2022-07-20: Consultation
- Log: 2022-07-20- Consultation
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Julia Ampere
- Where: Side 2 - Tsutsujidai
- OOC - IC Date: 0096-07-20
- Summary: Akane gets the style consultation she asked after from a BioNet member. It's a little more mutually revealing than they planned for...
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Things have changed a lot very quickly!
Tsutsujidai now has a spaceport as well as a train system, most importantly, and it's there that Akane finds herself waiting for an... invited guest.
Granted: She's got mixed feelings about this one in a big way. This isn't really making her world any better (or smaller), but... it's a temporary thing. She can play nice with Alexis's associates -- besides, she has some things to learn from them!
Which brings us of course to now, where Akane's... pretty much just loitering and waiting? She has a sketchbook with her, too.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
It's not every day that a new PLANT suddenly appears. That in and of itself was enough to draw Julia's curiosity - and she is someone often given to curiosity. It was fascinating in and of itself, but even more fascinating was the video message from the PLANT's master, with whom she had the pleasure of a brief chat. One thing leads to another, and soon she finds herself on a shuttle up to Tsutsujidai.
She doesn't often venture far from Earth as her brand of larceny, chicanery, and general wrong-doing is much more difficult to accomplish safely within colonies, but this particular invitation is worth the trip. She disembarks, taking a brief moment to appreciate her surroundings before, eventually, her gaze falls upon the one who invited her here. Julia offers a wave of greeting.
"Ah, Miss Shinjo, it is a pleasure to finally meet face to face. I do hope you haven't been waiting long?" Julia greets.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane looks up. Up. ... Up. "Wow, you're -- really tall," she says, blinking a few times. "Not what I expected! Kinda cool though?" ... It does make her feel a little weird about a few things, but she can safely bury that one.
"Huh? I mean, a few hours, but I've got nothing but time," Akane answers immediately, stretching out a bit as she stands up. "I don't sleep here!" She's dressed this up before to a few people, but honestly? Dressing things up is getting exhausting. She is curious, a little, if other 'real humans' wouldn't need to sleep in Tsutsujidai -- but...
... that can be a later exploration. Right now she's meeting a new compatriot (... that feels really weird) and maybe getting a style consultation.
"So! I admit I'm kinda fishing for the style consultation but we can go over things in a little more detail too. To be honest I'm kinda dying to hear what your deal is!" she declares. She at least sounds like she's having a good time?
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Akane seems surprised at her height - but also calls her 'kinda cool'. Julia chuckles good-naturedly in response.
"Why, thank you." She replies with a polite bow and straightens up. A few hours, hmm...?
"Ah... my apologies." She apologizes... and then pauses, as Akane explains that she doesn't sleep here. Now that's curious. But, Julia doesn't dwell on it visibly. "My, but that does sound convenient."
She smiles, though, as Akane continues.
"Of course - when I offered my services, I meant it. I would love to assist you. Though I certainly would not say no to a tour of your PLANT as well." Julia replies. Akane, though, is interested in what her deal is! Julia chuckles.
"My deal... Well then! In that case, I would be glad to oblige. Let's see... I suppose as colleagues there's little point in 'beating around the bush', so to speak." Julia replies, taking a brief look around before continuing. "My primary interest is in electricity and robotics. I seek out generation facilities over a certain level of output and, with the aid of my machines, take their power and add it to my own stores."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Ahaha, that one's on me," Akane says, waving off the idea of that having been much of a problem. "I don't have a super great sense of travel time... this place used to be kinda its own thing so I wasn't thinking about it." And will be again, she tells herself, firmly.
"Right? You can get so much more done that way!" Akane brings a hand up to her mouth, giggling a bit. "I mean some nights I just kinda chill out, but..." A vague gesture, and a shrug.
