BLASTOFF !

dash only. written by maci.

[offwrld]

You’re still alive?

i’m STILL ALIVE. and back. yeah.

[offwrld]

hi.

[offwrld]

tell us about the seven :))

          no one & nothing can escape the science of alternate universes coexisting , not even dread - despite what he , himself , may think.  once upon a time he was fully convinced he was the last of them - the last of any trace of an offworld creation to walk the dimensions.  in light of recent discovery - or maybe not as recent as we think - contact was made with six others.  the last of them.

          it is unknown as to why they’ve been muted.  dread , and now radius ( the only one who seemed to have the ability to show up ) , has been attempting to contact them via the rift zones to bring them all together in order to access an arc of the zero point unlike anyone has been able to before.  they’re having more trouble than they originally thought they’d ever have.  not even dread is aware of their whereabouts - or what they’re even like.

[offwrld]

arkangelofwar‌:

He finds himself curious at the way the red moves across the other’s LED screen, momentarily wondering what sort of shapes or patterns could be made. Though he refocuses on the present, after the robot’s done laughing. Done talking. Armadillo is almost amused.

“I wouldn’t say They’re blind, They just don’t care. Don’t care about the universe or the planet, only the island. The island is Their playground, the people here are Their toys. And you keep kickin down Their sandcastle… Which is why, I’m takin you in.”

His steps move quick, walking in a stride that brings him closer and closer to his target. The way Dread is crouched forward makes it perfect. Perfect, for the soldier to boop the robot’s screen right where a nose would be.

“Someone owes me 50 bucks~ And here you said you weren’t touchable?”

          dread has no opinions on the matter , no quarrel with the selfishness of humans who would rather watch others of their kind suffer than to save their own lives.  in fact , he finds it interesting - and if he had it in him to give another chuckle , he certainly would , but his train of thought is derailed by the twisted lines of a fleshy fingerprint being tapped against screen.

          a quick act , a lunge forward where hand rested upon knee makes a swift movement to wrap fingers around the man’s wrist before his hand can be tucked back against himself.  dread gives a tug upward , a strong and rough pull towards himself where makeshift face sit inches away from human’s as display shifts , twists and swirls until the shape of two symmetrical eyes matches up with the position of the other’s who still remains lower than him.

          “ the only thing you’ll be getting is tossed out to sea , if you’re lucky. ”

[offwrld]

fclic‌:

“Dread–” 

Arguments between the two are the norm, at this point. One misinterpreting the other, one taking something the wrong way, and the both of them getting pissed for no reason, or every reason, depending on the situation or the extremity the other party has done or caused. 

The grip on her wrist is tight – Dread is pissed, as per usual, but she’s never been more confused in her life at a question he’s asked her. What beacon? WHICH beacon? There were so many already that she couldn’t keep track, and the one she could think of was the one that had malfunctioned and taken out the soccer field, and she’d been asleep when that happened. “-what beacon? If you’re going to accuse me of something, at least specify what – or where – it is.” CONT. | @offwrld​

          if there is one thing he can feel just as humanly as possible , besides the bouts of anger that send him storming off from time to time - it’s panic.  dread’s worked hard to create and position every beacon , tried his best to find any connection at all to the other FIVE and bring them into this world - his world - to pull their hushed voices from the depths and shed light.  but he can’t do that if the beacons don’t work.  if those beams don’t tear into time itself and pull remnants from the fold , what is left but wasted time ?

          dread can feel himself slipping into desperation , and the hold on her wrist is slowly easing up , fingertips slipping away.  “ there is one missing - there has to be . . .  not all of them opened up , and they have grown silent. ”

[offwrld]

" ......we'll talk about this later."

          it isn’t unusual for there to be an argument , and at this point he’s certain over ninety percent of anything they speak in the other’s direction turns into something more than it should be.  but dread is a stubborn machine , something that has always succeeded - up until recently - and so his determination to win is a bit unsettling at times.

          she tries to walk away with those last words , and he reaches to snatch her wrist with a swift right hand.  “ no , you’re not going anywhere , ” a tug , an attempt to jerk her back towards himself rather angrily.  “ we’ll talk about it right now.  what happened to the beacon ? ”

[offwrld]

arkangelofwar‌:

A tilt of his head as he listens to the other, watches, and sees that red screened smile. It reminds him of another screened smile, the whole reason of why he’s here. Armadillo shakes his head, laughs as he looks downward.

“Well you are right about one thing… I tend to get everywhere..”

He reaches into his pocket as he speaks, pulling it inside out to let the sand inside the fabric fall out onto the floor beside his feet. He then gives a casual shrug, before he looks back up at the robot.

