Scene #8050:

Owner	Pose
Zephyrman	The last time Pramanix was at John's secret base, the fence hadn't been finished. The flagstones on the walkway were slightly off. The robots were still painting the walls with crisp white and gold. The lawn was being mowed by a lawnmower with a mask. Most of that is different now. The lawnmower is still there. But the secret base itself has come a long way since the night full of board games and Watch bonding. The robots are no longer replacing peeling paint but are instead adding further detailing, slowly sliding gold lines along the windowsills and the doorframe and other places where the dull gold paint can help outline the white. The fence has not only been finished but is being painted by another robot - a little spindly disc with an eye on the top- Oh, that's Tiny! -in a brighter, louder white than the house. The flagstones have clearly been set, though the only robot that looks like it might have done that is wheeling around the side of the building planting a garden. When John said a garden, he apparently meant a small farm, because that sure is a lot of produce it's planting. Looks funny to see an arm that was probably used for assembling cars carefully stop to delicately plant some tomato vines. John hasn't changed a bit, and nor has the inside of the house. When Pramanix gets there he opens the door, a wide grin on his face. Behind him is the whimsical toy store that is his house, the dioramas of action figures fighting, the trains, the LEDs, all of that overwhelming Christmas Movie energy. But he is blushing a little bit. "Hi."
Karlan Nobles	Pramanix's arrival is not heralded by a chauffeur opening the door to a long limo for her after taking the long way around. There's no fancy car to speak of, even, as she's instead opted to show up by just walking. It's not nearly as grueling as a pilgrimage through the snowy mountains of her homeland, though, instead being more like a long stroll to just look around and keep her brain off for a while. It's not such a long walk that she's winded, though, and she even loiters a bit when she sees so many robots working on prettying up the place. Alas, her wardrobe is still about the same as ever: Much more suited for the mountains, and much too rich and fancy looking to not make herself look like a target if she went anywhere crappier. John's greeting is met with a pleasant smile and wave of her own, still as relaxed as ever. "Good evening, John. I didn't keep you waiting you too long, did I? There's some much stuff to see all around here and over there and... Ah, it felt good just being able to walk normally for once." She chuckles softly, then taps a finger to her chin. "... Although it's still easier to take the car."
Zephyrman	"Didn't keep me waiting at all. I was just finishing up. I wound up picking a bunch of things to make, see if I could find anything you really liked." He scratches the back of his messy brown hair. His grin turns a little sheepish. "I won't say I'm a great cook but I think I'm alright." He's quiet for a moment as steps aside, just watching her enter. There's a whirring noise from the side of the doorway as a robotic arm stretches outwards; it's so sudden that John actually almost jumps, jolted out of his thoughts. And then he laughs. "Sorry about that. He wants to take your coat." Well, it's a simple machine, but John always does like giving them names like that. Then he walks into the living room. The coffee table they played board games at last time has been adjusted up to dining room height. He hasn't done anything over-romantic or trying-too-hard-to-impress like put a candleabra or fancy china or anything out (and if John even owns fancy china, well, that's probably a miracle of its own). It's just a nice, simple tablecloth with some plates and bowls and drinks. It's a little array of everything. Like a buffet. There's some fish (it looks like he learned a little from Rita, or went studying afterwards) dishes, lightly seared with butter. There's some meat dishes - a little steak, a little pork, a little ham, samples of a little bit of everything. Salads sit next to bowls of other greens. Fruit salads mingle with sliced grapefruit. Drinks fizzy, fruity, alcoholic, and everything in beteen sit around the table. It looks like he actually had to extend the table a little in his overeagerness. He waits for her to sit down before he does. He doesn't pull her chair out like somebody trying to put on fake shows of chivalry - he just waits, because it's polite for the host to stand until the guest sits. Then he does sit down. "Try a little of everything, OK? I didn't exactly go all out or anything - I thought, y'know...I wanna know more about you. And learning the kind of food you like in person is a lot better than asking you over the radio or something." Another sheepish scratch of his head. "I wish I'd had the garden planted last year...could've had some stuff from it in the mix."
