Futuristic Dormant Hearts

[Hextremus]

A low boom reached Otto's ears. The last one to enter the cockpit of the Husk after Alex and Kori , his ears perked up and his gaze whipped to the entrance of the Husk as metallic screeching pierced the air. Putting aside his inspection of the Husk's interior, he darted outside to figure out what was going on. As he stepped out into the light, he was slammed in the chest by the roar of a massive beast. He made no noise but flinched as the bestial howl passed him, stumbling slightly. His foot twisted on the surface of the Husk, and gravity wrapped its arms around him. He slipped.

Otto gritted his teeth as he flung a hand out, grabbing hold of the metal he had been standing on just moments prior. His fall was cut short with a jolt, his eyes narrowing as pain shot up his arm. He managed to brace his feet against the behemoth, unable to find footholds, his other hand reaching up and grabbing another section of metal. Then he peered out to find the source of the roaring.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, the boy's mouth parted and his eyes widened massively. Disbelief was etched across the normally blank canvas of his face.

"That can't be possible. That isn't logical."

He said out loud, his chest tight as though it was clamped in a vise. There, in the valley, two Husks were moving. One was struggling to rise, and the other was writhing against the ground. They had created the noise that had so startled Otto. The silent pillars that he had observed and admired since he had first laid eyes on one had started moving again.

Kori. Alex. They were still inside this Husk. He gritted his teeth as he tried climbing back up, feet scrabbling for footholds on the smooth metal. It didn't help when the Husk began shuddering, trying to activate like the two already roaring their pain.

"Alex! K.C.! Get out of there! Something's wrong!"

He yelled, breaking the calm veil he normally wore. Urgency laced his words. He'd probably fall soon if the still silent Husk continued trying to stand, but that wasn't his first concern. He was truly worried for Alex and Kori, caught inside a metal cage. If this mass reactivation of the Husks truly heralded the need for Husk pilots once more, he didn't want them to get caught up in it. Though that piloting seat had been built for two. If they chose to step up and pilot, he would honour that. But now his disbelief at the current situation had lessened, and he now realised he could use this as an excuse to actually control a Husk. He gritted his teeth harder.

His palms were growing increasingly sweaty. Hopefully they would come help him up.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza & Lucem ]

 

[Soviet Panda]

Soon Connor could feel more than just pain. He felt emotions. Emotions so powerful he felt as if he would be swept away and consumed by them as they rolled through his mind. Anger, depression, joy, it was all there and then some. But still he held on, if only by the quick of his fingernails. Then there was an intense pain, even more intense than what he was experiencing up to this point, that nearly knocked him out. The closest thing he could compare it to was someone landing a clean uppercut to his jaw, or a heel to the side of his head. The kind of hit that rattles the brain inside the skull and turns your legs to jelly as your eyes roll back into your head. But still he held on, even as the pressure began to build on him. He continued to fight, to hold onto consciousness. In fact, he decided to do more than just sit there in pain. Whatever was pressing down on him, he decided to push back. Odds were it would do nothing, but he had to try.

 

[GasMaskie]

Morgan felt a pulse within his mind - another presence had entered into the equation. As the pressure began to lighten up on his cranium, he slowly opened his eyes to confirm his suspicions. Ida Sommers. The top of her beret was close to him. Truth be told, he wanted nothing more than to pat her head right now - a tender sort of gratitude that he rarely, if ever, dispensed. But, he was vaguely aware of the current state of the Husk they had activated. The possibility that it might start lashing out.

He recalled visiting his mother sometime after she was confined to that room. The dripping of the IV and the faint smell of flowers mixed in with the disinfectant. There, in her bed, even as she struggled to live, she still had advice to impart on him. "No man is an island Morgan." As busy as the woman was between her job and efforts to keep their little two-person family afloat in a world that didn't welcome them, it was clear from that out of the blue counseling that she was aware of how he had acted.

Yet, he persisted as a solitary existence. Even as her health deteriorated, he threw himself into the fray to keep the expenses paid. Through every check-up, he remained tight-lipped. The only person who should have been considered with his own problems was him. In the end, he'd be alone after all. Faced with the mortality of others, the young boy had tried to live as selfishly as possible. But even being able to indulge himself with the forbidden fruit of knowledge and the freedom to do as he pleased brought nothing but soul-crushing dullness.

He stared down at the top of her beret. She was someone who was willing to put up with him for far more than what should have been possible. An interesting girl who was able to take it all in and retaliate. Perhaps it was just a side-effect of this strange mental process, but he found himself growing more accustomed to her presence. Without her, it'd be entirely possible that he'd be nothing more than a brain-dead battery for the Husk right now. Morgan smirked, recalling how he had wasted his first confession on her as a joke.

This one, however, was genuine.

"Ida Sommers. I need you." He wasn't sure of the intentions behind those words to be honest. It was true in that he needed her right now at this very moment. But. If he truly wished to keep on living. If he truly wished to finally heed his mother's advice and open the gates that have long since shut out others. Then, it seemed that girl who now shared the burden with him was the key to all of that.

And so, the boy accepted her presence. At both the other end of the tether and as someone who'd play a part in his life.

(Re: Coin , _Line 213 )

 

[Lucem]

The sound of Kori's voice pulled Alex's attention away from the controls that fascinated him. For a moment, he paused, not expecting what she had to say. As much as the idea of it had filled his head over the years, he didn't intend on actually trying to pilot the Husk, even if he was in the appropriate position to do so. The machine was ancient, and he had no experience. However, when his friend sat down in the second seat, it was all he could think about. Well, that and one other thing.

He had noticed it earlier, but having Kori join him made Alex realize just how close the seats were to each other. She seemed to pick up on that as well, based on her complains. A smile worked its way to his face as she warned him about what would happen if he tried anything. Of course, he didn't need to be told something like that. The thought never crossed his mind. "Yeah. I know." His words were accompanied by a gentle laugh as she commented about her ability to take him down.

When Kori took hold of the controls, the boy fell silent as he felt another jolt across his body. His surprise was evident, eyes growing wider as the electricity of excitement worked its way through his spine once again. With all the thoughts running through his head along with the voice of his friend, he could only nod in agreement. "Alright then. Let's give it a try."

He could feel it. His heart was pounding. The thumps in his chest played loudly in his ears as hands slowly reached to take hold of the controls. It was like a dream. The image played in his head many times as a kid. Now, it was a reality. As he took hold of the handle, it was like the cool surface of metal spread across his entire body, a chill cooling down his flesh. It was an unbelievable moment, one that did not last very long. Shortly after tightening his grip, Alex let go. It wasn't of his own volition. Something had made him stop. The low boom that echoed through his ears caused him to let go. "What was that?"

Not just one, but two explosions destroyed the calm and pleasant atmosphere that the children had been enjoying on this important day. Looking toward the other side of the hatch hoping to see what was happening, his azure eyes widened as he was faced by something far worse than the source of those explosions. One moment, Otto was standing just outside where he could see. The next, he was gone. "Hey!"

Moving as quickly as he could, Alex pulled himself away from the controls, running out of the darkness and into the light. As soon as he did, he could feel the full assault of a ferocious scream. The surrounding trees shook furiously along with his clothes. As the shock waves threatened to knock him over, those shouts sounded somewhat pained to him.

Paying no mind to the deafening sounds, Alex bent down to grab Otto's arm. "Don't worry! You'll be fine in just a sec!" He did his best to offer a comforting smile through clenched teeth, struggling to be heard above whatever was making those sounds. That being said, pulling him up was no easy task. Despite the boy being much larger than him, Alex was fairly sure that he could've lifted Otto without any problems in a normal situation. However, trying to maintain his own balance at the same time made things much more difficult.

Planting his feet as firmly as he could, Alex used all his strength to pull the boy up. Hair blowing wildly in the wind, he let out a low grunt before managing to get Otto back on the metal platform. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to do so without swapping places with him, something he realized before the force of the disembodied yell sent him over the edge. Oddly enough, he didn't feel any fear in that moment. There was only surprise. He finally saw them. As he was falling, he could see the ones responsible for what was happening. They were moving. The Husks.

Alex squinted as he came closer to the ground. Doing his best to stay calm, he focused on the flash of green in the corner of his eye and reached out with his arm. He winced as the fall was stopped by the extended limb, gripping the vine as tight as he could. It wouldn't be enough to stop him completely, but it was enough to make sure that he wouldn't be seriously injured as the plant snapped before both of them fell to the ground.

A shock worked its way up his legs as he fell, only able to keep from falling over thanks to the support of a nearby tree. The moment he was able, Alex looked to where he once stood, hoping for the best. The young man let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Otto was safe, allowing his back to slide down the wood as the worry left his body. He could feel a slight sting as the grass pressed against the small cuts that now littered his palms, accompanied by the throbbing in his arm that had yet to settle. Still, he smiled through it, happy that he had been the only one to fall. Thankfully, nobody got hurt.

While one problem had been dealt with, there was still another. The roars still traveled throughout the valley. They belonged to the Husks awakening from their slumber. If they were moving, that meant someone had to be piloting them. While the question of who was still up in the air, Alex was more concerned for the well-being of the people inside, just as he was worried about Otto, Kori, and everyone else. That was the only thing on his mind as he stood up once again.

QizPizza
Hextremus

 

[Hextremus]

Otto did his best to help Alex when he came to help him, bracing his feet as best he could and pulling himself up. He tried to balance it out so Alex wouldn't fall, but the other boy seemed to have developed tunnel vision. Otto was pulled back onto the Husk's chest, but Alex had taken his place. And he wasn't lucky.

"Alex!"

Otto yelled, twisting around as soon as he was pulled up and lashing his hand out, fingers reaching. They grasped empty air, Alex disappearing from his view. He immediately scrambled to his feet, grabbing hold of the Husk's chest to steady himself. He yelled Alex's name again, leaning out to peer down the kneeling Husk. He feared he would be met with a sight reminiscent of splattered strawberry jam.

Luckily, it appeared luck had indeed played its hand for Alex. He seemed fine, if a bit roughed up. Otto sighed in relief, face returning to its default expressionless state as he raised his free arm in a wave. A wave to show his thanks for the rescue and his relief that Alex was alright. But then again, Husks were walking again. The valley was no longer safe.

"Alex, you should vacate the area before something bad ha-"

Otto broke off as the Husk shuddered again. He stumbled backwards into the cockpit, bending his knees and lowering one arm so his hand was close to the ground. The shaking continued, and Otto straightened his legs. He leaned against the closest wall inside the cockpit, turning around to look at Kori. His face had returned back to its impassive state, and his voice when he spoke was quiet. So quiet it could barely be made out over the roaring outside.

"K.C., we have to do something. Those Husks are going berserk. We should intervene before they cause any casualties."

He pushed off the wall and stumbled his way to the twin piloting seats, grabbing on to the back of one and inspecting the metal control cylinders. His face was blank, but his eyes gleamed with purpose.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza & Lucem ]

 

[CerpinTaxt]

Luka figured Mochi might not have been a nice person, based on Hachi's reaction. Something he wasn't expecting.

The sounds of distant chatter broke his concentration, turning his head to look in the direction of the voices. He hadn't noticed Hachi had began moving until he heard her trip and fall onto the dirt. Immediately he twisted his head around, "Ah..are you alright?" The smile she gave him helped remove some of the concern as he made his way over to help her. He held out his hand to her, but it seemed she didn't need it.

The sound of distant chatter grew a tad louder, making Luka break his attention away from Hachi once more and when he looked back..she was gone? He looked around, confused for a moment until he spotted a small bit of her skirt that was in his view. Was she hiding from someone? "U-Um..are you hiding from them?" He gently whispered to her, a small look of concern on his face as he peeked over from the side of the husk to look at her. "Are they not very nice?"

Maybe he should go talk to them.

Luka very quietly stepped away from Hachi, repeating the careful steps he had made earlier as he moved towards the voices. Two girls and a boy by the sound of it. He peeked over from one of the larger trees, one that was up a slight incline, watching them as they conversed. Mochi? Was..this the same Mochi that Hachi had mentioned? He wasn't really sure what was going on to be honest. He could only watch with vague confusion before moving to step away.

Moving right as he felt the earth slip out from underneath him. "Ah!" He let out a startled yelp as the loose dirt sent him tumbling down the small slope, back in the direction of Hachi and the husk. The book he'd been holding was lost as he landed and scrapped against the rough rocks and fallen branches. As quickly as it had started however, it came to an end. Dirt had covered his trousers and nice dress shirt. Various cuts had even appeared along his hands and the exposed parts of his forearms. Such a short fall had done quite a bit to him.

He let out a small whine of pain as he pulled his hands a bit closer to look them over, wiping the dirt from them off on his soiled clothes. "Where's..Where's my book?" He pulled his attention away from his hands and to the more pressing matter. His head moved around frantically to try and find the piece of literature, only to find it had landed a few feet from him. Thankfully mostly unharmed. The cover had became a bit dirty, but that could be cleaned. It was the contents inside that mattered most.

He gently picked up the book, cradling it in his arms after getting himself back up.

"Ow.." He didn't have any sort of disinfectant in his pack, and he didn't want to go home and bother his mother. She'd certainly be more than happy to take care of the cuts on him but..what if his new friend left him or didn't want to wait for him to return? A rather strange idea to have, but for someone who'd never had a real friend before it certainly sounded justified in his mind.

His attention went to the decaying husk Hachi was hiding behind. Were those other kids came this way?

What if he climbed inside it? Maybe it had a first aid kid.

His thoughts were soon interrupted as a low boom filled the valley, making him twist his head around in confusion. Then another came. What was going on?
Cosmos Entity.Eclypse Inactive User 002 dwif

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

An opera of sound cried out across the valley only moments after Jeremy had arrived back at Vic's Husk. None of them were good. Wildlife fled the area as long-dead giants lumbered back to life, and screams of inhuman pain filled the skies in their wake. Birds, rats, and even Jeremy's own thoughts were drowned out by their ancient cries of rebirth, and yet his first instinct wasn't to run.

Vic was inside one of those things.

His first instinct was to climb.

Memories of broken arms and near-falls slipped from his mind as Jeremy's hands shot towards the Husk and took as firm a hold as they could. He remembered his fair share of Vic's advice on the subject and with adrenaline on his side, he had to stand some sort of chance. At least this one wasn't moving. Or rather, wasn't moving yet. For all he knew, whatever process had awoken the other Husks was already swift at work within Vic's. He remembered Morgan and Ida planning to explore one of their own, and hell, half of his class was probably rebellious enough to follow in their footsteps.

