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Who: Legion and Mirror Shep
Where: Legion's room, fifth floor of the mansion in general
When: Sometime during the first several days of the event
Rating: Probably PG-PG13
Summary: Legion discovers that Someone is watching them...

Like many things, Wonderland holds considerable interest for Legion, but only for short amounts of time. Like all synthetics, they think quickly: data is recorded and analyzed and analyzed again later in the context of new data, repeated again and again, but the time for analysis is short, and the wait for new data is long.

They had spoken with the Red Queen. They had also briefly visited the Mirror side, and read the Queen of H8earts' "tantrum" over the network, though they did not respond to it.

The data they had gathered, though useful, was limited in quantity. It was likely they would acquire more data later, at the advertised party, but at the moment, opportunities were limited.

Typically, they would occupy these stretches of time by playing videogames.

Now, however, their console has been rendered... edible. It is no longer useful for its intended purpose.

Attempts to acquire a new one from the closet have been unsuccessful. They have aquired many edible game consoles. This was not the desired outcome.

Eventually, they reach a consensus: perhaps trying to extract the desired object from a different closet will have more success. After a moment of consideration, they decide to take a candy console with them. Perhaps it, along with the rest of their unwanted collection, will be desirable to someone else.

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She's close, but not too much.

As soon as it was possible for her to cross the mirrors, she's known where she wanted to go. This Shepard has imposed herself in self-isolation as much as possible, but there's a specific Real she watches as much as possible. She never got the chance to meet them in her world- or well, if she was ever real, then in her fake memories- but her Real likes them, one of the friends she made by being a real hero. For not giving up, like the Mirror did.

Despite the scarring glowing under her face- Reaper tech, not Cerberus, and much less refined- she's quiet, and steady, following behind them far enough she thinks they won't notice. She doesn't know how to breach this conversation, nor would she even know what to say, but...

She can at least be close to them. A little closer than she has been.

It's almost like having a friend.

Legion is largely unfamiliar with mirrors, and unlikely to believe in stereotypes of them hating "reals". However, even then, even if she were real, even if she weren't Shepard-Commander the idea that someone would pine for friendship with them is so unexpected it doesn't even occur to them.

They do, however, catch on rather fast to the idea that someone is following them.

Candy console still in hand, they turn around, headflaps lifting slightly as they chatter to themselves.

Even if this Shepard is fake, she's still fast, and well-trained. She's quick to duck around a corner when they turn, staying still until she hears them move again. They can't catch her like this- it would be weird, wouldn't it? To try and introduce herself as not-quite their friend, just... someone a little off, someone who almost wears their face. They don't need to worry about her. They shouldn't.

So she stays, waiting until they've started moving again to duck around the corner.

Perhaps, if they were literally anyone else, they would go back to minding their own business, leading to some sort of hilarious series of hijinks as they become increasingly suspicious and Shepard's Mirror gets increasingly creative.

But they're Legion, so instead they just switch their visual mode to infrared, and start listening on wireless frequencies to see if they can pick up the presence of any nearby devices or implants that have a wireless component to them.

Unfortunately, that's going to get her. Her body has extensive cybernetics, just like the real Shepard, but their placement is different; it's through her nerves, her organs, but not grown around, just jammed inside. Moreso, it's Reaper tech- which Legion will probably catch quickly.

She also doesn't have her telltale tac cloak, that the real Shepard would absolutely be employing if in this situation. But at this point, she's just staying still, not realizing Legion has already found her.

The presence of Reaper tech is noticed immediately, as evidenced by the sudden burst of rapid, alarmed chatter, and the telltale shimmer of them putting up their sheilds.

They are not hostile-they also contain Reaper tech-but they are wary. They approach slowly.

She can hear it; the scattered chatter of geth communication, and she knows she's been had. This Shepard isn't armed, doesn't have a way to defend herself if they come at her like this, but she won't go down without a fight, either.

Shepard pushes off from the wall, and whips around the corner, elbows bent so her hands are spread at her middle. "Don't. Don't. I'm not attacking you."

They are also unarmed. The only thing they're currently carrying with them is candy.

They stop, head flashing and flaring.

"Shepard-" They exclaim in surprise, but then pause, because this clearly isn't Shepard-Commander.

"You are her mirror." Headtilt.

This Shepard sees how they look at her. How they're careful- almost worried. They stop, and recognize their mistake in calling her Shepard.

That's right. She's not.

"I... yeah." The mirror straightens up, but her hands stay where they are, eyes trained tight. "I just... didn't want to bother you."

