candor1 | IC contact

I was concerned with how you would take this. Not the human part. With what you would think of me for keeping this a secret. I haven't ever kept anything from you this long before.

[So it's not that he hasn't kept things. Just not for this long.]

I'm sorry. I should have realized you would have preferred this in person. I can meet you wherever you'd like.

no
no sorry
thinking sluggish but
not necessary
i can write

we never had separate lives before
we never had civilian lives full stop
our missions
and mutual survival
required constant full disclosure

friendship does not

im so glad you can finally have your own life K
i am interested in every detail
you do not owe me every detail
especially things you may need time to process yourself
choosing to do so alone when one has the freedom is not a lie

plans that might affect others would be good to share
maybe that we can talk about face to face sometime
but re the new ability
thank you for telling me
and i'm ... /cosmic understatement:/ curious
but there is nothing to apologize for

[There's a pause of a few minutes.]

[The reason there's a pause is because reading this is somehow triggering signals that only go off when he requires emergency maintenance on a vital component, but the signals don't tell him what that component is, even with a quick diagnostic, and he can only determine it to be a glitch... Or something worse.

im so glad you can finally have your own life K

It isn't that he didn't know he had his own life.

Most droids never get to hear something like this, or get a chance to have their own life. Many aren't even aware of their own existence. None, as far as he knows, have had this. Anything like this.

Cassian has always treated him as special. Always knew there was more to him, and allowed it, encouraged it, wanted more of it. They both wanted to know what would happen, with what boundaries they could push with his existence. They still had to be careful- even with their allies- but despite the danger, despite the missions and necessary lack of privacy for the sake of mutual survival, he knew he was 'safest' with Cassian. Just like Cassian would be safest with him.

He hadn't planned on revealing any of his human form to anyone he knew. Not yet, it still feels awkward and uncomfortable. He doesn't owe it to Cassian to do that.

But he wants to. Just a small part.]

[When Kay responds, and it's certainly from his own communicator, but the sound of his voice doesn't have the metallic reverb to it. It sounds a little wet, even, like he's had something caught in his throat and only just cleared it before he turned on the audio feed. Which might be a few tip-offs: wet, throat, non-metallic. Organic.]

Thank you, Cassian.

[A long, long pause.

The response, at last—also switching to voice—isn't panicked or shocked or confused or queasy or whatever other awful thing it could have been.

It's the Cassian only Kay can bring out, at good moments. He sounds mischievous.]

Well. See. Now you've made me want to test if I could pick you out of a crowd.

[(He could with Kay in mech form amid other KXs. If all powered down, he'd have to rely on physical discrepancies—certain scuffs and repairs. In behavior and personality: while walking was easiest; if standing mostly still, he could tell by the Kay's oculars. Where not-jailbroken units would stare fixedly at one focus at a time, Kay's would be in motion, constantly questioning the universe around him.)]

Edited 2017-11-23 01:37 (UTC)

[At first he doesn't know what to say to that- less because he doesn't want to play Cassian's game (he does), and more because one of the very reasons he'd kept this identity a secret is just so Cassian couldn't ID him. Almost as... a security measure. If Cassian didn't know who he was, then it would mean no one else would- it would mean he could navigate a situation that might require the physical identity of someone completely unrecognizable.

(But was that discrediting Cassian's ability to act like he's never seen him before, if he did know?)

He knows, however, as a droid that he was easily picked out of a crowd of other KX units. His words would give him away, as would his movements, and if all else failed, Cassian knew where he had rings of rust and chipped paint.]

It's harder to calculate cost-benefits in this form. I have to actually concentrate.

[This does sound like it could be a good test of his own observation and ability to duplicate human behavior skills. The one who knows him best might even be able to pick out his stride, as a human. If that's true, then there isn't even a point in hiding who he is- Cassian would just know.]

Fine. If you win, then you'll get to see my awful human form.

That's reassuring, in a way.

[Cassian's openly smiling; Kay would be able to tell just from tone of voice.]

Thanks, Kay. I needed something to focus on. This is a good one.

Would a mall be too overwhelming right now? Or would you prefer an outdoor space?

[All else being equal, he'd always rather be outdoors; but right now—]

I'd prefer the optimal experiment. Your choice.

A mall would have more individuals, and would be more difficult, which I think I'd prefer.

De Chima plaza, by the large fountain on first floor. I'll stay within a 20 meter diameter of it. Within the next two hours?

Confirmed.

IC contact

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3 audio

[ -> audio ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject