expiationlogs | [open] and all watched over

Entry tags:

[open] and all watched over

Who: A2 and open + some closed prompts
Where: all over Aldrip!
What: February open log for depressed androids
Warnings: Nothing yet.

Good morning, A2.

[Pod's clipped and calm voice makes her squeeze her eyes more tightly shut before they reluctantly flutter open. Dawn is beginning to make patterns out of the shadows of the tree branches. The snow is starting to melt. Cold water drips, drips, down onto the top of her head, the shock of it waking her up properly. A2 stands up in slow and careful passes, checking herself for damage. Those dreams...

But there is no damage, nothing outside of the usual. No pain, save the tingle in limbs that had been sprawled at odd angles on the cold, hard ground as she'd slept. Androids did not dream. And yet she had.

(Evolution?)]

Morning, Pod.

[Her own voice is without inflection. She takes her sword from where it leans against the trunk of the tree she'd been sleeping under, and studies the cold, blue-gray sky. Something is budding on one of the branches, a tentative spot of green on a dark, gnarled branch. Weak early morning light begins to flow in from the west. She can hear the discordant chatter of crows, intermingled with softer cooing from songbirds.]

The season is changing.

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They can't read? [Blurts out A2, thoughtless and appalled.] What kind of Stone Age do you come from?

[Rude. She shakes her head, still baffled. Androids that couldn't read. ~~If only Derek Zoolander were here~~

She looks toward Koromaru when he approaches, unsmiling and too-serious. Then, she crouches down to offer her hand.]

What about him? Is he happy? He has to follow your orders, right? [...] I've been reading - [She gives Minato a sharp look.] About these animals too. They were bred for livestock control, security, hunting. As human companions.

[ What the. Stone Age?? Minato blinks upon realizing the android's just called him a caveman. On the other hand, considering how lifelike and presumably futuristic the android appears... yeah, that's probably a fair assessment about what he's like compared to her. ]

The Stone Age of 2010.

[ Oh. Now that he's thinking about it though -- ]

...actually, there was one android who could.

[ But was Aigis the exception, or was she the rule? ]

I just... forgot she was an android, I guess. She had a name just like us.

[ Koromaru, seemingly oblivious to the android's offense lowers his head to lick her fingertips. His tail wags too: a little sign that, at this very moment, he's pretty content.

Unlike Koromaru, Minato frowns at all the questions. ]

...I don't know if Koromaru's happy. But he doesn't have to follow my orders. He mostly does what he wants.

[ And perhaps to confirm Minato's response, Koromaru barks twice to acknowledge what was just said. ]

Edited 2025-02-17 04:41 (UTC)

[A2 thinks over this response, then: a shrug.] Yeah, that's the Stone Age.

11945. That's the year I came from.

[Both the Blue Kid and the Dog surprise her at the same time. She is beginning to smile, almost, in response to Koromaru. The frost in her features melts away. She skritches him behind the ear like before.] He seems smart, but he shouldn't go in the forest alone. There are wolves.

[She's distracted for a moment, both in petting the dog and mulling over what Minato had said about the android from his world. Then she looks up, a question in her eyes.]

How'd you forget?

[ 11945... Whoa. Very well. Minato accepts this.

Koromaru tilts his head to the side. Indeed, there are wolves in the forest, and he knows there are things more perilous out there than his larger canine relatives. ]

I don't think he would. But if he did, I think he'd be okay.

[ ... ]

He's special. He's... good at fighting.

[ Yeah. Let's just leave it at that. Fortunately the android's question offers a convenient segue away from that topic. How did he forget? It's simple, really. ]

We went to school together. ...She had a name and fought next to us, just like everyone else.

[ There's a question in Minato's eyes now. ]

Do you have a name too?

[Good at fighting, hm. A2 stares down at the Dog as if assessing him for battle capability. Whatever she sees, she finds it sufficient.

She listens in silence to the Blue Kid, absentmindedly petting the Dog as she does. Though she doesn't know this android, she feels a jealous pang. To be allowed to fight beside humans, to be given a name. A name was a purpose outside of endless combat. It meant you were a person. Not a thing.

A2 keeps her eyes on the dog when she answers.]

A2. [A pause.] You're Minato. I looked up your data on the network.

[This breach of privacy is delivered casually. She cups Koromaru's face in her hands, her touch gentle.]

Not a lot for me to do. [She explains, after a moment.] And I don't sleep the way humans do.

[ Do Not get into a fistfight with Koro-chan, A2.

In any event, Koromaru wags his tail as A2 crouches down to pet him, sensing that he must have done something to earn her approval whatever it may be. The tail continues to wag even as A2 cups his face in her hands. He looks back at her, pink tongue flicking out to lick his nose.

Minato, on the other hand, merely observes A2. There's no reaction even as she admits to scraping the network for his information. ]

Oh.

[ Well, he's used to people keeping tabs on him, monitoring his every move. It's whatever.

"A2" however sounds more like... a serial number instead of an actual name. But all right, A2 it is. ]

Yeah. Aigis didn't sleep either. She had a rest mode though. ...I guess that's a little like sleeping.

