006 — text/action.

[argents]

( TEXTED )

A while ago, I got back a laser sword.

[ PICTURED: A LASER SWORD. Steely-white hilt, pink blade. Robot not included (for now). ]

I've only used it twice since the echo, three times if you count taking that picture. But it's not as intense as it was when it first appeared. It might have to recharge, but I don't know how, or what it's even made of. It left some scorch marks on stone, but I think that it's really meant for cutting into other robots cockpits metals.

...I need to know what to do with it before it goes out for good.

[ DON'T SUGGEST AN APPLE STORE ]

I'll be out all day, so if anyone has the time to take a look at it, I can come to you.

( ACTION, OPEN )

OPTION A: LCU

[ School, boooo. He has precisely one morning class on Thursdays, and at 11am when he trudges out into the cold morning sun thrown about LCU's grounds, he looks a little... rough. Like in dire need of coffee or breakfast or the peace of mind a good night's sleep brings type rough. In truth, he needs the lowdown on this laser sword business ASAP, so he's brought it along in the bag slung over his shoulder. Just having it on his person when there were still police officers sniffing around makes him a touch nervous, however.

He looks at his watch. Stick around and brave the gauntlet, get breakfast, slug back home in the cold? ]

OPTION B: PUBLIC LIBRARY

[ Work, slightly less boooo. He's only offered to come in and help for an hour to two. Increase in traffic, increase in people actually looking stuff up in books. So he's on the second floor, perched on a ladder while he shuffles nonfiction titles into order.

Every now and again, one will slip past him as he works, clattering to the floor in a whip of pages. ]

OPTION C: PARK

[ Obligations met for the day, zero boos! So Banagher has decided to take it to the park for a few hours. There's a crisp bite the air, but there's still plenty of people milling about, enjoying the sidewalks sprawled throughout the park. And if not, there's still the park's center, crowned in a gaudy white fountain and decked out with festive strings of little gold lights. Local vendors are already set up to sell hot chocolate and the like.

Banagher, meanwhile, has parked himself at one of the basketball courts to shoot hoops for a little while. He wasn't quite comfortable enough to go at a punching bag in the dojo without Regina yet, so it was the next best thing to blow off a little steam. Plus, he hasn't done this in forever.

Haro sits on the bench with his coat and bookbag, also enjoying something that wasn't the inside of his room. Every so often he chimes in with a cheeky, "Missed! Missed!" when Banagher botches a shot. ]

I could throw you next, you know.

OPTION D: DOWNTOWN

[ On his way back home, he's drawn in by a crowd milling around a square drenched in outdoor spotlights. It's gotten darker earlier, but the time of year meant that establishments were open later, and the people followed suit by staying out later, too. Approaching, he realizes it's not the square itself that's got everyone's attention — it's the ice rink!

And he'd forgotten completely about it. Was it done already? ]

(ooc. open post! pick a place and a time and go wild! mix and match or make up your own, i'm not picky. ♥)

Comments

[argents]

Got it in one.

[ Shrugging casually, if not somewhat carefully, he returns the smile. ]

Don't worry, that's better than most people do, first thing. Did you just get out of class?

[worldmother]

Good, the last thing I need is to create another awkward situation.

[Elly nodded.]

Been at it since 7. You?

[argents]

Come on, I had a hand in that too.

[ Waving the notion off, he adjusts his bag and then shoves his hands in his pockets. The sun was out, but it was cold light. ]

Eight, for me. Early either way.

[ In punctuation, he has to stifle back a yawn. ]

[worldmother]

[Elly chuckled a bit at the yawn. She could certainly understand that feeling. Cold mornings like this usually took wallowing in her large mug of coffee to get going.]

All right, all right, I guess I can't take all the credit, even if I wanted to. Which I don't, for the record.

Where're you heading?

[argents]

[ He is more of a hot chocolate kind of person. And more recently, tea. Only one of which actually semi-helps. ]

Okay, good.

[ A small smile, just cheeky enough to pass for a grin. ]

I don't know yet. I had a question about something I echoed back — [ shrugging the shoulder his bag is currently positioned on as indication ] — but I don't think I have any takers yet. So I was thinking about breakfast. If I go home, I'll probably just go back to bed.

[worldmother]

[When you're a medical student, it's either copious amounts of caffeine or not having enough wherewithal to make it through class.]

Can I see? I don't know if I would be any help, but you never know.

[argents]

[ Taking a cursory glance around, he pulls his phone from his jacket pocket instead. ]

I can't really show you here, but you can have this.

[ Tapping a photo up from his gallery, he passes it over to her. It's the same he'd shared with the network: a picture of the laser sword he'd taken that morning. It looked less bright in the photo, to him, but it was unearthly, all the same. ]

I was hoping someone could help me figure out how it works, and... how to keep it working.

[worldmother]

[Elly takes a look and stops, heart catching in her chest. A strange feeling swept over her, a familiarity when she saw it, and without thinking she zoomed in on it, staring.]

...That looks like--

[She could almost see it, feel it in her hands. Something much like it. The blade was different, but the composition. She looked up at Banagher, a bit startled.]

I think I recognize this. I--former me, or whatever--used something like it.

[argents]

[ Banagher slows to a near stop, taking her reaction in carefully. It was a look about someone he recognizes well now, after all this time. One he's had himself countless times, no doubt. ]

A memory?

[ He turns towards her, waiting for the full effect to subside before he pressed with too many questions. ]

[worldmother]

[It took a moment before she finally retained her composure, and she nodded simply.]

I think so. ...That's really disorienting.

[argents]

Yeah, I'm sorry. It's not something you can really warn for. Since we still don't know what causes them...

[ Though, for what it's worth, he does look sympathetic. ]

You remembered a sword like that too?

[worldmother]

[She nods simply.]

I did, although the blade is different, not a, what would you call that? Anyway, it was used like a rapier, so quick, sudden thrusts. The other me used one, although I get the impression she wasn't as good with it as she was with other things, combat-wise.

[argents]

Combat-wise... so you used it? [ Yes, Banagher, that is what she just said. ] I mean, yourself. I get the feeling I never held one in person.

[ A beat. ]

I had something else to do it for me.

[worldmother]

I did, but... [She mulled the question over in her head for a moment.] There's something I don't quite understand about it.

[She pauses, looking a bit confused.]

Something else?

[argents]

Not all memories come with context, or clarity, I guess.

[ Which is something that's frustrated him to no end over these months. They weren't what he'd call long, and they weren't what he'd consider short, either. It was funny how his perception of time changed when he was just trying to go about existing. ]

Yeah. Everyone's seen a mecha cartoon or two, right?

[ He is really going there right now. ]

[worldmother]

I get that. At first, I could believe they were past lives. I saw the other me in a forest, so I figured that that idea was viable. [Although she was holding a rather sophisticated gun.] But this time, it seemed, how do I put this? Almost futuristic.

[Elly looks a bit stunned at that comment, eyebrows furrowing.]

You mean like robots?

[argents]

You're one of the few like me then. Who remembers something about the future, rather than a past.

[ Which meant they were more likely dealing with an alternate universe of some kind, but he doesn't say as much. This discussion always made him feel like an idiot enough, no matter the gravity of it, or how often it came up. ]

Like robots. Big ones. I think I used to be a pilot.

[worldmother]

So it's not just me? I was beginning to think maybe I was getting something wrong.

[Stopping, she looked at him a bit incredulously.]

Really? But that's Saturday morning cartoon stuff. No offense.

[argents]

No, but we're in the minority — hey, what's that look for? Is it really that weird compared to everything else going on?

[ TRUST HIM HE KNOWS. ]

[worldmother]

[That at least broke the tension a little, and she couldn't help but at least chuckle.]

All right, you got me there. It just threw me is all. It wasn't quite what I had expected. But all right, you piloted a robot the size of a house--they're usually about that big, right? I was never a giant robot girl.

[argents]

Believe me, I'm with you.

[ Honestly he's just trying to admit it to as many people as he trusts to make himself believe it. ...It's slow going. ]

I think it was way bigger than a house. But I don't really remember anything about the one I had, just going by looks. Before this though — [ he points to the picture of the sword ] I got back some kind of space suit. Doesn't explain why the sword is... well, person-sized, though.

[worldmother]

[She tries not to laugh, one side of her lips turning up into a bit of a smirk. Do you realize how ridiculous you sound right now, Banagher?]

Bigger than a house, really? Where would they put something like that, anyway?

[She looks back down at it, really analyzing it, before shaking her head.]

I'm not sure. I know the one I had was about that size, and I used it unaided. I wasn't good with it, but I didn't use any kind of robot to control it. If yours was bigger than a house, then the scale is way off.

[A beat.]

Have echoed items been known to change at all, over time?

[argents]

[ Oh my god noooo this is exactly what he didn't want to happen THIS IS WHY HE DOESN'T TELL ANYONE, THIS RIGHT HERE. ]

I don't know.

[ Exasperated now. ]

A spaceship, I guess?

[ Like what a plane is to an aircraft carrier it's not all crazy talk. ]

And that's something I haven't thought about... I've never heard of it, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. When you look at how much we don't actually know.

[worldmother]

[SHE'S NOT JUDGING YOU BANAGHER okay possibly a little, but really there are weirder things out there.

Just.

Give her a little bit to really get over the robot thing. She'll be fine.]

Right, I should have thought about that. Like a plane on an aircraft carrier. That makes sense.

So other you was from space, then? I guess that would explain the robot thing. And you're right. I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just... I have a hard time looking at things from something other than the most logical angle, I guess. I'll need to get over that.

[argents]

Um, no, it's alright. I forget sometimes that this kind of thing isn't normal — and hey, I'm going to swing by the coffee place, if you want to come.

[ Because 1. it's still cold 2. it's still early and 3. both of those things are keeping his brain at a steady scrambled-egg consistency. ]

Anyway, like I said, sometimes I don't remember how long it took for this to really sink in. It's not your fault. Denying it is... just something I can't really do anymore. Having the memories of experiencing something is different from just hearing about it. Like living in a colony.