paradisa | test chamber 06 ;

[ Everyone but Wheatley ; dictated ]

I was wondering if anyone would guide me through the process of making tea.

If it makes any difference, black or green tea especially.

[ Wheatley ]

[ A few hours later, GLaDOS would be making said tea. The room was already ready; although she hadn't really changed it from its cold and clinical feel, it was something that they were both used to, anyway. Aperture. There was a small table set up, though, with two chairs and little tea saucers and plates, and a little radio in the middle that was playing classical music.

GLaDOS herself would be dressed primarily in blue, in a nice button-down fitting blouse with sleeves that reached her elbows and a knee-length black pencil skirt. Of course, she was wearing some nice shoes to match, no heels of course (even if she did think about them, she likely would have trouble walking in them). She didn't want to wish up the tea already made, instead opting to keep herself busy before the moron got there.

She was a little apprehensive, really. This set-up was ridiculous. She knew she was going to these lengths because he had been so considerate over the past week, where she had only been as nice as she could be, but still. Being kind didn't really come naturally after so many years of being a homicidal AI. It was a foreign concept, even if the friendship itself made her inexplicably happy. If only the tiny bit of data (well, self, now that she was human) that was Caroline could explain these dumb things. Instead of just making her feel them.

She let out a small, nervous sigh before writing in the filter and speaking. Hopefully, he had his journal on him. ]

Come up to my room as soon as you're free.

[ Now, to play the waiting game. She took the two tea cups that she had wished for (with blue designs on them, naturally) and finished the job, hoping he would come soon. Otherwise, the tea would get cold. ]

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[ Her own heart practically stopped when she heard it ring.

Oh no.

No.

No. She covered her face with her hands, heaving a deep, mournful sigh. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happeningthiswasn'thappening--

But it was. So with great reluctance, she would sit up, uncovering her face. And taking a deep breath. Okay. She could do this. ]

It's-- it's over.

[ That didn't come out mean enough. It sounded more depressed than anything. ]

[He sat up too. Staring at her blankly for a moment. And then... he clears his throat.]

Y-yes it is! Over. Finished. All... all done, and completed. ...Done.

[He can't say much. He trails off at the end. He's staring at her like some sort of dope. He's quiet for a while.]

Y-you know, as much as I'd love to stay... I uh-No, that's not it-
As much as I'd love to torture myself to stay- I...

[Okay he can't do that. So he just get's up and walks off. Because he has so many terrible feelings right now, he doesn't feel like saying much of anything.]

[ GLaDOS stands up, too, feeling something similar to her heart wrenching at how he couldn't even do it. He couldn't even be her enemy right now. So she reluctantly follows him, a few paces back, needing to get back to her room.

She doesn't even want to speak. She feels the familiar sting in her eyes, so she can't. So she doesn't, instead staring at his back as they make their way back to the castle. ]

[He can hear her behind him, though he doesn't turn around. He can't. He can't even look at her right now. Not now, anytime but now. He wondered if it would have been better if he left early.

It didn't matter now. It was all over.

Hands in his pocket, his head is hanging pretty low right now.
She's a monster. She's a monster. She's a monster.
When he makes it into the castle, he lingers for a half moment to keep the door open after him, hesitates to realize that there was no need for that anymore,and casually kept walking.

Hardly casual. He was dragging his feet.]

[ She kept trailing behind him, pursing her lips together tightly when he stayed at the door for a tiny bit longer than necessary, afraid that they would start doing that awful shaking thing again. She would catch the door as it was almost closed, opening it slowly and following him like a shadow until finally, they had to part ways. When they were at that intersection, she stopped, glancing at him for a second longer than necessary before turning and swiftly heading to her room.

It had gone by so fast...

When she made it to her room, GLaDOS shut the door behind her, taking another deep breath, the stinging getting worse. So she blinked, her eyesight blurry as she looked over the table; the radio still softly playing classical tunes, the two barely touched cups of tea, and his glasses.

It didn't even register fully, though, as she headed for her bed, before abruptly stopping and instead opting to pace around her room.

It wasn't even a whole two minutes before she gave up on that and just collapsed onto her bed, heaving another sigh. She felt terrible. He had broken her. No, it wasn't wholly his fault.

She had agreed to the truce, after all. So it was partly hers. ]

[When he had gotten to his room, Wheatley immediately made his way to his bed, flopping his face down into his sheets. He couldn't comprehend the terrible feelings that were going through him. His eyes, his chest, his head... they just all felt so terrible.

He shifts a little, crawling onto his bed and grabbing one of his pillows. He was too damn tired to do anything. It was in that moment, he realizes something that makes him whimper out loud. The damn pillows smelled like her too. He recognized it without any effort. The light vanilla scent stuck to everything in his room. His bed, his clothes, he didn't know how to escape it. Not like he truly wanted to.

Rolling off his bed, he walked up to his mirror, preparing to remove his tie, when he noticed something off in his reflection.

Oh.

His glasses.

He had left them at her apartment. He'd leave them there then. No use encountering her again if he really didn't need too. But... he needed his glasses. And he just wanted to see her. It took a while, but he had managed to convince himself that there'd be no casual talking involved, and it'd all be practical. So he tossed his tie onto his bed and decided to see her without it. Still wearing orange.

...

When he got to her apartment, he hesitated at her door. A lot. He did a considerable amount of second guessing, wondering if it was really a good idea to see her, and if he should have just cut his losses. His heart was beating, and after two minutes, he mustered enough confidence to knock on the door.]

[ GLaDOS had kept wiping at her eyes, even if she wasn't actually crying. Her eyes kept stinging though, and she had a feeling that she would soon be leaking again. Stupid, faulty, irreparable humans.

So when she heard the knock at her door, she begged internally that it wasn't him. Or actually, maybe she did want it to be him. But at the same time, she didn't want to see him. It was all so confusing.

So with great reluctance once more, she slid off of the bed and wiped at her eyes a final time before heading to the door, opening it just a crack.

Of course it had to be him. ]

What is it?

[ she finally managed, after trying to swallow down the golf ball in her throat. To no avail, of course. Her voice was shaking horrendously. ]

[He sees a glimpse of her white hair within the crack of the foor. His voice is low, and not as bouncy as usual.]

I...uh. [ahem] I forgot my-- my glasses. In your room. On the table.

[He wasn't sure how she was going to react, but he certainly did not see that coming. He could hear it. If you were trying to be subtle about it, it wasn't working. He had to hold himself back just so he didn't build up a desire to reach for her and comfort her.]

[ She would carefully open the door more, remembering how she had seen those on her table. Ah. Right.

Giving him a small nod (she really didn't trust her voice, considering how it was acting up), she headed towards the table, picking up the glasses gently and returning to the door. GLaDOS would hesitate, running her thumbs over the frame before looking up at him and offering them. ]

Here. [ she barely managed, only able to think about how just the day before, he had come up to her door and they had greeted each other so cordially.

Now, it was back to normal. But not quite; she felt that she was still lost, unknowing how to act and how to feel. ]

[He took them, very quickly. Last thing he wanted to do was linger around her. And even then, when he grabbed his glasses, his hand brushed against hers... and then there was another hesitation.

Why did you have to be his friend? Or so good at it. If GLaDOS sucked at being friends, this wouldn't have been anything significant. He put his Glasses on, adjusted the frames, and for a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something.

But he didn't.

So to spare the embarrassment, he walked off.]

[ The way his hand had brushed against hers made her stop, too, having trouble meeting his eyes. She wasn't sure what she was hoping when he seemed like he was going to talk. Something nice? Something annoying? And when he didn't say a word, she found her heart sink possibly even lower. She wasn't sure what she had been hoping for, but it made her uneasy that he didn't talk. Or ramble. At all.

GLaDOS watched him walk off, not bothering to go back into her room and close the door until he would be out of sight. Where did humans even get the saying "out of sight, out of mind?" Because it wasn't true. Stupid humans. Even after Wheatley would turn a corner, GLaDOS lingered for a few seconds longer, unsure of what exactly she was waiting for. And so she eventually backed into her room, closing the door shut and heaving a silent sob. ]

test chamber 06 ;

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