Pouring rain slammed onto the ground as a storm raged throughout the city ruins. Said rain was also pouring down on me as I hurried up the old and broken road, and past the barricades set up near the entrance of the Resistance camp. A small sigh of relief left me when I slowed to a stop under the few sun shades hanging from the buildings. The large tarps overhead providing a small bit of cover from the rain as I adjusted my rucksack and slung my rifle over my shoulder with an exhausted sigh.
Stepping out from the cover of the sun shade, I walked into the entrance to the camp. Before slowing when my eyes caught a bit of movement from inside one of the old broken buildings ahead of me, before I made out the figure of a Resistance member. Who was tucked away inside one of the barren buildings that surrounded the camp, shielded from the rain.
The man was partially obscured by shadows as he sat on some rubble with a sword resting on his lap. The man's scrutinizing gaze briefly followed me from under his hood and scarf before he relaxed. Leaning back against the rubble behind him. He gave me a small nod in greeting before turning his attention back towards the entrance.
Walking past the guard and rounding the corner, I made my way into the plaza of the camp. Which was still buzzing with some activity. As Resistance members still moved around the camp doing their task despite the rainy weather.
Some did walk with a bit of haste in their steps trying to spend the least amount of time in the rain. While others had seemed to have accepted the fact they were going to get rained on no matter what and carried out their task at a normal pace.
It also didn't take long for my presence to quickly garner a few curious stares and whispers from a few camp members once I was in the middle of the camp. Thankfully, there were far less than last time But most of their curiosity still lingered obviously.
Paying their attention no mind. I smiled when I found Anemone standing at her usual spot in the camp under her command tent. Her back facing towards me with her hands planted on the table as she focused on something in front of her. As well as making sure the few pieces of documents scattered on the table didn't go flying off in the occasional gust of wind.
Anemone hadn't taken notice of me yet as I got closer to her before her shoulders fell and she grabbed a marker pen off the table and crossed off a spot on something in front of her before placing the pen back down and reaching up to rub her eyes. An explosive sigh leaving her.
A sympathetic smile made its way onto my face as I stopped right behind her. "Rough day I take it?" My muffled voice came out teasingly and sympathetically as I slipped my rucksack off my shoulders.
Anemone stilled for a few seconds before she eased out of her stiff posture with a quiet scoff. "You of all people would know." She shot back without hesitation as she lifted her head and turned to me with a weary smile. The exhausted look in Anemone's eyes gave way to one of relief when her eyes met mine. Though behind that relief, I didn't miss the odd, almost faraway look in her eyes she was giving me. My expression also softened when I noticed she also seemed… unsure in a sense. One of her hands twitched in my direction. Like she wanted to reach out just to be sure I was real and standing in front of her, and not some figment of her imagination.
But after a second, Anemone blinked and shook her head, her smile widening just a tad. The warmth from it easing off any lingering tension from my body. "Welcome back Sebastian, It's good to see you again…" She trailed off before her smile dimmed slightly. "How are you by the way? It's been a few days since you were last here."
"M'fine." I mumbled, with a weary smile and waving off her worry, while I pulled the front end of my scarf down with a tired sigh. Before wiping away some rain water from my eyes with a grimace. "Mostly just wanting to sit down somewhere dry and put my feet up." Especially with how busy I'd been lately.
Anemone chuckled softly at my answer. "Well, you're always more than welcome to stay here and get some rest whenever you need it." She said with a bit of exasperation in her voice and a sympathetic look, before she looked me over. As she did, her eyes narrowed slightly with a thinking expression on her face.
After a few seconds of seemingly contemplating something, Anemone huffed softly before stepping closer to me.
Instinctively, I went to take a step back before I grunted quietly when she reached up faster than I could react and grabbed the front end of my jacket. I blinked at her slowly in confusion before I relaxed with a small sigh when I realized she was straightening out my jacket. Anemone held a concentrated expression as she pulled the right end of my sleeve back fully over my shoulder and overall went about fixing my probably disheveled appearance. I chuckled softly and gave her an appreciative look. "Thanks..." I mumbled as she also adjusted my scarf.
Anemone paused for a second, her hands holding onto the front of my jacket before she sighed and closed her eyes, before looking at me with a warm smile. "Someone has to look after you..." Anemone grumbled with humor in her voice. She rolled her eyes at the smile on my face as she finished fixing my clothes.
Once she was done, she took a step back and gave me a once over. One of my hands absentmindedly tried to readjust my jacket, though I quickly pulled it back when Anemone gave me a look. Satisfied I wasn't going to undo her work, Anemone nodded to herself as she crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the table. Her eyes then glanced down to my right before looking back to me and tilting her head. "What's in the bag?"
"Hm?" I blinked at her and looked down at my rucksack before looking back towards her. "Oh right, almost forgot about that." I told her before offering the bag to her, Anemone raised a brow but took it anyway. Once she had it in hand I began removing the rest of my scarf from my head and running a hand through my damp and cut hair with an exhausted but relieved sigh. "Had to wander around for a good while. But I managed to get a pretty decent haul in the end."
Anemone stilled for a moment before she hummed with a small frown and slid open one of the zippers and took a peek in the bag before looking up with a flat expression. "Sebastian…" She said, dragging out my name.
The low rumble of her voice and the slight glare on her face made me pause and slowly blink. I hadn't been expecting this kind of reaction after all. "Yes…?" I answered hesitantly with a wary expression.
Anemone shook the bag slightly, her small glare still locked firmly on me. "Please tell me you didn't go out scavenging in this weather?" She asked rhetorically while gesturing out towards the pouring rain.
Working my jaw, I glanced everywhere but her before I cleared my throat. "Well it was overcast when I started grabbing parts…" I mumbled out loud while I scratched my jaw.
Anemone wasn't amused as she sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "Sebastian."
Holding up my hands to placate her, I laughed. "Relax Anemone, I know better than to scavenge in rough weather like this. I was gone by the time the first drops of rain hit the ground." I explained to her, hopefully easing off her worries.
