doctoraphra | (no subject)

Being done with your post-vacuum-of-space bacta treatments seems like a good reason for a drink. Even if she's not supposed to – what's the worst that could really happen? Triple Zero could use her drunkenness to try to mutiny. She'll just make sure she stays here. That's easy enough.

Of course, drinking alone isn't really any better than not drinking at all, which is why Aphra has taken out of her bag the cracked, weathered pieces of an ancient seeker droid. Probably over a thousand years old, these practically littered Takodana. No one bothered picking them up after the battle the Jedi'd fought there. Which means it's worth nothing. But after two glasses of Corellian ale, it's looking like her best option for not drinking alone is to build herself a friend.

Which means the actual worst case scenario is that she'll end up building a murderdroid and forget about it in the morning.

Whether she's considered that or not, she's halfway through her third glass and sifting through the wreck of the ancient little droid.

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"You know you can get replacement parts," X offers, dropping lightly out of the rafters.

"From Bar."

"Mmmm."

She sits back and takes another swigs from her glass, then wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "And where's the fun in that, huh?"

The odds of this ending with her making a droid also greatly increase if she gets replacement (or not so ancient) parts, so. Maybe it's for the best.

X shrugs, one-shouldered and quick.

"Most humans do not think tetanus is entertaining."

"Most humans..."

She picks up her tools, keeping her eyes on the droid as she tries to think of a witty comeback. Failing that -

"...aren't me."

X does not laugh.

Or smile.

"That is usually true. For individuals."

Aphra spends a couple minutes focused on her droid, or at least keeping her eyes on it as she works, until her electrowelder emits a flare of bright green sparks.

"You just here to tell me about tetanus?"

"No," X says, after a moment of thought.

"I am also here to say hello."

Beat.

"Hello."

"Hello."

She looks up from the droid, resting an elbow on the table and her head in her hand. "Who're you?"

"I am X," X says.

"You have been here before."

"That is correct."

She waves her welder in a mildly celebratory way. "I'm Aphra."

"I know," X says, because she does.

"I listen."

"You listen to me?"

She's be flattered, if it weren't a little creepy.

Edited 2018-02-08 00:31 (UTC)

"I am not good at not hearing," X offers.

Carefully.

"It is why I am good at my job."

A pause.

"Jobs."

"And what-"

She puts down her electrowelder and picks up a tuning stylus. "- is that job?"

"Here I am Head of Security."

X pauses, head tilting very slightly.

"At home I am an X-man."

"Well -"

Aphra dips the stylus into the droid's circuits. "You've got the name for it."

"Yes," X agrees, nodding once.

Her nostrils flare a little as the scent of burnt metal fills the air. Old, burnt metal.

"But that is not why."

Aphra sets aside the tuner, then replaces the seeker droid's shell cap and pulls over the bonding tape.

"It's not the most descriptive job title," she notes, as she tugs a piece of the tape around the droid.

"It is on my world," X says matter-of-factly.

"We are mutants. That protect people."

"Mmmhmmm."

Aphra finishes with the tape, and begins fiddling just under the droid's shell.

"You're the best-looking mutant I've ever seen."

A single light on the droid flares up, pulsing for a few seconds before reaching a steady, bright red. It rises up from the table, and hovers in place.

X tilts her head, studying the repaired droid.

"Thank you," X says, because that is what you say to a compliment, right?

"Do not try to possess me. It does not end well."

"Whoaaaa..."

She leans back in her chair, and the droid lets out a few, soft clicks.

"You can slow down, chik, I'm not that dr..."

Aphra seems to lose track of what she's saying at this point, however, and rests her head in her hand, staring up at her droid. "Hmmmmm."

Edited 2018-02-14 06:14 (UTC)

X, too, looks up at the droid.

"You are waiting for it to do something?"