ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤI'LL FIND A NEW PLACE TO BE FROM
might be time to brush the dust off this old thing...
might be time to brush the dust off this old thing...
「 Be safe, Enker. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey watch him go. Desperately do they want to run to him, to find that age old comfort in his arms.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤBut they don't.
( ..I love you. )
ㅤ
I won’t cross that boundary, then. I hope that you find peace, Maestro… and that we will speak again sometime soon.
( He forces himself to turn and head back into the woods. )
「 ..I don't know. I'm so scared that my reasons will never be my own. 」
「 At the very least, I need to be alone right now. For my nerves... 」
ㅤ
「 Be safe, Enker. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey watch him go. Desperately do they want to run to him, to find that age old comfort in his arms.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤBut they don't.
( ..I love you. )
ㅤ
「 ..I don't know. I'm so scared that my reasons will never be my own. 」
「 At the very least, I need to be alone right now. For my nerves... 」
ㅤ
I know I fight for my /own/ reasons now… and perhaps you haven’t found yours yet. But for me, the search was worth it.
I don’t want to see you wither away in this place. I want to /help/ you, and I’m sure Darma does as well.
「 ..I don't know. I'm so scared that my reasons will never be my own. 」
「 At the very least, I need to be alone right now. For my nerves... 」
ㅤ
「 How am I supposed to trust myself with anything..? Everything I've done in the past decade wasn't even my own choice. This is something I /know/ Ra Moon wouldn't want me to do. 」
ㅤ
Your concern and care for your loved ones is yours.
If you cannot trust yourself to protect all others, then… the ones you care for would still be a reasonable start. But isolating yourself isn’t the answer.
「 No! God no! I-It's just... 」
「 ..I don't know how many of my own /aspirations/ are truly mine. I can't trust those, then I can't trust anything. 」
ㅤ
「 How am I supposed to trust myself with anything..? Everything I've done in the past decade wasn't even my own choice. This is something I /know/ Ra Moon wouldn't want me to do. 」
ㅤ
「 No! God no! I-It's just... 」
「 ..I don't know how many of my own /aspirations/ are truly mine. I can't trust those, then I can't trust anything. 」
ㅤ
You would not forcefully control other robots to complete that task... right?
「 Well... yes, intentionally. I /want/ to protect Earth. But I'm not sure if that's for good, or because Ra Moon wanted me to. 」
ㅤ
「 No! God no! I-It's just... 」
「 ..I don't know how many of my own /aspirations/ are truly mine. I can't trust those, then I can't trust anything. 」
ㅤ
「 Well... yes, intentionally. I /want/ to protect Earth. But I'm not sure if that's for good, or because Ra Moon wanted me to. 」
ㅤ
You cannot be held at fault for something outside of your control; and certainly something you weren't aware of.
「 How do you know that? Everything I've done has been to help Ra Moon— all except for helping Darma and leaving the Tower. 」
ㅤ
「 Well... yes, intentionally. I /want/ to protect Earth. But I'm not sure if that's for good, or because Ra Moon wanted me to. 」
ㅤ
「 How do you know that? Everything I've done has been to help Ra Moon— all except for helping Darma and leaving the Tower. 」
ㅤ
Your origins do not define who you are now, Maestro.
( Enker can say this from experience. He hopes that helps a little. )
「 No. Darma and Duo took them out... but I knew I couldn't be a /security guard/ with that knowledge. 」
「 Especially since what Ra Moon wanted me to do was... protect the Earth on their behalf. The same thing I've been doing this whole time... 」
ㅤ
「 How do you know that? Everything I've done has been to help Ra Moon— all except for helping Darma and leaving the Tower. 」
ㅤ
「 No. Darma and Duo took them out... but I knew I couldn't be a /security guard/ with that knowledge. 」
「 Especially since what Ra Moon wanted me to do was... protect the Earth on their behalf. The same thing I've been doing this whole time... 」
ㅤ
( He sighs. )
Is Ra Moon still out there, in that temple?
「 No. Darma and Duo took them out... but I knew I couldn't be a /security guard/ with that knowledge. 」
「 Especially since what Ra Moon wanted me to do was... protect the Earth on their behalf. The same thing I've been doing this whole time... 」
ㅤ
「 ..a few months ago, Darma and I returned to the Lanfront Ruins for answers. And Ra Moon... brought me back to who I /was./ Who I really am... 」
「 ..a violent champion of their reign. 」
「 Maestro is a mistake. A beautiful, wonderful mistake, but... I can't help but fear I'll be fixed again. 」
ㅤ
Why do you say that…?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThere's no getting out of this without explaining what happened, is there?
「 ..I'm a danger. 」
ㅤ
「 ..a few months ago, Darma and I returned to the Lanfront Ruins for answers. And Ra Moon... brought me back to who I /was./ Who I really am... 」
「 ..a violent champion of their reign. 」
「 Maestro is a mistake. A beautiful, wonderful mistake, but... I can't help but fear I'll be fixed again. 」
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThere's no getting out of this without explaining what happened, is there?
