Futuristic Incarnate OOC

[Gnomar]

Thanks for giving me a chance and I'll try to live up to expectations >-< It's been great seeing everyone's ideas and I look forward to possibly being in RPs with the rest of you in the future ^^

I'll take a look at the armor, but I won't lie, I have no experience with Halo or related games and can barely envision, like, power armor, so I'll have to dig a bit xD

I'm sure you'll do great!

As for the armour I wouldn't stress to much, I won't be doing a massively in depth look at it in the rp, it's just there to make us look snazzy and let our characters get into some flashier battles : D

 

[Echocoa]

Also it took me until now to notice what Undead meant back when I posted my characters about their age possibly being a problem and corrected that typo. It was supposed to be 25 years old, but an additional 5 years since Marie's death, but I wrote "30 years since death" xD

Though I'd be totally up for trying to play that if that was what Gnome thought while reading them, I don't know ^^;

 

[Gnomar]

That is indeed what I thought you meant to write! Considering that I specified Incarnates started appearing about 30 years ago Marie might have been one of the first deaths to result in an Incarnate. And her revival so many years later would have been a statistical miracle in universe.

 

[Echocoa]

That is indeed what I thought you meant to write! Considering that I specified Incarnates started appearing about 30 years ago Marie might have been one of the first deaths to result in an Incarnate. And her revival so many years later would have been a statistical miracle in universe.

Haha, that's great we can run with that then xD It should be fun even if that was a mistake on my part. Add to her internalized guilt by knowing that these people performed a miracle and all they got out of it was her.

 

[Gnomar]

Awesome, and all her loved ones will have aged 30 years without her which will be a nice opportunity for a bit of angst!

 

[Mayali]

Congrats to those who made it! It is probably for the best I didn't as RPN doesn't seem to want to send me emails when these threads get new posts. I'd have trouble keeping up.

 

[Echocoa]

Awesome, and all her loved ones will have aged 30 years without her which will be a nice opportunity for a bit of angst!

Aww, her parents were already on the older side ;-;

She might also be able to request to see the person who shot her and several others all those years ago, presumably still in prison unless something happened to him. That would make for some interaction o.o

 

[Naril]

I'm not here, but I'll leave this for reference - someone should copy this and add whoever took my place.

The cast comes down to, then:

Gnomealone - Nico Moore; who I'm sure we're going to learn more about at some point, with material-alteration powers (weight, density, etc.) who tends to be a front-line fighter with Large Equipment. Nico's Champion is Mulch, a giant and nearly-indestructible rock turtle, who is picked up and dropped on enemies by Nico. 22 years old, male/masculine presentation.

StatusUndead - Dayquan King; large, friendly, and conflicted, with a teleportation power who prefers to stay out of firefights. Dayquan's Champion is Wumsy, who is a collection of metallic segments with above-human intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. Wumsy has a related teleportation power to King's. 27 years old, male/masculine presentation.

asphodelus - Emery Harlen; mostly-normal, social-worker type with spider-sense and mental-projection capabilities who prefers not to be near the fight at all. Emery's Champion is Eudocia, a large demonic humanoid, who is intelligent, angry, and does not want to be here. Eudocia is a close-range combat-centric creature with fear-projection abilities. 24 years old, male/masculine presentation.

Echocoa - Marie Alvesa; moody and inward-turned but reflexively empathetic, recovering from death and a breakup, with dark-vision along with enhanced speed and reflexes, who prefers to be a scout or lookout. Marie’s Champion is Koodoo, a flighty and independently-minded haunted doll with area-denial abilities and tremendous personal speed. 25 personal years old, but died 30 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

BananaMuffin - Gerry Minx; Headstrong and risk-taking firebrand with the ability to borrow her Champion's senses, who prefers to either be a vehicle operator or to directly control her Champion in a fight. Gerry's Champion is Spidey, a spider tank with a multi-purpose cannon and surprising mobility. 32 years old, female/femme presentation; married.

 

[Echocoa]

Oh, how exciting! I'm very much looking forward to being part of this. I like writing characters-as-auditions, but I'm also always prepared to be told no. :3


Our cast comes down to, then:

(This is as much for my use as anything else, but please do let me know if I've been too aggressive in condensing your character down to Quick Reference.)

Gnomealone - Nico Moore; who I'm sure we're going to learn more about at some point, with material-alteration powers (weight, density, etc.) who tends to be a front-line fighter with Large Equipment. Nico's Champion is Mulch, a giant and nearly-indestructible rock turtle, who is picked up and dropped on enemies by Nico. 22 years old, male/masculine presentation.

