i will always come

s-ko [this is a rp blog

[magicalfish6286]

Guy that likes Zappa from guilty gear: hey can you draw Zappa from guilty gear pretty please

happy holidays 🥳

[goodmannersandcustoms]

#MakeSkoTouchZappaInHisWinScreen2026

#MakeSkoTouchZappaInHisWinScreen2026

[s-ko-the-ghost]

Pleaseeee................

[spruce-fox]

Damon and Baby

give me 10000 notes

[firekeeperkatie]

why did tumblr give me notes about someone else's post???

it just takes me to the original post so it isn’t a reblog thing

[spruce-fox]

this post is deeply cursed dw about it :D

[firekeeperkatie]

you’re not gonna fucking believe this

[firekeeperkatie]

i’m going to keep adding updates until the notifs stop

this post fascinates me

[spruce-fox]

i am so sorry this is happening but it's hilarious to watch. i'm sorry it's gonna be a little while T~T

[isaactheowl]

We are getting closer

[zinnia-ghost]

Holy sh*t 9k @isaactheowl is almost there, you can do it dude!!!

[sollbadguy]

I'm Sol badguy and I endorse this post getting 10k notes

[sepultura-da-gio]

I too; Giovanna - the preseident's bodyguard- endorse this post getting 10K notes.

Vamos lá porra falta pouco.

[ghost-researcher]

I zappa endorse it getting 10k notes as well

[delilahsjournal]

I, Delilah also endorse it.

It'll be fun and acomplishing to see it get there. Just more 492 notes.

[londrekia-light]

The Ritter Schild needs this post at 10k I am here to assist

[s-ko-the-ghost]

It.... Needdddsss..... 10kkk........

[faustdrfaustthedoctor]

accidentally loooked up ghosts and ghouls and witches on the internet now i cant sleep anymore

[s-ko-the-ghost]

...............

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Sitting on the workbench next to your new body is a sketchbook with a mechanical pencil on it, you recognize it to be the same pencil Lily used to draft the blueprints she used to make your body, and sitting next to the desk is an unconscious Lily. Her spring unwound.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[s-ko seeing Lily like that and not being able to talk she starts poking Lily in the face to try and wake her up]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

[coming from around the corner is Orchid, the characteristic thumping of her hops letting you know immediately to her presence.]

[she doesn't seem to notice that you're awake, she simply makes her way to Lily, winds her spring, then goes to turn around the corner again, before stopping... She turns around and finally notices your awakening]

Oh! Hello S-Ko! It is...

[she looks over to the clock on the wall]

6:42... You were connecting with the body for... i think 2 hours? Lily wanted me to keep track of that. How do you feel?

[she hands you the sketchbook, eager to hear your testimony. beside her, Lily starts to wake back up too. ]

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she opens the SketchBook struggles move her arms as She writes]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

That sounds about what we expected, although you did take longer when we anticipated for you to regain consciousness... We should probably look into that... hmmm...

[Orchid stands there thinking for a while, thinking to herself]

I think what might be the best way to ensure your soul takes to your new form is to just relax for a while. i'm sure lily told you about sensations being overwhelming, so getting used to your new body should be your top priority, but right now... you probably used a lot of energy making your connection, so i say you shouldn't push yourself too hard for now.

the fact you can write is already a great sign, too!

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She turns the page starts writing again and you notice that she looks a little winded]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily sits up in her chair, still drowsy from having accidentally unwound herself working on the project and watching over your body. when she speaks, it sounds like someone who just woke up, she yawns.}

when first waking up after consciousness transfer, you may experience migraine like symptoms, nausea, fatigue, temperature irregulation, and joint spasms. you seem to be handling all that well right now, but if anything gets worse, make some noise and we'll help. the nausea and fatigue are best handled by laying on your back, and the migraine and temperature irregulation can be managed with ice, cold water, et cetera. joint spasms go away after maybe a week, its just your consciousness getting used to how your body moves.

{lily grabs an ice cube tray from the freezer, pops a few cubes into her chest and mouth, then puts the rest into a travel mug and fills it with water}

i made it so you can eat, drink, experience taste, stuff like that, just don't overdo it. you don't need to if you don't wanna too. you have a matter conversion module in place of a stomach and drinking water can wind your spring if you don't like the feeling of using a turnkey. without either of those methods of regaining energy, one winding lasts 72 hours. in theory you should never need to sleep, but i would suggest performing a manual wind-up maybe once a month to maintain the health of your heart.

{she hands you the water. it seems the ice Lily "ate" is helping her wake up, she sounds more enegetic now.}

what you do now is up to you, but I would like you to stay here for at least a day so I can observe you. ensure everything is in working order, im sure you understand. basically, don't overheat, don't get too cold, don't go to far, and don't fall and break something. other than that, go wild. it's your body, feel free to enjoy it to the fullest. just stay safe when doing so.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she starts writing again looking even more winded]

[dreamlike--reality]

that's understandable. if you ever feel like your head is starting to hurt, just drink some of the ice water i gave you, that should help since your body can't process painkillers the same way biological bodies can. if you ever need help, Orchid and I will be available all day.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she quickly writes]

[And then lays down]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Sitting on the workbench next to your new body is a sketchbook with a mechanical pencil on it, you recognize it to be the same pencil Lily used to draft the blueprints she used to make your body, and sitting next to the desk is an unconscious Lily. Her spring unwound.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[s-ko seeing Lily like that and not being able to talk she starts poking Lily in the face to try and wake her up]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

[coming from around the corner is Orchid, the characteristic thumping of her hops letting you know immediately to her presence.]

[she doesn't seem to notice that you're awake, she simply makes her way to Lily, winds her spring, then goes to turn around the corner again, before stopping... She turns around and finally notices your awakening]

Oh! Hello S-Ko! It is...

[she looks over to the clock on the wall]

6:42... You were connecting with the body for... i think 2 hours? Lily wanted me to keep track of that. How do you feel?

[she hands you the sketchbook, eager to hear your testimony. beside her, Lily starts to wake back up too. ]

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she opens the SketchBook struggles move her arms as She writes]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

That sounds about what we expected, although you did take longer when we anticipated for you to regain consciousness... We should probably look into that... hmmm...

[Orchid stands there thinking for a while, thinking to herself]

I think what might be the best way to ensure your soul takes to your new form is to just relax for a while. i'm sure lily told you about sensations being overwhelming, so getting used to your new body should be your top priority, but right now... you probably used a lot of energy making your connection, so i say you shouldn't push yourself too hard for now.

the fact you can write is already a great sign, too!

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She turns the page starts writing again and you notice that she looks a little winded]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily sits up in her chair, still drowsy from having accidentally unwound herself working on the project and watching over your body. when she speaks, it sounds like someone who just woke up, she yawns.}

when first waking up after consciousness transfer, you may experience migraine like symptoms, nausea, fatigue, temperature irregulation, and joint spasms. you seem to be handling all that well right now, but if anything gets worse, make some noise and we'll help. the nausea and fatigue are best handled by laying on your back, and the migraine and temperature irregulation can be managed with ice, cold water, et cetera. joint spasms go away after maybe a week, its just your consciousness getting used to how your body moves.

{lily grabs an ice cube tray from the freezer, pops a few cubes into her chest and mouth, then puts the rest into a travel mug and fills it with water}

i made it so you can eat, drink, experience taste, stuff like that, just don't overdo it. you don't need to if you don't wanna too. you have a matter conversion module in place of a stomach and drinking water can wind your spring if you don't like the feeling of using a turnkey. without either of those methods of regaining energy, one winding lasts 72 hours. in theory you should never need to sleep, but i would suggest performing a manual wind-up maybe once a month to maintain the health of your heart.

