1 || Video; yo this shit is lit

[divinusly]

[ She's quite a distance away from the city, and it certainly shows. Dirt and dust spot the scarf she wears about her face and neck, caught in the fabric as she has sped through the desert upon the motorcycle, and the leather of her armor could use a good cleaning. Yet strangely enough her hair remains tightly bound in a braid, and her skin is unmarked by neither sun nor sand. She addresses the network calmly but quietly. ] Good evening. [ Or midday. Or whatever. ] For those I have not met, my name is Zelda. I am currently delivering one of the orbs the deity Love has granted us to its shrine.

[ Seems straightforward enough, yeah? Well, maybe not so much anymore. ] However, I seem to have encountered a-- [ Zelda turns the camera of the phone away from her, during which the connection becomes spottier, her voice lagging, twisting behind the frames. ] --being-- [ She using the phone's features to zoom in to something just a ways away from where she's stopped. Lingering beyond the hazy mirage of the cracked ground is one of the Null, but the connection seems to worsen just as she focuses the image. ] Is anyone-- [ More static, this time longer than before. When the visual returns, the image remains distorted. ]

--iliar with it?

[ It's not like any of the various beasts she's seen in or around the city proper, and it seems strange that it travels alone. While Zelda certainly may be a capable warrior, she reserves herself to seek information first before taking any action. ]

[ OOC: If you want to jump in on her log comment instead, see here: Bloop!

Comments

[video]

[hot_mes]

[see, this is why he can't put the phone away even when the connection is breaking down]

Null.

[how can one word carry so much fear and loathing? It does.]

I passed you earlier today. Are you still near that position?

[divinusly]

[ She responds quickly, but just as quietly. If he's nearby then...

Well, that would be helpful. And she definitely picks up on the urgency of his tone. ]

Yes. I am-- [ INSERT LOCATION HERE BRAH ] Will you come?

[hot_mes]

On my way. [he only just recently figured out GPS soooo....

also once he's close enough to sense her, he'll bang right on in there]

Stay down. If it spots you, you have about one minute to kill it before it can send a message to the others.

[divinusly]

Only one? [ It's a good thing she moonlights as a ninja so she can stay low???

But she doesn't have to be told twice, really. She's never really faced off against a machine before. But... oddly enough, a part of her wants to know more. How they operate, what their capabilities are. If it's one thing she completely dislikes, it's not knowing. ] I'll appreciate your help.

[hot_mes]

It's faster than trying to explain its weak point over this thing.

[which of course conveniently fuzzes with static right then. Describing the processor and the likely places in its carapace where it might be located takes way too long when there's rubber to burn. Fingon can give her the lowdown while he's zooming his way back a few kilometers]

Video

[utulien_aure]

There’s a spot about the size of a human fist where its vulnerable. If you have no other choice, that’s where you attack.

But only if you have no choice. If that one spots you, others will follow.

[muttering]

Damn it, we should have expected something like this....

[divinusly]

[ The size of a human fist is their hit box? Well that's going to be fun. ] I've been told tha-- [ Static, and the image shakes as she's moving. ] --Null.

[ At least she's been informed what they are. ]

Expected what, exactly? How many are there?

[utulien_aure]

[He nods urgently] Yes. An army of them attacked the city some months ago. They were the enem-

[A burst of static on his end blocks when he's sayin]

-kind of hive mind. If one sees you, even if you kill it, the others will know.

[divinusly]

[ Like bees to their queen? Or no, perhaps they operate by something more sophisticated. The image here cuts completely out at this point, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise as the audio connection becomes a little more fluid. ] And if we should kill it-- [ How hard it may be? She doesn't know. But she's thinking that perhaps it wouldn't be best to try on her own. So. ] --its kin will know as well, I take it.

[ Interesting to think about. ] Yet this one appears alone... [ Maybe a scout.

More of a pause here as she thinks. He mentions "months ago", which refers to back when the city had been underground, or so she's heard. So-- ] Is it possible that it does not know where the city-- where we are?

[utulien_aure]

I think that a fair assumption.

[It was very hard to kill the Null, and became harder every time one went down. They analyzed their enemies, adapted to them, and rarely made the same mistake twice.]

They must know this world well enough. They were the ones who destroyed it, if what the gods say is true. Hadriel in particular? Probably not- this would be a good time to attack if they did.

[The gods are down to six from eight, and while Hope has recovered his strength, Fear has not. As it stands, Hadriel probably cannot flee an attack.]

video;

[lemontree]

[ Oh. That... is not good. ]

Lady Zelda, are you alone? That - thing is just one of many in a dangerous species. You should return as quickly as you can.

[divinusly]

[ She's grateful for the help she's gotten so far. Definitely grateful. ] Someone is going t-- [ "Meet up with me to help", but they haven't gotten to that part yet, so.

Anyway, she is moving a little bit aways from the Null, and the connection seems to improve from it. Whether it's because she's moving more away from the machine or simply just a few yards closer back to Hadriel is anyone's guess. ]

--I am almost to the next city where to place the orb. [ She continues to say. ] Are you suggesting that if I should try to circumvent this thing, I may encounter others?

[ What sort of group formation do they take?? She was just wondering if it was a lone scout, but. Well. She honestly doesn't know. ]

[lemontree]

Yes, or so I would assume. They are rarely alone, or they were rarely alone, last we saw them.

[ Before they had to move the entire city above ground to escape. ]

Is someone coming to aid you? [ She asks, assuming that's what had been meant from the original, interrupted statement? ]

[divinusly]

Yes. [ And there's relief in her tone, a breath. ] His name is, ah, Law. [ Which she wonders if it means what she knows law to mean in his own world. It's difficult to tell what with language being completely leveled here. ] So I do believe that we may be able to take it if we work together.

[ She pauses then. ] Tell me, what do you think this means for the city and its inhabitants?

[lemontree]

The best of luck, then. And be careful.

[ She seems capable, but the Null killed a lot of people during their invasion. ]

For our piece of this world? I think that it means we are not as safe as we would like to believe.

audio.

[dedikated]

( Oh hell. She gets some signal in this weird, untouched city they find and this is the first thing that the network shows. )

...Great.

( There had to be one. )

You got somethin' heavy on you? Or-

( The static cuts off the "sharp" that she tries to say. )

[divinusly]

[ Zelda, having discovered that the connection is a little better when the video is off promptly switches to mainly audio. ] In terms of weaponry? In fact, I do.

[ She has a Dominion Rod thankfully. Which can conjure up giant heavy-hitting giant statues to pummel things. ] Do conventional weapons not work against these creatures? [ More like machines, but Zelda is not close enough to get a better look at them. ]

[dedikated]

Fine with enough force. ( She'd pressed blades into their cores enough times to know. It's just easier with something that's heavy enough to quickly smash and destroy it. ) Weren't immune to magic either.

( Unfortunately, that's not something she got to personally try out. But witnessing it was enough. )

[divinusly]

I've heard that they will stop at nothing to eliminate us. [ ... ] But I have also heard that they might not know where we all currently live.

[dedikated]

( There's a hum of agreement, mangled into static by a crappy connection, before a curse is hissed under Kate's breath at the sound tearing through her brain, offensive and irritating. )

Ri— t. The—

( SIGH. Give her a minute to try and find a better spot to stand. )

Get —ull explanation —person.

( Close enough, right? )

[Video]

[dragonsgrasp]

[Kain gasps in surprise as he views the form laying on the ground. But he pulls himself together enough to harden his tone, all business as he's already preparing for tough battle ahead. What if they're attacking again?]

That's one of the Null. Where are you? Are there signs of others in the area?

[divinusly]

An acquaintance is coming to help me. [ She replies, the connection fortunately getting her entire message through. But then next part comes out patchy. ]

But I do not see any more of these "null".... at least that I can tell. [ Beat. ] They cannot render themselves invisible to the naked eye, can they? Or bury themselves underground?

[dragonsgrasp]

I don't believe they have those capabilities that we know of, but I wouldn't put anything past them. They're extremely dangerous, and their presence shouldn't be taken lightly.

[He remembers with dread the encounters he'd had with them, especially that last one.]

You and anyone else in the area should use extreme caution, and keep watch around the area. Who knows if more of them might be following...

[divinusly]

[ Oh, she'll be careful all right!! ]

...Do they often travel in groups? [ Dude she has to know this because what if there are more?? ]

[dragonsgrasp]

They can, and very often do. I take it you weren't here when they attacked. It was a terrible struggle, with the Null targeting certain individuals, and overall wreaking havoc on our environment. It's why the gods helped us to move here, from the cave we were in.