[It sure isn't routine maintenance! Hopefully, at least. HOPEFULLY NO ONE ELSE IS PACKING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. But Yiling Ridge is, now! He sighs, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall.]
You're the only person I know with a vested interest in how guns work, so I was hoping you could take a look at that gatling gun. If we can get it in shooting form again, I'd like that.
[He can and he will fit his apartment with a machine gun.]
[ If 9S were drinking motor oil coffee he'd be spitting it out right now, and not because of the taste. His expression accordions into one of supreme dismay. ]
That gun? Are you nuts?!
[ This is the most candid he's been with anyone outside of Kano who is...... """Burnish"""...... so congrats, Wei Wuxian. ]
[""BURNISH""... He'll cherish this moment, or try to remember to once they're back in The Void™.
IN ANY OTHER SITUATION he'd probably burst out laughing at the reaction too, because it is hilarious. It just gets a little huff of a laugh, though. He's not been in the mood for good laughter in recent days.]
What else? If they're going to throw it at us, we're going to keep it. [THEIRS NOW!! He gestures vaguely to the left, though.]
We intend to set it up in a locked room, in case we need more aggressive perimeter control. [Considering two people have already been injured...] I'm not taking any chances with the safety of those here.
"They"? Who's "they"? Who do you think threw it at you?
[ He throws his hands up and gestures around at life, frustration mounting. So much of his life lately has revolved around this stupid gun and people plotting to hurt each other, and this apartment is the last place he thought would try to weaponize it too. ]
Who here actually knows how to operate it? How do you know it won't just end up hurting more people, whether through use or more people trying to get it back?
[HE ALREADY KNOWS WHO THREW IT and the answer is "no one, kind of, but also like multiple people". He just shakes his head, waving the first question away.
Wow though NINES SURE IS TAKING THIS STRANGELY. Maybe it's his... concussion... Wei Wuxian's brow furrows a little, but he'll indulge and answer the other questions, at least.]
Wen Ning's our gunman, so he'd be the one to talk to about that. [First, and then:] It's a line of defense I'd like to have, but would rather not use. I don't want to draw attention to ourselves without reason by firing that thing, and you know we're all armed, anyway.
[Or Nines does... Did 9S think he was leaving kids in an unarmed house in the middle of mafiatown THESE PEOPLE ARE ARMED TO THE TEETH.]
But we're a potential target even without taking the retrieval of this gun into consideration. Handguns and blades are only good in the short-range and sniper rifles won't work in an emergency situation, either. I've set nonlethal traps around the perimeter for now, but if these are the kinds of weapons we're dealing with on the other side...
[ Yes sure... the concussion........ And YES 9S honestly thought that, he thought that pacifism was a thing that could exist even in the middle of this blood-hungry town because something just like it existed as the only genuinely good thing in the middle of his own meaningless, wartorn Earth. Even 9S at his most blind and fanatical could see the goodness of a society that swore to lay down its arms, enemy though it was -- and he saw echoes of it in Wei Wuxian and Yiling Ridge up until now.
Humans. They fight and cling to life from the moment they're born without even knowing why. It's what makes them different from androids, 9S decided; humans don't need a reason to do anything. They innovate, and generate, and create their own orbit, acting as gods with the power to change the world around them. It's a wonderful thing at its best, when humans are safe and good and optimistic. But now he's coming to see that at its worst, it makes humans rash, arrogant, illogical -- so assured of the supremacy of their own singular existence that they become incapable of seeing beyond it.
Wei Wuxian is a kind person. He only wants to act in defense of the vulnerable. 9S knows that, but the result of such an action would be the same as if any Mori or Xian Le took the gatling gun and used it for their own misguided beliefs. Violence. The deaths of more humans. It's no individual human's fault; it's simply a fault of humanity.
Destroy the gun. Destroy the gun. The thought plagues 9S's logic circuits.
But.
It isn't his place to decide that his way is better. He can doubt, and question, and fail to understand, but he exists to serve mankind. With all its flaws and contradictions. With all its self-destructive tendencies.
