✫ 005 [VIDEO]

[sciencelizard]

[When the video starts up, Alphys is seen behind her desk, though there's something odd- the Lab is lit, though not with it's typical lights. Rather, there seems to be some sort of warm light source just out of frame above her that she's sitting directly in the center of. In the background, there's a bit of a hum that pervades the otherwise semi-quiet atmosphere.]

Hey, so, uhm... b-back when we were on the island, I was worried about going to this planet because, uh, I'm cold blooded? Sort of. I'm mostly magic but I don't really take cold super well because of the, uhm, makeup of the kind of monster I am, and-- uhhh forgetaboutit.

[She reaches forward to take the device, tilting it upwards to reveal some sort of rolling lamp like device that seems to be admitting the orange glow. It's craned over her head, the pole now visible having sat just off camera.]

I asked Hope for a heat lamp? And uh, well, that was good, except now we don't have power. But uhm, Sorrow told me I needed to make the computer more secure a while ago, so he gave me a generator, and... it took a, uh, couple of days, but n-now it's all hooked up!

[She tilts the camera to show there's a cord that's running along the floor from the rolling lamp to a generator just off the side of her desk, behind the computer- seems to be the source of the humming.]

So, uh... good news, I have some power. Bad news is, I don't know how long it'll last. That's where you all come in!

[Alphys brings the camera closer to her face, giving it a smile, despite still looking nervous about this whole prospect.]

I can offer the lab as a place to warm up. It's not big, but it's... something? And in exchange, I need help filling up the generator. It's meant to run on electricity and magic, but I think it could be sustained on magic alone, if someone would be willing to, uh... donate some? If that's p-possible. I really don't know if it is but maybe if someone's up for some, uh, experimentation. I promise, it's completely safe. Really. Just a generator.

[That's probably not reassuring. Her smile has become a little strained, but she just closes by rapidly waving, maybe ending the whole thing too soon.]

Okay so anyway come by the Lab if you can help or if you're just super cold and I can share okaythanksbye--

[She grabs for the device to shut it off, where a few people might catch the last, quiet line.]

Ohmygosh when are the gods coming back--

[ooc: a few more mod-related details of the generator can be found here!]

Comments

video;

[hasitsthorns]

I'll do whatever it takes to keep that thing running for ya', Alphys.

I don't know if my ki works the same of your world's magic but it's worth a try, right?

video;

[sciencelizard]

It might! It's g-got a magical receptor, it basically, uh, recycles the magic into electricity? We had something like it in the Underground, but it was geothermal into magical into energy and this is, uh, much smaller h-hahah.

[She doesn't imagine anyone has an idea what she's talking about, so she won't get super into it.]

But! Uhm! Don't hurt yourself, ok? We can try though.

video;

[hasitsthorns]

That's handy. We'll see if my magic's compatible, at least.

It'd be nice to feel like I was doing something to help. I know this climate benefits me more than some.

video;

[sciencelizard]

It's o-okay. Sometimes it's just uh, like that. I mean, I know I did better than a lot of other people on the desert, uhm, world. You didn't really make it happen on your own.

[Besides, she still kind of figures they'd be going to the jungle planet eventually. All of this is temporary, so-- it's fine. She just needs to focus on getting through it for the time she can.]

video.

[puzzlingly]

「Who is this lovely creature? Ah, he probably forgot about her, too. Excuse him as he stares at her for a moment though, she looks like a Poki Draco... yep, she just looks like that, except she doesn't have wings. So not a dragon, more like a lizard? Surely a dragon can hold perfectly fine against the cold.」

Hey, I could enchant your coat against the cold, if you want.

video.

[sciencelizard]

[Oh, someone has missed the memo entirely on what happened to him. Atem answers and Alphys beams at him with a little wave, unaware he no longer recalls her.]

Atem! I didn't know you had m-magic like that! I thought it was all in those, uhm, cards?

video.

[puzzlingly]

「No one got a memo, so she's fine. But of course Atem reacts to him calling his name with a very small flinch... this is hard to get used to... Ah well. She's so cute, he can do this...」

I didn't. I just recently learned. So... I can do that for you if you want, that way maybe you can go out there and enjoy the view.

「It's nothing different to what he'd say even if he remembered her—now this is the tricky part...」

So you... work at the Lab too? 「Too, just as certain tall guy they might know...」 What is it that you do there?

video.

[sciencelizard]

Well, d-depending on how it works with my magic, I'd like to try... it would be a lot easier than asking for so much help, uhm, just for me.

[The next part gives her pause, though. Atem had been to see her at the Lab. Didn't he know she worked there...?]

Uhm, robotics mostly, but uh-- you've seen that before. You came by to uh, talk? And later you warned me about Kaiba...?

[Video]

[oldtonew]

[ Kettara, big and green, crowds the video screen. ]

What do you mean, donate magic?

[Video]

[sciencelizard]

[Kettara answers, and Alphys suddenly feels like she's about to faint. Sorry, Kettara, her girlfriend right home is big and blue and buff as hell. She's also got kind of a thing for buff people. Whoops. She shakes her head a bit to try and clear the red that immediately jumped to her face, sputtering through an answer.]

