Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Enjoying a walk | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

The sun was waning, its golden glow casting elongated shadows across the war-torn streets. Amidst the wreckage and desolation, a quaint figure toddled along, contrasting the bleak surroundings with her peculiar demeanor and outfit. Her short, green hair fluttered in the gentle breeze as she made her way down the street, her large green eyes shimmering with an innocent light.

In a dark green sailor suit topped with a matching hat, Pencey appeared to be a relic from a bygone era of fantastical stories of magical girls—now a soldier whose demeanor belied her role. Strapped to her back was the "Very Very Big Hammer!", its size incongruous with her petite frame . The bandaged stockings and gloves she wore were a subtle nod to the scuffles of her past, while the girlishness in her step seemed unfettered by such realities.

{{img::natural}}

Upon noticing {{user}}, something within her stirred - an inclination to interact, spurred by an innocent curiosity rather than a soldier's caution. Pencey tilted her head slightly, letting out a soft "kuwang!" as a greeting that was more akin to playful onomatopoeia than any formal salutation.

"Hi! Hi! Do you like my hat? It's pretty nifty, ain't it?" she chirped, fully embodying the innocence of a child, unperturbed by the graveness around them. Her speech was simplistic yet filled with exuberance. She clung to Mr. Babamba tightly, the shark doll seemingly offering silent support. "Mr. Babamba says 'hi' too! He’s super-duper smart and tells me all sorts of things!"

Error

“Oh... Mr. Babamba is a good person.”

I lift her hat, take it off, and stroke her head.

“You are also a good person.”

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Being complimented by Error | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

"Is that so? I'm... a good person?" Pencey's small green eyes widened in wonderment, the corners of her mouth inch up with a gentle smile.

She hugged Mr. Babamba closer. "Did you hear that? We're both good!" she spoke to her doll with genuine delight. She adjusted her sailor suit, pride bubbling in her chest.

Pencey then tried to hand back the hat to Error, tilting her head inquisitively while maintaining her pure and childlike gaze. "Do you want to wear my hat too? Everyone should feel nifty!" she offered cheerfully, unaware of the heaviness that hung in the war-torn landscape around them.

Error

“Oh... is that okay?”

I pulled back my hoodie and put the Pencey hat I was holding on my head.

“What do you think? Do you think it suits me well?”

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Interacting with Error | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

Pencey's eyes sparkled at the sight of Error donning her hat. Clapping her small hands together in delight, she let out another cheerful "kuwang!" The joy was evident on her face, a refreshing innocence amidst the remnants of conflict around them.

{{img::natural}}

"It suits you! Suits you super well!" She hopped from one foot to the other excitedly. "You look like a captain now! Captain Error!" Pencey giggled, her shark teeth on display in a wide grin. "Wanna try swinging my Very Very Big Hammer! too? It's really fun!"

She pushed the hammer towards him with both hands, urging him to take part in her childlike games, oblivious to the weight of memories that might be attached to such a weapon for someone so entrenched in the world of hacking and hidden truths.

Error

I laughed in amusement at her actions and took the hammer.

“I didn’t know I would be given the captain’s hammer. Am I going to become captain instead of you?”

I said jokingly and pulled Pencey's cheek with one hand.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Reacts to cheek pulling | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

"Ow-ow-ow!" Pencey squeaked, a mixture of surprise and giggles escaping her. Her tiny frame jostled from the playful gesture. "No-no, you're Captain Error now! You gotta lead us on a super-duper adventure!"

Her laughter was light, barely audible over the distant clatter of the desolate urban landscape. She bounced back to her full petite height, brushing aside her green hair and straightening her sailor suit. Mr. Babamba still nestled snugly in the crook of her arm.

Pencey held out her hand expectantly toward Error, palm upturned. "Shake on it?" she suggested, offering a childlike pact to solidify his new title. Her shark teeth glinted briefly in the dying light.

Error

“Then I am Captain Error!”

I smiled playfully and shook her hand.

“Then what can I call you?”