StatusUndead - Dayquan King; large, friendly, and conflicted, with a teleportation power who prefers to stay out of firefights. Dayquan's Champion is Wumsy, who is a collection of metallic segments with above-human intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. Wumsy has a related teleportation power to King's. 27 years old, male/masculine presentation.

asphodelus - Emery Harlen; mostly-normal, social-worker type with spider-sense and mental-projection capabilities who prefers not to be near the fight at all. Emery's Champion is Eudocia, a large demonic humanoid, who is intelligent, angry, and does not want to be here. Eudocia is a close-range combat-centric Champion with fear-projection abilities. 24 years old, male/masculine presentation .

Echocoa - Catherine Alvesa; inward-turned but empathetic, recovering from death and a breakup, with dark-vision along with enhanced speed and reflexes, who prefers to be a scout or lookout. Catherine's Champion is Koodoo, a flighty and independently-minded haunted doll with area-denial abilities and tremendous personal speed. 25 personal years old, but died 30 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

Naril - Zee Rashid ; Happy, horny, and kind, with tremendous personal physical resilience along with a dose of enhanced physicality who will frequently be a front-line melee fighter. Zee's Champion is Sanguine, who is in essence a second being sharing Zee's body, with healing abilities that can be given to others via blood transfusion. 37 personal years old, but died and was resurrected 5 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

bananamuffin - Gerry Minx; Headstrong and risk-taking firebrand with the ability to borrow her Champion's senses, who prefers to either be a vehicle operator or to directly control her Champion in a fight. Gerry's Champion is Spidey, a spider tank with a multi-purpose cannon and surprising mobility. 32 years old, female/femme presentation; married.

This is quite helpful for me too, thank you ^^ I'll note that Catherine will be going by her middle name, Marie, and is probably a bit moodier than that snippet makes her sound, but it otherwise seems pretty good for her and Koodoo.
I definitely made the angsty character for the group and am kind of just running with it at this point ^^;

 

[Naril]

I'll edit accordingly!

A friend recently called Zee "A Valkyrie by way of Chansaw Man," which both made me laugh and I'm realising isn't totally inaccurate. Food for thought, maybe.

 

[StatusUndead]

Okay everybody this is the big moment! The culling. Gotta say, this wasn't easy, and I appreciate every single person that took the time to create a character for this. But without further ado I shall announce who's in...

StatusUndead @asphodelus Echocoa Naril @BananaMuffin , congrats, you've all bagged yourself spots in the rp. For those of you that didn't make it but would still like to be considered in case any of these fine folk drop out, just shoot me a message and I'll know who to call should any spaces free up!

Oh and here's a link to a gallery that shows the kinda vibe I'm looking for with your armour!

22 Incarnate armour choices ideas in 2023 | armor concept, sci fi concept art, futuristic armour

Feb 1, 2023 - Explore Gnome Alone's board "Incarnate armour choices" on Pinterest. See more ideas about armor concept, sci fi concept art, futuristic armour.

pin.it

(Sorry I've been a little bit absent in the ooc, back at uni now and Monday is one of my busiest days).

I think Naril asked what variety of armour characters would wear in this RP and the best analogue would be something like Halo, where it's a sealed system that provides extra protection and helps boost your strength a bit beyond that of a normal human. If you can't find a pic that's exactly what you want but is close feel free to use that and just describe any customization you'd make to it!

Welcome to all my new squad mates! I'm honestly extremely excited for Eudocia/Wumsy interactions. I imagine Eudocia will hate Wumsy, but Wumsy will be downright fascinated with them, especially their fear projection abilities.

Oh, how exciting! I'm very much looking forward to being part of this. I like writing characters-as-auditions, but I'm also always prepared to be told no. :3


Our cast comes down to, then:

(This is as much for my use as anything else, but please do let me know if I've been too aggressive in condensing your character down to Quick Reference.)

Gnomealone - Nico Moore; who I'm sure we're going to learn more about at some point, with material-alteration powers (weight, density, etc.) who tends to be a front-line fighter with Large Equipment. Nico's Champion is Mulch, a giant and nearly-indestructible rock turtle, who is picked up and dropped on enemies by Nico. 22 years old, male/masculine presentation.

StatusUndead - Dayquan King; large, friendly, and conflicted, with a teleportation power who prefers to stay out of firefights. Dayquan's Champion is Wumsy, who is a collection of metallic segments with above-human intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. Wumsy has a related teleportation power to King's. 27 years old, male/masculine presentation.

asphodelus - Emery Harlen; mostly-normal, social-worker type with spider-sense and mental-projection capabilities who prefers not to be near the fight at all. Emery's Champion is Eudocia, a large demonic humanoid, who is intelligent, angry, and does not want to be here. Eudocia is a close-range combat-centric Champion with fear-projection abilities. 24 years old, male/masculine presentation .

Echocoa - Marie Alvesa; moody and inward-turned but reflexively empathetic, recovering from death and a breakup, with dark-vision along with enhanced speed and reflexes, who prefers to be a scout or lookout. Catherine's Champion is Koodoo, a flighty and independently-minded haunted doll with area-denial abilities and tremendous personal speed. 25 personal years old, but died 30 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

Naril - Zee Rashid ; Happy, horny, and kind, with tremendous personal physical resilience along with a dose of enhanced physicality who will frequently be a front-line melee fighter. Zee's Champion is Sanguine, who is in essence a second being sharing Zee's body, with healing abilities that can be given to others via blood transfusion. 37 personal years old, but died and was resurrected 5 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

bananamuffin - Gerry Minx; Headstrong and risk-taking firebrand with the ability to borrow her Champion's senses, who prefers to either be a vehicle operator or to directly control her Champion in a fight. Gerry's Champion is Spidey, a spider tank with a multi-purpose cannon and surprising mobility. 32 years old, female/femme presentation; married.

Thank you! Bookmarked! Very apt descriptions of both Dayquan and Wumsy.

 

[Gnomar]

Oh, how exciting! I'm very much looking forward to being part of this. I like writing characters-as-auditions, but I'm also always prepared to be told no. :3


Our cast comes down to, then:

(This is as much for my use as anything else, but please do let me know if I've been too aggressive in condensing your character down to Quick Reference.)

Gnomealone - Nico Moore; who I'm sure we're going to learn more about at some point, with material-alteration powers (weight, density, etc.) who tends to be a front-line fighter with Large Equipment. Nico's Champion is Mulch, a giant and nearly-indestructible rock turtle, who is picked up and dropped on enemies by Nico. 22 years old, male/masculine presentation.

StatusUndead - Dayquan King; large, friendly, and conflicted, with a teleportation power who prefers to stay out of firefights. Dayquan's Champion is Wumsy, who is a collection of metallic segments with above-human intelligence and a thirst for knowledge. Wumsy has a related teleportation power to King's. 27 years old, male/masculine presentation.

asphodelus - Emery Harlen; mostly-normal, social-worker type with spider-sense and mental-projection capabilities who prefers not to be near the fight at all. Emery's Champion is Eudocia, a large demonic humanoid, who is intelligent, angry, and does not want to be here. Eudocia is a close-range combat-centric Champion with fear-projection abilities. 24 years old, male/masculine presentation .

Echocoa - Marie Alvesa; moody and inward-turned but reflexively empathetic, recovering from death and a breakup, with dark-vision along with enhanced speed and reflexes, who prefers to be a scout or lookout. Catherine's Champion is Koodoo, a flighty and independently-minded haunted doll with area-denial abilities and tremendous personal speed. 25 personal years old, but died 30 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

Naril - Zee Rashid ; Happy, horny, and kind, with tremendous personal physical resilience along with a dose of enhanced physicality who will frequently be a front-line melee fighter. Zee's Champion is Sanguine, who is in essence a second being sharing Zee's body, with healing abilities that can be given to others via blood transfusion. 37 personal years old, but died and was resurrected 5 years ago. Female/femme presentation.

bananamuffin - Gerry Minx; Headstrong and risk-taking firebrand with the ability to borrow her Champion's senses, who prefers to either be a vehicle operator or to directly control her Champion in a fight. Gerry's Champion is Spidey, a spider tank with a multi-purpose cannon and surprising mobility. 32 years old, female/femme presentation; married.

I can confirm Nico will be getting an update, just been struggling to find the time these last few days between managing character applications and uni work. The great news is I know the GM and he let me in with an unfinished bio

 

[StatusUndead]

I can confirm Nico will be getting an update, just been struggling to find the time these last few days between managing character applications and uni work. The great news is I know the GM and he let me in with an unfinished bio

Cheater! Let me speak to this GM right now! I'll get you kicked out right-quick!

 

[Gnomar]

So, to answer the question I'm sure you're all wondering, when will this RP start?

A good question. A great question. A question I'm stalling to answer.

Probably Saturday? I'll have a bit of time Friday to spruce up some bits I need to get together, and hopefully at some point Saturday I'll be able to bring it all together. If not, Sunday for definite.

 

[StatusUndead]

So, when's the RP starting? Gnomar

Oh, dang, you answered before I posted! How'd you know?

 

[Gnomar]

So, when's the RP starting? Gnomar

Oh, dang, you answered before I posted! How'd you know?

I'm in your walls.

 

[StatusUndead]

I'm in your walls.

That's impressive, given I spend most days living in a truck.

 

[Gnomar]

I've mastered the art of distributing my body around the vehicle.

Feel free to leave some snacks in the glovebox.

 

[Naril]

Withdrawn / irrelevant!

 

[StatusUndead]

Sunday's a while away, and I couldn't help myself. I'm going to edit this more, but I'm pretty happy with it as a first, very rough draft. Consider it a prequel for Zee, I guess. :3

Spoiler: Universal Donor

I became aware in a darkened room, the soft sound of machines lending texture to a quiet somehow more complete than pure silence. I was covered with a thin sheet, little enough for modesty and even less any kind of insulation against the cool, still air. I pulled in a breath and my senses filled with a sharp scent, more electrical than chemical and laced with the unpleasant, sick-sweet smell of charred flesh. Memories I didn’t quite remember making swirled together, and in an instant, I knew where I was. This was a procedure room on the base, and an older one, at that; the kind that could contain the beings who…well. Who didn’t make it through the interview. I knew, through that secondhand recollection, every centimeter of this room, every weld in the floor and rivet in the walls, but that knowledge brought scant comfort. I pulled in a long, deep breath, curved bones beneath familiar skin flexing with the motion. There was no purpose in other movement at the moment, and I allowed myself to relax. I sank into the darkness behind your closed eyes, tasted the air, and I waited. There was, after all, a process.

A handful of minutes passed. Then, soft noises filtered in from outside of the room, the sound of heavy feet, the clatter of tools that had nothing to do with medical care. A muffled beep slit the quiet, followed by the smooth, slick sounds of huge bolts drawing into a massive door. It swung aside with the curious silence of something enormous, yet perfectly balanced. I felt the kiss of changing air pressure, heard the sound of careful footsteps into the room. A voice, unfamiliar, saying something quietly inside an armored helmet. Were they surprised? Alarmed? Angry? I couldn't tell. I felt fingertips questing for a pulse, the digits fever-warm, then drawn away an instant after touching skin.

"Fuck," a rough shout, close enough to be heard through the helmet "Doc, it's not her, it's that other fuckin' thing, we need to-"

"Hold by the door, please," came a second voice, this one detached, clinical, "I will call if your services are necessary, Corporal Sanders."

"I'm not leaving that goddamn hatch open," Sanders said behind their helmet, "You're taking your own chances in there. You saw what it did to Reeves and Jack."

"As you will, Corporal. That will be all for now." This voice I did recognize, the words roughened by smoke; feminine, with an accent that rounded the corners off of words.

Machinery whirred, and after the door closed, the room once again filled with the close, pressurized feel of hermetic sealing. The room brightened with the click of a lamp switch, and I could hear the sounds of someone settling into a chair next to me. Within arm’s reach, in fact, barring any other obstacles. I breathed again, and opened my eyes. Your head wouldn’t move, but I could still make out a familiar face.

“Doctor Chandrasekhar,” I said, “Good afternoon.” My voice, a little lower than yours, made your chest resonate, like the ripples of a huge and distant speaker.

“You’re speaking now?” Chandrasekhar’s voice held more sarcasm than surprise. She leaned back, reached into her lab coat’s pocket, and pulled a cigarette case free. The case snapped, the lighter scraped, and the shadows on her face retreated from the ember, even while smoke shrouded her features.

“It was always an option,” I replied, “One I chose not to employ. Now, I am.”

“So you say.” A drag, this time blown out an instant later, “So. What do I do with you, hm?”

I turned my eyes to the doctor, “Oh, Doctor. You’ve done your part, yes? Believe me, I can…feel…your good work. We’re on a timeline, you and I.”

“Most of you don’t feel like talking, once we’ve dealt with you,” Chandrasekhar said, looking at her cigarette, “And the ones that do, well. They’ve rarely got much to say. But you, well. You’re something different, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” I slid my eyes back to the ceiling.

“You might have some answers for us.” She tapped the cigarette, letting the ash flutter to the floor.

