[OPEN] we're the first ones to starve, we're the first ones to die

[disgracedvoid]

Characters: Darkleer and YOU.
Setting: Workshop like he's ever in any other floor, sob
Format: I'll start with action, but I'll match you.
Summary: STRONG troll attempts to take on the cold. The cold wins this round.
Warnings: Darkleer being a god tier passive aggressive bitch, since he's in a foul mood. Exploding things. A troll that will snap your spine like breadsticks if you piss him off.

[The first rule of making anything is choosing the right materials for the task. The problem here is that the right materials for the task are busy shattering because it's cold and they can't really withstand Darkleer's casual strength. That's new. Though he's got the theoretical knowledge for why this is happening, it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

So by the third time the frame of this heater-to-be breaks, Darkleer is seriously considering punching something. Or someone.

That and he's growling. Never a good thing when the dignified, snotty asshole troll is growling in the back of his throat. It only heralds impressive amounts of wanton violence.]

Comments

[chainsawn]

[ Once more she doesn't really hesitate before approaching. Or well, instead of approaching it's more like 'watching from a distance' for a good while until she actually speaks up, as if she didn't want to interrupt him any earlier. Instead she's waiting until it breaks and he has nothing to do for a moment - since clearly talking to him growling like that is a good idea. Clearly. ]

.. It's mean. That it's not working along, that is.. [ Yes, she's really calling the material mean. And she seems serious about it, she's not even joking - her expression is the same blank one as always. ]

[disgracedvoid]

[He takes a moment to stare at her after that comment, head tilted slightly to the side. Then he snorts and hums in annoyance, fingers trying to coerce the frame into the right shape without having it shatter again.]

Mean is not the word I'd choose.

[chainsawn]

What else then? [ Now she dares to take a few steps closer, although keeping a safe distance. It's probably not as much about his attitude as what he's working on though, she doesn't want to accidentally get his by something if it'd fly away from the shattering. ]

... 'Rude', maybe?

[disgracedvoid]

No.

[He takes a moment to measure the size of the frame, scowling a little and then going back to try and salvage this attempt.]

I would prefer useless or inadequate. At least those do not imply a will purposely going against mine.

[chainsawn]

[ Wait, so there isn't anything going against him? But why would the material not cooperate then, what's different from usual..

.. oh, she finally seems to get it. ]

Do you need something warm? [ That must be it, right? She raises her hand, and out of nowhere a lantern seems to appear in it - she holds it up to him. ] It's not much, but.. I have this..

[disgracedvoid]

[Oh. Well. That's a useful skill. Darkleer tilts his head to the side.]

Ah. I'm afraid that might not be enough for what I'm doing right now.

[There's a pause.]

I appreciate the effort, however.

[chainsawn]

[ There's a small nod, and the lantern disappears again. ]

Sorry. I don't think I can get anything more warm than that. [ She has a whole lot of other things, but none of them can heat, after all. ]

[disgracedvoid]

It's alright.

[He inclines his head slightly, acknowledging her words.]

I'm working on something to help with that.

[chainsawn]

[ She stares at what he's working on. So he's making something that can make people warm for sure, just like that? It's sort of amazing.. ]

.. They must've not counted on someone smart like you being around. [ The people in charge of the tower, that is. ]

[disgracedvoid]

[Darkleer's lips twitch just a little.]

I'm still not certain what exactly they have counted on

[chainsawn]

[ She curiously looks up at him. ]

Aren't you glad that you can do something..?

[disgracedvoid]

I am.

[He frowns slightly.]

But I am currently much more concerned with what I don't understand about this place. And those things I cannot do anything about.

[You don't understand how much things that don't make sense bug him. It's like an itch he can't scratch.]

[chainsawn]

[ She really doesn't understand. Or know. Which is why - for now, apparently - she settles down on the ground as if she's ready to listen to him. ]

Like what things? Maybe there's something I do understand..

[disgracedvoid]

[He's quiet for a moment, watching her sit down before he turns back to work, almost as if he's gathering his thoughts.]

I dislike the nonsensical nature of this place. Games of perceptions and the bending of what should be natural law. Even if you call it magic, magic still has laws.

[He's just OCD and things that don't fall into a precise, perfect order make him twitchy in a bad way.]

[chainsawn]

[ It's indeed some sort of fear or annoyance that Urotsuki can't understand at all. Her dreams are full of things that don't make sense, but they never bothered her.. and so this place doesn't bother her either - at least not in that sense. But even so, it seems she's at least trying to understand it. ]

And this place isn't following those laws..?

[disgracedvoid]

More than a few floors defy reason.

[And by defy reason he means they take the laws of physics and put them through a meat grinder.]

[chainsawn]

Ah, I think I get it.. You mean they're 'not normal', right?

[ This is what Urotsuki learned in the tower, mostly. That other people's definition of 'normal' is a lot different than hers, which is why she says it so awkwardly. ]

[disgracedvoid]

Yes and no.

[Oh goddammit, there goes another base dented. Grrrrrrrrr. Today is not a good day for science.]

[chainsawn]

[ There's a very faint wince at the sound of it getting dented. ]

Things can be normal and not normal at the same time..?

[disgracedvoid]

Any attempt to codify something as "normal" implies a certain baseline. You had a baseline, in whatever world you came from. I had one, in my own. Things that differ from such baselines appear as "abnormal" to us, but might, in fact, be normal under the definitions of a different baseline.

[He sighs.]

Logically, there should be such a baseline for this world as well.

[Except this is animus and the only normal thing in animus is suffering and how nothing is ever normal. And well, everyone hating Jason, but that's more of a universal constant than a baseline for normalcy.]

[chainsawn]

[ Oh, wait, now this is something she actually understands! Far better than any other explanation anyone else has given her on what's weird or not.. so she quickly nods, apparently pretty interested despite being as blank as ever. ]

So it's about finding that.. baseline, right? Finding what's normal for this world's standards.. I get it.

[disgracedvoid]

[Darkleer is good at explaining things. When he's not being passive aggressive and implying you're an idiot, that is.]

In theory, yes. In practice... well.

[chainsawn]

I don't think it's that difficult.. Normal things are things that show up a lot. [ Or so someone else told her, so she nods. ] So.. whatever shows up a lot here, that's what is normal.

[disgracedvoid]

The word you're looking for is consistency. It is not enough that something "shows up a lot", but also that the circumstances around it are the same.

[chainsawn]

So I need to look for things that are consistent..? [ .. Hmm.. ] It might be a little difficult, but.. I can try.

After all.. it's important to find this out, right?