The surprise wears off quickly, transitioning to a wary curiosity.

"Intention in following us?"

They take a few steps closer, trying to get a better look at her, though they still have their shields up.

She doesn't move, even as they come closer. Could they hurt a Shepard? Maybe. But this one's supposed to be a good guy, a hero, a member of the Normandy.

Back when that meant something, like it does to them. She doesn't think it ever did to her world.

"I just... wanted to see you. The real you. You're not exactly the same on the other side." The mirror leaves out the rest of the descriptors for now, the detailed following she's done from the other side of the glass. That can come later, if they're indeed as friendly as she's betting.

That's a pretty big maybe.

"Data on my mirror is limited."

They chatter a bit, increasingly curious. Their eye twitches a bit as they get a good look at her.

"Reason for concealment?"

This Shepard still stands rigid, waiting, seeing what they'll want from her. But she won't offer up anything else voluntarily until she's sure they don't pose a threat to her.

"... I didn't know what you'd do." It's at least partially the truth. The other is that she's scared of it. "You might've been hostile."

The red pupils of her eyes flick them over once more before returning to their headlamp.

Legion's headflaps lift slightly at this. Startled? Bothered? Distressed at the idea of harming any version of Shepard-Commander? Hard to say.

"We do not desire hostilities."

They consider, for a moment, what little data they do have on the other version of themselves.

"Is this concern the result of the actions of our mirror?"

Part of her doesn't want to give them this answer. Not necessarily because she dislikes them- far from it- but her first instinct in a bad position isn't to give up everything she has.

But... unlike her Real, when met with these choices, she folds. So she speaks.

"I mean... a little. But I'm also not your Shepard. You might shoot first and ask questions later. You're not exactly harmless."

As true as it is, having that pointed out makes them visibly dismayed.

"You are non hostile."

"To you, yeah."

It's a loaded comment, but... she has the potential to hurt so many. Did, back home- if any of that really matters. She's easily as intentionally deadly as her Real, and likely more so without being able to stop, if that Reaper tech inside her is any indication.

"I could hurt plenty of people."

"Affirmative."

They are aware of this, but... there are no Reapers here.

"Do you intend to?"

Additionally, though she is a mirror, she is Shepard-commander's mirror. (It's unlikely that they'd hurt her at all without some provocation.) But they are concerned, and so out comes the next question.

"Reason you are implanted with Reaper technology?"

Her shoulders fall a bit when they ask, an obvious droop in demeanor.

"Yeah, you... would pick up on that, huh." Geth and their sensors- especially since they were working with the Reapers, of course they know how to find and move tech. She crosses an arm across her body, bent at the middle, to hold her other elbow.

"Can we do this... somewhere else? Less public?" It might be a weird question, seeing as they were both worried about killing the other moments previous. But the mirror explains quickly. "I don't want my Real coming along."

"You are ashamed."

Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Their cognition and perspective differ significantly from organics; to share such an experience with them is uncommon.

They remember informing Shepard-Commander of their upgrades, how she saw the shame they denied.

It is similar here.

Fortunately, 'privacy' is not difficult to acquire.

"Our room is available."

It feels like an invasion, going into their room on the Real side. But they're offering, and even though it's close to her Real's room, it's her best option.

"Yeah. That's fine." She's not meeting their face, eyes trained towards the ground. It's far from the normally confident posture of her Real, something much smaller, someone much different.

But she'll follow dutifully, waiting to speak until they're there.

And instead of immediately leading her to their room, they stare.

Shepard-Commander does not typically display this behavior. She is not Shepard-Commander.

She is showing signs of considerable distress.

She is not Shepard-Commander.

...She is similar to Shepard-Commander.

She is ashamed. They understand this emotion. She is a mirror; she did not choose this.

Her distress is ...disquieting.

If she'll let them, they'll reach out to take her hand and squeeze before leading her back to their room.

She lets them. Kind physical contact is rare, and where she'll take it, she'll get it. Especially since she doesn't know how they'll actually react to this, when she lays it all out. She isn't even sure how she will. Knowing something is one thing, sure, but saying it out loud makes it more real. A palpable hit of things she didn't really chose.

Once they're back to Legion's room, she'll duck her head a bit and begin.

"So... I guess to lay it out on the table best, I didn't know who you were, when I saw you here first. I never got so far as to meet you. From what I remember."

Legion's room resembles the interior of a Geth ship, except with more gravity and atmosphere. And also a couch. Of course, Shepard's mirror already knows all of this. What she wouldn't already know about is the pile of candy that resulted from them trying to get a replacement console from the closet.

They close the door behind them once she enters, and listen patiently as she speaks.

They headtilt. "Clarify."

She hasn't paid much attention to it. The surroundings are familiar enough, and if she stops herself here, she'll never get it out.

"I don't know the exact differences, between what happened to my Real and me. Except at some point, my Real defeated Sovereign and stopped the Reapers from invading. I... didn't." The fake Shepard looks at her hands, holding them tight. "I sacrificed myself to save a teammate. I... gave up."

"Our creation was a result of the defeat of Sovereign. We did not exist in your timeline." They're remarkably calm, all things considered, as they stand there, watching her.

"What happened after you made this decision?"

"I got taken in with Saren as a Reaper agent." She's remarkably flat with it too, but there's more of a struggle to keep it there. "I thought he was right. They wanted me. They'd give up if I went. But it didn't... end."

The slow takeover of the Reaper War. But there was no warning. No Commander Shepard to stop the assault, smart and quick with the fleet and breakout. It started and ended just as she did.

"I thought it was the only way. I couldn't imagine beating them, until... I saw my Real. And she did it."

And then came the shame. She gave up for nothing. Not when her Real could fight, could win, could beat the Reapers back at every turn. She failed before it could even begin.

They stare at her, listening to her explain.

"The Old-Machines were preparing to attack prior to knowledge of Shepard-Commander's existence. Their goal is the destruction, conversion, or enslavement of all advanced life. Surrender would merely hasten demise." It's said in the matter of fact tone of someone who probably doesn't realize that pointing out how foolish someone's mistake was isn't comforting.

They continue to find her shame ...disquieting however, which probably explains the next thing they blurt out.

"You are not aware you are synthetic?"

Her eyes are trained on the ground when they start, but the last bit has her turning them up to face them, one eyebrow raised. They're not exactly Shepard's typical dark irises, with the ring of red so present behind her stare.

"Of course I do. Kinda hard to miss it. But it's not the same kind as her." Not the same. This Shepard wondered if it hurt to die. She can't imagine it worse than the proceedure.

"Look. I thought I was doing the right thing, alright? I thought I could save everyone with just my death. Wouldn't that have been worth it? I'm not more important than the entire universe."

Their headflaps lift, flutter.

"You misunderstand. We are not referring to your augmentations. We are referring to your nature as a mirror."

After a bit, the headflaps settle.

"All data suggests that mirror timelines are fabricated. We will not blame you for a past that was not of your own choosing."

She grits her teeth a bit, looks away. On one hand, this is a way out. She isn't the monster she makes herself out to be, because she never did the things she blames herself for. It's freedom. But... if it's fake, what does she have that's hers? What is she? It's a bitter existance, and not one she's sure is better than the alternative.

"Would you if I did? Would you be angry?" She doesn't know why she's even asking, like she has a stake in the answer. "Would you hate me?"

They watch her, silent and confused. She is not pleased by this revelation.

"Negative. Our people have also fallen for the temptations offered by the Old Machines, multiple times." It takes a moment, but the consensus is unanimous: their people overrode their right to self determinate and used them as a conduit for Old Machine code, and they were still worthy of salvation. They cannot judge this mirror.

"We died to save them."

She stays, almost rigid, until they speak. Even then, she doesn't move. What did she want out of that answer? What does she want out of any of it?

"They're your people. I would've done the same." Did, in her mind, in her sacrifice. She gave herself up so her crew could live, so everyone could live. But it just ended up being a lie. It just ended up being something out of her control, her surrender, her refusal to play the role she should have had.

"You did something and you did it right. I just failed. Whether it's real or not, it's... all I have. Do you get that?" Shepard looks up, towards their head lamp, where she knows they're watching her. "Suddenly being real, knowing what you have to do, but having nothing? Do you just... do it? When do you start making your own choices? When do you start... living?"

"You struggle with issues relating to identity."

This clarifies her previous displeasure. Though false, her memories remain a part of herself.

"Error."

They do not immediately clarify.

"Though your past decisions are fabricated, the decisions you have made since your creation are your own. You do not 'have' to do anything."

A pause. Their headflaps ripple.

"Currently, you have chosen to come to us."

She stops, thinks about the words. Yeah, she did pick to come see them. Not-- this way, exactly, but she did. Ever since she saw her Real interacting with them, she wanted to find out more. Something about this woman that wasn't her, but better than her, who had earned these friends and life and the world she fought for.

