"Hi, yes I know your sister, I was watching her on-and-off while your dad was in the hospital. He's my boxing teacher. Any other questions?"
Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)
- Thread starter LordRoustabout
- Start date
Flirting as sincere expression of attraction, but without serious desire or expectation of getting into romantic relationship? Kind of like how there can be a momentary compliment, without further meaning beside being a sentiment of appreciation. Like "You look nice today", but a bit more "You look hot today".
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
It's Just an Expression
"What's got you smiling?"
Aisha stepped into the Temple complex, smirking faintly at the himaton and chiffon waiting in the gazebo-vestibule-thing that preceded the higher rising hillside complex where Survey got her Oracle at Double-Delphi on. As Aisha joined Survey inside the expansive elevated chamber, she waved at her own face. "C'mon. Don't make me read a twenty-page report."
Survey was in fact smiling. Nearly grinning in fact. The woman was normally so reserved and controlled that she barely seemed to emote, unless Tetra was needling her about something. That wasn't to say Survey was cold or unfeeling- Aisha could see that better than most, but she was not a naturally expressive person either. The other woman's stunning looks had been awesome and terrific at first, but after now literal years of spending time around her, Aisha just enjoyed Survey's company. Even if she did insist on so. Many. Goddamned. Reports.
"I have been in communication with one of the Undersiders." Survey adjusted one of her scrying bowls. In another time and place, Aisha might've read something into a response like that, but there was a fundamental kind of sincerity Survey demonstrated every interaction. She took everything seriously, but Aisha had learned how that could be fun and funny as well as anything else.
Aisha cocked her head though. "Tattletale, right? I thought Joe was taking the lead on that."
"No." Survey clarified. "Regent. He has continued to be the most..."
"Lackadasial?" Aisha felt her lips twist, bemused at her own choice of such a ten-cent word.
"Irreverent, yes." Survey decided. "Enough that he is willing to take certain calculated risks. Though I imagine he is leaning on that attitude as a coping mechanism."
Aisha nodded with a small frown. "So're a lot of people. Anyway! Dish! You're talking? Texting."
Survey smiled a bit wider and cast an arm up at empty space. A holographic log of their conversation appeared, with timestamps. Aisha stopped. Starred.
She glanced at Survey, then back at the text log. "...did he... Has he spent almost twenty minutes posting pick-up lines at you?"
"He has." Survey confirmed. "Many of which were sourced from various compilation lists and articles, but several others seem to have been original formulations. I am particularly amused his various attempted play-on-words involving my name, and my lack of immediate response."
Aisha looked closer at the log- and there it was. Other than each text being marked read, there was no response from Survey. Just Regent, continuing to post inane lines and pick-up memes.
REGENT: I'm happy to live in a Surveillance state, if you're the one watching me.
"Wow-" Aisha shook her head with a laugh. "This is great- but that alone can't have gotten a smile out of you, right?"
Survey temporized, simply advancing the text log. Outside the Workshop, they were set at the same rate of time at one second per second that the Undersiders and the rest of the world were confined to. After a particularly incoherent pick-up line, Survey had finally responded. Not with text, not with a mere emoji. Something that had Aisha nearly repeating Regent's own response, word for word.
"Are you... Are you replying with full on reaction-images, of yourself?"
Survey's grin was answer enough- and the logs bore it out. As Regent continued to dig a hole, Survey continued to post ever more elaborate reactions- digital compositions of her face in various expressions and with her now legendary beauty an unstated but ever-present aspect. Survey looking confused- Survey staring at the camera with the flattest, driest look of disappointment. A wide-eyed look of surprise, followed by a cheeky grin.
REGENT: I was not prepared for that last one to be a video! Your boss forced me to have a heart why are you trying to make it explode!
Not I ship I (Known I) wanted but definitely one I needed
- Location
- Behind you
Kinda meh of a chapter, not bad, it had the usual writing quality, but it felt too much setup with non of the delicious conflict meat to give it a nice bite (I'm hungry, ok?). And damm does it feel dirty to complain about a 10k+ chapter 😅
Has it occurred to anyone else that instead of the whole "Brian is gay" thing what may come up is that the public story is that they are co-workers and that everyone in the gym thinks Joe is working as an errand boy for a gang? And with Brian being Brian (african american and part of the fun police) it discards both the Empire and Merchants , so that leaves Coil (correct answer), Faultline (she wishes Joe was her errand boy), and The Undies (also correct). Sure, the ABB could be an option, but that is discarded by him Joe being there, and Uber and L337 is another but same as before.
What I'm trying to say is that past wrong assumptions can make people make the correct guess if they stop to think.
Has it occurred to anyone else that instead of the whole "Brian is gay" thing what may come up is that the public story is that they are co-workers and that everyone in the gym thinks Joe is working as an errand boy for a gang? And with Brian being Brian (african american and part of the fun police) it discards both the Empire and Merchants , so that leaves Coil (correct answer), Faultline (she wishes Joe was her errand boy), and The Undies (also correct). Sure, the ABB could be an option, but that is discarded by him Joe being there, and Uber and L337 is another but same as before.
