tdm 8

[hownkai]

T E S T D R I V E

ABOARD THE MOIRA Whether adjusting to space travel has been difficult or not, there is always something to be done. From working to leisure, the Moira offers a multitude of opportunities to get to know your crewmates a bit better. Exploration of the ship is highly encouraged, but as another planet grows closer to being docked, things start to get a little hectic. You'll notice a slight change in the artificial gravity as the Moira is pulled into a gravitational field; however, more noticeable changes can be found in the overall morale as you prepare to descend. ☄ on your own There are plenty of other communal areas on the ship to explore! Pick a place, and see where it takes you. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) ☄ round 'em up The day begins normally. You check out the mess hall and report to your assigned job, and so far, nothing seems incredibly out of place. However, as the hours pass, you begin to notice something strange scurrying along wall edges and into open vents. For the most part, these rodents are harmless—in this stage. While they may get into the food supply in the Cargo Bay or terrorize those in the kitchen, they are not violent and appear to be skittish. However, once they've "matured" - the color of their tail will have changed from a light gray to a very dark purple, prompting them to enter a temporary stasis inside a cocoon - they aren't so cute anymore. These paklers are vicious, will bite if they're caught, and defend themselves with claws as well as the protrusions on their bodies. There is nothing to be done about them except capture them and eject them into space as they are considered a pest and very harmful to the crew and the ship. Once they run out of food, they will turn on each other as well as anything resembling a living creature. The captains provide the proper equipment, electric nets as well as tranquilizers, to assist with the capture of the paklers and their immediate removal from the Moira. ☄ what's yours is mine Something seems a bit off about the laundry delivery service these days, doesn't it? Has the Moira always had one of those? Whether you realize it immediately or not, something is very wrong about the clothes that have suddenly appeared in your wardrobe. They are either much too big or far too small, and as far as you can tell, there seems to be no happy medium in all of this. Will you Dress To Impress in your new uniforms? Will you swap with someone who might be a similar size regardless of the fact their uniform colors are not the same as your own? Or will you simply walk naked through the halls of the ship, carefree and bare to the rest of your crewmates? ☄ n'sync While exploring the ship, first down one hall and then another, you come across a strange door you've never seen before. When you pull it open, you'll find someone, a crew member, standing on the other side, hand outstretched as if they've just opened that door from the opposite side. Every move you make, they mirror, and if they shift to the left or right, you also shift left or right. Absolutely everything the both of you do is the same except for the words that come out of your mouth; somehow, you still manage to maintain the ability to talk without mimicking your partner. You're unable to completely control your movements again until someone says "in sync". Good luck figuring out the magic words, and if you decide to question the captains (or anyone else) about it, they won't have any idea what it is you're talking about. OUT OF CHARACTER INFO FAQ | LOCATIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION For mature or graphic content, please label. For questions, please direct them to the FAQ. As always, be kind and have fun!

Comments

[hostessing]

[ It's not quite clicking in Alys' mind. Once the Pretender had been executed as he so deserved, she had focused on her young boy's life. On everything she knew he could and would be. He was only two when she left, but already she had a map laid out for how his life would progress.

And at this age, everything else seemed to fit in perfectly. Except for his love life.

She maintains a polite expression as she regards him. Surely he has a reason. ]

I'm afraid I don't understand.

[ By which she really means, please, explain why and/or what in the world must have gone horribly, horribly wrong. ]

[whatdidisay]

( trust him, ivan knows that. he probably wouldn't be so adamant about not getting married otherwise. but how to explain that to his mother? )

It's just not something I want to do, Mamere.

( ever. back home she'd begrudgingly accepted this after a certain point, although ivan occasionally caught whiffs of disapproval whenever he'd just come out of a relationship. or a fling. or any time he stood near a woman, for that matter.

yes, he absolutely needs to keep his mother and elizabeth as far apart as humanly possible on this ship. blissfully unaware of each other's presence. yes, that sounds good. )

[hostessing]

[ Hm.

She's appraising him again. With Padma gone, she knows who she'd turn to for a male figure in Ivan's life. How much talking had the two shared over the years? Aral's male companions hadn't been a secret in the Vor gossip circles and she wonders if he'd given Ivan advice on how to pursue that if he truly didn't want to marry. It would be a choice many would disapprove of in high Vor society even if it was a tolerated dirty secret for many, but this is her son and she wouldn't love him any less.

But how does a Vor lady even ask her son that? Not outright. ]

Is that so. That is your choice. [ The words are said slowly, carefully. A small underlying hint of disappointment thrown in for good measure. There's a pause for good measure and she begins walking again as she turns the conversation down another path. ]

Did you spend much time with your Aunt Cordelia and Uncle Aral over the years?

[whatdidisay]

( oh, see, there's that disappointment he was waiting for, although the pause makes him curious. still. if his mother is going to let the topic drop that quickly, ivan's not going to complain. this is surely better than telling his mother all about his various romantic liaisons. surely.

he brightens slightly at the topic change -- this is a lot better than the remarks about his romantic life. )

I guess? Uncle Aral never really had time for me ( in both senses of the word ) and Aunt Cordelia was always busy with Miles. But I grew up with Miles and Elena and we spent time with the Koudelka sisters too, when they were old enough.

( the thing that ivan will never really admit is that miles is more like a brother than a cousin, if he had to pick a member of his family to describe as such. )

[hostessing]

[ If only. Aral could at least teach her son discretion if this was the route he was taking in life. ]

That's unfortunate. [ But she's not really surprised. With how much care Miles would require and Aral's position, the Vorkosigans had their hands full. ]

I'm sure you have other friends now besides those you grew up with. [ Friends he might be very close to. It would explain his unmarried state. ]

[whatdidisay]

We still visited plenty. Something about the bonds of family. ( ivan hates that. it makes him obligated to do things because he's related to them. you can't just chuck them out the moment they start dragging you into trouble. and believe him, miles started doing that from a very young age.

as for the question, ivan shrugs one shoulder noncommittally. ) The usual. Other officers from work, a few Vor.

( the ones who he hasn't upset by sleeping with women they had their eyes on, or their girlfriends/fiancées/wives.

he doesn't know how to say it's not a very exciting life to his own mother, who's disappointment ivan both courts regularly but hates being the target of all the same. he hates to think of what she'd do if she found out that he doesn't live up to any and every expectation she no doubts has in her mind. ivan already knows what she does when he's an adult. but he's still a kid to her, and maybe his mother hasn't gotten used to being constantly disappointed in him yet. )

[hostessing]

[ Yes, yes, she had a feeling they visited frequently. She has maintained that friendship with Cordelia that quickly began to grow when the woman came on planet and needed a local guide. Not visiting the Vorkosigans even with their busy schedule simply isn't an option.

And he's hanging out with other Vor. Which can be good or bad depending on which families. Surely she taught him which ones to keep his head down around.

She says carefully, ] It's good to hear that you have companions.

[ Is there something you need to tell her, son? ]

[whatdidisay]

( she absolutely did, and he absolutely does. except for that bit with donna vorrutyer a few years back.

right, companions. ivan certainly has plenty of those, but they're distinctly female. ivan's eyes go wide at the idea that his mother might have hit on his womanizing without him leading her straight to it. )

Er.

( no? )

[hostessing]

[ Ah. That's the reaction she had been expecting. It confirms her suspicions. So that's why he's not married, his preferences veer elsewhere. A slight pity given the heat it'd take off of him in Vor social circles, but it's her son and she still loves him.

She offers his arm a reassuring squeeze. ]

I do hope you use discretion.

[whatdidisay]

I don't think anyone would use 'discretion' to describe it.

( ivan mutters, feeling bad that his mother might have gotten the wrong idea about him and women even though he knows he shouldn't. it's good, right, that she thinks he's not an aggravation to her and a disappointment? was this the key to shaking his mother off all this time?

damn.

but the point remains: no one would use the word discretion to describe ivan's relationships with various women. )

[hostessing]

[ Her eyebrows raise. ]

Does everyone know?

[ That... That must make things incredibly hard for him. Unless the Barrayaran Imperial Service has changed so much over the years. If that's the path her son has chosen, she can only hope it has. ]

[whatdidisay]

It's hard to miss, Mamere.

( it really, really is. this also might have to do with the fact that some men don't want to be in ivan's company -- he has a habit of either hitting on the women they want to, or end up sleeping with their girlfriends half the time. which, ivan would like to say, isn't entirely his fault. those women normally initiate it, not him!

although he loves how nicely non-commitment they are right off the bat. )

[hostessing]

[ Well, now she's concerned. She watches him out of the corner of her eye as she walks, quiet a moment as she decides how best to phrase this question. ]

What assignments have you been given since that became news?

[whatdidisay]

The usual? My COs don't mind so long as it doesn't affect my work. Sometimes I oversleep, but I like to think it gave Captain Galeni a bit of excitement in his life. Before Miles completely upended it, rather.

( sure, maybe he gets a bit of crap about it here and there -- the usual snide remarks -- but it's not like it bothers anyone on a deep and fundamental level. except for the boyfriends and husbands of those he sleeps with, but that's... not the point. )

[hostessing]

[ Well, that's good to hear, although she frowns at the news that Miles makes it a habit to upend his COs lives. Really. She knows how out there Aral and Cordelia can be, but she'd expect their son to be better behaved in the Service. ]

And the other Vor?

[whatdidisay]

( oh, alys. you have much to learn about his frigging insane cousin. )

What about them? It's not like I'm doing something that no one else has.

( no one talks about it, that's all. )

[hostessing]

[ He's not wrong there. She shakes head and keeps her eyes forward. ]

No, but it doesn't stop some from talking. In less polite conversations.

[whatdidisay]

( oh is this about gossip? )

I wouldn't know, Mamere. I don't normally hang out with the gossipers enough to pay attention to what they do and don't say.

( true, to an extent. gossiping means trouble, and ivan likes to avoid that as much as possible. )

[hostessing]

[ She finds that hard to believe. Even those in the Service gossip and she doubts he could ignore that type of talk so easily. ]

Even your fellow soldiers?

[whatdidisay]

Oh. ( of course there's talk among soldiers. ) Those tend to be more... envious or congratulatory.

( his success with women is downright notorious. )

[hostessing]

[ Her eyebrows shoot up immediately. She's no soldier but... ]

Really? Has the Service changed so much?

[whatdidisay]

It must have?

( it's just now beginning to dawn on ivan that they might be onto two different things.


although he'll be damned if he can figure out what or how. )

[hostessing]

[ How can she say that she supports him and acknowledge this delicately? She gives his arm a reassuring pat. ]

I'm glad that your... choices haven't had ill repercussions on your career.

[whatdidisay]

No, I'm still on track to receive the standard promotion around thirty? S'not like my, uh, choices would prevent that.

( has anyone gotten in trouble for sleeping with a lot of women?

all of the men who died in duels previously excluded, of course. )

[hostessing]

[ She nods in acknowledgement. In a good twenty-five years, Barrayar would have more exposure to galactic trends. Hopefully for the better. ]

Maybe not in your time.