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Post by citizenmike on May 9, 2009 12:12:36 GMT -5
Veronica remembered back to Johnny telling her about the history book he had found. The concept of Animus' history intrigued her.
Inside the library, Veronica motioned towards the history section.
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Post by cyansky on May 14, 2009 16:20:03 GMT -5
Syl walked around the streets, looking around. To say the least, they probably weren’t the nicest ones Syl had seen – signs of neglect were definietely starting to show. The streets had some potholes, the sidewalks were cracked, many of the metal fences it passed were showing signs of rust and litter was scattered here and there, giving the streets an untidy appearance. Even so, the buildings were in good enough condition to not be considered ruins.
It felt strange for Syl to walk those streets, but then again, it was a city for ground-bound people. Syl could fly, which made it feel misplaced and even more lost, especially when confronted with the oddest thing about the city.
That oddity was the people that walked these streets, walking by as if they were puppets on strings. Syl noticed that they all had a particularly vacant gaze. On a whim, it waved its hand in the face of a passing middle-aged woman. She didn’t react. She didn’t even blink. Either these humans were completely intoxicated, particularly dazed or they were…
“Mindless.”
The word came out so easily, that Syl wondered if it was right. The vacant expression on everyone’s faces was very unsettling. It was as if there was nothing in their heads, as if they were automatons. They acted as if they went on with their daily lives, but they didn’t care about anything else. They didn’t socialize, they didn’t seem to have a care in the world, they were like dolls, dummies…
Syl stopped, watching the woman walking away.
It had walked by so many streets for so many hours where the people acted just like this – vacant expressions, not a care in the world and no free will whatsoever.
A couple of hours ago it had entered a store. The clerk, like everyone else, was in a sleep-like daze. Syl tried to ask her about Animus, but it was met with only silence. So, in frustration, it looked around for something to wake her up. A few minutes later, it had found some water bottles in the store’s refrigerator and took one out. It had opened one and poured the cold water over the clerk’s head.
No reaction. Syl had sighed in desperation. That always worked on humans, unless they were suffering from hypothermia. The bottle was half full by the time Syl was done with it. What a waste, it thought, it didn’t have any effect on that lady whatsoever, and if it didn’t work on her, I doubt that trying it on the other people would help. It would just waste water.
With that thought, Syl gulped down the rest of the water, threw the water bottle into a nearby recycling bin (which happened to be half-filled with them), and stepped out of the store, frustrated.
“Please,” Syl muttered to itself, “is there anyone else here that isn’t mindless?”
Syl had kept a straight face throughout all of its ‘interactions,’ but it only concealed the frustration that slowly but surely built up inside. Being alone was fine, but being alone for an extended period of time where the other people were mentally lifeless was definitely not something it liked.
It absentmindedly fished the notebook out of its pocket. The first message was still there, so it turned to the second page. Kiel’s writing appeared once again.
Dear Syl,
Don’t worry. Be on your guard. You’re not alone. I promised that I would be here for you, and I hope these notes will be of use to you. Just remember what our parent told us – where there are cities, there are sentient people. Where there are sentient people, there is company… and a truckload of trouble. Even so-called ‘deserted’ cities may still have life… but not necessarily the pleasant kind.
Sincerely, Kiel
Syl smiled. Kiel… was so concerned, just like it was in the past. It didn’t know if the messages were really Kiel’s writing, or if they were just a figment of its imagination, but it appeared there… so it probably had some meaning.
It then noticed a library across the street. Bookshelves filled with books of all kinds could be seen through the windows. Syl stopped, staring at it. A library… perhaps that could provide some answers. Besides, it’s not like I have anything else to do, thought Syl.
Looking both ways, it crossed the streets and entered the library.
Inside was a maze of shelves. Syl didn’t know where to start.
“Well, this is certainly bigger than I thought it would be. Where should I start?”
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Post by citizenmike on May 15, 2009 6:24:03 GMT -5
Veronica found herself wondering around the history section when she had heard the front door open.
