August 2022 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

AUGUST 2022 TDM

INTRODUCTION

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Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon. You can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Each TDM will provide a scenario for how characters arrive in-game that particular month.

Playing TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are allowed to have in-game characters react to TDMs via the Network or make a log with the prompts. Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Summer Is Over

Content Warnings: snakes, cultists, optional violence.

FALLING DOWN LIKE PIECES INTO PLACE

A breeze with the crisp smell of dying leaves caresses you awake. You sit up to find yourself in the middle of an apple orchard, rows spreading out in all directions. Mouth watering apples hang from the branches, and nobody will stop you from taking one. You can wander the orchard as long as you like, but eventually you will find yourself emerging into the front yard of a little farm. There’s a red barn with perfect white trim set far back, and to one side of the yard is a kiosk modeled to match the barn. This is staffed by a woman who sure looks a lot like the fox that brought you here.

On the side of the kiosk are advertised a few different items: pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, cold alcoholic apple cider, and hot chocolate. The cider, you will be informed, is made on site. (But you have to be of legal age to be given that hard cider!)

There are two other things advertised: APPLE PICKING and a SCAVENGER HUNT.

“You need a buddy for those, though,” the woman running the kiosk will tell you. “Lucky for you there’s plenty of people you can pair up with.”

If you elect to try the scavenger hunt, you and your partner will be handed a piece of paper. On it reads the following:

TAKE A PICTURE OF THE FOLLOWING ON YOUR RELIC! :)

- YOU HOLDING HANDS WHILE YOU GO DOWN A PATH
- FEET WITH AUTUMN LEAVES
- SOMETHING YOU THINK IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL
- A GENUINE SMILE

“When you’re done, bring it back here and show me,” the woman instructs you. “You’ll get a prize if you do.”

It’s an easy enough list, right? Although you have to follow the instructions - you really DO have to find something you genuinely think is beautiful, and that smile can’t be forced! Those might require opening up to your partner a little bit!

If you succeed in the scavenger hunt, you will be gifted with an item from home.


Now, what if you decided to go apple picking?

You will be given a bucket. “Be careful to only pick apples from the trees in the rows,” the kiosk woman tells you with a secret smile. “You don’t want to bother the old trees off the path.”

Yeah. That sure sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it?

If you do stick to the orchard proper, you will be able to pick your fill of apples. All of them are crisp and sweet and delicious. But at some point you will see the other trees.

They’re both huge and old, standing on two sloping hills just past the orchard rows. One of them has apples red as blood, and the other apples gold as the sun. In the shade of these trees are weapons sticking half out of the earth, as if they were carelessly buried many years ago.

If you pick one of the red apples, you will find that you are suddenly besieged with huge snakes. They are as big as anacondas and an inky black that absorbs the light, with eyes the same red as the apples. They aren’t poisonous, but they bite and they crush, so you’ll have to fight them off at least long enough to run like hell!

If you pick the golden apples, a crowd of people will silently begin appearing from the orchard. They are all wearing animal masks… and they are all holding hand scythes. Uh oh. You’ll have to fight them off in order to escape! If you don’t manage that, well, in some places it’s traditional to have a big ol’ sacrificial bonfire…

All the weapons below the trees are non-enchanted items, but you may keep them.

Plaid Shirt Days and Nights

Content Warnings: Optional themes of identity and school trauma.

IMAKEOVER MAKEOVER

Thirteen believes passionately in education. There are, after all, five academies in Folkmore all catering to different types of learning. While these academies are open year round, it becomes apparent if you walk through any of the districts housing shops that back to school is definitely a thing.

A new school year represents a chance to learn more about the world, and about yourself.

Also? It’s a great time for a makeover!

Yes, step into any of the shops selling clothing and accessories anywhere in Folkmore and you will find yourself passionately invested in helping another person discover who it is they want to look like! Do they want to look cool and aloof? Warm and approachable? Are they an e-boy or a cottagcore witch? Punk or prep? You two can figure it out together!

As you shop together you will find it easier and easier to open up to one another, sharing who it is you want to be.

You’ll also be able to score a sweet outfit. Nice.

SAVED BY THE BELL

Wander into any school in Folkmore and you will find a handmade poster instructing all new students and faculty to report to the auditorium. Normal enough, one supposes… but the moment you enter the room you will find reality swims all around you and all of a sudden you’re stuck in a school nightmare!

You know the kind. You’re late for class, no matter how fast you run. You’re in gym class, trying to climb that goddamn rope. You’re getting your books dumped. You’re naked and giving a book report.

These could be memories, but it’s just as likely that they aren’t - you and another person are just trapped in this cliche together. Whichever one of you is in the audience role could maybe help the other one out? Get them some pants or something? Yeah.

Comments

(cw: slavery themes, lack of consent) ❤❤

[joidevivre]

Joi is looking at K with an expression of endless hope and love. She was willing to die for him, now she's more than eager to live for him. With him, since they're the same now. And she knows that even though she may be a Replicant, her emotions and her thoughts and her feelings are entirely real. So real that she aches with the strength of them.

"The fox showed me the way out. I was afraid until she arrived. I--" But then she can hear the strain in his voice and it's all she can do to not reach up and caress his face, wanting to comfort him with every fiber of her being. When she was a hologram, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. But not now, not when he's looking at her like he's seen a ghost.

"I...remember. But, it would be cruel to tell you things you don't already know, wouldn't it?" She remembers that conversation all too well, but. There was more. So much more that she knows, she remembered as clearly as if they'd happened yesterday.