[There's something in him that's been building, lately. That old knot of anger he'd managed to set down all those years ago with his guns, when he had turned everything in and told the old head of Xian Le that he was done walking this path. He's armed, always, because that's the sort of town this is - but it was also always a passive sort of thing. A "just in case". If he could never touch another weapon again he'd be happier for it, but that's not the world humans have created for themselves and he is, for better or worse, a person who will kill to protect those under his care.
It happens.
But in this moment, that anger softens just a little, feels a little less constrictive in his chest. The shift in his expression is minute but complex; relieved and grateful and apologetic all at once.]
Trust me - the last thing I ever want to say is "I'm glad Nines fixed this".
[Hopefully it'll just... rest where it's set after repair, in an empty locked room pointed at the yard, unused and untouched.
That said:] ...It's a Mori weapon, I think. [He'll tell Nines that much since he figures it's his right as a Mori himself, and one of their more loyal ones. If he's going to fix it, he should know. May already know, given how few gunsmiths there are.]
I don't think there's much of a risk of anyone coming to fetch this, but I'm not putting anyone's life at stake for a little extra protection, either. I'll contact you to dismantle it if things come to that, if you don't mind being called on again.
[ He nods his assent to being called on. If there's anything he can do, then he'll do it. ]
It's a Mori weapon, alright.
[ He hasn't seen the gatling gun in its crash-landed state, but he's seen it. ]
It's something new. Nothing you'd see in your average catalogue. Depending on how bad the damage is, it could be difficult to repair. I can buff out a dent here or there, but I can't just create rare parts from scratch.
[9S... continues to be too good for this world and all of the humans in it.
Wei Wuxian, in the meantime, just sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. He's heard about where it had come from but he's still absolutely LOSING HIS MIND over the story. HIS KIDS GOT SMACKED FOR SOMETHING SO STUPID. HIS CAT IS DEAD. God.
Maybe he should mention to Chuuya that they have this thing since he can't imagine a new weapon was commissioned without his knowledge, but also, he doesn't want to give it back in one piece.]
I can show you where we're keeping it for now, if you want to take a look. It's not in the best shape... I'm surprised it didn't break entirely, considering how far it was flung and how many solid surfaces it hit on the way down.
[WHO'S OUT THERE BUILDING GATLING GUNS IF NOT 9S I, AKI, HATE THIS.
But away he'll lead! It's in a room on the top floor and he waits near the stairs until the hall has temporarily cleared out before leading 9S to the door. It's locked; he has the key wound around his wrist.
Once inside, he shuts the door again. The gatling gun is just kinda heaped in the center of the floor, barrel pointing out toward the window rather than in toward any of the house.]
We're trying not to give any of the kids a reason to even think about poking around this room. Just wait to make sure the hall's cleared before you come in - and I'll give you a copy of the key.
[ SURPRISE!! Then again Nines was just a tinkery teen with the spirit of 1920s google (the library) on his side, DIY'ing his way to some semblance of proficiency, and not a 200th century computer designed to gobble up approximately a bazillion GB/s like 9S is now. If anyone was commissioning dinky teen Nines to create cutting-edge murder machines, I would have, concerns.
Once the door is closed, 9S makes his way over to the gatling gun and starts trying knobs and catches, looking for his way past the gun's housing. It's a different beast from the kinds of guns he's usually put in charge of, but every gun is made to be taken apart and cleaned regularly, and so it's only a matter of time before he starts sliding its innards out and peeking around inside. He's probably looking at it for way too short a time before he nods and looks back over to Wei Wuxian. ]
Alright. We should be able to salvage it. It might not work as well as it used to, but if we're only talking last resorts, I can make it last long enough to count.
[ quoth anna: "it will overheat regardless after a short burst of shooting that'll need to wait like a min to cool down and then it'll only work 2-3 times before it just wont work any more" ]
Get me that key and some time to get everything I need together, and you've got a working bullet spinner on your hands.
[would you really be surprised in this TOWN OF LAWLESSNESS.
