still sinking🩸

calliope. Space pirate iron lung oc

[bloodoceanpirate]

📁 C.O.I. FILE RECOVERY — ██████

FILE: SUBJECT_PIRATE_01 STATUS: CORRUPTED RECOVERY ATTEMPT: 32% DESIGNATION: TH̷E̷ ̷P̷I̷R̷A̷T̷E̷ N̷A̷M̷E̷: UNKNOWN ORIGIN COLONY: F̷A̷I̷L̷E̷D̷ F̷A̷I̷L̷E̷D̷ F̷A̷I̷L̷E̷D̷ CAUSE: S̷T̷A̷R̷V̷A̷T̷I̷O̷N̷ / [DATA LOST] / C̷O̷N̷S̷U̷M̷P̷T̷I̷O̷N̷ ██████████ SUBJECT AGE: PRESUMED SOMEWHERE IN THE 20S SURVIVAL RATE: ██

heyo! @melodythebunny here! Welcome to my fandom blog for Iron lung. What to be expected from this blog:

✦ this is an in character blog for calliope (iron lung oc) ✦ asks always open unless stated otherwise! ✦ dark themes: survival, (cosmic and Eldritch) horror, cannibalism references, death...pretty much inline with the game and movie ✦ crossovers and other OCS are fine ✦ rp friendly — just either send in inbox or tag the blog

-Tags-

#field contact <- rp tag

#open channel <- in character responses

#recovered data <- oc lore

#incoming transmission <- reblog

#they'll have their post and I'll have my queue <- intermission//queued post

#mission archive <- art tag

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Well of course it's scarier. The Bloodshed chuckled softly. You can reason with a god like myself.

But one such as the Great Starved? You would be attempting to reason with a living stomach. There is no rationalizing with it.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let out a breath that was almost a laugh.

"...When you put it like that..."

She rubbed her forehead.

"...you suddenly become a lot less intimidating."

That realization hit her with surprising force.

A few weeks ago, she'd thought Bloodshed was the most terrifying thing that could possibly exist.

Now...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Oh worry not little muse...

Something began to rise from the blood and- ohhhh wow. This was the first truly face to face encounter with what called itself the Bloodshed.

Towering, each tooth, even at its smallest, were longer than the Iron Lung. Hazy, almost blind eyes with such intense vision that she would be all too familiar with. Veins trailing from its gills like ribbons.

I am still more of a monster than you could possibly imagine.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope's breath caught. The words died in her throat before they ever became sound.

Her mind tried-desperately-to assign proportions.

Failed.

Started over.

Failed again.

The first thing she truly understood were the eyes.

Not because they were the largest part.

Because they were familiar enough for her brain to recognize.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Well of course it's scarier. The Bloodshed chuckled softly. You can reason with a god like myself.

But one such as the Great Starved? You would be attempting to reason with a living stomach. There is no rationalizing with it.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let out a breath that was almost a laugh.

"...When you put it like that..."

She rubbed her forehead.

"...you suddenly become a lot less intimidating."

That realization hit her with surprising force.

A few weeks ago, she'd thought Bloodshed was the most terrifying thing that could possibly exist.

Now...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You'll drive yourself mad wondering what you could have done differently in your life. The god quietly offered.

It allowed a moment to pass.

Believe me when I tell you that there is far more to concern yourself with here. You need not be part of that.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let the words settle.

Her eyes remained fixed on the slow, crimson waves below the platform.

"...I know."

She did.

At least, logically. Emotion was another matter. A quiet sigh escaped her.

"It's funny."

She picked absently at a fleck of rust beneath her thumb.

"I can accept that I can't change the past."

A small pause.

"But every now and then my brain insists on holding a meeting about it anyway

[the-shed-that-whispers]

It's how we process things, even gods do it on occasion. The Bloodshed mused thoughtfully.

You humans just seem to do it more than most. In my experience that is. Constantly thinking about what could have been.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"So even gods hold imaginary arguments with themselves?"

She glanced toward the immense shape somewhere beyond the platform.

"That's... oddly comforting."

She hadn't expected that.

Somehow she'd imagined immortality came with absolute certainty. But suppose that wasn't the same as gaining knowledge of everything...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Obviously we do! It huffed, clearly annoyed. Well...some of us do. Many of us are quite intelligent.

A pause. It returned after a moment. Not all. Some are, by design, incapable of higher thought. Older than anything you could imagine. Than even I can imagine.

[bloodoceanpirate]

The thought of an ancient cosmic being catching itself mid-rant was... unexpectedly endearing.Her amusement faded into curiosity.

"But..." She tilted her head. "'By design?'"

That choice of words caught her attention immediately. "You mean..." She searched for a way to phrase it without sounding absurd.

"...There are beings older than you that simply... aren't meant to think?"

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Do you expect the primordial embodiment of hunger to think? They are not meant to do such things. It huffed.

They have existed since the very beginning. Would you want the very element of fear itself to think? No, because then they can hunt.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"...So they're...Functions?"

The word felt clumsy.

"Like..."She gestured helplessly. "Hunger isn't hungry because it wants to be, It just...is?"

Her head was hurting. Mainly because she was pondering on the matter deeply.

"goodness no! That's kinda scary to think about.."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You have some gods that are responsible for things. Like your mythological Zeus is the god of the sky. But he is not -the- sky.

It explained.

Then you have gods that -are- what they represent. They simply are what they are. You can't kill them, though killing any deity is nigh impossible for mortals.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"...Oh." That...Actually helped. A quiet shiver ran through her. "Great Stars... that's somehow scarier than something wanting to hurt me."

Because wanting implied choice. Choice implied hesitation. A force that simply was...

Wouldn't hate her. Wouldn't pity her.

Wouldn't even notice her.

It would simply continue being itself.

Calliope let out a long breath.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You'll drive yourself mad wondering what you could have done differently in your life. The god quietly offered.

It allowed a moment to pass.

Believe me when I tell you that there is far more to concern yourself with here. You need not be part of that.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let the words settle.

Her eyes remained fixed on the slow, crimson waves below the platform.

"...I know."

She did.

At least, logically. Emotion was another matter. A quiet sigh escaped her.

"It's funny."

She picked absently at a fleck of rust beneath her thumb.

"I can accept that I can't change the past."

A small pause.

"But every now and then my brain insists on holding a meeting about it anyway

[the-shed-that-whispers]

It's how we process things, even gods do it on occasion. The Bloodshed mused thoughtfully.

You humans just seem to do it more than most. In my experience that is. Constantly thinking about what could have been.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"So even gods hold imaginary arguments with themselves?"

She glanced toward the immense shape somewhere beyond the platform.

"That's... oddly comforting."

She hadn't expected that.

Somehow she'd imagined immortality came with absolute certainty. But suppose that wasn't the same as gaining knowledge of everything...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Obviously we do! It huffed, clearly annoyed. Well...some of us do. Many of us are quite intelligent.

A pause. It returned after a moment. Not all. Some are, by design, incapable of higher thought. Older than anything you could imagine. Than even I can imagine.

[bloodoceanpirate]

The thought of an ancient cosmic being catching itself mid-rant was... unexpectedly endearing.Her amusement faded into curiosity.

"But..." She tilted her head. "'By design?'"

That choice of words caught her attention immediately. "You mean..." She searched for a way to phrase it without sounding absurd.

"...There are beings older than you that simply... aren't meant to think?"

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Do you expect the primordial embodiment of hunger to think? They are not meant to do such things. It huffed.

They have existed since the very beginning. Would you want the very element of fear itself to think? No, because then they can hunt.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"...So they're...Functions?"

The word felt clumsy.

"Like..."She gestured helplessly. "Hunger isn't hungry because it wants to be, It just...is?"

Her head was hurting. Mainly because she was pondering on the matter deeply.

"goodness no! That's kinda scary to think about.."

[bloodoceanpirate]

(actually what if tho, can we get a small snippet of grace from hail Mary meeting ur oc and Simon?)

The submarine groaned.

It wasn't unusual. The entire vessel sounded like it was perpetually deciding whether today was the day it imploded.

Ryland Grace looked around the cramped cabin.

"...Okay," he said carefully. "I have several questions."

Simon didn't even glance up from the controls.

"Get in line."

Grace blinked.

"...Fair."

Across the compartment, Calliope was watching him with obvious suspicion.

"You don't look military."

"I'm not."

"You don't look like a prisoner."

"I'm...also not."

Another groan echoed through the hull.

Grace looked upward instinctively.

"...Are we underwater or something?"

Silence.

Simon slowly turned to look at him.

"...You just now figured that out?"

"I woke up in a spaceship with amnesia once, forgive me for taking a second."

"you probably missed the briefing then.."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You'll drive yourself mad wondering what you could have done differently in your life. The god quietly offered.

It allowed a moment to pass.

Believe me when I tell you that there is far more to concern yourself with here. You need not be part of that.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let the words settle.

Her eyes remained fixed on the slow, crimson waves below the platform.

"...I know."

She did.

At least, logically. Emotion was another matter. A quiet sigh escaped her.

"It's funny."

She picked absently at a fleck of rust beneath her thumb.

"I can accept that I can't change the past."

A small pause.

"But every now and then my brain insists on holding a meeting about it anyway

[the-shed-that-whispers]

It's how we process things, even gods do it on occasion. The Bloodshed mused thoughtfully.

You humans just seem to do it more than most. In my experience that is. Constantly thinking about what could have been.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"So even gods hold imaginary arguments with themselves?"

She glanced toward the immense shape somewhere beyond the platform.

"That's... oddly comforting."

She hadn't expected that.

Somehow she'd imagined immortality came with absolute certainty. But suppose that wasn't the same as gaining knowledge of everything...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Obviously we do! It huffed, clearly annoyed. Well...some of us do. Many of us are quite intelligent.

A pause. It returned after a moment. Not all. Some are, by design, incapable of higher thought. Older than anything you could imagine. Than even I can imagine.

[bloodoceanpirate]

The thought of an ancient cosmic being catching itself mid-rant was... unexpectedly endearing.Her amusement faded into curiosity.

"But..." She tilted her head. "'By design?'"

That choice of words caught her attention immediately. "You mean..." She searched for a way to phrase it without sounding absurd.

"...There are beings older than you that simply... aren't meant to think?"

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You'll drive yourself mad wondering what you could have done differently in your life. The god quietly offered.

It allowed a moment to pass.

Believe me when I tell you that there is far more to concern yourself with here. You need not be part of that.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let the words settle.

Her eyes remained fixed on the slow, crimson waves below the platform.

"...I know."

She did.

At least, logically. Emotion was another matter. A quiet sigh escaped her.

"It's funny."

She picked absently at a fleck of rust beneath her thumb.

"I can accept that I can't change the past."

A small pause.

"But every now and then my brain insists on holding a meeting about it anyway

[the-shed-that-whispers]

It's how we process things, even gods do it on occasion. The Bloodshed mused thoughtfully.

You humans just seem to do it more than most. In my experience that is. Constantly thinking about what could have been.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"So even gods hold imaginary arguments with themselves?"

She glanced toward the immense shape somewhere beyond the platform.

"That's... oddly comforting."

She hadn't expected that.

Somehow she'd imagined immortality came with absolute certainty. But suppose that wasn't the same as gaining knowledge of everything...

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You'll drive yourself mad wondering what you could have done differently in your life. The god quietly offered.

It allowed a moment to pass.

Believe me when I tell you that there is far more to concern yourself with here. You need not be part of that.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let the words settle.

Her eyes remained fixed on the slow, crimson waves below the platform.

"...I know."

She did.

At least, logically. Emotion was another matter. A quiet sigh escaped her.

"It's funny."

She picked absently at a fleck of rust beneath her thumb.

"I can accept that I can't change the past."

A small pause.

"But every now and then my brain insists on holding a meeting about it anyway

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

And yet you have the self awareness to be remorseful of those things. It pointed out casually, as though it wasn't totally invested in the conversation.

You aren't pretending it's someone else's responsibility, or that you did nothing wrong. Very mature for humans.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope stared at the rust beneath her fingertips.

"...I don't know."

She smiled faintly, though there wasn't much humor in it. "I think admitting I did something wrong is the easy part."

Her thumb caught in a groove in the metal.

"The hard part is living with it afterward."

She looked out across the blood ocean again.

"so much I wanted to do differently...."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

As I said. You choose to display the better traits of your species. It hummed thoughtfully.

A noble trait. Especially in one so young. And especially in one sent down to me. My normal fare aren't often still so gentle hearted as you.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She thought about the things she'd done to survive.

Stealing. Running.

The faces she still remembered when she closed her eyes. The people she'd failed. "I've made choices I'm not proud of." A faint sigh escaped her. "I've hurt people."

Her fingers idly traced circles in the rust.

"So I don't really think of myself as... noble."

She tried not to think about it too much. No one good ended up in a place like this.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

What then hope? Is that a genuine question? No, no you're joking. It immediately answered itself.

You understand that I have assimilated hundreds of murderers, yes? You truly don't know the depths your kind will go to, do you?

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I've seen that."

Bounty hunters.

Prison guards.

People willing to sell someone else's life for a paycheck. She knew cruelty. "But..." Calliope glanced toward where Bloodshed waited. "I've also met people who shared their last meal. People who lied to protect someone else."

"My caretaker..." A fond smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "They didn't have much, but somehow they always made room for one more kid who needed somewhere safe."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Tell me human. The Bloodshed wondered curiously. Do you truly take me for some sort of idiot?

The metal screamed as it popped open.

Humans once lived here. Yes, it has a breathable atmosphere. You are very much safe. They brought you in on your own did they not?

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...That's actually a fair point."

A sheepish laugh escaped her.

In hindsight, asking whether the atmosphere was breathable while being spoken to by the creature that had personally carried her submarine to the surface was perhaps not her brightest moment.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Just get out before I get sick of waiting on you. The Bloodshed complained, not unlike an irritated parent.

It offered a tentacle.

I can help if you are disinterested in climbing the ladder, thought I do wonder if you're going to be strong enough regardless.

[melodythebunny]

"I'm going to try the ladder first," she decided. A faint smile accompanied the words. "But thank you."

The motion felt awkward at first. Her muscles protested. Her knees were stiff. Her shoulders ached. She hadn't realized how little she'd truly moved inside the Iron Lung until now. Yeesh...guess the dreams didn't count for exercise..which made since all things considered.

"I'm so out of shape..."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You could certainly be doing worse for yourself. It observed in that often detached manner it was known for.

The Bloodshed helped point Calliope to the long abandoned drop ship platform.

But your concern will be rectified with any level of extended activity on the surface here. Though you could also do your own routines in the ship.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope pulled herself up another rung with a quiet grunt.

"...I'm blaming the submarine."

She paused to catch her breath, shaking one arm loose.

"I've spent nearly two weeks sitting, sleeping, eating, and having existential crises in about..." She glanced around the cramped interior. "...what, six square feet?"

Not that she was complaining about getting out of it now. Even if it was temporary.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Well, you were incarcerated prior to this, yes? I imagine that would also contribute to your less than stellar condition.

The Bloodshed observed.

This level of body tone is more likely to be attributed to both, rather than just your time here.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She stepped fully onto the platform, boots scraping lightly against weathered metal.

"I guess I was."

She hadn't really thought about it that way.

Prison.

Then the Iron Lung.

Different cages.

Different wardens.

Her shoulders rolled as she stretched again, wincing pleasantly as muscles she'd neglected complained.

"now that I'm out I'm not sure i wanna go back in."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You're not sure? It was almost stunned. I have to assume you mean the ship, because if you are even considering returning to prison...

The Bloodshed sighed, clearly at a loss. Perhaps you are more unwell than I previously imagined.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"What?"

She looked up toward the immense presence, equal parts amused and bewildered.

"No!"

She pointed emphatically toward the Iron Lung.

"The submarine."

Another laugh escaped her.

"Great Stars, no."

She shook her head, still grinning.

"I think I've had enough prisons for one lifetime."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

I believe that any extended amount of imprisonment is enough for one lifetime. It chuckled.

I do understand your concerns. It went on. However, I fear you'll find this to be far more restrictive than your ship, for the simple matter that you can't maneuver this platform anywhere else on the planet.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I guess it's a different kind of cage."

Calliope rested her hands against the rusted railing, looking out into the distance.

"The submarine's tiny."

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"But it can wander."

Her gaze returned to the horizon.

"silver coating or however that phrase went."

She gestured to the platform beneath her boots. She sighed and sat down.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Silver lining is what you're looking for, I believe. It offered. Hope is quite the strong motivator.

After a pause, the Bloodshed would continue.

For many long extinct species, but it is especially prone in humans. One of your defining traits in fact.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let herself sink onto the cold metal with a quiet sigh, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Silver lining," she repeated. "There it is."

She gave the platform an absent pat with one hand. "I was close." A small smile lingered as she looked out over the crimson sea. "So that's one more phrase I haven't completely butchered."

The breeze drifted past again, tugging gently at her hair. She leaned back on her hands. "...Hope."

She felt hope.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Well, if you find it in a place such as this, who am I to tell you that you're not allowed to? It observed.

But really, you're just displaying a trait of your species, as I said. But there are far worse habits you could have picked up, so at least this is positive.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She was still stranded.

Still on a hostile moon.

Still dependent on a submarine to survive beneath the surface.

None of those facts had changed.

What had changed, was that she no longer felt alone inside them.Her gaze drifted toward where Bloodshed rested somewhere beyond her sight.

"should I dare ask what worse could be?" She was joking, mostly. But curious to hear what the moon dweller had to say.

[glasseyeartspy]

Tex Ref Sheet

Finalized my Iron Lung character while I'm waiting on Art Fight to come back online!

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Tell me human. The Bloodshed wondered curiously. Do you truly take me for some sort of idiot?

The metal screamed as it popped open.

Humans once lived here. Yes, it has a breathable atmosphere. You are very much safe. They brought you in on your own did they not?

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...That's actually a fair point."

A sheepish laugh escaped her.

In hindsight, asking whether the atmosphere was breathable while being spoken to by the creature that had personally carried her submarine to the surface was perhaps not her brightest moment.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Just get out before I get sick of waiting on you. The Bloodshed complained, not unlike an irritated parent.

It offered a tentacle.

I can help if you are disinterested in climbing the ladder, thought I do wonder if you're going to be strong enough regardless.

[melodythebunny]

"I'm going to try the ladder first," she decided. A faint smile accompanied the words. "But thank you."

The motion felt awkward at first. Her muscles protested. Her knees were stiff. Her shoulders ached. She hadn't realized how little she'd truly moved inside the Iron Lung until now. Yeesh...guess the dreams didn't count for exercise..which made since all things considered.

"I'm so out of shape..."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You could certainly be doing worse for yourself. It observed in that often detached manner it was known for.

The Bloodshed helped point Calliope to the long abandoned drop ship platform.

But your concern will be rectified with any level of extended activity on the surface here. Though you could also do your own routines in the ship.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope pulled herself up another rung with a quiet grunt.

"...I'm blaming the submarine."

She paused to catch her breath, shaking one arm loose.

"I've spent nearly two weeks sitting, sleeping, eating, and having existential crises in about..." She glanced around the cramped interior. "...what, six square feet?"

Not that she was complaining about getting out of it now. Even if it was temporary.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Well, you were incarcerated prior to this, yes? I imagine that would also contribute to your less than stellar condition.

The Bloodshed observed.

This level of body tone is more likely to be attributed to both, rather than just your time here.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She stepped fully onto the platform, boots scraping lightly against weathered metal.

"I guess I was."

She hadn't really thought about it that way.

Prison.

Then the Iron Lung.

Different cages.

Different wardens.

Her shoulders rolled as she stretched again, wincing pleasantly as muscles she'd neglected complained.

"now that I'm out I'm not sure i wanna go back in."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You're not sure? It was almost stunned. I have to assume you mean the ship, because if you are even considering returning to prison...

The Bloodshed sighed, clearly at a loss. Perhaps you are more unwell than I previously imagined.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"What?"

She looked up toward the immense presence, equal parts amused and bewildered.

"No!"

She pointed emphatically toward the Iron Lung.

"The submarine."

Another laugh escaped her.

"Great Stars, no."

She shook her head, still grinning.

"I think I've had enough prisons for one lifetime."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

I believe that any extended amount of imprisonment is enough for one lifetime. It chuckled.

I do understand your concerns. It went on. However, I fear you'll find this to be far more restrictive than your ship, for the simple matter that you can't maneuver this platform anywhere else on the planet.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I guess it's a different kind of cage."

Calliope rested her hands against the rusted railing, looking out into the distance.

"The submarine's tiny."

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"But it can wander."

Her gaze returned to the horizon.

"silver coating or however that phrase went."

She gestured to the platform beneath her boots. She sighed and sat down.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Silver lining is what you're looking for, I believe. It offered. Hope is quite the strong motivator.

After a pause, the Bloodshed would continue.

For many long extinct species, but it is especially prone in humans. One of your defining traits in fact.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope let herself sink onto the cold metal with a quiet sigh, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Silver lining," she repeated. "There it is."

She gave the platform an absent pat with one hand. "I was close." A small smile lingered as she looked out over the crimson sea. "So that's one more phrase I haven't completely butchered."

The breeze drifted past again, tugging gently at her hair. She leaned back on her hands. "...Hope."

She felt hope.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Tell me human. The Bloodshed wondered curiously. Do you truly take me for some sort of idiot?

The metal screamed as it popped open.

Humans once lived here. Yes, it has a breathable atmosphere. You are very much safe. They brought you in on your own did they not?

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...That's actually a fair point."

A sheepish laugh escaped her.

In hindsight, asking whether the atmosphere was breathable while being spoken to by the creature that had personally carried her submarine to the surface was perhaps not her brightest moment.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Just get out before I get sick of waiting on you. The Bloodshed complained, not unlike an irritated parent.

It offered a tentacle.

I can help if you are disinterested in climbing the ladder, thought I do wonder if you're going to be strong enough regardless.

[melodythebunny]

"I'm going to try the ladder first," she decided. A faint smile accompanied the words. "But thank you."

The motion felt awkward at first. Her muscles protested. Her knees were stiff. Her shoulders ached. She hadn't realized how little she'd truly moved inside the Iron Lung until now. Yeesh...guess the dreams didn't count for exercise..which made since all things considered.

"I'm so out of shape..."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You could certainly be doing worse for yourself. It observed in that often detached manner it was known for.

The Bloodshed helped point Calliope to the long abandoned drop ship platform.

But your concern will be rectified with any level of extended activity on the surface here. Though you could also do your own routines in the ship.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope pulled herself up another rung with a quiet grunt.

"...I'm blaming the submarine."

She paused to catch her breath, shaking one arm loose.

"I've spent nearly two weeks sitting, sleeping, eating, and having existential crises in about..." She glanced around the cramped interior. "...what, six square feet?"

Not that she was complaining about getting out of it now. Even if it was temporary.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Well, you were incarcerated prior to this, yes? I imagine that would also contribute to your less than stellar condition.

The Bloodshed observed.

This level of body tone is more likely to be attributed to both, rather than just your time here.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She stepped fully onto the platform, boots scraping lightly against weathered metal.

"I guess I was."

She hadn't really thought about it that way.

Prison.

Then the Iron Lung.

Different cages.

Different wardens.

Her shoulders rolled as she stretched again, wincing pleasantly as muscles she'd neglected complained.

"now that I'm out I'm not sure i wanna go back in."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You're not sure? It was almost stunned. I have to assume you mean the ship, because if you are even considering returning to prison...

The Bloodshed sighed, clearly at a loss. Perhaps you are more unwell than I previously imagined.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"What?"

She looked up toward the immense presence, equal parts amused and bewildered.

"No!"

She pointed emphatically toward the Iron Lung.

"The submarine."

Another laugh escaped her.

"Great Stars, no."

She shook her head, still grinning.

"I think I've had enough prisons for one lifetime."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

I believe that any extended amount of imprisonment is enough for one lifetime. It chuckled.

I do understand your concerns. It went on. However, I fear you'll find this to be far more restrictive than your ship, for the simple matter that you can't maneuver this platform anywhere else on the planet.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"I guess it's a different kind of cage."

Calliope rested her hands against the rusted railing, looking out into the distance.

"The submarine's tiny."

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"But it can wander."

Her gaze returned to the horizon.

"silver coating or however that phrase went."

She gestured to the platform beneath her boots. She sighed and sat down.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Open RP

The sanguine ocean swirls around your ship. You truly wish you were anywhere but here. This was a miserable, grueling experience that you wouldn't subject anyone to. The lower you go, that's when you begin to hear it.

A quite, familiar voice. One that sets your mind at ease and draws your soul.

Illuminating your way with your scanner, you find the seafloor is an alien landscape. Protruding structures that were somewhere between tree trunks and bones. Buildings that can't possibly be real. You were the first one down here, right?

And a light that you can't ignore...

One final picture produced a sobering realization. You were not alone down here. And it sees you.

What will you do?

[the-shed-that-whispers]

((

))

Tell me human. The Bloodshed wondered curiously. Do you truly take me for some sort of idiot?

The metal screamed as it popped open.

Humans once lived here. Yes, it has a breathable atmosphere. You are very much safe. They brought you in on your own did they not?

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...That's actually a fair point."

A sheepish laugh escaped her.

In hindsight, asking whether the atmosphere was breathable while being spoken to by the creature that had personally carried her submarine to the surface was perhaps not her brightest moment.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Just get out before I get sick of waiting on you. The Bloodshed complained, not unlike an irritated parent.

It offered a tentacle.

I can help if you are disinterested in climbing the ladder, thought I do wonder if you're going to be strong enough regardless.

[melodythebunny]

"I'm going to try the ladder first," she decided. A faint smile accompanied the words. "But thank you."

The motion felt awkward at first. Her muscles protested. Her knees were stiff. Her shoulders ached. She hadn't realized how little she'd truly moved inside the Iron Lung until now. Yeesh...guess the dreams didn't count for exercise..which made since all things considered.

"I'm so out of shape..."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You could certainly be doing worse for yourself. It observed in that often detached manner it was known for.

The Bloodshed helped point Calliope to the long abandoned drop ship platform.

But your concern will be rectified with any level of extended activity on the surface here. Though you could also do your own routines in the ship.

[bloodoceanpirate]

Calliope pulled herself up another rung with a quiet grunt.

"...I'm blaming the submarine."

She paused to catch her breath, shaking one arm loose.

"I've spent nearly two weeks sitting, sleeping, eating, and having existential crises in about..." She glanced around the cramped interior. "...what, six square feet?"

Not that she was complaining about getting out of it now. Even if it was temporary.

[the-shed-that-whispers]

Well, you were incarcerated prior to this, yes? I imagine that would also contribute to your less than stellar condition.

The Bloodshed observed.

This level of body tone is more likely to be attributed to both, rather than just your time here.

[bloodoceanpirate]

She stepped fully onto the platform, boots scraping lightly against weathered metal.

"I guess I was."

She hadn't really thought about it that way.

Prison.

Then the Iron Lung.

Different cages.

Different wardens.

Her shoulders rolled as she stretched again, wincing pleasantly as muscles she'd neglected complained.

"now that I'm out I'm not sure i wanna go back in."

[the-shed-that-whispers]

You're not sure? It was almost stunned. I have to assume you mean the ship, because if you are even considering returning to prison...

The Bloodshed sighed, clearly at a loss. Perhaps you are more unwell than I previously imagined.

[bloodoceanpirate]

"What?"

She looked up toward the immense presence, equal parts amused and bewildered.

"No!"

She pointed emphatically toward the Iron Lung.

"The submarine."

Another laugh escaped her.

"Great Stars, no."

She shook her head, still grinning.

"I think I've had enough prisons for one lifetime."