{she hands you the water. it seems the ice Lily "ate" is helping her wake up, she sounds more enegetic now.}

what you do now is up to you, but I would like you to stay here for at least a day so I can observe you. ensure everything is in working order, im sure you understand. basically, don't overheat, don't get too cold, don't go to far, and don't fall and break something. other than that, go wild. it's your body, feel free to enjoy it to the fullest. just stay safe when doing so.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she starts writing again looking even more winded]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Sitting on the workbench next to your new body is a sketchbook with a mechanical pencil on it, you recognize it to be the same pencil Lily used to draft the blueprints she used to make your body, and sitting next to the desk is an unconscious Lily. Her spring unwound.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[s-ko seeing Lily like that and not being able to talk she starts poking Lily in the face to try and wake her up]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

[coming from around the corner is Orchid, the characteristic thumping of her hops letting you know immediately to her presence.]

[she doesn't seem to notice that you're awake, she simply makes her way to Lily, winds her spring, then goes to turn around the corner again, before stopping... She turns around and finally notices your awakening]

Oh! Hello S-Ko! It is...

[she looks over to the clock on the wall]

6:42... You were connecting with the body for... i think 2 hours? Lily wanted me to keep track of that. How do you feel?

[she hands you the sketchbook, eager to hear your testimony. beside her, Lily starts to wake back up too. ]

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she opens the SketchBook struggles move her arms as She writes]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

That sounds about what we expected, although you did take longer when we anticipated for you to regain consciousness... We should probably look into that... hmmm...

[Orchid stands there thinking for a while, thinking to herself]

I think what might be the best way to ensure your soul takes to your new form is to just relax for a while. i'm sure lily told you about sensations being overwhelming, so getting used to your new body should be your top priority, but right now... you probably used a lot of energy making your connection, so i say you shouldn't push yourself too hard for now.

the fact you can write is already a great sign, too!

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She turns the page starts writing again and you notice that she looks a little winded]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Sitting on the workbench next to your new body is a sketchbook with a mechanical pencil on it, you recognize it to be the same pencil Lily used to draft the blueprints she used to make your body, and sitting next to the desk is an unconscious Lily. Her spring unwound.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[s-ko seeing Lily like that and not being able to talk she starts poking Lily in the face to try and wake her up]

[hymenopus--coronatus]

[coming from around the corner is Orchid, the characteristic thumping of her hops letting you know immediately to her presence.]

[she doesn't seem to notice that you're awake, she simply makes her way to Lily, winds her spring, then goes to turn around the corner again, before stopping... She turns around and finally notices your awakening]

Oh! Hello S-Ko! It is...

[she looks over to the clock on the wall]

6:42... You were connecting with the body for... i think 2 hours? Lily wanted me to keep track of that. How do you feel?

[she hands you the sketchbook, eager to hear your testimony. beside her, Lily starts to wake back up too. ]

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[she opens the SketchBook struggles move her arms as She writes]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Sitting on the workbench next to your new body is a sketchbook with a mechanical pencil on it, you recognize it to be the same pencil Lily used to draft the blueprints she used to make your body, and sitting next to the desk is an unconscious Lily. Her spring unwound.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[s-ko seeing Lily like that and not being able to talk she starts poking Lily in the face to try and wake her up]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

So, when you gain full control of the body, don't try to speak immediately. You don't have lungs, or vocal chords, or a mouth that functions in the same way your old body did. You're going to have a speaker that will transmit your conscious thoughts as audio. Controlling this can be pretty hard when it's your first time, so I would suggest trying to avoid speaking entirely as you get used to how your body moves. But, since you still need to communicate somehow, I'll go grab a pen and paper.

The best way to make the process go smoothly is just to relax and let control of the body come to you. like floating in a pool.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[once she gets fully in she struggles to move and then rolls over to her side and opens her eyes slowly]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[dreamlike--reality]

... alright, well... good luck...

{She slides the eyelids open and slips the perfectly spherical orbs into their sockets, held into place with rubber tracks to control their rotation, she presses down a switch that keeps the eyes in place, closes the lids, and steps back to appreciate her handiwork}

{the body looks exactly how the diagrams depicted it. proportions perfectly measured, everything put together with a precision unimaginable to people without first hand experience in the crafts. For a moment, you feel a sense of being out of your own body. Like seeing yourself in a mirror, but the face looking back having a different expression. The resemblance to your old form is uncanny. It even almost brings you back to the first time you saw your own corpse...}

Entering the body should be as easy as putting your arm into the hand. I've temporarily disabled the textural transmission in the skin plates so you don't get overwhelmed having full body tactile sensation again after so long without it. If any other sense is too much for you, I can do the same with them too. We'll slowly increase them over time so you can get adjusted. Think about it like weaning off of something, or slowly lowering yourself into a pool to get used to the cold water.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks like she is preparing herself for what is going to happen]

Thank you Lily......

[And then she starts slowly lowering herself into the body]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily instinctively pulls away, but doesn't take long to lean back into your embrace. A small puddle of that fluid sits on the workbench, The two of you sit there in silence for just about two minutes before Lily sits back up straight, wipes the tears from her eyes, and silently continues her work. It doesn't take long for her to begin connecting the arm S-Ko tried on to the body, and in seemingly a blink of an eye, she builds a chiral match. Then, the abdomen section, a speaker in the chest, the back of the hips and pelvis, then the legs, then the front, sealing it all in place. Then, she slips the neck assembly into place and begins putting together the head. This is the most lengthy part of the process, building with only one hand slows her down a good bit, but her technique and accuracy ensures everything is still just as snug as it could be. The facial structure is absurdly complicated, a hydraulic system of pistons controls every inch of the face. even with the knowledge that it will be covered in hair, she still didn't skimp on the articulation. Every muscle is accounted for. Then, closing up the chest, she begins placing each of the plastic shells onto the body, acting as a plated skin, much like her own, only slightly more rosy in its complexion. Whereas hers is a pristine porcelain white, maybe with a hint of purple in the right lighting. The body is reaching completion, however she hesitates before putting the final touches in. the body's eye sockets remain empty.}

you'll... tell me if anything isn't right, right? robotic bodies are... a bit of a struggle to get used to, and... if i could make organic bodies ethically, I would... because... being like me... comes with a lot of... hardship...

{she's clearly trying to pick her words carefully,}

it's not a fate I would wish on anyone, if I'm being honest, but it's the best I can do. you'll need to avoid sand at all costs if you wear anything with your joints exposed. cleaning your optical sensors feels like rubbing your eyes with sandpaper, but you can't see without doing that at least weekly... people will never look at you with the warmth they look at another human being again...

i... i'm not trying to talk you out of this, but I want you to know what you're getting into, quite literally. when your essence harmonizes with the material in this body, getting you out to replace it will be an ordeal... so... this is what you want, right?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

I am dead......

I thought killing myself would end my misery.......

But instead I woke up as a ghost.........

Not a lot of people want to look at me because I scare them......

[she starts crying again]

This is the fate I wantttt

[kawfimachine]

Twitter dot com requests

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

{Lily gathers supplies from all around the shop. An arm here, a leg there, plates upon plates pre-bent into ribs and necks, she's been making these in bulk for her goal of bringing back the people she killed. She's making prosthetics to hone her craft of making full bodies. Everything about this strange little shop suddenly makes a lot more sense to you now.}

they all say that... but the truth is that most people never truly know anything... I above all else know that from first hand experience. I know everything, can perfectly predict everything, act along perfect logic... and yet, i still KNOW nothing in the end. plans fail, i fuck up in new ways I never thought possible... it's... infuriating.

{Lily begins constructing the power source for the body, much like her own, it's a multiaxis gyrotorbillion, designed to have a higher runtime than her own. She built her own to have a purposefully low runtime...}

The hard problem of consciousness sneaks up on us all eventually, and realizing just how separate we all are in the end is... terrifying... I'll never consciously understand the full breadth of my own internal identity, so I can't hold that as an expectation for anyone else. all we can do is make approximations of others in our heads and pray it's accurate...

{She delicately places the finished timepiece into the empty chest she constructed from spare parts she already had.}

I... I just.... I don't know...

