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Like Hulk on a bender. Or Logan on a day ending with a Y.

[He sighs and looks at it. This is so much more than he had expected.]

I'm going to need to make something to address this, if I can. The Actuators, they are clearly too self-aware for my technopathy to do more than allow me a pleasant conversation before they try and overwhelm my mind as well.

They're...they've evolved, since we became this connected. They weren't so self-aware before.

[He believes it just went both ways - they'd certainly gained access to far more processing power, once they had free access to a human brain. Even now, with the inhibitor replaced, it isn't like it was. Though of course, he's got nothing to compare their current state to.]

They aren't exactly malevolent. They just don't have any moral sense - they'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals. [He's quiet for a moment, distant, before refocusing.] Oh, you don't need to do that. I didn't mean to dump another project on you.

They're alive.

[David has far different gauges on what is and isn't living from, you know, most people. He accepted it more easily too.]

And they'll want to survive. But trust me, for my concern for you, my friend, it's needed. It's probably not that high priority of a project anyway.

It shouldn't be. This new chip was designed for regular use. It's far better insulated, much more durable.

[It's not that he has any specific cause for concern. His new work is perfectly safe. He's gotten himself through various metahuman antics without much difficulty. If things go on as they have been, the chip could just as easily outlast Otto. He just...worries, he can't help but worry.]

But you're right. I'm not...sure anymore what we might end up doing, but if anything were to happen... [Though, now that he thinks of it, he's concerned to realize that he has some new theories.] ...we, I wouldn't just let anyone fix it. They viewed all of this as a threat.

[And probably some of that was on his end, but that's a lot to untangle.]

Things can always go wrong. First principle of long term design is figure out a way to fix it if it does.

[Or, at least, it's David's first principle.]

You probably were a threat at the time. And would be. So there has to be a way to knock you out. You know, without being as strong as Peter.

Oh, yes. I didn't make any of this easy on him.

[The Bluetooth brought him to heel pretty easily, but that doesn't mean he wasn't struggling and raging the entire time Peter did his research and fabricated the thing. Like so many, it's a vaguely alien memory - Otto can hardly think of another time he's felt that furious.

He sighs, rubbing at his eyes. A migraine is building, one he's quite sure indicates the actuators' distress over these plans. They've got a point - it's stressful, knowing that he's just handing out keys to his own downfall. But he's decided. He needs to take responsibility for the risks he poses, and he won't be convinced otherwise. It's too late now anyway.]

I agree - it's a necessary safety measure. I wish I could help you, but I'm not...sure it's safe for me to have all the details. [Another unnerving admission, but it's true; he'll only use it against David if the time ever comes.] I'll certainly cooperate where you need me.

[Hey, safety measures aren't a bad thing. And for this trust...]

They can knock me out. The actuators. They are aware enough for that. If I start... if I end up corrupted in some way, they could do it. I don't think most people I know and care about would care to see it or stop me. I hope yo would.

[David feared the darkness he could fall to. It was too easy sometimes.]

[Otto listens seriously. He thinks this a less likely outcome than his own corruption, but David's clearly worried about it. And he should know best. Otto would hate it, if someone he's only met in this world tried to brush off his concerns just because he hasn't done anything awful here.]

It's a deal. [He offers his hand.] If it comes to that, I'll do whatever I can.

How about this: new rule! No discussing my exes with other mes!

It wasn't like I brought it up myself intentionally. She and I were gossiping about life, she wanted the tea on relationships, and wondered why the YA weren't all a poly thing. So I updated her on things, told her about Noh-Varr and Hercules, and she offered that she didn't like the idea of Noh-Varr being with her ex.

Oh my god, I am such a gossip. [ Bloody Lokis!! ] What else did she spill?

[Yes, he really is. All David says in response to that is a chuckle.]

That she doesn't remember if it was a lengthy romance, or just a one-off. But not much else.

Anything important? Not about my exes.

The way you're acting just makes it seem like Lokis live on gossip about Lokis. No, she just wanted to know what was happening.

[ Oh, if David only knew. ]

Was she cute?

[Another chuckle. Come on, Loki, you're going to do that?]

Beautiful, but in a feral sort of way. Like you but less refined?

I think I know which me she was.

[ Feral. Yeah, he can narrow her down a lot. ]

What was the other me like, the weirder oldie?

He reminds me of the Loki tied to Sephiroth. He seemed... lost. But he'd been through other worlds like this.

Mental or close to, in other words.

More like... wounded by the path of his life.

[Does he need to say that he feels that applies to every Loki he's ever known?]

Come over for dinner.

[ The snorting wheeze that gets conveys much the same sentiment. Nothing about 'wounded by the path of his life' distinguishes any Loki from another. ]

... Alright.

[No, there isn't much in that statement to distinguish them. But when you come to know a Loki, to care about them, maybe you're more likely to care about making sure they have some happiness from time to time.]

I will note that the old one did seem rather baffled to think of a Loki with close friends who cares about them. You're all so hard on yourselves.

Now, any requests for what I should make?

[ Hmph!! Not addressing the first part (because it's right). ]

Something Billy would have liked.

[Yeah... He should have checked in with Loki sooner than this with all that happened, but David won't prod that.]

Okay. I should be able to figure something out. If nothing else, I can ask Tommy.

They do have similar tastes.

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