>//:ZERO SUM (TRUST NO ONE)

“Just because something isn’t there...”

INDIE & SEMI-SELECTIVE RP/ASK BLOG FOR RAYCHEL BLACKWELL, AN EPITHET ERASED OC.

10+ Years of RP Experience

OC/Canon Friendly, Crossover Friendly

One-liners, Para, and Novella

Mostly SFW, Mun is 18+

Discord upon request

"NOW WHAT IN DA HELL ARE YEW DOIN' HERE-"

"..."

This house didn't always feel this bleak. This blank, this...hollow. Large as it was for luxury, it once housed two instead of just her.

It never housed more than that, really. Father was a rather private man himself, though he went out to dinners a lot with his co-workers. But he never invited them over. Raychel herself never did make any friends growing up either.

Having her Epitome at such a young age impacted her growth rather severely. She was always a quiet child, true, but it also had a psychological impact on how she expressed herself...and it turned people away. Stared too long at someone or something. Made computers and things just float for no reason. Almost frighteningly good at mathmatics to the point where she skipped a grade or two.

It never bothered her, not until she started meeting other Inscribed. Not until Father never came home, not until the rifts tore into their world, not until she met a certain little star child.

"..."

It never bothered her that she was alone.

But just because something isn't there doesn't mean it can't hurt you.

Crack--

She doesn't...notice that her usual cold aura was starting to branch out, creep over and expand, frost coating appliances and the flooring. The air grew frigid, too frigid, like the inside of a industrial freezer--and the temperature was STILL dropping.

...Was this how it was always going to be? She can't even think about any sort of companionship in the long term, not without someone finding out about her OTHER job. Of course she's thought about that before, but...

CRACK--

It's well into arctic temperatures now. Ice coats every inch of the kitchen and spreads further around the house, large shards of ice slowly building off of each other in a jagged fashion. It's cold. It's so cold, but it's nothing to her.

Right?

Nothing. You don't feel much at all, do you?

(...so what is this...empty...feeling in my...?)

The door freezes shut. She's as still as a statue, hasn't moved from her seat in the kitchen table as the very air starts to feel as if it was standing still. It's almost like Raychel is caught in some frozen spell herself. That unidentified empty feeling freezing over into a numb, pins and needles sensation in her chest--

(Am I ....)

"Oh GODDAMN IT, that was a 23 character username and password, how the BLOODY HELL did you--?!"

“...”

Frost? She had an ice affinity– that was why she survived his wasteland. A scowl breaks his furious frown, narrowed optics honing in on the air around her, the sheer cold she produced. What few rocks that decorate the tundra shudder before rising in the air. His growl makes his contempt known. 

Rrgh, a superhuman? Potentially magic, even. He hated magic. It was difficult to fight, overwriting the laws of the universe in the wielder’s favor. Not impossible, just annoying. Almost as grating as letting her survive would be.

“What I wanted is far past negotiating, human.” She assumed because he was speaking she had a chance? HAH! The low rumble in his throat is dangerous; the air seems to shudder with it, his nanites at the ready. “You came here. You are alive, and trespassing on my planet.” 

“What could possibly be offered to me that would make your life worth sparing? Nothing comes to mind.”

Not the most pleasant of attitudes...

But she can manage. Now to think up of something to give to him, something of value that would entice him enough to change his mind. The only thing that DOES come to HER mind is...

“...Surely you must be wondering how a mere human could survive these sub-arctic temperatures. Among other things.” She says, flicking her fingers up so that the small rocks start to orbit around her fingers in a perfect circle. Ah, so ice wasn’t just the only thing in her kit, it seems. “Yes, I am alive, but I’m also not normal...and neither is the planet I’m from. And if I’M here--unwittingly trespassing, yes, and I apologize for the record--well, chances are others like me could stumble through, and if the COLD doesn’t kill them--which is more likely than you think--then...”

“I can’t promise that it will end well for you when someone with the power to CRACK your planet in half decides to do so for the HELL of it.”

Most Inscribed were straightforward with their Epithets, but some dealt with purely abstract concepts--Raychel herself was somewhere in between those two categories. The only reason she HASN’T attempted to hack into this death machine though such methods is because she could tell he was entirely sentient--and that made it all the more harder to take over systems that way.

She inches away, like any animal trying to flee would. A creature that was in a territory that didn’t belong to her, for one. The object she pulls in her hand– most definitely a saber, though one of construct he’d never seen before. Self defense, probably, but she’d be stupid to pick a fight with him.

His teeth grit as the girl babbles, fangs baring in a clear sign of displeasure. “Most don’t want to be eradicated. You are not unique.”

It is here that he pulls his hand from his pocket, the slim cylinder masking exactly how heavy the weapon truly was. MZ twists the object in hand, and as it spins the war-mallet reveals itself, clicking into place until it towers over the vamploid himself. 

“You can’t believe I’ll simply let you leave alive?”

Oh, fuck.

A very SHARP inhale as she feels her own powers reacting on instinct, an air of abnormally cold frost that seems to hover around her like an aura of sorts. SHE herself seemed fine, but now it was to a point that very little would survive in such a temperature, and that was already saying something considering how UNBELIVEABLY barren this environment already was.

And hostile, apparently. Small pebbles begin to float just above the ground.

“...well, now I don’t, but you can’t blame me for trying to persuade.” To her credit, now that the machine had set a CLEAR baseline for how dangerous this is going to get, the officer was doing pretty well not giving into the urge strike first or flee. “You can’t believe I’m just going to sit here and accept it, though? If your goal was to see me afraid--well, you have succeeded.” Thoroughly. “Your distaste for my presence is noted, but seeing as I have a working survival instinct, I would like to attempt diplomacy or negotiation at the very least. Surely there is something you want besides my demise--otherwise you wouldn’t bother mere conversation, allowing me a chance to speak like this.” She’d be dead by now, surely.

They are in agreement it seems. Humans are a remarkable species, and certainly one that the android felt little malice toward. If it could be called admiration, Hex couldn’t say, but her word, ingenuity… that he found a very fitting descriptor. 

It only snows in one place? A subtle raising of eyebrows meets that comment. Now that is odd. Most of the regions in Sonari, there were seasons. Sure not everywhere had winter specifically, but the notion is strange nonetheless. 

|Ocean Country sounds a bit like Encore’s home.| It’s an offhand thought, the machine idly carving the name Metromare into the holoscreen between them. |Although parts of their society are at least partially on the coast and above water.| So not quite the same. |It is a strange but beautiful place, the only one I have visited. Although I understand the construction makes some individuals… uneasy.| He exaggerates the last word with his hands, clearly picturing at least one nervous individual. 

Another small nod. It must be disheartening that she only got to sightsee by chance. Coming here isn’t anyone’s idea of a relaxing vacation either. 

|I am glad we can offer some assistance.| A way to take the edge off, as it were. There’s little else they can give with the state of things, and she gave them much more in return. Cipher’s company lightened the moods of everyone, gave them a little something to look forward to. 

His shoulders roll in a half shrug, though he confirms for her all the same. |It helps, I believe.| A way to work off excess frustration and energy. |Encore tries to keep other hobbies, but he rarely indulges them.| Sorely missed, from the hesitancy of Hex’s signs. |So this outlet will do for the moment. If you had other suggestions,| it would be appreciated. |…it may do him good to have a change of pace when possible.| 

The more Hex talked about Sonari and its different regions, the more Cipher found herself wanting to learn more--an innate thirst for knowledge of how the inner workings of this world worked, and the magics found within. It seemed easier to understand than the way Epithets worked, at least.

But then the topic shifts, and Cipher is presented with a new problem to mull over.

“Other hobbies? Er...“ She puts a hand over her chin in thought. “Well, that’s going to be a bit difficult to work around, given the sheer high temperatures that Encore produces. Would probably require specialized equipment, perhaps?” But it’s not impossible. “Depends what his interests are, though. If he can’t handle normal things with his hands, I could...code programs for him to mess around with. He mentioned something about hard-light technology, yes?”

VR could work too, if she had time and resources to properly set up something like that. Hell, if she had a whole room to work with...

“...Then again, maybe something that everyone had access to would be better, since there’s you and Cale and...that other one.” Mmm. Games? Something like that? She’d need everyone’s input, then--but that was fine. She had a lot of time on her hands, it wasn’t as if this was going to be a bother to her at all.