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[ Well, this isn't quite what Penny was expecting. When she feels herself suddenly falling her instinct (if you can call programming that) is to kick on her boot thrusters and right herself - but before she can get that far she hits the ground with a pained little ouch!
As she pushes herself up she's already puzzling over what must have happened - did she slip somehow? Was there a glitch in her stabilizers? Does one of her sensors need calibration? - but once she's fully upright she realizes the answer is 'none of the above'. That she doesn't recognize the strange yellow hallways she finds herself in is just a concerning cherry on top of a cake already comprised entirely of concerning ingredients.
But the real concerning thing is that she's not alone here. Spotting another, seemingly equally confused person nearby is enough to make her stop worrying about where and how and get her on her feet in an instant. She hurries to Fiddleford's side, though she stops short of crowding into his personal space. ]
Excuse me! Are you alright? Do you need assistance?
As she pushes herself up she's already puzzling over what must have happened - did she slip somehow? Was there a glitch in her stabilizers? Does one of her sensors need calibration? - but once she's fully upright she realizes the answer is 'none of the above'. That she doesn't recognize the strange yellow hallways she finds herself in is just a concerning cherry on top of a cake already comprised entirely of concerning ingredients.
But the real concerning thing is that she's not alone here. Spotting another, seemingly equally confused person nearby is enough to make her stop worrying about where and how and get her on her feet in an instant. She hurries to Fiddleford's side, though she stops short of crowding into his personal space. ]
Excuse me! Are you alright? Do you need assistance?
[The answer to those questions is, respectably, a very emphatic no and a very emphatic yes. Fiddleford still takes a good long moment to think about it. He's taking a good long moment to think about anything right now, because a lot has just happened to him in a short period of time.
He's used to suddenly being somewhere and not knowing how he got there, but generally he leaves himself some kind of note about why there's a gap. It's not so sudden. It doesn't smell so moldy. He's standing with his back against one of the walls, and when she speaks to him he turns to look at her with eyes that are noticeably baggy and ringed with an unnatural blue tinge that is also visible on his hands.]
I, uh -- ah -- do you know where this is?
He's used to suddenly being somewhere and not knowing how he got there, but generally he leaves himself some kind of note about why there's a gap. It's not so sudden. It doesn't smell so moldy. He's standing with his back against one of the walls, and when she speaks to him he turns to look at her with eyes that are noticeably baggy and ringed with an unnatural blue tinge that is also visible on his hands.]
I, uh -- ah -- do you know where this is?
[ Oooh boy, this man does not look alright. Penny stays right where she is, a respectful distance outside of his personal space, and shakes her head. ]
I do not. I lost my balance, and before I realized what had happened I was here.
[ But more importantly: ]
Are you alright? You seem a little feverish.
[ Which is not strictly a lie, but Penny has learned that telling people she can literally see how hot are cold they are can be a little off-putting. ]
I do not. I lost my balance, and before I realized what had happened I was here.
[ But more importantly: ]
Are you alright? You seem a little feverish.
[ Which is not strictly a lie, but Penny has learned that telling people she can literally see how hot are cold they are can be a little off-putting. ]
I -- do I?
[He lifts one blue hand to his forehead and then lowers it again with an abortive grunt of annoyance. Right. As if he'd be able to tell when he can't tell how hot or cold anything is. He feels discombobulated enough that he'd believe it, though.]
I wouldn't know, ever since I washed up I haven't been able to judge heat right.
[It's apparent whenever he opens his mouth that his lower canine teeth are quickly becoming full-on fangs. This is a guy who shows his corruption real evidently, huh?]
[He lifts one blue hand to his forehead and then lowers it again with an abortive grunt of annoyance. Right. As if he'd be able to tell when he can't tell how hot or cold anything is. He feels discombobulated enough that he'd believe it, though.]
I wouldn't know, ever since I washed up I haven't been able to judge heat right.
[It's apparent whenever he opens his mouth that his lower canine teeth are quickly becoming full-on fangs. This is a guy who shows his corruption real evidently, huh?]
