That one AU where Hatsune Miku is in JCC

Odd question, but does anybody have tips for appeasing ominous entities in one's basement?

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

brought back into the room and placed down on the bed, vick lets miku reposition him like a little marionette. he leans back against her shoulder, just enough to where he’s relaxed, but sat up enough so he doesn’t choke on the milk. miku pops the pacifier out of his mouth and places it down on the beside table.

he doesn’t even grab onto it like he usually does when the bottle is placed into his mouth. he just lets his eyes flutter shut, nursing slowly with a small ‘tsktsktsk’ noise. this usual puts him right to sleep, but he’s in one of those moods where he’s so exhausted that it spins back around into sleeplessness… although his killer headache is probably the biggest contender here.

he unlatches after getting about halfway through the bottle, stopping just to lean back against miku’s shoulder and whine incoherently for a good minute or so. he just wants all his pain to go away…

eventually though, he regains the motivation to start drinking again, and manages to finish most of it. there’s only a very small portion left when he stops, so he should hopefully start to feel full once it hits his stomach. miku’s mostly just shocked that he’s still awake — this might be the first time he’s ever finished a bottle without conking out midway.

“ mmmaaaaaa… mmnbbbbb….. ”

the little one shuffles around in her lap for a few seconds until he finds a comfortable position, his chin rested on her shoulder and his arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala. he just wants to fall asleeppp…!!

a tearful whine escapes his throat, his eyes beginning to water once again. she really thought he had no tears left to cry, but newborn babies are known for their ability to cry seemingly endlessly… and it probably helps that he doesn’t have a water storage compartment that can run out like miku does.

"Viv-tan, it'll be okay honey. Mama's got ya baby."

[Miku's voice was very quiet, but just loud enough for Vick to hear her. Poor dear. What was it her other coworker had said about headaches? That sometimes medicine wasn't necessary or couldn't treat them, but alternatives could....]

"What was it...Can't do her go to...the caffeine would keep him up...Dark and a warm compress maybe? Was it the eyes or the back of the neck?"

[She did have that compress, one of those convenient ones you just pop in the microwave and reuse, sitting in her work bag...but her bag was by the front door. And Vick would likely get even more upset if she tried moving him right now. What she needed was some gallant knight to swoop in and offer to hold Vick for her. Or grab the compress to warm it up for her.]

“ …sorry, is this a good time? i overheard a little bit of a scuffle in the bathroom earlier but i didn’t want to make it worse by getting myself involved. ”

ah, her gallant knight! there they are! the timing is almost scarily perfect and a little too convenient — can cobyn read her mind or something?

“ just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. ” cobyn’s voice is laced in gentle caution, sounding awfully hesitant. miku didn’t hear him coming; but then again, its entirely possible that he’s been waiting by the door for a while, trying to gauge whether or not it would be alright to come in. they open it just enough to peek their head in, juniper green hair coming into view.

[Miku kept her voice low, but just loud enough for Cobyn to hear her.]

"He's got a pretty bad headache right now and he's too little to take his normal medication for it. Are you able to grab the compress from my work bag, pretty please? I think the warmth might help ease the tension."

[It certainly was worth a shot, especially since Miku was pretty sure Vick's jaw had some pain centered there as well. Even if he just wound up finding the warm compress acceptable as a cuddle companion, it might help Vick relax enough to get some much needed rest.]

“ of course i can do that! ” cobyn already knows how long it goes for in the microwave — he’s heated up that exact compress for sandbag a few times when the other ones were being used. miku’s always willing to lend it when they need.

cobyn goes to turn around to walk out, but stops before he can make it out the door. “ i’ll turn off the light for you as well; i noticed how you keep blocking his eyes from the light. hopefully that’ll help a bit in the meanwhile — i’ll be back in a jiffy! ”

"It'll be okay Viv-tan. We're gonna make sure your headache goes bye-bye."

[It wasn't all that different from Miku's day job really. Working with kids, toddlers and babies meant that she had gotten used to treating injuries and aches like this. The only thing really throwing a wrench into everything was how worried she was about Vick. She knew she'd have to talk with him about this later, when he was back in his normal headspace...IF he would talk with her ever again that is...But such a hiccup wouldn't really stop her of he truly needed help.]

"You really are something, huh baby? Got Mama all wrapped around your finger, don't ya?"

then, right as the room starts to fall silent again, cobyn returns. vick doesn’t even realise he’s there until something warm is silently pressed against the back of his neck by two big hands that are distinctly not mama’s. the puppy yelps, immediately throwing his head back toward the perpetrator.

