007. Thought Experiment [OPEN]

[a_perfect_end]

[He's just going to sit, chin on his fist, tilted awkwardly to watch the camera a moment. In light of recent events on-station, this has never been more necessary. Sometimes, the act of planning is its own solution.]

Greetings, Sacrosanct.

Describe: the perfect day.

...Detail is preferable, but entirely voluntary.

Comments

[hologram]

[userfriendliest]

I'm not sure it's the "perfect" day, exactly, but I'd appreciate just one day without some sort of major catastrophe.

[High standards: Ismene has them.]

[video; well, hello~]

[a_perfect_end]

On the contrary! [All of the smiling.] Catastrophe-free days are ideal, which does make them close to perfect. You're doing fine.

Oh, just the one? Is catastrophe [her word; it's clear he doesn't like the taste of it, lips creasing hard and bitter] frequent, then, where you're from?

Ms.--? [Oh yeah, he's fishing.]

[hologram]

[userfriendliest]

More frequent than I'd like, certainly. I was beginning to think I was surrounded by people even more drama-prone than average. [Interplanetary incidents are amazingly un-fun to smooth over.]

Oh, I'm sorry; I'm Ismene. It's nice to meet you, ah... [See? She can do fishing, too.]

[video]

[a_perfect_end]

Well, now, that depends. What's the average?

Ismene. [Returning distant matches in the cultural library, partial file: it's Greek to him.] A pleasure. I'm Clu.

[ Audio ]

[rustigedraak]

[ Ah, this is something Ladon doesn't have to think too hard about. ]

Rain in the mornin', sun in the afternoon, bench on the boardwalk by the beach durin' the off-season. Scotch an' good company. No one gets shot, no need t'lie to the cops, just time to sit and watch the sunset.

re: [ Audio ]

[a_perfect_end]

Very specific! [A satisfied nod.] Good. Thank you.

That's very vivid. Is there something particular you like about sunset?

[That vile star being suppressed beneath the horizon is the best part of every day. But he's curious.]

[ Audio ]

[rustigedraak]

Yeah, sure.

Well. Guess 'cause it changes the sky into different colors, yeah? Makes the ocean look like liquid gold, clouds get all pink and purple. Didn't see sunsets like that where I grew up. Hell of a lot prettier, even if it's the city smog makin' it that way.

[ pfff he's been posting video, sorry. ]

[a_perfect_end]

That does sound...striking. [So. Sunsets are prized for their aesthetic.] Liquid gold.

Oh! A city-dweller, huh? [The wistful tone is clear. He is thinking of endless streets that burn blue and gold in the darkness.] But you didn't grow up there. Interesting.

[fuckinghubble]

The perfect day...

[He pauses and contemplates this for about, oh... two seconds.]

At the risk of going into some long-winded and superfluous detail, my perfect day would involve liquor, lavishes, and lap dances. Not necssarily in that order, either.

[a_perfect_end]

Explain this use of lavish. Context suggests slang term.

[fuckinghubble]

Context is indicating in the proper direction. I like to keep my vices nice, quick, and simple -- for instance, I'd be far from opposed to an evening lavishment of exotic dancers and binge drinking of the Malibu persuasion.

[ravingops]

Okay the best day ever would be like, waking up with no hangover and then finding some awesome things to do like a hot guy or something, then drinking some whisky and making a fruit smoothie! Oh, and finding a cool place to dance. That'd be awesome.

[a_perfect_end]

[Well, that's one vision of a brave new world.]

And little umbrellas in the drinks, I'm guessing.

[ravingops]

Eh, maybe not in the whisky 'cause that's more of a chug it all in one go kinda drink, but yeah they're cute in smoothies and pina coladas and stuff like that!

audio;

[namesnotprowl]

[You're an odd duck, aren't you, Clu?
And well. This might be dangerous to admit, but only one person here knows him on any appreciable level. This is safe enough.]

Warm, sunny day back home, with the company of my best friend. No fighting, no nothin' else. Just me'n him, the whole day.

[I'd like 'Things I've Lost Over the Centuries' for $500 dollars, please.]

[video pinged the audio star]

[a_perfect_end]

[That's one word for it...Wait. Explain: duck. How is he a non-even verb. That's kinda weird, bro.

Errrgh, the sun, so many of them seem to value the sun.

But something else in the wording tips him off.

Quietly: ]

Fight with your best friend a lot, huh?

[He knows what that's like. Or he did.]

[london beckoned audio about money written by machines]

[namesnotprowl]

[O-ho, no. He'd done enough of that explaining thing. There are cultural libraries. Check out the sections on slang and wildlife, dear, they're fascinating~

Hey, he loved the sun while Cybertron had it. Then the Autobots kind of... teleported it back to whence it came from. Seriously the lamest.

He quirks a brow ridge at that. Or rather, his holoform quirks an eyebrow.]

Not as such. Occasional spats here and there. But there was fightin' with other parties.

[Many other parties. He only ever really got torqued off at Frenzy when the hacker spilled coffee in his glove compartment or did something else unforgivably irritating.]

[video; but the best things in life are free]

[a_perfect_end]

[Oh! No, the wildlife reference is clear, but. Slang--he has trouble separating it from natural language. They were interchangeable on the Grid for years.

Aw, come on. Why read it when you can get the executive gist from someone else? Much more efficient.

The sun? Is a problem. Don't worry, though; he's working on it...Teleporters, you say? Now, that idea's got some merit.]

Gotta do what you've gotta do. [Nod. Look at how well he understands.] Win more than you lose, huh?