[The Dog's cheeks are also soft. She'd been making headway with the wolves in the forest, but they had coarser fur than the Dog's, and still snapped if she took too many liberties. Slow progress. A2's mouth briefly twitches up into a half-smile when the Dog licks his nose.

What a ridiculous-looking creature. It was kind of funny.

Minato's lack of reaction is noted for the future. She looks up at him again, finally, releasing Koromaru from the gentle hold she'd had him in.] I go into maintenance mode. Might be similar.

[She stands, dusting dog hair off of herself (to little result), and looks again to the sheep.]

Hey. You can pet those, right?

Edited (typo) 2025-02-23 16:36 (UTC)

[ He'll trust the android to know better than him when it comes to android things. ]

Maybe.

[ A beat passes as Minato stands silent. Aigis -- what was she doing now? He can only hope that she's doing well after returning home. That's what seems to be the case whenever people disappeared from Aldrip.

A2's question provides a welcome distraction. ]

Yeah. They usually let people pet them.

[ The sheep are quite accustomed to being handled by others. They probably can't tell the difference between a human and an android.

Minato points at one of the sheep's fluffy coats, indicating where would be a good place to try stroking them. ]

[Although she'd been the one to ask, A2 approaches the sheep slowly. The Blue Kid seemed unconcerned and comfortable around the animals, but she always assumed the worst when it came to encountering new and unknown variables. Most of these experiences did not end well for her.

She reaches out. Her hand wavers in the air, flinches away for an instant. Then she pets the dense and fluffy coat of the animal. Her fingers sink into the... material? Fur? No. Wool. This was called wool. Humans bred these animals until they'd become this soft. Until their coats grew at a rate accelerated enough to be harvested and used for fabric. For clothing suitable to be used in cold weather. Humans dyed and altered the wool until it suited their preferences.

The sheep seems content in this existence, despite this gross manipulation. Its wool is soft and pliable. Without exerting pressure, her hand sinks further into it. Warmth. Would androids had been happy like this? Happy to provide warmth in exchange for safety and care? For acknowledgement? She doesn't know, but it had never been a choice for them, anyway.

She swallows visibly, even though her hand continues to gently stroke the animal.]

Do they have names?

[ Minato observes the interaction, wholly oblivious to the conflicted thoughts roiling in A2's mind. A2 continues to stroke the sheep though. That's enough for Minato to decide this interaction hasn't gone horribly sideways.

Koromaru trots over to sit next to Minato. He watches A2 stroke the sheep too, all while his tail wags contentedly. Much like Minato, he knows nothing of what runs through her head. Instead, he glances up at his human companion who nods in response to A2's question. ]

Yeah.

[ He points at the sheep with A2. ]

That one's Emi.

[ And then he points at another sheep, then another, and another. ]

Koko. Sora. Mai. Daiki. Shiro.

[ The list goes on. He knows the name of each sheep. ]

[Although A2 doesn't speak during this list of names for the sheep, she listens carefully, gaze following Minato as he points and names off each of the animals. Her expression softens. It makes her feel... odd to witness this consideration. Sad, she thinks. But... a little content too. Perhaps he doesn't know that he's made her feel better. He has, though. These names meant that these creatures, even in their service to humanity, were not mindless beasts to this boy. It's a better fate than what YoRHa had decided for its soldiers.]

Mm. [...] Did you name all of them? You're here a lot.

[She knows this from all of her tracking. Stalking. Whatever you wanted to call it.]

Not all of them.

[ There were some sheep who'd already been named. Minato points at a couple sheep grazing a little off to the side. ]

Those ones... They're Bob and Sally.

[ And there are a few others that have names which sound like they were given to the sheep by different people. Minato stops by the farm frequently enough to memorize all of their names, even the ones that he hadn't picked.

In any event, he seems to take the fact that A2's been following him in stride. It's a little nostalgic actually.

As for why he's here a lot -- ]

They should get to see the sky too.

[ Sheep needed to stretch their legs just like people! ]

[An interesting response. A2 stares at him in the wake of it, mystified.]

... Yeah. [She says at last.] They should.

[While Minato speaks of the sheep and names each one, A2 begins to register their individual personalities. This downy-furred one was stubborn, this older ewe was calm and liked to be scratched behind the ear like a dog or a wolf. A ram who was just growing in his horns butts her playfully. She understands again that a name was not merely a designation. That it infused one with purpose, that it had meaning.

But Rose had told her that, hadn't she?

...]

Hey. There are more animals, right? Show me the others.

[ More of them? Well, if A2 insists...

Minato's left ruminating, trying to decide which animals to introduce to A2. She seemed to enjoy petting the sheep. In that case --

He gestures for her to follow before glancing at the sheep one last time. After he shows A2 the next set of farm inhabitants it'll likely be time to bring them all inside. He nods to himself, resolute, before heading off towards the barn. Right outside it is a small group of cats. Some are curled up for an afternoon nap. Others busy themselves by grooming their paws and ears.

All of them glance over at Minato, Koromaru, and A2 upon hearing them approach before taking their turns meowing. Minato draws near and crouches by one, offering his hand. ]

Cats. They live here too.

