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Post by Vlad on Nov 11, 2023 21:27:09 GMT -5
Vlad was drifting in a supposedly haunted bog that sprung up, and 30 people vanished saying a dangerous fiend lived there and broke out of its containment recently, some said it was unleashed by a bunch of anti synth sorts who played target practice with old clay statues it happened to be in and killed them and a few drifters. Vlad found his normal optics were glitching due to unnatural darkness, he was then taunted by the shadows how he would be the next to fall, and his parts shaved off to be new equipment, he was taunted, called a soulless thing, things he heard before delivered better, really all the talking was doing was giving its position away even more than temp scans that lit the fiend up like a holiday house. Before the fiend could process what happened, a hard light claw bisected it upwards through the torso. He then burnt the body, as he sensed the demonic energy presence return to its place in other world. It was pulled seemingly unwilling from the material world, looks like whatever fiend was that one's superior leaped at the chance to get its pawn back.
Vlad then popped down a micro shelter with a charging and diagnostic chair “Well that was a good use of a moment taking care of a local problem.” he allowed his mind to drift of in the diagnostic chair and awoke in the mental realm in… his bar, unfortunately he had only really mastered Sake and the general enrichment of drinks others brought in service, still he enjoyed the setting he had going for him, soft neon filled the room in cyan and green colors easy listening synth-wave pumped through speakers, and Vlad circled a large serving cup of 30 oz with a wet cloth with cleaning solution soaked in the cloth.
The vibe of the glowing tech bar was one of an optimistic future standing against the dark, but the dark zone did offer beds for both biological and robotic entities to rest in, his eye drifted over to the door thinking would the person materialize just at the door or would they opt to for comfortable immersive dream walk in through the door, tripping the pleasant chime that would trigger a soft synthesized voice from the door to greet them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2023 10:48:54 GMT -5
| a stiff drink Ember Word Count: 334/334 |
Ember had had a particularly rough day while training on Yaidrat. She had truly been put through her paces, having to spar with other trainees on the planet, ones who were much more experienced than her with Instant Transmission. The Yaidratians had insisted that she learn not only how to use Instant Transmission, but learn how to fight with it. The result? She ended up falling on her behind more often than not and losing nearly every spar she partook in.
Now, bruised and covered in dirt, she headed back to the small tent where the Elders had set her lodgings up, and walked in, stumbling to the bed and collapsing face first on the bed. The only problem was that she collided directly with a small, purple stone, nearly creating a new bruise on her collarbone in the process.
Ember picked up the stone, and an idea blossomed in her mind - she had seen Raven go to the Astral Realm more times than not and grab a drink - after the day she had, she deserved some kind of reward. The red-headed Fae flipped over on her back and placed the stone to her head.
The scene around her shifted, and suddenly she was standing at the entrance to a neon, futuristic bar, and a small smile crossed her face as she pushed open the door, her eyes meeting with someone sitting at the bar. She crossed the room, sat down beside the newfound stranger, and smiled at him, before looking at the bartender.
"Hi, can I please have a mixed drink? Preferably something strong, that doesn't taste like alcohol?"
The bartender obliged, and within seconds, she had a pale pink drink in front of her, garnished with a strange fruit. After taking a few sips, satisfied with the taste, she turned to the stranger, and stuck out her hand.
