Gale Reinhardt | Orlok (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
orlokbutterfly) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
genessia2018-04-17 08:30 pm
orlokbutterfly) wrote in genessia2018-04-17 08:30 pm
Entry tags:
Operation 28 | [Log]
Who: Gale Reinhardt & Sertoria - Gale Reinhardt & Faye Valentine
What: The Disappearance of Gale Reinhardt
When: April 18 - April 22
Where: Fayren & Nova City
Warnings: Brief mentions of NPC choking in the April 18 portion, and use of a syringe in the April 19 part. Otherwise none, but will be updated if necessary!
[April 18 - Nova City]
[Things hadn't felt right for a while, but he thought he'd been in control. He thought he would be able to recover naturally, once things had slowed down a little more, so he hadn't thought much of it. How very wrong he was. The recent egg incident was more stressful than he ever thought it would be, and he'd spent so much time fussing over how to take care of Faye while she was recovering and doing his job as deputy at the same time that he practically hadn't noticed his own rapidly declining mental state, even though the signs were right in front of him. His markings had turned into a blue-tinted grey, and he wasn't nearly as lively and had been more irritable as of late, even going so far as to dodge patrons of his clubs when he actually had the time to stop in.
He hadn't exactly been kind to any criminals in Nova that attempted to escape from him either. Where they weren't seriously injured, Gale had no issue throwing them around more than usual to subdue them. But today, he found himself in one of the back roads of Nova, holding up a thief in the air by their throat. Gale only stared emotionlessly at them with his grip tightening, but soon something in his mind clicked, and he'd realized just what he was doing. He dropped them to the ground, standing over them as they sat there to regain their breath and calling in for the robot police to take them in. Once the robots had come and gone, Gale stood there, staring at the palms of his hands. Never before had he ever taken particular notice to how much his mind could fluctuate; it had been such common occurrence at home that there was no point, but it had happened so few times in Genessia that he had started to take notice.
Obviously, it was something he had to take far more seriously than he ever would have thought to before.
Without so much as thinking about it, he would rush back home. He had to thank his lucky stars that Faye wasn't there at that moment now that her leg had been healed up, because he couldn't exactly explain what he intended to do very well when he wanted out of there right in that immediate moment. He grabbed a leather messenger bag from his room and only threw in a few items- a change of clothes or two and some bottles of water, and numerous syringes, all filled with a prismatic liquid. He didn't care to grab much else, throwing the bag onto his shoulder and hurrying towards the door. He briefly stopped, just long enough to give his numerous pets a few good head pats.]
Don't give Faye any trouble while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back soon.
[Those words felt empty to him, but that was all the more reason to hurry up and leave. The robotic servants in the Skyhouse meant that Faye wouldn't have to waste her time taking care of them, at least. Gale then hurried out the door, leaving his device on the table and leaving behind his bike. He would walk the whole way- to Fayren.]
[April 19 - Fayren]
[Gale had chosen to hide out in Fayren for a while, the only companion with him being Yveltal. No one would come looking for him there, not when he made it a point to only hang out in Nova, Genessia and Everglade, and he'd voiced his distaste for Fayren and Attleton before. Fayren made it easier to hide in its landscape, and Gale would be deep in the forest alongside Yveltal, diving inside of a nearby cave for shelter at night. He had every intention of avoiding the city at all costs, choosing to hunt the local lesser fauna for any meals. He was experienced in this, at the very least, given how many times he'd run off and hidden away from the Cardinals at home, disguising his intent as an "intel mission" to keep them off his back. Magic made it much easier to hunt and cook his catches, but magic use in his condition was a terrible idea.
The lucemite in his bloodstream was causing his emotions to become unstable and his body to slowly weaken, and using magic only made that condition worse. Sitting by the small camp, Gale reached for the bag he brought and plucked out one of the large syringes he'd brought along. He stared at the shimmering liquid before holding the tip to the back of his neck, shoving it into one of the connection ports with a wince. He let out a shaky breath, pulling out the syringe once its contents were emptied and tossing it aside towards his bag. This would be a long recovery process, having come to realize he was worse off than he'd thought but he needed to do this, since now he had the safety of others at the forefront of his mind.
