bakerstreet | would you change who you are, if you could?

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would you change who you are, if you could?

THE BODY PROXY MEME

Welcome to the future, where, if you so desire, you can spend a day gallivanting about in a Proxy -- a custom-made body tailored to your specific tastes. Just be warned -- some activities might not be covered by your warranty!

instructions:
1] Post with the usual Character | Series | Preferences deal as your subject header.
2] Pick a prompt, or have the RNG pick one for you!
3] TAG AROUND AND HAVE FUN.

1〉Joyride
You've heard about all this "Proxy" stuff, but now you have the chance to actually experience it for yourself. What will you do while you're in your new body? Maybe take things easy, or do some of those extreme sports you've always wanted to try? Just remember, you can still feel everything...

2〉Anonymous
These Proxies provide the perfect opportunity to take care of some... less than savory things. Whatever your darkest desires might be, feel free to indulge under the guise of an anonymous Proxy... but you'll have to return to your body eventually, and who knows who might follow you there?

3〉Confrontation
Maybe someone just doesn't like the idea of people spending time in fake bodies, or perhaps you've gotten a bit cocky about your mechanical Proxy. Either way, a fight's broken out, and you're involved! Just be careful; you may not be as strong as you normally are, and maybe your powers got left behind with your body...

4〉Mistake
Well, someone was certainly careless. Sure, maybe you're male, but whoever got you mounted in a proxy accidentally chose a female one. Maybe you're human and you got stuck in a canine body. Either way, someone screwed up and you're the only one suffering. Let's hope they fix things quickly...

5〉Damage
This wasn't supposed to happen. Whether it was an accident or the result of carelessness, your Proxy's been damaged. Not only does it hurt, but you're far enough away from your body that you may not make it back. Do you get it fixed or just rush back to upload into your own body? The clock is ticking...

6〉Intercourse
If you pay a little more, you can get a Proxy with some of the... more intimate parts included. What will you do with it? Is there a lover you've been dying to reconnect with, or will you just head straight for the red-light district? Just remember: Proxies may be unable to get diseases, but there may be other consequences.

7〉Realism
The technology is improving quickly, and Proxies can be made more realistic than ever before. A standard Proxy can pass for human as long as you cover up joints, vents, and other obviously mechanical areas. The top of the line ones, however, can't be distinguished from humans unless you take them apart. What ramifications could this have?

8〉Treatment
Something horrible has happened to you. You've woken up in hospital, stuck inside a robotic Proxy while the doctors treat your flesh-and-blood body. It may take a day, or it might be weeks or even months. At least the staff here are kind and helpful, and they'll supply everything needed to maintain the Proxy, but who knows how long you'll be a resident?

9〉Stranded
Your body's gone, lost in a tragic accident, or perhaps the hospital just couldn't save it. Whatever the reason, a Proxy is the only body you have now. How will you cope? Will you seek solace with friends, lovers, or just with others in the same situation? At the very least, you need far less as a machine than as a living being.

10〉Wildcard
Anything you can think of, you can do. Go wild! Take a Proxy out for any purpose you can think of. The only limit is your imagination!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She had warned him of the demons and the war in her world. Considering how she stuck to him like glue, be it for her own reasons or just for pure fun, Hei stuck by her in return. All this time, he had grown to care for the succubus. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before his body was destroyed, overwhelmed by the many enemies of her land.

Yet he had gotten up, finding it weird to wake up in this hospital and looking at his body. Everything seemed normal, yet something seemed wrong. He didn't know what though.]

What...what happened to me?

[It had been one of Jedah's fanatics that had led the attack, bringing hundreds of demons to the gates of Castle Aensland; try though she might to convince him to stay behind, Hei had insisted on staying by Morrigan's side.]

[Ultimately, the battle had been won, but not without a loss;Hei's body had been gravely injured, leaving the succubus with little other choice than to find him a Proxy. After all, she knew quite a few people in the Demon World and the Human World alike that owed her favors...]

