itshilarious: <user name="benine"> (pic#11208504)
U n i t : 9 S ([personal profile] itshilarious) wrote in [community profile] castellae2017-04-10 05:56 pm

Ongoing PSL - In-game setting




"You say that you're no good for me, cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve--"
podskill: (2b26)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-24 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The words come easily to 2B simply because she means them, and there's freedom in saying them. There's no holding back anymore, what with their connection to the Bunker severed. While the threat of YoRHa pursuers is ever-looming, 2B is free to fully explore her feelings for him, and the pieces all start to fall into place. She isn't one to lie outright, it's true. Even her lies of omission were simple necessities in the face of her duty.

Even if 9S decides to hate her, 2B knows that how she feels for him isn't going to change. It's only grown in the years she's known him, and she figures it'll only continue to grow in the years to come. Things are far from alright between them, and they likely won't ever go back to the way that they were before. But 2B silently vows to herself that she's with him until the end. ]


Hey, hey. [ She murmurs as he sobs, pulling him in and assisting in tangling their legs together. 2B slowly sits up, pulling him with her so she can more properly hold him. She's never been the comforting type, but for 9S, she can try. ] You don't have to do anything. It's alright. I'm with you.

[ Her voice is soft as she holds him close, her eyes sliding shut as she gently kisses the corner of his mouth. ] I love you. [ She says it almost like she's testing the way it feels on her lips, though it doesn't lose its meaning. It's a strange phrase, but she decides she likes saying it. It buoys something in her central systems, making her feel warm. ]
podskill: (◎ iv.)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-24 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
There's nothing wrong with you, and if you're broken, it's not because you did it to yourself.

[ 2B speaks with conviction, knowing her words likely aren't doing anything to quell his fears and doubts. She doesn't pull away, continuing to hold him close as he weeps, opening her eyes to watch him. She can't begin to imagine how he must be feeling, having finally seen everything that's happened to him up to this point; it's all she can do to just. Be there for him. To hold him and support him in any way possible.

When he touches her face, she leans into it, pressing a kiss to his palm. 2B puzzles over his face, wet with tears and rife with sorrow, and she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she did this to him. Her mind tries and fails to find a better, more elegant solution to all of this, and while she knows she can't think that way since this is the path she'd set and chosen for them, she can't help it.

Maybe if she'd acted quicker, she'd have saved him this pain. Maybe if she'd been shot down over the ocean with the rest of her squadron, it would have been better.

But then again, 9S would have likely been reassigned to another Executioner-type. 2B feels a surge of protective possessiveness at the thought in spite of herself, her thumb gently stroking over his cheekbone. She's more his than anything else, but some small part of her wants to claim him for her own, too. ]


If anyone broke you, it was YoRHa. It was... me. [ She says, and her voice grows thick. 2B's gaze doesn't waver even as she says it. ] If you decide none of this is worth it, I'll take the blame. Tell them you were under duress. You're more valuable as a Scanner model, anyhow, so they'll be inclined to believe you.
podskill: (2b02)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-24 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Sometimes I wonder if that might be better.

[ Her voice is low as his hand drops away, its warmth leaving her. 2B doesn't pull away, but she feels a certain distance wedge itself between the two of them, leaving her cold and feeling empty. She feels strange, having this conversation with the majority of her body exposed, but she supposes that it doesn't matter. 9S looks lost, and she wants desperately to be able to guide him somewhere, anywhere, but she's just as disjointed as he is and she knows it.

So instead, she drops her gaze somewhere over his shoulder, looking out the window of their shared room, towards the bright, blue sky that almost taunts her with its clarity. A few birds flit by the window, chirping happily. ]


Scanner models are also constantly connected to the Bunker. You may as well not be one anymore. Our designations don't mean anything now that that connection is severed.

[ 2B sighs. It's a weary sound, heavy with exhaustion and thought. ] If there are answers, I don't have them either. But what is it that you want, 9S? From me, specifically? [ She turns her gaze back to his face, looking just as lost as he is. ] What do you want me to do?
podskill: (◎ vxiv.)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-24 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 2B understands how 9S feels, primarily because it's the same as she does. They're devoid of purpose now that they've cut themselves off from the one thing that gave it to them, and for an android centered around their prime directives, the lack of purpose is devastating. By all means, they shouldn't be able to function. Knowing that their entire cause was false is enough to send any unit of YoRHa reeling, but to actively sever their connection to the Bunker because of it? It's inconceivable.

