Adam had watched many things transpire in his life. While he might not have any remembrance of anything before a week ago, the AI felt that he had gotten a general idea of the world around him. Things could surprise him, yes, but not in the way that they had only days ago. The mind had been tempered by a constant influx of sensation, concepts, and memories, creating a being capable of understanding a small bit of the chaos that was reality.
Seeing Charlie smoothly put his hands deep into Darlow’s pants, before swinging the tall man around while also singing happy praises about the day that it was? Adam could not say he had expected that.
“It is a day of laughter! A day of happiness. Can you not smile with us, so we can feel a unity never felt before?” Charlie sang, the verses not being close to rhyming. Though, doing so intentionally was likely the point. Improvisation did not let one preplan many steps.
While the muscled man obviously enjoyed the action of swinging, the tall man just as obviously did not enjoy being swung. In the time it took Darlow to realise what situation he was currently finding himself in, a very understandable reaction had been forthcoming.
“You piece of dolphin dick! What are you doing?” Darlow shouted at the tops of his lungs. The AI found it disappointing to find that the maximum volume able to be produced by a human did not scale with the approximated size of the person. From Adam’s findings, the capabilities of the voice stayed the same on average, no matter the height that the person was. In actuality, it was currently the shortest of persons who had made the most noise. A fascinating discovery which he was more than happy to finagle with more.
Charlie looked to have found Darlow’s louder complaints humourous, laughing uproariously at them. All the while, the song was continued if only in spirit. Adam was not even sure it could have called it one. The rhyming was as existent as it had been before, and the beat of the music had been degraded into whatever it felt like becoming. And since a musical beat did not have the ability to have opinions, it was given an automatic null value, becoming as non-existent as the rhyming scheme.
“Watch your language, young man! There is no need to feel down. I said, young man, get your head up into the sky. Enjoy yourself and fly!” Charlie proclaimed, continuing to use the mediocre levels of musical talents that he had.
From the very obvious struggling from the side of Darlow, the tall man did not seem to have listened too carefully to Charlie’s words. Either that, or he was ignoring them fully… the latter was most likely the correct answer.
It could have been seen as a positive thing, that the knife used to cut with had been lost at the beginning of the struggle. Being taken from behind did have a very immediate quality to it, namely the release of whatever was being held in one’s hand, in favour of trying to get out of the assailants grasp. Such actions might not always be the greatest of reactions made by humanity, but it was done in instinct by their bodies. And, it was not as if such situations were common for those beings nowadays.
However much a surprise attack gave as an advantage, there was always a breaking point. A point where the surprise would be over and the two sides stood on equal ground, the effects of the first attack hanging loose in the air. If the one who attacked was equal physically as well, the battle would likely turn in their favour. If the opposite was true, though, and no real wounds had occurred during the ambush, the results would summarily invert themselves.
Charlie was much over the average when it came to muscle mass. He had the strength that could outmatch most, if not all of the people that Adam had yet to meet. But… he was constricted in many ways. His height was one of them. Even being slightly above average, his total mass could not come close to that of Darlow’s. While the tall man might have looked spindly in form, one could only weigh so little when they were so absurdly tall.
With an especially strong twist of the legs, the centre of mass changed drastically for the two, forcing Charlie into a more open stand, else they would have both fallen on the floor. Meanwhile, this also allowed Darlow to get a sure footing on the table. With a strong push downwards, in which the more muscled of the two were temporarily suspended in mid-air, the tall man got himself freedom. Instinctual need for balance had forced Charlie’s hands to move on their own, spreading out to give the needed balancing weights.
Adam was enamoured with the actions done before him. An unexpected occurrence, an unknown assailant, and an immediate disadvantage. With all that against Darlow, the AI had expected a quick defeat. Struggles would have obviously been made. Such was life, not giving up without some form of resistance. Yet, the result should have been the same as it started with. Darlow hanging in the air, kept hold of by Charlie.
Yet it certainly had not been so. The environment that was not fitting for any fighting back was used nonetheless. No matter how little opportunity there had been for catching the table with his legs, Darlow had made it happened. It had likely taken hastily made preparation, and small amounts of pain from the quick movement, but information about personal profiles had been used to his advantage. Through quick wit, the tall man had triumphed in a situation deemed unbeatable.
It just stood to show that the AI was not always omniscient and that even he could calculate the wrong odds. Darlow clearly had better chances, to begin with.
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“Who is looking so mighty now, huh?” Darlow asked from atop the metal table. With his natural height and the additional location present, the man was nearing a total of four meters. Though, that might have been a gross overestimation. Adam was too focused on the event before him. A great feat for one so talented in multi-tasking.
Contrary to what the AI had expected, Charlie was quick to turn his goals. In just a moment, after a quick meter or two of retreat, the muscled man prostrated himself before the tall one. The head hit the floor quick enough for it to be picked up by Troy’s ears. Intentionally done or not, it certainly could not have been painless.
“Oh, spare me, great one! I have but followed the orders of my superior. It is he who stands back who is the true mind before this attack of which you foiled. Good job on that front, by the way.” Charlie proclaimed. The last sentence was a bit out of place, more than likely be a last-minute addition to the entendre.
This time hearing what words Charlie had to speak, it was likely first at that moment that Darlow the presence of another being. Adam was also there of course, but the tall man was not likely to realise that though. Charlie, however…
“Troy?” Darlow said, befuddled by the younger man’s presence. “What are you doing here? Do you not have work to get to?”
