{VOICE OTA}

[rootandbranch]

[Today you feel a few strange pulses in your signets before you hear anything over Qri's network. It's fairly pleasant, exactly as the signet communications tend to be, and fortunately doesn't at all resemble the strange fluctuations that plagued everyone back on days 103-105. It's more like someone poking at the network to be sure it's stable and not going to do any more of that before they speak. They seem to conclude it's safe after all.]

Hello? Oh, hi-- hi, everybody. It's Geir. If you don't know me, I'm the dragon.

[He's very matter of fact about it. He's the dragon. You're probably aware, his tone seems to say.]

Listen, I don't actually care if you know me, you should just help me and Nines out! He knows all kinds of technology things, so I asked him what we could find out about the Hub with them. But the question is really, what does everyone want to find out? There's been a lot of weird to chew on!

Chew...on? [9S echoes this thought quizzically, for an instant quite distracted. But right, right, the matter at hand—] Er, anyway, like Geir said we’re lacking data on our surroundings. And to know what we’re dealing with, gathering more would be best, so I was thinking I can probably scrape enough parts together to build a pod for that job, once we know what kind of information it should collect. I mean, unless we want everything...

[Geir's tone is still bright and interested. he loves hearing about this, even if part of him is still skeptical.]

Nines isn't even the only person who knows how to build... robots. I know a bunch of you build stuff. Who wants to help?

[9S clears his throat, quietly tacking a little disclaimer on:]

...Not that pods should be mistaken for machines or anything.

[When your kind’s fought machines for millennia certain lines get drawn. Thin, confusing grey lines. (Geir doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just lets it stand.)]


((both 9S and Geir may reply to your toplevels, and also feel free to jump each other! this is the start of a player plot to get a little more technology on the island. ♥ more details here!))

Comments

[armigers]

[ He wonders if their 'overlords' are keeping things from them on purpose. That thought is interrupted by the sound of Prompto's name, snapping him back to the present. ]

You two met? Surprised he didn't take one step further and try to open you up. He likes gadgets and machinery.

[deem]

Oh, he does? He mentioned you guys lost your weapons, but he didn't ask me as many questions as you did.

[Actually he seemed in a hurry to stop talking, if anything...]

We weren't talking in-person though. Just remotely like this.

[armigers]

Ha-h? Really?

[ It's a cold day in any hell when Noctis actually talks more than anyone, especially Prompto. ]

Figured he'd be impossible to pry off, but he's right. I had-

[ Maybe he shouldn't talk about his armiger so openly since that would easily give away his identity. ]

Just a couple. Stored in our car back home.

[deem]

Huh... Well, I loaned Sir Flynn my lighter sword already, but if you want to borrow something, I don't mind.

[Don't talk about that armiger around this guy unless you want to see him imitate it with tech, Noctis]

I'd have to make guns though, if you and Prompto both work with artillery.

[armigers]

Couldn't hurt. I'd rather be armed this place than not, and 'least I have the Ultima blade handy.

[ Meaning he's good on the sword category. It's everything else he's missing. How is he even supposed to carry it all on him? Considerations better left for later. ]

What do you need for guns?

[deem]

So you use a variety of weapons too?

[That's something he can easily relate with]

I've got some spare parts still, although I'm running a little low...if they're not rifles I can probably manage.

[armigers]

A couple. You might even call me a Ray Jack of all trades.

[ Get it? Cheesy grin sold separately. ]

I'll take whatever you can make and throw in a few boar parts, crab shells... conch shells.

[ He's not sure what kind of weapon can be built from all that, but he doesn't have a whole lot of options here. ]

[deem]

What's a ray-jack?

[Have you been holding out some neat tech information here, Mr. Fisher?]

But I'm not sure you want that kind of stuff in a firearm.

[It'd be awfully brittle, or that's what he's imagining]

[armigers]

My name. Didn't I-

[ He tries to remember who he did introduce himself to, having been caught up so many times in just trying to get his fake story straight. Maybe they missed that part while talking about fishing rods and weapons? ]

Uh, yeah, it's what I go by.

[ It's hard not to wince at how unnatural that sounds coming from his mouth, hoping that the android doesn't have enough curiosity to ask him any more personal questions. ]

And we're not exactly covered in boxes of gun powder here. That's pretty much all I've found in this place so far.

[deem]

[It seems pretty awkward, the way the guy says it. Like he has to think about what he's called. And that strikes 9S as pretty sketchy. But this guy is a human, and humans are entitled quite a high threshold of acceptance of whatever they come up with, and so 9S only squints for a pointed moment or two before letting it go.

Noctis will never know he was treated to the android equivalent of the Fry Squint]

Weapons where I'm from don't require ammunition like that, so it's not a problem. So... What should I call you, Sir?

[Is it Ray, is it Jack, is it Ray-Jack?

It still sounds like a piece of equipment, if you ask him]

[armigers]

Ray Jack is fine... maybe RJ if it's too much of a mouthful. Or just Ray. Anything's cool.

[ Maybe he should just give up trying to blend in since he's yet to find anyone here from Niflheim or who even knows what Lucis is. There's no real reason to hide if no one at all is from his world. ]

...Actually, it's, uh, Noctis. Nice to meet you, I guess.

[ Here's to hoping he doesn't start broadcasting that fact, but it's hard not to quell his own nervousness in giving up private information after spending so long in hiding. ]

[deem]

[It's a sudden shift in direction that 9S doesn't anticipate. He had suspected the name, but even without questioning it, Noctis went right ahead and amended. What changed his mind? The reason doesn't seem too apparent to him.

But there must be a reason. While he's curious to know, he thinks it can wait until another time. For now—]

You guess? Geez, is my not having a microwave that much of a let-down?

[Humor will do just fine]

[armigers]

Probably just a step-up from you not having a charger. Could use some life in my phone, first.

[ He gave him his very ultra secretive name, so the least he can do is help him figure out how to get his phone working in this place. ]

[deem]

I worked on Nazuna's already so if you don't mind parting with it for a couple of days, I can do something about that.

[Noctis is perfectly entitled so all the technical support assistance in the world, because he's human. And humans are a big deal...]

[armigers]

[ He's a little uneasy about the prospect given how much private information is there about his home life and his friends. But on the other hand, it'd be more use to him if it's charged and running than not. ]

How do I know I'll get it back in one piece?

[deem]

You can always ask Nazuna about his, if you want.

[All he has to do is think at the guy. Even a name should be enough to direct it, so far as 9S knows]

[armigers]

No, no it's okay.

[ He doesn't want this to turn into a whole thing and bring more people into it. ]

I'll hand it over. Just don't erase all my high scores. Or tell anyone what you saw in there.

[deem]

Why would I do either of those things?

[That wouldn't be terribly helpful...]

[armigers]

Just putting that out there.

[ He's not sure if Androids are naturally curious or if he'll sell him out. It's still a little hard to trust him, but he doesn't have a whole lot of other people to turn to at the moment. ]

Just let me know when it's ready. Give me a mind text or something.

[deem]

[Scanners sure are naturally curious for certain, if only Noctis knew...

But he doesn't, and so—]

Can do! Shouldn't be too hard now that I've worked with one.

[And, indeed, Noctis will have his phone back within a few days, able to power itself...and also a few other little bells and whistles he never asked for. He wanted to be able to stun attackers with his phone, right?]