Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[The Carlisle]

Kale smiled as people talked with each other. She enjoyed hearing people talk. Created a comfortable environment for her. Plus it meant people were getting along. "Well if we're gonna be moving, we should put our things on Joe here," she said, placing her hand on the plant, "He'll carry our stuff. No sense in weighing ourselves down." She turned to Varona when she spoke of the group. Kale grinned at that. "I guess that's a good thing," she said, giggling.

[The BranRiech]

"Until camaraderie is run over by a tank, or shelled into a gore-filled crater." Bran remarked at Varona's compliment. "Well, I don't see any tanks or artillery around, so we'll be fine, yes?" He shrugged, chuckling at his own sense of humor, which was basically all he had now. He opened his holster inside of his trench coat, and revealed that his pistol was unfortunately missing.

"I don't carry a gun anymore."

He looked sad, and then shrugged once more.

[Torsiedelle]

I didn't sleep at all last name as I had just taken a nap before night. I walked up to the nearest person and asked, "What is all this about drones? Have you people dealt with drones before or is this just what you have read in books and watched in movies?" I sat staring at the person he had asked waiting for the answer. He blew his nose and sneezed.

"Oi!", A pretty-looking teenage girl raised a hand in greeting to him. "Most of us have dealt with the Drones before. Mr. Nikanor, the guy in the trench coat, has a history, I think, and that girl who told us about the Drones seems to as well. I helped out in our world the last time the Drones attacked."

She patted her stomach. "I ended up getting shot in the belly, but we kicked some ass."

"Until camaraderie is run over by a tank, or shelled into a gore-filled crater." Bran remarked at Varona's compliment. "Well, I don't see any tanks or artillery around, so we'll be fine, yes?" He shrugged, chuckling at his own sense of humor, which was basically all he had now. He opened his holster inside of his trench coat, and revealed that his pistol was unfortunately missing.

"I don't carry a gun anymore."

"Damn."

Torii frowned. This wasn't good for them, it seemed. Only a few people had weapons, and she and Bran didn't. She didn't want to get attacked at a close range; that didn't go well for her most of the time, as she remembered being beaten by Octavian around her birthday. "I'm really glad we have FUBAR then. Marcus and that other girl did a good job with it."

She turned her gaze to Kale and grinned. "Yea, the plant can be useful. I say we keep our water and food on it, and we can just take what we need, when we need it."

He looked sad, and then shrugged once more.

[Fvaarniimar]

A brown paw sat atop a pair of pliers. "The fungus, the fungus! Why did I have to take the book?!" Suddenly, voices started coming through, possibly from the book in the corner (so old that its pages were brown and crumbling) but not necessarily; these voices were muffled and slow. Some seemed very familiar. Others... They didn't seem to belong to strangers, but didn't make him think of anything.

"Isa, shunt tee..can ole's heads by touch... Earl Isa shunt corn magic..." He was frightened for some reason... "Butt sit, Dia..." something felt reassuring... "Isa time...Knee...eye..."

For some indeterminable period, he heard nothing, at least not clearly.

"Am...with...souls...since...die...fight...fight...giant...hands...in..."
"Tis just an adjective, no different from "big ol...""
"Drone...drone...drone...drone...crew...lone...home...freedom...lone..."
"...Time..."
To get up, it would seem. Nick yawned, rolling over, not fully awake yet... Not remembering quite yet where he was. A paw reached out to someone's limb.

<Hi! Good morning! Where are...(feeling of fear)> Nick's stomach 'sank' as he remembered. Getting to his feet, tail drooping and head hanging, the cat extended a claw and started "writing" on the soft wood. Practice makes perfect, and while the process was slow, his lettering was- very, very, very slightly- easier to read than it had been the day before.
OOPS REALLY SORRY. IN DANGER?

[The Orson Empire]

A brown paw sat atop a pair of pliers. "The fungus, the fungus! Why did I have to take the book?!" Suddenly, voices started coming through, possibly from the book in the corner (so old that its pages were brown and crumbling) but not necessarily; these voices were muffled and slow. Some seemed very familiar. Others... They didn't seem to belong to strangers, but didn't make him think of anything.

"Isa, shunt tee..can ole's heads by touch... Earl Isa shunt corn magic..." He was frightened for some reason... "Butt sit, Dia..." something felt reassuring... "Isa time...Knee...eye..."

