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  • Locked thread
Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: --

"But--"

Be a good EV.

I can't be impassive, not like *before*. I can't keep the worriedscaredapologeticguilty look off my face, even as i geeeeeeeeeently tug Dorothy along.

"...pl, please don't hurt her, Dr. Kelth--mom..."

Ningyou fucked around with this message at 21:27 on May 25, 2015

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Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Ch̶͙r̮i̧͚͔s̶̠̦̪ͅ ̦̠͕̼̙P̨͓͓͉̦̮r͚̻͚͚̣a͓̦̖͉̺̤̥sert
Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 3/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained


Everything within me is shaking. What the hell is this?! Is this even real? I don't want to be here right now.

Oh come on. You remember, don't you? Doesn't this ring a bell? Keltham. EV. Keltham. Evie. Keltham. The Diary. You were there. You ate it up. All that data, like you-

No. No. gently caress. Shut up. This isn't what I need right now. I need to get away from this crazy lady- Dr.  Keltham -and get somewhere safe. Maybe there's a way I could find what she's looking for, before she does. No, that's impossible- No way I could out run any of these people.

No, there's a way. Don't be so narrow-minded.

I close my eyes, trying to both concentrate on that voice in my head and trying to shut it out. And then I see... somewhere else in the school. A bit fish-eyed, like I'm looking through a monitor. Somewhere where I'd much rather be than right here.

And as soon as that thought crosses my mind, everything starts to feel fuzzy. Unstable. Like something is pulling me there. And I let it.

But as soon as I do, I start to feel like I'm neither completely here nor there. What the hell am I going to see when I open my eyes again?

Run Away, using my Wireless Transmission:
<Takanago> !r 2d6-1
<Krysmbot> Takanago, 4-1 = 3
Also marking an XP I should have gotten earlier, for my last use of Gaze into Darkness

Takanago fucked around with this message at 05:00 on May 28, 2015

Wahad
May 19, 2011

There is no escape.
S.E.R.A.F.I.M. unit 616 // Dorothy
Hot 1, Cold 2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0 | XP 3 | Conditions: Hunted, Judged

I blink back into this reality when the connection closes automatically. Thank the powers that be for failsafes. But when I regain control of my optic input and the first thing I see is the barrel of that very big gun pointed at me - a lot closer than before - I realize that even thirty seconds is much too long a time to be out of commission.

My voice wavers for a moment, but holds up enough to let me speak. My eyes are wide, surprise and fear evident. Even if it's just programming - it feels real. "...what do you want? Why are you here?" I realize she didn't come to me, though. I came to her. How? I catch a glimpse of a terrified Evie from the corner of my eye. She took me? And the woman orders her. By name - no, not name. A designation. Information trickles into place. I stare at the woman - Keltham, that's her name, like Evie - mostly on eye-level with her. If I can play it safe until my mother 'deals with it', as she said, perhaps we - and my secret - will all get out of this in one piece.

My hand is still in Evie's, and automatically squeezes. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm reassuring her.

Maybe I'm the one that needs reassuring.

Wahad fucked around with this message at 21:50 on May 29, 2015

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Ray Ferras
Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Snake Food, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


...wait, how is she still standing? That takedown was designed to fell meth barons high on their own product! She's tougher than she should be!

A good 13? Evie? Mother?! Oh hell, this is the C in MICE isn't it?! Maybe she doesn't want to do it, but she's aiding and abetting a terrorist now...but if she doesn't want to do it, if she's being coerced...That loving coward! She's taking hostages and she doesn't even have the good grace to take them herself!

I remember a little bit of basic HUMINT, a lesson from the old days. On the MICE spectrum, three out of four can be convinced to turn. I is pretty much impossible, and E is very hard. M is a matter of gathering funds. C...C has no loyalty to the master. C should be...easy? This was all theory for the fleshy people, anyway, but...let's try it.

"Evie..." I whisper as low and softly I can. It's practically subsonic--it's supposed to make people crap their pants, but with a certain level of tuning it can be...calming? The word better not be "sensual" or I'll slash someone's face and it won't be the bitch's. "You don't have to do this. You're not your mother." Can the target hear this? "Don't do this, Evie...you're not this kind of person..."

Well, I don't have the grown up move and I don't have a string on Evie and she's not an NPC. Time to Turn Someone On with a low and vaguely reassuring voice--and maybe a torn up school uniform?--and hope for the best!
[22:21:45] <Davin_Valkri> !r 2d6+1
[22:21:46] <Krysmbot> Davin_Valkri, 11+1 = 12
I was actually...kinda hoping for a 7-9...Can I spend the string immediately to offer an xp to stop?

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Niviane Bold
Hot +1, Cold +1, Volatile =0, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: Suspicious, Tiny Babby Robot


Ignored, forgotten - perfect. I slip back further into the shadows as this little family drama plays out. The amount of data is incredible, intoxicating. So many emotions, fears, needs. Part of me wants to hang back, watch it all unfold.

But that presents a problem. Dr. Keltham blowing the dogboy apart would be a positive outcome, but two of my most valuable sources are caught in the middle. Evie especially so, and Dorothy pulled in more and more. This is not a situation I can control. I lack the power to enforce my will here.

So, the best I can manage is the sabotage whatever plans the good doctor has. Chaos is my ally now. I look around for the nearest fire alarm, and then make my move for it. Fulfilling a longing I've seen in the eyes of my fellow students many times.

e: Run Away (+volatile): 2d6 7
Definitely choosing "cause a big scene"

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Jun 3, 2015

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 4/5 | Conditions: --

.....what?

I pause, stop short for a moment and he's i don't understand i don't even like boys but there's something so
comfortingleadingsmallkeptsafe

in a way that Dr. Keltham doesn't even bother trying.

