Futuristic Dormant Hearts

[Hextremus]

At least the Husk was trying to stand.

Otto continued to struggle against that infernal barrier separating him from both Kori and the Husk itself. He felt like he'd been trapped inside a glass coffin, unable to reach out to those around him. It almost infuriated him. He just sighed silently and continued pushing, hoping to crack the barrier. When Kori spoke, she didn't have to. He knew what she would say before the words left her mouth, even if that knowledge was blurred and distant.

Processing her words, Otto sighed again and closed his eyes. He'd been waiting for her to say that, to tell him he had to do something he'd hoped he would never have to do. And yet, though this moment had been a dreaded one, he felt no fear towards it. After a moment's hesitation, he responded.

"Very well. K.C., I accept you."

And with that, he opened his mind to the yellow eyed girl. He drew back the curtain he had placed over his thoughts, the veil that hid his true feelings and intentions. Trusted her with his determination to pilot this Husk, his fear at what awaited them, his doubts about his ability to pilot. Trusted her with his fascination of the colour of her eyes. He reached out to the Husk, also trusting it with his secrets. Slowly opening his eyes, his fingers tightened around the control grips. Though his face remained as blank as ever, he felt lighter than he had ever felt before.

"I accept you."

He repeated, quietly this time. He didn't need to say anymore to recognise he addressed not only Kori, but the Husk as well. Something was approaching; he could feel it. Something big. With his mind unfurled to both Kori and the strange machine they sat within, he hoped they'd interface properly in time to stop whatever it was.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[Inactive User 002]

Hearing Mochi tell her that all she needed to do was climb up the panelling and that it shouldn't be to hard made her a bit nervous. The tallest thing Hexa had ever climbed were some small trees in the local park. Adrenaline still running through her Hexa started to climb not wanting to waste time especially since the sounds seemed to be getting louder. Halfway up she was struggling a bit mumbling under her breath, "should be easy she said. All you got to do is climb up a giant robot. Don't worry about falling and breaking your neck."

Being so preoccupied with climbing up the Husk she didn't realise the boy from earlier arrive. Hexa was also to busy complaining to hear him talking to her as she climbed. In fact she only realised he was there when he pulled her up and dumped her unceremoniously into the Husk. He had been so careless that Hexa fell deep into the machine bumping her head. Sitting up Hexa groaned and rubbed her head and legs which felt like jelly due to the adrenaline finally subsiding. Through gritted teeth Hexa angrily said "you should learn to be more gentle and think with your brain more!" Hexa really didn't care for his excuse or apology.

While Hexa was looking around while the boy stupidly sealed the hatch. Honestly this boy is absolutely infuriating Hexa thought to herself. Now they had to hope that this old bucket of bolts could still work. The boy plonked himself down leaving Hexa still on the floor looking around. Moving over to Mochi and the boy Hexa stood behind him. She couldn't believe he was thinking about kissing Mochi at a time like this, but at least she now understood what happened earlier had been some kind of prank. In all honesty she was a bit miffed at both of them, however she had a bit of a soft spot for Mochi after there talk earlier. Grabbing hold of the boys ear Hexa would finally give him piece of her mind, "you know you should be more worried about getting this thing moving than kissing Mochi. Otherwise this might turn into a giant coffin for us. Also how do you know she is even interested in kissing someone like you." The last part she had said with a bit of venom in it. Suddenly something came else came to mind, "also you know it's polite to let a lady sit first or to give up your seat for one." In all honesty she didn't care about it being polite she just wanted to polite the Husk.

dwif
Entity.Eclypse

 

[Coin]

When the dreadful thing charging them came into view, Ida was nearly stricken with fear. Nearly. Where at one point Ida might have been frozen, trying to assess the situation and find the correct course of action, she knew exactly what had to be done here. This was their enemy -- there could be no mistaking it. Any hesitation could spell destruction for her, for Morgan, for their classmates, and for all of Column.

"Wish me luck," Ida hushed under her breath.

As the machine was in mid-transformation, Ida zeroed in on it with Utsāha's shoulder-mounted cannons and fired the right gun as a preemptive shot to test the ballistics of the weapon. Ida had lead the shot way farther than she needed to, not expecting the shell that erupted form the cannon to travel so quickly and violently. The bright streak of plasma struck the ground in front of the machine in a clean miss, sending an explosion of dirt and obliterated wood into the air. It charged through the plume of debris, seeming not to notice nor care that it had been shot at. The whole Husk had shuddered in recoil from the blast, but Ida was unfazed, concentrated only at the task at hand.

"If I miss, or this doesn't stop it, dodge right at the last moment and bring our arm cannons up and let me give it everything at point blank," Ida instructed. "Can you do that, Morgan?"

Ida adjusted the second cannon as she spoke, leading much closer to the evolving target as the first could be heard reloading. When Ida knew for certain that her follow-up shot would find its mark, she pulled the trigger again, letting a second thunderous shot ring out from the other gun. She had just managed to squeeze off the second shot before the machine finished its menacing transformation, but Ida was not aiming for the head or center of mass, she was aiming at the joint of the front leg. If she could disable the thing with a well-placed shot, they could finish it off at their leisure rather than under combat pressure.

That was the plan at least, and Ida prayed that it wouldn't get them killed.

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"Very well. K.C., I accept you."

Kori felt Otto's thoughts slowly trickle into her mind. On her side, she let her own thoughts and feelings flow out. Slowly at first, but it gradually increased. Their connection was still weak, but stronger than it had been earlier. The two teenagers' thoughts soon began to mingle, like two complete strangers who just met at a party of sorts. She now knew that Otto was equally as determined to pilot the Husk as she was and just as terrified. Neither of them showed it physically or verbally, but mentally was a different story. Another thought soon appeared. Otto's fascination with her eyes. Kori couldn't help but blush a bit at this. He thought they were interesting. Who wouldn't feel flustered when someone of the other sex thought you were interesting.

