#the most incompatible people on the entirety of planet earth

[remyfire]

World's Worst Roommates Assignment 💕

[asset35-maya]

Prompt no. 18 from this list

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

“Sorry, just give me a minute, babe. I need to recalibrate the interface I’m using…”

Gavin’s voice trailed off. The only sound in the room was from the clacking of his keyboard, his fingers flying across the keys.

Nines tried his best to take his mind off his situation. Immobile in bed… with the very real possibility that it could be permanent.

It was a just a software update… just another afternoon nap… but now he had no idea whether he’d ever move again.

Noticing his stress levels spiking, he focused on Gavin. The crease of his brows… the old scar across his nose… the determined set of his jaw as he scrubbed through lines and lines of code to find the root of the problem.

Gavin.

Lover. Friend. Saviour.

The man he depended on for everything, including his continued existence.

Nines silently thanked whichever force of nature had brought him into the safety and sanctity of Gavin’s embrace. RA9 or God or the laws of physics that dictated where atoms would end up from the beginning of time.

Not all androids were as lucky as he was.

After the Revolution, the digital giant known as Cyberlife had been dissolved under political pressure from New Jericho and its vehement supporters. Android production ceased, Cyberlife’s assets were stripped and its R&D departments were spun off into smaller, more benign companies.

People were elated in the beginning… and then they realised there was no one around to maintain and service the androids that now comprised 30% of American citizenry. Private technicians had booming business, but they were eventually overwhelmed.

The worst of it was the software.

The patches, the bug fixes, the security.

No single company was able to do it by themselves and individuals realised they were pretty much on their own. Human husbands and wives and girlfriends and brothers and pretty much everyone scrambled to learn how to take care of beloved androids on their own.

Gavin was one of the most capable ones. He knew how to do most of the mechanical work and quickly taught himself the software and systems elements. When Nines asked him how he was so proficient… whether he learnt any of it in college… he wouldn’t respond directly. The closest Nines had gotten to an answer was a grumbled “s what happens when you share a room for fifteen years with the nerdy prick that started all this trouble in the first place”

It was initially tough on the both of them… and expensive… as they figured out how to do things by trial… but Gavin was confident and adamant that he wouldn’t let Nines down. He quickly reached a steady state, even managing to get a maintenance routine in place.

But he couldn’t be perfect.

And there were things he couldn’t control.

Androids were the most complicated cyberphysical systems on the planet. Anything and everything could go wrong at any time…

And it had… during a major OS update.

“Babe, can you hear me?”

Nines’ LED cycled yellow once and went back to red.

Gavin held one of the limp hands in his own.

“Can you feel this?”

The LED spun again.

“Great. And I’m pretty sure you can see me, I know that look in your eyes, babydoll. Hmm… okay, that means all the sensors and IOT device connections are fineee…”

The musing continued as Gavin set aside the laptop and scooted closer to Nines. A gentle hand came up to tilt the android’s face from side to side.

“But you can’t talk…”

“AAAAAAAAAA”

“Wow. Never make that noise in the bedroom again. Hmm… Okay, this means your vocal chords are fine but you can’t move your mouth. Huh.. well… you can’t seem to move anything… not that different from your usual participation levels in bed then. Not to worry.”

The only thing Nines could do was glare and Gavin seemed relieved that even that was possible. He patted the android’s cheek.

“I’ll check your motor actuation and control. Simple modules. I should be able to see anything strange right away.”

Gavin resumed scrolling through the chunks of code and running searches for common errors. But minutes passed… and turned into an hour… and the hour, doubled, tripled.

But Gavin was undeterred. He had to be. Giving up was not an option. Plus, years of being a dedicated police officer had wiped out any fears of hard work and failure… he would scroll all night if it came to that.

A notification popped up on the screen.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: Sweetheart, you’ve been trying for hours. Take a break.

Gavin turned to his side. Nines could detect the worry and agitation behind the facade of lighthearted calm.

“I know right. It’s not fair. You’ve been chilling this whole time I’ve been working. Tsk tsk.”

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: I’m serious, Gavin. Stop. Take a break for today. Call someone. You can try again tomorrow morning.

“Nines, you’re not a work assignment. I can’t take a break from you. You can get up and close this laptop for me.”

