#like a mix of A2 and 2B

[rpking99]

RPG Games

NiER

Kaine

Because of the actual story/plot of the game, Kaine is intersex and has both sexual organs. It is genuinly important to her character and arc, as well as the fact she is... rather large.

NiER Automatica

Commander White

The Commander of YoRHA. The woman in chagre, hiding the dark secret of their mission as they fight against the machines

YoRHA Unit 2B

A Type 2 Model B, a Battler Model with the Type 2 personality and apperance. A skilled warrior with blades and guns, very serious and by the mission

YorHA Unit 2P

A Paladin Model. Skilled in defence and mele weapons, 2P is a counterpart to 2B. More of a tank than the jack of all trades that 2B is. Like her inverted colour scheme, 2P is also an inversed personality. Happy, excitable, joyful and teasing.

YoRHA Unit A2

A2 is a much older Unit than 2B is. While they share the same apperance and starting personality, A2 is a bit more cynical and has little skill with a gun as an Attacker Type her full capabilities lies with Mele weapons

YoRHA Unit 9S

9S is a super curious and excitable femboy. Super submissive and curious to learn anything about humanity, also deeply loyal to 2B.

YoRHA Operative 6O

A gentle, free spirited soul. 6O is the operative charged with helping 2B. Acting like a little sister, but also potentially being in love with the warrior, she is vastly curious and excitable about Earth.

YoRHA Operative 21O

21O is the Operative in charge of 9S. Acting as a big sister/mother figure she tries to stop him from getting too caught up in his curiosity.

Mass Effect

Commander Jane 'FemShep' Sheppard

Jane Shepard is a no-nonsense military woman. Captain of the Normandy, she is a Spectre. Above the law, dealing with the galaxy's deadliest threats. A mix of paragon and renegade, she will kick your ass if you are racist to one of her crew but also be more than happy to joke over some drinks at an Asari stirp club

Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy

Tali is a Quarian. A race of Space nomads forced from their home from the AI known as the Geth, and intergalactic law screwing them over. She is so sweet and kind, a brilliant engineer and more than deadly with a shotgun

Miranda Laweson

Miranda Lawson, made/cloned to be genetically perfect by her father. She escaped his clutches to try and live her own life. Confident in her sex appeal, she is a powerful biotic (basically space wizard/psychic) and takes no one's shit

Kasumi Goto

Kasumi is the galaxy's greatest thief. With tech to make her almost completely invisible to sight, sound and any type of vision imaginable. She is basically a space ninja. She is a fun playful tease who does what she wants as she pleases, because why not?

EDI

Ashley Williams

Liara T'Soni

Samara

Aria

Final Fantasy

Cloud (Genderbent)

Tifa

Aerith

Yuffie

Kingdom Hearts

Kairi

Namine

Xion

Aqua/Anti-Aqua

Larxene

.Hack//GU

Alkaid

Atoli

Undertale

Toriel

Total Muses: 29

[aria0fgold]

So distracted today cuz struggling in trying to get the scenes right in pab epilogue so now i decided to just expand a lil more on yorha omori cuz i love the lil crossover android boy.

YoRHa Type O (Omitter) No. 9 or O9 is a prototype of the YoRHa android line, much like A2, data from him and his comrades was used for the superior current lines of 9S and Operators.

Specializing in hacking, analysis, and communication, Omitter types are meant to organize information and filter out all that is unneeded. They are a mixed model as an experimental form of which occupation suits best, Ver. A was stationed at the “Bunker” while Ver. B was stationed outside for scouting.

However, once the Operators and Scanners were created, Omitters were neglected, those stationed at the “Bunker“ was scrapped with their parts reused while those stationed outside was abandoned.

O9 tried his best to survive and keep whatever remaining comrades he had alive, unfortunately he was unsuccessful. He was later found by Pascal who took him in. O9 would travel to certain locations, finding materials and books to learn more from as his connection with the main program was cut.

Though he still retained his skills, it is far lacking than the current lines of YoRHa androids. At some point in his travels, he met up with A2 that taught him more about combat techniques after some time.

<>

EHehehe yeah! I just got to thinking that if A2 was meant as a prototype of 2B then what if Omori ended up being a prototype of 9S? so O9 it is! I’m also thinking that his outfit is torn and tattered but not too terribly ruined cuz he was with Pascal unlike A2 that’s just traveling constantly. And who knows, maybe a machine in the village knows how to sew and fixed up an outfit for O9 to use :o

(dont trust me on that its been years since i last watched any gameplay of nier automata)

Hehehehe also also thinking about a moment after o9 met up with 2b and 9s and he started tagging along and then andthen they found an old broken piano but the brand is still somewhat readable and thats the nickname 9s gave him ykyk omori.

[ere-the-sun-rises]

A game critic I watch has said stuff about gameplay being a fundamental part of storytelling in games. "Hades" is a good example - the roguelike aspect of the game enhances the narrative of death and futility. In Halo Infinite, there's a scene where Chief holds a Spartan as he dies and the controller rumbles die off as his heartbeat does. In Nier: Automata, 2B and A2 feel like powerhouses that can absolutrly wreck shit, but despite their strength the machines never stop coming - their power enhances the helplessness.

But on the other hand, because these are active parts of the game that need to be engaged with, frustration can overwhelm the elements its meant to enhance. And each gamer's threshold for putting up with the frustration is directly tied to their personal willingness to slog through it and their engagement in the story. If you care enough about Norman Reedus' struggles, you will continue to play *despite* the gameplay.

I call it the "Interstellar Phemonema", after the Nolan film. Interstellar is a good movie, full of excellent acting, drama, scoring, visuals, acureate science and storytelling. But it's difficult to understand without prior science knowledge, hard to hear through the audio mixing of the voices and score, and deeply, deeply fucking depressing. People who disliked Interstellar get mocked for being "too stupid to understand it" or "too simple-minded to appreciate the narrative", but it's entirely possible to have grasped both and still dislike it. The difficulty in hearing the actors talk breaks immersion with the characters' struggles, the science can leave an audience lost on what's happening and why, and the sad ending can rob the audience of the pathos and catharsis that normally justify enduring the depressing elements of the narrative.

Games like Death Stranding are - despite its AAA nature - niche games that will only appeal to so many people. The elements that make it strong and compelling to one person are the same elements that make it unbearable to someone else. Interstellar was a blockbuster Hollywood movie that half the audience didn't get and left them cold and confused.

Importantly, though, neither of these opinions are *wrong*. It's just subjective experience.

Fucking wack how a lot of people seem to have redefined "gatekeeping" from "trying to kick people out of your community for not living up to some arbitrary standard you made up" to "making me feel intellectually insecure"

[zenathered]

This really is all Yoko Taro’s fault. 

[cruelset]

CW TALKS OF VIOLENCE AND MURDER, STABBING.

can i also talk about the shameful desire mixing with immense anger that nines wields for twobe and how it’s demonstrated when he’s k*lling her copy in the soul box. usually especially in media, st*bbing is often a euphemism for, well. sex. penetration, to be more specific.

after the real twobe’s death, nines falls into this spiral. he’s angry. he’s sad. he’s losing all control of every emotion, all at once. all he knew was bloodlust, from then on. all he wanted was to kill a2 for taking 2b away from him. much of this can be illustrated in  Long Story  when his obsessive and possessive thoughts start to take over, because without 2b, 9s doesn’t feel like he has to hide his shameful and disturbed way of thinking. the mask is off. 

when he was in the circuit dimension with his memories being taken from him, he was more than upset. he was angry. every single memory with 2b were his, and he was possessive over them. this passage here from  Long Story  demonstrates something interesting i think about often:

The shadow persisted. It ate his memories of 2B: the look that she made when she was confused, the rare moments when she expressed anger, and the time she looked back at him. 

“Stop it!” 

He hurled himself onto the shadow. 

“Don’t invade my memories!” 

He held down the shadow and constricted him. He was beating down the enemy that had tried to take his precious treasures away. 

“Don’t mess with my memories.” 

In a flash, he found himself holding a sword. He stabbed the shadow over and over and over. He straddled the shadow, and continued to stab it. He realized that the shadow had 2B’s face. Even then, he kept stabbing it. Red liquid sprayed out. 

“This is…my memory!” 

This is my memory. This 2B is mine and mine only. 2B is mine…

“2B is mine”. as the shadow presented itself as 2B, he kept stabbing. all his memories and his thoughts took physical form, because deep down inside, he KNEW. he KNEW that it was 2b who took his memories away. the memories that 9s held dear, she took them from him violently. over and over and over again. all this built up anger and betrayal and heartbreak, mixed with desire and possession, he STRADDLED her and killed her, over and over and over again. he had been waiting for this. wanting this. but it was another opportunity that was stolen from him, by a2.

HE wanted to kill her. HE wanted her to suffer. HE wanted her there with him, just so HE could have her back in his life. yes he wanted to kill her. but he didn’t want to live in a reality that she wasn’t apart of. a slaying so intimate, in a cycle reenacted by the two over and over again.

it’s immediately after this, that he starts to think this:

I’ll kill anyone that hurts 2B. I’ll kill anyone that touches 2B. I’ll kill anyone that comes near 2B. I’ll kill anyone that looks at 2B. The only one allowed to look at 2B is me. The only one allowed to come near 2B is me. The only one allowed to touch 2B is me. The only one allowed to hurt 2B is me. The only…

when he finally got to the tower, confronted with copies of 2b it was admitted that nines harbored “perverse feelings” for her (this was back in the copy city, the machines all shared a network so they all knew of his confession). this was the way they knew they could break him, since 21O had not worked. 

he desired her in every sense of the word, going so far as believing he was the only one who could destroy her, even the cheap copies that the tower confronted him with.

See, it’s so easy to break them. I’m going to slash and crush the faces, arms, and legs that look just like yours, 2B. I won’t leave anything behind. So no one can look at you. 

One body. Two bodies. Three bodies… 

At this rate it’s going to end too quickly, 2B. 

Four bodies, five bodies, six bodies… How many left?

there’s one left, she’s not even struggling to move- but he takes it upon himself to finish the job he swore to do.

No, 2B. I told you I’d destroy all of you, didn’t I? 

He pierced the sword through the chest. Twice, and then a third time.

at this point, it’s overkill. he didn’t HAVE to do it. 9S is a scanner after all, not MADE for offensive battle, or battle overall. but this makes him feel good. makes him feel justified. 

because in his little fucked up mind, this was the only way to be able to feel close to her again, after she died. in their own little fucked up way, this was how they expressed their intimacy- and it grew into this perverse little monster that overtakes nines until his very end.

[unit-zero-two]

I’m enjoying Nier: Reincarnation so far. The backgrounds in the 3D main world and 2D story sections are all beautiful. Combat looks good, even though there’s basically nothing there except turn based auto beating with the side with bigger numbers winning. The English dialogue really helps me get into things and the soundtrack is great like always. This is definitely the mobile game I’ll always play with the sound on. The game moves and plays like neither of the two other gacha mobile games I’ve played so far, so it gets points for novelty.

Character designs are interesting and very Nier. I like the different variations of each character design, it’s definitely doing something different than it’s competitors. Who needs more than a dozen unique characters? Not this game.

And the story is fascinating and I like how it’s been tying the characters together so far. Just finished Chapter 4 and really hoping I get to see more of the characters you follow/roll for meeting and interacting with each other. The Hunter killing the Gunman was a great moment.

Game progression feels real good right now, but it’s during the release month promotion and quests are half stamina to run and there’s lots of freebies going out, so I suspect it won’t be as good to get into after the month is over. It’s not been too hard because of all of that to juggle progressing the main story with two different limited events.

Gacha wise I’ve already gotten 2B (while aiming for A2). I like that if you make 200 rolls on a banner you can guarantee getting the unit you want. And since this cross-promotes between the two Nier banners, you could theoretically roll on one and pick off the other if you get lucky by the end. Definitely helps once you realize the game is only 2-4*’s with a spare amount of units and most of what you’re rolling for is weapons to customize those units. I appreciate how the units come with their signature weapon, really makes it feel like you’re getting rewarded for the few times you roll a unit. Again, this roll progression will probably slow down after this month. But at least the banners/events I’ve seen so far both go for a month.

I don’t like how it gives you a temporary start dash promotion that gets you a guaranteed 4* but requires paid gems. I’m not rolling on that shit. Mixed feelings on watching the ads to get free gems from a roulette each day, but that mostly just brings me back to early 2000′s F2P games and Neopets. I’ve got lots of experience with that exact thing.

There’s a lot more tiny details, features and minigames I could get into, but this first impression is long enough. Tldr: if you’re interested in Nier: Reincarnation this feels like the month to get into it when the game progression is so easy. Not sure I’ll be able to recommend it after that, but we’ll see.

[bahamutgames]

Nier Automata: [A]fterthoughts

Game: Nier Automata: Become As Gods Edition (June 26, 2018)

Console: Xbox One (Via Xbox Game Pass)

Alright so I’m trying something a little different this time with my opinions on a game. Usually I will share this on Twitter in a thread. However, I feel like I’m having more and more to say on games I play lately. And Twitter threads just don’t feel right for sharing massive amounts of text. So I thought I’d give this a shot now. However, this isn’t meant to be a review or an indication of whether or not YOU should try the game. This is just me pouring my heart out about what I’ve played and giving my honest opinions about what I just experienced. This is just for anyone interested, and I highly recommend you try out this game and any other game I choose to talk about in the future, to get your own opinions on how you feel for it.

As such, this isn’t a very well written piece either. It’s mostly just me throwing up thoughts into a post. But, if that’s your thing or you’re just curious about what I have to say, you can read my huge info dump on my feelings about Nier Automata in the readmore! 

