Concrete JungleThe close-leaning walls in the alleyway are all but buried under chaotic masses of black wirestrands. Wires cross and recross fractal-coiling up the walls and rubble of fallen buildings like mechanistic ivy. Bulbs along the wires sprout television flowers all tuned to different stations, squawking at each other for attention with ancient hypnomercials and dramaverts. More than a quarter of the tubes are smashed into bits, shards still bursting audiovisual static in swept-together heaps.
The end of the alley runs into a thicket of trees, wooden trunks jammed together in a wall covered in tiny sparkling leaves. Chinks in the trunk of one tree ooze pale gray ironsap, wound into whorls and loops apparently by magnetic fields. The trees themselves stretch high into the air, then seem to turn and dive back into the ground beyond. There is an overall deep background hum, cycling soft and loud, barely heard over the screen chatter. Something high and bright rises half-resolved just beyond the trees, flickering flourescent against the halogen-lit undersky.
In the nearby rubble, a basement entrance provides a tunnel underneath the outer forest wall. The other end of the alley is lit orange-white by a column of steam rising from a rift in the ground.
Induction-Coil grins. "Just thought you should see this too.."
Kayle takes a few moments to take it all in... "Wow."
Induction-Coil swishes his tail and nods...
Kayle smiles. "This is incredible..."
Induction-Coil grins, and wanders through slowly. "Isn't it..?"
Kayle nods as he follows behind. "Never thought there could be anything like this around here..."
Induction-Coil chuckles. "There's more to this place then just run-down buildings."
Kayle smiles. "Yea, really. This is almost like a jungle..."
Induction-Coil nods. "I have no idea where it's from..."
Induction-Coil says, "But I like it."
Kayle smirks. "Does it matter where it's from, as long as it's here?"
Induction-Coil looks around the roots of the trees.. There are, in fact, a few scraggly plants that look more organic, as well.. Even some small flowers, colored, imporbably, orange and gray.
Induction-Coil grins. "NOW who's sounding mystical?
Kayle laughs. "Can't say I haven't learned anything here, huh?"
Induction-Coil grins. "Fair enough." He pulls up another dspraw of flowers, a neon rainbow of little cups all on the same stalk. "Candy flowers." He grins. "I think you could say they're similar to MDMA plus a kinda mellow cannabis. Eat them, burn them, whatever."
Kayle nods, filing the info away for later. "Sounds neat."
Induction-Coil says, "They come from Charmwarp, of course, but pretty popular here. And they manage to spread themselves pretty easily."
Kayle chuckles. "Seems like everything good and pure comes from there."
Induction-Coil giggles. "I dunno about that. Everythng fun, though, maybe..."
Kayle shrugs, grinning. "I never claimed to be right, y'know. What about some of those others...?"
Induction-Coil hms? "Other whats?"
Kayle indicates some of the other plant-looking things in the area. "Those."
Induction-Coil grins. "Well, let's see.. Not all of them are interesting to eat..." He searches around a bit more, then gasps softly, grabbing something quickly, seeming to murmur something as he stands up.
Kayle tilts his head to one side. "Hm? What was that?"
Induction-Coil opens up his hand, exposing a small, rounded, something.. The shape is organic-looking, but the matrial is less so.. seeming somehow to be compacted urban.. stuff. Wire, asphalt, aluminum, whatever else. "It's called Running Toward. Pretty rare, pretty important..." He holds it out for you.
Kayle nods, leaning in to get a closer look. "Is it organic...?"
Induction-Coil nods."I think so." He chuckles. "You eat it, at least. You want to try...?"
Kayle chuckles. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not in that particular sort of mood right now." He smiles, though. "Maybe later? If nothing else, it certainly looks like it would be interesting."
Induction-Coil aws. "You sure..?" He chuckles. "It's definitely interesting, yeah... What particular sort of mood ARE you in, then?"
Kayle smiles. "Relaxed, and enjoying things as they are. Like I said, though, maybe later? Moods change like the weather."
Induction-Coil grins. "Okay, then. I'll reserve this one for you..." He tucks it in a pocket. "You wanna just sit and relax here for a while..?"
Kayle shrugs. "Sure, why not? Certainly seems like a nice place for it."
Induction-Coil grins. "Okay..." He finds a clear spot, and eases himself down.
Kayle eases down onto his belly next to the 'yote, taking care to keep his intakes clear. "I'm curious. Did you come here like I did, or...?"
Induction-Coil grins and shakes his head. "Nope. Native tribechild, from off a bit further in Down."
Kayle thinks about that for a few moments. "Certainly explains why you're so much more comfortable with this place..." He tilts his head. "Most of what I heard about Puzzlebox before I came here was...mixed, to say the least. Children's stories about wonderful places where candy grows like grass, mostly..."
Induction-Coil giggles a bit, and shakes the candyflower stalk at you. Little glittery seeds fall out.
Kayle shakes his head and chuckles. "Charm, I take it? Never heard anything about anywhere like this, though." He smiles and pats the ground. "This is better than any candy I can think of."
Induction-Coil grins, and nods. "I've certainly been pretty happy down here.. Well, since I left the tribe, at least. The people you're with make a lot of difference."
Kayle nods. "Doesn't take a leap of faith to believe that." He smiles again, and winks. "The other warps can come crashing down for all I care, just as long as Down stays the same. This is a great place, and it's full of great people."
Induction-Coil smiles and blushes a bit, snuggling closer to you. "Well, thanks.."
Kayle smiles. "What? It's the truth. Everyone's so nice, not like back where I came from..." He chuckles a bit. "You just get bonus points for helping me get settled in, y'know?"
Induction-Coil grins a bit and nods. "Well, it's been a pleasure... I like you a lot."
Kayle grins, somewhat obliquely, and scoots closer. "I'm proud to call you a friend."
Induction-Coil smiles, and nuzzles your cheek lightly. "Well, same to you..."
Kayle smiles. Either he's reliving good memories, or he's making some new ones. "Mind if I ask a question?"
Induction-Coil grins, tracing fingers gently along your back. "I don't think I ever mind that."
Kayle chuckles, flicking his vector panels idly. "Figured I'd make sure. About how often does someone go and get themselves killed around here...? On purpose, I mean."
Induction-Coil chuckles. "Well, I'm not the best one to ask, given for gridshamans, it's always 'at least once'. Otherwise, well.. I know people who've made a abit of it if things just get inconvenient. Just kinda use a good disintegrator as a teleporter, if you see what I mean." He chuckles. "That's not real common either, though. Mostly, well you don't seek it out, usually, but you don't try too hard to avoid it...
Kayle nods, thinking about it. "Is there usually a big fuss associated with that...?"
Induction-Coil hms. "With dying in general?"
Kayle nods. "Yea."
Induction-Coil says, "Nah. Maybe if it looked non-consensual or it if was your first time or something."
Kayle ponders that for a bit... "What happens to the body, if there is one?"
Induction-Coil says, "The instantiation queries you on if you want to keep it or not."
Kayle snerks, sort of a metallic sandpaper-y noise from his vector controls. "While it sounds like a great way to get spare parts for myself, I think once would be more than enough..."
Induction-Coil chuckles, and nods. "That'd be no problem."
Kayle smiles and shakes his head. "I dunno, one death seems like plenty for me, as much as I'd like the spare parts." He raises an eyebrow. "Is...is it ok if I ask what yours was like?"
Induction-Coil chuckles. "My initiation one..? Sure. It was... kinda hazy, actually. I started off surrounding my tribe, but as soon as the drug kicked in, I just kinda.. was out of there. I could see.. I dunno, all the lines of Spark and Creativity and everything vibrant in the world, and it was pretty clear my tribe had welded and soldered, and blocked up all of theirs.. So, I followed what I could, and.. traced it.. I dunno, through all kinds of tunnels, and ended up in this big.. factory thing...
Kayle nods. "I...think I understand.."
Induction-Coil says, "So.. I went up to the middle, and at the center was this big.. glowing burning building crystal thing, kinda growing together.. there were other people there too, I think, but it was hard to tell, it was so bright.." Induction-Coil says, "And, well, that's where everything led, and I just... jumped in."
Kayle raises an eyebrow. "And that was, as they say, that?"
Induction-Coil chuckles. "Burning, brightness, darkness, and then I was back with the tribe. Everyone was staring at me, and I looked like this."
Kayle finds himself humming, tunelessly, somewhere in the range of sixty hertz. "Were you suprised at all?"
Induction-Coil chuckles. "Well, part of the effects of the rite is that you think.. different. Everything's more.. important, but you're a lot less scared, too. I was a little surprised when I came back, and was very obviously Spark, but.. well.. I wasn't as surprised as everyone else."
Kayle quirks an eyebrow. "They weren't expecting it, were they?"
Induction-Coil chuckles. "Well, when a tribe's been around for a while, and they have more recruits than tribechildren, sometimes they pick a theme and get pretty stuck on it. The tribe, well.. they did neat stuff in sculpture and architecture, I guess, but they were just SO Steel, most of the time." He chuckles.
Kayle smiles. "Maybe someone in charge decided they needed a bit of a shakeup. Monocultures are more easily infected than blended cultures, memetically and otherwise."
Induction-Coil giggles. "If by 'someone in charge' you mean the attractors, then probably, yeah.." He rolls his eyes. "Because the tribe Aleph pretty much kicked me out when I tried to make things more interesting there."
Kayle grins. "Adapt or die, I guess." He raises an eyebrow. "Their loss is everyone else's gain."
Induction-Coil giggles and blushes. "I hope so."
Kayle smiles, daring the fates by scooting slightly closer. "I know so." He smirks. "Now, about those drugs..."
Induction-Coil smiles, and earperks. "Yeah..?" He reaches into his pocket.
Kayle looks interested. "You sorta explained that one from Charm, but what about the other...? I'm open to new things, but I kinda like to get a feel for what to expect first..."
Induction-Coil chuckles, and takes a breath, pausing a moment before he answers. "Hallucinogen. Cognitive and perceptural. Doesn't last very long, but gives you quite a ride while it lasts."
Kayle raises an eyebrow. "Really? Sounds like fun."
Induction-Coil smiles. "It's intense, but I'll be here for you." He holds the little ball out in his hand.
Kayle ponders for a moment... "Is there a preferred method, or...?"
Induction-Coil says, "Most people eat it, but it's pretty flexible, I think. Burned, whatever."
Kayle nods, with that somewhat distant look he gets as he modifies his onboard systems. "It should work, as long as I take this filter offline temporarily..." His gaze returns to the here-and-now, and he gently picks up that strange little ball. "Anything I should expect?"
Induction-Coil thinks for a moment. "It's quite different for everyone." He grins. "Always useful, though." He watches, smiling.
Kayle shrugs. "Well then, down the hatch and hold on tight." He flicks the peculiar little orb into the air. In a somewhat impressive display of instinct or coordnation he catches it in his mouth, crunches once, and swallows. "Funny...almost like a coppery-vanilla..." He almost continues, but something changes before he does, and his engines spool up and down a few times.
Induction-Coil smiles, tail swishing. He stays close, an arm resting on Kayle supportively.
Induction-Coil watches expectantly, still smiling, though rather nervous now. He's quite unsure how Kayle will feel about this when it's over. He leaves a hand on Kayle for now, though, rubbing gently.
Kayle stands up, abruptly. His engines have returned to their more normal idle, but he seems to be watching something that's not there. He heads for the tunnel he came in through earlier but stops after a few paces and glances back, tilting his head. Something's not quite right in his head, obviously, as he stares in confusion at the spot he was lying in just moments ago.
Induction-Coil nods to himself and steps back, giving the salamander room but still watching, smiling at Kayle and following a few steps behind.
Kayle shakes his head, clearing it or denying something, and heads out.
Cyclotron ForestHere the overgrown reaches of quasiorganic technology have choked the towers to dust. A clearing free of buildings except for a few wallnubs visible in regular rows, the heaps of rubble appear to have been torn down by the encroaching vines, while the middle of the clearing bursts with a remnant of a well-forested city park.
A wall of twisted trees arch impossibly high with spiraling trunks, then plunge back into the broken asphalt like a solar prominance following magnetic lines. The packed-together tree trunks seem to be wooden, but breaks in the bark reveal a dull grey ferrometallic sap oozing out. Branches covering the highest arch-points wave agreen with leaves that, on closer inspection, are veined with tiny photovoltaic cells. The looping trees seem to be lined up radiating from a central point, swirling magflux in tight vortices. A huge label-covered metallic container has been pushed into place in the locus of electromagnetic fields, skid marks still visible on the AluminoTurf. Small totems form a rough circle around the container, and neon-glowing symbolistic graffiti covers its sides.
From a gaping hole in the top of the container spikes a massive lightning bolt ten, twelve stories into the air. Intensely blue-white at its thick base, it grows spiralling upward frozen in place, sending out smaller and smaller spikes until attenuating at its peak. The whole column of captured energy quivers and flickers in the storm of fields holding it in place.