[The transferring process has been long and stressful, and there had been been enough close calls to last Morrigan a lifetime. But at the end of it all, everything went as smoothly as it could...]

[When the recovering man speaks, Morrigan's at his side in an instant, looking concerned.]

Let's just say you came out a while lot worse for wear...

...how are you feeling?

[He saw Morrigan, her mood clear. This was one of the rare times he saw her like this. Did he really...the magic was quite powerful, and there was a lot shredding its way through his body before. But he should...how was he even alive? His gaze flickered back to his hands.]

Shocked. I...how am I back to normal? My body was...

[Let's avoid the smut option, but anything else is fine!]

[This hospital is state-of-the-art facility. All the newest technology is present in its many wards. It's not surprised that only the wealthy get inpatient care. However, sometimes WHICH members of that prestigious class find themselves here is a surprise, which is why they were completely unprepared (in terms of proxies, anyway) for the entrance of Feng Lan, the daughter of a well-known author, after she was involved in a high-speed motorcycle accident. Her mind was shunted to the proxy bay as her body was prepped for surgery.

Now she waits within her (hopefully) temporary proxy as they get her body ready for surgery. Her proxy is a simple one, though without visible hinges, but still attractive; androgynous, white-haired, red-eyed, and pointy-eared. It's a weird experience for her, as it's very unlike her normal body. Effects of being rushed, that.]

[Red, unfortunately, is not so lucky nor quite as wealthy. He'd been the one behind the metaphorical wheel in this case, taking his date out for a spin on a motorcycle... and then he'd decided to show off. Bad idea.]

[His body was waiting for treatment with Feng Lan's, but the Caninu took the brunt of the crash. He'd need more time than she did. At the very least, they got his mind mounted in a proxy, but it was the bare minimum - a clearly mechanical body, colored a dull plastic grey, although the head was definitely Red's.]

[Ah, now he's waking up! He looks rather confused, the poor thing, although at least he's okay.]

Ugh... Hey, Feng Lan, you okay? That was some crash... Wait, where are we...?

Edited 2013-07-19 01:06 (UTC)

[He's at least more like himself than she is. This body looks like someone else entirely, and it's bugging her. Nevertheless, she reaches out and squeezes his hand a little, although hers probably feels pretty different than normal.]

We're at the hospital. We're in surgery right now.

[Even her voice is different. This body seems to be closer to male than it is to female... But her tone is familiar. Even if the scrub-wearing figure curled up next to him isn't.]

Surgery? This isn't surgery...

[It was a pretty brutal crash. Red must have struck his head at some point, otherwise he would be a lot sharper than this. He looks over at where Feng Lan is sitting, reaching up to scratch his muzzle... and two things hit him at once. That isn't Feng Lan, and that definitely isn't his hand...!]

Hey, what's goin' on?! You're not Lan, and I'm not-- I'm not me!

[Wait, things are starting to come back to him... he remembers going out for a ride, then speeding up... and then tumbling and pain and darkness. That doesn't explain the changes, though.]

Did we... die? Is this the afterlife?!

No, it's not the afterlife.

[She actually has to chuckle at that one. It's a lot lower than her laugh usually is, but it's still her laugh.]

They gave us proxies, in case of the worst. That's all. Remember the ads on TV?

[She certainly does. Glitz and glam, movement for the crippled, all that jazz. It never talked about being in an unfamiliar body and praying that yours is still usable when all this is over.]

[Not the afterlife, proxies... Red remembers now. He didn't watch much TV, but there were definitely radio ads talking about how amazing these proxy things were. He calms down a little, peeking under his scrubs and looking over the robotic body beneath.]

...It was that bad, huh. Shoulda let you drive, I guess.

[There's nothing under those scrubs that would identify Red as, well, Red. Not even a scrap of fur, except on the tail that they managed to provide, but at least he has that. Feng Lan's another matter entirely...]

I'm sorry about all this. Just wanted to impress you.

[Feng Lan chuckles again, rubbing her tilted head in a very familiar way. Printed on the underside of her proxy's arm is a bar code: 1H4LF-PR1NC3.]

