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TDM 002
| TDM 002: IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO |
( 1 ) Around mid-morning, a message from the Augur appears on bracelets all across the city. "New organisms discovered. Domestication in progress."  The wark of a chocobo rises up from the outskirts of the city. Several more join in, forming a charming chorus. And, strangely, this is when new arrivals begin to show up. Beamed in one at a time, scanned en masse, they are processed just as the first wave was. There's one major difference: whereas the old guard was given their bracelets and ushered into the City, the new folks are also given... collars. Buckled, snapped, or otherwise fastened around their necks, a variety of colorful collars with some rather unusual novelty pet tags. (These are just a few suggestions. The typical “If found, please return to ____” is also very much acceptable.)  "You are new organisms. Domestication in progress. Compatible Eros energy will complete domestication." No matter how hard they try, characters cannot take the collars off by themselves. They need a partner's help - but not just anyone will do. It very well might be the first person they find, or it might take several tries. The robots grow bolder as the day grows on, targeting characters who aren't new, as well. "Y̶o̶u̴ ̸a̷r̸e̷ ̵o̵r̵g̶a̴n̷i̷s̶m̸s̶.̶ ̶D̷o̶m̴e̴s̶t̶i̶c̵a̸t̶i̸o̴n̸ ̷i̵n̸ ̴p̸r̶o̵g̷r̵e̷s̵s̷." Their antics die down by nightfall, but for the next day or two, the occasional malfunctioning 'bot may accost someone in the street, so stay on your toes!  ( 2 ) An abandoned racetrack lights up the night. That's right: place your bets, folks, because these birds are about to run around a track while robots sell synthetic, overpriced aphro-popcorn. ...Did you say priced? That’s right! If you participated in the orgy earlier this month, you'll find you have a stash of credits accessible in your app. You've fucked money back into the world, so why not waste it? (Opportunities to earn credits will come up periodically and won't always be sexual in nature, so don't worry if your character wouldn't have any yet.) And if you don't have credits to bet with, why not get creative? N A V I G A T I O N |
iii.
nope. just one flavour, it seems. ]
Are we betting on who dies first, or who will win the race?
[ not quite at ease with his surroundings, angelo still sits with a tense air, even as he's already moved from a more relaxed sitting position as opposed to having his back ramrod straight all the time. it's the unfortunate consequence of being with the wrong char. ]
no subject
I don't think it's that kind of sport, Angelo. Get your head out of the gutter.
[And just where did you get that popcorn from, sir? Char looks doubtful, but figures it's best not to ask. Hopefully there isn't a dead body, bleeding out below the stands, because they made the fatal mistake of denying Angelo his stolen snack.]
...although I'm surprised that you accepted my invitation. Missed me already?
[God, that smile was obnoxious. And then some.]
no subject
[ what is wrong with everyone, why are his suggestions regarding these birds' welfare being met with scrutiny.
and surprisingly, nobody died for the popcorn. he's just adept at pickpocketing like he were in the streets again and felt no guilt about it considering how overpriced it was in this barren wasteland. seems like a scam to have to use credits for a snack.
angelo snacks on his popcorn with gritted teeth. ] Don't get cocky. Familiarity breeds contempt.
no subject
[It is a reasonable retort.]
no subject
angelo looks at him with his customary glare, which is really how he normally looks like with char, anyway. so: something else familiar. ]
I can tolerate an arrangement, up to and including the effort needed to make it work.
no subject
[He sees that glare and raises you an impossible grin. Also he's sneaking a few kernels into that pouty mouth, if he can help it.]
no subject
Char.
[ keep doing that and people are gonna think they actually get along this is horrible!!! god!!! ]
no subject
Think we can screw for other animals too? I'm partial to horses myself, but...
no subject
[ in fact, angelo has his own, which he pulls up and shows char. it goes like this --
- roses
- palau office, converted into a living space with completed amenities and security detailing.
- coffee (several bean varieties), tea (black tea and several other herbal varieties)
- an extensive list of alcohol tailored to a certain char clone, so it might as well be for char anyway
- dry cleaning services
- steam iron
- sewing kit and sewing machine
- several rolls of lint roller
- a vacuum
- actual healthy food, the dimensions of which angelo has detailed in a weekly meal plan
- latest updates for the rozen zulu ]
I have a list for you as well. [ uh oh. ]
no subject
[>weird
>creepy
disturbing
>the fuck we need roses for]
...very diligent of you, Angelo. Well done.
[Note how he didn't mention his own list. He might just be the slightest bit unnerved by all that diligence.]
no subject
Of course. I take my duties seriously.
[ he duly updates it with
- horses
but puts it at the very bottom of the list. he doesn't see the reason for it, but if char wants it, he'll just put it down. ]
There are only so many ways to get rewards from their system. We'll have to schedule them if you're serious about getting amenities.
[ you know, it's not too late to abandon him to the wolves. ]
no subject
Why do you want roses?
no subject
all the same, he'd know if he were lying, and anyway, it's not .... unreasonable to ask. it's the equivalent of putting horses on his list, except he'd put it up high on his priorities.
so all he says is, ]
.... There are roses in the Palau office, where the Captain is. [ an annoyed sigh -- ] It's an indulgence.
[ unspoken is the fact that it's a love of things he'd instilled in him, or at least one of them, other than the more accessible indulgences like tea. ] He probably thinks it's frivolous. But I liked putting them on his desk, anyway. He deserves the best, after all.
[ he hates talking about this, if only because it makes him homesick.
so he'll eat more of that popcorn. ]
no subject
Who could ever fall in love with Char Aznable? Even just a memory, just a mirror image... surely it would be just as broken and just as sad.]
Palau's your home base, right?
[Best to focus on logical details, leave the rest behind. But Char won't forget it, that Angelo loves roses and loves his Captain.]
Let's focus on that first. Everything else can wait.
no subject
[ surprised that char isn't insisting on something else more pragmatic. after all, there are certainly better ways of spending their first few credits. he expected char to put up more resistance, but then again, he was the same when he'd asked him about giving up the name.
not his captain. not at all. but .... certain exceptions can be made, and angelo's quietly learning. vicious little dog, new tricks. ]
It makes sense to secure housing first above all things. [ yes, that is most prudent.
he glances at char. the way he responded to that, more of surprise than excitement or anything else close, was because angelo knew the truth: he will not like palau, because his captain didn't like it either. but there wasn't anything else that tied him closer to home. and perhaps this is more for himself than his captain, really, but that's loyalty and that's that manic love that damned angelo the moment he didn't die in the streets back in side 3. fate is funny like that. he'll offer a silent apology later on.
angelo takes out his handkerchief to start wiping his hands with, and a brief glance at char tells him he's still clean, so -- no need to fuss over him for now. ]