<soulonphone> Nova gets a knock at some god awful hour in the morning, like 4 am.
<Kaeru> They, focused and not quite needing sleep the same way most do, are awake. Their task is an especially meticulous one, so they take a moment to get to a point where they can pause before responding. "'S open," they state, tone a bit wary but more curious, with the hour being what it is.
<soulonphone> The door opens and a familiar skittering enters to settle under Novas workdesk.
<Kaeru> They don't seem too phased by this. "Ain't it a bit late, buv?"
<soulonphone> “It came in my dreams.”
<Kaeru> Surprisingly, they seem to know without asking what he means by 'it'. "Shit," they mutter. "'M sorry. That can't've been fun."
<soulonphone> “It found me and tasted my back and embedded us all in its heart. Hands reaching out from oil slick walls.”
<soulonphone> “It knows.”
<Kaeru> "I know it does, buv," they reply, tone conveying an understanding that they shouldn't have. "N' I know there ain't a lot I can do. But 'm here, f' what it's worth."
<soulonphone> “It spoke to me.”
<soulonphone> “It is in me.”
<soulonphone> “The Head researcher believes this is only a dream.”
<Kaeru> "'S not."
<soulonphone> “Is not, yes.”
<soulonphone> He clings to Novas legs.
<Kaeru> They nod. After a moment-- "There anythin' I can do?"
<soulonphone> “Here. And do you make good soup.”
<Kaeru> They blink. "Uh. Sure, I 'spose. Ain't had many occasions t' do so, but I know a few."
<soulonphone> “Breakfast.”
<soulonphone> “Are you busy?”
<Kaeru> They glance up at the project sitting on pause on their desk. They frown slightly, considering. "Jus' a bit, 'm 'fraid," they admit. "But I could get t' a stoppin' point fairly quick, I'd bet, if y'wanna stick 'round n' wait up."
<soulonphone> “Okay. No. Stay working.”
<soulonphone> He keeps curled around their feet, like a particularly large dog, and goes silent.
<Kaeru> (sorry here) They look at him for a moment and reach down to give his hair a little rustle before straightening back up and returning to what they were doing, carefully stringing small fibers to construct something that appears similar to their own synthetic musculature, but a smaller strip. A slow-going task, requiring steady hands and patience.
<soulonphone> Avery remains still and silent for now, content to let Them work. He closes his eyes, seems to have a mini sleep, then twitches back awake. The cycle repeats several times an hour.
<Kaeru> They eventually reach a point where they've done what they can to build the base, webs of fibers overlapping and weaving into a single shape.
<soulonphone> Avery waits for indication that they’re done.
<Kaeru> They set their tools down and bring a lamp closer to inspect, making sure they've made no mistakes. Once they're satisfied, they return the lamp to its place and click it off, leaving only the overhead to light the room. They sit back a bit and look down at him. "'M good t' go, done what I can f' th' moment. You good?"
<soulonphone> “No, I am not good.”
<soulonphone> “I am very poorly, and I am bad.”
<Kaeru> They nod. "Well, y'got good reason f' that," they state, like a fact they're sure of. "But don't write y'self off just yet, yeah? Y'can still walk out th' other end a' this, n' Ima do what I can t' make sure ya do."
<soulonphone> “I am going to die.”
<Kaeru> "Sure, eventually. Most folks do. Knowin' that ain't bad-- th' trick is not /acceptin'/ that. Doin' everythin' ya can with every second y'got on th' off chance somethin' makes a difference." A pause, and a little smirk, reassuring. "Plus, look who you're talkin to. You'll see th' other side a' this if I got half a thing t' say about it n' I like t' think I do."
<soulonphone> “Why do you think that?”
<Kaeru> "Think what? I said a few things jus' then. Which one y'askin on?"
<soulonphone> “That you think you have a say on my survival.”
<Kaeru> "'Cause I'm here, n' so are you-- n' I ain't plannin' t' jus' sit back n' watch," they say simply. "N' 'cause I know a thing or two 'bout things like th' one you're dealin' with. I'd be th' last person t' let this thing have you."
<soulonphone> “...what do you know of it?”
<Kaeru> They straighten up a fraction, a subtle raising of their guard, expression neutral. "'Ve seen somethin' similar," they say flatly, not offering any clarification.
<soulonphone> “Tell me.”
<Kaeru> A momentary pause. "No." Unlike them, especially to say it so directly. They hadn't always offered information before, but they'd given it if he'd asked. But not this time, for whatever reasons that may be.
<soulonphone> “Why?”
<Kaeru> "Lots a' reasons."
<soulonphone> “I would like some.”
<Kaeru> "'At's a piece a' my past I'd do good t' keep from unburyin'," they say flatly.
<soulonphone> “Ok.”
<soulonphone> He gets up to zoop.
<Kaeru> They let him, seeming a bit on-edge but returning to casual.
<soulonphone> He presses himself in.
<soulonphone> “I do not want to consume anything chewable. So I have gone for soup.”
<soulonphone> “This means I can no longer eat your good desserts.”
<Kaeru> They chuckle a bit. "'M flattered. Nah, though, give it time-- you'll get past it."
<soulonphone> “I will not .” He’s very stubborn, especially while sleep deprived.
<Kaeru> "Aight, if y'say so."
<soulonphone> “I do. I have hardly slept for at least two days. I say all things and all things are true.”
<Kaeru> They raise an eyebrow. "I don't need t' tell ya that ain't healthy, y'ain't an idiot. But I am gonna say y'should really sleep, even if you've prolly heard it already."
<soulonphone> “Dreams.”
<Kaeru> "Yeah, 'figured. Y'just gotta face 'em, 'm sorry t' say. I still do-- won't lie n' say it gets easier, but y'get used t' it."