What I'm trying to say is that past wrong assumptions can make people make the correct guess if they stop to think.
The Shallow
Shallow, Yet Deep
- Location
- Your Universe
- Pronouns
- She/They
That's a reasonable interpretation, yeah. I feel like flirting is more than just expressing appreciation, it's also expressing interest usually, but I suppose it can work. Though I still think Joe's on the denial train to the degree that his divine senses allow him. I'm all for Crystal, but Garment remains the OG lol
Clearly they're both henchmen for the Celestial Forge!
- Location
- Philippines
I remember when Survey's initial reactions to the mess that was Joe's Workshop (and having to identify everything) was complete utter frustration and exasperation, delivered through fashion emojis.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Yep, my Omake was intentionally evoking Survey's earliest stabs at communication, by way of first using image-searched reaction images, and then photobashing her model-composite features into them.
Now with her gigastupid processing power, she can basically digitally create any kind of 'photo' she wants in her head and cast it out as an image or video file- which is what she was doing here with Alec. Because why settle for random stock footage reaction images when you can make as many bespoke custom personal ones as you need.
Now with her gigastupid processing power, she can basically digitally create any kind of 'photo' she wants in her head and cast it out as an image or video file- which is what she was doing here with Alec. Because why settle for random stock footage reaction images when you can make as many bespoke custom personal ones as you need.
Regent now has access to the Second most valuable commodity in the planet
If you mean "Survey's phone number" as the most valuable commodity, does he? He has a device that can contact her directly but that doesn't necessarily mean it puts a phone call through the regular PSTN system at all.
He might be able to sell the watch for a few hundred billion (there was a bidding war between several nation states for the technology it represents and a few multinational corporations whose owners wanted to get a date) but there's no guarantee it would still work after that either, or stay in the possession of the purchasers.
He might be able to sell the watch for a few hundred billion (there was a bidding war between several nation states for the technology it represents and a few multinational corporations whose owners wanted to get a date) but there's no guarantee it would still work after that either, or stay in the possession of the purchasers.
- Location
- Behind you
Wouldn't surprise me if it isn't already in circulation after her encounter with Purity tbh. May even be a reaction image too.
EDIT:
Yeah, infinite spees ultra wide bandwidht free internet service with mega VPN and NO tracing. Everything a 15 years old boy would ever want.
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It's going to be really funny when Joe meets with his dad, even if nothing else happens. Joe is better looking, healthier, highly athletic, wiser, smarter, older, more experienced, has social skills, and is fashionable. It has literally been years for Joe because of the spiritron computer, and he also has all of those perks that have given him additional memories. Meanwhile it's been like, what? Two weeks for his dad? So from his dad's perspective Joe had a breakdown, left for two weeks, then comes back as Super!Joe.
There's an explanation that's logical, reasonable and mostly wrong - he could've always been Super!Joe in the background, he just needed to get away from his mom's illusions long enough to let his dad see it.
I'm pretty sure that they could make something else to start bidding wars over using just the Fabricator attached to them.
Does Alec's one have a fabber? I thought only Taylor got the full Omnitool (locked down) treatment…
Oh yeah. Actually it'd be funnier if the entire thing was a Joedad Interlude, from his perspective. Oh and Joe gets a major perk during it…
"Yeah, it's amazing what cutting the major sources of stress from your life will do."
"But you've been living in the middle of an S-class disaster zone for the last two weeks?"
"Yes, but mom wasn't there."
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Delay Announcement
New
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I had very much hoped to avoid another delay, but I'm going to have to push the next chapter by a week. This has been a hectic time of year which hasn't left me with much time to focus on the story. The next chapter is also taking more work than I expected and I would prefer to give it the attention it needs rather than cut it short. I apologize for the frequency of these delays, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get my schedule back on track over the holidays.
SiegfriedisOP
Calamity Demon King of Time
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The moment I saw delay without 24 I was shook. Oh well take the time you need Lord, Happy Holidays.
- Location
- The Void Beyond
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Chapter incoming. 
Time for a partial reread to get ready. Good golly gosh, I am excited for this.
Take the time you need. We are here for quality, and that is what you always deliver. Happy holidays to you and thank you for this amazing story.
Time for a partial reread to get ready. Good golly gosh, I am excited for this.
Take the time you need. We are here for quality, and that is what you always deliver. Happy holidays to you and thank you for this amazing story.
Jordisk
<Unverified N00B>
- Location
- Blind Eternities
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Not for a week.Chapter incoming.
Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tis the season for a break. Don't push yourself too hard and if you need to take a longer break then don't worry about it.
I would say that this is a popular thought to ensure that the author (that already delivers excellent long chapters with consistency years long) does not stress over a chapter and takes some well deserved rest for the Christmas break.