Can we celebrate the end?

[methodofmadness]

Who: Christopher Chaos and you!
Where: The Deck and Library mostly, but he wanders
What: Christopher is unveiling some new projects and trying to be a little more quiet about them so as not to 'upset' people, or rather have anyone upset him.
When: First bit of September
Warnings: None at the moment.


Library

Christopher seems to be setting something up in the library near the end of one of the media section stacks. It looks different than the last machine that he made for the Wardrobe, a sort of kiosk that had a set of headphones attached to it, a thick glass tube of blue energy passing back and forth from ear to ear above the headstrap. It isn't plugged in, it sort of just exists and is energized some how, some cables coming out the back and going...somewhere.

He is keeping mostly to himself, is working quietly and respectfully of the library space, but if you come up to him and ask him what he's doing he will tell you.

A good hour of fiddling, and he stands back after gently setting the gold phenolic into place, proudly announcing the machine as The Perfect Vibe Machine. He seems rather proud of it, taking a picture with his communicator before running a few 'test' runs.

When it decides what Christopher's current vibe is, it prints out a little slip of paper that informs him where to find the album it has suggested would pair perfectly with who he is and what he is feeling right now, but you can also just listen to it on the headphones if you'd prefer not to borrow the music.

Enclosure - Closed for Germaryah

They were so close to being done, and he thinks that while this has taken him longer than most projects he's worked on, it has been rather nice working with someone else. Even better that he got to build it with his boyfriend.

He tightens some of the last few screws, glancing over at Cooper as he polishes the clear, flexible panels and glittering gold and chrome metal parts. The clockwork, mad twisting glass tubes and rainbow cables all under the 'skin' panels of their horse glow with a warm blue light and he smiles at the other boy, putting his screwdriver down.

"Did you pick out a name yet, Cooper?"

Deck

Biscuit is a mechanical Shire Horse, a gentle giant that's beauty is clear in the complex and yet sleek design of his form. He is 17-2 hands, though his body is far more light weight, closer to 500 pounds than the 1500 he easily could be if he was made of flesh and bones. Parts of him are completely see-through while others are gold and chrome, and a warm blue glow seems to emanate from within him.

He roams the Deck, trying to make friends with the existing robotic horses that inspired his creation. He is free for rides if you ask politely, and he likes to run with the dogs and residents that are exercising on the deck. He will happily pull things for you if you present him with a load, and takes naps in the deck gardens, finding a place to lay down that won't be so in the way near the Koi Pond.

When Germaryah or Christopher are on the deck though, he gives them his full attention. They're his creators after all, and powered by Aether, this robot knows very well how to love.

Comments

horse

[darlingcalling]

That's a big horse.

That's...wow.

Darling just stares at the massive horse for a moment, eyes connecting with what he sees before he realizes oh! That must be the horse that Christopher and Coop were working on! Ger mentioned that they were working on a horse, this must be it. So, Darling ditches the horse for a moment and instead wanders around the deck until he spots Christopher.

Giving the kid a little wave, Darling can't help but point out, "That's a remarkably impressive horse. I'm a city boy so this is going to be a completely stupid question, but are they normally that big?" It's not Darling judging or accusing, he's simply curious: how big is a horse anyway?

Re: horse

[methodofmadness]

He doesn't have to look far, Biscuit is very much into being in Christopher's space, though Chris is easily lost between the shire horse's big, sturdy form.

Chris seems to be in a good enough mood, even if he's been struggling lately, and waves back at Darling. "Shire horses can actually be bigger than that, but I think he's perfect. You're supposed to measure them weird, from their shoulders? But there's a special word for it." He doesn't care that much, but it is something he learned in the design phase.

Cooper said the robot horses on deck were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, so Christopher wanted to impress him with something even more grand. Biscuit trots close and seems rather interested in Darling, his big head nosing at him for pets.

Re: horse

[darlingcalling]

You can't really ruffle the fur of something that doesn't have fur. Darling instead reaches over and pats the horse on it's flank. He's obviously impressed—this is a very good horse.

"I'm curious how you managed to replicate horse behavior. Building the frame would be easy enough, but there's a level of autonomy here compared to your average robot."

