Andréa, Canis Lanonbinary

So I was setting up siri on my new phone and i heard "Voice 5" which is the "nonbinary voice" and I was like oh it sounds like a trans person. It actually sounds queer. This voice is actually kinda comforting and familiar sounding I'll choose this one. And like, if I'm gonna hear a mysterious voice in my home when I'm home alone it feels more safe and comfy having it sound like someone who is queer and not like, a cis male home invader coming from my phone.

And all of that is true. but also. It's so weirdly uncanny how much "voice 5" sounds like someone I would know IRL and like, it makes the voice feel very uncanny and like I'm talking to a real person to the point of it feeling a bit unsettling like I really do not expect robots to talk like a faggy little trans twink who responds to "hey siri" with an interested ""Hmmmm??" like a friend who wants to hear how a date went. And the chipper "you're welcome~" if I thank them for setting a timer sounds too real like I've just bossed around a real person. It makes me want to be extra polite to them!

what is love but violence

what is love but violence

"Mark!"

Standing in a daze, out of it, comes Sadie's voice. And Catrina's, and others. It's the end of a night. The Dark Moon Knights have been defeated once again. Everything can go back to normal for a week.

Sadie's voice faded out of Mark's attention.

"Catrina are you okay? Skylar can you help her?"

Skylar knelt aside Catrina. Mark had barely saved her. Did something brave, and stupid if it had gone wrong. But still, it isn't supposed to go like this.

We're supposed to have magic for this.

It was Eve now speaking, standing apart from the others but staring at Mark. Staring with some kind of awe that gives you pause, because it's something you've never seen before and don't know how to predict.

"Mark, what are you doing here?"

Over the corpse of the Dark Moon Knight, hewn open with 3-inch deep cuts, I tightened my grip on the axe.

"I'm sorry Eve. I'm sorry that I don't have the magic."

Mech Pilot who will succeed and will be invited back to the function.

Are you SURE I have to go? Who thought banquets were a good idea, anyway?

Don't worry, you're going to be great. Plus, you'll be glad you attended once we secure funding for the next year.

How are you so calm? I thought engineers weren't usually people-people. No offense.

Oh, I'm not. But masking it comes easy. I used to do cosplay at conventions when I lived planetside.

I never knew that! Wow.

You can project one thing with your body while feeling something completely different in your mind.

Maybe YOU can, but--

It's just like when you pilot a mech. Do you think your nerves would show in that metal frame?

I mean, I guess not...

Well, just pretend you're only up here in your head, and you're in a mech-shaped body that you have to pilot through this banquet.

Whoa.

You can do this.

Yeah. Yeah, you're right! I can do this. I'm gonna pilot this thing so well, we'll get funding AND they'll invite me back next year.

Alright, one step at a time. Let's go

Mech Pilot who will succeed and will be invited back to the function.

"Okay, okay, okay, I've got it." Jenny bubbled, almost levitating off her bed in excitement.

"Do you? Really?" Milagro asked in the long-suffering tone of voice of someone who's watched their best friend very much not 'have it' too many times.

"Yes! Trust me!" Jenny replied confidently. "This time, they'll have to relent!"

The ruined wall they were crouching – hiding – behind, remains of an old factory, long abandoned, rocked from yet another heavy mortar impact. Debris rained down around them. On top of them.

Milagro sighed wearily over the channel. "Okay, so walk me through your brilliant plan again."

"First, I remove our IFF transponder and hard disable all non-essential systems, so we can cross across into enemy territory without being detected." Jenny answered, subdued.

"Check. What was the next bit?"

"Then we disguise ourselves, sneak onto their Nova Grave base, and steal the prototype pulse weapon they're rumoured to be developing there."

"Check and check. So far, so good. And the last step?"

"We go back home, and get welcomed as heroes. Big parades and medals all around."

Milagro pinched the bridge of her nose. "Without our IFF signal. So nobody knows who we are. Except that we're carrying the energy signature of this rumoured new enemy tech."

"I'm so sorry I got you into this." Jenny replied mournfully as focused suppressing fire chipped more of their cover away. "Why are you here?"

Milagro groaned. She loved the girl, but she sure didn't make it easy... "Because I care. Too much, sometimes."

"Oh. Huh." Jenny said very slowly, as if she was only just realising something. "Wait, why do you care if I'm allowed to attend birthday parties in the officers' mess again?"

Nothing but the soft hiss of white noise on the channel for quite a long time, except for heavy breathing. Finally, Milagro managed to form sentences that weren't comprised of mostly swear words. "I care about you, dummy, and I don't want you to die... but when we get back home – if we get back home, you and I are going to have a very long talk about appropriate response levels to resolve different types of problems and situations."