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Post by Xypher on May 12, 2023 8:12:03 GMT -8
Merrill appeared into what seemed to be an alleyway in the middle of what was left of what looked like a bustling sector of town. Looking around, he looked at the remnants of high walls and at some of the architecture around him, while cautiously walking towards what looked like the end of the street.
"I don't recall visiting here before. What I do remember, was hearing that supposedly this area used to be a knowledge center, of some kind. But this... This is just devastation..."
He sighed. He figured this wouldn't be easy. He sent a quick message to Xion, letting him know he made it.
To: Xion From: Merrill Subject: Netopia Body: Made it here. Place is devastated, no surprise. Will look around and await orders.
From there, Merrill continued moving towards what could have been a small square-like area in front of him. His guard was up, and he chose to remain calm. He replayed some of Joker’s words in his mind as he did so.
”You know, part of me wants to fight him. To prove him wrong. However, right now, fighting among ourselves isn’t going to get any of us anywhere. It’ll make things easier for those who wish to destroy us to pick us apart.”
”You should have crushed him and been done with it. I do not always understand why you hide your powers as you do.”
”Not everything is about fighting. There’s more to existing than that. How many times have you been told that, and by how many others?”
”She’s right you know.”
”But fighting.. Finding who is superior. Who is better -”
”Is only one part of living. It does not need to be the entirety. Everyone seems to want to make that correlation lately.”
He sighed.
”Control, power, authority, are one way to look at things. But there are more. To learn. To grow and to change. These are other reasons. To evolve. To grow beyond what we are today. Program, navi, human, whatever. To know the limit and to transcend it. It is a shared trait among all beings, I feel. Some haven’t discovered that need, or what that is for them to want to succeed and push on. Others need a push. Life does not always need to be about fighting, despite how things always turn out. Someday… I think we can change the line.”
He thought about Grom for a moment, and how they would be on opposite sides of things at the end of it. In the end, only one ideal could win out. He knew that Grom wouldn’t back down.
”I look forward to seeing how far you’ll go, kid. For your ideals. And… To survive.”
”As do I. You are vastly different from most. And I have chosen to support you.”
As he reached the square, Merrill looked around, looking for any signs of life. He walked towards the remains of what could have been a water fountain. He hopped up and stood on the top.
”I was programmed to destroy the weak.”
”hmph. I will show you, Joker… You have much to learn.”
He muttered to himself quietly. He began to meditate, using his skills of detection to search for any signs of life.
”Everyone has had their own experiences and has to make choices for themselves. We are all no different in that regard, regardless of name, rank, title, status, or state of being.”
He let the corners of his lips curl up slightly into the beginnings of a smile.
”That includes you too, Apollon.”
He knew that it was time to get back to work, so he focused on the task at hand, all while waiting on further instructions. He wondered just how well everyone else was doing, and his mind often wandered back to Lalonia.
”You cannot deny yourself forever. You won’t be given the choice to hesitate for much longer.”
”This is true. You will need to accept who you are… Someday.”
Merrill could only sigh to himself, still trying to figure out who he was, and what they meant. It irritated him to still have no idea what that meant with their cryptic word choices.
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Post by Gaia on Jul 3, 2023 7:08:53 GMT -8
Siega.CMD
The air in the space shifted as something simply appeared that wasn't there before. Statuesque and without many features, the incredibly simple mannequin-like navi turned its head, the wires and cords visible from its neck lightly sliding against one another as it considered its surroundings. Its pair of ocular lenses fell onto the Navi that had captured its attention. Its lenses extended slightly from its face, shifting their focus to get the formidable warrior properly within its gaze.
It approached the warrior, using its strange, graceless gait, a simplistic replication of how humans or even humanlike navis would walk, and yet somehow it seemed unnaturally plain. As it approached, it did not display any intent for violence or even friendliness, and instead paused a short distance away from Merrill.
"You have an abnormally large data file," the robotic voice droned. "You are holding more data than you may be able to withstand. Do you understand the risks associated, should you attempt absorbing more of this power?"
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Post by Xypher on Jul 16, 2023 6:46:25 GMT -8
"Hmm?"
