THE EMPEROR PROTECTS [OPEN]

[greatlyexaggerated]

Who: Cain and OPEN!
What: Technology mishaps, general socializing opportunities, chainsword!
Where: Around the rig. Specifically Training Halls and outside the communal bathrooms.
When: Before the upcoming corporate drone event.
Warnings/Notes: None in particular, but check Cain's permissions. Will match format!



[training area]

[Cain is in the training area holding a ridiculous weapon. It's a sword, if a sword was actually a chainsaw on a stick, and had a mechanical belt of metal teeth running down one side of it. And had a stylized eagle's wing embossed on the side. As well as a small wax seal and strip of parchment...? It looks like it's got significant heft to it, but Cain handles it easily, like an extension of his own arm.]

[He examines every inch of it discretely, not really trusting Jorgmund to have done something funny, but finally thumbs the activation rune when it passes muster. He's in no less conscious danger than he really was a moment ago, of course, but having his trusty weapon in his hand again is a balm to his paranoia.]

[It immediately roars to life and Cain starts running through the complex patterns of attack and defence with his chainsword, years of familiarity meaning that his movements fall into fluid instinct like he's run through the drills a thousand times before. It's almost meditative, the familiar reverberations running up his arm as he thrusts and swipes at thin air. He doesn't quite trust the training droids, and leaves them well alone.]

[Sorry if you're peacefully minding your own business on the other side of the massive hall, it does sound like somebody's just rip-started a lawnmower in here.]


[technology troubles]

[It's 7:50am. Cain is standing close to the entrance to the communal bathrooms, towel slung over his shoulders, sweaty as an ork and just a pale shade away from losing his temper like one. The reason he isn't inside yet is because at some point, his communicator was set to hover in the air and follow him around, and he can't seem to figure out how to make it stop following him.]

[Understandably, he doesn't want to walk into the showers with his communicator and give people the entirely wrong idea. If he can't figure it out soon, he's going to be odoriferous as Jurgen until tomorrow.]

[There's ten minutes until the allotted time to shower is up.]

[Cain, out of desperation, quickly closes his eyes, mutters the Catechism of Activation, and performs the Canticle of Appeasement. In a poor imitation of the tech-priests he'd seen do this, he hammers his fist three times on the same spot.]


[Wildcard!]

[Feel free to catch Cain around the rig, doing whatever! Lemme know if you want to plot out something alternate.]

Comments

[training area]

[greyerrant]

[ The sound of a chainsword roaring draws Loken like a dog to a raw steak. He moves into the lockers, rather swiftly, neural interface pain included, gets into his armor, then grabs his own chainsword and stomps into the training hall. He activates his own and salutes Cain. ]

Commissar.

[ He booms through his voxmitter. ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Have you ever had a space marine stomp right up to you and salute you directly with an activated chainsword in full power armor? Cain now has, and while he's well acquainted to the appearance and character of the Astartes, knowing them to be like many other men - if of another calibre and perhaps some social obtuseness - there's always a slight moment of gut-instinct flutter that he tries very hard not to let on.]

[He ignores all that as he slows his drill to a stop, then salutes him back.]

Loken. [He greets back with a nod, pitching his voice to carry over the noise.] Please, do call me Cain.

[greyerrant]

Very well, Cain. It has been some time since I've been able to face someone with a chainsword in a practice cage. Are you up for it?
[ He assumes so, but there's no harm in asking first. Only a space wolf would randomly start a sword fight with another loyal warrior of the Imperium without asking first, after after. ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Is he up for it? That's a question Cain asks himself, and the answer is a resounding no. He's flattered that Loken even asked, but a chainsword is a chainsword. He hardly wants to be on his hands and knees looking for his head for a moment of inattentiveness. But without wanting to offend his Astartes acquaintance, he nods easily.]

Certainly. I can't make any guarantees of a very good match, but I'll do my best. This poorly-fashioned overall just doesn't feel the same as ceremite.

[He jokes, self-deprecatingly. Hopefully that's enough to remind him he's only mortal. Cain reactivates his chainsword, flourishing just slightly out of reflex, and takes up a guard position.]

[greyerrant]

Anyone entrusted with a chainsword clearly knows how to use it. They're not exactly trooper-issue kit. [ He nods at the ceramite comment, not knowing Cain wouldn't look out of place in a comic opera were his real uniform to arrive. ] I assume we both have enough control to avoid cutting each other? I'd hate to give Doctor Grey more work. She's having enough trouble putting limbs back on the feral worlders.

