759/A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The 4RAM

A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To The 4RAM
Date of Scene:	07 October 2014
Location:	Urbania
Synopsis:	The multiverse has lots of games and systems for playing them on. But getting them can be an overwhelming experience when catboys, roboticists, ponies, and shinki get involved!
Cast of Characters:	Staren, 276, 279, 411, 589

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Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
With both strict limits on her funds and even stricter limits on what she can do with them, to say nothing of the simple free time to make use of whatever she purchases if it is not related to school, Miko Fujimoto would ordinarily not have the option to obtain a high-end computer, or a gaming system, or play games on either one. With her paycheck -- or at least the one given to 'Princess Paladin' -- she can easily afford such equipment. Finding the time to play games is still an issue, but if she can find the time to fight monsters and throw cars at shoplifters as a magical girl, she is sure she can find a way to work in gaming. In her school uniform, and relying upon multiverse transportation methods to get to Urbania and then back to her own world before her strictly-enforced curfew, Miko is visiting the enormous mall here in Urbania to see what she has been missing out on in terms of entertainment.

It is around noon, and the sun shines brightly outside of the Terlawk Mall. But it is indoors that Miko heads, brown leather bag hanging in her grip in front of her. She is obviously new here, as her eyes are wide and she gawks at everything she passes by. She might not wind up getting home on time after all.

Staren has posed:
    Staren strides into the mall. His quest today: To see if he's missed any advanced computer tech. He probably hasn't, but he could at least come see what they're putting on display out here, right?

    The twenty-something catboy wearing a labcoat looks around, taking it in. He's never seen a physical store so big, but that is one of many wonders of the Multiverse.

    He spies the japanese schoolgirl gawking and offers her a smile. "First time out in the Multiverse?"

Kari Wolf (276) has posed:
    A tiny robot stands in front of one of the game shops, waving her arms, trying to attract the attention of the lunch crowd. It's like a tiny booth girl, maybe? The shinki is a Howling model, which means her armor is green and white, with some accents here and there, and decidedly dog-themed. Four little hover drones buzz about her, the central part of these mini-machines resembling stylized dog heads too.
    "New releases today! Get them while supplies last! Multiverse Mega Brawl 2014 Edition, featuring fighters from this year's World Martial Arts Tournament! Zombie Survival 7, now with VR Goggle Support! Come and get them, come and get them! Turn in your used copy of Last Legend the Thirty-Second Part Four and get a discount on Last Legend the Thirty-Third, out in November, just in time for Christmas!"

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
Maxine's decided to do some market research on her own. Plus, it doesn't hurt to get out of her lab once in a while. The scientist is inputting data into a device with one hand as she looks around. Staren instantly catches her attention along with the girl she just addressed. "Good afternoon Staren." She smiles as she sees him. Of course Kari gets her attention as well despite her size. It wasn't hard for anything robotic not to grab her eye as well.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Miko tears her attention away from a large gumball machine upon determining that she is being addressed. Both of her eyebrows shoot upwards in surprise when she sees a cat-eared person in a labcoat. Honestly, the lab coat surprises her more than the ears. She has already faced a few feline monsters back home, but they were pretty clearly demons or youma or spirits in those instances, and they did not look as though they came from an anime. She has no reason to think this person is one of them. Still, the lab coat makes her wonder. Is there a science convention around here, or is that just a costume? Perhaps he works in the mall's optometrist outlet. Lenses ready in 30 minutes!

Maybe not. Maybe the multiverse is just weird. Before answering, she lowers her gaze somewhat bashfully and directs her eyes off to the side as she answers the stranger and (seeming) elder politely. "It is not the first, but much is still new to me, sir." There is much noise and commotion all around, but the cries of a tiny robot are somehow what draw Miko's attention above all else. Her eyes track to the shouting, armored, micro-girl and her eyebrows go up again. Her mouth opens a bit too, half in amazement, half at the cuteness. Another stranger is addressing Staren, a woman significantly shorter than Miko herself despite their very dissimilar ages. With her attention raptly held by the shinki, Miko bows once to Staren, once to Maxine, and says, "Please excuse me." Then she barely refrains from moving at an improper pace on her way towards the game store (what she came here for) and the oh-so-interesting Kari.

Miko crouches down, heels together, and sets her bag down to the side. Her hands goes on her knees as she looks at Kari and says, "Excuse me, but would you happen to be able to tell me what systems those games are on?" She probably could have found that out inside, but she will take any excuse to talk to a cute little person like this!