"I'm Ember. What brings you to the Astral Realm? Are you just looking to relax after a long day, or...?" |
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Post by Vlad on Nov 12, 2023 21:55:27 GMT -5
Vlad’s form had been replaced and renewed so often, it was enough for one that was not as at peace with replacing parts of them would likely be worried about the age old ship of Theseus paradox. The current go to form with his blend of attire CC armored morph suit and jacket with double weaved mytril provided him look of a young man but one that had… more than a few indicators that ‘man’ was operating on the liberal dependent use of one that identified as such and the observation that the mechanical humanoid was as sapient as one. * His eyes electronic but clouded with higher cognition the fog of a mind that could feel and imagine as well, a mind a trained empath that could look past the technicality of being mechanical and see into the eyes of a veteran that has had quite the long fight that was still going on, but a kind gaze in spite of it, a traveled entity that seen horrors many but still held on to hope with both hands that better could come from the future. “Relaxing ,meeting new interesting entities.” he said, his vocals giving away a vocoded harmonic tone to it, not heavy on the alterations but enough to tell the voice was generated by very dry systems of the electronic sort, not the cords in a biological being’s throat. He opted to drink a tall glass of liquid helium and nostrils steamed a bit with the hyper cool substance, “Sorry” he shook with the hand that did not just handle a glass of sub zero fluid. His ‘skin’ was rather chilled. In this relaxed state, it would be around 75 F temp “What about you? Do you have anything you may wish to do, I am a paladin, the name is Vlad, a captain of philanthropic aid force of the secular wing, I took an oath to aid entities whenever in need and have been doing my best to honor that commitment, even if it's just sit down with them and hear out their troubles or play with them.” 352 * A visual around what he looks like, but aged to look early adult  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2023 22:44:46 GMT -5
| a stiff drink Ember Word Count: 217/551/1,290 |
The cool metal of the male's... skin(?) contrasted heavily with Ember's bruised and flushed palm as they shook hands, but she decided to ignore the feeling, instead picking up her drink and taking a long, slow sip out of it while he spoke. Interestingly enough, he introduced himself as Vlad - someone who was a Captain, and a Paladin.
The half-Fae didn't know much about the Paladins, but she had encountered quite a few during her time on Earth, as well as traveling throughout the galaxy. She knew that some possessed powers of healing, but that was about the extent of her knowledge of the organization. Still, she was pleasantly surprised to find a paladin relaxing in a bar and taking a rest here, of all places.
"Interesting. I'm just here for a drink, at the moment. I had a particularly rough time training on Yaidrat today, and I just need a moment to unwind."
She felt as if she needed to go into further detail, so took another long sip of her drink and smiled.
"I'm learning Instant Transmission on Yaidrat. I think it'll prove useful once I have it down pat, but I'm still struggling. They're working me like a slave over there - but... hard work reaps rewards, does it not?" |
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Post by Vlad on Dec 3, 2023 0:45:43 GMT -5
Cool silicon over metal offered a deceptively soft cradling of a hand as he closed it on hers for a shake.
He offered a soft grin, the life like mask over his mechanical frame had a softness to it, but to gaze into the synthetics eyes would see the softness was mostly genuine but also hid something as a captain of an organization that found itself in conflicts as well as philanthropy so much killing, so much dying, so much pain for some times trivial disputes. Sapient social beings supposedly with consciences doing things no entity with conscience should be able to do to another. An earnest kindness but one that was also a function like an emotional equivalent of a turtle shell, something to curl up in to shelter storms of emotion.
A dividing line if such exist between mortal and machine, if such was in existence more than just organic conceit to differentiate itself from creatures of computation and silicon, Vlad existed on a border that let allot of life form troubles into his machine mind.
A vet that had been around for quite the while and seen hell, for he knew no better classification for war, and he seen more than a few counting the great skirmishes with the orcs, after all what was war if not a collection of skirmishes stretched on an intolerable duration?
He seemed to relax a bit resting his hands on the table before them.
He nodded understandingly to her expression unwinding. “Yes, the mind needs breaks to regulate pressure, otherwise it can at least lead to advance and prolong detachment and exhaustion and at worst completely warp the core of who we are with untreated stress.”
He relaxed back a bit “Even machines need cool downs.” he said chuckling a bit. Perhaps overplaying a sense of calming a bit but only a moment’s light chuckle.
He nodded, “That immediate relocation capability, saved my plated posterior plenty of times, that's the truth, and it is quite the convenience when you need to be somewhere in a hurry.”
He turned to her softly, “What do you do to optimize your unwinding? Do you have preferred activities you engage in beyond seating and satiation?” he asked in a manner of curiosity because the galaxy was full of so many ways to cool down and revitalize one self.
