PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 6, 2017 20:57:43 GMT
It was time to admit she was getting old.
The leviathan sat upon a stump made of ice, massaging her wrinkled claws with a frown. Around her were the leftover decorations from the festival: boxes and displays and bundles of decorations were stacked to shoulder-height in several columns. The old woman’s break took place just in front of a small storage building just outside the temple, nearer to where the monastery stood. It was a lovely little area, still integrated with the surrounding trees and plant life, just like the rest of Haven, minus the people and the noise associated with city life. She enjoyed both sounds like songs, and like songs, sometimes you were in the mood for one and not the other.
The open door to the storage house revealed a wooden interior that contained boxes and decorations just like the ones outside with Cherche. All the temple items for all the different festivals and holy days were stored here; the old woman really should have put these away weeks ago, but something always seemed to come up to sidetrack her(though, admittedly, some of those things were nice, long naps). And normally this would be a job to delegate to one of her priests, but she felt that they deserved a break as of late.
At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself. Deep down, she just wanted an excuse to prove she was still able to do some manual labor.
Unfortunately, magic could only go so far; there was a long trail of half-melted ice, stretching from the temple doors to the warehouse. She pushed the boxes just fine along the slick ground, but the combination of magic and physical labor left her feeling a little winded (on top of her joints acting up once again). With a sigh, she admitted she needed to rest a moment before continuing; magic wasn’t going to help her stack the boxes in their proper places, or put the rolled tapestries and rugs overhead in the rafters.
At this rate, she’d be here until the sun set in a few hours. Her tailed twitched irritably at the thought, but resumed its gentle sway a few moments later as the old woman huffed out a small cloud of crystalline frost. Was she truly getting so frail?
386 WORDS ● Pathos ● Enter one (1) grumpy old woman |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 6, 2017 21:51:41 GMT
Pride and excitement carried Pathos from Elijah's apartment all the way to the monastery within Arecia Woods, because today she had been given a task of utmost importance. Her blind master's instructions were clearly logged within her memory banks: Help Cherche, the governor of Haven, move decorations from the last festival back into storage. Deny any inquiries about your presence being a result of Cherche's age. Being trusted to assist someone so influential was a shock to the android, who had only resided in Haven for just barely over a month. Before leaving, Pathos made sure to wear her afternoon best -- one couldn't give others the impression that their master lived in squalor. The journey itself took little over an hour; the temple wasn't difficult to find as it cut a majestic figure through the forest. The structure looked ancient and time-tested, much like the woods that surrounded it.
The temple was sparsely populated, with few men and women entering and leaving. A few eyes were cast towards her, and Pathos remembered the advice her master imparted earlier that day. The monastery was built by the magi, for the magi, remember that, and respect its history. As the stares turned to frowns, then to scowls, Pathos diverted her gaze and hastened her walk towards the path she'd been instructed to walk. She could feel their stares follow, but mercifully, their words didn't hound her.
The profile of an old woman sat upon a block of ice near a shed, surrounded by a sizable number of decorations, caught Pathos's attention. "Hello!" she exclaimed, bounding towards the one most likely to be Cherche. "Are you Governor Du Âme? My name is Pathos, and I am here to provide assistance with your task," she explained with a broad smile on her face. This expression soon faded, replaced with a look of quizzical concern.
Pathos's azure eyes shrunk in size with a faint metallic sound, "Your brow, I can see a surplus of perspiration. You are also breathing heavily," her eyes returned to their regular size, and her frown grew more pronounced, "I advise that you allow me to do the rest of this, Governor Du Âme; over-exertion poses a serious health risk to the elderly." Every word oozed concern, but with the advice out of the way, Pathos was back to her smiling self again.
"What would you like me to move first?"
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 7, 2017 17:46:27 GMT
She flinched as she pressed too hard into a tender area of one finger. Blasted joints. Her ears twitched and hands stopped at the sound of the feminine voice. She turned; it was unfamiliar, and apparently the individual wasn’t sure who she was… perhaps a new immigrant to Haven?
The friendliness in her expression faded to an irritated glare as soon as her eyes found the figure. Oh. “Hmph, Elijah’s new toy.” She said. It wasn’t muttered or grumbled; there was no need to maintain manners around these things. No, the old magi wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t welcome. And yet, it persisted.
