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gamebunny-advance · 2 years

Text

Heart and Soul

AN: A story about Yinu and Tenten's first meeting.

So fair warning, I haven't written fiction like this in literal years (unless you wanna count my comic scripts), and I think this whole thing is actually pretty trite and cliché (if the trite and cliché title didn't already tip you off to that), but sometimes you just gotta write some fluff to help you sleep at night.

This is also probably one of the worst platforms for posting long-form fic like this (this is over 12,400 words long, so I don't blame y'all if you don't have time for it here on tumblr). Maybe I'll open an account on a proper fic-sharing website and post it there.

But for now, I hope you'll enjoy this silly story from me.

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"...I assure you, Yinu will surely flourish under NSR's care."

The adults talked to each other intently as Yinu's eyes wandered around the office. On the desk was the usual boring collection of things that no child would usually pay much mind to: a small canister of varied writing utensils, a paper holder holding many papers and documents. Among them, she saw the papers that her and her Mama had signed earlier. She was very proud of her own signature: she'd practiced it a lot before coming here. It had taken some time to make sure she could stay on the line. She liked how it looked next to her Mama's, even if she couldn't understand what Mama’s squiggles meant.

Of slight interest was the triangular name plate on the desk. It adorned the name of that lady who would be her new "boss".

"Tatiana Quartz."

Yinu said it in her head a couple of times. She thought she had heard the word "quartz" before. Something to do with measurement maybe? Music? "Oh, like a quarter note!" She was impressed that her boss knew so much about music to be named after it.

She noticed the big portraits on the wall behind Miss Quartz. They were tall and imposing, scary even. The center one she recognized as Miss Quartz herself. The painted lady seemed to glare down at Yinu with incredible force. Her intense expression was very unlike the warm smile of the real Miss Quartz. It was a little scary, so she averted her gaze to the right portrait. This one was another lady, or was it two ladies? There were lots of hands too. Maybe it was even more ladies! Yinu couldn't quite understand the portrait, but she thought she liked it. She looked to the left of Miss Quartz's scary portrait and there was a very strange person wearing a square mask. Yinu had never seen a mask like that: what did the circles mean? Where's the mouth? Or the eyes? Or any kind of face? The strange masked person was surrounded by a few other people. They weren't wearing masks, but they didn't look quite "right" either. They reminded her of the shiny people she saw on TV sometimes, though she couldn’t quite remember what they were called.

Yinu's eyes and mind continued to wander about the room as the voices of her new boss and her Mama blurred and slurred together. She knew they were talking about her, but she didn't really understand what it was about. When she heard her name she would focus again and try to listen, but it was always about things like a "salary" and "management" and other boring and adult topics of that nature. Nothing fun. Nothing interesting.

As Yinu kicked her legs a little in the slightly too big seat, something urgent suddenly struck her. She tugged on her Mama's hand to get her attention.

"...I'm just worried that- oh, what is it Yinu?" Mama looked down into Yinu's eyes. "Mama, I have to go wee."

"Oh, okay I'll take you.” Mama took a hold of the hand that was tugging her fingers, “I'm sorry Miss Quartz may I-" Mama had begun to rise from her seat, but Yinu tugged back, trying to break free from the grasp.

"I can go by myself." she said. Yinu was a big girl after all. Surely at 8 years old she could use the restroom all by herself she thought.

"No Yinu, I don't want you to get lost." Mama said firmly.

"But, Mama..."

Yinu tried to insist, but she knew she could never win an argument against Mama, and there wasn't much time to argue anyway. The situation was becoming more than urgent.

Miss Quartz seemed to notice this and decided to speak up.

"The restroom isn't far, it's only down the hall to the right. It would be easier to get lost walking down a runway."

Yinu was impressed at her new boss’s attitude. She was rarely given any kind of support when it came do doing things her way. But now was not the time to think about how cool Miss Quartz was.

Mama wanted to protest, but the tugging at her hand was getting fervent. She sighed and let go. "Okay, but come back as soon as you're done."

"Okay!" with that Yinu ran quickly out of the room.

Miss Quartz chuckled to herself lightly at the girl’s enthusiasm for simply being allowed to relieve herself.

"I'm sorry about that." said Mama as she lowered herself back into her seat. "It's quite alright. Even at that age, kids want to prove themselves. Sometimes you have to let them. Even if it's just to go to the bathroom."

Mama laughed a little too.

"And I'm sure she'll prove herself a great asset to this company as well. As I was saying-"

---------------------------------

Yinu had some trouble reaching the sink, even on her tippy-toes, but she still managed to help herself up and get her hands sparkling clean, just like Mama and Papa had taught her. She looked at herself in the massive mirror in front of her. Mama had dressed her in her formal clothes: a white button-up shirt with a small pocket adorned with a red ribbon around the collar and a long flowing skirt. Yinu liked to twirl the skirt by spinning around. It made her feel magical and reminded her of when she and Mama would dance in the living room while Papa played the piano.

She looked at her hair in the mirror too. Mama had tied them into two twin buns. Each one looked like a mini rose bouquet. Yinu thought it was pretty, but it was a little heavy on her head and they were twisted just a little too tight. She had been sitting for what felt like hours in that big chair, and her neck was starting to hurt just a little too much for her comfort.

As she climbed onto the counter to get a better look, she decided to take off the bands that her holding the buns in place. They were cute little bands: red with little flower bead decorations. She thought they were very pretty and was always happy when Mama let her wear them, especially as bracelets.

Her hair fell just below the bottoms of her ears like a waterfall ending in little rosebuds.

Yinu felt relieved and still thought she looked like a proper young lady even with her hair down. Satisfied with her work, she put the bands around her wrists: they were cuter this way anyway, and she hopped back down from the counter and left the rest room and began to make her way back to Miss Quartz's office.

The hallways were terribly quiet. Yinu's foot steps echoed through the halls and the smell was what she could only describe as "fancy". She had been through halls like this numerous times: the concert venues that she frequented always had long halls like this. Sometimes they scared her because they seemed to go on forever, but as long as Mama was there holding her hand, they didn’t feel as scary.

She slightly recalled meeting Miss Quartz at one of those concerts after a certain competition some time ago. She was the one who presented Yinu with her trophy for winning first place in the event. She remembered because she was so happy to tell her Papa about it after the show. They both wished he could have been there in person, but he'd said he was so proud of her for winning. They would rewatch the recording in Papa's room and Yinu was so happy to see Papa smiling again.

All the while, she played with her hair bands on her wrist. She liked the way it felt to twirl the beads and tug on the elastic. Her foot steps got slower and smaller as she continued to focus on tugging on the band. It hurt to have it snap back at her, but it was still kind of fun. As she fidgeted with it, the bands found themselves off her wrists and into her hands where she tugged on them to watch them snap back. She could launch them really far if she pulled back hard enough.

Curious about the result, she stretched one of the bands as far back as her tiny hands could stretch them and she let it fly. And flew it did.

"Oh no!" she cried.

It flew so far that it straight past Miss Quartz's office room and landed in front of the grand elevator. She ran to retrieve it from where it had fallen. She quickly picked it up and returned both bands to her wrists, not wanting to accidentally lose them again. Her curiosity of how far the bands could be flung had been satiated, but a new curiosity crept as the doors to elevator opened in front of her.

She had promised Mama that she would go back as soon as she was done, but she really wanted to know where the elevator would go.

They had been in that office for hours already, or so it felt. They would probably be there for several more hours. Besides, they weren't talking about anything that Yinu could be involved in anyway. It wouldn't be bad if she looked around just a little bit.

As she walked into the little room, she heard her Mama and Miss Quartz call after her, "YINU!"

But the doors had already closed shut.

"Mama!"

Yinu began to panic, she hadn't ridden on very many elevators and she didn't know what the buttons meant. She pressed all the buttons she could, which wasn't many given her short stature, but the doors remained closed. She could still hear her Mama and Miss Quartz outside, yelling incoherent instructions, and trying to stop it, but it was too late. The elevator began to lower, and Yinu was alone.

-------------------------

No sooner than Yinu had begun to cry, the elevator finally released her. The screen which read the floor number was too high for Yinu to see clearly, but she knew if she'd stayed in the elevator, she would be trapped again. She didn't want to spend another moment in that scary box, so she stepped out and watched the door close behind her as it continued its descent to whatever random floor she had managed to hit.

She looked around, this floor was almost identical to the one she'd been on: the same echoey halls, the same endless closed doors. She called out, "Hello?"

It reverberated through the halls, but became deafly silent again. No answer. No sound. Just the small scuffle of her own feet as she began to walk forward, hoping to find someone, anyone, that would help her.

She jiggled the handle of every door she came across but each one was tightly locked. Every step made her a little more anxious as she walked down what seemed to be an endless corridor. For a moment she decided to look behind her, but she'd already walked so far that the elevator was nowhere in her sight. The hall just seemed to stretch forever in both directions, leaving her utterly lost. As she began to feel the hopelessness of her situation catch up to her, she'd begun to cry again.

"Mama... I'm sorry... please help me..."

Her legs stopped walking and she fell down where she stood, balling her eyes out.

As she did so, she'd begun to hear something else in the hall. It was a quiet, but rhythmic thudding, like heavy footsteps. It echoed through the halls and seemed to get closer. Yinu called out towards the noise, "Who's there?"

The sound paused for a moment as if to consider the question. In return, the pace of the thudding quickened and began to get louder, moving towards Yinu.

The source of the sound finally came in view at the far end of the hall. It was person. At least it looked like a person. They were too far away for Yinu to make out any particular features besides the vague silhouette of a person wearing a tallish hat. But somehow, despite the dim lighting, the figure's face seemed to be glowing, causing unnatural shadows to be cast across their face.

Feeling a little embarrassed about being found crying, Yinu tried to suck up her snot and tears with all her might and stood up. "Hello, can you help me?" she called out. "I lost my Mama. I... just want to go back to my Mama."

The figure paused again until it received the entire message. Then it began to walk towards Yinu. At first Yinu was happy that someone had finally found her, but something felt off about that person.

Their footsteps were just a little too heavy and the way they moved looked a little too stiff as their arms refused to sway naturally at their sides. As they grew closer, the sound of mechanical creaking and whirring had became audible. Eventually the figure came close enough for Yinu to make out the features of its face: its reflective metal shine, its glowing white eyes, its unflinching expression. It was just like the shiny people she had seen on TV. The scary shiny people that shot lasers from their eyes and enslaved humanity. The things Yinu finally remembered that were called “robots”.

Yinu screamed and began running away back down the hall. She ran as fast as she could, trying her best not to look back. She didn't hear it getting faster, but she wouldn't stop now just to find out if she was actually making headway. There was no way that scary things like that could really be in a place like this. If this was the kind of scary place this was, then she'd want nothing to do with it. When she found her Mama she would tell her as much. “Mama...”

As Yinu recalled that she was still technically lost, she tripped on herself and skid her knees across the rough carpet floor.

"Ow, ow..." she cried as she sat up to inspect the scrapes on her legs. As she did so, the mechanical being was still making a steady pace towards her. Even as her tears welled, she tried to pick herself up again to run, but it hurt too much. The figure was getting closer. She couldn't run. She couldn't hide. The best she could do was cover her face and hope the monster would be quick in whatever it was going to do.

As she cowered she heard it stop in front of her and did… nothing. It stood motionless for a while, waiting for some kind of response, or perhaps it was analyzing the crying mass in front of it. Eventually, the light sobbing was interrupted.

"Are you hurt, Little Miss?"

A synthetic voice poured out of the monster. While it was clearly inhuman, it was a little deep and gentle. Almost warm. "Wh-what?" sobbed Yinu.

There was a brief pause between answers.

"Are you hurt, Little Miss?" it asked again.

"Little Miss?" she thought. She liked the way it sounded. It was kind of like a grown-up. Having received this bit of respect, she felt herself growing braver.

Yinu uncovered her eyes to look up into the monster's face. Seeing it up close, even though it still wasn't human, it wasn't as scary as she thought it was just moments ago. The arrangement was very simple, just two glowing white orbs for eyes and a line for a mouth. When it spoke, its mouth wouldn’t move but light up in rhythm to its words. She thought it was like a doll she used to have as an even smaller kid.

"Uh-huh..." she nodded cautiously and rubbed her knees. The speed of fall and the friction of the carpet had given her small red scrapes across both knees. A little blood had trickled out, but nothing so ghastly as to need any serious medical attention.