“ GRRRRRRRrrrrrr…..rrrrrrrr..…. mhh. ” at the comfort of the compress, vick’s shoulders relax once again. he leans back against cobyn’s hands as if trying to chase the warmth, to which cobyn giggles.

“ aww, i’m sorry, tiny fella! i didn’t mean to scare ya. ” cobyn’s smiles down at the baby, then briefly back up at miku, offering her an understanding look before they pull their attention back to vick. “ does that feel nice? hopefully that’ll do some good for your headache. ”

“ mhm… ”

“ alright now, i’ll get outta your hair. i have a feeling that our little pup here still isn’t my biggest fan, haha… ”

vick opens his eyes just enough to glare at the gardener. cobyn simply laughs this off, not taking any real offence to it. they prop vick back up against miku — leaning that far back can’t be good for his neck, and especially not his already painful headache.

"I think we'll be okay for the time being, but thank you Cobyn-san. For everything, really. I truly don't know where I'd be without you around."

[Which was true. Without her little 'family' around, Miku didn't even want to think about what her life would look like. Would she still be allowed to have her own place to live? Would she be allowed to work for a living and keep her wages? Would she...Would she be play with feeling so....alone?]

[Miku looked down at Vick, who was especially cute when he was sleepy while regressed. The way he curled up and snuggled against whomever was closest to him. The slight pout on his lips. The way his eyes kept fluttering, not quite at the point of sleeping but pretty close to it.]

"I'll have to show you what I did with his milk earlier, in case he regresses this small again and I'm not around. He really seemed to like it this time."

the silent, unspoken question that they’re both thinking hangs thick in the air. will there even be a next time?

“ but anywho— have a good rest, my little sapling. you deserve it. ”

vick doesn’t react. and with another polite wave, cobyn is gone. he shuts the door as quietly as possible, considerate as to not wake the baby that’s finally starting to get sleepy.

"Here Viv-tan, let's use this instead, okay?"

[Miku carefully coaxed Vick's thumb from his mouth, easing the pacifier inside instead. Just as expected, he latched on pretty quickly. Good. It was a good her baby had such a strong instinct like that.]

[Miku slowly shifted so she could lie down with Vick, softly cooing at him at every little whine or whimper that he'd make at the movement. But once she was settled and the blanket was thrown over them, Vick seemed content. Miku was more than happy to have her baby snuggled in her arms.]

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

brought back into the room and placed down on the bed, vick lets miku reposition him like a little marionette. he leans back against her shoulder, just enough to where he’s relaxed, but sat up enough so he doesn’t choke on the milk. miku pops the pacifier out of his mouth and places it down on the beside table.

he doesn’t even grab onto it like he usually does when the bottle is placed into his mouth. he just lets his eyes flutter shut, nursing slowly with a small ‘tsktsktsk’ noise. this usual puts him right to sleep, but he’s in one of those moods where he’s so exhausted that it spins back around into sleeplessness… although his killer headache is probably the biggest contender here.

he unlatches after getting about halfway through the bottle, stopping just to lean back against miku’s shoulder and whine incoherently for a good minute or so. he just wants all his pain to go away…

eventually though, he regains the motivation to start drinking again, and manages to finish most of it. there’s only a very small portion left when he stops, so he should hopefully start to feel full once it hits his stomach. miku’s mostly just shocked that he’s still awake — this might be the first time he’s ever finished a bottle without conking out midway.

“ mmmaaaaaa… mmnbbbbb….. ”

the little one shuffles around in her lap for a few seconds until he finds a comfortable position, his chin rested on her shoulder and his arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala. he just wants to fall asleeppp…!!

a tearful whine escapes his throat, his eyes beginning to water once again. she really thought he had no tears left to cry, but newborn babies are known for their ability to cry seemingly endlessly… and it probably helps that he doesn’t have a water storage compartment that can run out like miku does.

"Viv-tan, it'll be okay honey. Mama's got ya baby."

[Miku's voice was very quiet, but just loud enough for Vick to hear her. Poor dear. What was it her other coworker had said about headaches? That sometimes medicine wasn't necessary or couldn't treat them, but alternatives could....]

"What was it...Can't do her go to...the caffeine would keep him up...Dark and a warm compress maybe? Was it the eyes or the back of the neck?"

[She did have that compress, one of those convenient ones you just pop in the microwave and reuse, sitting in her work bag...but her bag was by the front door. And Vick would likely get even more upset if she tried moving him right now. What she needed was some gallant knight to swoop in and offer to hold Vick for her. Or grab the compress to warm it up for her.]