… to the elderly
Her claws balled into fists and the points of her sharp teeth protruded with her snarl. The audacity of this thing! And then it went back to smiling as if nothing was amiss. Faint wisps of ice formed and faded with each angry breath, complementing the icy glare she locked onto the cyborg. Elijah’s influence on the machine was clear; only he could teach metal how to be rude.
“You can start by moving yourself,” she said, pushing herself from her seat. One claw dug into the icy pillar until a combination of force and anger-induced magic caused the seat to shatter with a sound like breaking glass, following by the tink-clinking of shards falling into a pile. “Out of my sight. I do not need your help, cyborg. Shouldn’t you be off following Kingsley around like a lost pup?”
She huffed out an exasperated sigh and turned to the nearest box that allowed her to turn her back to the machine. With a small grunt, she picked it up and walked into the storage shed, where she would move to the back wall and set it down. When she did, a sharp pain stabbed through her back, causing her to flinch and inhale sharply as her tail stiffened. Slowly, she stood upright and rubbed the sore spot on her lower back. Gods, she was going to feel this tomorrow…
339 WORDS ● Pathos ● The rude side of everyone's favorite grandma |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 7, 2017 22:05:12 GMT
"Huh...?" Pathos's smile was gone; Governor Du Âme's words struck her like a slap to the face. By her account, she didn't do anything to warrant that kind of ire; in fact, she specifically worded her greeting in such a way to fully optimize her first impression as a friendly assistant. The comments regarding her master couldn't be rationalized either. New toy? What did that mean?
Thankfully, her charge presented the android with statements she could easily respond to. "I am an android, Governor Du Âme, and Mr. Kingsley personally requested that I assist you," she explained, and her smile returned once more; surely this was all a misunderstanding stemming from personal differences between her master and Governor Du Âme. "Based on my analysis of your physical state as well as Mr. Kingsley's direct request, I cannot in good faith leave you to this task alone," she was hoping to see a kindly smile from the old woman.
Instead, she received silence. Maybe the Governor didn't hear her? "Um, Governor Du Âme? Did you-" Before Pathos could finish her sentence, the old woman had picked up one of the many boxes strewn about and marched off towards a building that was likely used to store the decorations. Pathos cupped her hands over her mouth, "I will interpret that as your understanding of the situation!"
There were many other boxes lying around, so Pathos chose one at random and hoisted it up. Unsurprisingly for someone of her make and model, it was virtually weightless in her arms. She followed after Governor Du Âme who, to her shock, was nursing her back. "Please be careful, ma'am, over-exertion can lead to severe injury," she warned, setting the box next to another at the back wall. "If you are worried about me, I will assure you that I can carry heavy loads without fear of injury or exhaustion."
Clearly, the icy attitude stemmed from a misguided sense of worry for her well-being!
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 8, 2017 14:53:02 GMT
“Ha!” She barked. Of course Kingsley sent this thing to bother her. What an irritating man he was of late; she had hoped that Stella’s return would soften him, but he seemed just as intent as ever to irk her. She grunted another short laugh at the cyborg’s remark. “Good faith, good faith… and what does a machine know of faith?”
Gods give her patience. She wanted nothing to do with this thing, or any other of them! At some point, mortals deemed fit to play god and make a mockery of life… hmph.
She waved her claw at the machine’s concerns. “I know what I’m doing,” she grumbled, walking right past it to go fetch another box. Her back protested each step. “Worried? Ha! Perhaps in another cycle, machine. I have not needed assistance for almost two centuries and I did not ask for any.” Oh she was going to have words with Kingsley after this, that was certain.
Unfortunately for her pride, her body was not willing to make good on her posturing. Another attempt to lift a box would earn the leviathan another sharp pain in her back, and a whispered curse at her body’s betrayal. She shot a glare back to the machine, as if it was somehow its fault that her back ached.
With a primal growl and a swipe of her claw, she summoned another pillar of ice from the ground and took her seat. “If you refuse to leave, then I suppose you should make yourself of use instead of just being a nuisance. Move them.” She waved her hand at the boxes dismissively. “But do not put your grimy hands on those fabric rolls! Those tapestries are worth more than your existence.”
290 WORDS ● Pathos ● sweetie you don't deserve this |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 8, 2017 15:43:38 GMT
Governor Du Âme posed an interesting question: what did Pathos know of faith? As she understood it, humans and magi worshipped the Gods due to their belief that their souls would live on after death, but the android had a sinking suspicion that the question was aimed to garner one's personal opinion on the concept of faith. To that, Pathos paused and scoured for some kind of answer...to no avail. "If you are meaning to ask me what I know about the religious interpretation of faith... I cannot say that I have a need for it, owing to my lack of a soul," she admitted meekly, her kind demeanour faltering. This errand was taking a turn for the worst with every passing minute.
