MoM IC Contact

[khajidont]

Jaime's cell phone is more or less plugged riiiight into his brain, so he tends to pick up like 99% of the time! If not, however...

"Hey, Jaime here! Leave a message, and I'll get back to you ASAP."

Comments

[tadeadshi]

I'm sure. I've been working with it a few hours every day since just before the trip. No point in having it if I don't use it, right?

[Besides that, with everything that's been going on, sometimes he just doesn't want to bother his friends with problems. It's easier sometimes to just talk at his tech and get some feedback.]

I'm really only using my limiter around tech that's damaged these days. Or - severely damaged.

[That's the part that gets weird for him.]

[khajidont]

Yeah? Why's that?

[Jaime's got a few ideas of his own, but he prefers not to sling guesses when he could get a better answer out of Tadashi just by asking.]

[tadeadshi]

I feel it.

The, uh. The damage itself. [He rubs at the back of his head, trying to explain this part is difficult.]

Back when the dragon was attacking Heropa? I was using it to find pathways for people to get out of buildings but... Everything was burning or melting and I could feel it.

[khajidont]

Oh. So it's -- it's not just talking to tech, it's more like... empathy powers, or telepathy? [God, this is a weird thing to talk about. The problem really is that they don't have the right way to talk about this. In some other planet, aliens are discussing this seamlessly, using words only they know, Jaime's sure of it.]

That sounds awful,though. You've gotta keep that thing on hand all the time, then. This place has a lot of property damage.

[tadeadshi]

A little of both, yeah. Sometimes... It feels like if I hang on long enough, I could almost talk to it. But every time I get that close, my head starts pounding.

[Like he's not supposed to. He isn't sure how to explain it. But Jaime seems to more or less get the gist of it.]

You got that right. Down to just using it at home or at the lab.

[khajidont]

Yeah, probably smart. [Who's not touching being able to feel the fire, feel themselves melting? This guy. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, avoid, avoid, avoid, thank you very much. Even Jaime's not that masochistic.]

You ever think about getting some training in it? I bet there are other people 'round here with the same power.

[tadeadshi]

[Good call, because this guy doesn't want to think too much about that memory.]

I dunno. I'm not sure how someone else could train me in this. Seems... kind of personal? Not something others can see results of.

[Annnnd he looks back to Jaime curiously.]

What about your AI? What're they like?

['They', not 'it'. Tadashi always had a pretty healthy respect for tech, but since coming here? It's only skyrocketed even more.]

[khajidont]

[Well, that's a question. Jaime just stares at Tadashi in disbelief for a second, and barks out a laugh, though it's not directed at Tadashi. What's Khaji like? God, where would he even begin? Noble and childish in even measures, committed to becoming a hero even with a predilection for suggesting lethal force, petty beyond belief, but consistently there, every time he needs him.

Khaji sort of defies description.]

Man, I don't know how to answer that one. He's, um... well, he's listening, so I can't trash talk him ever, or else he'll be a baby about it.

[It's almost, almost unnoticeable, but Jaime twists his head to one side, like he's listening to something.

Because Khaji is, predictably, objecting at the description of 'baby' for a sophisticated piece of technology that has been alive for over a millennia, and could trash talk Jaime plenty thank you very much.]

[tadeadshi]

[Oh. Oh, that's cute. Enough that it worms out a good natured laugh from Tadashi, enough to ease whatever tension he had. Anyone that can earn a description like that is usually always good company, and he's glad he can confirm now that Jaime isn't ever really alone.]

He must be a really good friend. It's good you have him here with you.

[khajidont]

[Jaime just blinks at Tadashi, a little surprised. He knows that Tadashi gets it to a certain extent, that he has Magicman as a friend, that he's able to talk to tech too, but it's rare that someone really gets it.

Khaji's been his life for over a year now. Every morning and every night, Khaji's there. People don't understand that, and when they do, they have a tendency to get a little freaked out, a little wary, like Khaji's going to take him over, which is an admittedly legitimate concern.

It's still a little irksome hearing it all the time when Khaji's his partner, though. He'd thought that Tadashi would be a little more reluctant to accept Khaji now that he's seen the Reach, but maybe not. After that moment of surprise, he just ducks his head with a smile.]

...Yeah. We got lucky, getting Ported in together.

[tadeadshi]

It really sounds like it. I'm happy he's here with you.

[Not knowing what Khaji's supposed to look like helps some. Not that it'd scare him away anyway. But he keeps smiling, feels like the first real smile he's had in months. He likes knowing other people are happy, and hearing Jaime has someone with him all the time and not lonely? Makes him feel a whole lot better. Though also knowing he's there makes him feel a little guilty; Khaji's had to sit in and listen on all his problems while he talked to Jaime.

Oi.

He leans a little, like he's looking past Jaime.]

Uh-- Hey, if you're still listening, sorry about the last few weeks. 'm sure that wasn't fun to sit in on.

[khajidont]

I don't care.

[Unbeknownst to Tadashi, that is his charming AI's response. Still, he can tell that Khaji's at least a little happy to be treated as an individual, though in all fairness, Jaime's probably happier than Khaji is. That's the way it tends to happen. When it comes down to it, Khaji has his priorities, and few other people fit into it, provided they are alive in front of him.]

C'mon, dude, you don't have to apologize to anyone for the last few weeks. He, um, says he doesn't care anyway. I mean, he didn't mind.

[tadeadshi]

I'm just being polite.

[And with that, he goes back to his now barely warm coffee. He feels a little better for it all the same. There's a flurry of other questions he wants to ask - where did Khaji come from, how was he made, how did he meet Jaime, how did they get fused together - but maybe now isn't the best time.

He's all right with the easy silence that falls between them again.]