Sekhayet

Broken chooses his words carefully, "I... appreciate the sentiment, warpony. However, this... is not..." Broken pauses for a moment to poke @Arial Flame before he exits his wing's range. "... the most hospitable world for building relationships. It would be a disservice to you if I were to... reciprocate your affection. I would not have an objection in any other time but... it seems wrong to attempt this." Broken feels very awkward and he is shifting his wings nervously while he speaks; it is the only expression of emotion he will allow himself.

Broken silently watches Phillipe work and considers Fluttershy's request. He is reluctant to start this but he knows he has to do so regardless. "I... believe so... warpony." Broken murmurs. He abruptly remembers that Phillipe wants to make a forge. He still feels slight dispproval but he won't protest further.

(Last post of the night for me.) Broken keeps his warpony mask up and tries to deflect her question, "I slept enough to adequately operate." He eats a bit of the food and drinks some water. He can feel the temporary energy burst accompanied with food and morning metabolism rushing through him but he isn't fooled. He knows it won't last.

Broken extends a wing, rotates it around in an unnatural angle, and waves it as a greeting to Fluttershy before he can stop himself. He internally winces at what he assumes might be a disturbing ability of his wings. Pegasi bones most definitely do not bend or twist like his wings can. He takes some food and water before finding a corner and laying down again. He doesn't want to move if he can help it. He is thankful that his wings are close to losing charge once more. He decides without any hesitation that he will not be activating them again and hang his pegasi instincts crying out for wings. The pain is not worth the utility unless absolutely necessary.

Broken groggily opens his eyes and looks across the doorway at and then around the hallway for any threats. He did not sleep well through the night due to the sensations generated by his wings. He has now developed a headache due to the constant stream of information his unaugmented mind needs to process. The smell of cooking food is almost like a balm on his frazzled senses before his wings translate further the different bits of information they can gather about it. Broken stands slowly and trembles slightly before forcing his warpony mask and making his way toward the sounds and smells of cooking food.

If you fuckers think that Unknown Bird ---> Egg ---> Chicken AND that the justification for this is evolution, you need to go back to your college biology courses. That's really REALLY not how evolution works... it's not even how genetic mutation works. The question itself is stupid. It assumes implied information about the system that we don't have.

Broken blearily gets up to walk into the store. He had fallen asleep on the short ride back. Without bothering to speak, he walks over to his bedroll and lays down again. (Sorry about not posting at all. Work is busy since I'm going back to school and my internship is ending.]

Broken lays down again and tries to ignore his headache. It is by far the most painful in the array of sensations his wings seem to be forcing into his mind. As soon as he arrives at the base and checks on Flame and then has his talk with the warpony, he's collapsing and sleeping. "I believe the exalted had a map in the store but I do not know if she has it now."

Broken shakes his head to keep himself focused and speaks up, "Perhaps a life glyph and animation spell? From what I remember, they act as temporary workarounds for defunct equipment." He shrugs his wings and stares out into the night to watch for corpses. (OOC: Going to bed. I'm just tired as all hell today.)

Broken folds his wings together and lays down next to to rest while the other scavenge. If they need somepony else to carry things he will volunteer, but only if they ask. He just wants to sleep. He reassess for a moment, he wants to eat, drink, then sleep.

Broken walks quietly along and trusts the group to keep an eye out for any dangerous corpse types that might be out. He feels more tired now than even the first day in this world. He'd spent the entire day and night running from corpses and only stopped to rest the next morning. He felt worse now.

Broken grimaces as a fresh wave of pain radiates out from where Fluttershy placed her lips but he says nothing. He is thankful that the darkness hides his expressions from her. He can understand the plain fact that she feels something for him but he cannot comprehend why she does. He is mostly a stone. Almost all warponies that survive the conditioning are stones- not by choice but by force. The warpony mask and the passive effects of the magical drugs produced by their bodies all but guarantee emotional evisceration. He ponders further to escape thinking about the pain. It's not that he is entirely devoid of emotion; he feels less not nothing. Their current situation is not at all conducive to the sort of relationship building that the Diarchy required of its subjects- Queen Cadence and King Shining Armor had just as heavy a hand in the indoctrination materials as Queen Twilight and the third generation of Bearers. He cannot think of a way that this will end well. His rumination ends when they approach the unknown pony. Broken recognizes Phillipe and immediately starts letting his guard down a bit and sagging down slightly. With another pony here, he can finally allow himself a bit of rest.

