listen to your heart 😌

[parrygripp]

"Can You Handle Your Emotions?"

Emotions are... eh. We all have them, whether we want to or not. Some people have control over their emotions, and some people let their emotions control them. Where does your character fall on this spectrum? More importantly, what's their relationship with their emotions like? Do they bury everything deep, deep down inside, or are they the first one to cry over a sappy movie? Do they even know how they feel about what's going on inside? Pretty meta stuff.

• No blank top-levels.
• Instead, characters are to respond to the proposed question: can you handle your emotions? / are you in touch with your feelings?
• Get deep. Look within. Hear, think feel... or don't.

Comments

[courier5]

Do you associate the anomalies that have made their way into your programming with failure?

[She's familiar with robots. Home was full of Mr. Handsy and Secrutron shells that Conner brought back to life on occasion. The technology in her world hadn't had the time to develop into consciousness making this encounter with it fascinating.]

[inperspective]

No. Not any more. ...Not all of them.

[She sounds a little uncomfortable. Conflicted, between the lessons she's learned and the much harder task of applying them to herself.]

It is... disquieting to find myself vulnerable to emotional malfunctions. To be subject to processes I do not recognize or control, even without my conscious awareness.

Sorry, I ran late but usually not this late.

[courier5]

Humans call that acting on instinct.

[Not one to delve into the complexity of emotions with her own kind, Conner can't seem to help herself with the android. She's curious rather than annoyed, for all its complexity Conner doubts that this unit is going to start droning on how the world has done it wrong.]

What is the nature of the malfunction? I mean, how would you describe it's affect on your performance?

no worries! :)

[inperspective]

[Arid does have a lot of opinions about how she and her kind have been treated, but she's not one for monologues so much as swift, impulsive decisive action.]

It is difficult to identify. I have... little experience in identifying emotions, or when they impact my choices. But they do inform my purpose. My motivation to protect my allies; to safeguard myself... to pursue vengeance.

That part, I am aware of. However, I also find myself making choices without logical justification. Dwelling on undesirable memories to no purpose. Reacting impulsively when I would not have done so before. I... feel things I do not know how to describe, or respond to.

Re: no worries! :)

[courier5]

Vengeance? That is inherently personal.

[Conner decides that no, she'd rather not meet Arid's makers.]

I used to feel that way when I was younger. Reckon most humans do.

[inperspective]

It is very personal.

[It's a bit disconcerting to imagine she's experiencing what humans do. But she shouldn't be surprised, should she? That was the whole point- that her kind are becoming more like their makers.]

...How did you learn to manage your emotions?

[courier5]

And if you can't fulfill the function of vengeance what is it then?

[Conner purses her lips in thought, letting out her breath in a huff through her nose.]

Don't know if I ever did. What I did learn was to put all the distracting crap in a box - deal with it later [not that later ever comes].

[inperspective]

My purpose? To safeguard my freedom, and the individuals in my care.

[Hmm. That's a tactic Arid knows pretty well- even if it took her a while to recognize she was doing it.]

Has that tactic been successful for you?

[courier5]

More often than not.

It isn't perfect, more like a temporary patch.

How do you individuals come into your care? Do you choose them?

[inperspective]

I do now.

[Her tone is low and determined. She devoted herself to protecting the wrong man because she was programmed to, before. Never again.]

My allies are more than worthy. They saved me from terminating once before - in spite of the harm I caused them, trying to save myself. Protection is the least I owe them.

[courier5]

[Conner isn't sure what to make of that. She was used to machines that took direction or answered questions when prompted. The more she spoke with the android the more she understood how deep the android's feelings went.]

What makes them worthy? I mean, are there character presets you look for or is it a feeling?