A few more hours passed. Frowning, Gavin climbed under the covers with Nines and began troubleshooting and testing all other modules too. It was a massive undertaking, but he’d be damned if he didn’t do it.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: Know when to give up on a lost cause.

It was nearly two in the morning when that message popped up. Gavin’s eyes were red from all the screen time, but his fighting spirit had not flagged. If anything, he felt close to the finish line. Having gone through nearly the entirety of his lover’s system architecture, there were only a few stones left unturned. He’d identify the problem, win half the battle and then the solution would flow from there. It always did. They’d be fine.

He turned to tell Nines precisely that and balked at the tears staining the android’s perfect face.

“Hey…”

Gavin leaned over his partner and wiped the tears away.

“Hey… shhh… don’t… don’t worry, I’ll take care of you…”

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87: I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I’m putting you through all this. Things can’t go on like this. I’m such a liability. Emotionally, physically, financially! You can’t keep doing this for me, Gavin.

Gavin placed the laptop on the bedside table and slipped deeper under the covers, wrapping himself around Nines’ still form.

“It’s a good thing you can’t speak right now, cause you’re talking some major bullshit, baby. You are going to be FINE. I will take care of you, like always, like I promised.

You are not a liability. You are my man. I signed up for this. If you were human and sick and I dunno, needed a kidney or something, I’d simply give it to you. You and I are bound like that. For life.

So quit bitching, let me do my thing, and when you’re back… you know how to thank me.”

He smiled genuinely as he said that, stroking the android’s skin and trying to calm him down. When the speed of the LED cycles came down and the colour stabilised at a warm amber, Gavin kissed the frozen lips and gave Nines one last cuddle before returning to his computer.

Sunrise began to streak across the dark sky by the time the critical error was identified. Gavin sighed deeply as he pulled up the faulty synchronisation that had jammed the hundreds of motors and drives throughout Nines’ body.

There was actually nothing much to be said for the root cause of the failed execution loop. Just improper methods written for some of the new hardware they had installed the previous week.

That’s what they got for using uncertified biocomponents and unlicensed third party software bought off the seedier parts of the internet. Some incompatibility somewhere would inevitably trip them up. Gavin was usually able to see such trouble before it found them… but even he couldn’t be perfect.

He stretched and cracked his spine and wiggled his fingers before plunging into rewriting the problematic section. He would sleep like a log after this… but first, he had to sprint to the finish line.

And he did.

At 7AM, Gavin finally copied the clean code into the compiler and hit execute. After a brief reinitialisation, Nines blinked awake. He raised his hands tentatively. As soon as he realised full functionality had been restored, he sat up and threw himself at Gavin, smothering the exhausted human in a giant hug.

Gavin hugged back, fighting to keep his emotions at bay.

“All… all good?”

“You saved my life. Again.”

“I’ll do it a thousand times more if I need to.”

“I thought I was done for.”

“Don’t be dramatic. It was just some bad code.”

“I could have been stuck like that forever. Never moving, never talking. Just lying there till my charge drains out. That could have been the end for us, and frankly, I was prepared for that eventuality. You should be too.”

“Never.”

“I don’t doubt your abilities, sweetheart, but we are painfully limited by our resources. There’s things in this world that only Cyberlife can do and they’re never coming back. We have to make our peace with that. Pulling all-nighters just to keep me alive… it’s not sustainable.”

“Hey it’s not like this happens all the time, Nines. I get that this was really scary, but it’s not always like this… so please don’t tell me whether things are sustainable. I will always fight for you. End of discussion.”

Nines didn’t respond and just rested his head on Gavin’s shoulder. His steel blue eyes were fixed on the pair of birds fluttering outside their bedroom window. They sat intertwined like that on the bed for a while. Now that he could, Nines didn’t seem to want to stop holding his partner. The birds landed on the window sill, chirping away and enjoying the morning breeze.

“They’re really quite sweet, aren’t they? The two of them are always here in the morning. I should build them a little bath in our garden.”

“They’re mates.”

“Huh. Just like us.”

“You know… it’s just a myth, what they say… that birds die when their mates do.”

“What?”

“Most species will go through a grieving period, but after that they will begin courtship again.”