“But, military personnel don’t need a badge. They don’t need a badge to steal someone away in the night… They don’t need a badge to rip someone apart, piece by piece~”

A dark gleam comes across his sunglasses, an almost feral grin hidden under his mask.

“My boss wants Their hands on you. So damn badly… I can’t wait to see how They pull you apart~ Tell me, do you feel pain? I hope so”

His hands tremble as he speaks, though it’s not out of fear. Like a dog clawing at a gate with it’s prey just on the other side. Oh, how he wants to dig in already.

          dread laughs again , but this time it’s a bit more drawn out - uglier , like it’s fully intended to mock the audience that’s receiving it.  there’s the reminiscent thought of any mention of military personnel , the last encounter dread had with anyone that fell under the description.  protectors of a country.  it’s hilarious , really , to see how fragile even the strongest of humans are when the lives around them are threatened.  selfish.

          “ you’re making empty threats , now . . .  i am virtually untouchable. ” dread leans more , the shadow cast on screen giving the impression that the red bordering LED display is beginning to bleed across the blackness.  “ your boss is blind to the world around them.  you call yourselves soldiers - but you’re the same as everyone else.  incompetent humans who think saving this island will reflect on the entire planet. ”

          there’s more of an annoyance , now , as the color of once-readable expression has transferred fuzzily across the entirety of robotic face.  everything is red.  “ stop acting so brave. ”

[offwrld]

countessamelie‌:

THERE’S SOMETHING COMFORTING ABOUT HIS VOICE ,  the buzz ,  electronic inflection through circuit strung vocal chords .   he’s the first facet of familiarity she’s found since her arrival ,  and the only person she has been willing to spend her time around since .   she watches screen flicker ,  unfazed ,  merely a robotic equivalent of facial expression .   she furrows her brows and fixes him with a partial — frown in return .

“ I HAVE REASONS . ”   the question seems to dance around in the furthest reaches of the mind — space ,  echoed by a softer ,  more melancholic voice .   {  why must she hurt ?   why must she kill ?  }   “ to protect someone . ”   it’s said pointedly ,  but the answer isn’t directed to him ,  not really .   it’s reflected internally ,  attempts to quieten her companion .   but ,  deep down ,  the widowmaker knows there’s SOME FORM OF SELFISHNESS to her actions ,  in keeping amélie alive  — keeping their shared body alive —  she is keeping herself alive .   (  a cruel act of self — preservation .  )   but she’s free here ,  away from the threat of talon’s grasp ,  so why does she continue to vouch for violence as a first resort ?

see ,  there is a drawback to harbouring the emotions of two people ,  eventually ,  IT ALL BECOMES TOO MUCH ,  it’s an inevitability .   there’s a choice to be made ,  a switch flip :   feel everything   /   feel nothing .   widowmaker took comfort in the latter .   but sometimes ,  emotion is necessary ,  she will lean on it like a crutch of some sort ,  narrowed down ,  fined out ,  LIKE A PIN PRICK .   the moment of the kill is the only thing keeps her focused ,  it brings her back .   

“ it is the only time i feel anything . ”

@offwrld .     /     cont .

          he listens , of course , because even though he has a broken perspective on what things matter to him and what things can be cast out carelessly to sea , he is still a machine.  still competent enough to understand any delusions , explanations , excuses.  dread stands so still , and would seem lifeless if it weren’t for the constant shift of expression upon screen - nothing more than the fluctuation of shapes.  but there is a bit more of a sound when he turns to face her more , shifts away from the console before him and instead decides to give the woman his full attention despite the silence portrayed.  the sound of gears turning , pistons hissing , everything inside to make him move - and then it all dies away again when his movement stops.

          “ and you use this feeling to drive yourself , ” it is no longer spoken quizzically , but the tone is replaced with something more straight-forward and stern.  matter-of-fact.  “ but that only poses the question . . . why are you here ? ”  the robot leans back , rests self upon the mass of screens and dials behind him without bumping anything on the board.  arms raise and cross over his chest , “ what is your reasoning ?  you look like you don’t belong. ”

[offwrld]

“i’d watch your moral panic all day, it’s delightful.”

          moral panic ?  to what is her definition to a claim such as this when she’s seen how this robot operates when presented with a moral issue ?  but morality is humanly stagnant and decaying faster than this island itself , and dread sees no quarrel with what he sees as wrong and right in the slightest.  he just is.  he just knows.

          “ how do you see something so nonexistent ? ” he questions , screen lit by internal LED system glowing harshly in the darkness.  dread can’t imagine what’s made her confront him here.  the rift beacon has already been activated.  “ you have different places to be besides here.  this is no longer any of your concern.  any of you. ”

[offwrld]

arkangelofwar‌:

@offwrld (Continued)-

Irritation boils under his skin as he follows where the robot had scampered off too. A sigh leaving is lips as he looks up to where the other now stands, eyes narrowing under dark sunglasses at how the other seems to breathe. Almost human like.

But he’s not...

The thought passes in his mind, reminding himself what he’s dealing with. Who, he’s dealing with.

“Your land? You got a permit to be here? Don’t think so~”

He huffs as he walks closer to the blue container, but not to close. He’s to short to properly see over the edge if he gets within a certain distance of the thing, and he’s not about to climb it. Not about to risk anything...

“I’ve been ordered to take you in. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way~”

         with this human’s words comes an even more inhuman laugh.  dread saunters forward a bit , cocky , swinging his arms loosely to the side before he bends at the knees to lean over the edge of the crate , look down at the man with a little more than a mocking stare.  display shifts , before a friendly smile is tacked onto the screen.  brilliant , red.

         “ i claimed this a long time ago , ” the subtle tilt of head , the hissing of mechanics inside the muscle of robot body.  “ you should know - or maybe you don’t.  you didn’t arrive until the sand - but you are a lot like the sand. ”  another shift , forearm sat upon on elevated knee , “ gritty …  everywhere …  and neither of you have a badge to flash.  your authority is false. ”

[offwrld]

i finally decided to name human dread jude just to make it easier to differentiate the two of them.  and who would name their human child DREAD unironically.

[offwrld]

[offwrld]

“Come here, you shithead...”- Armadillo

          think of a cat , but how a cat will run away from an outstretched hand , back hunched - fur spiked , lips drawn back and teeth exposed in a hiss ; but imagine it as a robot , hoisting himself onto the blue shipping crate in front of him after a bit of a sprint.  dread catches his balance when he stands up , turns to face the man on which he looks down on , now , for the first time.  chest rises and falls to mimic human reaction , to give the impression that there are actual working lungs beneath that armor.  display sparks to life , the shape of a big red X.

          “ no , ” said sharply , quickly.  irritated.  “ get off my land. ”

[offwrld]

“ i encourage violence . ” ( widow no... )

          somehow , during the fade of it all - he’s managed to remember each detail.  maybe not alone , but with the assistance of another of the seven , dread’s kept track of each detail - each flaw - each fuse to light on each bomb and where exactly to place them.  but instead of individual explosions , it’s all connected by one wire , with one common place , with one common goal.  his head turns to face her , the center of crosshair display flickering from something potentially dangerous & to nothing but a pinhole dot.

          “ why ? ” it sounds like a genuine question , robotic and low.  curiosity.  but coming from a robot that has a knack for destruction and the overall erasure of everything involving human kind - it sounds mocking , hypocritical.

[frostwill]

critical role sentence starters !!!

so… we’ll talk later.

why won’t you stay down and die with dignity?

no. no further.

this is not over. it can’t be.

try not to have too much fun without us.

i have this blink candle. it’s formed from various animals that blink.

it’s so rare that we’re actually given the opportunity to be honest about everything. we might as well try it once and see if we like it.

you know i’m in love with you, right?

you seem… like a person. and that’s great.

those are coins! you’re not making it rain, you’re making it hail!

i’m killing someone, hold please.

your secret is safe with my indifference.

my heart is someone else’s.

do not go far from me. if we are out of earshot, you are too far from me.

um, i don’t know if it’s the food you made or the fact that we’re going to die tomorrow, but i want to kiss you.

i was all kinds of fucked up a few weeks ago.

you’re all kinds of fucked up all the time. we all are. and that’s why we’re together.

i just want to let you know… i am possibly the worst person you’ve ever met.

i think i kind of hope… not necessarily to hurt you or harm you, but i hope that one day… that you can know just how awful i can be.

you can curse, it’s okay. you killed one of us.

i think i’ve always been in love with the idea of you.

i was only gone for thirty seconds!

i encourage violence.

i can give you the means to protect them.

i do not want to die who i am. i’d like to live long enough to be someone else.

you’re on your own, fuckface.

a volcano is - is nature’s candle!

sometimes people go and they don’t come back.

do you spice?

so we’re going to kill everyone that we see in the next ten seconds.

i don’t want to be here if you’re not.

i told you before. no one kills you but me.

he traded his life!

i don’t have very many things that i care about and i don’t have anything that cares about me.

i’m great! well, not really, but i’m just going to pretend i’m happy so everybody can be okay!

i’ve been in a barrel for an hour. i fell asleep in there!

yes. i heard. it was the only thing i heard.

don’t cry. i’m just a little cold.

i bury my shame.

i should have told you. it’s yours.

forgiveness - that’s the key, isn’t it? it’s the only way to really grow.

your hair’s a mess. sit still.

you are my heart. you are me. you are my other half. you are welcome with me always.

you don’t always have to put on a brave face, dear.

we’re friends, right? are we friends?

i know we don’t always agree and i know i can be unkind, but… you know you’re family, right?

i’ve had a terrible thought. and it is sort of my business to have terrible thoughts.

take me instead.

we walk towards glory.

that’s mine! that’s mine!

did it choose me because i was broken, or did it break me?

please bring him back to me.

you think you care about me?

this was always supposed to happen, wasn’t it?

i love you. if i can find you, i will. if not, stay alive.

if he’s gone i won’t be the same.

i’d watch your moral panic all day, it’s delightful.

in many ways you are my total opposite. but you are also my best friend.

i made a choice. this is my family.

i forgive you. but i cannot let you leave.

please. please. i love him as much as you do.

fix him. fix him!

i like this family. i’d like to keep it.

i want you to know that you are like a brother to me.

talk about my sister again.

it’s been a while since we’ve had one of our depressing chats!

i can’t have you gone. i need you here.

i think we’re very broken people. but i think together we’re much greater than the sum of our parts.

don’t ever fucking do that again.

you didn’t die. but you did! but you didn’t. but you did! and then you didn’t.

i don’t want any of this! i don’t want any of this.

i’ve just had a near death experience and i’m craving some lasagna. 

you know, you’re getting weirder.

you and i are very different.

i’ve killed two of those who’ve wronged me and nothing is better. nothing feels better. nothing is avenged.

call me “child” one more goddamn time!

if you’re lucky, you die last.

some people have no sense of fucking honor!

i’ll take my clothes off if it’ll inspire us.

thank you for believing in me.

you’ve never done anything for me! never! you’ve never risked anything, you don’t know me!

everyone else believes in you. why shouldn’t you?

how many fingers am i holding up?

what’s the first letter of the alphabet? this you know.

yay! teamwork!

you fucking died!

don’t touch me right now! i’m not - don’t touch me!

i’m going to go get a sandwich.

you had us all very worried.

your reckless impulses will get you killed!

i’m done with gods. they will not help me. perhaps you will. 

this is too fucking much.

come here, you shithead.

it has been an honor.

screw you! i want my final words with you to be indignant and irritated.

you’re the face i saw when murder entered my heart.

i’m undecided about you.

never forget you’re my favorite. and i’m so sorry.

i’m not leaving him.

you’re a better man than you believe.

feel like making a home here?

you’re an idiot and i’m very proud of you. don’t do that again.

sound off if you’re alive.

it’s not going to work.

[offwrld]

hi . . . in light of everything i’ve been told the past two days . . . who wants to write (:

[offwrld]

THE ARCHETYPE TEST !

tagged by :   @veuvebrisee ( thanks (; ) tagging :   @arkangelofwar, @ofromulus, @fclic, & anyone else who wants to.

DREAD     /     THE WARRIOR.

THE WARRIOR ARCHETYPE is tough and courageous, the warrior archetype helps us to set and achieve goals, overcome obstacles and persist through difficult times. however, the warrior archetype also tends to see others as enemies and tends to think in "either/or" terms. in truth, the warrior behaves in a relatively simple way, seeking to simply win in any and every circumstance, no matter what confronts them, including the monsters that live inside the mind and their underlying fear of weakness. their challenge is to bring meaning to what they do, perhaps by choosing their battles wisely, by using courage to succeed, or by developing great self-discipline where needed.

SHADOW SIDE :   the villain. this will manifest itself in your desire to win, even at the expense of other people and their well-being. the villain is also active in your life any time you feel compelled to compromise your principles in order to compete, win, or get your own way. there is also the possibility of perceiving everything as a continuous battle, where virtually everything that happens is a personal slight, threat, or challenge to be confronted.

LIFE GOAL :   win, make a difference. FEAR :   weakness, impotence. RESPONSE TO PROBLEM :   slay it, defeat it, convert it. LIFE TASK :   fight only for what really matters. PERSONAL GIFTS :   courage, discipline, determination, skill. PERSONAL PITFALLS :   fear of impotence leading to ruthlessness, arrogance.