Coping Tactics

Sword Man sits on one of the seats in the common room, a slightly filled glass of wine on a nearby table, and a ruby in his hand. He examines the ruby quickly, before placing it in the pocket of his trousers. He cares not for the jewels. His one objective for the excursion today ran off with the arrivial of the Maverick Hunters. And before you're wondering, yes, he currently has his "casual" duds on. Why, who knows. It should also be noted that he has a handful of other various jewels on the table next to the wine, scattered about haphazardly.

Gemini Man walks into the common room. His mood seems, oddly enough, pretty bright. He glances around the room for a moment, and notes the pile of jewels sitting on the table. "Oooo," he says... still from across the room. "So is that the haul from the hunt you guys held?"

Sword Man turns to Gemini and nods, taking his goblet in hand and taking a small sip before placing it down again. "Part of it, aye. Your squad's portion should arrive to your outpost soon enough." Sword then idly takes a small emerald in hand, looking it over before pocketing that one absentmindedly as well.

Gemini Man steps in a little closer, and looks over at the display on the table. "We get a portion? I figured it would all go right back in to fixing the training room floor."

Sword Man shakes his head, taking a golden coin in his hand this time and flipping it idly. "Each squad shall recieve an equal portion of the riches, save the Elites, who shall recieve a larger portion of the treasure." With that, Sword flips the coin one more time before palming it and slapping it down on the table.

Gemini Man picks up a small ruby off the table, and, just inspects it. He frowns. "I still don't see why anybody needs jewels in an organization that has a Crystal Man. But, we'll take the offering if you plan on passing it out."

Sword Man looks toward Gemini and snorts, barely audible. "If anything, the jewels should be sold and the money recieved from it to be used in bettering the territories. Such idle trapping of luxury are truly useless otherwise." He then proceeds to use the tip of his blade to slide the remaining jewels and riches to the edge of the table and push them into an open leather pouch, pulling the drawstring closed after doing so.

Gemini Man smiles brightly, in a very phony sort of way. "I like you! You're cheerful!" He hands back the jewel he was looking at... "Missed one." He pauses, then reaches up to his forhead, stretching his thumb and pinky across to mark the length of it... "Got any in there about...this big?"

Sword Man shakes his head. "I would not know. I did not bother to examine what we procured. I just made sure the divisions were as equal as possible, with Sir Ring's and Sir Pirate's assistance in appraisment of the gains." He takes back the jewel Gemini had and reaches into his pocket, dragging out the ruby and the emerald from within and placing all three into the pouch, pulling it closed again and pocketing the whole thing. He then takes his goblet again and takes another sip.

Gemini Man hops up onto the table, and sits. Suddenly, he asks an idle question. "So...what do you do for fun?"

Sword Man raises an eyebrow at Gemini in mid-sip, wondering what has gotten into the twin master. Perhaps the lack of his companion of light and shadows has caused him to go a little mad? "Fun is not relevant for a soldier such as I. I do what I must."

A little mad? You should have seen him the other day. He looks over at Sword, and his eyes widen. "Hey! Wanna see a play I wrote? I was gonna show it to Magnet Man, but...he left." Gemini frowns.

Sword Man blinks at Gemini. A play?! By /HIM/?! oO(I worry....) "Very well....." Idly, he tunes down his audio receptors a bit, fearing for both his ears and Gemini's sanity.

Gemini Man hops off the table, and, with much enthusiasm, wanders over to the kitchen portion of the room. He grabs a salt and pepper shaker in his single hand,then, starts to look around... He gets the sugarbowl, then gets into the fridge and grabs out a canister of coffee creamer, and a half-used jar of spaghetti sauce. He then walks over to Sword Man's table, and arranges these items, very carefully...setting the salt and pepper shakers next to each other, then, adjusting them so they are just perfect.

Sword Man fights back a sweatdrop. "What is this about?" he asks warily. Internally, he now wonders if the punishment was maybe a little TOO harsh for Gemini.

Gemini Man clears his throat. He says, "Okay. Ready." He looks up, then back down at his props, then begins, picking up the salt and pepper shakers one at a time, and jostling them as they "talk."
"I am Gemini Man," says the salt shaker, in a slightly falsetto voice.
"And I am also Gemini Man," says the pepper shaker.
"We are very good friends!" says the salt shaker.
"Nothing will ever seperate us!" adds the pepper shaker.
Then, Gemini Man lifts up the coffee creamer, and stomps it over into the scene. "GRRRR," it says, exaggeratedly deepened. "I AM BASS. You have risked my WRATH. BWAHHH HA HAHAHA!" As Gemini makes the Bass-standin laugh, he dumps the coffee creamer all over the salt and pepper shakers...then, he lifts the pepper shaker, up, and... SMASH!!! He breaks it onto the table, spewing pepper everywhere.

Dust Man arrives from the Great Hall - Skull Fortress.
Dust Man has arrived.

Sword Man raises an eyebrow at Gemini's little play acting. "Sir Gemini....perhaps you should see about having Lady Synth or perhaps Sir Dust examine you. Your erratic nature is worrying."

Gemini Man isn't paying attention to Sword's protest. He's still puppet-acting with various items found in the kitchen. "Woe is me," says the salt shaker, "for now I am all alone. Alllllll alone."
He picks up the sugar bowl. "GRRRR... I am Treble, and I am going to KICK you while you're DOWN. RUFF RUFF!" He dumps the sugar bowl all over the salt shaker, shaking the sugar everywhere. "Because... I'm a TOTAL RETARD! AAAGGGH!!" He smashes the bowl onto the table, shattering the ceramic, just because. Then, Gemini lifts up the spagetti sauce... "And I'm just spagetti sauce," He opens up the jar and pours it all over everything on the table, "but I'm going to get everywhere, and make a big mess, BWAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Dust Man blinks as he walks in the door. "Ummm... Gemini.... Hi." This is behavoiur he might excuse had Gemini suffered massive head trauma that hasn't been fixed, but Dust knows better than that. "Gemini, are you cool? Because you're acting very strange." He makes his way across the room to where the two RMs are...

Sword Man turns to Dust. "Good day, Sir Dust.....I believe Sir Gemini needs to be examined. Brother..." He turns back to Gemini. "...I think your condition needs to be studied. This is not.....normal."

Gemini Man falls on the floor, and leans back on his heels, laughing quitely, in a hee hee hee kind of manner. When Dust Man walks in, he looks up, and blinks, then smiles at him. "Hey, Dust Man, you're just in time! There's a huge mess in here, and you need to clean it up." He smacks his hand onto the table, and lifts it up, covered in a mixture of spagetti sauce and sugar. "See?"

Dust Man looks at Gemini. "Yes sir, I will clean it up." He takes a rag out of subspace and walks over to the deranged individual. "I was just wondering--" Dusty starts wiping Gemini's face and neck "--If you were operating under-" Dusty switches Gemini off. Or tries too.
Dust Man strikes you with his Grasp for 0 units of damage.

Gemini Man looks surprised for a moment, but, that's all he gets, before his eyes shut and his body slumps right on to the floor.

Sword Man sighs as Gemini shuts down. "That was quite disturbing. Sir Dust, I would advise either you or Lady Synth examine Sir Gemini. This behavior is too disconcerting to ignore....."

Dust Man sighs. "Hold on, this might have a rational explanation..."
Dust Man sends a radio transmission to Synth.
Dust Man receives a radio transmission from Synth.

Tengu Man arrives from the Great Hall - Skull Fortress.
Tengu Man has arrived.

Gemini Man is laying on the ground, totally deactivated.

Sword Man is currently looming over Gemini's limp body with a worried look, waiting for Dust to give the word on what to do with him.

Dust Man makes a few quick disconnections, and sighs. "I think the lack of a holoemitter is getting to him." He looks at Sword. "How long has this been going on?"

Sword Man shakes his head. "I am unsure. This is the first instance I have seen. However, perhaps our other brothers have already seen this..." He rubs the bridge of his nose, trying to figure out what the hell to do.

Tengu Man walks into the Common Room, just looking for some rest and relaxation time. After taking a few steps the comatose Gemini enters his view and he stops. "Whoa! What happened to him?"