“What the phck are you on about? No one’s dying and no one’s beginning courtship again. Nines, I’d move heaven and earth before anything like that happens.

Besides, if I really, really couldn’t get your body to work, worst case scenario, I’d just transfer you to a mobile device. Carry you around like a voice in my head… like my conscience… I promise you that nothing can keep us apart.”

It wasn’t all that easy to convince Nines, and Gavin wasn’t about to try. It had been an ordeal for the both of them. It wasn’t the first time, and it might not be the last. But for the time being, they had emerged, and they had each other, and that was all that mattered.

Yawning, Gavin lay back among the mussed sheets and pulled Nines with him. Birdsong and the muted whir of thirium pump compressions lulled him into a dreamless sleep.

[sgtbuckyybarnes]

Endless List of OCs - Daxia Lestrange 

September First (Marauders Era)

It had always been a date which managed to change her life. From the very first which gifted her Gryffindor House and a bunch of new friends right up until the last which set up her final, turbulent, year at Hogwarts.

Daxia Lestrange wasn’t supposed to be a Gryffindor, a Marauder, a member of the Order of the Phoenix and yet here she was. Best friends with a muggle-born and fighting against The Dark Lord when she was barely out of the school grounds. Her mapped out life had been changed for the better thanks to the Sorting Hat on her very first September First and she couldn’t be more grateful.

She was able to be best friends with the Marauders, got to get to know one of the greatest people on the earth in Lily Evans and got the chance to fight alongside them all in an attempt to save the wizarding world as they knew it. All before she turned 21.

And even though, now known to the Death Eaters as a blood traitor, she was in more danger than ever…

amazing cover by @dracomalfoypls :) 

Excerpt Below

September First; Welcome Home

September First 1977 was crisp and sunny, a surprise for the inhabitants of Kings Cross Station, and, as usual, Platform 9 ¾ was crowded. Smoke billowed from the awaiting train, curling gently around the gathering people, as owls hooted loudly to one another. Groups of teenagers chattered noisily, laughs lighting up their faces as stories from summer passed through their lips. Trunks were loaded onto the train’s last compartment, older students smiling down to the younger, smaller ones as they helped to lift and to point in the right directions.

“You didn’t!”

The gathering of girls was easy to spot. Clearly old hands at experiencing a September First they were relaxed and comfortable; their laughs were loud and carefree as they dumped their trunks and owls, discarding of their trolleys before making their way down the platform. They had bid their goodbyes to their families before leaving their homes, meeting up to make the journey to Kings Cross for the last time together.

The girl in the middle turned to glance across to her exclaiming friend, her long dark hair was flying around her face as her hazel eyes rolled in annoyance “Bloody first years,” she grumbled as she almost tripped over a nervous looking, very very short, eleven year old “As if September first wasn’t hectic enough!”

“Careful Daxia,” The red head to her left, dodging around more eleven year olds with the skill only a seventh year could have perfected, began as the group of four friends pushed their way through the crowds packing the platform “Your Slytherin is showing!” she teased with a wide and cheeky grin. A few parents of said eleven year olds glared to the girls as they caught up loudly over the heads of their children.

Daxia Lestrange paused (forcing an emotional September First newbie-parent to knock into her back) to send Lily Evans a scowl. Everyone on the planet (especially ones residing in Hogwarts for most of the year) knew that if there was one thing Daxia hated more than anything (including a packed Platform 9 ¾) it was her heritage. It was only down to the fact that the two girls had been best friends for almost the entirety of the six years they had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, meeting on that very platform as nervous eleven year olds themselves, which allowed Lily to get away with such comments.

Although, to look at and to know, the two girls seemed incompatible they had quickly found they understood one another; their beds residing beside one another in the dorm and their senses of humour complementing the other’s as did their study techniques. Lily could get away with jokes that others couldn’t while Daxia could tease Lily without suffering any consequences.

“Oh shush Lily!” Another of the group was exclaiming as she managed to bound gracefully ahead of her friends, walking backwards so she was able to face them as she spoke “I need to hear more from Dax!…A muggle?!”

