Futuristic Dormant Hearts

[simj26]

CainWhat on earth was that infernal feeling in her head? It had the same awful twinge as the time she severely overestimated her stamina and pushed herself just a little bit too far. That climb, though, was nothing to write home about. She scaled it easily, and the abundance of the growth that sprawled across the Husk’s body contributed to that. Then why was she feeling like she could throw up at any second when she finally reached her destination? Had she really been neglecting her training that much? Impossible. Even if she had not gone for a single run in a week, an easy climb like this wouldn't have worn her out.

She winced and did her best to ignore the fact that her vision was starting to sway a bit more than she liked it to, especially at this height and hoisted herself up onto the ledge that the shiny handle had been part of. She was starting to regret not dragging Jeremy up here. Had he been next to her right now, she’d be a lot more assured that she was going to be safe. It wouldn't be much to the other kids, but his presence alone seemed to calm her down somewhat. She didn't have any idea just why though.
The headache and dizziness had now near doubled in intensity. What the heck was wrong with her? Through the throbbing and her vision basically going haywire, she managed to work out that what she was standing on was some sort of access panel, and the entrance it was the access to was blocked by vines and foliage. She could barely see through the greenery, but something gnawed inside of her- a feeling that whatever was causing this intense headache could be found inside the Husk. She gritted her teeth, and drew out yet another piton. She had to get inside. She had to know what was tormenting her, had to know just what was inside this metal being. She took hold of one vine, and, steadying herself, brought the point of the piton down onto the vine, stabbing right through it, and tearing it apart. She flung it behind her, and continued in the same fashion, hacking away at the sparse foliage until there was just enough space for her to crawl inside. Moss covered the interior as much as it did the exterior, and small tendrils of vines had also wormed their way into the crawlspace. Victoire Cainewright wasn't the type to be dissuaded by a bunch of wet, squishy moss, and started to enter, before remembering something very important.

“Jeremy!” She called over her shoulder. “I found an opening here! I’m--” she paused, trying to steady her voice. Did he hear the shudder in her tone? He didn’t need to. Hopefully, he didn’t. The dizziness was now overwhelming her, and she felt that if she didn't get rid of whatever was causing this oddity to her, she could just curl up and go to sleep. “I’m heading in!” she finished her statement at last, and started down the crawlspace.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Seriously, what was with this guy? It wasn't like Jeremy actively liked every person in his year level, try as he might, but Morgan was quite probably the only person he hated. Well, hate may have been a bit too strong a word. But what else could he say? The boy's scant appearances weren't enough in and of themselves, he'd his reasons, Jeremy was sure, but with each and every one being laced with the mockery and toxicity that they were, even he couldn't help but feel contempt.

"Aha. Funny. Hi there, you two." It didn't exactly take a social engineer to pick up on the hesitation that laced his voice as he spoke. If it weren't for Ida's presence, he'd have given Morgan a goodbye and gone straight back the way he came without a moment's hesitation, but she complicated things. He couldn't exactly say he was close with the girl, and she was likely better equipped to deal with the insult slinging shut-in than he was, but just leaving her at his mercy didn't sit right. Who knew what he'd end up doing with those gloved hands of his?

Nothing good.

"You sure that's a good idea? Vic is back there clambering around a Husk herself... Seems a bit, uh, dangerous if you ask me. Personally, I'm hoping she gives up soon so we can ju-"

Ah. He was already being called ba-

Wait, what? An opening? It wasn't easy to tell what she was saying over this distance, but if he was hearing what he thought he was hearing then this was definitely some bad news. Who knew what the insides of these things would be like? Jagged, rusty metal and loose cables galore, he'd bet.

"E-er. Speak of the devil. Sorry. I've gotta go make sure she doesn't cut open an artery or something. If you guys are looking to explore one, then it sounds like Vic just found a way in, but..." He didn't want to say it out loud. 'Please don't encourage her'. It was a little degrading, but even if it came from a place of caring, it'd be hypocritical of him to say things like that right in front of Morgan, wouldn't it? He wasn't actually sure, but he took his leave and headed back to Vic's Husk a few moments after his voice trailed off, regardless. He didn't have time to waste.

Sorry, Ida.

"Vic!? Get out of there, it's gotta be dangerous!" He arrived at a brisk pace and cast his eyes up the metal giant. No sign of her, aside from the trail of freshly disturbed plantlife that she'd left in her wake.

"C-come on! Don't make me come up there!"

simj26 GasMaskie Coin

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor stiffened up as Umi hugged him. He was not used to people that weren't his mom hugging him. A pat on the back and a handshake are about as far as most people went. And when she let go he could still feel where her arms had wrapped around him. He wasn't sure if he liked that feeling or not, currently he was leaning towards not. But that was a small thing compared to where they were at.

As Umi had said, they were inside a Husk. He wasn't sure if it was the cockpit, it probably was, but he didn't know. How would he? He's never seen one before. But the mere fact that he was inside a Husk prompted him to explore. Like Umi, he felt along the walls, searching for anything that stuck out. It did seem to get brighter, but he just assumed it was his eyes adjusting to how dark it was, the glowing fungi only providing a soft glow.

Giving up his search for something on the wall, Connor made his way towards the seats. And when he reached it, he decided he might as well sit in it. He had wanted to rest anyways, not at least he didn't have to sit on the ground to do it. So up he climbed, into the back seat, his feet just scrapping the ground as his legs dangled down. And surprisingly, the seat was pretty comfortable. And while he was up there, he might as well see what those cylinders were all about. So, naturally, he stuck his hand in one.

 

[dwif]

"I suppose I was expecting too much from something I sprang on you. That's on me." He wasn't sure what to talk about on their way back to the entrance to the valley, instead chose to spend his time taking in the environment around them. Although it wasn't that much different from the woods surrounding the colony, it was different enough for him. The lack of man's interference with nature made it feel like they could have been hundred of miles away, finally free from their everyday lives.

"I guess you're not satisfied with the idea of a maidens first kiss. Some people are just insatiable." This offhand remark caught him off guard, he tried to stutter some form of witty response when none came his only option was to cover it with an unnatural coughing fit. Clearing his throat he looked back at her to see if she had picked up on his reaction, she continued to speak so he took it as she didn't notice or just didn't care.

He couldn't help but wonder why she was being so nice to him. Sure, she had said she had nothing better to do. But even back in the colony if people really had nothing better to do they would find something to do just to avoid being associated with him or his family. That's why he'd learnt to keep his head down and keep out of the way. She didn't care though. Way she unaware? Or just that carefree? He couldn't help but wonder if the past years spent working were wasted and he could have got much further by just speaking to people and showing that they aren't different.

