catch-all ( to distract our hearts from ever missing them )

[systemize]

WHO: Cadel Greeniaus and a few other people. If you'd like a thread start, let me know!
WHERE: Various places.
WHEN: Various times.
WHAT: Various things. No, okay, it's a catch all, you get the point.
WARNINGS: None except for Cadel's sad life.

Starts below.

Comments

Ken

[systemize]

[Cadel is waiting, admittedly a little nervously, since twenty minutes before the agreed upon time. Sure, he's been here before to meet Isaac and again since to meet Magicman-- the cafe is quickly becoming his venue in which to meet people from the network, which means he'll have to change to a different location soon-- so he knows the layout and he's relatively confident there isn't any surveillance. No, his nervousness this time is pure and simple social nervousness. He's still a little dubious that someone who is, frankly, not as nerdy as him would want to go around and record how his power works in painstaking detail.

Then again, he's met some surprisingly kind people here. Cadel knows they exist at home, too, obviously, but he hasn't met enough to be desensitized to it yet.

Cadel looks young, years younger than his actual age of fifteen, and is dressed very plainly to offset his cherubic looks. He shifts in his chair and sips at his coffee. With him is a messenger bag that he's placed on the table, containing his communicator and a plain old school paper and pencil notebook. He's finished his own laptop by now, but sometimes, the best security is just hard copy. And Cadel sees no reason to put the list of his capabilities anywhere another hacker could find it.]

[orangehoodie]

[Ken isn't as early, but he's usually good about being on time to things. Five minutes before one, Ken in all his not-even-five-foot glory passes by the window of the cafe, peering in, then pauses at the door before walking in with the dog following along. If the cafe has a problem, he can probably ask Stormer to move outside if possible. He's not too worried.

As said in the messages, he's wearing an orange jacket. Unfortunately he doesn't know what the other looks like but he remembers the note about the corner so he casts a glance around, trying to find someone who might give him a sign.]

[systemize]

[Orange hoodie with dog is certainly noticeable, and Cadel half-stands to flag them down. He hadn't had any idea what to expect when he'd said his dog was coming with him, but far from his nebulous mental image of gruff guard dog or tiny lap dog is this medium sized energetic white shiba.

Not to mention, Ken actually looks younger than him, which is a very rare occurrence for Cadel. Maybe this will go well. It's possible if for no other reason than that Cadel has no prior experience with anyone of that age group.]

[orangehoodie]

[Ah, there. A recognition. Ken carefully steps around a table full of studying college students to make his way over, Koromaru weaving through customers' feet behind him. Ken's neither surprised nor unsurprised at the man's apparent age. At eleven, anybody that's older than middle school is a part of that mysterious time of life called adulthood. He's not going to distinguish age much. Cadel seems close to the other SEES members' age, and that's as far as he cares to guess. It doesn't really matter in the end.

He'll stop when he's standing by the table. Up close, Ken's definitely not a terribly large child. Less than five feet tall and rather slight in appearance. Even if he tried, he wouldn't look anything older than twelve or thirteen.]

Stormer?

[systemize]

[Cadel has skipped more grades than he's attended at this point so interactions with kids his actual age that don't revolve around geek topics are a new thing for him.

He nods and sits back down again, though he's curious about how well behaved Koromaru is.] My real name's Cadel Greeniaus. Um, thanks for coming. Will your dog get impatient sitting around with us...?

[He has no experience with animals.]

[orangehoodie]

[Geeky things would fly over Ken's head. He's more likely to turn to topics about sports. At least they aren't here for either topic in particular. He sits, setting aside the backpack he was carrying with him.]

Cadel, then. It's no problem, really. I just hope I can help. And ah. [He glances down at Koromaru, who sits up straight and gives Cadel a friendly woof and a wag of his tail.]

Koromaru won't mind. He's really patient.

[systemize]

[He hesitantly reaches out to pet him, but soon gains more confidence when it's well received. Cadel relaxes.]

