( tdm 12 )

[hownkai]

T E S T D R I V E

leavin’ on a jet plane "Don’t know when I’ll be back again." ABOARD THE MOIRA The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay. Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. Any questions you might have would be answered in a straightforward manner as well as an explanation about how the Ingress, the thing that has pulled you onto the Moira, is broken and bringing people here unintentionally. This process also consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand or wrist with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters. 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. You may notice a slight change in the artificial gravity every once in awhile; however, more noticeable changes can be found in overall morale of those of the crew. ☄ 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. ) The day begins normally. Or almost. The Moira has accidentally fallen along the trajectory of an asteroid barreling its way through space. While most things like this are not uncommon, and the ship is far from any potential danger of collision or risk of debris damaging the exterior, there is something particularly odd about this specific occurrence. The rock itself appears to give off a strange light that is both eerie and alive. Often, if looked at in just the right manner, it will shift colors; so, while one person sees one side of the spectrum, someone else could see something entirely different. At first, things continue on as they usually do aside from the glowing asteroid alongside the Moira, but as the hours go on, that does not seem to be the case. ☄ the hours are breathing resignedly beneath the sky the melancholy waters lie With a rather open view of stars and space, thanks to the skylight above, the pool in the rec area suddenly comes alive beneath the light of the asteroid filtering in. Perhaps it’s some natural response to the chemical composition of the water, or perhaps it’s magic. Yet, regardless of the explanation, those who happen to take a dip suddenly find themselves plagued by despair. The depression and melancholy are not subtle changes either; it slams into you with great force, like a punch to the gut. The longer you remain in the pool, the deeper it grows, like an all-consuming paranoia that settles into the back of your mind and causes your heart to grow heavy. These strong feelings will eventually fade if you choose to leave the pool and dry off, but as long as you remain damp from the pool, those emotions will continue to linger. Even after you’re completely dry, there will be no mistaking just how intensely you felt or why. There is no explanation and might not be. Would you dare a second swim to test whether or not it was a fluke? ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) ☄ those who have crossed the eyes are not here, there are no eyes here The walls are shrinking in. Every room you step into feels much too small, like there isn’t enough room to even breathe. A crowded place becomes startlingly empty, and no matter how much you run, how much you explore, there is no one there to comfort you or answer your calls for help. Hallucinations run strong between the lulls of obscene loneliness or claustrophobia, and exposure to the glow of the asteroid is really the only thing to thank for that. You’re desperate to claw your way out of the ship—open the emergency hatch in the Cargo Bay, bust the glass of the Observation Deck. What’s worse is that it’s not just you. It’s catching, and the fear of being next is very real. It feels like you’re being watched, that everyone around you is looking and seeing everything you are. Or are not. The only way to make it stop is to admit that you’re afraid of being seen, but who, in the deep madness of the self, has the courage to ever admit the truth? ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) ☄ the sun in flight rage, rage against the dying of the light Something has drifted its way onto the Moira from the outside. Unlike the faint luminosity they give off, they suck up all the light around them, making them the only source to see by. From far away, they are just flitting balls of light, but if you get close enough to inspect them, they are mean. And have sharp, sharp teeth. Go poking, and they will bite you before trying to fly away while taking that only light source with them. The option to avoid them is quite easy if you’re not the curious sort, but without them around, it will be impossibly dark. As the asteroid moves on in the opposite direction of the Moira, these light creatures begin to dissolve and fade away with it. However, a word of caution: their bites glow. If you don’t manage to find the one that bit you and capture it between your hands, the bite will become a permanent glowing fixture of your body. ( These scenarios can be used as in-game canon. ) 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

[happyclappyhippydrippy]

[Drift kiiind of regrets bringing it all up, but shit how was he to know... well, pretty much anything. Part of him is relieved that Riptide isn't as big a piece of shit as he was starting to think he was. He wants to be reassuring, tell him it's going to be okay, but even he can't bullshit a story like that when the DJD are involved. Maybe he can give it a shot anyway, somehow. He reaches out and grips Riptide's arm.]

Why don't you tell me who all is here.