Daxia smirked over to Adiya (as a parent sent them another disproving look), a blonde and beautiful Californian adopted into the group soon after her emigration back in their third year. She had shuffled in behind the first years, more nervous than the smaller kids around her as she took in the spectacular scene that was The Great Hall. She had never been to a wizarding school before, her mother (who was a witch) had taken on the role of her tutor when they were shipped off to America when her father (a muggle) had received a promotion just before her third birthday. Sitting down on the stool in front of the entire school, after having to endure a speech from the headmaster explaining her situation, she had glanced around the faces as she chewed on her bottom lip. One of the tables burst into applause when the hat on her head called out “GRYFFINDOR!” and she’d hopped down from the front of the hall to join her fellow third years. The red head to her left had welcomed her warmly while the girl with the dark hair and long curls had rolled her eyes, turning to whisper something to a ridiculously handsome boy sat on her left.

The rest, as is said, was history.

Arching her eyebrows Daxia nodded a confirmation; it hadn’t taken her long to warm to the girl with the American tinted British accent “Mother was so impressed she sent me to live with Mary for the rest of the summer!” She chuckled as she sent the fourth and final member of their group, Mary Macdonald, a wink “It would have been Lily’s but taking me away from the muggle-boy by sending me to a muggleborn? Not even my dear old mum would fall for that one!” She joked nudging a sighing Lily’s arm. As one of the oldest and most noble pureblood families the Lestrange family would rather Daxia commit murder and live out the rest of her days in wizarding prison Azkaban than be associated with non-magical folk.

“So; I love your new hair Mary!” Lily commented as the friends piled into the Hogwarts Express. Over summer Mary had figured out a way to charm her short blonde hair into a longer, curled style, framing her pretty features perfectly while managing to provide Lily with the perfect change of subject away from Daxia’s controversial family.

Though their bond remained unbreakable Daxia’s family had always been a slight barrier within their friendship; Lily, as a muggleborn, could never be invited over to stay at her friend’s home, she couldn’t meet her family or attend the parties they put on each year. Continually fighting for their friendship neither girl allowed the barrier to break them apart though, with her constant rebelling against their beliefs, it had ruined Daxia’s relationship with her family.

“Thanks,” Mary replied almost unsurely, fingertips brushing along the base of her hair, as the four girls finally found an empty compartment. The fourth, and final, Gryffindor girl was the quieter one of the group, talented with her studies (both practical and theoretical) and motherly toward her friends she was known as the mediator in the group. She kept the other girls grounded, her and Lily sorted out their study schedules and handed out the best advice “I was pretty nervous about doing it – Dax nearly had to practically hold my wand for me – but I do think it suits me.”

“I kept telling her how Ben won’t know what hit him!” Daxia winked, referring to Mary’s yearlong on-off relationship with Benji Fenwick, a fellow Gryffindor seventh year, causing her to narrow her eyes and reach over to pinch a smirking Daxia. Mary may have been known as the quiet one to people on the outside but she was really anything but; she never stood for any shit whether it be directed at her or her friends.

The girls found themselves falling easily into relaxed conversations after that, once the busy hustle of the platform (along with the initial catching up and teasing) was over with, as they hopped onto the train and settled into their seats. Though they had all managed to catch up over the holidays – whether it be on days out all together or meeting up in pairs – they still managed to find an awful lot needed to be discussed.

“I want to take pictures this year by the way!” Lily announced with an exclaim of excitement. Turning in her seat she reached into her bag, pulling out a bulky and heavy looking contraption almost proudly.

Daxia allowed a loud gasp to fill her lungs as she reached out to grab the black box “That’s one of them…things!” she exclaimed before groaning in protest as Lily held it away from her grabby fingers.

“Tell me what it’s called and you can have a look,” the red head smirked as Daxia pouted “C’mon Dax, you’re taking Muggle Studies at N.E.W.T. level this year!”

“Because I thought you’d hel-Polaroid camera ha!” she suddenly grinned, a wave of inspiration hitting her, as she grasped onto the contraption. She turned it over in her hands a few times with a look of puzzlement as Lily explained how she was going to scrapbook their seventh, and final, year in the castle the muggle way to accommodate her family (who still weren’t entirely keen on the moving wizard pictures Lily brought home…especially her elder sister; Petunia).