In return, Kori gave up her worry about her brother. He hadn't been home in weeks and his personality wasn't quite the same as it used to be. This was a huge source of stress and anxiety recently. The black haired girl would then let out her insecurities about her height. Her height made her somewhat intimidating to others, which made her think that she had a less than ideal appearance. It was dumb, but it was one of her deepest secrets. Along with that, was how Otto made her feel more comfortable, given his height.

The exchange happened so slowly, but nonetheless, it happened. When Kori opened her eyes, she saw in the distance some sort of dark figure. It resembled a Husk, but far more grotesque, and it left behind a trail of destruction. This was not a good sign. This...monster...of sorts was definitely a greater threat than the Husks could ever present. "Otto, you see this? What the heck is that in the distance? I don't what that is, but it sure looks dangerous."

Kori tapped at the control panel to try and force the Husk to connect to her better. She had already opened up to Otto and the Husk, but it still did not work fast enough. What she could do, however, was activate the monitors that gave a complete image of all that was outside the Husk and seal the hatch. The heads up display that the monitors offered was far better than piloting while looking out of a hatch. That, and Kori was able to discover that her connection with Otto and the Husk was just barely above the operation limit. Whether this would be enough for them to fight back against the monster that faced them, could only be determined in actual combat. "You ready to take our first steps? Right now, it's not looking too good for us, but at least we could die trying, right?"

Interaction: Hextremus

 

[_Line 213]

The blazingly bright shot flew across the trees between the newly-awakened Husk and the creeping creature, punching through its leg with unprecedented force. The creature's apparent flesh and tendons parted, flying apart in vaguely circular formations, as if the impact had caused the limb itself to explode outward. The creature stumbled into the undergrowth, trees cracking and falling from the sheer weight and size of the being as it rolled over, parts of its grey, mud-like form splayed out against the landscape.

And yet, the being moved to stand.

Where its leg had once disappeared, a new one began to form, growing and knitting itself together out of those same parodies of flesh, tendons and attempts at muscular structures winding themselves together, only to be overlapped by skin that chased the reforming fibers close behind. As it regrew, it seemed to eat away at the forest surrounding it, adding the plant life to its mass and form as it restructured and reformed itself, adding more mass and shape with reckless abandon. For a time, it almost seemed to forget its orientation, squirming and twisting as it decided whether to merely turn or entirely reform itself to fit this new, strange orientation. Ultimately, it held its form firm, managing to turn itself upright once again, leaning on its newly reformed leg as it regained its balance and bearings upon the new limb.

By then, the entity had figured out how to properly vocalize, letting out those same, strange, organic noises, as if searching or calling out for something that was not there. There were no responses, no echoes other than that of the creature's own voice off of the nearby mountains.

No. One response came. But it wasn't one the creature would have known.

Column's warning sirens screamed over the mountains, and judging by the current situation that the colony's youth found themselves in, this was no test.

Why here? Why now?

Using its newfound mass, the creature produced several more spikes from its back, resuming its charge as it bounded toward the gun-sporting Husk, mouth opening wide as razor-sharp, gigantic teeth ripped themselves into position, prepared to bite at any cost. Utsāha's "mind" seemingly reached out, searching across the being for some unknown element. It wasn't quite a scan--in fact, the sensation did not feel mechanical at all. It felt more as if the machine was looking for a feeling, some sort of abstract marker of something, while leaving control of its body open to the pilots within. Shēnqíng, in the midst of its own awakening, slowly grew to recognize this new threat as well, still shifting through its long, slow link to its own drivers.

Behind the being, where it had fallen, nothing but dirt and dust remained.

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi had gotten a hold of the controls when she heard a loud thunk, turning she noticed Hexa on the ground. "Oh, you made i-" she spoke before suddenly Sebastian joined them in the containment, he was an unexpected surprise but not one that she wouldn't accept into the containment they now had. Darkness consumed the cockpit leaving only her flashlight for a light source. Of course when he sat down she was caught off guard by his words, "You try to kiss me and i'll make short work of you with mAI-" Her voice gained decibels in milliseconds as her eyes shut hard, a frustration or tension coursed through her like a wave. Sebastian sat above her slightly which was handier than she would have originally assumed it to be, though both facing in the same direction wasn't exactly the most ideal.

Her mouth contorted to show an exceptional degree of discomfort, teeth held together tightly with locked jaws. Her right foot furiously tapped against the flooring beneath her, she was trying to cope with whatever had occurred to her. Her head quickly moved forward, connecting with and now resting upon Sebastian's chest a layer of sweat that had begun to develop upon her forehead now pressed itself into his shirt. From an outside perspective she probably just looked stupid, or maybe like she was acting again. Internally she knew what was happening in her head, without a clue as to what was happening here. What she had witnessed in that moments time, though nowhere near clear, it didn't belong to her. She doubted it belonged to anyone inside the Husk; she could feel her chest easing up its tightness. The thundering pace of her rapid beating heart attempting to stabilize itself once more.

Her own pain blinded her from Sebastian or even Hexa. Had they experienced the same influx? Or had they been spared the pain that she endured from that? Despite the pain she had endured from this the controls held her... no. She held the controls, grasping them tightly she felt this husk... it had to have felt her too. If not then how could it have done that? The questions she had didn't seem to have answers right yet, so she just contained them elsewhere for now. The blindness she had succeeded slightly and her pain dulled a minor amount. She forced herself to open her eyes, though the pained expression remained still, her pupils had noticeably undergone miosis. Her red eyes stayed open for merely a moment before shutting tightly once more, all she had managed to see was some darkness and Sebastian's shirt. The mixture of the two was arguably as terrifying as whatever just raped her mind. But that wasn't the important thing to note right now, "Gah! Sebastian... What the... hell did. YOU do?!" She spoke with a heightened volume and a pinch of irritation sprinkled in all the same. It was quite obvious she figured that he had done something to cause her to endure whatever the devil that had been.

