Since KAI was the only one (???) that was upgraded from a data civilian, she could be like a representative for all the civilians. when the other programs do things that could effect the civilians she could tell them and make sure that the little people have a voice? The acronym I thought up was (K)own, non (A)utonomous, (I)ntelligence, (R)epresentative, (I)ndividual.
OKIE DOKIE. So this, as always, goes spiraling off onto a bunch of huge tangents, but it kind of needed to in order for me to figure out what KAI would actually do around here. Also I did that thing again where I basically just re-state parts of what you stated, but that’s how I convince myself that ideas make sense, s-sorry. I love you for giving me this springboard!! Warning: MASSIVE RAMBLE >n>
All the Programs are upgraded civilians; it’s just a matter of how long they were civilians before becoming Programs (for RI it was like… 15 seconds, pfft). But the “representative” thing still got me rolling, because I’ve been watching a lot of Star Wars lately, particularly prequel stuff. So a “voice for the people” immediately made me think about the Galactic Senate and evil dictators taking over, and I actually almost got slightly offended? XD But RI and SO, while the main caretakers of the Datascape, aren’t actually in charge of it. They don’t really dictate what happens to the people there; the Users do. RI and SO just fix things that break and clean up the mess. Any limits imposed on the citizens are due to the Users or the Datascape’s inherent programming, not RI and SO arbitrarily deciding who can do what. But then I was like… NAMI, tho. She is expanding the worlds. Would data citizens feel like they need a say in that? Would they even notice her doing it? How much are they even aware that they’re all data people in a data world?
I thought about it for a while and have come to the conclusion that it’s much more interesting if everyone in the Datascape eventually becomes more self-aware. They may not get the FULL scope of what their universe is, but many of the mechanics of it become more common knowledge. The Programs could work more directly with citizens to problem-solve and world-build, instead of having to sneak around all the time. But that in turn lead me to question why the worlds are even separated (which is a mechanic I’d like to keep for now, I just need to have a good reason why). In KH1, they kind of make a big thing of Sora’s quest being a “secret” (lol) mission because the worlds don’t know about each other and aren’t “supposed” to. But like… why, again? More importantly, does whatever that reason is that matter for the data worlds? I say no. The Datascape is a self-contained system. What harm could come from data Mulan popping over to the data Coliseum and pumping iron with data Herc? None, I say.
However, this hasn’t actually happened yet. Like data people, data worlds have a base programming that’s extremely difficult to change. That’s why Namine is simply adding stuff, rather than changing things that preexist. It’s akin to RI having to layer skins and abilities on top of his program, instead of adding them directly to his matrix. The Datascape is dictated by what is said in the Users’ writings, and the Users said the worlds are separated. Therefore everyone is stuck until they find workarounds. The kids who become Programs were able to modify their permissions because there is actually already world-hopping potential in their base programming, it’s just undeveloped. The more the User writings talk about them wandering around and affecting worlds, the easier it is to upgrade them.
While it’s true that several citizens have also been described as visiting multiple worlds IRL (like the FF people who lived in Traverse Town for a while), it’s still not much to work with. There simply isn’t enough info on them for their data to be complex enough to support an upgrade. The Datascape and its citizens need more time to evolve. Also, manually upgrading every single data citizen is completely impractical, probably impossible. It’s much easier (though still extremely difficult) to try to figure out how to make the worlds more accepting of each others’ citizens. That way you also don’t have to worry about Users dumping in new citizens now and then. Though they also then need to make channels between worlds that are safe and accessible to everyone. The current cytoplasm-esque “Backdoor Areas” that I have bullshitted into existence are much too dangerous for the average citizen to traverse, even assuming they would be able to get through the doors at either end (which they currently can’t). So basically that’s just one big ongoing project that the Programs are working on between major catastrophe plots. I imagine Traverse Town will be the first success, since it already has “accepting wayward people” in its nature. Followed I suppose by Radiant Garden.
MEANWHILE, and (FINALLY) on to the actual POINT… so the civilians know there are other worlds. They know that the Programs are travelers and builders who can help them expand and hopefully eventually explore. Most people don’t actually care too much; they’re just trying to live, man. But some are restless. And it’s important to at least have contact with your neighbors, even if you can’t actually see them yet. Supposedly some day you will; may as well make the transition a bit smoother right? But they can’t just conveniently all have access to communications terminals and start Skyping each other, because that’s boring and too convenient and also I say so. So how do you get a message across the spaces that only Programs can travel in? Well, you get a Program to carry it, of course!
So basically, KAI is a mailman. Wait no come back it’s still cool I swear! When she’s first upgraded, it’s because of a threat. So she does still have potential as backup security, it’s just not her main job anymore. She is primarily an ambassador of sorts, which imo goes really well with the whole “princess” thing, because it makes me think of Wonder Woman. But she’s not so much a “voice of the people to the overloads” as a “voice of the people to the other people.” She does bring questions, concerns, and requests from citizens to the other Programs, but it’s more akin to calling the maintenance department than to calling your local senator. RI is automatically aware of major problems in the Datascape, but they need someone like KAI to collect and organize more regular reports from various worlds so they can figure out what lower-priority things they need to address and in what order. Though she does also carry penpal-type letters between worlds, because it’s cute. In a way, she’s sort of taking on one of the job ideas I originally had for NAMI, which was essentially “reading RI’s mail for him” XD. But NAMI can stick to design and programming; that’s more in line with the type of creation her User counterpart did. Kairi was the one stuffing messages in bottles and sending them to people on other worlds.
Though with my earlier point about a few worlds opening up but Backdoor Areas being dangerous, KAI might also sometimes help AX* escort people across. Which is a neat merger of “delivery girl” and “bodyguard.” KAI is just a courier of all sorts of things, really.
(*Note: AX, or maybe LEA, whatever, is still stuck in the spaces between worlds, so his primary function is keeping those spaces clear. Both for specific travellers, and just generally whenever bug infestations start getting out of hand.)
This also kind of solves my recurring AU!Kairi conundrum of her always either disappearing, or shoehorning her way in unnaturally. With this job, KAI can pop up now and then, but also wander off for a while. But for a REASON. And with DOING THINGS. It gives her legitimate reasons for talking to the other characters, and things to talk ABOUT. Not that the Programs are always just work, work, work all the time. They’re like, 15. They go on “vacations” and just kinda hang out on various worlds together too. But I needed a better reason for upgrading KAI beyond “just to hang out.” Also I like that it puts her and AX in the same territory a lot. They have a fun dynamic and I do so enjoy shoving them together (platonically!!) in my AUs.
As a final note, I’m also attached to the mail idea for a really petty/silly reason. I designed her to have those hearts on her sleeves, and at one point iamxxcastingshadows designed this little logo-type thing for EMH:
It’s really cute to me to think that the envelope is KAI’s special flair. Citizens write their messages on whatever they have, but those items can’t actually traverse the spaces between worlds. So KAI first has to translate them to a more universal type of data, which manifests as those little envelopes. Which I imagine are black with glowing edges. Maybe she even has a little black-with-glowing-edges messenger bag :Dc All with the little glowing heart emblem, of course.
PS: I’d like to think some more about her acronym before deciding anything, but thank you for the suggestion.
(Aaaand now I’m laughing because I hopped onto google for something and noticed that today’s doodle is about the pony express. Perfect. :’D)
