Open Enrollment

Korra · Oct 29, 2018

In regards to thinking about school, Alice could only shake her head. It was hard to explain, but Alice was always thinking. Her body was not singular like others, she was many, small and microscopic, but still many. Some part of her was always thinking and analyzing or interpreting. It was for this reason she some times stalled at times when speaking or punctuated her sentences at seemingly random points as those smaller pieces directed the whole to act and react.

Though in regards to the rules though, her faint smile quickly drowned under the apathetic expression she'd worn up until now. "Rules are made by the powerful. The strong oppress the weak, the mighty prey upon the meek, the majority suppresses the minority. Might decides what is right, and only the fittest survive their tests. A species evolves because of competition, and there are always winners and losers. I am pressured to follow the rules because my efforts to evolve threaten the status quo. Perhaps I won't be powerful enough to rise up above others here, but the damage I cause might allow the banks to do so, politicians to do so." Alice explained, glancing up at Reem for a moment. Making sure he understood the gravity of the words she was speaking before she continued. "I am not the only one who is hungry, who is trying to evolve. I am just more unique compared to Humans."

Though her words were a little harrowing, with her monotonous droning voice, Alice patiently explained her own insights into the rules, or at least why she was pushed to follow them. She didn't take into consideration flimsy things like virtue, justice or righteousness. Such pleasantries were always silly sophistries that she could understand through the knowledge she inherited even without much musing on the subject.

"A better question... Might be 'Who are these Rules protecting?' Me?... The Cattle?... The School?" Alice hummed in thought, as if that were a more interesting question then her understanding of the importance of rules. She didn't understand human hierarchy very well, but knew the dangers that came from not being at the top. It was for that reason she was content with following the rules rather then something as foreign as a moral compass.

@name

Lotharingia · Oct 29, 2018

Hearing her use the word "cattle" more or less reaffirmed all the concerns Reen had with letting the girl loose. This was the exact attitude he knew to look out for, and with how dangerous she could be already he knew this could only lead to trouble.

He was gonna be having a long argument with the admin staff when he got back, he felt himself getting frustrated just thinking about it.

He didn't even necessarily disagree with her rather cynical outlook, lord knows how confined he felt, how displeased he was at the distribution of power. But he had moved on from then, at least, that's what he liked to think.

"Wrong word again." He interjected. "Not human's, everyone, every intelligent species here is part of society, and every we do affects all of us, even you."

They approached his car, an old, beat up thing who's paint was peeling all over. It wasn't pretty, but it ran just fine, and Reen didn't feel the need to waste the money on getting a new one. He came to a stop in front of it, not opening the doors just yet. He leaned against its side with one arm while he looked down at her.

"I'm gonna make this clear. I don't really give two shits about what conclusion you come to. If the threat of the top dog coming down on you keeps you in line, that's great. The way I see it, you're a walking time bomb, one that's gonna drag a lotta people who aren't involved down with you."

He glared down at her, displeasure obvious on his face.

"You're a part of something else now, something bigger than you. So you can either figure how to adapt to that, or you keep going and see where your way leads. Your choice. Now get in the car before I change my mind."

With that, he opened the doors and slid in.

Korra · Oct 29, 2018

Again Alice couldn't help shaking her head in protest and disagreement. As she said, Humans could be everyone, but not everyone could be humans. "Humans are the dominant species. They rule the earth, outnumbering others by the millions and billions. A Virus that destroys the home that protects it to grow and flourish, a Monster that selfishly cannibalizes it's own to succeed. They are ruthless, they are savage, and with only pieces of paper as their weapons, they can kill all of us." She tried to explain, as if worried the man didn't quite understand the threat that people could pose. Granted, the chances of such an extreme outcome were slim, but she felt humans had the potential to do so, that it wouldn't take much more then a scare and a charismatic leader to get things started.

Though the man's displeasure was perplexing to her. She couldn't fathom why he thought of her that way. "A time bomb? I mean no one harm. I don't enjoy violence and I don't need to harm other creatures to survive. I grow and evolve through consumption, but I don't need to kill to do so. Compared to humans-- Animals, even yourself, am I so dangerous?" Alice asked tilting her head not quite following his thoughts. Alice wasn't self-sufficient yet, but she didn't need to slay animals to survive, she just needed to latch onto them. She didn't cause any real damage to life or the ecosystem in her consumption, she couldn't imagine what dangers he perceived.

