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[Rhys shows up on-camera, his brows furrowed slightly at the communications device. You're probably gonna notice pretty quickly that there's a mechanical port on the side of his head, and the corresponding eye is a bright, unnatural blue. And, of course, that he's sporting a yellow mechanical arm in place of an actual biological one.

But hey, nobody's perfect. Without much further ado, he turns the phone over so the camera is facing the floor, and there's definitely the sound of some buttons being pressed, some tampering that sounds like he's attempting to remove the back panel.]

Oh, for the love of- [The phone drops to the floor, the screen going dark. Rhys picks it up a minute later, flipping it back over so the camera is facing him again.] What kind of backwards tech is this? You have the technology to teleport us to different realities and you decide to give us an outdated ECHO recorder that my grandma could have built?

Look, is anyone on this junkheap versed with the network systems you've got going here? 'cause I've got the same functions in my arm and that's way more convenient for me. I've been trying to access it directly, but it'll probably take me awhile. If anyone knows how to cut corners, you know, now's the time to be helpful.

Also, hey. I'm Rhys: hero from Hyperion, new arrival, good with technology. [A pause, and then-] ...and if any of you are from Pandora, then you should know that I'm a totally laidback and innocent guy, and I didn't do it.

[[ooc: Forgot to post this earlier, but here is Rhys' Permissions post!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well- I- uh...

[Rhys dips his head, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly.]

-I had a Loader Bot that I could deploy... and I was only supposed to be down there for like, an hour, max. [A pause, and then he adds-] -and I was really pissed.

[there's a long moment where she's quiet, looking at him. of course she has no idea what a loader bot is, but obviously he thinks it's important. it's not a gun, though, since you shoot those and don't deploy them.

after said long moment, she smiles. she'd had a feeling. this kind of confirms it. for all the attitude and posturing, this guy is kind of hopeless, and that's kind of cute. not particularly helpful, but cute. and he understands this sort of world much better than she does, at least on all the levels that have to do with things powered by electricity.]

What were you angry about?

[The silence is kind of unnerving at first, but then she smiles and he's really confused. Still, whatever just happened, it seemed like Sophie has made up her mind on something, and the ease of the expression helps Rhys to relax a little.]

Someone screwed me, big time. As in, 'murdered someone who made me promises and took their place just to treat me like shit' kind of screwing. [It still makes him just burn to think about it. He glances off toward the drinks on the bar and stands to pour himself a glass.]

I worked too hard for that to happen to me and my friends.

[now that, that's something sophie can understand. murder and plotting and backstabbing, this is familiar ground. she stands as well, to inspect the bottles on the bar. it is very obvious she knows zip about alcohol. possibly he should pick her something.]

A very good reason to be angry. Your simple revenge got a bit complicated, I take it.

The understatement of the century.

[Rhys isn't familiar with the bottles- none of the brands look familiar, but he finds one marked gin anyway (we are deeply sorry that the boy doesn't have better taste, but what can you do) and clinks two of the glasses together. Some more digging finds the ice bin, which looks half slushed by now, but he bears with it anyway, explaining as he starts to make two glasses of gin and tonic.]

He made an under-the-table deal and I caught him on it. [A pause, and Rhys glances back toward her with a wry smile-] -and instead of turning him in, I went down to Pandora to make the deal instead of him.

[Rhys shrugs, finding the soda gun and spritzing both glasses.]

Then everything went to hell in a handbasket. You okay with gin? Dunno if I can find any limes here that would pass health inspection, sorry.

I have a tendency to do that.

[understate, she means. she watches him look over the bottles and then start concocting the drinks with the same sort of curiosity that she watches him do things to his arm.]

I've never had gin. I'm sure it's fine. [she gives him a bit of a glance.] I can't fault your concept, as I assume that it would have brought about this person's downfall. Somehow I doubt he was pleased with you, though. So you have your 'hell' [she doesn't do air quotes, but they're there in her voice] planet inhabitants, and this person after you, without any combat abilities. That does sound like a bad day. But you've survived thus far.

As far as you know.

[Rhys breaks out into a grin though and he shakes his head, sliding one of the glasses toward her.]

Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm alive. Stole ten million dollars from Hyperion to trade for a fake antique, which shattered. Tracked down the money, had to compete in a death race, the money blew up, Hyperion found out. [He takes a deep swig, before a little. It's- it's been awhile since he's had a drink, okay?]

So as of my entrance onto this magic ship, I'm down ten million dollars, a vault key, any chance I had at getting back to Helios, and a portion of my sanity. [A pause. He looks toward her and then to her glass, as if what she said has only just now sunk in.]

Wait, you're old enough to drink, right? 'cause I'll take both of these- don't think that I won't.

[she makes an amused little sound and takes the glass, though she waits for him to drink before she does. her sip is much more moderate, and she's not quite sure what to think of either the flavor or the bubbles, but it goes down easier than some of her father's horrid herbal remedies. much easier, actually, and she takes another sip as he gives her the extremely abbreviated version of his time on pandora.]

A portion of your sanity?

[then his question sinks in, and she outright laughs. it's a bit rusty, she hasn't done it in awhile.]

I've been marriageable age for half my life, Rhys. I think I am old enough for a drink.

[a pause, because she's suddenly unsure if his world even has marriage. mostly they seem to have bandits, politics, and incredibly boring sounding work, as far as she can tell.]

I'm twenty-six.

[He pulls a face.]

Please don't tell me you got married at thirteen. That is so- beyond stone-age awful.

[THERE IS MARRIAGE ON PANDORA, just, there's a lot more guns. Also who's avoiding the question, not Rhys, Rhys never avoids anything.]

On second thought, they probably don't even have drinking ages where you're from. [On second thought, do they have drinking ages on Pandora? It's probably like, 6 lbr.]

[she shakes her head, gesturing vaguely with her drink.]

I'm unmarried. I was never much for being a proper lady, and improper ladies don't command good dowries. Besides, my father couldn't be bothered after the two eldest put up a fuss. Having suitors cluttering up the castle made him cranky. ...more cranky.

[plus, the marriage market for soulless girls kinda sucks.]

But really, a portion of your sanity? I can see it being an...adjustment, but you don't really seem mad.

[one proooobably should not judge their sanity levels by sophie's standards, all things considered.]

Well, good for them. If someone tried to marry me at thirteen- well. [Rhys considers that for a moment, before shivering. Does anybody remember their pre-teen years with fondness?]

And thanks. Being down there with all the other crazies starts, uh- getting to you after awhile, you know?

[No, she probably doesn't, because Rhys is starting to realize that he's being a little too free with information. Sure, this chick is some shapeshifting torture doll, but she's still one of the few people he's got here. Explaining the whole Jack thing would probably not be to anyone's benefit right now.

'Aw, are you ashamed of me? That's cute. It's gonna come out sooner or later, you know. That you're a- how do I put this kindly?- a piss-for-brain with a few screws short of a hardware store.'

Rhys closes his eyes and takes another deep drink. He doesn't cough nearly as much this time when it goes down.]

Castles, though. So like, seriously stone age stuff, right?

It would have been a fiasco? [that seems to amuse her.] I was all bruises and muddy dresses at thirteen, hardly wife material. [then her expression sobers just a touch, not enough to quite lose all of its humor.] I have some idea about madness, perhaps.

[she watches him, the subtle waver in his words, the way his head tilts slightly to one side before he closes his eyes and takes a gulp of his drink. he's hiding something, but who is she to press about hiding things? still, her eyes are intent, studying him. the difference between this and all the other times he's been measured up is that there's no smarmyness about it, only curiosity.]

Not really. We were hardly living in a cave speaking in grunts. [not that her way of talking doesn't emphasize that rather clearly or anything.] All ages are modern to those born into them, after all. I often lived out in the woods, but that was by choice.

At thirteen, I was president of my own Future Business Leaders club. [Rhys shakes his head, but he can't help smiling at the memory.] I did not make good business choices at that age. Ended my fiscal year in so much imaginary debt...

[He's avoiding her gaze now, but finds himself curious when she talks about her time. Strange, really.]

Can't imagine it'd be fun, either way. You know... I don't think I've ever actually been in a forest. Most of Pandora is desert and mountain, and Helios isn't exactly brimming over with nature.

[half of what he says goes over her head--president? fiscal years? imaginary debt? but she still gets the point, and smiles.]

I suppose you have to start somewhere in order to learn better.

