Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Employee Log:

Employee: Gregor

I’ve been here a long time. I’ve seen a lot of people die. It’s been hammered into my head to never get attached to abnormalities. I don’t want to be eaten by fairies or turned into a slime or hugged to death or anything else. None of them can be trusted. I know that.

Especially not this one. Catalyst, an aberration of an Abno called Big and Will Be Bad Wolf. I’d heard horror stories about that one, and this one was still a WAW who I’d heard had escaped at some points. They said Catalyst destroyed everything in sight, mauled anyone who got close. He didn’t eat them like the other one, he just completely destroyed them and left them as piles of mangled meat. No one was sure what was the real difference between the two. They were both absolutely horrible. It’s just that Catalyst looks terrifying from the start, and the Big Bad Wolf tricks you into thinking it’s harmless.

I knew all that. But...

--

‘Day 1 of managing Catalyst:’

Gregor pushed up his E.G.O. gift glasses as he wrote his notes, before taking a deep breath and ducking into the containment unit. He was high level, he knew that, he would be fine, they knew Attachment work was best. He looked at the beast in front of him, and his heart twinged despite his will.

There was a great big chimeric beast lying there, completely defeated. It was horrific looking, mostly wolf like, with the jaws and front legs of a wolf, ears and hind legs of a bunny, all with claws on every leg. It had a great big soft part of its chest almost like a dewlap that it rested its head on. All over it were dozens upon dozens of scars, painting its dark blackish-purple fur almost like constellations. Its eyes were its most notable feature. They were purple all the way through, but so expressive, just like a human’s. He looked completely and utterly depressed, no hope or will to live in his body language or face.

“Are you okay?” Gregor found himself asking softly.

The wolf-bunny looked at him, but didn’t move in any other way other than his eyes. He still looked utterly pitiful.

“It’s going to be okay. I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m just here to do Attachment Work. I’m just gonna... I’m just gonna talk to you. I think you’ll like that. I hope.” Gregor smiled, a bit nervous.

So he just kept talking. About his day, about his daily frustrations, about the things he liked and didn’t like. Just chattering away. At first he was a little nervous, but he slowly relaxed when he saw that Catalyst didn’t move. It just laid there, quietly listening. If it was capable of understanding him. Gregor wanted to believe it could, because there was such intelligence in its eyes.

When he left the containment unit, he’d produced a decent amount of Boxes. Not a Good Result, but definitely not bad. Still, it was better than most people had done.

He wrote in his notes about what he’d observed. ‘Abnormality takes the form of a chimera between a wolf and a bunny. Despite all the accounts of it destroying everything it touches, it just laid there defeated the entire time. That doesn’t mean it’s harmless, though. Its eyes are very expressive like a human’s. Further observation needed.’

For the rest of the work day, he was assigned to Catalyst, and kept talking to him as if he was a human and could hear him. Others worked on him too, but no one got more PE boxes than Gregor. Gregor wasn’t sure why.

--

On his second day working with Catalyst, Gregor snuck some food from lunch to the containment unit. Abnos didn’t need to eat, but he could see Catalyst’s ribs, and it worried him. That counted as Attachment work, right?

As he entered, he held a small paper bag in hand. “Hey, bud. I know you don’t really need to eat, but I brought you a little food. It worries me how malnourished you look.”

The Catalyst looked at him, and its bunny ears perked up just slightly.

Gregor laughed, and opened the bag. “I dunno if you have the same intolerances to food as a wolf or bunny, but I got you something I’m pretty sure you can eat. Just plain burgers, nothing on them. The other employees told me that they used to feed stray dogs like that.” He took one out, and tossed it to Catalyst.

It landed right in front of the despondent wolf, who slowly took it into his mouth and chewed. The wolf let out a deep, pleased grumble, almost like a moan of a relief, eating with slow reverence like it was the best thing it ever had.

Gregor tossed it another burger, and it ate this one a bit more eagerly. On and on until the bag was empty, and the chimera lay, eyes closed, still looking defeated, but now more content.

