With new wonders, Isobel began to settle in, the warehouse located in the pack of water, ruined but manageable. The hoard of cash helped with Otto's project, although his ways of purchasing components remained unknown.
Meanwhile, Isobel decided to set up her little area where she had her stashes of items, fooling around with her stuff in curiosity. Whatever Otto was doing seemed to have turned into a waiting game. All he could do was wait until his segments and materials appeared to him.
During this time, he decided to take this time to get to know his strange, otherworldly alien. Otto gradually approached her, wondering what exactly she was doing.
"So, Isobel. I'm eager to learn more of you." He decided to seat himself to the nearest compatible surface.
"What do you want to know?"
Otto glanced at her appearance, her strikingly lengthened tail and pointy ears.
"Why do you have a tail?"
"It's what I had ever since. I guess... It was integrated with the human form when I took it." She smiled softly, "It helps to balance. Guides me."
"So, you're part cat?" He questioned. Isobel's brow rose in confusion; stunned by his conclusion.
"Cat? Like the little furry animals that run around?" She chuckles at his attempt, "No. I maybe look like them? But far from it!"
"What things can you do with that orb?"
Isobel stood on her feet and began to demonstrate, "Um, this?" Suddenly, she drew energy and pointed a random piece of rubbish sitting in the corner, moving it from afar.
"Bright flash! I can make you float and Forces that make you kaboom!" Isobel gestured an explosion with her hands and expression, enthusiastic in exhibiting her abilities and proficiency in which made her delighted to share.
"Fascinating." He says. His words were flattering, the first charming thing she's heard in all her time on earth.
"Do I... Interest you?"
"You're an interesting discovery, that's all. Right now, I'm focusing on my reactor."
Isobel leaned forward, "Seems so special." she said.
"It's all I can do."
Isobel became bored and looked through her pile of stuff, a stack of magazines that she took; all sorts of variety. Intrigued, she flipped through the pages, interested in the contents and its images.
Otto stared at her, impressed and intrigued. It was a rare opportunity to interact with another astute being. He began to ask questions, mainly of an informational nature."When did you arrive on earth?"Isobel paused, her finger on a picture in one of the magazines, she looked up and said, "I don't remember. It was dark and there were so many people all around me that I fled."
"Fled?"
"Yeah. I was terrified. I felt weak, so I ran away. Sounded like a good idea at the time." He thought about it for a while and remembered the time where New York experienced a blackout through the city. A glowing crystal that had crashed in the middle of it all, perhaps it was her? But, why would she be here? "The blackout, the crash from above. It was all around the news. That was you?"
"Oh, yeah, that was me." Isobel's eyes went distant with memories. Isobel was getting tired of talking
"Do we have any food?" Isobel asked.
"Food..." He said. Isobel nodded, "You humans do eat... yes? I guess you don't?"
"Yes and no. Why are you asking these assumptions? Of course, I do... I just don't feel like it now." Otto was tired and worked up, the connection of the sentient arms to his vertebrae was aching. He was starting to feel as if he had a dozen rubber bands wrapped around him. Isobel noticed that he was dimming down like something was bothering him from the inside.
"Do you need to rest?" She asked.
"I don't know," Otto admitted. Isobel's eyes flittered around, looking at the intimidating set of tentacle arms from his back. "Otto? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I'll be alright. Just let me... Just give me a moment."Isobel's eyes lit up. She tried to understand the matter, knowing something was off but she hardly could grasp the negativity of his discomfort. Her eyes glanced at the pile of magazines, her pile of clothes, and the pile of her tail.
"What's wrong? Tell me." Then, he abruptly stood up in vicious anger at her with his tentacle arms threatening her to back off.
"Stop talking!" His voice exclaimed. Isobel began backing away in a deferential posture."Stop it! NOW!" He roared.
This time she stayed silent, slipping in an awkward smile, not too fazed by his outrage. He faced away from her, clawing at his head in aggravation as his tentacle limbs grew erect. It appeared like he was battling something inside his head, his mind growing intense with anguish. All he needed was some time alone, so, Isobel backed off and left Otto to his privacy. She looked over her shoulder, watching him still, the man she knew as Otto lying on the ground, the man she had met less than an hour ago.
Isobel wanted to understand the feelings he was combating, the overall familiarity of it all... But, all the while the more she probed, the more it seemed like an illusion. She hadn't met this human before, she had only interacted with him. What was there to interact with? She went back to her little space and resumed her avocation, skimming through her magazines.
After some time, Otto emerged from his place of contemplation. He didn't speak but began the commencement of his fusion reactor construction. Isobel was curious to see what he would do, he was an accomplished man; his numerous skills would likely be put to good use in the construction of the fusion core. However, he was also a man who would not be rushed, and who would do things his way. The fusion core would have to wait.
Otto sat down across from Isobel. He picked up one of the magazines from the stack on the floor, looked through it, and set it back down. He was confused by her hoarding and began to wonder, "Why do you have all of this?" Isobel had to be coy here, if she told him what she wanted, he would most likely refuse, and she needed his help.