2B finds herself thinking back to their gods and whether or not she'll get the chance to kill them. Part of her knows that since they've finally escaped that neverending cycle of life and death that such an ideal is likely unnecessary, but she can't deny that she wants some sort of revenge. She knows that 9S' safety and happiness takes priority, but some dark, fearsome part of her wants nothing more than to tear down Command and everything it stands for, even though she knows that they aren't the ones to blame.

At his admission, all 2B can do is nod. ]


So am I.

[ Her tone is flat, losing the gentle tenderness that it had possessed not moments before. Sitting up properly, she pulls her shift over the rest of her body, her expression all business. In reality, she's terrified, but she can't let that show. 9S needs stability. Support. She can't give him that if she's scared. ]

I won't let anything happen to you.

[ She's said it before, and she's saying it again now. She'll say it over and over until it reassures him, even if things seem fairly bleak from their current standpoint. ]
podskill: (2b20)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-24 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I've taken the liberty of getting our things together while you were out. I'll let Pascal know while you do any last minute preparations, if you have any.

[ 2B's tone is businesslike, marked with a certain weariness as she stands and straightens herself out: pulling her shift down to its full length, straightening her stockings, and putting on her boots. She doesn't look to 9S' face as she does this, and she gives the room a quick once-over before making for the door.

With Pascal notified, she and 9S depart the machine village with little fanfare, making for the coast. The Flooded City is next on the list of places where they can potentially settle for a time, as little to no android activity has been reported in the area for quite a while. It's when they're entering through the sewage tunnel that the familiar sound of flight units reaches 2B's ears, her Pod simultaneously making an announcement: ]


Alert: YoRHa reconnaissance units closing in on current position. Proposal: Eliminate hostiles before they can report back to Command.

[ 2B wastes no time in drawing her weapon, holding out an arm to keep 9S behind her. As they inch towards the mouth of the tunnel, the steady whir of YoRHa flight suits becomes unmistakable, hovering just above their current location. With hardly a verbal warning to her partner, 2B lunges out of the tunnel, vaulting herself upwards towards their would-be assailants-- only to be repelled backwards by a fierce forward thrust from one of the flight units.

2B grunts, tumbling backwards. The wind is knocked out of her lungs as she collides with some debris scattered on the ground. She manages to gasp out a warning as she rolls back onto her feet. ]


9S, these aren't normal recon units! Be careful!
podskill: (2b16)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-25 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ 9S' strengths lie in hacking, which, in many cases, is far more devastating than anything 2B can do with her blade. She nods in thanks as he helps her up, and she puts her back to his as they face opposite ends of the tunnel. At what he says next, she replies, calm and cool. ]

Running away isn't ever going to be an option from here on out. YoRHa isn't going to stop. You've terminated deserters with me before... You know this firsthand. [ 2B scans the battlefield, her lack of a visor only a slight handicap as she registers that all their possible exits are blocked. ]

We need to disable their flight units, [ She says even as he yanks her behind the debris, the fallen concrete weathering the blow of the missile fired at them. ] We don't stand a chance so long as they're in the air. Do you think you can hack the ones flying around outside? [ She looks to 9S, her expression hard. It's a seemingly hopeless situation, but... Failure isn't an option. ]

I've got the ones in here. Pod, provide cover support for Unit 9S. [ She knows he's scared, and she knows it's likely because of everything that's led up to this point. But 2B also knows that panicking isn't going to help either of them.

She doesn't wait for him to answer as she leaps over the debris, moving to engage the flight units approaching them from the other end of the tunnel. The confined space works in her favor, and while it takes some maneuvering, 2B manages to knock down the flight units, engaging the androids that fall from them on foot. She moves with grace and elegance, as she always has, almost artful in her avoidance of their attacks. This isn't to say that she's unharmed; a wayward blow causes her to stagger, the wind knocked out of her and giving her opponents an opening.

With a grunt, 2B raises her blade to parry their attacks, shooting 9S a glance over her shoulder. She isn't sure if he's even able to hack these new, improved models, but it's worth a shot. ]
podskill: (2b04)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-25 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ 2B doesn't have time to think when she sees the remainder of their pursuers closing in on 9S, and she shouts his name. She knows he's in the middle of hacking and that she promised to protect him, but fighting in such close quarters is taking its toll on her. Having successfully incapacitated one of the androids, her body lying broken and twitching next to her flight unit, 2B jumps into the fray, grabbing 9S and throwing him as far as she possibly can to the safest end of the tunnel.

As the YoRHa units close in, 2B acts quickly, activating her self-destruct sequence. Warning dialogues burst forth in front of her eyes as her systems begin to overclock, her body going rigid as she curls in on herself. With a scream, 2B's body releases the energy it generates in the form of an explosion, effectively disabling the YoRHa pursuers in a radius around her and leaving 2B to fall to the ground, her sensory drivers momentarily going offline as she gasps for breath.

She can't see, can barely think; her clothing is effectively destroyed, small scraps clinging to her frame as her NFCS reboots, her equilibrium thrown off from the blast. Struggling to stand, 2B stumbles, leaning against the wall of the tunnel for support. ]


N... 9S... [ She manages to gasp, struggling to see him as her visual drivers stutter back to life. 2B can still hardly see as she trips over to where she thinks she last saw him, her vitals at critical. ]
podskill: (◎ vxiv.)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-25 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ The more 2B moves, the easier it becomes. She recovers after a period, her vision refocusing as she takes in the sight of their pursuers, laid low and broken. She feels a surge of satisfaction at the sight; it isn't the entirety of Command, but it'll have to do. Her steps are slow and labored, and when she comes upon 9S, the first thing she notices is his arm, severed at the elbow. Her expression of tired satisfaction gives way to one of immediate concern, barking orders at Pod 042. ]

Pod. Administer logic antivirus to Unit 9S. [ She breathes, slumping down next to his prone form in order to assess the damage. He's unconscious, likely from both his injuries and from when she threw him, and she knows she has to act quickly... even if her reaction times are sluggish from her recent self-destruction. Ignoring the incessant beeping of her systems announcing their critical state, 2B obtains field bandages from her Pod, kneeling in front of 9S and binding the stump where his arm had been previously connected.

2B can hear the whir of his internal processes, and she breathes a sigh of relief. Now she just has to wait. With her clothing in tatters and her skin smudged and charred in places, she allows herself to sag against his front, her forehead pressing into his chest. ]
podskill: (pic#11158557)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-25 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ 2B hears him start up, though she doesn't move immediately. She still feels woozy and heavy, her head falling slack against 9S as she struggles to keep herself upright. She's worried about his arm, about him, but now that the immediate danger has passed, her sense of urgency takes a back seat to the all-encompassing pain that wracks her systems.

When 9S' hand warms against the back of her head, 2B lifts it, looking at him. She follows his line of vision as he glances around, taking stock of the area. At his question, she finally speaks. ]


Barely. We need to find a replacement for your arm.

[ 2B doesn't know what happened, but she knows what needs to be done; she gently settles him back down into a seated position as she winces, hauling herself to her feet. Though she sways slightly once she's upright, her Pod helpfully offers her a Medium Recovery, which she gladly takes. She instantly feels a difference, her equilibrium stabilizing and her visuals returning to full functionality.

Walking over to the pile of android corpses, 2B nudges one of them with the tip of her boot. ]
These are new models. I don't know who any of these are. [ She kneels down, taking stock of what they have to work with. The majority of their bodies have been badly charred and broken by her self-destruction sequence, but she finds a few whose arms have remained relatively untouched.

