September Catch-All [OPEN]

[be_seeing_you]

Who: Number 6 & YOU
What: Trying out the new fencing gear he got, drawing portraits, casino daydreaming, trying to steal jewelry & more!
When: September 1st for fencing, thru the month for other prompts
Where: All over the ship, see individual prompts
Warnings Potential for violence, alcohol/smoking, will warn for more as necessary



Challenge him to a friendly duel

When the notification comes that he has a package waiting in Sundries, he has no earthly idea what to expect. But, he must say, once he's torn the nautical paper off to find a fencing practice kit inside, he is rather pleased. Well, with one exception. The Epee he's been provided is neither blunted nor is it tipped with plastic the way it should be for safety. It very much seems to be a live and dangerous blade. Admittedly, he's not too sorry to have a functional weapon given the characters around here, but it means he'll have to be especially careful when practicing with it.

He's up on the sports deck making use of one of the empty tennis courts as his makeshift practice arena. In the absence of a tip protector, he's wrapped some gauze and medical tape from the infirmary around the sharp tip in an effort to achieve close to the same effect. That way, when he stabs the wall at the back of the court, it leaves slightly less of a divot.

He puts himself through some familiar drills, re-familiarizing himself with his technique and generally working to improve his stance and remember his form. It's clear just from looking that he's had some experience with this. If only he had a proper partner to fence, alas.


Have your portrait drawn

He doesn't tend to flaunt it often, but Number 6 actually does have a bit of talent for the arts. Perhaps he's not the most creative of minds, but he's rather good at capturing likenesses in portraiture. So, on various days and in various places throughout the ship, such as the dining hall, the sports deck, the library, and even in some of the pubs and bars (or anywhere, your choice), he will sit himself down quietly in the corner with a pad of paper over his knee and a pencil in hand. Anyone who catches his interest may become the new subject of his drawing. For the most part, they are flattering renditions. He doesn't mind if someone wants to observe, he'll simply nod to them and keep scratching with his pencil until he's satisfied.

Once he completes his drawing, he'll approach his subject and hold out the sketch to ask, "Excuse me, I wondered if you might like this?"


Lost in the game

With a cigarette in hand and whiskey in front of him, he sits at one of the blackjack tables idly playing against an invisible dealer. It's hard to tell if he's enjoying himself. He's got a far-off look on his face as he idly scratches the table to request another "hit." Win or lose, he doesn't seem to have much of a reaction. His mind is obviously elsewhere. He's so zoned out, in fact, that on this rare occasion even someone who isn't particularly stealthy might be able to sneak up behind him unawares.


Jewelry shopping

Right. The time has come to investigate that jewelry store. Why is it that no one is allowed to take anything? Of all the places on this ship, why there? He can be found bending over the displays, scrutinizing the various pieces through the glass. There doesn't appear to be any way to get at them. Not any way that doesn't involve a bit of violence, that is. So be it.

He goes, briefly, to the nearest bar and brings back with him one of the bar stools. Raising it over his head, he prepares to bring it down on one of the cases. Little does he know, that won't be enough to shatter it no matter how many times he bashes the glass.

But, he has to try.


Wildcard!
Hit me up with anything! Feel free to plot with me over on plurk KansaiBanzai or on discord Cmdr.Crackers#5481

Comments

[sixthdeadliest]

"Not sure. I can't even tell you if I'll have the same number of limbs in the same relative configuration."

His world was bullshit.

[be_seeing_you]

"That is... difficult." He doesn't know what he expected but that's not it.

Undaunted, he adds. "Suppose I'll have to get creative."

[sixthdeadliest]

Six nodded. "Hopefully I'll remain around the same size. A handful of EVOs have clocked in at skyscraper scale."

[be_seeing_you]

"If you grow that large the ship may not be able to hold you." And never mind Number 6 trying to kill him or contain him.

"I sincerely hope this stays in the realm of hypothetical."

[sixthdeadliest]

"Same, but I thought it'd be best to give you the worst-case scenario."

[be_seeing_you]

"I do appreciate your practicality. I would much rather be fully informed than discover something like that by surprise." This is why they get along.

Speaking of. "Is there anyone else here you would want me to enlist for help?"

[sixthdeadliest]

It really was. Honestly, Smith almost felt like a partner in all this madness. That set Six rather at-ease.

"Dr. César Salazar. He's also from my world and has expertise in the nanites," Six answered.

Of course, he and César had unpleasant history together. The scientist was not one of Six's favorite people, but if there was trouble with the nanites, César was the best option given the circumstances.

[be_seeing_you]

"Is he? I had no idea." Number 6 is familiar with the scientist, but he hadn't made the connection.

"All right. I already have his contact information. That makes things much easier."

[sixthdeadliest]

"I wasn't aware you two knew each other."

Honestly, he was amazed that Smith hadn't been sour to his presence (outside the obvious sudden addition of a roommate) based on anything César might have said.

[be_seeing_you]

"We met on my first day here, and he was good enough to explain the way these phones work to me. I am much better acquainted with one of his lovers, Mr. Summer, but the two of us are on good terms, yes."

Cesar has never actually mentioned Six, either for better or worse, so this is the first Number 6 is hearing of their association.

"Are the two of you also on good terms?"

[sixthdeadliest]

"Our history is...complicated. Mostly we're former coworkers."

