( january intro log )

[hownkai]

Who: Everyone
When: January 1st and on
Where: The Moira + Emiri
What: The crew finds themselves on the planet of Emiri
Warnings: None, but please label anything you do that needs a warning

I N T R O L O G

doubled down "I used to live in a room of mirrors, and all I could see was me..." 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. Those that arrive will find they have a very short amount of time to actually adjust to time on the Moira before the ship is preparing to enter the orbit of a nearby planet. Shifts in gravity are normal, but for the most part, things carry on as usual. WELCOME TO EMIRI Despite recent events, it seems things are slowly coming to a standstill. As the Moira comes closer to this new planet, the Captains relay a message to the crew informing them that they are required to dock and stay on Emiri for an indeterminate amount of time due to the nature of its most prized resource: matchmaking. Although it is universally known by many other names, Emiri is a central hub for pairing others with their true intended—or second self. Each crew member will be asked to participate in a series of MANDATORY tests - both physical and mental - so that their profile may be uploaded into an efficient database before being allowed to explore what Emiri has to offer. Curious about the process? Don't be! Side effects to these simple tests are rare, and while some of them may be lengthy, the majority of them are timely, efficient, and short. However, the company responsible for this modern miracle is well-known, especially throughout Emiri, and each Morian should verse themselves as to exactly who they are and what they do. LINK'D INC. The Art of Once Link’d Inc. knows that finding your second self isn’t easy, so we take the guesswork out of it for you. If you’re looking for love, a perfect genetic match, a person to help you build an empire, or something more, you’ve come to the right place. Link’d Inc. runs mental and physical screenings and performs a background analysis--all at your discretion. Immediate customization of a detailed profile is ready for you in seconds. This profile is then calibrated into our system and cross-examined with over 99.9 billion others. We’ll find you your second self, the perfect counterpart, the very first try. It’s the chance of a lifetime. It’s the life you deserve. It’s... The Art of Once. These are some of the many different sorts of advertisements found throughout Emiri describing the corporation responsible for this advanced science. Its founder, Frederick Link, is not easily contacted, but there is some information available about him. Anyone that asks will be told bits and pieces of the following: Frederick Link searched the universes for his perfect match, only to be met with disappointment and loneliness. A businessman at heart, but a romantic to his very core, Link decided to take that perceived failure and channel it into a company that could provide others with the very thing he longed for: the perfect second self. Two years into development, during a trial run, Link was matched with a woman from a neighboring galaxy, and they’ve been together ever since. A prosperous thirty year relationship shows that the methods of Link’d Inc. can provide a person with love, romance, a business and life partner, or anything else that one might need. Whether they hear all of it is determined by how much the crew explores the vast cities of Emiri, which are connected to one another by a railway system that makes travel quick and simple. There are also numerous other modes of transportation that range from cars and trucks to boats and bicycles. HARASHAN Commercial & Professional Map of HarashanPopulation: ~ 7.28 million Major Landmark: The Aerospace Literacy Rate: 95% Harashan is the main district for education and learning. There are countless programs and schools offered to those of varying races and ethnicities throughout the galaxy. Want to learn another language? Perhaps brush up on some of the arts that were never quite mastered? This is the place to perfect things that need a bit of fine tuning. It is also the main business capital and transportation hub of Emiri—the aerospace is located centrally, a busy place that monitors the comings and goings of every ship. The Link'd Inc. corporate office can be found here, as well as its chains and subsidiaries (i.e., screening facilities and health services). Their motto is: Finding your second is a business strategy. Get it right the first time. ☄ DATING 101: Someone thinks you need a little more education before meeting your one and only because you're now being forced to attend reform school. Ettiquette, dining, dancing, and more, there are countless lessons you'll be taught and tested over through the course of your stay on Emiri. Perhaps you won't be so unlucky and have someone to share in the experience. ( 01.01 - 01.17 ) ☄ BOARDED UP: Crew members located in this city will be passed a flier by an unrecognizable stranger who is immediately swallowed up in the crowd of Harashan; being able to follow them will be impossible. Yet, the thin paper has nothing on it but a specific address. Asking some of the locals eventually leads to an abandoned station on the outskirts of the city in the opposite direction of the Aerospace. It's dirty and falling apart, like the residents of Emiri have completely ignored its existence. There are also signs of a struggle in random areas throughout—black scorch marks, bullet holes, and dried blood stains. Yet, the most noticeable feature is the single flag tacked onto a wall just down a flight of steps that leads to a closed subway system bearing an unfamiliar symbol. What happened here? Why won't anyone know what you're talking about if you question them? Something seems to be brewing beneath the business-driven energy of Harashan. ( 01.18 ) Avelle Romance & Love Map of AvellePopulation: ~ 2.1 million Major Landmark: Wem-Run River Crime Rate: 15% Avelle is Emiri's second largest city and is centered around those individuals looking for their second based on love compatibility versus the "entire package". However, it differs from Harashan due to its increase in families rather than individuals and is more suburban in its layout. While it does have schools and general places as Harashan does, its most noted feature is the Wem-Run River, which courses through the center of the city. Much of Avelle's energy and livelihood is generated by this natural formation, but the water is not drinkable. Their motto is: Finding your second is finding your soulmate. The first time is the only time. ☄ FAMILY MATTERS: Congratulations! You've been given the keys to a new place of your very own, completely furnished and with no strings attached. But there's always a catch, right? Well. It's the starting foundation of your new life with your second—regardless of whether or not you've met. So, get settled and get comfortable. You have a while to figure out what you're going to do. ( 01.01 - 01.17 ) ☄ BOMBS AWAY: Crew members located in this city will suddenly feel the slightest tremor shake the ground. Depending on how close you are to the Wem-Run River, it might be possible to see the remains of a burning ship. You might even notice the few figures in the water who are immediately swept up by - what appear to be - the authorities of Avelle. If you're further from the water, there will be thick black smoke pouring into the air, and as the crowd begins to grow larger, it's almost impossible to see what happens across the river. Yet, some of the debris will wash ashore eventually, and pieces of the boat will bear an unfamiliar symbol. What happened here? Why won't anyone know what you're talking about if you question them? Why do they whisper Komai? Something seems to be brewing beneath the light-hearted energy of Avelle. ( 01.18 ) St. Murtel Genetic & Biological Map of St. MurtelPopulation: ~ 867,000 Major Landmark: Link'd Inc. Gen-Lab Success Rate: ERROR Unlike other cities across Emiri, St. Murtel's access is extremely limited and monitored closely. It is the center of medicial-related queries as well as laboratories and other screening facilities. Physical and mental conditioning and other educations are held in the pristine buildings of St. Murtel due to its heavy focus on pairing people from a genetic level to "create a better future". The streets are clean despite the vast highways that runs either side of the center of the city. Settled between these busy roads is the Link'd Inc. Gen-Lab. Their motto is: Finding your second is for the future. A perfect legacy is only born once. ☄ INFANT POSSIBILITIES: The future is closer than you think! With help from several Link'd Inc. sources, you can now know what your offspring will look like. Accessing the system is easy, and all candidates who have been logged through Link'd Inc.'s matching process will be available to view by anyone. Not the most precious thing you've ever seen? Don't worry! There are even programs that assist with altering what those genes may produce so that you can have exactly what you've always wanted. ( 01.01 - 01.17 ) ☄ CUFFED: Crew members located in this city will notice an unrest arising within the people slowly gathering outside the Link'd Inc. Gen-Lab. Upon closer inspection, it seems the authorities have been contacted due to some sort of threat, and if you look even closer, that "threat" is a person being arrested and detained for questioning. What might strike you as odd is the an unfamiliar symbol inked into the back of their jacket and the shout the stranger gets out before being shoved into a locked vehicle. "The Komai won't stop until it's over!" What's happened here? Why won't anyone know what you're talking about if you question them? Who was that person and what did they mean? Something seems to be brewing beneath the strict energy of St. Murtel. ( 01.18 ) ( ooc; For questions or more planet information, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Comments

