maskormenacelogs | open log for august

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open log for august

WHO: Magicman and whoever runs into him during this month! Prompts under the cut: leave tags in whatever format you like and I'll match you!
WHERE: various!
WHEN: also various!
WHAT: Mostly Magicman wandering around!
WARNINGS: NNNOTHING. violence maybe with sparring practice?

A. how to train your virus [HEROPA]

[ It's a nice day in Heropa, and so Magicman's brought out his 15-foot summon to give it a taste of Florida weather.

Which is why the Life Virus is taking up quite a bit of space at a public park, as near to imPort housing as he can get it, patiently basking in sunlight as Magicman checks it over for any injuries he might have missed (though really, all injuries were patched back when he put it back into digital space, where it's supposed to be).

It looks like a monster, but it's not doing anything particularly monstrous right now. It might as well be a park feature (and considering how many times he's taken it there, it really is becoming one). Birds are using it as a perch. Dogs on leashes are sniffing it. A few children are even attempting to climb it.

Magicman will happily answer any questions. He seems, for the moment, to be content, basking in the sunlight just like his summon. ]

B. open house [MAURTIA FALLS]

[ It's another night of business at the Red Branch, and Magicman's lively. Whether you're here to eat, drink or invite him to spar outside in the parking lot (which has been remodeled a little to include a place to spar somewhat safely), he's happy to take you up on an invitation or serve you something.

If it's too hard to get his attention when he's serving, he'll be out later in the parking lot, sparring with the regulars. Anyone he recognises will be greeted with a wave and a smile, either way. ]

C. cafe work [NONAH]

[ On weekends, he fills shifts at the Lucky Cat Cafe; he's quieter here, but he's still perfectly happy to talk to people he knows, and people he doesn't know when he's serving them. If you're a co-worker, he's likely to at least make an effort for small talk, but there always seems to be something weighing on him while he's here despite his best efforts to hide it.

(It reminds him of people he's lost. There's no avoiding that.) ]

D. WILDCARD

[ Got an idea? Want a prompt? Tag me or hit me up! ]

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[ This isn't a time she usually shows up at the Lucky Cat, tending to prefer to arrive on shifts when she knows the strange nobility from another galaxy are working. But she's in the area and Cass has become a good enough friend that if Tex is going to spend money on a coffee, it may as well go to someone she wants to see succeed.

Her trademark black helmet is tucked beneath her arm as she enters, having forgone wearing the full set unless needed a long time ago. It brought too much attention. When she approaches the counter to make her simple order of coffee, she pauses to stare at the man behind the counter. A new face to her. ]

I haven't see you around before. How long have you been working here? [ Because what are normal greetings when she could be getting information instead. ]

A while. [ That's not very specific, Magicman!! It's a kind of distracted answer, actually. But he refocuses. ] I signed on recently as an actual employee, but I helped out here before.

Probably not when you were...working...? I'm afraid I don't recognise you very well. [ He remembers seeing her around, certainly. During some visits. But they're blurry memories. ]

My name is Magicman. Can I get you something...?

Edited 2016-08-10 17:18 (UTC)

[ She waves his first, hesitant question off and leans against the counter. ] I don't work here, I visit a lot. Just not on the weekends.

[ And because she can't help but ask: ] What kind of name is Magicman?

Ah, that explains it. I work on weekends, now, and I only helped out occasionally. Cass had plenty of hands to assist - still does, really. [ Just...not the same ones. ]

Mine? [ It's a bad joke. ] ...I'm not human, though, so I know it's strange. It's easier to understand, when I'm not physical.

I think she could use the extra help after her boys went home. [ Even if it's just sticking around and keeping an eye on the woman. Tex has had people from home leave, but not blood-relatives. ]

Not human? So you're an alien?

Mm. I thought so, too.

Ah, no. I'm an artificial intelligence. The Porter gave me a human body when I got here, but...it's not so bad. [ He's just kind of shuffling things around at the register. Is there much for him to do? It's kind of quiet right now, so not really. ]

They crammed you in a human body? Not synthetic?

[ That sounds horribly inefficient and she's subtly glancing over him once more, as if reassessing him with this new information in mind. ]

One hundred percent human. Fortunately or unfortunately, it's what I live with now.

I've gotten quite good at it, but nothing surpasses my original form. [ Tasting is great, physical contact is cool, but...human bodies are so troublesome. ]

I don't know why the hell they think cramming AI into a human body is a good idea, [ she replies with a light snort. But she's always thought the porter or whoever ran it was a damn idiot. ]

They'd see more mileage if they gave you free reign in the proper hardware.

The Porter probably thought it was funny. [ His voice is only a little bitter. Even now, it's hard to shake off the reminder every time he looks in a mirror. ] I look similar to someone important to me, but I can't tell if it's supposed to help or mock me.

