[Nexus] Home 13: Insert Silly Title Here

[Lost_Deep]

No Longer House Hunting

The first room is fairly plain: a wood desk and some empty shelves. There isn't anything on top of the desk, but it does have drawers.

The hall, Kirik will find, ends in what looks like some kind of cave-in. The scorch marks on the rocks imply that it was caused by some kind of explosives. There are five doors on either side of the hall; ten total.

Outside, the sky is clouding over. Of course, the pair doesn't know that.

[Murkus]

No Longer House Hunting

"Oh shut up," Tina snickers and tries to give Kirk a shove. "You won't scare me." She tries to open the desk drawers, and if she finds nothing interesting, will proceed out into the hall so she might explore further.

[Halae]

"Always the flatterer," Tina declares, propping her chin on her fists and smiling smugly. "I really have missed you around here, Evan. You gonna be cooking for me again now?"

[Tina's Place]

"Whenever you want me to, Luv," Evan says with a grin. He likes cooking and Tina always seems to enjoy it, "We definitely haven't been keeping in touch enough."

[Gullara]

[No Longer House Hunting]

"I wonder what it'd take to get some electricity down here if need be." Kirk muses as he looks over Tina's shoulders as she investigates the drawer. He's not really expecting to find much, but stranger things have happened.

[Lost_Deep]

No Longer House Hunting

The drawers are empty, all but one wood box in the top drawer with the words DO NOT LOSE carved into the top. Inside the box is a small and old key.

[Dark Elf Bard]

[Treehouse][/B]



"Well, you could always pick up where we left off," Gelley suggests, suddenly flashing a pearly grin.

Vierzt smiles and attempts to kiss Divebomb.

Char's House

Quiet looks around. What's a Ouija?

[lord pringle]

Char's House

Char sighs."It's a board that spirits are supposed to be able to talk to you through." Char looks at the guest room and realizes that the only responsible adult is inside. "Hey, you want Chinese food?" She hands Quiet a take-out menu.

[Terumitsu]

Riss' Quarters

Misha nods her ascent and smiles when Riss makes the effort to carry her to the pool, then murmurs, "I'm just going to be water for a bit, okay? I'll still be with you, I just think I need to not have a brain for a while, so I can think better. Keep talking, I'll be able to hear you." That wasn't very clear, but Misha's form discorporates into an equal amount of water that swiftly joins with the surface of the pool. Almost simultaneously, Riss will be able to feel the water around her body exert more pressure than it should in some areas, wrapping around her as Misha's own limbs would and simulating the feeling of the nereid's body perfectly under the surface while not showing any visible signs of her presence.

The nereid waits patiently like this for Riss to continue her explanation, slowly rubbing against the muse's skin with fluid movements.

Sinking into the pool to where the artificial creek fed it, Riss toyed with a few minor things and altered the area to be more comfortable to sit down on. As the small river flowed over her shoulders, she smiled inwardly at her forsight of making certain that the water was well heated. Then again, it had been designed for relaxation in mind so I might as well be saying that it's just good construction. The muse would try to find a pressure that felt like a hand before continuing with her explanation of her point of view. While being held hadn't lost any of it's luster, being able to return the gesture was just as good in her mind.

"Well.. To back up a bit.. Let's try framing this differently. While you're right that the form does affect the functionality of a brain, I'd ask that if the states it goes through are... Hold on.. If the chemicals responsible for.. Sorry.. Just a second..." Biting down on the inside of her lip, Riss struggled with just how to phrase her words. While she simply could point out that brain functions deriving from the electrochemical reactions inside a body were no different from electrical functions producing the same result, that line of reasoning delt with the impassive reduction of a person into nothing but the product of chemical reactions; itself rendering the whole of a person and, by extention, reality as but a product of initial conditions. While that conclusion was false due to several factors, the time it would take to expain it all was not something the muse wanted to delve into. Primarily, though, Riss didn't want to inflict the creeping, insidious terror of the concept upon Misha by any action of her doing. She could still feel it tickling the back of her mind on occasion and that was because she was well armed with information.