"I see. May I treat your wounds?" asked the voice. Yinu nodded again, "Okay..."

"Very well." The android crouched onto one knee as to be more level with Yinu. It had stood so incredibly tall and imposing earlier, but up close it appeared much more friendly. It inspected the cuts briefly. Besides her knees, Yinu's face had also gotten a little scuffed from the fall, making her already rosy cheeks even rosier.

"I am about to administer an antibiotic. You may experience slight discomfort, but it is necessary to reduce the risk of infection."

The android raised its left hand towards the wound on her right knee. At first it held its entire hand flat with palm facing down. It curled all its fingers towards the palm, leaving only its index finger extended towards the wound. Suddenly, the tip of its index finger unhinged upwards at the first knuckle and revealed a small nozzle which quickly sprayed what it claimed to be an antibiotic onto the wound.

Yinu winced a bit from the sudden pain and the android apologized for the discomfort again. It repeated this for each area that it had considered as needing attention. Once all the antibiotic has been "administered", it dispensed 4 bandages from its mouth. Yinu giggled a bit, thinking it looked like it was growing a very long tongue.

"Would you like me to apply the fabric adhesive strips?" it asked.

Yinu laughed out loud at the funny way that it referred to the bandages.

"No, I can do this part myself." Yinu said proudly as she gently tore and peeled the bandages apart and applied them to both her knees and her cheek. “I don’t need this one.” she said as she tried to return the extra bandage. “You may keep it. Extra fabric adhesive strips are good to have on hand.” it replied as it gently pushed the offer away. “Okay.” so Yinu stashed it away into her shirt pocket along with the bits of wax paper so she could throw them away later. Mama always told her to throw away her trash in the trash can like a proper lady.

"Was my service satisfactory?" asked the android as it stood back up onto both feet. “Yes.” she replied with a beaming smile. “Very good. I am happy to hear that.” replied the android. Yinu looked up at the android to really take in its features: it looked like it was dressed in somewhat fancy clothes that she thought she had seen somewhere before. Maybe in a movie or a store or something like that. The big hat it was wearing was equally as fancy. On the side of it she caught the glimpse of something shiny. She turned her head to try to get a better look, but now that it was standing at full height again, it was hard to make out. She thought it looked like some lines and circles in a nice neat row.

As she thought of that she suddenly remembered her manners, "Thank you for helping me." she said sincerely to the android.

"You are welcome Little Miss." it replied.

With that formality out of the way, Yinu began another one, "What's your name?" she asked.

The android replied: "I am: 1010-XJ L-Type Version 2.0.1"

"That’s really your name?” asked Yinu, not believing that the string of numbers and letters the android had said could really be a person’s name.

"Can I call you something shorter?" she asked.

The android paused, searching for an answer before finally responding,

"You can. You may call me: "Tenten".

"Tenten? Like the number? But two times?" Yinu asked as she open and closed her hands twice for “ten, ten.”

"Yes." Said the android. While it had searched its memories for an acceptable answer, it had noticed that when being spoken about, humans would often shorten his name to only the first part. When it was relevant, it would be referred to as the "L-Type," and when the Captain was angry it would be referred to as “Soldier,” but "Tenten" was usually sufficient and would probably be easier for the Little Miss to say.

"Okay Mr. Tenten, my name is Yinu."

"Yinu. That is a very nice name." Tenten replied. While its face made no change in emotion, its voice sounded sincere in its tone. Perhaps it thought every name it heard was a "nice name," but without even considering the possibility of this being a stock response, Yinu beamed, "Thank you!"

In what was only a handful of minutes, Yinu had gone from thinking she was in a literal nightmare realm to quite liking the nice android that had helped her out. For a moment she had again forgotten she was still lost until Tenten had reminded her.

"Little Miss, I do believe you were calling for help just a moment ago, yes?" it asked. "That is why I followed your voice, but you ran away before I could help you."

Yinu felt a little embarrassed about her earlier behavior, but having remembered her original goal, she explained the situation about how she had flung her bracelet and gotten on the elevator and separated from her Mama and how she couldn't remember which floor they were on or where she was, and how she saw this scary monster, and oh wait, that was Tenten.

After intently listening to her story, Tenten replied, "Miss Quartz's office is at the very top of NSR tower, so it will be very easy to return there from the elevator." As he said this, he raised his arm and pointed down the corridor in the direction that Yinu was running. It didn't look so far away now, and she was sure that now knowing where her Mama was, she would be able to get there herself.

But after everything that had happened, Yinu was tired of being a big girl for one day.

"Will you go with me?" She tugged on Tenten's free hand, causing him to look back down at her.

Her hand was lightly trembling. Even though she really wanted to see her Mama again and give her big hug, she was equally scared of how much she was going to get yelled at for running off. Mama had sounded really angry when she had gotten on the elevatr. Even so, she felt like it'd be a little less scary if Tenten was there too.

Tenten lowered his pointed hand and wrapped his fingers around the tiny hand which had grabbed him. "Okay. We will go together. From the elevator, it should not take more than a minute to reach the top floor."

No sooner than he had given this assurance, the building intercoms began to sound with Miss Quartz's voice, "Attention all NSR employees. We have a code orange. Currently be on the lookout for Miss Yinu. She is approximately 8 years old, has yellow hair-" the two listened to the alert until it concluded with, "If found, please make a report using the intercom system and return her to the lobby. Until she is found the building will be on lock down and the elevator will be suspended. Thank you."

Yinu felt another huge rush of embarrassment come over her and she began to panic. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Tenten was about to offer a few comforting words to the panicking child, but was stopped by an incoming transmission.

"Tenten, do you copy?" said the voice in its head.

"Yes sir, I can hear you." it replied out loud.

"Who are you talking to?" Yinu asked as she started swinging Tenten’s arm in anticipation.

"My captain is calling me." said Tenten. "Captain?" Yinu thought. She couldn't hear what the "Captain" was saying and began to wonder if Tenten was playing some kind of game with her to make going back not as scary.

On the one hand, Yinu didn't like being treated like she was some little kid who still played make-believe, but on the other she appreciated that Tenten was so worried about her to even think to turn this into game. If that's what he thought was best, then she would play along too.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Tenten and its Captain continued.

"Are you with someone Tenten? Never mind, we need to call off your test right now. At the moment, it is of utmost importance that we locate Miss Yinu. Did you take note of the physical description in the announcement?"

"Yes sir, I am currently with Yinu."

"Oh, very good! The training really is paying off. Okay, I'm down here with Yinu's Mother right now, so if you could-"

"Yinu! Are you there?! Can you hear me?!"

Tenten's inner voice was interrupted by Mama's cries of concern.

"He doesn’t have a receiver on his end Madam, but it seems my robot has already found Yinu. I'll direct him to bring her down immediately. Did you catch that Tenten?"

"Yes sir. We were about to take the stairs and-"

"My Yinu is with a robot?! I swear if it did anything to hurt her, I'll tear it apart!"

"Madam, please relax! Robots are very safe nowadays. Furthermore-"

As the Captain continued his lecture with Mama about the great strides in safety and advancement robots had made in recent years, Tenten turned his attention back at Yinu, who was still gripping his hand and looking back at him patiently. It looked at the bandages across her knees and cheek. The bandages which covered wounds that he had inadvertently caused.

It had hurt Yinu.

If it had hurt Yinu, then it would get torn apart.

Getting torn apart would result in system failure.

If he could somehow avoid Mama but return Yinu, then he could fulfill his current objective without being destroyed, but its system failed to generate any possible solutions that didn't also put Yinu in grave danger. It considered giving her directions to send her alone, but he had already promised to go together. As the situation was, it would be impossible both return Yinu and avoid assured destruction. Then the next best option...

"If I may interrupt sir."

"You can even find robots in hospitals nowa- Oh, what is it Tenten?"

"It is no longer possible for me to return with Yinu under these conditions. I will keep her with me until conditions improve."

"Wait, what conditions?! What happened!? Is she hurt?!" yelled the Captain, desperately trying to get details about the situation, but to no avail.

"I am sorry. Good-bye."

Tenten disconnected from the call and set himself to "cloaking mode.” For now, it was in his best interest to move as far away from this place as possible to avoid being tracked to his last known location.

"Okay Miss Yinu, I know I said I would take you back, but would you like to play hide-and-seek with me first?" he asked.

"Uh-huh!" Yinu smiled at him. She knew right from the start about his plan to make this a game, so she was happy to oblige him. "Okay, we are going to hide from my Captain for just a bit. I know a good place where we can hide, but it is a little far. Do you think you can walk for a while?"

"Yes, sir!" she saluted with the wrong hand, but Tenten accepted this answer.

"Then let us go."

As the two began walking towards the stairs, a new announcement came through the intercom. This time it wasn't Miss Quartz. It sounded like Tenten, but more natural and much more angry.

"Attention all NSR towers employees and visitors! This is code red! A rogue android has taken the missing child Yinu as a hostage. It is to be considered armed and dangerous! Please take cover wherever possible and do not approach the android under any circumstance and allow security bots through. The android is approximately 203 centimeters tall and is wearing a naval style uniform. I repeat, this android is considered armed and dangerous! Please take cover-"

"Oh, is everyone playing?" Yinu asked quizzically as she looked up at the speaker making the announcement.

"It would appear so." replied Tenten calmly, as he continued walking with Yinu to the first set of stairs, still holding her hand firmly.

"This will be lots of fun then!" she said happily.

"But, that man said you were dangerous? Is that true?"

Tenten paused to think of an answer.

"You were hurt because of me, were you not?" it replied. Yinu hmmed a bit as she considered the bandage that was currently itching her face. "Yeah, but that wasn't your fault." she said as she let her free hand glide on the stairwell's railing. "Besides, you helped fix me up, so it's okay."

"I see." replied Tenten as it made note of this opinion.

Finally the two had reached the top of the first flight of stairs. There would be many more flights before they reached Tenten's intended destination, but Yinu was eager to get a move on.

For a while, the Captain's warning message had echoed through the building, but it had finally ceased as the two had cleared their 2nd flight. Now it was just the echo of their foot steps through the stairwell, occasionally interrupted by walking through the halls to avoid any security bots posted near the stairs. It became a tango of walking then ducking for cover as they raced past the less advanced security bots to the next flight of stairs. Yinu thought the security bots were very funny looking. They were all boxy and had very long arms. They were nothing like the humanesque Tenten that was with her.

Although this ducking and running was somewhat entertaining, Yinu was beginning to grow tired. Tenten slowed his stride to keep from dragging her along, but the situation was still urgent to him.

"Miss Yinu, we still have a ways to go, you should keep your pace up." he inquired.

"My legs hurt..." she replied wistfully.

Tenten immediately stopped. "I am sorry. I have caused you pain again."

Under the usual circumstances, Tenten would have forced Yinu to pick herself up by her bootstraps and continue on, but he had been taught recently that he could not expect that same kind of force to work on civilians, especially children. He had to be gentle and considerate of their needs and wants, and right now he realized that he had been neglecting this.

He began to reconsider its current objective: he was determined to keep Yinu safe from further harm, but even traveling the building like this was taking a toll on her. They still had a few more floors until they could reach what Tenten considered a "safe room". Even if they made it to that room, he knew that they could not hide there indefinitly. He could easily keep making the Captain and the security bots keep circling around the tower looking for him for hours if not forever, but Yinu could not. Eventually she would need food or water, and other basic needs that Tenten could not provide while they were hiding. If he prioritized Yinu’s condition, then eventually they would get caught.

Right now, all he could do was prolong the inevitable, but he was determined to do so for as long as he was able.

"Miss Yinu, I can carry you the rest of the way. Would you like to ride on my shoulders?"

Yinu sleepily nodded. In response, Tenten crouched down and arched his back in a way to make it easy for the small girl to climb on. She carefully stepped onto his back then slung each leg over each of his shoulders, resting her body on the back of his head and her head on top of its cap. She thought that its body would be cold and metallic, like a refrigerator, but the robot was surprisingly warm and metallic, like a preheating oven. It was cozy.

"Are you secured?" he asked.

"Uh-huh." she replied. At this, the android began to rise again, holding onto her legs from the front. From here the floor seemed so far away from Yinu, but she always liked being up so high, especially on Mama's shoulders: it was a new, great perspective for her. She wondered if everyone this tall saw the world like this everyday. Even through her sleepiness, she couldn't hide that she was excited about getting carried.