I've never had a physical body, so I suppose the state of it isn't so important. And I can do plenty of things with my ability to switch back and forth, even if it isn't optimal.

You have experience with AIs, then? You talk like you do.

You're joking. They fucked with you that much? [ If she had ended up with an appearance like that... The government building they arrived in may have not been standing when she left it. ]

And yeah, I do. They're common enough in my time period. Rudimentary and the smart kind.

Mm. [ He just shakes his head. ] I don't interact with the physical world except through screens and footage, so the confusion when I looked in a mirror was...interesting.

I see. That's refreshing - most people don't know what an AI is, or there's so little of them around in their world that they view it with suspicion. I admit, it gets a little tiring to answer the same questions over and over.

Is the technology up to what you're used to, here?

Hell no. They've got hover tech here and that's not saying much. I'm from the 26th century, they've got a long ways to go to catch up.

How far ahead are you? [ Because if he's an AI and they're common in his world, she's assuming he's got some advantage time-wise over most in this place. ]

[ He looks faintly embarrassed for a moment. ] This is all actually quite novel to me, to be frank. It's the late end of 2009, where I came from. [ So yes, despite being a true AI and having AIs be common....he's from the past. ]

It's not as if some hover technology is unknown to me, and systems are systems - they don't change much - but wireless is certainly a new experience to travel through. [ Lots of internal screaming on that one. ]

Wait, you're from the past? [ By several years. She didn't think there'd be humans in any universe smart enough to figure out AI tech that early, but if there are places with demonic shadow monsters running around, why not. ]

You guys didn't even have wireless back then?

We had infrared transmission, but wireless is...quite a new thing, yes. [ Almost totally new. The technology was in its baby stages where he came form. ] Before that, our terminals required physical cords to be able to transmit us into systems, and the like.

I assume the systems your AIs ran were a lot more...expansive, I suppose?

We use AI to run entire colonies and space ships. So yeah, expansive is one word for them. [ Never mind that she never did such a thing herself. It wouldn't have suited her anyway. ]

What did you do back home?

Ah, good, you made it out of Philadelphia all right!

[Oh hey look, it's that tiny ball of elemental destruction!]

I didn't have a chance to look for you after we got split up, glad to see you two are all right.

[ It's that person he doesn't remember too much about since he was in a total fugue state after summoning! But he definitely remembers the lightshow, that was very impressive. ]

I'm not that fragile, and neither are they. [ His voice is lazy; it's nice to just lie here and soak up the sun. ] You seem to be energetic, so I suppose you came out of it all right?

While I prefer to work with others in battle, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself.

[He looks up (and up and up) at the looming virus.]

So, you summoned this, correct? How much will of its own does it have after you call it forth, if you don't mind my asking?

That's good. Always useful to have those skills.

[ The life virus' eyes flicker; it recognises this person. It makes an idle head motion, turning a little to face him.

It chirps. Magicman smiles. ]

I did, yes. It has its own mind, but it's happy to do what I ask of it.

It remembers you, actually.

[Malms waves up to the giant virus, smiling.]

Back home, one of the ongoing debates among arcanists and summoners is whether the carbuncles and egis they summon possess will of their own or if it's just a reflection of the person who summoned them. I take it that question's an answered one in your case?

[ It doesn't really understand what a wave is, but it blinks in acknowledgement before turning its head to...go back to sleep, or whatever it's doing. Just relaxing. ]

Well, I'm just the conduit, in this case. These grow and learn, just like any living creature would. They assimilate data and collect it to form a picture of the world around them.

So I suppose that's a yes. Where do arcanists and summoners call their creatures from, if it's such a debate?

That's where the debate comes from, really - carbuncles and egi aren't voidsent, or beings pulled from outside the world. Carbuncles emerge when an arcanist channels their power through a particular pattern, but many of them seem to have enough of a mind of their own to suggest they're more than just an extension of the arcanist's will.

With a summoner's egi the matter gets even murkier - those use resonance between the soul of a summoner who's been exposed to the energy of a primal, a god-like being, and the pattern of energy that primal leaves in the aether to call them forth. Are they a fragment of the primal, or a projection of the summoner, using the primal's imprint as a lens?

[ Magicman listens to this explanation with interest, turning the new information over in his mind. ]

Well, I suppose the simplest answer would be that it might be more a matter of projection on an observer's part than sentience on a carbuncle's part, though it depends on whether the subconscious has any factors in it...

Is there a reason why it's such a debated subject? It seems like these creatures would just vanish as soon as they weren't being actively used. [ That's how it works in rpgs right ]

[Magicman certainly managed to get the virus extremely close to imPort housing indeed; maybe twenty minutes after taking up residence there he's going to receive a text, short and to the point.]

You're blocking my light.

[the light for what? and was it actually blocking any of it? all questions with no answers.]

No I'm not.