With these troubling thoughts rolling about her head, Pathos exited the storage shed to be greeted by Governor Du Âme's glares once more. Thankfully, the old woman deigned to finally allow someone to assist her; the android felt guilty that it took two painful attempts to lift a box for her to realize this. She began to lift the boxes and carry them off to the storage shed, where they were stacked with precision and care. These repeated trips were conducted in silence for a while, until Pathos decided that she didn't want this experience to be an entirely unpleasant one. Governor Du Âme's mood was poor because of her injuries and exhaustion, so what better way to improve it than with some friendly conversaton?
"Mr. Kingsley knows you, but he has not elaborated on your relationship," said Pathos upon picking up another box, "How well do you two know each other? Are you friends?" On her way back, she kept her eye on the old woman while carrying out her duties.
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 8, 2017 18:12:16 GMT
Cherche grunted, a small icy cloud forming in front of her for a moment before dissipating. “I expected no less, especially given who you serve and what you are.” She could only imagine what Kingsley was telling this bot to think about religions and gods. It had no soul, and no use for faith; the reverse was true, as well: what use did the faithful, Arithelia’s children, have with a soulless machine? None, as far as Cherche was concerned.
While it was busy moving boxes, Cherche closed her eyes and focused on her back pain. Over the years, she learned some tricks regarding blood control and pain relief, and slowly worked her magic on her body. It was not as effective as a Zero magi’s healing, but it would do when there weren’t any nearby. Eventually, the stabbing pain turned into a dull, consistent ache. Not perfect, but it would do for now.
One draconic eye popped open as the cyborg deemed it proper to speak again. Hmph, if only they could be commanded to only speak when spoken to. She closed her eyes again and ignored the questions for a moment. Eventually, though, she gave an exasperated sigh; it wouldn’t stop talking unless she replied, and wouldn’t listen to her demands for it to leave. Hmph.
“Kingsley is my brother-in-law. I assume you know what the term means,” she said. Her voice betrayed her irritation. Gods, was she really speaking with a machine? To her, it was akin to having a conversation with a toaster. “We are not friends. I am sure he will tell you the same if you ask him.”
Perhaps once, in a past time, they got along well. Tension due to religious differences always existed, but that did not sour their relationship. Now, however, with the future of the magi hanging by a thread and the two of them, leaders in their own rights, constantly disagreeing, they were opponents. Not enemies (at least, not to Cherche). He and Stella were the only family she had left.
With a grunt, she pushed herself off her icy seat and picked up a nearby tapestry. It was light, sheer fabric, and weighed very little, even rolled up and despite being roughly 8 feet in length. She slung it over her shoulder easily. With her free hand, she turned her previous seat into an orb of water, and commanded it to follow her into the storage building. Once inside, she placed the water at her feet, and then slowly formed a taller ice pillar under her, giving her the needed height to place the roll above in the rafters.
440 WORDS ● Pathos ● cherche please stop being awful. racist grandma |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 8, 2017 18:54:42 GMT
Governor Du Âme's words cut into Pathos, and her words repeated within the android's mind over and over. What you are; what did she mean by that? What was she in her eyes, and would that answer also be the source of Governor Du Âme's scorn and biting remarks? Moreso than her confusion, Pathos could feel emotions rising within her: sadness and embarrassment, but why?
It seemed that Governor Du Âme had succeeded in shutting this machine up, for she carried out her job without any further remarks. She didn't even express worry when the other woman started moving the fabrics she'd commanded Pathos to never touch. The android wanted to justify this with the logic of understanding how lightly weighing objects presented little risk to the elderly, but really she was more occupied with her own thoughts about Govern Du Âme's words.
"Governor Du Âme," said Pathos after picking up one of the heftier decorations, "I am beginning to think that you do not like me, but I cannot understand why," she hesitated - she wasn't certain that her next words would be received well, "...could you tell me, so that I might understand your animosity? Please, help me help you," she asked, staring straight at the old woman with a smile she'd forced herself to form again. "Is it because I do not know what faith is? I-I wouldn't mind if you taught me, we have quite a job ahead of us," she chuckled lightly at this, all the while her thoughts were chock full of a single word.
Why? Why? Why?
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 11, 2017 21:01:58 GMT
Hmph, about time the machine shut up! She was getting sick of humoring it; what kind of world was it where machines talked like people? Cherche did not enjoy it. The stubborn part of her also did not like that it persisted in moving boxes, a task that she was more than capable of handling, but the rest of her (namely, her body) was relieved at the lightened workload. She would never admit that the machine was doing a stellar job at the task, though.
With a wave, her icy pillar shrank, and the moisture dissipated into the air, leaving her flat-footed on the floor, an aura of heavy humidity around her. Just as she was enjoying the silence, though, the cyborg deemed fit to speak out of place yet again.
Oh, so the machine was able to figure that out, was it? Ha! Though its logic was, of course, faulty; how could a machine understand feelings? She clicked her tongue and levied a narrow-eyed gaze at the machine. For a moment, she saw it as a her, a lapse in her judgement, no doubt. Would she pity a toaster? No, so why this thing? Because it could speak and had a face?
“Ha, why would a machine know of faith? That is nothing but expected,” she said. She snorted out a short laugh. Honestly! “You would need a soul and a heart to understand faith, and you possess neither. It would be a waste of my time.”
At this point, her words were said as flat statements of fact. There was no malicious bite; to her, she was simply stating an observation. Cyborgs and religion had no reason to cross.
“No, it is nothing to do with faith, cyborg,” she said, picking up another tapestry. “And everything to do with your kind. Did they not fill your mind with proper history? The rise of you was the death of us, plain and simple. Humans have always feared and envied my people. So what do they do? Build machines! They built metal servants to do what they could not, all so they could finally justify our extinction!” Her voice was rising unintentionally and her grip tightened on the rolled fabric. She shot the machine another glare. “I don’t care if you’re Elijah’s little servant, I do not trust your kind. If he had a single wise bone in his body, he’d feel the same.”
She huffed and repeated her little ice trick to place the fabric next to its sibling. Once she lowered herself on the ice, the exhaustion hit her like a truck. She hunched forward, hands on her knees, huffing like she’d ran a marathon. Occasionally a small tuft of frost and a wheeze would accompany one of the breaths.
462 WORDS ● Pathos ● have a racist's logic |
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 12, 2017 19:25:39 GMT
The circuits within Pathos's mind were flaring with questions in response to Governor Du Âme's accusations and explanations. The android knew the base definition of faith, was there really some other hidden meaning that she couldn't understand by virtue of being more machine than a woman? Hearing that humans created her, however, was simply wrong, and for once Pathos felt a surge of hope that this was all a misunderstanding. So great was her excitement that she temporarily paused in her duties, turning instead to give the elder her full, undivided attention. She hesitated to face her, however, as there seemed to be something about eye contact that caused greater distress. In theory.
Pathos scoured her memory banks, double and triple-checking what she knew to avoid any potential mistakes. "I was created by the magi, Governor Du Âme, in Haven. My programming dictates that I protect your race to the best of my abilities. While I cannot deny that...other androids may be used by humans to harm your people, surely I am proof that not every machine is created for the same purpose?" she explained, and it felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her chest.
...
"Governor Du Âme?"
Turning around, Pathos was put into a state of high alert upon seeing the hunched form of Governor Du Âme within the shed. She rushed to the old woman's side and knelt down, "Governor Du Âme! Please, you are over-exerting yourself!" she exclaimed, her expression awash with concern. Gently, Pathos lifted the woman's arm and draped it over her shoulder, "You must rest, Governor Du Âme; continued labour presents a serious risk of injury," she attempted to rise while supporting Governor Du Âme's weight.
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 13, 2017 20:47:47 GMT
She rolled her eyes as the machine protested. Elijah really needed to tighten the leash on his little pet. She waved a claw dismissively at its defense with a bark of laughter. “Protect us, is that what Elijah told you? Ha! His idea of ‘protection’ is misguided and harmful to our people. And the day a machine servant protects me is the day my body is cold in the ground.” She sized up the machine with obvious irritation. “As if you even could. I have defeated foes that could have crushed you into scrap in the blink of an eye.”
She grumbled, irritated at this… this thing’s constant attempts to sway her thinking. She did not know how Elijah created this thing, which was just another reason it could not be trusted. “I will never trust a cyborg,” was her retort, simple and cold.
It may have sounded more dramatic if she wasn’t trying to catch her breath, anyway. Adjusting water’s state so frequently and so quickly was a talent that Cherche possessed, a mastery that few water magi could even deem possible… and yet it was still an exhausting feat to perform. Oh, if only she were younger.