His train of thought was interrupted by a cake being placed in is hand. She called off the bet. It was because she pitied him. She may have seen it as a sign of mercy but to him it was proof that she was looking down on him just like everybody else. "No. I'm not letting you give up on the bet like that. A deal is a deal. I agreed knowing what I was getting into." Following this up with a reassuring smile he hoped to make her change her mind about it. He didn't want the pity he just wanted to be treated the same as anyone else. "And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a soft spot for me. I've worked with a bunch of your types before and I know not being harsh on the eyes is the highest praise for you." He laughed and gently punched her on the arm hoping to get some response back from her. "Anyway you know the others better than I do, anyone worthwhile? If there is lead the way." He punctated the end of his sentence with a bite of the cake "Maybe you were right, one of these is more than enough." Tossing the rest of the cake behind him he began to follow Mochi to wherever she wanted to go.

Entity.Eclypse

 

[GasMaskie]

"Just as expected." The young man raised up both hands and sighed - it was only natural that things would turn out this way. He gazed up at the Husk, the foliage that had grown around it provided a convenient path to where the cockpit would be in the chest. His sharp violet eyes narrowed as he inspected the approximate area where the hatch would be. Closing his eyes, he carefully began to visualized the next few steps.

"You know, I have a creeping suspicion that rather than approaching these Husks in groups, others are going pair-by-pair. The power of narratives is terrifying, isn't it?" He rubbed his chin with his gloved hand - although the statement seemed completely out of left field, it was based on the vague references and allusions made by other practically ancient texts about the steel giants. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the puppy and the gorilla had paired up as well to accomplish the same task. This whole event could have been arranged as well by interested parties - the journey to Husk Valley was an open secret and colony tradition after all. Though, if past generations had done the same, then he doubted that their dormant hearts would stir for them.

Still, he had nothing to lose at this point. The sunken cost fallacy was in full effect and continued to spur him forward even if he was aware of the irrationality of that sort of thinking. Morgan returned to a normal stance and approached the girl once more. He had three inches on her, but it was more than likely that she had a stronger body than him at this point. Not quite on the gorilla's level or that one gym rat, but she would more than enough to deal with the task at hand.

"The route to the cockpit is simple thanks to the greenery - the vines are think enough to support weight and there are more than enough tangled growths to act as footholds. It's more or less a straight shot to the hatch." He brought a gloved hand up and traced the path. The pale boy's finger stopped at a barely noticeable detail partially obscured by shrubbery that had grown between the metal panels.

"External cockpit release, I believe. As for the mechanism for such, I can only speculate that it uses a system that doesn't require a power supply. Perhaps micro-explosives to force the hatch open or some sort of spring-loaded lock release. Well, if it's the former, the armor plating and hulls are thick enough to prevent a controlled explosion from causing any sort of mishap. If all else fails, I suppose we can always hope that the hatch just suddenly opens for one reason or another." Morgan adjusted his gloves before patting her on the back.

"And so, Ida Sommers, I'll leave it to you. I may have pride befitting a genius, but I'm well aware of my own shortcomings when it comes to matters of the body. The path I've outlined should be safe enough - if worse comes to worst, I'll be there to break your fall. As for how I'll get up there - we'll have to open the hatch first. I can only hope that designers of these Husks had enough sense to include some sort of cable lift system for emergency sorties or exits." A small smile appeared on his face - tainted of course with the haughtiness and intellectual superiority that one came to expect from him.

"...If satiating your curiosity isn't enough to persuade you, I'll let you have your way with me~" Naturally, he had already covered up the lower half of his face as he mimicked a coquettish young girl - if his hair grew any longer he could certainly pass off as one. He contemplated offering her some of the milk he had in his fridge at home, but given the heights of some of his peers he'd probably end up needing to chug all of it down to keep up.

(Re: Coin The One Eyed Bandit )

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Though she was focused on the conversation, she was more focused on the black rope that was winding it's way through taller blades of grass. It seemed to be quite large for whatever species it may have been. A black snake, that wasn't something too out of the ordinary for what she'd seen in her time outside of Column. However, they didn't approach the husks last time she was here... this one defied that logic. It slithered right up to the husk they were previously near and disappeared into the collapsed form. Why was that snake defiant enough to go where others seemed to avoid? The question shattered in her mind as a slight jar to her body clawed her attention back to Sebastian. The weakened punch let her know he was trying to get her attention for starters.

Quickly she realized that he was trying to kid around with her so she simply smiled in return to the action. "I mean if you're that desperate to get a kiss we can probably find someone for you. I'm kidding of course. Someone worth while, though..." She continued to walk for a moment in thought, the sound of her bike wheels carving the grass along with the light ticking of her bikes wheel being the audio for the short time. Her eyes seemed to be looking off at something no one else could perceive, this being of course her recollecting on the members she had met and knew decently of.

Hearing the cake crash into some bushes nearby she was once more pulled from her memories. "I'm just used to eating smaller quantities to improve the flavor in the long run." She had to do such often when working on any confectionery good. Over time she'd try to get her sister, Hachi, to taste them and see what she preferred. Her bike ran over a rock and as such did a small jump as they continued on their path.

"Maybe we'll run into someone as we walk. Who knows, we they may even find us." She offered as a rather delayed response, "Or..." She stated and coughed a little bit to clear her throat. One hand came free from the handlebar of her bike and instead cupped around her mouth in attempts to amplify the sound that she would soon enough produce. She turned her head towards the forest off to the side of them, "Anyone hiding out in the trees?!" She called out to the wooden area. If a human response was said then it was likely the chirping of birds flying away, and other hidden occupants of the wilderness, muffled it out.

With that she grasped the handlebars again and looked towards the male. "If someone comes out I can tell you if they're worth while or not." She spoke, having clearly quietened down to her normal speaking voice again. Once they had gotten about midway between the point she yelled at and a husk in the direction they were headed she added to her statement. "I wouldn't say it's a soft spot, it's more that you're entertaining. Despite appearing to be a rather... peculiar individual at first glance." There was no malice in her speech, so it wasn't an insult or at least, it wasn't an intentional one.

A little way off, where the husk aforementioned lay, Mochi could see two figures near the husk ahead. As long as the two weren't blind or dead, they could more than likely spot the pair approaching the husk. If they knew of Mochi then the coloration of her bike would be a dead give-away as to who she was. From here the girl turned to face Sebastian, "Well we might find someone up there. If we don't by the end of the day... then I guess we call the bet off?" She spoke the last part with a twinge of confusion to her own words.

~~~​

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Inactive User 002 (From the Shouting).
CerpinTaxt Cosmos (Two Figures)

 

[CerpinTaxt]

Hachi had a point when she mentioned that she figured no one else would be here. "I was going to be here for the same reason..I wanted to read for a while." He could only tilt his head in slight confusion as the small girl jumped up and down in excitement. He'd never really seen anyone do that before. "Ah..well...I've never made friends before..." It was a bit of a sad statement, but his monotone voice did little to reveal the sadness he felt from admitting it.

His attention went from her to the husk as she turned away to gaze upon it. A monolithic relic of a war he had only read about. He knew some found them fascinating, and he also knew his father had loaned him a book on them. A book he'd yet to actually read. He'd been far too busy with other books. He could only stare at the large robot, nature taking its time and reclaiming it in its dominion as time passed. Perhaps within a few hundred years there would be nothing left. "Ah..that's a strange thought to me. I have never really thought of buildings and other things hearing us." It really was a strange concept to him. As humanlike as the husks looked, they possessed no ears to hear with. No way to live without someone controlling it. It was an innocent thought, one that made Luka begin t ponder what his books would think of him if they could hear him. Not like he talked much.

What if they could speak to him?

Perhaps they wouldn't want to his friend if they could listen to him.

"Ah..that is a very nice name you have. Er..I'm afraid I don't know of your sister. I'm sorry." Who was Mochi? Luka thought he'd heard a name similar to it during dinner a few times, but the information was quick to leave his head. "Are they a nice person?" Luka had to figure that since she was apparently Mochi's sister...and Hachi was really nice...then Mochi was probably nice too. Maybe. Hopefully. Luka couldn't help but shyly looked away from her. He really wasn't used to eye contact.

Maybe he should change subjects. "Mm..I was wondering what it would be like if I were to climb one of those." He gestured towards the husk, taking a gentle step towards the robot. He could only peer up at it, getting a better look at the decaying machine. "I..always wanted to enter one. Sit inside it and read. I was thinking they might be comfortable." The husk was fairly large, but there were bigger ones. As much as he wanted to climb up one, a growing concern was growing in his mind. "Ah..but I fear I would not fit some. Like..this one. I'm..sort of tall. I think whoever rode this was probably..short." That was a guess on his part, one that made sense to him.

Cosmos

 

[Cosmos]

Hachi had been about to reply to the boy when her attention was briefly taken by what she thought was the sound of a voice calling out through the trees but quickly shook that off as the wind, no one else was out this far right? Looking back she stared with an innocent expression and false sense of having heard every word that stayed plastered childishly to her face until a sympathetic giggle escaped her mouth as she bowed her head a little in apology as she rubbed at her neck adding to the sense of being sorry. Looking back up her eyes scanned the boys face curiously as he mentioned not having heard of her sister.

"R-Really?…." her eyes lit up with slight surprise and widened before settling back to covering her mouth with a hand politely chuckling, this boy really hadn't heard of Mochi huuh. She'd thought everyone in the entire colony knew of her sister and the scandalous acts she pursued, something about this knowledge made her feel all warm and bubbly inside, like for once someone was focusing on her and her alone, even though she knew this not to be true it felt good.

Not to be invisible for once.

As he continued on she gave a slightly taken aback and stiffened posture when asked if she was nice, an action which told you all too clearly that probably wasn't the exact way to describe them, nor how even Hachi herself would, more- unique.

Continuing on to talk about the husk she looked back at the great machine with the boy, eyes looking up to the top before a light pink blush came over and caressed her cheeks as he mentioned his height not allowing him to ride one of this size causing her shoulders to lift up in an embarrassed manner as she looked away and at the ground timidly, she really was rather short for her age and as much as she loved to raise the point of the extra half foot she had that most people didn't bring up she didn't feel this was really the gist time.

It was only when the soft rattling and high pitched clinking of a bike wheel against the grass was heard her attention snapped from its dazed state and she looked backwards and towards two figures approaching distantly in the back fields just a little off form them, squinting as she tried to make out their appearance before getting a speck of dust in her eye and stumbling backwards covering her face, half tripping over a rock in her usual clumsy fashion and toppling backwards for what felt like yet another of the far too many times today.

Rubbing at her eye and nervously opening the other to look back up at Luka she tried to give a reassuring albeit dazed smile as she stumbled back up to her feet leaning against the husk. By the time she'd regained composure in standing, still rubbing like a sleepy toddler at the battle worn eye she could finally make out who one of the figures was with her remaining good one, her cheeks colour shooting to a beetroot as she suddenly dashed behind the metal giants foot with a loud eep escaping her quickly first.

"Ah—…. please hide me mr. husk~…." she whispered more to herself and the robot than any sort of fashion towards Luka, she couldn't even imagine how much her sister would tease her were she to catch the girl with a boy in their age group, she had it bad enough when they were five and she'd told Mochi about a boy she liked, the older sibling proceeding to yell it out to every person on the street as though it were some grande celebration.

She couldn't help but flop down a little in a dismayed defeat at the thought.​

CerpinTaxt Entity.Eclypse ​

 

[Coin]

Ida was angry. No, she was livid. She had just then decided that Morgan wasn't human after all, just idiocy wrapped in several layers of stale ego. From his disingenuous tone, the way he condescended others, even the way he looked at her -- everything about him just rubbed her the wrong way. Thankfully, Ida's cool composure kept her distaste for this subhuman detriment's behavior at just short of a scowl and disapproving glare.

"You're disgusting, Morgan," Ida said at last, contempt dripping from her muted voice. She was glad that Jeremy had scampered off to find Victoire -- there'd be no witnesses if Ida had to murder Morgan in cold blood.

As much as Morgan disgusted her, he was right. Ida's gaze followed up the path of the Husk and sure enough, under several layers of foliage and grime, there appeared to be something that resembled a cockpit. It would be an easy climb for her, and she even spotted a ledge formed from two gaps in the Husk's titanic armor that she could balance her weight on to get a proper hold of the access hatch. Curse the boiling curiosity that her sister had passed onto her, and curse that she was wearing a skirt of all things for this.

"You know, you're lucky that you approached me of all girls. Anyone else would have smacked that stupid grin off of your lips," Ida flared her nostrils, yanking the beret off her head and shoving it towards Morgan's chest for him to hold with enough force to perhaps knock him back a step or two. "Hold onto this. I'm going up there."

Ida kicked off her shoes and approached the Husk, letting one hand rest on the warm metal exposed to the sunlight. There was something... strange about the sleeping machine. The way the warmth felt on her palm, and the tiny static she felt as soon as she made contact with it made it seem like she was in contact with a real person. She was lost in her thoughts for a few moments, then snapped out of it, grabbing onto one of the vines that had draped to the ground and testing her weight. Truthfully, she wished that the vine were Morgan's scrawny neck, so she could throttle the stupid right out of him. The faintest hint of a smile touched her lips at the thought.

She turned back around to Morgan and pointed at him, then around the side of the Husk, "You stand there. If I catch you looking up at me while I'm climbing, it'll be the last thing you'll ever see."

That being said, Ida began her steady ascent. With care not to injure herself from a fall or serious laceration, she climbed up vine and metal. The whole way up, Ida was sure not to look down to check her progress and height from the ground. All of her focus was on the next step, the next hoist and in no time at all, she had placed herself on the ledge of armor that she had spotted from the ground. Ida rested for only a moment, regaining her strength and composure, then put all of her might into the exterior latch of the access point, expecting significant resistance.

//((Embedded addendum))

Her first attempt was not so graceful. The lever merely squeaked and chips of rust flicked off the old ironworks as she strained her muscles. With the next shove, she grit her teeth and yanked hard on the lever, finally disengaging the lock and swinging the hatch open. Moss and vines tumbled down the hull of the Husk as Ida shielded herself from the rush of stale air and dust that drifted towards. After waving and coughing most of it away, Ida peered into the dim cockpit, squinting to make the most of the sun hanging over head.

Inside, it was less complicated than Ida or her sister had imagined, and even more puzzling yet -- two sets of controls for two different pilots. It was ironic, all Ida and Ana needed was one Husk to allow the both of them to escape, not that it mattered anymore. Sighing, Ida began the slightly more difficult process of wiggling into the cockpit from the outside.

"Hey!" Ida poked her head out of the hatch once she had secured herself inside the Husk, calling down as loudly as she could so that Morgan could hear her. "Are you coming to see this, or are you too afraid to get your gloves dirty?"

((Re: GasMaskie , The One Eyed Bandit ))

 

[Inactive User 002]

Hexa couldn't believe how big the valley was having been wandering around it for ages now. Her outfit was covered in grass stains and mud having tripped over a some roots earlier. In fact she still had a couple of leaves in her hair from the bush she had fallen into. If someone had seen it happen they would have seen her messed up priorities having checked her laptop bag before herself. 'At least I'm not bored' Hexa thought to herself genuinely enjoying not only looking over the Husks, but she also enjoyed the vivid colours of the forest. Though she didn't enjoy the bird songs finding that after a while they became repetitive and annoying.

What peaked Hexa's interest was a the sound of girls voice emanating to her left. It was hard to make out what she had said, but she swore it was something about hiding in the trees. Though Hexa didn't really care what she had said merely that someone was there. So as quick as she could Hexa headed in the direction the voice had come from. Unfortunately as quick as she could manage was her extremely slow run which usually left her coming in last when they had races in gym class.

It took a good minute or two for her to finally get there having to find away around a few obstacles. Stumbling out from behind a tree Hexa came face to face with two people. Instantly she recognised the girl Mochi from her year and the other boy was also apart of her year, but she was unable to recall his name. Hexa really liked Mochi finding her interesting, plus they shared a habit of getting into trouble. Though Hexa had never really hung out with or talked to Mochi much. A fact that made her wonder why they hadn't? Still panting and bent over with her hands on her knees Hexa managed to get out between pants, "Hu..hey M..Mochi..I'm..glad to..see you." A sharp intake of breath "I got..lost. Sorry if..I..ruined..your..d..date." As she said the last bit she became a bit quieter and her cheeks reddened as she gestured to the boy. Thinking to herself Hexa wished that she wasn't so unfit. Though she would actually have to do something to make that happen. Grumbling to herself Hexa muttered, "god I hate exercise."

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Cosmos

 

[_Line 213]

simj26

The crawlspace turned out to be more like a hatch, opening up rather quickly into a cockpit interior. Plant life spilled into the interior of the husk, though the darker corners of the machine sported almost no life at all, save for what little moss managed to survive in the darkness. In some ways, it was more like being inside of a cave than a machine.

And yet, it was still very clearly a space meant for control, situated directly in the machine's chest. Dangling plants and wires barely hid the two-seated controls in the center, and off to the side sat the silhouette of something far more recent.

Moving closer, it becomes clear, even in the darkness, that a backpack had been left there. Considering the open nature of the Husk, it perhaps wasn't surprising that someone had been there before, but at the same time, it seemed unlikely all the same. Judging by the materials inside--school supplies, a notebook, and a textbook of sorts, all moldy--the visitor, however long ago they had been there, was around the age of those that now visited the valley.

An old, old tradition indeed.

---​

Coin

The latch creaked noisily, barely budging on the first try. With repeated attempts, however, the rusted hinges continued to give, the metal shrieking as the handle finally came open--at least to an extent. It would be difficult to crawl inside, but it was certainly possible. The amount of effort and repeated tries would have likely dissuaded all but the most intrepid of explorers--though perhaps Ida's anger-induced adrenaline provided her the edge she needed.

A few scraps of plant life fell from the edges of the porthole as the door came free, tumbling down the side of the husk and flying out into the air beyond as the door froze in place once again, thanks to its rusted hinges. The air inside the husk was notably stale, yet the closed door kept the interior seemingly pristine; light glinted off of the interior, revealing clean, untouched metal.

 

[GasMaskie]

Even for a genius, the fact that he had set up the girl for a full view of the secrets of her skirt was something he hadn't accounted for. More or less because he had little interest in carnal matters to begin with - if it didn't have to do with making a profit, it was merely a distraction. Much like what he was doing right now. As she made her way up the husk, he considered just walking away in the middle of it. Returning to what he knew as normal - buying and selling forbidden knowledge, returning home to a room only illuminated by the light of an array of screens. His grip on the beret tightened.

Although he wasn't aware of it, a genuine smile had appeared on his face as he recalled her forceful response. His last bit of teasing had finally pushed her off the edge. Both genuine sorrow and rage had been put on display for him. Perhaps she'd make for a more interesting subject than he expected. Admittedly, he also wanted to see just how far she'd go. It certainly seemed like she was silently debating on whether or not to just strangle him on the spot. A Husk's cockpit would make for the perfect backdrop to a murder.

Not that he wouldn't mind one way or another.

At the very least, opening the hatch caused a cascade of vines to form a new path straight to the cockpit. The very obvious downside was that he'd actually have to move to do so. He put on the girl's beret and adjusted his gloves once more for good measure before tugging on a sturdy looking vine and beginning the ascent. He would have replied to her but the boy was too busy focusing on powering through the physical strain and exhaustion. He could only grit his teeth as the lactic acid built up in his underdeveloped muscles and pain accrued.

A gloved hand clawed at the access point before finally finding a place to grip onto. With one final grunt, Morgan lifted himself up and crawled into the cockpit. The floor, although made of solid metal, had a sort of warmth to it. He removed his backpack and the beret and slid them away. Strength gave out in his arms and legs as he fell onto his stomach. Mustering up whatever will he had left, Morgan rolled on his back and sprawled out his limbs. He took long, greedy breaths and brought a gloved hand to his chest. His heartbeat slowly began to fall as he looked around the spacious chamber. It was far bigger than he had anticipated. Though, a certain detail the he had glanced caught his attention.

