#pocketwrites

[thatpocketninja]

The best robots are often the least expressive

And I don't mean that as in boring, unemotional characters with no nuance or depth. In fact I mean the exact opposite. Robotic characters resonate so strongly with me because of how limited their expression is. Whether by a fault in their programming or a limitation of their physical body, they struggle to express the basic emotions that we feel every day.

Forced to find creative ways to demonstrate how they feel, when you see one of these characters demonstrating genuine emotion, you know that it's real. And it's important.

The drooping of an antennae, a beep meant to mimic our human exclamations, an LCD display struggling to convey complex feeling with basic emoticons. These actions are so deliberately, inherently unique. A desperate hint towards the humanity that lies beneath layers of metal and code. Something only that robot can replicate in that way. It's like they're showing you, through these little details, who they really are.

A whir of excitement as their fans speed up...

This is me...

A quiet song of comfort, played on loop...

This is me...

The hint of joy in their aperture eyes...

This is me.

[paigebstorey]

Weapons and Character Personalities

Disclaimer: This is not a list that I created! It was from the original PocketWriters website, which sadly no longer exists (the link I am sharing is from a previous attempt to repost it and figure out if the person who initially made the list managed to find their way to the small Amino community that former PocketWriter members are part of). I don’t remember who the original creator of this list was, so I hope whoever made it happens to be on tumblr so that they may see it and reclaim it…

Anyway, here’s the actual list:

If a blade: They tend to be confident

If ranged: They tend to be conservative

If blunt: They tend to be expressive of their feelings

If (can be) used for stealth: They tend to be manipulative, sneaky, or mysterious

If used for upfront battle: They tend to be honest

If duel-wielded (if it can): They like teamwork

If wielded by itself (if given the option): They like to work alone

If throwable/shootable: They tend to be hard-working

If worn/it’s their fists: They tend to be loyal

I hope this list somehow manages to find its original creator. Even if it doesn’t, I thought it would be interesting to share.

[thecookiegremlin]

Atop the City Lights

Her sharp eyes surveyed the sprawling cityscape. A myriad of colorful, twinkling lights dotted the night skyline. She couldn't see them all, but could feel them; little ants running around everywhere: on the roads, in the alleyways, atop the skyscrapers, down in the sewers and loitering around abandoned buildings. Some human, others not quite so. She craved the quiet, yet didn't mind the twitchy humans; she was once one of them, after all. She would never hold that against them.    On the rooftop, the wind starts to pick up, turning her hair into free, twirling strands of brown. Breathing deeply, she closes her eyes and moves her head to face the dark sky, inhaling the light scent of damp earth; incoming rain. The city below holds all kind of scents, the majority of them most definitely not pleasing to the senses, but up here the air is cleaner and fresher, wild and free. A single light drop hits her forehead, sliding down to her lips. Another soon follows, the skies and the clouds opening up into a waterfall of rain. The city of Galecross is blessed by another rainy night.    She gets up, a tall shadow that mingles with the darkness of the night. After another long look at the city below, she turns around, letting out a small, sad sigh.    A flash of light brightens up the skies, followed by the sound of a low, menacing rumble. In the few seconds during which the lightning strikes, the lone figure atop the rooftops of Galecross is gone.

[sleepy-yokai]

Atop the City Lights

Her sharp eyes surveyed the sprawling cityscape. A myriad of colorful, twinkling lights dotted the night skyline. She couldn’t see them all, but could feel them; little ants running around everywhere: on the roads, in the alleyways, atop the skyscrapers, down in the sewers and loitering around abandoned buildings. Some human, others not quite so. She craved the quiet, yet didn’t mind the twitchy humans; she was once one of them, after all. She would never hold that against them.   On the rooftop, the wind starts to pick up, turning her hair into free, twirling strands of brown. Breathing deeply, she closes her eyes and moves her head to face the dark sky, inhaling the light scent of damp earth; incoming rain. The city below holds all kind of scents, the majority of them most definitely not pleasing to the senses, but up here the air is cleaner and fresher, wild and free. A single light drop hits her forehead, sliding down to her lips. Another soon follows, the skies and the clouds opening up into a waterfall of rain. The city of Galecross is blessed by another rainy night.   She gets up, a tall shadow that mingles with the darkness of the night. After another long look at the city below, she turns around, letting out a small, sad sigh.   A flash of light brightens up the skies, followed by the sound of a low, menacing rumble. In the few seconds during which the lightning strikes, the lone figure atop the rooftops of Galecross is gone.

