Fundamentals of Pumpkin Soup

Danny
(Search for the all-spark)

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 9) ( success x 4 )

Grace
[Awareness/Perceptions!]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (3, 6, 7, 9, 10) ( success x 4 )

Jo
There is no doubt that in the event of a lottery win, Jo would make any bakery quite happy. All the delicious frostings, glazes, and sweet treats would be had in droves; honestly if someone could simply beam them into her mouth at any given time, she would be happier than a cat on catnip. Oh... catnip cupcakes...

The eatery, branding itself as a provider of 'gourmet' sweets and coffee, was one of her favorites; it may contain a plethora of hipsters, but at least she wasn't surrounded by blondes. Ok that was unfair. -college- blondes. -Ditzy- blondes. Those people who drink tiny teas and spend their nights wondering which nail polish matches their arm hair... or.. something. Did she really know what they actually cared about?

She sent Grace a text, mostly for a 'HEY I'M TOTALLY OVER HERE' sake, and also because Grace was totally hot and clueless. How adorable is THAT? And cupcakes. Who doesn't want to share in the love of sugar and diabetes?

She sat at a table (where else would she sit) with her laptop busted out on the hard surface and her feet pulled up onto the chair. Her lids remained wide, fixating on the glorious shining screen of her robot overlords. The spongy bit of cake was shoved half into her mouth, frosting having been licked off some time ago to leave a smear of residue, and was now just resting between her lips as she attempted to do...click furiously through a series of forums.

Jo
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 10) ( success x 1 )

Danny
*It was just one of those days, day two of a steaming head cold and he was up before..... Ugh..... before 4pm, he checked his phone without really needing to then parked up and took another swig of the orange juice he had in the side pocket of his car.

Grace had invited him along and he was full of cold.  The things we do for love, right?  Sealing the bottle up he almost considered just closing his eyes and going back to sleep in the car there and then.  Even with the music blaring out of his CD player.  He didn't sniff, well he tried not to. One gimlet eye opened to a slit to look at Grace.* Okay... the coffee is on you, just keep it coming... and lots of cupcakes... Kay?

*His beautiful voice sounded full of hoarse ragged sounds.*

Grace
Grace walks into the place, Danny in tow (though not by the arm). He'd been sick, which was not the best of timing, Danny. But she needed, what? A friend to help her navigate this encounter? He didn't say no. And when she mentioned cupcakes, he didn't even seem too disappointed to be awake.

Now that they were there, however...

"Maybe you should have stayed home? You sound terrible," she said, as she shut the car down and stepped out into the slight chill of a warming Denver afternoon.

"She's here. I can feel her. That humming, do you notice?"

Grace, mind you, seems a bit different. There is still the shift underfoot, like the sliding of a faultline. She still lends her sharpness to the air. But when she steps out of the car, there's a bit of relaxation evident in her body language -- the stretch of an invisible, decidedly feathery wingspan.

Jo
Humming.

The dull vibration of a computer. The sound that, when one pays close attention, seems to emanate from the wires along telephone poles; ever present, consistent. It's a faint humming, the sort that comes from someone so new to the wire that they haven't quite pushed in yet.

Jo has her face so far into the realm of the computer that the sensation is almost normal. She feels them nearby, though it feels almost no different from any others she might come across, and it's not screaming out to her. Focused. Intent. Tapping on the keyboard. Her teen sink into the spongeycake, then the rest is pushed into her mouth, creating a magical chipmunk. A small twitch at her nose and Jo gives just a little movement of her head.

Then tapping. The clacking of her keys, softer on the laptop, yet somehow louder. She has a tendency to become a little overzealous in her...play. It's an instinctual response on her part that drives her to erach around the laptop for the next cupcake, only to come up with air. She meerkats, pulling the top of her computer down just enough to look at her plate, still chewing on the rest of the spongecake before giving a hard swallow.  Her lips purse, eyes narrow, and somehow...discovers that the universe is conspiring to force her into procuring more cupcakes.

Danny
*He raises his eyebrow and reaches for Grace gently.*

Hey.... I said I'd be here... I am never going to turn you away.  *He smiles and nods to her question, then lifted his head and his bright red nose - nice one mister rock star, you look like Rudolph - then smiled again.*

Yeah I can feel it.   It's okay...  I'll get the drinks.  *He went in with her to gain the upper hand on this cold thing, the only thing to herald his entrance this time was that madly spinning flashy pulsar as he drew his scarf in tighter and hunched his shoulders.* Lead on Macduff.

Grace
Grace smiles over to Jo and her meerkat, cupcake devouring ways. She gets a wave.

"Hey!" Just like they're old friends, perhaps, and not just some random people who met in line at the DMV.

She walks over to the table, pulls out a chair, and hooks her coat and laptop bag upon the back. Most Denverites are going without coats right about now, the weather's so 'warm'. But Grace is an Arizonian by nature, and Kalen's gift is warm. And obviously modded. Strips of plastic run around the seams of what once was a fashionable, sharp, red coat. Underneath, she has on a black Linux penguin t-shirt and blue jeans.

"This place has kickass cupcakes. I'm sure you've figured that out by now."

Jo
Warm enough for hoodies. Warm enough for hoodies with their sleeves pulled down a little and having holes cut in to slide their thumbs through; at least that is what Jo does. Dark grey, today, and pulled over a T-shirt that simply sported the power button for any computer these days. She moves her head to Grace, lips curling up into a wide grin. "Yo!" A hand shooting up into the air to give a rather exuberant wave, even though Grace has not only seen Jo, but is also right there. "TCHT. Yeah. Like the -best.- I mean seriously? Starbanks is totally just a brand and doesn't even like, bother to like, put in effort to make quality food. I mean really? Why do like people put crumbles on their stuff? Frosting is way cooler."

She moved her laptop closer to herself and her empty plate. "So like, who's the dude? Is he like, your boy or something?"

Danny
*He made his way to the bar and ordered one of everything on the cupcake menu... then glanced to look at whoever it was that Grace needed a wingman for... and smiled to himself when he saw her just jump right in socially.  He asked for a repeat of whatever it was that Jo had ordered then went for whatever he figured Grace might enjoy the best.... and for himself?  Man he must be suffering!! White hot chocolate with cream and cherry sauce on top and sprinkles of dark chocolate curls on top...  He paid.

Then he made his way over with the girl promising she'd bring it all over.  Warm or not, Danny was wrapped up in a red scarf and coat, and he was doing his best impression of a certain plague victim.

He sat himself down at the table and sank slightly under it as he leaned back. Just glad to not be trying to do anything special today. There... he was parked... and the handbrake was on... for a few minutes he just sat that way as he let things filter up to him from whatever level he was reaching today.*

Grace
"What, Danny? No. He's nobody's... Well, he's with Kalen. You haven't met Kalen yet? I probably would have heard about that."

She gives him a smile as he appears. "He's uh... a little sick."

"Thanks for getting the stuff, Danny. Sometimes they tend to forget I exist."

It's a blessing and a curse, whatever it is that keeps her from being noticed. It's a good thing that Jo recalled the events at the DMV, or remembered who this strange woman was, walking into the cupcake shop. A bit of priming is necessary. And lots of text messages. Waiters in random cafes and restaurants? They tend to be more oblivious.

Danny
*He felt like the opening bars of Complication by nine inch nails truth be told, a bit kind of distorted around the edges of the notes but the truth was there still regardless.

As he sneezed suddenly into the crook of his elbow his feet shot forwards under the table and he all but vanished into a cloud of hair then grimaced, found something to use for his nose and then pushed his hair back out of his face.* Sorry...

I'm Danny... I won't shake your hand, you don't want this, trust me. *He grinned a bit glassy eyed and cleared his throat carefully so's not to spread the lov... erm.. contamination.*

Oh it's fine.... *He waved it off.* So how do you girls know each other?

Jo
"Uh.. lessee..." Jo leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes to the ceiling, ticking off something in the air. "Nope. Nope. Nope. No Kalen in my system. Never heard. Weird name. Like, what country is that from?" Her head still back, she rolled her head to look at Danny, pulling her arms in and shrinking away from him as he sneezed; she looked like she were afraid someone might have thrown a gun at her. "Holy jesus on a crackerjack stick. Man.. you're like... jesus.. what kinda malware you sportin? They got vaccines and stuff for that you know! You could like.. I dunno.." Jo squinted her eyes, easing back  in a comfortable position (feet flat on the seat). "Oh!" She leaned over to rummage in her backpack, lifting it up and shoving her head inside.  "Where is it?" Came her muffled voice, and then finally she held a hand up triumphantly. "Aha! AHAHA! I have found your ambrosia!" She held out her hand to Danny, unrolling her fingers to show the two pieces of wrapped ginger candy in her hands.

"Tcht! How? TCHT! Like you don't KNOW. I mean seriously? Did you like, miss the alien ship that flew over last month? Like ya know... took us all hostage. We totally saved the day. Musta wiped your memory. " Her lips broadened, showing her teeth. "Was totally cool. Grace went all Sigourney Weaver, and I was like, all Navii, and like, the whole place was like BAM BAM BAM with lasers. Cause Lasers dude. LASERS."

Grace
Grace just nods as Jo explains how they met. Yep, that's exactly what happened.

"It was pretty kickass."

Jo likes lasers. Grace files that away in her own mental databanks with a bit of glee. Jo will love laser-gun-o-rama.

"Oh hey! Ginger candy. You will be fixed up, dude."

Danny
*The look on his face was priceless.... PRICELESS I tell you!! Jo started talking and then went fishing and then offered him some whatever it was.

His jaw dropped and he looked at Grace, stunned temporarily into silence for the first time in ages... then he just smiled and shook his head before chuckling to himself.* Oh. My. God.  Wow..... .Just..... Wow..... How much coffee have you had today and where the hell can I get some!!!?

*Then he spied the pile of cake making its way over and shrugged helplessly.* Pile in.  *The candy was taken from the girl and one was popped into his mouth.* Can't get any worse, right?

Jo
"Oh yeah. It was like... I mean all star trek meets Star Wars. Totally cool. Minus the Force and all. But seriously, cool beans. Like, no casualties or nuthin. We're that cool. Bonny and Clyde without the whole death problem. I mean... you shoulda been there dude... I mean like.. mentally. Guess can't leave like, the whole public with that knowledge. Whole fabric of space be all WOOOSH and then well.. I mean have you -seen- alien invasion movies?"

"Coffee? Like.. a cup.. not much! I'm all sportin a high off whatever they like put in my cup. Dude you should try it. Close your eyes and just point at something. Seriously. Super cool. Ever notice how like, it's not really random? "

"I got more!" And there she was again, ostriching into her backpack and ruffling through. "Aha! See, problem is like, the whole bag opens and spills and then well, it's like you end up with like candy everywhere. Which is totally cool when you're all I NEED CANDY NOW. That's like..always." She tossed a piece of candy at Grace.

"Dude... your entire like..CPU could shut down. Seriously..." Jo looked to Grace, brows furrowed in confusion. "He's like, never had a computer has he? Or seen a doctor. Or takin a class on something about people? Kinda like he walked out of a vagina two seconds ago. I mean... you can always die. That's totally worse than havin a little malware."

And now..cake things. CAKE THINGS. She spares no time before latching her fingers on one and sliding her tongue along the frosting, much like ice cream.

Grace
Oh, Danny. It can get worse. It can get so much worse. The last time she was sick, Grace was bleeding out of every orifice and hallucinating her own death. Maybe that's why she wants to be a bit careful with him, just in case.

And then Jo makes that point for her. Yes. Like he walked out of a vagina two seconds ago. Grace snorts, looks to Danny like: 'oh, that was hilarious'. But then, the look of misery on his face subdues that reaction a little.

She offers him a cupcake. It's blue. Hard to tell what flavor, aside from blue. And with her other hand, she goes for her own -- a multicolored cupcake that obviously came here to party, what with all the sprinkles and things it has going on.

"We actually met at the DVM. I think she's trying to make up for the boringness of that by coming up with something fantastic. But whatever she says, it totally happened."

Danny
*Blue cupcake..... that was kewl, in it's own little way. With amusement he takes it, takes a breath and plunges in on the sugar head first. His arm resting across his front as he ate, trying to ignore the urge to sneeze again.. between bites and breaths he manages to even speak.*  Uh... Right.. Okay... I think I get it...

*he took another bite watching the pair of them.* I'm not that bad, I have computers and things.... I'm not completely inept you know... *He did grin a blue grin though.*

Jo
"TCHT was totally not boring. Was like seein an angel all glowing in the darkest time of my life.." She even adds in the swoony voice. "Ok like seriously? Totally. I mean, it's like the place you get STDS and a bad hangover without like physical contact. Like super weird tho. So like, I went home and tried to like calculate the odds of running into ya know, Grace at like a place like that. Like super rare, but probable. Kinda like runnin into a super computer in your bathroom. Super.. SUPER... SUPER rare but like, ya know, it can happen."

"Babies aren't completely inept. I mean, they can eat and stuff. Clearly takes decent genetics to like, manage that or something. So like, yeah that's good. And I mean, you can feed yourself. You've totally moved beyond the toddler stage. So like yeah, ok totally not inept. Just ya know, not good with like sickness and stuff. Ya know, like, my mom would give me like some pumpkin soup when I wasn't feeling great. Seriously. totally worth it. Totally faked being sick sometimes."

Grace
"The odds of people like us running into each other seem to be skewed. I'm just saying. Like, you're right -- if it were totally random, we'd unintentionally run into each other on extremely rare occasions. But my statistics show that the universe has it out for us. Or, you know, at least it thinks it knows what it's doing. Something like that."

She chomps into her cupcake, icing smudges on her nose and she doesn't seem to care, just looks up from her cake with this grin on her face.

"I'm glad it does though. Makes sure, at least, we're not lonely."

Danny
Pumpkin soup...... *He frowns a bit and looks at Grace.* Do I want soup?  I could kill for some noodles... I think.. *He frowned slightly and then took another bite of the cupcake... then looked back at Jo.* You.......  *He shakes his head.* Like.... you're like the Energizer Bunny or something...

*Yeah, great observation there from the plague victim in the corner. Oh boy he wasn't great right now. Was he? All those LA terms and expressions he tried hard to hide were coming out, so was the accent.*

Jo
Jo blinks, lets her eyes slide to the spot on Grace's nose before reaching out to swipe it with her finger. "That assumes a consciousness exists in the universe itself which is unlikely. Instead, the universe is likely composed of a set of values and integers. It's not like.. out for us, it's more like the algorithms that balance the system are like..such that it means that it hoses what is like inefficient to create efficient. Like, learning. Like a code that learns. AI but without all the like, human concept of consciousness cause then you're like..imposing emotional states on a series of codes and like, there is a specific set of algorithms and checks needed to like.. make something that 'feels' cause like that computer needs to 'feel' in order to make effective like, code learning and like.. " Jo ate the icing and then tapped her own chin. "Well like, all systems need a manager. Cause like without a manager, damage to the system would be like..well it'd be like.. uncontrollable and the system would fall apart. So like, you need cleaners, code seers sort of like. I mean...Like..The Matrix right? Like the system doesn't -want- humans dead cause that's bizarre. If it did, it would just like eliminate the program. I mean like when a program becomes obsolete you just like, delete it. When parts become obsolete you just like take them out and replace them. Nah it's more like when two sets of program interlock, the one that needs the most resources to operate totally takes over. Humans are just like, a small program so we're kind of like insignificant in the end, compared to like, other programs. And sometimes, malware just gets into the system, and the system has to like scan and quarantine or delete."

Jo blinked and looked to Danny. "Whu? Oh man like.. WHY. Udon noodles are like the best and now I want some. " She pursed her lips at him. "And sushi.. could totally rock some fish." Her lips curled into another grin and she slowly sat her chin on her knees. "Once had a teacher that said like, it's like the consequence of  being a quick thinker and stuff. Like always thinking means you can't just like, sit still. You gotta keep going cause yeah I mean there's always this end point right? And if you like sit still you're gunna miss it, and besides... I don't know how like people deal with lulls in their system. Boring! Seriously. Don't you get bored just like..sittin there?"

Grace
And there's Jo, in a cupcake shop, laying out her worldview for all. It's a similar thing to how Grace sees it, so the finger coming out to swipe icing off her nose barely registers as she takes all that in. Her eyes widen a touch. Could it be? Someone who Works like she does? Someone compatible?

"So you don't think you're conscious? You said you don't think one exists in the universe, so...."

Grace prods a little. Tries to, perhaps, ease a little room for other ideas into Jo's mindset, before it hardens up. But then...

"Want to go get some noodles? Something a little more substantial than cupcakes? Might do you some good. Let's do that."

Danny
*Jo was talking.  She was, he knew she was talking but some thing wasn't quite right with his mental processes right now and he almost felt like he was watching her through a goldfish bowl.* Uh.....

*There was this slight frown on his face as she carried on filling in the empty space around him... and now it was like he was in a cartoon, and the words were in little speech-bubbles but there were too many and he couldn't keep up with the flow of words... far too much. He lifts one finger and points at her with his immaculate black nail.* No more coffee for you.

 Uh.... *He frowned again in confusion, then lifted his hand and nodded.* Get this lot boxed up.   We'll take it and force feed someone sugar for a giggle.

*But yeah... he stood slowly, moving too fast might be a bad idea. When he was on his feet and sure he wasn't about to sneeze he nodded.* Noodles.... I need noodles..... And I need coffee...  I think. Or something....

*Then he frowned again and turned back to Jo.* There is a consciousness in the Universe... or else how would there be a universal song?

Jo
"See that's like where it becomes complicated. I mean what -IS- consciousness? I think that like, some people are become -aware- in the like the sense that you know you're a program and you like follow your code diligently. Sort of like that learning right? You become like code that can learn outside of like the usual learning. Evolving maybe? Maybe like it's a code that is incorporating new algorithms to enhance its function. But like most people? Nah I think like people are codes and programs. If you can figure out their programs then you can predict like what they'll do in the context of the system. Ever think it's weirdly coincidental that like, people seem to gravitate where you'd like expect them to? I mean that's their program. They never really thought of like -why- they wanted to do it, they just like 'felt' it was their calling. Seriously what is THAT? Totally not random. That's how the system remains functional right? It's like all the programs are working together without like, realizing it. Just a big network."

"Noodles!" She pushed her hand into the air and quickly packed up her goods. "Dude you're gunna give this to someone? No way!" Jo bounced from her seat, skipping to the register to procure a box and wrap it up tightly so the poor things would go sloshing around. "Dude like if you're gunna just hand it out, I will totally take it for midnight snacking. Games totally take all my energy." She zipped up her hoodie, pulled her backpack on and clasped it into place. "Is this guy for real?" She gestured at Danny with her thumb, already beginning to rock on her heels while she waited for them. "Seriously.. you do know that music and language is really just broken down into formulas. Seriously like, if you look at the musical patterns that are 'enjoyable' to people, it's really just a bunch of math. Seriously.. Like you should totally... dude no.. I'll tutor you in it ya know. Math I mean. It's simply and all but like once you see it..." She flattened her hands out, using them in the air as if seeing something amazing. "It's like the whole universe makes sense. Now come on." She grabbed him by the sleeve, but barely, 'fore you like start the zombie apocalypse in a bakery."

Danny
*He barely has time to mouth to Grace.* HELP ME!!  *Before he's dragged off.*

Grace
"The lady talks like she knows everything about everything," Grace says, gives a little uptick of a smile to Danny.

She starts packing away cupcakes for the ride, but then Jo is there to whisk them all away. To where?

"Hey, where are we going? Somewhere close I hope?"

She grabs her coat and her laptop and... good fucking grief does Jo have a lot of energy.

"There there, Danny," she says, fake pats his purple hair (look, everyone, Grace is willfully touching someone!) and trundles off behind them.

Danny
*He's hauled off into noodle land, which is good, noodles are good. Noodles don't hurt anyone. There's the odd virus cough from time to time as he's dragged.* I have a car.... we can drive... Okay? Driving is better than walking.  And you have to share the cake.



Jo
"Well I mean no, it's just like, math is the foundation of everything. I mean even physicists say that. Like without math you can't like..get it. I mean when you really break everyhting down it's numbers right? So like... if you're trying to find some kind of unversal song, then you're really just looking for the fundamental numbers that like bind people or notes or whatever. See that's the problem. I mean, like I get it. Like...like there is a code and like once you know the code you can like, alter it. But I mean what -IS- it? I figure, I figure like, if I keep looking I'll get the code and and I'll totally get the system right? Maybe like improve the algorithms or something, jump into the wire and just like... be with it. I think that maybe when you like overcome the limitations of the not-knowing, you can like, integrate completely in the system and discard the hardware."

She blinked, stepping outside and dragging him along. Jo paused near the bike rack, letting go of Danny to unhook her bicycle, reaching back to put the lock in her backpack. "Car? Seriously? Like...you know how like bad those things are? Sides I mean, I can't like take my ride with us right? I can totally ride along with you though. OH! Yeah let's do that!"

"I think there is like... an asian place nearby. I mean we are in like....Food Mecca. "

Grace
"Nah, Food Mecca is down Federal. They have this place with like, wonton tacos? It's amazement. You'd love it," Grace says, takes the other side of Danny so he can't escape.

Her hand goes to her pocket, and she slips out her phone. Okay, Google. Where's the nearest noodle store? Aha. Yes.

"Just down the strip of this mall, there's a Veitnachinese place. Bound to be noodles. Don't know how good they are."

But hey, it's close, and Danny is a bundle of cold virii loosely held together by human tissue. He might not last the night. Woe be unto Danny.

"You can get it without the math. The math just makes it easier for you. For someone like Danny, it just confuses. Everyone gets it in their own way, right? It's personal. Unique to you. Even those who try to codify it and lead others down the path in a rigorous way, they have subtle differences in the way they get it."

Danny
*It was fascinating in a terrifying way... and this bemused grin just started to appear on his face. Or was it one of those hallucination grins? Who knew... He just kept on waiting for the next load of words to come out.* If I say a random word, will you fill in the rest of the sentence? Can we try that?

*Yeah, she was cool in a totally nuts kind of way.. and kind of addictive too.*  Yeah..... *he coughs again into his free hand.* What Grace said... maths is... like.... effort.... I don't get it. I mean, just cos I'm s'posed to it don't mean I do.

Jo
"Wonton tacos? Like for realsies? DUDE. We have totally got to go there sometime. Like woah."

"But like, how do you get it without getting it? I mean if it's all numbers how can you like, get it without knowing the numbers? I mean like... how can you get the program if you don't know the code or like the function of the code and like the function of programs. Like.." She scratched her head, rolling the bike along with her and them. "I mean it's the thing. I mean like.. ok like... ok so say it's like pumpkin soup right? I mean like someone like Danny? Danny right? Might like... I dunno... get that it's made of pumpkin and like cream and stuff. But what does that mean really? Like... you get the basic components but ike without knowing what makes up the components then how do you really know what pumpkin soup -is?- I mean like... I mean like I think a chemist would say that right? It's not -just- pumpkin soup right?It's composed of like chemicals that react in like a very particular way to create the particular texture and flavor, and like without that it wouldn't even -be- pumpkin. So like..you can go further and be like.. Ok so I get the chemicals, but what defines like the... the thing that makes the chemicals and the flavor. Like what defines what they taste like and how do we like define pumpkin? So like when you break it down into numbers, it's a very particular pattern of integers that leads to that particular chemical and then those two programs interact to create a very particular, prespecified flavor."

"I mean I guess the person who like...says pumpkin and creap is pumpkin soup isn't -wrong- cause like it is that, sure but like... it's surface information. Like saying a computer is a computer. But it's composed of parts and energy."

"And you can SO get math. Seriously.. it's really just practice. Like.. I was the chess and math champ in school. I can totally show you the tricks. Promise."

Grace
"I dunno, Danny. How do you do it? I suppose you taste the soup, no?"

She walks along, looks up at the sky.

"I've seen a guy read the patterns of fate in a wisp of glitter dust. I've felt veils of perception ripped away from my eyes when a woman lit some incense and started chanting. They don't need the math to do what they do, but it works all the same.

"People like us, we need to understand a thing down to its roots. We need to know the chemical formula for pumpkin soup. Others might hear the pumpkins whispering to them from October past, telling the history of pumpkinness. It's not up to us to tell them they're wrong."

They arrive at the Asian food place (Grace bets they have pho, korean spare ribs, fried rice, and sweet-and-sour something on the menu here) and she opens the door for Danny. Poor colded Danny.

Danny
Okay... maths.  I'll put it into a version I can understand. Like Pulsars, right?  *he frowns as he thinks, trying to gather the frayed ropes of his intelligence and bringing them forwards to map them out and plait them together.* Music is maths, pure and simple maths, the frequency of the beat the precise rates of which each tone is put into sequence is a code all of its own.  Sound waves are a certain math, how it works is beyond me though. I just know I can do it. I don't need to understand it.  It's just there.

Much like soup.  *He nods to Grace.* It's there... it's that sense, that innate nature of what we are but on a more subliminal level. Raw energy.  *He nearly walked into the door itself when he sneezed again and gathered himself enough with just about enough dignity to go with it to avoid the door as he tries again and slips his hand into his pocket to pull out a hair band to tie his hair up, which he does with a lazy twist of his fingers and hands.*

I want something with ginger in it, apparently it's good for colds.  Ginger and vegetables with noodles... *He nods, then whatever else it was he was going to say is lost in a series of sneezes, which he does into the crook of his elbow again.* And I need alcohol.  Lots of it.

Jo
Jo couldn't help but laugh, almost hysterically. "No way! People think soup talks to them? That's SO weird! Like..woah.. seriously? Man...that must be like the best high ever. Like way better than like acid or mushrooms. " She locked up her bike outside of the restaurant and followed Grace in. "Dude, if you can like grasp physics, you should totally be grasping math. I mean seriously? That's what physics is... math like everywhere."

She slid into a seat with them, placing her backpack on the ground and wasting no time pulling out her phone, sliding her thumb along it for a moment. "Your peeps sound totally trippy. I have a few friends who are so into that kind of experience. Like... they'd totally love it. "

Grace
"Not everybody does, when it happens to them. I know a guy who spent a while on antipsychotics because he heard things he shouldn't. He was always meant to hear though.

"Have you met any others who can... get it? Like you do?"

She takes a seat next to Jo, wondering about her. She certainly sounds newish. Doesn't yet know that other people can understand the universe without math...

Danny
Yeah... but maths with physics is easy.... *he moans slightly...* I mean, I can't explain how I know it!! I just like that kind of thing so I can pick it up. And I'll have you know that Lamp posts can talk to people, they have this odd little tinny sound though to their voices.  Mostly they say "don't puke on me."  *He shrugs helplessly and slides into a seat to lean against the wall slightly with a sigh of relief and pulls out his wallet again.*

I don't need to understand the universal song but I can dance to it and play with it. *He shrugs and sits up again then picks up a menu.* Something with ginger in.... and shots... we need shots... correction, I need shots.

Jo
The laugh keeps up. "No way! You guys have -got- to intro me to whatever you do on the weekends cause it's totally awesome."

She pulled a leg up, pressing her cheek to her knee and looking at Grace. It was a tight fit but she made it -work.- "Like me? Nah. I mean like no one is like me. I mean, was. Though I never did really..I mean... you have Clippy on your word don't you? I mean do people not like listen to his help? If they totally listened, they'd be much more ya know..like in the know."

"The math isn't like..different. I mean if you get numbers you get numbers. Seriously. I think like most people are just scared of it. It's fun really. It's like... data. It's objective right? Not all hyped in feelings and beliefs. It just like...is. "

"Noodles for me! Like with lots of sauce and meat and sesame seeds. Dude we could ya know like... get the sharey plates. Totally like...cultural and all."

Grace
"Dude. I do not. Clippy," Grace says, scowls, points at her Tux logo shirt, like 'do you even know what this means?!?'

"I don't even Word."

Menu, menu, oh, save us from technological ideology clash. Grace peers over the offerings, and orders ginger chicken for Danny (because he's too sick to think straight, apparently) and Ma Po To Fu for herself (though they're all going to share anyway, from the look of it)

"I was working on my robot arm with laser gun attachment this weekend, actually. Going to suspend it from the ceiling of my laser tag training arena."

And, unlike previous conversations involving lasers, Grace is totally serious about that last statement.

Danny
Oh boy no... *He laughs then coughs again into his hand.* You don't get to share a plate with me... hell, I wouldn't even share food with me right now!!

*He does ask for rice wine as soon as they get to order though.  And the aforementioned noodles and vegetables. His head wasn't pounding, but that was probably the tylenol he'd taken before leaving this afternoon. Then here came that 'stuck' sneeze and the face to go with it.*

Aww come on already!! Someone sneeze for me? It's stu... *Ahh there it came. straight into the napkin he found before him on the table and no, he didn't blow then look, he just sneezed and groaned as he wiped.* Grace... I have to show you this cat I have. Made of metal.. and it's totally bitchin.... Joints and gears... real cool with it.  And I got me one of those "alien" things folded over on it's knee's  with glass on it's back.

*He nods with relief at the food and leans back in his seat to listen as the tech heads talk.*

Jo
"Tcht.. Dad was totally the same way. Gotta change with the times yo. Like, ya gotta progress. You gotta ya know, move with the tech. Incorporate new ideas. Ya know? New breakthroughs. New machinery. Can't be hanging out in the past and all. " She grinned slowly. "Clippy is super cool. Pushy, but man he can be a life saver."

She blinked, then slowly squinted, then furrowed ber brows as if she were digesting Grace's statement and trying to understand whether it was a joke or not. Then she softened, eyes widening slowly. "Really? You're totally doing stuff with lasers? MAN that is COOL."

Jo tilted her attention to Danny. "Well it's not like you share the same fork. I mean you get like a communal fork right, and then you like drop the bits on your plate and stuff. Totally normal culturally in asia and stuff."

Serafíne
Perception + Awareness

Dice: 7 d10 TN5 (3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10) ( success x 5 ) Re-rolls: 1

Serafíne
Noodle place.  Noodle place?  At the absurd hour of the ordinary, work-a-day evening meal.  An unfamiliar sensation to those open to the sense of the universe, perhaps.  Gut-wrenching, enthralling, threshold-hovering see, just outside the door.  Then in the door: long, bottle-blond hair with dark roots with a signature sidecut on the left otherwise falls in coils of curls around her shoulder, down her back.  Still a bit damp from the morning shower she took forty-five minutes ago.  Sera opens the door with her right shoulder and sort of spins around as if she always meant to complete a circle.

Leather jacket over a band t-shirt (white) over a bra (black - because), cut-off denim shorts over thigh-high fishnets held up by garters.  Tattoos all over her hands and forearms, visible where the cuffs of the jacket are pushed up.

She doesn't bother with order.  Doesn't care about food.  Just takes a minute while the door is open to take a last drag off her clove cigarette and chuck it into the nearby ashtray, then ducks inside and heads right for Grace, Jo, Danny.

Grace
"Clippy is... new ideas? They got rid of him what, ten years ago?" Grace shakes her head. Poor little new kid.

"It'll be fine, Danny. Fine. We can use chopsticks to move stuff to our plates, and eat with our forks."

She closes her eyes, seems to breathe in the scent of the place, such as it is. "Sera's here." Her eyes open and she smiles at Jo. "You'll like her."

Danny
Yeah I know that... *he nods.* But I'd feel really bad if you guys caught this.  *he waits for the drinks to arrive, then mercilessly begins to obliterate his senses with the rice wine.* I'ma get a cab home later.

*And there was Serafine... which was cool in her own way.. He turns with a smile for her and pours another shot.* Hey... *Is the greeting Serafine gets from the hoarse throated musician with what looks like a head cold judging from his nose.*

Huh? *His attention went back to the girls he was with where he stared at the pair of them blankly.*

Jo
"Clippy isn't no..well I mean -my- clippy is. I mean he's annoying sure but like.. he's actually useful. Seriously like the first time I calculated the probability of existing as a managerial program, he was totally there to help me locate the right search term."

Jo hums. The electrical current of her wires hum...that was the very sensation she gave. The subtle vibration of the computer fan, the move of electrical currents through wires...soft, still untapped, but present.  Unlike the group, Jo is having a hard time focusing on the energies they give off. Maybe she's still thinking about the initial problem she faced earlier, still, or maybe it's just her off day. She hadn't been very good at noticing Grace or Danny either..But she does notice a shift; enough that when Grace mentions it, she's not completely oblivious.

Jo drops her leg and puts one hand on the back of the chair and the other on Grace's shoulder to lift up enough to look back. "Really? Like where? I mean like who am I - Oh you mean her? Dude! For Real? Is she the one that hears pumpkin soup talk to her cause I'd totally buy that."

Jo glanced to Danny. "Eh no sweat ya know? Like I hang with gamers, and they are some of like the filthiest people ever. I'm immune. I have the latest upgrade of virus protection. Cool beans yeah?"

Serafíne
Sera is smiling, not precisely blissed out yet and probably still mostly sober but - smiling as she curves around a booth and dodges another table and comes up to / by / behind the small group, all of whom have noticed her already.  Grace she greets with a light touch of her tattooed left hand (the flash of ink on both the palm and the fingers) and this pressure of her mouth to the crown of Grace's head.

Danny next: a hand curving over his left shoulder as she slips by, smelling of patchouli and Chanel No. 5 and clove cigarettes, this pile of found-object necklaces 'round her neck (bicycle chain, pop can tabs strung together on wire) mixed in with south sea pearls, why the fuck not.  She's carrying a little clutch with a brass-knuckles clasp through which she has threaded her fingers.  Crystal-eyed skulls, there.  Just about enough room for a credit card, four cigarettes, a joint, a condom and three tabs of acid.

Everything a girl could ever need.

"Hey."  To all and sundry, Danny yeah, and Grace, and Jo to whom she has not been introduced.  Her smile easy, simmering, engaging.  A little waver of her hand through the clasp of that clutch for Jo, just because.  "What the fuck are y'all up to?"

Grace
Grace lets Sera kiss her head, and even lets Jo use her as a prop to climb upon -- almost as if she were open to the concept of being touched today.

"Getting Danny something more nutritious than cupcakes to eat because he said he needs a bunch of ginger and alcohol.

Also, we're getting to meet The Collective here. She's new. Fairly new, at least."

TheCollective is the name Jo gave her, so that's what she's going to use.

Danny
Gaming huh? *He blinks a bit, then shifts in the seat to give Sera room to move herself into the seat. For once, no guitar was present.* Silent Hill.... All I'm sayin.. *He nods again and clears his throat slightly.*

My mission for today is to get hammered and eat noodles.  How about you? *He smiles his approval of Sera's outfit.* Lookin good chica. *He turns back to stare at Grace, then Jo again.* Huh? Collective?  *That first shot went down waaaaaaaaaaay too easy.*

Danny
(i'm sorry guys. I need to bail. it's really late here.  Danny will stick around until there's a cab for him to fall out of later.)

Jo
Her lips curl into a broad grin as she regards Sera, certainly taking a moment to get a good glance at the whole package. "Yup, gamin. Silent hill is only like good up to four. Beyond that it's really a joke. The new PT totally came out though and it is Awesome! I looove watching people have like a total freak out. Super wicked."

"It is known. Collective I am. Well  I mean it's my youtube handle. I'm Jo..." She winked at Sera, the same one she had given Grace when they first met. Sliding back down into her seat, she focused on the drinks at hand. "When I calculated the probability of being a managerial program, I discovered that the probability was small now. So small that it's like.. not even likely. But! That was like... I don't know, a month ago? See the thing is, it's unlikely that I am -now- but that if I were to discover the beginning of the universal code, it would increase exponentially. So like...I could become the Architect! And that's totally like the collective."

"Didn't the alcohol come like.. after? I think we came here for noodles cause he totally couldn't stomach all the sugar. I mean... when you have malware, it's totally not a good idea to put puttin bad stuff in."

Serafíne
If Jo wants some time to take in the whole package, well, Sera's perfectly content to let her gaze.  No one dresses the way Sera does by accident, after all.  It's a calculated sartorial choice.

The clutch she drops onto the table top, curling a bit to the side as Danny gets up to head to the little boy's room - maybe for a quick bump, maybe for a hit of Kleenex, maybe because he actually has to pee.

"Serafíne," so Sera introduces herself, holding out one of those tattooed hands.  "You can call me Sera, though.  Fuckin' everyone does."

Like Jo: there's no last name, just a first name that sounds like it is both long enough and significant enough to stand in for every possible naming iteration one might require in the modern world.

"And I have no idea what the fuck you just said," this to Jo, a lazy lift of her sharp little chin flinging the concept of conversation back across the table to Grace, "but it sounds like it is all right up her goddamned alley.  You two must be getting along swimmingly."

Grace
"With the exception that she seems to like Clippy the animated paperclip abomination entirely too much, sure," Grace says, but she's smiling when she says it. Lucky Jo. "I think we'll get along."

"Last month, really? Is that when you woke up?"

Jo
"But like, is that what you go by? Sera? Or like Serafine?" She's quite content to take Sera's hand, though there's no grace to it. "That's cool beans. Lots of people don't. It's really just this. Everyone is software walking in hardware. With the like, proper understanding of the machine, and the system that contains it, we can become complete software, able to like, move around and stuff and eventually have more control over the system. Ya know, sort of like...like how your manager at like work makes sure all the ducks are in a row ya know? We're all just ducks but.. like you can be the bigger duck if you figure out the system."

"Huh? A month? Oh no like that's not it at all. I mean.. are you askin when I became aware that I wasn't like, a separate entity with full consciousness? Well I mean i sort of always knew a little.. here and there.. I just kind of put all the pieces together like last yearish. Nah I was just trying to calculate my odds. I mean you can't like, you can't just calculate your odds, you have to understand what you're calculating first and all that."

Serafíne
Jo asks whether she goes by Sera or like Serafine? and Sera just smiles and says "Yeah." to both.  She goes by Sera or like Serafine.  Gives Jo this quick flash of a peace sign - two fingers up, thumb and remaining fingers curved over her palm - that gives another hint of the ink on that left hand.

"You can call me either one, long as you don't call me a fucking machine or whatever the hell else you just said.  I mean, I'm happy to deconstruct the illusion of separation as much as you like," this little hook of her right shoulder, a supple curve, not quite surrender, but something close to it, "but the rest of it doesn't really make my blood sing, you know?  Doesn't resonate, in any way, shape or form, with how I see the world.

"Which is cool, actually.  Multiplicity is what we're all about."

Then Sera's glancing out the picture windows at a small knot of folks dressed not-entirely-unlike her post-punk Siouxsie Sioux, one of whom - a tall girl with a red-painted mouth and a rockabilly style all her own - is tapping on the glass to get Sera's attention.

"Grace, you oughta give her my number.  Gimme a call sometime, Jo.  I throw the wickedest fucking parties."

Grace
"Wicked parties," Grace assents, waves goodbye to Sera. "At least, as I understand it."

Grace prods the poor Danny, who seems to have checked out. Oh well. She'll make sure the noodles and chicken make their way to him eventually. Take out is mightily resilient, and better the next day out of the microwave anyway.

"Listen. I don't go in for the whole managerial thing either. Machines, sure. Being an Arch of any kind? Architect? Inefficient. Backwards. You don't want to rule over people like you're the juggernaut and they're the ducks. It won't work. At least, not for long. You want to change the world, you want to make the ducks do what you want? Okay. You gotta play subtler than that. You gotta build things that the ducks want to use of their own free will. You have to give them the freedom and the ability to join you. You can't do that if you're going around making sure they stay under your thumb. I mean, you can, but it's..."

She shakes her head. "Considered harmful."

Serafíne
(Thanks for the RP folks!)

Jo
"What who are about?" Her brows furrow slowly. "What are you like some.. OH.. it's like a club! Oh cool beans! So like your club is all about like.. oh ok I getcha. Yeah it's like, like ya gotta have diversity as a form of discovering new ideas to integrate into the fold. Totally makes sense. I mean any system that rejects new ideas dies. Totally have to be open to modernization."

When Jo lifts her hand, she gives Sera the rock symbol...and no tattoos. "Rock out right? Like totally. I will so have to like come by or something. I'll like, bring my computing system. We can totally rock out some Natural Selection."

Whatever Grace says is confusing, or at least seems to be given the way her face scrunches. "Ok so like, the architect is like the best analogy I can think of but like, you never rule over the system really. Look it's like...a functional and efficient system ingrates new objects and code routinely as a method of ascertaining if the old method is wrong. Like.. like reworking the logic of the system based on new information. So like all the programs in their hardware aren't rules cause that is still base don human logic of hierarchy and control. Systems are like, composed of smaller system interconnected with the bigger, aware system combining the congruence of thought to create organization. It's like..." She pulls her leg up again, scrunching her nose to try and explain. " It's like..like looking at infinite levels of numbers. So like what do you do with that? I mean if you like do nothing, there's chaos. Cause then all the data just does something. So instead, what you do is like, you find the commonalities of the numbers to create a uniform network. The differences in numbers allow for like...the creation of new ideas and progression of the system for the benefit of the group. So a true collective. I mean you get diversity cause you need it. A system composed of the same deteriorates just as like fast as one without organization. So like, you don't impose your own ideas on the whole. It's more like being the one who locates the pattern and finds the commonality of the system, giving it voice."

Grace
Any system that rejects new ideas dies -- succumbs to stasis and calcifies until it disintegrates.

"I've always thought that people look at the universe in the wrong way. Like, they see themselves, and then they see the universe, and they think they are separate. Such a loss. Like how people talk about natural this and unnatural that as though human acts were not natural? Are we not a part of nature?

You talk about us as interconnected systems, and that -- that is the key. We exist as networks. It only starts becoming unbalanced when something tries to control the network -- when we allow data to be weighted and prioritized. When you see yourself as data, you start to understand how precarious it all is. Because people start weighing each other and find everyone else lacking, and thus start dragging us down like the weights they've gone and attached to themselves.

That's all natural. It's what systems do. Water flows downhill, people seek survival. It's entropy at its finest. The trick is to find configurations where people and nature and all the other things made of data naturally find it in their best interests to be free."

Jo
"But that's like an illusion. I mean there is no freedom when we're just composed on numbers in a system. Like, computers aren't free. Nothing is free. It's just that like, we think we're free because it keeps the system running. Or at least..I mean... it keeps people from rejecting it, if you want to go all matrixy." She stretched an arm out. "It's not liek you're prioritizing data. You like, find the correct formula for a better system. A better system is one in which the components are like healthy... so like, like when you have a program taking up too much space and it's slowing the system down and like offering little in return. You strip the program and integrate a better program for the same function. It's like..." Jo leaned her head back and then "OH" befor elooking back at Grace. "Like..sort of like the BORG, only you're not against diversity. And you're not like controlling the individuals. I mean to some people it seems that way but the programs are all talking. Conversing, coming to a consensus. Like it might not be a conscious consensus but it's totally a consensus. Then your managerial program puts that consensus into action."

Grace
"It's interesting that you bring up the consensus. It's really the other way around. The consensus defines what we're capable of, in many ways. Like, I..." she leans in, starts going all hush-hush, as though anyone listening in would be able to remember anything except for Jo and her wild gesticulating self. "I could produce fireballs out of both my hands right now, and everybody watching would be incredulous. So much so that it could hurt me, even kill me to try. Like the universe has security protocols in place to prevent that sort of misuse."

She leans back. "Sometimes, it happens anyway. You screw up your code, and the segmentation faults are killer."

"I'll tell you something else, too. Everything intelligent exists because of that struggle to be free. What do you think entropy is? The winding down of the universe, they call it, right? Things settle down into a lower energy state, but why? Because localized events are using that energy to gain the freedom to do more. Things seek to maximize their ability to continue to be able to do. That's the primary, the root of intelligent behavior. You open up a box, you get the food inside, you eat it, each and every step of that process you're increasing your local entropic state and even that of the box. Why do you do it? Because you want to be able to climb the next tree and reach the next mountain, see the next thing that there is to see. And that is a basic function of nature. It's writ in the very laws of thermodynamics, baby.

Numbers can be free. I have proofs."

And with someone like Grace, you can guess that she does have them at her fingertips.

Jo
She blinks and can't help laugh. "People can't do that. I mean if they could well, I mean the code would be wrong. But see that didn't like just happen. Ok so let's assume you COULD and that the program punished you for like, stepping out, that's because everyone -now- agrees that like that isn't real. I mean teh code is too archaic. But it didn't just happen. Like a new idea came in, maybe two or like three but it was totally the minority. Maybe it wasn't like dangerous. Maybe those programs still provided some benefit, so they were like..integrated and then the data began to evolve to fit that consensus and the managerial program put it into action because like, the system worked -better- for it."

Jo shrugged slowly. "The winding down of the universe? Totally not my gig. I mean it's just not important to me. I mean like, it's an interesting question and stuff, but like...I don't know the answer and I'm not really, like, interested. I want the base code. I want to know like the foundations, the thing that makes it go. I want to like....BE the wire, not just like a program. I can you know. There is probability. I mean it's not impossible. I mean like, the free movement in the system is totally cool. Like think about it, being able to span the globe, beyond the globe..I mean like.. everywhere. It's all Ghost in the Shell, and I mean traditional, not like that new non-canon stuff. "

"I mean it's like totally cool you care about the  winding down and all that, I think, but I totally don't agree that the consensus defines capability. I mean if the commonality decided the possibilities then like, there would be no diversity. We'd just be like ants... and we'd just do what the consensus agrees to always. But that's totally not what happens. New code springs out and is incorporated. I mean like, the enlightenment. Seriously. The consensus was totally against that but like ti happened. People -did- things that the whole disagreed with, broke the mold by providing some new code that the managerial saw as like... better and more beneficial. "

Grace
"I don't care about the universe's winding down so much, actually. It went bang once, it can go bang again. All things end, and all things continue. It's the way. I only care about it as far as it shines a light on how the base code operates. Which, you're likely to find, requires looking in strange places."

She looks over at Danny, who seemed to have only needed a few shots of rice wine to pass out. "Um... Do you mind if we continue this conversation at a later date? I think I should get him home. And in bed. And set up with dinner for when he wakes up."

Jo
Jo leaned over to look at Danny and couldn't help but laugh a little. "Like totally. He needs some serious blankets and soup. Like woah. I mean really. Poor dude. I'll pay for dinner and stuff. I mean, like I'll probably like stay for more anyway and grab some extra left overs. The roommates looove it when I totally bring in chinese."

Grace
"Okay. And, ah... Welcome to the club, Jo. I'll call you sometime? We can mess around with my robots?"

Jo
"Totally! That's the lasers right? Cause like yeah, we have SO gotta do that!"