Anyway, despite Wen Ning being the most proficient, Wei Wuxian is actually a sniper himself so he's familiar with the maintenance of guns. THIS IS VERY FAST... But he just attributes that to all of the rumors he's heard about the work Nines has done. Maybe he's just really that good?? Yeah... yeah.]
Mm. Just long enough to work one time - that should be fine.
[if he even has to use it once let alone two to three times i will personally kill anna]
Take the time you need, though. It's not as if we're defenseless, and I'd rather have that thing working properly so we don't have any back-end injuries here.
[Watch him viscerally regret saying this as Yiling is stormed week 3.]
Yes, sir. Though with the way things are going, I expect our two families to be too distracted picking fights with each other to think about bothering Yiling Ridge. It seems like they've been more than happy to blame each other for all the disappearances lately.
[ 9S dusts his hands off and straightens. ]
Speaking of which, have you come across any more news on that front?
All the same, better safe than sorry, especially since violence has been bleeding into the streets here. [SIGHS... But then, with a wrinkled brow:] Why in the world would Xian Le be blaming Mori on the disappearances, though? I haven't heard of anyone from Westside going missing.
[Granted, he wouldn't be surprised if that changed, at this rate. As far as news goes, though, he shakes his head.]
We're still looking for the men involved in that alley affair and the two Xian Le regulars from the courtesan house who were talking about putting the Mori in their place and might've been involved in a woman's disappearance. Might be the same people but considering we have no names... [And the descriptions they have to go off of are sO VAGUE.
They're also looking into the gun too but he'll just leave that off for now.]
Edited (actually let me change that since we're still in car theft limbo,,) 2020-02-03 14:07 (UTC)
[MEANWHILE HE'D JUST ASSUMED THEY'RE FROM EASTSIDE.]
I haven't asked them, actually. [Maybe he SHOULD. Except they don't get that route option in investigation but it's fine they're doing their best.
As for that, he shakes his head.]
No decent descriptions yet, but I'll pass anything I hear along. All we know is they were easily recognizable in the area by the employees, so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to track them down. If they're the same people from the alley, they might smell of smoke and coffee, but that's still next to nothing to go off of.
[Let 9S become a bioterrorist hacker and root through people's minds for info 2k20.]
Thanks. [A little nod - and then a smile, because YEAH. Kids sure are like that. He moves back to the door and waits for a quiet second or two before opening it. The hall is empty.]
--Take care, alright? You're free to stay for dinner tonight too, if you're still around by then. I'm sure Bennett would be thrilled.
[ Oh, no. He appreciates the sentiment, but he wishes people would stop trying to give him food... He scrambles for an excuse, SORRY BENNETT. ]
Sorry, sir, I -- promised my brother I'd be home for dinner. But thanks for the invitation!
[ And he scuttles off in a hurry to get back to the kids. For being good, he presents them with one (1) small turtle from his pocket. It's a very talented turtle with one amazing trick: it can do somersaults. Some would instead call it one amazing death wish because it's incapable of putting itself right-side up, but that's neither here nor there. Have fun, Bianca and Bennett! ]
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no subject
You're the only person I know with a vested interest in how guns work, so I was hoping you could take a look at that gatling gun. If we can get it in shooting form again, I'd like that.
[He can and he will fit his apartment with a machine gun.]
no subject
That gun? Are you nuts?!
[ This is the most candid he's been with anyone outside of Kano who is...... """Burnish"""...... so congrats, Wei Wuxian. ]
Why? What are you planning to do with it?
no subject
IN ANY OTHER SITUATION he'd probably burst out laughing at the reaction too, because it is hilarious. It just gets a little huff of a laugh, though. He's not been in the mood for good laughter in recent days.]
What else? If they're going to throw it at us, we're going to keep it. [THEIRS NOW!! He gestures vaguely to the left, though.]
We intend to set it up in a locked room, in case we need more aggressive perimeter control. [Considering two people have already been injured...] I'm not taking any chances with the safety of those here.
no subject
"They"? Who's "they"? Who do you think threw it at you?