I smiled, with your lips, “The big questions, then.”

“She died fighting one of you,” she said, “Came out of a fruit seller who tried to stop the wrong shoplifter. Looked for all the world like an armored knight, like the kind that fights dragons and rescues princesses.” The doctor took another drag, “It ran her through with a spear. Damndest thing.”

“I recall,” I said, and felt my voice harden, “But if it’s all the same to you, Doctor, I would prefer not to be an ‘it.’”

“What are you, then?” She stayed in her chair, but I could feel her gaze sharpen. A scientist to her core.

I laughed, lower and darker than your laugh, something I hope you never feel in your own throat. I let my eyes float along the seams in the ceiling, following old scars and dents. I breathed again, sighed the breath through your nose. I tried to turn your head, but made it no distance at all.

“Am I her soul, do you mean?” I said. My voice isn’t like yours, with your musical lilt. I find the words…difficult. I have to be careful with each, lest they stumble over one another. Yours flow like honey, mine like an ice-jammed river. To one side, I heard Chandrasekhar shift in her seat, but stay quiet for the moment.

“Or am I only the part of her that rages against an unjust world?” I continued, “The part of her that, no matter how many people she helps or saves, knows that there is never an end, and has no outlet. The part that watches the darkness take and take, and wonders why she has to carry her torch so high.”

“So,” Chandrasekhar sighed, “You don’t know either.”

“If I do,” I replied, “You can be assured that what I know will stay behind her tongue. She can tell you, if she likes.”

“When do your memories start?” The doctor said, shifting tracks.

“I remember what she remembers,” I said, “And…yes, Doctor. I recall those few hours, while you struggled to contain one of your own. While you wrestled with the necessity of doing so. You are sentimental, but so is she. I love her for that. And you do too, I think.”

“Will she recall this conversation?” She lit another cigarette, dropping the first butt on the floor and grinding it out beneath a shoe.

“I’d prefer for her not to.” I sighed, “Mmn. Though I admit that choice isn’t fully up to me. She will return, and what she takes from now is something I can’t guess at.”

“But she isn’t here now?” I felt her lean forward, I could almost believe I felt the heat from the coal on her cigarette.

“She is dead…for now. But you knew that, Doctor. Your hands are skilled.” I felt your lips curve into a ghost of your smile, unbidden.

“Then how…?” Chandrasekhar’s voice trailed off.

“There are things that she needs. Oxygen, electricity, metabolites. It takes time to rebuild the bridges between all the cities of her mind. You’ve done an excellent job.” I glanced at her, then back to the ceiling, “But I know her better than you ever could. She will return to you.”

“And what about you?” A second butt hit the floor with a small sound.

“We will be each other’s monster,” I said, reflective, “And I - this version of me, at least - will come to an end. And I think we can both agree that is for the best, hm?” Words were becoming more difficult, each syllable a careful arrangement of teeth and tongue.

Behind your eyes, I felt the first sparks. I marveled at the way a single connection became a shower, became a coruscation, became something too complex to follow, too riotous to predict. I no longer had to move your lungs, or pump your heart. I let out a breath, and it was the first thing that was ours.

“If I am the part of her,” I said, and the words came in a halting shatter, “That rages, that burns, that tears at the walls because the rubble is a better alternative,” I swallowed, “If I am all that she can destroy…”

I felt your - our - fingers flex, felt the muscles in your legs shudder, and darkness bloomed around the edge of my vision. I wasn’t dying - but whatever happened next, I would be changed. We would be changed. The path through the land of the dead may lead you to your heart’s desire - but something is always taken from you. I gasped again.

“If I am all of those things, Doctor,” I managed after a moment, “Then she is the part of me that loves. That cradles all the sweetness of the world to her heart and drinks it in. And…” I gasped, and fought, as anyone would, for one more moment.

“And love is so much greater than anger,” we said.

I let the darkness close in. I let go of your body, retreated within it. I felt myself dissolve, I felt myself sink away, and something else was left behind.

I hope it was something better.

When you opened your eyes, Chandrasekhar stood over you, looking into your eyes from no more than a few inches away. I hope what she saw there were your own, the color of forests in the fog, overflowing with kindness and joy.

“Hey, Sita,” you said, and your voice was your own. “If you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask.”

I must admit, the tenses seemed strange and it was difficult for me to follow. But, from what I gathered, this is from the perspective of the human and the incarnate talking to each other? "I" being the incarnate and "you/r" being the human?

