kismet_loop_logs | "Home" is a shelter from storms

Entry tags:

"Home" is a shelter from storms

Who: Hiro, Sam, eventually Dirge, ETA: Breakdown
What: Since Hiro has to have somewhere to stay, Sam's helping him get situated.
When: Following this thread
Where: The Hub.
Warnings: Dirge, and predictably, profanity.

From the hall, there was little to distinguish Sam’s apartment. Its door was one among many in the human-scale section of the Hub’s habitation wing, and could’ve easily been exchanged for any of the others found on the third floor. Still, it was Sam’s, and even outside that showed. It was in her ‘here we are’ attitude, and the way she set a shoulder against the doorframe in pausing. Some introduction seemed appropriate, so…

She shrugged, smiling.

“It’s not my house, but all the same? ‘Enter freely, go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring.’”

That said, she opened the door.

The room it opened onto wasn’t unusual in its design (a kitchenette with a partial wall, the principle living space, one wide window with a decent view, closet, corridor) but it was unusual in its décor---burnished copper covered the floor, the walls, the ceiling, in solid sheets. It wasn’t entirely unbroken, as darkly-varnished branches had been laid across the walls like latticework, and a couple of shaggy rag rugs covered a portion of the floor. A third (green, rust-red, and ochre, like the others) had been thrown over the couch, which was wicker (matching most of the furniture) and more of a stubby settee.

“It was weird enough I fell in love when I found it.”

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"Impolite, schmimpolite. I mean, they don't need anything but the wheel and the pedals and whatever to drive, right? They use those in the past, don't they?" Have an eyeroll, Sam, because you're clearly missing out by not doing like Hiro does and getting your hands into everything.

...of course, there are consequences for that kind of thing too, as shown by sudden blaring horn that has Hiro yelping and jerking his hand back immediately. He figures it out pretty quickly, though, narrowing his eyes and frowning. "...why does your horn go off when your windshield wiper is pressed?"

"Yes, Hiro; we use 'whatever' in 2014." Sam's tone was dry, but she didn't mind the teasing much---or at all. It was, she suspected, only to be expected; Hiro seemed to be every bit as bad as she was for beakin' off to bigger people, and besides, his sense of humour was agreeable enough (and bound to be a huge help in processing what had happened). "Speakin' of, Breakdown--"

She started when Breakdown's horn went, but not as strongly as Hiro had---the sudden sound was sort of surprising, but it explained the flicker of intent across the big bot's aura. Amused, Sam returned to the inquiry she'd been about. "I've been meaning to ask, when were you on Earth? This little punk is from two decades further on than I am. Between the two of you, I don't know whether I feel kinda old or really, really green."

Breakdown chuckled, Hiro you silly child, you totally missed the tease. Ah well, meant he could play with the kid some more. “What are you talkin’ about kid? Why would I need the wipers on my windshield to work? Not like I see out of it like you do.” Well....it was true. “Where’s a horn in an Earth made vehicle?”

It was Sam he directed his next comment to. “I’m from around the same time you are. We got to Earth around 2012.”

Hiro doesn't exactly have a frame of reference for dealing with giant robots, jeez, shhhh. He frowns up at the windshield in curiosity, tilting his head to one side. "Why do you have it if you don't use it?" he asks, scooting forward as much as the seatbelt will allow. "And, uh, horns are usually in the middle of the wheel. Easy access."

Then he'll just snort to himself, highly amused at these out-of-date people. Ah, the past~

"What do you see out of?" Sam turned to peer out the window Hiro's head wasn't blocking the view of as she asked, though she glanced at the steering wheel in anticipation of an answer. She'd noticed the way little lights there lit up when Breakdown spoke, glad of it since it was something to look at in the absence of a face to turn to while talking.

Still watching Haven pass by, Sam shifted in her seat. She didn't move much; just enough to bump her shoulder against Hiro's after hearing him snort. There was something to be said for these, the people closest to her in terms of time and place, and for the contrast between the two; that something, Sam suspected, was 'wow.'

He’s just gonna laugh. “Maybe if I was originally made for passengers I’d have connections where you’d expect. Honestly, you could touch anything and I could sound my horn if I wanted.”

His cab wobbles a little, the gesture something like a shrug, to Sam’s question. “I’ve got sensors and scanners all over that can show me what’s around me, and in my cab. I’d say Earth vehicles are strange to have an interior like this, but since humans did make them for transport I guess it’s not strange at all.”

"--ohhhhh." Hiro is frankly too fascinated by the fact that all these car-like functions are apparently as controllable as waving an arm or talking, to be irritated that Breakdown totally trolled him. "That makes sense, but...still. It's cool."

This second comment gets some shifty-eyed looks up at the ceiling and down at the floor, wondering where these scanners might be. No surreptitious nose-picking allowed, clearly.

"Speaking of which, thank you for transporting us." The adept reached up to give Breakdown's dash an amicable pat. "Is it weird to be carrying people like this? Scale of one to ten, how weird? And that is also cool, but I'll to admit it is really weird to be talking to someone who can see me without being able to properly face you. The cool way outweighs the weird, though."

Grinning, Sam settled back.

"David Hasselhoff can eat his heart out."

Eeewww! Yes, he’d know if you extracted nasal fluids in him and guh wiped them on his seat. So don’t even think about it!!

“It is kinda weird actually. My original format wasn’t designed for passengers, I’ve only had a place to carry you since arriving on Earth and taking the form of something that would blend in better. To scale it....eh...seven?” It was strange, but...not an unwelcome sensation.