He would sigh, going over to Yveltal - who stayed out of its pokéball when Gale'd arrived in the forest - and sat next to it, leaning against it. Yveltal was his only companion out here, and the best Gale had in place of a pillow or anything to properly rest on. Just hopefully no one would notice the huge bird-like creature through the dense woods. His mind was by no means in any state to deal with anyone, but what were the odds of that happening anyway?]
[April 22 - Nova City]
[The idea of returning home and getting back to work so soon made him hesitant. The markings on his body were restored to the bright blue that they were meant to always be, so as far as his mental and physical conditions were concerned, there wasn't any danger anymore. He could safely get back to work and be around people again, without fear of losing himself and injuring anyone. It was almost off putting, knowing that he only needed a few short days to recover, but it was thanks to some unexpected aid that he was able to.
Eventually he made his way back towards the WayPoint to reach the Skyhouse Network (but not without tripping up a fleeing thief along the way and letting the tailing robo-cops take care of the matter). He took a moment to check up on his bike, which was just as pristine as he'd left it (and if it weren't, there would be hell to pay) and soon enough, he was at the door of the penthouse. He took a quiet breath as he stepped back inside, and was immediately greeted by the excited barks of the three dogs. The Pokémon and cats seemed pretty happy too.
He smiled faintly, kneeling down and petting the dogs infront of him and petting whichever of the other companions that came over to see him. Soon, he gently shooed them away and stood back up, looking around the place. Was Faye home? He wasn't entirely sure.]
What: The Disappearance of Gale Reinhardt
When: April 18 - April 22
Where: Fayren & Nova City
Warnings: Brief mentions of NPC choking in the April 18 portion, and use of a syringe in the April 19 part. Otherwise none, but will be updated if necessary!
[April 18 - Nova City]
[Things hadn't felt right for a while, but he thought he'd been in control. He thought he would be able to recover naturally, once things had slowed down a little more, so he hadn't thought much of it. How very wrong he was. The recent egg incident was more stressful than he ever thought it would be, and he'd spent so much time fussing over how to take care of Faye while she was recovering and doing his job as deputy at the same time that he practically hadn't noticed his own rapidly declining mental state, even though the signs were right in front of him. His markings had turned into a blue-tinted grey, and he wasn't nearly as lively and had been more irritable as of late, even going so far as to dodge patrons of his clubs when he actually had the time to stop in.
He hadn't exactly been kind to any criminals in Nova that attempted to escape from him either. Where they weren't seriously injured, Gale had no issue throwing them around more than usual to subdue them. But today, he found himself in one of the back roads of Nova, holding up a thief in the air by their throat. Gale only stared emotionlessly at them with his grip tightening, but soon something in his mind clicked, and he'd realized just what he was doing. He dropped them to the ground, standing over them as they sat there to regain their breath and calling in for the robot police to take them in. Once the robots had come and gone, Gale stood there, staring at the palms of his hands. Never before had he ever taken particular notice to how much his mind could fluctuate; it had been such common occurrence at home that there was no point, but it had happened so few times in Genessia that he had started to take notice.
Obviously, it was something he had to take far more seriously than he ever would have thought to before.
Without so much as thinking about it, he would rush back home. He had to thank his lucky stars that Faye wasn't there at that moment now that her leg had been healed up, because he couldn't exactly explain what he intended to do very well when he wanted out of there right in that immediate moment. He grabbed a leather messenger bag from his room and only threw in a few items- a change of clothes or two and some bottles of water, and numerous syringes, all filled with a prismatic liquid. He didn't care to grab much else, throwing the bag onto his shoulder and hurrying towards the door. He briefly stopped, just long enough to give his numerous pets a few good head pats.]
Don't give Faye any trouble while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back soon.
[Those words felt empty to him, but that was all the more reason to hurry up and leave. The robotic servants in the Skyhouse meant that Faye wouldn't have to waste her time taking care of them, at least. Gale then hurried out the door, leaving his device on the table and leaving behind his bike. He would walk the whole way- to Fayren.]
