maskormenace | 014 ♍ VIDEO

[ Kanaya is sitting at her desk, with Ashiah laying down on it in front of her. The little grub keeps glancing around in various directions, while her mother's gaze and smile is fixed on the camera. ]

I've been thinking recently about the cross-section of the imPort community who aren't human, perhaps most particularly since the ambassador elections last month. There are a sizable amount of us, not a large group, but significant. I've spoken with many of you on individual terms, and while the resources Governor Kang and SELF have provided to those of us with more unique needs have been invaluable, I feel there is still something missing in our collective socialization. We live the imPort experience in a way that many others won't fully appreciate, and I think we could benefit from sharing those experiences with each other.

[ At this point, Ashiah tries to wander off camera, but Kanaya suppresses a giggle as she puts a hand on top of her and scoots her back into place. ]

I'm unsure exactly what form that would take, but putting us all in a room to share our stories would be at least a start. If anyone is interested, please let me know, and I'll see about renting some space. Of course, if you have any special dietary needs, in terms of snacks, I would like to hear those as well.

This is generally something I'd prefer to save until we're in person, but... [ She's interrupted as Ashiah turns around and nuzzles into her chest, then tries to climb up her shoulder. Kanaya stops and laughs to herself, then plucks her off and cradles her, despite all her fidgeting. ] Anyway, for those of you who I haven't had the pleasure with yet, my name is Kanaya Maryam, and this is my daughter, Ashiah. I'm an Alternian troll, specifically an awakened jadeblood, which basically means I'm a vampire. She's a Daughter Grub from the same planet. [ She raises a finger, shaking her head. ] And before you ask, no, she isn't a troll, and she won't grow up to be one, either. Once she finally pupates, she'll become a Mother Grub. They acted as gestational surrogates for trolls, while the jadeblooded caste were their caretakers and midwives. It's all a bit complicated, this is just a general summary.

So, hopefully we'll be able to put something together moving forward, and I'll be able to hear all of your stories, as well. I'll be looking forward to hearing from each of you.

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[ She takes a deep breath. This is going to be a trial, she can tell. ]

I think part of the issue is that asking something like that of a person, especially in my position, can be more than a little impolite. the particulars of the "what" aren't usually relevant, aside from how they define how a person is who they are.

I'm a bipedal insect from a former intergalactic tyrannical empire of bipedal insects, only our planet is dead and our empire has collapsed, leaving just a handful of survivors. I'm also part of a subdividsion within that species which develops into bioluminescent vampires who spend our lives caring for giant moths because our species aren't capable of producing young without them.

That's the "what", but how much does that really tell you about me?

Much more than the first two attempts.

[She can probably hear his smile.

He's not being sarcastic. He's not even capable of sarcasm. The things he got out of what she said probably weren't the things she thought she was saying, though. For example, he now has actual confirmation that Trolls are a form of life that built a society.

In this way, they are like Lilim.

And unlike Angels.]

...mmm. But if it was so troublesome for me to ask, I can extend the favour in return.

[Whether he can or will answer to her satisfaction is an entirely different matter.]

[ As she thinks about it, she realizes that her problem is much like his own: being told specific terminology with no real understanding of what it means in that context. It's all just empty words with nothing behind them.

Of course, now that she thinks about it, she also never heard those words from Kaworu in the first place. That doesn't really help anything. ]

We have a mutual friend who told me that you're an Angel.

What does that actually mean?

Mean?

[That's... an odd way to ask a question.

By 'mutual friend,' he assumes Kanaya means Shinji. Or perhaps it was Aerith...?

Hmm.]

...what Lilin calls 'Angels' are the children of Adam. The original inheritors of Earth... it is because of Lilin that they bear the name 'Angel' at all.

I don't know what that 'means.' Was it Shinji who told you?

Of course it was Shinji. Who else would it be? [ Does Kaworu have any other friends? She really has no idea. ]

But, well...nothing you just said really helps. You're using coded terminology that probably makes sense on your own world, [ You'd like to think so, wouldn't you Kanaya? ] but anywhere else, they're just words.

