expiationlogs | (no subject)

[ By others' measure, the progress Beta has made toward leaving her room would likely be considered glacial. Aside from her planned trip with Aloy and getting hot chocolate with A2, she's stayed cooped up otherwise. But the problem is, she really wants to see the actual library. She passed her time with the books available on her tablet, but...paper books were a media form lost to time, even before the Faro Plague. A world moving onto to holograms and neural implants had no need of them. What would it be like to hold one? Feel the roughness of such a primitive but evolutionary form of information sharing?

Her curiosity is strong enough she finds herself waiting for Zekarion outside the inn. She's simultaneously hard to miss and easy to overlook-- Beta is a small, shrinking figure, huddled against the exterior wall of the inn like she's trying to disappear. But her clothes make her stand out, a truly awful flash of colors and patterns, like a child allowed to dress themselves for the first time.

She clutches her tablet to her chest like a life-line, looking ready to bolt any moment if she doesn't spot him soon. ]

[ Is A2 prepared to be seen with a fashion disaster--

Huddling against the wall of the inn, Beta is trying to avoid too much notice as she waits for A2. Normally, it's not so busy around this area, mostly the Chosen making their way through the streets. She seems to have caught the area at an unusually busy time, and it's...it's not going well. There were so many people, more than she could have even imagined in one place at one time.

She's just about trying to sink back into the building itself when she spots A2 and the growing look of panic on her face fades into relief. She waves, a little frantic. SAVE HER. ]

[The message from the isolated girl draws him out from his own solitary endeavors, after his attempts at pretending to invest himself in the lighthearted holiday failed to distract him from the previous month's events and instead drove him to... things "Altius" certainly couldn't be seen doing. But no matter what he's dealing with, he has obligations, and he's made promises, and in these things he's a man of his word.

So he arrives at the Inn like nothing is the matter. He's been here a number of times, so it's a familiar walk and he examines the familiar sights along the way. He spots her easily enough; already knowing her general appearance thanks to the network and meeting Aloy previously helps him recognize her on sight.

The way she's trying to fold into herself reminds him of himself, when he was younger, though he'd done it for different reasons. Even as a teenager he felt like he took up too much space, and his stature can come off as intimidating even now, which is why he works so hard these days to maintain his level-headed and friendly facade.

One hand in his pocket casually, he approaches with a wave.]

Beta, [he greets her with a faint smile and without hesitation.] It's good to finally meet you in person.

[Others might think of her outfit choice as childish, and maybe he'd even agree with that—but he can't help but think of it in an endearing way. From everything she's said on the network about herself, he considers it somewhat brave.]

I hope you haven't been waiting long.

[ Beta's head pops up, a visible sense of relief on her face. It feels less like everyone is pressing in on her with someone to focus on. ]

That's me, h-hello.

[ Her gaze doesn't quite meet his, her eyes focused just below and to the side. Both Beta's smile and her voice are nervous, though it doesn't seem to be because of him in particular. ]

I haven't, it's alright. I appreciate you coming out to do this. It's very kind of you.

[Altius keeps his attention on her, noting the little indirect cues of her expression and body language. If she feels better for not having to look straight at him, who is he to question it? He is here, after all, to act as a buffer of sorts.]

Of course. I'm glad to help.

[Even outside of his usual offered platitudes of togetherness and making things better for each other, the simple truth is that he likes staying busy; it gives him less time to think about himself. He turns halfway with a gesture of his arm, indicating the direction of their destination.]

If you're ready, we can go ahead and make our way to the library.

[A2, who in the future will have a wardrobe consisting entirely of black and a lot of leather, has no strong opinions on fashion disasters. Not yet, anyway. Beta is spared.

She stands out among the crowd even not accounting for her damaged state, a dark shape moving confidently among the throngs of people, for all that she feels out of place and uneasy around so many people too.

Her hand raises in greeting as she approaches Beta, with Pod following dutifully behind.] Hey. [... She looks around.] We should go inside. C'mon.

[Like she'd seen Heimerdinger do the first time she'd visited this place, she holds the door open for Beta, slipping in behind her. Immediately, the sound from outside fades to a dull rumble. Inside has clusters of humans and some individuals sitting by herself, but overall the environment is more quiet, comfortable.]

I'm ready!

[ nervous or not, she's more excited than she's been in a while. she'll toddle along right beside him as they start on their way. ]

I know it's a simulation of them, but seeing paper books for the first time... It's such an ancient form.

[Adorable. He smiles at her as they move.]

Well, I promise the simulation is practically the same as the real thing to our senses. The smell of so many old books is really something unique, I've always thought. It's all been digital for you?

Yes. I spent the majority of my training in a simulation similar to this, in that it was an education program, not a city. Most physical media has been lost to time, due to the fragile nature of it.

[ when anyone walks by too close, she can't help but edge closer to him. no one is making any sort of move toward her, but still. ]

[ After taking a moment to give Pod a patpat in greeting, Beta follows her in, tucked in a little behind her. They're the same height, essentially, but Beta still somehow manages to appear smaller. This is her bodyguard android, okay.

The quiet atmosphere eases her anxiety a little, her shoulders coming down from around her ears as she takes a breath. ]

Oh, good...I was worried it'd be really busy. You really come here every day?

[He's nearly tempted to put a hand on her shoulder, but decides against it; he'll simply lean a little her way whenever she seems particularly anxious about the passersby. If nothing else, he does make a very good, tall shield whose stature all but guarantees that strangers will give him space.]

