2017-08-30:Distorted Reflections
- Cutscene: Distorted Reflections
- Cast:Malfi
- Where: Wayside
- Date: 2017-08-30
- Summary: Malfi ponders her recent life-change.
[Had to post in two parts on the MUSH, and I'm not sure why.]
Wayside is...weird, Malfi reflects. There's no familiar hum of the Photosphere's engines beneath her feet, no environmental controls, no electric field cocooning her right below her conscious awareness, no proper sleeping pod in the entire place (only makeshift cots and hammocks and a few human-style beds down at the inn), and worst of all, very little real food. She's been living on coffee and pastries and the limited selection of real infusions from the V4l-H4lla ever since she arrived a week and a half ago. That didn't really mix with hard physical labor: right now she's carting another load of construction materials for yet another prefab building.
Technically Bogey is doing the hauling. He can carry more than a horse but less than a Metal Dragon. The Metal Bear-Dog had proved to be an amenable and useful companion once she'd disabled his original programming. He didn't seem to have a problem with the food. Metal Beasts had been designed to eat anything, even dead, defeated enemies. A whole 'nother side to his personality had emerged once his kinsight had been taken offline. He seemed happier, somehow, than when he'd been locked into attack mode. He plods beside her, his massive back loaded down, whuffing contentedly.
Not that she'd removed his attack mode completely, of course. There were monsters in the Badland that could challenge even a Metal Demon, at least an ordinary one. Those were too dangerous to capture, and if one wandered into the village...
This building wasn't going to be Malfi's. She wanted to set up spaces for her creatures eventually, but they weren't a priority. The first thing was to build shelters, dig the qanat, and repair the water purifier. Ideally the water purifier would also serve as a Plant -- otherwise conditions would stay rather primitive. Malfi was no stranger to camping during her excursions to catch monsters or explore ruins, but it isn't her preference. She misses the Photosphere. Some would call it stark, even sterile, but it's the only home she's ever known.
Water. It's going to be the basis of Wayside's economy. Someone even proposed that the village motto be Our Wealth is Water. It's a unifying thing, which should please Riesenlied. Every creature on Filgaia, organic or not, needs water. It's a place of truce, which is another thing that feels weird...aren't the humans supposed to be enemies? Don't most of them worship the Guardians, the same ones that imprison Mother?
Bogey is blissfully ignorant of these complexities. He wants to shed his heavy load and play. Malfi reaches up and ruffles behind his ear affectionately. "All right, cja'ado*, I'll take a break and play fetch with you when we get there." Bogey's stubtail wags furiously. "We both deserve a break."
And some real food, too remains unsaid.
---
- "friend." [I am totally making this up].