driftfleet | (no subject)

We were at that sad excuse of a park. That fox approached me and I moved to knock him over. She didn't like that and started threatening me when I tried to explain. Being a red fox I'm larger than any arctic fox, so it's normal I would establish my dominance.

[He nods, expression clearing a bit.]

That would be behavior she hasn't observed from any of the other arctic foxes; as a warrior herself she would have seen it as hostile. She's not familiar with most animal behavior.

[Renart scoffs lightly.]

She shouldn't have taken an animal from its home if she can't understand it.

[He raises a brow.]

Perhaps I was unclear. The domesticated foxes don't react in that way at all because their behavior has altered significantly from a wild baseline fox; they've been bred into domesticity for a very long time on their native world. It was your behavior she wasn't familiar with, because she's not encountered a wild fox before - or a speaking person who acts like one in that form.

I'm not a person. This - [She gestures at herself] - is caused by humans.

And anyways, I tried to explain to her what I was doing. She didn't want to listen.

You don't consider yourself a person? Keeping in mind that I do not associate personhood with humanity, per se, would you mind explaining why that is?

[But for that, he nods.]

From what I understand, you indicated you were not willing to let go of a problem. Is that so?

It's complicated and not worth getting into.

[With a stranger. And when there are more important things to discuss, such as the subjugation of her species.]

Correct. I can't abide by someone who thinks it's okay to own one of my kind.

[He shrugs, a little sadly; it's a discussion he's glad to get into with people, but then, he's of a philosophical mindset.]

In fact, that wasn't what she was referring to. Wrath specifically wants to know if you're going to continue to pursue what she perceives as an attack on her crewmate. That's entirely separate from the issue of pet ownership. Do you see what I mean by that?

I'm going to communicate with him in the manner that foxes communicate if I see him again. That's my answer.

He's not a standard fox as you're used to them, Renart.

He isn't a dog, either. He might be domesticated but I can still communicate with him.

He's closer to a dog than a wild fox by several degrees of magnitude.

[He narrows his gaze.]

I can communicate with the maintenance bots, but that hardly makes me one of them.

[She disagrees with that, quite a bit.]

Are you a robot?

[Visually, of course he's a fox. But behavior-wise, they really are closer to dogs.]

I'm an artificial person created with metal and from a computer AI. I prefer the term "android", but there are many who use "robot".

Android, then. I'm not all that good with technology.

I'm in the same classification as they are, regardless. I treat them with kindness; I become angry when they're harmed. I do what I can to help them improve upon their limitations. Yet, compared to myself, they are limited. Do you see what I'm driving toward?

I'm not changing my behaviour or my opinions. They should never have been domesticated, and they certainly shouldn't be on this fleet where they're forced to be in an unnatural environment.

[He frowns, though it's of disappointment rather than anger.]

They were domesticated, however, and it's how we encountered them. Do you feel the same about the other pets, such as the fluff slugs? The cats various people have received from their homes?

I'd rather see no animal here at all. This isn't a good environment for any of them.

[She's saying that firmly, though her tone softens and her ears droops as she continues.]

It's more personal with the foxes. I don't know how it works with androids, but every time I think about them I'm disgusted and disturbed by what was done to them. All so a bunch of narcissists could feed their own ego by having one more creature they can control as they like.

It isn't precisely a good environment for humans, either, yet none have a choice about it. [Passengers any more than pets.]

That's not why humans domesticate animals. [But that's not the point, is it? His voice softens.] I can understand how it would seem personal, however. But there are quite a lot of pets in the Fleet; perhaps you'd be better to avoid the locations where they might commonly be found for your own mental well-being.

The people here can choose not to bring animals aboard. They do it regardless because they don't actually care about the wellbeing of the animal, they're too selfish.

[Because unlike the Fleeters those animals aren't being dragged on board by the Atroma.]

I'm not going to avoid my own kind. That would make me a coward.

Or they've been told the animals in question are well-adapted to travel and don't mind these conditions - though admittedly that could be a sales technique. [Even if his swamp witch tells him otherwise.]

[And he nods one last time.]

I understand; you are of course free to do as you see fit. Thank you for speaking with me.

Alright, then. Don't bother me about this again.

If none of my crew comes to harm, I certainly won't. Though I should hope that won't occur, and I do wish you luck in figuring this situation out in a mutually beneficial fashion.

[He nods one more time and turns to leave.]