AGE PLOT SHENANIGANS

[microbrobotics]

WHO: Everyone and anyone!
WHERE: De Chima, various
WHEN: Around 6 PM EST, March 25th
WHAT: Age plot kickoff!
WARNINGS: Cuteness.

[ LET'S GET THIS PARTY OFFICIALLY STARTED! Opening events so we don't do too much comm flooding (although people are welcome to make their own posts for the event). You're welcome to toplevel with your character if you'd like to have them show up somewhere else for this plot.

Current toplevels:
Spring Festival in a De Chima city park
De Chima #1
De Chima #1, later (Minato)

The age plot will run from March 25th through Sunday, March 29th. More deets available at the plotting post. ]

Comments

[siriusly]

Mm, right... [his smile softens to something more sympathetic.] Sorry, Kaidan. I know you're having a hard time.

[he tilts his head.] You know, I can't help fix the stuff that got you stuck like this, but I can help you kill a bit of time until it's sorted out, right? What do you think?

[kanadian]

[ He nodded, a little excitedly. ] Ok! That's -- it's a lot better than being bored!

[ His smile? That was pretty bright and infectious. ]

[siriusly]

[goddang it is.] Mm! You can tell me about the rest of what's been going on, too. C'mon.

[wait.] You remember where that field is from here, right...? [GUESS WHO DOESN'T.]

[kanadian]

Ummmm --

[ He pulled up his omnitool. Good old nerd preparedness right here. ]

Yeah, it's... this way. [ He turned, and pointed. ]

[siriusly]

[no comment on the yugioh power glove bigger than Kaidan's head. and speaking of gloves probably bigger than Kaidan's head, Manabu appears to luck out when they reach the field and yet again kids keep leaving their gear just laying around in the field. must be nice to either not have to worry about thieves, or not care enough about the stuff...

(it's probably school property, so more the latter)]

Here. [the littler one gets extended toward Kaidan. the ball, too.] How good's your arm?

[kanadian]

Um --

[ He held up the glove, which was huge compared to him, and tried to fit it over his hand after his omnitool dispersed, and he looked up at Manabu. ]

It's...okay, I guess? I mean, it was last time I tried to use it.

[ When he was an adult. ] We'll see if I can throw it this small. [ He reached out with tiny, tiny fingers for the ball. ]

[siriusly]

[lightly, while walking some paces away:] Not sure if I should expect a little toss or a grown-up toss... [turning, fidgeting and fitting the glove on his hand. it's a bit small.]

Because you still think like a grown-up mostly, right? [except grown men don't bounce on their toes the way he was earlier.

Manabu holds the glove open in front of him.]

[kanadian]

Mostly? It's --

[ He pulled his arm back, and worked to throw it at him. Off the mark slightly, but thankfully, he got it toward him okay, it didn't fall short, at least. Manabu would have to lean to catch it. ]

It's like it's there, but you can't really -- my brain keeps fighting it. So I know I should do certain things, but... [ He sighed. ] There's so much more to do -- and waiting around is so boring.

[siriusly]

[he laughs a little, leaning at an angle to catch.] I don't really know you all that well, but... [he tosses.] You seemed to always be moving about whenever I saw you.

[kanadian]

Not this much!

[ He has to jump, to catch it, but he does so, and holds it for a moment, before trying again, this time, it's much more on point, straight for Manabu. Surprisingly strong. His body might be smaller, but... well. The future. ]

It's like...I've got so much I can do, but my brain can't stop for two seconds to think anything through right.

[siriusly]

[woof, okay. note to Manabu: don't have to be so limp-wristed for the little kid's toss. he makes a soft sound, a bit impressed.]

Humn... So it's like... [the ball switches hands.] Like you're still the grown-up you, [and is tossed, slower than previously.] but you've also got little-kid instincts in there. So it's not just your adult brain in a kid's body, huh? That there's a kid brain there, too.

