A Light in the Dark

My name is Roll. Do you need something? If not, you should... probably go. Father doesn't like visitors.((An independent RP account for a protoverse Roll, based in a-fading-light's bad-end verse. ))

[soinlovewithpandas]

Su Shan at the Dujiangyan Panda Base in China on June 9, 2015. © Pandas International

[a-shadowed-light]

Maybe... I can find a place...?

Or.... or do I have to make it?

[a-shadowed-light]

If I can’t help by attacking, and I don’t have the people skills Cale does for getting people help outside...

....then there’s nothing for me to do?

No place I fit...?

[a-faded-copy-archive-blog]

"Cale? Can we talk ... about Papa?"

This isn’t going to be fun, is it?

“…Sure, anythin’ you want Rolly Poly.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“… Remember how miss Wren was all mad when she first upgraded us?” 

[a-faded-copy-archive-blog]

“…Yeah? What about it?”

[a-shadowed-light]

“I didn’t understand... what did Papa do to us?”

[soinlovewithpandas]

Triplets Meng Meng, Shuai Shuai and Ku Ku at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, China, on June 7, 2015. © IPANDA

[a-faded-copy-archive-blog]

"Cale? Can we talk ... about Papa?"

This isn’t going to be fun, is it?

“…Sure, anythin’ you want Rolly Poly.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“... Remember how miss Wren was all mad when she first upgraded us?” 

[soinlovewithpandas]

Mei Sheng and Zhen Zhen in China on May 25, 2015. © Pandas International

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve…” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“……….I’m in trouble, huh?”

[a-shadowed-light]

“Hiding people doesn’t do any good when he finds them and shoots them anyway,” Roll said almost bitterly, squeezing her eyes shut. “You - you can’t even feed people without risking him shooting at you. That’s… how can I just let that happen?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

“….You missed a very important bullet point.” Maeve poked her arm. “You have access to other worlds. Make use of that.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“But those worlds don’t need help like this?” Green eyes widened at the arm poke, and the girl squeaked. “I don’t... understand? What do I need to do there?”

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve…” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“……….I’m in trouble, huh?”

[a-shadowed-light]

“…Will it still help people?” Roll asked, finally relaxing from her defiant stance with a sigh. “I just want to help. I don’t like seeing people scared and sick and starving and dying.” There was a quiet intake of breath and she swiped a hand across her eyes with a wince. “…You humans bleed a lot, you know…”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

“We do, I’m afraid.” She shook her head. “Child, you can do quiet a lot quietly. Hiding those who’ve done nothing wrong. Making alliances outside this world. Pulling out the proverbial nails in the plans.” She’d made sure she approached Roll where there were no cameras, nothing, for a reason.

She worked for Wily, she wasn’t loyal to him.

[a-shadowed-light]

“Hiding people doesn’t do any good when he finds them and shoots them anyway,” Roll said almost bitterly, squeezing her eyes shut. “You - you can’t even feed people without risking him shooting at you. That’s... how can I just let that happen?”

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve…” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“……….I’m in trouble, huh?”

[a-shadowed-light]

“…and make me hurt people?” Roll’s eyes widened and her lip wobbled for a moment before she drew herself up and set her expression. “A-all the same, I can’t do nothing! What’s the point of - of being able to do things if you don’t help anybody at all?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

“There are things you can do. Quiet things. Subtle things. Things the boys never thought of, and never will. Not unless I whisper it to them, because they tends to be a little dense.” Okay, a lot dense. But…well, that seemed to be a male Light trait. Or just a Light trait. She wasn’t sure yet.

[a-shadowed-light]

“...Will it still help people?” Roll asked, finally relaxing from her defiant stance with a sigh. “I just want to help. I don’t like seeing people scared and sick and starving and dying.” There was a quiet intake of breath and she swiped a hand across her eyes with a wince. “...You humans bleed a lot, you know...”

[a-shadowed-light]

“...Miss Maeve is very pretty... and smart...”

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve…” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“……….I’m in trouble, huh?”

[a-shadowed-light]

“But it was just a few factories!” Roll protested, folding her arms as a stubborn expression took over her features. “Less snipers means less people getting shot!”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

“It also means attention drawn onto yourself. If you aren’t careful, Wily will try to hammer you down like a nail sticking out.” She crossed her arms. “He might also try to take you into the tower, like he did Rock and Brody.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“...and make me hurt people?” Roll’s eyes widened and her lip wobbled for a moment before she drew herself up and set her expression. “A-all the same, I can’t do nothing! What’s the point of - of being able to do things if you don’t help anybody at all?”

