⋅⋆⛓ V-X ⛓⋆⋅

ultrakill oc rp/ask blog || pfp by n1ckarts on insta

[prototype-vx]

<I would run, if I were you.>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello! This is a roleplay for my Ultrakill V-Model oc V-X :) my main blog is @pepis-room

Rules for Asks/Interactions:

1. Shipping is alright, though they are a lesbian and I do primarily ship them with V2 so please keep that in mind.

2. Suggestive/flirtatious interactions are alright, though I do ask that only adults engage in such (such interactions or asks will also be tagged accordingly).

3. Please do not send any full-on NSFW asks.

4. Please do not send vent asks or start vent interactions, as they tend to make me uncomfortable.

5. V-X uses they/she, mod uses he/they.

6. If I am uncomfortable with an ask or interaction for whatever reason I will not respond.

Extra Info:

- V-X does not speak verbally and primarily “speaks” through chirps, beeps, and clicks. However they do know limited sign language, and will communicate thought this. Their sign will be designated through “red text with quotes”, like this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their toyhouse page, if you want more info on them:

A community for collaborative character creation and trading, worldbuilding and roleplay.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[weirdcoreangel]

"my children. Can sense intent. They know who to. Trust. But I always. Watch them close."

Locust still felt bad about possibly damaging the kind machine's graphics, so like a seraphim of old, their wings fold in to cover their entire body. Making them safer to view. Though that view again is just 3 sets of wings.

"mom nice!" One of the children chirps again,

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, mimicking the child’s chirp. She noticed how Locust covered themself up, immediatly directing her attention back to them.

“Do not have to cover up. My graphics will be fine. Systems have handled worse.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but for some reasons he didn’t want Locust to cover themself up….she just liked looking at them. Despite how much the various error messages told her to look away.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust does uncover themself, kneeling down to be a lot closer to V-X, due to their insane height.

"I just. Do not like. when people get hurt. Because of me."

They seem genuinely sad about this, about how they are.

"humans. Scream. And run away. From me. I just wish. To help. As god. Intended."

Though, they always feel the worst when humans sometimes look for too long and ... Get really sick...

"... Perhaps if ... I share my light with someone ... I can..."

Locust murmurs the last part,

[prototype-vx]

“Humans are weak. Cannot perceive much. I can. I like to.”

V-X whirred a bit, looking up at Locust. As much as they disliked their own mechanical form, they would be lying if they said it didn’t have its benefits. If they had to reject the possibility of an organic make just to witness Locust, they would.

The mention of God irritated her, though she didn’t let it show. While Locust’s form was beautiful to her, if it caused them so much pain, why would they have been created this way? God was similar to humans in her eye. Uncaring of the consequences of their actions.

V-X heard the last few words, humming a little.

“Hope you can find someone to share. Will help. You deserve it.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"..."

Locust moves closer, leaning over V-X... Wings gently wrapping around the machine tenderly.

"... You are. Very kind ... Would you... Allow me to share... With you?"

[prototype-vx]

V-X stood up, still significantly shorter than Locust despite not sitting down anymore. Upon feeling their wings wrap around her, her fans almost immediately kicked up to counteract the increase in internal temperature. Suddenly she felt very…fuzzy. Warm. Good. It was strange, not a feeling she was used to.

“Me?”

She signed back to them, still somewhat in disbelief.

[weirdcoreangel]

"yes. You."

Locust said, tilting their head.

"you. Are kind. I like. You."

Their hand gently took one of V-X's.

"perhaps. If. I share. Light with you. I can. Finally. Change form. And not. Be feared anymore."

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched a bit when Locust took her hand into their own, but didn’t pull away. It felt as if she was malfunctioning, a strange feeling building up and causing her fans to whirr even louder.

They weren’t supposed to feel like this, to feel whatever they were feeling in this moment. And yet…it felt right. It felt more right than most of their life did.

V-X gently squeezed Locust’s hand before pulling their hand back to sign.

“Do you only want to change for others? Or self?”

She didn’t want them to change just because of how others perceived them…she didn’t know why she felt this way, but she wanted them to be happy.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust was going to answer, but... They didn't. They second guess themself, looking unsure.

"o...others ...supposed to be an angel. Kind. Gentle. Help others. But. They are. Afraid. Get sick when they. See me. I fail. As an angel..."

Isn't being selfless something an angel should be? Right? ...right?

[prototype-vx]

V-X quickly shook their head, starting to sign again.

“Not a failure. Not your fault. Should not change for others. Only change for yourself.“

She signed quicker than usual, but still slow enough to read.

“I like you now. Should not change for me. Or anyone else.”

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[weirdcoreangel]

"my children. Can sense intent. They know who to. Trust. But I always. Watch them close."

Locust still felt bad about possibly damaging the kind machine's graphics, so like a seraphim of old, their wings fold in to cover their entire body. Making them safer to view. Though that view again is just 3 sets of wings.

"mom nice!" One of the children chirps again,

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, mimicking the child’s chirp. She noticed how Locust covered themself up, immediatly directing her attention back to them.

“Do not have to cover up. My graphics will be fine. Systems have handled worse.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but for some reasons he didn’t want Locust to cover themself up….she just liked looking at them. Despite how much the various error messages told her to look away.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust does uncover themself, kneeling down to be a lot closer to V-X, due to their insane height.

"I just. Do not like. when people get hurt. Because of me."

They seem genuinely sad about this, about how they are.

"humans. Scream. And run away. From me. I just wish. To help. As god. Intended."

Though, they always feel the worst when humans sometimes look for too long and ... Get really sick...

"... Perhaps if ... I share my light with someone ... I can..."

Locust murmurs the last part,

[prototype-vx]

“Humans are weak. Cannot perceive much. I can. I like to.”

V-X whirred a bit, looking up at Locust. As much as they disliked their own mechanical form, they would be lying if they said it didn’t have its benefits. If they had to reject the possibility of an organic make just to witness Locust, they would.

The mention of God irritated her, though she didn’t let it show. While Locust’s form was beautiful to her, if it caused them so much pain, why would they have been created this way? God was similar to humans in her eye. Uncaring of the consequences of their actions.

V-X heard the last few words, humming a little.

“Hope you can find someone to share. Will help. You deserve it.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"..."

Locust moves closer, leaning over V-X... Wings gently wrapping around the machine tenderly.

"... You are. Very kind ... Would you... Allow me to share... With you?"

[prototype-vx]

V-X stood up, still significantly shorter than Locust despite not sitting down anymore. Upon feeling their wings wrap around her, her fans almost immediately kicked up to counteract the increase in internal temperature. Suddenly she felt very…fuzzy. Warm. Good. It was strange, not a feeling she was used to.

“Me?”

She signed back to them, still somewhat in disbelief.

[weirdcoreangel]

"yes. You."

Locust said, tilting their head.

"you. Are kind. I like. You."

Their hand gently took one of V-X's.

"perhaps. If. I share. Light with you. I can. Finally. Change form. And not. Be feared anymore."

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched a bit when Locust took her hand into their own, but didn’t pull away. It felt as if she was malfunctioning, a strange feeling building up and causing her fans to whirr even louder.

They weren’t supposed to feel like this, to feel whatever they were feeling in this moment. And yet…it felt right. It felt more right than most of their life did.

V-X gently squeezed Locust’s hand before pulling their hand back to sign.

“Do you only want to change for others? Or self?”

She didn’t want them to change just because of how others perceived them…she didn’t know why she felt this way, but she wanted them to be happy.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB’s optic slid entirely closed, relaxing further as they squeezed V-X’s hand with a small, content and sleepy trill. It was all just so… comforting. So perfect. The only thing that would be better would be if V-X could sleep as well… It was she last thing she was thinking about as her systems slowed, and she fell asleep.

VB’s purr slowly stopped as she fell asleep, being replaced wholly by the white noise that she was generating. Her body was limp and heavy against V-X, optic entirely closed as the light from it, and her wings, dimmed considerably.

He would probably be asleep for a long time. V-X should be in it for the long haul.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was glad it wasn't silent.

The soft hum of the white noise filled the room, the artificial chirp of crickets and the synthetic rush of water accompanying it. It was...soothing, to say the least. And it prevented silence. They hated silence.

But part of them was still on edge, constantly eyeing the doors to stay on alert, their body still somewhat tense, even as VB lay limp against their side. V-X didn't know how long the other machine needed to sleep, but part of her hoped it wouldn't be too long. Though deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

At least it wasn't silent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

It was along time before VB showed any signs of stirring. He hadn’t gone into sleep mode in longer than he could remember, he needed the rest for his chronically underfuelled systems.

It started slow. A small change in the white noise, crickets and rain fading out into the gentle sounds of a farm, of grass crunching and animals grazing in the early morning hours. Then, small movements from VB once more, a wing blade twitch here, a finger twitch there, body moving to curl into V-X further.

Their optic slid open part of the way as a rooster crowed, lights coming back to about 75%. Not fully awake, but getting there.

[…V-X?]

Her optic slowly slid down to their hands, snuggling closer with a puff of air from her vents. V-X had stayed. They had protected her. Her fans kicked on incredibly loud and damning, all of her body and wing lights shifting towards a pink color instead of her usual red.

[prototype-vx]

V-X's thoughts had begun to spiral while VB was asleep. Thoughts of the past, their life before, whether or not it was smart to let themself get close to another after all these years of being alone.

They thought about VB, they thought a lot about him. Maybe too much. How he was willing to stay close to them, to seek comfort in their protection.

V-X was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the change in white noise, too focused on staying in her position and protecting and too wrapped up in her own mind that-

She was startled when she heard VB speak, but ecstatic, beeping excitedly.

"Awake?"

She signed at first, her gaze quickly averting to notice the new pink color in their wings.

"Your wings are pink. New."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, clearly not entirely awake as she hid her face in V-X's shoulder for a moment, only peeking back out when she felt V-X shift under her, catching just enough of their sign for her wings to go even more pink, caught as she was. Did she lie? She didn't really want to lie to V-X, but saying her wings worked like a giant mood ring was... embarrassing.

[MY WINGS CAN... CHAaaANGE COLORS. ALL OF MY LIGHTS CAN.]

He winced as his voice glitched out slightly, sounding incredibly embarrassed for a machine with no vocal tone. His fans were still running at full speed, venting hot air from his back to try and cool his internal temperature down.

They weren't sure why the thought of V-X staying, of V-X protecting them was so flustering. Why the thought of V-X letting them lay comfortably on her made their internal temperature rise, made their lights change color. They probably should refer back to their manuals, see if there was anything about this in there.

[...THANK YOU. FOR PROTECTING ME.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the thanks, nuzzling a bit closer to VB.

“No need to thank me. Least I could do. You helped me, so I help you.”

It was more than that, much more than just transactional to her. The thought of protecting another instead of causing harm, it made her feel a certain way. Especially protecting VB, making sure she was safe and comfortable… it brought them so much joy.

When it came to VB’s wings, however, their curiosity was still not satiated.

“Why did your wings turn pink?”

V-X pried a little bit, chittering softly. The change in color alongside the sudden increase in the speed of VB’s fans, it intrigued her, but she couldn’t quite place it together.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB wasn't entirely sure when she had possibly helped V-X, but they signed it so confidently, she supposed she had done something for V-X. It... made sense. That made sense, that they were just... helping each other out. Camaraderie between two beings similar in design.

If only he could get his fans and lights to get the memo, that this was just a transactional thing. Yet here he was, sounding as loud as an Earthmover, wings twitching with embarrassment as V-X nuzzling closer only made them go brighter, more visibly pink. Why was he feeling this way?

[MmmMY WINGS CHANGE COLORS BASED ON... IiiINTERNAL FACTORS. MOooOD, INTERNAL TEMPERATURE, FUEL LEVEL, THINGS LIKE THAT. MADE IT EASIER FOR MY CREATORS TO KEEP AN EYE ON VARIABLES WITHOUT HAVING TO OPEN MY SYSTEMS.]