A slender line of concrete spirals down from the Freeway to land at one end of the park. Opposite the sleek lines of the megaroad, a cluster of buildings remain free from entropic pull of the vines. A curiously rebuilt <skyscraper> rises into the gloom next to a dilapidated old parking garage. A few meters away across the plain, there's a big, battered cargo container that seems to have been converted into a bar. Loud music and multicolored light spills from its open hatch. In the rubble of a nearby building, a tunnel leads underneath the outer ring of trees.
Kayle flicks his head to one side and regards Nikolai, somewhat detachedly.
Induction-Coil glances away from Kayle for just a moment to nod to Nikolai. "Running Toward", he murmurs softly.
Nikolai blinks, glances at Kayle. "Oh, ah, hm."
Kayle shrugs and scans around, looking for what he'd been watching earlier. Apparently he finds it, locks on, and darts off towards the freeway ramp. Any faster and he'd be riding his engines.
J.G. Ballard Memorial FreewayYou stand on a ribbon of cracked and broken asphalt, a boneyard of broken machines, the grave of a mad dream of speed. The freeway's twenty crumbling lanes are littered with the metal carcasses of a myriad crashed and burned vehicles, the debris of some unthinkable catastrophe -- thousands of cars, trucks, motor vehicles of all kinds from a hundred ages and technologies; even, incomprehensibly, the enormous hulks of aircraft and spacecraft, their wings broken, silver skin gone dull with rust and age. Fragments of broken glass, plastic and metal litter the road, and various fuels and lubricants have run like blood from ruptured tanks and engines, pooling in the potholes in the blacktop, and sometimes reacting with one another -- which explains the occasional plumes of yellowish, acrid vapor.
The highway signs, bold white sans serif on dark green, are riddled with bullet holes. You still manage to make out most of the text, but instead of locations, strange slogans are printed, along with numbers for nonexistent exits. 6A - Put A Tiger In Your Tank. N32 - Better Living Through Chemistry. FF - The Ultimate Driving Machine. 12.5 - Quality Is Job One. A few hundred meters away, the freeway passes through the tarnished gold needle of Big Active. There also seems to be a functional hatch in one derelict chunk of hullmetal.
A stairway descends from the right side of the freeway towards the main square of Downwarp, and a spiralling offramp winds down towards a crazed electric forest on the other side.
Kayle pans his view over the freeway, having lost...whatever it was. Something catches his eye, though, and he's off and running again. Weaving between, and ocassionally jumping over or onto the various wrecks scattered across the tarmac. A couple of the longer jumps are punctuated with the high-pitched whine of his turbines, and a crunch at the end as the battered pavement or an unwary wreck serves as a landing point.
Induction-Coil pants a bit as he races to keep up, grinning widely as he follows the salamander.
Nikolai runs behind at first, but seems a bit out of breath. He just climbs to a higher pile of cars to see ahead.
Kayle skids to a halt, engines at a high idle, and glances around again. There's something not quite right about this, but he's grinning. Either he's lost what little he had, or he's having fun. Maybe both. He eyes the staircase for a moment.
Induction-Coil catches up, staing a bit back, seeming caught up in the mood, his tial swishing..
Kayle glances at Indi. Or, more precisely, through Indi. He has the look of someone who heard something, but can't figure out what made the sound.
Nikolai points up toward Kayle, still a bit out of breath. "Ah, know why, hm, called running ahead.."
Kayle shrugs again, snaps his head towards the staircase, and goes thundering down the stairs on foot. He's gotta be chasing something...
DownWarpYou stand on a platform of corrugated metal the size of a city block adorned with hazard stripes, rivets, and glass shards. Sagging pipes and bundles of black wire criscross the platform between crumbling buildings of dirty concrete and rusted metal, and broken machines, some the size of houses, are scattered randomly. Looming above you is a massive skeleton of steel girders with half-completed walls and floors. Everything is covered with graffiti, but the designs are artful -- even civic-minded. A constant ripe gust rustles the trash under your feet, swirling paper chad, leaflets, and food wrappers over sleeping bodies covered in dingy tarps. Looks like there was a party last night.
Or maybe it's still night. The sky is orange-grey and impenetrable. The only lights come from sodium lamps and neon overhead; a distant thump and clack of machinery comes from there as well. The closest building is an office tower of perhaps 120 stories, with two pyramid-shaped peaks. Its walls of gold-tinted glass are broken and stained.