But why was this happening now? Why to them, of all people? Why not to the generation of last year, or the year before, or even the year after?

If this was supposed to be some sort of joke, it was definitely a bad one. But he couldn't afford to leave it hanging. His friend's life was, without a doubt, worth more than following some rule or the chance to run for his life. How would he even live with himself if he ran away from this, and Vic ended up dead? Hell, all the other kids he knew ended up dead? He couldn't, plain and simple. In that sort of future, he'd end up as some sort of cynical shut-in that would put even Morgan to shame. Even more so, he...

He swallowed hard.

The entrance to the Husk was getting closer now, almost within his reach, and a sense of anxiety mounted up in his chest. For all he knew this Husk could have already become a coffin. I could have even been waiting for a second cadaver to grace its walls. If he hesitated right now, even for a moment, there was a pretty good chance he'd let himself fall and live the rest of his life in shame. But, he didn't. Those words, 'Safety last' ran through his mind; And his hands, scuffed and sweaty from the climb, wrapped themselves around the Husk's entrance as he hauled his body forward with all the might he could muster. Both in his arms, and in his voice.

"Vic! What are you doing in here!?"

simj26

 

[dwif]

Mochi had committed to the bit as much as he had, if not more. He couldn't help but wonder if this was something that she found herself doing regularly, her lines and actions felt polished and convincing. She made his small lie into something realistic. Something that had real impact. He couldn't help but to be impressed, but tried his hardest to not let this show on face in order to keep their charade going.

Before they could get their desired reaction, he heard something approaching from off in the bushes. He didn't remember seeing anyone head that way when he was walking around alone. From how big it sounded it could have only been a couple of things if not a human. The first being a deer, this wouldn't be an issue. He had seen a few of these in his time working in the outskirts of Column, and they avoid you if possible and run if you get too close. The other possibility and the worst case scenario would be a bear. He knew that they were found deeper into the woods and had overheard a few stories about encounters with them, and from this he knew his best course of action would be to run. But he couldn't just leave the girls behind. So he readied himself for whatever was about to appear at the top of that slope.

Preparing himself for the worst Sebastian waited with bated breath. What came over the hill wasn't what he expected, a large boy came crashing down the slope, hitting almost every outcropping of rocks that Sebastian could see. Wrestling his arm away from Mochi he rushed over to the boy who was on his hands and knees searching for something. "Are you alright? That looked like it hurt." He looked the boy over for any signs of serious damage, nothing seemed broken he'd been lucky enough to get away from that with just a few cuts and a blow to his dignity. "I have some water, let me pour it over the cuts. It won't help much but it'll get rid of any dirt that could find its way into the cuts." Taking the lid off he held the bottle ready for the boy to hold his arms out. Despite his attempts to help he seemed to be concerned with something atop the slope he'd just come down. "Everything alright? Were you trying to get away from something up there or-"

He was cut off by a large rumbling, and a deep beastial roar. "What was that?" Whatever it was couldn't be good, it came from where he saw the others earlier. They couldn't make a break for the entrance to the valley, the only way for them to avoid whatever was the source of that noise was to go further into the woods. He grabbed the boy by the shoulder and pushed him behind him. He turned to the group he was and shouted, to them and anyone else left around "WE NEED TO HIDE! RUN!"

Entity.Eclypse Cosmos Inactive User 002 CerpinTaxt

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
When Kori grabbed the controls again, the cold feeling returned. It was strange and unpleasant at first, but for a second, it felt as if she was the Husk. That was probably just her imagination, but it couldn't have possibly been. Alex felt the same thing, didn't he? This relic was somehow still operational. 'An ancient weapon that suddenly awakens from the touch of a teenager. Where have I seen that before.' Kori's musings were cut shot when the Husk they were in suddenly shook. She latched herself onto her seat to keep herself from falling. She looked back at Alex to see if he was alright, then she looked at Otto. To her horror, Otto had lost his balance and began to fall off the Husk. A fall from this height would seriously injure, if not outright kill a person. "OTTO!"

While Kori was frozen, Alex immediately went into action and ran out to save Otto. In a miracle, the smaller boy managed to pull Otto back into cockpit. With a sigh of relief Kori began to get up to make sure to two were okay, but then, Alex was gone. Once again, she looked helplessly as someone began to fall down the Husk. She made her way to the hatch as fast as she could and made a failed attempt to grab Alex's arm. "NO!"

Her heart skipped a beat before her friend managed to grab some of the foliage and save himself. What the heck was happening? How are all the Husks suddenly activating at once, after countless years? If it happened for this year, then it should've happened with all the other years. Corey himself told stories about kids who'd climb the Husks, but was this the only year that even dared to try? Kori was quite frankly overwhelmed. "Alex! Get away!"

"K.C., we have to do something. Those Husks are going berserk. We should intervene before they cause any casualties."

Otto whispered to Kori, with his voice barely audible above the screeching of the other Husks. Kori could not even begin to describe how terrible of an idea that was. There was a distinct possibility that their Husk would also go berserk and that even before the two figured out how to pilot the machine. Still, this was one of her dreams; piloting a Husk, towering over the Column, fighting evil. The black haired girl shook her head and got back into her pilot seat. "I'll give the same warning as Alex. Watch where your eyes and hands go."

She gripped the controls, this time, with full intention to pilot the Husk, not just on a whim. What felt like energy coursed through her veins as held on to the two joysticks. Whatever initial energy she felt was soon seemed to slow down, like the machine was rusted and was just recently put back to use. She could vaguely feel the Husk, and it was nothing like she ever felt before, but it also felt restricted in a way. As if by instinct, Kori began flipping switches and pushing buttons to start the Husk's main functions. After what felt like hours, Kori restored all essential functions of the Husk. "Otto, I've got everything up and running. You ready to try and make this thing move?"

Interacting: Hextremus Lucem

 

[Coin]

The moment Ida's hands grasped the controls, she was immediately swept up by an overwhelming wave of vertigo. Her mind had become besieged by an uncountable myriad of thoughts and emotions simultaneously, almost enough to make her retch at how overloaded her brain was. Before long, it felt as if she were drowning in them, unable to breathe from the insurmountable pressure. It was only a matter of time, but as soon as panic set in, her thoughts slipped to her sister. In the past, all Ida had to do was reach out, and her sister would be there to pull her out of trouble -- but not this time. No matter how far she reached out, no matter how pathetic her pleas for her sister to rescue her were, she was alone.

No, maybe she wasn't alone after all.

In the swirling chaos of emotions, she could just barely hear the diminutive whisper of another voice calling out to her. Ida focused all she had and gripped the controls until her knuckles turned white, and her teeth hurt from clenching her jaw. In her mind, she tried to call out to the other voice, but everything had become so blurry and deafening that she no longer knew if she was actually yelling, or merely thinking about screaming.

Just as she was about to let go of the controls and fall to the floor of the cockpit in utter exhaustion, she reached an epiphany of desperation. The roaring emotions threatening to tear her mind apart was a third set of thoughts, the Husk's, and the tiny whisper that she could just barely register was Morgan's. He and Ida were trapped in the blizzard of the Husk's torment, and Morgan was reaching out for help just as she was. He needed her, and though Ida would never admit to it aloud, she needed him too.

