hadriel | 001 [Video]

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001 [Video]

[For those who frequent the tops of the various climbable buildings in Hadriel, they might recognize that this broadcast is from the roof of one of them due to the angle; otherwise it's just a rapidly darkening cloudy sky for a backdrop, sun setting and rain clearly threatening to roll in at any time.

It's pretty, and that may or may not be the reason why Connor is out on a roof in the first place, but it's definitely not the point of this impromptu broadcast. He's just been wondering some things, and it's in his nature to actively search out answers rather than waiting for them to come to him, so he's decided to just go for it.]

Hello everyone; my name is Connor, and I just arrived a few days ago.

[Always good to start with introductions, and also to avoid saying exactly how many days or hours it's been since a given time when pretending to be human. He's getting a little better at this.]

I've been catching up on the situation at hand, and although the context is somewhat different, there are parallels to current events in my world that are difficult to ignore. Before I arrived, we were dealing with what might be the beginning of a civil war between humans and machines.

[He's trying to tread carefully, projecting enough genuine interest without sounding over-invested. He's just asking, after all, nothing more; there's definitely no personal reason why he wants to know.]

So I'm curious; I'm aware that what the Null have done is enough reason to be against them, but does what they are play any role in your feelings toward them?

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We don't have magic, no. The machines in my world are dependent on technology only.

[Though magic sounds fascinating, and so does everything else Harlan mentions. Of course there's enough trouble going on in his world just with two intelligent species and some advanced technology, so adding more species and magic on top of that sounds like a recipe for disaster. But maybe they've just had so long to get used to it in Harlan's world that it isn't a problem, and maybe that can be the future in Connor's world too.]

I'm interested in public opinion because it played a large role in the conflict at home. A refusal to even consider listening to the motivations of the other side has lead to a situation that could've been avoided.

[It's... A lot more complicated than that, of course, but it's still a truthful answer. Of course, it isn't the only reason Connor's interested in what the people here think, but it's the one he's willing to make public.]

that makes sense.
same shit could happen here.
then again the null did try to mass murder us. succeeded a lil bit.
were prob past the point of no return as far as that goes but i dont see that as a reason to get stupid.
and either way that opinion is more bc the null fuckin killed me and less bc theyre robots.

[He's at least convinced that Harlan's probably telling the truth, at this point.]

It sounds as though you have good reason.

[And that said--]

Do you know why public support seems in favor of the gods? Was it so before the Null attacked, or did it change afterward?

[Harlan is, unfortunately, probably one of the most truthful people in Hadriel.]

yeah lol.
if ur gonna hold a grudge abt anything may as well be over gettin murdered.
hm. good q.
i try not to talk politics so idk tbh. ill tell u my pov but take it w. a grain of salt.
before the null showed up it was just us and the gods. opinions were more split bc we werent at war. we could afford to be more opinionated.
once the null surfaced it we had to choose sides. most ppl picked the gods bc the gods are the lesser of two evils.
im not talkin morally. this is pure logistics.
the gods take care of us. big air quotes there. were a food source for them so its in their best interest not to kill us or fuck us up too badly.
we can roughly trust them in that way. and we know what to expect from the gods. theyre a known variable.
we dont really know what to make of the null yet tho. plus the null threatened to and then attempted to murder a shitload of us.
they made a hitlist. they put kids on it.
just for questioning their intentions.
idt the public has a lot of love for the gods overall. but were stuck in the middle.
if we have to choose a side im gonna pick the side that doesnt send an army to murder everyone who doesnt agree w. them.
p sure i could walk up to any of the gods and say fuck u to their face and nothing would happen.

[As much as Connor doesn't like this logic, it does make perfect sense. Finally. Finally someone has a decent explanation, and Harlan goes onto the 'humans(?) who may have some actual sense' list. It has like two people on it so far here.]

That's reasonable, although I dislike that this is the situation we find ourselves in.

[And he really means 'dislike', which is still a new thing to Connor in general but he's amassing that list pretty quickly.]

What would happen if we didn't participate in helping either side? Do you know?

[It's worth asking.]

[Harlan would be very proud to be on this list if he knew it was a thing.]

same here.
im not a fan of any situation where the gen pop is at the mercy of some bs god figures.
btw the gods here arent actually gods. thats just like their species name or smth.
hardly all powerful. i wish we called em something different.
idt anyone can really know the answer to that. its just speculation no matter how u break it down.
the way i see it is wed be forming a third faction for no good reason.
like it or not we dont hold a lot of power in this equation. just sittin out isnt an option.
wed have to muscle our way out of the conflict if we really wanted to avoid pickin sides. thats a waste of energy.

[It is a very prestigious status.]

Do you know if they called themselves that, or if those here started it?

Understandable, even if I disagree on it being worthwhile.

[But considering everything going on at home he knows he probably has a different viewpoint on what's worth the energy. Besides, humans get tired so easily.

And alright, well, this has actually been a productive conversation, so he decides to add--]

Thank you, for all your answers.

ykw idk. good q.
y do u disagree?
and lmao. yw. anytime.

I disagree because I dislike the idea of choosing the side of someone or something that's putting us in a difficult situation, whether or not it's the path of least resistance. However, I understand why it would be an appealing choice.

[So he's... Maybe judging a little, but not as harshly as he could be. Now that he's deviant he definitely gets the idea of wanting to stay alive, and choosing the path that's most likely to accomplish that.]

thats reasonable.
i appreciate the honesty. wed get a fuck of a lot more done around here if more ppl were levelheaded like this.
what angle are u goin w.?

[He's quietly very pleased with the compliment, even if he's also annoyed with himself at the same time for having such a reaction; it's a very strong part of his programming that causes him to want approval, especially from humans, even while the side of him that is deviant thinks that humans--aside from a few specific individuals--could go throw themselves of whatever bridge is nearby for all he cares. It's a frustrating clash.

But he is aware that Harlan has no way of knowing any of this, and he carefully makes sure not to let any of it factor into his response.]

Thanks. What do you mean by angle?

what side are u on?

[He kind of wishes he weren't asked this question so often, but unlike last time back at home he decides to be honest.]

I'm not on either side. From what I understand so far, neither of them deserves any allegiance.

i agree w. u.
problem is idt we have the luxury to sit this out. thats my pt.

[But this guy seems pretty set in his view, and Harlan doesn't honestly care enough about the issue to beat a dead horse trying to convince him. Besides, Connor is new here. This is an easy opinion to have when walking into the middle of conflict that everyone else has been part of for half a year. It's not his fault, but it is something he'll have to learn on his own, unfortunately.]

u can think what u want tho.
its a shit situation no matter how u spin it.

[Connor isn't going to argue, not knowing enough about the situation yet to really do so and unwilling to explain why he refuses to accept that answer anyway.]

It is less than ideal, but it seems those here have adapted remarkably well.

[What with all the organizations and such, although he's also just interested in hearing what Harlan's response might be.]

yeah.
a lot of us have been here a long time. ive been here almost a year.
may as well make the best of it.
daily life isnt too terrible anyway. its just this fuckin god null drama that weighs shit down.
and the events.
ull find that out for urself soon tho.
anything else u want to know?

[He's so not looking forward to any of that, although he will at least be glad to get some experience.]

That's everything for now. Thanks again for all your help.

anytime.
later.

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001 [Video]

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