For some indeterminable period, he heard nothing, at least not clearly.

"Am...with...souls...since...die...fight...fight...giant...hands...in..."
"Tis just an adjective, no different from "big ol...""
"Drone...drone...drone...drone...crew...lone...home...freedom...lone..."
"...Time..."
To get up, it would seem. Nick yawned, rolling over, not fully awake yet... Not remembering quite yet where he was. A paw reached out to someone's limb.

<Hi! Good morning! Where are...(feeling of fear)> Nick's stomach 'sank' as he remembered. Getting to his feet, tail drooping and head hanging, the cat extended a claw and started "writing" on the soft wood. Practice makes perfect, and while the process was slow, his lettering was- very, very, very slightly- easier to read than it had been the day before.
OOPS REALLY SORRY. IN DANGER?

Malek turned around to see what appeared to be a sapient cat touching his right leg with its paw. Malek then realized that he was hearing a voice in his head.

This cat is talking to me, Malek though. It must be using telepathy.

Malek used his telekinesis powers to move the cats paw off of his leg, just in case it might attack him. Then Malek backed up. As the cat got up and began to write on the soft wood, Malek decided to speak to him.

"Hey buddy," he said,"You spoke to me in my mind. Your paw touched my leg and this caused you to use your telepathy powers on me."

[Terintania]

"I've heard of Big ol', but not giant being used like that," Nex said, shrugging. He went back to simply observing, and noticed that the cat with the telepathy abilities, or whatever, seemed to be reluctant to use them. It wasn't the big of a leap to guess it was because he was worries about using his powers, unlike the person who clearly moved the cat's paw away with his abilities. With a sigh, Nex walked over to them. "Didn't you hear the rule about not using magic? I think Telekinesis counts as close enough to magic," He said to Malek, before kneeling down by Nick. "Sorry to interrupt. I don't know if you can understand me, but can you use your ability on me, just for a second?"

[Fvaarniimar]

Nick mrowed- once in a tone which was quiet but nevertheless indicated distress, and again, quite loudly, in the same manner which he'd been using to catch Giovenith's attention (the insistent feed-me meow, that is) the previous day. All the while, he pointed towards "DANGER", jabbing his paw in the direction of the word as though he could fend off what it represented through sheer determination.

Suddenly, he felt happiness, and relief. Very startled- for one, he hadn't been feeling any future emotions for a significant period of time and for another, the emotions were too different from anything which he'd been feeling to have been anything else- the cat started glancing around, paying a great deal of attention to sensory input.

Shortly afterwards, Nex delivered his scolding-

And then his question. Nick's eyes widened, and he started shaking. To risk it- but then again, the timing was just about right, and maybe his positive emotions would result from this. Pawing the man's hand, the nervous cat fell back on a familiar strategy- after all, they hadn't been introduced.

<Hi...I-I'm Nick. (Image of Nick)(huge amount of fear) I- areweindangerbecsuseofme? Is it okay? What's going on why did you ask me to do this they (brief image of old scowling guy) thought it was supernatural (image of place made of flames) which is like magical right? I'm happy here, the risk... I'm scared really scared! Please, tell me that it's okay- and don't lie, either...>

[Motoneuron]

Ki suddenly stirred awake, he didn't seem to remember much about the previous day except for being in a ruined world filled with unknown dangers. It wasn't much of a shock to him to wake up in such an environment, he'd been doing it for decades. Still, the things he had seen here were beyond his experience. His recent problems with lapses in consciousness were disturbing, he wondered if it had something to do with all the unnatural things he had seen on this planet. He looked around, trying to get his bearings and find someone who looked like they knew what was going one.

He looked around for Marcus, that guy seemed to have a good knowledge for survival situations and of their surroundings. He walked up to the man/cyborg and briefly hesitated before talking.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you but could you tell me.." He paused a bit, unable to come up with a way to ask without showing how out of it he had been. He was in too deep now and he needed to know the situation " what exactly our plan is for getting out of this place?"

[Terintania]

Nick mrowed- once in a tone which was quiet but nevertheless indicated distress, and again, quite loudly, in the same manner which he'd been using to catch Giovenith's attention (the insistent feed-me meow, that is) the previous day. All the while, he pointed towards "DANGER", jabbing his paw in the direction of the word as though he could fend off what it represented through sheer determination.