"Huuu.. I told you... pairs..." In his exhaustion, he couldn't quite make out the apparatus used to pilot these machines but the fact that there were two was enough. It meant that his prior assumptions about a Husk's operational procedures were correct. Though, whether or not this had a bearing on why it seemed that pairs were naturally drawn to Husks would have to wait. Closing his eyes once more, the genius decided on a devious course of action. He wasn't quite sure where exactly she was inside the room, but he decided to push his luck and say something dangerous. The sort of gag that would probably end up being the death of him.

"Ida Sommers... black lace..." Of course, that was a complete guess. Perhaps contrary to her beliefs, Morgan kept his head down as she climbed. There was perhaps, a small part of him that was apprehensive about even saying something about that. She didn't seem like the sort of young girl who'd wear a more mature style of underwear just to get the feel of it so black lace seemed like a safe, incorrect answer. What sort of expression would she have in that case? More rage? Exasperation and silent resignation? He'd be betting on the former regardless of the validity of the guess.

(Re: Coin )

 

[Hextremus]

Otto tilted his head to one side as he processed Kori's request. He'd continued calling her that to prove that he had a sense of humour, in a way. Perhaps he did not have as much of a grasp on the concept of jokes and humour as he believed. Time to remedy his mistake.

"I know you were joking earlier, I thought it was funny. My apologies. I'll refer to you as K.C. from now on. Is that satisfactory?"

After he finished, he turned to look up at the Husk once again. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and his left hand reached up and under his tie to wrap his fingers around the ring on the leather cord that hung from around his neck, hidden under his loose tie. A dull burning was kindling in his chest. He'd always admired the Husks from afar, wanting to lay his hands on one and carve his symbol into it. And now that he had, the machine that he had looked up to (both physically and mentally) seemed to be drawing him in. Taking a step closer, the smouldering in his chest began to intensify.

It felt good.

"Follow me if you wish. I'll be right back."

He was glad the ancient machine was kneeling as he clambered up onto its foot, shoes skimming over the SATOR Square carved into it before he began climbing. He was by no means an expert climber, nor did he consider himself the most fit, but his rapidly scanning eyes picked out the best handholds that he could utilise. Coupled with the vines and greenery veiling the Husk, he managed to climb up onto the Husk's knee relatively quickly. He took one last glance up at the dormant Husk's face, standing atop its knee, before slowly and carefully making his way along its thigh until he reached its body. His observant, metal grey eyes quickly picked out what looked like a hatch on the chest of the behemoth. Obviously the entrance to its cockpit. He quickly continued his climb up the kneeling giant, scaling its chest until he stood at the hatch. A single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, and he slowly reached up to wipe it away with his index finger.

"I never realised I'd been waiting for this."

He said quietly, looking up again as though speaking to the Husk itself, before returning his attention to the hatch. It was latched shut. His eyes narrowed further than before as he reached out and grasped the latch, beginning his attempt to open the ancient machine.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza & Lucem ]

 

[Coin]

It was way more entertaining watching Morgan struggle to climb up to the access hatch than she thought it would be. She rested both of her elbows on the ledge of the hatch and looked out from her perch, scanning the horizon. Even though her view was still partially obstructed by some stubborn trees, being that high up still felt liberating. For the first time in a while, Ida felt the child-like giddiness of adventure that had escaped her some time ago, and she couldn't care less if Morgan could see her grin as he endeavored the same ascent. There was probably too much sweat in his eyes for him to see properly, anyways. When he was just about to reach the hatch, Ida relented the edge and backed off in case Morgan decided to throw his suffering form into the cockpit. The last thing she needed was a moron collapsed on top of her.

Thanks to her foresight, Morgan had more than enough space to flop down onto his back and catch his breath. He clearly hadn't come out of whatever vampiric hideout he had stowed himself away in for some time, evident by his exhaustion after a task as moderate as scaling the hull of a comatose war machine. At least he had brought her beret, which she approached and scooped off his head before he could further ruin it with his grime. Ida was in the middle of dusting off her beret and fixing it back atop her head when Morgan somehow managed to choke out his final words.

He was wrong, of course, and part of her appreciated the fact that he had the common courtesy to respect her personal space, but the nature of his inappropriate taunt reignited her freshly-cooled rage for just a momentary flare. Before she could stop herself, she kicked him in the ribs as he was still recovering on the floor. As soon as she made contact with him, surely knocking the breath out of him again at least if he did not miraculously dodge out of the way, she whirled around, crossed her arms and huffed in both disbelief and frustration. Ida had not lashed out thoughtlessly like that in ages, but in the short afternoon that she had the displeasure of sharing with Morgan, he just knew how to agitate the demoness within. In fact, she almost wanted to apologize right away for acting so harshly. Almost. Were it not for the fact that he must have been in, deserving, and excruciating pain.

"Idiot..," Ida muttered under her breath. "Complete moron."

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[Soviet Panda]

As soon as his hand had a hold of whatever was inside the cylinders, he regretted his decision. For as soon as his hands closed, it felt like his head had been set on fire. He was bombarded with visions, of things he had never seen before. They all passed by in a flash, with only two really sticking. An ocean of crumbling buildings and a massive shadow. If it weren't for the immense amount of pain, he might have tried to hold on to more if the images that screamed through his head. But the pain had a hold of him, clawed at his mind, ripping and tearing whatever it could. A small part of him screamed at him to let go of the handles, that this was all because of them, but he couldn't. He had locked up, his muscles refusing to let him move. His jaw was clenched shut and his teeth looked like they were about to crack. If his hands were visible, you'd see a white knuckled grip on the controls. And his eyes stared sightlessly into the walls of the Husk.

At the height of his pain he felt something. There was something with him. At this point he couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. All he knew was that something was there, and experiencing the same thing he was. But almost as suddenly as it had arrived, it began to fade away. 'NO! DON'T LEAVE!' He shouted at the thing. Though all that was actually said was a wordless shout through clenched teeth. Then another thing arrived. It made the pain so much worse, as if it wanted to crush him with it. But at the same time, it seemed to be taking some of that pain, easing some of his burden. And it was that presence that he clung to, trying to whether the storm that he had created.

 

[dwif]

The pair's search for somebody else was quickly cut short by a figure appearing from the bushes just off of the trail. It was apparent that the girls knew each other, but they didn't seem too close. The more Sebastian thought about it the more it made sense to him, if they were good friends why would the pair of them both be alone? Somehow this girl seemed to be less put together than Mochi, maybe it was the sudden appearance from the bushes like a monster from one of the cautionary tales he was told as a child or it may have been her being doubled over struggling to get out a message.

