[video]

[kestreldawn]

[In frame: a young woman, seemingly in her early 20's, though the weariness of her gaze and the downward turn of her lips would suggest someone who's much older. Or, perhaps, someone young who's been forced to grow too much, too quickly. She doesn't say anything right away, looking like she's gathering her thoughts and is regretting having not done so before recording. She inhales a quiet breath, huffs it out through her nose.]

Jyn Erso here. [She clenches her jaw, purses her lips. She absent-mindedly taps her finger on the glowing tattoo under her skin.] The last thing I remember is - light. Bright light. Heat and energy and light. [Her gaze is unfocused, mind elsewhere as she remembers.] We'd been fighting, on Scarif. We - [Her voice hitches in her throat, which she tries to clear. When she speaks again, her voice is hoarse and worn.] I don't know if anyone got away. I don't know if anyone lived. But they'd followed me down to the beach. I'm the reason they - [Another breath through her nostrils as she steels her nerves and her eyes go cold.] The fact of the matter is, I'm here, and I'm not sure why. And all I really want to do right now is shoot the ever-living kriff out of something, preferably something inhuman and non-sentient, like a dummy. I'm in some place called - De Chima? It isn't its own planet, which is - that's a different story all together, and just - look, if anyone knows where I can find something like that, please let me know. [A few more seconds of silence before the video goes black.]

Comments

[reexamined]

[OOC: Yeah, that'd be fine!]

"Science Fiction?" Are they really that backwater here?

[It's rhetorical, because of course they are. Of all the planets for them to wind up on, it's one that doesn't even believe in advanced scientific development. Probably still wouldn't, even if he was standing there, about to slap them in the face.

At least Data File Manager sounds like something he could do. He gives her that "look" he gets again, and his tone is as absolutely dry as possible:]

Sports Commentator.

[He doesn't even know what Earth sports consist of.]

ACK i have no idea what happened! i never got this tag notif! sorry!

[kestreldawn]

[A voice floats into her consciousness - almost K2's, but not quite - talking rather gruffly about their current situation, their lack of technology, his lack of enthusiasm about his job, his confusion about Earth sports.

She blinks up at him, unsure of where this voice might be coming from - whether it's his, whether it's some side effect of being transported here. After a few more moments, she manages to release a semi-strained smile.]

Sounds like the perfect job for an ex-Imperial droid, don't you think? [Sarcasm, so much sarcasm.]

Np!!

[reexamined]

[Well that's an odd look she just gave him for a moment. But maybe she just does that. He's only know her for less than a week, in total. It's not enough time for him to have catalogued her average behaviors. He supposed he should start now.]

I think they have as much competence assigning me a job as I have in lying convincingly.

Which is to say they're very bad at it, and there is a 98% chance I'm going to be fired within my first shift.

[kestreldawn]

This isn't what I normally do. [She suddenly retorts his thoughts, though to her, she thinks she's heard them out loud.] This - This isn't an average behavior of mine. I don't - I'm not sure what's happening.

At least there's a 2% chance of hope. You'd probably be rather good at it, if you tried. Entertaining, at the least.

[reexamined]

I didn't say that out loud.

[ Kay says suddenly, photoreceptors looking Jyn over once again, with an air of suspicion. ]

How did you know I was thinking that?

[kestreldawn]

You - You didn't? [Jyn furrows her brows as she considers him.] But - I heard you, I heard you speaking and saying -

I heard you.

[reexamined]

[ Kay tilts his head at her, and then rather than speaking out loud, very clearly projects: You're right Jyn, I learned how to lie in the past thirty-six seconds. ]

[kestreldawn]

Now you're just being difficult on purpose. I know you didn't learn how to lie in the past 36 seconds.

[reexamined]

I didn't say that out loud either, Jyn. You're reading my thoughts. The invasion of privacy I'm feeling right now is astronomical.

[kestreldawn]

What?! No - I'm - No, you said that! I heard it! I heard your voice!

[reexamined]

Would you like me to disable my vocabulator to demonstrate?

[kestreldawn]

[She frowns, folding her arms across her chest.] Fine.

[reexamined]

[ The droid pauses for a moment, and a few faint clicks can be heard. He's disabled it, and momentarily recalls a few times when he's had to for a mission with Cassian, over a year ago. It was too much of a concern at the time that he'd blab his way into breaking their cover, and it was easier to pretend his vocabulator was simply broken, so no one would ask him any questions.

I shouldn't have to prove this to you. You should just believe me. ]

[kestreldawn]

[Her eyes go wide as she backs away from him, knuckles now tapping at the side of her temple as she devolves into a panicked sort of pacing, back and forth and back again.] No, no, no ...

