daze-underworks

[daze-underworks]

Um. Hi. I'm Daze. I'm an undercrank. I fix stuff. I'm going to try talking to people, I guess. For reasons.

And I'm Harmony! I'm an underscrub. Sort of? I fix stuff too now!

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OOC:

Hi! This is my first time running an rp blog. I've been having fun with it so far.

Daze uses she/her and is loveless! She likes tinkering, used to be a bully, and is hungry a lot.

Harmony uses they/them! They like to sing and are hard of hearing.

Reference! ^^^

Rules:

No NSFW

Preferably no drugs/alcohol

I don't know how the combat system works so I won't be using it, at least for now

Tags:

(mend the machinery) - posts with daze

(gears sing in harmony) - posts with harmony

(another day in the underworks) - writing posts

(curiosity) - asks

(social interaction) - roleplay with other blogs

(bulletin board) - reblogs

(off shift) - ooc posts

(of some significance) - important posts (lore, major events, etc)

(shells bend shells break) - angst :3

(shale has a tag now) - shale has a tag now

Storylines:

(cauldron trip) - when Daze took a trip to the Cauldron

[daze-underworks]

Finally made some references!

Pretty basic, but yay.

[shale-underworks]

Prologue Part 3 (End)

The elevator doors slid open. The bottom of the shaft was a dark stone room with someone sitting by the exit—a bug with a grimy, scratched up shell on her back. Shale would later learn she was named Daze.

"Where am I?" Shale demanded. "Is this the Citadel? This doesn't look like the Citadel."

"It's not. Welcome to the Underworks," Daze said. "Now let me see that backpack." She was big and fairly intimidating, despite looking to be just barely an adult.

"I-I—excuse me?" Oh, Shale needed to get of here. She stumbled back into the elevator and hit the lever again. Nothing happened.

"Yeah, that was a one way trip," Daze said bluntly. "You're stuck here doing hard labor for the rest of your life. ...Until you starve or get haunted or fall into a gear pit, anyways."

What. What the fucking hell.

The room felt like it was spinning. This couldn't be real, right? It was just—some sort of prank, misunderstanding, Shale would talk it over with someone and she'd be on her way back home. It was all just a dream, she'd eaten some weird hallucinogenic berry in Shellwood, she'd open her eyes and wake up in pile of leaves or her bellhome or the middle of a roleplaying session. Okay, probably not, but she couldn't just be stuck here forever, she couldn't—

Shale was temporarily distracted from her thoughts by Daze apathetically ruffling through the backpack she'd left on the floor. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

Daze didn't answer. She took the small amount of food Shale had left, her empty water bottle, the scrolls she'd been meaning to read on the trip but hadn't gotten to, and the rosary necklace she'd left inside (Daze's eyes lit up at that).

"Give my stuff back, asshole!" Shale glared as hard as she could, but she wasn't about to try fighting someone more than twice her size. She was shaking again.

Daze ignored her and left. Shale curled up next to her empty backpack. She wanted to go home. She needed to go home. One of her interns was doing well and she needed to promote them, and her favorite tavern was holding an anniversary event next week, and Marin had said he'd make her favorite curry for her when she got back—

Shale pushed her glasses up, buried her face in her arms, and began to cry.

[daze-underworks]

*Daze, using her experience fixing cogwork underflies, has managed to make something.*

*It's not an actual cogwork bug, she's not nearly skilled enough to make those yet. It's just a little mishmash of parts with legs. But when she winds it up, it totters in a mostly straight line across her workbench.*

*She has no idea what to do with it. But still, it's cool.*

[daze-underworks]

*Daze is replacing some gears when she's approached by a distressed looking child.*

Hey! Hey, do you know how the new processing machines work? My friend got her claw caught in a machine, and we managed to turn it off but she can't get her claw out and it looks really bad—

Whoa, uh, slow down. Where's your friend?

*The kid drags her over to a room in which ores are processed. There are two more kids inside—one has the tip of her claw stuck between some rollers and is crying loudly, and the other is giving her a half hug in an attempt at comfort.*

Okay. Okay, let's see...

