estoria | When you're used to war...

Entry tags:

When you're used to war...

Who:

perfectdisaster & OPEN
When: IC 6/15
Where: Residential, Shopping, and Entertainment Districts
What: Cutting classes and learning how to be "normal"
Rating/Warning: Nothing really? Maybe language, depending? Will change as needed!

I. How hard can it be to procure groceries?
[ He doesn't cook. He's never really had to learn beyond the most basic things that could be made on the field, so having to cook for himself is difficult, and recipes, which should be like following a manual, are more like reading a foreign language because the various cooking terms are not familiar to him. Unfortunately, he can't keep living on take-out and fast food, so this is a necessity.

...Which is why he's absolutely stumped, standing in front of the produce section and not understanding why in the world there are so many types of things. Lettuce is lettuce, why are there a million kinds? Just how many different peppers are there? And does there really need to be an entire section devoted to various types of apples?!

How the hell do people do this shopping thing when there are too many options to pick from? How do they know they're getting the right thing? How do they tell if what they're getting is even any good? ]

Maybe just ordering take-out for the rest of my life isn't such a bad idea after all...

II. Laundry is best left to people who have a clue.
[ Ah, the laundromat. A place where magical things can happen to those who venture inside, from chance meetings that could forever change one's life to just getting one's clothes squeaky clean! It's usually the second one. Except for Heero, it's neither. In fact, he's pretty sure this takes the cake as one of the worst possible things that could have happened here. He's sure that he followed all of the instructions, but for some reason, the washer is spewing soapy water all over the floor.

But it's okay, right? Just turn it off, clean up the mess, and learn for next time, like a normal person. Life lessons, and all that jazz... which is why he's standing there, staring at the slowly growing mess like a deer in headlights and backing away when it gets too close. It's also why, instead of asking for help (really, he's not good at the asking part) he'll look to the nearest person with an 'oh fuck what do I do' expression and hope someone else can assist.

Or at least tell him what to do so that he doesn't accidentally make a bigger mess than he already has. ]

III. Out and about
[ Cutting class is something he probably shouldn't be doing, but the classes are dull and he really doesn't care for being stuck in one school for so long... even though it hasn't really been that long at all. He's used to moving on after a quick layover for a mission, not the constant repetition of same old, same old, so exploring the place seems like a much better idea than sitting in a classroom all day.

The Entertainment District, Shopping District, and Residential Area are his locations of choice, if just because it's a distraction from what he's supposed to be doing, with his roughly knee-height companion in tow. Feel free to stop him somewhere if you like!

...just watch your kneecaps. He took away the gundam's rifle, but it still has its shoulder cannons, even if the shells are no bigger than a bb. ]

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[Now that Yang, Ruby, Weiss and Yu have all returned Hiro's finding it's a little easier to be out in the world again and wander the streets of Cerealia on his way to work or make trades on the black market or any other things he does that he probably shouldn't be doing. Today, however, he also has a much larger companion following him around without his armor. Baymax squeaks as he toddles along behind Hiro and the boy's saying something to the robot before he hears the warning.]

Hiro, watch your step. [And it's a good thing, seeing how the boy would have almost plowed right into Heero's gundam and probably been shot in the knees. He stops moving and stares down at the small machine, eyes immediately widening as he takes a closer look.]

Whoa. [Heero, you get to deal with a super-nerd examining your stuff. Sorry.] They've gotten really good about shrinking these guys down outside of ViViD.

[ Baymax catches Heero's attention long before Hiro does, because what in the world is that? He doesn't recall having seen Baymax without the armor before, so this is a little strange, but the face is familiar which is why he won't be too terribly confused. But... how does Hiro get it to fit into the armor??? And why is it squeaking like a balloon?

And where's-- oh shit. Luckily, Baymax has Hiro stopping before he can collide with the pint-sized gundam. ]

Be careful where you poke. I took the rifle away, but its weapons system is still active and loaded, and while I doubt the machine cannons on the shoulders could do much damage, it's still in possession of the beam sabers.

Beam sabers. Right. [He sounds positively delighted about that and it does nothing to curb his enthusiasm even with Baymax hovering over him like some mother hen. Either the boy doesn't notice what Baymax is doing or he's so used to the behavior he's completed unbothered since he's more interested in studying the gundam up close.

(Though he does make sure not to poke too much. He's been injured enough times inside his garage and other experiments to be too terribly careless.)]

I didn't think you were the type to need a bodyguard out here. [It's a joke, of course, but also a way of asking Heero what he's doing out with the gundam in the first place.]

I'd provide proof, but they're not terribly impressive on their own.

[ He's not terribly worried about the gundam, his attention instead more focused on Baymax. Why does it look like a balloon with a head? Is this its real form or is this another armor Hiro designed for it? ]

ZERO isn't much of a bodyguard. It's more like a warning shot. The most it could really do is shoot out someone's knees unless it gets close enough to use the sabers... which, now that I think about it, I may have to take away after all because I don't need to get myself in trouble because someone's limb was severed.

You say that like I wouldn't be interested either way. [Come on, Heero. He can appreciate something that can defend itself at least a little and he snorts under his breath in response.]