Karlan Nobles	"Better than me, probably. For the longest time, I couldn't even look at the stove without someone asking what I wanted to eat." Pramanix reassures with a pleasant hum, taking off her hat and shaking her head quickly to let her ears air out even though the hat's not nearly large enough to cover either of them. The whirring arm gets her to jump a bit as well, and she chuckles a moment later before obliging. It actually takes a while to get the coat off thanks to all the extra stuff layered on top of it. The timing is good, though, since it means Pramanix's arms can move freely by the time she sees that spread John's prepared. "Oh my... I was just about to say. It looks like you really went all out for this." She takes a bit of time to just look over everything, shuffling around indecisively while trying to figure out what to try first. She actually ends up with a decent balance of meats and greens by the time she finishes filling up her first plate, and she settles into her seat with a light grunt from finally taking a load off. "It certainly smells and looks wonderful. You didn't need to go that far, but thank you." She flashes John another pleased smile, waiting until he's seated with his own stuff before finally starting to sample away. "I saw that garden on the way in earlier, yes. You really keep busy, hm? Are you making sure to get enough rest, too?"
Zephyrman	"Being someone important is a whole different world, huh," John says quietly. She smiles at him, and that light blush shows up again. Boy, he is not used to this, and it shows. He's awkward as hell. "I dunno about all-out...it wasn't more than a day that I spent cooking it, and that's only because of thawing the meats and stuff." He watches her take things quietly and pile them on her plate with some interest. Learn what to cook next time. He did say that was part of it! He, himself, winds up with a lot of fruit. More fruit than meat or veggies. Sugary? Probably part of why he's just so energetic. Not all that surprising. He pauses for a minute. "I mean...I guess I keep busy? Haha...mostly I just drive over to the junkyard and put together any scrapped industrial machinery to do the real work. I'm...y'know. Focused. On the things I want." He looks up at the ceiling and leans back in his chair slightly. "Plus, if I just disappeared into a garden or something like that, people might start thinking, 'Zephyrman isn't around anymore.' Bad people would take it as a chance, and good people would start to lose hope." He laughs and waves his hand. "I mean, I know I'm not the be-all, end-all there, but I guess it's part of the things I carry, right? Although I guess saying it out loud makes me sound kinda...self-important." His spoon dips into the fruit salad. He chews politely (he's really shockingly fastidious for a guy who seems like he'd live in a messy place - even his eating habits are very orderly). "...honestly..." He looks up. His grin disappears, replaced by a more...neutral?...smile. The blush fades a bit. "...I feel like you're the important one." "Ah, I don't mean- I mean, yeah, but, what I mean is..." He sighs and does the head-scratch again. "I mean, I feel like you're someone who actually has that on her shoulders. Y'know, the way you talk, the way your brother acts..." He looks down at the salad. Then he looks up at her. "I can't imagine what that's like." "But I bet it's heavy. And, y'know...I did say I wanted to talk about that kinda thing over dinner. Not many better ways to get to know people."
Karlan Nobles	"More than a... Oh, that's still lots of time. I've heard about those thirty-hour roasts, too, but I don't think I could even wait that long before sneaking a bite or five." True to her word, Pramanix is already trying a bunch of the stuff on her plate. Despite the more obvious parallels to certain religions outside of her world, she's definitely not holding back when it comes to eating meat. "So you're a roboticist by... Trade? Hm... I might have to introduce you to some of the other people I work with, then." She suggests with a light chuckle, pauses, then continues. "Ah. Not in the Watch or at home, but... The pharmaceutical company." She doesn't elaborate on how any of those things are connected just yet. It's probably a longer thing, and she's still eating! There's obviously a proper refinement to the way she eats, but there's also little shortcuts taken here and there so she can enjoy the food more instead of paying complete attention to things like keeping a napkin in the right spot or switching to a knife instead of just cutting through smaller things with her fork. "Zephyrman's just as much of an impactful presence, I think. Someone like you isn't bound by the same rules that a public figure like me is. That..." She leans back in her seat, pausing to take a long sip of a fizzy and fruity drink. "... Is the kind of thing that makes bad people hesitate. They know that they'll have to answer to someone that isn't restricted to... You know." She waves her free hand vaguely in the air. "Laws, appearances, pretenses. I can issue strong statements, direct people around, but... I can't act as quickly, you know? I envy that kind of of freedom." There's a longer pause as she takes another sip, then laughs softly before munching on another forkful of veggies. "But... It /is/ pretty nice to have all that luxury around, I'll admit. It'd just be nicer with more time to enjoy it. What about you, though? With that kind of freedom to act..." She strokes her chin lightly while peering at John, almost inquisitively. "That freedom must be like a double-edged sword, too, right? Have you ever wanted to just... Go wild? What stops someone like yourself?"