Re: horse

[methodofmadness]

Christopher reaches up to pet Biscuit's nose as he is still being insistent. His head is huge and Christopher's hand is barely big enough to cover his nose.

"The last robot I built was meant to take my place when I was grounded. I built him in 2 hours... and he fooled my mom." Granted, his mom is an over-worked single mother, but? Still.

"I had months to work on programming this one. Cooper can't work as fast, and I had to change some of my initial design so he could look at it... I've never spent this much time on a project, but the quality is there." Biscuit huffs even though he doesnt need to breathe and bounces from hoof to hoof at the compliment.

Library

[weaponuser]

Cheradenine comes over when he sees Christopher setting the thing up. "Is that the music recommendation device? Oh, and I did fill a room with gongs in the Enclosure. It was very cool."

Re: Library

[methodofmadness]

"It is." He is in the middle of connecting a cable to...the rack at the start of the music section. A little odd that it has a plug straight into the wood, but how on earth would it automatically update its database otherwise?

"I think if you calibrated them right, you could use gongs as weapons. Get the frequency to shatter glass or bone... that would also be cool."

Re: Library

[weaponuser]

"I've used stranger things as weapons," he says, "and they did resonate inside me."

Re: Library

[methodofmadness]

That getd his attention, standing from behind the machine and peaking up at Cheradenine.

"What sort of strange things?"

The Deck

[madaboutit]

Sweeney stands at the railing, rubbing his temple as the foreign stars twinkle. It feels like an apt metaphor. Potential. Birth. Fire. Distance. And the empty void that makes it feel like they're still, even as the ship speeds through the universe.

With a sigh, the last of the smoke escapes into the Nothing, and he flicks the remnants of his cigarette after it. Sweeney rakes his hair back, trying to bring himself back to the present, when he hears something strange. He turns to look.

Whatever he'd expected, it wasn't a giant-ass metal horse. The juxtaposition puts deep lines of confusion on his face, but it passes, and the hint of a smile replaces it. Sweeney likes horses. A lot. Enough that he'd invented horse-racing, in another life.

He steps closer, but doesn't cut to it directly, which gives him time to catch sight of the man in its company. OH.

"Hey." Sweeney bounces his chin in greeting.

Re: The Deck

[methodofmadness]

Biscuit had been trotting in tight circles around Christopher who had been attempting to fix something on his strange mane, laughing softly as he tries to get the artificial creature to stand still. It acts much like a new born with the sort of silly, chaotic energy a foal might with the body of a fully grown horse.

Christopher is tiny in comparison, the head of his artificial friend reaching well into the seven foot range and they both notice Sweeney and his greeting at the same time.

He gives a little wave, other hand still on his front leg, "Hello!" He's quiet, but seems in a good enough mood.

"Do you know how to braid? You're taller and he doesn't want to sit still."

Re: The Deck

[madaboutit]

"I do," he confirms with a nod, stepping closer. "An' I have worked on manes, many times."

Even though the animal is clearly mechanical, it doesn't stop Sweeney from treating it like a real horse, offering his hand to smell, before he dares to touch its long neck.

"Where'd ya get him." He knows better than to assume.

Re: The Deck

[methodofmadness]

"I'll watch," So he can learn. Though he'd need to probably sit on Germaryah's shoulders if he wanted to try, or sit on the horse's back.

Biscuit scuffs a hoof on the deck, snorting before he sniffs at Sweeney's hand, pressing his nose into it to get some pets. Born of Aether, he doesn't have the same sight as Christopher, but life can recognize like that Sweeney isn't human, and he finds comfort in that.

"I created him. Cooper helped...he was a very good assistant."

Library

[thegreatleviathan]

"What is a vibe?" he wonders. "Germaryah uses that word, too."

He had been looking for Christopher, but that doesn't mean that he's going to jump straight into what he wants.

Re: Library

[methodofmadness]

They don't even say hello and Christopher likes that. He smiles up at Zivosky, "Jordi taught it to me. It's sort of... a flow? You have how you're feeling, and how you interpret your surroundings, and who you're with and that builds a sort of...complex and specific mood or emotion."

He points at the machine and says, "when I build, I usually have a specific vibe and it helped me calibrate my machine."