[April 19 - Fayren]
[Gale had chosen to hide out in Fayren for a while, the only companion with him being Yveltal. No one would come looking for him there, not when he made it a point to only hang out in Nova, Genessia and Everglade, and he'd voiced his distaste for Fayren and Attleton before. Fayren made it easier to hide in its landscape, and Gale would be deep in the forest alongside Yveltal, diving inside of a nearby cave for shelter at night. He had every intention of avoiding the city at all costs, choosing to hunt the local lesser fauna for any meals. He was experienced in this, at the very least, given how many times he'd run off and hidden away from the Cardinals at home, disguising his intent as an "intel mission" to keep them off his back. Magic made it much easier to hunt and cook his catches, but magic use in his condition was a terrible idea.
The lucemite in his bloodstream was causing his emotions to become unstable and his body to slowly weaken, and using magic only made that condition worse. Sitting by the small camp, Gale reached for the bag he brought and plucked out one of the large syringes he'd brought along. He stared at the shimmering liquid before holding the tip to the back of his neck, shoving it into one of the connection ports with a wince. He let out a shaky breath, pulling out the syringe once its contents were emptied and tossing it aside towards his bag. This would be a long recovery process, having come to realize he was worse off than he'd thought but he needed to do this, since now he had the safety of others at the forefront of his mind.
He would sigh, going over to Yveltal - who stayed out of its pokéball when Gale'd arrived in the forest - and sat next to it, leaning against it. Yveltal was his only companion out here, and the best Gale had in place of a pillow or anything to properly rest on. Just hopefully no one would notice the huge bird-like creature through the dense woods. His mind was by no means in any state to deal with anyone, but what were the odds of that happening anyway?]
[April 22 - Nova City]
[The idea of returning home and getting back to work so soon made him hesitant. The markings on his body were restored to the bright blue that they were meant to always be, so as far as his mental and physical conditions were concerned, there wasn't any danger anymore. He could safely get back to work and be around people again, without fear of losing himself and injuring anyone. It was almost off putting, knowing that he only needed a few short days to recover, but it was thanks to some unexpected aid that he was able to.
Eventually he made his way back towards the WayPoint to reach the Skyhouse Network (but not without tripping up a fleeing thief along the way and letting the tailing robo-cops take care of the matter). He took a moment to check up on his bike, which was just as pristine as he'd left it (and if it weren't, there would be hell to pay) and soon enough, he was at the door of the penthouse. He took a quiet breath as he stepped back inside, and was immediately greeted by the excited barks of the three dogs. The Pokémon and cats seemed pretty happy too.
He smiled faintly, kneeling down and petting the dogs infront of him and petting whichever of the other companions that came over to see him. Soon, he gently shooed them away and stood back up, looking around the place. Was Faye home? He wasn't entirely sure.]
no subject
She was just on the outskirts of the makeshift camp that Gale set up, deciding to spare no time on revealing herself to him. The angel could tell that he was in immediate distress and waiting would only make his problem worse. Calmly, her feet take her to the campsite with her smiling a bit so as to make herself appear trustworthy to him, although she had a feeling that in his current state, that wasn't going to be easy. She took note of Yveltal, nodding at the creature. ]
Do not worry, little one. I do not seek to harm him.
[ Her gaze shifted over to Gale himself, taking mental notes here and there of his current condition. It wasn't good; she had to act fast if she wanted to help him, that much was for certain. ]
Were you the one who called for me?
no subject
Not so sure my friend here is 'little'.
[A 19 foot bird was anything but little, though the comment to Yveltal did amuse him slightly. Or, as amused as he could be in his condition. His eyes narrowed then.]
Called for you? You must have the wrong section of forest, lady. I don't even know who you are.
[And he certainly didn't have his device on him, so there wasn't any way he could call anyone even if he wanted to.]
no subject
I did not mean in the literal sense of calling someone. Let me introduce myself -- I am Sertoria and what brought me here was, well... you. More importantly, it was your mental state that alerted me.
