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TDM 1

AUGUST TEST DRIVE MEME

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 the planet's gravitational field; however, more noticeable changes can be found in the overall morale as you prepare to descend.

☄ on the aft:

Offering an unobstructed view, it's quite easy to see stars that are still light years away. Like your own personal observatory, things are relatively quiet since other members are busy. While visiting, your steps may feel lighter as the ship's gravity is affected most here, but don't worry! The barrier surrounding the aft will keep you from floating away. Take note: if you happen to find yourself alone, no matter how brief, you may hear a distant echo — like a voice calling to you. For the most part, it's harmless. However, those curious enough to attempt to heed those words may find themselves suddenly jettisoned into space through a momentary lapse in the Moira's safety systems.

Hopefully you're wearing your thermals! The MID relay will alert the ship of this emergency, but who knows how long it will take for someone to retrieve you.

☄ in the mess hall:

It's breakfast time! On the buffet lining the back wall, you'll find an assortment of hurriedly prepared foods, but it's not the rations you've been accustomed to since the last port. There are stacks of green pancakes that taste like stale yet metallic bread. Are those eggs? Yes. Do they taste good? Probably not. Since supplies are scarce, there isn't much else to eat. The water might seem a bit brown, but is that really water you're drinking? After a while, depending on how much you've drank, you start to feel lightheaded... That's some strong space liquor right there.

☄ on your own:

There are plenty of other communal areas on the ship to explore! Pick a place, and see where it takes you.

PLANET EXPLORATION

Welcome to Hyacintho!

WARNINGS for possible psychological trauma, suffocation, and hallucinations.

From the outside, Hyacintho appears to be devoid of natives. Its landscape is sparse of vegetation with many slow-flowing streams tinted a murky blue. Craggy rock formations jut up randomly from the ground, hinting at abrupt development and are razor-sharp to the touch. Upon further exploration, dome-like structures can be found and appear to be abandoned settlements. Some are smaller and clustered close to the ground while others are elevated and connected by swinging bridges. Watching your MID here is critical; it monitors atmospheric composition with steady beeps that signal hazardous conditions. Staying on Hyacintho's surface for extended periods of time is ill-advised.

☄ the dormant volcanoes:

Scoping Hyacintho's peculiar topography leads to the discovery of inactive volcanoes and lava tubes. Some are easily accessible while others take more effort to reach—it's a steep climb to the vent. The ground shifts under your feet and can make walking difficult. Yet, the closer you come to a particular one, you may notice subtle changes in temperature and the air smelling faintly of sulfur. Perhaps this planet isn't as latent as you first thought.

Around midday, vibrations are unexpectedly felt and whatever light from Hyacintho's suns is blotted out by ashy clouds the same color as the ground. Small pockets of blue lava seep from those sharp rock formations, and that light sulfuric smell has now become increasingly overwhelming. Time to make a quick escape back to the Moira!

☄ the delirium:

When something terrible happens, sometimes it leaves a trace, a wound that acts as a knot between two timelines. It's like an echo repeated over and over, waiting to be heard... Like a scar or a pinch that begs for a caress to relieve it. An itch under your skin or a memory fading before your eyes.

The faint sound of your MID has grown unreasonably loud. In the back of your mind, you know what it means, but you're too lethargic to attend to its warning. Where once you believed Hyacintho to be absent of life, it is now overrun. Falling back to the safety of the ship is now much too difficult to do quickly. Your limbs are heavy, the natives' faces blurry and unrecognizable as if they're a great distance away, but you swear you can feel them breathing on your neck, dragging their hands down your arms and back. You struggle, falling over yourself and are swayed by the delusions you are rapidly succumbing to. Yet, somehow, the Moira is just ahead. Within reach. Are you at the door now? Are your friends with you to drag you inside? Are they even calling to you?

You ask yourself why you're breathing so heavily.

You aren't.

OUT OF CHARACTER INFO

FAQ | LOCATIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION

For mature or graphic content, please label. Test Drive Memes are not game canon but can be used as samples in applications. For questions, please direction them to the FAQ. As always, be kind and have fun!

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[Yeah, he's not familiar enough with Matt to know how that works, but Bucky does know how to project. It's why he tends to blend in so well. So right now, he's trying to project 'not hostile' as much as he can, considering.] Steve would say that.

[The question makes him cringe back just slightly.] It was less about you and me, more about Natasha. Her, because of me. You didn't deserve to get dragged in.

[Soeki is lying if he says he's not incredibly freaked out just by being here. In space. Like an astronaut. Alien stuff? Completely out of his wheelhouse, completely incompatible with magic and especially necromancy. So he does what he usually does when he's freaked out and lonely, he wanders and he checks things out and tries to take his mind off stuff, because it's either that, or lay in his bunk and miss his dad and his jerk sister.

The medbay catches his attention. His dad is a doctor, and the very nature of the kinds of things his family is infamous for means that knowing how to patch yourself up is a useful and necessary skill. (He still fondly remembers family suture class, with him and Eira practicing on thawed frozen turkeys that Dad had "made wounds" in. Less fun was eating said turkeys later and picking stray suture threads out of their teeth.) So this is where he finds himself, cautious like he thinks someone's going to kick him out any minute now, trying to surreptitiously take a peek at some of the equipment and supplies.

He startles and drops a metal tray when he hears a quiet sound from behind, and whirls around to find a girl. Is she crying?]

Hey. You uh, you okay there? If I'm interrupting I can go but honestly the better place to cry is probably the showers, I mean that's where I've been doing my crying lately.

[ Joker gives a quiet snort. ] Yeah, I know what you mean. My boss is the same way, even though I'm not sure she's aware of it half the time. Or maybe she just prefers to pretend she's not.

[ Shepard hadn't been entirely comfortable with the role they'd shoved her into at the beginning. He's not sure he blames her, considering where it's taken her since then. No one can deny she's a natural, however. ]

It certainly keeps life interesting.

I could probably count on my fingers the times I've actually been on Earth. [ Joker chuckles and lifts one shoulder in a careless shrug. ] My parents were from there, though. I grew up on Arcturus Station. It's about 36 light years away. And no, we didn't have any play dough there. Or at least, I never did.

[ There had been more hospitals in his childhood than daycares, and anytime there hadn't been, he'd been sneaking into the hangars and ship bays.

Still, he reaches out and clasps the man's hand easily, giving him a wry quirk of his lips as he introduces himself. ] Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. Although most people call me Joker.

[A: The Aft]
[This is definitely space. This is definitely space and Soeki is both fascinated and terrified, because this is so far out of his realm of experience that it's actually new and that... that's kind of amazing, part of him is saying (but that part needs to shut up because it's the part that ends up getting him in trouble) while the other part is screaming and wetting itself in abject terror. What the hell is a necromancer going to do in space? He really has no idea, but there's no trying to deny that he's here and he's going to have to figure it out.

He just wishes he wasn't going at it alone. Is it pathetic that he misses his dad and his sister? Probably. Eira'd call him a weenie. He tries to take his mind off things instead.

So you might see a grown man in his late twenties take little hopping jump steps, feeling the shift in gravity, testing it out to see how far it goes, and looking like a little kid who's just discovered the best game ever.] This is so cool.

[B: The Medbay]
[You know that one guy in the jamjar? The one who is entirely unfamiliar with all this futuristic crap but can't keep his hands to himself, so he has to touch everything? That's Soeki Halloway-Crowe. He's found his way back into the medbay and he's exploring every room he can get into, taking stock of what kinds of supplies are available, where they are, and how different they may or may not be from the first aid supplies and hospital-grade stuff he's used to working with.

He's all over the medbay, pressing his face to the cryo units with interest, oohing and aahing over the the various machinery... And then he finds the morgue door.]

Now we're talking. [Wanna discourage him from trying to get in there? Someone probably should.]

[C: The Delirium]
[If you're lucky, you stayed closer to the ship. Soeki was not that smart, though. There's noise in his ears, but he can barely move, can't summon up the urgency in his muscles to propel himself farther than he is now in short, stumbling steps. At one point, he ends up crawling back in whatever direction he thinks is the ship, screaming just to try and drown out the ringing in his ears. The natives are all around, why are they here? Where did they come from? Are they all dead?

He's susceptible to things like this, he knows that in the back of his mind, but all he can feel is breathing on his neck and his own painful, slow attempt to reach the ship again. They're all around him and his fightened babbling reflects what he's seeing or- or not seeing.] They're dead, they're all dead, fuck, fuck, fuck- [It's half a scream, half a sob, and he's struggling to his feet again. The idea plants itself into his head that he's seeing ghosts. It's the only thing that makes sense to him.]

Somebody help me, please-!

Understatement.

[ He appreciates the man not commenting on it, as well as the slight turn to give him a moment of privacy to drag himself back together. A moment of focus and he's almost breathing normally again, settling back into the state of casual ease he normally portrays. If he's still a little pale and tense... well. That's to be expected, right? ]

I'm a pilot. Flight Lieutenant, technically. My ship's not like this one - this is tech I've never seen before. But yeah. I'm used to it.

You're not? [ It's asked with a curious glance sideways at the man, wondering if he's from one of the worlds where humans are still stuck on Earth. Poor sods. ]

[Bucky's not so bothered about the food, but he's used to his Tony complaining. He sits down at the same table casually with his own plate, rolling his eyes at the commentary.] It's not that bad. That's alcohol, by the way. [It's supposed to be a friendly tip to someone who doesn't drink anymore - he hasn't quite gotten a good look at this Tony just yet.

When he does, though, he stares, expression slowly flattening out from what it was before, to something a lot more neutral.]

Did space shrink you a few inches? [Shit, this is going to be an alternate universe thing, isn't it?]

[ Joker had wandered down to explore this area of the ship more out of boredom than any intent to use the training facilities himself. Plus people doing things like the Turian currently was just made him look bad.

Instead, he leans against the door frame for a moment, watching in silence before taking a few steps forward, his tone light and easy despite the intent look in his eyes. ]

So this is what you do when you're not calibrating things, huh? Beating up defenseless dummies? What'd he say to piss you off so bad? [ The question's accompanied by a sardonic motion at the poor target Garrus is currently in the process of murdering. ]

[ At first, she doesn't hear him actually talking to her. Even if the crying isn't all that loud, the medbay is particularly quiet, and almost anything could probably be heard there. Still, Eily is hardly adept when it comes to these things, having only ever cried once before, and she sits up, rubbing at her cheeks. The comment is a bit odd, though she tries for a smile despite how heavy her chest continues to feel. ]

Why would I want to do it there? [ She sounds genuine curious, though her voice is tinged with the hint of tears. Her face is wet, and crying is always too exhausting for her. Maybe she should have stayed in her room. ] You don't have to go.

[It seems to be just the two of them in here right now, so it's hard to miss, quiet as she is. And maybe he should have just quietly backed out and left her to it, but he's awkward and he's weak and honestly, he can really sympathize right now. He rummages around for a minute and comes back with tissues, holding out the box to her.]

Nobody else can hear over the water running. And then dumbasses like me don't end up witnessing your tears. [He shrugs a little bit.] I get it, though. Missing someone? Because I keep having those spells too. Your chest hurts and everything feels messed up and you can't stop crying even though it's stupid and your sister would call you a weenie...

You were on a ship too?

[At least that's consistent. Now Tony is wondering what kind of place this guy and his ship were in. If he doesn't recognize the view, they might be in an entirely different dimension or time, not just lost in a distant galaxy. Then what?]

We should at least be seeing some signs of other people around. Wherever this is, we must be off course from where we want to be.

[The Moira just doesn't seem to be a vessel built for lone scouting. Maybe he's misjudging things here since he just arrived, but the lack of crew doesn't seem to fit that sort of mission.]

Unless the captains like getting lost.

[ The normalcy of this is a bit laughable. Lirec could slip through the shadows of the people on this ship and torment them until they cry, until they beg, and still, it would bore him. Much the same as the insanity that grips them now, he pushes through it with an ease that's uncanny. He is the rage inside the darkness of this world and the next, of all others. A forgotten thing that has resided in the depths of Hell with Lucifer in his palm. He is to serve and empower, because that is the agreement they have come to, but here? Here, he is free to do as he pleases, and it pleases him to watch these delicate things suffer.

Which is exactly how he finds Soeki, observing only as he struggles to grasp the reality of his situation. Had Lirec the inclination, he really might have laughed, but there's a heaviness to the way he moves closer that has nothing to do with the madness encompassing the others around them. ]

Why help someone who is just as dead? [ It's like a whisper in his ear, though he's hardly close enough to touch. After all, he is more interested in the potential transaction this would bring, and he's waited millennia for something new. ]

[Tony shifts, watching his new company at the table with a raised eyebrow that only arches higher when he is addressed like the brunette knows him. Well, everyone knows him--at least where and when he's from--but this is a more personal kind of 'knows him'. His thoughts skip to his blue-eyed counterpart on the observation deck. Oh, swell. This was likely to get very confusing very quickly if these meetings kept up.

Tony's gaze drops to the cup again. Alcohol's tempting, he has to admit, but right now getting pissed doesn't sound like the wisest course of action. Maybe a little later in the day, so he sets the cup down.]

Good to know. [Barely a beat later,] Sorry, do I know you, Bionicle? Nice piece of tech, by the way. Who's the manufacturer?

[He feels like he should recognise him, or the arm anyway, but the only footage of Buck's counterpart he's seen from his universe was filed away in his head under Subjects Never To Bring Up Around Cap. Which means it only pops to the forefront of his recollection when Rogers is around, naturally.]

[Things Christian did not expect to do today: go to space. He's still taking it all in. There was some talk about a gate or something that was used to bring him on board this ship, but it frankly sounded a lot like the kind of gibberish they used to explain things on old black and white science fiction shows. For a minute he feels like he might be on one of those shows, but no, it has to be a dream.

Christian wanders through the decks, marveling at the way the whole ship feels different. Unreal, in a way, which is funny when half of your experiences tend to toe the line of fantasy to begin with, and eventually comes across another person who seems to be playing by one of the observation windows. He hesitates before approaching, but it's not like he'll be able to avoid people when they're stuck in one place. So he steps forward and clears his throat to announce his presence.]

Should you really be doing that? You could get sucked out.

[Bucky miscalculated. He's definitely not familiar with this one, the little details are all wrong, even down to the attitude and body language. How did he not see it before? He wasn't expecting two, that's how, but he's still kicking himself for being so unobservant. At least this one doesn't seem to recognize him (not that this Bucky really looks much like Tony's world's Bucky, he's older and a lot more worn, a rough 30 or so), which means no awkward shared history with another Barnes. Thank God for small favors.

He lifts a brow at the mocking nickname, the uncomfortable question about his arm (this one is SHIELD and Tony Stark made, not the one the Russians saddled him with, but wow, rude).] If you knew me, you'd know the answer already. Which means I've got the wrong breakfast companion.

Oh, that it does. You know, I have the feeling the two of them might get along. I think it'd delight my mother, to talk to someone else who changes the world just by existing in it, for once.

[ miles knows his mother doesn't think she's particularly ordinary, but he knows better. barrayar would have changed most people; but with cordelia, it had no choice but to be changed by her instead. that remark comes with a good-natured smirk from miles, tilting his head up to look out the viewport. it occurs to him that now that they've cordially exchanged medical histories, miles ought to introduce himself. he holds out a hand. ]

I'm Miles, by the way. [ he snickers, then, almost a giggle. ] You know, I think this is the first time I haven't had to worry about getting my hand broken in a handshake with a grown man.

No, we shouldn't be rude. We should be careful.

[There was nothing wrong with a little caution. They had no way of knowing what was in the beverage. It could just be alcohol. Or dirty water. Or a poisoned concoction that withers your insides, effectively killing you.

Yes, a little bit of caution was best here.]

Have you spoken with anyone about it? I'd like to discuss it, get a feel for the truth of it, before I indulge. [Because he was thirsty, bordering on dehydrated.] If not, we will go together and ask.

[Another learning opportunity, if anything, and they might uncover something in their investigation.]

the mess hall;
[ blackwall is sitting alone at a side-corner table, looking about as comfortable as a bird in a room of cats. fortunately, most of that expression only comes out in his eyes. his mouth is usually expressionless, which may have more to do with the beard than anything else.

a magnificent beard, thank you very much. unlike these pancakes. why did everything taste of nothingness? of all the questions fueling his migraine, he chose to focus on the food. the least threatening, and most irritating.

he was hungry, damnit. he mutters, to no one in particular - ] Where did these cakes come from? The bloody rift?

the not-so-dormant volcanoes;
[ oh, well, this was absolutely fantastic. smoke, fire, sulfur, fire, liquid melting fire bubbling up inside the volcano. he'd never seen such a thing. there weren't any dragons or demons around causing it. this was simply an act of nature. it was mesmerizing.

perceiving relative safety from the scouting ridge he was standing, he seemed frozen in place, unable to rip his gaze from the magnificent destruction of nature. to any others nearby, it would be hard to tell if the man was not fleeing the hastening eruption because he didn't know what would happen, or because he had little concern with the preservation of his own life.

or perhaps a bit of both.] Glorious, isn't she?

[ It makes him a little uneasy, that glance behind them both. Howard hadn't been out there long, but he knows there hadn't been any signs of life beyond the people they'd sent out. With multiple crew members dropping, however... well. Twice is coincidence; three times is enemy action.

By the time they reach the interior of the ship, the MIDs have leveled off into silence. There's a long metal bench set into the cargo bay wall, and Howard eases the (taller, heavier) man onto it. ]

Well, that was... something. [ He's relieved, and it shows despite - or because of, maybe - his flippancy. Rolling his shoulders a little, Howard slumps into a spot next to the man and tries again, with a little more concern this time. ] Still hallucinating? I can grab a medic, if you want.

[ The concern's there, if maybe not the tact. This guy doesn't seem like the type to want to talk to a doctor anyway. ]

So you do know the other me--him--Stark--Tony. I am never going to get used to this.

[Now Tony's more attentive, sharp brown-eyed gaze studying Bucky's features more thoroughly.] I've seen the decal before, though. Painted on the front of a very special shield, if I'm not mistaken.

[(Come on, Barnes. Stark nicknames are terms of endearment.) He does look to take a little more interest with Bucky's retort. So sue him, he's curious. It isn't every day he meets an alternate version of himself, let alone a friend of said alternate version. Or semi-friendly acquaintance.]

Well, seeing as I'm not actually having breakfast, which, for the record, is most unfortunate, there's no harm in a conversation. I'm sure your breakfast companion will show up sooner or later.

[He had refrained, though he was still curious, from going very far from the ship and exploring.

Nicholas had ghosted along the edge of the Moira, examining plant life and rock formations only to go back inside again. Little jaunts, nothing absurdly long. He never wanted to be so far that he couldn't help if it were needed. Or if they would be making a hasty retreat, he wouldn't be ready to go.

Nicholas frowns at the man, clearly something is wrong with all these people. He collects the evidence (pupil dilation, disorientation, anxiety, bizarre and violent behavior, speech disturbances, and psychology speaking, possible hallucinations and paranoia), analyzes the evidence (the crew of the Moira were suffering from the effects of some sort of drug or inhalant), and lastly, comes to a conclusion (the planet was dangerous as now his fellow ship-mates were in various stages of some sort of excited delirium).]

I would hazard a guess that it was more than that. You are not the only one to exhibit the symptoms.

[Nicholas steps closer, taking Tony's wrist, checking his pulse while narrowing in on his eyes.]

Your vitals are leveling out now that you are closer to the ship, and yes, Scotland Yard, Mr. Stark. [He releases his grip, clasping his hands behind his back.] Police Chief Inspector Nicholas Angel.

a. mess hall

[Space is a lot like high school. At least when it comes to meals if this is what Christian can expect from now on. It's not exactly inedible, but the green pancakes and soggy eggs make Christian wish that he didn't need to eat. It might be nice to only require energy to be stronger like spirits if that meant he could skip out on things like this. Unfortunately, as weird as he is, Christian is still human and has to take what he can get. On the other hand, the captains might be trying to help them all burn off their tastebuds with the "water" they've provided. The young man nearly chokes on his first sip, but after a few good tries, he's settled into more of a rhythm, actually eating his pancakes and taking healthy drinks from his cup.]

It's not that bad once you get used to it.

[He's a little looser now, not pensive like he was at the start of his meal. He talks as if he's addressing someone, even though everyone in the mess hall is a stranger.]

b. delirium

[He was already nervous about disembarking from the ship, but curiosity won out. It generally does with Christian, which is probably why he winds up in trouble so often. Now he's surrounded by- by what? A crowd of figures that he doesn't recognize. Faces blurry and blank. He'd run, but his entire body feels like it's paralyzed. A corner of his mind brings up the words sleep paralysis, but that can't be right. He's awake, isn't he?]

H... help.

[Christian stumbles toward what he thinks is the direction of the ship. The unfamiliar figures are all around him. He might be swimming through them, it's hard to tell with his heart racing and his breath coming short. Deep down, at the edge of his panic, he feels something else too. Excitement. There's a small thrill in the midst of the terror and, in spite of himself, Christian lets out a short laugh. His legs give out and he winds up kneeling on the ground, panting.]

I'd really like to wake up now.

[Lost in his thoughts he does not catch the sound of footsteps, but Joker's familiar voice catches him off guard. The turian's next punch grazes the dummy as he spins on his two toed feet to get a clear visual to make sure he is not experiencing some strange echo of the past.]

Joker...

[He almost sounds relieved, the vibrations in his tone certainly suggest that he's struggling to find the right words. Lucky for both of them that there is always one sure fire way to respond: with a good joke.]

How else am I supposed to remain proficient in using that stick up my ass if I don't practice?

[Nicholas tips his head down, giving Miles a yes, young man sort of look. Then he immediately perks up. A fellow serviceman. His first here in fact, and he's quite pleased with the discovery. If he had the inclination, he might recruit him. Though, he's not entirely certain yet what way he wants to go with his idea to form a protection and order unit for the Moira.

That could wait until later. After proper inspection of all available recruits.]

Barrayaran Imperial Service, sir? I am not informed of this unit, could you explain?

[He's interested more now. It's foreign to him, and he likes to think he knows of the names of most branches, but he is in space. On a ship. There could be alien regimens or alternate universe shenanigans, as he's been made aware of recently.]

Location and the like.

[Heavier, taller, older...

He leans his head back against the wall, somewhat grateful he didn't have to rely on someone else to stay upright anymore. Not that he wasn't grateful for the help in his own way. But of all people...

Tony spares him a glance and chuckles.] Tch-yeah. Something alright.

[Tony stiffens and quickly tries to shake off the rest of his dizziness.] Still not sure on the answer to that one, try me again later. [He still thinks you might be a figment of his imagination, Howard.] But I'll pass on the medic, thanks. Besides, I didn't see any hot nurses hanging around the medical bay last time I was there. [He shrugs as if it just can't be helped.]

I guess that's two I owe you. --or one. Yeah, one. Still a bit, uh, fuzzy. [He clears his throat, speaking quickly now.] So, when you picked my face up out of the dirt, was I alone?

Edited (Missing closing tag, sorry.) 2015-08-09 18:07 (UTC)

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Page 12 of 36

TDM 1

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Soeki Halloway-Crowe | OC | ota

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blackwall | dragon age

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Christian Fischer | OC | ota

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