( tdm 11 )

[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. ) H A I S T O S Unlike previously visited locations, the sweltering heat of this planet can be felt long before arrival. The surface of Haistos is not a place for those with a weak constitution. It’s in a constant state of low-level volcanic activity as its land masses are dotted with many volcanoes—all of them spewing black ash into the air. Breathing is difficult without the aid of a respirator due to the potential of breathing in ash, and the plant life is stunted, adapted to living in an environment with little sunlight. The weather is unpredictable, and ash-storms will often blow in fiercely, leaving people trapped for a hours at a time before they blow themselves out. But that same ash which chokes everything on this planet is what also provides its livelihood. Haistos’ volcanic resources are a highly sought-after commodity elsewhere in the universe, and as long as gathering the ash is profitable, people will continue to return. Looking closely, etched into the curling paths of ignimbrite deposits that swirl along the base of the volcanoes is a language that is easily translated by the MID, often resembling Latin. Carved over time by visitors and travelers, it tells a tale of fire and stone and power. Some might even say there are mystic abilities associated with these volcanoes, though the rumors and myths behind it seem to be nothing but a warning to those who think to go looking for it. It’s also hard to tell if the words carry any true meaning since there are no natives to question, and all those who harvest the ash can only tell stories. Still, it’s apparent that people from many different times have all added to the scrolling messages. A word of caution: you cannot build here. Stone, metal, and wood all burn, all crumble. Only what is true can survive, and fire will show its true quality. ☄ breathing sparks Despite the haphazard lay of the land, there are things to do. Or, at least, things to see. The rocky terrain often leads to some inactive volcanoes that are perfect for exploring and harvesting the ash that continues to rain down across Haistos. There are step-like structures built into the sides of the volcanic craters, narrow but sturdy. With each move down, the air gets even thicker, and your respirator takes longer and longer to filter the unbreathable atmosphere the deeper into the planet you travel. Yet, the risk of asphyxiation is worth what awaits at the bottom of the staircase. Still warm, the volcanic rocks that are sunk into the deposits are both smooth and clear as crystal. Most of these gems retain heat permanently and can be used to warm small spaces. Gathering too many together in a single place, however, creates a reaction with the limited air supply and can spark a faux volcanic eruption—yes, these rocks are capable of producing lava at an impossibly quick rate. Is it possible to outrun the flow and reach the steps before it begins filling the bottom of the crater? The only thing worse than a sudden swimming pool of lava would be the respirator finally breaking because of the abrupt, extreme heat, wouldn’t it? ☄ under pressure Despite being unable to actually build any structures of substance on Haistos, walking around the planet itself is surprisingly easy. Due to its unusual composition, the ground itself is a noticeable mixture of dark rock and shining surfaces. More than that, each step around the bases of the volcanoes reveals something both amazing and rather fascinating: the ability to create diamonds without much pressure at all. It only takes a single step or even a hand print. Take a break and sit to rest? Diamonds. Wrestling over what pile of ash is yours to claim? Diamonds. Tripping and falling and refusing to get up so that no one sees your embarrassment? Diamonds. Suddenly, moving around on Haistos has taken a whole new turn. Especially when it’s completely possible to keep what you make with your very own body weight. ☄ if you break it, you buy it Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. At the base of one of the smaller volcanoes, this message is carved into the rock in large, curling script. The volcano is currently inactive and is dotted with openings large enough for visitors to enter through. Stranger than the message is the faint tinkling sound - almost like glass clinking against glass - that grows louder the deeper into the volcano you go. The intricate honeycomb of paths all lead in the same direction—towards the sound and a mellow blue glow. At the center, the sound is loud and the light illuminates a large space. Thousands of crystalline creatures swirl and bump against one another, the source of both the sound and light. They appear to be a cross between a lightning bug and bee, glowing and noisy and harmless. The beautiful sight may, or may not, be dampened by the fact that the cavern is littered with glass honeycombs that have been built up within the bodies of fallen travelers. It’s clear that the organisms didn’t harm them, perhaps the result of too much ash or broken respirators, and the honey they’ve produced is light blue and clear. It’s sweet if eaten, bright and citrus-y, and carries an earthy undertone, making the skin glow temporarily after ingesting. If careful, visitors may harvest the honey, but do not disturb the creatures. Their wings are sharp, and when agitated, they swarm out of fear. 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

i.

[lineare]

[ Jean is no stranger to the wave of confusion that emanates from the Ingress as more and more new people arrive, so much so that they all begin to feel largely the same. She tries, of course; she tries not to invade their thoughts, but it's difficult to shut herself off to them when they need help, shocked from the sudden change from their world to this.

And so she helps where she can, because if she can't be a familiar face she can at least be a friendly one -- of course, she'd want to be here if any of her teammates came through the Ingress.

The Ingress doesn't stay quiet for long, and her thoughts are disrupted by the next person who barrels through the machine. Disrupted seems like a weak word for the way the surge of violence and rage burns through her thoughts like a forest fire, a burning storm of emotion and thought, raw and wild, fueled by a sense of hopelessness so powerful that it nearly makes her sick. Jean's met a lot of people in her life, felt their pain, their triumphs, their heartache and joy -- and there's only one other person who's felt like this, more animal than man, vicious and feral.

She hesitates when he draws the gun on her, eyes widening -- there are no bullets in the gun, but it doesn't matter when the sheer agony of his thoughts, of his own existence and all the horrors that were perpetrated on him invades her consciousness, an overwhelming fury and pain that demands to be felt, to be known. He feels more animal than man, a lie imposed on him by all that he's endured, and Jean swallows hard, the taste of his vengeance bitter in her mouth. ]

I'm not here to hurt you. [ She says quietly, palms up. Wisdom dictates she puts distance between them both; compassion guides her a step forward. He can tear her throat out with his teeth if he chooses (she's seen what he's done to others), but Jean will take that gamble. ] My name is Jean, and I'm new here too, just like you.

[deconstruct]

[ The girl looks completely unlike any of the Mice or iteration models he's seen, but then again, he's only ever been to Hapsburg, Gloriana and Bathory. They're hardly the only Houses on the globe. Given he was just running through the halls of Hapsburg, it seems impossible he could be anywhere else. So it's a sharp snort Andyr replies with. It's been a long time since anyone tried the 'I'm not going to hurt you, we're the same' song and dance with him, seeing as most everyone in the Houses knows he's well aware of how very much they intend to harm him.

Besides that, even the people on the outside are content to let him suffer, so they can all get bent, really. Even if she's just another Mouse, telling him he's safe here automatically puts her on the shit-list with Andyr. ]

Not like me. [ Voice with a harsh edge to it, lips curling some. ] I've been here six fucking years.

[ 'Here' either being Hapsburg (it has to be Hapsburg, where else would it be?) or one of the Houses, and with that in mind, while assuming she's a Mouse and no real threat, he turns from her, scanning the room - walls, floor, ceiling, and finally the Ingress, stopping there to stare for a long moment.

What in the absolute fuck. ]

Maybe not... here-here... [ And that's a problem. He wouldn't be surprised by the Houses coming up with some manner of portal technology, at some point, but him being here means Mikal is still there, and now alone. Probably looking for him. Already, Andyr's starting to walk back towards the Ingress, like it's as easy as passing back through a door. ]

[lineare]

This is the Moira.

[ His rage is a raw, open wound that demands to be felt, an untenable hurt that demands ruination, damage, the desire to inflict the same kind of pain on others, and if not he can damn well try. It's hell in his head, and his immediate hatred for her flares sharp and bright -- weighted with all the things that had come before. The people who did not save him, the people who did this to him; it's a long list, and it makes something twist in her chest.

No one should be allowed to do this to another. She's seen the likes of this only once before, and to know that the same kind of cruelty exists in another world makes her heart ache. ]

You're on a spaceship. [ She says quietly, not stopping him from testing out his theory with the Ingress. He won't end up back home, and he'll learn that for himself soon enough. After a few moments, however, she ventures, gesturing to the melted mess buckled around his leg. ] Your ankle. Does that hurt?

[deconstruct]

[ At the name, Andyr's eyes squint, never having heard of a corporation that has Moira anywhere in it, or a facility. Not that he's memorized the list of Houses internationally, so who really knows. house still makes more sense than-- ] A spaceship. [ it's something that actually has him pausing to shoot a look to her over his shoulder. really. that's the strategy we're going for here? christ, they need to invent better lies. maybe they aren't even trying with him anymore. they'd be right for it anyway.

turning away from her again, andyr stands at the edge of the portal thing, looking it over, but not quite sure he wants to try walking into it yet. instead, he rummages around in the pockets of the stained guard's jacket he'd picked up (not that you can tell there's blood dried on it, against the black fabric, but it's more apparent on the light grey of the shirt he has on underneath), until he finds a pen. lifting it, he gives it a fling, tossing it through the portal.

only to have it zip right back out, andyr ducking to the side to avoid getting slapped in the face with it. okay, well, that apparently won't work. ] Fuck. [ he hisses out, low, as he turns back to head the opposite direction, as that seems like the only way out, now. only to remember, right. this girl was talking to him. she motions to the tracer at his ankle, and andyr frowns a second, looking down at it. right, they'd taken the same blowtorch they used on the chains to melt out all the insides of the tracer. yes, it had seared through, into his skin, and there's likely still a wound underneath, even with his accelerated healing, a dull sting, but he's had worse. he's been built for worse. ]

It takes more than that to hurt me. Can I pass, or do I need to kill you first? [ KN2s don't often last long against him, especially any that weren't made in hapsburg, but the clones he doesn't get any real satisfaction for killing, unless they're his own. but if they're in the way, he has, and he will. ]