[WORLD ONE] SPEED DATING EXTRAVAGANZA

[spellbindmods]

Who: Participating coven members
Where: The Palai marketplace
When: Day 49
Open/Closed: OTA

[ Any and all who are in the marketplace will find that there is suddenly a mysterious barrier around the marketplace (that may be eerily familiar to some) -- specifically one large portion of the marketplace with a large number of tables and chairs, perhaps purposefully set out for nefarious reasons.

A few Palai are ushering coven members to chairs, and everything seems about normal. As normal as the Palai can be when they're putting on a show anyway. It's not until a sizable portion of the coven members are seated (and also supplied with breadsticks and small shrimp), that things get a bit more bizarre.

Thanks to the power of the Eltos, a small band of energy keeps coven members stuck to the chair (magic can interfere, of course), but that's not the end of it. On each table, next to those delicious smelling breadsticks and shrimp, is a bowl of scraps of papers. Every five minutes, a strip of paper will pop out from the bowl.

If you ask the Palai, they'll be inclined to explain speed dating to you. Asking questions, getting to know a person, then being shimmied off to the next potential mate -- this is made possible by Elto magic yet again, through flying chairs that transport their holder to a new table at standard intervals.

The Palai are extremely invested in this exercise? Will you let them down? ]

[ OOC: In the spirit of speed dating, each character will have a top level. All who want to respond to this top level can with questions from this post, but the threads have to end at 10 comments from each character. After this last tag, the characters can be assumed to have been whisked to a different potential match. You're free to have characters make up their own questions, interact with Palai serving food, etc. ]

Comments

[deem]

[The questions come in such great numbers that 9S is genuinely surprised. Scanners are characterized by their curiosity, and perhaps none are more so than his own model, and maybe even his own instance in that line. Despite regulations, his interests had led him to pursue information that wasn't deemed necessary for him to know.

Even when it was dangerous. Even when it was ruinous.

But he hasn't had anyone inquire of him like this before, and it comes as a genuine surprise. He takes a moment to parse through it all, debating how best to address all of the things she wanted to know]

Well... [A fine lead-in] I've always thought using nicknames means you're closer to somebody, you know? So I don't know why anybody wouldn't like them.

[Of course, that's coming from someone who always longed for a sense of personal connection with others, so he can admit to himself he's a bit biased]

Where fighting's concerned, Scanners usually avoid detection and hack their opponents in order to control or destroy them outright. That's definitely something I do, but I also modified myself so I could engage in melee combat. There were a lot of us at one time, but I've only been able to confirm the status of 4S in the recent past. He's uh...an older model, dispatched to the field earlier than I was.

sorry for late reply, computer broke :(

[drizzle]

[As 9S begins to give his responses, Nike will wonder if he was okay with her giving him a nickname only to find he accepts them for the same reason as Livi does -- to feel a sense of a personal connection with others. Nike couldn't help lower her eyes as she is reminded of the argument she had with him on the matter. It was during a time she was trying to sorta rebel against the boy king, not fully forgiving him for separating her from her family and home. If it wasn't for Luna's arrival, then she wouldn't have had made the effort to close the distance between them a little more.

A sad smile may appear as she is reminded of that -- her conflicting emotions over someone that wasn't around to control her.]

Funny. I used to hate giving them to others. Nicknames. It isn't until someone has given me one here that I didn't begin to appreciate them.

[There was guilt in the undertone of her voice as she admits it. She hated giving other people nicknames. One person in particular she never wanted to ever speak his name because he was forcing her to. It isn't until she was reminded of how expandable she was. No matter how much Livi said otherwise, she can be replace at a moments notice.]

Hack? [Another word she didn't recognize, but by the context it sounded like.] Is that a way of possessing someone? [She had no other way to explain it as.] That's really interesting. Was it difficult to...modify yourself? [Not that she understands the idea of it, but the context makes her believe he improve on that particular skill he was lacking.] Oh, I see. Then 4S would be like...an distant ancestor of yours'? Like a great, great, great, great, great grandfather kind of deal?

[deem]

Not really an ancestor... YoRHa hasn't been around that long.

[And held against the length of a war that has spanned millennia, a handful of years is nothing. The fleeting nature of their existence is almost laughable, really, though 9S can't find it in him to consider it humorous. At one time he had, in the most bitter sense possible, but the state he was in then isn't the same as now.

Rather than dwell on it, 9S sweeps the thought aside. It's simplest this way, rather than confronting the subjects that trouble him for which there are no resolutions to be had]

He's got more field experience though, since he was deployed earlier. It was far enough in advance of me that we weren't really acquainted, although he knows others call me Nines, since we all communicate remotely. [And since, so far as he could tell, 4S' memories were intact] Possessing seems more mystical to me, where hacking is a technical process, but I can take control of a target so long as they haven't noticed me. [Which probably doesn't help differentiate at all] Or just break locks, stuff like that.

[He shrugs. Scanners get much of their utility from hacking, and it helps them gather information, which is what they're best suited to]

Where modifications are concerned...I guess it just seems intuitive to me. Sometimes I get to thinking something would work much better if it were this way, or that way...something like that.

[drizzle]

Remotely? What does that mean?

[Another word she couldn't quite understand, even in the context of their conversation. She didn't have any way of compare it to unlike the other terms. Nike could tell this was boy was beyond talented. An incredibly logical being. The way he speaks reminds her of Livi while all at once there was an aspect he excel in which Livi didn't -- humility and actual honest emotion.