Spoiler Warning for some parts of the game, including the finale and ending.

Opening

About 2 days ago, I sat down and beat Nier Automata for the first time. And after sitting on it for a bit, I’m ready to talk about my time with it. I wasn’t originally planning on doing a big thing for playing this game (I was saving it for a different game.) But plans got sidetracked, and by that I mean Microsoft had a sale on 3 months of Game Pass for $1. And I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out. I was really excited to see they had the game on the service, as I’ve been wanting to play it since it came out. So naturally, I jumped at the chance.

Stuff I liked

Honestly, I really liked this game. I thought was cool and loved a lot of the topics it covered, as they’re things I really enjoy seeing games tackle. Evolution of life, the existence of religion and our relationships with god and death, strange surreal things, androids and robots becoming more than just androids and robots. The story has so many aspects I really loved seeing. A highlight for me was seeing the robots start to become sentient and deal with grief, family bonds, how they should live outside of what they were programmed to do. It was endlessly fascinating to me.

Game also had tons of fantastic characters. I think my favorites may have been 6O and Pascal, if I’m being honest with myself. But also also really liked all 3 of the main playable Androids, and I found myself falling totally in love with the pods too. There’s tons of other great and interesting characters you don’t even get to play as or see that much, it has a fantastic cast I really loved. Particularly, I thought the designs of the androids were really interesting. Dressed in all black with white hair is a cool aesthetic. My favorite design may have been 2B’s, obviously I thought she was really hot. But I think her outfit is actually very cool and classy in a way that understands how to make a character hot without just being in your face about it? If that makes sense. I also really loved A2′s look, being able to see her joints is a really cool underused aspect for an android design. I wasn’t super into the robots themselves at first, but I found myself really loving how they looked by the end of it. Their weird and minimalist designs really leant themselves to the sad and peculiar story they had to tell.

Nier has a fantastic gameplay style too. I was shocked to learn that it was a Bullet Hell! Bullet Hells and Shmups are my “secret favorite” genre, that I really love but rarely actually tap into. I thought the game had really fun use of Bullet Hell gameplay, with fun Shmup sections and fun action RPG sections. I was particularly impressed with how much fun the crossover of the two genres would be. Fighting back against a bullet hell in this type of gameplay style was incredibly fun and endearing. And I think it handles these two completely different genres really well in a pretty cool way. I also loved being able to get multiple weapons for the androids and pods, though I did mostly stick with the same the whole way through. Just the standard weapons and the beast slayer. Plus the laser for my pod. Hey, if it works, why fix it, right? I also really liked the chip system. I had a ton of fun figuring out which chips suited my style the most, and I liked feeling powerful because of them.

Outside of all that, the game looks and sounds AMAZING. The aesthetics particularly really got to me. I’m a huge fan of cities and buildings reclaimed by nature, and I’m a huge fan of sci-fi aesthetics mixed with modern and medieval aesthetics. And the game has both of these used in really great ways. Mix in some of the weird and creepy visuals thrown in throughout some of the game’s darker and sadder scenes? And it’s beautiful. I thought the music was really good too. I wasn’t crazy about it while playing it. But listening to it in the background while writing this makes me realize how good of an OST it is. I really love Pascal’s village theme, Treasured Times, and the credits music.

I also really adored a lot of the interested 4th wall breaks and ways they play with game mechanics and tie them into the functionality of the androids. A scene that really comes to mind is that the settings are actually your android settings. And having to go through them for the story mode, then getting to see it again as 9S. I also thought parts where your vision gets glitched out was very interesting, and things like that were really charming to me.

One of my favorite parts of the game, was absolutely the finale. Huge spoilers for this part obviously. I was teetering between not really liking the game anymore, and loving the game by the end. So the finale was really going to make or break it for me. But ultimately, I think the finale was AWESOME. Having to play as the pods fighting the credits to get a better ending was really cool and genuinely exciting to me. I had a total blast blazing through one final, tough bullet hell finale. Also, seeing all the cool little messages players left was so nice and genuinely heartwarming. I got messages from the USA, Mexico, even one from North Korea! It was so cool! And such a good idea. And getting help from everyone at the end was so awesome. Ultimately, I chose to give up my save data because the ending scene was actually pretty tough for me and I’m not that bad at bullet hells. So I figured it’d be selfish not to lend someone a hand out there in the world. (plus... to be fair, when my game pass expires, I won’t be playing this game much more lol.)

Stuff I didn’t like

With all that praise though, I don’t necessarily think the game was perfect either though. There was a lot of stuff that really rubbed me the wrong way. The gameplay had a lot of stuff that just didn’t feel right and was oddly frustrating. A big one for me was the lock on just being completely useless for some parts of the game, jumping around the enemies far off when there was something right in front of me ready to get hit. It made killing some enemies genuinely more challenging than needed. A huge issue I had with the gameplay was actually that there aren’t enough Shmup sections in the flight units. Most of them take place in hacking sections, which, in my opinion. Aren’t that fun, or at least considerably less fun than the way superior flight unit sections. And that’s the type of gameplay the ending uses. Which is a shame.

And there are some parts I sang praises about but I still have issues with. Like, I enjoy the game messing with the way you play because you’re controlling androids. But when you have to walk somewhere and the game disables your movement, or you have to kill something and the game disables your combat. It’s mostly just annoying. I really love the concept, and I think it’s not THAT bad. But it’s still annoying enough that I thought to mention it. And while I didn’t run into this issue, the really cute and touching aspects of the finale. Are you just completely locked out of them if you can’t pay for online? That really sucks and kind of kills the vibe of that ending. Same with having to delete your save data to help others. It’s cute! But why is it there? It all just feels so antagonizing for no reason.

I also had a big issue with Story B. You play through nearly the entirety of Story A again as 9S. Normally, I love stuff like this. Sonic games come to mind right away for games I enjoy that do this. But for Story B, it is the exact same game and story with minimal changes through it. Sure the opening and towards the ending, it’s different. But mostly, it’s identical. And then there’s just small snippets of way more interesting stuff with the way robots became sentient lightly peppered in to break up the monotony of doing the same thing twice. This second playthrough should’ve focuses HEAVILY on the robots. Even if it’s from 9S’ perspective, more should’ve been changed to show the robots. The part with the singing robot was BRUTAL, and I LOVED it. But you get very few new scenes like that. Perhaps Story B should’ve followed Pascal or a random enemy robot instead of 9S. Considering you also play as 9S for a lot of Story C. Imagine how gut wrenching it would be if Story B followed a random enemy robot evolving and learning about life and free will, only to get killed at the end by 9S or A2 or something. Idunno.

There’s also some gripes with the story. A big one is the fact that, and this is a HUGE spoiler. But 2B doesn’t feel like the main character. It feels like the main character is 9S, who I like, but isn’t as cool as 2B by a long shot. You barely play as 2B or even A2. SO MUCH of the game feels like it’s all about 9S and I gotta be honest, I’m not that interested in 9S. I like him, but maybe we could learn some more about the robots and their interesting problems instead of just seeing more about how 9S is so smart and awesome and genius so he has to be killed a bunch. Speaking of which, I don’t think I care for that aspect of 2B either? She has to kill 9S over and over because he keeps learning the truth about Yorha. In the end, even 2B is just a part of 9S’ story. Maybe that’s just me though. I feel like that whole concept could’ve been removed, and you could’ve had 2B and 9S having to deal with learning about the truth together. idk.

Overall, my biggest complaint is just that the game spends a little too much time on 9S and not enough time on all the interesting aspects it skims over. Again, the robots, I talked about this at length but I really would’ve loved to learn more about them. How about the existential reality that androids and robots have been fighting a meaningless war for dead masters for centuries? WHAT THE HELL WAS EMIL? There’s so much cool stuff in the world of Nier Automata that feels like it’s all skimmed over in favor of stuff that just didn’t really need to be there? I think a lot of these are relegated to sidequests, but they should’ve been a part of the main story. Maybe it’s just me.

Final Thoughts

Well, even after all those complaints and nitpicks. I have to say, I liked Nier Automata. I think it’s a cool game that explores things I thought most people weren’t interested in exploring. Both in its world and its gameplay. Especially not from a big triple A title. Some of these are things I’d like to explore in my own games so it’s nice to see a game with an interest in the same weird topics as me. I’m certainly interested in this series. I only own Drakengaurd, but I’d like to give it and Nier a shot sometime in the future if I can.

I like the hopeful nature of the ending and I liked the emotions I felt through the whole playthrough. Even when the game was scary and sad, I still had a good time with it, and I hope somewhere out there in the multiverse, the characters are living a much better life in peace.

Thank you so much for reading, or just skimming through. Or just scrolling to the end! I appreciate it a lot! This is my first time really writing up my feelings about a game in a huge more organized way like this, and I hope you enjoy it. I’m certainly going to try and do more stuff like this in the future, maybe I’ll still make some of them twitter threads if I’m lazy or don’t have much to say lol. But, regardless, thanks for your time! I hope you have a fantastic evening! Play a video game that makes you feel something :)

[nierly-amazing]

I know I’ve written something similar before and maybe I'm being petty and reading into shit too much, but I honestly just can’t deal with 9S haters. Like, you got the generic weeby incels that are jealous that their fictional waifu is interested in nerdy twink 9S which shatters their "feemales only go for the chads" shitty worldview. Those are easy enough to ignore because they’re just shit people in general and not worth my time. Plus it’s really straightforward and doesn’t have me sitting down thinking “why does this bother me so much?”.

But then you have another group of people that I honestly can’t stand because you look at their hot takes on 9S and think “did we even play the same game?” They reduce him to some flat one dimensional possessive/whiny man child thot boi (No I’m never gonna forget that insult because it’s horrifically beautiful).

I’ve been wondering why it annoys me so much when I don’t really care if people don’t like my favs from other stories and I think it’s a mix of a few reasons. 

One is like I mentioned above in that they get his character so wrong, it’s like they played an entirely different game. 

Another is that they act like the negative (and “negative”) things he does do is for completely no reason whatsoever without acknowledging a whole bunch of fuckshit that helps make him who he is “today”. So we just got “oh he’s possessive and violent and whiny ew” without even thinking about: 

All the trauma that 9S went through both before, and during route C.

The fact that he was infected by a logic virus for most of route C. Yes, most. I don’t remember where but it says in some supplementary material that the virus was fucking with him since way before he transplanted the arm.

The fact that the Red Girls and machines were tormenting him during route C and already pushing him to the extremes. Remember what happened in the Soul Box? Plus Adam torturing him about his feelings for 2B in the copied city wasn’t exactly helpful.

The fact that his only purpose was to be a disposable information gatherer for a pointless war. He was designed with a friendly and curious and emotional personality and was forced to work alone for a lot of his life, told that he wasn’t allowed to display those emotions, and punished with death whenever he got too curious. I’d say he gets a pass to whine about missions every now and then.

The fact that 2B killed him and erased his memories FORTY-SEVEN times and just because she hates doing it and he forgives her doesn't change the fact that she did it and how much it would mess up his perception of anything really. (Bonus points if they think 2B's some perfect stoic lesbian goddess who can do no wrong and has absolutely no romantic interest in 9S). Same with the fact that she was still cold and strict with him most of the time they were together even if he did eventually find out she’s not like that deep down.

The fact that 2B was the one and only constant in his life through all his resets. It would take a fucking saint to not develop some unhealthy attachment/possessive thoughts in that situation. Especially with the Red Girls tormenting him by trying to delete his memories of her in the Soul Box. Like it’s not good or healthy and even I was like “nooo 9S baby please don’t be like that” in the clone fight/his possessive monologue in the book at that point. But it sure as hell is realistic and understandable to become possessive of someone that keeps getting taken away from you. 

The fact that he hates himself for the way he feels about 2B. He doesn’t act on any of his feelings and always backs off when 2B says no about anything from calling him “Nines” to taking a break after a mission. He might grumble and complain a bit but pretty quickly shuts up. 

The fact that he lost everything he loves in the span of a few hours and watched the most important person in the world get skewered by a smelly cryptid doppelganger. (Pile on the fact that said smelly cryptid doppelganger did nothing to clear things up about it when there were plenty of easy ways to do so (don't get me wrong I love A2, but she's an idiot)).

The fact that even in his route C rampage his anger was still only directed at machines and A2. He helped other androids without complaints, even ones he didn't know. And he was still visibly upset when he saw Pascal's Village and Pascal’s memory loss. 

This whole nonsense reminds me of some SU discourse of people hating on Lapiz for the way she responded to Jasper's abuse. Could she have made better decisions? Maybe. But she was trapped in a mirror for 5000 years, immediately attacked after being released, then captured and tortured again. What the hell do you expect?

And to a lesser extent, it reminds me of how people react to Shinji, calling him whiny and tell all those “get in the fucking robot” jokes. The poor kid went through so much shit comparable somewhat to what 9S went through.

I guess the thing that really bothers me is that I relate really hard to 9S and the shit he went through (obviously to a much lesser extent, thankfully I haven’t lost all of my loved ones in a horrific massacre or anything like that). But I can relate to having everything falling apart in my life and not having the support or experience I needed to get through it without fucking up a lot. 

And as an autistic person with a bunch of other brain shits, I was so happy seeing a character that was (intentionally or not) coded with these same things. So it gets me, even more, when I see people going “ew no he’s bad” because of those traits as if they expect someone with no support network or therapy to just be able to Handle It All on their own. When I see people refusing to be compassionate towards 9S for what he’s gone through, I’m reminded of people that refuse to be compassionate to good people who’ve fucked up because they’re unable to deal with it on their own. (And I sure as hell wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the same people.)