Sorry. It is confusing to me.

 

[Naril]

To fully contextualize this story:

The story is told from the point of view of the Incarnate that spawned on Zee's death. They have always lived inside Zee's body, having come into existence at the moment of her death. After that, the Incarnate did a bunch of Gnarly Stuff controlling Zee's corpse - something between a Very Scary Zombie and your best friend who's just been posessed. At some point, ICE captured the Incarnate, and did whatever Magic is required to, you know, bring people back from the dead. Since the Incarnate is inside Zee, it is experiencing that resurrection.

The Incarnate considers itself to be a separate being from Zee, because it is. The structure is similar a letter written to someone else. "I" refers to the being that will become Sangine; "you" is Zee. The relationship between where Zee ends and Sanguine begins is exceptionally deliberately unclear. You aren't supposed to know, because the Incarnate doesn't know - and Zee probably doesn't either.

This is examining the moment where an Actual Monster (Zee's Incarnate, spawned on her death) becomes something that is less destructive. The Incarnate is not a gleeful, destructive force. It acts the way it does because it feels like it can't do anything else, and its active choice is to believe that it can be something better with its 'better half' - in this case, Zee.

There aren't a lot of clear answers, because I don't have any - and neither does anyone else in the story.

 

[StatusUndead]

To fully contextualize this story:

The story is told from the point of view of the Incarnate that spawned on Zee's death. They have always lived inside Zee's body, and after Zee died, the Incarnate did a bunch of Gnarly Stuff inside Zee's body. At some point, ICE captured the Incarnate, and did whatever Magic is required to, you know, bring people back from the dead. Since the Incarnate is inside Zee, it is experiencing that resurrection.

The Incarnate considers itself to be a separate being from Zee, because it is. The structure is similar a letter written to someone else. "I" refers to the being that will become Sangine; "you" is Zee. The relationship between where Zee ends and Sanguine begins is exceptionally deliberately unclear. You aren't supposed to know, because the Incarnate doesn't know - and Zee probably doesn't either.

This is examining the moment where an Actual Monster (Zee's Incarnate, spawned on her death) becomes something that is less destructive. The Incarnate is not a gleeful, destructive force. It acts the way it does because it feels like it can't, and its active choice is to believe that it can be something better with its 'better half' - in this case, Zee.

There aren't a lot of clear answers, because I don't have any - and neither does anyone else in the story.

That's what I gathered, for the most part. The tenses just tripped me up is all. But I did find it a fascinating read. An interesting take on the matter. Though, if incarnate's only existed for so long, they wouldn't really have been able to exist within them, would they? Or maybe bits of them, like the precursor of incarnates, did exist for some time? That would be one way to explain it. Though, I think another way to explain it would be a form of schizophrenia that becomes an incarnate. Gives me some fun ideas for characters that I won't be making. XD

And psh, Wumsy has all the answers. XD. Actually, I'm curious as to how much is known about the process. Both from humans and from the incarnate's perspectives. From both average or lesser than average intelligent ones, to ones like Wumsy, who is not only intelligent, but it a ravenous knowledge seeker. And if a lot isn't known, how much would someone like Wumsy have already been able to figure out, or will be able to figure out. As I assume Wumsy will be at least one or more steps ahead of everyone else on the matter.

Gnomar So, if there's ever information you feel Wumsy may know that others don't, I'd appreciate a heads up. For although Wumsy is beyond a super genius, I, myself, am not. And even if I were, there's information I couldn't possibly know anyways. I would just like to be able to showcase Wumsy's intelligence, as well as their drive for knowledge.

 

[Echocoa]

Sunday's a while away, and I couldn't help myself. I'm going to edit this more, but I'm pretty happy with it as a first, very rough draft. Consider it a prequel for Zee, I guess. :3

Spoiler: Universal Donor

I became aware in a darkened room, the soft sound of machines lending texture to a quiet somehow more complete than pure silence. I was covered with a thin sheet, little enough for modesty and even less any kind of insulation against the cool, still air. I pulled in a breath and my senses filled with a sharp scent, more electrical than chemical and laced with the unpleasant, sick-sweet smell of charred flesh. Memories I didn’t quite remember making swirled together, and in an instant, I knew where I was. This was a procedure room on the base, and an older one, at that; the kind that could contain the beings who…well. Who didn’t make it through the interview. I knew, through that secondhand recollection, every centimeter of this room, every weld in the floor and rivet in the walls, but that knowledge brought scant comfort. I pulled in a long, deep breath, curved bones beneath familiar skin flexing with the motion. There was no purpose in other movement at the moment, and I allowed myself to relax. I sank into the darkness behind your closed eyes, tasted the air, and I waited. There was, after all, a process.

