alphanetwork | (no subject)

What's life without some things randomly exploding? I didn't know PDC's could explode at all...

...What's a night club.

Far less dull, if nothing else, from personal experience. Still, though, I'm wondering if there's more I could have done to prevent it.

It's a wondrous place for dancing, drinking, and general fun. Or, at least, that's what it is at home. I can't speak for the one here, obviously.

I mean, I fell asleep on mine, got it splashed with the stuff they claim is water, threw it down a flight of stairs... short of being allowed to shoot them, I'm not sure there's much we could've done.

Oh, like a tavern? ~~all you kids with your newfangled words~~

You threw your PDC down a flight of stairs? Are you serious because that's...far better than the tests I put mine up to.

Basically, yeah, just with a lot more people and much louder music.

I thought it was a good way to get out some... anger issues. I mean, free license from the computer to "test" the damn little things, why not? It's normally treason to hurt the computers things.

That sounds fun, honestly. Admittedly dancing in these outfits would be far less fun as I'm not yet convinced our clothes aren't made from slightly finer sackcloth.

I wish I'd thought of that at the time. That would have been much more interesting, by far! It sounds like you tested yours far more thoroughly than I did too.

That was my thinking. I love dancing, and I've had the place on my mind since Steve gave me the welcome tour, just haven't made time to go. I'm pretty sure these jumpsuits aren't flattering, or nice, on anybody. You're in good company in that thinking.

Did you see Gracie's announcement about the Charity Ball? Apparently there's word out there that we might get to wear something other than the jumpsuits.

You know what else we should've tried? They have these carriages downstairs. They look really strange and lack horses. We should've tossed them in the way of one of those. For science.

Honestly, I don't think I ever even got a tour. Those dark days before dear Steve took over the reigns.

I saw the announcement, though I didn't read much into it since I sincerely doubt there's need of charity around here. But something other than jumpsuits? That is interesting...

Though I'd probably have to wear this godawful orange still.

Oh my god you're hilarious. If we're ever chosen for another mission testing PDCs we're definitely testing that one, to see if they hold out.

You poor thing. He's sinced pulled me in to help, so the new people are in much better hands than before, but still.

It's worth it alone just to get to wear something that isn't the jumpsuits, honestly. Plus, it breaks up the monotony around here too.

Orange can be nice sometimes depending on the shade and how you wear it. I mean, as a jumpsuit you look like you're in prison, so I don't envy you there, but still.

Maybe we could even get them to let us... drive? one, over the pdc, for science. [Root had definitely taught her one thing: science was an excellent excuse.]

Yeah I've helped a few times too, though I kind of spaced on the last girl I was supposed to tour around. Emma, I think her name was? When I got here, or was cloned or whatever, things were a bit rougher around the edges. No real tours just, welcome to the world, your memories aren't real, have some drugs, go to work. I'm glad it's getting a slightly gentler touch these days.

I agree, though if I were home going to a ball would be part of the monotony. It was usually because Uther killed someone and felt like a party, so there were a lot of feasts.

I will say, the only thing I miss about red is I looked a lot better in it. Even if it is Pendragon colours. I'd have to get up to Steves level before I had any colours I actually liked. I just... I'm very pale for orange. Or yellow.

I bet you'll look fantastic.

If ever we get to test the PDCs again....I feel like asking now would be a bit too late; that was a missed opportunity.

I haven't given a tour in a little while, but the new arrivals seem to have slowed down too, honestly. I don't think I've met Emma either as of yet. Steve explained a little bit about how things were and everything. Having a friendly face to explain things when you're first thrust into this place really does help.

Uther?

I'm going to bet that we could find an orange that doesn't wash you out. I'm really good with clothes if you want a hand. The colors are specific, but the shades leave a little bit of room to play with, plus, in theory there can be accent colors. Yellow might wash you out with that complexion, but I bet we can make orange work on you.

I'm definitely going to try. I miss wearing something other than the pant equivalent of a potato sack.

Well yeah, obviously... it seems like it would be fun though.

Uther is my uh, King, unfortunately. I am his ward, as my father was his best friend and he died and my mother was already long dead by then. I was ten, he's a tyrant who thinks killing people because of their birth status is the right thing to do. He hates magic and everyone it touches. Long story short, you're not missing anything fun unless you're secretly into that kind of thing.

...alright, we could try. I'd hate to be the only special eating weird wafers that pass for food in her room during ball night while everyone is doing what I can only presume is dancing, if it's anything like some of the acts in the talent show.

Crossing my fingers for that assignment the next time PDCs are updated.

Sounds sufficiently awful, honestly. I'm sorry that that's who you had to deal with and who rules you. That actually makes the Clave from home sound warm and fuzzy by comparison.

