Video 01

[killedwithlove]

Who: Cole and anyone
Broadcast: Fleet-wide
Action: Marvisa
When: Now until the next shuffle?

[Cole doesn't usually sleep, so waking up is very unfamiliar. He doesn't usually feel the cold or heat much, so the deep coldness in his bones is alien.

He jerks upright with a gasp, hands scrabbling at the back of his neck and then he vanishes in a puff of black-green smoke and reappears in the corner of the room, pressing himself back into it, staring around with wide eyes.]

Whispering, watchful, wakeful, wondering, where?

[He then spends a while patting things around him like the floor and wall, whispering under his breath.

In all honesty, he'll stay in that room until someone convinces him to leave and go elsewhere. It's not like he has to leave for any reason.]

Comments

[killedwithlove]

You're too far away for me to read what you mean. And words... words are messy and complicated and it's how people communicate.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

I know. They're inexact and always changing...

If we were in person, I'd just show you. It'd be much easier.

[killedwithlove]

... are you a spirit as well? I'm Compassion. I was. Solas says I still am.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

I am not. At least--I don't think so.

[he could be wrong. maybe they define spirits differently, where Cole is from. even if they don't, he's never exactly had many other creatures to compare himself to...]

...What was it like, being Compassion? What's different now?

[killedwithlove]

I was Compassion. Now I'm Cole who was Compassion. I'm Compassion, not Mercy. Solas explains it better. He has better words.

I only had to use words when I came to this side. Spirits don't need words for each other.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Oh, I've talked with him. I like his words... I'll ask him.

[and he actually means to. Solas isn't bad.]

Perhaps you and I can meet when you're brought to another ship. Then you can explain however you like.

[killedwithlove]

Solas helped make a lot of things make sense about this world. I didn't understand a lot.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

There's a lot to understand. And here, ah... I'm afraid there's a great deal more learning to be done out here, among the stars.

[killedwithlove]

But Augment is helping. Like Cole did. Cole taught me lots of things without teaching me. So is Personnel Augment.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Mm, the augment isn't a person... You can simply call it your augment.

But that's good. Personnel will let you be of whatever help you'd like to your crew.

[killedwithlove]

It's not a person, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have feelings. It's not mine.

[Welcome to the world of empathy based psychometry and a spirit who finds something to talk to all items about.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Mm... [he's not entirely sure how to take that, but...] You must have a very different understanding of these things than I do, but I'll believe you.

[killedwithlove]

I learned lots from Cole, but he wasn't mine, either.

[It might be best not to push on this one. He's just a special little creature with his way of viewing the world.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Ah. That I can understand.

[he will let you have this one, weird little spirit buddy.]

[killedwithlove]

Personnel Augment has told me a lot of things I know now. That's good. That's good, right?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

That's very good. What it's taught you are things you'll need to know to survive out here, and not put your crew in danger.

Though it malfunctioned once, for many people, so it's not wrong to also be a little cautious.

[killedwithlove]

... I don't understand.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Which part?

[killedwithlove]

Malfunction. What that... how does Personnel Augment do that?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Well, according to the people who speak to us for Atroma... These ships passed through some kind of a field that upset the way the augments communicate with our brains and bodies. So, some people were acting very strangely because their augment was adjusting things in them it doesn't normally touch.

It was fixed for everyone, but it may happen again someday.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole stares, clearly listening and not understanding what he means.]

All right.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[...a soft sigh.]

You'll get it eventually, Cole.

[killedwithlove]

All right, I believe you.