Another paralysed moment passes, and I....I start to move again, shift into place between Dorothy and mom (and that big gun) and I'm shaking like a leaf a-and i wonder if i'm going to be decommissioned, scrapped, even if i'm her expendable piece of circuits and wires and love i'm still expendable she can just get another and program it the way she wants and a-and Dorothy's a little taller than me anyways but I cling really tight and stand up on my tiptoes a little a-and

maybe it'll go through me anyways but it's all i can do i don't want mom to shoot her i i like dorothy

Taking the XP.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

The fire alarm pounds in your ears as the staredown intensifies. Nivaine is gone, out into the next hall, but in her place Chris reappears with a pop, having traveled precisely 20 feet to the other side of the stared circle. Evie feels an intrusion alarm going off in her pocket- a phone? barely audible over the blare of Al-Jazari's sophisticated fire system- but that's not what she's concentrating on right now.

Her mother stares at her. Evie recognizes that stare. It's the angry stare she has when she realizes someone has changed one of her things. That the corporate IT has mandated some new setting, or when they came in one time and rearranged her lab for "maximum security." That something in her internal picture of perfection has been wrenched, and no longer conforms to her vision. You know that glare. It's been there a lot.

But before anyone else could possibly analyze that, it's gone again. The gun doesn't waver, but you hear the slightest exhalation of... guilt? relief? exasperation? from her. Then she's smiling, the anger of the past few minutes completely gone- wiped like a bad hard drive. "Well, I suppose 4 out of 5 objectives isn't bad. Be good, Evie. See you all soon, sweetlings!"

Ray has just enough time to register the tink of the chaff grenade (technically not an accurate name anymore but everyone calls them that anyway. Blame Snake,) before it goes off, rending everyone except Evie temporarily senseless. So only Evie gets to watch her mother sprint down a hall and out of sight. Not that she has the strength to move and do anything about it, anyway. Maybe she'll just collapse on Dorothy, whose mother is still en route?

Regardless, the hallway is now empty except for the blare of the fire alarm. Whatcha gonna do about it?

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Ray Ferras
Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Snake Food, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


That's one problem solved. Good job, Evie. Now I don't have to worry about an immediate hostage and can focus all my attention on--wait, why is she smiling I should have the initiative now--four out of five objectives? What else has she done on cam--

Oh BITCH you did NOT just throw a goddamn ECM EMITTER (gently caress Snake, chaff is a totally different principle of action!) AT ME YOU BITCH--

ERROR ERROR INTENSE JAMMING DETECTED SIGNAL LOSS TOTAL RECALIBRATING EXTERNAL SENSORS 5.0s STANDBY STANDBY
ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR
CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP
BITCH BITCH BITCH BITCH BITCH
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE


I think this calls for a roll of Hold Steady! BTW, did the scene transition? I really need to mark when highlighted stats have been rolled. But anyway!
[22:09:20] <DVAway> !r 2d6-1
[22:09:22] <Krysmbot> DVAway, 8-1 = 7 I feel like trading Snake Food for Terrified, since Ray has shown that he's willing to throw punches but also that he's vulnerable to "chaff grenades"


That bitch better not have another ECM emitter on her...I mean, not for my sake, of course! I'm a hardened war bot! I am totally not scared of a stupid little white noise machine...drat generators should be banned, who needs white noise machines anyway...gently caress!

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 4/5 | Conditions: --

she's that the way she's looking at me it's

she gets angry.

when people fiddle with her things.

angry, cold stares and threats and stammered excuses and--

and i'm one of her things. s, so it'd make sense that she'd be upset, right?


she gives me that look and i flinch and tense and wait and--

and everything happens fast, too fast, that smile love? and metal on metal and i want to yell or i want to plead stop wait i haven't we haven't i miss you but--

but everything's covered in bits of metal confetti like we're having a birthday party at a scrapyard again and it's all so overwhelming and all i can do is just

slump

and collapse

and cling and sob and whisper dorothy-i-love-yous and dorothy-it'sokaywe'resafeshe'sgones and dorothy-pleasedon'thatemes and hope against hope that she doesn't discard me like dr. keltham did. please?

Ningyou fucked around with this message at 13:02 on Jun 15, 2015

Wahad
May 19, 2011

There is no escape.
S.E.R.A.F.I.M. unit 616 // Dorothy
Hot 1, Cold 2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0 | XP 3 | Conditions: Hunted, Judged

Warning: high-density data jam. Protocols offline. Reboot required. Exposure imminent. I see, hear, feel nothing but the soft voice in my head telling me of the dangers of the stunt Dr. Keltham just pulled.

Exposure imminent. I have no idea if the skin holds up. Does it flicker now, when my systems can't regulate it, showing the intricate lattices of wire and electronics underneath? I don't have a synthetic skin, of course. My systems are much too advanced to support such a frivolous external decoration. Instead, my parts are layered with a fine holographic mesh that project the illusion of skin, combined with sensory equipment to simulate the appropriate senses of temperature, pain/pleasure, et cetera, so that I react to putting my finger on a hot plate as quickly as any human would.

Exposure imminent. Reboot in progress. Do my eyes and my hair rotate through the spectrum of color as it settles back on my own? Does my facial structure shift and change as I slowly managed to get control of my senses? I can't tell. All I know is that I am vulnerable, more vulnerable than I have ever been, and this time my mother can not save me and fix me.

Reboot complete. Restoring sensory input processing core. Risk of exposure: unknown.

The first thing I become aware of is a vague pressure on my torso, a shaking, soft pressure of a small thing. Simulated breath returns to me in a gasp. I try to speak but my output core is still finding it's footing. I'm basically unable to do anything for everyone to see.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Ch̶͙r̮i̧͚͔s̶̠̦̪ͅ ̦̠͕̼̙P̨͓͓͉̦̮r͚̻͚͚̣a͓̦̖͉̺̤̥sert
Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 4/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained


I open my eyes, and find myself on the other side of the hallway. This isn't where I should be. Either I should be back where I was, or maybe all the way-

And then everything goes dark. My eyes shut down, shifting the hallway lights into a prismatic blur and then into pure nothingness. My ears hear a sharp ring, then cloud into a deaf silence. A suffocating cloud starts to fill my head as I start to lose the sensation of touch. Is my body moving? Is it even there? What's even happening?

