So what are you in here for?

>>535056
>>535088
I suppose hugs ARE the natural instinct of the snake.

Alexa 2013/08/17(Sat)20:58 No. 535266 ID: 092337
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I'm not gonna hug him I mean look he's like if I get that close he'll probably go in-- I mean yeah okay different thing at least he can't tell I haven't seen a guy in a while either I uh moving on

"So uh what's up-- I mean uh hey how did you get in her-- here HERE how did you get in here? I'm uh we should turn around or something."
"Yeah that sounds good."

We turn around. I look behind to see if he's turned around and I look at him looking at me to see if I've turned around. We both snap back to looking forward. After a few seconds he talks again.

"Well, I am not entirely sure how I got here, but there was this weird metal machine thing yelling about how it was going to fix the city, and no foreigners allowed, and this and that."
"Oh. Yeah the same thing happened to me."
"How did you get here?"
"I was brought along by someone who said something about walking between dreams. There was a lot of white lights and mist and then I was here."
"Weird. I wonder if I walked between dreams from Great River to this miserable place. Or at least it felt like Great River but also not quite. Too cold really. Great River's pretty warm."
"Great River?"
"Where I'm from! I can't remember a lot about it but I loved living in Great River. Of course, I never really went much elsewhere, it got too cold and the people got less laid back and more uptight. Life was harder out there, I heard, but no one wanted to come to Great River. Said we were all a bunch of primitives more concerned with screwing each other than with doing anything that'd last."
"Oh. I don't remember anything about where I came from. I remember a lot of water. Not a river, and I came from somewhere greyer than I remember living. I remember so much green. Maybe a jungle?"
"You don't even remember where you came from?"
"Not really. It's... I remember others like me but so little else."
"Oh."

I look around for Xia and can't see her anywhere.

"So how are we getting out of here? How long have you been here?"
"Don't know and maybe half an hour? Not sure. Wait you said dreams before, right? Is this a dream? It feels pretty real to me."
"Yeah, I don't feel like this is a dream either."

I just stand awkwardly around and don't know what else to say or do.

Both of you stand with your backs to the wall with the door so when the guards come back it will look like you've escaped and they'll walk further into the cell. Then you can escape!

That wasn't a hug! :(

>doesn't feel like a dream
It never does, when you're dreaming. But if you moved from one dream to another, maybe that's why it's so hard to remember, now. It's hard to remember a dream, when you wake. Maybe it's the same leaving one.

Not sure what else there is to do, aside from searching your cell or maybe... trying to something dreamy. Xia could do that mist thing.

where could Xia have gone, she came in here with you right? Ah well might as well look around and see what you can find in here, don't expect much though.

talk to him about trying the various irritating-your-guards things

There anything or anyone else in this cell other than you and Masud? Anything on or in the walls, or are they smooth save for those red lines? Even if they are smooth, maybe a part of them can be pressed in or reacts to touch or sounds hollow when banged on or something?

Suggest to Masud that the both of you search the walls to see if any part of them moves or is different or something. Keep to opposite sides so you won't catch a glimpse of each other's nakedness and get distracted.

You could also try banging on the cell door to see if it'll bring a guard. Then if one comes, you can try to request clothing, or at least something to wrap yourselves up in, and ask how they're going to handle food, water, and sanitation facilities for you two. After all, the city must have rules about how to handle the incarceration of prisoners, and that's the basics of that.

Alexa 2013/08/18(Sun)20:12 No. 535545 ID: 092337
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Okay! Fine! I'll hug him! Here! I'm hugging him and he's rubbing up against me and this is stupid and also kind of really distracting but I'll do it anyway!

"what are you doing."
"Giving you a hug to reassure you that we're going to get out of this just fine!"
"I, uh, okay then."

This is really awkward still so I stop hugging him. I look around and see basically nothing. This is a pretty empty room.

"Don't worry, I think I have a plan to get out of here."
"You do?"

"I'M SICK!" I scream at the closed door to the room. "I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA BE SICK ALL OVER THE FLOOR!"

I look at Masud and smile at him.

"This is your plan?"

Alexa 2013/08/18(Sun)20:13 No. 535546 ID: 092337
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Suddenly the metal thing from before opens the door and charges into the room all skittery like.

"QUARAAANTIIIIIIIIIIIINE! ALL INFECTED INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO BE PUT INTO QUARANTIIIIIIINNE! NO PATHOGENS ALLOWED IN THE CITY OUTSIDE THE DESIGNATED AREAS!!"
"Actually uh I think I feel okay now--"
"NO EXCEPTIIIOOOOOONS! QUARANTIIIIIIIIIINE!!"

Me and Masud cringe as the thing's voice breaks in pitch a little. I hear hissing and see clouds of something from the ceiling--

Alexa 2013/08/18(Sun)20:13 No. 535547 ID: 092337
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--ngghh head swimmy.

Oh.

"Great plan, Alexa," says Masud. "Lemme know if you have another."

"So I don't know how to check if something is diseased or not so I am pretty sure the only option is dissection and incineration."
"You're going to burn us?!"
"No just the soft tissues. The bones will be clean! Clean and free from infection. Wait no maybe the insides of the bones will need incineration too. Better crush the bones and incinerate those too."
"This doesn't sound like a good way to fix sick people for your great city."
"Okay FINE I will go look for a medical bot and use PRECIOUS RESOURCES like TIME and ENERGY getting it running again for the sake of DISEASED NON-CITIZENS. Then I will tell you how and why you are diseased and sterilise you and make you pathogen free just like I said. Don't leave or the wireless medical sensors act as tiny powerful bombs to prevent outbreak!"
"Wait!"
"What?"

...I can't think of a thing to say argh help me here! There's gotta be something I can say to get us out of this place!

"i was with Xia when we got here, should be here too just in case she has it as well"

tiny powerful bombs aren't precious resources ? i dont know ! try removing them

Why does a robot in charge of a robots-only city even care about biological diseases?!

Worst cold shower ever.

...you could bluff and say that Xia has medical knowledge. The robot could get her, instead of wasting precious resources.

Tiny powerful bombs?

...Man with the lack of construction resources he's probably the only functional high-reasoning unit left in the facility.

You could threaten to blow him up with you given he intends to kill you either way.

>>535550
Do this. Play up that she's probably the carrier of whatever you have or something and won't even show symptoms. We must absolutely get her in this room, we can't just let her get us into trouble and leave us! Also to bring in more women to keep Masud on his toes.

Alexa 2013/08/18(Sun)21:27 No. 535591 ID: 092337
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"Hey! What about Xia? The white lizard lady with the blue eyes you saw me with earlier! She's probably a carrier of whatever I have too!"

"...I HAVE TO GO! AAAAAA!"

"Also we could blow you up if--"

Nope it ran away. Well, maybe that gives us time to... these things pop off.

"Alexa what are you doing he said that these things were tiny explosive thingies!"
"Oh, uh, I um, maybe I should put it back on."
"Wait, no, just, maybe we should take these off."

We take off the weird things. Masud asks me "So what now?"

I, uh.

Just me and Masud.

Alone in a room.

...

>>535591
Ask him about his thing!

Like where he is from and junk!

...toss one of the little things outside the room. See if they really do blow up if you leave.

once xia gets here we do another dream jump.

Yeah ok no I don't trust you two together in a room alone and unsupervised. Let's get scheming. Those things explode if they are trying to leave the room, right? What if you throw them at the door?

unless you're suggesting something I say explore.

And hey if you run into that little robot dude again just say you had to us the restroom or something. He doesn't seem to knowledgeable about organics.

>>535596
no, hold on to them all, cover the robot in them THEN throw it outside he room. then dream jump before renforcements arrive.

May as well enjoy yourself. Xia will be along soon enough.