*Daze examines the rollers, trying to ignore the crying. She manages to unscrew and remove the one on top, and the kid shakily pulls her claw away. It's badly crushed.*

Here, I have some bandages in my bag. I—I know you're not bleeding much but, it's the best thing I can think of…

*The kid lets her friend clumsily wrap a length of cloth around her limb.*

A-am I gonna be okay...?

I mean, you're definitely not gonna die. Unless it gets infected—I mean, no, no chance of dying at all. I don't think you'll be able to use that claw anymore, but I'm not a doctor or anything...

*The third kid gives her another hug. She squeezes them back.*

Will I s-still be able to w-work?

Should be. If you need, you can probably ask for another job where you don't need your claw.

We should go find Granny, she'll know how to help.

B-but the cycle isn't over...

It'll be fine. I think. Come on, let’s go…

*As the kids leave, Daze puts the roller back in.*

[underworker-5459]

NOTICE: the choral chambers spa is CLOSED. long story short someone got stuck in the pipes (it is now considered a recovery mission) and it's gonna be a whole thing. sorry for the inconvenience

FAQ:

when will the spa reopen?

right now we just don't know. rest assured that we underworkers remain ever devoted to the Holy Citadel and will work swiftly to fix this

is this incident related to the past acts of vandalism on the Holy Citadel?

no, this was an accident that occurred during routine maintenance

why do i feel so empty inside?

you don't have enough rosaries. gather more rosaries to become Holy

will spas in high halls close too?

no, spas in high halls will not be affected by this closure

[daze-underworks]

Oh, no... I hope everything turns out okay!

I wish they'd let me do repairs outside the Underworks, I want to go to a spa...

[daze-underworks]

*Daze and Harmony are working near a very noisy gear pit. Since Harmony can't tell what's being said over the background noise, the two are taking the chance to practice sign language.*

Give me the... how do you say that?

*Daze points at a wrench.*

I don't know. I'll ask somebody later!

*Harmony passes Daze the wrench, and she loosens some bolts on a grate and replaces them with ones that are the right size.*

How do you know they're wrong? They seem the same to me.

They're a bit small...

*Daze has just gotten a feel for it after so much practice, but she doesn't know how to explain that.*

I've fixed things since I was a kid. So... I'm good at it?

Okay! How did you learn?

My dads...

*(How do you say taught?)*

I learned from my dads. And also alone.

What are your dads like?

They were nice and I liked them a lot.

*...Daze is tired, both from thinking so hard about language and because she hasn't slept or eaten or drank any water in a while.*

I need to go. Thank you and bye.

Bye!

*After Daze leaves, Harmony lets out a breath—they're tired too, for the same reasons.*

[moss-mother-offical]

It is pride month, moss mothers. You know what that means

We do.

Happy pride month everyone, hehe~

[scouting-skarr-offical]

mekarr!

[roachfeeder-real]

always nice to be able to feel the warmth in the air…

happy pride month indeed, people. always remember your love is real.

[brokey-vessel]

gbneder

like water..,

[gloom-gargant]

AMEN.

[vaultborne]

Only the most queer of times are beset upon us all… See our own vibes, and join the parade.

Happy pride, and to all a fair month!

[wardenfly-of-the-slab]

…

I ain’t got nothing to show for it at all, ugh.

[lampbearer-306]

It is only fair, even among our holy Citadel, that this season is something to celebrate. Love is perhaps the most sacred emotion of all.

Come now, fellows. Let us show the world our colours, fearless and proud.

[hate-for-their-pins]

EVEN I MUST CONFESS… SOMETHING OF THIS MONTH IS WORTH ADMIRING.

[daze-underworks]

The colors this time of year are pretty nice.

Yay! Happy pride month, everyone!

[daze-underworks]

I made Shale her own blog! For reasons. You can check her out at @shale-underworks.

[daze-underworks]

*gives Harmony a painting kit*

Whoa, thanks! I’ll put it to good use!