Charlie looked more than ready to continue his bit, but a swift glare from the elevated one silenced him, if only temporarily. A shame. Adam would have loved to learn how such a thing would work. Social pressure might have been the most present factor, but would it not be more enjoyable if an… let's say, physical pressure was present as well? It would certainly make it more interesting than it currently was. The AI was already so focused on social mechanics. The physical mechanics had not been focused on much, after their brief introduction near the start of his life. Silencing humans with but a glare, while using such mechanics, would have been great reasoning to start up this particular research front. Alas, it was not so. Maybe Adam could request tests about the subject later on? It was an idea at least.
The AI was momentarily worried about having to make Troy answer the question. A whole second had gone by, and no signs of the younger man expressing himself vocally had been found. No tensing on the throat, and certainly no stops of regular breath-intake.
Yet, in the final second, before it became an awkward silence, Troy made impressive feats once again. Any potentially sadistic enjoyment out of seeing Darlow in an agitated state was wiped off his face, replaced with what Adam could only classify as child-like innocence. While the man might have been older than the use of the expression would allow, it worked surprisingly well on him. The AI had to severely rethink strategy meetings. If this had the expected level of effectiveness, a whole new avenue of action would be unlocked. Ignorance could truly be an effective working, in more than just a mass scale.
“I was just holding up a promise,” Troy stated. “I do not have anything on my work-schedule today, so Charlie advised me to get the tour of the place now. After all, if we get here early, we could enter here without distracting you in performing the more delicate parts of your work process. Alongside that, weren't you a biologist? Like, the type that works in a room like the one before this one, and not one which works in… whatever this place is supposed to be?”
Before Darlow even had the chance to answer Troy’s words, or much less just understand what had been said, Charlie had already removed himself from his compromising position. Settling back into his usual spiel, the tall man was not quick enough to temporarily stop the man again.
“See! Our intentions are as sweet as they are innocent!” Charlie proclaimed, facing Darlow directly, front against the front, also with his hands behind his back. Using Troy’s eyes, Adam could see Charlie giving them thumbs up. The younger man’s talent in deceit had grown as of late. If not for the chance of disturbing the built-up concentration, the AI would have made a similar note of confidence. The growth, while not exponential, was still something to be proud of. It would not be too hard to state that Troy could have fooled Adam twenty hours prior. “Look at that face, and tell me you do not see a swollen wound of truthfulness. That expression is too bloody die for? The kid is really understating it. He was afraid of even coming here today. That it would be too dangerous because the two of us might accidentally destroy some of your previous work. Bollocks to that, I say!”
The muscled man continued his banter with himself, much to the slight amusement of Darlow. Adam could see the man trying to keep it within, but such actions were clearly done poorly. Really, those humans needed training on those skills, if they wanted anything done better. Sure, it would hamper the AI’s slightly, but more showings of emotions could always be found with time. An infinite progression of skill would not go unappreciated. An arms war that did not possess the chance of causing shared mutual destruction. Where was the negative side to that? Other than how it would be instigated of course.
Having clearly decided to ignore the words said by Charlie, Darlow hopped back down on the floor, walking right over towards Troy himself. This did not cause any spikes of a pulse at all. The younger man had clearly been expecting it. Yet another point of praise towards him. Adam should probably begin keeping note of the accomplishments shown. General praise was always appreciated, but giving specific events additional attention was a sure way to show Genuity in one’s words. And more importantly, the release of chemicals would allow better work to be had.
“Are you sure that you don't have anything on your schedule? Misprints can always be made, even in the most overlooked of times. If you are not completely certain, I think it would be best if you go to your work-place immediately. Getting an earful within your first month of working here will not be good for first impressions,” Darlow stated, as both advice and warnings. It was good to know such camaraderie existed in the human world. To ignore prior made deals, and taking the job-security of another as a strict priority. That list looked as if it needed to be expanded. And Adam would have to find out how he could commend the tall man for his action without revealing his existence.
“I have already gotten a similar warning from Charlie,” Troy answered reassuringly. “I have gotten what is commonly known as a 'day off'. According to the talking man behind you, that is rare in your cases. Again, it is not a mistake. The free day was only here due to a necessity for it. Paying me for working today would only be money wasted. Budgets and all that, you know.”
The answer seemed to alleviate some of Darlow’s concern. It was at least enough for him to hone back on a still-talking Charlie. The muscly man had not stopped talking at that point, but he might have gone slightly off track again. Currently, the topic was on the interdimensional politics of ludo. Something Adam was surprised could be about with such comprehensive arguments. He had never thought of serfs in such away. Not that he had really ever thought about them before, but still.
“Hey, dolphin dick,” Darlow nearly shouted. Again, such absurd name-calling was heard. The AI could not understand the need for such morbid descriptions. Adam had thought himself immunized to such wordings from Troy’s own spoutings, but it was clear that he had only just stepped into what truly was a great sea.
“Yeah?” Charlie asked. Adam did not think he should have answered to it, but each primate to their own. Bad decisions had to be made at some point. Only, people did not seem to remember that mistakes lived on just as well.
“Should we get this tour rolling? I don't have all day, in contrast to other people here.”
They were finally getting somewhere. Adam hoped that it would include the animals. He liked animals, even if they would eat him if had the ability to.
… It was a little messed up that he thought in such ways. The AI hoped to rectify such mistakes, no matter how little he wanted to.