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etrayamemes2024-11-11 03:04 pm
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2024-11-11 03:04 pm
Entry tags:
TDM 005
 ⏵ arrival ⏴ Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in a sterile hospital bed in a clean, white room to the hum of machines under the unnatural lighting common to well-kept institutions. Every bit was designed to be comforting and calming, even with the jarring undercurrent of this situation. The first face they see is Aurora's: her smile appears to be warm, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She might offer a quick explanation, or leave characters to figure it out for themselves depending on their approach. The door to the room swings open, revealing a hallway that stretches out ahead of them. There’s noise from outside and strong pumpkin spice scents coming from the lobby. Ah, muffins and tea. Grab one and head into the crisp, sunny fall morning ahead.  ⏵ potluck ⏴ Cutthroat Iron Etrayan Bake-Off As you step out of the arrival holding area into the main thoroughfare, the entire street has been turned into tents and chef stations to accommodate the activities of thirty people at once. There’s seats, trailers, and robots bustling about to make sure everyone is ready. A couple of cheerful robots in aprons and colorful sweaters approach and redirect you as you step towards the cooking area. There’s gas ranges, ovens, grills, blast chillers, mixers, and set walk-ins and pantries with just about every ingredient you can imagine. There are cameramen (also robots) patrolling the area to capture all your best moments and to broadcast them directly to your fellow citizens’ devices. Your instruction? “Make your signature dish. You have one hour, chef.” It can’t just be straightforward, can it? The land itself is held together with pure chaotic energy. If you’re lucky, all goes as planned. If you aren’t… well…
* All kittens disappear at the end. ** These however, stay.  ⏵ share a meal ⏴ As all the cooking concludes, you will be invited to plate your meal into one of many casserole dishes, regardless of what was made. A ladle will be tucked into the corner and placed on the table with a folded bit of cardstock declaring the chef’s name and the name of the dish. A helper camerabot will come around to each participant and ask for their thinking and their process. Even if you got away without having to cook, even looking towards the table of dishes will spur a helper bot to start making you a plate with one of everything. The helperbot will insist that it is rude to not at least try what their peers have made. In fact, if you are to fill out the score card for each person, you really must taste everything! The robots can’t try the food, so it’s up to you. The cards look like so. The grading system is opaque. Is it meant to be numbers? Stars? Letter grades? Well, you’re the judge. You figure it out. Chef: ___________ Dish:_____________ Judge:___________ Overall Rating:_______
 ⏵ tummy ache survivor ⏴ No matter how well your compatriots cooked or baked their dishes, there are… factors. You see that carrot? It’s really just condensed chaos in the shape of a carrot. No matter how powerful you are, these particular ingredients may not mesh with your being. …And even if it is truly a carrot, do all the chefs know the proper cooking temperature of chicken? Even chickens are aliens to many. (Optional) Roll a Die
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potluck;
But as it stands, he stands with a person (?????) with a helmet. ]
What? [ He asks but is more needing a second more to process what he's being asked. ] I think I saw a cartoon of that once. However, they were slicing it that thin because they were starving and needed to save rations. I think. [ A beat. ] The cartoons children are shown --
[ He turns around, not answering the question, but feels sudden heat. Oh. The fridge is on fire. ] -- seems to be true to life.
[ Right. ] Can you cut through flames?
no subject
Not without a specialized device. [ He does, however, call over a robot assistant and ask for something to put the flames out.
He is handed a blanket. He stares at it for a moment and then just. Puts it over the fire and attempts to smother it...He does at least know what a blanket is and the general principle of putting out fires - deprive them of oxygen. Though admittedly in N'Erud there would be at least three types of contingency for this...
Well, he is no longer the controller for an entire world-ship and has no access to such systems. This will have to do. ]
What sort of ingredient did you need from this? [ Still DETERMINEDLY smothering that fire, he's not flammable so it's fine. ]
cw: dark themes, burning bodies
[ Perhaps, the only reason that Vincent is not panicking is because he just doesn't care if the fridge catches the entire kitchen on fire. He will just leave and consider the whole pot luck a lost cause, if the flames can't be contained. However, it seems like his companion is dealing with them quite well - and also not being set on fire, either.
Great! Because the smell of burnt flesh is not great, actually. No one ask him how he knows that, but also he hopes he doesn't bring it up accidentally! ]
I take it that doesn't hurt at all. [ He looks at the ingredients before them. ] What were we making, again? I kind of just wasn't paying attention.
no subject
[ Even if he was burned, it's unlikely he would smell like anything fleshy anyway. He doesn't have organic components.
He looks at the ingredients as well and...comes up with some pretty dismal calculations, honestly. How do you even use these? ] I am not certain. I am not familiar with the use or preparation of these ingredients.
no subject
Do you not need to eat? [ He's gonna put his hands on his hips and look at what they have for ingredients. Surely, he can think of something that can be made with them. Maybe chili. Chili's easy, right? Sure. ]
no subject
He cautiously lifts the blanket...flames smothered. ]
I was not designed to eat. However, I am capable of assisting you with any other tasks if you require it.
no subject
[ Guess that solves that - still for the sake of a budding new portfolio, it's best to keep referring to him as a "person," he thinks. ]
Seems unfortunate. I'm sure oodles of people are sorry that you can't try what they put so much time and effort into -- [ He's glancing to watch the chaos that is going on with the other kitchen areas. ]
no subject
I am not certain there will be much to try. It appears that the challenge is getting anything to come out of these kitchens at all.