Merrill registered that there was a shift in space, and that something was approaching. He opened his eyes, and turned to face the mannequin-like navi.
Catching the eyes of the plain mannequin before him, Merrill studied him gently as it approached. Before he could perform his usual greeting, it spoke, it's robotic voice surprising him slightly, although no notable feature would give that away.
He figured he shouldn't be surprised that the being had already noticed some sort of anomaly within him, that quickly.
"Seems like you have a knack for catching attention."
Merrill sighed internally at Death's internal quip. Deciding that there was little point in formalities at the moment, he chose to nod, getting to the point without delay.
"I am aware of that risk, yes. But, I believe I can surpass my limitations to accept this file."
He placed a hand to his chin.
"And maybe, I'll get to teach these "Files" a few things along the way, if I'm lucky?"
He thought to himself internally.
"You are not the first to warn me of such danger. But yet, you are the first to warn me in a way that is not demeaning or associated with a negative connotation. Kudos to you."
A wry smile slowly working its way on his face, he looked at the being before him. With a slight bow, he showed his respect, before speaking again.
"I am Merrill. It is a pleasure to meet you."
He placed his hand to his chin again for a moment, thinking before responding.
"What risks do you see regarding this "file? Moreso, there are more powers associated with this file that I am not aware of?"
His voice was filled with genuine curiosity.
He was curious as to what the opinion and thoughts the stranger had. His limited interaction regarding both new beings within him were limited, so learning anything could prove useful. He also wasn't exactly sure whom this mannequin-like navi was referring, but he had his guess as to whom.
Considering his thoughts and feelings on the matter, he found that to abuse the powers entrusted to him was wrong, and could provide serious issues down the line. And while he has had several conversations with Apollon, he had hardly interacted with Pandemic at all. Partially because he felt little emotional response or a response from the cybeast at all, partially due to having focusing on Apollon and the warnings that came with.
Both Life and Death remained quiet, eager to hear more themselves.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 8, 2023 19:00:01 GMT -8
Siega.CMD
Merrill's words caused it to tilt its head, as it considered the implications behind what he said to it. Were the words he said not negative in denotation, if not connotation? The threat of being obliterated by the very power he wielded, by definition, seemed to it that the words would be negative. Strange, how this navi saw things.
It was not wont to correct him, however. It was also curious of his choice of greeting - was it a pleasure to meet them? By what metric? It was unsure of such an assessment, and knew not how to gauge the response. It decided to leave that for another time, however, focusing on its mission.
"There is a way to take on more power from that which you have absorbed. The limitations therein are not your lack of knowledge on the power, but rather your lack of compatibility and conditioning. To gain more of the power you seek, you require yourself to become more like it, and as a result, lose yourself in part to it."
It reached out a hand, and from the metallic-porcelain frame, a hatch opened up in its palm. A pulse of wind and rushing air caused the slightest sting to Merrill, as the mannequin had now five different strings of information flying over its outstretched palm, one for each of the different data signatures residing within Merrill.
"The good in you naturally combats the evil. The evil, the good. The nature of your code rebels against the nature of the bugs, and the bugs against your very existence. The nature of your digital form makes you utterly distinct from the power of the wave beings inside of you. While you foster these incongruencies in the sources and natures of your abilities, no power can grow stronger."
It paused, suddenly, considering the energy in its outstretched palm. An emotion at once rose from the mannequin, a singular thought and affect of fury, unquenched and unrelenting, as a dark aura rose from its body and consumed all of the data in its hand except for the data of Merrill, Death, and Apollon. As the darkness it emitted grew, Death's energy seemed to foster even greater within Merrill from even this distance, but, as visible in the being's hand, it was not Death that grew stronger, but rather Apollon, the darkness causing the sun to grow and consume everything.
Siega released the energy, causing it to dissipate entirely, and the dark, furious energy it created dispersed with it entirely. To go from completely apathetic, to a fury like a caged animal, and then to go back to utterly calm, it was simple for him. "You should be weary of the power you wield. It will not just grow - it may very well consume you."
It paused, turning to look in one direction, and then back to Merrill.
"The Net requires my attention elsewhere. I shall go, now."
He took a step, and then was gone.
