[Thread] Down on Skid Row...

[vada_x5323]

Characters: OU!Vada, Open
Where: Near the church/cemetery
When: Early evening
Summary: Vada tries to find a place to stay, and wonders why she is here.
Warnings: Strong language (It's Vada @_@)

Comments

[tin_miss]

"It's in poor repair." The flat remark was not the first indication of Cameron's presence. The cyborg had been doing nothing to mask her footsteps, having had no particular cause to sneak. The atmosphere suggested general forthrightness was more useful anyway. People seemed jumpy.

"Someone decided they wanted to break things," she added by way of explanation as she came up beside the girl, leveling an impassively considering gaze on the structure.

[vada_x5323]

Vada raised an eyebrow at the girl who had come up next to her. Her body automatically tensing, her sense of smell kicked into overdrive -- this girl, was not human. Not in the way Vada wasn't completely human, but more like a robot. Was that even possible? Taking a moment to process what she had said, Vada turned back with scorn to look at the church. "Obviously, they don't care about religion. Why else would they choose a church to destroy instead of another random building?" She didn't really care much, but she felt that maybe just walking away from this situation would be a bit more rude than necessary, so she decided to try and make some...small attempt at conversation.

[tin_miss]

"Maybe they care very much about religion," Cameron suggested. She canted her head slightly, a birdlike gesture indicating something akin to curiosity, and studied Vada with expressionless intensity. "Malicious destruction to strike out against what the building stands for. It is not uncommon behavior."

[vada_x5323]

Vada thought to herself that this...person...next to her just was getting more and more weird. "Um, sure. Whatever you say." Vada knew a lot about behavior and normal versus abnormal, since hell, that was all part of their training at Manticore. The more she stood next to her, the more Vada thought this girl smelled like a machine. She couldn't hear a heartbeat with her enhanced hearing, and it was beginning to creep her out -- just slightly.

[tin_miss]

"Are you interested in churches?" Cameron asked. It was an attempt to be friendly, to make conversation, peculiar and stilted though it might be. Her head canted in the opposite direction, her gaze still unwavering. "You're new here?"

There was no heartbeat to hear. There was no breathing, either. But faintly, very faintly, muffled by layers of living tissue, there might be the audible whine of moving parts, hydraulics and servos instead of muscles and tendons.

[vada_x5323]

Vada snorted out a laugh. "Interested in churches? Maybe for the architecture or a place to sleep or reconsider battle tactics -- you know, a makeshift barracks. I'm kinda new here, I guess. Just got out of Orientation. What a joke that was," shrugging, Vada sniffed the air again. "You're not human, are you?" she asked frankly. Vada wasn't really one to beat around the bush.

[tin_miss]

"I believe the apartment buildings are meant to serve as barracks." Cameron hesitated an instant before adding, "Military discipline is very much lacking here. In spite of the claim that we are at war."

She gave Vada a quizzical look, the corners of her lips turning up faintly. "No. I'm not human."

[vada_x5323]

"Just because we're at war and discipline seems to be slacking, doesn't mean it actually is. Although from what I've heard, it does seem to be a bit...different than what I'm used to. If you're not human, what are you? Some form of robot? You seem to...smell slightly of machine. Not trying to offend, just being honest," Vada shrugged, genuinely interested now. This girl was fascinating, and seemed from her speech pattern and manner of walking to have come from a similar situation as Vada -- if she had stayed at Manticore.

[tin_miss]

Cameron shook her head slightly, turning her gaze back upon the church. "I've been in a war. Much like the one this claims to be. There was more order, beneath the surface. I believe many of the people here do not want to fight at all. They may outnumber the ones who do."

She hesitated, processing the information before replying, "Cyborg. Living tissue over hyper-alloy combat chassis. Different from a robot. You are not human, either." It wasn't quite a question; human senses had no way of detecting that particular tell.

[vada_x5323]

Vada raised her eyebrows at Cameron. "No, not quite human. Better, in most cases. How did you know?" she tilted her head to the side, very much like a cat would do. Looking at Cameron, very intrigued now, Vada waited for an answer.

[tin_miss]

"You said I smell of machine," Cameron replied simply. "It is true. That is one flaw that has never been taken care of. Dogs, cats, other predators, they recognize us immediately. But it isn't detectable to human senses."

[vada_x5323]

"Interesting. Yeah, guess that makes sense," Vada studied Cameron some more, interest still piqued.