Their voice kept glitching out, not quite looking at V-X as they spoke, instead keeping their head tucked into her shoulder, so they could only see her hands. Their speakers wasn't covered in any way, but their voice still came out quiet, a little shy. They weren't sure whether that answer would be enough to satiate V-X's curiosity, but it was.... technically an answer.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded again, through still a bit confused. If the color in VB’s wings was supposed to indicate a mood…what did pink mean? V-X searched back in their mind, mentally shuffling through files of information to try and find a human association with the color pink. Eventually they found something, a memory of scanning a color association chart their programmer had given them to help with sign.

[PINK = ROMANCE, SWEETNESS, LOVE]

The thought immediatly caused her internal temperature to spike, their fans whirring faster than before. But VB couldn’t possibly feel like that, especially not about her….right? Were machines such as the two of them even capable of feeling love?

V-X took one more glance at VB’s wings to confirm that she was not seeing things, before diverting her gaze away out of embarrassment. She began to sign again, ignoring the somewhat long pause she had taken after VB’s last statement.

“Interesting. Cute.”

She hadn’t meant to sign the last word, yet it was as if her hand had acted beyond her own control. Shit.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[CUuUUTE???!!!!!]

Her voice came out crackly and much louder than intended, sitting up with her optic wide and startled, looking at V-X intently even as she looked away. The lights of her optic were pink as well, matching her wings and body lights. There was no way V-X actually meant that the way that it sounded, there was no way V-X thought that her wings were....

That she was... cute.

His fans continued kicking up a storm, equally as loud as V-X's. He felt as if he could feel them rattling in his chest, trying to keep his internal temperature down and failing miserably. He was making an incredibly embarrassed series of static sounds and whines, not even aware that they were coming from him.

He wasn't cute. He... he wasn't, that wasn't a descriptor that matched him. Energetic, annoying, curious... those were all accurate descriptors, but... cute?

Could a machine build for data collection even be cute?

They didn't know what to say, still stuck staring at V-X. V-X had broken them entirely, to the point where there was steam coming out of their vents.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was panicking.

They hadn’t meant to sign that, they shouldn’t have, yet- it was how they felt. They thought it was cute how VB changed colors, they thought it was cute how startled he had become, they couldn’t think of anything but him and-

What was wrong with them?

It felt as if her systems were breaking down, yet everything felt right at the same time. Nothing made sense yet everything made sense. A series of contradictions swimming through their mind. It was all so overwhelming…but such a welcome feeling.

V-X still kept their gaze away from VB, at least until the sound of steam and static came from beside them. They turned to look at her, seeing just how frozen she was and getting even more panicked.

Was VB malfunctioning?? Was this their fault?? Had their comment put her in such a state of panic that she reacted like this??

V-X frantically tried to sign, still incredibly embarrassed as their fans sped up even more.

“Ok? Malfunction?”

That’s all they could manage, much more blunt than they had intended.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[weirdcoreangel]

"my children. Can sense intent. They know who to. Trust. But I always. Watch them close."

Locust still felt bad about possibly damaging the kind machine's graphics, so like a seraphim of old, their wings fold in to cover their entire body. Making them safer to view. Though that view again is just 3 sets of wings.

"mom nice!" One of the children chirps again,

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, mimicking the child’s chirp. She noticed how Locust covered themself up, immediatly directing her attention back to them.

“Do not have to cover up. My graphics will be fine. Systems have handled worse.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but for some reasons he didn’t want Locust to cover themself up….she just liked looking at them. Despite how much the various error messages told her to look away.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust does uncover themself, kneeling down to be a lot closer to V-X, due to their insane height.

"I just. Do not like. when people get hurt. Because of me."

They seem genuinely sad about this, about how they are.

"humans. Scream. And run away. From me. I just wish. To help. As god. Intended."

Though, they always feel the worst when humans sometimes look for too long and ... Get really sick...

"... Perhaps if ... I share my light with someone ... I can..."

Locust murmurs the last part,

[prototype-vx]

“Humans are weak. Cannot perceive much. I can. I like to.”

V-X whirred a bit, looking up at Locust. As much as they disliked their own mechanical form, they would be lying if they said it didn’t have its benefits. If they had to reject the possibility of an organic make just to witness Locust, they would.

The mention of God irritated her, though she didn’t let it show. While Locust’s form was beautiful to her, if it caused them so much pain, why would they have been created this way? God was similar to humans in her eye. Uncaring of the consequences of their actions.

V-X heard the last few words, humming a little.

“Hope you can find someone to share. Will help. You deserve it.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"..."

Locust moves closer, leaning over V-X... Wings gently wrapping around the machine tenderly.

"... You are. Very kind ... Would you... Allow me to share... With you?"

[prototype-vx]

V-X stood up, still significantly shorter than Locust despite not sitting down anymore. Upon feeling their wings wrap around her, her fans almost immediately kicked up to counteract the increase in internal temperature. Suddenly she felt very…fuzzy. Warm. Good. It was strange, not a feeling she was used to.

“Me?”

She signed back to them, still somewhat in disbelief.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB’s optic slid entirely closed, relaxing further as they squeezed V-X’s hand with a small, content and sleepy trill. It was all just so… comforting. So perfect. The only thing that would be better would be if V-X could sleep as well… It was she last thing she was thinking about as her systems slowed, and she fell asleep.

VB’s purr slowly stopped as she fell asleep, being replaced wholly by the white noise that she was generating. Her body was limp and heavy against V-X, optic entirely closed as the light from it, and her wings, dimmed considerably.

He would probably be asleep for a long time. V-X should be in it for the long haul.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was glad it wasn't silent.

The soft hum of the white noise filled the room, the artificial chirp of crickets and the synthetic rush of water accompanying it. It was...soothing, to say the least. And it prevented silence. They hated silence.

But part of them was still on edge, constantly eyeing the doors to stay on alert, their body still somewhat tense, even as VB lay limp against their side. V-X didn't know how long the other machine needed to sleep, but part of her hoped it wouldn't be too long. Though deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

At least it wasn't silent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

It was along time before VB showed any signs of stirring. He hadn’t gone into sleep mode in longer than he could remember, he needed the rest for his chronically underfuelled systems.

It started slow. A small change in the white noise, crickets and rain fading out into the gentle sounds of a farm, of grass crunching and animals grazing in the early morning hours. Then, small movements from VB once more, a wing blade twitch here, a finger twitch there, body moving to curl into V-X further.

Their optic slid open part of the way as a rooster crowed, lights coming back to about 75%. Not fully awake, but getting there.

[…V-X?]

Her optic slowly slid down to their hands, snuggling closer with a puff of air from her vents. V-X had stayed. They had protected her. Her fans kicked on incredibly loud and damning, all of her body and wing lights shifting towards a pink color instead of her usual red.

[prototype-vx]

V-X's thoughts had begun to spiral while VB was asleep. Thoughts of the past, their life before, whether or not it was smart to let themself get close to another after all these years of being alone.

They thought about VB, they thought a lot about him. Maybe too much. How he was willing to stay close to them, to seek comfort in their protection.

V-X was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the change in white noise, too focused on staying in her position and protecting and too wrapped up in her own mind that-

She was startled when she heard VB speak, but ecstatic, beeping excitedly.

"Awake?"

She signed at first, her gaze quickly averting to notice the new pink color in their wings.

"Your wings are pink. New."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, clearly not entirely awake as she hid her face in V-X's shoulder for a moment, only peeking back out when she felt V-X shift under her, catching just enough of their sign for her wings to go even more pink, caught as she was. Did she lie? She didn't really want to lie to V-X, but saying her wings worked like a giant mood ring was... embarrassing.

[MY WINGS CAN... CHAaaANGE COLORS. ALL OF MY LIGHTS CAN.]

He winced as his voice glitched out slightly, sounding incredibly embarrassed for a machine with no vocal tone. His fans were still running at full speed, venting hot air from his back to try and cool his internal temperature down.

They weren't sure why the thought of V-X staying, of V-X protecting them was so flustering. Why the thought of V-X letting them lay comfortably on her made their internal temperature rise, made their lights change color. They probably should refer back to their manuals, see if there was anything about this in there.

[...THANK YOU. FOR PROTECTING ME.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the thanks, nuzzling a bit closer to VB.

“No need to thank me. Least I could do. You helped me, so I help you.”

It was more than that, much more than just transactional to her. The thought of protecting another instead of causing harm, it made her feel a certain way. Especially protecting VB, making sure she was safe and comfortable… it brought them so much joy.

When it came to VB’s wings, however, their curiosity was still not satiated.

“Why did your wings turn pink?”

V-X pried a little bit, chittering softly. The change in color alongside the sudden increase in the speed of VB’s fans, it intrigued her, but she couldn’t quite place it together.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB wasn't entirely sure when she had possibly helped V-X, but they signed it so confidently, she supposed she had done something for V-X. It... made sense. That made sense, that they were just... helping each other out. Camaraderie between two beings similar in design.

If only he could get his fans and lights to get the memo, that this was just a transactional thing. Yet here he was, sounding as loud as an Earthmover, wings twitching with embarrassment as V-X nuzzling closer only made them go brighter, more visibly pink. Why was he feeling this way?

[MmmMY WINGS CHANGE COLORS BASED ON... IiiINTERNAL FACTORS. MOooOD, INTERNAL TEMPERATURE, FUEL LEVEL, THINGS LIKE THAT. MADE IT EASIER FOR MY CREATORS TO KEEP AN EYE ON VARIABLES WITHOUT HAVING TO OPEN MY SYSTEMS.]

Their voice kept glitching out, not quite looking at V-X as they spoke, instead keeping their head tucked into her shoulder, so they could only see her hands. Their speakers wasn't covered in any way, but their voice still came out quiet, a little shy. They weren't sure whether that answer would be enough to satiate V-X's curiosity, but it was.... technically an answer.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded again, through still a bit confused. If the color in VB’s wings was supposed to indicate a mood…what did pink mean? V-X searched back in their mind, mentally shuffling through files of information to try and find a human association with the color pink. Eventually they found something, a memory of scanning a color association chart their programmer had given them to help with sign.

[PINK = ROMANCE, SWEETNESS, LOVE]

The thought immediatly caused her internal temperature to spike, their fans whirring faster than before. But VB couldn’t possibly feel like that, especially not about her….right? Were machines such as the two of them even capable of feeling love?

V-X took one more glance at VB’s wings to confirm that she was not seeing things, before diverting her gaze away out of embarrassment. She began to sign again, ignoring the somewhat long pause she had taken after VB’s last statement.

“Interesting. Cute.”

She hadn’t meant to sign the last word, yet it was as if her hand had acted beyond her own control. Shit.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB’s optic slid entirely closed, relaxing further as they squeezed V-X’s hand with a small, content and sleepy trill. It was all just so… comforting. So perfect. The only thing that would be better would be if V-X could sleep as well… It was she last thing she was thinking about as her systems slowed, and she fell asleep.

VB’s purr slowly stopped as she fell asleep, being replaced wholly by the white noise that she was generating. Her body was limp and heavy against V-X, optic entirely closed as the light from it, and her wings, dimmed considerably.

He would probably be asleep for a long time. V-X should be in it for the long haul.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was glad it wasn't silent.

The soft hum of the white noise filled the room, the artificial chirp of crickets and the synthetic rush of water accompanying it. It was...soothing, to say the least. And it prevented silence. They hated silence.

But part of them was still on edge, constantly eyeing the doors to stay on alert, their body still somewhat tense, even as VB lay limp against their side. V-X didn't know how long the other machine needed to sleep, but part of her hoped it wouldn't be too long. Though deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

At least it wasn't silent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

It was along time before VB showed any signs of stirring. He hadn’t gone into sleep mode in longer than he could remember, he needed the rest for his chronically underfuelled systems.

It started slow. A small change in the white noise, crickets and rain fading out into the gentle sounds of a farm, of grass crunching and animals grazing in the early morning hours. Then, small movements from VB once more, a wing blade twitch here, a finger twitch there, body moving to curl into V-X further.

Their optic slid open part of the way as a rooster crowed, lights coming back to about 75%. Not fully awake, but getting there.

[…V-X?]

Her optic slowly slid down to their hands, snuggling closer with a puff of air from her vents. V-X had stayed. They had protected her. Her fans kicked on incredibly loud and damning, all of her body and wing lights shifting towards a pink color instead of her usual red.

