You just keep on trying till you run out of cake. [hackerman sam flynn]

[radical_cowgirl]

[Dated August 25th]

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Edward fell backwards into the sand, arms straight up in the air as Jarvis' voice rang through her headphones again. Fail! Fail! FAIL! Edward was failing again and her entrance to the super-secret Stark computer was denied in the voice of a snooty AI-man. The lines of code in her goggles danced across her vision like a pesky leaf blowing in the wind that Edward couldn't catch. Or another meteor-hole the father-person has to add to the map.

A moving target.

A wet nose pressed against her cheek and she flipped her goggle-monitors onto her head to look at Ein. With a little yip he nudged at her again, then dropped his wet-cold nose to the ground where a perfect throw-fetch stick was waiting.

"Again?" There was a yip for yes, Ein had waited nicely for her to finish failing and now it was find-it-fetch-it time. "Ein, Edward's trying to worrrrk." But Ein yipped firmly and so, with a sigh, Edward stood and after spinning circles in place until she was dizzy she released the stick, flinging it as far-far as she could. It landed in the water and Ein gave her a look that clearly indicated that he was unamused by that fact.

Edward, on the other hand, went back to her computer set-up, her precious Tomato perched on top of her suitcase, shaded by a rainbow-colored umbrella, her little satellite pointed at the sky. Ein gave Edward a final look and then pranced out to the water's edge, waiting for the wave to bring the stick close before darting out and grabbing it in his jaws.

Realizing that Edward wasn't going to play he satisfied his canine urges by flinging the stick up with a jump and a twist, following after to pick it up. He kept repeating the process. If Edward wouldn't play, Ein would play alone. Anyone who saw them would see a girl at a computer and a Welsh Corgi... playing fetch with himself.

Comments

[improvises]

It was some sight to take in, that was for sure. Between the little satellite-topped umbrella and the dog who'd apparently worked out how to play fetch with itself, Sam almost didn't know, stumbling upon the pair as he wandered down the beach, which to pay attention to first. The stick landing near his feet decided that for him pretty quickly, though, and he wasn't going to object. While he was beginning to think more and more these days that something was trying to make him miss his own dog, he couldn't mind that too much when the island was host to a ridiculous number of adorable pets, this one included.

"Here, boy, you wanna play?" he asked, grinning, before he picked up the stick and gave it a good, long toss, then wandered over to the girl at the computer. Tempting as it was to find out what she was doing — God, it had been ages since he'd even had a computer in his hands, let alone accomplished anything with one — he didn't yet try to look, instead just raising his eyebrows as he looked down at her. "He yours?"

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

Ein barked happily when the human picked up his stick. He wasn't often like this, but sometimes he just wanted to play with a stick. Usually, Edward helped and was happy to, but when she went off into her computer world, well, Ein made do. And today, that meant playing cute for the new human.

Of course when he looked back and saw that the human was moving over to talk to Edward he wondered how long his luck would last.

Edward on the other hand, kept her head down and continued to type. "Ein is Ein's, he stays with Edward, though." It was funny, she thought, how everyone assumed that Ein was owned. Ein was like Edward, he went where he wanted to, when he wanted to. If you couldn't own people, how did you own dogs?

[improvises]

"And Edward is... you?" Sam guessed, eyebrows raising. It was an odd way of putting it, sure, but unless the girl — no more than a kid, really — was randomly referring to someone whom Sam had never met, it was the best guess he had. Stranger things had happened than someone talking in third person, anyway (or a girl having a name more commonly attributed to guys, for that matter). On the technically nonexistent scale of quirks, it didn't rank too highly. "Ein, huh? He's cute."

As for the computer, Sam had been a CS major, at least for a little while; he was more than used to being talked to without someone's gaze lifting from their computer screen. It did make him wish for one of his own, though, fingers flexing instinctively at his sides. He'd have to ask what she was doing, when it didn't seem like too many questions on top of each other.

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Edward. Is. Edward." She pointed at herself with a flourish and went back to typing furiously, erasing all the code she'd just written, and writing new. She was going to get into the Stark-man's computer someday, she just was. "And who is the person-person?" A hand pointed at Sam and then was held out, palm up.

As if summoned, or just really observant, Ein darted over to deposit the stick in Edward's hand. "Throw, please." Edward held the stick out to Sam. Better to delegate, she thought she was onto something.

Ein just took a few steps in the likely throwing direction and sat, waiting patiently.

[improvises]

It was all a bit odd, but amusingly so. Seeing no reason not to comply with the request, Sam took the stick and gave it another long toss, chin lifting slightly as he watched it cut through the air before lowering again. This time, though, he gave in, crouching near Edward's side, though far enough off that it wouldn't seem like he was trying to read the code she was typing. Some people could be touchy about that sort of thing.

"I'm Sam," he answered, then gestured towards the screen, clearly interested, though not wanting to intrude. "So what are you trying to do?"

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

Pausing, Edward looked up at her visitor through her goggles, still watching the code scroll through them. "Radical Edward is trying to get into the Stark-man's computers. But the AI won't let Edward in. So Edward is trying to go around-around-round." And she abruptly went back to coding. Maybe if she made a wormy-worm it could keep the Jarvis-person busy and Edward could sneak in all sneaky-like.

It could work.

Meanwhile, Ein ran off to fetch the stick, happy that this human, at least, was in the mood to play along. Once Edward got to coding, it was best to leave her be, go find Spike or Faye or Rogue.

[improvises]

"So you're hacking." Sam grinned, slow and broad and easy. This was territory that he could handle, familiar in the most welcome way, even if he was apparently out of touch enough to have not even known that there was some kind of network on the island. Based on what he'd heard about Tony Stark (and seriously, how cool was that?), it didn't exactly surprise him, but confirmation was something interesting. It was, maybe, something to work on. "Now that's something I can get behind."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Edward. Is. Exploring!" And also typing away, still not looking at Sam at all. This was Edward's Important Work and she didn't want to be interrupted. She'd even rebuilt part of Tomato to give it a little more speed, but all... for... naught as the pesky AI started taunting her again with the picture of the Stark-man.

It just wasn't fair.

Behind her, Ein had decided he'd had enough and with a bark he batted a paw at the power switch, turning it off. Edward gave another dramatic cry and fell back again in mock-death. Unimpressed, Ein gingerly pulled off her goggles and set them aside before nudging her with his wet nose until she started giggling, opening her eyes to finally pay attention to Sam. "Ein says Edward has to stop now. Do you climb trees? There's a pirate ship?" Ein barked. "Or do you want to keep playing with Ein?"

[improvises]

It was a hell of a dog, Sam thought, that could do that, making him eye Ein with something approximating fondness (as close as he let himself get, at least, with strangers). Mostly, he was intrigued by the prospect of there being some network around, but two couldn't really work at that anyway, and when the dog so adamantly protested, well, he couldn't object to that. He'd always made a point of giving Marvin a good amount of undivided attention, too, even if it was just to sit on the couch and watch something.

"Uh, I'm good with any of the above, actually," he said with a short laugh, eying her computer a little more closely now that she wasn't typing. It wasn't one he recognized, and the goggles seemed to be connected to it, but he could find out the specifics of how it worked when Ein wasn't requesting their attention. "Is Ein gonna mind tree-climbing or pirate ship-exploring? 'Cause if he is, we should probably keep playing with him."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

Ein gave a happy bark, he much preferred them playing with him than disappearing up a tree. That was one of the more annoying things about being with Edward, on the island, she could lose an entire day in a tree and he'd be on his own.

But Edward, to her credit, understood that on some level and she nodded along, looking at Sam. "We should play with Ein, Edward has been on the computer for hours."

[improvises]

"Playing with Ein it is," Sam said with a laugh and a nod, casting a glance in the dog's direction. He was, of course, wildly biased in his own dog's favor, and missed Marvin more than he probably should have, but Ein really was cute, and sharp, too. Maybe this was an odd pair he'd stumbled upon, but he decided quickly that he liked them both, even if he couldn't quite determine what to make of them yet. "I had a dog back home, I'm used to having to divide time between dog and computer."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Sam-man knows computers?" That certainly got Edward's attention and she forgot all about playing with Ein, even though she'd picked up the stick already. There was another person who knew computers, other than the Stark-man and that was awesome-glorious.

"What does the Stan-man do with computers?"

[improvises]

"I, uh —" It was a complicated question, probably more so than it ought to have been. Sam even had the sense to look the slightest bit sheepish for it, a hand lifting to curl around the back of his neck. "I was actually about to take over as head of a software company when I showed up here," he settled on, because to call himself CEO wouldn't have been wholly accurate when he'd never gotten to take any of that on. (The irony of the fact that he finally wanted to and couldn't, when he'd put it off for so long, wasn't lost on him.) "It was my dad's, so... I pretty much grew up with them. Computers. Was a CS major in school, and after that..." He grinned, then, knowing and self-assured. "Well, let's just say I have some experience with what you were trying to do earlier."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Sam-man is a hacker-man?" Edward's eyes opened for a moment before she broke out in a smile. That? Was excellent news, Edward wanted to meet more hacker-people, there were hardly any others she knew here on the island. She gave a whoop, throwing the stick for Ein and turning cartwheels around Sam, chanting.

