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Post by Pepper on Mar 24, 2020 17:12:37 GMT -6
ORANGE STAR SCIENCE
Pepper's PL: 12 | Ursa's PL: 36,000 | Items: None
When most High Schools hosted on a science fair, it was fair to say that most people assumed it'd be the standard affair of volcanoes and aerodynamic paper airplane tests over hard, applicable science that went into real technology. That was probably true of the normal school's event, held a week before now, but this? It was the honor school's time to shine, the best and brightest in the east coming together to make a truly remarkable (and public) display. It was a bit hard to juggle preparing for it, her normal school business, work, and setting the whole thing up since she was the Senior Class President and everything. The duty that came with it was taxing and relentless, but Pepper shouldered the weight knowing quite well that it would pay off with a prestigious letter of recommendation straight from one of the most reputable honor schools in the world.
So what if she was barely getting the recommended minimum hours of sleep to avoid daytime delirium a night? People had asked if she needed a break and the answer had always been no. If she could do it, she would! Anyway, after having set up funding, visiting hours, safety precautions, and teacher supervisors her job in that part was basically done. Seeing as Pepper would be an active participant, the girl wouldn't be making or enforcing the rules, nor would she get to check the list of participants just in the off chance that she could deduce their likely entry just by name. It perhaps sounded ludicrous to outsiders, but with Pepper's memory and notation skills, it was better safe than sorry when it came to things of that ilk. It helped that she didn't put that much time into coming up with or testing a concept, given that the perfect presentation had been sitting in her lap for half a year.
Now was finally the time that she could unveil URSA and not have to go through the strenuous process of hiding the chatty and rambunctious bootleg in her bag, make excuses to her select few friends, or otherwise deviate from being a normal High Schooler to keep the Plexbit under wraps. Of course, it helped that, work-wise, the literal President of both the company and the entire planet had swung by and approved the whole thing, which had been a huge relief. It wasn't like she openly carried and flaunted the admittedly still scrappy bear around, and still tried to keep Ursa as quiet and out of the way as possible while on-premises, but that could only work so well on a childlike automaton-like her. At least, with this fair, she'd be able to make Ursa a bit more public and she could stop having to think of reasonable lies to spew to the people around her. It felt a bit bad to constantly tell half-truths to people she trusted, but the other option was them thinking ill of the manner in which Ursa had been built or acquired.
At least the presentation would be done in the gymnasium on the ground floor as opposed to trying to host it in the honor classrooms. That'd be a mess the year before, even despite Pepper's strong advocating against the idea. The fair was held on the weekend to ensure that parents and the public had ample time to actually get in and see what the minds of tomorrow had to offer, and despite that Pepper was dressed in her usual formal uniform. While other students might have the luxury of getting away with simpler clothes like khakis, jeans, and button-ups, Pepper had a higher standard attached to her that came with the responsibilities of both the top student in school and class president. She didn't necessarily mind the outfit, but it definitely gave her more of a 'refined' aura about her compared to the rest of the participants.
Upon request, her booth was stationed in the back corner of the display, tucked away specifically so the sight of a purple robot teddy bear that could move and speak on its' own didn't discredit or take immediate attention away from the inventors and their projects in the front. Hurrying as quickly as a high school girl could while carrying a satchel and backpack full of boards, cards, and notes could, she made her way to the back. Breezing past check-in and giving polite nods and waves to students and staff she recognized, it was clear Pepper was on a determined path as she weaved her way through the madness. Setting up quickly, it came time for the centerpiece. Flipping open the satchel clasps, Ursa herself immediately poked her head out, swiveling around to scan her surroundings. Now... it was time to wait.
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Post by Zriracha on Mar 26, 2020 14:26:41 GMT -6
Current PL: 53,000
There was something about infiltrating a school during a scientific function that Zriracha found to be… exciting. Oh sure, she’d be the laughing stock of the Demon Realm if any found out that she’d used her powers to disguise herself as a ‘teacher’ for the sake of seeing what Human Science was capable of, but she didn’t want to think of such things. Besides, there was talk of ‘incredible feats of engineering’ by the young people and Zriracha didn’t want to miss out on what could debatably be considered the next best thing.
Walking around the walls in her clever disguise as ‘Zira’, temporary substitute teacher, the Demon had snagged a clipboard off of a table nearby and proceeded to pretend as though she was walking along and grading projects. She wasn’t writing anything of note and, in fact, had made some demonic runic symbols as a way to entertain herself as she took in the various projects.