[ The fangs also don't escape Penny's notice, though corruption only occurs to her as being one of several possibilities. Maybe he's actually a snake person. She doesn't know for sure, so she shouldn't judge.
The implications behind what he says next, at least, are easy for her to translate. ]
Oh, you must be a Coldblood! A good friend of mine is as well.
[ Though she's never really noticed any dramatic temperature differences in Ruby. Penny's pretty sure she mostly uses it to eat unreasonable amounts of ice cream without giving herself brain freeze. ]
The implications behind what he says next, at least, are easy for her to translate. ]
Oh, you must be a Coldblood! A good friend of mine is as well.
[ Though she's never really noticed any dramatic temperature differences in Ruby. Penny's pretty sure she mostly uses it to eat unreasonable amounts of ice cream without giving herself brain freeze. ]
[He nods.]
That's right. If I shock you accidentally I apologize, it happens when I-- when I feel a little unsteady. I've got a better handle on it now than I used to but. Y'know. You might not want to get too close.
[That he has a better handle on it because he got some of his blood semi-forcefully removed from his body is still a thing he kind of dances around thinking about.]
That's right. If I shock you accidentally I apologize, it happens when I-- when I feel a little unsteady. I've got a better handle on it now than I used to but. Y'know. You might not want to get too close.
[That he has a better handle on it because he got some of his blood semi-forcefully removed from his body is still a thing he kind of dances around thinking about.]
[ Electricity, huh? Penny nods. She's got plenty of reasons to be careful around electricity. ]
I assure you, I will be careful.
[ Even so, she doesn't move back. Now that she knows this guy isn't going to pass out (not from a fever, at least) she can turn her attention to the more pressing issue at hand. ]
But we should stay together regardless. This place is unfamiliar to me, but it's most likely very dangerous.
I assure you, I will be careful.
[ Even so, she doesn't move back. Now that she knows this guy isn't going to pass out (not from a fever, at least) she can turn her attention to the more pressing issue at hand. ]
But we should stay together regardless. This place is unfamiliar to me, but it's most likely very dangerous.
That's sensible, given... [He waves a hand descriptively, then runs it backward through his hair. It's already messy from a mix of stress and static and now it's messier. It's fine.]
... everything. About Trench.
[Part of him, the part of him that is now hard-wired to seek out danger, is having a blast. The rest of him is sort of dragging along behind in its wake.]
You think we ought to pick a direction and start walkin'? Won't find a way out otherwise.
... everything. About Trench.
[Part of him, the part of him that is now hard-wired to seek out danger, is having a blast. The rest of him is sort of dragging along behind in its wake.]
You think we ought to pick a direction and start walkin'? Won't find a way out otherwise.
[ When Fiddleford asks his question Penny turns to scan their surroundings, both visually and literally. Nothing immediately jumps out at her, however, so after a moment she looks back to Fiddleford and nods. ]
I believe so. Any direction should be sufficient, so long as we keep moving.
[ Which she'd really like to do! The buzzing is starting to grate. So barring any further protests from Fiddleford, she'll start to walk towards the hallway that seems the least ominous, which in this case means 'widest'. And as she does: ]
My the way, my name is Penny Polendina! What's yours?
I believe so. Any direction should be sufficient, so long as we keep moving.
[ Which she'd really like to do! The buzzing is starting to grate. So barring any further protests from Fiddleford, she'll start to walk towards the hallway that seems the least ominous, which in this case means 'widest'. And as she does: ]
My the way, my name is Penny Polendina! What's yours?
Edited 2022-09-01 01:51 (UTC)
[Oh. He totally forgot to introduce himself, what with all the other things swirling around in his head. Bizarrely he still feels a little embarrassed, like bad manners remotely matter at a time like this. Still. He pushes himself away from the wall and follows after her.
He really does not like the way the carpet smells or feels, for the first time, is glad he's wearing boots.]
Dr. Fiddleford McGucket. Doc's fine if you want somethin' shorter. I ought to apologize in advance, Miss Penny, because I will forget your name and you'll have to remind me. I'm no good with names.