[ How could she not hear it? It was loud, like an emergency siren and she thought that she was the best equipped to help him out due to what she normally did back home with her humans that were in crises like he was in right now. ]
Would it help if I demonstrated what I could do to help out, if you wish?
no subject
What, can you sense peoples' emotions or something?
[He hesitated before he allowed himself to slowly lean back up against Yveltal, letting out a dry scoff.]
I'm pretty sure I'm beyond help right about now. I'm hangin' out in the ass end of no where for a reason.
[There was a defeated edge to his words more than his usual kind of rude sarcasm. He was confident that there wasn't anything that could be done and that all he had to do was wait it out as he calmed down and allowed the new lucemite circulated fully into his bloodstream.
Deep down, he wanted help, but whether it was pride or defeatism that kept him from wanting to ask, it was hard to say.]
No offense, but I've kinda got reservations of gettin' random handouts of help without knowin' what's involved.
no subject
[ It was always difficult to ignore when others were suffering, especially in a crowded place like Genessia. His comment about being beyond help earns a small smile and another shake of the head to follow. ]
I honestly believe that no one is truly beyond help, no matter how dire the circumstances are.
[ She is a shining example of such a philosophy, for going from someone who originally didn't possess a free will to one of the few angels back home who does.
At his next sentence, she merely smiles while glancing at both him and his companion. ]
What I could do is calm your mind to a level where it is not that tumultuous and possibly accelerate the restoration of your normal color to where you can return quicker to the general population. There is a lot that I could do to help you out, honestly -- all you have to do is ask.
[ The angel accentuates the last part with a knowing smile on her face towards him. ]
no subject
Even if he did want to believe it. His mind was in so many places at the moment, he was in a constant battle between continuously thinking he's better off dead and wanting to accept some kind, any kind of help.]
That sounds too good to be true, honestly.
[Granted, she did just kind of... appear, without him giving off any clue on where anyone could find him. And with the kinds of people Genessia brings in sometimes, what she was saying didn't sound that farfetched. He instinctively placed a hand over one of the grey marks on his face and frowned.]
There any kind of catch to this? Whenever I get help for some kind of life threatening situation, I get roped into doin' something else for 'em.
no subject
None at all. Back home, you could say that I do this regularly and I never expect any payment for it whatsoever.
[ She just wanted people here to be happy, no matter what. And it always made her happy to see others doing well because of her helping them out.
There was a small pause following after what she says with her smile increasing just a tad bit in response. ]
What do you say? I promise, all I want to do is help.
no subject
His hand slid away from his face and rested it on the ground as he remained silent, just trying to allow himself to think. He gently pushed himself upright again into a sitting position, staring down at the grass before he finally lifted his gaze back to her.]
Sertoria, right?
[He paused again. He was apprehensive, but he knew he'd be an idiot if he turned her away. If she could help him recover, then why wouldn't he take the chance?]
Why would you want to help me? Just some random douchebag hangin' out in the middle of a forest?
[He's having a hard time actually saying he wants her help. Sure, he didn't want to - he technically brought this upon himself - but he needed to.]
no subject
Correct.
[ A slender brow was raised at his question before she chuckled a bit at him. Humans never stopped surprising her, even now and she appreciated them for that. ]
Is it that hard to believe that someone just wants to help you out? Although, to answer your question, I like helping others out, no matter the circumstances. Even if I do not know them, I like seeing others be happy because of simply stepping in at the right time that they needed my assistance.
[ Sure, she realized how idealistic her words sounded, but she genuinely stands by them, even now. ]
no subject
[Things like that always came off as naive to him. There's always certain to be someone who would take advantage of that kind of person's kindness to twist that kind of world perspective. But, well, if that's just how someone wants to live, who is he to judge?]
I'm just... used to there being a catch. I became a weapon after the first time.
[It's not often that he divulges that kind of information about him to people. Partially because his whole life is just one big mess.]
What is it that you can do? I know you said something about calmin' my mind or whatever it was. Can that really be enough?
