Eight: 01000

[Honestly, she expected something like this to happen eventually. Nothing in this city occurs in a vacuum.

She lays down on the bed, phone supported between her hands, as she considers the keyboard. She knows what this is going to be about, but she allows the program the grace of opening the conversation.]

What do you need, Yori-san?

Is the garden acceptable, or would you rather I come over?

Doesn't seem like a good idea to have this conversation on the phones.

[Especially when it was likely to be some form of argument. Yori disliked showing evidence of any division between allies, even when it was probably obvious enough.]

I can meet you there.

Would you like to meet now?

Yes. Nothing to gain from waiting.

[Yori's already there, in fact, the calm of the flowers a soothing background she needs badly right now.]

On my way, then.

[She cuts the call off before rising from her bed and finding a brush to run through her hair quickly before slipping her feet into her shoes and heading out. She's there in a few minutes, giving the program a bow of greeting.]

Yori-san.

[The formalities give Yori's tight-wound anxiety a useful shape, even if they aren't her own and will never feel quite right. Yori turns away from the flowers and bows in return.]

[But she doesn't have the patience or the energy right now to begin with anything less awkward.]

The fight itself, I know you and Rinzler see each other as threats, I'm not angry that it happened.

Couldn't you have called me? After? I might have been able to help, he shouldn't have had to risk...

[Repair by Clu's standards. Which usually means erasure of anything Clu happens not to like. The speculation hurts too much to say.]

Anyone could have found him damaged.

[Certainly not defenseless, but it would shift the odds and Yori doesn't like thinking of that either.]

[Where Yori wears her anxiety on her face, Rukia has far too much experience with stuffing all that unseemly and difficult emotion down underneath a cool mask of delicate aloofness. Not so much as to seem rude, but enough to give no real indication as to what her thoughts were.

The irony of the program being emotional and the shinigami being remote was heavy and felt so wrong.]

I assume he would've gone to Clu regardless, or Clu would've come to him. Summoning you there would've been a risk.

If I'd come, he would wait until I was clear. And he'd at least have a choice, instead of only Clu...

[She doesn't know if her presence would have done any real good. Maybe Rinzler would have been too frantic at the fight to accept any hint of edits from an ally of Users. But at least she'd know it was his choice, see him patched enough to go where he chose. Instead of wondering if he'd even made it to Clu. Too many possible threats in Abax.]

[Her hand press tightly together. She won't let herself pace to burn the worry, not now.]

I haven't had even a word from him since. There are...too many things I don't know.

I would have liked to speak to him.

He has kept himself from you.

[She's not really surprised to know this. Rinzler doesn't seem to be the type to seek out companionship, after all. But it doesn't stop the sudden weight of guilt on her heart. No doubt Rinzler was wary of coming near the apartments because of who she shared them with.]

He does not answer any messages you send?

[Yori looks away.]

He agrees with you that Clu is too much danger to me. Even when Rinzler remembers me he doesn't often answer. When he does, only a word or two.

But he usually gives me a brief status if he knows I have reason to worry. Since the fight, nothing.

You should seek him out. [A moment of sudden honestly, Rukia steps towards the program.] I...know what its like to care for someone too well-meaning for their own good. You may have to force him to remember that you worry for him.

[How...strange this was. Giving Yori-san advice on relationships.]

[The sympathy's unexpected, but welcome. Rukia certainly does have experience with a self-effacing Security type. Unfortunately, it isn't quite enough to ease the edge of strained bitterness.]

I'd like to, but it's difficult when he doesn't want to be found and he's with Clu regularly. Not to mention if I actually went hunting him he'd think my allies meant to rewrite him.

Which is why I would really appreciate a call when he's damaged, probably thinking the worst of everything, and not going anywhere for five micros. At least we could have talked. Instead of him disappearing again and me leaving the same message on a phone he may or may not even look at.

Then you find him when he is not with Clu. He cannot be with him all the time. He will continue to keep you at arms length under the delusion that you are safer.

[A distinctly wistful look floods Yori's face, and she looks away.]

He'd finally been willing to ask for my help. To trust me, or at least understand staying away hurts us both more than it does any good.

And now I...hope I haven't lost him.

[Rukia very nearly blurt out "the only person he's lost is himself". But it bounces against her teeth and she swallows the sentiment.]

You will have to per persistent. Show him that your tenacity is greater than his stubbornness, else he will continue to avoid you when he believes its not necessary. After all, will sitting here bring any answers to your questions?

[It's all too tempting to retort with the list of reasons Rinzler has to run the other way, should he see her with any ally half-capable of defending her from Soundwave in the process of such a search. But that won't get them anywhere. Rukia would only say it had all been necessary.]

[Yori had been possibly more relieved than anyone that Clu couldn't do any unfriendly coding for at least a little while, but she felt the cost of it worst as well and still wishes she'd had a chance to try to lower it.]

I'll get through to him eventually. Whatever that takes.

[No, better not detail the desperation plans they'll all be better off if she never has to use. Yori finds a different subject instead.]

How do you convince Ichigo and Shiro, when necessary?

I kick them and yell at them.

[Well you asked.]

They're foolish and stubborn, and civilized discussion is ...too complicated for them most of the time. A good, swift kick to the head will get them to listen better than anything.

[Despite the fact that Yori has witnessed this enough not to be surprised, the simple explanation startles a chuckle from her.]

Rinzler's had a little too much of that for it to work quite the same, but I take your point. Anything to get them off their own stubborn faulty logic.

[If she tried to smack Rinzler, she suspected he was more likely to look at her with hurt betrayal than pay any attention to what she was saying. Worse, retreat as though he'd expected this all along. Or react as if she were an actual attack. Bonds of trust had stretched too thin to risk testing them like that. The concept was still sound. But affection was more likely to shock him than a kick.]

No method is universal. Sometimes its the unexpected thing that has the best result.

[Affection has been a useful tactic as well, in the past. But sometimes, a kiss or a touch wasn't appropriate for the setting. Like in the middle of a classroom, per say.]

At the risk of twisting a metaphor too far: you have to use tactics that they can't defend against.

Rinzler's coded to react fast and effectively to any perceived threat. Even when he was Tron, he'd choose attack over talking or diplomacy. Fighting is what he was made for, what he's best at, and he knows it.

All this time forbidden to speak at all hasn't done his social skills any favors.

[The next time she sees Rinzler, no way of knowing what orders he'll be under or what he'll be able to remember. But Yori's found him better able to remember if he doesn't have any excuse to turn to habits of combat instead.]

He's always recognized me again so far. I just want more chance to get through to him. To see him.

[Rukia purses her lips.]

Is there anywhere in particular you know he visits regularly?

[Yori shakes her head, an unhappy frown creasing her face.]

The same places you would, looking for energy.

He knows better than to be predictable about it. By now he expects just about everyone in Abax to attack him for one reason or another. He won't risk staying anywhere long, or leading watchers to his caches.

Leave him a note. He'll eventually find it.

[Small, unobtrusive, and unexpected.]

Encode it in some way, give a place and time that neither of you have been to before. Tell him that you'll be there once or twice a week at a certain for a certain duration. Even if its to protect you, he'll show up.

[Worth almost anything, if she could see Rinzler. Almost. But when Clu's as likely to search for energy as Rinzler, and she'd need to be alone for Rinzler to approach at all...]

Too risky. It may come to that, but I promised him I'd be careful.

[Yori presses her lips together.]

Another two weeks. If he doesn't answer by then, I'll take other measures. He's got to remember. I should give him that much time to work it through. Trust him. He's stubborn enough.

[Hard to tell, even for Yori, which of them she's trying to convince.]

If...you don't mind, though...a note would be a good idea. You could leave it with a vial of energy to make sure it's noticed, wherever you find more than one, maybe.

Too risky to give my location, but he--he might need to be reminded that I love him.

"If you wish to write it now, I'll take it with me when I go out to look for supplies tonight."

It was almost surreal, giving out advice for Rinzler's romantic life, of all things. Even though part of her agreed that it was dangerous for the program to go out on her own in a city with plenty of potential enemies (and a few that might want some revenge for past losses). But at the same time, it frustrated her to see Yori so conflicted about this.

Nothing like someone else's relationship problems to make you appreciate your own.

Something to do, however slim the chance it would make any significant difference, sparked a new determination in Yori's crisp nod. "Thank you, Rukia. I'll get a few copies to you before you leave."

She reached for the door, already composing. Criteria: harmless if found by Clu or Soundwave...or Tron, or anyone else in the city. Memorable and clear enough to spark some faint trace of recognition even after a full wipe. Eye-catching to Rinzler specifically, yet nothing that could make him think it was a trap. He'd avoid the building completely if he jumped to the wrong conclusion. And if she got this wrong, someone less friendly could use it as a trap. She could only trust that Rukia would not.

A series of mutually conflicting goals. She'd figure something out. In time to provide multiple copies in case Rukia found more than one good location.

Eight: 01000

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