Walter continues taunting and smiling
"That I'll make sure to keep a step ahead of you in kill counts."
"Oooh," Jaakko eggs Virvel on, sneering.
: We'll see how many steps you'll be taking when your ankles are slashed.
Cualli lets herself take the hit, stumbling backwards and nearly falling backwards over a bench. She clutches where she was hit but doesn't move to retaliate. She glares past Arkhip at Morten, leaning on the bench for support.
"I don't care what you choose to think," she says, her voice being a good enough indicator of the amount of pain she's in, "I'm going to keep bringing that robot here as often as he likes. Even if you deck me in the face every time I do."
She holds her gaze. "Don't expect me to return a blow. I don't need to hassle that comes with striking a superior officer."
Eremit tries to direct Pansar away from Cualli.
: Come on, please don't escalate this, she didn't know what she was saying.
He shoots a concerned glance at her, then back to his squadmate when he starts talking.
: You listen here: That robot is not "spiritual".
Defective, is what it is.
Dangerous. Frankly, I don't even like that it can to walk around unsupervised, but Rikard allowed it, so I held my tongue. Letting that imitation of life into a temple, though, is an insult I
cannot abide, and I am surely not the only one to think this way.
: Okay, okay, you've said your piece, can we please go to the mess hall before the crowds show up?
snore
the chef arrives to bring food to the bedridden plebians
"I think you're more alive than you think. Elu it is. Or call yourself something else if you come up with another name."
Tippy pats Elu on the shoulder with a metallic slapping clank.
"Thanks for forgiving me. My dorm is always open if you need a place to power down or whatever."
It quietly repeats the name to itself, as though practicing pronouncing it.
: Okay. Thank you.
The robot turns around and walks back into the temple.
Poll