ORIGIN - Patrol

Open to Chaos Forge members who want to patrol with Shrike; also open to anyone else! It's assumed that enough Valkhounds/CF will join to make the Vargas-mandated minimum group of 3, but if not, Shrike will be quite close to the other groups so that she's not rulebreaking.

It was ironic that Shrike had only just joined the Forge; she wasn't even Corrupted yet, not past a few touched points that left her with strange visions. The reason it was ironic was because--initially--she'd been planning to join the Hive. Things hadn't worked out that way and now here she was, patrolling for any sign of it.

If they ran into Order, they were to stamp it out.

That meant, from what she could understand, patrolling for signs of that white fungus; it also meant driving off or killing any... What were they called? Drones? that they might run into. Shrike was glad that the rule was "three or more, together," because she didn't think she could stand a chance against someone like Ace. Not that she wanted to kill him; if anything, she hoped that the Hive would, for now, steer clear.

At least it had been quiet thus far. Just some bones, some rocks, and a whole lot of dust.

Padding up alongside Shrike is a much smaller hybrid. Perhaps she would find Rue interesting, already converted and leaking Oil with every step. They certainly find her interesting, some new recruit to the Forge.

"So. You're new?" Rue offers, having been mostly quiet or business on the way here. Perhaps traveling would've been the better time for small talk, rather than while on the job, but it's not like those rules were set in stone. "Call me Rue. You have a name? Or a designation?"

Their eyes flick up to that perfect halo of stone Shrike bears. Perhaps Vargas had levered onto her the title of V-Diamond-One. Perhaps he had not. Either way, they hadn't seen that stone amongst the Forge before.

"Suppose I could tell you about duties, or something. If the Master has not had a chance too."

@Shrike

Shrike glanced over, studying her companion for a moment. Not that she'd ignored them on the way here. It was just... she'd noticed something. Ahh--but Rue was speaking. I'll ask them in a minute, she decided.

"New," Shrike confirmed, with a birdlike dip of her head in imitation of a nod. "Good to meet you, Rue." Her brittle smile and bright eyes were diamond-clear and just as empty. "Shrike is fine. I'm told I'll be V-Diamond-One, but since I already have a name, I can use it. -How about you? Did you have to earn yours?" Her gaze was curious. She still wasn't full up on all the Chaos Forge rules and such, only having had the bare basics brushed over. That did make Rue's offer an interesting one. But more interesting... I'll ask now, she decided, and cleared her throat.

"I'd appreciate that. But I'm curious--if you don't mind," she added, glancing around as she spoke. "Can I ask about your-... lines? The stitches?" She wasn't sure what they were, so she had no idea what to call them: seams, making Rue look much like a ragdoll that had been sewn together piece-by-piece.

Someone already made a V-Diamond-One but it was never actually submitted... awkward

@Rue

Not particularly bright, Rue doesn't notice the hollowness to Shrike's gestures or the emptiness in her expression. Though to be fair, there was always a level of indifference amongst members of the Forge - perhaps they thought Shrike was merely not fond of being put to work, and brushed it off at that.

"Well then. Shrike. Will remember that," they state, before pausing to scan the bones. Still nothing interesting. So Rue can continue the conversation, at least. "And I did have to earn it, yes-yes. V-Kornerupine-One, before."

They're only just realizing how long ago that had been. Had it been for battling that oiled serpent, sent from the Black Spire? Or was it for facing the Hive of that accursed Order? Rue doesn't remember anymore.

Pushing that thought back down to deal with later, they look back at Shrike. And then the focus is squarely on them again- oh right. The stitches. Another thing that Rue hadn't paid much mind too, now also squarely in their normal. "Some weird doctor guy showed up one time. Said he'd offer improvements," they recall. "...Was more. Nothing good, nothing bad. Just a change."

@Shrike

Shrike spread her wings, leaping a little to land on a higher rock to peer around. She saw nothing at all worthy of her interest, and peered down at Rue from where she'd settled for the moment. "...Did it hurt?" she asked, staring. She couldn't imagine just... letting someone, what, sew up your skin? She couldn't quite picture how it might've worked, since she wasn't really familiar with what stitches were. "Do they do anything?"

Ahh, but she was getting off-topic. She gave it a moment, time enough for any response, before asking another question. After all, Rue had her at a few disadvantages, here. She thought they seemed... lower in the hierarchy, maybe. Almost rank-and-file. A soldier, rather than someone to bluster about the benefits of Chaos and set out to recruit others to their cause, as The Warden had been. Maybe, then, Rue would be more honest about it. If there was anything "more honest" to be had, at least.

"May I also ask... do you enjoy being Chaos? The... magic, and the Forge? I'm still trying to figure it all out." Her own nature was only barely Touched, but already the nightmares and visions were... draining. Draining, and exhilarating, in equal measure. And was the Forge as grand a life as The Warden had made it out to be?

Shrike studied Rue, and wondered.

@Rue

They scan the other direction as Shrike looks one way. But then she's back again, wondering more. "No. Put asleep when he did it. Felt funny after waking up, though." It hadn't been painful, just an odd sensation. Getting used to how they pulled at their skin had taken Rue some time, but now? They only noticed when attention was called to them. Like right now. "Don't do much, either."

Bitterly, they think they really got the short end of the stick. Doctor Fun had given someone else two heads! Two heads! Think of all the mischief Rue could get up to with two heads!

But then Shrike is asking more, about Chaos, Corruption, all things black and Oiled. "The Forge can be stuffy. All rules, this and that. Sitting around waiting for orders is BORING. Lame and boring!" they assert, voice maybe a bit too loud. They catch themself before any other Forge members can listen in.

So they divert. "But, when they give me something to do... chaos! Destruction! Fire! Freedom in battle! The enemy writhes, burnt black to cinders!" they howl, the oil running faster from their jaws. "We can show you! Show you the power of corruption! Our magic is that! It is the best at destroying!"

It's almost as if, in thinking of battle, Rue has slipped into a trance, the chaos speaking for them.

@Shrike

Shrike peered at Rue sidelong.

The sudden change wasn't lost on her. It was subtle, but the switch between casual conversation and sudden, thrilled exhilaration--and the drool of Oil from their jaws--drew her eye. She studied this for a moment, and then nodded.

"By all means. I'd love to see it," she said simply. It didn't escape her notice, too, that Rue had gone from offering to inform about the Forge's rules and such to shoving that idea away with disgust. It was like the Chaos itself had refused such regulation. "...Funny, a team embracing Chaos could be called 'stuffy,'" she mused aloud.

Then she glanced around. Nobody was watching, at least, and Shrike looked with amusement to Rue. "Actually, if you can hit me with something... maybe not deadly. But I'm trying to, you know. Go Chaos." Not the most eloquent phrasing, but "can you corrupt me just a little" was hard to phrase with any eloquence.

And as her eyes dipped to the dripped Oil on the floor, she mused that asking to eat someone else's drool might also be too far.

@Rue

Their green eyes light up eagerly. "Ohoho- I will show GLADY!" they cackle. A grin spreads across Rue's face, showing their teeth stained black.

Shrike's request makes the gears in their head turn for a moment. The original plan to show off involved incinerating some rock or something. Which is decidedly not good for feathers, or skin, or really any part of a living creature.

Plan B it is then.

The hope was to summon one of those chaos-tendrils that writhe and flail. No such thing appears, though. "...Give me a minute. Stupid magic not working."

@Shrike

Shrike laughed, a harsh caw, unfiltered. "Take your time," she agreed, amused. Magic on the whole, she'd heard, was generally uncooperative; she'd never really used it, it so she wouldn't know. But it wasn't hard to imagine that "chaos" would be even more so. "I'm guessing it backfires a lot, too? Or hits really hard when it doesn't? -The chaos magic," she clarified, briefly studying Rue. It was chaos, after all. Mundane magic was supposedly pretty hit-and-miss, so she guessed this shit was more "all or nothing." Or "all or hits-you-in-the-face." Although this had been nothing, she supposed.

"What sorts of things can it do, even?" She'd not really looked into it, truth be told. Using corrupted magic was not high on her list of goals; she knew it existed, but not what kinds of effects it could have. Other elements were easy. Fire burned; earth did rock stuff. Simple. But Shrike's eyes gleamed with interest as--after a glance around for any sign of Order--she looked back to Rue.

What would chaos do?

@Rue