[kanadian]

[ He caught it, but had to jump to do it. Damn, he had an arm. ]

Kind of? It's like... [ He tossed the ball in the air, and then caught it. ]

It's like I have the memories of an adult, shoved into a kid brain. I know I'm a thirty five year old marine, but my brain doesn't have the chemical balance of a thirty five year old marine. Suddenly, it's like... [ He threw it, a little gentler this time. ] It's like I remember why kids have so much trouble understanding adults.

[siriusly]

[he leans forward to snatch the ball, straightening back up slowly and looking up thoughtfully.] Hmmmmh... [he turns on his heel to walk back a few paces and turn back around. distance to take the height off his toss and all.]

Where I'm from, people can get their whole selves changed into an robotic body. Young or old or what have you. [he tosses.] But never had I heard of it putting people in a situation stuck like this...

[kanadian]

Whoa, that's --

[ He caught the ball, and smiled, before taking another step back. He was gonna try something. ]

I've never heard of anything like this. I mean, breaching the human/technological divide is a pretty severe violation of some pretty important contracts. AI is strictly illegal.

[ He threw, sending a curveball his way. Or an attempt at one. He kind of mostly goes sharp to Manabu's left. ]

Oh, uh, sorry.

[siriusly]

Whoa–! [he veers out of the way, his hand raised to try and gnab it all the same, but it bounces off the tip of the glove and lands behind him.

he glances over his shoulder, laughing a little.] So much for taking it easy on you, huh?

[he walks backward to reach it.] But, wait– [straightening up.] You don't have androids or anything where you're from?

[kanadian]

No, not at all? I mean, we have VI systems, but... it's a little uncomfortable to get close to AI. It's prohibited in citadel space, and...

[ He winced. ]

Anyway, the last time anyone tried, they ended up exiling themselves from their homeland because they started a war with the AI. [ And then there's... ] Believe me, it's... really hard to want to make some, when you've got giant robots trying to kill you, anyway.

[siriusly]

Wow... Well. I guess that would be a thing. [he blinks, silent for a beat.] Though I guess not that hard to believe. [toss.] I mean, people and machine-men duked it out a while ago where I'm from...that stuff's cooled off mostly, though. Working alongside androids and other sorts is pretty common in the SDF now. Most were humans from the start, anyway.

[kanadian]

We don't...convert people into machines there's --

[ He shivered, visibly. ] It's... there are things that people -- things -- have done to go that way, but...

[ He never saw the human reaper, he just read about it. That was more than enough. He didn't think he'd want to see it. ] That wouldn't work where I come from. [ For a kid? Thinking about that? It's pretty horrifying. ]

[siriusly]

[he's a bit far to catch how really weirded out Kaidan's gotten about it, so Manabu's still more curious than concerned.] I guess I shouldn't expect it...even if there's lots of things common across a lot of stuff here.

[kanadian]

Yeah, but machines are --

[ He shook his head. ] I don't think that's a barrier that should be breached.

[siriusly]

[that's a weird thought. Manabu slowly shifts his weight from foot to foot as he considers it, before too much time's passed and he has to shake his own head free of it.

he opts for the here and now, as he always likes to do:] You gonna throw that or not?

[kanadian]

Oh!

[ He swung his arm back, to throw it again, his arm a little weaker than last time, thoughts of reapers and machines enough to make him contemplative rather than pushing forward. ]

[siriusly]

[whose fault is that.

what Manabu misses in body language he can kind of pick up in a lame toss. he pulls the ball out of his mitt and fiddles it in his fingers, squinting toward Kaidan.]

Kinda low. You tired out already? I thought this'd be harder than that...

[kanadian]

No, sorry! Throw it again!

[ He puffed up, and held up his glove, unwilling to let just this conversation get him down. ]

I just...got caught up.

[siriusly]

[he smiles a little, gauging him for a beat.]

Well, alright. Hold your glove like this– [he holds his own level at his chest, tilted so his hand was parallel to the ground.] –and we'll see if you can catch a fastball at that size. Yeah?