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 Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 3:28 pm
Taking an unsteady step backwards, she felt steadied to have her body make contact with the solid surface of the bar. Her back rested against the railing, and with one hand she braced herself against it and the with the other she made a grab for the counter. She retrieved some paper napkins from the dispenser there, offering them to Erhard with a sympathetic look. "It's all right." Said not only in an attempt to assure him and say that the situation was fine but also indicating to the heavies behind the counter to stay put, if the quick glance over her shoulder was any indication.
'Not interested in you'... ah, that had stung. As she surmised was intended by such words. She could try to argue with the circumstantial evidence to contrary... but that's all it really was, wasn't it? On the surface it'd probably looked like she'd fooled herself into believing otherwise when it was really a matter of not thinking about it either way. Without any outside influence putting pressure on the situation there was really no need. She'd said her piece and expressed her intentions, only bothering with any of it again when necessary. Having someone else bring it up just made it a sore spot from the start, though. With a quiet sigh her head ended up hanging. She couldn't agonize over it too much just yet. If that was his opening statement, odds were he was just getting started. And in that same vein it was futile to deny any resulting upset either. After a time she lifted her head, expression sobered but voice softly faltering. "What reason am I too blind to see?" Either she'd be skewered by the truth or contemptuously refused. Didn't seem to be a middle ground with that sort of person. She was going to be met with derision either way, so might as well just ask.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:00 pm
He gratefully accepted the napkins in exchange for the cup and attempts to dry his face. Easily enough, just wiping the frost that had settled and pinching off the tiny icicles hanging down from his hair. Ah, wait, he had not ordered anything yet. Right, he'd have to remember that for later, if there was a lull in the confrontation and he could take the chance to quickly nab a proper drink for the both of them.
"What?! Don't tell me you are as ignorant too!" screeched the robot. "Anyone with two functioning eyes could see that! Or are you seriously deluding yourself that he's going to start sticking real close to you like the parasite he is? Aren't you, Mophead? What are you going to do when the baggage gets hurt, then? It'd be totally your fault! And in those situations, you are not going to be able to do a single thing about it! How about that? Going to let that illusion break only then? What do you think, lady? Ready to sacrifice your life just to be with your dearly beloved? You think there was no reason why I made you follow those rules?!" By then he was already slamming his hand repeatedly on the arms of his wheelchair, like a child throwing a major tantrum, complete with the irony.
The ever-conscious doctor put his hands up. "No, really. We should go outside, you are making quite the sc - " And rewarded with a hunk of metal scrap drawn from the compartment under the chair and flung straight at his head.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 2:04 am
Somehow a crack at her ocular situation felt less so when made by someone that didn't seem too different. If in fact it was meant that way. And even if it wasn't, no point in correcting him. "Is this a matter of safety? Or just that I'm susceptible to flaws and mistakes?" Probably totally wrong. And even if it wasn't completely off, she was certain that she was going to be yelled at more anyway. But it was difficult to be too wary when the subject was one where she was far past even feeling the need to brace herself for the same pains again. The resulting calmness was probably a little unsettling, but being battered in both body and mind to that point left her with little will to fight. "I'm not sure what you expect me to say. Something like how love can fix everything? Or how it's all we need?" Probably a little odd to hear her scoff when there was no irritation present in her voice, but there was no other way to react to such absurd ideas. "Really. I'm under no such illusions. Ending up in a pool of your own blood lacking most of your limbs tends to destroy most of the unrealistic expectations you might have had about love beforehand." No sadness or morbid amusement to go with that statement. Just a starkly blank look. "Even understanding that much, I still don't see the issue with having someone to make that suffering a little less. At least for a little while. That's really all it amounts to, isn't it?" Again, no sadness. Just that incredibly blank look. Wasn't as if she sought understanding or pity, after all. But if he was looking for noble romantic intentions to ridicule, they were few and far between in a person that'd had most of her hope thoroughly crushed long ago.
Seemed like the android was determined to prove his point. Her eye widened in horror, as it was too late to prevent anything from happening. The most she could do was to unthinkingly try to catch him by the arm to prevent him from falling and hurting himself more. "Erhard... ?" His name came out as a quiet gasp, her breathing already restricted from apprehension. And true to her word she still was doing her best to behave, though it took conscious effort to keep herself from turning her head to cast quite the nasty look at the assailant.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:04 am
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm not that brittle." Sure enough, the damage dealt was barely visible, save for a few hairline cracks. He steadied himself against her grip with a small 'Thanks', rubbing the scattered wires off. The offending scrap he picked it off the ground and returned it. "Look, if you're going to be like that about i - " And a heavy manila folder to the face.
