WRITE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE CALLED. What, exactly, is a name? What's in a name? What's in mine? Honestly, I haven't a clue. I've heard a great fuss about names, but most names are given, not taken. I, for one, have taken a name. I reached into the belly of a Nebula Shaman for it. Such primordial muck is unfit for a name, of course, so I had to forge it into something new, something much more me. A name is usually a truth. But my true name is not for you to know. You may address me as The Witnessed Day.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW. I do not remember the days that I cannot remember, do you? It is junk. I am clearly older than you, and I remember days devoid of breath. If I had to guess, I would guess incorrectly. My flesh fluttered just then. My current life stage is an ephemeral prime. I will shed this lifeskin soon, growing into my next form. I am a larvae yearning to break free from my current mortal form, hunting for apotheosis on the silent heels of time. Let us use twelve hundred years as a placeholder, but years are so outdated (as unreliable measurements oft are), don't you think?
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? It is my sound that is unique, really. The meandering song of a pickled soul. Like flesh hollow, slinking along the open ground. Such is the guttural sound of my being. Of course, most creatures are too benign to hear such music of the soul, and rely on stickly eyesight to perceive my being. Such a shame it is, really, that you folk cannot hear me for who I am. Instead, you rely on translations. I suppose you would hear my creeping presence before seeing me. Without a mouth, one learns to speak into the minds of lesser beings. Unfortunately, your minds are so primitive that I can't even read them. Regardless, perhaps the vestiges of my former incarnations offer a glimpse of the Me Eternal. Being incomplete, I cannot help the fact that what there is of me swirls around like gaseous clouds. There was a nude sketch of me circling the photosphere for some time, let me see if I can find it.
Of course, despite my dashing looks, I conceal myself beneath piles of distinctively yellow garb.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? I am a hunter by trade, and by the grace of genetics, I am a master of this. Currently, I am hunting the last vestiges of my Self, which hide in crevices of the world. I do not speak in metaphor, I mean this literally.
WHY? How else do you expect me to be whole? I am currently trying to enter a metamorphic state, so that I can realize my Self true, whole, and satisfied. Imagine me as flesh - I must be mottled away so that I can grow. So long as I exist in such a scattered form, I cannot sleep. My Self is not condensed into one form. Imagine if you were scattered like I was. Parts of my being sleep at different times. Ah, but that's not a proper way of putting it. Unless I sleep, as it were, I cannot grow. These shards of my Self, as it were, do not want to enter the chrysalis. They fear oneness with the rest of me/themselves. They fear they will be obliterated, subject to "my" (their) will. If they will not sacrifice their corpses to form the chrysalis, they must be purged, so that my mind does not wander into the waking world as I sleep. Does that make sense? I tried to dumb it down as much as I could, to be quite frank. Have you ever explained what it is like to build a Chrysalis out of corpses of conceptual abstractions of your self made manifest into the world, because they would not allow you to sleep so that you could dream yourself one step closer to perfection?
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? Sleeping, so that I may dream myself anew.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY. Fortune Telling. Do not inquire further, it is a sensitive matter. I will share with you nude sketches of my (incomplete) Self, but you will not pursue this thread any further. (If you would like your fortune told, however, that is another matter entirely. If you would like your fortune told, please feel free to visit me during times of twilight.)
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE? Walking. I have eight legs, but the part of my Self which held the knowledge of walking fled (on two legs, mind you) from me. I cannot fathom controlling two legs, let alone eight. Curse this corporeal form. But that's not too bad, I just focus very intently on how they move, and I can manage. I suppose I am also rather poor with differentiating reality from my own imagination. Woe be to the dreamer who can dream small glimpses of reality into immediate being. Countless times have I been caught talking to a figment of my own imagination. Quite embarrassing, really. There's also the whole incomplete Self aspect of my being, and needless to say, that leads to a whole variety of issues with my daily (oh, how I loathe alienating structures of temporal natures) life.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR? Feet. I think I remember dreaming about having feet, once. Did I ever have feet? In the past, I have been labeled a perverted entity when discussing this. My interest is purely one of envy. Why must I balance myself on eight legs, as if a spider? Feet seem much more efficient than fine points. Perhaps I will dream myself eight feet when I am finally allowed to do so.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY? I cannot find satisfaction with my Self as is. I see in others the things I must (re)claim for my present singular Self. How would you feel if you were starving, and you watched gluttons around you all day? They do not know what they have. If I cannot even turn to myself for company, then how can I hope to tolerate others? (You have me to turn to.)
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU. My current iteration took its name from Nebulous shamans in the Ventorl Wilds. They worshiped me as if I were a God. They fed me stories about how I used to be one of them, in an earlier iteration of being, and how I was the next step of evolution. (Perhaps this is where our ego comes from?)
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM? I pity them. I will not discuss this further, at this time.
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE. Nowhere. (That is a lie.) Fine. I find love, and comfort, within the waking dreams which oft confuse me. If I were no longer allowed to dream, I would perish. I cannot sleep, which is a burden, but without dreams, I would unconsciously dream myself out of being. A lesser form of life would not understand. (He doesn't mean to be so haughty, you know. He finds love, and comfort, in his dreams, but it's been so long since he's dreamed of breathful life. I shouldn't be confessing this, he wouldn't appreciate it, but he also finds love and comfort in the very things which make him lonely. He likes to see that others - as much as he insists on your form of life being lesser, he doesn't believe it - have the parts of himself which he hunts. It gives him hope.) You're right, I don't appreciate it.
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE? I am not. I seek to be satisfied with my Self. Doesn't everyone? I could take the low road, and say any amount of things like, "Eight legs", "Dreaming into reality", "Being shackled to the mortal realm by a truename", but the truth is that I don't see these things as making me different from everybody else. Is the big man different than the small man, solely because he is big? They both seek to be their best Self. Am I truly different? I hope that answer makes you happy. (It does.)
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? To sleep, perchance to dream. (Come on, you can do better than that.) Fine.
To become one once again, to crawl into the Chrysalis which will propel me into the sleep I need to dream myself a form anew. I wish to be free of the burden of corporeal existence. I wish to cut the shackles of life from my Self - whole - so that I can stop worrying about missing bits of my Self. I want to be satisfied, so that I can dream - truly dream, not just daydream - again. I want to dream of melting down into genetic soup, so that I can unform into a being no longer bound by form.
DO YOU TRUST ME? No. Truth be told, I am afraid you will try to do something stupid, like saving a shard of my Self which is convinced it is an individual from being reintroduced the rest of my Self. I believe that you are a strange entity with agendas which you keep to yourself. Do not take my distrust personally, I have simply not found the part of my Self which keeps my paranoia in check. (He forgot to mention his paranoia, didn't he? That should probably be in the sections about loneliness, and impacts on daily life.) Fine, I admit it. Since someone can't keep their mouth shut, I suppose I have no other choice, anyway. I do not presently have the capacity to fully trust others. OOC: Give a non-spoilery synopsis of a short adventure plot that would be personally meaningful to your character.
The Witnessed Day has shards of the Self scattered across the world. He seeks these shards to reintegrate into his own Self, so that he may grow into a fully-realized, and satisfied, individual. Most of the shards are easy to track down, easy to reintegrate. One has been giving him trouble, and he has ran out of solutions. It refuses to reintegrate, and so The Witnessed Day must destroy him in order to move forward with him Self. Think of it as bounty hunting, except the bounty is letting The Witnessed Day grow into an even grosser looking bug. Of course, being a strange fluke of synthetic-organic (un)nature, The Witnessed Day isn't the only party interested in his Self.
WRITE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE CALLED. Name's John. Mom gave me that one. Most people call me Whisper though.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW. Since I came to be and started counting I'd say it's been 25 years, give or take 3 years.
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? That's a tricky one. I don't show my face that regularly, to be honest. Neither do I use the same clothes too often. I suppose if you were to ask someone who saw my face before it would be the eyes. They are pitch black. Yes, it's weird, I know, but they work fine. In fact, they work better than just fine. The only problem is that I can't really look at the light without them hurting, so I use a mask with some goggles. I suppose the mask could be a good giveaway too since I don't change that. Other than this, I'm not too sure. Don't make a habit of looking at myself in the mirror that often either. Mostly it's just the mask.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? Looking to steal the treasure of a god, or, if those don't exist, the closest thing to one.
WHY? Mom always said to dream big, so I dreamt as big as I could and finally settled on a god. I kept thinking to myself if there wasn't something bigger than that, but couldn't really come up with anything, so I put that there for now. Oh yeah, as for the why, I guess it's because I made a bet with a friend of mine about who would be able to accomplish the biggest feat after 30 years of being adventurers, so just to make sure I wouldn't lose I decided to steal from a god. Why steal? Well, it's what I'm best at doing. What did we bet? To be honest, I think we forgot to settle on it before parting ways. I should get back to him on that at some point.
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? There's nothing that I'd rather be doing than stealing expensive things. Never put too much thought into this question before. I suppose that if I had to absolutely choose something else to do, it would be to open a shop where I could sell expensive things. But if I'm not stealing expensive things, how would I be able to sell them in the first place? This is a truly difficult matter for me.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY. I'm good at stealing things. Of course, not as in pointing a gun at people and telling them to give me their stuff, and more stealing in the sense of taking their things without them noticing. I do it all the time. Sometimes I find things in my bag that I have no recollection of stealing either. Some would say it is a curse, and others, no doubt trying to smear my reputation, say that I am just making excuses. Either way, it's just my expertise and, not particularly exaggerating, I'm very good at it, probably among the best out there, I reckon. At occasions, though, I steal things from good people on impulse and later regret it. What I do then, is put the stuff back exactly where I found it, even if I took it from someone's back pocket and it's the middle of the night and they are sleeping soundly in bed with their loved ones. This may prove even harder than stealing something in the first place. Oh, I'm also pretty handy with knives.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE? I'm not very good at communicating. Well, I can speak clearly, but sometimes I envision what I'm going to say in my mind and it just comes out entirely different from what I was trying to express as if someone else was speaking through my mouth. It's a very complicated thing and I'm not really sure why it happens, but it has put me into difficult spots more than one time. This is also something I am looking into, but it is not a big priority, as I seemingly managed to get myself by just fine up until now, so it shouldn't be a problem for our crew. Hopefully.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR? Stealing. Well, I guess I also like tunnels. I don't know what it is, but the dark and closed-off ambient is oddly comforting to me. I sleep there at times too when I can. I have met many of my friends down at these places, and though some people call me weird for it, I don't really care. I try to take showers after I go down there, though.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY? I am a person who never stops traveling, so many of the friends I make I almost never meet again. Sometimes this life can be lonely at times, but whenever I feel down I always remind myself of my goals and the sadness never really drags me down. So most times loneliness is not a problem, but I would be lying if I say I don't prefer traveling with a few companions.
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU. Mom was the one who took me in when I needed it. She wasn't really my real mom, but she was still mom for me. She had an orphanage where she took in lots of children who had nowhere else to go. There she taught us things that helped us stay alive and earn money for ourselves. It was with her that I learned how to first steal from people and found my true life's calling. Now that I think about it, raising dozens of professional thieves out of orphans was a really morally questionable decision of her part, but I suppose all of us could tell that she had only the best intentions at heart while doing it. I think. When I grew older, I decided to go on my journey and not burden her anymore. Haven't heard of her since, but I'm sure she's well.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM? She is the person I care the most about in this world and would do anything for her. I'm sure that is about as clarifying as I could be.
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE. In my goals and knowing that mom will always help me and take me in again in my time of need. Talking with some of my good friends is pretty comforting too.
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE? I suppose the eyes or the voice thing could be a good start. I don't really think that most people steal for a living either. But I guess that's not what you are asking about. I don't really know how I'm different than most people. I just follow my goals in life and like to make friends. That is pretty normal, right? I suppose this is more of a question you should make to other people who know me, I'm not sure if I can add anything relevant to this.
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? I want to one day steal something from the most powerful being in this world. I suppose that should be a good test for my abilities, and perhaps after that, I'll be sure that there's nothing I can't steal. That aligns pretty well with that whole bet thing, I think.
DO YOU TRUST ME? Trust is earned gradually. I went into this because I was up to trusting you to some degree in commanding this whole adventure as it could bring me closer to my goals, but no further than that. I know that sounds a bit crass, but in the end I think this is a pretty normal reasoning. Maybe after a while we could turn into good friends. At that point, you shouldn't wonder about this question anymore. I always trust my friends. OOC: Give a non-spoilery synopsis of a short adventure plot that would be personally meaningful to your character.
Whisper's mission of stealing something from a god brings with it many complications by simple association to the idea, and that's not even regarding the proper stealing part. First of all, he needs to know if gods exist, and if they do, where he could find them. That's something humanity has been asking itself with no proper reply for thousands of years, or so he had been told. But after painstakingly researching into the topic, the man finally found as good of a lead as he would probably get. His answers laid in an old legend that folk told each other from time to time, about a certain individual who had once met with a god and had been enlightened to the truths of the world. Though such a search seemed to be grasping at straws at best, it was all Whisper had, and a question as old as human life itself that plagued and bothered civilizations since time immemorial would not stop this man from stealing something to win a bet.
WRITE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE CALLED. I cannot write cuz I broke me arm, sire. See? So you can call me Boog-- gul. Boogul? Boogle! Aye! That! People call me Boogle. Aye. Cuz it means… ummm… “lucky” in some cultures. Soooooo aye. Call me Lucky, if it pleases ya, sire. Aye!!
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW. Oooohhhh but pshhhhh… I be in me twenties no doubt. I look young, I do but tis cuz just how I looks. And ummm… where is this ‘live stage,’ sire? Cuz doncha’ worry ya blown honker off, I am always ready to perform upon stage once called upon, I ams!
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? Oooohhh… but a svelte and muscu-tacular sexy beauty am I, oh but aaayyyyyeeee…! Maybe not as tall as the rest o’ the lasses and maybe not as curvaceous, and maybe not as coloured in the skin am I, but oh, but am I one sexy beauty, ‘tis true…! Too sexy am I for mortal eyes,that I must hide me body with a full cloak. Ya only gets t’see me overly dark eyes with unique and exotic pupils. Oh and i been told that me eyes shine like black pools made of Midnight’s love. And I gots short cropped midnight hair to boot! It feels like soft fur-- I been told…! Oh and those pointy’s ‘neath me hood… ummm…. ummm… oh…! Only but the latest style to wear FAKE cat ears. Oh! And a FAKE cat tail too. Aye. Tis the latest fashion rage after all. Ummmm… same with paintin’ yer nails black. All o’ dem. Fashion rage. Aye. Oh and these bandages on me left arm? Broke it I did, and sooooo tis upon the mend, it is. Aye. Mending. Oh! And worry not ‘bout the markings upon me shoulders. They’re just… tribal tattoos. All the rage. Y’wouldn’t understand, sire. But tell a tale t’tell ‘bout later, if it pleases ya...
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? Ooooohhhh… y’know like any other twenty something year old lass, just looking for safe passage upon yer livin’ vessel. Not that I ever been on one before…! Oh, but nay! A girlie like meself!? Hah! Paltry are the chances. As in never. Hah! Hah… sooooo are ya hirin’, sire...?
WHY? Oh, cuz life be too short, tis true. Need some adventure and new experiences in life aye? Can’t always live as a pet-- petulant kiddie-- woman! Girlie lookin’ woman for all yer life, am I right, sire? I mean, ya gots to have a decent life. Ya gots to be something more than just a vagabond. Hah! Hah… sooooo are ya lookin’ for a cleaner or somethin’ for yer live vessel, sire…?
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? Oh! Nothin’ else but workin’ ‘board yer vessel, captain sire!!! Not as if I would rather be dancin’ or climbin’ or swingin’ n’ flippin’ about like some kinda’ famous and adored and made for performin’ acrobat or nothin… hah...
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY. I can calm livin’ things by ummmm… purr songin’ at them… ummm yeah… I make soft grumbling sounds of pleasure and it calms them beasties down, it do.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE? Ohhhh… but nothin’, sire! Nothing atall really. I can clean yer vessel all safely like and efficient too…! I am a sexy beauty, I am! B-But… wait… why ya lookin’ at me like that? No, I’m not lowering me chin and startin’ to tear up at me eyes…! I’m worth it! Not useless is yer Lucky Lass... ! I’ll show ya!! Just give me a chance! Please, sire! I only aim to please… I swear I’ll be good… I swear...
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR? Beg pardon, sire? Oh this? This is Dotsies. She’s me special friend. Say hi, Dotsies! Oh. She don’t feel like talkin’ right now. She’s all white and fluffy and some may say she be just a stuffy toy cat, but she talks to me-- and more importantly, sire, Dotsies listens to me. Aye, she does. And some very sound advice she gives… ain’t that right, girlie? Oh. Dotsies don’t feel like talkin’ right now, sire. Apologies a thousand fold, if it pleases ya.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY? I DON’T!! I mean: I do not feel lonely, sire. There are others out there! Just like me! We were pets-- petulant kiddies-- WOMEN!!! Petulant women but we are strong now! Especially twenty-something year old ones! And… and… and all I have to do is just find them again. I’m not the only one left. I’m not! And besides. I have Dotsies with me! And a new job aboard this here livin’ vessel, I do! I mean… if it pleases you sire...
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU. Do ya means Dr. Starion or Ms. Kira…? Well, I… I… well, they were just loverly. And… aye! They were me parents and they took care of me. And they were very good caretakers and very responsible for feeding me. They were tall. And… had professional people hair and professional people eyes, I do remember, sire. And professional people are nice. I likes them.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM? Wellllll… I was very young when I was given away to be treated with-- I mean trained-- I mean travelling away with a new… ummm… a new family. Aye. I was too young to remember them fully, but I do remember they were very loverly and professional people that made me so that I could serve as a-- I mean they were loverly… and they would have kept me if I was not a mistake-- mistakenly not their blood daughter. I would be worth it but… I… I’m sorry sire. Next question, if it pleases ya…?
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE. ‘The answer is never… nowhere…?’ Wat? No. That isn’t right. The answer is with Dotsies and with me new job here aboard this livin’ vessel, am I right, sire? I’m not lonely! I have love and comfort.. I do...
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE? I’m not! I’m a regular lass, I swears! I do have FAKE cat ears. And a FAKE cat tail. And painted nails! And me left arm’s broken cuz it has bandages on it! But I’m regular!! Normal-- oh. That’s not what ya meants. Ummmmm… well, oops. Well, I’m a lot tougher than I looks… and I cry after I kill-- after I see things die. All things die, but don’t they sire...
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? I want… I deserve whatever I get… all the love and comfort in this here world cannot deny me that. But... I don’t want to hurt. I don’t want to kill-- I don’t want things to dies, sire. I just want to be a happy, good, useful, admired little lass… I don’t want to be what I was made to be. What we were all made to be. I want to be good. We were all good once weren’t we. And we can all change, am I right, sire…?
DO YOU TRUST ME? From me heart. From me soul. Of course I do, sire. Ain’t gots no choice, I don’t. Yer me new master and you have me loyalty since you given me a job on this here vessel. Am I hired, sire? And so I thinks the better question here though, sire, is; What of me, this here lass they call Boogles? This here ‘Lucky’ girlie, sire. Do YOU trust me…?
~~~
PRIVATELY: Oh, it’s okay, Dotsies… we gonna’ be okay, me loverly kitty. We gonna’ be okay. I swears it.
The new master may never know that were an experiment. The new master will love us and treat us right, right? We won’t be sold again. The handlers here upon this vessel will not be like those ones on the crashed vessel, the Vestige of Madrican. They will not… they will not… they will NEVER hurt us like that. EVER again. Not here. They will not pick their noses and other places and wipe upon us, Dotsies. What’s that, girlie…? No and nay, they will not call us Booger-Girlie and spit and do…. other things to us. And they will find us useful here. They will.
Oh, but don’t ya say that, Dots! They don’t know that me gauntlet is a killing device! It’s all bandaged! They will never know! And they will never ask us to kill anyone with it! We’re good, Dotsies! All o’ us girlies! All of us are good! I know our sisters had their brains fried and fired up to do no good! B-but new master says we can change! We can change them! And no and nay! Don’ ya say that neither! I’m not the only one left. The others! They survived, I just knows it! We’re all sexy beauties. You too, Dotsies.
We just have to stay here for a while, okay? We just have to work hard here and make sure they trust us. We will have a new job once sire says so. Then we will do what we have to do,okay girlie? They think me a lass in me twenties. They don't suspect we're only 9. They think me a womanly woman, I'm sure as sure, aye. One with tattoos on her back... not marks from lashes o' the whip...
It will be okay. We gonna’ be okay, me loverly kitty. They don’t know how strong I am. They don’t know what we can really do… well, once you say it’s okay that is. You just say when it’s time and we will do what we have to do. We gonna be okay. I swears it.
OOC:
There are others out there like "Lucky". The successful ones are the ones that follow their 'programming' to a tee and remain as loyal pets for the rich and arrogant.
Then there are the other ones like her. The flawed ones. The deviants that resist their purpose to please the master. These ones were programmable but had a penchant to act out violently against their masters. All these flawed ones were re-programmed and sold off as insurgent or infiltration tools; expendble asssassins.
Then there were the ones that were considered broken goods. Some were too violent due to being too feral. Others were just plain murderous and rage-filled. These were the ones rounded up and put on the Madrican to be exterminated at the terminal destination.
But Boogles was put on this vessel not because she was too feral or murderous. No, she was a good little pet... that was until she was able to feel remorse. And even worse, she was able to feel empathy. Because of that she and her batch generation is considered obsolete now. There were others like her, empathic ones, aboard that vessel to be exterminated.
Then the Madrican crashed. She escaped. Now she feels she must find her sisters, gather them and live a life of fulfillment and happiness they've always dreamed of.
I can do that? Choose a name? One that you'll address me with, something of my choosing? Well, this is good. Wait a bit... Stone. You can call me Stone.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW.
That can mean a lot of things. Let's start with my appearance. Based on my height, build, and face ((if I ever take off my hood and mask)) I look somewhere around 19? Yeah, 19. Moving on, my ((mostly)) biological age is around mid-twenties, a good age to have a child ((which she did)). Chronological-wise, the time I've been in this world, that's what I'm unsure about because I'd been hibernating for quite some time and I think there were other times that makes me think I'm a grandma. Or maybe that's just the side-effect on being unconscious for so long, you get confused a lot of times.
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE?
I always wear my oversized jacket and my hoodie is almost always never pulled down. Makes me feel nice and comfy ((even if she doesn't really need them)). Most people wear masks and helmets as I observed but I only partake in using a simple mask that cover the lower half of my face; my eyes are for all to see, provided my hoodie isn't covering them. Eye color is reddish-orange, kinda like rust, but a vibrant version of it? And of course, this hulking thing you kept stealing glances at a while ago. Didn't think I'd notice you huh? I always take this slab of metal with me. Looks a lot like a concrete pillar, right? It's not and it can turn into much bigger or smaller than that too!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW?
Traveling, mostly. I actually have some things, important ones, that I don't quite remember. I know they're in there somewhere, I ((someone else)) made sure of that but I can't seem to dig them up. Plus, this thing's purpose. I have a routine, you see ((no, she won't tell you)) and I thought it would make me remember, but nothing happens. Other than that, I'd like to explore this place. I know this is a different time from when I was last awake and some foods are new to me. I love to eat. Yes, that's it: traveling, eating, and remembering - that's all I'm doing.
WHY?
It's what I can do for now. I don't know how to fight ((she tried to, once, got beaten up bad)) and it's horrible. So much for a career out of that. I tried to be a food critic, you know, traveling around and judging food but I eat too much that most food places ban me. Sure, I can pay but having only one customer eat your food is terrible ((she means the other customers ganged up on the cooks and owners because she inhales every food they cook, no one else got to eat)). Hmm... memories are important, yes? So why'd you have to ask why I want to remember? Sure, some lost memories are best left gone but not me, I need to remember everything.
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING?
Use this thing behind me to what it's supposed to do and actually understanding what it does. No confused mind and a clear, level headed... head? And food, I love to eat, so I'd also be rather eating. Maybe for free. Also, maybe endlessly. I can eat a lot trust me ((both in quantity and variety, you don't want to know what she's capable of eating, not yet)).
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY.
Not getting sick. I'd eaten some things that make me question the people who cook them and their intent with how bad they were but once I thought I was going to die of food poisoning, nothing happened. I think I'd once eaten some food from a dead person once ((she stole it from someone dying from something)) and I didn't get what he had, his food was also dead - tastes bad. Entered a community where everyone was unnaturally sick all the time, stayed there for months, still fine and dandy. The thing is though, I think some people got better after I... um, no I'm not telling you that.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE?
I can't control my appetite, you already know that. Oh, and I don't know how to fight. Fighting looks fun ((even if she already said it's horrible)) and I'd love to be the fighting type. I think it's actually necessary of a skill nowadays. 'Cause if you don't know how to, someone can seriously take advantage of you. ((She's also not good at being consistent, she goes off on tangents a lot of the time and doesn't notice it.)).
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR?
Eating. Why do you ask so much about it? You're judging me now, aren't you?
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY?
I don't. ((She does, she fills her loneliness as she fills her stomach. And she can hold a lot in that stomach.)) Okay! I feel sad because I don't remember a lot of things! Happy?
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU.
I have bits and pieces but I think it was my... husband? Or wife? I'm not sure, there's two of them and they're always smiling and laughing with me in those bits I remember. They eat significantly less than I do, but I can just feel they care about me. They look like smart people too. That's all I really remember. I hope I remember more.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM?
What I know of them isn't much but I miss them. Miss the things we did before. I'm alone with this pillar now and they aren't here. Maybe I felt something else for them before, something more ((or less)) but I blame my lost memories.
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE.
The answer is through memories and food. That is all.
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE?
Am I? I think everybody is different from each other. That's all there is to it, I think. But physical wise, I think I'm the only one with these marks. See those rusty tattoo-like things circling my forearm, then my neck? There are more of them and the ones on my forearm glow when I 'carry' that thing around. I'm tired of calling it thing, or pillar, or whatever. Let's name it, let's call it Cradle. It feels poetic. Anyway, that thing also glows the same color when it levitates to my command. My knees down to my feet are also fake; I can move them but they're purely made of some lightweight metal, removable too. I don't really need them but levitating makes me tired. Oh, damn. I forgot to tell you I can float! The tattoos on my lower thighs glow too as I float!
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING?
To remember my life, everything from the fragmented past that I have. It'll come to me, so I try not to force myself to remember, but there are times that I just want to remember. Other than that, I don't know what I want the most. Maybe, if my elusive memories go back, I'll remember what I wanted the most.
DO YOU TRUST ME?
I trust you but I won't be surprised if things go to shit. Stuff happens, so the value of how much I trust or not trust you doesn't matter either. But you probably wont' do anything to make me not trust you right? It's kinda' annoying if you're traveling and doing jobs with someone you don't trust.
OOC: Give a non-spoilery synopsis of a short adventure plot that would be personally meaningful to your character.
Stone carries an enormous construct made of metal with her. She often sleeps inside it and it only works when she wants it to. There's a nagging inside her head that what she's lugging around has a purpose and that purpose was important for her, for the people who were once with her. So, her quest is to remember. There's a logo plastered on the Cradle and she sees it every time; people call it Labyrinth Corp. The name feels familiar, like an echo inside her head telling her it's not right. The name feels involved in her past, but that it's not really that important. So, instead of looking for people working for that corporation, she's traveling the world always waiting for her memories to come to her - waiting for triggers to coax them back out. The glowing tattoos, her never-sick body, and the Cradle. They are all intertwined and only through time will all be given light.
WRITE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE CALLED. Krita is Krita. These are Krita's community, yes. The biggs call us 'Bobblings', but that's not the right word. Close enough, though.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW. MMMMmmm...! Krita is Krita. Grown? Not an egg. Not egged. Just Krita, so that's fine.
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? So, Krita thinks that is a bad picture, Krita isn't in it. Not even Krita's community! But close enough. Been told Krita needs to wear this red scarf on Krita's head and this whistle around Krita's neck, so the biggs can work out who Krita is. Main difference between Krita and the biggs is the fact that the biggs is big and Bobblings is not-big. Krita would need to stand on about five other Bobblings to be about as tall as one bigg, which is sad really. Krita is much smarter than the biggs! Krita doesn't waste so much time fightin' other communities, after all.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? Krita and Krita's community survive on the road - some biggs call them 'HOBObblings' which Krita thinks is rude as anything, thanks for that - but Krita's secret HOBO friend Golby the Biggs offered Krita's community a place on the ship! Cleaning and fixing and cooking, mostly, though Krita doesn't appreciate the fact that other biggs keep asking Krita to use Krita's community as a food source, no way! Krita's community tastes bad, anyway. Like mouldy cake.
WHY? Krita isn't sure when, but way back when Krita realized that Krita could speak the speech of the biggs, which was very strange. Most in Krita's community can only speak their special Bobbling speech, and biggs just give them orders. But Krita was special! Why? Krita doesn't know, and neither do any of the others. But it's okay, Golby the Biggs was very kind in his messages and didn't send anyone to eat Krita and Krita's community, even when hungry. Krita's island home was dying, so Krita offered to help Golby the Biggs on his biggs quest, which is perhaps a little stereotypical of a Bobbling, but Krita would remind you that Krita is not like other Bobblings and Bobblings isn't even the correct term anyway, thanks.
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? Krita is unsure. Golby the Biggs says that Krita needs to "Make his own path" which sounds dangerous and awkward, and where would all of Krita's community go? Krita's community has been wandering for donkeys years on the back of this funny-looking waddling thing but it's kind of uncomfortable and there's way too many Bobblings all stuck together, honestly it smells way too much, thanks a lot waddling thing. Krita's community calls the waddling thing waddling thing because it's a thing that waddles, right? Mainly Krita and Krita's community would just like to find somewhere peaceful and safe, and hope that if Golby the Biggs can build a special peaceful biggs kingdom somewhere out on an island in the boonies or whatever, it will have a peaceful corner for a special Bobbling Kingdom without biggs to bother.
... Krita would like Krita's crown to be light-weight and comfy, and ideally red.
That, and at least three waddling things so Krita doesn't keep needing to smell the other members of Krita's community for days on end without even one bath when Krita's community are travelling, thanks.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY. Krita is proud of being able to talk to biggs and the fact that the others in Krita's community really look up to Krita like a big brother or a king or something. Krita is uncertain why Bobblings from other communities also choose to listen to Krita so quickly and so eagerly, but Krita isn't going to argue about it. Other than that, Krita can count all the way to ten by remembering to count Krita's limbs sequentially and 'holding some over' each time Krita runs out of limbs. Most in Krita's community struggle with that but can count way higher than ten by grouping up together and letting Krita count them. Krita's great at maths.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE? Krita is mainly upset that the biggs generally just see Krita and Krita's community as a resource to be bossed around and/or eaten, but other than that Krita is mainly annoyed that a group of young biggs are strong enough to beat up Krita's whole community without even all of both their arms working. It's awful, thanks.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR? Ketchup on sausages, and speaking the speech of the biggs. Bobblings aren't supposed to like the same food as biggs, it makes the biggs uncomfortable - especially when it's red and meaty?? Same thing if Krita speaks in the speech of the biggs. Makes the biggs wonder what else the biggs have in common with Bobblings.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY? Krita is in an odd place, because Krita struggles to understand or agree with the biggs "as equals" and the others in Krita's community don't treat Krita like other Bobblings, Krita's community mainly follow orders and give positive feedback, Krita's community don't even use one secret Bobbling swear to Krita when they follow Krita's orders. ... Most biggs don't realize that if biggs could understand Bobbling speech the biggs would ask Krita's community to take a shower and rethink things.
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU. Other Bobblings, that's always the way of it. Krita's community have always looked after Krita, ever since Krita was an egg. When Krita turns into muck and the muck turns into a bunch of new eggs, Krita's community will probably look after those eggs too, though Krita will be long gone.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM? Krita appreciates how hard working Krita's community is. Krita appreciates all Bobblings and deeply wishes that the biggs wouldn't treat them so badly or insist on eating them. They don't even taste good, not even with ketchup?? Thanks??
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE. Golby the Biggs is very eager to meet Krita and Krita's community so he's probably okay, and honestly, Krita and Krita's community still always look out for each other. That's the way of it, but Krita's community have also been looking after the waddling thing for a while because it carries the eggs and doesn't eat them unless Krita's community lets it, which only happened once and the Bobblings were very annoyed at the waddling thing and would have totally beaten it up if they were even slightly good at beating things up and the waddling thing acknowledged Krita's community rather than just following the carrots Krita's community have on a bunch of sticks. But it's okay, Krita forgives them. Krita's community is also always curious to meet new strangers that promise not to eat Bobblings and don't do it even a little bit, Krita is curious to meet the strangers who will pass through the ship called Ship run by Krita and Krita's community and maybe Golby the Biggs sometimes and will be happy to offer safe passage and warm meals (not made from Bobblings, thanks), though Krita has made it clear to Krita's community that most of the biggs will prefer to call the ship Helium Frightful, which Krita's community (literally) swear up and down is just completely the worst, thanks. Krita's community smells really bad when Krita's community talk about it too much.
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE? Krita feels this question is frustrating to answer, because Krita is a little ashamed to say that Krita is mainly unique for being a Bobbling that can talk to biggs and wanting more out of life than finding a hole, laying eggs, farming mushrooms and not being eaten more than once. Partly because mould is way easier to grow onboard a ship.
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? Peace and quiet and Krita's own personal waddling thing that actually acknowledges Krita. Krita's community has been wandering a long time and have been eaten way too many times, it's awful, thanks.
DO YOU TRUST ME? Krita has trusted Golby for months despite not meeting him, Krita would probably trust Golby till the day Krita turns into muck. Krita isn't sure why Krita feels this way, but Krita is literally the smartest Bobbling in the world, so Krita's community trust Krita on this fact and it can't possibly end badly.
---- OOC: Give a non-spoilery synopsis of a short adventure plot that would be personally meaningful to your character. Hmm...
Well, Krita's origins put him (her? they? Bobblings don't really have genders, but will stick with 'him' for simplicity's sake) as a particular oddity amongst his kind. A truly sapient Bobbling able to communicate with both humans and Bobblings, yet able to command their presence? The Bobblings are clearly of human origin - see also; their body shape, ability to understand human speech, and willingness to follow orders with little to no coercion - but are a mystery to the wider world. Discovering an abandoned mining shaft, they find it to be overgrown with mysterious mushrooms that resemble the 'caps' of Bobblings, but the caps soon begin to grow blades and become hostile. These 'violent' Bobblings are clearly trying to protect something and do not respond to Krita, so...
Who created them? What are they protecting? Something unusual. Something old. Something with the power to create living things, and something with the mindset to control them.
WRITE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE CALLED. Gyman Drethain, but just Gyman is fine.
HOW OLD ARE YOU? A LIFE STAGE IS FINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW. I’m eighteen years of age.
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE YOU IF I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE? You’d probably notice my wide dome of a hat made from a piece of a giant insect’s shell first(not pictured). Then, you might notice that my skin has a reddish hue to it and that my pure white hair contrasts with it. It may also seem strange to you that I don’t cover my face aside from the occasional scarf over the lower half and my hat to keep the sun off.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW? I’m traveling, searching for artifacts that have to do with the knights who tamed and piloted G.O.L.E.M.s
WHY? They were amazing warriors with a strong will. I want to tame and pilot my own G.O.L.E.M to reclaim my homeland from the swarms of giant insects and find out why they’re attacking us now. I might even sell some of them to fund my travels and give back to my village.
WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING? Farming with my father… living peacefully in my little village. Never thought I would say that.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT, THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF? IT CAN BE SOMETHING STUPID, THAT'S OKAY. I can play full songs on a grass whistle. It was impressive where I was from.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU SUCK AT, THAT IMPACTS YOUR DAILY LIFE? I cannot fire a gun to save my life, literally. I’ve practiced with my knives a bit, but I can’t use a gun.
WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU LOVE THAT PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY JUDGE YOU FOR? Hearing about the history of the G.O.L.E.M. knights. Everyone tells me they’re in the past, that they’re either gone or dying off. No one’s tamed a G.O.L.E.M in ages, but I’ve found something that will help me tame one.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LONELY? Everyone I know is far away and may even be dead or dying by now. I don’t know when or even if I’ll see some of them again. Including my parents and baby brother...
DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTS, CARETAKERS, OR WHATEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING YOU. My parents are simple farmers in a village nestled in a small valley. They don’t have a lot, but they always made sure my brother and I had what we needed, but they’re on hard times lately with the insects attacking.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM? Of course I love them, but I’m mostly worried for them now with the insects swarming so much lately.
WHERE DO YOU FIND LOVE AND COMFORT NOW? HINT: THE ANSWER IS NEVER NOWHERE. I suppose in Golmon’s spirit. He’s the closest thing I have to a friend now. He’s also my teacher.
WHY ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE? I’m not as quiet and docile as everyone else from the village, and I’m not afraid of the insects from the forests. I used to wander the forests all the time. They were usually calm creatures. I don’t know why they’re so aggressive now.
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? To put Golmon to rest and find the power to protect my home and figure out what’s causing the insects to attack.
DO YOU TRUST ME? Golmon mentioned your name to me, so yes.
OOC: Give a non-spoilery synopsis of a short adventure plot that would be personally meaningful to your character. Gyman carries a long package wrapped in cloth slung across his back. He is determined to deliver it to its resting place and tame his own G.O.L.E.M so he can use it to reclaim his home from the insects swarming and attacking it as well as figure out why they're attacking. The insects were always docile creatures who kept to their forest until now. Something has riled them up, and they have fled to Gyman’s village and begun swarming and overtaking it, forcing the villagers to abandon their homes and become refugees. Some of the men have attempted to reclaim the village, but no one will aid them. The volunteer militia has lost many members, some of which simply went missing int he forests near the village.