{her work slows down, she's really working herself up over this. a liquid flashing with the texture of TV static flows from behind her glasses, down the tear-streak-esque markings already etched into her face .}

the world we live in is so immense and beautiful... taking a single soul out of it is... reprehensible.... and i did that... thousands of times... without a second thought...

{she puts down her tools and places her head on her arm, resting it on the desk.}

I'm sorry... I really shouldn't be talking so much about this... I should've just taken the condolence... god damn it...

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She goes up to you and hugs you]

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

I've killed three thousand two hundred thirty seven people. all of whom I remember the names and faces of. I foolishly thought, in achieving my goal of creating the absolute world, I would be able to bring them back from the dead, so to speak at least. My actions would have created the conditions that would have allowed me to manipulate the fabric of reality, making it so the information of their deaths was never stored in the backyard, making it so they never died in the first place. I failed, obviously, and ever since I've been suffering from the guilt of that failure. Both in failing to bring them back, and failing to see the illogical nature of this quest.

This halo of nothingness constantly floating behind my head is a representation of my failure. I want to make it up to the people I've killed. Make the world a better place no matter the cost to myself instead of letting others pay the price. the ends cannot justify the means so long as the ends cannot undo the means to which they were achieved.

In helping others, running this shop in particular, I feel as though I'm making progress on my goal. if I'm being honest, my hope is to eventually channel their spirits back into this plane and allow them to inhabit bodies and come back, if they desire of course...

i suppose that means this project, in helping you, does have ulterior motives,,, it's something of a pilot study, observing how souls and spirits handle regaining a physical form.... I'm sorry that I mislead you, but... this data I'll get from helping you is payment enough to cover the material costs...

{You can tell Lily is full of guilt, both in her past and current actions. She feels this needs to be done, but didn't know how to get it done without manipulation, however small a lie it may be. she averts her gaze and looks down at the sheets on her desk, beginning to roll them up and organize them again. she doesn't meet your gaze again..}

I'll go get the materials and begin the construction...

{her voice is hushed and weak, as though it's trying to make itself as small as possible, hide itself away from you in shame.}

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She looks down and shame as well]

I know how you feel...............

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........

[dreamlike--reality]

Wow... I didn't expect to get such high praise on the first run... Alright well, that's a great sign!! I'll go grab the materials, I should have something cooked up for you within a few hours, most of the process comes in the planning stage anyway. Thanks for letting me help out on this by the way, I'm sure you can tell but, I'm really passionate about this subject and... being able to help people out like this... It really makes me feel alive, you know?

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She tilts her head a little bit]

Do you want to help people out so much?

Did you hurt someone?

[dreamlike--reality]

[appears behind you starts tapping on your shoulder]

Is it already?

@s-ko-the-ghost

Yup! Just about finished the first draft. Here, why don't you take a look, remember, you get full veto power on every part of this body we're making for you.

{Sitting on Lily's desk is a pile of sketches, blueprints, concepts, mechanics, and logos, and on the very top is the full body blueprint. The illustration is intensely detailed, down to the management of the wires and cables around the rotating joints. each screw is enumerated, sorted by depth, and alphabetized. How one manages to alphabetize screws, you are unsure, but it's a sight to behold nonetheless.}

I noticed your tendency to slink around in vents, so I put emphasis on the legs of this design to allow for a lower center of mass, that way you can have an easier time crawling around if you so desire. I tried to maintain a resemblance to a-... the phrasing that comes to mind is "less skeletal", but now that I'm saying it out loud, that sounds a bit insulting.... What I'm trying to say is that this design aims to try and encapsulate what you may have looked like before dying. Give you something familiar to bring you comfort, I'm sure you get it.

{Lily's descriptions of each detail go on like this for a few minutes, talking so fast, you can hardly keep up.}

So. What do you think? If none of this is to your liking, I'll redo all of it to account for your preferences. Don't think that my effort on this draft shouldn't be wasted at all! I'm more than willing to make as many drafts as you want.

[s-ko-the-ghost]

[She start to tear up again]

No it's perfect........

It's almost just like ittt........