oo2. VIDEO

[oversear]

[ It's late at night and another video by Armand pops up. But instead of asking for animal sacrifices this time, he's got a bit of art show horror going on. Armand is pointing the camera in first person view and it settles directly on the oven that is in his kitchen. The oven light is on, but shadows are being cast by whatever is actually sitting inside. Once the camera focuses on the oven window, there appears to be a head sitting on the rack. It will quickly become obvious it is not a human head but one of the Working Joes that occupy the caves. ]

They do not melt or smoulder. It is truly impressive technology.

[ A stark white hand reaches out from behind the camera and turns up the temperature on the oven. He goes back to filming the head for several minutes, nothing but silence that is occasionally interrupted by a dull thumping sound somewhere off screen. It sounds like someone is walking into a wall.

The head does not melt. There might be a bit of a disappointed air as he terminates the feed. ]

Comments

voice

[64th]

Heeeey, whatcha doing there?

[ seriously wtf ]

voice

[oversear]

[ Is this a trick question? He's obviously roasting a head. ]

I am testing a theory. These are not monsters but machines. I was curious of their limits.

voice

[64th]

Huh.

And what did you decide about it?

voice

[oversear]

Someone designed them specifically to be hard to destroy. I do not think it was the gods. These as well as the monsters in the tunnels must have all come from the door.

I wonder if any of the original inhabitants of this place remain.

voice

[64th]

I don't know. I think if any of them are alive, they're not here anymore. We would have seen them by now.

voice

[oversear]

I am hoping they'll be resurrected with a god.

[ That's probably not how it works, but. ]

Maybe they would be more willing to tell us what happened here.

(Video)

[handofsilver]

(This sort of behavior unnerves him and he does not hide that fact. Celebrimbor's expression is like a storm, rumbling threateningly in the distance.)

This is how you choose to use your time?

(Video)

[oversear]

Yes. Do not worry, they are machines, they feel no pain.

video

[skelebro]

[Heya, Armand. It's your old friend the skeleton. He's got a lotta questions and a big ol' skeletal grin.]

Any reason you're feelin' like you wanna get ahead?

1/2

[oversear]

[ Oh, this is awkward. If Armand recalls, Sans is a monster. And Armand just came back from a good old monster hunt. He'll just ignore that fact. ]

How does this get me ahead, exactly?

[oversear]

[ Like 5 minutes later. ]

Oh. It is a joke.

[skelebro]

[He waits for him to process it, politely, 'cause Sans can be polite when it suits him. He winks one eyesocket shut cheerfully with a wide, shit-eating grin.]

Yep. You got it.

[He inclines his skull faintly in the direction of said head.]

You mind tellin' us where you landed that little number?

[oversear]

[ groooooan. ]

It was in the tunnels. It was moving strangely. Alien-like. I wanted to examine it closely.

[ aka lets see if it burns. ]

[skelebro]

So your first instinct was to, uh...burn it?

[oversear]

It still moved after I removed the head. I was curious what else it could withstand.

video;

[fulcra]

[ well this is interesting. ]

They've got a pretty high melting point, huh? Well built.

video;

[oversear]

I am not sure what they are built for if they are so hard to destroy. I wonder if the monsters built them?

[fulcra]

Probably not. I haven't seen any technology that really matches. [ a thoughtful pause. ] They'd make formidable battle droids, though.

voice

[oversear]

A battle droid? As in a military android?

[ He's heard of androids! The 90s were wild. ]

[fulcra]

Yes. They were common in my home galaxy when I was younger. Not particularly sturdy, but they weren't crafted nearly as well as that one seems to be.

[ and now she wants to see how they stack up to a lightsaber, oops. ]

[voice]

[circumitus]

Better not be trying that with anything you see that looks like machine.

[Because some of them happen to be friends. And what shes seen in previous conversations here so far, that is concerning.]

[voice]

[oversear]

[ Why don't you trust him, Rey. :( ]

Is there someone among our kin who is a machine?

[voice]

[circumitus]

[Hey, she just doesn't want her roommate to get mistaken for a Joe.]

Yes. A few who actually look the part.

[And a few who don't, such as herself.]

[voice]

[oversear]

I will keep this in mind. The last thing I would do is commit an act that distress you, mademoiselle.

[ He's the shittest. ]

[voice]

[circumitus]

[SIGH.]

More like "pissed off" than "distressed". As in, am ready to take full responsibility over whatever happens next should you fail to make the distinction.

[Rey, no.]