spellbinders | [WORLD ONE

Entry tags:

[WORLD ONE | UVI ATTACK]

Who: The Uvi and coven members
Where: In and around the city land of Aimintas
When: Day 32 & 33
Open/Closed: Open to All

For coven members who haven't been in Aimintas very long, the panic of the Palai the past few days may seem like overkill. The day goes by rather quietly and Aimintas looks like a ghost town throughout the morning and most of the afternoon. Not one Palai can be seen, with shops closed and the roads virtually empty, aside from coven members.

It isn't until the sky is turning a nice shade of pink that things begin. Observant people who may be gazing up at the ocean will see the very small dots in the sky that begin to approach at a very quick speed. If you're outside, you may get to see the Uvi up close -- but perhaps not for very long.

The Uvi have rubbery bones, and they hit the dirt in a curled up position, unrolling themselves and leaping up on long, scaled legs. The shortest Uvi might come in at five feet tall, but most range from six to seven. They're lithe and gilled -- you may think they want to rely on stealth, but the sound coming out of their gills is very loud and raspy. There's no way you can't hear them coming as the ominous and rapid noise follows them everywhere.

Some of them are walking around empty handed, eyes scanning and striding up to buildings, banging on the outside and observing the inside of the house as much as they possibly can. Others are carrying large, bleached tools made of fish bone and teeth. Some look like long blades, while others look like long axes. These are used for cutting into doors and other violent tasks they feel the need to complete.

Whether the Uvi visiting turns into a brawl or a blood bath, eventually the Uvi will return to the ocean with Palai bodies in tow. At around 4 AM, the Uvi begin to shriek, some making noises that are too high pitched for most ears to hear. From the sky, large flying fish descend from the sky and find their masters.

The Palai are hoisted onto the back of these creatures and they take off, flying back into the ocean.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There's nothing you're supposed to say. This isn't a pop quiz.

[ he sighs again, running a hand through his tousled hair. should he press the issue, or should he drop it and go back to the task at hand?

well... who says he can't do both? ]

Come here, Nines. Just walk with me.

[9S almost admits that he doesn't know what a pop quiz is supposed to be, but he decides against it.

Instead, he ducks under another fallen beam toward a room they haven't yet examined]

I should take point, just in case. [Although he already has anyway-] I can't help the civilians like you can.

[ jude allows 9s to take point without objecton, but he still shakes his head. ]

Shielding them and fighting off the Uvi is helping them just as much. You're doing more than your share of the work here. Give yourself some credit.

[ the room seems deserted, and much like the rest of the place they've explored, it's both dark and silent. jude's still on his toes, of course, but if 9s thinks the conversation is finished, well... that's unfortunate. ]

Listen. What I meant is that there's no right answer. All I want is to hear how you really feel. Deep down, deep inside — you.

You've been going on and on about doing what you're programmed to do, but... look at it this way. What about me? Were you programmed to make friends? You have so many different opportunities waiting for you. So many things to explore.

[How he really feels...

That's actually quite the disturbing thought to entertain. Perhaps one person had known the truth to that, and had exacted as much from him by force. 9S will never forget that experience, violating as it was.

What Jude suggests of course is nothing at all like that. Even so, there has never been a time when 9S could be entirely honest about how he felt. Not about the things that mattered]

Funny thing about that... [Making friends. He starts, only to cut himself off. 2B had to befriend him, and it was a job. One she grew to hate, but nevertheless, it was something her unit type was programmed to do. But his knowledge of this is something he hasn't even made 2B aware of, lest he cause her more pain. And so instead-] Emotions are prohibited to YoRHa.

[It's not funny at all, is it?]

Prohibited?

[ 9s has told him a lot of strange things about his life as an android living in a world so different from all that jude knows. things that have surprised him, shocked him, bewildered him. but this? this is on another level. ]

... Prohibited by who, exactly? Because last I checked, emotions don't have an on/off button.

By Command.

[Not that Command exists anymore, but they're nevertheless designed with an inherent sense that their emotions are something they're supposed to control and tamp down. It's why he's grappled with a private shame for a long time, because his feelings are as strong as they are conflicted.