"Oh, so it's pity! Good old pity! I'll tell you this instant, lady, you shouldn't be wasting that on the likes of him! He doesn't deserve a single drop of it. Not after this little 'escapade' for the both of you. Do you know how easy it is for you to make my efforts go to waste, lady? Ever thought what kind of consequence your flirting might have caused? It is a matter of what you'd call 'life and death'!" With that, he pulled out his cannon arm and pointed the barrel straight for Amarante, high-pitched whine already building up with the internal lights, and Erhard took a cautionary step in between the both of them. "See? Since you are clearly too attached to her, I'll just have to stick to my own rules. Clear all obstacles in the way."
The cannon was probably not a joke, if the doctor could look that scared of it. But at the same time, it was strange of his roommate to pull a weapon on the both of them unannounced.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 7:08 pm
That was the sort of ill-informed comment that definitely earned the android quite the dirty look from the redheaded cyclops. "It's nothing that comes close to resembling pity." Maybe her resignation was too easily confused with pity, but understanding where the assumption came from didn't make her accept it. "What you're mistaking as pity is simply..." The words ended up caught in her throat, no matter how settled she was on that truth. "Simply..." It was definitely awful to admit. There was a burning sensation in her chest that wasn't eased by finally getting the words out, either. "Simply accepting the limits of my own scope of influence. That's all." She'd accepted that any amount of happiness she could find ultimately wouldn't matter in the end. Didn't put a stop to any of her foolish efforts, but how she proceeded was definitely affected by that heavy sense of hesitation. To her it was awfully strange that a robot seemed to think otherwise, to the point of being convinced that something relating to feelings would ruin anything of importance.
Staring blankly at the back of the man in front of her, that apprehensive feeling only worsened. Really, forced into a stalemate that easily? Action was necessary, but what? Her mind buzzed from the many possibilities. "It seems futile to escape from you, so." Maybe that would be a more viable option if those that would be escaping weren't already weighed down with all sorts of unbreakable chains. There'd be no real peace found in that, only to end up in the same situation again eventually with the consequences likely more dire. Couldn't reason with him. Couldn't escape. Likely couldn't fight him either, given the location and everything that was at stake. What was left? She decided to speak up and take her chances. "What would it take to work within your rules? Or what kind of reparations?" Dealing would likely make him more angry, but what didn't? Desperation and a lack of a limitations when it came to her feelings for that man made it as good of an option as any to try. "Not in an attempt to avoid any of the consequences for my actions, but to make amends." Having to bow her head even a little to such a contemptible person was a task she considered quite demeaning. She hadn't lost all hold on her dignity, however. "And don't tell me to stop seeing him. That's not an option and frankly, none of your business." She was bargaining, after all. Not resigning herself to an utter defeat. "While I'd imagine the skills of someone like myself would be useless to someone like you, going so far as that isn't out of the question. Lest you take this as a painless bribe simply meant to make you go away." No need to present herself as anything of value. Like he'd fall for that. But perhaps there was something else he hadn't taken into consideration. "Not at all. You seem set on punishment. And that's fine. But it seems like a waste of my resources to destroy me rather than amalgamating me and them." Simplifying the matter down to resources and values was pretty crass and mostly just irrelevant when it was an emotional issue to begin with, but it wasn't as if making an emotional plea to such a person would garner anything but laughs.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:25 am
Well, looks like she had managed to catch the both of them by surprise. Still not out of the woods yet, however, as the cannon still remained aimed and ready to go off at any moment, though its owner seemed to have calmed a little. "... Huh, not burning your mouth off. Surprising. Are you really that determined to keep him? Even if it means you are going to get more trouble than he's worth?"
"... What's that supposed to mean?"
"Shut. Up," he snaps, tossing a rabbit at him this time. "I'm talking to your girlfriend there, not you. Be glad that I haven't set your face on fire yet. Anyway, to be honest, there's nothing much you can do to make up for it. The root action you are doing is already in breach." He lowers the cannon slightly, dimming its lights. "Not to say that I am happy with that, of course. Ultimately, you are still going to rebel even if I were to lay down the playing field for the both of you, so why bother?"
"... Then, what's the point of - " Whump. Silenced.
"Three things. One, any things between you two from here on out, both of you are going to be responsible. Two, not a word about any of this.... This relationship, to people on the outside. He would know. And three," directed specifically at the fellow trying to get the frisky animal off his head, "you're moving back to your room. That would give you plenty of time to reflect on what you want to do next. And of course, I am not helping you the next time you screw up and find yourself dead."
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 5:34 pm
A small sigh of relief ended up in an odd look of discomfort upon her face. "Well. You heard a lot of the things I said, so..." She wasn't embarrassed that she'd said them. She wasn't feeling particularly shamed that they'd been overheard by someone other than the intended recipient for said sentiments, either. So why did it feel so embarrassing just to acknowledge that he'd heard them? Could have been worse. At least there was some dignity in that. Yes, it could have been so much worse. And really, it saved her from having to include any of that in an explanation that would likely nauseate the robot. Neatly nodding, her words were prim and to the point. "Yes, I am."
She bowed her head a little more, expression somewhat regretful. "I see." No point in any affectations like 'if only I'd known' or anything like that. No way of knowing what would have happened if that had been the case. And who's to say that she wouldn't have just taken the same route anyway, even with the conscious knowledge of how things would end up.
"'Responsible' in what way?" Realizing the implications her questioning might have, she scrambled to clarify her intentions. "Asked only in the purposes of clarification. Honest to my last word!" Two shaky grey open palms were presented in a show of good faith. Sharp breath taken to ease off that moment of panic, she continued to mull over the terms. "So either of our homes or the upstairs here would be an acceptable place to spend time together, yes? I mean, people will surely talk if they notice us together often even if we don't tell them anything." It certainly spelled a quick demise to some of the situations they'd discussed, but the alternative was far more awful than that tinge of disappointment. So they'd have to be careful. So what? She was more than up to the task. No dismay was present in her voice. Not even a hint of it upon her face or in her eye. She pressed on with relative ease. "Outside of the usual random happenings, anyway. During which I shan't say a word about it, of course." It would probably end up looking just as suspicious if they pointedly avoided each other in public, anyway. Easing off on the flirting when and where everyone could see probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. Couldn't be that hard, could it? Wasn't as if that was all her interactions with him consisted of, after all. A good portion perhaps, but there was other silliness as well! But that was probably enough of her being insistently caught up in thoughts about that. A small nod showed her compliance to the terms presented. "I believe I can agree to all of that." Soon after she turned to Erhard, red eye wide and bright. "That is, if it's agreeable to you."
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:56 am
"That's up for you to decide. You want to let each other near your beds? Be my guest." Pointedly and flatly delivered, and as expected the android managed to make the doctor look even more flustered. "Responsible for the words you say to him. He has such the impressionable mind, after all." The doctor's protests quickly negated with another fling of the poor rabbit. "Whatever he does, it's of his own volition now. That and of course any surrounding influences, of which I shall not be one of them any longer. No need to mind about the watching, I was more concerned about someone else overhearing. The both of you had better watch your words or scrape all the ears off your walls."
At that mention, the doctor paled. "... Ah, wait. Don't tell me you're going to - "
"Why no. It's only fitting." An evil chuckle from the robot, if robots could express such emotion. "But don't let that immaturity get ahead of you. I was going to have to let you go someday, might as well make it now than never. Besides, I have something else to watch."
"Fine. That's good enough. I'll leave Mophead in your care, then." The android snatches the folder back from the doctor's curious hands, and stuffs all the things he had thrown back under his chair and wheels out the door without so much as a goodbye.
".... Um... Ama? If I may say something...?" Finally does the doctor speak up, hands wringing behind his back with a frown.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:50 pm
Though her intentions were meant to have been of some assurance that she didn't want to know any restrictions for the purposes of circumventing them, in the end she was the one left unsettled by the android's grim warning. "Th-that's not any better." What had seemed like a good idea in the interest of security all of a moment previously was suddenly imposing itself as her mandatory new normal. She'd curse her luck if she didn't know better. Of course such a situation would happen to her. That she'd managed to end up in yet another troublesome situation completely by accident was the least surprising element of the equation. A familiarity with such difficulties didn't equate with being granted any sort of ease with it, however. Another few sets of eyes and ears monitoring her was still something to be taken seriously even if there were plenty doing so already.
