un: romano | text

[badlydisarmed]

Looking for a mechanic capable of fixing a prosthetic arm, altruistic introverts highly preferred, opportunistic assholes also acceptable.

Age irrelevant, but if you're a child I will comment on it.

Comments

[badlydisarmed]

No magic in my world. We're normal.

[hexcope]

Oh. I'm sorry.

[badlydisarmed]

Don't be, our average lifespan is late 70s. One of your people said yours is 40.

[hexcope]

There's factors involved in that answer you're using to judge a whole world. Vander's right in that the Undercity life expectancy might be in the 40s for the year he's from, but it's probably not that anymore in what I'd consider the current year, and the life expectancy of those from Piltover is much higher. And that's only taking humans into account. It'd tip the scales much further in our favor if we included Yordles.

[badlydisarmed]

I'm gonna go ahead that Yordles are small, got big ears, talk funny, and live hundreds of years.

[hexcope]

[Robert about to meet one of the most gullible men alive:]

You've met one??

[badlydisarmed]

Not here.

[He saw Star Wars.]

[hexcope]

Anyway, yes. That's them. Weird that you knew that.

[badlydisarmed]

Non-humans don't count when talking about human lifespans.

[hexcope]

Fine, my point still stands. Vander's from seven years in my past. Things have changed somewhat.

[badlydisarmed]

From before you revolutionized transportation?

[hexcope]

Yes.

[badlydisarmed]

Was that what you were trying to do?

[hexcope]

Well.

No.

But the impact of the Hexgates still improved lives as a ripple effect.

[badlydisarmed]

What were you trying to do?

[hexcope]

[Okay, this he has a practiced speech on.]

Manipulate the existence of the arcane into a controllable technology that any person could use regardless of their magical aptitude, and develop devices to improve people's lives. The goal was to take a resource originally only wielded by those naturally born with an inclination for it, and make it so anyone could benefit from it. A person shouldn't be beholden to the abilities, or lack of abilities, they were born with. We should be able to all forge our own paths, and having access to magic makes it all the more possible.

[badlydisarmed]

[This poor man is too nice to be in politics.]

And the wizards haven't gone after your head?

[hexcope]

Not at all. They must not mind.

[This is not at all the case.]

[badlydisarmed]

Bullshit. There's no way you didn't piss off most magic users by trying to make an inaccessible skill widely accessible.

[hexcope]

Oh, now you're an expert on magic? It's been seven years, and not a single mage has shown up on my doorstep with a cease-and-desist.

[badlydisarmed]

I'm an expert on people. You have technology that renders an exclusive skill obsolete; that means they're angry. It also must mean a bunch of rich assholes are circling you like vultures, figuring out how to make themselves richer with it.

[hexcope]

[Bingo. Here comes defensiveness.]

So what's your point?

[badlydisarmed]

I don't have one. Given your personality, it must be freeing to be here rather than there.

[hexcope]

[He's only known this guy for like, five minutes, and he's already being called out on thoughts he hasn't even voiced to anyone. Is this guy a fucking psychic?? Thankfully this is text, and the utterly obvious expressions he would be wearing aren't there to be witnessed.

And he can lie much easier.]

Of course I want to go back home.

[badlydisarmed]

[This guy couldn't possibly be a more obvious victim of his own circumstances.]

Yeah? Why?

[All of his friends, enemies and frenemies seem to be here. His groundbreaking technology is already off the ground, and if he's not there he can't be used as a political pawn.

Plus, the whole mission— "prove yourself, save your world" must be very appealing for someone like him.]