Thankfully, she accepted it. Finally relenting on her scrutinizing glare and releasing a weary sigh. "I… Alright…" Anemone's expression softened as she looked down at my rucksack, before giving me a grateful look as she held the bag up. "And... thank you for this. We've been a bit strained on supplies and parts lately. So every bit we can scrounge up really helps around here."
Tilting my head, I gave her a small smile. "It was my pleasure Anemone. And if you ever need help with anything, just let me know."
Anemone regarded me with a tight lipped frown before she sighed "I'll keep it in mind." She replied, while her gaze softened despite the serious expression on her face. "Just… Just be careful out there okay?"
A soft huff left me as I shook my head with a smile. "I'll be fine, Anemone. I've been scavenging machine parts for a long time." My smile gained a bit of an exasperated edge to it. "Besides, I told you I could take care of myself, didn't I?"
Anemone ducked her head with a soft chuckle. "Sorry, sorry." Anemone relented as she stepped back. With a smile of her own as she tucked some loose strands of hair back under her hood. "I didn't mean to doubt you. I just…" Anemone's smile took on a complicated look for a moment before she sighed. "Ah, never mind…"
A wider smile worked its way up onto my face. Which Anemone noticed as she promptly shot me a glare, but I brushed it off and chuckled quietly. "I guess you being such a worrier really hasn't changed much, huh?" I teased.
In return, I got a very unamused glare from her as she leaned in close. "Oh? And I wonder who's fault that is, hmm?" Anemone asked, giving me a pointed look that had me glance away with a sheepish grin. Anemone kept the stare up before she snorted and leaned back with an all too pleased look on her face. "That's what I thought."
Rolling my eyes and grumbling to myself, Anemone laughed quietly before she straightened up with a quiet grunt before she placed my rucksack down next to the table. "Oh, right before I forget…" She said, and I didn't miss how emphasized I while giving me a little smirk. Making me roll my eyes again before straightening up when she pointed a finger at me. "Wait here, I'll go get some supplies for you in exchange." She said before turning away from me and started to head towards the weapon merchant first.
Before she could get too far however, I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in place. Anemone turned and looked at me with a questioning look. While I looked back with a soft smile. "You don't need to give me anything Anemone. I'm more than happy to just lend a hand."
Anemone's expression contorted into one of confusion for a moment before quickly turning into an unimpressed look. "Sebastian…" Anemone said with a low tone, while giving me a glare.
Had I been anyone else, I would have quailed under her glare and backed off. But I was used to her glares and met it with a small, weary smile. "Really it's fine." I insisted softly, and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Anemone, If I need anything, I'll come here and trade for it." I explained while I kept my eyes locked with hers with my smile still on my face.
"That's…" Anemone trailed off before she could probably call me an idiot or probably something equally deserved. But my smile remained in place even as her eyes narrowed and she worked her jaw while her glare remained firmly on me. But eventually, she reluctantly backed down. Closing her eyes for a few seconds before she sighed harshly. Then opening them again and giving me a disgruntled look. "...Fine." Anemone grunted out. But going by her tone, and the glare she was still giving me. It all but told me I'd be getting those supplies one way or another.
Pulling my hand back, Anemone sighed again in irritation and pinched her brow. "Of all the things, of course you're still stubborn after all these years…" She muttered softly with a concerned frown. All I gave her in return was a small shrug. Which she pointedly ignored as she looked around the camp, tapping her foot before she huffed and turned back to her table. Her eyes focused on the thing she had been looking at prior to our conversation. Her lips slowly twitching down into a frown and her eyebrows furrowing the longer she looked at it.
Leaning over for a closer look, I noticed that it was seemed to be an overhead photo of the city ruins. Which I realized was actually a satellite image, one of admittedly poor quality. But, apparently, it was the best the aging satellites up above could provide these days.
A few spots on the image had been marked with a pen. With question marks, circles and some crossed out areas scattered across it. Some areas seemingly being ones that were held by the machines. Along with what I could guess were Resistance outposts and smaller encampment locations scattered across the city.
The worrying and slightly depressing part about the latter two though was with how many of them were crossed out with a red marker. …I didn't even need to ask Anemone to know what they meant.
My smile slowly faded into a frown the more I looked at the image before I glanced at Anemone with a concerned look. "How are things going around here…?" I asked Anemone with a hushed voice.
Anemone frowned at my question as she opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out as she slowly gained a conflicted look on her face as she momentarily struggled for an answer before settling with a deep weary sigh while crossing her arms and closing her eyes.
My eyebrows slowly rose while my frown deepened. "That bad huh..."
"It's… It's complicated." Anemone replied with a tired voice, one I could entirely sympathize with. Anemone then opened her eyes as she reached up and rubbed her brow while glaring at the satellite image. "Our situation hasn't been the best for a while now." She admitted with a bitter expression. "But it's not the worst either. Though that doesn't mean it can't be better..." She muttered.
Anemone leaned forward, planting her hands on the table. "The biggest problems we're facing around here currently is the lack of manpower and supplies. I don't have enough of either to be able to make any significant pushes to take and hold new ground. At least not the amount I'd like…" Anemone muttered before she sighed. "And that's not even going into the heavy losses my people take from most attempts." Anemone grunted out with a scowl before glancing at me. "But we do have just enough of both to mostly hold off the machines and keep what we have for the most part. For now at least…"
"What about the machines that are acting weirdly though?" I couldn't help but ask, getting a questioning hum from her. "I'd figured with their supposed passivity, it would at least take some pressure off you guys."
Anemone nodded before sighing with a weary expression. "It had for a short while when we first began to notice the new behavior as it began appearing in larger numbers." Her expression fell along with her shoulders. "Unfortunately, it hasn't made much of a difference. While a good chunk of the machines in the city don't immediately attack when they spot us nowadays. They're still outnumbered by the machines that are still connected to the machine network." Anemone's frown turned down even further. "Even then, clearing out a group of machines that are cut off from the network to try and set up an outpost can go poorly sometimes. So we still make little headway when expanding our operations around here."
My own shoulders fell at her grim explanation. "Things just can't be easy for us, can it…?" I muttered, running my hand through my hair with a heavy sigh. Mimicking Anemone's sigh from earlier.
Anemone managed a small forlorn smile as she tilted her head. "I'm afraid not."