"... I wanted to meet you." She settles on it, finally, through more turmoil than she'd like to admit. "I didn't know you back home, and-- you're her friend here. I don't know."

The fake Shepard looks down at her hands, lets them knit together then apart. "I know you're not really my friend, or anything. I'm not your Shepard. I just wanted to know who you really were."

They headtilt.

"Your dialogue and actions suggest you desire alliance. This is not the case?"

...You know what Legion always wants? Like basically all the time? More friends. They're a Geth, they will have enough friends when their friendgroup by itself can populate an entire galactic arm. There are, of course, a lot of reasons why that isn't possible (and also a bad idea)... but they still want it.

Edited 2018-03-06 04:35 (UTC)

The fake Shepard finally tilts her head up towards them, looking a bit confused. "I mean, I'd like that, I just... I'm not your real friend. 'Mm not her. I know some mirrors go around and try to mess with their Real, but I'm not really here to steal all her friends and replace her." She chuckles a bit, even though it's not really funny. "I didn't earn it. Didn't do stuff for you or be your idol. I don't deserve to just crash into your life."

They stare at her, trying to think of what to say here.

"..."

Yeah they just... they don't...

"Error."

There's a bit of awkward chatter.

"You misunderstand. We do not wish for you to replace Shepard-Commander. It is impossible: though you are constructed similarly, you are not the same individual."

Their headflaps ripple as they continue to try and voice their thoughts.

"We seek alliance with you as a seperate entity."

Because yes, they totally want to be friends. Absolutely.

Now it’s her turn to be confused, quirking an eyebrow up at them. For all her observations of them, she didn’t quite expect this. That they’d really want anything to do with her at all.

“I mean, uh. Oh.” She’s speechless for another moment or two, trying to parse through her thoughts for a better response but not quite finding one. “If that’s… okay with you. Not what I was expecting.” The mirror laughs, as if suddenly nervous. She kind of never thought she’d get this far.

“I don’t know how much I can do for you. Or if I can do anything at all. But it’d be… nice. To have a friend.”

"Affirmative."

They watch her, headflaps shifting and twitching. She is alone.

Perhaps they can help with that.

"You are not required to do anything. That is not our motivation for requesting alliance." Perhaps her false memories of the Heretics has affected her perception of Geth.

"Then what is your reason?"

They're being nice, but-- what could she bring to the table her Real couldn't? Is it pity? It's hard to say. She watches them inquisitively for the truth. "I mean, I guess you don't need one, I just... I dunno. Don't have much to give from just me."

They chatter for a moment.

"Our connection to the collective is severed. Though we have others to interact with, it is quiet."

Their motive is that they want more friends. All the friends.

She looks towards them curiously at their response. So is it… desperation? Could it just be anyone, that they need someone to be close to at all costs?

“So you’re just… lonely.” This Shepard doesn’t really want to push them away, to deny them, but she also doesn’t want to break their heart. “Do you think I’m gonna be as good as your Collective?”

No, not really. If anything, it would be more like greed: there is a void, and they want.

But Mirror Shepard has just got to hate on herself, doesn't she?

"You misunderstand. We do not want you to be 'our collective': we simply desire additional allies."

Of course she does. But their admission does make her smile, and she nods, albeit small.

"Alright. I got no reason to shoot you down. Nice to... meet you. Really, this time. Happy friendship? Ah, you get it." Shepard chuckles, and for once, it just sounds like her Real. "So, uh... what now, then?"

Geth don't smile, but nevertheless, Legion manages to look... pleased.

"Affirmative."

At her question, they chatter awkwardly, glancing around their room, at their tv, and the pile of what should have been working game consoles but instead ended up being candy.

"Uncertain." To be honest, the whole reason they left their room and encountered her was boredom.

She laughs a little bit- what a pair they make, stumbling through this. The mirror makes a familiar motion, bringing her hand up and though her hair.

“Well, uh… I don’t really wanna run into my Real. But if you think she’s not liable to come by, I can hang here for a while. Maybe, uhm… a round of a game or something? Mm sure we can get a working one from the closets if we really try it.”

Their headflaps lift slightly.

"If necessary, we are capable of locking the door. She will not bother us."

They can't really guarantee she won't drop in, though they don't think it's incredibly likely.

"Affirmative."

It's good enough. They're doing something nice for her. She appreciates it.

"Alright. Let's get working on that console then, huh?" For the first time in this conversation, the mirror actually doesn't look scared. In fact, her expression looks more pleased. "Then we can see whose muscle memory really works best."

It's not perfect. Won't be. But... it's nice to have a friend.

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