The sudden revelation dulled the Husk's tortuous psychic assault, like passing through the eye of a storm. Clear as day, Ida could now feel the aura of Morgan's presence beside her. He was infuriating, brash, and egotistical, but that moment of clarity had brushed aside what she perhaps knew already, but refused to believe. Though the two treated it in a polar opposite manner, Morgan was just as vulnerable and lonely as she.

"What an idiot."

Ida could not tell if she was talking about herself, or the boy beside her. Regardless, she lowered all of the defenses her mind had set up and let Morgan, and the Husk in. All this time, she had only been fooling herself. Others were capable of caring for her, not just her sister, Ida had just been keeping them at arm's length as some sort of self-imposed exile. But now, in the most dire of straits, the two lost souls had only each other to rely on to weather the storm.

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[simj26]

CainSpeak of the devil. “Jeremy.” She gave him a smirk, in spite of herself. She couldn't just up and appeared weak in front of him. She wasn't about to act the fainting schoolgirl, not around him or anyone else. “Took you long enough,” was what she followed up with, but she recalled the climb, and if Jeremy had gone through the same ordeal as she had, she was more than amazed that he had overcome that climb. Impressed even. Really, he could easily overtake her in everything, if he had the heart to do so. He certainly had the stamina, and the strength, even if he didn't look it, and that was perhaps one of the many things she just found adorable about him.

“I…” she paused and closed her eyes for a second, the exhaustion from trying to push past the headache finally catching up to her, then continued, “I was finding, and found some stuff.” She indicated the open schoolbag next to her and the textbook that she had left outside on display. The odour of the moss only worsened her headache and she had left the book alone, far away from her, as she went around the rest of her investigation.

“Apparently, some people had been here, in this valley before. The book belongs, or belonged, to a certain Claire Mallory. If they came back to the colony, they’d be an adult by now.” She walked towards the controls of the Husk, and raised a hand to dust the buttons, and hesitated. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Claire Mallory. Have you?” She returned her attention to the controls, and peered at it, trying to make sense of what lay beyond the dust and the vegetation. “What did Claire find out?” she muttered, not to Jeremy, but mostly to herself, then brushed the dust and the moss aside from the controls, and peered into one of the tubes that the moss had been hiding. In the dim light, she could just barely make out a tube, or something. She grimaced. Mystery after mystery. She cursed under her breath and reached in, her finger grazing it. The coarse material that it was made of reminded her of the handles of her bicycle. Perhaps that was what it was supposed to be. When she tried to move it with her fingers, it seemed to be lodged right in there. She frowned, and positioned her hand just well enough, then took hold of the ‘handle’.

 

[Cosmos]

Hachi had tensed up with yet another small eep as Luka came and spoke to her, briefly wondering how he'd seen through her masterful disguise before realising the corner of her skirt had stuck out and internally facepalming a little as she let out an embarrassed chuckle from er prior thoughts at his words, before she could even shake her head in response to if they weren't very nice people he'd gone and wondered off, freezing once realising she was alone she let out yet another sigh, she supposed this is what she got for getting saved out in her own thoughts so much.

It was only the quite abrupt yet specific noise of someone falling down the hill as the other group went to round the corner that she perked up, seeing her newfound friend tumble down she half went to rush over before pausing her outreached hand when spotting an unfamiliar face of a male along with that of her sister and a girl she'd defiantly seen around before. Her shyness getting the better of her as she found herself unable to do much more than stand and watch as the others began to interact with each other, leaving her hidden behind the Husk feeling rather useless and alone.

Shaking her head from the thoughts she slapped her cheeks lightly, there had to be something she could do! Looking back at the Husk her eyes scanned up to the head as she nodded with a stubborn sense of determination, "Mr. Husk might have a first aid kit in there-…." she muttered quietly under her breath and quickly turned to go and start climbing.

Foot after hand she stumbled lightly in her attempts though had see her sister scale enough things to gain the basic gist of it. Being one of the smaller Husks it didn't take too long to climb, once at the top and climbing in she let out a few soft pants, a bead of sweat on her forehead as she laughed awkwardly to herself, she wasn't exactly what you'd call athletic.

Quickly her eyes began to scan around the small area, the overgrowth having almost left this section be entirely, as though for some reason it was to be left untouched. Looking around and stepping further in a dull pang appeared in her head almost like a headache, passing it off as exhaustion and her own unfitness she ignored it as she continued to scan around, biting her lip lightly as her pale pink eyes searched before landing on the controls with a sense of almost childish curiosity, slowly as though unable to resist her fingers ran across the panel lightly and a feeling imminently struck her that caught her off guard.

Loneliness…. Never being good enough-…. To fail…. To try your best and still be forgotten and ignored-….

the thoughts felt like they'd been put into her head by some kind of unknown force and before she could even control it her eyes began to water and a few small crystal-like tears began to stream and drip down her face. Her mind was rapidly snapped out of it however as she glanced outwards hearing a huge explosion causing her to stumble backwards a bit barely catching herself as she began to panic, hands going up to her chest and gripping the material of the sweater tightly in fear. Just what the heck could cause that kind of noise!?

Interacted- CerpinTaxt (Luka)
Nearby- Entity.Eclypse (Mochi) dwif (Sebastian) Inactive User 002 (Hexa)

 

[_Line 213]

Smoke continued to trail over the horizon. The clouds intensified, and were soon coupled with what seemed to be another set of clouds, moving and alive, spreading off into the distance. Flocking birds fleeing whatever terror lay beyond the mountain.

One set of pained screams briefly intensified, the standing, humanoid machine shifting in shape as panels upon its head and body unfurled, locking into place with thunderous booms. It doubled over briefly, as if suddenly exhausted, before beginning to return to its full height. The machine, once a sleek, simple humanoid, now possessed a more complete, detailed form, bright strips blowing in the wind as they dangled from the ends of the flared panels on its head. Where it had once expressed pain, its presence now felt more controlled, more purposeful, the titanic machine now towering over the forest as it moved to stand. Its form jolted slightly as two cannons pushed forward from the bulk present upon its shoulders, the lights in its eyes flickering to bright, powerful life for the first time in six-hundred years. A mind awakened by two pilots within.

Moss and the marks of the ages still clung to the machine's form, yet with every movement that it made, plant life fell away, more and more of the Husk's metallic frame exposed, as if it were emerging from a green cocoon. Roots and vines that once held it in place fell away, snapping as if they were spiderwebs as the Husk completed its ascent, interlinked with those within.

The other continued to struggle, its panels shifting and forcing themselves into far more aggressive, bestial shapes, clawing at the ground as it attempted to maintain any sort of composure that it had. When it forced itself upright, it seemed more like a monster, a dark parody of its former self, as opposed to something that might be considered considered a savior of humanity in any sense. It let out a low-throated roar, sound once more ripping through the valley, swaying trees and pushing back leaves as it announced its presence.

On the other end of the horizon, something answered.

It did not sound like the Husk that it had called to, nor did it sound like the pained screams of the Husk that had now found its bearings. It was an entirely different sort of sound, the rumble of something more alien, something far more natural. It lacked the synthetic voicing the Husks had displayed, yet it also seemed to carry emotion all the same, even if that emotion was not easily understood. A strange sensation, being able to feel, yet unable to discern.

