tdm 14

[hohnkai]

T E S T D R I V E

Survival is the exception "living is an act of courage." THROUGH THE INGRESS 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 rocky planet. Former crew of the Moira are there to greet you, and it’s a grim message they have to share. The Moira has crashed and is beyond repair, but there’s good news... the destination the crew has been heading towards for over a year? You’re standing on it. But before you get into exploration and survival, it’s best to deal with the effects of coming through a broken Ingress. ☄ slip and trip find your footing fast Coming through the Ingress has left your character with one of three changes - an age slip, a form of body horror, or an extreme weakness. The first, the age slip, will mean that the character is either older or younger and this change can’t be rectified during their first month in game. The second, body horror, comes in the form of an alteration to the character's body due to whatever they were carrying at the time they came through. If they were wearing a watch, it’s now fused to their wrist, clothes are permanent, knifes replace fingers, and many other alterations (anything goes) and it lasts the first month as well. The third, extreme weakness, can be a mental or physical decrease - weaker arms, legs, or the weaker ability to talk or do math. ooc: the choice of change is up to each player and this prompt can be game canon. ☄ introductions aren’t awkward as long as you don’t shake their hand too long A new planet. Physical and mental changes. Talk of a ship that crashed and a Hub that is home to the ‘creators’ of a technology you’ve never heard of. A lot is happening and the best way to sort through it is by getting to know the Moira’s crew. They’ll help you settle in and get you any care you might need, all the while informing you that the group is on its way to the center of the hub. Something that might seem mundane is an absolute necessity for survival. Ask a seasoned space traveling veteran for answers and guidance. ooc: this prompt can be game canon. ☄ dealer's choice just make the right one Characters have the option of coming through an Ingress that is any possible location on this planet. It can be inside a cave, at the top of a rock formation, etc. This means you can have your character have to climb or slide down, have them yelling for help, and have other characters see them and come to their aid. Your character's arrival is completely up to you, and since this is a unique situation that hasn't happened before, go nuts with it! ooc: this prompt can be 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

[sidekick_this]

What kind of hobby?

[He's squinting back behind that mask.]

I'm not an AI. I just work with them a lot.

[sidekick_this]

Yeah, you were. I can't fly because that part of my armor got damaged when I was nailed. It's the last thing I can remember before I ended up here.

And no, don't carry me.

[Oh he knows Tony will do it.]

1/2

[inconsequence]

The floodgates open, and everything pent up comes spilling out, sluicing through the air in torquing, unfocused streams. They smile because it comes naturally to them, to keep that blast shield up even as Frisk begins to cry.

They keep their gaze fixed and their smile unflinching up until the moment that Frisk topples, knees impacting the ground. Asriel and slavers and stolen cut into their ears, and their eyes flare with a recognition, an understanding that - that this is Frisk at their finest, surely. This is Frisk attempting to force them to bend to their tears, to win them over with sentiment when they are beyond that in every sense of the word. But without the reassuring cushion of LOVE around their heart, there is...

For a long, quiet moment, Chara stands there.

They - refuse to fall for this ruse a second time. They refuse to be led along like this, blindly. They are implacable, they are ironclad, and they will not be taken advantage of, laying down their weapon so that Frisk's job will be exponentially easier.

They will not bear their unarmed back so someone can sink a knife into it up to the hilt.

If Frisk has not done so yet, then it is only a matter of time.

[inconsequence]

They waver. Perhaps for far too long, they waver. They are caught in a rut they can only truly, honestly call one of indecision.

The idea that Frisk might seek comfort in one such as them is laughable. All they have is the tip of a blade, a handful of petals, a locket whose meaning has been all but lost on the world.

Either way, they have their answer.

They drop smoothly in a crouch, their eyes locked on the pathetic shape curled there, trembling, and the single word they hiss is not much in the way of comfort - though, truly, what had Frisk been expecting?

"Explain."