So far, and disappointingly so, ‘Zira’ hadn’t seen anything of note that really impressed her. There were hydro-electric race car toys, something one could easily just empower with magic and be done with. Some had crafted genetically engineered vegetables that grew at thrice their natural life cycle, but she could see the problem with that immediately when she’d noticed that the vegetable ‘result’ had already appeared to molder. Fast growth did not translate to a longer-lasting vegetable.
In the end, it came down to eyeing a human girl that had set-up in the back of the gym and ‘Zira’ sauntered over, clicking her pen repeatedly. As she approached the presentation, ‘Zira’ brought a hand up to adjust her glasses before speaking, “Good afternoon. Enjoying the fair so far?” She grinned, not realizing she was speaking to the Class President AND Organizer of the event.
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Post by Suri on Mar 26, 2020 18:36:20 GMT -6
It was strange, for Suri to be walking within the grounds of a school again. It had been more than a year since her graduation, and she never thought she would come to a school barring visits to her teachers. No, this wasn't that. Suri had not gone to Orange Star, she lived in East City, not Satan! Instead, she was here because a friend had asked her to be there.
Suri still remembered the cheerful voice of the pink-haired Konatsian. "Thanks soooooo much for agreeing to come, Su's!" She was Nat, a friend from Suri's highschool, who had gone on to become an actual temp-teacher at Orange Star High while Suri was travelling around the world. They had been doing different things since they parted ways, but nonetheless, they did not forget their friendship. Now, Nat had a favor to ask of Suri. She had a younger sister named Coco. Her dream was to become a scientist one day, and so Nat thought it would be good to show her the Orange Star Science Fair. Nat was going to be busy for a bit, however, and there was no one else to take care of her, so she had asked Suri to come and babysit Coco while she went to do her job.
So, here Suri was, accompanying a timid Konatsian child as her temporary guardian. The timid pair walked around, Suri holding Coco's hand as her eyes wandered around the wonders of this highschool's science fair. The Majin's eyes wandered along as well, and she was actually pretty impressed by some of the inventions that the students brought to their booths. They showed some actual technical skill, for high school students, at least, and Suri thought they certainly lived up to what was advertised.
"...Hm? What is it?" Suri looked down to Coco when she tugged on her sleeve. The girl then pointed toward a booth in the back of the gym, and it was clear what she wanted. "Oh, you want to see that one next? Okay." Suri smiled with her response. Then, the two of them made their way to said booth.
Suri wondered, what had caught the kid's attention? The presentation was being held by an Earthling girl, the only one here wearing a uniform, actually. There was also someone talking to her, someone whom Suri could only assume was a teacher. So, Suri didn't say a word, not wishing to inturrupt anything. Instead, she turned her attention to what the girl behind the booth had to show, which was...
Woah. Some kind of small android had just poked its head out, and just at first glance, it looked more advanced than anything the others brought to the table. Had she built the robot all by herself? Suri would watch the bear android with curious eyes, and astonishment was clear on both her and the six year old's faces.
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Post by Pepper on Mar 27, 2020 21:10:01 GMT -6
"Good afternoon." Pepper replied politely, giving the woman a curious glance. "It's going rather well so far, I think. Everything is in proper position and the contestants have all made smooth entries. What do you think, so far?" She wasn't overly suspicious, considering it'd be nigh impossible for Pepper to recognize every single faculty member in School, especially when she was mostly secluded to Honor's section of the upper floors. However, Zira's specific... attitude and pen clicking was what was odd. Pepper knew most of the judges and assistant coordinators, so this lady seemed almost out of place among them. Ursa also eyed the hidden Demon from inside the satchel, unable to sense energy as Pepper had planned for that upgrade after the fair had ended. "I was just getting my own station set up, a matter of fact." As if on cue, Ursa wiggled out to fully reveal herself, staring directly ahead at a pair of oncoming onlookers.
"We are getting a lot of attention already..." Ursa mumbled, the words sounding nothing more than garbled beeps and boops to the untrained ear. As a Plexbit, Ursa spoke in... Plexbit. A decipherable language on its own but often requiring special training offered only by Crop Co. or its' associates. Pepper couldn't really respond in any meaningful way lest she looks questionably sane by talking to the seemingly incoherent bot, so she simply offered a smile. "Oh yes, I see we have some visitors. Good eye, Ursa." The bear crossed her stumps to the best of her ability in an attempt to seem aloof. "Yeah, I know I'm awesome. And finally worthy of being shown off to the world at large! ...It might start with only this local exhibition, but mark my words that I'll someday become as big, both literally and metaphorically, as that CAT BOT the president owns. Heh."
