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"I know, and I've tried, it's just. Hard to let go of the idea that I'm not welcome, you know?" Skull shrugged. He didn't want it to seem like he was trapped in the past, and he reminded himself of how much time had passed every day, but that didn't change his own perception of the events. 

"Really? That sounds great, actually. Maybe when the power's not out." The small talk felt stiff and unnatural to Skull, but then, most interaction did. He couldn't actually tell if he was being awkward or not.

It almost seemed like Skull was startled by the hand on his shoulder, like he wasn't used to being touched. He shook off the feeling but not the hand, taking some amount of comfort in it. "Don't worry about it, Ring. Sounds like you've got your hands full in the city. I appreciate you coming up here at all."

Ringleader then, just a leader now

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There was a sound of some kind of screaming from behind the door, but it stopped abruptly when Skull paused the movie. he turned off the screen too, a little embarrassed that he'd been caught indulging in it. He shuffled around for a moment, tidying up a bit, before he finally opened the door, his eyes smiling. It was good to see Ring again.

"Welcome home. It's good to see you," Skull stepped out of his room, assuming they would be heading elsewhere in the castle and not really wanting to stay cooped up in his room at all. He'd spent enough time in there.

Ring's fears were spot on. He had really not been adjusting well at all, and it bothered Skull just as much as it bothered Ring. Fear was a big part of it. Fear that he'd be received as a monster, mostly. But whatever the reason, the outcome was the same -- days spent hiding from the world.

Ringleader then, just a leader now

He arrived to the citadel right on time.

It was nice to be home, but it never felt like he was there long enough. Every was on a timer, even this one.

Ring was quick to throw off his gear, unable to bear the helmet much longer. His hand ran through matted hair. There would be a decent wardrobe waiting for him in his room. The dartboard and wall shelves he put up were still there. He smiled wearily. This wasn’t a guest room anymore.

Now that he threw on some casual clothes, it was time to visit the citadel’s most recent addition.

Skull had been hiding out in the castle, probably just as alone as he was on day one. That was what his brother feared.

Though they made amends, it would take more than a little closure to reintegrate the ex-DWN into society. And it all felt like Ring’s fault. 

He could barely look in those red eyes at times, but Ring was tired of the pain. Only a coward would let his weaknesses stop him. With Cossack away and their siblings busy with work, it should have been his responsibility as leader to make him welcomed and be his guide.

Skull couldn’t stay locked up watching movies forever. This wasn’t healthy.

He approached his brother’s door without hesitation. “Skull,” he called out while knocking, “It’s Ring. I’m home.”

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Wouldn't it be just our luck to have another invasion while you're here, though?

[He's kidding, but he hasn't quite got the hang of that tone of voice yet, so it comes out deadpan enough to sound wrong, and Skull knows it. He clears his throat again.]

In all seriousness, it'll be good to see you again. I'm looking forward to it.

No, you’re right. There’s been riots. That’s the bad news.

But the good news is humans can’t cause nearly as much damage as our fellow robots can.

Unless another Wilybot invades, I’m not needed. The Fakemen will be fine.

[He’ll smile for Skull. That closure was already reached. More and more he just wanted to familiarize himself with his brother.]

Been trying to visit as much as I can, but I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry. I’ll head over in a bit. Better to go home than go to my lousy studio right now.

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[The pun actually made him smile a bit. Or it would have, if not for the faceplate. It's not like he interacts with people enough for it to have become tiring.]

I'd imagine it'd be harder to keep order with the power out, but I'm a pessimist.

I assume there wouldn't be any problems with you visiting. I haven't seen you since.

Uh.

Yeah.

[Better not bring that up. He clears his throat with a synthesized cough.]

That'd be for the best. I'm not really cut out for it.

It’s a Cossack thing, I suppose. When we work, we work ourselves to the…

…bones.

[That was awkward. He clears his throat.]

Work’s been slow—not much to do with the power out. We got Fakemen patrolling the streets but there isn’t much left for me.

Shame Bright can’t fix the situation back here. [He chuckles at the thought.]

So mind if I teleport over? We still have backup power at the station to get there.

If it means much, I take the reigns when Father’s away. Someone’s gotta look out for us. I’d let Pharaoh run things but he’s not around often.

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...A little. It's quiet. Everyone's been keeping to themselves.

I haven't really been a social butterfly either. 