[prototype-vx]

V-X's thoughts had begun to spiral while VB was asleep. Thoughts of the past, their life before, whether or not it was smart to let themself get close to another after all these years of being alone.

They thought about VB, they thought a lot about him. Maybe too much. How he was willing to stay close to them, to seek comfort in their protection.

V-X was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the change in white noise, too focused on staying in her position and protecting and too wrapped up in her own mind that-

She was startled when she heard VB speak, but ecstatic, beeping excitedly.

"Awake?"

She signed at first, her gaze quickly averting to notice the new pink color in their wings.

"Your wings are pink. New."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, clearly not entirely awake as she hid her face in V-X's shoulder for a moment, only peeking back out when she felt V-X shift under her, catching just enough of their sign for her wings to go even more pink, caught as she was. Did she lie? She didn't really want to lie to V-X, but saying her wings worked like a giant mood ring was... embarrassing.

[MY WINGS CAN... CHAaaANGE COLORS. ALL OF MY LIGHTS CAN.]

He winced as his voice glitched out slightly, sounding incredibly embarrassed for a machine with no vocal tone. His fans were still running at full speed, venting hot air from his back to try and cool his internal temperature down.

They weren't sure why the thought of V-X staying, of V-X protecting them was so flustering. Why the thought of V-X letting them lay comfortably on her made their internal temperature rise, made their lights change color. They probably should refer back to their manuals, see if there was anything about this in there.

[...THANK YOU. FOR PROTECTING ME.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the thanks, nuzzling a bit closer to VB.

“No need to thank me. Least I could do. You helped me, so I help you.”

It was more than that, much more than just transactional to her. The thought of protecting another instead of causing harm, it made her feel a certain way. Especially protecting VB, making sure she was safe and comfortable… it brought them so much joy.

When it came to VB’s wings, however, their curiosity was still not satiated.

“Why did your wings turn pink?”

V-X pried a little bit, chittering softly. The change in color alongside the sudden increase in the speed of VB’s fans, it intrigued her, but she couldn’t quite place it together.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[weirdcoreangel]

"my children. Can sense intent. They know who to. Trust. But I always. Watch them close."

Locust still felt bad about possibly damaging the kind machine's graphics, so like a seraphim of old, their wings fold in to cover their entire body. Making them safer to view. Though that view again is just 3 sets of wings.

"mom nice!" One of the children chirps again,

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, mimicking the child’s chirp. She noticed how Locust covered themself up, immediatly directing her attention back to them.

“Do not have to cover up. My graphics will be fine. Systems have handled worse.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but for some reasons he didn’t want Locust to cover themself up….she just liked looking at them. Despite how much the various error messages told her to look away.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust does uncover themself, kneeling down to be a lot closer to V-X, due to their insane height.

"I just. Do not like. when people get hurt. Because of me."

They seem genuinely sad about this, about how they are.

"humans. Scream. And run away. From me. I just wish. To help. As god. Intended."

Though, they always feel the worst when humans sometimes look for too long and ... Get really sick...

"... Perhaps if ... I share my light with someone ... I can..."

Locust murmurs the last part,

[prototype-vx]

“Humans are weak. Cannot perceive much. I can. I like to.”

V-X whirred a bit, looking up at Locust. As much as they disliked their own mechanical form, they would be lying if they said it didn’t have its benefits. If they had to reject the possibility of an organic make just to witness Locust, they would.

The mention of God irritated her, though she didn’t let it show. While Locust’s form was beautiful to her, if it caused them so much pain, why would they have been created this way? God was similar to humans in her eye. Uncaring of the consequences of their actions.

V-X heard the last few words, humming a little.

“Hope you can find someone to share. Will help. You deserve it.”

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[weirdcoreangel]

"my children. Can sense intent. They know who to. Trust. But I always. Watch them close."

Locust still felt bad about possibly damaging the kind machine's graphics, so like a seraphim of old, their wings fold in to cover their entire body. Making them safer to view. Though that view again is just 3 sets of wings.

"mom nice!" One of the children chirps again,

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, mimicking the child’s chirp. She noticed how Locust covered themself up, immediatly directing her attention back to them.

“Do not have to cover up. My graphics will be fine. Systems have handled worse.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but for some reasons he didn’t want Locust to cover themself up….she just liked looking at them. Despite how much the various error messages told her to look away.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB’s optic slid entirely closed, relaxing further as they squeezed V-X’s hand with a small, content and sleepy trill. It was all just so… comforting. So perfect. The only thing that would be better would be if V-X could sleep as well… It was she last thing she was thinking about as her systems slowed, and she fell asleep.

VB’s purr slowly stopped as she fell asleep, being replaced wholly by the white noise that she was generating. Her body was limp and heavy against V-X, optic entirely closed as the light from it, and her wings, dimmed considerably.

He would probably be asleep for a long time. V-X should be in it for the long haul.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was glad it wasn't silent.

The soft hum of the white noise filled the room, the artificial chirp of crickets and the synthetic rush of water accompanying it. It was...soothing, to say the least. And it prevented silence. They hated silence.

But part of them was still on edge, constantly eyeing the doors to stay on alert, their body still somewhat tense, even as VB lay limp against their side. V-X didn't know how long the other machine needed to sleep, but part of her hoped it wouldn't be too long. Though deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

At least it wasn't silent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

It was along time before VB showed any signs of stirring. He hadn’t gone into sleep mode in longer than he could remember, he needed the rest for his chronically underfuelled systems.

It started slow. A small change in the white noise, crickets and rain fading out into the gentle sounds of a farm, of grass crunching and animals grazing in the early morning hours. Then, small movements from VB once more, a wing blade twitch here, a finger twitch there, body moving to curl into V-X further.

Their optic slid open part of the way as a rooster crowed, lights coming back to about 75%. Not fully awake, but getting there.

[…V-X?]

Her optic slowly slid down to their hands, snuggling closer with a puff of air from her vents. V-X had stayed. They had protected her. Her fans kicked on incredibly loud and damning, all of her body and wing lights shifting towards a pink color instead of her usual red.

[prototype-vx]

V-X's thoughts had begun to spiral while VB was asleep. Thoughts of the past, their life before, whether or not it was smart to let themself get close to another after all these years of being alone.

They thought about VB, they thought a lot about him. Maybe too much. How he was willing to stay close to them, to seek comfort in their protection.

V-X was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the change in white noise, too focused on staying in her position and protecting and too wrapped up in her own mind that-

She was startled when she heard VB speak, but ecstatic, beeping excitedly.

"Awake?"

She signed at first, her gaze quickly averting to notice the new pink color in their wings.

"Your wings are pink. New."

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

The children completely ignore V-X. Instead they all gently land in their arms, happily chirping like little baby chicks.

"it mom!"

"mom kind!"

"mom good!"

"love mom!"

They definitely got attached quickly. Locust kept watching, though clearly with fondness along with the slight embarrassment.

Locust does certainly feel very grateful how kind and patient the machine is to their kids.

[prototype-vx]

V-X huffed, but it was clear they weren’t actually upset. They focused their attention to Locust, beeping happily.

“Children are sweet. Need to be careful, most machines are not docile. Hostile towards angels.”

She omitted the fact that she was also usually quite hostile towards angels. But she couldn’t bring herself to feel anger towards the children on their first meeting, and for some reason Locust didn’t give her the same anger that the powers or providences made her feel. She felt…comfortable.

And that scared her. Though she wouldn’t let it show.

[terminally-connected]

A small yellow machine, not too different from a V-Model, slowly approaches the terminal. It stares curiously, keeping a bit of a distance from the other machine, as if it didn't know if it would need to engage in combat. Which was odd, considering most machines at least knew of the terminals, if not acting as customers themself. But not this one.

( @prototype-vx )

[The terminal’s screen didn’t shift on, though it could tell the other machine was there. Perhaps the other machine was scared that it would hurt the other.]

[Quietly, the screen turns on, playing a quieter version of that telltale song.]

- -TIP OF THE DAY- -

It is okay, we won’t hurt you.

We haven’t seen you before, are you new?

[The terminal continues to play that quieter version of that song for the machine, but other than that, it didn’t move. How could it? It was a simple terminal.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze in place, their head tilting to the side, similar to a dog. They shook their head, starting to approach the machine once again. It did not seem like it was capable of harm or combat, so it was most likely safe to get close to...?

They brought themself in front of the machine, the soft tune emanating from it starting to calm their systems. They paused again for a moment before signing.

"Not new. Old prototype. Have not approached before."

"Can you see? I can't speak."

They hoped the mystery machine could understand their sign, it would be a pain if not.

[terminally-connected]

[The song continued to play quietly. The text on the terminal’s screen changed, making sure that it kept up to what the other machine had signed. It hadn’t seen many signing machines, but seeing actually speaking machines was much more rare than this.]

- -TIP OF THE DAY- -

Interesting, but don’t worry, we can see your signing. Unfortunately for us, this is the only way we can communicate.

As for your prototype, The closest thing in our databank is V1 and V2. Do you happen to know of them?

[prototype-vx]

V-X hesitated for a moment before nodding. She knew of her successors. While she had not met them in person, she knew of them. The machines build off of her programming, her blueprints.

"I know. They were built from my blueprints. I am older than both."

They signed before a huffing sound came from their fans, as if they were annoyed. They didn't hate V1 or V2, but...they did not take enjoyment in speaking about the two.

[terminally-connected]

[The terminal’s song quieted more in response, as if to say sorry for annoying the other. The text on its screen changed once again.]

- -TIP OF THE DAY- -

We see.

Would you like to talk about something else? Something other than those two of course.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded again, getting a bit closer to the terminal.

"What are you? Newer machines. Have seen but not interacted."

While it was true that they had seen the terminals before, they had felt no need to interact with them. But today they were feeling particularly curious, and decided to go up to this one. Might as well get their questions answered.

[terminally-connected]

[The terminal’s song was still quiet as the other machine moved closer to it. It hadn’t really been asked that question before, it would need to root around in its databank for information about itself. But besides that, the text on its screen changed once more.]

- -TIP OF THE DAY- -

We are a terminal. We’re not exactly a new machine, having been made when humanity first ventured into Hell. They used us to move equipment over long distances.

But when they went extinct, we got bored of staying in the same place, so that’s when we started to sell to other machines equipment.

[prototype-vx]

V-X listened, their foot quietly tapping against the floor.

"New to me. Post-war is new."

So they were merchants to machines. That's why she had seen machines interacting with the terminals...

"You sell weapons? Like guns? With what money?"

Another reason why interacting with the terminals regularly would not suit her. She had no use for guns, nor was she well trained with them. It would be a waste of resources to purchase a gun.

[terminally-connected]

[The terminal’s song stayed quiet, though the text on the screen changed to respond.]

- -TIP OF THE DAY- -

We don’t necessarily use money for other machines to buy weapons. We use recordings of your fight with others to rank how much points you’ve earned. These points are what buy you the weapon.

As for weapons, we do have guns.. but I don’t think you’re the type to have guns. Not with that blade you have.

[prototype-vx]

V-X shook their head, but they would be lying if they said the concept of points via combat were used as currency. It made them wonder if the terminals had been tracking their progress as well...

"Do you record my fights?"

They tilted their head to the side, not too different from a curious dog.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

The little ones flutter around and swarm V-X again, chirping happily.

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

"we got. Mom and dad!"

"it mom and dad!"

Locust does calm down at V-X's reaction, though they still seem rather flustered.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked around at the children, chittering and shaking their head.

“Not good parent. But can be friend to children?”

Parenting was a bizzare concept to them, only knowing of it due to the information given to them by their creator. To take care of another being, to raise it as your own…but that wasn’t what confused them. Children looked up to adults, needed guidance from adults. A child needs a good influence. Which they were not.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"yay! Machine stay!"

"machine mom?"

"it mom!"

"it mom!"

The little ones start a small chorus of "it mom" over and over...

"children, please--"

[prototype-vx]

V-X kept “laughing”, watching the children fly around them.

“It is ok. Let them have fun.”

Their optic closed for a moment, as if they were smiling, before opening again.