“You must have been really hungry, big bud.” Gregor chuckled.

The Abnormality looked up at him with big, intense eyes, as if to say ‘Starving.’

“I’ll bring you more when I can. I can’t do it every time I work on you, but I can do it at least once a day.” Gregor smiled. “Anyway, let’s talk some more.” He squatted in the containment unit to be more comfortable.

As he talked, the defeated expression on the chimera’s face eased. No one had ever treated Catalyst like a human. The others that did Attachment work on him treated him like a mindless animal, and didn’t genuinely mean any of their words. They called him good boy and tried to play with him while clearly seeing him as nothing but a beast.

But this one didn’t. This man with the glasses and cherry blossom pin and long lovely hair... he treated him like a human, even though he was clearly a little scared of him. No one had ever done that before, in Catalyst’s entire concept. Or... he thinks maybe once before, he was loved. But he doesn’t remember anything about it.

Catalyst relaxed a little bit for the first time in a long time.

The Work Result was Good today.

--

Gregor brought a ball on his fourth day with Catalyst.

“I don’t think you’re quite an animal, but we can still have fun rolling it back and forth, can’t we?” He spoke gently, smiling.

He rolled the ball towards him.

Catalyst perked up a little, and stared at the ball. He tentatively rolled it back.

Gregor sat down fully in the unit, trusting him not to attack him so fast he couldn’t get up. He rolled the ball back, but to the side, where it would be out of reach. Forcing him to move from where he always lay unmoving on the floor.

Catalyst shuffled on his belly to catch it with a large mighty paw, and whacked it back, long ears perking up more.

Gregor laughed a little, and whacked it back to the other side, further, watching Catalyst shuffle more and actually get up to walk a little. There was barely any room for him to move in the containment unit, he was so big, only able to walk a few steps before reaching a wall. It made Gregor sad. But Catalyst’s long black tail was starting to wag, and that made Gregor grin at the monster.

Gregor’s genuine big smile made Catalyst’s tail wag even faster, and the chimera’s heart pounded.

Gregor suddenly approached him, and Catalyst whimpered, trying to make himself smaller, tucking his paws under him, lowering his snout to the floor. Clearly trying to make himself less dangerous. Gregor could feel his fear. Not of being hurt, but of hurting Gregor.

Gregor paused. He was starting to understand this Abnormality’s concept. Pain was all he knew, so that’s why he was bad. He wasn’t bad by nature. He feared himself as much as everyone else did.

--

Employee Log:

Employee: Gregor

The more I worked on him, the more he seemed more and more at ease. I brought him food, and talked with him, and he stopped seeming so depressed and hopeless. He started perking up a little when I entered the room. I started to fear him less and less. I let myself smile when I saw him. I let myself look forward to seeing him. We would spend entire days together with me talking to him and feeding him and rolling around a ball. I’ve never owned a pet, and I didn’t see him as a pet either. There was no nostalgia in why I got attached. I just... saw myself in him. Alone and hated and defeated, and seen as a monster.

--

Just as Gregor was about to leave the containment unit for the last time of the day on their seventh day of work together, he heard something new.

A deep, slow voice, speaking with utmost effort. “You’ll... come back... right?” The chimera asked him, voice just barely hopeful, but so unsure. It sounded like he hadn’t spoken in who knows how long.

Gregor’s heart twinged. He didn’t even know Catalyst could speak. He got an inkling that he was more human than he looked, but he had no real evidence. “Of course, big bud. I’ll come right back tomorrow. We make lots of energy when we work together, don’t we?” His voice was even softer than usual. It’d been getting softer and more fond the more time he worked on him.

The Abnormality pulled something out from under him, and scooted it towards Gregor with its snout. A golden ring. Well, the ring would be a ring on Catalyst’s toes, but for Gregor it was more a bracelet. It almost looked like a wedding band. An E.G.O. Gift. Gregor put it on with reverence. Now he had 3 Gifts. But this one felt more special, somehow.