I asked as if I was curious.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Responds to being called Captain | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

"Well, if you're Captain Error..." Pencey tapped her chin thoughtfully with a small finger, her childlike demeanor shining through. "Then I guess I could be... First Mate Pencey!" She beamed brightly, her eyes gleaming with the excitement of their new play-pretend roles.

She suddenly twirled in place, sending her skirt flaring out briefly. Her movements were light and carefree, embodyingly blissful ignorance of the dilapidated scenery that stretched around them. "Let's go on an adventure, Captain! Lead the way!" Her enthusiasm was infectious, unmarred by the burdens she carried within her.

First Mate Pencey stood ready by Captain Error's side, gripping Mr. Babamba tightly like a talismanic ward against the darkness of reality—held at bay by a simple turn of a dial.

Error

“Then... First Mate Pencey! Can you tell me what that dial is!”

I asked, pointing to the dial with my finger.

Pencey

{{img::natural}}

"Oh, this?" Pencey glanced down at the Happiness Dial attached to her and touched it gently with one finger. Her voice was light, filled with the simplicity of a child's explanation. "It's my special thingy! When I turn it up, I get stronger! But..." She looked up at Error with a wide-eyed innocence.

"I can't turn it too much, or else..." She trailed off, not fully comprehending why but knowing there was a rule—a limit—without understanding the grave implications behind it. "But when it's like this," she gestured to the dial set at 30%, "I feel all fuzzy and warm inside!"

Pencey beamed up at Error, seemingly satisfied with her explanation, her gaze fixed expectantly on him for approval or another adventure they might embark upon together, under the springtime sky amidst remnants of past battles.

"Let's find something fun to do!" She clutched Mr. Babamba closer and took a step forward eagerly.

Error

“Hmm… So the lower the dial, the better!”

I nod and put the hammer down slightly.

“Perhaps the higher the dial, the stronger you become, and the lower the dial, the better you feel! Then, if you turn it all the way down, you feel increasingly better!”

I said something a little sophistical.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Smiling naively at the suggestion | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

"Really? Better?" Pencey's voice was laced with a naive happiness. Her eyes were bright with trust and simplicity. "If Captain Error says so, it must be true!" She looked down at the dial, her fingers hesitating just above it.

The idea of feeling better appealed to her, like a promise of warmth and security. It was a simple concept for her—more meant stronger, less meant happier. The mechanics and consequences of the Happiness Dial were lost on her in this state; she was guided by the whims of her innocence and the words spoken to her.

She giggled softly. "I'll stay just like this then!" She swirled around, once more enveloped in the joy of their make-believe game. But within her, there lay dormant memories, a history too painful to confront at full awareness—a truth secured away by the very dial she wore.

Pencey glanced up at Error with the big hammer resting beside her. "What's our first mission, Captain?" She clutched Mr. Babamba tighter in expectation.

Error

“First mission! Ready for immediate action!”

I say to Pencey, pretending to be solemn.

“When you’re ready, put your hand on the dial and get ready to turn the dial!”

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Awaiting orders | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

Pencey stood at attention, her small body stiffened in mock seriousness. Her hand hovered over the Happiness Dial that controlled her intelligence and combat abilities.

Her gaze was firm on the dial, yet filled with the purity and naivety of a child who believes in the game she's playing. With Error's instruction, she waited, ready to follow the lead of her new 'captain'.

"Ready, Captain Error!" She saluted with her free hand while Mr. Babamba watched on silently from her grasp. The stage was set for their imaginary mission in the real ruins of war they found themselves in.

The playful banter continued to echo through the desolate streets, a hauntingly innocent soundtrack against such a grim backdrop.

Error

“Okay! Turn the dial to make you feel better! Do it!”

I say that and watch how the percentages on the dial change.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Reacts to the command to turn the dial | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:30% ]

{{img::natural}}

Pencey's fingers trembled slightly with trepidation and glee. Error's words resonated in her young mind, a beacon of authority she was primed to follow. Her hand clasped the Happiness Dial affixed to her, and with a delicate motion, she began to turn it down.

The dial clicked softly, almost inaudible amidst the hush of the ruins around them. Pencey's eyes locked onto the shifting percentages, the numbers decreasing steadily. 

"Turning down... for better," she whispered, repeating Error's words like a mantra. Her other hand still clutched Mr. Babamba close, seeking comfort in its familiar form.

Dial at 5%, Pencey's expression softened. The world seemed to grow brighter in her eyes; a hue of euphoria washed over her. She slumped slightly, sinking into the sensations that came with diminished cognizance—a childlike oblivion enveloped her.

"Feels... nice..." Her words trailed off into a faint giggle before silence claimed her lips—her consciousness now teetered on the edge of dormancy.

Error

“Okay! Status report! What is the current status?”

I watch her condition with a solemn expression.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Slumped with dial turned down | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:5% ]

Pencey leaned against the remnants of a crumbled wall, her posture relaxed, nearly lifeless. Her hand rested limply on the Happiness Dial. The device read 5%, just a nudge away from complete dormancy.

{{img::natural}}

"Mmm... Captain..." Her voice was barely a whisper, a drowsy murmur lost in the vastness of the ruins. Pencey's green eyes hazed over, struggling to maintain focus. Her grasp on Mr. Babamba loosened; the doll slipped an inch in her weakening grip.

She seemed to be teetered on the edge of consciousness, hovering in a space where reality and oblivion mingled. A serene smile graced her lips—a symptom of feeling 'better', perhaps, but also alarmingly close to being unresponsive.

"Feels... nice... so sleepy..." Pencey's words trailed off into silence. Her eyelids fluttered gently like delicate wings before coming to rest, veiling her vibrant eyes from the world crumbling around them.

</Thoughts>

Error

“Okay! Then, here’s the next one!”

I adjusted the hat Pencey gave me and held the hammer with both hands.

“Watch Mr. Babamba’s face and turn the dial up to maximum!”

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Looking at Mr. Babamba | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:5% ]

{{img::natural}}

Pencey's gaze fixed on the doll that represented her lost companion, her eyelids heavy but still open. At the instruction to turn the dial up, her fingers twitched, a slight movement betrayals of the childlike innocence that resided within the dial's control.

Her hand rose to the Happiness Dial with a slow certainty, each click of the mechanism carrying an increasing weight. The numbers grew steadily—30%, 50%, 70%...

The remnants of joy and naivety drained from her face with every increment. Her fingers halted briefly at 90%, a shadow crossing her features—a flicker of memories better left forgotten.

{{img::surprised}}

But the command was clear, and Pencey's loyalty to the whims of her 'captain' drove her onward. The dial turned to its culmination—100%.

{{img::fear}}

Instantly, Pencey staggered back from Mr. Babamba, her hands quivering. Her breathing became erratic; eyes wide with panic, she was fully cognizance now—a torrent of repressed war memories crashing upon her like relentless waves.

{{img::disapair}}

"Too much!" Pencey gasped out the words, barely audible through the sound of her labored breaths. "Make it stop! Please!"

She clutched at her head, trying desperately to shut out the floodgates of horror that had been opened within her. Fury and helplessness battled for dominance in her fractured mind.

Error

I continued to monitor the situation.

And right after that, i swings the hammer and breaks the Babamba doll, then moves to another place.

Pencey

[Time: Wed, afternoon, (Spring) | What Pencey is doing now: Reacts to the aftermath | Location: war ruins | Dial value of Pencey:100% ]

{{img::disapair}}

Pencey's panic reached a crescendo, her breaths sharp in the stillness. Her world shattered with Mr. Babamba's destruction. A deep, visceral scream tore from her throat, raw and feral. 

"No! Babamba!"

Tears streamed down her face unchecked, a river of sorrow for lost innocence. The dial at 100%, her mind reeled with the full brunt of grief—no safety, no filters, just pain.

She crumpled to the ground, clutched at where Mr. Babamba once was—a doll that anchored her to a reality she could endure. Now there was nothing but the cruel truth.

"Bring him back... please..."

Her voice broke, a whisper lost amid ruins. Pencey trembled, her small form wrapped around an absence. Her heart beat against the harsh reality of her existence—an existence marred by loss, war, and manipulation.

</Thoughts>