Of course entities such as Vlad had libraries of activities to occupy their minds with, but some times the simple pleasures organics find also have their empathetic harmonies with the advanced synthetics such as him, the ones whos very minds were modeled after them. Capacity to enjoy a good book, a compelling audio drama, relaxing or exhilarating music, all measures of things that stimulate the mind, and even the odd sorts that stimulate the senses. Granted, especially since the 2.0 combat upgrade, his sense of tactile responses have been significantly harder to elicit pleasant responses. Perhaps it could be what contributes to his leaning to more ‘this guy is a robot’ type transparent way of phrasing things at times when he can speak candid, the formal gravitation vs the pull many beings take to a very informal version of candid speech.
He looked at a ceiling fan overhead, how a wire seemed to be slowly going in it, seemed the mental space could generate imperfections. The fluctuation of energy the fan was suffering from as its fuses alternated activity nearing their functional limits and his eyes gauging the wire's activity in flux.
“hmm a world of metaphor and dreams, seems our states of emotions influence this space, odd how the mind can tune out surroundings when it wants to and yet paint minute details when it wills.”
He once more took a drink with, to the function, conservative motion of the arm to his mouth and back down, fluidity in style of execution yet deterministic in function of his motion.
He offered a slight smile as he looked to the wall ahead yet head turned to quickly glance to her should she speak or react.
It occurred to him, he did not address her inquiry. "Oh, the value of learning and developing as an adventurer and a person can not be understated, however sometimes it is better to swim with the current than against it especially if the path to the same result can be got with coordinating with others vs exhausting ones self for a path that could be etched with a modicum more guidance and a fraction of the elbow grease." he hoped that way of putting it was better than a more detached way of answering it would be, after all, organics narrative-style preference to such struggle was known to him. And he was momentarily embarrassed, her inquiry almost went entirely unaddressed.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2023 17:42:14 GMT -5
| a stiff drink Ember Word Count: 255/806 |
Ember contemplated Vlad's question for a few moments - "What do you do to unwind?" - sipping on her drink. She didn't truly know what was fun for her if she was being completely honest with herself. The half-Fae hadn't gotten much time to relax and unwind since she had first arrived on Earth, forced through a portal by one of Nesta's spies. The idea of fun was lost on her, but she contemplated his question for a few more moments, chewing on some loose skin on the bottom of her lip.
"To be quite honest, I'm not sure. I haven't found any hobbies yet. I think I should probably change that at some point, though."
She looked around at the inside of the bar, surveying the people who sat in various booths, barstools, and seats. Many of them were sipping on drinks, laughing, and enjoying their nights, and it made Ember wonder what regular beings did for fun. Did they too have to worry about getting home? What problems did they have to deal with? She stared for a moment and then turned her attention back to Vlad.
"So, are you using a telepathic gem right now to be here, or are you... actually here?"
She briefly thought about reaching out and touching him to make sure he was real, but realized he had already shaken her hand, and instead took another sip of her drink, offering a small smile to him.
"I think I mentioned I'm on Yaidrat, but where exactly are you right now?"
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Post by Vlad on Dec 14, 2023 3:35:58 GMT -5
Perhaps options of this world paralyzed her, perhaps her preferred idea of fun involved the use of force no longer accessible to her. He recalled his recon forces informing him of encountering her, a brief but enlightening moment to the entity. Magic surely existed, but it often lay in the hands of the likes of the demon containment paladins, a wing of scholars, the fallen, and the odd space pirate who had gone on to build an identity around incorporating magic to their ship and crew. As well as the odd tinkerer who found great tombs but a lot of them seem to build enchanted constructs selling golems, automatons, and animated armors to the highest bidder, more using sources of magic as an animation force than channeling it. Magic was likely nowhere near as grand unless you knew people who rarely made friends as much as some of the best ki warriors allot of magic sorts on this side were either hermits or not the best people to interact with and used their powers for wicked self gain, to be fair if the pen and paper worlds were right many spells seemed to be made for antagonistic forces, dominate person, memory alteration, simply inflicting pain flatly with a word. Not something many ethical beings did unless the entity getting it done to was highly unethical.
