MMBN RP - Shepherd's Concert

@puppy_parade & @snoruntpyro ✨Cross Reflection Spoilers for real (edited)

puppy_parade changed the channel name: Shepherd's Concert 7/6/2024 3:04 AM

Unfortunately, nicking the copyroid from the lab did not prove successful. Not for a lack of trying, mind, more so that all of them were nearly dead. What the hell. Did scientists just forget to charge their shit? Well a quick message to

and there was a copyroid ready for him. Grab the IP from Lan, and-- Rockman appeared inside of a bedroom that was decidedly...not like Netto's old room. But it was just similar enough to know that he'd made it to the right place. Well, the copyroid was right there. Might as well jump in! When he opened his eyes, he was standing in that same bedroom. Towering over Lan a bit. Sheepishly, he took a step backwards to give her space, and said as cheerfully as he could-- "Hi-!"

Lan was definitely much giddier than she wanted to admit in the chatroom - well, she wasn't bouncing up and down in her seat, she wasn't- wasn't that excited, but this had worked out so perfectly for her. She had only learned about the concert a day prior- way too late to make any plans, and she was already pouting over missing the opportunity. But now, the solution fell right into her lap. She still wasn't sure how to feel about this other Megaman's operator, but- Megaman himself was nice. Kind, patient... definitely different than the one she knew already, but not in a bad way. Lan knew she probably wouldn't accept the offer from someone she hadn't met before - very easy way to be kidnapped. But this was Megaman - she probably didn't have that much to worry about. -and then he was suddenly there, in her room, and she jumped up in her seat a little bit. "Ah! Um- hi. Hi," she greeted. Dusk had dropped off the Copybot a few minutes ago, and her mother wasn't home, so she just took it straight to her room. Of course it would be occupied ASAP, what did she even expect? "Yo. That was quick," Rock commented from Lan's PET, sitting upright on her desk. She was a little more skeptical than Lan of this whole arrangement - this Megaman was a little skittish, but- eh. That's what I'm here for. In case there's a problem.

"Oh!" Rock jumped a little at her surprise, but he played it off. Today was a better day, and he certainly seemed more Rockman than before. He turned to look at the PET, and offered Rock a little wave too. "Hi! Um, yeah. Turns out all of the lab copyroids were dead, um- your friend was really helpful!" This copyroid was pretty good, actually. This was close to the models that Iris was based on. It would certainly render his civilian form just fine. He gave Lan a smile. This Rock- well, in the copyroid, it was even more clear that he was older, and a bit more tired looking. "This is really exciting! Have you ever been to a concert before? I've been to a few, but, ohh, it never really was Netto's thing- I'm really excited!"

Lan blinked as Megaman became more accustomed to the Copybot. "Oh- yeah, um. I'm glad. Iris' dad has a lot of them," she explained absentmindedly. Yeah- yeah, he did look a bit exhausted. She had noted that when they first met, but now it was really settling in- now that they were sharing the same physical space. "But um- no, this is... my first concert," Lan responded sheepishly. She was sinking a little in her seat - the idea was still a little embarrassing to her. "I've- been listening to their music for a while, it's just- I mean, I don't know how many concerts they really... have here..."

"Digital concerts are really common where I'm from," Rock spun a little, testing the copyroid. Yup, it was good. Everything was working as intended. "There's whole idols who are just navis. Not really my scene, though..." He did recall a very fond date with Blues, where they saw some pop singer for an IPC event. (Though they hadn't paid much attention to the singer...) "Are you worried at all?" Rock asked, somewhat serious. "These sorts of things can be chaotic, sometimes."

"Ah- um. A little," Lan admitted, clasping her hands together. These were big events - she'd never been, so she could only really imagine how chaotic it was from photos. And she was the one who was into... music that was intense in the first place. That alone filled in some details. "I don't know- how well I deal with crowds," she continued. "But. I want to go. I think it'd be cool." Rock, meanwhile, was scratching her head over Megaman's offhand comment. "Digital concerts? Damn," she mumbled out loud. "First I'm hearing of that. You think they have those here?" She, too, was pretty excited for the concert - but it would cramp her vibe way too much to be giddy over it. She'd just play it cool.

Rockman moved to make sure he could see the both of them when he talked. "I hope they do. They're a lot of fun, like the real deal." He offered a sympathetic look to Lan. "I'm not that good in crowds either sometimes. But I'll feel better with you there, so we'll make a good team." Rock very carefully sat on the edge of Lan's bed. He blinked a few times in an odd pattern- he was accessing a visor behind his eyes. In a moment, the copyroid's rendering changed, and his helmet fell away into a flurry of pixels- his hair fluffed out, making him shake his head to clear his hair from his face. "It will be cool. And if you don't like it, we can leave whenever you want."

Lan was taken aback by Megaman's helmet vanishing like that - it honestly looked kind of cool. She'd never really seen a Copybot morph in that way - just entire forms disappearing and reappearing at once. It surprised her to hear Megaman share in her anxieties - though she did recall him telling her that his operator thought they were alike. Maybe that was true...? But- whatever. He doesn't know a thing about me. "I- okay. That's good. Thanks," she reacted, her worries visibly easing ever so slightly. They'd make a good team, too? That- was definitely something Megaman would say, alright. "Um- I think we can take the train. And then walk the rest of the distance. We have... um..." "Concert's in two hours," Rock interjected, finishing Lan's thought.

Rockman ran a hand through his hair (a motion that both he and Netto did frequently), kicking his feet. It was clear he was excited- he really couldn't even stop smiling. "I haven't taken the train in forever! Gosh, I don't get out that much..." He laughed a little about it. His hand flicked and his armor was replaced with a hoodie- and he had skin! Well, synthetic skin. It bore the Hikari emblem on the front, and the sleeves were slightly too long for Rockman's arms. He rolled them up to his elbows, flexing his fingers. He had to test if the synthetic look was right on this copyroid- yup. Looked like skin. He wore a simple pair of sweatpants, and his boots had shorted down into normal looking shoes. For all intents and purposes, he looked very human. He just had to take off his hearing receptors, but that could wait. "Your mom is busy, huh?" He asked, looking a bit more serious this time. "My mom didn't really work when I- Netto, was younger. Does yours? Um, if you don't mind me asking."

It- was definitely weird watching Megaman’s appearance unfold in front of her. She- still wasn’t really used to Navis- it had only been two months or so- and seeing him so smoothly transition into his promised civilian clothes made her pause. He did look startlingly human- for some reason, she didn’t expect a Navi to be able to replicate their appearance so comfortably. Lan paused for a few moments, lost in her own thoughts. With the way Megaman looked right now, she had to imagine… this is what Hub would’ve… No, she shouldn’t think about that right now. No use dwelling on what-ifs. “Yeah, she does,” she responded. Kind of a weird question, since she had to. “It’s- some office job. She’s had a couple jobs. I don’t really ask about it.”

"Oh," Rockman says softly, beginning to play with his sleeves. That was different...Haruka never worked because Yuuichiro did all of the working- he'd always done that, always been at the lab...Where was that? "Um- what does your dad do?" He asked, a little apprehensive, but he couldn't really stop his curiosity. Was Yuuichiro...here? Lan had only mentioned her mom. And, well- Rockman got his music taste from somewhere. (Cossack. Not Yuuichiro. But still!)

Lan’s heart skipped a beat. She- she felt that fear well up inside her for a moment, but she knew better, now. Calm down. It’s a reasonable question. He doesn’t- he just doesn’t know, he’s not making fun of her- Rock, too, had an apprehensive reaction. She knew plenty of how much of a touchy subject this is- enough to shoot Megaman a glare over it. An extremely “shut up” kind of glare. But then, Lan opened her mouth- her breath was subtly sharper than usual- and, surprisingly to Rock, she ripped the bandaid right off. “He’s- in jail,” Lan stammered out, averting her eyes. She paused. “It’s- it’s fine, now.”

"Oh, shit," Rockman swears under his breath, realizing he'd really stepped on the wrong landmine there. He looks at Rock and that apologetic, sort of skittish look on his face returns- god, she's so fucking intimidating and there's something dark about her- it's then that his eyes land on the picture on Lan's desk. And things slow down for a while, because there he is. Older. A true child, not a baby, and decidedly not dead. Not yet sick either. But there was no Hub here...and no MegaMan. Rockman could piece together the picture, in some way, now. He took a breath and said, "I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to the differences. Thank you for still answering me." He pointed at the picture. "That, um, picture. Is that all of you? Your family? It's nice," he said softly- though there's some kind of...haunted nature to the way he looks at it. (edited)

The apology is enough. Rock’s glare relaxed into a neutral expression, devoid of emotion. She almost considered backpedalling on that the second he decided to ask about the damn picture, but- whatever. If Lan could handle her dad being brought up, her brother was nothing. She was doing okay. Lan sort of apologetically waved at Megaman once she caught him chastising himself for asking the wrong question. And- she knew what he had finally noticed. Duh. It was so obvious. At least that let her brace herself for the answer- it helped that this wasn’t the first time explaining this. “Um- yes and no,” she said, glancing at said photo. “That’s. Um, me, Mom, and… my brother. Hub.” She paused for a brief moment, her eyes shimmering with a sort of… empty look, like she was pushing feelings away. “He, um. He passed away a long time ago. It’s just me and Mom now. And Rock.”

There's a moment where Rockman wants to say it. That the boy staring him down in that photo is him, that there is a world where that boy became him, and here he is, and your dad isn't in jail and your life doesn't seem so stressful but he buttons himself back up. Because that same world is the world that he lives in. And he has felt far from being a brother for a long time. Instead of blurting out things that she just didn't need to focus on right now, he says instead, "You've got a good Navi with you." Good was a word for it. He'd met enough Navis with tortured souls, with a miasma around them who were so fiercely loyal that he knew Rock would protect her given anything. Hell, he was a bit of a tortured Navi. "Have you- have you and Rock been together for a long time? Or are you new?" He asks it both to Lan and Rock.