How is this happening? Why can I hear you? I don't want to hear your thoughts! I - I don't - AUGH!

[reexamined]

[ Another few clicks again, and he's put his voice back online. Responding via thoughts probably won't help the situation much. Not that she can seem to tell the difference, given his lack of mouth-movement. ]

And I'd rather you didn't hear them either, but here we are. Calm down.

[ Easy for him to say, right? ]

[kestreldawn]

Calm down. Easy enough for you to say. You're not suddenly collecting everyone's thoughts like a comm tower. [She eventually comes to a halt, arms folded tightly around her frame.] It feels invasive. I shouldn't be able to do this.

[reexamined]

[ She's still having a bit of a hard time, it seems. He's lucky that if he ever does experience any kind of intense emotion as a glitch, he can easily shut it down.

Still. Despite his usual position as an "enforcer," he's also found himself a bit in the role of "guardian." Mostly out of necessity, with Cassian. ]

If it's a new ability of yours, it surely has a range. Likely an uncontrolled one, but not helped by the presence of others. We should go inside.

[kestreldawn]

[She turns and heads back towards the door, leaving it open for him to follow as she heads deeper inside.] To be honest, I'm surprised I can read your "mind." I didn't think droids had brains - not like humans, anyway.

[reexamined]

Of course we have brains. If anything, my thoughts should be easier to read than ones from a human. Your thoughts are sent from a collective of cells connected through synapses, sending signals through your body. My "thought" signals can be traced from start to finish, and their response times documented.

[He continues, as he steps inside, and ducking a bit to get through the door.]

I've stopped my auxiliary thought processes, so I shouldn't trigger your ability now. But you can't go doing that when you're in public.

[kestreldawn]

My experience with droids hasn't been all that extensive. Not in a mechanical sort of way, anyway. [She thinks of Mac-Vee, thinks of the agricultural droids she'd had on Lah'mu. She'd never thought to tinker with them beyond their intended interactions.]

I can't go doing that - K2, you think I'm doing this on purpose? [She turns towards him, a very clear look in her eyes.]

[reexamined]

I think your reactions leave much to be desired.

[ Which was probably not the right thing to say. ]

I know it isn't on purpose. But having a mental collapse in public could wind up with you hospitalized. You're the only person here I know-

[ He pauses, rather abruptly, as if he wanted to stop himself from saying something. In another half second, he continues anyway.. ]

...And trust.

I would prefer it if you didn't wind up locked up somewhere.

[kestreldawn]

[She deadpans, though there's something to be said for the honesty he provides. She sort of gets, now, why Cassian preferred K2's company as opposed to humans. There's no hidden meanings, no underlying messages. It's refreshing.]

I wouldn't have a mental collapse; I think you're being sort of dram -- [Her voice trails off to silence at his admission of trust. She makes no attempt to hide her surprise.] I - Well. Then. That makes two of us. I've been a prisoner already; I don't want to be one again.

[reexamined]

"Trust goes both ways."

[ He says, almost recalling the moment she said just that in what feels like years ago, but was actually just less than a week ago. But he suppresses the exact memory, in order to not potentially trigger her mind reading.

Still, he means it. There's something to be said about the bond that forms when two people die for the same cause. They might not have the exact same things that drive them, but at the very least at this point, he thinks he can rely on Jyn to not shoot him in the back. Or in the front. Or at all. ]

Then I shouldn't have to tell you to be careful.

[ Which is his way of saying to be careful. ]

omg k2 pls omg we're so emotional rn

[kestreldawn]

[There's an immediate tightness in her chest at his words, the echoing of her own to - no, don't think his name. She considers him for a quiet moment, a softness K2 has probably never seen before washing over her, quietly illuminating her features.

There's a stinging at the back of her eyes that she does her best to tamp down, control. She clears her throat, glances back to the room enveloping them, notices how he has to crouch to avoid smashing into the ceiling, silently appreciates the fact that he does.]

I'll be careful. [For you, for me, for ..] I promise, K2. I'll be careful.

You - you should be careful, too. I don't think many people here have seen a droid, reprogrammed or not.

hahah he absolutely wouldn't know what to do if she actually cried

[reexamined]

[Her reaction has been... noted. He doesn't recall ever having seen her look quite like this. Microexpressions on a human's face are usually exactly that- so small, you can barely tell what they mean. But this isn't all that subtle, right now.

He nods, in acknowledgement of her promise. He'll hope she does, for both of their sakes, but he also expects she'll unwittingly go against it at some point.]

More than you would think, for us being lightyears away from our galaxy.

I've been treated with light suspicion, but overall... acceptance, it seems. The people here who know what I am have not given too much of a negative reaction, and the ones who don't, are treating me as... their equal.

[Which was unexpected.]