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Post by Xypher on Aug 15, 2023 6:59:56 GMT -8
With a hand still to his chin, Merrill listened to the mannequin-like navi intently. He had to admit, there was some truth to what was said, and yet, Merrill felt like there was more to it than that. Compatibility was one factor, and he could not deny that emotional ties could also play a part. The sting as the navi demonstrated using the 5 strings of data, there was a slight irritation of his skin when the energy passed through.
"How uncomfortable..."
"How easily our signatures have been able to be discovered. This is something we must take caution with. This includes you, Death..."
Before Death could reply, they all took notice of the demonstration. Death felt pricks and felt uncomfortable, which both Merrill and Life noticed, but neither said anything or acknowledged it.
As Siega reminded him to be weary, Merrill nodded. He was aware, and reminded of what destruction he was capable of causing. He had a quick flashback to when he lost himself previously, and he shuddered.
Before he could respond, the navi looked off, and his eyes followed, interested in what the mannequin-esque had discovered. But before he could ask, it was gone.
"What a peculiar fellow. Granted, it's fair to say we've met a lot of those as of late."
Merrill took a deep breath.
"While I don't necessarily agree with everything it said, there are some grains of truth. I do need to be careful, but I do not believe that I have reached my limit just yet. We all need time. Which I am aware, is something we aren't guaranteed to have. But I do not agree about fostering one power for another. Overreliance on one set of skills can weaken the whole."
"Keep in mind, Merrill, that not everyone can comprehend exactly what you go through. In fact, managing such and regulating such types of energy and powers that you do is considered an extreme situation. If only there were others like you to learn from..."
"At least you have some brains. I admit there are advantages of utilizing our skillsets in various ways. As much as I hate to admit it, I have been impressed in some of the ways you have utilized our powers together."
Merrill began thinking, putting his hand to his chin.
"Hmm... There is some truth in what was stated though, regarding optimization. Even Joker made a similar comment regarding how I under-utilize energy and the resulting outputs..."
The more he thought about it, the more he considered that some of the answers could lie within the utilization and performance. It could be related to combinations that he has relied on. Maybe he needed to further incorporate combinations of the various powers and skills and advance within layering them and adding use of multiple layers of powers at once?
Each of them contemplated quietly, as they waited for further orders or any updates from their friends and allies...
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Post by Gaia on Sept 6, 2023 19:48:43 GMT -8
Silent Ten
As she approached from a distance, she could feel the energy coursing off of the individual in massive torrents. The wavelength that warrior was giving off was simply insane, and yet, even she could tell it was the work of something inside of him, rather than his own energy. Adept at modulating her frequency, Ten made her wave data imperceptible, rearranging the metallic plates and energy of her code to make herself seem more like the system she was infiltrating, as she approached the warrior from afar.
She kept a careful distance, not closing that gap completely, only daring to approach even this close with the pressure that he exerted so effortlessly. She detected some similarities to him, certain that he had somehow assimilated some energy that she had previously studied, but wasn't able to pin down what it was, exactly. ". . . You're carrying a terrible burden, aren't you?" she asked rather suddenly.
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Post by Xypher on Sept 10, 2023 7:12:19 GMT -8
While still lost in his own thoughts, Merrill detected the life force of another. Choosing to not take any action, he continued to think, letting the new figure approach at their own volition. He did, however, shut his eyes and take a deep breath, and began drawing his energy closer around himself, focusing on lowering his energy signature.
As the figure spoke, he opened his eyes, thinking of his response.
"That... is a very loaded statement."
He was quiet a moment, before explaining.
"That depends on what you are referencing. I would say, most of the living is a burden right now. After all of the destruction between worlds, navi, human, wave beings, and the like. We are all having to shoulder that burden."
He was quiet for a moment, before sighing.
"But where are my manners? Goodness. Been so on edge that I have been failing to show proper respect and decency. My name is Merrill. And you are?"
He bowed gently, eyes not leaving the being in front of him.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 13, 2023 18:16:44 GMT -8
Silent Ten
She listened intently, but was quick to quip back her response. She seemed either a quick study, or a little exuberant. Whichever he came to would be up to him to decide, but she herself knew the truth - she had sized him up and made her assessment before he could reel in his power. It was overwhelming, in an instant, and in a moment, it was terrifying.