She appreciated his attempt to understand her as much as she is trying to understand him.]

I suppose it is the mystical version of hacking. Humans aren't made of parts as you are. We're all connected in a spiritual way. It kinda sounds like androids are connected in a similar fashion too if you can take control of someone and break into their houses. [Yes, she is taking 9S's breaking into locks in the literal sense.]

It kinda sounds like learning to me. You taught yourself something you liked or had innate talent for. [With a beaming smile, as she can't help appreciate it. Finding something they had in common.] Congratulations on gaining the ability to do it, Nines. I'm really glad you were able to become stronger!

[deem]

[9S wonders if her perception of him is accurate enough to let it go on those terms. He isn't quite certain that he'd taught himself, exactly. Rather he enabled himself to have a NFCS the same as combat models did, but that strikes him as a function rather than a learned ability. But maybe it's close enough, at least for now.

It's kind of her to say such things, besides]

I guess it's true I found studying enemy attack patterns interesting...

[And so maybe it's close enough. He's bending just a little to meet her summation of what he did, but that's alright. She's even using his nickname, though she didn't seem to like it very much before]

While I don't usually break into houses, it does make navigating hostile territory easier. Hacking, I mean. I've been able to help out 2B that way too. [And there's something in his voice that suggests this is even more important than simple utility: that he could look out for her] As for remote communications, I guess it's sort of like the network we use now.

[He lifts a hand to tap the signet, visible above the low dip of his uniform coat's neckline]

[drizzle]

[She'll notice the change in his voice upon speaking about 2B which will leave her pensive and interested too. The way he spoke just now. There was emotion there. A strong one too. But, she couldn't exactly pinpoint it neither. It was beyond feeling responsible for her and yet it didn't feel like actual love neither. Not the love she has witnessed between Luna and Livi or her sisters with their own significant others.

Just as Nike was going to ask more about his adventures with 2B, the ways he has helped her to get a better grasp of hacking was, her seat will begin to float.]

Huh? Wait! What are you doing?

[Her hands will definitely be on top of her pink dress, to keep the fabric from rising any further than it already has. The Palai in charge will inform of their time having just run out. It's been exactly ten minutes.]

Ha!? Already!? Are you serious? Just when we were gonna get to the best part!?

[The comment will leave the Palai confused, wondering if she was interested in mating with the boy. A lot of shaking hands later!]

No, no, no! Don't you dare misunderstand me! I just wanted to keep talking to him, is all.

[The Palai will point out there are rules in place and she isn't an exception to the rule unless a union is formed. Nike will be left feeling beyond frustrated.]

....whatever. I'm not going to steal someone else's significant other. You do know he kinda has a partner, right?

[Which wasn't a complete lie. It was clear 9S was 2B's partner of some kind. Now if it was romantic or not, she figures was up in the air, but if she could help them escape, then she gave 9S an opening. The Palai will put Nike back down just to turn their attention to him in checking if Nike's claims were true or not.]

[deem]

[Perhaps unfortunately for Nike, 9S isn't quite able to let the angle she's using just go in this way. He can understand not wanting to continue this strange game of musical chairs, but at the same time he doesn't want to inconvenience 2B by having the Palai forming their own impressions about their relationship.

They've got enough baggage between them as it stands without the locals getting any funny ideas]

YoRHa aren't really supposed to fraternize. [Not that it stopped even the Commander herself, but nevertheless, 2B was always the one reminding him that emotions were prohibited. If anyone were likely to adhere to something like that, it was her. At least, she always had] So we shouldn't be eligible for this sort of thing.

[That's his own appeal to make, though so far he hasn't managed to get through to the Palai. They don't seem to be concerned with the fact that androids aren't capable of the actual mating part, on top of all the other issues that this sort of situation gives rise to]

[drizzle]

All the more reason you two shouldn't be here!

[She wasn't going to allow the Palai to do as they wish with them. It wasn't correct to allow them be separated like this. There was a lot she didn't know about their kind or relationship, but she didn't want anyone to get any strange ideas with them. Just thinking about the way other men have treated her over the years, she didn't want 2B to encounter anyone like that. Even 9S was special too. The color of his skin and hair was very rare in her world. It was worth a great deal of money. He could easily sell it for great profit.

Nike will look down, feeling pensive over it, trying to find a way to get him out of this situation, but there wasn't much she could do if he wasn't willing to take her opening. Which makes her wonder if he even knew it was one or he did. Why did he reject it? Could it be due to androids being unable to lie or..?]

If they can't fraternize with others, then you're putting them in a difficult position! An uncomfortable one. Maybe even offensive too. Do you really want to leave a bad impression of you and your civilization by forcing them into something that's against their...ethics?

[She didn't have any other way of putting it. The thought of helping someone escape was more important at the moment. If she could figure out a way to help someone get away, then maybe she can find a loophole for herself. One that wouldn't reveal too much of her own situation.]

[deem]

[9S is quick to attempt to wave her efforts off, shoulders bunched with a given discomfort, though likely not for the reasons she might assume]

...You really don't have to trouble yourself on my account.

[Actually the thought of a human going to this length for him is at once flattering and disquieting. That a member of such a race would think enough of him to bother is certainly an honor, but at the same time, he knows that he shouldn't cause her such inconvenience. His core programming makes him all too aware of it.

It's a kindness that shouldn't be expended on him, especially having only just met. He's done nothing to warrant it.

Actually, he's reminded a little of Jude]