About That Statue

[dontasktrix]

WHO: Slipstream dontasktrix and Toph Bei Fong vision_in_stone [Closed]
WHAT: Slipstream is visiting Toph, regarding the statue she previously ordered
WHERE: Zone 4, Toph's place, inside an old warehouse
WHEN: Roughly present time, well after events of their previous log thread.
WARNINGS/NOTES: Probably just snark.

Comments

bleah I am the latest

[vision_in_stone]

Toph had indeed noticed the femme's approach, and was already moving toward the doors when the tap came, pausing for a moment to turn on the lights. It was only polite for her to let guests see, after all. She got them open a moment later and grinned up in her general direction.

"Hey, Slipstream. Come see what you think."

:)

[dontasktrix]

"Don't mind if I do," Slipstream said casually, as she stepped inside. She could see the interior fairly well, between the lighting and her imaging systems.

"There's a little something here for you." She set down the basket of human foodstuffs. The pantry items were such canned, jarred or dry goods that they did not spoil quickly. "Don't know if it's what you're used to, but it is for humans." The foods were English, apparently, like custard, mustard, preserves, biscuits. Slipstream had won the basket in a raffle and had no use for the stuff, other than to buy good will from others.

[vision_in_stone]

The girl paused in surprise, as if trying to decide whether to take offense or take the present, then smiled a bit awkwardly.

"...Hey, thanks. Finding food around here's harder than I woulda thought it would be."

Now she'd just have to figure out how to open things like jars and do something with the...dry goods. Heh.

"So, uh. It's over here," she made a gesture, turning that way to lead Slipstream over to the very impressive statue. There may have been a few details that needed fixing, but overall it was an extremely good likeness. "What do you think?"

[dontasktrix]

Slipstream made a non-committal chirp at the thanks, and went to the statue. She walked slowly around to view all surfaces. "Is that what I look like from behind?"

Slipstream twisted, trying to view as much of her rear as possible, but the placement of her wings obstructed her view.

Returning to study of the Statue, Slipstream leaned in to make a close observation of the statue's face. "This bit here might protrude a bit much." She touched the tips of her talons to the lower edge of her helm, where is was shaped to drop between her optics. She then tapped at the same part of the statue; it had slightly more dimension, as if there might be a small nose.

Ugh, sorry. :X

[vision_in_stone]

"I can fix that," Toph replied, kicking the floor to raise a platform for herself to get to the right height. With a gentle touch to the spot Slipstream had indicated, she reshaped it a little until she thought it might be correct.

"How's this? Better?"

[dontasktrix]

Slipstream peered closely at the statue's face. It seemed pleasant to her; correct. "Much better."

She took a large step back to scan the length of her likeness. "My intakes really set at that angle?" Slipstream asked, quietly, as she touched her talons to her chest. She bowed her head to look down at herself. "I guess they are."

She's not Thundercracker. Slipstream hasn't spent a lot of time flying past glass skyscrapers, or over water. She is self-conscious, faced with the statue.

[vision_in_stone]

"They look that way to me, but I can change them if you want..?" The girl turned to face Slipstream, tilting her head curiously.

After all, whatever the customer wanted, they got. That's how this was supposed to work, right? Granted, the intakes would be harder to fix than the face had been, but still. She could change them.

[dontasktrix]

"No. It's just- It's not like I spend all day looking at myself! I mean, not that there's anything wrong with the way I'm made."

Slipstream turned from the statue and looked down at Toph.

"The statue is a good likeness."

[vision_in_stone]

Fortunately for Slipstream, and probably moreso for Toph, the girl had more than enough knowledge of that exact form of self-doubt combined with ego and stubbornness to know that it would be a bad idea to really speak up about it.

In her experience, it led to things getting broken and screaming. With a Cybertronian, she could get squished. Well, she didn't think she'd get squished, but the friendship - or rather, acquaintanceship if that was a word, would suffer for it. And besides, she didn't like the possibility of getting squished. Bleah to that.

"I'm glad you think so. Where are you planning to put it?"

[dontasktrix]

Slipstream sighed, faintly, understanding that her own volatile emotions still, sometimes got the best of her. It was like she created her own turbulence, then had to navigate through or around it; not a very efficient way to operate.

"In my place, I guess. For now. I might make a gift of it, sometime."

[vision_in_stone]

Toph had similar problems, especially when it came to her blindness. And ability to take care of herself. She thought she'd been doing pretty well in Axiom, all things told, despite the fact that she didn't really know people and it was getting very lonely.

"Okay, just let me know if it ever needs touchups, or if you want another."

[dontasktrix]

Slipstream gave a nod. "Your offer is noted."

She tested the statue's weight, holding it by the middle and lifting. The statue rose from the floor.

"Were there any underestimated costs? Payment can be transferred now, if not."

[vision_in_stone]

"Nope, nothing really. That would be great."

...Oh right, her account. The nice femme at the bank place had linked it up to her communicator, somehow. She wasn't really sure how that worked, but she'd memorized how to make it show or send those numbers, having practiced it several times under the teller's watchful optic to make sure it was right.

If she hadn't been so desperate to make sure it was done right - she had to eat, after all - she would've been annoyed at the teller for obviously giving her special treatment due to her blindness.

"I'll send you my information, okay?" It only took her a few seconds to transfer it to Slipstream's comm.

[dontasktrix]

"Received." The type of information and format looked correct. Slipstream coded the transfer. "Payment's authorized."

"Nice doing business with you."

[vision_in_stone]

"Yeah, it was. You need anything else, let me know, okay? I can do way more than just statues and stuff."

That, and hopefully word of mouth - vocalizer, whatever - would get around that the blind girl was good at artsy fartsy stuff, which could bring in the credits. Which meant food. Mmm, food.

With a tap of her foot to the platform she'd raised, Toph sank it back into the floor and smiled brightly up at the tall femme.

[dontasktrix]

"I might just see fit to put in a good word." She paused, taking a moment to calculate. "are you any good with jewelry?" She imagined it was more detailed, involved work, if possible. "At least mech-scale?"

Slipstream didn't have an immediate need, but she wondered if Toph would be any more useful than the previous jeweler she'd found. She put an arm about the statue, preparing to lift it,again, as Toph set down on the floor.