lostcarnival | let's get down to business

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let's get down to business

Who: Nightrunners and whoever wants to make use of the training yard for whatever reason.
When: S2 D1-D5
Where: The Training Yard
What: Training, or pointing and laughing at people training.
Warnings: Explosions and swearing, probably.

Though it's never really been off-limits, once they're down off the moon, Lambert wastes little time informing the nightrunners he officially expects them to get back to training and getting in shape. They can make ample use of the training yard facilities to learn how to work with each other after their extended vacation, or just get to know their newer coworkers in an environment closer to what their actual working conditions will actually be like.

The yard, as usual, isn't limited solely to nightrunners. Anyone who wants to work on their physical or magical skills are welcome, as well as anyone from the other departments who have anything they might want to test out that requires a combatant, for some reason.

Lambert's generally a constant presence at the fringes, sometimes participating in exercise or sparring himself, but mostly just watching and making sure no one's about to put someone's eye out or break the equipment, because that would be bad for obvious reasons.

[ ooc; this is an open log, so bring your own toplevel! ]

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If an android whines in a forest and there's no one who gives a fuck, did his pain really happen?

Lambert, in the meantime, is unmoved and unimpressed with 9S's theatrics, tapping his foot and jiggling the pool noodle impatiently. "Sucks, doesn't it?" He smiled malevolently, lifting the pool noodle again. "Defend yourself, or you're getting another lovetap like that one."

En garde, 9S! Lambert's coming at him again, this time cutting the noodle in a sideways swipe meant to slam into his side. The dramaticness of the swing is a bit undercut by the dumb swooshing and "boff" noise it makes whenever it actually makes contact.

"I don't want one!" Not happening, Lambert! And why did he have to call it a lovetap!?

Now that he has a thorough respect for the pain noodle, 9S leaps out of the way and narrowly avoids the strike, boots skidding in the dirt where he lands. Raising his hand -- a glowing ring encircling his wrist, just like when he'd thrown his sword -- 9S commands his weapon to return to him. But just like the first attempt to strike, the sheathed sword swerves away from Lambert, missing him as it returns to 9S' hand.

Still, despite the weapon in hand, he won't raise it against Lambert, instead focusing on evading and outright running away. If he's never within reach of the noodle then he'll never get hit by it again!!

"Get back here and take it like a man!" Lambert hollers after him cheerfully. He'll let 9S get a second or two's head start -- may as well let him think he's going to get away with it -- before he immediately starts up in pursuit, lanky legs powered by superhuman strength carrying him after 9S while he flails the noodle wildly above his head.

Maybe the problem is that the threat of violence isn't deadly enough? With that thought in mind, Lambert switches hands on the noodle, shoving it back under the shield he's wearing and drawing his sword instead, though he's also threateningly waving it at 9S in much the same manner.

"Use your head! Block the strike!" 9S had better be quick about doing something, or he's about to get his butt pricked.

Edited 2018-01-12 01:16 (UTC)

"I don't have to if I'm not a man!" 9S yells back.

9S is speedier than a standard human, but he has the disadvantage of being a short stack so Lambert catches up easily to him. Evading is his natural response to an attack, but the point is to show the limitations of his programming.

(If he really wanted to defend himself he'd strike before he's hit but he can't, he can't, he can't, not even with his sword sheathed.)

He twists to turn and face Lambert, raising his sheathed sword to block the strike with his other hand braced along the bladed end, even if blocking means Lambert's sword gouging into the scabbard that 9S just bought. But once again, he doesn't move to attack, immediately looking for an opening to spring back and put distance between them again.

"Close enough!"

There's an ear-ringing impact as the sword bites into the scabbard, and Lambert grins in wild satisfaction. 9S may not be able to directly attack any human going after him, then, but that doesn't mean he can't defend himself in a direct fight, it seems. Although he can't have him running away, so Lambert's lashing out with a foot to try and sweep 9S's feet out from under him, aiming to knock him down to the ground and pin him once he's there. If successful, he'll end up pressing one knee into his stomach and one hand to 9S's shoulder, frowning down at him.

