[OPEN] Keke, that is incomprehensible! But… it’s worth the try.

[psychokinesia]

Who: Add & you!
What: A catch-all for November, feat. Add trying to harness the power of electricity via questionable life choices, trying to drown out all the nightmare-induced trauma with copious amounts of caffeine, and becoming a robot?? maybe???
Prompts will be in the toplevels, but feel free to hit me up at BlueFlewFedUQueen if you have any other ideas!
Where: Various locations (mainly Takoba Beach, the Merlaut and Heavenly Blanc)
When: Early to mid "November" (time isn't fake anymore i guess but months still are SO)
Content Warnings: None yet! unless you count like... trying to get hit by lightning?? it's fine. he's fine. I'll update this later.

Comments

Takoba Beach | Scavenging

[psychokinesia]

Not long after the end of the nightmare incident and the start of the thunderstorms, Add can frequently be found roaming Takoba Beach. It's not hard to figure out his goal—anything that isn't electronic or metal gets swiftly discarded, and only the devices that look intact enough to function are worthy of staying in his "keeps" pile. If a storm is rumbling in the distance he might even test it on the spot, paying little heed to how weird it is that nothing needs to be plugged in to get power. He's learned to just stop asking questions about these things.

And with those storms also comes his assistant, of course. Dynamo is always close by while Add is hard at work, the six drones hovering around his search area and trying to help where they can. With most of their abilities offline the dynamos can't do much to help with the lifting, unfortunately, though anything shoe-sized or smaller is only a simple balancing act. Any strangers that wander over will also be swiftly investigated, prodded for weapons, and eventually allowed to pass once they've been deemed non-threatening.

Add doesn't bother turning around, opting to just speak with his back turned while he dumps sand and seawater out of a blender.

"Everything in that pile is mine, so keep your hands off."

Aside from electronics, he starts to collect another type of item after awhile as well—anything long, sturdy and metal. Hmm.

[activatingcombatmode]

[It just so happens that it's Zack that wanders by the beachfront that day and catches sight of those strange drone-like contraptions that are floating around. They look like something right out of Shinra's labs. One of them comes to investigate and Zack merely puts his hands up to let it check him out because he's confident he has nothing it wants and he's not really that threatening, is he?

Catching a glimpse of the other with his back turned Zack can't help but snort.]

Seems like every time I run into you you're tinkering with anything you can get your hands on.

[Is this guy some sort of pillaging racoon?]

[psychokinesia]

[The dynamo does indeed check him out, doing one full rotation around his body before deciding he's not an enemy. Permission to approach: granted.

Add glances over his shoulder. Ah, this guy. Not the worst visitor he could imagine stumbling into. He shrugs.]

What else would I be doing? Tinkering is an engineer's job. [he'd resent that raccoon comment...]

Electronics seem to be functional now, but only under specific conditions. I need more sample data if I want to solve this annoyance once and for all.

Merlaut Apartments | Charging Station

[psychokinesia]

If anyone was wondering what Add has been up to, they need only check the roof of the Merlaut. Slowly but surely, he's been collecting his heap of metal and electronics here... and at the centre of the rooftop, he's been tying all those metal poles together in his best approximation of a lightning rod. It looks questionable at best, but hey, he's a responsible scientist, so he's at least bothered to add a grounding wire and rod down the side of the building. This is probably safe. Maybe.

What's less safe is the rest of his plan. Finally, after days(?) of waiting, storm clouds begin to gather above Mortis Lake. When the rain begins to pour and the winds begin to rage, Add climbs up onto the roof to begin phase two of his amazing, flawless plan.

He has a pile of various electronics stacked haphazardly under the lightning rod. If the world won't give him consistent power, he'll just find a way to get it himself!!

In case that doesn't make him look crazy enough, he eventually decides to put himself under the lightning rod, cackling like a lunatic over the booming of thunder with his arms raised up to the sky. "Kekekekeke, is that all you've got?! Come on and hit me already! I dare you to! Hit me like you mean it you stupid storm!"

(Dynamo is also around for this, though perhaps slightly disapproving once Add decides to experiment on himself... alas, there's only so much a bunch of shoe-sized robots can do in this scenario.)

[forceofnature]

Something blunt and vaguely hefty baps him lightly in the back of the head.

"...Oh, sorry, were you not talking to the world at large?"

The small child with the large staff sips what looks to be a colorful iced tea as she surveys the pile of junk on the roof.

"Joke aside, if you want to die, it's probably easier to just hop into the void or something."

[psychokinesia]

That little bap makes him jump before he whips around, ready to fight... only to see some weird kid standing there. Wow! Rude!! He was having a moment here, way to ruin the mood!

"What the fuck, don't sneak up on me!" You know, for her sake. Not because he was spooked or anything. He huffs, folding his arms over his chest as he scowls down at this brat. "Mind your own goddamn business! Anyway, what are you doing up here if you think it's so dangerous?!"

