You Take The Highroad, and I'll Take the Lowroad

[ceasetoexist]

[A few options for you today with what Pokey’s up to, Mayfield.]

Option One: Pissing Around in his Yard
[You’ll find Pokey out on his yard at 502 Ricardo Street measuring parts of the lawn. He seems to mainly be focusing on measuring it in squares, occasionally putting tape down in the same squares he’s measured. God knows exactly what the kid thinks he’s doing at the moment.]

Option Two: Check Out His New Knife
[Having saved up enough allowance from his “parents”, Pokey has managed to buy one of those little boy scout pocketknives. He had wanted to get something bigger for self-defense, but hey, he guesses this’ll do. You can find him either ideally playing with it as he walks down the street, occasionally tossing it and catching it and all the crap little boys are want to think is “cool” about having a knife. Optionally, you can find him at the park trying to whittle a piece of wood he found.]

Option Three: On The Phone
[You can hear what sounds like the kid messing around with metallic parts as he talks into the speaker.]

So, I’ve been here for like, two months, and I’m as bored as ever. I’m curious, if you people could bring back one thing, or person, or even small place from home, what’d you bring back here?

[A small pause.]

Me? I’d bring back my little brother.

[Harpuia, since you live with the kid, feel free to notice that there’s a bunch of metallic shit on the table, and he seems to be attempting to assemble it into something.]

Comments

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He figured you were from the future, so that isn't a surprise. Especially since he's been fucking around time space for about 400 years himself by this point.]

Yeah, guess there'd be some shock. You kinda get used to it.

This? It's called a sentry. It's a defense robot meant to gun down intruders.

[And he just says that like it's the simplest thing in the world. It doesn't seem off to him at all.]</small.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Say whaaat? This, coming from a 12-year-old child?]

...Human intruders?

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Human, alien, robot, whatever.

If it comes here and its hostile, it's dead.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[See that? That's Harpy's Do Not Approve face. He can't really stop Pokey, considering human acts of violence aren't in his job description, but the idea of dead humans on the lawn is not a very appealing one.]

Is lethal force really necessary?

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He shrugs and frowns.]

I guess I could make it to be non-lethal, but why I'd want to play nice with people who want to slit my throat is beyond me.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

Are you really in that much danger?

[That's geniune shock, there. Still operating under the assumption that Pokey's more-or-less a normal little boy -- and why would anyone want to hurt an innocent kid, right?]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey just shrugs. Not exactly reassuring. What's with this guy? Why does he even care.]

Dunno. But I do know that docile animals become prey, and get picked off by predators. I'm not exactly planning on being prey.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Ohh. This is some sort of coping mechanism...?]

...You're not wrong for wanting to protect yourself. Even so, lives shouldn't be treated so haphazardly.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pretty much, yeah No, of course not. Pokey needs no coping mechanisms.]

Then if they care that much about their own lives, they shouldn't intrude on mine.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Harpuia sees what's going on here. HE TOTALLY SEES. He's still just as pokerfaced as ever, but his tone is maybe juuuust a smidge softer. Maybe. Kinda.]

Pokey... my reason for existing is to protect humans. I am no longer a soldier of Neo Arcadia, but I have no intention from straying from that path. My resources may be limited for the time being, but if you believe you are in danger, then I give my word to do everything in my power to shield you.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He just pauses for a moment, giving his best poker face in return.]

That's stupid. You should focus on protecting yourself first.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

That has never been my priority, nor will it ever be. There are things that are far more valuable than a reploid's life.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Humans aren't one of them.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Firmly:] They are.

The humans that Master X loved, and the paradise they yearned for so desperately... it was for them that I lived. Everything that I believed in was for the sake of their future. Think whatever you like about your kind, but don't expect me to change my mind.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Just glancing at you still for a moment.]

You know something? I actually pity you. I wouldn't know what it's like to be so will-less.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Harpuia immediately stiffens. Aw. Hell. Naw. You didn't just.]

I am not a common mechaniloid. My beliefs are my own.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[And the little jerk is starting to get into a fever pitch. How DARE this thing deny he's probably correct.]

You still rely on programming. And claiming you have free will seems pointless when you seem to be doing what you're saying you're doing because it's what you were made to do. So don't tell me that-

[And then he stops, gagging a little as he covers his mouth and goes into a coughing fit. It's painful and wet sounding, and he puts a hand on the table to steady himself.]

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Whoa. That... is not the kind of noise you want coming out of a human. Okay, righteous indignation can wait.]

...You're unwell.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He just glowers as his coughing starts to patter of, and he wipes his lips once it finally finishes. There's a very bare, slight smudge of red near the tip of his lips, though...]

I'm fine. It's nothing, and nothing that can be fixed anyway.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

[Okay. On the one hand, that is not really something that you can just ignore. On the other, this is pretty much the most primitive place on the planet, as far as Harpuia's concerned. Harpy is hardly an expert on human health, so it's not like he can really offer much help himself, and he's pretty much convinced that a Mayfield doctor would just drill holes in Pokey's skull to let the demons out or something.

So maybe the best course of action is to just... keep an eye on the kid. Make sure whatever's the matter doesn't take a turn for the worse.]

You're sure that you're okay?

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He nods a bit.]

I'm fine. It's something I've lived with for awhile.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

...All the same, try not to strain yourself.

[Well, I mean... if he says he's alright, then... okay.

Harpuia's not gonna forget that "will-less" remark so easily, though. He's got his pride. And tons of it, thank you very much. If that's how Pokey's gonna play it, then Harpy figures it's high time he excused himself. He stands up.]

I won't distract you from your work any further.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Pokey shrugs.]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[He works on his robot a bit more, though he turns as Harpuia starts to leave.]

...So if it isn't just programming, why do you care about them? You have to see how bad they are, for the most part.

[flyawaysage.livejournal.com]

It's because they've placed their faith in us.

When reploids were first created, it was with the hope that the world would be made a better place. Instead, the world was dragged into 200 years of bloody conflict. Even after so many years of fear and destruction, they continue to allow us reploids to be built. I want that faith to be justified. Humanity has suffered long enough. No matter how fragile it may be, my wish to uphold the utopia they long for.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Must be nice to have something place faith in you. Or to think they do, at least.