silph_co | [Action

[IV has sauntered late into the the powerpoint show, on behalf of having been on some extra 'rounds' of outside training to 'help improve his stamina' (aka. he's mouthed off and got sent on some extra drills) and a stubborn need to make himself at least minimally presentable again before he stepped among people once more. Also, he's already been through this whole spiel before, so their instructor care a lot less about him hearing it all again or not. If he gets failing grades that's on IV, after all.

He has spent the rest of the class staring boredly ahead, a long forgotten writing block that only has a couple of notes that never encompass more than three words at once in front of him and a suspiciously nice big backpack next to his desk. During class it was guarded by his Rockruff, who had been notably more into this whole re-training stuff than its owner was. Now he is busy emptying the contents of his backpack on the table while silently smirking at the jealous looks each new item is getting him.

So far there are the following things crowding his desk: 2 small bottles of mineral water (one sparkling, one still), a thermos with tea, a small bento box containing various nuts and slices of fresh fruit, a fresh nut pasty and a small parcel of some slices of Zwieback. The extensive trail mix gets topped by a small bowl for his pokemon that's immediately greeted with great interest by the little canine.

IV is about to crack open the still water and pour some into the Rockruff's bowl when he feels Armstrong's eyes on him.]

It's rude to stare like that, you know? Speak up if there's anything you want~

[Armstrong raises his eyebrows in a bemused "really?" expression, but remembers his own days back in basic training. Folks coped with the ass-beatings in a variety of ways, and that was in a situation where everyone volunteered. Who knows how many of the people in here got snatched from there world like he'd been, so that's a whole other level of bull to cut through. It seemed he'd also gotten a couple Pokémon so, despite their obvious age gap, they were in the same boat.]

"Not trying to bore a hole in you with my eyes. Just wondering if everyone else's lunch is as mediocre as this one."

[He gestures towards the sad-looking brown paper bag that held his food.]

"It's an age-old practice to barter food in crapshoots like this, so... if your lunch happens to be as much of a shitshow as mine... then maybe we make our situations mutually improved."

[He gives a friendly smile and rattles his bag in emphasis of his proposition.]

It is.

[IV shrugs his shoulders and gives his Rockruff the water. It drinks it eagerly before sitting down and watching its trainer with the universal hopeful eyes that all pets waiting for something on top of the table share across the universe.

As Armstrong continues, IV raises an eyebrow. Can't he see all the stuff he's organised for himself?]

And what, pray tell, do you want to trade? I got a lot, but I don't think you can offer anything I want. Unless for pokemon food.

[Armstrong holds his bag out towards IV like a sort of paper trumpet.]

"I'm guessing they probably put different mediocre crap in each of our lunches, so it looks like I got those little pretzels. They're crap without water, and all I got is a sports drink so that's a no-go. You see anything you like just say the word and I'm sure we can make a deal."

[What a blast from the past. Chowtime commerce was something he knew well, but hadn't engaged with in what... eighteen years? It feels something like being a teenager again, which is a welcome sensation but still odd considering the circumstances. Being press-ganged into service in a criminal enterprise is a far cry from sailing on a Naval Carrier, but nostalgia's a powerful sensation so Armstrong will just enjoy it while it lasts.]

Edited 2023-02-28 04:05 (UTC)

[IV stares at the bag, then at the big man again. Seems like the giant lug doesn't want to get any of the hints he's so readily dropping.

So he straightens his shoulders and sits up, staring the other straight down with his red eyes and the prominent scar on his face.]

You make a terrible case for yourself. Who'll want anything you're already shittalking? But alright, tell me what you want and we can go from there.

[Armstrong brings the bag back to him, reaching his hand in and grabbing the sandwich. Plopping it on the desk in front of him with a thud he turns back to IV.]

"That's the point. All of our lunches are likely crap. At least with a little commeercialism sprinkled-in we might be able to have a vaguely-less mediocre lunch."

[He pours the remainder of the lunch out on the desk in front of him so others can see what he's got.]

"See anything you like?"

[IV watches the sandwich fall like it were something nasty. His Rockruff is less picky, getting on its hind legs and sniffing, but a quick order from its master under his breath has the small monster back down. IV might be a brat about most, but he is making sure that he is a good lead-wolf to his team.]

I don't want any of that. Why do you think I brought my own? But I tell you what.

[Reaching inside his bag, he pulls out his issued ration and puts it on the table as well.]

I let you pick from this - within reasons, I didn't come prepared to feed a whole zoo. In exchange, you'll do me a favor once. You look strong - I take it those muscles aren't just for show?

[Armstrong gives a "ah" look and turns back towards his food.]

"You brought your own chow then? I'm guessing you've gone outside then, because all I've seen has been dingy barracks and classrooms."

[He shakes his head amusedly and begins unwrapping the sandwich.]

"For favors, I don't need bribes to do someone a solid. Just say what you need and we'll see."

[Taking a bite of the bologna sandwich he turns back around in his chair so that he's facing IV again.]