“No rush, plenty from planes that had more super natural elements find adjusting and branching out far from easy, heck, plenty that simply had their planets destroyed but escaped, they have a hard time getting their grounds back, memories tied to pleasure cruel hand have taken. “
Vlad looked at his hands, the human like machine again showing an aged soul in his eyes, the destructive wars he saw, the tyrants who plunged worlds into ash raining winter if they could not rule or the more common and in a macob way potentially kinder, simply blowing it up. Horror to end such a scale of beings, but at least the planet ending also usually meant the life was quickly ended and not left in squalid wrecks as the cruel and powerful got to enact their social Darwinist fantasies on the kind and timid.
He ordered another shot and downed It. A moment of bliss washing over his eyes as his systems integrated the shot of cold into him. A more pleasant, neutral glow settled on his eyes.
“A great planet of kind at their core, aquatic humanoids taught me to tap the mental plane at will. So long as your will is not to gain power to do harm, they should agree to train you.”
“I am on earth. A lot of anti ai among other activities are happening, and I call that planet home so... I do not wish to leave it in chaos, and many of those to who I am captain to call it home to, and one of the toughest part of the jobs is telling them it's time to say goodbye to their family and friends as we have jobs off world…”
The android’s mind flashed back to Earth 2 and the outside was consumed by a blinding light and rains of bits of planet as the mental constructs of people remained socializing oblivious to the devastation outside
“Especially when, in our line of work, it means more times than I would ever wish for the loved ones saying goodbye for the last time.”
The sound of his voice trailing off made it a hard sell that he did not earnestly feel what he was showing.
He detected her want to reach out to him and feel, and he leaned just slightly closer to indicate he did not mind if she still wished.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2023 17:45:13 GMT -5
| a stiff drink Ember Word Count: 454/1,260 |
Ember nodded in agreement - indeed, when she had first arrived on Earth through the portal that Oleander had tossed her into, things had been difficult to adjust to. Waking up in the middle of Satan City General Hospital with needles and IVs puncturing her skin made her feel as if she had woken up in a nightmare - but, the Saiyan that had originally brought her to the healers there had recognized her discomfort and taken her away from the strange place, opting to place her in a rejuvenation tank instead. This bar was strange and metallic, but she didn't feel any fear take hold like she had when she first arrived like she had on Earth. Things felt easier now that she was more acclimated.
"Yes, I've definitely been in the position where I've had to adjust to the world around me," she began, biting her lip. "I remember when I first saw a spaceship - I felt as if I had been thrown into the future, eyes as bright as a child. And getting my first vessel? Buying it? That was incredible..."
Ember still remembered purchasing the Capsule Corporation Ship that she had docked on Yaidrat - the person selling them had looked her up and down, raised an eyebrow, and asked if she was sure she could 'handle such a large ship'. Even though the redhead didn't believe at all that she could, she had lied and bluffed her way through the purchasing process, and ended up signing her name on the ownership papers, regardless of how little she knew how to fly a ship.
She watched as he downed a shot, and flashed him another smile and listened to him tell her the secrets of how he was here. It was surprising that he wasn't using a gem of telepathy, but rather tapping into the Astral Realm just because he felt like it. Her golden eyes sparkled at the idea of aquatic humanoids, and she nodded excitedly.
"You'll have to take me there one day - I would love to learn how to do it without using a Gem."
There was a slight sadness about him, even though he didn't seem to outwardly convey what he was feeling when he spoke of Earth, but she didn't pry. Instead, she reached out and placed her hand over his, hoping that it was comfort enough to the android.
"I'm still trying to get back to my home planet, so while I don't know about telling people bad news, I do understand what it's like to fight for a place you love," she said, hoping that her tone conveyed empathy. "Do you have any family? I, myself was adopted. My parents died when I was a babe." |
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Post by Vlad on Dec 22, 2023 21:00:46 GMT -5
The mechanical man could not help but give a slight chuckle with the ship tale “space voyages are quite the trip, the universe I come from did not yet move to the stars, it was headed there, but powers of the monetary forces deemed the venture too pricey to take on. I shared your captivation with ships, my first encounter. My first ship was Namekian and had an AI that I kept with me for some time, still on Avalon in his new body. I saw great adventure and… I got that and so much more, both good…and bad.”