So. Instead she chose a different route: "Vitae.. What's the difference between reality and a simulation? Or.. Well, real life and a play?"

[Slii Arhem]

Sinking into the pool to where the artificial creek fed it, Riss toyed with a few minor things and altered the area to be more comfortable to sit down on. As the small river flowed over her shoulders, she smiled inwardly at her forsight of making certain that the water was well heated. Then again, it had been designed for relaxation in mind so I might as well be saying that it's just good construction. The muse would try to find a pressure that felt like a hand before continuing with her explanation of her point of view. While being held hadn't lost any of it's luster, being able to return the gesture was just as good in her mind.

"Well.. To back up a bit.. Let's try framing this differently. While you're right that the form does affect the functionality of a brain, I'd ask that if the states it goes through are... Hold on.. If the chemicals responsible for.. Sorry.. Just a second..." Biting down on the inside of her lip, Riss struggled with just how to phrase her words. While she simply could point out that brain functions deriving from the electrochemical reactions inside a body were no different from electrical functions producing the same result, that line of reasoning delt with the impassive reduction of a person into nothing but the product of chemical reactions; itself rendering the whole of a person and, by extention, reality as but a product of initial conditions. While that conclusion was false due to several factors, the time it would take to expain it all was not something the muse wanted to delve into. Primarily, though, Riss didn't want to inflict the creeping, insidious terror of the concept upon Misha by any action of her doing. She could still feel it tickling the back of her mind on occasion and that was because she was well armed with information.

So. Instead she chose a different route: "Vitae.. What's the difference between reality and a simulation? Or.. Well, real life and a play?"

Riss' Quarters

A hand is found, but only once Misha realizes that's what Riss is moving around in search of as that particular limb wasn't necessary until then. Soon afterwards Misha's body resolidifies as it becomes necessary to speak again. She could have probably just created a disembodied head sticking out of the water, but that would both require too much concentration and be too distracting for the both of them to be worthwhile. As she reforms, the nereid is curled around Riss' smaller form protectively, cherishing it.

"I know what you're getting at, and I'll just say it plainly. The difference between you having a body and you being completely artificial is that you can program an artificial self to feel however you want it to. I don't doubt you know how to do that. And if you can feel however you like, whenever you like..." She chokes up and nearly discorporates again before taking another sobbing breath and trying again.

"Then why-" she shudders, then falls apart into the water, the thought finishing itself only in her head.

Why would you need me at all?

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

"..I could do that with injections of certain chemicals right now, really... The altered state of feeling as a potential ability, I mean. Not something I can do immediately." the muse said after a few moments. "But remaking my mind while I'm using it would be like.. Like taking apart a wall of gears while they're all in motion. It's a limitation of capability rather than desire. I can make changes, yes, but they're of the sort that deals with how I interpret or transmit information." Riss explained, sitting forward and searching about for any sign of Misha although she knew it was likely going to result in failure.

"B-but another thing is.. Why would I want to 'force' that kind of change? I-I mean, unless I altered my memory, then I would know that what I was feeling would be.. It would make it feel 'hollow,' if that makes sense. Another way to look at it is.. Well, I could just force myself to feel a certain way but self-induced solipsism seems to be the only logical result of that." Although, philosophically, it really wouldn't be all that different conceptually based upon the 'consciousness in a jar' statement. But that's just perspective rather than... I'm getting off track. "...What if I said this: I could make myself not feel hunger or pain when they would be normally triggered. Doing this, though, would mean I am ignoring the underlying reasons behind those sensations and wind up starving or injured by disregarding them. The same is true by extension for everything else. If I induce or remove something and ignore the reason 'why' such things are either absent or present then I will only end up harming myself although some things would be more obvious than others." Riss said, her voice now trembling with apprehension. She hoped she had answered the question that Misha had almost asked but the gnawing in her stomach wasn't going to relent until she knew for certain.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

There is indeed no pressure from Misha, but there are pockets of slightly cooler water that slip away at Riss' touch to let the muse know that the nereid is merely avoiding her own emotional state and hasn't dashed off downstream and out of the room.