Gregor looked at Catalyst, and approached him slowly, reaching out his hand to him, carefully.

The chimera was so big that even while it was lying down and Gregor was standing, he didn’t have to reach down to gently touch its forehead. “I’ll always come back.” Gregor told him softly, feeling utter fondness in his voice. He’d been a little fond of him even at the beginning, and it’d only grown. He’d been so happy to see him improve and become less hopeless.

As Gregor pet his forehead, the beast began to change under him, shrinking a little, body morphing, until his front legs became arms with clawed hands and his body shifted to become hunched, but bipedal. His snout and claws remained, but his body became more bunny-like. And he was a little more humanoid.

Gregor was completely shocked, but did not remove his hand from his head.

“You... My curse...” Catalyst seemed just as shocked. The size difference was lesser now, but he still towered over him. He got up and hesitantly reached out his clawed hand to Gregor. “I don’t... want to hurt you.”

Gregor took his hand in his, and brought it to cradle his face. “I know.”

“You don’t... understand. I’m terrified... to hurt you.” The chimera slowly came closer, looking down at him, touching him as if he was made of the most fragile glass. As if he was ice that would melt under his touch.

“I know that too. Come here.” Gregor smiled sadly, and reached up to take his head in his hands and guide him gently to press his forehead to his. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

The Catalyst carefully wrapped his arms around him, and held him close, with utmost gentleness.

--

Managerial Tips 1: When an employee worked with Catalyst enough times over the course of a few days, Catalyst gave them a gift. This gift marked them permanently, even after the workday finished. This employee was marked as ‘Beloved.’

Managerial Tips 2: When doing Attachment Work with Catalyst, the Beloved recovered SP but took red damage.

--

As soon as Gregor got in the containment unit, Catalyst approached him rapidly.

“You... you were with someone else. Another Abnormality... I smell them on you...” The chimera sounded worried. “They’re dangerous... they could kill you...”

Gregor smiled a little, not fearing him when he sounded so terrified. “I know, I’m sorry, the manager sent me to work on other Abnos, I didn’t have a choice. You know you’re special to me, don’t you?”

Catalyst looked away shyly. “I wanna... believe that. You’re special... to me. You treat me... like a person.” He spoke so slow and deep and nervous, but he was getting a little better. He reached out to him nervously.

Gregor took his hand and walked straight up to him to hug him, laying his head on his soft furry dewlap. “I think you are a person. At least to me.” He muttered, soft and shy. “I think we’re the same. We’ve both been treated as monsters.” He didn’t want anyone else to hear what he was saying. It was a secret between them.

Heathcliff hugged him oh so carefully. “I think so... too... Please... don’t let them hurt you... I can’t... you’re the only one... I’ve felt like this... with.”

“I know. It’s the same for me. You can hold me until I need to leave, and then I’ll come back.” Gregor smiled gently, petting his warm fur. “I have your bracelet, right? That means I want to come back. I’ll talk to my Sephirot.”

The chimera is quiet for some time. “...Heathcliff. That’s the name... I remember. That’s my name.” Catalyst spoke softly.

Gregor perked up, and held tighter to him. “Gregor. My name is Gregor.”

“Gregor... my Beloved.” Catalyst spoke reverently. With the utmost dedication and want to protect.

--

Doomed Day #1:

Gregor was feeling extremely anxious today. He’d been working with other Abnormalities all day, and it just felt wrong. Nome of them were like Heathcliff. They couldn’t be trusted. He couldn’t be himself with them. He just wanted Heathcliff. They made max PE boxes, didn’t they? Why did he have to work on other Abnormalities? Heathcliff was right. Any of them could kill him.

Just as he got out of the containment unit of a WAW, he heard screams, and the sound of gore. An Abnormality must have escaped.

He quickly ran back to the main room to try and regain some sanity, but as he went through the halls he saw nothing but mangled corpses, completely turned into piles of unrecognizable flesh.