Hey, you're a better driver than me. I always speed! You know that, Red.

[She sobers quickly enough, though, and pats his arm.]

We'll be ok. This is a good hospital, I've been here before.

[Oh, hey, a barcode. Red notices it but doesn't pay much attention to what it reads. Maybe there's one on him somewhere, too?]

...Yeah, I guess you're right. No point in worryin' about it now.

[Even if they're both in unfamiliar forms, Feng Lan's reassurance does seem to be helping. Red smiles, just a little, and takes her hand in his own artificial one.]

Hey, do y'know where they're keepin' us? I'd kinda like to go see how long we're gonna have to be in these things.

[Her hand is just as artificial, even if it feels more real. She squeezes his though.]

I think we're in surgery. We probably can't go in, but we can at least go to the waiting room.

[She really hopes that Red doesn't expect her to find it, what with her sense of direction being what it is...]

I don't think watchin' ourselves gettin' fixed up would be a real smart idea. Let's go see if they got someone we can talk to, at least.

[Red pulls himself upright, steadying himself against a chair for a few moments. Maybe the cheaper proxies take a little bit of getting used to? Feng Lan's certainly not going to have the same problems.]

Alright, gotta find the surgery ward. You said you've been here before, right? Any idea where it is?

... Not a clue. Maybe we can find a map?

[She's got a terrible sense of direction, and it's not as if she lives in the hospital. But there should be a nurse or technician station somewhere around the proxy room. She stands up next to him with significantly less vertigo, but other problems. Her legs are suddenly so long... Hunting down a map might be a bad idea. Walking seems like a bad idea right now, honestly.]

Wanna find a nurse or something to ask?

Yeah, sure! Stay right there, I'll be back in a flash.

[And off he goes, a little unsteadily. It feels like the proxy's not quite made to handle a Caninu - he's not quite human, after all - but after a little bit of walking everything seems to click nicely. Time to find someone...]

[After a few minutes, Red returns with a nurse following him. He looks a lot more steady, too.]

Hey, Feng Lan, follow her and she'll take us to the waitin' room. We'll see about gettin' ya a better proxy, too.

Thanks, Red.

[She smiles, but has a hard time getting her balance in a body that's... Well, got a different center of gravity and longer legs. It's not comfortable. Still, she manages to follow the nurse with only the occasional stumble and only one hand on the wall.]

Do you know if it's safe to change proxies so quickly? I thought I read something about mental fragmentation...

"That's right! The mind needs time to recover between transfers. It's best to wait about a day."

[...Well. Red was going to say it would probably be totally fine, but clearly this nurse knows more than him. He'll just shut up and keep walking. At least it's not far to the waiting room.]

"Alright, here you are. A doctor should be out soon to give you the details."

[With that, she leaves. Red watches her go for a bit, then flops down into a chair. A chewbone would be lovely right about now, but these cheap proxies can't eat anything. He needs something to calm his nerves, though...]

[Whether or not Feng Lan can eat right now is moot. She has no appetite. She perches as delicately as she can in a chair, which is not that delicately since she all but falls over on the way down.]

... I hate this.

[This whole situation - from the bad proxies to waiting to hear whether her real body survives or not - is stressful. She's surprised to find tears on her cheeks... apparently, this is a VERY high-end proxy.]

...Me too. Thing is, all we can do now is wait. Isn't like they're gonna let us in to the surgery.

[It's tense. If their bodies don't make it through this... then what? What would they do? Sure, Feng Lan has an amazing proxy, but Red can't afford much more than the one he's in right now. He'd never be able to be the Hunter he was.]

[Red gets up and wanders off for a minute, coming back with a paper cup of water. He'll just hold that out for Feng Lan with a weak smile.]

Here. They told me the body you're in can drink stuff, and ya look like you might need a glass of water.

Thanks, Red.

[She drinks. It feels kind of weird, really, as her mouth isn't exactly moist and the swallowing isn't natural. The water is purified where her stomach would be and used to replace what she lost crying, but she doesn't feel that part.]

Think we can at least get status updates or something?

That nurse said someone's gonna be here soon...

[...and then Red takes a look at Feng Lan. She really doesn't look any less nervous. This waiting must be hell on her, too.]

Y'know what, though? I'm gonna go look for 'em. Stay here in case they show up, alright?

[Off he goes, trying his best to look confident. If they have the technology to move consciousness, then surely they have enough to fix bodies... right?]

[Red manages to get into the ward halls, leaving a still-worried Feng Lan alone, but a nurse sees him. However, she doesn't stop him. Instead, she smiles.]

"Red, right? I was just about to come find you. Your surgery went well, and your body will be ready for you tomorrow, when it's fully healed."

[She noticeably doesn't mention Feng Lan, but it looks like another nurse is going out to the waiting area...]

[Oh, that's good news! Thankfully they knew how to treat Caninu, or it just wasn't that different. Either way, Red's just relieved to hear it.]

Sounds great! I'll make sure to keep this thing in good condition for you guys. What about Feng Lan?

[...Oh no. That look doesn't look good. Where's the waiting room from here? He needs to hurry back, just in case...]

[The nurse he was talking to frowns, but doesn't answer, just shakes her head slightly and walks away. He can follow the other nurse, but she's got one hell of a lead. If he does, he'll be just in time to see Feng Lan, head in hands, crying as the nurse comforts her.]

"I assure you, our surgical team is among the best in the world. You have better chances here then anywhere else."

[They both look up when the door opens. Feng Lan is DEFINITELY crying.]

[Of course he follows, or tries to. Things are feeling grim as Red makes his way back to the waiting room...]

[...and there's Feng Lan, crying. His heart sinks.]

What happened? Is your body...?

[Right now, it's just important to comfort her. Red dashes to her side, wrapping her in his artificial arms and trying to comfort her.]

Calm down, okay? It'll be okay...

[She hugs him back. Her arms feel less artificial than his, admittedly, but they are no less fake.]

I hope you're right...

[She presses her face into his shoulder, even though her proxy is taller than his. She needs that much comfort.]

They say there's a chance, but... it sounds really bad, Red.

Sapristi...

[Lean on Red's shoulders all you want, Feng Lan. After news like that, he'll offer all the comfort you need... If his proxy could cry, it would be crying.]

Lan, I'll be here for ya no matter what. Even if somethin' happens and you're... stuck like this, I'll be here for ya. Let's just... take things easy, okay? It's gotta get better...

But what if- What if they can't fix it?

[She just hangs her head, defeated. She's so lost right now. The nurse sighs, and decides to give them some alone time; she silently slips out of the room.]

Red... I just want to walk in my own body again.

I know, Lan. I do too.

[They're both in bad proxies. Red got the cheapest one available, and while Feng Lan's is impressive, it's completely wrong... but at least hers looks human. Red's is just machinery that happens to be in a human shape.]

[Eventually, and somewhat reluctantly, he pulls away from Feng Lan.]

Maybe you oughta stay here and wait for news. If there's anythin' you want, just lemme know and I'll go.

[Feng Lan is scared partially because of the quality of her proxy. What if it's a gateway, a way of showing her proxies aren't all bad, since she's going to be stuck in one?]

They already told me I broke my neck in the crash... Even if I survive this in my own body, it's going to be hell if I ever want out of a wheelchair.

[She squeezes his hand a bit before letting him go.]

Some more water would be nice.

If they can't fix it, I'll help ya out. You know that.

[The little hand squeeze makes him smile. Red's back to his normal outgoing self, at least for now.]

Be right back with your water!

[...and he dashes off, going to fetch Feng Lan's drink. As Red walks, he starts to think of her own proxy. They're both pretty prestigious individuals in their own ways... so, why did she get the best proxy while Red didn't? Could it be...?]

[Feng Lan just waits. She's worried, and for good reason. There were things she didn't tell Red that she had heard from the nurse. Phrases like "severed spinal column" and "Full nervous disconnect." It was enough to make a girl VERY frightened.]

