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!

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[pidge_out]

"Whoa." Her eyes were wide and bright and they might as well have been positively sparkling. "Okay, that does sound really cool." And of course she was just beaming at the way Hunk described it all. Same old Hunk, all big smiles and pure enthusiasm and positivity. Pidge hadn't even realized just how much she'd missed having him around. It had been a pretty long time, now that she thought about it. And with knowledge of the future to boot... "Okay, next time we find a tree, I'm definitely trying this out. And then maybe Green will have this vine cannon thing when we find her!"

[im_a_leg]

"What? No, that was like way before we got here. Unless there was another wormhole. Oh god, was there another wormhole? I so don't want to end up on a drugged water planet full of mermaids again." He tilted his head a little. "The food was pretty great though." Even now he had to fight the urge to follow that up with "safe and warm."

"You know, because of him being part Galra," He dropped casually, more horrified by her second comment. "You don't know what a taco is? Oh man, we've gotta fix that. A taco is manna from heaven. It's the food of the gods, Allura. Crispy corn shell filled with seasoned beef, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cool lettuce, plus sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo..." His stomach growled audibly.

"Please tell me you have food here."

[im_a_leg]

Hunk's grin was as friendly as it was challenging. "Hey, I'll take that up with you any time. If you've gotta place that's safe for me to give a demonstration I'd be happy to show you what I can do."

He turned to face Darin when they stopped. "Honestly I'm just really glad they're okay. We've been through some really rough stuff recently. And Shiro especially deserves a little bit of a good time if he can find it."

[patchricide]

"Keith is what?!"

Sorry, Hunk. If you wanted her to pay attention to the taco, you probably should have led with it. She tuned out the entire recipe as her brain attempted to process through that new information.

"But-- no, he can't be Galra. Earth is all the way-- and the Galra Empire-- since when has he been part Galra?!"

She looks angry, hurt, betrayed, disgusted, and above all that really, really confused.

[im_a_leg]

Okay, it's cool, no big. Shiro just passed out after a massive fight and teleported somewhere weird. He was probably a little out of it. It made perfect sense for him to be out of it.

"You know, the fight where we blew up Zarkon? We all got zapped pretty bad and then you up and vanished, so we were really worried about you. Especially after all that running around we had to do for the teleduv. Ha, and dealing with Slav. He really made you crazy, didn't he? Here I thought you were totally unshakable, man. It's cool though, I get it."

[im_a_leg]

"Totally! I'll tell you everything I can about the engineering part of it. Like I said, the tech totally made sense. I just wasn't all cool and powerful enough to make it all work." He grinned, nudging his best friend. There wasn't an ounce of self deprecation in the statement, just pride for his buddy.

"But look, if I don't eat soon I'm probably going to die and then you won't know anything about hacking trees and that'll make you pretty sad."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"Oooooh man, buddy you are on."

He laughs but quickly grows serious.

"Actually, there's something I should mention. About Shiro. I haven't brought it up to Pidge because I don't want to alarm her or anything and I'm not very good at talking to the Princess so...I guess I'll ask you about it."

[im_a_leg]

Pure shock washes over Hunk's face. His tongue darts out to moisten his lower lip before he says anything, and when he does speak it's slowly and carefully.

"I.. honestly thought you were over this by now. Look, it's not Keith's fault that he was born with Galra blood. Even he doesn't know how it got there. He didn't know until really, really recently. It doesn't make him a bad guy, just like the Blades of Marmora are on our side. And we have no idea how they got on Earth. Or if they did even. For all we know Keith's .... uhh, whichever relative got it on with a Galra did it in space. Could've even been generations ago."

He shrugged. "He's still Keith." Hunk held up a finger. "Actually he's a funnier Keith. He actually made a joke. It wasn't even a bad one."

And then he shook his head, frowning. "But you knew all this. You've known it for awhile now. For as long as the rest of us had. You're acting like it's brand new information."

[im_a_leg]

The mirth immediately bleeds from Hunk's face. It's a little impressive how quickly he can move from jovial to business, but it's also fortunate.

He shoves his hands in his pockets, turning his body to fully face Darin now.

"What's wrong? Is he okay?"

[pidge_out]

That got her smirking again. "Yeah. That would make me pretty sad." Not that she sounded like it. But anyway. "And dude, we're almost there and then you can pick whatever you want. Just hang on a tick."

Now that they were out in the main area, it looks less like the inside of a spaceship and more like an underground dome. Kind of like on the Balmera. What she'd described before as a kitchen was really more like... an open-ish area in which people were using to store foodstuffs. But it did in fact have food - solid, cooked food - so that was their destination.

[shiro2hero]

"Hunk..."

Here he was, thrilled to see one of his team alive and well. But it sounds more and more like the guy is just spouting off complete gibberish. Something cold snakes through his chest.

"I don't... have any idea what you're talking about."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"Yeah, no...he's fine. It's just..."

He pauses. How does he phrase this delicately...

"Did something happen to Shiro's brain that makes him tell hideously awful jokes? Like, I'm not exaggerating. Every joke he tells literally makes the wallpaper peel off of the walls and I'm pretty sure it knocks a full year off of my life."

[im_a_leg]

His eyes all but sparkled. "Don't tease me like that. Don't tell me I can pick anything I want. Last time that happened I ended up washing dishes at a space mall."

He held up a finger. "That reminds me. If, in the future, you find yourself at a space mall -- don't blow all your money on a video game system. You'll be super sad when you find out that our space ship doesn't have a TV."

[im_a_leg]

Another deep breath. Hunk was trying reeeeally hard not to freak out now. "Okay. Okay, this is cool. This is fine. You just came out of a really rough fight. You probably just need to rest or something. I'm sure it'll come back to you."

He hesitated. He couldn't help but try again. "The Blades of Marmora don't ring a bell at all?"

[im_a_leg]

Hunk nodded solemnly, completely understanding the nature of the question. And the levity it deserved.

"Okay, I'm totally going to answer that question, but since you're from a totally different time and place I need to gauge what you already know before I can explain. Do you know what a dad joke is?"

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"I...think? Are they like the jokes dad's tell that are just bad and make their kids embarrassed to be seen around--"

It smacks him straight in the gob

"THOSE ARE HIS DAD JOKES?!"

And then...

"SHIRO'S A DAD?!?!?!?!"

[patchricide]

"It is brand new information! I never heard anything about this, and I wouldn't forget something like that! When did it come up?! Is this a thing like Pidge being a girl, where half the team knows and they assume the rest of us figured it out?!"

As far as getting over it? No, Allura is not over it. In fact, it looks like things are very literally back to square one, there.

"Wait, hold on. You mentioned something else. The Blades of... Mam...ara...?" She can't even remember how it's pronounced. "I don't remember any allies by that name."

[im_a_leg]

"Yes and no. He's only twenty five so he's definitely not old enough to be our dads, but he's kind of like our dad because he's super mature and a great leader and looks after us. So he's like our team dad, and we think maybe that's why he makes all those really bad jokes."

Hunk slaps a hand over his chest, solemn expression firmly in place. "It comes from the heart, you know? He's trying to do his best by us. Nobody's perfect."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah, I forget that Shiro's only about a year older than me. I guess that makes sense..."

He laughs.

"But...it must be nice. Having such a fun and cool family."

[shiro2hero]

"Hunk I've... been here for three months."

Since there's actually a familiar kind of time keeping now. And according to his TAB unit, it's been that long.

He just helplessly spreads his hands, like that's going to help. "The last thing I remember is Allura and I on the Galra ship. When we hit the Hub for information."

[im_a_leg]

"I... " It was hard to optimism that. He frowned, shaking his head. "No. No, I mean, I just saw you like not even.. wait, did you say months?"

Hunk was shellshocked. That was awhile ago. Like, awhile ago. "A lot has happened since then, Shiro. A lot. About Keith, about you, Pidge, Allura, Zarkon, this whole war." He brought a hand to his head.

"I think I need to sit down."

[im_a_leg]

"It really is. My friends are kind of super cool." He grins, folding his hands behind his head.

"I like to think it's because I have awesome taste."

[im_a_leg]

"I... yeah, it doesn't seem like something you'd forget. But I remember, Allura. Me and Keith went on a mission inside a Weblum for scaultrite -- and you know those are two words I wouldn't know in a million years unless we actually did this thing -- and when you got back you thanked me. Just me. When I pointed out that Keith helped too, you just walked off. Because you knew and you were mad at him for being born with that inside him. Why would I remember that if it didn't happen?"

It wasn't accusatory, it was genuinely confusing. Hunk had no answers here. And the furrow in his brow only deepend when Allura didn't know anything about the Blades.

"Yeah. That's how Keith found out. One of them savd Shiro back in the day when he'd been kidnapped, before any of us came out here. We trusted him enough to check them out and in the end even you agreed that they were legitimately against Zarkon. We all formed an alliance with them to help bring him down."

[shiro2hero]

"Months, Hunk."

He says it as gently as he possibly can. He can tell this is hard for him, to say the least. Granted, it's hard on both of them. But Hunk is the one who's more obviously suffering here.

"That doesn't surprise me. Pidge and Allura told me I missed a lot when we all got here, too." A beat. "Come on. Sit down. I'll get you something."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"Well, you're an engineer, and it's a well documented fact that engineers are the best at picking out the parts that can make something truly wonderful. I'm kind of envious, actually."