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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 3:24 pm
Melvin really didn't want to steer this conversation to a not-bro, but it was here and he was trying to figuring out a better angle at how to somehow get Mark to some source of fresh water to douse him with.
"It was already there so it wasn't like it was taken. He doesn't have the money now." He clarified, before using the one hand that hadn't touched mark to rub at his face at the thought of it.
"Probably that last bit. Enough people say I am... or messed up. Think that's a better descriptor. I guess I'm too tired to argue about money on top of everything else. It's one thing I just rather resolve than have to deal with." Like many ways he dealt with things. Avoidance was a wonderful problem solver.
"It's not like I'd go out and buy a espresso machine with the money anyways." It was concerning he was poorer than the poorest man, who apparently was Jason. At least he was Number 1 on some list. Go him. Top of the world.
The garbage was getting to him and he pulled out his handkerchief artifact to clean his googles just to feel he was capable of maintaining some sense of order. Not seeing it was helping too.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:29 pm
Mark just let Melvin do whatever cleaning and touching he was currently doing. There was a long period of silence where it sounded like the Death assistant might have fallen asleep again.
"Melvin," Mark finally said after what seemed like way too long in a heap of filth, "you need a real job man. Something to take your mind off whatever this is."
Yes, obviously no problem could not be resolved with money.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:40 pm
The sea-blue cloth rubbed over his googles slowly in small circles, and he let the soft silk move over the lenses.
"Yeah." There was no questioning it. He had worked in a stagnant manner for a while, having plans but putting them aside for whatever was happening at the time between him and Lawr. The constant up and downs had kept his focus away a lot, but his focus had been so laser focused on one person and their constant needs that without it, he wasn't sure where to look at. It was like someone took off his blinders and he wasn't sure which direction to go.
He needed a lot to keep his mind off things.
"Should....probably work on my project." He was surprised no one wanted much updating on the fact he had requested funding last Life meeting and hadn't used much of it. Instead, he just did a lot of diving. "...or something."
Feeling guilty, he resumed cleaning his googles before slowly putting them back on. Before he had had a lot of ideas and plans, but those had all fizzled out over the months not from loosing interest but loosing energy and focus. So much outside of his control in his personal life went out of control and he had spent a great deal of time doing damage control.
He was still expecting something bad to happen these days.
Adjusting his gloves, he moved over to the broken welder to inspect it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 5:26 pm
The welder wasn't actually broken as it was just not plugged in. There really wasn't much to examine, and if Melvin could somehow trudge through the waste to find a power outlet, the problem would have been solved in five seconds.
Mark rolled over to watch Melvin work, too lazy to mention the plugging in issue, "You any good with tracking devices bro? I'm talking full GPS and everything."
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 5:40 pm
Melvin looked at the welder and noticed it wasn't broken, it wasn't dented, it wasn't scorched with any wires sticking out. It was just a welder with a perfectly usable everything.
Reaching into the pile, he pulled out the plug and went to push away what he could in a search for an outlet.
"Tracking? Like the Spectre watches? I've been trying to look into mapping systems for underwater exploration for some time now and have gotten some help from the techs in my free time...." He paused to gain his balance in the trash before continuing. "...wanted to map the caves underwater but that's about it."
Kneeling down, he pushed in the plug after making sure said socket wasn't plugged with any trash or bugs before going back to the welder.
"Why?" He said, checking the welder on all sides to make sure nothing visible would short out before testing it by turning it on, holding it out a little just in case.
But it did not explode. Melvin checked it over to check the settings.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 5:44 pm
"Yeah but unless you can make a Spectre watch invisible that's a no," Mark rolled his eyes, remembering the good old days when he too wanted to make stuff as flashy and impossible-looking as possible (this hadn't actually changed), "I'm talking about subtlety here, the art of espionage. You know, like James Bond, tracking people by sticking something to the bottom of their shoe and stuff, microchip stuff."
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 6:02 pm
Stealth. Espionage. These were the ingredients completely tossed out of his DNA's makeup. He was about as stealthy and undercover as a hyperactive dog covered in Christmas bells.
So he stared back at Mark. "I know what you're talking about. Like Q. Putting bombs in cuff-links and microphones in lapel pins." The settings on the welder worked without problems. No abrupt stopping, the handle didn't get hot, and there wasn't any weird burning smells.
"Something that works like a Spectre watch but small enough for them not to know they have it on their person?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 6:48 pm
"A microchip," Mark repeated, because 'small Spectre watch small enough to have it on their person without knowing' literally meant a microchip. He sighed, and then pulled out a reasonably small bag, fairly ordinary looking, reaching his hand deep into it. "Hang on, I have one somewhere."