[Basically his only chance at not forgetting is to keep saying it every sentence or two, and that can also come across as fucking weird.]
And you're a...?
[He means 'what kind of creepy magic blood do you have' but he really has no idea how to phrase that in a way that doesn't feel impolite.]
He really does not like the way the carpet smells or feels, for the first time, is glad he's wearing boots.]
Dr. Fiddleford McGucket. Doc's fine if you want somethin' shorter. I ought to apologize in advance, Miss Penny, because I will forget your name and you'll have to remind me. I'm no good with names.
[Basically his only chance at not forgetting is to keep saying it every sentence or two, and that can also come across as fucking weird.]
And you're a...?
[He means 'what kind of creepy magic blood do you have' but he really has no idea how to phrase that in a way that doesn't feel impolite.]
[ Doc, huh? Something about that doesn't quite click with Penny, but maybe she can warm up to it. For now: ]
It is a genuine pleasure to meet you, Doctor McGucket! I promise I won't be upset about any forgetfulness on your part.
[ His next question gets a pause and a blink out of her, though there's no real hesitation before she answers. ]
I'm an android, though I may not be a type you're familiar with. But... how could you tell I wasn't human?
[ Her knee joints are obviously robotic upon close inspection, but she's used to most people assuming they're prosthetics. But if that's how Fiddleford had noticed, why hadn't he outright asked if she was an android?
(It doesn't occur to her that he's asking about her blood type.) ]
It is a genuine pleasure to meet you, Doctor McGucket! I promise I won't be upset about any forgetfulness on your part.
[ His next question gets a pause and a blink out of her, though there's no real hesitation before she answers. ]
I'm an android, though I may not be a type you're familiar with. But... how could you tell I wasn't human?
[ Her knee joints are obviously robotic upon close inspection, but she's used to most people assuming they're prosthetics. But if that's how Fiddleford had noticed, why hadn't he outright asked if she was an android?
(It doesn't occur to her that he's asking about her blood type.) ]
[It takes him a second to recognize the name. Oh. It's the guy he accidentally trauma-dumped on about his broken marriage. Cool. Cool, fine.]
Speaking.
Typing, I guess.
Most technically dictating to a pig made out of smoke and blood which is then typing for me.
Did you have a question?
Speaking.
Typing, I guess.
Most technically dictating to a pig made out of smoke and blood which is then typing for me.
Did you have a question?
[Wait. Wait wait wait wait wait.
It takes a second to really click because he's processing things a little slow right now, but when it does, instantly his entire demeanor changes like someone just flicked on a light switch. He still looks like shit, make no mistake, but now he looks like shit and he's excited.]
It takes a second to really click because he's processing things a little slow right now, but when it does, instantly his entire demeanor changes like someone just flicked on a light switch. He still looks like shit, make no mistake, but now he looks like shit and he's excited.]
I couldn't. I was askin' about your blood.
[The accent has doubled in power, which is how you know he's being really normal about this.]
I couldn't tell... [He says it again, more quietly, with a clear air of appreciation. Like it's something wonderful.] That's incredible.
[The accent has doubled in power, which is how you know he's being really normal about this.]
I couldn't tell... [He says it again, more quietly, with a clear air of appreciation. Like it's something wonderful.] That's incredible.
Oh.
That's tricky, because I don't want it back.
That's tricky, because I don't want it back.
That's a nice way of thinking of it.
If it helps, I wouldn't have offered it to you if I really didn't want to give it up. I'd rather it be with someone who's not just going to use it to buy some sort of flaming sword or whatever else a gold ring would get you in this place.
If it helps, I wouldn't have offered it to you if I really didn't want to give it up. I'd rather it be with someone who's not just going to use it to buy some sort of flaming sword or whatever else a gold ring would get you in this place.
... Oh.
