Rise in Revolution (Chapter Sixty-Two)
Oct. 14th, 2016 05:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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saladloveChapter list: https://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/650.html
World map: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Kaldri
Chapter Sixty-Two
Tolerance
Street 22, Sector TZI. April 16, 2272. Time instance 842N.
Tac curled up tighter in her corner, burying her face in her arms.
It had been days since Matt had gone missing and there were still no sign of him. She was beginning to lose hope, falling deeper and deeper back into the darkness that had consumed her for years after she lost him the first time. I can’t lose him again. I can’t.
She doubted Mars had any alcohol and she kicked herself for the thought. It had been months since last time. She wasn’t about to go back to that now, not with the invasion on the Mainframe looming.
Not that I can do much, she thought glumly. All I can do is swing a sword and see when things are magical.
As if summoned by her thoughts, a magical being entered the building. It walked through some of the halls before coming towards her. She opened her mouth to tell them to leave but paused when it was Shawn that came into the room.
“Here you are. Can I come in?”
“...Yeah. Sure.”
Shawn shut the door behind him and walked over, sitting a foot or so away. “Neves said you might be in here.”
“Neves? How did he know?”
“He saw you run in. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” No. My brother’s probably dead. “I’m fine.”
Shawn frowned at her, shifting forward to try and make her meet his gaze. “Tac…”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine, but okay.” Shawn leaned against the wall. Tac knew that he didn’t believe her, but she gratefully accepted the silence. She buried her face in her arms again, shutting her eyes.
Shawn shuffled closer and hugged her. She blinked open her eyes in surprise but didn’t protest, leaning against him and sighing quietly.
“Thanks, Shawn.”
Shawn didn’t say anything, only hugging her tighter.
He didn’t need to.
~~~
Zahnra was getting extremely tired of this kid.
Tanadin had practically shoved Sub at her, asking her to ‘babysit’ because apparently Sub couldn’t be left on her own. Sub and Zahnra had both protested, but whatever Sub had done was apparently enough to make Tanadin go into stubborn mode, insisting that someone needed to babysit her and that if anyone could keep her out of trouble it was Zahnra.
Zahnra wasn’t sure whether or not she’d taken the possibility of her murdering Sub into account.
Of course, she wouldn’t really. That would be wrong and killing a young one, no matter how much they talk, would be one of the worst crimes of all. That didn’t stop her from being tempted as Sub chattered on and on about whatever came to mind, probably a nervous habit. Others had insisted that she didn’t seem to babble as much when Zahnra wasn’t around so she could only assume that she was intimidating somehow.
It’s strange. It’s almost like I’m tall with purple eyes and can transform into a werewolf, one of the strongest and most durable creatures known to mortals. She held back a wolfish grin. Something like that.
“I’m not sure if you’re paying attention but that’s okay, I’m just kind of talking at this point-”
“Sorry. I was...thinking.”
“Ooo! Can I guess what about?”
Zahnra suppressed a groan. “Sure.”
“Okay, okay.” Sub shut her eyes and pointed a palm towards Zahnra, putting the other on her head. She seemed intensely focused, other than her mumbling of “You’re thinking about...about….”
“Rabbits!” Sub announced, opening her eyes. “You’re thinking about rabbits!”
Zahnra snorted. “No I’m not. Why would I be thinking about rabbits?”
“Wolves eat rabbits, don’t you?”
“That would need to be quite the rabbit.”
“Well, you’re a werewolf, and I’m not used to reading werewolf minds.” Sub kicked at a rock on the street. “Dang it.”
We need Hawk back, Zahnra thought glumly as she followed Sub down the street. At least she qualified as a babysitter half the time.
She was so distracted that she almost ran right into a cyborg. She bared her teeth immediately, barking for them to back off and watch where they were going.
“Sorry,” Fall mumbled, sidestepping around her. “I figured you’d move. Most people do.”
“I don’t have to do anything for you.” You took our world. You broke my family. You took me from my home. Why should I have to listen to you?
“Oh, fuck off,” Neves snarled, stepping in front of her. “You’re the biggest asshole I’ve ever met, did you know that? And I talk to Kyir almost every day!”
“I don’t have to be nice to you.”
“They’re people too!” Sub protested. “You have to be nice to people.”
