Never Lie, Never Sin, Tell Us What A Mess We're In [Open to Multiple]

[all_the_gifts]

Melanie stares at the door to her cell. There is something different about it today. She's having a little trouble placing it, but she knows there's something off. It's concerning. She has been so clear about what ROMAC needs to do to keep everyone else safe from her, and the suspicion that they're messing up somehow makes her very, very nervous.

It's the locks, she realizes after a few moments of intense scrutiny. That is what's wrong. There are supposed to be five, but she only counts four. That can't be right. Melanie approaches the door with a little frown on her face, her fingertips hovering a few inches from the metal, wary of the shock she'll get if she actually touches it. Her hand flits from lock to lock like a hummingbird. Now there are six. How are there six? She counts again, baffled to find that the number has halved itself to three.

She tries to count again, but this time, there are none.

Now she does reach out to touch the door, she can't help it - she can't believe it. They can't have taken the locks away. They're important. Hasn't she made it clear how incredibly important it is that they keep her in here?

The door does not shock her. Instead, it swings open beneath her hand, smooth and silent.

Melanie presses her lips together, her mouth a thin, disapproving line. She doesn't like the thought of leaving her room, but someone has to be told about this so they can get it fixed. Keeping her movements slow and even, as if she's trying to sneak past a group of hungries, Melanie carefully steps out into the hall to look for help.

Comments

[bibliophale]

"I - oh." Aziraphale blinks for several moments, trying to wrap his head around this sudden wealth of information. He can't quite comprehend the particulars, but the general thread is easy enough to follow, and it does explain rather a lot. The odd extra levels of consciousness he's sensing must be this fungal entity. She believes she is a monster - and she is, where she comes from. She sees this living situation as thoroughly justified. Necessary.

"I see." He looks at the floor and runs a hand over his hair, trying to think of something else to say. "I, er. I'm sorry."

He lifts his chin again, meeting her eyes. "So this is how you lived in your world, as well?"

[all_the_gifts]

"It's okay," she says, because that is the polite thing to say. It's not actually okay at all, because she had stopped being a monster back home. It's only here that she's back to being humanity's greatest threat instead of its future.

She doesn't want to tell Aziraphale about that. "A little," she hedges. "It's nicer here. Back home, there were chemical showers, and they strapped us into wheelchairs whenever they wanted to move us around." It feels like ancient history, even though it was only a couple of months ago.

[bibliophale]

Well that sounds perfectly awful. He tries not to look too stunned or horrified; he suspects that would not be particularly helpful.

"I see," he says again. It's odd to him, and strangely frustrating, to find someone so clearly in need of help, proper help, angelic help, who seems nonetheless not to want it. And someone so very young. It would break his heart, he suspects, if that were a thing that could happen to him.

"And there's... definitely no hope of a cure?" he asks softly. He just doesn't want to accept that this charming little girl must be locked away out of sight for the duration of her life here. It isn't - well, it doesn't seem fair.

[all_the_gifts]

It's a common question, but it isn't often asked with such genuine concern for her. He reminds her, a little, of Miss Justineau in that way. Melanie feels a sudden impulse to hug him, but she tamps it down. Kind as he's been, she's not so sure he'd appreciate such a gesture coming from her. Not now that he knows what she is.

Instead, she reaches out and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Not for me," she says, giving him a bracing little pat before pulling her hand away. An odd gesture, maybe, but better than nothing. "It's what I am."

[bibliophale]

He can't help a wince at that, and at the uncomfortably adult gesture. He reaches out and catches her hand, clasping it gently. It's all very well if she's resigned to her fate, but something doesn't sit right with him, leaving her here. By all accounts ROMAC is not a safe place for people, especially people like her. He suspects he's not going to get much further here, though. It will bear some investigating when he's awake.

"How long have you been here, Melanie?" he asks.

[all_the_gifts]

Melanie blinks. He's holding her hand. On purpose. After a moment of stunned hesitation, she gives his hand a gentle squeeze in return. He's so nice! He must be the nicest person she's met here - though, she realizes with a little pang of disappointment, if this is just a dream, it's not a proper meeting.

She has to think about his question for a few moments, because it takes her that long to remember what the date was before she fell asleep. "Seventy-two days," she says. "It was May 13th when I first arrived, and ROMAC found me right away. I was lucky."

She studies his face for a moment, then tightens her grip on his hand a little. "Please don't be sad," she pleads, her expression earnest. "I promise I'm okay."

[bibliophale]

"Oh." He stammers a little at the entreatment not to be sad, what a strange thing to be told. "All right. If you say so."

He pats her hand and lets it go, offering her an encouraging smile. See? he's fine.

"You are a remarkable little girl," he comments. "Even if you are only part little girl."

[all_the_gifts]

"Thank you," Melanie says, shyly returning his smile. Feeling the need to return the compliment as well, she adds, "And you are a very kind man, even if this is only a dream."

[bibliophale]

"Oh, I'm glad you think so," he says, a bit giddy at having it pointed it out. He is doing such a great job right now. Sunshine would be so proud, he bets.

He's starting to feel the tug of consciousness, however, pulling at the back of his mind. "I think I'm starting to wake up now," he says. "But I'll see you again soon. All right?"

He manages one last smile before he wakes up, rather startled about it, in his flat.

[all_the_gifts]

Melanie furrows her brow, not sure that visiting in person is a good idea - and that's all assuming the guards even let him in, which she's certain they wouldn't. But before she can object, Aziraphale announces that he's waking up - and then vanishes right before her eyes.

"… Aziraphale?" she tries. There's no response. Frowning, she gazes around her room. It suddenly feels much emptier than it ever has before. Melanie lets out a sigh, then ventures back out into the hall. Maybe he's out there. Or maybe she'll find someone else.