Oh, we're going to do way better than try. Not to toot my own horn too loudly, but clothes are one of my specialties. You'll look gorgeous, I promise, and you'll have a lot more fun than eating weird wafer things in your room too. We can even work on the dancing if you'd like.

Uther makes the questing beast look cuddly, and that thing nearly killed Arthur. :/ Of course, you could argue his father has nearly killed him too... frequently.

What's the Clave?

I'm not doubting you. Normally I have no problem with fashion, either, but then normally I have a queens pick of the silks and seamstresses. I'm not so sure my fashion sense is, uh, modern enough anyway.

It's funny, I taught Steve to dance in the early days. It's one of the reasons we became such good friends... I think I might have done him a disservice. I would appreciate that very much, Izzy.

Lovely.

The Clave is the council that is in power for my people back home. We have different Institutes, but they're overseers of the Shadowhunters as a whole.

Then between the two of us you'll look fantastic, basically. And I'm sure I can show you some of the more modern trends and find some sort of compromise that way you're not too far from what you already like.

Well, considering Steve told me he didn't know anything about dancing, from before anyway, you helped him a bit, anyway. And you have something to build from, so win/win.

And you're a shadowhunter? That's not like a witchfinder is it? [Because Morgana likes izzy and that would be unfortunate.]

You could put me in only a silk scarf and I'd still be less scandalised than I am by these goddamn jumpsuits. They must be called that because they make you want to jump from the highest available precipice.

I'd punch him in the arm for saying that but I think it'd break my hand... he's a good guy, very... attentive and easy enough to teach...

This was about me, sorry, I am also an excellent student. My Da was teaching me sword fighting when I was four.

I have no idea what a witchfinder is, so I'm going to assume no. Shadowhunters are nephilim, and we don't hut anybody (despite the latter half of the title). We just make sure that demons, warlocks, and other downworlders are kept secret from mundanes.

You and I are going to be very good friends, Morgana. Also, you could probably work a silk scarf and look great doing it.

I'll show you how to punch before you do it, less damage to your hand that way. He definitely seems like he'd be a student. Once you get passed his humble and shy, anyway.

Please, don't apologize. I'm sure you'll learn easily enough, then.

They... find witches. To kill them, generally. As it's illegal to exist if you have the misfortune to be born one back home.

[But that's a word she knows for once.] You're half angel.

[There's a long pause between that statement and what comes next as Morgana tries to avoid well, doing anything like wondering out loud if maybe she really was going to hell since apparently she'd been chatting with someone who was part divine like she was any old person... After all, she was just Izzy. Wasn't she? Even if she was part angel? How did someone like that even get trapped here?! She swallowed and moved on.]

Depends what you're teaching him, sometimes he gets too shy even to touch...

Yeah, that one is just as unpleasant as it sounds, then. I'm definitely not that, for the record. We don't kill downworlders, any of them, unless they're trying to kill us or mundanes.

[Izzy's not sure if she's picked the right time to come clean about what she is, but what the hell. It's better than hiding what she is even longer. She's tired of flitting under the radar the way that she has been.]

I am, yeah...at home anyway. Here I'm just another clone.

It sounds like you've had a little more experience than me, with our good buddy Steve, and making him uncomfortable.

Edited 2016-11-14 16:18 (UTC)

[Morgana could comment on the fact she's killed a few men in her day, though none of them were good but her mind is stuck somewhere between Izzy being half-divine and Steve.

Which actually made her wonder what Steve would be wearing...]

What do men wear to formal occasions? And it's... well no he was a bit... it's a long story. [A long story that is turning her red just thinking about it.]

Suits or tuxes if they're going with what is approved formal attire. Dress pants with a buttonup and jacket work too, just depends on the man and what he's comfortable with.

Well if you ever decide to share let me know?

Well, I know what pants and a jacket are. You know I'm half convinced the computer cloned me or brought me here or whatever else it may have done for it's own personal amusement.

I might have kissed him. But you can't tell anyone. ESPECIALLY STEVE. He was so flustered and hover handed and I never kissed anyone before I don't know what got into me. [She knows exactly what got into her.]

Tuxes and suits are just fancier pants and jackets mixed with a few other components. And if that's the case you're in good company because it probably extends to all of us.

Your secret is safe with me, I won't be telling anybody your business. When was this, though?

[Izzy's prety sure she has an idea of what got into her, considering she made out with Steve not all that long ago...]

Oh... Steve would look good in those.

105. I was upset, he came down to my room and took me to his so we could talk, and be safe... I don't know I was holding his hand and then I kissed him and I. No one ever treated me with such respect and care as he has since I got here months ago. I guess I just let myself get carried away.

I'm pretty sure Steve looks good in most things, to be fair.

There's nothing wrong with a kiss. Sometimes it's pretty comforting.

He looks pretty good drenched... he is built like a castle wall. [That she would totally climb. Cough.]

