metalogs | cross the roofs

Entry tags:

cross the roofs

Who: Otto Octavius

doctopoda
What: June catch-all
When: June, pre-Kaijuu
Where: Excelsior
Content Warnings: none

i. excelsior, day, out and about

[Now that he's gainfully employed, Otto's starting to fall into something more like a normal routine.

You may see him out getting coffee at what's become his regular place, or doing some shopping. It's getting easier; the longer he's lived here, the more people in his neighborhood have gotten used to the sight of him.

Ever since the incident at Balthier's shop, though, things have gotten a little weird. There's been outcry against metas. He knew it existed out there, but he's only lived in Central City and here, where such things are less common; this is the first real anti-meta sentiment he's seen in person. He even passes a few little protest groups outside of the Guild buildings, his own home and the others near it. Yet somehow, he himself is excluded: he's a product of science, not natural-born, not magic.

A ridiculous distinction. Otto knows as well as anyone just how dangerous a rogue scientist can be.

Mostly, he does his best to ignore praise and protest alike. If he sees anyone nearby who seems upset by the crowd - or, god forbid, anyone who's getting yelled at by them - he'll go over to them, actuators curving protectively, though not too close.]

Come on. They're just looking for attention - don't give them the satisfaction.

ii. excelsior, night, guild housing

[Peter staying with Otto has been rather nice, actually - at least in Otto's mind. He spends most of his days at work, and Peter's often out on his own business at other times, so they don't see too much of one another. But when they do, it's nice to have a bit of friendly conversation. The place has felt empty since Norman left.

Even so, there's still evenings when he's left to his own devices, or nights that drag on as sleep eludes him. So there's also nights when a tentacled shape can be seen swiftly crawling its way up to the roof of one of the Guild-owned apartment buildings.

Once up there, he leans against the perimeter wall, lights a cigarette, and smokes it while looking out over the city. It's an awful habit, he knows; he went some thirty years without it. But then - as with so many things - but then there was the accident. He quit once. He can kick it again. Just...later, maybe.]

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[ Otto is extremely easy to spot once Balthier gets outside, but it looks like the staff have accommodated him fine and put them in a corner with lots of space. The weather is good and the patio has plenty of plants and twinkle lights, which Balthier cares about mostly because it does a decent job of obscuring them. Still, as he smiles and walks over to take a seat, he throws up an illusion that will cause anyone who looks at them or interacts with them to remember two generic people. Definitely no actuators, definitely not Balthier's accent.

Having footage of himself flinging fire at the apparration of his father followed by the anti-meta sentiment in Excelsior had hit him hard. He's being a lot more careful. And if all he has are illusions, well, he'll wring them dry for what they're worth.

None of that makes it to his tone or face. He embraces Otto before sitting down. Ivalician custom, but, also it's welcome to just have friendly touch. He misses Fran terribly. ]

Otto, good to see you. I'm sorry it wasn't sooner.

[ Not an apology so much as genuine longing for a quiet, pleasant evening with company he cared for. ]

You holding up alright?

[For his part, the rising anti-meta sentiment in the city hasn't hit Otto too hard. While he's visibly one of them, it's equally obvious from his appearance that he's just a regular person who was altered by science. People in Excelsior are still plenty accepting of those sorts.

Frankly, Otto doesn't understand the distinction. Mad scientists are just as likely to cause problems as anybody else. In his experience, they might be more so. Anyway, having seen how these people behave, he doesn't much care to have their acceptance. It's lent a little more hostility to his refusal to pose for pictures, or give quotes to journalists. How dare they try to make him some kind of celebrity while spitting on his friends?

Here, he's made no effort to disguise himself. He never does. He's simply too conspicuous. But the actuators are extended a little past their usual length, a pair of them draping over the fencing behind him and making no effort to hide how they watch the people passing by. It looks unapproachable, and it absolutely is! He's seen the news too; he knows that Balthier's been outed as a meta, and he'll be damned if anyone acts like an ass towards him while Otto's here.

(He can't see the illusion as it drapes over him, being inside it. He'll probably chill a little when he realizes.)]

Not at all! We've all been busy. [He accepts the embrace with a bit of surprise, but no reluctance. For him, too, it's been...god, he isn't sure anyone's really touched him at all since Norman vanished.] I'm just fine. About as normal as I might ever get, now that all that giant monster business is over.

[It's true enough. The kaijuu thing was a lot, but not too personally traumatic, which is about the best you can ask for. He does look far, far better than he did at their last meeting. He's got new glasses, a pair with lenses tinted a pale pink in the fading evening light, and he might've actually slept recently.]

And yourself? I hope no one's been giving you any trouble.

[ Balthier is working with the guild to pass off the meta powers as having been from the fear manifestations. The bigger issue is people assuming he's powerful in ways he isn't -- the last thing he needs is someone coming after him because he has fire magick, except he doesn't, and then being more or less defenseless against them.

Balthier would agree though. He's seen plenty of dangerous people with little technically in the way of meta-like abilities. But lately he wishes his were a little stronger. Alas. ]

Here's to hoping Excelsior is quiet for a little while. I'm not sure I'm going in next time there's a world-ending problem. I've had enough of that the last six months, I think.

[ He settles in, waving a waiter over for water and drinks, because he's an aristocrat with pretty table manners and that's comforting right now. And he's entirely forgotten he agreed to let Otto pay. ]

I don't want to bore you with my woes, but it has been an overall terrible month. I am asking the Scions to please let the next one be quieter. I think, though, the worst of it is past. [ Please let it be past. Otto doesn't seem like a social media person, at least, so he probably doesn't have to answer more weird questions about Loki and Tommy making his relationship drama extremely public. ]

I am extremely happy to see a friendly face and enjoy conversation and a good meal.

[Otto certainly isn't that much of a social media person! His brow furrows, obviously not really knowing what Balthier's referring to. The fallout from the cauldron, or something more? Part of him wants to ask, but he can also appreciate the desire to just get away from it all for a few hours.]

Please, I don't mind. But we don't have to discuss it, if you'd rather not.

[He doesn't hesitate to order himself a drink - he hasn't forgotten he's paying, and he doesn't intend to let Balthier step in later. Flo's on check-grabbing duty, when the time comes. He'll wait for the water to leave again before going on.]

My month hasn't been terrible. I do keep having to chase protestors away from my apartment building. [Which is annoying and upsetting in concept, but not actually that hard to do.] Oh - I don't know if you heard, but Peter Parker is staying with me now.

[He remembers those two know each other! Though he doesn't know how often they might speak - or if Balthier knows about Spider-Man, even.]

[ Otto is such a calm presence and that's deeply appreciated. He'll probably get back to the offer, but for now, he's happy to keep things light. ]

Oh, thank the gods. I have been trying to get him to live with me but I think I may be a bit too...everything for his tastes. [ Said with a genuine laugh. ] He got sick of my 'fancy food' and tried to introduce me to ... Cheetos? Why are those a food?

[ Balthier does, in fact, know Peter is Spider-Man, was the first person who found out actually, and if he finds out Otto knows, will happily tell that story. He had no idea what it meant and Peter had been absolutely distraught.

Actually, part of his month was...co-piloting a mecha with Peter and seeing the boy's worst memories. And before that, Peter had swung him around Excelsior and helped him murder his father. Again. All while making it clear to Balthier just how much stronger and better equipped Peter is for this world than Balthier.

It really has been a month. ]

How is he doing? Things with the kaijuu situation -- weren't entirely kind to him.

[Otto actually laughs at that.]

Really? He was staying at a farm out in Kansas, when I picked him up - said he was sick of the chickens.

[Hopefully this can be a good middle ground. Otto's nowhere near Balthier's level of refinement, but he certainly doesn't keep a barnyard.

At Balthier's question, he does sober. Though he was on the ground for the kaijuu incident as well, he'd largely been running tech support. Peter was doing that with him when it started, but they'd parted ways once the robots were up and running. Otto only saw him again after it was all said and done.]

He's doing better now. Didn't say a lot about what happened out there, but I can imagine. That boy's been through far too much already.

[And those are just the things that Otto's aware of. From the roughly 48 hours he spent in that universe. There was probably a lot of other stuff before that!]

[ Balthier chuckles, shaking his head. ]

That boy. Who would have both our hides for calling us a boy. A proper adult, he insists.

[ He's certainly been through more than most adults. But his heart -- and the way he's afraid to let others help -- are so youthful. ]

I think with two people like us hanging over him, he'll be alright. He's opening up more. [ Balthier's tone gets softer too; anything to make Peter's transition to adulthood easier than his own. ] And I think being back in the city is good for him. He needs friends, distractions.

Scions, look at me. Adopting strays and going domestic. Truly this world has been a change on me. [ He's...really not complaining though. ]

[Otto chuckles.]

You're taking to it well. I can't say I used to run around offering teenagers spare beds, but...

[Oh, well. He can tell stories about Peter Parker independent of Spider-Man, even if only a few.]

You know, I knew a version of him in my universe? It feels like ages ago now. He was a little older than this one, maybe twenty. I'd hoped to take him on as an intern, he was an absolutely brilliant young man.

This place never ceases to amaze me. How absurd, to have known another version of him -- though I've met two. Brilliant seems to be a constant.

Forgive me if it's prying, but have you met another version of yourself? I'm not sure how I'd react to that. [ He doesn't like the idea of different versions of himself, as much as he's more rooted that it doesn't matter, because he's this one.

Their drinks arrive, and he raises a glass. ] To good company in strange places.

I wanted to thank you, by the way, for being so understanding and forgiving given the whole fear cauldron situation. [ Strange had not been, and Balthier suspected he had the right of things. That only made him appreciate Otto's grace more. ]

I haven't met any myself, but I have met people who knew other versions of me in their worlds. Nasty pieces of work, by all accounts...

[Otto understands the multiverse well enough to know this doesn't really reflect on him. The possibilities are infinite; logically, there's Ottos out there who have been and done things he can't even conceive of. Still...he can't say that it doesn't bother him, knowing that every one he actually knows about was some sort of monster.

The arrival of the drinks distracts him, at least. He clinks his glass against Balthier's.]

Cheers.

[And then Balthier's apologizing again. Thanking him, really, but Otto feels an apology somewhere in there. He shakes his head.]

Really, it's completely alright. God knows I've made my share of mistakes. [Ones that doubtless caused at least as much general harm and chaos. But somebody still helped him anyway.] We all need a little grace from time to time.

I've sort of met one now, I suppose. Or -- was him. I much prefer being myself. The alternate of my father was more or less the same.

[ He sighs heavily. He hadn't meant to talk about any of that, but clearly some part of him is still stuck on it.

Still, he softens at Otto's gracious deflection, even if he wishes the man would take it. ]

You'll forgive me if I'm slow to assume grace and warmth from someone who is [ Uh, father like would be weird, Balthier ] older than me and had fair reason to be upset. My father was -- not the gentlest person, and I fear his patterns are the baseline for me when dealing with others.

...I'm sorry to hear that.

[Otto's brow furrows. That certainly does color what he already knows: about Balthier having to kill an apparition of the man last month.]

It didn't do exactly that to me. But the cauldron did have a way of...changing your thinking, didn't it...?

[He didn't become an alternate self, but only by virtue of having already been that person.

His instinct is to deflect again, change the subject. Otto doesn't much like to think on these things. But it seems like Balthier has something on his mind, too. This time he lets it lie.]

[ Balthier can't contain a small shudder at that, the dark expression that comes over his face. ]

I'd never experienced anything like it. It...altered my memories, made me doubt parts of myself ever existed. Prevented me from seeing entire objects until I got loose -- until David got me loose. [ That part, at least, he wouldn't change. The closeness they'd managed to spin through some truly awful days. ] You've been feeling alright? Since we got you out?

[ He can't say he hasn't worried now and then for Otto. He won't stay on dark things too long, but that's one thing he's meant to ask. ]

I'm just fine, don't worry.

[The words are soothing, with a bit of a smile. Otto hates being worried about like that, quite frankly. Hates that Balthier has seen and heard enough to worry about him in the first place.

But it's true, for the most part. He's never...quite what he used to be, anymore, but he's found some sort of equilibrium. He's okay for now.]

And you? You're feeling better now, too?

[ He swirls his drink around, considering the question for a moment, but nods. ]

Tired, still, but the things that mattered did not break, and there's always a comfort in that.

[ Truly, as hard as all this was, there's a sense of a more stable foundation for having come out the other side. ]

I won't spoil this with talking business too long, but I do want to find where that cauldron came from. I'm fortunate that the guilds found me clear for culpability purposes, but it's clear someone knew how to bypass the system.

But I also feel like, if something else happens, I'm in good hands, with good people to call. That's -- not always been true in my life.

Good - I'm glad. Let me know if you need anything, of course. I'd be happy to lend a hand.

[The actuator hovering nearest his shoulder clicks its claws! Dad joke!

Otto doesn't know how helpful he'd be in an investigation - whether antiquities or magic, absolutely none of the worlds the cauldron could have come from are ones that he runs in. But if there's ever a lead, well...lots of hands to spare.

He smiles, then turns back to scanning the menu. The actuator does the same. It's clearly making up for his poor vision, though he still insists on at least trying to use his eyes.]

I didn't think of this before, but is the food here very different from your world's?

Appreciated.

[ Balthier hasn't had the energy to dig into it much yet, and he's more a finder of objects than of people, but he suspects there will be some overlapping skill. That and both guilds are interested in this not happening again.

Food is a much better topic, even if he notices the actuator reading alongside Otto. It must be strange, having an entirely different way of seeing. Valuable, too, but alienating. Aren't all good things. ]

Considering I travelled across a vast continent regularly, I would say in aggregate no. Salad, soup, fried things -- all the categories are there. Meat animals are entirely different though, and there are spices both places that do not seem shared. Also, as far as I can tell, the food I'm most familiar with is closer to Turkish and North African, which is somewhat difficult to find here but does exist.

I imagine it's fairly similar for you?

[There's ups and downs. On good days, Otto's grateful that all the damage he did to himself at least came paired with ways to compensate. On bad days, it all just makes him feel less than human. But today's a good day.]

The cuisine seems fairly similar to my world, but that does make the differences more pronounced. Familiar dishes always seem to taste a little bit different from what I expect. I'm sure it's something about the spices, but I'm afraid my palate's not quite that discerning. It's alright, though - I find it interesting.

[He's interested, too, to hear more about Balthier's home world. He knows some about his past, but he thinks there's a lot of value in understanding more about the world he came from. Everyone's shaped by their surroundings.]

Ah - there used to be this wonderful Moroccan restaurant near my apartment back home! That's a North African country, if it doesn't exist here. [He can't say he's followed up on the existence of Morocco here.] They made the best lamb couscous.

Ah, yes, at home -- I often wouldn't eat the dishes of my childhood when I was away. Somehow made the homesickness worse, not better.

[ Balthier will happily talk about Ivalice! He often forgets it's interesting to others. ]

Hmm I'll have to see if I can find that here. I've done alright making some of it, but mostly I'm spoiled by David's cooking skills and my own adventurous palate.

I quite miss cockatrice meat, though. I have not found an equivalent, though chicken is certainly easier to cook. Cockatrices are three or four feet tall and will charge you. I suppose I haven't mentioned I was somewhat of a huntsman on top of being a pirate -- good way to make money and to eat.

Cockatrice meat?

[It's amused, more than disbelieving. Otto doesn't really disbelieve much of anything anymore - it's just funny when it lines up with the things you might find in fantasy novels.]

We've got stories about those. Can they really turn you to stone?

Ah, right. They're mythical here aren't they? Seems a lot of things we have as everyday nuisances are the things of legends here. Cockatrice, wyrms, dinosaurs...

[ Somehow just being here as himself makes him more out of a story than being home ever did. ]

Some species, though Stona is a fairly basic magical remedy. Itches something dreadful while it's taking effect, though.

Ah, no, we did have dinosaurs at one point. But they went extinct, well before humanity developed. The nearest you'd find now is birds.

[Presuming "dinosaur", in Balthier's world, doesn't just refer to some other sort of dragon.

Otto smiles and shakes his head.]

I can't believe being turned to stone is a common ailment for you.

So I've been told. I truly thought someone was trying to make a fool of me by saying dinosaurs had all been killed by a giant rock hitting the Earth. You live and you learn, I suppose.

[ They very much are dinosaurs, though the variety the 90s imagined. Perhaps they ultimately are different than real Earth dinosaurs. ]

I suppose it's not a true petrification, not like in legends and stories of past eras. It's more of an external casing, though if you don't treat it, it will sap the entirety of your energy, and if that isn't addressed quickly you can perish. Still, it's not pleasant.

Truth be told I still can't believe humans figured out as much technology as they did here without any magical fuel sources, and without ten thousand years of anxiety technology to base it on. I admire your work, Otto.

Well, thank you. It really isn't as simple as it looks. What we're doing now, burning fossil fuels on this level, it's destroying the environment. I was...working to invent a cleaner energy source, once, but that clearly didn't work out.

[There's really nothing clear about it, to someone who doesn't have the entire backstory on the actuators and all that. Otto doesn't elaborate. He doesn't seem upset, though; he wouldn't have mentioned it at all if he thought it were going to upset him again.]

This world's much farther along on that front. It's encouraging.

[The waiter comes along then to take their orders. Which is all very regular, except that they don't give the actuators even a second glance. Otto looks after them with a raised brow for a moment - people in the area have gotten more used to him, but that's still rather odd. He'll have to tip extra.]

[ Balthier's father was a researcher, one with no boundaries, but an excellent one, and that's the world he grew up around. He may not know specifics, but he can follow the shapes. ]

David's mentioned. Not that we weren't up to our ears in poor decisions -- the sky stone was running out, and the nethicite was a force better left alone, and the mining of both was causing damage. There was a recent one, gambits, that can impact people's compulsions toward behaviors. They were originally used for combat, but people were starting to make consumer versions. I sincerely fear the next technological chapter for Ivalice. Not that it looks like I'll be there to see it.

[ He appreciates Otto's positivity, though, and considers his point as the waiter comes over. He can't help being as observant as he is, though, and notices Otto's expression after the waiter. ]

Ah, I should have said something. I've put an illusion on us, to make us both unremarkable. I've been having some trouble with being recognized and did not want to engage tonight. One of the few things I prefer about my powers here.

June, post-Kaiju, dinner in Excelsior

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aksfdg actuators grabbing the check

a long blade shoots out and skewers the check

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