You can't say all that as if I know who the Lilin or the children of Adam are, or what it even means to inherit the Earth. You'll have to contextualize all of that.

['Contextualise?'

Look, if Kaworu knew how to speak so that he made sense to other people, he... well, that's when you know he's been replaced by an actual human being. Just blame SEELE.]

...I don't understand.

Words have meaning, but what that meaning is is determined by the speaker and listener together, right?

[ Thanks a lot SEELE, you could have taught the sleeper agent better instead of making him a blinking sign of an enemy infiltrator. ]

That's rather the problem, isn't it? As the listener, I have no idea what meaning is being assigned by the words you, the speaker, are sharing. I know that Angels are a thing that Shinji battled on his world, something that he's now become himself, and they are without the heavenly connotations most humans might attribute to them.

But what actually can be attributed to them is something I've never quite been clear on. the meaning behind the word is a big, dark space in the actual way you use it. I know you have blue blood and cores, that's about it.

Edited (forgot an icon) 2016-09-19 04:34 (UTC)

[There is a long silence on the other end. Kaworu is familiar with Kanaya's penchant for difficulty, but sometimes............]

So you're asking what Angels are?

[That's so... simple.]

Why didn't you just say that?

[...she did, Kaworu. Like, two or three times.]

...but.

I wouldn't say they are without heavenly connotation. After all, Lilim named us themselves.

I'm pretty sure I said that. Or at least something close to it.

[ God, she feels like she's just going in circles. He keeps saying things as if they're simple when they don't mean anything to her. ]

Dow would being named by the Lilim reinforce a heavenly connection? You still haven't even told me what the Lilim are, so either stop using that word or explain what it is first.

Lilim, the children of Lilith, their Mother and usurper from the black moon.

Mankind. Humans. There are a lot of names.

I did just say words have meaning, right? Adam's children could have any name... or no name. But Lilim chose to call them 'Angel.'

The other creation of God.

A heavenly messenger.

But it doesn't specify what kind of message we are to deliver from the heavens, right?

... they did that on purpose.

Why not just call them humans? No one calls them Lilim here, no one knows you're talking about humans when you say that.

[ And really, she's not entirely sure how much any of this tells her, but she might as well humor him anyway. She thinks there might be another familiar point from what Shinji's said, now that she thinks of it. ]

And Adam...was the first Angel. Your creator? [ Or something like that. ] So, what was your message?

My origin.

[Let's not get on the subject of who created him.]

And humanity isn't exclusive.

[He's a little testier now. The meaning of 'human' and the nature of humanity is a pretty thorny issue where he's from.]

But the message you're asking about... in all forms, it's is the reason Shinji was tasked with our destruction.

[He pauses, pensive a moment.]

You asked about the Core, right? That's pretty simple. It's the seat of our gift from God. The unlimited body. Unlimited energy and infinite life.

I don't know how much he understands of it, to be honest. I haven't asked. But Lilim and Angel each possess one half of God's power. If he really is an Angel now, he should be much more powerful than I was.

[Telling Kanaya this, no matter how convolutedly, is something like an act of trust.

He is trusting her not to abuse this.]

[ You know what, she gives up. She's not even going to question it anymore, she's just going to listen carefully and try to decode whatever nonsense he's sharing.

But "one half of God's power"? Which god?? Why are all of his answers just raising more questions? ]

How about we just...stick to one facet and explain them adequately, rather than jumping around to make vague statements about four?

Like "humanity isn't exclusive." How is that not the case? In all my dealings with humans, they are very exclusive about what they consider to count as them, otherwise you wouldn't have so many vampires pretending they aren't human anymore.

What do you meant by that?

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[SOUND ONLY] Don't... feel obligated to tag back, uh.....

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He has like ONE other friend and YOU LIVE WITH HER how rude

you have your friends and you have your roommates, who can tell when those categories intersect!!

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