You can like a character or person at the same time as acknowledging what they’re doing wrong. (And on the flip side you don’t have to ignore the faults of characters you do like and paint them as beautiful flawless goddesses).

It’s not often you get a kind, gentle, and emotional male character that doesn’t act all high and mighty and above the female characters just because he’s a dude. It’s also not often you get the scripts flipped in terms of gender expectations as well. Give him a chance to come back and grow past all the trauma that shaped him during route C. He’s a good boy. He’s little, and broken, but still good.

Yeah, still good.

I end this with the wise words of a good friend: “9S is great fuck all yall nerds learn some goddamn empathy the end”.

[meetthetank]

Cruciamen Prelude: Yesterday was Better

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, Other Fandom: NieR: Automata (Video Game) Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata), A2/A4 (NieR: Automata) Characters: 2B (NieR: Automata), 9S (NieR: Automata), A2 (NieR: Automata), A4 (NieR: Automata) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, genre typical violence, On the Run, Monster of the Week, 9S is a half demon, 2B and A2 are shapeshifter Dragons, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut in the future, inaccurate depictions of medical procedures Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104214/chapters/60817186

Summary: After the arrest, torture, and botched execution of 9S, he and the dragoness 2B set out for a hidden village of peaceful demons far to the north. In addition to the countless dangers that lie around every corner, something pursues the duo across the world. Their bond will be tested not only by demons, poachers, and a giant mutant ape, but by each other as well. Meanwhile, a vagrant searches the forgotten corners of the world for vengeance. 

Book 2 of 5

A/N: And so it begins

2B’s obsidian eyes pan back and forth across the entrance of the small cave she rests in. Any movement, even the twitching of a squirrel, has her head whipping back and forth. She curls her long, feathered body around a shivering soldier. The young man whom she had ripped from his home, whom she mated with, whom she killed innocent people for. Though innocent might be too strong a word for those who had condemned this boy for the crime of existence. They were bound to their duty. She couldn’t blame them for that; it wasn’t their fault that they were in her way. Yet for their crime of complacency in the face of injustice, she pushes the guilt from her mind.

She already has her burdens to bear.

A curious fawn receives the fright of its short life when it pokes its snout into the cave entrance only to come face to beak with 2B. She snarls at the little creature out of reflex and can’t help but feel a little bad when it bounds away to the comfort of its mother, (which bolts as soon as the fawn does) but she can’t be too careful. Not while those who lived are sure to seek revenge on the broken boy she now protects. The half demon scout, 9S.

It makes 2B’s blood boil thinking about what the people of Vigo had done to him. After saving their city, homes, and families, they had tortured him and sentenced him to death. If it hadn't been for the quick planning of Jackass the lieutenant, he would be dead. His head would have hung from the city gates with the rest of the half-demons who had shared his fate.

This once proud and valiant soldier now lies curled into a pitiful ball tucked safely beneath her wings. He hisses or cries out in pain whenever his weeping burns or open wounds brush against the ground or 2B’s scales. It amazes her that 9S remains unconscious despite the agony he must be in.

9S’ arms wrap around his chest as shivers wrack his thin body, his nails puncturing several blisters on his shoulder. Clear, watery pus oozes from the burns that are already red and swollen from infection. Even though his demonic blood allows him to recover from injuries quicker than normal, the wounds he suffers now are too much for his powers to bear.

A low whine escapes 2B’s beak as she nudges his arms away from his body. With gentleness ill befitting a warrior she gently licks the burns and angry red gashes that mar his pale skin. In moments the redness fades from the smaller wounds, but the larger ones only seep more blood and pus after being cleaned. 9S whimpers as her rough tongue scrapes across the sensitive skin of his shoulder. The lightest brush of her feather beard against blisters makes him wince.

His eyes open slowly, fighting against the blood and crust that cake his eyelids shut. His sclera are red and irritated, much like his infected wounds. 9S’ golden eyes listlessly search for something to focus on, moving from 2B’s eyes, to her feathers, claws, and beak.

“T….Tw….2B?” he whispers, his voice straining from the pain.

She leans her snout into his hands, nuzzling into his touch as gently as she can.

His eyes fill with tears as he starts to shudder. “T-...Two-..Be...2B…..,” 9S sobs. He clings to her snout with frail arms.

2B shifts herself around so that her wings shield his body from the cold of the cave and lets out a warm huff of air over him. His whole body quakes as he sobs onto her muzzle, his soft whimpers echoing against the stone.

“I-...I thought you- I was so-... s-scared...I-I thought yo-u woud-n’t...T-that I was-s....”

2B lets out a low growl like her mother used to do when she was a nestling. The sound makes her body rumble, and though she has no idea if it helps 9S or not, his breathing does start to even out. His sobs quiet to the occasional hiccup and ragged breath as he clings to 2B like a frightened child.

Once 9S’ grip weakens 2B licks at his wounds again, testing to see if the pain is too much for him to bear. He doesn’t wince or cry when her tongue brushes against the weeping skin, so she continues until the bleeding stops.

“2B…” he says weakly.

She looks at him with pitch black eyes that betray little emotion, but a single warbling sound indicates her concern.

“Thank you.”

2B presses the end of her beak against the unburnt parts of his chest and curls her tail around them both. She resumes her rumbling once 9S wraps his arms around her snout once again. He drifts off again, curled in the safety of 2B’s embrace. His breathing is still ragged, but softer and more even than before. She relaxes just a touch, confident that everything in the area got the hint to stay away from this cave.

Unfortunately the moment 2B relaxes enough to close her eyes something disturbs the pebbles near the cave entrance. She instinctively bares her teeth, but the only thing of concern is a pudgy raven. It studies 2B with inscrutable eyes before flying off in a flash of black feathers. Idly, she wonders if humans interpret this as an omen of good fortune as well. She’ll have to remember to ask 9S when he wakes next.

Her ears pick up the sounds of the raven’s distinctive quark, which alone gives her a strange sense of comfort, but the sounds that follow make her feathers stand on end. Footsteps. Two sets of footsteps. Someone praising the raven for finding their target quickly.

With as much gentleness as she can manage, 2B drags 9S to the back of the cave and obscures him as much as possible. She stands with her legs and wingarms far apart, using the large feathers on her wings to shroud 9S in shadows. Her beak opens slowly and a roar begins to rumble in her chest. The footsteps draw near and 2B digs her claws into the dirt. Her muscles tense, eyes narrow…

The moment the silhouettes of two humans approach the cave’s entrance 2B erupts forward, letting out the most intimidating hiss she can muster. She swipes her claws inches from the shadows and gnashes her teeth at them. It’s a threat display, but only a coatyl would understand the complex body language she puts forward. There's a very slim chance that these figures were her kind.

“Whoa whoa! 2B!” a figure yells, “2B, it’s me!”

That light, feminine voice is instantly familiar to her. 2B blinks rapidly to force her eyes to adjust to the change in light. Two women with blonde hair, one of whom has a raven perched on her arm, stand at the entrance of the cave. The shorter woman, who 2B now recognizes as her childhood friend 6O, boldly rushes forward once 2B visibly relaxes.

“You dumb bird!” 6O shouts as she throws her arms around 2B’s neck, “You almost bit me!”

2B bows her heavy head in shame as 6O frets over her.

“Are you hurt? You’re okay right? Didn’t get hit by any stray arrows?” she says while searching through as many of 2B’s feathers as she can reach.

“She’s fine.” 21O says, pushing past 2B and 6O. “Where is he?” Her cold, professional voice has the smallest waver to it.

With a low huff, 2B backs up and lifts up one of her wings to reveal the shivering body of 21O’s son.

“Oh gods…” she whispers with wide eyes that quickly fill with tears. All shreds of her stony facade fall by the wayside as she kneels beside 9S, cradling his head in her lap. “Oh, my boy… My baby boy, what have they done to you…” she sobs.

“M…” 9S whimpers, “Mom…” He curls into 21O, clinging to her like a frightened infant. “Mom...I was so scared...Mom…I th-thought I was gonna...”

“Ssshh...It’s okay,” 21O coos to her son, smoothing his bloodstained hair with a free hand. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re safe. No one can hurt you here.”

Both 2B and 6O back away from mother and son. Even 6O seems as uncomfortable as she and 2B watch someone so calm and composed sob so strongly. 2B bows her head low enough for 6O to place a comforting hand on top, both women feeling a small relief from the gesture.

They let 21O have her moment with her son, but after a tense few minutes 6O has to step forward. “21O?”

21O takes a shuddering breath, “Yes, right.” she says as she helps 9S sit up, “Don’t worry. 6O is going to help you. Everything is going to be okay.” She reluctantly shuffles, allowing 6O to bear some of 9S’ weight.

“Okay, put the blanket beneath him and help me lie him back down.” 6O commands.

2B shrinks back from the three of them. She’s only seen 6O go to work a few times in the past, but she recognizes the tone in her voice. If she didn’t know any better she would have thought that 21O and 6O had switched places. It frightens her in a strange way, being this useless. The most she can do is keep watch over the entrance of the cave.

9S hisses through his teeth when his back touches the blanket. Even the wool can’t soften the stones of the cave floor when they dig into his burnt skin. 21O

“Right,” 6O says with a quick sigh and begins emptying her bag of supplies and lying them out beside her, “first we need to clean, suture, and dress these larger lacerations. 21O I need you to mix these two plants into a salve while I clean him up.”

6O takes a thin, well-used rag, and wets it with some water from the skin on her hip. She goes over each cut, scrape, and infected wound methodically and intently, making sure each one is free of pus and blood before moving on to the next. There are some that give her pause and make her brows knit together in worry. Those look to be the deepest and most infected of the lot. Once mashed into the proper consistency, she instructs 21O to rub the salve over the smaller cuts.

9S sucks in a pained breath and his whole body tenses up as soon as the salve touches his open wounds. Just the fumes of the thick, oil-like plant matter make 2B’s eyes water. The memory of the salve on scrapes and cuts of her own is fresh enough in her mind; its acrid smell and agonizing sting burns in her mind just as it did on her body. It’s unfortunate that this concoction can only cleanse the wounds of infection and impurities, for all the pain it causes. The red, swollen wounds seem to boil the moment the salve makes contact, turning the skin a milky white color. 9S grits his teeth as the infections are burnt away by the salve.

Once the cloth is thoroughly soaked in blood and puss, 6O tosses it aside for bandages, a spool of thread, and a needle. She quickly sews the largest of 9S’ lacerations shut, apologizing each time he squirms and cries out when the needle pierces his skin.

“Keep still. You really don't want me to mess these up,” she says as 9S begins to squirm with discomfort. “They’re going to scar, but not as badly if you let me do this right. Don’t make me have to get 2B to hold you down.”

With deft hands 6O sews a zig-zag pattern into 9S, closing up the largest of his wounds within seconds. First the gash on his forehead left by a stone, then the broken stitches that still linger across his chest. She snaps her fingers at 21O, wordlessly commanding her friend to assist in properly dressing the wounds with clean, crisp bandages. The smaller cuts are cleaned and wrapped with the cloth bandages as well, but without being sewn shut. Splotches of blood ooze out and stain the dressings a dark red.

“Alright, help me flip him over.” 6O commands both 21O and 2B.

2B finds use, finally. She lowers her beak down to 9S, allowing him to grip onto her feathers while 6O and his mother maneuver him onto his stomach without putting too much strain on his body. All of them wince along with 9S when the burns on his back come into view.

What isn’t red and swollen is white and dead or shades of sickly green and purple. There are spots that swell into blisters full of clear pus and patches of skin scorched black. 2B swears she sees pieces of flesh crumble to ash as 6O brushes her fingers across his back.

“Gods...this is bad,” 6O mutters, “there’s parts that are infected already…”

“What can be done?” 21O asks, a noticeable waver in her voice.

“Plenty.” 6O’s eyes spark with determination.

2B can barely keep up with the instructions 6O passes to 21O. A slurry of plants, some of which ooze a thick clear liquid, and water are placed into a clay bowl. 21O dutifully grinds down the ingredients into a salve, never once taking her eyes off her son.

6O gently prods parts of 9S’ back, asking each time if he can feel anything. He whimpers a soft “yes” when she pokes the angry red portions, but the dark and white sections earn no response. 6O’s brow furrows, and though she doesn’t have the extensive knowledge 6O does, 2B knows what 9S’ reactions, or lack thereof, mean. The nerves in his shoulder are dead.

“Right…” 6O mutters, taking the bowl from 21O, “This will calm the infections and make you feel better but...there’s nothing I can do to keep this from scarring as bad as it will.”

A lump forms in 2B’s throat. She’s never seen scars as something to be ashamed of, or something that takes from a person’s attractiveness. Quite the contrary actually; in her younger days she found herself daydreaming about warriors flaunting scars of their past battles like trophies. This is different. This isn’t the memory of a victory, this is a brand of hate, one that he’ll carry for the rest of his life.

21O instructs her son to breath evenly through the pain as 6O massages the salve into the burns. Even 2B has to look away whenever a blister bursts open from the pressure, but 9S’ cries are something she can’t escape from. He buries his head in his mother’s embrace, trying to cry but not having the strength to do more than wheeze. A strange mixture of sadness and rage boils in 2B’s chest at the sight. She digs her talons into the dirt as if it will help.

It feels like hours to 2B till 6O finally scrapes the last of the salve out of her bowl. She can only imagine what it must be like for 9S, but she keeps silently repeating that it’s for the best. Better the agony now than a prolonged death later.

