[NPC] public

[forgediron]

Characters: Zanru, possibly Xuiyu, and others.
Date: Month of February, ‘2016’.
Location: Stark Industries, the tram-line construction outside the city, potentially console construction-sites
Situation: Catch-all post for Metalworker NPCs.
Warnings/Rating: None thus far.
NOTE: Please don’t tag in unless we’ve planned it beforehand or your character plans to approach one of the Metalworker NPCs for something plot-related (metaplot, player-plots and NPC backstory-plots all count, but if you're unsure, PM me). Due to tag loads I won’t be able to thread out spontaneous slice-of-life type CR with the NPCs.

Zanru was irritable. Zanru was irritable above and beyond her usual blunt aggression, to the point that only those kedan oblivious to things such as ‘emotion’ and ‘personal issues’ went near her with anything other than company-related items. There were whispers going and Zanru knew it, but she seemed to have no desire to confirm or deny any of them, even the ones that contradicted each other.

Mostly, what she did was throw herself into new projects, and as such she could frequently be seen inspecting the tram-line site looping the city. Fortunately for the employees at Stark Industries she seemed to be aware of her mood and spent more time elsewhere than she ordinarily would have—though where, precisely, remained to be seen.

As a happy side-effect, everyone was working efficiently and to their utmost, and in spite of the worsening weather work on all fronts was proceeding briskly. For the beginning of the month, at least--the extended surveyors would begin having trouble as mid-month approached and the flash-freezes begin.

Comments

[forgediron]

"People your age are usually in apprenticeships already," Ayin said absently, but she was looking at Akito with an odd look. He was so mature most of the time that it was easy to forget he was a child. Even though he was that much younger than her, this was the first time she'd felt like an adult next to him.

"I think you should let it go," she said quietly. "Isn't it part of your contract to maintain privacy? Understanding a word is alright, but you're not just trying to understand a word, are you? You want to know who the package was for and why."

[akito]

"They also usually know how to read and write, too." His tone isn't clipped or bitter; just matter of fact, with maybe a hint of a sigh. Rubbing at his face with a hand, whether to snap himself out of his mood or just to hide behind it momentarily, who knows, but it gives him time to gather his thoughts.

"I... don't really care who it was for, or why," Akito offers after a moment, equally as quiet. "There was just something weird about the entire exchange that... I guess you could say I'm a bit worried? Because of the location of the delivery and timing of it..." He exhales slowly, then gives a small laugh. "Even if the other Foreigners don't think much of me, I still worry about them, you know? And I guess I thought if I knew what daseng meant... But! It's too precarious to pry..."

He trails off, clearly conflicted. Because he is concerned about what it could mean for the Foreigners, even though he trusts Zanru (but he's trusted people before and look how that turned out for Spitfire and Yoshitsune and so many others). If the meaning of 'daseng' raises any alarm bells he would feel obligated to look into it further, though that would break his contract. He wishes he could just ask Zanru about it, but somehow he's sure she wouldn't approve of his curiosity.

"Um, Ayin-san? Thank-you for listening. It was nice to talk to someone about this sort of thing."

[forgediron]

"But you do know how to read and write," Ayin said, puzzled, "and you know how to do math, and you know how to run a business, and you know how to be considerate. Not all of those are things you can learn in school, and just because you can't read or write our languages doesn't mean you can't read and write."

She smiled brightly at his thanks, and pushed the box at him. "You're welcome. Here. Have another biscuit."

[akito]

"Un... But if this place is supposed to be my new home..." His voice cracks, but not even Akito knows if it's because it's a difficult thing to say, or just because it tends to do that lately anyway. "There is a very real possibility I won't be able to go back to where I'm from. If I want this to be my home, I need to work hard and learn as much as I can, ne? And I can't do that unless I can read and write the language."

Shifting a bit in his seat to keep the circulation flowing, Akito tries to think of a way to learn what 'daseng' means without risking the integrity of his business' ethics. "...What does it mean to you? Um. 'Daseng', I mean... You don't have to tell me! I'm just curious, because you said there were lots of dialects, which would mean there are lots of different meanings, ne?"