Lan nervously glanced back at her PET, being snapped out of her bizarre daze. “O-oh. No, um. I never had a Navi until… two months ago.” Rock definitely appreciated the ego boost. That was what she was here for- and Megaman’s question allowed her to jump in. “Yup. Guess you’d say I’m new,” she said, picking up where Lan left off. “Long story, but she needed a Navi after everything. I was created by her friend’s dad.” Best to be vague. Even not knowing what this Megaman’s impression was, Wily’s contractors wouldn’t be happy with him should they catch wind of her existence. Private project, nothing more.

"Oh, you're young-young." Rockman smiles again, a bit of a goofy grin- he wants to lean into it, just so they can get away from such sad topics. (Though it did beg the question, why the hell was she so fucked?) "I was made over twenty years ago, so you're like- that's so wild. Brand new!" Rockman beamed about it, because it was honestly exciting. "Your friend's dad did good work." Rockman could remember the work Rock had done during the rescue. He probably wouldn't want to be on the other end of a netbattle. "Ah- I think it's almost time to get going. Are you ready? I have pocket money, you should just bring any ID you have, and- yeah, I think that's it. Do you have a train card? I don't think mine is gonna work here."

Both Lan and Rock's eyes widened simultaneously. "Twenty years? God damn," Rock exclaimed, crossing her arms. "I don't think there's any Navis here that're that old." "Ah- thanks. He'd, um. He appreciates it. I bet," Lan added nervously. This was as awkward of a topic for her as it was for Rock- especially given how many "why"s it raised. But luckily, the out for small talk was laid out right in front of her. "Yeah. I'm ready," she continued, grabbing her backpack and slinging it around her. "I- um, yeah. My ID's in my bag, and- yeah, I have a card." She had learned the ins and outs of the train system pretty quickly from... last month's events. Lan got up from her seat, looking at Megaman a little tentatively as she opened the door out into the hallway. Then, she stood there and waited. It's probably rude if I don't let him through first...?, she guessed. She never had guests over, anyway.

Rockman couldn't help but giggle a little at how polite Lan was. Definitely different from his own operator. He could imagine the way this would have gone, if he'd had the chance... Before they left, he finally removed the cones over where ears would be, replacing them with normal looking ears. (Did he have a piercing in the right ear? It was clearly an aesthetic choice, and a strange one at that...) As they walked out, Rockman continued their conversation: "Yup, I'm over twenty years old. I've been here for a long time!" His hands rested in the belly pocket of his hoodie. "It's not real common to be that old where I'm from either. I just happened to be special." In many, many ways. "Have you ever been to big events like this? Maybe like a festival?" He had to see what he actually needed to coach her on.

"I'll say," Rock muttered under her breath. She had heard enough about who Megaman was to know that - of course, things could be different for him, but was it that surprising regardless? They went out the door and left - Lan waited for Megaman to go first again, still trying to be polite - and began their trek to the train station. Lan did take her skates, but stuffed them in her bag - she didn't want to leave Megaman in the dust. "Uh- once or twice," Lan responded, wracking her brain. "I went to- a festival last month, yeah. But it wasn't that crowded." She had probably gazed in through the gates of events and observed pictures of them more than she actually went to them, which made her feel kind of sad.

"This might be a bit more crowded," Rockman said, counting on his fingers as he spoke; "most of the people should be nice, but it's a loud and hectic sort of situation. So you'll want to stay close, and don't accept anything from strangers. Even if they seem friendly. Umm..." Rockman tried to think back to concerts he'd been to. Blues had always swiftly dealt with everyone who'd tried to screw with Rock (and they'd been kicked out of more than one of said concerts for his ferocity), so it wasn't as if his experience was that extensive. "Do PETs here have the alarm function? PETs from mine, if you tap the power button four times it'll start making a really loud sound. In case we get separated or something? I don't see that happening, but we should be prepared." He was rambling a lot. They were getting to the train station and he was still talking.

"Uh- thanks. I should... be okay, I think," Lan responded. She was more nervous about the concert the closer they got to it - it was settling in that this was actually happening, she was actually getting to go to this concert. But- she wasn't stupid. "I- should be fine. I'll just stay close to you." "If anyone tries to mess with her, I'll start yelling really loudly," Rock boasted, pressing her thumb to her chest. "And I can get worse, I promise." Lan honestly appreciated the rambling. Skating made the silence more tolerable when she needed to get around, with the concentration she needed and the roll of the blades on the sidewalk, but she felt relaxed with Megaman spearheading the conversation. It was... nice.

Rockman grinned at the sound of Rock's voice. "Good," He said, "I trust you in case something happens, then." Rockman was overly thankful when Lan scanned them through the train, a smooth excuse as to why he didn't have his own train card and they were waiting together for the train. Rockman swayed back and forth on his heels, standing next to Lan as they waited. He could imagine this moment with his own operator, if he wandered in his mind. He never got the chance to be an older brother (even if he was only older by a few minutes). There's a brief flash of embarrassment at the idea that he feels even remotely like this Lan's older sibling, but friends- friends feel that way all the time, don't they? He forces the copyroid to stop making his cheeks all flushed. "Um, do you know what a mosh pit is? That's something else to look out for," Rock fidgeted with his sleeves again. "It's another time to stay close to me, probably."

Lan- had taken the train a few times alone, so she wasn't really afraid. But it was a lot more comforting to be with someone else- though, why was she thinking about this so much? Was his presence that comforting? "N-not really...?" she stammered in response. "I mean, I've seen pictures... and heard about them in passing. But... well, I've never been." "It's like, when a group of people go wild in front of the stage. Roughhousing to burn off their energy from the music and shit," Rock explained. Lan paused, giving her a look of "how did you know that" - one that Rock immediately followed with an "I looked it up." (Wow, Navis were so useful!)

"Oh- yup! Rock's got it." Rockman grinned, happy for her input. "There's also, like, sometimes if you see a big group of people parting, they're going to like, run at each other really fast and slam into each other. You also don't want to be in the middle of that." He paused for a while. "Though, you're kinda small enough, I think anyone with sense is gonna keep you out of it. If I'm not there. But, I will be. Not leaving your side." Oh. Um. He felt a little sheepish after saying that. Luckily, the train arrived before they could linger in that.

"I- yeah. I guess. Hopefully," Lan sputtered out in response. Well- she at least was hoping no one would treat her like a kid. She hated being treated like a kid- she was older than that. But- it was best to be safe. She'd definitely keep close to him. The train's arrival helped to distract both Lan and Rock from Megaman's apprehension. They left the train platform and walked out into the streets, with Lan sticking slightly behind Megaman the entire time. This- was a new place, she hadn't been here before, so she had to stay close. Rock stifled a laugh with how skittish Lan was - she was a lot more confident when she was familiar with what was going on, so it was funny to see her like this. But she knew what her responsibility was, so she wasted little time in quickly grabbing directions for the area off the PET's default search engine.

Rockman couldn't help but notice how skittish Lan seemed- it was a major departure from his own operator. He could imagine him bounding ahead, and Rockman having to chase after him...but this was nice in its own way, too. Before they got to the gates, Rockman turned and focused on Lan for a second. "Don't take this the wrong way," He said, looking very serious suddenly. "But if you get scared, you can grab onto my arm, okay? I'd rather you do that then have to run off." It was a little nagging. But it was clearly genuine, and careful. He also didn't want to baby Lan, but he also wanted to put her fears to rest.

Lan stuttered a bit at the offer - she felt a little patronized for a moment, and that was reflected in her expression before she relaxed. She- she was 13, she wasn't a baby. But- when was the last time anyone had ever talked to her like that? It was... it had been a while... it probably had to be... uh, nevermind. Those thoughts were easy to push away as they approached the gate. The line was- decently long, but it was moving quickly, at least. She was content to let Megaman figure the logistics out, given that he was her... adult chaperone. Kind of a weird thought. "I- yeah. I won't run off. It's fine," she assured. She drew a little closer to Megaman now that they were in line - they had to stay close so he didn't lose her.

Rockman had to be content with that answer, because (luckily) the line was moving pretty quick. He gave her another encouraging smile as they shuffled in line. "I need to see your IDs," said the doorman, and this made Rockman sigh- he was really hopeful that they would just be able to pass with one child marker and one adult marker, but no. Rockman didn't look old enough to this guy. He dug in the sweatpants pockets, found the wallet that came with his civilian outfit, and cringed for a moment. Shit. Shit his papers did not say some fake name, his papers sure did say Saito Hikari, because he was living half a life, and that life was still the corpse inside of him. And the corpse that surely haunted Lan. He should have said something earlier. Wearily, he handed off his ID. The doorman compared it- satisfied, he looped a band around Rockman's wrist and said: "Have a good time, Saito." The doorman was then asking for Lan's ID.

Now that they were on the spot, Lan was getting actually nervous - what if they turned us away for no reason? No, that was stupid, why would they- "-have a good time, Hub." What? What? What? What? Oh. Lan froze up for a brief moment. Well- well, of course that made sense. Megaman was Hub Hikari. It was- her world that was wrong (not bad- not bad, it's not worse), the one where the transfer didn't work. Somehow, against what logic dictated, it was the universal default for a corpse to be revived into a cybernetic frame. And he was standing right in front of her, awkwardly shuffling forward after receiving his wristband. Wait- does that mean he lied to her? He said he wasn't human, when they had talked at Triese's house. What did that mean- why was he still- oh. The doorman was waiting for her. In the interest of not holding up the line- and in the interest of satisfying Rock, who was staring at her intently- she quickly slung her bag over her shoulders and pulled her ID out to show the doorman. Everything checked out, since- somehow, her brother was here to look after her. He was chaperoning her, so- it was fine. She received a band of her own and scuttled through the gates, catching up with Megaman once she made it inside. Her expression was clearly troubled- but more of a questioning flavor than one of betrayal, thankfully.