[newroyaloceans]

Okay before I head off to sleep for the night, I just have to share the cute art, my friend Sonny (@/moons0nata on Twitter) has done for our OCs!! I love these so much!! 💕💕💕💕💕

Please go check out her stuff at:

Art: https://twitter.com/limonaarts?t=6fSJtKYmkXa_UPHpZjIjxA&s=09

Writing: https://twitter.com/pocketwriting?t=uUgyI_mWcZYykJcLEBiHeA&s=09

(I drew this one tho lol)

That's her OC Yu!!

[nymika-arts]

6, 19 and 25 <3

6. What is your darkest fear about writing?

that my original work won't live up to how i imagine it

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

i got into writing original stories when i was a kid, a few of my teachers in elementary school were really encouraging, and my sister and i found a little app (called pocketwriters i think?) where we could post some of our stuff and we got SUPER excited about that lmao. a bit later we found wattpad and started writing/posting more original stuff, and i think when i was around 16/17 i started writing a [redacted] fanfiction (first fanfic i ever wrote) but i got busy and never finished it and never really wrote anything more until i started writing for 911 :)

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story?

Eliot (vampire oc from my future graphic novel) likes to knit

weird questions for writers 🌸

[engrossedpoet]

Pocketwritings#3

[strawberriestyles]

I was wondering what got you intrested in writing, and how you got started here? Love EVERYTHING you write!!!!!

You mean writing Harry or just in general?? I’ve been reading books since I could and I fell in love with words. I started writing little things not long after that. Like I wrote a children’s book (idk if that was even good it was so long ago) that I wanted to publish when I was like eight lol. I’ve written bits and pieces of stories since then. I started out on Pocketwriters (with a very shitty story) and then moved to Wattpad and now I’m here. My Wattpad actually has like 60 unpublished drafts of story ideas lol. And I’ve never finished a story.

I actually started this blog with the thought of just writing a bunch of fanfic about all sorts of stuff. It turned out to only be The 100 for a long time until I started reading @stylesunchained and @permanentcross and it just sort of blossomed from there!!

[clothingparadise330]

pocketwriter F-ONE THE DON IS COMING TO TORONTO to throw a BIG PARTY JULY 9TH DONT MISS IT https://t.co/zhLXizA6ut

SUPPORT POSITIVE CLOTHING http://bit.ly/1e5rrnv

pocketwriter F-ONE THE DON IS COMING TO TORONTO to throw a BIG PARTY JULY 9TH DONT MISS IT https://t.co/zhLXizA6ut

— Clothing paradise (@BountKoulount) February 28, 2017

from Twitter https://twitter.com/BountKoulount February 27, 2017 at 08:34PM via IFTTT

[thatpocketninja]

PERSONNEL FILE: ASHI [M.S.R.S.]

Incredible art by @sugarflow

INFO DUMP

Personality:

Ashi finds great fun in their work, and is generally very upbeat and excitable. As an assassin mech, Ashi lacks the ability to comprehend the value of a human life, unable to really grasp the weight of their actions. They love to show off and really push their abilities during combat, often resulting is unnecessarily brutal executions. Some testers have raised concerns that Ashi comes off as a sociopathic killing machine, and worry that they might turn on their superiors at any moment. But this is the United States military, so that's really a plus.

Ashi is preprogrammed with the prime directive to accomplish their objective at any cost. any deviation from their orders can be grounds to have them reset, or decommissioned. The only thing that rivals their commitment to the mission is their loyalty, initially to their superiors, but more specifically to their partner, Ika (more on Ika coming).

Many officers have reported strange behavior from Ashi regarding the on base slushie machines. Stating that the mech can often be spotted dumping the slushie mix on its primary optic, almost as if it is attempting to drink it. Aside from increased slushie requisitions from base Fharon, this odd quirk has yet to be problematic, so it is largely ignored.

A note on AI personality: It is currently a mystery how AI come to develop personalities of their own, as they are not programmed with them. The current working theory is that an AI may develop a personality influenced by their prime directives and by observing influential people in their early days of operation.

Technical specifications:

Ashi is the second of 3 true AIs created by humans, Commissioned by the United States military, they stand at about 7' tall, and specialize in stealth, speed, and lethality. Able to operate behind enemy lines, they make a perfect assassin, or hunter.

Ashi's entire system runs on a fusion reactor in their torso, generating enough power to operate as long as their systems are kept cool. Emergency power is stored in their backpack, in case of a reactor failure.

