Some Reassembly Required

[rekindledtitan]

There’s an open, grassy area on the edge of the Wilds, some distance from the most popular Nexus parks where people are enjoying their picnics and centaur polo and so forth. It’s a good place to go if you want slightly more peace and quiet - or in Blaze’s case, a good open space in which to make a lot of noise. The robot soldier has a few small crates out on the grass. One of them she’s sitting on; the others are being used as tables which hold a small array of tools and components and blocks of metal. She’s working on modifying a pair of heavy armored boots much like the pair she’s wearing, refitting the soles and reinforcing their structure. Her Ghost hovers beside her, inspecting a blueprint spread out atop one of the boxes. The little bot is spinning his pointy shell back and forth as if concerned, but Blaze pays him no heed.

“So,” she says, speaking up while she works. “People change. Some of us change more than others. Sometimes we don’t notice how it happens. Sometimes,” she yanks out a component and chucks it down beside her, “we don’t get a say. So what part of yourself would you want make sure you held on to? What’s the part you’d want to be remembered?” She pauses, then looks up at the nearest people. “And, hey, anyone got some spare explosives?"

Comments

[jarheadclan]

Probably a good thing she's decided not to touch it. Jake doesn't even know what his central nervous system would make of that. He lets go of the braid after she's had a good look, letting it fall back into its usual position behind his back. "Yeah, I mean... it's not like it's words, exactly? Well, on my end it is. It's more like... emotions, images, scents and sounds. Memories that ain't mine." He struggles to describe Her, words failing him in both languages he speaks these days. "When I went to tell Her what was at stake, before the battle, She didn't answer me right then. She's not supposed to take sides, or do anything to unbalance nature and all that. But the RDA ain't natural, and I guess She decided I had a point, 'cuz halfway through the battle She sent us reinforcements in the form of every big badass critter in the forest."

All right, call him curious. Jake's never seen a little robot like this one - Ghost? - and he raises both eyebrows when it (he?) asks that question. "Uh... what kinda scan are we talking?"

[rekindledtitan]

"Hell of an answer." It makes her wonder how the Traveler would speak, if it woke. She wishes it would wake, sometimes, but their patron's wounds are deep and vast. Someday its slumber will end. It's enough to have faith in that. "Doesn't sound like a pretty fight, even with that. I'd feel sorry for the beasts."

Hey, she wasn't built to hurt a bunch of woodland critters, no matter how big or predatory.

"It's a non-invasive medical scan. My sensors are extremely comprehensive, but you shouldn't feel anything." He could probably have pulled it off without Jake realizing, but that wouldn't be polite. He's learned to give that some consideration, since obtaining a Guardian.

[jarheadclan]

Once, Jake wouldn't have cared about the deaths of animals, but he knows better now. "It was pretty nasty, I'm not gonna lie. But those critters were defending their home, same as us, and we woulda lost without 'em. Lost badly."

Yeah, them eyebrows are staying arched, though he doesn't look offended by Ghost's request. "You aren't gonna use your knowledge for evil, right?"

[rekindledtitan]

The very suggestion seems to shock the little bot: at least, his optic gets a bit wider and he floats in silence for a minute. This is not a question that people normally ask him.

"He's a Ghost," Blaze speaks up. She too looks surprised, though she's reminding herself that people from other worlds don't understand what that means. "He's born of the Light. I don't think he could do evil if he tried."

"As my Guardian says. My sole purpose is to aid her in the protection of humanity and the defense of the innocent. You have my word that I will use my knowledge for no other purpose. Nothing nefarious."

[jarheadclan]

Okay, the old human turn of phrase has struck a chord, it seems. Jake's ears lay back a little, contrite. The least he can do after inadvertently making the lil' guy give an actual vow is let him run a scan, right? "Uh... sure thing. Knock yourself out, uh..." Shit, is that gonna be offensive too? Better rephrase. "You can scan me if you wanna," he adds hastily.