"Okay, I am going to walk a little faster now, so please hang on tight." he said as it began to dash for the next flight of stairs. Yinu wrapped her arms around the robot's head. She giggled sleepily as she felt the rush air blow over her face.

------------------

They continued this steady pace for the next couple of floors, so Yinu broke through the monotony by asking the questions that were on her mind. She had been thinking of several since getting properly acquainted with Tenten and now seemed to be as good a time as any to ask them.

"So... what were you made for?" she asked. It had taken her until about now for it to really sink in that she was with a robot. She'd seen robots on TV sometimes, usually in movies, but sometimes in the news too. She thought a lot of them were scary since a lot of them tried taking over the world in a fight against the human race, but clearly Tenten was different from those robots. Those robots never printed out bandages or carried kids on their shoulders (unless they were giant friendly ones).

Tenten did not answer for some time both as he pondered what an acceptable answer for a child would be and wanting to keep his voice down from the guards.

He had not been around many children since it had been activated, but it was programmed into his core that he should absolutely handle them with care. Anything that his system categorized as "scary" couldn’t be said to a child.

So it decided to describe itself in its simplest of terms. "I was made to help people."

"Like what you did for my ouchies?" she asked as she swung her legs a bit to emphasize her bandaged knees.

"Yes, and much more. I can administer basic first-aid as well as perform other helpful functions."

"Like what?" Yinu kept pressing. She wanted to know everything that Tenten was capable of, but it started listing mundane utilities like opening and closing doors, twisting open jar lids, playing catch.

"That's all kinda boring." she said honestly. "Can you shoot lasers and stuff?" she asked. Almost all the robots on TV could shoot lasers of some kind, usually from their eyes.

To Tenten this was a "scary" subject, but since Yinu was the one to mention it, perhaps she was not scared of such things? So, weaponry was cleared from his “scary topic” filter so he could be a little more honest about himself. So it answered, "Yes. I can shoot lasers, but only when absolutely necessary."

Yinu's eyes lit up, "That's so cool! Can you show me?"

"It is not absolutely necessary that I do that right now. It would also be very dangerous."

"Aw..." she was very disappointed at this answer, but she figured he was right.

As she thought this, she looked at some of the framed pictures of instruments on the walls that she could finally see from the higher vantage point. They were all artsy renditions, using abstract shapes and colors, but they were still clearly recognizable as people playing instruments. A saxophone player, a cellist, a keyboardist, and many more.

"What about music? Do you play anything?" she asked. They were in the tower of a record company right now. Even if Tenten was a robot, maybe he could do something with music.

"I have not learned how to play any instrument, but I can sing and dance."

Yinu lit up at this. Even if he couldn't play anything, she'd never seen or heard of a singing robot before. "Can you sing something for me?" she asked excitedly. "Not right now. We need avoid detection right now." he said as he steered them up another stairwell.

Yinu's expression sunk, and she lowered her head deeper into its cap. "Can you sing for me later?" she asked in a begging tone. He thought about this. Would there even be a "later" after they got caught?

"Yes, if I have the opportunity, I will sing for you." Yinu was satisfied with this answer for now, so question after question continued to tumble out.

“How old are you?”

“I am approximately 3 years, 7 months, and 2 days old.”

“Hah, that’s younger than me! I’m 8 and a half years old. But you’re a really big kid.”

“My physical age is irrelevant to my size.”

“What does “ear elephant” mean?”

“Irrelevant means it is of little to no consequence.”

“What does “con see quince” mean?”

“It is the result of an action.”

“Will I ever get as tall as you?”

“If your genetics favor height, then possibly.”

“What does that mean?”

“If your parents are tall, then you are likely to become as tall as either of them when you reach maturity.”

“Oh! My Mama and Papa are really tall! Maybe even taller than you!”

“Then you will likely be tall when you become an adult.”

"Do you have a Mama?"

"No." replied Tenten.

"Then do you have a Papa?"

"No."

"How about a Grandmama?"

"I do not have any form of parent." said Tenten, having finally found the common thread in this string of questions.

"Oh..." she said sadly as she balled her fists into the cap, creasing it slightly. Noticing this, the robot stopped walking.

"What is wrong Miss Yinu? Did my answer upset you?"

"You don't have someone who looks after you? Or takes care of you?"

It considered this new definition for a moment. Someone who looks after it and takes care of it?

"I believe my Captain matches that criteria." he replied. The Captain did indeed look after Tenten during his training and the Captain was usually in charge of managing his maintenance checks.

"Then that's your Papa, silly!" Yinu perked her head up again and smiled to herself, but Tenten still didn't move.

"The Captain is my Papa?" he asked. Yinu thought for a moment, "Huh? Well yeah, if he loves you and cares about you, then he's your Papa."

"So a Papa is someone who looks after you, and takes care of you, and loves you, and cares about you. Is that correct?" he asked. "I think so." replied Yinu, though she was a little unsure if this was a satisfactory answer herself. She thought it didn’t exactly describe what she thought of as a “Papa,” but it was technically correct, so she didn’t add anything else.

The android began trying to process this new definition of "Papa."

"Then I do not believe my Captain meets all the criteria." it replied.

"Why not? Didn’t you say he takes care of you?" she asked a little concerned.

"I am not capable of quantifying "love," so I can not determine if the Captain "loves" me or not."

Yinu didn't understand what Tenten meant. Love wasn't something you "quantified." What did quantify even mean? It was just a feeling, and she had a feeling that she had a lot to teach this android. She tried to think of all the things her Mama and Papa did that made her feel loved.

"Does your Captain ever tell you stories at night to help you sleep?" asked Yinu.

"I do believe he has shared his personal history with me before, but not to aid in my rest."

"Does he kiss your ouchies better?"

"No. I do not get "ouchies.""

"Um... does he stay by your bed when you're sick and feed you soup?"

"No. I do not have a bed and I am incapable of any organic consumption."

The girl was running out of ideas for how to explain the feeling of "love" to the android.

"Well, how do you feel about him? Does he make you happy when he's with you?" she asked, grasping for anything that she could reasonably call love.

Tenten repeated the question to itself, "Do I feel happy when the Captain is with me?"

Tenten tried to analyze all of his memories with his Captain which contained feelings of “joy.” It came up with less than a handful of results, but they were still results.

A day when after a particularly long dance practice session, the Captain remarked, "Good work! You're finally getting it down!"

Another time at the shooting range when it'd managed to achieve 99% accuracy and the Captain said, "Impressive! You've still got it Tenten!"

Earlier this year when the Captain said, "This is it, we finally made it to the top brass: NSR! I know you and the squad are going to shine out there!"

"Yes." it finally replied.

Any instances of praise did cause a reaction of "joy" in Tenten. It knew it was programmed to please the Captain and he was rewarded with "joy" for meeting these expectations, but if this reaction could be considered "love" and the expression of praise was likewise "love" then perhaps the Captain did love Tenten, and Tenten loved its Captain in return.

After considering this assessment, he also considered the warning that his Captain had also just given, condemning him as an armed and dangerous robot. His Captain had essentially given anyone who saw him permission to kill him. That action did not seem to line up with any definition of love that Tenten currently had.

If the Captain did love him, then the Captain did not love him at this time.

Tenten began moving again, determined as ever to complete its current objective, but he hadn't noticed that while it was stopping to think, a couple of security bots had seen the duo and were starting to close in.

"They're going to get us!" Yinu cried playfully. This game was getting very exciting, and the sudden idea of getting caught had woken her from her near stupor.

Tenten quickly looked around the hall, looking for anywhere, anything he could use to help them escape, but there was nothing he could use without causing unnecessary damage. Crashing through the window would surely harm Miss Yinu. Just evading them wouldn't stop them from following them afterwards: once these security bots had their target in sight, it would be almost impossible to shake them off.

There was only one solution right now to both get through to the upper floors and keep the bots from following after them.

Tenten grabbed his cap from off his head and placed it onto Yinu. It was a little big, falling just over her eyes.

"Hey!" she cried as she peeked from underneath it.

"You wanted to see me shoot lasers, right?" he asked, as aimed his right arm towards the bots and pointed at them with his index finger.

"Uh-huh!" she said excitedly.

"You can peek, but cover your face with my hat when my lasers hit those bad guys, okay?"

"Okay!"

The moment he got this assurance, Tenten fired a short beam from his finger tip, aimed squarely in the middle of the first security bot's rectangular chest. It shot straight through the bot leaving an opening big enough to see the other side of the hall through. It was so fast that Yinu nearly missed it, but she guarded her face as the bot began to explode into pieces of debris and scrap metal. Tenten helped hold her in place on his back with his free hand and tried to block as much of the scattering parts from hitting Yinu as he continued blasting through the small wave of bots.

Yinu could hear them bursting apart and desperately wanted to see it happen again, but hearing the little flecks of metal bounce off the cap convinced her that keeping cover would be for the best right now.

Once the way was cleared, Tenten began to sprint up through the next flight of stairs. The commotion had attracted the security bots to guard the top, but Tenten blasted through them all the same.

"Miss Yinu, please hang on. We have almost reached our destination."

Tenten made a dash through the hall until he had his sights on a pair of grand double doors.

"We have arrived." he said as he crouched down to let Yinu off his shoulders so he could open the doors. He allowed Yinu to scurry in first before following and closing the door behind them. Yinu was in amazement of the room: it was a large concert hall, one of the biggest she'd ever been in before. Even the smallest sound she made seemed to echo throughout the room. But more than all that, what caught her interest was the grand piano on the stage.

Of interest to Tenten were the many rows of seats and balconies which could be used for cover and barricades if needed. They could hole up here for several hours and make quick trips to the dressing room to procure bottled water for Yinu.

"We should be able to hide h-h-heeeeeere. Y-Y-Yiiiiiinuuuu." Tenten's voice began to stutter and distort, creating an uneasy sound which echoed through the hall. His legs began to buckle and he dropped to his knees, nearly collapsing on the floor. "Oh no!" Yinu rushed back to his side. She tried to help him up, but he was much too heavy for her to even prop up. This game was starting to get a little too serious.

"Tenten, what's wrong! Do you feel light headed? Do you need some candy?" she cried, thinking of all the ways she tried to help Papa when this happened to him.

"I'm r-r-r-runnnnnnnnning ouut of p-p-p-pooooower." by instinct, Tenten wanted to process how he could have saved more power by being more efficient, but even that act would have quickly drained him of what little power he still had left.

"Power? How do you get power?"

"M-m-m-m-mussssssssic-c-c-c." he hissed.

"Music? Any kind of music?"

"Y-Y-yes..."

Yinu looked down at the stage with the grand piano again then back to Tenten. "Okay. I'll play something for you." Yinu stood up, ready to get on the stage, but she felt her leg getting pulled back.

"B-b-b-but we we we we we willllllll bbbbbbbe caught. Caught. Caught. If you plaaaaaay."

She crouched back down and took Tenten's hand into hers, it was burning hot from all the shooting he'd done just moments prior.

"It's okay. Eventually everyone gets found during hide-and-seek. And I... really don't want you to die yet. Please... don't die yet." she said. She remembered saying the same thing to her Papa once. It hadn’t worked back then, but maybe it would work now.

Tenten said nothing, but he loosened his grip on her leg and gave a weak nod. "I had a lot of fun today Mr. Tenten. You did a lot for me, but now it's my turn."

Yinu began to scamper away and back towards the stage. As she did so, memories of today replayed in her head: losing her hair band. Being scared and running away from Tenten. The funny way he treated her scrapes. Feeling safe holding his hand when they were lost. The satisfaction of talking about the meaning of love. The excitement of tearing through the security bots. Everything came together to be what she considered a very entertaining day. There was no way she could let it end with her new friend dying trying to help her. Days like this deserved a happy ending, she thought.

Climbing up the steep steps, she admired that beautiful grand piano. Its ebony hull seemed to sparkle with the invitation to be played.

Yinu adjusted the piano bench's height to accommodate her short stature. Upon sitting she lifted the key cover and took a deep breath. Soon, her fingers were gliding across the keys, playing sweet melodies which reverberated through the entire room and beyond. Everyone, who had been in a panicked fervor trying to locate the missing Yinu a few floors above and below stopped to listen to the sound. It carried far and wide throughout the building, reaching even Mama's ears.