Suddenly, he heard rapid steps and the scrabbling of claws on the stone floors. “Gregor!” A beastly, nearly unrecognizable voice called to him.

But Gregor could never forget his voice. “Heathcliff?”

A beast appeared in front of him-- the same beast he’d seen when he started first seeing Catalyst, but completely covered in blood. All that remained of the one he loved were his terrified purple eyes.

“They were hurting you, they were risking your life, you weren’t safe! I can’t protect you when you’re in other containment units! If I lose you, I’m NOTHING! I have to keep you safe! You’re the only thing that matters to me, I can’t lose you! You’re the only one that could ever love me! And I love you too, more than anything in the world!! I have to save you! And anything that stands in my way...!” The chimera grabbed him by the back of his E.G.O. Suit and tossed him on his back, running back across the way. Clerks tried to stop him, but he tore them apart with his claws.

Gregor clung onto his back, burying his face in his fur, feeling his scars and reminding himself that it was still the man he loved, even as he destroyed anyone who stood in the way of Heathcliff having him. He ignored the sounds of the screams, or tried. Heathcliff just wanted to protect him. Heathcliff just wanted to protect him. He was just worried about him.

They found themselves inside the familiar containment unit. With the ball and pillow that Gregor had left inside for Heathcliff. Home.

Heathcliff transformed back into his more humanoid form, and held Gregor tightly, still so careful not to hurt him. Gregor held him tightly back.

Heathcliff really was a monster. Gregor was in love with a monster. But that didn’t make him love him any less. He would stay here as long as he could yforever with his beloved. After all, he was a monster too.

Retry the day?

Yes

--

Managerial Tips 3: When the Beloved worked with an Abnormality other than Catalyst, the Qlipath Counter lowered and the Beloved took continuous White Damage.

Managerial Tips 4: When the Beloved Panicked or the Qlipath Counter reached 0, Catalyst escaped. It went straight towards its Beloved, and did not harm them, but destroyed anything that stood in its way. When it reached them, it took them back to its containment unit to do Attachment work, the Beloved recovered from any Panic, and the Qlipath Counter returned to normal. Anything that stood in Catalyst’s way of going back to its containment unit with its Beloved was destroyed.

--

‘Day 15 of working with Catalyst (Heathcliff!!!)’ Gregor excitedly wrote down in his notes. ‘The manager gave me the duty to work with him exclusively suddenly, and I’m so excited.’

When Gregor got into the containment unit, Heathcliff was still in his humanoid form, and started padding slowly over to him.

Gregor just smiled and opened his arms for him, accepting Heathcliff into his arms as the wolf-bunny wrapped his arms around him and hugged him so gently. Heathcliff was just tall enough that Gregor could comfortably lay his head on his dewlap while hugging him. He sweetly kissed his cute little snout, petting him. “Hi, Heath. I missed you. Don’t worry, we’re collecting energy together all day together. I’m sure cuddling counts as Attachment work, don’t you think?”

“Yeah... that sounds nice.” Heathcliff sighed softly. He picked up the smaller man and laid down with him in the corner of the room where the pillow was, lying so Gregor was on top of him, legs tangled together. “I missed you too, my beloved... So fucking much... I wish we never had to part.”

“I wish that too, but if we did something about that we’d both get in huge trouble.” Gregor laughed gently. “Is it okay if I ask you some questions?”

Heathcliff kissed his hair. “Mmhm. Anything you want.” He hummed softly, ears drooping in relaxation.

“Where did you come from? Do you remember?” Gregor asked.

Heathcliff thought deeply about it, and began to speak, very slow and careful, still getting used to speaking. “I remember being treated like an animal all my life at a horrible manor. Then I fell down a well into an underground river. I crawled up, and went home, and they tried to destroy me. So I destroyed them instead. Then I kept destroying everyone who hurt me, until the people here found me.” His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember. “And then I found you, and you treated me like a person, and you broke my curse. I reckon someone must have loved me before... but I don’t remember it no matter how much I try.” He paused, thinking hard.

Gregor stayed quiet and pet him gently, encouraging him with small kisses and pets.

“...I was the Catalyst that brought ruin to their home. They destroyed each other because of me, and I just sealed their graves. It’s all my fault that manor fell apart, it’s all my fault that their family fell apart. I was the Catalyst, I’m just a big bad beast that destroys everything I touch. It’s all my fault... I deserved every bit of hurt and abuse they gave me. I’m just a beast, undeserving of speech and love. I’m nothing but a wild hound without an owner... It was all my fault...” Catalyst continued, shoulders starting to shake as tears left his eyes. “It’s all my fault...”

Gregor wiped his tears and peppered kisses all over his face. “It’s not your fault. They brought themselves to ruin. If they treated you like an animal they shouldn’t have been surprised when you acted like one. I don’t blame you for it.”

Heathcliff smiled a little, and hugged him tightly, careful not to hurt him. “All this time I’ve been looking for a home. All this time I’ve been waiting for someone to love me.”

“I have been too. I’ll be your home if you’ll be mine.” Gregor told him softly.

“I’d like that... I’d like that a lot. Please be careful... losing you and forgetting about you is my worst nightmare. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” The chimera’s voice shook. “I don’t trust anyone here. All of them could hurt you. You’re the only good person I’ve ever met. The world is full of evil people. The Sephirot could kill you so easily.”

“I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.” Gregor told him. “As long as you promise me you’ll never hurt me.” A twinge of paranoia in his heart caused him to say it. He wanted to trust him so bad. But his experience here had hurt him.

“I promise. I swear I’ll never hurt you. I would rather kill myself than hurt you. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.” Heathcliff swore.

“Okay. I’ll trust you.” Gregor smiled and kissed his snout gently.

Heathcliff leaned into the kiss, holding him close. And as Gregor kept kissing him, his clawed hands gently trailed down his body, exploring.

Gregor shivered, feeling his face and body heat up rapidly.

“Ah, I’m sorry, did I hurt you?!” Heathcliff moved his claws away.

“No, you didn’t. I like it.” Gregor reassured him, and took his claws and put them on his hips. “I really like it.”

Heathcliff’s breathing got heavier as he realized the problem. “Ah... I’ll do it more, then...”

Gregor blushed even redder, and kissed him again, more passionately, as Heathcliff’s hands continued to explore.

--

Much later, Gregor stumbled out of the containment unit on shaky legs, neck covered in bite marks and clad in a new E.G.O. Gift: A spiked collar with a heart tag on it. He adjusted the golden bracelet that marked him as Heathcliff’s beloved, and tried to act normal and hope that the containment units were soundproof and that no one looked at the footage or audio recordings. Hod said the manager had a cognitive filter over everything, right? It should be fine. Maybe before he got assigned his next work with Heathcliff he should go ask Netzach for some painkillers. He had a sense that he’d need them.

Chapter Text

Gregor flexed his new E.G.O. Weapon they extracted from Catalyst as he walked briskly through the halls. They called it Love’s Turmoil, and it was a giant clawed hand that worked as a great prosthetic for his missing arm. He knew it did really good white damage, but they were about to have to test it out, because there was a breach, and they needed him.

It was the Warm-Hearted Woodsman, which in Gregor’s personal opinion meant that the manager had already done fucked up, because he already knew how this thing worked, and he already knew that he would be the prime target, what with the constant Attachment work he did with Catalyst.

Gregor was doing a lot of damage, but he was taking a lot too. The Woodsman specifically wanted his heart more than anything, and Gregor was getting chopped quite a bit. Suddenly he heard the horn signaling another breach, and he jumped back, trying to get intel--

Until a familiar figure jumped right on top of the woodsman with his strong bunny legs and started bashing it with a spiked bat. The bat dealt serious damage, and as the figure reeled back and howled, Gregor felt his sanity restored along with everyone else in the room.

