Life in Chichén Itzá (I)

...Your brain waves are back to their usual amplitude. (So, I guess he reduces their output at night?)

Good morning, Senpai. It was so nice having individual rooms last night, wasn't it?

And good morning to you too, U-Olga Marie.

I see you still like to get up early, just likeAh.

???

Good day. Oh, wait, my mistake. It should be "good morning," shouldn't it?

I'm glad to see you slept well. Give me a moment, and I'll fetch some corn for breakfast.

Morniiing! I slept great! It's so nice being in a safe city for once!

I didn't know you could sleep too, Marine.

I usually stay dormant in my spirit form to conserve energy, but you don't have a spirit form, right?

Nope. We Marines might be Captain Nemo clones, but we're not actually Heroic Spirits.

If we enter our spirit forms too far away from the Storm Border, we won't be able to materialize again.

The only reason I can be here as an individual now is because of power being supplied by Chaldea and Trismegistus II.

The Storm Border keeps us stocked up on magical energy, too! That's why the Nemo Series can work so hard!

So being able to sleep as well as we did last night's a big help. It lets me reduce my magical energy consumption, and even recovers a little.

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Well, of course you wouldn't know if we were still on the Border! It's not like Captain ever explained!

I may not be able to use my spirit form, but there are plenty of upsides to this!

Like, no matter how injured I get, once I get back to the Nautilus, I can switch out with another Marine while I go heal until I'm back to my old self!

There are always twelve active Marines, but there are a total of twenty-four of us! Strength in numbers!

(Oh, right. There's only nineteen of us now. We lost four in Atlantis, and one in Britain. Is that right?)

Please, be seated.

Apologies. Old habits die hard, and I am so accustomed to giving Mass. One of the drawbacks of being a Pseudo-Servant.

Anyway, I know it's early, but I was hoping we could get this morning's Universal Meeting started. I trust you don't object, Young Miss?

I'll allow it. I've already got the materials ready to go for the meeting.

(What materials?)

(Why do we need materials?)

(That's the Olga Marie I remember!)

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Oho, I see you've remembered one of your abilities. How wonderful.

Now then, according to this footage, the only route into the throne room is the staircase leading up to the altar.

And since it is always patrolled by deinos soldiers, it is not an option for us.

Furthermore, the president has been closely observing the King of Dinosaurs' private quartersthe building that looks like a summer home...

...but as far as she's been able to tell, there is no one there at the moment.

So even if we were to force our way to the temple, it seems unlikely we would have a chance to meet with the king.

Does this mean they're ramping up security even more than we expected?

Against a possible ocelomeh attack, you mean? I'm afraid we'd have to ask the deinos about that.

All we can say for certain right now is that it will be difficult to make contact with the King of Dinosaurs via normal means.

Which is where this comes in.

Tell me, Fujimaru, what does this place look like to you?

Oh, yeah, it totally does! I bet you could play soccer or something there!

That's what it looks like to me, too. It reminds me of the Colosseum in Rome...

...No.

Do try to think before you speak.

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That's a xoktapayolistliwe call it "xokta" for shortshrine. Xokta is a ritual we deinos perform to honor the sun.

It's one of the fewno, the only form of entertainment we have. What about it?

Last night, I boosted my sensory abilities and started scanning the thoughts of deinos all around the city.

Their baseline color is greenthe pivotal color in your world.

Never mind that, though. The point is, this is the subject on which their thoughts were the most varied.

"The next xokta match is happening tomorrow morning." "I can't wait. I wonder which team's gonna win?"

"The winning team will receive personal congratulations from the king and blessings straight from Kukulcan."

Well? Doesn't it sound like we'd get to meet this King of Dinosaurs if we took part in this ritual?

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Well, of course! It's my job to listen to Earthlings' voices!

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Th-that, I don't know! Your Earthling rituals are still mysterious to me!

Xokta involves using any part of your body besides your hands...

...to score goals by sending a ball about this big into a net about this big.

It's a very challenging ritual. I doubt Proper Human History has anything like it.

I used to want to be a xokta player myself when I was a young deinos. It took me far longer to give up than it probably should have. Hahaha.

Um... Tepeu? That sounds a lot like

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Say what?

Let's go over the plan one more time.

Our goal is to win the xokta tournament, meet with the King of Dinosaurs, and gain permission to cross the plains.

To do that...

...we're going to need to befriend a strong xokta player and convince them to let us join their team.

Do we all understand the plan?

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Yeah. It's not enough to just participate. If we wanna see the king, we've gotta win the whole thing.

That's why befriending a strong xokta player is part of the plan, Marine.

If I'm not mistaken, sports were a major ceremony in Mayan civilization as well.

Apparently, a warrior was not considered worthy unless they could best their opponents in sports as well as combat.

Tell us, Tepeu, how many players are there on a deinos xokta team?

Are matches played two-on-two? Four-on-four?

Why would we hold an important ceremony with so few players? It's eleven-on-eleven, just as you'd expect.

I'm sorry, but...could we just abandon the pretense here and start calling it "soccer" already!?

I understand how you feel, Mash. I even agree with you.

Nonetheless, with teams of that size, it's entirely possible that some teams lack the necessary number of players to compete.

Fortunately, that may well give us just the opportunity to we need to join a team.

So, I guess now we go out into the city and look for xokta players. Let's see, the ritual's tomorrow, so...

...we only have today.

Luckily, I'm pretty sure days in Mictlān are twice as long as ours, so we oughta be okay as long as we hustle!

Good point. We should get going now.

Father Kotomine, would you disguise us as deinos again?

Of course. I've even spent the last day refining my disguise sacrament.

Last time, we all wholly looked like deinos...

...but this time, I've made it so we'll only look like deinos to other deinos.

Really? So, neither Fujimaru nor Mash will look like deinos to me?

Correct. That goes for me as well, of course.

Well, Young Miss? Do you think you'll be able to accompany us now, despite your dislike of deinos?

Okay, I'm willing to compromise.

What's more, you and I are going to have a competition of our own, Mash and Fujimaru!

You know why! We're going to see which of us can find a team that's more likely to win!

And just so you know, headhunting is a particular gift of mine!

So I'm going to find the best xokta player around and make sure my team conquers the whole xokta world!

Senpai?

Heh. Looks like I don't have to say anything more. Exactly what I'd expect from Chaldea's Master...though I don't really know why.

There's nothing to be surprised about, Mash.

Of course finding the winning team is a competition in itself.

I'm going to try to ensure the team I choose wins the whole ritual.

You and Fujimaru are going to do the same with the team you choose.

And as long as one of us wins, we'll still get an audience with the King of Dinosaurs, so if anything, this only increases the chances of our plan succeeding.

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Ah, now I see. There is a total of eight teams taking part in the ritual.

So the more teams we can infiltrate, the greater our odds of being granted an audience.

I think this idea of splitting up and searching for different teams to join is a very good one.

Very well then, Fujimaru and Mash will be one team, Young Miss and myself another, and Tepeu and Marine the third.

Got it! I play soccer with the other Marines all the time, so I'll make sure I find a good team!

Let's meet back here when the sun reaches the fourth stratum.

It would be best if we stayed abreast of one another's progress.

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Another blistering day. I hope the jungle birds are okay.

...Especially since the native creatures of the wetlands can't convert energy like we can.

If the heat is this bad for the next week or so, I'm concerned they might dry up and wither away.

Hey, it's not all bad. The brighter the sunlight, the bigger the cornstalks.

And the fact that the sun's so close means Kukulcan's nearby, too.

Maybe they'll even appear to us, like I heard they did for Priest Vucub.

Let's not talk about Vucub. I'm still pissed about all the deinos his choices have killed.

Right now, I just want to forget everything except the xokta ritual. I hope it turns out vivid and beautiful.

Xokta's been better than ever since the Crypter showed up. There've been fewer casualties, too.

Anyway, it really is hot today. I hope the priests are interpreting Kukulcan's feelings correctly...

I-I guess it makes sense that the main street would get busy during the day.

These deinos are really big... We'd better make sure none of them step on us by mistake.

Hey, there're some small deinos out here, too. And I don't think they're kids or anything.

There's supposed to be a whole bunch of different dinosaur species, right? Know anything about them, Fujimaru?

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I could give you some information if you like?

I'd like! C'mon, Fujimaru, let's hear what she has to say!

Dinosaurs lived during Earth's Mesozoic era.

In 1959, a herder named Victorino Herrera discovered a new species of dinosaur fossil from the Mesozoic era's Triassic period.

They called it "Herrerasaurus," and in 1986 when they found more skeletons of this species, they became the oldest known dinosaur fossils, at two-hundred and twenty-eight million years old.

This discovery proved to be a turning point in the field of paleontology, as more people began studying ancient life with renewed interest and fervor.

