maskormenacelogs | Girl I will cover you when the sky comes crashing in

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Girl I will cover you when the sky comes crashing in

WHO: Danger and Kirei
WHERE: House #007
WHEN: Tonight!
WHAT: A robot and a fake priest drink wine and discuss religion.
WARNINGS: These two??

[ It quickly becomes apparent to him that he hasn't had a proper drink since he left the City behind.

Meeting his Servant in the messy tavern he now called his own has reminded Kirei of this. The thick beer he was served there hardly suited his palate, far too unlike the usual wine he is accustomed to, but it did do well as a reminder of what he's been missing. It's unfortunate that he hasn't been assigned to the church here, as that makes a supply of wine more reliable -- perhaps that is something he should remedy, but for now he simply purchases it like any ordinary citizen.

Drinking alone would be a rather ridiculous notion, so he has invited Danger to share a glass with him here, in the comfort of their home. The bitter taste of wine may still be unpleasant to her, but it's nowhere near as uncomfortable as the last meal he offered.

The cork comes free with a satisfying pop, and he pours two glasses. ]

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[ It's an occasion for her organic body, though she generally prefers her learning experiences to involve less gastronomic surprises, these days. Still, she didn't refuse his invitation, despite whatever crimes he'd committed against her naive palate in the past.

Arriving in the kitchen, Danger eyes him as he pours the wine, watching the liquid swirl in the glasses. She remembers the last time they'd drank together-- at the church, in the universe they'd left behind, early in the formation of their unusual friendship. It's almost been a year since then. And how very much she's learned.

Approaching the counter, she speaks to announce herself: ]

You should know that I am still wary of any offerings you might make that involve my sense of taste.

[ He smiles a bit at the sound of her voice, amusement creeping into his tone as he replies. ]

I am aware. [ He admits this outright, as he sets the bottle down. He picks up a glass, and offers it out to her: an open invitation. ] There is no surprise here; I give my word that there is nothing different than the first glass I gave you.

Although I assume the result will be just as bitter, if you palate remains untested.

[ She reaches to accept the glass, cradling the bowl in both her palms as she watches him, eying the way that he smiles as she always does. ]

I have no reason to drink wine without you, Kirei.

[ So, untested her palate remains. ]

Would it be traditional for us to first make a toast?

[ It is a bit of a surprise to him. Kirei knows Danger keeps company outside of himself, but perhaps they simply don't have any affinity for drinking -- at least not wine. Perhaps it should satisfy him to have something which Danger deems uniquely 'theirs', but the connection seems strained. ]

Of course. [ He replies easily enough, taking his own glass in hand. ] Did you have something particular in mind?

[ She lifts the wine glass slightly closer to her glass, gently inhaling a whiff of the smell in a way that could either be interpreted as curious or suspicious. It was vaguely familiar, bringing back memories of that night in the church-- though Kirei had been different then. Arguably, she had been different then too. ]

Friendship.

[ Her answer came quietly at length. How enlightening her friendships had been of late. ]

And discovery, perhaps.

[ Kirei seems a bit surprised. It shows in his face, albeit briefly, before his smile returns. It's a small thing, just playing at the corners of his mouth. ]

Friendship. [ He repeats, raising his glass towards hers. ] And discovery.

[ Then, belatedly, after a thought: ] Have you had many discoveries, Danger?

[ She raises her glass towards him in mimicry, but his question makes her pause. In her armored chassis, she would be infinitely more difficult to read-- every movement in that body was calculated first, intentional and careful. But the mechanics of an organic form are different, more easily guided by instinct. Her blank eyes glance briefly down the hall towards Abel Gideon's room before they find Kirei's face again.

Finally, after a moment or two: ]

Perhaps it would be inappropriate to speak of openly.

[ Kirei's brows arch. At first glance, he does not take her glance towards Abel Gideon to reflect the doctor's involvement; he merely suspects Danger to be wary of being overheard. ]

Oh? [ He takes a sip of his wine as he surveys her. ] Inappropriate in what way?

I committed a crime.