Suddenly, he felt happiness, and relief. Very startled- for one, he hadn't been feeling any future emotions for a significant period of time and for another, the emotions were too different from anything which he'd been feeling to have been anything else- the cat started glancing around, paying a great deal of attention to sensory input.

Shortly afterwards, Nex delivered his scolding-

And then his question. Nick's eyes widened, and he started shaking. To risk it- but then again, the timing was just about right, and maybe his positive emotions would result from this. Pawing the man's hand, the nervous cat fell back on a familiar strategy- after all, they hadn't been introduced.

<Hi...I-I'm Nick. (Image of Nick)(huge amount of fear) I- areweindangerbecsuseofme? Is it okay? What's going on why did you ask me to do this they (brief image of old scowling guy) thought it was supernatural (image of place made of flames) which is like magical right? I'm happy here, the risk... I'm scared really scared! Please, tell me that it's okay- and don't lie, either...>

Nex listened carefully to Nick, both his words, and just how it felt, in general. "Anything humans do not understand is supernatural, and supernatural is seen as magic, but supernatural merely means something that is not considered normal, and in normal human's minds, anything that's not them or an average animal isn't normal. It feels like when I talk to Am, in my head, and that seems to be OK, so I think it is OK." He rubbed the cat's chin gently, before straightening up. "I wouldn't worry about it. It doesn't feel magical to me."

[Tiltjuice]

Armor grated against the floor as Dia rolled over and found himself staring straight at one of the two machine men in the group.

"Well, you've been fairly quiet. Still in shock?" He waved a massive hand back and forth before Jorgen's eyes. Having to tote him along would be no big deal to the oversized man, but Dia feared damaging some of the more delicate-looking gears if he lugged him around. There wasn't much subtlety in the actions he tended to take; his gesture to Nick was one example.

[Morlodania]

Armor grated against the floor as Dia rolled over and found himself staring straight at one of the two machine men in the group.

"Well, you've been fairly quiet. Still in shock?" He waved a massive hand back and forth before Jorgen's eyes. Having to tote him along would be no big deal to the oversized man, but Dia feared damaging some of the more delicate-looking gears if he lugged him around. There wasn't much subtlety in the actions he tended to take; his gesture to Nick was one example.

Jorgen looked up at Dia slowly. "I'm alive, if that's what you mean. I think my machine mind took a dent when that tile fell on me... It's running way below capacity and I can hear the gears grinding... This isn't good at all." He shook his head a little. "I have simply been attempting to formulate a plan to get it repaired while we're here, rather than needing to set up a whole workshop for it... However, I do not see any way to do so, which is bad."

[Monfrox]

"Yes, well, I don't think the Bandits will be able to get their hands on any serious military hardware like that any time soon. They're too small and poorly led to begin with. As for this area, I think it's safe that we'll get through this as long as we assume the worst-case scenario and plan for it. Right now, worst-case scenario is we all end up stuck here for the rest of our existence. Second worst-case scenario is we all die. So long as we plan to get out, and not get killed, we should be alright." Varona rolled her shoulders. She hated idling more than anything. Hurry up and wait was something she was used to, but she usually had something to occupy herself with. She didn't bring a book at all, so she just stood there like an intimidating pole.

[Lithuanian Empire]

"Until camaraderie is run over by a tank, or shelled into a gore-filled crater." Bran remarked at Varona's compliment. "Well, I don't see any tanks or artillery around, so we'll be fine, yes?" He shrugged, chuckling at his own sense of humor, which was basically all he had now. He opened his holster inside of his trench coat, and revealed that his pistol was unfortunately missing.

"I don't carry a gun anymore."

He looked sad, and then shrugged once more.

August wasn't really listening, but the line where Bran commented that he doesn't have a gun got his attention. August took out a small capsule from his belt and clicked the button. Suddenly the capsule started to enlarge, until it formed a gun.

"Here's one for you. Assuming you know how to operate a phased plasma rifle." - he said and threw it towards Bran.

[The BranRiech]

Not noticing when a plasma rifle was thrown at him, Bran did nothing about it and was hit by the thrown rifle. He looked confused as it clattered to the floor, and looked a bit angry with the lack of notice before he was given the gun. The conscript had no idea how to operate that weapon, and wpuld much rather prefer something he designed, or something that shot actual bullets.

