Vincent Amorason (quitethecharmer) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2011-02-22 15:16:00

Entry tags:

Do You Have A Minute?
Vincent knocked at the door to Andrea's room. Hopefully this conversation wouldn't be something he'd come to regret.

"Andrea? It's Vincent. I need to talk to you, if you have some time."

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	awesome_andrea 2011-02-22 08:10 pm UTC (link)
	Andrea looked up from the book she was reading. "Yes, Vincent?" she asked. "What may I do for you?" (Reply to this)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2011-02-22 08:25 pm UTC (link)

He steps in as the door opens, leaning against the wall.

"There's something I needed to talk to you about. I think... I've reached a point where I'm ready to start dating again, and there is someone in particular I have in mind, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to cause a rift between us."

He clears his throat. "It's Asleif. She's stated that she's interested in being more than friends, and... I think I would like to also."

He looks up, realizing he'd let his gaze start to drop towards the floor. "I know you two didn't get on well and she said just about the worst things possible at that time, so... you can probably understand why I thought I should talk to you."

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awesome_andrea
2011-02-22 08:32 pm UTC (link)

Andrea fixed Vincent with a look. Of all the different things he could have said, she hadn't even assigned a probability value to such a statement.

She accessed her memory banks and when she spoke, it was with a perfect reproduction of Asleif's voice.

"A fine jest, Vincent. A fine one. To suppose that thou wouldst prefer that toy art greatly amusing."

"Thou wert serious, then? Thou doth truly prefer the company of this clockwork contrivance that doth presume to pass itself off as mortal?

"Sad, truly. To aspire to be mortal. 'Tis hardly an aspiration at all. Canst it return thine love? Or be it merely a game a pretend? I expected great things of thee, Vincent, but if thou doth profess love to something that art not even alive, then thine mortal side must make thee quite the deviant."

She continued to fix Vincent with quite the stare. "This is who you wish to be with?"

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quitethecharmer
2011-02-22 08:39 pm UTC (link)

Vincent cringes. He's witnessed Andrea copying other voices before, but this combination is particularly unsettling.

"Yes, and no." He collects his thoughts, taking a deep breath and biting back a comment about Andrea choosing to date someone not even interested in going on to college or any sort of higher education.

"She's not the same person she was then, and neither am I." A pause. "You've grown as well, for that matter, but that's not the point...

Andrea... I still count you as my best friend, and I don't want to hurt you again. I'm not in love with Asleif, or--" He almost says '-about to run off to Asgard' but decides that would cut a bit too close to still healing wounds, "--or ready to make major changes in my life. I'm just planning on dating, but not if it costs me your friendship."

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awesome_andrea
2011-02-22 08:56 pm UTC (link)

"A fair point," Andrea replied after a moment.

She went on. "I do not particularly like her, Vincent. Call me petty, call me human, call me whatever you like. But I have a very excellent memory. I have been dismissed before, but never before or after her have I been made to feel like a thing quite so intensely.

"But ultimately, it is not for me to say whether you should or not. You are my friend and will remain so. If you chose to date her, that is fine. I will even be civil with her if you bring her here. But I doubt if I should ever be her friend."

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quitethecharmer
2011-02-22 09:00 pm UTC (link)

Vincent nods. A few comparisons to him trying to get along better with MacKenzie come to mind, but he dismisses them for now, ruling that they would seem like fishing for praise.

"That's fine, and I've made her aware how hurtful what she said was. I don't expect you to be friends, but I just didn't want you to feel slighted if I choose to date her."

There's a quiet and still somewhat awkward pause, before Vincent smirks. "Congratulations on evolving into some of the less pleasant aspects of humanity as well."

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	awesome_andrea 2011-02-22 09:17 pm UTC (link)
	"I do not feel slighted, Vincent," she assured him. Andrea allowed herself a small smile. "Thank-you," she said. "Every day, my personality matrix develops new idiosyncrasies and pathways less dependent upon programmed responses." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-22 09:25 pm UTC (link)
	"I've noticed. Which brings me to the other thing I needed to discuss with him." He nods towards the door and heads out, leading her to his work space. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-22 09:42 pm UTC (link)
	Andrea gave him a curious look, but decided to follow. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2011-02-22 09:48 pm UTC (link)

As they enter, the room appears blank.

