Reflections In A Mirror (Genderbend AU, locked to creatormundi)

[yourbrainasplode]

Ruvik was a good name. She had decided that long ago. It was a rejection of everything her mother had wanted from her. The elegance. The frills. Nothing but window dressing. The same kind of vapid selfishness that would make her a perfect bride to one of Cedar Hill's prominent mouthpieces. A pretty trophy for the mantlepiece. An incubator for more slaves to fuel the cult machine.

The fire had killed Lawrence. Took her face from her. It was her mother who tried to rob her of her life. Jimenez who robbed her of her work and her body. If only she had kept her mother around to see. There was elegance in blood. Beauty in a mind laid bare. She was a sculptor, the human brain her medium. And she would continue her work. They could not keep her here. Just as her mother could not keep her in the basement.

...Someone was here.

Not Leslie. Not the two detectives, or the lone agent from the Organization. A man. He felt so familiar. Not like a friend. Not in the sense of one individual knowing another, but the familiarity of a fitting glove, or a tailored dress.

The sense one had when they were completely at ease with themselves. What was this? Some new symptom of her schizophrenia? Something triggered by her seizures? Her attention was focused on the older detective, a woman named Sabrina, but this new oddity had her perplexed. Not to mention curious. She turned her focus away from the detective's presence, shifting her consciousness to study the new anomaly. Not manifesting her avatars just yet. All she wanted was a glimpse.

Comments

[yourbrainasplode]

"Agreed. Although there may be a hint of a pattern. Something that we might be able to use."

Back to the monitors, looking at the brainwave readings. "Here. See this curve? It began the same time I sensed your presence. A bit before, actually. They are synched now, but in time, who knows. We might drift apart on our own."

[creatormundi]

"I see," he said, studying the monitor over her shoulder. "I must admit, I cannot see an event that could have triggered our meeting..." He shuddered violently, grabbing a hold of his own arm. Unless being set on fire again by Castellanos... no. No. Stop thinking about it.

[yourbrainasplode]

She sensed his fear, keen and sharp like a knife to her brain. She wouldn't dig into his mind. It didn't feel...right. But she didn't need to. Only one thing could produce a similar fear in her.

Ruvik turned and grasped his arm as well, slender fingers digging in so he could feel. An anchor. A reminder that he was here and now, not in the past.

"You're safe," she said firmly. "There is no fire. Not here. We are in control here."

[creatormundi]

Ruvik exhaled loudly, hands still shaking despite her grip on his arm. "Ah... we... we are." He coughed a bit, trying to steady his breathing despite the panic. Even if she was him, tohave someone witness his weakness made him want to hide, but also destroy things. But if he destroyed anything here, it might, no, will be dangerous for their continued existence.

[yourbrainasplode]

She watched him carefully, made sure he was steady enough on his own. A smile made its way into her scarred lips. "Go have fun with them. Just don't kill them. Even Castellanos has her purpose."

Ruvik closed her eyes, scanning her mind for signs of the detective. "She is within the memory of the city. Near the factory."