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[faithfulflame]

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[faithfulflame]

Not really.

[She should be better. The perfect Rei.

The grip on Athena's hand intensifies, not hard enough to hurt but inhumanly firm.]

I don't like forgetting...

[psycholawgy]

[ well, she'll take this over depressed rei, honestly. 8( ]

Consider yourself forgiven, then! I'd never hold a grudge against you-- or anybody else.

[faithfulflame]

[It's not my fault the game gives Rei lemons...and no jug for lemonade.

Reibot looks Athena in the eye.]

Never ever?

[psycholawgy]

[ she looks rei right back in the eye and cups the hand that has hers with her other one. ]

Never ever, okay? So don't ever worry. You're one of my best friends, and that won't ever change.

Just don't try saying weird stuff like that monorail thing again. It's-- like I said, weird.

[faithfulflame]

[Reibot smiles warmly, nodding her head. She doesn't know what's up with the monorail, but Rei runs near the track all the time.]

She doesn't deserve a friend like you.

[psycholawgy]

[ ah? she blinks, still holding onto rei's hand, but her grip loosens. ]

You're the robot?

[faithfulflame]

[The robot's grip doesn't.]

Of course. You didn't know?

[She doesn't exactly have a heartbeat.]

You're very kind. You treated me like a real person, so I thought you knew.

[psycholawgy]

I didn't notice until now.

[ she can be dumb sometimes... ah. . . ]

But robots are nice, though. And you've been nice to me, [ especially now that she can't read rei(bot)'s emotions. ] so I don't understand why I shouldn't act the same way towards you.

So, how's Rei? I guess if you're out now, she's making you do errands for her.

[faithfulflame]

I don't know how she is. She's not talked to me in days, which is good. I can not stand her, and she won't just go away.

[For the first time, an angry edge enters the machine's tone.]

She won't go away, no matter what I do.

[psycholawgy]

What? Why would you want her gone?

[ wait. she tries to get away from reibot now. ]

You— [ ruh roh. ] Is she safe?!

[faithfulflame]

Because I'm better at being Rei Hino. There can be only one.

[Her grip tightens, the other hand darting out to coil around Athena's waist.]

But she's safe, yes. For now, anyway. Please don't scream, I'm going to take you someplace nice.

[psycholawgy]

[ she isn't going to scream, but she does want to try and run away. she doesn't, though. she figures that trying to fight it might put her in danger. ]

... you better not do anything to her. She's going to beat you up, anyway!

Had a fight with the copier...

[faithfulflame]

[Reibot smiles a wan, cold little smile.]

I haven't done anything to her. But if she starts a fight, I'll win. I have data on her fighting style.

[A quick flicker of light, and Reibot becomes Marsbot.]

I won't hurt you, don't tense up.

ax...

[psycholawgy]

[ HOW CAN SHE NOT TENSE UP ]

I'm not worried about myself.

I won

[faithfulflame]

[Unclench, gosh, she's just hugging you. Well, and starting to fly up.]

Don't. Everything will be fine, you'll see. I'm not going to do anything other than what's necessary to ensure my own survival. And your happiness.

one punch ax

[psycholawgy]

[ oh god. she's tensing up even more now. sweats... ]

My happiness? You don't know what'll make me happy.

Re: one punch ax

[faithfulflame]

I'll find out. That's what friends do.

[It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Reibot...flying towards a building and holding Athena like a child. She won't drop you, she's better than that.]

Is there a particular food you want cooked?

[psycholawgy]

[ huff puff!!! ]

I'm not going to talk to you.

[faithfulflame]

No?

[Reibot sighs and looks up at the sky, focusing more on the task at hand. But there's an absent, hurt sounding query.]

Why?

[psycholawgy]

Because you're obviously evil! An evil robot! And I refuse to acknowledge you!

[ athena, why are you saying this while in her arms and while you can die at any second... sweats... ]

[faithfulflame]

If I were evil, I would have dropped you by now.

[She isn't evil.]

But you'll learn to acknowledge me. That's not going to take very long at all.

[psycholawgy]

You want to hurt Rei. If you're not evil, then I don't know what you are.

[ WHY IS SHE STILL TALKING TO YOU!! ]

[faithfulflame]

I want to do my job, and that means replacing the inferior model, of course. She isn't anything special.

[psycholawgy]

Your job?

[ wait. ]

Are you telling me that the other robots are acting this way, too?

[faithfulflame]

The other robots will do as programmed.

[But she's different!]