Frostbite {Finley}

- Finley -

---

Even as lightweight and softly did Jora glide across the ground, her footsteps now made an audible crunch with each step. Not only was the vegetation beneath her cold and stiff with frost, but the gentle breeze carried along delicate streamers of snow with them. A few of them dropped onto the small dog's invisible eyelashes. Some even dropped on her should-be-sensitive nose. Jora did not even flinch; her dull nerves hadn't even detected it. Her mind was too preoccupied with getting to her destination. 

She was surprised to find it rather quiet. Her ears were torn between the rushing waters of the river and the distant yells and clanks of human workers and their machine, but when she focused her ears on what was around her, it was still. While Jora was rather cautious, its stillness wasn't something for her to be nervous about. It would require her to have an imagination or understand an ominous feeling; both of which are void to her. Even as she was ready to make this monumental step that would change the way she lived from here on, her mind was not focused on it because she couldn't conjure an idea of what would happen. Instead, she cycled over various diagrams and video feeds that have become something sort of like memories in her mind to pass the time. 

She waited...and waited...and waited. It didn't dawn on her to continue searching for a dog or howl to let one know she was waiting to speak to a pack member. She hadn't the faintest idea of how packs work. Instead she sat "thinking" until her blank slate of an eye focused on a dark canine figure in the distance. A little adjustment allowed her to see that the canine was indeed approaching her. 


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[attr="class","finleybody"]Alpha Finley was fond of her land and right now she was strolling her territory. Her crystalline horns were not glowing. There was no reason to play with illusions when she was comfortable, in her own land, away from prying eyes of those who wanted to believe what they believed about Ash River. And not using those powers freed her heart to consider sentimental things. Such as, The Ash River Basin is my home. [break][break] Her home, really? Her mind was in its strange, quirky place. How long had it been since she stopped making the effort to hide her foot? A week and a half? With a dry fascination, she had observed the emergence of feelings, of intimate thoughts, of actually connecting to what was in her heart. She didn't think of it as weakness or a hindrance. Only a different experience. She paused. Her nose twitched at the scent of a dog in the wind. Someone upwind of her. Ash River Project was always open for visitors. Finley considered that this dog probably had questions she wanted to ask. Most dogs who traveled through the Ash River Basin had something they wanted to know. Perhaps it was the fact that even strangers could be swept away by the culture of learning here. Something she hoped to grow further by leaving her mark on Ash River Project. She smiled. I'm getting all sentimental again, aren't I? [break][break] Her horns glowed pale pink. She was careful about what she revealed. Weakness, even in the form of a deformed and twisted paw, was something that no dog should flaunt freely if they knew what was good for them. Secrets left room for plans. And their reveals could be seen as ammunition for her to lead the conversations in the direction she wanted. She didn't limp, as she was well-rested and any hitch in her gait would be hidden by her perception-bending abilities. The dog was making no moves towards her, so Finley would have to approach. [break][break] "Hello," she said sweetly. "What brings you around these parts?" She wagged her tail. It was a graceful action, absolutely feminine. Finley looked down at the female. She was an interesting sight. The half-colored coat denoted a Lethal White Basal as did the miniature stature--obviously stunted in some way. But she saw that eye. Augment. And immediately, at this observation, her curiosity was aflame. Though she hid that interest underneath her convincing hospitality. [break][break] Tag: Jora

[attr="class","finleyname"]Finley Fear me you lords and lady preachers I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine [break][break] Date: February 310

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- Finley -

---

Jora absorbed the tone in which she was greeted, but the result was indifference. It was neither unpleasant nor was it welcoming, despite the nature of the tone that was being used. She assumed the other dog had mistaken her for someone who was pleasant and sociable and that was why such a friendly manner of speaking was used. "Hello. I have been directed here by a dog named Lukas if I wanted answers for my condition." she responded blandly. At the same time, she liked how direct this dog being. They started their conversation with a greeting and went right to the point, which was something Jora could manage.

Jora was as still as death itself. Not a hitch in her tail nor a twitch of an ear as they spoke. Her clear normal eye was focused onto the one she was speaking to. The empty slate of black that filled her other socket was probing. She had done her usual physical evaluation of a dog. Something was off...that much she could tell. Her examination of the dog's back to shoulder to legs made it clear that the force of gravity wasn't equally being applied to all her limbs, but Jora's vision showed otherwise. It would take a deeper examination to figure out why there was such an inconsistency; something along the lines of an X-ray, but using her eye in that way made it hard to concentrate, and she was focused on more important things right now.

"Its fairly evident that I have some severely maladaptive traits that will lead to my early death. Does the research conducted here have a solution for such a situation?"


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[attr="class","finleybody"]Finley felt a touch apprehensive about the scrutiny of that cybernetic eye. She knew that her own abilities had their limits. She couldn't use her ability on machines and she saw that Jora's eye was more machine than anything else and she wondered what abilities this upgrade granted the little Augment. Finley's horns glowed their soft pink color, showing that she was still using her ability. [break][break] The retriever mix's ears perked at the sound of her Physician's name. Lukas was a good member. Proof that Ash River Project wasn't filled with evil dogs who wanted to kill any who had their chance. One of the dogs she could point to and say, See? This pack has kindness in it! Though she lacked the drive to do kind things herself--unless there was a reason. And her drive for hearing Jora out? For listening? It was the same thing that drove her to do anything: Curiosity. [break][break] She tilted her head. "Yes, what Lukas said was true. We can share with you what we know. And for the things we don't know, we will seek the answers. You are quite an interesting creature." She was certain that Lukas had taken an interest in this daintily built mutt. She was an awkward thing. Leggy and lean like an adolescent, but with the face and substance of a weak little puppy. Her coat's color was incomplete, denoting that she was a Lethal White, but she was also an Augment. Ash River had tried to upgrade non-Augment dogs before. It didn't work. For her to have that eye, she'd have to be an Augment. [break][break] "But solutions for, in your words, your maladaptive condition? We probably can figure something out. From what I can see... you seem to be both an Augment and a Lethal White Basal, though that is something that I never thought I'd see." Finley grinned. She was honest in this moment because she wanted Jora in her pack so she could study her further. She couldn't wait for one of the Physicians to examine her fully. To see how two different sets of genetic code could co-exist on a single dog. And, perhaps if they could recreate another dog like her in the future should they learn why she was the way she was. Imagine the possibilities. [break][break] Tag: Jora

[attr="class","finleyname"]Finley Fear me you lords and lady preachers I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine

- Finley -

---

Jora had once again acknowledged something that was probably a milestone as an afterthought. She took a moment to consider that this was the first time she had ever interacted with an esper, and while her powers were not being used against her, she was in the presence of an esper's power being used. And whether or not she had taken that thought, life would go on as usual. It was time to refocus on things that actually mattered.

"That would seem to be the cause of it. The functions of my body as an augment and as a lethal white do not co-exist and keeps me in a permanent stasis; my respiratory rate cannot exceed 30 breaths per minute and my heart rate over 120 beats per minute are examples. " Jora confirmed and explained. She was aware hat she was an anomaly in more ways than one. One of the first things she did when she was alone was to search for answers to why she was such an outcast and discovered the disability known as Lethal White Basals. And that exactly what it was to her; a disability. For it to be noted as lethal was only evidence to that. But what made this disability interesting was that it overrides the great things your DNA does for you and leaves you a pitiful creature. But Jora's mind was already sparking at the slowly developing thoughts that could one day turn into a plan in motion. She only needed the resources and a proper evaluation before she could go through with it.



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[attr="class","finleybody"]Finley listened attentively. From what she heard, Jora would be an easy fit in Ash River Project. She spoke with a scientific precision as to her own condition. Her observations seemed exact and objective. Perfect for a dog of the Scientist rank. Though, with what Jora wanted, she'd probably use herself as a Subject. No matter. Finley existed as both a Scientist and a Subject once. She called herself a Scientist though she worked through experimental treatment for her leg. In the end, her leg was straight. Her foot almost looked like a paw. And she learned more about the Curious in her pack than she could have dreamed.  [break][break] The Alpha mentally reminded herself that she couldn't rank Jora when the dog hadn't even agreed to come into Ash River, though, at this point, Finley was certain she understood how to get Jora interested in being a bona fide pack member. She was much too interesting to be one of the hapless fools who wandered in to strike a deal only to live as the Subjects for the pack's whims. Some were more like slaves. Others were more like toys. But they took care of the Vassals from Flaxrown to prove that they were capable of kindness. Though, she had to admit that that was motivated more by politics than anything else. [break][break] "I sometimes get caught up in the moment. Perhaps I ought to formally introduce myself before we get lost in the details of our conversation." She smiled gently. "I'm Alpha Finley of Ash River Project." The name Finley could belong to either a male or female dog, but the title Alpha was typically reserved for males. It wasn't that she was trying to seem more masculine. She was a dog who exuded femininity in her cheery, but polite manner. She loved how the reputation of the pack, along with her name and the masculinity of her title could cause a dog to be surprised when they saw her. If they expected someone tough and stubborn and violent and, most of all, male. And surprise typically made a dog feel off-kilter enough that they were a little more predictable. [break][break] "I'd love to put a name to a face," Finley added, prompting Jora to share her name. [break][break] Tag: Jora

