orendalogs | IT'S YOUR DESTINY!!!

The Guardian started, looking around briefly in confusion - it was going to take time to get used to people being in his home - before glancing down and nodding dumbly. Reaching down, he lifted the little dog up and set him on the couch, silver eyes fixed on the fluffy fur and tiny paws, mystified. Even Ren's dark eyes were curious to the Titan, and while he was careful not to touch (Ren was a person, after all) he couldn't help but stare in awe of the Allmate.

"Are all Allmates little canines?" he asked, shifting slightly on the couch to respectfully face the dog. Ghost floated over, hovering nearby, curious as well.

He got that ‘dog-lover’ look in his eyes when he saw you, Aoba had told Ren, as he prepared to shower. Go make a friend, okay?

So, after being lifted, Ren padded a little circle on the couch cushion before settling down next to Declan’s thigh. Even if he wasn’t a real dog, doglike mannerisms were still part of his programming. His dark eyes fixed on Declan’s own with bright intelligence nevertheless.

“No, they are not. Allmates come in many forms and functions, though animal varieties like myself are popular. For example, two of Aoba’s friends have a bird Allmate and an ermine Allmate respectively. His employer, however, has a robot designed for cleaning and trash disposal.”

Pausing briefly, Ren considered what Aoba had said, then added, “You may pet me if you like. I do not mind it.”

"What if I break you?" Declan asked with a small frown, looking down at his overlarge hands before holding them both up for inspection. Nevermind that he was as gentle and meek as a lamb. People said what they would and made his impression of himself less than positive. He didn't even touch real animals, though he did sometimes spend hours sitting in the courtyard watching the birds when he got tired of being a barfly.

"I don't want to hurt you. I'm not sure if anyone here would know how to repair you. I mean, the Exo's might, but there's a chance no one would. That would be awful."

“…”

Aoba would have been flabbergasted to hear such an overblown concern, and Ren was momentarily perplexed, himself.

“…I am not so fragile that I would break from ordinary petting, nor do I have the impression that you would deliberately try to damage me. However if you are truly that concerned, it is alright. I am simply making a standing offer.”

But Ren also didn’t want Aoba to be disappointed, so he calculated what he believed to be a compromise. Standing up, Ren moved closer to Declan and draped his little forepaws over the giant’s nearer thigh—and then settling there in a show of comfort, in case trying to vault into the Guardian’s lap would prove too unsettling.

“Also, for the record, Aoba does all my maintenance and repairs. Should you ever find me in a damaged state, just return me to him and he will take care of things.”

That was a little more reassuring, knowing that Aoba was able to make necessary repairs. He still thought he ought to have Ghost do a really in-depth scan, but for the time being it was enough to hear Ren tell him. After all, he trusted Exos and other constructed humans at their word, why not a tiny dog?

They sat like that for some time, Declan silent, feeling no weight at all on the sturdy tree-truck he called a leg as he stared off into space again, thoughts tumbling. The shower continued, the white-noise of the water oddly comforting, and he relaxed visibly with time. After a while he finally stopped clenching and unclenching his fist, reached over to remove his glove and carefully settled his marble white palm on the back onf Ren's shoulders, smoothing the fur back as gently as anyone could manage, let along a man his size.

He didn't think he'd ever felt anything quite so soft, particularly among synthetics. By the time Aoba returned, Declan was slumped back into the couch, carefully stroking Ren and staring at the ceiling.

And pleased Aoba was when he saw it, his smile lighting his whole face. He’d changed into the new clothes and, though they were monotone and militarian, he felt much better to be out of the Decker ensemble. The only splash of color was the fading gradient of his damp, towel-blotted hair. Freed from its ponytail, the longer portions hung most of the way down his back now.

Thanks, Ren, he mouthed when his little partner looked his way, while he himself continued on to the little kitchen space. His footsteps were soft, wearing socks but not the new boots, as old habits dictated.

“Aah, I needed that!” he announced for Declan’s benefit as he returned, the goal being obvious gratitude rather than obvious presence. “I’m going to get started on the cooking now, alright, Declan?”

Declan sat bolt upright the moment he heard Aoba, lifting his hand quickly in effort not to squash Ren. When there didn't seem to be any concern or disapproval he relaxed again, using one finger to scratch behind the dog's ear with a slight nod.

