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]

Yes. It's a good way to describe him. [Except with Leo's way of life, Carl isn't likely to be a grandfather anytime soon]

[bespredel]

I'm sorry you miss him. [ A beat, and then Yuri speaks in a softer voice, blowing out a slow, soft breath. ] I miss my grandpa, too.

How did you meet Carl?

[compartmentalise]

[He actually thinks for a second before answering]

He was in an accident and lost the use of his legs. I became his live-in helper.

[bespredel]

[ Yuri visibly recoiled a little at this, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed over it, eyes narrowing a fraction, drifting towards the floor. Towards his own legs. He couldn't even imagine- that would be his livelihood; his whole life. ]

That's really shitty. Sorry that happened to him- but I guess... I mean you got to meet each other, right? [ That was something that Yuri was starting to learn; trying to find the positive in bad experiences. Like meeting Otabek, when he'd been being chased down by rabid fans. It wasn't really even remotely in the same realm as losing the use of one's legs, but... it was similar enough. ]

Hey- what the hell is that blinking light on your forehead? [ He tapped his own for emphasis, against his temple in mirror of where Markus' LED flickered. ]

[compartmentalise]

That's true. If he never had his accident, we might not have met.

[He tilts his head so the LED is more prominent. Right now it's a calm blue] It's my LED.

[bespredel]

Still, I understand not wanting someone you care for to suffer, but. I dunno, I guess you can't change it now, right?

Yeah- I know it's a light but what's it for. New fashion statement in your world or something? [ Yuri isn't the most sensitive person on a good day; sorry Markus. ]

[compartmentalise]

No, it's to show that my systems are functioning. When the light is off, that means I'm shut down.

[bespredel]

Your systems?! Wait- are you some kind of robot or something? [ Yuri's eyes go wide, and he leans in closer to the screen of his phone that he's holding. ] That is so. Cool!

[ He grins despite himself, immediately fascinated. ]

[compartmentalise]

Yes, I am an android.

[He smiles, too. He's starting to like how much people seem to like robots here]

[bespredel]

Man and you can paint like that too? That's crazy- that's really, really cool.

Hey uh- Sorry if this is out of line or anything- but... do you take commissions? I'm kind of. Trying to find my fiance a really sick wedding present, and I think a portrait of us would be really cool and personal, you know? It's cool if it's not something you'd want to do, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I'd pay you too, obviously.

I'm Yuri, by the way.

[compartmentalise]

You want to pay me to paint? [He hesitates, then shakes his head] No, you'll want to speak with Julia Bellamy. She's a fine artist and I'm sure she will do a good job.

Hello, Yuri. My name is Markus.

[bespredel]

[ Yuri can't hide the disappointment that crosses his features with the other's refusal, but he's not going to push the issue. Art could be a deeply personal thing, couldn't it? Trying to force it out of the other wouldn't do anyone any good. ]

That's too bad. I really like your work. I've never met this Julia person, but I'll look her up. Thanks for the info. [ He gives the other a thumbs up, before getting distracted, glancing off screen a moment, his expression softening as a cat hops up into frame, blocking his face for a moment as Potya walks past, butt taking up most of the screen for a moment. ]

Potya- down. [ Yuri huffs, picking her up and depositing her beside him instead. ]

So an android huh? What's that like? Are you like, the T-1000 or something? Stronger than humans? Hopefully not out to destroy the human race right? You don't seem the type.

[compartmentalise]

[He does feel bad about disappointing Yuri, but he didn't want Julia to start resenting him like all humans did when androids took jobs away from them]

I like painting. I'm sure you'll see my work again. [He smiles at the cat. So that's what living cats look like]

No. The T-1000 could shape-shift, and we cannot. Also, I was designed as a caretaker unit. Causing that kind of harm on a human would go against my programming.

[bespredel]

I'm glad of that at least. I'll look forward to it! I'm a professional figure skater myself- it's a different kind of art for sure, but... there's something about dance, about the combination of music and the jumps and just. It's a different kind of art, but I understand how meaningful it is. It's personal, for me. I put my all into it.

[ Potya is still sort of in frame, her ears poking up at the very edge of the camera's vision where Yuri has his laptop resting on his knees. He reaches over to stroke her fur absently, always fond of her presence. ]

I was just kidding mostly. Having a T-1000 around probably wouldn't be great news for anyone. Unless I guess, if it was one of the sequel ones- but still. Do you have any cool built in features? Ah- oh. Maybe that's too personal a question. Sorry if that's inappropriate, you don't have to answer it.

