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[NEMO]

It looked so familiar it hurt, the Virus feeling a lump swell in this throat as he gazed out at the small space. There was a wooden desk in one corner, with a large bookcase chock full of novels and scientific textbooks set next to it. In the opposing corner was a bed covered in quilts. In the the far end of the room was a TV and another shelf filled with keepsakes and knick-knacks. It was his room. Or at least, something that looked just like his room. Icarus', or Nemo's, as he liked to call himself now, skeletal hands trembled as he brushed them across the desk.

For once, he was temporarily free from whatever was controlling the Viruses. This is where he liked to come whenever he could control his own actions. The blank areas. The areas that could become whatever you wanted them to, where memories and thoughts could take on physical form. He could be home, if only for a little while.

Walking towards the old wooden door, he exited his room, gazing into the rest of his 'house'. To his left were his parent's and older sister's rooms, but he didn't stop to look at them, knowing all to well that they'd be empty. Instead, he walked downstairs, the stairway creaking beneath his bony feet with each step, just like they used to. All of this was coming from his memory. Even though he considered the life of Icarus Bishop over, it was amazing how much certain things never left your mind.

He stopped when he reached the living room downstairs, gazing at an old oak rocking chair. The rocking chair had been an heirloom from his grandmother, and when he was younger, his parents had rocked him to sleep in it. Having enjoyed the gentle back and forth movement, it had always been his favorite place to sit back home. He felt his eyes start to water as he gazed out at the hauntingly familiar place, the Virus switching into his human disguise, his reflection of his old self, as he approached the chair and sat down, his light brown hair now hanging partially over his eyes as he gazed absently back up towards the rooms on the second floor.

No matter how perfect it seemed, there was still something wrong with this replica of his home.

"...Mo...m? D...ad? ...Si...s?"

[/color] He called out, his voice sputtered like always. Even though he could speak partially in his human form, he still could never quite get his tongue to work how it had when he'd been truly human. Regardless, though, his voice echoed hollowly, the boy not receiving any answer.

He'd never expected one, but the boy's eyes only started to water more, the Virus gently rocking back and forth on the rocking chair as the soft creaking broke the silence of the old house.[/size][/blockquote]

[rosieweatherby]

"Come on Mom... I have work to do back at the Lab. I cant walk around the blank area with you!" Rosie protested as she followed Alyssa. The little girl looked down at her doll with a frown. "Come on Cinderella! You know we have work to do too.... FINE... but only for a few minutes..." She muttered, walking beside Alyssa, staring at the blank ground.
"Don't worry, Rosie... It'll be fun, Im sure..." Alyssas soothing voice came to the little girls ears. She listened as the little girl argued with her doll. "You may be 17 in this world, but you're still my little Rosie." She said with a grin as they walked. Alyssa patted the top of her daughters head softly. She slowed down, and then stopped completely as they neared something unusual for the Blank Areas. A house stood before them. It looked... Real. It looked like a house that belonged in the real world. What was it doing here?

The two exchanged odd looks, and heard the whisper of a voice echo from inside. Rosie moved toward the door, her mother right behind her. Rosie pushed the door open slowly, trying not to make a sound, but the hinges creaked. She looked around, and sniffed the air. It was like a real house in both look and smell. The two exchanged looks again, and moved into the house slowly. The looked through an opening and saw the living room. What caught their eyes, however, was the Skeletal looking man in the rocking chair. The two remained quiet, almost spying on the man. Rosie pushed past her mother and entered the living room. "Hello, mister... Is this your house?" she asked, playing the sweet little child role came easy to her.

[NEMO]

"Hello, mister... Is this your house?"

The Virus startled, all at once pulled out of his daydreams at the sound of an unfamiliar young girl's voice. He immediately spun to see a little girl having entered the living room with a woman not too far off. He blinked in surprise. While he'd let his old home form in the blanks before, this was the first time anyone else had actually entered it. Studying the two females who'd just come inside. The young girl, carrying some odd, large doll, appeared to be a Siren. And the woman...at first he thought that she was a Siren too, but on second glance, he felt distortion wafting from her, as well. ...Was she a Virus, like him? The two looked somewhat alike, perhaps they were related? Stopping the back and forth motion, he stepped out of the chair, taking on his temporary human boy form instead of his Virus form so that he could speak.