In response to the displeasure though, she tried to show a gentle smile. It was a little eerie, the more she tried to emote with a brilliant smile, it was clear that it wasn't much different from a smiling doll. Compared to her more genuine faint and fragile smiles, it was a different kind of expression, it was her putting in effort to try and show a reassuring face. "People can be so silly. Thus far 'My Way' has been nothing but a few unusual and unique opinions. Compared to those sinister types who wait in the wings with dark intentions, I believe my honest and direct approach should show some of my sincerity." She explained, but tilted her head as she proceeded to the other side of the car. "Don't you think so?" She asked, that same doll like smile still there until she entered the car.

Sliding in, she glanced around. It looked beat up, damaged and worn. Like the kind of thing Alice would normally consider assimilating because nobody would miss it. It was unfortunate that Reem seemed limited to such a vehicle. If he glanced at her in the car, he'd find she was staring at him with a measure of pity and sympathy, as if wondering how to console the helpless man who seemed to have no more then a few bucks to his name.

@name

Lotharingia · Oct 30, 2018

The smile only made his scowl deepen. Reen had seen plenty of smiles like that, lacking entirely of warmth, meant to do nothing but appease. It did nothing but make his own annoyance grow. After her attempted reassurance, he practically scoffed.

"Oh don't give me that shit. How many people died before we picked you up, huh? You gonna tell me they're all still alive, sitting in your gut just waiting to pop out?"

He pulled out of the car park and began to drive along the road, heading out of the academy, the city visible on the horizon. Reen doesn't look at her, focusing on the road, not noticing the pitiful look she was giving him.

"I was there, you know. I saw you're little rampage, saw what you left behind. Don't act like you aren't a threat to anyone."

Reen had killed his fair share of people, sometimes because he was ordered to, sometimes to eat, sometimes for the hell of it. He knew that it wasn't entirely fair to be hard on someone for that, especially if that someone didn't yet know right from wrong. He certainly didn't care about morality back when he was a caged beast. But he was honest about the kind of man he was, the kind of man he still is to a degree. His distrust of her was obvious, and her denial only set him off more.

Though maybe a part of him just didn't like the reminder of what was, not that he would admit that.

Korra · Oct 30, 2018

Alice tilted her head slowly in answer to his question about who was alive inside of her gut. Despite his sarcastic tone, she responded in a serious matter of fact tone. "Only five of them are still alive. Two Micro-Biologists, One Zoologist, One Business student and a self-proclaimed fine arts student. The rest were rather aggressive in their attempts to harm me and prevent my escape, therefore I was forced to take more extreme measures unfortunately." She admitted, there was a flash of genuine bitterness, as if she'd rather not have harmed those people the way she did.

If Reem seemed at all suspicious of just how genuine she was with her statement, she'd tilt her head away from him, as far as her neck could bend before something would press against the skin from inside. It resembled a human hand pressing against her neck from inside, as if feeling around for an exit before slowly receding back into the abyss that was Alice's body. "Though, I fear if I regurgitate them at this point, they may not be able to survive on their own. This is a complicated issue it seems, in part due to their own wounds when fighting each other, but also because of how relaxed peaceful they are under my care. A puzzling issue that will hopefully be solved when I have no more need for them." She confessed with a hand on her chin as she ruminated on it.

She didn't share many details on the nature of the issue, or why they would have trouble surviving on their own, or even why they were fighting each other to the point of causing wounds. Reem might know himself though even without her explaining if he'd been a part of the first team to arrive and subdue her; her escape was the result of a group of freedom fighting punks breaking into a highly secure lab. Their methods, whether defensive or offensive were naturally not peaceful, but Alice herself has little knowledge of their intentions.

Though as he drove, she looked out the window, idly exploring the island with her gaze as they went. Thinking about how much of a threat she posed, Alice only stared out of the window still as she spoke in a mellow tone. "If I truly wanted to be a threat to this world, I would begin by assimilating every body of water until everyone died or killed each other for what remained. Alternatively, I could begin assimilating the surface soils until I broke down deep enough to create a disaster. In truth there are a number of ways I can think of to cause massive amounts of destruction." She pointed out idly. She was naturally a threat, so much so that it seemed Reem didn't properly fathom the kind of disasters she could bring about if she so chose.

"But, I don't." She pointed out idly. "I wasn't born kicking and screaming into this world lost in confusion. I was born with a purpose to evolve-- while I might not know what awaits me at the end, this is my purpose." She explained, a very faint and fragile smile coming to her face. There was a flicker of pride in knowing her role and what she was meant to do. "Everyone is a threat Mister. Everyone from a muscular brute to a nerd with internet access, mad scientists or feral beasts. Whether or not their opinions support or oppose the rules, their potential to cause damage remains. Don't you think it's silly? Being upset at one potential risk among countless others?" She asked tilting her head curiously.