[the drop of his eyes tells her as much as anything else. this guy really wants to be king (or whatever) of his company? maybe things are very different in his world. she takes another drink, less timid this time, and gestures at him with her drink in a way that indicates she might have been pointing at him if her hand was free.]

Well, that settles it. Next time I'm taking you to the gardens. That is a travesty. There's not even anything dangerous there, which is a significant benefit over Proprevalles. It wasn't really a matter of fun, but it wasn't that bad if you knew how to survive. I happen to be better than average at surviving.

[so...she lived alone in a dangerous forest instead of in a perfectly safe castle. sophie...]

Better than average, huh?

[Rhys quirks an eyebrow, his expression almost challenging.]

Well, if there's not anything that's going to kill me in five seconds, then I guess I could take a look. This sort of space- the, uh, lounges and metal walls, that's more my thing. You're more like... I don't know, folklore fairy dust kind of person.

You've seen what I really look like, and I'm not dead yet. My...properties...make me extremely difficult to kill. [she shrugs, then smiles, setting down her glass.] You look like you want me to prove it to you somehow.

[then she laughs, although not quite so all-out as before.]

The fae folk are unfriendly little things with very sharp teeth and very little dust. And this--[she gestures at the room, and at thie doorway]--all this metal and odd-smelling air, there's no life in it. So I don't think I quite believe you.

No, I got that. It was just the way you said it.

[He shrugs.]

Don't believe me on what? That I like it this way?

I stand by my statement. Better than average.

[she gives a little shrug and takes a sip of her drink.]

That living somewhere sterile and dead where everyone who lives everywhere else hates you and people are apparently constantly out to 'screw' [that one does get air quotes] one another is what anyone really wants out of life.

Oh.

[There's a long pause at that. Rhys takes a drink, almost to the bottom of his glass, and shrugs. He doesn't know how to respond at first, but after a few moments he visibly composes himself, shoulders set straight.]

This is what I am.

[He slips off of the stool then, moving back to where the bottles are kept. Rhys scoffs when he gets there, lifting an arm up in a 'screw this' sort of gesture.]

And it's not- sterile and dead. It's order and it's power. It's neat, minimalistic, people would kill- have killed for it. It's survival of the fittest, and Sophie- [Rhys is building on his words, drawing himself up again as he reaches the crescendo. He looks up at her as he pours, throwing on his most dazzling grin.] -I'm not dead yet.

[He's not watching his pouring and winds up sloshing a good bit of gin over the counter, where flecks of it splatter on his pants.]

-oh, for real? Come on, that would have looked so cool.

[sophie can't help it; she laughs. she laughs as she stands up and joins him at the bar, downs the rest of her drink and places it next to his for a refill. the thing is, it's not mean or mocking laughter.]

I think I like you, Rhys. Somehow you manage to be charming, and you're right, you aren't dead yet. What is so wonderful about order, though?

Oh good. I've spent an hour in your company and you think you like me.

[He laughs regardless, giving a one-shouldered shrug.]

Charming though- I've got charming in the spades. [There's a pause, as he focuses on making their drinks, the same as before because he's a creature of habit when he's not stealing ten million dollars and getting shot at.]

Order, it's... well, if you have to ask then you wouldn't get it.

Chronic understater, remember?

[yes, rhys, she likes you.]

Well, then I expect the charm to continue. [she watches him make the drinks, how almost fastidious he is about it. that's interesting too.]

Likely true. It would be a poor outcome for a creature like me, so I don't particularly see the appeal.

[She'd damn well better. He needs at least one friend in this joint.]

Poor outcome? How is it a poor outcome to know where all of your assets are, or have everything around you under your control?

[this time, when she smiles there's a strange tinge of sympathy. none of her siblings ever understood the place between that she occupies either. they always demanded she be one thing or another, good or evil, and she can be all things, or in that case, neither.]

Where would a thing like me fit into that sort of world, Rhys?

Well, I'm not offering to take you back to Helios with me.

[He finishes making his drink and moves back to the bar stool, sitting backwards on it this time so he can lean his elbows up on the bar.]

So you don't have to worry about that. Just saying that, you know, whatever floats your boat doesn't have to, uh. Float mine.

[That sounded better in his head.]

And vice versa.

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