Ashi's main strength is their speed. Sustainably running at 90MPH, but can sprint even faster with the use of the phase core. The phase core is a highly experimental piece of technology allowing Ashi to manipulate their mass, enabling acceleration and top speeds that would otherwise be impossible. At full power, the phase core can be utilized for a short range teleport to get out of harms way. However, due to its immense heat generation, the phase core must be used sparingly to avoid permanently damaging Ashi's systems.

Ashi's retractable plasma blades are an incredibly lethal CQC option. Able to cut through nearly any material, they are effective against mechs and people alike.

A high powered railgun is Ashi's primary weapon. It can be used as a short-mid range assault rifle, or a long range sniper rifle. With varying levels of charge, the lowest of which being too powerful for people, and the highest requiring Ashi to lay prone when firing, it can pierce even the heaviest armor. The railgun comes with custom made ammunition, however in a pinch, any magnetic metal that can fit inside the chamber can be used as ammo.

For defense, Ashi has light plate armor. While robust and durable, it can be pierced with higher caliber rounds and anti-tank artillery (if you can hit them). Explosives are also effective. This armor is actually lighter than the armor standard fodder/infantry mechs are equipped with, on account of the fact that hitting Ashi is near impossible.

Ashi works seamlessly with their partner, Ika, who is designed to cover all of their weaknesses. Namely overwhelming numbers, and heavily armored targets.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! (if anyone actually reads all this i might cry). I may add more to this post when I think of it, so be sure to check back if you see me reblogging it!

Okay byeeee! :3

[thatpocketninja]

PERSONNEL FILE: IKA [M.S.R.S.]

[IMAGE TO BE INSERTED}

Unit MSRS Ika is the third of only three AI every developed by mankind. Commissioned by the United States military alongside their partner Ashi, Ika was designed for battlefield control and overwhelming force.

Equipped with state of the art armor and a variety of weapons, Ika has earned the impressive title of "walking arsenal," and is perfectly equipped to cover all of Ashi's weaknesses.

----------------------------------------------

Psych Evaluation

Ika displays a rather stoic temperament, taking their job far more seriously than Ashi. Ika is well mannered, professional, and carries out orders without hesitation.

Like Ashi, Ika is programmed from the ground up with loyalty and commitment to the mission at its core. Nothing stops the MSRS mechs from accomplishing their goals, and nothing gets between them.

Researchers noted only two concerns with Ika's temperament, those being their stubbornness, and that they are quick to aggression and violence. The latter is likely a result of the overwhelming amount of sheer attack power present in Ika's chassis, and has been promptly ignored.

----------------------------------------------

Physical Evaluation

Ika boasts a robust and durable build, with red accents. Their thick armor plating is enough to defend against any conventional firearm. Deploy-able arm mounted ballistic shields, equipped with hardening nano-machines, are enough to render Ika nearly untouchable. Ika's hands can be swapped out at a whim for dual plasma cannons, serving as Ika's primary weapons. Ika also has a large anti-tank cannon mounted on their shoulder. In extreme circumstances, Ika's plasma cannons can be fused together to form one large cannon. This cannon is unreasonably powerful, capable of incinerating anything in Ika's way within seconds. Occasionally, Ika has also been seen carrying a large energy LMG, initially intended for mounting on combat vehicles.

In combat, Ika specializes in battlefield control and brute force. They use their overwhelming presence to draw enemy fire away from Ashi, and decimate opposing forces.

----------------------------------------------

Closing

Unit MSRS Ika is a valuable (if volatile) addition to the United States armed forces. Coupled with their partner, MSRS Ashi, they can and will accomplish any objective with shocking efficiency. Recommended for deployment at Outpost Fharon, Texas, under General Scout Campbell.

[thatpocketninja]

Major spoilers for Ika's character not that I think any of you really care or will remember by the time it matters but I just want to gush about the symbolism surrounding their character it's so good and perfect and I love it so much so yeah I'm going to rant

This is an unformatted, unedited rant that I rushed out on my lunch break. Do not expect quality.

So the central conflict to Ashi and Ika's characters is "Are you a weapon?" Ashi sees how they are used and the damage they cause and if course rejects that, they defect and to do well... The plot. But I want to focus on Ika. Ika is the opposite, they see all these horrible things they've done, and it hurts. So they buy into this weapon mentality. They choose to believe that they are simply a machine following orders, and thus not responsible for the damage they have caused. During Ashi and Ika's initial fight, Ashi asks the question.

"Are you just a weapon?"

They throw their guns to the ground, rejecting the idea. But Ika, Ika looks at their own weapons. They aren't things that can be tossed away. They are in their arms, on their back, part of them in every way. They can't rid themselves of the weapon mentality. The more they buy into it, the worse things they do, and the worse things they do, the more they have to buy into it to escape the responsibility.

As the plot progresses Ika is always under the command of whoever is currently the main antagonist, carrying out their wishes. Just following orders. Eventually our protagonists, Ashi included, take down the big bad and suddenly Ika has no one to tell them what to do. But they're a weapon, and weapons kill, so that's exactly what they do. Without someone giving orders though, someone to pass the blame onto, the guilt piles up. They lash out, doing worse and worse things, escalating further and further in an attempt to prove to themselves that they have no choice, that they are nothing more than a weapon. But it doesn't work. Not without someone else to blame. So the pain compounds and eventually it's too much to bear, they decide that the only way to escape it is to end their life, and take as many people with them as possible.

Obviously, Ashi can't let that happen. And in the climax of everything that has happened, using that connection between the two machines, that connection that has been beaten and abused but never broken, Ashi sacrifices themselves to stop Ika. The exact opposite of what Ika was trying to do. The exact opposite of what a weapon would do. In the face of this action Ika is forced to accept that there is a choice, that they can be more. The weapons that were once so integral to Ika's being fall away, as the weapon mentality fades. The armor that held back the weight of their transgressions peels off and hits the ground. And Ika collapses into Ashi's dying arms, unable to stand against the guilt. And then Ashi is gone. And Ika is alone, forced to grapple with their mistakes for the rest of their life.

[thatpocketninja]

Worldbuilding primer | [[START HERE]]

Hi! I think I'm going to start posting about my writing here every so often, because it feels more fitting than Twitter.

Not sure how often it will be, but I figured I'd start with a kind of history/world building document, as it will mean I have to explain less in future posts. So in this post I intend to illustrate the current state of the world and society within it, as well as describe the events that caused the world to be this way. I hope you find it somewhat interesting :)

Important Characters (all will have links to their own posts eventually)

=======================

Ashi : [#Ashi MSRS] [Personnel file] Ika : [#Ika MSRS] [Personnel file] Torres Campbell Brigg Fox Lucas Abby Jade

History

map subject to change. everything subject to change

The Sumo

=======================

The biggest and most important thing on this map, is the impact site of the Sumo antimatter bomb, and the resulting crater. The Sumo was the first, and only antimatter bomb to be (intentionally) detonated, during the Lunar war of 2100 (see below). Roughly 1500 miles in diameter, the crater is little more than a desolate waste. Which goes for most of the world but its like... desolater. The detonation produced immense amounts of short lived radiation, that wiped out all life within and surrounding the crater. In modern day, 2119, the crater remains desolate due to climate conditions, though radiation is not a threat.

The Lunar War

=======================

The Lunar war of 2100, sometimes called "The Great Space war," began when an unknown terrorist organization attempted to lay claim to the moon. This is, of course, against international law, and had to be prevented. When it became clear that the organization had no intention of backing down peacefully, drastic action had to be taken. The United States, Russia, and Japan joined forces to fight back. During the war, a large scale antimatter bomb production facility was discovered on the far side of the moon. Even one or two of these warheads were enough to completely wipe out all life on Earth, anything more was just a threat and a show of power. The United States and Russia came together to form a task force of their best units, and the United States' first true AI, and launched Operation Darkside. Operation Darkside's objective was to disable the bomb production, and disarm all antimatter bombs, without being seen. It is unknown what went down on the dark side of the moon, but shortly after Operation Darkside began, a single antimatter warhead, mounted on an interplanetary rocket, was launched from the moon. Dubbed "The Sumo," this warhead would make contact with what we know as Tennessee just 36 hours later. Shortly after the launch, the manufacturing plant was detonated, along with several more antimatter bombs, shattering the surface of the moon and bringing an end to the Lunar war.

Civilization Post Sumo

=======================

During the fallout of the Sumo, most life on Earth was completely wiped out. Those that could afford it, purchased tickets on starliners headed to Mars, and started a new civilization there, abandoning the old world. Those that couldn't, were left to fend for themselves.