"You radiate power. A power that begs the question, and demands the presence of, strength. The expectation of strength is a terrible burden wielded by those that have power," she elaborated, likening him to her brothers. She remembered rather clearly what Joker and Ace went through, pushing themselves without end to build the strength to hold the power that they were entrusted with.
Her features were still hidden behind her metallic mask, a nicety and privilege she would closely guard now that she was out in the open, so to speak. "I do hope you will understand my need for secrecy. You may call me Silence, a moniker fitting my intended function.
"You know a lot about what troubles the Net," she observed, looking at him intently, her piercing green eyes missing no details. "I am painfully ignorant to its troubles. Could you help me to understand?"
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Post by Xypher on Sept 28, 2023 19:21:52 GMT -8
Merrill rubbed the back of his head, a strange, weary smile crossing his face. Busted.
"You are pretty quick. You got me there. As one not yet... accustomed to this, "power" you speak of, it can be difficult to hide."
Merrill looked over the navi before him, his eyes gentle, yet understanding. After looking her over, he looked up, his gaze slightly above her.
"Power and strength... They can mean and be different things to different people. They do not always have to align, and just to have strength, does not mean you have power."
His gaze seemed both present and distant.
"We all have burdens. Power and strength... Can sometimes be a means for an answer. But not always. I admit my burdens are not just as simple as the answer you describe, and yet, it is another challenge I must rise to face."
He took a deep, slow breath, his gaze coming to rest on her once again.
"I do not deny however, that many have expectations of what I can become."
A loaded statement in its own right, but one Merrill understood deeply. Each group had its goals, and means to which they wanted to achieve. Everyone had their reasons, and everyone had goals, both shared and individual.
He was reminded of Grom, and their conversation of their differences, and where they would stand in the end.
Joker, who questioned him, and berated him for his hesitation, and the kindness he showed. For his desire to understand and empathize with others.
Warrior, and how their differences in strength had changed, and how he himself had failed to meet those expectations that Warrior placed upon him.
Lalonia who placed her trust in him over and over, from being the first to vote for him to absorb Pandemic's power, up to fighting against Sirius.
"I have much to live up to."
He admitted.
To his surprise, her moniker was "Silence." He let it go, despite wanting to make a joke. He carefully hid the thought, eyes focused as she spoke.
"I would say I know some. Every story has multiple sides, but I have a rough idea. But to make things easier on both of us, what exactly about the various troubles would you like to discuss? A particular country or faction, or perhaps specific regions or something?"
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Post by Gaia on Oct 8, 2023 15:20:29 GMT -8
Silent Ten
He wasn't a straight shooter, like Jack was; nor was he a walking databank, like Joker. He surely wasn't overexcited about everything, like Ace, was, either. As Ten realized all of these things, she unfortunately realized that just asking questions to him wasn't going to get her the answers she wanted, and so she shook her head.
"I want to know more than I feel safe directly asking about at the time being. I'm sorry - I just don't know who I can trust, right now," she put simply, hoping that Merrill wouldn't begrudge her that. "I do need to know about this, though - The Wave World is collapsing, and at an astonishing rate, no less. Based on my observations of the phenomena, it began right around the time that the Quarantine around Netopia fell, with a catlike Navi spreading an epidemic, and a hive mind made of viral data being forced to collapse inward to protect itself. Those two events impacted the data of the environments they were attached to, and the Net is being modified to be something more than both digital code and wave information, but it is transitioning between the three states, still. Wave data is moving to different entities at different times, and it seems to be transitioning things between digital to wave, a sort of hybrid, and then something beyond, but one individual seems to be absorbing and destroying Wave matter.
"Do you know anything of the movements of the navi known as Genesis?"
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Post by Genesis on Oct 13, 2023 19:44:48 GMT -8
"You've become pretty popular these days, huh, Merrill?"
*Luckily for him, searching for life in an otherwise lifeless area wasn't particularly difficult for him as he approached unceremoniously. Rather than send out another list of orders, he figured it was better to come himself. If this was a loaded situation as he assumed, best to get it out the way sooner rather than later. If it was primed for him then he'd meet it directly and if it wasn't then he would still meet it directly.*
"Unsurprisingly, Joker is off on his own again. Least he could do is recall his previous connections."