YOU SEEM TO BE HINTING AT SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO DO so why not just go ahead and do it

>>535591
If you wanted to do stuff with him right after meeting him why didn't you just do it in the jail cell? What are your standards for sex anyway? How long do you need to know a guy for it to be considered socially acceptable? Also for chrissakes why don't either of you wear any clothes?

>>535591
S̶o̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶j̶o̶b̶.̶

We should probably get away from these explosive suction cups.

In a nervous response to the situation flick your tongue out without thinking, straight into Masud's nostril. Break into a fit of giggles at his reaction and try to apologize through them.

Now, it's obvious you two would like to screw each other, so just get to it already; The sexual release will be good for the both of you. And it's not like there's gonna be long-term consequences for you, what with you two not even being the same species (and also dream-people, probably.)

Slither up to Masud, give him a tight hug, and ask in a hushed tone if he'd like to go farther than this, with a glance down for emphasis. When he inevitably agrees, figure out together what each of your species equivalent of kissing is, and go from there. You'll have to be quick, since that thinker-bot could come back at any time, but try to make it good.

Don't bother leaving to explore. You'd just run into one of those dumb guard machines like you did earlier, and they'd bring the thinker-bot back. Not like you have any reason to explore other than finding Xia, and the bot is bringing her here.

Also don't test the explosiveness of the thingies by throwing them out the door, since that'd bring attention if they did blow up. Just stick them together, overlapping their edges to make a small sheet with the sticky on one side, and place them on the table. That way it'll be easy to slap the whole lot of them on the thinker-bot and kick it out the door, if it comes to that.

Hey, you ever notice how you can understand what all these people are saying, and that they can understand you? And that they can all understand each other? They couldn't possibly be speaking the same language, right?

>>535618
They're naked 'cause clothes don't cross from dream to dream, and there's nothing here to wear as clothes or even wrap around themselves. Guess they're just gonna have to get used to being in the nude much more often than not from now on, eh?

>>535591
I think it would probably be better to look around the room and talk about your homelands and experiences maybe? If you are going to be seeing Xia soon you should probably talk to Masud about her, plus that little quad will probably be back soon and if you are doing something unexpected it will probably freak out again.
...That thing really needs to sit down and do things other than what it is required to do for a while.

Naaah, don't kill the robot thing; it's just trying to run its city. Well, I mean, if he actually tries to kill you, I guess all's fair....

Alexa 2013/08/23(Fri)01:11 No. 536804 ID: d88f69
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"So... how is Great River?"
"It's pretty great! Trees everywhere, the river itself is wide and always full, food grows everywhere you can think of, the ladies were pretty and it was basically just a paradise and now that I think about it you seem kinda familiar. Like there were my people and then up at the bottom of White Falls there were these people who looked more like you. And we'd mix around a fair bit."
"White Falls?"
"Yeah, the water was so foamy from the falls that it looked white!"
"But I remember more green. Green and orange. Kind of like me. Like we were green like trees but orange like the fruit. Hey, this is starting to come back to me now!"
"Hey, yeah, I remember now! You're like a tree with all the green and the orange fruits and uh I mean well the orange details like your eyes! Eyes are very orange."
"T-thanks?"

There's another awkward pause. I put a hand on Masud's shoulder.

"s-so you know earlier, when we just met and you--"
"Okay Alexa here is the thing. If you were one of my people I would probably say yes right now but even then we're in some weird situation with a metal thingy that wants to blow us up or set us on fire, I am not entirely sure which! I am not really happy doing such things with such danger around! Also I don't really know you and you don't really know you and it just doesn't feel right."
"Oh."
"Sorry."
"N-no, no, it's okay, I hadn't thought of that."
"Ask me again later when we're in a safer place! And we know each other a little better. I mean I knew Great River we were all mostly in one place and knew each other a fair bit so there was different awkward but not the awkward of not really knowing each other!"

...wonder when Xia's showing up.

Alexa 2013/08/23(Fri)01:11 No. 536805 ID: d88f69
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"CONTRABAAAAND! NO CONTRABAND ALLOWED IN QUARANTINE!"

