Queen of this Brawl

“Is that.... a goose?” Mizuki tilted her head, thinking. It took a few moments... but eventually, she realized why it seemed to make sense. “Oh, that’s right.... Date told me about a goose, didn’t he? Hey.. c’mere, little guy. It’s not safe here. you could get hurt.”

“Oh... you work with Date, right?” Mizuki, admittedly, didn’t really know any of his co-workers that well. After all, she’d never really paid that much attention to his work friends back in their world... but Boss and Pewter hadn’t been that bad, and it didn’t seem like his friends now were bad either.

“Date? Date!” Mizuki ran at Date, jumping onto him in a hug before anything else. There wasn’t a chance for thought behind it, just pure emotion and relief at finally finding a friendly face. She’d gotten herself lost in the mists of Archimedes- it’d been... scary. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was scary.

@clionequeen​

“You got attitude but I’d feel very bad if I beat up a literal kid.”

Given Misako’s over the top confidence in her strength, she would not dare to get into a fight with children. That was like kicking literal puppies and she had the bare minimum of common sense to know how wrong it can be. 

“Grow up a little then we can punch each other all day.”

“Don’t go underestimating me just because I’m a kid! I’m plenty strong!” 

psyncintheabis‌

He needed Aiba for his brain to work? Dammit, Aiba must have said something to her while he was unconscious. At this point, he felt there was no use hiding his intentions. Not while Aiba was in his damn head. That was his mistake, really. He should’ve known she had a backup plan for when he started acting on those urges buried deep within him. But dealing with these two is so tiring. 

He lets the fake front drop.

“I’m not acting like ‘myself’? You think you can help me? I was doing just fine before you came along, Aiba. They gave me a replacement left eye. One that was doing your ‘job’ making me feel happy over any damn thing–but that’s not who I am, is it? No… I’m just a monster, aren’t I?”

Like Saito. Like Saito… Where did Date’s memories of killing end and Saito’s begin? The warehouse district blurs in his mind, a strange overlap of half remembered memories from his own past mixed with residual memories of Saito’s body. Was it someone who deserved to die that night? Did it even matter at this point?

He turns his attention to Mizuki. Her insults and shouting would usually cause a painful ache in his chest when he knew she was genuinely upset, rather than just being a punk ass kid. But now he feels absolutely nothing. Maybe they won’t let him hurt someone physically, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make it hurt another way.

“You didn’t even know, did you Mizuki? That I have a 'brain dysfunction.’ Boss knew. Pewter knew. Oh and Pewter–of course–did you know he was dating your Daddy? The man you loved so much…and yet he let you live with me. Do you really think he cared about you at all, at any point in your life? Do you think I did? Any affection I ever showed towards you was as fake as my eye.”

It’s funny…how Aiba thinks she can just fix him if given enough time. He’s not going to let that happen. This is the way he’s supposed to be. 

“Aiba, you might as well give up now. You want the 'real’ Date back? You aren’t going to find anything else. This is me. And any person I once was is gone–he was never real to begin with.“ 

@aiofwadjet​ -> clionequeen

Aiba shouldn’t be surprised that Date’s lashing out- He’s trapped, with nowhere else to turn, a cornered animal at her and Mizuki’s whim. With no means of lashing out physically, it only makes sense that he’d turn to his words, instead.

… And yet, as Aiba comes to find out, no matter how prepared you are for a verbal beating, it still has it’s way of leaving a sting.

“You… You don’t mean that!” She’s supposed to be analytical, controlled, rational… All traits of an AI. And yet… And yet she can’t keep the raw emotion from tinting her voice, and this feeling… It’s almost like that time she’d had a ‘panic attack’ of sorts over the prospect of making a phone call. “You don’t mean what you’re saying to Mizuki, and you don’t mean what you’re saying to me. I know that you cared about me, about us, because I could feel it.”

She could feel it couldn’t she? He couldn’t possibly have been faking caring about them… Could he?

No, she mustn’t doubt herself. If she does, then she’s already lost.

“And I’m never going to give up, whether you like it or not. I was made to serve you, and I’m not going to stop that just because you’re being so… So stupid right now! ”

“Stupid, stupid, dummy Date!”

… There went being rational. 

@clionequeen​ -> psyncintheabis

Mizuki knew that Date wasn’t ‘right’ at the moment. She knew that his brain wasn’t working properly, that he probably didn’t realize what he was saying. But that didn’t change what she saw, what her brain took in- that this was Date saying these things, and that Date meant it.

“P-Pewter was.... dating daddy?” 

She knew that her mom and daddy didn’t love each other anymore. They weren’t together anymore, mom didn’t even share daddy’s last name anymore. But her father had... started seeing someone else? 

No, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like her dad had to tell her everything. He didn’t have to tell her anything.

“I-I.... I know....” Her voice was soft, shaking with poorly-hidden tears. “I know... I-I know mom and daddy didn’t love me.... th-that I was a horrible daughter.... i-it was my fault that they couldn’t get along.... th-that we couldn’t be.... a family....”

She couldn’t stop herself from crying, so she didn’t even bother trying. When she looked up, there were tears streaming down her face- it hurt. It hurt too much.

“B-But Date... you.... you idiot!!!” She didn’t hold back when she punched the wall beside him, leaving a solid dent. “Are you saying all of it was a lie?! That everything was fake, even inside your own head?! You liar! You stupid, stupid liar!!! I psynced with you when you were unconscious, you idiot!!! I know that you care!!! So shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!”

psyncintheabis‌

Date barely has time to register or comprehend what Aiba said. She thanked him? Why? And what was she sorry for?

That was about all the time he had before pain coursed through his body…and everything went dark.

Consciousness returns slowly, hearing voices first before images. He recognizes the voices…Aiba and…Mizuki? Dammit. It seems Aiba had called for reinforcements while he was unconscious. He knows he could never take Mizuki in a straight fight, but he can counter her well enough and he’ll probably be able to catch her off guard. 

He’s about to move when…he realizes he can’t. What the hell?

“Mizuki…”

It’s the first word out of his mouth, and he tries to make her name sound as soft as possible. It’s not hard. He’s been caring for her for four years now. And maybe if he gains her trust–makes her believe nothing odd is going on–she’ll help him. At least long enough to make sure she isn’t going to get in the way either.

He shifts, trying to get one of his arms loose, but Mizuki knew what she was doing. Unfortunate.

“What…What’s going on? Aiba’s acting weird–I think she electrocuted me.”

Which was a good mental note for later if it ever came up again. 

“This is all just a misunderstanding. Come on, you trust me, right? I don’t know what Aiba’s told you, but she’s the one who hurt me.”

@aiofwadjet​ -> clionequeen

All is going according to plan- for now. Aiba silently thanks Mizuki for her quick thinking in tying Date up. Aiba may have her zaps, but they won’t stop him forever… Especially since she can only use them a limited time a day now, for some reason.

And of course Mizuki has questions. She’s a smart girl, can figure out when something is up. No use in cutting corners or being deceitful here, even if the truth may be a bit… much for her.

“There’s something wrong with Date right now,” she explains calmly, softly, not wanting to cause undue panic for Mizuki, “He has a… dysfunction in his brain, one that only makes him feel good when he’s hurting others.”

“Normally I’m able to assist him with his ‘problem,’ but…” But for whatever reason it just isn’t working.

Her time alone with Mizuki doesn’t last, however, and it’s not long before she can sense Date rousing from his forced slumber. 

… And of course, he isn’t making things easy on her. She supposes she shouldn’t be surprised that he’s painting her out to be the bad guy here. She guesses that he’d say just about anything if it means getting free. Free to leave the house and hurt more people, that is.

“Mizuki, I don’t want to have to make you choose between Date and I,” it’s completely irresponsible to shove that kind of decision on a twelve year old, “I just ask that you wait this out with me. Date.. Isn’t himself right now, but maybe if given time… I can help him.”

@clionequeen​ -> psyncintheabis

“A... A brain dysfunction? But he’s never done anything like that before... why wouldn’t you be helping right now? Why isn’t it working?”

She was concerned. Not for her own safety- she knew plenty well that she could look after herself if she needed to, and she could take Date in a fight. But that wasn’t the issue right now... what would happen if Date was hurting people? Would people hate him for it? Distrust him?

And... did it leave him any different than that serial killer?

She had no time to dwell on her thoughts before Date woke up, frowning and looking down. She didn’t like this, not at all- she didn’t like hearing Date talking to her like that. Not because it sounded off, it just... made everything feel worse.

“Date, just... shut up, stupid! God, you’re such an idiot! Moron! Why is it that I’m gone for thirty seconds, and you’re a total mess! Stupid Date!” She didn’t know why she was yelling- she wasn’t mad at him, not really, but she hated how helpless she felt. She hated that there was nothing she could do right now. “Stupid... you’re so stupid... If you need Aiba for your brain to work right, why would you take her out?! Idiot! Stupid idiot Date!!”

Hopefully, neither of them would notice how she was starting to cry.

send a flower to hear… 🌹… a confession. @psyncintheabis​ asked to hear some honesty