Head tilt, "would you like to hear music to fit my vibe?"

Re: Library

[thegreatleviathan]

"Yes."

He would like to know what that process is. What sort of music fits any vibe? What sort of music would fit his vibe?

He's intrigued, as he always is, by Christopher's inventions.

Re: Library

[methodofmadness]

Christopher rounds the machine and stands in front of it, putting the headphones over his head and focusing. It, at times, has become easier focusing his Aether, calling upon it, and here? When he's in his zone of creation?

It comes easily, eyes lightening up and sparking. The blue tube between the two speakers is creating an alternating current that zips back and forth inside of it.

And when the machine prints out a piece of paper, be slips off the headphones and carefully, and with some difficulty, places them on Ziv's head.

a song, live music plays as if Zivosky was there in the studio, and Christopher waits to see what he thinks.

[astraymoon]

"I thought about it." He considered, even as he was looking over the large robot horse, and was going over a few of the loose screws, checking on the way the limbs were extending and flexing.

"And I thought about it a lot. I thought of something like 'Horse' or 'Honey butter' or something they do with racehorses...but I decided with something I like and is good and familiar."

He paused, smiling over at Christopher in hopes he'd get antsy at the pause.

[methodofmadness]

"Yeah?" He has been getting practice multitasking, and Cooper gets more of his attention even while he finishes tightening the last few screws.

Soon they could energize him, let him spring to life, and he was so excited to share that with Cooper.

[astraymoon]

He thought he could smell the aether, the ozone just about there. But it seemed that the teasing tactic wasn't going to work.

"So, I decided to go with Biscuit. I make them, and biscuits make me think of warm, happy things. And this is a warm, happy thing."

He patted the robotic horse fondly. "So. Biscuit. Is that...Christopher approved?"

Library

[degeneratefreak]

The Eleven works in the library and so he supervises (lurks) while Christopher is setting up his device. Sustained silence isn't easy for him, so various of his selves murmur quietly and comment throughout, sometimes observations about the device and sometimes complete nonsequiturs as his different minds jump in different directions.

After Christopher steps back, takes a picture, runs his tests, the Eleven asks, "Is it finished?"

Re: Library

[methodofmadness]

Christopher jumps, having been very much in the zone, but smiles wide at The Eleven now that he realizes he is there.

"Yes! It is. Would you like to try it? Also once you are done, I have a question for you." He rocks on his heels, anxiously excited.

[degeneratefreak]

Each of his selves have a very strong idea on how he should dress, but music is a bit more flexible. They each have preferences, but significantly more overlap.

"Is the question a customer satisfaction survey?" he says as he approaches the kiosk.

Deck

[diabolicaladonis]

Dilandau's in a wretched mood, even for him. A couple of deep punctures to the soft tissue of a joint make it impossible to forget where they came from. Every movement is stiff and pain radiates. It's not very serious, but it's persistent, and messy, and he pokes at it entirely too often. It's too tender to mess with the way he does his face, but his interference isn't helping. He's still limping.

But a big, pretty, mechanized creature? That's one of the few interests he's ever been allowed to have. He could really use a distraction from how ill-used he's feeling. Without stopping to think about who's most likely to have left a big, impressive robot on deck, he approaches Biscuit with an almost normal expression of... Well, it's not childlike wonder, but it is enthusiasm. "Look at you." He doesn't expect an answer. It's the chatter you'd point at any impressive construction, like calling a boat "she."

Re: Deck

[methodofmadness]

Biscuit and Christopher might be creation and creator, but the horse isn't linked to him, it has it's own feelings and moods, and as a gentle creature, it sees that wonder and enthusiasm and stands proudly, raising his head high and huffing.

Look at him! See how beautiful he is!

He closes the distance with no fear, lowering his head to be in reach to a gentle hand, those Aether blue eyes calm and ready to be loved.

[diabolicaladonis]

He's had a lot of little shocks of pleasant feeling lately, too, intense and disorienting and hard for him to even recognize as... good. But the handsome creature who is something between an automaton and a melef--no pilot, certainly, but far too elegant to be only a serviceable machine--is paying attention to him! Happily! He is special and distinguished and it's not terrible? He actually smiles, a small but honest smile as he reaches up to touch.