( march intro log )

[hownkai]

Who: Everyone
When: March 1st and on
Where: The Moira + Ceta
What: The crew finds themselves on the planet of Ceta
Warnings: Potential sci-fi creature death. Please label your content!

I N T R O L O G

by the inquest "Arguments on their nature are refuted by those who return to shore, wide-eyed with tales of their savagery." All Moirans are woken to the sounds of the ship coming to a rather grating halt some time in the early morning cycle. It’s no faster or slower than any other stop, but it is unexpected as the captains didn’t mention an upcoming disembarkment. Shortly after, a message is sent to every MID: Navigation has informed us that we’re approaching bad traveling conditions: an overactive star. Instead of stopping on Liant El, we’ll be docking here on Ceta. Please exercise caution while gathering supplies and during excursions. Follow their safety guidelines. If the chance allows, we’ll also be signing new crew on the planet. Please greet them first and show them to the ship. Thank you. 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. For those few who come through Ceta's Ingress, there will be crew of the Moira there to greet you. They tell you of the Ingress, how it is broken, even on this planet, and that the ship is headed back to the origin of this technology. This planet’s Ingress is set precariously atop a floating rock formation, the only way from one area to the next is on small air-propelled boats. Crew members will guide everyone back to the Moira and take them to the Medbay; contracts will be signed posthaste. WELCOME TO CETA At first glance, Ceta seems mostly inhabitable, and that's because it is. The atmosphere around the planet is surprisingly thick in most places, sometimes thin in others, and without some way to filter the air, it is mostly unbreathable; it's a giant gas planet, its core made of various molten metals and the atmosphere a mix of oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrous. Ceta's gravity is also uneven, meaning that some areas will have stronger focal points than others. The terrain, when it is visible, appears rather rocky—hardly the best conditions for life and stable living. What's more unusual, however, is that despite this fact, there is, indeed, a small populace "living" among the mist and clouds, but it's clear they do not live here year-round. It's hunting season, and they are there for the bounty. These visitors have built small platforms that are hooked together by ropes and swinging bridges, which they call "temporaries". Unstable buildings are rare, dangerous, and spread out over these temporaries to prevent damage or accidents. The temporaries float along, swaying and shifting with the planet’s atmosphere, and posted at every point of entry and all open surfaces are a particular set of rules that everyone must abide by. They are written in dark ink and large block letters so that all passing by will stop and read them: NO FIRE. Flammables, ignition sources, matches, lighters, and anything that creates a spark is prohibited. The atmosphere has higher levels of hydrogen, and the smallest spark will create a problem. AIR BREATHABILITY. Monitor your vitals. Wear masks or re-breathers if needed. WATCH THE EDGE. All walkways are the only thing from you and falling. Be cautious and watch your step. These signs should be given their due attention. The edge is just that: the end of where it is safe to walk. If a wooden plank gives way beneath your feet, you will plummet through hundred of miles of atmosphere before hitting the planet’s thin surface. The captains reiterate that crew should be careful and stick to the main temporaries, gather supplies, visit at their leisure, and then go back to the ship. ☄ IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! The organisms that have evolved on this planet are unintelligent—a fact that is told to you by the other visitors. As there is no solid materials or ways for them to interact with their environments, these giants float along within the atmosphere, though it appears that they are flying when they are merely navigating through. They travel in groups of three or more and sometimes come close to the outskirts of the temporaries. Because there is an invisible filtration dome around the temporaries, this allows the creatures to pass through without harm and return again into the mist as they please. They are difficult to see at night and are rather skittish in the presence of sudden light. ☄ @ THE MUSEUM Every evening when work is done, artificial light sources illuminate the streets of the temporaries. There is one bar, if you can actually call it that, but the main attraction is a museum. The support structure appears to be made out of the skeletal system of the giants that "swim" and live on Ceta, and though the outside seems rather unassuming, the inside is not for the faint of heart. As it's considered informative, there are displays of the internal structures and functions of the very creatures that seem harmless and as unintelligent as the visitors claim. There are sections of the museum dedicated to their anatomy and what makes them so valuable: inside their air sacs, which is what gives the illusion to flying through the atmosphere, is a mineral that, when harvested, attunes and sharpens the senses so that brain capacity and function excel over one-hundred percent efficiency. Likewise, aside from these informative areas, there is also a history of how and when the visitors began to hunt them for this valuable, unnamed resource. ☄ HARVEST SEASON Are you looking for work? Or perhaps you're bored with your duties aboard the Moira and prefer to see just what it is these visitors do during the day? Hunters will often pay for menial labor to help with the killing and retrieval of the giants of Ceta. It is by day, not by hour, and once aboard one of the many ships, you will be put to work handling equipment or being on the lookout for "signs" of the creatures. Once they've been spotted, the real work isn't in capturing them or even trying to subdue them—though they give a good fight. It's in the harvest, done below deck once they have been safely brought into the ship's cargo areas by the tethers, that can get quite gruesome. As a defense mechanism, cutting into the skin creates a rather noxious emission that can cause disorientation, hallucinations, or unconsciousness. Worst case scenarios can often result in death. ☄ WORD LIMITS As things are beginning to wind up (or down), something seems to have gotten into the MID systems and caused a malfunction. On the morning of 03.13, it suddenly becomes clear that communicating with others who are not from the same universe or similar timelines seems very difficult. Understanding each other becomes rather hopeless as the day continues, and these repercussions can be felt across the entire ship. The Captains send out another MID message that appears as a jumble of unusual letters and symbols. However, there is one word that can be read by everyone and (hopefully) understood: RATCHET. Figuring out this problem shouldn't take long if everyone can leap the language barriers and work together. ( ooc; All New Arrivals: you have the choice of coming through the Moira's Ingress OR Ceta's Ingress. For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Comments

[allyisun]

[The Moira, The Café]

Parked by a planet or not, Allison figures the people still need their renewed daily intake of caffeine. She has plenty of time in the afternoons and evenings to go exploring the strange, vertigo-inspiring alien planet.

So come one, come all, to the All You've Got Café! Enjoy a warm drink, a snack if the kitchen has cooked up anything, or just Allison's delightful company. Otherwise she's just going to be sitting behind the counter playing games on her MID.

[The Moira - Moro Deck, #002, Closed to Roomies]

Allison has gotten used to having a room all to herself. So maybe her stuff is a little all over all of the beds. And so maybe she'll be lounging in her underwear and a tank top when one of her new roommates walks in. Can you blame a girl for getting comfy in what used to be the privacy of her own room?

It's time to argue for bunks, folks. But the pony is pretty much guaranteed one of the bottom beds.

[Wild Card for anything else!]

Cafe!

[beautifulspaceraptor]

"You wouldn't happen to have anything dextro friendly would you?"

There's a tall, dark bird raptor alien leaning on her counter decked out in dark gray thermals that were definitely not ship uniform.

[allyisun]

Allison has to pause for a moment to stare when she looks up from her book. Nihlus isn't the first alien she's seen - that honor goes to the cute and fluffy Ratchet - and he's less bizarre to her than many of the denizens of Throne, but- mandibles.

Then her eyes drop lower and she notices the thermals and can't help but blurting out, "You're in your underwear."

Well, thermals aren't quite underwear, but- Lots of buts. She may me a bit addled from sudden alien.

Finally she manages, "I don't know what that is?"

[beautifulspaceraptor]

"Probably not a good idea for me to eat anything then," Nihlus laments, giving Allison what seemed to be an apologetic smile. He doesn't seem too concerned about walking around in his under armors though.

"Do you know who I can ask about species specific food requirements?"

[allyisun]

"Probably? Sorry about that. I didn't really think about catering to..." She doesn't know what he is. "Uh, different species?"

So far none of the other nonhumans have brought up her lack of selection. Unless you count the Tailgate Incident.

Standing up, because it seems rude to keep sitting, she leans against the back counter.

"Not sure. Check with the medical staff? We've got a lot of scientists around. There was a snake lady talking about regrowing limbs or something, maybe she can help? Otherwise I guess... Talk to Loki? He's head chef."

The Cafe

[devilofohara]

Hello.

[A head and shoulders poke up out of the other side of the counter - a dark haired girl with brown eyes, carefully eyeing the equipment and signs that Allison has spent her time setting up.]

Are you in charge of making coffee here?

[allyisun]

[Oh! Small child! What was it Tex had said about interacting with children? Just treat them like people, right?]

Yeah, I'm the official ship barista. What can I get you?

[devilofohara]

[ Treating her like a person is probably the best course of action, yeah. Especially considering the fact that she's now an employee of this café - this working relationship will go a lot more smoothly if Allison isn't constantly trying to hold the younger girl's hand.

Incidentally, Robin has already had her own interaction with Tex. It... could have gone better, if we're being honest.]

Well I'm supposed to be your assistant now, so I guess I should ask you the same question.

[Congrats, Allison. You're officially a manager.]

[allyisun]

[Allison stares at the girl. Then she stares some. Her mouth opens. Staring continues. Finally:]

Aren't you a little young to be working?

[It's not that she wouldn't appreciate an assistant. But she's pretty sure child labour laws exist for a reason?]

Cafe; enter the nightmare customer

[takeitslow]

[He appears in a blink, leaning over the counter and grinning like the cat that caught that canary.]

What's a guy got to do to get some excellent service around here?

[allyisun]

[Allison swears loudly at Peter's sudden appearance and question, glad her MID is attached to her wrist so she can't drop it. She does almost fall out of her chair, though.]

Not give the server a heart attack!