"I take it you haven't been paying much attention in class if you're asking as to whether this frame of mine is just for show though. This joke of a basic training hasn't given much of a chance to show it, of course, but I could snap anyone here in half without breaking a sweat."

[He takes another bite of the vaguely-limp sandwich.]

"That's half the reason these jumped-up lunchables aren't cutting it. I gotta have some actual fuel to put in the tank. Still... it's almost time for them to cut us loose, so it's not too big a deal."

I have.

[It's all IV is going to say on that matter for now, although he does reach out and puts his bottle of sparkling mineral water in front of Armstrong. Some of the Zwieback and part of his fresh fruits and nuts selection follow, all places on a small clean handkerchief in place of a napkin.]

No 'we'll see.' You take my food, and I'll ask of a small favor of equal worth in return. No questions asked. [His teeth flash in a smirk.] But I'll promise that I won't ask you to assist me with murder, if that's what you're worried about. I might just need a quick distraction for our 'caring caretakers' or something the like down the line. Since I prefer to keep getting my own food.

[So the deal is simple: IV will do the deed while he wants Armstrong to provide the cover, should one be needed. Nothing nefarious at all~ ]

I pay attention to results, not appearances.

[Armstrong chuckles to himself as IV pushes the food on him. Seems someone really wants a favor, so who's he to say no if it's that important to them? Glossing over the young man's posturing, Armstrong instead decides to focus on the food.]

"Sparkling water eh? No wonder you went out and got yourself some outside chow. God damn. At least the nuts and such are a better alternative than the borderline junk food I'm used to seeing in these things."

[He finishes the disappointing sandwich and opens up a pack of nuts as his next target. How in the heck did this guy manage to get into the outside world if you're thrust into the proverbial shit the minute you wake up in this place? That's bizarre. Maybe he's connected? Would certainly make sense given the attitude, so it's likely better to play it safe in case this kid is the head honcho's son or whatever the hell the case might be. Still... only one way to know.]

"So... you come from someplace that isn't this world too?"

You're welcome to leave it if you don't want it.

[IV gives him a cold glare before his Rockruff nudges him and demands his attention. Giving the canine an absent pet, the teen divides his focus to retrieving a small bag with pokemon chow out of his backpack and offering it to it. The Rockruff attacks its contents eagerly.]

Do I look like I'm a local?

[He reaches up to flip his overlong right bang out of his face, just to catch himself and quickly switch over to the other side - both with the bang and the hand he's using. For some reason IV doesn't like the idea of showing this gorilla has marred up face just yet. (Not like he'll have much choice in the long run. But he doesn't want to get a look of surprise and then understanding from the smarmy bastard.)

Instead of looking at Armstrong's face to see whether the other had noticed his moment of hesitation, IV retrieves his second pokeball out of his backpack and summons his second team member. The magicarp flops pathetically on the floor until it notices that IV has plucked some grapes from his remaining selection of fruits. Heaving itself to the side, the fish pokemon stays perfectly still until IV flicks the grape into the air. Then the pokemon pushes itself up with a big thrash and catches the fruit with a "carp!"

Then it pretty much falls on its face.]

I'm from Heartland. ....although I was only visiting it.

[Armstrong makes a half-grimace.]

"In my experience trying to fly the coop doesn't end well when it comes to organizations like this. Sure you might get to breathe fresh air for a day or two, but before long some of their goons will come along to drag you back."

[He shrugs uncaringly.]

"Less work to play their game for now and see what it is they're after. At least that way I know there's nobody looking over my shoulder once I do get out into the world."

[Armstrong is tickled by his young companion's prickliness. Judging by his food, as well as his overall attitude, he's guessing that doing a runner was exactly what IV had done. Considering he's sitting through powerpoint presentation after powerpoint presentation right alongside Armstrong now, though, it seems that didn't go too well.

The appearance of what just appears to be a very large fish-out-of-water catches Armstrong off-guard. His own experience with the Pokemon world had made him aware of how ridiculous many of the creatures here were, but there's a far cry between odd and flopping a live fish on the floor.]

"That's quite an... interesting Pokemon."

[An amused smile appears across Armstrong's face as he watches the fish doofily eat grapes.]

"I take it the thing evolves into something more formidable?"

[IV just shrugs his shoulders to indicate that Armstrong's free to do whatever he wants with this situation they're both stuck in. He himself is just rebellious by nature.

In response to Armstrong's observation IV just hums and tosses the magicarp another grape. And another. Each time the fish catches it, its leaps seem to be a bit more coordinated, its landing aimed a tad bit better. It's still a lot of awful flops and crash landings, but the seems determined to get right back up and wait for another treat to leap after.]

It's a magicarp. Basically a cross between a carp, a cod and a catfish that was lucky enough to inherit the worst genes from all of those. It's tenacious, so I'm calling mine Shark. [The fish doesn't seem bothered by the badmouthing. Instead, it's watching its trainer with a half expecting and half adoring look. More food, human?]

You now the legend about koi who grow old enough?

[Talk about a cursed existence. Does this place really promote the idea of just dropping fish onto flat land? How in the everloving hell is the thing not just asphyxiating in the middle of the classroom? Armstrong can tell this place is going to be frustrating to come-to-grips with already. God only knows what he's in for once he actually gets out into the world.]

"Seems he struck-out at the genetic lottery... poor bastard. He seems to be enjoying the hell out of those grapes though, so at least he's got a taste for the finer things."

[He looks at the Magikarp more pointedly.]

"Can't say I've heard that story, no, but I'm down to hear it if you're game to tell it."

[He shifts in his seat to better face IV, showing that the young man has his attention through his body language.]

Yeah. He likes them, and working for his food. Just something about catching them himself, I guess.

[IV had only recently noticed his magicarp's penchant to try and be a big bad predator, but he's all too willing to work with it. He plucks a bit of his Zwieback off next and offers it to Shark on the flat of his hand. After a moment of dumb staring the fish takes it surprisingly gently - although it's still being gobbled up as if the poor pokemon were starving.

Straightening back up, IV cleans his hands and shrugs his shoulders.]

They become a dragon.

[Armstrong makes a face. Of course it does. What a fitting story to apply to this ridiculous place. Big fish turning into mythical creatures would be perfectly on-brand given what he's seen so far and, if what he remembers from the cartoon back in the nineties is accurate, that might even have legitimately happened.]

"I commend his attitude. He might've been dealt a bad hand, but he seems to have a good attitude about it. Hopefully he makes something of himself down the line, as a world where animals literally evolve seems to be a good place for that. Mine were a bird and a cat, so I'll have my work cut out on that front."

[Still, if what he's remembering right, the cat can learn to talk so that would be a huge boon. Putting together a cadre of useful subordinates would be a big step in actually gathering-up some resources, and he's damn well sure it would let him could go about things better than the literal cops-and-robbers shenanigans the amateurs here at Rocket seem to prefer.]

"If you just got handed your team like I did then I suppose there's no point beating around the bush on asking; Did you get pulled in here from someplace else too?"

At least you can still threaten to feed one to the other if they do too bad. I'm stuck just with what I have.

[He murmurs something under his breath to the magicarp before calling it back into its ball and stashing said pokeball back into his backpack.]

I was, yeah. Many people actually were.

[So then people sliding in from other places must be a regular occurrence in this place. Depending on whether or not it's just Team Rocket trying to make use of an extraplanar workforce or if there's a steady influx of otherworlders flowing in will make a big difference in how Armstrong has to go about things. The sooner he can get out into the world at-large the better.]

"If the cartoon was accurate the cat can learn to speak and do the same kind of crap humans can, so that's too handy to feed him to the bird. If I'm expected to play petting zoo to a couple of knock-off breakfast cereal mascots than you can bet that they're going to pull their weight. I'll just have to focus on getting them evolved and then I can figure out in just what ways they can make themselves useful."

[Armstrong turns around in his chair so he's properly facing IV, rather than just looking back at him as he'd been doing up to that point.]

"So if I came from somewhere other than here and you came from somewhere other than here, then let me ask you this: Is the last thing you remember in your home also a memory of dying?"

[IV raises an eyebrow at that. Not much of a cat-person, are we?]

Most would think of doing it the other way 'round, first.

[IV frowns, thinking of his own cat -- or more like: the not his cat his canine companion had decided to drag home in a mis-guided attempt of a gift to him, possibly. He still doesn't know there the animal came from, only that it's too damn young to have been seperated from its mother. If he weren't such a good guy he'd just handed it over to Team Rocket's superiors, but even IV has lines that he refuses to cross.]

As far as I know none of them can properly talk. Which doesn't mean that they can't communicate, depending on their levels. It's far easier to just think of them as Monster summons made permanently real, than as mere animals, isn't it?

[His Rockruff is back, and IV pets it distractedly. Giving Armstrong a long look, Rockruff saunters up to one of IV's legs and lies down, semi-curled around it as if to say 'damn right, this is my human, so if you try to mess with him... ']

Oh, really? Well, I've got to let you down. I may have taken a strong hit and been forced into retreat, but there's no way I'm dying as of yet! There's still stuff I have to do, y'know?

[People to keep safe, atonements to make... he won't voice any of that, tho.]

"Normally maybe, but we're talking an Eagle. The noseless housecat doesn't stand much of a chance in a matchup like that. Looking at what they evolve into, too, it doesn't look like it'll get any better for the cat."

[IV's mention of "Monster Summons" just has Armstrong more resigned to the ridiculousness of the situation he'd found himself in. If they're sitting in the world of a video game then what's to say that the people getting dragged-in here don't come from equally bizarre locations?]

"What do you mean... Monster Summons?"

[He took strong hit and was forced to retreat? Sounds to Armstrong that IV might be a bit deader then he thinks he is. If there's as many people coming in to this place as it's been made to sound like, then maybe this is some ridiculous sort of afterlife.]

[IV has to bite his tongue to not to say something along the lines of it being the owners fault rather than the monster's if it's permanently 'useless'. Even mere fodder summons still play an important part withing any decks, and raw nature -- no matter how cutesy candy-colored -- isn't any nicer with its natural selection; if the cat weren't damn quite good at what it's meant to do, then it wouldn't have been able to stay around for that long.

But he holds his tongue and just shrugs his shoulders.]

You know, like in games? They can look pretty real when you play with VR vision on.

[He shrugs his shoulders again. It's pretty darn obvious that the other is no Duelist.]

[Virtual reality eh? Looks like wherever IV's from isn't too far off from Armstrong's own world. Granted, VR saw it's introduction almost-entirely through military applications where he's from, but so many other inventions see that same origin before trickling down to the everyday folk that there's no telling if it's the same for IV's world.]

"Virtual reality eh? There must be some serious money being thrown around wherever you are if they've got VR on-deck. They've got that kind of stuff back where I'm from, but it's almost entirely locked-up in use by private contractors and militaries."

[He takes a sip from the tiny little sports drink bottle that came with his lunch. It's weird to be able to just sit and talk about days of being screamed at but that's probably just him slipping back into old autopilots. Come to think of it, though, have they even gotten the chance to introduce themselves? Sure Armstrong's had his own name yelled at him by the instructor just as much as IV, but there's a hell of a difference between that and an actual introduction.]

"Gotta admit. I'd wouldn't mind seeing what kind of games they could crank out with that kind of tech. Would probably beat the crap out of the kind of tired yearly releases that were getting spat out the I picked-up a controller."

[Armstrong takes a moment to clean his hands off with his napkin and then leans forward in his chair, closing the distance between himself and IV by a bit in doing so.]

"I know they've called you IV during training, but I think this is the first time we've had a chance to do much of anything besides physical activity and getting yelled at. I figure a proper introduction is in-order then, given that we've finally gotten some modicum of human rights again."

[He extends his right hand out in offering of a handshake.]

"Steven Armstrong. Good to meet you."

It's pretty everyday common where I come from, no thanks to a rich obsessed tech billionare who wanted to share his fancy with everybody else. But it did work out... [IV shrugs his shoulders, making a vague 'rich people and their logics' gesture.] Most people use a combination of pocket computers and a special set of visor or glasses to link into it - imagine it like putting on a pair of sunglasses. It's about that common or complicated. You can get personalized better high-tech variations of it too, of course. But those kinds of upgrades only really pay off for professionals, so you still don't see them very often.

What use would military have for it, though?

[He gives Armstrong a mildly interested look, just to balk and lean back the same measure the other man leans forward. Staring at the offered hand like something foreign, IV's eyes eventually flit to Armstrong's face, searching for any signs of hidden motives there.

Finally, he grabs it and gives it a polite shake.]

......IV. Just IV. It's a stage name I adopted for my profession, but by now it's pretty much usurped my real name. [Tilting his head, he suddenly summons up his stage persona, hitting Armstrong with all the amiable smile and all the charm of the reigning Asia Champion.] The pleasure of meeting you is mine, Mr. Armstrong.

[What an interesting coincedence. Armstrong seems to have a talent for finding people who's lives are lived under codenames, and the irony that the very first person he's really gotten to talk with in this place continues that trend isn't lost on him.]

"A stage name eh? Believe it or not, I've got quite a bit of experience working with people who go by handles and monickers in favor of their given names. Admittedly most of that came about due to the hazors of contractor work but, in your case, it sounds pretty similar to the sort of handles I've heard professional gamers use."

[Armstrong leans back to his desk and grabs the little bottle of sports drink again. In his mammoth hands the already-diminutive thing looks more like a sippy cup than an actual beverage, but he still knocks back another sip from it despite the its limited contents.]

"Given what you've said about your home's virtual reality tech that sounds like they've got means of using some kind of advanced augmented reality as well. The ability to see digital media as AR items is something we've only gotten recently, so it's pretty damned impressive that you got it through through some entertainment mogul."

[He shakes his head in amused surprise. It took generations of manufactured warfare to create the kind of technological marvels that people like Armstrong and the operators of Desperado made use of, so the notion that some billionaire playboy just cranked-out similar tech from his toybox is pretty stunning.]

"Being able to see that kind of thing where I'm from requires cybernetic augmentation. VR training courses like that are the industry standard for militaries and private companies to hone their soldier's skills without spending valuable money on deployment and risking injury or death, so there's all kinds of other augmentations on the market as well. You'll find people who've done everything from restoring lost limbs to turning themselves into living tanks, so the applications are endless."

[Armstrong realizes, given the distinct bend towards entertainment that IV's homeland seems to have, that's likely not the kind of technoloy they have on display. Similarity is similarity though, so it's interesting to hear about similar devices uses for such different purposes.]

"I'm guessing from what you've said, though, that you're more on entertainment side of things. You an influencer or do you go more for the professional gamer kind of circuit?"

Do you now. [IV is too well-raised to be sarcastic. But as he watches the man, he is just inwardly shaking his head. This feels all too much like having to deal with Hertland and his ilk again.

