The Ninth Trial

[advisories]

Who: everyone
When: Day 18, starting just after dawn
Where: The Hermit's Tent, and all around

[This morning as the sun begins to pour through the train's windows, there's the tremor that signals a Trial.]

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth. Or something like that!

[It's the same older man's voice from the sixth trial, and outside is the same fortune teller's stall. Today the front flap is lifted to show a normal interior -- there's a wooden table, carved with geometric patterns and painted in bright colours, lit by teal-coloured carved candles.

At the table sits a man of indeterminate age, somewhere between 30 and 60. He's wearing what appear to be monk's robes, teal with patterned trimming. In front of him is a crystal ball and a stack of bingo cards, along with a stand-up sign bearing the rules of this Trial.

Across the top in large font, it says:

Icebreaker Bingo

Good luck and have fun!]

Comments

[voreaciously]

[Yeah, she does, but that is some level 10 social link shit, bruh.

At the same, actually, she does not. Why did she get to keep these...?]

I am, ultimately, uncertain. [The best lies have truth to them.]

Androids are made in human likeness, and also approximate and emulate human experiences where possible to their best available understanding. I did say most are not able to, but it would not surprise me if some have modified themselves or were made that way to satisfy their curiosity or that drive to understand humanity. The ones with time, anyway.

[bad_crowmance]

[ If he'd known that was level 10 social link level, he wouldn't have bothered to ask. Obviously. He accepts her lie, though. It would make sense that she wouldn't know. ]

Ah well. It works out in my favour either way!

[ The reason really isn't that important, he was just curious. ]

Anyway, that would make it my turn to give up a secret. [ Which isn't his favourite thing to do, but you know.

He's quiet for a moment. ]

There's someone here from the same place I am. [ There's three people, but that's not the point. ] The difference is... they know more about my past than I do, and it pisses me off.

[voreaciously]

It certainly does.

[Hers as well. God, she'd have to be a combat junkie if she couldn't have sex.

Which is the point.

Which she kind of is.

But listen, okay, there is not much to fight out here that is worth her time, so whatever. And Crow is fantastic, so it is just as well. But she waits a moment, digests that. She's never seen him angry and he's never admitted to it.]

That would be pretty galling. Do you know if they mean you harm?

[bad_crowmance]

[ That would be because she's the first person he's admitted feeling anger at all to. ]

Nah, I'm pretty sure they're not out to get me. [ Like.... 85% sure. ] They ended up rubbing me the wrong way about the whole thing though, like they know everything about me but can't possibly tell... me about it. And it's not like I wouldn't prefer to figure it out on my own, but the attitude is what's annoying.

[voreaciously]

If they care about you--[Because having someone not out to get you and having an active, positive interest are two different things.

Usually.]--then there is that, at least. It may not feel like a boon, but it is. And if they do, perhaps they can be convinced to stop. I do not know this person at all, but manoeuvring around it may be awkward for them if they are not used to dealing with amnesiacs, regularly.

[That last bit is not as wry as rhetorical as it should be; this is old hat for her, by now.]

After all, it is a little difficult to pretend or act otherwise when they know that you know that they know about your life. It still is not what I would call very amusing, though.

[bad_crowmance]

I don't know that I'd go as far as "caring." I get the impression they think I'm a pain. Heh! Well, there's no accounting for taste.

[ After all, Crow is pretty awesome. ]

Still, they're kinda fun to talk to sometimes despite the attitude problem.

[voreaciously]

That is because you like to ruffle people or do not care if your attitude does.

[like, don't even front. But it's not a condemnation by any means.]

But it is telling if they engage or initiate with you. People tend to ignore or avoid true pains, if they can. If there is nothing to gain by doing so aside from the satisfaction of a particularly masochistic streak.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow grins at that. ]

I wouldn't discount the masochistic streak.

[ Like. Have you MET Jusis???

Not that she knows that's who Crow means. Just because he's talking about a secret doesn't mean he has to give everything away. ]

[voreaciously]

[if she knew it was jusis that would explain a lot, yeah.

She tuts lightly, lifting a hand to wave it dismissively.]

That is their own problem, then. They will learn or they will not.

[She says lightly and casually.

She is not going to pry, anyway. It's not her business, she is okay with discussing within the boundaries that he has set.]

They are not taunting you with the knowledge, are they?

[bad_crowmance]

Nah, they're not actively malicious. Just...

[ He gestures around vaguely. ]

Rude! I think you're right about them being awkward and not knowing how to handle shit.

[voreaciously]

Perhaps. Especially since you yourself said you would rather discover your own memories than being told, yes? It may rationally follow that they know you well enough to give you that space but struggle to deal with everything otherwise. I can only make conjecture.

[bad_crowmance]

You know.... that'd make sense, now that you mention it.

[voreaciously]

Mmm.

[She lets him mull it over.]

Your past and memories are yours, but you no longer have them, that would upset any number of people. If I may be so bold... [And while her tone is even is very clearly tentative, she is not sure where the line is right now.] it may not be them you are truly angry with, but the circumstances surrounding it.