[ Was that a joke? ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Cain is polite enough to pretend he finds the joke amusing, despite obviously lacking some inside context for why it might be funny. He smiles briefly, then nods.]

Then we'll do our best to avoid inconveniencing her.

[He straightens up slightly, and tries not to think too hard about what he's about to do. Overthinking has its advantages, but against a blindingly-fast astartes, instinct was the best way to handle it.]

When you're ready. [he says, the image of calm and confidence.]

[greyerrant]

[ Loken nods, and steps in with an overhand chop, obviously looking to test Cain's defenses, controlled enough that it won't eviscerate him should it move too fast, but swift enough that it's clear he isn't holding back out of contempt or misplaced condescension towards the unexpectedly masterful Commissar. ]

Let's practice, in the Emperor's name.

[greatlyexaggerated]

By the Emperor's grace.

[Cain parries the blow without a second's hesitation. His chainsword shrieks and throws up sparks at the contact, but otherwise holds up admirably. Simple enough to deflect at this stage, and he appreciates the warm up. A rather considerate sort, he's finding Loken to be.]

[Now becoming more certain that this spar contains relatively little risk of grievous injury, it emboldens him to try for a disciplined swipe of his own, cautiously testing Loken's defences without overextending himself.]

[greyerrant]

[ The swipe is met by a firm parry, the blades teeth grinding against each other for a moment before Loken steps back to disengage, switching to a two-handed grip on the chainsword for maximum control, and he begins to slowly circle Cain, feinting occasionally to see if he'll shift or reveal an obvious weakness. ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Cain seems to have an excellent dueler's instinct - as well as an exceedingly pragmatic style, although perhaps with a bit of garnishing flair - refusing to fall for Loken’s feints. He recognises the probes at his defenses for what they are as he turns to face the astartes encircling him.]

[Until the moment he appears to fall for it. He finally folds to a feint, pretending to leave his side unguarded for a split second, feeling like he's dangling bait in front of the carnifax.]

[greyerrant]

[ Loken takes the bait, lunging for the unprotected side with chainsword screaming, the mechanically unusual action of thrusting instead of swinging with the chainsword. Cain has no doubt seen it, as an experienced duelist, but someone who is new to fighting with chainswords rarely thrusts, if only because they're more build for ripping and tearing then neat little jabs. ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[The carnifex - admittedly not the most flattering metaphor - takes the bait. Cain, prepared for the possibility of pretty much everything except for an ork dropping screaming from the ceiling, is surprised by the tactic but not unduly so.]

[Loken is blindingly fast, but Cain trusts his reflexes to parry the unusual approach with a shriek of protests and sparks where they briefly meet, and takes advantage of his risky position to score the smallest sliver of a scratch across Loken's breastplate before he backpedals again.]

You almost had me there, [he compliments, voice pitched lower than usual so it doesn't come out as a breathless squeak. It's a fairly superflous comment, but it works to slow down the pace of the spar. Neat little jabs from the end of a chainsword still tend to be horribly effective.]

[greyerrant]

First touch to you, well done.

[ Loken falls into a defensive stance now, curious just how skilled his opponent is with a blade, and sensing he might well be able to learn something both about the man and blade technique from his companion. ]

tech

[valkywhee]

Hey, Commissar.

[Nora, dressed fetchingly in two towels, one on her hair and one wrapped around her body, waves as she starts to breeze past Cain on her barefoot and still rather damp way back to her quarters.]

Probably want to turn that off before you hit the showers.

[Yes, Nora, that is the goal here.]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Cain opens his eyes and glances down at Nora as she breezes past him, distracted for a moment before he turns his attention to the obstinate communicator again. Not that there was anything at all particularly objectionable with the view, per say, but he really needed to get in that shower soon.]

Yes, that's the intention. Unfortunately, I can't seem to - [thud, thud] get it to stop following me.

[The machine spirit must be very playful. Or clingy. Or spiteful. Maybe he should call it Mira.]

[valkywhee]

Hmm, lemme see.

[With no concern at all for the sentiments of the device's machine spirit, Nora snatches the comm out of the air and pokes at the screen, trying to figure out what Cain's doing wrong.]

These things are such junk, I swear...

[There are a couple of beeps and the screen goes dark. Nora offers it back to him.]

You had it locked in hover mode, it won't sleep that way.