Taking an almost ragged breath after yelling she managed to calm herself down, she almost seemed to be physically pained from her breathing. Despite not having anyone harm her in such a way. "S-sorry... Seb, did you feel that? Please tell me i'm not just going mental here..." This came out in the a much more hushed tone, not to the point of a whisper but slightly quieter than the prior exclamation. It still managed to find a home among the metal cockpit, reverberating in the sealed nature of it all the same. Her head remained against his chest, she felt that this was the appropriate position for her to have. Of course if he moved her, then she wouldn't object to it either.

~~~
Interactions:
Inactive User 002 dwif ​

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor had not control. He was a prisoner in his own body as he felt this... thing take control. It wanted to hurt things, to rip and tear. To take something in it's hands and break it into a thousand pieces. To pulverize it until there was nothing but dust. To leave a burning trail of destruction. There was another thought that raced alongside it, one more focused. But without that focus, without that target, everything was fair game. That is, until the mass of mechanic tentacles appeared. That appeared to be the focus. That was what it wanted. That was what needed to hurt, to break, to be ripped asunder until there was nothing left. Once that was dealt with, it would move on, it's lust for destruction seemingly endless.

As the enemy began it's charge, so did this Husk's, though at this point Connor wasn't sure if it was the Husk or he. It ran on all fours, then on two, and back to four, eating up ground at a vicious pace. It ignored the shots fired by the other Husk, it ignored the other awakening husks. There was only one thing it was concerned about, and it was barreling right for it.

As this creature, Connor felt a name fly by several times, this Mitfuhlen, got closer, it lunged. Launching itself off the ground, claw like hands outstretched, it's mouth filled with razor like teeth agape, it aimed to latch onto the target. And like an attack dog, it would latch on.

 

[dwif]

Sebastian enjoyed pain in a strange way, it reminded him of his mortality and how fragile everything really was. Maybe it was because his pain threshold was higher than normal that he felt this way about it. But what he was experiencing now was worse than anything he could have ever imagined.

His mouth snapped shut, catching the tip of his tongue and filling his mouth with the overwhelming taste of iron. As much as his body screamed at him to let it writhe in this pain he held strong, he couldn't risk injuring either Mochi or Hexa by doing so. His breathing quickened until it was little more than short heaving breaths. The darkness surrounding them sabotaged Sebastian's attempts to find something to distract him from this pain, leaving him to ride it out on his own. His mind was flooded with memories and emotions that weren't his, yet felt like a part of him. As the bombardment of emotions continued it became harder and harder for Sebastian to differentiate Which of the emotions were his or just those that were being forced onto him. Falling deeper and deeper into this pit of painful memories he had just about lost all hope of escaping this alive, when something seemed to reach out to him. It called out to him, not wanting to be left to suffer alone anymore. He desperately reached for this presence, and upon reaching it he was released from his emotional spiral.

Despite his own residual pain, he checked on the others. He could only hope that if they experienced what he had then they were in a better state than him. His worry was cut short by the blame being placed onto him, followed by a much more timid and out of character apology from Mochi. "I definitely felt something, and whatever it was I'm not sure if I want to experience it again. More importantly are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" It was at this point he had noticed her leaning on him, looking down at her she seemed to be in a bad condition as well he wasn't going to move her, not whilst she needed some rest.

Steadying his hands and grabbing tighter onto the controls, he looked down at the girl "You think you're in any condition to help me move this thing?"

Entity.Eclypse Inactive User 002

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

If there was anything that Jeremy hated about Cain, it was this. As much as he found her devil-may-care attitude admirable in its own way, there was a definite limit. And this was exactly that limit. Scaling the Husk. Climbing right into it. Seizing the controls. All without a second thought, all while hell opened up around him and they, by all rights, should be running for the hills.

As if in response to her scream of pain, Jeremy gritted his teeth.

The easy way out, maybe even the correct one, would be to just descend from this cockpit right now. It was hardly his fault that she'd tied herself up in this mess. But as his CEAT had made clear, he'd never been good at picking the correct choice. Run away? Was that some kind of joke? He'd already been through this. It wasn't an option. It wasn't even close to an option. Not when someone he cared about was left to some unknowable fate and especially not when they sat right in front of him in agony.

The pain, as he could tell, had hit her when she'd touched that handle; And she seemed to have no intention of letting go. Despite her hollers of pain, determination was the one thing that ran through her voice. With that climber's grip of hers, he doubted he'd be able to pry her hands from the bar even if he tried. So, while was a far cry from sensical, only one option remained to him. One shot. One opportunity.

His palms sweaty before even beginning to move, Jeremy lurched forward and seized the vacant control. If there was a chance, even the slimmest one, that he could shoulder a burden of whatever pain Vic was undertaking, he'd take it. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, after all.
simj26

 

[Hextremus]

The connection was still sub-optimal, but it was an improvement. Even as he received Kori's acceptance of him, a whisper from the Husk brushed against his mind. A shiver snaked its way down his spine as he finally learned the machine's name.

"Yes, I see it. Shēnqíng does as well."

Once again, Otto felt that he did not need to actually speak to communicate with his partner. Just thinking would be enough, since his thoughts would be broadcast out to her. Then again, he was only human. Speaking was a psychological necessity.

"I'd say what that thing is should not be our primary concern. We should focus on protecting the other students still in the valley."

As he spoke, he set his mind to analysing the Husk itself and its armaments. He let Kori's emotions wash over him, accepted them as companion to his own and directed reassurance back at her, let her know that he believed in her despite her hidden insecurities and anxieties. As he did this, his fingers adjusted his controls while he skimmed his way through the Husk's functions and weapons. From what he could tell, Shēnqíng had been assembled for close quarters melee combat and came equipped with a plethora of swords to execute this purpose. Perhaps not the most efficient combat style, but certainly an effective one.

"I'm ready. Let's not consider the possibility of death... but we could die trying, yes."

Shēnqíng knew its target. Its pilots knew their target. Otto licked his dry lips.

"When we attack, try not to obstruct the firing angle of that green Husk. Whoever's piloting that, they're clearly better integrated than us. Hindering them could get us all killed."

He paused, watching through the monitors as the strange beast repaired the damage inflicted upon it by the green Husk. It appeared to be devouring all life it touched, stripping away grass and trees to leave only dust. Otto pushed any thoughts about what that thing could inflict upon Column out of his head, blowing out a calm breath.

"No pressure."

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[Cosmos]

Hachi's absentminded thoughts hadn't first heard the boys cries coming from behind her as she climbed, too distracted in her childishly determined one tract mind to notice the very same person she was climbing up to try and find an item for was following closely behind her great 'trek' up the husks body.

It was only when Luka's voice rung through her ears accompanied by the dull echo let off from within the husks head that she tensed up and turned around quickly. Hands still up high grasping tight onto the fabric of her sweater as she looked over with a startled expression, not even noting how her stumble had placed her conveniently into the front seat of the machine.

"O-Oh! I'm fine I just-" her words were cut off as yet another loud roar followed by earthquake like thundering came after, closing her eyes tightly with a flinch she tensed up her shoulders and held herself small like no more than a startled toddler wanting nothing more than a hug from their mother to comfort them. Slowly re-opening her eyes a few moments later she finally noticed it, the movement of some of the husks in the distance as though slowly coming back to life.

