tabularasa_rp | [OPEN] Ha? You think I'll apologize?

Eventually, Add does come to the conclusion that maybe breaking into the apartments of equally confused people isn't the best way to address this situation. So, he takes his investigation elsewhere. For now.

There are computers at the check-in counter of the apartment lobby—well, not anymore. One computer is now in several hundred pieces, all scattered around the counter in neat little piles. They're "organized", but in a way only Add would be able to decipher, most likely. At least he seems to know what he's doing? The more useful parts are set aside, as well as anything that might contain recoverable data. If he just had a way to access it...

He's completely absorbed in his task, muttering to himself as he carefully examines each individual circuit in detail. That said, he's not so absorbed he won't yell at anyone who tries to touch his work station—he won't allow even one tiny screw being moved out of place.

[Look, Zack has just as many questions and no answers for them as anyone else new to this weird void-like place. The sky is full of white and nothingness, there's a beach full of junk and weird creatures all over the place. He's meeting people he hasn't seen in years and he's pretty sure the last thing he remembers before waking up in this weird milk-world is having several bullet wounds in him that are now miraculously gone.

So yeah. He gets the whole ripping-things-apart-to-try-and-find-some-answers thing.

Zack casually meanders over and reaches out to snatch up one of the computer chips off one pile to hold it up to the light like somehow that's going to tell him something about it.]

Do you really think breaking apart a bunch of computers will help? Have you found anything?

[He's genuinely curious! Even if it doesn't seem that way!]

[Like a sixth sense activating, he shoots Zack a sharp glare the very moment his fingers touch that chip. It is ever so slightly out of his reach—ugh, he'd be interrupting his work even more trying to stand up and snatch it back...]

Those parts are delicate, put it back where you found it before you break the damned thing. [he might still try to grab it... please, he had those SORTED you are RUINING HIS SYSTEM] And I'm not breaking anything. I know exactly how to put this back together. Dismantling it to the base components is the only way I can analyze it right now.

[because, surprisingly, he is doing this for a reason beyond wanting to take a thing apart. He sighs, putting down the part he'd been looking at for now.]

I have a machine that isn't working, so I thought I'd take samples from machines present in this world to see what the problem might be. Except these machines aren't working, either. There's nothing apparently wrong with them, so there must be some other explanation for it.

Oh, so that's what you're doing...

[Zack says this like he understands when he doesn't actually understand at all...

But at least he puts down the piece right where he found it. This guy must be a pretty big nerd to understand all of this tech and jargon. Zack would have guessed twice on that since he doesn't really look the type.]

None of the computers or machines are working at all? Maybe it has something to do with how ass backwards this entire world is. There's no sky and all.

[So he assumes there's no cell towers or anything like that either. Goodbye forever wifi connection.]

[add is very proud of his punk-nerd aesthetic tyvm

He folds his arms, leaning back in his cozy office chair. Well, alright, the fact that even the sky looks weird should maybe be a hint that things aren't going to behave normally...]

I've been to dimensions with weirder skylines, but this is something else entirely. How can there be an interference that's powerful enough to disable all these machines, yet there are also sentient machines in this very building that are completely unaffected? There's no way an occurrence like that could be natural. There must be something behind all this, deciding which machines to disable and which ones to leave active.

But how would a force like that distinguish its targets if there's nothing unusual in the affected machines...? Maybe if I ask to examine them under those circumstances...

[He trails off momentarily, leaving it unclear if that was a rhetorical question or not. Anyway—]

Is there anything else unusual you've noticed about this place? Besides the obvious.

[Right. This guy is definitely a nerd and Zack is already half lost in all the analysis that he gives. But he doesn't fade out and stop listening just yet. He leans up against the desk and crosses his arms over his chest.]

Who knows, maybe there's something that only wants us to use a few of the machines and not the others. We've got things popping up from our home worlds who's to say there's not something picking those things out too? Maybe there's an admin somewhere with a hand in all of it.

[It's a bit supernatural to think that there is "something else" doing all of this behind the scenes. But honestly, Zack is so new here he has no other clue to give.]

Besides other people being from other points in time than me, I don't know what else to tell you.

An admin... hmph, perhaps. [He doesn't like that idea at all, but it seems more likely than blaming everything on the general chaos of this place. Some details are just too specific. It would make more sense for someone to be directing things here, even if only slightly.

He hears something else interesting, though. Enough about Schrödinger's puppet master for now.]

Elaborate. What do you mean by other points in time?

[Zack raises an eyebrow. That's a good point of interest and yeah maybe he can get some outside insight on it. This guy seems smart, anyway.]

There's a couple people from my homeworld here.

[God, it still feels so weird to say "my homeworld" like it's some sort of city or state.]

They remember things differently than I do. Or they know things that I don't. It's a lot like we're from two different points in the same timeline. If that makes any sense?

... not like time travel is impossible, but if appearing in this place might cause a misalignment...

[He starts muttering to himself again, furrowing his brow with a serious expression. His experience with time travel is limited, but he knows enough not to doubt Zack's claims. Something like that is definitely possible, maybe even more probable than usual?]

This is a chaotic space that exists outside the normal rules of what you would call "reality". It's not that unusual for time and space to get twisted up in a dimension like this.

Still, that's concerning. We'll have to be especially careful about the return method if time is also a variable that needs to be considered. Not to mention the possibility of causing a paradox if someone learns too much about their own future... well, it'll probably be fine.

[For the first time since arriving here Zack feels like he's finally running into someone who has some sort of logical or scientific opinion on what might be happening around here. Everyone has been rather content to tend their bars and plant flowers in their shrines with no real way to know what any of this means.]

So, do you have any idea about how we should get a return method? Timelines or not... I need to get back too.

[He needs to know what's happened to him. And all the other unanswered questions that were left hanging for him. But it still nags at him...]

Do you think timelines can be changed?

[And then very unceremoniously Zack picks up another piece of the computer trash pile like he's going to find his answers in it all.]

If we're outside of normal reality, all of this has to do something.

[Zack, this guy can't just build you a time machine out of computer parts for you...]

Why not? Research into time travel is limited, but if you're aware of your future and choose to act differently, what's there to stop you from changing things?

[Spoken with confidence—it is a goal that he's been working towards himself, after all.

Leaving this world still comes first, though. He makes a bit of a face when Zack picks up another one of his components, but since he hasn't broken anything yet... he'll tolerate it. for now.]

I've dealt with dimensional travel before, but building a portal from scratch won't be easy... hopefully, there's something already in place here that I can work with instead. If not, I'll have to get my own machines working first before I can do anything. It's not my field of expertise, but dimensional travel is basically just teleportation on a grander scale. I'll find a way to make it work.

Really? For real? You can really do it if you get your computer machines up and running?

[Honestly, Zack has no idea what he's talking about or what dimensional time travel really is or if it's actually possible or not but the guy has just proved a very good point. If Zack knows his future (thank you sephiroth) what's stopping him from changing it now that he can go back and try and stop the specific thing that he knows about??

It's brilliant!! ... Maybe.]

If that's going to get us out of here then sign me up. How can I help? I'm yours to command, dude.

[He's also kind of smacking his hands on the counter with that computer chip in hand still...]

[This guy is way too excitable. It's reminding him of a certain other spiky-haired swordsman...

Ugh. That's the last thing he needs to think about right now. Add sighs, rubbing his temples.] You can start by not trying to smash my components...

Yes, for real. I've got too many important things to do to let a place like this keep me down. Even if I have to rewrite the laws of reality myself, I will find a way out of here. That's a promise.

Of course, returning to my own dimension will be my priority, but I suppose I can try to find a way for others to return to where they came from as well, if it's not too much trouble.

Awesome! You're great, man! Great! Let's do this!

[This guy might seem a little arrogant but the fact that he offers up to try and help everyone else home as well is enough for Zack. This is the first sort of lead he's been able to grab since arriving here so Zack is holding on to it.

Oh, and he stops smacking his hands on the counter luckily. Returning that chip to the pile with a flick of his hand.]

Name's Zack Fair, by the way. Really, if there's anything I can do to help you get things up and running just call me up. I don't know much about computers and tech jargon but I'm happy to move shit around for you or help you hook stuff up.

[Or honestly, he'll just be a guinea pig.]

[ oh no, it's a weirdo. what happens when two weirdos collide? does a big black hole just appear in the middle of the void, sucking everyone into it?

leo's deep into a notebook, squiggling... something. so, much like add, he doesn't really take much note of his surroundings. unfortunately for both of them, that means that... one tiny screw being out of place will... inevitably happen, given leo's walking right into the counter and, you know, slightly moving the lighter contents on the surface from that moment of contact.

ah. at least that's enough to snap him out of his distraction, ]

Ouch! Whoops, guess I'm not used to the layout here... Can't walk around blind--

[ wait. he's blinking at the counter, noting that... all the stuff here is definitely new. he didn't just happen to ignore all this before, right? it's entirely possible. ]

Huh? What's going on here?

[For that brief, cursed moment, Add is completely absorbed in unscrewing a new piece from the frame. So absorbed that he doesn't even notice someone else approaching until the counter lightly jostles.

Like a butterfly flapping its wings, the results are catastrophic—all of his neat and tidy piles, all his hard work to keep things organized so he won't struggle to put it all back together... everything is ever so slightly shifted out of position. Maybe one or two screws roll onto the floor. The state of the counter may seem exactly the same, but the precise order of it all has definitely been ruined beyond all repair.

Add chokes out a strangled gasp, dropping his screwdriver.]

What the hell are you doing?! These are delicate components, don't just run into things like a fucking idiot! I swear, if even one piece goes missing—

[Leo is welcome to use his imagination for the rest of that one, since Add is now busy cursing under his breath and trying to re-sort his mildly jostled piles.]