Oh Breakdown, you're no fun. Hiro's already sticky and gross! Teenage boy, comes with the territory. But he's going to scoot over to lean up and press his hands against the window, watching the scenery pass.

"What'd you look like before? Space vehicles?" The idea of which is, of course, totally awesome. Then he'll add, to Sam: "David Hassling-who?"

"It's lucky for us that you were on Earth and trying to blend in." Sam mused, "Not a big fan of vansurfing, even if it's on a roof the size of my last living room... and I'd been about to ask the same thing!"

At least Hiro was on the same page---to an extent. At 'David Hassling-who?' Sam turned to her new housemate, expression resigned but also amused. "David Hasslehoff. Before your time---like, way before. His character in this one show from oh, the eighties, was partnered with this AI which was in a car body equipped with all kinds of sweet scifi mods. Naturally, they fought crime together."

Which is one reason he's not entirely sure what to think of having humans in his cab. It feels weird, okay?

"Similar to how I do now, just a few shifts in details to fit the new alt."

He's just going to listen to them talk about some old TV show. They didn't have time for shows, just an occasional movie.

Hiro probably isn't helping, considering how he can't seem to sit still for five seconds -- first up on his knees, then scooting over to examine the buttons, then straining at the confines of his seatbelt to elbow Sam playfully.

"Sounds laaaaaame. Why couldn't the show just be about the AI? I woulda watched that." He's half-teasing, but you must remember that his impression of the 80's is similar to Sam's impression of the 50's -- basically ancient history.

Then, to the general space that serves as Breakdown: "Why trucks? I mean, if you visited places other than Earth, why do you look like Earth vehicles?"

The third time Hiro ventured into the broad seat's no-man's-land to attempt an elbowing, Sam was ready, and seized the little menace under an arm so as to hold him in place. For what? Noogies. Breakdown had almost undoubtedly gotten more than he'd bargained for by agreeing to escort the two organics, but that 'more' at least included an opportunity to observe (and interact with) human beings---plural!---when they weren't being assholes, as in the first twenty minutes of most horror movies.

(...or as in MECH, which was another sort of horrorshow entirely.)

"Real talk? The show was basically about the AI. He was the real star, but I suppose they had to have a face man to actually go into places and talk to people without broadcasting 'hey, something's up!'" Despite the teen in her hands, and despite the expected protests, Sam's tone remained conversational. After a moment more, she released Hiro and readied for immediate retaliation.

Edited 2015-06-04 05:02 (UTC)

Have a cab wobble by way of shrug. "We didn't look like Earth vehicles until we got to Earth. We did have vehicle forms though. They work in all kinds of environments."

OMG YOU TWO!! STOP SQUIRMING THAT FEELS SO WEIRD!! It was a good thing he found these two amusing, because wow it felt odd to have these kids squirming on his seat.

"Sounds interesting." Yeah, he's bracing too for more squirming.

That cab wobble comes at a fortunate time, because Hiro was absolutely about to attack Sam with his patented slime attack (which involves copious amounts of drooling on the nearest body part of his opponent). But the cab-shrug throws him off, and instead he just flails around a little, sliding across the seat and against the door when Sam releases him.

"We should do that for next movie night," he suggests, conversationally. "Robots and explosions and stuff."

As gross as it was, the patented slime attack would've proven surprisingly ineffective---accustomed to evaluating blood, tears, and vomit in terms of magical oomph, and inured to the horrors of karaoke night closings, Sam was not a woman easily grossed-out. She was one pragmatic enough to wipe any drool off on Hiro's hoodie, and would've.

"Fairly interesting, yeah. And sure, if we can find something of the sort." The adept offered Hiro a small shrug. "I have found a portable DVD player, but I haven't taken a TV, or so many shows."

Breakdown finally pulls up to the warehouse and stops, popping his doors open for them to get out. "We can look for whatever you want." And he'll make sure Dirge lets go of it.

Hiro is this close to bugging Sam some more, but then they're pulling up to the warehouse at last, and he's out of his seatbelt and bounding out the door within seconds.

"Got any can openers? The oldschool kind. I need the wheels." The little wheels are good for making tiny robots walk ~~or blenders.~~

"Can openers? Really?" Sam huffed a little laugh before stepping down from Breakdown's running boards, offering the 'Con a "Thank you," while she went. "What about your bedding, buddy? What about your bed?"

Once they’re out he transforms and stands, waiting for them to be ready to head into the warehouse. He’s all serious business now; this is what he’s here for, to protect them should Dirge show up while they’re gathering what Hiro needs.

Hiro is already a good twenty feed ahead of the other two, suddenly excited by the idea of stuff and gadgets and other fun things. He'll turn around to walk backwards so Sam and Breakdown get the full effect of his eyeroll.

"Right, right, bedding too, whatever."

"Bedding and furnishings for your room and y'know, the stuff you will need right away, or which we will have a hell of a time hauling on our own." With a little effort evident, Sam caught up to the teen. "Can openers and the other crap we can carry easy---which you won't need tonight or tomorrow---can wait a little while, unless we conveniently come across it."

Breakdown will easily pass Hiro and is careful to make sure he steps in first, looking around. He’s just gonna be the silent shield now, kids. Go about your business, he’ll make sure you stay safe.

Thank goodness for Breakdown, because as soon as Hiro worms his way past the nearest enormous robot leg, he's off like a shot to investigate (read: touch) everything he can.

"Woaaaah, this place is great! Any top-secret alien technology hidden here?"

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