There’s a brief sigh of relief that crosses both 6O’s and 21O’s face once their task is done, but it vanishes in an instant. Their gaze settles on the injury of 9S’ that they have been dreading. His warped, twisted left leg. From his knee down, the leg bends to the right before it tapers off in a desperate attempt to correct itself. A section in the middle of his calf is red and swollen, but not alarmingly so. With her limited knowledge of medicine 2B isn’t sure exactly what is wrong, but she knows something is. Obviously legs aren’t supposed to bend like that outside of the knee.

6O’s eyes are fierce, but her hesitant hands betray her true thoughts. 21O covers her mouth with her hand, her grey-blue eyes beginning to water once again.

“Right…” 6O says, her gaze downcast as she searches through her pouch, eventually retrieving a small, white tablet out of a cloth bag. There’s a bit of embroidery on the bag that 2B can’t make out, aside from the letter ‘W’.

“Nines,” she places a hand on 9S’ good shoulder, “I need you to turn over and swallow this.”

With the help of 21O and 2B, 9S rolls over to his back. Before he has a chance to get his bearings again, 6O all but shoves the white tablet into his mouth followed by the spout of her waterskin. 9S sputters and chokes at the first few gulps but with trial and error manages to swallow a few mouthfuls of water, along with the medicine.

“It’s…” 9S coughs, “bitter…”

“Just lie back and relax. Let me know when your stomach starts to itch, okay?”

“ ‘Kay…” 9S obeys without questioning 6O’s strange instructions. His eyes loll from his mother, to 2B, and back again. 21O gently lifts his head and places it in her lap, taking one of his hands in both of hers. To 2B’s surprise, 9S buries the fingers of his free hand into her feathers. He clumsily grasps at them like a frightened cub, and 2B feels...something in her chest. A strange feeling she can’t quite place.

21O stifles a gasp, breaking 2B out of her thoughts. They watch as, to both their horror, 6O produces a smaller version of a carpenter’s saw from her bag.

“I… I’m sorry but…” 6O sighs as she touches 9S’ twisted leg, testing for something 2B can’t see, “His demon blood helps him recover from injuries a lot faster than a normal human.” She points to the gashes that she had sewn shut only minutes ago. “See? It takes days for a wound that size to produce scar tissue. But that means… when his leg was broken… it… the sped up healing made it set wrong.”

Sad green eyes betray the pain that her professional tone hides. “...I have to re-break his leg.”

Grim realization hits 2B worse than she expects. The tablets, the saw… She’s seen her fair share of violence, she’s killed men before, but this… It makes bile rise in her throat.

9S’ grip on her feathers tighten, though he pries his other hand away from his mother’s to scratch at his exposed stomach.

“21O,” 6O says, “Can you put the leather strap in his mouth for me?”

Wordlessly, 21O obeys. She wedges the thick leather between her son’s teeth, his bright golden eyes slowly moving from person to person. His chest rises and falls slower and slower, but his eyes remain open.

6O chews on her lower lip. “His body must be diluting the effects.”

“Is it safe for him to have more?” 21O asks.

“No, not with that high of a dosage...I…” Her grip on the saw’s handle tightens as she searches 9S’ leg for the source of the deformity. “We can’t wait any longer.”

2B grinds the tips of her beak together as 6O places the saw’s teeth against 9S’ soft, pale flesh. He doesn’t flinch at the touch of the cold metal. The first stroke of luck they’ve had all day. 2B lowers her head down onto 9S’ stomach, replacing his view of the coming mutilation with one sorrowful black eye. She likes to think there’s something grateful in his lazy, unfocused expression. Unfortunately, her other eye can see the moment the saw’s serrated blade cuts into his flesh.

The metal teeth easily carve through his skin. It only takes one push from 6O for the saw to tear into red cords of muscle and the thin, white layer of fat. 9S gasps, but 2B doesn’t hear pain in his breath. She can’t imagine the sensations he must be feeling, of having his leg carved into without the agony. A defiant hope soars in her chest, that maybe this won’t be as torturous for him--and her--as she thought.

6O pulls the saw back, dragging frayed muscle fibers with it. She pushes it forward, tearing through strings of connective fat. 9S winces and hisses through the leather strap, but he seems to handle it as if it were a moderate discomfort. Sometimes he closes his eyes for a moment or two, only for 6O to shift the saw blade in a way that jolts him awake.

Then, just as both doctor and patient were falling into a tense rhythm, the saw comes to a halt with a horrid cracking sound. 9S jolts upright, groaning in barely restrained agony. His teeth grind against the strap in his mouth as his eyes screw shut and his body spasms. 21O wraps her arms around her son’s body to keep him from thrashing too much.

The breaking bone sounds like a brittle twig being crushed over and over again. It takes all of 2B’s strength to keep her head still despite hearing and seeing small shards of bone fly out of 9S’ ruined leg. 21O fights back tears along with her son, and 6O remains as grim faced as any warrior 2B had ever seen. She has to shut her eyes to maintain her position, but the creaking and cracking, the groaning...It’s too much for her to watch.

A final deafening crack and 6O slumps forward suddenly. 9S lets out a long, awful noise that's muffled by the leather strap. Even still, it’s a sound that echoes against the cave walls, amplifying it to deafening levels.

And still 6O persists.

2B keeps her eyes shut, focusing on 9S’ labored breathing and 21O’s gentle ministrations. She tries not to listen to the sick noises the saw makes as it tears apart the space between his two leg bones. She tries not to hear the awful grinding the teeth make against the second bone, or the way 9S sobs sound so tired and empty now. The worst is the fact that there’s nothing she can do but hold her head there and obscure the view from him. There’s no demon to throw herself in front of, no daring rescue. The damage has already been done, and all she can do is sit and hope that what she’s doing is enough.

Suddenly, with one last shifting of his body, it’s over. As soon as 2B hears the wet, sickening sound of fat and muscle being moved she opens her eyes. 6O withdraws the saw in one fluid motion and casts it onto the dirt. 9S’ jaw goes slack, his whole head goes slack. 21O holds him upright, gently slapping his face to keep him awake at least partially. She calls out his name whenever he starts to falter. 2B feels her heart thunder in her chest when she sees his eyes roll into the back of his head only for them to reappear seconds later. The next time it happens she shifts her head on his lap and nudges his chest with her beak as a small gesture of comfort (and so she doesn’t have to look at the inside of his bones).

His tired, golden eyes lock onto hers. Something unspoken passes between them, but what exactly that is escapes 2B. She never was good at understanding the complexities of human body language. There’s a desperation in his eyes, like a cub looking at a sweet fish they’re not allowed to have. A slight smile makes the corners of his lips quirk up before being replaced by pain warping his boyish features again. He groans through the leather strap, his fingers tugging at 2B’s feathers and crushing his mother’s hand.

“Almost done.” 6O reassures, “I’m putting your leg in a splint. A spell or two and it’ll be all over. You just have to stay awake a bit more.”

9S nods but keeps quiet aside from labored breathing.

Both of his hands find their way into 2B’s feathers, his fingers fumbling around with the roots weakly. He accidentally tugs too hard on a fistful, which earns him a low snarl that’s quickly suppressed before he can notice. 21O smooths down his untidy hair now that both her hands are free again. His platinum blonde hair is practically yellow with sweat and grime from his time in the dungeon. 2B can almost hear him complaining for a hot bath.

The cavern fills with a pale green light. 2B whips her head around and 9S whimpers at the sudden loss of her soft feathers. Everything is bathed in green as 6O begins chanting in an intricate, long dead tongue and shaking a bone chime. Her subtle tattoos glow with intensity, starting from her forearms suspended over 9S’ leg and spreading up to her face until her eyes are the same unearthly green.

A presence fills the cavern, one that both 6O and 2B sense, but only 6O can see. It’s old. Very old. It fills their tiny hideaway and coils around the four occupants like a vast serpent, but as thin as bones. The faint sound of creaking joints echoes in her ears whenever it moves. She feels its gaze shift from person, its unseen eyes lingering on 2B long enough to fill her with terror. It returns to its summoner as the green glow comes to a head. 6O places her illuminated hands on either side of the grisly incision.

Beneath the light, 2B watches as bone, sinew, and skin bridge the gap and knit 9S’ leg back together in the proper shape. Mysteries of anatomy unfold before 2B’s ignorant eyes, the finite details of bone marrow and muscle fibers, the intricate network of nerves that spark like lightning, the light jacket of fat that seals everything from the elements, the way his skin builds itself up in layers before capping in uneven scar tissue.

Once satisfied, 6O picks up the bone chime again and resumes her prayers to this entity. With a confident final shake the entity’s presence vanishes, leaving behind the faint scent of stale cinnamon in its wake. As the glow fades from her skin, so too does 6O’s energy. She falls to her hands, her breath heavy and ragged. She takes a deep breath and wipes away the sweat that drips from her forehead.

“Right...we’re done,” she says in between breaths.

With 21O’s help, 9S curls up against 2B’s flank, tucked safely under her wing. His eyes linger on 21O and 6O as the former bustles around picking up the rags and stray rocks from the ground as if this is her new home. 6O’s tired but firm hand on her shoulder makes her stop, and her shoulders drop. She retrieves something long wrapped in thin leathers from the entrance of the cave. When she brings it over to 9S who barely is able to keep his eyes open, the dull brass shaft of his spear is immediately recognizable. As the last piece of leather is pulled away, the blade of the spear glistens with a mirror shine. 2B can see herself in its milky silver reflection, but the moment 21O sets the spear close to her talons, she hisses and reels back from it.

“Ah…” 21O mutters, pulling the weapon away, “Siderite. My apologies.”

Though it has no smell, 2B swears the toxic metal stinks like death. Perhaps it's just the knowledge of how dangerous it is to her kind gives it an illusion of odor. Just a prick has the potential to kill her. How she hadn’t noticed this about 9S’ favored weapon, she wasn’t sure. Maybe she just hadn’t thought to inspect it, or maybe she had been too entranced by its wielder.

She gets up for a moment, just to move herself further away from the deadly metal, but 9S latches onto her feathers with frantic strength. She’s almost pulled back down to the cave floor. His eyes are wide with panic, his chest rising and falling rapidly with ragged wheezes. Somehow he looks more scared of her leaving than when 6O brought out the saw to mutilate his leg. With a reassuring huff, 2B settles back down next to him and covers his legs with her wings.

21O kneels down in front of 9S, taking his trembling hand in hers. “9S...Nines…” she mutters.

“Mom…?” 9S’ voice is hoarse, broken from the strain of the past few days.

“Listen very closely, 9S.” 21O forces her son’s fading focus onto her.

“Mom…” His head lolls to the side, “Mom remember that glove you had? The fancy falconry glove with all the beading on it? The one that got all messed up? That was me… I’m sorry. I used it to clean the latrines… ”

21O laughs a little, but it’s hollow and weak, “It’s okay, son. You were… gods, nine or ten.”

He hiccups, “I meant to tell you sooner… I was scared you’d be mad.”

“Shhh, don’t worry. It’s just an old glove.” she says with a reassuring smile. “You’ve destroyed far more than that. Remember what happened to your room when you were 13?” She and 6O can’t help but laugh at the way 9S tries to hide his face in 2B’s feathers.

9S pouts, but chuckles along with his mother after a moment, only stopping when he remembers that everything hurts. He looks up at 21O with wide, innocent eyes. “When can we...go home?” he asks.

21O winces. “You...you can’t.” She pauses to blink back the tears welling in her eyes, “They’re...The Senate is demanding every soldier submit a blood sample to be tested. They’re trying to root out any more half demons within the ranks.”

9S tries to sit up, but his waning strength only allows him to lean forward. “Wh-...but there’s-...so many…”

“Lieutenant Joanna is on top of it,” 6O interjects. “But...the city guard is going to be looking for you. And 2B. White… The Commander made the call to…” 6O lets out a heavy, exhausted sigh. “To discharge you.”

9S slumps back against 2B’s side, a pained breath escaping him. “I....What am I s-...What am I gonna do?”

The spark in 21O’s grey eyes returns ever so slightly. “There’s a place in the North. Far north. Past the Great Desert and The Old Bog. There’s a village of half demon and demon alike where all seek asylum from this endless war. My father resides there. It’s protected by a large demon named Pascal.”

2B stares at 21O, grateful that her current form hides her expression from her. From a very young age, 2B had been taught that the mountains far to the north were the domain of the Dragon God, the father of all dragons. It is a place that no demon should be able to approach, let alone live in.

So why is there a village of them in such a sacred place?

“You will be safe there,” 21O continues. “No one will know you, no one will be hunting for you. You will be safe, and when this war ends…” she trails off, biting her lower lip to keep from choking on her own words. “Perhaps we will see each other again…”

9S, under the influence of lingering pain and narcotic medicine, cannot contain his tears. “M-mom…” he sobs, “Mom, please…” His head droops, his whole body slumps against 2B as the medicine courses through his veins. He struggles to keep his eyes open even as 21O wraps her arms around her son.

Both 2B and 6O watch, unwilling to interrupt mother and son but unsure as to what to do. The sun’s first rays are beginning to peak out between the trees. Since 2B is not being used as a giant feather pillow, 6O busies herself with some bottles and pouches, setting them beside her.

“This is for Nines. Medicine to keep his wounds from getting infected while you’re traveling.” She pauses and looks 2B in the eye. “You are going with him...right?”

2B nods slowly so as not to disturb 9S or 21O.

6O sighs. “Good.” She runs her hands through the feathers on 2B’s snout. “Don’t be your usual birdbrain self out there… okay? Take care of him, and when you’re done… find A2.”

2B glances down at 9S, but nods again. A2 was the whole reason she had left her home in the first place, and though now she’ll be crossing the land with 9S, her original goal will remain the same.

