towerofanimus | Jobs and Promises

Entry tags:

Jobs and Promises

Characters: This nervous blonde man and YOU! Featuring threads addressed specifically for Amelia Jones and Sertoria, plus any others that come up in the near future.
Setting: On August 30th – first floor dorms, the workshop (floor fifteen), the laboratory (floor twenty-seven), and the gym (floor thirty-nine), respectively. Might add more prompts as stuff happens.
Format: Starting action-spam, can match as always!
Summary: Rick got his collar checkup yesterday and is finally awake enough to do all the things he's promised people/jobs/other! Activities include making clothes, doing collar science things, and getting the snot punched out of him by a robot. Also his abilities are fully-functioning, so there is obligatory morning cat patrol.
Warnings: Maybe some violence or minor injury in the gym prompt (I hope not). EDIT: dinosaur vs. shark in the thread with Yotsuba!

First Floor Dorms – Morning Cat Patrol – OPEN

[Finally, after nearly a month of confusion, anguish, and mental silence, Rick awoke feeling refreshed and more or less back to normal. His collar was once again its usual bright blue, his mind was abuzz with the happy voices of the creatures that he'd missed so much--]

[--most prominent of which was Rusty the cat, who was exceptionally anxious about his territory and the fact that it hasn't been scented and patrolled for an insufferable amount of time. This absolutely must be rectified before anything else can be done, and as Rick understands, attempting to placate Rusty when he's on a mission only results in a very persistent distraction, which will keep him from getting anything accomplished regardless. He caves in without argument to the cat's demands.]

[Residents and visitors of the first floor dorms will most likely see the large orange feline roaming the floor and rubbing himself against many surfaces, including the walls, terminals, open doors, legs, and the like.]

Workshop – Shirts with holes in the back – PARTIALLY OPEN (initial meeting with Amelia, after meeting is open)

[Now it was time to catch up on work. First and foremost, Rick needed to keep his promise to Amelia, to take measurements and start making some clothes for her. The idea of her possibly not being human kept cropping up in his thoughts, simultaneously piquing his curiosity and unnerving him to the task at hand. Sure, he'd made simple clothes before, but...how was he supposed to modify those patterns for someone of a different species? Hopefully it would just be a matter of extending and contracting the preexisting template, and not having to scrap it entirely.]

[He arrives early in the afternoon, and will work with Amelia through the afternoon itself. Of course, she was only really needed for measurements; after she leaves, Rick will stick around the workshop to start actually making the clothes requested of him for at least another hour, quietly and diligently working near one of the back tables with a pair of scissors, some makeshift patterns, and a pile of fabric candidates.]

Laboratory (Floor 27) – SCIENCE – OPEN

[Rick was already running a bit later than he wanted to be, so he skipped cleaning the morgue (which he'd already done several times this week) in favor of checking in on the lab and the ongoing research of clear collar fluid. Not that he could even begin to guess what was going on right now—all the equipment and various blurbs of scattered technical writing went completely over his head.]

[He did, however, notice a sink of used beakers, and quite a few pages of notes lying haphazardly throughout the work area. Making sure his hands were thoroughly wrapped in heavyweight cloth, Rick set to work giving the lab a thorough cleaning, transcribing and sorting papers when he came across them. It was a dull but rewarding task which Rick invested himself in fully—so much that he might miss if anyone else were to visit, or if anyone was working around him to begin with.]

Gym (Floor 39) – Training – CLOSED to Sertoria

[And now for the activity that Rick was simultaneously looking forward to the most and also dreading: training with Sertoria.]

[They'd agreed, as a (sort of) apology, that Rick could use some physical and mental conditioning to better deal with the Tower's lovely surprises, and naturally Sertoria had offered this service for him. Given his generally terrible state of being since then, though, Rick was in no position to start this training until today. He made sure to mention this to her whenever he found her during his Tower circuit, and now that the rest of his menial tasks were done, he could invest himself fully without having to worry about exhaustion (or more likely, crippling injury).]

[Rick walks into the gym with a smile, but the hesitation in his gait no doubt lets on that he is very weary of being tested. The pudgy man has never been especially active, and knowing (or in his case, anticipating and greatly overestimating) Sertoria's abilities, being faced with her in some sort of staged combat makes him reasonably apprehensive. Hopefully this will be worth it, for the sake of his well-being and for the time he'll get to spend with his friend.]

[Hopefully.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[For better or worse, it was hard for Yotsuba to grow tired of petting a kitty, especially since she hadn't really seen many animals here that could be petted. So, she would just smile happily as she tried to keep up with the kitty and waited for the elevator door to open.

When it finally did so again, Yotsuba would quickly run out of the elevator before stopping and turning to face 'Orange', waving at him.]

C'mon, Orange, or I'll leave you behind!

[The newly-christened "Orange" trotted after Yotsuba with several eager meows and a confident, vertical tail. He was having his way and he knew it--take that, silly brain-human! First he didn't want him in the aquarium, now they have to go because they can't leave the little human there by herself. Genius! Definitely one of his best plans.]

[Rusty knows what floor they need to be on, so he runs ahead of Yotsuba for the stairs, stopping every so often to make sure that he's not left her behind.]

[Well, technically, they could, but there wouldn't really be anyone watching her for quite some time. Not that she minded. Yotsuba was used to running around by herself most of the time. However, she didn't think the kitty knew where the aquarium was, so while she didn't mind the kitty dashing off ahead of her, it did surprise her. Not that she minded. She just kept on smiling as she chased after him, enjoying the steps and the run.]

Do you know where you're going, Orange?! You're a smart kitty!

[The kitty not only knows where he's going but is also a lot more nimble on the stairs than his human counterpart, and keeps at least half a flight of distance ahead as they run. His tail remains upright like a little white-tipped flag for Yotsuba to follow in case she can't keep up.]

[When they finally reach the aquarium, Rusty will waste no time in dashing inside and investigating the nearest wall of floating water. His eyes are wide circles as he catches sight of movement in the depths. He stands still, transfixed.]

[Thankfully, Yotsuba was a pretty fast kid, so she was never too far behind 'Orange', but his tail did help when she had to slow down in order to avoid tripping.

However, when they finally reached the aquarium, Yotsuba took her sling out of the pouch that was on her sash and loaded it before looking around at the fish and at the spellbound kitty.]

Which one do you want, Orange?

[Rusty seems to have a fix on what seems like a small, pointy-looking fish, fuzzy in the rippling waters. The cat reasons that it's roughly goldfish-sized and ripe for the picking.]

[He sits down in front of the tank and flicks his tail, watching the creature pace and circle in front of him. Eventually he raises a paw and, ever so delicately, pokes it into the water to try and flip it out.]

[Interestingly this does not work--the fish seems to be slightly further away than he originally thought--and only results in the cat getting a very wet leg, which he is quick to hop away and thoroughly lick clean.]

[The fish does not seemed phased by this.]

[...Actually, is it getting closer?]

[Yotsuba watched as the kitty tried to get what seemed like a small, pointy fish, and while she knew that cats didn't like water, she couldn't help but laugh a little at 'Orange' as he hopped back and started to groom, as if to cover up the fact that he had messed up.]

It's okay, Orange! Yotsuba will get it for you! Cats don't like water, so it's okay!

[The fish was probably getting closer. However, Yotsuba didn't notice as she took one step forward and slung her sling, winding it up two times before letting the rock go into the water, aiming it at the fish.]

[The cat tenses as he watches Yotsuba attack the fish, his eyes never leaving the rock as it flies into the water at an alarming speed. Rick never really thought about the child using a weapon, even one so innocuous as a sling. The image of her having to defend herself from a room of monsters briefly pops into his head; it unnerves him greatly and he shoos it out.]

[The rock hurtles through the water a great distance, leaving a trail of bubbles in its wake. It's nearly out of sight when the fish awkwardly jerks sideways--a direct hit! Rick is momentarily impressed.]

[Then he thinks about it for a bit. That fish must look a lot further away than they thought...and the fact that he could barely see the rock anymore, in comparison to the target...hmm.]

[Oh dear.]

[Whatever the creature is, it's found out where the rock came from and is moving quite quickly in their direction. It is obvious now that it is a lot larger than a goldfish.]

Edited 2013-09-07 21:44 (UTC)

[Well, after Yotsuba had been murdered once, she had learned that she had to learn how to defend herself, since adults couldn't always be there to rescue her from murderers. Sure, a monster had killed her later on, but the sling did help her quite a bit.

Yotsuba happily watched the rock as it went through the water, and when she saw that it had hit the fishy, she laughed a little and reloaded her sling, getting ready to fire another rock at the fish. While Yotsuba wasn't able to make the same connections that Rick was, she did see that the fish was getting closer to them and that it was much larger than they thought.]

Oh! It's a super big fishy! You'll be able to eat a lot, Orange!

[And with that, Yotsuba flung her second rock into the water, trying to hit the fish with it.]

Edited 2013-09-08 00:22 (UTC)

[Another hit! Not as critical as the last one, but the fish is close enough that Rick can see the rock pop it in the...snout, it looks like. And it is close enough that it can definitely see the source, too.]

[A the creature puts on a burst of forward speed, its form becomes apparent: what once looked like a pointy fish is some kind of medium-sized alien shark, with short bristles like catfish whiskers lining its lower jaw and plated scales along its back, which glittered with reflected light in a near-perfect imitation of the aquarium overhead lamps shining on rippling water. That would explain why it was so difficult to gauge its appearance and depth to start off with--the creature must have been a masterful ambush predator on its world.]

