station72 | mental link

[ someone's up and awake again. Not so tired sounding, though. This time, she's remembered to go and eat before she reaches out to the rest of the hive. ]

( Is anyone in the Bearings that can give me an update on what I've... missed? As much detail as possible.

If it were safer, I might suggest we start keeping more accessible records for these... interludes. )

[ She's not fond of this not knowing everything all the time ever. Which on the note of: she sighs, little echoing tumbling thought that is edged with frustration. ]

( And... does anyone what kind of tricks lions should do? Are they meant to be predators? Are they meant to be tamed?

.... Actually, does anyone know what a lion is? I'm starting to realise I don't know very much about animals if they aren't trying to eat you. Which isn't particularly useful, right now. )

[ ... and for anyone looking for Angel, she will be with a strew of mechanical parts around her that is half in her room, half in the corridor for her shiny new, tackely bright gold performing robotic lion. ]

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[ Robot... lion tamer. It skips a few times in his head, like a tape trying to play with a broken ribbon. Why. Why is that a thing here.

Images of lion allmates flash through his mind. He'd never seen one in person - they were extremely expensive models - but then, he never wanted to. They were big and scary, and the people who owned them were usually rich and cruel.

Something about them just unsettles Aoba to his core. He's trying to keep it all hidden, but there's only so much he can hide from brood. ]

So... you did get one? Uh... where are you keeping it?

[ So he knows where to avoid. ]

[ Because Lions Aoba. Shiny, pretty lions. But that being said, it's impossible to miss his discomfort. They're too close, after all. ]

( After I was feeling a little bit better, and with me. I don't want to let it far from me until I am completely sure about its programming. )

[ It's - supplicating, in its way. He's not going to be tripping over it anytime soon. ]

[ With her. Of course it would be, and that... actually helps his anxiety calm a little. He wouldn't have to totally avoid it, if it's with her. Angel wouldn't be cruel with her allmate- er... robot lion. ]

Oh... okay. As long as it's in your hands, I'm sure it'll be fine. Sorry, models like that are a little intense where I'm from.

[ Most people in his tax bracket just have small pets. He's repaired plenty of small cats and birds before, and always kept his old little spitz in top running shape. ]

What's it's programming like? Do you... actually have to tame it?

[ If it's gentle, maybe he could get a look at it's hardware without wanting to bolt. ]

[ She feels the hum of his worry, and presses her lips on a thought. ]

( This is too, I guess, but it's meant for performance. It... well, he's pretty, actually, much, much prettier than a skag at least. )

[ Then it's soothing, soft. ]

( If you like, I can give him some kill words, if you like? Just for you. So you can say them and he'll listen to you. )

[ There's a beat of surprise. Him, telling a lion allmate what to do? He'd never be the type to have one. Well, mostly because he could never replace Ren. If it's as big he thinks it is, it might scare him, even around Angel... having a kill word sounds like a good, safe idea to him, even if it is just programmed for show. ]

Really? That... would give me a little more peace of mind. Yeah. Thanks Angel.

[ He calms a bit more, but now... he's curious. Could there be allmates here? Maybe even parts? He could look on extraspace himself, but if Angel already has... or if she's still connected, then maybe... ]

I didn't really think of looking for allmates- I mean... animal androids here. Did you see any other models while you were looking for the lion?

[ An image of a small, dark blue dog with a little pink tongue flashes over the link. He can't help it. He misses Ren constantly. ]

[ The pleasant buzz, in making him pleased, making him feel safe.

( Always, Aoba. Plus, it'll mean that if anything happens, and you need protection, you can use him too. That'll give me some peace of mind too. )

[ Her personal kind of protection of him that was unthinking, now. ]

( I did. There are lots of different kinds, we could look through a catalogue if you like? I know nothing will replace yours but.... )

Heh, thanks Angel. I can look after myself though, please don't worry so much about that. But I'll remember it's there, just in case.

[ Her concern is sweet. He doesn't mean to make her unhappy or reject her protection, but he doesn't want her thinking he can't protect himself either. He's defended against tough Ribsters, even broken a few jaws in his time... well, not that he remembers doing any of that since the accident, but Mizuki was always saying so.

His own happiness is dampened a little when she guesses what he's thinking of doing. But there's still optimism there, reignited by the prospect of finding parts that might work with his allmate here. ]

I know... I was thinking of looking for replacements for the fried parts of his internal hardware, and a new drive and maybe a basic species program to run on it while I keep working on his data recovery. And maybe, if there's something here that's better at recovering data than what we have on the Station...

[ That last part is a long shot... especially since the Station equipment is much more advanced, and Hux already got the little allmate to display it's empty hard drive. But... Aoba still isn't giving up on Ren. It's hope with heartbreak at it's core, pushed down to a deep part of his awareness that only Angel or Petre might be able to sense. ]

( Oh, sorry, I know you can. You're brave. I guess... well, I'm very good at worrying. )

[ Bite of her lip, duck of her head. Sheepish thought given over. She worries, maybe because she hasn't gotten it through her head as hard as she tries that her hands are good for more than just wringing them anxiously. That if she wanted to support him: she didn't just have to send a robot to him. ]

( That's definitely worth a shot. We'll have to look at reverse compatibility to make them talk to each other... but we can definitely try it. )

[ He's so attached to it - something she understands and it's soft over their brood connection, that she grips tightly back, a mental thread of her fingers through his. Whatever she could do, is always the promise. ]

[ Whether she truly believes it or not, her vote of confidence in him means so much. He's not so sure about brave, but her acknowledgement is what he was after, and her assurance of working on Ren is encouraging. He responds with a rising hum, pleasant in tone, not overly musical but almost. ]

Thanks Angel. I'll compile a list of parts I need if you don't mind helping me look for them. We won't be able to put them all together inside Ren until we're back at the station, but...

[ If he can just work on finding what he needs now, like she's working on her lion, it'd be a nice way to keep his mind off missing Ren. ]

( No problem, just bring it over to me whenever you're ready. )

[ This would be the planet to do it, really, she doesn't know where they'll go that gives a better hope for it.

Because she wants to look after him, give him whatever she can. ]

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