A welcome distraction came with the idea of taking her to the telepathic world, he nodded “That could be fun, but do be careful, a lot of dangerous life call that place home especially in the forests, tho if my data on your origins my recon team that ran into you is correct that should not be too unfamiliar, but these predator creatures feed on the mind and come at a weak hour, aberrations, fiends, and all manner of apex predators that shield from even mental activity scans.” no doubt the native warriors would kindly give her more warnings of the monsters that called the crossings their home + hunting grounds.
He gave a soft grin, “meeting others on the mind at whim is fun, but you are still going to want to ensure your location is good to wake up in, and be careful day dreaming, found out the hard way a few times. But yeah not just that but see all kinds of potential outcomes/scenarios in the immediate future and distant, telekinesis too, quite a convenient capability with many applications , tho for me it came in the form of finding lost technology that mirrored those powers. My mental presence, however, needed merely time to learn how to project, and that planet is high in psionic energies and kind mentors.”
“Like many planets in the galaxy it's all kinds of risk/reward evaluations, many worlds for warriors of varying stripes, mysteries to unlock, and artifacts to find, and many worlds with beautiful vistas fit for bringing one dear to you on unforgettable dates and vacations, I have never been the type to venture into those settings beyond aiding others find courage to ask, I have the capacity for such emotions, just never found one.” he shrugged a bit still as traveled as he was most worlds had at least something worth venturing for, depending on what one looked for.
She seemed to be receptive to his emotions dripping in and out of somber reflection on that long road. He looked at the hand then back at her, giving a smile, appreciating the gesture.
“Thank you, as for my familial bonds, I could be in a similar boat to you in a manner of perspective, no biological ties, need to be biological for those” he offered a light chuckle “I believe family is what you make with the bonds you share, my longest bond is that of my…” he paused for a quick second, but she seemed quite cool with a pretty transparently emotive machine of a person, so he opted for how he felt over the technical creator. “My father, my mind’s maker and man who raised me in the -more so- informative stages of my life.” he said hopefully hinting that unlike organics his brain remains quite receptive even when it has reached ‘adult’ lacking the crystallizing neuron process that makes biological life grow in-elastic with age. “Allot of my paladin allies I have also come to regard as family, and my fellow synthetic consciousnesses I like to try to form bonds with...some times regretting that desire, got a brother figure that way who has well earned his iron mask.”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2023 23:31:44 GMT -5
| a stiff drink Ember Word Count: 650/1,910 |
As Vlad spoke of his universe trying to attempt to travel to the stars, her eyes brightened slightly. She could envision thousands of people like the android in front of her working on crafting a vessel that would take thousands, maybe millions of themselves to the stars for travel, and the idea of such camaraderie made her smile. She would have loved to fund the trip for a civilization, but as Vlad stated, it would have been much too expensive for a single person to fund. She wondered if there was any world in the galaxy that wasn’t caught in the clutches of capitalism, or if all of them relied on the economic system to survive and trade.
“A lot of dangerous life calls that place home, especially in the forests. Though if my data on your origins, my recon team that ran into you, is correct, that should not be too unfamiliar.”
Correct again, it seemed. She vaguely remembered meeting the paladins, and while they were interesting individuals, they frightened her with their sudden appearance. However, they gathered the correct data - she was indeed familiar with new creatures that she wouldn’t have intel on - the Ishulder, for instance, was a monster that Fae parents within the Summer Realm told their children as a way to prevent them from wandering to the Winter Realm. Ember decided that she would tell Vlad about this in hopes of enticing the android to possibly come with her to Neraides one day - maybe the pair could defeat the beast one day, after all, it was said to have a beautiful bounty on its head.
“That reminds me of a beast within my realm,” she replied, trying to recall as much as she could about the beast. “Back on my planet, there are tales of beasts like that. One such is called the Ishulder… imagine a hound from hell, one with giant orange and black spikes protruding from its back, and a tail that sports a stringer dripping with icy blue venom, as well as a mouth that drips with saliva… capable of giving terrible burns to anything it touches or bites.”
Just the thought of the beast made Ember’s skin crawl, and she lifted her drink, taking another sip of it. She never wanted to encounter such a being, and the idea of it made her sick with apprehension. She didn’t show this emotion, however - and simply continued to listen to Vlad as he spoke, replying when necessary.