That might not be a bad idea though. We've got a pretty decent hospital but we already have enough problems here.

It is important to exercise caution around weaponry. Always keep the safety on.

[He catches the other boy looking over Baymax, giving him another few moments before chiming in again.] You've never seen him like this before, have you?

... They're also tiny, so removing them opens the door to potentially losing them. [ Because honestly, if it were Baymax that wasn't much bigger than a small dog, he'd be just as interested. ]

And that's why I took away the rifle. At its usual size, it has the power to wipe out an entire colony in one shot. At its current size... I didn't want to take the risk because even if the blast radius is on the same smaller scale as ZERO itself, it can still do a lot of damage.

[ But his attention is still fixated, and when Hiro asks the question, Heero fires back with one of his own. Who said you can't answer a question with a question? ]

Is it supposed to look like a balloon?

That's what pockets are for. [A shrug. But that's a really powerful gun and he's mostly impressed albeit wary.] But maybe your way was better.

[He grins, and he's about to answer but Baymax beats him to it.] My non-threatening and huggable design makes me a better healthcare companion. However, my armor makes me a better superhero.

[There's a nod of assurance, like he's proud of what Baymax just said.] It's vinyl. It's probably the best material to house his skeleton. Not really what you'd expect, huh?

A pocket could work, right up until you accidentally set it off and end up needing medical treatment for injuries caused by thermal weaponry. Even at their size, a beam saber is still capable of slicing through flesh and bone as if it were paper, and I'd prefer not to think what damage the rifle would cause.

[ But Baymax is talking, and his mind immediately zeroes in on it. This isn't something a robotic construct can do at home. The voice doesn't sound heavily mechanical, it speaks freely and without any sort of prompting as if it has a personality of its own, and it moves without having to be manipulated by human input. This is... actually kind of awesome.

Sure, there are robots in Cerealia, but those are mostly of the 'this is fucking creepy' variety, because it almost feels as if CERES brought actual humans in since their robots weren't human enough.

And there's a part of him that wants to reach out and touch, but there's an unspoken rule among mobile suit pilots about messing with others' suits, and even if this isn't the same thing, that rule still applies. ]

Vinyl? Is it actually durable? What's the skeleton made from?

(ooc: many apologies for the lateness. please don't feel obligated to respond, i won't be offended!)

[There's a look that basically says "yikes" at the idea of even a small saber slicing the crap out of his flesh, but he doesn't linger on it too much. If there's one thing about Hiro, it's that he loves talking about things he's proud of. Baymax is one of those things. He even takes a step back so that Heero's focus is mostly on the robot himself.]

It's a lot more durable than you'd think when it's industrial-strength. Sometimes if it snags the seams pop and the air flows out but it's a really easy fix. With his skeleton being made from carbon fiber and added, custom-made actuators so he can move and lift up to a thousand pounds Tadashi figured the vinyl was a good way to make sure the skeleton was protected. It was also the best material for the hyperspectral cameras. [He can't help but grin.] If you don't believe me, you can feel it for yourself.

[He's used to people touching the marshmallow bot at this point.]

There are cameras in this thing? [ Sorry, Baymax, he's used to robots not having sentient personalities, so you'll have to excuse him on this.

At the same time, though, it's actually quite impressive that such simple components could create something like Baymax. He's used to massive frames weighing several tons, designed for the sole purpose of destruction and warfare. Given that Baymax is a-- what was it he said, healthcare companion? Yeah, he could see how a heavier and bulkier frame would be a less 'companion-like'.

But since the invitation was made... don't mind him if he does exactly that, running his fingers over the vinyl, pressing against it to test the resistance. ]

And it can actually lift that much? How do you fix it if the seam pops?

[ And now the big question ] How do you get all of... this... to fit in that armor?

Well yeah, how do you think he can see anything? [Baymax seems much less bothered about being referred to as an object but Hiro's just going to keep on calling him "he." He gets it. People from Heero and Trowa's world are used to heavy machinery, not walking marshmallows. The vinyl presses and springs under Heero's touch and Baymax even holds out an arm for examination.

Anything's better than a teenager pressing his face straight into his stomach.]

The good thing about Baymax is that he was my brother's school project, so our university has a bunch of materials we can use. It's not too hard, plus Baymax can inflate and deflate himself. [There's an embarrassed chuckle then.] The other good thing about vinyl is its malleable. So...push hard enough, you can make him fit into anything. His first set of armor only fit around him, but the stuff he's got now was designed for a sleeker, aerodynamic suit. I'm almost surprised that CERES was able to recover it or whatever.

I'm used to what goes into a mobile suit, which is probably a little less compact than what would be needed for something of this size, and is typically used in conjunction with the antenna and search eye. [ His attention is still riveted on Baymax, though, the offered arm seeing a lot of poking and prodding and close examination. This is kind of freaking awesome.

Whoa, wait, what?! ] School project? They actually teach you to do this stuff in school? [ No fair! All he ever got to do was sit and be bored in classes that were only used for a cover. Hell, fencing and horsemanship aren't even real classes! Why couldn't he have gone to a place that offered this stuff? ]

Trowa's told me a little about your gundams, so that doesn't surprise me too much. Face it, technology's evolved kind of a lot. Plus you guys are kinda using materials found in the military right?

[He thinks that's it, anyway. But he grins brightly.] College at least. Tadashi and I went to one of the best tech schools in the country before we ended up here. [And. You know. Before the fire and all sorts of other fun things.] The whole place is crawling with science. My friend Wasabi was perfecting this really high-powered laser in his lab and Go Go was working on an electro-mag suspended bike for ultimate speed. Sometimes this place is a let-down, but sometimes it reminds of of what I'm used to.

The military didn't authorize the construction of the Gundams, only the Leo, Aries, Virgo, Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer, Taurus, and Tragos... and those are all standard mobile suits. Gundanium can only be refined in space on the resource satellites, so it isn't something that can be mass-produced in large quantities, but at the same time, it's strength and heat-resistance is stronger than that of titanium and it's non-conductive and undetectable through radar. All of that makes it ideal for a giant weapon of mass destruction but less than ideal for something that needs to be produced en masse.

[ Not that it answered Hiro's question. Like, at all... but that's what he latched onto. ]

How are you with the construction of an item from a blueprint?

[ He found himself a toy while trying to do some minor tweaking to ZERO, but while he could probably pull it off on his own, it might function better if he had assistance. ]

[He's more interested in hearing about the mobile suits since Trowa hasn't exactly gone into detail about everything. He gets that they're weapons of destruction and that they aren't sentient like Baymax is, that they're meant for specific purposes, but they also have zodiac names and that's weird to him. He doesn't get much of a chance to dwell on it (but the look on his face should be enough for Heero to notice he's thinking of it) before the other boy asks him that.]

I designed our armor by myself and I've made other robots with blueprints. I think I know what I'm doing. Why? Got something in mind?

[ Alright, perhaps this could be easier than previously thought then, and perhaps modifications could be made in order to make it something capable of being used by a human. And it might be better to start on a much smaller scale so that any problems could be worked out for a larger version. ]

A firearm. Three, to be exact, with the possibility of a fourth if it can be made to human proportions and a suitable power source can be found. The blueprints call for gundanium, but given that it's not something likely to be found here, a substitute could possibly be used.

[ He pauses, casting a glance toward the gundam before looking back at Hiro. ] While I don't necessarily like the idea of giving the rifle back, I want to see what it's capable of doing before attempting to enlarge it.

[ So, Hiro, wanna help make some of these? ]

[He perks up a little at the word "firearm." He's only just starting to really understand how to create solid firearms since he arrived in Cerealia (and his own gunblade's in his pocket in its little safety cylinder) but he's nodding along with what Heero's describing. He has no idea what gundanium is, but it can't be that hard. He knows how to navigate junk yards and trade on the black market. It shouldn't be hard at all, he thinks.]

Might take me a little bit of time, but I can probably rig that. I've only designed my own firearm but my girlfriend's been making them for a while. I can always ask her and see if she has any other ideas to make them a better modification for this place. You've got the blueprints on you here?

Possibly.

[ He hadn't thought to get the file from his suit at home, and ViViD, while it's capable of recreating the gundam, may not have that one little piece of information. That leaves one other option. ]

However, it would involve connecting a computer to ZERO's mainframe, since I doubt the discs themselves would be usable and not fingernail-sized. It isn't something I wouldn't be able to do on my own, but because it's in three parts and at a much smaller scale, having more than one pair of hands may speed the process along.

The most difficult part will probably be locating a power source.

You'd be surprised what I can actually find around here when talking to the right kind of people. Leave the power source to me. I'll barter with some of the guys I know if I have to to get something that'll work. If that's the hardest part then the rest should be pretty easy to speed through.

It might take some time though...[He rubs the back of his neck even as Baymax is suddenly distracted by movement and appears to be staring down the street.] But if you're okay with that, then that's what we'll do.

[ Hiro, you are officially on his radar now. Not that he wasn't before, but this sort of seals the deal. ]

The power source would be needed for the larger version, which would technically be four parts then. The smaller one would be three pieces that would need to be compatible with an ultracompact fusion reactor that is now... ultra, ultra compact. As far as time is concerned, we have nothing but time here, so that is not important.

[ A pause. ]

What is it looking at?

[He nods along, seemingly understanding all of that. He's fine with this. It'll be a fun challenge, he thinks.]

Get me what you can in blueprints even if it's a rough outline and I'll take care of the rest. [At the question, he looks up just as Baymax starts to shuffle forward.] Prooobably one of Tadashi's birds? Maybe? I should probably go and find out. I'll catch up with you later?

If I can't connect Zero to a computer here, then I'll see if I can't access the file in ViViD and commit it to memory.

[ Finding a wire that can connect to a port that's probably only accessible with tweezers now is going to be a tad bit difficult, so ViViD it may well be. ]

Alright, then. I should probably get Zero back inside before I end up having to disconnect the weapons system entirely. ...Good luck with the possible bird.

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When you're used to war...

III

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no worries!

:)

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