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks at Miko. "You don't have to call me 'sir', I'm just Staren. And the Multiverse is full of cool stuff! It's good that you're willing to come out and see it, rather than trying to ignore it."

    His ears rotate, followed by his head, at Kari's shouting. "Hey, am I in there?" He starts to approach her, but there's Maxine too! Staren smiles back and nods, "Hey, good afternoon, Maxine." Then he looks back to Kari. "So, am I in Multiverse Mega Brawl? Ooh, I wonder what special moves they'd give me..."

Kari Wolf (276) has posed:
    Somewhat comically, Kari pulls one of the flyers out that are next to her on the podium in front of the game store and looks at it.
    "Multiverse Mega Brawl 2014 is on all major systems, miss! I'm actually working this job to get a copy so I can re-enact the battles Vervi had. She's a shinki like me and it was so cool to see one of us fight all these big people and win!" The shinki seems enthusiastic about it and then realizes oh... She hands the flyer to Miko. It has today's new releases, sales, and bargains on it.
    "Zombie Survival 7 is for the Gamestation Deuce and home computer. I heard the VR version for the computer has all sorts of icky blood effects and you can smell the smoke from your shotgun. I don't know if it's Touch-O-Matic compatible, but I don't think feeling like you're walking in zombie guts is a big crowd pleaser. Maybe the mod community will add it?" She says thoughtfully.

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
Maxine giggles a bit as she sees Miko be distracted by Kari, "I guess that's a sign that we should order more Fairy Fundroids next quarter." She types a bit into the device as she continues talking, "That and I'm not the most interesting person to talk with." Of course the difference in age might have something to do with that too
"Multiverse Mega Brawl 2014, I think I might have seen a few ads for it. I don't really keep up with game releases though." She's pretty easy after all. "Do they have controllers that small?" She imagines a Shinki might have difficulty with a normal sized controller. "That zombie game doesn't really sound like something I would be interested in."

Kari Wolf (276) has posed:
    The shinki hands flyers to Maxine and Staren as well, fumbling with them a bit since they're a glossy paper. "I think you're in it, you look like one of the people on the roster over there." She points to a screen in the front area of the gameshop where a few people are gathered around playing a four-man free-for-all match.
    She looks at Maxine. "Oh, we don't use controllers, we can network with the computer for that." She says, cheerfully.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Oh, gosh. This is too cute. Miko is not typically prone to stereotypically girlish behavior. She is too sullen and tired for worrying about having a cute ribbon or things like that. However, as Kari explains about the games and hands over the flyer, Miko has to use first her hand and then the flyer she accepts to cover her mouth until she can get her smile under control and stop herself from making any squealing noises. Once the shinki is done explaining, though a significant portion of what was said means little or nothing to her. The names and descriptions are ones she either is ignorant of or not familiar enough with to grasp. Never the less, she responds with an excited, "Incredible!" Whether it is actually incredible or not, Miko does not know. She does turn her attention back on 'not-sir, just Staren' when he and his red-haired friend come over.

She is still not entirely sure about the whole chatting-up-strangers thing, but it is different just in other countries, like America, let alone entire other worlds. Acclimating to cultural differences is sure to be important as she spends more and more time in the multiverse. "Ah... Thank you very much, Mister Staren." she replies to the compliment. "I was unaware that ignoring the sweeping changes to reality was an option." Whether that was meant to be a light-hearted jab at the idea, or sarcasm, is unclear. Her tone does not inflect in either direction, nor does her body language indicate anything other than general awkwardness. With Maxine, she seems marginally more comfortable in speaking, though even so, she is cautious not to offend Kari with her question. "Is this... Um... Hard-working 'shinki' also a 'Fairy Fundroid'?" She is not sure how much of this species names and how much is product names. As near as she can tell, this dog-girl is an intelligent person, but if there is any chance that she is a purchasable robot of some kind... Well, she will seriously be thinking about getting one! Though she already has a fairy, kind of, and another tiny talking creature might not be such a wise idea...

Miko returns her attention to the shinki before her as she nods enthusiastically and looks over the flyer. "There was a tournament? And a friend of yours participated?" Images of various pit-fighting cutesy monster anime flash through her head. She has to hide her mouth again at the mental image of these tiny girls fighting against great big monsters.

Staren has posed:
    "I've been in enough /real/ zombie outbreaks, I don't really want to play in a fake one unless it's a Union training scenario." Staren comments. He takes the flyer and starts to look at it, then looks at the screens. "Oh, hey." He steps closer for a better look at the game in progress.