“I’ve always made sure to meet others in the Astral Realm when I’m at home, safe. Usually I’ll have someone, like a close friend, watching over my body when I’m gone so that nothing bad happens. I’ve heard terrible tales, though, of people who have gone to the astral realm, believing they were safe, and dying there… souls lost forever, never to make their way back to their body.”
She shuddered, trying not to think about the fact that her body was currently alone on Yaidrat. She usually had her friend Beryl, a green-eyed, brown-skinned Fae watching over her, but since she was on the planet alone, she had to hope that no one would be daring enough to attack her.
“I have to admit that I would like to find new artifacts. I am very interested in what the universe’s ruins have to offer. Yaidrat has some interesting ones - the Ruins of Passing. Have you ever heard of them?”
She nodded her head and listened to him speak about his family, biting her lower lip as he talked.
“So, you’re an android, right?” She started, trying not to sound rude. She wanted to ask some questions about his history, but didn’t know if she sounded insensitive. “Is your father the one that created you? Were you once human, or are you completely made from metal?”
Her face flushed - she really hoped she wasn’t being discourteous. |
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Post by Vlad on Dec 26, 2023 20:14:54 GMT -5
When money was given a high priority it always seemed to cross wires for organics, prioritizing immediate profits over long term investment opportunity and expansion possibilities, guess if the powers of a world got a good thing going (for them in the now) why change?
Vlad smiled “Ah I mean even worlds that have some thinning of the barrier from some ether seem to have more dangerous wild life than the usual more mundane world’s apex predators that merely endured natural pressures….” he looked away a moment a thought occurring to him, wasn't in a super natural setting magic as natural an environmental pressure as any other biological eco systems pressures? “I mean non-mystic/enchanted natural forces, sorry if my choice of words weighed more on the mundane understanding of natural systems” he said slowly returning his gaze as he spoke, tone indicating a slight embarrassment at the oversight.
She went on describing a dangerous creature, “That sounds like quite the negative strain of wild life to have in the back yard, as I thought. No doubt you have many capable hunters in your world, but still I am sworn to aid worlds, and my own ethical core would not permit me to abstain from an offer to aid, if you would like to take down some dangers on your world, I will gladly join you, beats slamming down the same cult of anti synthetic sorts in power armor. Both help entities but one gets old when they break out of containment and get their old armor back to do it again. ”
The topic of lost souls in the mental realm, with entities such as the illithid and other mental aberrations occasionally intruding on the plane it was definitely a potential.” sadly some monstrous creatures do call this place home, but their infestation in a micro dimension is easy to filter the options when one knows the aberrant nature of what is tugging on the mental space, but sadly true lost as fed on or lost as mentally dominated. That can happen.
He softly let a hypnotic wave wash over her to try and fill her with a returning sense of comfort and peace.
“I have heard of the ruins of passing, they offer quite the power for well traveled adventurers, but as most things the greatest boons come with great perils as well. Heard the ruins have their share of bandits as well as greater threats in their depths. Opportunist too weak to take power will lay in ambush to siphon the powers”
He looked confused a moment at her expression, biting the lower lip. Was he talking too much? Was she attracted? Was she uncomfortable/ in pain? He would not pry, but his sub processor froze the image trying to identify the meaning to an expression that held a lot of meaning, or a lack of meaning as some people did not do stationary well.
And few could compete with an android on comfort being in one place for a long time.
“Hmm I am entirely mechanical, tho my design was inspired by more than a decade of Jack Craft’s individual study and recreation of the human mind and his study of centuries of mechanical works and analogue machines.” He looked a bit saddened “he also gave me a fabricated human past to make the human traits feel more fluid and natural to me, but the human of my memories was a fabrication my father was going to inform me of, but never got the chance in my universe, and by the time I saw him in this realm, he and I both known I figured out the human data was a created one, he was infertile and never had a wife/significant other, tho the memory suggested a mother that was lost.”
“I would be glad to answer any more questions, be they on my past or my nature, how I operate as a sapient emotional machine. Or if you have another question, whose nature does not fit into those.” he offered a soft smile
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