[sidekick_this]

[Leave it to Tony to survive a spaceship crash. Still, he's glad to hear his friend is alive somewhere around here.]

Oh yeah. Tony designed this thing and I'm kind of borrowing it.

It's cool. I'm Colonel Rhodes, or War Machine.

[He accepts the shake, metal clanking and all.]

[efficacy]

[ Well, that's a heads-up. She'd like to think anyone singing U2 isn't coming at her with ill intentions, at least, sitting up and squinting uselessly at Lúcio when he clambers closer. Ma'am? Oh boy. ]

It's Pepper. Hello, Lúcio. And-- thanks.

[ She musters a small smile despite her anxiety, not wanting to come across as ungrateful. ]

There's a camp? Do you know where exactly we are?

[frostedplum]

"I'm Mei," she states with a smile. "And I hope you can return to your family soon." A mother away from her children must be difficult, even if -- from Ana's age -- they must be full grown.

[frostedplum]

"I'm from Earth," she answers. In her time, they haven't colonized beyond the moon and the moon... is sort of overrun with hyper intelligent and super aggressive gorillas right now.

His question has her tilting her head in thought before shaking her head no. "We've come a long way with technology. The things we can build sort of seem like magic, but there's a scientific explanation for everything." As far as she knows. "Why? Are you saying your world has magic?"

[frostedplum]

"I don't mind. You may as well try it while we're waiting." Because this situation isn't ideal for her. She likes that she can take care of herself with her brains and her equipment. But now she can't help but ask for help.

[frostedplum]

"Oh." Her expression falls at the news. "That's longer than I was expecting. But... I suppose I can keep busy and then it won't seem so bad."

[otiosity]

All the time. It's sort of... imagine the worst that could happen in any situation and then double it. That's usually what's happening to us.

[Not that it's actually terrible ever single second but it's best to prepare people with the worst. They walk in silence for a minute or so before Hawke turns back to Pepper.]

I'm supposed to introduce myself, aren't I? Especially since we're getting all in each other's personal space. It does make sense to call someone you have your arm around something other than "hey you". I always forget these sort of things. At least my excuse is that I was literally raised in the woods.

[She shifts and offers the hand of the arm that isn't around Pepper's waist.]

Hawke.

[disregarding]

[ He can't quite tell if this guy is funny or grumpy. Maybe both? Seems like the kind of person he might be able to tease. ...After he gets food. ]

Well there certainly wouldn't be any shortage of food if they could.

[ It makes him think of Hanabusa and seeing her teach the students about paleontology. Then, completely seriously. ]

I wonder if different rocks would taste different?

[ Is he joking? Is he really serious? He's probably joking, despite that innocent face. ]

[efficacy]

[ To be honest, Pepper was expecting the answer to be more along the lines of nooo, not at all, this is an isolated event and nothing more! and as much as she usually appreciates honesty and straightforwardness, now she's not entirely sure whether she would have preferred a little white lie.

Frowning slightly to herself, she mulls on that in silence until Hawke changes the subject. Oh. Pepper hadn't thought of introductions, either, and she usually -- again -- adheres to such courtesies. Well, this isn't a normal day by any stretch of imagination. ]

I've been called worse, but you do have a point. [ Taking her hand off the mabari's back, she shakes Hawke's with a small, crooked smile. ] Your name is Hawke and you were raised in the woods?

[ Little known fact about Pepper, she loves lame puns. Anyway... ]

Pleased to meet you, despite the circumstances. I'm Pepper.

[flynnitomite]

Right. Make sure it goes in pointy end first, yeah?

[flynnitomite]

[Oh, so it's the little blonde thing Drake had eyes for, righteous as ever and looking worse for wear. Well at least somebody was having a worse day than he was. He gives her a once-over and gestures at her as he speaks.]

Been sticking your nose where it don't belong, I presume?

((Whoa your Elena account name is one letter off from my Elena account name! Great minds think alike, I suppose :D))

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah. That's the idea.

