Work Text:
Dante’s notes:
Well, we’ve finally gotten Uptie 5. Unlike previous upties, this one’s only available to older IDs at the moment. Ones that mirror enemies or people we met in the earlier stages of our journey, that is, and that Mephistopheles’s engine has had access to for a while. Apparently it’s been long enough that we can now find “better potentialities” for those IDs, usually making them significantly more powerful.
A side effect of doing this, apparently, is that the majority of the Uptied IDs are now from further in the future than previously. Faust said this isn’t surprising, since the “better potentialities” are “frequently found later in the timeline, once they have overcome their limitations”. Well, I guess people becoming better fighters over time isn’t exactly an unusual concept.
It’s kind of interesting to see how time changes these Mirror Sinners, actually. Some of them have really changed in terms of fighting styles, looks, personalities, etc. It almost feels like having two different IDs entirely. Fortunately, I still have access to the lower-uptie versions if I ever need to go back to them. But in the meantime I’ve been testing out every updated ID I can get my hands on.
I had enough stockpiled thread to get one of each Sinner Uptied (starting vaguely with the ones who used to be the worst— no offense intended towards them, but it’s not as though they’ll ever see these notes anyways), and I’m running short Mirror Dungeon cycles to test them out in small groups.
Currently I’m watching Mariachi Sinclair solo a wave of Wuthering Heights butlers, which isn’t something I’d ever thought I would see. He’s got a constant evasion thing now, so he’s just dancing out of the way of the majority of the hits. Does this mean I finally have a useful Sinclair to put on my Sinking team?
Looks like Sinclair’s done. I’ll update this again later.
————
Okay, this isn’t at all the update I thought I would be making, but I have to write down what just happened.
I had been leaving the Sinners I wasn’t using back in the entry hall of the first floor, like I do on any run that won’t be going into the Extreme floors. Several Sinners (and several different IDs of said Sinners) have told me that’s a bad idea because I should be keeping the people I’m not fielding with me to protect me. Which is a fair point, I guess.
Also, certain IDs don’t follow orders when I’m not right nearby. So even though I tell them to just sit there and not wander off into the dungeon or fight each other, I've had to rewind the clock upon getting back a fair few times.
But even though it causes problems, I just… I like giving them a quiet place to rest. Some of the IDs really need it. I don’t know if it carries over to their worlds, but even temporary comfort has to mean something, doesn't it?
Anyways.
So, I got back from my Mariachi Sinclair run, and everyone else (minus LCCB Ishmael, who had decided to come with me to guard me) was spread out throughout the hall like usual. With one less usual thing.
Dante watches in disbelief as a sleeping Sunshower Heathcliff slowly slides further down an equally unconscious Rosespanner Meursault’s shoulder. The two are propped against the wall, far from where the majority of the Mirror Sinners are maintaining a studied distance from each other and conversing with wary curiosity. Heathcliff’s cloak has spread out to form a sort of cushion underneath them.
After a moment of deliberation, Dante decides to try and approach them.
<<Are you two… are you actually asleep?>> Their voice breaks off with a confused chiming noise.
Meursault makes a quiet sound of discontent at the noise, and turns his head to bury it in Heathcliff’s hair, between the two canid ears that have sprung out and pushed the hood of his cloak down. One hand loosely grips his hammer, and the other is wrapped around Heathcliff’s side.
<<Um.>>
“Hey. Bud. Don’t wake them up, they could use the rest.”
Dante turns to look at Rosespanner Gregor, who is leaning against the opposite wall a ways away. He beckons them over.
<<So… Are those two…>>
He takes a drag from his cigarette, then nods. “Yep. Gave us a pretty big surprise too. But Heathcliff’s not so bad when his sanity’s under control.”
<<Really? Aren’t you… On opposite sides of things?>>
“Not anymore. Heathcliff’s not part of the Alliance these days, and even if he was our workshop’s never taking another deal with K Corp. Bygones can stay bygones, and all that. Besides, it’s hard to hold a grudge when he’s so good for Meursault.”
<<He isn’t? And you aren’t? And he is?>>
(Damn it, they should have talked to all the Sinners more thoroughly before they started the runs! This is pretty major information for team-building.)