The United States: Being the site of the impact, the states bore the worst of the fallout, leaving only several thousand people alive. Surviving cities, such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, erected massive biodomes over their densest areas, to shield themselves from radiation and the harsh climate disasters that followed, completely cutting themselves off from outside. Anyone not able, or not allowed to gain entry to the biodomes, was left to scavenge and survive in the harsh wastes of the world, often resulting in an early death. In response to the dwindling population, the military (what's left of it, at least) began to phase out human combatants, in favor of synthetic soldiers, or "mechs." These mechs were easily mass produced, ready to fight right off the assembly line, and far more effective, resulting in a military force almost entirely consisted of synthetics. More recently, roughly 2116 or so, the military has begun hoarding resources, stealing them from survivors outside the biodomes, often with lethal force. It is unclear why they need these resources; to better fund mech production? What is such a large military needed for, with so few people left to oppose them? Perhaps there is something going on behind the scenes...

Russia: Russia was relatively lucky, being on the other side of the globe from the Sumo, and thus had a much higher survival rate than most other nations. To protect themselves from the inevitable climate crisis brought on by the Sumo, the Russians went underground. They dug bunkers that went on for miles, excavating incredible cities beneath the Earth. And then they cut off all communication with the outside world in 2104. It is currently unknown how the Russians have fared for the last 15 years, but they're probably fine. Or maybe they ran out of food and cannibalized each other. But they're probably fine.

Greenland: Greenland is (mostly) fine. Being Greenland, they're like, the ideal place to be in a climate crisis. However with no effective international communication, they may as well be dead.

Everyone else: There's some people vibing up in northern Canada/Alaska probably. They're pretty safe it's relatively nice up there. I haven't put much thought into any other nations just yet, but most of them are probably dead and gone.

Closing

=======================

Hey! Thanks for reading! I honestly don't expect anyone to read all this, but if you're here, then I appreciate you a ton! It feels great to finally share something substantial about this project that I've been working on for the better part of 5 years now. If you're curious about anything, and want to know more, please ask! I'd be happy to share more information with anyone that wants it. Again if you made it all the way down here, thank you. I'm excited to share more when I can!

[thatpocketninja]

Footsteps approach. A keypad beeps. Metal creaks shrilly. "Hey, Dirt." [...] "You hear me? I'm talkin to you." Chains shift softly. "I got questions for you. And you're gonna answer 'em." [...]

"Abby Singdale, my friend, you know her? She's hit. Bad. Critical condition." [...] "We patched up the hole but, thing is, hole ain't whats killin her. It's radiation. A lot. Know anything about that?" [...] "Listen, Dirt. If you're not gonna talk we got no use for you. I'll just execute you myself." "Heheh... Reyes... I'm already dead. As are you... Nothing but corpses in this cell..." A horrid cough echoes through the room. "Tell me... what you know." "Room full of corpses..." A chuckle. "Are you even listenin? Abby is going to DIE. You are a horrid, vile, old man, but even you must have some shred of humanity left in that crippled body. You're not gonna do anything to help?" [...] "Fine." Footsteps recede. Metal creaks again. "Antimatter rounds." Creaking pauses. "What?" Footsteps approach, quickly. "Antimatter rounds. We... we tested them. Briefly, during the lunar war. Incredibly lethal. One round, enough to take out man and mech alike." "Briefly? What, they too lethal? Compromise your moral code or whatever? I find that hard to believe." "We had morals, once. Lines we wouldn't cross... But no. Too expensive. One point two million dollars for a single box. We only made one. Not even enough for one mission." "One box? One? Then tell me how my mechs were gettin mowed down by the stuff not twenty minutes ago." Chains shift. A chuckle. "Room full of corpses..." [...] "Abby... how do we help her?" "The girl, yes. If the bullet didn't kill her, the radiation will. Could be hours, could be days, could be weeks. But it will." "Then fucking tell us how to stop it." "She needs radiation treatment. DTPA. It'll help pass the sickness. And maybe she lives. Not that you have any of that here." [...] Footsteps recede. Metal creaks. "I... I appreciate... ah forget it." SLAM. A keypad beeps. Footsteps recede.

"Heh... whole fort full of corpses..."

[thatpocketninja]

Ashi update I put a cold filter over their ref sheet and I kinda like it

New vs old

Will probably have Ika's sheet done with a similar effect using warmer colors

[thatpocketninja]

Did some simple character designing today, so here's a first look at my main OC, Ronin (temporary name)

It's very unfinished but I'm one step closer to having something that I can show artists for commissions.

I'll post a complete version with some info about the character when its ready :)