Dust Man looks at Tengu. "Don't worry, I think he's been under a lot of stress... And I'm just giving him a little nap time.

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man wrrrs onto the radio, a bit slowly and drunken-sounding at first. "...Hello... We are Gemini Man, unit DWN 019. Please stand by for reboot."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Theta Squad CO Sword Man sighs....

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Hm? Huh? Hey, what gives? Dust Man, what did you DO?"

Sword Man looks to Tengu, and bows. "Good day, SIr Tengu." He then looks back down to Gemini. "SIr Gemini's behavior was erratic, so Sir Dust was forced to disable him for the time being to examine his problem further."

Dust Man gets out his palmtop computer, and jacks in to Gemini's head. "Okay, lets see here. This would be easier if ERWIN was still in the computer..."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Hey, stop that...what are you doing?"

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "UUUUGGGGH STOP! STOP! That's protected information!"

Tengu Man glances at Sword, returning a quarter-bow that looks more like a nod, and also looks back at Gemini, a bit concerned. "Yeah, g'day to you too... So, stress, huh?" He watches Dust on his computer with mild interest, mostly listening to his radio. "Whaddya think his damage is, eh?"

Sword Man shakes his head. "I am unsure. This is not my area of expertise..." He then hears Gemini's protestations over the radio and sighs....

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Dust Man.... that's enough... leggo. My programming is perfectly valid."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "We were just trying to freak you guys out... see... and you over-reacted, as is typical... Stop now."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Get out now."

[Radio: (A) Masters] RM #30 Dust Man transmits, "Gemini, there's only one of you right now."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "NO!"

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "There are two of me! Even when there is only one."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man sounds panicked. "Don't change our programming! Don't change our programming! We aren't supposed to have to function this way! We'll be good! I'll be a good boy!!

[Radio: (A) Masters] RM #30 Dust Man transmits, "I'm not gonna change it. We just need to keep... Wait, I have an Idea."

[Later...]

Medical Support - Skull Fortress

Between such resident medics as Dust Man and Junk Man, this room is as much a scrap heap as a medical facility, and as much a warzone as a scrap heap. Towards the front are three fully equipped repair tables and an automatic repair chamber, and the room is ringed by cabinets and storage units, if you can get to them through the piles of defunct drones and spare parts. The latest generation of Master medical assistant drones has been specially designed for this environment, with a radar positioning system and an additional pair of drill arms. One wall features three giant diagnostics displays. These can be used to call up known information on both friends and foes. Dust Man [Sorival] [RM]
Freeze Man [Normal] [RM]
Cold Man [Normal] [RM]
Sideshow [RM]
Dynamo Man's Charger
The Dust Heap [TDH]
Repair Chamber

Obvious exits:
Hydraulic Doors leads to Vehicle Docking - Skull Fortress.
Reinforced Doors leads to Teleporters - Skull Fortress.
North leads to Lift Landing - Skull Fortress.

Gemini Man is still lying about, deactivated, by Dust Man's request.

Sword Man sighs. "Aye. Sir Bass. Sinister to the last." He looks over Synth and her behavior, recalling what has gone down these last few days. "Perhaps thee shouldst take leave of thy duty for a short spell of time. The nature of your duty is....wracking at best. With the events of the previous 2 days, I am surprised you have been able to keep thy composure."

[Radio: (B) Secure] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Is anybody out there?"

[Radio: (B) Secure] Enker transmits, "Yes, Gemini?"

[Radio: (B) Secure] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Dust Man shut me down."

Synth sighs faintly, pushing herself away from the table for a moment. She stands.... and finally opts to lean against the wall, her head pillowed on her forearm as she tries to keep from breaking down again. "We all have our jobs to do," she says at last, her voice shaking. "We can't just stand down from them..."

Ballade arrives from the Teleporters - Skull Fortress.
Ballade has arrived.

[Radio: (B) Secure] Enker transmits, "For what reason?"

Metal Man says, "Thank you for the repairs Synth."

[Radio: (B) Secure] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "I played a joke and it scared him. Will someone reactivate my body now?"

[Radio: (B) Secure] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "I've been quiet."