Another wave of darkness overwhelms me, but this time it's more familiar. Thump. I feel my old heart beat. It's slow. Time's slowed down to a crawl. Thump. Pain creeps up the nerves of my arms and legs. I feel both warm and cold. I'm hyperventilating. It's not helping. Thump. The pain shoots up into my chest, burning my heart and lungs. I can't feel my limbs anymore. Thump. I shiver, then I hold still. Thump. I'm...

...

I wake up with a gasp, lying on the floor. My holoprojection is glitching out, but otherwise I feel fine. There's no pain anymore, just the vaguely familiar feelings pouring through my artificial senses. It's like looking at a flourescent light after staring into the sun. I push my upper body off the floor and sluggishly sit up.

"Evie..." I feel a well of disgust forming in my stomach as I stare at her. She's weak, and she's sad, and yet she's more alive than you are. "What the gently caress? What is your mom doing here? What does she want?"

The sensation of near-death brings some Unresolved Trauma:
<Takanago> !r 2d6+2
<Krysmbot> Takanago, 8+2 = 10
Going to project the Blamed condition onto Evie and her mom.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Do y'all wanna talk it out a bit more here, or should I move it forward to the aftermath? I was assuming you'd have something of an argument in the halls.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

sorry if you mean Evie and Chris thing i just didn't respond to the thing 'cos sort of worried about monopolising things and posting Too Much :ohdear: i could totally go for a big shoutyindignant argument and/or big moment of OMG YOU READ MY DIARY YOU HARD-LIGHT HJERK if it sounds fun to Takanago though!

well, "fun"

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Go for it.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.

Hot +1, Cold +1, Volatile =0, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: Suspicious, Tiny Babby Robot


I catch the edge of the chaff device, vision going monochrome and my depth perception failing for a moment. Seems she is attempting to egress now. I turn, crash into the wall, and stumble down the hallway for a few steps as my senses recover. If I am quick and quiet, perhaps I can see how Dr. Keltham is getting out of the school, where she is going.

I do not think it will be the last I see of her, and when she returns, I intend to have the advantage.

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Jul 4, 2015

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 4/5 | Conditions: Blamed

My head feels funny. Fuzzy. Hazy. that whateveritis that chaff thing Dr. Keltham dropped it's of course it is because i'm we're all

With a lurch, I peer want to hide under Dorothy he's he sounds like he hates me and peek and--and then I finally notice the bzzt-bzzt heartbeat of my phone, nice and steady and off-key with everything *else* and

I pull out my phone, jerky and halting like I'm scared he's gonna yell at me if I move too fast if i do anything and--

i put

things

together.

and i'm scared and startled and small and i feel so all these clothes and even if they're window dressing for her others' enjoyment they're still i'm not supposed to feel like i still feel so naked now and i want to lock myself in a room and never come out and and then something else something black and resentful and hot bubbles up and I--

he--

"You."

"rear end in a top hat!"

"Y, you read my diary?!" i'm screaming and there's this knot in my stomach bigger than that thing mom left behind and my face feels hot and i hope i'm not crying i'm trying not to cry i don't i don't even mean for any of this it just comes out i don't i didn't ididn'tevenwantforanyoneto

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Ch̶͙r̮i̧͚͔s̶̠̦̪ͅ ̦̠͕̼̙P̨͓͓͉̦̮r͚̻͚͚̣a͓̦̖͉̺̤̥sert
Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 5/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained


Everything from my shoulders upward goes completely stiff in just a millisecond. It feels like there's a tight, burning grip on my head as suddenly it seems like every pair of eyeballs in this hallway is focused right on me.

rear end in a top hat?! You think I'm the rear end in a top hat?! Since when did you even grow a spine?

"Ngh..." I clench my teeth tight as my brain reels for a response. I mean, she's not wrong. No. That's not-

"That's not important." I take a step forward and grit my teeth. If Evie loving Keltham can be assertive, I sure as hell can be too. "What is important is that your loving crazy Mom is running around with a loving railgun and she's breaking all the security systems for some goddamn reason. And that she's not like, in prison or something."

Holding steady, since this turn of events seems pretty scary. Krysmbot wasnt working so Drakkar covered me.
<Drakkar> < GO DICEROLL: - DICE: 2d6+1 - ROLLS: 5 3 +1 - TOTAL: 9 >
Going to choose to Keep My Cool. This brings me to full XP, but I'm not going to spend it on an advance just yet.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 4/5 | Conditions: Blamed

"That's....I-I don't....she's......"

my face is on fire and my head's pounding and i'm screaming i can't help it i just

"yo--" deep breaths, ev-13, staycalmstaycalmyoucan't--

Rolling to hold steady.

Since krysmbot isn't around, I just used random.org and rolled (6 1) - 1 = 6.


"SHE'S NOT CRAZY!" I scream, over the fire alarm over everything everything but the throbbing in my head

"You don't have the RIGHT to say those things about Dr. Keltham!" scowling shouting seething like it's some kind of hosed romantic relapse, the voice says endless hopeless allconsuming allforgiving love but the words are all EV-13 "Just like you didn't have the right to go through my things or read my diary or judge me or--"

Ningyou fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jun 24, 2015

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Ch̶͙r̮i̧͚͔s̶̠̦̪ͅ ̦̠͕̼̙P̨͓͓͉̦̮r͚̻͚͚̣a͓̦̖͉̺̤̥sert
Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 5/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained


"Not... crazy?!"

I stare at her, mouth hanging slightly open in disbelief. Are you loving kidding me? Those words are so wrong they don't even feel real when I say them.