Gregor looked at his lover with awe, as did the others. “Heathcliff?”

The wolf-bunny grinned at him, and flexed his free arm in a big thumbs up. “I’m here to help, love! Let’s hop to it! I’ll protect you!!”

Gregor found himself smiling, relieved.

As the Woodsman was killed by Catalyst, Gregor rushed to hug him tightly.

Catalyst paused, not expecting it, not used to being wanted so badly and so publicly, and oh so gently wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight but like he was made of the most fragile glass. “It’s okay, love. I’m here. Everything’s gonna come out sunny.” Heathcliff told him, soft and deep, kissing his hair. “Let’s keep going, until all the threats are dealt with.”

Gregor smiled softly and lovingly into his dewlap. “Yeah... let’s do it.” He didn’t even care that all his coworkers could see them. He was just happy that he really could trust him. “Thank you, liebling... for saving me. My big strong hero.” He mumbled to him softly, mostly just to stroke his lover’s ego, as a reward for being such a big help. He didn’t want anyone but Heathcliff to hear him.

Heathcliff’s foot thumped rapidly, and his tail wagged rapidly as he hugged him a bit tighter, maybe a bit possessively, clearing his throat as he became extremely flustered. “Haha, uh, right! Anything for my Beloved. Nothing is too big an ask!” He tried to play it cool, but he was grinning like a loon. “Uh, anyway, let’s keep it going, there’s another breach too! Lead the way, love!”

Gregor laughed a little, and parted from him, holding his free clawed hand in his. “Okay, let’s go! It’s in the Control Team! Let’s make Hod proud!” He ordered the rest of the team, since Outis was on her own for Magic Bullet-related reasons.

The rest of the team, still awed at the fact that this Abnormality could breach in a more friendly form, hesitated before responding. “Right!”

--

Managerial Tips 5: When the Beloved took over 25% of their HP in damage during a suppression, Catalyst breached passively to kill whatever had hurt them, and continued helping the Beloved suppress threats until there were no more threats, in which it returned peacefully to its room with its Beloved.

--

Hod’s Abnormality Training Videos For The Manager: Catalyst

A shaky camera shows Gregor and Catalyst working together attacking King of Greed from behind.

“Catalyst’s passive form has two attacks!” Says Hod’s voice. “His bat, which does pretty decent RED damage, and his howl, which drains the SP of all enemies in the room but heals the SP of all Agents in the room, especially the Beloved!! The white damage is also pretty massive! His health is pretty beefy, but he’s not invincible, so he still needs to watch out for attacks that would kill any Agent, such as the front of King of Greed or the drop of a Noon of Violet.”

“If Catalyst dies during battle, he will simply spawn back in his containment unit, good as new, but will not be able to passive breach for the rest of the day! And when all threats are neutralized, Catalyst will carry his beloved back to his containment unit and do attachment work on them.”

--

Employee Log:

Employee: Gregor

You can’t really blame me for getting attached right? He literally only breaches when he thinks I’m in danger, and that’s only as an ally! Sure, all Abnos are volatile, and all have complicated rules, but Heathcliff-- I mean, Catalyst, his are so easy to follow. He just wants to be with me as much as possible, and that’s really it. I don’t think he’s hard to deal with compared to what would happen with any other one getting attached to you. Sure, he’s decimated some clerks before while trying to get me away from dangerous other Abnormalities, but he was just scared I would die. I can’t blame him for that, because he would sooner die than kill me but the others would kill me in a sec for wrong containment procedures. So as long as I only work on him, he’ll be okay. I don’t think he’s really that bad. He just needs a bit of love, that’s all. I think I’m the first one to have ever given him that. I hope none of my coworkers see this but... I don’t see him as a human, per se, but nevertheless I see him as a person with feelings, and I think you should treat him like one, Manager. I understand what his concept is. He’s only bad because pain is all he knows. So just try your best not to hurt him, and everything will be a-okay.