Sword Man sighs. "Aye. Duty cannot be simply shyed away from. I, as a soldier, know this all too well, my sister. However, it shall do you nor your wards well to remain in such a state. I still advise you to find a way to settle thy nerves. For thy sake." He looks serious about this, however, his usual neutral tone of voice is not exactly the most comforting...

[Radio: (B) Secure] Enker transmits, "I'm afraid I'm rather tied up at the moment. Metal Man? Snake Man?"

[Radio: (B) Secure] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "I don't want Snake Man to reactivate me."

[Radio: (B) Secure] Enker transmits, "Beggars cannot be choosers, Gemini."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "It is for thy own good, Sir Gemini. Your state is erratic and possibly harmful, to thyself and others."

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "I'm all right. I was only joking."

The Elite Bodyguard steps into the medical bay, marching through the Fortress on his last round of the night. Even this late in the evening, there is business to be discussed; there is always business, yes.

His eyes pass over the occupants of the room as he walks in -- not a word is spoken in greeting. Not a word is needed. His presence is enough. Even his shadow commands respect.

Synth shakes her head and sighs one last time, scrubbing her eyes - not crying, although she feels like it. An entire evening of 'adjusting' ERWIN's new body, followed by the events of today, constant repairs and operations.... all of it getting to her. And she is distracted enough that she doesn't notice Ballade - indeed, she hasn't even changed out of her armor, which is something she rarely leaves on for any length of time.

[Radio: (A) Masters] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Ya know, if somebody took away your sword, you'd have even less to do with yourself than I do, too. You said yourself you have no sense of fun, and you certainly don't have any hobbies. It's not my fault if my efforts to be funny sometimes fall flat around all you crazy-serious people."

Astro Man arrives from the Teleporters - Skull Fortress.
Astro Man has arrived.

Looking quite pathetic, Astro Man hovers thrrough the door.

[Radio: (A) Masters] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "Perhaps....."

Sword Man sighs yet again. "I am sorry if I have caused you grief, Lady Synth," he says, formality returning to his voice. Just in time, too, as Ballae, the Violet Elite, decides to enter. "Good evening, Sir Ballade." He then notices Astro come in as well. "Good evening, Sir Astro."

Gemini Man is lying, deactivated, and helmet removed, on a medcot.

Astro Man isn't really saying much tonight... he makes a depressed little note as a "hello" to Sword, before hovering over and settling down by a table in the corner.

Ballade grants Sword Man a curt acknowledgement nod, gaze tracking Astro as he hulks himself in and perches on a table, or something nearby a table. It's hard to tell what the legless Masters do in terms of `blocking' when they don't have those last two limbs to give you visual cues.

No matter. Synth is mentally exhausted and can be spoken to when she finishes; a task that can be accomplished now, though, is the reactivation of Gemini Man. The Elite moves across the room, puts his hands around Gemini's head -- cradling his face, really -- and extends his middle finger slightly, toggling the on-switch.

He likes to have his underlings wake up with his hands around their heads. It makes them remember the omnipresent reach of the Master.

Gemini Man's eyes slowly open, then, the pupils shrink into focus. As the light reaches Gemini's processor, he blinks several times, in shock. It's evident from his expression that he was not expecting Ballade. "Oh," he says, after several such consecutive blinks. "Hello, sir."

Ballade allows his hands to linger a few seconds longer than they need to on Gemini's face, pulling them away so slowly that the absence of pressure might not even be noticed for a few tenths of a second. He retreats from him enough to give Gemini room to sit up, the Elite's gaze not leaving Gemini's optics. His expression is flat, dead, impassive; he is the mirror that consumes all and reveals nothing.

"Gemini Man," he says, "what did you do to bring that on yourself?"

Gemini Man sits up, and rubs the back of his head. He lets out an embarrassed giggle, then, an outright laugh, looking down at his lap. He looks up at Ballade's stare, and the laugh comes out in short bursts, then, when the Elite's expression does not change, the laughter...slows. A last, single, "Heh," then, Gemini clears his throat. "Well, Sword Man and I were sitting around, and, I started explaining to him why I was feeling a little out of sorts...so..." Gemini looks away again, unable to focus on Ballade's gaze for very long. "I broke a few small things, little things, like the sugar bowl, and, Dust Man deactivated me for a time-out."