He accepts another biscuit, slowly settling back down. While admittedly he would still like to know more about the mystery package, having just discussed it with someone has made him feel a lot better about the entire issue.

"Ayin-san?" With March arriving soon Akito realizes he has another question for her. "What do kedan do on their birthdays?"

[highprofilerichkid]

"Me," Tony says simply. "I'll pay for them with labor. However much you think is fair. I can help with the tram, or help your engineers draft plans for any new projects you have in mind, or... I might be able to show you how to reproduce some of my tech."

He won't offer to do free work on the broadcast setup, because he doesn't want to set a precedent of renegotiating contracts. But he'll do pretty much anything else, within reason. Anything but weapons.

[forgediron]

"Well, yes, that's true," Ayin admitted, taking another biscuit herself and nibbling on it while she considered both of Akito's questions. "For me it's a plant," she said. "It's very beautiful to look at, but it's a weed, and letting it grow will kill most other things in the garden. As for birthdays, it depends. Usually, families come together and tell stories about the person whose birth is being celebrated. It's especially good for those who are new to the family, because it's a way of learning about someone in it."

[forgediron]

Okay. That was something of a change, and perversely, it irritated Zanru even more. She knew it was a matter of contributing factors, but the fact it was Stark, and Stark was the one Xuiyu had been gossiping to--anything the boy did was rankling. Especially right now when he wasn't even giving Zanru a fair outlet for her frustration.

She glared at him and rifled almost violently through her blueprints, and tossed one at Stark. "Shield generators you idiots had left over before you buggered off. We can't figure out how it works. You teach my people about them so we can reproduce them on our own once we have the resources and it'll be a trade."

[akito]

The meaning gives him pause. A small reason to worry. Maybe something to keep an eye on for a while, but not enough for him to dig any further. He nods his thanks.

"What about.. Kedan who don't have any family?"

[forgediron]

"If you go to the Courtyard of Public Opinion and make it known when your birthday will be and you've no one to celebrate it with, and then go back on your birthday, there will be a celebration there," Ayin said. "You can tell stories about yourself, and hear stories about others." Even a Foreigner, she was sure, would get a little party, thrown by those who wanted to know more about Foreigners.

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony looks briefly surprised: he'd written the shield generators off, assuming they'd been lost or melted down in the year he'd been gone.

"Absolutely. I can do that." Tony's not going to argue with her, despite her nastier-than-usual mood: the shield generators are as good as any idea Tony could have come up with. They're purely defensive, it's unlikely the kedan will be able to modify them to do harm, and they'll help the Metalworkers protect themselves from the Snakes. Tony's not a fan of the Metalworkers, but he dislikes the Snakes and their de-facto martial law even more, just on principle.

[akito]

It's a nice idea. Maybe if he's here for another year he'll try it, but for now he doesn't feel like he deserves any sort of celebration. It's a kedan tradition, and how could he ask anything of them when he hasn't done much in return?

"That's... nice. I think I like your celebrations more than the ones they have where I come from. Maybe I can try it someday, ne?" Akito lets his legs dangle from the chair he sits on, unfurling from the ball he curled himself into and playfully swinging a foot to tap the side of Ayin's leg.

"Ayin-san, is it hard to make a house guardian? I think I would like to learn how to make one."

[forgediron]

"Fine," said Zanru shortly. "Get down to the translator and have Xuiyu draw you up a contract." Her tone when she said her cousin's name was bitter. "Is that all?" That had better be all.

[forgediron]

"The complicated ones are," said Ayin, "but they don't need to be complicated. They just need some special ingredients--against the darkness, see? I can make a list for you, if you like?"

[akito]

"I would like that," he says earnestly. "Thank you. I think they'll make good gifts for some of the other Foreigners..."

The Midnight Hotel and the Welcome Center in particularly. Maybe whatever homes are built for the Foreigners where the Palace used to stand.

[forgediron]

"Of course," said Ayin, and she checked the time and got up. "I'll do that now, before my break is over." The list was short, and most of the 'necessary' components were for aroma and touch depending on the kind of dwelling and who owned it.