For a moment, things were still. When Pathos tried to assist her, though, her swirling irritation at the cyborg and her own inabilities came to an explosive boil.
Sometimes magic slipped. When emotions were high and self-control failed, it could seep out without a magi’s consent. When powerful earth magi were angered, they created earthquakes. Fire magi could be surrounded in incinerating flames. Zero magi may toss everything about in a great kinetic wave, and air magi may fill the air around them with a static energy. For Cherche, though, her rage manifested in her mastery: ice.
Harmless crystals of ice crackled and exploded in the air around the two of them, showering them and the area in small bits of frost. The temperature dropped sharply to sub-zero temperatures. With a primal, rising growl, she tore her hand from the android, stumbling a few steps back but maintaining her balance through the help of her tail. She glared icicles at Pathos, still huffing heavily but with her posture squared and solid. Thick clouds of frosty mist poured out from around her rows of sharklike teeth.
“Do. Not. Touch. Me,” she growled. Her tail twitched back and forth, snapping from side to side. Claws balled into fists as the surrounding temperature began to even out, though any area touched by her icy breath was still as cold as a raging blizzard. How DARE this thing lay a hand on her! It was lucky she didn’t freeze its circuitry here and now. “Never lay a hand on me again, cyborg, if you value your continued existence.”
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Lestrade
| Seeking the peace of reason... |
|
Post by Pathos on Sept 17, 2017 23:41:00 GMT
"I am an android, not a cyb-" Pathos could not finish her thought before Governor Du Âme's explosive reaction to her attempt at a basic kindness caused several lowered temperature alerts to flash in her retinas. Magic, Pathos was versed in magi history well enough to understand their affinity for the elements, and for a moment the android feared she was under attack. Yet the icicles bounced and crackled off of her chassis harmlessly, and the lowered temperature did not pose a serious risk to her internal hardware. This display was a warning, plain and simple, but the old woman's stare was indicative of her unwillingness to give another one.
De-escalate the situation, prioritize their comfort first an foremost.
Pathos slowly backed away, her hands raised in a soothing gesture. "I apologize, Governor Du Âme. You appeared to be in distress, and my protocol dictates that your well-being is the most important aspect of our working relationship. In the future, I will...exercise restraint, but I must stress the importance of rest," her voice was even, robotic, and emotionless; a wonderfully diplomatic response if there ever was one. Slowly, she bowed her head to further stress her remorse for intruding on Governor Du Âme's personal space.
When Pathos raised her head, she examined their surroundings; more boxes needed lifting. "I will resume my duties," Pathos stated, and she returned to her routine of moving decorations to the supply shed. Her seemingly emotionless and pliant demeanor hid the innumerable logical deductions her mind was running through regarding the disasterous attempt at providing aid. She didn't dare voice her curiosities anymore, not when it was clear that there was no place for such foolish inquiries. How innocent was she, really, when Governor Du Âme hated her so?
|
|
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Sassy
|
Post by Cherche Du Âme on Sept 18, 2017 17:53:38 GMT
Hey eye twitched as the machine carried on, straightening up from her aggressive posture only once it went away to resume its duties. “Hmph,” she grunted as she readjusted the sleeves of her jacket. “How foolish of me.”
The words were said to herself, though no doubt audible to Pathos. It was not regret for her outburst that sparked the phrase, but rather a small amount of disgust for allowing herself to get so emotional over a cyborg. In hindsight, she never should have let it get to this point. The machine was a nuisance, not a person, with no emotions or feelings besides what it was programmed to do in response to different things.
So why had she gotten worked up as if it was a person? In fact, why had she even been discussing faith with it?
The thought was embarrassing and irritating. This entire endeavor was! She watched Pathos with stern eyes as it continued its duties. Another ice cloud formed from an exaggerated huff. Dammit, it really could do this task better than her, too. Cherche could have done it, but it would have taken all day. Even now she was winded and exhausted, with barely the energy to get back home.
“Finish putting it all away,” she commanded. “Everything. The fabrics are delicate. If you so much as put one tear in them, I will scrap you myself.”
With that, she stormed away, her body aching and her pride wounded. Damn machines. Tomorrow there would be words to be had with her dear brother-in-law, but tonight would be an early evening to rest her tired bones.
271 WORDS ● Pathos ● Good place to end this one? |
|