“ …sorry, is this a good time? i overheard a little bit of a scuffle in the bathroom earlier but i didn’t want to make it worse by getting myself involved. ”

ah, her gallant knight! there they are! the timing is almost scarily perfect and a little too convenient — can cobyn read her mind or something?

“ just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. ” cobyn’s voice is laced in gentle caution, sounding awfully hesitant. miku didn’t hear him coming; but then again, its entirely possible that he’s been waiting by the door for a while, trying to gauge whether or not it would be alright to come in. they open it just enough to peek their head in, juniper green hair coming into view.

[Miku kept her voice low, but just loud enough for Cobyn to hear her.]

"He's got a pretty bad headache right now and he's too little to take his normal medication for it. Are you able to grab the compress from my work bag, pretty please? I think the warmth might help ease the tension."

[It certainly was worth a shot, especially since Miku was pretty sure Vick's jaw had some pain centered there as well. Even if he just wound up finding the warm compress acceptable as a cuddle companion, it might help Vick relax enough to get some much needed rest.]

“ of course i can do that! ” cobyn already knows how long it goes for in the microwave — he’s heated up that exact compress for sandbag a few times when the other ones were being used. miku’s always willing to lend it when they need.

cobyn goes to turn around to walk out, but stops before he can make it out the door. “ i’ll turn off the light for you as well; i noticed how you keep blocking his eyes from the light. hopefully that’ll help a bit in the meanwhile — i’ll be back in a jiffy! ”

"It'll be okay Viv-tan. We're gonna make sure your headache goes bye-bye."

[It wasn't all that different from Miku's day job really. Working with kids, toddlers and babies meant that she had gotten used to treating injuries and aches like this. The only thing really throwing a wrench into everything was how worried she was about Vick. She knew she'd have to talk with him about this later, when he was back in his normal headspace...IF he would talk with her ever again that is...But such a hiccup wouldn't really stop her of he truly needed help.]

"You really are something, huh baby? Got Mama all wrapped around your finger, don't ya?"

then, right as the room starts to fall silent again, cobyn returns. vick doesn’t even realise he’s there until something warm is silently pressed against the back of his neck by two big hands that are distinctly not mama’s. the puppy yelps, immediately throwing his head back toward the perpetrator.

“ GRRRRRRRrrrrrr…..rrrrrrrr..…. mhh. ” at the comfort of the compress, vick’s shoulders relax once again. he leans back against cobyn’s hands as if trying to chase the warmth, to which cobyn giggles.

“ aww, i’m sorry, tiny fella! i didn’t mean to scare ya. ” cobyn’s smiles down at the baby, then briefly back up at miku, offering her an understanding look before they pull their attention back to vick. “ does that feel nice? hopefully that’ll do some good for your headache. ”

“ mhm… ”

“ alright now, i’ll get outta your hair. i have a feeling that our little pup here still isn’t my biggest fan, haha… ”

vick opens his eyes just enough to glare at the gardener. cobyn simply laughs this off, not taking any real offence to it. they prop vick back up against miku — leaning that far back can’t be good for his neck, and especially not his already painful headache.

"I think we'll be okay for the time being, but thank you Cobyn-san. For everything, really. I truly don't know where I'd be without you around."

[Which was true. Without her little 'family' around, Miku didn't even want to think about what her life would look like. Would she still be allowed to have her own place to live? Would she be allowed to work for a living and keep her wages? Would she...Would she be play with feeling so....alone?]

[Miku looked down at Vick, who was especially cute when he was sleepy while regressed. The way he curled up and snuggled against whomever was closest to him. The slight pout on his lips. The way his eyes kept fluttering, not quite at the point of sleeping but pretty close to it.]

"I'll have to show you what I did with his milk earlier, in case he regresses this small again and I'm not around. He really seemed to like it this time."

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

brought back into the room and placed down on the bed, vick lets miku reposition him like a little marionette. he leans back against her shoulder, just enough to where he’s relaxed, but sat up enough so he doesn’t choke on the milk. miku pops the pacifier out of his mouth and places it down on the beside table.

he doesn’t even grab onto it like he usually does when the bottle is placed into his mouth. he just lets his eyes flutter shut, nursing slowly with a small ‘tsktsktsk’ noise. this usual puts him right to sleep, but he’s in one of those moods where he’s so exhausted that it spins back around into sleeplessness… although his killer headache is probably the biggest contender here.

he unlatches after getting about halfway through the bottle, stopping just to lean back against miku’s shoulder and whine incoherently for a good minute or so. he just wants all his pain to go away…

eventually though, he regains the motivation to start drinking again, and manages to finish most of it. there’s only a very small portion left when he stops, so he should hopefully start to feel full once it hits his stomach. miku’s mostly just shocked that he’s still awake — this might be the first time he’s ever finished a bottle without conking out midway.