When prompted for a response though, the nereid does make some effort to pull herself back together, but even though the surface of the water bulges and pulses and takes a vaguely humanoid shape, it appears to be for naught as it collapses back down again. She can't bring herself to be herself if it means feeling that way again. Her heart, when it existed, was aching so hard that she felt like she was dying even though she has no idea what death really feels like.

But she needs to answer Riss, and get past this heartache that she can tell is effecting her muse nearly as badly, so she needs to be solid again. If she can't be herself, she needs to be someone else.

Slowly, a form takes place, not quite hers and not quite someone else's. Genetically, it's a mix of her genes and Riss', with damp purple hair running down to her mid-back and pale, skin that takes on a bluish tint over her cheeks. Her face is small and refined, and she's shorter than even Riss is with freckles dotting her slim, rounded shoulders. Nothing else peaks out from above the waterline, but what can be seen below is almost boyishly figured.

"I *hic* don't even know what sollipsism is." She casts her eyes to the water, then a giggle escapes her through the tears at that admission. Having a new set of hormones to deal with ground off the hard edge of her emotions, but they were still there despite the distraction. Slowly she lets her form bleed back to normal until there is nothing left of Riss in it, "Everything I know, and even things I don't remember, is all telling me what could happen if you get rid of your body. But I trust you enough to know that you won't let it happen if you don't want to. Panic attacks and the thought that you might abandon me aside... I still don't think it's a good idea to leave your body entirely. If you can control other bodies you make, that's fine, but there's no point in working to improve your muscles and endurance now if you're just going to throw it away later, and unless the body actually fails on you, I don't know of any reason to get rid of it." For some reason, Misha can breathe and speak and think again without random pangs of remorse and terror, just because of the dissonance between slowly shifting through forms. She'd probably take note of that if she wasn't so happy that she was finally getting a valid point across.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

"Aband-?" the half-spoken word ended abruptly although it carried with it a sudden swelling of anger. The muse's eyes went blank for the shortest of moments as she went through the process of weeding out the warnings she had installed just in case a similar situation were to come up. It was originally intended to be a sort of safeguard against saying something in anger that she might otherwise regret but the near outburst triggered it just as quickly. ...Okay, that would meet all the criteria I set up so I know it works but... Yeah this will be annoying whenever it happens... Then again, that was the point. Force myself to take a moment and think before acting.

With deep breath, the muse's shoulders sagged as she leaned forward to try and draw Misha closer, regardless of the form she ended up wearing. "Let me start over. With some of the things I've told you about myself and even more of what I've yet to say, know that the possibility of me doing that is... Well, I can't give you odds but it's unlikely enough that I was kind offended for a moment there. It's not your fault so don't feel bad about something I've not told you about, yet." Riss said, slipping into a steady, even tone. "And you're right that there isn't any reason to change this body out for another one when the time comes. And.. I think it would probably be for the best for psychological reasons given that it will be a big change and that having something familiar will help..." the muse said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Still, Misha, you cannot be replicated. You cannot be replaced. You aren't like a limb that I can just build another of should the need arise. To me, a body is both a tool and a medium through which we communicate. It's the person that I'm communicating with, you, that is the importaint part." Riss said; her words surprisingly still calm despite the roiling cauldron of anxiety and worry that burned through her blood.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Char's House

Char sighs."It's a board that spirits are supposed to be able to talk to you through." Char looks at the guest room and realizes that the only responsible adult is inside. "Hey, you want Chinese food?" She hands Quiet a take-out menu.

She looks it over! ...Mu Shu pork? Dumplings?

She looks up at Char, wide eyed. I thought that devils like me weren't allowed food liken this!