"Well… at least things here aren't as bad as Adia was I suppose." I said with a wry smile.
That got Anemone's smile to slide off her face as she gave me a flat stare for a few seconds. Before she snorted and her smile returned, more tired and bemused. "You and I should both be grateful things here are far better than they were back in that hell..." She drawled quietly with a dry tone.
Anemone then shook her head and pushed herself up from the table. An oddly uncharacteristically optimistic and… almost hopeful look on her face as she cupped her chin and closed her eyes. "Anyways, I'm hoping that once YoRHa fully begins their operations here, things will take a turn for the better in the whole region and ease some of the pressure off of us. And then we could finally start making some progress. Maybe even retake the whole city and the surrounding areas back from the machines." Anemone then snorted and muttered. "Though I won't certainly hold my breath for the latter."
Absently nodding my head, my thoughts came to a halt when I registered her casual mention of a familiar organization's name. "YoRHa…?" I repeated slowly. It was a unique name instead of just the army or resistance. That and from the few exploits I had heard about them, it carried weight. It was also a name that had been starting to become pretty common in Android circles in recent years after the group's sudden appearance pretty much out of thin air.
"That's the one." Anemone said idly as she moved some documents around. She glanced at me for a brief moment before she paused and a look of realization dawned on her face. "Oh, you haven't heard have you?" She asked. I just silently shook my head.
Anemone leaned up and cleared her throat. "Right, well, to keep it short. Recently, YoRHa has started looking into trying to gain a foothold on the Japanese mainland to increase their areas of deployment. Starting here with our region. Or, more specifically, my camp."
"So they've finally started deploying units here then? I'm surprised it took them this long." I mumbled after my momentary surprise wore off. Since last I heard, YoRHa didn't have any troops deployed in Japan. Or at the very least on the main part of it.
"Not… exactly." Anemone said, deflating with her words while gaining a slightly complicated, if not irritated look. Anemone then planted her hands on her hips. "Officially, YoRHa hasn't declared combat operations here yet. So far they've only been conducting a few sparse reconnaissance missions here in the city ruins for the past couple of months with their scanner models. So nothing in the way of direct combat unfortunately. Not that I'm ungrateful. They've been a great help in scouting the city ruins and providing us with occasionally useful intel."
Anemone then pinched the bridge of her nose with a tired expression. "But as for when they'll begin deploying combat units here… I don't know." She sighed. "YoRHa's commander has a tendency to leave me a bit in the dark on some pieces of information. Which I can understand for confidentiality reasons to prevent the machines from getting that information. But she could at least provide me with something to work with more often..." She muttered, the frustration in her voice clear as day. "I'm just hoping they'll at least deploy before the end of the year."
"...It almost sounds like you've all been working with them a lot longer than a couple of months."
Anemone composed herself before nodding. "We have. We've been in limited contact with YoRHa for almost a couple years now since this camp was first established." Anemone smiled when she saw my surprised expression. "One of my officers personally knows YoRHa's commander and was a close acquaintance with her before she was assigned as the commander of YoRHa." Anemone explained before something caught her attention and she looked over my shoulder. "Speaking of YoRHa…"
Turning my head to see what she was looking at. I was momentarily caught off guard when I spotted three short male androids dressed in almost all black clothing walking out from the fenced area leading further into the camp.
The first thing that stuck out to me was how extremely similar they were to each other appearance wise. With their faces being completely identical, along with them all wearing the same odd… uniforms, as each other. Which contrasted heavily with the more actual military looking uniforms Anemone's people and myself wore. Then there were their visors… which had been fashioned to look like blindfolds of all things. Or at least… I hope they were visors.
Their interesting choices in attire aside. The only distinguishable features I could find about the three of them was the color of their hair and how it was styled. Even then there wasn't much of a difference…
And there was also a single strange and small box-like machine hovering in the air behind the shoulder of the boy in the front. A Pod, I think they were called. At least, that's what a Resistance merchant I had met years ago selling the broken frame of one had called it.
"12S." Anemone greeted the boy with a tone of familiarity as he came to a stop in front of us, while the other two stopped a few feet away. "I take it you're all heading back out?" She asked while glancing over 12S' head at the others.
"Hey Anemone." 12S greeted back with a tired smile, the kid looking like he had just rolled out of bed. For a second I saw him just barely tilt his head up towards me with a small curious frown. I didn't really get a chance to say anything to him though, before he had already turned his head back to Anemone and slowly nodded at her. "And yeah, we're heading out. Command sent out the usual orders for us to go out and collect more data on the machines and the city… As if we haven't already been doing that since we got here." He grumbled to himself, brushing a hand through his black unkempt hair.
12S' shoulders then fell with a deep groan. "And that's not even the worst part! I've been ordered to go check out the flooded city! And to also head out to the coastline and do some scouting there…" 12S listed out before his body sagged. "Not that I'm looking forward to it…" He said with a miserable sounding tone. "I'm going to be stuck out there forever with this kind of weather!" He bemoaned in manner more befitting of a… child, rather than some elite android that YoRHa was hyped up to be. Which… caught me off guard, and also made me frown slightly in concern.
Anemone and I both shared a look. Mine of utter bemusement while hers was of exasperation. She sighed in a way that sounded like she was already familiar with this kind of behavior from the boy and offered 12S a strained but sympathetic smile while I chuckled quietly. "I'm sure you'll be fine, 12S. Just make sure to watch your step while you're all out in the flooded city." Anemone said, sounding like a mother trying to ease a paranoid child's worries.
Though her comforting words seemed to do little to raise 12S' spirits. 12S did at least seem partially grateful for Anemone's words despite the snort that came from him as he stood up from his slouch and straightened his jacket with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I will." He grumbled, before tilting his head at her with a frown. "Oh, right, I might as well ask. Is there… anything you guys might need help with out there?" He asked with slight hesitance.
Anemone didn't waste a second as she was already nodding her head and ignoring the way 12S' expression fell. "Just a few actually now that you mention it. If you're able to, can you try and find a suitable location for an access point and mark it? We've got another one ready for deployment, but we haven't had a chance to find a suitable location out there. Also…"
Crossing my arms and leaning back against the table, I fought back a smile as Anemone continued to list out a few more things, much to 12S' seemingly growing dismay. Who was slumping forward so much, I was surprised the poor kid hadn't fallen over.