[ He throws his hands up and gestures around at life, frustration mounting. So much of his life lately has revolved around this stupid gun and people plotting to hurt each other, and this apartment is the last place he thought would try to weaponize it too. ]
Who here actually knows how to operate it? How do you know it won't just end up hurting more people, whether through use or more people trying to get it back?
no subject
Wow though NINES SURE IS TAKING THIS STRANGELY. Maybe it's his... concussion... Wei Wuxian's brow furrows a little, but he'll indulge and answer the other questions, at least.]
Wen Ning's our gunman, so he'd be the one to talk to about that. [First, and then:] It's a line of defense I'd like to have, but would rather not use. I don't want to draw attention to ourselves without reason by firing that thing, and you know we're all armed, anyway.
[Or Nines does... Did 9S think he was leaving kids in an unarmed house in the middle of mafiatown THESE PEOPLE ARE ARMED TO THE TEETH.]
But we're a potential target even without taking the retrieval of this gun into consideration. Handguns and blades are only good in the short-range and sniper rifles won't work in an emergency situation, either. I've set nonlethal traps around the perimeter for now, but if these are the kinds of weapons we're dealing with on the other side...
no subject
Humans. They fight and cling to life from the moment they're born without even knowing why. It's what makes them different from androids, 9S decided; humans don't need a reason to do anything. They innovate, and generate, and create their own orbit, acting as gods with the power to change the world around them. It's a wonderful thing at its best, when humans are safe and good and optimistic. But now he's coming to see that at its worst, it makes humans rash, arrogant, illogical -- so assured of the supremacy of their own singular existence that they become incapable of seeing beyond it.
Wei Wuxian is a kind person. He only wants to act in defense of the vulnerable. 9S knows that, but the result of such an action would be the same as if any Mori or Xian Le took the gatling gun and used it for their own misguided beliefs. Violence. The deaths of more humans. It's no individual human's fault; it's simply a fault of humanity.
Destroy the gun. Destroy the gun. The thought plagues 9S's logic circuits.
But.
It isn't his place to decide that his way is better. He can doubt, and question, and fail to understand, but he exists to serve mankind. With all its flaws and contradictions. With all its self-destructive tendencies.
Finally, he says softly: ]
Fine. I'll fix it. Just don't make me regret it.
no subject
It happens.
But in this moment, that anger softens just a little, feels a little less constrictive in his chest. The shift in his expression is minute but complex; relieved and grateful and apologetic all at once.]
Trust me - the last thing I ever want to say is "I'm glad Nines fixed this".
[Hopefully it'll just... rest where it's set after repair, in an empty locked room pointed at the yard, unused and untouched.
That said:] ...It's a Mori weapon, I think. [He'll tell Nines that much since he figures it's his right as a Mori himself, and one of their more loyal ones. If he's going to fix it, he should know. May already know, given how few gunsmiths there are.]
I don't think there's much of a risk of anyone coming to fetch this, but I'm not putting anyone's life at stake for a little extra protection, either. I'll contact you to dismantle it if things come to that, if you don't mind being called on again.
no subject
It's a Mori weapon, alright.
[ He hasn't seen the gatling gun in its crash-landed state, but he's seen it. ]
It's something new. Nothing you'd see in your average catalogue. Depending on how bad the damage is, it could be difficult to repair. I can buff out a dent here or there, but I can't just create rare parts from scratch.
no subject
Wei Wuxian, in the meantime, just sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. He's heard about where it had come from but he's still absolutely LOSING HIS MIND over the story. HIS KIDS GOT SMACKED FOR SOMETHING SO STUPID. HIS CAT IS DEAD. God.
Maybe he should mention to Chuuya that they have this thing since he can't imagine a new weapon was commissioned without his knowledge, but also, he doesn't want to give it back in one piece.]
I can show you where we're keeping it for now, if you want to take a look. It's not in the best shape... I'm surprised it didn't break entirely, considering how far it was flung and how many solid surfaces it hit on the way down.
no subject
Let's see it. The sooner I get a read on it, the better.
[ He looks up at Wei Wuxian expectantly. Lead away! ]
no subject
But away he'll lead! It's in a room on the top floor and he waits near the stairs until the hall has temporarily cleared out before leading 9S to the door. It's locked; he has the key wound around his wrist.
