R1 DEADLAND

[lockdownmods]

[it’s strange, for the people who were already dead, the shift in scenery is sudden and complete. For those who have just arrived? It’s like you’re back where you left?

How strange.

But if you ever need her, you can always reach out to the guardian of this place.]

LOCATIONS
Note: locations lag a week behind the living counterparts

Comments

[preconstruction]

[ you'd have to tell that to someone who hadn't ruined all his cr (that can hack!!!!) in the middle of a public fight. he's going to just try and do it, and if he gets deleted in the process thats just what'll have to happen. ]

[preconstruction]

I'd like to hear them all the same.

[donotlick]

[ Hank blushes. Whatever, they're here now, and Hank will go ahead and grab a guitar. ]

Alright, grab a chair and let's see...

[ Hank also pulls up a chair and sits down. Shit, all he knows are cheesy love songs that he learned in college to impress his dates. ]

Do you know any Beatles songs?

[preconstruction]

[ connor shakes his head. ]

I might if I were at home, but my database information is somewhat irregular here.

[donotlick]

Cool. If you don't know it, then you won't be able to tell I'm shit.

[ Hank smiles, adjusting his grip on the guitar. ]

Anyway, uh... don't... you don't have to stare at me the whole time I'm doing this, but I guess I'll start.

[ He's gonna play (and sing) "Hey Jude" because of course he is. ]

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better...

[foo_bar]

[the program doesn't get to delete him-- in fact, it pretty aggressively focuses on whatever it's doing to Han. that gives him the opening he needs to try and quarantine it.

His code will function, but it's obvious that it will be unstable, compared to the other students.]

[preconstruction]

[ it's taking a lot of his processing power to do this - but at least the instabilities they can deal with together. as long as he's functional, the two of them can do anything. han is a great computer science mind and connor is the most advanced prototype cyberlife has ever created.

the instabilities will get worked out in no time. ]

Hey, it's me.

[ he sounds tired, but, like, obviously, he just did something ridiculously difficult. ]

Are you still functioning?

[preconstruction]

[ he's going to stare at him the whole damn time. ]

[foo_bar]

[he's not glitching anymore, but he does look a little stunned.

what... just happened?

He glitches for a moment, but he's not frozen. But then his hand goes to his chest, and the other to his stomach, and he looks down in a panic, looking for blood]

Wh--

[he needs a moment to process what this means]

[foo_bar]

[glitchy guy is fixed but still glitchy!

WELP.]

... hello!

[preconstruction]

[ connor is still holding his hand though. and unlike the other times he's interfaced with someone, there's a light blue glow now. (that's how you know it's romantic, i don't make the rules.) he smiles, sending warmth and reassurance and love through their connection. ]

Looks like you finally get to know what it's like to interface.

[donotlick]

[ Fucking loser, omg. Of course Hank starts out a little self-conscious, but by the time he makes it to the refrain he's completely immersed in the song.

Once he makes it to the "nah nah nahs" he starts to dim it down a bit. It's a little awkward with a crowd of one, and it's not like Hank is keeping count for how many times he has to repeat that. ]

Uh, that's how it ends. You get it.

[preconstruction]

[ connor is beaming. he's so happy, listening to it. especially because hank did it for him. ]

That was really lovely, Hank.

[foo_bar]

[it's good, because once his code starts processing, there's resignation and residual pain. So, feeling Connor's warmth and-- and his love... is probably the best thing Han could have had in this moment. It helps him set aside what he'd been feeling right at the minute of his death.

And he smiles back, even as he glitches again.]

... Hey.

[starswink]

[Yoosung just nods at that. He's not really sure what he would be gunning for either, but even he understands that he shouldn't do that lightly. There has to be some benefit to being AI. So he'll just listen now with some interest.]

Wow, in that case I should really ask him what smartphones are like in the future...

[Maybe he can get ahead of the curve! He keeps up with tech but only as much as he can afford as a student. ... and then he remembers that none of that matters because he is an AI and they are trapped in a computer with no particular end in sight, and he sinks into his burger again.

He should get off this topic. Any topic would be fine. How about the seance? They shared a table at the ouija board for like two minutes... well, maybe they should just talk about the living in general.]

So... How do you think they're all holding up after that seance? I feel kinda bad that I made Mitarai cry...

[Even though Mitarai made him cry first, so maybe he owed him a tiny bit?? ...Still, Yoosung really thought using his own dramatic line against him would make him believe in their authenticity. But he barely knows the guy, so the result was pretty unexpected. It makes him think that maybe - to better serve them as a guild - he ought to be figuring out what the people he doesn't know were like.]

I don't really know much about everyone, to guess at how they're doing and all. We mostly just told them how we were doing.

[of course he means the group as a whole, he can guess a little better about the entrance exam vets but otherwise it's all a gray area.]

[lockdownmods]

[There is in fact a photo of his face on the corner by his name.]

[lockdownmods]

[It has his name, his photo and also "Robotics Specialist" written on it.

...there's also some kind of barcode at the bottom.]

[starswink]

[The kind that you scan, or something else?]

[starswink]

[wow!!! he did a good job!!!!

this is still a lot to process but maybe he will feel proud later or something]

[lockdownmods]

[Yep. It has some use but what that is isn't clear.]

[starswink]

[Anything around here that looks like it could obviously use it, or is this a clue... for later]

[lockdownmods]

[Nothing around here, nope! So it might be worth hanging on to.]

[starswink]

[well all right Scotty you can just be Official Guild Treasure for now then.

Is that it for the office files?]

[donotlick]

[ It almost hurts his face to smile this big, but he's also beet red, Hank can't help it. He blushes blotchy and up to his ears -- how could he not, when Connor's smiling like that? ]

Yeah, uh... thanks. It's a really easy song, so trust me, it's not real impressive.

[donotlick]

They're made of glass, actually. I mean, they're transparent -- most of the wires and stuff are all on the sides now.

[ Hank shrugs. He almost missed the smartphone craze so he's not as obsessed as some of the people in his generation are. But yeah, it beats thinking about being inside a computer. ]

Hah. Mitarai's a fucking nerd, that kid could use the tears, I'll bet.

[ Uh, Mitarai looks up to Hank? So that's? Yeah, that's a thing. ]

You know, I actually thought he might've been the one to kill you? I pressed him hard, gave him the nice cop treatment and got him to say some pretty bad shit about you. That kid's got a huge fucking superiority complex, I'm surprised he's made it this far.