The guilt he feels for this, both the negative emotions he wishes he didn't have and the fact that he can't control it when he's supposed to, lingers with him still]

Ask 2B and she'll tell you the same... She's just better at adhering to it than I am.

[Not that he considers that a good thing, and there's something vaguely pained in his tone, though it might easily be overlooked. 2B's private suffering weighs heavy on his mind, but he doesn't have the first idea how to approach that.

Because he's the reason for it all]

Command.

[ he repeats, blankly. jude clearly doesn't get it. doesn't understand in the slightest. doesn't want to understand. he's perceptive enough to hear the pain in 9s' tone, see it in the downward curve of his lips, and the extent of the effort 9s is puttng into trying to bury it is enough to make jude's chest ache. ]

I don't care what this Command of yours says. Emotions are nothing to be reprimanded for. Emotions are necessary. Without emotions, we'd all just be nothing but empty shells. You're smart, 9S. Kind. There's no reason to berate yourself over feeling things. That's just insane.

[ they're still close enough to touch, and jude, with his ever-present desire to comfort, grasps 9s' gloved hand with his callused palm and gives it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. his tone softens when he speaks again. ]

9S. I know there are things we can't see eye-to-eye on. I get it. By your standards, I'm nothing but an ignorant outsider. Perhaps that's the truth.

But...

[ jude begins to peel 9s' glove off. the soft skin of his hand is warmer than jude thought it'd be. ]

Can you trust me on this one thing?

[By now, 9S is forming the impression that humans seek contact. It's something that he can understand, in his own way, but he nevertheless finds it strange when he's on the receiving end. What he initiates he can excuse as intellectual curiosity, learning something he might share with other androids should he ever see them again, and that makes it simpler.

Jude, he thinks, has no such rationale to adopt. Perhaps he's curious as to whether androids are actually warm or not, but he doubts it. Especially when he seems so terribly insistent about this subject.

Not when, it seems to him, Jude is trying so hard to make him look at things in human terms. It's as kind as it is wrong, and his awareness of his inferiority thrums its way through his thought circuits]

It isn't that you're ignorant. [He couldn't agree with such a deprecating thing...when it's directed at a human. When it's directed at Jude, who has only ever been kind to him, even if it's too much] But I'm not the same as you. I can't be, and that's never bothered me.

[All that had troubled him was the yawning void in the wake of fighting for a cause he'd believed in since he was first brought online]

I don't know why you don't understand that.

[Which is to say, trusting and believing are quite different]

[ with 9s' glove discarded, jude absentmindedly brushes his fingers over his knuckles in a soothing gesture. he lets himself marvel at just how soft an android's skin is before looking right at him. they'd be locking eyes if 9s wasn't wearing those goggles of his. jude wishes he'd remove them every once in awhile. ]

I do understand our objective differences. I do.

[ he rubs slow circles into 9s' palm with his thumb. ]

But I also understand the myriad things we share, and I don't know why you don't understand where I'm coming from, either. If you didn't have emotions...

[ jude pauses, casting his eyes down toward the ground and halting the movement of his hand. ]

... then we'd never be having this conversation, would we? Perhaps we never would have even met. There's no doubt we wouldn't have befriended one another.

And I value your friendship, Nines. I'm glad I have someone I can trust to back me up here with me.

[It's a curious thing, the way Jude touches his hand. 9S isn't sure if it's intended to comfort one of them, and if so, which of them it's really meant for. He remains still, if only because of that uncertainty. Thinking in terms of how a human would respond to this gesture doesn't sit right with him, and yet, he has no other frame of reference to draw on.

Jude's hands are rougher than his, he notes. There was only so much he could gauge while wearing his gloves, but having worn them nigh-constantly, it's strange to be without one now. Maybe it's wrong, direct contact like this.

After all, if the data he was shown in the Tower was right, then... Wouldn't he be unfit? If a vital component of his was made with parts from the enemy of mankind, then...

He violently shoves the thought aside. It's not something he wants to be. Not something he wants to believe]

I didn't say that I don't feel, but...I'm not supposed to.

[Maybe he would've been more effective if he didn't, but as he'd learned despite trying so hard to deny it, even machines had the capacity for emotions]

And it seems to me that you're more concerned than necessary.