9S' feet are swept out from under him and he goes down with a solid thud, the air leaving his artificial lungs. Before he can rise, Lambert's pinned him down onto the ground. 9S doesn't struggle to get Lambert off him.

"...Do you see now?"

"Yeah, I can see this is going to be a problem." He looks down at 9S consideringly a moment or two longer, then sheathes his sword.

If 9S thought that was going to be the end of the experiment, though, he's sorely mistaken. The only warning is a flash of sharp, sudden cunning in Lambert's expression, and then one of his hands is moving rapidly through a series of gestures, gathering the momentum of a spell. His next words, laced with magical compulsion, carey the weight of a command.

"Punch me."

Edited 2018-01-14 12:09 (UTC)

9S doesn't like the look of that, but he has no idea what Lambert's up to. Not that he's in much position to do anything while he's pinned down.

The sign hits him and at that compelling command, 9S swings his fist at Lambert, his punch given extra strength from his magnetic field. Luckily, his poor position makes it difficult to put much force into the punch, but it's still harder than what would be expected from someone his size.

< Report: Unit 9S' mental functions has been placed into an uncontrolled state. Proposal: Initiate self-hacking to remove system interference >

System interference?

A moment later, 9S blinks before snapping at Lambert, "What did you do to me?"

Given their relative sizes, 9S's blow falls well short of Lambert's face and catches him in the side. He was half-expecting that, but he wasn't expecting the force behind it, so it gets a sharp 'oof' out of the witcher and makes him sit back up and away, no longer pinning 9S with a hand.

"Not bad," he tells him, instead of answering the question, because yeah Lambert's a real mature adult like that. A little winded, he pushes away from 9S and gets to his feet, using a hand to feel along his side.

Once released, 9S backs up, rising to his feet and getting his personal space back.

He doesn't look at Lambert -- looking is painful -- as he asks in a small voice, "...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Well, he obviously did, but not too badly? His mechanical insides feel like they're twisting up knowing what he did. His hands curl into fists. He hit him. He hit Lambert.

He feels like he's about to throw up, even though he's incapable of actually doing so.

"Please. I barely even felt that," Lambert answers, dismissively, but he's scowling, although his ire isn't at 9S. No, it's at the realization that he is, unfortunately, as susceptible to magic as any of the Carnival's other members, though that much was obvious from the fact he wasn't tearing up the grand ball, he supposes. Fae can control minds far more effectively than Lambert can. He hadn't realized he'd had a hope that maybe, if 9S couldn't be turned against humans, maybe he'd still be useful another way. Brainwashing is just a risk where the Carnival's concerned.

"So you can hit humans. When someone makes you." That's not ... good. Lambert narrows his eyes, pinning 9S with a look.

"Rita said you're the one who finished her off during the Hunt." Maybe it's not something 9S cares to be reminded off right now, but guess what: Lambert's a dick of a human! "Didn't have any problems killing a human who wasn't in a human body, did you?"

It makes him feel dirty. Even after purging the remnants of Axii's effects from his head, the idea that Lambert made him hit him doesn't sit well at all. "If Pod 153's around, they can't make me do it for long."

If he's not aware of mind altering effects, Pod 153 will make him aware of it. Of course, it banks on him actually being able to listen to Pod 153 and still take action independent of the mind control...

9S looks away, uncomfortable. Rita told him that? (But Lambert had said he didn't remember...) He hasn't talked with Rita at all about... killing her. She doesn't even know he normally can't hurt humans. But he'd thought about it after his spar with Ichigo. And could only come up with one conclusion that really fit.

"If it was just that, I'd have no trouble hitting you." After all, Lambert's sporting several non-human features. By many peoples' standards, Lambert wouldn't be considered human at all any more. "It's..." he hesitates, before saying quietly, "...I stopped seeing her as human at the time."

That's a pretty human reaction. 9S's humans should be proud. But Lambert doesn't pick up on that distress, or rather, he doesn't understand the exact train of thought driving it.

Also, yeah, he straight up forgot he lied to 9S about not remembering, but he isn't the one on the chopping block here, so hey, time to dig into 9S's issues, and he raises his brows slightly.