She can’t imagine he’ll be thrilled about what that means for him, however.

Soft birdsong begins to filter into the cave. 6O puts a hand on her brokenhearted friend’s shoulder, “It’s almost dawn… 21O, we gotta go…”

21O can barely speak as she sobs into the barely lucid 9S, “Be strong. Be good. Nines… My baby boy…”

[iloveace101]

I did some terrible edits with my dragon raja character since I thought the outfit she wore kind a... reminds of something you might see in Nier automata or Yorha. So I drew a blindfold to her and shine her lips a lil. She kind a looks like a mix breed of A2 and 2b? XD

She also has a robot that looks like a pod! And the sword floating behind her. Dragon raja x Nier automata cross over confirm?

[poetryandnightmaress]

What are some things your f/os like about you? Can be any f/o, or even several.

Let me just go feral for a second and do all of them-Toma: “I can’t name a single flaw! She’s just so cute and perfect, and I love every single thing about her! *smiles innocent*”Trevor: “Hmmm... *scratches his head while blushing* She’s a bit weak, for sure, but somehow that makes her even cuter! Her voice is really soft as well, it’s great to feel asleep to. And she likes my awesome puns!”Dante: “*makes wild hand gestures to show how small I am* You know, this baby is just so small, I have the feeling I always have to protect her. And she looks so cute when she sleeps. I love to see her smile as well, it’s brighter then any light I’ve seen, woah!!”V: “O, my little wanderer... *chuckles softly* She always gets so flustered when I say something, and her size as well as her worrying about me makes her even more cute. Her singing and her drawings are also of high quality. *smiles a bit* and sometimes, when she’s daydreaming, her eyes are glowing like stars~”Aymeric de Borel: “*blushes slightly with a soft expression* I hate to see her destroying herself and her stressing out. But after this, she has those calm, peaceful moments, where she looks like a pure angel wanting to be protected. I wish she could be this peaceful without herself being self destructive. But otherwise, her singing is stunning and her almost black eyes are as magical as the mythical forests.”Noctis: *blushes heavily, while smiling bright* gosh, there’s so much I love about her!! She loves to play games with me and listens to every story of mine like it’s the most epic thing she has ever heard! And she’s so small, I have to help her get things sometimes!! And when she takes care of a chocobo, she’s so wholesome and pure, and then- *the gushing goes on for hours*”Lon’Qu: *looks away while blushing* ...h-her whole personality. She’s sweet. hmpf.”Chrom: “AWWWW my little Choco! *smiles bright, then sits down* She’s my little sunshine, and I love to take care of her! Everything she does is so cute and pure, and I love how determined she is! And I’m so so proud of her she made it to this point, she’s an angel!!”Jakob: “Lady ChocoChan is really a blessing. She’s the cutest lady I’ve ever seen, and she’s just so tiny, I love to protect and serve her as a butler and as a husband Shiro: “O!!! MY CHOCHO!! *gets a bit flustered* I love how tiny and precious she is. She always asks me twice, and I don’t feel so awkward next to her. And when we’re fishing, she sometimes feeds the fish. It was strange at first, but really wholesome now.”Angel: “My Kitten is really a special case. She often puts herself down, even tho she has no need for it! Seriously, I can find an insult for everybody around me, but not for her! She’s so emotional and sensitive, it’s cute! And... *smiles pure* I somehow want to protect this smile!”Kusuriuri: “She’s an interesting mix of boldness and kindess. I have really good conversations with her about myths, dreams and the world...well, when she’s not too tired, that is. *softly chuckles*”2B: “*holds her hand on her lips* O Choco...she showed me what feelings are, and I’m so thankful for this. A-and she sings really really good. Her nose is also really cute and- Sometimes she sticks flowers in my hair, and it calms me down.”A2: “God, this woman... *looks in the distance* She manages to calm me down, and I don’t even know why!! I mean, she’s just a woman... a beautiful woman, who is so soft, yet so determined... *blushes* who showed me how beautiful the world can be...”N: “My Cutie reminds me of my Zorua in some way. She tries to fit in somehow, yet she sometimes shows her true self: A bold, kind and funny woman, who wants to know what happiness is. And I wanna help her with that! *smiles bright*”Raihan: “aaa my little sunshiiiine! *grins* She’s really small, almost a dwarf, and I love to make jokes about her size and helping her with stuff she can’t do! Hugging her is just so satisfying, and her telling me all about her day is really cute. And she has that habit to like all of my selfies, she’s my biggest fan!”Leon: “I love how active and motivated she is. And her acts of kindness are really adorable! But sometimes, she overworks herself...however *thinking face* her being tired is a whole new level of cuteness. Also, she saved me from getting lost in a pokemon center-”Kogami: “She’s the kind of person I want to protect. Sweet, innocent, lovely, bold, yet kind and sometimes selfless. Her size and her determination combined with her weakness are stunning for me... She’s magical.”Link: “*smiles brighter then the sun* My lil’Chocoooo! She’s like a lamb, and I love to do everything with her! She always wants to hear of my adventures, and she listens every time to them, in her view, they never get old! Her singing is extremely good, and I love to see her art! And her trying to protect me is the most wholesome thing I’ve ever seen! *laughs happily*”There we go. I adore the “all f/o” asks, ngl uwu

[a-soft-fluffy-girl]

A Cyclical Review of NieR: Automata

I'm simply going to start with my conclusive opinion: to put it concisely, NieR: Automata is one of the most engrossing games I've ever played. No hyperbole, it was outright a Special Interest to me as an ADHD sufferer, and I could not stop playing it from the day I decided to give into my curiosity and try it for myself. Needless to say, after pouring I cannot even count how many hours into the game and growing to not just like the characters, but connect with them on a personal level, I could not help but find myself jumping headfirst into a second playthrough almost immediately after the first. Which is all well and good.

Because that's exactly what this game wants you to do. It wants you to continue the cycle it has presented.

NieR: Automata is an Action RPG that follows the story of three androids’ struggle to end a war upon an Earth overrun by machine lifeforms. 2B is the decidedly stoic one of the three with a heart that she tries denying she has, 9S has an almost child-like sense of wonder that helps more than it hinders, and A2 is an enigmatic figure at first, but one that cannot be denied as having a personality all her own as time treks forward. Millenia ago, a race of aliens invaded in a bid to destroy humanity using an army of robots that looked almost doll-like in their appearance, forcing what was left of humanity to flee to the moon and put forth their efforts towards reclamation rather than repulsion using humanoid Androids known as YoRHa units. While this concept sounds relatively silly, the execution is almost anything but, holding a seriousness that’s just strong enough to be taken as seriously as it wants to be with a sincerity you can’t ignore. It isn’t above taking the ridiculous to heart, though, and that truly does help keep things even more believable as you trek through the many areas the game has to offer.

In its barest of forms, this game is what you could call a Hybrid Action game with semi-open level design and RPG advancement systems such as weapon upgrades and stat boosts. The biggest bulk of the gameplay you'll be facing is a sort of mixture between bullet hell shooters in which you avoid, counter and shoot down your enemies as well as a pinpoint precision hack and slash combat, built around dodging and countering as well, sometimes focusing on one over the other for minutes at a time to keep the gameplay fresh. One moment you're dodging with brilliant timing to counter with a heavy-hitting strong slash or jab depending on your equipped weapon, the other you may be actively in a literal scrolling shoot'em'up that places you headlong in the path of a slew of enemies and their multitude of bullets. The game is no master of a single trade. Instead, it manages to give an almost perfect blend of two entirely differing styles into one package that breathes the boon of variety into the gameplay. I never felt bored playing the game, I only found myself growing tired because it had somehow become six hours later.

Two of the biggest aspects of the game that kept me so engrossed was how brilliantly the sound mixed with the visuals of what the game was showing me. Not a single moment went by without something of note occurring, and with the style the camera seemed to have whilst moving along, sometimes shifting a 3D perspective into a 2D platformer simply because it can, the game had a unique feel that not many can replicate. The peaceful moments were captivatingly serene, allowing me to explore to my leisure as the music quietly thrummed in the background, a fish nibbling on a lure as I quietly cast out my little companion's line. The lighting and the brilliance of the dull, but naturalized and breathtaking set design helped me feel enveloped by its world, the immersion of such a pristinely desolate landscape of an apocalyptic Earth helping me connect to the story even more so.

This extended to the less peaceful settings in the game as well. As the story progressed, I found myself absolutely engulfed in turmoil as my android avatars in-game conversed and contemplated whilst fighting for their lives. Their voices were almost perfectly chosen for such a game, and the voice acting was superb enough to truly help me feel just as confused, elated, relieved or angry as they were. 2B’s quiet resignation of her role, 9S’ true curiosity of the world around him and A2’s deeply rooted past helps one connect to them in a way not typically seen in a normal game of this genre. You help direct these living, breathing androids made to hold their emotions at bay but finding themselves more human than even the humans commanding them, and each moment of unease, wonder or tension feels earned in its fullest degrees and quite real due to their emotive capabilities. It also helps that, again, the level design and breathtaking score can push the wind out of your lungs so effectively when paired properly.

When you step into the City Ruins for the first time, the sunlight peaks down in such a soft, divine way, the naturalized world gently easing you forward towards your next destination. The first moments of confusion and bafflement upon arriving within the Amusement Park, seeing the almost eerily peaceful, otherworldly land you’ve stumbled within, never leave even as you delve deeper or decide to return whence you came. Whether that be a to camp to rest and listen to the sounds of life around you or the almost barren, but somehow brimming with potential discovery desert to the north, it legitimately feels like the world, however dead it may be, will continue to thrive. But it can’t. Not with work to do. And that’s where the main developer of this game, Platinum Games, shines.

When the music begins to ratchet up a violent degree, more instruments and vastly more threatening visuals are thrown your way. And this always means that the superb combat is soon to follow. Simple skirmishes can yield to vast assaults, and incredible set pieces and bosses punch their way through your screen with a presence that cannot be understated. The character of each enemy is palpable to a point where each and every type has their own style and finesse, captivating you in your bid to fight them off and clear the area for safe travels. 2B and A2’s combat is precise, direct and undeniably satisfying to cut down swathes of enemy machines that charge at you with support from airborne and turret-like brethren. 9S’ indirect assistance in the form of his twin-stick shooter hacking minigame can never be called “unfun” or “unnecessary”, especially when he can even hold his own in the thick of battle. No massive fight feels unearned. No visual spectacle lacks a need to appear. It’s a cycle of feedback that helps bring the game to life in a fulfilling way.

I say this because of the game’s cyclical nature. While this review may have bounced from the ending to the beginning, from gameplay to visuals and back to the gameplay once more, the game follows a similar structure. One playthrough may yield to you everything you need to experience a full game’s worth of narrative tension and peaceful downtime, but the story this game truly wants to tell does not end with just one ending. Not in the slightest. You follow through as 2B for only the first of three entire stories. 9S’ side story soon follows, telling a secondary account of what happens to truly be a tale of camaraderie that cannot be fulfilled without the severity of what you know comes next. But where the game truly shines in its third and final playthrough that leads to the game’s true ending.

And I dare not spoil how A2’s efforts change the course of the game’s entire story. Because, to put it concisely, NieR: Automata is one of the most engrossing games I've ever played. After pouring I cannot even count how many hours into the game as a Special Interest that captivated me so entirely, growing to not just like the characters, but connect with them on a personal level, I could not help but find myself jumping over here to write my thoughts upon the game. The spectacular visuals mixing with the music and voice acting to create a story I cannot believe could be told so well. The combat that meshes together two shockingly different styles into a new, fresh take on the both of them. A story that deliberately tells itself in a way that all three characters you play as can present in their own ways. It’s almost a lesson to teach the player how to view things from multiple angles, see the truth for what it is…

… and break through the cycle to see the results just a bit differently than before with greater context.

[theindefinitejames]

Doing a search on Gelbooru for 2B and 9S is a potent distillation of how fandom feels about this game.

Wholesome handholding, romantic what-ifs, I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY, funny followups on the ‘lets buy shirts at the mall when the humans come back’ conversation. And then there’s the fucking. So much fucking.

