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NINE: Juice?
JUICE: yyyup whats up
JUICE: .
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JUICE: .
JUICE: nine dude you still here
NINE: Um… kind of. Sorry, I came here to ask something and for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
JUICE: insane considering we’re literally machinery with practically infinite storage capacity
JUICE: but dw i have the exact same problem lol
NINE: Heh. Thanks, J.
JUICE: hey
JUICE: just while you’re here and ten isn’t we could like
JUICE: talk or somethin idk
NINE: Yeah, I’d like that. Feels like i haven’t gotten a chance to talk to you in ages…
JUICE: youre right about that for sure hah
JUICE: i dunno
JUICE: right now i’m just kind of tired
NINE: …Like, charging tired?
JUICE: NO no i wouldn’t no
JUICE: no. i wouldn’t charge now even if i did need to because i’d rather stay here with you
JUICE: i mean with ten charging and all you really kinda need someone rn, and i’m honestly totally prepared to be that someone
JUICE: if you’re fine with it that is
NINE: Mmm. That sounds nice.
NINE: Thanks for all this Juice, I mean it :]
JUICE: no no need to thank me, i’m just awesome like that
JUICE: you sure youre okay niner?
NINE: Of course. Now that I’m talking to you.
JUICE: awwww <3
NINE: <3
NINE: You know, I’ve sort of noticed. You never really get like this with Ten.
JUICE: ? get like what
NINE: All sentimental. You don’t like doing it when Ten’s around.
NINE: But then we get times like this where we get to talk one-on-one, and you’re the sappiest guy I’ve ever seen. Hell, you don’t even use emoticons around Ten.
JUICE: well, you don’t use italics around ten but you dont see me interrogating you about it
NINE: Juice, quit it. I just… why is that?
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NINE: Juice?
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NINE: I’m sorry. I– could you come back please?
NINE: .
NINE: It’s quiet.
NINE: Look, I know you’re probably not… not here right now, but for when you get back:
NINE: I was just thinking about this because of that massive conversation we had a while ago. Like, the first time i woke up. It was one of our very first dialogues where it was just us, no Ten.
JUICE: mm. go on
NINE: Juice! Shit! Hi!
NINE: Er… gosh, what was I saying..?
JUICE: massive conversation, one of our first just-the-two-of-us chats
NINE: Right.
NINE: It was about the 500 cannon. To begin with.
NINE: Then it sort of derailed into talking about how much of Earth is still unexplored, and how awesome that is, and how, gosh, there’s only a certain type of person who would do such-and-such a thing…
NINE: And you stopped in the middle of your sentence. And you apologised for going on and on because you felt like you were boring me. I wasn’t really talking much, so it was understandable you might think that. But I was really paying attention. It was awesome hearing your perspective on stuff, and I was genuinely really excited and–
NINE: uh. Yeah. Jeez, I don’t even know if you remember. I told you you weren’t boring me—you really weren’t—and you just… uh, kind of.
NINE: You said you liked me. And it was the first time you’d ever said that. And then we just kind of moved on.
NINE: And the rest of the conversation was almost sad. There’re no more kids on Earth to go exploring and find new stuff and have all that wonder. You kind of made me reflect on that. And I don’t exactly remember being a kid, coz you know, we’re space probes n’all. But… yeah. I don’t know. I really don’t know.
NINE: And I’d never seen you act like that. You were so loud and rambly (positive) and back then that was the only impression I had of you. I didn’t know this Juice. The Juice who I’m talking to right now. The Juice who was sad. The Juice who said he liked me.
NINE: It was nice. And I was disappointed, for a while, because I didn’t get to see that side of you again for a long time. I fell asleep before I got the chance.
NINE: But then I woke up, and when I was on the verge of falling asleep, it was you. Again. Being called when my voice kept cutting out. Knowing what I was saying without being able to see it. Fixing my antenna. You know.
NINE: And it was good. You were good. You are good.
NINE: .
NINE: Sorry. I’ve been rambling. My fault. Just don’t pay attention to me.
JUICE: it was actually the second time.
NINE: …What?
JUICE: second ‘i like you’
JUICE: first was when we were talking about game 27, you me and ten
JUICE: and ten was being as she usually is you know, ‘ugh this is pointless’ nothing ever happens blahblahblah
JUICE: and then you stood up for me and you said EXACTLY my thoughts on the game
JUICE: everybody could score so many points if they just worked together but they WONT and the disharmony is what makes it BRILLIANT to observe
JUICE: and i said ‘holy shit i like you’
JUICE: so you’re wrong there.
NINE: How do you remember that? Hah… I don’t even remember that properly. Game 27…
NINE: I just…
NINE: You know what. I don’t care anymore. I’m just gonna let it go.
NINE: I like being like this with you.
JUICE: me too <3
NINE: I love you <3
NINE: *like
NINE: fuck
NINE: sorry
JUICE: mmm
JUICE: i like you too <3
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JUICE: if ten were here she’d totally ruin this lol
NINE: Thankfully, we already have a you to do that for us.
TEN: What the fuck.