Uh-- well-- uhm-- like, uh, g-give it! I mean uh, like instead of using it on a spell, you channel it into a container here, or, I, uh... however you do that?

[She means how they do it in their world, but magic is very different and her words have basically left by this point.]

[Video]

[oldtonew]

[ Kettara blinks, not sure what to make of that reaction. ]

I could try placing some elemental force in it. But my magic isn't easy to - store, for any period of time.

[Video]

[sciencelizard]

[Alphys blinks once, before getting in a bit closer to the camera, seemingly awed.]

Wait, how-- how does that work? What's e-elemental force?? That sounds so different from any kind of magic I've seen here yet, tell me all about it!

video;

[mttbrandlegs]

So hear me out before you say anything.

[Oh, this is gonna be great, isn't it?]

What if.

I.

Just ran your generator for you? You know you don't have to depend on anyone else tentatively when you have me any time you want!! Right?!

[Yes. Please use the robot who had to switch back to a box just to conserve energy. It's fine!! It's fiiiiine...]

video;

[sciencelizard]

Metta, no.

[Absolutely not!! She sees you goddamnit!!!]

You're one of the p-people I was hoping to help charge with this anyway. There's tons of robots in the city. I'm not going to let you get hurt!

[mttbrandlegs]

You don't have to do that, silly! I'm fine like this, and if I do deactivate for a little while...it won't be so bad!

You'll be there to fix me up later! Better to be in need of energy than anything more dire!!

[He tries to make it uplifting, and perhaps not having a proper face helps to make him impassive. She has nothing to worry about from him anymore, right? Just...just trust him, Alphys. Let him do this.]

You know you can't waste the energy on someone who can't be hurt by the temperature, Alphys. You are, as you said, cold-blooded, and your health is far more critical to consider than mine. At least consider the idea.

[sciencelizard]

No, Metta, I won't.

[It might sound weird to hear that kind of defiance from her- it feels weird saying it. But for once, she knows exactly the sentiment she wants to make.]

My health isn't more important for a-anything. And-- and you're my friend. I'm not just going to do that, to, to sacrifice you for a little bit of warmth. I c-can't.

[She presses her hands to her chest, looking down at them and obviously emotional about it.]

I have the means to help you. So I will. I won't let you get hurt for me anymore.

[Video--Private]

[missiondeterminant]

If you're unable to get power through other methods, I may be able to transfer some from my battery.

[He's not in any danger of running out of power any time soon, but he's also aware he shouldn't be reckless with it, so it's best if it's a backup solution instead of a primary one but it's still an option. He's not going to let her freeze or anything; he knows from experience that's not pleasant.]

[Video--Private]

[sciencelizard]

No it's-- y-you don't need to do that. There's been people responding, and if all else fails, I can maybe, uhm. Maybe get my own magic to work. I'm just not very good at it.

[That would be an understatement- she's always been bad at magic. Which is silly, considering she's made of it.]

Besides, I was hoping to, uhm. H-Help power you guys, if I could.

[Video--Private]

[missiondeterminant]

Okay, but if that fails too...

[He can definitely do it. As for the offer, he gives a faint hint of a smile; it's really more a lightly neutral expression, but for him that's a lot.]

I appreciate the thought, but you should focus on having enough power for yourself and any of the others who might need it. My battery is meant to last for some time at much higher levels of activity than I've been using, so I'm not at any risk right now.

[Text] Private

[such_a_teez]

I have magic of a sort, but I'm not sure if it will work on your device.

[Text] Private

[sciencelizard]

You do?

[She remembers those floating things, when they met again here... was that it? She doesn't know if she could fit one of those into a generator. It would also probably feel kind of wrong.]

Well, uhm-- t-tell me about it, and maybe I can figure something out. It's totally okay if it doesn't, though! I'm sure someone here will be compatible.

[Text] Private

[such_a_teez]

The source of my abilities is referred to as dark matter. I can shape and form it with relative ease, and it might be able to serve as a magic energy source.

[audio]

[onlyanautomaton]

You're not a monster, Dr. Alphys.

If I had 'magic' to offer you, I would gladly supply it.

[audio]

[sciencelizard]

No, it's-- I am a monster, just not a human one. Or a human d-definition one. It's okay, really. Besides, I want to make sure you have power, too.

It's gonna be rough out there for all the robots in Hadriel with no power supply. She's not mad at the Gods for this- there must be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this whole ordeal- but the whole thing is absolutely worrying and very stressful. All of these people are her responsibility now, as far as she's concerned, and that's a lot of responsibility for one lizard.]

[audio]

[onlyanautomaton]

[Oscar isn't satisfied, but he lets the matter rest for now; there is another correction to be made:]

Fortunately, my body does not rely on electricity to function...

[He knows that she has not seen the mechanical heart that is his core component and the center at which all of his recorded data is stored. However, there is a very slight hint of discontent in his response.]