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

[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.]

[squanderlust]

How do you expect me to get long-term food if I can't hunt for it myself? [people don't just deliver that kind of stuff to you! she makes a disgusted kind of face.] It's barbaric, but it's necessary in times like these. I don't think the war is over quite yet.

[shelter's harder to find, though. she can't exactly pitch a tent. for a moment she looks like she's ready to admit that she can't live on her own, but an idea lights up her face at the last second.] The pay I get for repair work. Wouldn't I be able to spend more of it if I weren't spending so much on personal protection? [which is a ridiculous concept to begin with, but she'll acquiesce to the protection money for now. until she gets a little more dangerous, that is.]

What if I had someone else to live with?

[distortedscream]

[Did she mean literally hunt? Hunt game? Because other than that lost pet he'd seen on the network, Starscream wasn't sure if--ohwait what.]

In that case you'd truly need a weapon if you actually went through with refusing to pay protection mone--

Oh, that is a possibility. You could pool your funds with another. That should generally lower the costs of your new living situation then.

[If that was a hint, he's not quite getting it yet.]

[squanderlust]

[she gives her video feed a scrutinizing look. yeah, it was totally a hint, but it was also a suggestion. from a practical standpoint, at least until she got a gun, it might be a good idea to puff herself up, as it were, and befriend someone who looks like he could take on armies singlehandedly. her scrutiny turns to a satisfied look; she nods once.]

Exactly what I thought. Very well, then. You'll do.

[+1 roommate]

[distortedscream]

[Starscream hadn't been aware he volunteered. Though perhaps he had walked into that.]

[To his surprise, Starscream found he didn't have much instinctive objection. What did he have to lose, really?

Even if he could not find anything edible on the station to spend his funds on, it might be useful to still bolster them, who knows what resources he'd need later. He did have room in his makeshift shelter. And the human looked like she could use some assistance.

...Of course. You honor me.

[Dryly said with an arched brow. Now was he humoring her or being tactful? Starscream wasn't entirely sure himself. Maybe both. If they were to share a shelter, he wanted to stay on her good side for the most part. How did this conversation lead to him gaining a crewmate--a flatmate?]

[squanderlust]

Of course I do. [and now she just looks smug.]

I guess our options are equally "grandiose" [with finger quotes] so it doesn't matter whether I move in with you or vice versa. I have fewer belongings for now. [that will change once she gets more money. she's not the army's biggest squanderer for nothing.] I suppose I'll require less space to begin with. Are you already in your... what passes for a room around here?

[distortedscream]

[And for a moment with the approximate redness in the human's hair and even her eyes--were her eyes rather reddish too?--and that smug look, Starscream was reminded of Knock Out.]

In the Zeta District, yes, doing repairs, but close enough to the actual apartment.

What about your current location?

[squanderlust]

[there's some keen eyes on that robot. probably keen enough to notice how disgusted Severa looks at the prospect of actually doing her job around here. still, she does need the money...]

I'm close enough to the Zeta District. It shouldn't be difficult for me to find you once I get there, but I've been told there's a way to transmit your location across these devices. You should send me yours so I can be sure.

[distortedscream]

[Fiddling with settings.]

There, done. Let me know if you received it all right.

[squanderlust]

I suppose we'll find out.

[a smile flits across her lips. her other hand works at the omni-tool a bit before lowering.]

I'll be there soon, if this magi—technology worked properly. As I said, it won't be difficult to find you.

[she lowers her arm, but hasn't quite figured out how to turn off the video feed, so as she makes her way towards Starscream's location, her screen will show... well, Omega, but from roughly waist level, rotated 90 degrees, and slowly swinging.]

[distortedscream]

[Not exactly reassuring, he wanted to be sure there was less of a chance she'd get lost--but she had a point, he would be difficult to miss, and she was already near the Zeta district, and the Omni tool definitely sent his coordinates.]

[Her Omni tool hadn't turned off and how...dizzying. Starscream forced back a snicker. Turning away from his Omni tool but keeping it online in case Severa contacted him again, Starscream returned to fixing a roof.]

[OOC: This is fun. Now what next exactly? Switch to action thread here, or like a separate log post for this? Or handwave with a small time skip later and pick up from there?]