You gonna leave it at pissy remarks or do I have to worry about another gut shot as long as you're here?

[Not that he's going to automatically trust Harry's reply, but hell. He's not sure where else to go from here.]

[flynnitomite]

[He's more annoyed that she didn't give him the gun than he is relieved that she's not pointing it at him anymore, but he drops his arms and begins to cross the remaining distance between them regardless]

Honestly there's not much to say. One second I'm the center of a fireworks show and the next I'm here while some git goes on about alien technology or some such. So ... we've been kidnapped by aliens, I suppose? Maybe they patched me up somehow.

[flynnitomite]

Still upset about that are you? Well I've no gun on me so you're safe there.

[He decides he should make it a priority to get armed. For purely practical purposes of course. Who knows what alien critters could be lurking around every corner?]

[sketchycharacter]

You could get one. They're available here, if you know who to ask.

[Hell, he's got several, but he's not about to hand over any of his personal armory, not when he can think of about thirty people he'd provide the means to protect themselves first.]

Convince me you're not going to do anything with it that I'd regret, I might even point you in their direction.

[otiosity]

The two are surprisingly unrelated. It's more an ironic happenstance.

[At the name, Hawke tilts her head and looks the woman up and down like there's suddenly a spectacular new dimension to her that Hawke had never seen before. But based on everything she knows, the pieces are falling into place.]

Hmmm, you don't happen to be the same Pepper who Tony Stark pines for when he thinks no one's watching. Or that he thinks he has the subtlety to pretend that he doesn't miss you when he talks about you? The infamous and famous Pepper Potts. Please say yes. I'm going to get so many gloating privileges and the power to demand a raise.

[otiosity]

Oh good. Because I can't support another reputation. I've got one at home, one here, and while I may be good at juggling rodents to Orlesian ballads, I haven't quite figured out the skill of metaphorical relationship juggling. So let's limit the balls in the air.

[She reaches out to encourage the dog to come closer to her. She even seems to address him when she speaks. She'd rather talk to a dog about this. Dogs are easy.]

[alan_1]

[Upon hearing the man’s rather quarrelsome-sounding questions in passing, Alan elects to pretend he didn’t hear. The bit floating along above his shoulder, however, has other plans. After all, it rarely passes up a chance to serve its function.

”No! No! Yes! No!”

Alan turns at the sound of the bit’s buzzing voice to see it stopped in front of the man and doing its level best to answer all of his questions -- at least, as well as it can limited to an answer pool of “yes” and “no.”]

Bit, come on, [Alan says, glancing at the man and hoping he doesn’t take offense to the hovering shape half-shouting in his face.] I don’t think he was asking you...

[buyeverything]

[Look, Nate. It's been "one or two" years since Rafe dealt with you and Scotland. He's overrrr iiiit.]

So you've been contracted for a while then, huh?

[Oh yeah, he's signed up and all that. What else can he do after all? Let's play nice and see where this gets him.]

So any other familiar faces I should keep an eye out for?

[Like one Samuel Drake.]

[flynnitomite]

What's killing you gonna do for me out here?

[Lying is like breathing to Flynn and shooting Nate Drake's stupid smug face might be cathartic, but when all is said and done, it's true. Flynn is nothing if not pragmatic and Drake is already proving to be useful with this bit of information.

And that's always been the nature of the business, hasn't it? Work against someone on a job one week, partner with them on the next.]

You should have more faith in me.

[rikos_mom]

[ Masane takes the grabbing with all the poise and grace appropriate for a wielder of an ancient superweapon. ]

OY!

[ Which is to say, roundabout no poise or grace at all. The helmet rolls off of her lap as she flails, yowling unhappily. ]

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!

[ She doesn't yank her arm back in fear of potentially hurting the girl, but there's indignity written into every line of her body.

The Sister will, of course, find the arm to be in perfectly pristine condition asides from some smears of rust. ]