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[blyat]

@cain.fighter | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[blyat]

[That's three for three. All this camaraderie is... itchy.]

oh you know
waiting for the next mission so i can save babies, jump off ledges, risk my life etc like a superhero
you?

[saviorexe]

[Markus provides only the wooliest sweaters of itchy camaraderie. It’s simply how he is.]

Then I take that means you’re still in one piece, if you’re just waiting for the next ledge to jump off of.

Figuratively chained to this cot, being told I need the time to recover. I suppose I wasn’t as fortunate as you.

[blyat]

you bet

wait
cot? what the hell happened

[saviorexe]

I decided to aid more MS associates and families soon after we made sure Patil was safe. One of those instances went pear-shaped when myself and my partner were surprised by the UNA.

It was a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, and a realization that our group was undeniably fortunate that we managed to escape without debilitating injuries.

[blyat]

guess so
luckys one word for it

howd you get hurt
that shield seemed handy

[saviorexe]

And how would you describe it?

It is. But when I'm using it to protect someone else at a distance, I'm left wide open.

[blyat]

crazy
badass
stupid

you only make one at a time?

[saviorexe]

Hard to tell if you were impressed or unimpressed with our group, with a set of words like that.

Yes. Otherwise I would’ve spared each of you your own shield when we were extracting Patil.

[blyat]

what can i say
its mixed

so what even decides the power we get

[saviorexe]

I'd like to hear the criticisms if you're wanting to share them.

I don't know. Do you believe there's a deciding factor, rather than just it being randomly assigned to us?

[blyat]

its not really about you guys
so dont take it personally

[Does he want to talk about it? Does he have a choice, and could he evade Markus instead?]

hard to buy that its random
mine sure as hell isnt. too specific
so 'shields' means nothing special to you? no reason you think youd have that?

[saviorexe]

I won't take it personally. And I think it's important for me to know, in case there's something that needs to be addressed.

[He can certainly try to evade it. However, Markus is his own brand of stubborn, the sort that's easily hidden beneath the surface, but seeks straight answers regardless when he's been given none.]

What's the usual symbolism that's attributed to shields? A want to protect others is the obvious one; but it's also used to represent steadfastness and loyalty. I'm not self-congratulating enough to apply more than the former to myself.

Why do you think your power suits you?

[blyat]

fuckin shit
you ask a lot of questions
which one am i supposed to answer first

[If any... No, he's decided he will. He's just parsing thorough the overwhelming thoroughness of this guy.]

[saviorexe]

[Sometimes android thoroughness is just an unavoidable reality. At least he can rein himself in.]

Let's start with your power first, then.

[blyat]

i dont come from a place with crap like powers
nobodys special
but theres tech that can do this thing
almost like it can teleport a whole damn ship
and what i can do here, it looks a lot like that
but smaller

[Explanation's kept carefully neutral to him, but still true.]

[saviorexe]

[Carefully neutral. Noted, but not enough to not try for specifics.]

Powers don't exist in my world, either. Which means that if we're trying to correlate them to individuals, we're relying on personality and/or experience to draw any conclusions. So do you think your power suits you beyond just... being similar to tech that exists where you come from?

[blyat]

[God damnit.]

the tech was installed on my ship

[A ship his navigator piloted, who he manipulated through sexual and psychological persuasion to unlock that alien tech, who he then fell in love with, who he got shot down for — no thanks.]

thats about it
what about you and those shields

[saviorexe]

[A ship. There's the reveal of the personal connection, and if there's a greater story to unearth, Markus blessedly decides to let it lay for now.

The question fired back is only fair.]

I mentioned the symbolism, remember? If I had to apply a reason, it's because I'm responsible for protecting my people back home.

[blyat]

your people
what are you, a political leader?
seem kinda young for it

[saviorexe]

Appearances can be misleading; I’m not very young at all for an android.

[A whole decade! Verifiably an older model, no matter how you dice it — human body or no.]

I was pushing forward a revolution. I guess “political leader” isn’t that far off the mark.

[blyat]

youre
a robot

[Well, it's not the craziest thing he's heard. A lot of people from Earth were genetically modified in his universe.]

thats neat
was it like a man vs machine revolution

[saviorexe]

An android. [A quick correction, in tandem with the already rapid-fire texts that Markus employs.]

If you want to water it down to its simplest terms, then yes. It’s a campaign for us to be seen as independent, free-thinking, and alive.

You don’t seem too surprised.

[blyat]

should i be?
look where the hell we are

android revolutions just as believable as superpowers and tech in my head that im using to talk to you right now
so what happened? did you win?

[saviorexe]

That hasn't stopped others from being surprised in the past. And their reactions? Generally a good indicator of how familiar (or not) they are with androids or other kinds of AI.

I was taken and brought here in the midst of it all. I haven't seen how it ends yet, even if I have an idea.

[Even if he's been told of the future, it hasn't come to pass. It's not a lie.]

[blyat]

[Fair enough. Still, he's interested. A revolution... somewhere distant from this universe feels unfathomable, but he wants to imagine what it looks like.]

so what do you think happens
your idea