Second line of code

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[CLU]

How're you settling in, man? I heard some of the commotion last week, were you a part of that?

[/CLU]

[He'd visited the Game Room once already, but there's a difference between going there to play games with a new friend and exploring it on ones own.

He’s currently weaving through the games with a small smile on his face. It really did feel like coming home, to some degree. Half his life had been spent in that arcade. He’s not playing any games just yet, just taking it all in and seeing what’s come out since he’s been, well, indisposed.]

This is incredible, man! This really is just like my place back home. Well, the way it was when I last saw it. I’m sure it’s probably seen better days at this point.

[His eyes fall on one particular game. Space Paranoids. He slowly walks over to it, running his hands up the sides of the machine.]

Blast from the past, man. I never thought I’d see one’ve these, again, let alone in perfect condition like this. [He scoffs softly] Wonder if anyone even plays it, here.

[He picks up his journal, not even caring that it had been open]

[Sam]

Hey, kiddo. You up for a game of doubles? Who knows, maybe you’ll finally be able to beat your old man.

[/filter]

((ooc: open open open!))

Comments

Flynn, to end

[perfectisnteasy]

[for a moment, CLU's not even sure how to respond. he knew Flynn had been looking for him - Rinzler had told him so. but on the heels of what he'd just been through ... all those unsolicited, unfamiliar, confusing, -human- emotions that he'd suddenly owned for no reason other than ... than what? "a castle"? it was still infuriating him beyond belief. that he could be manipulated by something and not know its source.

but Maladict was right, flipping over the furniture wasn't going to get him anywhere. GLaDOS was just as clueless as he was, Rinzler - good as it was to have him back - didn't talk much, and ... everyone else he'd met so far was perfectly content to be snarky wiseasses at him, amused by his frustration.

he didn't want this to be his only choice, his shot at progress. but it was. it didn't mean he had to be happy about it, though]

I might'a been.


[he's not even touching how asinine it was of Flynn to ask him if he was "settled". really, man? really?]

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[Hmm. It's a slightly roundabout answer, but it's better than a threat or just being ignored. He smiles, leaning on a window to look outside.]

Sounded like a heck of a thing, man. And here I thought they were exaggerating about those losses they were telling us about.

[perfectisnteasy]

[he takes another long moment to respond. mostly because he's still frightened by what happened to him - all the things that tumbled around in his mind that he didn't dare say. how foreign it all was, but how familiar at the same time. he's scared, which is enough on its own, but there's nothing he can do about it, either - and that just defaults into rage. good, comfortable, familiar rage. finding a way to turn this around and lash out at Flynn feels right. it fits.

it's a relief, even as he spits it out, the sneer curling his face as easily as smiles would on others]

And where were you?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

I was keeping my distance, letting you handle things on your own. [he pauses] That's what you wanted, wasn't it? To learn the castle on your own?

[He sighs. He feels like he's dealing with a moody teenager... and in some ways he is. The trouble is that there's no easy way to say what he needs to. Not so CLU would understand, at least.]

CLU you can't have it both ways. You can't tell me you want me to leave you be, then get mad at me for doing just that.

[perfectisnteasy]

[his anger bursts a new bloom at that remark, and he doesn't even have to stop and find the words: it's as though they were waiting to be said] Yeah, well, HEY, man, neither can you! You tell me it isn't my fault the system wasn't perfect, how sorry you are... then you trick me an' destroy everything we worked for a millicycle later. An' once we end up HERE, you offer to show me everything, but the second HE pops up again?! Oops, sorry, CLU, you're gonna have to take a back burner again, buddy.

History really does repeat itself. So don't even bother pretending to care. I know how this one ends. A thousand cycles of hard work, alone, for nothing.

[action]

[foughtfortheusers]

[Rinzler is hiding in the shadows as well as he can, watching the user out of curiosity. One good thing is, Clu has left him with a lot of free reign in his patrols. The old directive regarding the user from home just doesn't apply.

There's a rumbling noise in the room underneath the sounds of the machines.]

aaaahahaha creeperrrr

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[Flynn vaguely hears the rumbling but he doesn't register what it is quite yet. Right now he's busy beating the high score on Space Paranoids (he hasn't lost his touch, man.]

[foughtfortheusers]

[Moving closer to Flynn, watching carefully. He's ready to fight or flee at the slightest hint of need though.]

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[He raises an eyebrow, speaking without turning.]

You gonna join me? Or were you just planning on watching?

[foughtfortheusers]

[A startled noise, as Rinzler hadn't wanted to be noticed.] User...

Action!

[zeke_developer]

[Whirrrrrrr, in comes Huey, his Porygon floating just beside him, when he spots Kevin checking out the game room. To be honest, he hadn't had time to check it out, but today finds him curious, so here he is. He looks at the machine Kevin is looking at, curious.]

Space Paranoids? I don't think I've ever heard of that game before. Something from your world?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[Flynn turns around and smiles at the man]

Not only from my world, man. I happen to be the creator of this game.

[zeke_developer]

[That makes him smile. He'd gotten that feeling from Kevin when they briefly met, that he was a fellow programmer, but CLU's outburst had prevent him from asking the older man about it.]

Yeah? That's pretty amazing! I've never met a game programmer before. Everyone I knew at MIT was either headed for NASA like me, or working directly for the military.

[He wheels closer, watching the screen.]

How do you play it?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

MIT, huh? I went to CalTech, myself.

[He smiles] It's pretty simple. You use the joystick and trackball, here, to move through the level and destroy tanks, recognizers and gun turrets. [He pulls a caiso out of his robe] Here, lemme show ya.

[He drops in the coin and the <a href=">game starts</a> lol 80s graphics. And, hey he's pretty damn good at this game.]</i>

Sorry this is so late. Been drowning in tags lately, lol

[zeke_developer]

Yup. Graduated with High Honors in 1960, due to my work on non-traditional ambulatory programs and simple AI. What'd you study?

[And Huey watches, raising the front wheels on his chair so he can see better, transfixed. He'd seen games like this before, but he'd never seen a programmer actually play them. It was mesmerizing, watching Kevin work.]

Wow! You're really good at this!

Dictated

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine was planning on checking up on Flynn, once things had settled down a bit. Now seems as good a time as any.]

Find something good?

Dictated forever

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[He smiles at the familiar voice]

Hey, yeah. A game that I designed back home.

[wizard_redfive]

Oh really? Is it that lightcycle one?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

That one came later. This one is a shooter. You move around and shoot tanks recognizers and gun turrets.

[wizard_redfive]

Huh. What's it called?

lol what are filters

[sameteam]

Really?

Awww /HUGS

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

Really! Come on down, I think I owe you a few dozen games, anyway.

to action!

[sameteam]

Okay! [Sam's excited scramble from his bed is easily heard through the journal, especially as he clambers down the staircase with reckless abandon. In a matter of minutes, he's bursting into the game room with a wide grin on his face.]

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[When he sees his son his face breaks into a HUGE grin. He opens his arms]

Hey, kiddo!

[sameteam]

[This might just be the best day ever in Sam's little life. He hurries over to his dad, almost bursting at the seams with excitement.]

Which one do you wanna start with?