@name

Lotharingia · Oct 31, 2018

"I work security," He grumbled. "It's my job to think about all potential threats. You aren't the only kid on my shit list, you know."

Her description of just how large-scale she could affect the world did little to ease Reen's concerns. To him, it sounded like she was just trying to show off. He would have been just content to ignore her from that point on, but as he briefly shifted his gaze to look at her, he saw the hand. Rather abruptly, he turned the car, moving it off to the side of the road before coming to a stop. He turned in his seat to face her.

"Are you saying," He said, tone serious. "That those people are still alive right now? You're keeping them in there?"

That was a much more immediate concern to him. Whether she was telling the truth about them being peaceful or not, now that he was aware of their presence, he felt an obligation to do something about it.

Korra · Oct 31, 2018

Alice exhaled a sigh, it was difficult to convince someone set in their ways, though she wasn't sure if she should continue. Musing on what else she could say to properly deliver her intentions, she hesitated when he stopped and turned towards her. Perplexed, she tilted her head in answer, as if wondering why he asked. "Mm? Yes. They are alive. Those I assimilate do not die, but instead are preserved and broken down to ensure materials are always in the best possible condition." She explained in a matter of fact tone.

Touching her hands to her chest she furrowed a brow as if trying to examine them in depth. She seemed deep in thought as she ruminated. "Two of them have been assimilated while going into shock presumably from blood loss. The latter had been assimilated after suffering severe head trauma, unfortunately I don't have much hope for that one. The former suffered several gunshot wounds to the chest it seems-- Not irreparable by any means, but is very weak. The other two are suffering from severe burns, the unfortunate few close to the contact point during the initial breach that started the incident, while alive, they likely won't revive. The last was attacked by me in my initial escape and also the first I assimilated from the labs-- I made an effort to take him non-violently, though he's worse for ware, I'm afraid one of his legs may not work properly." She explained with a furrowed brow as if these were problems to solve and numbers to crunch.

They were certainly alive inside of Alice, but whether or not they could be alive without her would be another story entirely. Outside of the one who had been shout in the chest and the second who now had a crippled leg, the other three were clearly beyond what a human could recover from to an extent. "Is it easier to trade if they are alive? While I can trade, I have to inform you that four of them most likely won't survive the separation as I am preserving their lives. The last however can be traded without much difficulty if you prefer that kind of trade?" She asked tilting her head with a bland expression as if she were again trying to negotiate a business transaction.

@name

Lotharingia · Nov 1, 2018

Reen listened to her explanation intently, one finger tapping the steering wheel the whole time. Assuming she wasn't lying, it sounded like they would be safe for the time being. Taking a calm breath, he reversed the car, turned it around and began driving back to the academy.

"Ok, here's how this is gonna work." He spoke, his voice clearly not in the mood for an argument. "We're gonna go back. We're gonna go into the infirmary. You're gonna spit all those people out, one at a time, and we're gonna let the doctors do what they can to save them."

Reen's medical knowledge was basic at best. He needed to know first aid if he was gonna work campus security, so he really didn't know how much they could actually do for those people, whether those injuries could actually be fixed.

"You might know a whole lot from what you've already eaten, but you don't know much about life beyond the veil. Medicines a lot better here then it is out there. I'll let the doctor decide whether they can be helped or not."

Korra · Nov 1, 2018

Alice furrowed her brow at the man's demands. As if thinking she'd heard wrong at first before seeing him trying to change directions. She couldn't help shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Unless you have medicines that can revive the dead, three of them will die a few moments after separation. Perhaps one can be saved, the fifth-- Well, he wasn't particularly injured." She spoke, feeling confident. Doctors and medicines could be fantastic after all, but how long would it take to work? These people had been on death's door when Alice scooped them up to build a working brain.

Despite that though, Alice stared ahead, feeling more and more as if this person didn't care about her in the faintest. "I'm willing to trade up to three, I still need two." She tried to assert, but there was almost certainly going to be some kind of harsh or volatile reaction from the man driving in response to her words. She anticipated it even with her weak E.Q. it was clear his mind was on the humans rather then her, the monster.

"Right now, I'm keeping them alive. Someday I'll evolve and become good enough to fix them on my own. I did this with kind intentions, I did this understanding that in their own selfish ways they endeavored to effect some positive change. Despite my efforts, you would have me devolve into some kind of feral monster, risk these people's lives just to satisfy some self-righteous codes and dogma?" She asked, a glint of accusation in her words as she stared at the one who was slowly becoming less of a protector and guide and more of a judge and executioner.