Some distance away, there seems to be an elevated highway running across the metal plain. A rusty stairway leads up to it.
A few hundred meters away, orange-white steam billows from a hole in the asphalt, surrounded by decrepit buildings.
Nearby, surrounded by the rubble that was a building, is a red door.
A flattened ovoid blob of liquid mirror floats here, lazily oozing in midair.
Kayle drops off the stairway and hits the ground on all fours. There's something wrong with him, or at least not quite right. He's not noticing anyone around him.
Induction-Coil is chasing after Kayle, but smiling, looking just eager to see what will happen.
Kayle tilts his head in opposite directions, stands, and goes sprinting down a sidewalk.
Nikolai is still wearing his glove, following after Kayle. He hastily assembles a disc with a handle from midair. Nik jumps onto it and hovers off after Kayle.
Induction-Coil still just keeps running.
Kayle glances back, looking through the space that Nikolai is occupying, and grins a maniac grin. There's a flash of jetwash, and the chrome-plated salamander finally stretches his legs and leaps for all he's worth. His secondaries kick in, and he goes hurtling upwards at some insane velocity.
Induction-Coil yips, then sheers, arching his head up to watch Kayle's rise...
Nikolai blinks, then pulls alongside Indi and tugs him onto the hoverdisc. "Hm, uncertain if can follow, but higher..."
Induction-Coil chuckles and hops on too. "Thanks!"
Kayle is just as fast as he looks, or he's pushing himself past tolerances, but either way the distinctive crash of a sonic boom goes thundering across the landscape. He must've lost it.
Induction-Coil cheers again, trying to match the sonic boom, as he hangs on and leans back to try to see where Kayle is heading.
Kayle's just going up. Way up. There's just that small problem of the ceiling in the way, but he mustn't have noticed yet. As for if he was designed for this sort of thing, well, that's answered by his left secondary engine exploding spectacularly. So much for that leg.
Induction-Coil winces a bit at that, but it's not too surprising.. He shifts Closer to Nikolai, watching raptly...
Nikolai floats the hoverdisc farther and farther up, but not as far as Kayle goes. Close enough to get a better view...but it's evident enough where the flying salamander is heading.
Kayle doesn't seem to be slowed down appreciably by the loss of one engine, if anything he's going faster as he plows into the ceiling. Say what you will about his motive for this stunt, but Kayle built himself to last. His remaining engines are still ticking away up until his fuel tank detonates. Quite the explosion there.
Nikolai floats down from the roof of Downwarp's "floor", chuckling a little. "Hm, hm, some spectacular deaths..."
Concrete JungleInduction-Coil smiles nervously as he walks back over. His ears are flattened, tail a bit curled..The close-leaning walls in the alleyway are all but buried under chaotic masses of black wirestrands. Wires cross and recross fractal-coiling up the walls and rubble of fallen buildings like mechanistic ivy. Bulbs along the wires sprout television flowers all tuned to different stations, squawking at each other for attention with ancient hypnomercials and dramaverts. More than a quarter of the tubes are smashed into bits, shards still bursting audiovisual static in swept-together heaps.
The end of the alley runs into a thicket of trees, wooden trunks jammed together in a wall covered in tiny sparkling leaves. Chinks in the trunk of one tree ooze pale gray ironsap, wound into whorls and loops apparently by magnetic fields. The trees themselves stretch high into the air, then seem to turn and dive back into the ground beyond. There is an overall deep background hum, cycling soft and loud, barely heard over the screen chatter. Something high and bright rises half-resolved just beyond the trees, flickering flourescent against the halogen-lit undersky.
In the nearby rubble, a basement entrance provides a tunnel underneath the outer forest wall. The other end of the alley is lit orange-white by a column of steam rising from a rift in the ground.
Kayle stirrs, then rubs the back of his head. "What the hell just happened...?" He glances up at Indi, then thinks for a minute or so... "...Did I just die?"
Induction-Coil grins nervously. "Uh.. yeah..."
Kayle looks...suprisingly blank at that. "I could've sworn I was chasing myself...then he went through the ceiling..." He blinks. Then he looks suprised, and blinks a few more times. "Indi...what the hell just happened? Why do I have eyelids?"
Induction-Coil sits. He seems tense. "Uh.. same reason I glow, probably.. It happens sometimes... Do you.. feel better?"
Kayle blinks again. "I think so...internals say everything's working fine...all I've got is a headache that's wearing off, and the strangest desire to ask..." He tilts his head. "Why?"