Without further ado, 2B grabs three of the corpses, dragging them over to where 9S is and drawing her blade. She still feels a bit heady, but not enough to keep her off her feet. ]


Well... You have choices.
podskill: (◎ vxiv.)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-26 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ As 2B's stability returns, she keeps a more watchful eye upon 9S, even as she drags the fresh android corpses over to him for his perusal. The implications of their fight weigh heavily upon her, and his words only increase that weight. While the recovery provided by his Pod does wonders for his injuries, it isn't enough; androids don't have the ability to regrow lost limbs, after all. ]

... Huh. Guess they care after all, [ She says flatly, bitterness coloring her features. All things considered, this likely shouldn't surprise her. 9S is a valuable asset to YoRHa, and while 2B is not a Scanner model, he's her charge. If ever she's captured, she's likely to be made an example of and before being decommissioned, likely in a slow, painful manner, befitting the treasonous crime that she committed when she'd decided to defect.

While there's no love lost between herself and the Commander, 2B wonders what must be going on through her mind as she readies her blade against the arm 9S has selected. She thinks of her face as her sword slices neatly through the limb, the crackle of electricity and wet splash of vital fluids following the action. She holds it out to 9S, coming to kneel next to him and taking note of the numerous injuries sustained by his other limbs. ]


If you can't walk, I'll carry you. Do what you need to, but we shouldn't stay here for too long.

[ She resheathes her weapon, slumping to sit next to him. 2B knows he'll ask if he needs her assistance, but for now, she lets an unfamiliar lassitude settle upon her artificial limbs, exhaling deeply. ]

There's a lot of cover in the buildings here. We should be safe while we plan our next move.
podskill: (2b26)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-26 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ The tunnel really has become a boneyard for the agents YoRHa has sent to capture the both of them, the crackle of electricity and the sound of running water the only noises she can hear aside from their slow, steady breathing. She watches 9S calmly, ruminating over his current mental state; she knows he hasn't been doing well. Neither of them have. But she isn't sure if the fact that he isn't fazed by her hacking off the body parts of a fellow android with little fanfare is a good thing. The last thing she wants is to twist him into something broken and dark. Like her.

2B fears that it's already too late to stop this, though, and her fears are confirmed by the way he simply gets down to work.

When he flinches, 2B starts, grasping him by the shoulder. She makes a small noise of alarm, though she knows this is necessary; her brow furrows as she grips him, her mouth set into a hard line. Part of her blames herself for this; accessing the Flooded City through the sewage tunnel had been her idea, and it had provided an adequate chokepoint for YoRHa to attack them. She curses quietly, knowing that thinking like that can be dangerous, but she can't help it.

Keeping her grasp on his shoulder, she looks to his face. ]
You alright?

[ Her voice is riddled with concern, uncertainty clouding her features. ]
podskill: (◎ vi.)

[personal profile] podskill 2017-04-27 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ 2B watches him in silence, standing by if he needs any form of assistance. This is way out of her wheelhouse and it shows; all androids have the capability to salvage old parts from their fallen comrades' bodies, of course, but 2B has never found herself in a situation where she's ever had to do so. Now that she's assured that 9S is alright, she almost finds the process fascinating... if not a little disturbing.

2B is confident that 9S can handle himself. He's always been able to. Though she's spent majority of her activation period as his ward and executioner both, she knows he doesn't really need her protection all that much. Even as doubts about a logic virus making its way into his systems in a carefully laid trap by YoRHa begin to cloud her mind, 2B knows that her partner isn't so reckless as to let such a thing happen to him.

At his confirmation, she releases his grip, standing up as he does. She's just about to suggest that they get a move on again when he beats her to the punch with his own proposal, prompting her to quirk a brow. ]


We should take what we can get, yes, but we should probably make sure that Command didn't leave any surprises for us in their corpses. If they were engineered specifically to bring us back, there's no telling what's inside them.

[ Still, she makes to line all of the bodies up in as orderly a fashion as she can manage, their corpses laying side by side before the both of them. She can tell just from looking at them that they're made of different stuff than she is; their appearances are more streamlined, their dermal layers more resilient. Their body armor is hardy, also, and 2B feels a surge of flattery; all of this trouble, just for the chance to bring her and 9S back. It's clear that they're not considered run-of-the-mill defectors back on the Bunker. ]

My internals are fine. [ She responds, though she guesses she can't be too sure. 2B unsheathes her blade when her task is done, swinging it a few times in front of her in order to assure that her motor processors are functioning optimally. ]

... Regardless, this is practical of you. If not a little morbid.

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