Bead-weighted chests with lofticries...

[preytosociety]

Who: Daneel, Kobra, and Lydia
What: Lydia's having intense nightmares that somehow lead to bonding with her house buddies, Kobra and Daneel. Plus a lesson on the laws of robotics.
Where: House 7
When: Day Five - Around 4:00am
Warnings: Memory of traumatic events including mental and physical abuse, potentially graphic imagery?



Even though his hold on her had seemingly been broken when he was brought back to life, the mental and physical scars of Peter Hale's bite were still there. It was easy to keep the marred skin of her side hidden. No one who hadn't known her at the time of the attack had any idea. It was the imprint he'd left, the memories and the images flowing through her mind whenever she let it wander, that she couldn't deny. As much as she wanted to repeat the words over and over, 'mountain lion' just wasn't going to cut it anymore.

It had happened.

And when Lydia closed her eyes, she could feel it happening all over again. The bite. The claws in her skin. His hands on her face. The burnt body--

She awoke with a start to the sound of screaming. It took her almost a full minute to realize the screaming was coming from her. She stopped, covering her mouth with her hand and pulling her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth ever so slightly. There were tears in her eyes and a look of pure terror still frozen on her face.

All she could do was hope no one had heard her.

Comments

[goodluckkobra]

It was a relief that Lydia felt the same way he did about the matter. He gave her another smile. "I told him that if anyone messes with him, they're getting a stern talking-to."

At least, that was what he would tell Daneel. He didn't want to cause Daneel any harm or pain, but he couldn't just change his methods over night, either, even if he would put in an honest effort. It wasn't like there was anything he could see that needed to be fought here. He remembered growing up without this kind of fighting. He could almost picture living a normal life if he tried hard enough.

"Uh, sugar? I don't usually drink tea." He turned to Lydia. "What do people usually take in it?"

[preytosociety]

Lydia grinned. How did she guess? Good. They were all on the same page and they would definitely stick together. Daneel was an entity that could feel pain and think freely and care about people, that was the only incentive she needed to want to protect him.

"Right. We'll pull them aside and give them a piece of our minds." Yep. Choice words weren't all they'd have in store for anyone who was stupid enough to mess with him.

She stared, a little stunned, at the tray in front of them. While Lydia would usually be all about someone waiting on her hand and foot, she felt a little guilty that Daneel was filling the role of robot butler. "Thank you, Daneel, this is... really nice." It was. More than really nice, actually. She'd have to do something to show her appreciation without being too obvious about it. Later. For now, she turned to Kobra, "You're probably gonna want milk with that sugar. That's how I usually take mine. Knowing you, it would probably be four or five sugars."

... That wasn't as condescending as usual. Damn. She was starting to go soft. She briefly considered following that up with something bitchy, but instead chose to simply move over on the couch so Daneel could sit with them.

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel mixed two cups of sweet, milky tea, and handed them to his friends -- he said the word to himself, recognising that he meant it, and it was not a casual courtesy in this case. They were friends, real friends, his third and fourth real friends in his existence. Recognising an invitation, he sat down on the couch next to Lydia.

"I believe you're both being far more protective of me than is at all necessary," he said, "but I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you. And you are very welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

He was slightly anxious about it, his concern for Lydia still foremost in his mind.

[goodluckkobra]

"Thanks." Kobra took the tea with a smile. He was glad to see Daneel sitting with them, since he'd been about to ask him to, anyway.

He touched Daneel's shoulder with the hand that was already around the back of Lydia's shoulders. "That's just how friends are, though. It's like how people in danger make you worry and feel sick. When I know my friends are in danger, it does that to me, so I'd rather just keep you safe to begin with." He couldn't keep his friends back home safe, but he could keep his friends here safe.

[preytosociety]

"... Just stay here? For a while?" That's all she needed. Lydia couldn't possible feel more secure than she did at that moment. She sipped her tea, grateful for the warmth.

It was official. Her social status would never recover. Her secret was out, the nightmares and screaming were back, and her two best friends were a really old, futuristic robot and a kind-of old, futuristic weirdo. It almost shocked her to realize that she didn't even care. Lydia wouldn't trade these two for anything.

"Ditto."

[thezerothlaw]

Kobra had an interesting way of putting things. If Daneel ever did figure out the Laws of Humanity that he and Giskard had discussed (because there simply had to be some equivalent to the Laws that governed human behaviour, and he just didn't know what they were), the safety of those close must have some sort of place on it.