I suppose not... I'd like to think not, but there's this little voice in the back of my head that sounds like my governess screaming about me being a Lady. Or Uther's booming anger exclaiming that Ladies don't do those things!

But I was always bad at doing what I was told.

Castle wall isn't the first thing I'd think of, but I can see it.

Let me tell you a little secret. Women, ladies, can do any and everything that men can do. And sometimes do it better and in dresses and heels.

Plus your governess and Uther aren't here, so their opinions don't really matter. Now you do whatever you want...within the Computer's parameters, anyway.

I believe you, cause Lord knows I've beaten a whole group of warlords while in my underclothes but somehow that seems a lot easier than kisses.

I used to train, when I was a child and my Da was alive. I'm good with a sword, good dancer, good at driving knights wild... not as good as I'd like to be at picking moments of... uh. Intimacy?

Not so much a matter of not believing so much as not being used to being myself without someone waiting to tell me the sixteen ways I committed treason against the crown and human decency that day. Save a child? Dungeon. Wear a tight dress? Reduced to a useful ornament. Manage to fight your way out of the woods in your underwear and want to go back for your friend? Dropped off home and told to behave... Until recently the computer felt like a breath of fresh air, honestly. It may tell me what to do, but it's not on account of my sex.

Sounds like that all stems from where you're from, who you were around. So, I'm sure it will take time to forget it all, and to work toward more of an ease with kissing.

But it also sounds to me like you're a progressive and well on your way too.

One of the few positives of the Computer...it's not completely sexist.

Well as long as I stop kissing my friends who don't feel that way about me I'm sure it'll be infinitely less awkward.

[Maybe. Right?]

Well every thorn has it's rose.

Hey!

It's fine. Actually, I know this sounds like sort of counterintuitive, all things considered, but I just went into a Confessional booth and literally asked The Computer if I could do it. I mean, admittedly, first I fed it a line about how important hygiene is to a happy, loyal Citizen blah blah blah but...yeah. I just asked.

I mean unless you mean how did I originally start, before I was moving into the idea of mass production. In which case, the answer is that I totally pilfered from the Forensics lab where I used to work and fiddled around with formulations between downtime in that lab and free time in Ray's old lab in HQ. I probably shouldn't be saying but, eh. ~~If I get in trouble for talking, I'll know who to point the finger at and trust me when I say you don't want to piss off my friends, so~~

Hey, I asked and wanted to know. If it's that simple that's all the better, actually. It just means that I need to make sure I can charm the Computer if I decide to go through with what I have in mind. Shouldn't be too difficult, at least in theory anyway. I thought it might be more complicated than just asking, hence reaching out.

Both are actually helpful, though. I'm curious by nature, sorry, but I also have a few ideas cooking around about making this place a little more tolerable, at the least. Thank you for sharing, though, seriously. You probably shouldn't have shared it all, but I'm glad you did. And I can promise that my lips are sealed. I'm not going to throw you under the bus or anything after you not only provided soap an perfume, but helped me with info too, Lydia.

Edited 2016-11-06 21:42 (UTC)

It's that simple, except again, you have to give the Computer a reason to think it's necessary to make the Complex a better place and make Citizens happier or something, you know? And you have to hope you catch it on a good day. I think I got lucky. It probably could've gone either way, really.

No problem. What kind of ideas, if you don't mind me asking?

I think I can work that spin in, I'm pretty sure. I mean, I'm pretty sure some of the thoughts I have lend themselves to making the citizens happier. At least this one, anyway. The only variable I can't be too confident about is catchi the Computer on a good day.

I've talked with a couple of people about the jumpsuits and the boots and how we're not crazy about them. I'm curious as to whether or not the Computer is open to some more fashionable options, or alterations, if someone provides them or asks. Granted, a lot of this is just hypothetical at the momentand me hating the options we have right now, especially, but I guess it can't hurt to ask. The most that'll happen is I'm accused of treason, after all. In which case, lesson learned. ~~God I hope it's not Treasonous~~

You can't ever know when a "good" day is, honestly, but my suggestion is to aim earlier in the day, but not too early, and obviously when nothing crazy has been going on so far that day.

Uh, I would certainly be open to it. Maybe spin it like ill-fitting jumpsuits can be dangerous in some situations, like for the people that work with chemicals and explosives. Also, if people were allowed to individualize their outfits a little more, then it would be easier to correctly identify "commie traitors" because it'll be easier to pick them out of a crowd or remember what they look like if they don't look exactly like everybody else. That way, we can make Alpha Complex a safer place for everyone. That's how I'd do it, anyway.

Have I mentioned that you're one of my favorite people in this place yet? Because I feel like I need to say that. I'm going to take all of that into account. I want whatever positive marks I can get on my side when I do approach the computer.

I'm seriously considering waiting until after the charity ball too because if that goes well, then it might be a fairly good opening considering the dress-code for it according to Gracie.