Back to business. Akane packs up her bag and her sketchbook and starts walking. A tour, huh... she doesn't mind that thought. "Oooh, electricity... that's a big deal, especially if you can cart it around," Akane reflects. "What do you do with it? Just sell it, or is there, like, an electricity kaiju you're feeding, or are you making an even bigger electricity robot...?"
She pops open her sketchbook and scribbles something down. Her handwriting is... not legible. Also visible: quite a few drawings of... SD versions of herself in different outfits.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
"Ah, yes... I seem to recall that, in fact." Julia comments with a nod in reply. She had heard of Tsutsujidai before now, but had never had cause before to visit. Now's as good a time as any, at least - especially now that it is particularly exciting. "That is understandable!"
She smiles, at Akane's response and giggle.
"I imagine! It's quite a time sink." Julia replies. "I would have given much for that back in my academy days, let me tell you."
She shakes her head, and follows Akane as she begins walking. She smiles, though, as she seems to take interest in her work.
"Why, thank you. Now, an electricity kaiju... that is a fascinating idea, but I have nothing of the sort. As for your other suggestions... those aren't far off the mark." Julia replies. "I keep a good deal of it for myself to power my operations and my creations, as you have guessed, but the rest is traded for supplies I cannot easily source myself, or contributed to our other colleagues to aid in operations that may require a great deal of power. The extra energy from outside, you see, can prevent noticeable spikes in energy usage that may be observed by those who would be interested in interfering."
She smiles at that thought.
"I extend the same offer to you, of course - if you have any plans that would benefit from a little electrical assistance, I would be glad to contribute from my stores." She offers.
She doesn't intend to pry into what Akane's working on in her notebook, but the difference in height does mean that it's hard not to notice them if she wants to keep her attention on her.
"Are those some of your current ideas?" She asks, curious.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"It wasn't mine -- some other girl Alexis was working with -- but I actually do have some electricity stuff lying around... I don't know if he'll make that available to you guys, but maybe we should take a look at it together some time! I could definitely use someone who knows how that stuff works..." She enthusiastically leads Julia out of the dock, pointing off in the distance. "That's the kinda sketchy part of town. I don't know a ton about it, but, like, it's there if you like playing shogi with teenage girls, or... whatever else?" She doesn't dwell there.
Indeed, she seems pretty eager to get out of that side of things and head forward. "Ooooh, so it's like... electricity laundering, kind of? That's kinda neat. I bet that makes it a lot easier to run secret bases and stuff without people asking why you're using more power than a whole ward."
She gets spotted, though, and sounds... excited, as she notes, "This is the central business district. I've blown this place up... a looooooot. It's fine though! The kaiju take care of putting everything back together." Conspiratorially, she notes, "Pretty much nothing stays gone if I don't want it to stay gone."
... she thinks of a garbage heap in her room.
The urge to jump off that topic and to Anywhere Else, instead, spikes, and Julia provides an easy way to get there. "Ehehe, yeah. I was gonna wait for us to get a place to plop down, but I don't mind showing you if you already saw it." She hands over her sketchbook, already open to the relevant page. "The next page has some stuff, too." she says, feeling bright and chatty to all appearances.
Redesigns Akane has pitched for herself:
* standard labcoat (notes: 'too basic? doesn't express anything? but like... way easier to wear than this other stuff...')
* floral chuunibyou disaster (notes: 'i get the feeling an eyepatch would be miserable and pointless but like... aesthetic')
* ... yeah it's pretty much just The Capcom Character Trenchcoat Look (notes: 'i will melt in this heat and if i don't buy real leather so will the coat gfhdglfdglh')
* A look that honestly makes her look way more ready for a cabaret club than any type of science crime (notes below it: 'ooh, skirt could be dangerous -- use hoodie silhouette?')
* Her kaiju, specifically Devadadan, but as a bodysuit and vaguely floral (notes: 'kinda nervewrackingly tight'... more panels? but that gets hard to move in...')