In any case, I will have to make my apologies. [ Entirely sincere about this?? ] I will have to collect the relevant information from the experiences of others.
no subject
[ Okay - so - chili. He's going to acquire a pot from somewhere to put on the stove. His eyes roll up as he tries to remember the recipe for that - hm -
- then he turns slightly when his companion carries on with an apology. ]
I think most of the reactions are going to be barely concealed nausea.
no subject
If this is important, then it is his duty. Even if it seems incredibly silly or pointless.
He looks around at the chaos currently erupting in the kitchen area and just...nods. ]
That is true. However, the information will form a baseline to understand what food is enjoyable to the population here, since I am incapable of eating it myself.
no subject
[ Vincent almost makes a gesture with his hand -- a knocking gesture -- like he wants to test out if he can hear the metal underneath the clothes that the other is wearing.
His head lifts: ] Right, I don't think we exchanged names. [ Because he didn't; he just stood next to him and said a lot of sassy things until the fridge caught on fire. ] Vincent.
[ He tips his head as he can't say that isn't right. ] Fair enough. So, how do you get your energy? Are you solar-powered?
no subject
[ That sure is a lot of words to say 'yes, but i don't usually'. ]
[ He nods in acknowledgement.] I am the Custodian. My usual power source is not to be found here, but I am capable of using solar power as an alternative.
[ A star that has not burned out and succumbed to entropy, a star he does not know the fluctuations of as well as he knows his own functions. What a miracle that is. ]
no subject
[ Vincent flashes his awkward smile. It is a smile that has a little too many teeth; there's some viciousness around the curve of the lips. More or less, it's like he doesn't quite know how to smile. ]
I was joking, but nice. I'd hate for you to break down, Custodian.
no subject
You could basically just say anything and he'd go sure that sounds fine, really. ]
I would also find it...inconvenient. I do not know if this world has the proper resources to repair me.
If you were similarly afflicted...I would be perturbed. Organic material is far more fragile than machinery.
no subject
[ Vincent hums as he thinks about this bit of information. ]
I'll tell you that sometimes we get points. I don't know how or why, really, beyond living here, I guess, but you can use those points to request items from those cousins of yours. You know, the companion bots that are wandering around.
[ He gestures toward said bots with a wave of his hand. It's a bit of a test - giving Custodian some useful information to see what he does with it, and seeing what limits the robot had to slight insults. ]
Similarly afflicted? You mean if I was hurt?
no subject
I am not certain we are cousins, as I would need to see their internal workings to confirm it. But if they can truly retrieve any items that we wish, given enough points, they may yet be useful on other duties besides providing information.
[ He's been having no luck asking them important things and it's very frustrating!! ]
Yes. Provided that you can be hurt. I am basing my assumptions on the fragility of the organics I was familiar with, but I do not know much about your people.
no subject
[ Hm, hm. ]
Yes, I can be hurt. [ And he's thinking!! ] I'm sure you can write up a manual, right? Of maintenance? If you get the tools and have that manual, I'll offer to fix you up should anything happen. Does that sound like a good offer to you?
no subject
I should be able to make small repairs on my own with the correct tools, but I will not be in a favorable situation should something more substantial occur...
I can. [ He leans forward a little, tilting his head as he peers (or seemingly peers, lacking any visible eyes) at him. ] I would be willing to accept the offer, but you must tell me what I can offer you in return. I cannot take from you without a reward to give.
no subject
[ It isn't a choice that Vincent would make. There is too much debt that can be accrued simply by relying on others - and one day, that debt might be called upon. ]
Anyway, as far as what you can do for me, I'm not sure. [ He shakes his head. ] I don't mean that as in I don't want anything, but I don't know what you're capable of, Custodian. All I know is that you're a robot.
I'm honestly willing to take this deal at a bit of a detriment to build a sense of trust between us... [ A sense of trust. Not real trust. ] In the future, if there's something that you can do that I need, I know I can rely on you.
no subject
A sense of trust...I see. I will do my utmost to repay your generosity. [ He bows to him, his sleeves brushing the floor as he spreads his arms. It's a practiced gesture; clearly something he has done much. ]
I am not particularly skilled at physical labor, but I am an extremely complex artificial intelligence. If you should need aid that requires my processing power, I will provide.
no subject
[ He's putting in a large promissory note to the investment with a potentially high payout. Of course, selling is a possibility, but that could lead to issues later. Until then, it seems like he has a healthy-looking stock that just needs time to mature. ]
Nothing I can think on, but that doesn't mean that there isn't something useful that can be used for later, Custodian. [ He holds his hand out. ] Shall we shake on it, then?
no subject
[ He tilts his head, looking at the offered hand, and then takes it carefully and shakes it gingerly, as if he's afraid he's going to break Vincent's hand somehow. He touches him like he's never seen anything like him in his life.
(It has been a very long time since he touched a living, breathing person in any capacity at all.)
This all amounts to it being a clumsy, awkward handshake that he quickly breaks, but the sentiment is clearly there. ]