“ mmmaaaaaa… mmnbbbbb….. ”

the little one shuffles around in her lap for a few seconds until he finds a comfortable position, his chin rested on her shoulder and his arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala. he just wants to fall asleeppp…!!

a tearful whine escapes his throat, his eyes beginning to water once again. she really thought he had no tears left to cry, but newborn babies are known for their ability to cry seemingly endlessly… and it probably helps that he doesn’t have a water storage compartment that can run out like miku does.

"Viv-tan, it'll be okay honey. Mama's got ya baby."

[Miku's voice was very quiet, but just loud enough for Vick to hear her. Poor dear. What was it her other coworker had said about headaches? That sometimes medicine wasn't necessary or couldn't treat them, but alternatives could....]

"What was it...Can't do her go to...the caffeine would keep him up...Dark and a warm compress maybe? Was it the eyes or the back of the neck?"

[She did have that compress, one of those convenient ones you just pop in the microwave and reuse, sitting in her work bag...but her bag was by the front door. And Vick would likely get even more upset if she tried moving him right now. What she needed was some gallant knight to swoop in and offer to hold Vick for her. Or grab the compress to warm it up for her.]

“ …sorry, is this a good time? i overheard a little bit of a scuffle in the bathroom earlier but i didn’t want to make it worse by getting myself involved. ”

ah, her gallant knight! there they are! the timing is almost scarily perfect and a little too convenient — can cobyn read her mind or something?

“ just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. ” cobyn’s voice is laced in gentle caution, sounding awfully hesitant. miku didn’t hear him coming; but then again, its entirely possible that he’s been waiting by the door for a while, trying to gauge whether or not it would be alright to come in. they open it just enough to peek their head in, juniper green hair coming into view.

[Miku kept her voice low, but just loud enough for Cobyn to hear her.]

"He's got a pretty bad headache right now and he's too little to take his normal medication for it. Are you able to grab the compress from my work bag, pretty please? I think the warmth might help ease the tension."

[It certainly was worth a shot, especially since Miku was pretty sure Vick's jaw had some pain centered there as well. Even if he just wound up finding the warm compress acceptable as a cuddle companion, it might help Vick relax enough to get some much needed rest.]

“ of course i can do that! ” cobyn already knows how long it goes for in the microwave — he’s heated up that exact compress for sandbag a few times when the other ones were being used. miku’s always willing to lend it when they need.

cobyn goes to turn around to walk out, but stops before he can make it out the door. “ i’ll turn off the light for you as well; i noticed how you keep blocking his eyes from the light. hopefully that’ll help a bit in the meanwhile — i’ll be back in a jiffy! ”

"It'll be okay Viv-tan. We're gonna make sure your headache goes bye-bye."

[It wasn't all that different from Miku's day job really. Working with kids, toddlers and babies meant that she had gotten used to treating injuries and aches like this. The only thing really throwing a wrench into everything was how worried she was about Vick. She knew she'd have to talk with him about this later, when he was back in his normal headspace...IF he would talk with her ever again that is...But such a hiccup wouldn't really stop her of he truly needed help.]

"You really are something, huh baby? Got Mama all wrapped around your finger, don't ya?"

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

brought back into the room and placed down on the bed, vick lets miku reposition him like a little marionette. he leans back against her shoulder, just enough to where he’s relaxed, but sat up enough so he doesn’t choke on the milk. miku pops the pacifier out of his mouth and places it down on the beside table.

he doesn’t even grab onto it like he usually does when the bottle is placed into his mouth. he just lets his eyes flutter shut, nursing slowly with a small ‘tsktsktsk’ noise. this usual puts him right to sleep, but he’s in one of those moods where he’s so exhausted that it spins back around into sleeplessness… although his killer headache is probably the biggest contender here.

he unlatches after getting about halfway through the bottle, stopping just to lean back against miku’s shoulder and whine incoherently for a good minute or so. he just wants all his pain to go away…

eventually though, he regains the motivation to start drinking again, and manages to finish most of it. there’s only a very small portion left when he stops, so he should hopefully start to feel full once it hits his stomach. miku’s mostly just shocked that he’s still awake — this might be the first time he’s ever finished a bottle without conking out midway.

“ mmmaaaaaa… mmnbbbbb….. ”

the little one shuffles around in her lap for a few seconds until he finds a comfortable position, his chin rested on her shoulder and his arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala. he just wants to fall asleeppp…!!

a tearful whine escapes his throat, his eyes beginning to water once again. she really thought he had no tears left to cry, but newborn babies are known for their ability to cry seemingly endlessly… and it probably helps that he doesn’t have a water storage compartment that can run out like miku does.

"Viv-tan, it'll be okay honey. Mama's got ya baby."

[Miku's voice was very quiet, but just loud enough for Vick to hear her. Poor dear. What was it her other coworker had said about headaches? That sometimes medicine wasn't necessary or couldn't treat them, but alternatives could....]

"What was it...Can't do her go to...the caffeine would keep him up...Dark and a warm compress maybe? Was it the eyes or the back of the neck?"

[She did have that compress, one of those convenient ones you just pop in the microwave and reuse, sitting in her work bag...but her bag was by the front door. And Vick would likely get even more upset if she tried moving him right now. What she needed was some gallant knight to swoop in and offer to hold Vick for her. Or grab the compress to warm it up for her.]

“ …sorry, is this a good time? i overheard a little bit of a scuffle in the bathroom earlier but i didn’t want to make it worse by getting myself involved. ”

ah, her gallant knight! there they are! the timing is almost scarily perfect and a little too convenient — can cobyn read her mind or something?

“ just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. ” cobyn’s voice is laced in gentle caution, sounding awfully hesitant. miku didn’t hear him coming; but then again, its entirely possible that he’s been waiting by the door for a while, trying to gauge whether or not it would be alright to come in. they open it just enough to peek their head in, juniper green hair coming into view.

[Miku kept her voice low, but just loud enough for Cobyn to hear her.]

"He's got a pretty bad headache right now and he's too little to take his normal medication for it. Are you able to grab the compress from my work bag, pretty please? I think the warmth might help ease the tension."

[It certainly was worth a shot, especially since Miku was pretty sure Vick's jaw had some pain centered there as well. Even if he just wound up finding the warm compress acceptable as a cuddle companion, it might help Vick relax enough to get some much needed rest.]

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

brought back into the room and placed down on the bed, vick lets miku reposition him like a little marionette. he leans back against her shoulder, just enough to where he’s relaxed, but sat up enough so he doesn’t choke on the milk. miku pops the pacifier out of his mouth and places it down on the beside table.

he doesn’t even grab onto it like he usually does when the bottle is placed into his mouth. he just lets his eyes flutter shut, nursing slowly with a small ‘tsktsktsk’ noise. this usual puts him right to sleep, but he’s in one of those moods where he’s so exhausted that it spins back around into sleeplessness… although his killer headache is probably the biggest contender here.

he unlatches after getting about halfway through the bottle, stopping just to lean back against miku’s shoulder and whine incoherently for a good minute or so. he just wants all his pain to go away…

eventually though, he regains the motivation to start drinking again, and manages to finish most of it. there’s only a very small portion left when he stops, so he should hopefully start to feel full once it hits his stomach. miku’s mostly just shocked that he’s still awake — this might be the first time he’s ever finished a bottle without conking out midway.

“ mmmaaaaaa… mmnbbbbb….. ”

the little one shuffles around in her lap for a few seconds until he finds a comfortable position, his chin rested on her shoulder and his arms and legs wrapped around her like a koala. he just wants to fall asleeppp…!!

a tearful whine escapes his throat, his eyes beginning to water once again. she really thought he had no tears left to cry, but newborn babies are known for their ability to cry seemingly endlessly… and it probably helps that he doesn’t have a water storage compartment that can run out like miku does.

"Viv-tan, it'll be okay honey. Mama's got ya baby."

[Miku's voice was very quiet, but just loud enough for Vick to hear her. Poor dear. What was it her other coworker had said about headaches? That sometimes medicine wasn't necessary or couldn't treat them, but alternatives could....]

"What was it...Can't do her go to...the caffeine would keep him up...Dark and a warm compress maybe? Was it the eyes or the back of the neck?"

[She did have that compress, one of those convenient ones you just pop in the microwave and reuse, sitting in her work bag...but her bag was by the front door. And Vick would likely get even more upset if she tried moving him right now. What she needed was some gallant knight to swoop in and offer to hold Vick for her. Or grab the compress to warm it up for her.]

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

he doesn’t protest when he’s picked up again, his pacifier popped into his mouth and collar gently clipped to his neck. it’s the kind that’s loose enough to not be able to accidentally choke him, considering how wriggly he often gets while small. he slumps against miku again, completely limp as she carries him into the kitchen.

"Let's see, ah, here it is~"

[Her secret weapon, one that she had spent months researching and only really pulled out when times were desperate. A vanilla protein powder, one she knew could safely be added to a warm liquid. And coincidently was one she knew Vick liked well enough to not complain too much about.]

[She had learned this technique during the winter, when Bones was struggling with eating consistently and both Vick and Elise were finally getting over a nasty stomach bug. As long as she made sure her paste was smooth and she mixed the warm milk well enough, it would blend perfectly. The three of them had been none the wiser as to why her 'special hot chocolate' left them feeling full and a little sleepy.]

[At least until Elise found her stash and ratted her out. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together with the evidence staring them right in the face. Vick had left her on radio silence for almost two months because of it...]

"Mama will have your baba ready real soon, okay?"

[She mixed the powder into a paste with cold water, making sure to take Vick's weight into account with her measurements. She then made sure his milk was warmed, on the stove in a pot to ensure she could whisk her paste in properly. The sound of her whisking it in mingled with her humming. Promise was normally a duet number, but her running two voice banks together let her swap between favoring one over the other.]

[Once she triple checked for lumps, which thankfully there were none of, she made sure the milk was safely put into Vick's bottle. The temperature was reading as warm, but not too warm. Just perfect for her hungry baby.]

"Alright honey bun, let's get you fed."

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

he lets out another little puppy whine again, but otherwise stays quiet while they make their way out of the bathroom and into vick’s bedroom. luckily the rooms are right beside each other so there isn’t too much transport involved.

the first thing vick does is motion to the drawer in his bedside table that contains all of his regression gear. it’s locked up tight, but miku has memorised the lock code by this point. not that it’d exactly be the hardest guess; 1313. vick can be a lot more predictable than he thinks he is at times…

the items inside, a pacifier and a collar, are gathering dust. it’s lucky that the pacifier is in a container, so it should be easy to clean off… a quick trip back to the bathroom to give them a wash (or a wipe down in the collars case — it’s made out of leather and she doesn’t want to accidentally ruin the material by soaking it) is all that they need.

"Alright baby doll, let's get these icky clothes off~"

[She's not quite her usual self, but it's closer than the hot mess express that she was before. Her touch is shaky, but gentle all the same as she carefully eases Vick out of his usual work suit. Poor thing was too tired to be of much help but...Vick also was a good bit smaller than usual, so Miku supposed that just added to his tired stupor.]

"Such a good baby for Mama, a very good baby."

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."

another sob spills from his lips, but no tears fall with it. he’s completely cried himself out by now, leaving a particularly fussy and sore little in its wake — not that he wasn’t already fussy and sore in the first place. how long has it been since he last slept? or ate?

the little one lifts his hand off of miku for just long enough to press his fingers against the tiles, feeling the cold sensation travel through them. right, he’s in his bathroom. his home. everything is okay… he’ll be safe as long as mama is there to protect him.

…suddenly, he feels all too aware of his uncomfortable clothing, and the nagging hunger gnawing away at the sides of his stomach.

"Mama knows pup, let's get you cozy first. Those clothes aren't the best to sleep in."

[Something Vick would grumble about in his adult headspace, but absolutely refuse to acknowledge otherwise. In this bitty headspace, however, Miku could tell he was uncomfortable to say the least.]

[Miku hesitated outside the front door for a moment, taking a few artificial breaths to steel her nerves. It had been a few hours since she had gone over her game plan with Cobyn. Bones was given a heads up in case things went south. They usually were pretty good at smoothing things over on the occasions when Miku and Vick argued...]

"Right, it's showtime."

[Miku put on her best, gentle smile before she opened the front door.]

"Tadaimaaaa!"

[Her usual call letting whomever was in earshot that she was home. Sometimes those traces of her old stealth programming led to some....rather awkward encounters.]

"Tou-san? Are you home?"

-- @jccmikuau

no response. all that greets miku is silence.

vick just barely resists the urge to groan when he hears her voice. she’s the last person he wants to deal with right now, especially after all of cobyn’s incessant nagging the previous night. he knows exactly why she’s here and he’s not going to have a bar of it.

after another beat of silence, vick finally calls back out to her. “ whatever you’re planning, don’t. the door is locked; i’m not in the mood right now. ”

not in the mood for what, exactly? well, everything. being confronted, an argument, being told how to live his life as a forty-four year old man. it’s ridiculous. nothing that he’s doing is out of the ordinary in the slightest. he’s fine. he’s finally fallen back into normalcy, everything that happened before was simply a lapse in judgement.

[Possibly even more stubborn than Vick if she was being honest. At least when it came to matters relating to his health.]

"Planning? Why Tou-san you make it sound like I'm some delinquent with no good intentions!"

[Well the locked door would certainly make things difficult. Especially since she was still banned from picking locks after the last time Vick pulled this move. Stupid programmers and making her obey orders given in a certain manner! Well...at least Vick was still hesitant to use it anyways...]

"Can't a loving daughter check on her beloved father and see how his day has been without being treated like she's a criminal?"

“ i’m working. if you’re really that insistent on gaining my favour, you’ll leave me alone. and no, i won’t be unlocking the door. ”

[Miku switches over to her softer voice bank. Usually she'd save it for when he's regressed but...it was also very gentle. A blend between her Soft and Dark voice banks.]

"Not even for five minutes? You’re always working yourself half to death and falling asleep at your desk."

[Which definitely exacerbated his already existing back problems. He was always extra stiff those mornings, even if Miku or Bones found him and carried him to bed.]

"Banging your head against the proverbial wall won't help you reach your usual work standard you know."

“ for the love of god, are you seriously that incapable of listening to anything i say, or are you just purposefully being ignorant. ” despite his earlier claim, vick gets up and unlocks the door, throwing it open. the doorframe slams noisily against the wall.

vick looks like an absolute wreck. his hair is unbrushed and messy, he’s still in his work suit despite having been back home for hours now, he has circles under his eyes darker than eddie’s, and his forehead is bleeding. his voice darkens. “ this is your last time i will repeat myself: i do not want your help. now, or ever. get out of my house right this instant or i’m calling the cops. ”

[Miku grabs Vick's arm, ignoring his threat entirely and she starts dragging him to the bathroom so she can clean him up properly.]

"And leave you here bleeding? I wouldn't be doing a good job if I left you here. Especially since head wounds bleed a lot."

[There's a scolding tinge to her voice, like she's a parent who caught her child climbing onto the roof after being told a million times not to climb on the roof. It'd be more comical if she wasn't shaking. Blood always reminded her of her...previous directive...]

[Once they make it to the bathroom, Miku closes the door behind them. He's effectively cornered and wounded. The last position Vick could possibly want to be in right now.]

"Now have a seat. And I'm not taking no for an answer on this."

the second that she closes that door, vick kicks the back of his foot against it, still trying to free his arm. panic spreads across his face until all he can see is danger.

he bites down on miku’s arm as hard as he possibly can. the metal scrapes his teeth with a horrible, grating noise. it succeeds in getting miku to let go of him, at the cost of a stinging jaw and bleeding gums. he frantically steps back until he’s effectively cornered himself against the shower door, a low but loud growl escaping his throat.

usually, in moments like these, vick would be shouting. but right now, all he can do is snarl like an injured dog. his fingernails dig painfully into his palms, knuckles clenched and blanching white. they clutch either side of his torso, practically hugging himself, as if that would do anything to stop the immediate danger. or… what he thinks is immediate danger, but what is actually just an android who desperately wants to help him.

[She kept her gaze averted, remembering a bit of that first aid article she had read last month. Well...it was in a veterinary magazine, but some of it could still apply here....right?]

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt you hun. I'm here to clean up your boo-boos."

[Miku, to her credit, kept her voice low and calm despite the small part of her that was screaming at her that the situation was futile. That it could easily end up with either her or Vick or possibly both of them severely injured or dead.]

"See, these hands are here to help not hurt."

[Miku kept her hands, palms open and showing she hand nothing to hide, right where Vick could see them. To show she was telling the truth. That she was only there to help, not harm.]

"I just want to clean you up a bit, okay?"

the puppy’s shoulders relax ever-so slightly, but he doesn’t move forward. he seems conflicted. what if she tries to grab him again? what if this is just a trick?

“ grrrrrr… grr… ” vick lets out a few more growls that eventually trail off into a whimper. suddenly, all of that rage melts away into fear, a knot forming in his throat. he whines. once, then again, like a puppy. he bites his bottom lip harshly in attempt to get it to stop wobbling, but it’s futile. even more tears spill over until he’s rendered a complete sobbing mess.

"Baby please, let Mama get you cleaned up. Mama promises to make it quick, okay?"

