𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝑴𝙾𝙳͟𝙸͟𝙵͟𝙸𝙴𝙳⠀ 𝗧𝗢 ⠀𝓞𝚄𝚃𝙿͟𝙴͟𝚁͟𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙼. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝕾͟𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝕬͟𝙳𝚅𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝙳.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀𝑻͟𝙴𝙲𝙷𝙽𝙾𝙻𝙾𝙶𝚈 𝕰͟𝙽𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝙳.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

— to be close to electra. )

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

i would prefer to stay close by you. if that is acceptable.

( yeah. he is still distant and upset, and likely will be for a while because he just .. doesn’t know how to navigate feelings like that. it’s going to sit with him for quite some time. but still, he feels that need —

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

( they falter, for a moment — this is still wrong, krupp is still distant and upset — but they can’t help but cling to the normalcy of how they’d used to act with him. before all … this. )

an assignment ? well … i suppose you could go around the yard, see if anything is amiss.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

yes …

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

with my ass . . . ?

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

please let me stim.

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

must you continue to play the drums
on my ass, my darling.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

me and my beautiful wife

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

( 🧍‍♂️ )

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

( krupp blinks. and then blinks again. he doesn’t know what to say. )

what would you like me to do now, electra .ᐣ i would like an assignment.

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

( and just like that, electra's mood is improved! they smile, delighted, as though nothing had ever happened. this is Fine. )

oh, wonderful ! good !! you're so good for me. my darling krupp.

[︎ ︎ ︎ ،،̲ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ HELL'S ︎ ︎ ︎ ꒷꒦ ︎ ︎ BELLS. @devouringink]

i may not be the prettiest girl in the room, but what i do have is a gun!

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

hhh ..

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

thank you, purse.

( krupp doesn’t know what else to say. he’s a truck of few words, and right now he has even fewer to say. he just lingers, holding on to purse. )

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

﹝ they know their husband well. even
if krupp does not express it—— they
know it is killing him. so he holds his
lover close and kisses the corner of
his mouth. ﹞

it’s understandable for you to feel this
way. i am here for you, my love.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

( krupp nods, head bowing to rest against purse’s shoulder as the money truck pulls him close. )

i do not. enjoy it.

( that’s about as close as he’ll get to actually expressing how miserable he feels, because krupp wasn’t really made to express his feelings. )

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

﹝ a pause, before purses other hand
reaches out to place on krupps hip
and pull him close. ﹞ oh darling, i’m
sorry to hear that. is it because of. . .

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

( krupp nods. it would be easier, electra is right. )

yes. that would be … yes.

( but electra had fired him, electra had cast him aside. and krupp finds himself struggling to go back to his role without holding on to electra’s betrayal. )

we can. try.

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

( it’s hard to be angry with krupp, when he’s using words like love. )

i don’t think you would lie to me, krupp. i don’t think you could.

( electra sighs. they run a hand against the arc of their hair, static sparking at their fingertips. it’s a nervous, fidgety motion. )

(+)

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

mm. yes.

( long pause … leaning slowly into purse’s touch. )

electra is upset with me. i do not like it.

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

you called, darling? ﹝ reaching out to
cup cheek. ﹞

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

oh. hello.

[$ ݁˖ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ╱ 𝓜𝑂͟𝑁͟𝐸͟𝑌 @mcneyminder]

yes, my love?

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

where. is purse.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

— equation. believe whatever you like, but i am not lying to you.

( krupp is considering retreating, hiding away from electra. how mortifying, to open himself up and to be so … harshly rejected. )

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

… yes. this is true.

( mm. that stings. perhaps krupp deserves it, perhaps not. )

you are being unkind, electra. everything is about you, and here you are — throwing a fit about it .ᐟ i do not understand you. my job is to keep you safe. love was never part of the —

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

but you * were * programmed to want to please me, weren’t you ? that what you always say !

( aaaaand there goes their restraint. their voice goes all flat, mocking krupp. )

“ anything for you, electra. whatever makes you happy, electra. ” you don’t think for yourself ! you (+)

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

— side. even when you are cross with me.

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

i was not programmed to love. i was made to protect. to defend. i was not designed with love in mind.

and yet.

( krupp shrugs. he’s way out of his comfort zone, being vulnerable like this. )

why else would it hurt to be fired .ᐣ i do not like to be anywhere but by your —

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

fine. prove it.

( short, clipped words; their anger is usually explosive, but they manage to bite it back. )

[𝕽𝙾𝙱𝙾 ⚡︎ 𝕾𝙰𝙿𝙸𝙴𝙽. @armamentstruck]

yes.

( krupp is very, very hesitant to admit what exactly he has done that isn’t in his code. )

[ᅠᅠᅠ𝐀𝐂 ╱ 𝐃𝐂 @transelectropop]

does it ? it’s always “ my programming ” this, “ my programming ” that. are you capable of doing * anything * that isn’t in your code ?