‘This shit is so ass.’
The three of them are sitting on the bench of the park, though only Mirage and V2 are properly on the seat (V1 perches precariously on the armrest, the thin piece of metal creaking under its weight). V2 gives Mirage a quick pat on the back as she surreptitiously takes a look at her test score, displayed on a too-dark phone screen.
‘Hey, that’s not half bad,’ says V2. Mirage groans.
‘I can do better… I know I can. This is… ugh.’
She slides her phone back into her pocket and shoots V1 a look. ‘Are you going to pay for property damages once that thing breaks?’
V1 leaps off the bench and onto the ground, retort ready on its fingertips, but a bright flash of light (during midday?) from behind it catches its attention. It turns to see Gabriel, in full armour, suitcase already packed, checking his wristwatch. His shoulders relax and he looks up. A shade of gold creeps up his wings at the sight of V1.
V2 waves at him. ‘Leaving so soon?’
‘I have spoken to my professor,’ he says, stepping closer to the machines. ‘As important as my studies are, this is urgent.’
He checks his watch again.
‘Late?’
‘What? No, it’s just—ah, there they are.’
V1 squints. Approaching from the main building are two figures. Minos gives Mirage a quick nod as he passes, followed by a skeleton wearing a white cloth. He nervously fiddles with the edges of the cloth as he walks up to Gabriel, who nods in recognition.
It doesn’t take V1 much time to put two and two together. ‘Are you the Ferryman?’
The Husk nods. ‘And you are?’
Is that a hint of animosity in his flute-like voice? Gabriel steps in, pretending to cough into his hand.
‘This is V1. I have mentioned it before.’
The Ferryman pauses, then extends a hand. V1 looks down at the bones, unsure what to do. The silence stretches on, and after a while the Ferryman lets his hand fall back to his side.
Was V1 supposed to shake it? Minos is speaking now, addressing Gabriel.
‘Art thou done with thy farewells?’
Gabriel snaps back to attention as if he has been electrocuted. ‘I have come here to bid you farewell for now,’ he says. ‘You as well,’ he adds as V2 and Mirage hop off the bench, curious. ‘I will likely be gone for the entire break, if worst comes to worst.’
‘But you’ll still come visit, right? If you have time?’ says V2.
‘You don’t have to if you’re busy,’ says Mirage, her voice a careful monotone.
‘What? I—I’ll make it,’ says Gabriel. ‘Even if it is only for a day. I will visit you.’
V2 whispers a clearly audible ‘yes!’ and punches the air. Mirage crosses her arms.
‘Whatever you are choosing to confront back there,’ she says, ‘Stay safe. Stay alive. Or I’ll drag your divine remains back here, resurrect you, and then kill you again.’
It takes a moment, but Gabriel registers it as a joke with a sharp bark of laughter. He allows Mirage to pat him on the shoulder, leaning down to match her height.
‘Good organists are hard to replace,’ she says. V2 nods along, looking as intimidating as she can with her wings flared out behind her.
V1 tiptoes to tap Gabriel on the back of the neck. The angel jumps at the contact, then turns to acknowledge it.
‘Yes?’ he snaps, but the bite is artificial.
‘Can I speak to you alone?’
Gabriel turns to look at his soon-to-be travelling companions. The Ferryman looks at V1 warily before spreading his hands, an indicator of permission. Minos’s face-hole tracks Gabriel’s movements but he nods.
‘Keep thy eye on the time,’ he says when V1 leads Gabriel to the copse of trees by the side of the path.
Once out of sight, V1 flicks Gabriel on the helm. He makes a huffing sound at that, sounding almost like he’s pouting.
‘What is it you want, machine?’
‘You make me feel less alone,’ it signs, before it can regret it. Gabriel freezes in place.
‘Well,’ he says slowly. ‘Well, you are welcome.’
‘Visit me. I have more things I need to do with you.’
He pretends to cough into his hand and looks away. V1 reaches up, cups him around the back of his helmet, and presses its faceplate against where his forehead would be.
The soft clink makes Gabriel’s breath catch in his throat. He coughs again, finds his voice.
‘I will. You—you have saved my life.’
‘That’s giving me too much credit.’ Its hands trail downwards to trace the shape of his pauldrons.
‘Well,’ says Gabriel, a hint of pride in his tone, ‘it was I who dealt that final blow. But without you…’ He lets it trace the patterns etched into his cuirass. ‘I do not think I would be anything more than a puppet.’
‘If you insist on thanking me so much, you could at least give me a kiss.’
It says that in jest, of course. Gabriel either cannot or will not remove his helm, and it’s not sure if he even has a mouth, or lips. But the archangel goes perfectly still, the gold of his halo fading into bright pink.
‘Then that is what I shall give you. But I must warn you—‘
‘Your sheer radiance is going to blow me to pieces?’
‘No,’ says Gabriel, chuckling. ‘But you likely… well, you will see.’
He lodges his fingers beneath the chin of his helm, gives it a tug. V1 watches in anticipation as the helm moves upwards, revealing
something soft brushes against its faceplate.
drops back down. V1 stands there like an idiot, processors working overtime.