"That's gotta be Yinu playing!" she cried. Miss Quartz who'd been with Mama since Yinu disappeared declared, "We have a grand piano on floor 10, that’s got to be where they are. Jay, order all security to that floor immediately!"

"I'm on it!" as Tenten's captain motioned for the team of deluxe security bots to follow him up the stairs.

Still planted on the ground, Tenten looked out to the stage, watching as Yinu lost herself to the ivory keys. Each note sent just a little more power through his body and began recharging his battery. Soon he had enough power to stand back up, albeit clumsily.

He began to hobble down the lane, using every other seat as a balance as he moved towards the stage. He just had be closer to the wonderful source of sound. It was a song unlike any he'd ever heard before, and never would have.

This was a family piece that Yinu's Papa had taught her when she was very small. They played it together often, and when Papa had passed, she always played it for her Mama. It was a happy song that reminded her of sad times. It was the song that won her many awards and got her signed onto NSR. It was still precious to her and she was happy to play it for anyone who would listen.

It wasn't long before Tenten had joined Yinu on the stage and was hovering over her, listening intently until the piece had concluded.

Yinu turned around to see him clapping for her. "That was a wonderful performance Miss Yinu." Yinu's face lit up again at seeing her friend well and standing. "Tenten!" she practically jumped off the stool to hug him, so relieved and happy that he was okay.

He almost fell over, not expecting such a sudden great force bashing into his legs after he just recovered his balance, but he nonetheless returned the gesture by patting her on the head. He lowered himself again to meet Yinu at eye level.

"I am feeling better now thanks to you. So, thank you." He held out his hand for her to shake it, but she leaned in to give him another hug. This time, he properly returned it. "I'm just glad you're okay." she said, hugging him tighter.

At this, Tenten stood up once more and turned his gaze towards the piano. "I did not know that you could play the piano so well." he said.

"Yep!" Yinu beamed. "That's why I'm here, so I can play the piano for everyone!"

It had finally occurred to Tenten that he had not once asked why Yinu was in the NSR tower. He had put all his objectives before learning anything about her, and for this he felt somewhat ashamed. He would need to make up for this grave error before his many other grave errors caught up with him.

"Do you think you could play for me one more time? I’m not fully charged yet, and I would like to sing for you, like I promised." he asked.

"Of course! What do you want me to play?" she giddily made her way back to the piano bench ready to play any number of songs for her friend.

"I am not capable of improvising, but I am familiar with a small library of popular songs. Could you pick one, and I will tell you if I know it."

"Okay... do you know this one?"

She began to play a few bars. He listened intently as he tried to match the sounds to his database.

"I believe so..."

He seated himself next to Yinu on the bench. "Mama and Papa used to play this one a lot together." she said as she continued through the first measure.

Tenten counted to himself until he began to sing.

Outside the hall, all manner of security bots being led by Jay, were getting ready to storm inside, but all ceased when a voice began accompanying the piano.

"Heart and soul,

I fell in love with you.

Heart and soul,

The way a fool would do:

Madly, because you held me tight,

And stole a kiss in the night..."

"Who is that?" asked Mama, who was close behind Jay and Miss Quartz.

"It sounds like… Tenten?" answered Jay, surprised that his rogue soldier would be doing something as quaint as sing a song during an apparent kidnapping.

"Shouldn’t he be trying to hide?” asked Miss Quartz who was similarly flabbergasted that such an advanced military A.I. would do something to blatantly blow its cover like this.

“Maybe this is his way of giving up? Or it’s a trap and he’s getting ready to ambush.”

“Look, it doesn’t matter why it’s singing. Go in there and get Miss Yinu!”

“I can’t just barge in there without knowing the situation!”

While the two bickered, Mama listened closely to that sadly familiar song. Without thinking, she opened the doors to the hall herself. Although the other two were too late to stop her from walking headfirst into theoretical danger, there was no sudden shooting of lasers or other obstruction. Instead, the sound of the duet just poured out into the halls for everyone to hear clearly.

Yinu had started to join in the song too. She was a little off key and she stumbled slightly, her talents were truly in the ivory keys, but the two of them were having too much fun to worry about something like perfect pitch.

"Heart and soul,

I begged to be adored,

Lost control, and tumbled overboard,

Gladly...

That magic night we kissed,

There in the moon mist."

Both were so lost in the song that they failed to notice the all the security bots trickling in along with the Captain, Mama, and the CEO.

"Oh, but your lips were thrilling,

much too thrilling.

Never before were mine so

strangely willing."

As the bots quietly closed in around the stage, the adults stayed back watching the strange display before them: A little girl playing piano and singing happily with a military-class battle bot. Surely, this was the kind of sight you could only find in a place like this.

"But now I see,

what one embrace can do

Look at me,

it's got me loving you,

Madly, that little kiss you stole,

Held all my heart and soul..."

Yinu continued to play, but Tenten had noticed the sound of the doors opening and the movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked out toward the seating area, seeing all the security bots now surrounding them at the foot of the stage and his Captain looking back at him, arms folded in what Tenten recognized as "disappointment.”

"Oh, but your lips were thrilling,

much too thrilling.

Never before were mine so

strangely willing.

But now I see,

what one embrace can do

Look at me,

it's got me loving you,

Madly, that little kiss you stole,

Held all my heart and soul.

Held all my heart and soul."

As the last note of the piano played and reverberated through the fall, it was followed by clapping from the human watchers. Yinu almost jumped in surprise since she hadn't noticed that the hall had filled up. She looked towards the back of the hall and saw her Mama with one hand resting on her cheek. She was trying to keep her smile from showing after hearing her daughter play so beautifully. Right now she had to look serious.

When the clapping stopped, a voice broke through the silence, the Captain's voice.

"That was very nice you two! Very lovely!" he called out giving a couple of last claps. Yinu looked out at the source of sound. His body looked the same as Tenten’s, but the face… was he wearing a mask? She felt like she’d seen it somewhere before, but he was too far away for her to make out the details.

"But Tenten, you need to let Yinu go now before I order security to fire! Stand and keep your hands up where I can see them!"

Tenten stood up from the bench with his arms raised to his head. Yinu mimicked him, but hid behind his legs, scared of the security bots below. When did the game get so scary? Were they still going to be in trouble even though everyone was playing together? Tenten turned his gaze towards her and noticed the tears welling in Yinu’s eyes. He moved to place his hand on her head again to help her calm down.

"HEY! Keep both your hands up Tenten! Miss Yinu you don’t have to do it too!" called out Jay. As Yinu lowered her arms, Tenten could sense the guide lasers from the security bots being aimed at his head. He dared not move again unless instructed to.

"Miss Yinu, you’re safe now! Please step away from Tenten and come off the stage. Your Mama is very worried about you!" he called.

Yinu stepped a little from behind Tenten, but quickly ducked back again and hugged his leg when she too noticed that all the security bots had their hands pointed at Tenten. These bots were different from the blocky ones that Tenten had blasted away. They looked like bigger, meaner versions of Tenten, and if they were anything like him, he was going to be blown up to more than just pieces.

"Don't be afraid! They won't hurt you, just come down and-!"

"I won't go if you're going to hurt him!" she cried out.

The room was quiet again as the adults murmured to themselves about what to say next. Tenten wanted so badly to turn to Yinu, but he could not risk it. Instead, he tried to focus his sonic hearing on the adults across the room.

“Did he brainwash her or something?” whispered Miss Quartz.

“I don’t think he’s capable of that.” said Jay. “We haven’t added the “smooth talk” feature yet.”

“Can’t you shoot him from here and get Yinu back?”

“We can’t be hasty. That is still a highly-trained military class battle bot. He hurt Yinu earlier, so he might be willing to use her to protect himself if he needs to.”

Had his processor been capable of it, Tenten would have been appalled at the mere suggestion that he would ever willingly hurt Miss Yinu. Instead, he broke through the murmurs himself, speaking loudly so that all could hear him:

"Yinu, we have caused a lot of trouble for everyone today. Please return to your Mama. That was our original objective, was it not?"

Yinu began to cry, "But... you're about to die again... You can't die yet... you said you wouldn't..."

"I did not vocalize such a promise. And this situation is different. I am about to be killed. That is different from dying." he said so matter-of-factly.

"You still promised! You promised you wouldn't die yet!" she cried.

"I am sorry, but I do not have any choice in this matter."

"Then I'm not going!"

"Yinu, do not be stubborn. Go to your Mama."

"No!"

"Yinu."

The two went back and forth like this for a bit bickering the same way that siblings would over who’s turn it was to use the computer. It was beginning to be comical to those looking in. Or so it would have been had this not been a literal crisis situation. All the while the adults continued to murmur to themselves.

"This is ridiculous!" grumbled Jay as he pinched around his “face” where a brow used to be. "What is even going on here anymore? Is this even still a kidnapping?”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t let that thing free-roam!” chided Miss Quartz.

“I have to do the field testing somewhere! What am I supposed to do, let him walk around the Metro Division by himself?”

As those two bickered and the kids bickered, Mama was lost in thought. Anger had long since subsided as she was more than relieved that her little girl was alright. But as she listened to the playful way in which the android and her daughter was speaking, she began to think that maybe she really wasn’t ever in danger with him by her side.

Finally, the verbal battle on the adult’s side had come to an agreement.

Jay called out again, "Okay! Tenten, you come here with Miss Yinu! Keep your hands up and we won't shoot! We're just going to have a talk about this!"

Yinu cried out, "You promise you won't hurt him!"

"I promise! Now both of you get down from there so we can all go home!"

The security bots lowered their weapon hands.

Yinu looked up at Tenten, "Okay... let's go..."

Slowly, Tenten began making his way off the stage, hands still raised. Yinu followed behind, not letting her hand off of the back of his left leg. They descended the steps off the stage, and started walking down the aisle towards the adults until they were standing no more than a few feet apart.

"Yinu, are you okay baby?" asked Mama calmly.

Yinu was still behind Tenten, but she replied with a sheepish, "Uh-huh."

She was about to go back to her Mama’s open arms, but then Yinu looked up at Tenten's Captain. Now that she was closer she could see the details of his mask... it wasn't a mask, it was his actual face. Was he a robot too?

Yinu wondered how a robot could be the boss of another robot, but she supposed that some people were the boss of other people too, so it made sense. Just before she could walk back over to her Mama’s side, the Captain began talking, very angrily.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself solider?" the Captain asked sternly.

"Papa..."

"...What did you just call me?" exclaimed the Captain.

"I mean, Captain Neon Jay, sir." Tenten quickly rectified his blunder.

"I sincerely apologize for my actions today. It was not my intention to endanger or harm Miss Yinu in any way. I-"

CLANK!

"I am not asking for your excuses soldier!" the Captain slapped his hand across the android's face, turning his head a full 90 degrees to the right. The loud clang of metal on metal froze everyone in their spots.

Yinu cried, "Tenten!"

"I was not hurt, Miss Yinu..." Tenten assured the girl as he clicked his head back to its original position. This was half-true. It did not hurt him physically aside from a small scuff from metal clashing against metal. The slap had probably done more harm to the Captain's hand than it did to Tenten's face, but the gesture was agonizing. Never before had the Captain reacted with such violent disappointment.

"How could you possibly disobey direct orders like that!? Not only did you put a child in a dangerous situation, but you used firearms in an unauthorized zone! Not to mention cloaking without express permission! Do you know how much this is going to cost us!"

The android could do nothing but stand and listen as all of his failures today were listed out in great detail, each one causing him to feel just a little more shame. But, more than that, he began focusing on Yinu holding onto him tighter and tighter. He could feel her tears streaking down his leg, and right now that was the most important detail.

"You are making Miss Yinu cry."

"And you know- What did you say?! After all that you still have the nerve to interrupt-" Jay was about to raise another hand towards Tenten until he repeated:

"You are making Miss Yinu cry."

Jay turned his attention to the girl still cowering behind Tenten.

She was murmuring to herself, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... it's my fault...if I didn't run away then... you wouldn't be getting yelled at…"

“Yinu… it’s okay Yinu...” Mama finally stepped forward to comfort her daughter with a hug. Yinu gave a half hug back, not wanting to let go of Tenten’s leg.

Tenten looked back at Yinu. "Miss Yinu, No one is mad at you." he said.

Tenten so desperately wanted to comfort Yinu too. It was taking every bit of restraint in his processors to keep him from moving from his current position, for he still had not been given permission to lower his arms. He hoped that his words would be enough comfort, though he doubted their effectiveness.

"Everyone here was very worried about you. They are mad at me because I got you hurt." he continued.

Yinu broke away from everyone.

"But you didn't hurt me! You protected me from everything." she chided the android for saying what she thought was a lie.

"Then why are you covered in bandages?" pointed out Miss Quartz. Yinu felt the bandage on her cheek again. It had happened so long ago already that she'd forgotten it and the ones are her knees were even there.

"I tripped and fell when I was running away. Tenten fixed me up." she admitted between sniffles.

Neon Jay crossed his arms and turned back towards Tenten. "Is this true, Tenten?"

The android said nothing.

“Soldier, you answer when I ask you a question. Is it true that Yinu was hurt because she tripped and fell?”

“...Yes sir.”

"Then why did you say you hurt her?"

"Miss Yinu tripped and fell because she was frightened of me. That means the fault lies with my poor approach."

Neon Jay sighed. "That's... You blew this whole thing out of proportion! We thought you did something to seriously hurt Yinu!"

"Is this not serious?"

"I mean, accidents happen Tenten. Something this small doesn’t necessitate all the hell you put everyone one through today."

"But I was threatened.”

“When? By who?”

“I quote, “I swear if it did anything to hurt her, I'll tear it apart!” end quote.”

The Captain looked at Yinu’s Mama who was still hugging Yinu before turning back to Tenten and pinching at his face again "We really need to refine your ability to understand figures of speech."

"It wasn't a figure of speech." murmured Mama. “But… no, I wouldn’t have done it if I knew that’s what happened.” she finished as she picked up Yinu to carry in her arms and get a good look at the “harm” that had been done.

"What about your hair Yinu, how did it come undone?" asked Mama.

"I did it myself. It hurt to have them that tight, Mama."

Mama furrowed her brow. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"Because I know Mama worked really hard to make it really cute like that. I didn't want to disappoint you…" Yinu said shyly.

“Oh Yinu…” Mama kissed her cheek.

“Well, I’m glad this has been resolved and no one was seriously injured, but this has still been a major incident.” started Miss Quartz. “Jay, I expect you to file the proper reports on this and make-up for your robots’ mess today.”

“Yes Ma’am!” the Captain saluted, but his tone had the slightest bit of annoyance behind it, aimed at the much too cautious android.

Then Miss Quartz turned toward Yinu and her Mama. “As for Miss Yinu’s transfer, we can continue this another day. I’m sure you would both like to go home and relax after all this nonsense.”

They both nodded. “And Miss Yinu,” she turned her attention specifically to the little girl. “I am willing to overlook today’s events as a simple accident and misunderstanding, but I’m expecting a lot less tomfoolery from you in the future. When your Mama asks you to come back immediately, you do so. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do things by yourself, but you must still obey your Mama, understand?”

Yinu nodded, “I understand.”

“Very good, then everyone move out. There’s a lot to catch up on! Chop chop! I’ll escort you both to the exit.” Miss Quartz clapped as everyone exited the concert hall to return to their respective stations.

As the Captain and Tenten were about to walk away to survey the damage done to the security bots a few floors down (which would certainly have to be deducted from the Captain’s salary), Yinu called out. “Wait, Tenten!”

The robot stopped and turned around to look back at her calling his name. “Go ahead.” said the Captain. With permission, Tenten walked over to Mama carrying Yinu.

“Yes, Miss Yinu?” Tenten asked.

“A little closer.” she said. Tenten took another step forward towards Mama and Yinu.

“Closer!” she laughed. He took a few more steps, enough that he noticed that Mama was getting a little uncomfortable having to look at the robot so closely.

He became so close that his face was only a few inches away from the girl’s face.

“Now turn your head to the left.” his face whirred into place.

“My left.” he whirred again until his left cheek was facing Yinu.

Finally Yinu reached into her pocket and pulled out the extra bandage that she still had from earlier. She applied it to the scuff that was left from the Captain’s slap.

“There, now we match.” she said proudly.

Tenten turned his head back to look at Yinu and the bandage that was stuck to her left cheek too.

“Yes, we do.” he replied as he touched the freshly applied bandage. “Thank you very much Yinu. I hope we can see each other again.” he said.

“You probably will,” started Miss Tatiana. “She’ll be working with us very soon. Once we clear all the paperwork.”

Yinu nodded and smiled. “Yeah! We’ll get to see each other a lot!”

“Yes, hopefully with a little less excitement next time.” said Miss Quartz towards the android. “But right now, it’s time for you two to say good-bye.”

“Okay. Good-bye Tenten.” said Yinu as she waved farewell towards him.

“Good-bye, Miss Yinu.” he waved back and began to walk back to the Captain’s side.

As Mama began leaving with Yinu, the girl let out a small yawn as her sleepiness caught up with her again. “I’m sorry I made you worry Mama.” she said sleepily. Mama kissed Yinu on the forehead again. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Mm-hmm…” Yinu’s eyes started to glaze over until she finally closed them as she nuzzled into her Mama’s warm arms, falling fast asleep.

Meanwhile the android and cyborg walked in relative silence back towards the stairwell to investigate the lower floors.

There was a lot that Jay had to consider about what to do with Tenten. Whether it had good intentions or not, an android that so clearly disobeyed orders did not give the Captain confidence in its current programming. Something would have to be done about this, but until then, there was one question still weighing on Jay’s mind that he wanted answered sooner rather than later.

“Tenten, why did you call me “Papa” earlier?”

-------------------------------

Several months passed since Yinu had been properly signed onto NSR. She was already raising the ranks in Natura. By next summer it was all but guaranteed that she would take over as the top charter. During such a small amount of time, she had already accomplished much at NSR, but she hadn’t seen Tenten again since she returned. Apparently he had been undergoing maintenance during his upgrade to MK III. She did however learn that Tenten was actually a part of group of other Tentens.

She wondered what that would be like, five different versions of Tenten. Would they all be as nice as the one she’d met before or would they all be a little different. But today she would get to seem them during their new debut. She was excited to meet them again after what felt like forever.

“Yinu, please don’t run in the halls!” Mama called after her trying to match her daughter’s energetic pace.

“I want to seem them Mama! I want to, AH!”

“Yinu!” gasped Mama as she ran over to her side.

Yinu had accidentally collided with someone and fell over. “Ouchies…” she cried, rubbing her forehead. Whoever she hit was unnaturally hard, and metallic. Wait, metallic?

“I’m sorry, are you alright Little Miss?” asked the voice. It was clearly synthetic, but it had a warm and familiar tone.

Yinu looked up to see a robot looking back down at her. Its face a little different than she remembered. It was a lot more human than before, but the glowing white eyes and fancy clothes were a dead giveaway.

“Are you al-”

“Tenten!” Yinu beamed. “I missed you!” she said.

“Oh, but you didn’t miss me. You ran right into me, Doll.” he laughed.

“Huh?” she said slightly confused at this answer. Tenten never really told jokes like that. He smiled back at her, but she thought he would be a little more excited to see her again.

From behind Tenten the Captain appeared.

“What did you bump into this ti- Oh, it’s Miss Yinu again! How are you?” said Jay as the little girl came into his viewing range. “Hello Mr. Jay. I’m well,” replied Yinu a little more formally. She hadn’t gotten to see Neon J. much either since coming back, but the last thing she remembered about him was him yelling at Tenten, so she was still a little frightened of him.

“What happened to Tenten? He’s a little… different now.” she said, looking back up at the white haired robot. Did Tenten even have hair the last time she saw him? She didn’t think so, but it was a little hard to remember everything that happened that day.

“This is the new MK III Tenten!” exclaimed Jay. “He’s a little more natural and a lot more stylish, but he’s still got the same Tenten moves.” he said.

“Yeah, new and improved, Babygirl!” said Tenten with a wink.

“But… do you remember me?” asked Yinu, looking straight into Tenten’s glowing eyes, hoping to find a hint of the answer she wanted to hear. Jay was silent and was about to stop Tenten from saying anything else, but it was already too late. He had improved his reaction time too much:

“I can’t remember someone I’ve never met.”

---------

AN: Originally I wrote a bit more after the last line, and after Jay asking about why Tenten called him "Papa" but neither were going anywhere, so I cut them. If y'all like it though, maybe I'll write about both aftermaths. Fair warning though, neither are going to make this ending any happier.

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brain-rot-central · 4 months

Text

Sonnet of the Lone Cardinal, Ch. 5

A/N: Holy hell, this chapter got hands. I sincerely apologize for it taking me almost two months to update. Buckle up -- we got some unsettling bullshit brewing within this one. As always, thank you all for your continued support, and please mind the tags. Happy reading!

Rating: Explicit Word count: ~8.2k (I'm rounding up) Pairing: Ascended Astarion x Female Tav (DU, named) Warnings: 18+, minor character deaths, depictions of murder, dark romance, pregnancy mention (of course), manipulative behaviors, toxic relationship, jealousy, abuse mention, minor references to suicidal ideation and overall mental health struggles Summary: Tav awakes after the events of the prior evening alone, confused. Having overheard a discussion between the servants, she makes her way down into the depths of the manor and uncovers a shocking secret.

♥ Previous Chapter ♥ Link to Ao3

She awakens; startled.

Her eyes snap open and Tav springs up from the plush cocoon of linens she's wrapped in – white sheets and a cream colored duvet envelop her. She looks around, frantically searching a room that is unfamiliar. There’s a crick in her neck as she turns her head too fast. She winces then raises a hand to rub over the spot. Raised scabs cover the two signature pinpoints in her neck as she continues to soothe the aching muscle.

There's a heaviness to her head as the events of the prior night swim to the surface of her mind, panic starting anew.

‘He bit me,’ Tav remembers, urgently. She extends both arms in front of herself for inspection, flipping them over again and again. At this moment, Tav cannot recall what her usual skin tone is – her chest heaves with labored breath as she looks hurriedly around the room for a mirror. In the corner, alongside the wall, sits a vanity. She bolts from the bed, rushing urgently to the mirror.

Grasping the edges of the vanity, Tav snaps her head up to meet the glass.

Her reflection…stares back at her.

Astarion had kept his word – he did not turn her.

She sighs, collapsing into the seat stationed at the vanity. Autonomic tremors wrack her body, adrenaline beginning to take effect. Closing her eyes, Tav focuses on her breathing. She takes a deep breath in through her nose, blowing it out through her mouth. Again. And again. As she rides the choppy waves of her anxiety, a sharp twist in her stomach has her laying a hand over her lower abdomen. With the palm of her hand, Tav rubs soothing circles over the plush softness of her growing belly.

“Glad to see you're okay,” she says affectionately to her stomach, lips curling up into a smile.

How did she end up here? Where is here? Peeling open her eyes, Tav gives the room an honest gander. It's not large, but not necessarily small, either. The room hosts hunter green walls with natural pine wood flooring. There’s a glass door to the front of the room, adjacent to the bed, with two smaller windows on either side; Tav can only assume it leads to a balcony. Beige drapes hang over the windows, parted gently down the middle and tied to the wall by golden holdbacks. There are plants – so many plants – throughout the room. Marbled pothos in hanging pots, a small belladonna on a stand; various other flora and fauna act as decor for the quaint bedroom.

She rises and walks back to the bed, noting that her belongings have been placed neatly along the bottom edge. Tav pokes through them, revealing each layer; her satchel, scarf, and hat are all present. Personal items are all accounted for as she rummages through her bag. It isn't until she notices her dress folded under her bag that she’s aware of her current attire. Somehow, she's now wearing a beige silk slip gown, the hem stopping just above her knees. The top and bottom of the dress are embroidered with white lace; a small bow is positioned right between the beginning of her cleavage.

Tav scans the room again and finds a matching bathrobe hanging on a hook behind the bedroom door. She quickly gathers the robe and throws it over herself, catching from the corner of her eye, what appears to be a note on the nightstand adjacent to the bed as she turns around. A vase of freshly cut red roses also resides atop the table.

Tav picks up the note and inspects it. The handwriting is Astarion's – of that, she's certain. The note is addressed to her. It reads,

‘Tavaria,

My apologies that you will wake alone with only this letter – I'm in rather high demand, today. I am hopeful this note will provide much needed clarification.