[ In hindsight, it makes more sense that he would be asking after blood type, but her time spent with Rin and Hayato has had a considerable influence on her perspective. She's gone from being forced into anonymity, to everyone knowing that she's an android whether she wants them to or not, and now back into anonymity that isn't mandatory. In the process she's learned to be more aware, for Rin and Hayato's sake, of the likelihood of someone realizing the truth unexpectedly.
Fortunately, unlike Rin and Hayato, Penny doesn't have a problem with admitting that she's not human. And while she's not entirely sure what to do with Fiddleford's clear fascination, she doesn't feel anything even remotely resembling discomfort in response. So she perks up in response to his comment, because while she can't exactly be proud of herself for passing as a human so well... ]
Thank you! My father designed me to blend in when humans as much as possible.
[ Talking about Pietro's achievements comes a little more easily. ]
[ In hindsight, it makes more sense that he would be asking after blood type, but her time spent with Rin and Hayato has had a considerable influence on her perspective. She's gone from being forced into anonymity, to everyone knowing that she's an android whether she wants them to or not, and now back into anonymity that isn't mandatory. In the process she's learned to be more aware, for Rin and Hayato's sake, of the likelihood of someone realizing the truth unexpectedly.
Fortunately, unlike Rin and Hayato, Penny doesn't have a problem with admitting that she's not human. And while she's not entirely sure what to do with Fiddleford's clear fascination, she doesn't feel anything even remotely resembling discomfort in response. So she perks up in response to his comment, because while she can't exactly be proud of herself for passing as a human so well... ]
Thank you! My father designed me to blend in when humans as much as possible.
[ Talking about Pietro's achievements comes a little more easily. ]
( The boy and the demon both have a connection with this man. Susurrus knows that on a level deep and sleepy, and up until recently he's not been involved in their affairs too much. But things are changing — opening up, over time. He feels these shifts, and he reaches out. Careful and shy like Peter, curious and alien like Paimon.
Like his namesake, Susurrus is a soft hiss, a hum, a buzz: wind quietly blowing through trees. He seeks Fiddleford on a level neither Peter nor even Paimon can reach, a place belonging only to Omens. It's there that he finds her, mental voice a soft hiss. )
Greetingssss. You can hear me?
Like his namesake, Susurrus is a soft hiss, a hum, a buzz: wind quietly blowing through trees. He seeks Fiddleford on a level neither Peter nor even Paimon can reach, a place belonging only to Omens. It's there that he finds her, mental voice a soft hiss. )
Greetingssss. You can hear me?
['Soft' is definitely not the word for Hollyhock. Warm yes, soft no. She sounds, not to put too fine a point on it, like she'd offer you cookies in the same breath as telling you to get a haircut. Parental in the same way Fiddleford is, only she's also got all the common sense and steadiness he lacks.
Or rather, she's all the common sense he doesn't listen to and the steadiness he craves but can't maintain.]
Sure can. You need somethin', honey?
Or rather, she's all the common sense he doesn't listen to and the steadiness he craves but can't maintain.]
Sure can. You need somethin', honey?
Edited (realized i left out an s oops) 2022-09-12 19:42 (UTC)
( Oh, she is warm. Inherently, Susurrus knows what Peter knows, and what Peter knows are tense evenings in a home with cold wooden floors, spent around a dinnertable in silence, or strained attempts at family conversation. A mother's hand that felt more like a claw: never particularly warm when she'd reach for him, and she so rarely did. There was little warmth, in that home. In that mother.
Susurrus is slightly taken aback by how to react to being called something so endearing as "honey". It feels like the meaning of the word itself: thick and comfortable. )
I can sssspeak now. Before, I could not. ( .....Shyly, the soft static of him nudging closer— )
I thought I should make contact. With othersssss.
( ...He came to say hey but he has no idea where to go from there! Peter's Omen is awkward! )
Susurrus is slightly taken aback by how to react to being called something so endearing as "honey". It feels like the meaning of the word itself: thick and comfortable. )
I can sssspeak now. Before, I could not. ( .....Shyly, the soft static of him nudging closer— )
I thought I should make contact. With othersssss.
( ...He came to say hey but he has no idea where to go from there! Peter's Omen is awkward! )
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