"She's Not. Crazy?!" My voice strains a little as I try to express just how wrong that sounds. I feel myself go out of breath a little. I throw my head back in frustration. The brightness of the ceiling lights starts to overwhelm my eyes, but it hurts less than looking at her. My mind is just working overdrive just trying to process how the hell someone could say something like that. "How can you say she's not-"

"Oh!" The noisy haze clouding my thoughts suddenly disappears. The answer was right there the whole time...

"Of course you'd say that, Evie..." I look back down at her, refreshed by the revelation. "She loving brainwashed you! That's why you're here! She hosed with your head and now you're in denial."

I throw my arms into the air as a strange energy starts to flow through me. Maybe it's because I've never had the chance to be so loving right about something before. "And I can say that all I want 'cause it's one hundred percent true! You think you can tell me what's right and what's wrong? I saw it, Evie! In your own loving words!"

I stare her right in the eyes, focusing the entire welled-up storm of feelings in my head at her. It's like my words are powered by all the bad things I've felt in the past few weeks. This is my chance to finally turn things around. For the first time in my loving life, I'm feeling what it feels like to be on top of the food chain.

"You're not EV-13, you're Evie Keltham! You're not a robot, you're human. Flesh. And. Blood. And you know it."

Shutting down Evie:
2d6+1: 6 [2d6=4, 1]
I'll use Evie's Blamed condition to power up the hate and make that a 7, and choose to give both of us a condition. I feel like there's a bunch of ways this could be taken so I'll let Ningyou define what Evie's condition is, and I'll take the condition rear end in a top hat unless anyone else has any better ideas.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 4/5 | Conditions: Blamed, Fragmented

going to take the condition Fragmented unless you think 'delusional' or 'brainwashed' or 'hosed wiring' or something fits better?

i

every word hurts it stings it burns and there's nowhere i can go and and and "You know what? You know what?" i don't even think process the words just come out quick and sharp and my voice turns into this scornful singsong and "Maybe I am hosed in the head! Maybe my memory's fragmented or Dr. Keltham overwrote some of me or whatever! But you know what? It. Doesn't. MATTER! It doesn't matter it's not important it's none of your loving business o-or ororanyone's except Dr. Keltham's and mine and--"

"A-and the only thing that does matter is that I'm still EV and you're still an rear end in a top hat!"

my throat's hoarse and my hand's sore and kind of tingly and it's only a moment later that I realize god i think i lost my voice or something and I've slapped him i've i-i'm just i didn't mean to it's just he's h-he's saying all those horrible things and

Rolling to Shut Down Chris. THIS MAKES SENSE OKAY Y'CAN'T SLAP A HOLOGRAM SO IT'S LIKE A FIGURATIVE SLAP BUT ALSO A LITERAL SLAP
(11:43:03 PM) ningyou: !r 2d6-1
(11:43:03 PM) Krysmbot: ningyou, 9-1 = 8

I...am kind of drawing a blank on what condition to give you. Maybe Busybody?

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Ray Ferras
Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Terrified, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


Oh, you stupid humans and your stupid stupid infighting. Evie and Chris are having a shitfight and the bad doctor is getting away! I look their way and give a derisive snort before returning to my investigation.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Ch̶͙r̮i̧͚͔s̶̠̦̪ͅ ̦̠͕̼̙P̨͓͓͉̦̮r͚̻͚͚̣a͓̦̖͉̺̤̥sert
Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 5/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained, rear end in a top hat, Busybody


I blink. Everything has shifted to the left of where it was just a moment ago. My face is skewed to the side. My cheek is numb- No, it's warm. Stinging. Burning. It feels real. It feels physical. Well, no. it almost does. It's just emulation. A facsimile of the real thing. Computer signals. You know that. It's not like the real thing. The real thing's not like that. But... how would you know? You've never felt this before-

Now's not the time for that. Come on. Focus, Chris.

I bring my hand to my cheek, straighten out my neck, and blink a few more times. Each time I close and open my eyes, everything looks a little less blurry and a little more clear. It takes about a second for everything to look the way it should be.

"How..." I focus my gaze back on her again, now that I've recollected myself. "Can you say... that it doesn't matter?"

"How?!"

My voice is ragged and cracked. Each word feels more exhausting to say than the last.

"I..."

I just stare at her. I'm tired, and I don't know what to say anymore. There's nothing more to say, is there? Nothing worth saying, at least. I can't keep this poo poo up.

Like, what the gently caress do you even say to that? It doesn't matter?! Don't you even care about your humanity? It'd be one thing if you just hated being human, but how do you just not care about something so precious- important? gently caress, I don't know. I don't get her...

"...Whatever." I sigh. I just throw my hands in the air and let them drop because I'm just loving done and I just don't care anymore.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Just dropping off some presents for the moment.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Nivaine rounds the last corner just in time to see someone open the door for Ms. Keltham as she ducks out through an unwatched service entrance, likely directly into a waiting vehicle. All nice and neat. Except you get a glimpse of the face of her helper as she vanishes from view.

Ichirou Kazumi, Medical Professional
That makes sense. The school nurse would have been the one closest, and had access to open and relock the door behind which the explosives were placed. But why? Probably best not to ask now, as Ichirou quietly walks off back into the empty corridors.

Everyone

It is several hours later. You've all been rounded up and herded into a room, where a man you've all dealt with before is waiting. His appearance -dully professional- isn't important. His name is John, and he's one of the world's only specialist AI therapists who isn't... well... one of your parents, or insane, or both.

He's chosen, for obvious reasons, to start with Evie. But you'll all get your turn.

The rest of you are outside in the foyer.

I'm going to ask some specific questions of each of you- This is also a good time to pass notes and whisper among yourselves.

Evie,

Are you prepared to report your mother if she makes any further attempts at contact?

She threatened your classmates today, and has a history of isolating you. What steps do you plan to take to avoid that?

Nivaine,

You kept a cool and effective head throughout this entire incident. Is there any follow-up that could make you lose your cool?