After years of research, they discovered that the supercontinent of Pangaea began to significantly break apart fifty million years after Herrerasaurus's time, during the Jurassic period...

...and that the dinosaurs that lived on the now separate continents had evolved significantly to adapt to their new environments.

Among these evolutions, the most notable was probably the gigantification of certain species.

This period is when large dinosaurs like the Apatosaurus first appeared, as well as the truly enormous, thirty-meter tall Supersaurus.

Fifty-five million years later, during the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs were unchallenged in their position at the top of the food chain.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex, perhaps more commonly known as the "T. rex," is, without a doubt, the best-known dinosaur of all; it's arguably the superstar of the prehistoric world.

The Triceratops, the most famous ceratopsian. The motherly Maiasaura.

The long, looong-necked Diplodocus, a sauropod. The adorable Parasaurolophus, with its distinctive crest.

For airborne species, we have the famous Pteranodon, and the Quetzalcoatlus, the largest flying dinosaur ever discovered.

For aquatic life, we have the Mosasaurus, and the Kronosaurus, a species somewhat similar to crocodiles that was one of the deadliest predators of its time.

And that is just a small sample of the many species of dinosaurs who lived on Earth in the Cretaceous period.

But the dinosaurs' reign ended along with the Cretaceous period and one of the "Big Five" extinction events...

It was the fifth of these that wiped out the dinosaurs, along with most life on Earth at the time.

Yes. That's what the five mass extinction events of Earth's history are generally called.

They include abnormal climate, major changes in sea level, fluctuations in the Earth's crust, meteorite collisions, and a global ice age.

The event that wiped out the dinosaurs is believed to be the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, in which a large meteorite collided with Earth and caused a heat wave that spread across the entire planet.

Yes. The five mass extinction events, or "Big Five," that took place on Earth in the past include major changes in sea level, fluctuations in the Earth's crust, meteorite collisions, and a global ice age.

The event that wiped out the dinosaurs is believed to be the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, in which a large meteorite collided with Earth and caused a heat wave that spread across the entire planet.

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Dinosaurs disappeared from Earth after that. Our mammalian ancestors appeared shortly after.

And now, approximately six million years later, we have modern humans.

So, even though humans and dinosaurs lived on the same planet, we could be said to be from different worlds.

Our environments were much too different for us to ever coexist.

I'm so happy to have had a chance to meet dinosaurs like Tepeu in this Lostbelt.

T-t-taken!? I-I-I don't think I'd say that!

He's just very, very smart, so I always end up leaning on his expertise!

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Gotcha. So these dinosaur things were our predecessors, but by a really long time.

So Mash, let me ask you something: Which dinosaur was the most dangerous?

Oh, and that doesn't necessarily mean the strongest. I mean the wildest, cleverest, most deviously tenacious.

I know the deinos aren't completely equivalent to Proper Human History's dinosaurs...

...but even so, it'd be good to know in advance what the worst kind we could meet is, right?

Then I'd have to go with the Deinonychus!

Deinonychus aren't very big, but they're very intelligent and vicious, possess sharp talons, travel in packs...

...and there is evidence of them having hunted and eaten dinosaurs much larger than themselves.

There are even famous scary dinosaur movies with Velociraptors, whose appearance in the movie was based on the Deinonychus.

Fortunately, there aren't any deinos in this Lostbelt which are connected to Deinonychus...

...but if there were, I have no doubt they'd be the Mafia of the dinosaur world!

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O-oh no! I'm sorry I rambled on for so long. Let's get back to the subject at hand, Master.

Tepeu was actually kind enough to give me a tip about where to find a member of a well-known xokta team.

He said he should be training at the xokta shrine in preparation for tomorrow's ritual.

He also said anyone can visit the shrine on weekdays. Let's go check it out now!

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Yes. I see a number of xokta players warming up here.

All the deinos are so kind and mellow.

I'd bet even the most intense soccerI mean, xokta rivalries they have are marked by warmth and mutual respect.

So, they're all friendly and polite and stuff? Sounds like great sportsmanship.

So, which is the team Tepeu told you about?

Is it the one with the T. rexes landing header after header over there in the back?

Let's see... He said they're called Team Death Rolling, and that they'd be practicing on the east side's second red platfor

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Bahahahahahaha!

Hey there, bro! Always happy to meet a fan! Hup!

Thanks for coming!

We are ...

The unfailingly chivalrous Deinonychus Brothers 11!

(Absolutely flabbergasted)

Aww yeah! (Landing sound)

Skreee! Nice to meet you, dude and dudette! We haven't seen you 'round here before, but there's nothin' wrong with that!