The latter is what you expect when you go on Gelbooru, right? But it’s all mixed in with the former and there is no way to separate the two, you’re going to get the full Yoko Taro ride whether you like it or not.

hey if 9S gets into a threesome with 2B and A2 that’s like fucking twins, right

[girinma]

i haven’t done one of these posts in a while but: thoughts on nier and nier automata

first off, i haven’t finished reading all of the nier side stories and nothing from the automata lore. but this is largely going to be thoughts on themes and comparing the two games rather than specifics.

i really like nier. its very much my aesthetic for post apocalyptic scenarios and i love the over-the-top yelling and breakdowns. i love how much lore it has even without getting into everything drakengard. i think there’s a lot of value from being able to go into the background so much while still maintaining a solid story on the surface. the games also have a quirkiness from multiple gameplay styles (more prevalent in the first game, though) that i think takes advantage of the medium.

i’m going to discuss some spoilers now so continue on at your own risk.

things i hate about nier: kainé’s outfit. it is infuriating. and no, saying she wears lingerie because she wants to avoid harassment for being intersex is not a valid reason because the character design literally. came first. read the interviews. she’s in underwear to be sexy first and foremost and isn’t a real person who can choose what she wears. ok mini rant over.

the concept for the spinoff from drakengard is just. so good. evil magic is spread through the modern world because of the portal from the other world. the desperate attempt to save humanity with magic after our weaponry is useless. just the fact that people get turned into salt is cool as hell.

nier’s reveal and the hints toward it were great. the enemies were just human souls the entire time! the mix of tech and magic! i love the characters and their interactions, even though much of their relationship feels... implied? like there’s more time between game events than there really are. weiss is so good. i’m a sucker for found family, what can i say. i like how the game is split into a pre-yonah-taken calm and then a more desperate second act. the ending b run is a nice addition though i wish there was more of tyrann to really make it worthwhile. c and d were dumb and should have just been on the end of b. overall i like the game, i like that original nier dooms the human race because his sister/daughter is going to die and the entire system depends on him to stabilize it. its fun. 

now what i don’t understand about automata is how much its written for someone who doesnt known anything about nier. like you cant say that humans are on the moon when we KNOW that true humans are dead and replicants had unstable genomes and magic couldn’t sustain them forever, and given the time gap... they’re dead. there’s also far less magic in this game, which i dislike but i guess is acceptable because i assume robots cant use magic in this world. i also miss the banter of the first game (aka i miss weiss. i love him) the true ending is also IDENTICAL to nier’s ending which is :/ i love how the story ends, however, with machines truly replicating humanity by also removing their “souls” from their bodies in a way.

i wish the plot itself had more to it? nier was very regimented due to the style with prophecies and such, but i wanted more from automata. the first half was interesting but i wanted more from adam and eve. the second half tho. oof. picked up exactly as i expected and i generally enjoyed it. a2 learning essentially the same lesson as 2b and 9s in the first part tho was kind of eh. i just think the aliens were thrown away too quickly and the reveal could have meant more at a later point.

game-wise, automata feels like it is what nier wanted. its a larger world, with full pov switches, and is overall a better game.

emil paragraph. so glad he was in automata and i cannot believe that the joke in the drama cd where AND THEN EMIL FOUGHT ALIENS became canon. also literally saddest thing is that HE PLANNED TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF FOR NIER AND KAINÉ BUT HE OUTLIVED THEM BY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND DEFENDED THE PLANET BECAUSE OF THEM and then he lost his sense of self trying to protect the world.... and he did it all while gay. the icon.

the 9s/2b romance was weird and i didnt get where it was coming from. i liked 9s overall, though 2b was a little too much silent-protagonist which I GET IT she didn’t want to become attached. but she lacked the development of the other characters because she was so reserved. a2 felt like just a 2b that talked more. smush em together! i want a better female character here. maybe i’ll get more in 2b characterization in the extra material but rn im not really liking it.

overall i really liked these games and im going to enjoy digging into some more lore. i like nier itself better for the story, but its such an interesting world and the way automata carved out the space to tell its story was nice. gg.

[toggle1-mrfipp]

Fractured

Fractured

On a mission to discover the cause of several recent disappearances, 2B and 9S come across a dying machine, and a dark stain from the past comes back. 

“Anemone said the suspicious activity was around here, right?” 9S asked from his position atop the run-down, rusted bus.

“Around this end of the mall, yes,” 2B answered, taking her own stance at the edge of the overgrown road. “In addition to several of her people going missing around here, she also said there are been reports of an unknown entity skulking around, though all attempts to investigate it ended in nothing.”

“Something tells me that those two are connected somehow.”

“I agree, and with frequent the disappearances have become, Anemone is worried how much worse it could become.”

The recent weeks have been busy, to say the least.

YorHa was gone. The Organization that had pledged itself to the Glory of Mankind no longer existed, and 2B was still found herself with a deep and heavy feeling in her gut at the prospect. They were gone and she was still here, even though she had no right to be, but 9S was alive as well. He was here, in front of her, and she knew that he was going to stay there, and never again would get that order.

Sometimes she wanted to cry, that the suffering she had caused had come to an end.

Sometime she wanted to cry because she was afraid that this would turn into a nightmare and the order would still come through.

In the time since they had woken up, 2B and 9S had worked more with the Resistance, who had since begun restoring a section of the city to become inhabitable for the remaining androids. The incidents of hostile machines had drastically dropped, and with the exception of a few stragglers, most of the machines who wandered the city aimlessly had join to either form communities of their own, or join one of the small remaining ones, with even a few joining the rebuilding efforts. The last time she had spoken to A2, she had mentioned that a few machines had taken to staying in Pascal's village.

Humanity was gone, as well as their alien invaders, only leaving androids and machines to pick up the pieces, and she didn't know where this road would lead them.

She was suddenly dragged out of her thoughts by the shattering of glass and metal crashing against the ground. Both she and 9S were quick to draw their weapons, 042 and 153 ready to fire at any possible threat, but what had caught their attention could not seem to be any less of a threat; a machine, a small stubby, had crashed through a glass door of the mall and from the look of it, it appeared as though it could not be a threat if it tried.

It was covered in large gashes, chunks of its armor crudely cut away, a piece of its head missing from the back, as well as missing an arm and a leg, and oil of pouring from its wounds in large rushes.

“H-Help-p,” it croaked, feebly reaching for them, one of its eyes dead.

9S bolted for it, with 2B close behind, keeping an eye out for either a trap of some sort, set by either the machine before them or whoever it was that did this too it.

“What happened to you?” he asked, kneeling down next to it, placing a hand on its chassis.

“K-k-illed-d-d them aaaalllllllllllllll...” The gave a rattling noise as its remaining eye popped in a small shower of sparkles, before it dropped dead, the oil leaking dripping to an end.

“I think it's gone,” he said, standing back up to face 2B. “And with how badly it's been damaged I don't think we could have done anything for it.”

“Ah...” 2B said with a sigh. She turned, observing her environment, trying to spot something, anything that could have caused this, but her attention ended up being drawn back to the door the machine crashed through, and to the trail of oil that lead into the dark interior of the mall.

“You think this could be related to those disappearances Anemone wanted us to investigate?” 9S asked, having already caught onto her trail of though.

“Something tells me that this is too much a coincidence to be otherwise.”

“Yeah, sent out to find out where androids have vanished off to, only to find a near-dead machine crying out that someone killed them all. It's worth a look.”

He was the first one to step through the door, and only a second later did 2B follow him, and travel into the depths of the mall.

000

“So why isn't the mall used by the Resistance?” 2B asked as they walked through the dead mall, passing long empty stores, their pods providing light and allowing them to see. “There's a lot room in here, and it seems like it would better suit their operations better than the lot they use.”

“I actually asked Anemone about that once,” 9S explained. “She said they they actually once planned to have this place be their center of operations, but when they went deep enough in they found a colony of hostile machines, and they weren't able to get rid of them all, so they decided to move shop somewhere else. One of the alternatives was the sewers but-agh!” He tripped, stumbling briefly before he regained his foot.

“You should watch were you're going,” was 2B's response, her path slightly diverging her path as to avoid whatever it was he had tripped over.

“Yeah yeah,” he said as he turned around coming to a halt and looking back the way they had come, eyes turning to where he had tripped. “I hear y-oh...”

“Oh? Is something-oh.” She gave a pause as she looked down at what was at his feet.

“Observation: It would appear to be a severed android hand.”

“Thank you, 042,” 2B replied. “That is... helpful.”

The hand sat there, a pool of dried blood beneath it, staining a titles in a dark coat.

“That's another mood setter right there,” 9S said dryly. “I don't see a body that it could have been attached anywhere, and it looks like it's been here for a while too. You think they might have escaped?”

“I wouldn't get those hopes up.” Taking a looked down the darkened halls, 2B continued on her way. “Stay behind me, there's clearly something in here, so he have to be vigilant.”

“Got it.” He made to follow, and taking one last look at the hand before he walked as close to her as he could.

000

They continued on, and as they did more evidence of the perpetrator began to appear more; machine oil and android blood were more common place, sprayed on the walls and floors, splattered against signs and benches, and according to the Pods there was even animal blood mixed in there as well. More body parts began to strewn about as well, mostly severed limbs from androids, machines and even the aforementioned animals, but never was there an entire body, just small pieces.

Where were the bodies? They had wondered.

Eventually they received their answer.

They entered the heart of the mall, the massive room that acted as the hub, where the rest of what the mall had to offered could easily be accessed, and it was here they found the bodies. Androids, machines, animals, all sorts of bodies and blood littering the chamber, seemingly tossed around with no care of position, pools of blood puddling around. Machines hacked into bits, androids all covered in haphazard stab wounds, and varying animals, from birds to moose that looked like they had been torn apart. The stench of rotting flesh filled the air, the fetid smell invading their sense of small, and behind her she could hear 9S gag. She wanted to gag herself, but she kept that under control herself.

In the center of everything, amongst this massive field of corpses was a tree, ancient and massive, its long dead branches reached for the streams of sunlight pouring through the shattered skylight. More blood was coating the lower reaches of the trunk, as well as marked with long gashes that had been cut into it.

“Warning: Black Box signal detected,” Pod 153 called out.

“What? Where?” 9S answered, quickly turning, trying to find out where the signal was coming. “Friend or foe you think?”

2B already had her sword in her grasp. “I don't know-wait? Up there!”

Her finger extended upwards, pointing to the large and twisted branches above them, and laying down on one of them, face up to the sky, and an arm limply dangling, appeared to be an android.

2B and 9S briefly exchanged glances before separating from one another, moving in opposite directions; 2B moving closer from the left while 9S distanced himself from the right. They didn't know who this was, or if they were a threat, but it was to approach this with caution.

Suddenly the android groaned, their body shifting on the branch, which forced 2B and 9S to halt in their advancements and observe the unknown android's actions.

“Who's there?” it asked. The voice was obviously female, but it was hoarse, with an audio distortion that put a slight layer of static on the words. She twisted her body and fell to the ground, landing on her feet,but not with a stumble that almost sent her crashing forward, but she was able to catch herself before she could fall flat on her face. With her on the ground floor, and stepping into the better a light, and to their horror they could see what they were dealing with.

In clothes were impossible to identify in any way other than the baggy way they hung off from her frame, and this was due to the fact that they appeared to be soaked in blood and oil, caking her in layers that had long since dried and fresh, and everything in between. This staining continued onto the sword she had gripped in her right hand, and with the way her first was shaking 9S wondered just how tightly it was clutched in her grip, or even if she had the ability to get it go; the sword itself was in terrible shape, it was badly chipped along the remaining half of he sword, spots of bloodied rust along its length.

Despite these observations, they were not the more unsettling however; the skin on her left hand, as well as the left side of her face, had been torn off, the layers removed as far down as the black under-plating. Unlike A2, who appeared to have had her skin cleanly removed enough that replacement patches could be easily applied, this android's skin looked like it had been torn away, leaving jagged tears along the synthetic flesh where it had been ripped from.

“W-Who are you?” she asked, her sights turning to 2B. “Do I know you?”

2B could now clearly see what remained of the android's face, with her missing skin, exposed jaw and missing left eye, while her remaining right eye had been dull and gray. Her hair was short, and either brown or a dark red, it was hard to tell through the blood.

“I think before I give you my name, you should tell me who you are,” 2B answered, wondering if the android knew 9S was behind her, preparing to strike her at the first sign of trouble.

The android stared at her, the remaining eye glaring, before her head shook and said eye clutched tightly as her free hand suddenly rose up and struck her in the side of the head, a thick clank ringing through the room each time bare metal hit bare metal. “Six. Six. Six---teen. 16.”

“16-what?” 2B asked firmly.

The android remained silent, her arm slowly lowering, eye staring intently at it.

“...e...” the whisper came out. “YoRHa No. 16 Type E. 16E.”

Inside her chest, 2B's black box froze for a brief moment. “16E...”

Behind 16E, 9S raised his arm, palm outstretched and ready to hack into 16E, but 2B gestured with her own hand for him to stand down, and while he did seem to hesitate, he dropped his hand.

“16E, I want to ask you a question,” 2B said, calm and steady. “The bodies around us, did you do this to them?”

“Y-yes, I did,” 16E said, her head slowly nodding. “I had to.”

“Why did you have to kill them?”

“Because I have to.” 16E's voice was smaller, barely above a whisper. “I kill them all because that is what I am supposed to do.” She suddenly cried out, stumbling backwards away from 2B and pointed her sword at her. “You're alive!” With a sudden burst of energy she spun around and aimed her weapon at 9S. “So are you!”

“Wait... Do you know u-?” The sentence couldn't even leave 9S's mouth before 16E screamed and launched herself at him, sword swinging down on him, but he was able to catch the sword on his own, locking the two blades with one another, resisting her as she tried to push him back.

2B was quick, instantly running to them just as 9S managed to throw 16E back, his own sword raised up to cut her down and-

2B kicked 16E in the gut, sending her flying into the air, raised her own sword to block 9S's strike.

“2B?” he cried out in confusion. “What are you-?”

“Do not kill her!” she ordered, her voice firm. “We use nonlethal force to subdue her, do you understand?”

“Y-Yes!” he stammered, caught off guard by 2B's actions. Behind her he could see 16E scramble up to her feet, growling like a feral animal, and for a moment he was worried that she was infected with a logic virus, but even in the dim light he could see that her eye was still blue.

16E let loose another loud scream and charged again, swinging wildly at 2B, who managed to successfully block or parry all her blows.

Executioners were unparalleled in single combat, able to easily overcome any android they were tasked with dealing with, but it was clear that 16E was in no condition to fight, her body too damaged and in dire disrepair, with a broken sword that looked like it wasn't far from breaking even further.

2B managed to hold her still, grabbing hold of her wrist and keeping her stationary just long enough for 9S to hack her and shut her down for the time being, but the moment he was able to hack into her he cried out and stumbled.

“Nines!” The moment of distraction was enough for 16E to pull herself free, and swing at 2B cutting into her arm once, but she managed to dodge away before another cut could be added. Missing her target, 16E roared and swung her sword at the ground.

“Are you okay?” 2B called out, reaching out to 9S as she was sprawled on the floor. “What happened in there?”