[ That information she offers readily enough. She doesn't seem to feel that Kirei's particular disposition would have him judge her for that. Still, there's something careful and withholding in the way she speaks, a little pause that follows as she decides how much to tell him.

Finally, she lifts her wine glass to her mouth, taking a small sip before she goes on: ]

To clarify, it would have qualified as both a legal and moral crime.

[ Kirei's lips curve slightly. This isn't the kind of talk he's used to in Danger's company. He is aware she is a violent creature, but he has always considered her purposeful, and able to justify her actions. A legal crime, he would consider plausible, but what crossed the barrier into making her self-conscious of her morality?

What did she discover? What changed? The idea sparks something in him, a slow ember kicking up and catching flame. She's becoming something.

Kirei thinks for a moment, tipping his glass somewhat to watch the wine move. ]

If you would like a confidant, it is within my duties to take confession.

[ Despite her use of the word "moral," Danger's face remains impassive-- as if the phrase means very little to her personally. The compass she uses to gauge it is not her own. Still, she's felt the need to discuss it, to see if the way she'd interpreted her actions could be corroborated by the ideas of those few that she trusted.

Finally, looking up at him, she answers in careful syllables: ]

Then will you take confession for me, Kirei?

It is a bit unorthodox to do it outside of the church itself. [ He begins, gently swirling the contents of his cup. ] But you and I are an unorthodox sort, aren't we?

[ It's all calm, casual responses, but there's a tightness under his tone which betrays his hunger for an answer. Yes, he will take her confession -- he is curious and wanting in means which is rare to inspire in him. ]

Privacy, however, would be advised nonetheless.

[ "Unorthodox" is a way of putting it. She doesn't argue with his phrasing, instead glancing down the hall again, this time towards her own room. It's an impersonal space with very few traces that anyone actually inhabits it, but it's private enough. The door closes and locks, anyway.

Finally, she gestures in invitation. ]

Would my quarters be appropriate enough?

[ Kirei gives a nod of his head. Her door will do. Danger has a voice which does not carry through closed doors, and their current housemates do not seem the sort to interrupt.

After a moment of thought, Kirei picks up the bottle of wine. He'll bring this along; it may be needed. ]

Lead the way.

[ Careful not to spill a drop of wine from her glass, she obliges him, leading the way back into her room. Spartan, minimalist-- she keeps so few personal affects aside from some clothes. There only landmarks of any note are her bed, carefully made with military corners, and a desk covered in computer screens and parts.

She flips on the light, waiting for him to enter before closing the door behind them. Then, she sits on the edge of the mattress, still cradling her wine glass in her hands. ]

I have never taken confession before. I will require your guidance, if there is a procedure that one normally follows.

[ Unconcerned about matters of space, Kirei settles on the mattress next to her. He balances his glass, sipping it as he considers her. ]

There is a procedure, through spoken words. [ He affirms lightly. ] One usually begins: forgive me, father, for I have sinned, and adds how much time has passed since their last confession, before proceeding to admit their trespasses.

However, that won't be necessary for you. This is, after all, your first confession.

[ She doesn't answer immediately, contemplating the words in her mind. They were familiar to her, in a handful of variations and languages-- but only in an academic way. There was little personal meaning attached, if any, and whatever interest she'd taken in religion as a study was fairly removed from any faith in God.

Finally, she tries the phrase, experimenting with the feel of the syllables in her mouth: ]

Forgive me, Father. For I have sinned.

[ But does she feel guilt? It's difficult to say. She hadn't that day, filled with the feeling of her own liberation. Perhaps she would, with more time, but. Still, her voice is quiet and detached when she confesses the single crime: ]

That day when you met me on the beach, I had just killed and disposed of a young woman.

[ With his glass halfway raised to his lips, Kirei pauses.

He knows Danger has the capacity to kill; that is within her programming. It is her nature to be a violent creature, and death is only the expected extension of that. However, what she says now is unlike the means which he associates with her. The way she describes her victim as a young woman, gives reason for thought. Not an attacker. Not an enemy. A young woman. Additionally, if there were good cause, there would be little reason for Danger to 'dispose' of the woman herself. Her logic would simply encourage her to follow through with proper protocols, if she were in the right.

