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L: "Oh, good morning." La: "Morning." L: "Um... Can I help you?" La: "No, I'm just watching." L: "Watching what?" La: "Watching you work." L: "Um... Why?" La: "No reason." L: "I don't trust you at all, just so you know..." La: "Why not?" L: "You helped Erik and I with this, but you also helped Lupi try to kill me." La: "Oh." ... "Lisem, I know that you don't think highly of him, but, he's trying his best." L: "Yeah, I don't have to listen to this vague bullshit, he tried to hill me." La: "He's your brother?" L: "So? What's that supposed to mean? No, he's not. I have no "real" family." La: "Well, all 3 of us are constructs." L: "We are?" La: "Yes, so, that makes us related, doesn't it?" L: "You're like me?" La: "Yes." L: "If that's true, and you really believe we're family... Then why would you try to hurt me?" La: "I... I am merely a bystander, to events outside myself. I'm not permitted any control." L: "And you're willing to listen to that?" La: "Surely you understand how it feels to not be able to do things, as a construct..." L: "I do NOT! Who's telling you that you can't do things? Where's your own agency? Fuck's sake!" E: "Uhh... Why are we yelling?" L: "No, go back to sleep, it's not important." E: "Ngh. I'm up now." ... "Oh, hey, Lania." L: "See? I told you it was nothing, and now you're up at 5 am." E: "'S ok." La: "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to..." E: "Really, it's no big deal." L: "Yeah, you weren't the one raising your voice. Sorry, Erik." E: "I don't care." L: "Honestly, Lania, you seem very nice. It's a shame you're being manipulated by someone you see as above you. I hope that you can find your way out of it, and maybe then, we can be "friends," or something." E: "What the hell?" La: "Excuse me?" L: "Um- that's- just my take on things." E: "Why?" L: "Because of the way she talks, and acts. I dunno..." E: "Hm." L: "Nevermind." E: "No, it would explain a few things, like how robotic she is, or how she describes herself." L: "What do you mean?" E: "Why don't you ask her, she's sitting right here." L: "Yeah." La: "Well... Basically, each of us constructs were built to fufill an extremely specific purpose set out by someone else. So we function in service of a higher power. I am subservant to you, who is subservant to Adrestia." L: "Oh, ok, so that's bullshit." La: "Howso?" L: "You went against me directly when you blocked my access to the buffer states, even though I asked you not to." La: "I was following Ms. Opilione's orders/" L: "Are you saying she's a construct too?" La: "She's MY construct host. She created me, so I am bound to her word, by the rules." L: "Seems arbitrary." La: "Well, can you disprove it? Do you operate on your own terms? Why did you make APUS? Can you justify your actions in the war, and why you pushed it so far?" L: "Hm." ... "I don't like that. I don't like that I don't have a reason." E: "You don't?" L: "I don't. At the time, It just felt like something I had to do." ... "I'm sorry, Erik. I know what my actions did to you, and, I wish I had a better motive for the decisions I made." E: "You don't need to apologize to me, Lis. I've already forgiven you ages ago." L: "At any rate, I don't make decisions like that any more. I'd like to think everything I do is the logical choice, now, and I don't feel the same motivating force, anyways." E: "Um, that doesn't disprove Lisem's point that you can choose the actions you take, though." La: "It doesn't?" E: "No." ... "I'm no expert, but I've known both Lisem and Lupi now, and I can say with good confidence that they both make their own decisions, to say the least. So, you can, too." La: "Then, can I ask a question?" ... "If that's true, then what should I do?" L: "What do you mean?" La: "I was kicked out of my home. I don't have a purpose anymore. I was cast out of my country." L: "Well... What do you want to do?" La: "Um... I don't know. I'll have to think about it." E: "You don't have any goals?" La: "I've only thought about it in passing." E: "Well, if you need any help, we'll be happy to brainstorm with you!" L: "We will?" E: "Of course!" La: "Thank you, you two..." E: "It's no problem at all!" La: "I have a vast repository of knowledge available, so if I can help with anything, let me know." L: "I suppose that is a bit useful." La: "I hope so." ... "but, thank you. This helped me, I think." L: "Yeah, no problem. I'm pretty great." La: "Your perspective is interesting." L: "You're welcome."