A handful of minutes passed. Then, soft noises filtered in from outside of the room, the sound of heavy feet, the clatter of tools that had nothing to do with medical care. A muffled beep slit the quiet, followed by the smooth, slick sounds of huge bolts drawing into a massive door. It swung aside with the curious silence of something enormous, yet perfectly balanced. I felt the kiss of changing air pressure, heard the sound of careful footsteps into the room. A voice, unfamiliar, saying something quietly inside an armored helmet. Were they surprised? Alarmed? Angry? I couldn't tell. I felt fingertips questing for a pulse, the digits fever-warm, then drawn away an instant after touching skin.

"Fuck," a rough shout, close enough to be heard through the helmet "Doc, it's not her, it's that other fuckin' thing, we need to-"

"Hold by the door, please," came a second voice, this one detached, clinical, "I will call if your services are necessary, Corporal Sanders."

"I'm not leaving that goddamn hatch open," Sanders said behind their helmet, "You're taking your own chances in there. You saw what it did to Reeves and Jack."

"As you will, Corporal. That will be all for now." This voice I did recognize, the words roughened by smoke; feminine, with an accent that rounded the corners off of words.

Machinery whirred, and after the door closed, the room once again filled with the close, pressurized feel of hermetic sealing. The room brightened with the click of a lamp switch, and I could hear the sounds of someone settling into a chair next to me. Within arm’s reach, in fact, barring any other obstacles. I breathed again, and opened my eyes. Your head wouldn’t move, but I could still make out a familiar face.

“Doctor Chandrasekhar,” I said, “Good afternoon.” My voice, a little lower than yours, made your chest resonate, like the ripples of a huge and distant speaker.

“You’re speaking now?” Chandrasekhar’s voice held more sarcasm than surprise. She leaned back, reached into her lab coat’s pocket, and pulled a cigarette case free. The case snapped, the lighter scraped, and the shadows on her face retreated from the ember, even while smoke shrouded her features.

“It was always an option,” I replied, “One I chose not to employ. Now, I am.”

“So you say.” A drag, this time blown out an instant later, “So. What do I do with you, hm?”

I turned my eyes to the doctor, “Oh, Doctor. You’ve done your part, yes? Believe me, I can…feel…your good work. We’re on a timeline, you and I.”

“Most of you don’t feel like talking, once we’ve dealt with you,” Chandrasekhar said, looking at her cigarette, “And the ones that do, well. They’ve rarely got much to say. But you, well. You’re something different, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” I slid my eyes back to the ceiling.

“You might have some answers for us.” She tapped the cigarette, letting the ash flutter to the floor.

I smiled, with your lips, “The big questions, then.”

“She died fighting one of you,” she said, “Came out of a fruit seller who tried to stop the wrong shoplifter. Looked for all the world like an armored knight, like the kind that fights dragons and rescues princesses.” The doctor took another drag, “It ran her through with a spear. Damndest thing.”

“I recall,” I said, and felt my voice harden, “But if it’s all the same to you, Doctor, I would prefer not to be an ‘it.’”

“What are you, then?” She stayed in her chair, but I could feel her gaze sharpen. A scientist to her core.

I laughed, lower and darker than your laugh, something I hope you never feel in your own throat. I let my eyes float along the seams in the ceiling, following old scars and dents. I breathed again, sighed the breath through your nose. I tried to turn your head, but made it no distance at all.

“Am I her soul, do you mean?” I said. My voice isn’t like yours, with your musical lilt. I find the words…difficult. I have to be careful with each, lest they stumble over one another. Yours flow like honey, mine like an ice-jammed river. To one side, I heard Chandrasekhar shift in her seat, but stay quiet for the moment.

“Or am I only the part of her that rages against an unjust world?” I continued, “The part of her that, no matter how many people she helps or saves, knows that there is never an end, and has no outlet. The part that watches the darkness take and take, and wonders why she has to carry her torch so high.”

“So,” Chandrasekhar sighed, “You don’t know either.”

“If I do,” I replied, “You can be assured that what I know will stay behind her tongue. She can tell you, if she likes.”

“When do your memories start?” The doctor said, shifting tracks.

“I remember what she remembers,” I said, “And…yes, Doctor. I recall those few hours, while you struggled to contain one of your own. While you wrestled with the necessity of doing so. You are sentimental, but so is she. I love her for that. And you do too, I think.”

“Will she recall this conversation?” She lit another cigarette, dropping the first butt on the floor and grinding it out beneath a shoe.

“I’d prefer for her not to.” I sighed, “Mmn. Though I admit that choice isn’t fully up to me. She will return, and what she takes from now is something I can’t guess at.”

“But she isn’t here now?” I felt her lean forward, I could almost believe I felt the heat from the coal on her cigarette.

“She is dead…for now. But you knew that, Doctor. Your hands are skilled.” I felt your lips curve into a ghost of your smile, unbidden.

“Then how…?” Chandrasekhar’s voice trailed off.

“There are things that she needs. Oxygen, electricity, metabolites. It takes time to rebuild the bridges between all the cities of her mind. You’ve done an excellent job.” I glanced at her, then back to the ceiling, “But I know her better than you ever could. She will return to you.”

“And what about you?” A second butt hit the floor with a small sound.

“We will be each other’s monster,” I said, reflective, “And I - this version of me, at least - will come to an end. And I think we can both agree that is for the best, hm?” Words were becoming more difficult, each syllable a careful arrangement of teeth and tongue.

Behind your eyes, I felt the first sparks. I marveled at the way a single connection became a shower, became a coruscation, became something too complex to follow, too riotous to predict. I no longer had to move your lungs, or pump your heart. I let out a breath, and it was the first thing that was ours.

“If I am the part of her,” I said, and the words came in a halting shatter, “That rages, that burns, that tears at the walls because the rubble is a better alternative,” I swallowed, “If I am all that she can destroy…”

I felt your - our - fingers flex, felt the muscles in your legs shudder, and darkness bloomed around the edge of my vision. I wasn’t dying - but whatever happened next, I would be changed. We would be changed. The path through the land of the dead may lead you to your heart’s desire - but something is always taken from you. I gasped again.

“If I am all of those things, Doctor,” I managed after a moment, “Then she is the part of me that loves. That cradles all the sweetness of the world to her heart and drinks it in. And…” I gasped, and fought, as anyone would, for one more moment.

“And love is so much greater than anger,” we said.

I let the darkness close in. I let go of your body, retreated within it. I felt myself dissolve, I felt myself sink away, and something else was left behind.

I hope it was something better.

When you opened your eyes, Chandrasekhar stood over you, looking into your eyes from no more than a few inches away. I hope what she saw there were your own, the color of forests in the fog, overflowing with kindness and joy.

“Hey, Sita,” you said, and your voice was your own. “If you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask.”

Interesting and lovely to read, and may have triggered my anxiety about managing to keep up with everyone's writing once things begin >-<

But all things considered it makes we want to try writing a sort of precursor text of my own, though I'm awful at writing so I'll have to do something simpler. I'll think about it..

 

[StatusUndead]

Interesting and lovely to read, and may have triggered my anxiety about managing to keep up with everyone's writing once things begin >-<

But all things considered it makes we want to try writing a sort of precursor text of my own, though I'm awful at writing so I'll have to do something simpler. I'll think about it..

Don't worry about it. Everyone has different writing styles. I, myself, have a style born from lack of time. I used to put a lot of time and effort into things, even used fancy code and formatting tools, depending on the site I used. Now, as a trucker, I don't always have much time, so I've simplified a lot of it.

I won't really even be thinking much about a precursor, unless there's a chance to go through it naturally as the story progresses. Like if someone asks Dayquan or Wumsy about their experiences.

But if you're worried about your own skill levels as a writer, well, practicing is a great way to improve! And if you're writing with people you feel are of a higher skill level, you can try to learn from them. So this group would be a perfect opportunity for you to improve.

 

[Echocoa]

Don't worry about it. Everyone has different writing styles. I, myself, have a style born from lack of time. I used to put a lot of time and effort into things, even used fancy code and formatting tools, depending on the site I used. Now, as a trucker, I don't always have much time, so I've simplified a lot of it.

I won't really even be thinking much about a precursor, unless there's a chance to go through it naturally as the story progresses. Like if someone asks Dayquan or Wumsy about their experiences.

But if you're worried about your own skill levels as a writer, well, practicing is a great way to improve! And if you're writing with people you feel are of a higher skill level, you can try to learn from them. So this group would be a perfect opportunity for you to improve.

Learning from you all and improving is certainly the hope, but no guarantee. I'll try my best and I hope I don't disappoint >-<