a collage of memories

PEWTER | A.I. THE SOMNIUM FILES | [APPLICATION] | [STATS]

okay yes he’s absolutely dressed like a pokemon villain apparently he buys all of his clothes online and it really obviously shows especially since the green parts glow

erhem, anyway, did anyone ask for an engineer dressed like a pokemon villain who holds a passion for A.I. and BL novels? no? too bad

actually genuinely a genius when it comes to robotics, A.I., and engineering. while he can be socially awkward with most people, bringing up any of these topics will get him talking at length (and he’s actually really good at explaining them on more basic levels)

he’s strange. there’s really no other way to put it. he’s got a strange sense of humor and strange interests and not even in the “he’s a quirky nerd” way, more in the “one of his talents is imitating a vuvuzela” way

extremely loyal. to a fault. absolutely serious about his job and his relationships. like, extremely ride or die but i’m not gonna get into any spoilers on this intro post

“Hah, true there. I guess you and Date certainly have different tastes.”

“Of course. I am quite refined.”

“God, you sound like Date now! Kyahahahahaha!”

“It’s not even a close competition, in reality.”

“Says the guy who keeps his ‘reading material’ in his work locker~”

“I do. I know… enough. I’ve read the case files- and I mean, it’d be impossible to not know some stuff.” It wasn’t like cases like that happened every day. One of his coworkers in jail, another with a completely new face… of course he’d read up on it. “And I… saw a bit about Mr. Date, too.”

Honestly, he knew he was a hypocrite. He hated criminals. He could never forgive killers, the evils of the world. But even with all of that said… there was at least one person he couldn’t really judge. He could come up with as many excuses as he needed to if it could let him make sense of it all.

“I have to keep going. If I can’t, then…” Then what was even the point? He couldn’t let it have all been for nothing. It didn’t matter if this wasn’t the world he knew anymore- he had to live up to his brother’s dreams. “It’s just not an option for me. I can’t give up. No matter what, I can’t.”

“I would think so, and yet by the cadence and nature of your question, I still had to ask.” He wasn’t actually too surprised that Ryuki had asked. At the end of the day, Ryuki was, as he so exemplified here and now, someone with a psyche abnormally devoted to his ideals, whatever they may be. It was, honestly, why he had absolutely encouraged the pairing with Tama - she could keep him even-keeled with her more...Outgoing attitude.

A shame she wasn’t here now. Genuinely.

But he would have to ask. Ryuki would, eventually, need a reason, and now these flowers would compel him to seek out that reason. He would need a reason to view Pewter himself favorably under these conditions - so he wouldn’t have to exact his own justice on Pewter.

“Regardless, if you intend to continue, you’ll need support. Luckily for you, I hardly need the help of anybody else to function with a small selection of agents.”

“We’ll really just need a place and some funding. This place is more than advanced enough to build another Psync machine, although programming it from scratch will take some time...”

At the end of the day, Ryuki would need support.

Part of Ryuki didn’t want to hear what Pewter had to say, despite having been the one to ask. He would be lying to himself if he tried to claim that he couldn’t understand, at least a little- and lying wasn’t an easy thing to do at the moment.

“I…see.” That was all he could get out for the moment, a million thoughts swirling through his mind. What would he do for someone he loved? No… the answer was simple, really. He’d lost too many people to risk losing anyone else, so if it was for someone he loved… “I think I… understand.”

Pewter’s question made him look aside, eyes getting dull as flowers bloomed before he’d even spoken a word. Even with how hard he tried to avoid it, he couldn’t stop himself from speaking.

“I have to do this. I have to do what he wanted, because he can’t. I can’t let him down…” He’d tossed aside everything he’d been before so he could chase after his brother’s dream, keeping it alive because if he couldn’t then nobody could. “My brother wanted to… to stop the ‘evils’ of the world. The same types of people as the person who killed him. So I need to bring them all to justice. I need to.”

“Do you?” The question came to his lips unbidden. There was...Some measure of spite there, he could admit. There was some measure of not having wanted to speak on the subject - so much of it wasn’t made public. So much of it couldn’t be known. “Do you even know the full scope of the truth of that case? Surely you know what they say about Renju Okiura now.” Closing his eyes, he sighed, shrugging, before looking at Ryuki again.

“I’m certain you know enough, given your level of clearance, but that doesn’t make answering questions I can only give half-truths to people about any easier.” His time in jail had been abbreviated, but it now simply meant he was owned by his superiors. A dog on a different chain. At least he liked his coworkers and was passionate about his job, otherwise it would be unbearable.

But when Ryuki answered, he couldn’t help the pity that crossed his features. “Well, now. Maybe you do understand in some capacity. Sometimes we don’t fully choose the paths that we take in life. Quite often, actually, we’re lead one way or another. It’s a rare few people who understand why they made those choices.” ‘People like us’, he wanted to say, but thought it unfair to group Ryuki in with himself.

PERHAPS HE SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED A genuine response to his quiet outburst. after all, he didn't even THINK to keep his mouth shut. a puff of air exhales from his lips in a cloud when he sighs. ❝NEVER been a pro at keepin' my mouth shut,❞ he responds, in lieu of an apology, as though his sadness has somehow RUINED the sanctity of the holiday.

but he doesn't hide the SHEEPISH smile that touches his lips. it is what it is. 

❝oh yeah? so where ya come from, its this festive ... we didn' have a christmas.❞ and yet, he's caught the buzz, like an infection. the world isn't just big, it is MASSIVE, far larger than any world he could have IMAGINED. and yet … ❝yeah, ya ain't wrong … these holidays ain't gonna walk 'way from us. but sometimes i think - am i SELFISH for wantin' company? is it bad to hope? we humans … think too much.❞

‘Genuine’ was perhaps only half-correct, but neither of them should or could remark upon that unspoken sentiment at this point. No apologies needed, either, for the man in the neon green glasses clearly didn’t need nor expect one.

Nor would he give one for butting into the other man’s business.

“I wasn’t really one for holidays for a long time. Any of them - and there are many.” That had changed, and then changed again.

“ Oh I know how that feels - though it’s been a long time. “

“ I guess that’s how it rolls… I use stuff so casually I probably don’t even notice hehe. But it must be different for a guy working on the field. “

“I am actually part of a highly specialized investigative team and have invented several new types of AI technology, not the engineer for a dating application.”

“Oh, come on! I’m sure you’ve misheard names before!” 

“ Haha. Ah well, yeah I get that point - are you speaking from experience? “

“  I think effort and time can fix a lot of that though – unless they’ve gotten worse while I’ve been off. “

“The very concept of dating continues to be more of an annoyance than anything.”