* off-the-shoulder oiran kimono with kaiju patterning (notes: 'i like the off the shoulder thing, i've always been going for this with my hoodie, but this might be too... adult in the wrong way? i guess a parasol would make an ok prop and that might actually do an okay job of keeping me cool too but... i'm not COMMITTED to the aesthetic')
* A vaguely Alexis-themed bodysuit (notes: 'nah. too pathetic.')
oh god she is a whole-ass chuuni
Akane stops walking for just a moment, leaning in, enthusiastic and just a little too close. "Let me know what you think!"
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
"Ah, I did hear about that... I was intending to ask if that was your handiwork." Julia replies with a nod. "I am quite intrigued by the idea. Yes, we certainly should. I imagine it would be rather enlightening."
She follows Akane out of the dock, looking in the direction Akane points out. ...Julia supposes every town has something like that. Akane doesn't seem to want to dwell on it, so she won't either.
"That's an excellent term for it." Julia replies with a nod. "And, indeed - it certainly makes things run much more smoothly."
Akane points out the central business district next, excitedly pointing out how much she's blown it up - and how the kaiju put it back together.
"My, how fascinating. Do they do it manually, brick by brick? Or is it an all at once sort of thing?" Julia asks, curious.
But, the topic changes quickly to contents of the notebook so with a nod Julia accepts it from her. She studies the designs presented on this one to the next, looking them over, 'hmm'ing and nodding to herself occasionally as she does.
"These are quite nice designs. Very characterful - any one would certainly stand out. You're quite creative, Miss Shinjo!" Julia observes. "You have a number of different aesthetics here. Do you have a personal favorite?"
She 'hmm's for again, thinking over what she wants to say next.
"I would recommend narrowing it down to one or two. How do I put this..." Julia starts. "Your outfit, your aesthetic... it's like a message to the world. It can be a quiet whisper, or a loud scream - or declaration. It's a way of shaping others' perception of you. What message do you want to send to the world, Miss Shinjo?"
She pauses for a moment and then continues, possibly undercutting her own statement -
"...Of course, it's good to keep in mind practical concerns as well, as you've noted. Some sacrifices in the name of aesthetic are to be expected, of course, but it's important that it both look good and feel good to wear, particularly if you expect to wear it often and for long periods of time." She adds.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"It's pretty much all at once. Stuff just... disappears into the fog, and then it's fine," Akane answers, and for an instant, she's... it's not that she sounds unhappy. But it's hard to hide that, rather than that being something she takes pride in, it's something that gnaws at her.
... clothes talk with a Cool Adult (a rarity!) is easier, anyway. "Hrmmm... well, like... let's go through and start crossing stuff off," she says, rather than say if she has a favorite. She takes her notebook back, starting to walk again, and takes up a pen as she leads Julia down a side street. "It kinda looks small if you check the place out with a drone," she notes, absently, as she looks over her options, "but I kinda like how walkable it is. It's... a small kinda place, right? Like, even for a colony?"
As they pass Sevendarake without a comment, Akane crosses off the Alexis-style suit and the trenchcoat first. "Pass on both of these, I think?" she starts, with a shake of her head. "Messy and kinda pathetic. I don't wanna feel like I'm just here because Alexis is involved, either."
She extremely is, but that's neither here nor there.
"The panels are probably a nightmare, too. No way to make that both effective and good looking." Slash. "The kimono... naaaaaaaah, that's an occasions thing? Like, it makes me feel like I'm throwing out an alternate outfit for myself in a gacha game." Slash. "... This is just Britannian prom now that someone else is looking at it and that's way the wrong impression." Slash.
It's at this point that she diverts, and asks: "... How did you hit your look? I like the coat, obviously, but... I don't wanna steal your gimmick..." It really does feel like she's kind of playing around, at this point.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Julia nods in interest and understanding as Akane explains how it works. As someone with a ravenous intellect she has loads more questions on how this all works, of course... but she can see that it isn't something she wants to dwell on, so Julia elects to let the subject fade there.
