Are you a dark chicken god or a light chicken god? | open, with starters

[wrathfulkhan]

Who: Gene, Jackie, Deon, Peridiot Peridot, and YOU!
What: April Shenananananananananabananigans
When: Throughout April
Where: Keeliai and the surrounding environs, and Tavimbi
Warnings: dumb AH references. Will update as necessary.

A. [Gene] throughout Keeliai | early April | open
Of late, Gene has carried himself with his usual poise and grace, despite the fact that he's harboring a dead lady and is preparing to delve into the politics of Keeliai properly. But this is nothing new for him, really - it was revisiting his early days of taking up the mantle of Mandarin in a twisted way, running the Tong, keeping Stark in the dungeon, brokering peace with the Maggia (or trying to).

But he thinks he likes the Keeliai version a lot better.

He's being more social among the kedan than usual, frequenting teahouses, visiting artisans, dropping by the College. More flies with honey than with vinegar, after all.

B. [Jackie] Water Sector | early April | open
Jackie's been doing a lot of procurement for his bar. And wouldn't you know it - setting up a bar is a lot of work! He'd known that Mrs. Chu did a lot of work for his bar's namesake, but surely a restaurant was different than a bar, right?

As of right now, he's trying to sweet-talk a kedan merchant into selling him alcohol in bulk at a decent price. "Come on, man, I have approval from Aroyan to do this. I have the money. My juulan are just as good as everyone else's, right?"

C. [Deon] The College | early April | open
Deon's been spending more time at the College than at SI lately. Ruefully, he thinks he should have applied there in the first place; SI had been more what he'd known, true, but the College was more in line with what he wanted to do. Not that Stark Industries wasn't better than Tetravaal, in its own way - but academia felt safer. And what also felt safer was tinkering with Tavimbian technology in a lab where it wouldn't be property of Xuiyu by virtue of being in the building. (He's not sure if that's how it works - but why take the chance?)

D. [Peridot] Throughout Keeliai | early April | open
Peridot was no longer welcome on the Morrigan. And with good reason. Drugging the captain is kind of a way to get on his shit list.

Gems don't need to eat, and they don't need sleep. But Peridot has been wandering all the same, feeling something...different. Whatever it is, she doesn't like it, and she's walking around with a hangdog look on her face.

E. [Gene] Jade Dojo | early April | closed to Valdis
Valdis' return hadn't surprised Gene much. Nor had her departure. He would have done the same, so he hadn't judged her. But he felt there was still a need to talk to her all the same.

After the students leave and they're cleaning up, he turns to her. "I don't think I've properly welcomed you back."

F. [Peridot] The Morrigan | April 10 | closed to Shay
Peridot hadn't meant her experiment to do the damage that it had done. Honest. Pinky swear. And she hadn't meant to make Shay angry. Well, making Shay angry had been the point; increasing emotions was the point of Dust, and thus the point of the experiment.

But Peridot was now feeling something like remorse. And after talking to a handful of people, she thinks she knows what to do.

Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the cabin door.

G. [Jackie] The Hotel | early April | closed to Obi-Wan
Jackie had seen the post on the consoles, and hadn't thought much of it, until weird things started happening around him.

Like in the fight with the Snakes. Granted, it had been after Valdis had shown up, but...

He wanted to bring it up anyway. The last time he'd developed powers...it hadn't been good.

So he finds Obi-Wan. "Hey...you said you wanted to hear about weird stuff happening, right?"

H. [Deon] Metal Sector | April 10 | closed to Vincent
Deon is making his way back to the Hotel from work when he passes a particular alley - one he's marked off in his mind as 'Vincent's alley'.

He doesn't know why - he's actually tried to avoid it. But the Dreaming has had other plans for him today, and his feet have found him here.

There's a familiar shape on the ground in the alley.

"...Vincent?"

I. [Gene] House Iron Dragon | April 10 | closed to Tony
Gene hasn't been sleeping so well these days.

He usually doesn't, but most nights he can roll over and listen to Tony's breathing and go back to sleep.

Lately, though, his thoughts have been keeping him more awake than he'd like, so if that doesn't work, he slips out of bed and goes to sit on the roof to look at the stars. He's been doing this for a few weeks and Tony hasn't seemed to catch wise.

Comments

A BECAUSE HOW LONG HAVE WE SAID WE NEED TO GET THEM TO MEET

[pushtheboundaries]

Politics are something Callaghan's always tried to avoid. Not that he's taken a complete disinterest, but there's always been things more interesting. Better things to focus on, better things to attend to, better things to investigate...

Or at least notice, such as one of the new faces he's seeing. Maybe not new - he's certain he's seen them around - but not one he's very familiar with.

Maybe that should change.

"Looking for someone?" he asks politely as he passes the young man, giving him a curious look.

YAAAAAAAAAS

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene looks at the older man. He's seen his face before, but never really interacted with him.

"Not in particular. Just familiarizing myself with the College, since I don't come here much. I'm Gene, by the way," he says, and holds out his hand to shake.

[pushtheboundaries]

"Fair enough," Robert declares, returning the offered hand with his own. "Robert - though most here just call me 'Professor Callaghan'. I can offer you a little tour, if you'd like?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"Good to meet you, Professor," Gene says, always careful to be respectful. "That would be quite nice, thank you."

[pushtheboundaries]

"My pleasure." Always good to get a better feel for his fellow Foreigners, anyway. At least this one's another human, from what he can tell. "Anything in particular you're interested in?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"I could always stand to learn more about robotics," Gene admits. Not least because it'll mean he'll be able to better understand half of what Tony's talking about.