Whatever strength she had gathered to keep her already weakened body standing was quickly sapped upon the android's exit. With mostly numbed limbs she resorted to stumbling a step or so back to the nearest stool at the bar, clambering on to the seat as her face awkwardly met the surface of the counter. "Ah~ I thought we'd be splattered across the walls for sure." Or worse? Technology could easily make blunt violence and quick death the least torturous and most appealing options of numerous nightmarish ones. But that threat had passed and now was the least of her worries. "But I'm not..." She peeled her face off of the counter, looking over at him with growing uncertainty. "I'm not entirely sure what has just happened." She studied his face for a moment, as if whatever she was looking for could be found there. No luck, of course. But, no pangs of regret either. Just acceptance of what further repercussions were bound to start cropping up, no matter how nonplussed of an acceptance it ended up being.
While the moment was definitely lacking in any sort of optimism, she still mustered up a bit of a smile in order to answer him. "Of course. Wh-what is it?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:24 pm
Somehow, he was not surprised. He had not a clue what was going on either, but then again, it was that fellow they had just met. 'Flair for the dramatics' was an understatement. "It could have been worse!" he replied in a passable unsmiling cheerfulness, hand raised to steady her in case she toppled. Seems like that took quite a bit... Hm. "But never mind about what he said, whatever that meant. I don't think it's of any importance." The awkward situations were already enough, no need for any more precautions that she might end up taking.
"... I can't really put my finger on it, but something about that entire uh, I don't know. Did anything just now seem odd to you?" He turned towards the door again, studying the space where his roommate was just a few moments ago. "Not that I'd want it to happen, but normally we really would be paint for your walls now." True, their opponent had looked stiff, the kind unwilling to yield, yet he had relinquished (control?) of him so easily to Amarante. A point to think about, then. Racking all si - four eyes produced no logical reason.
".... Maybe it's just my imagination. I suppose the both of us are tired after all that?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:00 pm
"But--" Not enough energy left to really complain at him. And definitely not enough courage to ask if he was really okay with everything that had just transpired. It was rather pitiful. But what was done was done. And he was able to comfort her with so little effort it was almost embarrassing. She looked away for a moment only look back again right away, head bobbing with some weariness as she did so. The worries she had wouldn't just be willed away. But she looked to have relaxed a little, appreciating his efforts with a weak smile.
"I was rather preoccupied at the time..." It was already harrowing to think back on it. Even if they wouldn't have died, the sight and pain of it probably wouldn't have left her person for a long time. The likelihood of a biohazard throwing everything she knew and cared about into utter chaos wasn't a thrilling thought either. "But it wasn't as if I'd said or offered anything that was likely to change his mind. But he did regardless. So there's that, yes." She wasn't under any assumption that any of her efforts had actually worked. Even the idea of luck seemed absolutely absurd. Individually their luck was probably pretty bad to begin with, but combined? "Perhaps some satisfaction to be found in observing us dig our own graves, from his perspective?" She couldn't help but look annoyed as she shrugged. A more naive creature would take the offering at face value and ignore the warnings. But somehow even with all of the struggling and the possibility of a disaster situation it really did seem like they were getting off too easily.
"B-but I'm not--" Not only was she still stuttering some, but the hand she raised in an attempt to assure him was shaking more visibly than before. Wasn't any use trying to hide it, either. With a frustrated sigh she resigned herself to just admitting it. "Maybe a little tired."
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:49 pm
"Then we'd better get you back before anything else happens. Come on." Taking her carefully by the wrist this time, he leads her back to the elevator, thoughts about it being a trap shoved aside in favor of getting Amarante back to her room safely and without any further distractions. Maybe he had to think about that later, while getting his things and changing and saying goodbye to the little girl (Why would his roommate opt to take care of her alone anyway?) "Maybe. He might just be taking potshots at us, for all we know. We probably should just leave him be. Best thing is still that nobody got harmed." And there was the odd part, nobody got hurt. Good thing, he did not have to start whipping out the bandages and splints if any shot took Amarante clear over the counter or the wall. But other than that, it was back to fussing over her health. Still not supposed to be out of her room, after all. Asking her to come down for coffee was clearly a bad, albeit already forgotten idea.
"That's probably enough excitement for one day, Ama. Back to bed and cookies, then!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:36 am
There was a hushed noise of surprise that was cut short as her body tiredly toddled after her captured wrist. A curious glance over her shoulder confirmed that everything seemed to be okay otherwise. Cleaning up after scuffles wasn't an out of the ordinary sort of affair, nor did they all probably realize how dangerous the situation had actually been. The atmosphere almost seemed too cheery, the manager seeing her boss off with a bit of a wave and a too knowing smile. Totally the wrong idea! And so soon after almost being brutally blasted, too! Though that would certainly be the best way she could think of to forget the stressful events of the day and-- no, no, her tired mind was getting away from her. Her free hand rubbed at her face as she was dragged off to rest and only rest.