Once they were inside, it was loud- there were so many people around. Rockman was wringing his wrists, clearly a little bit guilty. But he couldn't let it consume him. He had a role here, he had to be responsible and take care of Lan, keep her safe, be a decent role model for once. But there were so many people. He couldn't just say out loud, I'm a version of your dead brother!!! in front of so many people. And he assumed she probably understood that part. The real question was what held him up from saying anything? Rockman looked away from her, and blinked a few times. A message appeared in her PET. [I should have told you. Dad told me when I was young that I had to keep it a secret. I don't really anymore, but- old habits die hard. I'm sorry.] (edited)

Lan was definitely overwhelmed by the wave of noise that enveloped them- not helped by her lingering apprehension from the name she heard at the door. If it weren't for the crowd drowning them out, she was sure her thoughts would be unbearably loud in place of it. Rock was also at a loss- she knew what had happened, she had the full story, but she couldn't help but think it was a dick move to lie to Lan. Her operator's feelings were plainly visible on her face- a stupid miscommunication that could've been avoided. But- luckily, to bail both of them out, Megaman's message arrived - without him even typing anything out. Woah. Weird. Rock motioned for Lan to look at the PET, and they both read the message together, which Lan hastily typed up a response to - well, responses, since her thoughts came in bursts. This would be how they'd have to do things with a crowd this loud, she supposed. [oh. um, it's okay.] [well, i knew about this already. kind of? i met another megaman who... was my brother. so, i'm not really surprised?] [my... dad tried to save my brother that way too. but he couldn't.] [but i thought you said you weren't human. so i didn't bring it up.]

[I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you.] Might as well come out and admit it fully; it was a lie. Rockman was so used to dodging the truth. (And really, did he even feel human anymore? What was he now? A netnavi? A ghost? A corpse, a dark soul, a monster, a virus--) [I- I am the real deal. Dad...was successful.] Why did he feel the need to say that? God, stupid. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on his bangs as he tried to decide where to go. There was still some time before the opening act came on.

Well- of course he was. Isn't that what she just said? But- okay, Lan glanced over at him and saw how nervous he was about this. He- really was just like the Megaman she knew, wasn't he? It was such an obvious sore spot for him- one that he was avoiding on purpose. She could relate, so she could forgive. At least they were talking about it. [um, it's okay.] [i know that. stuff like this is hard.] [it's. really weird. and kind of scary. but, uh, i still think about the things the other megaman said about it.] [i guess he didn't really think he was human either.] [but, he was here, and you're here, so it doesn't really matter.] Rock could do very little to offer support, so she chose to stay silent, reading the messages with little emotion.

Right. Right, it didn't matter, because here was the miracle, here was the time and the place and every little piece falling exactly where it was meant to be. For a moment he can't help but think about Scilabs, about isolation, about computers he thought he would never leave. But it was a miracle. Because he was here. And it didn't matter. Rockman blindly took Lan's hand himself, and gave it a soft squeeze. It looked like he needed it before Lan did. He let go, so he didn't make Lan feel any more patronized or bad as she may be right now. He pointed at the merch booth and asked: [Do you want to get a t-shirt? Everyone needs to get merch, especially if its your first time. My treat?]

It- definitely caught Lan off guard for Megaman to grab her hand. But it definitely wasn't... bad. It was... odd, in a way, knowing that they both needed that comfort out of each other. The feeling brought her back to... how things were, just before the Destroying Angel. Her heart jumped more at that incoming message than she wanted to admit. When did she ever get to have merch? Even Rock looked a little jealous- though, Lan knew she'd never want to change out her look anyways. [um. yeah! we could!! thank you!!]

Yup, he could recover from this. Though he might die (again) if Lan decided to call him Saito over all of this. He gave her a grin and gestured for her to follow him, nimbly weaving through crowds and making sure she stayed close. He seemed to be practiced at this part, the movement through people, his vigilance offering him a leg up on any other newcomer. But he didn't let Lan out of his reach. Luckily, thank god, it was a bit quieter near the merch booth. It only took a mild shout to say, "Pick out whatever you want!" He didn't actually know her T-shirt size, so she was gonna have to do this part herself.

Now that they were at the merch booth, it was a lot harder to hide her enthusiasm - Lan's eyes were practically sparkling as she perused her options. There was no way she was getting away with wearing a T-shirt of the mascot that she knew her mom would think looked freaky, so she instead pointed Megaman towards a black shirt with the band's name and logo on it. Thankfully, she knew her size off the top of her head. The shirt was paid for, and Lan stuffed the shirt into her bag with visible glee. She couldn't remember the last time she got to go somewhere for- purely selfish reasons, and take something home with her to show for it. "Um- thank you!!" she whisper-shouted to Megaman, just before they returned to the sea of noise.

Since it was so loud, Rockman started to send messages again. [You're welcome.] He smiled at her enthusiasm- that sparkle in her reminded him a bit of his own operator. He weaved through the crowds again, checking their wrist bands to see what their options were for being close. Ah, she didn't have any ear protection, though...probably shouldn't get too close. But then they ran the risk of tall people standing in front of them, and, well. Lan was pretty damn short. [You might not be able to see back here, but you also don't have any ear protection. Those speakers are loud.] He pointed at them as he sent the message. He tried to think of some sort of solution... [I guess you could sit on my shoulders? The copyroid can handle it.]

That look- it made her happy. She gave Megaman a warm smile back, and in that moment, she relaxed just a little. There was- no reason not to enjoy herself, it was completely allowed. Oh, yeah- she didn't bring headphones or anything. Lan kicked herself a little on the inside, though she knew she couldn't fault herself that much for the inexperience. Then, she received her chaperone's last message. [oh. yeah, that could work.] Their view wasn't great, given that she... wasn't exactly tall. She was unsure how comfortable she'd be sitting on someone's shoulder the whole time, but it was either that or not being able to see what she came for. Lan paused for a moment, then gave Megaman a nod, walking toward him and waiting to be hoisted up.

Rockman grinned and hupped her up, swinging her legs on either side of his head. Perfect! He made sure to angle so that they also weren't cutting off the view of anyone behind them- last thing he wanted was some drunk idiot to hassle them, and ruin that sparkle and smile on her face. He didn't know the Rockman she'd met, but he felt some sort of kinship, he supposed. They both must have felt the same urge to protect that kind of smile. He was starting to see what Netto meant by, she's a lot like you. She was special. One of a kind. In a sea of mirrors, she was the only one standing amongst them, as herself. "How's this?" Rockman shouted, holding onto her legs so she couldn't fall over. "Comfy up there?"

Lan was successfully hoisted up, giving her a clear view of the crowd and- oh- it really hit her all at once how many people were here, how excited they were, and how she was really here and getting to see it all in person, and that sparkle in her eyes brightened. It kind of made her reel back- sink back into reality for just a moment. She never really got to have fun with the Megaman she met- everything was too serious, and moving too quickly. But now, she was... finding that satisfaction, of being with someone and enjoying herself with someone she cared about. With Megaman. In a way, her brother. "Y-yeah. This works," Lan responded, glancing down at Megaman for a brief moment. "It's a good view. Thank you!!" Rock couldn't help but smile, seeing her beam this intensely. It really was a rare sight.

"If you give me your PET, I'll make sure Rock can see!" Rockman returned the look- and for a brief second, he really couldn't place another time in recent memory he was this content. (Sure, he shared many happy moments with Blues, but this was a different kind.) "If you get a headache, just let me know- and if your ears ring you gotta tell me, okay?" Rock had to make sure the last few safety notes he could think of. "And- oh-" Nevermind- the show was starting!

The concert finally began, and- wow, woah, Lan was blown away immediately by how much was going on. The stage lights and the sounds of the music and the sounds of the crowd cheering were so much more vivid than any video she'd watched. After Lan finished reeling from the initial shock of the noise, moments before the music started, she passed her PET to Megaman so Rock could be held up. Rock, too, was blown away a little bit. With the looks the crowd and the band themselves were wearing, she felt in her element. All that was left for her now was to actually... you know, listen. (Had she even listened to music just for herself yet? Ever?) Lan hadn't heard this song in particular before, but if it weren't for the fact that she was situated on top of someone, she'd probably be thrashing a little to it. She was definitely getting what she came for. (You'll never know, how your face has haunted me My very soul has to bleed this time) Lan's expression turned to one of serenity with a tinge of sadness, lost in her own thoughts.

Rockman made sure to stay steady, a secure hold on both Lan and her PET. He had a job to do! It made the noise of the concert almost even more pleasant, rather than overstimulating. (He hasn't been to events like this in a long time; crowds started to bother him after that one, but this was good. He had something else entirely to focus on.) It'd been a long time since he listened to this seriously, but he did find himself focused on the music. It reminded him of being a "teenager" of sorts, growing up with Netto, their own sort of phases they went through... Netto leaving, after everything-- ( Yes, I am stricken and can't let you go- ) He wondered what kind of phases Lan would go through. Was going through. He glanced up to see her slightly pensive expression, and gave her ankle a slightly reassuring squeeze. Something like, oh, I've been there. He may have wanted to move to the music too, but he stayed pretty still for Lan, resorting to just tapping his foot. At least the next song will probably not be so introspective.

The squeeze was enough to snap Lan out of her trance. Oh- duh. She was right here, right now, with Megaman. It didn't really matter what she thought about... well, people who weren't going to bother her or see her anymore. People who wouldn't be with her anymore. (Pleasure fused with pain) The next song was more calming to both Lan and Rock - it was easy to drown in the mood of the music. Lan liked music like this because it made her feel... more powerful, in a way. A lot had worked to make her feel weak, but the ambition of the music and the lyrics reminded her that she could fight. She was strong, she could throw those fists. Rock felt much the same way, though she couldn't relate in the same way Lan could. The emotions just felt resonant with her soul, that feeling in her heart she could never quite place. Lan briefly glanced at Megaman and smiled, wondering if he'd even look. She was feeling plenty comfortable by now, of course. She idly wondered- if he was a fan, then what was he coming for...? Do we feel the same way...?