[The way it's approaching the pair right now suggests that it's not terribly good-tempered, either, especially after having been hit in the face a few times. And at such speeds...it might know that it can escape the water to catch them.]

[The hair on Rusty's back stands on end and he tiptoes away, preparing to make a run for the door. Rick holds him in place--they can't leave Yotsuba here! He meows anxiously, hoping she'll get the hint.]

[While Yotsuba saw that it was a weird looking fish, she didn't know enough about sea life yet to say that it was an alien shark. Just a very awesome-looking one.

As it kept approaching the two, Yotsuba just kept on smiling and reloaded her sling as Rusty moved backward..but when he meowed, the little girl looked at him and wandered up to him, trying not to get distracted from the cool fishy.

He looked surprised or scared..]

What's wrong, Orange? Tummy ache?

[NO YOTSUBA THE SHARK]

[LOOK BEHIND YOU THERE'S A SHARK OH MY GOODNESS RUN]

[Rusty manages to let out one last, strangled growl before the shark speeds forward and bursts through the wall of water, completely disregarding the fact that it's at least ten feet between this tank and the next. Perhaps it's some kind of lungfish?]

[Whatever, Rick has very little time to ponder the finer points of alien fish anatomy, they are clearly in serious danger right now and this situation needs to be rectified. In the split second that the shark hurtles through the air towards them, Rick's other forms decide his fate for him.]

[First, Rusty decides that he will not be a part of this, and he relinquishes control. Second, in the ensuing, fear-induced mental confusion, the most impulsive of Rick's companions fills the empty spot without his consent.]

[The cat is now a small tyrannosaurus rex. As in, just about as big as the shark, which he opens his mouth to intercept before it gets hold of the small child next to him.]

[Sadly, Yotsuba was not expecting the shark to come charging out of the water after them, since fish weren't supposed to survive out of the water. However, at the noise, Yotsuba looked back and cried in surprise, jumping back a step or two. Thankfully, she didn't fall, but she was too startled to load her sling properly.

However, what was just fear turned into an odd mixture of fear and excitement as Orange the Cat turned into Orange the gigantic monster with teeth. Sadly, Yotsuba didn't know about dinosaurs yet, but her eyes grew wide and she smiled as Orange the Monster went to intercept the weird shark.]

Orange! You can turn into an awesome monster! How can you do that?! And good luck with the shark! Yotsuba will do her best to help!

Edited 2013-09-09 11:49 (UTC)

[Had Rick been conscious enough to understand the things being said to him, he might have calmly told Yotsuba that he's a shapeshifter, and that he appreciates her willingness to help but she should probably get somewhere safe and let him handle this. As his own mind has been confusedly tossed into that of a bloodthirsty dinosaur, however, this is not a position that he's able to take.]

[The t-rex's attack on the shark is somewhat successful; it's too big for him to wrap his jaws around, and the reflective plating on its back is like a layer of slippery rocks. His teeth bounce harmlessly off them and his jaw snaps in the air, his head rings with the vibrations, and he stumbles, just barely managing to catch himself before falling onto the linoleum.]

[Thankfully for Yotsuba, the sheer force of impact knocks the shark off-course. It goes tumbling and flopping across the floor, finally coming to a stop on its stomach. For the most part it seems unharmed apart from a few scratches on its back plating, and in fact seems raring for more--its thick whiskers bristle and its powerful dorsal fins lift its head off the floor, as if poised to leap forward and strike. Its mouth parts and it gurgles, hisses through its splayed gills. The sound might be entrancing in how alien it is, if it weren't so intimidating.]

[As if in response to the apparent challenge, the Dinosaur leans forward and roars. Rick would very much like to leave the creature be, but his mind is so thoroughly wrapped in the instincts of his form that he's struggling to keep up.]

[While she watched the scene in front of her, Yotsuba started to make good on her word and got out her sling before putting it on and loading it..but just before she could throw the bullet, the weird shark hissed at her, and she looked up at it as it did so.

While that sounded a little threatening, it was also new and cool! But nothing could prepared her for the roar of the dinosaur. Crying out in surprise, she took a step back, looking at it with wonder and amazement..before smiling at it and laughing. Her ears hurt, but that had been incredible!]

That was awesome, Orange! Not so loud next time though, okay?!

[And with that, trying her best to ignore the ringing in her ears, Yotsuba slung the stone at the shark as best she could.]

[The shark opens its mouth to hiss again and promptly gets a rock to the snout. It lets out an odd screech--its face is one of the few places the creature isn't defended, and what's worse, its nose must be very sensitive, what with all those bristles sticking out of it. Overstimulated and probably also deaf from the Dinosaur's roar, the shark appears to be on the defensive now, and starts to quickly thrash its way to the next tank over.]