Induction-Coil says, "Well.. you... wanted to, but.. you needed a push... y'know...? If you want me to leave you alone from now on, I totally understand, I just.. thought it was the right tihng to do anyway..."
Kayle closes his eyes and thinks for a few moments, piecing data together. He revs once, softly, and smiles. "I understand. I needed that extra nudge." He grins. "Is there a scorchmark on the ceiling?"
Induction-Coil grins. "Must be. Maybe even some melt. You were incredible."
Kayle laughs. "I didn't think I could go that fast!"
Induction-Coil rubs Kayle's back, tracing the new glowing lines slowly. "Do you feel.. untangled?"
Nikolai clambers out of the tunnel.
Kayle thinks on that for a moment, then shrugs. "I met Death, and we came to terms with each other." He waves at Nikolai and smiles. "Enjoy the show?"
Nikolai smiles and claps for Kayle. "Wonderful death, yes yes, hm!"
Kayle grins and squeezes Indi tight. "You were right. I did need that push."
Induction-Coil just nods to Kayle, not pursuing it further. He swishes his tail, then, in the hug, and nuzzles lightly.
Induction-Coil grins. "How about that fear of heights and stuff..?
Kayle chuckles. "I respect them now. Slightly different."
Induction-Coil smiles. "I loved seeing you fly.. I hope you can feel up to doing it more soon.."
Kayle grins. "I dunno, I still like keeping my feet on the ground. Or in this case, floor."
Induction-Coil giggles. "Aww." He hmms. "What'd the ceiling look like?"
Nikolai tilts his head. "How was death, hm?"
Induction-Coil grins at Nik. "Like you haven't tried it yourself?"
Nikolai chuckles, shrugging. "Curious on other's accounts, hm?"
Kayle thinks for a moment about both questions. "I didn't really see the ceiling until right before the explosion. I was too busy chasing myself." He closes his eyes and smiles. "Death really isn't so bad. [He]'s just another guy with a job to do."
Niz arrives, silhouetted by the underlit cloud of steam at the end of the alley.
Kayle waves at Niz. "Don't mind us, just discussing my recent death."
Induction-Coil nods to the new arrival with a cheerful wave, then chuckles to Kayle. "Did you actually meet.. um.. someone? Death? What was [he] like?
Niz blinks at induction coil then squeeks happily and claps her claws "I like death, it usually follows fiery doomy doom cannon activation"
Kayle nods. "Yea. At least, I think I did. Puzzlebox gives [him] conniptions, since nobody here really stays dead. [He]'s also got a sense of humor, albiet a bit morbid..."
Niz blinks and tilts her head before skittering over to kayle and peering up at him with a sweet little grin of toothy evil.
Induction-Coil grins. "Did he look like anything..?"
Nikolai laughs. "You...MET...Death? Heh! Hm! Have I never died, not met him before, hm!"
Niz turns to peer at nikolai with a few blinks and a little giggle followed by slight toss of head and a wriggling of digits on those cranium limbs she possesses"
Kayle shakes his head and smiles. "Not really. Sort of shapeless darkness, really, and [he] felt cold. Such a laugh on that guy, too..." He chuckles. "[He] apologised for the timeline problem."
Induction-Coil listens, curious, then nods. "Wow.. Huh.. Really is differnet for everyone.."
Niz blinks again at nikolai then squeels happily and skitters over to get a better look at him "Oooh, do you make stuff explode?"
Induction-Coil says, "So.. um.. you took the drug, you died.. if you want to call yourself a gridshaman now, no one would blame you.. but of course you didn't really know what you were getting into, so if you don't, then no one would blame you for that either."
Nikolai crouches down to peer closer at Niz. His glove sputters sparks abruptly, discharging a collection of steel ball bearings, six bolt cutters, and a melted candle. "Explode? Hm, yes yes! Often enough, self explodes."
Kayle looks just a bit peeved. "I can't believe [he] actually thought the entanglement was funny. Though it explains the episodes I had..." He turns and smiles at Indi. "Why would I want to turn something like that down?"
Niz yays and skips happily from one leg to another in big leapy circles around nikolai. impressive balancing on those little needle-tips. That is unless she isin't obeying common things like gravity and proper inertia. "What do ya use ta explode? I like exponential mass-energy conversion!"
