video; un: markus

[compartmentalise]

[Markus has been busy. Since the festival, he's been working through some things. The humans here are so nice to him, so accepting. A few he's spoken with even encouraged him to try things for himself just like Carl did. It turns out that art is a good way of working through his feelings.

Most of what he's been doing are just recreations of scenes from the festival: the food carts and the various people working them, the float from the children's parade, people wearing body paint-- and here he included himself, wearing the android-appointed uniform instead of the scrubs he actually wore while attending. He did, however, include the face paint one of his new human friends did for him.

But that's not really the focus. He centers the camera on a portrait of an elderly man]

I was missing Carl, and so I painted this.

Comments

[compartmentalise]

You say that like it's... expected.

[This is very puzzling. Androids are not meant to be unique. Markus knows he's different because he's a prototype, but all androids of a certain model have the same appearance and function-- except for Tracis, for obvious reasons]

[sentiences]

[ A tinge of wryness. ]

I'm getting used to the idea.

[compartmentalise]

I think I would like getting used to it.

[sentiences]

I'm sure you will. It takes time.

[compartmentalise]

[That gets him to smile. He's starting to think he should have spoken with other androids sooner]

A human named Jim told me about you. He said you were "fun".

[sentiences]

[ Did he now. Dorian's lips curve upward. ]

Well, he should know.

But I'm also learning how to have fun on my own. As my own person.

[compartmentalise]

[Again, he doesn't know how to respond. It's so bizarre for an android to express such things. Then again, isn't it strange for an android to paint things from their own thoughts?]

But how can you know what is "fun"?

[sentiences]

I usually start with trying out an activity and seeing if I like it or not.

[compartmentalise]

[Makes sense. Process of elimination]

Then painting is fun. [It's an activity he likes. Logical conclusion]

[sentiences]

That's an excellent start.

I like singing.

[compartmentalise]

[He looks interested. He can actually sing, too. Now he's wondering just how many androids have artistic inclinations that they just don't reveal]

I can play piano. I could accompany you.

[sentiences]

Are you sure?

You haven't heard me sing yet.

[compartmentalise]

Does that matter?

[sentiences]

It might if you consider it not up to standard.

[compartmentalise]

I don't really know if I have a standard.

[sentiences]

Do you listen to music?

[ Though, it might be more fair to ask if Carl did. ]

[compartmentalise]

Only myself when I play the piano. There are sometimes musicians playing when I run errands, but I don't stop to listen.

[sentiences]

[ Huh. ]

Are you connected to a network? Like the, ah, internet?

[compartmentalise]

Not at the moment. I can if I need to.

[sentiences]

[ He nods. ]

If you want, I can send you a sound bite of what my singing is like.

[compartmentalise]

Ready to receive.

[He's very curious]

[sentiences]

[ Because Dorian is a bit of a troll, he sends that one time he sang in Korean ]

[compartmentalise]

I'm unfamiliar with Korean songs.

[sentiences]

Really? I always found them rather catchy.

[compartmentalise]

So you listen to it because you enjoy it?