[Espy]

<Not any sort of deity, but simply a... consciousness who prefers a digital format rather than a physical?>

A glowing translucent avatar appears right next to the transporter machine. It's clear that this is the owner of the odd psychic voice, yet its next sentences again bear no directional indication as to their speaker.

<...You do realize that some things weren't meant to cross the barrier between digital and physical, right? ...Well, cookies... I don't see too much harm in consuming these... perfectly-shaped... of-binary-origin... confectioneries.>

The avatar of CRT walks up to the folder and taps it a couple times, sending shimmering blue lights running across its surface. A moment's pause, then it backpedals very quickly.

<That is... terribly-written robot fanfiction.> It makes the robotic equivalent of a shudder, light blue sparks flying off the holographic image.

[Merskelly Metalien]

0.0 ! "Ohhhhh.." Merskelly cannot stop staring at the avatar and at the blue lights made as it interacts with the folder. She beholds the digital sparks and smiles at the avatar. "You're so glowyy." ewe
? "Um, yyyeeess, but-" <w<; "I like to cross weird bridges..and take shiny things." *puts more cookies for Derpy into the transporter*
"Ohh yeah." o-o; *nodnod* "Yeahhhh, it's not very good." eue; "No offence to the writer of course."
Merskelly then remembers what she wanted to ask before getting distracted by the glowyness. "Hey, wait-!" 0.0 "If you're a digital consciousness here," :3 "maybe you can help me! I'm looking for a way out. I'm not really from around here." :[ *rubs skeletal metal arm*

[Espy]

<That really depends on how you got here in the first place. I can come and go easily enough, but you’re an entity who isn’t supposed to be here.>

The avatar looks Merskelly up and down.

<...At least not in a physical form.>


((In case anyone’s wondering, I’m drawing inspiration from Shadowrun, as well as Dragon Age. In SR, deckers, people with neural implants, are able to jack into the Matrix at any jackpoint, and manifest as a shimmering blue avatar. They’re able to interact with the manifestations of subsystems and anti-virus as if it were a physical place. In Dragon Age, there exists a dream-world, a spirit world, known as the Fade. Usually mages are the only ones who can cross into the Fade while awake (most people, excluding dwarves, who do not have this link, can only enter while dreaming), but crossing the Veil while awake can really mess a person up if precautions are not taken. Spirits, especially malevolent ones, are attracted to these mages, and occasionally Dreamers, because being awake and/or cognizant of the Fade means the person’s powerful to and extent, and demons see possessing powerful humans as a way out of the Fade.))

[Merskelly Metalien]

<:/ "well..I was looking for a game world to explore with my simulated reality hat, but I landed here instead of looking for candy ghosts.." *scratches bony cheek* :[ "I guess it's my fault for not checking my connections n' everythin' b'fore settin' off…"
Merskelly rolls her eye back into her other socket and floats over to the CRT avatar. "Do you have a name? Or can I call you shiny mc shine?" :c "And can I steal you?"

[[Very neat! I know nothing about Dragon Age or Shadowrun, <X} but both of those out-of-body existences into the exploration of worlds on a separate plane concepts are pretty cool.]]

[Stabbsworth]

He's just angrily squinting at the fucking screen. He doesn't remember making ukagakas like this.

Wait-a-fucking-moment, SSP isn't even running.

"What the fuck is going on here. If you haven't noticed, the two of you are in the laptop?? Why are you in there."

[Merskelly Metalien]

:[ ! "Weeeellllll, I got here thanks to my eye and the SR hat I made." >.>; *points to self before suggestively nodding over at the CRT avatar* "I dunno what explanation mr. magical shiny man here has." *crosses arms looking up at the Barker from behind the screen* /:[ "The real question is...why aren't you in a laptop??"
*floats over to the CRT avatar with shiny sparkle in eye*
+o- "And how can I resist polishing those arms of yours??"

[Espy]

The robotic avatar shrugs.

<The digital world, the neural pathways of artificial intelligence — they’re more or less home territory to me. It’s easier being in here than... out there.>

He pauses, the flowing patterns on his screen evoking the sentiment of eyes narrowing in suspicion.