"Unknown. I have never had a need to deactivate my wings." Broken considers for a moment. "I suppose I could destroy them. They have no pain reception that I am aware of. All the pain is at the interface." He grimaces. It would almost be like mutilating himself but if he needs to do so to survive... he can try and have somepony do so.

Broken blinks and takes a moment to collect himself, "I am fine for now. There is something wrong with my wings. It is causing me discomfort." Broken forces himself to continue and brushes a wing against Fluttershy in thanks. "We can handle this when we return."

The over-mind starts to fail as they begin their walk into the darkness. Abruptly, it disappears entirely and Broken is thrust into control into his body. Everything is painful, from taking a breathe to lifting a leg to walk. He speeds up and quiets his breathe to hide the sounds of his discomfort from the group. "I... will consider it, warpony." He has a nagging feeling that this was not the most appropriate sentiment but he can't bring himself to care as his wings stop their constant vibration. Their absence restarts the intense and distrating sensations of sensory overload and he trips for step.

Broken shakes his head and smiles at . The spin made him a bit dizzy. "Warpony, the exalted requires... assistance. Did you complete our objective?" He sways a bit before the over-mind steadies his body once more and forces him still and emotionless. His senses are fluctuating again and it's difficult for him to concentrate.

Broken carefully pushes against Frozen to keep her balanced but has to step back before spinning around behind Frozen to swipe at the stalkers legs with his free wing. The vibrating feathers cut more easily through the corpse's front legs and Broken once again stumbles at the overestimation of resistance to his wings slicing through pony flesh. He barely manages to twist and stop the leading blunt edge from slamming into Frozen's chest.

Broken watches the corpse warily, "We will wait for her regardless. If she has not returned soon, then we will venture within ourselves." Broken is starting to feel light-headed from the drain on his body. The over-mind is holding his physical state in check but he can feel it slowly receding as his wings drain away his body's inherent magic. He did not think that relying on the emergency power systems built into his wings would have such a high cost- or any cost at all really. In retrospect, he should have expected it. Imperfect Reflections have costs associated with them and Loyalty always seemed to be a physically centered pony each time a new bearer was chosen.

Broken wastes no time in analyzing the corpse more closely. The over-mind shifts its aim slightly before snapping off three shots from the Sporting Rifle. Two are aimed for the corpse's eyes and the third for its front left leg. After his experience with the charging type corpse, he wishes to debilitate his enemy as much as possible before being required to fight in close quarters. His free wing is extended and twtiching erraticly to attempt to distract the corpse's attention.

Broken stomps his hooves and bangs his free wing against the ground to make noise and attract corpses to his position. He nods at Frozen, "That I can do. I may have to move to engage our enemies at close quarters. If so, please find a new stabilizer and continue the fight. We will live through this, exalted."

Behind the over-mind Broken stirs and reels from surprise. He has no idea why that just happened. He still fights for control and for a moment regains it. He calls after Fluttershy, "Harmony above you and your future before you, warpony!" He presses against Frozen to start guiding her. The over-mind reasserts control and briskly starts marching her as fast as she is able to the opening section of the hospital. One of Broken's wings is shifted into place to aim the two slug throwers he mounted on it forward. When they reach their destination, he takes a breathe and asks Frozen, "Are you ready?"

I climb out of the crater as soon as I decide to stop fucking around trying to figure out what happened. I shiver from the cold as I make my way to an abandoned building. At least I think it's abandonded. It seems like it since there are boards on the windows but I can't be sure I guess. Either way, I don't feel much remorse when I stomp in the door after a few good kicks to its handle-side. I'm trying to figure out my priorities but fuck there's so much. Food, shelter, water, defenses, information about what just happened. I don;t even know where to start.