Rockman was definitely jamming a little more to this one. This was really nostalgic. He could envision a computer, a home, and music like this playing in the background- he was visiting, his Uncle, that's right_ but he doesn't let himself dwell in the nostalgia too long. They did feel similar, but maybe not in the exact way Lan was thinking. She was the mold breaker- her path couldn't be like his, because they were so different. Maybe she would avoid any more suffering. Maybe she would make it one day. She had the resolve, right? That must have been what Netto saw in her. That's why they were similar. But the next song-- Rockman didn't notice Lan's smile until the next song started, because he lit up very excitedly. "This one's my favorite!" He shouts over the noise. ( I can feel the animal inside / And my resolve is weakening ) Rockman sang along in earnest, though still restrained to be respectful of Lan. (edited)

Oh, Lan had heard this one before - she'd heard it in a few of those anime music videos that she watched on occasion. It was definitely a really cool song - it wasn't surprising to her to see Megaman get so enthusiastic over it. She absolutely wasn't the kind of person to sing along - not out loud at a concert - but she giggled listening to Megaman do it. ( I have no control this time ) She did love this one. It was a really cool song - it made her feel so mature just by listening to it. It reminded her of how good it felt to go all-out. Though, she couldn't exactly do much physically when she was stuck on Megaman's shoulders. She was kind of jealous of the rest of the crowd getting to thrash around freely. Rock continued to tap along with the music, her chest beating with the rhythm and the words. ( For the smell of fear tonight Wakes an ancient lust That will not be denied (You're mine) ) Oh, she loved that idea more than anything. She was made for combat, after all- combat for the sake of protecting someone like Lan. If anyone hurt her, she'd- she'd crush them. That was her job. So- if Megaman ever- no, he wouldn't. What? Why would he? He was just enjoying the music. Same as she and Lan were.

"Such a good fucking song," Rockman mumbles, forgetting for a brief moment that he is with a child and definitely should not be saying things like that. He's very caught up in the atmosphere and it's definitely an atmosphere for swearing. He couldn't linger on it that long. (Nor could he linger on Lan giggling at his singing- hey, he wasn't perfect, but it was the heart of it all.) Music moved quick at these things. ( I will forever be reminded / Of how I struggled to survive ) Oh. Heavy. Rockman held onto Lan and tried to keep himself peppy.

Lan couldn't help but notice Megaman tense up at the song change - and the first lyrics were enough of a telegraph as to why. This was one she hadn't heard before - but there was a certain mood to this one, one that had washed over the crowd and spread to her. The dim red lights only added to the atmosphere. ( I can barely control this feeling Look at the murder in my eyes ) She had practically already decided this was a new favorite of hers. It was everything she liked about this kind of music- she felt seen, she felt free. Hell - she already knew from her friends (and enemies) how much murder there was in her eyes. She had to give people that kind of look - it's how she kept herself safe, told people to get away from her - because they wouldn't ever stop bothering her if she was so passive about everything. ( I was never good at concealing Violent thoughts have come to life ) Rock was grinning maybe a little too freakishly at this one. Oh, man, this music got it. How good it felt to feel like you could rip apart whatever was trapping you. That you were in control of your own life. She shuddered ever so slightly. Lan was bobbing to the tune and soaking in the atmosphere, but that glossy expression wouldn't fade. She was a little embarrased of how vulnerable it made her feel, but that was the price of listening to music with such emotion, she supposed. It was more important to her that she knew her struggles mattered. She- she had that control, and no one was going to take it away from her. She wouldn't be a sacrifice.

At least Lan and Rock were enjoying themselves. It was his turn to feel a little introspective, as he swayed lightly to the music. Vulnerability was the price of art, Rockman also supposed. And it was good to be seen in some ways. Even if it did make his skin crawl. (My demeanor turns from Jekyll to Hyde / Hell has broken free tonight) He really hoped that this Lan would never see the dark parts of himself. He hoped he could control it better from here on out- not put her friends in danger, not put her in danger... Whew! That's too heavy to think about with everything happening. He's got a happy kid on his shoulders and a brand new, young NetNavi getting to experience some human life. He had to focus on that. He was still capable of doing good. Still capable of being good. "How are you holding up?" He shouted, craning his head around to look up at her- he noticed that glassy look still on her face. "Having fun?"

Megaman calling for her snapped her out of it- again. He kept having to pull her back, and that was sort of embarrassing. But- she was okay. She was still loving this more than anything; she really did need this, after everything. "I'm fine!" Lan shouted back, her expression shifting to one of self-satisfied glee. "Just- I was thinking about stuff, sorry!" Rock knew that she got like this- she had a lot to think about at all times. She was a little surprised- most of the time, it was the quiet rooms that really got her, the ones where the lack of voices meant her operator's was the loudest by default. That was how... those bad thoughts festered, that she had to pull her out of. For it to happen here- she wasn't sure if it was a bad sign or not, but at least Megaman was here to bring her back. (Though, that was supposed to be her job.) Lan- had lost herself in the music a bit, but she was back to perking up, glancing at the band and the crowd from her chaperone's shoulders. The- that song was winding down. Maybe for the better.

"It's okay!" He shouted back, "I was too!" Just so she didn't have to feel alone. Again, he gave her ankles a reassuring squeeze, and didn't linger on it, focusing on the bad when there was so much good. If she needed (or wanted...?) to talk later, they could. They had plenty of time. (Wow, when was the last time he thought that?) (In the back of my mind I can / barely even remember when there was nothing left to hide) Man, it really was a hard hitter, one after another.

Lan smiled back at Megaman - his presence was really comforting at times like this. But she could tell when Megaman's body sagged when this song began, and she quickly found out why. (I was forced to walk alone Living in an empty home All I wanted was to hide and Try to numb the ache inside) Oh. Wow, wow, wow. It was obviously stupid to think some random band had written a song for her, but- it kept going, and going, and it was such a vivid descriptor of... her life, her struggles. How it felt to be so alone, suffocating in a prison made just for her, and having to break out by- by killing the infection with a deus ex machina. (Murder the beast that's been eating me alive The infection must die) She- really was the one who had to kill Autuvera. In a way, she was saving what he hated- the shadow that haunted her- but she knew it was more complicated than that. She did murder the beast, against all odds, because she was strong and free and fought for a new future free of that goddamn- Lan tensed up, clutching Megaman's shoulders. This- this wasn't the right time to think about this, but it was unavoidable. Really, it just meant this was a damn good song. But- now Megaman totally would've noticed her gripping him, and he'd see her bizarre expression that mixed hatred and sadness, and... ( And I'm still afraid of the light ) -get away from me, get away from me I don't WANT to be a part of your fucking vision, I'll- I'll tear it apart and dance on its remains, I'm- we're OURSELVES. Nothing else. Fight fight fight, fight it, fucking fight it- Whose thoughts were those? Neither Lan nor Rock could tell. Both of their bodies tightened. It-it was okay. Megaman was here. It was just a concert. They were fine, they would live. Lan knew she wouldn't forget this song.

Oh, shit. Rockman looked up at her again, concern on his face- the way she was gripping onto his shoulders was different than last time, and- was that the PET getting hot? He couldn't help but twist around and grab her from his shoulders, holding her out in front of him. He didn't even really think about how it was weird to do this- the concern overrides it. "Are you okay??" He asks, having to shout again. He looks really really concerned, though. "Do you need to go???" Pause, then, "It's okay if you do!" He had to make sure she was alright. There was some crackle he could feel in the air- something he couldn't identify. The song had started to fade into another one, but he couldn't think to focus on it.

Blink. "O-oh. Yeah, I'm... fine," Lan responded, half-lying. She could barely be heard over the music. This was the third time he was catching her off guard like this - she really needed to pay more attention. Especially given that it took her a second to notice herself being hoisted around to be held like a cat. That look of pity- she kinda hated it, but- she had to shake it off and bring herself back to reality. "Sorry. It's just- that song was really powerful," she continued, a little louder than before. Her expression perked up - clearly a little forced, but her joy was still genuine. "We can stay! It's fine! I'm having a great time!" Lan's joy was- weirdly infectious to Rock? She calmed down pretty quickly as the music shifted- what the hell was that? Thinking back on it already made her feel... dizzy, in a way. Were those emotions that strong? ( This is the world we live in And these are the hands we're given ) This next song was- less stressful. It reminded Lan of her struggles, too, but in a more hopeful way. That her fight had a point, and that... it was worth it, and she wasn't tearing herself apart for it. She smiled back at Megaman, trying to tell him that- she was okay. She was fine.

Rockman breathed a sigh of relief, giving her an apologetic look before helping her back onto his shoulders. She was alright. Jeez- he didn't even realize how much that just stressed him out. He felt dizzy and- his chest ached a little. He took a deep breath, and focused on the feeling of the music, the joy Lan was feeling, and how a little bit of dizziness was completely worth it all. -- It was pretty damn late by the time Lan and Rockman were exiting the venue- the copyroid was reporting it was cold, so he let his sleeves fall and his hands rest inside of the front pocket of the hoodie he wore. (Truth be told, he was ready to get out of his civilian look; but he had to make sure Lan was going to get home safe!) "I'm glad you had fun," Rockman said, his voice still a little raised- he forgot to signal to the copyroid to lower it, so the next time he spoke, it was a bit more of a normal tone. "You were into it. Are you hungry? I could get you something." There's the vague feeling he has about being hungry, but it's a superfluous process.

All things considered, Lan felt relieved to be free of the cacophony of noise - it never got too bad, her ears weren't even ringing, but that was probably the longest she'd ever spent in a place as loud as that. It was nice to be able to hear her own thoughts - and Rock and Megaman - for once. By the time the concert ended, it was pretty damn late, late enough that that nervousness inherent to human nature set in. But she had always taught herself to brave that kind of dark, and having a Navi helped, and Megaman was here to protect her as well. "Yeah! It- it was really fun. Thank you so much!" Lan exclaimed, perking up with such a genuine fervor. Now that she was thinking about it, she was pretty hungry, even if it was late. "Um- yeah. We could get something to eat. What would you want...?"