Fascinating. In my time, digital formats are still quite volatile—we simply haven't had the time with most of them to know if they can last hundreds of years the way a decently maintained book can.

How "ancient" are they for you?

Mm.

[Beta is close behind her, and A2's overall intimidating aura means that people give them space. It's a good arrangement.

They wait in line patiently. A2's eyes flick up to the menu, though she knows it well enough by now.]

Yeah. It's not bad. [...] There's a big window I sit by.

That'd be nice! We can look outside.

[ but when she turns to look at it, the menu board is immediately overwhelming. that....was more drinks than she knew existed. even when she spots the hot chocolate, there are sizes, and toppings, and add-ons...

she's used to water, to Zo's simple juices. it should be such a small thing, and yet. ]

Oh, this...there's so much...

Over a thousand years. They were falling out of use even before the Faro Plague.

[ she says it like she ecpevts him to already know what she's talking about, an unfortunate byproduct of most of her conversations since freedom being with people who did. ]

It's 3041, currently.

[Luckily for her, he's gotten the gist of what that might be through his network ~~stalking~~ trawling: some sort of disaster that caused a biosphere collapse, leaving war machines behind.]

Hmm... twenty years or so, [he remarks to himself. Could a more steady digital format be created in that time in his world? It doesn't sound impossible, but phasing out paper books so quickly...

Well! With any luck, everything will be long gone by then. He continues like his thoughts haven't just skimmed over the fact that he intends to cause a plague of his own.]

I'd just reached 2015 when I arrived here, myself. Aldrip must seem remarkably primitive for you in general.

Hm?

[A2 looks over her shoulder, puzzled. The idea of choosing anything besides hot chocolate had not yet occurred to her.] Oh. Yeah. Hmm... [She frowns, thoughtful.]

What sounds good to you?

The hot chocolate, but you can put stuff on it? There's so many choices.

[ Beta gestures at the board. ]

Do you know what whipped cream is? It would be... Some kind of milk product?

Oh. Hm.

[A2 crosses her arms...] I don't usually try the... other stuff. [What's that? Does she seem a little sheepish, maybe?

Of course not.] And yeah. I've had that. It's... sweet. Not as sweet as the hot chocolate. And a little cold. You can't chew it. It melts too quickly.

What if we try it on the hot chocolate?

[ she asks it with the excitement of someone who's just discovered something mindblowing and not literally listed on the board ]

[Turning her head and putting a fist to her mouth to hide an amused expression, A2 nods, by all appearance as serious as she always was.]

Yeah. That's how it's usually served. It melts a little from the heat of the hot chocolate, which is... nice.

[It's said as if she's only just realizing such a thing — that things could be nice and not serve a purpose outside of that. Enjoyment. What a concept.] Is that what you want to try? [...] I can order, if...

[If Beta is too nervous, is the implication.]

No, no, I can do it!

[ she can!! she's got this!!! ]

Maybe we can just... practice first, though.

It is! The simulation itself is clearly advanced, but within it... They could have done a lot more.

[ Given the chance, she just sounds like an aggrieved teenage girl for a moment. She's absolutely whining. ]

My Focus can't interface with nearly anything.

[Altius only smiles a little—she's acting like a teenager should, learning and whinging about the woes of the world. Even if this particular world is far from something worth laughing over...]

I don't disagree. I find myself lamenting the lack of vehicles, occasionally.

[Horse carriages are fine or whatever, but can he not just have a personal car? Then again, it would probably just end up getting ruined with all the disasters this place apparently goes through.]

I've heard it used to be even less advanced, though, before a sudden change close to a year ago.

It changed?

[ she comes to a stop, suddenly, looking intensely curious. ]

Did something occur around the change? A blackout, or anything like the cracks we saw...? If there was some kind of system upgrade.

[His eyebrows raise as she stops, and he slows his own steps. So that interests her, does it?]

The courthouse building was destroyed, first, and then the memories of the Chosen were replaced with another life entirely. I'm not sure of the exact details, admittedly—but after that, Aldrip as it stands now came into being, and people's memories were restored.

[Though the latter process was apparently slower for some than others, from his research.]

I recall reading that there was some reference to an "environmental reset" around that time.

Thank you, that's useful to know!

[ at the very least, it means someone is monitoring the entire system at some level they can't see. she'll have to tell Aloy. ]

Although it's worrying. If they could affect our memories like that...

[ The Zeniths could do a lot, but they couldn't rewrite her memory. That took a level of control even they couldn't pull off. ]

I don't like it.

[He lets out a hum of agreement; he doesn't like it either. A bit grim, but he tries to take more of a strategic slant than one focusing on the misery of their predicament.]

Even if I hadn't read about that, it would have been clear enough they had access to our experiences in some way... given that mixed dream experience.

[Something he very much did not enjoy. Was it only luck he didn't expose his true nature, or was it by design, and they're merely toying with him? There's a twitch in his brow before he continues evenly.]

At the very least, I don't think it would serve their stated purpose to try to meddle with our memories permanently.

[An amused little huff at this. A2 nods — if Beta wanted to practice, she'd help with it.]

Alright. We can start whenever you're ready.

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closed: zekarion

closed: a2

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apparently my tag didn't go through, feel free to drop if its been too long!

no worries! dang website :T

i'm just grateful we haven't had notifs die for a while /knocks on wood

crossing my fingers...

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