[This would be the part where Rick lets it go. The Dinosaur is not so lenient.]

[At the first signs of movement he lunges forward and barrels into the shark's side, scooping it into the air with his nose. It's too big and heavy to go far, but it lands on its back--exposing its underbelly, that being, the other part of its body not covered in armor.]

[The shark snaps at its attacker with lightning reflexes but is simply unable to reach. Within seconds, the Dinosaur's jaws have found purchase around its stomach. Those deep wounds would be fatal on their own--but again, this isn't good enough, he hasn't felt its life leave it, hasn't made it break.]

[The Dinosaur heaves the writhing fish off the ground, holds steady to counterbalance its bulk, then shakes it like a rag doll. Its blood splatters on the floor and into the walls of water and dribbles down the reptile's hungry jaws as he rends it a second time, a third. By the fourth time it's likely dead, but it's not until then that its flexible spine snaps and the Dinosaur is finally satisfied with a hunt done well. He lets the mangled body fall and crunch on the ground in a bloody heap.]

[Not heeding Yotsuba's cautions, he roars again.]

Edited 2013-09-10 02:46 (UTC)

[Yotsuba laughed when the rock hit the shark, and she would have been more than happy to let the shark go if it didn't bother them anymore, since it was much too large for a cat to eat..but when the 'monster' started to bite into the shark, she back away and looked down, not wanting to see the carnage and mess that would follow.

However, she couldn't quite avoid the mess, as some of the blood from shaking smacked into the front of her shirt and, surprised and a little scared, Yotsuba cried out again and looked up..only to become a bit more concerned when she saw exactly what the 'monster had been doing to the shark. When he fell and let loose another roar, Yotsuba cried out again in surprise.]

No so loud, Orange! And you got blood on my shirt..and you killed the shark! He was just gonna run away!

[It's only after the Dinosaur decides he's content with his work that Rick can claw his way back into the forefront and regain some semblance of control. He's mostly happy that his companion's kept his concerns in mind and hasn't turned on Yotsuba--the Dinosaur is good about that, at least, even if he can be alarmingly overbearing about it at times.]

[With his impromptu task done and Rick more or less back in control of the situation (from the host's perspective), the Dinosaur steps down and Rick shifts back. He is pale, shaking and obviously very unnerved; it'll be a while longer before he gets used to the rawness of the reptilian subconscious, if ever, and moments like these certainly don't help him to adjust. Rick stumbles backwards, silently reeling.]

[It takes him a few moments to take in everything that's just happened. In the meanwhile, he settles for a blank, vague apology.]

...I'm...s-s-sorry...

[When Rick shifted back, Yotsuba was still a bit rattled and very confused. How could Rick turn into a kitty and a monster? And why did he kill the shark? Was..Rick a bad person? Had he lied?! She didn't know, but..the apology sounded like he wasn't, and he didn't look well..so, carefully, avoiding the blood that had gotten on the floor as best she could, she went over and tried to hold his hand.]

Why did you kill him, Rick? And..how could you change? What was that monster?

[Rick accepts Yotsuba's hand but doesn't seem fully aware that he's done so, focusing mostly on stopping his head from spinning so much and trying desperately to ignore the fact that he's gotten blood on the child's shirt. He's not even bloodied himself, though the taste of it lingers in the back of his mouth and he still feels it dribbling down his front.]

[The first task succeeds, but the second does not.]

...Y-Your sh--shirt...I...s-sorry...

[The reply is distant and rather disjointed, much like his unfocused gaze. It takes him a minute longer to actually answer any of the questions posed.]

...Yotsuba, I was...v-very bad and k-kept a s-secret from you. I c-can...t-turn into a-animals s-sometimes. I'm s-sorry, I sh--should have t-told you.

[While what had happened was still scary, Yotsuba smiled a little, trying to get over it. Trying her best to be brave.]

It's okay..it was a secret, right? You're not supposed to tell secrets, so it's okay! So it was that monster that did that, not you. But..why did he do that? Was he hungry?

I'm...n-not very g-g-good at k-keeping s-secrets about m-myself. [Rick chuckles nervously.] He w-was... [Better phrase this correctly.] ...he j-just w-wanted to k-keep you s-safe. But he c-can be k-kind of...o-o-overbearing. I'm s-sorry for s-scaring you l-like that.

That's okay..you didn't mean to! He was an okay monster then! But..can we bury the shark? He was running away! He didn't have to die!

[He puts on an anxious smile and rubs the back of his head.]

Um...yeah, w-we can. It m-might have to be a, ah...b-burial at s-sea, though. I d-don't think I c-could c-carry it v-very far.

That's okay! Yotsuba can help! But..what's a burial at sea?

[While she knows what a burial is, she isn't quite sure how you could bury someone in water.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject