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***SHIVERS*** · 10-05-2022, 08:52 PM

let's try to talk to each other, right?
like Jenkins said
we can crew this ship better if we're on the same page.

well, as for Saying things...
Murmur is probably busy right now,
but we definitely need to apologize when we can.

Agreed.
let's wait for a better opportunity to present itself.

You have a brief conversation with yourselves.

You resolve to address the-
Well.
You resolve to... sort out the 'panic attacks' - you don't really know if you can call them that.
They're not quite That bad.

Really.

You're pretty sure.

You'll sort out whatever's going on with those later.

For now,
your eye turns to the corvice.

You walk up beside the bird, trying to keep as casual as possible.
"...You seem really interested in your stone."

"H-huh? Oh!"
The corvice holds up their stone, its saucer-like shape unmistakable.
"It's just...I don't think anyone else got this shape.
It's surprising to me, considering it...

...well,

it's nothing."

You peek over their shoulder to get a better look.
"Considering what?"

They look around a little,
glancing to make sure no one else is listening.
"...you'll think I'm nuts."

You cock your head.
"I think you're a corvice.
Aren't you?"

They finally get a good look up at you, startling.

"I-I mean...yes.
Yes, I am, but that's not...
...what are you? "

You're not sure whether to feel self-conscious or proud of your appearance catching such a look.

"Vessel.
Vess."

You put your arms out to the side regardless,
checking yourself over.

You only now realize that you're TWICE as tall as the corvice you're speaking to.

Given your height,
it's probably something you'll have to get used to . . .

"I'm the catalyst."

"Oh!
Oh, that explains it."
They look relieved,
as if whatever option they had been considering was a lot more worrying.

"Fascinating form you've chosen.
Do I detect... volare?"

You nod excitedly.
"Yep!
Yes.
And lots of others.
Gesabott,
chorosy,

...boat."

"Incredible..."
They can't help but look you over more,
not exactly subtle about it.
"It really does look like I'll be seeing things beyond my previous understanding."

You mirror their movements,
needing to duck down at points to look the corvice over as they size you up.

"What did you mean before?
About your stone?"
You hold up your own for comparison as you speak,
the red rubber ball looking much less impressive.

"Yours is a ball?"
They crane their head in a decidedly birdlike way,
peeking around at it.
"Does it roll?
Bounce?
Ricochet?"

You hold your ball up a little higher, out of their view.
"You tell me, I tell you."

"A-ah!
That's very fair..."

They hold up their saucer-like stone for you to look at,
though it's clear they have no intent of letting it go.
"It's shaped like... well,
I don't even know if you know what a UFO is,
but it looks like one!"

"Why is that surprising to you?"

"Because... it is aligned with my interests."

They puff out their chest a bit,
clearly trying to look cool and confident.
"I am Laurel Pinweight,
an astronomer and aerospace expert.
I study space, essentially."

You look side-to-side.
"...And UFOs?"

"...yes,
but not on the record."

"Any reason why not...?"

Dots connect in your head.

"...you're looking for aliens...?!"
You blurt out before giving them a chance to answer.

"Shhh!!!
Shhhhhhh!"

You cover your gasmask,
a question mark appearing on your screen.

The two of you get a few looks from the crowd.

"...yes,
I am.

Sort of.

It's complicated,
but I don't want anyone to think I'm out of my mind with it...
...they aren't exactly believed in."

You lower your stance as you walk, staying quieter;
trying to help keep the secrets secret.

"Have you found anything before...?"

"Some things,
but nothing that'd convince the masses.
I heard though, that this place has the chance for extraterrestrial contact..."

"I think it's 'extranatural.'"

"Similar.
It's... like squares and rectangles."

You put a claw to the tip of your gasmask,
pretending like you're thinking that over.

You nod.

"Mhm."

You don't know what they're talking about.

You aren't sure what else to say, either.
There are too many things you could ask about.
This is your first conversation outside of Model and Murmur.

You want to make it count.

dediles · 10-05-2022, 09:02 PM

well, go ahead and tell them about your bouncy ball. come on, we gotta fulfill our end of the bargain.(plus it gives us something to talk about)

Maybe ask what makes the difference between an alien and something from like, another dimension or plane of reality or whatever

Ignispark · 10-05-2022, 09:12 PM

so, i imagine there's a lot of variety but,

what's space like around here? what can it be like? what are some cool examples? do you like constellations? what's your favorite celestial object?

***SHIVERS*** · 10-13-2022, 02:55 AM

Your trek along the beach continues,
your populous group starting up a ramp-like incision in the impending cliffside.

The walk's somewhat more difficult now, thanks to the incline,
but you aren't breaking a sweat at all.

Instead,
you look out over the ocean.

Rays of sun-soaked light cut through some of the rainclouds,
painting ribbon-like spotlights on the water's surface.

"So what's the difference between an alien
and extranatural...
...things?
You're an expert, right?"

"Like I said, squares and rectangles-
but not in the way you expect.

What most people consider 'alien life' is almost always extranatural,
and when you do end up having an actual alien,
it tends to be investigated as an extranatural creature by so-called experts.

They're not the same thing, but they get mistaken for each other more often than not."

"Oh.

...Well what makes them unique?"

"Defining an 'alien' is simple-
something not from our planet.

Extranatural stuff, however- is from our world,
just... a different place.

I'm not the most well-versed in the latter,
but the former I have been studying for quite some time."

You lean in.

"...have you seen any?"

"...that's classified."

You stare.

"...I just met you, I can't be telling you things like that."

' :( ' displays on your screen.

"Oh no, not even for a face like that.
Besides...
you never upheld your end of our deal.
We'll see how I feel after you fill me in on your stone."

"...Oh, right."

You forgot.

"I remembered."

You hold up your stone,
squeezing it slightly in your claws to demonstrate its rubber-y consistency.

"It's just a ball.
It can bounce and roll and...
...things a ball can do.

...I don't really like it," you admit.

"Fascinating, though!
Perhaps it suits you, somehow?"

You grimace,
your gasmask distorting to pull off such an expression.

"No."

"I could see how the idea is unappealing,
but consider- bouncing back is a sign of adaptability."

You don't say anything in response.

You don't want to be rude,
but you also aren't going to budge on thinking anything positive about the little red ball.
Not after what happened.

They seem to pick up on your mood quickly at that,
their feathers fluffing up slightly.

"I-in any case...
I suppose I can say that I have
possibly
heard an alien."

Your head whips back to the bird,
the motion mildly intimidating thanks to how long your neck is.

"Tell me."

"Just intercepting transmissions,
that's all... but I swear,
it was more than just noise."

Their expression is completely confident.

"My colleagues seem to think I've completely lost it, but I know what I heard.
I think there's something out there,
and I have reason to believe that this place may have answers towards helping me figure out whether it is extraterrestrial- or extranatural."

"What did it sound like?"

"Indescribable-
but if I had to try,
I'd say hundreds of voices all at once, warped so far that they're unrecognizable as words."

You try to imagine such a sound.

It's unpleasant.

You decide to pivot the topic;
you'd like to have that out of your head for now.

"What's space like around here?"

"Oh, that's a whole conversation and a half alone.
We don't understand much about space as it stands...
aside from the fact that something out there is preventing us from exploring it.

Something...

...hostile."

"...hostile?"

"We're still figuring out the exact trends,
but... certain things are 'allowed' to exist in our planet's orbit,
and others are not,
almost as if our actions are being judged and monitored.

That which is... well,
presuming that this is a conscious process on behalf of some extraterrestrial creature,
that which is not up to this supposed being's standards,

is destroyed.

Violently."

"...oh."

"Mm.
It's quite the conundrum."

You aren't sure what you were expecting,
but it wasn't that.

Quick.

Another subject change will smooth things over.

"...do... you like constellations?"

"When I can see them, yes!

It's hard to make them out some nights what with all of the strange dust-like formations-
I've been trying to study those as well,
but it's impossible to get samples.

I do have some favorites..."

"I haven't seen Any of them yet.
Tell me your favorites."

"My absolute favorite is this one called Nile,
and it's a depiction of a philosop-"

Before you can make out their answer,
a voice echoes from behind you both.

It's strained,
and somewhat...

...slimy?

"Hey..."

The voice raises its volume a bit,
more stressed this time.

"H-hey!
Fritz, wai...

wait up...!

F-fucking hell this is a long walk-"

"-and really it has so much lore to it that it's impossible not,
even for just a cluster of stars-"

You turn to look back while Laurel continues speaking,
too distracted to pay attention.

There's a bright pink bear trailing behind you,
their equally bright blue hair dripping-

You realize their voice isn't the only part of them with a slime thing going on,
a huge slime tail dragging behind them as well, making an awful mess.

They're struggling to keep up with the rest of the group,
having to visibly use their cane for support.

Not far ahead of them,
a ruffneck in a black denim jacket and cap is trudging along absent-mindedly.

Oddly enough,
you note that their right hand is entirely wrapped up in bandages.

You would say they were staring off into space,
if it didn't look like they were staring straight at You.

It's

unnerving to say the least.

Their gaze is intense.

Focused.

You miss a step,
stumbling a pace before you recover.

The bear pants before raising their voice one more time.

"F-FRITZ-"

The ruffneck's ears pop straight upward.

They stop walking,
turning around entirely to face the bear,
and immediately hurrying over to them.

"...fuck-
Sorry, I w-
-Sorry."

They catch the bear's shoulder,
then hurriedly step in front of them and crouch down, moving their arms back.

"Here, hop up."

"...Fritz, I'm going to crack your back in half."

"I got you, hop up."

"Okay,
but I won't take offense if you need to drop me..."

The teddy bear grips their cane in one hand,
then does their best to clamber up into a piggyback position, wobbling a little as they do.

The dog lifts them up with a grunt.

"Got you, no big deal."

They wait a moment to get their bearings, then continue walking.

"T-thanks...."
The bear seems relieved, the slime drips slowing down a bit.

Laurel finally stops talking,
having noticed your attention pulled away.

"What's going on back there?"

The ruffneck looks up in your direction.

You hastily swivel back around to avoid making eye contact.

"Nothing-"
Your answer comes a little too fast.

"...you sure?"

They tilt their head in that birdlike fashion again.

"Well... alright, then."

You breathe a silent sigh of relief.

If they'd pressed you, you're not sure you could've come up with a good excuse.

You're suddenly unsure how to continue the conversation;
too distracted,
wondering whether or not they were Still staring at you.

You want to look back again to check,
but,
you don't want to be rude, either.

Ultimately,
you find yourself paralyzed with indecision,
walking with Laurel in awkward silence.

dediles · 10-13-2022, 03:08 AM

Yeah just try to put it out of your mind, it's none of our business, and they seem to be doing well now.

uh, try this: there seems to be a lot of different people, is this whole thing really important? earlier at the research facility I was getting like, fringe science vibes, but now? I dunno feels important, for all these people to travel here.

for that matter, I've asked a lot about alien stuff, but what about our planet? what's it like here? where are you from? what's your favorite part of this world?

Ignispark · 10-13-2022, 03:08 AM

...perhaps to continue the conversation...something, topical? ask a question that hints at a vague, feeling. while still being in the space zone, like:

so...space has got to have a lot of data. sifting through transmissions. countless visual data. more than one could ever parse.

how do you avoid getting overloaded with all the data? all the stimulus of the world and what lays beyond it? the implications of everything.

***SHIVERS*** · 10-21-2022, 09:55 PM

You do your best to put what happened out of your mind.
Everything's fine now, anyway.
And it's none of our business even if we really want to know what happened.

Let's talk with Laurel

...And DON'T think about it

"So...
space has got to have a lot of data.
All the transmissions and visuals and- ...more than anybody could parse.

How do you avoid getting overloaded with all of it?
All the stimuli,
and the implications that come with everything you've found?"

"Oh, it's... a lot to deal with, honestly.
It can get incredibly overwhelming!

The sheer scale of the cosmos...
and all that we do know is most likely just barely scratching the surface.
It's enough to make your head spin.

But... for me.
I journal a lot, obsessively even.
Writing these things down helps me parse my thoughts... even if they do end up looking like a mess."

"Journal?"
You glance over, hoping they'll pull it out for you to see.

"Yes!
I write things down, doodle in the margins..."
They do no such thing, but catch your line of sight.
"...for my eyes only, however."

You lean your head down.
"...Please?"

"Talking about my findings alone is a huge deal!
To show someone my private, unfiltered notes...

...as interested as I am in your whole catalyst thing as well,
it would require a lot more trust than 'we just met and have interest in each others' situations.'

Surely you understand?"

Your eye shifts upward as you think over it.

"Not really."

"...you have a lot to learn, then.
I'm sure that everyone here is around for their own reasons,
and I don't think people will give up that information so willingly, not when such strange and mysterious things are afoot...

At the very least,
I know that I would only be able to share my ultimate secrets with someone I trusted entirely.
You, while extremely interesting to me, are still a stranger."

"...I guess."

You feel a little strange over someone having apparently taken an 'extreme interest' in you.

You aren't sure how to process that.

Your eye skims over the crowd ahead of you,
listening to the idle chatter popping up from scattered groups.

Seeing individuals of all different sorts,
probably from many different places,
all congregating together;
Here.

"...This is a lot of people.

Is this whole thing really important?
Earlier I was thinking it was a fringe science... thing,
but now... seeing all these people;
it feels really important, all these people traveling here.

What do you think?"

"It's definitely fringe as far as interests go,
but as I said... people have their reasons for being here.

Getting the chance to commune with the extranatural...
there's a plethora of reasons for why people might be intrigued by it.

So... important?
I think so,
and potentially enough to affect the world at large,
but I do agree that fringe is a solid word for it as well.

...underappreciated opportunity also works, as a descriptor."

"Underappreciated?
So this isn't common?"

"Definitely not.
Most people don't go looking to talk to fairies and the like.
...not like most people even believe this stuff to begin with..."

You tap at the side of your screen, deep in thought.

"...What about... here?
What's it like here?"

"Define here."

"The...

...here?"

You try to think back and remember what this place is called.

"...Morbit...?"

Your face displays a ?.

"Oh!
Hm.
That's a very broad question..."

Their beak scrunches up, ever so slightly.

"...place could use some work, if you ask me.
There's some good things, for certain,
but... can't help but wonder if the grass is greener on the other side.

...and by the other side, I mean literally anywhere else.
Off planet, in other dimensional planes, you name it... surely there has to be something better than this."

...Concerning

"What's wrong with here?"

"I mean... I guess you wouldn't know much at all, would you...

People are people and what people are is crabby-
and hard to get along with,
and there's so many of them that always try to tell you what to do or think.

It feels like there isn't a single shred of respect for those trying to actually accomplish things that matter..."

They start to huff.

"And don't get me started on things like transportation,
or funding,
or-

well, no,
some people agree with me on things like that being terrible.

But then there's things that everyone seems to think is great, like marriage!
They all say stuff like that until they're the ones with divorce papers getting handed across the table-"

They finally start to get a grip,
taking a deep, somewhat-slimy inhale.

"...I doubt that extranatural beings have to deal with any of this,
and for that, I do envy them."

You are unaware of the animated . . . displaying on your screen.

"...you'll learn with time."

"OK."
You tilt your head in thought.
"I'll try to keep... all that in mind.

...Where are you from?"

"Wonder,
specifically the city of Etchings.
Bit far away from here."

"...What's your Favorite part of this world?"

"...hm.
Hard question."

That gets them thinking, their beak scrunching up again.

"...looking at the dust patterns in the sky, and wondering.
It's...
it's infuriating sometimes, but there are-
...it's hard to explain.

...perhaps it's just the fact that I've been doing it for so long."

"...dust... patterns?"

"Space dust.
You'll see it."

You look up into the sky and squint.

The sky is completely devoid of any sort of... dust.
Only storm clouds.

"...at night.
You'll see it at night."

"Oh."

"...but you will see it!"

"What's it look like?"

"Swirls and clusters of all kinds of colors, though most nights they appear quite dull...
seeing the stars between them feels like a little treat,
considering they can be hard to make out through all that cloudiness."

You finally turn your head away from the sky.
"...sad that you can only see them at night."

"Trust me,
it just makes you appreciate them more."

That idea in particular hits you, for some reason,

and you find yourself lost in a train of thought.

Moments later, though,

Murmur speaks up.

"Alright, all,
we are now approaching the xenial proper -
just through here!"

In front of your large group stands a fifteen-foot stone wall indented into the cliff face.
It's smooth, with an elaborate, textured pattern to it.

You can't make out what the pattern is supposed to be, though, it only looks like geometric shapes.

The group begins to naturally huddle, everyone stopping.

The moment you're within about twenty feet of the indented wall,

your red ball leaves your palm,
floating upwards of its own volition.

...You don't particularly mind its leaving.

It levitates over to the stone wall,

sinks into it,

and fills the indented pattern in with the same red-orange tint it has;
the one it got from You, you realize.

The stone vibrates and buzzes,

then suddenly animates itself as if it were leaves in wind,
twisting itself away from its previous position,

threading into the adjacent parts of the rock instead;

creating a , extensive opening where it used to be.

Inside, you think you spot dim lights.

Candles, maybe?
But it's too dark to see much.

The process soon completes,
and the ball reappears in your hand.

"...Oh, it is brilliant to witness the opening up close!"

Murmur's beaming,
you can tell simply from the timbre of her voice.

They seem to get self-conscious soon after, though,
clearing their throat.

"...Well, don't mind me; right this way!
There are chairs set up inside the first proper room there, not far beyond the entrance.
Please, make yourselves comfortable."

You notice that she's visibly counting those in the group with her claws,
one-by-one as they start trailing inside.

"...There, erm...
may not be enough seats for everyone, but please be polite and...

feel free to stand,
...if you feel you're able!

The initial proceedings should not be too long."

You walk through into the newly-opened passage,

side-by-side with Laurel,

but-

Murmur steps next to you,
catching your attention.

"...Vess?

May-

...could I have a word first, before we start?"

Her voice is as gentle as ever,
which only serves to grow the pit in your stomach.

"We can speak privately,
here in the entryway."

Your body locks up.

***knux400*** · 10-21-2022, 10:04 PM

Well, we did agree we'd talk to her earlier... Might as well hear what she has to say. Let's try to comfort ourselves with the fact that they've been nice to us so far, and they're aware we're new and not used to the world in general yet. Not many people would chew out a newborn.

Ignispark · 10-22-2022, 12:56 AM

...this could be about safety. we should probably, definitely, listen carefully to this.

like this is basically the gate to nothing knows where right...?

dediles · 10-22-2022, 01:14 AM

Hey murmur. I'm sorry about hitting you with the ball. and I'm sorry I didn't say sorry until now. I'm sorry I ran away instead of making sure you were ok, but it's hard. I don't think I'm good with people. with being around people. I HAVE ANXIETY(admit it Vess, please), everything is new to me and I'm terrified of messing up, and when I did, when something that just seemed like an idle thought turned into a huge mistake, it felt like the world was crashing down around me.

I'm only like, what? a few hours old? and I already feel like I have so much responsibility. I want to do right by y'all, but maybe I need like a year to go to Not Fucking Everything Up School.

(10-22-2022, 12:56 AM)Ignispark Wrote: ...this could be about safety. we should probably, definitely, listen carefully to this.

like this is basically the gate to nothing knows where right...?

Remember Murmur said she'd talk with us about beaning her in the face with the ball here, at the entrance. There might be some safety tips in there but this is likely gonna be a hard feelings type convo, buckle up.

***SHIVERS*** · 12-17-2022, 09:34 PM

You watch as everyone else filters inside to find a seat.

Avoiding making eye contact with her in the process.

"Hey, Murmur."

Your chest pounds rhythmically.

she isnt likely to chew us out.
we're a newbor--

No, that isn't quite right.

This may be your first stretch of time with a body,
but you can feel it,
you existed in some form long before that.

You're still getting used to this place, to language, to

all of it, really

but you aren't a child, much less a newborn.

You're certain of that much.

so, she could still chew us out, then

Yes, possibly.

It takes until now to recognize that you've been staring at your hands in silence for a solid minute or so.

Murmur has remained patiently waiting for you to speak,
idly glancing in at the crowd finding seats.

You pull your voice up from the depths, willing-
forcing yourself to speak.

"...I'm sorry about hitting you with the ball.
And I'm sorry I didn't say sorry until now.
I'm sorry I ran away instead of making sure you were ok,
but it's hard.

I don't-
I don't think I'm good with people.
With-

...being around people."

...

don't say it

why would we tell HER THAT--?

it's
It's good for us to tell her and talk about
we should Admit It.

WHY NOW WHY LIKE THIS I DONT THINK THATS GOING TO HELP--

it Will help and we Need to The First Step IS Admitting you Have a PROBLEM--

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT--

IT IS NECESSARY--

NO, THIS IS STUPID--

"I HAVE ANXIETY." You yell.

Some from the crowd inside glance over.
The entryway is dark,
but your screen is lit up enough for them to see you clearly, you're sure.

A pang of embarrassment swirls into being and coils within you,
uncomfortably nestling itself there.

You feel a little sick.

WHY--

WE NEED IT--

Murmur's glowing eyes are wider than before.

You hastily continue speaking.
Though, your voice is

glitching

speeding up as your nerves race.

You don't want to speak.
But you do anyway.

"EVERYTHING IS NEW TO ME AND I'M TERRIFIED OF MESSING UP,
and when-
and when-
and Then I DID-
When something that just seemed like an idle thought turned into a huge mistake-
It-
It felt-
It felt-
It felt-

IT FEELS LIKE THE WORLD IS CRASHING DOWN AROUND ME--"

Gasping in air through your filter.

"I've only existed here for a FEW HOURS
and I already have SO much RESPONSIBILITY.
I want-
I want-
I want to do it RIGHT,
by-

but maybe I-
I want-
CAN'T I HAVE-
I NEED-
like a year-
A YEAR A FULL YEAR TWO WHOLE SEMESTERS-
like a Year to go to Not FUCKING E V E R Y T H I N G UP-

School."

You pant.

Your breath is shaky.

She clears her throat.

"Yes,
well,
that much was... fairly obvious to tell.
The anxiety, I mean.
And I imagine any amount of anxiety is natural, given all that you're dealing with.
I don't envy the position you're in.

...And, of course,
of course the apology is accepted.

Really, I should be the one apologizing.
We...

We had time.
In the stairwell.
I could have discussed it with you.

...I was upset- Well...

Really, I was...

...afraid."

Your heart sinks.

"...That was a mistake.
Being scared of you.

I have had time to think, and-
I cannot believe-
Cannot fathom, really,
how I accused you of... hurting me intentionally.

We have not known each other long, but-
I should have known better than that.

Vess, I do Trust You,
and I do hope you understand that.

What happened was a minor incident.
A minor accident.
And really, when it comes down to it... entirely understandable.

You are new here.
Mistakes Will happen.
And with all the pressure on you, everything that is being asked of you so quickly,
that chance is only magnified.

What concerns me, is that you're-
I do not want you to carry this with you as anything other than... a motivational incident.
Something that does spur you on to try and be more thoughtful and communicative amongst yourselves,
but does not... warrant any sort of guilt.

You apologized.
And you will not do that again.
That's the important part, isn't it?

So, there is no reason to feel guilty."

You want to speak up further.
Complain about yourself, how you dented her SKULL.

But you finally have managed to quiet yourself.

So, instead, you simply force yourself to nod.

"Excellent.

And... do let me know should you have anything you wish to talk over.
At any point, really!
I am sure we can find a soundproof-
Erm... a private space to do so.

With that out of the way,
onward to more exciting matters!"

Murmur fishes something out of her pocket.

Your face displays a '?' as you squint in the dark.

"I created this not long ago.
It's a chip that is designed to, well,
in simpler terms, 'sync up' with the xenial itself.

I was planning to use it for myself, to help me keep track of everything, but...

Well, when I saw that your body mostly follows volare lines,
I could not help myself.

You see, you have ports on the back of your neck, right at the base of your head."

You curiously reach a claw back in response,
finding what feel like small circular and rectangular holes there.

"Right there, yes."

It's unnerving.

"So... I modified this to fit you.

I did, also remove some of the features.
Those were passed along into a rudimentary duplicate version for myself,
as they would have been useless to you,
but, well,
I only had so much time before I was sure you and Model would finish selecting an outfit.

...Apologies, that's neither here nor there.

The point is that, this will have features you should find useful during your stay,
and I would very much enjoy installing it for you.
It's a delicate piece of hardware,
and given you only received this body recently and cannot exactly See the ports, yourself,

I-"

Murmur suddenly seems... bashful, of all things.

"...Well...
I would-
I hope it is not presumptuous of me to ask,
but...

Would you be opposed to me installing the chip myself?

Oh,
I should...
I should explain, shouldn't I?
Yes, I don't know for Certain that you would-

Right, yes-"

She clears her throat.

"Volare tend to see performing this act as... dictating closeness.
Not-
Not necessarily in... any particular direction, mind you!
It can be romantic, but can also be a familial act - such as between those that consider themselves siblings, for instance -
or simply indicative of very, very close platonic relationships.

So-
I do not know if you would feel the same way instinctively, given you are more volare than any other species,
from what I can tell, at least,
but... I figure it best not to assume, in either direction.

At any rate... you are more than welcome to say no,
regardless of how you may feel about the act itself; what it may mean to you, if anything.

But, I do want to reassure you,
that it does not have to mean anything, either.

More than anything,
I Do simply wish to install this for you.
It's... a functional act, more than anything, though-

Not that-

Not that I care nothing for you!
You DO matter to me!

We haven't known each other long, of course,
but I already care to think of you as a friend, and I would hope-

I am... talking far too much, aren't I?

Forgive me."

They let out a quick breath.

"At any rate:

Would you like me to install this for you, Vessel?

If not, I can... attempt to guide you through installing it yourself.

Or you can refuse this installation outright, of course.

I will respect your decision,
whatever it may be."

***skinstealer*** · 12-17-2022, 09:40 PM

accept the install, and reassure murmur while you're at it

dediles · 12-17-2022, 09:51 PM

What would you prefer? you seem worried about the cultural context in regards to the installation, but I do understand the practicality of doing it that way. And, Thank you. for this gift. this is not something you needed to do and I appreciate it.

also sorry for the yelling

MarxzVulpez · 12-17-2022, 10:13 PM

Agreeing with accepting the install and reassuring Murmur

Ignispark · 12-17-2022, 10:40 PM

accept BUT this mean's we're friends (is this like a blood pact for robots) now because giving a gift thats really important when you could use it yourself. if you need any help just ask for it in the future

***SHIVERS*** · 02-09-2023, 07:19 PM

Having talked this out, you feel calmer than before.

You take a slow breath.

we should reassure them

but what do we Say

"You're OK.

I like hearing you talk.
You're fun."

A :) shows up on your screen.

is that good???? did That help ? ? ? ? ?

Murmur's head shrinks down into her shoulders a few inches.
She stretches one arm across her front, holding the other for a few moments as her eyes trail away.

"That-

Well.

...I am very happy to hear that.

I find your own company quite,

er,

stimulating, as well.

Fun."

You've felt it a few times now, to the point that you're getting used to it:

You can tell they're smiling.

"I accept the install."

You take a moment to think over all of this;

the situation,
what she told you about this act,
yourself and Murmur.

As they ready the chip, you raise your hand to pause them.

"But.

It means we're friends now.

Like a Blood Pact.
For robots?"

Murmur snorts.

[ ? ], your screen displays.

"I... suppose that's one way to think of it!

...Alright, then.

If you would be so kind as to crouch down, at least a few feet,

I'll have this completed quickly for you."

You lower yourself,

and feel her hands at the back of your neck.

You feel

alarmingly vulnerable, in a way.

Despite your size.

Despite your durability.

Hands

behind you

at your Neck

Anything could happen, your mind tells you.

What Murmur said before comes back into focus.

This being an act dictating closeness.

It makes sense to you, now.

This act requires Trust.

It's frightening

but only

briefly.

Feeling her set to work,

feeling

tiny sensations

clicking, tightening, adjusting

you try to Breathe.

What she said just before

rings in your head.

'It was a mistake.
Being scared of you.

I do trust you.'

. . .

i don't want to be scared of them either

she wouldnt hurt me.

You breathe.

Deeper now.

You settle.

Your shoulders untense.

You breathe.

Your mind wanders.

To your time here.

Short

and rushed

but Valuable.

You've enjoyed it so far.

Mostly.

you think back to the Dent on her helmet--

You wince.

Murmur stops.

"...Did that hurt?"

" . . .

I'm OK." is all you can think to say.

"...Deepest apologies. You may be somewhat sensitive.

Which-

That does make sense, given this is your first install.
I should have been more careful."

It hadn't hurt.

"You're OK."

"I will... do my best to go slower, more gently.

Shouldn't be long now. Nearly there."

Breathe.

You calm, as before.

Eye closed.

Head wandering.

Murmur has been here

since you got here.

You think of the

peculiar position

that she's in.

At the helm of all of this.

Trying to organize

everything.

'-cannot shake being terrified.
wondering if this is going to work out,
or if...

...if I am going to make it a disaster somehow--'

All that pressure.

You're worried about them.

But

'...But what a Wonder to behold...'

You're happy she's here.

"There.
All finished."

Murmur pulls away.

Your eye slowly opens.

Your body feels

limber

if a little sleepy.

Pleasant, though.

"I hope that wasn't too terrible.

Are you alright?"

You think over this.

You smile.

"I'm OK.

:) "

They smile back at you.

"I am very relieved to hear that."

The two of you are distracted,

basking in the moment.

"...Well!
The chip should boot up momentarily."

You feel a tug in your head

as a window fills your vision.

A splash screen, which is loading.

Show ContentXENIAL_TRACKER:

"I had to work around the fluid nature of the xenial to program this.

Challenging, but,

rewarding in its own right.

But, syncing up with such an odd and ever-changing place - and the, er... 'magic', here?
I am not sure Magic is the right word -

...regardless,

the chip does not function

er-"

The OBJ wrings her hands, searching for an appropriate word.

"...Typically.

Features may,

'ebb and flow', to some degree; what you have access to may change over time.

Or, they might not!

I cannot be certain. Such is the unpredictable nature of this.

But, as for rudimentary features,
ones that Should retain regardless:

Anyone you have met within the xenial,
as long as they carry a stone,
should be logged in a list.

Typically,
along with their name,
you'll see:
their pronouns,
current species,
current morph,
and a color.

The xenial seems to organize every one of us by color.
We are unsure as to why.

I also added a location feature;
one that tracks what spot in the xenial everyone listed is at.
However, it can be finicky, to put it mildly.
It works Best with more general locations and common spaces - such as the dining hall, bedrooms, and the like -
less so with, anywhere else, really.

It can suddenly lose track of someone, or provide inaccurate information,
with no rhyme or reason.

Still, I hope you will find it useful."

Show ContentXENIAL_TRACKER:

"As a note,
extranatural beings are typically less... predictable, than Morbitians.

But, with everyone else, you should find that
as long as you've exchanged names, properly spoken to each other, and are on good terms,
you'll find them on the list.

...The xenial, strangely, seems to take note of that.
Whether you're on good terms with the other person.

I like to think it's because it wants this experience to be friendly for all involved,
that it wants us all to share our respective company with each other,
but that's most likely my own bias speaking."

You blink.

Trying to retain all information.

There's something else on your mind, though.

"...You could have used this yourself.

This is not something you needed to do and I appreciate it."

"It's quite alright.
I'm happy to gift it, I hope it's of some use to you."

"If I can help you by using it at any point, ask."

"I have my duplicate,
it should be adequate.

...But, I will keep that in mind.

Thank you."

The two of you hold the moment, as before.

The occasional noise of conversation finally catches your ears,
pulling Murmur's attention there, as well.

"...Oh!
I'd better-
Yes, I'll need to get started.

Feel free to find a spot you'd like to sit,
if there are open seats."

They glance in, glowing eyes squinting.

"...I see one or two, I think.
Some people are standing, as well. ...I should have brought chairs."

She sighs.

"Talk to me anytime if you have questions,
or for anything at all, really.

Good luck, Vess."

The OBJ smiles.

"...You too."

Murmur makes her way inside, to the front of the crowd.

You get a good look at the scattered seating,
trying to look at what's available to you:

The seat next to Laurel is taken, unfortunately,
and Model is standing at the front next to Murmur;
so both of those options are out.

Towards one side,
there's a tri-colored selected hybrid and an odd, grinning, rabbit-like creature in what appears to be a baseball uniform.
The two have purposefully left an empty space between themselves, looking like they aren't getting along.

There's an exhausted-looking pockitt hybrid, one row from the back.
They look undoubtedly Bored,
bouncing their leg with a yawn.

At the very back,
standing behind everyone, there's an ant corvice who seems to be watching intently,
scanning the crowd.
You don't like the look in their eye, but maybe you wouldn't have to talk.

Show ContentXENIAL_TRACKER:

***knux400*** · 02-09-2023, 07:30 PM

We should probably sit in the very back with the ant so we don't block anyone else's view.

dediles · 02-09-2023, 09:11 PM

I wanna sit next to the pockitt.

Ignispark · 02-10-2023, 07:52 PM

I think it'd be really interesting to sit in the empty space between the two that aren't getting along, but one of the other options is probably calmer.

MarxzVulpez · (This post was last modified: 02-12-2023, 06:39 AM by MarxzVulpez.)

seconding sitting all the way in the back, Vess is very tall after all But I'll leave it to writer's choice who in back we sit next to

***skinstealer*** · 02-13-2023, 08:54 PM

pockitt time, time to go say hi to people

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 02-14-2023, 12:28 AM by SHIVERS.)

You briefly debate sitting between the two who aren't getting along,
but you'd prefer something calmer right now.

Staying at the back seems like the better option, but you want to Sit, not Stand.

. . .

well, the pockitt looks Bored anyway, and I want to say hi to people

plus theyre only One Row from the back;
the person behind me can just lean to the side a little and be able to see Just Fine

With that decided, you make your way around behind the seated crowd,
eventually sitting down next to the pockitt at the far side.

They're leaned back in their chair, chin propped on their elbow.
Though, they glance up at you when you seat yourself.

You feel somewhat self-conscious,
given the person staring at you is about half your height, give or take.

You still haven't quite gotten used to towering over every other person here.

You'd still like to talk, though.

But,
Murmur speaks up before you get the chance.

"Well!"

Murmur claps her hands together, standing up in front of everyone.

"Now that everyone is seated, er-"
She glances to those standing up.
"-situated!
Let's get into things, shall we?"

The OBJ takes a breath.

"I'll only be running over the basics today, then I'll let all of you get to it,
and you'll be able to move about the xenial at your leisure.

Firstly,
could everyone raise their xenial stones, please?"

Everyone in the crowd fishes their stones out of pockets and bags to hold them up.

You reluctantly follow suit.

You catch a glance at the pockitt's stone as they raise theirs:

It looks like a bizarre, spherical version of a puzzle cube;
different colored segments all somehow separate from each other but 'interlocking' despite not touching each other,
forming into different combinations of shapes and colors as they float silently; nested together.

You're immensely jealous.

Murmur looks overwhelmed as she counts through the stones.

"Alright. Good, that's... good. Looks to be that everyone has one!
Perfect.

So, while cellular devices will not find a signal here in the xenial,
you will have access to landline phones in every bedroom.

The lines only connect to our own network within the surrounding communities;
those of you who have friends and loved ones staying there, you may contact them at any time using those phones,
or the 'payphones' you may find throughout the building - they are free to use!
No money required, don't worry.

However, the xenial itself is,
well,
it can be much larger than it appears at first glance,
and given its propensity to rearrange itself or redirect you wherever it pleases -

Well, you may have cause to contact other individuals within the xenial, is my point!

Luckily, you can use your stones for this!

As long as you have properly met the other individual, you simply have to hold your stone,
think about contacting them,
and their stone will...
er,
'ring'.

The tones are different for every stone,
but you'll know when someone is trying to contact you by the sound, as well as a visible glow it will produce.

If you want to answer it, you only have to pick up your stone, and think about doing so,
and you should be able to hear the other person, and speak back and forth.
If you wish not to answer a call - which, you are more than welcome not to do; privacy is important! -
then, as expected,
think about not answering the call, or simply don't touch your stone to begin with.

It's quite an odd phenomenon, but it's really quite simple to do-

I see some of you pulling out your stones to test this; as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm,
please wait until After our meeting.

Thank you!

To add an important note on stone communication:

If you find yourself having difficulty, or in some sort of emergency,
you may contact myself, or any other staff member - that would be Model,
as well as Toluca and Cardinal for any sort of medical emergencies, in particular.

If you are able to, meeting with any of us in person is also more than welcome.
We are here to help!

Now,
moving on to Common Areas you will find in the xenial--"

"Pst."

A quiet, sharp sound rouses you,
and you look over to find the pockitt trying to get your attention.

"Pssst."

"Hi," you whisper.

"Sup," they whisper back.

"Got a name?"

"Vessel. Or Vess is fine."

"Pepper. Uhh-they/them."

"It/its, or any neopronouns. I don't care."

"Cool. Awesome.
Great."
They vaguely nod their head.

"...ssssSo Anyway,

you wanna fight?"

"What."

"In a li'l bit, obviously.

You look strong-
well kinda like, clueless but, Probably Strong;
n' I'm gonna be bored outta my mind if I don't find somebody to spar with while I'm here.

So you in or out?"

The pockitt looks up at you,
gauging your reaction.

While you're thinking of an answer,
it would be good to come up with small-talk,
if you Want to chat.

Show ContentXENIAL_TRACKER:

Ignispark · 02-14-2023, 12:50 AM

Um...that, sounds like a bad idea! Also this first day on the job has been rough enough at times without getting beaten up and then having my shins stolen...
Also, like...anyone who asks 'do you want to play x? do you want to compete in y?' is almost always really good at it. You could almost certainly kick my ass...

want to talk about the weather? or like your favorite fauna? plants? or talk about fighting! um, just. not going to fight you.
like!!! how about fishing? do you like fishing? that's like fighting. Or maybe, uh. painting. where you stab. liquid. at a canvas. or like, roleplaying and pretending to fight. so people dont get hurt.

***knux400*** · 02-14-2023, 01:09 AM

"...you what. Um. No???"

"ijustbeanedsomeoneintheheadwitharubberballandifeelbadaboutitidontthinkfightingisreallymything"

dediles · 02-14-2023, 01:25 AM

I haven't physically existed for even an entire day yet. Sorry I've never fought before so I doubt itd be fun for either of us.

MarxzVulpez · 02-14-2023, 01:52 AM

Well, I've only been alive forrrrr like several hours so if I seem clueless that's probably why. a fight might be fun later but only if no-one is going to get Hurt hurt from it. Even if we have medics available, I don't think we should be relying on them unless really necessary

palencorgi · (This post was last modified: 02-16-2023, 06:44 PM by palencorgi.)

I think... I should ask Pepper for a rundown of sparring basics! I may be new, but who knows- I may end up enjoying it as much as they do, and it could go somewhere, even a little tustle. And it's all the more reason to get to know more about them, and myself!

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