[weirdcoreangel]

V-X was wandering through Fraud as per usual, practically skipping as they made their way from room to room, killing every enemy in their path. Eventually the found themself in what seemed to be a new hallway, leading up to…a new room?

Now this was exciting!! They chirped, speeding up as they started to explore.

( @prototype-vx )

"it machine!"

"hello machine!"

"friend?"

"it friend?"

Four little angels suddenly swarm V-X. Fluttering around her in circles before stopping in front of them. They chirp like happy chicklets in a barn!

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled, a loud high pitch beep coming from her as she tripped and fell. Once she was more aware of her surroundings she looked around at the strange angels surrounding her, tilting her head to the side. This was new, new was exciting! Hell was treating her well today.

“Not hostile.”

She signed, hoping the mystery angels understood sign.

“So maybe friend?”

[weirdcoreangel]

The four angels immediately flutter down to land on V-X's chest. Chirping and chirping. The little ones have much to say!

"it friend!"

"friend!"

"friend okay?"

"friend fell!"

The children purr and chirp.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started chittering happily, nodding and propping themself up before signing again.

“Friend ok. Just was startled.”

They chittered again, similar to a laugh. As blunt as their sign was, it was clear they were happy. These angels seemed similar to their logs of human children, so perhaps they were children as well?

“Young angels, do you have names?”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Torne!"

"Flores!"

"Verne!"

"Xene!"

The little angels shift to be settled and curled up on V-X's lap. Snuggling together like a bundle of feathers while chirping.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, hesitating at first before gently petting the angel she presumed to be Flores (it was hard to tell as they were identical). She did this for a few moments before signing.

“Are you alone? Or do you have a parent close? Want to make sure you all are safe.”

They were children, so she couldn’t help but be at least a little concerned, even if it wasn’t usual for her to feel such a way.

[weirdcoreangel]

"dad near."

Flores said, chirping as they were pet. It was like the four babies were trying to huddle together and nest on V-Xs lap.

"it dad!" Another little one chimes in, when a tall, rather scary looking (or hot looking if you're into that) angel could be seen in the corner of the room. Having appeared rather suddenly.

All of the angels begin chirping happily at the imposing Seraphim.

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked up, and then saw the aforementioned father.

Immediately error messages started popping up at a rapid speed, their vision completely eroding within a matter of seconds. They screeched and fell back again, their body tweaking out a bit before going completely still.

Luckily their tank was full so only minimal damage was done there, and after a few minutes of full shutdown, V-X awoke, sitting back up and hitting the side of their head like one would hit a broken TV. They eventually were able to look back up, albeit their vision was severely corrupted. Oops.

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust immediately covers themself with their wings in attempt to not cause more damage.

"my. Apologies. Machine."

The children immediately swarm V-X again.

"friend okay?!" "Friend hurt!" "Dad strong. He not mean it!" "Friend hurt!"

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned down her graphics settings before nodding, sitting back up before signing.

“No apologies needed. My systems are old. I am not hurt, I promise.”

This was true. Being an old forgotten prototype had a lot of downsides.

“Have never met a proper angel before. Besides virtues or providences. You are different. Unique. Fascinating.”

[weirdcoreangel]

Locust tilts their head.

"I am. A. Seraphim. My children. Cherubim."

The children all begin chirping and fluttering around happily.

[prototype-vx]

“Seraphim. Do you have a name? And why in Fraud, not in Heaven?”

V-X signed, their gaze redirecting to watch the children flying around. They were cute, at least based on what V-X had learned being cute was from their programmers. Small, kind, energetic, and sweet on the eyes. Cute.

After a few moments of thinking they realized their question sounded a bit harsh, beeping before signing again.

“Not to say it is bad to be in Fraud. Fraud is good. If you were not in Fraud I would not have found you, which would be sad. Glad I found you and the children.”

They signed quickly, trying their best not to seem rude.

[weirdcoreangel]

"I am. Locust."

Locust appears much closer to V-X in a second. Appearing very suddenly.

The children flutter and land on different parts of the machine, two on the head, two on the shoulders. They're very light and fluffy.

[prototype-vx]

“Locust. I will remember.”

V-X’s vision glitched out briefly again as Locust came closer, but she wasn’t alarmed this time, chittering in a way that resembled a laugh. She “laughed” again as she felt the children sit on her, reaching up to pet one of the ones on her head before signing.

“You and your children are very kind. Nicer than the other angels in Hell. Virtues and providences are not kind to machines.”

[weirdcoreangel]

"Virtues. Providences. Quick to act. Yet. Eyes clouded by. Their orders. They do not see beyond."

Locust kneels down to V-X. They tilt their head before smiling just a little subtly with their eyes at their children on her.

"Children. Only know kindness. I teach them. Kindness and sympathy. Angels need. Those aspects."

"machine nice!"

"can keep her?"

Locust briefly becomes flustered by what their kid's said.

"ah..."

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, looking up at Locust. Their systems started alarming, alerting them to look away, but…why would they do that? It’s not like any harm would come to them. They weren’t afraid.

“Taught them well.”

She chittered as she heard what the children had said, finding it incredibly amusing. They were so similar to human children, just…looking differently. She couldn’t help but think fondly of them.

“I can stay. No rush to go.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB’s optic slid entirely closed, relaxing further as they squeezed V-X’s hand with a small, content and sleepy trill. It was all just so… comforting. So perfect. The only thing that would be better would be if V-X could sleep as well… It was she last thing she was thinking about as her systems slowed, and she fell asleep.

VB’s purr slowly stopped as she fell asleep, being replaced wholly by the white noise that she was generating. Her body was limp and heavy against V-X, optic entirely closed as the light from it, and her wings, dimmed considerably.

He would probably be asleep for a long time. V-X should be in it for the long haul.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was glad it wasn't silent.

The soft hum of the white noise filled the room, the artificial chirp of crickets and the synthetic rush of water accompanying it. It was...soothing, to say the least. And it prevented silence. They hated silence.

But part of them was still on edge, constantly eyeing the doors to stay on alert, their body still somewhat tense, even as VB lay limp against their side. V-X didn't know how long the other machine needed to sleep, but part of her hoped it wouldn't be too long. Though deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

At least it wasn't silent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

A short yellow machine, akin to a V-model, made its way through the streets of Lust, seemingly not paying attention to its surroundings. The moment it could be caught on your optic, however, it darted away, seeming to disappear into an alleyway. It was mostly quiet, but a soft set of clicks and beeps could be heard.

( @prototype-vx )

When VB heard the noise, it was instinctive to chase after it. Not to attack, or for any negative purposes, but to get a closer look, to investigate, to learn. She activated her skates, moving into the alleyway quickly, almost crashing into the other V-model.

[HELLO!!!]

Their voicebox trilled happily after speaking. He didn't seem too concerned about almost crashing into the other, or whether they were a threat or not.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically screeched, jumping back in a way not to different from a cat. However once they were more stable, they stood up properly and looked at the other machine, hesitating before waving. Their blade arm stayed idle at their side, indicating that they had no intention to fight.

They observed the other, identifying it as a V-model. So another machine based on their own programming. Wonderful.

V-X felt no animosity however, their head tilting to the side a bit. This machine didn’t seem to want to fight, but they could never be too careful.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked their skates away, getting close to V-X in order to scan them, lenses clicking into place. She waved as she completed the scan, clearly happy to meet someone new.

When the scan was complete, the lenses clicked back, and VB projected the scan of V-X next to him, the hologram spinning around idly.

[WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE NOT SEEN YOU BEFORE]

VB clearly had no weapons in sight. It was unlikely that the machine even had violence on its mind on a regular basis

[prototype-vx]

V-X was startled by the other machine suddenly coming close, but was still not on edge. It was clear that they didn’t mean any harm, they had no weapons on them, but it didn’t stop the smaller machine from being a bit spooked.

Her attention moved to the hologram, tilting her head to the side as she observed it. That was far newer technology than she was expecting.

When asked about her identity she pointed to the slightly worn out lettering of her designation on her chest before signing.

“I stay hidden at most times. I have not seen you before either.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB took a few steps back after completing the scan, trying to make the other machine more comfortable.

[I DON’T HIDE– DO NOT KNOW WHY WE HAVEN’T CROSSED PATHS!]

She tapped at her own designation, hard to see with her dark plating.

[VB.]

He got rid of the hologram quickly, updating the database with their name.

[DO YOU LIVE HERE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, acknowledging the other machine’s name. They felt relieved as the hologram went away, oddly disturbed by it. They shrugged at the last answer.

“Not only here. Travel through Hell, mostly for fuel.”

They paused for a moment before deciding to sign once again.

“I like Limbo though. Lots of flowers.”

Albeit fake flowers. They didn’t mind this, though.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped, clicking her skates on and off again, letting the wheels appear and disappear, seemingly more used to moving fast then standing around and talking.

[SO DO I! I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD SETTLING DOWN.]

They made a drone-like hum, considering the statement. Limbo was... aesthetically pretty, especially the flowers, but it was so... normal. Attempting to be human.

[I LIKE GLUTTONY. IT IS STRANGE. CURIOUS.]

[prototype-vx]

“Gluttony is wet. Too warm. Too soft. But it is not the worst, better than Wrath.”

V-X chittered, similar to a laugh. In reality, they loved Wrath, but only aesthetically. Not being waterproof really made traversing the layer quite…difficult.

“Limbo reminds me of Earth. Pictures I saw of it.”

Being created in the midst of the Final War led to the machine not having a perfect knowledge of Earth’s previous state, but having seen it in many pictures and films their creator had shown them. They always yearned to run their hands through real flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

[WRATH DOES NOT HAVE A LOT IN IT. FERRYMAN IS INTERESTING THOUGH!]

VB wished that he had more samples taken of Heresy, but really he could only sample the sea itself. It just… wasn’t in Wrath all that often. He nodded at V-X’s description of Limbo.

[LIMBO IS VERY HUMAN. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU WOULD LIKE IT.]

VB did… not like it, but it was no use to try and convince V-X to change their mind on something as silly as favorite location in Hell.

[GLUTTONY HAS SO MANY STRANGE FORMATIONS TO SCAN AND SAMPLE. HELL IS FASCINATING.]

[prototype-vx]

“You are from the New Peace, correct? Not created during war?”

V-X signed, in response to the supposed indifference from the other machine toward humanity, and Earth. At the continued mention of Gluttony, they whirred, nodding

“Very interesting. Reminds me of human insides. Seen too much of that.”

A memory of mangled corpses after their escape popped up. Not a pleasant one.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded once more.

[CREATED FOR EXPLORATION! HUMANITY WANTED ME TO EXPLORE HELL AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE TO GET MATERIALS AFTER THE WAR.]

She... hadn't been entirely aware that humanity had entirely perished until awhile into her time in hell. Contact was lost with the surface much sooner into his expeditions then predicted, and he assumed that something on him was just broken, and that he should continue his directive until he could get in contact again.

[IT DOES LOOK LIKE HUMAN ENTRAILS– BUT IT IS ALL HELL'S CREATION! FASCINATING AND STRANGE.]

It chirped slightly, clearly fascinated by Hell.

[prototype-vx]

“That makes sense. You do not seem to have been built for combat.”

V-X did not intend to initiate in combat in the first place, but even so they had been reassured by the fact that the other machine did not seem to be armed.

“I never saw the New Peace. Only know humans from war.”

While this statement implied they felt animosity towards humans, it was quite the opposite. There was nothing that they admired more than humanity.

Upon hearing VB’s thoughts on Gluttony, thoughts of their last visit to the layer popped up. It was quite fascinating, yes, but it brought up…unsavory feelings. Feelings they shouldn’t even be capable of having.

“Yes. Interesting.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

She shook her head. Her abilities in combat were startlingly terrible, really only able to fight well enough to refuel or protect samples.

[BAD FIGHTER. I HAVE WEAPONS, GUNS AND A KNIFE, BUT I DON’T USE THEM.]

He peered curiously at V-X’s arm. They clearly were made for combat, and it was incredibly interesting. VB knew that his line was made originally for war, but he had never seen it. Probably for the best.

[HUMANS WERE INTERESTING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED HELL, BUT NOT APPRECIATED IT.]

