[OPEN LOG] I've a heart of gold in the smallest size

[serialskiller]

Who: Murderbot and y'all
When: Early December
Summary: My normal approach is useless here.
Warnings: Squishy things like bot emotions. Also risk of fall damage.

1. More than an illustration [About Anywhere]
Murderbot's gotten pretty good at painting landscapes, thanks to Bob Ross, but now it's stepping out of that comfort zone and trying to sketch people. Well. Parts of people. The way a ponytail falls over a shoulder, but without a face. An incomplete hand with tidy nails, gripping onto some sort of pole or cane. A single shoe, a black leather mary jane. An individual eye. A man's mustache and nose. Hair in a braid. What is unmistakeably Max's knee, smoldering after being shot.

It doesn't seem satisfied with any of it, though the renderings are detailed and very photorealistic. After all, its mind's eye is a literal camera. Of course it registers every detail. But as it rips out a page and crumples it up to toss away, it happens to hit the nearest person with the paper ball instead.


2. Points of articulation [The Memorial]
There's a sweatshirt Murderbot received as a Sundries gift months ago that it's never worn in public. And never will now. Near everything else people have set up, Murderbot folds the shirt so the number 57 on the back, like the numbers on the back of a sports jersey, are visible, and sets it out with everything else.

Yeah, this memorial was originally meant for previous passengers, but there's nowhere else for it to properly...you know.

"And you got the number wrong anyway, dumbass. Sixty-one. It was sixty-one. They counted too."

Beside that, he also sets some of Jinx's tools and half-finished creations, and then turns to slip away before anyone notices it was here.

...oops, too late.


3. Come to life on a brass spring [Promenade]
Look, the new brass statue in the Promenade is weird and Murderbot is climbing it. That's it, that's the prompt. Come bother it?


X. Such a wonderful plaything [Wildcard]
darkersolstice or darkersolstice #9463 to plot

Comments

1

[tossmealifeline]

He was lounging by the pool which might've been really strange when it came down to it since he was still dressed in all of his clothing but he was just relaxing and thinking.

Admittedly he wasn't thinking he was going to be bonked on the head with a paper ball.

"Hey!" Yato protested. "What'd I do?"

3. Come to life on a brass spring

[crushed_pearls]

Listen. After having to constantly ask people to read fliers to her and the general fuckery of The Price Is Right, Erin hasn't worked up the ability to ask what or who this statue is. She's still not going to, but she approaches the base with SecUnit about halfway up it, head tilted to watch its progress.

"...So are you just succumbing to the fatal need all living beings have to be very tall there buddy, or like...am I about to learn exciting new things about hidden treasure in this statue...?"

[serialskiller]

"You were in the path of my throwing. Shoulda ducked, or something."

It grumbles softly as it flips to a new page.

[serialskiller]

"I just want to see if I can reach the top, or at least the shoulders. It looks like a spot to go to hide from everyone, maybe. You want to join me up here?"

There is an engraved plaque at the front if she wants to feel it and get an understanding, of course.

[crushed_pearls]

"Getting down might be a bit of a bitch - actually..."

Erin digs out a Jolly Rancher, opens it up, and carefully places the wrapper in her pocket.

|Hey. Up and at 'em, we're working.|

Separation sayeth: Fucking finally.

Erin starts hopping up, balancing on the tiniest footholds on her journey up to the shoulder.

[tossmealifeline]

How very rude of it.

"I probably would have if I had been paying attention." Yato got up on his knees and turned around in the chair so he could lean over the back.

"What're you doing?"

2

[busball]

Klaus only hears the part about the number and pauses, making a surprised noise and they almost run directly into SecUnit as it turns around to leave. They were only gonna ask what it meant about the numbers, but now they're both too close and Klaus is aware it doesn't like touching. "Oh. Hey...buddy." He's careful not to move at that moment before very carefully taking a step back.

"Numbers?" He glances over at the sweatshirt on the ground and then back to SecUnit. "Is this like a...Number Four thing or like...something else." Did they tell it about their original name? They can't remember. But then he thinks to add, "Uh...you don't have to answer that." Unless it wants to, but that part is implied.

1.

[light_mischief]

"Ah, just shy of the trash." October trained Skulduggery to pick up trash so here he is, picking up the paper. "Unless you were aiming for me. In that case, great shot."

[serialskiller]

"No, I was not aiming for you. I did not want you to see that. That is not for you and you really should just leave it alone."

It's already bracing for what happens when Skully looks at it.

[serialskiller]

"It's a number of people killed in an incident." It glances down at the sweatshirt. "Fifty-seven human miners. Four ComfortUnits."

[light_mischief]

Well, damn, he was already uncrumpling it to have a look. He catches a few random pieces -- a recognizable braid, an unrecognizable but somehow familiar mechanical joint -- before he lowers the paper from his gaze, crumpling the edges further.

"Sorry." At least he's willing to own up to peeping. "I didn't realize you were throwing something deeply personal onto the floor. Don't worry, I only saw a bit of Jinx." And Max's knee, but he's only seen those once, before he went mad.

[serialskiller]

"Drawing. What are you doing?"

Surprise, Yato, it has poor social skills. And hadn't even really consciously registered the god's presence, because reasons.

[serialskiller]

"It's not personal, it's just." Huff-puff. "Okay, maybe it is personal, but Jinx is gone anyway. And the rest of it...it all sucks."

[light_mischief]

"I noticed that." Jinx was always hard to miss. He's almost positive he saw Max wandering around with her guns, too...

"I think sucks is a bit strong, though." He lifts the paper again, since now he knows it's likely more embarrassed than actively upset. "Sure, if you were trying for impressionism, but as far as realism goes, you've nailed it."

[serialskiller]

"You're cheating." This is an observation, not an actual complaint. It reaches out a hand to offer her help, when she's close enough, but like. It's not going to be insulted if she refuses that.

[serialskiller]

"What's impressionism?"

Someone's sole art education has been Bob Ross.

[light_mischief]

Well, he's no art history major but he'll try.

"It's a style of painting where the details don't matter so much as the form. Broad brushstrokes, focusing more on getting the impression of a scene down instead of the details." He's trying to remember any books he might've seen with impressionist artwork on the covers... "Monet's pieces are very bright. Lots of colors, especially primary ones."

[serialskiller]

"It sounds...imprecise." That doesn't seem to be a compliment. "The details are what matter the most."

[light_mischief]

"Not all art is precise. Sometimes, the details that are being conveyed are more... abstract. They're more about the feeling of a moment. The way the light hits the water, or the way a tree looks against the sky."

[serialskiller]

"Ew, feelings."

It's hard to tell to what degree Murderbot's joking this time. Its face is doing something opaque, but its shoulders tense.

[tossmealifeline]

"I was just thinking. Anything good?" Yato asked, although he found himself wondering about whether or not it wanted to speak to him.

[serialskiller]

"If it was good, would I be tossing it away?"

Goodness is a subjective thing, of course. It's struggling with articulating a thought through its art. It's struggling with doing more than imitating life palely.

[tossmealifeline]

"I don't know what you are working on, for all I know it's some kind of doujinshi." Yato rolled his eyes slightly and shifted back down off his knees to sit down again, stretching out.

"If so, you should watch where you throw those things, there could be minors around."

[serialskiller]

"What's a...oh. Wait. Ew. Gross. I'm not into anything like that."

[tossmealifeline]

"I'm not judging." Yato said with a bit of an amused smile. "It's very popular with humans anyway, it's a good way to earn five yen."