( 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

[a_shadow]

"To talk," she says. Her gaze goes to his face again. With how steadfastly she and Church had avoided talking about any of this last time he was here, it's strange that he's jumping in with both feet this time. Of course, last time he'd decided to go in immediately asking her about the way she had left him in Blood Gulch, rather than the EMP, and she had set the precedent that she wasn't going to respond, so maybe it was the difference of her reaction to his probing.

She tilts her head a little, studying him.

"What else do you want to talk about?" she asks quietly.

[beside_myself]

He shrugs. He honestly didn't think he would get this far. Tex is the type to shut down immediately and he ... isn't much better. "I don't know," he admits. "I guess - how've you been, Tex?"

She's apparently had a whole life going and he got left behind. Again. He's not bitter, of course not. No way.

[a_shadow]

She looks at him for a moment, then finally acknowledges the fact that there's a meal sitting in front of her for the first time, picking up her spoon and poising it to eat with. "I've been fine," she says, deciding not to open up about the last few months that she'd been living without him, nor about the first time she'd been here. She has always steadfastly hidden things from him if they would hurt him to know them, and that's not going to change now. He'd hate knowing the things she's gone through on this ship. But she can ease him into learning how fucked up this place can be. Later. "I mean, being alive here is a lot better than being dead at home, right?" she finally adds, looking up at him from her tray.

[beside_myself]

He knows she's hiding something, but ... for once he's not going to push. There's too much shit going on and he doesn't want to add Tex's angsty back story to the mix. Well. Not now, at least.

"Yeah. I miss all my friends, but..." He offers her a small, almost vulnerable smile. Best way to win her over. "At least I got you?"

[a_shadow]

"It must be a small consolation," she says dryly, but the corner of her mouth is curled wryly. She scoops up some of her pasta and spoons it into her mouth, keeping her eyes on him.

[beside_myself]

Church doesn't reply, just smiles again and finally looks around, really taking in the appearance of the Moira - Or the mess hall, at the very least. It's not much difference from the base he died in, in his opinion. Kinda cold. Kinda impersonal.

He eventually looks back to Tex, watching her eat. "Does that taste any good?" He asks, almost fishing for something to talk about.

[a_shadow]

"It's the same thing on your tray," she says. She can get that sense from him, though, the fact that he wants to keep the conversation going despite the fact that she pretty much refused to open up just a moment ago. She glances down. "I did miss you," she says, deciding to at least drop that bread crumb into the conversation.

[beside_myself]

Church gives his tray a dirty look until Tex talks again, and then he snorts. "Agent Texas expressing emotions! I should get a picture," he says. He never said he was a nice guy - but it's good natured.

A beat later, and he hums. "I thought you had old me? Past me? Whatever. How did you miss me?"

[a_shadow]

She dead-eyes him. "Sure. Might as well," she says. "But if you do, you won't ever get another chance to try."

And his question really brings this whole thing to a head. She licks her lips. "Yeah, you were here until two months ago," she says. "Or a version of you. And a whole lotta bullshit has happened since then, but I managed to find it in me to miss you, somehow."

[beside_myself]

This whole thing with another version of him and Tex hanging out on this ship for months is really messing with him. It makes no god damn sense. But he's not one to question things. At least, not when he's only been here for an hour or two.

"Well, I'm glad you could manage," Church says, rolling his eyes. "Don't want you to forget about me."

[a_shadow]

"As if I could if I wanted to," she says. No, that's not bitterness, it's just...facts. She's made from him, and that's an inescapable part of her history. She takes another bite of her meal, watching him. "Your food is going to get cold, you know," she says.

[beside_myself]

Church looks at his tray for a long moment, then pushes it towards her. "You can have it, if you want. I'm really not that hungry," he says, shrugging a shoulder. "I'll eat later. Unless there's ... y'know. Restrictions on food or whatever, here. Then I guess I'd eat tomorrow?"

He really doesn't know what's going on with this ship.

[a_shadow]

"No, Church. It's okay." She is quiet, concerned for him. Something weird is going on with him and she doesn't like it. "I'll have to head to the classroom soon. I spend the mornings there. I'm a schoolteacher here on board. That's the job they gave me. But I'll be free this afternoon...?" He'll have his own job to check into and so forth, but for the most part people are relied on to take care of things in their own time and that'll give him the morning to check into it.

[beside_myself]

He nods. "Yeah, I guess we can ... meet up later?" He looks at the MID on his hand and feels his face twist. "So... I can message you, right? That's how this shit works?" He doesn't even know where to check in for the job they gave him, but. He'll figure it out. He always does. Master of improvisation.

[a_shadow]

"Yes. Both." She sighs a little and tucks into her food, finishing it not long after, and gathers their trays as she stands. It's just...it doesn't seem right to just part from him this way. She presses her lips into a line. She wants to reach out to him again, and it's so weird because she's not typically all that physically affectionate. It's just...finding him here again. Knowing things are so different now, with him not remembering being here before and with his differing physical form. She drops her gaze momentarily.

"I'll...see you later."

[beside_myself]

This isn't the Tex he's used to seeing. She's almost ... hesitant. The opposite of big, badass, knows-she-can-kick-your ass confident Tex. It's a little concerning.

He stands from the table and takes a step closer to her, his hand moving like he wants to touch her, but decides against it at the last moment. "You-- are you okay?" And normally it wouldn't be his business. Tex does whatever the hell Tex wants - and that includes acting fucking weird. But with everything flipped on its head right now, he figures it's alright to ask. Just this once.

[a_shadow]

She eyes him, looking at the hand that's reaching out toward her. "I don't like this, okay?" she says. "It doesn't make any damn sense." She sets the trays back down on the table, then gestures with the hand that had been holding them. "I don't like knowing you can show back up here and not remember anything from before. I don't like knowing they can take your body and give you another one and just leave it like that." She doesn't like knowing she owes him a goddamn kiss and an 'I love you' and he doesn't even remember why.

