Seaside [open]

[six_lives_left]

It had been bound to happen eventually -- after tinkering around with the various Shiny Things brought back from the Ruins, and getting accustomed to little things like living in a proper building, Serin had gotten a little restless

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[viral_lord]

"You must be from long before the current time in my homeworld, then." X shrugged slightly. "As much a brother as any, then. I have none from my own world - none that I've met, at least."

X turned his head to look at the little Xling on his shoulder. He reached up to lightly pet the elf before replying to Mega. "I... do not believe so. The circumstances of where we found him-" X shook his head slightly and returned his attention mainly to Mega. "I think it more likely he was made from an X, rather than being an X himself."

[six_lives_left]

"... There wasn't one like me there, no. Maybe there wasn't ever; it depends on who I actually am, maybe."

"But I think X is probably right about the 'making' theory. There were a lot of different things and people being made there ..."

Martina shushed Serin, and flitted her wings.

"Don't need to talk about that, you --"

[mega_bluebomber]

"That seems to be the case with most Xes," Mega said. "Most of the ones I've met have never met their world's Mega Man or Rockman. My guess is that I died before they were activated."

Mega tentatively reached a hand out toward the Xling. "Made from you?" he echoed. "How? And what does that make him to you?" Would the little X elf let him touch him? Maybe even sit in his hand?

[viral_lord]

X didn't know Mega well and didn't want him spooking the tiny elf. However, he resisted the urge to pull away from Mega. Instead, he kept an eye on how the little flitter reacted to Mega as he answered Mega. "I- I'm not sure, really... And made from X's DNA coding, I suppose. I don't know much about how cyberelves are made."

[six_lives_left]

Serin glanced at Martina, whose only response was an I'm-not-saying look and a quick zip away to join the other elves. Smiling ruefully, Serin shook his head.

"I don't really know either; I was only told about what they do, and what they're like. I'm not sure many people know."

"A kind of program, a life-program, is how I've had them described to me."

The little flitter-X watched Mega closely, wings lifting a little and then drooping again. Being alert, certainly, but he didn't seem about to flutter away as Mega reached for him.

[mega_bluebomber]

"I mean, do you think of him as a brother or a son?" Mega asked. "Or..." He glanced at Serin, who seemed the most knowledgeable about the subject. "How intelligent are these programs. Can they pass the sentience tests?"

Since the little X seemed inclined to stay put, Mega wasn't going to try to remove him from his perch. Instead, he reached for the elf's small hand with two fingers and shook it gently, smiling. "I'm Mega. It's nice to meet you."

[viral_lord]

X looked thoughtful as he watched the little Xling on his shoulder out of the corner of his eye. After a moment, he returned his attention to Mega. "...I don't know." The answer applied to all of Mega's questions.

[six_lives_left]

The little X flutter squeaked softly and shook his hand -- well, more like his entire arm -- and lifted his wings again, this time looking more as if it were in greeting than in alarm. Sure enough, however, he stayed put on X's shoulder.

Serin, for his part, blinked at Mega in obvious confusion.

"They seem as intelligent as anyone else, at least once they've evolved a little and are older."

"But -- sentience tests? What are they?"

[mega_bluebomber]

Mega withdrew his hand after the handshake, not wanting to intrude on either X's personal space. Serin's question completely startled him, though. "You haven't been tested yet?" He looked at X. "What about you?"

Then, to answer Serin's question, he explained, "Mechanical beings here are granted full rights and privileges and are considered equal to humans if they pass a test proving they're sentient. That's also when you get your ID."

[viral_lord]

X looked over at Serin as well. He was surprised that Serin lacked an ID, and a bit chagrined that it hadn't occurred to him that Serin might not have one, or that he even needed one. X hadn't thought much about his own ID in quite some time - not since he'd looked into purchasing property in RV.

"I should have mentioned the test before now. It slipped my mind. I'm still not used to the idea of having an ID." X glanced at Mega. "Yes, I was tested."

He turned his attention back to Serin. "Do you think you would like to take the test?"

[six_lives_left]

"It sounds like I maybe should ..."

Serin looked distinctly uncomfortable, twisting a lock of hair and gnawing on his lip a little.

".. This is a rather large mistake I've made, isn't it?"

"But how could I register for any kind of ID when I don't have anything I can tell them?"

[mega_bluebomber]

Mega blinked at Serin, slightly baffled by what he'd just said. "You didn't make a mistake. You don't even have to get tested if you don't want to, and there's no time frame saying when you do it, either. It's just something you might want to do."

"Don't worry about what to tell them," he added. "You have a name and a place where you live." He gestured around him to indicate the condo. "That's plenty of information right there. They'll ask if you know which world you came from, too, but not everyone knows that."

He looked at X to see if he had anything to add. If nothing else, he could help assure Serin that he hadn't made a mistake.

[viral_lord]

"Hey, now..." X moved past Mega to Serin and reached out to take a hold of the hand twisting Serin's hair. "You didn't make a mistake, Serin. I should have told you about it before now. It just didn't occur to me. My ID has only really been useful for buying this condo, so far."

X stroked his thumb over the back of Serin's fingers. "It's all right. You don't need to get an ID unless you want to."

[six_lives_left]

"I don't know. It doesn't sound terrible -- you've both done the same, haven't you? and it was fine --"

Serin shook his head, and sighed; if anything he looked rather sheepish, and just a tiny bit off-balance.

"I couldn't think of why they might have it set up, is all. Or why anyone would want that kind of test; it sounds as if they wanted records. Like the ones that Corbeau said existed so that the Hunters could weed out the population ..."

"Maybe I shouldn't. Not yet."

Shivering his wings, the X elf made a strange kind of sound, almost a mew.

[mega_bluebomber]

Mega shook his head. "The ID is like, oh, a driver's license, or something similar. It tells people who you are and where you live, in case you get lost or hurt and need help, and it tells people that you've passed the sentience test, so you'd have the same rights in court or to buy property-" He nodded to X, who stood as an example of that. "-or other things like that. If you don't think you need any of that, you can wait until you feel like you do."

The sound the little X made drew Mega's attention back to him. He looked at him with concern. "Are you all right?" he asked. He didn't know if the flitter would answer, but it was only polite to ask him.

[viral_lord]

X reached up to tuck a bit of hair behind Serin's ear and pet his hair a little. "It's okay. You don't have to get one if you don't want to."

X frowned slightly in thought. Serin made some interesting points. X had only gotten his own ID so that he'd have a legitimate identity in this place and would be able to have full access to citizen services to help him learn how to get back to his world. The fact that it allowed him to legally own property in RV was a bonus. It hadn't really concerned, or occurred to him, at the time, that requiring an ID might have ulterior motives against non-humans.

He was distracted from those thoughts by the little flitter mewing. X glanced over in concern at the elf perched on his shoulder.