"As I said, make yourself at home, both of you. You don't need to appraise me of anything or ask my approval for anything aside from knocking down walls or something. Mostly because I don't know about the structural integrity of the rooms and wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen," he remarked, shrugging broad shoulders.

"Oh...I was thinking, mm. If you didn't want to work at one of the places in the Tower or couldn't find anything in the city, there's pretty good money in salvage from other planets. It's a little more dangerous, but since Guardians are usually on heavy patrol in the areas, you could probably make good money without too much risk. That is, if you need money. I'm still find with covering everything. I don't have anywhere to spend anything anyways." And no one to leave the money to if he died, but he wasn't about to make that gloomy announcement.

Aoba was already pulling open the little array of drawers and cabinets available, identifying what was where. Pot, pan, utensils…huh. Wow, no wonder Declan had told Ghost to order more dishes. There was only one set.

He got started setting things up, pulling out ingredients and hoping he could do this well enough from memory, but still turned and gave Declan another dry look.

“As generous as that is of you, I re-fuse to have you pay for everything like I’m some kind of—of kept man or something,” he hastily mumbled at the end, turning away with briefly reddening cheeks as he mentally kicked himself for only being able to come up with that of all things as a comparison. He focused his gaze intently on the potatoes he was chopping up after that.

“I can do work! I did deliveries and repairs and refurbishing in a junk shop back home…so, even if the technology around here is a lot more advanced than I’m used to, I’ll do everything I can to find some way to be useful to anyone that’ll take me.”

"What is a kept man?" Declan asked, craning his neck to look over his shoulder, unwilling to move Ren from his lap. It seemed rude to do so when the little thing seemed so content with his spot.

"I didn't say you couldn't work, only that you don't have to. I make so much money I don't know what to do with it. Mostly I just buy more gear or weapons, try them out and eventually toss them because they're not as good as my old stuff, anyways. Spending it on useful things for someone that needs it is a lot less wasteful, I think," the Guardian reasoned, shrugging slightly and turning back to face the quiet TV and blank wall spaces again. For how little TV he watched he would have been better served turning the couch to face the windows. He preferred watching outside anyways...maybe he would, later. But what if Aoba preferred TV? White brows furrowed along with his private thoughts, the Titan puzzling over sudden interest in his own environment that hadn't mattered at all before.

"Just let me know what you'd like to do and I'll talk to someone. Commander Zavala might know someone. Or Cayde or Miss Ikora."

Edited 2015-12-17 04:47 (UTC)

Well, Aoba might have verbally stumbled and called Declan an angel before, but that didn't mean he was about to roll over and let said Guardian angel completely take care of him. There was almost a sort of irony in that: Aoba had been forced to work for the Deckers, and here was a not-Decker telling him he didn't have to. Still, inclined to laziness though Aoba might have been, he wanted to earn his keep for as long as he was here.

But if Declan didn't know what a kept man was, Aoba didn't want to be the one to tell him! He didn't want Declan to think he'd had weird ideas about their arrangement or anything like that.

"Mm. I'll probably go talk to Tess once I've got my bearings a little better, since she offered. I wonder if I can get some maps on Ren somehow... he was always my navigator back home."

Ren, still content to be resting his chin on his paws while Declan petted him, spoke up. "I will continue to keep logging directions and locations manually, Aoba."

"Of course. Thanks, Ren, I know I can count on you no matter what."

Still puzzling over the kept man comment, Declan nodded slowly and returned to petting Ren fully with his bared hand. It was oddly soothing to do and he wondered if people had forgotten that animals were stress curatives. He also wondered about the fact that he was stressed and hadn't noticed. Then again, when you put your life on the line every time you went out, it was bound to be a little jarring.

"I can do that," Ghost offered, turning himself over and back, floating idly back and forth between the kitchen and living room to see what everyone was doing.

"I have all of the local maps, most maps of the scouted areas of earth, the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury and local space, as well as the Reef. If you like, I am happy to share these with you," Ghost intoned, hovering before Ren and blinking owlishly.

"I also have historical documents, current events, personal profiles of people you are likely to encounter. I can update you so you are a functioning modern unit."

Edited 2015-12-17 22:47 (UTC)

Ren pricked his ears forward, warily intrigued, while Aoba craned his neck around immediately. His kneejerk reaction was admittedly on the defensive side, set off by the thought of someone other than himself making adjustments to Ren’s functions, but dampened by the awareness that at least portions of that would be useful.

“Wait, are you sure? I mean, can you really do that?” Aoba asked, pausing his food prep in order to better focus. “I don’t…even know if Ren has enough memory for that much. And what about reverse compatibility? We’re from…I don’t even know, compared to here.”

What if Ren was the equivalent of a floppy disk drive compared to blue-rays here in the future, or worse? What if he was ENIAC compared to the tech of Declan’s day and age??

"If you want a space upgrade we can acquire one," Ghost replied, hovering next to Ren and addressing him because the construct didn't understand that Aoba was the one that made the choices. In Declan and Ghost's world, artificial intelligences were recognized as human and made their own choices in regards to everything to do with themselves. The idea of someone else treating them as lower functioning or of lesser right in some way wasn't just insulting, it was unlawful. Not that Aoba and Ren were going to be judged for anything by present company, they just weren't accustomed to hearing and acting in such a manner.

"The Exos are human in every way but the strictly biological sense and have very complex computerized parts that function like human brains. Exo scientists are very good at making compatible upgrades for other artificial intelligence. If space is a concern, they can offer you something. Meanwhile, I don't think maps should take up too much room. I can alter the size and quality to conserve space usage."

There were parallels between them, but Aoba and Ren and Declan and Ghost were still worlds apart in many ways.

An Allmate-to-Allmate transmission (as Aoba viewed it) wasn’t too bad. Really, Aoba’s only true concern there was the vast difference in hardware. Ren was already an old model compared to modern Allmates back home. Comparing him to a construct like Ghost seemed…possibly even implausible.

The suggestion that someone other than Aoba could make modifications to Ren, though? Aoba turned away from the little kitchen counter completely, making a discontent noise of protest.

“If Ren really needed some kind of upgrade, I’d do it myself…but I suppose there’s no harm in seeing if the maps can transfer. They would be useful.”

Ren, attentive to his master, wagged his tail briefly. “The likelihood of me being damaged by any data files from Ghost is very slim. Most likely any incompatibilities would simply result in me being unable to read the information rather than being harmed by it. I do not mind it, Aoba. I’m certain you could fix me if anything did go wrong.”

Aoba thought as much as well—at least regarding the likelihood that maps might hurt Ren somehow. It wasn’t like Ghost was going to hit him with a virus or a worm, right? In his own Midorijima-era manner of thinking, Aoba saw Ghost as an extension of Declan and therefore had no reason to mistrust the little construct.

“Maps would be useful,” Aoba said, repeating himself but also reassuring himself. “Alright, no harm in trying. Go ahead.”

"It wasn't my intention to insult you," Ghost remarked, floating away from Ren slowly and glancing towards Aoba. Declan didn't say anything, letting the two speak at their leisure.

"I didn't mean for them to upgrade him, either. You are obviously his closest companion in much the way Declan and I are connected. Declan is the only one who changes my shell, for instance. I merely meant that the Exos would be able to design something compatible for you to use."

"But for now, maps are quite enough and useful as well. If you change your mind about anything, please let me know. I believe Lakshmi-2 would be inclined to assist. She's very concerned about the future, after all."

"That's an understatement," Declan sighed, patting Ren gently before moving his hand away to give Ghost and Ren space. Ghost floated down and cast his scan over the dog. Just like that, the information was wirelessly transferred, effortless for the orb, though it might take longer for Ren to process all of the maps.

"There you go," Ghost chimed, floating off to stare out the window at the Traveler, done attempting to put a foot he didn't have in a mouth he was equally devoid of.

All cooking preparations went on hold. Thankfully nothing was on or burning or what have you—Aoba was still getting all the ingredients in order, so he walked away from the kitchen area, automatically drawn to observe Ren at a closer range.

For a little while (which felt much longer to Aoba himself), the Allmate appeared frozen…or rather, lagging. He stared straight ahead and his tail had stopped wagging. Finally, though, Ren perked his ears forward and announced, “Data received.”

As he uttered the words, Ren opened up a trio of holographic windows in front of himself. While Aoba leaned in over the back of the couch (and Declan’s broad shoulder), Ren loaded a different image to each one. On the right, a map of a portion of the Old Resident District. On the left, his new map of the local area. In the middle, a very partial map of Steelport, Decker territory specifically, that had obviously been put together in a simple image program.

The right and middle maps each had a bright blue dot on them. Ren compared them briefly, then lit a third blue dot upon the newest map. “Aoba, I have recorded the latest portal connection and location for future referencing.”

“Not that they do much good when they’re one-way, but…good work, Ren.” He pushed himself upright from the couch backing again and looked towards the window to add, “Thanks, Ghost. I really do appreciate it. I’d hate to get lost out there.”

"No thanks necessary! I got much of my information from the Ishtar Academy libraries on Venus, so sharing only seems appropriate. Knowledge is only worth having if you're giving it to others," the little ball stated happily. Declan smiled faintly and shook his head, looking over his shoulder at Aoba, though he leaned away enough to offer polite distance and not crowd the other man.

"That's the Traveler in him. The Traveler taught all of humanity the things that got the races where they are today, and Ghosts are tiny pieces of the Traveler. Don't let him fool you; he's proud of emulating it," the Guardian chuckled softly, Ghost widening his eye in some manner of shocked embarrassment before floating back to the window in a harmless huff.

"Just let us know," Declan added, looking between Aoba and Ren. "We really can find someone that can make excellent parts you can use. If you're worried about the results of adding some maps, you two ought to at least consider upgrading, just for posterity."

Aoba glanced towards the window and the great curve of the distant ‘Traveler’: the most visible of many things about this world that could be explained to Aoba, but that he couldn’t quite grasp.

“I’ll…think about it,” he said at last, standing up and wandering back towards the kitchen, half musing out loud as he went. “I mean, we won’t be here forever, and going back home with technology from the future…I don’t know, I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea. But I’ll think about it.”

“I will of course go along with whatever you decide is best, Aoba,” Ren intoned, pausing, then putting his chin back down on his paws as he dismissed his holograms.

In the meanwhile, Aoba finished chopping up all the vegetables he’d chosen into appropriate sizes. Not long after that, the smell of actual cooking began to fill the small space of Declan’s home as Aoba started putting things together in that particular way he’d learned from Tae’s particular touch wish the dish. His face was one of fairly intense focus in the meanwhile—he felt like he’d never live it down if he ruined the meal he’d insisted on cooking!

For the remainder of the time, Declan sat in unsure silence, unwilling to move Ren but worried he ought to be doing something around his own home. Perhaps helping in the kitchen? Eventually he convinced himself to stay on the couch and close his eyes - just for a minute! Of course, unless Aoba spoke up or ratted around a lot, Declan drifted off, dozing quietly on the spot. He thought he might feel edgy having someone else occupying his space, but it was honestly the most comfortable he'd been in as long as he could remember. Living alone had never done well by him and Ghost was hardly warm and companionable by contrast to an actual human.

When food began cooking in earnest the Guardian perked a bit, rumbling low in his chest as he grunted and stretched, silver eyes blinking slowly open. He looked around, briefly confused before he remember what was going on and yawned noisily. It was then that the bell rang again, drawing his attention to the door. He was forced to get up at that point, much as he didn't want to move the Allmate, so he could answer the door and accept the new package of dishware. Now there were two sets in his home, and it felt very strange, he mused, carefully unpacking things and setting them nearby Aoba without getting in the way.

There was one point where Aoba glanced over and realized by the loll of Declan’s head that the Guardian had dozed off. Was it weird to think it was kind of cute? Sure, you had this big guy the size of a bulldozer, with weird glowing eyes and no pigment at in his skin or his hair, and that deeply resonant voice…and he was dozing off on the couch with a tiny dog balanced over his thigh.

He’d been so nice, so helpful…and hadn’t asked for a damn thing in return. You didn’t meet a lot of people like that. Aoba wasn’t even sure that he could have been so nice if he’d found himself in Declan’s boots.

When it came to the point where the stew just had to simmer, soaking in the stock and seasonings, Aoba wandered to the window for a while and stared out at an alien Earth. There were more portals out there somewhere…but who knew where the next one would take him? When there were infinite worlds out there…could you even calculate the chance that your next portal would be the one home?

Sighing quietly, Aoba returned to stove to check on things. The potatoes and carrots and onions seemed nice and soft, so he started adding the thin slivers of meat and watched them change colors in the stock, richening the smells throughout the little apartment. Not long after that, Declan stirred and the bell rang. Ren padded into the kitchen space while Declan dealt with the door (phew), and when the big Guardian shuffled over Aoba gave him a grin.

“Perfect timing! Here….” He picked up the brand new bowl and loaded it with a hefty serving of the nikujaga. It smelled right, at least. Hopefully he hadn’t cooked the vegetables too long or added too much seasoning. Some of the things he’d gotten were ‘close guesses’ after much debating over Tess’s catalogue.

Loaded with the meat, veggies, and with just a bit of the broth ladled over it all, Aoba held the bowl back to Declan. “Here you go. Hope you like it. Granny’s a better cook than I am, but it’s hard to get nikujaga wrong.”

"Granny. Hm." Declan nodded slowly, thanking the bowl with a small smile of appreciation. "Thank you," he murmured softly, looking around at the spartan furnishings before shuffling over to the couch and setting the bowl on the coffee table. he waited patiently for Aoba to join him, not wanting to eat while the other man was serving himself. In the interim he mused over what it must have been like, having family and friends waiting for you. Somewhere Aoba's family probably missed him...what was that like?

"It smells delicious. Thank you for cooking, Aoba," Declan added, looking over the couch at the blue-haired man, watching him curiously. When Aoba finally joined him and he felt it was acceptable to eat, Declan went at it with the sort of appetite only a man his size could have. Strictly speaking, Guardians didn't have to eat anything at all, but he enjoyed it as much as the next person, and didn't want Aoba to feel like he was getting nothing but charity. That, and all he really ever ate to take the edge off was rations...

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted," the Titan admitted, and it wasn't even an exaggeration. "You're a wonderful cook! Thank you for this, truly."

Aoba loaded the second bowl and grabbed a spoon before glancing back and following Declan to the couch. Not even a kitchen or dining table, huh…well, not that Aoba hadn’t noticed it already, but going to sit at the couch and its little coffee table really drove it home.

He murmured a little itadakimasu before starting into it himself, and…hmm. Well it definitely wasn’t Granny’s but it wasn’t…bad per se. Maybe a bit too sweet, but….

Declan may not have been embellishing from his own point of view, but Aoba still startled and automatically assumed that the Guardian was. The best thing he’d ever tasted? No way!

“You’re exaggerating!” he blurted with an embarrassed laugh, blushing at the perceived hyperbole…but happy despite himself. Declan was so straightforward that Aoba didn’t think he was lying, even if he was going a little overboard. “But I’m glad you like it. It’s the least I can do after all your help today.”

"I'm not though," Declan mumbled, tilting his head slightly and pursing his lips before looking down at the bowl with a pleased smile.

"I've never had a home cooked meal before. I've only ever had food from mess or rations packets. This is absolutely the best thing I've ever had. If doing the right thing was always this rewarding it wouldn't be so hard for some people."

“Flatterer,” Aoba ‘grumbled’, a warm smile proving the mutter to be anything but displeased. His ability to cook was hit or miss, really. He knew it! Certainly Koujaku teased him about it enough! Not that he hated Koujaku’s teasing or anything like that, but…Declan’s genuine appreciation was really nice. Aoba liked genuine praise and compliments just as much as anybody.

“Cooking a meal isn’t the least bit equal to sharing your home and buying new clothes…but if you let me cook for you a few more times, I might start to feel a little better about this arrangement.”

He’d have to find some little job, though…it halfway defeated the purpose of it if Declan was still paying for the ingredients, didn’t it?

The Titan didn't see it that way of course, but he knew better than to bring anything up that might draw attention to the situation as a whole. He was feeling more like the lucky one of the two. When he decided to swing on the man in the bathroom he hadn't realized how much of his life would change in such a short span of time. He wasn't complaining at all, but it was interesting to see what a leap of faith and a little common decency could do to two lives.

"You may cook as often as you like. I will always look forward to it," Declan replied, nodding slowly and settling into the food. He polished it off in no time, even with impeccable manners. Instead of asking for more, he quietly waiting on Aoba, feeling it more important for someone who actually needed food to get his fill first.

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