[pushtheboundaries]

That's one way to catch Callaghan's interest. The choice of subject has him arch a brow. To be fair, there have been a few robotic life forms in the city, but...

"Oddly enough, that was my focus, back in San Fransokyo," he remarks. "Not that there's much in the way to work on them here, but...I digress. Are you new to the field?"

[wrathfulkhan]

"Really?" How fortuitous; he'd run into the right person.

"Sort of - it's not my course of study, but my boyfriend's quite skilled with it, and I want to understand more of what he's talking about," Gene says with an easy laugh.

[pushtheboundaries]

"Have you tried asking him to tell you about it?" A beat, and then- "If you're worried about looking stupid, don't. Lots of people like to talk about their interests...but if you'd rather learn from an outside source, I'd be happy to help."

[wrathfulkhan]

"I have - he's just leaps and bounds ahead of me. He's brilliant." A pause. "Actually, you might know him, I know he comes here to work on projects a lot. Tony Stark?"

[pushtheboundaries]

...interesting.

"I know him well," Robert concedes, smile thinning a bit - though there's nothing against the name. "He's a handful - I can see where you may get lost." Another pause. "Now, to be fair, I taught students who already had some experience, but...if you're willing to learn, I don't see why I couldn't get you at least understanding him."

[wrathfulkhan]

A handful? A handful. Robert, you are talking to maybe the one person on the turtle who knows just how much of a handful Tony Stark can be from facing him on the field of battle.

"I'd be willing to learn," Gene says with a smile, though don't think he didn't notice that smile thinning, Robert.

[pushtheboundaries]

It's because he's a handful. Honest. That's all. No ulterior motives here.

"Well, there's quite a bit to learn," he points out, glancing at his watch. "How much do you already know?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Okay well Tony Stark is a handful.

"The basics," Gene says. "I know about as much as...hmm...a first-year college student from listening to him, I think, but there's been no formal education."

[pushtheboundaries]

"You'd be surprised with how many people we accepted without a 'formal education' who were just as formidable as the ones who'd been studying all their lives. In their own way," he adds with a little shrug and a little bit bigger of a smile. "Still. Robotics one - oh - one, sans textbook..."

Easy enough, right? He starts with some basics, though he's more testing Gene's knowledge to confirm his familiarity than anything else. Unless there's a foundation, Robert can't build much.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene's familiar with some things and less familiar with others - since Tony operates at a higher level and skips a lot of audible steps because of Extremis, there are a fair few gaps in his knowledge. But at least he doesn't feel like a complete moron about it.

[pushtheboundaries]

He doesn't go too in-depth - he's still pointing out some parts of the college on the tour, after all, this just makes smalltalk and gives him a feel for how Gene's mind works - and it doesn't take too long. When he judges himself satisfied with his overview, they've reached the front area of the college.

"Well, if you want to wander off, I won't keep you - but I can guarantee there's more than I can teach you in a day. Though I don't know your schedule..."

That's a prompt to figure out how and how often to do this. It hasn't escaped the back of his mind that this might also be a good way to keep an ear out for Tony.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene pauses. "My schedule's largely free right now, if you wouldn't mind continuing. I do teach at the Dojo, if you'd like to come by for a demonstration sometime - that's more my expertise. But I think I may be getting the hang of this."

It's been a while since he's had any proper education - and his education throughout his life has been piecemeal, anyway.

[pushtheboundaries]

Another glance at his watch. "I think I can fit in another hour or so, and I saw an empty classroom we can use...and I won't say no to polishing up on some kata, if you teach them. Seems a fair trade to me?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene nods. "I don't teach kata, but I do teach taolu - wushu forms. It's what I grew up learning. Sounds fair to me."

[pushtheboundaries]

"Even better. I'll be learning something new." That smile broadens a bit. "Though, like you, I've got a little background. And now I'm curious to just how long you have been working on those."

Roundabout way of asking how old Gene is? Roundabout way of asking how old Gene is. He looks like he's in that nebulous 'young adult' stage, though that can span quite a bit.

[wrathfulkhan]

"Since I was five years old," Gene says, answering absolutely nothing. "I have twelve years of formal wushu training, but that was...interrupted when I came here. I don't mind that much; I've incorporated some kedan styles into my training. It's interesting what you can learn just by looking."

[pushtheboundaries]

Twelve plus five, Gene. Basic math. Young, then, and Robert can't help but nod as he starts to lead them back inside.

"Believe me, I know. I'm finding it fascinating to merge my knowledge with theirs, and to see what we can come up with. How long have you been here, then?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Doesn't answer how long he's been here, plus how close to his birthday he'd been when he'd arrived...and even he forgets, sometimes. (Coming up on his fourth full year, counting the Dreaming Year. Yikes.)

Never mind that's what Callaghan had just asked. "I came here in 2013 - so I've been here nearly four years, when the Dreaming Year is accounted for."

Shit. He's almost 22.

[pushtheboundaries]

Good thing he specified; by Callaghan's reckon, that was twenty years ago. And he whistles softly at four years. Even if he's been here over one...

God, and it still doesn't feel like home. Not that San Fransokyo was still, after all he'd done, but...

Probably better to change the subject.

"I heard about that," he notes. "Can't say I can wrap my head around it, much, but...I've at least gotten to the point where I can accept that this place runs on a whole different ruleset than back where I'm from. I could probably Dream up a living robot if I tried hard enough," he adds with a wry laugh. "For however long it'd last."