VERY tentative voice test.

[edj_0431]

Pfft. You've got to be kidding me.

You're way out of your league. You barely know Visual Basic from C++. How exactly do you think I'm going to cooperate with you?

Just because you can BS with your Aperture tinker toys doesn't mean you're going to get any sympathy from me. Why don't you just go back to playing Tiny Tower on your iPad and leave the program-talk to the grown-ups?




You didn't even post to the right website first.

Comments

[notglitching]

[Program-talk, you say? Well. Hard to pick something that Rinzler's worse at.

But really, talking's overrated. So just have a program... staring. Probably. The "black faceless mask" thing makes it tricky to tell, really, but good odds. Conversation's noticeably absent, but there is sound. A perpetual, ticking growl of mismatched code.

Or a very annoyed cat.
Or possibly a broken coffee filter.
Really, take your pick. ]

[edj_0431]

[God, that noise. It's going to give him a migraine.

But the not talking? He can deal with that.

He just crosses his legs and arms, sitting there, staring back at the black-suited figure with an expression of scrutiny and arrogance.]

[notglitching]

[One migraine, coming right up. Rumble. Rumble, rumble.

And is this a staring contest? Because sorry, user. Rinzler wins at Games. He'll just. Be staring right back. Fair warning, though? Programs don't need to blink.

Plus, who knows where he's looking. Really. Could be asleep.]

[edj_0431]

[Ugh.

Please. If Edward here wanted to play a game, he would go fire up something less like a four-year-old would play. He blinks with reckless abandon and scorn.

This could go on for a while, he's got a lot of scorn.]

[notglitching]

[That's okay. Rinzler's got a lot of boredom. Not much to do between blowing up structures and getting into fights with his doubles.

And now that you've obviously conceded the playing field to your weak user biology? There's an edge of satisfaction to that ticking growl. His victory, user. Not that it was ever really in doubt.

....yeeep. Staring.]

[edj_0431]

[If victory gives you any measure of satisfaction, then good for you. That means a whole lot of nothing to this kid.

So he just tilts his head in a contemplative fashion, moving to tent his fingers.]

[annualprank]

[Have Sam's program side-eying you REALLY hard right now. You look uncomfortably similar to the guy who locked him up, man.]

So you're... not a program?

[edj_0431]

[Yeah? Well, you look uncomfortably similar to a little piss-ant who likes to make things difficult.]

Nope.

Not a program.

[annualprank]

[Well at least this guy won't be trying to capture him again. Hopefully.]

A User then, right? [He tries a smile.] Heh, you wouldn't happen to write programs for ENCOM, would you?

[edj_0431]

[His smile back is less than warm and cuddly. It doesn't reach his eyes, which remain icy as ever.]

Yeah. I'm a user.

And yes...I do.

[annualprank]

Think I ran into one of your guys awhile back. [On opposite sides of the forcefield...] He's... ah. Good at what he does. [Let's not go into too much detail, shall we?]

[He holds out his hand in what he remembers as a User-style greeting.] Name's Kade. Originally compiled in ENCOM.

[edj_0431]

...Good for him.

[Here is a man who clearly cares about what you're saying. But, begrudgingly, perhaps out of business habit, he shakes the hand.]

Edward Dillinger Jr. Charmed, I'm sure.

[manwhowaited]

Junior.

You might want to take into consideration that if your mun hadn't chosen to play you, you wouldn't be here at all.

[And if he wasn't here, then how would he sneer at people?]

[edj_0431]

...Yes, I suppose not....

[But his tone is still bored and disrespectful. He rolls his eyes a little and plays with his phone, not even looking up.]

Awfully charitable of her.

[manwhowaited]

And of course, you say this out of a great familiarity with charity.

[Alan's tone is boardroom even, but the sarcasm is undisguised.]

[edj_0431]

[He slips his phone away, taking his glasses off to clean them.]

...Of course.

[quorrathexplora]

Mr. Dillinger. *see, she started working as Sam's PA in her default continuity... as Cora Cray*

You can always consider the benefit of guiding her through the parts she doesn't know, for the sake of doing the things which you might want to do. It is a reasonable trade-off, most of the time.

*she has, therefore, learned corporate-type lingo, in the year and a half since she started.*

[edj_0431]

[Finally, a bit of respect.]

It's a fair point. Her whining is just frustrating. I already get migraines. I don't need more.

[quorrathexplora]

*she is good at her job. Part of her job is making sure he and Sam don't blow up the building, right? Keep the company working.*

I've heard migraines can be terrible. Doesn't spending time in front of a computer aggravate them?

[ja307020]

[Tron will just be here.. rumbling at you. You look a little familiar. In a distant, sorta-relational kind of way. Can't quite place the tag, though.

He'll just be.. calculating entertainment value of poking you with a stick. Sorry, but it's been a crappy centicycle.]

[edj_0431]

[Oh, good. Another migraine. Edward just sits there, unamused.]

...Can I help you with something?

[ja307020]

[Who said it was for your amusement, Edward? Though hey that incipient-migraine look is funny on you.]

No.

[edj_0431]

[He stares wordlessly for a moment.

Then he puts his earbuds in and puts on his music.]

[ja307020]

[That is fascinating. He can almost hear the music.

Tron just sort of... leans in. And reaches for an earbud, letting the helmet derezz since obviously he won't be able to use the things with it up.

Oh, did we mention he looks like a clone of a very young Alan Bradley? Cause he does.]

[edj_0431]

[...Okay. That's really weird. Edward stares as the fellow comes closer, not only knowing that face but also wondering what the hell he's doing.

After a moment, he takes off his earbuds, handing them over. The gears are turning in his head, a wry smile crossing his lips.]

Never seen these before?

Go ahead.

They go in your ears.

[ja307020]

[The rumbling has a distinct pleased note to it, though the last statement gets a very firm eyeroll. He did just watch you use them. He's not a beta.

...Not sure about those musical tastes, though, as he settles one of the tiny speakers in his ear and leaves the other to dangle. No interest in blocking any sensors completely.]

[edj_0431]

[He just smiles. Lets him listen for a minute. Lets him really soak it in.

Then cranks the player up to ear-shattering levels without warning.]

[ja307020]

[Really, this song is terrible. Absolutely terrible. So Tron's reaching to remove the offensive speaker anyway and then what the glitch--

Loud noises and security programs don't mix well together. Tron lunges almost on reflex, reaching to grab the nearest arm in what's usually a pretty uncomfortable wrist lock as he tears the little speaker out of his ear.]

[edj_0431]

[For a moment, that expression is just hilarious -

And then the wrist lock, and Edward is almost yanked from his chair, uttering a short and undignified yelp. His glasses are askew as he glares up at the program.]

Jesus - let me GO. That HURTS.

[ja307020]

[Really loud music hurts too, you know. Tron growls threateningly at the annoying User before finally letting him loose and stalking off for something a little less hipster irritating.

Yup. Really crappy centicycle.]