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

[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]

[coinstability]

[It does click into place very quickly, though that doesn't lessen Connor's confusion. They had just been talking about necessities and uses for Connor's own credits, so he had been anticipating making his own purchase. Only for Ben to spirit it out of his hands.

He should go intervene immediately before the transaction is made, but Connor holds himself back instead. It would be best to ask why when it's over. He does step out from the racks and stands to the left of the counter, where he can wait for Ben to be done.]

[privateeyed]

[if Ben had any intentions of explaining himself . . . nah he totally doesn't. He finishes up and just holds the jacket out to Connor once it's all done, forgoing the bag since they're just gonna step outside anyway, and if they (read: him) can avoid one reasons the friendly people start harassing them, then good]

Here.

[coinstability]

[Connor takes it, brow creasing as he fiddles with one of the sleeves.]

Thanks... [Looking up again, he assesses Ben one more time.] You didn't need to do that.

[privateeyed]

[he raises his eyebrows at Connor as he shrugs his own jacket on, then reaches back to pull the hood of his sweatshirt free] I know I didn't.

[coinstability]

[Well, that seems like an impasse. Maybe Ben just wanted to make the point about preventing further concerned questions from the locals. Connor still could have done that himself, with the credits he's accumulated so far with no use for. He understands enough to know that this isn't something he should push back on.

So he takes the coat in hand and pulls it on over his jacket.]