Brother, you're just the man I want to speak to. Do you mind if I take your time to chat?

Of course not. Things have been quiet around here, I’d welcome the change of pace.

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Brother, you're just the man I want to speak to. Do you mind if I take your time to chat?

Of course not. Things have been quiet around here, I'd welcome the change of pace.

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Got a favorite movie?

What comes to mind first is The Blob, now that’s a classic. But I’m sure it’s just the mood I’m in right now, I don’t really have a favorite.

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Were you built with genitals? If not, do you ever wonder what it's like to have them?

I take a look back at the network and these are the kinds of questions I've been left with.

[Deep sigh.]

No, I wasn't, there's no need for a combat model to have... that kind of thing.

And frankly, if what I see on the feeds are true, it looks like they're more trouble than they're worth.

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OH MY GOSH, I'M SO SORRY I MEANT TO ASK WHY YOU SEEM SO GRUMPY. (//@//o//@//) I SWEAR I HAVEN'T SEEN ENOUGH OF YOUR ATTIRE TO MAKE SUCH A DECISION I'M SURE IT'S LOVELY.

Oh. That... makes more sense.

I'm still not really sure how to answer that question. It's how I am, I guess.

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Of course.

Don’t worry, we’ve got your back too.

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Any plans now that you're awake

Beyond protecting Father and the rest of my line?

Uhhhh.

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ringsabell replied to your post: anonymous asked:Why are you so fr...

It’s a little casual, but I don’t see anything wrong. It’s not easy to have suits, uh, tailored for all robots.

I wouldn't want to waste money on getting anything tailored for me, anyway.

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Why are you so frumpy?

What's wrong with how I dress?

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"I think maybe we are."

That warm smile wasn't the Ring that Skull remembered, either, but he thought he liked it better than the hollow stare he had been getting before. A lot better.

All in all, Skull thought that this went better than expected.

He stayed silent for a couple more moments, then stood up, motioning towards the door. "If you want, we could watch a movie or something... They're all old, but maybe we can find something to agree on."

rebuilding bridges

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That made Skull smile a bit, with his eyes. It was subtle, hard to catch, but Rings words made him feel a little better. Truthfully, he'd still been a little angry that no one had found him in the years while he was offline, but no one had known except their father. Perhaps it wasn't fair to blame anyone.

This could be a new start for Skull. And if he were completely honest with himself. he was a little jealous of Ring's opportunities to rejoin the social world. Skull was still worried that he'd be seen as a horrible monster, but Ring at least had the chance to be somewhat normal, a cop.

Meanwhile, Skull had been hiding in his room watching stupid movies for most of the time he'd been online.

"I want to be strong enough to do that," Skull said quietly. "Protect people, instead of just destroy things. "

rebuilding bridges

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This was the first Skull was hearing any of this. He stayed silent through Ring's explanation until he finished, nodding slightly.

The same was also true for Skull -- He thought he'd already forgiven Ring for his part in the slaughter, but that wasn't true until he also forgave himself. Which would take time. 

"I understand," Skull said after a moment, folding his hands together uncomfortably. "He did what he had to do. Probably more than I deserved."

The last part came out almost without Skull even knowing it, and he sort of regretted saying it. There was no reason he had to press his own feelings on Ring -- as far as the younger bot knew, the detective had gotten over it a long time ago. But it had sort of slipped out without his realizing it.

"I'm glad... I'm glad it worked out in the end."

rebuilding bridges

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Skull didn't have time to distance himself from the events -- to him, they had only happened a few months ago at most. Truth be told, he hadn't been doing too well  in that regard. He'd been avoiding it, mostly, by watching stupid movies he's already seen before. You know, like a functional person.

Skull had rolled over that particular memory several times in his head while attempting to figure out what to say to Ring, anything he could think of to try to satiate his desire to know. But Skull couldn't find any meaning behind Ring's old single-minded bloodlust, couldn't discern the why from it. Because he was programmed that way, presumably. He was programmed to be a killer, just like Skull had been. 

Skull laughed humorlessly, eyes flicking up to meet Ring's. It was a little less awkward now  that  they were both sitting down. "You're closer to being redeemed than I am," he murmured, almost without thinking about it. "I haven't gotten the whole story from Father yet, but I don't blame him for what happened to me.I'm past that."

rebuilding bridges