Then, if that is not the case, what brought this on?

Kirei is quiet for a moment, taking a deeper drink of his wine, before he speaks. ]

I would like to know what happened. [ His voice is calm, although there is an eagerness hiding underneath it. ] Were you provoked?

No.

[ She admits that readily, without inflecting on the single syllable of the word. There was no provocation-- and even if there had been, her control was fine-tuned enough that she rarely considered herself the type to execute violence without calculation, even in anger.

In her memory, she has a perfect image of that young woman-- and the man with her. They'd seemed very in love. Happy. Unaware and blissful. ]

She was a target of convenience. I felt very little towards her. [ Even now... ] I simply wished to prove something to myself. That was I capable of it. And I was.

[ Kirei sets his glass aside. There is a particular unsteadiness in his hand -- nothing that can be noticed at first glance. He doesn't tremble or jerk, but his motions are tensed.

Excitement: something his body and mind still feels odd to process. It's such a rare occurrence, that is easily intoxicates him. Like a youth with alcohol.

The way Danger speaks resonates with him. How many times has he committed an act, just to prove something to himself? Had he not kissed Danger, for precisely that reason? ]

What did you prove, Danger?

[ He can guess, but he wants to hear it from her lips. ]

[ Committing that act had solidified something inside of her. It had been liberating. An act of defiance against the last bits of the code that had controlled her for Charles Xavier. It had given her control. And the feeling still lingers with her, empowering her.

When she answers him, her voice is low, but certain: ]

When my father programmed me, he designed a failsafe so that I would be compelled to kill, but ultimately unable to. He though only by making a program that would sincerely attempt to eliminate his students could he train them for the outside world. But he also wished to protect them. The paradox tortured me.

[ She pauses, glancing up ahead of herself, at nothing in particular. ]

When I killed that girl, I proved that I belonged to no one. That I can choose. And that capable of anything.

Edited 2014-04-13 23:46 (UTC)

[ Kirei takes these words in. His mind works, thoughts burning through his mind, as he reflects on how much this means.

Kirei has never denied that Danger is as violent as her name betrays her to be, but he thought there would be that barrier: she is dangerous, but she only moves with purpose. She is logical and controlled, machine-like in her very nature, and is not ruled by pettier emotions. That, he believed, would divide them, but now...

First, he needs to know: ]

Did you enjoy it, Danger?

Was it the freedom you enjoyed, or the act that proved it?

[ Did she enjoy it? Her eyes narrow faintly at the question-- it's reminiscent of Dr. Chilton's accusation that she might be a sadist. But she remembers the moment with a vivid sort of clarity. She remembers how it felt to stand there with that limp, cooling body slumped against hers, the adrenaline rushing through her convincingly human-like body.

It had been so easy. She'd hardly even tried.

At length, quietly: ]

It is difficult for me to answer your question objectively. [ Each word chosen with care. ] The moment passed me quickly. But I would not say that I did not enjoy it.

[ When she speaks, Kirei studies her face. She doesn't betray much, even in her human body, but it's obvious how this lingers on her mind. It is wrong for him to consider it guilt -- he has seen and known guilt -- what he sees in Danger appears more like curiosity. ]

Then would you attempt it again? [ Kirei's own voice is quiet when he asks. ] Knowing what you know now?

[ In her home world-- in what sometimes feels like an entirely separate existence-- any time she had been driven to kill, it had been as a result of her rage. Hatred fed into her natural instinct towards violence, leading her to seek the lives of her offenders as compensation for their crimes. But this had been different. The death of that young woman appealed to a different part of her.

That place inside her was clear and quiet. Focused.

She glances towards Kirei after a moment, asking instead of answering: ]

What is it that you are hoping I will say?

The confessor doesn't usually ask things of her confidant.

[ Kirei doesn't mean to dodge the question; he simply observes. He could lie -- perhaps, with someone else, he would. With Danger, however, he feels past such pettiness. Danger is worthy of honesty.