It seems as though we’ve had a repeat of our first encounter, yester eve. For that, I owe you an apology. I was overzealous. Truly, I'd forgotten how much I savor your blood, and just how easy it is to lose myself to it.

Rest assured, as soon as I'd realized you'd lost consciousness, I stopped. Everything. Nothing further occurred during your incapacitation. I gathered us both and brought you here, to your bedroom, to rest. I hope you don't mind my giving you a change of clothing; not sure how you'd feel about falling asleep in your day clothes. You did always make it a point to change before retiring for the evening.’

Tav smiles as she reads over the letter. He was right; she never fell asleep without dressing down for the evening. When he had asked her why, she'd told him that it would invite horrid dreams, were she not comfortable during sleep.

She continues reading,

‘I've tasked Magdalena with helping you around the manor. You need only ask that of which you desire, and she will assist. I suggest taking your morning tea out on the balcony overlooking the courtyard garden. The roses I've left were cut fresh from one of our many bushes this morning.

Tav looks to the glass door leading out to the patio. She catches a glimpse of the small courtyard beyond the ledge of the balcony. Various shades of pink and red roses line the courtyard walls; they're no doubt the source of his gift.

Although the urge to sequester you all to myself is an incredibly formidable one, our time is sadly not yet. You are free to leave whenever you desire. Simply inform Magdalena of your wish to leave, and she will escort you.

I do hope you make a habit of coming to visit. It would be lovely to have you at future events.

I ever so miss having you near, my dearest spitfire.

A. A.

Spitfire – his old moniker for her.

The first time he saw her charge headfirst into a group of Gnolls, he bestowed that name upon her. She'd yelled orders from her frontal position to the back line, the pack dropping quickly from their combined onslaught. All piss and raw vinegar as she cut them down, screaming with each swing of her great sword. For Astarion, it was exhilarating to watch the woman he was newly involved with take the initiative. He would later tell her it was a deciding factor in how he inevitably fell for her.

Tav places the note back on the table, raising her head toward the windows. She approaches the door to the balcony, placing a hand upon the handle. It turns with relative ease and Tav pushes open the door, stepping out onto the patio. The sun bathes her skin in a comforting warmth and she takes a moment to enjoy the sensation. Despite it being morning, she can already tell the weather will be unbearably warm by midday. Yet, for now, this is fine. This will do nicely to help soothe her worrisome heart. At least, for a short while.

Looking out beyond the balcony, Tav is greeted with a full view of the courtyard garden. She sees the rose bushes from before clearer, now. Various colored tulips outline the brick path cut down its middle, along with lavender and catmint, creating a dazzling display of color. Tav closes her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. A sweet floral scent meets her nose and she instantly relaxes, shoulders falling into a more comfortable position.

She recalls Astarion's surprise when they reached Baldur's Gate. “You forget just how much color there is in the world,” he told her. Seeing first hand how much vibrancy the garden possesses, it's no wonder he speaks so highly of it.

As she looks down at the grounds below, Tav sees gardeners trimming hedges. A couple look up and wave, having caught her in their periphery. She waves back as a kind gesture, and returns back to the bedroom. There's knocking on the bedroom door – three short taps with the back of a knuckle, just as she closes the door to the balcony.

“Lady Tavaria? Are you awake?” comes a light voice from the other side of the door.

‘Magdalena.’

“Y-yes! I'm up,” Tav answers. She walks to the bedroom door but doesn't open it. Instead, she chooses to stand in front, awaiting a response from the servant.

“Ah, wonderful!” Magdalena exclaims jovially. May I come in, my lady?”

Tav worries the inside of her cheek, hesitantly raising a hand to the doorknob. The woman is harmless, she knows, yet her heart still wavers. With a brief shuttering of her eyes, Tav draws in a deep breath again and opens the door.

Magdalena stands just outside the door, a tray of tea and finger sandwiches in her hands. “Brightest of mornings, Lady Tavaria,” she greets with a short curtsey. Her signature smile is widely on display. “I've brought tea and some breakfast, at the behest of Lord Ancunín.”

Tav nods and steps out of the way, welcoming Magdalena into the bedroom. The older woman places the tray on top of a wooden dresser along the wall. “Thank you,” Tav says, walking over to the tray.

Her stomach growls as she looks over the sandwiches. It dawns on her that she hasn't eaten since lunch the day before. As she reaches for a piece of sandwich, Tav notices a small scroll rolled up on the tray next to the tea pot. Choosing to forego food at the moment, she picks up the scroll and starts cautiously untying the binding. “What is this?” Tav asks, glancing up toward Magdalena.

“A scroll of Lesser Restoration,” Magdalena explains. “The young Master insisted you’d have need of it.”

Tav opens the scroll and reads over the incantation. During their travels, it wasn't uncommon for Tav to ask this of Shadowheart, especially after nights with Astarion. Shadowheart would scold her for taking things too far yet again with their vampiric companion, but would heal her, nonetheless.

“That's very thoughtful of him,” Tav answers, flatly. She recites the spell laid out within the scroll, a faint blue aura enveloping her. The scroll disintegrates within her hands as the aura clears. Her head suddenly feels clearer, her body stronger. Tav never quite understood how the spell works, but she chooses never to question it further. For now, she'll enjoy her breakfast, pouring herself a cup of tea before choosing a piece of sandwich.

Magdalena smiles again as Tav begins eating. “May I run you a bath?” she offers. “It will be done by the time you finish.”

“Ah, no,” Tav answers while chewing, raising a hand to cover her mouth, “that's quite alright. I think I'll just slowly get myself together.”

Their eyes meet as Tav lifts her head toward the older woman once more. For a moment, the servant's eyes glow. Tav furrows her brow as she studies Magdalena’s face. She's seen this look before, but not since Cazador was still master of the palace.

Suddenly, it clicks.

She's actively conferring with Astarion.

Magdalena's eyes return to their usual hue almost as quickly as they changed. Tav resumes her breakfast, feigning innocence of her discovery.

“Of course, Lady Tavaria. That would be no problem at all,” says Magdalena. The servant makes toward the bedroom door, but turns around before exiting. “Please feel free to call for me, if you have need.”

Tav nods again while taking a sip of tea. “Of course, Magdalena. Thank you, though there's one question I have.” She motions toward the note lying on the nightstand next to the bed, seeking to prove her prior theory correct. “Astarion said in his note that I may leave whenever I please.” She places her tea back down on the tray, locking eyes once more with Magdalena. “Is that true?”

A brief moment passes without a response. Faint glowing rings appear around Magdalena’s irises once again, then fade within seconds. “Absolutely!” the woman exclaims, positively. “You’re free to come and go as you please. Master Astarion would never keep you here against your will.” The smirk on her face is not her own but that of Astarion’s, a blatant display of his compulsion over the older woman.

Tav draws in a shallow breath, deeply unsettled. “Thank you, Magdalena,” Tav says quietly, placing her cup of tea down. Magdalena bows before taking her leave of the bedroom, the door shutting with a soft ‘click’ behind her. Tav stares at the back of the door, mind beginning to race.

Why spy on her if she's free to leave? Why offer her accommodations if Astarion has zero intent to keep her here? She winces as a sharp throb shoots through her neck. The scroll may have cleared her mind, though his mark is still very much present.

“He's hiding something,” Tav says aloud, raising a hand to rub the side of her neck. The scabs brush along her palm as she smoothes over the skin. She begins to ponder the night prior. The look on his face… His liar's smile. Tav knows the look well. He's used it on her and countless others across the duration of their journey together.

But why? It's her, after all. He can trust her, can't he? He can confide in her.

“You left me, remember?”

The words echo in her mind. She hates to admit it, but Tav broke his trust just as much as he broke hers. The exact moment of Astarion’s triumph is when she pulled away. When he finally achieved all he lusted after, she left. Rejected entirely the man he became, truly, for her. Sold the very essence of his conscience in a diabolical contract to achieve the confidence, power, and strength to protect her, to protect them, for the rest of eternity.

She drops her hand to her stomach, rubbing over the small bump of her lower belly. That same circumstance is the exact reason she's in her current position. It surprises her, though Tav believes Astarion is still somehow unaware of her condition. If he were, he would have half the manor waiting on her hand and foot. The best clerics and healers would be brought in from all around Faerûn. But above all, he would demand that she stay here. Tav has little doubt he would be an attentive and caring partner. Yet, it would mark the end of her freedom. There is no doubt in her mind about that.

Tav inevitably makes her way to the bath, stripping herself of the silken nightgown. She cleanses her skin thoroughly with care, looking delightfully at the array of soaps and oils provided to her. When she steps back out, she assembles her outfit from the day before.

With one more small bite of a sandwich and a sip of tea, Tav heads out of the bedroom and into the large hallway. She's unfamiliar with this wing of the palace – not somewhere that was accessible to during their initial visit. It's entirely possible Astarion had this built during the renovations, though the marble carvings within the walls state otherwise. Plush red carpeting lines the hallway, leading to a grand wooden staircase.

Looking around, Tav notes that there is barely a presence on this floor. She begins making her way toward the staircase, noting that even the floor below looks just as deserted. The gears in her head begin turning; where could everyone be? It's barely mid-morning – certainly the servants have chores?

Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, Tav hears soft echoes of voices coming from around the corner. She believes this to be the main floor of the manor. Is he having a meeting in the foyer? The ballroom? She travels down the hall and hugs the corner wall. Slowly she peaks her head over the corner. No one is present in the manor foyer, yet when she turns her head toward the ballroom, Tav quickly pulls herself close to the wall in an effort to avoid being spotted.

Cautiously, Tav again looks around the corner, staying as flush with the wall as possible. There's a gathering of sorts within the ballroom. Maids and servants are arranging table sets, ornaments are being strung from the walls. One servant is up on a ladder hand-wiping each crystal of the delicate chandelier that hangs from the ceiling.

Ah, this explains why the manor is so deserted. They're all here, seemingly preparing for an event. Tav looks around and quickly notes Astarion’s absence, yet catches Magdalena fussing with another servant.

“Why’s it we who have to do all this?” complains the young man. He's tall, thin, with shortly cropped ears. A half-elf, perhaps? Maybe even less. “Why's the Master get to sit all pretty while we're here working?” He's holding a silver teapot, polishing it with a soft, white cloth.

“Oh, Thaddeus,” Tav overhears Magdalena sigh, “Lord Ancunín trusts that everything will be up to his expectations, so long as it is us who do this.” The basket she holds comes to rest on a nearby table top as she turns to her companion. “You can hire just about anyone to do anything. But those finer details that have people talking for weeks?” She raises a hand, wagging a finger toward the young man. “Those can only be found by knowing your clientele. And we do.” She nods her head. “He knows that.”

Tav begins to pull back along the wall but stops once she hears the young man speak again, “You know him a long time, don't you?”

“I do,” Magdalena answers confidently.

“Was he always this arrogant?”

The pensive look in the woman's eyes gives Tav pause once again. “He wasn't always in a position to be otherwise,” Magdalena replies quietly.

Tav finally pulls herself back along the wall, looking down to the floor. It's how he survived Cazador. The slavery. The whoring. The hunger. All of it. “Spite made me who I am!” She remembers the venom laced within those words, having pushed him too far. Her heart skips in her chest as it floods with unsettling heat.

“Do I really have to go down there?” the boy from earlier says from around the corner. “It's cold down there. And smells awful.”

Tav listens closely as Magdalena responds, “Oh fine, you don't have to go right now. But someone must go down before tomorrow night’s banquet.”

‘Down?’ Tav ponders. The only thing she remembers being under the manor is the crypts. Those were left empty after the ritual, having sacrificed all those lives in the Rite. Nothing remained but the stench of death and stale air. What could possibly be down there that they need to check on?

In a split decision, Tav peers quickly over the edge of the wall again. The path is clear; every servant is occupied with their tasks at hand. She then dashes to the opposite wall, hugging it close as she listens to the activity within the ballroom.

Nothing. Just the same chatter as before.

If she has any hope of making it to the crypts, Tav remembers she needs the ring. That accursed fucking ring, engraved with the Szarr family sigil. She doubts Astarion has changed the enchantment, as evidenced by the heavy metal doors of the ballroom. ‘But where to find the ring?’ she ponders. Tav recalls a matching set – one within Cazador's possession, and the other…

Godey.

Astarion returned the duplicate back to fucking Godey. Or, really, what was left of him. Once obtaining Cazador's ring, he returned the prior to the skeleton before departing the palace.

