Unwanted Projects

[quark_assassin]

WHO: Dustin and York, also Dustin and YOU
WHERE: York's factory, and the Amphitheater (both in Temba)
WHAT: Dustin has finished a project for York and tries to give it to him. Meanwhile, he's starting a bigger project at the Amphitheater.
WHEN: Throughout September, after the plants stop being so mean
WARNINGS: Enough strong language between Dustin and York for an R rating

1. York's Factory [Closed to York]

The last couple of months have been very productive and informative in some ways, and extremely unproductive and annoying in others. Dustin has it in his nature to focus on the latter. He'd made commitments, dammit. Sure he's come away from it all with more than double the amount of tools and raw materials to work with, plus some excellent knowledge to safely tuck away for later, but that doesn't stop him from feeling irritated at his inability to keep up with his self-imposed deadlines regardless.

The biggest of these - and the one Dustin is looking forward to completing the least - is York's prototype. It's bad enough that he hasn't been able to dedicate a lot of time to its construction lately, and that he's had to guess at the function of some of the parts he remembers the little biocomponent having, particularly in regards to where it interfaces and appears to process Thirium. But all of that pales in comparison to what needs to happen when he finally sorts all of those problems out and feels he has a satisfactory product:

The delivery to York.

He could have just flagged down Celty and had her drop it off for him. Then he could just avoid the angry little android entirely, maybe worked out details and revisions over text or something. Except, part of him worries that York would either ignore or destroy a mysterious package at his door, or maybe even go out of his way to wreck it if Dustin wasn't there to supervise. He might still do that even if he's there, Dustin considers - make some kind of grand gesture about how much he hates him and everything to do with him. At least then he'll know.

Hardly a comforting thought, as Dustin cautiously strides up to the door of York's factory house. He pauses for a few moments to glance around, checking for continued signs of habitation first, then for indicators of increased security second. Once he's satisfied that he's not about to be caught in some kind of anti-Dustin trap, he tucks the cumbersome metal box with York's testing equipment and prototype under one arm and firmly knocks on the side door with his free hand.

2. Amphitheater [OPEN]

Dustin's other main project for this month is a lot less stressful. Considering the sheer scale of his plans, it might not seem that way, but he doesn't expect it to involve a lot of people and, therefore, it should be much easier to deal with.

...Except, maybe it should involve a lot more people. At least, more than just the pitifully scrawny 16-year-old that has taken it upon himself to climb up and into the Amphitheater stadium lights on a regular basis. When he's not clambering around inside of them taking measurements and tentatively investigating their electronic hookups, Dustin can be found clearing out the remaining dead and dying plant life from around them and on the paths leading through the stands to the service entrances, some of which were so clogged at first that he couldn't even walk through them. He takes his working knife to them, hacking at the plants with an aggression that they probably don't deserve.

This is a lot of manual labor, and his workshop is a long walk across the city away, so he can also sometimes be found holed up in one of the stadium boxes taking a nap. He leaves a little nest of blankets and pillows in the one he prefers - as well as a simple fishing line tripwire across the doorway, attached to a suspended stack of metal scraps and a cast-iron pan on the side. They aren't positioned to cause any damage to any intruders, just to fall, make an absolutely apocalyptic amount of noise to alert him that someone's there, and hopefully scare them off before there's an actual confrontation.

Comments

[quark_assassin]

Dustin hums as he saws away at a particularly fibrous vine with his knife. This is not a satisfactory answer; he figures the two have different priorities and lives, and he has no interest in hearing about Steven's job, whatever it was. Everyone has jobs where Dustin's from. It's probably something unimportant - or at least, not relevant to their current discussion and his priorities.

"What does Marc mean to you, then?" he asks instead. Getting a better read on how Steven feels about Marc seems more imminently useful to determining if he should avoid Marc entirely.

[notsuitedforthis]

Judging from the way he pauses between nudging aside cut vegetation into a neater pile, it's a question Steven obviously doesn't expect. "Funny way to put it," he then chuckles, albeit mirthlessly as he tries to take a stab at another vine with the shovel. "What does he mean to me, should I know what he means to me? Well. He's a person. And right now he's someone I happen to have 'hanging around' for the time being. Like a roommate."

A few more stabbing motions finally chop through the vine and he steps back to let it fall to the ground, breathing out a short sigh. "Can't form a greater opinion on it, really. I don't know much about him, save for him being secretive and living another life without my knowledge. In which I was dragged into, mind you, but...that's that."