Thrashing, rumbling, and the sounds of breaking wood echoed over the ridge.

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi gave pause for the other members to react... and it seemed that none of them did. A sigh of disappointment managed its escape in this time as she lifted her sleeve to wipe away the tears. She had to work for those too, which made getting rid of them that much more of an annoyance. Not that she cared at this point, baker boy ran away and it seemed that her show was for an audience of one now. Turning to Hexa she gave a curtsy, her skirt lifted slightly out to the sides "Sorry if that was weird... You know i'm not exactly. What did Hachi say?" She pondered for a moment as if to remember what her sister had said. "Oh yeah. She said that there was little to no chance of me and romantic being in the same phrase." A nod punctuated her sentence, she probably remembered it wrong but that didn't matter, she soon returned to standing normally once again. Though it was rare to say such a thing, Mochi happened to have a little grip on the idea of being proper... even if it was just by a fingertip.

"Anywh-" Her words were cut short as a sound split the air, she could feel the goosebumps on the back of her neck starting to raise. The sound was foreign to her, not even a bear, had made that sound. It sounded inhuman, foreign... fun. Her danger-meter was off the chart, and the curiosity began to flow through her every vein, like some sort of drug she was seduced by the high. She moved to her bike and fixated the kick-stand back upwards again, about this time the male who had accompanied her in their false love seemed to make his feelings clear in this. "Go ahead and hide. I might catch up later, for now; I want to see if I can get it to do that." She said pointing to the Goliath who stood above the treetops.

The bike gave out nothing more than a tearing noise as her form atop the black and yellow bike raced away, the wheels themselves clicking wildly as she made her way back to where she had originally been. That husk was soon to be her biggest escapade yet, who was going to stop a little girl in a giant robot? Well maybe another giant robot, but no one in Column could even touch her in that. Her trail was obvious from the torn grass she'd left in a pattern as the bike moved as fast as her legs would let her.

A voice echoed in her head... it was her fathers voice. "Get in the..." Followed by her mothers "Or you could die out there. what do you think you are the robot..." Each voice had trailed off into nothingness as she kept going. That's when the husk came back into view, it's head still laying to the side partially buried beneath the overgrown earth. The chest was upright, facing the sun as if to praise it. Her bike stopped abruptly and threatened to fling her from it. As she got off of it, she removed her satchel that was tied to the bike and rested it on the handlebars. Moving her hands to the blazer and made short work in departing it from her body, a blue tank-top remained in its place. Of course this wasn't her favorite color it was better than nothing, a hand dug antsily into her satchel and soon removed from it her signature jacket. The one which brought so many adults expressions to sower. One she loved dearly.

Turning with this as it was she faced the husk and her parents voices returned to her once more as she approached it. "Get in the robot or die out there!" the message came loud and clear as she climbed up onto it. The robot seemed safe enough to her, which would more than likely mean it was possibly lethal, and she pulled the box-cutter from her jackets pocket. The blade was soon extended with a few short-lived metallic clicks each lasting a shorter time than the one prior to them, and once finding her entry-point she began to cut the vines. One of them that she didn't cut moved away from her; a large, black, scaly vine. After it had disappeared off to the side of the husk, she paid it no mind and instead went back about focusing on the panel to enter. Two smaller hands found their way to the edge of the panel and began to pull at it. It resisted her for a moment, though in it's powerless state it didn't offer enough to stop the fueled Mochi's attempts of entry. It creaked for a moment before giving way and slinging open. She returned her box cutter to its sleeve and instead opted to enter the husk.

The area she could see was good to know, but there could be more she couldn't see... she was uncertain. So pulling out her phone and activating a flashlight app, "Let's take a looksie" She spoke simply before her form descended into the opened cavity of the Husk.

Interactions:
dwif Inactive User 002
Mentions:
Cosmos CerpinTaxt

 

[GasMaskie]

"This... This is your true form, isn't it Utsāha?" For a moment after the Husk's transformation, he felt his senses drifting away. Although he quickly snapped back to the confines of the metal cockpit, he dove back into the connection. He had to question the true nature of the Husk - it was clearly sentient and suffering after all. A wetware CPU born from some orphan child? Or perhaps a highly-advanced AI. For now, however, the young man focused on ascertaining the situation. He looked through the screen and confirmed that the cameras were located in the Husk's eyes.

Though his body remained still in the seat, the Husk traced out the movements in his head. A step forward, a glance from one side to the other. Even blinking, strangely enough. Instinctively, Morgan tore off the remaining vegetation that had remained after the shifting of armor plates and mass. His first concerns were directed towards the other Husks that had seemed to react to its awakening - as well as what looked to be a failed awakening. One that had twisted the Husk into a beast. Drawing more from the connection, the young man quickly went over the specifications of the green Husk's armaments. With only retractable blades, it seemed that the Husk was built for ranged combat. The Husks were spread out a good distance away from each other, enough so that they'd be able to shoot first...

That's right, there was another human involved in this process. Morgan raised an arm tentatively at the sky. As expected, nothing happened. Aside from sharing the burden, it seemed that Utsāha split controls between the two of them as well. Utsāha's optics narrowed as Morgan focused on a strange noise just over the horizon. At its current distance, it looked to be both out of visual and effective range. His mind raced - was it another Husk that had reacted from that far off? Or perhaps it was a survivor of the Second Mechanized Confrontation - a wayward machine who continued to fight against the Husks to this day. Regardless of its identity, he prepared himself for a fight. As much as he disliked Column and the state of this small world, he felt slightly responsible for causing this commotion. He had destroyed the status quo, but it was now his responsibility to answer for it. No, that was wrong.

"Ida Sommers, you should have control over Utsāha's weapons. I'll handle maneuvering and external ballistics calculations for long-range fire. Our best right now is to be prepared to respond to either threat - that Husk or that thing approaching us." His mind raced as Utsāha began to move into position while the Husk still seemed to be writhing in pain. Odds were that there was someone inside there. Either two people failed to connect properly to the Husk or a single person had attempted to activate it and was still holding on. Avoiding the cockpit would be up to Ida if it came to that. Assuming that the approaching mass moved in a straight line towards them, it'd now have to go through the bestial Husk before getting to them.

Morgan took note of the others who were in the valley - some ran from the Husks while others ran towards them. He had Utsāha fold its arms as it took a wide stance - perfect for the shoulder-mounted guns to fire off a full volley. He opted against allowing Ida to try and fire off everything at once. Even with the Husk compensating for certain movements, there was no telling how badly something like that would rattle the Husk who likely hadn't been maintained at all in several centuries. He resisted the urge to verbally prod the girl. An engagement within the next few minutes was a very probably outcome at this rate - he needed her just a focused as he was.

(Re: Coin )

 

[Hextremus]

"I think that's the least of our worries in this situation. But I will."

Otto murmured in response to Kori's warning, breaking away from his inspection of the control cylinders and approaching the piloting seat. Well, seats. The shape and contours of both seats were constructed in such a way that both individuals would be practically pressed up against each other. This may have irritated or embarrassed most, but Otto didn't hesitate as he took his place in the seat below Kori. Settling into position, his hands reached towards the cylinders, but they paused just inches away. He found himself looking at Kori. The back of her head, more accurately. That didn't deter him.

"If something goes wrong and we wind up dead, I'd like you to know that I do not regret the series of choices and coincidences that brought us together. There's no one I'd rather pilot a giant death robot with."

One side of his lip twitched up slightly, as though he was attempting a smirk. It disappeared as quick as it came, fingers now brushing the handles inside the cylinders. A jolt rushed through him, but it twisted lazily and flowed at a slow pace. He closed his eyes.

"That wasn't a confession."

His arms extended fully, fingers reaching out and curling around the handles. He grasped them tight, expecting a rushing waterfall of emotions and pain. What met him was dizziness. His teeth ground together as emotions rushed into him, through him, building up inside him. And yet, it was distant. Like a barrier between him and the Husk, a layer of glass only barely allowing the two to recognise and feel one another. Otto found himself more confused and dazed than anything; this experience was nothing like the one he had expecting, judging from the way the active Husks were behaving.

His eyes slowly opened, one of them twitching ever so slightly. He could feel Kori's presence as well, also locked away behind a barrier of glass. At this point he couldn't help but wonder if he had made a huge mistake; the distance between the three entities was leading him to the conclusion that they simply were incompatible. Or perhaps this was a result of 600 years worth of decay, or of inexperience on both his and Kori's part. In any case, wondering was all he had as the Husk's functions trickled their way into his mind. Agonisingly slowly, like the machine was reluctant to allow him the control he sought. His teeth gritted further as the faucet of information continued to drip, his grip tightening on the controls. Interfacing with the Husk appeared to be a test of his will, like he had to prove his worth to the machine.

Nothing could ever be simple, could it?

Kori was speaking. Otto's head slowly raised, strands of hair falling into his face. His eye had stopped twitching, face returned to impassiveness.

"Good job. I am."

He replied simply, fingers tightening around the grips. As inelegant as the experience had been so far, Otto did not hesitate as he activated his controls. The movement he wished for was simple, and he spoke it aloud as though to reinforce the command. His voice was soft but firm.

"Stand."

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[Coin]

Just as drastically as it had begun, the deluge of emotions and feelings receded almost entirely. Ida could still feel the Husk's presence wavering in the recesses of her mind, leaving just Morgan and her mind intermingled. It was an odd sensation, especially being so close to Morgan, but Ida felt as if it were a familiar feeling all along. Though she had never seen the inside of a Husk, much less having received a crash course on how to pilot one, Ida just knew what to do. Having been tamed, the Husk left only one final whisper in its departure.

Utsāha

"Utsāha," Ida echoed in return -- that was her name. She gave a great big sigh and eased on the controls, taking a moment to wipe the tears and blood that smeared across her face once more. They'd survived, somehow.

A distant rumbling, another faraway roar of suffering, and Morgan's vocal observations snapped Ida out of her momentary lapse in concentration. They weren't out of the woods yet. Ida's hands flew back to the controls as she nearly pressed her nose to the monitors in front of her, squinting to see what must have been Utsāha's point of view. There were two anomalies before them. One, a Husk seemingly gone awry, and two, a thundering commotion from the ridge just beyond the horizon approaching fast.

Ida bit the bottom of her lip, it was danger alright, undoubtedly drawn to the violent noises that shattered the guise of peace that surrounded Column. Her heart sank -- Column was clearly in danger. No amount of the colony's peacekeepers would last a minute against either threat that would soon befall their borders. The other students, her parents, Ana, they were all in danger. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Ida had the ability to do something right at her fingertips.

Her eyes glanced back down at the controls and fine print that dotted the monitors in front of her. Crosshairs, meters, tick-marks, and all sorts of symbols that Ida would have to memorize at a later time. If Morgan was right, Utsāha's cannons were at her control, meaning everyone would soon rely on her ability to accurate aim and fire weapons that she'd never even dreamed of in her life.

No pressure. None at all.

"There could be someone in that Husk still," Ida replied, assessing the situation over and over again. "For now, it isn't moving that much. The best we can hope for is that whoever's in there, if anyone, can control it like we did. We should focus our attention on whatever that is."

Subconsciously, Ida swiveled Utsāha's main shoulder guns in the direction of the rapidly-approaching stampede concealed under the treeline, "Morgan, can you get us closer? There could be others in between us and it, so we need to make sure they don't get hurt."

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[Inactive User 002]

Hexa had felt incredibly uncomfortable when the boy said that they had just finished her date and that he had kissed out Mochi. This made Hexa blush so much that Hexa was holding her beret in front of her cherry red cheeks. God how she hated talking about relationships or hearing about them as it always made her feel so uncomfortable. A scowl came across her face when Mochi began crying with Hexa disgusted by this pig of a boy. I mean asking her to kiss him in front of his date. He was even worse than her father, who at least had the decency to wait until her mother was out of the picture. Also how could Mochi be clinging to him and crying after what he said. Usually if someone crossed Mochi then they would end up on the wrong end of a box cutter. Which then caused Hexa to eye the pair suspiciously as the scene before her didn't seem right all of a sudden. Then again maybe Mochi acted this way because it was a relationship. Hexa knew relationships could make people behave differently.

Taking some time Hexa spent a few minutes trying to calm down and lessen the redness of her cheeks. Hexa had only been a bit successful as her cheeks were still slightly red and she still felt uncomfortable. Just as she was about to give the boy a piece of her mind he took off. Ticked off she relaxed when Mochi gave her an apology for any weirdness. At first she Hexa was impassive though her body loosened when Mochi said that her sister thought that Mochi's name wouldn't even be in the same sentence as the word romantic. Which made Hexa feel sad for Mochi as the girl thought she was unlovable. Hexa wanted to say that someone as beautiful and cool as her would find someone. However Hexa was unable to get up the courage in time as inhuman sounds were bouncing around the valley. The sounds made Hexa go weak at the knees with chills running up her spin.

Unable to speak Hexa listened as Mochi told her to run or hide as she took off. Hexa couldn't believe the girl wanted to get in a Husk at a time like this. Though thinking about it Hexa had to admit being inside one of those things would be safer than staying outside. Hexa really wished Mochi had waited as she now started chasing after the girl. Thankfully she was able to follow the bike tracks. Hexa even shouted hoping Mochi would hear her, "Mochi wait I want to come with you." Hexa couldn't believe the adrenaline running through her as she was spurred on by her fear and excitement. It would be so cool and interesting to get one of these Husks moving. It was amazing that she didn't feel tired or that she was running faster than she ever had. Arriving at the foot of a Husk with Mochi's coat and bike by it Hexa shouted up, "Mochi how the hell do I get in? I don't feel very safe out here!"

dwif
Cosmos
CerpinTaxt
Entity.Eclypse

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"If something goes wrong and we wind up dead, I'd like you to know that I do not regret the series of choices and coincidences that brought us together. There's no one I'd rather pilot a giant death robot with..."

The way Otto said it sure as heck sounded like a confession. Maybe it was some kind of pep talk or just a bit of sentiment, but being the teenage girl she is, Kori was really confused and maybe a little bit flattered. It didn't really make sense that Otto was confessing to her; they hardly knew each other. That is, unless, Otto was a secret admirer or stalker. That thought was less than pleasant for Kori. Maybe that's why he always so reclusive. He was watching from a distance. Nope. That was too creepy to even think about.

"...That wasn't a confession."

"Good. You don't know me well enough to confess. If anyone would confess, it would be Alex." She shifted her focus on the control panel in front of her. It lit up a glowing white screen that bore one phrase: "Shēnqíng/深情". The phrase sounded vaguely familiar to her. She was sure Corey had said it in the past, but she couldn't remember what it meant. If—no...when—they resolve this whole issue, she would ask her parents what it meant.

"Stand."

Kori didn't even hear the command given by Otto. She knew it before he even spoke. The girl felt a connection with the boy, but...it was like they were on opposite sides of a pane of glass. Separated, but they were still communicating. Neither could understand the other fully, but they had an idea. Still, Kori tried to force through the metaphorical glass, driving her consciousness against the barrier that divide the boy and girl. The longer she stayed linked with the Husk, the more their connection felt restrained. Kori could feel that Otto was fighting against the lagging Husk systems, and neither of them would give up until the barrier was broken.

Aside from the connection, Kori heeded Otto's command and pulled the joysticks. They felt slow and unresponsive, but there were moving. As she did so, she could see outside the hatch that the Husk raising itself from it's kneeling position to a standing stance. So. Unbearably. Slow. Kori decided that the experience was comparable to wading through maple syrup, only less delicious and sticky. There was only one possible solution that she could think of. She didn't know why, but she spoke in a manner consistent with Otto's quiet mannerisms, whispering to the boy behind her. "Otto, the connection is weak between us. We have to open up to each other. Let our feelings out for the other to experience."

Kori immediately regret the way she said it and the way she phrased it. Now it sounded like she was implying a confession. "That wasn't a confession either. Just open up, will you?"

Interacting: Hextremus

 

[CerpinTaxt]

It seems someone had heard his fall. The boy that had been with the other two having made their way towards Luka with a look of concern. He even offered to try and clean his hands for him. "A-Ah..no no..it's..okay." He really didn't want to ask this stranger to give their water to him. The mechanical screams only continued, with the boy lightly pushing his shoulder, urging him to run. Presumably away from the noise.

But what about Hachi?

"Ah..no no. You can go on ahead and run! I..I have to go get someone!" Luka looked back in the direction of the husk that Hachi had been hiding behind, his eyes darting around frantically as he hurried his rushed pace towards the robot. Where was she?! He looked all around the mech, a small feeling of paranoid panic setting in. Her bike was still here..so where was she? It wasn't until he looked up from the ground that he spotted her. Or at least part of her. Once more, part of her skirt had given away her position. She was climbing the mech but why? Maybe she decided to hide in it..or maybe she was looking for something to help him with the cuts on his hands?

The metallic screams continued, but Luka ignored them. He had to get up there, and help her! He would feel absolutely terrible if she fell and got herself hurt. Which had almost became the outcome as she nearly stumbled off of the husk. "B-Be careful." His voice was drowned out by the distant sounds, though the words were mostly to himself. He grabbed at the metal and overgrowth of the robot, beginning to climb his way up.

The time it took him to get up to where Hachi was much lower, owed to his height. It certainly came in handy as he made his climb up. "H-Hold on!" He called out to her, climbing up a few feet from her. "Ah..don't fall..okay?" It seemed she had gotten the husk open already. Or perhaps it had never closed? He cautiously moved his way closer to the opening and peeked inside, looking at her. It looked like tears had been running down her face. "Are you..okay? Maybe..we should hide in here..and wait for this all to be over."

Luka carefully made his way inside the husk, getting in the other seat of the husk.

Without even realizing it, his hands had touched the panel.

Cosmos

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi had safely entered the husk without too much of a struggle, besides the risk of dropping the light, her phone illuminated the emptied vessel. It was as expected from the outside. The wilds had seemingly reclaimed its interior. Above her grew wilting vines. Their deprival of valued energy, the sun, was obvious from the lightened and crunchy exterior. How they had even survived in the time they'd been given was a mystery in itself, one that she was no where near an expert on. Had she been more like her sister then she'd probably understand plants more than she did confectionery sweets. But plants were dreadfully boring, all they did was grow and then die, almost like the adults seemed to do.

These husks however, seemed to be refusing their own death if the figure over the trees had anything to say about it. More mossy greenery had been near the entrance she came into, but not to the point that she couldn't see it as too weird for her tastes. Though everything seemed to avoid a much more pristine looking central area. Save for some dirt and dust it could ever be defined as brand new, and in it rested two places to sit. "So I need another person to make you move... I should have waited for Sebastian or Hex-" she cut her own voice off when the sounds of another person came from outside. Speak of the devil.

She had to say, the world worked in mysterious ways. The fact that Hexa had followed her here had shocked her, from what she remembered the girl didn't like exercise that much. So she couldn't lie about being surprised by the dedication to such. Moving to the edge again her head popped up to view Hexa who was lower down than she herself was, "Hey Hexa! So what you're going to want to do is climb up it's paneling until you get to me. That shouldn't be too hard, besides. This thing requires two people I think." She said and slipped back out of view once more.

She, of course, knew that this whole thing would be easier said than done, but she didn't have to worry about that personally as she was already inside. "On the bright side, I opened it up for you," She said loudly, causing the sound to bounce around in the metallic chamber she was contained in. The wiring on the ceiling looked odd, though.. And she couldn't help but curse her own shortness when looking up at its distinct advantage on her. The one cord she could've reached was the largest one, and it seemed quite different from the rest of the varying cords, but she couldn't locate anything that it could attach itself to.

With a sigh she walked over to the forward seat of the two, they faced one another and the one she was in happened to be shorter. The reason for this was unknown to her, from the looks of it she could probably lean her head against whoever sat behind... or rather in front of her. The idea of such was intriguing to her, but at the same time stupid all the same. If two people were that close in this oven during summer... they'd roast alive. Or maybe that cord was for the air conditioning in this thing, she couldn't tell for sure. Before her sat two odd circular things, they almost reminded her of hand-cuffs. Though these looked weirder. "Hey Hexa, get up here soon. I'm going to see what I can do with this puppy!" She yelled once more before putting unprotected hands into the circles in attempts to make the robot work.

Interactions:
Inactive User 002 (Hexa), and The Robit

 

[dwif]

With the rest of the group scattering at the sight of the awakened husk, Sebastian decided to follow suit and run to the only other place that he new deeper into the woods. He hoped that Mochi had the same idea as him when she took off on her bike. He never took track, but right now he wished that he had. Rushing desperately back towards the husk that he had been at earlier carrying himself purely on the adrenaline rush. "Why did it have to be so hot today." He muttered to himself as he made his way through the treeline constantly checking over his shoulder to see how much distance he had managed to put between himself and the re-animated husk.

Breaking through the treeline into the small clearing he met Mochi earlier he saw Hexa beginning to make her way up the husk. He scanned the environment for any signs of Mochi, all he could find was her bike left in the grass a few feet away from the husk. He called out to Hexa "Has she got it open?" Continuing to close the distance even without her response. The husks are ancient if one can start moving it has to be safe he thought to himself. Reaching the husk he used the adrenaline to throw himself up it in record time, here he could see a hatch opened not far from where he was stood, with a small light dancing around within the cavity of the great machine. Turning back he pulled Hexa the rest of the distance before unceremoniously throwing her into the dark pit ahead of them. Looking back one more time to see how far of they were from the husk, he jumped into the opening.