Tuning out their conversation, I let my eyes wander around the camp. Watching the camp members go about their business. Or, try to. Most of the Resistance members weren't exactly subtle with their stares pointed at the YoRHa androids. Of course, I found my gaze moving towards where the other two YoRHa androids were standing as well.
One of which oddly enough, was holding a small thin sheet of metal in front of his chest while rocking back and forth on his feet with a smile. While the blonde haired boy next to him kept looking at him and the sheet of metal with a deep frown. He then said something to the brunette kid, who grinned and shook the sheet metal as he replied. Causing the blonde boy to wrinkle his nose at him before he scoffed and shook his head and crossed his arms with a scowl.
The boy holding the sheet of metal soon caught me staring. The kid paused as he tilted his head slightly in my direction, before he fully turned his head towards me. And even with the visor shielding his eyes from view, it wasn't hard to miss the look of open wonder on his face as he looked me up and down, before he suddenly grinned and started enthusiastically waving at me. Though before I could even think about waving back, the boy doubled over with a wheeze when he got elbowed hard in the stomach by his friend. The blonde boy hissed something out as he dug his elbow in. Before the other boy gave him a light shove with a wide grin on his face and said something that had the blonde boy's face twisting in indignation and anger. Leading the two of them to start quietly bickering with each other.
Shaking my head with a confused smile, I turned back to 12S and Anemone. The former was staring up at the underside of the highway above us with a tired and slightly overwhelmed expression. The poor kid looked like he was regretting his life choices before slowly nodding his head. "Alright, I… guess none of those shouldn't be too much of a problem for us to do." 12S sighed, briefly tapping his knuckles against the silent pod floating next to him. Which turned to him and clicked the claws at the end of its arms as it placed itself between the three of us before turning so it was facing 12S.
"Proposal: Unit 12S should show more enthusiasm in providing assistance for the Resistance. Especially when in the presence of Resistance leader Anemone and company." The pod stated in a soft monotone female voice that was devoid of any emotion.
12S released a suffering sounding sigh as his face scrunched up into a scowl that was directed at the pod. "Yeah, I know, Pod. You don't have to remind me…" He grumbled before reaching out and lazily swiping at it. Which the pod easily avoided by just floating up by just a few inches with barely any effort and staying there.
Undeterred and with a flicker of annoyance on his face, 12S made a small hop off the ground as he took another swing at the pod, only to miss again when it flew up even higher. Glowering at the pod behind his visor, 12S seemed to be considering making another attempt before he blew out a sigh and let his body fall back into a slouch again. "Alright… I probably should head out now… I don't exactly feel like getting scolded again by my operator so soon…" He muttered with a dejected voice as his pod floated back down and hovered over his shoulder.
Anemone closed her eyes with a patient expression on her face as she took a breath through her nose quietly before she nodded at him. "Alright. Stay safe 12S, okay?" She said with sincerity, while also giving me a look that said 'see what I have to deal with?'. I quickly placed my fist over my mouth to try and muffle my laughter.
Though I did a poor job considering the pout on the kid's face when he looked at me. 12S sighed before he looked back to Anemone and gave her a small grateful smile before nodding his head. He then looked back to the others and waved at them, catching their attention before they waved back in their own manner. He then turned so he was facing the plaza, raising his head to stare up at the stormy clouds above as thunder ominously rumbled throughout the city. A cold gust of wind came through and 12S shivered before he hunched down and hugged his body. "And here I thought I'd seen the last of this kind of weather in Normandy…" I caught him muttering to himself with a surprisingly weary tone. With a gloomy sigh, 12S reluctantly walked out into the rain and through the plaza, his pod silently following along as they left the camp.
Watching him go, I then turned my attention to the other two. The boy with the metal sheet in his hands grinned as he brought it up and held it over his head before rushing out into the rain.
And as I was expecting, the sheet of metal did very little to protect him from getting wet. Evident by the loud squawk of surprise and shock that came from him as he started getting pelted by the rain and almost slipping in the mud before catching his footing. Much to the amusement of the camp members who had paused their work in order to watch.
Next was the blonde haired boy. Who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here as an audibly aggravated sigh left him as he palmed his face before he started moving. His shoulders hunched up and his feet stomping on the ground, while he kept his head pointed downward as he avoided the gazes of everyone in the plaza before he was gone as well. Leaving everyone to slowly go about their business again, besides a few who were obviously quietly gossiping about the three boys.
A sigh mingled with a groan left me as I rubbed my face. "Well… that was something." My voice broke the small silence around Anemone and I after the small YoRHa team had left. "So," I turned to Anemone and slowly quirked a brow at her. "That's YoRHa, huh?"
"Just a small part of them." Anemone sighed quietly as she crossed her arms under her chest and leaned back against the table before glancing at me and smiling. I didn't miss the teasing edge it held. "I take it they weren't what you were expecting?"
"...Wasn't really sure what to expect honestly." I admitted with a mumble. "Certainly wasn't that though…" Anemone chuckled while I sighed. "Honestly, I was expecting them to act like how most army androids do, you know? The no 'nonsense' types, especially after what I saw in Korea."
"Korea?"
"Yeah," I said, scratching my chin as I looked at her. "About a year ago, when I was roaming around there before I crossed the ocean to get here. That was the first time I saw YoRHa with my own eyes. Only ever got to see them from afar however. They were a rare sight since they'd mostly go into areas with a heavy machine presence." I huffed quietly and ran a hand through my hair. "The only thing I ever saw related to them up close was the aftermath of their battles."
And aftermath was putting it lightly. At best, it would be more accurate to describe what the YoRHa soldiers left behind as machine massacres with how many they would kill. It was always a sight to behold.
Anemone hummed at my answer. "Sounds like you saw their battler units at work rather than their scanners. And it's not surprising you didn't see them often. YoRHa is still a really young organization compared to any of the other android branches after all. So they haven't had the time to fully establish themselves on the ground to have a heavy presence like the Army or Resistance to be everywhere. Though they are starting to catch up. Albeit at a slow pace."