She turns to face him more fully, dropping her hand to her side. "I—" She cuts herself off and shakes her head. She's not going to stand here in the fucking mess hall and tell him about the things that happened the first time he was here. She doesn't know whether she's going to tell him about them at all. She ends up choosing to pound her hand into the surface of the table. "Just...don't ask me if I'm okay, okay?"

[beside_myself]

He fishes for something to say. He'd never been good at comforting her, especially not in a situation like this. Eventually, all he's able to pull up is a nod and an "Okay."

A beat, then, "Okay, yeah. We can - we can drop it. No big deal, Tex." He crosses his arms and shifts on his feet, feeling uncomfortable. Awkward. There's baggage between them, and half of it he doesn't even remember. It makes this about ten times more fucked up than it should be; he should push this. Get her to tell him what the fuck went on between them. But he won't.

[a_shadow]

"No big deal," she says, mocking just a bit. Because it is. She looks to the side, then eyes him again. She'd thought about their reunion a lot since she'd made the choice to stick around and wait to see if he showed back up. Sometimes that's all she thought about. The first time he'd been here, she'd withheld a proper connection with him, using him for sex and then pushing him away. She knew how he felt about her, she always had, yet...she'd held back so much. And she's on a path to do things the same way now. It's not right to let things happen the same way. Yet can't she fight against this later? Sort things out later?

No—

There are other people in the mess hall, enjoying their breakfasts, and really, their presence has been the main thing holding her back. So it's a sudden movement on her part when she decides to quit worrying about that and reach to cup the back of his head in her hands. She presses into the kiss too hard, too messily, too...well, too eagerly. She's not worried about mistaken identities. This is Church, she knows it is. And the fact that he doesn't understand why this kiss is so important angers her. And she takes it out on him in the press of her lips.

[beside_myself]

He feels himself practically short circuit when she pulls him in and kisses him. It takes him a moment — what feels like hours — to react, and even then, it's just to put his hands over her waist, his lips barely moving against hers. He's too stunned, too upset, too confused to really take this in, to really fucking appreciate the feeling of Tex kissing him again. He feels, somehow, that this wasn't meant for him, but...

But he doesn't protest, and he doesn't pull away. He'll let her have this.

[a_shadow]

His reaction isn't in keeping with her fervor and she loses steam quickly. Goddamn it, it's just not fair. She pauses, eyes still closed, and breaks the kiss to tilt her head away. "I had to," she mutters. And that's the most vulnerable he's going to see her—today, or for quite a while. Because she drops her hands from his head and steps back and—well, that's it, that's all. She grabs the trays and moves to leave.

[beside_myself]

Church doesn't hesitate this time, and with the same sort of ... almost reckless abandon, he grabs Tex's wrist to stop her (those trays be damned) and drags her back into a kiss, pressing into it with vehemence. He's not going to fuck this up because he can't think on his feet. She needs this from him, and god damn it, he wants this from her just as much.

[a_shadow]

It's awkward now with the trays in play, but she holds them out and drops them back on the table. She doesn't know what caused him to change his attitude toward the thing, but it doesn't matter. Her hands scrabble into his shirt at his back and she kisses him hard, meeting the probing of his lips with similar motions. It's probably quite a display for the other people in the mess over breakfast, but Tex really doesn't care. Maybe something...jump-started his memory, helped him remember what had happened before his disappearance. Or maybe it just doesn't matter whether he remembers or not. Maybe this is just a promise she needs to make to him through her actions, that she's not going to put that distance between them this time.

Eventually Tex comes to herself, realizes she's gone short of breath, and she pulls back enough to break the kiss and press her face against his cheek. She's sort of panting in his ear now, but she doesn't care. "Leonard..." She swallows and pulls back a little more. "I'm not going to work right now." She can switch shifts with Nate or something. It's flexible enough—this is more important right now.

[beside_myself]

They're on two different wavelengths, and he knows this. Knows that he's stepping into dangerous, dangerous fucking territory. He doesn't remember anything; he feels like he's intruding on something he shouldn't; he knows Tex is ... projecting. But he's always been bad at keeping away from her.

When she pulls away, he has to smile. Just a soft, toothy grin. "I'd ... kinda hope not," he says, his voice barely there and just a bit rough. He doesn't even care about his own work schedule. It's not even a thought in his mind, at this point.

[a_shadow]

She pulls back the rest of the way and puts her hand to her MID to open a text and send a message to Nate, to let him know she intends to switch shifts with him that day. That accomplished, she turns her attention to cleaning up their mess—dropping the tray had spattered some food onto the table. She dabs it up with Church's unused napkin and grabs the trays. "Come on," she says.

She's not quite sure where she's headed. It occurs to her that if they go to the privacy of her room, they're not going to be able to keep their hands off of each other, or at least, there will be more opportunity to be physical rather than vulnerable. And that doesn't seem like a good idea right now. But if she takes him to somewhere public to talk, like the gardens, she'll be too inhibited by the presence of other people to share much. She won't share anything, really. And that doesn't work either.

Her room it is, then. She doesn't take his hand after dropping off the trays, just walks ahead of him, leading the way as she had on the way to the mess hall. After a bit she slows enough for him to catch up. "Going to my room," she explains finally. "I only have one roommate and he ought to be working."

She walks by his side until they reach her room, and she opens the door, leading the way in. One of the sets of sheets she had bought during the ship's visit to the resorts of the Collective are on the bed, and she reaches to tidy the corners of the cover toward the pillow. "We can sit here and talk." The room has chairs, but the desks are all far apart, between the beds, and she would rather snuggle up here then drag chairs all over the room.