[03/27 11:37pm] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV climbs back up into the rusty cab of the bulldozer she likes to frequent here. High vantage point, decent view if one could euphemistically call this dump a view. Blow smoke out the broken window.
[03/27 11:48pm] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV peels off little pieces of rusty paint off the bulldozer's door and flicks them out of the window. Unsettled. That's the word for what this is, she thinks. She peels off more paint bit by bit.
[03/27 11:56pm] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV knows that the only way to deal with things is head on. Some things, she's finding out, can be more difficult to face than others. She sighs and tosses her cigarette away only to light another.
[03/28 12:04am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV sighs heavily and takes one last drag of her cigarette before flicking it away and jumping down. She heads for the nearest comms tent.
[03/28 12:17am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV lights another cigarette as she pops out of the comms tent.
[03/28 12:18am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV makes her way towards the houses. He'll know where to find her.
[03/28 12:18am] <DICE> Gorbert Vanhousserhoffen sizzles into existence with the telltale flash of a one-shot. He quickly spots Jade and approaches her.
[03/28 12:21am] <DICE> Gorbert Vanhousserhoffen sees Jade quickly disappear into one of the many run-down looking buildings and follows her.
[03/28 03:48am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV swings herself up on the roof of the bulldozer's cab and sits with her feet dangling off the front windshield. She watches the little robots go about their business, some of them sorting metal.
[03/28 03:51am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV grins as she sees that some of them seem to have found a few overlooked dominoes and are stacking them according to color. They seem to even have little bins to sort them into.
[03/28 03:53am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty emerges from the Vending Emporium with a small tin. She freezes mid-stride as a very small robot careens by with a red domino then cautiously lowers her foot.
[03/28 03:53am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV laughs when she realizes that one of them has a miniature pincer attachment that it uses to pick up the cigarette butts that she had gone through since she found this spot.
[03/28 03:54am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV waves cheerily to Zolo from her perch. “Busy little things, aren't they?”
[03/28 03:56am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty moves to pad off toward the jungle when another zips by underfoot. “Gmnk,” is what she says at first. Then, less concerned about Becoming The Destroyer, Z replies, “Whatever makes them happy.”
[03/28 03:58am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV nods. Whatever makes them happy. She grins before giving up all pretense of not trying to smoke. She pats her pockets for another cigarette.
[03/28 04:01am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV muses aloud, to no one in particular, “The thing about them is that they never stop. They just keep going.” Partly the reason why she likes seeing them. Looks a lot like gumption and spunk.
[03/28 04:04am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty eyes the nearest bot as it struggles to gain purchase on a domino that's been knocked into a smallish crack in the asphalt. Then she glances at the jungle – opportunity! “Mostly, anyway.”
[03/28 04:04am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty glances up toward Jade. “As I understand it, they need sleep, too, sometimes.” A quick glance at the little robot. It is still preoccupied.
[03/28 04:05am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV laughs as she spies one tipped over on its side trying hard to right itself. “True, mostly. Better than a lot of people though.”
[03/28 04:06am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV peers down through the gloom at Zolo. “They do sleep. That's why I sit here at night. Their little lights glow when they're powered down. Like fireflies.”
[03/28 04:07am] <TBO> Lance Corporal karg feels like hitting something. Unfortunately, something is in short supply on the island, so he will resort to hitting anything, of which there is a far greater supply.
[03/28 04:08am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty watches the robot then turns to stare at Jade when she mentions fireflies. Stillness, then Z sighs, leaning to pluck the domino free. The robot seizes it with a delighted pip and whirs around her.
[03/28 04:08am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty makes her way over to the bulldozer. She pockets the tin. It can wait.
[03/28 04:11am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV shifts over to make room for Zolo. She seems fond of heights.
[03/28 04:15am] <TBO> Lance Corporal karg tries to interrupt again so that there are more than two names on the board.
[03/28 04:16am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty deftly scales the wreck. Jade apparently has the right idea. Things are better to watch from here. There are patterns in the movement of the tiny mechanized cleaners. They act like a flock.
[03/28 04:17am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty gives karg a wry look. Plenty of things around here to hit. And plenty to interrupt.
[03/28 04:17am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV keeps her eyes trained on the little groups of robots, gripping the edge of the roof with her hands. “There are the gatherers over there. Then the movers come. Last is the sorters usually.”
[03/28 04:21am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty says, “Then what?”
[03/28 04:22am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV leans back on her palms the roof popping a little with the shift in weight. “Then they build something new, tear it down, only to start all over again.”
[03/28 04:25am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty considers that for a while. “What have you seen them make?”
[03/28 04:27am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV shrugs. “Most of them are structural. Almost like little buildings. They seem fond of bridges too. Utilitarian things. But once in a while the quirky ones build these fantastical metal things.”
[03/28 04:28am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV recalls, “One used to make the most interesting sculptural things. It didn't last though. The other ones seemed to think it was malfunctioning. Reprogrammed it. I liked it better broken.”
[03/28 04:34am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty twitches a smile reflexively and thinks, So it goes.
[03/28 04:35am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty says, “You come here most nights, then?”
[03/28 04:37am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV 's laugh come out dry. “I do. The rattling around, the buzzing and blinking, it helps me sleep sometimes. Feels like you're not alone.” She exhales slowly, her vision obscured by a cloud.
[03/28 04:42am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV watches as another one falls forward. It tries to push itself up with its crane attachment. “Determined little things.”
[03/28 04:43am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty resettles her weight with a grimace at the cab's protestation. “It's impossible to be alone here,” she says as she would introduce herself or point out a Spiderkitty. Basely objective fact.
[03/28 04:46am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV 's foot starts swinging, making a hollow knocking noise against the cab's windshield. “There are ways, if you try hard enough.”
[03/28 04:49am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV startles as the cab makes a loud groaning then a rusty pop. In a flash she pushes off the windshield and lands lightly on the ground, narrowly missing a puddle of oil.
[03/28 04:49am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty nods. “Oh, ways, certainly - but imperfect. Find the quietest, most secret place and there are still things moving around you and with you.” She gestures at the robots. “They don't talk.”
[03/28 04:50am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV laughs up at Zolotisty. “Even though I love that 'dozer, it's the in heap for a reason I suppose.”
[03/28 04:51am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty twinges but doesn't move, bracing the heels of her hands and leaning to study her. “But they're still company.”
[03/28 04:52am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV considers her words carefully. She nods. “True.”
[03/28 04:54am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty says, “Not so alone, then - just in different company. Me, a lot of the time I prefer clearings to Outposts. Nobody there but the trees, and they never have much to say.” She gets to her feet.
[03/28 04:55am] <SPOON> simma ej med hajen walks through town looking for triremes.
[03/28 04:56am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV looks back up at Zolo and nods. “Good talk.”
[03/28 04:56am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty listens to another click-crk-crrrrrk with dismay and then she's on the ground. The metal complains for a moment more then quiets.
[03/28 04:57am] <DICE> The Soloist Zolotisty acknowledges hajen with a wave, then quirks her eyebrows at Jade. “Hum?”
[03/28 04:57am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV me grins apologetically as yet another match flares. She lost her last ciggie when she jumped.
[03/28 04:59am] <DICE> Enigmatic Jade XXIV shrugs and explains, “I just meant it was good talking to you. Hard to do while bent over dominoes.” She winks.