"Me? Oh-" Rockman couldn't help a bit of a laugh. "I can't say my taste is that well refined, considering I don't think this copyroid-- well..." He checked- and yeah, it could eat. Huh. And taste. Where did Lan's friend get a copyroid like this, given the state of their net...? "Actually, just kidding. This one can eat. Do you like burgers?" Excellent late night food, Netto's primere choice for harassing-Enzan-late-in-the-office. "Do you- this place isn't laid out exactly the same. Can you show me the way?"

Lan tilted her head. Copybots could eat? How did that even... well, it didn't really matter. She supposed she could ask Dr. Wily about it later- or maybe Iris knew something about it? Whatever. "Um. Yeah, we could have burgers," she responded. She wasn't a picky eater, so she'd be down for whatever. Though, she wasn't exactly familiar with this part of town, so- "Got the layout. I'll handle the directions," Rock chimed in, already way ahead of them. She had to contribute somehow, considering that she couldn't eat. (Hey, if Copybots could eat, maybe she could eat one day. That'd be wild!) Lan blinked. "Oh. Thanks, Rock."

"Oh- hey! Great work," Rockman beamed, and they set off together to get food. "Did you guys- you both had fun?" He asked it again- not because he didn't believe her, he was just so overstimulated it was causing him to be a bit forgetful. "You seemed a little stressed on and off. I know I can get pretty overstimulated." Rockman was gesturing as he spoke- he seemed pretty peppy for someone who just carried Lan on his shoulders for hours.

It was a little odd for him to ask the question twice, but- she was fine with the small talk. Relaxing was a necessity after all that noise- to come back down from that excitement. "Yeah! I did!" Lan beamed, before glancing down at her PET. "It was pretty sick," Rock admitted. Even from the confines of Lan's home screen, it was definitely a memorable sight. "Both the music and the vibes. Made me... feel like me, y'know?" "It- a lot of it was really relatable," Lan added a bit tentatively. It was a bit embarrasing to admit that, but there was no way Megaman wouldn't be able to tell that.

"I found it really relatable too," Rockman says, offering it to help Lan not feel so embarrassed. "I think it comes with the territory of going through things. They make music like that for people like us." Was that weird to say? Was he assuming too much about Lan? Guh, he really hoped that didn't come off as weird. Rockman wasn't that confident in his small talk skills. "It's cool you enjoyed it too, Rock." He leaned to see the image of her on the PET. "That was probably your first time seeing something like that, huh?" She was so new.

"Y-yeah. You're right," Lan responded. It was true- for the kind of people who have... been through a lot, struggled so much, there was no way they wouldn't at least be able to relate to the energy. No wonder Megaman was such a fan- especially given what she knew about this Megaman's history. He's- been used. I can relate. "You bet it was," Rock stated confidently, giving Megaman a sort of smug look even though she had no reason to do so. "I mean, hell. They don't really make concerts for Navis here, so it's not like I could've gone without Lan, anyway." Lan's expression as she strolled alongside Megaman was still a bit tentative - she was hanging behind him a little as vestiges of thoughts swam through her mind. "It's. Nice. To feel seen. I guess," she said.

"Maybe someday they will," Rockman says, "It wasn't super common until I was a proper teenager. 'Course, they always did that kind of thing in the Undernet- that and the fight rings, I guess. Stuff that you didn't get away with topside." He said it so casually, he didn't even realize he dropped the whole 'fight rings he wasn't supposed to be involved in' so easily. He found Rock's smug look kind of endearing- in the same way he found Lan endearing, in that sort of mentor-to-mentee sort of way. He kept his stride slow to make sure Lan wasn't getting left behind. "It is nice to be seen, yeah. Especially in art." He certainly needed it in the worst of times.

Rock raised an eyebrow - her interest was piqued. "Fight rings, huh? They've got those for you?" she questioned. Her and her operator weren't exactly Undernet regulars, but they weren't afraid of it - the ease of access via her old man's setup and their alright relationship with the locals made it about as normal of a sight as the top-side for them. "You ever thrown down in 'em? The local one ain't very active." Lan was a bit confused for a moment- she didn't expect Megaman to be the kind of Navi to frequent those places, so- ah, nevermind, they literally just came out of an emo concert, that wasn't that surprising. "Y-yeah. It's nice. I kinda need it," she said, pondering how much she should open her heart. "Um. When I feel lonely, or depressed, it's kind of... the release I want. You know?"

"U-Um," Rockman flushes a bit, because now it's hitting him exactly what he said to the navi who seemed obsessed with fighting. "I- I may be the top in a few? I've- held the top Undernet rank for, a really long time." He ends up running a hand through his hair, tugging at his bangs again. It's a little embarrassing for him to admit, given he's not that much of a fighter anymore. He focuses on what Lan had to say. "I- I agree, yeah. I was listening to a lot of stuff like this after- er, after some bad things happened. It helped." And garnered funny looks from his dad. Double win, to be honest.

"Damn! Dunno what a rank is, but I bet you don't fuck around if you can claim somethin' like that," Rock responded, wearing a satisfied glee across her face - with a hint of competitiveness. "Haven't seen you in action, but the other Megaman I know... well, you don't mess with him." Lan smiled at hearing Rock get so into it- though, she could never imagine Netbattling this Megaman. That- was way too weird of a thought. Too close to- basically just fighting her own brother. That'd be awkward. "Yeah. It really helps," Lan added. "I've. Listened to this stuff for a bit. On YouTube, and stuff. A couple years. More, lately. A lot's been happening."

Yeah, he...supposed that was true. Serenade was no joke. (Where were ey, again?) "I'm sure he was pretty strong too." Was he strong? Did he think of himself as strong anymore? He still threw down in the Undernet on the off (bad, very bad) night, but... Rockman focused instead on flashing Rock a little smile and responding to Lan. This wasn't about him and whatever was still happening in his head. "You've had a lot going on?" He prods, his voice a little careful. He wants to be helpful, and listen- but he doesn't want to pry at something she doesn't want to talk about. "Something...in particular, recently?"

Rock grinned right back at him, a fiery spirit clearly burning in her. Megaman was inflating her ego in all the right ways- he was lucky he wasn't pressing that "new" thing so much, lest he make Rock think he was calling her a baby. Lan, meanwhile, shrank a bit when Megaman asked that question. She paused for a moment, wondering how much she should even say. "Well. I mean. There's the obvious stuff," she responded. "About my friend. You know." It still hurt to recount the details, since it was so recent. But to pin her feelings on Triese's kidnapping would be sort of a lie- that wasn't really why she was relating to the songs. "Um, but. These past few months have been chaotic in general," was what she decided to admit. "I mean, hell. Kid never had a Navi until two months ago," Rock added despite Lan not asking her to. "That alone should tell you how crazy stuff's been."

"Oh, wow." Rockman was surprised by that. He'd gotten some whispers about how this world seemed less...connected than his own (the lack of abundance of log-in points he could feel nearby certainly spoke to that), but a Hikari without a navi until now? Even Netto had been made to wait longer than the usual. "Well, y-you've got a pretty good one, now." This world was pretty different. "And I...I'm sorry about your friend. Triese," Rockman sighs softly, looking away from her for a brief moment. "I wish I had moved faster, or something. So it didn't turn out the way it did." Ugh, Rock had seen him like that. Though now it occurred to him that if the young navi thought anything about it, she likely just thought it was cool more than anything. Not strange and mildly terrifying. (Does Rock even know fear, yet?)

Lan was still rather self-conscious about the whole "not having a Navi" thing, so hearing Megaman's surprise about it made her shrink back a little further. But, well, they had had this conversation before, and both she and Megaman knew how valuable of a companion Rock was. Rock smirked at the compliment once more. "It's- fine. We did our best. I guess," she stammered out, in regards to the rescue. Well, she wasn't sure how much she believed that for everyone. The more she thought on it, the angrier she felt, but- well. "What's happened happened. She's... getting better. At least."

"That's good, yeah." There's a wave of guilt that comes off of Rockman that's totally palpable. He and Netto talked about the rescue at length- talked about how this Lan seemed to not like him, and how badly they wished none of it had happened. (Is it wrong of me to be her friend if she hates Netto so much? Why did he encourage this if she hates him?) "Oh- hell yes," Rockman hushes to himself, seeing the promise of food at the end of the street. The directions from Rock- from the PET- had been perfect. "Okay- you can get whatever you want, okay? My treat." Doctor Hikari's treat, actually. But she didn't need to know that part. (edited)

Arriving at the burger place provided the two with a much-needed respite from the conversation. The rescue was the absolute last thing she wanted to think about right now- and given who she was with, it was even more awkward. She was unsure how she got along so well with this Megaman, but not his operator- well, she supposed it had been similar for the other Megaman until she made up with her mirror. But- this other Lan made a much bigger mistake than that Lan ever had. And he was... an Official, and- -push away these thoughts. They're not important right now. What was important was how kind Megaman was for treating her to a meal like this. Lan was far from a big eater, so she settled for a plain cheeseburger with onion rings on the side - it was pretty late, so she shouldn't be stuffing herself, anyway. Just enough to get by. They sat down on a bench nearby - there weren't very many people around, thankfully - and wow sitting down was satisfying. She'd been either standing or situated on top of Megaman's shoulders (comfortable, but absolutely not a bench) for the past few hours, now. Lan sighed and grabbed an onion ring, munching on it quietly. "Um- thanks again," she murmured to Megaman once she swallowed. "Stuff like this... means a lot to me."

Rockman leaned back on the bench- he'd elected for french fries to test out if the copyroid really was capable of eating, and if that was true there was a burger for him, too. He wasn't hungry but it soothed some deep part of him to eat. And yup- the copyroid could eat. The taste left something to be desired, but it was good enough. "Mm? Oh, yeah," Rockman smiled at her again. "You're welcome. This was a lot of fun. I'd do it again." Rockman stretched his legs a little, also enjoying the bench. Keeping Lan on his shoulders all night was easy for the navi part of him, but for the rest of him- oof. "I would do it again," Rockman clarified, "If the opportunity arose. So you can- you can let me know, yeah?" There's maybe even a tinge of hopefulness in his voice. He really did have a lot of fun.

