Work Text:
ACHTUNG
ACHTUNG
“Elster,”
The Replika did not look away from what she was doing, the task being far too important to shift away her optics. Still, the small perk-up of her head told Ariane that she had the Magpie’s attention, something that had been oddly hard to achieve as of late.
Elster herself was much too absorbed in the sounds of warfare to change her expression. Distant booms of cannonfire echoed in her mind’s antechamber, the constant rumble of artillery dulled by miles of air littered with dust and smoke. It was something she had grown accustomed to—far more than her Gestalt had, at least.
“You made a promise,” her lover finally continued. The albino woman stepped in front of the Replika, cutting off her view from the screen that had held her attention late into the night for the past weeks. Ariane let out a sigh, brushing a stray lock of hair over her shoulder as she struggled to keep eye contact with her girlfriend. She could not believe that she needed to have this conversation.
“You’ve been playing War Thunder for weeks on end. You need to get a job.”
“World of Tanks,” LSTR-512 corrected.
“I don’t care.” The alabaster-haired woman bent down and turned off the console, interrupting Elster’s game of playing nothing but German Eusan artillery tanks and sniping from the back of the map. It elicited a small frown from the Replika, but the signature LSTR Unit stoicism maintained its position on her faceplates. “You told me- You promised me you’d get a job. My art can only keep us afloat. I can’t save up for anything!”
Elster’s frown deepened, a well of self-disappointment quickly filling her breast as she considered her girlfriend’s words. Ariane was correct; Elster had made a promise. She could not allow this cycle to continue as it had by failing to keep it. The Replika set down the controller, the handles marred and dented from how intensely she had been treating the game. Her game.
“…Can I play after work?”
“Elster, I’m playing Terraria when you’re out. I don’t care.”
She knew she loved this woman.
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{零}
THIS SPACE
INTENTIONALLY
LEFT BLANK.
—————
Elster stood proudly, her posture straight and her black and grey uniform unwrinkled. It was like she was going to war, a thought that made the voice in the back of the Replika’s head demand she play more world of tanks. But the first wife of Adam would not force her hand so easily. She made a promise.
“Order number four! Four Piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal!” Elster called from the counter, just as the clock ticked by to signify another hour passing, and another ten dollars being added to her paycheck only for Eusan to steal a fifth of it. Despite the low-standing of working at a McDonald’s, it had allowed her to save up enough to get Ariane more painting supplies, which always garnered a look of wonder from the albino that she loved. If Elster happened to spend some money on World of Tanks, Ariane didn’t complain. “Order number four!”
The entire building began to shake as the LSTR repeated the number order, diners looking on in horror as a shadow descended from on high, while simultaneously bathing the entire restaurant in a sinister red glow. Elster turned up to the fellow Replika before her, her blank expression remaining in place even as the red glow caused a deafening shriek to ring out in her head. She wordlessly handed the Happy Meal to Beo.
“Thank you,” the MNHR said meekly, still hiding her face behind her helmet for fear of being seen in public. Beo took the Happy Meal between two of her fingers, accidentally crushing it. Beo immediately broke down crying and ran through the nearest wall, trampling several customers and cars on her way. Chaos erupted as the McDonald’s customers and employees alike began to scream and scramble their way back to their cars, most of which had been crushed. A Kolibri began to weep, causing everyone in the nearby vicinity to stop what they were doing and tune their radios to 187 just so they didn’t have to listen to her, before resuming their own panic.
“Excuse me!”
Elster looked away from the crowd, still standing patiently at the cash register with her monotone expression in place. She tilted her head upwards, doing her best to keep eye contact with the massive Replika before her despite the strain on her neck. The FKLR appeared very upset, keeping a hand on the ADLR who stood beside her. He did not look like he wanted to be there.
“He asked for no pickles!” Falke all but screamed as she put a quarter pounder box on the counter with far more force than necessary. “If this is the standard that your establishment holds itself to then I need to speak with your manager immediately!”
Elster’s eyes glazed over as she tuned out the ranting Replika, and her mind became adrift as thoughts of the new World of Tanks update took hold.