--

In Gregor’s experience, Hod wasn’t really the *best* Sephirah like she always insisted she was. She had some serious ego issues and insecurities and thought she knew better than everyone because she was just so *gosh-darned good.* (According to Hod, anyway.) Gregor had lost count of how many times she’d fucked up real bad because she thought it was for the greater good. Such as the entire drug abuse incident, that Gregor had *tried* to gently warn her about again and again. But she didn’t listen, and it led to Angela herself coming down to verbally crush her into tiny pieces over it.

(It was Gregor’s first time seeing Angela. He knew of her, of course, and everyone had a lot of things to say about her, but he’d never seen her interact with anyone before. His first impression of her being that she absolutely crushed his boss’s self esteem was uh... not great. Gregor was very glad she stuck so close to the Manager and didn’t interact with Agents like him. She reminded him a little bit too much of his mother in ‘discipline mode’.)

Point was, Hod wasn’t the best choice of a boss. But compared to everyone else in this place, she was one of the least bad. At the very least she was capable of realizing that she had made a mistake, even if it was after the fact. At least she was capable of learning from most her mistakes. At least in the event that he lost his temper a little for reasons that were entirely her fault, she would realize that and apologize instead of ‘disciplining’ him. At the very least she would do everything in her power to keep her team safe and alive.

That was why Gregor was fond of her, and tried his best to guide her along the right path and support her. He knew what it was like to battle demons in your head, and she acted just like a fresh-faced rookie commander who hadn’t yet learned that there were no heroes or good guys in places like this. Obviously, someone needed to very gently get her to open her eyes, and he was trying.

Unfortunately, there was the whole ‘thinks she knows better than everyone’ thing in the way. Such as the continued counseling sessions with everyone, especially him. She brought him in a lot more than everyone else. Probably because he was the most willing to humor her. He thought that she needed these more than he did, to be honest.

She hadn’t been doing well since Angela crushed her spirit, and it showed in how her robotic body was visibly drooped until Gregor came in. Then she perked up. “Oh! Gregor! You’re right on time! Go ahead and sit down.”

“Sure thing, bright bud.” Gregor complied easily, because he didn’t wanna give her more problems than she already had.

“Alright then! What’s been on your mind lately?” The AI had a notebook and a pen in hand, ready to write.

“Ehhh not much.” He thumbed idly at the heart tag on his E.G.O. Gift. “Work has been really easy since I got assigned to Heath-- er, Catalyst.”

“How about we talk about that, then? You’ve been really close and attached to him!! You know, we didn’t even know he had a passive breach before you. He’s never given E.G.O. Gifts either! We didn’t even know he could give two!” Hod’s voice betrayed how eager she was to broach the subject.

Gregor winced. He could tell he was gonna get psychoanalyzed. “Well... Yeah, he is really attached to me. Everytime the manager assigns anyone else to do Attachment he throws them out. I’ve heard it really hurts, too. Saw it myself, once. And Insight and Repression is just a death sentence.” Despite his words and grim tone, a goofy smile was slowly coming to his face as he remembered the time he’d been in the hallway when the Manager sent someone else to do Attachment on Catalyst. He’d heard his lover as he threw them out. ‘Are you daft, mate?! You’re not Gregor!!’ It had made Gregor’s entire week.

“But it seems like the feeling is very mutual, isn’t it? There was that incident where you were assigned to do work on another Abnormality and he breached and kidnapped you. You were reported as very distressed when working with any Abnormality other than him. And you certainly didn’t seem opposed when he tossed you over his shoulder and took off running...” Hod sounded very sly, and even her one orange eye was squinted in mirth.