"Um. Okay! I will," Lan responded, slightly tentative at first but perking up when she remembered that... well, she was safe. She trusted this Megaman, too- he had went so out of his way just to make her day on top of everything else. Silence fell between the two as they quietly ate their food. Lan's attention flipped back and forth between Rock, her food, and lingering thoughts about the concert. She... wanted to say something, while she was still sitting here with Megaman. There was something kind of special about the whole night, the way they got to be together in the real world and feel so close to each other... ...Something about it was.... healing, in a way. Like she was getting the chance to live through something she thought she had lost forever. She had to say something, at least. "...You're... like me," was what she ended up mumbling, staring down at her PET. Rock raised an eyebrow, before Lan's gaze betrayed what she meant. "That's what your operator told you, right?" She blinked, and tilted her head upward, now staring at the moon in the sky. "So... you know how it feels," she murmured - they did both relate to the music, after all. "You told me... a while ago, that... um, that virus could hurt you because you missed your friends, right?" she continued, recalling the first actual conversation they had. "..You know what it's like. For your life to feel empty."

Rockman blinked a few times, looking over at Lan. The world felt slow and small for a brief moment as she spoke. Was that why Netto told him that? Were they both just so lonely, so empty-seeming that they'd get along great? (He was kind of right, but there was a part of Rockman that resented how right that was.) "I guess you could say that," Rockman responds, just as quietly, finding the path that Lan's gaze took to the sky. The moon was full and bright, despite the town's light pollution blotting out most of the stars. "There was a period of time I felt really empty. People I loved weren't there for me- it wasn't their fault, but it happened that way. We were all hurt." (He remembered tracking the Scilabs computers uptime- if something went down, he'd know he was alone forever, trapped in that server with nowhere to go. There was no guarantee Dad would check on him, no guarantee that anyone would look for the netnavi forgotten inside of decrepit servers.) "But- we...figured things out. It's not fixed, but it's better." He paused for a while before he said: "I'll never be the person I used to be. But I'm learning to like who I am now."

Oh, those words meant so much to Lan- more than he probably realized. It was more difficult for her to reflect on, given how much was... foggy, for her. Memories of when her family was happier - slightly stressed, but happy - and when she was the little one being dragged along with her high-energy brother. But- over time, she found it harder to look back on those times, both because it was painful to and because... she just couldn't remember them very well. She had to guess it was because she was getting older. "It- was like that. For me, too," she admitted, after a brief pause. "One bad thing happened, and then another, and it was like everything was... falling apart, and getting so much emptier." Recent years had only made that emptiness heavier. It was easier to ignore when she was younger and didn't know any better. Easier to ignore when life still felt like it was shifting rather than having ground to a halt. "But- yeah. Things are better. I made friends, and... we fought this group, and... well, it's getting a little easier," Lan continued. "I'm... I didn't like myself, either. I think... now, I'm starting to. A little."

"Ah- saving the world kind of business, huh?" That was a constant, at least. Rockman had begun to enjoy their 'retirement' from that work- there wasn't really anyone left to cause the kind of damage Wily could do. (Well, unless his dad lost his shit for some reason. Then they'd be up shit's creek.) "I'm glad you're finding reasons to like yourself. I think you're pretty cool." Rockman smiled. "Not to say that I know all of you, but- I dunno. I'd say I have a good sense for these things." Playfully, he winked as he bit on a french fry. "Things tend to get easier with friends," Rockman looked back up at the sky. "All of my strongest moments are owed to the people around me. My friends, my boyfriend- my loved ones in general, I guess." He ran a free hand through his hair- it was clear it was an anxious gesture.

Lan blushed a little bit - she didn't realize how obvious the implication was, but she supposed Megaman knew the telltale signs more than anyone. "Oh. Um. Yeah, I wasn't. Trying to say that, but yeah. That's sort of what happened," she responded. She was proud of what she did, but she wasn't the kind to flaunt that accomplishment. This was also the second time someone she had barely met had called her cool recently. The hell were they seeing in her? Rock, at least, derived enjoyment from the assumption - anything that made Lan feel good was good in her book. All that her operator could manage in the meantime was a meek "thanks". "They- are. I couldn't have made it without my friends," she continued once Megaman finished talking. "I'd still. Be lonely, without them." Then, she blinked, and the words he used played back in her head. Did he just say- "You have a boyfriend?!" Rock gawked, taking the words right out of Lan's mouth but in a significantly more upfront way. "I didn't- that's possible? What?"

Rockman blinked, then flushed red and gawked right back at the two of them. He looked a bit shy and embarrassed before he nodded. "U-Um. Yup. I've- I've been with him for a long time. It's not, uncommon, for navis to have partners- where I'm from, anyway." Oh jeez. He'd forgotten that may have been weird for the two of them to hear. He tugged on his bangs again, shifting in his seat- but he was smiling. The thought of Blues made him smile every time. "Um- I don't know, do you know someone named Enzan? I'm, um, with his Navi. Blues. For an extremely long time, by now." (At least since Nebula, right? Wow, it had been forever.) Rockman blinks, then shakes his hand- and there appears a ring on his hand, with an engraving of Blues's emblem. His promise ring! He holds his hand out for Lan and Rock to see.

The sudden topic shift was enough to tear Lan's attention away from the moon. That was- a really weird thought. She'd never heard of the idea of Navis dating before- though, it made sense, she supposed. For the Navis that had the privilege to feel anything in the first place. The bigger surprise, though, was the who. Chaud? Protoman? Of all people? They were nice, but- they were so serious compared to Megaman's empathetic kindness- maybe that's what made them compatible? Or something? Lan was completely clueless. "Bwuh? Yeah, we know 'em," Rock answered, just as taken aback as Lan was. "Well, to be more accurate, Lan knows 'em from that other world. From what I've heard, they didn't seem like the dating type." "Y-yeah. Chaud was... kind to me, but... pretty serious. Same with his Navi," Lan explained, examining the ring. It was a pretty cute gesture. "Um. Congrats," she continued, before realizing how awkward her tone was. "S-sorry. I'm, uh, I don't know a lot about this stuff."

Rockman laughed again, this time less anxious and more a bit delighted by the response he got. Yeah, Enzan and Blues were the serious type, huh? He thought of that so fondly. "I suppose they are pretty serious," Rock hummed. "I knew- I met Blues before he, um, kinda came into his own. I don't know about the guy you met, but..." Oh, how could he say this without getting too sappy? "I've watched Blues learn a lot about feelings and emotions for a long time. Enzan too. I can't help but- well, y'know." He shook his hand to hide the ring again, fading in a small flurry of pixels. "He and I have had each other's back for a long time, so...ahah. I guess it was just a natural progression of things. Sometimes when you care a lot about someone, you just wanna spend forever with them."

Lan tilted her head. "Oh. Maybe it's just a... later thing," she mused out loud. "The Chaud I met was my age. And, uh, he helped with all of that... world-saving stuff." What Megaman was talking about was sort of a nice thought. She couldn't put those words to feelings that... she'd ever really felt. That was pretty sad - but, well, it didn't describe the present, so it was easy enough to push that thought away. She was glad that he could feel this way in spite of everything, at least. "It's... weird. Those feelings. I guess it's just that I haven't really had friends until recently," she continued, her attention wandering back to the moon. "But, well, things just... kind of turned out this way, and... I don't know. I'm kind of lucky."

Rockman ended up looking up at the sky again. He laughed again, just finding all of it so...funny. It was a weird thing that he ended up with Blues, some crazy happenstance- but they were lucky. They were, weren't they? "Well...I don't feel lucky for all the bad things I've been through. It doesn't always feel like luck," Rockman felt this was important to say. "I got out of the bad stuff because...of my friends, and the strength of them. But they're my friends, because they like me. Cause I'm- well, I'm doing something alright, if people like Blues want to be my friend." "We're lucky to have our friends, but- I dunno. I don't like thinking about it with luck. Makes it sound like it was out of my control. My friends are my friends because, I- made the effort." Rockman looked a little sheepish- it was a bit serious, but he meant it. He hoped it made sense. (edited)

Lan gave Megaman a genuinely thankful... and sort of relieved kind of look. That was- something she feared. The idea that she cheated the system, or got bailed out of her situation. It was something Megaman told her over and over- she was the one that wanted to take action, the one that made the friends, not him. She had made the effort. "Yeah. You're right. I... can relate. The Megaman I knew told me something similar," she admitted. "It's hard, sometimes. To remember it wasn't luck. I don't want to... feel like things are just happening for me. I want to make those steps. To be the one... um, in control of my life." She shied away upon admitting that- it was something it took her a long time to realize, and it was so personal that it felt weird to just tell it to... someone who was supposed to be a stranger. But Megaman didn't feel like a stranger- especially when another one of him was what helped her realize that in the first place. "I don't want to. Just... feel like a pawn. Or an idea. I'm a person," she spoke quietly. "You- get that. Right?"

"Good to know we're alike," Rockman joked, "Sometimes I get worried, y'know?" (It was only kind of a joke.) He didn't try and close the gap when she seemed to get shy. He allowed her the space she needed- this was good. He had the feeling it was rare for her to open up at all. He felt honored for that- it made his chest all tight, in a good way. "I do, yeah." Rockman kept his eyes on the sky. "I've spent a long time figuring out how to- how to be Rockman, instead of how to be Saito. There's a balance, I suppose." His shoulders droop a bit. This is his own sore spot. "It's hard to feel like a person when you don't feel human all the time." (edited)

How to be human. This- was something the other Megaman mentioned too, his uncertainty of his humanity. She... found that maybe more relatable than she should. The emptiness in her heart made it difficult to relate to herself. Her existence was wrapped up in so much consequence that she desperately wanted to push away, so if she wanted to forget about it, then what did that even make her? "That's... heavy. Yeah," she agreed quietly. She was sort of at a loss for words - the whole... Navi Project stuff was still a confusing sore spot for her. Rock, too, couldn't figure out what to say - she was a normal Navi, not caught up in any of this... human DNA schtick. She knew who she was, at least. (She thought.) "It's- I don't know. It's not really the same, but," Lan began, averting her eyes. "I think, sometimes. About. How much I even want to be a Hikari." She blinked, shying away- this was something she hadn't even admitted to Rock. She was really opening up tonight, apparently. "It just brings... pain, right? And people giving you weird looks," she continued. "Like the whole Hub thing. People look at you differently because you're... kind of a human. Right?"