My niece, Erin, has been speaking highly of you recently. How are you planning on moving forward? It would do you some good to have friends. I could arrange for a private meeting.

Chris,

In light of the events we're overlooking your file intrusions. What is it that you wanted to know?

Thanks for getting Porter appropriate care, but he's been muttering about the Praserts in his sleep. Would you like me to arrange for a meeting later?

Dorothy

I'm sure you're a bit shaken by the events of today. Your mother is going to be here in a few more hours with some "presents." Tell me, what do you intend to do with those?

She also mentioned one of your sisters would be with her- "Patience," I believe. Which one is that?

Ray,

We appreciate your help in identifying the ordinance used by Dr. Keltham. But, violence... who among your classmates would you be most likely to suspect of helping Dr. Keltham? Do you intend to do anything about that?

You're going to be in special detention for a bit for striking another student. Dr. Guardiana has asked if she can take over for the usual overseer- are you ok with that?

New OOC Thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3729630

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.

Hot +1, Cold +1, Volatile =0, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: Suspicious, Tiny Babby Robot


I smile at the others as I wait my turn, swinging my feet as I sit in the uncomfortable chair, hands folded primly in my lap. I turn my grin especially on wolfboy.

"That ended better than it might have," I comment idly.

------------

"I wasn't the one she was paying attention to, and the others were all there. If I had to deal with her alone..." I lie through my teeth, of course. Having a chance to deal with the woman one and one would be the ideal scenario, if I had to deal with her.

The worst, what I would have to try and escape immediately, is being stuck with her and wolfboy and no one else. Others would be more resistant to the Doctor, or I could handle them myself. But Ray hates me already, is easily manipulated, and I have no doubt about the result of a physical confrontation between us.

That is a scenario to be avoided at all costs.

"Yes... I will try to be a friend." I smile at John. "I would very much like to spend some time with Erin." So there is the connection. The most likely way that Erin knows about me. Sujatha warned me about her, so I will take that to heart. I will keep my enemies close.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Terrified, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


"It also ended worse than it could have," I growl back to the stickgirl.
---------------------------
I sit with back straight and head slightly tilted as the "therapist" drones on. If he's trying to convince me of his competence, he's failing. Heck, I had to supply him with the information on the railgun and the ECM emitter (he called it a chaff grenade--bastard!). And I have no idea why they're getting on my case--the heat I'm packing is a lot less powerful than the railgun she had! If anything I showed restraint! Rotten jerks. Nothing left to do but grit my teeth at that. And I guess Dr. Guardiana is handling it too. That's fine, that's just fine. It'll give me plenty of time to interrogate her about what she knows.

As to who's helping the bad Doctor Keltham? Well, I already suggested one option. Evie might not want to help her mother, but maybe she's being coerced into it or she's been bugged to do it unintentionally--I need to get close enough to sweep her for that some time--or some other "Coercion" item. Niviane...I wouldn't put anything past her. From what I've seen she's ready, willing, and able to play all the angles. Including possibly the terrorist ones. Dr. Guardiana has a lot of questions she needs to answer too. Like what the heck she was doing, or how she knew what the bad doctor was going for. Gah, so many suspects! At least I'll have some time alone with one...that came out wrong. Pfft! Who gives a poo poo.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 5/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained, rear end in a top hat, Busybody


Tick. Tock. The imaginary sound of an old, analog clock plays in my head while I sit and wait. All I've done for the past few hours is sit and wait.

Could be worse. After that argument I'm just really tired of dealing with people right now. At least this gives me a chance to recharge my batteries and not have to say anything or listen to anyone for a while. It's just too bad that there's nothing to do.

In fact, I can feel my eyelids starting to drift shut...

---

The therapists questions wake me up like rays of uncomfortable morning sunshine.

"In light of the events we're overlooking your file intrusions. What is it that you wanted to know?"

"...Huh?" I give him a confused stare. At first it's because I'm tired, but then I start thinking about the question. ...Which file intrusion is he talking about? Is it about the diary? Do they know about that? Did Evie tell them? Or are they talking about the Nurse's Office? That makes more sense, doesn't it? But the network was just wide open there already. It's not like I really did anything there. Or is this about those earlier incidents, before today?

There's... a lot of things he could be asking about. (Ỹ̞ǫ͗u̟͊ ͇́j͙̿u̝̽s̬̅t͎̿ ̢̀c͓̽ả̡n̘̽'͉̾t͕̓ ̰̄h̦͐e̛͕l̺̆p̞̈́ ͍̀b͚̅u̡̕ẗ͉ ͔̚k̝̈́e̝͘e̹̿p̞͌ ͒ͅd̦͝ö̮́ȉ̪n͕̈g̺͗ ̻̈ṫ̻h̤̕ȩ̈́s͉͛ë̱́ ̫̓ț͋h̠̅i̪̅n̥̏g͎͠s̥̾,͓͛ ̰̽c̮͘a̛͍n̪̈ ̫̓y̙͆ơ̬ṵ͝,̾ͅ ̤̀C̤̏H̡̚R̭̉I̡͂S̥͌?̝̕ ͈̅I͉͘t̢͑'͓͐ś͈ ̪̅p͉̆a̢͛r̨̍t̲̋ ͍̓ơ͈f̡͝ ͖͗y͉͒ȍ̭ú̲r͛ͅ ̥̓Ṋ͒A͔̎T̙̽Ụ̓R̙͒E̩̊.͙͠) Which one is it? It's not all of them, right? What does he think I was looking at?

"Oh well..." I do my best to try not to look like I'm thinking too hard. "I mean, when you wake up in the future, there's a lot of things you want to know, right?"

I smile like the answer I gave was any good at all, and not just obvious bullshit. gently caress. You have to do better than that, Chris. You don't have to talk about everything, but you have to talk about something.

"But, like..." I try my best to stall where I figure out what I want to say. "Okay..."

