anothercontinuity | Red vs Blue pt 2

"You can survive that way, easily. It will be akin to eating MREs. I'm sure you remember those."

Survive, yes, but it's a half-life. There is something in them that craves life, that spark that inhabits living blood. It would not be the same.

"That is not to say every feeding must be a kill. It requires more planning, but it is not entirely objectionable. It can even be...enjoyable, if done correctly."

"If we're in transit it'll be the safer option." One vampire knocking around and eating as they like is probably simple enough to hide in a galaxy of strife. Two of them? Establishes a pattern and ups the risk of people thinking something is going down.

But hey.

Enjoyable, that has him curious, sitting back on the bed facing Locus, elbows propped on his knees. "Like...how I felt when I had your blood?"

"No. That is a different experience entirely. That is taking into you something unique. It will never feel that way again, unless feeding from one of us. Feeding from a living person will be comparable, but less rapturous. Feeding from a bag? You can imagine."

York gets a blank look at that.

"Being fed from is...there are no words for it. It is how I was made. It is seductive, exhilarating. Nothing compares, no drug, no carnal experience."

"Is that a thing? The feeding from another vampire." He's got a feeling that way lies- well. Bad shit. Things that feel that good tend to end poorly if done in excess. Also- well.

He huffs a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Damn. Where were you when I was knocking around clubs? That mighta been nicer meeting than 'oh dear god i'm gonna die.'"

"Perhaps. On an evening where we both have a little more to spare, I might demonstrate."

After all, they're going to be traveling together for the time being. They'll certainly have the time. These are things that should be explored, shouldn't they? York has an interest in exploring them at least.

Locus, for his part, is simply glad for the company. And York is taking all of this in stride. Much better than he had, at the time.

"Yeah, not on a day when I've nearly bled out to begin with and you've given-" He tips his head back and tries to think of that moment of change, Delta more than able to bring up the sensation of his mouth filling and throat swallowing. "...quite a bit to make sure I didn't die."

Measuring in mouthfuls is probably something they can do but it feels odd to try that now. "So aside from, uh. Following the Project-"

North, South. Wash. Whoever else is left. "What do you do with...eternity?"

"Travel. Observe. Attempt to find purpose. Until now it has been a very solitary plan."

And very tiring. The days, weeks, months, years stretch on, without any sort of point to them. Perhaps now that's about to change. With someone else to explore the galaxy with, it might be a new beginning for them both.

Locus cocks his head curiously.

"What would you do, with eternity?"

"Infinite time to do whatever I wanted, money no object?" He thinks back for half a second, tries to consider a long term plan because apparently time isn't a thing he needs to worry about anymore. "See if I can't start nudging the accounts of war profiteers in the direction of colonies damaged by the war effort. It's like gambling, but for good."

A beat.

"The shady businesses always have the best security too. So. It'll be fun to try and crack them." Puzzles. As many as he and Delta can stand. As many as they can crack through and now, with both eyes and these reflexes he's pretty sure are semi-terrifying? Could be something considerable. "Other than that- travel. Visit interesting places, meet people."

"Travel is an inevitability. Remaining in one place for very long isn't wise, considering." Their appetites will draw notice, eventually. Especially together. But a month or two in a spot before moving on isn't so terrible, and nothing says they can't return to a few choice favorite spots now and then.

"Hacking, however, will require hardware. That will require time, resources, and money. Fortunately, I have a considerable amount of the latter." He raises an eyebrow. "Would you know where to go? Who could be trusted?"

"Please, you do know which Freelancer you picked up, right?" Green flickers behind his eyes for a moment as his head tilts faintly to the side, birdlike. "What team you saved? We can do what we need to as long as we've got a network connection and a terminal. Everything else is icing."

That much they know for sure. The rest, well. "Yep and yep- one last question though..."

And this isn't really a dealbreaker as it is a little late to break the deal. "We're. Cold and still and shit but- can we. You know. Have sex with a human that is down with that kinda thing?"

"Fair enough." He does know, he knows what their specialty was, but it never hurts to ask.

The last question, however, almost makes him chuckle. Almost. There's a small quirk of his lips, blink and you'd miss it, before he sighs and leans back slightly.

"Yes. We can. And after a fresh feeding, we will retain some residual warmth, if you continue to wish to pass for living." He gives a small huff, nostrils flaring. "The one who turned me was quite fond of that, in fact."

"What happened to him?" He'd said last question but- getting to know you time. And his usual means probably won't work on a fucking vampire, so. Direct and honest questions done without malice or guile. They're gonna be knocking around the galaxy together...so.