It is all quite a mess. All anyone can do is pick up the pieces and put them into some semblance of order as they come.

[bad_crowmance]

[ He's quiet for a moment, considering that. The thing is.... she's not wrong, and deep down, he's known that the whole time. It's easier to be annoyed at Jusis because what he really doesn't want to admit is... he's mad at himself. For some reason, he couldn't keep a hold of his memories when Jusis could, and it makes him feel like he's failed somehow. Like he's weaker because of it.

And that's an incredibly frustrating feeling. ]

Heh. Anyone ever tell you that you make way too much sense sometimes?

[ That's the closest he's going to get to admitting she might be right. ]

[voreaciously]

[She takes a moment for herself because yes, actually, someone has conveyed that sentiment to her on more than one occasion and it hurts to think about.

The hair isn't right at all and they have little in common but, but both are proud, driven, competitive, isn't that what matters? And the eyes, the eyes are just fine and--

So she will not. She will focus on Crow. Her tone is light, playful if you squint.]

Hmm, more or less. I might as well use this processing power for something.

[She does not look at him as he resolves this truth for himself. She would hazard that this went deeper than he meant for it to, so she will give him as much privacy as she can, given the circumstances.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ It went far, far deeper than he'd meant it to. And he appreciates that she isn't pressing it, that she's giving him his space with it. It's a lot easier to play off as nothing serious if it isn't treated that way. And they've got a nice thing going, he'd really hate to break things off because things got too serious between them. ]

Hot and smart. You're a pretty decent package yourself, huh?

[ He winks at her. ]

[voreaciously]

You are not an idiot, you likely would have figured it out, in time.

[Like, but maybe not absolutely. She does not know him well enough for that must consider the time she has spent around academic geniuses, cunning individuals, prodigies, or otherwise reasonable people who were dumb as rocks emotionally.






There is an elephant the size of a continent in this inner room, but we won't talk about it.]

Thank you. [Becuase she needs to be better at accepting compliments.


Foolish Breeze, can't even be here herself to yell at her--]

Not half as much as you, however.

[bad_crowmance]

Heh! Well, I can't deny that.

[ He probably should deny that, but modesty really is lost on him. ]

Though I imagine an android brain's gonna beat out a human one, no matter how smart, simply from computing power.

[voreaciously]

A very likely, very reasonable assumption, but one I would not apply as an absolute to in all cases; everyone present comes from different worlds and circumstances.

Interestingly, humans are very common across them, but "humanity" may have different particulars, qualities and limitations as it pertains to them. It would not surprise me to encounter, perhaps, a human who could rival me.

[it would bug the SHIT OUT OF HER THO PROBABLY FUCKING HELL but we won't mention that.]

That aside, androids are like people. [No, she frowns, amends.] Most androids are people. They are simply built into being with predetermined functions. Even if she might have ample processing power, if it does not serve her function to, an android may, perhaps, not best a human at a task. It entirely depends.

[bad_crowmance]

[ He considers that for a moment before nodding. ]

That makes sense, too. Having the power means nothing if you don't know how to use it, after all.

[voreaciously]

Exactly. Or it may be lacking entirely if it was not deferred. It is a matter of pragmatism, prioritisation, and efficiency. It does not make sense for a combat model to know...the history of cheese, for example.

[Listen. She hasn't eaten and it was the first thing that came to mind.]

It may not even make sense for a combat model to be particularly intelligent beyond what is sensible for battle, even if she has the means to facilitate it. Why bother? When she can be faster, stronger, more agile.

The pods I mentioned earlier may know, incidentally. That is also their purpose. They possess and provide information as necessary to streamline functionality so fewer resources are consumed by the android and they can focus on their tasks. They think, so many do not have to as much, essentially.

[A beat.]

I still think very fast, however.

[bad_crowmance]

I've noticed that.

[ A smile plays on his lips. He's still not sure what she would've been built for.... and he still hasn't ruled out SexBot, but why would a SexBot be as smart as she does? Especially with the kind of limitations she's talking about.

Nah, it wouldn't make sense. ]

Well, good luck with getting your pods back anyway.

[voreaciously]

Thank you.

[She really needs them back, they were not originally hers to begin with. It feels like she is letting 9S and 2B down, then again, perhaps they are back with them.]

I can only have so many weapons on my person at a time, it is terribly annoying.

[she looks at him, or rather, at his side where he just cAN PULL HIS GUNS OUT OF NOTHING. What EVEN IS THAT.]

So unfair. [She says mostly to herself.]

Ah, yes, I do not mind it, but if you wished for me to tidy you up and keep you so for a time, I can do that.

[bad_crowmance]

[ He gives her a thumbs-up. ]

Actually yeah, if you don't mind?

[ Certain jackals don't need to be able to smell anything anyway--- ]

[voreaciously]

I do not. You will be able to breathe.

[She looks in his direction and raises a hand and water surrounds him, churning gently, for a few moments before it lifts away entirely, like he was never wet, and any mess and sediment is gone.

There is something else.]

The sand will not stick to you. Even if you decide to roll around in it.