Wanda Maximoff | OTA

[seeingscarlet]

I. Harashan, Dating 101
[Taken out of context, Wanda wouldn't mind the dancing lessons. She's actually not bad at it, but now the instructors are trying to teach this and that can't end well. She leans in, whispers:] They look like a pretzel.

II. Avelle, Retail Therapy
[It's really hard for Wanda not to be grumpy about this entire affair; Emiri is just poking at all her weak spots. Pietro was always there to emotionally support her and she had little time to think about romance cooped up in a HYDRA base. Really, she hadn't thought about it much since before her parents died - it was always a 'later, when Sokovia is safe again' sort of thing.

She's caught between not wanting to be here and not wanting to be on the ship, and today wanting some fresh air is winning. Maybe some new clothes, or at least some gloves? Wanda still has some diamonds left and there are always certain other things she can offer in trade. You can find her browsing the more bohemian-style shops or perhaps in a curiously empty corner of a coffee shop.]

III. Harashan, closed to Steve
[She waits as patiently as she can, absently kicking at the pebbles under her feet and hoping beyond hope that no one else is going to approach her or try to drag her back to those ridiculous dating classes. Then she'd have to make them go away and that might draw attention she doesn't want and that's the entire reason she's in this bad spot to begin with.

Wanda can't help the sigh of relief when she finally catches sight of him.]

Steve. [She scoots over on the bench to make room.] I was starting to worry they had taken you to dating school.

IV. Harashan, Boarded Up
[Wanda's beyond sick of almost everything about this planet, so of course she was going to investigate the address. Anything that wasn't going back to the Moira or having to watch couple after sickly sweet couple.

It's easy to slip into the station, and she's careful to silence her footfalls as best as she can. Wasted effort, really - it gets so dim the deeper she goes that Wanda has to resort to focusing a large amount of energy around one hand in a not-so-great knockoff of Loki's witchlight.

Maybe you find her exploring the station. Or maybe you run into her just down that flight of stairs as she uses her powers to fully unfurl the flag:] I knew there was something wrong.

V. Wildcard!

Harashan, Dating 101

[intherigging]

[Jacky is pretty darn determined not to actually go through with any of this 'match' nonsense, but the classes offered in Harashan seemed interesting. Especially the dance and music lessons--if there's anything a performer like Jacky likes to learn, it's new material.

But the woman next to her is right.] Good lord, they do.

[seeingscarlet]

I don't see how almost hitting each other in the head is romantic.

[Or smacking each other in the face - really, there are a thousand ways that turn could go wrong. How in the world did it make it into dancing 101?]

[intherigging]

I don't see how it's fun. [She sighed, very put upon.] I wanted to learn something fun.

[seeingscarlet]

They sent us to dating reform school. [Sorry Jacky, Wanda can't help the skeptical expression.] I don't think it is supposed to be fun.

i

[petridish]

[She hadn't overly minded the classes on manners - yeah, manners are a waste of time in themselves, but if they help her cover, then fine. Dance classes, however, were a mistake, especially as there are aliens in here.

[She's trying to subtly make her way out of the class when someone speaks to her. She looks blank for a moment, the word 'pretzel' ringing a bell but not very clearly, and then she realizes the young woman looks a little familiar from the MID directory.]

Wanda Maximoff?

[seeingscarlet]

[She blinks, a bit taken aback by that. It's generally not how anyone aside from the captains addresses her and makes her feel like she's about to get scolded for talking in class or something.]

Yes?

[petridish]

They gave me your name after doing that survey. [And then she'd looked her up on the directory out of curiosity. An eyeroll, and then a shrug that's supposed to be "that was dumb, amirite?" sympathetic.

[Still, she extends a hand; that much she knew from Brooks before the etiquette lessons here.] Commander Shepard.

[seeingscarlet]

[Wanda is hesitant, unsure what to say, but she shakes the offered hand nonetheless. Fortunately it doesn't seem like either of them expect anything out of the other.]

It's nice to meet you. Even though this is a little silly.

IV.

[manyvoiced]

[Breq descends a flight of stairs in bad disrepair, just in time to see Wanda unfurling the flag. She makes no comment about the powers, keeps that fact at the fore front of her mind though, curiosity piqued.]

Isn't there always.

[It sounds almost comically ironic, but there's some truth to it. As far as Breq had seen, every peacable society; every utopia or civilized space, cameat a price. And for that price, people - unhappy, unrested, powerless except on the very outskirts - fell through the cracks.]

[seeingscarlet]

[Wanda glances back, sees the MID and relaxes ever-so-slightly.]

There isn't a reason to protest a normal dating company. Not like this.

[Link'd, Inc. had to be more to have so much control over Emiri...but a flag that looks like anti-Link'd propaganda? All the evidence of violence in the station? Perhaps she was right to be leery of those tests. Something fishy's going on.]

[manyvoiced]

Then that tells us that something isn't as it seems.

[She turns to look at Wanda, her face placid.]

The unhappiest people are the first place to look in any society to see just how happy it really is. Do the people here seem happy to you?

[seeingscarlet]

The ones I have seen do. There is nothing like this.

[She'd been specifically scanning for danger, too. If there was some rebellious element floating around, Wanda should have known about it unless --]

But those are only the people they let us see.

II; backdated to 01/04

[commontype]

[Eggsy's looking for some earrings, nothing over the top, but a nice pair. There's a lovely bird on the ship who he's been matched with, and maybe he's not currently available for dating, but he still thinks he should do something to make her feel special. She is his match after all, at least in these people's minds.]

What 'bout these?

[He lifts a pair up for Wanda to see. Eggsy'd just happened by the shop and seen her inside, hoped she might have an opinion or two for him.]