He shrugs his shoulders as he leans back again.]

Kaiba was crazy like that. Don't ask me too much, though, because that was all before my time. And your gamers seem to have a pretty strange sense for names.

[Armstrong's guess drags a startled, haughty laugh out of him.]

A gamer or an influencer? Please. I'm a Duelist. The Asia Champion, in fact. You'd do good to consider me a pro athlete, rather than something like those childish wannabe's.

"A duelist? As in, mutual combat?"

[Armsstrong is visibly suprised at the idea. Squaring off with someone is certainly closer to a professional athlete than it would be to the kind of layabout that make up the influencer sphere, but the idea that something so bloodthirty would be prominent enough to get famous through is very unexpected.]

"You weren't kidding about being above those guys if that's the kind of thing you've made your name in. Jesus..."

[Whether or not he misunderstood IV about what a duelist is, the idea that IV just crushes people in single combat for a job definitely makes Armstrong view the young man in a different light.]

"The idea of a "pro gamer" has changed a lot since the basement dwellers of the 90s, don't get me wrong, but it's still something I just flat-out don't get the draw of. Kids just chase anything with loud sounds and bright colors I suppose. I can see why you wouldn't want to be lumped-in with that crowd."

[Thinking that IV is something akin to a UFC fighter explains to Armstrong how he would have ended up with that imposing scar on his face as well. Armstrong has experience in both boxing and wrestling circles and folks with marks from previous battles is certainly not uncommon. As much as he's setting himself up for surprise when he finds out that iV's world really revolves around a card game, at the moment he thinks he's gotten a better understanding of what the young man is about.]

[He almost asks 'do you mean the computer game' before he remembers that Armstrong had just said that he doesn't care much for those kind of games himself. So IV just raises an eyebrow and gives him a sly smirk instead.]

That's what duels tend to be like, yeah.

Casual duels tend to be mainly done just in VR, but once you go professional it gets a little bit more real than that, if you get my drift.

[Reaching toward his own lunch, he pours some tea into the cap that doubles as integrated cup of his thermos and takes a drink from it once it has stopped steaming. Looking back up, he tilts his head over so slightly.]

It's a lot like the use of VR and augmented reality you're familiar with, in a way. Except we're usually less wasteful with our human resources. A duel won't kill you. Usually.

[Lowering his eyes, he takes another sip of the hot red-tinted liquid.]

Duels in public competitions tend to be loud, bright and showy too, often. That's where the show element comes in. [A pause.] I pride myself for never letting either a fan nor an opponent go home unsatisfied. Do you know what the number "four" stands for in Asian countries?

[Sounds like exactly the sort of technological trickle-down Armstrong has seen repeated a thousand times with military technology reaching the civilian sphere. First it'd be some unintuitive and heavy-handed virtual training for elite operatives and, a decade later, it's become the next way to have UFC bouts. Not surprising things would go that way given the nature of the tech, but he can't help but smile at how things seem to go the same no matter where a person's from.]

"Usually? What, you guys have some kind of force feedback on this stuff? That's pretty heavy, though I suppose it would separate the wheat from the chaff. Someone jumping into a no-contact sport doesn't have a risk. There's no skin in the fight. Putting-in a chance of getting roughed-up though... that adds some spice to the mix."

[As a fighter himself Armstrong can certainly recall a time when his blood had the fire of youth in it and the overwhelming desire to show his dominance was a constant presence. Given the disparity between himself and what would be his peers at his age now, he considers it a definite step in the right direction that those flames have been tempered. Still, if something like these "duels" cropped-up here in the Pokémon world he wouldn't mind throwing a chump or two around and making a proper spectacle of it.]

"Most the VR tech we use is mind-dives these days. They plug in to your augmetics or whatever and it's like you're in a different world. Makes it really handy for running through drills or getting in practice at things, but the simulations themselves can be pretty soulless. Still, no lasting damage from being in there means you don't have to worry about losing employees or soldiers so that's a definite plus. They'll still feel it for some time though so it's not like they get off without a stinging reminder of what it feels like to be a dumbshit."

[He knocks back the last bit of one of the bags of nuts and deposits the empty wrapper into the lunch bag, which was now being used as a sort of miniature trash receptacle.]

"The AR stuff is mostly ease-of-use features. The kind of stuff that's on these Pokégears or whatever the hell they're called, but accessible as a built-in feature to your augmentations. Internet, instant messaging, global positioning and navigation, and even video calls but floating in what looks like thin air. That sounds a lot like the kind of stuff you're talking about, given what you said about a visor, so the features sound pretty similar. Ours just sure-as-shit doesn't have the ability to give force-feedback like yours seems to. That'd be one hell of a neat trick to see."

[Reaching one of his giant arms behind him Armstrong grabs the apple off his desk and bring it around in front of him. Rubbing it clean on his sleeve, he continues.]