She wonders about the Replicant mother. She imagines the mother must have felt pain, must have felt fear. Must have felt sacrifice, to save the life of her child, to know she wouldn't endure the experience. Joi had emotions before, she'd felt so much that she wondered if she herself had transcended being a mere companion and had grown into something more. And now more than ever, she understands how the mother Replicant must have felt.

And Joi closed her eyes, releasing a long breath. Still marveling at the idea of breathing in the first place. "...the horse," she says, her voice hesitant.

She knew all too well. And she was glad, grateful that K had trusted her so much to allow her the knowledge of those events. She wouldn't break his trust, not even if the cost was her own life, again. Part of not breaking his trust meant that she had to remain silent about certain things. What was the saying? What you don't know can't hurt you? A pretty lie, but a lie nonetheless.

When he reaches out to her, she takes a step forward, waiting for him to touch her with her eyes wide and her expression hopeful.

[obeir]

Four months may not seem like much to anyone else, but to an android that's been in service for less than two years, it's a considerable sum of time. A large percentage of his lifetime. He'd spent it alone, wondering if he'd ever see her again. And with this reunion, he's feeling a similar desire to share the experiences that had previously been denied to them, but...

His hand makes contact with her arm and he feels the solid material of her sleeve, following it down until his fingertips are lightly brushing along her skin, marveling at the physicality of her new form. Something he'd never imagined possible. It must be Thirteen's doing. And he can't help but wonder how else the fox may have altered his companion. Is it wrong to even continue thinking of her as his? Through Joi, he'd been able to feel something like a real person, even if only in his own mind. And now that she has the opportunity to exist as a real person, on her own terms, free of any algorithmic based reliance on or obligation to him—

Who is he to stand in the way of that? She deserves better than an obedient tool with a head full of false memories and programmed emotions. At the very least, she deserves to choose for herself. He has always wanted that for her, valuing her freedom even over his own. He'd attempted to provide what he could through the emanator, through encouraging her to make her own choices in whatever capacity she was able to, and now — now it seems she truly can be free.

"More time has passed for you." It isn't quite a question. He continues his tentative exploration while he speaks, still gently touching her skin. "I was there with you? That would confirm at least part of what the fox claims is true."

Timeline discrepancies. The strangeness of this new universe over the last several months has primed him to accept such concepts as a possible reality. They all allegedly have versions of themselves simultaneously continuing to live their lives back in their home universes, so perhaps that's the case now. Another version of himself may have continued on with Joi while he was here. Though with what she said about having been afraid, and that it would be cruel to tell him of his future, the thought makes him uneasy. It isn't hard to imagine the many ways things may have gone very badly for them both, even without knowing any specifics.

[joidevivre]

She knows that some of her pleasing behavior was brought about by programming, but this? This she knows is part of herself. That she loves K and will do whatever she has to to protect him.

She trembles softly as he touches her, goosebumps left behind. It feels good, better than good, better than anything she's let herself imagine before. And she tentatively reaches up to cup his face with her other hand. And as far as Joi is concerned, she's his down to her brand-new bones. She'd scream it from a rooftop if that's what he needed as reassurance. And if she's free, she's free to choose who she loves. And it's K. It will always be K.

"Yes. You were with me through everything. Just like you always have been. And while the fox may be capable of tricks, this isn't one of them."

That's why she doesn't want to tell him what becomes of them. Of her. Of her last words to him being "I love you," just before Luv crushed her emulator. She'd thought that was the end of her but there was the Fox in the void of nothingness she'd found herself in. And wouldn't that prove she has a soul, she knew of loss and despair, then hope.

[obeir]

He leans into her touch, his expression gradually warming as a smile begins to pull at the corners of his mouth, as soft as his hand against her skin. So much of this new world and the fox's constant trials make him wary, but this, at least, he thinks he can trust. And even if there is some hidden cruelty behind the fox's motivation for reuniting them, it's a risk he's willing to take.

"Will you walk with me?" he asks as his hand finds hers, entwining their fingers in a way he could only dream of before today. She's no longer limited to existing on a network, and he's no longer leashed to the LAPD. There's nothing to interrupt their time together now. And there's so much lost time to make up for, so many possibilities and new experiences awaiting them, he hardly knows where to begin.

Oh — but he does know. Hadn't she been looking for a scavenger hunt partner?

"I'll help you complete your list. And you can tell me about... everything." His voice falters a little as he says it. No, the future can wait; they can speak of it later. Better to focus on the here and now. After all, it isn't every day that a hologram gains a physical body through which to experience the world.

"Everything you'd like to do here," he amends, sounding more sure this time, and his smile grows as he repeats what he'd said to her once before. A lifetime ago. "Honey, you can go anywhere you want in the world now."

But now she truly can.

[joidevivre]

And she can feel tears--actual tears!--forming in her eyes at the smile on K's face, at the way he's leaning into her. But, her smile is warm and gentle, her eyes sparkling with more than just happy tears. And after Luv...well, after, Joi had assumed that she was gone for good, beyond repair.

Only this is so much better than simply being repaired!

"Of course I will," she says, giving his hand a gentle squeeze once their fingers are laced together. She feels both light-hearted and like her heart could burst with emotion, both at the same time and are feelings in a real body always so overwhelming? But overwhelming her in the best possible way, she feels like she could use her neon wings to fly, carrying K with her. And she's content to simply be with him.

She had been, but the thought had completely flown her mind at the sight of him.

"--oh! Yes, the list. I can imagine that two of the items will be easy enough. Someone can take a picture of our hands held together and you're the most beautiful being I've ever seen. And. Everything." She finds herself nibble at her lower lip. A purely physical reaction, one she hadn't been expecting, but she imagines there will be more where that came from. But...there had been so much pain in the future. She worries about sharing it.

"Everything! I want to do everything possible! Learn everything, do everything, meet everyone! It's beyond a dream come true." And her eyes warm, leaning over to kiss him at that because she can do that now, she doesn't need a surrogate, not anymore.

[obeir]

At the compliment, he wants to give his customary deflection — you don't have to say that — thinking it must be a holdover from her programming as a companion. A sweet lie, telling him what she thinks he wants to hear. But what she follows it with effectively silences him.

The kiss, a gesture they'd pantomimed so many times before, catches him off guard now, his eyes widening a little in surprise. Because he's never been physically kissed before. Was it also a holdover from her old programming? Despite his uncertainty, his smile never wavers as he reciprocates with a light brush of his lips against the corner of her mouth, lingering there for a moment, savouring the sensation.

"You can do all of that," he replies as he leans back. "Anything you want to." And he hopes he can help facilitate it. That last want, though... even he hasn't met everyone yet, still too wary of the fact the population here seems predominantly human. His self-preservation instincts aren't easy to overcome. He's always been despised by humans for being an android, and despised by his own kind for being a blade runner; an outcast amongst outcasts, completely isolated before Joi. Even here he largely keeps to himself, and probably it's safer that way...

Hand in hand, he begins to head down the path with her.

"We're all given homes here, fully furnished. I have an apartment. It came with a piano that I'm learning to play," he explains while they walk. "And there's an entire library of paper books. House plants everywhere — real ones." In their home universe, humans refusing to rent to androids relegated them to the slums at best, and he'd only been able to acquire housing through being literal property of the LAPD. A dubious perk, but one he'd appreciated. Here, though, is another story entirely. And a genuine wooden piano? That's quite possibly the most amazing thing of all, tied with the library and real plants. The extravagant baths with unlimited, clean water are a close second. He thinks Joi is in for a treat once she gets to experience it for herself.

"Have you... given any thought to where you want to stay?" he asks as he glances sidelong at her, admiring the way her halo casts a soft glow over her features. He squeezes her hand affectionately. "The wings and halo really suit you, you know." Maybe he feels unremarkable in comparison, but that's okay. She deserves to shine like this, to feel special and unique. Because she is.

[joidevivre]

Perhaps she doesn't have to say it, but she wants to. She always wanted to, even when she was a hologram. She's not sure if it was solely because of programming, but she felt like it wasn't. When she looks back at those times, she'd wanted to say it.

No, not a holdover. Because he was there and she was there and she wanted to kiss him for real. Because she wanted to know if it would feel as good as she thought it would. And it does. The slight rasp of his skin, the feel of his lips on hers. It all thrills her from the top of her head to the very tips of her toes, it's even more wonderful than she'd imagined and she wants to do it again. Soon.

"Anything...it sounds too good to be true." And she's the opposite, she's not sure if that part is a remnant from her programming, but she's eager to go out, do things, make friends. And gently coax K to go along with her. She worried about him, that he hadn't had any actual friends back home. But this is far from home, so far beyond it that it boggles her mind.

The sensation of his hand holding hers is almost overwhelming. She can do that now, she can hold his hand whenever he needs it and potentially as much as she wants.

Joi sounds awestruck at the description of the apartment. "A piano...paper books! And plants! How is it all possible? Is this more of the magic?" Because if so, she'll never doubt magic again. After all, if she could be given this body, isn't that magic all by itself. "And I'd love to hear what you can play. What kinds of music are you learning?" Because she remembers infinite amounts of genres and styles. She wants to know what K favors. And she will be. There will be bubble baths, bath oils, and bath bombs galore. And, of course, shared baths.

"With you, of course. If that's all right?" She trailed off, looking hopeful. They had a chance at a real life here and she wanted to share it with him, if he wanted her to. And she squeezes his hand back and leans in so she bumps shoulders affectionately with him. "They do? They were a very big surprise!"

[obeir]

"Started with classical and jazz because they're what I was most familiar with." K's always had an appreciation for jazz music in particular. "But I've since been learning some of everything," he says with a smile while ducking his head slightly. They're not so different in that, the desire to learn everything they can. Which makes him suddenly realise — they really aren't different, now. A thought he'll round back to after answering her other question.

"Of course," he agrees easily. "There are more rooms than I know what to do with. And multiple bedrooms and bathrooms — multiple storeys. You'll have your own space to do whatever you'd like with." It's a far cry from his old one-room apartment with a murphy bed, that's for certain. He likes it. Arguably best of all are the wide windows throughout that let in the natural sunlight — because the sun isn't perpetually obscured by pollution and nuclear winter here, as it is in their home universe.

Returning to his prior line of thought, he raises his eyebrows as he looks at her again, his expression thoughtful.

"If you're like me now..." Meaning specifically a Nexus-9 android or the closest approximation Thirteen could manage. He can tell she isn't human, at least, in the same way people in their home universe can immediately recognise him as an android. If you know what to look for, the signs are obvious. "Then I guess there's some things you should know.

Eating and sleeping are sort of optional. You'll need to do very little of either to get by, though both do speed the healing process." Injury naps and snacks are good, in other words. There's also eating and sleeping for the mere pleasure of it, but he's just covering necessities right now. "In general you won't require nearly as many resources or downtime as a human. It's what makes us more efficient slave labour."

Stating the obvious. In the past, these are things he would have glossed over for the sake of maintaining the illusion of a mundane, domestic life together. But things are different now. There should be no more illusions, he thinks. No more playing at being something he's not; he'd rather embrace his identity as an android fully here, and stop being ashamed of it. The shame that humans forced on him wouldn't help either of them now.

...There was also the rather telling fact that his apartment in their home universe had lacked a toilet, but he's uncertain whether that's a detail she ever noticed. Well. They can get into greater specifics on bodily functions (or the lack thereof) if needed.

"You may find that you're significantly stronger than humans, too, so you'll need to take care when physically interacting with any. They're fragile. It's easy to inadvertently hurt them, especially if you might not have the same programming as me that prevents it." The programming that also prevents him from being able to defend himself against humans, except under specific circumstances where his handler-issued orders supersede his programming to preserve human life. He isn't sure whether that's unique to android blade runners, but it could very well be.

"I'm not sure exactly how close Thirteen made your physiology to mine, but maybe some of that information'll help you." He pauses, considering something. "Have you maintained any of the abilities you had — from before?" As a hologram.

[joidevivre]

She smiles when he ducks his head, charmed as always by that bashful reaction. "I'd love to hear what you've been learning. Though, not 'Peter and the Wolf,' please!" She means it mostly as a joke, but she worries that the first few bars would remind her uncomfortably of what she'd been and what had become of her. She still remembers the desperation she felt--had to have felt it, it was all too real--as Luv raised her foot and Joi realized what was going to happen.

"Well, then, I suppose I'll get to decorate for the first time! Are there paintings, or at least prints of paintings?" Paintings seemed like a good place to begin. She'd have to actually see what was on offer to know what might spark her interest, though. "But we'll still get to spend time together?" Because she's not entirely sure what to make of her own space entirely. It seems simultaneously fascinating and terrifying, being alone with her own thoughts for company.

And she smiles, leaning in closer again, an expression of complete trust and yes, love too. But when he brings up who she has become, she prepares herself to listen carefully. She knows this is all a matter of grave importance, that she must know all there is to know about this new self of hers.

"I think I may enjoy eating and sleeping. I've done neither, so I want to try both and see what I like. Perhaps I'll be one of those ridiculous morning people, like out of the old shows where the wife got everything ready at dawn. Or I might prefer nighttime. I honestly don't know," she said, trying to keep things light. But the mention of what they were intended to be makes her sober quickly. "Yes. But not here. We're ourselves here. Aren't we?"

Even though she knows it would be silly to playact at being nothing more than two humans. They're not. But she doesn't want to be seen as Other here, at least not unless necessary.

"Thank you for the warning. I admit, I hadn't thought of that." Her expression goes faraway for a moment "I...might have it? Though, I'm unwilling to risk it." The thought of physically hurting a person is abhorrent, but can't imagine her hologram self hurting anyone, either, not without a very good reason. And again, the cruelty in Luv's eyes flashes in her--well, she could call them memories.

"It's...unknown. I feel revulsion at hurting someone, but I don't know if it's programmed or somehow an inherent feeling. I suppose we'll see?"

And she thinks for a long moment. "I remember that I once had hundreds of thousands of options. Dresses, hairstyles, hair colors, accents. But of course I can't access any of them. Besides...I think I like the way I am."

[obeir]

"There are paintings here, sure. Photos, posters. Wall decals. And plenty more, you'll see. We'll still spend time together if you'd like to." Always leaving the choice up to her. It's important to him that she choose for herself.

"You can be yourself," he assures her. "You're free here. Free to eat and sleep as much as you want, free to decide whether you're a morning person or a night owl. Stars are visible at night here, you know. You can see when the sun rises and sets... And you can still have a wardrobe, choose your own clothes. The process will just be a little different now." Or at least he dearly hopes she's this free. Because her physical form was granted by Thirteen, not manufactured by the Wallace Corporation. And he will certainly never give her orders or treat her like property, nor tolerate anyone else treating her in such a manner. Though his smile fades as he leaves the rest of that thought unvoiced: she's free, but he isn't.

He already knows it's different for him, has tested and confirmed as much, that he's still subject to the programming that keeps him enslaved to humans, that forces him to act in their best interests even at his own expense. Being removed from their home universe hasn't changed that. If his handler ever appears, he would continue to obey her without question; he has no choice... it's simply a fact of life for him. But he isn't going to trouble her with this.

"I suppose we'll see," he agrees. And that applies to so many things, for both of them. He's immensely grateful that she has the opportunity to actually explore her identity now and experience life outside of a network, and even independent of him. Real freedom. That will also make her choice all the more meaningful if she still chooses to remain with him in the end.

"You might discover you have new abilities related to being a Legend. I believe that's what your wings and halo signify."

Retrieving his relic from his pocket, he remembers to take a picture of their joined hands for the scavenger hunt list. Then, raising it higher and with the camera facing them, he leans closer to her and also takes a picture of the two of them together. The first of what he hopes will be many to come.

[joidevivre]

"How extraordinary! It sounds like the difficult part will be what not to take home, rather than what to choose. It's--it's amazing to go from what we had to what we now have." And she gives him a wide-eyed look. "Of course I want us to spend time together! As much as possible, now that we can. Now that we're not limited to what the emulator can do." It sounded like her wildest dreams coming true, an embarrassment of riches and she was grateful for all of it.