"Yeah, that makes sense." I replied before I glanced at her. "I'm guessing those three were those scanner models that you mentioned then?" I asked her with uncertainty. Cause they were not what I was expecting YoRHa androids to look like. Aside from the unorthodox uniforms, their short, scrawny and young looking frames compared to everyone else didn't help either. Along with the fact none of them had any visible weapons on them for some reason.
"They are." Anemone confirmed with a nod, before she tilted her head and smiled in a way that I knew she had caught to what I was thinking. "They don't look like much do they?" In response to being caught, I gave her a shrug and looked away. Anemone laughed at that. "I thought the same thing too when they first showed up." She admitted with a sigh. "As far as I know, scanner models were built mainly for data gathering and infiltration, and they easily excel at both. So YoRHa has been sending them down here to perform reconnaissance missions in the region for them." Anemone shrugged. "And for us sometimes if they're able to. But don't let their looks fool you, they can hold their own in a fight, just not with their fist or a weapon."
Anemone then closed her eyes and groaned quietly as she rubbed her forehead with an exhausted frown. "Though, thanks to the way they were built, they're far more curious than most androids. So they tend to get easily distracted because of that." A deeper groan then left her that made me smile. "Even worse when something they find interesting catches their attention and they sometimes ask you endless questions about it instead of doing their job." Anemone muttered with a subtle but annoyed tone, her old self slipping out for a moment.
Which got a laugh out of me, making Anemone sigh and lower her hand while shooting an unimpressed glare at me.
"Ah… Sounds like they're a handful." I managed to say as my laughter died down.
Anemone kept her glare up, before eventually a small smile broke through and she rolled her eyes. "That's one way of putting it." She whispered before sighing and standing up so she could turn around to face the table. "But it's worth it considering how much help they've been to us since they showed up." She told me just as her adjutant came walking up, holding a small stack of documents in her hands.
"Hmm. I gotta ask." I started, making her glance at me. "Are… are all the scanners like…?"
"Like 12S?" Anemone finished for me. She froze for a moment before shaking her head after a few seconds. "No! No... 12S is…" Anemone frowned with a thinking expression before letting out a tired chuckle "Well, 12S. They're all unique. Just like everyone else. The other two thankfully aren't as… eccentric, as him though. Though both do have their own quirks." She muttered, more to herself than me.
Anemone shook her head then took the offered documents from her adjutant with a quick distracted thanks as she started looking over them. Anemone briefly poured over the documents she had been given, before setting them aside in favor of looking at the satellite images in front of her.
Smiling slightly with a nod, the adjutant went to turn away only to stop when she glanced at me. Her gaze lingered on me before it began sliding back and forth between Anemone and I. She held an unreadable expression and she didn't say anything before she slowly turned around and went back to the terminals she had been working on.
Watching the woman go with a raised brow, I eventually shrugged the whole thing off before leaning close to Anemone and overlooking the overhead city images with her. Anemone didn't seem opposed to me standing next to her. If anything, she seemed grateful for my presence. And despite the aching coming from my legs and the weariness from traveling through the machine infested city weighing down on me. Honestly… I felt more at ease than I had in years by just standing by her side.
A few minutes went by, and I started to notice a shift in Anemone's demeanor. Her finger tapped on the wood of the table while her eyes periodically glanced at me and the city ruins photo. Like she was working up the courage to ask something. This went on for another minute, and before I even got the chance to ask what was wrong, Anemone broke the silence, with a deep weary frown on her lips. "Sebastian…?" Anemone asked quietly, making me turn my attention away from a satellite image of what looked like the flooded city.
"Yeah?"
Anemone raised her head towards me, while her finger tapped on the table. "Have you… noticed anything strange about the machines out in the city ruins lately? Anything that stuck out to you?"
"Strange huh…?" I murmured while I rubbed my jaw. Leaning off the table, I shook my head at her. "Not really, besides what seems to be mostly the norm around here with them. But…" I paused for a moment before I titled my head. "Actually, now that I think about it, I guess there was one oddity I noticed the other day."
Anemone frowned with an intense look as she leaned closer to me. "Like?"
"Well… I ran into a couple areas where there was a large group of machines while I was out exploring." I leaned my head back while I pursed my lips. "Another weird thing about it too. As far as I could tell, they all seemed to be the uh… disconnected machines."
"Can you show me where?" Anemone asked, sliding the satellite image of the city ruins in front of me. So I spent the next several minutes trying my best to point out the spots of where they might have been from memory and guessing by looking at the blurry satellite image.
"...And about… here, I think." I tentatively mumbled, pointing out the last possible spot. Glancing over at Anemone, she was focused on the satellite image with a hard gaze. Glaring at the spots I had pointed out and which she subsequently marked down. The whole thing was less than ideal though. Considering I could only give her a wide general area of where the machines I saw could have been, rather than their exact location. Turning it into a needle in haystack sort of situation
Something I had noticed as well when I was figuring out the possible locations. Was that there were a bunch of other areas that had been also marked down. Some of them weren't too far from the two I had pointed out.
"Is it something to worry about?" I asked quietly as she stood up with a tired look.
Anemone scoffed as she leaned her head into her hand and rubbed her brow. "When isn't there something to worry about when it comes to the machines…" She replied in a dry tone, before shaking her head. "Honestly, it could be anything. I won't know for sure until I'm able to send some people out to check it out." She muttered, before heaving out a sigh and turning around to scowl up at the pouring rain and thunder clouds overhead. "Though I'll try and wait till tomorrow when the weather clears up before I sign off on anything. I'd rather not send my people out on a possibly dangerous mission in this kind of weather if I can help it."
Anemone then looked back and regarded the photo with a weary look. "In the meantime, I'll start working on figuring out a plan with the limited info I've got. Then I'll figure out who I'll be sending out there." Anemone muttered, sounding like someone needed at least a week's worth of sleep.