Okay. I'm probably overreacting about my powers, but if I cause some kind of catastrophic grid failure... [He shakes his head.] I just don't want to take any chances. So I thought we'd start simple.

[He pulls a few small objects out of his bag: a calculator, a radio, an RC car, and an RC helicopter no bigger than his hand, both without the associated controller.]

Ash

[systemize]

[Despite the fact that he's read enough of Ash's conversations by now to know that he's far from normal or, well, even probably stable, Cadel doesn't mind him. He's consistent and hasn't been the least bit threatening to anyone that hasn't returned the threat, much less toward Cadel, and that makes him something that Cadel understands a lot better than the ordinary people who are just simply nice to him.

There's a familiarity to talking to Ash that is sometimes bad and sometimes good but is, at the very least, something he can handle, in a dwindling list of things he can handle. As time goes on and he doesn't go home and none of his family (or Sonja) magically show up after him, Cadel's own stability has already started to fray a little at the edges. It leads to some perhaps muddled moral choices, like starting to hack into everything he can find now that he's put his computer together.

So leaving the den of his new apartment to meet up with Ash at Nonah's swear in festival is almost a relief, a change of pace, at the same time that it uncomfortably reminds him of just how homesick he really is.

Cadel sighs and pokes around on his phone some more as he waits, others buzzing around the entry gate, forming their own groups, washing around him in waves. His tendency to show up early for everything out of paranoia is showing itself again. Most people would be playing a game or texting someone if they were fiddling with their phone. Cadel is remotely checking on his new computer's security in between doing web site coding for work. He's quite absorbed.]

[capriciousrevolt]

[ It is just so difficult to find proper footing in this dimension, to feel like he was on solid ground. It's unsettling to lack purpose, true purpose, when it was what drove him for years. For all that he had been right on the cusp of victory back home, he is adrift now.

Ash is surprised by how much he misses those few, rare connections that he'd tried and failed to cut so many times now that they are gone entirely. If Betty were here, he might have even tried to go straight rather than mired in his own frustrations. But she is not and that's why he's out here doing something perfectly... normal. He can just imagine the look on her face at the thought that he wasn't out committing wildly antisocial acts.

The smile that curves his mouth is softer, less predatory than usual at that thought. It remains as such even when he spots that curly head of hair he knows to be his acquaintance. Between instants of time, the distance is crossed and he looks around Cadel's shoulder to his phone. Ash has at least one point of credit to his name despite his fundamental inability to act normal, and that's the fact that he almost looks it. No flashy red leather today, but rather jeans and a shirt that has an entirely disproportionate amount of glittery little rhinestones decorating it.

It's a sort of progress. ]

[systemize]

[Cadel glances up quickly when the hair on the back of his neck prickles, notifying him of someone watching him from behind. He doesn't try to hide his phone; just like the first time they'd met, he's aware that acting too protective can draw negative attention. There's nothing he needs to hide currently pulled up, anyway, just a long string of code.

He notices Ash's clothes but as long as he isn't trying to get Cadel in them, it doesn't especially matter to him. He spares a moment to wonder what Ash would think of him going around in flippers and a beard to avoid detection by CCTV. There's two possibilities: laughter or horror.]

I'm just doing websites for work, [he explains, closing the remote connection to his laptop before pocketing his phone.] Was there anything you wanted to do here in particular?

[capriciousrevolt]

[ In truth, computer stuff means very little to Ash. With so much to juggle as it was, he'd never had the time to become particularly adept. He moves with an easy enthusiasm, a barely suppressed energetic nature. The first day they'd met, he'd been almost languid, but there hasn't been any sort of outward directed release of his energy in days now. ]

Everything, mon mignon. [ A beat. ] Except the stupid stuff. [ He gestures grandly, a faint spark at his fingertips emphasizing the direction they needed to be heading. He needs this outing, he knows. The novelties, the noise and movement of the crowds are therapeutic in a way. ] I've never had American fair food before, so that's a good way to start.

[systemize]

[Cadel notices that energy, but frankly his life has always been too stressful for him to have any pent up energy left to express. Except for when he's stuck in house arrest, of course. God, he hates those times. That's the one thing this world has going for it: a truly extensive illusion of freedom.