Avoiding someone that was fairly unpleasant to begin with? She couldn't help but show some sly amusement over the idea as she leaned against the wall of the elevator. "Heh. Always a pleasure to avoid unpleasantries with that one~" It really seemed like that guy didn't like much of anyone, but Amarante couldn't help but feel like that android was out to get her in particular sometimes. Always making her cry and wearing her dresses and... other things she didn't particularly care to remember. Further ideas were shrugged off with a bit of a repulsed shiver. "And now, gladly so. He's just going to make us cry, I mean, ridicule us even more!" In all likelihood they didn't have a shared problem with the crying bit, so a correction was definitely necessary.
Quickly clambering back into bed at her first opportunity, she was soon covered in bedding up to the eye. The red eye looked at him almost woefully, changing its focus frequently as if both seeking and avoiding an answer. The thought was voiced soon after, both muffled and a little meekly. "Are you all right?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:52 am
"W-Who, me?" Clearly caught off guard, then. "Yes. Just um... Thinking about having to move my things back to the old room." Well, it was not much to move, given that he had hardly picked up anything more than what he had when he first moved into the apartment. "It's not much, though, so I don't think I'll be needing help with that. He's probably not going to be helping out anyway." Maybe just one large plastic box to contain the frills and books. "... Knowing him, however, he's probably already gone home and thrown all my things into the corridor. I just hope the neighbors don't question the clothes, if they happen to be around."
"Won't be far, though. I'll just be staying at the hospital room instead." At least she did not have to go around looking for him, he was pretty much going to be in the same spot nearly all day. "Temperature woes. It's a comfortable level of cold, though." Comfortable for him, the equivalent of the arctic for everyone else.
"But um, take care of yourself before she comes back, alright? And um...." He would ask if she not tell Miyabi what transpired downstairs, but then again Miyabi might just ask them herself and the both of them would be busted. ".... Never mind. I hope she finds your state of health satisfactory when she returns."
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:14 pm
"Well, should you need help... you've but to ask, you know?" No point in trying to hide in the bed, she supposed. She wasn't feeling any more assured, but decided to show her obviously concerned face anyway. "B-but you know that, don't you?" Her ever-open generosity seemed like very little to offer in comparison to the illusion of safety that a routine provided. Which her actions had helped in thoroughly destroying. How much he actually minded was uncertain, but deciding to keep that itching guilt to herself and not to tear that possibility of a fresh wound open any wider seemed like the best way to go about it. At least for the time being. There'd be plenty of time to apologize later, when there were less frayed nerves to deal with.
The details of his new reality made her reconsider some things she'd been quick to give up all of a short while ago. "Is it still all right if I visit you there? I mean..." Most people would just be put off by the idea of cold, but something like that seemed to be the least of her problems. Maybe he still wouldn't go for it, but of course she had to ask. And further than that, she had another idea that would probably be just as unpopular. But ever the eager one, she'd ask anyway. "If you'd like, you can spend time here any time you want. Even if I'm not around." An offer not meant to circumvent his punishment, but merely meant to provide some temporary relief. "I mean. N-not that you'd have to. But it's an option?" She didn't like the idea of insisting and shoving unwanted keys into his hands. But the idea of spending all day every day in a hospital didn't seem like fun either.
She leaned back in the bed, finally smiling a little. "Do you think that I'm going to be the one that gets in trouble, or even you, when I tell her that there was an android waving a gun at us?" Wasn't difficult to figure out what he was thinking with an ending statement like that. "She is strict, but she cares deeply. Not to the point of hunting that guy down, but I'd almost feel sorry for him should he happen to run into her afterwards." Though someone else found the idea of that incredibly funny, the guilting queen versus the cantankerous robot. Futile, but funny. At any rate, Amarante's smile deepened as she couldn't help but point out a small advantage that could be found in the situation. "I could even get you some bonus points, by telling her what you did." With a shy blushy smile she was looking more like her usual self. It was something she could appreciate more fully as the threat of becoming some sort of morbid mural together had passed. "She won't care about the further details. Just that we were confronted, you stepped in to protect me, and that no one was hurt. Would that be all right?" It seemed like a general explanation wouldn't be harmful, anyway. Maybe there'd be a little needling about why she was downstairs in the first place, but it certainly wouldn't take priority over her own safety.
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