But you're bound to stay, for you've lost your way in the twists of Babylon Wood...

[best_is_past]

There is an angry woman stalking through the Organization headquarters, looking for a certain sociopath in a sweatervest. She just woke up. Or... woke up isn't exactly the right term. She was already awake, standing and fully dressed and all, she just suddenly had no idea what just happened or how she got there. And after a little investigation,

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[invitedthemin]

"Because it was more familiar than anything else I could have come up with," he admits in a strained way that suggests that he'd rather not be forced to admit that, resuming pacing. "I've been here a a year by myself. If I had imprinted you, that would be like... Admitting I'd given up on the one familiar thing I've had since I've been here."

And it wasn't logical and it could have been dangerous for Whiskey, in the long run, because he can't rightly keep an Active safe without the rigid structure of the house to protect her, but without Dr. Saunders's imprint, he would have just been imprinting her with a total stranger. At least Whiskey has some vague recollection of him, even if it wasn't really what he wanted.

Like or not, Dr. Saunders is the closest thing to an old friend he has in this place. It's uncomfortably lonely without that degree of familiarity.

"I would've had to, eventually," he adds with a slight shrug. "But if... No one was forcing me to, I didn't see a reason for it."

Beyond curiosity, but when the choice is losing something familiar or fulfilling his own desire for answers, he'd choose a friend over anything. He doesn't have many and for all that he's a condescending bitch to Actives, they're still friends. Sort of.

[best_is_past]

"Right," she says dryly, wrapping her arms around herself, one hand balled into a fist around her shirt. She realizes she's not wearing her labcoat. Of course. Whiskey wouldn't have been... "So I'll just stay here. Be your little piece of home. Why not?"

She looks down and away from him, and her voice drops a little, barely audible. "You're the boss."

The worst part is that she almost understands. That she can't help but feel like maybe she needs him around, because he's the only thing she knows here. And that she doesn't even know if that's because of her, or because she's supposed to need him, because he wanted... God knows what. But of course it's because of him. What about her isn't, after all?