expiationnet | text; un: firecracker

[ Root can imagine Shaw hasn't had a lot of close personal relationships in her life. Not that Root has either, but she's guessing it's more than Shaw. So she takes it easy on her, simplifies it down to its component parts. ]

I'll make you a deal. You don't tell me it's dumb to take a calculated risk because I know you'll do it with or without me, and I won't tell you it's dumb that you couldn't shoot my double. People do crazy things when they care about each other, Shaw. Things they can't fully explain.

I could have shot your double

I didn't want to shoot your double

[She knows that that's not Root's main point here, but it's an important distinction to make all the same.]

and you can tell me it's dumb all you want, I don't care

but if you care, then ok

deal

Okay, fine. You could have shot my double. I could have let you kill yourself and then spent a whole week without you, again. But I didn't want to. You can be upset about what I did, but don't tell me I didn't think it through or it wasn't worth it. I get to decide that.

I didn't tell you you didn't think it through

actually told you the opposite

[Less than ten seconds after sending that message off, she follows it up with another.]

I'm not seriously upset with you, either.

Upset but not with each other works for me. I know what'll cheer you up. Meet me outside the apartment building in an hour.

deal

[She'll be five minutes early, even: standing right next to the front door, ready to catch Root whether she's coming out or heading in.]

[ Root comes striding up the street dressed in coat and knitted hat, looking much like her usual self after a few weeks of total chaos, and in her hand is a leash attached to a very recognizable dog.

Bear catches sight of Shaw farther down the sidewalk after they round the corner and immediately starts barking. Root lets go of the leash with a smile and lets him tear up the road at Shaw on his own, unrestrained. She follows at a more reasonable pace, letting them have their reunion. ]

[There will be uncertainty about the implications here, to be sure - there's no way that Shaw won't wonder how Bear could be here, and what that means for his doggy body in the real world. But none of that negates the way seeing him sparks joy, and even though it hasn't been all that long since she's seen him, she still drops to her knees and offers a welcoming arm out to him, letting him slam into her with no complaint more than a muffled oof.]

[ Root walks up to stand over them with a satisfied smile, and she can't resist a jab, easily guessing what Shaw might already be thinking: ]

Don't go giving Bear an existential complex, now. Look at that little face!

Mmph.

[This muffled response is because her face is currently buried in Bear's scruff, as he snuffles his nose against her cheek.]

No promises.

[But she's smiling, just a little.]

[ Shaw smiling even a little means mission accomplished.

Root crouches down to be eye level with her and Bear, and reaches out to ruffle his fur freely. He immediately leans in to snuffle at her face, too. ]

We got to know each other while you were gone, [ she says brightly. ] If you make him sad I'm filing for custody.

Absolutely not.

[This is said immediately, before her brain catches up enough to remember--]

Wait, no, we basically live together now; custody is symbolic. You wanna lie to yourself and pretend he's yours, knock yourself out.

I got him for you, silly.

[ Root stands up and puts a hand on her hip with long-suffering tolerance. ]

Plus, I figured this means you couldn't disappear for a week without telling me first.

[ She doesn't always have an ulterior motive, but if she can accomplish multiple goals at once, she's absolutely going to. Cheer up Shaw and get some insurance against solo suicides. ]

Disappearing for a week with no notice is your thing, not mine.

[But she knows that solo missions for the Machine aren't what Root is talking about. She looks up at her, expression tired but serious.]

I won't. No reason to try again.

Good.

[ She's surprised at how much relief sinks through her at that assurance. Root subtly relaxes, a fraction of her performative veneer easing. ]

Do you want to know how to track my GPS signal, too? Might not be a bad idea. Oh-- and we could put one on Bear!

Just like home.

[She murmurs, giving Bear's neck another good scruff - and then reaching up to grab Root's wrist, trying to tug her back down to their level. C'mere.]

You do it with the fancy tablets?

[ Aw, okay. Root crouches down again with a tolerant smile, ruffling Bear's ears and then ruffling Shaw's hair one hand each with the exact same kind of energy. ]

Yeah. It's pretty easy since I built some myself. Spock and Kirk came up with the initial design -- they call them dark web communicators, which is technically true but funny because there's absolutely nothing illicit going on in the secret messages.

[ She checked. It was kind of disappointing, really. ]

[Shaw swats irritably at her hand (there are limits to her willingness to be manhandled, thank you), then immediately negates the effect by lightly leaning her shoulder into Root's.]

Nothing illicit, meaning you haven't started anything? That's a surprise.

Everybody on the dark net here is either a literal superhero at home or a dedicated pacifist.

[ Seriously -- she meant it that it was disappointing. ]

Also, I've been a little busy.

Mm, yeah. Amnesiac friends trump most things.

[The amnesiac friend is, naturally, the AI.]

Amnes-- oh. I wouldn't call us friends.

[ Root huffs. ]

Friends return phone calls. I haven't heard anything.

Okay, not to stick up for the second weird AI to kidnapped me and stick me in a simulation--

[Sorry, Root; she's always going to kind of die on this hill.]

But friends return phone calls when they're able to. And it sounds like it's going through some stuff right now.

[ Root likes the local A.I. and cares about it/her to a certain extent, but it's far from being the Machine. It is a little humorous in its own right to hear Shaw defending an A.I. at all, though. ]

I'm not talking about the current version, I'm talking about the backup. We have two different copies, and neither of them are talking.

[ She stands up again, distracted with this line of thought, and brushes road dust off her hands. ]

I should probably check in on Quentin, actually. He downloaded one into his brain.

I-- what?

[Shaw stands too, but out of habit, hangs back with a hand still on Bear's head - she's accustomed to Root rushing off on tasks that she isn't necessarily invited to herself.]

Is Quentin a cyborg?

No, he's a telepath -- a really powerful one, like, turn you into a dribbling idiot powerful. Apparently he's stored copies of A.I. in his brain before. Or something like that.

[ Root's had to get used to some pretty wild stuff in her time here, and she reports this with a sense of edged amusement, knowing how it sounds. ]

I like him. [ This is a questionable recommendation coming from Root, maybe, but she hadn't made it lightly. Quentin is sassy, whip-smart, mildly terrifying, and aligns with her feelings on A.I. What more could she want? ]

You and Bear can come if you want.

Edited 2024-12-12 23:30 (UTC)

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cw: continued suicide mention

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