"How hard was that?"

"I don't know!"

He runs his hand through his hair, agitated. He doesn't want to think about that time. The hollow despair that gripped him and the desperate need to hold onto the few connections had left. But he can't refuse a direct question from his commanding officer.

So he takes a breath -- calm down -- and tries again. "A lot of things happened at the ball... I was so angry that the thought of someone else killing her..."

It had to be him. No one else was allowed to kill her.

"...It wasn't hard at the time. But I don't want to go through that again."

Well. That was more information than Lambert expected. He looks at 9S, frowning to himself and crossing his arms.

"So make sure it doesn't happen," he says, simply. "You know she's a mercenary now, right? She wants to get out there and she wants to fight. That means you're going to be working together." Somehow, this has all come around to Lambert's shitty ass excuse for a pep talk.

"She's a good mage, but she's still just a mage. You ever want to be stuck in a place where you couldn't help her just because your enemies were human and you didn't know how to work around it?"

9S gives Lambert a look that can only be described as distraught. The thought of losing Rita hurts just as much as when 2B told him about the dormant logic virus buried in her circuits. Other than the exception the Ringmaster made for the game with the Prince, humans only have one life.

"No..."

If he can't learn to fight against humans, then... there might not be any other choice but to rip out out parts of his core programming.

Even if it means destroying parts of his personality.

His life is a mere flicker compared to hers.

He grits his teeth, voice sullen. "I'll work something out."

Lambert cocks his head at that, narrowing his eyes. He recognizes the sullen tone of someone about to do or promise to do something truly tremendously stupid, mainly because he's used it before. Often, and usually to regrettable (for his body if not for his pride) results. But 9S's mood is hard to read right now, with that visor slid over his eyes.

As such? Lambert chucks 9S gently under the chin to force him to tilt his head up, then slides a claw delicately under the visor and prises it up so he can look him in the eye.

"Work something out that isn't stupid. Now do you believe me about sparring?"

9S doesn't wriggle away and lets Lambert touch him, though his gaze still slides away. Where his eyes had been human in appearance during the time in the Prince's manor, now the pupils are narrowed like a cat's.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

The tone of voice is more like a child agreeing after being lectured to get out of being lectured more than someone who actually believes what they're agreeing with. He still thinks it's stupid. He has to hold back when sparring! It's not like a lot of techniques apply when he has a sword that cuts through steel. And if things do come to it, self hacking and removing parts of his personality programming is always an option. It's not like anyone here can stop him.

His gaze flickers back to Lambert. "So you remember the time you were an animal in the Prince's Manor?"

Lambert never thought he'd need anyone with an even poorer understanding of non-lethal force than he does, but as always, the Carnival seems to have endless surprises for him.

"Yes," he says simply. He'd prefer not to answer at all, and he's probably not going to tolerate that line of questioning for long. But -- "Your eyes changed. Is that just for looks, or has your vision changed too?"

So Lambert lied to him. What is it about those in command of him lying to him? The fact that Rita remembers... She hadn't said anything about it, but... Maybe humans view experiencing death differently. He doesn't know. He never remembers what it's like to die. It's impossible to remember the experience from the backed up memories. Maybe it doesn't bother her. He doesn't know.

9S' expression sours even further at the interrogation, stepping back from Lambert and tugging his visor back up over his eyes again.

"No, there's no abnormalities in my visual systems. The change is purely external."

He'd been hoping that the lingering magic of the Carnival wouldn't change him the way it changed everyone else because he's not biological, but... he supposes even he isn't exempt from it.

9S's reaction -- like a child being forced to drink something unpleasant -- makes Lambert snort.

"What is it? Does it bother you that much? You know changes only get worse from here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he grumbles.

He'd really rather not change, though. He was modeled after humans. He'd like to stay that way.

"So, do you need to see any more? Or am I dismissed?" This entire exercise has been a bad time all around.

"That's enough for today," Lambert waves him off lazily, stepping back. "You're off the hook. But we'll try this again."

Something to look forward to, whacking 9S around with a pool noodle again.

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