[closed] come as you are, as you were, as i want you to be

[alan_1]

Who: Alan, Rinzler, Peter, Wanda, Fiora, Alice, Frisk, and possibly others
When: April 29th
Where: Ship corridors and Moro 004
What: Rinzler is captured and dragged to Alan for recoding. Literally everyone has a bad time. Plot summary can be found here.
Warnings: Violence, injuries, attempted brain-tampering against an unwilling subject, just not a good day for anyone really.

Comments

[gainedlove]

Frisk had heard the scuffle by chance, shouts and sounds and something else that they can't quite identify but that sings through their veins, a nudge that would feel all too familiar back home. They come running and round the corner just in time to see Alice's spell connect with Rinzler; the damage being dealt is clear as day and leaves a sick feeling in the pit of their stomach.

Why? Why are they doing this? Hadn't what happened before been enough? Didn't they realize this wouldn't solve anything? Why do humans have to be like this?!

"STOP IT!" Frisk charges forward with every bit of speed they have, throwing themself between the program and the two vigilantes, fully ready to take whatever attack they might throw at him. "Leave him alone, you're hurting him!"

oh my gosh sorry this has been sitting unsubmitted in my tabs

[niffin]

There's only Peter, and Rinzler, and her hands. It's enough, they're close — and the closer they get, the sooner they can get Peter out.

They never should have involved him in this. Not so soon. She just doesn't think he would've sat idly by.

Her wrist twists, and this is delicate work now, prying at Rinzler's fingers, just enough to try and shift them loose. There's only Peter, and Rinzler, and —

— Oh, fuck.

Frisk dives forward and Alice splays her fingers loose, instinctive. It's too targeted, there's no chance of catching Frisk in it, but crooked hands are a weapon, and you don't keep those in reach of kids. She shows her palms out, the universal gesture for whoa, take it easy.

"It's okay," She breathes. "Frisk — Everyone's going to be alright."

They need to get them out of here. An injured Rinzler has already shown his capacity for collateral damage. Her hands swivel with a sudden burst of speed, and Alice whispers a quiet sentence. The MID flickers out half a garbled lullaby, every other word blank. The urge to rest is heavy as a blanket on a winter's day.

[takeitslow]

He sees the kid long before they speak, sees them rush forward and he knows he should dive in. He should stop them. This is going to end up just like J. Someone trying to intervene when they shouldn't, somebody going to get hurt in fight they should have never been a part of.

He freezes.

And then Alice is talking again, snapping him back into action again. He steals a momentary look to her, watches her hands move. He hears the strange music, snatches of something that reminds him of his childhood. He has a little idea of what she might be doing, but regardless he needs to act.

Peter darts forward, intent to grab Frisk and get them away from here. He doesn't want to see anyone else get hurt in this and he's certainly not watching a child die.

[notglitching]

The world is bright cracks and dissipating power, an off-beat lag proceeding in increments from his hands up. The world is his disks, hum building to a static whine as the heat burns through and breaks him. Motor functions are shaking and he can't feel his side—can't tell how much of him is left. But there's force prying at his fingers, stealing his disks away, and Rinzler needs to [fight] [run] [don't let go don't don't—] or he'll lose the only part that matters.

Rinzler doesn't track Frisk's progress. Rinzler doesn't know how they arrive. But suddenly there's another presence just in front, and the program flinches away, struggling to bring his weapons up. But no strike comes. It takes a moment for the configuration to parse: cutting between them, but back turned; voice raised but not, for once, at him. It takes another moment to freeze. To stare. They're... helping him?

It doesn't match. He doesn't understand it. It's no less stupid than the user he'd killed, the one who'd cut into the last fight to attack him and to save her friend. But Frisk isn't his ally, and there's no reason for them to opt for the same end. The invisible pressure on him drops, but Rinzler's still frozen, staring, waiting for the threat to turn its powers on the beta in place of him.

But its fingers uncurl, hostility wiping itself from nonverbals with dizzying speed, and Rinzler's expectations falter to a wave of relief. Of course they wouldn't harm another user. Glitched or not. Hands force together shakily, merging both disks to one unit to at least reduce the burning heat source to one point. His empty hand presses against the wall, trying to drag himself upright.

[gainedlove]

Human magic is something Frisk has only a passing understanding of, and so when Alice starts to chant it takes a few moments for Frisk to even realize what she's doing. But the compulsion settles into their mind, a calm whisper that changes from Alice's voice to Toriel's, just sleep, it's safe here, they can rest--

But they refused.

"Nnnh--!" A flicker of red in the air and Frisk's strength wavers, a force from inside themself pushing back against the spell. But it's uncontrolled and without direction, spending more of it's force in a useless wave than actually fighting the spell. And with their attention so caught up against that, Frisk has no chance to even attempt to dodge Peter snatching them up.

"Wha--no, don't...!" Frisk struggles weakly, but adrenaline isn't going to be enough. Their eyes are already drooping.