Command isn't here to order you around anymore. This is a whole new world. A whole new adventure to be had, a whole new place to explore without those strict rules and limits.

[ jude finally releases 9s' hand, giving him a light pat on the shoulder before he pulls back and lets his arm drop. he doesn't realize he's still clutching 9s' glove. ]

Just what constitutes as more concerned than necessary? Where's the line between concerned and too concerned? Because I don't see it.

... I know I tend to get carried away and pry into other people's business a little too much, good intentions aside. It's a character flaw that I'm willing to own up to. It's just...

[ he sighs and rubs his temples. ]

I don't know.

Let's... keep going. There's still a lot to explore.

[Jude may not notice he's holding that glove, but 9S does. And so he's going to hold out his hand and wait for its return, accustomed to replacing missing pieces of his uniform as a matter of course. Usually it was his goggles, but it's reflexive regardless of which article of clothing he lacks]

I'll look weird with just one glove.

[He explains after several moments of his hand simply hovering there, buying himself some time to respond to the rest. The fact is: he doesn't know how to answer Jude. The harder he tries, the heavier his awareness of his own unworthiness, and a part of him fears it might crush him in due time.

It isn't that he's ungrateful, but after all he's seen, and all he's done... Should so much really be given to him? He just doesn't know. His core programming ached and mourned and longed for humanity, but faced with it now, can he even live up to what he was supposed to be?

That is, the ideal and not the disappointing reality]

I think, maybe... [He hesitates, frowning. Is he in a position to say this?] You give people too much too quickly. You don't know that much about me, but even so...

[Even so, he keeps fighting tooth and nail to try and get him to look at himself the way a human would. It's nothing he ever expected or imagined]

It's kind of scary, because someone might hurt you. [And that notion is terrifying for someone like him, having lost his creators once. In reality they'd been gone so long before he ever existed, and yet the realization of that truth was devastating, as though he'd only been moments too late to save them] But I...guess that's what someone like me is for.

[He lets his hand drop, and turns back to the path ahead. For the moment, it's the best he can offer Jude...some strange version of looking out for one another, even if he feels only one of them deserves that]

A-Ah... Right. Sorry about that.

[ jude holds his glove out to him, mild embarrassment coloring his cheeks. ]

You might be right. This isn't the first time I've been told something like that. At least you didn't call me a meddlesome do-gooder.

[ smh alvin. ]

But I can't be afraid to commit to a friendship just because there's a slight chance I might end up getting hurt. I'm stronger than that. And you'd be surprised, the changes people can make when you offer them patience and understanding. Most people out to hurt others are hurting themselves, and while that's no excuse... There's a chance to pull them out of that vicious cycle.

[ speaking of alvin... by offering alvin his compassion, his forgiveness, his kindness, jude did get hurt. more than once. he was hurt, betrayed... but eventually, things did work out. after all that, he can call alvin one of his closest friends, and one of his most loyal, too. jude can rely on him whenever he needs him, anytime, anywhere.

he had to learn to stand up for himself, to stop allowing himself to be played with, but everything they went through was worth it when alvin pulled through and came out on the other side. maybe other people would have given up, but jude is jude. he will always be nobody but himself, and if that involves giving too much too soon, then... well. it is what it is.

that being said, though... 9s' remark touches him profoundly. his subtle acceptance, his promise. ]

... Thanks, 9S. For looking out for me. You're right. I could use more people like you.

[Hearing Jude explain himself, 9S is only more convinced: he is too kind, and it is cause for concern. In a world like the one he's known, he imagines such a person would be destroyed, and it's a thought that he can only be disquieted by. He feels no less certain that he's unworthy of having that same kindness doled out to him so generously, but perhaps by ensuring it doesn't lead Jude to be harmed, he can balance it out in some way.

It seems like very little, but it's all that he can think of to do when it seems that the other boy won't be deterred. If he's too busy worrying about everyone else to look out for himself... Surely 9S can do that much]

You seem pretty reckless, but... I'll do my best.

[His role with 2B has always been support, anyway. This is, in a strange and unfamiliar way, the sort of thing he does.

Now that his glove has been returned to him, he lets his weapon flicker back to its place on his back so he can put it back on. And it's in that moment that the ceiling above them groans, only to give way in a rain of dust, debris, and one decidedly unfriendly Uvi standing atop that mound of broken materials.

9S snaps to attention, throwing an arm toward the Uvi before it can regain its balance. His sword sails across the short distance between them and this hostile presence like he's thrown it full force, spinning through the air to strike the Uvi's chest. The blade cuts, but not as deeply as 9S might like]

A thick hide, huh...natural armor.

[He'd suspected as much, and makes another gesture, his weapon circling back to sail at their opponent again to strike the same place]

9S!

[ 9s reacts quicker than jude does, but as soon as he's moving, so is jude. they both have quick reflexes, but jude can't match an android. ]

We're caved in!

[ he sees 9s' sword clash against the uvi once, and then twice. it doesn't seem to do too much damage — natural armor indeed. ]

Aqua Protection!

[ a defensive arte. suddenly, three small water spheres surround 9s. after that... jude closes his eyes and begins summoning the mana to cast flare bomb, an arte that will shoot a jet of flame to (hopefully) penetrate the uvi's defense when it explodes on contact. it's a powerful arte, one jude uses sparingly. ]

Just back me up! Don't let him come near me while I'm casting! And be careful. I don't want you getting caught in the line of fire.

[It's enough to make 9S halt for a beat, staring at what appear to be bubbles hovering around him. He realizes quickly that it must be magic, but he's never seen defensive spheres quite like this before. Usually ones of this size were being hurled at him rapid-fire by enemies, and they did damage.

His blade may not have hit home the first time, but 9S is accustomed to defeating foes with far more durable armor than this. Usually he'd have hacking to beleaguer such opponents, but that doesn't mean that he's content to sit back and let Jude do all of the work.

If his spells take time though...that means diversionary tactics would work best]

Understood-

[9S circles around, only to rush the enemy from behind, getting perhaps too close for his unit type. Still, he takes that opportunity to unleash a flurry of strikes with his weapon again, moving his arms to direct it rather than wielding the blade directly. With a screech, the Uvi wheels on him and brings its spear crashing down.

But before it hits him, 9S flips nimbly away, afterimages flowering out around him. The Uvi is, at least for a moment, diverted by these, attacking them only to stumble through open air]

Edited 2017-08-24 00:42 (UTC)

[ jude is awed by 9s' speed and precision, wide eyes unable to keep up with his lightning fast movements.

and he said he wasn't a combat unit? jude can't even imagine 2b in a fight if this is 9s.

seconds later, jude's arte is ready, and he shouts at 9s one last time before dispelling it. ]

9S, look out! Flare Bomb!

[ and then there's a sharp stream of fire in the blink of an eye and a small explosion that hits what's left of the uvi's defense, burning it to the core. the magic seems to do the job; the uvi is reacting with a terrible, ear-shattering shriek. jude subconsciously scrunches his eyes shut until the noise dies down. his mana is dangerously close to being drained, so there's not much more he can do. he shouts out one final order to 9s, jude's sharp voice echoing across the confined walls. ]

Go ahead! Finish it off!

Edited (WHAT IS WORDING) 2017-08-25 03:42 (UTC)

[This two-pronged attack comes with an air of familiarity, for all that 9S is only used to having ever coordinated attacks with 2B. It's been a long time since he'd combined forces with anyone but Pod 153, who at times felt more of an extension of himself than a separate entity despite the reality that their thoughts were separate. 9S only reflects on it briefly.

And it's only because it occurs to him just how long it has been]

Right-

[In the next instant he's swept his wandering thoughts aside, guiding his weapon with another gesture. His sword strikes the same place it had weakened with previous attacks, this time stabbing instead of slashing. Between cuts and burns, the blade plunges in with little resistance, cleaving through the Uvi's torso with savage efficiency.

From what data he's gathered in this encounter, and some educated guesses, 9S isn't surprised when the Uvi staggers, blood bubbling from the corners of its mouth. The angle at which his blade sank in assured that multiple vital organs would be punched through, and massive internal damage would be the result. The Uvi's legs buckle, abruptly unable to support the creature's weight, and it collapses.

9S' weapon flickers back into place behind him without ceremony]

... Glad that's over.

[ jude releases a heavy sigh of relief, dusting himself off and making his way over to 9s' side. ]

You okay? No injuries?

[ never mind that 1. jude wouldn't know how to treat an android's injuries and 2. 9s can perform his own maintenance, he's turning his arm over in his hand just to make sure. because he's jude, and that's what jude does. ]

Looking good. We made a pretty good team back there, huh?

[ jude offers him a weary smile. between the extensive healing and the battle, that sort of took the wind out of his sails. ]

[It's a curious thing, seeing Jude inspect him for injuries. 9S can only watch this process and wonder at it, for all that he thinks such concern is unnecessary. Even so, his core programming ensures that he's nevertheless comforted by it]

The enemy didn't exactly have a chance to hit me.

[He's accustomed to opponents that had him scrambling. Comparatively speaking, these Uvi don't seem like they're in the same field at all. Of course, he can't be sure that this one is representative of them all. Even among YoRHa there are those who are more powerful than others, so he isn't going to assume his is the worst they'll see]

It looks like the building took some structural damage. [9S kicks fallen support beams with his boot, though he hasn't stopped watching Jude, for one simple reason] Aaaand it seems like maybe you could use a breather.

[Well, not even maybe, but he's softening his assertion into a suggestion]

Edited 2017-08-25 07:02 (UTC)

Haah... Okay, maybe you're right. I'll give.

[ with another sigh, jude slumps down, back to the wall, eyes fluttering closed. he didn't realize quite how drained he was until 9s brought him back to reality.

he doesn't open his eyes when he speaks, rolling his shoulders. the opportunity to take some time to recharge is greatly appreciated. ]

So, the collapse... are we stuck in here, or do you see a way out?

[9S lifts a hand to tap at the air, holographic screens springing to life in front of him. He hums thoughtfully as he looks them over, briefly reviewing the data displayed there before he's flicking them away and out of sight]

The collapse here affected the entrance we used... But I think I can make an opening.

[He's just not going to explain to Jude what exactly that entails. Knowing that the buildings are largely wrought of stone, they have very few options available to them. And although Jude treated the injured, they still should get them out of here as soon as possible]

...Wait here, I'll look into it.

[And without waiting for a reply, 9S ducks through an opening in the wall just barely large enough for him to get through]

How are you planning on—

[ aaand he's gone. all jude can do now is wait, anxiety gnawing at his chest. he knows he should just trust 9s, but... ]

[Trust might be a strong word.

Especially since the low blare of a warning siren cuts through the still air. Through the gap in the wall, Jude may be able to see 9S standing close to the rubble blocking the building's main entrance, holographic warning signs blazing to livid red life all around him as he clutches his head.

Words hang in the air in front of him:

∎ SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEM ACTIVATED ∎

His body shakes as the warning signs become more numerous, and he shouts before an explosion engulfs him. This is accompanied by another helpful message as he drops to the ground like a discarded rag-doll.

∎ DETONATION ∎

...At least the rubble is cleared in the blast]

Edited 2017-08-25 07:31 (UTC)

[ the very second jude hears the explosion, he's up and moving in the blink of an eye, rushing toward the area 9s had wandered off to. what he sees is one android collapsed in a pile of dirt and rubble. there's smoke surrounding him, so much it's practically engulfing him. ]

9S? 9S! What did you—

[ jude stumbles over his words, torn between worry and anger. mostly worry, but 9s' recklessness... how could he care that little about what happens to him? how could he go to such extreme lengths? ]

We would have found another way out! How could you do this to yourself? Do you have any idea how reckless that was? Honestly—

[ jude's voice is unsteady, hands shaking as he turns 9s over to assess the damage. the thought that he has no idea what to do frightens him. he cradles 9s in his arms, looking him up and down with wide eyes, grey clouds of smoke still surrounding them. ]

9S.

[ jude takes a deep breath: inhale, exhale. he needs to be calm. ]

Never do that again.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kl4hJ4j48s

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