Induction-Coil grins at Kayle. "Well, there was the stuff about having a hard time with stuff you couldn't actually see and stuff..?"
Kayle grins. "Indi, you're talking to someone who's met Death and had a reasonable conversation with [him]."
Induction-Coil smiles. " Okay, fair enough. So.. Spark, Steel, Rust?"
Nikolai chuckles. "Not often intending to explode, but do, but do. What used? Hm. Experiments often go explody. Oft high flammable. Or collapsing dimensions, or bombs..." He trails off.
Kayle closes his eyes and thinks for a few moments. "I thank whatever is responsible for these eyelids." He smiles. "Spark, definately. Steel's a close second, though. Bit of a heated debate about it, in fact."
Niz ooohs and tilts her head, then waves happily and skips off into nothingness.
Induction-Coil grins. "Debate with who?"
Kayle smiles, leaving his eyes closed. "Between Spark and Steel, of course."
Induction-Coil grins. "Ooh. What were THEY like to you?"
Kayle shrugs, smiling. "Brothers. The rough-and-tumble kind. Steel seems a bit more reserved, though."
Induction-Coil chuckles. "No Rust, for you?"
Kayle shakes his head. "I know that Rust is there, but that's about it."
Induction-Coil grins, and nods. "Rust is the really quiet one. That's where I get it from, maybe."
Kayle chuckles. "Well, jet turbines aren't exactly quiet. Y'know?"
Induction-Coil grins. "True enough. And Spark is good." He giggles.
Kayle grins right back. "So when do I get to start welding with my bare hands?"
Nikolai holds up his gloved hand, sparks flying. "Anytime!"
Induction-Coil giggles. "Not everyone ends up doing the same thing. Like, Nik here just makes even weirder inventions now, right?" He grins.
Kayle giggles, which is an extremely odd sound coming from a pair of turbine engines. "I think you've blown up a few too many times there, Nik..."
Nikolai tilts his head. "Hm yes, perhaps yes! Not all bad, hm? Should have known me when was *really* mad."
Induction-Coil giggles softly, and actually ends up hugging Nik too. He's in a good mood.
Kayle slithers over and snugs in close to Indi, and incidentally Nikolai as well.
Induction-Coil mmmms and tailswishes.
Kayle looks at Nikolai's glove. "Just...what is that?"
Nikolai holds it up. "Instantiation Coalescer. Hooked into mind-stream at moment. Hm, seems to be making things unconsciously. Sorry."
Induction-Coil grins at Nik. "Oh. Could you make a pair of mirrors, while you're at it?"
Kayle raises his eyebrows as he examines the gadget. "Impressive work..."
Induction-Coil smiles at Kayle. "Do you know you have new glowy bits on your back? They're really neat."
Kayle blinks. "Did I parse that right...?"
Induction-Coil grins. "Probably." He smiles at Nik hopefully. "Mirrors...?"
Nikolai swipes his hand in a wide motion, streaming out a sheet of reflective glass in an arc.
Nikolai swishes one in front of Kayle as well, so he can see to the other mirror.
Kayle blinks, and looks at himself. "Confusing, given how I reflect too..." He moves to get a look at his back, and...blinks. Rather hard. Then he starts laughing. "You have got to be kidding me..."
Induction-Coil blinks, and giggles too, though more nervously. "Um.. why...?"
Kayle grins. "Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of humor. I made a fireball. Now there's digital fire on my back."
Nikolai chuckles. "Ah, dramatic change means dramatic changes?"
Kayle nods. "Looks like it." He admires himself in the mirror for a bit, grinning. "I kinda like it."
Induction-Coil grins. "It looks good..." He nods to Nik, and shrugs. "I didn't look at all like this before my initiation. More wolflike, and no glow. And weren't you different too?"
Induction-Coil traces the circuit lines slowly. "Do they feel any different than the rest of you?
Kayle shakes his head. "Not really. If I hadn't seen 'em for myself, I doubt I would've known they were even there..."
Induction-Coil grins. "Mmm, well, now you know.. And they look great on you."
Kayle chuckles. "Now I need to find something that matches, so I won't clash with the Cube too horribly..."
Induction-Coil chuckles. "What do you mean something that matches?
Induction-Coil says, "And, really, with the blue on you too, you.. kinda clash with yourself." He giggles.
Kayle grins. "Well, I guess I'll just have to replace the cathode lamp and the LEDs in those inserts."
Induction-Coil grins. "...or you could call it a nice contrast...?"