Gregor shrugs. “Things happened. You’re better off talking to them about it than me. But as for the last point… Well, you know how much Meursault works. Me and Rodya hadn’t fully realized how bad it was until Heathcliff came along, actually, since Meursault never really mentioned how much of other people’s work he was taking on. Heathcliff makes him stand up for himself, and go home earlier, and sometimes he even comes to the workshop to chew us out. It’s a combination of protectiveness and still considering modern workforces to be the root of all evil, I think.”
<<And you’re all okay with that? With Meursault working less, I mean. He used to think that wasn’t a possibility.>>
“Well, it made things a bit harder for a while, since Meursault wasn’t holding the whole workshop together single-handedly. But we restructured things to be more efficient, and fired the people who hadn’t been doing anything, so we eventually ended up better off. The big guy’s still doing a lot of our paperwork, but that’s actually accounted for in his job duties now, so he doesn’t have a million other things on his plate as well. He gets a whole 12 hours off nowadays, if not more.”
<<That’s honestly really nice to hear. He does look a bit less gaunt now, definitely…Although he’s still got pretty bad eye bags.>>
“Those are probably a permanent feature at this point, bud.” Gregor chuckles, then sighs. “But he’s also been having a rough go of it with some bounty hunters trying to track Heathcliff down. Sponsored by K Corp, so the workshop can’t do too much to help them without major repercussions. The stress is getting to both of them. That’s why I said you should let them sleep— they can actually relax here.”
<<Relaxing if you ignore the fact that they’re in an extra-dimensional dungeon waiting for me to call them to fight terrifying monsters and die over and over again?>>
Gregor chokes on a drag of his cigarette laughing at that. “S’pose that’s fair. But they’re managing to rest pretty well anyways, ‘ne?”
<<I guess so, yeah. I was actually planning on doing a solo run with Heathcliff next… maybe I’ll postpone that. Time for a LCCB run! Ishmael, Rodya, are you two good to go?>>
That run ended up taking longer than I expected because of ammo management (they actually spend ammo now. It’s crazy). When I got back it was already the end of the workday, so I had to just remove the IDs and accept that tomorrow will be another Dungeon Day. I’ll be starting with Heathcliff and Meursault, obviously… Assuming Heathcliff’s willing to show up tomorrow after how the day ended.
Heathcliff is curled up, and it’s warm, and he’s safe.
He can smell Meursault next to him. Feel him, too. That’s good.
They’re on the floor, somewhere that isn’t their apartment. He can’t remember where or why, exactly, but if he isn’t in danger it doesn’t matter for the moment. With that decided, he presses himself further against his partner and resolves to go fully back to sleep.
As he drifts back off, he notes that people are talking a few metres away. Have been for a minute, maybe. Then the one that ticks says something decisively.
The glass shatters, and the glimpse through the Mirror is severed. Things begin to return to what they are, instead of what they could have been. But the shadows cling for a final few seconds.
Heathcliff is curled up, and it’s warm, and he’s safe.
It’s even nicer than his naps on the couch the bus seats. It’s nicer because the person he loves is next to him, settled against his side, one large hand splayed out across his side, lips brushing faintly across the top of his head, and
<<Heathcliff.>>
Heathcliff jolts upright so fast he hits Meursault on the chin. They both recoil in pain.
“Ow. Fuck. What?”
Rubbing at his reddened chin, Meursault blinks at Heathcliff with what looks like about as much sleepy confusion as Heathcliff is feeling. Probably. It was always slightly hard to tell what the bloke was thinking, but it feels easier at the moment for some reason. Maybe because of how close together their faces still are?
Wait. Meursault is who he’s been leaning against. Which means Meursault is who he his ID…
“Ah. Um. Sorry, mate.” He wobbles to his feet (Light his legs are stiff), which has the side effect of dislodging the hand that had apparently been on his waist. Meursault stares down at it as if he doesn’t understand it’s attached to him.
Cute. Shut up.
Someone snickers, and he belatedly notices the rest of the Sinners arrayed nearby. Dante is standing in the center, ticking hesitantly.
<<Hi. I didn’t want to wake you two up until the last moment, so I took your IDs off while you were still asleep. That might have been a bad idea. Do you know where you are? Do you know who you are?>>
“Yes, of course I bloody know—”
“Do you know what your relationship with Meursault is?” Rodya interjects with a grin. Ishmael immediately swats her on the back of the head.
“Quiet. We have all sorts of different relationships with each other in different Mirror Worlds. If they meant anything in this one then we should all have formed factions based on our Kurokumo and Blade Lineage IDs. Heathcliff, you don’t have to answer that.”
“There’s nothing to answer anyways! Fuck off.”
She rolls her eyes. “Why do I ever bother trying to help you?”
<<Guys. We can all agree we don’t need to keep talking about it. The sooner we move on and get back to the bus, the sooner you guys can be let off for the day.>>
That effectively shuts people up, and everyone starts making their ways to the exit door.
Heathcliff falls behind by a few steps, falling in beside a once again stone-faced Meursault.
“…Sorry, mate. Again. It’s not that I don’t… you’re a decent enough bloke. I just don’t… It was weird as hell to wake up like that with someone else’s thoughts in my brain.”
Meursault nods. “There is nothing to apologize for. I was in an equally confused state. Furthermore, no harm occurred to either of us.”
“Yeah.”
…
“It was pretty comfortable, at least. You look like you’ll be solid as a brick, but it wasn’t half bad. Nice to lean my head against something that wasn’t as hard as the bus wall is, at least.”
“…I am glad you had an adequate experience. I did as well, in fact.”
“Well. Right on.”
They walk on in silence after that until they return to the bus, where Dante officially dismisses them.
As the Sinners filter out to their rooms one by one, Meursault steps up beside Heathcliff again. Maybe it’s the lingering fox-Heathcliff’s thoughts, but he almost looks unsure of himself.
“During periods where you would like to sleep on the bus, I would be willing to move backwards by one row to sit beside you.”
He’s not sure he heard that right. “Sorry?”
“We could… rest together again in the future, given that we both found it to be an agreeable experience. Only if you are amenable to the idea.”
…
On one hand, the teasing would be insufferable.
On the other hand…
On the other hand, it really had been comfortable.
“You know what, sure. On days where we’re stuck in traffic and there isn’t shit to do except nap, why not. Long as you keep those gauntlets from poking me.”
“Those are agreeable terms. Until then, then.”
And Meursault departs through the door.
Heathcliff shakes his head in disbelief. Then he remembers he’s not alone at the front of the bus.
Rodya, standing with Dante, has regained her shit-eating grin.
“Don’t fucking start. It won’t be my fault if Clockhead’s gotta bring you back.”
<<…Please don’t.>>
Rodya holds up her hands in surrender. “My lips are sealed! I just wanted to suggest one thing.”
He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t stop her from continuing.
“Try to drool on him a bit less next time. It’s a turnoff for a lot of people if you aren’t cute while you sleep~”
She ducks through the door as Heathcliff’s bat bounces off it with a clang. He turns his glare on Dante instead.
Dante sighs. <<I’ll talk to her. But you know she’s just looking for something entertaining. She’s not seriously trying to insinuate anything.>>
He doesn’t deign to respond to that, just scoffs and heads for the door himself.
Then he pauses just before entering.
“Clockhead. I really am dating the tinman in that Mirror World?”
<<It seems like a bit more than that, honestly. But yes. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can… try to keep the IDs separate in the future? Although it did look like they had good synergy…>>
Their fire is drooping the way it does when they’re trying to give a sad puppy dog face. Heathcliff sighs.
“It’s fine. Just keep the peanut gallery quiet about it, would you?”
<<Deal.>>
So yeah, that was what happened! (Honestly, I don’t think anyone would have made as much of a big deal out of it if Heathcliff hadn’t been blushing so hard.)
I think I’ll ask the IDs more about their relationship tomorrow. Heathcliff said to keep the Sinners from gossiping, but he didn’t say I couldn’t be nosy. I’m the Executive Manager, after all. It’s my job to know things about my Sinners! And I want to know how those two got together.
———
I wonder if our Heathcliff and Meursault…
No, never mind. It's not a good idea to speculate on things like that.
———
Maybe I should send the two of them out for our next grocery run.