There was usually an element of fabric for the texture and symbolism--silk for wealth, leather for strength, wool for security, cotton for versatility. The aromas were what helped ward off nightmares; lemon oil, lavender, jasmine, chamomile, peppermint. "If you want it to be a surprise, it's possible to make a guardian whose fragrances can be switched out for others," she explained when she brought the note back. "That way the recipient can use the fragrance they like best."

[akito]

The list is perfect, and so is her idea. Akito smiles at her more broadly than before, clearly excited by this knew knowledge of his. "That's a good idea! Thank you, Ayin-san!"

He bounces on the balls of his feet once, twice, then rushes forward to give her a quick hug before pulling away. "Have a good day, okay?"

[highprofilerichkid]

That was... a lot easier than Tony expected. Any other time, he might try to push the advantage and bargain for more - regular lab time, maybe? - but he's not in a gambling mood. If he pushes Zanru too far, she'll take it all back, he's sure.

Before trying to negotiate for anything else, he'll wait until she's cooled off and he's built up some social capital with her by making the shield generators. She's given him what he asked for, and that's enough for now.

Anyway, he's eager to get out of here - he much prefers dealing with Xuiyu.

"That's all. I'll go see Xuiyu right now. Thank you."

[forgediron]

Xuiyu was a lab to next door, and the researchers in the room with the translation computer directed Tony there. She was, currently, swearing at a blob of goo--the sort to be found in the consoles--that wasn't congealing right in its tub under a light that wasn't quite UV but close.

[forgediron]

The hug takes Ayin by surprise, so she didn't get a chance to respond before Akito had already pulled away, but she gave him a warm smile. "You as well. Let me know if you need some help."

Her clock chimed. Time to go back to work.

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony watches the goo-coaxing with intense interest for several seconds - he'd love to know more about how the consoles work, but the kedan have so far kept that information locked down like Fort Knox - and then (with regret) clears his throat to let Xuiyu know he's there. After getting this far, the last thing he needs is to get kicked out for spying.

[forgediron]

"Oy." Xuiyu looked up, shoved up the goggles and pointed at one of the other engineers. "Take over." She strode over to Tony with a mismatched rhythm of 'clunk CLUNK' every time her false leg hit the floor. "You've got a death-wish," she said bluntly, loud enough to be heard all over the laboratory.

Be seen having a private conversation with Stark? Nope. Not looking to get punched again. Everything they say was damn well going to get heard, as far as she was concerned.

[highprofilerichkid]

"Apparently," Tony agrees, with a crooked grin.

He's not here for chit-chat, though. "I came to ask Zanru if we could get some consoles installed in the Foreigner Welcome Center. She said she'll do it, if I show you how to make my portable shield generators in exchange. She sent me to you to work out the details."

[forgediron]

"And you're not bleeding. You can learn, boyo." Xuiyu motioned for him to follow her and left the laboratory to head for the one next door. "We can do it," she said. "How many consoles are you after?"

Something about the situation was off. It wasn't the contract itself. It was the way it was coming about. Xuiyu peered at Tony. "While we're at it, who sucked the spark outta you?" she asked bluntly.

[highprofilerichkid]

"Three would be good." Two will work, but he wants to leave himself a little bargaining room.

It takes him longer to answer the personal question - he's honestly shocked that she gives a shit.

"Milyn has a way to let us see our futures when we get home. I did it." He shrugs. He doesn't feel like elaborating. It's not relevant to the contract.

[forgediron]

"In exchange for the generators, eh? Fair enough." It was a good deal. The generators had been a nut the engineers couldn't crack, and they'd come back to it again and again. Three months ago they would have thought of it as 'their' project and objected to the help. Now? It was just a nuisance.

"And you died or what?" Xuiyu demanded as they moved down the hall. She'd heard it was possible, for Foreigners. It had been a point of contention. Something had to have happened, for a boy usually so mouthy to be reserved enough to escape the brunt of Zanru's wrath.