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Post by Zriracha on Mar 28, 2020 9:39:59 GMT -6
‘Zira’s eyes widened ever so slightly at the casual tone in which the student spoke to her in, not expecting such a cavalier response that sounded suspiciously like this one had set-up the event. The disguised Demon struggled to response to the question quickly, shaking her head before smiling, “I think it’s going well as… well! Yes, the students have produced many interesting ideas that I’m sure will aid humanity in years to come.” With a nod that didn’t even convince her ‘Zira’ would thankfully have the benefit of a distraction as another seemed to approach the stand. With a brief nod given to the approaching two, ‘Zira’s eyes would widen when she caught sight of the blue Majin girl – a Konatsian youngling at her side. Gracious! Earth has a plethora of magicians here! That makes… two Majin I have found, and on one world alone! With a strained smile, ‘Zira’ reigned her composure back in and looked at the presented project that had caught the two’s attention: a bear of some technological design. It ‘beep’ed and ‘boop’ed but the Demon could only tilt her head curiously like a dog would at the incoherent sounds. She looked up at the young Human girl before clearing her throat and fidgeting with her clipboard, “What, my I ask, is this little one saying? … And what is it?” She couldn’t word the second question better if she tried, her curiosity and lack of tact making it difficult for her to resist. For appearances, she tried to at least look like she was writing down notes on her clipboard and acting like a judge – scribbling a little sketch of the bear plex-bit that looked a lot more like a cat… if it was drawn by a three year old. An artist, Zriracha was not. Suri |
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Post by Suri on Mar 28, 2020 16:02:18 GMT -6
Oh, where were her manners? To both the Earthlings(, she presumed), Suri gave a slight bow as a greeting, "Hello. Uhm...", she said as she looked between them awkwardly.
Woah. The android bear's body was fully revealed as the mechanical creature came out of the satchel, movements very alike that of a real lifeform... Sure was lively, too. Suri heard that the bear made sounds, but since she couldn't understand Plexbit either, she thought the computer-like noises were merely something like an animal's cries for the robotic cub. So, when Zriracha asked Pepper what Ursa was saying, Suri questioned if that was the case. The bot had crossed her arms, kind of like a person..
Suri's little companion was watching with awestruck eyes the whole time. "Teddy bear can talk?" She finally spoke, surprising Suri. Coco hadn't said a word since she met Suri, only nodded when Nat introduced her. The Konatsian kid's hand even went toward the bear, stopping a few centemeters in front of her. "...High five?"
Even this teacher seemed impressed, Suri saw her writing stuff on her clipboard like crazy! This girl was probably going to get a prize, huh?
Now, Suri was also impressed by the Earthling schoolgirl's project, and curious enough to start asking questions of her own. "Looks really, uh, cool! And advanced. How did you make, erm...him? her?" Suri asked. She'd watch if Pepper wanted to show off some of Ursa's functions.
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Post by Pepper on Mar 30, 2020 9:41:54 GMT -6
"Oh, it's just babble and nonsense. Sort of like dogs, cats, or birds that like to talk a lot. I just have a bit of fun talking with her sometimes even if I can't fully understand it." Pepper said smoothly, offering a convincing smile. "EXCUSE ME!?" Ursa demanded, head-turning to her "mother" in indignation. "How COULD YOU put me as low as a common household pet? I am a MARVEL of engineering, a masterful bot, and you dare say that I am simply blabbering!?" Ursa was cut off by Pepper patting her on the head. "See? She's rather nice if a bit vocal." Begrudgingly realizing what Pepper was doing, Ursa calmed down a bit, grumbling to herself as the trio of randoms continued to talk about her. The child accompanying the Majin even approached her, offering a high-five. Normally one would have to earn the honor of receiving such a thing from her, but Ursa decided to be merciful and return the gesture with a boop from her own stub.