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve…” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“……….I’m in trouble, huh?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

“You may be if you keep up the noise.” Maeve sighed, rubbing a temple. “You’re going to get yourself killed at this rate, and that is something we’d rather not happen.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“But it was just a few factories!” Roll protested, folding her arms as a stubborn expression took over her features. “Less snipers means less people getting shot!”

[a-shadowed-light]

The woman dressed rather casually approaches Roll with a smile on her face, rather glad she was skilled in making herself not look like herself. "Roll, there you are! We need to have a chat."

“Oh! Um. Hi, miss Maeve...” Roll blushes and shoves a lock of curly black hair behind her shoulders - she’d asked to have it long again in the upgraded chassis, because in retrospect her self-haircut had been a TERRIBLE idea.

“..........I’m in trouble, huh?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

Too long, too long [@a-fading-light]

[a-shadowed-light]

Roll blinked, tossing the mass of broken parts to the ground and playfully shoving at her brother. “What, Rock? Seriously, Maeve. What else would I break all those containment and trespassing laws for? Dug him out from under the tower myself - and you, mister! I know it’s gross, but options are a little limited out here.”

She paused and looked to Maeve, frowning. “Unless you can think of some magicky thing that would patch his vocal processor until we can get back to civilization, such as it is? Because while I hate the idea of my wriggly friend here going to waste after I went to such lengths to take him down, I’m pretty sure Rock would like a much less-icky option if it’s available.”

She giggled, then, and reached up on tiptoe to tweak her brother’s nose. “Who knew my big brother was such a priss?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

Maeve made a face at the thing Roll had brought, then looked to Rock again. Rock…”I’m afraid not, Roll.” Her puppy, her ball of scruff and temper…He really was standing right in front of her and wasn’t some copy someone had made.

It took her all of a moment to hug him tightly, as if afraid he’d disappear if she didn’t.

[a-fading-light-archive]

Did she really just do that?

Rock stuck his tongue out at his little sister, before playfully shoving her away. That’s right Roll, get all the teasing in while you can. Cause when he can talk again? You can kiss the quiet pouting goodbye. 

He pauses at the sensation of arms wrapping around him. That’s a hug, okay uhh… On the one hand, he’s more than happy to finally have it, but on the other it feels like such a sudden shift in mood. Still, he hooks his arms around Maeve, giving her a gentle squeeze.

[a-shadowed-light]

“Right, so icky option it is then!” Roll chirped with far too much glee, than pulled a pair of gloves from a pouch on her belt, slipped them on and pulled her goggles down over her face. 

“You two lovebirds miiiight wanna look away for a bit. Welding gets bright and I’m not sure this thing’s 100% dead, so unless you wanna get sprayed with fluids I’d suggest you go hug behind a wall or something. This won’t take long and once I’ve got the parts I’ll need you to get back over here, Rock, so I’ll call for you then.”

[a-shadowed-light]

“Fire is my friend.”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

Too long, too long [@a-fading-light]

[a-shadowed-light]

A clanking and a skittering sound precede Roll back to the meeting place, the dark-haired gynoid accompanied by multiple mechanical spiders and nonchalantly dragging a hulking machine of a strange, gleaming design behind her. It’s long and rather lean, obviously newer make than anything native to the city, and covered in a fine layer of dirt. It’s also quite obviously offline, with pieces missing and patches of melted metal just starting to cool along its back.

“I’m back, Rock, and I brought something we can use parts from to patch your voice temporarily if you wan—- oh! Hello, Maeve. Found my archaeology dig, did you?”

[thecheapandevilgirl]

Maeve raised a brow at Roll, not having expected the gynoid at all. And then it registered.

“…..Repeat what you called him.”

But Rock was….he was….how…

No. Hope was an emotion she had long schooled out of herself, out of necessity. She wasn’t about to start feeling it again.

[a-fading-light-archive]

Naturally Rock’s attention was snatched up by the giant mechanical mass Roll was bringing back. He mouthed an ‘ew’ at her suggestion, making a clearly displeased face. Not that he had any other options but– yeesh that thing didn’t look pleasant. 

And the archaeology jab earned another huff, Rock crossing his arms. He’s not that old Roll. ..is he?

[a-shadowed-light]

Roll blinked, tossing the mass of broken parts to the ground and playfully shoving at her brother. “What, Rock? Seriously, Maeve. What else would I break all those containment and trespassing laws for? Dug him out from under the tower myself - and you, mister! I know it’s gross, but options are a little limited out here.”

She paused and looked to Maeve, frowning. “Unless you can think of some magicky thing that would patch his vocal processor until we can get back to civilization, such as it is? Because while I hate the idea of my wriggly friend here going to waste after I went to such lengths to take him down, I’m pretty sure Rock would like a much less-icky option if it’s available.”

She giggled, then, and reached up on tiptoe to tweak her brother’s nose. “Who knew my big brother was such a priss?”