    Staren's ears perk up and he looks back at Miko. "Just Staren is fine... I'm not /that/ old, am I?" He chuckles. "It's not a very good one, but some worlds think it is."

    He turns around as the tournament is mentioned. "Yeah. There's one every year, every summer, for the past few years. A chance to enjoy competition without lives hanging on the line." Suddenly his clothes become a cloud of threads, that condenses into the outfit he wore for the fight with Sakura Kasugano. This means his labcoat, pants, and sneakers are changed to a more militaristic style -- a white coat, black pants, and white-and-red boots. "I didn't fight any shinki though. I'm not really sure how I'd do that. I never fought one." He holds a finger to his chin and stares into space thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose it'd be a 'bombard eachother with missiles' type deal so that size wouldn't really matter so much."

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
Maxine takes the offered flier from Kari, and looks for Staren. When she's him she can't help but to adjust her glasses a bit. "I don't mean to be rude, but that looks a bit feminine to be you, Staren. Maybe they were taking creative license with the game she figures before quickly changing the subject. I'm guessing there's a bit of lag intentionally in the VR so people using a controller have a chance to react. I don't think I would make a very interesting character in a video game.

Maxine then answer's Miko's question "No, she's a Shinki not a Fundroid. They're made by different companies. I just figured if you're interested in her, you might be curious about our brand as well.

Kari Wolf (276) has posed:
    Kari hmms and watches the people talking for a little. "You can buy shinki, miss! We're not really pets or toys though. Um..." The little shinki struggles to figure out what word to use.
    "... Companions? Friends? Assistants? Um um... We're shinki." She finally shrugs, sheepishly.
    Kari says. "I don't know Vervi personally, but we're also built to fight each other. I'm a Howling, MMS Type Dog, Vervi is a Vervietta... I don't remember her type though, but it's rare!" She goes on to rattle off a few other shinki types, including Maochao, a cat type; Arnval, a angel-themed design; and Strarf, a devil design.
    "And then there's custom armor too!" She flashes in a bit of bright light for a moment, her armor changing to her customized Dire Wolf armor; quite a bit bigger than her standard load-out! The drones have also disappeared.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
"I am sorry! I did not mean to offend you," Miko says as she stands up and bows apologetically to Staren for apparently making him feel old. The 'real zombie outbreaks' thing is kind of worrisome, but the multiverse is weird and she has to get used to it. That has already been established. She does not feel comfortable addressing this man with such familiarity, but she supposes if Staren is his surname and he is okay with it, she can TRY. "Oh! So it is open to many types of... People." Miko says as the tournament is explained. It does not sound like something she would be interested in being part of.

...Though she knows a certain magical girl who could potentially find herself involved. 'Win' seems like a straightforward goal. It would probably work for Paladin's magic. She looks thoughtful, and almost misses what Maxine says next, before blinking and coming back to her senses. "Oh, I see." That is... Strange. People have technology sufficiently advanced here to create more people! Robot-like people! In miniature! She is pretty sure even with a Confederate paycheck she (or Princess Paladin, rather) can not afford a personal robotic assistant however (she may well be wrong, but she assumes it is really expensive).

The wardrobe change for Staren is startling enough that the teenager takes a step back. The bright flash and wardrobe change for Kari Wolf as well, appended to an explanation full of terminology Miko does not really get, has her stepping back again. She blinks a couple times, and then relaxes somewhat. Until she realizes what time it is, when a digital watch starts beeping in her book bag. She should have had it on her wrist! She needs to get home! She will barely have time to grab a game system and a game, pay for them, and run back out! ...Actually, having to explain them to her mother would be a nightmare. She will need more time to make the purchase, because she will need to put them somewhere other than her house.

Bowing and apologizing, Miko excuses herself. "It was nice to meet you all, but I have to get home. My mother is waiting for me. Have a good day!" Then she runs off towards the mall's doors! She joins a combination of many different universes, full of all sorts of awesome stuff, and she can not explore much of it without having to worry about being home in time for dinner.

It is a terrible time to have a curfew.

Staren has posed:
    Maxine says his game character looks like a girl. "Wait, what?" But then Miko's all bowing and apologizing. Staren blinks at Miko. "It's fine, it's fine!" he holds up his hands in a 'you can stop' gesture. "I'm not that bothered... S...Staren-san is fine."

    And then she's off in a flash! He waves, "Um, bye then, have a nice day!"