He'd prefer to keep it vague, but he has a feeling that Smith might ask for more details. And, given he's come to respect his roommate, he'd give them to him up to a point. There were certain details that needed to stay confidential, others that he promised César that he would keep quiet.

[be_seeing_you]

Six's suspicion is right. However, it might become easier for him to divulge some things after this.

"Cesar told me he was working to infiltrate and prevent the company he was at from causing a mass casualty event. Were you also working at that same company?"

[sixthdeadliest]

"We did work there together briefly, but as I said: It's complicated."

Six paused as he tried to assemble his thoughts.

"What exactly has César told you about Providence and our world?"

cw: genocide

[be_seeing_you]

"I am aware that he specializes in artificial intelligence. And he had told me that he was working for his enemy to prevent the genocide of thousands, which I surmised to be related to that field." Though, César had not said how, nor had Number 6 asked as they were in a very open place on the beach discussing it.

"Given what you have now told me about nanomachines, I assume that is the form of AI he was working on and that they were to be the cause of the mass event he was trying to prevent. Up until this point, however, I had not heard the name Providence. He was cautiously vague on such details. But, he did proudly tell me that he has what he called 'a deus ex machina' planned that will prevent his employers from succeeding at their other goal. That is everything I know or have deduced."

cw: Generator Rex's dystopian hell world

[sixthdeadliest]

That was very barebones. Also somewhat misleading in places though whether or not César had intended as such was up for debate.

"There are certain things I can't discuss," he began, "but the issue with the AI known as ZAG-RS had been resolved for months before either of us was pulled here. It was built to keep the nanites under control during the original Nanite Project, but at some point during the past five years it evolved to believe it needed to destroy everything on Earth that possessed nanites."

Which was almost every living thing on Earth. So basically rendering itself and White Knight the only things to exist on a barren world.

"Unless he was referring to a different AI I haven't heard about, it wouldn't have been able to do anything at the timeframe either of us was pulled from.

"Providence is the largest and most well-funded organization dealing with the aftermath of the Nanite Event. However, those of us who worked there didn't know for the longest time that it was being funded by the same people who funded the Nanite Project in the first place. They weren't interested in fixing the problem, just attempting to recover certain assets the Nanite Project team had developed that were scattered during the Event."

[be_seeing_you]

"I could not tell you which AI, of course. I barely grasped the concept at the time." He is not that much better with it now.

"If I'm interpreting what Cesar told me correctly, it sounds as if he did know."

[sixthdeadliest]

Six nodded his understanding regarding the AI. In response to the other part, "I doubt César was initially aware of it either given how he arrived at Providence: I don't understand the details myself, but he somehow skipped forward five years due to an issue while he was escaping the actual explosion of the Nanite Event. When he came to stay at Providence, he agreed to work with it due to the presence of his brother, Rex. I'm not sure if he could have learned about its financial backers sooner than the rest of us did."

[be_seeing_you]

"That part, I wasn't aware of." Skipped ahead five years? Once upon a time, he would have called that impossible.

"Tempted as I am to keep asking, I'm sure it's him I should be going to for the details. I didn't know about his brother, either."

[sixthdeadliest]

"Honestly, he was only recently reunited with his brother." And not just because of the six months Rex got thrown forward in time thanks to Breach. "César can give you the details, but Rex wasn't with him when he skipped ahead five years. And Rex had lost his memory and didn't know him when they met back up."

[be_seeing_you]

"I knew none of this. I could tell that César carried a lot of personal tragedy in his past, but I didn't realize the extent of it." Lost his parents, and then his own brother didn't know him. It's little wonder now how protective the man is over the family he has here.

"Where did you fit into that picture, specifically?"

[sixthdeadliest]

"I lost six years of my memory recently, but from what I pieced together from Rex and various reports, I worked for Providence since not long after the Event. Got hired on to deal with the 'monster' issue: killing them or bringing them back to be molecularly disassembled for the head research scientist at the time. I found Rex four years after the Event after encountering a massive biomechanical EVO. Kid saved my life by actually managing to cure an EVO I was distracting to give the kid time to get away. He only remembered his name at the time.

"Ended up becoming his partner, training him and working alongside him in the field."

And apparently the closest thing the kid remembered to a father as sad as that was. And as much as he trusted Smith, he was not going to tell him his other orders.

[be_seeing_you]

"You as well? Was mass amnesia part of that Event?" Otherwise, that is quite a coincidence.

"How does Cesar feel about you being his brother's partner? You and Rex must be very close."

[sixthdeadliest]

"Unfortunately the details fall into what I promised César that I wouldn't spread around unless he crossed certain lines. If you want those, you'll have to ask him, but, no, the incident wasn't related to the Event. Not directly at least."

He paused, trying to think of how to phrase things.

"It's been five years since the Event and a little over a year since I originally partnered up with Rex. Thanks to losing those six years, I essentially woke up to the world having gone upside down with a teenage partner. From what I've heard, Rex and I were quite close. Rex...even considered me to be close enough to a parent. How César felt about that, I never bothered to ask given I can't remember any of it. Rex and I are still learning our new dynamic. Or we were."

[be_seeing_you]

"You have my sympathy. You lost something of great value." And thanks to being here, he will never truly get it back.

"May I ask how you and César are getting along now that you are both here?"

[sixthdeadliest]

"Mutual tolerance," Six stated flatly.

Which was honestly better than planning to stab the man in his sleep, he supposed.