"Mm." There was a part of Rockman that really agreed with it- his hand twitched a little harder than he was in control of. Rockman didn't necessarily agree. He loved his family, loved Netto, loved his mom and his dad and Grandpa- but this Lan did not have that experience. She had a broken family, based on her description. "I think I would prefer the weird looks, sometimes." Rockman decides to say. "I had to keep what I am a secret. I still do. Most of my friends still don't know. Mom didn't even know at first. It was for my safety. People here...have a history of...not liking what they don't understand." But that wasn't the point. He made himself look at Lan, so she understood the sincerity of his words: "I wouldn't change who I am, ever. I wouldn't take a chance at being human. I wouldn't take a chance at being a different navi. Because the names I have don't define me...I do, you know?"

The fire in Lan's heart lit up when she heard those words. "People don't like what they don't get!" she huffed, grabbing her knees - her PET almost slid right off her lap. "It's stupid. They'll think something's a lost cause and never give them another chance! It- things could be different and they wouldn't even... know." Her words trailed off - the more she thought about it, the more she realized her descriptor of the Internet and all the little things lost to time applied to her, as well. She held her head low, feeling like she had spoke too much for a brief moment, before working up the courage to speak again. "I- don't think I would change who I am, either. Because... you're right, it's stupid," she said. "It's just words. And- if they think the words matter, then I'll prove them wrong. They're the ones who wanna live in the past. I'll show them who I really am." There was a tension to her voice, a sort of vindictiveness - it was obvious that this was a wound pulsating on her chest. Well- she was the one who had to fight to live as her own person.

"Ah- ahah. Yeah, that's right. Sometimes people don't like what they don't get. Sometimes they're afraid." Rockman admired that fire and fight in her. It was...nostalgic. There was something he was missing, there. Some context he was missing. He fought with himself a bit, before he finally pushed for it: "Is there...something you're trying to get away from?" "Or, um...someone?" He hoped he wasn't stepping on a landmine, that would make her upset. He just wanted to understand. (edited)

Lan fell silent for a brief moment - it was a question that didn't... exactly sting, but it had such a complicated answer. She- knew she could trust Megaman, at least, but it was hard for her to find the words. She glanced sadly at Rock, who took a deep breath and decided to step in herself. "Kid's... been through a lot," Rock began, startling Lan a bit - but she was kind of glad, in all honesty. "You don't know what happened here, right? Whole Autuvera schtick? Caused a whole cascade of bullshit." With the ice broken, Lan finally said her piece. "My dad- was trying to do the same DNA thing. To my brother. But he messed up, and the whole project leaked," she explained, in a slightly pained voice. "So... um. The Hikaris are kind of... infamous." "She couldn't hear the end of it. Shit on the news, on the Net, about how the Hikaris gave us a messed-up Net and were full of themselves. Got bullied in school over it," Rock continued. "See, that's why I'm here. In case people keep giving her shit, I'll fuck 'em up."

"Oh," Rockman says, in a very small voice. He could see that future for a brief moment- if anyone had found out what his father had done...He felt his "heartrate" speed up. What would they have done to him? What happened to the him of this world? Was Hub dead? He had to be, right? At least he got to rest, then. He shakes his head so he can stop staring at Lan with this confused, wide expression. "I- I see. I don't know, um, what 'Autuvera' is. I'm..." Was that future a possibility for his Netto? Had they only been a moment from Netto's life being just like hers? "I'm...sad that you...had to live in the other-me's shadow, I guess." Rockman sighs, leaning back. There's a sorrow on his face that seems distant. "Even if it wasn't his fault. That's terrible. God," he whispers the last part to himself, shaking his head. Maybe it was a terrible thing I did to Hub, he thinks, remembering Netto telling him that their father had said that. He closes his eyes, remembering that conversation. Do you think it was bad, Rock? No, of course not. It let me be your navi. "You do have a lot to get away from. Uphill battles." He says without opening his eyes. It was clear this had struck a major chord with him.

Rock blinked, slightly confused. "Oh, huh. Thought it was explained in that chatroom a couple times," she wondered aloud- she was certain Triese would've said something, at least. But she knew enough to make this a simple explanation. "It was, like, this fungus thing, made out of a buncha bugs. Formed 10 years ago, ate the whole Net alive, hasn't really recovered, her crazy dad tried to bring it back. Nasty shit." "I remember, Megaman told me about something called... Alpha? That sounded kind of similar," Lan recounted. "But... um, not as many people use the Net anymore because of it." She gazed at Megaman's pensive expression, wondering what to say to him. Both him, and the other one, they were products of Yuichiro's experiment... succeeding. Her world was the one that had fallen apart - it took a lot of her strength to not beat herself up over it. There was still so much worth protecting here- it didn't matter that things had went "wrong" here. "It's... fine. It's not your fault, or my brother's fault," Lan finally continued. "I think... he's proud of me. Wherever he is. I couldn't be in his shadow forever. That's why I have to fight."

Alpha. The mention of it in this moment made his skin crawl- too easy to remember, too easy for the computer part of him to be so helpful: here is the memory, you asked for it, here is how Alpha tore into you, here is how it replaced your heart, here is how it ate your soul-- "Alpha was the old net," Rockman mumbled, still not opening his eyes. "Alpha was unstable and it wanted to know everything, it wanted to be everything." His hands folded in his lap. "And someone tried to release it again on the modern net, and it tried to swallow all of the modern net. And then it swallowed me." He shivered. He forced his eyes open. "Sorry," he says quickly. "You don't need to worry about that," he says, but he isn't sure why. He tugged on his bangs again, embarrassed that he couldn't control that outburst. He forgot what else Lan said.

Oh- that was a sore spot. The way he clammed up and recounted it so quickly and viscerally- it reminded her of how the other Megaman she knew was... dodging the subject of his own death so much. It ate him? Is this... something that happened to him, is this what he was avoiding? "Geez. That's rough," Rock admitted, trying her best to sound genuine. "Sorta reminds me of that Sapronosis... uh, thing. It got eaten by... well, uh, maybe I shouldn't keep talking about this." She was at least intelligent to know not to keep barking up this tree and bringing back bad memories. Lan paused for an uncomfortably long time. "Well. Uh. I mean. If you need to tell me something, you should," she sort of forced out. She wanted to sound like Megaman- the other one realized how much of a hypocrite she was being, so she would be remiss not to... at least push a little bit. They... understood each other, right? "I can listen. I- I want to help, but... if you don't want to talk about it, you don't, um, have to."

Sapronosis? Rockman didn't know that name. Was it even right to tell Lan anything like that? She was a child, she was struggling, she didn't need to be hearing about what ailed him. "I've had a lot go wrong," Rockman says slowly, and his voice is very sad. "I've died twice and became a lot of different kinds of monsters. That's- the long and short. You have plenty on your plate." It slowly came back around to him what Rock had said. He grimaced. "I'm sorry- I got distracted, clearly. Your dad sounds like a dick." It's a bit crass of him to say, but it feels like the truth. (And some part of him thinks its cathartic.)

There was a weight to Megaman's words, a weight that was mirrored on her heart as she realized what had happened to him. She had only heard so much in her brief time with the other Megaman, and with what information they relayed to each other in their emails. But- if he had been through her entire... "adventure" a dozen times over, then it was no wonder. That must be an unbearable weight to bear. Well- either way, the conversation had changed, now. No use dwelling on the- well, okay, maybe dwelling on the past for a little longer would be kinda satisfying. "He was a dick!" Lan exclaimed, sort of whisper-shouting. "He thought he knew what was best for me, and for everyone. But he never actually cared about me." She pouted, glancing at Rock and then back at the moon. "He thought he did. But he just cared about his stupid idea of me. He thought I'd come running back to him when he magically fixed everything, like- like I still cared and I was still a stupid little girl orbiting my brother, and... I hate it! I hate him!!" Rock scoffed, giving Lan a reverent look. "And that's the long n' short of why she kicked his shit in."

"You kicked his shit in?" Rockman flashed a practiced smile. He was avoiding what he'd said very nimbly. "Hopefully he's learned his lesson, then." He couldn't imagine raising a real- or proverbial- hand to his father. Not because Yuuichiro was scary, or intimidating- he really did love him that much. There was some sort of sorrow that Lan couldn't feel that either. She really was so, so alone. "...That's brave to do, too." Rockman says, his serious tone back. "I can't imagine doing anything like that. To conquer your past...is very brave, yeah." Rockman had bested many things, but his past was not one of them.

"I... you think so...?" Lan responded, her face sort of lighting up. The hatred on her face evaporated as quickly as it flushed over her. She knew it was brave, but... it felt different, hearing it as someone else's words rather than something she just told herself to feel better. "Um. Thank- thank you. Really." "Well, that's why her dad's in jail, too. So... I guess that's learning his lesson, in a way," Rock added, crossing her arms. "And of course you're brave, kid. If you weren't, you'd still be cowering in your room all sad n' shit." It was a bit blunt, but it was true. Her desire, her bravery- her hatred, in a way- was what got her out of her looping nightmare. "I'm... surprised. You haven't felt like you've fought it?" Lan questioned, after ruminating on Megaman's words. "Well. I mean, if there's nothing to fight- um, but I shouldn't assume. Nevermind. No way that's true." She felt terrible for even considering that possibility, considering how much they related to each other. "But. Um, well, then you know, right? About feeling trapped? That's... how I felt. How I still feel, kinda."