“That wasn't pleasant,” 9S groaned, taking her hand and helping himself to her feet. “Her system is too scrambled, I can't get in there and disable her.”

The two of them spun around as 16E let out a strangled cry, clawing at the ground as she scrambled to push herself to her feet, dirt and bits of discarded rubbish flying around her. Struggling to stand up, her legs looks as though they were ready to buckle underneath her, hardly able to support herself.

“16E!” 2B called out, a firm and demanding tone to her voice. “Stop this now! There is no reason to fight here. Just drop your sword and-”

“N-No, I have to kill you,” 16E muttered allowed. “That's what I do, I k-kill. That's my designation. Machines, androids, friends enemies lovers. I kill them all. Type-E Executioner.” She looked back at them, eye shifting between the two of them frantically before it settled on 2B. “You, you, I know-”

2B tensed as 16E's eye widened, stepping back in a panic and raising her sword in a shaking grip. From the corner of her vision she looked to 9S, and from the subtle movements on his face tightened as 16E concentrated on her, she knew he was already piecing things together.

“RUN!” 16E suddenly screamed, lunging herself at 2B, swinging her sword with a sudden strength she did not have previously, enough to almost cause 2B to be pushed to the ground had she not braced herself the moment before their swords connected. Trying to force her back, 16E moved herself, positioning herself between 2B and 9S, trying to keep 2B at bay. “I said run!” 16 cried out, looking over her shoulder and back to 9S.

9S's response was confusion. “What? You're the one who-”

“She'll kill you!”

For a moment, 2B's strength left her, the all too familiar heaviness coming back and growing inside her, deep in her chest.

“She's a Type-E!” 16E cried out, frantic. “She'll kill you! That's what she does!”

“16E,” 2B tried to say, the name feeling like lead on her tongue. “Stop this, he-”

“Please stop please,” cried 16E, a desperate and weak please. “Please don't kill him.”

2B found herself defenseless as she was pushed back, losing her balance as she tripped over her own feet. If 16E had been a better state of body, the following slice from her sword would have been faster. have gone further, cutting deep into her chest instead of just lightly tearing at her dress, leaving a thin cut line across her abdomen.

She had enough time to roll out of the following stab, and jumped back up, landing on her feet afters quick and precise spin. Looking back at 16E, she could see a new found steadiness in her stance, in how she held her sword, and a determined clarity in her eye that had been absent up until this point. When she struck, it was faster, more precise, with more force behind each swing, but 2B it would not be enough to put her down, and even now it would be so easy for her to take the upper-hand, to overpower her...

Still, she finds herself holding back.

16E delivered a quick kick to 2B's stomach, knocking the air out of her as she was flew through the air, crashing against a crumbling pillar before crumbling to the ground as her opponent rushed at her. 9S jumped between them, blocking 16E with his own sword, the power behind her strike enough to send him to one knee, but he still held the sword back from cutting her down.

The damaged android suddenly scrambled back, tripping over her own feet and falling onto her back, pushing herself away from the two of them.

“I told you to run!” 16E cried out between labored breathes. “She's going to kill you! She-”

“I know about all of that!” 9S shouted, resulting in 16E flinching at the sound and volume of his voice. “I know everything about her, how she was supposed to kill me, how she has killed me, how her actual designation is really 2E.”

Only a handful of times had 9S every said the name '2E', and every time he had, it left a the taste of bile in her mouth, a nasty reminder of everything she had taken from him, and her powerlessness to do anything to stop it. How she had failed him, time and time again without fail. She hated being 2E.

“But despite all that,” 9S continued, his voice softening as he took a careful step toward her. “I still don't blame her for any of it, and even if I have no memory of the things she's done, I know I always forgave her.”

She didn't deserve him in her life.

Across from them, 16E shook, her face marred with confusion, as though she had trouble understanding what it was 9S was trying to tell her.

“No...” she whimpered, her head shaking. “No. No, no, no... You don't-You can't-” A pained growled tore itself from her throat as she pulled herself up, her body trembling under the strain of her own weight. “You HATE her.” Her free hand reached up, gripping at the damaged side of her face, and slowly her fingers began to claw into her skull. “She kills you, again and again, and again, and she keeps doing it. You're supposed to hate the people that kill you because they deserve it.” Metal scrapped as her hand raked  from her temple to her jaw, only for it to move back up and to keep doing it, scratching at what remained of her face. “She'll keep hurting you because that's what they want, because they won't let it end.”

“16E.” 2B jumped up to her feet, to stand beside 9S. “YoRHa is gone, Command is gone. There is no one left to issue those orders.” Carefully, 2B continued forward, one foot in front of the other as she made her way to 16E, extending a hand out to her. “You don't... WE don't have to follow those order anymore. It's over now.” Despite her best efforts to remain calm and collected, she could hear the hitch in her voice. “So please-”

“LIAR!” 16E screamed, managing to finally get up to her feet. “It can't be over! Not as long as we're here to kill them! Type-Es must be erased. All Executioners must be executed!”

“16E!”

“I'LL KILL YOU 2E!” She launched herself into an attack, swinging her blade in long and winding arcs, forcing 2B back, but even so, the strikes, swung with reckless abandon and aggression, were easy to dodge or block.

Suddenly, with one last block, 16E's sword broke in half, reducing to a measly six inches of chipped and rusted metal, and it was because of this that she lost her balance, giving 2B the perfect moment to make her move. She spun 16E around and wrapped one arm around her neck, holding her in a tight grip while her other hand gripped the wrist of her sword-wielding arm, extending it as far away as she could, holding it with enough force that it would be easy to snap it off.

But she didn't. She didn't want to hurt 16E more than she needed to.

“16E, stop this now! Calm down!”

16E's response was to scream and cry, clawing at 2B's arm while she struggled to free her sword, her legs kicking out wildly in the air.

“We're going to have to find a way to subdue her,” 9S called out. “If we don't do something now she'll-2B! Watch out!”

The air around her began to crackle and fizzle as heat began to gather around her, and a deep red light coming from 16E's body, and in that moment she knew what was happening.

If it was intentional, a subconscious act of desperation, 2B did not know, but 16E had activated her self-destruct sequence.

With only a brief moment to act, 2B tried to throw her away, but she wasn't quick enough before the explosion happened, a minor EMP ripping through the air, knocking her and 9S to the ground while parts of 16E's body ruptured and came apart.

Dead and discolored pixels littered 2B's vision as she struggled to get up, but she fought through the pain and numbness in her body as she looked back to where she had tossed 16E, only to find her in a crumpled heap on the ground.

Self-destruct was a last resort option, only to be used when there seemed to be no other option in a battle scenario, something to destroy whatever enemies that were surrounding the android in question.  It left them in a critical state, heavily damage, but not beyond repair, but 16E's body was already damaged before hand, and the resulting explosion was far more devastating than usual.

Her free hand was gone, blown away at the shoulder, one of her legs hung limply on her body, bending at an unnatural angle, and through the blood covering her face, 2B could see that her remaining eye was heavily damaged, and she was almost certain that she had no vision left.

She gasped and cried where she laid, her voice even further garbled, almost unrecognizable. “It has to end...” 16E croaked, using her remaining arm to slowly drag herself over to a bench, her body nearly unable to support itself as she managed to prop herself up against it. “We have to pay...”  Her arm shook as she tried to push herself up further, but all that managed to accomplish was her leg collapsing underneath her, sending her back to the floor with a pained cry. “I just-I just...” The wretched sobs escaped her as her body jerked forward, trying desperately to cling to the bench. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!” she wailed, her breath choking out of her. “I didn't want too, but I had to! It was my orders, I had to follow my orders! I'm so sorry!”

“It's going to be okay, 16E,” 2B said as she slowly made her way over to the fallen android. “I know what you went though, but we don't have to go through that again.”

“It has to stop, I just want it to stop...” Raising the remains of her sword, 16E pointed it directly at at her, her arm wavering and barely able to keep it us. 2B found herself hesitating, but with how heavily 16E was bleeding, she knew she couldn't just-

16E then stabbed her sword through her chest.

“No!” 2B cried out, dashing to her, catching her body as she fell over.

“I'm sorry,” 16E sobbed, her arm now free of her sword, gripping tightly to one one of 2B's shoulders, holding onto her for dear life, burying herself in the other. “I'm so sorry, 10B. I'm sorry...”

She stopped, no more movement, no more sounds came from her. According to 042, her black box was dead.

000

2E pressed herself against the stone wall, looking over to the large and thick wooden door by her side, while on the other side 16E took her position, hand on her sword.

'The targets should be in here,' read the message on her HUD.

'This is the only entrance to the building,' said another message, this one from 7E, who was just behind her. 'Unless there are underground tunnels, there is only once chance.'

'They've likely set up a trap,' 2E sent with her own message.

'This is the only option we have,' sent 16E. '7E, on my mark, I want you to go first. Proceed with caution.'

Silently, 7E moved past 2E, placing her hand on the door and crouched down, sword gripped tightly while her fist weapons floated behind her.

'Now.'

With a heavy creak, 7E moved the door, shining light into large dark room before them, and carefully stepped inside, her steps echoing through the chamber. The seconds passed slowly, heavily on their shoulders as they awaited conformation, and with a careful wave of 7E's hand, 16E and 2E approached her and began to survey the room.

It was hard to see much, pillars toppled over, large chunks of debris laying around, and it seemed like the windows had long ago been sealed away with stone. 7E's earlier reconnaissance was right, there was only one way in and out of this place.

What was this building called again? A church? Was that what he called them? It didn't matter, not now at least.

'We don't know where they are,' 2E messaged. 'But in this chamber they could-'

“Look out!” 7E cried out, and 2E suddenly found the first weapons striking her in the stomach, sending her flying back in to the wall. Before impact, she saw 7E, arm outstretched as she commanded her weapon, and a spear fly out from the darkness and pierce her head, cleanly tearing through it, and judging from the angle it had been thrown at, its user was aiming for two.

She could already hear 7E's aggravated lamentation as she was once again killed at the start of a combat scenario.

A figure than appeared from above, a sword in their hand as they descended from above, aiming for 16E, but android jumped out of the way and swung her own weapon, catching it on the reacquired spear on their opponent.

8E had already made the first move, and had already terminated 7E, but if she was there where was-

2E rolled out of the way just as the greatsword came down on her, taking a large chunk of the wall she was against, and upon fully recovering, she found herself staring into the eyes of 5K. Not a single word was said between them as he launched another attack.

Approximately eighty-seven days ago, Units 8E and 5K had officially been registered as YoRHa deserters, and a squad forming of herself, 16E and 7E had been formed with the purpose of hunting them down and executing them. It was only five days ago had they managed to pick up the trail and followed it to this church on the northern coast of Ireland, where they had them cornered.

Typically, she's not assigned to missions that are expected to go on for this long, not anymore, but for whatever reason, Command decided to send her. Who was she to question her orders?

For the targets themselves, she knew nothing of 5K, and beyond what was necessary for the mission, she had no desire to learn anything about him. She couldn't say she knew much about 8E as well, only that she was an older android, who has been online than everyone on her squad put together, someone with experience, someone who could prove dangerous.

She also knew that 5K was her continued assignment, and because of that, she felt she knew everything she needed to know. It was also because of that fact that she had spent this whole mission thinking one thing: Why?

As a Type-E, and an older one at that, she would know better than anyone what desertion would mean for her and 5K when they were caught. Trying to run away would never result in anything good, there was only one possible way this could ever end.

The fight between her and 5K did not last long. Her sword cleanly stabbed into his chest, and with one quick pull it exited out through his side, tearing his black box into pieces, and with a pained gasp being the last things he spoke, he fell to the ground, his sword clattering beside him loudly. The sounds coming from the opposite end of the room, the sounds of metal clashing against metal, of battle, came to an abrupt stop. When she glances back to them, it was just in time to see the sword fall from 8E's hand, for her to fall to her knees as a pained wail tore itself from her.

“No...” she cried, falling further, onto her arms, head pressed against the floor. “Not again...”

Immediately, 2E turned her attention back to 16E, who stood behind 8E, sword in hand, completely ignored by their target.

It always ends this way.

'Why', she wants to ask. 'Why put yourselves through this?'

She doesn't ask however, there's no point.

Whatever the reason, it's clear that 8E is no longer a threat, she has no intention of fighting back.

16E stood behind her, sword raised and poised to cut her through the back and through her black box, but instead of the quick thrust 2E expects, there was hesitation. The second dragged on as 16E stands there, 8E quietly sobbing into her arms being the only sound in the room.

“2E,” 16E finally said, after a solid ten seconds of no action. “Secure the door. Now.”

Again, 2E wants to ask why, but 16E was the assigned commanding officer on this mission, and 2E is nothing if not a good little soldier who follows her orders to the word, and so she walks ed to the door, taking her post to observe the outside.

The moments passed, and 2E could hear them speaking inside, but she couldn't hear what it was they were saying exactly, but the words stopped for a short time, and instead were replaced with the sound of them walking across the room. More silence followed, only interrupted by a brief murmuring. A wet crunch, the sound of metal and synthetic flesh being pierced. More silence followed, until the slow pace of footsteps approached her from behind her.

16E stood beside her as she exited the building, leaning against the wall for support.

“Call it in to Command, tell them the mission was a success, the targets executed, and that they'll have to load up 7E's most recent back up,” she said, her voice low and solemn, and before 2E could say anything back to her, she quickly moved away, starting back up the path they took to get here.

She watched 16E's retreating back before she looked back inside the church, and there inside she saw 8E draped over K5's body, her face buried into his shoulder, and a gaping wound on her back.

