Harley -- Dream 11 - Fido's speaker system? (and Prithivi-doll art!)

[justwantsafety]

((first-person POV again as usual.
Dream effects: If the writing's not clear enough: satisfaction, some fondness toward the girl (she's a friend, maybe more than that) and then great amusement. ♥
For the very observant: In his dream, his left hand is very much missing that atma mark on the back of it. Also, he's not wearing a Junkyard uniform in the dream, but regular jeans and a green tee, like he's been doing in Som for a while now.))



(click HERE for full view on dA ♥ I don't want to break everyone's layout with posting the huge pic here. XD)



Harley pushed the needle through the little doll's wrist again, securing the cloth to the end of the ribbon with another careful, tiny stitch. He pulled the needle through....

....and brought the end of the wire up to the little clamp. He stuck it in, and closed it, making the connection secure.

He was sitting on his heels, on top of something, high above the floor, leaning forward to rest his forearms on a panel's bottom edge, with his hands inside the small cavity, close to a few circuit boards, a mess of wires and modules, chips and shiny little silver spots of solder, and mechanical devices... and a speaker that he could clearly see the back of.

"Try it now?"

A girl stood below him, the same girl that'd been in one of his previous dreams, with short red hair and glasses. She looked up again briefly from messing with what looked like an MP3 player, and unplugged her headphones from it, plugging in a cord that led to a huge remote control, instead. She pressed a button.

Music issued from the far side of the speaker, tinny and faint.

"Uh...." She looked up at it and him again, making a face. "I think something's touching the speaker."

"...Or it's not fully plugged in." He looked inside again. He carefully took hold of one of the thin cords, and pressed it more firmly into place. At the faint click, the music jumped up in volume and deepened, base suddenly audible, and he grinned. "Looks like Fido isn't going to be mute after all."

"Steve will be thrilled."

He snorted, closing the panel again, and straightened up a little, grabbing a thick, plastic-coated cable behind him, attached to what he was crouched on, for balance. "Steve wants to dub its effects in afterward if he doesn't like how it sounds with the speaker. Meanwhile... we've got music, right?"

"Yeah, Fido the stereo. We're teaching it new tricks every day." She smiled, looking up at the thing.

"Uh huh. Sit, stand, speak... how's walk coming?"

"Finished the program for that last night. Fido's mobile."

"We're pretty far ahead of schedule... I should probably do up another service droid or something."

"Yeah." She paused. "You know, I kind of wish Fido could run on batteries for longer at a time. I'd totally ride it down to the store. Go pick up pizza or something."

"Yeah. Right." He chuckled, and the song ended. The next one began, a woman's voice and soft piano. There were quiet sounds that came from the speaker's enclosure, a faint whirr of gears and mechanics, currently unseen. "Like anyone would sell pizza to Fido."

There was a moment of silence, broken only by a soprano's melancholy notes.

They looked at each other. Her expression was quickly sliding from satisfaction, into deviousness and mischief, dimples deepening a little as her grin widened, in a way that he couldn't help but appreciate....

"Hawaiian, from Zeus's? They deliver."

There was another pause, and finally he just had to laugh outright. "Hawaiian's fine, but dear god... the delivery guy's going to piss himself and drop it, and you know it."

"It won't get dropped if Fido can snag it first!" She was already dialing a number on her cell phone, and bringing it to her ear. ".... Hi! Yeah, I'd like to order a pizza. I want one large Hawaiian, a bottle of root beer, a thing of garlic bread...."

Harley sighed, the doll's little mitt and the needle hanging down over his shins to the floor as he rubbed his eyes with his hands, trying to clear his head. He glanced at the window -- it was dark out -- and frowned. How long had he been sitting there against the side of his bed, sewing? Clearly long enough for his mind to start playing tricks on him.... ugh.

And then he noticed the Dreamberry sitting on the bed near his head was on and glowing. Yeah, gonna turn that off if no one calls first. ...wait, was it just pinkish for a second there? What.

Comments

1/2

[shanti-shaman.livejournal.com]

[As Sera watched, she her first thought was about how adorable the doll the man was sewing was... But then as she looked at it more, she started to think that it looked vaguely familiar... ]

... Argilla?