[Red, of course, is completely oblivious to all this. He just returns in a minute or two with another paper cup of water, offering it enthusiastically to Feng Lan.]

There ya go! Guess those proxies need hydratin' too.

[Once she takes the cup, he'll just take a seat next to Feng Lan again, giving her what he thinks is an encouraging smile.]

Y'know, if that thing can sleep, maybe you oughta have a nap until we get more news.

The hybrid had enough money to buy top of the line Proxies in spades.

The nature of her work, dirty though it was, meant that she needed new identities for each client -- to avoid the risk of being found out. Today, her client had demanded a fresh supply of her speciality, which meant that she had to find some poor sap to... seek help from. Thankfully, her Proxy's plain, unassuming form meant that no one would know who to look for, which suited her just fine.

Now, she'd found a prime target -- some dog-faced kid who had caught her eye -- and it was time to get to work.

That dog-faced kid was, as expected, completely unaware of anything sinister going on. He'd heard of Proxies, yes, but only from some of his own clients. Regardless of the actual job request, some people just wanted to be anonymous. Red got paid either way.

He'd only ever seen the blatantly artificial Proxies, though. Who knew that they could be so realistic? Not Red, that's for sure... so, as he saunters down the street with a chewbone in his mouth, he's an easy target.

It was all too easy to fall into step behind her target, mimicking his very steps as he headed toward the more desolate part of town.

Slowly, quietly, she drew her extraction knife from its holster, plain black eyes locked onto the dog-kid's back.

A few more blocks, and he would have been in her territory.

A few more blocks, and he would be hers for the harvesting.

Red would be hers, yes. Only a few more steps... but something makes him pause. He hasn't lived this long as a Hunter without being able to realize when something is wrong. Now is one of those times.

He whirls, drawing his stungun and flicking the safety switch off before he's even had a chance to see who's following him - and why.

"You better be careful, stalkin' a Hunter like that," Red utters around the bone in his mouth. "Not everyone's gonna stop at just pullin' a weapon."

"Hunter, huh?" The words escape Mije's Proxy in a lazy, bored drawl, dark hair falling over dark eyes. "Y'know, there's another hunter of sorts around these parts."

There's a moment of silence, and then...

"You'd do well not to make yourself too... obvious."

Except, of course, that's advice given far, far too late.

Somehow, that isn't entirely reassuring. Red stands there silently, shifting his grip on the weapon's hilt while he thinks.

"Alright," he eventually offers up, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the warnin'."

Suitably enough, the reason that Red is out in an area like this? It's a job request. Someone's noted a string of violent incidents in this area, and it's up to Red to investigate.

Surely that's why someone here would be carrying a knife. The Hunter gives it no further thought as he keeps advancing...

[The illegal proxies running around the underground have become a burden for the 'innocent,' as his clients like to call them. Armed with hidden weapons, they are too strong for the police and using the military would scare the citizens.

Besides, he knows too well where the true interest of his clients lies and it is not goodwill alone that makes them hire an assassin. Some even sell these armed proxies, after all. He knows that, too.

The person he's been following today is one like any other. He lights a cigarette and crosses the street, staying in the shadows until they reach a secluded corner of the city.]

[Proxies are really good for crimefighting, fyi. No ties to your real self, completely customizable with hidden weaponry, and they're a heck of a lot more durable.

Red Hood, for example, has no face at all. There's sensors under the helmet for eyes and ears and so on, but if you crack off the helmet you'll find only bare metal underneath. Jackie Napier can stay anonymous while his proxy goes out and thwarts evil schemes.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

would you change who you are, if you could?

Morrigan Aensland | Darkstalkers | OTA

9 with maybe some 6?

sounds good! c:

Re: sounds good! c:

Red Savarin | Solatorobo | OTA

A bit of 4 and a lot of 8

sounds good!

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2+3+7, in prose because why the fuck not

we're prose pros

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Seishirou Sakurazuka - X1999

Earth-3 Red Hood | Batman: Brave and the Bold