Part of the message he was able to decipher was about him and Mochi being on a date. Although they should have been the ones embarrassed by this, it was the girl's cheeks which began to flush. Since she didn't know him there was almost no way that having a bit of fun at her expense would come back to affect him. "Ahh, don't worry the date is over now." Looking over to Mochi he tried to subtly gesture her to go along with it, linking arms with her he continued "Someone was all kissed out weren't they?" Turning back to Mochi to give her a sickly sweet smile. "We were actually just looking for other people, you know to see if they had seen anything cool. Or wanted to take her place for the kissing. So what about you?" He wasn't cruel, he made sure to give her an out if she wanted. But if she'd get as flustered as he imagined the pair were about to have quite the show.

Interactions:
Entity.Eclypse
Inactive User 002

Nearby:
CerpinTaxt
Cosmos

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi heard before she saw, her attention was drawn towards the trees where a surprisingly green Hexa had emerged from. There wasn't a road leading from there that she could recall with her time in the area but it was possible she hadn't spotted it. "You want to sit down for a minute? Getting lost seems to have taken a toll on you. Also, you couldn't actually see me going on a da-" She was cut off by Sebastian's remark, she turned her head quickly to face him. She glared slightly at the boy before realizing what his expression was telling her. Her hands were still gripping the handlebars of her bike when one arm was abducted, her first reflex was to pull back and she started to at first.

Though the idea of messing with others was far too tempting to pass up, so she'd need to spread the truth a little bit. That, of course, was a specialty when it came to the serpent. Releasing one end of her bike the other arm moved it forwards, she lifted her foot to knock the kick-stand downwards and parked the bike a short distance ahead of them. This was where she got to put on a show, and as the bike came to a halt, Mochi had maneuvered to Sebastian's side. Her arms soon grappled his one and held it like a child would to a stuffed bear.

Once she'd captured the arm she listened intently to what he had said, a small smirk appeared on her face for merely a moment before vanishing. A saddened look came to her face as he spoke, she slowly turned her gaze from Hexa up to Sebastian's face. "Kissed out? I didn't say such a thing at all. You were the one who." She paused and sucked in a gasp of air before burying her face into his bicep, her grip tightening on it as well. Her voice was drenched with false sorrow. Something she'd picked up on from her sister was body language when acting, tone of the voice was easier than anything else. This act was to be a short-lived monologue, so she left no time for him to defend... not yet at least.

She rubbed her face into the fabric of his shirt, not only did this help with that body expression but it helped her for the next portion of her plan. "Y-you said we were just going to walk together... But you." Her voice cracked as she looked up at him, eyes looking a bit puffy as tears began to escape her eyes. Her arms loosened their grip, and she took a step back from him, her body trembling slightly. "You just wanted to find another person... that's the reason you wanted to go on this walk!" Maybe raising her voice wasn't the best option, her voice was already trembling, but she did it anyway.

"Why... was I not enough for you? Did the time we spent together mean that little to you?" Her voice had quietened excessively as her shoulders shook with what appeared to be agitation or something of the sort. Now she just had to wait for the other two to say their lines, and hopefully they did it quick. Her crocodile tears wouldn't last forever.

Interactions:
dwif Inactive User 002

Mentions (Can probably see/hear this):
CerpinTaxt Cosmos

 

[Kiroshiven]

Umi looked over the controls in silent appreciation and curiosity while wondering what the controls did. The wires hanging down did little to make her doubt that this whole chunk of metal wasn't going to start. But nevertheless her mind wandered. It envisioned places far beyond what she knew and as she slowly drifted into a trance she turned around to see Connor sitting in the chair. He didn't look alright. If anything he looked to be in extreme amounts of pain. Without much for thought anymore she rushed over to the boy and tugged on his arms, but from the apparent death grip he had on whatever his hands were inside, he wouldn't let go. Unsure of what to do she turned back to the console of buttons and began to press at them randomly. Surely one of them had to eject the pilots from the machine right? It would basically be a giant death trap other wise.

Panic stormed her as she worked at hitting the buttons in a futile effort to try and just get them out. This was not the time for her wild fantasies. She needed help. Help! That was it. She turned back toward the entrance and cried out louder than she'd ever in her life, after all, she'd hardly ever shouted. "SOMEBODY HELP! SOMETHING'S HAPPENING TO CONNOR!" She figured that nobody would be coming. After all, she was an outcast and he, well he wasn't very much liked, but SOMEBODY would be a kind enough soul to help right? She cried out a few more times before walking back towards Connor. The only thing she knew how to do was play music and make salves. These weren't going to help her any, but with no other choice she pulled out her keyboard and set to playing.

Soviet Panda

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"I know you were joking earlier, I thought it was funny. My apologies. I'll refer to you as K.C. from now on. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yeah, thank you. That was actually really embarrassing. The point of the joke was that you wouldn't call me that." The black haired girl sighed. Otto had a lot to learn about humor, but at least now she knew that he had a sense of humor. The boy might have hope yet. It was only a matter of helping him interact with more people so that he could pick up on social cues better.

"Follow me if you wish. I'll be right back."

Otto suddenly began to climb up the leg of the Husk, using the vines to his advantage. As common as it was for children to climb the Husks, Kori couldn't help but find a fascination with the prospect of climbing the machine. Maybe it was the thrill of ascending above all others in the valley, or maybe it was something that broke the boredom of the afternoon. Either way, Kori was game to scale the Husk. She kicked off her flats so that her feet were bare. Gosh, she hated them! Kori only put up with them so that she wouldn't lose them somewhere along the way and tick off her parents. She also threw off her her beret so that her all of her hair could flow freely. That...was all she was going to take off. The girl would much rather prefer to climb without getting the blouse dirtier or potentially torn, but there were guys around. It wasn't so much about insecurity, as it was about modestly and giving the wrong idea. Who knows what Otto would think of that?

The girl began to ascend the Husk, having a slightly harder time than Otto. Kori wasn't Cain in any regard, and she only held a fraction of Cain's athletic ability. Still, she scaled it in the same amount of time that Otto did, leaving Alex on the ground. When she reached the knee of the Husk, she found Otto examining the hatch that led to what Kori assumed was the Husk's cockpit. She crept across the Husk's knee towards Otto and found a foothold so that she could stand next to Otto. "Need some help with that hatch? I don't think brute force will cut it."

The girl didn't wait for an answer and pulled out a set of small tools from her breast pocket. With a screwdriver, she opened up the panel labeled "Emergency Access". The inside was rusted over with time and the lever that Kori assumed to be the mechanism to open the locked hatch was stuck in place. The did not stop her from using her tools to open up abother access panel that would've connected to the aforementioned lever. After several careful (and failed) attempts to rewire the the lever, she finally connected the right wires. She was actually surprised that the Husk still had the power to operate the hatch's opening mechanism. Then again, this was ancient and advanced technology that surpassed anything the Column had, so it wasn't completely out of the picture that it had that much juice left. With the wires connected, the hydraulics holding the hatch shut. "Aannndddd there we go! Honestly surprised this hunk of junk still works. You coming up to see this Alex?"
Interactions: Hextremus Lucem

 

[GasMaskie]

Although he was certainly capable of miracles, something like this was completely out of his control. The sudden kick to the ribs knocked the wind out of him once more and pain shot through his side as he instinctively curled up on his side. Still, even through the pain, he recalled the grin that he had seen while climbing. What was a mystery, however, was whether or not his guess was right. As he rubbed at the point of contact and coughed, he contemplated his second choice - blue with white stripes. Or is it white with blue stripes?

"Gah! Not even my own mother hit me!" Only a slight bit of the pain leaked through his voice amidst the coughing fit that interrupted him. Curiously, however, he couldn't even find himself to hold it against her. Was there a part of him that had secretly desired this outcome? Could it be that he had actually been a masochist the entire time? Another cough escaped his lips as the pain began to dull.

After laying on the floor writhing in pain for a few more seconds, Morgan picked himself up and dusted off his clothing. He cleared his throat and took in the view of the chamber once more from a different perspective. His observations only stopped as he heard her speak under her breath. He chuckled softly into his glove before approaching her.

"You really are a breath of fresh air, Ida Sommers. Far from the sad, lonely girl that I had made you out to be. To think you're capable of such a violence against a boy you've just met - it's quite remarkable. Even if I've incurred more injuries than I expected, it's safe to say that this afternoon hasn't been a complete waste of my time. " However, the pale boy passed her on his way to one of the seats in the center. Given how pristine the inside of the Husk was, he wouldn't be surprised if it was still operational - it might need an exterior retrofit and several maintenance sessions.

He was curious, of course. To see if he'd be able to make the titan move. To be able to re-awaken a power that could perhaps change this world. Given their humanoid forms, it seemed that the two pilots that would have presumably co-piloted the Husk may have split duties between the arms and legs... perhaps. Translating inputs to outputs with machines like these was a complex problem that required some unique systems to compensate for the static nature of this sort of cockpit. Morgan clambered up onto the top seat and gazed down at the girl.

"That smile of yours really is quite cute, you know." For good measure, the young man quickly removed his gloves and grabbed hold of the cylindrical controls before she could see what his bare hands looked like. It was entirely possible that even the thin layer of cloth that hid his hands would be enough to interfere with whatever sort of control system the Husk employed. Pale fingers wrapped tightly around the handles.

(Re: Coin )

///(Embedded Addendum)

Naturally, the strain was far too much for a single person to handle - just gripping onto the controls was enough to flood his mind with pain and sensations. He had to close his eyes as a sharp pain spiked through his head and nearly knocked him out. But, he had already passed the point of no return - moving his body was no longer an option. The genius wanted to speak. He wanted to ask who else was present. Ghosts of the past? The machine's spirit?

He remained as silent and still as a corpse as he endured the connection. It wasn't a matter of a sunken cost - he had already decided from the moment he crawled into this space that he'd do this. Even if it ended up killing his mind first. As frail as his body was, there was no doubt that his mental fortitude was exceptional. His mouth moved slightly as he bared his teeth and fought through the pain.

"Ida... Sommers... connect..." Ah, how shameful. As he manged to whisper those words, he felt a curious sensation - one that he hadn't felt in quite some time. Tears rolling down his cheeks.

 

[Lucem]

While his smile didn't falter, Alex did slightly raise a brow at what Otto said. Beautiful? With the word in his mind, he looked at Kori inquisitively. It wasn't just what Otto said. The girl's reaction also made him wonder what the two had been talking about before he arrived. Alex didn't find it strange and saw it as a normal compliment, but that didn't seem to be the case. Thinking about it, being praised like that was probably a bit embarrassing to hear, especially when other people were around. He remembered feeling a tad bashful on a few occasions in the past.

Apart from what was apparently a joke, Otto said something else that caught his attention. Alex didn't want to make the young man to feel like a third wheel. If anything, he was the one who had interrupted them. He knew about his preference to be alone, but if it was possible, Alex wanted to get to know him better if the boy didn't mind. Their group had planned on getting together soon, so he wanted to ask if Otto would like to join them. However, before he could extend the offer, the tall youth unexpectedly began climbing up the nearby Husk.

Along with his surprise, Alex also felt concern as Otto scaled the large machine. He was worried that the boy could fall with one misplaced step. It wasn't just Otto, Kori soon joining him in the activity. It took him a moment to realize what the two were trying to accomplish, but he finally took notice of the hatch and the attempts at prying it open.

All around them, there were opportunities to observe the ancient machines from up close, but there was much more to be seen. It was all behind that door. Coupled with his desire to make sure that the two of them would be safe during their investigation, that thought fueled his next few actions. Carefully setting his bike against a nearby tree, Alex followed Kori's example and removed his beret, placing it on the handlebars and then doing the same with his blazer.

Rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, Alex looked at the path that was open to him. While he wasn't the bulkiest guy around, the years of participating in various sports had kept him in good shape, evident by the visible muscles on his exposed arms. The moment he made his decision, his body acted quickly and without hesitation. Feeling the surface of the aged Husk against his palms, he made decent progress. When his friend called out to ask if he was going to join them, the boy was already nearing the end. Looking up at her, he answered with his usual smile. "Of course."

He wasn't surprised that Kori managed to open the hatch. As someone that was interested in the same field, he knew very well how talented she was. Alex took a cautious step inside, leaving the warm sunlight and walking into what resembled a dark cavern. While his eyes were still adjusting to the dimly lit space, he wanted to confirm that it'd be safe before either of his companions decided to go through. "Everything looks okay. Watch your step."

Shortly after calling back to Otto and Kori, Alex's eyes grew wider as soon as they could see properly in the darkness. He had always been fascinated by the outward designs of the Husks, wondering how they functioned and what went on inside of them. It was a bit surreal to finally have an answer. It wasn't as if he had been given a blueprint or anything, but having a new perspective fueled that admiration and curiosity of his.

Gazing at every little thing inside the interior and committing it to memory, most of his attention was focused on the two seats positioned next to each other. Two? So Husks needed a pair of pilots to operate. That changed some things about his idea of how they worked. Each had their own set of controls, given small handles in cylindrical clamps.

Slowly approaching the center of the cockpit, Alex took a seat in the chair that was positioned higher than the other, the tips of his fingers touching the controls that had been ignored for many years. The moment he did so, a cold and electrifying sensation travelled through his spine. For a long time, he'd imagine himself as the pilot of the models he made. Now, he had gotten a small taste of that. It was hard to describe the experience, but he found the situation somewhat funny. He had been looking forward to finally being able to ride a bike, but here he was sitting in a giant robot from the past.

QizPizza
Hextremus

 

[simj26]

Cain
The headache didn't as much as stop as she got used to the throbbing. She ran a finger across the seats, and immediately dusted it off on her skirt. Husks were piloted by two people, it didn't take a genius to figure this out. It reminded her of fighter jets- a pilot and a gunner. She wondered if that was how the Husk functioned, next to trying to keep standing amidst the pain. She took one look at the controls, and decided for the wiser choice, against her better judgement, which was to leave them alone. There was no telling what could happen if she pressed a stray button. Or whether there would be a point to pressing a stray button. There was no guarantee that the Husk would still be functioning, and if she wasted time on a pointless activity, she was wasting time not doing something else worthwhile.