"I...There's a lot of past in me, haha. A lot to work on."A darkloid, a beast, a soul-- did she even know all of that? Did she even know what a darkloid was? (She had to, right? Because-) "Trapped-?" Sure. Sure, that was true. There was a server in Scilabs that he was born in, and he was sure he would die in it, too. Trapped for months and- no, no. That isn't what she means. Rockman's hand bunches up in his hoodie as he forces that still practiced smile. It's not that she's bothering him- far from it- it's just that he really doesn't have any intent to burden someone so young with all of whatever's going on in his head. "S-Sure...Sure, I've felt trapped before." Both literally and metaphorically. "It ends, one day." Rockman says quickly. "You don't feel that way forever. It especially gets better when you get older, because then you can go out and you don't have to worry about a curfew. That's when I started to sneak off to the fight rings, and--" Oops. Probably shouldn't be advocating for wreckless behavior like that.

"Y-yeah. I mean, I'm fighting so it doesn't last forever," Lan asserted. She felt... terrible, watching Megaman shrink like that- she probably shouldn't be talking to him about this. It was too touchy, but... it was relieving to get those feelings out there, to someone who understood. She blinked, realizing that she probably didn't explain what she meant well enough. "...But, um, I really mean, like... stuck... in my own heart? Does that make sense?" she continued. "I don't... well, my mom comes home late most days, and it's not very hard to sneak out if I want to. I... can leave the house, it's just... like something's tugging on me invisibly." "I don't think either of us give a damn about a curfew anyway. Kid does what she wants," Rock said, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey, but we should totally sneak off to see if there's an Undernet fight ring one of these days," she murmured to her operator.

"Ah," Rockman nodded, following her line of reasoning. He could relate to that, too. "Well...Not to sound like an old foggy, but you do have a lot of growing to do, yet." He gestured, "Some of that stuff improves when you get older. You learn more about yourself as you get older, too. I- I think that feeling got easier as I got older." (Tugging? Was it- her navi??? No, no...that couldn't be it. Right?) "I don't reccomend fight rings, by the way." Rockman said a bit pointedly to Rock. "...But if you're gonna do it anyway, I'd feel better if I came with. If you end up doing that."

Lan pouted at Megaman's assertion- she didn't like being treated like a child, though... she knew that wasn't what Megaman actually meant. Still, she couldn't help but protest it. "Well- I'm a teenager. I'm not a little kid anymore," she complained. "But- well, I guess you're kinda right. Sorta." She didn't really want to admit that she was still going to change, because it felt like she had changed so much and that's what grounded her when she thought about her childhood too hard. But, there was some comfort in the idea that it'd continue getting better for her. Rock laughed at Megaman's warning. "What, is that an offer?" she said, half-jokingly. "I mean, I'm pretty tough, and Lan's no slouch when it comes to NetBattling. I doubt it'd be that dangerous. Could be fun, could be cool."

"Ah-sorry. I didn't mean to imply you're like, a kid. Just that- there's a lot of life to live, you know? You have a lot of life to live." Rockman, theoretically, had infinite time. (He did not want to think about this infinity.) He looked at the PET very pointedly. "Yes," he said, very seriously. "I'd rather if you seek that out, you have a friend with you." Pause, brief, then: "...You can also see what the top of the Undernet is like." He was a little embarrassed by how vain it felt, but...he did earn that.

Rock laughed smugly, crossing her arms. "Yeah? That's a tempting offer," she replied. "You think I can count you as a friend yet? I'd love to see what the top's been gettin' himself into." A quick pause- Lan felt a bit awkward at the suggestion, given who was talking about battling in a ruthless arena, but at least Rock was into it. It couldn't hurt. "Y-yeah. But... yeah, you're right," she eventually responded, to Megaman's other words. She appreciated the reassurance- more often than not, people did want to imply things about her. That she was incapable, or weak, or stupid, when she wasn't that and they were never going to bother to learn what she was actually like. "It's just. I'm trying to... well, I want to feel like I'm getting somewhere," she continued. "So... I don't want to be just a kid. I'm not stuck in my brother's shadow anymore. I'm... I'm me."

Rockman couldn't help but mirror the smirk on Rock's face. "Then let's plan for that, another time. I hope I can call you both my friend," Rockman directs this at the both of them, a soft and hopeful look gracing his expression. He did like the two of them. They were so...something about them. Rock maybe made him feel a bit on edge, but-- she was nice. And Lan- he felt like Lan deserved more friends. Deserved more than this quiet world. But she was defending that quiet. It meant so much to her. "A million chances to be someone else, but you could be no one else but you. I think you made the right choice." Rockman smiled at her. "We should start to head back, huh? It's getting pretty late."

Lan warmly smiled back at Megaman. It was nice to get this kind of affirmation from someone that clearly understood her. It was hard to grapple with who she was supposed to be, or who she wanted to be, so... hearing from someone who felt so similarly to her tell her she was doing the right thing provided a lot of comfort. ...It really was that comforting, to have someone in her life that could give her advice like this. A mentor, she supposed - someone older and wiser than her that had a strong tie to her experiences. They had long since finished their food, so they were just chatting under the light of the moon- and part of Lan wanted it all to last forever, with how special it felt. There was a latent fear in her that the moment they parted ways and went home, they wouldn't get to have a conversation like this, like this person she cared about would just vanish out of nowhere and she'd have to pick up the pieces of what he left behind, and- -well, that wasn't going to happen. She took a deep breath as she cleared those irrational worries out of her mind. They were already making plans for this fight ring later, anyway- and Rock was practically beaming at the idea. It's fine. "I... know I said this a million times, but. Thank you. Really," she said, grabbing her knees. "I... I'm gonna do my best. I have to, for all my friends. So... thank you. I'm glad you think that." "'Course you made the right choice. You're a smart kid," Rock reassured, giving her a pensive nod. "Glad that Megaman sees you for what you are." Lan smiled back at Rock and finally stood up- it was getting to be ridiculously late. They should definitely head back- especially since her mom might start worrying. "Yeah. We should," she agreed softly.

Rockman hummed softly, standing alongside Lan. She was so kind- she really did remind him of himself, he supposed. The best parts of himself. "You're welcome." "I'll walk you home," He said, then laughed a little at himself. "I guess I have to. Your friend needs this copyroid back." He put his hands in his pockets again. "...Sure hope I wasn't wrong about this copyroid, and I'm not about to give this back with a mess inside of it." He sighed a bit wistfully, "I owe your friend a big thank you. Man- and the battery life on this one is...pretty...good..." ...Huh. He only knew one person who had a copyroid like that, but...surely she wasn't here, right?

Lan was a little confused from his comments - she didn't know the exact specifics of a Copybot (despite having written a paper on one), so she hadn't thought too hard about... what happened when they ate, or drank, or something like that. Where did that food go if it was just metal? (She could probably just ask later...) "Oh. Yeah, it's... let's get going," she mumbled to herself as Rock pulled up the directions back to the station. She stretched her arms and set course for home, still letting Megaman take the lead just out of caution and politeness. "...How is Iris gonna pick this up, anyway," Rock muttered out loud as the two followed the sidewalks. "It's, like, ass-late at night. Should I be callin' her, or...?" Lan blinked - she honestly hadn't thought of that yet. "I mean, we can just hold it overnight. I don't think Mom will check."

Oh. Oh. Well that explained a lot. And soothed Rockman's nerves about returning a dirty copyroid. It would be fine, because all of the copyroids of his time were based on hers. This was... "Iris...? I- knew Iris." Rockman wondered what he should say about this. "I haven't...seen her in a long time. She's your friend?" There was a sudden ache inside of him at the thought. He...missed her, sort of. It was a long, long time ago now, wasn't it? And the echo of what took her life lived on inside of him. And now was inside this copyroid, a copyroid of-- His head twitched to get rid of the thought. "That's nice. Will you tell her thank you, for me-?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That makes sense," Lan muttered. This wasn't that surprising - the Megaman she knew had said the same thing. Well, she did seem like a rather... important person, for better or for worse. If nothing but for her connections. "She's been my friend for the past two months. She's... helped out a lot," she continued. An anchor, of sorts. It was nice to have people that actually cared about you. Rock grinned - she had spotted an opportunity to sound knowledgable. "Her dad's the one who made Copybots, actually," she boasted. "Same dad as the dad that made me, even! Talented guy." Lan nodded and agreed - though she wasn't sure how much Iris would like such a direct connection being made. But she could trust this Megaman, at least. "I'll tell her, don't worry," she assured. The trip to the train was relatively quiet and brisk, so it wasn't long before they were scanning back in and hopping in their ride back to ACDC. There weren't too many people riding at this hour, so it was pretty easy to find some comfortable seats in the back, to... ...well, to just completely collapse in. Lan's exhaustion was really starting to hit her.

Her dad? Who the fuck was her dad? Baryl??? Rockman didn't think to ask about it, or pry. Baryl having made a navi like Rock definitely clicked for him. All rough and tumble and swears a lot. When they got onto the train, Rockman noticed that exhaustion in Lan's flop, and he couldn't help another fond smile. "Tired, huh?" He said, keeping his voice low. "You can relax. Rock and I will keep an eye out, yeah?" He sat a little closer to her than he had on the way in- still giving her space, but offering the comfort of his protection, if she needed it.

"Yyyeah," Lan drearily forced out - it was really hitting her now that they were sitting in the back of the train, the only noise surrounding them being the vehicle rolling on the tracks. Rock smiled, both at her operator and at Megaman - they really had had a nice time. A rare treat, something to make up for all the bullshit that had been happening lately. "Yup. I've got everything covered," Rock reassured. Though, admittedly, she was pretty tired, too. She sat down, legs crossed, on Lan's homepage, and closed her eyes, swerving her head back and forth and letting the thoughts roll around. Thank God that Lan had another person she could trust. That was... kind of a rarity, in all honesty. As Megaman scooched closer, Lan leaned over more and more, and eventually... she was too tired to really sit up straight. Her head drooped as she leaned right up against his shoulder, closing her eyes. Not quite falling asleep right away - they did still have to walk home, after all - but her breathing was a little quieter, steadier, more peaceful. It was nice, to live in this moment. A moment with a little more color, where things hurt just a little less and people understood her a little better and she mattered. It was nice.