“Well, this is certainly bigger than I thought it would be. Where should I start?”
There was someone in here... A stranger. Veronica turned her head and motioned towards the voice, shouting out, "Who's here?"
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Post by cyansky on May 15, 2009 11:10:41 GMT -5
Syl heard a woman's voice call out from within the maze of shelves.
"Who's there?" A reply! That meant that someone here had reacted to its voice, which meant that she wasn't mindless! Syl breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little nervous. It felt like a long while since it had last interacted with humans... it wondered what to say.
While mindless people are boing to interact with, thought Syl, at least they don't care about what you say.
It looked around carefully.
Relax, it thought, it's only one person.
Syl spent a few momemts tryingto calm itself down, which contrasted with its ever-present impassive expression. There, it thought, now that I know where that voice came from, I can locate that woman. Syl remembered where that voice came from... somewhere to its right. It walked toward the shelves in that direction, scanning the aisles of those shelves for any sign of activity. At first it only found a few dazed visitors and a sleeping security guard. After several shelves, it started proceeding more slowly, quietly, peeking around each shelf carefully. It sensed that it was getting closer to the woman. She had to be around here somewhere.
Then, at last, it found her.
It peeked into the aisle shyly.
"Um... uh... good day, miss."
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Post by citizenmike on May 15, 2009 12:56:03 GMT -5
Veronica was reaching for a book when it had approached her. She had stopped herself from grabbing it and allowed it to hang there as she looked at it. She couldn't quite tell if whether she was looking at man or a woman; there was some so soft, yet equally harsh about him... or her... "Hello.", simply, was all she could say.
Veronica looked away for a moment to retrieve the book before approaching it. "You must be new here, I'm Veronica.", she said gesturing her hand to it.
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Post by cyansky on May 15, 2009 13:51:28 GMT -5
Well, this was interesting. This woman was plain looking - brown hair, brown eyes, but still fairly pretty. Syl noted that supernatural beings tended to possess otherworldly beauty, but not always. It was something that was absent with this woman. To top it off, it could feel no supernatural presence within her.
She was most likely human, but Syl was not going to make any assumptions. It had a feeling that in its past, it had met many other supernatural beings, probably because of Kiel... this woman could be another one.
Act friendly, it thought, most humans don't like mean people. Maybe she'll tell me something about this place.
Syl broke its impassive façade to give her an awkward smile.
"Um... hello miss Veronica. My name is Sylredrae, or Syl for short. I'm pleased to meet you."
It looked at her hand.
"Forgive me if I seem rude," said Syl, "but I don't know how your etiquette really works. What am I supposed to do with your hand?"
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Post by citizenmike on May 15, 2009 14:32:37 GMT -5
Veronica couldn't believe what just had heard. The notion that someone, any being for that matter, who had no concept of something so universal like a handshake could wind up in Animus was amazing.
Veronica smiled and replied, "It's a handshake, it's a gesture we use to greet people, whether their a stranger or an acquaintance. If I can ask, where are you from?"
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Post by cyansky on May 15, 2009 15:14:52 GMT -5
A handshake... that sounded vaguely familiar. Oh well, it should try it for the sake of being polite.
Syl shrugged and did as the word 'handshake' implied. It shook her hand (or tried). It didn't know whether it did it right, though.
"Ah, well," said Syl unsteadily, "I'm not from around here. I... don't know where I'm from. What about you?"
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Post by citizenmike on May 16, 2009 10:05:33 GMT -5
Veronica chuckled at Syl's awkward politeness and replied, "Neither am I.". Veronica shrugged; she forgot, for a moment back there, where she had came from, weird.
Veronica clutched the book in her arms and said, "So, I take it you're new in town?"
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Post by cyansky on May 16, 2009 10:12:00 GMT -5
Syl's default impassive expression returned. Smiling awkwardly felt... a little bit wierd.
