lifeaftr | [closed] married to your job but you're not attached

Entry tags:

[closed] married to your job but you're not attached

Who: Kravitz, Lucas, and other members of camp BASE later on (likely mostly Taako)
What: Kravitz made a promise to help repair ARUM. He has no idea how to do this. However, he knows someone who does, and who owes him a favor.
When: Backdated to about 7/22
Where: Camp BASE and the surrounding areas.
Warnings: Should be fine, other than some cursing.

[Logically, Kravitz knows this is probably stupid. There's very little merit to this; he doesn't know what that robot would do, or if Lucas can do anything about it. That said, Lup is unconscious, Taako has been babbling for three days, and he made a promise. So he's going to make this happen, okay.

He's already conferred with Taako on the plan- he's going to find Lucas, haul him back to camp, and make him agree to go fix the robot. Then, he's going to... well, probably bring him there and hover weirdly until it gets done, even though he'll be of no help the entire time. He doesn't even know how long it'll take. Sometimes things happen. He doesn't really have the same powers he once did, but his scythe is by his side anyway, and by god, he's going to figure this out.

So he sets off from camp to it's edge to pass the pit traps, starting to think of how he's going to cover the island.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Luckily for Kravitz, it won't take very much hunting to find the scientist. This is because Lucas, who had been exploring the island in the vain hope of tracking down a certain rogue hellevator, had instead stumbled across their campsite. He'd taken in the lean-to, the stone oven, the hammock, and... well, it wasn't as if there was a door he could knock on, so he'd started to approach the place.

... Unfortunately, he'd also stumbled across one of the pit traps. Literally. As in, Lucas fell into the trap at the furthest edge of the camp ten minutes ago, and is still stuck down there. Once Kravitz walks past, he'll be able to hear a muffled "GodDAMMIT!" and the sounds of ineffectual scrabbling coming from the depths. ]

[Oh. Oh shit. It's him, dat boi.

He's drawn to the noise regardless as soon as he hears it, whipping around with his scythe drawn and dropping his stance low. What is that? Did-- did someone get into one of those? There's no possible way someone would, haha, fall for--

Kravitz peers into the hole, and could not be more pleased as he crosses his arms.]

Well. Lucas Miller. And what are you doing around my living space?

[He's going to enjoy this far too much.]

[ That voice is all too familiar. Lucas slowly, reluctantly looks up, as if his gaze is being dragged, and goes absolutely sheet-white when he sees Kravitz gloating up above. After about ten seconds of just staring at him in horrified dismay, Lucas finally slumps back against the side of the pit with a groan, letting the back of his head knock against the wall. ]

... Oh for fuck's sake!

[ IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY, AND HE IS VERY TIRED. OF ALL THE TRAP PITS ON ALL THE ISLANDS IN THE WORLD, HE HAD TO FALL INTO THIS ONE! ]

Look, obviously this was a mistake, okay? If I'd known this was your camp, I wouldn't have come anywhere near it! I'll... I'll get back to avoiding the hell out of you once I get out of here!

[Wow, he's about two seconds from a full on knife cat right here. This is incredible. This is the best day of his life. Taako is going to be so impressed.]

And yet, you find yourself here. Some form of fate, perhaps? No matter.

[Gods, he looks so smug, I'm so sorry Lucas. He continues talking quickly with little room for backtalk.]

Well, as it happens, you were just the man I was about to come acquire. Your skills are needed, for once. And no, I don't mean the necromancy ones.

[ If this is 'fate', then Lucas is going to become a follower of Istus just so he can get her attention and lodge several dozen formal complaints. He lets out a drawn-out moan, drags his hands down his face while Kravitz is talking, and tries to think through the cold shiver of dread that just ran down his spine. He really doesn't like the sound of being acquired, especially not by Kravitz! Whatever the reaper needs him for can't possibly be good. He needs to get out of here as soon as possible, where was the nearest mana pool, again...? ]

One time, [ he grumbles, ] I only did the necromancy stuff once! I didn't make a career out of it!

[ That sort of depends on whether you count resurrecting Noelle, Magic Brian and Maarvey's souls as separate crimes, or lump them into one big necromancy crime along with resurrecting his mother and accidentally causing an astral jailbreak, but shhh. Semantics! ]

W-what do you even want?

[He folds his arms, cocking out his hip and looking down at Lucas in his hole. His shame hole. For shame.]