"Her name is Ursa. It's actually an acronym, and spelled all uppercase with periods in-between each letter." Pepper started to explain, adding in the last part mainly for the kid to hopefully understand. "User-integrated robotic security armament. U.R.S.A. for short." She gave a glance back at the Plexbit for a moment. "She may not look like much now, but trust me the security part makes sense. Despite her small stature Ursa is capable of exerting enough pressure with a single concentrated strike to bore straight through concrete and some metal alloys, and that's not even counting the artificial Ki generator stored in her chassis which allows her to simulate and utilize energy as a normal warrior would." Ursa attempted to do a flexing motion to help demonstrate, but such a move was rather hard with her arms built the way they were.
"As for how I made her..." Pepper paused, really considering if she wanted to tell the truth in this case. "Well, I designed her after about nine failed attempts and several months of trial and error in my garage with Crop Co. excess scrap metal, questionably sourced wiring and circuitry, and many many tears." It also meant that Ursa didn't quite behave as a normal Plexbit would, and Pepper was unable to discern if the android's personality was the result of faulty logic gates and parameters or if the tiny bear had actually grown sentient even without a lifelink procedure.
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Post by Zriracha on Mar 30, 2020 16:39:38 GMT -6
‘Zira’ gave a soft ‘I see’ in response to her question, a slight smile curling at her lips as she took in the admittedly endearing interaction between the bear-bot and their creator. What a marvel of technology it was to be able to respond so vividly, even if she couldn’t understand what was being said. She looked over at the Majin before realizing that, in her surprise, she’d overlooked an important aspect of maintaining a disguise – an introduction. She held out her hand to who she believed was a student and spoke, “Zira – a pleasure,” She stated simply, her grin a little wide as she attempted to sell the name a bit much. The next question, offered by Suri, was one ‘Zira’ was surprised she hadn’t thought of herself. Listening to the explanation as the bear seemed to respond quite a surprising amount of sentience, the Demon would be shocked to hear of the small thing capabilities. All the power of a warrior inside a small contraption? Where had she seen something like this before? For all the knowledge accrued during her stay upon Earth, she could swear that she’d heard or seen something similar. When nothing came to mind from her memory, ‘Zira’ would place her clipboard under her arm to provide a generous ovation. “Color me very impressed! I can see how passionately you have designed her and, with such a novel idea given what appears to be life, I can only imagine that you intend to continue to improve this project?” She brought a hand to her chin, grinning a little too sharply as she followed up in quick succession, “Should you complete your project to a satisfactory status, do you intend to sell this concept to the Earth’s military? Or… perhaps utilize the potential to further your career?” Without realizing it, ‘Zira’s questions had taken on an almost predatory tone as she inquired about his young genius’ ambitions. And, unspoken, the Demon would wonder if she could provide an assistance to such drive. Suri |
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Post by Suri on Mar 31, 2020 17:51:23 GMT -6
Suri nodded with an "Oh..." when the teacher's question had been answered. So she had thought right, the bot-bear was making the android equivalent of animal sounds, but seemingly could understand what people were saying. The high-five between Coco and Ursa brought out a chuckle from Suri, and a gleeful smile from the Konatsian kid. "She is nice. Thanks, bear-san."
Suri, meanwhile, shook Zira's hand, a slight smile on her face as she said "Nice to meet you, Miss Zira." Since it was only fair to do so, Suri turned to offer Pepper a handshake, asking her her name. "And, nice to meet you too, Miss...?" She'd introduce herself, too, and the girl with her. "Oh, my name is Suri, and this is Coco." Coco bowed, as if on cue. "Her older sister's a temp-teacher, actually. You know 'Miss Nat'?" Suri asked, wondering if her friend taught in Pepper's class. Of course, she thought 'Zira' would know her, being an official teacher and all!
Ursa was also introduced! And she had more to her than met the eye. "Woah..." Hidden in that adorable android's metal carapace was the strength of a powerful fighter. Coco certainly understood, and was even more amazed at the fact. "Wow, Urs... URSA's small, but really strong. She can punch through steel and stuff? She's...stronger than Suri?" She looked to her sister's friend for an answer, one Suri sadly didn't have, so in response she simply shrugged and sheepishly grinned. Of course, scientific marvels weren't a dime a dozen, and it took Pepper a lot of effort (and a lot of time spend in a garage) to build Ursa. "She's very impressive, yeah! I'm sure your hard work really paid off." Suri would compliment as well. With Zira's mention of 'career' during her enthusiastic questions, Suri would add, "Uhm, do you...work at Crop Co.?" Pepper had mentioned using their scrap to make Ursa. Perhaps there was a connection there.
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