Zephyrman	"Haha, no. I don't sell robots or anything like that. It'd be weird, y'know? Like selling my toys, or my friends. They're working for me so I take care of them." None of the robots are intelligent. It's quite obvious that they've been programmed with more literal instructions than complex emotions. "I make do with what I have. I have to make things count, but that's not the worst way to live my life, either. When I work I work part-time at the school, usually doing repairs. I guess you could call me more a handyman than anything else..." He pauses. "...but, y'know, that's not bad, right? It's helping people put their house in order. Well, the college's house, but still. Heh." He sits there, trying to put together the pieces in his head. She mentioned some kind of company when they were talking about her brother. SilverAsh obviously worked pretty closely with her. Behind that smile is still a genius, and as loosey-goosey as he might act, he's also paying fixed attention on her right now - and that means reading between the lines. He doesn't say anything for a bit as they both eat, since it gives him time to turn it over in his head. Pharmaceuticals...something to do with a Sainthood...stopped violence... She asks him a question. He stumbles over his train of thought, segmenting it off to the side. "Oh...I mean, I guess. I can't exactly tell people what to do like you can. You inspire people and direct them and protect them - all I do is inspire them. I bet it's a really different feeling." "What do you mean, go wild?" He blinks. "Like...just go on a bender, or..." "Like, supervillain stuff?"
Karlan Nobles	"... I definitely need to introduce you to them some day." Pramanix comments with another light-hearted laugh after John explains his line of thinking regarding the robots he's made. "I mean, some of the others can be a little looser with how they treat their robots, but I'm sure you'd get along just fine with them, too." It's something to do with that pharmaceutical company again. Unlike Zephyrman, Pramanix's mind isn't quite so analytical at the moment. She's just enjoying her time here, being able to eat and drink without having to worry too much about maintaining her inflated air of dignity and decorum. It's not like she's eating in a slovenly way, but she is definitely letting herself relax more than she normally would in public. "Directing people... I mean, legally, yes. Ever since becoming the head of Kjerag, it's certainly easier to direct them, but there's always this..." She waves a hand vaguely again. "Background... Tension, you know? Like someone's always trying to one-up somebody else while I'm looking. It's not as... Pure as someone might act if they're inspired by great acts of bravery or something like that." On the topic of going wild, Pramanix taps her chin again. "I didn't think quite that far, but... More or less. You mentioned bad people being discouraged from acting while you're around, but what discourages you from becoming like them? You know... Getting in the big robot, blasting everyone and everything that stops you from shaping things the way you see fit?" She pauses once more, then continues again. "What keeps you from crossing your line?"
