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***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

Lilium Mortem · 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 Content

"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 Content

"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 Content

***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.

Lilium Mortem · 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 Content

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"

Lilium Mortem · 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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