Giving her a sympathetic smile. My eyes slowly drifted back towards the areas she had marked down. Specifically the ones I had shown her. I hummed quietly to myself as my gaze lingered on them for a few seconds before I tilted my head towards Anemone. "You know, I could go-"
"Sebastian!" A shout from behind me cut my words off. My entire body flinched at the sound of someone shouting my name, the voice bouncing off the walls. Which also snapped Anemone out of her concentration as she raised her head with a bewildered expression. And of course, the shout had caused me to bang my leg hard against the table.
"You okay?" Anemone asked with a whisper, placing a hand on my back as I doubled over with a hiss and holding the spot I had hit. Though there was more amusement than concern in her voice judging by the laughter in her voice.
"Yeah… I'm fine." I gritted out while rubbing my now sore thigh with a wince. Standing up with a groan, I turned in the direction towards where the shout had originated from. Only to immediately spot Lilac up on the catwalk, standing at the very end of it with her hands cupped around her mouth.
When she noticed she had gotten my attention, she then lowered her hands and grinned before she started waving at me. All the while not paying any mind to the odd looks she was getting from people nearby.
My mouth was slightly agape as I stared at her while Anemone sighed behind me. While some Resistance members going through some crates next to us tried to stifle their laughter. My shoulders fell as I heaved out a sigh. "Did she really have to yell…?"
Anemone chuckled as she helped me stand up. "At least she didn't tackle you like last time." She said, and I could tell she was grinning with how she said it.
"Yeah… That's true." I mumbled before smiling and waving back at Lilac. Making her grin widen even further as she stopped waving.
Though Lilac didn't move from her spot afterward and instead stared at me with an expectant look as she bounced from one foot to the other. Looking like she was just barely restraining herself from jumping down from the catwalk and making her way over to me.
It wasn't hard to guess what she wanted. So with a groan, I pushed myself off the table and looked back to Anemone, who wore an amused expression. But I did see a small hint of confusion in her eyes whenever she glanced towards Lilac.
My hand rubbed the side of my face as I blew out an exhausted breath. "Alright, I better go say hello to her… Before I get a repeat of last time." I mumbled, getting a laugh in return from Anemone. "Is there anything else you need help with?"
Anemone paused for a moment, her eyes flickered towards the satellite images again and lingered on them for a moment. Before she sighed and smiled softly. Her expression quickly turned into one of slight exasperation as she shook her head. "I'll let you know if I come up with something, Sebastian." She said softly before she reached out and gently pushed me away. "Now go on. Before Lilac gets impatient."
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A small smile settled on my lips as Lilac's footsteps above on the catwalk matched mine step for step as she followed me the whole way towards the ladder. I then raised a brow when I thought I heard her mutter something before the catwalk shook suddenly along with a loud rapid thudding sound. Before I realized that Lilac was running to get ahead of me.
My eyebrow raised even further before I came to a dead stop when Lilac had decided to forgo the ladder entirely and jump down from the catwalk. Standing up from her crouch, Lilac wasted no time in running up to me. Giving me barely even a second to brace myself, let alone say anything before she collided against me with open arms and a wide grin. Thankfully she wasn't running at almost full speed like last time, so it didn't hurt. And it helped that I was aware of her incoming hug this time, unlike before when she had blindsided me.
Though even being prepared for it. She still managed to knock the air out of my lungs and make me stumble back a few steps. I quickly regained my footing and steadied us. My vest thankfully took the brunt of her 'tackle' as her face pressed against my chest. Her arms wrapped themselves tight around my torso.
Once we had settled, I realized I had instinctively raised my arms partially. And that my face had pulled back into a grimace. Slowly, I turned my gaze down at Lilac. Her head resting on my chest while she leaned against me.
After a few seconds, my grimace slowly eased into a small frown as a slight feeling of hesitance welled up inside me. My body having also gone stiff again like last time. After a few seconds, I took a deep breath, which helped ease off some of the tension in my body. Lowering my arms while easing into Lilac's hug. I waited for her to let go. Though as time dragged on, Lilac didn't let go of me. And it didn't take long for it to occur to me that Lilac wasn't going to be letting me out of her hug anytime soon on her own.
With that realization, I relented with a sigh. My small frown turned into a weary smile before I hesitantly bent down slightly and hugged her back. Albeit in what felt like a somewhat clumsy and awkward manner on my end as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. Before reaching up and gently ruffling her hair. And to my surprise, Lilac didn't stiffen or try to pull away like the previous times. Instead, a slightly muffled and deep groan came from her as leaned even harder against me.
Her reaction got a quiet rumbling chuckle from me as I carefully brushed my fingers through her hair. "Hey kiddo."
"Hi." Her muffled greeting had me pause for a moment before it made my smile widen and I couldn't help but lean my head back and laugh, which teetered off into a fond sigh as I ruffled her short hair again.
Another groan left Lilac, followed by what sounded like a quiet giggle before she raised her head to look at me, her grin still in place. It then quickly turned into a pout and she gently poked me in the side under my arm. Making me grunt in mild discomfort and surprise before I raised a brow at her.
Lilac stared back, a small frown making its way onto her face. "Where've you been?" She asked with a quiet grumble. "...You promised you'd visit." Lilac whispered with a sullen tone. Her frown deepened while a hint of worry entered her eyes.
Staring down at her for a good few seconds as I wracked my brain trying to think of what she meant. Before I sighed when it clicked and I remembered what she was talking about.
With a slight wince, I glanced off to the side. "Ah, sorry kiddo." I murmured, before reaching up, and petting her hair. Which seemed to soothe her somewhat, though her glare was still there. I sighed again before looking back at her with an apologetic expression. "I've been busy with some things since I last talked to you. So I didn't really have a good chance to stop by and say hi."
Lilac's pout remained in place as she stared at me with narrowed eyes, though I quickly took notice of the twitch of her lip, before I realized she was fighting back a smile. "Hmm… alright, I'll forgive you this time." She said, her lips pulling up into a grin that eased my worries as I sighed silently in relief.
"Thanks." I said with a snort, before I frowned. "...I'll try and make it up to you, okay?"
Lilac stared at me before her grin softened and she turned her head down with a quiet huff. "You don't have to." She whispered as she rested her head against my chest again. And I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it.
