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[purrsistence]

@catra.victorious | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[purrsistence]

[ Catra catches up to him and walks in step as she frowns, her eyes sliding over to him. ]

... Yeah, actually. How'd you know?

[overrate]

Thought I might ask since you're probably one of the only other people who would get a weird text.

[purrsistence]

[ Cautiously, her tail flicking behind her as they go-- ]

... What did yours say?

[overrate]

Something about a project Iscariot. A dummy program backup of Judas.

[ he kicks an empty can out of the way as they keep walking, and glances up, like he's thinking. ]

More AI shit.

[purrsistence]

[ Catra, on the other hand, is suddenly very interested. ]

... A backup? ... Tch. Of course they made a backup. ... Does it work?

[overrate]

They were testing it.

Now, what'd you get?

[purrsistence]

Great. So-- potentially.

[ So all their effort to steal Judas may have been for nothing. Fantastic. She looks irritated, and comes up to the can Jason had kicked down the street before. She kicks it again, equally frustrated. ]

Nothing useful. Just a bunch of-- standard protocol memos about how they train their soldiers.

[overrate]

-- How?

[ they're brainwashed. how does that even work? you need to train brainwashed people? and honestly-- maybe that would provide some clues about what he picked up from Tempo. ]

[purrsistence]

It's just a bunch of crap about their brainwashing tactics. Like we didn't know all that already. Any idiot could tell you.

[overrate]

Then tell me? Obviously?

[purrsistence]

What? It's just standard stuff. You know. Isolation. Meal restrictions. Fight training. Indoctrination about how they're better than everyone else and civilians are weak and stupid and how all they have is each other...

[overrate]

[ he's from too early to know how fucked up technology can make you, but. ]

I figured they'd have done some reprogramming stuff, given how advanced this place is. That's so... basic.

[purrsistence]

[ Catra forwards him the information packet from her inbox to his. ]

See? I told you. But don't believe me. Have a look-see for yourself.

[overrate]

Ugh.

[ it takes a minute while he processes the information that's there, and then. ]

Unlucky bastards. This shit's worse than any fucking gang.

[purrsistence]

Tch. It's not that bad. They get fed and housed, don't they?

[overrate]

You see this place, right? That's how they pull you in. Then, what, they gotta bunch a desperate people who'll make more desperate people to pull in.

It's a fucking racket, and it's legal.

[purrsistence]

[ She makes an exasperated sound in her throat and looks away, annoyed. ]

I'm not saying they're great or anything, just-- y'know. If the Horde hadn't taken me in, I wouldn't be here.

[overrate]

[ oh.

it clicks.

now he gets it. and he shrugs, and then kicks the can again, the minute they come back to it, slamming it into the side of a building and watching it ricochet. ]

.. I probably would've joined a gang or something, if I hadn't caught a lucky break back home. Guess that's not completely different, but the "horde" sounds like some sorta comic book villain organization.

[purrsistence]

[ She just looks at him with blank irritation. ]

What's a comic book?

[overrate]

[ god, it makes so much sense now. ]

These drawn stories. Usually come in small books. Heroes and villains type stuff.

[purrsistence]

[ Doesn't it just? ]

... Sounds like kid stuff.

[overrate]

Please. Grown ass adults obsess over them.

[purrsistence]

What, don't they have anything better to do?

[overrate]

Obviously not.

Better not check 'em out yourself, or it might be like the video game thing. I've only met one guy who actually memorized combos.

[purrsistence]

What? Memorizing strategies is just effective. That's common sense!