[Video]

[playingtough]

_{[The video feed clicks on to show the inside of Billy's beach abode. There's no sign of him, as the comm device is showing his sister's Walkman instead with a couple of candles made by Tommy to illuminate it. There's a stack of tape cases next to it, and then Billy's hand and arm come into view to tap the device.]}

Anyone got a full tape player here in the city? Even better is one with two decks. I just can't keep sleeping with my headphones on.

_{[The past few nights have been bad ones, they always were this time of year, but only very few people knew that. He taps the Walkman again, hard this time, which upsets it and the hand scrambles to set it upright again.]}

And it's gotta be powered by those crystals, since we don't seem to have anything else as batteries.

Comments

[tempredmental]

[Keith stared at the feed for a moment, and then...]

What's a 'tape player'? Why would you play with tape?

[playingtough]

What the fuck do you mean 'what's a tape player'? There's one right there,

_{[To which Billy points it out again.]}

It plays music on tapes. This is my sister's but she's... she's not here right now, so I'm keeping it.

[tempredmental]

[Keith had to think about it for a second. How did someone get music on tape-...

Oh, wait...]

Like those cartridge things? [He sounded surprised.] Those haven't been used in my world in almost a century.

[So, yeah... he had to dig that out of cultural memory. Sorry for the confusion?]

Can't you find something more modern?

[playingtough]

Cassettes.

<sub>[He does not sound happy about having to explain this to Keith. Shouldn't this be common knowledge?

The camera whirls around to show Billy looking frustrated. And also looking like he hasn't gotten much sleep lately, or if he has, it's been very bad.]</sub>

These are modern. I'm gonna guess you don't have anything in the realm of help, do you?

[tempredmental]

Sorry, no. [Keith shrugged.] That's pretty ancient where I'm from.

I wouldn't mind seeing it in action, though, if you can find one. Have you tried the replicator?

[playingtough]

It's not ancient.

_{[Does he sound offended? Yes he does. He does know that Keith doesn't mean anything by it though and huffs to get his frustration out.]}

I don't know how to use the replicator for anything aside from cigarettes. Can it really make electronics?

[tempredmental]

[Keith just rolled his eyes a bit.]

Maybe. [He shrugged.] I haven't really tried, but it does make a decent amount of stuff. You could always try. Or, it might just give you the parts and you have to put it together yourself.

[playingtough]

I don't know how to put stuff like that together. Cars and radios aren't the same.

_{[There's a little bit of a pout in his face and voice.]}

Do you think the replicator will understand if I put in 'tape deck'? Or stereo system?

[tempredmental]

[There was a beat, and then Keith shrugged.] True. [He wasn't an electronics guy, either. Definitely more mechanic if he had to work on something. He wasn't a prodigy, but he could maintain his own machine.]

It might? It understands better than the Agrii, at least. [Granted, it was apparently from an advanced society, but it was a society that was familiar with Earth culture, so there was a chance, right?]

[playingtough]

Show me. _{[It comes out as a demand. Then he's clearing his throat before trying again.]}

Could you... show me how to work it? I can bring a tape that we can try it out with.

[tempredmental]

[Keith definitely raised an eyebrow at first, but then shrugged. He probably would have anyway, honestly.]

Yeah... alright. I haven't used it in a while, but we could see what happens.

[playingtough]

It'll take me a bit to get there, I'm at the beach. But I'll meet you over there.

_{[There's the sound of the device being picked up, Billy moving around, before the familiar sound of a shutting door and the ocean. He didn't lie, it'll take him awhile to get back to the city being dependent on his own speed, but he gets there. Eventually. A very long eventually. He heads into the building.]}

You already here, Keith?

[tempredmental]

You weren't kidding that it would take you a bit. [Keith was teasing. Not everyone was super fast like Tommy or had a teleporting wolf like Kosmo. He smirked slightly, and then nodded towards the device in question.]

So... we just... ask. Though, it helps to be specific. Like, obviously you've got that... thing there with the music on it... so, you need something to play it. But there were a lot of them over a long time, right? So maybe like... brand... model... stuff like that? If you know of one? [For the Garrison, yeah... a replicator was definitely advanced. But the Alteans had them. They'd been sparse in using it, reserving the supplies that made it work for things like tools, replacement parts, repairs... so the idea wasn't completely foreign to him.]

[playingtough]

_{[Billy cracks a grin at the teasing, closing some of the distance to give him a playful shove.]} Shut the hell up, Keith.

_{[He puts a hand to his hip and the other to his chin, trying to think of the models from his time.]}

I want something with speakers. I think I saw one I liked in a Radioshack by Philips. Two speakers on each side, dual tape decks, and levers for adjusting stuff like bass and treble.

_{[He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to think]}

A... D8578 I think? I had it cut out of the paper because I was trying to save up so I could take it with me to California.


_{[ooc: billy would loathe his tape deck being classified as historic LOLOLOL]}

[tempredmental]

[He laughed a little in response.]

Okay... that I think we can work with. [He tilted his head and headed for the replicator.] So, uh...

Computer. One Philips D8578 tape deck.

[The computer chimed, and the space in the console filled with a shimmering blue light before the stereo in question appeared.]

Tada...

{OOC: I had a tapedeck like that as a kid. Haha.}

[playingtough]

<sub>[Billy follows behind at a polite distance before just standing next to Keith at the replicator. He knew it could make candy. And cigarettes. But a full electronic accessory? He wonders if it could've made his car before he got it here.

He perks up as the light shimmers into the familiar shape of the tape deck he had circled in the flyer years ago before brightening into a grin.]</sub>

Holy fuck it actually worked! That's so much easier than trying to build one myself. I got enough on my hands fixed up my car.

_{He reaches into his pocket to pull out one of the Metallica tapes he can scavenged from Eddie's room. It's easy work to open the deck and slip it in before closing it. He hits 'play' and after adjusting the volume from off, he hears the steady music.]}

Hell yeah, this will definitely work.

[tempredmental]

[Well, a car would have been too big for the replicator pad, unless Billy wanted a toy version.]

Yeah, I think we'd need a bigger replicator for something big like a car. [Keith shrugged.]

But, yeah. You've got yourself a relic now.

[He had to toss that last part in.]

[playingtough]

_{[Absolutely not!]}

Yeah, that's what I figured. Cars are too big, stereos are not. Good to know in case I need more music or something.

_{[The tease gets a glare.]} Things are better in the 80s anyways. I can drink and smoke whenever I want for starters.

_{[That's not the flex you think it is, Billy.]}

[tempredmental]

[Keith nodded and then raised an eyebrow.]

Somehow, I don't think that's the brag you think it is.

[This from someone who preferred not to do either... especially smoking. Keith was a fighter and staying in shape for surprise fights was important to him. Couldn't do that drunk or hacking up a lunge from smoker's cough.]