failedpromise: (Default)
failedpromise ([personal profile] failedpromise) wrote in [community profile] apocalypsehowcomm2022-04-27 12:49 am

Very late monthly log

Who: Cortana and ...you?
When: Throughout April
Where: Various places
Summary: Various shenanigans throughout the month
Warnings: Will warn in threads



A)

Last month's attack had left Cortana ...shaken. Her current body allowed her to influence and interact with the physical, human world, but it was as fragile and vulnerable to damage as the organics that surrounded her, and she had neither prometheans nor spartans to rely on for protection.

It was time to learn to protect herself.

Fortunately, she already had an understanding of how to use the pistol she was practicing with at the shooting range. Unfortunately, understanding was all she had: aside from the MAC guns on a starship, she'd never actually fired a gun until now. The recoil was more than she'd expected-she was used to John's perspective and his spartan strength, weapons barely moving in his oversized hands.

She'd never realized just how heavy even a pistol could feel.

It threw her aim off at first, but she was designed to adapt and her practice is persistent: several days this month she won't be able to be found people watching in the canteen during her lunch break or in the IT department working late like usual, instead spending her time on floor B3 shooting at targets. It doesn't take her long to achieve a deadly level of accuracy but even then she keeps coming back at least once daily, shooting with an obsessive focus.

It's a little excessive, honestly.

B)

Cortana was starting to regret agreeing to teach cybersecurity class.

Today's crop of students were almost universally uninterested and unwilling to engage: she'd already caught several sleeping or trying to text with their phones under the table.

"So." And the current subject of her ire?

They were ignoring the lecture in favor of ogling her tits.

"Tell me: How long do you think it took them to recover from those cyberattacks?" She came to a stop in front of the person in question, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down at them.

Enjoy watching her grill this idiot. Or perhaps you are the idiot?

C)

Do you really think Cortana wouldn't check out the fair?

One of the first places she visits is a face painting booth. It seems to be mostly popular with the kids, but she's not going to let that stop her. She never had a childhood! Let her live a little.

The painter is trying to paint a butterfly on her cheek. Key word, trying. Cortana just can't seem to stay still. She's fidgeting and twitching and trying her hardest not to laugh but she really can't help but release little snorts and giggles at the feeling of the paintbrush against her ...skin? She looks human enough right now, even if her face is still very recognizable.

She's certainly as ticklish as one.

Later, she can be found playing games. The dunk tank seems to be a particular favorite, but she's having fun with several others too... even if her throwing accuracy isn't nearly as good as her shooting accuracy.
worthallthis: (thinking)

B

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-06 06:22 am (UTC)(link)
Winter has been absent from the shooting range for a few days, and so has missed the first part of Cortana's attempts at training herself. He comes in at last, limping and looking tired, and frowns in surprise at seeing her there.

"Cortana?"
worthallthis: (interested-sarge)

I sure did mean A, don't mind me it was late >.>

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-07 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
He might have waited for a moment when she's not actively firing to make his presence known, too. He does actually known something about gun safety. He tilts his head when she looks at him. "I didn't know you wanted to learn to shoot."

A glance at the target, and he adds, "I didn't know you knew how to shoot."
worthallthis: (thinking)

Re: Lol it happens

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-11 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
He knows what a Spartan is now, but he's not sure what a neural interface is. "In one?" he asks, baffled.
worthallthis: (wary)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-14 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
"I know what AI is," Winter says, still frowning. "I didn't know it could. Live inside a human brain. Nervous system. Whatever." The frown turns a little worried. "What year are you from? In your world." He doesn't... think there are any weird things in his brain that HYDRA could have used to control him. Though that would explain the trigger words.
worthallthis: (guilty)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-17 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Winter doesn't think he's got an AI in him now, or that Cortana might ever do that or want to, if she could. But he can certainly imagine HYDRA wanting to take as many paths to control him as possible.

He also has a brief flash of a face on a screen, green, flickering. Horrible round eyes like glasses and a terrifying, fussy voice.

He shudders a little. "Probably not a thing they can do. Where I come from, then. Too far in your past. HYDRA would have, if they could have. The ones who owned me. They wanted to control the world."
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-26 10:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Wasn't worried you were going to," he assures her, and scrubs the flesh hand over his face once before settling again. "And HYDRA isn't here. I'm pretty sure. I looked. I keep looking, just in case I missed something. If I ever find anything from HYDRA. I will destroy it."

That won't help him if some Fear Entity picks the trigger words out of his head, somehow. But if he worries about that all the time, he'll be useless.
worthallthis: (thinking)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-05-28 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
"We have enough to worry about without them, too," Winter agrees soberly.

Which brings him around to the thing he'd wanted to ask since walking in on her. "Is that why you're shooting now? Do you want to be a field agent, too?"
worthallthis: (friendly)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-06-02 05:36 am (UTC)(link)
Absolutely reasonable, in his estimation, and he nods in understand and approval. But: "Having a gun also means someone can take it from you. Do you want to learn how to defend yourself without it?"
worthallthis: (Default)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-06-03 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"I teach," Winter offers. "Every day I'm in the gym. I could teach you. Basics first-- how to fall, how to escape, how to hit for just long enough for you to run away. Actual fighting comes once you've mastered that."
worthallthis: (smilesmall)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-06-09 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, good. Anything to help his people stay alive, in this place. Winter steps back, tilting his head to the gym next door. "I can show you a couple things now, if you want. I don't have another student today."
worthallthis: (smilesad)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2022-06-12 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Finish up in here, and then come back out into the gym," Winter says, looking satisfied. "I'll show you how to stretch out, and then start you on how to fall without hurting yourself."