The Heavenly Blanc | Insomnia

[psychokinesia]

Add has been to the cafe before, but he's become something of a regular ever since the nightmare incident. After all that mess, sleep was... undesirable, to say the least. The longer he could put it off, the better. Coffee was the perfect solution to that.

He's not the most social person, though, so he's been trying not to stand out too much. Keeping to himself in the quietest, emptiest corner he can find and glaring at anyone who stares at him for too long... until he starts to doze off, anyway. The lights around him start to dim, and even if he immediately chugs down his entire coffee in one burning gulp, it's still not enough to keep him fully awake. Does caffeine even work here?? Who fucking knows, but at least he's trying. If you were trying to read in the booth next to him, welp, too bad!

It's also not uncommon for Add to just completely pass out in his seat, snoring loudly. At least he's finally getting some rest...?

[bachagain]

[ given leo's penchant for coffee and closeness to ren, being around heavenly blanc isn't anything new. seeing add around? definitely is. it's why he pauses upon peeking over from the next booth over, the annoyance he was aaaaaabout to express on having the lights turned out when he's trying (keyword being trying) to write dying out in his throat.

oh.

way to go, add. leo considers leaving him to sleep for a moment. they do all need it. but it's when he bundles all his scores up to move over to a booth with LIGHT!!! that he... well, he thinks a bed might be better? plus he's not sure how add feels about falling asleep in public places.

so leo decides instead to sits across from add, considers it another moment more... then outstretches a hand to shake him gently awake. ]

Deeee-deeee. Dee-dee, don'tcha wanna head back home if you're gonna snore like that?

[psychokinesia]

[Add groans into the table, weakly attempting to swat Leo's hand away. It's not really working.]

Five more minutes, Dynamo... then I'll go back to... [zzzzzzz

He does eventually find Leo's hand with his own, though, but instead of knocking it away he decides in his half-asleep stupor that the correct choice is to grab it. This is his now, sorry Leo I don't make the rules.]

[forethinking]

(As he enters his shift, he sees Add snoozing on the bar to his surprise. That's new, but then again, so was sleep. Ren himself has napped on that bar many many times back home, so really, he can't judge.

... But he won't wake him up either. Instead, he just starts to get a fresh cup ready, with the kettle filled with water and the exchange of the materials. Seems like this man needs it.)

[psychokinesia]

[He continues to snooze away for awhile... but, eventually, the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee causes him to stir, and his consciousness fades back in juuust long enough for him to realize how uncomfortable this position is. And then he remembers what he's been trying so hard not to do.

Add jolts up suddenly, nearly falling off his chair. He's awake! Definitely awake!!

The lights above him are still a bit dimmed, though.

His next thought is to look around and make sure no one saw him drooling all over the bar... well. maybe that was always a lost cause, but right now it looks like it's just him and the (other?) barista. Damnit.]

You didn't see anything. [that's supposed to be a threat, but it's not an especially convincing one...]

Closed to the Machine Hivemind Cool Kids Club

[psychokinesia]

At some point, seemingly for no reason at all, Dynamo starts working on their own again. Maybe it's because of all his lightning experiments...? He really wants to know why, but Add isn't going to complain about such a convenient miracle. He's just happy to have his machines awake again. It really did feel like he was missing a part of himself all this time...

He's used to the mental pings of Dynamo sending him updates, so doesn't think much of it when a new one rolls in. The communicative channel is opened with a sharp command—words are unnecessary, but humans have their habits, so the thought is punctuated with a simple one-word question.

Status?

[forwearemany]

(And well, he'll be able to pick up a sudden spike of surprise.

An identity tag is quickly sent--this is Legion, not Dynamo. More specifically, it's one of Legion's programs that has been placed in charge of communications.)

Mobile Platform Legion program (There is a long stream of characters there, a very large number in some arbitrary base counting system) network communications: All systems functional.

Legion: State identity.

[psychokinesia]

[That's not his Dynamo.

Add shuts off the channel.]

2/2

[psychokinesia]

[... he does open it back up a minute later, though, once he's gotten over the initial shock. It is only Legion.]

Add. How are you accessing? This is a private communication line. [since it's, you know, his fucking brain?? what]

Merlaut Apartments, Room 205 | Recovery

[psychokinesia]

So, Add broke his leg doing something stupid. Now he has to deal with the consequences... which mostly involves being stuck in his room, bored and unproductive. Why does getting around have to require so much walking? If his dynamos were fully functional, this wouldn't be a problem...

At least he's trying to be good, since agitating the injury will only make it take longer to heal. That said, he also had the foresight to acquire an office chair sometime before this incident, so he's absolutely still trying to move around and get something done, even with a big splint and bandages tied around his right leg. It's probably a good idea to check up on him every now and then so he doesn't get the bright idea to start rolling around the hallways.

... unless he already is doing that. Which he might be.