Humming to myself, I made a mental note for myself to see about getting her something after I leave. I then looked down at Lilac as I brushed some of her hair aside. "...How've you been kiddo?"
There was a brief pause of silence from her. And after a second, Lilac immediately let out a loud and exaggerated groan. As her shoulders fell while her whole body slumped against me. Though her arms still didn't release the tight hug she had me in. "Bored…" She whined.
My eyes closed as I heaved a sigh through my nose before I chuckled. "Bored huh?" I asked softly, with a bit of amusement creeping into my voice.
Lilac noticed that as she huffed, giving me a small thump on my back with her fist but nodded her head anyways. "Mhm… I've been stuck helping the quartermaster for the last few days. Then I've been having to help Anemone organize documents, along with some other stupid stuff." She grumbled, clearly not happy about all that all the things she had endured.
Resisting the urge to chuckle at her expense, I patted her on the head, making her grumble at me. "Hmm, well I'm sorry to hear that."
Lilac raised her head and made a low groaning sound as she glared up at me before she looked away. "You should be." Lilac muttered before letting her head thump down against my chest as she closed her eyes. I sighed and smiled in exasperation as I gently ran my fingers across her scalp. Getting a quiet moan from her. "...How about you?" She then asked quietly.
"Hmm?"
Lilac grunted and glanced up at me through her bangs. "How… How've you been?" She mumbled tentatively, with a weird look on her face as she said the words.
Staring at her in bemusement, I then chuckled quietly when I realized she'd probably never asked anyone that question before. "I've been doing alright, kiddo. Mostly just spent the last few days rummaging through the ruins doing some collecting. Nothing too exciting." I said with a shrug.
Lilac gave me a flat stare in response. Before she pursed her lips as she made an odd sound in the back of her throat before she blew out a huff of air as she lowered her gaze with a fierce frown and a jealous look in her eyes. "Not exciting he says…" Lilac grouched to herself. Though she said it loud enough for me to hear
Rolling my eyes at that, I gently stroked her hair. Lilac grunted and kept her grumpy expression up. But I could practically see the cracks in it starting to appear before she caved in with sigh. Closing her eyes with a tranquil expression on her face, before she went silent. Save for the sound of her soft breathing. Perfectly content with just leaning against me as I started gently running my fingers through her hair.
The silence from her being filled with the sound of rain hitting the concrete highway above our heads and the few tarps sitting out in the open across from us. Along with the idle sound of chatter from Resistance members and the sounds of tools and equipment some were using. Some passing members regarded us with odd looks, and I heard the occasional whispers. But so far, they kept to themselves. But I kept my focus on Lilac, and paid everyone around us little mind.
Lilac then groaned quietly, drawing my attention as she raised her head and yawned before she adjusted her head into a more comfortable position. "...Are you going to be staying?" Lilac suddenly spoke up with a quiet voice above a whisper.
My hand paused for a moment as I contemplated her question for a moment, before I started idly moving my hand again. While I looked out towards the rain as a loud thundercrack went off in the distance. My face scrunched up as I made a sound in the back of my throat. The downpour was still going strong, and it'd probably go on for the whole day. I sighed wearily and slowly shook my head. "Not today, I've got some stuff to do back at my place."
Like make sure it won't get flooded for one thing.
"...Okay." Lilac muttered after a short pause, and I immediately caught onto the sullen inflection in her voice, and how her body deflated like a balloon.
My expression quickly turned into one of worry as I looked back down at her. "Hey… what's the matter?" I asked softly in concern at the sudden turn in her mood.
Lilac sucked in a sharp breath before falling silent as her shoulders tensed and her arms briefly tightened around my torso. After a few seconds of silence, all the tension in her body left her in a single breath as she sighed. "...Still wish you were staying here…" Lilac whispered into my chest. I didn't miss the slight tremor in her arms when she spoke.
My eyes closed as a soft sigh left me before I leaned down a bit and wrapped my arms tight around her shoulders. "Oh..." I murmured as I could plainly hear the morose tone of her voice while I slowly trailed my fingers over her scalp. "I'm sorry, kiddo." I mumbled out an apology, if only because I didn't really know what else to say.
A quiet grunt left Lilac as her hands gripped the back of my jacket. "...Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"
I slowly worked my jaw with a slight grimace. I hadn't been expecting this kind of reaction from her. Then again, I had thought she had accepted that I wouldn't be staying here the last time I saw her. Guess I had misjudged that. Shaking my head, I sighed. "I'm sure, Lilac."
Lilac took in a breath and paused. I waited for her to say something, but after a couple of seconds, she released that breath and slumped in defeat. Before slowly nodding her head silently in what was probably bitter acceptance.
Frowning at her reaction, I looked around as I wracked my brain trying to come up with something to try to cheer her up. Eventually, I did come up with something she'd probably like.
Looking back down at her, I gently brushed some of Lilac's bangs aside. Causing her to look at me, my frown deepened when I saw the upset look in her eyes. "Tell you what," I started softly, giving her a warm smile. "How about from now on, I try and stop by here everyday to come see you? How's that sound?" It probably wouldn't be too hard of a promise to keep. Probably. It'd now mean I'd have to try plan on making sure I had the spare time to come here and spend time with her. Be it a couple of minutes, or maybe hours.
Just another problem for future me as usual. But if made her happy? So be it.
Lilac slowly blinked at me before she turned her head down, I didn't miss the widening smile she was trying to hide. "I… I'd like that…" She murmured. Her tone no longer sounded dreary.
A relieved sigh left me. "Alright." I said, before my smile twisted slightly. "Also…" I hesitated for a second. Lilac turned her gaze back up to me again. I gnawed on the corner of my mouth before closing my eyes and letting out a weary sigh. "Maybe, on some days, you could also come visit me at my home?" I suggested tentatively. If anything, there is the possibility of her sneaking out and following me home at some point if she felt like it. So I figured I may as well give her the offer now.
Pure silence was all I got from Lilac at first, as she seemed to process my words with wide eyes. Before her eyebrows jumped and she leaned her head back as she inhaled a sharp breath. "Really?" She asked in a whisper. Her eyes practically shining in excitement with a big grin on her face.