2/2

[shanti-shaman.livejournal.com]

[The girl smiled. If he knew about Argilla's atma, then he must be a friend of the tribe if he was making a doll of it! She was glad that Argilla got along with someone in this world so well.]

It's so cute!

[justwantsafety]

*ahahahaha, no. Not getting along with Argilla, at this point. :|*

*peeks up at that, can't help a lil smile at seeing hers. He really had missed seeing that. Don't mind that his thumb discreetly hits the button to take a screenshot of that look on her face as he picks up the Dreamberry, k? ♥*

Thanks... it's turning out better than the last one did. I got the seams to look a lot nicer this time.

You... probably don't need to see the other one.

*not going to mention that Noireau got hold of said other one, somehow.*

*picks up this Prithivi doll, and holds it up in front of the Dreamberry, letting its hands dangle on the long pink ribbon arms, over the itty keyboard.*

Does it look right to you, so far? I still have to paint those brown spots on it, I know, but other than that...?

[shanti-shaman.livejournal.com]

You made other ones too? [Ooo, now she's intrigued! She doesn't even have to look harder. She already knows how she thinks it looks.]

It's amazing! It looks just like her!

[justwantsafety]

*trying not to smile too much, sets it aside on the bed, and sticks the needle into it so he won't poke himself on accident. He'll get up off the floor* I'm glad you like it.

Did you find a red and yellow one at your guys' base, by any chance? *heading to his shelf, looking over it for something*

[gotnyxed.livejournal.com]

Wow. You're really good at sewing, Harley-kun.

That dream...was that something that really happened?

[justwantsafety]

Thanks... I'm trying. I think I'm getting better....

*just has to shake his head a little at the question, though*

I really don't know. It feels like it did, but I was telling Rise last time, I don't think I've ever seen that lady before. And I don't know who Steve is, either.

[forever-witch.livejournal.com]

Enjoying yourself, Harley?

[justwantsafety]

I guess so. *somewhat tired smile back, sheepish.... fell asleep working on his projects again! Tsk, tsk...*

I'm almost done with the doll, anyway. *stifles a yawn* All I gotta do is finish the seam on the hand here, and then put the brown parts on. I think I'm going to try fabric paint this time. Marker comes off too easy.

Not sure where the heck those dreams came from, though.

What about you? Have you been having fun lately?

[forever-witch.livejournal.com]

I see. It seems to be coming along well.
Not particularly. I've grown bored.

[justwantsafety]

Well... I'm hoping so. The person it's kinda for seems to like it... so that's good, anyway.

What is it you usually do for fun?

[forever-witch.livejournal.com]

Who was it for?
Usually watch something amusing. Or try out new pizzas.

[justwantsafety]

A girl who's here again, Sera.

....and you like pizza too? *very happy to hear that. Common interest, it looks like....*

[popstar]

[Can't help at giggle a little at the whole thing.]

Looks like you fell asleep working on that again, huh?

[justwantsafety]

*embarrassed grin* Yeah... I didn't realize I was that tired.

I should pay more attention to the time.

So what're you doing up at this hour?

[popstar]

Uh-huh. Guess you kinda lose yourself when you makes those, don't you?

[She pouts at him jokingly.]

I was just about to go to bed when your dream came on.

[justwantsafety]

Guess I do.

*and giving her an odd look at that* In other words, me falling asleep is keeping you up? *because that? That right there? That's funny. XD*

[popstar]

Hey! [Pouting a little now.]

I was curious about your dream, okay?

[justwantsafety]

*can't help the smile at that; he's just teasing.*

So what do you make of it, anyway?

[popstar]

[Her expression softens a little as she recalls what she had just seen.]

Well, it's got that girl from your last dream right? Or was it the one before that? I'm trying to get why she keeps showing up if really don't know her...

[justwantsafety]

I um... really don't know, honestly. I mean, like I said, I don't think she was ever in my Tribe... she sure wasn't one of my officers. And she was wearing civilian clothes too... but no one in the Junkyard was a civilian, that I know of. It was just the Tribes there. And the Temple Guards, but they don't really count, do they?

