( 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

[beside_myself]

He glances away from her, his blush darkening at the acknowledgement. "I'm not," he protests. "Just, uh — it's hot in here. Because ... the water..." Fucking smooth. Dumbass.

[a_shadow]

She hums, a sound that's almost another peal of laughter, and kneels to wash his thighs and lower legs. "There," she says, standing back so he has room to rinse off. "You can get out if it's that bad." She smirks at him, not expecting him to take her up on that.

[beside_myself]

"You can quit being a bitch at any time, Tex," he mutters, rinsing the suds off of himself. He watches her for a minute, studying her face and that cheeky fucking smirk, and as soon as he's cleaned off, he reaches for her, grabbing her arms and pulling her in for another kiss.

[a_shadow]

"Well," she says. "I could always leave, if that works better."

But then he's tugging her closer, back into the streams of water, and the smirk only spreads. "I thought we were here for other reasons," she teases against his lips, and pulls away just enough to tuck her head into the crook where his shoulder meets his neck. He's no longer soapy, so she can press kiss after kiss to his neck, sliding her lips along his throat. She nibbles at his chin and then goes back to his mouth. "Unless you like my reasons better," she adds.

[beside_myself]

Church just rolls his eyes, not even bothering to grace that with a reply. Instead, he just focuses on kissing her; first her lips, then cheeks, jaw, and finally her neck, stopping there to bite marks into her skin.

Yes, they did come here for a reason, but he's clean, so that means he's allowed to break from the plan. And that means kissing. And groping.

[a_shadow]

She mostly just lets it happen, participating, but not in a way where she's trying to lead him to do one thing or another at any certain time. When she feels his teeth on her skin she tilts her head back, a small hum escaping. Certainly they're not going to end up having sex again here, but he's skating into territory where he's hitting her kinks in a very public way. At least, leading her to make sounds of pleasure in the communal showers feels very public. Her hand comes up under his chin and she gives his head a little push back. "Not that," she says. Her eyelids flutter and she sighs, then leans in to press a more chaste kiss to his lips. "Behave."

[beside_myself]

Church assesses the situation; if he can even go another round, if she's seriously uncomfortable with sex in semi-public.

He weighs his options, then grins against her lips before ducking his head again and biting at her shoulder. "No," he says, simple and bratty.

[a_shadow]

That's so fucking good; why here, why now? She stifles a groan and grabs his chin in her hand, squeezing with her fingers and thumb. "Later," she says, tone low. "We'll come back when all the kids are in bed." Letting him know very clearly what her problem is with sex in the shower at this point in the mid-morning. Letting him know as quietly as possible, because she's pretty sure there are other people using this facility at the same time as them. She's sure she heard another shower start not long ago.

[beside_myself]

Oh, that's why. He nods and pulls his chin away from her hand. "Ow," he mumbles, rubbing at his skin. "You didn't have to pinch so hard." Not that it really hurt, he just has to bitch.

A pause, then, "Here, hand me the soap."

[a_shadow]

She presses the soap into his hand, then steps back to get out of the spray of water. "I had to get your attention," she says unapologetically. It's his own fault for being a brat about it

[beside_myself]

Church huffs and rolls his eyes - but he's just playing, a tiny smile on his face. "Words work too," he mumbles, starting to lather up Tex's body with the soap.

[a_shadow]

"Mm, occasionally." They had definitely just experienced a situation where words were the last thing they needed. She had learned it was better not to tell him about his previous stay on the Moira—and she is determined not to say a word about it from here on out. Ever.

She smirks down at him as he begins rubbing the soap on her. "By the way, if you want to check out the classroom with me, you can worry about looking into your own job until later." Not exactly an invitation, but the spirit of it is there—she doesn't want to part from him. Not after what they've shared and the connection they've made today.

[beside_myself]

Church glances at her and quirks an eyebrow. "What, are you allergic to asking?" He teases, his face morphing into a grin.

[a_shadow]

"I'm not going to tell you what you should do," she says dismissively, as though that's what he said. "Want to go to work? I'm not going to stop you." She's enjoying him rubbing his hands on her, and she wriggles a little, pressing into it with each part of her as he moves—a set of movements that sort of resembles a sensuous dance, in a way.

[beside_myself]

"You wanna ask and you know it," he teases, running his soapy hands over Tex's thighs, then ass, the back up to her shoulders. He didn't think she would react so positively to just simple touching.

[a_shadow]

It's been so long since she's been touched, considering she hasn't slept with anyone else since Church had disappeared. It feels good, and she's only wanting to encourage it. When he returns to her shoulders, she moves in closer so that he's hugging her.

"And I know you want to come, so I don't really need to, do I?" she says, tweaking his ear with a light pinch of her fingers and a small tilt of her head. She knows it's the kind of thing he'd do, to refuse to come because she didn't ask, but she doesn't think he'll actually carry through with it if she ended up needing to call his bluff on it.

[beside_myself]

Church grins at her and shifts them so she's under the water, his hands moving to start rinsing her off, lingering more than he probably should. "Well if you're so desperate, I guess I can come." A beat, then, "Please don't fucking embarrass me, Tex."

[a_shadow]

She snickers. "I have no idea why you would say that." She's not at all upset that he's rubbing her body like that and she doesn't move once it's clear she's well-rinsed. They have to wash their hair and then get out, but for now she's fine with just lingering and talking and touching.

[beside_myself]

He realizes they should probably get out before they waste all the ship's water, but he's content here. Content with her, ultimately, but. The shower's nice.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure," Church snarks, pinching Tex's thigh. "Bitch."

[a_shadow]

She grabs his fingers. "Or I can just drop you off in the sanitation department, if you want," she says in that overly sweet tone of voice she uses sometimes when she's being sarcastic. "You'd feel right at home."

[beside_myself]

Church wiggles his fingers in her grip and smirks at her, raising his eyebrows. "You'd miss me too much. Just admit it, Tex. I mean, you are the one who practically pounced me in the mess hall."

[a_shadow]

She rolls her eyes. She doesn't really need a reminder of that whole thing. It had worked out for the best, but she'd been unusually emotional and for that reason she sort of wants to forget it happened. "That doesn't mean I can't stand to be separated from you for a few hours, Church," she says. Her eyes flicker away, though—she's been separated from him for two months, and that sucked. Her hand turns and she brings the palm of her hand flat against his so they can entangle their fingers together. "Don't be dumb."

[beside_myself]

Church's smile softens, and he squeezes her hand. He knows her too well to listen to her voice — it's her body that really does all the talking. ... Not in the creepy sex way, though. At least. Not the majority of the time. Shit. Focus. You just ruined a cute moment with that.

He pushes his wet hair out of his face, the motion almost awkward. Stupid fucking brain. "So uh - we gonna get out any time soon, or...?"

[a_shadow]

"I just need to wash my hair," she says, releasing him and stepping back, breaking up the moment. She reaches for the shampoo and dispenses a coin-sized amount into her palm. "Do you think you're hungry enough for lunch?"

[beside_myself]

Church takes the shampoo from her and does the same, working it into his hair. "I d'unno. Maybe?" He shrugs and closes his eyes when soap starts to drip down his face. "Really not that hungry."