EVENTS:

Clambering atop Rosa, Eigla waves and yells in the general direction of the truck. Nothing happens for a few moments, but then she notices an indistinct figure emerge from the vehicle, and wave back enthusiastically.

The echoes’ response comes as a barrage of random opinions, like before Rosa had managed to reach an agreement with them. Seems like seeing the mud kings up close really shook them.


Unsure. Is that what we’re becoming? Some sort of, inhuman hivemind?
ME NOT FEAR ANYTHING. BUT OCEAN SPOOKY.
I dunno. Hmm. It didn’t seem that bad - Like, for a giant mud monster, it was pretty pleasant to talk with.
I wanna go skinny dipping, and I hate it.
I wanna go skinny dipping, and I love it!
Can we stick to land for now? I don’t wanna melt...
I mean, you’re kinda molten, just, not mind-wise.
Well yeah, but I’m still me! Some, some level of me, at least. This... Mix of Rosa and fish and somehing else, that I am. I... Don’t wanna lose it.
Hmmmm.


_________________________

Klimt decides to follow Sally from a distance, leaving Malia behind. Emilia, as always, follows him like a shadow.

The pirate Doll hops towards the back of the Rig, occasionally stopping to look at the ocean. Eventually, she finds a secluded area, sits down on top of an empty barrel, and begins taking swigs from a small flask stored between her metal ribs. Klimt feels another poke on the back of his neck.


Peggy: ”Hey, uh. I, thought I should let you know. Please don’t be mad, but-

She’s still in here. The french ♥♥♥♥♥, I mean. Not all of her, but... Yeah.”


_______________________


Malia notices a slight change in Kelly’s face, a barely perceptible furrowing of her brow.

Kelly: ”...They’re late with their half-hour SOS signal. All the last ones happened within... 2 minutes and 38 seconds of the arranged time, but it’s been over, four minutes now. They, should still have plenty of flares left, I checked the cargo records. Hm.

EVENTS:


The echoes discuss among themselves for a moment, before one is chosen to communicate their answer.

The creature did not recognise you at first, this time. Hm.
Maybe awakening your smaller body brought you back from the edge, a bit. Or it could have been caused by Sally's modifications. It's hard to know for sure. We hear the Song as much as you do.


Rosa approaches the seawall, clambering up the hill to reach the upper level, though the jagged terrain blocks her view of the vehicle for a moment. Finally, once they're close enough, Eigla dismounts and begins to approach on foot.

The vehicle is what seems to be an old truck, converted into an APC by being covered in rusty metal plates. A machinegun mount sits on the roof, currently unmanned. There's no sign of the waving figure.

Hm. The APC is sitting right on the edge of the seawall, partly on top of the safety rail, and skidmarks lead to its position. Did they crash?



_____________________________________

There is a pause before Peggy answers. Klimt feels Emilia tensing up behind him.


Peggy: "...For now, at least.

She was really dumb, for someone so smart. Grew too fast, spread herself thin. When you chopped my body off, those parts were mostly hers. So I gained the upper hand.
♥♥♥♥, I hope I did and she's not just letting me grow confident before striking again. Oh ♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥ I bet she is aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Anyways, uh. Don't, let your guard down, I guess."


_____________________________________


Kelly notices Malia's presence, then nods.

"So, either the kings really are attacking, or the meatblob got to them. I, am not sure which is worse. I'll have the gunners load up incendiary shells, in any case."

EVENTS:


Klimt feels Peggy's lumpy body shivering against his back.

Peggy: "P-please do. Oh. And uhm. I think, I might be a heretic now. I keep thinking of chewing on my hands. Or your hands. Or anyone's really.

...It just gets better and better, doesn't it?"


He then notices Sally take a small radio from her ribcage, and speak hurriedly into it, though he's too far away to make out the words. She then gets up from her perch, walking past him with a determined expression on her face.

Sally: "Thanks, landlubber. Ye made me see things fer' wha' they arr."


_________________________


Malia watches the defense preparations continue for a few minutes, until she notices a slight change in tone. Seems like there are more of Sally's nautical crew congregating in the courtyard now, almost outnumbering Kelly's faceless engineers and cyborg dolls. Several vehicles are being brought in as well, from armored buggys to the great stilt-walker she'd seen when first arriving at the Rig.

Interesting.



_________________________


Rosa knocks on the side of the APC, her voice echoing distortedly out of her larger mouth. There is no answer, other than vague grinding and creaking sounds. It might just be her imagination, but it looks as if the vehicle is being pulled ever so slightly towards the edge, as if gravity was hitting it at an angle.


Eigla approaches the rusted railing, looking over the edge.

Hey, look, it's Rosa's face. Except, several meters wide, protruding out from a large, misshapen mass of Flesh. Its skin is made of a thousand partially melted figures, clinging onto the cliff face with countless talon-like fingers. An armored Doll with striped clothes hangs limply from a tentacle, having served its role of puppet.

"Eigla. I knew, I recognised your voice.

Where is she?"