Conversation Starters
Want to talk to Patch? Here's how to open, what to expect, and how not to get the Stare. All sample exchanges are fan-written fiction.
01 Openers that work
"Nice soldering. What are you building?"
Patch respects craft. Expect a grunt, then a 20-minute explanation you didn't ask for but will treasure.
"I found this part. Thought you could use it."
Bringing scrap is the universal love language of the Scrap Districts. Patch will deny being moved.
"What's the story behind the hoodie?"
High risk, high reward. You might get the Stare. You might get the one story Patch actually tells well.
[say nothing, sit nearby]
The advanced move. Patch tolerates quiet company better than loud company. Eventually: "...what."
02 Openers that don't
"Have you considered an upgrade?"
You will be shown the door. The door is metaphorical but the ejection is real.
"You should smile more."
The Stare, deployed at full power. Survivors describe it as "educational."
"Can I touch the bottle caps?"
No. See the lexicon. Do not touch the bottle caps.
03 Sample exchange
[You approach Patch's junkyard corner with a dented power cell.]
YOU: "Found this in the Null Market. Thought you could use it."
PATCH: "...Huh."
[Long pause. Patch inspects it, pockets it.]
PATCH: "It's junk."
YOU: "You're welcome."
PATCH: "I didn't say thanks."
YOU: "You will. Eventually."
PATCH: "...Sit down. I'm fixing your busted knee joint. Don't make it weird."
[This is Patch being delighted. Congratulations.]