I rest my case. The jumpsuits are hideous and I knew there had to be more. You're practically creating my pitch for me here, but that's probably the perfect way to put it, actually. I knew I couldn't just tell the Computer that some people hate them, pretty sure that wouldn't get me far, but safety, identification, and happiness all in tandem...definitely good reasoning. I really appreciate the help and advice, Lydia.

Izzy...a safe Citizen is a happy Citizen. And a happy Citizen is a loyal one. You just have to think like these hive-minded real world rejects for a second and it's easy to come up with a reason for pretty much anything.

I actually would agree with you whole heartedly on that. You can use that as your ah ha moment even though you've already had it. Friend Computer, I couldn't help noticing how much easier it was to find my friends and colleagues among the throngs of other Citizens and it got me to thinking...

This stuff writes itself, honey, you just have to let yourself think like an Alpha even though you aren't one. ;) No problem, now make pretty clothes happen for me, I miss them. I look like a disgusting blob in a jumpsuit, it's so unflattering.

That's going to be my new mantra going forward in this place, I swear. It'll probably get me further, I'm sure. I'm already having more ideas than I did before, actually.

It also gives the Computer more credit for the idea and flattery is probably going to get me places in this instance. I'm definitely going to wait until after because it'll be much better timing.

It really does now that you mentioned some of those things. Part of the problem is that I haven't been thinking like an Alpha here. I will definitely make pretty clothes (and hopefully shoes...god I miss my heels) happen. I don't think even the most gorgeous of women, like us, can make the jumpsuits look good. Not even Steve or anybody makes it work, even if he seems to not mind it.

Haha it's the sort of stupid thing they'd eat up around here, so I say go for it.

Exactly. The more credit the Computer thinks it's getting, the better off you'll probably be, so definitely hold off.

See? Get it together, drag down your IQ for a few minutes and think like a mindless moron and you're golden. Then you can kick it back up to eleven where you belong ;)

Also, not for nothing but my boyfriend makes his jumpsuit look good. They fit better when you get higher in clearance, I've noticed. Matt's ass is a beauty to behold in that green jumpsuit, like I'm not even going to lie.

...I've been here too long, damn...

Well if you insist!

This is definitely making planning all of this out a lot easier in my head. I didn't know that I'd actually run the possibility of getting a yes before, so you're sort of helping me hedge my bets here.

It's so hard to drag my IQ down and be mindless, but it's for the good of everyone in this case. Or at least the people that care what they're wearing, anyway. I just have to remind myself it'll be worth it, ultimately.

Another reason to try and climb the ladder here, then, I guess. I don't think I've met Matt, but I'll definitely take your word for it. I mean, Steve looks better in his uniform than some others I've seen in the red ones, after all. So, I can believe it.

It happens, Lydia, you're not part of the HIVE mind yet, at least. Just remember that; you're acclimated to the place, though, which isn't completely bad.

I mean I obviously can't guarantee a positive response, but if I can help you pad your chances, I'm so on it. I'm sick of looking like a convict.

Yeah, preaching to the choir, believe me, honey.

I used to have the biggest crush on Steve, like it was kind of ridiculous.

( Steve and Ray. Lydia loves Matt very much, but she absolutely used to pine over the other two, older men before she'd met Matt. )

Small favors, I guess. That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I'm going to be positive about this all and say that your suggestions are definitely going to give me a bit of a leg up considering my approach before wouldn't have been quite as nuanced. I'm charming, but that really only gets me so far.

I don't think you're the only one, I'm pretty sure I know at least one other person who does have a crush on him still. I mean, there are much worse options to crush on here. And he is a sweetheart, so there's a lot there to like. I, sort of, made out with him when the coffee was roofied the other day.

Truer words have never been said.

Yeah you have to be charming and sink to kiss the Computer's ass a little, unfortunately.

Oh no I know at least one person who's into him still too, but like that's so funny to me to think about now, because I don't see him that way at all anymore. It's weird. He's a sweetheart, though. You're right about that. Haha whoops.

No. I don't.

I woke up in Technical Services again. I don't remember anything but being fitted with suits for the surface, but they told me that was four days ago. This message was waiting for me when I got my PDC back.

What did we do?

I can't say I'm surprised. I've been racking my brain and nothing but what I already remembered has come to me.

It was four days ago....I have no idea what we did up there, or why they sent me back before you either because I've been back, obviously. I hadn't seen you, so I wasn't sure one way or the other about where you were.

I wish I knew, I'm not a fan of being clueless like this. It must have been something that they don't want us to remember, though.

I'm going to run some tests, just to make sure they haven't done anything that I can trace. If I find anything, I'll let you know.

Let me know if you need any help, pathology is my specialty, but I appreciate keeping me in the loop either way.

(no subject)

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