etrayalogs | damn bitch u live like this?

Entry tags:

original: knife

damn bitch u live like this?

WHO: "Antigone," Shadow
WHEN: Early May
WHERE: Alexandria
WHAT: interacting...socializing?!....scheming...
NOTES\WARNINGS: marked where needed, none in top-level

A scant-few miles south of the hospital, the land is...rather sparse. It's quiet in unnatural ways, lacking the typical fauna sounds Knife would expect with enough greenery (the chocobo noises are not pleasant to hear, though they're more tolerable at a distance). It makes innocuous sounds sinister with the risk of danger. It makes being closer to people seem...almost comforting?

Until remembering that Knife doesn't fucking know these people and there's autonomous slaves and and and--

Eugh.

This sucks.

While Knife's set up Pending's stashes along the water, they move Antigone inland with enough plausible distance as to avoid being too easily correlated. It makes them anxious to check in on their stuff, useful or otherwise, but it's safer to just leave it be for a time. They've set up a couple tents in a copse of trees near the baseball stadium - close enough to a food source to pinch from, far enough as to avoid regular traffic. It also gives them a chance to pinch any additional bots, should they need to, during investigations with the inactive ones one of the Shadows had mangled for them.

They're...not really a tinkerer, but the real Antigone is, and since that's their mask for now? Fuckin'...gotta learn to tinker.

It's something to do, anyway, that isn't just stressing about being stuck, alone, and separated from Soliton.

Suppose he thinks I ditched him. He's so convinced he's going to live forever alone, the dumbass. I'm not here on purpose, idiot! Don't think I abandoned you!

Antigone's lips curl back in a frustrated growl while trying to reconfigure chips and bits back where they belong; disassembling and reassembling repeatedly helps familiarize them with some parts, even if they don't wholly get computer chips or circuits just yet.

Near and around the tents, Knife has set up little signal traps: Buttons and tiny bells on threads and wires that shift or tinkle in ways not unlike a spider's web to alert them of encroaching bodies. When one of them goes off, they go still for a beat, waiting to hear if it's another damn chocobo. When the telltale dinosaur-thumping doesn't sound, they get up and peek out of the tent, blinking around in the daylight. Scattered giftbox debris, random assortments of wrappers or other odds and ends gathered from shops and trash bins, and...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think so. I'd have to test it out. What spells can you cast? [because he's OBVIOUSLY a ~*magical creature*~, that's like not even something to argue!]

I harness Chaos energy to use my skills.

[ since antigone is curious, shadow can follow up considering they have a business relationship. ]

Teleportation and speed is also utilized.

["Chaos energy" sounds like some warlock shit, and like, no wonder this guy's such a fuckin' sourpuss if that's the case. shackled to a powerful chaos entity? that's rough, buddy.

Antigone holds their hand out to offer the feather back.]

M'kay, then try imbuing one of your energy spells into this, specifically, and then give it back. If it works the way I'm thinking, I should be able to cast it with the feather by proxy. [beat.]

...Actually, can we do this outside so we don't maybe blow up my tent?

And for what reason should I allow that?

[ handing antigone the feather was one good dead, utilizing his chaos energy for someone else to control by proxy? that's a means of needing shadow to believe they're capable, it's not something anyone should be wielding. ]

Have you accounted for if it backfires on you?

[ two questions, but he is looking for answers. ]

[oh, to be strong enough to throttle this insufferable creature...

exasperated:] How am I gonna test if it works if I can't test if it works! [AAAAAA.

huff. calm. cool. collected.]

If it sparks on me, I can dodge it. [uncannily.] Most likely. But I guess I eat shit if I can't! That's how testing works!

Use your own abilities. I won't always be by you to count on what source I have.

[ and shadow has been a test subject for long enough to know how this works. he can see how they don't like the answer he's giving, and who wouldn't. chaos energy is what it sounds like, it can be a destructive source if not handled correctly. his entire body is ridden with it, his organs able to use it to give himself endless energy. ]

Are you not proud of what you're capable of?

BeCAUSE I can't do anything flashy enough to see if it worked! [why is this so difficult for him to get!!!!!

they make a shooing gesture to goad him back outside.] C'mon, c'mon! You think a girl like me can shoot fireballs or whatever? Spice the stupid thing with a sparkler and we'll see if it can be focused!

[ isn't he giving antigone enough to work with. ]

You aren't completely sure if you'll catch afire on the spot. If you die, I am unable to save you.

[ which means stop trying to die, do they have a death wish that he doesn't know about? ]

[they roll their eyes, arms flapping haplessly at their sides. Like you'd care!]

So, what. All that energy is only a health hazard, then? Okay. Fine. Do you know someone else with spellcasting? Someone who can, like, cast a faerie firelight? A water conjuration?

[this really is beating around the bush, but...Knife does have their reasons. exposing too much of their skillset, getting it mixed and mingled with Pending's...it's risky. too risky.

also? this cranky guy would probably find cause to be extra pissed if Knife cast a necrotic spell and it hit him in such a way.

so annoying.]

Are you unable to cast on your own?

[ he almost sounds invested, he doesn't do this, but he's trying to figure out what the other can and can't do. shadow only brought this feather as a boon for the other, but seeing that they can't even do this makes him wonder what good they're for.

... ]

No one else needs to know about this.

[ not that shadow cares if people learn that he is the reason the red chocobo caused so much destruction, but this is... different. ]

We'll train you.

Nothing that'd make it clear that this thing works, no. That's why I asked, [they gesture, trying to get Shadow to take the feather back.] because anything I tried wouldn't work. It'd only make sense if this thing were imbued with a magic I can't do, because if I used it and did cast it, then that proves it works! You see?

What'd be the point of having a focus for something you can already do? It'd be like a weather wizard stocking up scrolls of lightning bolt - they already do that!

You're unable to do anything that protects you. As far as I'm concerned, you can turn into deadweight.

[ he's blunt when he says so, but even as crude as it is, that's just his observation when looking at the other. as much as they try to hide and stay out the way, they're reckless in their actions. this is all shadow can offer for the other as a type of protection.

it seems that this wasn't the right choice. ]

It depends on how you apply the feather. Keep it. I was told there are times where our powers are taken from us, but this is separate from you.

[flatly:] Telling me how much I suck is like your favorite thing to do here, isn't it?

[sigh. they twiddle the feather between their fingers by the quill tip, considering it. if nothing else, it'd be a nice accessory to wear, but it'll be nicer if they could, say, load a fireball in this bad boy.

oh, to cast fireball...]

Guess take a raincheck on whether or not this thing can be cool.

Maximize your usefulness.

[ shadow tries so hard, but he can't say things nicely when he's an asshole. it's either he attempts to help or he lets them be a liability. coming here wasn't to find them, but finding them is what led to shadow handing over the feather.

he wanted them to have it anyway. ]

The energy that comes from it suggests that it is capable. [ because he's not trusting anyone else. ] You'll figure it out the same as you are figuring this.

[ he looks to the nuts and bolts all over the ground. ]

You need a new one?

[another eye roll. if Knife knew what a fortune cookie was, they'd definitely consider Shadow like some kind of crapsack version, just spewing criticisms and put-downs.

Joke's on you motherfucker, no one can hate me as much as I can!]

Naw. [they get up, walking around Shadow to exit the tent and go to one of the other ones and stow the feather among their clothing hoard, chatting as they go.] What would be better is a tool to look at their insides while they're still workin'. Got anything like that?

That's what you're supposed to be learning.

[ what does shadow look like, an errand boy? no. if the other wants to look into them then they should learn how. all this is telling shadow that someone was wasteful when working on these bots. ]

Have you decided to break into the cameras in this place if any?

[ here are the ideas. ] Reroute control from Aurora to yourself and use it as a spy. Control it from a device and maybe they aren't wary of each other.

[ do these bots do maintenance on one another? who knows. ]

[feather safely stowed, back safely turned, Antigone pinches at their brow, picking and pulling at the skin briefly in a way unbefitting its fit on the skull. it goes back into place seamlessly before turning around to return back outside.]

I don't know how to do that. Did I mention I'm not an artificer? And before you scowl at me and say "Learn," it's not like I can snap my fingers and magically make that happen.

I tinker. At best. And these are... [a beat. they shrug, unable to come up with the right analogy.] I don't know. If things like this exist where I'm from, I've never seen them before. So I'm starting on the ground. No, under the ground, in the bedrock, you know?

[ it's not his expertise either, if there was someone else like robotnik or even tails, then they could help this idiot. unfortunately, they'll have to find someone who can. ]

Save the pieces, you can make something new with them.

[ that's all he can give when it comes to that. ]

Come along, there should be a store with books for individuals like you.

[ building robots for dummies. ]

[god dammit Knife is not ready to explain that they can't fucking read.]

[god dammit.

they grab a little clutch purse they nicked from a shop and trots after him.]

So, when do I get to decide what I want to do with my time? Or are you gonna just run my life from here on out.

[ that's quite the deflect.

... hm. ]

You did this on your own time, didn't you?

[ the whole set up and hide away place. it's not like shadow told them to do that. ]

Do what it is you want. Follow me or don't. It'll always be your decision.

[ there's only so much he can do in return. ]

Sure you're not gonna kick my ass for doing other stuff? [there's an attempt at levity in their tone, but it doesn't mask the genuine uncertainty that's there.

truly, they would love to not have their ass kicked.]

Depends.

[ don't worry, he's not going to lie and say no, sometimes sonic does other stuff and shadow kicks his ass. ]

As long as it doesn't annoy me. [ but he will save them where he can only because shadow has done this much, but it's not something he says aloud. ]

Don't make stupid decisions.

[incredulous:] This is you not annoyed? [holy shit.]

As long as you keep up this attitude, you can prevent it.

[ don't piss him off. come the hell on, fuzzy. ]

How much money do you have?

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they're friends.

antigone couldnt find a better friend than a mean hog

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1/2

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