Unfortunately, that didn't stop it from feeling awkward when speaking to a new person. It certainly showed in its speech.
"Well, I... I just came here a few hours ago, maybe more. I woke up in a room with the number 4 scratched into the wall above the door and I've been wandering the streets."
It glanced in the general direction of the dazed security guard that it had seen few aisles ago.
"I tried to find out more about this place by asking from of the people in it, but asides from you, they all seem to have this vacant stare."
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Post by citizenmike on May 16, 2009 10:24:50 GMT -5
Veronica knew what she was talking about. She murmured, "Room 4", when Sly mentioned it.
"I tried to find out more about this place by asking from of the people in it, but asides from you, they all seem to have this vacant stare."
"I know what you're talking about, and I have a theory." Veronica said as she motioned Syl towards a table. "We are all here for a reason. The people who you see wondering around this city were once just like us. They were put here for a purpose, but somehow, they let go of all their emotions and just allowed themselves to give into the city."
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Post by cyansky on May 16, 2009 10:36:30 GMT -5
Syl took in the information quickly. Learning happened to be one of its age-old interests.
"Well, that's interesting to hear," it said, "I only wonder what I did to come here. However, as of late my memory... has been... I haven't been able to remember my past."
It paused for a few moments.
"How odd. I think that before I came here, I had a pretty good memory. I could read tons of books and remember every detail... I just don't get it. How can I remember what an acacia is but not the prior events that led up to this?"
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Post by citizenmike on May 16, 2009 11:43:34 GMT -5
Sitting on chair, Veronica kept her eyes on Syl. "I am exactly where you are, although I haven't really had the time to dwell on my past. Johnny... Wait, I'm moving rather quick. Johnny's my boyfriend, another resident of this city, who in all respects is just like the both of us. But Johnny has seemed to regain a good portion of his memory as of late."
Veronica turned away for a moment and opened the book before looking back at Syl and asking, "What is an Acacia?"
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Post by cyansky on May 16, 2009 11:59:42 GMT -5
Syl cocked its head slightly when Veronica mentioned the work 'boyfriend.' Huh. Kiel mentioned once that a 'boyfriend' was a man that started a relationship with a woman prior to marriage. Marriage was a special relationship where the man and woman would be bonded together and be able to copulate and produce babies. The man would work, sometimes to the point of breaking his poor spine. The woman would take care of the kids and make more babies and make the man happy. So Veronica was going to be a housewife someday.
Huh. Humans are wierd, thought Syl, still, I should ask her to make sure.
"An acacia is a type of flowering plant," explained Syl, "I don't know about your homeworld, but in mine, they have medicinal properties. They can treat wounds, burns, infections... and their flowers are pretty too. They're among my favorite plants. Plus, they're quite common in forests."
It tilted its head even more in apparant confusion. In reality, it felt curiosity more than confusion.
"By the way, if I may ask... what's a boyfriend?" asked Syl, "What's this... Johnny... like? Is he as nice as you?"
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Post by citizenmike on May 16, 2009 12:57:54 GMT -5
"That's very interesting. I wonder if we had those were I came from, the name is quite familiar.", Veronica replied as she lowered her head at the open book. Morning Glory Pages. Annexed: 1876-1906.
There was something here... Life
Veronica opened to the first page, as she heard Sly, "By the way, if I may ask... what's a boyfriend? What's this... Johnny... like? Is he as nice as you?"
Again, it's awkward politeness amused her. It was something she wasn't used to; Veronica appreciated it. Veronica rolled her eyes and turned her head as she replied, "Where do I even start? A boyfriend is someone who I've chosen to romantically... And emotionally... become involved with... Which in turn, would constitute me as his girlfriend." Veronica looked up as she tried to recount what she just said. "I think that came out right. As for Johnny, what can I say? He's a gentleman, he's always looking after me." Veronica could have said more, but chose to leave it at that. "All this must comes across as very alien to you, huh?"
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