000

Minutes later, when the call was made, and 2E had returned to where they had landed their flight units, 16E was sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking over the vast sea before them.

“It's done,” she said, walking up to her flight unit. “It's time we head back to the Bunker.”

To this, 16E had not responded.

“I said we should head back to the Bunker.”

Again, no response.

As she repressed a sigh, 2E stepped away from her flight unit and towards her squad mate. “16E, can you hear-”

“Please don't take my memories away,” 16E said, her voice low and hoarse, giving 2E pause.

“What?”

“Her last request. She was okay with being killed, but she didn't want to lose her memories, not the memories of K5.”

“...That's impossible, she would have known that. Even if they don't decommission her, they'll just factory reset the two of them, and they'll never be assigned to any missions where they are likely to run into one another.”

“Maybe that's why she asked to die with him. One last moment together before she faced oblivion.”

“She should have just accepted the reality she had been dealt. It... It would have been better in the end. For both of them.”

“Emotions are prohibited, isn't that right, 2E?”

2E's mouth opened, just slightly for a response, but nothing came to her, she didn't know what to say.

16E however, didn't seem like she needed one. “Yeah, I guess that's what it is.”

Nothing else was said as between them as 16E left the rock she sat upon and entered her flight unit, and in seconds she was already a streak in the sky.

For longer than she would have liked, 2E remained behind before she followed.

000

Not even two full days went by before 2E found herself with the need to seek out 16E to talk to her, to...

To what? She didn't know, but she needed to talk with her.

Though she had not seen her since they debriefed with the Commander upon arrival, she had been informed by 6O, who had gotten in contact with 16E's own operator, that she had not been dispatched from the Bunker yet, though she was scheduled to leave soon, very soon.

She was relieved when she found her, staring out through a window, and to the planet below.

“16B, do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?”

“Hm? Oh, hey 2B.”

Their true designations were only to be referred to during appropriate missions, and in all other instants they were to only one another by their cover ups, as were the same with many Type-Es. As far as most other androids were concerned, they were 16B and 2B.

She much preferred to be called 2B.

“I know you have to leave soon, so I'll try and make this quick, but I want to talk to you about the mission we had the other day. Due to how classified it is, I think we should find somewhere private to-”

“I'm sorry, but I have to stop you right there,” interrupted 16E. “But, what mission are you talking about?”

She was caught off guard by the statement.

“The mission. From the other day. In Ireland. 7E was with us.”

With the blindfold over 16E's eyes, it was impossible to tell just what she was trying to convey, but her tilting her head and folded her arms did not bode well with her.

“2B, I haven't seen you in weeks, let alone be on a mission with you, and I've never worked with 7E on anything.”

Running a number of responses through her mind, 2B found herself unable to find a suitable line. The mission clearly had some sort of effect on her, but now she stood before her, seeming to have no recollection of the last three months. Just what had happened to her in the short time since they had returned?

“Do you... really not remember it?”

“Yeah, sorry I don't remember anything, but if you're saying we were on a mission, I'll check in with maintenance to see if there are any problems with my memory banks. Let's just hope I didn't forget anything too important.”

For some reason, that statement stung.

“But I'll have to do that later, I have to get going for a mission, like now. Apparently they're assigning me a long term partner, someone designated 10B. Anyway, see you later 2B.”

2B was then left alone, 16E jogging down the hall and soon out of sight, leaving her alone in this dull and stark place.

There was nothing new about 16E's partnership with 10B. In fact, the two had been partnered together longer than...

“What happened to you?” she asked softly to herself, turning her attention to the Earth.

However she had no time to further ponder on this before a voice came from behind her.

“Excuse me, you're 2B, right?”

One second. One second was all 2B allowed herself to fully recompose herself before she turned around.

“Yes, yes I am.”

“Ah, that's good. I'm 9S, I'm supposed to be partnered with you starting today.”

000

042 gently floated above the stream, though she had no real expectation that anything would bite today, she had tried fishing here several times before, but she had never caught more than a couple of small fish. That wasn't the point however, right how she just needed an out of sorts. From her position on the hood of an old rusted car, she could scarcely make out 9S' voice behind her as he spoke with Anemone, reporting back what had happened exactly. She didn't pay attention to what exactly he was conveying to her however, and it didn't matter, she knew what happened, that's all that mattered.

“Hey,” came 9S' voice after a short time, walking walking up to the car.

“...hey,” was her response, small and dull.

“Mind if I have a seat?”

She pushed herself over, moving along to the side of the hood to allow him a space to sit. He took it, sitting next to her, but not too close, to giver her space, and a comfortable silence came to life, the only sounds being the stream as it flowed.

Unfortunately, it had to end.

“So, that android,” 9S said, calm and gentle. “16E?”

“...yeah.”

“She was a friend of yours.”

“We should get going,” 2B said, jumping from the car, 042 returning to her side and she made her way from 9S. “Anemone will expect us back soon, so there's no reason to waste any time here more than needed.”

“2B!” 9S called with an exasperated sigh. “You can't just-”

“There's no point in being here anymore, we have to-”

2B jerked back as 9S grabbed at her arm, holding her back from trying to run away. It would be easy to tear her arm from his grip, to simply walk away and continue on her way, and for a brief moment she had considered it, but the look in his eyes, a silent plea to know, to learn about her, to just understand her, drained her of that fleeting desire.

“2B,” he said, firmly, calmly. “Tell me what's wrong.”

Biting the inside of her lip, 2B couldn't help but turn away. “I...”

Emotions were prohibited. That was a mantra that she had repeated so many times that she had never bothered to keep count, always said in the futile attempt to steel herself from inevitable heartache and pain. It was hilarious how much those words failed her, time and time again, only causing her more grief.

But it didn't have to be like that anymore, she could be open with 9S about what was on her mind and how she felt, she wanted to more than anything else, and there was nothing to hold her back anymore. She could build her relationship with 9S up from something more than her lies and his deaths, she had every opportunity to be free and truthful.

So why was it so hard?

“I... We...” The words were hard to say, as though she had to pull them out from deep inside of her, firmly rooted in places. “Executioners, like me, we're not known for having a longstanding mental stability.”

The grip on her arm loosened as 9S let go of her, slowly moving away from her, his touch lingering for a brief moment before complete separation. 2B wasn't certain if she was grateful for this or not.

Nonetheless, she continued. “The purpose of Executioners is to dispose of fellow androids for a variety of reasons. In the field, we'll end lives if they captured by enemy forces, or if they are dying and cannot be restored to a fully functioning manner, or we are charged with chasing down deserters or traitors.”

If the previous confession was hard to say, what she would say next would feel like she was hauling boulders up from the bottom of the sea, but she had to say it. Needed to say it.

“Then, there were ones like me, like 16E. The ones who went undercover, posing as different android types, for the purpose of eliminating units who were known to be risks to YoRHa.”

She wants 9S to stop her, tell her that she doesn't have to draw out these old memories, but at the same time she's thankful that he doesn't say anything, letting her continue.

“I can kill a thousand machines and it would never bother me, but killing a fellow android? It's different, it does something to you that I can't possibly describe, and we all had our own ways of dealing with it. Some, they chose to distance themselves to the extreme; for all the remarks I received about how impersonal I could be at times, I knew a few who just seemed entirely divorced from reality, never even registering they were carrying out their orders. There were ones who took to enjoying what they did, who convinced themselves to have fun with what they did and looked forward to their orders. They were unpleasant, disturbing. Some even decided to take their own lives.

“Others chose to run away, to desert YoRHa, some even taking their assigned targets with them, hoping they could just avoid those problems and never have to deal with that again. It never worked out for them however, they were always found in the end.”

“You ever think about that?” 9S asked, his tone slightly uncertain. “Running away, I mean?”

“Once,” she replied as the ghost a smile threatened to appear, but she was quick to squash it. “I thought of telling you everything, and taking you somewhere far away, but...”

“They could have sent someone after us, wouldn't they?”

She didn't want to think about what might be going through his head, wondering if she had been part of  of those execution squads, who killed the shared dream others might have had. He wouldn't be wrong.

“What about 16E?” he continued. “What was her deal?'

“Her assigned unit was 10B. I don't know much about her, only that from what I heard from 16E she was exceptional soldier, enough so that Command saw no problem in bringing her back despite their continued orders for her execution. Eventually, to cope with her grief, 16E started to erase her memories, of the things she did, the androids she killed, even of 10B, and she did it often, and every time she did it she lost pieces of herself. I won't claim to know how much she lost, or how it lined up with her back-up saves, but once she forgot I was a Type-E.”

“That sounds bad.”

“It was, and once I figured out what was happening to her, it frightened me, more than anything.”

“How so?”

“Because every time I saw her, I couldn't help but wonder if that would happen to me one day, would I become so desperate that I would just throw away pieces of me like that. I have no right to say this to you, but my memories, my memories of you 9S, are the most important thing I have, and if I ever reached the point 16E did, I think it would have been too much for me. Losing you, losing the memories of you, I think I would have preferred nonexistence to that.”

“Oh 2B...”

Before she can could say anything, 9S already was on her, his arms wrapped around her and embraced her, gently place himself into the crook of her neck. She didn't know how much she needed this, not until she began to return the affection, holding him tightly against her, resting her head on his shoulder, a small stream of tears tracing down her cheeks.

Time passed, she did know how much, and it was of no real concern how long exactly, but eventually it was her that broke their embrace, but not before drying her tears on his coat.

“You okay now?” he asked.

“It felt good to get that off my chest.” It really did, the feeling of a heavy strain on her had been lifted off of her, leaving her to feel lighter, though she did not at first realize how exhausted it had left her. “Just... thanks.”

“No problem, I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here for you.”

“I know, and again, thank you, Nines.”

“Do you want to stay here a bit more, maybe clear your head or-”

“No, I think we should get going back to camp. I just want to be anywhere else right now, if that's okay.”

With a nod from him, the two of them began to make their way back to the Resistance camp, and though it was a trip they could easy make in minutes, neither one wanted to waste the moment. Nothing was wrong with traveling at a leisurely stroll through the city ruins.

“Can I ask one more question? About 16E?” 9S asked after a short time.

“It depends,” she replied back.

“Even though it was dark in there, and she had sustained major damage to her face, I couldn't help but get the feeling she looked familiar. Tell me, was she the person we met in the city? The one with the red hood who didn't know she killed her own friend?”

“...Yes. That was her.”

“Ah, I see, I guess some things make a bit more sense now. At first I thought you were a bit jealous, but you were trying to prevent me from learning about Type-Es, weren't you?”

“That's right, I was afraid that 16E would out me, and if she did...” She was silent then, the words hanging heavily in the air, no real reason to finish the sentence. They both knew what she had left unspoken. “But she didn't, she didn't recognize me at all.”

“I'm sorry we couldn't do anything for her, 2B, I really am, but I don't think there was anything we could have done. She looked pretty far gone.”

“I know,” came her reply, her voice tried and raw. “And  from what I saw, if Command wasn't already considering her termination, they were close to doing so.”

Slowing in her walking, 2B looked back over to her shoulder, to glance back at the mall that now served as 16E's tomb, and pondered how things could have turned out had things been different. If the Bunker never fell, how many more times would she have killed 9S by now? How many times before she live with herself anymore and did something drastic? Any number of possible outcomes could have happened to her, none of them good, all of them tragic. Would she have joined 16E in her fate, or something more gruesome?

In the end however, she's alive, even if she has no right to be. She's alive. 9S is alive, 9S is alive and she can live knowing she never has to end his life again. With the decrease in machine hostility, she had been forced to kill only a few machines, a number she could count on one hand, and that honestly made her happy, the idea that could go the rest of her life without taking another life. A strange thought for a Executioner, one that she once thought impossible, but here she was.

Maybe she does not deserve it, but she lived in the end, she has a future, one she can be hopeful about, and now it's up to her to decide what she wants to make with it.

Despite how grim the day had been so far, she's delighted at the prospect.

000

Please be well,

Mrfipp

[transhumantales]

Nier Automata trolls you when it comes to morality

I find it interesting that in Route C the jouney of 9S is the opposite of A2. 9S starts a quest of “justice” that is basically him trying to avenge 2B, but during that journey he starts becoming insane because of a mix of depression and the logic virus, and at the end of his quest he betrays the ideals he believed and like Eve he just wants to destroy everything in a tantrum.

A2′s journey is basically the exact opposite: she doesn’t have a quest and is only interested in killing machines, so the pod that accompanies her is only giving her tips of where to kill more machines; however, she meets Pascal and after helping with some quest for him and the pacifist machines she starts empathizing with them and even fights to save them against an army of evil machines. She is mostly flowing with the current of events smoothly while 9S is struggling to get what he wants. At the end of her journey, A2 decides to destroy the tower because of the apparent possibility that it would destroy the human data on the moon.

Basically, the hero we loved from the beginning becomes a monster, and the apathetic jerk becomes the hero.

HOWEVER, in 9S ending it’s revealed that the tower isn’t a cannon, but the launchpad of an ark that has millions of machine lifeforms and all the data that the machines collected about humanity, and it’s going to be sent to another planet to start again.

How is it that the ending where 9S becomes a villain is the ending where the conflict between androids and machines ends?! That’s the most nihilistic ending in the game if the Red Girls where only trolling 9S and weren’t even going to attack the moon. What a bunch of jerks. The machines in the network could have just collected information and fly away, but noooooooo, they needed to cause “conflict” for some stupid reason and ruin the sanity of one specific android.

In my humble opinion, the best ending, aside from Ending E, is the one where A2 destroys the tower so machines don’t screw more worlds with their madness.

Also, how do the Watchers fit in all of this?!