Her eyes widened with wonder and amazement at the sight, these robots they'd been told so long to stay away from, the war machines that had been cast off long ago never to function again…. still worked? But that begged another question to form in her mind, just who was controlling them!?

As though an unnerved and somewhat panicked twin feeling coursed through her body she couldn't help but fear the worse, knowing her sister it wasn't a stretch to say that she'd be in one of those things, that her own flesh and blood was battling against whatever created those noises whilst she stayed and hid like always. What if Michi got hurt? What if the town got hurt? What if all the other people she knew, even if they didn't know her were injured, or worse? Was she really so scared she could do nothing, nothing to try and save them?

Was she really always going to be stuck hiding away and anothers shadow?….

Slowly, and before another thought could go through her mind she stared determinedly forwards, not having even realised her newfound friend doing the same in the chair behind her and tightly grasping the handles of the of the panel, there had to be a way to make it start.

"C'mon mr. husk please help us-…. I promise it's for a really good cause!…." she muttered under her breath, her expression full of confidence, and yet her eyes trembled with a watery look of terror.

Interactions- Luka ( CerpinTaxt )
Mentions- Mochi ( Entity.Eclypse )

 

[Cosmos]

Hachi's absentminded.

 

[GasMaskie]

"It's absorbing biomass to regenerate...?" His mind raced back to one of the colony's laws. Reverse-engineering technology from Husks was a taboo - as was biological technologies. Presumably, the monster that had moved towards them was man-made. Another remnant of the Confrontation then? He'd have to check Utsāha's record later for a more definitive answer. Though, he had other pressing matters at hand. Like the creature charging right towards them.

He was just about to fulfill Ida's request before something sprung up from the corner of his eye - the other Husk had chosen the creature as a target. Instead, Utsāha jinxed to the opposite side of the creature and raised both arms - it'd be wise to avoid attracting that berserk Husk's attention. He still had his doubts about just how effective it'd be, however. There was no doubt that it'd damage the beast, but whether or not those injuries would stick was another thing.

"... We have two options - allow it to continue absorbing biomass until it runs out of available resources to kill it, or try and find a weak point in its biology. I don't think even splattering its brains all over the valley would permanently bring it down. Perhaps it has some sort of core organ or hardware that allows it to continue functioning and directs it to absorb organic materials. Much like a golem has a scroll in its mouth?" He noted the other Husk already beginning to properly awaken and maintained the firing stance.

"Just keep in mind that we have a limited supply of ammunition Ida Sommers. That other Husk over there seems to be equipped for close-quarters combat. Perhaps it'd be wise to allow them to eviscerate the creature until they manage to open up some sort of vulnerability that we can exploit." They were still close enough that external ballistics calculations wasn't required - Morgan could only wonder if he could extract the answer to his prior questions by exploiting the link he had to the girl's mind. A distraction, of course, but one that would confirm some more of the logistics employed by this system. However, he decided to save it for later - either after they were on stand-by with other Husks engaging it or after the beast was slain.

(Re: Coin , _Line 213 )

 

[Coin]

Ida's pulse thumped in her chest, in the adrenaline of combat, she felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest at any moment. Her entire body was on auto pilot, eyes darting across the controls and monitors that were both familiar and unfamiliar to her at the same time. The murder rushing through her veins was beginning to frighten her, as she looked for vulnerabilities in the bestial machine, the best ways to maim -- and kill. It was unlike anything she had ever felt, and she was certain that Morgan could feel the aura of her rage as his presence skimmed the surface of her mind.

Time dilated as Ida prepared to unleash a fusillade of Utsāha's entire ballistic armaments onto the target before them, intent on tearing it to shreds before it could regenerate any further. However, Morgan had jostled the controls again after they had dodged the charge, bringing the arm cannons' firing arc out of range once again. Ida let out a frustrated yell and slammed the wall of the cockpit in front of her with an open palm, the sound of metal reverberating around them.

"Why?!" Ida roared, as her fingers flew off the triggers. For a moment, her anger had bubbled over and strained her mental connection with Morgan, but vanished only moments later as she managed to cool and collect herself. There was no point in firing if she could not utilize all of Utsāha's guns at once to obliterate the machine before it could reform.

By that time, the berserk Husk was already upon the machine and Utsāha would surely risk collateral damage as soon as the melee had begun. Ida scanned their surroundings as Morgan brought them out of brawling range. To her surprise, yet another Husk had come alive -- clad in swords and still seeming to be examining its surroundings. Were there other students inside that Husk too? What in the world was happening?

"If there's even a chance one of our classmates is still in that out-of-control Husk, we can't risk it!" Ida replied, zeroing the cannons in again. "We need to back off and wait for an opening now."

((Re: GasMaskie

Husks Mentioned:
Soviet Panda -- Berserk Mitfühlen
Hextremus , QizPizza -- Shēnqíng))

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi could feel her lungs, an unusual feeling for any normal person. The pain had easily become little more than an ache in her head now, though her body still seemed to be tensed, poised for another of the mental attacks that this machine had dealt to her no more than a few moments prior. If it attempted to overwhelm her like that again she wouldn't let it catch her by surprise, and a counterattack was always in the cards. She focused her breathing, and heaved a heavy sigh from her light form, it escaped her like a punch in the stomach.

Seemingly to counteract that Sebastian has asked if she was alright, not in the way most people did either, he seemed to hold genuine concern rather than a passing question. The thought caused her to nod into his chest, "Y-yeah... I'm fine." Was the most of a response she could answer while her mind recovered at a decent enough pace. If Hachi ever touched one of these things... god she worried for her little sister, at the same time she knew her sister was as curious as she was... even more than her at times. She still didn't open her eyes, whatever visual she would get couldn't be much better than keeping them closed, and even if she did moving her head back would be the main choice she'd have. Risking the pains return didn't seem optimal to her. So instead she sat still, hands still tensed onto the controls. "If we don't try to move it then, we're sitting ducks for whatever that sound belonged to. I trust that we can get this thing moving... so trust in me." Her voice sounded soft, gentle even. To anyone who knew Mochi this would be somewhat of an odd sight, as she wasn't known for gentleness.

Just as quickly as she switched she returned, "So don't you mess this up... to make it worth your time. We get this thing working, and I'll kiss you, that way the bet condition is over. That's not just me being the high and might Mochi, You got it?!" Her grimace replaced itself with the usual smirk that graced her face. Her right eyebrow still twitched slightly from her brain attempting to catch up with the messages that the instant had relayed to her. Mentally she was just hoping that they wouldn't die... that this husk wouldn't kill them. She knew that Hexa had to nearby and if this thing moved then standing in here likely wasn't the best option, "H-hexa... I'm smaller so sit behind me and hold on. Just don't get too handsy" She spoke with a slightly commanding tone, the same she had used for her comment mere seconds ago.

Thinking this through logically a robot like this shouldn't be able to remember anything. A bicycle couldn't remember anything, her toaster couldn't remember anything, and she knew all too well that the oven didn't remember anything or it wouldn't have to be tuned every time she wanted to make something. The books she had been required to read in school hadn't informed her on what to do when a robot projects it's brain into your brain, and in her time out here she'd never tried to mess with the hunks of scrap. All she could do now is place her belief in Seb, and of course herself... but the latter was not an issue. The boy seemed trustworthy, so she aligned herself mentally to accept it, he was to be her partner in making this thing move.