Just as Daxia began to complain about the camera being a lot less interesting than she was expecting a loud crash outside the door of their compartment caught a hold of her attention. Craning her neck she smiled knowingly, an inkling of who could possibly be the cause of the noise placing her into an even better mood.

“Ladies!” A loud voice greeted as the door flung open and four boys toppled into the compartment, trailing behind them with a spring in his step and an eyeroll toward his dorm-mates was Benji Fenwick sitting beside Mary with a welcome kiss to the temple.

Daxia let out an exclaim of delight, throwing the camera back to an irritated looking Lily, as she jumped to her feet. As friends went she adored her girl-friends; they advised, ranted, gossiped and giggled. Her odds of surviving life at home would have dropped considerably if it hadn’t been for Lily Evans, Adiya Bell and Mary MacDonald let alone her academic career at Hogwarts. They helped her keep her head; they listened to her ‘brilliant’ ideas and assisted in either carrying them out or persuading her to take a different path depending on the situation.

But there had always been something missing when she hung around with the girls.

That was where the guys came in; Gryffindor house’s (in)famous Marauders. They hexed, pranked and laughed until their sides ached. They’d helped with her confidence to pull away from her family’s strict pureblood rules and regulations, to act how she wanted to act. They taught her that being herself was okay and to not give a single shit about other people’s opinions on her (while hexing them or getting your own back in a more creative manner of course).

Being a part of two different friendship groups had always been exhausting for Daxia. She knew they would get along and found it ridiculous that they weren’t just one big set; they’d rule the Gryffindor common room if they would just get along.

She had been trying her hardest to pull the girls together with the boys ever since their friendships became well established in their second year, finding her success slowly. As Adiya and she joined the Quidditch team in their fourth year the blonde was able to get to know James (team member since the previous year) away from his Marauder pals allowing them to become quite the trio within their practises and team meets. In succeeding years Adiya not only found herself getting to know the other boys but ranting on daily about how James (who had received the badge in his fifth year) was the best Quidditch captain Gryffindor had ever seen.

Along with Adiya Mary, who had to put up with the boys as her boyfriend’s extended friendship base and dorm-mates, found them to be ‘charming and funny’. She laughed when they told jokes, gasped along with their dramatics and looked forward to whatever stories they would arrive with at the breakfast table.

It had only really been Lily who was yet to come around fully. On a good day she would silently roll her eyes while holding back her secret amusement, she’d study with Remus and Peter, tease Sirius and laugh with James. On a bad day, specifically around exam time when the boys were at their most annoying, her continual bickering (though they called it banter) with James, Marauders co-leader (and for whom Lily was the perfect girl) (in his and Daxia’s eyes anyway), and lack of patience for the other boys drove them all crazy.

September first, it would seem, was one of those bad days.

“Where have you beeeen?” Daxia exclaimed with a friendly arm punch directed toward her favourite Marauder, Sirius Black, as he collapsed into the seat beside her. Effortlessly handsome as he lounged across the train’s seat all she could do was roll her eyes and laugh at him as he sent a grin to some passing third years out of the compartment window. As the girls exchanged blushes and giggles he turned to face his friend.

“Busy my dear Daxia,” Sirius winked as he nudged her with his shoulder adding “Oi!” As James practically fell over him to head across to speak to Lily about their upcoming Head Boy and Girl meet with the prefects. Both sensing the red head’s fiery mood Daxia and Sirius exchanged smirks and moved further away from their friends.

“Alri’ Evans?” James was smiling broadly as he sat, ruffling his already messy hair “Good summer?”

Lily, glancing up from where she was inspecting the previously chucked Polaroid camera, glared his way “Are we really going to continue this into our seventh year Potter?”

Shrugging innocently James replied “I was just going to ask if you were ready to go to the meeting,” seeming unusually unfazed and unprovoked as he turned to send Daxia and Sirius, his right hand woman and man, a grin “Plus that’s not what she was saying over the holidays!”

As the train roared on through the countryside near their destination a bark of a laugh left Sirius, Lily jumped to her feet to head to their meet and Daxia’s eyebrows arched in surprise.

*

“Home sweet home!” James Potter was exclaiming as the four Marauders strolled through the doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He’d survived the first head student meet, ordered a few prefects around and managed to escape the Hogwarts Express to catch up with his friends before Lily Evans could retaliate to his appointment in any way possible.