[Granted, even just a calm mind would put him leaps and bounds closer to a quicker recovery. After all, it was more his mind that was deteriorating, his body was just slowly breaking down with it.]
... hell, even straight up puttin' me to sleep for a few days would probably be more helpful than me sittin' in the middle of no where.
no subject
[ No matter what, it always felt better to be able to help someone out who was in a dire situation such as this. It's one of the philosophies that earn her comments from her fellow angels for being too idealistic, and yet, she still soldiers on due to a certain famous preacher. ]
I am sorry that you became a weapon after the first time. That is not right.
[ It's history to him at this point, but maybe if he hears those words, it might help him out that much more. ]
There are various ways that I can help out, like I stated previously. Calming your mind is just one of the ways and I could also remove the impurities in your bloodstream so that the new...medicine? can take effect that much quicker for you, I can also heal the damage done to your body, as well.
[ There is a lot more here than just meets the eye, after all. Not all injuries had to be external. ]
May I get started...? I promise, it will not hurt.
no subject
His eyebrows lifted in dull surprise. Once again it sounded all too good to be true, as each of those would vastly cut down his recovery time. He could've been out of commission for weeks, but that could make it a mere matter of days.
His hesitance was still there, but if she is genuine, then...]
As much as I'd rather not trouble strangers... do it. Please.
[Desperation managed to slip out in his tone. He didn't know what to expect, but if she thought she could help him, then he couldn't push it away. He couldn't keep going like this.]
25th
You stupid fuck.
*Faye's voice shook in anger and hurt but her aim was steady as she shot at him, the bullet deliberately narrowly missing his face*
Who the fuck do you think you are?
*Next moment, Faye threw the gun hard at him, this time not caring if it hit him, though at least it wouldn't fire. Then she stood there, shaking and glaring at him while she waited for an answer. But if he had a moment to look, her eyes gave away her sheer relief at having him back home*
no subject
The last thing he'd expected on walking in was having his roommate point a gun at him. More unexpected than that was her actually firing on him. The bullet may have missed his face, but his glasses were a casualty as the bullet struck and launched them off of his face, clattering to the floor beside him. The sound of shot caused most of the pets to disperse, though Gunner let out a growl. Gale could only stare in disbelief until his reflexes at least kicked in just in time for him to catch the gun out of the air.
His gaze lowered to the gun in his hand before he tossed it aside to the floor. He gently rested a hand on Gunner's head to calm the dog as he looked back to Faye.]
A guy who's got some explaining to do, I'm sure.
[There was a tone of guilt to his voice. He didn't exactly have the best way to go about that whole ordeal, and he knows it. He sure feels that in droves just by looking at Faye right now.]
no subject
Explain then.
*She might have calmed down, but when he seemed so relaxed about everything, Faye was still plenty angry. He might have sounded guilty, but that wasn't enough*
What happened? Where were you?
no subject
I had to disappear. I didn't have a choice.
[What a shitty way to open that up, but it was a start.]
I've got a substance in my bloodstream that keeps me alive, but if I sustain too much physical or mental strain, then it causes a reaction that wears on my sanity. That stuff isn't meant to be in a human body.
[God, explaining this felt more difficult than it should be, even when he'd try to explain it was simply as he could to get to the point. Hell, he was half expecting even this explanation to not be enough for her. Not that he'd blame her, but he'd have to dig into way deeper detail if it wasn't.]
If I didn't remove myself from civilization immediately, then I could've lost myself, and as result innocents could have been hurt or killed. I could have hurt you in that state.
[He sighed and shook his head, finally looking back up at her. He may have been calm, but he certainly didn't think everything was all fine and dandy. Hell, he might have a repeat performance of this explanation later for others.]
I hid myself in Fayren to regain myself. I couldn't risk anyone getting harmed by my hand, and I sure as hell never would forgive myself if I let anything happen to you.
no subject
I knew there was something going on with you. I knew it. But I tried - I actually tried - to talk to you but...