<Try it. You’d go right through me. Unfortunately, in my current state, I’m subject to the whims of... whoever owns this machine.>

[Merskelly Metalien]

<-<; "Hmm..I know what you mean.." Merskelly rubs her arm with her spoopy bony hand in reluctance to share, but manages to anyway.

"Hopping into different places both virtual and subconscious is what I sorta feel like I have to do...just to avoid returning to the outside, where I could get embarrassed..or crowded...or talked to...or,..well, hurt again.." <:c "But, I'm trying to slowly connect with both sides of the mirror." <:] *shrug*
"I know I don't belong on either side, and I feel like a lone fish in a jazz club..So why not belong nowhere? And be me, rather than survive to lose myself?" Merskelly gently places robo-hand on the avatar's shoulder, but it passes thru and she tries again, barely hovering hand on his shoulder instead. ^-^;
"I feel better knowing I'm not the only one that loves escaping into the digital wilderness...as dangerous and weird and stupid and creepy as it can be." ^~^;
She floats upside down smiling at the avatar, her eyeball rolling down in her socket. -wo "Now, how about that arm? Does it do anything cool? Does it? Does it??" *wiggles ankles weirdly but excitedly*

O.O "Oh!" *faces Barker* "And how's it going up there?" :D "I can send ya a cookie from in here if you like."

[Derpy McBlueEyes]

Derpy had started to doze off in Barker's lap when cookies suddenly began to manifest outside of the computer. He sniffs a few times, then scrambles up onto the desk, bumping the laptop in the process, and happily begins munching on cookies.
"Yummy! Thanks compooter person!"
They taste slightly off, like a dollar store knockoff of a name brand, but Derpy doesn't seem to notice. He is clearly very excited to have free cookies.

[Merskelly Metalien]

:D ! "Oh good! They made it after all! Ah, and good manners...gotta reward that." -w-
*tosses more cookies into the ducky transporter for Derpy*
"You're very welcome lil' sky puppy. Don't forget to thank the real computer person out there with ya! They're why there's actually cookies in here to send!" ^w^

[Stabbsworth]

He just stares at this. This amount of bullshit does not compute, and he is not having it.

"So, would shutting the computer off displace you from it, or would you two shut off as well?"

[Espy]

CRT shrugs again.

<I could just leave via your internet connection. But if you disconnect that first, and then turn off your rig... Let's just say I wouldn't be too awfully happy, but I've been there, done that, I'll live.>

He side-eyes the floating skeleton kid.

<...Not sure about her, though.>

((You could try it. The result would probably be that you suddenly have two new people in your room, bc CRT has weird dimension-phasing abilities.))

[Merskelly Metalien]

ono;? *looks over at the CRT and then up at the big screen with Barker and Derpy, waiting for something to happen.* "w-ell," /o-o\; "I guess that would be one way out of here..?"

[Stabbsworth]

Barker just sighs, before going to the menu and pressing 'Shut Down'. "My apologies if this hurts."

[Merskelly Metalien]

8( "Ohh shoot my machiney!"
Merskelly quickly pockets the ducky machine before the screen closes out into the shut down display.

[Espy]

There is a strange whistling sound that can be interpreted as an oddly mechanical
and exasperated sigh as the avatar of CRT grabs the girl's wrist and dashes forward, left hand outstretched and sparking wildly.

From the other side of the screen, Barker briefly sees the screen... ripple... before CRT's now-metallic self crosses back into the physical world, Merskelly in tow.

The sudden existence of mass (less than expected) and volume (more than expected) throws off the robot's calculations, and the two bowl into Barker, with all three rolling into a jumbled heap on the ground.

Something buzzes, and CRT works quickly to extricate himself from the pile, aware that most humans and skeletons dislike being crushed under a 230 pound android with sharp edges. He sits down a short distance away, wiping at his monitor with a corner of his jacket. Two characters flicker onto the screen.

< :| >



((CRT is 5'3" but made of...metal.))