"As to the meaning of the number four, I've got no idea. I'm guessing either good luck or bad luck given that seems to the trend with numbers. Thirteen is thought to be all kinds of scary back in the states, but people will swear on a stack of bibles that the number seven will bring them good fortune. It's frankly ridiculous seeing how hard people get invested in it. Just horoscopes for the skittish if you ask me."

Edited (Grammatical Errors) 2023-03-12 23:29 (UTC)

[IV doesn't like the way Armstrong smiles, but he has himself under better control than to show it. This is clearly a man used to being in power. That by itself doesn't impress IV, but he wants to figure out just what exactly is Armstrong's deal before he does away with him.

This is a business relation at best, after all. Nothing this stupid Rocket thing entails can be anything more than that.]

Force, electrocution, heat,... the works.

[He shrugs. Should the other come to his own conclusions again, the giant seems to be good at that. No need to tell him that only very special duels can have effects on their participants like that.]

I prefer my VR activities limited to the Overlay Network. Diving or pulling somebody into a world in their minds [He wrinkles his nose at the idea, inadvertently thinking of what his own might look like. And how he'd feel about having somebody else see it. Possibly even record it.] ...feels awfully intrusive, doesn't it?

[He dismisses the idea with a displeased click of his tongue. IV doesn't even want to go into his own mind, like hell he'd appreciate anything else that could go there.]

I agree. But sometimes it's just a case of 'Once's an accident, twice's a coincidence, thrice... '

[Armstrong nods in agreement. Sure most of the VR programs had a paper-thin veneer of realism so it was easy to tell what was fabrications and what was reality, but there were definitely some builds out there that blurred the lines. His subordinate Sundowner had made use of heavily remastered versions of just such programs to terrifying effects and, even now, Armstrong wasn't sure that he wasn't in a simulation himself. He'd inflicted excactly that kind of pergatory plenty of others after all, so he'd be lying if he said it wouldn't have had a poetic irony. All he could hope was that whoever recovered his body was either too late or too gutless to think up something like that, but considering that this was literally the world of Pokemon he wasn't optimistic.]

"I couldn't agree more. I'll grant there's usefulness to the tech but, call me old-fashioned, I just don't trust the idea of that kind of thing having free reign inside my noggin. Too much can go wrong and too much can be exploited for it to be worth the risk. Hell, cyborgs have to be in a constant state of vigilance to avoid being vulnerable to hacking where I'm from, and that idea is frankly terrifying. One of the many reasons I never went in for that."

[Armstrong claps his hands against his thighs to emphasize the preferrance for remaining flesh-and-blood.]

"Which I think will serve me well in whatever fresh Hell we seem to have blown into. Having to get used to having whatever body part I'd decided to get rid of in the middle of this cheap imitation of basic training that they're putting us through doesn't sound like a time I'd like to volunteer myself for."

[Looking back towards IV, Armstrong cocks his head to the side in an inquisitive manner.]

"I'm guessing you're pretty well put-together given your background, but do you have any experience in hiking or cross-country-type crap? Odds are high there's some sort of land nav courses coming-up, so you'll want to be prepared for that if that's not something you've done before."

I agree. It's not unheard of that all kind of household or maintenance bots can be hacked, so like hell I'd invite something like that into my own body. The only reason I accepted the Crest is because its a shield against exactly that kind of things.

[He huffs and turns his attention back to his food. Unlike Armstrong IV's approach to his provisions is that of a picky eater, with only the freshest and juiciest morsels being picked, amount be damned. But then, his build is also way more that of a wiry young alley cat than the full-armor tank that is Armstrong's.

He considers Armstrong's question and explanatory warning with a thoughtful tilt of his head that makes it obvious that IV is thinking about how much information he's willing to share. In the end he settles for a simple]

My father was a passionate archaeologist, and I grew up as something of a wild child. I wouldn't call myself exactly 'good' with it, but I'm not exactly green to it either.

[Seeing IV spoiled for choice on food has Armstrong a touch envious. Food is food, sure, but he'd done two full decades of eating rations and slop and he certainly hadn't missed having to do so. Once he was out in the world getting real food, real clothes, and a bed that didn't involve having a dozen bunkmates staring at him would certainly be at the top of his list.

A familial background in archeology was certainly not something that Armstrong had expected. For as much as you see people from that trade in movies and media it's rare to ever actually run into someone involved in it. As specialized a field as archeology appears, it suggested to him that IV would certainly have had some form of higher education as well as likely picked-up some interesting knowledge or skills in his childhood. Intriguing.]

"Familiarity with the outdoors will certainly come in handy. You'd be amazed the kinds of people I've seen have meltdowns the minute they find out they're actually going to have to sleep in a tent. Granted, I'd damn well rather not be out in the elements in the middle of the Winter, but it's not going to be that bad."

[The mention of something that helps against the kinds of cyberterrorism they'd been talking about piqued Armstrong's interests. If some kind of crest mitigated the risks of being hacked then that would be one hell of a breakthrough. Having to turn into a humanoid mech suit in order to combat the kind of strength that modern cybernetics brought-to-bear hadn't been an easy undertaking after all, so the revelation that there was something that could be a fire-and-forget option for other people was definitely interesting.]

