001 » with my legs up on the dashboard

[receptacles]

TFLN OVERFLOW.

for caelus at receptacles.

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[cyborgranger]

[While Boothill isn't the brightest crayon in the box, he certainly understands how to get under a man's skin. Wounding someone's pride is a surefire way to get them fired up and ready to prove you wrong. This is something he is very familiar with. The ranger couldn't help but smirk as Caelus brought over his toolkit. He'll let the fella tinker on him for a little bit. He trusts the trailblazer enough not to kill him, at least.]

I better be fine, or else it's your behind!

[He warns before snacking on another bullet. While it appears that Boothill is simply sitting back and munching, the cyborg is performing a thorough diagnosis. That explains why his eyes begin to flash red even though he is not in combat mode. Despite the damage, his vitals appear to be in good condition. That's an honest relief. However, the damage he sustained has fried some of his internal circuitry. Certain nerves aren't working properly after being shelled several times by that intergalactic shotgun.]

Talk about havin' rum luck.

[He grumbles as his diagnosis check concludes. Just as he was about to warn Caelus, he was distracted by the trailblazer's little gesture there. His internal wiring might be damaged, but he certainly felt that. Boothill lets out an amused huff as he looks at Caelus.]

Why thank ya kindly~! However, all the praise doesn't go to just little old me. I had some help here and there.

[He smirks.]

You really love tinkering on stuff, don't you?

[receptacles]

[ He'd probably be a bit embarrassed if he realized that Boothill still has sensation in his leg right now. As it is, Caelus just serenely starts in on the repairs, wiping the area clean with a soft cloth before he begins the rewiring in earnest. There's a faint smile playing about his lips; he seems to be in a good mood. ]

Yeah. Did Dan Heng tell you about my situation? ...He probably didn't, he doesn't say much.

[ Modern technology has advanced to a point where Caelus can do this pretty safely without any particular protective equipment — the tool in his hands will join the metal wires in Boothill's leg together without frying the Trailblazer's fleshy fingers, and he doesn't need to shield his eyes from the searing heat, either. Inorganic surgery is a lot more fun than organic surgery — since Boothill isn't going to die from the damage he's sustained, Caelus can take his time with mending all the breaks, and it's actually very soothing, like solving a puzzle. ]

I've got amnesia, so I don't remember anything past the last year or so. [ There's a lot more to this story, but Caelus figures Boothill doesn't need to hear all of it; he skips over the details. ] I had to learn how to do a lot of things, but for some reason, tinkering with machinery was something I knew how to do as soon as I woke up.

[ He's not as fast as Doctor Friedrich, but the work he's doing is excellent enough. It might even be a bit of a shame that he's being so careful, given that Boothill is probably just going to get himself forked up again within the week. ]

I don't know if I liked it or not, before this... but I guess I like it now?

[cyborgranger]

[A man could get used to this type of treatment. Caelus is exceptionally skilled with his hands, in more ways than one. Boothill lets out a thoughtful hum as he recalls his first encounter with Dan Heng. To be honest, it didn't go particularly well, especially since he was pointing a gun at the poor guy's face. While the almighty pistol is a great negotiation tool, Dan Heng didn't seem pleased with it.

Oh well! That's all under the bridge now.]

Your friend is the strong, silent type. He ain't much for talkin', but he's a nice enough fella.

[However, it would have been nice if Dan Heng mentioned anything about it. Boothill could not help but stare in disbelief as Caelus revealed his amnesia. Unlike Caelus, he relies solely on his memories to stay warm at night. Boothill lost everything when the IPC arrived at his door. The only thing he has left in his life are the treasured memories he strives to preserve.]

Holy forkroni! [He blinks his eyes owlishly at Caelus. This no way he's telling the truth here. No possible way.] You swear you're tellin' the truth, and nothing but the truth?

[It's not as if Caelus would have any reason to lie about something like this, but amnesia? Really? Boothill is dumbfounded.]

You're a stronger man than me! I would be flippin' out if I couldn't remember who the hell I was.

[receptacles]

[ Boothill's reaction makes Caelus laugh a little. It's not a bad thing. The fact that he can react with such vehemence is probably proof that the Galaxy Ranger really is a good person, past the bluster and the troublemaking. Or maybe it's just that he can't imagine what it must be like to go through life without the precious memories that drive him. ]

Is it that weird? Haha. [ Caelus shakes his head. ] Yeah, I'm not kidding, it's true. I guess I never thought it was that strange because March has amnesia too. The girl with the pink hair and the bubblegum face — you saw her for a sec, I think? Maybe having amnesia makes it easier to decide to be a Nameless.

[ That's two people with amnesia! On the same train! Serenely, he returns to his work with reconnecting Boothill's leg to his knee socket. The soft hum of the soldering pen going off punctuates his sentences. ]

It's different, though. 'Cause in movies and books and stuff, people always regain their memories eventually, right? Or they find out they have family or whatever. Like March might still have a family out there in the galaxy somewhere. We don't know.

[ Zap. Zap. Zap. ]

...I met the people I was with before I had amnesia already. It's kind of complicated, but I guess they don't need me with them anymore. And I don't think I'm gonna remember that time again. So I just have to move on, I guess.

[ Slowly, Boothill's leg starts to regain full control of its functions. Caelus is holding the man by the ankle like he's a princess awaiting a glass slipper. The Trailblazer looks up and smiles sheepishly. ]

It's just kind of weird.