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 Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:18 am
York nuzzled D. "Thanks, but I still think you're the more clever of the two of us. If you're sure..." He slipped back inside and closed the door gently behind him. His heart glowed as he settled back down at the table at his work. AIs might have a different definition of smart, but he still stubbornly maintained that D was smarter than any human could ever be--and more intelligent than most of the other AIs. I guess I was the luckiest...
It was only as he got more absorbed in his work that he wondered what other things D had thought of to do. He shoved the worry to the back of his mind. He can take care of himself. Memory of this morning's panic attack returned to him. Most of the time. That is, on the outside world, he can take care of himself more than I can...on the inside, I think he needs my help.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:27 am
D shook himself returning to normal then went into the kitchen as York settled back at the table and got the things he needed to keep the front door from making to much noise.
He wandered back into the front room and settled at the lowest hinge. He carefully worked the cleaner into it and made sure it was still properly on the door. Once he finished the first one he worked his way up the door until he was finished. He quickly tested the door and feeling better about it went to put the things he had back.
He then cleaned off his paws and put the dry dishes away. He then wandered into the bedroom and only half heartedly attempted to straighten up. This room was to much of the two of them for him to clean it up throughly. York's armor in the corner, a few books no one had bothered to re-shelve, papers, junk mail...D shook his head and picked up the things he knew they didn't need and put them in a bag to throw away. As he finished his timer went off for the laundry.
He went back into the front from changed his appearance and nuzzled York. "Back in a minute." he said and went back down stairs.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:48 pm
York nodded absently, barely noticing when his partner went out the newly quiet door. He did, however, notice that he had been working too long, too close, when his eye began paining him ten minutes later. With a grown, he put the unfinished lock away in its kit and shook himself out. It wasn't yet late enough to start on dinner, so instead he went to the bedroom to nap. He noticed that D had halfheartedly attempted to clean the room, but seemed to have given up--or been interrupted. York smiled gently and began picking up books to put away on the shelves. He didn't try to put them in any order; reading would be a very, very bad idea right now. Padding back into the bedroom, he made the bed and curled up on it to take a nap.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:08 pm
D let him self in a few minutes later. He saw York was missing and quietly looked around until he found his partner asleep on the bed. He sighed and smiled and then went in the kitchen and put the meat he'd laid out in the fridge, just in case.
He then went back into the bedroom and watched York sleep. He sat quietly at the end of the bed for several minutes before he gave into the desire to just be close to York. He carefully moved close to York, not wanting to wake him up and gently put his head against his.
"How can I tell you how much you mean to me?" he whispered almost inaudibly.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:04 pm
York wasn't sure how long he had been asleep when he felt something warm against his head. He sighed, smiled, and snuggled deeper onto the bed, blissful and content. He was equally as unaware of how long he slept.
I'll stay by your side and I'll never leave you. I'd give anything to keep you beside me always. But does that show you all that you mean to me? Or is there something more I can do to tell you that I love and need you, something I haven't yet said or done?
When York woke, it was a while later. He hadn't slept well the night before, but he felt better now--more rested, and his eye felt much, much better.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:26 pm
D was curled snug up against York's front. He didn't remember how long he'd been there. Only that at some point he'd gotten on the bed to be closer to York and then...then he was hazy...he slowly moved and nuzzled his partner. Something had happened...but he wasn't sure what but he did know that he felt better. All the anxiety he'd been felling about York seemed to have faded. It was still there but less persistent much easier to ignore.
"What time is it?" he asked quietly opening his eyes and smiling softly at his partner.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:52 pm
York smiled just as softly at his wakened partner. He didn't remember quite what had happened...but something had happened. Mentally, he shrugged. He found that he didn't really want or need to know. It was just good. He swept his tail across D's flank gently, reluctant to get up and turn his back on...whatever had happened.
"I'll check," he whispered. Grunting softly as he pulled himself a little away from D, he looked at the clock on the box next to the bed. "Late," he replied. "I should take a shower..." He turned, nuzzled D, and got to his feet. On his way to the bathroom, he wondered what had happened. He felt much better, light on his feet. Something important had happened, something to make his fear and worry melt away. He shook his head; he couldn't remember, and nothing was going to make him remember, like an lingering sense of deja vu. He hummed a soft tune as he took his shower.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:04 pm
D sighed contentedly as York nuzzled him. He then stretched and tried to remember if York had ever made dinner last night. D had a feeling that he hadn't made York eat. "I'll get together something nice for him." he said to himself smiling.
He walked to the end of the bed and was about to hop off when he froze. He blinked several times to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but what had made him freeze was still there.
Something akin to panic zipped up the little foxes frame and he sat down hard as his paws began to shake, his logic centers in a tizzy. "YORK!" he called unable to keep the panicky tone from his voice which cracked slightly. "York! I Need You!" he said.
D stared down at the two bowls, one green, one tan. "This doesn't seem physically possible!" he said out loud.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:27 pm
York heard D scream from the bedroom. Through the shower, he couldn't hear the words exactly, but he could sense the distress in D's voice. He slammed the water off and ran out without bothering to stop and dry himself off. His mind raced with what it could be...intruders...danger...he could be hurt...Please, let him be all right! Take anything, but not D!
He dashed in the bedroom and stopped at the sight at the end of the bed. Bowls...one the same color as his armor, the other the color of the armor D had assumed when they first met. The effect of the bowls--obviously theirs--had the effect of a mountain in front of a train. York collapsed to his knees and stared at them, lost for words, thoughts skittering in infinite directions. A mixture of awe, shock, and bewilderment roiled beneath a single uniting emotion: panic. What...Where...How?! He tried desperately to collect himself enough to trust himself to open his mouth.
