audio | backdated to after the Meet & Greet

[thxforthememories]

[Coming to you from the Police HQ roof... is a groggy-sounding ninja bot. If he were human, one might say he sounded hungover...]

I don't think I like... high grade.

[A beat passes, metal scrapes -- someone pressing a hand to his face.]

For what it's worth... I'm sorry. To anyone I ran into.

And... the Chieftain? [He hesitates again, this time for different reasons.] My offer to you still stands. Regardless of how I acted... afterward.

Comments

[thxforthememories]

Family...

[It's the nearest thing to a foreign concept to him. And he repeats the word slowly, carefully.]

Is that what we are, now?

[littlecrowgirl]

[She gives a nod.

Please dad, let me have Kagerou in our family. You'd love him...]

And families always stick together.

[thxforthememories]

Then... it's settled. Isn't it?

We'll keep this promise.

[littlecrowgirl]

Should we write it down?

[thxforthememories]

If you like.

[littlecrowgirl]

I'll go grab the book Mr. Trion gave me!

[And as fast as she hugged, she let go, scrambling back to the beanbag, flopping over on it and reaching behind.]

Almost...got it...

[thxforthememories]

[He pushes himself up onto his elbows to watch her flail around for it. If it weren't so small, he'd try to help.]

The promise book?

[littlecrowgirl]

You know Mr. Alpha Trion right? He gave me a new notebook to keep track of everything I've learned here! And also to keep promises in.

[She finally grabs it, pulling it out. It's a lot more heavy duty than her old notebook, which she now keeps even more safe.]

This one.

[thxforthememories]

Yes, I do. They say he was the one who marked me.

[When she pulls it out, he peers a little closer at it.]

Do you write in it often?

[littlecrowgirl]

Same here! I have his mark too. Kind of funny how we didn't meet earlier!

[She opens it up, flipping through the pages. There's a lot of doodling and scribbles...]

Yep! Whenever I find out something new.

[thxforthememories]

I wasn't staying in his temple. [He hesitates.] Deckerd... came for me. And brought me to where he was staying.

[He peers at it, trying to see what she has in there.]

Like what?

[littlecrowgirl]

I still have some stuff there. But I haven't gone back in awhile since you have the nest here...

[She needs to get her axe and stuff still.]

Well, the information on how robots are made, for one.

[thxforthememories]

... Then we need to go and get the rest of your things, don't we?

[He wants her to be happy here, after all.]

Your notes? That you posted?

[littlecrowgirl]

Could we do that? There's not much left, not after the microwave. But one more trip.

[She smiles down at the notebook again.]

I threw those out. People got kind of angry at it. So I revised em here!

[thxforthememories]

Yes. As soon as you're ready.

[And as soon as his head stops pounding -- but he lets that part stay unsaid.]

Where?

[littlecrowgirl]

And maybe we could look for more stuff?

[She holds the notebook out flat, so he could see if peeking over.]

Mr. Jetfire was really helpful with it.

[thxforthememories]

Would you like that?

[Because all she has to do is say the word. He scoots a little nearer, to better see it.]

... I don't think that applies to me.

[littlecrowgirl]

That would be AMAZING!

[Your nest is going to become a teenage girl lounge, Kagerou. Make sure to ration her collecting.]

Really? You weren't made that way?

[thxforthememories]

Then we will. Soon as we can.

[He just wants her to be happy. Whatever that takes.]

Not like the others, no.

[littlecrowgirl]

You're the best, Kagerou!

[She opens to a blank page, getting her pen out.]

Tell me how it works for you, then!

[thxforthememories]

I care for you. It... stands to reason that I would look out for you.

[He tilts his head.]

Humans build us. Didn't I tell you that?

[littlecrowgirl]

...Kagerou...

[She stops writing to look up at him, smiling gratefully. She doesn't get tired of hearing that from someone. It's just...been too long.]

Wow...I didn't know that! I thought you were like the others!

[thxforthememories]

... Yes?

[He has to tilt his head to look at her, meeting that smile with confusion.]

No, I'm only AI. Not like the living robots...

[littlecrowgirl]

Nothing. It's just...really sweet of you to say that.

[She tilts her head at the book, making a note of that.]

But you guys are REALLY close.

[thxforthememories]

It's only the truth.

[He shakes his head.]

No... they have souls. Or something like them. They're alive... living beings. I'm not.