'One time' is not 'five souls and a behemoth', Lucas. Do not lie to me.

[Buuuut maybe he can offer some clarity here.]

I require your services in the mechanical department on behalf of this world. There is a robot that requires repair on the newly accessible island. I presume this will not be too complex for you?

[ Lucas mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like 'the behemoth was an accident', and then peers up at Kravitz from between his fingers. ]

... Huh. Really?

[ His self-preservation instincts are warring against his inner robotics nerd! ]

I mean, robots are definitely in my wheelhouse, I can give it my best shot, but you know I don't have any of my tools or equipment here, right? We're not in my lab, and I can't guarantee results when all I have to work with is a hatchet, a bunch of rocks, and some sticks. That's like... it'd be like if you tried to, I dunno, harvest souls or whatever with a butterknife taped to a tree branch.

[He stifles how much he wants to laugh at that by rolling his eyes.]

I am aware the circumstances are less than ideal. That said, my primary concern is removal of foreign debris in a way that won't cause further damage. And speaking of removal...

[Kravitz raises an eyebrow.]

I will not tell anyone you fell in this if you tell them I found and captured you easily. Yes?

[ GOD, WHY THIS. WHY IS THIS HIS LIFE. ]

You have a scythe, nobody's gonna think I gave you any trouble!

[ That said, being captured by a literal grim reaper is much less embarrassing than falling into a hole, so they'll both come out looking a little better this way. ]

Fine, fine, whatever. So, do you have a... a rope ladder up there, or...?

[He chuckles, uncrossing his arms.]

Just don't oversell it. Don't worry, I know you know how to lie.

[And then, with little preamble, he points a finger towards Lucas and he'll be able to feel an invisible force gripping his body. It's not violent, but it's not gentle either. Just like another piece of machinery. He'll quickly find himself lifted out of the hole and floating about three feet off the ground.]

There. Now you're out. So come with me, not that you have a choice.

[And he'll just, uh, start walking. It's like he's taking his pet out for a stroll. Or a kid with the world's most fucked up balloon.]

[ Lucas makes a noise that's half indignant squawk, half genuinely terrified screech, and struggles as much as he's able to as he zooms upwards and just... keeps on floating along in Kravitz's wake.

Oh, so he's actually just being straight-up kidnapped. Of course that's what's happening here, why wouldn't it be? Of course! ]

What the-- oh come on! I can walk!

[He just purses his lips and looks over his shoulder at Lucas with a face that says 'do I look like an idiot to you'.]

Of course you can. You can also run, and specifically, away from me. This is far more convenient.

[You're not even that far off the ground Lucas it's fine, don't be such a noodle.]

I'm practically doing you a favor. So you don't fall into any more holes.

[ Dammit! He can't run, he can't fight back, he can't do much of anything like this except flail impotently and tire himself out. Lucas huffs, crosses his arms with some effort, and settles for sulking in midair. ]

Oh yeah, my well being is right at the top of your priority list, I'm sure.

[ He mumbles this to himself, because sassing the Grim Reaper has never ended well for him. ]

So can you give me any information about this robot, or what? Am I getting dropped into the middle of a scrapheap?

[Ha Ha No Floor Lucas. Now that the other man's accepted his fate, they can get down to business.]

Well, they've seen better days, certainly. I'm not sure how advanced they were when they were built, but I believe most of the issue is they're currently overgrown with plant life. I'd mostly like to see it removed without the rest of them damaged. I'm fairly certain once it's taken out, whatever else you can fix will become apparent.

That's... ok, that actually sounds fairly reasonable. You don't happen to have any tweezers on you, do you? If I'm doing delicate technical work, some smaller tools would make things easier.

... Also, are you gonna put me down at some point, or am I gonna be doing robo-surgery in midair?

[He shakes his head.]

I don't, but Taako might. Which coincidentally, is also the answer to your next question.

[As he arrives back to camp, Lucas still precariously midair.]

Because I will let you down, but we're going to see him first.

Wait, what?

[ Lucas has to recalibrate for a moment; please hold! ]

He's here? What the hell, since when were you two buddies?

[ This is somehow even more worrying; if Taako's here, then does that mean Magnus and Merle are too? Gods, how many people on this damn island want to kill him? The odds of being able to escape to the nearest mana pool have just taken a nosedive! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed] married to your job but you're not attached

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject