24th Invasion

[moemoetentacles]

[Action; in and around 452 Stone Street]

[For anyone living on, hanging out near, or walking down Stone Street today - there is something happening on at 452 Stone Street that you may wish to investigate.  The windows to the house are open, and the sound of a small explosion rings through the air, followed by the surprised and panicked scream of a certain little squid-child.  There is now black smoke billowing out of the living room window, and the sound of coughing.  After a few seconds, Squid Girl's head pops out of the window as she tries to get some fresh air into her lungs.]

Aaaaaahhhhh... what's wrong with that stupid thing!

Comments

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

... Were you an orphan, then?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

I guess so.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat rubs the back of his neck.]

Sorry t'hear that. I reckon it's gotta be hard growin' up without parents bein' there for ya.

[He sounds a little awkward saying that.]

Kinda hard for folks like me to relate to that, since we ain't born—we're built.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it's like that for all squids.

...Are you a robot or something?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

That I am. Or at least, I was. Mayfield ain't turned me back to normal yet.

Where I'm from, my kind's called CASTs.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

How come they don't just call you robots?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

Well, callin' an android a robot or machine's somethin' like callin' a human an animal; technically right, but in practice folks'll get offended by it.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

...Oh. Okay.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat gives a slight lopsided grin.]

I reckon that didn't make much sense to ya.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Not really!

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat rubs his chin with a thumb and forefinger for a moment, trying to think of how to put this in a context that Squid Girl would understand.]

Let's put it this way; as one of them squid folk, do ya'll have a kind of creature ya'll prefer eatin'?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Shrimp! Shrimp is the best.

Sorry about the delay! Thanksgiving was hectic.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Another unfamiliar type of creature ... Ah well! Gat rolls with it.]

If someone compared ya to a shrimp, how would you feel about it?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Well that would be pretty stupid. I'm obviously a squid.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

That's kinda how it is for us CASTs—or androids, I reckon you could say—bein' compared to machines. Or robots. It's like bein' equated with somethin' less than yourself.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Oh. Okay. I think I kinda get it.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[After a beat, Gat looks up and over at Squid Girl's house. Odd that the "adults" of the house haven't taken notice of that smoking TV ...]

... Your folks ain't home, I reckon? Or do ya live with drones?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

The family here isn't around much. I mostly just do whatever I want.

[Hahaha, no one ever disciplines her.]

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

Huh. Well, that'd 'splain it.

Might wanna get that there house ventilated before they come home. You got a fan or somethin' you can use?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Yeah, probably. Hang on.

[She eventually finds one, setting it up to blow the smoke out the window.]

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat nods slightly.]

Well, I reckon I oughta mosey on back.

[He regards Squid Girl again. Despite the girl's initial attitudes toward humans, she's not all that bad.]

If'n you need any help with anything, you jus' give me a holler, y'hear?

[Gesturing back to the other side of the street.]

Me an' my coworker live over there.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Okay! Bye!