"You mentioned a crest? Is that some kind of augmentation or firewall program? If something like that was able to be brought in here, too, that might be good news for augmetics. God knows I miss my upgraded ticker."

[He taps his chest to indicate he's referring to his heart.]

"Doing the kind of crap I had to do at my age certainly puts some strain on the old workhorse, so I'm not a fan of the idea that it's not working the way it used to. Still, more than enough for this kind of childish crap, but a downgrade is still a downgrade."

[There are basically two ways of coping with having lacked resources once: one, one ruthlessly starts securing them for themselves whenever the option is given. Or two, one goes in the other direction by pretending that the very idea of such a lack is simply ridiculous. IV is currently over-playing the second option with his food intentionally a bit. Fake it till you make it, that's how the saying goes, doesn't it?

He raises an eyebrow at the way the other is assessing him, but once again IV deems it more in his own interest to let Armstrong come to his own conclusions.]

Many people lose their calm over the most minute of things. [He shrugs his shoulders.] I'd like to consider myself tougher than that. Although that doesn't mean that I enjoy being forced to do it.

[He raises an eyebrow at Armstrong's next words.]

Something akin to an augmentation. It won't do me much good here, since there's no way anybody could trigger it. [Another shrug.]You got a heart implant?

"Something like that. Nanomachine-enriched blood to keep all the moving parts running smoothly. Was ungodly handy in my line of work as well given all the positives it ended up bringing with it though. When every other asshole in the private sector is a military-grade cyborg bristling with weaponry being a flesh-and-blood man means you've got a lot of ground to cover to make things even. I learned early in life that a lot of things can be solved by hardening your mind and body though, and this was no exception."

[He stretches, grimacing slightly as he does so.]

"I'm not falling apart or anything of course but it definitely fucks with you to feel your age again after having the cardio of a teenager."

[He gives IV a look of dissatisfaction about their situation and continues.]

"Still... not much to do about it eh? Looks like picking pockets for these petty crooks is our flavor of the day now. For rookie shit like this I know what I plan on doing, but have you got a plan nailed-down for how you're gonna go about this crap?"

So critters in your veins. Got it. [He gives a half-shake of his head, not liking the idea of anything besides what are already parts of himself moving around inside of his body. What's there to say that the machines will always work as intended? What if one breaks? Can you get a heart attack caused by crashed nanomachines?]

Your line of work. What is it?

[He huffs a low laugh at Armstrong's complaints about feeling his age.]

Better to feel the age you actually are, than being stuck with one that's way too old or young for you, isn't it?

[The face the other's making has IV snort a genuine laugh that he quickly tries to hide. That's entirely too ridiculous a face for a man of that size to make!]

Plans about what? I'm going to play their game for now, but once I'm allowed back out I'll be working on regaining my full power first and foremost. Why do you ask?

[His work eh? That's a loaded question in Armstrong's case. Should he give a general coverage of working with government contractors? Reveal that he's a politician? Maybe roll things back a bit and go off of his time in the military for what he tells about his line of work? Wouldn't be out-and-out honest but it wouldn't be too far off from the truth either. Hmmm.... Armstrong scratches his chin.]

"My line of work? Hmm... I guess you could say my jacket buttons up over quite a few different responsibilities. Most of what I do these days is with private security. Denver, my city, has a privatized police force and I did a lot of the legwork to get that set up. I spent a couple of decades in the U.S. Navy before moving to Colorado, so the experience helped prep me for the heavy lifting of logistics-heavy projects like that."

[Thinking for a moment, Armstrong decides to share a bit more.]

"As defense contractors my company does some work overseas as well, so that's brought me in-line with the political sphere. It was and is a singularly unpleasant experience to have to shake hands and make nice with a bunch of corrupt, geriatric, pantywaists but, still, if brushing shoulders with parasites means my contractors can do their work better than that's not a bad exchange."

[At IV's views on feeling his age Armstrong just shakes his head. He's a billion times better put together than most the people his age but, even then, by the time you start knocking on the door of "senior citizen" status feeling your age is definitely unappealing.]

"You won't feel that way once you reach my age. Trust me on that. About the plans though, have you been hearing all the crap they've been going on about in regards to working with partners? Considering we're the only two outworlders in this class I'd bet solid money we're going to end up shackled-together. As thrilled as I'm sure we'd both be at the notion of being paired-up, considering the fact that such an outcome would mean both our asses were in the other's hands I think it would be a good idea to get something of an understanding in-place for just in case."

[IV listens to Armstrong's story with an eyebrow that keeps rising. He can tell when somebody is feeding him half-truths, but the question is what doesn't Armstong say and why?

A 'privatized police force' doesn't sound particular appealing to IV. The having been in the Navy part is also pretty interesting, though. It explains some of the other's sheer mass of muscles, at least.]

You were in the Navy? What position did you do?

[He also notes that Armstrong feels it important to tell him both of his involvement with corrupt politicians and bureaucrats and his dislike for them. Why? It's definitely interesting that he seems to be pretty hung up about age, though. It'll be a certain spot to aim for, should the need to ever arise.