[attr="class","finleyname"]Finley Fear me you lords and lady preachers I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine

- Finley -

---

Jora hadn't the faintest idea of what it meant to formally introduce herself. It had only been recently that she was learning how to react when she was being addressed at all. She could make the assumption that a dog who was more worried about how they appeared in front of others either had a high ranking to uphold or was aspiring for higher. Her hypothesis was confirmed when the dog introduced themselves as Alpha Finley of Ash River.

But it brought her to a strange place. The Alpha of a pack that she might be joining was asking for her name. It was in a less direct way than Jora would hope, but that made no difference. Though Jora had a name, she had recently given it to a dog and found that she did not like the way it sounded coming from their mouth. She didn't hold any emotional reservations, but rather one of preference, habit, and familiarity. Jora decided the best course of action was to answer with honesty.

"I've spent most of my life without a name to my face. Its odd but it is what I am most familiar with for now." She replied distantly. Jora's eyes seemed to be gazing through Finley as she reflected on it for a moment before bringing herself back to reality.

"Perhaps the best course of action from here is to discuss what kind of plans and procedures Ash River Project currently have in place for my situation? If there are none, then the resources at our disposal so one can be formulated?"


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[attr="class","finleybody"]Finley nodded as if to understand. But she was curious about Jora's distance and coldness. She was making no attempt to try to hide that about her. Didn't she know how much further she'd go if she'd only smile and pretend to be interested in others for the sake of friendship? There was great power in such a thing. The Alpha, however, would be a liar if she didn't admit that she enjoyed the strange dog's company. She liked her scientific, objective way of speaking and thinking. It made her a prime candidate for the Scientist position in her pack. [break][break] Finley smiled. "Procedures? Well, I'll have Lukas look over you and after the baseline assessment we can talk about the options that you have. It does depend on what your end goal is. And I presume that is to have a body which works in a manner that allows you to live a bit more freely. Until we have more answers and have made more observations, then we cannot explain to you what we can and cannot do. But the prognosis looks good. You seem to have your nanobots in working order as it appears you do have an upgraded eye..." The Alpha words had taken an excited tone as she spoke, her enthusiasm bubbling into her words. The quest for knowledge and to know more and to see and learn was what she cared the most about. Some dogs took it as her caring about them. Other recognized it for what it was. [break][break] She didn't care about how they felt but only one what she could learn from them. Because Jora had a strong drive to learn more about herself, Finley knew that she would function well as an actual active participant of her pack. She could share her knowledge with the pack. The Alpha smiled quietly. It was like collecting the little pieces of her pack and making them useful. She also saw danger in a dog that seemed not to care at all, but Finley was in the same boat. [break][break] And it wasn't the happy personalities or the concept of friendship towards the dogs she had in her pack that made her loyal to the idea of Ash River Project. It was simply the idea that it was only under this pack that she could truly be herself and that was acceptable. That she could toy with lives and nobody batted an eye. Ash River was morally bankrupt by the standards of Canaria. But by the standards of the pack, they were accomplishing the most. Learning the most. [break][break] "We do have ranks specifically available for those who want answers and we give them the freedom and resources to do so. Scientists. I was a Scientist myself back in the day," Finley added. "It's a rank available to you if you'd like it. You seem suited to it." [break][break] Tag: Jora

[attr="class","finleyname"]Finley Fear me you lords and lady preachers I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine

- Finley -

---

Jora had found thee option of honesty to not be wholly unpleasant with this dog. She would have to take note of that for future reference when interacting with her. She was pleased that the Alpha had procedures ready, and she seemed to have an understanding of what Jora wanted, which was good. She was fine when it came to explaining herself about what could be observed and researched, but when it came to things like her goals and what she wanted in the future, it was a little harder. Jora had no real gauge or measurement for what "living more freely" was because she had never experienced it. All she knew was that her siblings were larger with thicker fur and left her behind during their first hunt. These details were entirely irrelevant as they pertained to specific and intimate memories and not quantitative nor qualitative data.

Jora had spoken more today than she had in her entire life. She had shared about everything she determined was relevant for the moment to one of the few dogs that could assist her in any way. Now that she had shared what was to be said, she returned back to her comfort zone of listening quietly and calmly. Her form was as still as stone; the only thing that broke the act was the slow and mechanical movement of her natural blinking. The other dark lens stayed focused on Finley all the while.

Jora was rather surprised how easily the Alpha had offered her a position that managed resources. She didn't think of it as trust; Finley seemed smart enough not to trust someone who wouldn't even share their name. It could be a number of things; Finley underestimated her as a young lone pup, Finley was confident in her power as Alpha, or there was no resources worth abusing. But she wasn't one to question good fortune. Jora nodded solemnly as she spoke. "I do feel that is the most appropriate rank."

Jora had never been a part of a pack before, but her mother was one. And due to the accomplishments of her grandparents her mother had an altered experience as a pack member. From what she could tell, packs held rigid and uncompromising rules and ranks were established based on how important ones skills were. It seemed she would have to establish herself as useful if she wanted to maintain this seemingly desirable position.


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[attr="class","finleybody"]Finley smiled, pleased with herself. She just netted herself one more pack member and this seemed to be a dog who would further the pursuit of knowledge which was the pack's raison d'être, after all. "Now, there is a lot of information which you can coalesce with the other Scientists and Physicians. Most have their own area of expertise and interest." She said with a smile. The pink glow of her horns was evidence she was using her abilities, but she noticed Jora had not asked about it like a normal dog would or shown that she was uncomfortable with that fact. Instead, the genetic anomaly of a dog remained cool and collected. [break][break] Then again, she did share that she could not allow her heart rate to increase past a certain point and neither could her respiratory rate. Perhaps a life of numbness had created that. Could Finley incite passion in this droll dog? "For example, when I was a Scientist, my interest was mostly in the limits of a dog's psychological strength and resiliency." She had also been interested in art of persuasion and how to temper and change that mind into something that she could use. She knew so many strategies to turn a dog into a pawn for her to use later. She toyed fondly with the concept of loyalty. [break][break] Finley smiled, "Now, Ash River Project uses a two-part ranking system. One describes the dog's focus in the pack. The other describes the dog's skill and rank in the hierarchy. It's a rather fair set up that allows a dog of any walk of life a high rank. To start, you'll be an Epsilon Scientist. It does sound rather formal if you say the whole title like that. So, Epsilon Scientist, I officially accept you into my pack." [break][break] The fact that Jora hadn't yet shared her name didn't bother Finley. In fact, the strange Alpha saw it as a challenge. She was determined to get this dog to trust her enough, eventually, to have her share her name. Her history. And solve what a weird little puzzle she was. [break][break] Tag: Jora [break] Notes: We can end here or after your post.

[attr="class","finleyname"]Finley Fear me you lords and lady preachers I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine

- Finley -

---

Ah yes. If she was to be part of a pack now, she would be expected to be more social. After all, she would have to report her findings. This wasn't something Jora was reluctant to do, she simply was aware that it was a shortcoming of hers. And for a good reason. As her official Alpha began explaining the ways in which the group of dogs coexisted, Jora began to reflect on how she had yet to coexist with others in her life.

She was, in fact, unaware of her own psychological strength. Was her mind strong because of how rigid it had to remain in the sake of her physical condition? Or had her life experiences and condition worn on her mind in a way that was deemed psychologically weak? She couldn't tell; there aren't that many digraphs made based on the abstract aspects of the mind after all. She was content to leave that field to Finley. She would deal with more concrete things that could be measured and tracked.

Now, the explanation of the pack was something Jora could wrap her mind around. It was clear and organized. As the words left Finley's muzzle, she was already constructing a chart of how placement within the pack worked. Jora figured that she did quite like the string of sounds that combined together to make the title "Epsilon Scientist". It would do quite well.

"And I will align my goals to your packs ways in the most accommodating of ways for both of us, Alpha Finley. Jora replied; her words as dry and mechanical as ever, but there was a certain ring of honesty that comes from such a dull tone. Robots aren't the best of liars, after all.

(Alirighty~another one down~)


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