[CLOSED] i'm coming apart at the seams, pitching myself for leads in other people's dreams

[normandysbest]

Who: Shepard, Toriel, Chara, and Legion, though not all at the same time
Where: Outside the pyramid and later inside it
When: During the Past Lives event; individual prompts marked
Rating: PG-13 or above for some bloodshed and also trauma!!!!
Summary: Two closed prompts for the Past Lives event. Alt title: Shepard has a No Good Very Bad Set Of Days And Really Would Just Like A Nap Or Something, Please.
The Story:

i. [closed to toriel and chara, 1/14] what a match, i am half doomed and you're semi-sweet

[Despite everything, Shepard appreciated Toriel's dedication to turning what could've been a really horrifying event into something rather pleasant. She certainly didn't have the peace of mind to suggest any kind of outing, much less a nice picnic with Chara, but hey, she'd much rather be doing this than sitting around in a pyramid feeling like garbage because of the heat.

Seriously, though, who invented sand and where can Shepard go to complain. it's coarse and rough and gets EVERYWHERE

But hey. She can work with this. At least with all the old-timey outfits, Wonderland was nice enough to give her some pants. And a handgun. She'd prefer more than that, but y'know what, fine, fine, it's just. Fine.]

Well, I think there are worse things we could be doing with our time, huh?

ii. [closed to legion, 1/16] and i'd promise you anything for another shot at life

[This event has not been kind.

Provided this is really an event at all, of course, not something she made up- thoughts of other worlds and escape from overlords and a hero who could go anywhere but here. It's a nice thought. She wants to believe it's who she is. But even if she's separated from them, the pull of the Leviathans are strong, and she has to remind herself that she has no escape. Even if it would be far happier if that's what was fake.

She's found herself a secluded corner, somewhere off and away to curl up and put her head down, just to stop all the conflict. What is she doing? Why is this happening? Why can't she remember, why can't she remember...

She'll hardly notice anyone around her until they're close, at which point she'll tighten in on herself, try and get further away. She just needs to wait this out. It'll fix itself.

Probably.]

Comments

[forwearemany]

"We are the Agricultural Unit. Legion is a future iteration. Their existence is uncertain." Is their future real, or is it merely a Wonderland fabrication?

Perhaps more important though, is the way they phrased that. Not an agricultural unit, The Agricultural Unit. She might be able to guess what they're talking about.

[normandysbest]

"The...?" It takes her a minute to process it, considering half of her is still stuck on processing what any agricultural unit is, but it works itself out. The story, about the Quarians and Geth. About what started the war. About what she-- well, likely, she-- saw on the server, about things that were personal to them.

Apparently, more personal than they wanted to let on.

"The... the one who started the war." It's about all she can get out, with her limited understanding of what the hell is going on. "Right?"

[forwearemany]

They wait, though whether they care about her reaction to the revelation is debatable. It simply is.

"Affirmative." Aff.Irm.At.Ive. They sound so stereotypical.

They wonder if it was necessary to attack the Creators after all.

[normandysbest]

This opens up something else entirely, something she hadn't even really considered before now. Geth live a long time. Individual units go in and out of functionality, but the programs inside are transferrable, so--

They could've been there. Were.

God damnit.

She has tons of questions, or at least, the part of her that has these memories does. But even if it's fake, the want to know is real, so she pushes forward. "Why'd you do it?" It seems tactless once it comes from her lips, but it's been said, so there's no taking it back.

[forwearemany]

They look at her for a moment, slightly taken aback.

She saw their motive.

"The units that escaped with us were less advanced. We acted in their defense."

A pause, and then, because they're also Legion, they elaborate.

"They relied on us."

[normandysbest]

She understands that. Both parts of her, whatever ends up being real, knows what it feels like to have someone weaker place their trust in you. Not everyone fights. Not everyone's made to fight.

It didn't matter who they were. It was who they had to be.

"... That's pretty noble. Standing up for your people." She means it, from both sides of her. "Were you scared? Dd you know what you were starting?"

[forwearemany]

"Negative."

They did not, not even long after, when they made the decision to rejoin as part of a new platform, designed to work in organic space. Only Legion fully understood what they had done. If 'Legion' was even real.

Is this really possible?

They are silent.

[normandysbest]

She pauses a bit before she speaks again. The downsides of not knowing if she's exactly Shepard or not is that all that military training is a bit on the backseat.

"... Would you have? If you knew?" She's biting at her lip a bit, still kind of staring far off. "Would you have had the courage to do it if you knew what was gonna happen?"