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[spaghettiinmysoul]

[So Rabbit has come to a sobering conclusion.]

So. We ain't re-re-real.

[This only means one thing]

Nuthin' here is real.

[And further more]

So I don't gotta act like it is real.

[Which is why he is boldly and uncaringly standing in front of a terminal. Stark. Naked.]

I can do whatever I want. S'all fa-fake anyway. Who's gonna stop me?

Comments

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[Wait his whole head was off? That would... explain the blankness of his memory. He reached up to touch his neck gently, staring at The Spine from his position on the floor.]

.... A-all of it?

[awfulsentimetal]

Y-yeah. All of it.

[Please don't ask why please don't ask why--]

Now do you see why it needs to be checked?

[spaghettiinmysoul]

.... How?

[Sorry Spine, he has to know these things.]

Wha-what happened?

[awfulsentimetal]

[He tugs the brim of his fedora down to hide his photo-receptors and looks away with a guilty twist to his mouth.]

I...

[Of all the times to be an honest 'bot.]

...had a... a malfunction. You tried t'stop me from hurtin' anyone and I... I'm sorry, Rabbit.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[There was a pause... and Rabbit pulls himself out from under the door and moves to The Spine. He just wraps his arms around him, hugging him tightly]

... Ya di-didn't mean to. I know ya didn't. It's okay, Spine...

[awfulsentimetal]

[That sure is a hug he's returning. Maybe it hadn't been on purpose, but it had happened, and the fact that they're having this conversation again only makes it worse.]

Not meanin' to doesn't make it so it didn't happen. Just... I need to make sure all your wires are connected right. Please.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[You win, Spine. He... can't really fight with that.]

A-a-alright...

[He lets go, and just goes to sit on the bed, loosening the collar of his vest and shirt to allow The Spine a better look at his neck]

[awfulsentimetal]

Thank you.

[His relief is more than evident as he moves to stand in front of Rabbit. He leans down.]

Tilt your head to the right.

[Even now, with no signs of the catastrophic malfunction repeating itself, he's reluctant to place his hands anywhere near Rabbit's head.]

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[Rabbit obliges, tilting his head to the side. There's really nothing to see, not even a hint that it needed to be repaired at any point, whole and unmarked.]

Ya s-see anything? I don't fe-fe-feel anything.

[awfulsentimetal]

[That... that doesn't seem right.]

... No. There's nothin' to see.

[The Spine sits beside him on the bed--goo-filled pod don'tthinkaboutit--and takes his fedora off to fiddle with it.]

Not so much as a fresh solderin' mark. It's like nothin' happened at all.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

Ain't nu-nuthin'?

[He rubs his neck hesitantly]

... This p-place is weird. I gu-guess either they got some amazin' kinda engineers here or...

I dunno...

[awfulsentimetal]

[Or everything, everything, was an illusion and he hadn't actually ripped off Rabbit's head at all. But if that were the case, why had they taken his body? What had been done to him?]

...Rabbit, we've got to get your memory up to speed again, 'cause this conversation is gonna be damn hard if you can't remember anythin'.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

Well uh...

Ya c-could hit me in the head? See if that works?

[awfulsentimetal]

How about you try thinkin' really hard about the last thing you remember from this place, instead.

[Because he'd rather keep percussive adjustment a last resort.]

[spaghettiinmysoul]

We-well... I remember Yotsuba. Annnnn'.... ge-gettin' blown up.

[Click. Clickclickclick]

An'... tickin' off some lady. I did that.

[CLICK]

Oh hey! I remember when you got here!

[awfulsentimetal]

Yeah? You remember fussin' about gettin' your head-wiring looked at just like you did today?

[Faint quirk of his lips, there, and a teasing note in his voice.

It doesn't last long. The smile fades all too quickly, replaced by a serious frown.]

What about our bodies. Can you remember what we found out about'em, and how?

[spaghettiinmysoul]

Uh...

[More clicks. Then a loud whir and a blast of steamy exhaust]

We g-got souls. I know that.

[awfulsentimetal]

[Good enough.]

Yeah. Yeah, we have... souls. Somethin' like'em, anyway. But our bodies ain't real, so I guess... maybe there's no damage showin' because what you look like now has nothin' to do with what we are underneath.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

Y-yeah... maybe. I mean, I gu-guess that makes sense, if we ain't re-real or nuthin'.

[CLICK THUNK]

Hey! That's why I d-d-don't got pants on right now! We ain't re-re-real!

[awfulsentimetal]

Makes about as much sense as anythin' else in this nutty place.

[... Uh oh. Uh oh. DARN IT.

Anticipating the copper 'bot making a break for it, The Spine snags a handful of the sheet still thoroughly tangled around him.]

We're real enough.

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[AUGH NO TANGLED. Rabbit thrashes, steam exploding from his vents, along with some rather fancy swear words coming out of his mouth]

They a-a-ain't real clothes! I ain't pu-puttin' on pants! I'm p-protestin' pa-pants! Forever!

[awfulsentimetal]

What do I have to do to get you to put your darn pants back on.

[Yep, that is totally deadpan. The Spine is used to your tantrums by now, buddy, you can curse as much as you want. Water off a duck's back.]

[spaghettiinmysoul]

NUTHIN'! I ain't pu-puttin' 'em back on fer nuthin!

[awfulsentimetal]

[Y'know what, Rabbit.]

Fine. Fine. I'm done fightin' you about this. You just go ahead and run around in the altogether, I won't stop you.

[Annnd he lets go of the sheet.]

[spaghettiinmysoul]

[... But it's not fun if you give up. Rabbit doesn't run, just pouts]

... That's it?

Aw... y-yer no fun.

[And this is Rabbit grumpily getting up to start rooting through his clothes for some pants]

Ain't no fun if ya d-don't care anymore.