RP Vance Bridge Road, EP1, Neighbourhood Watch

[Born-On-Board]

"The antenna booster was much appreciated." The robot inclined its head. "Proxy efficiency increased 15 percent across the entire network."

It found Bright Nickel's display of, oh what was that word? The heavily armed robot body peered intently at the small man, the red monoeye glowing intensely as Bright nickel flushed a rather exaggerated shade of pink. Was it... attraction?

As it stared impolitely it ran numerous tests, drawing enough bandwidth to stop cogitation on even Tabernacle's main chassis as it attempted to traverse a fence 3 miles away - instead of finding an open space to go around, the armored robot simply plowed through the barrier, dragging it behind itself like toilet paper stuck to a man's foot before the two other Baba Yagas could disentangle the impediment, immediately setting to work repairing the stricken fence with tools.

Back in Bright Nickel's apartment, the robot finally finished its intense battery of tests. Probability of physical human attraction... It blinked. Flat 100%. How impressive! Real life stimuli was rarely so concentrated and defined enough to max the testing parameters the Type 4 could devise. How simply wonderful! It allowed itself a 500 ms gloating period before resuming conversation.

"We are not in need of beverages. One of the new residents, named Alex, has requested our presence in the local grocery store, a sort of... strategy meeting, for ousting the recent influx of...." Tabernacle searched for an appropriate word, but instead of cross-referencing it against its criminal or organic youth term databases, a programming bug had it pull a term from its 'antiquated/no longer in use' vocabulary database. "...brigands from the neighborhood. He asked for you by name, and we are here to retrieve you. Please come with us."

 

[ShotJon]

The apartment building

Chrys felt like a thug after the freespacer spoke. She looked at him and fished out another cigarillo. With a sigh, she put it between her lips and lit it with a match. She then offered the open pack to Bright Nickel.

"Ey BN," She said to him after Freespacer was done speaking. "Want a ***? Eh don't worry mate, Lexi does not bite, besides it might help you. He knows people and shite like that. Just don't trust him much and you will be okay. No worries. Also if I were you I would be more worried now about Marshmallow inside your flat eh?"

 

[Lamb]

Apartment

"W-well, it's really his flat, though, ain't it? I mean, at the end of th' day an' all. I mean, don't tell Vino I said that since Vino only lemme come in if I was gonna get Marshmellow out," Chrys had made the terrible mistake of doing anything other than delivering the suggested message. She could almost feel a calculated glance from Alex all the way down on the other side of the block the moment that Nickel went off on his wild tangental explanation of his previously well-advertised living arrangements. Things both Chrysanthe and Tabernacle had heard second hand from Vino while the superintendent laid down new floorboards to cope with the massive weight of one of the occupants, and to compensate for the sexual habits of the other-- a storied tale but one best not heard six times within a year. Bright Nickel took the offered cigarette and lit it shakily, leaning on the doorjamb and trying to smile away his nerves while he continued his tale of tragedy,"... and I s'pose Vino knows about it since I get him to fix stuff an' Marshmellow's already there, but really my six months of free rent and the lease agreement means I can have whoever I want over as a guest and have you tried gettin' Marshmellow to go anywhere he doesn't want to? I mean, come on, it's really just a bad idear, but you know Vino and you know he's got to have it his way. I mean, he owns the joint so I guess he's got a right to want stuff to happen but the world ain't fair an' a guy like me could really use somebody like Marshmellow around to keep him on his toes and maybe keep his enemies on their toes-- an' I got lots of enemies, y'know? I mean, I try to be nice, try to get along with people, but I made a lot of mistakes before I went to prison and a lot of powerful guys don't like me so much-- I mean, you guys are great. Everybody here is great. This neighbourhood is great and the fact that it basically has a moat like a castle is a wonderful little detail, super-defensible if you know what I mean..."

There was more, but I could honestly keep typing this for hours so let's just say that Nickel kept talking until interrupted.

Two Little Monkeys Swinging In a Tree

Alex seemed to consider Amelia's words not as questions, but rather as suggestions. He started for the empty restaurant with a pensive expression for a few paces before he cleared his features and replied to the bar owner with his usual deadness. "I'm not entirely sure I would say either of those descriptors really apply to me, but I cannot really easily say exactly what it is I do here. The pass-times of a man who does not need work are often not so broad or easily labeled as a typical hobby or profession..." Then there was another pause, just room enough for someone to open their mouth a draw breath to speak, but not to actually get a word in edgewise. "However; if you would like an accountant's services, I would be willing to help you out. A little easy number work might be fun for a few minutes."

Fresh Start

Yigor's square face turned red while Anatevka spoke. He looked down at his leisure suit with a sad frown before looking back up at Ana and giving her a pleading look before his sunglasses flopped back down onto his nose and obscured his eyes. Pushing them back up onto his forehead, he explained with his 'stunted bear' voice, "Anatevka-- Beautiful Anatevka, I am not here to check on you like little girrel. You are a grown woman, a zhenshina, da?" And then came the nerves, "I j-j-just think maybe Yigor could come to visit, ah? M-m-maybe just see what life is like f-f-for you now? We could be, eh, druz'ya?"

 

[Foxtrot 813]

Two Little Monkeys Swinging In a Tree

The raven-haired girl tried not to scoff at the man's offer; letting some creepy old guy take a look at her finances? Not a chance. Still, the Nepleslian tried to deflect in the same good old fashioned they had been doing. "No I'm good, thanks," she said, keeping pace with Alex as they headed for the restaurant. "What's so hard about saying what you do? It can't be harder than raising up neighborhood militias for the sake of it," she added, sounding monotonously instead of surprised. She hoped there would already be food waiting in the restaurant.

 

[ShotJon]

Apartment

"Well allright Nicky," Chrys said, showing Nickle palms of her hands in a denying gesture. "Let me stop you here. I meant I just thought you would get Marshmallow different place to live in by now. Now it seems like you actually like having him around, which is all right I guess, everyone likes to take care of a pet and Marsh needs a friends. Still I think we need to head out. Since you like this place so much, there is a way to help the neighborhood. So let's get going."

"Yo Marshmallow," Chrys shouted into the open door. "We are goin' back. You comin'?"