Someone is about to become a pawn of Team Evil and is not happy about it.

[updateit]

With all due respect, user, I do not believe any sane person would be happy about this. I understand that you consider this a 'push in the right direction' but that will not make it any less painful for me. At least you are being kind enough not to involve Alpha in all of this; I'm certain that Rinzler would not hesitate to derezz him in an instant. Losing him on top of every thing else that may or will happen as a result of my involvement in the bombings would be too much to bear.

Watching my friends realize what I have done and what I am hiding will be hard enough. I would not blame any of them for wanting to cut ties with me...

Comments

[quorrathexplora]

*brb, just going to come sit with and wrap her arms about him*

[voiceless_anon]

[Friends don't drop you that easily, not if they're real friends.

[Also, Anon is going to come over and hug you. And he's very apologetic about what he's going to have to do, and hopes you'll forgive him afterwards.]

[tanks4thememory]

[Gentle smile.] I think you're severely underestimating your friends if you think they'd run out on you like that, man.

[And even though he hasn't met you in game yet, you still get a hug. Because you clearly need as many as possible.]

[updateit]

[He's just going to sigh and lean into her. Really, she is too good to be his friend.]

[quorrathexplora]

*what are you talking about, he is too good for all the crap she probably will yet pull him through. But for now, she'll just hold him.*

It's not all you are. It's not even what you are. And I trust you, even with that.

[updateit]

[He will always forgive you, Anon. You are one of his best friends. He just doesn't understand why anyone would want to continue being friends with him after...everything.

That does not stop him from curling into the hug and subtly clinging, however.]

[notglitching]

[ Have a rumbling skip that sounds almost like snickering. You're hardly the first to decide being useful to the system is a better choice than derezz.

Now come over there and open that door for him, program. B) ]

[updateit]

[At that he gently tries to pull away, unable to look at her.]

I am a liability, Quorra. A dangerous liability.

[updateit]

My friends tend to be very stubborn when it comes to doing what is best for them. If they don't run out on me then it will be just another mark in their track records.

[He tenses at first, gradually relaxing into the hug like a kicked puppy that does not quite know what to make of a gentle hand.]

[updateit]

[Drive was useful to the system before all of this started happening thank you very much. And since when was blowing up the Archives good for the system?

...and does he really have a choice in the matter? No, no he does not. 8(]

[lostinthecode]

Someone sounds a little down.

[Ohey, look who it is.]

[updateit]

[oh. hey. it's been a while.]

I do not have much to be happy with at present.

[lostinthecode]

Fill me in. Seems I've been a little out of touch with the comings and goings lately. Not that that's any fault of my own.

[tanks4thememory]

Might just be that they're more worried about what's best for you, than what's best for themselves. Cause that's kinda what friends do, ya know?

[And Clu smiles a bit more when Drive relaxes into the hug, further reinforcing Clu's belief that hugs can make most any situation a little better.]

[updateit]

I am being forced to open the core of the Archives to Rinzler so that he can steal the data stored there before destroying the building. Security will probably get on my case because of it. My glitching issue will crop up again. I may very well wind up in confinement. Who knows what else?

[lostinthecode]

[In most cases, Gadget might leer and say, "Well, what's the trouble with a little reform?" But then there's a more sympathetic part of him that stops him from doing so.

He puts a hand on Drive's shoulder.]

You really should have someone look into your glitch. It's not good to keep going with it. It could damage the rest of your code.

[updateit]

[Drive flinches and turns his head away from Gadget. He watches the Blackguard from the corner of his eye but does not look at him directly.]

Most of my code already is damaged. I decided a long, long time ago that I did not want anyone to repair it. I just cannot trust anyone with access to my disc. It is too...intimate. Too vulnerable.

[updateit]

It would make me feel a lot better if they worried about themselves for once...

[lostinthecode]

[That hits Gadget right in the feels. He's aware of how damaging a damaged code gone rampant can be to a program, and knowing that makes this surprisingly more upsetting than he thought it would be. And this is knowing how a program degrades from outside the Grid. On the inside? Different story entirely.]

Drive...

I've never really given you a reason to trust me, but I could help. I think? The only reprogramming I know of that can be done without a user is rectifying, but... [He thinks long and hard a moment. He's not a user, though, he couldn't be.] I think I could help fix you, without reprogramming you.

[tanks4thememory]

Even if they did, they'd still worry about you too. Cause they care about you. [The smile becomes a slight smirk, though it's no less gentle.] You just seem to attract programs for whom that's right at the top of the priority queue.

[The smirk softens back to a small smile.] You're a good guy, Drive, whatever else you might be. Your friends recognize that. [And so, it's implied, does Clu.]

[voiceless_anon]

[Drive can cling all he likes. Anon's going to be there for him.]

[updateit]

[Given what Rinzler has just done to him you will have to forgive Drive if his clinging becomes something closer to a render-cracking embrace.]

[voiceless_anon]

[That's okay. Anon will heal, and there will be as much hug as Drive needs.]

[updateit]

[No. No, that's not okay. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. Least of all his friends. Excuse him while he suddenly tries to end the hug before it becomes painful for Anon.]