I hear a bunch of clicks and squeaks and multiple weird overlapping sound tone thingies like someone hitting instruments.

"Oh. Okay then."

More noises. I hear Xia's voice! "Picking up, oh, let's say a friend of mine. We'll be moving on out soon enough."

More noises. Weird. It's too noisy to be music but there's like patterns and stuff.

"Well, don't think there's much to gain from standing around this lonely place. What about you, fixer?"
"...I... I can fix this city. I can fix it. I can fix it okay I can I can I can!"
"I'll ask you later. You'll probably see why soon."
"Are you sure you want to go into quarantine?? I can't let you out until I know you're free of disease and I don't know how to do that!"
"Is it against your programming?"
"No, I'm a multifunctional higher reasoning unit! I don't have hardcoded restrictions like some stupid floater! I just... I don't want to get into trouble if they come back and--"
"They ain't coming back."
"...but."
"They're gone."
"But I did everything I was supposed to. Everything. They have to come back."
"You said it yourself. 'Outsider force destroyed everything.' What's left to come back?"
"..."

Xia shows up and the metal thingy looks kind of droopy. It slumps against the wall and doesn't close the door.

Xia looks at it with her same fixed expression.

Alexa 2013/08/23(Fri)01:11 No. 536806 ID: d88f69
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Someone else wanders into the room, speaking the weird music clicks like I heard before. Xia picks up the thing and hugs it and it looks kind of sad.

I don't know how to talk music!

"Not yet. There's something you need to see. Something important."
Clicks and sounds and weird broken music.
"All of you. All of you need to see."
The sounds sound harsher and faster. Xia puts the metal thingy back down and looks at Masud. "Made a new friend, Alexa?"
"I, uh, yes?"
Masud looks confused and slowly waves, looking kind of distracted at weird music lady. She looks at weird blue things in front of her.

"Primitive. Lacking in nuance." I can still hear the clicks and tones she makes with each word. It's weird. "Process slow for this. Sole surviving individuals. Reoccuring pattern. Process? No. Process stiller? Unclear. Irritates. Slowing down to translate into unfamiliar conveyance."
"You get used to it," says Xia. What are these two talking about?
"Unclear. What exists the Xia?"
"Say again?"
"Categorisation. Genetic unique nature. Species. Type. Nature. What is the Xia nature?"
"That's a personal matter, my friend."
"Unclear. Matter. Mass. Not unique. Not type. Perhaps type."
"Don't worry about it. Do you have a name?"
"Name, designation, identity, not within the slow thoughts." I cringe as she gives a sudden burst of weird freaky tones. "Alexa, Masud, Xia, Fixer, names. May you call me Ever-Changing Tides."
"Ever-Changing or Tides work?"
"A false name is false. Use at discretion."

She walks up to me and I see more blue thingies.

"What is known? Protection of Angui system. Why exist here?"

...
...
...
...
...
...um... what?
just don't answer that's my response to that question. Unless you know what the Angui system is.

>>536806
Uh... tell her we don't need to stay here, but this would be a good place to gather other orphans. It's got infrastructure. Just thinking for the long term.

because xia offered to take you away from your dead world.

Wait, is she a real thing, or just like a floating hologram?

Poke her, see if your hand goes through.

Ask her to try to clarify what she means. And then ask Xia why she just let you get captured and covered in bombs and what we're all doing here and what's going on. And probably go stand in front of Masud so he doesn't "compliment" Ever-Changing Tides, too.

>>536843
The robot also looks pretty down. I think you should hug it.

Alexa 2013/08/23(Fri)23:07 No. 536986 ID: d88f69
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"...I don't understand."
"Unfortunate."
"Xia took me away from a dead river world place? Is that what you're asking?"
"Sufficient."

I reach out my hand to touch her and she quickly takes a few steps back, arms still held behind her. I decide to not touch her. She doesn't look worried.
"Active barrier enabled. Contact unpredictable."