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     As Miko is running out, a cute purple pony is walking in. She looks around for Staren, and when she spots him, she smiles happily and trots over. The small unicorn gives Staren a big hug when she reaches him. "Hello Staren! This place seems exciting! I do not believe I have been here before." Twilight says as she looks around.

     She smiles happily as she notices Maxine. "Hello Maxine! It has been a while. How are you and Annie doing?" she asks before offering a smile to Kari as well.

Staren has posed:
    Staren smiles when he spots Twilight, and hugs her back warmly. "Apparently, this is the biggest mall in the Multiverse! I just wanted to check if there's any commecially available computer stuff that's better than what I have. I doubt it, but if there is, low-hanging fruit, right?"

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
It seemed a bit early to leave but Maxine figures Miko must have a long trip back home, "Like I said, I wasn't trying to be rude. I just happened to notice." Thankfully Twlight just happens to step in just then, "Hello Twlight, yes I've been busy with work. Annie and are doing well. She's at school right now." Which explains why she's alone. "The most advanced computer technology tends to be kept private, yes. Still it can be useful to keep up with consumer trends." Which is what she happens to be doing right now.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight gives Staren a happy nuzzle as they hug, then she lowers back down onto all fours. "You would have to find a very advanced world for them to offer commercially available items that were better than your equipment." she says to Staren, smiling. "But, shopping around can be fun, even if you do not find what you were looking for." she says before looking back to Maxine. "She is a good kid. I am a bit sad we haven't been able to spend more time together." she says, then looks around again. "So, what store should we check first?"

Staren has posed:
    Staren nods. "True, but I'd feel silly if I didn't check and it turned out better computers /were/ available. I was also gonna keep an eye out for anything that looked like you might like it..." He shrugs. "As to which store... I'm not sure. I came looking for computers, but there's so much else to see... apparently they made a videogame with the WMAT fighters in it." he waves a hand at the game store they're outside. "I didn't expect that. What else might be here that I won't expect? I don't know..." he looks around. "How's business been, Maxine? What have you been up to lately?"

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
"Well, I'm kind of here on business right now. It can't hurt to look around a bit, maybe I'll see something I would have normally missed. I've been trying to make Fundroids that are more self-aware without going against government regulations too much. I wish I could change those, but I don't have the influence to do so." Maxine isn't a politican after all and she doesn't desire to become one.

Staren has posed:
    Staren looks at Maxine. "Couldn't you just build them offworld where laws don't prohibit it, and sell them to multiversal customers?"

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight seems put off by that idea. "If they are truly self-aware...should they be sold at all?" she asks, then pauses. "Although...Shinki seem self-aware, and they are bought and sold..." She seems torn by the issue. "Still, if they are truly self-aware...then is that any better than indentured servitude?"

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks at Twilight. "Did you change your mind? A year ago," almost exactly actually, as he finds that conversation record dated October 3, AU21, "you said it wasn't enslavement if someone comes to you willingly and asks to serve. Not that either of us is really comfortable with it, but... somehow, things have worked out with Eureka, and Spike seems happy helping you all the time. The difference here is that beings like Abstractum and Shinki are predisposed to want to loyally serve masters. They were created for it, so would they be happy /not/ doing it, without reprogramming?"

    Staren shrugs. "I don't know... but everyone seems to accept it, and it doesn't feel like Eureka is unhappy, so for now, I guess, I accept this sort of thing in general, and only get upset at specific cases. If someone bought a shinki and then mistreated it, /that/ would be something I'm definately /not/ cool with."

Kari Wolf (276) has posed:
    Kari pauses for a moment as she has a break in the action of handing out flyers and telling people about the sales and stuff.
"Master said shinki are only property until we're registered and activated. Then Master is a legal guardian!" She explains, overhearing Twilight Sparkle's comment. She doesn't realize one of the reasons for the fierce loyalty and good nature instilled into shinki CMOS is because they are armed with weapons, even if they are tiny robots.

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
"Well, they'll never be fully self-aware without outside influence. I can't recreate a soul in a lab nor do I wish to. Part of the reason I work for Fundroids is to help androids gain more rights. I figure I can't change the minds of the older generation but if children are comfortable around them, then they'll change things when they're older." Maxine explains her motives to them. "I don't have nearly the resources on my own that Fundroids has. Plus there are contracts and other legal matters. I'm already breaking the law with Annie. I wish to avoid too much attention." She doesn't want to put her daughter in danger.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight shakes her head. "No, I haven't changed my mind in that regard. Willing servitude is different. I was just wondering if shinki and Fundroids have a choice in the matter?" Kari's reassurance makes Twilight smile a bit, and Maxine draws a nod. "I see. Well, as long as they aren't being forced against their will, then it is alright."