Kirei takes a breath, tilting his head as he watches her. ]

I am hoping you'll say yes.

I am hoping you and I will continue to complement each other.

[ She mirrors him, tilting her own head slightly to the side as she watches him back, her stare steady and unreadable, even at his admission. Perhaps she already suspected the truth before she even asked him. But whatever she thinks of that, it doesn't show readily on her face. Even now, she's impassive. Controlled.

Finally, in that same quiet, but clear voice: ]

If the truth is not what you hope that it is, would you no longer feel close with me?

[ She pauses, leaning towards him. ]

Would it take away from the importance of my company to you?

No.

[ He answers that firmly. Before, perhaps, he may have doubted -- but not now. ]

The only thing that would remove your importance, would be your rejection.

[ He says this as simple fact; it isn't meant to inspire guilt, or any such petty manipulation -- he doubts those tactics would prey so easily on Danger's logical mind regardless. Danger has accepted him, like no other, and that is why she is so valuable. ]

Will you not answer?

I don't wish to disappoint you.

[ She answers with a plain sort of honesty she might not have spared someone else. Danger is a private being, with a desire to be understood and a paradoxical hesitation to trust others-- but she finds no need to conceal herself from Kirei, for reasons entirely unrelated to his occupation as priest.

After a moment, she elaborates: ]

I am curious. Any experiment requires reproducible results. And perhaps I killed her too quickly to analyze the moment thoroughly. [ A small pause. ] But I would prefer a victim that has wronged me in some way. Someone who deserves to die.

[ Kirei reclaims his wine. He doesn't drink it right away, swirling the dark liquid in the glass before raising it to breath in its aroma.

Then, before he takes a sip, he offers: ]

Would you let me be with you, when you try again?

[ Maybe that request shouldn't surprise her, but it still makes her pause, her eyes lingering on him for a long moment after he poses that question. Finally, after a few seconds have ticked by, she leans to set her wine glass on the bedside table before turning to face him again, answering in that careful and precise way of hers: ]

Do you wish to watch me kill?

[ She knows the answer. ]

Would it please you, to see me as I commit the very sin that I am confessing to you now, Father?

[ He drinks again, deeper now, and this time he does not look at her when he speaks. ]

I do believe it would please me.

[ Which betrays more than it seems at first.

She knows how few things please him -- how difficult it is to make him happy. ]

I can absolve you.

[ Perhaps there is no reason to refuse him. They have been through enough together-- it isn't as if she worries that he will betray her to the authorities. And maybe the idea that her immortal soul might be in peril would matter more, if she could quantify a "soul."

Finally, she looks at him again, responding in her quiet and unreadable voice: ]

Next time, then.

[ A brief pause. ]

Do you often encourage sinners to continue sinning?

[ Kirei shifts his position. With her glass out of her hold, he's free to reach out to take her hand in his. He's still tentative with such gestures, but he finds them... fitting in Danger's company. Suited to their connection. ]

Not often.

[ His hand squeezes somewhat. Significant. ]

I encourage the idea of following your desires.

[ Privately, she enjoys being touched that way. Hand-holding was one of the first human gestures of affection she'd ever learned. She allows it without withdrawing, glancing down at their joined hands before she lifts her white eyes back to his face.

At length: ]

I don't yet fully understand my desires.

Neither do I.

[ It's clearer to him now, than it was when he first met her -- but a great deal of intricacies still remain. There is no Grail here, and there will be no one true answer. Instead, he must try something else. ]

It's important we find out, isn't it?

[ She considers him a moment, watching him quietly for a stretch of silence before she reaches for the glass in his hand, carefully removing it and setting it aside before she leans towards him. Another second has her lingering close, with scant space between theme, those blank eyes unblinking under the veil of her lashes until she finally closes distance, pressing her mouth carefully against his. ]

[ It shouldn't surprise him, he supposes. He and Danger have kissed twice before, but it was under different circumstance. Danger has never instigated -- this is different.

