personavelvetroomdr | Gremlin Day [Locked]

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Gremlin Day [Locked]

[Locked to @lilcomputer]

Today has certainly been... a day.

Falcon groans as he tosses his pan, finally giving up on cleaning it- he doesn't even eat, so it's whatever. Both his face and mesh are covered in blackened soot, and his kitchen looks... well, passable now, considering how much he already cleaned up, but he'll have to clean himself later, too.

Listen, when Futaba told him she wanted to cook, that was fine. He could supervise, and she could make something she liked, and it would be great. He doesn't mind watching her while Phoenix is gone, really. She's a good kid, for the most part. How was he supposed to know she'd blow up his kitchen? Here he though making food was just a matter of following the right steps, but whatever is left of the supposed pancakes (groan) are nothing more than sad piles of black dust.

Actually- hadn't he asked her to throw those out? Where the hell is she?

"Futaba-chan?" he calls out, but gets no answer. He doesn't find her in any of the rooms, and sure, she likes wandering around by herself, but he asked her to please tell him when she goes out-

There's a thump from above. He perks up, and listens closer.

Another thump.

Wait a fucking minute-

He rushes outside, and indeed-

"Futaba-chan! What are you doing on the roof?!" he yells, exasperation in his voice. "Get down from there!"

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She herself was not clean of the pancake disaster of whatever year it was. Time was weird here and she didn't bother to pay attention.

She kicked her feet at the roof as she looked around. There was so much to see, is this how being a bird was? Could Phoenix fly? Was he a flightless bird?

She heard Falcon come out and looked down oh she was up high. "But look it's so pretty up here!" She shouted back, trying to mask the fact she had no idea how to get down, and that she just figured out how high she was.

Oh god, she's so high up. For him, it'd be nothing, but for her-

"It's dangerous is what it is!" he shouts, "how'd you even get up there?"

No, seriously- how did she get up there? As far as he knows, there are no windows to easily crawl onto the roof, so how the hell-

She shrugged. Her head tilted in the boxes she stacked to assist her in climbing up. Taking out the trash did have it's advantages. That was seeing other people's trash and making a latter.

"I think I'll be okay, as long as I don't fall." She gave him a thumbs up.

Oh- oh that's just great. Fuck, at least they're not from real people. But also- those... clearly arent stable. And not in any state for Futaba to climb down from.

"Just- stay still," he calls, sighing, "I'm coming to get you."

He was coming up here? But then how were they going to get down? He couldn't carry her. And the boxes wouldn't hold both of them. "I can climb down." She said moving over to the stacked boxes.

It wasn't that big of a deal, she could deal with the fear of falling. She wouldn't die.... she might break a bone, but not die.

Oh fuck no this IS a big deal. What if she falls and breaks her neck? When he could've done something about it? But she's moving now, and god fucking dammit-

"No- please just stay put!" he yells, winding up for a jump, "I'll be right there!"

She froze, blinking at him. Oh he was just going to jump up here. Could the roof handle that? He might be too heavy and land too hard and fall through.

"It's not like I'm gonna fall." She said, grinning. Before sliding just a little bit. She then looked at him panicked.

He sees her sliding a bit, and he's not even thinking about if the roof can hold him; he's not going to let her get hurt.

"I'm coming, stay calm!"

And just like that, his legs launch him up and towards her, a mechanically powered jump to save this child he's responsible for.

She closed her eyes. Either she was going to hit the ground, or Falcon was going to get to her. If it was the former she really didn't want to see it. Plus it would help her stay calm. Maybe, kind of, not really. She could just tell herself that it would.

She pushed on the roof trying to keep still a little more. That way when he got up here she would be in the same place.

For a moment, time seems to stand still. Futaba's prevarious position on the roof is the only thing on his mind as he wishes for gravity to give way just a little quicker, so he can get to her as soon as possible. She looks scared, and dammit-

The roof creaks dangerously in protest as he lands on it, tiles breaking- but it holds for now, and that's all he needs.

"I'm here. I'm here," he says, scooping Futaba up in his arms, and pressing her against his body, secure and safe. The roof continues to groan. "Hold on."

He calculates the best trajectory to get down safely without injuring her, eyes flitting about, before the decision is made for him. The roof gives under his feet, and he's forced to react, lest they both sink through it.

Right before they can both go tumbling down, he jumps, reaching for that feeling deep inside himself on instinct-

"Loki!"

-and the striped Persona flares to life just in time, managing to catch them and slowing their descent to the ground. He holds Futaba until his feet touch the ground, before finally loosening his grip. Behind him, Loki disappears, and he fusses over her, not yet putting her down.

"Futaba-chan? Are you hurt anywhere?"

The cold metal of his body on her skin. It brought her more comport than she would have thought. Loki she felt summoned more than she saw, her eyes closed as they went torwards the ground.

“No, I’m not hurt. I’m not hurt anywhere.” She shook her head. Her hands gripping onto him.

Relief floods his wires, gingerly hugging her against himself. He knows what his scanners say, but it's good to hear it from her own mouth.

"I'm glad," he murmurs into her hair. "If you were, I..."

Well- he's not sure. He'd take care of her. Try to heal her, but she's just a kid. He doesn't want her to get hurt.

Slowly, he puts her back down, letting her get her feet under herself. While the relief lingers, the frustration is settling in again.

"Futaba, that was really, really dangerous," he says sternly, putting his hands on his hips. "First, you nearly set my kitchen on fire, and when I ask you take out the trash, you decide to climb the roof. Do you realize how badly you could've gotten hurt? In both those instances?"

“I thought it would be okay, and you were there to protect me.” Her eyes welled up with tears, she just wanted to be held.

"Oh- Futaba-chan..."

Damn it. He can feel the guilt cropping up for making her cry, but he's just- he was just so worried for her. He's so angry that she put herself in danger like that, and frustrated with her, and himself, and-

She's just a kid. She's crying. Fuck.

"I was there this time." He kneels to her level, gently putting his hand on her shoulder. He keeps his voice carefully stern, but not angry. He doesn't want to yell at her. "And you made it out okay, but there will be times where I'm- where I won't be able to protect you. You really worried me," his voice softens, "and even when I'm not there- especially when I'm not there, I don't want you getting hurt. You're a smart girl, you understand, right?"

She reached out for him. "I know, but you were there this time, so I knew I was safe. I don't want to be left anywhere without you, or Phoenix, or Renee, or mom." She was just a scared kid after all. She was just a kid.

And it's so hard. It's so hard, because he's genuinly angry with her for doing this, for putting herself in danger like that. He promised he'd take care of her, and when she does things like this-

Oh, fucking hell.

"C'mere." He pulls her into a hug- she clearly needs one. "I know. I know. I just wish you wouldn't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again." She promises. The rhythmic hum of his electronics that replace his heart feel calming to her. He's not the squishy, warm, human she's used to, but it still feels that same level of comfort.

She takes it in, she takes all of his words to heart, he just wanted to protect her. She doesn't have to try and be the strong one all the time.

Don't make promises you won't keep.

He doesn't say it- it'd be so incredibly mean to day to a child, but it flits through his mind before he can stop it. He hates that he thinks it at all, but- it's the truth, and he hates that it's the truth.

It's not fair. He's trying so fucking hard, but his emotions remain a tar pit of horror. He squeezes her a little closer, stroking her hair.

"That's all I can ask," he says instead, because that, also, is the truth. He doesn't want to see her hurt, or sad, or scared. He already killed her mom in his own timeline. Her version of him will too, probably, and he should say it, he really should, but he doesn't want to imagine her reaction. She's just a kid.

Not today. Not now.

For now, all he can do is take care of her, and make sure she doesn't get hurt.

He doesn't pull back from the hug- he'll let her indicate when it's been enough. The contact is- it's a bit much, stirring up unpleasant feelings, but she clearly needs it. He can deal with it, for her sake.

He's so comforting to her, His words, the hum of his systems. She was in his arms and calm much calmer now. She took a breath. "Can we try eating again?" She asked softly, "without me cooking?" She didn't want to risk burning down the kitchen again. It just wasn't something she wanted to believe to happen again or be in the realm of possibility.

Hah. It's not like he's particularly good with cooking himself. It's not something he was programmed with, mother was never any good herself, and- well. He forces his expression not to contort, despite knowing she can't see him right now. No thinking about that man. Not now.

"How about this," he says, stroking her hair, "we'll order takeout and while we wait, we'll clean up the kitchen." He pulls back slightly to face her. "It's still pretty messy, after all."

She nods, "we can do that." It would help him keep an eye on her which might lessen his anxiety over her too. And the kitchen is charred so there isn't much cooking they can do. "Can we watch TV while we eat?"

He lets out a small chuckle. "Only if you promise not to make a mess."

He's not eating, after all.

He pats her shoulder, before he slowly extracts himself from her grip, and holds out his hand. "How do you feel about watching the classic Phoenix Ranger Featherman?"

"I super promise!" she got excited to say. She looked up at him before taking his hand. "we can watch it only if I can wear my outfit!" She said obviously referring to the hoodie that she not so legally bought with her mom's card. She got in a lot of trouble with it.

"Only after we clean," he chuckles. "Wouldn't want to get it dirty, now would we?"

He swallows down the remaining anger and guilt, trying to focus on her once again happy demeanor. That's what he wants to see. That's what she deserves.

He squeezes her hand gently, before leading them both inside. As for the roof... well, it'll just fix itself, won't it?

"Well then, what do you want to eat?"

She nodded. "noodles!" she said cheerfully. She wasn't blind to his concern, but she'd pretend to be, that way they can be happy for now.

"Very well," he says, "let's call Aiya's then, shall we?"

She smiled at him. "Let's!"

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Gremlin Day [Locked]

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