23rd Fix

[technohippie]

[Quinn hasn't been himself lately. The fallout event was rough on him, and he keeps losing friends lately. Finding April droned - seemingly for good - really stung. He seems to drift into space a lot, but if you ask him if anything is wrong, he gives you his usual grin and says he's totally cool. He spends a lot of time mindlessly playing video games in his garage.

And look! Something has come in the mail for Quinn Hatch today. Curious as to what they could be sending him, he's excited to open it. Mayfield has returned a lot cool stuff to him, but instead what does he find? A case of cigarettes. To the guy who's trying to quit. And has been failing miserably.

Well, Mayfield has won this battle. Anyone living in or passing by 339 Brady Lane today will find Quinn sitting on the porch steps, a box of Newports lying next to him, and a cigarette popped in his mouth. The nicotine doesn't seem to be helping much though. He looks a bit miserable. No sense covering it up now, he figures.]

--

[Phone call filtered from drones:]

Um. Hey guys. Hope you're all doin' better. I just wanted to let y'all know that April Sinclair seems to be droned for good. So, uh, if ya know her and see her, don't be too shocked. Sorry to drop bad news, but...

[Feeling awkward, Quinn just hangs up.]

Comments

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

[His initial response was to hide the cigarette, but he takes it out of his mouth, looks at it, and then pops it back in. No sense covering it.]

Hey there darlin'. Ah, well, ya know. Mayfield bein' Mayfield and all that. I'm still kickin'. How're you holding up?

[photonicfighter]

Here I thought you were supposed to be quitting.

[She only meant to tease him a little, saying it. Her eyes were sad, even as she smiled.]

I'm as well as can be expected. Mayfield, and all. I think we're all entitled to a little vice, after.... that last thing.

Is it okay if I sit?

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was before nuclear fallout, 'n' then my brand from home showin' up in the mail. [He smiles, a bit embarrassed.]

'Course. Plenty of room.

[photonicfighter]

Ohh. They're from home! Are they any better than the ones here? [She was honestly curious about that, and her tone got a little brighter. Ooh, new worlds...

Also, she sits. And spends a few moments settling herself in.]

That strikes me as a very Mayfieldish "get well" present. "Here's the thing you were trying to stop using. Enjoy!" At least you didn't do as badly as Thor did....

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Totally. The ones here're real bland. These kinda taste like heaven right now.

...Thor?

[photonicfighter]

So even the narcotics here are sub-par? [She makes a surprised little sound.] I see.

Have you met Thor? Thor, "son of Odin", really big and tall, has facial hair, kind of over-dramatic, likes punching people in the face? [She waits to see if there's any kind of recognition happening.]

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

[There is recognition, but not in the way Dakki is probably expecting it.]

He's not... He, uh, doesn't claim to be a god, does he?

[photonicfighter]

Oh yes, he does. I'm not sure if it's really the case... but he believes it. It would be rude to contradict him.

[It's as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Next door neighbor a god? Well, okay.]

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Wow. I wonder. I mean, Thor's a god, or was, or... I don't even know, darlin'. He's a literary figure used in books, movies, comics... This place gets overwhelming with stuff like that sometimes.

[photonicfighter]

Ohh. He's from your world, then. Or... a version of it. Of course there would be stories about him! Mythical things have to be based on something, or someone.

What about Loki. You've heard of Loki too, right? ...oh, oh, wait, I'm getting off topic... [She passes a hand over her face, and sighs.]

...Thor received his warhammer. Mjolnir? But it burns his hands if he touches it, and he can't lift it. It's stuck on his doorstep.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess... And yeah, I heard of Loki. Don't tell me he's here too?

Oh wow. Mayfield loves to pull jerk moves like that. Can anyone else move it?

[photonicfighter]

Mmhmm, Loki's here. He's always up to something interesting...

[But back on topic!]

I don't think anyone else can. I haven't tried, but I don't want to. Poor Thor has blisters all over his hands just from touching it. He said he usually had a pair of iron gloves to use when carrying it. Mayfield didn't give him those. And I suppose if he's supposed to be superhumanly strong, Mayfield didn't give him that, either...

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Geez. Unless someone else can move it, is he just gonna have to leave it sit wherever it is in the meanwhile? That's pretty lousy. Guess I won't complain about gettin' a carton of cigarettes now.

[photonicfighter]

Yeah. It's on his front step, now. I think everyone's just going to have to walk around it. [She laughs, and passes a hand over her face as she does. Poor Thor.]

I already received my mail. It wasn't my body. They gave me a box full of medical supplies from home. It's useful, but... [She shrugs.] We get by, right? I'll try not to complain, either.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Stuff like that's always good. And Mayfield's been pretty good to me so far. Got a lot of my favorite electronics back so far. But... you didn't get your body?

[photonicfighter]

We all get beaten up enough around here. High quality medical supplies are welcome. Er...

[She blinks innocently.]

Didn't I already tell you? [And then flicks her eyes upwards, thoughtfully, as she tries to recall.] Oh. Oh, no, I didn't, did I... oh.

I'm a an android. A CAST. Or, I'm supposed to be.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

[He looks surprised, but grins.] Whoa, seriously? You're an android? That's awesome. Wow, guess you been human here for awhile, then. Do ya ever get used to it?

[photonicfighter]

[This was a different reaction than the one she had gotten recently.

This was good! He seemed happy to hear it!]

I'm... not sure that it's awesome. Eheh.... I've been human since I got here, and that was back at the end of summer. It's very different than being a CAST. I'm almost always finding out some new little pesky thing that I hadn't even thought about.

[Then her expression becomes a bit sour.] I don't want to get used to it. I'm so weak, as a human.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, humans got that problem where we're all fleshy 'n' bony. I wonder if they'll ever give ya your actual body back, then. I bet they will. You know Jolt? He was human for a long time, and now he's a 25-foot tall robot again.

[photonicfighter]

Fleshy any bony really isn't the problem... humans are inconsistent! I'm normally very close to humanoid in design, but made out of artificial standardized components. That always react the same way. This body is always a little different, day to day, and I don't have nearly the handle on my emotions that I normally do...

[Oh, she said too much, didn't she? How embarrassing... and ARGH now she was BLUSHING, that burny-faced feeling SUCKED.

Time to move on.]

Jolt? I don't think I've met him. I've... talked to an Aaron Stack. He's very unhappy about being human. I'm also here with my partner, Gat... but he got his body back on his first regain.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

I guess that's the charm of bein' a human. We're wild cards. [He grins.]

Huh, I wonder how he got lucky but they're holdin' out on you? Ah well, stay here long enough, and you'll get it back.

[photonicfighter]

Wild cards... [She laughs, too.] I understand now why you're all so passionate. And I'm not sure if it's bad or if it's good... it just is.

Gat's always been a bit lucky. But I think being human was harder on him than on me. His design is a bit bulkier, and less humanoid. Mine's... almost the same as this [She gestures over herself] superficially.

I'll put up with anything this town throws at me, if it means I get my body back.

[techno-mancer.livejournal.com]

Just so long as ya avoid the post office. I'd hate to see ya with holes in your memory or whatever. Guess ya just gotta hang tight.

[photonicfighter]

I've thought about it... I always end up deciding against it. But I've really thought about it.

...anyway. Enough about that. I came here to see you. And... I have these.

[She reaches one hand behind her, and with a flash of blue light, produces a small metal tin with a wintery pattern printed on it. A bit of waxed paper is sticking out of the corners.]

For you. You sounded like you needed some cheering up.