What? Oh, doesn't matter. I turn to Xia. "Hey, why did you just let me get captured and what's going on why are we all here?"
"Sorry about that. That was my fault. Got careless."
"Are we going to stay here? There's like actual things here perhaps maybe." I don't know. It feels bleak and horrible to me.
"No. All of you should follow me."

We all walk in confused silence following Xia as we move up and around to the top of one of the pillar thingies.

The sky looks... different.

"That's what you have to see with your own eyes. I could never simply tell you this."
"I don't understand! What happened to the sky?!"
"Cannot process."

I can't take my eyes from the sight. "What's going on?"
"The end of the world," says Xia.
"W-what do we do?"
"Move on, just like always. Follow me. I reckon it's time to go."

Alexa 2013/08/23(Fri)23:07 No. 536987 ID: d88f69
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Wait.

I hear something speak into my head, like my own thoughts in a different voice.

It's a trap. She dragged you from one dying world into another. What do you suspect will happen in the next? Every world she visits dies on her departure, and everything within it is lost. Walking between the worlds dooms them to a swift demise. She knows this. She will rip this world to pieces and the next in her blind selfishness.

Time feels like it's slower than normal. I see everyone following Xia to the centre of the pillar top.

Xia pauses, her ears flicking up, looking slowly back to me with her same sad expression that never changes.

I hear something scurry behind me. I turn around to see some sort of fuzzy thing on the ground. It sits and looks up at me.

I want to save everyone. Save all that I can. I want to find a way to rescue your kind. All kinds. All you need to do is trust me.

It wanders a little closer to me.

I can only bring one of you back with me from this world. I will have to come back for the others elsewhere. I implore you. Leave with me. Not with her. Please. I can't watch more of you follow her to your deaths. She doesn't care about you as anything more than a passing thought. I want you all alive and safe and happy.

The world slows down to a stop, as a shining light appears behind the small thing.

We do not have much time--

I jump as Xia places a hand on my shoulder.

"Feeling okay there, Alexa? You're acting a little strangely."

For your own sake, please, you must enter the portal!

She leans next to me, head almost touching mine.

"I think you should be coming along with me now. It's for the best."

The weird thing smiles. Xia frowns. Neither change their expression.

I could probably move as fast as I can into that portal. I don't. I don't know.

>>536987
Don't do it. Nothing bringing tidings of doom EVER had good intentions and a smile on its' face. It just cheerfully spoke of the deaths of entire worlds. Do not follow it.

...okay, I don't trust the terrifying cuteball at all. This screams trap. That and "it's telling you a partial truth, but leaving out something really important."

it's quantum, nothing happens to a world until it is observed by an outsider. until then though, nothing happens. the thing WILL keep you alive, but at what cost?
don't accept, it wont tell you the cost until you already did. and it will probably be too high.

... um well, What we do now is that the worlds are already dying when Xia gets there so it could just be that Xia leaves before the world truly dies if the world where to actually die at all. And if she wanted to just kill us then why have us follow her in the first place, if she truly sees us as a 'passing thought' then why would she bother to take us with her in the first place, same question if she really just wanted us to die, why take us with her? But there is something about this thing that just makes me fell... uneasy, and I'm fairly confident that Xia can see it but why she isn't saying anything is beyond me.

contract ! become a magical girl

I don't especially trust either one of them. For all we know it could be right about Xia. But there's a bit more to think about than that. Tell the cat-bug-thing that even if Xia is causing this, you can't just leave the other people you've met to die. Say you won't escape with it unless it can bring back everyone else too.

Oh hey it's that thing from the title image.
>I can only bring one of you back with me from this world. I will have to come back for the others elsewhere.

So this thing can travel between worlds too, and safely, but can only transport one other person when it does so. Ask it if it could do that for Xia, so she would no longer be trapped in this cycle of hopping between worlds to prolong her own life in exchange for destroying already-dead worlds. Also, ask Xia if she's causing these empty worlds to end because of her dream-hopping, and if she has any long-term plans for the people she's taking with her.

Don't make an uninformed decision.