Staren has posed:
    Staren hmms. "Sounds like your worlds' laws might be messed up, but I'm guessing my finding out details and angrily ranting isn't going to help anything, so I'll just skip that bit. That said, I'm sure that we'll all help you and Annie if you ever /do/ get in trouble." Staren looks back to Twilight. "A choice? Sometimes, that's kind of complex. Did you /choose/ to be good at magic? I mean... yeah, you worked towards it, but how much was that influenced by a natural aptitude for academics and magic?" He waves a hand to indicate Twilight's cutie mark. "You didn't choose to have that aptitude. Shinkis are predisposed to serve..." Staren shrugs. "Free will is complicated. I'm honestly not entirely sure on the details of how my values apply in situations like theirs."

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
"I don't agree with all of them, but I'm not going to start a social uprising either." Maxine figures that could lead to even worse problems. "I do wish for change but I realize it's not going to happen overnight either." She figures it better to let it happen overtime and gradually influence it. "Most fundroids don't have the self-awareness to do so, though a few have managed to do so on their own." She notes there have been a few incidents.

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight smiles to Staren. "No, but I did -want- to be good at magic." she says before nodding. "If they do not know they have a choice, or it never occurs to them to ask...it is probably better not to force she issue, so long as they are happy and not being mistreated." she says before looking to Maxine. "I seem to recall one called...Andrew? I can only assume he did not reach full awareness, since I have not heard any reports of him in a long while."

Staren has posed:
    Staren nods. "Well... I hope things go well. If you ever need help with a fundroid in trouble, you know you can call METAL and the Union."

    Staren looks back to Twilight. "Say, what first got you interested in magic?"

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight blinks at Staren's question. "Oh, did I never tell you about that?" she asks, then smiles. "Well, it was one of the first Summer Sun Celebrations I can remember clearly. It was being held in Canterlot, so I was able to get a front row seat to the raising of the sun. When Queen Celestia raised the sun...she was so majestic, and when I met her she was so kind and warm. I decided I wanted learn magic in order to join Celestia's magic school. I wanted to be close to her, to learn more about her, and perhaps even become an advisor in her court one day. Little did I know I would become -her- apprentice!"

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
Maxine takes a deep breath before she responds to Twilight, "What happened with Andrew was complicated. His adopted father got him as a present for his son because he wasn't able to be around much. His son wasn't comfortable with having him around. Andrew became aware enough to realize this." She does her best to explain what happened, "I believe they're trying to still work matters out. There's only so much that can be done when that happens."

"That's pretty impressive, Twilight." She decides it's best to change the subject. "Also it's a good example of what I wish to achieve."

Staren has posed:
    Staren listens curiously. "So Queen Celestia inspired you the whole time? ...I guess she is pretty inspiring. An immortal ruler that actually does their job and remains a good person and cares for their subjects... I'm glad she inspired you. You certainly enjoy magic, science, and friendship now!"

    Staren blinks at Maxine. "You want to become the immortal benevolent dictator that keeps your Fundroids happy and safe and inspires them to grow?"

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight nods to Staren. "How could she not inspire people? When compared to the leaders of many other countries or worlds...well, I sometimes wonder how those other leaders manage to inspire anything other than despair..." she says, her ears lowering a bit. Her ears raise again after a moment when Staren asks that of Maxine. Twilight giggles softly. "Well, that would be a noble aspiration and an impressive achievement if she accomplishes it."

Maxine Sandberg (279) has posed:
"Not on that scale, I don't believe I'm qualified to be a world leader or even the president of Fundroids. I'm just a scientist, I have no background in politics. I meant I want to help create a world where humans and robots are treated as equals." Maxine's a bit surprised that Staren would jump to that conclusion.

Staren has posed:
    Staren nods. "Well... other worlds are... Most people don't have the Queens to compare anyone to." He looks to Maxine. "Oh. Well, I hope you can do that too."

Twilight Sparkle (411) has posed:
     Twilight shakes her head. "Well, you did say it was a good example of what you wanted to do. It was either the immortal monarch thing, or the inspiring thing." Twilight says with a smile before she checks the time. "Oh! I should get going. I am supposed to help Spike reorganize the library. He says he has a system that will help us improve book-finding time." She hugs Staren and waves to Maxine. "I hope you two find some good items in the mall!"