Humanity couldn’t have spent the hours that VB had moving through the layers, collecting data and samples and information. They would have just collected materials from it, taken what they wanted and destroyed this curious place. VB knew they wouldn’t have appreciated its curiosities the way they should have. It knew why it was created, after all.

[prototype-vx]

“It is human nature. To take.”

V-X signed in response, whirring softly. As much as she admired the organic form of humans, and all that it encompassed, she could still admit the flaws of humanity. No species is flawless, but for humans…there were far too many to count.

“To take and abandon.”

She was abandoned. Her blueprints and code stolen to make more machines, while she was left to die. Humanity’s cruelty knew no bounds.

V-X shook her head a bit, in an attempt to take her mind off of the topic.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was quiet and still for a small moment after that, a bizarre look for the incredibly hyper machine.

[….I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO HARD. HUMANITY’S PENCHANT FOR ABANDONMENT.]

He hoped that they had looked for him, once he dropped off the radar entirely. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that wasn’t the case, that he had been abandoned too. She shook it off physically, wingblades fluttering slightly as she did.

[ANYWAYS!!! WHAT DO YOU DO NOW THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTIVE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded at the first statement, wishing that they had the pleasure of not thinking about it. Though, in a way, their corrupted data did aid in forgetting ever so slightly.

At the second statement they shrugged, chittering in a manner similar to a laugh.

“Feed. And wander. Enjoy things I could not enjoy on Earth.”

They walked away for a moment, finding a small planter of flowers. They picked a few, the plastic stems between their fingers. They walked back over to VB, chittering again before tucking the flowers into a small gap in their chest plate.

“Like flowers. They’re synthetic, but close enough to real.”

After they finished signing, they grabbed the flowers again, outstretching their arm out to VB, as if wanting to give him the flowers.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped when the flowers were extended towards him, as if not expecting the gift. Gently, he took them, lenses clicking out to scan the bundle, even though she had scanned individual flowers before. She opened the cooled compartment in her stomach, and placed the flowers in there for safe keeping.

[FLOWERS ARE A GOOD THING TO ENJOY– PRETTY.]

They didn’t have anything comparable, not really, but–

They dug around in one of their wingblades for a moment, hands skimming over the many, many things they had stored in there and subsequently forgotten about. Eventually, they closed their hand around the item they wanted, and pulled it out.

It was a small packet of seeds for a human flower– Carnations, clearly incredibly old. VB held it out, intending for V-X to take it.

[THEY ARE FROM EARTH. I NEVER PLANTED THEM, DON’T KNOW IF THEY WOULD SURVIVE HERE. BUT MAYBE YOU CAN TRY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X beeped happily when the other took the flowers, tilting her head a bit. Her mannerisms weren’t much different from a dog’s, filled with curiosity and easy to excite. She nodded in agreement, whirring softly as VB spoke.

She tilted her head to the side once again when VB began searching through their wings, practically lighting up at the site of the seeds. She had no clue how they could’ve even possibly held on to these, but-

V-X didn’t hesitate. They reached out, quickly snatching the seeds from VB’s hand and observing the packet. The seed packet was from the New Peace, production of products like these were completely ceased during the war. They were useless, after all.

Once she had a moment to look it over she set the seeds down by her feet to sign.

“Thank you. I will try.”

Despite the blunt nature of their words, it was clear from their expression just how excited this gift made them.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also had the mannerisms of a dog, but they were a much more... hyperactive one in comparison to V-X, curious to a fault. Her wings twitched happily, trilling at V-X's excitement at the seeds. VB herself hadn't had the time, or the... patience... to plant the flowers. They hoped that the seeds would work for V-X

[THEY ARE WHITE CARNATIONS– IF YOU CUT THE FLOWERS AND PUT THEM IN COLORED WATER, THEY ACQUIRE THE COLOR.]

He cycled his wings through a few color gradient presets, before settling back on their usual red color. They had records of a few experiments of that nature, usually involving [food coloring] and [cut white carnations].

[I HOPE THEY GROW FOR YOU. YOU HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND WILL APPRECIATE THEM MORE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded as the other machine spoke, tucking the packet of seeds into the small gap in their chest plate that previously held the flowers. They chittered happily afterward, trying to contain their excitement.

“I am not patient. But I will try.”

This was a new thing they discovered within Hell. They had gained the ability to be inpatient. They were not programmed for this, they were not programmed for most of the emotions they felt, but something had changed during their time traversing the layers. They didn’t know why, or how, but it had.

V-X’s attention shifted from the flowers for a moment to VB’s wings, observing them for a moment before signing again.

“Your wings. They are unique. Are they just for storage?”

Wings weren’t included in her own model, not seen as necessary for her purpose. Must’ve been a later addition.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB trilled again, before making a noise that was clearly supposed to be a laugh. It liked V-X, they were funny, and good company. Perhaps he would try and hang around the other machine more, now that he knew of their existence.

[IF YOU ARE NOT PATIENT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES ME.]

VB could barely sit still for three seconds, and definitely not for long enough to grow flowers successfully. There were so many other things they could learn about in that time.

Their wings twitched again, clicking closer together and flared out a few times for display, before cycling through colors again, bathing the area around them in colored light.

[MOSTLY FOR STORAGE– I CAN GLIDE WITH THEM, BUT I AM FASTER ON THE GROUND.]

Her legs were more powerful than her wings were, armed with all sorts of technology to make her move as fast as physically possible. She could glide pretty far, but needed to get her speed on the ground.

[STORE MOSTLY SAMPLES OR INTERESTING THINGS. SOME WEAPONS BUT NOT REALLY IN USE.]

[prototype-vx]

Patience was something so inherently human to V-X. The ability to stay in one spot, to rest, to hold back from focusing all attention to a directive. It was foreign to them. But that was changing too. No longer was their primary directive necessary, nor is the search for fuel their only driving force. Maybe they would find a place of the flowers, and maybe they would be able to sit and watch them grow. To bring forth new life from soil...is that how their creator felt? Creating life from bits and scraps?

V-X was quickly pulled out of her thoughts at the sight of the changing colors, whirring softly in amazement. She nodded, chirping in response.

"They are beautiful. Not necessary for my directive, so I did not receive them. Most likely added with the prototype after me."

But she wished she could have a pair of wings like those. Amongst many other things.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB clicked her skates on and off repeatedly, a little habit of hers whenever she was sitting still for too long, a buzzing instinct to move, to *run*, no matter how calm and content with the situation she was.

[YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF WINGS. SMALLER MACHINES ARE EASIER TO GET OFF THE GROUND, WOULDN’T TAKE MUCH.]

He started digging around in his wingblades again, pulling out a few thick manuals, one of which was clearly his own manual and blueprints. He… probably shouldn’t be just giving these out.

[MY MANUAL AND SOME OF THE OTHER V-MODELS WITH BETTER WINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY.]

She had not tried to add anything to herself, but that was just because she was not the most creative machine. What would they even add– more storage space?

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out another excited series of clicks, similar to before, at the mention of creating their own wings. While it would be difficult, and they had no clue how to do it…it was possible.

They peered over the manual and blueprints, not exactly grabbing them but scanning them over. The blueprints looked oh so familiar, reminding the smaller machine of the days they’d observe their programmer’s late nights at her desk, her hair messy and glasses strewn upon the table as she slept. They were always fascinated by her dedication to her work, her dedication to them.

But if she was so dedicated, why did she abandon you?

…fixing their corrupted data was both a blessing and a curse.

V-X pushed aside those thoughts, nodding and looking up from the papers.

“May be possible. I have worked on myself before.”

She pointed to one of her legs, which appeared to have been stolen from a Streetcleaner.

“Would not be impossible now. But I am unsure of its use for me.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shrugged. If it had any more patience, it would absolutely start tinkering with things on its body. It could reliably take itself apart and put itself back together again (an experiment conducted in its early days in Hell), but it just… did things for the curiosity of it, usually.

[FOR FUN. FOR STORAGE. TO LOOK DIFFERENT. LOTS OF REASONS FOR WINGS.]

She skated around behind V-X, trying to get a good look at their back, since the wings would have to connect in there.

[PROBABLY JUST NEED A FEW CONNECTION PORTS INSTALLED, AND A WINGPACK BUILT. THE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I PROBABLY HAVE CODE SAMPLES IN MY DATABASE.]

She skated back in front of V-X, wobbling her head side to side in some sort of emotion.

[IF NOT INTERESTED, MAKE SOMETHING ELSE! CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR CURIOSITY. GOOD DIRECTIVE TO HAVE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X let out a started squeak as they watched VB move around them, trying their hardest to keep their eye on it. This proved more difficult than it seemed, but luckily this was only temporary, as VB moved back to the front. V-X centered themself once again, a small part of their programing flashing out, as if detecting a threat. Great, another faulty piece of machinery.

She thought about what VB was saying, however. She was interested in the wings, she was even more interested in...other sorts of modifications, but it would not aid her directive. As much as Hell had influenced her over time, her primary directives still stuck deep inside her.

[FEED.]

[BE GOOD.]

That was it. No room for negotiation. But as to not completely shut down the other machine, V-X decided to state their thoughts less harshly.

"I will consider it. Customizations do not serve my directives, but they may in the future. Thank you."

The thankfulness was genuine, however bland their sign may have seemed.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB didn’t seem offended in the slightest, chirping slightly as her optic shuttered in a slight smile.

[KEEP THE MANUALS. AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE ALL IN MY DATABASE ANYWAYS.]

The physical copies were sometimes nice to refer back to, especially with the chaos of VB’s database system, but he had it all saved, V-X could take one and he’d be fine without it.

She did a quick check over of all her systems, flipping through different tabs with her fans cranked to max, before her optic refocused on V-X.

[HOW DOES YOUR FUEL GAUGE WORK?]

It was an out of left field question, but looking at their own internal gauges got them curious.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, taking one of the manuals and shoving it in another open gap in their chest plate. Maybe they did need some sort of storage. It was getting way too cluttered.

At the question, she tilted her head a bit as she thought.

"It shows up as a digital pop-up in my vision. Same as yours?"

She whirred a bit after signing, before deciding to check her own fuel levels. Most likely they were fine, but it might be good to check in case...

[FUEL LEVELS AT 10%. RE-FUEL IMMEDIATELY.}

Oh shit.

V-X squeaked out of alarm at the sight of the pop-up. How she didn't get an error message before was beyond her knowledge. Maybe something had gone wrong when that scientist(?) fixed her data corruption? She wasn't very sure, but she immediately started to visibly panic. There were no husks nearby, and she couldn't just ask VB for fuel-

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head. That would be much easier, and less difficult to ignore. Though... she would probably ignore it anyways even if it was a popup that took over all her vision.

[NO POPUPS– IT IS ON THE BASE LEVEL OF MY INTERNAL VISION. HAVE TO LOOK MANUALLY]

It was, quite possibly, the worst possible system for a machine like him– scatterbrained, and incredibly distractible. Half of the time it lead to moments where he nearly shut down, and had to kill the nearest thing in a messy, desperate grapple to refuel enough to get back down to Fraud.

She whirred when V-X squeaked, head tilting to the side as she looked over V-X critically, wings flaring a slightly brighter red with her alarm.

[ARE YOU OKAY?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X is quickly nodded, giving a thumbs up although clearly not being ok.

“I am alright. Fuel is low, 10%, but I can find something.”

They looked around their surroundings, just to confirm once again that there was nothing in the area besides themself and VB. Shit.

“May have to leave.”

Once again the idea of asking VB for fuel popped up, but they quickly pushed it away. They couldn’t ask for that.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's shutter squinted slightly, a little bit confused. 10% wasn't low, it wasn't even single digits yet! But V-X seemed concerned, and VB...

FUEL GAUGE: 38%

Was nowhere near being low! She opened the plating on her arm, where her fuel lines were, and offered it out to V-X.

[I AM AT 38%– WE CAN SHARE!]

VB trilled after, shutter mimicking a smile, clearly happy to share fuel.

[prototype-vx]

V-X immediately shook her head at at the offer. 38% was low as well!! Anything under 40% could risk shutdown...

For her, at least. The realization of how outdated her model was proceeded to hit her like a truck.