Welcome to the home of Team Death Rolling, astonishing seven-time consecutive winners of the Mazatl Tlauantli, aka the Deer Cup!

Woohoo, I can't believe we still have fans! Reminds me of our glory days!

So, you just here to watch? Or maybe to cheer for us? I know it's sudden, but we could grab a bite to eat if you want.

Just say the word, and you'll have all the fresh corn, green beans, and even forbidden cacao beans you could want!

(Completely speechless)

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Wait, wait. Hold up, brothers.

I think these might be Master Tepeu's friends. They sure smell like him.

Maybe he somehow knew the trouble we were in and sent some folks to help?

Gotta be. But, we still have our pride! We're seven-time champs!

We can't accept Master Tepeu's help just like that!

Not even if we've lost two hundred rituals since he left!

All right, rookies, on the field! We're gonna see how good you can move...

...with our own two legs! Skreee! Let's do this, bros!

(Utterly gobsmacked)

That was some incredible ball handling... How did you even get your legs to move like that?

You were like a cornstalk rustling in the wind... Or a tōchtli, a rabbit racing across the plains...

Bro, I can't believe such amazing players wanna join our team! We're so lucky!

Oh, so you're Fujimaru, and you're Mash.

We're the Deinonychus Brothers 11. You can call us the Deinonychus Brothers 11!

So you noticed... Most deinos don't think twice about that.

Y-yes, thank you, Senpai. There were a lot of twists, but I somehow managed to keep up with them!

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Okay, let's go back and look at some other teams. This one's gotta be a mistake.

Whoa! A talking tōchtli! ...Wait. IS it a tōchtli?

I've never heard of a tōchtli deinos before... Are we SURE she's a tōchtli?

She kind of reminds me of another animal... Almost like an ocelotl, but not quite...

Maybe some other, free-spirited, feline creature...

N-now, now, Habetrot. I know we didn't expect to have a practice game so soon, but this is the team Tepeu mentioned.

Hello, everyone. It's nice to meet you all. Yes, we're here on Tepeu's suggestion.

We'd like to fill the vacancies on your team and play in tomorrow's gamuh, ritual. Would that be possible?

"Tomorrow"? Oh, you mean the next sun cycle?

You bet it's possible! Hell, you guys are already honorary Brothers 11!

Heh. Now we've got enough for a full team! We'll even get enough participation prizes for everyone!

Don't be stupid, bro. These new teammates are so good, we're gonna end up winning our first match.

Skreee, you got that right! Now we don't have to worry about biting it in the first round!

It sounds like you're all setting your sight very, u-um...low.

Aren't you one of the famous teams, favored to win the whole ritual?

... (Averting their eyes)

You know, you kind of went flying after I barely touched you in that last match.

Did that actually hurt, or were you just trying to play it up for the ref?

N-no, it totally hurt, of course. We're, like, super sensitive, so it doesn't take much to knock us around.

W-we definitely weren't trying to get sympathy from the judges...or even to have them give our opponents a yellow card. Nope. Not us. Never.

I also noticed you all seem entirely focused on offense, with no one guarding your own goal...

Oh, that? Well, see...our defenders are out of action after a little, um, cacao bender.

Never mind them, though! Why don't we talk cacao beans? I know too many will make you sick, but they're sure good, right!?

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Okay, ten more sets just like that one! Bring the ball to the middle of the field without dropping it!

You there! Where's the hustle!? Anyone slacking off will have to do the bow pose until their legs fall off!

I swear by my own trainer, the great King Leonidas, I WILL make you into proper Spartans!

Skreee! I had no idea Big Sis Mash was so scaryyy!

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Man, not even Master Tepeu was this hard on us. Your old lady's something else.

Sucks for you guys that you need to get across the plains, though.

Well then we'd better win, 'cause Priest Vucub'll never let anyone see the King of Dinosaurs otherwise.

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Oh yeah. Vucub's always been kind of a jerk, but he's gotten even worse ever since the King of Dinosaurs showed up.

And now that he's in charge of all the soldier deinos, he's been acting like he owns all of Chichén Itzá.

We don't mind one way or the other as long as we get to play xokta, but he's made some other deinos want to leave the city altogether.

But hey, all that's just personal taste, right? It's not like he stopped Master Tepeu from doing what he wanted, you know?

Master Tepeu used to coach us back when he was still living here.

He used these "formation" things, and with those, we won almost every ritual we played.

