Basodrille
The Diminishing Toughs
prefix baso suffix drille
rexus brux
number
163
occupant
phlegmatic
height
4 ft, 2 in
length
14 ft, 2 in
weight
144 lbs
size variance
19%
I.Q.
807-876
core temp.
44-46°F
stability
84%
prevalence
4%
constancy
24%
longevity
78-80 months
no. appearing
2-30
near
complex / imitative
physical appearance
The basodrille /ˈbæsɪdɹɪl/ is a cerise and white stranger with thin, dark extensions at the tips of its jaws, tail, and fingers. It can be further characterized by its jagged, hard jaws,πŠ‰ which are strong enough to crush bricks.
πŠ‰ ADDENDUM: the rubbery cavity of its inner mouth connects to no internal chamber.
The basodrille's surface is much like a synthetic human dermis. When touched,𐋇 it tightens against the firm tissues beneath, which resemble the foam of an office chair cushion, albeit denser.
𐋇 NOTE: resistant to cutting, the expulsion that bursts forth from the regenerative "flesh" is first foamy, then dusty, while the damaged tissue grows back within the week. only rarely does it scar garishly.
The strain's voice is identical between individuals, and sounds like a woman's voice. Artificial, yet only just so β€” the cadence and tone recall that of a telephone operator. In its speech, it primarily borrows phonemes (and some full words) from the daily language spokenβΌ‚ within its territory.
βΌ‚ NOTE: not averse to repeating some widely-spoken five-to-eight word phrases. "Can I help you with that?" (or equivalent) seems particularly popular.
That-that-that wiwiwi too ward to, that.
environment and generation
The basodrille appears in administrative offices that contain both a reception area, and at least ten desks. It does not appear within abandoned or derelict spaces, though it does like outdated furniture, electronics, and decor more than it does new. As long as conditionsᎾ remain unchanged, infestations tend to be recurrent.
Ꮎ OTHER APT PREDICTORS: drop-ceilings, dim fluorescent lighting, wall-to-wall carpeting. neutral beige, white, or grey shades.
The basodrille's generation is abrupt,α‚£ flicker-fading into existence with a resounding twang.
α‚£ SPECIFICS: the visual distortion can be compared to the way in which the graphics on older CRT monitors shake and fade in when degaussed.
Newly generated basodrille are 70% the size of their mature peers, although their proportions and behaviour are no different. Young basodrille age gradually, becoming fully mature at just over three months of age.
behaviour and effects
The basodrille possesses a surly and ill-mannered (but not volatile) temperament. Through a small territory, it paces in paths that gently follow the locale's daily routines. When in motion, the stranger stalks forward with an unraveling and extension of its long fingers, its steps neither hurried nor short, but instead overreaching. Each footfall is accompanied by a backwards bobbing of the head, which grows more pronounced in older individuals. Carrying itself from desk to hall, and desk to cabinet, the basodrille simulates the actions of the space in a scattered, abridged manner.𐑖
𐑖 NOTE: mimics typing (no more than six keystrokes at a time). opens and shuts drawers (up to five times in a row). lifts up, then puts down a pencil (once only). holds a piece of paper (no more than twenty seconds in duration).
It does not engage in any such impression for any length of time, however, nor does it tend to return to a behaviour that has already been performed. In addition, though it is equally dextrous as a human and shows no difficulty in manipulating the world around it, the basodrille does not utilize its handsᎺ in strictly human ways.
Ꮊ ADDENDUM: the index and forefingers coil twice each around the drawer handle, in opposite directions. with its other arm, it reaches up the shelf and grabs the (plastic mug's) mug-handle. it holds the mug with all five fingers, and the palm makes no contact with the mug or its handle.
When at rest, the thin, dark tendrils of the basodrille's lips and fingers roamჁ independently of one another.
Ⴡ NOTE: the creature stands, its palms upon the carpet. one long fluorescent light remains illuminated, out of the room's fifteen. the bulb's brightness remains on the dimmest setting.
speech between individuals
The basodrille speaks to its companions often, in what seems to be an involuntary act. Each basodrille limits itself to a number of phrases, which, in turn, are influenced by the phrases spoken by its companions. As such, its conversations tend to be branching, but ultimately repetitive. Though one lone basodrille emits only several utterances per day, groups of basodrille spend hours at a time engaged in chatty displays.
bullying between individuals
The basodrille bullies𐑕 its companions.
𐑕 EXAMPLES: shoving, yanking of the tail or snout, or a dragging of the hand across the face.
The bullied basodrille reacts only minimally. It may look surprised or offended for a moment, but quickly returns to its own pursuits.
Each basodrille engages in these interactions numerous times a day, and is particularly cruel towards juvenile individuals, and knocks them to the ground over and over, or holds them down and places its weight upon them to crush them.
The basodrille causes no lasting harm with these actions, nor do victimized individuals hold grudges.
interactions with sensitives
The basodrille treats sensitives the same way it treats its companions; it bullies𐑗 them.
𐑗 EXAMPLES: it causes pain, though not severely – pulling at the skin of the cheeks, yanking at the hair, and giving rug burns to the arm.
Though the basodrille is light enough that it can be pushed off, it is preferable for the sensitive to endure physical contact, as any resistance causes the muscles to soften and detach from the bone.
All bullying behaviours last for less than three minutes, after which point the basodrille grows suddenly disinterested, and returns to its routine. Bullying recurs in three to five minute intervals, growing less vehement each time (from yanks to rug burns, and shoves to pokes), until after five to eleven ribbings, further bullying behaviour towards all sensitives disappears completely.
behavioural sub-typing
When not engaged in bullying, the basodrille is tame enough towards sensitives to tolerate all handling. It especially allows a sensitive to place a small, round item (such as a golf ball, walnut, or cherry) into its mouth. Guided by gentle pressing on the part of the sensitive, the basodrille cracks down upon the object. Performed successfully, the individual begins to express one of four behavioural subtypes.𐑔
𐑔
behaviour "one". the basodrille follows the sensitive at a distance. when the sensitive stops after a prolonged period of rapid movement, the basodrille catches up, and lightly caresses the sensitive on either the elbow, or other joints within reach (such as the knees or knuckles). this behaviour replaces the bullying behaviour (if present), and similarly diminishes in enthusiasm each time.
behaviour "two". the basodrille walks forward then continuously presses itself into a wall, oblivious to all other activities.
behaviour "three". grabs and shakes the head of its companions as its only bullying behaviour, and ignores sensitives.
behavior "four", or "the ignoble prankster". the basodrille becomes wild in its bullying. it runs around their perimeter, slaps-then-bolts, trips them up, and pummel-pops the knuckles.
When attacked by a sensitive, the basodrille appears surprised. Despite a jaw strength that could break bones with ease, the basodrille does not utilize its maw as a weapon. Assault by a sensitive tends to be greeted with confusion, stupefaction, and then surrender.
aging and death
A basodrille near the end of its life span gravitates towards other individuals in a similar stage. The pair loses any remaining antagonistic tendencies, and focus their attention towards each other. When it is time for them to die, they walk shoulder-to-shoulder and lie down in unison. Their death snaps them out of existence with the same degaussing shimmer that marked their birth.
The basodrille cannot die on its own; it must either wait until another basodrille reaches the end of its lifespan, or die of unnatural causes. A singular late-stage basodrille bullies itself with weak punches, half-hearted pinching of the skin, and limp slaps to the face, as it displays a silent but exaggerated mockery of distress. When the lone individual is attacked during this stage, however, it does not seem relieved, but instead curls its tendrils around itself and gives up, shuddering in fear. Once it dies, it degausses and fades away no differently than its coupled peers.