001 ➛ audio

[squanderlust]

If this magic works the way it was described, somebody should be able to hear me right now. [though the voice of the young lady that's coming through sounds incredibly skeptical about this entire endeavor.] If you can, and you can actually understand me, I want you to tell me whether 8,000 "creds" is a lot of money around here, and what I can do to get it. I can't believe your merchants don't take something as simple as gold for war supplies.

[there's ambient noise for a while, and some confused sounds from somebody who has obviously never seen, much less used, an omni-tool before. eventually she groans in exasperation.]

My sword's been stolen from me and you expect me to do repairs to survive. This is entirely unacceptable.

Comments

voice

[distortedscream]

Not magic, technology.

...First time user?

voice

[squanderlust]

Technology? This is much more advanced than some... self-propelling ballista. Magic is the only thing that makes sense.

[of course she's a first-time user, but she knows enough not to say it. well, out loud.]

Re: voice

[distortedscream]

[Essentially a first-time user, yes. Dropping that point for now. BUT SELF-PROPELLING BALLISTA, WOAH. He'd learned the term on Earth only in historical contexts. Old, but interesting nonetheless.]

It is extremely advanced technology by the standards of a self-propelled ballista.

I'm still uncertain of the exact details of this place's currency, but I know gold is definitely out. Something about credits being more universal or something.

You seek to arm yourself? [Heavily implying you were weaponless out on this network didn't seem...that well thought out.]

[squanderlust]

I am looking for a new weapon. But unless you can find a better offer than the one the four-eyed... thing gave me, I think I'll be fine shopping around myself. [suddenly, though, she sounds excited at the idea!] Do you know what the best bargains are around here?

[distortedscream]

What did this four-eyed being give you?

Ah, there is a market district here that you can try. Afraid I'm not an exact expert on the subject though.

[squanderlust]

I've already been to the market district. That's where I got the 8,000 creds offer from four-eyes. I might be new in town, but I can smell shopping wherever I go. It just usually isn't mixed with the smells of smoke and excrement.

[distortedscream]

Not the only one new in town.

How did your sword get stolen? Traditional mugging, or it suddenly wasn't where you left it?

[squanderlust]

I was standing in line at the merch—er, I mean, I lost it in a battle! With one of those ugly red-eyed monsters. With the condition this... city is in, it must be a common occurrence.

[distortedscream]

Sounds like some battle. [A bit dryly.]

May be easier to come by a gun first than another sword here. [He wouldn't rule out the possibility entirely though. Megatron still employed a sword.]

...Have you heard of a gun before?

[squanderlust]

Of course I've heard of a gun before. ["earlier today" counts as before, right?] I already have somebody offering to buy me one.

[the way she ends that sentence, kind of standoffish but open to help, it's like there's more she wants to say but she knows it would be a really dumb idea to say it out loud.]

[distortedscream]

[Maybe approach this carefully, as she seems to be trying for tact.]

But it seems like swordsmanship is your specialty. Do you require assistance to brush up on the skills for a gun?

[Some flattery was careful, right?]

[squanderlust]

I can figure it out on my own, thank you very much.

[no, she can't, but she doesn't know that yet. nice as this guy might seem, she still doesn't actually have the gun she'd been promised, and it's a bad idea to open up too much when you're actually defenseless.]

If something on it breaks, I'll remember you, but I know how to attack with a gun. [that's the right way to phrase it, isn't it?]

ooc: and severa hasn't seen what starscream actually looks like, right?

[distortedscream]

You're welcome to come to me for repair work. [Ah, but who would she look for? Time to formally introduce himself.] My name is Starscream. And you are?

...Shoot with a gun, you mean? [Starscream's now so worried she's going to shoot herself in the foot or worse or hit a passerby.]

ooc: no clue, she thinks she's just talking to a dude

[squanderlust]

Starscream? Gawds, did Owain name you? [she doesn't even care that he won't understand how hilarious she's being.] My name is Severa. And I'm very skilled at gun-shooting, thanks. [it's like shooting a bow, right? right?]