[greatlyexaggerated]

I had it locked so it couldn't sleep? [Cain asks, visibly dismayed as he takes it back from her. He stares at the darkened screen, the realization dawning.]

That's why it must have been misbehaving, I've been keeping it from rest this entire time. No wonder it was furious with me.

[Obviously its sleep was disturbed because of his constant prodding and the spirit was disgruntled with him. Now he feels slightly bad for being a frightfully negligent user. This is why they need a cogboy around.]

[valkywhee]

Huh?

[Nora is looking at him like he's sprouted a second head. Dude, what?]

It's...it's not mad at you. [w h a t] It just won't go into sleep mode because if you've got it on hover you're probably on a call and you don't want it switching off on you.

[He actually seems a little upset about this, so Nora ventures a comforting pat on the arm.]

You didn't break it. They're pretty tough.

[Don't ask her how she knows that or why it involves falling off the climbing wall.]

training

[heterochrocatic]

[ Catra is busily working herself through athletic evolutions, including a complicated gymnastic routine on uneven bars that she seems to handle with almost impossible ease. When the chainsword roars unexpectedly into life, there's a mortified shriek at the sudden, unknown sound and she misses her grip on her next shift. She tumbles as she hits the floor and then bounces to her feet, glaring across the room all fluffed tail and bared teeth. ]

What the hell is that?

training

[princesspower]

[ Adora's not paying too much attention. She's in her own zone, swinging a training staff around and going through a series of drills, shadow-boxing against an invisible opponent. Or at least she was until suddenly there's a roar and her head jerks up in surprise.

Is that sword - does it have chain teeth? Is it vibrating? What-? ]

...I've never seen a sword like that before.

[ She half-yells over the noise of the chainsword in the enclosed space. ]

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Cain prefers to practice in peace, but he's never been churlish enough to resent indulging someone's honest curiosity, provided they weren't rude about it. He flicks the rotation speed to a lower setting, bringing himself back to a neutral position, and the previously ear-splitting roar becomes a throaty hum. Still not quite silent, but not loud to the point of having to shout either.]

It's not your usual sword, is it? [he says, tilting it slightly to display the rotating teeth better.]

[princesspower]

[ Adora gives the rotating teeth a curious look and shakes her head, miming swinging a sword around. ]

No, mine didn't really... have the rotating bits. What are those even for? Does that actually help?

training

[dyaddyissues]

[ Halfway into a meditative state, Kylo's eye twitches as the loud roar of the weapon fills the room. The objects that had started floating around him suddenly fall to the ground as the connection is cut. Since arriving, and noting his connection to the force was not up to what it had been, he'd been trying to work to get past it.

The word here was "trying", so far he'd not had much success and the words of the argument he and Rey had still buzz in his skull making it even harder.

The training room had been empty.

He stands, summoning the hilt that houses his saber to him. ]

Turn that down or I'll do it for you.

Re: training

[greatlyexaggerated]

[Cain, who seems to be in a perfectly content meditative state of his own amongst the racket, turns to the psyker who seems to want to frak about being vaguely threatening at the drop of a hat.]

[Having faced down witches who were levitating towards him shooting lightning bolts out of their eyeballs and bloody else what have you, he isn't very cowed by the casual display of sorcery. But in the interests of peace and harmony with his fellow co-workers, he thumbs the activation rune again. Although he can't resist the urge to tweak the psyker's nose - which is rather large, he notes pettishly.]

I'm sorry, what was that? [he asks with a quizzical smile, the perfect image of polite inquiry as his chainsword trundles to a stop.] I couldn't quite hear you over the noise.

[dyaddyissues]

I said... [ Kylo raises his voice over the roaring of the machine, and hasn't quite lowered it, when the noise stops ] ...turn that down!

[ He clenches his teeth and grips the saber hilt a little tighter, obviously on edge.

And instead of repeating the same threat, he adds, in a voice that sounds literally pained with the effort of speaking the words: ]


Please.

[aleifr]

[Having only recently developed a concept of what an engine is, Aleifr has no fucking clue what the roaring drifting down the hall is.

[He approaches it cautiously, uncertain whether or not to draw his own weapon until he enters the training hall and sees Cain swinging around ... something. A big damn sword with an edge moving so quickly that it blurred, snarling like a frost troll.

[Aleifr stops to watch - both the bizarre weapon and Cain himself. Cain had identified himself as a warrior, but the first impression he'd given Aleifr hadn't ... well, it hadn't inspired confidence. Watching the man now ... he was good. Genuinely impressive.]