“These things aren’t people.” Zahnra crossed her arms. “They’re just good at pretending. They might have fooled you, they might have fooled Tanadin, but never me. They’re killing machines and I won’t rest until they’re destroyed and the world is restored.”
“Wow. That’s quite the vendetta. It sounds like you really got screwed over when the Mainframe was put into place,” Fall said almost pleasantly.
Zahnra swung at her, snarling, but wasn’t surprised when Fall reached up and caught her hand. She yanked it back, as if trying to avoid getting infected by something. “Don’t touch me.”
“You tried to hit me.”
“Don’t touch you?” Neves stepped forward and shoved her. “Oops.”
Zahnra growled and stepped forward, but Sub raced between the two of them. “We don’t need to fight! Can we just walk away from this?”
“I can’t just walk away from two decades of enslavement!”
“That wasn't us!” Neves roared. “Can’t you get that through your thick skull? It was the aliens who invaded you, with alien cyborgs who had no more control of themselves than we did! The Mainframe reassigned you and then set us- cyborgs who were once people like you- to keep order! Do you think we wanted this? Do you think we volunteered for this? We were the ones who resisted! We were taken from what lives we had salvaged, wiped of our memories, of our identity, and turned into that which we feared and hated! You really think that we did this to you? Your life was destroyed! I get that! And I’m fucking sorry you’ve been through this! But it’s not just about you! Don’t you understand that? It’s about all of us! We’ve all been hurt by the Mainframe! We’ve all been enslaved! This isn’t just you!” His metal jaw slammed shut, fury burning in his blue right eye. He had drawn himself up to his full height and what blazed in his eyes, in his soul, was distinctly, clearly, human.
He’s just a human. The realization felt numb. He’s just someone, like me, who was taken from his home. He’s just…
She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she exhaled, she opened her eyes again, taking a half-step back.
“I...I am...sorry.”
“Good,” Neves snapped. “Now get the hell out of my face.”
“You do not tell me what to do.” She almost snarled as Fall stepped closer, still on edge, but the cyborg only tilted her head slightly.
“The ghosts of your people haunt your eyes, but their spirits do not follow you. You have shouldered their unfinished business, but they have none. You’ve taken responsibility for everything that happened to the Norendor werewolves and are determined to fix it, all on your own. Your people would not want that.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I can see the dead, Zahnra. And sometimes I think I can see more than just that.” She stepped back. “Come on, Neves. She needs time to think.”
Neves snorted and followed her without any further complaints.
Sub was silent after that, but Zahnra didn’t notice, the words of the cyborgs bouncing around and echoing in her head.
They’re just cyborgs. They’re not people. Not anymore.
So why do I feel so awful?
~~~
Neves nudged Fall, giving her only a couple of seconds to register it before shouting, “Hi, Mars!”
Fall immediately looked mortified, but Mars shouted a greeting back and crossed the street towards them. “Neves!” she hissed.
“Talk to her!”
“No! What if she’s straight?”
“Look me dead in the eye and tell me that that woman is straHI MARS!”
Mars raised an eyebrow at their whispering. “Am I really that interesting?”
“To Fall you are.”
“Shut up!”
Mars looked between them several times. “Is there something I should be aware of?”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Fall thinks you’re pretty!”
“So do you!”
“I’m gay not blind!”
“Well,” Mars said carefully, “thank you for calling me pretty, and there’s no need to be embarrassed, we all find people aesthetically pleasing. Or we’re attracted in other ways. Like Neves would definitely date Scott if Clash didn’t exist.”
“I never said that. I only said I’d be interested in investigating the option.”
“This conversation is making me uncomfortable,” Fall announced. “Should be go see your crush, his boyfriend, and the genius we’re actually trying to talk to?”
“I don’t have a crush on Scott!”
“Mm.”
“I don’t.” Neves crossed his arms, glaring at Fall. “There’s someone else and I’m not telling you who.”
“It’s Geluu,” Mars informed her.
“What! No it’s not!”
“It totally is.” Mars grinned.
“Ooo, lucky Neves. I think Geluu likes you back. Have you see how he looks at you in training?”
“You’ve been watching him?”
“You haven’t?”
“You’re not even in his class!”
“I’m a stalker, what can I say?” Fall smiled pleasantly at him.
Neves groaned. “Just...shut the hell up and let’s get to Xela’s.”
“Oh! How the tables have tabled!”
“Fall, I don’t think that’s how that expression goes,” Mars said, frowning slightly.
Fall frowned back. “But that’s what Tanadin says.”
“Fall, are you coming with me or staying here and being a huge lesbian?”
“You can’t escape the lesbian no matter where I go,” Fall informed him, “but I’ll come with.”
“Good. I hate being the only cyborg in the room.”
“Lucky that we’re friends, then.”
“Sometimes I wonder. See you, Mars.”
“Bye.” Mars watched them go and, once they were out of earshot, Fall buried her face in her hands.
“Help me, Neves.”
“I tried.”
“Be nice to me, Neves.”
“I don’t know how to do that. Call back later. Don’t leave a message after the tone. BEEP.”
“Fight me.”
“What did I just say? And I’m a seven thousand unit; I’d kick your ass.”
“You’re not a very good seven thousand unit.”
”You’re not a very good two thousand unit! You still fall over all the time!”
“And that’s why my name is Fall. Where is Xela’s setup again?”
“Oh, uh. I have no idea. Somewhere around here.”
“Don’t you have a map?”
“Don’t you?”
“Xela’s setup isn’t marked on it! Excuse me, completely random stranger!” Fall stepped up to some random human on the street. “Do you know where Xela’s setup is?”
They shook their head. “Dammit. Thanks anyway.” She moved back over to Neves. “I guess we’re lost. Asking for directions didn’t work. We’re doomed to die here on the street.”
“Isn’t that Clash over there?”
“Oh. So it is.”
“Hey, Clash! Where’s Xela’s setup?”
Clash pointed at the door he had just stepped through. “In there. She won’t go to sleep.”
“Great! We need her for something. Thanks, Clash.”
“You’re welcome. Please don’t get too loud. Scooter’s trying to sleep.”
“I’ll keep him quiet,” Fall promised as they went in. “Or at least I’ll try.”
Neves looked offended. “So I can’t walk in yelling ‘WHAT’S UP, FUCKS?’”
“Definitely not.”
“Damn.” They walked in and made their way over to Xela, past where Scott was asleep on the couch. Neves put a hand on her shoulder and quietly said, “Hey, Xela. Can I get your help with something?”
“Sure. What do you-”
“Wait.” Scott’s eyes opened slightly. “Neves. Come here.”
Neves stepped forward, tilting his head. “What?”
“Did you bring me any updog?”
Neves frowned. “What’s updog?”
Scott grinned. “Not much. What’s up with you?” He burst into hysterical laughter, leaving the other three very confused. After a moment, Xela burst into helpless peals of laughter as well, leaning on her seat and struggling to breathe.
“I believe,” Fall said slowly, “that you have been the victim of a practical joke.”
“Xela, what the hell.” Neves crossed his arms.
“He tricked you into saying ‘what’s up dog’,” Xela explained. “It’s an old pre-invasion meme.”
“A meme,” Neves said slowly.
“A meme.”
“What the high fucking hell is a meme?”
“It’s…” Xela hesitated. “I don’t really have an explanation for what a meme is. Anyway, what did you need?”
Neves stepped away from Scott to stand closer to her, sitting down in a nearby chair.
“I need the use of your database. I need you to research me. The Mainframe database provided me with my name and a few important details, but they don’t have what I’m looking for. I need connections, relatives, anything, particularly involving the Mahuvsian war.”
Xela nodded, changing tabs to an unfamiliar program. She selected a few options and clicked on the search bar. “What name am I searching?”
“You’re searching for Zallen Xevalah.” A shiver ran through Neves as he spoke his own name, the syllables unfamiliar and clunky on his tongue.
“Show me who I am.”
no subject
Date: 2016-10-14 11:32 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
no subject
Date: 2016-10-14 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 09:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 03:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 09:41 am (UTC)Yeah cos that seems like such a good idea....
“I don’t have to do anything for you.” You took our world. You broke my family. You took me from my home. Why should I have to listen to you?
“Oh, fuck off,” Neves snarled, stepping in front of her. “You’re the biggest asshole I’ve ever met, did you know that? And I talk to Kyir almost every day!”
“I don’t have to be nice to you.”