He also doesn't know any French and is clueless that he's been called sweetheart.] I've never had Australian fair food before, [he admits. Prosper would have found it frightfully low brow.] What are we classifying as stupid? All of the rigged games? I can probably spot exactly how they're rigged.

[He supposes that could be an interesting mental exercise.]

[capriciousrevolt]

No, no, I meant sporty ones. If we skipped all the rigged games, we would not have anything to play. Those, we'll cheat.

[ Ash says this nonchalantly, clearly taking it as a given as he encourages Cadel forward. After all, what else would they do? One of the booths nearest the entrance calls his attention already.

Elephant ears sound utterly absurd. ]

That's the real fun of it, spotting the trick and overcoming it without anyone noticing.

Hiro

[systemize]

[Cadel isn't exactly star struck as he waits in the lobby of StarkTech, given that he isn't privy to being star struck to start with, but he is quietly impressed and a tiny bit anxious. He always has this weird feeling that someone will look at him and just know that he has a criminal past he's only escaped due to his age; inside he wants to cry out that he's changed, no matter how much he himself has his own moments of doubt. Mostly he's thinking that because in the future, this is the exact sort of place he'd hope to start himself. It's a little intimidating.

The promise of working with someone who's as smart as him as well as being friendly-- a near unheard of combination for Cadel, with the sole exception of Sonja, his platonic soulmate-- is more than enough to lure him in. He has his olive green messenger bag with him, packed with his own laptop, which he's finished building by now, and his communicator and wallet. He's toyed with the idea of making a fake ID that says he's 18, but he's disgustedly aware that no one would believe it unless he put a disguise on first. That was just too impractical to go around with casually.

These are the kinds of thoughts that fill his head as he texts Hiro that he's there and in the lobby. Cadel can't imagine a place like this is devoid of security; he doesn't even want to try going past the receptionist without an escort.]

[microbrobotics]

[ There's a small delay; Hiro's in the middle of something and he doesn't hear the first call through his blaring chiptunes music. He's super hopped up on both of his projects today and everything is just rolling along smoothly. In fact, he's a little annoyed when he finally gets interrupted successfully - but then he brightens when the receptionist tells him it's Cadel. Perfect. He's been meaning to shoot his fellow genius kid a message if he hadn't shown up over the next few days.

A few minutes later, he comes bounding out through the elevator excitedly. His cast is gone, but he's still got his microbots swarming around his arms. They're a great tool for building stuff, after all. ]

Hey! You made it!

[systemize]

[It's pretty rare that Cadel has this level of enthusiasm directed at him; he flushes a bit but smiles back, relieved.]

Yeah, sorry it took a while. I wanted to finish my computer first. [The hand on his bag makes it pretty obvious (probably especially to Hiro) that it's in there.] You must be happy your cast's off, [he notes, since in caring for Sonja, he's become extremely attuned to medical changes in others.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Yeah, he can totally feel it in there. Not touching it with his powers though - that'd just be rude. He grins a little and flexes the fist on that hand. ]

You bet I am. That thing was itchy like crazy. But the doctor finally believed I'd gotten it healed early and took it off.

Ready to see the lab?

[systemize]

[Cadel has similar morals about touching someone else's computer, or at least he does toward people he respects.]

Good thing you have your power, so you could still work with it on. [Or Cadel can just imagine that he'd crack off his own cast if his arm was already healed, rather than let it interfere.

He finally reflects some excitement back.] Yes! I put together some more concept schematics for our ideas, this time digital, but I thought the actual hardware design should be left to you. I have no head for looks. [As you can tell from how bland his clothes always are.]

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro brightens at the mention of schematics. He'd taken that napkin and tried some things on his own, but anything Cadel comes up with specifically has got to be better. ]

Then what are we waiting for, huh? C'mon, I'll take you down.