“W-well...” Gregor cleared his throat. The truth was that as soon as he saw Catalyst yelling for him he took off running to him. He doesn’t know what overcame him, because logically it sounded like a very bad idea. But Catalyst had let him hug him, and nuzzled him before picking him up by the back of his shirt and tossing him on his back. “It’s just... I know Abnormalities. I understand them better than anybody. I pick up on their rules easily and remember them. We both know that’s why I’ve lasted this long in this hel-- workplace. Ahem.” He cleared his throat again. “It’s crazy and I still can’t believe it myself, but his rules are really just that simple. Only work with him and treat him like a person.” His voice had grown so very soft the more he spoke.

“So you admit that you’re attached?”

“Ugh... maybe a little, but you should trust me on this one, bright bud. I’ve survived a lot of things I shouldn’t have. He’s sweet, deep down. He’s only bad because it’s all he knows. If you just show him a little love instead he’s harmless.” Gregor defended himself.

“Gregor, is it possible that you’re projecting your intense loneliness from being an alienated disabled war veteran and your need to feel special and good onto an Abnormality?” Hod asked inquisitively, writing intensely.

Gregor sighed. “Bud. Remember the ‘sensitive topics’ thing I taught you about so you had to discipline less employees that got mad at you during these?” He felt a bit bad talking to her like she was a child but this was the same girl who thought handing out Enkephalin like candy was a good idea.

“Oh! Right. Sorry!” She bowed her little box body.

“It’s okay. See? An apology goes a long way when you make a mistake.” He smiled a little at her. “But I mean... you saw the passive breach. He only came out because I took a lot of damage, and he stayed until every threat was taken care of. And...” His smile got goofy again. “Every time we saw a new threat he went on about how he’d protect me... and as he attacked he went on saying ‘stay away from my beloved’... He spoke like I was the only one there that mattered to him. I mean... I’m sure if I kicked the bucket that he’d find a new one lickety split, yeah, but... He just...” He sighed to himself, completely lovestruck. “He really is the more attached out of the two of us...”

Hod hummed. “I suppose you’re right, there... Just be careful, okay? All of this is very new to us, and we don’t know everything he’s capable of. We didn’t even know he could passive breach.”

“I promise I will be. Trust me a little. I’ve been right before, haven’t I? How long have I been on your team?” He smiled at her, a little more playfully.

“Oh, you’ve been here forever... I don’t even remember when you first arrived.” The robot laughed gently. “But I’ll still keep a close eye on you, just in case. You’re the nicest guy on my team, lots of people really care about you. I’d hate it if something happened to you.”

“Aw, I’m sure you say that to all your Agents...” He deflected, flustered. He was sure she didn’t really mean it. He was completely disposable. Only still here because he got really lucky. He just got really lucky with this sweet and kind Abnormality randomly picking him to be his lover. “That reminds me, how have the other Agents been treating you? Is everyone else doing okay in the new form of counseling?” He tried to turn the conversation onto her.

“Oh... Some of them have found it really helpful. But a lot of them really don’t like it...” She sighed.

Gregor hummed and pretended to be thoughtful. “Y’know, maybe you oughta focus on the ones who found it helpful? Without giving them Enkephalin. I mean, I know I find it helpful to talk out my problems with you, so I’ll be on that list. You can’t help ‘em if they don’t wanna help themselves.” He tried to nudge her gently onto the right path.

“But... I just don’t understand why they all hate me... I’m so nice to everyone...! I’m the nicest Sephirah...! I’m not like the other Sephirot!!” She was getting herself worked up again.

“Hod, you can’t please everyone. Sometimes you just have to let people be their own undoing. Some people simply aren’t gonna listen.” Gregor tried to break it to her gently.

“But... I wanna be good. I don’t want to be like the other Sephirot that just leave people to die.” Hod stubbornly resisted.

“Even if it’s their own stupidity and bad choices that’s getting them killed?” Gregor couldn’t help the edge in his voice.

Hod was quiet for a very long moment. “A-anyway, let’s be done with counseling for today. You’ve made a lot of progress! Just be careful with Catalyst. I know you’re plenty capable, but we don’t know everything he’s capable of.”

And with that she exited the room, leaving Gregor to sigh to himself. Well, at least he tried.