[takeitslow]

[He starts laughing, pointing a finger at her just to be an ass.]

Don't exaggerate Allison. How else are you supposed to get used to me unless I do what I do best?

[allyisun]

Why the hell would I want to get used to you?

[You dont merit her standing up. She's just gonna sit here and cross her arms.]

[diamondslap]

Aurelia quite likes cafes when they're done right. Naturally, she thinks the one on the Moira is extremely low class and not worth the time of day, but that doesn't stop her coming by for, as it's said, her renewed daily intake of caffeine.

She leans on the counter, casting a glance at what's available.

"Is everything brewed on board or is there a selection from other planets?"

[allyisun]

Sorry, lady, like the café's name says, it's All You've Got.

As Aurelia leans on the counter, Allison stands up from her lounging-between-orders chair and stretches, popping her back a little.

The question has her slightly perplexed. "I brew everything fresh right here." She jerks a thumb at the counter behind her and it's array if coffee machinery. "Not sure how I'd get fresh coffee from other planets."

She's considered buying coffee beans and tea from any stops they make on the way - or asking the captains to do it, since she's not keen on spending the coin they gave her on a job she's only sort of paid for. But even then she'd grind and brew it herself.

[diamondslap]

"You ask, darling. Go to the market and ask." she says, icily. How can words be icy? Aurelia makes them so.

"Regardless, I'll take a boisson to go, if you please. Two parts coffee, two parts vodka."

[allyisun]

"Uh-huh," Allison says, looking unimpressed by all that ice. She counters with dull sarcasm. "The nice market on the ramshackle whale-hunting town down there. That definitely looks like it'd have some top quality coffee. And not just four-day-old sludge."

Then she stares at Aurelia, then over at the bar that connects to her café but isn't technically a part of it, then back. "Okay, so, the Rickspresso machine does alcohol infusions-" She jerks her thumb at the rather mad-sciencey contraption. "-but otherwise I can give you coffee and you can add your own booze."

A pause. "Also he don't have any travel mugs."

That's legitimately something she should probably order next time.

Roomie!

[pushed]

Welp, Nick's sure not gonna blame her for it. He stands in the doorway for a moment before he looks away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he looks around.

"Uh. Sorry, I must have the wrong room."

Because this is obviously a girl's room. It's obviously this girl's room.

[allyisun]

Allison doesn't even notice the door open at first, but she definitely notices when Nick speaks up.

"Holy shit!" Well, there goes the tube of nail polish she was painting onto her nails. And there goes Allison in a flailing mess if limbs and blankets over the side of the bed.

From the heap of comforter on the floor comes a somewhat muffled, "Who the hell are you?!"

[pushed]

Nick nods to himself at the curse. That just about sums it up for him too. But after double-checking, he realizes that he is, in fact, in the right place.

"I'm Nick. I was told that this would be my room." But after taking a look around he realizes that it's not just his room. "I'm guessing you were here first."

Thus making herself at home.

[allyisun]

Allison slowly shifts into a sitting position, blankets wrapped around her like a protective burrito, and peers over the edge of the bed at Nick.

"Allison," she says. "Nobody said I was getting a roommate."

She'd assumed she'd get one eventually given that there were four beds and one of her, but nobody said to expect them today.

"And no-one said this was co-ed."

[rocksatfashion]

Rarity hasn't been here long enough to understand the significance of underwear, so Allison's chosen wardrobe goes momentarily unnoticed. "Um, hello?" She calls out cautiously as she wanders into her assigned room.

When she looks at her surroundings she gives a soft gasp of horror.

"I'm expected to live here?" She says, aghast, "Oh this won't do! First thing's first: This room needs a total makeover! Paint, decorations, I wonder if we can find some artwork somewhere, that would be lovely..."

[allyisun]

Allison is much less concerned about being in her underwear at the moment and much more concerned by the talking unicorn in her room.

Pausing in the middle of painting her toenails, her jaw slowly drops open into full out gape. Aliens and monsters she can handle. But that is just straight up a pretty white pony. With a spirally unicorn horn. Who talks.

"Um. Hi?" she manages to squeak.

It suddenly feels like all her years of virginity finally paid off.

[rocksatfashion]

"Oh! Hello!" Rarity says, finally turning her attention to her roommate. Yes, she did notice her coming in, but the shock of her drab surroundings overcame her and she simply forgot the girl was there. "My name is Rarity and it would seem that I am your new roommate!" She says, trying to sound as elegantly cheerful as she can.

"Our room is, um, charmingly modest, but I think a bit of colour here and there will improve things immensely, wouldn't you think?"

[allyisun]

Allison nods slowly, presumably in agreement, though she thinks the groom's already pretty cute a colorful. She's still a little shell-shocked by the whole 'talking unicorn in her room' thing.

Which she proves when she opens her mouth and cleverly says, "You're a unicorn."