[ He'd checked carefully beforehand!! He didn't want to inconvenience anyone, so it's not like it's blocking out sunlight going into people's windows. Mostly??

It required a bit of careful positioning to get it where it wouldn't just be a huge roadblock, but he's satisfied with the results. ]

I wasn't aware you needed sunlight in the first place.

[wow excuse?? she's in her backyard???? also when did things like facts ever stop Hazel.]

Oh, I get it. Because I don't sleep I don't need any vitamin D, right? Disgusting.

I was going to say that you stay inside a lot, but 'not sleeping' works just as well, I suppose.

You could just come over and talk to me instead of texting, you know.

You're already a pain in the ass from over here. Why would I want to come and see you in person?

Oh, so harsh. I thought we were friends, Hazel

Or are you still sore about losing to me on Mario Kart [ It was only a few times but boy Magicman touts every win, as much out of personal pride than anything; Hazel is good at video games! ]

If it's more than three months old I just erase it from my memory. Find something new to try and bust my balls over.

[it's nice that this is over text, because GOD YES she is still sore about that. if he could see her petulant expression right now the nonchalant act would go up in smoke.]

Whatever helps to soothe the pain, Hazel. [ magicman, professional shitlord ] I'd ask about your wellbeing, but I think anyone who can get eaten by a 12-foot construct and cut her way out with a smile doesn't need me worrying about her physical state.

[ Not that he doesn't worry about her, because that's a worrying lack of disregard for personal safety. But there's still a lot he doesn't know about Hazel. ]

If you saw that you oughta know that pain's not really at the top of my concern list. And if I was doing anything besides smiling I'd get that gross fleshy outer part in my mouth.

Well, someone has to worry about your lack of concern for your everything, Hazel. [ It's only half joking. He really does care about Hazel, a whole lot, despite him constantly winding her up. Though there's plenty of space between them, it doesn't mean he cares about her any less. ]

Did you really just text me to say you wanted more sun?

That someone should take a page out of my book and stop worrying.

[multiple someones, in fact. nearly every someone she's ever met who doesn't genuinely hate her, actually.]

And yeah, pretty much. Thought I'd give you a chance before I had to haul my ass over and move that thing myself.

Someone has to worry, since you don't.

I'd like to see you try. [ He wonders exactly how she'd even move the life virus without it wanting to be moved.

Never let it be said that Magicman passed up an opportunity for entertainment. ]

Like, fifty bucks "like to see you try" or just "cheap asshole looking for laughs" try?

[completely ignoring that first reply! yep!! can't be stopped!!!]

Well, that depends. If you want money, I'll gladly pay you for the entertainment value of seeing you try to move it.

You got that on hand? 'Cause it'll take me maybe like, five minutes.

What kind of person do you think I am, Hazel?

Of course I have cash on hand. [ This is gonna be good. ]

You don't want to hear the answer to that question. Anyway, gimme ten minutes.

[she doesn't need ten minutes. she just wants to take her sweet time and be a huge pain in the ass.]

[Things Megaman has gotten mildly used to: Magicman summoning viruses. Magicman letting viruses run around in the real world. Magicman letting viruses run around in public in the real world.

Things Megaman is not even remotely used to: Magicman doing any of that with THE GIANT SUPERVIRUS FROM HELL.

Sorry, that content relaxation you've got going on is about to be interrupted by a blue smol with an extremely important question.]

Why!?

[Extremely Important Question is accompanied by copious wild gesturing at the Life Virus. Forgive him, he's still operating under the belief that its existence has the same implications in Magicman's world as it does in his. Honestly you'd think he'd know better than to make that kind of assumption by now.]

Ah, Megaman. [ He cracks open one eye. That reaction and voice is unmistakable. ]

It's hardly unstable. It behaves like any of my other ones, you know. It's just much bigger.

Besides, I called it here to take the full force of things that can cause earthquakes. I think it deserves some time to relax.

[ does he feel guilty for summoning it....yes ]

I remember! I was there! [Also, not his point! Dammit, why can't the real world have something like data sharing. CONTEXT COMMUNICATION PINGS > VERBAL SPEECHNOISES! Especially when trying to communicate about something you think is obvious!

As it is, Megaman just ends up kind of...verbally flailing in the general direction of the topic. While also still physically flailing. Ah, hands, such versatile communication tools for the small and panicking.]

That...it...Life Virus! Out here! How is this not bad?!

[He means "not risky" but let's be honest, in this case there's no real difference to him between "risky" and "inherently bad, should not be done ever."]

It's not going to do any damage. It never even got used - I modified it so it could be stable. This must be different for you than it is for me, Megaman. [ His voice is patient. ] Why don't you enlighten me?

[Megaman just groans. There's no way this is a divergence point. There's no way. ]

Wily made it! You should know why he made it! He doesn't make good things!

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open log for august

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a...eventually

text; thx hazel

she loves u magicman

he loves u too hazel

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