean?"

Caster blinks, and then stops to breathe. Her smile dims a little, though it's no less joyous. "I was actually about to spill the beans, you know, but to think you would actually find it on your own…" she shakes her head, smiling fondly. "I shouldn't have expected no less. What sort of wife I am, to have doubted you. You should punish me, when we have the time, Master."

You try to ignore that last thing. "... So you knew about this?"

Caster smiles sadly. "Yes — well, I had my suspicion, and I know what you're talking about, but… I couldn't truly act on it. Tracking that signal, it is beyond me. And even with the help of that sore loser of a boy, there's still something else missing."

You connect the dot immediately. "It's me, isn't it," you say, with a sense of finality. It feels right, saying that.

She nods. "You're right."

You eye her for a moment. "And you know what that signal leads to, right?"

Caster opens her mouth, and then closes it. She nods. "I do," she says, lips quirking in discomfort. "It's… you, Master. Well, not you because you're your own self. But the human of which you're based on. She's alive," she frowns for a moment. "Though she's well-hidden, and in stasis."

A human. There's a human. You blink. For some reason, you expect some amount of reaction, but you feel… no, there's definitely a reaction, but… a YoRHa Android would want to protect that human stat, but…

The you that is a Human.

You have the most powerful, and strangest urge to meet her.

Is this my finishing line? Perhaps if you manage to find this… human, you could cure yourself of your defect. No, definitely, you could. You know that absolutely, somewhere deep within. Like a puzzle finally clicking into place.

You need to want to have to meet her now now now.

Every fiber of your being is screaming for that. Trembling for it, like a hungry animal, desperate for sustenance. No, not that. It's more like you're a piece of metal, and there is this gigantic magnet that is specifically made only to pull you in. Or maybe it's the opposite. Nevertheless — you need want have to meet her wake her talk to her now now now.

"... You want to recruit me, don't you?" you ask, meeting Caster's eyes. Everything feels sudden. Certainly, you don't expect this, yet you feel a strange acceptance. It reminds you of your early moments. Resigned. Accepting. You've thought you had grown out of it, by being actively stubborn, but you suppose you're wrong.

Caster smiles a little sheepishly. "I do. I want us… to be together. To work together. I know, the you that is right in front of me, would never reciprocate my affection. However, I still love you nonetheless, Master. And if it's possible, I would always want to be with you."

"... I guess you're not as patient as you've told me," you say, smiling wryly.

"Ehehe," Caster giggles, cheeks rosy. "A good wife is patient, but a good woman knows when to go for the kill."

You entertain the thought of rejecting her offer. You can't. 5B flashes in your mind. Her smile, her green eyes, her humming. For a moment, you hesitate — and then you reaffirm yourself. This, what you're about to say, what you're about to do —

You can definitely say, without a doubt, that you're not doing it just for yourself. That you're doing it simply because there's this random urge telling you to do so.

You're also doing this for her. For 5B.

Part of you wonders — it's easy to spot them, since your bookcase is so sparse, but there's a few books there, involving how to knit and such. You haven't tried to connect the dot, but… you're not the first to have such an idea. Of course not. Even if they are all different, you're still you — in some respects, they're still going to be the same with you.

But they have never been able to finish it. They've ran out of time.

Perhaps now…

Well, even if I say that, it's still purely selfish, huh? There's really nothing you could do about that, honestly.

I'm sorry, guys. Everyone — they're definitely not going to be happy about this. The Commander, 9S, 10D, 8O, Anemone, Popola and Devola. Especially those two. Undoubtedly, accepting Caster would mean being labelled as a traitor.

You meet Caster's eyes squarely, lips thin, filled with determination. "I'll join you."

Caster practically throws her arms around you.

I promise I'll come back to you, 5B.

[Route A] Completed
(not) a goodye

Before proceeding into Route B -- First Choose an Interlude:

[] The Aberrant Effigy

[] The Fallen Lion

[] The Runaway Fox

Blank Storage [Nier:Automata x Fate/Extra]

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