[It's not a great distraction and probably won't help at all but hey, it's something]

[lostsymmetry]

[No thank-yous, huh? Well, he can take the hint. The mainframe listens quietly. It'd be easier if he had access to his cameras-- or to any input past the speaker. But the question didn't seem to be too badly received, and that's a better sign than any actual facts the human could convey.

No point in giving information to a machine you were planning to wipe anyway. Even if the portal story did still sound bizarre.]

...Or something, huh?

And nobody's shut it down? [Quickly:] Not that I'm complaining.

[knaval]

Ratchet, Whirl, Tailgate, Bumblebee, Cyclonus, Rodimus. Megatron. Another Bumblebee. Sideswipe. A blue Arcee. Two Starscreams...

[he shrugs.]

I think that's it.

[foodsofmypeople]

[Kaidan was lucky in a way. He'd dealt with the pitch black by activating his biotics, meaning that he had been glowing a pale shade of blue. Just a low level barrier, something he could keep up pretty much all day. All that practice at Brain Camp had paid off.

The bite had come out of nowhere. Before he could even react, the other man had swatted it out of the air, and Kaidan watched as it fell to the ground. Though he did feel his line of questioning was a little... suspect. Like something Liara would ask on her worst days.]

Errrr... ow? It hurts? [It didn't bother him overly much, but it would be nice to be acknowledged for that, especially as he'd just arrived.]

[psychobabblery]

Very difficult to fit through a doorway, these hats. But that's the price we pay for appropriating our fashion trends from nightmare creatures beyond the Furthest Ring.

[Oh, yeah, that whispering thing. She's been tuning it out.]

Ok. Let's go before they start singing these nothings instead.

[lostsymmetry]

[Standby levels. Good to know. The promise alleviates a little of the programmed need, and the mainframe watches with relief as the first two scatter. When the third zips in, there's an abbreviated "Watch out!", but not quite in time. Fortunately it doesn't seem to have done damage.

The image on the terminal flickers a little brighter as his rescuer retreats, nothing left in reach to drain him. There's a faint hmming noise at her warning.]

That there are. Are you okay?

[justchilling]

[She pops a squat for a moment to pet the dog, as long as he'll let her, tangling her fingers in the thick hair behind his ears and cooing platitudes at him as the guy tells her the story - did the nasty old jellyfish get you? don't worry, we'll get them right back, that kind of thing.

She looks up as he pauses, then nods, grinning.] That'd be cool - I got no idea which one of these it is by now. [She hops back up to her feet, addressing the dog again - as you do:] Think you can help me out, boy?

[happyclappyhippydrippy]

[So he's just giving him a look like he really doesn't get it. what kind of cruel joke is the universe playing why two Starscreams. and bees. and why]

Well that's... Huh.

["good"? "different"? What's the appropriate response???]

[happyclappyhippydrippy]

Look, you're just-- You're small. I don't know how durable you are.

[but FINE he'll stand up. CAREFULLY.]

[terriblething]

[ He's quiet for a moment, thinking over this. Yes, he knew that - it had been laid out in the contract he'd signed, and mentioned very briefly when he'd first arrived, among a list of other rules. It was no surprise. Killing was against the law in any society or place, even here very far away from home.

He doesn't at all think that Charlie isn't afraid of him. He's seen her type before. It seems more like, to him, that Charlie is aggressive and mouthing off because she is afraid, and putting on a tough face is the easiest way for her to handle it. He's going to operate under that assumption for the time being. She'd certainly been tough in the pizzeria that last night. Who could have thought that timid, awkward, uncertain Henry could produce such a brave daughter?

Absently, Dave lifts a hand to his wound, reminded by the throbbing pain and roll of blood down his skin. His shirt is probably a mess by now. There isn't much he can do in the dark with the tools he has on hand to stop the bleeding, so he pulls his blood-stained hand away, instead using it to brace himself on the wall as he kneels down in front of Charlie. ]

This may surprise you, but I'd actually like to get home. After all the work I did, away from them is the last place I want to be.

[ His voice is quiet, but not exactly steady - he speaks at a strange pace, as if he's unused to carrying on conversations. He wets his lips, wishing for the Spring Bonnie mask. That would certainly make all of this easier. ]

[springlocking]

So whatever happens, you still won't escape justice. Okay then.