She leaned on her hand and shrugged, "All these wonders, all these things! One I don't understand is… are emotions you people feel." Otto considered this.
"That is a curious thing. Yes, we do feel things."
"Things? Or the absence of things?"
"Both." Otto faced her "Emotions are a natural experience, it comes to you."
"Isobel nodded. "Yes, that's what I thought." Otto was growing weary of her coyness."What do you want?"
Isobel smiled. " I want to know these emotions. I know there's more to this world than playing around." Otto was silent for a moment, and Isobel could tell some progress was being made.
"That's the reason why you want to stay here? To learn emotions?!" His tone was becoming bitter with skepticism. Otto wasn't feeling energized, so instead, he excused himself from this conversation, leaving Isobel alone in her own little space. Otto walked over to his workstation and began to program, his robotic arms dancing as they choreographed his motions. Isobel went about her work, trying to understand these strange creatures.
The day came and Otto worked tirelessly through the hours. The sun was beating down at Isobel as daylight weaken her. Otto never broke his concentration, his efforts were tireless. Isobel's understanding of the emotions was growing but so too was her frustration. All she could do was lay around in the shadows, reading magazines and skimming through her collection of literature. She looked down at her tail, which had grown to almost half her height. It lay on the floor behind her, its tip twitching now and then.
She was growing bored now that she had all of these things to occupy herself with. She spotted a magazine that said, "The meaning of Life" on the cover.
This was interesting. What did humans think the meaning of life was? She opened the magazine to the first page.
LIFE is a joke, a farce, a tragedy.
Or is it? Life, it seems, is what you _choose_ to make it. Life is what you _do_. Life, if you want it, is also _dying_.
It was a strange set of words, but Isobel liked the sound of it. Life, if you do not like the way it is, you have two choices, you may either:
Isobel stopped reading.
It seemed long enough between the silence Isobel stood up and stretched from all the sitting and carefully approached Otto as he was invested in his project. His eyes moved from her as he continued to work.
"What is it you want?"
"I'm bored. Entertain me." Isobel said it teasingly, but Otto did not respond in kind. Otto continued to work. He sensed that Isobel was a social creature, needed attention but Otto was too focused on his work.
He ignored her. Isobel could feel her frustration escalating. She backed away from him and resumed her spot. Otto was deep in thought and he did not notice Isobel skirting around him, jumping around like an obnoxious child. Isobel was growing annoyed at his behavior. She was tired of being ignored.
She came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to violently turn with annoyance. Otto was about to speak, but Isobel placed one finger against her lips. Otto was still, though he had a wicked gleam in his eye. "You're starting to frustrate me." He says, "What do you want?" Isobel was surprised. It was not like Otto to be so blunt, but he was starting to lose his temper.
"Give all your attention to me now." Says Isobel, "I'm bored, and I want to have a conversation with you." Otto was still visibly angered, and he glared at Isobel. He tried to calm down and perhaps it was better to just take a break, for now, he left his workstation while Isobel remained standing there looking off into the distance. The two of them walked out of the room. Isobel's tail twitched slightly.
"Well…?" Said Otto, "What do you want?" Isobel had an idea. "Why don't you and I play a little game?" Otto cocked his head in confusion.
"Game?" He said, "What kind of game?" Isobel thought for a moment. "I can't exactly sit around and do nothing, can I?" She said. Otto rolled his eyes,
"I don't have time for this." he said in a dark tone "Let's play!" Said Isobel, "Hide and seek."
"Hide and seek? That's a child's game. I'm not playing that game." Isobel did not understand.
"Okay, we'll… about that. There's a whole world of things we can do. Anything you can think of we can do." Otto shook his head. "Fine."
"Okay. You seek I hide!" Isobel said excitedly."Okay, I'll hide now." Isobel grinned and began to find a hiding place in this ruined warehouse Isobel finds a hiding spot as Otto tries to seek for her Isobel found a nice, comfy spot under some stairs and she carefully crawled in and covered herself with a large carpet. Otto was baffled.
There was just silence as the countdown ended. Otto now had to seek for Isobel in this game. "1..!" "2..!" Otto's fingers tapped against each other in a nervous rhythm. "3..!" He wasn't interested in playing a child game with her but she was persistent and annoying.
"Let's get this over with." He murmured. Isobel who was quite content in her hiding spot could sense Otto's apprehension. It amused her.
"This'll be fun!" She said, "I've never played hide and seek before." Otto looked around the ruined place and swore he saw her tail perch from the debris
"I can see your tail, Isobel." He said in a low voice as he went to look among the ruined place. He came closer to what he thought was where Isobel was hiding. To his surprise, she was not there. Suddenly, Isobel jumped from the ceiling and rose from the shadows as she let a slight scare out of him. Of course, he was a grown man and it didn't entirely get him but Isobel had a certain childish form of beauty.
Isobel giggled and laughed, "Okay, you hide now." She said but Otto stopped her and said, "No. No more games." Otto's manner was serious. Isobel could tell that they were done playing for the day. "Fine," she said pouting, She made way to her books and magazines, Isobel looked at Otto and could tell he was tiring himself out.
