RL: After-party for light cycle racers

[theuserabides]

Turns out when you're the Creator, you can get the End of Line Club for a private party on short notice. Zuse is hosting, Guy and Thomas are DJing, and all the best programs are there--with the exception of Tron, who's been called away to an emergency the Outlands, and Clu, who doesn't approve of the company his user keeps

Comments

[goddamn_ironman]

[ guess who, even at 15, beelines straight for the bar. he doesn't seem as dramatically upset about his pink-glow outfit anymore, which is decidedly a plus for the entire club. ]

[theuserabides]

[It's digital booze and won't hurt his liver, so Flynn doesn't try to stop him.]

Not bad out there for your first time, man.

[goddamn_ironman]

[ well, the fact that no adults are trying to stop him is elevating his mood further. he beams happily, some distant part of him doubly pleased because this guy might as well be Obidiah's clone and praise from Obi always ended up meaning the world to him (usually in connection with softening the blow of his father's seemingly continuous disappointment)-- but even acknowledging that couldn't harsh his mood. ]

Yeah, it was-- like, fucking awesome. No, I was fucking awesome.

[entthront]

No, I was! [ Nena cheerfully hops up onto the stool next to him and steals his drink, because she can. ] I was the team leader, you know!

[theuserabides]

You are downright bloodthirsty.

[It's not an attribute Flynn approves of, but no harm done in the Games, right?]

[entthront]

I followed the rules and I won! [ she sounds unusually proud of that following the rules bit ] That's good, right?

[theuserabides]

...Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

[He's not going to tell her the arena's programmed to disallow cheating.]

[entthront]

[ what she doesn't know won't hurt her. She grabs another drink from... somewhere ] And no one got hurt, so no one can yell at me for anything!

[theuserabides]

The arena doesn't allow injuries. The Games are for fun.

[He's adamant about that point after the MCP's reign of terror on the old system.]

[entthront]

Yeah, I know. Like sports![ she takes a gulp of her drink, then looks around avidly ] So how does all this work, anyway? It makes my head kinda itch.

[theuserabides]

What, like metaphorically?

[He's never experienced anything like that, but he's also the only user ever rezzed into the system before now, so he's instantly focused on Nena, the intensity of his gaze belying the casual phrasing of his question.]

[entthront]

I dunno, sure? People always get really confused when I try to use metaphors, it's so lame!

[theuserabides]

[Flynn looks at her fixedly for another beat.]

Come with me.

[He's not grown cold or commanding, but a lot of his nonchalance has fallen away and he seems somehow to have snapped into focus.]

Zuse, I'm borrowing the second level for a minute.

[Without waiting for an answer, either from Nena or from the program, Flynn heads to the back of the club, and the stairs to Zuse's private lounge rez practically as he starts climbing them.]

[entthront]

Hey, what-- [ At first she's a little annoyed, then starts looking mildly unsure of herself. Shit, did she say something she shouldn't have? But she follows anyway, precisely because he hasn't gotten commanding ] Hey, wait up! Don't walk so fast!

[theuserabides]

[It wouldn't occur to Flynn to get commanding, since everyone around here has to be broken of the habit of treating even idiotic jokes as orders when they come from him.

He doesn't acknowledge Nena until they're both fully within the privacy field.]

Okay, kiddo. I didn't want to alarm you or advertise the fact that you're not a program, but if the encoding when you got zapped in here glitched somewhere, that would be bad.

No one else has mentioned a fuzzy head--is there anything about you out of the ordinary for a human?

[entthront]

[ she opens her mouth and then closes it, before crossing her arms mulishly ]

God, it was just a random comment, who even cares?