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It wouldn't make any difference even if we did. Each formation only works once 'cause the opposing team knows what to expect afterwards.

Master Tepeu used to come up with different formations for every team we played against.

Now that we don't have his formations anymore, we're back to sucking. The days we piled up the wins are way behind us.

We're not really very big as deinos go, so we can't compete with the larger ones' body slams.

So we've only managed to win by letting our opponents hit us and then then playing it up so they get penalty cards.

But even that stopped working after the Crypter showed up and spread his stupid language around.

The priests went back over the rules, and they decided players could foul up to three times without any penalties.

So now, our defenders gotta let one guy hit them four times instead of just once, and that obviously led to some real accidents.

That's why there're only seven of us now. The bit about our defenders sleeping off a cacao bender was a lie.

What is it? You look like you just swallowed some spoiled herbs. Huh? Why not stop playing?

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We love it. Why else? There's just something special about xokta. There's nothing like it.

We know it's not essential to our survival...

...but running around with my bros, laughing and kicking a ball? It's so satisfying!

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...Well, sure, we would've rather he stayed at Chichén Itzá.

But Master Tepeu's a lot more headstrong than he looks. He can't stand not understanding something.

Being eccentric like he is wouldn't be so bad if there was anyone else like him around...

...but there's no one as...different as Tepeu in all of Chichén Itzá. Hell, maybe among all deinos, period.

He wasn't ostracized or anything. Nobody really minded.

It was more like he just kind of realized he didn't fit in...

That's how it seemed, anyway.

I'm a little unusual myself, even among my bros, so I could sorta tell how he was feeling.

And that's why I convinced my bros not to stop him from leaving.

I told them Tepeu's better off alone, that being around people is harder for him.

But I guess I was wrong. Looks like he had friends after all!

(Huff, puff, huff, puff...) Running, running, running...

Whatcha up to, bro? You and Fujimaru trading secrets or something?

It's great you're bonding and all, but don't he and Mash still need to get you-know-what?

'Cause as far as I can tell, they don't have theirs yet.

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Oh, yeah. It was so obvious I didn't even think to mention it. Fujimaru and Mash, you don't have your own xokta balls!

Every player's gotta have at least one to offer to the sun.

I'd give you my spare if I could, but Kukulcan'll get pissed if your ball's not brand-new.

So go get the materials, quick! You can find the sticky trees in the woods west of here.

Make sure you and Mash each get one, Fujimaru.

With you guys on our team, I think we have a real shot at enjoying the ritual for the first time in a while.

Oh hey, welcome back, Fujimaru and Mash! How'd it go? Did your plan work?

Yes, we were able to join Death Rolling, like we hoped.

The whole team is training hard to be the best team in Chichén Itzá.

I'm glad to hear that. I do hope you'll take good care of the Deinonychus Brothers 11.

U-O and Rasputin have not yet returned. Hopefully their day is proving no less fruitful than yours.

Though of course, it won't be a problem for us either way, since the team Marine and I picked, the South American Nautilus, is poised for a clean sweep.

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Entry requirement? What could you need besides...a...team...

Drat, I just remembered. Each teammate needs their own ball, don't they? How did I forget that...

We should go get the materials we need right away. Would you all mind helping with that?

Oh, Marine, you can best help by staying here and coaching the team. The forest is rather dangerous, you see.

Are you sure? Hm... I guess the team does need a coach. Okay, guess I'd better get going.

What do you mean? Don't you think he's much better suited for coaching than a forest expedition?

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The sticky trees grow in the western woods. One tree should be enough to make xokta balls for everyone.

The problem is, there are a lot of carnivorous insects around there, and there have been reports of ocelomeh, too. We'll need to be very careful.

Yes, this area should do nicely. I'm certain we can find a good sticky tree somewhere around here.

Would you mind keeping a lookout while I search for the best tree?

Are those...rubber trees? They seem bigger than the ones we're familiar with.

Yes. They're the trees used to make natural rubber; their sap is called latex.

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Hey, Mash? Fujimaru? Sorry to interrupt, but it looks like we've already got company.

That's not the sound of mindless deinos. That's iron rattling...which means ocelomeh!

I see the ocelomeh! They're armed! Preparing for battle, Master!

!

The ocelomeh have retreated, and there appear to be no reinforcements headed our way. What shall I do, Master?

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Master, those gunshots...!

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If you're going to pull the trigger, then make sure to kill what you're aiming at. Some jaguar warriors you were.