*Faye shook her head, remembering her attempts to try to get him to talk. Maybe she gave up too easily - she was never very good at that sort of thing. She was avoiding looking at him while he spoke, but finally made eye contact when he talked about his concerns about hurting her*
Okay. So you had to go hide. But did you have to do it like that? Couldn't you at least have said goodbye or left a not or something? Was it so bad that you couldn't even...
*Faye just stopped and lowered her face again, worried that he'd see how upset she was*
...I thought we were - I thought we were friends...
*But now she wondered - he didn't talk to her or ask for help. He just disappeared and left her behind to worry*
no subject
Faye. You're one of the few people I would consider a friend in this hellhole. And I sure as hell don't say that lightly.
[He glanced away from her again, his hands tightening into fists.]
I know, I should have left some kind of message. I'd rushed myself because I realized I damn nearly killed someone that morning.
[There wasn't exactly a way to make excuses for that one, but he knew he had to hurry.]
I didn't want to bother you with it when I thought I'd recover without any issues. You had enough to deal with before that, between your sight and your leg. Yes, I know, you'd recovered before I pulled this stunt. I just- I underestimated how bad it'd gotten. I was beyond help at that point.
[He covered his eyes with his hand, his voice softening.]
And I'm used to dealing with problems on my own. It's just how it's always been for me.
I doubt you want to hear my excuses. I don't even know if you want to hear this, but. I'm sorry, Faye.
no subject
So maybe some of this is my fault. If you hadn't been so busy taking care of me...you wouldn't be so tired, you might have been better sooner...
*Faye shook her head and slowly looked up at him again. Despite her attempts at harsher words, Faye sounded sad when she spoke again, her eyes mirroring her feelings*
Good. I'm glad you're sorry. Because you put me through a lot. You have no idea how worried I was.
*All said quite briskly as though still trying to mask her upset and her relief*
no subject
No, none of this is your fault. There's only two things to blame for this- Genessia itself, and the guy who didn't let me die in the first place.
[If not for Zykalis, then Gale would've died in the crash and never would've gone through this whole 'cyborg with a shaky psyche' thing. Sure, he'd be less effective in combat, but in this place what the hell does that matter when there's always someone better than you anyway?]
You were a victim of circumstance because Genessia thinks it's hilarious to put its captives through all manner of bullshit. I took care of you because I wanted to. Besides, if I couldn't have taken care of you, what the hell kind of friend would I be?
[He shrugged his bag off of his shoulder, tossing it aside towards the far wall, the glass of the syringes in the bag clanking together as it hit the floor. Gale across the room and to the nearby table, resting his hands on it and scowling at the surface. He looked over his shoulder back at Faye.]
The last thing you needed was to worry about me of all people, especially after you'd just recovered.
[Not that he understands why she'd waste her sentiments on him at all. A guy like him isn't worth her time and trouble.]
... speaking of which, you're still physically okay, right?
[If she wasn't, he'd probably be a lot angrier with himself for bailing, even if he knew that was the safest thing to do.]
no subject
*She had turned to the bag where it fell, recognising the tell tale sound. Frowning, she watched him cross the room and when she spoke again, her voice had changed - instead of being bitter about everything, she was clearly very concerned*
What about you? You seem...better.
*Which seemed an odd thing to say because he didn't appear to be very happy. But that was maybe partly her fault too - she hadn't exactly been friendly. She took a deep breath and pushed herself from the wall to head over to him, standing just behind him and gently stretching her hand out to rest on his arm*
Is everything...okay?
no subject
[He wouldn't have, either. It's bad enough that he let himself just up and leave. He glanced at her hand on his arm and manages to crack a faint, brief smile before he looked away from her again.]
I'll be fine now. [He reaches up and places a hand on his neck.] I just need to learn to keep a better eye on my condition.
[And not blatantly ignore those markings when they start greying. They were a vibrant blue again, indicating that everything was fine now, even though he didn't really feel fine emotionally. Mentally, he was stable and physically, he was functioning as intended. Sure, Faye shooting at him didn't do much to improve his mood but it's not like she started it. He was still hesitant to even return home and back to his jobs even before.