*It was less berating him for his wanderlust and more about doing so a bit more wisely. After all, if one wanted to act on their own and then keep the details of that to themselves then they still had to deal with those consequences on their own without asking for help for the mess they made on their own in his opinion. If you couldn't do that much, then simply don't make that mistake to begin with. Besides, he had another reason to simply say as such directly.*
"We have a lot to catch up on in the short time we've been apart, but I want to take care of the reason why you're the latest hot topic so you can have some peace of mind, or at least a shred of that back. After that we can cover what we missed."
*He made the altercations again, this time allowing Merrill access again as he opened gateway. Far as anything else was concerned it was to a dead end, but it was simply back to the Colony. Thanks to the powers that be, it didn't exactly have an access point. It was something that everyone would view as a demerit, but it honestly the best thing that ever happened to it in his opinion.*
"If you want to finish your conversation first though, that's fine too. This won't take us too long to rectify."
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Post by Xypher on Oct 14, 2023 10:22:31 GMT -8
Merrill tilted his head to the side, with a quick nod as Silence spoke at first.
"That's fair. Trust is difficult to earn these days. I don't blame you."
He listened intently as she continued to speak. Unfortunately, his knowledge of the Wave World was rather lacking, but if it was collapsing... Or was it closer to say that it was merging? Considering the number of new beings and characters that he had encountered lately, it checked out that something was indeed amiss. The catlike navi rang a bell, but he was more familiar with the dragon-like brother that was killed by Rosso previously.
He put a hand to his chin, thinking to himself as she spoke of the "hive mind of viral data." That could be a couple of things, from those entities that he fought previously, to Pandemic, which he was carefully trying to understand and keep the card close to the chest for now. But if what she said was true, and they stumbled upon it by accident, were there more versions or pieces of it / those other creatures that could be found, and in the case of the other, need to be destroyed?
As Silence finished, he looked at her, his eyes reflecting both deep thought. Several things made sense, and this answered a couple of questions he had had. He decided to start at the end, and work his way backwards.
"I know of Genesis, yes. Met him once or twice, but that was a while ago. Haven't crossed paths since the Endgame."
He admitted, giving her an apologetic look. He had wondered where several different folks had disappeared to that he hadn't run into.
"If what you say is correct, there are more than one option as to whom is doing what, though. The lines between navi, digital being, human, and wave being are becoming... very blurred. There are several factions at play here. I can confirm what you say holds truth, but I got... sucked into this much later than most. I can agree that the net is changing - as even teleporting from area to area has become an adventure all its own."
He continued to think to himself for a moment, reflecting. Someone absorbing and destroying wave matter... Could be Grom, who came to mind first. But could also be Gate, or even Genesis. Merrill hadn't crossed paths or met him to know. He looked down, speaking his thoughts out loud as he did so.
"My knowledge of the Wave World is limited as well. I have only met a handful of wave beings so far. Most of which... are complicated."
His eyes immediately darted up, and to the side, as the voice of Xion called out. He couldn't hide the small chuckle at his words either. With a bow, he turned to face Xion as he spoke again.
"Yes. I can guess a few reasons why I may have suddenly... "become popular," as you say. But I did my best to not cause trouble... As for Joker, we decided to part ways temporarily, after our... disagreement."
He sighed. On one hand, he himself listened to the orders given. However, he had let Joker run off, and left him to fight for his family. But that said, Merrill trusted his gut, that something was off about him at their last encounter. Merrill couldn't blame Joker for his hesitation regarding his power, but the X factor had been Dynamo.
Again he listened as Xion spoke, nodding in agreement almost immediately. He couldn't help but chuckle at Xion's wit and use of words regarding peace of mind.
"I appreciate it, as well as your time. I know that with you coming to retrieve me, pieces are moving and time is limited. If we can solve a few mysteries with the time we have, all the better for us. I would appreciate some peace of mind, even if its a shred, or even a thread. It's clearly difficult to find these days."
He moved to the side, looking back at Silence. He would give her a chance to speak, before taking his leave.