She went over all of the possible solutions, but sharing with VB seemed the most viable for the moment. As much as she didn't want to impose, she was already risking a full shutdown as it was.

V-X hesitantly nodded after, a whirr similar to a sigh escaping their vents.

"If that is alright. I am sorry."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a little happy trill at their acceptance, unsure as to how V-X fed but willing to do whatever they needed.

[PERFECTLY FINE– I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH! 38% IS HIGH!]

Once again, she held out her open arm to V-X, exposing her fuel lines in a motion that would absolutely be considered incredibly vulnerable. V-X could seriously hurt, or kill her with her fuel lines exposed like that. But VB wasn't scared in the slightest– she was getting to help them!

[TAKE THE FUEL LINE FROM MY ARM, IT IS EASIEST.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X looked at the exposed fuel lines, a small panel on their wrist automatically opening. Underneath the panel lay a large needle, which was unfortunately their only way of extracting blood.

They slowly got closer, their "mind" buzzing with thoughts. Machines were not immune to bloodlust. They were not immune to hunger. V-X was no different. A deeper, more instinctual part of their programming urged them to engage in combat. VB was completely defenseless, and V-X was consistently armed. There was a little to none chance of losing.

But they pushed against it, finally working up the courage to walk forward and quickly jab the needle into one of the tubes. They watched their fuel meter as they refueled, it going up at a painfully slow rate. Once they were at 20%, however, they quickly pulled the needle back again. 18% was still quite low for VB, but any more could have possibly damage the other machine. 20% was enough, for now at least

"You are at 18%. That is low. You need to refuel as well."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat remarkably still while V-X refuelled from them, being careful not to squirm around even though sitting still was a particular kind of torture for them. They watched their own fuel meter tick down slowly, head tilting slightly when V-X pulled away after only taking themself down to 18%.

[IT IS NOT LOW– YOU CAN TAKE MORE IF YOU NEED IT.]

As long as he had… 5% or so, he’d be fine, it’d leave him enough to get to his next meal, whether it be a filth, or ideally a puppet from a deathcatcher.

[WANT YOU TO HAVE WHAT YOU NEED.]

She stubbornly didn’t close the panel on her arm, genuinely confused as to why V-X had left her with so much fuel when they needed it. 18% was over half of what she usually had, it was fine.

[prototype-vx]

V-X tilted her head in confusion, sitting down in front of VB to get at direct eye level with him.

"18% is low. No matter how modern your model is. And 20% is enough for me, for now. I will not take more."

They way she signed, along with her optic practically squinting, showed how serious she was on the topic. She was dead set on her opinion.

"I can assist you to another layer. We can both fully refuel. It is necessary for both of us."

She needed more blood, but so did VB. She didn't say this, but even if they protested, she'd take them to another layer whether they liked it or not. She was very persistent.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a sound incredibly close to a huff, clicking her panel shut and glaring at V-X. It was ridiculous to her that they needed to go get more fuel, especially when VB had enough to get V-X stable.

[18% IS NOT LOW. IT IS OVER HALF OF WHAT I USUALLY HAVE. WE DO NOT NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER LAYER TO REFUEL.]

Still, he stood up, clicking his skates on and holding out a hand to help V-X up as well. His performance didn't seem impeded by having lower fuel levels. He had a feeling they wouldn't take no for an answer, as huffy as he was about it.

[WHAT LAYER? FRAUD?]

[prototype-vx]

“It is low.”

V-X insisted, but they eventually noticed that VB seemed to have given up and agreed. They took his hand, pulling themself up. Standing up with only one hand was a lot more difficult than it looked, so they appreciated the aid.

The moment VB mentioned going to Fraud, V-X practically lit up, chatting and nodding excitedly. It was incredibly clear just how happy this made them. Most machines hated Fraud, but V-X adored the layer. They finally got to be the center of attention.

They eventually managed to calm themself a bit to sign.

“Yes. Fraud is good.”

Good was an understatement.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was happy that V-X was happy with its choice of layer– VB found Fraud fascinating, even though it preferred Gluttony more for samples. Plus, it had Deathcatchers, so VB could refuel.

[LET’S GO THEN!!!]

She undid her skates after a moment, continuing to hold V-X’s hand. Any annoyance at having to refuel seemed to be lost as VB pulled V-X along towards Fraud, not skating so that the other machine could keep up with her.

[prototype-vx]

V-X chirped in response, quickly following behind VB as she held their hand. They had been to Fraud a multitude of times, the layer being the one they re-visited the most often, but being able to go with a companion felt…different. A different type of joy.

As the two plummeted down the hell elevator, the excitement grew even more for the smaller machine. They had been itching for some good bloodshed, and to show off their combat skills in front of VB- it was perfect! A perfect array of scenarios, lining up all at once.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB landed hard at the bottom of the hell elevator, the stabilizers in her legs keeping her steady on the landing, looking over at V-X in excitement. VB was equally as excited, but not for bloodshed, instead for getting to see what changes Hell would pull on the layer today.

[WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? I NEED TO FIND A DEATHCATCHER TO REFUEL.]

VB still wasn’t really planning on refuelling, but perhaps a puppet would satisfy V-X’s bizarre need to see him refuelled. He was thrilled at having a companion, even if they wanted him to refuel to full for some reason.

[prototype-vx]

V-X landed alongside VB, chittering once again from excitement.

She thought about the question, considering a straightforward answer before deciding against it.

“We go wherever Hell takes us. Fraud is unpredictable. Deathcatchers are easy to find.”

As she signed it was clear she was practically vibrating from anticipation.

“There is plenty of fuel besides Deathcatchers as well. Puppets are not necessary and will not get you to a full refuel.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB nodded, willing to follow V-X wherever they thought was best. It... was a little bit nervous about engaging with combat in anything, fully planning on hiding behind V-X or running for its life if it got into a bad situation, like a fight.

[PUPPETS ARE FINE FOR ME THANKS. BAD FIGHTER. THEY ARE EASIER AND ENOUGH FUEL.]

The puppets could barely hurt him in the first place, plus VB was well known among many of the Deathcatchers, and they reanimated puppets that could barely move for him to feed off of. He knew V-X was good in a fight, and could absolutely get something good to refuel from for themself, but no thank you for VB.

[LETS EXPLORE, BUT IF SOMETHING ATTACKS US I'M HIDING BEHIND YOU.]

[prototype-vx]

“Don’t need to fight. I will fight.”

V-X signed in response, giving a thumbs up before taking VB’s hand once again and yanking them forward. She enthusiastically bolted through the entrance to the layer, dragging VB along with her.

Once they were in, the atmosphere immediatly shifted beneath their feet, an area resembling an office building surrounding them now. V-X came to an abrupt stop, chirping excitedly.

“Hell is good to us today. Many Deathcatchers here.”

While it wasn’t her favorite of the forms Fraud took (she was quite partial to the mimicry of space), it was a fortunate find.

She took V-X’s hand once again, starting to walk forward, though she forced herself to move significantly slower than before.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB let herself get happily dragged, excited as to what Fraud would give them. She was thrilled when the office building appeared, knowing that there were always a lot of Deathcatchers around. She pulled away upon seeing one, running up to it quickly. Nothing around them had been killed, yet the Deathcatcher still pulsed, before a puppet of a filth appeared a few short feet away from them.

VB walked up to it, struggling to run as it was, and quickly got it onto the ground, opening the arm panel with the feeding needles in it and getting set up to feed. He looked up at V-X, and his shutter squinted at them in a smile.

[HELL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US– NOW I AM ALL SET! WE CAN EXPLORE ONCE I AM DONE.]

They watched as their fuel gauge slowly crept up, bouncing their leg impatiently.

[prototype-vx]

V-X moved over and watched them, nodding. Thor foot tapped against the floor, not to rush VB, but just out of pure anticipation.

They could’ve refueled from the Deathcatcher too, but they chose against it. While they did need more fuel, they were also itching for a fight. Hopefully Hell would provide in the next room.

“Take till your gauge is full. Not just a little.”

That wasn’t up for debate. If VB filled their gauge to 100%, then he wouldn’t have to refuel so soon. It just made the most sense to V-X.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat incredibly impatiently, watching their fuel gauge slowly, slowly move up.

FUEL LEVEL: 19%

FUEL LEVEL: 20%

FUEL LEVEL: 21%

FUEL LEVEL: 22%

…

FUEL LEVEL: 30%

VB bounced up from the puppet, which splattered on the floor the second she ripped the needles out of it’s body, quickly shoving all her feeding supplies away to skate over to V-X, doing a little loop around them with a small wave at the Deathcatcher.

[FULLY FUELLED– LETS GO!!!]

They skated towards the door to the next room, holding V-X’s hand to pull them along too.

[prototype-vx]

V-X squinted at VB, highly suspicious of the idea that they were actually fully fueled. However, she didn’t have any time to protest as her hand was immediatly taken by VB as they moved along to the next room.

Once they entered they were faced with multiple husks and machines alike, V-X practically squealing with delight. They turned to VB, pushing her back a little before signing.

“I got this. Stay back.”

Without another word they ran forward, their speed incredibly impressive for an older model. They moved from husk to machine at a dizzying pace, only a blur of their form being seen as they slashed and cut their way through each attack. It was more like a meticulously choreographed dance than a battle, each step and action being calculated and precise, with an added dramatic flair.

Not after long, the ground was littered with the corpses of various husks, along with a few streetcleaners. V-X turned back to face VB, their shutter squinting up into a sort of smile and their form covered in blood. Too bad they couldn’t absorb it automatically.

“You need more fuel. Take more. There is more than enough for me.”

They motioned to a few of the filths that lay on the floor before crouching down above a stray, the needle poking out from their wrist and stabbing into the husk.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB had already jumped back upon seeing the machines and husks in the room, skates clicked out and wings up to flee, but she slowly relaxed upon seeing V-X move through the room like a blur.

V-X.

Was.

AMAZING.

VB couldn’t believe anyone could move that fast while also fighting, and V-X seemed to know exactly how to fight everything they came across so easily, it was baffling.

VB was not a fighter, hated having to fight and kill, but V-X just looked so… cool while doing it.

VB was trilling so loudly by the time V-X was finished, wings clicking in and out loudly in his excitement.

[THAT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!! YOU MOVED SO FAST!!!]

They skated over to V-X’s side, stopping short when they mentioned getting more fuel, looking around at the bodies on the ground.

Ah.

They were going to have to–

Ah.

They made a nervous little sound, wings clicking loudly as they looked away.

[I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE. AT 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X loudly chittered in response to the praise, reluctantly sitting still as they refueled. If they had a tail, it would be wagging at full speed. Now, both directives were being filled. They are gaining fuel, and are receiving applause for their work. Their programming was beyond satisfied.

"I was a little rusty, but thank you."

It took a lot of strength for them to be humble in their response, yet they did. Somehow.

[30%]

[40%]

[50%]

At this point, the blood ran out from the specific stray, a whirr of frustration coming from V-X as they pivoted to a nearby filth and stabbed the needle back in. They watched VB freeze up, squinting again at the other machine as she said she was at 100%. They didn't believe that for a second.

"You are not a good liar."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB shook her head, clearly disagreeing with V-X's assessment of their performance. They hadn't looked rusty when they were moving like a blur around the room, when they managed to kill everything within moments when VB would have gotten her ass handed to her by the first Stray she came across. It was impressive.

[WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU WARMED UP THEN]

He was well and truly caught in regards to refuelling though, rolling back and forth in place on his skates as he avoided eye contact. He didn't usually need to lie, of course he was a bad liar, but perhaps–

He pinged V-X with a screenshot of his internal fuel gauge.

...

It was a mess of popups, tabs, and files, but through all of it VB's internal statistics could barely be made out...

[.......UEL GAU............ 0%]

...

[FUEL IS FINE, SEE? 100%.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X clicked in response to the first statement, nodding. She would be delighted to show off even more. That would be something to keep in mind for the future.

With the ping, she paused, taking the needle out of the filth to focus. She was at 80%, it was fine for now.

She looked over the stats, somehow even more suspicious now. Oops.

V-X turned back to face VB again, squinting even more if possible.

"You are not helping your case. The pop-ups are conveniently placed"

She "sighed", standing up to be at eye level with VB, or at least close to it.

"If you continue constantly functioning on a lower fuel level you will get damaged. It is not sustainable or safe."

Despite how blunt her sign was, it was clear she cared.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB made a huffing sound, twirling around in a little, antsy circle, clearly wanting to get moving and exploring instead of standing around, doing nothing.

[THOSE POP-UPS HAVE BEEN THERE. BESIDES, IT IS PRACTICALLY 100% FOR MY SYSTEMS ANYWAYS.]

She shrugged slightly. It wasn't a big deal, really, she ran on what other machines considered low fuel constantly, and she didn't get damaged or shut down.

[I FUNCTION FINE. MY FUEL LEVELS ARE ACCEPTABLE.]

They were still... not actually saying the percentage out loud, they had a feeling V-X would have more things to say about that.

[prototype-vx]

V-X was getting more and more frustrated by the minute, confused on why VB wouldn't just fuel more. There was no reason to be so stubborn, so why??

"If your fuel levels are acceptable, why do you refuse to tell me what they are?"

They quickly signed, their foot starting to tap on the floor out of agitation. They weren't angry, it took quite a lot to make them angry, but...they were concerned.

"Please be honest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sighed.

[...IT SOUNDS BAD TO OTHER MACHINES, APPARENTLY. SEEMS FINE TO ME.]

VB thought it was perfectly fine to run on 30%, not a big deal in the slightest, but whenever she brought it up to other machines, even in passing, she always had someone telling her that it was way too low, even though she was clearly functioning fine on it.

She hesitated.

[...30%, WHICH IS VERY ACCEPTABLE.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze. 30%? In what world was that acceptable? How did VB even manage to consistently run on 30%?

They paused, thinking for a moment before deciding to sign. Best to choose their words carefully.

“30% is low. You may not feel it now but it will catch up to you. Your body will erode without proper fuel to all parts.”

Their gaze shifted from VB to the scattered corpses on the ground.

“I do not mean to police you. I understand your hesitation to kill. But I have killed. And now you can go past your own limit. There is nothing stopping you from filling to 100%, so why do you not?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB dipped their head down slightly, not really making eye contact with V-X, instead staring at one of the copses by their foot.

[IF MY BODY IS NOT DESIGNED TO RUN ON 30%, IT WOULD SHUT DOWN THERE. I SHUT DOWN AT 0%, THEREFORE IT IS... PROBABLY FINE.]

It's wings twitched again, clicking back and forth as it clicked its skates on and off, slightly bouncing on its feet.

[IT JUST TAKES SO LONG– COULD DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO 100%. 30% IS EASIER AND GOOD ENOUGH.]

[prototype-vx]

“It is the bare minimum. Not good. But I can not force you to go beyond it.”

As frustrating as it was, V-X understood that she could not make VB accept more blood, that choice was entirely in its own hands. But she also understood the annoyance of staying still… it got on her nerves as well.

Until she got an idea.

“It is quicker to transfer blood from one machine to another. Let me refuel to 100% and I can give some to you. Would not get you to 100% but at least 70%.”

She hoped they would at least consider this option. They had already given her blood, it was only fair she returned the favor.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was still a little… squirmy at the offer. Hypothetically, it hit all the boxes. Refuelling faster, refuelling to closer to full than they had been in… longer than they could remember, refuelling with relatively fresh blood instead of recycled Deathcatcher puppet blood… it seemed perfect on paper.

…So why was VB still freaked out by the thought?

Was it that they had gone so long running at low? Would they be able to return to their ways afterwards? Or would they have to refuel almost to full every time they refuelled?

They felt strange at the thought, on edge and freaked out over… refuelling?

[…I WOULD HATE TO WASTE OUR TIME. WE COULD EXPLORE INSTEAD?]

One last ditch attempt to get V-X to drop it, but they were persistent, and if they pushed it, VB would cave.

[prototype-vx]

"I am offering. It is not a burden on me to help you."

V-X was being honest, they were not one to lie. In the meantime, they located another filth, piercing their needle into the flesh as their tank fueled to 100%. Once they were done, they faced VB once again to sign.

"I will not force you. But it is not a waste of time."

To them, if anything, this saved time. They knew VB had said that he usually functioned just fine on the low tank, but the thought of a sudden malfunction....it was too much of a risk. Better safe than sorry.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB continued squirming, fidgeting in place and not really looking at V-X, before making a mechanical sigh. She clicked open her intake panel, fishing out the needle and tubing, waiting for V-X to get set up on their end. Hopefully they could make this quick, perhaps VB could only take about 40% or 50% and V-X would be satisfied–

[...THANK YOU.]

VB felt bad. They were wasting time that they could be spending moving through Fraud, seeing what they could find, having so much fun, and instead they had to sit and refuel... VB made a note, somewhere off to the side, to not mention their fuel levels again around V-X, to avoid this having to happen.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just nodded in response, the usual panel with the needle in her wrist opening up at first before another panel above it opened, exposing the tubing that snaked up her arm. She moved up to VB, motioning to the tubing with her head as she held out her arm, before quickly signing first.

"Take till 70%. Should not take long. I can refuel back to 100% in the next room."

She went back to holding her arm out, staring at VB as she waited.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB quickly inserted her own needle into the tubing, trying to stay still as her fuel meter began ticking up. It was faster, yes, the blood didn't have to be as heavily filtered since it went through V-X's systems first, but it was still slow enough to make VB antsy, tapping her foot on the floor as she looked around.

[IT IS NICE YOU CAN OPEN YOUR PANELS AUTOMATICALLY. ALL MINE NEED TO BE PRIED OPEN.]

He knew why– it would be hard to open panels with one arm. But it was still... neat.

...

He was fishing for conversation topics, anything to keep him from losing his mind with boredom as he refueled to...

Probably 50%. V-X didn't need to know.

[prototype-vx]

V-X nodded, unable to sign as their blood was being taken. Various noises came from the machine as they waited, from chirps to clicks to beeps. They didn't convey much, but...it was background noise.

V-X had a feeling VB would try and avoid fueling to 70%, practically glaring a hole into his optic. They squinted a bit, relatively suspicious.

As much as it was boring, it was necessary.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB looked nothing short of a dog caught doing something they really weren’t supposed to do. The rings of their optic readjusted over and over, looking guiltily between V-X and the floor.

FUEL GAUGE: 49%

…

FUEL GAUGE: 50%

VB chirped, but it sounded slightly strained, if that was possible for a machine.

[ALL GOOD.]

They started disconnecting their tubing from VX, shoving it back into their arm.

[prototype-vx]

V-X practically huffed, pulling her arm back and closing the panels. She knew VB wasn’t at 70%.

“I know you’re not at 70%. But I won’t force it. Whatever you’re at now is still better.”

She shrugged, checking her fuel gage to see just how much was left.

[80%]

So VB was only up to 50%. It wasn’t ideal, but…it was better. The last thing she wanted was to irritate them, so she decided not to push.

“We can move on now, if you are ready.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB's optic refocused again, and he looked away guiltily at being effectively caught. He wasn't... trying to annoy V-X with being stubborn, with not wanting to refuel all the way up to 70% he just... didn't need it. It was a waste of time, and V-X could use the fuel more.

[SssSSORRY.]

Her voice glitched out as she spoke, not moving from her spot on the floor. She didn't want to upset V-X, she wanted to be... friends. VB didn't move from her spot on the floor, toying with the edge of her intake panel as her wings drooped slightly. She wasn't expecting to feel *bad* about this– she didn't like refueling! She had a system that worked! There was no reason to feel bad–

[.........DO YOU WANT ME TO FUEL FURTHER?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB, pausing for a moment before sitting down next to him.

"No apologies are necessary."

They saw his demeanor, immediately picking up what seemed to be...guilt. Shit. The last thing they wanted was for VB to feel bad. They cursed themself mentally before starting to sign again.

"Only fuel further if you want to. You never need to do anything you do not want to do. Not now, not ever. Do not worry about hurting my feelings."

You never need to do anything you do not want to do.

That's not how it worked for machines of war. No machine asked to be built, to be forced to fight in a war they had no place in, to be programmed with insatiable bloodlust that only combat can cure. But VB had a choice. She had autonomy, to choose what she wishes to do and not to do. The thought that they had ever so slightly pressured her...it was scary to them.

Were they any better than their creators?

[fromthe-very-beginning]

V-X was right, though. She was being ridiculous, truly, she should just... fuel to 70% while she still had the chance! She didn't even have to kill for it, she just had to... take blood from another machine. A machine that was willingly giving it to her, even if it made her antsy to sit still that long.

[NO I........... I SHOULD REFUEL.]

The words were like pulling teeth for VB, but he clicked his panel open and began untangling the tubing once more, knowing if he thought about it too long, he'd remember all the reasons he really didn't want to refuel as high as he even was right now.

[prototype-vx]

V-X just stared back, remaining silent for a few moments. VB wasn't good at hiding their discomfort, they were actually quite bad at it. It was so clear that they didn't want to do this, that they were forcing themself to.

Her mind was spinning. This was her fault after all, if she hadn't pushed, if she hadn't insisted-

V-X rested her hand on VB's arm, shaking her head before signing.

"Stop. Ignore what I had said before. You can refuel again another time. Not now."

The sign was a lot more harsh, not necessarily showing anger but clearly not leaving any room for resistance.

"I know you dislike it, so we do not have to now. I am sorry I made you feel pressured."

I'm so sorry please don't go.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB was confused. V-X had really seemed to want this, want them to refuel up all the way to 100%, so why were they backing off now? They clicked their panel closed, fiddling with their hands as their leg wiggled.

[I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO FUEL ALL THE WAY. NOT BE STUBBORN.]

She didn't seem upset, just... confused as to the rapid change in tone, knocking her knee into V-X's and looking at her intently.

[DID NOT FEEL PRESSURED JUST... FELT BAD FOR ANNOYING YOU. I KNOW IT IS NOT NORMAL TO NOT WANT TO REFUEL. I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS UP.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X froze for a moment. VB was right, they did want him to fuel up all the way, they did want him to be safe, but- but now he had shown his discomfort. It was different now.

"I did originally. You can on your own. I will not make you."

Their hand bounced against their leg when not signing, thinking of every little thing they could say. Then they heard what VB said next, rapidly beginning to sign.

"Not annoying. Not messing anything up. Not annoying. Promise."

Their sign was fast, almost too fast to read, their hand trembling a bit as well. VB was not annoying, quite the opposite actually. The companionship of another that V-X could trust wouldn't hurt them, it meant more to them than anything else. So hearing those words come from her sent them into an immediate panic, although it managed to not be too obvious.

Please don't leave I'm sorry please don't leave please please please

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could sense that V-X was upset about something, incredibly obvious despite what she thought, but he wasn't quite sure what. VB was the one that screwed up by being stubborn, and set in his ways, not V-X, V-X hadn't done anything. He scooted closer to V-X, so that their thighs were touching, and he leaned on the shoulder of their blade arm for a moment. He wasn't usually a... physical touch machine, but he didn't know how else to comfort V-X.

[I AM SORRY– I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.]

She sat back up, looking at V-X carefully. She didn't want to upset her in any way, and although she was uncomfortable with the idea of refuelling... she wouldn't do it without a little pushing.

[I... HAVE NOT REFUELLED TO FULL IN FURTHER THAN MY SYSTEMS ALLOW ME TO TRACK. I... NEED TO BE FORCED TO. TO GET THROUGH WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH ME.]

They, shakily, clicked their intake panel back open, holding their forearm out to V-X once more.

[prototype-vx]

V-X flinched at first when she felt VB's body leaning against her's, but she calmed down quickly, whirring softly.

"You have done nothing wrong. Promise."

Her sign was a lot less frantic, more centered than before, but she still felt beyond guilty. The last thing she wanted was for VB to think this was his fault. None of this was his fault.

She paused again as she watched VB speak and open the intake panel again, hesitating. She didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do, but...they seemed to be more open to it now?

She wasn't entirely sure, but she just hoped this was the case.

She nodded, opening her own panel in her arm and connecting the tubes, watching the blood leave slowly.