"Hackerman Sam-man, Hacker-Sam Man-Man!"

[improvises]

It was, to say the least, an incredibly enthusiastic response, far more so than Sam would have expected. Still, it was difficult to do anything but smile, incredulous but warm. Strange, unnecessary, though it may have been, there were also definitely worse possible reactions. Hell, he kind of liked being the cause of that.

"In so many words, yeah," he said, one shoulder lifting in an absent shrug. "Not so good at cartwheels, though, I'll leave those to you."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

Ein returned with the stick, dropping it at Sam's feet and giving him a doggie grin and a yip that almost read like sympathy before he started barking and dancing around with Edward. It was hard not to like Edward and Ein rarely resisted. Besides, she shared more table-scraps than anyone else.

Finally coming to a stop, Edward sat on the ground, cross-legged and looking up. The smile on her face was plain as day. "Hackerman Sam can help Edward beat Jarvis. But after Ein is done playing, right?"

[improvises]

"After Ein is done playing," Sam confirmed with a nod, bending down to pick up Ein's stick and throw it again, then casually folding his arms over his chest as he looked down at Edward. "Then we'll show that AI who's boss." If nothing else, he could get a feel for it, see what sort of thing they were dealing with. Rome wasn't built in a day, as the saying went, and Tony Stark's tech probably wouldn't be hacked in one, either. Still, persistence was half the battle, and he was pretty sure that was a trait the two of them shared.

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"YAY!" Edward clapped and as a lark, she started off after Ein, flipping onto her hands to walk on them. But it was no contest, Ein picking up the stick before she was even half-way there. But he waited, deciding to trot back to Sam at her side.

[improvises]

Sam grinned, shaking his head a little as the two approached once more. Strange though it was, there was something kind of incredible about the way they worked in tandem like that, how well they clearly knew each other; he could only guess that it just meant she had a really smart dog. "That's, uh, pretty impressive," he said, gesturing towards her with one wrist. "Walking on your hands like that."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Edward walks on everything!" She tucked into a roll forward, laying on her back and looking up. "Except the sun, Edward can't walk on the sun."

She smiled wagging her bare toes in the sky, it was too hot to walk on the sun, even if she could get up there. Ein offered the stick to Sam, still intent on getting his doggie on.

[improvises]

"Yeah, that would... probably not be a good idea," Sam laughed, throwing the stick for Ein once more, then folding one leg underneath him as he took a seat on the sand near Edward. Given what he'd seen of her so far, he half-expected her to get up again at any moment, but he was already a hell of a lot taller than her as it was, and to be towering over her when she was lying flat on her back was just unnecessary. "Might hurt."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Edward would burn. And Edward doesn't want to burn."

She looked at the water, waves sliding in and out as she pondered. The sea was pretty, it rolled the way people could when the gravity went out.

"Ed wonders if Ed could walk on the floor of the watery ocean. Has Hackerman Sam ever walked under the sea?"

[improvises]

"Nope," Sam said, shaking his head. "They do have, like, suits and other equipment you can use to do that with, though." Based on what he'd seen of Edward so far, he was pretty sure she'd have meant just walking in there like one would walk down a path, but it was worth suggesting. He'd just never really been the scuba diving type (not enough risk involved).

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"I wonder if it makes the fishes look like they're flying." Her arms spread and waved, as if she were flying. It would be fun to fly, Ed decided. Through the water or the air, she wasn't really particular on that point, it was just... fun. "Flying through the air."

[improvises]

"Probably," Sam allowed, something approaching thoughtful, head tipping to the side. It had never really crossed his mind before, and he didn't really care either way, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. He had no experience of his own to say either way. "Just with fins instead of wings."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Ed wants to fly. Ed can't fly. But Ed was in the Bebop and the Bebop flew. It flew through the stars."

She looked at Sam, a little sad, she missed the Bebop. Missed the Jet-person and the bounties. She would have missed it anyway, since she left to find the father-person, but then she'd have the father-person and that would be good, too.

"Has Hackerman ever been flying?"

[improvises]

"Sort of," Sam said, the only answer he could come up with when he wasn't precisely sure what she meant. He'd been on planes, had parachuted off buildings (which wasn't the same thing, but at least felt a little like flying), and then there'd been the Light Jet, but he doubted any of that fit her criteria. "Never actually on my own."

[radical-cowgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh. That's sad, Edward likes flying."

Ein, on the other hand, was coming to the end of his playtime. His little legs could only take so much running and he wasn't a little puppy anymore. He dropped the stick and sat next to Ed, tongue lolling out as he looked at his human.

"Does Ein like flying?"

Ein barked a short affirmative, he liked flying because it took him to new places. Places no data dog would ever see, being bred to stick around in a lab.