( 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

[notyetsore]

[Ginko nods after a moment of hesitation, still watching Ralph with a hint of wariness. He looks to be about Ginko's age, so it could be worse, but...

After a moment, he adds,] ...I could just move a little if you need to get past.

[jiminycrockett]

Thanks, yeah.

[He hoists himself up to Ginko's level slowly, being mindful to keep a good bit of space between them. He doesn't want to seem like he's rushing him, he's just getting to a more comfortable perch. Also he's wary that his feet might still be visible from the ground. If he got caught now, this boy would be in trouble along with him. The boy may seem quiet and harmless, but nonetheless, Ralph isn't keen on getting on anybody's bad side.]

lmk if you need more on this

[notyetsore]

[With a quiet hum of acknowledgement, Ginko shifts over slightly to allow Ralph easier access to the higher roots. Once he's settled again, he pulls his knees up to his chest; it's a somewhat precarious position, but he doesn't seem too worried about falling.]

[jiminycrockett]

[Ralph climbs over, trying to keep as much distance between them as practical in this situation. He also does his best to keep Ginko in his line of sight. They were up pretty high, and it wouldn't be that hard for the other boy to push him. His knuckles turn white on the roots, and only once there's a solid meter and a half between them again does he feel comfortable turning his back to him.

At first he climbs away without saying anything more. He has to finish scouting this place out. But the tree is a circle after all, and before too long he's gone around the ring of the tree. The roots are open and splayed. From what he's seen there's many ways to climb through them, and a number of good spots with horizontal thick roots comfortable to sit on, and tangles to hide behind. The only downside he sees is that he's not the only one who knows about it.

Which brings him back, both physically and mentally, to the strange white haired child.

Once again he keeps his distance, but settles into his own sitting position, legs dangling over the side of a branch, palms bracing himself on either side.]

So what are you doing up here?

[notyetsore]

[After a couple seconds, Ginko didn't even watch as Ralph made his way around the tree. He just stared at the ground in silence.

It was only when Ralph addressed him that he looked up again, giving a slight shrug.]

...Sitting. It's quiet up here, and nobody really comes up. --Not that I mind you coming here, I just... didn't expect it.

[jiminycrockett]

So nobody else normally comes up here?

[That's comforting. Ideally, he'd be the only person to know about this spot, but one other person wasn't so bad.]

[notyetsore]

[A small nod.]

It's good for if you want to go smewhere quiet.

[jiminycrockett]

[Quiet. Yeah. Sure. At first Ralph brushes the idea off. If he's in danger finding a quiet place isn't going to be his top priority. But then he thinks, maybe it will be. There's a shift in his expression from curious to focused.]

How much noise does it make when you move around up here? Do the roots move much?

[He could stick to the thicker roots, which is what he did while exploring, but the faster way to get around would be to use any of the ones that would hold his weight. He couldn't see the outside of the tree while he was climbing and it wasn't something that he was paying attention to the fist time.]

[notyetsore]

[Ginko blinks, somewhat startled by the sudden change.]

Uh... not much. A little, I guess? The thin ones can.

[jiminycrockett]

[Ralph shifts, scooting down on his root, but then pauses and looks up at Ginko.]

I'm going to go down. Would you climb around up here, so I can watch?

[He's not ordering him around, he's asking. He's just asking, and if the other boy says no then Ralph's still going to go down. What's happening here, this asking, was only because he couldn't very well watch himself move about.]

[notyetsore]

[It seems like kind of an odd request to him, and he's not really sure what to make of Ralph's apparent fixation on whether this tree makes noise, but he doesn't see any reason not to comply. Tree-climbing is one of the few things he's pretty sure he's decent at, anyway.

He gives Ralph a few seconds to get back down before taking hold of one of the roots above him and pulling himself back to his feet. From there, it's a pretty simple matter to start climbing his way from one section of roots to another, moving in as great a range as he's willing between the trunk of the tree and the thin ends of the roots.]