“They’re people too!” Sub protested. “You have to be nice to people.”
“These things aren’t people.” Zahnra crossed her arms. “They’re just good at pretending. They might have fooled you, they might have fooled Tanadin, but never me. They’re killing machines and I won’t rest until they’re destroyed and the world is restored.”
*sighs* Ah I was wondering when this powder keg might go of...
Sub was silent after that, but Zahnra didn’t notice, the words of the cyborgs bouncing around and echoing in her head.
They’re just cyborgs. They’re not people. Not anymore.
So why do I feel so awful?
Becacuse Zahnra as Neves pointed out they are still people. They were forced into a more extreme form of slavery than the rest of the population because they resisted, no one volunteered to be a cyborg.
Neves nudged Fall, giving her only a couple of seconds to register it before shouting, “Hi, Mars!”
Fall immediately looked mortified, but Mars shouted a greeting back and crossed the street towards them. “Neves!” she hissed.
“Talk to her!”
“No! What if she’s straight?”
“Look me dead in the eye and tell me that that woman is straHI MARS!”
Mars raised an eyebrow at their whispering. “Am I really that interesting?”
“To Fall you are.”
“Shut up!”
Mars looked between them several times. “Is there something I should be aware of?”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Fall thinks you’re pretty!”
“So do you!”
“I’m gay not blind!”
I love this. I also feel that this is an actual conversation that has happened between Project Monstrous members.....
“I don’t have a crush on Scott!”
“Mm.”
“I don’t.” Neves crossed his arms, glaring at Fall. “There’s someone else and I’m not telling you who.”
“It’s Geluu,” Mars informed her.
“What! No it’s not!”
“It totally is.” Mars grinned.
Neves and Geluu sitting in a tree......which Geluu made out of ice as Neves accidentally sucked the life force out of the tree they were going to sit in. XD
“Bye.” Mars watched them go and, once they were out of earshot, Fall buried her face in her hands.
“Help me, Neves.”
“I tried.”
“Be nice to me, Neves.”
“I don’t know how to do that. Call back later. Don’t leave a message after the tone. BEEP.”
“Fight me.”
Poor Fall, she's got it bad.
They walked in and made their way over to Xela, past where Scott was asleep on the couch. Neves put a hand on her shoulder and quietly said, “Hey, Xela. Can I get your help with something?”
“Sure. What do you-”
“Wait.” Scott’s eyes opened slightly. “Neves. Come here.”
Neves stepped forward, tilting his head. “What?”
“Did you bring me any updog?”
Neves frowned. “What’s updog?”
Scott grinned. “Not much. What’s up with you?” He burst into hysterical laughter, leaving the other three very confused. After a moment, Xela burst into helpless peals of laughter as well, leaning on her seat and struggling to breathe.
It took a moment for Xela to get it but the penny dropped eventually XD
Well played Scott, well played.
“I believe,” Fall said slowly, “that you have been the victim of a practical joke.”
“Xela, what the hell.” Neves crossed his arms.
“He tricked you into saying ‘what’s up dog’,” Xela explained. “It’s an old pre-invasion meme.”
“A meme,” Neves said slowly.
“A meme.”
“What the high fucking hell is a meme?”
They should go talk to Nona, I'm sure they know through their connection to the Anons.
Xela nodded, changing tabs to an unfamiliar program. She selected a few options and clicked on the search bar. “What name am I searching?”
“You’re searching for Zallen Xevalah.” A shiver ran through Neves as he spoke his own name, the syllables unfamiliar and clunky on his tongue.
“Show me who I am.”
That name seems familiar. Tanadin! Why does that name seem familiar?
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 03:05 pm (UTC)Xela only got it because she's really fucking smart XD
SHAWN SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT THAT NAME AND I DONT KNOW WHY IT WOULD
I've only used Zallen in one thing before and it was a shitty old RP years before P:M! I thought he might have known it through a different name, but you don't know that character...
Unless it's Xevalah that's familiar? As that's two dranonic words I might have used separately before.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 03:10 pm (UTC)Xela's the best.
I was thinking that maybe it was a character you'd hinted at in chat before, but yes it could be the combination of the two draconic words that is making Shawn and I feel as if we've heard of Neves previous self before.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 10:51 pm (UTC)