*puzzled frown, biting his lip* But I can't get rid of the feeling that I should know her from somewhere. I really should....

[popstar]

That's seriously weird if there aren't civilians there... Maybe you really just thought of her. Like she's part of your imagination or something.

[She's having trouble piecing this together as well.]

[justwantsafety]

...the first time I saw civilians was here in Somarium. I think. I'm pretty sure, anyway. *frowns a little to himself* ....I guess maybe I could've just thought her up, though... it would explain why I know what her name is, at least.

[popstar]

And you're sure that you don't know anyone like that back in the Junkyard?

[justwantsafety]

Pretty sure, yeah. I think if I knew someone like her well enough to keep dreaming about her, I'd be able to remember her when I'm awake, too, but... *shakes his head* I can't think of anyone that looked like that.

[popstar]

[She pauses for a while trying to piece things together but even she knew that there wasn't much to go on. But maybe if she looked at it from a different angle, she's notice something else.]

Hey, Harley? You've lived in the Junkyard all your life, right?

[justwantsafety]

Huh? Yeah, I--

[justwantsafety]

...

*thinking that over. All his life?*

*done*

[justwantsafety]

*a little hesitantly, frowning to himself*

I don't remember ever living anywhere but the Junkyard... so I must've, right?

[popstar]

[She sits on her bed and props the Dreamberry on her lap. She sighs a little, trying to see if she could explain this to Harley.]

Yeah, but do you every remember like when you were a kid or something? I dunno how Junkyard totally works but you have got to at least remember something like that, right?

[justwantsafety]

*silent again a long, long moment, staring somewhere vaguely elsewhere while he tries to remember. He isn't just ignoring her; his orange eyes narrow a little while he tries to come up with anything. Anything about when he was a kid, when he was smaller or... or....*

...

*quiet, shakes his head, not quite looking back up at her yet, still trying to figure it out* No.... I don't.

[popstar]

[She doesn't force him to answer right away... especially with that look on his face. There were still many things that she didn't know about the Junkyard so she didn't know if or when she was overstepping at times. She simply had to feel for things, on whether it was really right or wrong.

She frowns upon hearing that. Was life that much difference in his world?]

Do you know if... if anyone else from the Junkyard remembered things like that?

[Some of the questions may have been hard to ask and even harder to answer but she knew that if she didn't then they probably wouldn't get anywhere in the first place.]

[justwantsafety]

*a little hesitant -- he wasn't about to get upset at her for pointing out gaps in his knowledge and memory. After all, how was he to know what he should ask, if he didn't know what it was he didn't know about?*

I never thought to check if anyone did, before I got killed there. I should ask Jinana about it, huh.

[popstar]

Yeah, maybe you should. It might help you figure this kind of thing out. I mean... [Pauses a little, pouting as she contemplates how to form the next words.]

I'm sorry I'm not much help with this, Harley. But it might be better to ask someone who knows your world better, right? Maybe you'll be able to get som answers from them.

[justwantsafety]

It's not your fault, Rise. Like I said, I never thought to ask about it before. *slight pause* Actually, I don't think I even thought about it before.

[popstar]

Well, at least you are now right? [She smiles at him sheepishly.] And you have an idea where to start, too.

[justwantsafety]

Yeah.

*lil smile back* ...Thanks.

What other stuff do you think I should ask about, when I do?

[popstar]

Maybe you could ask if they remember people who aren't in their tribes too?

[justwantsafety]

And pizza?

I... *slight pause, thinking about it* I remember when I went to the store with Abel, and he put some pizza in the cart, and I knew there was something you were supposed to put on it. And that's when he got that little grater thing, and parmesan cheese....

But I hadn't tried pizza here before then. So that counts as something weird I should ask about too, right?

[popstar]

[Rise had actually expected something a little more serious but it was just so like Harley to mention something about food. So have an amused giggle at your suggestion.]

Yeah, sure. You could ask about that too.

[justwantsafety]

Okay.

....thanks again, Rise. I don't know what I'd do without you.

[popstar]

You're more than welcome, Harley.