[Slii Arhem]

[Riss' Quarters]

"Aband-?" the half-spoken word ended abruptly although it carried with it a sudden swelling of anger. The muse's eyes went blank for the shortest of moments as she went through the process of weeding out the warnings she had installed just in case a similar situation were to come up. It was originally intended to be a sort of safeguard against saying something in anger that she might otherwise regret but the near outburst triggered it just as quickly. ...Okay, that would meet all the criteria I set up so I know it works but... Yeah this will be annoying whenever it happens... Then again, that was the point. Force myself to take a moment and think before acting.

With deep breath, the muse's shoulders sagged as she leaned forward to try and draw Misha closer, regardless of the form she ended up wearing. "Let me start over. With some of the things I've told you about myself and even more of what I've yet to say, know that the possibility of me doing that is... Well, I can't give you odds but it's unlikely enough that I was kind offended for a moment there. It's not your fault so don't feel bad about something I've not told you about, yet." Riss said, slipping into a steady, even tone. "And you're right that there isn't any reason to change this body out for another one when the time comes. And.. I think it would probably be for the best for psychological reasons given that it will be a big change and that having something familiar will help..." the muse said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Still, Misha, you cannot be replicated. You cannot be replaced. You aren't like a limb that I can just build another of should the need arise. To me, a body is both a tool and a medium through which we communicate. It's the person that I'm communicating with, you, that is the important part." Riss said; her words surprisingly still calm despite the roiling cauldron of anxiety and worry that burned through her blood.

Riss' Quarters

"People die, my muse. They die and they forget and they leave and never return. Please don't be mad at me for being afraid that this time wouldn't be any different. It's hard expecting something new and amazing and perfect when everything I know says it won't last, no matter how much I scramble to keep us together." Misha looks downcast as she speaks, the words coming softly and nearly blending in with the ambient noise of the room.

"Would more copies of that body be something you'd be willing to consider? If something happens to it, I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to holding a Riss that isn't so wonderfully bony and fleshy." She tries for cheek, but her tone falls a bit short of that. Still, she's past the point where her heartache is grabbing all of her attention, and the failed joke is proof enough of that.

[lord pringle]

[Char's House]

Char looks quizzically and then somewhat angrily at Quiet and says, "I don't know what kind of lame place you came from, but here in the Nexus people can eat what they can pay for. Lucky for you, I can pay a lot. Get whatever you want."

[Dark Elf Bard]

Char's House

Quiet's eyes widen. Are you sure? I can have whatever I want?

Won't you get in trouble?

[lord pringle]

Char's House

"What. Ever. You. Like." Char puts her hand on Quiet's shoulder. "And there will be no problems at all! " She switches out of dramatic mode to add, "The General Tso's Chicken is pretty good."

[Dark Elf Bard]

Char's House

Quiet loks over the menu before handing it back to Char.

Th-then I'll have that please. If you're sure.

[Murkus]

[Tina's Place]

"Whenever you want me to, Luv," Evan says with a grin. He likes cooking and Tina always seems to enjoy it, "We definitely haven't been keeping in touch enough."

"Yeah. The only person I've had around - well, around for good- is old Ironsides..." She forks a thumb at the robot henchman. Just then, a knock on the door interrupts their conversation. Having already been told to answer, the robot continues to do so, and opens the door to find a pair of dark-skinned women standing outside.

Tina's older siblings. One of which Evan will recognize, despite her change in color. The other is shorter, plumper than the others, while also managing to have a lot more curves. The pair enters, smiling, and when miss Gelley sees Tina, she squeals. Gel bounces forward, Tina runs to meet her, and they collide in a hug. "Gelley, you made it!"

"I couldn't pass it up! Gosh, Tina, look at you!" She squeaks ecstatically, breaking their embrace only to look Tina up and down. "You look so good! When Nait told me you'd struck rich, I couldn't believe it! I guess the lux life is getting to you." She smirks and glances at their chef. "Now who's this fella? Evan, right?"