An entire toaster was pulled out, then two Beats by Dre headphones, a runic microwave for some reason, followed by three bags of various flavoured chips. "Where the heck is it, I could have sworn-" More beer bottles, a lava lamp, a Rey Star Wars collectable figure, an Avengers t-shirt, and finally a plastic wrap doggie bag. "There it is, i bought these at the pet store," Mark passed Melvin the doggie bag that had a few very tiny pieces in it, "But like Hunter robust, and I'd rather not have implanted ones because they're expensive and I want to reuse them, you know?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:06 pm
Melvin stared as Mark became Mary Poppins and pulled out everything that compromised Mark's particular tastes and lifestyle without so much as acknowledging how bizarre it really was, despite Melvin pressing his lips thin to keep himself from asking about a billion questions as to what the bag was, if it was created or found, and just how much could be contained in it.
I want to ask. I want to ask about the bag. I want to ask about the bag. I REALLY want to ask about that bag.
He bit his lip and didn't ask, because there was currently something happening right now in the conversation and he felt a lot of their talks tended to wander in different directions. Case in point, he had only come here to yell at Mark and take a presumably broken welder back to the labs.
Taking the doggie bag, he was glad to see that it was not warm and heavy with what it was designed to carry. Turning it over, a few small chips rolled into his open, gloved palm and he stared down at them.
Small, expensive microchips that, as Mark had pointed out, could track someone without them noticing. Simply holding them made him feel shady as the conversation was moving into some direction he wasn't sure about.
"You seem to need something done." His fixed attention moved from the chips in his palm to look over at Mark. "What exactly do you seem to need help with?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:12 pm
"Well let's see," Mark began a list of things on one finger, "they need to be waterproof, mostly damage resistant, resistant to Fear, resistant to most explosions, but I mean let's just start with waterproof for now. Like really waterproof. I mean there's also the problem where they don't sync properly with our satellite, but I think that has to do with size."
He was putting everything back in the bag, even things that he hadn't taken out of.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:34 pm
He moved the microchips around with one finger, turning them over and regarded their small size.
"I can do waterproof I think. Can test when I dive with something...not as valuable." He just had to test it on something about that size but just not expensive for test runs. He said VERY waterproof, so he assumed it had to resist a certain amount of pressure without having any leaks. Damage resistance probably would just be tied in if it had to withstand pressure. Strong enough but not enough to make a weak signal even worse.
"If you are already going to put this on someone, why not something to help the signal out so it's stronger without adding it to the actual device and making it bigger. Unless the case has something to help it." A coating maybe or maybe a separate amplifier that matched it.
For the moment his eyes were on his open palms but Mark's movements caught his attention and he was back to simply staring at the bag with the same wrapped attention of a child watching a magic show.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 12:04 pm
"Cool," Mark seemed satisfied at that answer, knowing very well of usual project success ratios, "our division doesn't really do the funding thing, but if it works out you'll get properly paid and stuff. I think it's mostly because if we paid Lucky every single time he said he was going to finish something, we'd probably be broke or he'd be very, very dead." Oddly enough, the Death assistant seemed at peace with the last option. Not because he was bitter or anything about some sort of failed threesome.
As if suddenly remember he was still quite tired, he gave Melvin a thumbs up and then rested his head very awkwardly back on the desk.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 12:21 pm
He walked over, stopping to pick up a old shirt off the floor and fold it. Moving over, he tapped Mark's shoulder.
"I will be involved in the tracking tests of course. Send me more requirements and limitations of what you want. Also, you steal money from Lawr again and I can't guarantee good things will happen. Just given me a IOU next time if I owe you money for services rendered. Don't steal. You are a business man. Be more up front about it."
He offered the folded shirt. "Use it as a pillow. You should probably keep something to keep your neck in better condition. Invest in that instead of random things."
He set the shirt on the table and took the welder back into his, and in turn the Life Department's, custody.
Dragging Mark out for a shower would just be a failed attempt this time. He'd have to bring something more portable next time gen visited. Maybe some dry shampoo.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:41 pm
"It's not stealing," Mark retorted, "it's a service charge. I do that you know, I offer services. Actual, real, existing services."
It was amazing how he could argue when half his face was covered in desk.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:02 pm
"Hmmm." Melvin said, looking down as he rolled his face on the desk.
"I suppose so." It wasn't said with much belief, but if Mark wanted to go about providing services and making headaches for people, then that was on him. Melvin just had to be more aware that when Mark mentioned doing anything, he would have to be sure what people were involved and what bank accounts.
"I'll text you if anything comes up." He said and headed out the door. The smell had gotten to him ages ago and he was feeling a dull tingling in his nose that was worrying.
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