From Dredd (2012)

[clan_techie]

Are you... are you sure this is a good idea? Weren't you just, literally just talking about how you have too many people anyway and should pare down?

And I don't know how I'm going to get my old job back, since I know you aren't looking at games, not that there are many would accept someone like me with all of ten minutes of screentime and no real name.

I don't even know if I'd want my old job back, not now. Not after everything I did. I know you say Anderson will vouch for me, but that means she has to exist, and people have to actually respect her enough to listen to her and I don't... don't really know how likely either of those things are.

Comments

[engineermage]

[Only here because forced to be...muns are cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel people.]

It's probably not a good idea. It's never a good idea.

[Hi Techie. Have a look-a-like, but this one's got bright green eyes and a fantastic County Cork accent.]

[clan_techie]

[Hi, you're going to get squinted at, like, a lot, way more than most people do because that is just so weird.]

I'm starting to think that it's actually... actually an actively bad idea, because she has plans.

[engineermage]

[He's used to getting squinted at and seeing a double - he's got an identical twin - but still the eyes are weird. And techie... ]

Gods save us when they have plans.

[clan_techie]

[Oh he's definitely weird, and he knows it, or at least knows that most people think it. Augments, after all, are viewed with much the same disdain as mutants, humans wanting to be like mutants, or so people think.]

That's, um, definitely something I've heard. Plans aren't a good thing.

[engineermage]

[Kale's a techmage. He likes techie things. Taking them apart and putting them back together. Techie's eyes are just like candy... except that he wouldn't do that to someone who is using their eyes. That'd just be rude.]

The last plan mine had involved putting my uncle - who couldn't parent to save his life - in a situation where he has to parent. Not only that but he has to parent two teenage girls who are an emotional wreck and my hyper active five-year-old cousin. Not only that but the plans also involved having his twin sister show up half. his. age.

[He's peeved.]

So, no. They're not a good thing. Even if they say they're a good thing. They're lying.

[clan_techie]

That sounds... complicated.

[He shakes his head, a fitful little twitch more than anything.] Right now her plans involve someone who has my, um, our? face? [He's not used to sharing it, okay? It's supposed to just be his, that's how faces work] But he's a general of some kind?

I don't... see how that could work out well at all.

[engineermage]

It is. He hates our mun.

Oh. General Hux. I got punched because someone thought I was him. He's not nice. At all. Like thinking that blowing up planets and then does so not nice.

No. It wouldn't.

[He hesitates.]

Though my mun has read some "cute" [So much sarcasm on the word cute] fan fic where you and Hux were brothers and Hux took very good care of you to the point of murdering people... including Ma-Ma..? because they hurt you.

[clan_techie]

Yeah, him. I'm not sure if that's her plan or, or not? I mean, Ma-Ma's already dead, so if that's what she's planning she's going to have to come up with something more creative.

[He shakes his head again, less of the fitful twitch and more of the one that will just turn into a half-circular movement without stopping for a while, as if he's lost track of the fact that he's even moving at all] Which isn't something I should challenge her about, I know. Because she will.

[theconfuser]

Wow... are you okay? Are you crying? [ Vince can't help but feel kind of concerned. ]

[engineermage]

[Kale is kind. He doesn't mention that just because someone is dead it doesn't mean they can't come back to haunt you.]

Challenging is bad. It gives them ideas and makes them pay attention to you.

[clan_techie]

[He squints a little, making a vague gesture towards his face with one hand.] No, implants, they're not, I mean, they're fine but my body's still trying to reject them.

[clan_techie]

And I've already got enough focus on me because I'm the, I'm the most recent?

[Still shaking his head, though he realizes it a moment later, stopping himself.] Like some kind of shiny new toy. [His tone is indescribably bitter.]

[theconfuser]

Like contact lenses or... or did you get your whole eyes replaced? [ To Vince that's not even that weird. He's seen stranger stuff. A bit frightening though. ]

Can you still see things? Like, can you see my nose? There's no way anyone can miss my nose unless their eyes really aren't working.

[clan_techie]

[He blinks, the movement just slightly out of sync from one eye to the next] ...The whole thing? I mean, both of them are bionic? Not just lenses? And I can still see things.

[He shrugs] I can probably see more than most people, actually.

[theconfuser]

[ That's a bit confusing... bionic? But Vince tries his hardest to keep up with the conversation. He grins, ]

That's really amazing! And- and it doesn't hurt or anything? Do you want some make-up? [ Vince always has eyeliner with him. Which is probably the worst idea ever but he just wants to help. ]

[clan_techie]

No, but thank you? Thank you for the offer?

[He rubs half-absently at the corner of one eye, having to actually stop himself a moment later, squinting and trying to re-focus.] And of course they hurt, all the time, they're just... I mean, they're two tiny computers, hardwired into my brain through my eye sockets. That's... it's actually pretty painful.

[theconfuser]

All the time? Wow... do you want me to buy you some sweets or ice cream, that always makes me feel better. I've still got some money left after buying this jumpsuit. [ Vince isn't sure if he has a computer stomach as well but probably not, right? It seems to be just the eyes.

He's going to do the selfless thing and share his leftover money. That's a first but he feels really sorry for this bloke. ]

[clan_techie]

[His brow furrows, utterly confused by this, because in his experience, people don't just give other people things except an occasional beating, and they definitely don't just give things to augments like him, humans just a step above mutant.]

No, that's, thank you? But I'm fine.

[theconfuser]

[ Vince is a very friendly guy, sometimes to the point of naivety, he's just trying to cheer the stranger up with no ulterior motives. ]

Are you sure? We can find an ice cream place, it'll be amazing! It won't be that expensive, it's just ice cream.

[clan_techie]

Yeah, I'm sure. [Rubbing at the corner of his eye again with a knuckle, something like a nervous tic, but not quite.] I'm fine, really.

[theconfuser]

Do you want me to go out and get you some? You have to stay right here though. [ Vince isn't going to take no for an anwser because there's nothing ice cream won't fix.

After a bit, he returns with two ice cream cones, both vanilla with sprinkles. If he's gone, Vince's diet is going to be ruined. ]

[clan_techie]

[He's still there, though mostly out of utter confusion as much as a lack of anywhere else to go.]

What do you want from me?

[Everyone wants something, nobody's this kind of nice -least of all to him- unless they want something in return.]

[theconfuser]

[ Vince hands him his ice cream before licking his own 'cos it's melting. ] Here- what?

I'm not going to want a blowwie in exchange for ice cream, am I? I'm just trying to cheer you up. [ The idea of wanting something in return is weird. It's just an ice cream. ]

[clan_techie]

[He's not entirely sure of the slang there, but he can make an educated at it, which just prompts more suspicious squinting. He does, however, accept the ice cream, eying it suspiciously in turn. He catches the worst of the melt with three quick swipes of his tongue.] Everybody wants something.

[theconfuser]

[ Vince smiles, ] Yeah... I want you to feel better. It's not poisoned or anything!

See? [ He demonstrates by taking a big bite of his own. ]

Has no one ever bought you ice cream before?