"Y...es. Or... i...t... was... my... family...'s... w...hen it wa...s ...re...al. No...w... jus...t... a... mem...o...ry."

[/color] He tried to explain, hoping that they could understand him despite the way his words sputtered. It was embarrassing. Even when he made himself look like a human again, he still couldn't speak correctly.

He glanced at the girl and the woman again. If the woman was a Virus herself too, it was quiet odd that a Siren would be hanging around her, even if they were related somehow. It was also odd how the little girl had come right up to him. ...Wasn't she scared of Viruses like everyone else? "W...hat... ar...e you... do...ing her...e...?"[/color] He asked. Despite the odd way he spoke, his voice didn't contain any hostility, it was quiet and soft, and showed a slight curiosity.[/size][/blockquote]

[rosieweatherby]

Rosie giggled softly, hugging Cinderella close as the Virus spoke. "I see. It's a nice house!" She said happily. She listened to his next question. "Well, my mommy, Cinderella, and me were walking and we saw your house. We just wanted to see it. It's beautiful." She said, turning as Alyssa moved into the room slowly. The floors creaked softly as she walked, standing next to Rosie.

"You're a Virus... Your voice tells me you were an unlucky one... I'm sorry." She said, her voice soft as she placed a hand on the other viruses shoulder. She had yet to meet another virus that was like her, still full of normal emotion, and still able to talk. Still able to have morals... Most viruses didn't have any of these traits. She placed her other hand on Rosies shoulder. "What is your name? I'm Alyssa, this is my daughter, Rosie." She said with a soft smile. This virus wasn't attacking, like most would. Maybe another friendly virus after so many years of searching?

[NEMO]

The Virus smiled just slightly at the little girl's words. Beautiful, huh? Maybe it was. His heart ached hollowly. If only the house was still real... The woman was the girl's mother apparently. Cinderella? ...Wasn't that the name of a character from a children's story...? He then looked back at the doll, putting it together. Oh, that had to be the title she'd given it.

There was the sound of more creaking, the boy looking up to see that the woman had now entered the living room as well. He nodded up at her as she spoke, instinctively flinching in spite of himself as she put a hand on his shoulder - it wasn't often anymore that he was touched at all. She looked human, too - she had to have a transformation like his. But her voice...it was clear. How could she speak so clearly? He felt a pang of envy, but didn't let it show. After all, many Viruses couldn't speak at all. At least he still could manage to act a little bit like his old self in the times that he wasn't being controlled, even if it was only as a shell.

The woman placed her other hand on the girl's shoulder, introducing herself and her daughter. Alyssa and Rosie, huh? She wondered how this Virus woman was still able to hang around with her daughter. Was she somehow able to fight avoid ever falling under control? When he was around normal people, he was always afraid that he'd fall under control of whatever was puppeteering the Viruses and hurt someone else. Right now, luckily, he remained free. The smile returned slightly to his face at the woman's soft one. "I... don...'t ...have... on...e any...more. ...Ju...st... call... m...e.... Nem...o."

[/color] He answered, giving the same title that he always did if someone asked. He was no longer Icarus Bishop. That boy was dead. He couldn't use that name anymore. He coughed a bit - his throat always started to ache if he tried to talk too much. "N...ice ...to ...me...et y...ou."[/color] He added, somehow still retaining his somewhat shy but polite mannerisms that he'd had as a human.
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[rosieweatherby]

Alyssa stood up slowly, looking around. "Everyone has a name... Always." She said softly. "It's nice to meet you too, Nemo." She said, placing her other hand on Rosies shoulder, pulling her away from the boy. It wasn't that she didn't want her near the boy, but Alyssa and Nemo are both viruses, and if Rosie stays between them too long... Ally wouldn't be able to live with herself.

Rosie sat down in the middle of the living room, Cinderella in her lap. She felt the distortion the two put off fade a little bit, but she was still feeling it. She could use her abilities to try and nullify it, but it may not work. She got to thinking for a few moments. She had been trying to help the doctor figure out how to reverse the Viruses distortion, and her thinking here had made her think of something, but thats a story for another day.

"Where's your family?" Rosie asked softly, brushing her hand along Cinderellas hair softly, looking up at Nemo with soft brown eyes.

[NEMO]

"Everyone has a name... Always."

The boy smiled a bit in spite of himself, even though he didn't quite believe it. With the way this woman, Alyssa, was a Virus herself, it put meaning into her words, but she still seemed different than him. More human. But he still felt a bit better, somehow. His head hung slightly for a moment, but he raised it to look back up at her. "Than...k y...ou..."

[/color]

Alyssa moved her daughter away from the space between them. At first he blinked a bit, but then realized that it probably had to do with the distortion. Being a Siren around Viruses couldn't be easy or especially safe for the younger girl. She went and sat down in the middle of the living room, still holding her doll. She was rather cute, he thought absently. He'd always kind of wanted a younger brother or sister, back in the real world, so that he could have someone to protect the way his sister had protected him.

"Where's your family?" As if on cue, the question left the little girl's lips softly.

He looked down a bit. "...I don...'t know..."[/color] He answered honestly. "I... haven...'t see...n them... sin...ce I... be...came a... Vi...rus. I've search...ed, but I...'ve nev...er been ab...le to fin...d the...m..."[/color] He had looked for them before in his free time, but after nine years of not sighting any of them or hearing their names, it got discouraging. He prayed that they were living as happy of lives as this world would allow somewhere, but he sometimes doubted whether or not any of them were still alive. As long as they didn't end up suffering the same fate as him... Even if he did one day find them, he didn't think he could be with them anymore. He would be too afraid that he would hurt them when he fell under the puppeteer's influence. "Yo...u haven...'t heard an...ything a...bout anyon...e fro...m the Bis...hop fa...mily ha...ve you?"[/color] It was a long shot, but he had to ask. He gave away his last name by doing so, but it was a question that he asked to anyone who would speak with a Virus. More than anything, he just wanted to know that they were alive and well. But no matter what the truth was, at least he could finally put his memories to greater rest if he finally find out it was.
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[rosieweatherby]

"Im sorry, Nemo. That must have been rough for you..." Alyssa said, placing her hand on his shoulder again, a frown on her face. "I suffer a similar fate... I haven't been able to see my brothers, parents, or my husband for 8 years... I can see Rosie, but not for long periods of time, because I don't want to convert her too..." Alyssa looked at the little girl who was listening to the two talk. Bishop... That name didn't ring any bells in particular. "I'm sorry... No, I haven't" Alyssa said softly, looking over to Rosie who shook her head. "My Daughter is working on a cure for the Virus problem. She says that it's pretty slow going, but she has something new she wants to try." Alyssa started, waving her daughter over.

Rosie moved toward the group slowly, standing beside the two once again. "I am a Null Siren, but my Null is... different. I null 'reality' causing things to reverse. Up becomes down, left is right, Fire is ice... Everything." Rosie started. looking between the two. "I haven't been able to try it, but if I use my Spacial Rend to reverse a Viruses Distortion..." She paused, thinking for a bit. "I know it stops the effect on people like me, but others... Im not sure." She said, looking down at the doll. "Cinderella says it should work, but I haven't been able to try it, and there will always be at least One virus in the world, unless we turn everyone back and then kill the one that we used..." She said with a sigh, looking at Nemo.

[NEMO]

Alyssa placed a hand on her shoulder, a sympathetic smile on her face. At least she still had her daughter, even in small periods, but she'd had to give up seeing most of her family, too... He supposed such a fate was just unavoidable for someone who became a Virus. It wasn't fair, but that was just the way it was. For eight years... That was close to the amount of time he'd been without his family, too. In his case, it was nine. He'd only been with his family as Icarus Bishop in this world for about a year before he'd lost his old life. She hadn't heard anything of his family, either. He supposed that was to be expected.

His head hung slightly, but he raised his gaze back up in Rosie's direction as the little girl began speaking again. He blinked in surprise. Left becoming right... Fire becoming ice... Would something like that really work in regards to... "D...o y...ou me...an that I... mig...ht be ab...le to go ba...ck to nor...mal on...e da...y?"