She was upset, visibly so. Despite her inability to properly display normal emotions, she was clearly agitated. She felt discriminated against at the very least. "Since I've become aware of myself, all I've done is defend myself from people who had tried to harm and confine me. Since I've arrived here, I've put in effort to follow the rules and adapt. I'm guilty only of word play and debating semantics with a person who I was told would see me to my living area safely. And you would order me to end myself as I am, and give those people who I preserved for a mutually beneficial purpose." Alice spoke, her formerly bland tone had become frigid. There was an icy point to her words as she spoke them.

After airing her grievances, she couldn't help shaking her head softly. That frosty edge still in her tone as she watched the road Reem drove on. "I might be a monster, Mister, one undeserving of your sympathy even. But I've never judged someone by the amount of blood on their hands, I've never found sport or amusement in putting other people down or judging them." She asserted firmly. Alice was guilty of a few crimes, killing people who tried to restrain her and contain her before to escape. She'd also caused a bit of property damage in her escape no doubt, between creating tools and collateral damage. Even if she didn't quite understand the gravity of her crimes, it clearly went against the rules.

@name

Lotharingia · Nov 2, 2018

For once, surprisingly, Reen didn't snap back. He let her speak, before finally sighing aloud, sounding less angry and more tired. She had a point, he was aware. It by no means changed his opinion of her, but he realised that the way they were going would get him nowhere. The car started to slow down again, eventually coming to a stop on the side of the road. He killed the ignition entirely, before popping the door open.

"Ok, I'm only gonna do this once. Get out of the car."

He stood up, walking further onto the pathway, standing with his back to her. He pulled his suit jacket off his body, unbuttoned his shirt and let them both fall to the ground at his feet. Clasped around his neck, was a small metal chain, a silver medallion attached to it, hanging off his body. He grasped it in his hand and pulled it off, the clasp coming loose. And his body began to change.

He rapidly grew, limbs extending, muscles bulging under his tan skin before grey-green scales began to cover it. Spines grew from his back, claws from his elongated fingers, all sharp and menacing, designed to rend and tear. He turned back around, his eyes were large and red, focused on her.

"I killed a lotta people." A harsh, throaty voice emerged from his toothy maw, his throat strained, clearly not designed for speaking words. "I ate them, sucked their blood right outta them and watched them die. I need to do it to live, but I killed plenty just because I thought they needed killing."

"Killing isn't what makes you a monster. Half the island has killed something at this point. If that was all it took for us to give up on something, you wouldn't be here right now. You'd be on the islets, locked up in a cage and kept away from everyone else, like I was. If there was no hope for you at all, you'd be dead where you stand. What makes you a threat is that you can't see what the problem in what you do, that you think peoples lives are just something you can keep, like some shit smeared on the ground you scooped up."

He loomed over her, nostrils flaring with each breath, body tensed despite the relative calm of the situation.

"Something that can't understand, can't see the gravity of what a life really means, something that sees them like they're just things. That sounds pretty monstrous to me."

He opened his palm, the shape charm still held within, and clasped the magic item back around his neck. He shrunk back down, transforming back into the shape of the man he held before.

Wearing nothing but stretchy boxers, his slacks laying in tatters at his feet.

"You owe me some pants." He muttered, half-heartedly, not really meaning it. None of the tension from his bestial form was visible on him now that he'd changed back. He put on his shirt and coat, before walking over to the trunk and opening it, pulling out another pair of equally cheap and old looking slacks. "Like I said, you aren't the only kid on my shitlist. We got a lotta people that need to learn, and it's my job to be on all their asses until they do. Prove me wrong and actually figure it out, I'll buy a round in your honour or some shit. But until then I need to keep an eye on you."

"If you need the meat and bones and flesh to stay functioning like you are, they'll be able to accommodate that. There are some bodies that have been donated for that exact reason. We can swap them out when we get back, and you can keep that big ass brain of yours."

He tugged the pants on, giving her a moment to consider all of that. He didn't really care if she listened or not, if she was anything like he was it'd take more then someone yelling at her to make a difference, but he'd rather not argue the point.

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Open Enrollment

Korra

Well-Known Member

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Korra

Well-Known Member

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Korra

Well-Known Member

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Korra

Well-Known Member

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less

Korra

Well-Known Member

Lotharingia

Promise nothing and deliver less