An Awkward Start (Pākiki's perspective)

"Because I want you to help us get out of here." The lady responded to my question.

Something about that response is just funny to me. It is so flavorless. Not anything flashy. They are either some robot or just suck at speaking. I'm hoping for the latter.

"You sound like a robot." I say with a chuckle. I do feel mean after saying that. It was kinda uncalled for.

"I'm not," She says, with a hint of distraught. "I am Rose Collar, and this is my friend, Herm." That's quite the name. It doesn't seem generated by an AI. She most likely doesn't talk to people much.

Speaking of which, Herm. Herm must be Hermit. With names like "Hermit" and "Pākiki", I assume Neon is labeling us. I gotta ask if he can read my mind later. Back to Herm. It is a somewhat dumb name. Hermit seems like it should just do, but if they both agree on that name, I don't want to double down on my accidental additude.

"Herm?" I ask. "I think I might have seen them before." I know Herm is Hermit. The person who started the chain of talking. I want to know if they remember me. If so, are they a threat. I don't think they are, but never underestimate people.

"Herm," Rose turns to Hermit. "Do you know this rude lass?" Rude lass. That is a new insult I have been given. I forgot the others, I gotta keep track.

Hermit drags his eyes over to me and Duday. They look like they don't want to be here. I understand that feeling, but I need to know if they remember me and what for.

"You," Hermit starts to be a bit faster than the slow movement he was doing before. "You are the reason I fell out of the sky!"

I should've seen that coming. Do I regret it? No one died from it (I think), so no. It was for science! What am I doing? Justifying my actions in my head.

"It was for science!" I say in defence. "I wanted to know what would happen!"

"You don't know how we got here?" Rose askes.

"No! Do you?" I ask back.

She pauses for a moment. She must know something about Nocilcft. Maybe she has a bad memory, if we are going off of her being not too social, maybe she does bad with questions on the spot.

"I have had enough!" Screams Hermit out of nowhere. "You're doing this on purpose?! Are you?!"

What's the matter with him? I guess I should ask.

"What?" I plainly state.

"Snapping!" He shrieks.

He could've asked like a normal person. It is very hurtful to just shout at people. I feel a bit mad. I stop snapping and look at Hermit for some revenge.

"Like this?" I smuggly say as I snap.

They pull a butterfly knife out of nowhere and try to stab me. Luckily, He was stopped by Rose, holding the cretin back. I guess you could say, my snapping made him snap!

"Stop!" Begs Rose as she struggles the mass of pure rage.

Rose couldn't hold him back and he promptly grazed me with the knife, then tripped. As he gets up, an arrow flies swiftly across my face and strikes the bull in the chest. Karma, it is like revenge you don't have to do anything to get.

While Hermit and Rose try removing the arrow, Me and Duday have bigger problems. Some woman with a warhammer dashes up the hill and looks toward us.

"You are very bad at first impressions." I jokingly say.

"Now isn't the time for this!" Duday shouts at me.

She darts at me and slams me into a nearby building. I didn't break through it, but I am still surprised that I survived. Noone is in the city anymore, what happened? I slid off the wall of the building and landed on my feet. I feel fine, in fact great.

The warlord with a huge hammer rushes me again, but I simply move out of the way. She slams the hammer into the wall and gets it stuck. I wall behind her and begin talking.

"Please tell me, why did you think this was a good idea?" I somewhat mock her.

She drops the hammer and turns to me.

"I never used this before," She says, letting go of the hammer. "Let's have a real fight." I get a good look at her now, she's Mfe Iwe, of course she is.

I feel something on my side. I look to see a sword. I don't know how to use this! I guess I could try.

"We don't have to do this." I try talking the situation out.

"That is a lie, mam'." Mfe Iwe claims somewhat politely. "If I wanna get out of here, I gotta shoot my shot."

She waits awkwardly, like she is expecting something to happen.

"I gotta SHOOT my SHOT!" Mfe Iwe repeats. I don't know what she is trying to do... wait, is this a trap?

"What are you doing?" I point my sword at her.

"UGH!" Mfe Iwe annoyingly grunts. She picks up the hammer and charges at me. We both strike our weapons together as the fight begins.

I'm not sure how I'm keeping up, it feels like second nature. As this dance keeps going, I am still able to think of other things. If hermit is shortened to Herm, then I'm calling Mfe Iwe MI. An arrow almost hits me as the fighting stops.

"ARCH!" Shouts MI toward someone on the roof with a bow. "YOU'RE A BIT LATE!"

Now's my chance! I kick her to the ground and point the sword at MI.

"You lost." I pant. "Now, why did you attack us?"

"What are you doing!" Shouts Duday running toward us. "Kill her!"

"I can get some information out of her." I argue with Duday.

"Hey!" Shouts the Archer who, from what MI said, the name is most likely Arch. "Put her down!"

"We aren't going to kill you," I try talking them down. "I just have some questions."

"ARCH!" MI joins the shouting contest "We haven't lost yet, SHOOT THEM!"

"Can I talk to her?" Sighs Arch.

I toss MI to arch as they whisper in the corner. After a good amount of time, They come back and say that they want us to help them kill Rose and Hermit. Me and Duday argee.

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