[There's a finality to that statement, almost a relief. If he tries anything, he'll be put in the brig and probably kicked off ship. If he tries to hurt her, she'll just put him down again. If he returns through the Ingress, he'll go back to being dead.

It's something she doesn't need to worry about...though if this isn't some nightmare, she'll have to notify people.

With that, she turns away and starts walking off. She'll be looking over her shoulder, though, to make sure he isn't following. After all, the glowing mark is a dead giveaway.]

[yorisearching]

[She flexes her right hand while watching the flicker of distant lights. Once the levels even out, the pain fades.]

No damage. Don't worry, they let me recharge when I got here. Eighty percent still.

[She'd felt deep relief to have an actual power conduit after these months of unfamiliar solid food. Not the point, right now; how long she'll be okay is a different and very relevant question.]

I can function at low energy quite a while if necessary, but I'm sure someone will come by the medbay before then. It looks like a full ship.

[Someone had better. Yori had once rationed her energy use strictly enough to hide the existence of a room of artwork from the guards, but functioning for a factory worker wasn't meant to include battle. If she knew who might be nearby and willing to help, she'd make a call, but if everyone else is dealing with the glowing things already...well, she hopes it won't take them long.]

[liberaltus]

[Dorian was not quite as fortunate with his magic, any sort light based spell he tried to cast assimilated with the darkness leaving him to edge his way along the wall and hopefully not collide with any other sod unfortunate enough to be wandering around in this mess. So finding Kaidan and this creature? A stroke of luck, but only just as the radius was limited.

If Dorian's line of questioning seemed odd or even a little untoward, it had everything to do with the job he'd been saddled with. He was a researcher by nature, but maladies and injuries were not his areas of expertise, and he would rather kept away from the ill. Still, a few cursory questions was simply a formality.]

Great I'll jot that down in my notes, as soon as the bloody lights come back on. [Trapped, the creature wasn't going anywhere and he could be more attentive to the newcomer.] Mind if I have a closer look? I don't know what I can do, I'm no healer, but I do have elfroot...that might ease the pain. Somewhat. Maybe.

[beautifulspaceraptor]

[ Shoulders set and head low, Nihlus' mandibles twitch as he tracks his opponent's progress across the floor.

The guy smells like smoke. It was an acrid scent that overwhelmed the more subtle, distinctly human notes. Curious.

When retaliation didn't come immediately, Nihlus squints into the darkness, spotting the little blue teeth marks floating in the gloom. Then the asshole speaks and he just about rolls his eyes right out of his head. ]

Okay?

[ Nihlus would laugh if he wasn't functionally blind and facing down a unfamiliar opponent. ]

I didn't realize attacking other people without provocation was particularly useful either, but okay?

[ Can't stop that sarcasm though. ]

[seeingscarlet]

[Can none of the Avengers - barring Natasha, of course - stay out of trouble?

There are monsters lurking in the ship and the Ingress is ridiculously unstable, so Wanda's learned to be wary of new things. A sphere of hex energy casts an eerie red glow as she cautiously makes her way through the ship. She'll honestly feel a lot better if she can make it to her room.

Except that's going to have to wait, because she just catches sight of Vision around down another hallway and she's not leaving him alone with those things. What if they're dangerous? Things like these creatures were never harmless in the original fairy tales, after all.]

Vision...be careful.

[hanzer]

[That's quite the decisive answer. Adam isn't quite able to stop himself from raising a brow at that response– it's not as if he thinks Dorian's necessarily lying or being overly critical, but... There's bound to be more at play here. Or maybe that's just him really hoping beyond hope that people aren't being dragged here from all these different universes due to a glorified clerical error, or anything like that (though he certainly doesn't need to make excuses for these captains, not when he hardly knows them.)

The change of scenery is a distraction – this hospital corridor is supposed to be part of the living quarters? – but he resists the urge to stop and take it all in, instead insisting on pushing the point. Dorian's given him a taste of information; his curiosity's clearly piqued.]