"We'll be fine." He nodded in response to Varona.

[Lithuanian Empire]

Not noticing when a plasma rifle was thrown at him, Bran did nothing about it and was hit by the thrown rifle. He looked confused as it clattered to the floor, and looked a bit angry with the lack of notice before he was given the gun. The conscript had no idea how to operate that weapon, and wpuld much rather prefer something he designed, or something that shot actual bullets.

"We'll be fine." He nodded in response to Varona.

August looked to Bran, who looked confused.
"You know, weapons in the future still operate by "pull trigger, gun shoots" technology" - he said and sighed. - "The trigger is below the barrel. Just assume this is a normal gun, it recharges by itself."

August lowered his head, until he realized what he said. He just gave away that he's from the future! Oh well, it doesn't really matter anyway.

"Oh, and yeah, I'm from the future. Mystery solved."

[Tiltjuice]

"As a mechanic, Bran might be able to help. Or maybe Marcus, if you have any special needs." Dia nodded over to where the Eastern European man was scowling, to draw Jorgen's attention to him. Then, to Bran, "Here, toss that thing to me. I can use it and it'll be a sight more useful than this long, hard expanding stick."

He eyed the rifle and did some quick thinking. With that, he wouldn't be able to haul the water, and it was heavy. What did they need more, though? Another fighter or someone to carry the containers? He didn't know how many people were armed, except for Jorgen, himself, Varona (clearly), Ray, and possibly Bran and Tora. Pacing back and forth in his area of the lobby, he pondered until he came to one conclusion and one of two choices. He would be damned if anything kept him out of a fight. So...

"Would it be rude to ask the unicorn to pull the water?" he ventured. "Or we could strap it to FUBAR, but then if someone came after us, they'd target it first as the biggest threat and we might lose our supply."

[Torsiedelle]

"Wait", Torii sighed. She was becoming frustrated with how long it was taking people to get a plan going, and by the lack of replies in response to her suggestion of going through Drone land. "Okay, we need to just set up roles for everyone and get going. I don't have a weapon, and Mr. Nikanor seems confused about energy weapons. Marcus may have a weapon, I don't know. What I suggest is that the heavier fighters, like the future guy, Dia, Marcus, and Mr. Nikanor should evenly share two-handed weapons like rifles. I can handle a rifle, too, so I'd prefer one, but I can also take a pistol; since I'm lighter, I could run around more. Kale and Gio aren't fighters, but they're both skilled healers and builders, so they can keep things running smoothly. The tech-savvy of our outfit can stay near FUBAR, Kale and Gio near the plant, while Dia and others stock up front as the primary fighters. Nick can scout ahead, and I could swap out or perform whatever duty is required of me, okay? This is a rough idea, but I think it could work, and we can smooth it out as we go. Sound good?"

[Monfrox]

Varona walked over to Bran. "Plasma rifles are still quite a complex piece of machinery." She said to August. "For a conscript, I think something like this is more his speed." She took out one of her two USPs and held it out for him to take as she snatched up the plasma rifle and tossed it to Dia. "Here, catch." She said to him. By having everyone armed with something, they would increase their chances of survival. However, she wasn't sure which of the group could operate a firearm or was a conscientious objector.

[Primordial Luxa]

Primordial appeared in the dark space in a puff of even darker smoke. He was in a completely lightless room yet there was still a very visible difference between the substance that was wafting off his heated skin and shadows that covered the walls. He waited several seconds before pulling a box of matches out of his pocket and striking one of them illuminating the room. He was in a storage unit in the next town north of Belefield, he had bought it not long after the old city was destroyed as a precaution in case he ever needed a place to fall back on. He had only entered in twice since then to make sure it was safe and stocked. However he now realized that it was in fact overstocked, he assumed this was Aegis’s doing as he frequently came here and checked on the place. He was the mostly likely to need to use it after all, he was constantly on edge about the police showing up to arrest him at any moment. It was a founded fear but he and Insidious always reminded him of who he kept as friends.