“I very much deserve the real thing. Not some cheap imitation,” he says. As Tav watches him kneel before the corpse of his tormentor, he gives pause. They’re the only two occupants of the room, the others choosing to stay above in the foyer. The room smells horrid; fetid. Nothing but the stench of death and decay permeates the air. Astarion sits with his head bowed low, hands balled into tight fists on his thighs. Tav refrains from speaking, letting Astarion have his moment. Eventually, the newly ascended vampire lord reaches into his pocket and produces the duplicate ring, dropping it within the pile of bones that was once animated. As he rises, Astarion turns to Tav and says, “I’m done here.”

She quirks her brow. “Are you sure?” Tav asks in concern. “We should really talk–”

“I’m done here,” Astarion repeats again, more sternly. He walks past Tav without making eye contact and heads for the stairs. Tav looks back at the room briefly before exiting, then follows Astarion up the stairs.

Looking around, Tav realizes the layout of the manor has changed. “But has he changed the structure underneath?” she whispers to herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she finds it – a small stairway at the end of the hall leading down and–

‘Aha; there it is.’

Tav quickly scans the hall and upon realizing the way is clear, dashes toward the staircase. She hurries down the stairs, halting momentarily at the bottom to perform another quick surveillance of her surroundings.

Having Astarion as a teacher certainly helped improve her stealth. His two-hundred years of experience shined brightest as he glided about the night, lifting coin purses and trinkets with finesse so smooth they'd all be right out of earshot when the shrills of the victims finally rang out. Tav would stand in awe as he'd then pawn the hot items, using every smooth edge of his perfectly sculpted face to its full advantage. It was often that he'd come away with more gold in hand than the others during these exchanges, leading to the group agreeing unanimously that Astarion barter with all merchants.

The way looks clear once more and Tav ventures into the hall. This floor looks little changed; the…entertainment…quarters are off to the left, which means the kennels are still to the right. Tav turns her head as she approaches the threshold of the kennels. The blood-stained mattresses from months prior are still strewn about the floor of the room, coupled with the shackles welded into the stone. What makes her breath catch is Godey’s skeleton, lifeless on the ground. It's laying in the exact same position it was left in when he was slain.

Astarion hasn't touched it.

No one has touched anything in this room, let alone on this floor, from the looks of it.

With a heavy sigh, Tav steps through the doorway and enters the torture chamber. The air still carries the horrid scent of decay, but not nearly as strongly as the months’ prior. She kneels before the pile of bones on the floor that once was Godey, and without much hesitation, begins rummaging around for the ring. She finds it under his ribcage, nestled between his pelvis, and quickly stashes it in her satchel. Tav tries rearranging Godey’s remains as respectfully as she can, then rises from the floor.

She's quick to leave the room, not affording herself a glance back, and slinks back up the stairs. A servant passes as she reaches the top of the stairs and Tav halts, watching them intently. Thankfully, they fail to notice her presence, and she continues up into the hallway. Her next challenge is to somehow sneak into the ballroom, to the doorway off to the left that houses the elevator shaft. Astarion taught her an invisibility spell during their lessons, though her grasp on the spell is crude at best, only being able to hold the veil for half its usual time.

She'll have to be quick, is all.

Tav hugs the wall once more as she makes her way back to the ballroom. Silently she prays no changes have been made to that wing of the manor. She whispers the incantation for the invisibility spell to herself; her form blinks out of view and she dashes into the room. Holding her concentration as best she can, Tav nearly collides with a maid as she turns the corner. The spell flickers for a soft moment, threatening to collapse entirely, before she inevitably regains focus. She looks around briefly – no one within the ballroom seems to have noticed her mishap, and she quickly slips behind the door leading to the elevator, closing it promptly behind her.

Exhaling in relief, Tav releases the spell, retrieving the ring from her satchel as she walks toward the elevator. The gate opens as she approaches and she steps in. As she raises the ring to the corresponding sigil etched within the metal wall, Tav winces, hoping that the activation of the elevator doesn’t trigger an alarm. Ancient gears begin to wind, feeling the vibrations under her feet, and the gate closes. The elevator begins to draw down, and Tav sighs in relief.

The air shifts as she further descends down the shaft. An uneasiness takes root deep within her chest as the temperature shifts; she shivers, and suddenly, the elevator stops with a jump. The gate swings open and Tav steps off. She's assaulted by the scent of rotting organic matter and stale blood. Her stomach churns, half in nausea but also hunger. Curse the child growing within – already having such a twisted moral compass. Most befitting of the union between a vampire and a Bhaalspawn.

Her footsteps reverberate loudly against the tall stone walls of the dungeon. As she looks around, Tav realizes that this, too, has been left untouched during the renovations. Making her way to the main hall, she ponders where Astarion would keep his secret hidden, were there one. She turns off to the left and heads to where the remains of Vellioth lay; where most accounts from all prior lords of the manor reside.

Entering the stone room, Tav immediately notices the two sarcophaguses off to the right. They, too, are made of stone, their lids decorated with intricate carvings. She quirks her brow, drawing closer to the structures. These look new; a fine dust has settled on the ground surrounding each, most likely shaken off the while being placed.

A quick memory flits across her mind, of the two men mentioned within the Gazette. Evidence of fangs marks marring their necks, vanishing from the crime scene without a trace. Again Tav's stomach churns, queasily this time.

Perhaps these are Astarion's new sleeping chambers? Her brain is trying to form a positive explanation. Maybe he's grown tired of satin and feathered beds, craving the comforts of solitude.

She winces, seemingly staring out into nothing, and pulls her head to one side. ‘No,’ Tav thinks, ‘not after that particular event…’

She approaches the first of the tombs, cautiously extending her hands to the lid. With a breath, she pushes, the bellowing sound of stone grinding against stone cutting through the heavy silence of the crypt. Finally, the cover drops to the floor with a loud ‘thud’, the ground shaking briefly beneath her feet.

Closing her eyes, Tav leans forward over the lip of the stone coffin. She wills her eyes to then open observing the contents inside.

Her mouth drops open, breath arresting in her chest by what she finds.

Within the stone coffin lay a man in hooded black garb. Of elven lineage, most likely – not much older than a hundred. As she scans his form, Tav notes a discolored bruise on one side of the man’s neck. A trail of blood leads down his chest, obscured by the collar of his garb. Reaching into the coffin, she gently pushes the hood to the side, allowing her a better view of his neck.

Her pupils grow wide.

Within the blossomed bruise, two pin marks decorate the man’s skin. Tav raises a hand to her neck and traces the distance between each of her scars. She extends her hand over the man's neck, keeping her fingers aligned.

She gasps – the marks line up near perfectly with her fingers.

‘No…’

A surge of heat crawls throughout her body, her heart drumming loudly within her ears. Tav darts her eyes to the second stone coffin and sets to work on shoving off the lid. With one final groan from Tav, the lid hits the floor, ground shaking again from the impact. Quickly, Tav peers over the ledge.

Another young man in hooded black garb – a dragonborn. Tav reaches down to push the hood over, revealing the man's neck to her eyes. He, too, possesses the same pin marks as the first.

“Somehow I knew I'd find you here,” comes a smooth voice from beyond the corridor.

Tav halts, a shiver running down her spine. She knows that baritone voice, all too well.

Him.

Footsteps echo off stone flooring, the sound increasing in intensity as he walks down the hall. He emerges from the shadows and into full view; he's chosen his red and black doublet today, with a simple pair of black slacks. His loafers are the same as the day's prior. Not a single strand of hair atop his head is out of place. Perfectly poised, per usual.

“Shouldn't’ve taught me your entire repertoire, then,” Tav retorts with slight annoyance, swiveling her head to address him over her shoulder.

He smirks as he closes the distance. “Half, little love,” Astarion chides with a wag of a finger. “I taught you half of what I know.” He stands just within the doorway’s arch, crossing his arms over his chest. Astarion then tilts his head to one side, pulling his face into a questioning scowl. “Why exactly are you here?”

Silence hangs heavy in the air while Tav conjures a response. She narrows her eyes, shooting Astarion a searing glance.

“You lied to me, Astarion,” she accuses, raising a finger at him. “And I knew you did.” Looking to the twin coffins lining the walls of the room, Tav shakes her head. “I overheard the servants talking about something here within the crypts, and I–”

Astarion drops his brow. “Who did you overhear?” comes his stern response, laced within a deep growl.

Tav shrugs her shoulders. “Does it matter?” she suggests. “The damage is already done, Astarion. I know the truth.”

He's quiet as she walks toward him; stoic. He stops breathing, having no true need of it, and he’s a living statue before her eyes. Ivory skin with just the faintest hint of life. Piercing red eyes. A strong, sharp nose. Hardened jaw clenched tight…

Tav is quick to rid her mind of the creeping lust that threatens to bloom within.

“But what I don't understand is why lie to me, Astarion?” She continues to argue her point, pounding a fist over her chest. “What do you gain? What do you preserve?”

Astarion doesn't answer immediately, likely trying to piece together a sound reply. He shifts his weight onto one hip and sighs. “Has our dearest friend Wyllyam not told you of our arrangement?”

Tav shifts back a step, turning her face toward the side only minimally, eyes still fixated upon him. “What are you implying?”

Astarion’s resulting smile oozes malice. “Oh dear, you really don't know.” He drops his arms from his chest and closes the distance. Tav flinches as he leans toward her, dropping his voice to a purr, “And here I thought you were just playing the part.”

“Know what, Astarion? Speak plainly,” demands Tav.

Again, a momentary lapse in response. He stares blankly, expressionless as he says, “Awfully surprised this hasn't come up during pillow talk.”

Tav blinks in genuine shock. ‘Pillow talk? What in the hells–’

Suddenly, her brain mulls over the thought and she scowls. “Astarion, are you asking if I've ever slept with Wyll?”

He leans back, shifting his head again to one side. “I'm not quite sure, love,” he says, feigning innocence. “Perhaps you could tell me?”

Flabbergasted, Tav shouts, “He's the Duke, Astarion! I report directly to him!” She shakes her head in disagreement. “No, our interactions are strictly professional.”

“Of course, but old habits die hard, my dear. Surely you know that,” Astarion retorts.

The sentence churns within her brain. Tav recalls the events of their journey against the Absolute. Every dinner, every laugh, every intimate moment shared.

‘He can't possibly be referring to…’

Her attention snaps back to Astarion, who waits patiently as she unravels his meaning.

“We shared a kiss, Astarion,” Tav explains, mildly annoyed. “You and I pledged ourselves to one another soon after. You know this.”

“You both shared a rather intimate dance, as well.” He begins to circle her; Tav keeps her head on a swivel as she tracks his movement. “What else, I wonder, did you share in our time away from one another?”

“I already told you, our relationship is strictly professional. I harbor no additional feelings for Wyll.”

Astarion's raises his hands in defeat, bowing slightly at the waist. “I'll accept what you say as truth.”

Somberly, Tav looks toward the two stone coffins holding the unfortunate victims. “How does Wyll have anything to do with this?” she questions. “I doubt he'd take murder lightly.”

Astarion huffs a laugh. “Oh, my darling, how wrong you are. They aren’t dead.” Astarion moves toward the first sarcophagus, stopping just next to it. “And they're not innocent. I can assure you of that.”

She whips her head toward Astarion, bewilderment painted clear up on her face. “Not dead?” reiterates Tav. “Astarion, I'm sure of what I saw. Those two men are dead; gone of this world.”

“Did you touch them?” he inquires, lifting a brow.

“No,” she admits, shaking her head, “why would I?”

Astarion lifts his chin, nodding toward the coffins. “Touch them,” he dares. “Go on.”

Tav holds his challenging gaze for a moment before bowing her head. Cautiously, she walks toward the coffins again, choosing the one that holds the elven man. Quickly she looks to Astarion, who nods his head again in encouragement. Tav raises a shaky hand over the lip of the coffin, reaching for the young man inside.

The hand connects and her eyes grow wide.

‘His skin…it's…’

“Cool, but not chilled, yes?” Astarion comments smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tav quickly retracts her hand, shooting a heated glance at Astarion. “What the hells is this, Astarion?” she yells. “What kind of enchantment is this?!”

Knitting his brow, Astarion says, “Tell me, darling – does this satisfy your desire to paint me as some type of devil?” Slowly he stalks toward her, like a predator encircling their prey. Instinctively, Tav backs away, desperate to create more distance. “Does this prove your preconceived notions correct?”

