[VIDEO] // Open to anyone in Kauto area

[forgeabettertomorrow]

NETWORK

[As the feed clicks on, quite intentionally, the viewer is greeted by a fuzzy, out of focus, green pupil. It seems to be focusing intently on something just beyond the frame.]

Alright...let's see here...this should...

Yeah...this should do it...

[A huff of satisfaction, and Darin takes several paces back. He's in his bedroom at Lion House, looking considerably more healthy after his stint with the virus outbreak from the asteroid. His room itself is a complete mess; there's scrap metal and various parts and components littered throughout the room itself. There's a desk off to the side with no clear space on it at all. Instead, the entire surface is covered by open books stacked five or six high, with notes and sketches and blueprints littered about and hung up all around the room. Atop that is a tablet with a holographic blueprint hovering idly above it. On the other side? A hammock. Why a hammock? Because it's easier and more space friendly than a bed is. But that's not the point. The point, is that Darin is currently wearing his heavy blacksmith apron and heavy duty industrial goggles. His hands and forearms are covered with armored mitts, that he excitedly claps together as he looks at the camera.]

Alright, so it's been over half a year since I've been whisked away from my technologically stunted world. I think my first day aboard the Moira, I started a fire in Ingress engineering because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Well, I've been putting my nose to the grindstone, and I've been eagerly studying up on whatever tech I can get my hands on. And finally, I think I understand it well enough to start building with it.

[He grins and reaches behind him to grab what looks like a really long industrial grade flashlight.]

It took some work, but I think I've got all of the bugs ironed out. I think I can finally do a trial run on my newest work: The beam saber.

[Excitedly, he holds what can now be discerned as a hilt sans blade out and hovers his thumb over a pressure sensitive switch. With a grin, he presses the switch and, with what could only be described as a quite audible FWOOM the video on the camera is flooded with bright white light. What follows is a loud hum, then something that sounds like a knife scraping burnt toast. Also a string of curses and expletives that should in no way be repeated. There's another click, and the white light that's washing out the video fades...to show Darin sporting a rather intense tan. Also, his eyebrows are just gone and his bangs are on fire. And there's sunlight streaming in from a basketball sized hole in the ceiling...and roof.]

[Darin pulls his goggles off, which leaves a rather hilarious reverse tan around his eyes and stares up at his new skylight.]

...Huh.

...I have absolutely no idea how I'm gonna explain this one to Shiro.

Kauto Region 5

[It's a rather peaceful, almost uneventful day in Region 5. That is until a beam of light fires skyward for a solid thirty seconds, followed by a rush of heat in all directions. It's not enough to do any damage, it just feels like a warm breeze, but that light definitely came from a residence. And if you're close enough to Lion House, you can probably hear all of the cursing.]

Comments

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Laser sword.

[shiro2hero]

That's not any better!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

It's like ten times better! It's a laser and a sword!

Any idiot can just make a laser beam! Hell, I just did!

[shiro2hero]

I'm glad you're admitting your issues.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Wow, hurtful much?

[shiro2hero]

Consider it fair statement after the kitchen incident.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Which is literally nothing compared to this.

[shiro2hero]

And I'm going to have you remember that for future reference.

... can you see yet?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I'm starting to see shapes and blurs.

You look like a very disapproving blur.

[shiro2hero]

Good.

Because that's about how I feel right now.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Why am I not surprised?

Anything else you feel like lecturing me on while I'm still dazed?

[shiro2hero]

What else am I supposed to lecture you on? If I say "you could have gotten killed", you just tell me you're invulnerable!

Because that's what I'm really concerned about right now!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Nnnnno, see, if you had said "I could have gotten hurt" then I'd fire back with the invulnerable bit.

I can be killed. I'm just as susceptible to injury as any other normal human. I just recover a lot faster.

See? I can totally die.

[shiro2hero]

Fine. In that case.

[shiro2hero]

YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Buuuut I didn't.

I know how to handle weapons, Shiro. Even experimental ones. Case in point: Don't hold the laser sword in a direction that could liquefy someone.

[shiro2hero]

But you could have!

I know you don't think it, I know you have some kind of... I don't know complex about yourself and others -- but --

[This is where he drags his hands through his hair and down his face.]

You're important to us!

If something happened to you, we would care! I would care! Why else would I be standing here, yelling right now!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Because you've had too much coffee?

[He sighs, tactfully dodging the meat of that declaration.]

Shiro, I've been around weapons almost my entire life. I don't think there's a weapon out there I can't wrap my head around almost instantly.

So, I put a hole in the roof. I knew what I was doing. It's why I had the damn thing pointed straight up to begin with.

im sorry for the wordvomit

[shiro2hero]

[Nope.]

[No. No, this is not going to be dodged. Maybe it's the stress of the whole... contaminant thing, maybe it's the added nightmares or maybe it's knowing what's waiting for them, if and when they get home.]

[... knowing if he doesn't do something, people are going to lose a part of their family. And here is part of theirs, here, talking about it so casually.]

[But -- something is bound to crack.]

Listen to me.

[And it does. In his voice. In the hands hauling the other up to his feet.]

We care what happens to you. I care. I care whether or not you're still in one piece when I walk into a room, whether or not you're still here. I don't know what I have to say to convince you, but damn it, I will figure it out, I will make you understand you're part of this team now.

So don't ... you dare blow this off. Please.

[As if realizing he might have overstepped, here, he lets go. Steps back. Makes a visible effort to pull himself back under control.]

I'm not angry because of a roof. I'm angry because you scared me.

NEVER BE SORRY, FRIEND

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Being lifted up and seized by the shoulders, being forced to look at Shiro despite the fact that all he could temporarily see were shapes and blurs, made it a hell of a lot harder for Darin to remain his usual aloof self.]

[When Shiro steps back a pace, Darin brings a hand up to run at his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. His face scrunches up as he searches for the right words.]

[He wants to counter with a joke, to try and add levity to the situation, but he knows doing so would make light of Shiro's words; his feelings. His concern. And he didn't want to do that to his best friend.]

[Finally, with a sigh of resignation, he replies.]

I...yeah. I know. I'm sorry. I'll...refrain from testing anything that could potentially maim anyone in the future. At least until I find a better way to test aside from firing it off in my room.

[shiro2hero]

[He does honestly feel bad about snapping like that. Because he shouldn't. He should have had this conversation calmly.]

[Things don't always work out that well. Or that easily.]

Or at least... use more safety precautions. Some safety precautions.

You're not as replaceable as you think you are.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I don't really know what precautions I can use against this because I think it's the first one in existence.

I'm not being cute or sarcastic, be design it's meant to cut through basically anything.

[shiro2hero]

Then talk to other people. Other engineers.

Please.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Sooooooo Hunk and Pidge?

[shiro2hero]

That's a better start than doing this all yourself.