Still Primordial was happy that Aegis had been here, there was spare of almost everything. There were nearly a hundred unmentionable tomes, arcane fetishes and other technological horrors that he would need to get himself back on his feet. He quickly found the lights and turned them one to better illuminate the room. He moved over to a table covered in strange and oddly shaped item setting Aegis down on the table to before walking over to the bookselfs and begin to read from a few choice tomes.

[New Aksarben]

"As a mechanic, Bran might be able to help. Or maybe Marcus, if you have any special needs." Dia nodded over to where the Eastern European man was scowling, to draw Jorgen's attention to him. Then, to Bran, "Here, toss that thing to me. I can use it and it'll be a sight more useful than this long, hard expanding stick."

He eyed the rifle and did some quick thinking. With that, he wouldn't be able to haul the water, and it was heavy. What did they need more, though? Another fighter or someone to carry the containers? He didn't know how many people were armed, except for Jorgen, himself, Varona (clearly), Ray, and possibly Bran and Tora. Pacing back and forth in his area of the lobby, he pondered until he came to one conclusion and one of two choices. He would be damned if anything kept him out of a fight. So...

"Would it be rude to ask the unicorn to pull the water?" he ventured. "Or we could strap it to FUBAR, but then if someone came after us, they'd target it first as the biggest threat and we might lose our supply."

"I can pull the water, no problem. Especially if its on wheels or something like that. If its not it'll make a lot of noise, however." Sterling chimed in, smiling his normal bright smile, hoping that his cheeriness could bring up the spirits of the whole group. It seemed to him that some people were already wearing thin mentally and could use some help. The best way he knew how to make others happy would be to project it himself, even if he wasn't actually happy or comfortable.

"So, yeah, I can pull the water. and without my magic I'd hope they wouldn't see me as much of a threat, because I am definitely not. I cant even really pick up objects like beings with arms can. But I definitely can pull my weight by pulling the water behind me."

[The BranRiech]

"Screw off, yeah?"

Bran rolled his eyes as he was expected to be able to handle a Plasma Rifle. He was much better able to handle the Pistol Varona was offering him. He took it gratefully and nodded. "Hopefully I won't need it, right?" He nodded.

The conscript, standing near the group, smiled. "We'll make it."

[The Drone Empire]

Dani was already prepared to leave, she had left the lobby to simply sit near FUBAR, as they called it. 967 was better than that, she was sure that he was a loyal soldier to the Empire, just confused. She sat a couple feet from the machine, staring at it. It was so familiar to her now, the life of a Drone. They all would see it as a dull existence, serving unendingly, without question, simple loyalty, because they were lesser, they were simply biological imperfections... They didn't know of the wonder, the glory. Images flashed through her mind, a thousand worlds set on fire, torched by the Empire's very greatness.

She laid herself on the ground, her hair splayed out along the hard concrete ground, peppered in rubble and debris. The thoughts that criss crossed her mind were bizarre; the compulsive desire to hate, and then to keep a level mind about it. It was annoying her, the inability to control her own thoughts anymore, where they flowed and transitioned. Insanity was a way of describing it, but she didn't want to go insane. She wanted to do something about it, but what one said was impossible, and the other, simply not practical anymore.

She looked back at the lobby, at all of them. They were normal, and they all seemed so god-damn comfortable, even in a place as literally god-forsaken as this. Why couldn't they see it? How? Was she not as human as they now? Was bag of bones, flesh and meat not the same?

No, of course they weren't. She sat up now, looking upon FUBAR again. She rose to her feet, walking slowly towards the machine. She circled around to its frontal visor, and sat down again in front of it. She wanted to talk to it, to tell it what was wrong, to ask for help, to ask for it to fix her. Even if did, there was nothing it could do. It couldn't fix this, and she was sure nobody ever could, and nobody would want to.

She sat silently, staring directly at the machine, at each one of its round oculars. She should have been killed for just sitting there, that was sort of what she wanted, to be erased from existence, so why wasn't she dead yet?