I'm not looking at a Lord of the Flies situation here, am I? [Ah, right– that particular reference is probably lost on him. Quickly he adds:] Or what I mean is– you're not saying the crew is basically just governing itself, are you? Someone must be giving the orders.

[It's harder than he'd like to admit, imagining a life without direction. Probably why he finds it as unrealistic as he does. Adam's brow furrows.] If not, I... Can't say I'm surprised this battle didn't go as well as it could have.

[Might sound a little judgmental, but given Dorian's comments so far, he's pretty sure the guy's not going to take it to heart.]

[liberaltus]

I have to assume that when individuals who are fresh aboard the ship feel the right to dictate a justice system then one must wonder about the authority of our captains. I haven't been here long enough to make judgement calls, perhaps...they seem to have their own rules and...

[Ah, finally. Dorian opens the door to his quarters, the rooms on the Mero deck are nice, sterile, clean, and that is something to be grateful for. However, each room had three spacious beds and very little in the way of privacy.]

They do dictate our living situation, there is an unspoken agreement that since we are here then there are certain things we are to comply to as conditional. I won't say that they have no authority, but it feels like an absentee parent, that there is more agency within the crew to fix problems and less with the captains.

[Dorian was, clearly, a difficult man to offend and simply nodded in agreement of the battle outcome.] Yes, we are alive, we won, but we've lost pieces of the ship and then there's this-

[There was a reason that Dorian favored robes with high collars They easily concealed his neck and the parts of his face he wanted concealed. Tugging the collar back, one can see that the skin along his neck and jaw had been transformed into glass.]

Most of us did not walk away unscathed. It's difficult to look at without thinking "what if it breaks?"

[redshitlord]

...



Orange.

[Sorry, buddy, that's it.]

[happyclappyhippydrippy]

[Drift just. Nods. What do you even say that.]

Right. Well, moving on, I don't think I ever got your name?

[allsparked]

[Hey Drift, enjoy having tiny technorganic fists lightly punch at you.]

Don't worry about me, I know what I can and can't do! And I know how to hold onto a Cybertronian, and you're easier then my friends. Lot more hand holds.

[terriblething]

[ Charlie thinking she can get up and just walk away from him incenses Dave. He gets to his feet so fast he almost loses his balance, quickly stepping through the dark after her. ]

I wasn't finished talking!

[ Where does she think she's going? She can't possibly know this place well enough to navigate in the dark. Can she? And walking away from him so casually, like he's nothing important... Dave hasn't felt angry like this in a while. Normally his emotions are boiling under a lid even he has trouble removing. Being able to get under his skin must be a family trait.

He reaches out, blindly in the dark, hoping to snag her shoulder and pull her back around. It doesn't occur to him that this is, most likely, not the best way to convince someone he's interested in following the straight and narrow for a while. ]

[happyclappyhippydrippy]

That's got to be the strangest thing anyone's ever said to me.

[Why are we punching nooo.]

Anyway, were you heading anywhere specific?

[allsparked]

What? That you're easy to hold onto?

[Because what else is she gonna do? Cry? The situation doesn't call for manipulative crying!]

Mmmm... Nope! I was just seeing how fast I can get down this one hall.

[springlocking]

[Thank goodness she was watching over her shoulder, eh? She judges the situation quickly (using his marked arm from the looks of it - an attack?) and dodges. It's too dark to try and block it, but she can dodge it by moving backward and to the other side, carefully. It's a clumsy move, but she gets out of the way just in time.]

Could've fooled me. I'm done listening, anyway.

[Besides, it isn't like she'd understand anything he was trying to say. Dave logic is not Earth logic, after all.]

[takeitslow]

It'd be easier to do that if I knew you, you know.

[He'd not saying it to be mean, but it's hard to take her word when he doesn't know if he's meant to trust her.]

Look, I get that it was all apparently about the greater good and something about huge dudes from the future and all. But. All I see is that I let out the guy you tried to kill the president on TV. I mean, I'll get over it. It's just right now...

[He stops, and shakes his head. Peter puts back on a smile.]

Right now I'm being lame. You've probably got a ton of questions about this place and what's going on and I'm bumming us both out.