He gives Armstrong's reasoning some thought before he nods.]

That's really very likely. Well, I don't mind not getting in your way if you don't get into mine. How's that sound?

"Started off as a helicopter pilot, but moved on to command positions after a few years. Spent most of my time in the sandbox though, so I got to see a lot less of the world than a lot of my fellow squids. Still, with the amount of rotations I had Uncle Sam definitely got his money's worth out of me."

[The amount of deployemnt-specific slang Armstrong had dropped seemed lost on him, but decades of working among people who all used the same lingo definitely has that effect. Regardless of the pseudo language barrier though, it's clear from his body language that Armstrong holds fond memories for his time in the Navy and a contended aura practically radiates from him as he discusses it.]

"Met most of the people I worked with in the private security field through my time overseas too. Was always nice being able to reconnect with past acquaintances, let alone giving them a leg-up when their government throws them aside."

[Touching on that part of things elicits a sour expression from the giant man. As often as being casually discarded had happened to him and his fellow veterans none of it had compared to the kind of fallout that the shutdown of the Patriot's network had brought about. Armstrong knew that wasn't relevant to his current situation though, so he let the feelings of disgust wash-off of him and return to an even keel.]

"Just goes to show that if you don't have the back of the man beside you there's not a damn soul that's going to. I can't say that being paired-up with a stranger and sent off to commit petty larceny was my idea of the perfect wakeup, but having your squad's back is something I know how to do regardless of the world its in."

[Having said that, Armstrong leans forward in his chair and holds out his hand to IV.]

"I trust these Rockets about as far as I can throw them but you and me are both castaways on these strange shores. I know better than most that it's far from the idea, but I think we can both agree that nobody's going to give a shit what happens to either of us here if we don't look out for each other. So, I've got your back if you've got mine."

Helicopter? How interesting. There was a time when I wanted to learn how to fly one too. [Never for any organization, though. IV had simply wanted to learn how to drive any vehicle he saw. He sighs and shakes his head. Another dream of his that didn't survive the vanishing of his father.

He lets the other drone on about his past achievements, nodding or making an appreciating noise from time to time as if IV actually cared what the other had done before (or understood half of the lingo thrown at him.) What the redhead cares more about is taking note of Armstrong's body language, especially the signs of pride or discontent.

When the other is ready to make his pitch, IV is in full fanservice mode and nods in agreement.]

That's good to know. I'm used to working in a team of two with one of use being the heavy lifter while the other does information gathering and clean-ups. [He inclines his head to the side, pretending to pout.] ....but I fear that doesn't exactly make me a team player. Finding even just a temporary replacement for him will be .... hard.

[Letting his expression slip back into a smirk that reaches his eyes and yet means nothing to him, IV takes Armstrong's hand and gives it a shake.] Deal. Although you look like you could toss some of those guys around here a good distance, if I might say so.

[Though only time would tell if his new teammate would turn against him Armstrong was satisfied by the fact that, at least for the moment, IV was alright working together. Being forced into a situation where he had to meet some biweekly quote "or else" was crappy enough already without adding in the caveaut that his fate was also tied to a teammate. Having both of them on the same page, however temporarily it might be, was a relief as it meant he'd at least have enough time to get familiar with the world they'd been thrust into before any new developments were likely to drop on him.]

"Given the peewee league hiring they seem to do you're probably right."

[Armstrong gives an amused inhale at the notion of physically throwing one of diminutive goons he'd seen patrolling the compound.]

"Your familiarity with working alongside a team will certainly be a blessing for the kinds of things it sounds like they want us to pull off though. I think that, on that front at least, we're going to get along just fine. That being said though..."

[Armstrong leans back slightly in his chair gesturing towards the roof and, by extension, the Radio Tower they both sat beneath.]

"With the kind of scratch these people are throwing around it's definitely not outside the realm of possibility that they've got a proper chopper or two sitting around. If they do, and the situation ever somehow comes our way, it wouldn't be too hard for me to get you trained-up."

Not a team. Just a partner. [There was a time where he'd feel bad for the need to make such a correction, but Tron had beaten that notion soundly out of him.]

And the offer if much appreciated. Let's try and get our hands on that helicopter soon.

[IV's correction strikes Armstrong as something that definitely has a story behind it, but he doesn't pry. Working with people who'd been broken in one way or the other had pretty much been his bread-and-butter since returning to the civilian world, so he'd developed something of a sense for when people had underlying traumas of one kind or the other. Something about the way the young man spoke and carried himself had popped-him up on Armstrong's radar pretty quickly, and the correction implied to him that he wasn't barking up the wrong tree. The more things change the more they stay the same eh?]

"Got it. Well it looks like you'll be in very much the same boat as last time so, as long as it was a good arrangement in your previous partnership, I hope we can get something similar going. I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for a helicopter though. Motor vehicles of any kind are a massive boon when setting up in a new area, so I hope we can get some wheels or something like that asap."

[Action - Arrival]

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