Might as well learn while he can.

"We parted ways some time ago. I don't know what became of him." He shook his head. "He is...far less reticent about taking life and using people than I am. I wish to meddle in the affairs of mortals as little as possible. You can understand why we no longer travel together."

"Interact with, yes. Meddle? Only in so far that corporations are legally considered people for whatever reason and are supposedly mortal due to their ability to be bankrupt or foreclosed or...whatever." Things. But play with people like dolls?

That's been done to him. To Delta. No thank you. "I get it, though. I promise no meddling or murder from me because, I'm...kinda over. All of that."

"Yes. It seemed as though you were."

Or else he might still be lying there dying, is the unspoken end of that sentence, but it's a moot point. York isn't there, he's here, and Locus trusts that he's the sort to avoid violence and manipulation where possible.

Locus spends a moment or two more taking him in. The way his eyes have cleared, the sharpness in his movements that betrays the AIs presence.

"Your goals seem admirable ones. I would like to see you accomplish them."

"It beats petty theft just to eat. Now it'll be...petty stalking and seducing to eat." He blinks, thoughts slamming into a wall and-

Oh.

OH god that just occurred to him. "...I'm gonna have to work on my pick up lines, aren't I?"

If he's gonna do the swing into a bar/club/etc and find a way to eat. Oh wonderful. Delta's laughing at him in the back of his mind and his shoulders slump inward, hand slipping up to grind against his- still good eye. Both. Both are good now.

"That depends." He shrugs mildly. "I've had little trouble in not saying much. People project a great deal if you allow them to."

All he has to do is be present, those bright eyes in some dark room, and someone will come along. They think he's mysterious, stoic, something to try and puzzle out. A challenge. When he guides them to a back corner, it feels like winning to them.

He's not sure how they feel when they realize he's gone, but it's not a question of consequence, either.

"Yeah, but you got tall dark and handsome going for you. Me I got-" And again he has to stop and rub the formerly scarred side of his face to remind himself that the usual handicap is no longer a handicap.

"...no bum eye or weird scar. Holy shit I'm hot again, I can get away with cheesy bullshit." Because if you're gonna promise fun, why not be funny while you're doing it? He can swing that. It's much less pressure than trying to be sincere when all you want is a dance and maybe someone to lean on for a little while.

"Hm. How does it feel?"

He won't remark that York wasn't unattractive with the scar. It seems unnecessary now.

"Weird as hell?" He looks back up to Locus, shrugging. "I mean- I got used to the eye because I had to. I keep thinking it should be disorienting but it. Isn't. I keep thinking I should be freaking out but I'm...not. This is. I died. I legit died for a little bit there." Okay maybe he's freaking out about that a little, hands tense in his hair before they go still and he goes calm and-

"...Okay well that explains it. Delta's helping me cheat. I am gonna be okay with that because having an emotional and existential breakdown sounds kinda exhausting, don't you think?"

"It wouldn't be surprising. You've been coping with the change quite well. Better than I did."

Slowly, Locus picks himself up from the seat, moving back towards York. Yes, the seeds of tension are there, and they have a right to be. But they don't have to belong there, either. "Everything dies. Eventually. You would have died today regardless. Now, you have the opportunity to stand on the other side of death, and continue on."

"Again: Cheating with live in light up clippy." There's a semi audible mutter from the helmet's speakers as that's the only hardware Delta's got to work with at the moment, but York self corrects accordingly. "Live in partner that's good at keeping his shit together."

For which he is immensely grateful. Also for being saved.

"It's just. Jarring."

"In a number of ways."

He nods in agreement. York's 'partner' had not seemed overly pleased with him, but he's not terribly concerned at the moment. The AI will have due time to adjust to the state of things, and realize what Locus did was in York's best interests.

"...if there is any way to assist in making the transition more bearable, I will do what I can."

"...It's gonna sound dumb." Which normally isn't something he worries about but- brand new person when he's forgotten a lot of the nuances in how to get people to do what he wants without it being overly manipulative or weird- and someone he's gonna be with for. Well.

Ever.

Delta's voice crackles over the helmet's speaker. He requires physical contact to ground him. We are both somewhat concerned this is an elaborate post mortem hallucination due to the fantastic nature of your and now his existence.

"Both of you?"

Delta should know better. He was present when York died, and then returned. An AI should not be concerned about hallucinating anything. But York himself? One look at him and he knows it's entirely possible that it's every bit as surreal as it had been for Locus, all those years ago.

Quietly, he offers up an open palm.

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