Synth lets her armor fade away from around her, leaving only her regular outfit - a bit worn and rumpled from her having been in it for the last few days. And she slowly sinks down to her knees, turning over so she is looking into the room... and Synth lets out a soft 'oh' of surprise as she sees the Elite standing there. Well... what to do? Considering for a moment, the Femme just decides to stay there, and see if Ballade does not notice her.
Synth presses a button on her gauntlet, and shifts back to her unarmored form.

Astro Man sighs, except he doesn't breathe, so it sounds like feedback from that strange metallic voice of his. "It sounds good. Maybe I ought to shut down and lay low for a while too."
Astro Man says, "Can someone do me a favour? I can't reach my own off switch..."

Snake Man arrives from the Vehicle Docking - Skull Fortress.
Snake Man has arrived.

Ballade is not known for his expressiveness. Nor is he easily impressed. Gemini's explanation rolls through his mind, massaged over and over again, finding little purchase in Ballade's rational mind.

"Avoid such problematic behavior in the future," he says, and apparently has nothing else to say. He slowly turns his head, optics bringing Synth into view through his peripheral vision. He regards her for several seconds before altering the lie of his optics very slightly to examine Astro Man.

"Use your shutdown sequence," he directs to The Nervous One. "It will wear less on your manual switch."

Astro Man says, "OK, OK thankyou Ballade. Listen, once I finish can someone hide me from Freeze Man?"

Sword Man just lies back, another burden he tries to take from a sibling back, only to find himself saddled with the burden as well. oO(First Brother Crystal, now Lady Synth.)Oo Perhaps he should keep out of all this. But then again, what kind of Knight would he be then? Worse yet, what kind of /BROTHER/ would he be. He shakes his head and shuts down for the day, hoping the sunrise shall bring an epiphany....

Astro Man pauses for a second, then the lights abruptly flick off in his eyes. His arms are sucked into his metal chest, the Orbital Spheres plug the gaps, his chest shrinks down into his bulbous abdomen and all that's left poking out is that spinning gold antenna, which slows to a crawl and stops.

Gemini Man hops down off the cot, and picks up his discarded helmet. He looks at the blank front of it, and does not put it back on right away. "Er, thanks, Ballade," he says, even though the Elite is ignoring him now.

Snake Man saunters in through the door. He appears to be following his nose, or in this case, his tongue, as it flickers in and out, tasting the air as he tracks the smell of someone, or something.

Synth just looks somewhat cooly back at Ballade - not defiantely, or rudely just... tired. As if she were having trouble bringing herself to muster any emotion at all. Synth finally pushes herself up along the wall, and offers the Elite a faint node. "I've... managed to finish the repairs for everyone who was damaged today," she says quietly, resting her hands on the table and leaning forward.to support herself. "We're fortuante our last couple of raids were so successful... we have been running low due to constain repairs."

As Astro shuts himself off, Ballade's attention moves to Synth. He approaches her, that calculating, clinical gaze passing across her face several times.

"Good," he says. "You have done well, Synth. Create a manifest of what components we are running short on tomorrow so that we may acquire or build more."

Gemini Man's eyes move over toward the entrance, and he tenses up, as he sees the flickering tongue, and the figure behind it. "I-- I need to-- to go now..." he says, his jaw clenched fit to clack his teeth as he tries to speak. Luckily, there are two ways out of the medical area, and Gemini starts to rush for the second one, at a power-walk pace. He doesn't look back toward Snake Man. "Bye everyone see ya tomorrow and thanks again!!"

Snake Man leans on the doorway, watching the occupants. He gives Gemini a wink as he looks in his direction, and grins.

Synth nods slightly, wavering for a moment before she manages to steady herself, her fingers grinding down on the medical table. "Understood.. I would like to politely request that the boys not hurt themselves quite as much, if possible? I can understand that it is unavoidable, but..." She shakes her head slowly, before straightening and trying to offer Ballade a proper salute.

She doesn't make it, and actually sags slightly, reaching out to catch herself from falling again.

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