~~~
Interactions:
Inactive User 002 (Hexa) dwif (Sebastian)​

 

[_Line 213]

The berserk Husk slammed into the creature, the two seemingly mindless beasts colliding as metal ripped into artificial flesh. Claw and tooth alike dug through the being like clay, ripping away portions of grey matter with reckless abandon, vicious claw marks multiplying against the side of the monster as the Husk continued its instinctual assault. Its target flailed and screeched, its multi-tonal voice rebounding off of trees and stone, momentarily blocking out the fair-off wail of Column's sirens. Finally finding a way to resist the abuse, the creature pulled its long tail around, swiping it alongside its body to slam the Husk's side and push it away, even if it took away a large chunk in the process with its tightly- clenched teeth. The machine tumbled through the forest, trees and soil flying up into the air as they were ripped away by the rough landing. Given the one-track mind with which the rabid Husk pursued its prey, there was little chance that a single hit was going to be enough to stop it.

The monster took several steps forward, having run out of plant life with which to rejuvenate where it currently stood, web-like tendrils reaching out to rip trees from the ground and shove them unceremoniously into its clay-like body as it stepped forward, accelerating the "healing" process, if such a term could truly be used. It let out another multifaceted scream, resuming its charge towards the ranged Husk, even as several more continued to activate throughout the area. So far, only one, save for the Husk it had just hit, was considered to be a threat.

Though Utsāha continued to search, something that Morgan had stated seemed to resonate with the machine, a feeling of warmth spreading outward as the boy offered his hypothesis. No doubt, this was what the Husk was searching for, its probing connection seemingly not too far away from the very same held between it and the two pilots; an attempt to track this core through the phenomenon of shared sensation. Shēnqíng, too, appeared to be doing the same, the Husk slowly stabilizing as its two pilots continued to work through their differences. Linkages between the Husks themselves became stronger, too, muffled, whispers beginning to clarify somewhat as the pairs slowly gained the ability to communicate amongst each other.

Two more machines rumbled and strained against the plant life that bound them in place, struggling to return to life as those within them poured their own sensations and desire for balance into the minds of the restless machines, all while the unknown entity closed the gap between itself and Utsāha, diving at it with a wild, hateful leap.

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"I'd say what that thing is should not be our primary concern. We should focus on protecting the other students still in the valley."

"Two sides of the same coin. That thing is very likely to be threat, so we need to be weary of it."

"I'm ready. Let's not consider the possibility of death... but we could die trying, yes. When we attack, try not to obstruct the firing angle of that green Husk. Whoever's piloting that, they're clearly better integrated than us. Hindering them could get us all killed... No pressure."

"Ha. No pressure. Piloting a giant robot that hasn't been turned on in centuries? No problem." With every word Otto, spoke, Kori could feel the intention behind them. She responded with words herself, but it felt strange hearing someone speak twice. First out loud, then in her mind. Out of habit Kori would obviously express herself verbally, but she wondered if it would be better to communicate mentally. This crazy telepathy thing might actually be more efficient than talking. The only problem was that their connection was weak. If their thoughts exchanged slower than words, it would definitely be more of a disadvantage.

