genessia | Operation 28

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm glad. If I left and you were still injured, I wouldn't have let myself live it down.

[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.

But still... I'm not your responsibility. I shouldn't be a burden to you...

*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...

[He couldn't help but let out a small laugh, shaking his head.]

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.]

*Faye moves her hand away and steps back slightly, lowering her eyes as she mutters softly*

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.

[When she moves her hand away, his hand hovers there in place for a few seconds before he rests it against his arm where her hand just was. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. He hated hearing her say that since none of it was true, and goddamn, knowing he worried her that much tore him up. He closed his eyes.]

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.

*Faye stood just behind him, close enough that if she stepped forward she would lean against him, which she had to make an effort to stop herself from doing.

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*

Harder than you might think, doll.

[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.]

*His laugh earns a tiny tug of a smile from Faye - she is sorry, Gale, because she knows how much he has revealed to her, and how hard that might have been.

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*

Well, that's pretty good on my part, seein' that I was laying in the grass for a while.

[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.]

*The way that she shifts forward, the way she narrows her eyes at him, Gale might well believe that she was going to do just that - throw a couple of punches or at least a good slap. She does make contact with him, but it happens so fast, the way she closes the gap between them, leans against him, and presses her lips against his. There is nothing gentle or tender about it, more hard and almost angry*

[With that look he saw in her eyes, he'd instinctively braced himself to get a good decking on the cheek but no matter how many punches and slaps he'd received in the past, nothing could certainly prepare him for what she actually did. It even threw him completely off guard, his eyes briefly widening. It felt like his heart had suddenly jumped into his throat.

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.]

*Faye isn't really quite sure if this is reality either, but she is glad when he holds her waist that way. He hasn't pushed her back or yelled at her or moved in disgust, and she feels a rush of warm gratitude move through her for that.

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*

[His mind was racing, so much so that he couldn't possibly focus on a single thought for more than a split second, but no matter what was running through his head, the idea of pushing her away was the furthest from his mind. Honestly, he found himself savoring the moment. It was almost uncharacteristic for him, but whatever he was feeling, it sure wasn't anything he had before. Sure, he's had plenty of kisses before, but none of those seemed to carry the same weight and emotion as this one.

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?

*But he didn't stop. He didn't back off. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the kiss perhaps as much as she was. In the moment, Faye grabbed hold of his waist, leaning into him, meeting with another flush of feelings. And dammit did this kiss feel much more to her than just the fierce kiss of lips.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Operation 28 | [Log]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject