with fingers crossed they'll talk to me

[buildstherobots]

[phone]

[This... this is a drunk dial. It's obvious from Dist's tone, the way he's slurring... hell, even the subject matter. He's been brooding a lot lately, mostly due to being brainwashed. Twice. To have your mind forcibly taken... it's not an easy thing to recover from.]

We're all... here, we're all surrounded by people. Prisoners, like ourselves. But who among us... who doesn't feel lonely? Disconnected from all those around you... I fear that's their goal. Isolation, even in the face of a crowd.

[Dist takes a deep breath, possibly taking another swig from his drink.]

We're overdue for a town attack. Divide and conquer. Without unity... I don't know what we'll do in the face of whatever they throw at us.

Comments

[buildstherobots]

I'm an adult. I didn't go to prom.

But I agree with you; they don't let up on us for long.

[photonicfighter]

[Dakki sighs the frustrated sigh of someone who has heard that a few too many times.]

It's not just an event for kids. It was just a party. For everyone.

[But that's not the point... the exasperation leaves her tone.]

I'd like to suspect that they're low on energy or somehow damaged, after Thanksgiving and Christmas and the resurrection machine being destroyed. Maybe they really do have to build up to something bigger than the day to day mean-spirited illusions.

It'll either give us enough time to lick our wounds and be ready, or to make us too soft to resist what they're bringing. I don't want to say that I'm leaning towards the latter, but...

[buildstherobots]

They've shown basic cleverness before. A person can get used to anything; the pain of a blow is worse when you've had time to recover from the last.

And believe me, every resistance here breaks apart before it can do anything meaningful. I'm wondering what the point is in trying anymore.

[photonicfighter]

Pain means a lot more when you haven't felt it for a while. But maybe you'll be ready for the next time that they take a swing at you.

...you don't have to convince me that resistance groups don't seem to work. But having some close friends you can rely on means something. If the connections are looser, or the number is smaller... [If? Then what? She doesn't seem to have an answer, as she hasn't quite made up her mind.]

It's in the nature of living things to try, as long as they have the spirit left.

[buildstherobots]

And when they don't have the spirit?

[photonicfighter]

...then they give up and die.

[Bleak, but honest. And after a brief pause...]

Even that won't do you any good here. This place won't even give us the chance to truly give up, will it?