[WORLD TWO | THE OTHER HALF]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Others not on the list of the Chosen 12
Where: Around Shehui
When:
Open/Closed: Open to All, though top levels shouldn't be made by Chosen 12 members -- however, direct telepathy links can be sent to Chosen 12 members, and Chosen 12 members can respond to open telepathy prompts. This post is meant more for those who aren't part of the Chosen 12 so they can react with others or plot their next move.

[ While your name isn't on the list that has been circulating, it doesn't mean that you're unaffected by this issue. Did someone you know -- someone you have a fondness for, perhaps? -- wind up on that list? And did they manage to evade the monitors or have they been captured?

You may have the resources to do something about it, or you may want to stay out of harm's way. Either way, changes are on the horizon -- and that horizon is now looming closer than ever before. ]

Comments

[deem]

Scouting P[A]rty (2B + A2)
[The capture of allies isn't the sort of thing an android can simply ignore. What's more, their core programming rails against actions taken against the race that created them, and that leaves the local YoRHa units with more than enough reason to set out. They're not the sort to waste time, not when it matters.

And so 9S heads to their agreed-upon meeting place and waits for 2B and A2. Since they were guests he regrets not further outfitting their new clothing, beyond what their standard-issue attire had been capable of. Now they're dealing with hostiles of unknown capability, with technology far superior to the Uvi.

Inferior to them, certainly, but they can't be sure to what degree yet. It's an uneasy thought, not knowing. They need more data. 9S' posture and movement alike are pensive as he paces, quite sure he won't be waiting long and yet uneasy all the same.

Why did Julius willingly go with them...?]

[B]etter Prepared
[It surely can't be said that anyone likes being caught off-guard. But for 9S the failure to prepare for the possibility that people among their ranks might be abducted weighs heavily on his mind. When he isn't scouring the city with 2B and A2, he can be found hunkered in his room.

The door isn't locked, and the click and clatter and occasional electronic crackle can be heard clearly through the door as he works. Androids can more easily find each other, but it's difficult to find organic beings.

That is of course unless he develops a way, and that's exactly what he's doing. Anyone who investigates will find him in the midst of various parts and tools spread in a wide array around him, and 9S works busily with devices that seem incredibly small upon close inspection.

He's so focused he won't notice anyone approach]

Remote [C]ontact
[9S might not be a particular fan of using the telepathy their signets enable, but in this case it seems necessary. There are those whom they cannot reach, at least not right now, and while that leaves him with a mounting unease he's only further determined to do something about it]

We might as well use this network to share data. If anyone can think of relevant details, I can record and distribute them so we're working with the same information. In a situation like this, it seems like we're going to need it.

Also, if anyone can think of equipment they may need, let me know.

[Keeping busy seems far preferable to the alternative]

[W]ildcard
[Want to do something else entirely? Hit me up here]

b

[talim]

[ jude knocks lightly on the door once, twice, peering inside before he lets himself in. he's a bit uneasy thanks to what's going on around the city, but there's another matter he's here to discuss at the moment. ]

Hey, Nines.

[ he rests a hand on his shoulder when he approaches, hoping not to startle him. ]

Uh, I had a question for you.

[deem]

[9S stiffens all the same, effectively jarred from scrutinizing a very small device he'd been tinkering with. It's hardly Jude's fault — his unit type is prone to distraction, and his particular model seems to get lost in detail work.

The reaction is brief, minute, and 9S glances up at him immediately after]

A question?

[It's surprising he'd stop by for something like that]

[talim]

Yeah. I thought I should ask in person.

Did you get any sort of... strange drug delivered to your apartment?

[deem]

Oh, those chemicals? Guess I'm not the only one...

[9S can only assume it's a chemical compound. After his experience in Aimintas, he isn't particularly keen to see how any foreign substances affect his systems. He may have gotten a good memory out of that magical iteration of the E-drug, but that doesn't mean he wants to take his chances here]

Probably best to dispose of whatever it is, since we don't have relevant data on its effects.

[talim]

Yeah, about that.

[ jude shuffles his feet and glances off to the side with a nervous smile. ]

Curiosity got the better of me. I really am a scientist at heart.

But I don't... feel any different?

[ it's phrased like a question, because he thought he'd feel something, but nope. nothing at all. ]

[deem]

[There's no fending off the frown that drags its way across his lips and takes residence there]

Jude...

[It's both reckless and dangerous and while he's the last person who can fault anyone their curiosity it's still a scary thing to see in someone else. Because what if Jude got seriously ill? What if he had a violent reaction to whatever it was?

Whatever they were given wasn't made with humans in mind]

You should be careful, until it's out of your system.

[talim]

[ he's almost flattered by 9s' disapproval, in an odd sort of way. it just means he's looking out for him. ]

Don't worry too much. I'll be careful.

[ jude crouches down beside him. ]

Anyway, what are you working on? I like watching you work.

[deem]

[Jude likes to watch him work.

The offhand comment catches him off guard, his mouth dropping open for a scant moment before he recovers]

Oh, well... I was thinking homing devices might be useful, considering recent events.

[And if they're small enough, he's hoping such technology might be easily concealed]

[talim]

That's pretty advanced stuff.

[ jude doesn't dare touch it, for fear of messing something up, but he does observe. ]

Do you even realize how smart you are? I mean, not just anyone can make homing devices in their spare time. It's just one part of you I've always been drawn to.

[ huh.

it's like all jude's thoughts are bubbling to the surface. ]

[deem]

[That sure is some serious praise.

And also a surprising thought. Always been...?

Well, Jude's always got kind thoughts to spare for everyone]

Any Scanner unit could do this much. Not that 9S models aren't top of the line, but this is pretty basic.

[Although he still appreciates the compliment]

[talim]

It's still impressive.

[ jude shifts positions so that he's kneeling, side by side. ]

Can you tell me how it works?

[deem]

[He scoots over to allow Jude more space, floor cluttered with his work as it is]

Well, it gives off a signal that can be detected by other devices, or by an android like me.

[Pretty straightforward, nothing fancy...he thinks]

[talim]

Hmm... Clever.

[ jude hums, then tilts his head and looks at 9s. ]

Remember when you said you liked my voice?

[ seemingly unrelated, but he's going somewhere with this... ]

[deem]

I don't forget easily...

[Not unless certain forces act on him, or he suffers a fatality, not that he'll bring that up]

But I meant what I said.

[Just in case that's why Jude is bringing it up]

[talim]

I know. What I mean is... I might have had an ulterior motive when I asked you to explain. It's not that I wasn't curious, but I like hearing yours, too. There's something soothing about listening to you talk technology.

[ chinhands.

jude tells himself he's laying it on a little thick today, but he can't seem to... well, keep his thoughts to himself. it's like he could burst with all the things he has to say. ]

[deem]

[There is something calming about your voice.

2B had told him that once. But having heard it before doesn't stop him from being surprised when Jude expresses a similar sentiment]

Y-you... [Really think so? He almost asks, but doesn't quite manage, taking a moment instead to collect himself] Thanks. I didn't know you felt that way.

[He wouldn't have assumed it, either]

[talim]

Really?

[ jude is surprised that 9s is so surprised. he thought it was obvious. ]

I mean... I like just about everything about you. Why assume otherwise?

[deem]

[His poor black box can't take this Jude]

I— [Am having palpitations this is too much] wh-where's this coming from, anyway?

[This is the first time he's been told something like this so plainly. In the past, Jude had needed to explain a few things to him so he could better understand, but this isn't quite the same thing]

scouting party let's go

[precedents]

[ they're not the sort to waste time, and though A2 isn't nearly as close to most of the coven members as 9S and 2B are, the fact that some of them have been taken is not something to take lightly. A2 hasn't trusted anything in shehui from the moment they arrived, and honestly, the prospect of doing something to rescue their comrades actually feels... normal, for once. these kinds of things are more familiar to her instead of doing odd jobs for credits she hardly uses, and having a goal to work towards is always something they thrived on.

she drops down a few feet away from the designated area, spotting 9S and making her way over to him. since the shopping excursion, she's taken to wearing her new clothes -- just a cropped sweater and shorts, something that isn't very different from what little she had before. at the very least, people will stop fussing over the fact that she was always walking around naked. ]

Hey.

[ looks like they're just waiting for 2B now. dirk had asked if they could scout the outskirts of the city; A2 has done some wandering around since they got here, opting not to stay in the housing complex more than necessary. hopefully they'll be able to find something. ]

the dream team in action

[apatheia]

[This is more familiar. Having a threat, having to do something about it. As much as she's enjoyed being able to explore what it's like to have free time to spend as she likes, in a sense, this is more comfortable. She knows what she has to do here and now, even if the coven is still in the middle of forming a complete plan.

There's a familiar sense of restlessness too, although that's much more unwelcome. She thinks back on when Adam had taken 9S, how she ran everywhere she could to find him. Even though they have a good idea of where the others were taken, they can't just run straight there as much as she'd like to. If they're to stay here in Shehui, this won't be as simple as rescuing them and destroying who took them.

She arrives not long after A2 in her new clothes as well, her baby blue t-shirt from 9S peeking out from underneath the collar. With such little time to waste, she simply nods at the two of them as her greeting.]

Let's head out. [Having seen 9S pacing, she imagines he'll feel slightly more at ease once they get to work. As she thinks all of them will, really.]

Re: the dream team in action

[deem]

Right.

[With a tap at empty air, 9S prompts a holographic monitor to appear in front of him. Various environmental readings crowd the edges of a map of Shehui, a trio of tiny orange indicators signifying their location. He trails a gloved finger along the map, pausing over a distant location]

Let's start here for the perimeter sweep. It should give us a good vantage point with the elevation there.

[They have a lot of populous ground to cover, and being tasked with investigating the outskirts first is something of a relief. The world they had known was yawning, vast, and largely empty. As much as he enjoys learning and exploring all that they've been exposed to, he can't deny that at times it's nearly overwhelming.

And so this familiarity is a comfort, as is taking action. He couldn't wait around any better than his fellow units]

[precedents]

[ A2 feels it too: that sense of restlessness, the need to be on the move and do something, even with a half-formed plan. it might have not happened to her personally, simply a fragment of 2B's memories, but it's not a feeling that she wants to dwell on. ]

Got it. [ there's more rural areas flanking the city, woods that may be easier to lose the monitors in. but she doubts that would deter them from pursuing if they do break everyone out. ] We'll take the high ground.

[ mostly because A2 isn't keen on travelling through the streets, the last thing they need is for anyone else to find out about their plans. they've met on the roof of the apartment complex, so getting outside of town shouldn't take them very long.

with that said, she makes her way to the edge of the roof, jumping onto the next one. ]

SCREAMS I THOUGHT I TRACKED THIS

[apatheia]

[She follows easily, dashing through the air and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Her daily life of jobs in the city meant she mostly spent it on the streets among people, but this is what she was made for. The movements come as easily as swinging a sword.]

About how many people are in the coven now?

[She directs it to both of them, although she'd guess that 9S is more likely to know. Combat models like her and A2 just weren't designed to prioritize data like that. The outskirts and woods seem like they'd be good places to hide out, but if their number is too large, that might not be as feasible as they'd like.]

[deem]

[9S follows easily enough, and following is a more comfortable thing than leading was. When they were shopping it was just as well, because he had a better of idea of where they were going. But out in the field he had always trailed after 2B, and it's cemented in his mind as the natural order of things.

Not to mention, it's easier to monitor the status of those ahead of him like this, and watch out for anything that might be cause for concern]

Let's see...some have left... [And he still wants to get to the bottom of how that works] I'd say around sixty?

[It's been a fairly consistent number in the time he's been here, though there had been more for a time. He only hopes that like Julius they're safe, wherever it is they had gone]