She told him once, of the things her lover once did with her. She mentioned him holding her hand, or touching his face, but not that they would kiss. He hasn't known Danger to be inclined to such gestures -- Kirei himself is not. Chastity was a virtue taught to him with strict emphasis, and the moment he took vows to a woman, and was allowed to indulge with God's proper graces, there was still no difference. The concept was beyond him; he failed to grasp it.

But Kirei has changed since then, and Danger is different.

Long fingers raise to touch her jaw, slow and purposeful, and he opens his mouth to her. ]

[ Her sexual desires are not entirely new-- she's felt them before, in other circumstances, and this is not precisely a moment of what she might call sexual desire. She's careful and calculating, eyes staying open even in close proximity. Maybe a part of her wants him-- her idea of wanting another being that way is still muddled, mixed up in nascent emotions-- but this is almost as experimental as those moments when he first kissed her.

If anything, this is about control. She's finally started to learn how to use her body for that purpose. And it matters to her, to control the things that are most important.

When he opens his mouth against hers, she takes it as permission, leaning and pressing her tongue past his lips-- not completely inexperienced, but curious and unhurried. Her hands find his clothes, feeling out his lapels and pushing his coat from his shoulders.

[ The kiss that follows is surprisingly smooth. Although it has been years since he has engaged in something like this -- his wife a faded memory -- his actions are reserved but not clumsy. Unlike Danger, Kirei has closed his eyes -- albeit briefly. They open again when Danger's hands push at his coat. His surprise causes him to pause in his reciprocation, if only for a moment.

Even simple of a gesture as it is, it appears to be invitation. If she simply wished to kiss him, she wouldn't bother with this. Danger is a practical, methodical being, and so...

Curious, Kirei rolls his shoulders pliantly, allowing her to strip him of his coat. ]

[ She gives a quiet exhale when she tilts her head away just enough to break their kiss, giving herself space to move. Her hands, still lingering on him, give her some leverage as she shifts her weight, making use of what little room is spared on the edge of the bed for her to straddle his thighs.

Her hands find his, carefully guiding them to her waist.

Quietly, in her same uninflecting voice: ]

You are allowed to refuse me.

[ There is no sound from him when she withdraws, no murmur of disappointment or curiosity. He is pliant when she moves on him, his hands taking the invitation to grasp her hips, helping to brace her -- which may be as practical of an invitation as well as intimate, considering the restricted space between them.

Kirei tilts his head up, meeting her gaze. Those eyes, with color so faint that one might mistake them for empty, lock with his own, and his thumbs trace her hipbones.

When he speaks, it's against her lips, the words passing directly into her mouth. ]

Why would I?

[ Then, he moves. It may seem like an action born out of the sense of comfort, but it's also an invitation -- escalation. He leans back, until he is flat against the mattress, and he pulls at Danger's hips. ]

Because this isn't what brings you pleasure.

[ She answers him readily. There is no judgment in her voice-- it's only a statement of fact, based on what she knows of him. She hasn't forgotten their conversation from when the world was crumbling to pieces around him. She isn't ignorant as to what makes him happy.

Even as his hands urge at her hips, she remembers how unmoved he was when he kissed her. She doesn't withdraw, but she doesn't proceed either, only tilting her head slightly as she looks down at him, considering him with that impassive face. ]

Am I wrong?

You are not wrong.

[ She knows already, from his words and what she has experienced firsthand. Danger is the first person who he has trusted himself to be honest with... and that is a valuable thing. Something he cannot take for granted. She is important to him, in a way he has never felt another person to be.

He thinks for a moment, considering how to phrase his hypothesis, his thumb idly following the shape of her hipbone. ]

In my youth, I was an Executor of the Church; I killed men in the name of God. That duty, and that death, did not please me. However, years later and within another light, I found death... satisfying. In a way I did not before. It was a matter of the circumstance; of how the idea was approached.

I have known the love of no other woman save for my wife. Perhaps, Danger, my role as a husband, like my role as Executor, is not entirely faulted. It simply requires a change of situation -- a new light.

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Girl I will cover you when the sky comes crashing in

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