#v; knowhere

[halfwcrld]

continued from here for @mephitism​.

               ❝ Lylla. . ? ❞

     It came out before he could help himself; before the wakefulness had settled in and he realized just where he was. && who he was with. When he did, though, the raccoon squinted at her in the dark, staring in a grumbling mix of embarrassment and general annoyance.

❝ Yeah, yeah.  ‘M fine. ❞ he muttered, rolling his shoulders and sucking in a shallow sigh as he shrugged her away. Both paws found his face and he ran them down the length of his cheeks to scrub away any lingering unease before he reached for whatever project he’d been tinkering with before drifting off.

[halfwcrld]

:|| Lylla

               Rocket isn’t the only ❛ lower life-form ❜ to be used in illegal experimentation. He is, however, one of only a handful to survive and/or escape. A couple others include a ❛ rabbit ❜ named BlackJack O’ Hare && an ❛ otter ❜ named Lylla.

Rocket isn’t very forthcoming when it comes to talking about his experimentation years, and this includes talking about Lylla. She’s a frequent sight in his nightmares, however, and he’s been known to call out for her when in their throng. The extent of their relationship is something that Rocket plays close to the vest and, since joining forces with Peter Quill as the Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant, he does everything in his power to assure their paths never cross again. Whether this is because of guilt or a misplaced sense of chivalry is unclear.

[halfwcrld]

:|| upgrade II

               The implants that cup the base of Rocket’s throat at his collar line are specific mods to allow him [humanoid] speech. They act as a stimulus for his vocal chords as well as extending into his body to offer another artificial construct that gives his voicebox humanoid characteristics. Without them, Rocket will lose his capability of speech and be resorted to the natural parameters of a raccoon’s [vocal] communication techniques. These implants have no effect on his intelligence, only his speech.

[halfwcrld]

:|| sink or swim

               Because of the weight of his body modifications, Rocket cannot swim. Though the actual action is ingrained very instinctually, Rocket’s weight will drag him down like a high-tech ball and chain every time.

[halfwcrld]

:|| upgrade.

               Along with cybernetic implants that give Rocket’s brain the capacity for higher function, deductive reasoning, & his solid genius; Rocket’s spinal column was modified. Along with the joints of his hips, all of his vertebrae have been replaced with a(n) man-made artificial construct that allows him to stand and walk in a bipedal fashion. It distributes the weight of his body — which, naturally, is longer than his back legs — to relieve stress on his his nerves, bones, and joints. Similarly, portions of his remaining skeletal system has been reinforced with a similar material.