Like digging in that backpack in the corner, for example. It wouldn't have surprised her if it was a pilot’s pack, though she wondered about that- she had never seen a pilot’s bag before, so maybe she might have been surprised. What she did know, however, was that the backpack was more akin to a schoolkid’s, just like the ones that each of them carried. It was darkened with blotched of mold, and the zip jammed mid-way when she attempted to open it. Scowling, she up-ended the bag, emptying it of its contents. A pencilcase, a notebook, a textbook and some art brushed fell onto the floor, clattering noisily. Again, it didn’t really take a genius intellect to work out that someone their age had been in here once. She sifted through the items, but the notebook’s front page had been worn well out that the name was illegible. Or it would be. Cain tilted the book just slightly. The indents were still visible, slightly, and she could just barely make out the name on it.



Claire Mallory



She flipped through the pages, and immediately shut it. The smell of rot was strong as it was, but the mould within the pages made it even more unbearable. From what she glimpsed, it was just a regular notebook. She made a face and chucked the book back into the bag. She straightened up, folding her arms. Someone, possibly their age, had been here, and left their bag unattended, and they did so a long time ago. More to that, they were apparently adept enough to have made the climb just as she did. An unsettling chill ran up her spine. Instead of answers, she was finding more questions. If only Jeremy was here to sort everything she found out. He was always good at the rationalising part.

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"Everything looks okay. Watch your step."

Kori took those words into consideration as she gingerly stepped into the Husk's cockpit. She didn't want to accidentally step on anything particularly important, or worse, something sharp. The cockpit was filled with technology that she had never seen before. That stuff was insanely advanced, and she couldn't even begin to comprehend the tech that operated the Husk, but at least the basic controls were somewhat obvious. She watched as Alex climbed into the top seat of the cockpit. "Are you trying to pilot the Husk? Count me in."

The girl sat in the seat that was below Alex's. The controls required a stance that didn't exactly scream out modesty. The contours of the pilot seat required the operator to bend over to reach the control panel. Kori paused as soon as she sat down on the seat. "You got to be kidding me. What kind of design is this? They couldn't go with a standard design like one of those ancient fighter planes, could they?" The moment of hesitation passed when she reassured herself that Alex wasn't that kind of guy. If Otto was in the other seat, it would be a completely different story, of course. Kori bent over and let her body fit the contour of the second pilot's seat. "Don't get any ideas, Alex. You know I can kick your ass without trying."

Kori placed her hands on the handles that we in front of her. There was no way they could possibly work, after all these years, but they still sent a shock through her body. It didn't hurt, but it did give her goosebumps and made her hairs stand on end. She immediately drew her hands back. What the heck? This machine was ancient. The hatch working was a lucky break, but the possibility of of actually piloting a Husk was just too good to pass up. This wasn't like the games they played as kids. This was the real deal. "Alex, did you feel that? This thing feels like it might still be operational. Crazy, maybe, but this is just too cool to pass up."

Interacting: Hextremus Lucem

 

[_Line 213]

The sound of a low, rumbling boom echoed over the spring hills.

It was impossible to spot the source from beneath the mountains, yet the direction of the wind changed, picking up speed as leaves and branches all bent and flew away from a single, central point in the next valley over. Were such sounds not restricted solely to old archival footage, it might even have sounded strangely innocent, thanks to the distance.

Yet in the sleepy forests surrounding Column, explosions were a foreign sound. A dangerous sound.

Then came another. The unmistakable sound of beings in pain.

The wind rippled outward from the unseen center, and as it did, flickers of life seemed to come with it. Low rumblings came from cavernous, darkened cockpits, the machines that boasted human presence shuddering with sudden motion, screeching and creaking as forgotten lights flickered in desperation, the machines struggling to wake themselves from their centuries-long sleep, as if out of duty, and not out of desire. Yet, they could only get so far; eventually locking into place once more, as if they did not have the strength or the will to continue.

Save for two.

The first struggled to stand, knees threatening to buckle at any conceivable moment. Wracked with feeling, the machine clutched its own head, moaning and screaming with a pain that sounded both synthetic and horn-like, yet alive, bestial, suffering and aware. A passionate energy almost seemed baked into the tones of manufactured voice, echoing loudly over the mountains. Birds fled their leafy cover, arcing into the sky by perhaps the thousands, taking flight in the form of dark clouds as they fled the valley in an instant. The roar of the pained Husk was deafening, splitting through the ears of those nearby as even the trees shook from the might of its roar.

The other fell to its hands and knees, body arched and contorted as if it were experiencing intense sadness, yet without the ability to weep. It, too, gave voice to its suffering, though with greater strain, and perhaps reservation, as if it were doing all that it could to merely hold itself together. The colossus raised its hand, slowly clenching it into a fist as it slammed a hand into the ground, kicking up dust and dirt, and displacing trees and greenery. Frustration, anger, sadness, rolling together into a single expression of unmistakable failure.

Another low boom. Smoke finally trailed above the mountains westward of the valley.

The sleeping giants had moved. None had seen such a sight in six hundred years.

And yet, if they have, then one could not help but wonder whether humanity would last another six hundred.

 

[Coin]

She had a nice smile? The last person Ida could remember saying something so embarrassing was her mother, and how she doted Ida as a child. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have been entirely oblivious to the fact that perhaps Morgan was genuine with that comment, but to what ends? It was impossible to tell with how childish and vulgar the boy was. In fact, Ida was a breath's moment away from reprimanding him yet again for saying such stupid things to a stranger.

That was, until he touched the Husk's controls.

The Husk reacted almost immediately to Morgan's touch, and the whole thing roared to life. The whole machine shifted violently, causing Ida to lose her balance and topple forward, falling and knocking her forehead on the cold metal of the unoccupied set of controls. A splitting lance of pain streaked through her skull as she felt a stream of blood run down her face, disorienting the chaos around her. Ida grabbed onto the base of the controls, trying to focus her vision on Morgan -- what had he done? When she squinted through the pain and rumbling, she could see the pained expression and tears rolling down the boy's face, his lips whispering something unheard to Ida amongst the deafening mayhem. Unsure of what to do, Ida tried calling out for Morgan to stop whatever the hell he was doing before it got the both of them killed.

A low, pained groan drowned out Ida's pleads, its origin coming from within the Husk itself. It was deafening, sending a chill of terror down her spine. This wasn't how she wanted to die. Not like this, not crushed in the cockpit of an ancient war machine with a stranger. Not before Ida had distinguished herself from her sister's shadow. Not before she mattered.

Without thinking Ida hoisted herself up the control console with all her might and into the unoccupied cockpit seat adjacent to Morgan. Ida wiped the blood and tears from her face using her blouse and stared at the controls before her, of course she had no idea if it would work, but she wasn't about to do nothing at all. She reached forward, grabbing the controls and praying that mere ants could tame a bear.

((Re: GasMaskie ))