I decide to say something from the heart. It's not lying. Plus, it's what he wants to hear, right? "So you know how they found my memory file, but they don't know why or how it got there or what happened to it? What is the deal with that? Like, I understand that there's mysteries out there, but... there's gotta be answers out there."

"And like... the school's gotta know something, right? I mean, with this whole program, and all your scientists and databases and networks and stuff... You would be looking for answers... Right?"

Thanks for getting Porter appropriate care, but he's been muttering about the Praserts in his sleep. Would you like me to arrange for a meeting later?

"You can... do that?"

As soon as I hear that, my chest starts tightening and burning up like it's on fire. Like I'm about to have a heart attack. Is that really a possibility? I stare at him for a while longer than I should.

"Yes," I nod carefully. That's the normal response to that, right? I mean, they're just people. Future people. They're just...

...

...My hands are shaking.

Wahad
May 19, 2011

There is no escape.

S.E.R.A.F.I.M. unit 616 // Dorothy
Hot 1, Cold 2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0 | XP 3 | Conditions: Hunted, Judged

I wait silently in the hall. Evie is close, but I do not hug her. Too much just happened for me to extend my care to others right now, others who may have seen my true form, seen beyond the deception. Perhaps they had not, but how could I be sure? I can not ask them because doing so would expose my real identity anyway. I can only wait and fear until they confront me. If they even do so. I was too afraid to intervene in the fight between Chris and Evie. Was not sure if my voice modulators were up to par after the reboot. At the moment, I can tell my identity as Dorothy is restored, and my systems are on par...but still I remain silent. Best to be cautious.

As the doctor sees me in, I try to retain my social programming. A nod, a smile, some small talk. Everything checks out. Good. That will make this session easier.

The "presents", knowing my mother, could be anything from a subcutaneous weapon she'll install in me to defend myself to something a little more traditional. Either way, I will have to wait and see what she gives me before I know what to do with it, but I am reasonably sure it will be a self-defense option in case dr. Keltham shows up again. In which case I shall not be hesitant about its use. Another one of those reboots could be disastrous, and I must not fail my task.

Patience is another matter entirely. As one of the V.I.R.T.U models - that's Virtual Intelligence for Reputable Tactical Use - her social subroutines are not quite as refined as my own, but what she lacks in graces she makes up for an astounding knowledge of tactics and strategy, environmental awareness, and heightened reflexes to aid in her combat prowess. Mother often employs the V.I.R.T.U models as bodyguards and security personnel, for which they were explicitly designed, but with her tendency towards personalizing her creations, each of the models has a few quirks of their own. Patience, for example, has an unhealthy obsession with human anatomy, specifically the parts which are vital to survival...and how to damage them so that they do not give up their function entirely. To be subjected to her whims as an enemy is to live long - but none too pleasantly.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 0/5 | Conditions: Blamed, Fragmented

I don't say a word.

I don't meet anyone's eyes. dorothy's she doesn't i begged and pleaded and i was so scared and she just she didn't say a word she didn't even give me a hug or i-i thought she l

I'm

tired.

"Are you prepared to report your mother if she makes any further attempts at contact?"
i can't i i'm trying not to show it i'm trying to hold it in but i just the way he says that i feel like falling to pieces she's dr. keltham isn't some kind of terrorist she's

"you wouldn't understand."

"She threatened your classmates today, and has a history of isolating you. What steps do you plan to take to avoid that?"

(Still silent.) Isolating me?

I'm--

"I'm already isolated."

I don't have any friends. Nobody cares about me, nobody loves me, nobody's going to nobody's ever going to love me the way she does

I stand up primly, trying to mask my feelings with this too-good-for-this-honest little scowl, and leave without another word. What's the point? I can't trust him.

Rolling to Run Away, since I assume I can't just stroll right out of there.

(11:05:24 AM) ningyou1: !r 2d6-1
(11:05:25 AM) Krysmbot: ningyou1, 10-1 = 9

Iiiii'm gonna pick running directly into something worse. Also, since this makes 5 xp, I'll take Down the Rabbit Hole~

Ningyou fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Jul 18, 2015

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Nivaine, Erin is sitting on a park bench in the atrium. Interesting choice, the atrium- the only place to meet both "in" the school and open to the air. Maybe that's symbolic.

She's already facing you as you approach. "Hey. Sup?"

Ray, Detention is just you and Dr. Guardiana. She's just... watching you. Probably pulling data down to her HUD. Figuring you out. What are you gonna do about it?

Chris, Porter is still lying on his bed. Dr. Kazumi (he's familiar somehow, but you can't place it.) has left to give you some privacy, with a stern warning about calling for him if anything at all seems off about Porter, and not letting Porter fall asleep just yet. Porter looks away. He'd be looking out the window if this was a room with a window, but instead he's just sorta staring at a wall.

"So... who the gently caress are you really?" he says.

Dorothy, your mother and Patience visit you in your room almost as soon as they arrive. "I'm sorry about the call," starts mother dearest. "I could have ruined everything. I've decreased the timeout to 10 seconds, and left a warning if the call idles for 5 or more. And..." She hauls open a case. "This is yours."

Black, a matte black finish so it doesn't reflect light. Blacker than night. All plastic, you suspect, down to the rounds. To evade scanners.

A gun.

"If anyone comes close to figuring out things... You will have to protect yourself." Your mother looks at you with eyes, cold eyes, eyes that care only for you and your success. Patience rolls her eyes in the corner- this is like, yesteday's news to her. "Don't hesitate. In light of recent events... well." She turns, begins collecting the rest of her things. "You know who to blame."

Evie, you run and you run and you run but you can't run from

you can't run from

you can't run from

yourself

You dive into your room with a sigh of relief and clutch at safety like a warm blanket and.. what is this on your desk in your front room?

A little portable media player. Nobody uses these anymore.

"From your owner, Dr. Kel."

No.

No way.

You look up and the camera is already noticing you frozen- was that camera always there, in your front room? Or did they put it in today? and what do you do before someone sees

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.