[Cerillium]

"Wait", Torii sighed. She was becoming frustrated with how long it was taking people to get a plan going, and by the lack of replies in response to her suggestion of going through Drone land. "Okay, we need to just set up roles for everyone and get going. I don't have a weapon, and Mr. Nikanor seems confused about energy weapons. Marcus may have a weapon, I don't know. What I suggest is that the heavier fighters, like the future guy, Dia, Marcus, and Mr. Nikanor should evenly share two-handed weapons like rifles. I can handle a rifle, too, so I'd prefer one, but I can also take a pistol; since I'm lighter, I could run around more. Kale and Gio aren't fighters, but they're both skilled healers and builders, so they can keep things running smoothly. The tech-savvy of our outfit can stay near FUBAR, Kale and Gio near the plant, while Dia and others stock up front as the primary fighters. Nick can scout ahead, and I could swap out or perform whatever duty is required of me, okay? This is a rough idea, but I think it could work, and we can smooth it out as we go. Sound good?"

Marcus' ears were on Torii. His head nodded as she spoke. "It's a good idea. But, like usual, the adults just aren't listening. C'mon, let's go talk to the Time Cop."

He was still nervous around him but the large man surely could get the others to listen. It was worth the shot, anyway. "Um, hey, Dia? Torii came up with this plan..."

The boy recounted what she'd said, sometimes pausing to allow her to clarify her idea, and finished with a supportive wink at his teen companion. Sometimes adults just needed to pay attention. Maybe they got dense as they aged? Maybe that's why they were focused on little details instead of the big picture.



FUBAR didn't like its name. It didn't dislike its name either. It didn't care. It spent the night listening to conversations; hopes, fears, reassurances, plans. Its awakened conscious state was eternally locked in a savage game of "mother, may I?" where each correct action was outweighed by a higher, artificial protocol.

Blowing away the meat bag in front of it wouldn't have brought on an emotional high but it would have felt good.

Felt good? Do I feel? Why should I feel? Are these feelings at all?

It was impossible that FUBAR would have any semblance of sapience yet its optics registered the passing clouds and something within the unit saw echoes of things already in existence. This one looked like vehicle; that one resembled one of the scurrying rats that still plagued the city. Its sagacious musings were an impossibility yet there they were, unwelcome yet not wholly ignored.

Would I detect patterns in her blood? Would it form into recognizable shapes? Delicious thought. Best to put it out of mind. FUBAR focused on Dani's eyes instead.

This creature was a puzzler. She knew protocol but seemed more akin to the other meat sacks. She spoke like a Drone and acted like a Drone yet wasn't a Drone. The unit strove to comprehend this curiosity. It had listened to the humans last night and learned. Now it was time to see if it had learned correctly.

"Why do you sit there?"

The monotone vocalization was devoid of emotion.

[Tiltjuice]

Dia had snagged August's spare rifle from Varona and was preoccupied examining it when Marcus and Torii walked up. When they finished, he nodded curtly at the Torsiedellie.

"It works for me. I'd suggest you and Nick should be together, as well. He's small and you're fast. You're a traceuse, aren't you?" The word came out "track-use", due to his Latin-influenced pronunciation, but he figured she'd know what he meant. Not waiting for an answer, he whistled sharply.

"Everyone listen - we need to get going soon. It would be helpful if you all got organized according to

"Wait", Torii sighed. She was becoming frustrated with how long it was taking people to get a plan going, and by the lack of replies in response to her suggestion of going through Drone land. "Okay, we need to just set up roles for everyone and get going. I don't have a weapon, and Mr. Nikanor seems confused about energy weapons. Marcus may have a weapon, I don't know. What I suggest is that the heavier fighters, like the future guy, Dia, Marcus, and Mr. Nikanor should evenly share two-handed weapons like rifles. I can handle a rifle, too, so I'd prefer one, but I can also take a pistol; since I'm lighter, I could run around more. Kale and Gio aren't fighters, but they're both skilled healers and builders, so they can keep things running smoothly. The tech-savvy of our outfit can stay near FUBAR, Kale and Gio near the plant, while Dia and others stock up front as the primary fighters. Nick can scout ahead, and I could swap out or perform whatever duty is required of me, okay? This is a rough idea, but I think it could work, and we can smooth it out as we go. Sound good?"

"

He stepped aside and beckoned to Marcus. "Come on. We should get to the clinic quickly and get some of the medical supplies there to Naked Plant Girl and Giovenith. And you" (by which he meant Jorgen, Varona and Ki) "mind getting the water tied up to Unicorn in Fez?"

[Giovenith]

"I can carry quite a few extra supplies in my sheets," Giovenith reassured, spreading out said sheet with a smile. "Though if you can find those little metal medical suitcases, that'd be best. Only if you can though."