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Post by Gaia on Oct 14, 2023 11:17:12 GMT -8
Silent Ten
Much to her worry, Merrill was a dreamer, and a thinker, but his understanding of things was very limited and specific. She already knew that more was at play than was immediately evident, and while she knew that Merrill was only trying to be helpful, him only being able to confirm that which she already knew, and not add new information to the pool, frustrated her more than anything.
She didn't have long to dawdle on that disappointment, as a new figure suddenly approached. Her eyes landed on him, and immediately, she recognized his countenance, but the energy he carried with him was something far beyond what she had previously observed.
What was he?
Shaking, she took a step backward, her eyes betraying her as the energy he gave off was simply cataclysmic - a class all its own, far and beyond her capabilities, and the capabilities of her siblings; she would even dare to put him in a class in or well above Ace . . . and Joker. The wave energy coming off of him alone was insane, and yet . . .
He was soft spoken, however. Considerate, careful, and even gave his attention to the wants of Merrill, who was obviously an ally. Something else both of them said caught her attention, however.
"Joker?" she repeated back to them, very glad that her navi crest, the decorative number 10 on her shoulder, was something she could manipulate, and so it was currently invisible. Many thoughts raced through her mind, and while she had plenty of questions, and this individual seemed more apt to answer them, she felt that he was in a rush. She only had a moment of his time.
"I - I'm looking for a Navi named Genesis," she said rather abruptly, stepping forward so that she could regain some of her countenance. She was not a prideful woman, but, she also wasn't weak, and didn't want to appear as a coward before someone that knew her older brother. "I - I think he is unintentionally involved in destroying the Wave World."
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Post by Genesis on Oct 14, 2023 14:21:52 GMT -8
*It was better for them to part ways over a disagreement instead of coming to blows. It wouldn't do for Joker to force his opinion on Merrill and if he had, then they would have a different issue right now and he would have changed directions. He'd explain in detail to Merrill once they arrived the plan and whether or not Merrill wanted to go along with it from there would be up to him. For now it would be taking advantage of the unique scenario that he found himself in.*
"Interesting. You have good eyes, huh? Rather unlike him then."
*Her shaking and taking a step back were signs of that. After all the vast majority wouldn't know what they were getting themselves into until it was time to throw down. He had gotten the response he was looking for at least already to confirm the last detail, but she was looking for Genesis? How bold of her. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a bad thing, but he figured the reputation that Genesis fostered for himself over the years made people particularly gun-shy about meeting up with him.*
"If it's unintentional, he won't exactly go out of his way to stop doing it. Unfortunately for you, they picked the right guy for the task."
*While some were curious about it and the potential it held, Genesis was apathetic to that and for the betterment of everyone else that was a good thing. It would have been easy access to something that would have otherwise let the intrusive thoughts win once and for all and no longer be a concern for any of the chief problems that would have risen from it before like requiring maintenance and the like. Still, he supposed since she was looking for him, she could attempt to find him if he pointed her in the right direction. Of course, it wasn't as if Xion had any recent contact with Genesis either, so knowing where he was as far as anyone else was concerned wasn't exactly feasible unless he was just guessing about it. *
"It won't be long before he comes to Netopia, he's just being slowed down by whoever he's accompanying. He'll probably be around where Pride Castle used to be after some time, so if you hang out around there, you'll catch up to him before he moves off somewhere else."
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Post by Xypher on Oct 14, 2023 17:05:49 GMT -8
Merrill watched Silence intently as she responded to Xion. He did study her reaction, both to Xion and as she spoke of Joker. Having witnessed a portion of Xion's power firsthand as an ally, Merrill could understand the step back, and cautionary approach. He listened as Xion spoke first, before mentioning Joker himself.
"He's an acquaintance of ours. A peculiar fellow, but his heart is usually in the right place."
He would judge Silence's reaction on that front. Based on Xion's words, he theorized that it was possible she knew him. But rather confirm before saying more than that.
He didn't believe that Joker was bad, but based on their interactions, he did feel a level of companionship with him, understanding in a way that few could. He would indeed call the "super computer" his friend and ally, even despite their disagreement.
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