“Astarion…” Tav says in a small voice, but she halts her retreat – a wave of rebellion overtaking her. She stands steady, watching his every movement.

He stops before her, heavy breaths rippling through his nostrils. “Will you fly from me again?” he asks, jaw tight. He leans forward, adding in a growl, “Do you fear me, now?”

He’s spiraling.

Backed into a corner, he's poised to strike. As she studies his face, Tav notes the tension set deep within his features. “...Not unless I have reason to,” she challenges. Tav narrows her eyes in question. “Do I?”

The tension eases somewhat, Astarion's face softening. He straightens his posture, placing a hand on the lip of the coffin for support. “Of course not,” he admits, looking off to the side. Astarion worries at his bottom lip. “I would see this entire city burn, if you willed.”

A cold shutter runs down the length of her spine. “I would never ask that of you, Astarion,” Tav states, cocking her head to one side.

“I know,” he smiles, lips pulling into a smirk, “but my offer still stands.”

Despite offering to raze an entire city in her stead, Tav realizes he still cannot call this what it truly is.

Love.

How much he loves her. Loves the idea of them. His worst fear realized, Tav comes to understand, is her turning her back on him again. Walking out the door, never to return. Astarion still cannot admit to himself that he longs, desperately, for nothing more than them being together, for as long as the accursed Gods above allow.

But, she knows. She sees it – sees him.

Her eyes wander back to the elven man in the stone coffin. Tav turns to face the coffin and dips her hand once more, placing the flat of her hand against the man’s cheek. “How is it possible that they still live?” she asks, curious. “You bit them, didn't you? Drained them?”

“I did,” agrees Astarion with a slight nod of his head, “however, that's only the first part. They haven't yet reached the final act.” His chest rises as he draws in a breath, exhaling with audible force. He meets her eye as he says, “Currently, they lay between.”

Tav's jaw drops in silent question. “How do you mean between, Astarion?” she asks, mortified. “Are you implying they're in a sort of stasis?”

“Somewhat, yes,” confirms Astarion. “To create a vampire spawn, the victim must be buried under six feet of dirt. After which,” he continues, gesturing with a light twirl of his wrist, “they awaken the following night. Beckoned, by their new master.” A hollow look sets on his face, eyes dropping to the floor. “Bound to them. Forever.”

“This happened weeks ago,” Tav is quick to argue, the soft burn of panic igniting within her chest. “You've kept them here this entire time? In this state?”

Astarion shrugs his shoulders in nonchalance, adopting a sort of apathy as he says, “Not much else to do, unfortunately. Not until I decide otherwise.”

A heavy sense of dread looms overhead. Tav can hardly believe how seemingly detached he is from the severity of the situation – willfully keeping these men in limbo, until he, essentially, gets around to settling the matter.

Completely at his mercy.

“This is hardly fair, Astarion,” says Tav, voice quivering.

“And what makes you think they're deserving of such a gesture?” he asks with a quirk of his brow.

“Everyone is,” she states in an urgent breath, “especially in death.”

“You’ve no idea who your heart bleeds for,” Astarion counters in a low growl, teeth clenched.

In a display of confidence, albeit foolishly, Tav approaches the vampire. “Did these men give themselves to you willingly?” she asks, pushing forward. Taken aback, Astarion steps away. “Did they pledge fealty to you? Or did you take it?”

Still stepping back, Astarion says quietly, “That hardly matters.”

“No, that's precisely what matters,” Tav insists, forcefully. She halts her frontal assault, choosing to meet his gaze. “Answer me, Astarion – did these men give you permission to turn them?”

They stand, eyes locked in a heated silent exchange, before Astarion finally admits, “No.” it's a one word response, yet it holds the weight of an entire mountain within its meaning.

The fire within her chest threatens to burst into an inferno, and Tav can tell Astarion is feeling the pressure, as well. There's a sheen to his eyes that only appears before the fall. Before a breakthrough.

“Is that the sort of master you want to be?” she pushes. The consequences of such an accusation can leave her in the same position as the men in the coffins, though this is another test of their bond. “One who takes without consideration?” Tav continues.

Can he withstand moral objectivity? Criticism? ‘Comparison,’ she thinks to herself, ‘to Cazador?’

“I would not wish to create spawn of those unaware of this life,” Astarion states mournfully.

“But if you complete the process, they become your spawn, correct?” infers Tav, continuing to lay on the pressure. “You would have the ability to compel them.”

Astarion shoots her a side glance. “I would never do that to them,” he snarls defensively, his limit quickly approaching.

“No, but you would still have the option. Just as he did. And they would know that.” Astarion's nostrils begin to flare as Tav encircles him, his face screwing up into a tightly disapproving scowl. “Just as you did.”

“Tav,” Astarion growls out in warning, fists clenching with fevor. He follows her path around him, eyes glued to her form.

“That at any moment,” she continues, “you could bend them to your will. Just as he did.” Astarion's chest is heaving by this point. Strong, ragged breaths tear through his chest.

Yet, Tav goes on. “How long do you think you'll have before they rebel? Before they seek to reclaim the life you unjustly stole from them?” Tav stops just before him, craning her neck to one side as she says, “Does that sound like a familiar story to you?”

“I am not him!” Astarion shouts, hunching over. His fangs are bared, his palms splayed wide. His eyes flicker a bright gold for all but a second, but it's a second too long for Tav to not take notice. Astarion drops to his knees and Tav backs away, startled by the display before her.

Astarion's nails dig deeply at the stone floor below. He's snarling – saliva now drips from his mouth as his body gives over to a fit. Panic settles within Tav’s chest, though her feet refuse to carry her any further away. Astarion whips back his head – pupils blown wide – and their eyes meet; a thin ring of ruby red encircles them.

“Astarion…” Tav sighs. She eases herself to the floor, but doesn't reach for him. Instead, she sits attentively – an unspoken display of trust that he will not take advantage of her vulnerability. Hoping that somewhere, deep within, he's still the man she came to love.

A low rumble rises from Astarion's chest as he studies her face. His eyes roll into his skull and he sits back, blinking rapidly. Raising a hand, he swipes it down the front of his face, then shakes his head.

“...Are you back?” Tav asks, timidly.

Astarion gives a knowing glance, nodding his head in silent agreement.

“What was that?” she asks.

Settling his gaze on the floor, hanging his head, Astarion confesses, “I…I don't know,” His chest rises and falls with labored breaths. “Forgive me; I meant you no harm.”

Somehow, she knows. Trusts in the one impenetrable fact that he will always protect her. That no harm will ever come to her, either by his own doing or by others. Tav doesn't fear him, nor what he is capable of.

“I know,” Tav says, confidently. She holds out her hands, palms turned upward, in offer to Astarion. They don't have to talk about what happened just yet. For right now, they must move forward.

He gives pause at her gesture, but then readily accepts, enclosing his hands over hers. They aid one another in rising off the floor and stand, keeping their hands interlocked just a moment too long.

Tav speaks first, saying, “You have to do something with them, Astarion. You can't just leave them here and pray they'll go away.”

His hand finds one of hers again, entwining their fingers once more. “...What would you suggest I do?” he asks, unsure. Astarion looks to her from under his lashes, brow knit tightly in a concerned scowl.

Tav squeezes his hand encouragingly. “Show them the mercy you wish was afforded to you.”

Astarion lifts his head, eyes widening as he looks to her. “...You would allow such a thing?” he asks with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Tav brings their interlocked hands to her lips, placing a gentle kiss to the top of his. “I support you doing what's right, Astarion.”

His eyes flutter momentarily, somewhat surprised by the intimate gesture, before he dips his head in a short nod. “Fine,” he says, “I'll do it.”

Releasing his grip on her hand, Astarion moves to the coffin holding the young elven man. He reaches for his side, under his doublet, and Tav hears him unsheath his dagger from its hilt. Seconds later, Astarion pulls it free from his hip with a skilled jerk.

With a shaky breath, Astarion takes the opposite hand and begins tracing down along the breast bone of the unconscious man beneath. He feels, under the pads of his fingers, for each intercostal space, stopping once he reaches the fourth. Now moving his hand slightly to the left of the sternum, he dips his fingers again to confirm proper placement. The man's heart beats slowly under his touch; Astarion releases his breath, and looks again to Tav.

Tav sees the trepidation in his eyes. He's asking silently, again, for her permission to continue. If what he’s about to do is tolerable. Will she turn and run if he goes through with this? Would it be too much for her to witness him at his worst?

She nods almost instinctively, taking notice of her own heightened state. There once was a time when the call of blood and sinew thrilled her; though now, the adrenaline coursing through her veins exists for a different reason entirely. Her heart beats strong against its cage, flooding her ears.

Astarion means to kill these men. Mercifully, yes, but kill them, all the same. And she's allowing it. Encouraging it. Guiding his hand toward a path of resolution. A chance at redemption for his soured soul, all but forgotten by every God.

It's no matter to her, really – she longs to be his sanctuary. The savior of his damned existence. She wasn't strong enough then, during the ritual, but by the Gods she will never make that mistake again. Stop at nothing now to save him. To give him a new chance at life.

One where they all can exist together. Him, her, and the blossoming love that grows within.

Receiving the answer he sought, Astarion turns his attention again to the man’s chest. He raises the dagger, replacing his fingers with the tip of the blade. He pauses for a second, then begins pushing the knife forward.

A deep, agonal groan rings loudly against the crypt walls the moment Astarion's blade pierces heart. A shiver passes over Tav as she traces the movements of Astarion's arm. He twists the dagger within the elf’s chest, another garbled sound slipping past the young man's pale lips as Astarion carves through myocardium.

Astarion stands, near perfectly still, in the same position until the sound dies down. Only then does he pull the dagger free. He wipes the flat of the blade against his thigh, moving toward the dragonborn in a seamless transition.

A final groan spills from the older man. It reverberates within the crypt, drifting off into a dull dum. Astarion carefully removes the blade from the man’s chest, dropping it unceremoniously onto the floor with a loud ‘clang’. Astarion drags a hand down the length of his face and begins stalking backwards. “It's done,” he comments, turning on his heels and heading toward the exit. His head hangs low as he passes Tav.

She hardly acknowledges his passing – she’s too transfixed on the scene before her.

Finally, the two men lay dead. Her nose picks up the faint scent of their blood as it slowly trickles from their wounds, though the smell is not as fragrant as that of a fresh kill. The scent envelops her once more and her stomach lurches in disgust.

‘It's rancid!’ she cries to herself. Tav places a hand over her abdomen, rubbing soothing circles over her belly, hoping to calm this sudden wave of nausea.

The crushing reality of the situation begins to set in. Tav had encouraged Astarion to show these men mercy. Mercy that wasn’t shown to him. She knew he'd likely choose this option, but the why escaped her.

Until now.

“Astarion,” she calls out in a shaky breath, beginning to understand, “does this mean you…?”

Astarion halts just before stepping beyond the room's threshold. He turns slowly, looking at Tav as he says, “I'm holding a charity ball tomorrow evening. In Wyll's honor.” His voice is flat – devoid of its usual flair. “You should come. Speak with him. He can explain this better than I could ever hope to try.”

He's already rebuilding his walls.

Tav shifts to meet his gaze. A single tear tracks down Astarion's face and he quickly wipes it away, but she sees. Sees the bob of his neck as he swallows. Finds the hollow look in his eyes as he meets hers. “You did the right thing, Astarion,” she states, trying to provide reassurance. Give him an encouraging hand.

Yet, he's quick to refuse it.

“Then why doesn't it feel that way?” Astarion confesses, sternly. He promptly turns again and heads once more to the doorway, disappearing beyond the threshold.

Tav stands alone within the crypt. Her knees suddenly grow weak as the evening's events finally catch up to her. She guides herself softly to the floor, supporting her weight on a single arm as she leans to one side. Tav brings her other hand to rest over her chest and feels the crazed beating of her heart. The crushing weight of the evening settles deep in her bones.

Part of Astarion…wishes that were him.

#ascended astarion #astarion #fanfiction #bg3 astarion #sotlc #astarion fanfic #dark romance #astarion x female tav #astarion x female dark urge #astarion x female oc #character death #death mention tw #tw sucidal ideation #please let me know if i should tag anything else #i believe i got the big ones #i will be uploading shortly to ao3

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