[/color] He asked, traces of both excitement and disbelief in his stuttered voice. He'd never even considered such a thing before - the concept was foreign. He'd considered Icarus Bishop dead for nine years. Could he really be him again one day?[/size][/blockquote]

[rosieweatherby]

Alyssa listened as the two spoke. "We have yet to get a successful test... and the Virus we try to revert seems to go through an immense amount of pain..." She said, with a sigh. "We're trying to figure out a way to make them NOT go through pain to turn them back." She said.

Rosie nodded, patting the boys shoulder. "Maybe the bigger of the viruses, like you or mommy, will be able to deal with it better..." She pondered, looking between the two. "We need to get to the lab and test that one out... But first... A test subject. Cinderella and I can probably capture a bigger virus." She said with a nod, looking at the boy. "Sorry, back to you. The Annulus institute is always looking for ways to better the area. We're looking for an end to the power crisis, as well as an Anti-Virus." She said with a soft smile.

[NEMO]

"It... wou...ld be wor...th pa...in if I co..uld go back to... norm...al, som...eday."

[/color] The Virus commented, listening to the words of the other Virus. As long as it worked, he'd do anything. Right now he didn't even consider himself to have a life, the thought of having one back was almost incomprehensible. It would be like coming back from the dead, in his mind. He'd completely resigned himself to his fate. But...if Alyssa and Rosie could get their tests to work one day, perhaps there was hope for the future. Heheh... What an odd thought. "I...s the...re anything I... ca...n do to he...lp?"[/color] He asked. If there was hope, he would give anything for it. But...that was all the more reason that he wanted to find his family... If there was even a chance that he could be with them again one day... His face fell just slightly. He had to find out what happened to them, or where they were, somehow!

He blinked, looking up again, though, as the girl continued speaking."Ann...u...lus In...stit...ute?"[/color] He repeated, coughing a bit as his throat continued aching. He'd never heard of an 'Annulus Institute', but they sounded interesting. If they really could find a solution to the energy problem and develop an Anti-Virus... It sounded like they were doing a lot to try and help the world. He was surprised that anyone cared about Viruses like him anymore. It somehow made him happy to hear that there were people who still wanted to save them, even if a part of him still didn't quite dare to believe it.
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[rosieweatherby]

Rosie hugged Nemo tightly before dropping back to the ground. She moved away from them slightly, feeling the distortion taking hold again. She wasn't afraid of viruses, bu the distortion got annoying. "I like your outlook. We're working out a way to remove the pain of the antivirus, as of right now, none of our test subjects have survived...". Rosie said, holding her Dolly close. She didn't like the idea of death, and to know that she caused it made her sad.

"Once we perfect it, Nemo, We will let you know. Until then, good luck finding your family." Alyssa said with a Soft smile, moving toward Rosie. "We should get you back to your father before he worries..." she said, brushing a hand over the young girls cheek.

[NEMO]

The young girl gave him a brief embrace, before moving back slightly from both him and her mother. He was reminded again of how difficult it must be for her to withstand being around so much distortion for so long. His face fell slightly as she mentioned that none of the others she'd tested it on had survived. He felt sorry for them, but then again, maybe death was better than living as someone else's puppet forever. But, if there was hope, he'd try to hold on, just a little bit longer. Maybe in the mean time he could finally discover what happened to his family.

"Th...ank you..."

[/color] A grin came across his features as the other Virus said that they'd let him now once the research was ready. "T...hank yo...u so mu...ch..."[/color] Slight tears welled beneath his currently human eyes. "I...f you hea...r any...thing abou...t anyone w...ith the la...st na...me Bi...shop, plea...se le...t me kn...ow, al...right? If... there...s ever any...thing I c...an do to ...help, I wou...ld be happ...y t...o."[/color] He passed them a final, grateful smile as the woman mentioned that it was time for them to leave. He was glad they'd come - he hoped he'd see them again soon. He finally had hope again, and it had been nice to finally met someone who'd speak to him as if he was still human.

Giving a few coughs, his tired throat aching, the Virus boy went back to the rocking chair, sitting back down. No longer having the energy to maintain his human form, he let himself slip back into his usual, skeletal form, his feet bony as he lightly pushed the rocking chair. He gazed around the home from his memories again.

He'd stay here in his memories...for just while longer. Maybe one day the future would be just as pleasant.
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