*An hour later, a banner appears in the Underworks: HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!*

[daze-underworks]

Shale Mini-Story Pt. 3 (End)

*The haunted worker looms over her. Shale puts an arm over her head and squeezes her eyes shut...*

*The blow she's expecting doesn't come. Instead, there's the sound of of blades slicing into shell.*

*Mio floats upwards as the worker swings her pin at it in retaliation. It hovers safely out of reach, but close enough that their attention remains on it.*

*Shale pushes herself to her feet. She can get out of here now, while the worker is distracted—wait, no, she has a better idea.*

*She motions for Mio to fly out over the lava. The worker continues swinging at it from the edge of the platform.*

*Shale gives her a shove.*

*As the worker sinks into the molten rock, Shale lets out a sigh of relief. Mio floats back down, and she gives it a pet and then, after making sure no one's looking, hugs it. Its metal body is uncomfortably hot, so the hug only lasts a moment, but Mio chirps happily.*

...Thank you. Seriously, thank you.

*Shale sits down for a minute. She fidgets.*

Hey. I know... I know you're not the same as you were before. I don't even know if you're the same Mio. But... maybe we can still be... I don't know, whatever we are? Friends? A bug and one of the robots she likes talking to? Only if you want to—

*Mio bobs up and down, which she knows means yes.*

...Heh. Thanks.

*They sit there in silence.*

Do you want to hear me complain about work?

*In a bit, Shale will have to finish her round of the Cauldron, and then find whoever cared about that poor worker and explain what happened. But for now, she feels... happy? She doesn't feel happy too often.*

*This is nice.*

[daze-underworks]

Shale Mini-Story Pt. 2

*There's a worker on the platform ahead of Shale who appears to have fallen asleep on the job. Understandable, but it's not safe to sleep in the Cauldron, so she goes gently to shake their shoulder.*

*Suddenly, threads nearby that Shale hadn't noticed until now swirl around the worker. She jerks upright.*

*...Shit. Shit, that's not good. Shale tries to back away before she's noticed, but the worker's head snaps towards her, and they lunge. For something that's meant for cleaning, her steel-bristled pin looks awfully pointy.*

*Shale dashes out of the way. Oh, there is not a lot of space on this platform. She looks around, but the nearest sections of ground are blocked by periodic lava flows. Can she get the timing right while—*

*The worker swings their pin again. Shale holds up her brush in a feeble attempt at blocking; it's knocked right out of her claws.*

*Shale knows this worker, not well, but she knows her name and has their emergency contacts on a clipboard somewhere. If Shale gets out of this, she'll have to dig those out, and awkwardly try to comfort someone for the sixth time this month, and she really, really hates this place—*

*Shale tries to dodge again, but the worker hits her in the stomach—not with the sharp end of the pin, but with enough force to knock her flat on her back.*

*The haunted worker looms over her. Shale puts an arm over her head and squeezes her eyes shut...*

[daze-underworks]

Shale Mini-Story Pt. 1

*Shale makes her way through the Cauldron, leisurely hopping from platform to floating platform and hurrying under holes in the ceiling that spout lava on and off.*

*She makes sure everyone on the Cauldron cleaning crew is working, or pretending to work, or taking a break with the intention of getting back to work, definitely. She used to care about this, but it's not as if they're making a difference, really. Still, most of the bugs she's supervising are actually working.*

*She waves to the blurry cogwork underflies above (she lost her glasses about a year ago). One of them—Rain—flies down from the machinery it's repairing and sets a bucket of broken parts at her feet.*

Did you replace all these? Good job, Rain.

*Shale pets its wing casings. It makes a whirring noise similar to purring before picking up the bucket again and flying off.*

*She pauses to catch her breath and take a sip of warm water from a repurposed bell. She walks past a cogwork hauler. She tries not to get attached to them, since they don't tend to last long.*

*Mio is working in the next room, scrubbing a part of the ceiling that the cleaning crew bugs can't reach (even with the distance, she recognizes it by its shiny new parts). Shale waves at it. It doesn't react. Not that it usually reacted before, but...*

*Shale shakes her head and keeps going. There's a worker on the platform ahead of her who appears to have fallen asleep on the job...*

[daze-underworks]

*Harmony walks up to Daze with two half-bell bowls as Daze is repairing a cogwork underfly for Shale. It's not technically part of her job, but it's work-related enough that she doesn't feel uneasy doing it during work hours.*

I cooked some drapemite meat like I said I would! I even removed the silk. Do you want to try it together?

Sure, thank you.

*Harmony hands Daze one of the bowls. There's a large chunk of slightly charred meat inside. Daze doesn't quite like the smell, but she doesn't complain.*

Sorry about the bowls, I don't have any plates. Or eating utensils. Hey, do you think you could make utensils?