Without thinking, he reached over and gently placed his hand on Faye's, looking back at her from over his shoulder.]
I guess I just need a few days to get back to being an annoying prick. Sorry for makin' you deal with this, doll. I guess bein' a cyborg ain't all it's cracked up to be.
no subject
*She looked at him but didn't return the smile, though her features did soften more. For all her anger, she was mostly worried and scared. And now she is having to face the fact that maybe she just hasn't been a good enough friend, despite what he has said*
You and me both. I mean, if I'm around, I'd like to know how to look out for you...
*Faye glanced away this time, so unused to saying anything so heartfelt or honest. But then with his hand on hers she looked up again, finally smiling slightly as she holds his gaze*
I wouldn't worry about the annoying prick thing. You do that just fine...
no subject
Glad I won't be entirely off my game if I can still at least be a prick.
[He lets out a quiet sigh.]
But I could say the same thing to you. I shouldn't have to be your responsibility.
[It was nice knowing that she'd be willing to do such a thing for him, even if it did make him feel guilty. He was used to the whole "lone wolf" routine and not letting people in on what the hell his problem was usually. It was just easier that way, not that his whole "keep people at a distance" thing was working out for him given how often he goes back on it. Maybe it was a sign that he needed to stop that, even if he didn't want to.]
For as long as you're willing to put up with me, I've got every intention of lookin' out for you in whatever way I can. Comes with the territory.
[He didn't want to trouble Faye with the baggage he has with him, but given what could have happened and how badly he ignored it, it would be best to let her in on it.]
... best way to help me is keepin' an eye on the marks on my body. If they aren't blue, then something's goin' wrong.
[This wasn't the first time he ignored the color changes, and it likely won't be the last either.]
no subject
I don't have anything in the world else I need to be responsible for...
*She looks at him again when he talks about her putting up with him. She considers the colour thing too, nodding as her eyes follow his arms and his legs. She spent plenty of time looking at him - and likely she had even noticed the change - she just hadn't thought to bring it up*
But in all shitty seriousness, Gale - is there anything I could have done to help stop you getting that way? Am I not a good enough roommate, a good enough friend? Or even - is it a pain in the ass having me around?
*This has been the worry the whole time too - if she'd been good enough, maybe none of this would have happened. It would hurt if he didn't want her around anymore, but she would leave if it helped him out, if it was what he wanted*
Whatever it is, you should tell me...
*She bit her lip as she turned so that she was facing him again, eyes wide with concern, frowning gently*
Cause dammit I'm not going through all that being worried sick again.
no subject
It's got nothin' to do with whether or not you're a good friend and roommate- which you're good at both, so you know. You aren't the pain in the ass, my attitude is.
[And that's probably the most truthful he's been in a long time. He slowly looked over his shoulder at her, only briefly making eye contact with her before looking at the floor.]
The last thing I want to do is make you go through that again. I never thought that'd happen.
[Not that he thought much about other people in that state. He gently let out a breath and pushed himself away from the table, approaching his bag on the floor. He dug around in it and once he found what he was after, he went back to Faye, holding out a rather large syringe that was filled with a prismatic liquid.]
This is the only thing that can keep me from getting in that state again. This is what's in my blood that keeps me alive. Keep ahold of this for emergency. In the worst case scenario, I'll either need subdued or I'll be laying immobile on the ground, but you'll want to inject this in one of the ports on my neck either way.
[He paused. He probably should give a little more detail than that. God, this was complicated.]
If my markings begin to turn grey or purple, I can intercept it early myself, but I can't do anything if they go fully grey or red. I'll lose all function in my cybernetics if it goes red. Grey is what you need to be careful of. That means my mental state is rapidly deteriorating and I could go berserk.
[He glanced away from her again. The only one who knew how to deal with this before was Zykalis, and there was something about asking Faye that just felt wrong. Probably that feeling of relying on someone else that he hated so much.]
That's... really the only way you can help prevent it. But it mostly needs to come down to me not being so damn stubborn.
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She frowns as Gale reveals the syringe, gently taking it from him so that she can examine the liquid before passing it back to him. She nods, making a careful mental note of everything he's told her*
Alright then. So there's nothing to it. That wasn't so hard now, was it?
*Faye speaks in a falsely casual tone, knowing very well that revealing all this to her isn't so easy from him. She tilts her head as she looks at him again, her hand now somehow resting delicately on the side of his neck. But her eyes don't meet his, instead looking at her hand and his shoulder*
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[He says with a quiet laugh as he looked away. Getting him to say all of that was awkward for him to say the least. Sure, he warned Karla of what could happen if his condition got too bad, but he never told her what it was to potentially solve it. He was very secretive about lucemite as a whole given the weaponizing potential it has.
He gently tosses the syringe onto a nearby surface before he turned his attention back to Faye, quickly taking note of the position of her hand and the lack of eye contact. He couldn't help but stare at her, internally puzzled by the tight feeling in his chest. Without thinking, he put his hand over hers again, tilting his head to the side.]
What's up, doll? Something on my jacket?
[He asks that jokingly, but it seemed to be more in a quiet amusement than the usual level of snark his words were coated in.]
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When he put his hand on hers again, Faye's eyes involuntarily moved back to his face, her eyes softening while her throat seems to dry up. She holds his gaze for a moment or two, thinking of how much closer she could get to him, so quickly, so easily. It wouldn't take much movement at all. But instead, her eyes drop to his lips and his shoulder again and she just simply shakes her head*
No. Your jacket looks good. As ever.
*It was easier to make small simple statements, act like everything is all normal again*
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[Granted, he was also laying on Yveltal a lot too. Turns out a 19 foot bird can be pretty comfortable. With that quip out of the way, he moves his free hand to her chin to gently guide her gaze back to his. He wasn't sure if anything was wrong - well, beyond his dumbass disappearing act - but if there was he wanted to do what he could.]
If somethin' bothering you, there anything I can do for ya? Even if it's just standing still so you can deck me.
[He hoped shooting at him got most of her frustrations towards him out, but he would agree that he'd be completely deserving of a well placed punch to the face too.]
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Once his mind had finally come back to reality (was it reality? He had no idea at this point), he fully took her hand in his and hooked his other arm around her waist. Was that the right thing to be doing? Hell if he knew. It seemed right, but at the moment he was more at the mercy of her lead.]
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So Faye continues, her kiss heavy as she tries to convey as much as she can through it - her anger at him, her relief at his return, her concern for him, her delight that he is finally home. He can fight her off if he wants to, but for now she just keeps going because it feels good, and she has finally taken the action she has wanted to take for so long*
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The fact that this had any weight and emotion at all (an emotion other than lust like he's used to, that is) felt foreign to him. He had no idea what it was either. The feelings Faye was projecting were loud and clear, but in his own head, Gale himself had no idea what it was he was feeling, but whatever it was, he seemed to like it. Enough that he didn't exactly want this to end anytime soon.
But one of them would have to eventually (they gotta breathe at some point), not that he wanted to. He decided to at least briefly, pulling away only slightly and keeping his lips mere centimeters from hers. He stared at her with a rather gentle look in his eyes, gently squeezing her hand in his. If she wanted to dive back in, he certainly had no intention of stopping her.]
Seems I got a lot to make up to you for, don't I, Faye?
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Enough so that when Gale paused the kiss, Faye turned from passionate to terrified in a heartbeat. In barely any time at all her heart started beating quickly in a way that wasn't at all pleasant compared to how she felt moments before. A heavy feeling dropped into her stomach at the realisation of what she had just done, eyes wide like a rabbit in headlights.
But then he was looking at her so gently, with that squeeze of her hand. Why wasn't he angry? Why wasn't he stepping away, or making a stupid joke? She couldn't let him see any of the emotions she was feeling; not affection, or hope. So she tensed, a quiver in her chest as she looked down at his hand. She had to take a breath, make sure she wasn't giving anything away by her voice*
No. It's fine. You came home. That's all.