His first attempt to speak was not inspiring. He gave a sort of strangled squeak, gulped, took a deep breath, and tried again. "D..." he said slowly. "What...what I mean to say is..." He straightened his throat. "Do you, by any chance, remember anything about last night?" It was a long shot, but York was sure that D's mechanical memory might be better at the moment...
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:37 pm
D watched as York collapsed. He wanted to run to his partner but he didn't trust his body to behave under the circumstances. At York's question D's mind raced trying to find an answer.
"No...no I don't...its...hazy." he said. "I remember coming in here and then..." he shrugged helplessly. "I think I remember you waking up a bit and then...its jumbled...I...I don't think I was coherent for several hours before going into standby..." he ended wishing he could answer. "I had actually wished you could tell me what happened..." he said getting up shakily and carefully getting off the bed and going to his partner.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:07 pm
York sighed and stood up. He ignored the yawning feeling in his belly. This was more important...Hard to believe that I woke up feeling like it was the best day in my life! "I'm sorry, D, but I don't remember anything, either. I remember you hopping on the bed, but...I'm really not sure what happened after that. I am sure that I wasn't at all rational." He started to nuzzle his partner before he realized, to his disgust, that he was still sopping wet. "Sorry," he grunted. He stared at the bowls. His mind desperately clutched at any passing thought like someone tumbling down a slippery slope.
"D..." he began. He had managed to find a thought that did not involve last night directly, and it wasn't a good one. "What're we going to do? We're..." There he faltered. He couldn't say it; his voice cracked and his emotions wobbled wildly out of control...I can't. We can't! This isn't possible! "I need breakfast," he admitted finally. "I think they" he gestured at the bowls "can wait until we're a we're a little calmer, right?" He weakly got to his paws and staggered into the kitchen.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:21 pm
D let York nuzzle him. "Its alright." he said as his partner realized he was still wet. "I don't mind."
He shook his head slightly and tried to find something to say. "I don't know, York...I really don't know..." he frowned and tried to think. He felt York's confusion and it upset him. Why can't I think of anything! he thought to himself...Because this isn't at all logical and you're not acting rational! said the less emotional part of his program. D sighed inwardly and watched York stumble towards the front room.
"You're right." he said and followed. First he'd get some coffee in York and then get him fed. Maybe then they both could think.
D went quickly into the kitchen and started coffee he then put on a pan of milk to heat and started oatmeal. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the pack of meat he'd laid out yesterday still in the fridge. He'll need something filling then. I know it won't kill him to have missed one meal...but I don't have to like it. he thought. He fished out some fruit to give to York to start on. He knew his partner needed the sugar to stay upright for the moment.
Once the coffee finished D took both that and the fruit to his partner. "Eat this, I'll have you something a little heavier in a minute." he nuzzled York and then went back into the kitchen.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:11 pm
"Thanks," York murmured. He was so hungry he didn't care that he was eating fruit. Blindly he just shoveled it in and drank his coffee.
He tried to think and clear his thoughts. All right, I might as well admit a few things. First off, we're parents. I'm a father, and so's D. The bowls...well, they'll need to be fed, once they're old enough. If we are very, very lucky, one of them will be at least somewhat like D and won't need as much food. That's if we're lucky. Somehow, I don't think so. So...we'll need more money. That's going to be more of a problem now. He shook his head. Not much we can do about that, though, is there?
Another thought crossed his mind, cutting through the more mundane worries of logistics. Safety. Security. Kits aren't going to want to just stay inside...they're going to want to go out. That might put us all in danger...especially them. What if other freelancers show up? With crystal clarity, he was sure that his new worst nightmare would be Wyoming or Omega showing up and recognizing them. I'll get that lock done, and we'll, I don't know, explain to them that strangers are not to be trusted? Maybe we should tell them about the other agents...and the other AIs. Then they could know who cannot be trusted under any circumstance.
York was aware that most of what he was thinking was obvious; of course no kit should greet strangers, but...It's more important in this case. The agents and AIs were always scheming...a child of a freelancer and an AI could be in more danger from strangers than usual--what if they try to use them to lure us out? Lost in thought, York finished the fruit and the coffee.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:47 pm
D finished up making the oatmeal and then put down slices of toast. Like York he was worried but not necessarily about the same things. How must York be feeling...this can't be easy, I know its not for me and it can't be for him...and I'm...I'm not even... his ears drooped and he shook his head to clear that line of thought.
He absently put the toast on a plate as it popped and dished out a bowl of oatmeal and took them to York. He saw that York had finished his coffee and then went back for the pot and refilled York's mug. He then sat down across from his partner and became lost in his own thoughts.
He tried to pull up what he remembered of the night before but it was still lost. This might have ruined everything...What are we going to do? I don't know anything about kits...and I don't know if York does... D thought to himself and then he glanced carefully at York. What if he hates me now...what if... D couldn't control himself and he began to shake violently.
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Lady Argentum Draconis Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:42 pm
York murmured a thanks and started on the toast and oatmeal. The warm food felt good, and he began to calm down enough to think rationally. We can get through this. Our lives will change--it would be wrong if they didn't--but there is nothing we can't handle together. There has never been anything we couldn't handle together, no mission or crisis. This will be no different. I'll just need his help and a plan. And he'll probably need my help, too. We're a team; we've always been, whether I liked it or not at first.
York had just finished his toast when he saw D begin to shake. He lunged from his seat to hug him fiercely around the shoulders. A fine to time to be obsessing! he groused mentally. He gently pulled D against him, stroking his head. "It's all right," he murmured. "We'll be all right. We've pulled through before. We always have, and we always will. We've just found...a challenge, that's all." His worry increased as he gauged the violence of D's shivers. "I love you, D," he whispered, feeling tears swell in his eyes. "I need you. I can't count the times I'd be dead without you. Stay..." He curled his tail around his partner, hoping to comfort him.
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