manufactured | INBOX

I know. I'm not surprised Birkin was there, but it wasn't exactly my idea of a good time...

[He wanted to punch Birkin so badly, oh my god.]

But with that said, he was surprisingly decent to talk to. He didn't exactly help me any, but he didn't hinder me either.

I don't remember Birkin ever fighting. Sometimes we would have to call security to help us contain something, but often he would rely on me to do any fighting that was necessary. He was always better at the research aspect of it than me; I found it to be a fair tradeoff.

Birkin was undoubtedly insane, because all of us were insane there. But he was never aggressive.

I didn't think he'd be aggressive or anything, but he wasn't nearly as much of a pain as I would have assumed.

...And he didn't turn into the slug monster, so that's a plus.

[um.]

...Silver linings, I suppose.

Things really weren't all that bad until I reached that room with the cages. Though there was another room... There were stasis pods and one of them had been broken; there was blood everywhere and I found broken pieces of what appeared to be your sunglasses. There was also a monitor with a failed log-in, displaying your information.

...Needless to say, I was quite worried about you...

[...Oh.

He's kind of quiet for a moment before he says anything; just...]

...I died there. The first time. The broken stasis pod contained an experiment I was very fond of; I woke it up and let it kill me in front of Chris.

I was wondering if it was something like that. The further in I got, the less it seemed like it was something that had happened immediately before I arrived.

[...And then there were more pressing things to worry about.]

...It was something that I found frightening, something that unsettled me badly. But it wasn't unbearable, after a while. The dying process just wasn't pleasant.

I can understand. It seems like it would have been extremely painful.

[He's quiet for a moment.]

...I'm sure there were things in there that you never wanted me to see. Again, I know it's not my fault - and it's not your fault, of course - but I'm sorry. Experiencing it was... difficult, but I can only imagine how much worse it was for you.

[He shifts a bit, resettling his hands in his lap, while he tries to sort out how he wants to approach this.]

...I don't remember the cell.

[That seems...right, it seems like a good thing to verify.]

I don't remember anything that Spencer did to me before I was working for him at the age of eighteen. Those memories haven't come back to me, and somehow I doubt that they ever will; they were gone by the time I was an adult back then, I had no idea until I was told.

But...I did see that area for myself, before I went to confront him. The cells containing decomposing corpses, the stagnant water, that entire dungeon area... It's somewhere I found while I was looking for Spencer. Along with what he told me regarding the project, the fact that there were thirteen of us left and eleven corpses in the dungeon... Well, it wasn't difficult to piece together what that place was used for.

I don't remember it at all. But I know what that place was.

[He listens to all of that silently, and when Wesker does, he reaches out to take his boyfriend's hands.]

I'm really glad you don't have any memories of your time there. It... It would be terrible to remember that now, and that... I wouldn't want you to have to experience that.

...I've never been as angry as I was when I was talking to you there. I wasn't even certain it was you, but anyone doing something so cruel to a child... It's really upsetting. Leaving you behind in there was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

I'm sorry you had to experience something like that, even if it was just a dream.

...I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered about it sometimes.

[He'll let Jaeger take his hands, though, he won't resist that at all.]

I don't know if I was kept down there for any length of time, or if it was simply something temporary, or just something for the people who were called back... He made it sound as though I was given whatever I wanted beyond a certain point, that I was allowed to do what I liked and pursue any interests I may have had, but I don't know what happened before that. I know I wasn't allowed any contact with outsiders, and I never had anything that I might consider a family; I was always monitored by scientists, and often experimented on. I knew how to kill people from a young age; I don't remember how I learned that.

A good amount of it is speculation on my part. I don't trust what Spencer told me about it, but I don't know what happened for sure. It...bothers me, I suppose.

I'm sorry, Albert. I'm so sorry.

[His grip is tight on Wesker's hands and he's certainly not letting go, but the contact doesn't seem like it's enough.]

I can only imagine how difficult it is to try to deal with something like that. It's good that you don't have memories of it, but seeing that place and knowing what must have happened... Of course that would bother you.

[That gets a soft noise out of him, anyway.]

I wasn't upset with you for leaving.

I know, and I know there wasn't any other option... But if there had been, I would have stayed right there with you.

...I thought it was good of you. To want to stay like that, and to want to help me.

Of course I wanted to! All of that was... terrible, and I wanted to do everything I could to help you. You didn't seem scared, but you were all alone...

I wasn't feeling much of anything at the time, to be blunt; I wasn't able to.

Well, I suppose that's better than feeling lonely or afraid...

I'm really happy I was able to help you eventually, at least.

[...]

...I know you don't like the idea of killing people. I shouldn't have put you in that position with Spencer.

Don't feel bad about it. The only reason why I hadn't killed him before that was because I thought he might have a solution for getting that thing off your chest. I absolutely would have killed him earlier if I'd thought otherwise.

[He doesn't sound upset or bothered by that at all. It's something that still doesn't sit right with him, but he certainly doesn't blame Wesker for that.]

That device was... I don't know what it contained, exactly; we just called it P-30. It was designed to enhance physical performance and increase aggression, as well as make the subject more susceptible to suggestion.

[...Brainwashing, basically.]

...I'm very glad you were able to resist it.

[Increased physical performance and aggression? He absolutely would have died if Wesker had attacked him, damn.]

I'm sorry you had to deal with that in the first place, especially being controlled by someone like Spencer.

[He might not like Birkin, but hatred is reserved for Spencer.]

...I didn't want to hurt you.

[That's...it's really all he can say to something like that; he falls silent afterwards, though he isn't letting go of Jaeger's hands.]

I know you didn't. I know you did everything you could to prevent that, and I really appreciate it.

[His grip tightens on Wesker's hands again.]

It was... difficult, but I'm happy I could be there for you.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject