A SONG FOR A SORRY ANGEL | (CLOSED)

[ARRIA]

"But." Oh no, it had taken her forever and now she had her lightcycle privileges suspended!? "It is against system regulations to alter one's lightcycle license, including illegal upgrades." A Military program announced before her, while another came up from behind and slithered its arm around her's in a captivated manner. Her eyes couldn't help but stare at a Recognizer as it slowly gravitated downwards beside them, lowering it's platform. 'And I haven't even gotten the chance to test it out, yet.' She thought as she felt a small tug at her arm and began to walk onto the lowered platform. "you shall be immediately sent before one of the systems' administrators and follow their instructions. failure to comply will result in permanent loss of privileges." Arria's back quickly became magnatized against one of the recognizers many securing ports. she felt like a statue, only able to move her head, watching as the recognizer took off and headed toward the middle of tron city. she remained silent and cooperated with the other programs. she wasnt ever one to make a fuss over such things, but arria only fiddled with her lightcycle coding in order to test herself and see if she was still worth it in a sense. hopefully whomever she was going to be taken to see would understand and go light on her.

as she stared out in front of her, it soon became apparent whom they were taking her to be confronted by. 'thanks be to the users.' she thought silently to herself, still keeping a straight face even though her eyes were smiling in response. everything on the recognizer remained in silence aside from the low hum of electric waves it put off, hovering over the city as it made it's way toward it's next destination. as she counted down the meters, she knew her predictions were right. "Clu." she whispered as the vehicle descended down onto the ground beside a tall building. As the militant programs released themselves from their own safety ports, they pulled her off and went inside. it had been a long while since last she was here, but with her memory core still operational, it felt so familiar - recalling every light fixture, etches in the walls and floor, every piece of furniture. clu had very nice taste in the way he designed the interior of every room, claiming it was 'his.' he had every right to, and arria wouldn't bicker. it felt warm here, and safe. like kevin would have wanted, if he were here today. were they really the same? one another's better half?

after a long ride in an elevator, the doors finally opened and she was pulled inside a room. a room she couldn't exactly remember ever being in before. 'this is new. clu must have made it since last i was here.' arria glanced around every which way, implanting all she could see into her memory, until they all came to a stop. that's when she saw him, standing there looking out a long, oval shaped window. the view she could see from where she was standing was amazing. "This one was found tampering with her license. Illegal upgrades 42022 and 3709-d were found." One of the programs exclaimed, removing both her identity disk and multi-operational baton from her person and walked towards clu as if waiting to hand it to him. waiting there was excruciating, how she hated to see him under such poor circumstances. since their list time together, would he think differently of her now. arria stood frozen.

[CLU]

Clu's eyes were transfixed on the view before him, watching the circuitry of Tron City beam through the darkness. He had been altered by security programs that they had a program tampering with her light cycle, adding illegal upgrades without proper clearance. They had kept it vague as they asked to bring the at fault program directly to him. It was a simple issue, one that could have easily been handled by them, but they seemed to think that her charges merited a visit from him. He had agreed, not really minding since he had been hibernating in his private area for most of the evening. He took whatever free time he could. As he waited, he seemed to contemplate things, maybe even too closely for his own good. How the community viewed him, how they viewed Tron. Was he really Tron's equal? Or was he simply a right hand man, while Sam and Tron went about claiming they're glory over the perfection of they're improved system. Was it resentment he felt, or simply isolation?

Suddenly, his attention was pulled from the window when he heard the security programs enter with their newest catch. As one approached with her disc and baton, his blue gaze connected with her face and he saw who it was. Arria. Well this was interesting. He flicked an intrigued eyebrow before reaching and grabbing hold of her disc and baton. He twirled the baton between his fingers, contemplating his next move rather carefully. Truth be told, he was still considered a leader, a program they all looked up to, or at least some. He looked at her disc for a moment, watching as it activated and brought up her basic coding and functions, her face spinning in a counterclockwise motion. He then exhaled, as if a weary old man would before looking to the security programs with a small, yet commanding smile.

"I will take care of it from here, fellas. Go on and tend to your other business."

[/color] he said gently, looking to them as they exchanged odd glances before looking back to him confused. He looked from them to Arria, a sudden wink sent her way before walking toward them, smiling again. "Yep, off you go."[/color] He said, ushering them out before he watched them leave. He then sighed, looking over her disc before walking up behind Arria and latching her disc back in place on her back with a small click. He however, held onto her baton for a moment. "Someone's been a naughty bird, haven't they?"[/color] Clu commented with a small chuckle as he twirled her baton around carelessly as he looked back toward the view of tron city. He then sighed and turned back to Arria, smirking at her gently. He then reached out, handing her baton back to her. He wouldn't punish her this time. True, she had violated regulation codes with her modifications, but what was it going to do really to punish her? She was only trying to prove herself. And in all seriousness, he wanted to see what the modifications had done to the cycle. Call him a bit too curious for his own good. He then smiled again, walking to the side of her and placing his hand against her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, Arria. Just a slap on the wrist this time."[/color] He said cooly before walking around behind her, eying her for a moment before walking back toward the window and placing his hands behind his back in a cupped position.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size]

[ARRIA]

Her eye's never left his when Clu glanced at her. Her tense stature slowly eased, becoming more relaxed as she stood in her place aside one of the other programs. Clu always did seem to play it cool, as she watched him play lightly with her devices. For a moment, she bit her bottom lip lightly. Blue orbs glanced over at her disk, seeing her own reflection twirl about in Clu's grasp. Arria let out a nervous breath as he smiled. it seemed as things were going to lighten up, and maybe with a wink, she could keep what she so? Clu's laid-back demeanor was something she wished she had for herself, as everything seemed so much easier for him. Call it jealousy? She wasnt prepared for what happened next as he clicked her disk back into place, causing her to tilt forward slightly. Arria kept her gaze forward, out towards the view, waiting for the guards to leave. 'his voice, that laugh' how it made her smile slightly. "Ugh.." Arria gently wrapped her fingers around her property when Clu motioned it in return, lightly brushing up against his before he placed a hand on her shoulder. Arria's cheeks flushed a light pink, placing a light smile on her features in return.

She dared not turn around as he walked behind her, hoping the man would not see her face as she fought back her blush, having it last for only a few seconds. "Looks like I owe you one then." the program smiled lightly, placing her eyes on him, studying him carefully as he cupped his hands together behind his back where he stood before. Arria held onto her baton, yet kept her eyes fixated on him, finally moving closer to stand beside Clu. "Thanks for that back there, by the way. I don't know what would have happened if I was presented to someone else." Standing beside the other program now, Arria tilted her head to look at Clu and gave him a light smile. She then turned around, resting her lower back on the windows ledge. This room looked nicer then all the rest, now that she got a better look at it. More relaxed, homey, human. Finally placing the baton within its holster, she looked down at it, hands empty at her sides. "So... What made you decide this spot for such a lavish abode?" She cocked her head to look at him directly, whipping her bangs on the way lightly enough to get them out of her face. "Not to sound rude but, your designs are always pretty for a man", she teased, hoping he'd get the idea that she really liked it.

[CLU]

Arria's touch was feather light, yet Clu sensed it all the same. He imagined it to be like to touch of a woman, but he didn't know that to well. The way he functioned, he didn't have the time to waste of frivolous interactions, at least not often. Bonds between programs weren't essential for survival, yet they manifest in ways that it was often like how humans co-existed. A connection, a spark if you will. Electric pulses that seemed to filter between two forms. Programs experienced that to, but it wasn't something Clu was immensely familiar with. Not on an intense level. A part of Clu was rather pleased that this situation was brought to his attention, even if it only highlighted his current situation. As of late, Clu was beginning to feel less involved, less necessary to the systems functionality. He was developing what humans would refer to as an inferiority complex. Sam and Tron were mainly responsible for the systems rehabilitation, for what it was now. He had next to no part in it, except for imparting his knowledge of his own changes in the previous system. A building block or a template to get things started. Then what? Tron and Sam took the credit, and Clu was left to stand at attention and reduced to what he was. So when Arria approached him, the sensation he felt was alien to him.

He slowly tore his gaze from Tron City to look upon Arria and what he was met with, a sight that caused him to smile slightly. The look in her eyes, it sent a strange sensation through him that he could only describe as warmth. The look in her eyes, devotion and admiration. Something he wasn't used to. She looked to him as if he had a part of her existence, that he seemed to enrich it in some way. He wished he could thank her for it, but he doubted she'd understand it. He valued her in many ways, more than she'd ever fully comprehend. Ever since Sam and Tron recreated they're system, he felt pushed back, a second to them both rather than a partner. So when Arria looked at him the way she did, he held onto it. For dear life.

"Nah, don't mention it. I know that I can trust you, Ari. Curiosity isn't a crime."

[/color] He muttered before gently poking her nose playfully and moving away from her a bit, not wanting to look at Tron City any longer. He slowly looked around the room for a moment before his attention was pulled back to Arria as she spoke of the decor. He chuckled softly, looking at it again before shrugging. "Ever changing, wanting to keep things interesting I guess you could say. Experimenting, if you will."[/color] He said gently before looking away from her. He laughed a bit, this time a bit more resentful toward his situation than her. "After a few milicycles, I find that I have a bit more free time on my hands than I'd like, but that's the way the song plays, beautiful. Tron's got everything figured out now."[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

[ARRIA]

And to think, all that began to unravel here was the result of getting caught. one might say it was even perfectly executed, on the other hand it was just by accident. for now, arria slowly became enveloped in her surroundings, especially in clu who stood in front of her view. he was so close, and yet so far away... something she couldn't quite put a finger on as to why he was such a mystery to her. he was enticing in his mannerisms as they were so foreign, something kevin never introduced her to. maybe that's what drew her to him, not only in the fact that he was created in the maker's image, but how he was such an enigma as well. arria was quickly taken a back with the playful gesture clu presented her, blinking in response; dumbfounded. to her, it was an odd location on her person to tap with a finger. 'sostrange.' she quickly lifted one of her hands to her face, poking her nose as to mimic him. what was it? her brow furrowed in a quizzical manner, but a smile quickly came into play, watching as he paced towards the center of the room.

arria remained silent, taking in his every word. analyzing how he chose them. half was filled with lightheartedness, but the rest? it seemed almost taut how he expressed them - almost sad - it wasn't like him from what she knew when they came into contact last. her eyes dropped to the floor, and so did her smile. was it best to keep silent? she wasn't exactly programmed with a way to respond to such a tone. what if... what if she said something wrong, out of place? maybe this was where the 'cheer up' factor was to be placed in her next series of chosen words. "But" she started off soft, contemplating before her gaze slowly rose to rest upon his face. "free time can be a good thing sometimes, cant it? if not, i wouldn't be here with you right now." arria tilted her head in the aftermath.

quickly, she pushed away from the window, as if to propel toward the other program. she wasn't finished and she wanted his full attention on her more so than it already had been. in that moment, arria wanted clu to know exactly what she thought of him. maybe he needed the enlightenment? being depressed - is that what they called it? - was something that she felt didn't suit him in the least. arria liked it when he smiled as it made her feel better in turn. how would it be if you knew one of the system administrators were sad, as she knew it was possible for one such program like him to be? the whole system would buckle and be put on hold, wouldn't it? progression would be non-existent. "you do know that you have a title too, right? just because tron seems to have everything under control right now doesn't mean he will a few cycles from now. users can be a little unpredictable sometimes and when he needs help, who will he go to? you. why? you can fix anything." 'maybehecanfixmetoo?' she chuckled a little at the thought, hoping it helped ease the small tension that filled the room.

her one worry was that sometimes she could make people feel uncomfortable, programs included. more often than not she though it would have been best if she was integrated into a data pusher upon arrival here in the tron system. then she would never have to worry about such a thing. just go about her operation with no interactions what so ever. no responses. but "your clu. nobody else." her words were serious this time, along with the expressions printed on her face. hopefully she got her point across? everyone needed him in one form or another.

[CLU]

When you think of programs, you think of basic functions that did all they were supposed to do. But they wasn't completely true. If the Isos were so perfect with they're free will and almost human-like qualities, what was it about Clu's make up that forced him to turn on Kevin Flynn? It wasn't that Kevin had programed it into Clu in anyway. He had had free will in that moment. Did programs change? Evolve even? It wasn't clear, but programs weren't as primitive as many would try to make you think. Isos were the future, Users were the future. Don't forget who came first. Despite Clu's views on things having changed, there was still a lingering resentment that Kevin and Tron valued Users and Isos over anything else. It was almost like Tron wanted to be a user. Clu shook his head of the thought, almost gagging. Okay, maybe Clu wasn't completely over what happened, but he cared more about what they were trying to do now than the past. Even if others held onto it more, and valued it's lesson. Then again...

Tron valued anything over him...

The program turned his attention to Arria as she spoke, her words echoing through his circuits for a moment as he granted it a pause. Why was she attempting to comfort him? How did she know that he even needed anything of the sort? Then again, he wasn't be particularly subtle about it, his comments were laced with his underlying intention so he had to give the program credit. She sort of understood his subtext. It was true, due to the free time, it had brought them some time together, which Clu valued. He did enjoy his time alone, but he didn't hate spending time with people who actually appreciated him. Who didn't see him as a pardoned fugitive. Was that what he was now? A man pardoned of his sins, yet would always have them over his head like a sign. An example. He turned away from Arria, finding himself getting angry at his own thoughts and not being comforted at all by her words. All he could think of was the users and the new isos almost floating to Tron, seeing him as this unifying ruler, this presence that seemed to bring everyone together. Maybe it was the thirst for having that attention on him again or just jealousy, but he felt himself gripping the edges of a nearby table, staring harshly at the surface of it. Trying to calm himself.

He tilted his head to the side a bit as Arria went on, her presence becoming stronger as she moved closer to him. Was she attempting to sugar coat the fact that he had let her off with a warning or was she being sincere? He slowly allowed himself to look at her as she spoke four words that struck him.

"you're clu. nobody else."

He turned back to her sharply, his eyes darting from left to right, his chest heaving with the intake of breath. He wanted to embrace her, thank her for the needed boost, but he refrained. He simply stared at the program, his fingers tapping against the table's surface before he felt a bitter laugh leave his lips. "you say that as it means a thing anymore, ari. yeah, tron may need me for maintaining the grid...but anything outside of business...i'm still the program that betrayed him betrayed ke--"

[/color] he cut himself off suddenly, his gaze still on her for a moment before he shook his head. He reached out, his fingertips brushing against her cheek gently, just touching her a bit to know that he still had some effect on anything. "But thank you."[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size]