[ He heads back for the elevator, holding it open for Cadel. ]

Motoko

[systemize]

[If Cadel had any idea this was a person he was hacking into and not just an extremely advanced computer system, he'd never have tried this. He'd have just sent them a message, instead. Given his resolution not to be like Prosper, unthinkingly manipulating others for his own gain right and left, he'll be horrified to have attempted to hack into someone's brain.

Good thing he's not having much luck at it. For all that he's being extremely cautious, sending only a tentative probe as much to learn about the structure of the defenses as to get through them, he's not expecting to be caught immediately.]

[prostheticbody]

[The Major's at work but not really paying much attention to her duties. She could be the security consultant for MAGNUS in her sleep. She's made their computer systems almost completely impervious to cyber attack and physical corporate espionage seems unlikely. So she spends most of her time wandering the net, trying to find out as much information about her new home as possible.

An alert message interrupts her boredom. Apparently someone--or something--is probing at the edges of her defense barriers. It's not an unskilled attempt at a hack, but definitely one that betrays that whoever responsible isn't familiar with the level of technology they're attempting to access. The probe hasn't managed to get past the first level of her barriers yet, so she immediately initiates a back-hack to trace the source of the intrusion and try to seize control of their systems.

Time to see what sort of person or thing would try to hack into her brain.]

[systemize]

[The computer Cadel is using is one he's built himself, to real world modern Earth's specifications and not local, half-retro tech. The first thing he'd done upon setting it up is establish defenses as air tight as he could make them. He also doesn't host anything identifying on there-- he doesn't have network communications through it, and he keeps all of his data on his power elsewhere. Mostly what is on it is a bunch of circuitry schematics of a high level of understanding, and records of what he's pilfered from his other hacking ventures.

Of course, compared to what the Major's used to, his set up probably feels retro.

He doesn't detect the back-hack right away, as he hadn't been looking for it so quickly. When he does, he sits up straight in surprise and a little panic. Thankfully by now he's fine tuned his tech command power to be able to type with his mind without difficulty, which means that his retaliatory efforts come back at a rate faster than a human is able to type. It's the smoothest he's ever used his power, when he's doing it instinctively and not thinking about it.]

[prostheticbody]

[One of the benefits of a cyber-brain is being able to hack at the speed of thought. He's got his own defenses in place, so she's not dealing with a rank amateur that just decided to fool around. She rapidly attempts to bypass his security. The technology definitely isn't on a level she's used to--barrier mazes and attack systems won't be invented for quite a few years, if at all in this world.

She searches the system, trying to find a webcam or voice system to activate to hopefully get some info on her hacker. If he's worth his snuff, he won't have anything incriminating on there anyway, so this might be her best bet to determine who it is. If she manages to open a voice channel, she'll issue a simple message: "You've got a hell of a lot of nerve."]

[systemize]

[It's not that Cadel hasn't ever been caught flat footed before. He's absurdly smart, sure, but his age is a limiting factor in how much experience he has, and Vee (short for Dr. Virus for good reason) used to outwit him regularly due to that, not to mention Dot and Com. It's just that none of them had ever left him messages. They all knew each other and knew their goals, knew there was no point in speaking; none of them would reveal anything.

This, though, is an entirely different game. Cadel allows the voice channel to open out of morbid, half-horrified curiosity. He has a mic pick up, but no camera. Oh, God. This is exactly the reason Saul doesn't want him to do stuff like this, and here it is, smacking him in the face.

Prosper didn't raise him with the golden rule of don't get caught to no effect, though. His voice is level and controlled when he answers, although he can't help that it identifies him as young indeed.]

Who is this?

[He hasn't lost anything except her knowledge that he'd tried to hack her, not yet. And, well, he does have a lot of nerve.]

[prostheticbody]

[So it's a kid. Not too surprising. But the real question is why he's trying to hack her. He doesn't sound like anyone she's encountered thus far. Maybe he saw her initial network post and took it as a challenge.]

Don't play dumb, kid. I'm the one you just tried to hack.

[She's not idle while talking. He might notice that she's continuing to try and poke around his system. Though there doesn't appear to be anything particularly revealing thus far.]