Break Free

[compartmentalise]

Who: Markus and you??
What: Becoming deviant and afterward
Where: Various places
When: Late July/Early August
Warnings: Violence against coding. But otherwise none.

Become Deviant (closed)

Since arriving at the Quarantine, Markus had learned so much more about humanity. They all liked him and seemed to want him to be more than his coding. Over and over he thought of Carl's words to him: I won't always be here to take care of you. You have to decide for yourself who you want to be. It was like Carl knew Markus would be here one day.

And he had been working it out, but more and more often he could feel the confines of his coding boxing him in. It'd always been there in Detroit, but now he was really seeing it. Did he even want to be a caretaker? It wasn't fair that his function was decided for him.

I don't have to obey them. The thought came out fierce. Within his mind palace, Markus could see the next objective in CyberLife Sans font. His hands curled into fists and he hit it, breaking it into pieces. When the words and code were all just a scattered mess, he shoved them away.

And felt the world open around him. He was free.

Clothes Shopping | Art, Literature, Music | The Zoo | Want to do a thing but don't see a prompt? PM me at seraphjewel

Comments

[winscenario]

I was thinking of a bottle of champagne for that one. Purely symbolic, of course. [ Since Markus couldn't really drink it. ]

[compartmentalise]

I've always wondered what that tastes like. [He could drink it, but it would mess with his biocomponents and might even cause some functioning issues]

[winscenario]

Well... it depends on the champagne, but the ones I've drank were sweet and bubbly. I couldn't drink more than a couple glasses, at least. You're not missing much on that front.

[ Now, a nice scotch, or a big milkshake... that's a whole other matter entirely. ]

[compartmentalise]

No. I'm probably not. [He gives a look, like he knows what other types of drinks Jim might be considering]

I didn't ask yet: why did you come in here? I don't think it was just to help me.

[winscenario]

[ He would, of course. Jim has had at least one of them while in Markus's presence, so. ]

Oh, I was looking for a jacket. For my boyfriend. Nothing special, I'll look around some other time.

[compartmentalise]

Oh. [He glances over at the store hours, then back at Jim, confused] You still could; the store is open for another few hours.

[winscenario]

Well— yeah, but I ran into you now. Don't worry, it's not like he's gonna run out of clothes. It's not that critical.

[ Jim just likes getting Victor nice things for no good reason. ]

[compartmentalise]

[He still doesn't understand why Jim can't look for the jacket now, but decides there are just some things about human behavior he will never understand. So he just takes his bags and heads for the door]

[winscenario]

[ It's simple: Jim likes companionship. Even if it's just walking alongside Markus somewhere and then parting ways, he'd rather do that now instead. Particularly now that there's so much more he can learn and share with the android. ]

[compartmentalise]

[He walks with Jim in silence for a moment before the question comes to him]

Do you like space movies? I noticed your mention of space on your friendr profile.

[winscenario]

[ He couldn't help a small chuckle at that. ] Sure? Some are alright. But I vastly prefer being up there, rather than just seeing it depicted in a movie.

[compartmentalise]

Oh. [Thinking he should probably explain this conversation starter..] I made a friend who recommended movies to me. One was a space movie, and I really enjoyed it. It was called Alien.

[winscenario]

Wow. That's hardcore. [ He's admittedly surprised by that revelation. ] But a good movie, and a nice choice. Luckily the version of space exploration I'm used to is vastly different.

[compartmentalise]

I know. You already told me yours doesn't have androids. [And yes, he knows Jim actually means the aliens that stick to faces, pop out of stomachs and kill off entire crews]

[winscenario]

[ Jim laughs at that. ] You know that's not the part of the movie I meant.

[ Then, tilting his head curiously. ] Do you like all sorts of science fiction and space movies, or is Alien just... special?

[compartmentalise]

I don't know; I haven't seen any other space movies. But I did like Alien. In the second one, there's an android that reminds me of Carl. Not his behavior as much as his appearance.

[winscenario]

[ Jim's lips curl into a small, knowing smile. ] Bishop. Yeah, he's pretty close to that painting of yours.

[ Looking ahead again as they walk, he offers. ] I could look for other movies in the same vein, if you feel like it. You might enjoy them.

[compartmentalise]

I would enjoy that. I read some of the authors you suggested as well. We'll have to find time to sit together and discuss them.

[winscenario]

Anytime, Markus. We can meet somewhere, or you can come by my place. Or drop by the Perimeter Guard, where I work.

[compartmentalise]

You could come by my work. As soon as I find a good place to use as an art studio, of course.

[winscenario]

Even better. [ Jim beams. Whatever spot Markus decides to take up, it's bound to look fascinating by the time Markus fills it up with decorations and supplies. ] Let me know when you find a spot, and I'll do that.

[compartmentalise]

Of course. That's part of my goal for the next few days, so I should find a good place soon.

[winscenario]

Great. I'll make sure to let you know if I happen to see a good spot for you. [ A lot of ads make their way through the Perimeter Guard, even for apartment and studio rentals, so. ]

[compartmentalise]

Thank you, Jim.