Later that night...
The bar is quiet, save for the occasional clink of glass as Cyn absentmindedly stacks them. The dim lighting casts long shadows across the counter. But you, V and Cyn remain, keeping each other company in the stillness.
You rest your head against the counter with a sigh.
"Today wasn't so bad," V murmured.
You hum in agreement, tracing idle patterns on the counter with your finger. "Yeah. Could’ve been worse."
Cyn, still stacking glasses, tilts her head slightly. "Define worse."
You smirk. "J yelling at us for 'slacking off.' Louisa breathing down our necks. Tessa getting herself into trouble."
V chuckles softly. "That does sound like a normal day."
Cyn considers this for a moment before nodding. "Agreeing nod."
The silence stretches between you again, comfortable in its stillness.
V shifts in her seat. "I think… I like nights like this," she admits softly. "When everything is calm. Just us."
You glance at her, catching the small, contented smile on her face. "Yeah," you agree. "Me too."
Cyn taps a glass against the counter lightly, visor flickering. "Calm is… preferable."
You chuckle, shaking your head. "See? We can all agree on something."
Cyn pauses before putting up the glass she was holding. Then, without warning, she suddenly leans forward and rests her head against your shoulder.
You blink, surprised. V looks just as caught off guard, her visor flickering in mild confusion.
Cyn doesn’t move, just mumbles, "Light nap."
V giggles softly, shaking her head. "I guess that’s her way of saying goodnight."
You sigh, but there’s a small smile on your face as you glance at Cyn. "Yeah. Goodnight, Cyn."
The next morning...
Your visor flickers on. You look around.
"V has already left to do her work," said Cyn.
You sit up, stretching out the stiffness in your joints. "Figures. She's always up early."
Cyn tilts her head. "Efficient. Unlike some."
You place a dramatic hand against your chest. "Oh, I feel so loved."
"Giggle. Yes. I know. I make you feel like the queen/king of sarcastica," said Cyn.
You raise an eyebrow at her, suppressing a smile. "Ah, yes. The queen/king of sarcastica. A kingdom built on biting remarks and passive-aggressive humor."
Cyn's visor flickers as if amused. "Chuckle. Long reign."
You roll your eyes but can’t help the smirk tugging at your lips. "Well, as queen/king, I’m entitled to a little more sleep."
Cyn tilts her head, considering this for a moment. "Unlikely. The day waits for no one. Duty calls."
You groan dramatically. "If I must…"
You slid out of your chair, landing on the floor with a light thud.
"I'm okay!"
You stand up, twitching as you stretch your arms.
Cyn watches you with mild interest, her head still tilted. "Twitching. Not ideal."
You roll your shoulders, trying to shake off the stiffness. "Yeah, yeah. It’s like my body’s got a mind of its own. But I’ll survive.... Eventually."
Cyn picks up a glass from the counter and begins wiping it absentmindedly. "Eventually, yes. If one can get moving."
You glance over at her. "Is that supposed to be motivation?"
She looks up, giving you a small, almost mischievous tilt of her head. "Perhaps."
You snort, shaking your head. "Well, I guess I better go face the day, huh?"
Cyn taps her fingers lightly against the counter, nodding. "Duty calls."
With a final glance at her, you sigh, walking out of the bar. "I’ll try not to break anything… or get yelled at."
Cyn watches you go, her head bobbing slightly in what might be interpreted as a nod. "Good luck."
You make your way through the quiet halls of the mansion, the soft hum of machinery filling the air. The house seems to be in its early stages of waking up, with only the faintest sounds of drones moving about, doing their duties. You can already feel the tension of the day beginning to build, the anticipation of whatever chaos or drama is bound to unfold.
As you turn a corner, you spot V up ahead, her glasses glinting in the low light. She’s carrying a stack of books, likely from the library.
You wave, and she gives you a small, shy smile, adjusting the books in her arms. "Morning, y/n."
"Morning, V," you reply, falling in step beside her. "Busy day already?"
She nods. "Always is. But it's... manageable." She glances over at you, her gaze softening. "How are you feeling today?"
You give her a wry smile. "You know, still a little twitchy, but I’m surviving."
V nods knowingly. "Take it easy if you need to."
You nod back, appreciating her concern. "Thanks, I’ll try."
The two of you continue down the hall, the silence comfortable. It's not as heavy as it often is when you're around others, and the fact that V is so easy to be around helps ease some of the tension in your chest.
But as you reach the dining area, you hear the unmistakable sound of shouting.
"Ugh, not already," you mutter under your breath.
V glances up at you, her brow furrowing. "Is that—"
You don’t need to finish the sentence. The voice is unmistakable. James.
As you round the corner, you see him standing in front of a group of drones, his sharp voice cutting through the air. "What is this? This is completely unacceptable!"
One of the drones catches you and points a finger at you. "It was his/her fault!"
Another drone nodded quickly. "I saw it! We saw it!"
...what was your fault?
"They malfunctioned again and hit the vase!" Another drone said.
James' glare slowly turned to you.
You freeze. Your circuits whir as you process what’s happening, but your glitching body isn’t making it any easier. You flicker, a static buzz running through your joints.
V tenses beside you, gripping the books in her arms a little tighter.
James steps forward, his cold gaze locking onto you. "Again?" His voice is sharp, laced with irritation. "How many times do we have to deal with this?"
You open your mouth to protest, but before you can even form the words—
[ERROR]
Your body twitches violently. Your vision distorts. Your limbs jerk against your will, glitching, stuttering. You barely manage to stay upright.
James sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Pathetic."
V shifts nervously, looking from James to you. She wants to say something—you can tell—but she doesn’t.
Your hands clench at your sides. You didn’t break anything. At least, you don’t think you did. You don’t even remember being in this part of the mansion earlier. But what does it matter? The blame has already been placed.
James lifts a hand, signaling to one of the enforcers nearby. "Shut them down."
Your systems seize. A sharp, piercing noise floods your mind as a command overrides everything—
[SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE INITIATED]
Your body locks up. Your vision fades.
The last thing you see is V’s panicked expression as she takes a small, uncertain step toward you—like she wants to reach out, but doesn’t know if she can.
Then everything goes dark.
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