<soulonphone> “Doubt.”
<Kaeru> "'At's jus' my experience. Doubt if y'like, I can't stop ya. But y'gotta sleep eventually, n' 's jus' gonna make shit worse t' put it off."
<soulonphone> “Make me.”
<Kaeru> They shrug. "I can't. But I can offer t' make things quiet for ya, if it'd help. Or I could inform that sunshine a' yours down in medical that y'ain't slept in more 'n 48, see if he's got somethin t' say 'bout it."
<soulonphone> “...make it quiet. I would also like to feel you when you touch me. It’ll be interesting.”
<Kaeru> They blink. "What." A half-pause. "If y'mean overridin' your nervous system w' mine, that ain't gonna happen." Their tone is flat.
<soulonphone> “I cannot shut down like you, with you?”
<Kaeru> They shake their head. "Nah. I only can 'cause systems self-regulate on low power draw."
<soulonphone> “Okay.”
<soulonphone> “Then I am afraid of connection.”
<soulonphone> “We do not know if it can jump wires.”
<Kaeru> "It can't. 'S only input, so one-way, n' jus' signals. 'Sides, I doubt it'd like me much." A little smirk.
<soulonphone> “It’s anomalous, however.”
<Kaeru> "Arguably, so am I."
<soulonphone> “That does not preclude infection.”
<soulonphone> “We don’t know what it might do to me. Or you.”
<Kaeru> "Nah. But I doubt it'd like what it'd find," they repeat flatly.
<soulonphone> “I have liked everything I have found of you.” His fingers skitter over a seam of skin and muscle.
<Kaeru> They flinch away, just barely, on instinct; scarring along the edges of the seams looks more like flame drawn onto their skin than it is like ordinary burn damage. They give a chuckle, but it's a bit dry. "Maybe you've only seen m' good side," they reply jokingly. Well, half-jokingly.
<soulonphone> “I have liked every side I have felt.”
<Kaeru> A humorless chuckle. "Waitin' t' see how long I can keep that up."
<soulonphone> “I want to know every side you have.”
<Kaeru> They reply with a little scoff. "Cute, but y'don't. Trust me."
<soulonphone> “No.”
<Kaeru> They lean away a fraction, raising an eyebrow. "Whatcha mean 'no'?"
<soulonphone> “Not cute.”
<Kaeru> "Agree t' disagree, buv. Half a' what ya say's pure sap, I'd say that sets ya solidly in th' 'cute' catagory on its own."
<soulonphone> “I do not speak pure sap. I speak words.”
<Kaeru> "'S just a sayin'."
<soulonphone> “Meaning?”
<Kaeru> "Sappy. Means cute, sentimental, all that."
<soulonphone> “I have no sentiments to anyone.”
<Kaeru> They raise an eyebrow. "Sure y'do."
<soulonphone> “It is true. I am not capable of human things anymore.”
<soulonphone> He is cuddly though, and has half his face smooshed against Novas side, resulting in his words being partially muffled and malworded.
<Kaeru> They look at him, neutral. "Y'can't say shit like that t' someone like me n' expect me t' say somethin' other than 'bullshit.'"
<soulonphone> “There is no bull nor shit.”
<Kaeru> "Maspik, quit. I mean that ain't true."
<soulonphone> “My name is not Maspik.”
<soulonphone> “But you can call me that if you want.”
<Kaeru> They snrk to spite themselves. "I'm really not gonna. 'S a word, not a name."
<soulonphone> “What does it mean?”
<Kaeru> "Guess th' best translation'd be 'enough'," they muse.
<soulonphone> “Mespik with the accusations of sap.”
<Kaeru> "They ain't accusations, jus' comments," they shrug. "Points a' view."
<soulonphone> “Wrong points of view.” He yawns, apparently much calmer now, or at least distracted.
<Kaeru> "That's a point of view," they counter, smirking in an amused sort of way.
<soulonphone> “Mespik.”
<soulonphone> He tries to mimic the way Nova says it.
<Kaeru> They snrk. "Davka." They shake their head a bit, amused.
<soulonphone> “What does hat mean?”
<Kaeru> They start to tell him, but stop, considering it. "Yknow, I ain't really sure how t' translate that one," they admit after a moment.
<soulonphone> “Give me an approximation.”
<Kaeru> They consider it for another moment. "Guess it's kinda like 'precisely', sometimes," they muse, "But not always. Can be more like 'actually', or 'on purpose', or 'of course'-- it changes w' th' context, really, so it ain't easy t' explain."
<Soulless> "...A spiteful word."
<Kaeru> They frown a bit, then nod. "'Spose, sometimes at least."
<Soulless> "You are spiting me."
<Kaeru> "I spite a lot of people."
<Soulless> "I thought you liked me."
<Kaeru> "I can do both."
<Soulless> "I don't understand."
<Kaeru> "Jus' 'cause I give ya a hard time doesn't mean I don't like ya."
<Soulless> "I don't follow."
<Kaeru> "... Nevermind."
<Soulless> "Okay."
<Soulless> He hugs. "I demand soup."
<Kaeru> They chuckle. "Aight, yeah, sure. Long as y'try n' sleep sometime soon."
<Soulless> "Warm belly, warm Nova, warm blanket."
<Kaeru> They blink for a second before chuckling. "I'll take that as a yes."
<Soulless> "Yes."
<Kaeru> They nod. "Aight. Well, you're gonna need t' let go if I'm gonna go make you some, unless y'wanna try n' get a bit of sleep 'fore that, seein' as it's a stupid kinda early anyhow."
<Soulless> Avery slowly lets go.
<Kaeru> They give him a little smirk and stand up, stretching slowly.