The opening went a deeper than he imagined, with his landing hurting his knees. Closing the hatch behind him the cockpit was plunge into darkness. The only respite from this was the small light from Mochi's phone that cut through the inky darkness. "Sorry about that, I thought it'd be shallower." With his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark he began to be able to make out more details. Everything was in surprisingly good condition, an extreme contrast to the outside. The only reason he could think that the plant life hadn't reached the interior was because they were designed to be airtight, and if he was right he'd just cut off their only supply of oxygen by shutting that hatch. "I don't want to worry either of you but I think I've just done something really stupid. We need to get this to work if possible." Looking around for any source of power he saw that Mochi had found some sort of control mechanism, it seemed to be made for two. "You're a genius. If this works I might kiss you for real this time." It wasn't until he was sat behind her that he realised how close they actually were. Now wasn't the time to worry about that, bigger things were at stake. He reached forward and grabbed the controls hoping that by some miracle it would turn back on.

Entity.Eclypse Inactive User 002

 

[GasMaskie]

"Moving into position then - just keep focusing on that far-off target." The young boy resigned himself to the thought of casualties - with giant war machines on the move it'd be next to impossible to ensure that no one but the combatants were harmed. He kept his surface thoughts clear, however - there was no telling just how deep she'd be able to dig into with the link established.

A cursory glance at the strange Husk that still showed no signs of stirring accompanied Utsāha's re-positioning. He had noted the shoulder guns' range of movement when Ida adjusted them and took that into consideration. Utsāha's stance shifted slightly as Morgan kept both arms at each side. The shoulder guns could now be aimed at both targets. Following the first salvo, they'd be able to rely on the gauntlet-mounted armaments while the shoulder emplacements finished reloading.

Regardless, he had gotten them closer. Though Ida was largely responsible for the guns that made up the majority of Utsāha's weaponry, it seemed that he still had control over the Husk's retractable blades. Needless to say, his knowledge of knife-fighting was theoretical at best. Just a few pages from stories and excerpts from an ancient biography were all that came to mind on that subject. Utsāha had provided some modicum of understanding, enough to pilot it, but to be truly effective they'd need to incorporate techniques into the mix.

Utsāha. It was a foreign word roughly meaning 'drive' or 'will'. An apt name as both parties were firm in their resolve. He felt assured of Ida's ability to pull the trigger if she needed to, just as he was prepared to risk his life piloting the metal giant. He smiled slightly - he only had a rough estimate of where he had left his bike now. A definite trade-up in any case, even if it did mean having to fight. He deigned to think about what to do afterwards - that sort of thinking was what got people killed.

(Re: Coin )

 

[simj26]

Cain

She had never seen anyone been burnt before, and obviously, she had never felt it either. There were the occasional stories of witches being burnt at the stake, but that was the most she knew of it. The sheer force of the memories that spilled out from the Husk straight into her in a flood seemed to tear away at her being, her mind and her body both, seemed to feel exactly like she had been set ablaze, consumed by an inferno of feelings and memories that were not her own. Cain had never once cried out in pain in her entire life, only stifling one or two with a hiss of pain at best, but the immense pain that wracked her body was more than enough to elicit a response from her. Memories of battles, the emotions that the Husk experienced throughout its lifetime, everything that this ancient being had ever been through coalesced into one blast, as if the floodgates to an already overflowing dam had been opened, and she was the river beneath it. She let out a short cry of pain, then immediately gritted her teeth. She needed to find herself in this sea of memories, she couldn't just let herself be consumed by this hunk of junk’s own feelings and emotions.

What was pain? Her arms protested every time she scaled any rock wall for the umpteenth time, her legs trying to turn to jelly underneath her at every run around the whole neighbourhood. This, she told herself, was nothing. She bit down hard, grinding on her teeth, and managed to punch her other arm through the second cylinder nearby. Blind was she to the outside world, that she did not notice that the controls and the insides of the Husk had lit up, the green of the vines now clear instead of masked by dimness. Grabbing the handle in that cylinder as well, she forced her own god damned memories, her own god damned emotions to the fore, the ones where it was just her and Jeremy, staring out into the sunset, every after school time they spent, every visit to his shop to get her hair cut, every time he made an attempt to drag her to track and field, and the strange warmth that she experienced every second that he was there with her. She fed the fire that blazed within with not just the warmth, but also the cold ones as well, that one strange memory where her parents were noticeably angry at something, the stupid test that placed her as a prosecutor, her frustration at not being able to see more of the world, know more about the world, and the stupid restrictive lives of everyone in the Colony.

“I am Victoire Cainewright! What the hell are you playing at, you goddamn piece of junk?!"

 

[_Line 213]

What emerged over the mountain crest was no machine.

It was dark. Organic. A twisted series of black cords weaving together, slapping wetly and spreading across the ground, as if it had forgotten--or perhaps never knew--how to hold its own shape together. Yet, as each sloppy, rope-like appendage pulled itself off of the ground, it left behind almost nothing, as if the trees, grass, and animals hidden in the underbrush had never existed. Behind was only dirt. Dry, cracked, pale dirt. The creature's underbelly dragged lazily along the tops of trees, stripping them of leaves and ripping away branches, the path it left straight and flat, as if cut short by a gigantic razor. As the creature dragged itself along, approaching the awakening Husks with a steady pace, it seemed to grow, almost as if it were adding the mass of whatever life disappeared from the surrounding forest into its own body.

As it trudged forward, it almost seemed to recall how to maintain its form and shape its nature, the entity's exterior beginning to solidify and harden, taking on a dark grey surface with a surprisingly delicate sheen, despite the menacing nature of the creature. Individual legs slowly merged together, becoming fewer in number, yet stronger in form and longer in length, now pushing the creature further upward above the forest as it began to tower above the ground alongside the Husks. Portions of the newly-formed outer later parted, spikes jutting from beneath inky "skin" in some places, while geometric, vein-like patterns erupted in others, flushing with orange glow as they crossed the outer layers like webs mixed with circuitry.

Now, it looked like a machine. Yet, at the same time, it looked nothing like the machines that were shown in history books. No; this was something twisted, something entirely different, yet at the same time, clearly ancient. Nothing like this was talked about in the modern era, let alone history books. The capability to create such a thing, whether machine or something else, must have been beyond the ability of the colonies.

Mustn't it?

The body of the entity lengthened as it continued to stride forward, its frontal portion, forming into a low, sloped head perhaps befitting a lizard, angled itself towards the nearest awoken Husk, its upper and lower halves splitting apart to form a ghastly imitation of a mouth, a tail extending behind to match. It was a cruel imitation of life; outer skin rippled and bunched as the thing slowly figured out the intricacies of musculature, warping its internal segments into tendons and fibers more powerful than the simplistic mechanics it used mere moments prior.

And then, it's leisurely place became a gallop, a sprint, and finally a battle charge. A myriad of emotions washed outward from Utsāha, reflecting in the midst of its pilots' minds.

What may have been unthinkable was now nothing if not true.

This was a known enemy. A very known enemy.