(no subject)

[whomheloved]

Date & Time: 5th April, evening
Location: Disciple's apartment
Characters: Disciple, Helmsman and Nepeta
Summary: Disciple wants to introduce her descendant to her best-friend-who-doesn't-remember-he-is.
Warnings: None, I think!

"I'm really glad you said you'd meet her!" Di babbles at the Helmsman, clearly excited and a bit nervous over the meeting which was about to take place. When he'd been going to meet Sollux she'd been more worried about how the younger yellowblood would act, but with Nepeta at least she felt reassured that she'd be kind and friendly towards the Helmsman.

She just hopes it won't be too awkward. When she'd first told her descendant about her dear friend and what had been done to him she'd done her best to explain how he was now, and not to expect so very much in the way of friendliness perhaps. That his appearance would scare her is another concern, but then again Disciple has such a high opinion of her young descendant that she feels sure she'll rise to the occasion.

All she wants is for them to get along, and that maybe Psii, what little or a lot remained of him inside the Helmsman, would see how proud she is of Nepeta, and how much it means to Disciple for him to get to know her.

Comments

[whomheloved]

"Why not, Helmsman?" she asks him, surprised - but perhaps not as surprised as she might have been.

[maiinframe]

It takes him awhile to answer, and when he does, his voice is even more distant than usual. "Becauthe best friend wath not a good friend."

[whomheloved]

"That's not true," is her reply to that, the contradiction quiet yet determined. "There couldn't have been a better friend to us anywhere."

[maiinframe]

"User Disciple ith incorrect," he tells her, his voice even more faraway. "A good friend would have saved them all."

[whomheloved]

"No," she whispers, her voice going a bit hoarse. "A good friend would have done all he could to save them. And it wouldn't have been his fault if he couldn't. Otherwise..." And she looks at him quietly for a few seconds, "Otherwise, the other three couldn't be called very good friends to him either, could they?"

1/2

[maiinframe]

The Helmsman makes a strange noise in his throat, almost like he's choking back a sob, and then announces, "System ith overloaded. Reboot necessary."

Whoops, he bluescreened.

2/2

[maiinframe]

The Helmsman's head falls forward, his chin resting on his chest, and his eyes glaze over. He won't respond to any external stimuli for the next few moments, while he reboots, and even the constant psionic light around him dims until it almost goes out. However, Disciple's communicator chimes a few seconds later.

II'm 2orry II'm 2orry II'm 2o 2orry II couldn't 2ave hiim I couldn't 2ave you I couldn't 2ave anyone II'm 2o 2orry Dii

[whomheloved]

Di makes a sound of frustration when he declares he'd overloaded - she's not surprised, but at the same time she'd really thought they might be getting somewhere.

And then her glance flickers down at her communicator and she gasps.

psii
oh psii
no, love, it's not your fault
you did everything you could
i know you did
i'm the one who's sorry
i wish i could have saved you
could have stopped them from doing this
i'm so very sorry
i miss you
i don't know what to do to help any more
but i won't stop trying
i promise

[maiinframe]

The Helmsman doesn't move at all, his expression still blank and slack as he reboots, but another message appears on Disciple's communicator.

II 2hould have done more
II could have done more

II wa2 2upposed to protect everyone, and II diidn't
The goddamn Executor ended up 2aviing you iin2tead of me




II mii22 you too

II can't 2tay long, he'2 wakiing up

Thank you, Dii
Thank you for beiing niice to the Helm2man

[whomheloved]

what
i was...

that doesn't matter
i know it would never be for lack of trying on your part

i...
will we talk again?

always
i will always look after him

i love you psii
we all do

1/2

[maiinframe]

II could have done 2omethiing el2e
I could have




Ye2
II mean
II'll try
IIt'2 hard
IIt'2 hard to get control

Thank2




You 2houldn't
All II do ii2 let you down

2/2

[maiinframe]

The psionic lights around the Helmsman flare back up, and he lifts his head. His eyes clear, and he focuses them on Disciple. He glances back down at the book, then psionics carefully pick it up and move it aside, shutting it gently. He looks back down at the cards.

"Symbol for moirallegianthe."

[whomheloved]

Her fingers are already hitting the keys again when the psionics flare back up and she knows she's lost her chance. For a moment she can barely see, staring down at her communicator so that he won't notice the green tears running down her face, splashing onto her hands. She can't bring herself to look up again, not yet.

Can't bring herself to let go.

[maiinframe]

The Helmsman waits, but it's obvious she's not paying attention to the game any longer. He gathers up the cards, reshuffles them, and puts them back in their box; he didn't really want to play any more either, even though he can't quite say why.

He notices the tears splashing against the backs of her hands, and psionics, gentle and light as feathers, touch her face and brush the tears away. "User Disciple ith glitching," he observes quietly.

[whomheloved]

She laughs at that, even though her heart is feeling bruised and battered - even more so when he brushes her tears away. She scrubs at her face with one hand in spite of most of the tears being gone, finally managing to look up at him, giving him a pained smile.

"We all glitch at times, Helmsman."

[maiinframe]

Carefully, almost tenderly, the Helmsman gets the last of the tear stains off her face.

"System did not mean to make user Disciple glitch. Apologieth."

[whomheloved]

"It's all right, love. It wasn't your fault. I've just had a few difficult days here, that's all." The smile she offers up this time is a bit stronger, and she briefly tries brushing her fingers against the psionics cleaning up her face.

[maiinframe]

The Helmsman's eyes widen when she tries to touch his psionics, and he almost--almost--pulls them away. However, after a moment's hesitation, he touches her hand with them, light and fleeting, before her face is clean and the lights retreat.

"Doeth user Disciple want system to leave now?"

[whomheloved]

She lets her hand sink to her lap once the psionics pull away - but it means more than he can guess that he'd allowed her that brief, fleeting touch.

"No...no, please stay. If you'd like to, I mean. I always enjoy your company."

[maiinframe]

"Yeth. System will stay." He retreats back to a corner of the room, hanging there with his arms pointed towards the ceiling, quietly watching everything going on.

[whomheloved]

"Thank you." Once he's selected his corner she starts building a new comfortable pile for herself close by, and settles there with her book and drawing supplies next to her. Two fresh cups of tea are placed on the floor as well - she says nothing to him about drinking his, but it's there if he wants it.

Some quiet companionship while being productive makes for such a very nice change to an empty hive.