They say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is... [Open]

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Another day, another patrol; by now, Zouichi was accustomed to the layout of the ship, and though nothing in particular seemed to be amiss (well, beyond the ordinary conflicts and problems, of course), he dutifully canvassed what areas he was assigned. His bike ran smoothly and quietly, and using it to get around made things a little easier. On the occasions when riding wasn't an option, however, he'd simply sling it over his shoulder and carry it along (that was what the handle was for).

He stopped to chat with people he ran into along the way, but at the end of the ride, he found himself wandering about in an area of the City he'd not yet visited. Which is how he ran into the Parthenon, not a crumbled ruin as it had been in his own time, but fully restored (or perhaps it had simply not yet had time to fall into disrepair). He looked up at the stone structure, curious. A relic of a time when people believed in divine beings as patrons of their cities.

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[fattynoparents]

Chell was apartment hunting.

Having abandoned the crew quarters and deciding that being a full-time hangar hobo (and sleeping in an X-Wing, not that she knew what it was called) was unacceptable, she'd taken to the city with the intent of scouting out a suitable new place to live.

Her efforts thus far had proved largely unsuccessful.

That was, until she'd come upon this GLORIOUS BUILDING. It wasn't a very practical home, sure, but perhaps a good place to crash while on her search. The historical and mythological significance was, unfortunately, completely lost on her.

She liked standing at the top of the steps, looking out over the City with her hands on her hips. It made her feel important.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Zouichi caught sight of Chell, and waved a little in greeting, setting down the bike and making his way up the stairs after her to check out the view. She had to be standing up there for something, right?

"You look well. Are you a fan of old Earth architecture?" He put up a hand to shade his eyes, looking back over his shoulder at the City. The temple itself was quite impressive, of course, but being able to look out at the buildings and trees made it strike home how large the place really was. Or, depending on your frame of reference, how small; this was only one area in a very large ship.

[fattynoparents]

She waved back, always glad to see a friendly face, and began jogging down the stairs to meet him in the middle.

Truthfully, Chell did not remember a whole lot of iconic Earth architecture, but she knew a cool building when she saw it. This was a cool building.

Bounding down the last step (at least to where Zouichi was standing), she raised both arms in an exaggerated shrug, peering past him to where he'd left the motorcycle.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

He blinked. "Ah... not a big fan of the arts? Well, the view's nice, isn't it?"

Zouichi noticed her looking in the direction of the bike. "Oh, that's right. You haven't met Fuyu yet, right? Would you like to?"

[fattynoparents]

At the mention of a name, she vaguely wondered if he was referring to another person, but no. Definitely the bike. Well, that ways okay. Maybe he just liked the motorcycle so much that he named it. After Lirath, she'd become at least a little more familiar with the vehicles.

So sure, why not? She nodded, offering a small smile.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Yes. That was totally what it was. Zouichi slipped back down the steps, toward the sleek black vehicle. A hologram blinked into existence over the handlebars; it was the miniature image of a young woman with pale hair, currently only about six inches tall.

Fuyu waved at Chell with one holographic hand. "Hello! I'm Fuyu. You're Chell, right?"

[fattynoparents]

The appearance of the hologram took her completely by surprise, and she stepped back, trying to make sense of the tiny woman projected from the motorcycle.

An AI. Instantly her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded affirmatively, regarding the projection with no small amount of suspicion.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"We're partners," said Zouichi, obviously not comprehending why Chell would be suspicious of computers at all and misunderstanding completely the source of her discomfort. "Don't worry, it's just a normal hologram. She's not psychic or anything." UNLIKE THE SHIP

"How is Wheatley?" Fuyu asked. "Zouichi tells me that the two of you are friends."

[fattynoparents]

She nodded slowly, still eying the tiny hologram with wariness. AIs were AIs, dude, partners or not.

When it came to Wheatley, and as much as she wanted to stay angry, there was a very large part of her that just wanted give it up. They were stuck together for the long haul, after all. It was just so...hard, and her discomfort clearly showed on her face at the mention of the construct's name.

She tried to shake it off with a shrug.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

How could you, Chell. Did you secretly hate Zouichi, too? Well?

Fuyu looked a little concerned at Chell's expression, glancing back to Zouichi. WASN'T WHEATLEY CHELL'S FRIEND HE WAS ACTING LIKE HE WAS "Oh, well. Um, I heard about your portal device. It sounds like a wonderful invention."

"I told her about the setting you created in the Sensoriums," Zouichi explained. "We didn't have anything like it back on my version of Earth."