Zephyrman	"I'd like that! I definitely don't talk with a lot of people who do that kinda thing. I mentioned I was studying biochemistry a while ago, so...y'know." He shrugs. "I could've gone into robotics but then I wouldn't learn anything. And if I don't learn anything then I'm not applying myself. Gotta learn at least one thing every day!" "So they want to impress you, huh." John looks at his drink, his spoon sitting in the fruit salad. "I guess because you're important you don't get a lot of peace. You've got to keep watching them all the time. A bunch of people squabbling over your attention. Heh." He pushes the salad around for a moment as she talks. "And I guess because of that you're in danger." "Not directly," John confirms after a moment's pause, "Your brother told me about that. That nobody would mess with you, but that anyone close to you was a target. I told him I didn't really care, because, y'know...Zephyrman and all...but it made me think about the kind of place you must be in. And that..." "I dunno. It made me sad. Just like when I came over to your big church and snuck my way in with board games and books for you, and I saw how you looked, and..." "Well, I just really want to make you smile." He shrugs. His face is a lot more...maudlin than usual. "That's it, y'know? Being surrounded by that kind of thing sounds more than exhausting. It sounds like everyone's looking for a means to replace you if they can, even if it's just by making you so lonely you don't have anything to reach out to." She asks him why he doesn't become like the people he fights. He doesn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he puts his spoon down, sets his drink down, stands up, and heads over to one of the shelves. From it he plucks what looks like a knight in shining armor - although on closer inspection it's more like a knight-themed power armor, or a costume of some sort. A cape, a knightly visor on a more modern helmet, a bodysuit with armor pieces on it, and a painted-on breastplate with a shield symbol. He walks the knight back over and sets it down on the table. "This is why." His eyes are completely serious. There's...an intensity there that he really doesn't usually show, a seriousness. No boyish smile, no happy grin, no happy-go-lucky tone. "This guy is Silver Knight Palladian. His show...it was supposed to launch a whole new set of series, the Metal Knight series, but it didn't really manage to get popular enough." His finger settles on the helmet, rocking it back and forth slightly as he stares at it. "I grew up watching all of this kind of thing. But...Palladian...he was special. They were all the type to get in the way of villains and make speeches and all the stuff I do as Zephyrman, but Palladian always entered the battlefield with a whoosh of his cape to deflect some incoming attack and protect people. And afterwards, the people on the show would admire him, and try to do better." "I think it didn't catch on because of that. It didn't have the flashy effects, or the budgets, or the history, of other transforming hero shows. But they tried to give it a heart and it..." He shrugs. "A heart wasn't enough to make money." He's still staring at the figure. "One of the good memories I've got left of back then."
Zephyrman	As if suddenly realizing what he was saying, he laughs, and the look of ironclad seriousness fades away. "Ahaha...what I mean is..." "I don't want to be someone who would disappoint Palladian. I want to be someone who can stand proudly and say that he follows that way of life. It doesn't matter that I'm as free as the wind - everyone else should be, too." "And that...knowing that, after every fight, I've protected people, I've kept people happy...it's satisfying in a way that nothing in my life ever was before Zephyrman. Before the Gale Whistler." He looks up at the ceiling again, rocking a little in his chair. When he looks back at her he's got a big grin on his face. "Besides, HurriKaiser would probably never forgive me if I tried, and you wouldn't be able to look at me the same way, either, and I'd hate that." "Or Rita, or Hibiki, or your brother, or anybody else," he adds quickly.
Karlan Nobles	"There is such a thing as taking time to rest and recharge, too." Pramanix says with another laugh. "Even I can't translate things all the time when I'm back home, or I'd go crazy from staring at the words all day. Still, that kind of drive is impressive, if you can keep it going for so long." The mention of attention has Pramanix looking just a bit more somber. "Right... Even though I'm at the head of the country, the clans still squabble over... Well, everything. Who gets rights to do this, who's allowed to do that, and so on." She lets out a light sigh at that. "Thanks to my position, I'm not in any personal danger, but SilverAsh always has a target on him. And Ensia..." A beat. "My sister. She's well-taken care of, but I can't help but worry about her, too. She's.. Actually probably more of a free spirit like yourself." She laughs, still smiling after John explains his own perception of the whole situation. "That's really kind of you. I mean, it's not completely lonely, especially not after joining the Watch and meeting everyone and finding better ways to sneak out, but." Pramanix laughs again. "Frankly, if anyone swapped places with us completely? They'd be doing us a favor... As long as I still get to keep my books." That's definitely not going to be elaborated on. Instead, she watches John curiously as he brings over and explains his own inspirations. Like John, she doesn't laugh and chuckle or comment right away. She's listening closely, absorbing all that information, and even getting a different kind of smile on her face after the fact. It's looks kind of like a nostalgic kind of smile. "That sounds just like... Ah, that sounds like the sort of person my brother used to try to be. Brave, reliable, inspiring, even if it's not the most glamorous thing to do." Pramanix chuckles again and finishes off her drink, shivering once before leaning back in her own seat. "I can absolutely see you being into that sort of thing, from what I've seen already. It's a good outlook to have, and a fantastic source to draw inspiration from. Some flashiness and self-indulgence isn't always bad, though." She comments with a playful wink, then raises an eyebrow after a moment. "What's this about a... Gale Whistler, though?"