"...stars. Sunrises and sunsets. I never dreamed I'd get to see anything like those. Not in the city." She considers a moment, thinking about clothes. "I'm fairly sure my taste hasn't changed. I like soft, pretty things. Dresses. Cozy sweaters now that I can feel the chill in the air. And all I have to do to earn them is say hello to people?" She feels free. Granted, she remembers the illusion of freedom, but this feels something solid, real, like she could reach her hand out and touch it. And she sees his smile fade and gives him a concerned look. "All of a sudden, you look so sad."

If she knew, she'd be prepared to defend him. Assuming she can, she wouldn't know for sure unless she tried, something she's reluctant to do. She can feel the strength in this new body, knows she needs to train herself to be gentle, to control herself.

She's free, yes, but if he broached the subject, she'd make it clear that she chooses him of her own free will. That even as a hologram, she loved him. Not because it was her programming, at least not entirely. What else would have made her try to intervene when Luv was beating K, knowing there was nothing she could physically do to help and also that she was running the risk of incurring Luv's wrath. But he's worth the risk. It was true then and it is true now.

Joi giggles. "A Legend! I'm not sure I feel very legendary, but I suppose time will tell. But...what of you? Your own additions?"

After he takes the pictures, Joi smiles. "There are two. Joined hands and something beautiful." And she leans more into his side as she walks, visibly enthralled by everything around her. Especially K.

[obeir]

"Having too many choices is a good problem to have, I think," K remarks with a note of fond amusement in his tone. "And yes, we're earning this world's currency right now just by talking." It warms something in him to see her feeling so enthusiastic about her — their — new life here, knowing that all of it is real this time. No more having to play-act gestures of affection, dancing, sharing a dinner... If they want to do something together, now they really can.

And he's thinking he already knows what song he'd like to play for her first, inspired by their conversation. (While she can rest assured he'll absolutely never be playing Peter and the Wolf; neither of them need such reminders.)

He gives a thoughtful hum in response to her comment about him looking sad. "Don't worry about me."

Reluctant as he may be to discuss these matters, he knows it might be good to eventually, even if he wouldn't really know where to begin. Back in their homeworld, he'd rarely if ever expressed his feelings about his lot in life or the reality of what he dealt with as a blade runner. 'It was a day' was usually the extent of his complaints, because he'd preferred the illusion where he didn't have to be a blade runner equally despised by humans and his own kind, he could put all of that away and just be with Joi. Someone who actually cared about him. But that was then, and this is now, and here — here, he wants something more real. Even if that means sharing unpleasant truths with Joi. She deserves honesty.

"Me? I'm nothing so elegant. A Familiar. I can take the form of different animals... even mythological ones, it seems." Which had been incredibly surprising to him the first few times he'd managed it. "And occasionally without meaning to. Sometimes I wake up in a different form." He has an amusing thought, and between it and her comment about 'something beautiful', he's smiling again. "If you ever wanted a pet, guess you've got one now."

Others have referred to Familiars as the sidekicks of Legends and Myths, but he isn't sure it's quite so simple. He'd certainly not felt like any kind of sidekick while in the form of a dragon, at any rate. It's a very curious ability, and one that he's been experimenting with.

[joidevivre]

She beamed at K, looking positively thrilled at all she knows is possible now, feeling warmed from the inside out by his tone of voice. And when she hears about the currency, she looks curious. "Well, I must say that's a far more pleasant way to earn one's spending money than...just about anything I can think of from home. This place really is different, in the best possible way."

She doesn't know that yet, but she'd be happy to know that they'd both inspired it.

Joi's smile turns a bit sad itself. "An old habit. One I'd rather not break. As long as you don't mind it?"

And her programming had allowed her to pick up on nuance, but be unable to discuss it without the subject being raised. Which K had never seemed to want to, but she imagined his job was one which weighed heavily. A foot in two worlds, yet belonging to neither. Or at least neither were willing to accept him. She seemed to be his only friend and that was rather sad in itself as she was simply a hologram.

Had he chosen to share what he went through every day, she knew she had a set of programmed responses, but she wanted to think maybe she could have come up with something better on her own. He'd always treated her like a woman, even though back then she was made up of ones and zeros. She wanted him to feel he could trust her with anything.

And Joi's eyes turn fascinated. "So the magic of this world even works on us? What mythological creatures can you turn into? It seems like that would be fascinating, to be able to choose what you want to be, regardless of how real the animal is or isn't." And she smiles back at his joke. "I guess so! Though, you know you're far more than what you can become, you are to me."

She wouldn't want him to be anyone's sidekick. She wanted him to feel free to become whatever he wanted to, when he wanted to. Besides, if she wanted a pet, it seemed as though she'd have options. Not counting the local animal people, of course, they were their own selves no matter how cute or charming they could be. And considering everything, she wouldn't want it any other way.

[obeir]

"I don't mind," K replies as he gently squeezes Joi's hand in what he hopes is a reassuring manner; this is all new to him. "I'm sorry for worrying you." He stops short of saying 'it's nothing' because that would be a lie. But there's no sense spoiling her good mood and excitement right now.

In many ways, a hologram companion was ideal for him. They could share an emotional connection and companionship, while the physical aspects of traditional friendships, relationships have never mattered all that much to him. After all, he is not a pleasure model; the only intimacy he's ever been interested in is emotional. (And being surrounded by extremely amorous humans and having to clean up their bodily fluids at camp has definitely not made the concept of sexual intimacy any more appealing...)

Though he can't deny physical affection such as holding hands and kissing are a very nice bonus now. It will take some getting used to being touched without violence, which had been the extent of his physical interaction with others in their home universe and what he's come to expect. Something that he will probably have to explain to Joi whenever he inevitably flinches from being touched without warning.