Instead, Clothes Talk!
"A good idea." Julia replies with a nod, as Akane decides to start crossing things off the list. As for the size...
"I must admit, I'm not the most familiar with colonies... it does seem rather small, however. Still, I imagine it does make it that much easier to manage." She replies thoughtfully.
Clothing talk continues, and Julia nods as Akane crosses a few more options off. In particular, she nods at the removal of the Alexis-themed outfit.
"A wise choice. The design is nice, but it's far too derivative - more the look of a follower than a young woman striking out on her own, hm?" She comments.
She listens, then, as Akane continues to walk herself through the rest of them. The question then turns to how she decided on her own look.
"Ah, well, now that took quite a journey of discovery and experimentation." Julia replies. She looks almost fond at the reminiscence, though. "Because I work closely with electricity, I need clothes that are well-insulated against it. My body can handle it much better than the average person's can-" There's probably a story behind that. "- but it's still vital to have some protection against it, you see. There were a few...missteps along the way, as I found myself straying too far to either side of the 'form versus function' scale, but eventually settled on a coat like this - it has both a striking silhouette, is comfortable to wear, and it is well-insulated without sacrificing form. The tail of the coat also acts as a grounding mechanism, somewhat... though that is a bit more a happy accident, I must admit. The colors, both the primary purple - much like the streak in my hair - and gold trim, also invoke images of electrical phenomenon, further reinforcing my preferred aesthetic."
She gives this time to settle before continuing.
"The gloves and boots, meanwhile, are a practical consideration for the same reasons of insulation. ...The scarf, however, is purely a fashion statement." She concludes. "...And that is how I came to land on this outfit. I imagine you don't intend to put yourself in harm's way quite as much, so you may not need as many protective considerations... but, things like that are important to think about!"
She chuckles, then.
"Coats are quite nice, aren't they? There are so many different ways to wear them. If you do decide to incorporate one into your look, I am certain you will land on one that is uniquely 'you'."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
With a small cant of her head and a chew at her lip, Akane discards the thought of the Venora in favor of clothes talk. "Yeah, exactly. I feel like I have a little more to offer than someone who just... puts on the clothes of the last four guys they saw and calls it good," Akane agrees. "As far as super-criminal stances go that's kinda classless."
She scoots along to Julia's story of her coat. "Yeah -- there's definitely, like... a coat emphasizes your bigness if you're already big and it makes you look bigger if you aren't," Akane starts. "Either way: definite power move." There's a playful little wink there as she emphasizes: pun intentional. "I'm definitely curious about your body," phrasing, "because mine's actually kinda different too... and not just with the sleep thing, either."
She looks down at her hand. Then she moves on, again, glancing between the two remaining outfits.
She needs a bit to consider the insulation part. "Hmmm, yeah, that was one thing I was thinking about," she says. "I don't need insulation but I do need toughness if I'm gonna be kicking up rocks and debris and stuff. Like, a tattered coat is a statement but that's really the wrong statement for me... and like, dramatic rooftop standing is a classic! Totally beats just doing everything with drones."
Come to think, that's also a commonality here... "Do you coordinate your drones with everything else, or do you stick to practicals there?" She likes the way hers look, but could she do better?
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Julia can't help but laugh at that.
"My! Well, there's no accounting for taste for some people, I suppose..." She replies, with a shake of her head - and then a nod, as Akane continues.
"Yes, absolutely! I'm glad you understand." She replies... and then grins, at her pun. It definitely earns her a few notches of respect. As for Akane's curiosity - she politely ignores the phrasing - Julia nods. "Ah, is that so?"
Still, for her own part, she can explain what she means.
"I have undergone some modifications to further enhance my endeavors. Internal insulation, as I alluded to, but transmitters, too, to allow myself finer control over my drones without need of an external device that can be stolen or sabotaged. The signal is only one-way, of course, so it can't be hijacked." She explains. "I am also capable of generating an electric current of my own - enough to kickstart unpowered machinery, or incapacitate an attacker."