「 ..I'm a danger. 」
ㅤ
I believe you. But… will you allow me to ask why?
「 No, it's alright. I'm honored, honestly, I'm just... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA danger. Better away from others.
「 ..more suited to be out here. 」
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThere's no getting out of this without explaining what happened, is there?
「 ..I'm a danger. 」
ㅤ
「 No, it's alright. I'm honored, honestly, I'm just... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA danger. Better away from others.
「 ..more suited to be out here. 」
ㅤ
If you insist. I apologize for being overbearing.
「 I don't have temperature like you all, so don't worry. I can't feel it. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey shake their head, looking back into the cave. But before Enker can comment on it, they look back at him.
ㅤ
「 No, it's alright. I'm honored, honestly, I'm just... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA danger. Better away from others.
「 ..more suited to be out here. 」
ㅤ
「 I don't have temperature like you all, so don't worry. I can't feel it. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey shake their head, looking back into the cave. But before Enker can comment on it, they look back at him.
ㅤ
… You always have a place among me and my family, if you require alternate housing.
That isn’t meant to patronize you. I simply… worry for you, staying out in this freezing weather.
「 It's clear when you're thinking about something. What else is it? 」
ㅤ
「 I don't have temperature like you all, so don't worry. I can't feel it. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey shake their head, looking back into the cave. But before Enker can comment on it, they look back at him.
ㅤ
「 It's clear when you're thinking about something. What else is it? 」
ㅤ
( It’s an awful lie. )
Perhaps I worry a bit /too/ much, that is all…
「 ..are you alright? 」
ㅤ
「 It's clear when you're thinking about something. What else is it? 」
ㅤ
「 ..are you alright? 」
ㅤ
( His voice is quiet. He’s clearly holding back a few words. )
「 I know I can. I just... haven't needed anything. 」
ㅤ
「 ..are you alright? 」
ㅤ
「 I know I can. I just... haven't needed anything. 」
ㅤ
( Enker returns to sitting down, this time against the wall of the cave entrance. )
... If you need anything, you know you can contact me.
「 I was at the Tower for a short while, but... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey trail off, looking away as well.
「 ..it didn't work out. 」
ㅤ
「 I know I can. I just... haven't needed anything. 」
ㅤ
「 I was at the Tower for a short while, but... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey trail off, looking away as well.
「 ..it didn't work out. 」
ㅤ
( He gazes away, embarrassed that he'd accidentally made the question sound insulting. )
... I thought you were living somewhere else. My apologies.
「 Doing out here..? Enker, this is where I live. I've lived here for years. 」
ㅤ
「 I was at the Tower for a short while, but... 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey trail off, looking away as well.
「 ..it didn't work out. 」
ㅤ
「 Doing out here..? Enker, this is where I live. I've lived here for years. 」
ㅤ
( He mimics clearing his throat. )
What are you doing out here, though, if I may ask…?
「 Yes, I'm alright. Did I worry you..? 」
ㅤ
「 Doing out here..? Enker, this is where I live. I've lived here for years. 」
ㅤ
「 Yes, I'm alright. Did I worry you..? 」
ㅤ
You don’t need to apologize. Is… everything alright?
( The simple question carries a lot of weight… and a lot of questions he /wants/ to ask. )
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey stagger back a little when it's confirmed, oddly... antsy. Their shoulders are tense, eyes wide.
「 ..I'm sorry for vanishing. 」
ㅤ
「 Yes, I'm alright. Did I worry you..? 」
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey stagger back a little when it's confirmed, oddly... antsy. Their shoulders are tense, eyes wide.
「 ..I'm sorry for vanishing. 」
ㅤ
Maestro...? /Maestro!/
( Enker stands up, approaching the cave entrance. )
I've been missing you...! I was beginning to worry!
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFootsteps raise them from their already failing slumber, narrowed eyes searching the entrance in the dark. Whoever it is, they want to see them first.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd when they do...
( ..Enker? )
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThey stagger back a little when it's confirmed, oddly... antsy. Their shoulders are tense, eyes wide.
「 ..I'm sorry for vanishing. 」
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFootsteps raise them from their already failing slumber, narrowed eyes searching the entrance in the dark. Whoever it is, they want to see them first.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd when they do...
( ..Enker? )
ㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFootsteps raise them from their already failing slumber, narrowed eyes searching the entrance in the dark. Whoever it is, they want to see them first.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd when they do...
( ..Enker? )
ㅤ
「 I should've made that more obvious, sorry. 」
ㅤ
[ Pause. ]
You were being sarcastic.
「 Wow, I wonder how you would've guessed. 」
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA mechanized laugh comes from them, words sarcastic.
ㅤ
「 I should've made that more obvious, sorry. 」
ㅤ