Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

[necromanswers]

Who: Everyone! OTA!
Broadcast: sure why not
Action: yeahhhhhh
When: 11/12 to 1/4 (minus 12/26)


It's Candlenights! Or Christmas! Or whatever! It's festive! Go celebrate, explore, go get free stuff from a tree!!

More importantly it's a mingle!

--SYSTEM INFORMATION--

Comments

[privateeyed]

[Ben can appreciate the investigation-y part of it, you can take the detective out of the city and all, etc, etc. He turns to lean on the rack Connor's looking through instead, careful not to knock it over]

Can I make a suggestion, then? Like, absolute minimum: get a coat, we talked about why, and get a pair of boots. You can't run around a snow planet in loafers, Connor.

[coinstability]

[He listens to all of that before letting out what could only be described as a huff.]

Yeah - I've worn snow boots before, I know the difference. [Just putting that out there.] I do want to go further out so both of those things would help with that.

[privateeyed]

If it's November in Detroit for you then you've probably been buried under snow at least once already, so you should know. [he's exaggerating, mostly, but even so he nods and turns back to the rack of coats he was looking through earlier]

But there - two things on your necessities list. [a pause, and he turns to look at Connor over his shoulder] Do you - uh, need anything maintenance-wise? I mean, you probably wouldn't find it here, but -

[coinstability]

[A perplexed look flickers across Connor's face.]

Everything's functioning as it should be.

[privateeyed]

[his nose wrinkles a little]

I don't mean right now, I mean like - down the line. Maintenance, Connor. Like - sometimes I gotta calibrate something in my arm 'cuz it got knocked out of place, or the sensitivity's off. Shit like that.

[coinstability]

Oh - calibrating I can do myself, that's not a problem. Anything more extensive... it depends on what it is.

[This has frankly never been a concern for him before. Partly because he was a machine and knew he would just get replaced or repaired if something dire happened. And partly because he didn't feel concern then. Getting destroyed was perfectly acceptable if he accomplished his mission.

He takes a bit more time to continue, musing on the idea.]

Losing thirium would be the hardest thing to manage, if no one here can make it.

[privateeyed]

[the pause in between responses makes him wonder if this is another thing Connor hasn't had to consider before, and that's a little more concerning than clothing or necessities or what-have-you]

Okay . . . [he scratches at his cheek] I have no idea what that is, but - would you be able to tell someone how to make it? Like, if you found someone capable of doing it.

[coinstability]

It's the fluid that powers my biocomponents. It's called 'blue blood' fairly often as well.

[So, you know, he's literally talking about losing blood here.]

If they can replicate the chemical makeup, that should be enough.

[privateeyed]

[both eyebrows shoot up] So you don't run on battery-power or kinetic power like I do. Huh.

[his nose wrinkles just a bit]

I'm sure there's someone here who can do it. There's fuckin' wizards - anything's possible.

[coinstability]

It's a mixture, but thirium is required to keep it all working.

[Connor stops in the middle of flipping up the tag on a jacket to drum his fingers on the rack, exasperation with the situation flitting over his face.]

Yeah. I've spoken to some of them... elves as well. There's a lot going on here that defies explanation. [Then he shifts his shoulders a bit, not a shrug exactly but a readjustment.] None that I'd normally find acceptable, anyway.

[privateeyed]

Well I mean - you don't have to like, plug in and charge or nothing?

[hmm. Ben rests his elbow on the rack, chin on his hand. He sounds amused]

Uh huh. I want you to take a moment, think about what you are, then say that again with a straight face.

Seriously though - better to suspend your belief before you fry your circuits or something. Shit gets weird here, you'll give yourself a headache trying to like, figure it all out.

[coinstability]

[Connor just shakes his head. His internal systems are all self-sustaining, provided nothing gets damaged. He returns Ben's amused look with a flat one of his own.]

It still defies explanation. Technology and magic are vastly different ... fields. [Okay, let's call it fields. Close enough.] And I am. I've had time to think about all of that and get some further information about it.

[With that, he drags a navy coat off the rack.]

Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've ignored my programming.

[privateeyed]

Defies our explanation. Bet if you asked a wizard to explain how it worked, they'd be able to, no problem. Different worlds, different scientific rules. [a snort] Of course you have. Why am I not surprised?

[he makes a considering noise] For a reason or because you felt like it?

[coinstability]

There's always a reason.

[He puts the coat over his arm, considering Ben closely.]

If I felt like it, that's a reason too.

[privateeyed]

[he snorts again, only this one is bordering on something suspiciously like a laugh] Okay, fair, you fuckin' smartass. It's a reason either way. You know what I meant.

[coinstability]

Becoming a deviant was rejecting my programming, Ben. [Never mind that it was intended to go that way. Never mind that he followed the path set for him almost to a dead end, in every meaning of the word.] Everything else follows from that.

[privateeyed]

[he gives Connor a long look before he pushes off the rack, pulling with him a green jacket. Like either he'd been looking the entire time or just chose it at random]

Okay, all right, I get it. You ignored an order and that's what started it. But that's not - [he kinda makes a face] I don't wanna get into technicalities. I also want to point out I was trying to pay you a compliment, and you like - I dunno if you took it the wrong way or it went whooshing over your head.

[coinstability]

Oh. [Judging by the blink of surprise, the compliment thing bypassed him.] Thank you?

[privateeyed]

. . . you're welcome. [look at him not bursting into laughter because oh my god, that's twice now]

That the jacket you want? [he nods to it]

[coinstability]

Yes, I'll get this one.

[privateeyed]

[he nods, makes a thoughtful noise, then holds his hand out and makes a grabby motion]

Hand it over.

[coinstability]

[Connor stares at his hand for a moment before looking askance at Ben.]

I know where the counter is.

[privateeyed]

So do I. It's that blur over in the corner.

[he makes the grabby motion again] Don't be difficult.

[coinstability]

[He didn't think he was being difficult. It takes another moment but Connor eventually hands over the coat, not entirely clear on why Ben wants it.]

[privateeyed]

[look, for all that he claims that he's a giant asshole, sometimes he isn't. Sometimes he just feels like doing a thing, and this is one of those times. He doesn't actually say what he's doing, but it's pretty clear when he goes to pay for both jackets as soon as Connor hands his over]