She'd demonstrate, but it's not the sort of thing she wants to do unless prompted.
She listens, then, as Akane thinks about the considerations her outfit would need.
"Mm, yes, that is important. This is certainly a line of work where your outfit must be resistant to wear and tear, if wear and tear isn't the aesthetic you're going for." Julia agrees. "The line between 'tastefully tattered' and 'ruefully ragged' is quite thin, after all!"
As for dramatic rooftop standing, Julia agrees.
"Ah, I am quite glad you have an appreciation for the classics." She comments appreciatively. As for her own drones...
"Not with my outfit, no. I go through quite a few of them, and painting them all would be prohibitively expensive... but they do at least share a design aesthetic with my vehicle of choice. A moment..." Julia says. She draws out her phone, taps a few options to bring up her gallery, and points it screen out to display the picture she brought up to Akane. It depicts several smaller robots, four-legged and low to the ground with a series electric-cable tendrils emerging from the back, all clustered around one much larger one, also four-legged but standing taller and bearing a pair of large clamping claws instead of cable tendrils. "My darling Electrocrawlers, shown here with my magnificent Dynamo Queen. I've managed to preserve the design through-line, at least, so I can be proud in that respect."
She puts the phone away.
"You said you have drones of your own? I imagine they aren't combat-focused... I imagine that would make coordinating them with your own aesthetic that much easier." She considers.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"Wow, you're easy to talk to!" Akane says, brightly. "That stuff all sounds so... specific, and so on purpose. I actually have no idea what's up with me, I just don't need to sleep or eat or anything. ... Actually there's some weird stuff... maybe you can help me figure it out, actually!"
Without constant negative stimulation, Akane has started to notice that the most mysterious thing about Tsutsujidai is her. Alexis has always had simple, bland explanations, but not ones that really make sense... "... So like -- sometimes I notice pain and heat and stuff, and sometimes I don't? One time I grabbed a malfunctioning cyborg right on the metal and it was fine and I didn't get burned or anything, but on the other hand, like..." With a vague gesture, she explains, "if it were any hotter than this, today, I feel like I'd melt."
Yet she isn't sweating!
When the phone comes out, she scoots a little closer, her thoughts of her own aesthetic aside for now. "Hmmm... I definitely feel like you're losing something without the paint," she reflects. "Like, the base design is REALLY good and I love the Dynamo Queen! They go together super, super great. But..."
Something about that doesn't add up. If she's stealing massive amounts of electricity, surely she can steal a little paint to go with it. It's cheap enough that aces paint their stuff even though they're getting dinged and chipped all the time -- it's a partial explanation, but...
"Yeah," Akane says, first. "I just use them to keep tabs on stuff. Usually I don't leave my room, so I just have a camera drone out there. But if you're putting these front and center and not putting the effort in..."
Akane hms, a bit. "You're either running on pretty tight margins and trying to look like you aren't, you're not actually that excited about everything you're doing, or you're getting bored halfway through everything."
Her stance goes a little too conciliatory as she finishes, "Or -- uh, maybe bare metal is just your thing."
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
"Well, I try." Julia replies with a chuckle as Akane points out that she's easy to talk to. She listens, then, as she explains that she doesn't actually have an idea what's up with her. "Oh, is that so... Well, if I can assist, I would certainly be glad to do so."
If there's one thing Julia loves, it's an exciting mystery - not that call Akane that to her face, of course. That would be rude. She listens, then, as Akane explains.
"This 'malfunctioning cyborg', I take it they ordinarily burn what touches them?" She asks for clarification. "But you can still feel the heat of a day like this..."
Julia hasn't looked close enough to tell if she's sweating or not up to this point, but she does so now briefly.
