trans_9 | This is not fine art on my planet. [Open, see note]

With enough diligence and care, Starfire firmly believed, it was possible to learn most any skill. She wasn't always as firm with herself as she needed to be about learning things such as preparing palatable food for her crewmates, correctly understanding English idioms, or backing away when someone needed to be cheered up, but for a friend? Anything was worth the effort for a dear friend.

And Peter Parker was certainly a dear friend of hers. Now that he was away on a mission, she had the perfect opportunity to finish her gift to him. The car loss that had upset him so much on the planet would be rectified, she swore. Her method for solving this problem was, naturally, the refurbishing of his very own car.

Unfortunately for Starfire, Cyborg was the team mechanic, and he was conspicuously absent from the ship's crew. That left her and the few volunteers kind enough to assist her to finish the job. They were short on available crew, especially now that so many had regressed to childhood, but with enough effort they would finish! And she would then be free to play with the children.

Those were her thoughts as she continued with her work under the hood, carefully consulting the manual that detailed the connection of the last few wires. This was the necessary configuration for the speed he would want, yes? The tires were in place, the body was placed...after this last bit of wiring and testing, all that would remain would be the polishing and painting.

If she had any luck. In reality, she was the grease-coated alien girl floating in the middle of the Hangar, a welcome target for any and all curiosity-seekers. Even young ones, she worried.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she withdrew from the building fumes and removed sludge (now all over her) with a sigh. "I feel as though I am a regurgitated spudling."

((ooc: Open to volunteers, children, and anyone really. It takes place during the early stage of the Galileo's Burden mission, before she knows Peter is captured and about to be sacrificed.))

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"Every time I attempt to speak with her, she threatens me in some way. I would try again if she were to awaken here, though."

Starfire agreed with him, waving her little grease cloth in the air. "Yes! We will find the way somehow. It is not always easy to believe, I know, but I have found that it is worth it."

"I... see. Well, I guess I had trouble with my siblings, too. And there were about twenty of us, so there was plenty of trouble to go around."

He glanced over the car's body. "So, what's it going to look like painted? You're not going to paint flames on it or anything, are you?"

"No, but I will draw a spiderweb over the hood," Starfire explained, tracing just such a thing with her fingers. "It is his favorite design. A friend of mine has also installed spider-shaped windshield wipers and insect removal devices."

As she introduced them, one of those little metal spiders skittered across the window. No, they weren't really necessary. But 'Lash' and 'necessary' didn't seem to go together very often.

"Wow, a large family! It must have been very busy."

"Uh... so I guess you're really going all in with the spider theme, huh? Does your friend really like arachnids?"

He raised an eyebrow at the little metal spider. "Erm. What was that? Because it looked like a little spider robot."

"Well, there had to be enough of us to fulfill our mission objectives. But it was indeed quite busy. We all worked it out in the end, though. Mostly."

"Yes. They are special to him," she smiled, sure he probably wanted the particulars of that to remain a secret for the time being.

"That is because it is one. It exists to remove insects and grime from the windshield." Hey, it wasn't her idea! "Lash believed it would be cooler than a simple windshield wiper."

That in mind, she flipped her hair over her shoulder once more and resumed her work around the little spiders. When she clapped her hands a certain way, they retreated and allowed her to study the window more closely.

"Your family embarked on missions together?"

Hmm. Maybe he was an arachnologist or something. Still, painting your car like a spiderweb?

"Well, it's certainly unique. Can they be used while the car is in motion? Or do they not have the necessary traction?" He didn't recognize Lash's name off the top of his head.

"Not exactly. We were created to perform them. And we were generally only sent out in pairs, not all together. That would have severely limited the manner in which we could be deployed."

"I believe they are designed to stick to the window," Starfire tested, poking at one. Indeed, its feet stuck very firmly to the surface.

"I see. Then you are very skilled. Did you have time to enjoy yourself?" That was what she considered life. Having fun. If not...she could make some fun for him.

"Ah, how useful. And slightly frightening, should they ever choose to attack." Which, in Earth movies, they invariably did.

"Enjoy myself?" he blinked. "Enjoy myself how? You mean when I completed an objective?" Yeah, that was a no.

"Lash would not program that function!"

Oh, Starfire, don't kid yourself. She so would. She'd just make it a little fun and tricky to activate.

"In between. Did you ever...attend parties, or play?"

"Well, I think the point is for them to unexpectedly gain sentience on their own, then attack. That's how it works in films, anyway."

Parties? Had Zouichi ever attended an actual party?

...no, probably not.

"Erm... no? There wasn't really any time for either, especially in the situation we were in. That's why I was designed to rarely require sleep. It allowed me to continue working outside even when human personnel were unable to do so."

"I will have to express this concern with her. Peter does not need to be attacked by his own car."

Starfire bit her lip, looking over him in worry. All work and no play...it sounded dreadful. She would have to fix that! How strange it was that he looked so human...and yet he was designed to work for them.

"And I am certain that you work very well. But you can then use your other waking hours to enjoy yourself! You could...play a game with us, or join us at the amusement park, or join a pillow fight! You do not need to entirely focus on work here."

...look out, Zouichi. Someone's given herself a new goal.

"Unless he's very fond of spiders. In that case, it could prove to be an unexpected bonus."

"A pillow fight?" Zouichi blinked. "Well, it's not as though I only do work aboard the ship. I also weed and clean things around the Inn. Or patrol. Or carry heavy things, if someone requires help." Yes, because those are totally normal leisure-related things.

Zouichi is looking out! He just doesn't know what he's looking out for. Certainly not rogue Starfires.

"I will see to it that he is safe."

And that was that, as far as she was concerned. She would make sure Peter was happy, but it sounded like Zouichi might need some assistance in that department as well.

"Everything you have listed is also work," she pointed out, tilting her head in confusion."No, I will invite you to play with us. We will have a game night with the Outsiders!"

She'd make him laugh. Eventually.

"A... game night?" He wasn't sure that he liked the sound of that. "Well, if you feel it's necessary. But I assure you, I also perform activities that are not work. For instance, training simulations." Zouichi was sure Starfire would acknowledge this as Not Work!

Zouichi laughed! Occasionally. Sometimes. A little.

"At any rate, I should be getting back to--" Work?

"...getting back. It was very nice talking with you. I hope your friend likes the car."

"Have a wonderful time!" Starfire waved him off, very suspicious. Of course it would be work. She was very sure that it was work.

And he would be getting a break from work very soon if he didn't watch his back.

This is not fine art on my planet. [Open, see note]

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