"A unicorn, qilin, griffon, different kinds of dragons..." He hasn't been idle here, channeling his loneliness into experimenting and academic pursuits at every opportunity. "But like you said. I think I like the way I am now." He has always been forced to be what others want him to be. There's a certain bitter irony in the fact that appears to be the role Familiars are expected to serve here as well.

Patches of fallen leaves are scattered across the path they're on, so he doesn't miss the opportunity to get a picture of Joi walking through them for the scavenger hunt. He can't help having a fairly single-minded approach to tasks, with it being a facet of his fundamental programming.

"Did you try any of the drinks at the kiosk?" he wonders. "If not, we should double back and get you something. Though the alcohol probably won't affect you, if you're like me in that regard." Immunity to intoxication aside, he thinks the sweet, season appropriate drinks would be a good place for her to start cultivating her taste preferences.

[joidevivre]

It is reassuring. She never knew how touch-starved she was until she finally, finally had the chance to feel it as herself. K's touch feels like coming home. It's beyond her wildest dreams. And she thought that the fact that she had dreams was something that she was more than simply a program. That she'd felt on her own, that she'd dreamed on her own. Regardless of being made up by ones and zeros.

Before, she'd been satisfied with only providing emotional support. That was the only thing she thought she'd be able to provide. But now there's a whole world opened up for them and all they had to do was reach out and take it. She felt as though she was ready, but she wanted to make sure K was as well. Because even beyond his programming, she wanted him to feel safe and secure with her. And she can't help but fret over the time he'd been without her.

And she wanted him to feel safe in his affections for her. This wasn't their old home, this was almost its opposite. Nature in the place of concrete, beauty in the place of urban squalor. All of the nature surrounding them was a bit overwhelming, and that wasn't even counting the sweet cat and bird people who'd been there to greet her. Cats. Birds. Only owned by the terribly rich. But here, they live their own lives. She can't help but feel that it's a metaphor of sorts.

And she gasps in surprise and fascination. "Amazing! I--I remember the notion of such beings, but I'd imagine it would pale in comparison to the real beings you can become." And she leans in a bit closer. "I want you to be happy as you are. If you're not, you can become whatever you wish." She doesn't know the supposed rules of how certain beings are expected to serve others and would object to having that explained to her. After all, this was a chance for K to be free. She wanted him for that. Even if she hoped that in the end, he'd find his way back to her.

And she can't get over the myriad of beauty surrounding them. K looks like he belongs here and she can only hope that she appears the same way to him..

"No, I hadn't. I was too busy exploring," she says. And she was glad that she had explored. "All right. What kinds of drinks do they have? And I can't imagine being 'drunk.' There seemed to be far too many where we used to live." She'd barely imagined being able to try the drinks, let alone be able to form her own preferences.

[obeir]

As far as K is concerned, this place might just be trading one type of servitude for another, trading human masters for another, and so it's debatable whether freedom is truly possible. Thirteen's trials haven't been pleasant and often seem more for her own entertainment than being any benefit to those she forces to endure them, and those trials appear to be the cost of remaining in Folkmore. Possibly being a fox god's playthings.

"This place... maybe it isn't quite what you think it is," he says, choosing his words. Because thus far, Joi seems to consider it a paradise, and he can't blame her for having that impression. It is a paradise, especially compared to where they're from. But what paradise comes without a cost? What might be the cost of her new form, of their new life together?

"And maybe Thirteen isn't as benevolent as you believe her to be. It isn't unusual for her so-called trials to involve fear, pain, the loss of autonomy, and apparently even impermanent death. I think it's best to be cautious. Even," maybe especially, "with other residents who were brought here like us." Because he already suspects Joi will be too trusting, too open, and there are always going to be beings who will take advantage of that, no matter what universe they're in. Happy as he is to be reunited with her, her being here has multiplied his worries as well. Her new form makes her vulnerable in so many ways that she wasn't, before.

Once they've doubled back to the drink kiosk where the scavenger hunt begins, he gestures to the sign listing everything that's offered: pumpkin spice lattes, hot apple cider, cold alcoholic apple cider, and hot chocolate.

"What do you think sounds good?" Thinking for a moment, he's smiling again as he suggests, "Maybe try one of each?" Despite his prior warning to approach everything here with more caution, he thinks this is one thing they should be indulgent with — he's excited for her to have this completely new experience.

[joidevivre]

Joi can't help looking around, taking in all of her surroundings. The sights, the sounds, the smells. And the feel of K's hand in hers for real, not a carefully orchestrated pantomime. She feels real in a way she'd never experienced before, but had yearned for.

And Joi looks at him with surprise. "It's not?" Because everything so far has been wonderful. She can feel worry stirring in her, K looks so serious. Even more serious than usual. "What's wrong? I want to know. I don't want to be surprised by what I didn't see coming." She can be brave. She's been brave. And it's better to know about unpleasant things than pretend they don't exist.

Her eyes widen at the mention of death. She'd "died" before. The notion of dying again is truly frightening. And, the warning about the other residents also surprises her. "What? Have they done something to you? Hurt you in any way? Or--or dismissing you for being a Replicant?" All of it would be awful. She'd thought maybe she'd found somewhere she could truly discover herself, learn to live, not just exist. She didn't want to believe this rose had thorns, so she's deeply shaken at what K has told her.

The list of things to drink on offer is truly something amazing. She's been programmed to know all of them, of course, and have a general idea of how they're supposed to taste, but the prospect of actually tasting for real makes her rally from the alarm she'd felt at finding out that not all was perfect a bit.

