Spring has sprung, which brings people out into the outdoors once again. There are always precautions – the weather in the city is too unpredictable at times not to at least have an umbrella tucked away somewhere – but clothing is getting lighter and a little more revealing.
And so the Arts District is its usual chaotic self. It may not be one of the arts walks today, but there is still a vibrancy around the place that is always there. Galleries display their wares in wide windows. Some with discreet price tags, others needing you to head inside to ask. And if you have to ask? Yeah, you know.
Perched on a bench, a short way along Santa Fe from a taco stand and by a gallery covered with well-done graffiti, sits Alexander. He has a rucksack tucked under the bench, with a leg through one of the arm straps. Otherwise it’s dark combat shorts, walking boots, red t-shirt and a black unfastened shirt over the top. He’s wearing sunglasses and seems to be content just watching the people in the area do their thing while he eats. The wrapper on the bench next to him suggests the nearby stand as the source.
Jo[TADA!]
Jo[Do I knows you? -Awareness]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 10) ( success x 4 )
Alexander[Oh yeah, that. Awareness.]
Dice: 4 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 5, 8) ( success x 1 )
JoTacos.
If GIR is to be believed, they are the most amazing food next to burritos. Really it's Americanized mexican food that is delicious all the way around. Doesn't matter if it's tacos, burritos, enchiladas...nachos...quesidillas..
But Tacos!
Jo, in her lanky goodness, walks right up, the next in line, and buys herself three tacos..no four..no five tacos! And could she get those to go in like a bag or something please? Because who has 5 hands? Her backpack is slung over her shoulder and she's straddled over her bike, rolling it along instead of truly riding it or walking next to it. No no...we ride it while walking. New fad. Trust me.
She wrinkles her nose, sniffs at the air and gives a bit of a shudder. Jo..hums. Like the sound of a computer when it's working quietly in the background, except it's not. Or the slow vibration of the electrical lines down the street. She is technology, or at least the reliable parts of it.
With her tacos, she rolls from the stand awkwardly, turning to stuff most of those bagged tacos in her backpack, but keeping one out for now. Her black tee has 'I ate pie and it was delicious' except that the 'I ate pie' is in mathematical terms because.. that's who she is. She rolls...rolls along until she's near Alexander and then she leans forward on her handlebars, already stuffing her face with the taco. "So like, you guys are like everywhere yo. Like for realsies. Hey did you like get a taco? Cause like I totally hear they are like, the best ever."
AlexanderAlexander’s attention drifts through the people walking along the street. Students, artists, art collectors. Hipters, looking for artists that you’ve never heard of. Rich, poor, and the in-between. They all pass through eventually. Each one or two or group on their own little mission as they pass by, mostly unconcerned or unaware of the others around them. Urban life.
It’s almost like Alexander is hearing a humming sound. He shakes his head before holding a finger against one ear, trying to make the buzzing go away again. Is this tinnitus? So he’s not really paying all that much attention when a voice comes from nearby. A voice which, it turns out, is attached to the source of the humming.
Hey did you like get a taco? Alexander looks down at the mostly-eaten taco still held in one hand and then looks back at the newcomer, eyebrow raised. “We get around. And surprisingly regularly trip over each other’s feet. Best we don't dance." He takes another bite before continuing. "It seems like a good stand. Not dead yet. We’ll see how that goes in the morning.”
Jo"Dude.. I don't dance with guys. I mean like, no offense, but not a sausage lover. So if you can like, ya know, resist the urge to pull out the hip hop or whatever, that'd be swanky with me." But she was leaning forward, her lips pulling back in a wide smile. "So you're like, with Grace and like Ian and stuff? Cause like they're cool peeps, and all. Rockin really. She switched the taco into her other hand, licking the juice off her fingers and using her pants to dry them off. Jo holds her hand out. "I'm Jo. Technically like Joann but like really? My folks are all weird. I just like Jo. Jo is way cooler. Gender neutral. Ya know. " She even rolled her bike forward to close the gap.
Alexander[We have new dots, may as well use them - per+emp, do you know Grace and the guys or are you fishing?]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (3, 4, 4, 6, 9) ( success x 2 )
Jo[She knows grace and Ian, yes! And sera if I remember right]
AlexanderAlexander laughs at the first part. “Dance with whoever you like. Although do try to avoid anyone who feels too good to be true. But that’s a whole other story. I’m no white by trying to be a brother, though. Or, you know, whatever.” He shrugs. “I am what I am.”
He turns on the bench, getting a better look at – Jo, it turns out. He’s not as paranoid as some. Maybe not as paranoid as he should be at times. It’s not exactly unknown for them to randomly bump into each other unexpectedly – just look at how he’d first met Sera and Leonhard. But then there are others less friendly to their little group. So he spends a moment trying to get a read on Jo, trying to make sure that she is what she appears and not some Union mole trying to sniff around.
She seems genuine. “Yeah, I know them.” He wipes his own hand on a crumpled paper napkin before reaching over to shake Jo’s. “Alexander.”
He relaxes back against the bench, leaving enough room free for Jo to sit if she likes. Or she can sit on the bike, whatever she prefers. It’s no major concern. “I’ve not seen you around before. New to town?”
Jo"Sweet. Alex or like Alexander? I mean like, does it matter? Some peeps be all 'Don't use ma full name!' But that's cause their mom does and ya know, no one likes to like feel like they are being yelled at. Or something. I don't really get it I mean.. the whole..gettin in an uproar and well ya know.."
"Tcht. Me? Nah dude. This my second semester in college. I mean like, I been here ya know. Just ya know, didn't much run into all ya before. Weird really. Guess it's a whole like..coding wasn't right or something. Not really ya know, sure how it all works in like, finding other people but gotta be somethin. Or maybe! Maybe I didn't hit the passcode right. Course if I'da known, coulda at least tried to hack the system." She grumbled to herself.
Quickly, she prked up, stuffing the rest of the taco in her mouth and crumbling up the paper. "Course spend most of my time on the like internet so...not much out and about, know what I mean?So you like, headin out somewhere?" She gestured to the bag he had. "Like road trip or somethin?"
Alexander“I’d prefer Alexander. Some call me Alex but…” But I know them and trust them and asked them to call me that. “I prefer Alexander.”
“Then a belated welcome to Denver. May you find it as boring and uneventful as you dread. Although given past performance, I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to do before long. I can see you’re going to get on with Grace like a house on fire. Has she asked you for names for the security system yet?” He smiles, friendly.
“I think it’s just a luck thing. It occasionally does weird things around certain people. Like the people who win the lottery two weeks running? Only we tend to have better luck finding interesting company.”
Alexander looks down at the pack. “Naah, nothing like that. Not today, anyway. That’s just stuff in case the heavens decide that it’s been way too long since they last opened. Maybe there will be some shopping in there too, later. I’m not sure yet. I was going to wait and see what happened.”
Jo"Dude Grace is my home G. Totally introed me to her laser tag system. Super awesome. And did she like, show you her plant? Dude she's wicked trying to combine organic systems and inorganic systems to create a more effective like AI system. Me? I'm like..nah dawg.. totally want to like make a full inorganic AI system, way cooler and impressive."
"You talkin like the G system? Cause she totes got me on that noise. I mean who wouldn't? Dude..total computer geek." She sat up on her seat, putting her hands on her hips. Her brows furrowed a little. "You got like..nuthin planned? You're just chillaxin until stuff goes down right? I can feel that. Goin with the breeze, waitin for the right moment...sure..all romantic and stuff."
"You know, the whole world is pretty interestin behind the scenes. Like you pull back the surface layer and WOAH DUDE it's like..all the universe explodes in your face.. or.. well.." She pursed her lips. "Nah maybe I'm mixin that up with the last girl I was with."
Alexander“I didn’t realise she had that up and running yet! Has she gone for the robots too, or is that for later? Or not at all. I think there might have been a few ethical things going on there. But I will have to bug her about the tag next time I’m over that way.
“Have you asked Grace about AIs? She had some contact with one. I’m not sure if it’s something she likes talking about, though. I heard not everything came up smelling of roses there. But if she has, it should give you an idea of the interesting stuff that passes through here.
“I wouldn’t have a clue where to start with all that, though. My limit with computers is following what the instruction manual tells you to, with occasional turning things off and on again. So I’m probably all set for a job in tech support.” He grins, obviously joking. And obviously someone who’s had contact with said tech support departments before.
“I dunno about romantic. I just don’t have much to do at the moment and people watching seemed more interesting than sitting at home watching the paint peel.
He grins again at the comment of behind the scenes. “Yeah, you can say that. There’s some amazing stuff out there to see. Some amazingly awful stuff, too. So, yeah. Be careful?”
He pauses for a moment, thinking of another newcomer to their little party. “You have had the whole intro speech that comes with the secret decoder ring to the universe, right?”
Jo"Robots are like up yet or nuthin, but like we gotta work on ya know, getting her like a good AI system. I mean if you're gunna like be fightin robots, they gotta mimic people and that's super hard. The programming in humans is whack." Jo blinked, lifting her brows in surprise. "SHE MET AN AI? DUDE WHERE? She didn't tell me!" Her lips pursed again, though in a sort of disgust look. Jo sighed. "Maaaaaaaaaan. Well guess it's all like, ya know, lettin me learn the amateur intro stuff first, then ya know, ya go out to python coding."
"I could totally teach you. Or like.. I mean do you game?Does no one game here? Like Ian was all like 'I don't do video games..'" And yes, she even tried to imitate his voice. "For realsies, ya'll need to like, get some video games to keep you happy. True facts bro."
"She told me lots of stuff. Like some super secret spies, and like some oppressive people who totally don't get the whole collective, and well I mean stuff. Still kinda new to me you know? I mean like...Big Brother and all still seems like ...something you like get in literature."
