caughtinanetwork | 1 ♐ Voice ♐ A brief check up

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1 ♐ Voice ♐ A brief check up

[Wow, Darkleer is actually communicating with the network on a whole for once instead of being a miserable hermit. Must be a special occasion. Does anyone know his wiggling day?]

Now then. Have we all cleansed ourselves of the mess and done whatever strange death rituals foreign species feel the need to do?

[Okay, maybe it is just Darkleer being a coldhearted dick. Eh.]

I believe we should focus on the more important matter here. I have seen discussions scattered throughout the network, but it would be best to have all our thoughts and speculations focused in one place on both the destruction of those so-called faeries and on the recent appearance of that Carol individual.

For those of you who are oblivious and prone to missing the obvious, things are changing in this place. It would be best to be prepared.

[Don't be fooled, he's not doing this to be nice. He's doing what any troll knows to do: looking out for himself and the few he cares about. If that means even faintly working with others, well, he'll learn to deal.]

[Also, that's all the network is getting from him. Click goes the camera!]

[Filtered to Summoner]

[Darkleer hesitates before sending this one out, although his voice is just as stoic and stern as ever.]

Since your children in particular seem to be taking this badly, perhaps it would benefit you to know that those things which followed us were nothing more than mere robots. The technology may have been organic in nature, but it was still nothing truly living. No pain, no loss of life.

That's all.

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Certainly, though we have a long way to go and many gaps to fill in before we get close to completion.

[Consider it sent!]

Of course, my Lady.

[Consider it sent, hurhur.]

There have been many such instances. The most notable would be when the resident Mathhew broke into the church, which I see you already know about.

[...]

I do recall when many new 'locals' appeared, and these locals were clearly war casualties. Wrapped in bandages, bearing obvious injuries.

Ohh Gamzee showed that to me! It was pawesome! I taught it how to purr and then we went fur a ride on its back!!

Is that something you and the Summoner could organize? You two have the most military experience and would probably be the best equipped for such a task.

[He considers that for a moment, thoughtfully.]

She's not in the city. I've searched the place top to bottom. But I can't say she's out of the bubble. This place has a habit of suddenly springing new places on us.

[Even with those wings settled and Summoner on his feet, Darkleer doesn't let go of his wrist. It's more a precaution than anything else. After all, the other has already proven he's more than eager to try and make a run for it, or lie through his teeth about himself. All he has to do is bring the fool back to his camp, clean him up, force him to sleep if he has to...]

[And completely ignore the emotional implications of all of this. For his own sake, if nothing else.]

[Quietly, he begins to pull Summoner along towards the direction of his camp. After a few minutes, he speaks.]

I don't know what anyone is going to do with you, Cavalreaper.

[Let alone myself.]

Yes, yes. We're all stuck in this together, regardless. I know how it is.

The first indeed. We all arrived together, the first batch of us. There were maybe...fifty at the most?

Yeah, something like that. Some lasted months. Some didn't even last a week. I suppose the scientists didn't really need them. I can't say why I'm still here.

[...]

The priestess greeted us each personally when we all arrived in the plaza. She gave each of us a towel, welcomed and thanked us, told us that we were here by the 'grace of the great Lamufao'. Told us to make ourselves at home. And moved on to the next foreigner.

It was tough at first. There wasn't anyone to explain where we were or why; we had to figure it all out ourselves. Find a place to stay. Find out what was going on. It was pretty chaotic those first few weeks.

Are you- you. Are you really saying that to me? Or is that more to y-y-yourself?

[He eyes the hand on his wrist intently as they walk, his nostrils flared, actions stilted and rigid.]

[Seeing that is calms the other, Darkleer doesn't stop the movements. He just waits, patiently, certain that the Helmsman is thinking carefully and not purposefully wasting his time. It isn't something that he would do. ]

[There's a pause in the conversation, and Darkleer just keeps moving. It's only when the camp is in sight does he answer.]

I don't know.

[And that is the honest truth.]

[He ushers him to sit down at one of the benches so that he can get a better look at his face and utterly wretched physical condition.]

I... am beginning to believe thythtem errorth are occurring more frequently.

[ Because, ultimately, there are so many things wrong with him, and he's not sure which issues would be of Darkleer's interest. It's a scary thought, that even if he does exist that his systems are constantly degrading. There are too many variables, too many changes, and helmsmen weren't designed for it. ]

[He feels ...so young right now. Just the way Darkleer is treating him, inspecting him, like he's one of the kids here. It frustrating. Part of him is starting to relax a little though. Was this pity something like what the other felt for those younger trolls? Something lusus like instead of anything else? Thinking of it like that made this a bit easier to mentally deal with.]

W-w... What?

[His wings shrink behind him, back curling forward and torso crumpling into itself as well. He does his beck to glare but it's really too weak to portray his agitation.]

What do you think?

[Sighing, Darkleer sits back on his haunches.]

Have you been eating better than you've been sleeping? Or are they both just as abysmally bad?

[This whole exchange is starting to feel a bit more comfortable to Darkleer as well. Without the emotions in the way, the basics of this remind him of times he's had to deal with other Archeradicators who've had some of the same problems, or at least similar ones.]

How frequently, and which are the ones which bother you most?

[Not that Darkleer is surprised. It's true: biowiring is extremely pervasive. It digs into a troll and locks away everything that makes them a troll on the inside, mentally, emotionally. However... Without biowiring and without the systems of a ship to keep the Helmsman in check, of course things will change. The things Signless and his allies say will just ring further true, and no doubt this is horrifying for someone programmed like the Helmsman is.]

[Shrug.]

[Keep acting like a kid.]

[Make this weird, and not a, I kind of acknowledge the fact that I romantically pity this person by accident and don't want to act on it, kind of weird, but a, this is like, my lusus, and I wouldn't do my lusus weird.]

I have unauthorized thoughts, more each day.

[ It's said quickly, an abrupt confession. ]

I... told him- [ There's no question who 'him' would be. ] -that thometimeth I do not want to therve. I do not know why.

Hmm... Maybe some exploring is in order.

[This is going to require a delicate touch, and Darkleer does his best to think on it in the limited time he has. He knows that the Helmsman needs answers, something to stabilize him, as soon as possible. Waiting will only cause more damage.]

How many sweeps have you been in commission, Helmsman?

I do not know... memory degradeth after theveral hundred thweepth.

[ His brows knit in a vague sort of frustration at the unsatisfactory answer, and after a moment he looks up at the much larger man. Darkleer had to have the answers he needed, and there is a small desperate hope within the Helmsman that he'll share them with him. ]

Yeah; according to the documents Matthew found in the church there's some kind of war going on on the surface. I can't think of any other reason we would be pulled here if the world's in that state other than for some connection to that. Military research, maybe.

...Really.

[Darkleer reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose.]

This is really how we are going to do this. The silent treatment.

[He grabs the edge of the bench on either side of him, teetering back a back and closing his eyes.]

[Yep, really.]

Than that explains it, or at least some part of it.

Like any machine, you can still be overworked. Most Helmsman aren't under commission for as long as you have been. They expire before they have a chance to. But you have been surpassing them, so you're a unique case. You have no doubt needed time to.. shut down from your duties. I doubt you've been given such chances, considering the needs of our Condesce. [A hasty addendum-] Not that anything is her fault, because her needs surpass our own, of course.

That only explains a part of it, however. [Carefully, another finger joins the movements of the first in the gentle stroking.] Does that sound about right?

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1 ♐ Voice ♐ A brief check up

voice; I am typing all this up but for now, assume 8'D

video; I am typing all this up but assume for now xD

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voice, filtered he'll find a healer to fix you

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