"Open research sequence: World Tree." Vincent declares, and the walls and ceiling are covered in runes and scientific notation.

"I've been working on this for over a year now; energy signal isolation along personal brain-algorithim-to-bio-energy manipulation."

He turns around to face her.

"Andrea... it's not ready yet... but I think I can synthesize a soul for you."

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	awesome_andrea 2011-02-22 11:21 pm UTC (link)
	Andrea titled her head slightly to one side as she attempted to understand what she could of what was going on. "I do not understand." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-22 11:51 pm UTC (link)
	"Essentially, and it's all been in the theoretical so far, I could distill your thought patterns, emotions, experiences... what makes you you into an energy signature. For all purposes, a soul, subject to the same eventual... passing as a human one. If you wanted such a thing." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 12:32 am UTC (link)
	Well, file this under further unexpected things. Her ability to predict the actions of others seems to be failing lately. "I see." It's a nice, nonjudgmental statement that buys her time to properly prepare a better answer. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2011-02-23 12:37 am UTC (link)

"At first it was something I was... about to pursue somewhat recklessly after the unfortunate events in Lemuria and that.. rather grim future. Then, once Kristoff brought me back to my senses a bit, it... became more of an ongoing exercise. Then a few months ago I had a moderate breakthrough, and started up on it again."

Vincent looks at her nervously. "It's reached the point where I thought I should have your consent to continue any further."

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awesome_andrea
2011-02-23 01:02 am UTC (link)

Andrea made eye contact with him.

"Vincent," she began, "I am grateful that you still think kindly enough of me to devote your time and energy to this project.

"But I did not ask you to do this. I seek to define myself, yes, and I seek to understand humans and how I am like them and how I am different.

"But as well-placed as your efforts were... they ultimately suggest that you see me as somehow incomplete."

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	quitethecharmer 2011-02-23 01:06 am UTC (link)
	Vincent nods, looking, while not quite crushed, quite unsure of himself. "Never... I just... at first it was so there would be more ways to bring you back, in case of the unthinkable. I just thought you wanted to be more human, and I thought this could help." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 01:31 am UTC (link)
	Andrea vetoed several different things she could have said. Having a highly developed computer processor was handy that way. "I am happy you wished to help me, Vincent," she said finally, "but I wished that you had asked instead of merely assuming." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-23 01:38 am UTC (link)
	He nods quietly. "I understand." He looks around at his notations. "Would you prefer I delete the notations?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 01:49 am UTC (link)
	She shook her head. "You may keep them, if you wish. It is... good work, regardless." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2011-02-23 01:54 am UTC (link)

Vincent looks between her and the room once more. He shakes his head.

"System, delete sequence."

//CONFIRMATION CODE?//

"Vernard seven eight four."

//CONFIRMATION RECEIVED. SEQUENCE DELETED.//

He turns to Andrea again. "If you don't want it, then I don't need it. The exercise has already benefited me as much as it could." He smiles at her. "You're perfect just as you are."

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	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 02:20 am UTC (link)
	She smiles slightly. "Thank-you, Vincent." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-23 02:54 am UTC (link)
	He shrugs, trying to give his best casual smile. "I needed a new project anyway. I don't want college courses to get boring and make me lose my acumen." Vincent walks over to one of his work tables and holds up a dvd. "Now, if you have some more time... I rented Short Circuit 2." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 02:58 am UTC (link)
	Okay, so she has a slight weakness for certain movies, regardless of what else is going on. "Provided you do not mind if I multitask while we are watching, I would be happy to join you." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2011-02-23 03:35 am UTC (link)
	"That," he nods to her, "has never been an issue." He cracks a smile again. "Race you." He bolts for the door. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2011-02-23 03:46 am UTC (link)
	Andrea bolted after, but slowed herself down ever so slightly. Vincent needed some victory today, she reckoned. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	awesome_andrea 2011-03-13 06:42 pm UTC (link)
	(done) (Reply to this)

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