The Husk, Shēnqíng, was a close-quarters machine by the looks of it, armed with swords and blades. Definitely something Kori could work with, but she also had her concerns. It's not like the two of them were trained to use them or even fight. The most she's done is beat a couple of the scrawnier boys that made fun of her. These anxieties were met with Otto's reassurance. It helped to have someone who is able to understand, even if it's artificially induced by some ancient machine. Maybe Otto's actually a really nice guy under all that edgy behavior.

The Husk took its first step, shakily lifting its leg and them setting it down in the ground in front of it. The cockpit shook as the foot connected with the ground. Kori grunted as she pulled up a diagnostic of the Husk's systems. Automatic Movement Correction, MultiStage Balance Correction, Cockpit Shock Absorbers, Fine Motor Functions, Enhanced Visual Sensors, and Deep Synchronization were just a few of the systems labeled "Restricted by Connection" or "Nonoperational". "Well...that just great. More than half the systems either locked away or broken. We're running on bare essentials. If this is a close quarters Husk, it sure sucks that our connect is so weak. If this was orientated on range, we could manage, but with swords? Tsk."

Taking a few more steps with the Husk, Kori was finally getting used to walking in this extension of herself. Something was offsetting though. The girl's balance felt strange as the Husk, as if all the weight was on the balls of her feet. She pulled up the blueprints of Husk, at which she stared in disbelief. "Wha...Are you kidding me? WHO THE HECK PUTS HEELS ON A HUSK? I mean, seriously, what the heck would that even do for the stability of a giant robot?! I can barely friggin stand heels as a person, what makes them think that I'm going to pilot a a Husk..."

Kori's rant was cut short when she heard the metallic screeching of some monster. Her attention immediately snapped towards the monster that came form the horizon. It was now being assaulted by some kind of beast-like Husk. It vaguely resembled all the other Husks in the valley, but it was much more animalistic. By instinct, Kori forced the Husk into a somewhat stable walk. The Shēnqíng lumbered towards the black monster and beast-Husk, as its hands moved towards the sword at its hips. The Husk told her that the black monster had to die.

Interacting: Hextremus
Mentioned: Soviet Panda (Mitfühlen)

 

[Hextremus]

Leaving the movement to Kori, he closed his eyes and inspected the Husk's weapons. Blueprints and armament mechanics floated through his mind, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered which would be most effective at taking on their current enemy. Shēnqíng carried seven swords on its frame; a greatsword, two broadswords, two armblades, and a pair of longswords. Each had its own unique function for different situations. Otto's mind began to race, taking in information from the monitors and processing it rapidly. He considered not only the most effective weapons to use against the beast, but also which weapon set would best complement the green Husk.

Otto's thoughts were interrupted as the Husk took its first step proper, causing the entire cockpit to shudder. He grunted in unison with Kori as he was jostled in his seat, opening his eyes. Judging by the shaking, Shēnqíng's shock absorbers were offline. He was proven to be correct as Kori addressed him with the news of over half of the Husk's systems being nonoperational. He bit the inside of his cheek in thought.

"Our primary objective right now is to distract that thing and damage it enough to leave it vulnerable for that green Husk. And low range isn't necessarily true; the longswords can launch their blades out for increased range. I don't think we're quite ready for that yet."

He continued to analyse the situation. The creature appeared to rejuvenate itself by devouring any organic materials around it, which meant they had to hound it in such a way it would not be able to get to any trees or other plant life. As well as this, they had to create an opening or find a weakness that the better integrated green Husk could exploit. In the midst of the thoughts cascading through his mind, he registered Kori beginning to rant.

Shēnqíng had high heels?

"Maybe it's for extra damage. You ever seen what happens when someone gets kicked by a woman wearing high heels?"

Otto himself wasn't sure if he was jesting or not. His focus was snapped back as the beast was attacked by a Husk that had apparently gone berserk. The only possibilities for this he could think of was either a failed integration or a single pilot. He sought agreement from Shēnqíng and received what he could only decipher as a small nod. Except a mental nod. That he couldn't see.

In any case, the berserk Husk was viciously thrown aside by the beast. It then proceeded to continue its charge at the green Husk, closing the distance and leaping for it. Otto made a snap decision, fingers flying over his controls. Sluggishly, Shēnqíng reached down to its hips, hands twisting to grasp the hilts of the blades attached to each hip. Right hand closing around the grip of the blade on the right, mirrored by the left, they unattached and the orange Husk readied both blades. The motion was slow, but at least it had managed.

"Readying dual swords. K.C., move to help the green Husk. We'll try to push it back away from it since it clearly wasn't built for CQC."

His hands continued to adjust his controls even as he spoke, Shēnqíng slowly spinning a blade in each hand as Otto worked his way through what he could do, how much articulation he had. Satisfied, the Husk repositioned its blades so they aimed down at the ground, elbows bent and arms behind the body as the tip of the blades just barely scraped the soil underneath. The blades were quite long, almost reaching the lower shin when holstered at the hip, with a rectangular straight-bladed design and a pointed tip.

"If you can, get Shēnqíng running. Time is of the essence; we must help that Husk."

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[Inactive User 002]

Hexa was annoyed that the boy didn't respond to what she had said or the request she had made. However Hexa did like it when Mochi started to also warn him not to kiss her but before the girl could get it out something stopped her. Looking over both of them in their seats Hexa was horrified by what she saw. Both looked to be in intense pain with Hexa unable to do anything, but stare and hope they were okay. It didn't smell like they were being electrocuted like Hexa had been a couple of times when messing around with electronics. No she was just hoping that this was part of the process and not a defect from centuries of neglect. If need be she would remove them if it got to serious.

Fortunately after what seemed like ages to Hexa, but was portably only a little while her companions faces relaxed. She wanted to say it would be stupid to continue to try and pilot this Husk. Unfortunately if they didn't kill it and ran back to the colony she imagined everyone would die, as colony had nothing that could take on whatever that thing was. Hexa also made a bit of an annoyed sound when kissing was mentioned again. Sighing Hexa reluctantly made her next offer "if this gets to much for either of you let me know and I'll help get you out. Don't be stupid and push yourselves." When Mochi told Hexa to sit behind her, but also told her not to get handsy Hexa went bright red. Sliding in behind Mochi Hexa wrapped her arms around her waist and placed her chin on Mochi's shoulder so she could see. It was a bit more intimate than she would like but Hexa wasn't much taller than Mochi so if she wanted to see this is the only place her head could go. The seat was also such a squeeze for both girls that Hexa's front was firmly pressed into Mochi's back. Her voice nervous and shaky Hexa asked, "Is..th..this...o..ok?"

dwif
Entity.Eclypse

 

[QizPizza]

Kori "K.C." Chang
"Maybe it's for extra damage. You ever seen what happens when someone gets kicked by a woman wearing high heels?"

"You got to be kidding. I know what happens, but this Husk is going to fall flat on its ass if I try to kick anything."

"Readying dual swords. K.C., move to help the green Husk. We'll try to push it back away from it since it clearly wasn't built for CQC. If you can, get Shēnqíng running. Time is of the essence; we must help that Husk."

"Have you ever tried to run in heels, Otto? Friggin hell on earth... But yeah, I try..." Kori mumbled several curses under her breath and reluctantly brought the Husk into a light jog. Jog was a generous term for the stumbling that the Shēnqíng was in the process of doing. The girl was already having a difficult time connecting with the Husk, but the heels and the act of running only made the task of balance nearly impossible. Kori still did her best to push on. She couldn't understand what kind of motive she had for this. They were running towards almost certain death in an ancient war machine that can barely function properly.

As the Husk ran, the connection began to be more consistent and the control Kori had increased. Whether it was due to time or the effort of Kori and Otto, their connection became more and more fluid. The levels displayed on the screen in front of her gradually increased, with several systems starting to come back online. That was good. The jogging of Shēnqíng was still laborious, but more fluid.

With the distance between the writhing humanoid monster and Shēnqíng decreasing, Kori tried her hardest to synchronize her thoughts with Otto. A pair of legs working independent of the arms was a disaster in any situation. She need to know exactly when Otto planned on attacking and when he needed her to move. It all hinged on their cooperation. They passed the green Husk firing away and continued to run until the Shēnqíng was less than a thousand feet from the monster. Kori picked up speed and managed a leap towards the tangled beast-like Husk and the monstrosity it was fighting. "Otto! Now would be a good time to use those swords!"

Interactions: Hextremus

 

[CerpinTaxt]

Strange, alien thoughts pierced his mind as he touched the panel. Such feelings of utter despair and sadness. Such intensity..it felt strange. He couldn't have had those feelings..he felt just fine. Was..something using him as some sort of conduit? A way to let out those feelings? Was it the Husk? Maybe they were sentient after all. It..it felt strange. Luka held his head as the headache soon followed, remind him to try and find a first aid kid in the husk.

Of course..there was no luck. Sounds of conflict could be heard in the distance, making the boy move his head to look on as other husks had came to life..and were fighting some very..strange. Hachi seemed to be looked for the controls to the husk. Did she want to pilot it? Get it moving again? Perhaps she was worried that one of those weird beasts would attack the town. Hurt her family.

Then Luka realized his own family was at stake.

He had to do something as well! Immediately, Luka began to frantically try and find a way to activate the robot alongside Hachi, his hands moving along the various devices and controls that sat on the panel before him. There had to be something he could find to turn this thing on! His hands jerked on the controls, his hands went and pressed anything that looked like a button. There wasn't a book in the world that could have told him how to use one of these things. Let alone turn it on!

"Please turn on..."

For once, his voice held a hint of worry.

_Line 213 Cosmos

 

[dwif]

It was clear that a connection had been made between the pair and the husk whether they had asked for it or not. The question was, how to use this connection to make things work. Sebastian scanned his immediate surrounding for any sort of controls but failed to find anything. He thought aloud "They really didn't make these things user friendly did they?" Maybe he was going about it wrong, he was focusing too much on the systems as a whole he needed to start on a much smaller scale. Lights. That's where he would start. Closing his eyes and holding his breath he tried to reach out to whatever had tried to contact him moments ago, when no response came he let out a pained sight and opened his eyes. Something was different when he opened his eyes the isolating dark was disrupted by a softly glowing screen that had appeared to his left. It was the controls for the lights, reaching out for the screen he turned them on and the cockpit was lit by an aggressive fluorescent glow. "I think I have some idea on how to use this thing! We need to focus on what we want to do, and I mean really focus. I think whatever happened a moment ago linked us to its systems somehow."

What next? They couldn't be sitting ducks if that thing came towards them, and they couldn't leave it to the students that were already dealing with whatever that thing was. Systems. He needed to find out what he was in control of and what his limitations were. He repeated the same steps thinking and begging the husk for something that would tell him what he could do. Another panel lit up in front of him, it seemed to be a blueprint of sorts. He was never good with this technical stuff, after studying it for some time it finally clicked. He called down to Mochi "Seems like I've got control of the legs, how good are you at fighting? Hopefully better than me." He focused everything he could on getting the thing stood, but this in itself proved to be difficult. Once finally upright he tried to move the husk, making slow and clumsy steps he walked in a circle trying to get a hang of the controls. He knew he didn't have time to do this for long but needed some sort of idea how to move in and out of the danger ahead of them. "I think I've got the basics, you'll really have to help with the balance if I move faster. But are you two ready to get stuck in? And Hexa make sure nothing bad happens to either of you while we're moving this thing. If it does pull her out and get the pair of you to safety."

He knew this wasn't the right time to be excited, but this was once in a lifetime opportunity. With his practise done he began to charge through the trees towards whatever was attacking them.

Entity.Eclypse Inactive User 002

 

[_Line 213]

CerpinTaxt Cosmos

The Husk itself seemed to struggle with the activation process, but slowly, surely, it began pushing itself upward, lights and viewscreens flickering to life in the cockpit as the Husk willed itself to move in conjunction with its pilots. It was an effort between the three of them, as if the mech couldn't accept the fact that it was being called back for another round of duty. Its exterior frame was far more battered and worn than most of the others around them; to the untrained eye blind to the struggle taking place in the cockpit, one might think that it was simply functioning poorly on a purely physical level.

Yet, even so, it rose to its full height, seemingly against all odds, vines and roots snapping and falling from its ancient armor as it finally rose, another ghost awakened and standing beside those it had generations ago. The amount of stress it took to simply get it to that point nearly felt overwhelming, even as the Husk's mind did all that it could to ease the burden on the two pilots. Yet, even so, there was no going back at that point. With a new, strange creature on the horizon, there was much more to be done. Slowly, just as the other Husks had done, the new machine began feeding its pilots necessary information, linking them in with the Husk's systems to an even greater degree, then, in turn, linking them up with the others around them, expanding the network of communication between each risen titan.

 

[Hextremus]

"No, I have never tried to run in heels and I hope I never do. Please try your best, I believe in you."

He didn't complain about the Husk's stumbling jog, instead continuing to send her reassuring thoughts. He truly did believe in her, and he was sure she could recognise that. Letting her focus on balancing and jogging, he tried to synchronise his thoughts with hers so he could move the upper body and arms to complement the movement of the legs. His attempts were relatively successful, if still rather uncoordinated.

As Shēnqíng ran, the connection between the pilots and the Husk seemed to grow in fluidity and clarity. Otto could feel the extent to which he could control the Husk increase, could feel the thread that connected him to Kori and Shēnqíng strengthening. It still wasn't the power he wished for, but it would suffice. The quality of Shēnqíng's jogging improved as well, the motion of its legs growing more fluid. Otto began speaking again, hoping Kori was prepared for combat.

"Take a running leap towards that thing. Let's see how efficient these swords are."

Otto asked quietly, mind mostly taken up by calculations and analysis. Keep the creature in one place. Leave it vulnerable to attacks from the green Husk. Deal considerable damage to the beast. Don't get in the way of the berserk Husk. He could sense that Kori was preparing to leap. As she did, his fingers began adjusting his controls again. As Shēnqíng bent its legs in preparation to leap, Otto had the Husk raise both arms in unison so they were raised above its head. As Shēnqíng began its leap, it rotated the blades around into a reverse grip on each hand with the blades pointing outwards and horizontal to the ground. Otto's eyes narrowed.

"We got this."

At the height of its leap, Shēnqíng placed the hilts of its swords together. They latched in place, forming a double bladed sword. With the connection between the Husk and Otto growing stronger, he had Shēnqíng begin to spin the double bladed sword between its hands. It was slower than he would have liked, not the blur he wanted, but it was spinning. As the distance closed between the Husk and the creature, Shēnqíng brought the still spinning sword down. Aiming for what he believed was the neck area of the monster, Otto's aim was to ram one of the blades down on it and force it against the ground. If it severed its head, that would be nice, but his goal was just to pin it down to inflict damage and to leave it vulnerable to attacks from either the green Husk or the berserk Husk.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

The pain had dulled enough to become nonexistent currently, something she had been thankful for but she realized that it could return at any moment. In that very instance Hexa had appeared behind her, once the girl had satiated herself upon Mochi it was quite obvious to see that Mochi's face had a reddened tone bleed into her cheeks. The blush had encompassed her with a minor embarrassment, "Y-yeah... you're fin-fine." Her eyes were open now, and she glances to one side then the other. The light had been a welcome surprise to her newly opened eyes, as such she allowed herself to continue to gaze around the cockpit. It needed to be cleaned or at least landscaped. That was expected from a giant robot which laid dormant for who knows how long, though.

Though she had said that Hexa was fine, the muscles in her abdomen tightened in a sense of her embarrassment returning. Why she acted this way could be one many different reasons, but pinpointing the exact one could be difficult. Hearing their controls, she snapped back into the urgency of the matter, "Alright. I'm pretty decent at fighting. Give me some sort of knife or blade and it'll make me twenty times the better" Her confidence shone through the tone of her voice. With that in mind she realized that she had control of the arms, though they didn't seem to budge at first while the earth held them to it. Concentrating hard she had torn them from the earth, and from there assisted them in standing. The form of this Husk was somewhat surprising to her, she turned to face one side and despite her face being quite close in relation to Hexa's. She watched the screen on the other side cautiously, a large variety of them had light up. Surrounding them with the visuals that would probably be needed if or when the time came for such.

She maneuvered the head and upper body to dodge from branches or tree-limbs that she felt were excessively dangerous. The arms had been adorned with large and quite lethal blades from the looks of it. She hadn't exactly been given the chance to work on using them while Sebastian had walked in circles, so instead she used them now. Moving the arm in front of the husks face she caused it to look to the arm slightly while not disturbing the path that they were traveling either. She would need to wager as to how fast they could attack with these, and as her victim approached she readied herself. The tall life-form was easily cleaved in one fluid motion, the sound of the tree falling was rivaled only by that of the birds which flew from its branches, some passing them without much in the way of confrontation.

Her other arm had been used in attempts to keep them steady as she could, the controls felt almost like her own arms. Or rather. It moved much alike she was controlling her own but without any physical exertion. "I don't know for sure that running at it head on is the best option for us. It didn't look like it was..." She saw the diagram of the husk in the corner of the visual. "We might not be set for a juggernaught style. But it looks fast, though.. this." she paused for a moment as a name echoed in her mind, it was a feminine voice speaking maybe the husk or maybe someone from its memories. She gazed at Hexa and Sebastian for a moment before returning her vision to the Husks monitor. "Trócaire. Trócaire seems pretty agile." She ended her words there and had the temptation to lean back, but she'd told Hexa to get there so that idea was possibly the worst for them both. The remembrance of the other female pressed to her back caused the red to deepen, with the blush being noticeably warm now.

~~~
Interactions:
dwif (Sebastian) Inactive User 002 (Hexa)​