Sighing at the expected reaction, I poked her on the forehead, making her scowl at my finger. "Don't get too excited... I'll need to talk to Anemone first and foremost when it's appropriate and see if I can maybe come up with something with her. If she agrees to it, that is…" I mumbled the last part to myself.
Lilac hummed at that. And in a thoughtful manner that I already knew what she was thinking about and was probably already planning something. Probably something in case Anemone said no. I decided to nip it in the bud before she did think of something.
"Don't do anything that'll get you in more trouble, Lilac." I told her with a smile, while giving her another light poke on her forehead.
Lilac grunted and pulled her head back with a fierce glare, before she slumped down and grumbled to herself. "How did you…?" Lilac's voice trailed off before she could finish that sentence and sighed in disappointment. "Okay, fine." Lilac muttered before she finally released me from her bear hug and stepped back.
"Lilac." A gruff male voice called out from above us. Which got a quick reaction out of Lilac as she froze. A slightly panicked expression placing itself on her face while her shoulders scrunched up. Lilac pressed her lips firmly together into a thin line as she hesitantly turned to the owner of the voice.
Following her gaze. I saw a male Resistance member standing up on the catwalk. With an intense look on his face as if he was trying to stare into your soul. Said hardened gaze was currently locked onto Lilac, who was frozen in place and deathly silent as she stared back with wide eyes. Then, very slowly, she began inching her way towards me, the man's eyes following her the whole time until she was right behind me. Where I then felt her hands grip the back of my jacket so I couldn't move out of the way.
All I could do was sigh and shake my head at her odd behavior, I looked back to the man, who blinked before snapping his eyes to me as we locked gazes. His eyes narrowed slightly and his frown deepened as he said nothing and continued to stare right at me while I stared back. With a tense silence filling the air as some Resistance members looked on in silence.
After a few seconds, the man leaned back, his gaze softening just a bit before he gave me a curt nod that I almost missed. Which I returned with a small smile.
Seemingly satisfied, he shot another look at Lilac, who was peeking around me. Before he spun on his heel and walked back to the storage area. The catwalk creaking under his boots. Leaving the few Resistance members who had been watching to slowly go back to their work.
Lilac's hands finally let go of my jacket as she walked out from behind me. Her face was somewhat pale as she stared at the spot where the man had been standing before shaking her head while she visibly shuddered as she pulled her hood up over her head. "Right, I uh… I should get going before I get in trouble." Lilac mumbled as she glanced back at me, before pulling her hood tighter around her head with a grimace. "Or more trouble I guess…"
Chuckling softly, I reached out and patted her on the head, making her look up at me with a small smile. "Okay... It was good seeing you, kid."
Lilac gave me a beaming smile before she then frowned as she looked out at the pouring rain. "...Will you be alright in this weather?" She asked softly, her brow creased in worry.
The question made me huff with a smile. "What? You worried?"
"Yeah…" Lilac answered with a genuinely anxious tone in her voice. Which made me pause for a second and stare at her.
Her obvious worry for me felt nice, but, I also couldn't help but feel exasperated by it. Heaving out a sigh, I squatted down, drawing her eyes back to me. "I'll be fine Lilac, have some faith in me, alright?"
Lilac stared at me with a small frown before her expression softened before she smiled and nodded her head before turning away from me. Though she paused before she ran off, however. Lilac pressed her lips together before she looked down to her boots. And before I could ask her what was wrong. She spun back towards me and wrapped me in another hug, her head resting on my shoulder. I blinked in surprised before sighing and hugging her back.
"...See you tomorrow?" She asked quietly.
The question made me snort faintly before I chuckled and patted her on the back. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow kiddo. First thing in the morning." I told her, my smile grew as I felt her arms gently squeeze around my neck. "Don't cause too much trouble for Anemone while I'm gone, okay?"
Lilac scoffed as she broke the hug and glared at me. "I don't cause trouble…"
My smile turned into a teasing grin. "Of course." I grunted out as I stood up.
Lilac hummed as she narrowed her eyes at me, before she smiled with a huff and spun on her heels. "See ya tomorrow." She chirped before she ran over to the catwalk's ladder and climbed up it with haste before she was gone.
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Author note word vomit ahead.
Chapter 9, I finally made it. I had first created this chapter all the way back in January 2022 (Technically March?) And didn't start fully working on it until June.
Now, for the several reasons my break took longer than the "month or week hiatus" that I had intended for back when I had released the last chapter. Things quickly went to hell after I had posted chapter 8 when a family member lost their lower leg and had the possibility of brain infection and death. And a bunch of other crap that happened, yada yada you get the idea.
Then once things had calmed down slightly, I took time to do some fixing up the story and draft scenes I had in docs. Because this story has drastically changed from when I had posted the first chapter. (And for the better in my opinion.) I also spent a good chunk of time figuring out characters. Since before I was going all willy-nilly when making them up. So hopefully there will be improvements on that front.
And, I suppose the reason this chapter took so long to come out, is mostly due to myself to an extent. A lot of it being second guessing myself, overthinking, worrying that I might confuse readers with this chapter or worrying that it might not be good enough to post. That and holding myself to an absurdly high of a standard for a fanfic of all things. So much so, that it was probably a detriment to releasing this chapter.
And, this might sound stupid, but I was massively worried about the reaction I would get in regards to the scanners scene, as well as the pod. Seeing as how they're both usually used as immediate human detectors in most of the Nier fics on here. To put it very simply, if I did the reveal now, at least the majority of my story I have planned/written would have to go in the trash and never see the light of day. (I have more reasoning than that, and I would've added more on that here. But that would have made the word count for these notes skyrocket.)
Also I'm using some… "Canon lore" for reference to that kind of scenario.
Take canon with a handful of salt here because this is Yoko Taro we're talking about.
Lastly, this is for the app users. I'm going to be updating some of the previous chapters since I did some work to improve and to try and make the story more consistent in some areas and overall made some improvements. So I apologize in advance if you get a bunch of notifications or something saying a new chapter was added or something. I'm not sure what it looks like or if it still does that.
Anyways, I hope this chapter was enjoyable to read.