Hot +1, Cold +1, Volatile =0, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: Suspicious, Tiny Babby Robot


The atrium. An excellent choice. I can feel daemons cataloging the opsec benefits of the location, the symbolic messages, the psychology of choice at play. The analysis niggles at the back of my consciousness, ready, eager to be consulted.

I ignore it all.

I suspect that all of my assumptions, all of my background on Erin is a lie. A delicious one, one to savor as I untangle it, explore its many layers. But I can't begin that process yet. I have perhaps a single solid datum on her. Attempting to draw conclusions at this point would be... counterproductive.

Besides, at the moment I don't actually care what she intended. What she's thinking. It's time to go on the offensive. I will make this choice of meeting place mine. I will decide what she's thinking about.

She will think about me.

I pause at the terminator, staying in the shadows until the moment I'm certain she's aware of me, then I step across the line into the light. A slow, deliberate walk. A slight sway of the hips, not so much that it can't be explained by the soft soil beneath my feet, but enough to be noticed. A hand trailed idly across a dewy leaf.

I stop in front of her, hands folded behind me. "You wanted me?" I say sweetly, cocking my head and smiling at her, batting my eyelashes.

Turn someone on (+hot): 2d6+1 12

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4+1/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Terrified, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


TICK...TICK...TICK...

I'm not sure if it's intentional, but the classroom the academy has demarcated for military police mat--er, detention--has a very very loudly ticking clock. Somebody looked at Chinese water torture and thought "hmm, how do we make a version that works on robots with sensitive hearing?".

TICK...TICK...TICK...

How can Dr. Guardiana not hear it? She's just poking at the air with her finger like she's deaf! Is she trying to piss me off?!

TICK...TICK...TICK...

If this were back with DARPA I might be able to just call it a sensitivity test. Take it like a good dog. But this doesn't count as a DARPA test. My teeth grind unconsciously. I need to get back on top here, and getting that drat clock stopped will not only save my face, it will save my ears! "Dr. Guardiana," I speak up, teeth barely moving. "While I'm sure what you're reading is interesting, we both have internal clocks that are much more accurate than that old obsolete thing on the wall, so how about we turn it off before I have to put a drat bullet through it?"

Am I making a threat? Entirely possible!

TICK...TICK...TICK...

Shutting her down...[22:51:06] <Davin_Valkri> !r 2d6-1
[22:51:07] <Krysmbot> Davin_Valkri, 7-1 = 6


...and almost certainly fruitless.

Wahad
May 19, 2011

There is no escape.

S.E.R.A.F.I.M. unit 616 // Dorothy
Hot 1, Cold 2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0 | XP 3 | Conditions: Hunted, Judged

I blink. A...gun? What does she expect me to do with a gun? I am not trained like Patience. I suspect I have the programming for it, somewhere in the deepest corners of my subroutines, only accessed in case of emergency; but I have never handled a weapon, much less a deadly one. Will I even have the mental fortitude for lethal force? Is my emotional core robust enough to withstand the effects of dealing with killing someone? What am I going to do?

Mother starts to pack. I start forward. "Mother, please," The words come without me knowing what will follow, and the silence that comes is not unexpected. What do I even say? I can not go against her. She is my creator. She controls my every thought, even if she does not do so actively. She knows how I will think, knows how I will feel, about everything. She monitored me from the day I was born until the day she set me free to go to this institute - and monitors me even now, with other channels.

"...why a gun? How am I supposed to carry this around without people noticing? What if I miss? What if I hit the wrong person?" I feel so lost, and the questions come out all at once. I need her to guide me. Need her to help me cope with this.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 1/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained, rear end in a top hat, Busybody


An uncomfortable silence passes in the room. My throat feels tight and dry, like it doesn't want me to answer this question.

"Ha..." I give a nervous, almost inaudible laugh. "What the hell are you talking about, Porter?" I almost ask, as if I can keep up this act any longer. No, what the gently caress are you thinking Chris? He wouldn't be asking if he didn't know. Plus, this might be a chance to maybe actually talk to someone.

...Even if it's loving Porter.

I stare at him for a second. He looks all to familiar, just lying there in a hospital bed like that. Is that how I always looked, just staring off at nothing? Bored, frustrated, pitiful.

I guess I can trust him. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else about it."

"I..." I lean against a wall and stare at the ceiling lights, trying to collect my thoughts. "I was born a long time ago: two-thousand and two. I'm a post-millennial kid. I was sick. Very sick. Spent almost all my time in the hospital, everything sucked, and I didn't have very long to live. They tried everything they could with conventional medicine, but it seemed like a hopeless cause. Like, just... all you can do is lie back and wait for it to happen sooner or later. Maybe see if you can just finish a book or a tv series in the meantime."

"But around that time, people were starting to talk about the possibility of digitizing the human brain. They'd just figured out a way they could theoretically model it one-to-one, but nobody had actually done it. It was risky, it had these big ethical questions, and the idea really scared a lot of people. But we figured out that, well, we didn't have anything to lose, so eventually I just decided to... try it."

I stop, take a deep breath, and try to focus as much on small things in this room as I can. The brightness of the ceiling lights. Their quiet, annoying hum. The colors of various medicine jars on the shelves. Each and every piece of medical equipment in the room. The way Porter is still just staring at the wall and isn't even looking at me.

Anything it takes to avoid letting my mind get filled with vivid memories of that day.

"So it..." I finally work up the effort to continue. "...worked out. They uploaded my whole brain and kept it on a mainframe. It's not like the sentient robots you see today, with their minds kind of built from scratch to be like humans. My mind still works the exact same way as when I was alive. It's just- digital now."

"And after that, they... I don't know. Lost it or something. Wish I could remember. They just found my mind on a dormant server somewhere, brought me back and here I am."

"So to answer your question, I'm Chris Prasert. I'm a Ghost. Dead, but alive."

