Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

[necromanswers]

Who: Everyone! OTA!
Broadcast: sure why not
Action: yeahhhhhh
When: 11/12 to 1/4 (minus 12/26)


It's Candlenights! Or Christmas! Or whatever! It's festive! Go celebrate, explore, go get free stuff from a tree!!

More importantly it's a mingle!

--SYSTEM INFORMATION--

Comments

[privateeyed]

[he can't help but snort, faintly, lips twitching. There's a note of honesty and experience in his voice, buried beneath his usual sarcasm and smartass way of talking] There usually isn't. But it's a good decision to come to, you know, all things considered.

[he considers something for a moment, head tilted, before he decides to just go for it. It isn't like Connor can't just shut him down if he doesn't want to talk]

Then what's got you doing this? [he frees his hands to copy how Connor was fidgeting before, not quite the same because the fingers on his right hand don't move the right way] If it ain't something you've thought much about.

[coinstability]

[Good question. Connor lapses into silence, fixating on Ben's mirrored movements for a span before looking back to the man's face. It's hard to rationalise something he wasn't aware he was doing. The gesture, in the past, was an idle movement to prevent him from being unnaturally still. Much the same as his simulated breathing and blinking was. Connor doesn't ruthlessly catalogue his every movement these days or analyse why he's doing it... he did back in the days before he became deviant, tracking over irrational choices as though he could find the underlying code that made it expected.

Lifting his own palm to look at it, he has to shake his head slightly.]

I don't know. I suppose... I don't like it. Thinking about those times. [Times, plural.] The choices were correct as I understood them and I don't think that would necessarily change today. It just doesn't mean the same thing anymore.

[privateeyed]

[yeah, this is absolutely something he's familiar with. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket with a noise of agreement, watching Connor look at his hand before his eyes are drawn away, back to the tree.

"Times" doesn't escape his notice, but there's no reason to point it out]

I mean, I wouldn't think it would. Big difference between a choice you have to make and a choice you get to make, you know? [a wry noise] No one likes thinking about shit like that, though. Trust me, I know that from experience.

[coinstability]

I wouldn't have thought so.

[It's definitely good to have it confirmed, though.]

[privateeyed]

It sucks to think about all that, but sometimes it's - like, it's a necessary evil. Especially if you're working through all the - meanings or whatever behind what you did. [he shrugs, looking at Connor again] Most people don't do that part, 'least not until they're in the same situation again.

[coinstability]

I don't think my experience is very similar to most others.

[Putting it lightly. Ben means humans when he says people, because of course he does. Humans consider themselves the only sentient life by default. It isn't necessarily intended that way but Connor knows the implications behind language well enough. Language had always been pointed when it came to androids.]

And I've had far more time on my hands here than I ever did at home.

[privateeyed]

[he raises both eyebrows at Connor, the corner of his mouth twitching]

If you wanna be technical about it, yeah, no one's gone through that, probably. But like, everything you feel about it? Knowing you'd make the same choices but having different reasons behind them now? That's the part people are gonna have in common. It's called empathy, dude.

Doesn't matter if you were following your mission parameters or not. People can empathize with that too. Only difference is, you're new to the whole humanity thing and now, you're learning what the phrase "hindsight is 20/20" really means.

[coinstability]

["Empathy." It seems to be the key to everything, in the end.]

Yeah. It was empathy that really... started all of this, to begin with. At least that's what Hank seems to think.

[It might have been a range of things, situations and feelings and pre-programmed instructions that displayed as errors. It all combined in the end though, and that's what matters. The end result.]

I'll just have to adapt.

[privateeyed]

'Least you can learn a little more here before you get tossed back into Detroit. 'Bout adapting, I mean. [he shoves his hands in his pockets again, shifting his weight]

But that doesn't surprise me, that empathy started it all. Your partner's onto something saying that.

[coinstability]

He says a lot of things. A majority of them are not helpful.

[Connor doesn't sound too put out about it, though. That's just how Hank is. There's enough in there that is helpful that Connor is willing to overlook the complaints and swearing.

A plunk in the water behind them pulls Connor up short, LED, flashing yellow. He turns to see ripples spreading out from a point near the shore.]

Was... that it, then?

[privateeyed]

Maybe you aren't hearing the helpful parts.

[he startles a little at the sound of something dropping into the water and turns around, then glances at Connor]

Must've been? It sure ain't for me.

[coinstability]

[By process of elimination, yes. That would make sense. Connor steps over to the edge of the water and peers through the ripples - and sees something recognisable, if not overly sentimental. Putting one foot into the water he leans over and fishes out two sealed packets.

Shaking the water off them, the labels are clear to read on the silver casing: Thirium 310. The word CyberLife is also stamped at the bottom.]

Yes, they're definitely intended for me.

[privateeyed]

[Ben squints from where he's still standing - haven't they talked about that stuff before? He isn't sure, but still. The name, at least, makes him narrow his eyes briefly before he shoots Connor a curious look]

So it's a useful present? Nice.

[coinstability]

It will be if I ever lose thirium.

[A scenario they definitely talked about once before. With a nod, Connor shoves the packets into his jacket pocket.]

[privateeyed]

All right, well, lets make sure this is a present you never have to use.

[he gives the tree one last look before he steps away from it, moving towards one of the ways out of the cavern] C'mon, lets get out of here before I freeze my ass off.