Alexander“She showed me the stuff she works with before and it didn’t make the slightest bit of sense. But I get the impression that, if she wanted to make an AI, she’s be more than capable of doing it. It might be more a case of whether she wants to. I guess it would be like creating a child? That’s a lot of responsibility. And, I think, a lot more dangerous if it goes wrong. And.. I’m not sure if I should have told you that bit. It’s probably ok, but… There are sometimes things that are best left unasked about. Unless people want to talk about it. You get what I mean?”
It’s not something that’s exactly limited to the Awakened side of their lives. They all have their personal lives which can be, in some cases, much bigger car wrecks than Nephandi and Union and all other kinds of strangeness can cause.
“I’ve played, but not in a long time. Some high school friends had games systems, but that was probably the last time.” He smiles again, kindly. “I’m pretty happy without them. But not really against them. So yeah, we could play sometime. You’d have to provide the gear though. I tend to be outdoors more than indoors. I’ve got a TV and a coffee maker at home.
Alexander nods. “Yeah, that’s the kind of stuff. Not everybody knows about the dangers that go along with the new toys.”
JoJo lifted her hands to put behind her head. "Nah I'd do it. I mean, can't hold back the hand of progress. Like, gotta make that system go. I mean like you got billions of programs already running...people you know? Plenty of it goes wrong but like, people still make 'em. Not much different cept you're going full inorganic. Still gunna be bound and all. Can't ever be ya know, perfect." Jo scrunched her nose. "Yeah and no I guess. I mean I guess I'm suppose to understand that, and I mean sure? In theory? But like still weird to me people got these weirdo boundaries of like 'dude don't wanna talk about it.' Not like the collective doesn't already like know... just hasn't been acknowledged yet."
She hung her head, hands still attached to the back. "Awww maaaaaaaaan. We have GOT to get you guys a rig going. Like woah. Seriously? Dude we totes gotta get Ian in and like Grace and you and Sera and ya know, all the peeps. Pull out some Halo or COD or like..some magic... course we can do that like on the pc or like with actual cards...and then there's some league and OH thereis like this new game where you can like be a monster versus like hunters and you can play either side, totes gunna be cool. "
She swayed a little on her bike.. "All I know, I mean all I got outta it that's super major is just the whole, some peeps are bigots and are totally like trying to go all 1984 on self-aware software programs. Like totes tryin to be the managerial system when ya know, they don't even understand the purpose of like the collective and what makes a consensus and like what that means ands tuff. I get the whole, be careful and wary and stuff... but hey! She said she's gunna help me like learn stuff. so No bigs right?"
Alexander“If something hurts, do you keep on prodding it? Call it the same thing. Just with fewer sticking plasters and lots more alcohol.
“I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you don’t get out much do you? You want to play a game about hunting? Why not just go hunting? You never know, you might enjoy it. Think of it as laser tag, just with real guns. Or bows. Snares. Whatever. There’s plenty of wilderness out there, if you wanted to.
Alexander nods. “Sounds like someone’s already given you the welcome speech. And yeah, learning is cool. Just don’t think any less of us poor mortals who don’t feel like burying ourselves in book, you know? Doing stuff is just as good. Right?”
He glances down at his watch, noticing the time moving on in the way that it… well, usually does. Not always, though. But that’s a whole other conversation. “I think I’m going to be wandering on. There’s a bus coming along in a few minutes that I want to catch and see where it goes. I’d ask if you wanted to come, but I don’t think they take bikes.”
Jo"Dude why go out when you can do it in? I mean like seriously? Like you don't have to like be uncomfortable or like, sweat, or like kill things. I mean cause like it's all fake so...totes don't see the point in like doing it outside. Sides, if you like play games with me, dude I will so bring the mountain dew and the like skittles and the doritos and the gummy worms. We'll rock it!"
Jo shifted on her bike, adjusting her backpack a little. "Nah I getcha. Totes don't get the whole like variety thing Grace talks about but man whatever. I mean, what makes the collective so cool is that ya gotta have diversity dude. That's what keeps the consensus evolving yo."
Jo lifted her head to look down the road. "Usually got like a bike rack on the front but like I got stuff I gotta do. Like programmin and stuff ya know. " She cast him a big grin. "Totes be seein ya. Like totally seems like it happens all the time. Go gett'em homefry. Kick some adventurin butt!" She pulled her legs up on her bike and started to pushed off, giving him a wave behind her. "Keep it real!"
AlexanderAlexander cocks his head again, contemplating what Jo had to say about wanting to do it all comfortably. “Part of it is the sweat and the discomfort. That’s how you know that you’ve accomplished something. I’ll tell you what. If I try your world out, you come and try mine some time. I promise not to make you eat anything too gross.” He smiles, laughing a little. “Depends if you like pre-packed meals, though.”
Jo pushes off and Alexander frees the back from his leg before swinging it up onto a shoulder. The remains of the meal are balled up and lobbed into a bin before he gives a wave of his own and turns towards the bus stop.
Alexander[Fin! Exit stage right, and don't forget that left turn at Albequerque.]
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