"I haven't heard of any sort of modification that would protect you from one aspect, while still leaving you vulnerable to the other... But if it were purely psychological, there would be a noticeable mark from where you grabbed them even if you didn't feel it at the time..." Julia replies with a 'hmm' of consideration. "I can't say I've heard of this sort of phenomenon before, I'm afraid - but if I do come across something I'll let you know, hm?"
She listens, then, as the discussion turns back toward the Electrocrawlers and their lack of paint. She watches Akane with interest as she considers and comes up with theories - and walks it back a bit, at the end.
"Not to worry. You haven't offended me." Julia replies politely, noting the conciliatory stance. "But my, you are quite observant, aren't you, Miss Shinjo? I'm impressed you've managed to put all that together just from a single picture."
It's an observation - but not an explanation, or a confirmation or denial of any of the points she brought up.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
In that sense, at least, they're alike; Akane is at her best, for a given value of best, when she's got something to puzzle at. (It's maybe a little indelicate to treat other people like puzzles, but... well, they're getting her in her 'something-I-must-do' stance, so a little of that is inevitable.)
"Well, it was like... a week ago, ish? And, well." Akane raises a hand. Obviously perfectly fine. "Yeah. I dunno. It's... well, whatever! If you don't know, and I don't know, I guess it's just like that for now!" Evidently she's not that interested in figuring out the mysteries of her life.
'Observant,' though. That crosses both streams, a bit. "Yeah. You are too, I notice," Akane says, with a nod. She's a little relieved to hear that she hasn't offended Julia, since, again: cool adult. Extreme rarity.
It does make her feel like she's wearing out her welcome a bit, regardless... but that can wait a little. "I think it's weird when people don't notice that kinda stuff. If you're someone who's really preoccupied with your look -- and you wouldn't have," gesture, "that if you didn't... your drones kinda stick out. I guess that's my payment for the style consult," Akane finally answers, in a playful tone that drops a bit as she notes, "Pointing out that you're giving away a bunch more than you think you are. Not everyone's gonna look that hard, but some people will!"
That's why she needs the help of someone with a clearer aesthetic sense in the first place, after all: shoring up the holes in her own mask.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
Julia nods, noting Akane's hand - indeed, there's no sign that the incident even happened.
"Indeed. As long as you remain in good health, that's the important thing." Julia replies. She's going to remain curious about it, of course, but she's not going to get much more information unless Akane gives it to her - not that it seems like there's much else left to say on that point.
"Ah, thank you." Julia replies, as Akane points out that she is too... and listens intently once more as Akane continues. She studies her thoughtfully for a moment.
"Well then! I accept this trade - I will be sure to take that into consideration. It wouldn't do to give away too much up front. If they wish to learn, they'll have to work for it. Ideally, through stimulating banter." Julia decides. "Still, I hope that I have helped you reach your ideal aesthetic, as well. Do let me know if you wish for any further advice."
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
'Stimulating banter,' huh? Akane nods, affirming, "I think that's a pretty good trade for both of us. I'm looking forward to seeing how you solve the obstacles!" (Right now, Akane actually does bet it's the expense... but she's not discounting the possibility that she isn't the Universal Century's only bored, lonely person.)
"I do have a lot more of the city to show you, if you want to keep walking... buuuut let's stick to the business district for now, okay? Maybe we can hit a clothing store or two, too... I bet we can find something to start working from."
If Julia takes her up on it, Akane remains ... pretty chatty, as long as they stay away from the finer points of 'work.' If not, well. She's in the central business district of her city; she can find things to do.
<Pose Tracker> Julia Ampere has posed.
"Certainly!" Julia replies. It'll... definitely take some thinking, but she'll think it over. For now, though, she focuses on the present.
"I would be glad to see more of your city. I have more walking in me yet, I think!" Julia replies with a nod. "Yes, I have no issue with that. That's a marvelous idea, in fact - let's see what we can find!"
Julia is plenty talkative too, of course - and observant enough to steer clear of topics that clearly won't bear fruit.
It will certainly be an interesting venture!