You're not going to get anywhere near your dream of eradicating the deinos if this is how you do it.

You haven't learned a thing, have you? What's the Crypter doing, anyway?

...Hm?

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Hey.

Look out, Master! He has a gun! Please, get behind me!

Why aren't you wearing your masks? Don't your rules require you to hide your faces?

You shouldn't be wandering around here looking like that. The deinos'll kill you if they find you.

W-wait! Who are

You want to know who I am, and why I killed them? Are you serious? What kind of idiot would tell you that?

You don't let an enemy escape. If someone points a gun at you, you kill them. It's that simple.

You're not aiming a gun at me, so I'll let you go. But come after me, and I'll kill you.

Now quit wasting time. Mictlān hasn't got much left.

All the deinos and ocelomeh need to worry about is trying to win the war.

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Good news. I found the perfect tree. Thank you for guarding me while IOh?

Did something bad happen? You both look crestfallen.

A human boy...? You mean an ocelotl? No, that can't be right.

You must have been seeing things. Have you been chewing on peyotl, perhaps?

Um, what's peyotl, Tepeu?

A fuzzy plant about the size of your head. The priests are fond of chewing it for the hallucinations it gives.

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Hmm. Anyway, we should be heading back. We still have to make enough balls for everyone before the ritual begins.

...Yes, I guess you're right.

I'm still wondering who that boy was, but right now, we need to focus on rendezvousing with the Storm Border.

So tomorrow, we need to win the ritual, gain an audience with the King of Dinosaurs, and be granted passage across the plains.

Let's stay on our toes, Master. This is one mission we absolutely can't afford to fail.

All right, everyone, let us not forget to say grace before our meal. O Lord, we thank you for this blessing.

The corn is, as ever, delicious tonight.

I can't wait to dig in! Mmm, I love how it's both sweet AND spicy!

What's that look for?

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Let me do a quick head count. Fujimaru, Mash, Habetrot, Marine, myself, and U-Olga Marie will all be participating in the ritual, yes?

Then I'll spend the rest of the night making enough balls for each of us. The rest of you should get some sleep.

We're so lucky to have Tepeu helping us. Let's take him up on his offer so we're all rested up for tomorrow.

You all deserve a rest after all that time out in the hot sun.

Don't worry about cleaning up; Marine and I will handle that. You can all go back to your rooms.

Remember, the ritual starts bright and early tomorrow morning!

And our schedule is absolutely packed, since we'll be playing an eight team tournament in a single day!

So I want all of you to be in top condition when we play xokta tomorrow! Gooo... Sparta!

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Hm? Aren't you supposed to be resting now?

Deinos might be lizards, but they're still the dominant species in this world, right? I was just seeing how they live.

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Anyway, things sure took an unexpected turn, didn't they? What terrible luck, getting stopped right before your destination.

I think you said your base was called the Storm Border?

Maybe it's the jungle blocking my sight, but even with eyes like mine, I can't see it well. I can just make out a metal box stuck between a bunch of trees.

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I can only tell something crashed there. More than that, I really can't see.

...How many human allies do you have? Just give me the number.

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So twelve all together. You can relax, then. Everyone's okay.

...Hmph. You're so obviously relieved. I don't even have to look at your face or wave color to tell.

At least you don't need to worry about them now, right? Now go back to your room and faint.

You're not conscious, you don't move, and you can't think. What would you call that if not fainting?

What is it? I don't care if you're my secretary. If this is stupid, I don't want to hear it.

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...No, I don't. Is that a problem?

I don't have this sleeping function you humans devote so much time to.

I can shut myself down to stay safe in case of emergency, but I never have any of what you call "dreams."

...Hmph. Doesn't bother me, though. Just goes to show how different we are.

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Ugh! Gross! What IS that color!?

Stop it right now. I can't stand it. Don't treat me like you and I are the same.

We AREN'T. That's why we're here now.

Yes, we are both intelligent beings. That means we can communicate, share goals, even be friends.

But I refuse to be treated as if we were equals.

I am U-Olga Marie, an alien being from far away. Don't ever forget that.

That's right. You and I have nothing in common. Nothing. At. All.

？！

Did you not hear a word I said!? Where is all this positivity even coming from!?

...Still, I guess there's no harm in trying.

...Besides, I get the feeling I failed when I refused to try new things before...

Okay, I'll give it a shot. You basically want me to lose consciousness, right?

Well, I can easily shrug consciousness off for a bit. Just watch. I'll show you there's nothing I can't do.