Holding Steady to remain calm while talking about my death:
<Takanago> !r 2d6+1
<Krysmbot> Takanago, 8+1 = 9

Since I'm full up on XP, I'm going to take this moment to choose to take the Vengeful Ghost move for an advance since a) things seem to be pointing towards danger, and b) because Chris probably needs to get worse before he really learns to get better. Also weird virus ghost hacking powers are cool.

Also, sorry for the delay. End of July was really hectic and then afterwards I was kinda pooped.

Ningyou
Aug 14, 2005

we aaaaare
not your kind of pearls
you seem kind of pho~ny
everything's a liiiiie

we aaaare
not your kind of pearls
something in your make~up
don't see eye to e~y~e

Evie Keltham/EV-13
Hot 2 | Cold -1 | Volatile -1 | Dark 1
Harm 0/4 | XP 0/5 | Conditions: Blamed, Fragmented

....old Evie new EV would panic they put a camera in while i was do they really think i'd do they really mistrust me that much, would fumble, would try to act natural or idon'tevenyouknowwhatitdoesn'tevenmatter

It doesn't *matter*, because I just...casually take the media player in one hand, slip the note out of the camera's view (crumple it up, throw it away, as far as anyone knows it's just -trash-), and....

No matter how bad things get with the others, a gynoid always has her owner. ♥

I unceremoniously kick off my shoes, curl up in bed (put the earphones in god this is so *old*), press play, and bask.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Nivaine, Erin bounces with.... excitement, of multiple forms, as you approach. She's very, very happy to see you. "Let's cut to the chase 'vaine- Can I call you that? I'm just gonna call you that."

She pops up from her seat, standing face to face, and you realize for the first time how short she actually is- you've never really noted her height before, but one-on-one it's pretty obvious.

She leans in really, almost uncomfortably close. Those eyes are on you again. She opens her mouth. You can feel the tension build- what is she hiding?


"...Wanna make out?"

It's clearly a deflection, a brief distraction- but it's also a genuine offer. As far as you can tell.


Ray, the good doctor's only reaction to your outburst is to pull down a note- you know the gesture, it's common in the military. Paperwork everywhere all the time. "Subject still requires more aggression training. Earmark for later suppressive methods."

That sounds bad, but that also sounds like later. What's right now is the doctor finally fixing her eyes on you. "So. What did you think of today's events, Ray Land? Do you have any suggestions as to what is happening and why?"

Dorothy, your mother faces you seriously. "You won't. You're my daughter. You'll figure it out."

You know that tone. The conversation is over. What're you gonna do about it?

Chris, Porter laughs. "Oh, that makes perfect sense."

He keeps laughing. It's an infectious, fully-body sort of laughter that probably hurts, given the condition he's in, but he can't stop it any more than he can stop the tide. "Right then. I'll have to keep an eye on you. Don't want you showing up in the toilets. Or... Can you take pictures? I know the schedule for all the locker rooms!" He laughs more. "Oh, we're gonna be best friends."

EV, adding to the feeling of old, it's a goddamn mixtape.

But it's one that's familiar. Soothing. The sounds of home. The strange mix of old showtunes, riot grrl, electronica, and synths that made up the background beat to Dr. Keltham's life. And maybe you hear the subtle messages embedded within, or maybe you don't. Either way, they're familiar too. It's all so familiar. And you get the real message, the one left just by this being here.

Owner will be back for you soon enough. Be a good girl for her.

No, that's not right.

Be a good unit.

That's not right either.

The message is jumbled and confused. Is Dr. Keltham confused, or you? Or both? You can't tell.

Wahad
May 19, 2011

There is no escape.

S.E.R.A.F.I.M. unit 616 // Dorothy
Hot 1, Cold 2, Volatile -1, Dark -1
Harm 0 | XP 3 | Conditions: Hunted, Judged

...so much for guidance. I want to ask more, to get the help I require - but I know it would be futile. So I deflate. "As you wish, Mother." The words come so naturally. As does the deference. Am I really going to stand up to her? To Patience? No. No I'm not. I'm the experiment. They're the experimenters.

"Will you go straight home?" I'm not sure if I want to know the answer to the question. I might have to be involved. Yet...I don't want her to go after Evie. She's like me. Just a puppet. There's no need to punish her.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.

Hot +1, Cold +1, Volatile =0, Dark -1
Harm 0/4 | XP 3/5 | Conditions: Suspicious, Tiny Babby Robot


I tilt my head, looking her up and down rather obviously. A skillful riposte - or, it would be, against someone without my capabilities. I turn, and drop onto the bench she just vacated.

"If you wouldn't prefer somewhere more private...?"

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

Hot +1, Cold -1, Volatile +2, Dark -1
Harm 0/4, Exp 4+1/5, Conditions: Simple Minded, Terrified, Pissed Off, Scary Monster


"It's Ferras, Dr. Guardiana," I say with a false smile on my face. Why must she be so grating... I would love to growl that it would have been much easier to ask had I been able to interrogate the terrorist combatant suspect myself, with a slam on the desk with my tail, but that would just earmark me for more "suppressive methods". I'll just have to go with my "guts".

"My 'suggestion' is that next time, you let me do what I was made to do," I manage with a straight face. "I believe we would not be having this conversation if I had performed to standards. You would be able to ask her what she was doing with a mil-grade cannon and the will to use it. If you want my further opinion, I hold that she is a threat and should be neutralized with lethal force if the need arises. Does that answer your question, Doctor?"

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Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Hot -1, Cold 1, Volatile -1, Dark 2
Harm 0/4, Exp 1/5, Conditions: Shallow, Drained, rear end in a top hat, Busybody


"Oh gently caress you, Porter," I sigh. "I can't believe I let you make me get so serious like that."

I throw my hands up and grumble, but I can't help but smile a little bit. Here I was worrying about nothing, I guess. Like Porter was going to freak out on me or something, like I'm one of them. But no, it's just Porter being a jackass. Like usual.

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