"I have no need or desire to be anywhere but here, Lydia," Daneel promised. "As long as you want company, I'm more than glad to be here for you. As the pair of you keep telling me, it's part of what friends do for each other. I don't think it's out of place to insist it go both ways, if you two insist on treating me as you do."

Still, Lydia would be fine. He'd known that before and he knew that now.

[goodluckkobra]

Kobra smiled at him and leaned against Lydia's side. He took a careful sip of his tea and then tipped his head so that it rested against hers.

"I absolutely do insist on it, Dan. You're one of us and we're going to take care of you just as well as you take care of us." He was glad that Lydia felt the same way. It meant he was right about her. Her bitchiness really was just posturing. She was a good person. He could tell.

He turned his head to kiss her temple. "Don't let yourself get too stressed, Lyds. We've got you."

[preytosociety]

The tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes and threatened to fall were definitely happy ones. Ecstatic ones, actually. Stupid guys. Stupid feelings! As much as she missed Jackson, she'd never felt like this with him or with any of her friends. Not even with her family. She could definitely be a good person around the right people.

These were the right people.

Lydia took Daneel's hand with her free one, threading her fingers through his, and held it in her lap to pull him a bit closer as she let herself relax against Kobra. After a few more sips of tea, she set her mug back on the table and settled between them again with her legs folded up under her. She was just resting her eyes...

"I vote we all go to the future with Daneel when we find a way out of here." She said, sleepily.

[thezerothlaw]

That was potentially not the best idea. There was so much waiting for him in his own time, so much responsibility, an entire galaxy to care for while he went about the business of making himself disappear, and what place was there for Kobra and Lydia in the middle of that? All the same... maybe he could feel a bit lonely at the prospect of going back alone. It would be pleasant to have them there, as unwise as it might be. Would it be better to explain to them the Zeroth Law and his own mental abilities, plus what he and Giskard had done at Three Mile Island, just in case that scenario ever happened? He kept his secrets, knowing what would happen to a robot who was too powerful, who had thwarted the Three Laws even a little, but... maybe that didn't apply here.

Tonight was not the night for that conversation, and maybe it never would be. Tonight was for helping Lydia, and that came first, of course.

"I'll remember that," Daneel promised. He squeezed Lydia's hand gently, and since she seemed to want that physical closeness, he moved a little closer. He could be warm and comfortably and physically there, if that's what she needed. "I believe I would miss you two, were I to return now, though I'm not at all sure you would be happy there."

[goodluckkobra]

Kobra would much rather follow Daneel or Lydia home than go back to his own time. He just wished he could find a way to take the other Killjoys from his time, too. They would all be happier somewhere else. Maybe it was selfish, but he knew that his friends would want him to go someplace better if he could--somewhere with real medicine and real luxuries like beds and showers.

"I can be happy anywhere, long as I have good company." And the two of them counted. Even if Kobra was going to die here, at least he knew that there were people with him who would care.

He smiled over Lydia's head at Daneel.

[preytosociety]

Lydia was fine and dandy, now. Calm, content, and drifting off right there on the couch. If she could, she'd just bring them both back with her. They'd find somewhere to settle far away from Beacon Hills. Somewhere safe. No werewolves, no dying, no painful, conflicting laws.

She mumbled, "You sound like a hallmark card." before murmuring, "But same here. We'd miss you, too, Dan."

Oh no. The nickname stuck. She was too tired to care.

[thezerothlaw]

No one had given him a nickname before he'd arrived here, and he found the intimacy implicit in it... very nice, to say the least, doubly so now that Lydia was apparently using it as well. There were more words he was considering the use of besides "happy," now, like family. Part of him was slightly shocked that he even dared think such a thing -- he was a robot, and that was a ridiculous thing for a robot to claim, robots did not have families -- but it also seemed... rather apt.

Daneel stroked Lydia's hair, soothing. If she could sleep, it would be the best thing for her. No harm would come to her, or Kobra for that matter.

"Relax," he said softly. "You're safe here."

[goodluckkobra]

Even if those words weren't directed at him, they made him feel safer, too. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt safe. It was a really nice feeling. Nothing was coming for him and if it did, Daneel would probably know before they did. He could be ready if he needed to be, even if he'd left his kitchen knife in Lydia's room.

He sighed and rested his head against the side of Lydia's, eyes closing. This was nice. Sometimes he felt like he trusted a little too easily, but his gut said that everything about these two was good for him.