003 ܀ video ܀ unfiltered

[learneditall]

[The girl staring at the crystal is silent for a moment. She's not actually staring at the crystal, of course, but rather sort of... through it at nothingness that happens to be in the proper direction. There's something very muddled and mildly afraid about the way she's holding her shoulders. It's clear she wants to speak, and also clear that her

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[prez_tentacle]

[One side of Snake's head is bandaged]

...I know you didn't. Not really.

They gave you triggers, didn't they? Like any weapon.

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[learneditall]

[A tiny noise like concern as River's eyes widen slightly. No one in the Cosmos base has any sustained injuries and the rather sudden confrontation with it clearly turns her stomach.

Then comes the looking away, the casting about for a satisfactory answer.]

...I'm... not a girl. Not anymore.

[And that's the closest she's got to a 'yes very much' at the moment.]

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[prez_tentacle]

I'm not surprised. Once a child has seen the fires of hell, they can never go back to the way they were. Whatever was done to you... was done to destroy the girl as much as it was to build the weapon.

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[learneditall]

[A nod of vague comprehension. Simon's tried to explain to her what exactly the Academy did to her brain, but it's okay that she doesn't remember, because Solidus seems to have it under control. Although. A light tap on the crystal.]

...your face is broken.

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[prez_tentacle]

[He raises a hand to the bandage, and gives a grim little smile]

I've had worse. And it won't happen again. Next time I won't let myself turn my back on you.

Of course, next time I'd rather be on the same side...

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[learneditall]

[There's just silence at that confirmation that she did, in fact, hurt people she knows in the blank void of time which has clearly been ripped from her mind. The silence also involves a look of blank horror, but it's primarily silence.]

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[prez_tentacle]

...

[This is the look of the quarter finally dropping]

You don't remember any of it, do you... They gave you a completely separate personality for your 'work', didn't they? Or perhaps they just made you to repress key information... The bastards.

River, do the words 'la-li-lu-le-lo' mean anything to you?

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[learneditall]

[It's a little hard to hear with the way her heart's pounding in her ears, but River's trying her best to stay focused on Solidus. He's like her, after all, and the way he talks about 'them' is genuinely disdainful. It isn't scary to trust him.

So she takes a moment to concentrate hard on the meaningless sounds before shaking her head very slightly.]

...it's... hard to remember...

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[prez_tentacle]

Of course. They wouldn't have let you remember something that important if they could alter your memories...

River. Tell me about your world. Is it called Earth? Are you an American?

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[learneditall]

[Concentrating is a good distraction from the panic attack building in the back of her mind, but that gets her frowning.]

...no. That hasn't... not for a long time. The Core is different now. I was born on Osiris.

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[prez_tentacle]

[And so Solidus' Patriot Puppet Pals club is doomed before it begins]

What?!

Hrr... then there's no way you could be from mine... You're not one of theirs after all. Damn!

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[learneditall]

[A little yelp and a distressed, wincing River who has no idea what it is she just did wrong.]

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[prez_tentacle]

...

[Sigh]

Don't do that. It's not your fault.

I'm glad you're all right, River. And I don't intend to fight you again if I can help it.

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[learneditall]

Again...

[A pained little noise.]

I'm sorry.

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[prez_tentacle]

River...

Someone told me that you were dead.

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[learneditall]

[Almost instant shift from total sadness and regret into a predictably "wtf is your problem that makes no sense you crazy fool" face.]