[bluecastleace]

[Curse Iwaizumi and his guilty conscience. Why guilty? Good fucking question! It’s not as if he’d pushed Add out that window (though he understands where someone might want to), and yet here he is, knocking on his door with a scowl on his face. It’s been a few days, and this place is weird. Maybe the guy has miraculously healed somehow by now. If not, Iwaizumi just wants to make sure he’s at least alive and not in horrible pain. Knowing how stubborn he is just from the short time he spent with him, he can see where Add might be trying to walk on the damn thing just to spite him for giving a shit.]

Don’t get up. [He calls through he door.] Just tell me I can come in.

[psychokinesia]

[Wow, don't tell him what to do?? eat shit iwa he's already rolling over on his office chair to crack the door open. Not enough to let him in, of course, but just to see who the hell it is since it's hard remembering someone from a voice alone.

Ah yes. This guy.]

The hell do you want?

Various Locations | Errand-Running

[psychokinesia]

Add can't go very far on his own, but Dynamo can! It's still a mystery why the little robots are working by themselves again, storm-free, but neither they nor Add are about to complain about it. And since Add is stuck in his room for the foreseeable future, it only makes sense to send the drones out for important things like food.

Unfortunately, being a collective of six shoe-sized non-humanoid drones makes interacting with thinks like doors a bit tricky... so you may run into Dynamo hovering by the entrance to a building, waiting for someone to come by and open it for them. Or they may be working together to carry a heavy bag, struggling with keeping it aloft between their total of none hands. Being a tiny drone is hard, okay? They may not be able to speak, but they'd appreciate the help, really!


((Dynamo can't really communicate with anyone (besides robots) SO consider this prompt a method to lead a character to Add himself, since otherwise it'd mostly just be an exchange of *beeps graciously* or w/e and that would get boring.))

[theforgottenboy]

[Cole happened to be in the general vicinity of the Merlaut when he noticed Dynamo (or Add?), or- there's two of them? Maybe one is Dynamo and one is Add?]

[In any case, it looks like they're trying to carry a bag. He approaches, a chicken nug waddling along behind him.]

Do you need help?

[psychokinesia]

[The two drones are trying their best, but there is precious cargo in that bag... a cake. Truly, the most vital of foods for any injured man. Such an important delivery demands only the utmost care and attention.

They are waiting very patiently by the door, but they do perk up a bit when Cole approaches. A friend!!

They beep affirmatively.]

Merlaut Apartments, Room 205 | Haunting

[psychokinesia]

The peace of the Merlaut is shattered by two distinct and loud noises: the panicked shrieking of a man who sounds like he's being murdered, and... a vacuum cleaner.

If anyone follows the noise to room 205, they'll find Add backed up against the wall, swinging a broom at a standing vacuum that is positioned menacingly(?) at the edge of his bed. It sucks at the bottom edge of his sheets—maybe it's trying to climb up there? But, you know, it's a fucking vacuum. What's the worst it can actually do?

But it's also a possessed vacuum, and his dynamos are currently AWOL, so Add is just going to keep screaming bloody murder until the evil is defeated.

[kimihiros]

(it took kimihiro a while to explore the merlaut apartments building. busy trying to make sense of the world around him, kimihiro eventually found himself in need of a bed and rest before he figured out what he'd like to do. mugetsu too needed a proper nap, the poor thing was basically snoring against the man's collarbone.

he was about to make it to the second floor when he hears the screams, along with the suction noise. following it in a rush, kimihiro takes a while to properly process the sight in front of him - or even, half the sight, since one eye is useless and all he sees is the vaccuum.)

Oi, oi. Calm down. It ain't going to hurt you. (possessed appliances? tsukumogami for sure, he barely has to think about it. kimihiro leaves out a short laugh, moving his head so he can see add to direct his bow properly in his direction and finally, he steps inside the room.) Excuse me.

[psychokinesia]

[Add continues swearing incoherently, only growing more agitated now that this random stranger is trying to tell him that this clearly cursed and unstoppable object of murderous intent isn't going to hurt him. He's being fucking haunted???? He's already tried everything he can think of it won't STOP until he's DEAD and no one can save him because this thing SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO MOVE, HE WAS HAVING SUCH A NICE DREAM UNTIL THIS SHIT STARTED HAPPENING—

but lo, the slightly less panicked part of his brain catches up and realizes that this random stranger might be trying to help, which means that, if nothing else, Add may be able to use him as a distraction to save himself and get the fuck out of this cursed apartment. He stares at the stranger—no, his hero—with a pitiful look, channelling the last of his courage and shredded dignity into one brazen command.]

Shut the fuck up and stop it, then!

[crystaltower]

[The Exarch was hardly going to miss the screaming as he made his way to his own apartment. His ears perk up, swivelling to find the source, and he hesitates for only a moment before he makes for the noise because someone is in trouble. The door swings open as he pushes it, and he surveys the scene before him, determining quickly that a machine is misbehaving.

It's not even a threatening machine!]

What in the world is going on in here? Do you need help?