ficpost: vespidae (Xenosaga)
Another URTV backstory ficlet >.> Nigredo and Citrine this time. I'm going to need some kind of name for this universe, aren't I.
vespidae
"I think there's something wrong with him." Nigredo bites his lip, staring at his shoes. It's weird how Citrine always seems to appear when he's on his own, but he's on his own a lot lately. Albedo clings to Rubedo more than ever, and it's easier to go find something else to do than to hang around feeling unwanted. He can't get that other thing out of his mind, either.
"With whom?" Citrine is standing on the low wall at the top of the steps by the main entrance, one hand on a tree branch; Nigredo wonders whether she does it on purpose, to force him to look up at her. The idea makes him a little uncomfortable, though he can’t quite grasp why.
"Albedo." He twists his fingers together anxiously, then realises he's doing it as Citrine's mouth quirks. Guiltily, he clasps them behind his back.
"Number 667?" Citrine asks, head tilting. "He has regenerative capabilities, does he not?"
"Huh? How do you -?" Nigredo gapes up at her for a moment, his mind vividly replaying the sickening image of Albedo's head exploding in a spray of blood. Citrine is like that, seeming to know everything about all of them and always talking like a model soldier. Their father hasn't seen fit to inform Nigredo of any of the things she recites, and lately he's finding it harder to squash the unpleasant feeling that he knows why.
"It is elementary." All this really means, he's puzzled out, is that Citrine is dodging his question. She smoothes down her skirt in an economical motion, meeting his eyes for a moment until he looks away, fighting a confused blush. "Why do you believe that there is a problem?"
"He-" Nigredo looks down at his feet. "He's changed. He hurt one of the standard units, and he won't let Rubedo go…" And I don't like the way he looks at Sakura, he finishes in the dubious privacy of his own mind, feeling like a traitor even thinking it.
"Number 623 will recover." Citrine doesn't seem at all surprised, and Nigredo wonders whether she's dismissing his concerns or just being Citrine. "It's unfortunate that the standard units have such weak anti-U-DO waveforms, but it just makes us variants all the more necessary." She hops lightly down from the wall, walking towards him with her hands clasped behind her back. Instinctively, Nigredo backs away for a few steps before remembering to hold his ground.
"Are you saying that they're - expendable?" He doesn't know what to think of that, really, because variants or no variants, they're all supposed to be the same. Surely if the threat is as real as their father always says, all of them are necessary.
"Perhaps." Citrine brushes right past him, tipping her head back to look up at the sky as she walks across the bridge to the gazebo. Nigredo shivers hard, wandering up to the edge of the pool to stare down at the holographic fish. "You were speaking of number 667, though. Do you really believe that he is unstable?"
"…I don't know." Nigredo shakes his head, feeling her eyes on him. "If it was a problem… the psychologists would catch it, wouldn't they?" He wants to believe it, but something in him still cringes at the memory of Albedo's dark silences and too-bright eyes. If anything goes wrong, it will be his duty - he shudders at the thought, suddenly cold all over despite the warmth of the day.
"That's their purpose." Citrine waves an acknowledging hand, leaning against one of the gazebo's support posts. When Nigredo looks up, not quite able to meet her eyes, she's watching him intently. It makes him shiver again, though he's not quite sure why. "Nevertheless, I appreciate the information, number 669." He hears the current beneath her words, the unspoken reminder of the purpose he would rather forget. They're the same, after all.
vespidae
"I think there's something wrong with him." Nigredo bites his lip, staring at his shoes. It's weird how Citrine always seems to appear when he's on his own, but he's on his own a lot lately. Albedo clings to Rubedo more than ever, and it's easier to go find something else to do than to hang around feeling unwanted. He can't get that other thing out of his mind, either.
"With whom?" Citrine is standing on the low wall at the top of the steps by the main entrance, one hand on a tree branch; Nigredo wonders whether she does it on purpose, to force him to look up at her. The idea makes him a little uncomfortable, though he can’t quite grasp why.
"Albedo." He twists his fingers together anxiously, then realises he's doing it as Citrine's mouth quirks. Guiltily, he clasps them behind his back.
"Number 667?" Citrine asks, head tilting. "He has regenerative capabilities, does he not?"
"Huh? How do you -?" Nigredo gapes up at her for a moment, his mind vividly replaying the sickening image of Albedo's head exploding in a spray of blood. Citrine is like that, seeming to know everything about all of them and always talking like a model soldier. Their father hasn't seen fit to inform Nigredo of any of the things she recites, and lately he's finding it harder to squash the unpleasant feeling that he knows why.
"It is elementary." All this really means, he's puzzled out, is that Citrine is dodging his question. She smoothes down her skirt in an economical motion, meeting his eyes for a moment until he looks away, fighting a confused blush. "Why do you believe that there is a problem?"
"He-" Nigredo looks down at his feet. "He's changed. He hurt one of the standard units, and he won't let Rubedo go…" And I don't like the way he looks at Sakura, he finishes in the dubious privacy of his own mind, feeling like a traitor even thinking it.
"Number 623 will recover." Citrine doesn't seem at all surprised, and Nigredo wonders whether she's dismissing his concerns or just being Citrine. "It's unfortunate that the standard units have such weak anti-U-DO waveforms, but it just makes us variants all the more necessary." She hops lightly down from the wall, walking towards him with her hands clasped behind her back. Instinctively, Nigredo backs away for a few steps before remembering to hold his ground.
"Are you saying that they're - expendable?" He doesn't know what to think of that, really, because variants or no variants, they're all supposed to be the same. Surely if the threat is as real as their father always says, all of them are necessary.
"Perhaps." Citrine brushes right past him, tipping her head back to look up at the sky as she walks across the bridge to the gazebo. Nigredo shivers hard, wandering up to the edge of the pool to stare down at the holographic fish. "You were speaking of number 667, though. Do you really believe that he is unstable?"
"…I don't know." Nigredo shakes his head, feeling her eyes on him. "If it was a problem… the psychologists would catch it, wouldn't they?" He wants to believe it, but something in him still cringes at the memory of Albedo's dark silences and too-bright eyes. If anything goes wrong, it will be his duty - he shudders at the thought, suddenly cold all over despite the warmth of the day.
"That's their purpose." Citrine waves an acknowledging hand, leaning against one of the gazebo's support posts. When Nigredo looks up, not quite able to meet her eyes, she's watching him intently. It makes him shiver again, though he's not quite sure why. "Nevertheless, I appreciate the information, number 669." He hears the current beneath her words, the unspoken reminder of the purpose he would rather forget. They're the same, after all.