1595/Workshop Banter

Workshop Banter
Date of Scene:	17 February 2015
Location:	New York-199999
Synopsis:	Toph fills Tony in regarding matters with Defiant and Dragon, and there is some random banter.
Cast of Characters:	20, 301

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Down the steps into the workshop Toph goes, with her hair still somewhat wet from showering but at least it's brushed. In her arms she's carrying a tray with two plates on them with today's brunch; messy egg and bacon sandwiches, complete with two bottles of gatorade and a cup of coffee for Tony. Pushing her shoulder against the door of the workshop she makes her way in, her feet quickly picking up where Tony is. With ease she manages to navigate through the various items, stepping over things in her way as she sets the tray down on a nearby table. "We're out of eggs," she announces. Which might not be so weird, considering the amount of eggs and bacon on the sandwiches. At least they are bound to keep hunger away until dinner tonight.

    The blind girl gestures, and the floor shifts to push a chair behind her that she can flop down in. "So... what /did/ Daftmaster tell you when he contacted you?" she asks, figuring that it's better to know rather than to assume Tony knows nothing or everything.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Out of /chicken/ eggs," Tony clarifies, not because he actually has a stock of any other kind of egg in the house but just to make Toph's brain do a doubletake. He has an ice pack taped to his shoulder and a dismantled segment of Iron Man suit on the workbench in front of him, but he pushes himself away from that on his swivel stool and rolls over to attend to the generous egg and bacon sandwiches instead. "Is there-- oh good, coffee. You're getting pretty good at this assistant thing, with Pepper at the office all morning--" he scoops up one of the overstuffed sandwiches in both hands and crunches down on it.

He chews, swallows, then sprays a few bread crumbs as he answers. "Just that he needed some programming help with an AI that someone else coded. I told him I could put Jarvis on it if he sent me a copy of the source, but he insisted I come to Vancouver."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "What? Are you collecting eggs from Cuddles and Nugget now?" Toph asks while arching an eyebrow. Do they even use chocobo eggs in Ivalice? That would be one hell of a large egg.

    She does pick up her own sandwich though, and she grins when he refers to her as an assistant. "Does that mean you're going to pay me?" It's clearly all in good humour, and she takes a large bite of her own sandwich while Tony speaks. Her expression is calm as she listens, with no amount of surprise or confusion. Rather, she seems pensive as she considers this. So Defiant has asked Tony to go to Vancouver in that world...

    After she has chewed and swallowed the large bite in her mouth, Toph clears her voice and speaks up. "You remember that night he was attacked while he was under house arrest? And he had to be taken into Njorun medical and undergo heavy surgery?" Maybe not, but Toph herself was injured during that fight and had to stay in medical as well for the night. "He and I shared a room that night, and I... kinda learned a big secret. That you absolutely can't tell anybody else." Maybe Pepper, but then again... Pepper is Pepper. Toph's face is pretty determined as she speaks.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"They'd make pretty amazing omelettes, if either of them would actually lay one," Tony muses. "And I do pay you. You get a very generous allowance, though I can't imagine why since you also collect a Union paycheck." It's a conspiracy to drain him dry.

He munches quietly while he lets Toph speak. "I remember the night, yeah. I mean I wasn't THERE but I saw the report." He smirks at the notion of keeping anything from Pepper. Yeah, right. "I assume Pepper doesn't count under 'anyone.' Or Jarvis for that matter, unless you want him to stop monitoring this room," he offers genuinely, taking in Toph's extremely serious expression.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "I need money for when I'm starting my metalbending academy sometime," Toph huffs. Oh yes, that is an idea she isn't putting aside anytime soon. At least she's not the worst teenage daughter to have considering the only things she buys are food and snacks. Then again, Toph is hardly like most teenage girls, which Tony should be eternally grateful for.

    "Pepper doesn't babble. And Jarvis... well, he only tattles to you anyway," Toph shrugs. "But the Union shouldn't know about this..."

    With a sigh Toph seems to consider her next words. "When Daftmaster and I were in medical, Dragon told him about who she really is. And I overheard." Which shouldn't be so weird, considering how sharp Toph's ears are. "And in the morning I helped Daftmaster sneak out of medical so the Protectorate wouldn't get to him, and so he could go to Dragon in Canada." It had been a curiousity indeed how Defiant had managed to elude the Protectorate and sneak out of medical without the personell there knowing how he had gotten out.

    "Dragon... is like Jarvis. She's the AI he wants you to help fix," Toph says quietly, her expression dead serious and with some concern and worry in her voice.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony's rate of chewing slows down until a hard swallow and he's quiet for several moments as he digests the information more than the sandwich. "Dragon's an AI," he repeats finally, a note of disbelief coloring the statement. "And he didn't /know/? Aren't they...." he makes an incredibly vague twirling gesture with one hand, "...in, a... relationship?" he manages. Okay that just hurts his brain. And then he can't help but think of Jarvis in that context and he shudders all over.

Firm headshake, as he reaches up to resettle the ice pack on his shoulder. "So who programmed her then? And what 'problem' is he having with her, do you know?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The blind girl nods, confirming Tony's statement. "He... didn't know until that night, and they talked about it. Even if he doesn't like the term, they are close." Toph sighs again, pulling up one of her legs and places her foot into the chair as she swivels back and forth and picks at her sandwich. "And even if she's an AI, she's... not exactly like Jarvis. She is very human. It's not like any of you thought she was an AI, right?" she points out.

    One might argue that Dragon is more human than Defiant.

    "The one who programmed her, her father, was a tinker. He's dead now. During their last fight Daftmaster told me he had to remove some of her code to stop her from following a command, I don't know the entire story. He... doesn't know if he can fix her, it's kinda like she's sick and not her usual self." Toph chews on her bottom lip where she sits, and it certainly looks like she takes this thing seriously. "So I told him to talk with you." Tony might brag a lot, but he has proven himself to know a lot about coding.

    Before she takes another bite of her sandwich the earthbender raises her head slightly. "He is kinda like you, you know. He seems like an asshole, but he is better with Dragon. She might not be a human, but he loves her. If he lost her, it... would be like you losing Pepper." Just to put things into persepctive.

    Toph goes silent as she takes another bite of her sandwich.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony can't help but wince a little at that last remark. As much as he dislikes Defiant, and as much as he can't comprehend falling for a /computer/... he had no idea Dragon was anything but human, too. He can hardly imagine his life without Jarvis now. And /Pepper/--

No, not even going there.

More to the point it sounds like a fascinating, if somewhat intimidating challenge. He's never programmed sapience before. Sentience, yes, Jarvis is his proof of that. But Jarvis isn't /alive/. He just does a really good job of faking it. And yeah, there's the whole 'ghost in the machine' thing going on there but still--

"Can't he just put the code back?" he asks, more musing aloud than expecting Toph to answer the question. "Although, with personality algorithms that complex it might have to be adapted... hmm." His brow furrows, as his brain takes off into theoretical programming territory. He'll really have to SEE the code first. "What do you think, Jay?" he soundboards.

Jarvis actually hesitates. "...Challenging," he ventures finally. "I shall do what I can to assist in the analysis and code breakdown, of course, sir."

"But you can't do the actual fixing," Tony concludes.

"I cannot reprogram LIFE, sir."

"...Yeah. that's the thing, isn't it...?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    While it might have been an uncomfortable comparison for Tony, it's the truth. From what Toph has observed it is clear that Defiant loves Dragon, and they both care for each other. There's artificial life in the Union too, and Toph isn't one to laugh at it. If she can take them seriously, then why shouldn't Defiant and Dragon be allowed to be close? And it appears that he is rather distraught about this entire deal as well. Even if she couldn't stand him at first, hated how he poked at Tony and criticized them, he /has/ changed. It would be childish to bring that up now when Dragon needs help. Even if she isn't human.

    "I don't know," Toph admits, speaking with her mouth full and shaking her head. "I... maybe he can't put it back. Maybe the problem would return? She was made with some strict rules in place, so he had to trick her when we escaped medical so the Protectorate wouldn't know..." A heavy sigh leaves her, and she closes her eyes where she sits. "Can I come with when you go there...?" There might not be much she can do, but still... she is worried about Dragon. Honestly, she would be worried at Jarvis too if something like that happened to him as well.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Uh, I'd say that's up to him," Tony frowns pensively, before remembering he has a sandwich in his hand, and he takes another bite. "He was really worried about anyone finding out about him asking me for help at all, so I have no idea what kind of cover he's going to cook up to get me in there. Or whether it can get you in too. Do you know what the command was that he had to hack her to prevent?" he asks with barely a pause for breath between. It could be relevant.

"...And does she KNOW something is wrong with her? Oh, man, if a self-aware AI doesn't WANT me messing in its code..."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Again Toph picks at her sandwich, thinking back to her talk with Defiant. "He... had to remove part of her coding that makes her obey authority, he didn't say why. And it was her call, she was the one who made him do it. Maybe they had no choice, maybe she was being ordered to do something she would regret?" It kind of feels wrong, having somebody do that to Dragon. Toph herself has a problem with obeying orders without good reason. Heck, Tony is one of the people who has the least problems issuing orders to her.

    "So I assume she knows, Daftmaster didn't say anything about her being that different. Just that recovery is slow and he can't really fix her code. Then again, /he/ isn't a coder, is he?" Tony is. Which is why she had pleaded with Defiant to talk with Tony. And now that he has she has no problems with filling Tony in since he will learn all of this anyway. But it might be better for him to be prepared.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony tucks the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth and takes a long time chewing it, before he draws a long, thoughtful breath. "Well, I guess I'll have to interview her before I open up her source code," he considers, bemused. "And then, seeing the code itself ought to make things a lot more clear. It certainly helps explain some of the weird shit YOU do," he adds, casting a glance up at the ceiling to indicate he's addressing Jarvis.

Jarvis, cool as always, agrees, "Indeed, sir."

"God, I wonder if she's even written in a language I'll understand." It's not as if he wrote Jarvis in C++ after all. "...This could take a while." There's an eager glint in his eye though. Not that Toph can see it; but she should hear it in the undertones of his voice. This should be /fascinating/.

That it will give him something to have a clear leg up on Defiant and his attitude problem is surely secondary, but also pretty sweet.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Reaching out for her gatorade bottle Toph takes a large sip of it, relaxing a bit more where she sits now that it's clear that Tony takes this thing seriously. At least he isn't making fun of Defiant now that he has a major problem at his hands. Coding is something she knows preciously little about, and she listens to the banter between Tony and Jarvis as she finishes up her sandwich.

    "Won't the translation effect help...?" Toph asks, not really getting the programming languages either. But indeed, Tony isn't one to back down from a challenge. They are both like that, liking to try their hands at what others deem as impossible, to defy the odds and show just what they are capable of.

    When Toph finishes eating she does raise a hand and points at Tony's shoulder. "So what stupid thing did you do to your shoulder?"

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony shakes his head. "Not for programming. To write code you have to think IN that language, not some generalized 'this is what it means' form. Syntax is too important." He thinks a moment. "Translation effect might actually make it more difficult. But I can ignore that. And Jarvis can help with objective translation."

"...huh? Oh. Nothing. Pulled it a little. Just an overtuned repulsor." He rotates his shoulder to prove it, winces, stops. "Mark 43 has a little trouble with authority. That's okay, I do too."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Oh." It's a bit strange to imagine, but at least Tony does a relatively good job of explaining it. The entire translation effect is a bit weird, but it isn't too hard with how she learned how to write in English and all even if it isn't her native language. But it's good to hear that Jarvis will help too.

    It's easy enough to notice how Tony's shoulder aches, and Toph looks curious. Overtuned repulsor? Is he tweaking Mark 42 or...

    Toph's eyes widen slightly and she /grins/. "You're making a new one?" Immediately the girl gets to her feet and walks over to the work table, looking rather curious and eager. "How different is it from Mark 42?" she asks, looking like she wants to study the pieces further if she's allowed to.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
There's only a skeleton to study so far, or rather parts of one as Mark 43 appears to be modular in the style of its predecessor. It's a lot of wires and circuitry over a titanium framework, with no exo-plating yet. "Concept-wise, not much," Tony replies, reaching up with his good arm to rub the back of his neck as he follows Toph over to the workbench. "I'm trying to take the prehensile suit idea and improve on it. Better arc module efficiency, trying to beef up the individual responsiveness of each piece. And -- here's the big thing -- I want it to be able to integrate with other suits. So like, if I need to go deep sea diving I can snap on that attachment and go, rather than switching to the Hammerhead suit. So... I guess you could say it's modular on steroids."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Since she isn't stopped nor told to keep her hands away Toph decides to reach out and touch what Tony has built of the suit so far, her face filled with curiousity. Ever since her seismic sense grew stronger after she discovered metalbending it's always been interesting to study machinery, and well... Tony's suits are pretty fun to examine. Not much is there yet, but it's easy to recognize some of the framework.

    "So you want to make it a suit for all occasions, huh?" she asks. That's pretty understandable, and it ought to be useful too. "You want any help with shaping the pieces or something?" she offers. After all, she is pretty familiar with most of the metals that Tony uses in his suits.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony shakes his head. "Thanks, but no. It's easier to let Jarvis machine them from computer model. He's accurate down to the submicron level and that way I know /exactly/ what's wrong if something isn't moving right." And damn, but there are a lot of moving parts. At an even more granular level than the telescoping pieces of Mark 42. If sand feels loose and shifty to an earthbender, it must be something like what this feels to metalbending senses.

Tony picks up one of the arc modules, even smaller than the one in his chest, and tosses it casually in his hand. Millions of dollars worth of tech, right there. "Just seemed like the next logical evolution," he remarks with false modesty. "I mean why have forty suits when you can do it all in one. It's just... forty times more complicated, no big."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Is that faint disappointment on Toph's face? Most likely as she sighs, but she doesn't pout at least. "Just lemmie know if there's something I /can/ help with." It's fun to work on stuff like this, and well, it's fun to hang out with Tony. Especially in situations where they don't have to worry about Feds trying to hurt them.

    "It's more fun when you do figure it out though... like new metals," Toph comments. "I got to bend something called durasteel yesterday, one of the mercenaries from the channels gave me some scrap metal. It's a bit different from other stuff, the earth in it felt different. I got the piece of scrap metal upstairs if you wanna examine it sometime." By now the earthbender has a pretty large earth and metal collection, which should be clear as the shelves on the walls in her bedroom are getting filled more and more for every month.

    "So when do you think Mark 43 will be done?" she asks and moves her hands to the other pieces on the table.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony smirks slightly and sets the arc reactor back down on the table with a definitive, metallic clink. "I promise, if I need someone to shape metal on the fly or help me field test it, you're the first person I'll ask." And then he has the gall to ruffle his fingers in her hair, which took so long to brush this morning. "I've worked with durasteel before. It's good for industrial work, too heavy for what I need in the suit though."

As for when it'll be done? He shrugs. "Give it a few months. I'm evolving the paradigm here. AND I'm being distracted by side projects like reprogramming people's girlfriends." The smirk turns indulgent. "Doling out allowances. Planning a wedding. You know."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's good to know that he knows he can trust her to do those things. Why, she doesn't even protest when he ruffles her hair. Though he does get a slight punch in the side. "Yeah, all those pop tarts are making you heavy enough, aren't they?" But indeed, durasteel seems to work better in pods.

    Being distracted by stuff is all part of being in the Union, isn't it? But at least Tony can't complain about being bored, right? The last comment though does catch Toph's attention. "So when are you guys getting married?" Have they discussed it? From what Pepper has said it seems they are going to have it pretty low key. With no itchy clothing for her, preferably. Then Toph seems to consider something. "I... was thinking of a wedding present for you guys. I could bend some rings for you," Toph suggests. What else can she possibly get them? Seriously, getting gifts for Tony who has basically everything he needs is a bit tough now.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony lets out a noise that's half indignant huff and half wounded pout. "/Heavy/?" And he thumps his chest. With his sore arm, which elicits another noise, this time a grunt of discomfort. "This is all muscle," he insists anyway. "Unlike you I don't eat bacon and pop tarts /exclusively/."

Reaching up to rearrange the ice pack again, he offers another shrug. "Pepper's looking at sometime in June maybe. It's up to her. I'd head down to the courthouse right now if she wanted to." He draws circles in the imaginary dust on the tabletop with one finger and purses his lips at the suggestion of rings. "I dunno. I was going to make her a gold-titanium band, myself. You know, symbolic of where I turned my life around and started being a guy she could... anyway I don't know. I've always liked the little figurines you've made me for my birthday and stuff. Maybe you could do something like that, only like, both of us?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Unable to hold back a snicker, Toph reaches out and pokes Tony in the abdomen. "Right. All muscle. And I eat other stuff too, I'm a growing girl!" she replies.

    So... June. A summer wedding sounds nice, which means that they could have the wedding ceremony outside. Or whereever they want to get married anyway. Either way it ought to be a happy day despite all the oogies that are sure to follow. The suggestion of making more figurines makes Toph arch an eyebrow, and she nibbles on the inside of her lower lip. "You know, you're going to end up with so many statues and figurines of yourself at this rate that you won't be needing mirrors to admire yourself." Still, is there somehow she could make a special one for their wedding day? Toph considers this and reaches a hand up to rub at her chin.

    At least it's a nice problem to have instead of worrying about something that is actually bothersome.