[ They help with chasing away the mice, but they also just Live Here because they can. ]

[At the realization of which set of animals they're approaching, a soft and surprised noise escapes A2. She knew what these elusive creatures were. The ambush predators with hidden weapons.

Cats.

They were smaller than she'd thought they'd be.

She watches them with a steep and unnerving focus. The cats, being cats, soon lose interest in this human that didn't smell like a human. When one stretches, A2's sharp eyes catch the glint of pointed claws. Ah. So that was how it worked.

One cat winds around her ankles and she starts in nervous surprise. The cat, being a cat, pays her awkwardness no mind.]

... What is it doing.

[She's not sure what to do with this.]

[ Minato watches as one of the cats winds itself around A2's ankles. It's an orange tabby, one of the less skittish and friendlier cats that called the farmhouse their home. ]

That's Stripey.

[ He didn't name her, okay. She'd have a much better name otherwise. ]

I think she likes you.

[ Minato crouches slowly to be at a more level height with the cat. Down here, he can hear the little creature purr a little better. ]

Maybe she'll let you pet her like Koromaru.

Ah...

[The cat (Stripey... the patterns of its fur, A2 realizes shortly thereafter) meows insistently at her. Slowly, she kneels, arms wrapped around her knees. She frowns at the little creature, who bunts against her with another meow.

Cautiously, she holds out her hand for the cat to sniff her. The animal takes this as invitation to be petted, in a way that was more forward than Koromaru's polite tolerance. A2's gaze softens. She pets the cat with the same gentle caution as she had with the sheep. Because cats are nosy, though, more come to gather around this not-human smelling but human-looking person. It helps (?) that she's very warm.

Soon enough, she is surrounded, and seems unsure on how to proceed.]

They're — resting on me...?

[She can't move...!]

[ It seems the cats have discovered A2 is a walking space heater. This is immediately evident to Minato as the cats all begin to lean against her, swarming the android to cuddle up nearby.

A2 should be honored, Minato thinks to himself. The farmhouse cats don't grace every visitor with such an enthusiastic welcome. The sight of A2 exasperated by the fluffy gathering leaves a smile on his face, a quiet breath from his lips about as close to a laugh as one might see out of him. ]

You're trapped now. Forever.

[ It seems the cats don't make any distinctions between human and android. Surely they could tell the difference with their senses of smell? And given the bonus heat, perhaps they might even prefer the company of an android over a person. ]

...you can come here whenever you like. It's open to everyone.

[ He's getting the sense she might like to see the cats again in the future. ]

[A2 scowls, making a displeased noise at the revelation that she is indeed trapped forever. But she doesn't move, either. The little creatures are content to curl up on her and around her, and they're... kind of cute. She's never had this many animals so close — the wolves were a much harder sell than this.]

They're all so pushy. [She grumbles, but she absently pets the cat in her lap anyway.

The invitation makes her expression close off, growing thoughtful.]

Oh yeah?

[...]

Maybe I'll stop by here and there. When I have the time.

[A cat bats at her hair and she pulls it out of reach with an offended look.]

[ "They're all so pushy," says A2, who hasn't yet learned this is merely average cat behavior. Little does she know, the farmhouse cats can be a finnicky bunch. It's always a toss-up on whether or not they'll immediately warm up to a complete stranger, someone who'd never fed them before.

Perhaps someday "here and there" might become every week or so, then every day or so. ]

This farmhouse... it used to belong to another Chosen.

[ Minato rises to his feet and looks towards the building that a man named Astralin had once called his home. While he hadn't been there at the time, Minato still recalls being new and uncertain about his whereabouts, but nevertheless ushered in from the winter cold by Kotone. This place -- perhaps it was always meant to be a spot for those who truly felt they had nowhere else to go. ]

I don't think he'd mind you staying here sometimes.

[ To help feed the cats, of course. ]

[As the cats use her as a jungle gym, A2 looks up at Minato, her brow crinkled. It's not the first time she's been invited to stay somewhere here, and yet it's still such an alien thing to hear.

She sighs, then stretches out, absentmindedly stroking a fat gray tomcat. Some of the cats have wandered off, but a few curl up nearby, seeking her warmth. A2 watches this and her expression clouds.]

Maybe. [...] But I shouldn't stay. [A wry smile.] I'm bad luck. Wouldn't want to bring it here. But I'll stick around today, for a little while.

[ That's good enough. "Shouldn't stay" doesn't necessarily mean A2 is walking back her idea of stopping by from time to time.

Sticking around for today is more than enough. It seems the cats approve of that decision as well considering how a few of them curl up nearby and start drifting off, lulled to sleep by her warmth. ]

I don't really mind.

[ Minato crouches near one of the cats. He holds his hand out in an invitation. The little one gets up to rub its face against his fingers, its whiskers tickling against his skin. ]

I think my luck's been pretty bad too.

[ In fact, one might even argue that his entire life had been a string of bad luck: between Moonlight Bridge, the way he'd been passed from relative to relative, recruited into a group that struggled to avert the destruction of their world.

But he shakes his head, dismissing all of that as mere facts of life. ]

...it's held up okay here though. So maybe yours will too.

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[open] and all watched over

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