[A part of Miku knew Vick wasn't thinking anywhere near close to how he normally thought while regressed, let alone his normal head space. Miku can normally tell what he needs but....it's all muddied.]

[What doesn't help her case is fact that her vision keeps flickering between her present where Vick needs her, and two points in her past. One where a young man with hair like Vick's lay cold on the ground with a bullet wound to the head. The other where a technician, the closest thing Miku could say she had to a mother, was hanging in lab...]

"Its....its....okay...E-everything will be okay...."

he doesn’t connect that maybe it’s the same person that just grabbed him a minute ago. no, mama is safe… mama is there to protect him. she wouldn’t do something like that.

“ maaa… maamaaaa ,, ” he finally unclenches his fists for the first time in minutes, opening his hands out to make grabby hands for miku. his eyes are clamped shut — he doesn’t even realise that she’s crying. he doesn’t realise anything at all. everything’s too much. he wants to go home, but he is home. the surrounding area is familiar yet so scarily unfamiliar all at the same time. he’s tired and in pain.

"Shhhh, it's o-okay! M-mama's got ya baby."

[Miku moved slowly, hating each flicker of the bathroom shifting between its normal state and a darkened facility with the alarms blaring. Or an overly bright lab that couldn't hide the harsh reality from such a sharp android.]

"Mama's gonna make it all better honey."

[Miku's touch against Vick's hand was gentle. Waiting until he didn't snap at her to slowly draw close enough to assess his injuries.]

"You're such a good baby...The best baby Mama could a-ask for..."

[Miku's hand brushed a few of Vick's tears from his cheeks, hating how the tender action reminded her of him. Her old Colonel. The one who showed her true kindness when she was originally labeled an unfeeling killing machine....Would an unfeeling machine cry the loudest at his funeral?]

for a moment there, he’s seconds away from panicking and lashing out again, before realising what it is. it’s a towel. she’s trying to wipe the blood away from his forehead. still, he whines.

“ o—owww… mamaaaa… ‘urtsss… ” the little one drags on, fussing around until he looks up enough for his eyes to land on miku. she’s crying. mama’s crying… was that his fault? he doesn’t want her to cry.

"Oh baby, it's not your fault. Mama...Mama's just...having a rough day today..."

[Miku keeps her movements slow and gentle, given how jumpy Vick is at the moment. She hated her own programming so damn much. Wanted to cut each and every undesirable bit from it. Just to avoid stupid mistakes like this again...But she's forbidden from doing so. Even if Vick were to give her the okay on it, Miku's own programming would stop her. Make her hands freeze like-]

[For a brief moment, Miku wasn't standing in the bathroom tending to Vick. She was standing in a doorway, alarms blaring in her ears. Listening as her Colonel ordered her to run. To take the intel back to headquarters. That he'd buy her time. That she was more useful to Project Xcalibur than he'd ever dream of-]

[Miku heard a soft whimper from Vick, drawing her back to the present. Right. Her duty was here. Not there.]

"You've done nothing wrong baby. Mama's..."

[Miku gives up on speaking, opting to very slowly rest her hands at her sides. As much as she wanted to just bury herself into the tightest hug she knew Vick could give her in such a small headspace, she knew she wasn't worthy of such a comfort. She triggered this. It was her mess. The pain she felt was her penance. An idea drilled into her from the very first time she was activated as a combat android and reinforced until this very day.]

[Pain was her penance.]

“ no… mama’s good. protects me. ” he’s always wanted that: to feel protected. but he always thought that came with money, security, not in a person. well… maybe once. those times are long gone now, just like she is. vick whimpers at the thought.

“ mama ,, d’nt ‘eave… ” he rubs his head against her leg again. “ be a good kid, ‘m sorry… ”

he’s always the one pushing others away, yet he cries like a little kid when they inevitably can’t stand it anymore and leave. as stubborn as vick is, as much as he’d never admit this to himself… he wants to be chased. he wants someone that will put in the effort despite the glaring lack of anything in return.

the glaring lack of anything in return when he’s big, that is — moments like these, as rare as they are (and as rare as they probably wouldn’t be if vick wasn’t so stubborn), betray vick’s true thoughts and feelings. as much as he tries to repress them, they’ll always find their way back up to the surface one way or another. even if they need to be forced out of him first.

"Oh baby, Mama's not leaving. She could never leave her precious Viv-tan behind."

[Miku sighed as she reached up to scrub her tears back. Ugh. Why did she have to be programmed to be such a crybaby?]

"Why don't we get you dressed in something a little softer, okay? So Mama's sweet baby can be all comfy cozy when we cuddle."