AMALTHEA

[soulping]

[ Everything fades to black...and you awaken in a run-down one-room shack, with the distinct feeling that the people around you are your family, if you didn't already have such a bond with them.

You're wearing raggedy versions of your uniform, and a newspaper informs you that you are currently in Cathay, on the fifteenth anniversary of the day the company Lupus' Secret Stash led a coup and established their own government. In fact, you can now remember why you came here - to escape the misfortunes of your own country - because this is truly the land of opportunity and freedom. ]

Comments

[whoslaughingmeow]

[He nods, swallowing hard.]

O-okay.

[codecmoment]

Okay, we're going to need bandages, any kind of disinfectant, something to pull the bullet out, painkillers if we have any, and something for Leo to bite down on.

[whoslaughingmeow]

[He's still nodding, but mostly focused on. Not breaking down and panicking.]

[codecmoment]

As I do this, you can cry and scream and whatever you want. But remember, it isn't your fault. Now I'm going to just talk to you about random things, and I want you to just listen to me talking. Okay?

[whoslaughingmeow]

R-right.

[Nodding so furiously.]

[codecmoment]

Okay. So, even if we're cold here, we don't live in Alaska. I went up there, y'know, to build a giant robot. It's a big tank. I can show you my memories of it, if you'd like.

[ He's making sure all the supplies are organized so he can... well, metaphorically tear off the bandaid, but pulling out a bullet will be much worse. But so he can do it quickly and as smoothly as possible. ]

I actually got to fight another giant robot in my giant robot, ten years later. It sounds pretty awesome, right? I can show you that one, too, but I wasn't there in person - I was with my partner, the soldier, via a little companion robot.

-- here, bite down on this.

[ Okay, time to actually pull it out. ]

[whoslaughingmeow]

[He's nodding, trying to focus on what Otacon says.

And bites down.

and then holy shit I can feel everything.

His eyes snap open and even though he's biting down, a very strangled whimpering howl gets out of the gaps at the side of his mouth. Tears are just streaming down his face now as he tries to focus on anything else, anything but watching what's happening.]

[codecmoment]

[ He keeps talking in a forced, but gentle voice. ]

I loved my partner a lot. His dad was here, did you know that? On Alectryon. He's gone now, into the pods. He was just as handsome as his son. They both went by the codename, "Snake." Everyone knew my feelings about the both of them. That's why I'm all cold and sad, now. They're both gone.

[ He puts some disinfectant on that wound, or whatever he can, and keeps tending to it with practiced, mechanical efficiency. ]

But you're gonna be okay, okay? It's going to be sore and stuff, but Belt has a healing shard she can lend you when we're done. We'll be okay.

[whoslaughingmeow]

[Nodding furiously. Focus on his story. Focus. Belt's shard, right.

It mostly works.

Mostly.

Still a lot of tears dripping off him.]

[unguilded]

[ Also with Otacon's trying to calm him down, Rook reaches for one of Leo's hands with a shaking, cold one of his own. Squeeze all you want, bro. ]

[whoslaughingmeow]

[It's being squeezed so hard.]

[unguilded]

[ Good thing Rook is a bit stronger than him so while he definitely feels that OW, it's ... bearable. It's also bearable because it's Leo and he's in pain. He'll let him squeeze has hard as he needs to. ]