When K mentions trying all of them, she can't help it. Her eyes light up and her lips curve in a delighted grin. "Yes, I think we should. One of everything for both of us!"

[obeir]

For both of them? It's a sweet thought, one which K goes ahead and indulges, ordering two of each drink. It'll be fun, because he hasn't tried all of the flavours yet himself. While the woman begins preparing their drinks, he returns to their conversation in a quieter tone.

"Most here have kept their distance. Maybe because of what I am." To be fair, outside of a few exceptions, he hasn't exactly been inviting social overtures from others. It isn't as though he's blaming anyone for not reaching out to him, though he also doesn't really know how to reach out to others himself. "I don't think humans know how to relate to AI. And I've found it hard to relate to humans. Their experiences, their — let's call them biological urges..." Because he doesn't want to be obscene. He shakes his head. Some things are beyond his understanding, and moreover, he doesn't think his curiosity would be welcome if he attempted to gain a better understanding.

"I don't want you to live in fear," he continues after a moment, lightly running his thumb over her knuckles. "Just be mindful that the danger won't always take obvious forms here. People might try to manipulate you, and it might not even be of their own volition if one of Thirteen's trials causes it. The trials themselves could influence your emotions or change you in ways you don't like. They might force you to share things you'd rather not. Or put your worst memories on display for others to see."

His general avoidance of people has perhaps been a blessing in disguise in that regard. It has thus far kept him relatively safe from some of these circumstances that he only learns of after the fact, through others who have unfortunately experienced them.

"But know that I'll always help you in any way I can. You won't have to face these things alone."

[joidevivre]

The scents of the drinks intermingled is almost overwhelming. She can only imagine that the tastes themselves will be entirely overwhelming in the best possible way. Being able to taste. It seems like a miracle, despite the warnings that this is not entirely miraculous.

"That seems terribly cruel. You could no more choose to be different than any of them can. And I wouldn't change what I've become for anything, not for the world. They will...simply have to get used to us." And it's in her programming to reach out. But if anyone isn't willing to accept K as an equal, she can't feel good about them. If she had to choose, it would be K first. "Their...biological urgings," she says in a tone of confusion. But thinking it over, only one remains both prevalent and potentially embarrassing. "Do you mean...sex?" For it did seem like something humans were occupied with. But she couldn't blame them, she was supposed to be occupied with it, too, being meant to be a man's companion, the object of his fantasies.

The feeling of his thumb stroking her skin is almost too much to bear, too soothing, too distracting from the matter at hand. "...oh. Oh. I do know that there are things I--I don't want to share." Her decision to go to Mariette first, last, and always. And her terror at the thought that Luv might kill K, the despair in the moment before the other crushed her emulator. Just because she knew it was likely to happen, it didn't make it any easier to live with.

She leans into him while they wait for their drinks, taking comfort in the fact that they're both solid and "real," for a lack of a better word. She knows K would never lie to her, never lead her astray.

And his words make her smile brilliantly. "I know you will. You've always taken care of me. And I hope that now, I can help you, too."

[obeir]

K suspects it could also be down to his personality — if it can even generously be called such, work in progress that it is — deterring others from befriending him. Joi might not face similar issues because she actually has a personality, and a quite likeable one at that; he doesn't think she'll have the same problem making friends here. Which is good, because she deserves as many friends as she wants to have.

Her question is met with a look of wry amusement despite how distasteful the topic is. He's hardly a prude, considering it wasn't unusual for him to have lunch outside of a public sex bar without batting an eye, but he does think other residents could stand to practise better discretion. Those poor defiled picnic tables at camp...

"Yes. Some of them seem quite fixated on it and have poor boundaries." But at least they're all so preoccupied with each other that they hopefully won't direct any unwanted attention toward Joi.

He can't help wondering about the things she doesn't want to share — do they have to do with the future he's yet to experience? It seems the most likely explanation. But she's allowed her secrets, and he'll respect her feelings. Instead of prying, he watches her for a long moment before lifting her hand and brushing a light kiss to each of her fingers in turn. Something he's long wanted to do, and now he can.

"You've always taken care of me too, sweetheart. Better than I deserve." And he's always wished he could do more for her, could be more for her.

The woman running the kiosk wordlessly sets a couple of their finished drinks within their reach, clearly not wanting to interrupt their moment. But K is too aware of others for the gesture to go unnoticed, and he makes a point of thanking her before offering one of the steaming cups to Joi with an expectant smile.

[joidevivre]

Any friends she makes, she'd be more than happy to share. She knows that he was often of few words which was find, she understood him anyway, but it seems like everyone here is so social! So outgoing! It's amazing and a little overwhelming all at once. And she wants to meet everyone, go everywhere, and she's heard of schools! She feels like there's much to learn.

She could hardly be a prude, too, given what she'd been programmed to be. But that makes her think of the other hers out there, wondering how they're doing. If they're being treated nicely. She fears that the answer is no.

"Poor boundaries...as in they discuss it all the time," she asks, an expression of mild confusion on her face. She'd learned from K what his boundaries were and she can't imagine him wanting all the details from others, despite his tendency to eat outside the sex bar.

Joi's afraid to discuss the future because when she ceased to be a part of it, K was in a terribly dangerous situation. She can't in good conscience bring that up because she doesn't want him to worry. She loves him far too much to leave him hanging that way. But her thoughts are immediately centered back on K, of the delightful feeling of him kissing each of her fingers so lightly, so tenderly that it's like being kissed by a butterfly.

"Then I'll have to continue," she says with a smile. "And perhaps I'll be the one to decide that. With your input, of course." After all, it's him. She knows he didn't appreciate overbearing.

Joi thanks hers, too, and takes the steaming cup from him. She brought it up to her nose to sniff at curiously and can smell chocolate, a luxury. So she took a sip, eyes widening with approval and in a most unladylike way, drank the entire thing. "So this is why humans are so obsessed with chocolate. It's delicious! I knew that it should be, but the should be isn't near as wonderful as the reality."

[obeir]

"More than just discussions." Most unfortunately. "I guess I'm painting a very unflattering picture of these people whom you may want to befriend," K says with a quiet, self-deprecating huff. Maybe it's just him. And so maybe it's better to keep his discomfort to himself?

A part of him privately wonders if this unprecedented opportunity for Joi to grow as a person will also mean growing apart from him. Perhaps that will be the ultimate cost of this paradise. And if that ends up being what's best for her, then he knows he wouldn't stand in her way. Of the two of them, he's already thinking only she has what it takes to actually be a real person, the capacity for it, and it feels all too likely that he might hold her back from reaching her full potential... But he also keeps these worries to himself, watching her with a fond expression as she thoroughly enjoys the hot chocolate.

He also gets another picture with his relic, just because. Between all the pictures taken thus far, he's pretty sure they may have completed the scavenger hunt list, too.

"I'm glad you like it that much," he says inbetween sipping his own. "Hot chocolate isn't seasonal like the others, if I understand correctly. So you'll be able to find it anytime, I think." If she'd like more, and he's assuming she will — he'll be happy to keep the kitchen stocked.

And the woman running the kiosk has already caught on to this possibly being their first time getting to have such drinks, and she's made the executive decision to set out the pumpkin spice lattes for them next, thinking those would be best to follow the hot chocolate with.

[joidevivre]

"So it's a lot like society back home? It seemed as though nothing was too personal to keep to oneself for most people. And I know what I am, what I'm supposed to be." A companion, a dream woman, customizable down to her breast size and pubic hair. But the few times she'd shifted to something other than her default appearance, it was by her choice, not by his. He seemed happy with her the way she was.

"I imagine that I'll make friends, but looking around...everyone seems so young. Maybe that's why they're so talkative about sex, they're discovering it and of course they're fascinated by it."

And if she could read his thoughts, she'd tell him that she never wanted to grow apart from him. She loved him. She felt that even beyond her programming when she was just a hologram, she truly loved him. She'd sacrificed herself for him, trying to buy him just a little more time to get the upper hand. Now that they were together again and could truly be together on their own terms, the very last thing she wanted was to leave him. She wants to be with him in as many ways as he'll allow.

She glances up just as the picture is taken, looking both demure and coy.

"It's incredible! I'd known that chocolate was supposed to be delicious, but it's even better than I'd imagined. I wonder if it will always be like this? Sensations better than anyone could possibly program in," and she beams.

The scent of the pumpkin spice is enticing. Cloves, ginger, cinnamon, all mingling and sweetening the coffee without any sugar being necessary. She takes a sip and the flavors intermingle perfectly and she looks delighted again.

[obeir]

"...And you know what you are to me." A gentle reminder, his expression becoming sad. And she isn't alone; virtually every aspect of his own body has been dictated by a human's preferences. Though he was intended for law enforcement and combat, one doesn't have to wonder too hard about why his handler had wanted him to look a certain way, right down to the features that only an intimate partner would ever see. Seems inevitable that she intends to use him for those purposes eventually.

And he can't fathom ever wanting to impose any of that on someone else. It's why he's done his best to give Joi the freedom of choice that he's never had, something that he'll continue to do here.

"I'm less than two years old, you know," he points out with raised eyebrows while still savouring his hot chocolate. Regardless of how he was manufactured to look and what he was pre-programmed to know. And yet he doesn't have difficulty maintaining boundaries, so why should humans be held to lower standards and always given a free pass when their behaviour negatively impacts others? But he does actually understand her point, so doesn't argue it — because he's also teasing her a little, though there's still something a bit distant and solemn in his expression.

"That's a good way to describe it. Sensations better than what can be programmed," he says thoughtfully as he lowers his eyes to the ground. "I think you may like hot baths even more than these drinks." Distracted as he is by his thoughts, it's more of a pragmatic observation than an attempt at flirtation, which he's admittedly never been very good at to begin with.

[joidevivre]

Joi smile and it can only be described as demure. "...I do. And I'm glad for it." She wants to kiss away his sad expression, wondering if perhaps she said the wrong thing. She has complete control over what she says and does now, instead of a modicum of it that she'd managed to achieve on her own, under his tutelage. And she likes that he didn't customize her. In an odd way, that makes her feel more like a person and not a thing to be used and discarded.

If he wanted to stay chaste, that would be fine. But she'd still want to sleep next to him, if only because it would feel like a comfort.

She giggles. "I know! It's just that we're both supposed to be mature adults and not be quite so silly about matters of sex. Not too coy, not too obvious, and unashamed. It's something which happens between two people who love one another, or at least are attracted to one another. But love and attraction...one would hope that they'd go hand in hand." Because she loves him. And she finds him very attractive. She may want to toss herself headlong into socializing, but she's always going to be his.

"Hot baths? With real water and perhaps bubbles or a bath bomb or body oil? Not those awful two second long....I don't know how to put it. Power washes?" Those were likely efficient, but nothing to be enjoyed. She wants to enjoy at least a little.