mere rocks polished to a sheen. Marriages and life-long bonds formed around the price tag of a controlled commodity, a simple ore in truth. Yet, in this strange city built by directionless slaves in honour of their own begotten masters, a small feverish doll in the form of a rabbit held one such mineral, one that truly did carry the weight of a life.
Heavier still by the importance of his charge, Usu held the fragment with both care and terror. He could not lose her, his heart was not built for such woe and with each returning memory he was punishing himself for burdening Rain’s heart with just that. What right did he have to make her wait for him? What right did he have to hold everything she was so closely to him?
He didn’t, but then again, he didn’t need to either.
Love is a devious thing, taking residence in all whilst paying not a single deposit upfront. Though, try as we might to evict, it remains a creature with no boundaries, no borders and most of all, no master. Usu could no more stop Rain’s feelings for him than he could stop his for her. Perhaps there was something beautiful about the maddened pair he had just abandoned on the sea floor, after all.
One thing mattered now; he needed to get Rain help. Modbot and Usu were still drenched from their rather unexpected return landing, something largely considered a design flaw in the previously perfected suicide assistance diving bubbles. It was a situation made all the more unusual by it being two in the morning, a time when any decent automation was pretending to be asleep and few doors found themselves open without the use of a particularly violent talent one of them happened to have.
Modbot carried Mercury, or at least tried to do something resembling that, when in reality it was more a deal of her leaning against him, slumping forward and elbowing him across the face every time he tried to make a comment, pun, or take up more of the burden than was offered. Black ooze was still leaking from both her lips and missing arm but it did little good for her attitude. “Sheesh, you guys move slower than c―” allowing a bit more bile to make its escape, “―congress.” An insult that hardly bothered Modbot, who’d long since abandoned his American origins. Now, if she’d mentioned Parliament, then he might have a word or two! Those words would be with himself though; both honour and fear prevented him from standing up to her, even when standing itself was the last thing she seemed to be able to do.
Usu looked worried, more worried than by default at least, but his fears were firmly on the little life in his hands. His feelings to Mercury were only that of gratitude. It didn’t take much to see that whatever she had done for Rain hurt herself far more than she would ever admit.
After what seemed like hours, they at last arrived at Manchester's abode, making an entrance even his false sleep state couldn’t ignore. Mercury collapsed the moment they arrived, pushing Modbot to the side and with her one remaining hand slammed the ground with enough force to crack its entirety. Not one for simple physical abuse, she took the opportunity to engage in some father-daughter bonding by yelling, “S-Shitbeard,” interrupted by a whimsical bit of passing vomit. “Shitbeard! I brought them back with, with the only information we could find. The girl and I are missing a few pieces though, so could you stop pretending to snore through your ass and do something? Don’t make me tell them about what you do with portable air conditioning units, cause you know I wi―”
The last comment had the awkward creature springing immediately to face them, raising as many of his chin-hands to cover Mercury’s mouth as he could.
“Hush hush, mah dear, let's have a peek at ye! Missing arm, black stuff that was just laying aroond when ah made ye. Nae good at all!” His eyes surveyed the rest of the room. “Haggisballs looks wrong 'n proper as he ever did, though th' wee
Heavier still by the importance of his charge, Usu held the fragment with both care and terror. He could not lose her, his heart was not built for such woe and with each returning memory he was punishing himself for burdening Rain’s heart with just that. What right did he have to make her wait for him? What right did he have to hold everything she was so closely to him?
He didn’t, but then again, he didn’t need to either.
Love is a devious thing, taking residence in all whilst paying not a single deposit upfront. Though, try as we might to evict, it remains a creature with no boundaries, no borders and most of all, no master. Usu could no more stop Rain’s feelings for him than he could stop his for her. Perhaps there was something beautiful about the maddened pair he had just abandoned on the sea floor, after all.
One thing mattered now; he needed to get Rain help. Modbot and Usu were still drenched from their rather unexpected return landing, something largely considered a design flaw in the previously perfected suicide assistance diving bubbles. It was a situation made all the more unusual by it being two in the morning, a time when any decent automation was pretending to be asleep and few doors found themselves open without the use of a particularly violent talent one of them happened to have.
Modbot carried Mercury, or at least tried to do something resembling that, when in reality it was more a deal of her leaning against him, slumping forward and elbowing him across the face every time he tried to make a comment, pun, or take up more of the burden than was offered. Black ooze was still leaking from both her lips and missing arm but it did little good for her attitude. “Sheesh, you guys move slower than c―” allowing a bit more bile to make its escape, “―congress.” An insult that hardly bothered Modbot, who’d long since abandoned his American origins. Now, if she’d mentioned Parliament, then he might have a word or two! Those words would be with himself though; both honour and fear prevented him from standing up to her, even when standing itself was the last thing she seemed to be able to do.
Usu looked worried, more worried than by default at least, but his fears were firmly on the little life in his hands. His feelings to Mercury were only that of gratitude. It didn’t take much to see that whatever she had done for Rain hurt herself far more than she would ever admit.
After what seemed like hours, they at last arrived at Manchester's abode, making an entrance even his false sleep state couldn’t ignore. Mercury collapsed the moment they arrived, pushing Modbot to the side and with her one remaining hand slammed the ground with enough force to crack its entirety. Not one for simple physical abuse, she took the opportunity to engage in some father-daughter bonding by yelling, “S-Shitbeard,” interrupted by a whimsical bit of passing vomit. “Shitbeard! I brought them back with, with the only information we could find. The girl and I are missing a few pieces though, so could you stop pretending to snore through your ass and do something? Don’t make me tell them about what you do with portable air conditioning units, cause you know I wi―”
The last comment had the awkward creature springing immediately to face them, raising as many of his chin-hands to cover Mercury’s mouth as he could.
“Hush hush, mah dear, let's have a peek at ye! Missing arm, black stuff that was just laying aroond when ah made ye. Nae good at all!” His eyes surveyed the rest of the room. “Haggisballs looks wrong 'n proper as he ever did, though th' wee
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