destinystrings | [OPEN] Maybe someone should call an exterminator...

Who: Agatha Heterodyne, some dingbots, and you
Where: The Pisces apartments, and possibly also the other apartments via the teleporters.
What: Agatha has built herself some small assistants. They've gotten bored and are wandering around unsupervised.
Warnings: Precocious little robots. Potential mutilation of household appliances.
OOC: Let me know in the subject line if you want the Dingbots, Agatha, or both.

[Agatha has been busy since her arrival in Hinoto-Ri. The first order of business was to build a more reliable death ray. But, as she preferred to work with assistants, she'd built a handful of dingbots before she started in on the project.

This is all well and good, but while she is occupied with tests and adjustments on her new gun, the little dingbots decided to make a few new friends. And then those dingbots decided to go exploring.

By the time Agatha looked up, she was facing a single dingbot. The rest of the room is littered with parts and tools, but all the other dingbots are nowhere to be found. ]

Oh, no....

[So, those who live in the Pisces apartments may have noticed the tiny clanks rushing about. They can be found poking around rooms, exploring the greenhouses, and perhaps even trying to be helpful by fixing or improving any small appliances they might find.

If not the clanks, perhaps you might see Agatha, wandering the apartments, peeking around corners, peering into rooms, and checking behind potted plants. She's clearly looking for something. Those with sharp eyes may notice the dingbot in her pocket.]

Ugh, why do they always run off like this?

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[Agatha follows suit, removing her shoes before steps onto the deck. The first place she checks is the pool itself, which is fortunately dingbot free.

She does not, however, notice the one peering at her from the top of the diving board.]

It looks like none of them decided to take a swim, anyway....

[Erk is deliberately looking a different direction... which means he does spot the one on the diving board. He turns his back deliberately so that he can gesture that direction without seeming to do so - he doesn't want it to get startled and slip if it sees it's been caught.]

Not yet, anyway. I hope none of them do anything dangerous; I don't know what's in this water, but it smells odd.

[He starts to stroll around the pool casually, moving slowy toward the diving board.]

[She catches on to the subtle gesture but manages not to be too obvious about it. She sniffs the air.]

It's just chemicals. Probably to keep the water clean.

[She makes a point of not looking at the diving board as she walks casually toward it.]

... Putting chemicals in the water keeps it clean?

[Erk's been reading a lot of books, but not medical ones, and Elibe isn't quite up to germ theory yet. So he's a little skeptical.

In any case, he hopes that if they're closing in on opposite sides the dingbot won't have much opportunity to escape. He'll pause at the base of the platform and look up.]

That's really not safe, you know. It would probably be best if you were to get off of there. Certain people are worried about you.

[She raises an eyebrow in surprise. Agatha's world is behind Hinoto-Ri in regards to things like computers, but is actually ahead in biology and medical science.]

Of course. It'll keep things like algae or bacteria from growing.

[The dingbot, realizing that it's been seen, glances around itself for some avenue of escape. Agatha on one side, Erk on the other. Nowhere to go. The game is over. It makes a clicking noise that sounds almost disappointed, then starts walking slowly toward the other end of the diving board. ]

[And this is where Erk decides to avoid revealing his ignorance further by not asking about what bacteria are. He makes a note to look it up later - though frankly he thinks it sounds like something to do with frogs.

So he'll just content himself with maneuvering carefully around the front of the structure that supports the diving board, so that he at least has a chance to try and catch the little clank if it falls.]

[Once it reaches the back end of the board, it climbs down rather gracefully. Then it looks up at Agatha expectantly. She scoops it up and deposits it in her remaining free pocket. Let's see, one in each pocket, and one on each shoulder...]

Hmm, I think I'm running out of room. I might have to drop these guys off in my apartment while I look for the rest.

[Erk chuckles a little at the sight of Agatha with dingbots perched all over her.]

That might be a good idea. How many was it you lost origi- whoa!

[Unfortunately, being so close to the slippery edge of the pool is kind of iffy. As he tries to maneuver back out from in front of the diving board, he slips. This leads to a lot of arm flailing as he tries to get a grip on the diving board and fails; with a yelp, he falls backward into the pool.]

Ah!

[She surges forward, trying to grab him before he falls. But it's too late, and she winces as he splashes into the pool.]

Are you okay?

[The dingbots are peering at him from her shoulders, mirroring her look of concern.]

[Thankfully, while Erk isn't the most athletic, doing bodyguard work in a medieval world means he's got some survival skills. Like, say, swimming well enough not to drown. He surfaces quickly and manages to get over to a convenient ladder.]

I'm fine, just wet.

[He brushes his dripping hair out of his face.]

If you're going to drop your friends there off at your room, I may take the opportunity to head over to mine and put dry clothes on.

[She smiles, relieved.]

Good.

[And nods at his suggestion.]

Go ahead. I'm pretty sure I've caused you enough trouble for one day. I can round up the rest of these guys on my own.

[He shakes his head, trying not to send water flying from his hair.]

It's not that much trouble, really. Well, apart from the last part there.

[He chuckles wryly, shrugging as they head for the door.]

[She laughs and follows him out.]

I really do appreciate the help though. Thank you.

Don't mention it. I'm happy to help. Besides, I would have felt guilty if that first one had actually managed to get out my window.

[He picks up his shoes. Putting them on seems kind of pointless right at the moment; it would only get them wet, and it's less dangerous to walk around barefoot in the apartment complex than it would be almost anywhere where he comes from, including indoors.]

That wouldn't have been your fault. And I would have caught up with it eventually.

[And the ones that have been caught do seem to be going along without a fuss.]

Well, yes. But even if the fall didn't damage it you'd have had a city to search, instead of a building. Even if these buildings are ridiculously large.

[Erk heads for the stairs. He's got nothing against the elevator, it seems like a fantastically convenient idea, but he thinks he can go up one flight of stairs more quickly than taking the elevator between them would go.]

You did save me the trouble of a very long search.

On that subject, if there's ever anything I can do to repay the favor, don't hesitate to ask.

Don't mention it, really. I"m happy to help.

[And he has to admit he's a little curious about Agatha and her "clanks" now - for some reason they don't seem as threatening as Hinoto-Ri's looming skyscrapers and speeding cars. Sort of an intermediate step.]

[OPEN] Maybe someone should call an exterminator...

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