Do ya know Jacky? Think she might like these?

[seeingscarlet]

Not very well...but they are cute. [The significance is lost on her, but hey, Wanda would wear those with the right outfit.]

Was she your match?

[commontype]

Oh, yeah. She is.

[Eggsy frowns down at them for a moment, then nods, satisfied with the choice.]

Knew her before all that, don't know how I feel 'bout bein' matched up with anyone. But I don't want her to think that I think there's anythin' wrong with her cause I ain't like goin' for it.

Mero #12, for Athena

[seeingscarlet]

I. Mero #12 (for Athena)
[Wanda can feel Athena's presence before she enters their shared room - it's sharp like knives and heavy like the air before a storm. It settles under her skin in little pinpricks and she knows there's nothing to be done about it. She might have to go down the hall, make sad faces at Steve and Niko, and hope they'll let her crawl into their spare bed tonight.

She's felt this storm of sorts growing over time, but it's starting to reach a critical mass. Asleep, Wanda's helpless to block ambient emotions out and she's having enough problems with nightmares as it is, thank you very much.

She pauses in the doorway, leans against the frame, unwilling to go any deeper than she has to yet.]

Athena? Is everything all right?

[pallantias]

[Athena’s still in her armor when Wanda enters the room, though her mask is off. It isn’t surprising -- Athena seems to be spending more and more time in that armor rather than her uniform, often with her swords at her sides as well. It’s as if she’s preparing for something, or trying to, and perhaps someone else might mistake her actions as those of someone who’s afraid.

Wanda will know better than that though.

She looks over at the sound of her roommate’s voice with characteristic sharpness, her head tilting to the side slightly at her question.]

I haven’t been informed otherwise. [Naturally she assumes Wanda is asking about the general status of the ship and crew rather than her own circumstances.] Why? Has something happened? [She asks the question with an unsettling intensity. As if she wants something to go wrong.]

[seeingscarlet]

[Wanda hates the uniform, won't wear it without some piece of her Scarlet Witch outfit incorporated, so Athena going around in her armor wasn't necessarily strange on its own. But she's almost jumpy, eager even, and this is exactly the sort of thing Wanda's seen in too many Sokovian faces.

She tilts in her head in that often-unsettling way she has, like she's looking straight through you.]

Not with the ship, with you. You're projecting.

[She crosses the scant feet to sit on the exposed edge of her bed, feet dangling.]

Are you unhappy that you couldn't kill it?

Avelle, for Billy

[seeingscarlet]

[Retail therapy and now a stroll through one of the many riverside parks have done wonders for Wanda's mood. She's used River's little trick and some of her illusions to pick up a few small things today - you would be surprised what people here will do to see their heart's desire so realistically.

Wanda waves when she catches sight of Billy. It's nice to have an excuse to talk that doesn't involve a life or death situation.]

It's nice to see the sky again, isn't it?

[noassgardian]

[He gives a wave of his own, a smile coming to his lips.]

Hey. [It's always nice to see Wanda, even better when it isn't a dire situation. They haven't had enough chances to just meet and hang out.]

You can say that again. Been sightseeing?

[seeingscarlet]

With a bit of shopping.

[She hefts the bag of smaller bags. They're mostly little presents - Wanda never really had the means to acquire gifts in Sokovia, and several people here have really gone out of their way to help her here. It just seemed like the thing one ought to do.

There also might be something for Billy in that bag.]

I like this city. It feels better than Harashan. [She smiles and tries to not at all awkwardly shuffle that half of the bag behind her skirts.] How are you?

I.

[petrifiedshadow]

[ Starflight was crouched down behind her, evidently trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. So far these dating lessons had just gone from bad to worse as far as he was concerned. This was so far outside of the realm of anything he had done he was a little overwhelmed.

He looked slightly horrified about the whole ordeal. ]

Are their arms supposed to bend like that?

[ His voice was as quiet as he could make it, trying not to interrupt or get spotted. ]

[seeingscarlet]

[She's not an expert on dragon body language, but Wanda imagines that she would definitely want to hide were she in Starflight's position. She fluffs her skirt a bit to provide a tiny bit more cover - it's not the ball gown from earlier but it's better than nothing.]

Not normally. It looks painful for them.

[She's whispering too, just in case.]

But for you...they can't expect that. [Again, no expert, but Wanda's pretty sure dragon limbs don't work like that.]

[petrifiedshadow]

I hope not.

[ Starflight appreciated her help, though he was still peeking over her shoulder to watch. Considering everything else about this planet, he had a feeling there would be consequences for not trying to do what they want. ]

What do you think happens if you fail the class?