‘What?’ That blank space in its memory… missing. Not corrupted, not tampered with. Just completely gone. Gabriel adjusts his helm.
‘I gave you sufficient warning, machine.’ His feathers look ruffled, wings returning to their neutral blue. V1 reaches out to smooth them out but he steps out of the way.
‘I should go now. No rest for the wicked.’
Something in V1 blooms, bright and beautiful. It wants to tell him—everything it’s ever felt—
Its hands move. ‘Text me, alright?’
‘I promise.’
And then he is moving, retreating beyond the tree line, joining up with Minos and the Ferryman. V1 watches the three of them leave, as if taking its eye off them would make him disappear faster.
That one spot on its faceplate is searing hot.
V1 stumbles out of the trees, heading back to the bench where its own companions wait. Mirage has her arms crossed, looking exasperated, while V2 looks to be barely holding back the urge to laugh.
‘I’m still trying to figure out how you pulled an archangel,’ says Mirage, as V2 bursts into hysterical giggles behind her. V1 sticks its hands into imaginary pockets, looking at the two of them out of the corner of its eye.
‘It’s my impeccable charm.’
‘Oh God. I can’t—‘ V2 pauses, giving her voicebox time to catch up. ‘I can’t—‘ She pauses again, straightening.
‘I’m glad you made it.’
V1 shrugs, as if that would make the disgustingly clear sincerity of that statement roll off its shell. Mirage sighs, shaking her head.
A moment before the loudest sound in the universe emits from her pocket. V2 jumps, retreating several feet and landing in a low combat stance before correcting herself and standing upright.
V1 remains in its stance until Mirage extracts her phone, holding it with two fingers as if it would sting her.
‘What the fuck was that?’ says V2, shivering.
‘Email notification. Ever since I missed that acceptance letter email…’
‘There are better sounds for an urgent message than a nuclear siren.’ V2 slides over to Mirage, looking over her shoulder as she opens the email. V1 follows suit, but as soon as it gets there, Mirage is shutting off her phone.
She puts the phone back in her pocket, breathes in, jogs in place, and breathes out.
‘How…’ They hear her mutter as they exchange glances. ‘In a week? I haven’t checked the channel…’
‘Is it good?’ V2 asks.
‘Oh.’ Mirage looks from V2 to V1. ‘Really good.’
‘Show.’
‘Oh, you won’t need to.’ Mirage waves a casual hand. ‘Just pick up a copy of The Rock Journal next month.’
The realisation hits them both too slowly. Then, V2 begins to laugh.
‘You made it,’ she says. ‘You made it.’
V1 sits down on the grass as Mirage tilts her head skyward, arms extended, the wind whipping at her skirt.
‘I’m not dreaming,’ she says. ‘This is real.’
~~~
An excerpt from a magazine, ripped from the binding without much care. Someone has taped a broken fragment back onto the rest of the page. Framed on a wall of a small apartment, its singular inhabitant passing by each morning with a cup of coffee that she cannot sip, looking up proudly at the picture of herself in the top right corner of the page with a pair of headphones around her neck (purely decorative).
The bottom-most section of the interview—for it is an interview—displays these words:
[…] particularly excellent drum parts. They sound very different from what you’ve produced before, you see…
Mirage: Yeah, that’s what happens when I let V1 improvise.
That’s the… the only band member who doesn’t have vocals in this piece.
Mirage: Beautiful, aren’t they? All the fury of a storm, tapering off into apprehension. We’re all scared, if you ask me. But that’s half the fun.
… Right. Where do you plan to take The Cables Hum Heresy next? If you feel inclined, do dispel the rumours that one of your members is leaving…
Mirage: Just a short break. He’ll be back soon enough. In terms of direction… not spoiling anything, but he has a beautiful singing voice and he’s only gotten more comfortable with it recently.
I’m sure your fans will look forward to that.
Mirage: Shh. Think of it as an unofficial leak. No promises, except for the fact that it’s definitely going to get weirder.
Thank you. Do you have plans to go live anytime soon?
Mirage: As soon as I get another guitarist.
Oh, it’s been… it’s been such a wild year.
But you’ll always find me here, composing, tossing out shit I don’t like. I’ll be doing this forever and I don’t think I hate the idea.
… Bandtent page’s up, by the way.
man.
it's been a journey. when i first started this fic i wasn't even sure if i would even finish it but it's been six (seven?) months of hyperfixating on ultrakill and i still want to write yaouri in this fandom. i love homosexuality and i love transsexuality and everything else beyond that
i am a little bit out of ideas though (at least until i listen to some piece of music that Hits. or maybe i'll become a podcast bro idk). you can check out my other works under the same account or hmu at tumblr (hubris-moment) or Bluesky (hubris-betelgeuse.bsky.social)
i like to think i've improved my writing by finishing this monster. the answer's probably yes. i mostly wrote this for myself as i am about to head to university overseas and having my blorbos deal with the same troubles as i do offers some degree of comfort.
anyway guys thanks so much for sticking with me to the end!