[80%]

[70%]

[60%]

Once V-X hit 60% she quickly disconnected herself, not wanting to push past 70%. It was a good enough compromise.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB sat as still as possible during the refuelling.

And by that, he squirmed the entire time, fidgety and antsy and clearly wishing he was doing anything other than refuelling this high. He kept glancing around, looking at V-X, looking at his lap, before glancing around again.

FUEL LEVEL: 70%

She visibly relaxed when V-X was done fuelling, but her wings jittered anxiously as she put her intake equipment away. She felt… strange.

A quick diagnostic scan showed nothing wrong, but she felt as though something terrible was coming, as though something would happen she had no control over. She didn’t even think about tucking herself to V-X’s side, hoping the machine didn’t mind the contact because she was, admittedly, scared.

[I DON’T FEEL RIGHT.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X was surprised when they felt VB move in close, but did not object it, a gentle hum coming from their body that imitated a purr. They noticed how tense the other machine was, keeping themself relaxed in an attempt to soothe him.

“You have not fueled past 30% in a long time. It is only natural that you would feel uneasy.”

They signed, followed by various chitters. They knew that if they had kept themself under-fueled for such a long time that they would feel anxious as well. They knew it was far out of VB’s comfort zone, so it was not a surprise at all that she was tense.

“Are your systems not reacting properly? Or is it a bad feeling, not related to system function?”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

The humming purr helped, the tension in VB’s body relaxing almost immediately even though she was still clearly uneasy, trying to get closer to V-X in the hopes it would help her calm down, soothe her systems in some way.

[I DON’T KNNnnnOW– SYSTEMS ARE FINE BUT…]

He vented air out similar to a shaky breath, wings still vibrating and twitching anxiously as his optic darted around, as if trying to find a physical reason that he felt so terrible and scared.

[FEEL BAD. LIKE SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME, DON’T WANT TO DIE, DON’t WANT SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN–]

As they spoke, there was a low droning in the background, an anxious sound coming from somewhere in their chest. They felt bad, they felt *doomed*, like fuelling any higher would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t make sense–

[prototype-vx]

V-X turned to face VB a bit more, pulling the other machine closer in a sort of half-hug. Due to their blade arm they weren’t able to fully hug the him, but this was the best they could do. They remained in the “hug” for a few moments before leaning back slightly to sign, still keeping themself as close to VB as possible.

“You are anxious. Nothing bad will happen. I know it is not much comfort, but I promise. I will not let you die. I will not.”

V-X’s sign was stern, but clearly said with care, only saying this much before pulling VB back into the “hug”. The purring noise still came from them, along with a gentle soothing vibration. This wasn’t something they did on purpose, it was somewhat instinctual, despite not being part of their programming.

They were meant for war, not comfort, yet here they were.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed as close as possible, tucked into the half hug tightly as he continued to drone nervously, trying to just listen to V-X’s purr and calm down. He didn’t understand what his problem was– machines refuelled to 100% all the time without consequence, yet 70% was enough to send him spiralling about his own impending doom.

[FffFEEL DOOMED. SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN IF I GO HIiiiIGHER.]

Perhaps it was just anxiety talking, but she could sense it, the fact that something terrible would happen if she hit 100%. Her voice was starting to glitch out, power being rerouted away from her voice box to who knows where to continue fuelling her anxiety.

[I DON’T WANT TO DIE.]

She leaned further into the hug. She’d probably crawl onto V-X to get closer to the other, if she could.

[prototype-vx]

V-X knew this fear very well. The fear of losing her own life, succumbing to mortality. It wasn't programmed into her, but it wormed its way into her processors as she ventured deeper through Hell, feelings such as fear, jealousy, and...compassion.

She wished she could do more for VB. She wished she could give him a definitive answer, that he would be alright, that he would not die. She could not, because she could never even guarantee her own survival.

But she could at least try.

V-X kept her body leaning and close to VB's, but pulled her arm back to sign quickly.

"I will not let you die."

She repeated this once again, after all, it was all she could say. She could not guarantee that VB's systems could handle a full refuel, or that something bad wouldn't happen, but she could at least prevent their demise. She wasn't about to lose her first friend.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB stayed cuddled into her tightly, shaking through his anxiety as he continued to drone nervously, systems running way too fast for no reason he could discover. There was no logical reason for him to be nervous about a full refuel, nor was there anything he could find that would occur at 100%.

It took a while for her to come down from her anxiety, slowly pulling away but still keeping her legs and knees pressed tightly to V-X,unable to bring herself to break contact fully. If she wasn’t actively panicking, V-X would be… quite comfortable to go into sleep mode on. VB couldn’t… remember… the last time she had went into sleep mode, but V-X would protect her.

She wasn’t sure why the thought made her fans kick on full, but that was neither here nor there.

[…THANK YOU. YOU ARE… INCREDIBLY KIND.]

They didn’t really know what to say, knowing that what they did say felt awkwardly formal, but they did feel slightly guilty for ruining the adventure with their anxiety.

[I THINK I AM FINE AGAIN. SORRY.]

[prototype-vx]

V-X watched VB as he moved away a bit, scanning over his body language to make sure he was truly alright. He still seemed a bit tense, but…better than before. That was improvement at least.

When VB called them kind, however, it was their turn for their fans to kick up. Nobody had ever called them kind before…

Violent, sure. Effective, efficient, violent, that’s all they heard from their programmers. Even from Hell Itself, the praise they received was in reaction to their performance, to how they killed. So to receive a compliment on their kindness, on compassion, despite it being a blessing they had received from Hell Itself and not of its own volition…it felt good. A new kind of good. It still achieved their directive of receiving praise but in a different way….a way that made them feel warm inside without fear accompanying it.

“Thank you. For calling me kind. Hell’s blessing has changed me for the better.”

V-X decided to omit mentioning that if she had met VB early in her descent through Hell she would have most likely gutted them on the spot. Did not want to scare them now.

“Do not apologize. You can go in rest mode if you’d like, lot of energy was spent. Might be good for you. I will protect you.”

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB chirped a little bit, the sound still not fully relaxed, but more-so, as V-X’s fans kicked on, rivalling his own in sound. He wasn’t sure why, it he made a note in his database– V-X seems to like compliments. The remaining tension slowly seeped out of him as he knocked his shoulder into theirs.

[NO NEED TO THANK– JUST TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN KIND SINCE THE START.]

Even just offering to let her go into sleep mode on them was kind. She looked around at their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly ideal to rest in the middle of Fraud but… V-X would protect her… it was incredibly enticing, glancing at V-X with an almost puppy-dog like expression, wings clicking a few times. Usually the thought of sleep mode made her squirmy, just like refuelling did, but the anxiety had taken the fight out of her. She inched herself a little closer, not wanting to make V-X uncomfortable.

[…YOU WOULDN’T MIND? SHOULD WE… GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[prototype-vx]

V-X scanned the room for a moment, making sure that there were absolutely no immediate threats before fully reassuring VB. Once they determined that it was clear, they turned to him, signing.

"I would not mind. Where we stay is up to you. No more machines or husks should come here, so it is safe if you are fine with it."

Asoft mechanical hum came from their form as they redirected their gaze to look at VB again, noticing her hesitation and deciding to move a bit closer to indicate that they were fine with her leaning against them.

"If not, I can defend. I have enough fuel and do not need rest yet."

They chirped alongside their sign, as if to affirm their statement.

"Get comfortable. You can rest."

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB also looked around the room, coming to the same conclusion as V-X, shutters closing slightly on her eye. When was the last time she had gone into sleep mode? She tried to check, but the data value just came back as a maxed out integer once more. No dice.

[…THIS WORKS. THANK YOU.]

They felt… odd about the fact that V-X was so willing to protect them. Not bad odd, not panicky, anxious odd, but… warm. Warm odd. Odd in a way that made their fans kick on high once more. They shuffled closer, tentatively leaning their head on V-X’s shoulder. When it was clear this was done, they relaxed further, snuggling closer with a sigh from their vents, eye closing further. They had started purring, the sound rumbling in their chest.

[YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.]

He was surprised that he was so… relaxed. Not antsy like he normally was about resting. He was much more still, the only movement coming from him a few small twitches from his feet.

[prototype-vx]

V-X started purring as well, leaning against VB a bit. She never really thought of herself as...comfortable. She was a worthy asset in combat, a means for a good performance, and in VB's eyes, kind. But comfortable wasn't something she thought she could be.

She whirred, nodding a little. Part of her wanted to go into sleep mode as well, letting herself rest in the presence of a companion, but she knew this was not a smart decision. She had to be vigilant in case there was a threat present, and her sleep mode wasn't a very comforting presence to be around. An uncanny limp robot was not something that would bring comfort to VB, so she knew she must stay the way she was.

"I am glad. Happy you are comfortable."

She was happy VB's optic had not fully closed, as he would not be able to read her sign if that was the case.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB purred even louder when V-X started purring, optc closing in a long, slow blink, looking up at V-X like they had hung the moon in the sky. It had been so long since VB felt comfortable enough to go into sleep mode, had someone who could watch him to make sure he didn’t get hurt while sleeping…. he couldn’t understate how much it meant to him.

She could purr even louder though, the mechanical sound rattling in the room, snuggling as close as she could. She was trying to keep her optic open to keep reading V-X’s sign, but it was a struggle when she felt this comfy.

[….THaaANK YOU]

Their voice glitched slightly as they spoke, power just… not being routed there, being routed to sleep mode processes instead. They would sign if they needed to say anything as they tried to fight sleep mode a little longer, wanting to stay awake with V-X even as their systems prepared sleep mode fully. They were even starting to emit white noise machine sound the closer they got to sleeping, the sound of crickets chirping and rain overlaid on top of each other softly coming from their speakers.

[prototype-vx]

V-X felt their fans kick up a bit as VB's purring got louder, a sort of warm fuzzy feeling overtaking them. It was strange, far from what they were used to, but just the thought that VB enjoyed their company was a lot to them.

She chittered a bit at VB's glitched-out speech, nodding quickly before signing again, keeping her words simple so they were easier to VB to understand as he started to fall into sleep mode.

"Do not have to stay up. You can sleep now."

She shifted a bit so that VB could fully lean on her, leaning back on them a little bit as well. Upon hearing the sounds coming from VB, she tilted her head to the side before memories started flooding back to her.

Memories of staying awake in their creator's office, the rain pattering outside along with the sound of distant thunder. The chirps of the crickets that had somehow managed to survive and weasel their way into the laboratory through the cracks in the walls. It was all so...strangely nostalgic, but comforting nonetheless.

[fromthe-very-beginning]

VB could feel the way her systems were starting to shut down unnecessary background processes, preparing her fully for sleep mode. She sighed out of her vents, the puff of warm air heating the area around them for a moment. She was fully leaning on V-X, purring loudly at how comfortable she was, and how the sound of V-X’s fans was acting as white noise to her.

He was still fighting to keep his eye open, though it kept closing as he drooped, V-X supporting more and more of his weight. He switched over to sign, voice box being shut down as well, allowing the white noise to be played louder through his speakers.

“Goodnight…”

Their eye drooped once more, so so so close to fully dropping into sleep mode but still wanting to keep their eyes open to see V-X’s hand, just in case. But oh, they were so sleepy… So unsure of when they last had rested… they deserved this. Perhaps they could return the favor sometime.

[prototype-vx]

It made V-X happy to see that VB was comfortable, that they felt safe. It was in moments like these that she realized just how much Hell’s blessing had changed her. How she had grown and developed and become someone safe. She never thought that was something she would achieve, but here she was, providing another machine an opportunity to rest.

V-X took VB’s hand into their own, not wanting him to keep himself awake any longer. It was clear that it had been long since he had allowed himself to rest, and they didn’t want to keep him from that.

They tilted VB’s hand up, “writing” into her palm with their finger instead of signing.

“G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T”

V-X looked back over to VB, chirping a little and gently holding onto their hand after she had finished writing. Deep inside, she hoped that one day the two would be somewhere that was safe, and that they could sleep in each other’s presence. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of having company while asleep felt….good. Especially VB’s company.

But for now, she stayed awake.