I've never met an android before. You're a cool person by default, Markus. [ He grins. ]

[compartmentalise]

[There are probably android figure-skaters who do all sorts of acrobatics that would not be possible for humans, but it's not really the type of thing Carl would watch]

I understand.

[He watches the interaction between Yuri and the cat with fascination. He's never really seen a human-animal relationship play out before]

No one's really asked me before. I have all the features necessary to perform as a caretaker: cooking, analyzing food content to create new recipes, monitoring human physiology, strength, speed and so on.

[bespredel]

[ Noticing Markus' interest in Potya, Yuri shifted a little, picking her up and placing her gently into his lap so that she was wholly visible. He gently scratched between her ears, causing her to start purring. She lifted her chin, meowing at Yuri, reaching her paw up for further attention. ]

You like cats? [ The most important question, in Yuri's opinion. Cat person or bust. ]

I bet that came in really helpful, taking care of Carl. I bet there are a lot of other cool things you could apply that to, if you wanted to.

[compartmentalise]

I don't know. I don't see many living pets.

[He frowns a little. Everyone keeps telling him that. He does like how positive they are about androids, but they seem to fail in understanding that androids don't "want" things. Or they shouldn't, anyway]

[bespredel]

No living pets? [ He blinks, unable to imagine... anything like that, really. Doesn't know how he would live without a cat- remembers being so overjoyed the day that the Quarantine had dropped Potya off at his door. ]

What the actual fuck? What, did they go extinct or something? [ There's some general alarm to Yuri's tone. ]

What year are you from? [ Because honestly, Yuri didn't want to live in any century where house pets weren't a thing! ]

[compartmentalise]

Some species are extinct, but I think mainly people like how low-maintenance cybernetic pets can be. They don't need food or water and they're all hypoallergenic. Carl kept cybernetic birds. I always liked coming in and seeing them.

[Honestly, they were more Markus's birds than Carl's, since he was the one to check that they're turned on]

The year is 2038.

[bespredel]

Oh.

[ Yuri frowned, unpacking how he felt about that. He supposed it made sense; humans tended to like things that were easy. He could understand how the low-maintenance of cybernetic pets would appeal, but... he wondered... how similar it could be. Could they make that level of companionship? Would it always feel like there was something missing?

Markus didn't make him feel like that, though. There was nothing awkward, or dare he say- soulless, in the way Markus seemed. But then again, they'd only just met. Were there... weird things about being an android that would make it more apparent? ]

Man that's a lot closer than I thought it'd be. But I guess it makes sense. Well, I mean once I hit 2038, I'll probably still have a real cat.

How could you replace this face? [ He beams, holding Potya up to the camera even despite her protest, waving one of her dark paws at Markus playfully. ]

[compartmentalise]

[He's taking it as a rhetorical question, but he does have to raise an eyebrow at the question]

Why would you like androids, then, since we're seen to replace human workers?

[bespredel]

What? [ Yuri blinks a bit, before laughing a little- an unexpected burst of it, because the other's question was pretty serious, and Yuri hadn't really expected it. ]

Well I mean, I think there are a lot of things that androids will just be genuinely better at doing. Like you said yourself- people like the appeal of the low-maintenance pet. I bet there are a lot of jobs and things that androids are a lot more useful for than people. Like being able to tell what someone's medical needs are. Or if their blood sugar is low, or things like that. I think there's space for both androids and people to coexist comfortably.

[compartmentalise]

[He just frowns more. Maybe that's how it started, but androids do a lot more than that these days, and not everyone is comfortable with it]

I wonder how you would feel about android figure-skaters.

[bespredel]

They'd probably be a hell of a lot better at it than I am. [ The idea makes him uncomfortable, because of course it does. ] I imagine they'd probably make a league for that, though. Like they have mens skating and womens skating- why not android skating too?

[ He shrugs, flippant about it. He's still just a teenager, after all. He might be simplifying the concepts a bit, but. That's just how he do. ]

I don't see why android figure skaters couldn't have merit of their own. Though it's a bit like- that chess computer? Who beat the best chess player in the world? It didn't at first, but then it did eventually and I guess it's kind of like that. Of course androids would eventually be better at it than any human could be...

[compartmentalise]

[It's hard to believe someone would be that accepting of an android taking their place at a thing they love]

I don't understand. It bothers you that there are robotic pets, but not that there are robotic athletes?