[quark_assassin]

Steven might not realize how much deeper of a hole he's digging for Marc, or perhaps he doesn't care, but Dustin has more or less condemned him to the pit by this point. Secret life, proclivity for violence, paranoid bastard - none of these are positive boxes to have checked off. Seems it would be best to give the man a wide berth from now on.

"Basically a stranger, then," Dustin says, condensing all of that judgement into something that won't waste as much breath while he's trying to kick down a wilting sapling. "You should keep better tabs on him."

[notsuitedforthis]

Although he doesn't answer right away, Steven takes a moment to tip his head - an obvious hint in how he doesn't deny Dustin's assumption. "-Yes. Basically. A stranger, living in my head." There really isn't any other way to put it.

What he says about Marc is merely fact; he doesn't realize he's not helping the man's case and the perception of his character in Dustin's eyes. And he isn't aware of the teen's condemnation of Marc at all, brow lifting as he gathers everything to one side. "Don't really have much of a choice, considering how we're kind of stuck together," he sniffs. "Not forever, though - he promised he'd disappear once his business is done."

[quark_assassin]

Dustin opens his mouth to give Steven some suggestions on how to better manage Marc, but stops himself when he realizes that they essentially boil down to 'have people watch you regularly' (impractical in a post-apocalyptic alien city with a tiny population) and 'therapy' (even considering the idea here almost makes him laugh). So he drops that thread of thought and pulls on the next one that Steven offers instead.

"What business?" he asks with a sharp raise of an eyebrow.

[notsuitedforthis]

Steven's nose wrinkles, but he tries to boil down Marc's business to its most basic premise:

"Stopping a cult from summoning an ancient evil to cleanse the world."

Perhaps it's a little sarcastic, but the honest description of the situation he's involved is right on the nose.

[quark_assassin]

Dustin hears this, catches the hint of sarcasm in it, and assumes that's the full intent. He pauses in yanking on a vine to level a deadpan glare at Steven.

"Okay, but what really?"

[notsuitedforthis]

The man visibly flinches, mouth gaping like a fish out of water for a few seconds before repeating himself. "Stopping a cult from summoning an ancient evil- serious business, it's serious," Steven stammers, waving his arms around before hitting his resolve and hacking away at another set of tangled vines. "I was kidnapped by a man who wants to free Ammit - an Ancient Egyptian alligator goddess who judges a person to the extreme on whether or not they are worthy enough to live, by the way - and let her loose upon the world to make it a 'purer, sinless place' for everyone left to live in." One can just feel the air quotes there. "Which is highly impossible and utterly mad because that line of thinking has plenty of flaws in it...!"

The face he pulls looks like he's been kicked when he turns to face the teenager again, feeling like he's not going to be believed again. So he takes a moment to catch his breath, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"...So yes. I know how it sounds."

[quark_assassin]

Dustin has gone back to clearing the old plants, stooping down to dig out some stubborn, gnarled roots with his knife while he lets Steven ramble. The only indication he gives that he's even paying attention is when Steven stops talking long enough for Dustin to glance up and stare back at him. His expression hasn't changed - still deadpan, naked disbelief.

"That's some of the stupidest shit I've ever heard," he drones. Lets it hang for a few moments.

Then, with a shrug, he gets back to work. "But so is the bullshit I've heard about the storms, so. Whatever. I'll probably never be able to prove you right or wrong anyway."

Very late tag! Feel free to handwave if you need to

[notsuitedforthis]

Steven's mouth twitches, opening, then closing during those moments. Although primarily offended by Dustin's reaction, he's somewhat understanding of the conclusion he comes to. Not that it makes him feel any better after turning it all loose, but at least he's told him the truth.

"...Suppose that's fair," he shrugs halfheartedly, returning to his own cleaning efforts after frowning. "Anyway. Thanks for not judging me too harshly. Although it still stings a bit, but." A loose gesture, and he finally shuts up to bustle about.

all good! seems like a good spot to wrap up anyway?

[quark_assassin]

Hurting Steven's feelings wasn't Dustin's intent, but he also doesn't care that this was the result, either; much like Steven, Dustin simply told the truth. He grunts his acknowledgement and lapses into silence, focusing on clearing what dead plants remain in the hallway.

I think so! Thank you <3

[notsuitedforthis]