could we fix you if you broke? and is your punchline just a joke?

[experient]

[She's had a night to let things sit, and Alia's a little more rested...though not by much, since keeping herself away from working on the problem doesn't mean she could keep herself away from thinking about it, and in many ways, thinking about it without doing any real work on it just makes things worse

Comments

[tothexthpower]

[It's been a long, sleepless night for X. Between worrying for everyone else and about what's been happening, and the dread over possibly learning something is horribly wrong with him, he hasn't been able to power down and actually get some rest.

He doesn't quite make it in the very first thing in the morning, but it's pretty darn early.

He'd already come to the conclusion that no matter how scared he is of what might be found, he couldn't afford to put it off, not even for a little while. He had to know. And everyone else had to know too.

It'd be better for everyone that way. And they'd know if they'd have to... do what they had to do with him.

The lack of rest combined with all the stress was starting to show on him, no matter how much he tried to put on a strong face for everyone else. As he walked in, he ran a hand through his unruly hair before glancing around.]

[experient]

[She doesn't quite notice when he first walks in -- she's focusing on that subroutine, with that intent look of someone on the verge of figuring something out. There's something that almost looks like a pattern --

-- nope, no dice. She covers her eyes with one hand for a moment, rubbing her forehead. This isn't working.]

[tothexthpower]

[Seeing she's immersed in something on her console, X enters without announcing himself and approaches her chair. And then he just... waits, a bit awkwardly.

Her expression is so intent that he doesn't want to interrupt her if she's onto something important.

But when she abruptly sits back and covers her face with her hand, he shifts awkwardly before hesitantly clearing his throat to alert her that he's there.]

[experient]

[Well, that gets her attention. She sits up abruptly, looking up.]

X? Sorry, I didn't see -- you weren't waiting for too long, were you?

[totalpacifist]

[This must be what it's like for humans to visit a doctor after not having gone for a long time.

Or that's what he figures anyway.

He'll be waiting patiently outside of the room until Alia finishes with whoever she's currently with; deep scans were very awkward things after all, and it just wasn't something one should walk right in on.]

[experient]

[And after finishing up with X, Alia opens the door and finds...X.

She'll get used to this sooner or later. Somehow.

As much as she doesn't really feel like she's got anything to smile about right now, she puts on the best one she's got. Nobody likes coming in for a deep scan, least of all when the stakes are as high as they are now. The least she can do is try to make it a little less unpleasant.]

Hi, X.

[totalpacifist]

Hey Alia.

[He returns the gesture briefly, but there's no beating around the bush. Deep scans are never enjoyable and he'd rather get it over with so he can stop being so nervous.

Even if the news he gets isn't what he wants.]

Have you scanned anybody else yet?

[As he makes his way inside and over to the bed and takes a seat on it, he makes conversation to distract himself from his anxiety. Removing his armor is uncomfortable and nerve-wracking, but he reminds himself that even if he's in an unfamiliar place that he's in good company, and sets the pieces aside before laying down.]

[experient]

Zero yesterday, if you hadn't already heard about how that went. [It's not stated as a question, but it is one -- she's not sure how much she might need to tell him about.]

And then I just finished with one of the other X's. [uuugh she still feels so weird saying that!] The one with the latest timestamp.

[ventus_aerius]

[the other day, he had told X that he trusted him and would go through with the scan. Today? Today there was that small voice in the back of his head wondering if this was a good idea. Did Weil have a hand in this? What if that X he had run into was another copy? What would happen to him? So many dark thoughts following on the heels of every reassurance he could think of... Try as he might, nothing could overcome that memory of Weil standing beside Master X and the subsequent orders...

But Harpuia had told Master X that he would go and - so help him - he wasn't going to back out based on some unconfrmed suspicions. If the date was right, then Weil hadn't even been born yet... And even that attempt at alleviating his doubts was quickly shot down by whatever it was that was happening here]

[no use regreting it now. Following the directions X had given him, Harpuia made his way through the halls. He took a moment to collect himself before entering with a quiet knock] ...g

[experient]

[She's typing away as usual, but Alia looks up quickly. Not familiar, whoever he is...maybe he's the one X told her would be coming?]

Hi, can I help you?

... aaaaagh iPod, why must you ruin my tags all the time? orz

[ventus_aerius]

[a brief look around the room before he takes a small step into the room]

Master X directed me here. [pause, then a polite bow] If you're busy, then I can return at a later time.

:(

[experient]

Ah, you must be...Harpuia, right? [She minimizes what she's been working on and smiles, waving him in.] Now's fine, by all means.