Once inside, he shuts the door again. The gatling gun is just kinda heaped in the center of the floor, barrel pointing out toward the window rather than in toward any of the house.]
We're trying not to give any of the kids a reason to even think about poking around this room. Just wait to make sure the hall's cleared before you come in - and I'll give you a copy of the key.
no subject
Once the door is closed, 9S makes his way over to the gatling gun and starts trying knobs and catches, looking for his way past the gun's housing. It's a different beast from the kinds of guns he's usually put in charge of, but every gun is made to be taken apart and cleaned regularly, and so it's only a matter of time before he starts sliding its innards out and peeking around inside. He's probably looking at it for way too short a time before he nods and looks back over to Wei Wuxian. ]
Alright. We should be able to salvage it. It might not work as well as it used to, but if we're only talking last resorts, I can make it last long enough to count.
[ quoth anna: "it will overheat regardless after a short burst of shooting that'll need to wait like a min to cool down and then it'll only work 2-3 times before it just wont work any more" ]
Get me that key and some time to get everything I need together, and you've got a working bullet spinner on your hands.
no subject
Anyway, despite Wen Ning being the most proficient, Wei Wuxian is actually a sniper himself so he's familiar with the maintenance of guns. THIS IS VERY FAST... But he just attributes that to all of the rumors he's heard about the work Nines has done. Maybe he's just really that good?? Yeah... yeah.]
Mm. Just long enough to work one time - that should be fine.
[if he even has to use it once let alone two to three times i will personally kill anna]
Take the time you need, though. It's not as if we're defenseless, and I'd rather have that thing working properly so we don't have any back-end injuries here.
[Watch him viscerally regret saying this as Yiling is stormed week 3.]
no subject
[ 9S dusts his hands off and straightens. ]
Speaking of which, have you come across any more news on that front?
no subject
All the same, better safe than sorry, especially since violence has been bleeding into the streets here. [SIGHS... But then, with a wrinkled brow:] Why in the world would Xian Le be blaming Mori on the disappearances, though? I haven't heard of anyone from Westside going missing.
[Granted, he wouldn't be surprised if that changed, at this rate. As far as news goes, though, he shakes his head.]
We're still looking for the men involved in that alley affair and the two Xian Le regulars from the courtesan house who were talking about putting the Mori in their place and might've been involved in a woman's disappearance. Might be the same people but considering we have no names... [And the descriptions they have to go off of are sO VAGUE.
They're also looking into the gun too but he'll just leave that off for now.]
no subject
[ Granted, 9S hasn't asked them directly. He just kind of... assumed. ]
About those Xian Le regulars from the courtesan house... Would you happen to know what they looked like?
no subject
I haven't asked them, actually. [Maybe he SHOULD. Except they don't get that route option in investigation but it's fine they're doing their best.
As for that, he shakes his head.]
No decent descriptions yet, but I'll pass anything I hear along. All we know is they were easily recognizable in the area by the employees, so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to track them down. If they're the same people from the alley, they might smell of smoke and coffee, but that's still next to nothing to go off of.
no subject
[ Frustrating!! Life would be so much easier if you could just hack into people's brains and root around for info. ]
I'll keep my ear to the ground and see what I can find out too. For now, I should probably get back to kids before they come looking for me.
[ Well... Bennett, at least. ]
no subject
Thanks. [A little nod - and then a smile, because YEAH. Kids sure are like that. He moves back to the door and waits for a quiet second or two before opening it. The hall is empty.]
--Take care, alright? You're free to stay for dinner tonight too, if you're still around by then. I'm sure Bennett would be thrilled.
no subject
Sorry, sir, I -- promised my brother I'd be home for dinner. But thanks for the invitation!
[ And he scuttles off in a hurry to get back to the kids. For being good, he presents them with one (1) small turtle from his pocket. It's a very talented turtle with one amazing trick: it can do somersaults. Some would instead call it one amazing death wish because it's incapable of putting itself right-side up, but that's neither here nor there. Have fun, Bianca and Bennett! ]