To his left Sirius Black sent him a smirk, burying his hands into the pockets of his black trousers as he spotted Remus Lupin glancing to the younger students looking up to the four Marauders, ducking his head out of their eyeline “Hey, are you ever gunna own those awesome scars of yours Moony?” Sirius asked with a slight whine as he sidestepped around James to nudge Remus with his elbow before continuing enviously “I wish I had visible scars.”

Remus rolled his eyes, absently scratching the largest of his scars running along his hair line “Shut up Padfoot,” he tutted unable to hide his smile.

“I’m serious!” Sirius exclaimed, winking towards his friends at the similarity between the word and his name (Peter Pettigrew being the only of the three to laugh) (it was only the billionth time Sirius had used the joke since their first year) “I think they’d add to my rugged good looks, it’s a pity that whenever I’d rebel against my family or put myself in other danger-” this time he aimed his over exaggerated wink towards Remus “-everyone always aims for my body! Just one scar that’s all I ask!”

“I’ll be giving you that scar in a minute,” James laughed as he shoved his best friend’s shoulder. He knew Sirius was just trying to make Remus feel better about the additional scarring he’d acquired over the holidays but loudly talking about the trouble they put themselves into in the crowded entrance hall was never a good idea. Residing in the back of his mind, along with the worries of exposing their antics, was the incident at the beginning of their summer; finally sick of his family and their values Sirius had made the move into the Potters’ a permanent one. He had arrived bruised and battered but soon buried his feelings about the whole thing beneath his jokes and sarcasm.

“Nice cardigan Black!”

“Bugger off Dax!” he called after the short, grinning dark haired girl darting passed the Marauders to go to change into her Hogwarts uniform before any of their professors noticed “Looking good Evans,” he grinned towards the redhead trailing after his friend, as if bugging the new head girl on their fleeting meet with them on the Hogwarts Express hadn’t been enough.

James glanced after the two girls with a sigh before noticing Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house and deputy head of the school, waving him over “Looks like our favourite head of year wants a word with the new head boy,” he grinned winking towards his eye rolling professor as he straightened out his robes “Try to not get into too much trouble without me,” he added grinning towards his friends as he tapped Sirius on the shoulder with the back of his hand “I mean it!”

“Us?” Sirius called back with a laugh, sending a wave and a grin of his own towards his unimpressed looking professor “Get in trouble? Don’t know what you’re on about Prongs!”

*

“If it was nothing why didn’t you tell me?”

Lily sighed as she and a smirking Daxia wandered into the Great Hall for the welcome feast. The dark haired girl hadn’t stopped smirking and interrogating from the station (where they had posed for their first picture of the year alongside Ravenclaw friends; Hestia Jones and Marlene Branson) all the way up to the castle.

“Come on Lilypad! You can tell me!”

“Stop calling me that!” Lily groaned as the duo took their seats at the Gryffindor tale (late due to a meeting between Professor McGonagall and the two head students meaning Daxia left changing into her robes until they were in the castle). The only thing Lily hated more than Daxia finding out about her childhood nickname was James Potter had heard it being used and took to using it himself when he was feeling particularly irritating. To her annoyance hearing it slip from his mouth caused some unnecessary stomach flips and lightheaded-ness she’d rather not think about.

“Oh you love it,” Daxia waved off in a hushed tone as Headmaster of Hogwarts Professor Dumbledore welcomed the new first years “So; you, James and a warm summers eve-”

“He decided to show up at my place – Petunia was thrilled as you can imagine – after you told him I got head girl,” She rushed in a whisper (Daxia knew it’d somehow be her fault) “We hung out for a few days and talked about what our duties this year would be…nothing more, nothing less!”

The finality in her tone made Daxia both back down and smirk in amusement. It seemed her hard work was almost complete.

Slumping against the table top as the exhaustion of September first took a hold of her she allowed a wide smile to stretch across her face as the most delicious looking collection of foods appeared of the serving plates before her. Glancing up across the table she sent a twitch of her eyebrow to a smirking Sirius. Peter Pettigrew, final member of the Marauders, pulled his tongue out towards her just as Adiya and Remus burst into hysterical giggles at whatever story James was telling in an animated manner.

It was good to be home.