[ oh my god. someone with a better sense of survival and more than one (1) brain cell would perhaps find add's tirade concerning, but. but leo is not that.

you see, to him, it's just funny. add's very passionate? it's obviously a good thing. and it was kind of his fault there, so leo can't be entirely mad... though it's not like he's going to stand there and get called a bunch of shitty things either, god.

mmm, there's a screw on the floor? leo goes to pick that up as add raises his goddamn blood pressure. ]

Ahhh, shhhh, relax! Your hair's gonna get even whiter from stress if you keep on going, y'know! [ what ] I get how it is when someone messes with your work, so I can't be all hypocritical and be upset about it... But I'm not gonna sit here and get insulted either!

[ binch ]

Here's a screw! Where do you want it?

[ can't believe this is where leo tsukinaga is gonna die ]

[Add is trying to ignore Leo. Clearly nothing good could come from this buffoon, so his best bet is to just sort this out himself and hope the cause of the problem will go away. He can't be dealing with all these constant distractions if he wants to get anything done.

But no, Leo is still here, and now he's got his dirty fingers all over one of the missing screws. Add scowls at him.]

With the rest of the screws, obviously. Where do you think it goes? [there are several piles of screws of varying sizes and shapes, but since Add knows the difference he sees no reason to explain further. this much should be common knowledge!!]

If you're going to keep being a pain in my ass, at least do it quickly. Where's the other one?

[ oh

he's used to grumps, it's fine. what he's not used to is... all this... stuff. leo's looking at the piles of screws, squinting at the piles, then the screw in his hand. piles, screw in his hand. it takes him a whole 2 seconds (add said QUICKLY) to be Done With This Shit, and he just puts the screw in between two piles that look Sufficiently Similar Enough to whatever he has right now.

wonderful. next question, ]

Um... Shouldn't it be somewhere in your ten million piles? I didn't see it on the floor!

[ ah, cursed ]

How the heck do you know one's missing? D'you even have enough holes for all these screws?!

[ AH, CURSED ]

Edited 2020-09-14 03:33 (UTC)

[Not even looking up from his own little pile of mildly unsorted parts, Add simply places a hand next to where Leo (incorrectly) put the screw and slides it roughly over to the rest of its kin. He might be hissing through his teeth a bit. Honestly, the only reason he hasn't clocked Leo across the room is because it would only cause further chaos to his workspace...

No, it's not worth it. Keep it cool, Add. You can do this.]

Do you not know how to count? Of course I know how many I took out. There were eight here before and now there's only seven! Ugh, just stay where you are and don't touch anything, I'll get it myself...

[and... he gets off his chair so he can duck down and search the floor. If it's not over there it probably fell under his side of the counter, right? Surely he can leave his eyes off this idiot for just a few seconds...]

[ rude

he does know how to count. does he know how to remember what he counted? no. especially not when there's like fifty million piles everywhere with differing numbers of items in them, so he'd rather just ignore the specifics that don't really matter??

just like he'll ignore orders, because he absolutely is petty pushing the screw he put in between the two piles back and forth on the counter. fuck the police. mostly because he's bored, as he's inspecting piles which... he at least won't try to disturb further, ok. ]

That sounds like you're saying you remember eveeery number of the things in here!

[ he does. sound kind of impressed at that. ]

Pooo~op quiz, even though I hate 'em! [ wow ] How many's in the pile to the right of the twisty, flat screws?

[ horrible. ]

The screws are sorted by length, width and head type, dumbass, "twisty and flat" describes nearly all of them. Is it your right or my right? If you're going to pester me with annoying questions, you could at least make it something intelligible.

[But the joke is on you, Leo, because he does remember the exact number of each and every part on that table. He's got a literal photographic memory—having a cyborg brain implant is pretty handy like that.

Meanwhile, he finally found the missing screw. It rolled all the way back to the corner of the desk... well, at least he can finally get back to work now. He picks up the tiny screw with care, gently blowing the dust (...is there dust??) off of it before standing back up

... while under the desk...

He bangs his head on the bottom of it, hissing out a tragic FUCK as the entire counter of parts gets jostled again. Another couple of screws roll off the counter, probably. He's gonna fucking lose it down here.]

[ he was like, gonna open his mouth to respond to that but--

there's the mini earthquake. leo jumps a little and in a strange twist of fate, manages to lay his hand flat over the one screw he's messing with.... it's saved.

half of them, however, are not. ]

Woah! [ !!! leo's squinting at the floor now-- ] Even if you didn't knock the numbers out of you with that, there's no way you can answer the question now, wahaha! Byebye, whatever length, width, height and head-shoulders-knees-and-toes type those ones were!

[ and then leo knocks on the counter a little, as if he's knocking on the a door to a room he's heard a particularly loud sound from. ]

You okay? That sounded like it hurt!

Edited 2020-09-30 22:27 (UTC)

[OPEN] Ha? You think I'll apologize?

Merlaut Apartments | "Repairs"

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