"Yeah, that's him," Tina affirms, grinning at the red-skinned demon.

"Man, Nait wasn't kidding!" Gel says, hurrying into the kitchen. Nait suddenly looks extremely embarassed. "He's hawt. Look at these!" The (supposedly) older sister tries to drag up Evan's shirt and rap a fist against his abs. She's... exciteable. "They're like a brick wall!" Evan's entirely alien legs, on the other hand, go ignored for now. That's a surprise.

No Longer House Hunting

The drawers are empty, all but one wood box in the top drawer with the words DO NOT LOSE carved into the top. Inside the box is a small and old key.

[No Longer House Hunting]

"I wonder what it'd take to get some electricity down here if need be." Kirk muses as he looks over Tina's shoulders as she investigates the drawer. He's not really expecting to find much, but stranger things have happened.

"Huh," Tina says, looking the key over. She checks the box one more time. "That's creepy. Hey, lets see if it goes to any of these." She walks back out to try the other doors. One after another, she'll pop the rooms open and check around for interesting things. If there's nothing worth checking, she'll afford the chambers no more than a glance.

Treehouse

DB puts her hands on Vierzt's cheeks and then ruffles them through his hair, her lips plying his hungrily. Then, with more literal hunger, her stomach gives a little growl. She breaks the kissing off and giggles. "Whoops. Guess I should've had a snack last night."

[Gullara]

[No Longer House Hunting]

"It doesn't look like it'd fit a door." Kirk says as he follows her out of the room. "I could be wrong, though."

[Lost_Deep]

No Longer House Hunting

All the doors are open, it seems. The one across from the first door is empty, but given the stains on the floor something was kept in here... it probably was used as storage.

The next room on the left is empty, except for a rivulet of water that runs down one wall. Its neighbor across the hall has cracked walls... the pair can probably smell the wet earth in here. The third room on the right has nothing but a puddle of stagnant water, which is apparently used by the local beetle population as a kind of resting place. The room across form there is populated only by several competing fungal colonies, which more or less covers the floor. None of the doors are locked, or even have lock on them.

However, the last two rooms each have one set of manacles. The room on the right also has a number of... red stains.

[Murkus]

[No Longer House Hunting]

Tina jumps from one boring room to the next, her face crinkling in disgust when they find the beetles. She's otherwise unperturbed - sure, the place is dark and quiet, but she's got Kirk right behind her.

Then they turn the last corner. Red stains, manacles... "Oooooh crap."

[Gullara]

[No Longer House Hunting]

"What did I say about bodies." Kirk says, entirely unconcerned as he steps past her into the room. "What's the chance we can get a discount for this?" He kneels by the stain and tests to see if it's at all wet soon. It's not much of a concern if it's completely dry.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

"I understand that but-" And just how long did it take for you to get your paranoia under control when presented with an earnest person? How long was it until you were able to trust her or Mimi like you do now? That conversation can wait for later, alright? "...I understand." the muse said with a tired sigh.

Adjusting her hold on Misha so that she could rest her head on the nereid's shoulder, Riss let out a shuddering breath only to follow up with a short laugh. "I.. We've really gone all over the place with this, haven't we? I was all excited about this and..." trailing off, the muse gently shook her head. "How about this. I start out with two. One will be like what you have here and the other will be constructed. After a trial period, I'll let you decide what we do from there and we can decomission the second body and replace it with one like the first if you feel that it is better that way. How does that sound to you?"

[Halae]

"Yeah. The only person I've had around - well, around for good- is old Ironsides..." She forks a thumb at the robot henchman. Just then, a knock on the door interrupts their conversation. Having already been told to answer, the robot continues to do so, and opens the door to find a pair of dark-skinned women standing outside.

Tina's older siblings. One of which Evan will recognize, despite her change in color. The other is shorter, plumper than the others, while also managing to have a lot more curves. The pair enters, smiling, and when miss Gelley sees Tina, she squeals. Gel bounces forward, Tina runs to meet her, and they collide in a hug. "Gelley, you made it!"

"I couldn't pass it up! Gosh, Tina, look at you!" She squeaks ecstatically, breaking their embrace only to look Tina up and down. "You look so good! When Nait told me you'd struck rich, I couldn't believe it! I guess the lux life is getting to you." She smirks and glances at their chef. "Now who's this fella? Evan, right?"

"Yeah, that's him," Tina affirms, grinning at the red-skinned demon.

"Man, Nait wasn't kidding!" Gel says, hurrying into the kitchen. Nait suddenly looks extremely embarassed. "He's hawt. Look at these!" The (supposedly) older sister tries to drag up Evan's shirt and rap a fist against his abs. She's... exciteable. "They're like a brick wall!" Evan's entirely alien legs, on the other hand, go ignored for now. That's a surprise.

[Fettina's Place]

Evan won't stop Gelley from lifting up his shirt, though he does stop cooking for a moment so that it doesn't interrupt anything. He chuckles and gives a curious glance to Naitiri, but has the tact not to say anything just yet. That can wait for a time when there won't be people who'll tease her, "I'm strong, I'm fun, I clean, and I make a great beef wellington. What more could you possibly want in a man?"

"Nice to finally meet the final sister. Given these two, I wasn't quite sure what to expect."

[lord pringle]

[Char's House]

Char grins again. She goes over to the phone and calls in two orders of General Tso's chicken, an order of Mongolian beef, rice for two, dumplings and spring rolls. "Tonight we will feast!" She shouts dramatically.

[Slii Arhem]

[Riss' Quarters]

"I understand that but-" And just how long did it take for you to get your paranoia under control when presented with an earnest person? How long was it until you were able to trust her or Mimi like you do now? That conversation can wait for later, alright? "...I understand." the muse said with a tired sigh.

Adjusting her hold on Misha so that she could rest her head on the nereid's shoulder, Riss let out a shuddering breath only to follow up with a short laugh. "I.. We've really gone all over the place with this, haven't we? I was all excited about this and..." trailing off, the muse gently shook her head. "How about this. I start out with two. One will be like what you have here and the other will be constructed. After a trial period, I'll let you decide what we do from there and we can decomission the second body and replace it with one like the first if you feel that it is better that way. How does that sound to you?"

Riss' Quarters

"Sorry for killing your good mood. I'm happy for you, since this seems like a really good thing, I just let my own worries get in the way of that." Misha's arms slide around the muse's waist and the nereid slowly leans back, trying to pull Riss up and then on top of her as she reclines in the pool, floating languidly.

"A natural body and a mechanical one sounds fine to start, but if we're going to try this, I want to know as much as I can of what's going on. I already wanted to learn more about biology, now I'll just have to learn faster in order to keep up with the schedule. For you, it will be possible." She tries to delicately kiss the end of Riss' nose to punctuate the statement.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Treehouse

DB puts her hands on Vierzt's cheeks and then ruffles them through his hair, her lips plying his hungrily. Then, with more literal hunger, her stomach gives a little growl. She breaks the kissing off and giggles. "Whoops. Guess I should've had a snack last night."

I have some food. Vierzt nibbles her neck a last time and gets up. Want anything in particular?

[Char's House]

Char grins again. She goes over to the phone and calls in two orders of General Tso's chicken, an order of Mongolian beef, rice for two, dumplings and spring rolls. "Tonight we will feast!" She shouts dramatically.

Quiet looks up hopefully! Yay!

[Lost_Deep]

No Longer House Hunting

The stains are dry... very old. Very, very old. An expert might be able to age it.

If they get an expert to age it, it's about 25 years old.

[lord pringle]

[Char's House]

Char deflates and asks, "So... what do you want to do for the next thirty minutes?" Stupid time. All ruining Char's dramatic food ordering.