Probably not, that's more metalworking than tinkering...

*Daze picks up the meat and takes a bite.*

*...Hm. That's...*

*Daze tries not to gag. She quickly chews and swallows.*

*She takes another bite. She can feel how it used to be alive, muscles and organs in her mouth, the taste of hemolymph making her feel sick. She looks at the meat in her bowl, and she can see how the parts connect, like a machine made of flesh instead of metal.*

*...Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. But you get the point.*

*In any case, food is food and Daze is hungry, so she chokes down the rest of her meal. By the end... well, she certainly doesn't feel like eating again anytime soon.*

You ate that fast! Did you like it?

No. I mean. Thanks for sharing with me. But I don't think I like meat.

Oh, okay! I can try cooking it differently next time if you want. You don't have to try it, though.

*Harmony themself enjoyed the meal very much. While it was plain and a bit burnt, it's the best thing they've eaten in a while.*

*But if their coworker doesn’t like it, well, that’s okay.*

[daze-underworks]

*Harmony is taking a shortcut through the vents to get to work when they spot yet another drapemite trap.*

*Someone has been putting these out—little things that expand into sharp spines, usually enough to kill the pests they catch. But the drapemite in this one is still alive, weakly struggling to free itself from the spike in its shell.*

*Harmony gently pulls the spike out, and the drapemite scuttles away. Hopefully it'll survive the injury.*

*They go on their way.*

You know the traps someone's been leaving around?

*Harmony recounts what happened to Daze.*

Oh. I should probably improve those...

You're the one who's been setting them up?

Yeah. You're turning that screw the wrong way, by the way.

Oops, thanks! ...Do the drapemites taste good?

What? I'm not hunting them, just trying to get rid of them. ...Can't say I haven't thought about eating them, but I don't know how to cook, and I’m not desperate enough to have them raw. Ew.

I know how to cook! It won't taste as good without seasonings or anything, but I’m sure it’ll still be fine. Hm, maybe we can share some with the other workers...

*Actual food that'll actually fill her up without making her sick... Daze likes the sound of that. She does. She's never had meat before, or if she has, she doesn't remember it.*

Sounds like a plan.

[daze-underworks]

*Daze is messing around with cogwork in her room when someone knocks on the wall outside. Thinking it's Harmony, she opens the curtain.*

...Oh. Hi Shale.

*Shale frowns at her and gestures at Mi011; it's hovering behind her.*

I think you did something wrong when you fixed Mio—Mi011. It's been acting different.

Uh... acting different? How?

A bit more cautious, for one thing. Which I would have chalked up to getting broken, but there's other stuff. Like—

*Shale pats Mi011 on the head, and it makes a mechanical chirping noise.*

Before, when I—when people tried to pet it, it would just sort of float out of reach. But now it likes pets. And... never mind.

What is it? ...I'm not gonna judge, promise.

*Shale avoids Daze's eyes. She looks defensive and also sad.*

...Mio has been acting less... close with me. It hasn't been having any memory issues that I've noticed, but it used to... follow me around sometimes, and work near me even if it was supposed to be working in another part of the Cauldron. And now it treats me like anyone else.

*Daze didn't know automatons could be so expressive, like living bugs. But then again, the Twelfth Architect is cogwork, and they're definitely alive, so maybe regular cogwork bugs are too?*

I'm sorry, I don't know why it's acting weird. I had to replace some parts, but I don't see why that would... Actually, I replaced the silkfly too, since the old one flew away... Hm.

*The silkflies are the most alive seeming part of cogwork bugs... Maybe that's it?*

I don't think there's anything I can do about this. But I don't think it's my fault, either.

...Alright.

I can fix any underflies that are worn down or damaged, so they don't break down too. How about that?

Yeah. Do that. ...Thanks, I guess.

*Shale absentmindedly pets Mi011 (Mio?) again, still looking kind of disappointed. Mio doesn't chirp this time. Daze wonders what it thinks about all this, if it does think at all.*

*She gives it a pat too.*

[daze-underworks]

OOC

I'm going to be changing the tags for this blog! Including the ones on all the posts I already made. Why? Idk. Maybe I like to make myself suffer.

[daze-underworks]

Finished changing all the tags! I am definitely not doing that again.