Re: ooc: no clue, she thinks she's just talking to a dude

[distortedscream]

...Owain?

[Scrap, does he want to do this? But there's no point in giving her a possibly unpleasant surprise at this point, should she try to find him later for repair work.]

Ah, do you know how the video function of your communication device works?

[squanderlust]

Ugh, never mind. It's just this... guy I know.

[she's learning! she messes with a few buttons and in a matter of seconds her video feed starts and her face shows up.]

I told you I was good at figuring things out.

[distortedscream]

[Bit of an amused laugh in his voice.] Yes, you are.

[Voice returns to normal.]

Ah, now...you've encountered creatures that seem strange to you already, yes? Such as that four-eyed being? Not that I have four eyes, but I'm not as...human looking, as you. Just letting you know, so you won't be startled if you come around looking for repairs.

[Switch to video. Have a metal figure with wings and no nose and glowing eyes.]

[squanderlust]

[she's, well, shocked into silence when his image pops up. she has absolutely no idea what she's looking at. if this is armor, it's far more advanced and streamlined than anything she's ever seen. but it doesn't even look like that! where are the seams? throwing tact to the wind, she sputters out a question.]

What are you?

[distortedscream]

Are you familiar with robots? Automatons? Golems? They all seem to mean roughly the same creature in the human cultures I'm familiar with, and that's essentially what I am, though while most of them were created, I was born, the same as the rest of my kind.

[Shrug.]

I believe the simplest way of putting it is that I'm a creature made of metal and wire, rather than flesh and bone. Does that answer your question?

[squanderlust]

Not remotely. But I doubt I'll get a more comprehensible explanation from anyone. So you're constructed of the same thing that this entire "station" is made of? Does that mean that you understand how it works better than others?

[distortedscream]

Not exactly the same as this station, but closer to that than organics--fleshy creatures like you. [Was the term "organic" known in her world?]

I've recently arrived to this place, and though there are differences, there are actually still some similarities to my home. There seem to be others from a similar background, and others who...aren't, so I would have a better understanding than them, yes.

[Like how to work a gun, but Severa seemed so pleased getting her communication device to switch to video, he rather doubts he wants to risk deflating her mood.]

Why, do you require more information?

[Coming from a world where the most advanced technology was self-propelled ballistas, she must be filled with questions.]

[squanderlust]

[her head is swimming with questions right now, but she can't get over her pride long enough to actually ask them. she looks contemplative for a long while, which isn't an expression it seems like she's tried out before.]

Have these things always been here? This place, and whatever your home is, and everything else.

[she might need a moment. it's hard to keep up pretense when you're possibly encountering long-lost secrets of the universe.]

[distortedscream]

[Sounding a bit overwhelmed there. Again, couldn't really fault her for that.]

I know my home did not just spring up in a matter of seconds. Where I'm from, it's been around for eons.

As for this place, I don't think it just suddenly appeared--it seems to have a history, and already a familiarity with strangers like you and I getting stranded here.

[How to explain this?]

It seems multiple worlds can exist at the same time without being instantly visible to the other....

[Slipping into more thinking out loud.]

[squanderlust]

This is...

[she trails off, trying to think of the right word. all these concepts that she's never even taken the time to think about before, suddenly being thrust in her face by a piece of technology that she didn't think could possibly exist. gods, this is truly...]

Stupid! I can't believe I'm wasting time thinking about space when I could be doing something more productive with my time around here! Like getting a gun and learni—I mean, shooting it!

[distortedscream]

[Past her limit at the moment.]

Thinking about such could lead to figuring a way out of here, but it is rather more existential and theoretical at the moment--you'd be better served settling your immediate needs first, as you put it.

[Why was he trying to be this soothing? ...All right, pity was useless, but he's fairly certain Severa had never known about guns before Omega.]

Securing shelter and sustenance would take precedent over arming yourself, surely? [Unless such things were dependent on her being armed.]